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).

For information on how to participate, please visit the instructions page or contact the administrator.

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, April 10, 2015.

PREVIOUS GRAMMAR QUESTION

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.

1.  Word confusion:

We need to use “too” (not “to”) as an intensifier.

2. Modifier use:

“Much” is used to modify uncountable nouns. Since “people” is countable, you should use “many”.

3.  Plural form:

“People” is already plural (unless you are referring to something like a racial group), so it doesn’t need to be pluralized again.

4.  Passive or active voice:

Do not use the passive form (“was hurried”) unless you mean to suggest that something was causing the speaker to be hurried. In this situation, use the active voice.

4.  Modifier use:

To convey the extent of the modifier, use “so” (not “too”)

5. Apostrophe error:

“Shirts” is plural, not possessive, so there is no apostrophe. “Bought” is the past tense of “buy”, so it should never have an “s” or an apostrophe.

6. Subject-verb agreement:

Since ‘shirts’ is plural, you need the plural form of the verb (“are”).

7. Verb tense:

The present progressive (“am having”) would indicate that the action is happening now. It’s better to use the simple present tense (“have”) or the simple future (“will have”).

8. Punctuation:

When a coordinating conjunction such as ‘so’ separates two independent clauses, use a comma before it. When there is no coordinating conjunction, you need a period  or (if the ideas are very closely related) a semicolon.


Suggested solution:

There were too many people in the mall, so I hurried with my shopping; I was in such a hurry that the shirts I bought are not big enough, and I will have to return them.

*GRAMMAR QUESTION*

Correct the errors in the following sentence:

The commentator said its the most unique program was skated at the competition and they are skating unbelievable therefore it hasn't been surprised that the audience have given them the standing ovation.

The solution will be posted in the next edition of the blog.

PUZZLE

Solution to the previous puzzle:  

o … honor (o/or/nor/horn/honor)
i … detail (i/id/lid/idle/ideal/detail)
i … elation (i/it/lit/lint/latin/latino/elation)

Other answers were possible.

New Puzzle:

Each of the following words contains a shorter word with the same meaning. 

Example: "rapscallion" contains the word "rascal": RApSCALlion

See if you can find the words hidden below:

1. prosecute
2. scoundrel
3. falsities
4. stockings
5. pantaloons
6. brackets

*Note, the first person with the correct answer gets the bonus point.

IDIOMS

There are three idioms that use the word bee:

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/2009/03/090311_teacher_animal_bee.shtml

*ALL CHANGE!*

Change the words in the following sentence as indicated.

The angry teacher gave her naughty pupil extra homework as punishment for disrupting her class..

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 -com- or -con- (meaning "together") 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:*

… There's no time like the present …

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 little boy is going on an Easter Egg hunt with his older brother and sister, but he needs to be quick if he wants to find more than just a few eggs, for 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).

credentials (noun) and jurisdiction (noun).

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 a general agreement as consensus.

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 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.

Sentence 1: Stephen Harper is the current Prime Minister of Canada.

Sentence 2: He was first elected to the House of Commons in 1993.

Sentence 3: He was a Member of Parliament for the riding of Calgary West.

BUILD-A-SENTENCE

Write a sentence using the vocabulary and grammar indicated.

Write a sentence using a dependent clause in the past progressive tense and an independent clause in the simple past tense.

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).

For information on how to participate, please visit the instructions page or contact the administrator.

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, March 20, 2015.

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 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:

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.

The solution will be posted in the next edition of the blog.

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.

IDIOMS

There are three idioms that use the word monkey:

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/2009/03/090311_teacher_animal_monkey.shtml

*ALL CHANGE!*

Change the words in the following sentence as indicated.

The salesman eagerly offered his services to the potential customer.

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 -ante- (meaning "before") 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:*

… The daffodils are already blooming in my garden…

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.

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).

disproportionate (adjective) and excoriate (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/

SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS

We can describe something that happened at an earlier time as antecedent.

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 bring.

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 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.

*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: The man standing next to the theatre is Neill Blomkamp.

Sentence 2: He is the director of the movie.

Sentence 3: His film is opening tonight.

BUILD-A-SENTENCE

Write a sentence using the vocabulary and grammar indicated.

Write a sentence using a dependent clause in the simple present tense and an independent clause in the simple future tense.