Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
TOPIC 1
SYNOPSIS
This topic aims to enhance learners knowledge of the formal features of
the English language system. It provides an explanation to a selection of
language structures identified in the English Language Proficiency 11
syllabus for non- TESL learners.
The exercises that follow the explanation should provided some
immediate practice applying the language rules learnt. Leraners are
required to practice much more from publications readily available, should
they wish to improve thier personal proficiency in the English language.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the topic, you will be able to:
1. understand the different types of language structures of word clasess
namely, conjuctions, prepositions and interjections.
2. apply the language structures appropriately through relevant exercises
TOPIC 1
Conjunctions
Examples
as
time
time
choice
condition
since
or
while
Function shows
time
contrast
Conjunctions are analysed from three aspects, which are form, function and
position.
Forms
Conjunctions have three basic forms;
Single word
Compound
Correlative
Exercise 1
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate conjunctions.
1. _______________he tried hard, he failed to get through the security.
2. Wait here___________ I tell you to move.
3. Take your umbrella___________it is going to rain.
4. Sazali is slow____________ smart.
5. ______________he was ill, he had to stay at home.
6. I shall not ride in his carriage____________invited.
7. Be kind ___________you will be rewarded.
8. ____________Azlan ___________his wife are attending the ceremony.
9. ____________soon __________he is ready, bring down the cake.
10. He is___________here__________there.
Exercise 2
Fill in the blanks with because, since, so and as long as.
1. The house was in need of major repairs______________we decided not to
buy it.
2. __________________you are UITM students, you must always abide by its
rules and regulations.
3. We decided not to go out shopping ______________we were tired.
4. You can play with your friends______________you have finished your
homework.
5. ______________the weather was bad, we had to cancel the camping trip.
Exercise 3
Join the sentences using before, after or while.
1. The children were sleeping on the second floor. The fire started in the
basement.
________________________________________________________________
2. It rained heavily. We arrived at the camping site.
________________________________________________________________
3. The nomads set up the tent. They tied up the camels.
________________________________________________________________
4. The police rushed over the house. They received the emergency call.
________________________________________________________________
5. I withdrew some money from the bank. I went shopping.
________________________________________________________________
1.2 Prepositions
Prepositions are used to show the relationship or connection of a word with
other words. They are used with nouns, pronouns, adjectives and verbs to
introduce phrases which give more information about a thing, quality or action.
They are used to indicate time, direction and other functions.
Eg: We will go to Sabah on Monday. We will go by plane.
Prepositions are usually single words, but there are some prepositions which
have more than one word.
Eg: We walked in between the parked cars.
Types of prepositions
Roles
Prepositions
Place
Accompaniment
along, with
Manner
Instrument
with, by
Time
before, after, at
Direction/movement
Agent
by
Stimulus
of, to, by
Purpose
to, for
Cause,reason
Source
from
at (point)
in (enclosed space)
on (surface)
at the park
at N0. 3
at the house
in Bangsar
In Kuala Lumpur
in the bedroom
on the swing
on Jalan Bangsar
on the door
at the junction
Examples:
in the bookstore
on the wall
1. Mariana is waiting for you at the park in Bangsar. She will be on the swing.
2. My house is at No. 3 on Jalan Bangsar in Kuala Lumpur.
3. The boys are reading some books at the English corner in the bookstore on
the 3rd floor.
Exercise 1
Fill in the blanks with suitable prepositions
1. The picture is hanging _____the door _____the bedroom _____the house.
2. You cant find the plate? Maybe it is ____the entrance of the kitchen or ___the
kitchen or hanging ____the wall.
3. A: I see you ____the junction.
B: No, I am ____the building _____the ground floor.
4. Please go and get the leaflet ____ the front desk ___the main office. It
is____the chair.
5. Gwen is studying Accountancy _____England.
Prepositions of Time
The following examples illustrate the use of prepositions in time expressions: at,
in, on
At / PRECISE TIME
at 4 oclock
at lunchtime
at sunset
at the moment
in December
in spring
in 1963
in the past / future
on Sunday
On 4 December
On my birthday
on New Years Day
Examples;
1. I am going shopping at 11.00am with a friend.
2. My anniversary falls on 15 December.
3. I forsee a lot of movement in the next month.
Exercise 2
The following sentences have the prepositions at, in or on omitted. Rewrite each
sentence, inserting the preposition at, in or on in the correct position.
