Summer Sale

Today we covered lesson # 8 dealing with

countable VS. uncountable nouns.

HOMEWORK:

-Trying it "You have just won a prize! You won two hours of free shopping. Make a list of what you would like to get. Use countable and uncountable nouns.

-Countable and Uncountable worksheet.

What are countable nouns?
Countable nouns are individual objects, people, places, etc. which can be counted.
books, Italians, pictures, stations, men, etc.
A countable noun can be both singular - a friend, a house, etc. - or plural - a few apples, lots of trees, etc.
Use the singular form of the verb with a singular countable noun:
There is a book on the table.That student is excellent!
Use the plural form of the verb with a countable noun in the plural:
There are some students in the classroom.Those houses are very big, aren't they?

What are uncountable nouns?
Uncountable nouns are materials, concepts, information, etc. which are not individual objects and can not be counted.
information, water, understanding, wood, cheese, etc.
Uncountable nouns are always singular.

TRY THE FREE ONLINE QUIZ!

http://a4esl.org/q/j/ck/ch-countnouns.html

Islands in Paradise

Today we had two classes!

The first class we studied unit two of THE WRITE PATH.

You learned about SIMPLE & COMPLEX sentences.

In the second class we did IMPACT GRAMMAR #7

HOMEWORK:

-14 sentences using subordinating conjuntions

-word box 6 sentences

-Trying it. Write about a tourist attraction in Japan.

A simple sentence is a sentence structure that contains one independent clause and no dependent clauses.

Examples
The singer bowed.
This simple sentence has one independent clause which contains one subject, singer, and one predicate, bowed.
The baby cried.
This simple sentence has one independent clause which contains one subject, baby, and one predicate, cried.
The girl ran into her bedroom.
This simple sentence has one independent clause which contains one subject, girl, and one predicate, ran into her bedroom.
In the backyard, the dog barked and howled at the cat.
This simple sentence has one independent clause which contains one subject, dog, and one predicate, barked and howled at the cat. This predicate has two verbs, known as a compound predicate: barked and howled. This compound verb should not be confused with a compound sentence. In the backyard and at the cat are prepositional phrases.

In the English language, a compound sentence is composed of at least two independent clauses, but no dependent clauses. The clauses are joined by a coordinating conjunction (with or without a comma), a correlative conjunction (with or without a comma), or a semicolon with no conjunction.

Examples
He finally bought the book, or so I thought.
The two independent clauses are joined by a comma and the coordinating conjunction "or".
Either he goes or I go.
The compound sentence is held together by the correlative conjunction "either…or".
Mary understands math; she has studied it for years.
Here the two are joined by a semicolon with no conjunction.

PLURAL NOUNS

The plural form of most nouns is created simply by adding the letter s.

more than one snake = snakes
more than one ski = skis
more than one Barrymore = Barrymores

Words that end in -ch, x, s or s-like sounds, however, will require an -es for the plural:

more than one witch = witches
more than one box = boxes
more than one gas = gases
more than one bus = buses
more than one kiss = kisses
more than one Jones = Joneses

There are several nouns that have irregular plural forms.

more than one child = children
more than one woman = women
more than one man = men
more than one person = people
more than one goose = geese
more than one mouse = mice
more than one barracks = barracks
more than one deer = deer

TRY THIS TO SEE IF YOU REMEMBER

http://www.english-zone.com/spelling/nouns1.html

About People

We covered lesson # 6 today of Impact Grammar.

Negatives: No vs. Not was the topic.

HOMEWORK:

1-Using the word box make 10 sentences using the new words.

2-Think of three people you know well.

Write a sentence about them using NO or NOT.

NOT

------

1. Use not with an adjective.

2. Use not with a verb.

3. Use not if the noun has a(n), the or a

possessive pronoun before it.

NO

-----

1. Use no with a noun by itself.

2. Use no with an adjective and a noun.

Housework, Husbands, and Wives...

We covered lesson 5 today of IMPACT GRAMMAR.

