We can describe something we like as being congenial.
Provide a synonym and an antonym for this word. Each participant should suggest a different word.
Friday, September 18, 2015
*ACTIVE vs. PASSIVE*
Write two sentences using the verb think.
In the first sentence, use the word in the active voice; in the second sentence, use it in the passive voice.
*TIME CHANGE*
Change the time in the following sentences by using a different verb tense and replacing any necessary time clues. Each student should choose a different verb tense.
Summer is almost over, but I have not been able to do some of my favourite activities as the weather has not cooperated. I have not been able to eat dinner on the patio because of the mosquitoes and wasps, and I have not been able to relax in the park with a book. Whenever I have gone outside, I have had to cover up well.
Summer is almost over, but I have not been able to do some of my favourite activities as the weather has not cooperated. I have not been able to eat dinner on the patio because of the mosquitoes and wasps, and I have not been able to relax in the park with a book. Whenever I have gone outside, I have had to cover up well.
*SENTENCE COMBINATION*
Learning to combine ideas into more complex sentences is an important writing skill. There are many ways to do this. Try to combine the following three sentences. Do not use a semi-colon.
Sentence 1: I was worried about you.
Sentence 2: I thought we were going to meet at the pub after class on Friday.
Sentence 3: When I got there, you were nowhere in sight, and you weren't answering your phone.
Sentence 3: When I got there, you were nowhere in sight, and you weren't answering your phone.
BUILD-A-SENTENCE
Write a sentence using the vocabulary and grammar indicated. Do not use a semi-colon.
Write a sentence that includes a dependent clause in the past perfect progressive tense and a dependent clause in the past perfect and an independent clause in the simple present.
Friday, September 4, 2015
WELCOME!
Welcome to the Effective Writing Blog for ENGL 155, 177 and 189. These courses may be taken separately or as part of the English Language Proficiency Program. The goal is to increase the level of communication between students and instructors, and to provide students with an opportunity to communicate with each other and to practice the grammar and mechanics taught in these courses. If you post general questions about the assignments or the course, they will be addressed in the blog. If you have detailed questions you want answered, then e-mail your instructor.
Feel free to post comments and suggestions for how to improve this site.
For information on how to participate, please contact the administrator.
WELCOME NEW STUDENTS!
A hearty welcome to all the new students joining this course. We hope you enjoy your studies and have fun participating in this blog.
IMPORTANT: This blog site is open to the public; do not post personal information that could identify you. Your first name and the initial of your last name are the only personal information you should post. Please watch this video from the Government of Canada about privacy and social networking issues.
Also, be sure to let your tutors know the nickname you have chosen for this blog; otherwise, they will not be able to give you the bonus marks that you have earned for your participation.
Also, be sure to let your tutors know the nickname you have chosen for this blog; otherwise, they will not be able to give you the bonus marks that you have earned for your participation.
Next blog: Friday, September 18, 2015.
PREVIOUS GRAMMAR QUESTION
The twin’s were unusual amused, first they entertain there school’s friends’ by telling jokes, than they had chased after the neighboring dog and it was ended when they had imitated their friend’s.
1. Active or passive voice:
If the twins were amused, then someone or something was amusing them. Given their actions, it makes more sense to use the active voice and the present participle ("were amusing") as they were amusing the others. Similarly, use the simple past "ended" in the active voice instead of the passive "was ended".
2. Word form:
"Unusual" is an adjective, but here it is a verb that is being modified, so we need to use an adverb ("unusually").
3. Possessive or plural:
"Twins" and "friends" are plural not possessive, so they should not have an apostrophe. Similarly, the word "school's" modifies "friends", so it is an adjective and therefore cannot be possessive or plural. We need to use the word "school".
4. Verb tense:
This story is set in the past, so we need to use either the past progressive or simple past. Instead of "entertain", we should use "entertained". To be consistent, we need to use the simple past tense ("chased" and "imitated") rather than the past perfect ("had chased" and "had imitated").
