My gift to you!

http://youtu.be/UV_27QuGCu0

Dear Students...

At the end of the semester, I always have conflicting feelings. On the one hand, I'm happy that it's over and that I'm going to get some time off. On the other hand, I'm sad that we have to disband after building our very own little international community and finally getting truly at ease with each other. So, bittersweet... 

You all should feel very proud of yourselves. You are reading, writing, speaking, living, breathing, maybe even dreaming by now, in English. This is quite an accomplishment and your levels of fluency are truly impressive. Each and every one of you has made progress. It's not easy to do what you're doing, but you're doing it. Some days better, some days worse, but you're doing it.

My advice for you? Stay focused and work hard and you will achieve your goals. The only one you are racing against is yourself. G-d gave you your potential--its your job to achieve it and do good in this world. It doesn't matter if it takes you one semester more or less to get there, what matters is that you get there. Everything in good time. Don't put too much pressure on yourself.

For those of you staying in Houston (Natsume, Paulina, Rena, Celia, Yichen, Fahad, Mohammed, Abdulrahman, and Nayef (?)--wow, that's almost all of you)--please come and visit me at the LCC or email me (holly_cin@yahoo.com) or call (713-721-3460) to say hi. If you throw a party, invite me and I will try my best to come. Also, if you need anything while you are in Houston, and I can be of help, feel free to contact me. Former students often consult with me on their academic decisions as well as their parking tickets and baby questions! Should you have a legal issue, my husband is a good person to consult. If in the future you lose my contact information, you can always call the LCC office and they'll know how to reach me. At the very least, you can remember my last name. That's Cin. C-I-N. Like cinammon. Or cinema. Of course I hope you will remember more than my last name!

For those of you entering the university (Aziz now and the majority of you later), I wish you tremendous success. It won't be easy but with hard work and determination you will achieve your goals. To be a successful student requires a good brain (which you all have) and a lot of hard work.

For those of you returning home (Mariana), I wish you a safe and pleasant journey and I hope you continue to learn and to practice, and I hope to see you in your country one of these days soon. Finally, I want to congratulate Mariana for being chosen as outstanding student. In this class there were many smart and hard working students so it was not easy to isolate the "most outstanding."

Thanks, 5A, for a really great semester. I will miss our class a lot!

Yours,
Holly

p.s. check back here on the blog for pictures. I will post them when I get a chance.

Love 5A

Love 5A

          Hi Holly, Hi guys, now that we have reached the end of this unforgettable semester, I wanted to say something to show how I enjoyed meeting with you all and I am going to start with my great teacher Holly Cin. Dear Holly, I just want to say thank you for being very patient with us even though you had a really hard time managing with our class and 6A. On top of that, not only that I have learned a lot from you but I also had a blast coming to your Fun Fridays, bowling, coming to your party which was just awesome, and please tell AV, Roven, and yo al for teaching me how to play American Football. Now, I want to talk about team gulf, what is up homies, meeting with you all was fantastic and the reason behind this is that each one of you helped me and supported me in some way when I needed the support, so thank you very much. Chinatown, “Ne Haw,” meeting with guys was like a great experience to me because I have learned more about the Chinese culture. For instance, now I know that if I went to a Chinese family dinner I had better put my chop sticks on top of my bowl or plate after we are done eating, so I thank you for that. Paulina, Natsume, and Mariana “The Coffee Team,” how are you doing? Probably drinking coffee aren’t you. Anyhow, thank you Paulina for being a good friend of mine and giving me the tickets for the basketball game, Natsume, say hello to the little leopard, and Mariana you wanted to learn Arabic and that fascinates me and I wish you the best. Bottom line, I had real good time with you all and I have enjoyed meeting with guys and I hope this beautiful relationship between us last.  Therefore I am going to leave my Facebook account to you and I wish I see you there.

    Alabbasi Mohammed: this is my Facebook account name

With love, your Student, your Homi, your Friend Mohammed Alabbasi.

Writing Sample on Monday

11 a.m. in room 102 of RC (LCC bldg):  It is advised that the students BE on time!

For the grammar test...

please make sure to look over the grammar notes on p. 400, especially note 2, which we did not review in class, but which will be part of tomorrow's test.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to post a comment. 

