My friend was planning to take her first holiday in many years, but was so concerned about the problems that might crop while she was away that she cancelled her reservations and postponed trip for another year.
Thursday, March 3, 2016
*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.
*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: The man standing next to the theatre is Leonardo DiCaprio.
Sentence 2: He just won an Oscar for his recent film.
Sentence 3: The film is called The Revenent.
Sentence 2: He just won an Oscar for his recent film.
Sentence 3: The film is called The Revenent.
BUILD-A-SENTENCE
Write a sentence using the vocabulary and grammar indicated. Do not use a semi-colon.
Write a sentence using a dependent clause in the simple present tense and an independent clause in the present perfect tense.
Thursday, February 18, 2016
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 on how to improve this site.
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.
Next blog: Friday, March 4, 2016
PREVIOUS GRAMMAR QUESTION
As the matter of fact, she was a person who hard being convinced for instant, she certainly would likes to thinks that his opinion are the corrected then any one else view.
1. Article use:
Use the definite article (“the”) only when referring to specific items; for singular, non-specific items use the indefinite article (“a”).
2. Word confusion:
These words sound similar, but try not to confuse “instant” with “instance”. The meanings are quite different.
3. Passive form:
While “hard being convinced” seems to be a passive construction, the form is incorrect. The word “hard” needs to be introduced by “was” and followed by an infinitive (“was hard to convince”).
4. Verb form:
After a modal verb, use the base form of the verb (“like” not “likes”).
5. Infinitive:
The infinitive is formed from “to” + the base form of the verb. There is no “s” or any other verb ending on an infinitive, so use “to think” not “to thinks”.
6. Pronoun agreement:
It makes more sense if you change “his” to “her”. “His” is possible here, but it doesn't make as much sense.
7. Word form:
The word “corrected” is a past participial adjective. Here, however, a comparison is needed (i.e., something like “more correct”). A good solution would be to change this expression to “better”.
8. Word confusion:
The words “then” and “than” sound very similar, but they are quite different. Here, we need “than” because there is an implicit comparison.
9. Possessive:
In this case, the “view” belongs to someone (i.e., “anyone else”), so it needs to be possessive (“anyone else’s”).
10. Punctuation:
The first independent clause ends with “convince”, so a semicolon is needed here.
11. Wordiness:
It is clear that the pronoun “she” refers to a person, so restating the fact is unnecessary. Instead of “she is a person who is”, we can simply say “she is”.
Suggested solution:
As a matter of fact, she is hard to convince; for instance, she certainly likes to think that her opinion is better than anyone else’s.
Use the definite article (“the”) only when referring to specific items; for singular, non-specific items use the indefinite article (“a”).
2. Word confusion:
These words sound similar, but try not to confuse “instant” with “instance”. The meanings are quite different.
3. Passive form:
While “hard being convinced” seems to be a passive construction, the form is incorrect. The word “hard” needs to be introduced by “was” and followed by an infinitive (“was hard to convince”).
4. Verb form:
After a modal verb, use the base form of the verb (“like” not “likes”).
5. Infinitive:
The infinitive is formed from “to” + the base form of the verb. There is no “s” or any other verb ending on an infinitive, so use “to think” not “to thinks”.
6. Pronoun agreement:
It makes more sense if you change “his” to “her”. “His” is possible here, but it doesn't make as much sense.
7. Word form:
The word “corrected” is a past participial adjective. Here, however, a comparison is needed (i.e., something like “more correct”). A good solution would be to change this expression to “better”.
8. Word confusion:
The words “then” and “than” sound very similar, but they are quite different. Here, we need “than” because there is an implicit comparison.
9. Possessive:
In this case, the “view” belongs to someone (i.e., “anyone else”), so it needs to be possessive (“anyone else’s”).
10. Punctuation:
The first independent clause ends with “convince”, so a semicolon is needed here.
11. Wordiness:
It is clear that the pronoun “she” refers to a person, so restating the fact is unnecessary. Instead of “she is a person who is”, we can simply say “she is”.
Suggested solution:
As a matter of fact, she is hard to convince; for instance, she certainly likes to think that her opinion is better than anyone else’s.