HOMEWORK:

- Use A4 or B5 paper

- Write 3 Questions to ask a new friend that you have met.

If you are a boy>you are meeting a girl. If you are a girl>

you are meeting a boy.

*Use DOES HE/DOES SHE and DO YOU*

The rules:

Use do in yes-no questions when the subject is I, you, we , they.

Does is used when the subject is he, she, it.

•Begin yes-no questions with action verbs with do or does.

Try these http://www.angelfire.com/wi3/englishcorner/grammar/Interactive/yesno01.html

Holiday Postcards

Today we had two classes.
-1st class we did pages 3-5 in the WRITE PATH book.

Common errors in clauses are Fragment sentences, the run on sentence, and the comma splice.

HOMEWORK:
- write page pages 5b, 5c, 5d
- Impact Grammar lesson #4
- Post card writing assignment. Uses Present continuous and simple present tenses.

ERROR #1 THE FRAGMENT
Definition
A SENTENCE FRAGMENT fails to be a sentence in the sense that it cannot stand by itself. It does not contain even one independent clause. There are several reasons why a group of words may seem to act like a sentence but not have the wherewithal to make it as a complete thought.

It may locate something in time and place with a prepositional phrase or a series of such phrases, but it's still lacking a proper subject-verb relationship within an independent clause:
In Japan, during the last war and just before the armistice.This sentence accomplishes a great deal in terms of placing the reader in time and place, but there is no subject, no verb.

It describes something, but there is no subject-verb relationship:
Working far into the night in an effort to salvage her little boat. This is a verbal phrase that wants to modify something, the real subject of the sentence (about to come up), probably the she who was working so hard.

It may have most of the makings of a sentence but still be missing an important part of a verb string:
Some of the students working in Professor Espinoza's laboratory last semester. Remember that an -ing verb form without an auxiliary form to accompany it can never be a verb.

It may even have a subject-verb relationship, but it has been subordinated to another idea by a dependent word and so cannot stand by itself:
Even though he had the better arguments and was by far the more powerful speaker. This sentence fragment has a subject, he, and two verbs, had and was, but it cannot stand by itself because of the dependent word (subordinating conjunction) even though. We need an independent clause to follow up this dependent clause: . . . the more powerful speaker, he lost the case because he didn't understand the jury.

Try this online game http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quizzes/fragment_fixing.htm

ERROR #2 THE RUN-ON SENTENCE

A RUN ON SENTENCE (sometimes called a "fused sentence") has at least two parts, either one of which can stand by itself (in other words, two independent clauses), but the two parts have been smooshed together instead of being properly connected. Review, also, the section which describes Things That Can Happen Between Two Independent Clauses.
It is important to realize that the length of a sentence really has nothing to do with whether a sentence is a run-on or not; being a run-on is a structural flaw that can plague even a very short sentence:
The sun is high, put on some sunblock.
An extremely long sentence, on the other hand, might be a "run-off-at-the-mouth" sentence, but it can be otherwise sound, structurally. Click here to see a 239-word sentence that is a perfectly fine sentence (structurally)
When two independent clauses are connected by only a comma, they constitute a run-on sentence that is called a comma-splice. The example just above (about the sunscreen) is a comma-splice. When you use a comma to connect two independent clauses, it must be accompanied by a little conjunction (and, but, for, nor, yet, or, so).
The sun is high, so put on some sunscreen.
Run-on sentences happen typically under the following circumstances*:
When an independent clause gives an order or directive based on what was said in the prior independent clause:
This next chapter has a lot of difficult information in it, you should start studying right away.(We could put a period where that comma is and start a new sentence. A semicolon might also work there.)
When two independent clauses are connected by a transitional expression (conjunctive adverb) such as however, moreover, nevertheless.
Mr. Nguyen has sent his four children to ivy-league colleges, however, he has sacrificed his health working day and night in that dusty bakery.(Again, where that first comma appears, we could have used either a period — and started a new sentence — or a semicolon.)
When the second of two independent clauses contains a pronoun that connects it to the first independent clause.
This computer doesn't make sense to me, it came without a manual. (Although these two clauses are quite brief, and the ideas are closely related, this is a run-on sentence. We need a period where that comma now stands.)
Most of those computers in the Learning Assistance Center are broken already, this proves my point about American computer manufacturers. Again, two nicely related clauses, incorrectly connected — a run-on. Use a period to cure this sentence.