1. We can look for car accessories the new hypermarket Ampang Jaya.
________________________________________________________________
2. People Malaysia live peace and harmony.
________________________________________________________________
3. Sandra works as a sales assistant an antique shop Jonker Street.
________________________________________________________________
4. The little child was trapped the bottom of the wall.
________________________________________________________________
5. The parcel that you have been waiting for is your study table.
________________________________________________________________
6. Mosquitoes breed clear stagnant water.
________________________________________________________________
7. Do look the different models available the market before you decide which
bicycle to buy.
________________________________________________________________
Preposition of Movement
to is used to express movement
Examples:
1. They were going to school together.
2. She has gone to the registrar office.
Toward/towards are also used to express movement.
Examples:
1. We are moving toward the future.
2. This is a big step towards the marriage
No preposition is needed for these words:
Home, downtown, uptown, inside, outside, downstairs, upstairs
Eg: My father went upstairs to look for my mother but unfortunately she has gone
home.
1.3 Interjections
Interjections are short exclamations which show excitement and emotion. They
do not carry grammatical value and are normally used in speaking rather than
writing; extremely common in English to express strong emotion and in many
situations where speakers are lost for words.
An interjection is followed by an exclamation mark ( ! )
Interjections are usually one or two words that come at the beginning of a
sentence.
Some examples of interjections and their functions
Interjections
Functions
Examples
Ah
to express pleasure
to express realization
to express regret
10
to express surprise
Alas
Dear
to express pity
to express surprise
to reconfirm
to enquire
to express suprise
to express invitation
Er
to hesitate
Hey
to express joy
Oh
to plead
Ouch
to express pain
Well
to reject
to introduce a point
Eh
11
Exercise
Choose a suitable text and identify the use of conjunctions, prepositions and
interjections found in the text. Suggested materials; newspaper clippings, short
texts, excerpts from different text types, comic strips or drama scripts.
You are to present the task to your respective lecturer during your tutorial
session.
Further practice
Write a short passage inserting some form of conjunctions, prepositions and
interjections.
Task to be submitted to your lecturer during tutorial session.
Summary
In this topic some basic parts of speech in English especially conjunctions,
prepositions and interjections were presented. It gives you some practice in
identifying the different parts of speech and how they are used in the sentences.
This will help you to be more accurate in using the right parts of speech in your
daily conversations with your pupils and friends.
References;
1. Norhazian Mat Sapian and Yong Lee Choo (2011) Language Description 1.
Oxford Fajar Sdn Bhd. Shah Alam, Selangor.
2. Azar, B and Azar, D (2004). Fundamentals of English Grammar Second
Edition. Prentice Hall Inc. Malaysia.
3. Wren and Martin (2006). High School English: Grammar & Composition, Kuala
Lumpur:S. Chand & Company Ltd.
12
Suggested Answers
TOPIC 1: Parts of Speech
Exercise 1 Conjunctions
1. Although
2. Until
3. because
4. but
5. As
6. unless
7. and
8. Both...and
9. As...as
10. Niether...nor
Exercise 2
1. so
2. as long as
3. because
4. as long as
5. since
Exercise 3
1. The children were sleeping on the second floor while the fire started in the
basement.
2. It rained heavily before we arrived at the camping site.
3. The nomads set up the tent after they tied up the camels.
4. The police rushed over the house after they received the emergency call.
5. I withdrew some money from the bank before I went shopping.
Exercise 1 prepositions
1. on, in, at
2. at, in, on
3. at, in on
4. at in, on
5. in
13
Exercise 2
1. We can look for car accesories at the new hypermarket in Ampang Jaya.
2. People in Malaysia live in peace and harmony.
3. Sandra works as a sales assistant in an antique shop on Jonker Street.
4. The little child was trapped at the bottom of the well.
5. The parcel that you have been waiting for is on your study table.
6. Mosquitoes breed in clear stgnant water.
7. Do look at the different models available in the market before you decide
which bicycle to buy.
14
TOPIC 2
Synopsis
This unit enables you to acquire the skills in listening and speaking.
Listening is a skill, which can be developed by knowing what it is and
acquiring some effective strategies and techniques of successful
listening. Speaking involves a number of routines conducted
simultaneously by the speaker and the listener.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this unit, you should be able to:
1. identify and use the skills in listening and use them appropriately.