5. Word confusion:
The possessive pronoun is "their"; "there" is an adverb of place.
6. Word confusion:
The word “than” is used to compare two things; to indicate what happened next, we need to use the word "then".
7. Word confusion:
The word "neighbouring" refers to a place. Here, we need to use either the possessive ("neighbour's" or "neighbourhood").
8. Punctuation:
The first two clauses are independent, so we need to separate them with either a full stop (period) or a semicolon.
9. Parallelism:
As we are constructing a list of actions, we should try to maintain a parallel structure among each of the clauses: "they entertained...", "they chased..." and "they imitated...". the last clause should therefore be rephrased: "...and finally they imitated..."
Possible solution:
The twins were unusually amusing; first they entertained their school friends by telling jokes, then they chased after the neighbour’s dog, and finally they imitated their friends.
1. Active or passive voice:
If the twins were amused, then someone or something was amusing them. Given their actions, it makes more sense to use the active voice and the present participle ("were amusing") as they were amusing the others. Similarly, use the simple past "ended" in the active voice instead of the passive "was ended".
2. Word form:
"Unusual" is an adjective, but here it is a verb that is being modified, so we need to use an adverb ("unusually").
3. Possessive or plural:
"Twins" and "friends" are plural not possessive, so they should not have an apostrophe. Similarly, the word "school's" modifies "friends", so it is an adjective and therefore cannot be possessive or plural. We need to use the word "school".
4. Verb tense:
This story is set in the past, so we need to use either the past progressive or simple past. Instead of "entertain", we should use "entertained". To be consistent, we need to use the simple past tense ("chased" and "imitated") rather than the past perfect ("had chased" and "had imitated").
5. Word confusion:
The possessive pronoun is "their"; "there" is an adverb of place.
6. Word confusion:
The word “than” is used to compare two things; to indicate what happened next, we need to use the word "then".
7. Word confusion:
The word "neighbouring" refers to a place. Here, we need to use either the possessive ("neighbour's" or "neighbourhood").
8. Punctuation:
The first two clauses are independent, so we need to separate them with either a full stop (period) or a semicolon.
9. Parallelism:
As we are constructing a list of actions, we should try to maintain a parallel structure among each of the clauses: "they entertained...", "they chased..." and "they imitated...". the last clause should therefore be rephrased: "...and finally they imitated..."
Possible solution:
The twins were unusually amusing; first they entertained their school friends by telling jokes, then they chased after the neighbour’s dog, and finally they imitated their friends.
*GRAMMAR QUESTION*
Correct the errors in the following sentence:
The solution will be posted in the next edition of the blog.
Seeing that starbucks’ opens at safeway stores now and they had also opened at many book stores’; I wonder if it would now loose customer’s from their regular outlets.
PUZZLE
Solution to the previous puzzle:
mODel, synOD, bODice, prODuct, cathOde
New Puzzle:
Now that we know how to play this game, let's try it again!
Five words that contain EM as a letter-pair have had all of their other letters removed and placed into a pool. Put those letters back in their proper places. What are the words?
*EM**, *EM***, **EM**, ****EM, **EM***
Pool: A, A, C, D, F, H, H, I, I, I, L, N, N, O, P, R, R, S, T, U
Each asterisk represents one missing letter.
*Note, the first person with the correct answer gets the bonus point.
mODel, synOD, bODice, prODuct, cathOde
New Puzzle:
Now that we know how to play this game, let's try it again!
Five words that contain EM as a letter-pair have had all of their other letters removed and placed into a pool. Put those letters back in their proper places. What are the words?
*EM**, *EM***, **EM**, ****EM, **EM***
Pool: A, A, C, D, F, H, H, I, I, I, L, N, N, O, P, R, R, S, T, U
Each asterisk represents one missing letter.
*Note, the first person with the correct answer gets the bonus point.