Were I you, I would review this material. 

Had I known that we wouldn't have enough time to complete the book, I would have kept you every day until 1 p.m. :D

Schedule tomorrow and some other information

FYI: The grammar test tomorrow will be given from 8:30-10:30 in your room (by me). You will have Greg's class second in the same room. Students are required to be on time in order to insure adequate time to take this extremely long, complicated, and exhausting final grammar exam :D Your writing grade: Students who have not turned in all essays will receive an F for your writing grade. If you receive an F in any skill level, you will not receive a certificate of completion for the course. If you have more than 40 hours of absence, you will also not receive a certificate of completion for the course.

Party Post-Script

Well, I hope you guys had as much fun as I did tonight. I wish the party would have gone on even longer! I would have loved to play poker with you guys! I'm so glad that nearly all of you came. Of course we really missed Paulina and we also missed Abdulrahman a little bit. I wish they would have been here, but we cannot change the past :(

Hope and Wish powerpoint presentation

Extra reading practice

If you go to townsendpress.net, you will find lots of reading practice. I opened up all of the exercises for you to practice. This is FANTASTIC reading practice.

I have also opened all of the vocabulary exercises for you.

I'm not your reading teacher, but I know how much reading helps build your other language skills!

Attention Students

All blog work must be completed in order for me to appeal you should you not pass the class on your own.

Looking ahead to next week

Monday, December 3: In-class writing sample FOG, ch. 23 (conditionals) HW:  FOG, ch. 23, ex. 1-5 Tuesday, December 4: Grammar Review BRING YOUR QUESTIONS TO CLASS! Writing Final Exam (Essay) CLASS PARTY AT MY HOUSE Thursday, December 6: Grammar Final Exam (emphasis on chapters 16, 17, 19, 20, 22 and 23)

Blog Writing #26 : Mixed Conditionals (due Monday, 12/2)

If you were me (of course, in reality, you're not), what would you have done differently with the class (I mean from the beginning until now)?

Musical Lesson: Unreal Conditionals

This is really cute. I wish I had had enough time in class to show this to you, but I didn't. It illustrates our lesson very well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHacDYj8KZM

If you had a million dollars, would you share it with your teacher?

Abdulaziz, the story I was telling you today in class was about the Dubai royal family. Look how much cash they were carrying. I wish I could ask them for a loan...

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/armed-gang-steals-millions-dubai-royal-family-143315536.html

See? I knew there were some people on this planet who carried lots of cash! Now, had I asked them for a million dollars, it would have been a REAL POSSIBILITY to get the money (before they were robbed, that is).

This would make a good commercial for Visa or American Express. You can see it now: "If only they had been carrying Visa instead of cash, they wouldn't be in this situation today" (mixed conditionals).

Of course, I don't know if even the royal family can get such a high credit limit!

Musical lessons: Unreal conditionals

"Time in a Bottle," by Jim Croce

A very old song but a very good one to teach this lesson!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSp0PEBuzEc

If I could save time in a bottle
The first thing that I'd like to do
Is to save every day
Till Eternity passes away
Just to spend them with you

If I could make days last forever
If words could make wishes come true
I'd save every day like a treasure and then,
Again, I would spend them with you

But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do
Once you find them
I've looked around enough to know
That you're the one I want to go
Through time with

If I had a box just for wishes
And dreams that had never come true
The box would be empty
Except for the memory
Of how they were answered by you

But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do
Once you find them
I've looked around enough to know
That you're the one I want to go
Through time with

Website for Conditionals

http://www.english-test.net/esl/learn/english/grammar/ii120/esl-test.php

Holly's Lecture on Hopes and Wishes

If you can't wait for Monday... this could be helpful for the Compass tomorrow...this was my level 5 class this past semester. See if you can recognize any of the students.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNvJV0ax9AI&feature=youtu.be

And here is the lecture on adverb clauses (which incorrectly says "adjective clauses"):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTKXw9v2NF4&feature=youtu.be

Holly's Infinitives Powerpoint

Holly's Gerunds Powerpoint

Blog Writing #25: Gerunds, Infinitives, and Noun Clauses (due Thursday, 11/29)

1. It is important for you to review what we study in class each night (infinitive phrase).
or, with a noun clause: It is important THAT you review each night.