2. listen for a variety of purposes and in different contexts.
3. respond to a variety of stimuli
4. express opinions and give personal responses
15
Introduction
LISTENING
Listening is a very important skill that everyone should master because we spend
nearly 60% of our working hours listening to a variety of things being said to us
and around us. Listening is the ability to identify and understand what others are
saying. This involves understanding a speakers accent, his grammar and
vocabulary, and grasping his meaning. An able listener is capable of doing these
four things simultaneously. A series of micro-skills are involved while one is
listening. They include the following:
Listening is an active process and has three basic steps. They are hearing,
understanding and judging.
Hearing means listening enough to catch what the speaker is saying. For
instance, if you were listening to a verbal documentary on cats and the speaker
mentioned that many animals belong to the cat family. If you can repeat the fact,
then you have heard what has been said. Understanding happens when you
take what you have heard and understand it in your own way. Lets go back to
the documentary on cats. When you hear that many animals belong to the cat
family, think about what that might mean. You may think, Maybe this means that
animals having certain features and characteristics of a typical cat that we know,
belong to the cat family. Judging occurs when you understand what the
16
speaker has said and think about whether it makes sense. Do you believe what
you have heard? You might think. How could animals which we call by different
names be all in the cat family? But, then again, when we bring in our knowledge
of the world about human beings for example, we fall under one category called
human beings and yet categorise ourselves as being Malay, Chinese,
Indian, and others, according to our race. Thus, the information in the
documentary we have just listened to seems believable.
STRATEGIES FOR LISTENING
Listening is a demanding process. In order to function efficiently in the English
language, you must develop good listening strategies which will help you to
listen, process and respond to information in both academic and social contexts.
Some good listening strategies that can help you to listen better include the
following:
Listen with a purpose. Decide what information you should listen for and
what you can ignore.
If you are going to hear it only once, try to grasp the gist of the
text/speech. Do not worry about understanding all the words you hear or
even trying to memorise every detail.
If you are going to hear it more than once, try to grasp the general
meaning of the text/speech the first time you listen to it. When you listen
to the text the second time, concentrate on identifying specific details or
key words.
17
5. Jot down some important points given by the speaker. (If you are listening
to identify important points or to summarise the speech later)
6. Pay particular attention on the use of discourse markers and cohesive
devices by the speaker.
CRITICAL LISTENING
Critical listening is a form of listening that involves analysis, critical thinking and
judgment. Making judgments during listening is often considered as a barrier to
understand a person, and there's a lot of truth in that. However, critical listening
occurs when you still want to understand what the other person is saying, but
also have some reason or responsibility to evaluate what is being said to you and
how it is being said. For example, if there's an upcoming election and you need
to decide who to vote for, you probably use some form of critical listening when
you watch a televised debate. You listen, AND you evaluate. While experts on
learning and communication almost universally demean the importance and
value of critical listening, when it comes to real life, listening critically is used
every day. The key though, is to try to understand the other person FIRST,
before one evaluates
Listening Text Types
Below are some of the listening texts that we often need to listen to critically:
Forum
A forum can be defined as a public meeting or a programme (as on radio or
television) involving discussion of a problem usually by several authorities and
usually among experts. It is an open discussion involving audience participation.
Example : Money Matters
Speech
A speech is a talk or public address. The best impromptu speeches are the ones
written well in advance. Giving a speech is also an act of expressing or
describing thoughts, feelings or perceptions by the articulation of words.
Example : Formal speeches given by ministers, corporate leaders, educationists
18
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction. This includes documentary film,
television, radio documentary and documentary photography.
Example : Animal Planet, National Geographic
News
News is any information or information on current events which is presented by
print, broadcast, internet, or word of mouth to a third party or mass audience.
News is also the reporting of current information on television and radio, and in
the newspapers and magazines.
Examples : Business News, BBC News, CNN, Channel News Asia
Multimedia Resources
Multimedia is any combination of text, graphic art, sound, animation and video
delivered to you by computer to other electronic means. Multimedia is not new. It
has been used in the classroom for the last decade in the form of overhead
projectors, slide shows, filmstrips and coloured chalk.
Exercises
1. TELEVISION DOCUMENTARY
Watch and listen to a television documentary.
Identify the issue/s being discussed and give your personal response.
4. NEWS REPORT
Listen to the English news either on television or radio.
List three issues that made the headlines today.