*ALL CHANGE!*
Change the words in the sentence below as indicated.
For instance, if the original sentence is "Benson hurriedly told the bad news to his friends":
participant 1 could write "#1 Subject Noun: Michael hurriedly told the bad news to his friends";
participant 2 could then write "#2 Direct Object Noun: Michael hurriedly told the bad joke to his friends";
participant 3 could then write "#3 Indirect Object Noun: Michael hurriedly told the bad joke to his wife";
etc.
You are free to make as many changes as you wish. Just remember to number each change (and indicate the part of speech) so it is clear to everyone where we are on the list.
When all 7 changes have been made, return to the top of the list and continue.
Here is the sentence:
My lovely neighbour often brings me fresh vegetables from her garden.
Changes:
1. subject noun
2. direct object noun
3. indirect object noun
4. adjective(s)
5. adverb(s)
6. verb name
7. verb tense
Please change only the exact word in the sequence given. Each participant should build on the changes made by the previous participant.
For instance, if the original sentence is "Benson hurriedly told the bad news to his friends":
participant 1 could write "#1 Subject Noun: Michael hurriedly told the bad news to his friends";
participant 2 could then write "#2 Direct Object Noun: Michael hurriedly told the bad joke to his friends";
participant 3 could then write "#3 Indirect Object Noun: Michael hurriedly told the bad joke to his wife";
etc.
You are free to make as many changes as you wish. Just remember to number each change (and indicate the part of speech) so it is clear to everyone where we are on the list.
When all 7 changes have been made, return to the top of the list and continue.
Here is the sentence:
My lovely neighbour often brings me fresh vegetables from her garden.
Changes:
1. subject noun
2. direct object noun
3. indirect object noun
4. adjective(s)
5. adverb(s)
6. verb name
7. verb tense
AFFIXES
The word stem -verse- (meaning "to turn") occurs in many words.
Add an affix to this stem to make another word.
Each participant should add a different word to the list.
Add an affix to this stem to make another word.
Each participant should add a different word to the list.
*COMPLETE THE SENTENCE*
Follow the instructions below to create three different sentences from the following clause:*
Sentence 1. Add a phrase
Sentence 2. Add a dependent clause
Sentence 3. Add an independent clause
*Add your words to the beginning or end of the clause (but not both).
... when it rains, it pours ...
Sentence 2. Add a dependent clause
Sentence 3. Add an independent clause
*Add your words to the beginning or end of the clause (but not both).
*NUMBER CHANGE*
If the sentence is singular, change it to the plural; if it is plural, change it to the singular.
The first participant to make the correct changes will receive the bonus mark.
Over the next few weekends, we are planning to visit several festivals that are happening in different towns around the province. They will all be short drives as we want to spend our time at the festivals rather than on the roads. At this time of the year, thunderstorms are always possible, but we are hoping that they won’t affect our plans.
The first participant to make the correct changes will receive the bonus mark.
*VOCABULARY*
Vocabulary building is important for both reading comprehension and writing.
Use the following two words in one sentence (note the parts of speech).
dissident (noun) and dissent (verb).
To further improve your vocabulary, remember to check out the Word of the Day.
The site also has word games and puzzles.
SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS
We can describe someone who feels unhappy as being disconsolate.
Provide a synonym and an antonym for this word. Each participant should suggest a different word.
Provide a synonym and an antonym for this word. Each participant should suggest a different word.
*ACTIVE vs. PASSIVE*
Write two sentences using the verb beat.
In the first sentence, use the word in the active voice; in the second sentence, use it in the passive voice.
*TIME CHANGE*
Change the time in the following sentences by using a different verb tense and replacing any necessary time clues. Each student should choose a different verb tense.
Next weekend, I am going to see a multi-cultural festival that will be held at the local community centre. I am going to wander around the site first to see what looks good and what is popular. Afterwards, I am going to sample food from several different countries. I am also going to enjoy some traditional dancing and other displays.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)