2. It is critical for you to learn the grammar structures and then to use them every day (infinitive phrase).
or, with a noun clause: It is critical THAT you learn the structures and use them every day.

3. It is not too hard to learn a little bit each day, but it is too hard to learn a lot each day (infinitive phrase).

or with gerunds:

4.  In other words, learning a little bit each day is easy enough, but learning a lot each day is more difficult.

Please add your own pieces of advice for me or for your classmates in multiple forms. Show us that you can say the same idea in more than one (correct) way!

Blog Writing #24: Gerunds and Infinitives (due Thursday, Nov. 29)

Imagine that you want to meet someone online to date. Write a profile of yourself that will be both honest (or not!) and make you attractive to the one you're trying to meet (or not!). I recommend going to the following website to get some information on how to write a profile.

http://www.ivillage.com/how-write-effective-online-profile-examples/4-a-284134

Please include some or all of the following expressions. Please feel free to modify your gerunds and infinitives with negatives, possessives, and passive voice.

satisfied with
can't stand
involved in
interested in
excited about
good at...
turned off by
It's enjoyable/fun/wonderful/amazing... for me...
For me, it's boring/difficult/easy/challenging...
I like/dislike
I enjoy
I hate

Websites for Gerunds and Infinitives

1. http://www.englishpage.com/gerunds/index.htm

This website is an EXCELLENT resource for you to review what you need to know about gerunds and infinitives. The tutorial lesson is in 3 parts. I recommend that you read (or, to use the gerund in place of the noun clause, "I recommend your reading") all of the parts. At the end of each part there are several quizzes for you to practice.


2. This one is short and sweet!

http://a4esl.org/q/f/z/zz97mkm.htm

And another:

http://a4esl.org/q/h/9801/el-to-ing.html

Invitation to the party

Please check your gmail accounts if you haven't received the evite yet.

Hi Everybody... Just checking in!

I hope everyone has had a good Thanksgiving break. And I hope it won't be too hard to come back to class tomorrow (me included)!

I had a good time camping with my family. Thankfully, the weather was mild.

I mentioned having a class party at my home this week. I'd like to postpone it until Tuesday, December 4th because there is no class that Wednesday so we can hang out without the pressure of having to wake up early the next day. Actually, I will have to go to the LCC, but you won't. Please let me know if there is an objection to the party next Tuesday.

Tomorrow in class I'm going to give you a 30-minute writing test in order to prepare for the final writing sample exam.  I will ask you to write on some general topic, so there is nothing you can do to prepare.

I look forward to seeing you tomorrow. Please tell us what you have been doing as a comment to this post.

Gerund Slides to Help You

Gerundslides from holly_cin

This powerpoint presentation was made by my students last year to help remember some of the preposition combinations as well as some of the special gerund combinations. You can download it.

Friday Fun Days

Bowling Queens

Happy Feet

Fall Festival

Friday Fun Day:  Halloween Edition

Party at my house on November 28

HI guys,

In honor of our semester together nearing its end, I want to invite you to my home on Wednesday, November 28, for a memorable class party. Details will be forthcoming. For now, save the date!

BTW, I've been having SUCH A GOOD TIME WITH YOU THAT I'm sad it's coming to an end.
Indeed, you've been SUCH TERRIFIC STUDENTS THAT I'm really going to miss you.
Moreover, you've been SO MUCH FUN THAT I don't know what I'll do when it's over!

Passive Practice

We're having a test tomorrow on adjective clauses and passive voice. Here is some practice for passive.

http://utminers.utep.edu/micontreras/passive.html
http://www.esl-classroom.com/grammar/passive6.html

More on modals
http://www3.telus.net/linguisticsissues/Modals.htm#may

Information on "get"
http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/passive2.html

Blog Writing #23: A Thesis Statement

Complete the following sentences:

Men and women are similar in that...

Men and women are different in terms of...

Holly and Greg are similar in that...

Holly and Greg are different in terms of...