News 1:
__________________________________________________
News 2: __________________________________________________
News 3: ___________________________________________________
19
chairperson
speakers (and their professions)
topic/issues discussed
opinion of each speaker
20
21
Exercise 1
Your class is organizing a project for the following semester holidays. The
following are some of the suggestions made by the members of the class for the
project:
1. Organise an educational trip to an Orang Asli settlement in Cameron
Highlands.
2. Participate in a foster family programme with a group of FELDA settlers in
Jengka.
3. Go on a study trip to Borobudur in Indonesia
4. Conduct free tuition classes for the underprivileged school children near
your campus.
Think of various ways of agreeing and disagreeing with each of the suggestions
above. List them. Support your opinion appropriately.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Waiter : _________________________________________
You
Waiter : ____________________________________________
You
please.
Situation 2 : Rahim arrives home.
Hasnah : Did you remember to buy me some
_________________?
Rahim :
What letters?
Hasnah :
Rahim :
23
Summary
In this topic we have looked at listening and speaking skills, and you have been
given appropriate exercises and tasks to further enhance your understanding of
the two skills.
24
TOPIC 3
READING SKILLS
Synopsis
This unit aims to enhance learners knowledge of reading skills with
special emphasis on the Baretts taxonomy. The exercises that follow the
explanation should provide some immediate practice in ehnancing your
comprehension skills.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this unit, you should be able to:
1. understand Barretts taxonomy of reading comprehension
1. read for meaning and understanding of a variety of texts and give
personal response.
25
1.2 Recall
1.2.1 Recall of Details
1.2.2 Recall of Main Ideas
1.2.3 Recall of a Sequence
1.2.4 Recall of Comparison
1.2.5 Recall of Cause and Effect Relationships
1.2.6 Recall of Character Traits
26
2.0 Reorganization
2.1 Classifying
2.2 Outlining
2.3 Summarizing
2.4 Synthesizing
3.0 Inferential Comprehension
3.1 Inferring Supporting Details
3.2 Inferring Main Ideas
3.3 Inferring Sequence
3.4 Inferring Comparisons
3.5 Inferring Cause and Effect Relationships
3.6 Inferring Character Traits
3.7 Predicting Outcomes
3.8 Interpreting Figurative Language
4.0 Evaluation
4.1 Judgments of Reality or Fantasy
4.2 Judgments of Fact or Opinion
4.3 Judgments of Adequacy and Validity
4.4 Judgments of Appropriateness
4.5 Judgments of Worth, Desirability and Acceptability
5.0 Appreciation
5.1 Emotional Response to the Content
5.2 Identification with Characters or Incidents
5.3 Reactions to the Authors Use of Language
5.4 Imagery
27
Main idea
The main idea is the summary of essential points of the paragraph. The
main idea of a paragraph can often be substituted with a topic sentence with
controlling ideas.
Inference
Inferencing is a reading skill in which you use observations, prior knowledge
and experiences, and details from the text to make connections and come up
with ideas.
Sequence
Sequencing in reading is to be considered when there is an order of
incidents and actions in the selection. A sequence will be constituted only
when order of occurrence is specifically required.
Compare and contrast
Comparing and contrasting is a reading skill where you can find the
similarities and differences between items, characters, times and places that
is stated in the selection.
Cause and effect
The skill of looking at happenings or actions in the selection where you can
identify the causes of a problem or issue and the effects in an orderly way.
28
Depending on the purpose of the text, different methods will be used to get the
message across to the reader.
Exercise
Read each of the following paragraphs carefully. Look up any unfamiliar
words if necessary. Then choose the title that best describes the main idea
of each.
1.
Universities are a microcosm of society. But they are more than a reflection or
mirror; they are a leading indicator. In universities, an environment where
students live, eat, and study together, racial and cultural differences come
together in the closest possible way. Of all American institutions, perhaps only
the military brings people of such different backgrounds into more intimate
contact. With coeducation now a reality in colleges, and with the confident
emergence of homosexual groups, the American campus is now sexually
democratized as well. University leaders see it as a useful laboratory
experiment in training young people for a multicultural habitat. Michael
Sovern, president of Columbia, observes, "I like to think that we are leading
society by grappling earnestly and creatively with the challenges posed by
diversity."
