… I'm excited about the future …
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.
Thursday, March 17, 2016
*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.
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 little boy is going on an Easter Egg hunt with his older brother and sister, but if he wants to find more than just a few eggs, he needs to be quick because the other children have had a lot more practice.
*VOCABULARY*
Vocabulary building is important for both reading comprehension and writing.
Use the following two words in one sentence (note the parts of speech).
pandemonium (noun) and abdicate (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 a general agreement as a consensus.
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 eat.
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.
My parents will arrive for a visit tomorrow. I am worried that they will feel crowded and uncomfortable in my small apartment and may wish that they had gone to a hotel instead.
*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: Justin Trudeau is the Prime Minister of Canada.
Sentence 2: He is the son of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.
Sentence 3: He is very popular.
Sentence 2: He is the son of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.
Sentence 3: He is very popular.
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 past progressive tense and an independent clause in the simple present tense.
Thursday, March 3, 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 18, 2016
PREVIOUS GRAMMAR QUESTION
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.
1. Word Form:
“Less” is used with uncountable nouns. “People” is a countable noun, so you should use “fewer”.
2. Gerund/Infinitive:
After the verb “plan”, use the infinitive “to travel” rather than the gerund.
3. Redundant word:
The preposition “over” should be omitted because “this year” means “over the course of the year”.
4. Adjective form:
The word “worse” is the comparative adjective for “bad”. Since nothing is being compared, you should just use “bad”.
5. Verb tense:
The time frame is from a point in the past until now, so you should use the present perfect tense (“has happened”) than the simple past.
6. Redundant word:
The preposition “to” isn't needed here.
Suggested solution:
Fewer people in Canada are planning to travel this year because of the bad weather that has happened in many parts of the country recently, and also because it is expensive.
“Less” is used with uncountable nouns. “People” is a countable noun, so you should use “fewer”.
2. Gerund/Infinitive:
After the verb “plan”, use the infinitive “to travel” rather than the gerund.
3. Redundant word:
The preposition “over” should be omitted because “this year” means “over the course of the year”.
4. Adjective form:
The word “worse” is the comparative adjective for “bad”. Since nothing is being compared, you should just use “bad”.
5. Verb tense:
The time frame is from a point in the past until now, so you should use the present perfect tense (“has happened”) than the simple past.
6. Redundant word:
The preposition “to” isn't needed here.
Suggested solution:
Fewer people in Canada are planning to travel this year because of the bad weather that has happened in many parts of the country recently, and also because it is expensive.
*GRAMMAR QUESTION*
Correct the errors in the following sentence:
The solution will be posted in the next edition of the blog.
There were to much peoples at the mall so I was hurried up shopping, I was too hurried that the shirt’s I bought's not big enough and I'm having to return them.
PUZZLE
Solution to the previous puzzle
e … hamper (e/he/her/hare/harem/hamper)
o … erosion (o/so/son/ones/snore/sooner/erosion)
Other answers were possible.
New Puzzle:
Now that we've had a little practice, let's try the same kind of puzzle! Remember, just add one letter at a time to make a new word:
Example: a ... adios
Answer: a/as/sad/dais/adios
o … honor
i … detail
i … elation
*Note, the first person with the correct answer gets the bonus point.
e … hamper (e/he/her/hare/harem/hamper)
o … erosion (o/so/son/ones/snore/sooner/erosion)
Other answers were possible.
Now that we've had a little practice, let's try the same kind of puzzle! Remember, just add one letter at a time to make a new word:
Example: a ... adios
Answer: a/as/sad/dais/adios
o … honor
i … detail
i … elation
*Note, the first person with the correct answer gets the bonus point.
IDIOMS
There are three idioms that use the word monkey:
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/2009/03/090311_teacher_animal_monkey.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 salesman grudgingly offered the angry customer a small discount.
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 salesman grudgingly offered the angry customer a small discount.
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 -anthro- (meaning "human") 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.
… The daffodils are already blooming in my garden…
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.
I was going to have pancakes for breakfast, but the milk was past its expiry date, and I didn't want to take any chances of getting sick, so I made bacon and eggs instead.
*VOCABULARY*
Vocabulary building is important for both reading comprehension and writing.
Use the following two words in one sentence (note the parts of speech).
panacea (noun) and engender (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
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