Blog Writing #22: So + adj. + that; Such + noun phrase + that (due Monday)

1.  My roommate was cooking last night for the first time ever. The food was so ___________ that ___________________________.

2.  Let me tell you about my class this semester.  It is so _____________________ that ___________________________.

3.  The weather in Houston is really, really hot. In fact, it's so ____________________ that ___________________________.

4.  I have a lot of money. In fact, I have ___________________________ that ___________________________.

5.  I'm reading a great book. In fact, it is __________________________ that ___________________________.

6.  Some students have a lot of questions. Indeed, they have ________________________ that ___________________________.

7.  Some students have poor attendance. In fact, _________________________________________________________________________.

8.  I want to tell you about my teacher Holly. She is ________________________ that ____________________________________.

Have a great weekend

I hope you have a great weekend in terms of rest, fun, and preparation for the test on Monday (adjective clauses and passive voice).

I hope you have a great weekend in terms of what you do, who you do it with, and where you go.

I hope you have a great weekend not only in terms of rest but also in terms of fun.

I hope you have a great weekend in that you get some rest as well as have some fun.


Abdulaziz, you're such a great guy that you left me your book (because you're such an amazing student that you didn't buy just one grammar book but two!). I left the book in our room "hidden" from popular view.

Polish blonde and "Nie, nie, nie" (0:52) :)))

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCu_XpPl0bA&playnext=1&list=PL290BAEF87284AD21&feature=results_video

Similarities and Differences work from class today

Transition words:

Venezuela has many crazy drivers; similarly, there are many crazy drivers in UAE.

Venezuela has many crazy drivers. Likewise, there are many crazy drivers in UAE.

UAE has many crazy drivers, just as Venezuela does.

Both V and UAE have many crazy drivers.

Not only Venezuela but also UAE has crazy drivers.

Neither Venezuela nor UAE has normal drivers.\

Emiratis, just like Venezuelans, are crazy drivers.

UAE, just like Venezuela, has many crazy drivers.

UAE, similar to Venezuela, has many crazy drivers.

UAE is like Venezuela in their crazy driving habits.

UAE is like Venezuela in that they both have crazy drivers.

In terms of

UAE is like Venezuela in terms of the number of crazy drivers.

UAE and KSA are similar in terms of the religion, the language, and the culture.

UAE and KSA are different in terms of what they believe in, what language they speak, and what their values are they value in life.

UAE and KSA differ/

UAE and KSA are similar

They are alike in that …

Showing contrast:

Adverb clause:

John is rich while Mary is poor.

While Mary is poor, John is rich.

John is rich whereas Mary is poor.

Mary is poor whereas John is rich.

Although the president of my country is rich, the people are poor.

The people are poor, although the president is rich.

The people are poor, even though the president is rich.

Conjunction:

John is rich, famous, and gorgeous, but Mary is poor, lonely, and ugly.

Mary is poor, but John is rich.

Transitions:

The president of my country is rich; however, the people are poor.

The president of my country is rich. However, the people are poor.

The president of my country is rich; on the other hand, the people are poor.

The president of my country is rich. On the other hand, the people are poor.

John is rich, famous, and gorgeous, while Mary is poor, lonely, and ugly.

1.     The population of KSA is 22 million; however, in China the population is 1.2 billion.

2.     Breakfast time in China is 7:30 a.m.; on the other hand, in KSA breakfast is eaten at 8:30 a.m.

3.     In KSA, the public transportation is only by bus, while in China they use the subway.

4.     In KSA, they eat rice and chicken, but in China, they eat dumplings.

5.     The education in KSA—all the way through university--is free whereas in China only nine years of education is free.

China has 1.3 billion people; however, KSA only has 30 million.

Compared to China, which is huge in size, KSA is small.

In KSA, medical care is free. On the other hand, in China it is expensive.

Japan does not have much oil, but KSA does.

KSA has a big desert while Japan has a small one.

A Saudi man can marry four women;  however, in Japan a man can only marry one woman.

In KSA, children usually have many siblings; on the other, in Japan children have only a few.

My oldest son is not a team player; rather, he prefers to work alone.

Sign of the Times...