--Dinesh D'Souza, Illiberal Education
29
The baby mastering the skills that lead to establishment of the upright
posture behaves in the same way as the novice skier. He feels compelled to
repeat the activity hundreds of times until he has mastered the skill and
mastered his anxiety. He often reveals that he is having difficulty in
"unwinding" when we put him to bed for his nap or for the night, and if you
peek into his room while he is settling down for sleep (or unsettling down for
sleep), you may see him, groggy and cross-eyed with fatigue, still climbing
and pulling himself upright, collapsing momentarily with weariness, then
exerting himself for another climb. He repeats this over and over until finally
he cannot lift himself even once more and succumbs to sleep. One set of
parents discovered their eight-month-old daughter climbing in her sleep on
several occasions during this mastery period. At eleven or twelve at night they
could hear soft sounds in the baby's room and upon entering would find the
baby standing in her crib, dazed and dimly conscious, too sleepy to protest
when she was put down in her bed again. When the art of standing was
perfected, the baby gave up practicing in her sleep.
--Selma H. Fraiberg, The Magic Years
30
(b)
When reading a passage for the first time, you have to make an effort to cope
with unfamiliar or difficult words that you come across. You should first try to
guess the meaning of the words rather than look them up in a dictionary. One
way to find out the meaning of unfamiliar words is through the use of context.
The context in reading refers to the overall meaning of the text. The context
also refers to the surrounding words in a sentence that gives us clues about the
words we read.
The syntactic clues give us the word order clues where the information implicit in
the grammatical structures of the language is utilized.
The semantic clues give us the meaning clues where the reader recalls his
own experiences and utilizes his own conceptual background in order to bring
meaning to his/her reading.
Example 1:
Read the two sentences.
(a) The hungry spider __________ the juicy fly.
[ With knowledge of spiders and flies, (that is context) the reader would be
likely to predict that the missing word is ate.]
31
Exercise
Write the meaning for each of the nonsense words by reading the contexts.
1.
Bultums
Bultums are useful to wear when the weather is cold.
Some bultums are waterproof.
There are different types of bultums for different occasions.
Some houses have a special cupboard near the front door where visitors
can hang their bultums
Bultum means: _______________________________
2.
Kester
Mother gets kester when we are late home for dinner.
The teacher was very kester when a student broke the computer.
As people get older, they usually learn to control their kester moment.
A kester person does not think as clearly as a non-kester person
Kester means: _______________________________
(c)
32
33
Opinions
The use of adjectives which show
your point of view or emotions
The use of comparison words
which show a comparison between
two or more things
The use of other words which show
frequency, possibility, advisability
and necessity
The use of phrases which show a
belief, a suggestion, a feeling, or an
opinion
2.
Today is Saturday.
3.
My son had a temperature of one hundred and two degrees this morning.
However, these facts can be changed to opinions when we add a belief or view.
1.
The house was painted recently on November 18, 1999, so it looks as good as
new.
2.
3.
34
Exercise
Read the following statements. Determine whether each statement is a fact or
opinion. What are some of the signal words?
No.
Statements
Fact / Opinion
Task
Read an interview from a magazine or newspaper. Try to identify whether the
speakers are giving their opinions or facts?
35
(e)
36
The following are also some of the words and phrases to indicate transitions in a
paragraph or passage.
To show addition:
again, and, also, besides, equally important, first (second, etc.), further,
furthermore, in addition, in the first place, moreover, next, too
To give examples:
for example, for instance, in fact, specifically, that is, to illustrate
To compare:
also, in the same manner, likewise, similarly
To contrast:
although, and yet, at the same time, but, despite, even though, however, in
contrast, in spite of, nevertheless, on the contrary, on the other hand, still,
though, yet
To summarize or conclude:
all in all, in conclusion, in other words, in short, in summary, on the whole, that is,
therefore, to sum up
To show time:
after, afterwards, as, as long as, as soon as, at last, before, during, earlier, finally,
formerly, immediately, later, meanwhile, next, since, shortly, subsequently, then,
thereafter, until, when, while
To show place or direction:
above, below, beyond, close, elsewhere, farther on, here, nearby, opposite, to
the left (north, etc.)
To indicate logical relationship:
accordingly, as a result, because, consequently, for this reason, hence, if,
otherwise, since, so, then, therefore, thus
(adapted from Diana Hacker, A Writers Reference)
Task
Choose one argumentative essay and identify the shift in arguments or ideas in
the text.
