WELCOME!

Welcome to the English Skills blog for English 140 (Grammar), English 143 (Writing for Academic Purposes), and English 146 (Reading for Academic Purposes) at Athabasca University. These courses may be taken separately or as part of the English Language Proficiency Program. The goal is to increase communication between students and instructors, and to provide students with an opportunity to communicate with each other and to practice the skills 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!

WELCOME NEW STUDENTS!

A hearty welcome to all the new students joining these courses. We hope you enjoy your studies and have fun participating in this blog.

Assignments marked with asterisks (*.*) are mandatory for ENGL140 students (Assignment 9).

IMPORTANT: This blog site is open to the public; do not post personal information that could identify you--first name and the initial of your last name are the only personal information you should post. Please watch this video from the Canadian Government explaining privacy issues and social networking. 

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 marks/bonus marks that you have earned for your participation.

Next blog: Friday, October 3, 2014.

PREVIOUS GRAMMAR QUESTION

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.

1. Capitalization: 

Both Starbucks and Safeway are proper nouns, so they must be capitalized.

2. Singular or plural: 

Company names are usually collective nouns and are usually treated as singular nouns even when they end in “s”, so the verbs and pronouns should also be in the singular form in order to have proper "subject-verb agreement".

3. Apostrophe error:

"Starbucks", "book stores" and "customers" are not being used in the possessive, so they should not have an apostrophe. 

As an aside, note the difference between "Starbucks" and "stores": "Starbucks" always has an "s" at the end, while "stores" only has an "s" because it is being used in the plural. As a result, if we were to use "Starbucks" in the possessive, we would add the apostrophe and the "s" as we usually do (e.g. "Starbucks's new CEO"). But if we were to use "stores" in the possessive, we would just the apostrophe and not the extra "s" (e.g. "The book stores' employees").

4. Verb form: 

Using “opens” in the simple present tense indicates a habitual action. Instead, we probably want to describe something that began in the past and continues in the present; for that, we should use the present perfect tense ("has opened") or the verb "is" + the predicate adjective "open", or perhaps even the present progressive tense ("is opening").

5. Verb tense: 

Try to be consistent with the verb tense. If you use the present perfect ("has opened”) then you should continue using it later in the sentence instead of switching to the past perfect ("had opened").

6. Conditional clauses: 

The word "if" introduces a conditional clause. Whenever the main clause uses the simple present tense, the conditional clause should use the simple future tense ("will" + main verb).

7. Word confusion: 

Try not to confuse the  verb is "lose" with the adjective "loose".

8. Punctuation: 

A semicolon divides two independent clauses. In this case, the first clause is a dependent one, so we need to use a comma instead of the semicolon.

Possible solution: 

Seeing that Starbucks has opened at Safeway stores and they have also opened at many bookstores, I wonder if they will now lose customers from their regular outlets.

*GRAMMAR QUESTION*

Correct the errors in the following sentence:

Peter and me are needing knowing to who to address the letter before its written in it's envelope and than being posted by us too the company in the states.

Solutions will be posted in the next edition of the blog.

PUZZLE

Solution to the previous puzzle:  

FEMUR, REMIND, ANEMIA, PHLOEM, CHEMIST

New Puzzle:

Hint: Find the words that fit the definitions below. The two words should be the same except for the extra letter at the beginning of the first word.

Example: Begin → Sour
Answer:   Start   → Tart

1. Pass by → Temporary failure
2. Picture → Wizard
3. Brave → Fortunate
4. Enthusiastic meetings → Partners
5. Attacked → Helped
6. Choose → Choose
7. Fragments → Dice game
8. Customary practice → Spiritual mentor

*Note, the first person to post the correct answer will get the bonus point.

IDIOMS

There are three idioms that use EGG:

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 posters.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/theteacher/2009/03/090303_teacher_food_egg.shtml 

*ALL CHANGE!*

Change the words in the following sentence as indicated.

The dying man bequeathed all his money to an animal charity.

Please change only the exact word in the sequence given. Each participant should build on the changes made by the previous participant.

For instance, Participant 1 writes #1 Subject Noun, and changes the subject noun; Participant 2 writes #2 Direct Object Noun, and changes the direct object noun, 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.