 Having some coffee

 dinner in a restaurant

 appreciating art in the museum

 conversation in a coffee shop

 a pleasant day at the beach

 rooting for your team

 a date with your boyfriend or girlfriend

sightseeing...

Albert Einstein:
"I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of IDIOTS."

Words that are both nouns and verbs: Where do I place the stress?

I found this at  http://www.dailystep.com/content.asp?id=28737

In this week’s audio blog about Austerity Britain, there are some words that have the same spelling but a different pronunciation. For example:

.

1. a) …the Lib Dems have voted in favour of the fee increases.

b) The new government plans would increase the maximum amount of tuition fees to £9,000…

.

2. a) It started as a student protest against rising tuition fees…

b) The students organised a march to protest against these changes

.

Why are these words pronounced differently? It is because we are using the same word as both a noun and a verb.
.
In sentence (a) of each example above, the word is a noun. These nouns are increase and protest.
.
In sentence (b) of each sentence above, the word is a verb. These verbs are increase and protest.

.

We have a rule in English about this:
.
If a noun or an adjective has 2 syllables, the word stress is usually on the first syllable

.
If a verb has 2 syllables, the word stress is usually on the second syllable.

.

.
Let’s look at some other examples.

.

1. You will progress a lot with your English if you follow this rule. (verb)

You will make a lot of progress with your English if you follow this rule. (noun)

.

2. There has been a decrease in the number of visitors to the museum. (noun)

The number of visitors to the museum has decreased. (verb)

3. He rejected the plan.

This bowl was a reject, so I bought it at half price. (note: the noun ‘a reject’ means ‘something that was rejected due to deficiency’)

.

4. Steel is one of Britain’s main exports. (noun)

Britain exports a lot of steel (verb)

.

5. Britain imports a lot of food during the winter. (verb)

Food is a major import for Britain during the winter. (noun)

.

6. Everyone was present at the meeting. (adjective)

He gave me a birthday present. (noun)

I will present my ideas to the company tomorrow in a presentation. (verb)

.

.

But be careful, because sometimes the meaning of the noun and verb is different!

1. He refused to sign the document.

There is a refuse collection every Monday in the street where I live. (note: the noun ‘refuse’ means ‘rubbish’)

.

2. He produces films. He is a film producer.

That shop sells fruit and other produce. (note: the noun ‘produce’ means ‘food or goods that are grown through farming’)

3. This car has a defect. It does not work properly. (note: the noun ‘defect’ means ‘fault’)

Rudolf Nureyev, the famous Russian ballerina, defected from the Soviet Union to the West in 1961. (note: the verb ‘defect’ means ‘to leave a country, political party, etc., especially in order to join an opposing one’.)

.
(note: I'm afraid I made a mistake. Rudolf Nureyev was a ballet dancer, not a ballerina. Ballerinas are always female. Thank you Zoya for pointing that out!)

.

.

Of course, there are exceptions to the rule about word stress in 2-syllable nouns and verbs. Some words have the same word stress for both the noun and the verb. Examples of these are:

.

1. I answered the telephone. (verb)

I will give you my answer tomorrow. (noun)

.

2. I can just picture you as a politician. (verb)

I like that picture. (noun)

.

3. He travels a lot. (verb)

He told me all about his travels in Asia. (noun)

My lecture on plagiarism

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp7cPtb35Ec

The video quality is poor because my videographer couldn't hold the camera without shaking; however, the sound quality is good.

Listen to it and let me know if you have any questions.

Blog Writing #21: Passive Modals

As you know, there are some rules in the class which are explicit, such as students who miss forty hours of class WILL BE DROPPED (by me). You know this, because you remember my world-famous song which IS ENTITLED (by me), "I'll be dropping you."

For this post, I want you to write one rule which IS UNWRITTEN (by me), yet clearly UNDERSTOOD (by you). Please write the rule in both active and passive voice, if possible. If you are inspired (by this assignment) to write more rules, feel free, but only one IS REQUIRED (by me).

For example:
Sleeping is not allowed in class.
Students must not sleep in class.

Homework should be turned in on time.
Students should turn in homework on time.