37
Exercise
A. Read the following paragraph and circle the transition words that show time.
You can make your own cards to celebrate special events. First, gather the
materials you need: construction paper, scissors, crayons or markers, and
glue. Second, fold a piece of construction paper to create a card that has a
front, a back, and an inside. Cut out interesting shapes from more
construction paper, and glue the shapes to the front and back of your card.
You may also draw colorful pictures on the front and back of the card. Finally,
write a brief message inside the card, and sign your name. Now you're ready
to give your card to someone special.
B. Read the sentences below and circle the transition words that compare or
contrast.
1.
I was anxious to leave. However, we had to wait until Uncle Pete arrived.
2. Mother told us to hurry onto the bus. Otherwise, we all would have been caught in
the rain.
3. I make my sandwich in the same way that Shawna does. We both use food
that is peanut free because of our food allergies.
4.
I asked about the homework, but neither Todd nor Antonio knew what had been
assigned.
5.
Even though it was very cold, Mary Beth did not wear a jacket.
C. Transition words have been left out in the following paragraph. Select
appropriate words from the list below, and write them in the blanks. There
can be more than one word that fits in some blanks. Select the one that you
think fits best.
meanwhile
as a result of
first
while
through
next
under
beside
then
once upon a time
38
__(1) __ there lived a family of bears in a lovely wooded area. Their home was
__(2)__ some trees __(3)__ a small stream. One day __(4)__ the bears were not
at home, a little girl came to the house. __(5)__, she knocked on the door.
__(6)__, even though no one answered her knock, she entered the house.
__(7)__, she ate some of the bears' food, and she napped on one of their beds.
__(8)__, the bears returned home. They were surprised to see their door open.
Their roars woke up the girl, and she fearfully ran from the house, __(9)__ the
woods, and back to her own home. __(10)__ her experiences, she never again
went into the woods alone.
(f)
Authors often write not only to communicate but also to arouse some emotion or
make readers respond to their ideas or suggestions. Authors select words for
their emotional, suggestive meanings to create vivid images. Carefully chosen
words can be very effective in accomplishing these purposes, and a careful
reader can recognize how words are used for certain effects.
Lets look at some examples.
These are words found in a text about adoption. The writer is very careful to use
positive or neutral words so to sound politically correct and not offensive.
Birthparent not real parent
Biological parent not natural parent
Biological or birth father not real father
Birth child not own child
My child not adopted child, own child
Born to unmarried parents not illegitimate
Terminate parental rights not give up
Make adoption plan not give away
Waiting child not Adoptable / available child
Task
What other words or phrases can you think of that are emotionally laden words?
List them down
(g) IDENTIFY WRITERS MOOD, TONE, BIAS, PURPOSE OR
POINT OF VIEW
While an authors purpose is closely related to the main idea and can often be
inferred from the main idea and the way in which the details are presented, the
tone of a piece of writing is a little more illusive. The tone refers to the authors
attitude, mood or feeling reflected in the writing. The tone also suggests the
authors purpose to criticize, to persuade, to sympathise and to appreciate.
Below is an example of how you may infer a writer's tone or attitude:
"...Had the researchers spoken to anyone who has witnessed the ravages of the
Green Revolution, they would have learned that their basic premise was
dismissed as simplistic nonsense years ago.'
(an extract from Beware Outbreak of Mad Scientist Disease)
Tone and Attitude
The use of such a negative word like "ravages" suggests the writer is highly
critical of the usefulness of the Green Revolution, and his dismissive tone as
exemplified by the use of the phrase "simplistic nonsense" indicates his low
opinion of the researchers' achievement.
Exercise
Read the lyrics below and identify the figurative language.
Breath (2am)
2 AM and she calls me 'cause I'm still awake,
"Can you help me unravel my latest mistake?
I don't love him. Winter just wasn't my season"
Yeah we walk through the doors, so accusing their eyes
Like they have any right at all to criticize,
Hypocrites. You're all here for the very same reason
Chorus:
'Cause you can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cable
And life's like an hourglass, glued to the table
No one can find the rewind button, girl.
So cradle your head in your hands
And breathe... just breathe,
Oh breathe, just breathe
May he turned 21 on the base at Fort Bliss
"Just a day" he said down to the flask in his fist,
"Ain't been sober, since maybe October of last year."