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 -psych- (meaning "mind") occurs in many words. 

Add an affix (either a prefix or a suffix) 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:*

... summer is the best time of the year in Canada ...

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).

*NUMBER CHANGE*

If the sentence is singular, change it to the plural; if it is plural, change it to the singular.

The view from my window is quite extraordinary. It is one of the lake with a mountain in the background. On the shore of the lake, I can see a deer grazing. The wind rustles through a tree and a leaf falls to the ground.

*VOCABULARY*

Vocabulary building is important for both reading comprehension and writing. 

Use the following two words in one sentence (note the part of speech).

equanimity (noun) and loquacious (adjective).

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/

SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS

We can describe someone who has a feeling of regret  as remorseful. 

Provide a synonym and an antonym for this word. Each participant should suggest a different word.

*ACTIVE vs. PASSIVE*

Write two sentences using the word avoid.

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, yet 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 outside 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.

Sentence 1: There has been more rain than sunshine so far this summer.
Sentence 2: Summer is now practically over.

Sentence 3: Many people take their holiday in the summer in the hope that the weather will be good.

BUILD-A-SENTENCE

Write a sentence using the vocabulary and grammar indicated.

Write a sentence that conveys a truism.

WELCOME!

Welcome to the English Skills blog for English 140 (Grammar), English 143 (Writing for Academic Purposes), and English 146 (Reading for Academic Purposes) at Athabasca University. These courses may be taken separately or as part of the English Language Proficiency Program. The goal is to increase communication between students and instructors, and to provide students with an opportunity to communicate with each other and to practice the skills 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!

WELCOME NEW STUDENTS!

A hearty welcome to all the new students joining these courses. We hope you enjoy your studies and have fun participating in this blog.

Assignments marked with asterisks (*.*) are mandatory for ENGL140 students (Assignment 9).

IMPORTANT: This blog site is open to the public; do not post personal information that could identify you--first name and the initial of your last name are the only personal information you should post. Please watch this video from the Canadian Government explaining privacy issues and social networking. 

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 marks/bonus marks that you have earned for your participation.

Next blog: Friday, September 19, 2014.

WHAT’S NEW?

Here are some interesting and helpful pages to explore:

Avoiding typos: 

http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/10-tips-to-banish-typos.aspx

Choosing between the simple present and simple past: 

http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/present-tense-in-a-story.aspx

Avoiding double negatives:

http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/double-negative.aspx

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 use the past progressive tense ("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:

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.

Solutions will be posted in the next edition of the blog.

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.

IDIOMS

There are three idioms that use EYE:

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 posters.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/theteacher/2009/03/090306_teacher_body_eye.shtml

*ALL CHANGE!*

Change the words in the following sentence as indicated.

My favourite band just started a new concert tour.

Please change only the exact word in the sequence given. Each participant should build on the changes made by the previous participant.

For instance, Participant 1 writes #1 Subject Noun, and changes the subject noun; Participant 2 writes #2 Direct Object Noun, and changes the direct object noun, 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.

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 -ceed- or -cede- (meaning "go", "yield" or "give way") occurs in many words. 

Add an affix (either a prefix or a suffix) 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.*

… I had a lot of plans for the summer …

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).

*NUMBER CHANGE*

If the sentence is singular, change it to the plural; if it is plural, change it to the singular.

Over the next few weekends, we are going to 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.

*VOCABULARY*

Vocabulary building is important for both reading comprehension and writing. 

Use the following two words in one sentence (note the part of speech).

retort (noun) and supercilious (adjective).

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/

SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS

We can describe something that has come together as combined. 

Provide a synonym and an antonym for this word. Each participant should suggest a different word.

*ACTIVE vs. PASSIVE*

Write two sentences using the word 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 a multi-cultural festival to be held at a 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. 

*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.

Sentence 1: A $2,000 car has been introduced in India.
Sentence 2: It is more available and affordable for the masses.

Sentence 3: It may also cause a number of problems in India and elsewhere.

BUILD-A-SENTENCE

Write a sentence using the vocabulary and grammar indicated.

Write a sentence that begins with the phrase "my friends" and includes the word "attend" in the future perfect progressive tense and the word "meet" in the simple past tense.