RULES THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY STATED (BY YOUR CLASSMATES) MAY NOT BE USED AS A RESPONSE (BY YOU)

Blog Writing #20: Passive Modals (due Thursday, 11/15)

This game is called "Complete the Sentence."  It's a game, so its going to be fun.

I will give you the first part of the sentence (the subject).  You have to complete the sentence using the passive voice.  The topic for today's game is "Etiquette in the USA."

1.  Shirts and shoes...
2.  Speeding...
3.  Hamburgers...
4.  The police...
5.  Children...
6.  Cheating on a test...
7.  Interrupting someone when they're speaking...
8.  Eating with a fork and knife...
9.  Eye contact...
10.  Smiling...

"Sex, Lies, and Conversation"

Here's the article I was discussing with you in class. If you read it, I'd love to hear your thoughts, either in class or posted here as a comment. I have a feeling that everyone will have a lot to say about it!

And what do you think of the title?  Good hook?

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B-rIza1967iVeDlyYkFWSnE4bEk

Blog Writing #19: Passive Modals (due Wednesday, 11/14)

Think about ONE problem that exists in your country. In your opinion, what should be done to correct it? What shouldn't be done? What could or could not be done? What must or must not be done? Try to use a variety of passive modals when describing the solutions to your problem.

Blog Writing #18: Introductions (due Sunday, 11/11)

EW, chapter 4, exercise 8 (p. 93).
Write an introduction for the essay "Why I Left the Farm."

My powerpoint presentation on reduced adjective clauses

http://www.slideshare.net/holly_cin/reducedadjectiveclauses-13601011

Work we did in class today on cause and effect

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B-rIza1967iVdlFDZm1jX2RHSlE

Blog Writing #17: Adjective Clauses (a movie review) due FRIDAY, 11/9

Write a movie review in two or more paragraphs. Use adjective clauses with prepositions and adjective phrases as appropriate.

In your first paragraph, tell us about the plot of the movie.
In your second paragraph, tell us why you liked it or didn't like it.

This sounds like fun!

International Explosion (Talent Show)

Wednesday, November 7th
6:30pm–8:30pm
Cullen Performance Hall

Different groups on campus will be performing to find out who truly is the best. There will be music, dancing, etc. Come support this FREE talent show.

http://www.uh.edu/csiceo/#

Blog Writing #16: Modifying Quantity in Adjective Clauses

Please write 5 complex sentences with interesting details in your adjective clauses. Begin the sentences as follows:

1. I have had several teachers at the LCC,...

2. I know many interesting people,...

3. I love to do several different activities,...

4. I have a few problems this semester,...

5.  I like many types of food,...

Writing for Voices Magazine

Dear Students,

I've spoken with some of you about getting your writing published in the LCC magazine, "Voices." The deadline for submission is this Friday. Please revise your work and send it to me.

If you'd like to write something else, you are welcome to do so. Maybe one of your funny stories would be worth sharing.

Class tomorrow in the Call Lab!

Homework for the weekend

Hi Everybody!

I hope you had fun today. Celia and Nayef, we missed you!

A few things...

1.  If you're going to the Renaissance Festival, HAVE A GREAT TIME and TAKE PICTURES and then SEND ME YOUR PICTURES!

2.  Daylight savings time:  We turn the clocks back one hour on Sunday. Enjoy the extra hour in your day, but don't be late for class on Monday!

3.  You have some blog work to catch up on. I also recommend your doing the web practice I posted on adjective clauses. VERY USEFUL!

4.  For your cause and effect essay, here is the schedule:
Monday:  outline and thesis statement
Wednesday:  first draft (we'll do peer editing in class)
Friday:  final draft is due (with the outline, first draft, and peer editing sheet)

5.  FOG, pp. 211-213

6.  EW, pp. 82-83 (read about thesis statements and do exercise 4.  Also, on p. 68-71, do exercise 13 (placement of adjective clauses).

Hi Guys

I don't know if you ever listened to my responses to your noun clause questions on voicethread. Go to the link below and listen.

https://voicethread.com/groups/subscribe/74669/26ede6691/

I posted comments on your noun clause contest songs. I will announce the winner on Monday.

Time to get ready for the adjective clause song contest...