*GRAMMAR QUESTION*
Correct the errors in the following sentence:
The solution will be posted in the next edition of the blog.
Less people in Canada are planning travelling over this year because of the worse weather that happened in to many parts of the country recently and because it is expensive.
PUZZLE
Solution to the previous puzzle
I fear my instructions were not very clear last time, but here are the answers:
1. Push PIN Cushion
2. Digital CAMERA Shy
3. Crystal BALL Park
4. First CLASS Clown
5. Bed ROCK Candy
New Puzzle:
Add one letter at a time to make a new word:
Example: a ... adios
Answer: a/as/sad/dais/adios
e … hamper
o … erosion
*Note, the first person with the correct answer gets the bonus point.
I fear my instructions were not very clear last time, but here are the answers:
1. Push PIN Cushion
2. Digital CAMERA Shy
3. Crystal BALL Park
4. First CLASS Clown
5. Bed ROCK Candy
Add one letter at a time to make a new word:
Example: a ... adios
Answer: a/as/sad/dais/adios
e … hamper
o … erosion
*Note, the first person with the correct answer gets the bonus point.
IDIOMS
There are three idioms that use the word gold:
Try not to use the same idiom as the other participants.
Watch this video, and then write a sentence that uses one (or more) of these three idioms.
Try not to use the same idiom as the other participants.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/theteacher/2009/03/090326_teacher_colour_gold.shtml
*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.
Participants who make all 7 changes will receive 2 bonus marks for their efforts.
When all 7 changes have been made, return to the top of the list and continue.
Here is the sentence:
The little boy showed his friends the treasure he had secretly hidden in his castle.
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.
Participants who make all 7 changes will receive 2 bonus marks for their efforts.
When all 7 changes have been made, return to the top of the list and continue.
Here is the sentence:
The little boy showed his friends the treasure he had secretly hidden in his castle.
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 -cur- (meaning "to run") occurs in many words.
1. Add an affix to this stem to make another word.
2. Explain the meaning of the word and use it in a complete sentence.
Each participant should add a different word to the list.
1. Add an affix to this stem to make another word.
2. Explain the meaning of the word and use it in a complete sentence.
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) and do not use a semi-colon to join your independent clause.
… I'm looking forward to the start of spring…
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) and do not use a semi-colon to join your independent clause.
*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.
The first participant to make the correct changes will receive the bonus mark.
The deer that lives in the woods behind my house likes to chew on the bark of the fruit trees I planted in my garden.
*VOCABULARY*
Vocabulary building is important for both reading comprehension and writing.
Use the following two words in one sentence (note the parts of speech).
compunction (noun) and collude (verb).
To further improve your vocabulary, remember to check out the Word of the Day.
The site also has word games and puzzles.
http://dictionary.reference.com/wordoftheday/
You can also test your skills while contributing to the World Food Programme here:
http://freerice.com/#/english-vocabulary/1498
You can also test your skills while contributing to the World Food Programme here:
http://freerice.com/#/english-vocabulary/1498
SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS
We can describe something simultaneous as concurrent.
First, write a sentence that uses this word.
Then rewrite the sentence, first using a synonym and then using an antonym for this word.
Each participant should suggest a different synonym and antonym.
Example: easy.
Answer:
This exercise is easy.
First, write a sentence that uses this word.
Then rewrite the sentence, first using a synonym and then using an antonym for this word.
Each participant should suggest a different synonym and antonym.
Example: easy.
Answer:
This exercise is easy.
Synonym: simple. This exercise is simple.
Antonym: difficult. This exercise is difficult.*ACTIVE vs. PASSIVE*
Write two sentences using the verb find.
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.
While I was working in the office yesterday, I was imagining all the things I would do when I finally retired.
*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: The weather is cold.
Sentence 2: This weather will continue for a while.
Sentence 3: Soon, it will be spring.
Sentence 2: This weather will continue for a while.
Sentence 3: Soon, it will be spring.
BUILD-A-SENTENCE
Write a sentence using the vocabulary and grammar indicated. Do not use a semi-colon.
Add a time-related adverb clause to the following:
...I am going to library to do some research for my essay ...
...I am going to library to do some research for my essay ...
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