Here in town you can tell he's been down for a while,
But, my God, it's so beautiful when the boy smiles,
Metaphor
The metaphor states a fact or draws a verbal picture by the use of
comparison.
A simile would say you are like something; a metaphor is more positive - it
says you are something.
Example: You are what you eat.
Exercise
Choose the correct meaning.
A. Animal Idioms
1. Wow! It's raining cats and dogs today! I wish I'd brought my umbrella to
school!
a. I forgot my umbrella today.
b. It's raining heavily.
c. Cats and dogs are falling from the sky.
2. When I told my mom I would be home around 2 am, she had a cow!
a. My mom bought a baby cow.
b. My mom is really strange.
c. My mom was really upset.
3. Jean: How did you know it was my birthday today?
Susan: Oh, a little birdie told me!
a. Jean told Susan it was her birthday.
b. An unnamed person told Susan about Jean's birthday.
c. Susan told Jean it was her birthday.
4. Frank: Why didn't your brother ride the roller coaster with us?
Sam: Oh, he's such a scaredy cat! He won't get on any fast ride.
a. Sam's brother is afraid to ride the roller coaster.
b. Sam's brother is a cat.
c. Sam's brother didn't go to the roller coaster.
B. Body Idiom
Idiom
You did it. You have to face the
music.
Meaning
You have to memorize it.
Task
Go online and try to collect more idioms.
http://www.idiomconnection.com 20/10/2009
http://knowgramming.com/metaphors/metaphor_chapters/examples.htm
27/10/2009
Exercise
Read the following paragraph and answer the questions that follow.
In ancient times people believed in the predictions and advice of astrologers
because astrology was part and parcel of their magical world view. They looked
upon celestial objects as abodes or omens of the Gods and, thus, intimately
connected with events here on earth; they had no concept of the vast distances
from the earth to the planets and stars. Now that these distances can and have
2.
Which of the following can we accurately infer? Astrology developed in the
ancient world largely because
A. people believed that the stars and planets were deities
B. it was part of their traditional mythology
C. they had a desire to explain what they didn't understand
D. they were scientifically ignorant
3.
Suggested Answers
(a)
READ FOR MEANING AND UNDERSTANDING OF A VARIETY OF
TEXT
Exercise
1. C
2. A
3. B
(b)
(c)
(d)
4. Opinion
8. Opinion
but
Even though.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Pure scientists have by and large been dim-witted about engineers and
applied science. They couldn't recognise that many of the problems were as
intellectually exacting as pure problems, and that many of the solutions were
as satisfying and beautiful. Their instinct -- perhaps sharpened in this country
by the passion to find a new snobbism wherever possible, and to invent one
if it doesn't exist -- was take it for granted that applied science was an
occupation of second-rate minds.
(The writers attitude is very sarcastic, arrogant and condemning. Yes, the
writer is trying to convince his readers through wit.)
2.
Body Idioms
3. B
4. A
(h)
2. B
3. A
TOPIC 4
Synopsis
Good writers are not born but developed. You too can be a good writer if you follow
some golden rules of writing, What you write have to be organised and clearly
expressed so that your thoughts can be conveyed to the reader.
This unit deals with the basic principles of report writing, summary writing and letter
writing.
Learning outcomes
At the end of this unit. you should be able to;
1. write reports for academic purposes
2. write summaries for academic purposes
3. write letters for different purposes and audience
Report Writing
Reports are compositions that give information. You usually write a report for
someone in authority, for example a teacher or a principal. We also write reports
for the police if we witness an accident or a crime.
Guidelines;
1) Write the title and date of your report at the top left hand corner of the paper.
2) If you are writing a report for somebody (e.g. the school principal, a teacher)
write at the top whom the report is addressed to.
3) If you are writing a report for a newspaper, include as many facts as possible.
Write the day and the place when the incident happened.
4) Write in clear, precise language. If you are describing an event, write a
summary of the events. Do not give lengthy explanations.
5) Remember to allocate one idea for ane paragraph.
6) At the end of the report, write your name in block capitals and sign the report.
Example
You witnessed an accident in the science laboratory and have been asked to
write a report to your principal. In the report you should explain the events
leading to the accident, the accident itself and the outcome.
The Principal
Sekolah Menengah Seri Andalas
Klang
Selangor.
12 May 2010
A Report on a laboratory acident in Form 3K
TOPIC 5
TOPIC 6
WRITING REFLECTIONS