Try the run-on sentence quiz http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quizzes/runons_quiz.htm

ERROR #3 THE COMMA SPLICE
A comma splice occurs when two independent clauses (thoughts capable of standing by themselves) are connected only by a comma, as in the following example:
The Titanic continues to draw big crowds, I really want to see it. There are four ways to correct a comma splice.
Turn each independent clause into a separate sentence.
The Titanic continues to draw big crowds. I really want to see it.
Join the independent clauses with an appropriate coordinating conjunction (joining word), preceded by a comma:
The Titanic continues to draw big crowds, but I really want to see it.

Coordinating Conjunctions:
and
or
for
yet
but
nor
so
Join the independent clauses with a semicolon, if they are closely related in meaning or intent:
The Titanic continues to draw big crowds; I really want to see it.
Rearrange the clauses so that one is subordinate to (depends upon) the other:
Although The Titanic continues to draw big crowds, I really want to see it.

Try some questions here http://www.mun.ca/writingcentre/csexercise1.shtml

Describing people

We did Impact Grammar lesson 3 today.
The lesson was about BE vs. HAVE.


HOMEWORK:
- Write a description of yourself, beginning with your age.
Someone you don't know is going to meet you at the bus station.

Use BE & HAVE in your writing

*Please write on A4 or B5 paper.*

What's in the room?

We did lesson #2 of Impact Grammar today.
The lesson was on There is/There are.

There is or There are
RULES:
1. Use there IS for singular nouns (one item). There is a spider on the wall
2. Use there IS for non-count items(group nouns). There is milk on the floor
3. Use there ARE for many items (plural nouns). There are pencils on my desk

HOMEWORK:

- Finish page page 2
- Write about a room in your home. Use THERE IS & THERE ARE.

TRY THE ONLINE TEST:
http://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/74.html

http://www.english-zone.com/verbs/thereisare2.html

Starting our new books!

Today we started on our two new books, IMPACT GRAMMAR & THE WRITE PATH.

In our first class we learned about PRONOUNS.

HOMEWORK:
-Impact grammar> write about your parent's job.
-Write path> page 5a

Pronouns
A pronoun is often defined as a word which can be used instead of a noun. For example, instead of saying John is a student, the pronoun he can be used in place of the noun John and the sentence becomes He is a student. We use pronouns very often, especially so that we do not have to keep on repeating a noun. This chapter is about the kind of pronoun called a personal pronoun because it often refers to a person. Like nouns, personal pronouns sometimes have singular and plural forms (I-we, he-they).

Unlike nouns, personal pronouns sometimes have different forms for masculine/male, feminine/female and neuter (he-she-it). Also unlike nouns, personal pronouns have different forms depending on if they act as subjects or objects (he-him, she-her). A subject is a word which does an action and usually comes before the verb, and an object is a word that receives an action and usually comes after the verb. For example, in the sentence Yesterday Susan called her mother, Susan is the subject and mother is the object. The pronoun she can be used instead of Susan and the pronoun her can be used instead of mother. The form of a personal pronoun also changes according to what person is referred to. Person is used here as a grammar word and means: 1st person or the self (I, me, we), 2nd person or the person spoken to (you), 3rd person or the person spoken about (he, she, him, her, they, them).

Have a great GOLDEN WEEK!

Please remember to bring both of your

new books for Monday-"THE WRITE PATH & IMPACT GRAMMAR".

HOMEWORK:

Finish page 7 You have to have friends part ABC