Ppt. presentation on identifying/non-identifying clauses

http://www.slideshare.net/holly_cin/restrictiveclauses

You can download it or view it on the above site.

And here is a presentation I made (but forgot to use in class) on reported speech. I think this will make everything clear.

http://www.slideshare.net/holly_cin/reportedspeech-hc

Please comment if you find these helpful.

Blog Writing #14: Writing about Your Country's Economy (due Friday, 11/2)

-->

EW, p. 81, exercise 3.  Write 3 sentences using the new vocabulary from exercises 1 and 2.

Adjective Clause Quiz/Practice

http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0073406414/student_view0/chapter9/parts_1_and_2.html

You should try the first four quizzes.

If these are helpful, please let me know. (If these are helpful--adverb clause of condition)

Also let me know if they're not helpful. (If they're not helpful--noun clause as the object)

Blog Writing #13: Adjective Clauses (due Friday, 11/2)

Please write a paragraph about your ideal husband or your ideal wife. Use as many adjective clauses as possible.

Example: My ideal husband is someone whom I can confide in when I have troubles. He is the man who will stay with me forever, even when I get old, fat, and sick.

I look forward to reading your posts, which you should complete ON SCHEDULE!

Musical Lesson: Object Relative Clause

"The One that You Love," by Air Supply (from my teenage years...)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kH8jzBb9c0

Highlighted parts are noun clauses, not adjective clauses

Now the night has gone
Now the night has gone away
Doesn't seem that long
We hardly had two words to say
Hold me in your arms for just another day
I promise this one will go slow
Oh, we have the right you know
We have the right you know

Don't say the morning's come
Don't say the morning's come, so soon
Must we end this way
When so much here is hard to lose?
Love is everywhere; I know it is.
Such moments as this are too few
Oh, it's all up to you
It's all up to you

(Chorus) Here I am, the one that you love
Asking for another day
Understand, the one that you love
Loves you in so many ways

Tell me we can stay
Tell me we can stay, oh please
Those are the words to say
The only words I can believe
Hold me in your arms for just another day
I promise this one will go slow
Oh, we have the right you know
We have the right you know

(Chorus (2X))
The night has gone, a part of yesterday
I don't know what to say (reduced from what I should say)
I don't know what to say

Musical Lesson: Subject Relative Clause

"I Wanna Dance with Somebody Who Loves Me," by Whitney Houston

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KhhY9iwn-w

Clock strikes upon the hour
And the sun begins to fade
Still enough time to figure out
How to chase my blues away
I've done alright up till now
It's the light of day that shows me how
And when the night falls the loneliness calls

Chorus:
Oh I wanna dance with somebody
I wanna feel the heat with somebody
Yeah I wanna dance with somebody
With somebody who loves me
Oh I wanna dance with somebody
I wanna feel the heat with somebody
Yeah I wanna dance with somebody
With somebody who loves me

I've been in love and lost my senses
Spinning through the town
Sooner or later the fever ends
And I wind up feeling down
I need a man who'll take a chance
On a love that burns hot enough to last
So when the night falls
My lonely heart calls

Chorus:
Oh I wanna dance with somebody
I wanna feel the heat with somebody
Yeah I wanna dance with somebody
With  somebody who loves me
Oh I wanna dance with somebody
I wanna feel the heat
Yeah I wanna dance with somebody
With somebody who loves me

Somebody who somebody who
Somebody who loves me
Somebody who somebody who
To hold me in his arms oh
I need a man who'll take a chance
On a love that burns hot enough to last
So when the night falls
My lonely heart calls.

Have a great weekend

Blog writing #11, 12, 12.2, 13, and the noun clause song contest are all due before returning to class on Tuesday.

I hope that you will come to the picnic on Sunday if you're in town. I'll be there from 1-4. Come whenever you can. I'll be making hot chocolate because it should be a nice, chilly day (but sunny).

Is anybody coming from Katy? Can you give Mariana a ride?

From Mariana

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmGVYki-oyQ

Quoted and reported speech from today's class

“Dad, I want to quit school and go to work,” Jim murmured.

Jim murmured to his father that he wanted to quit school and go to work.

“Jim, how would you evaluate your education?” his father asked.

His father asked Jim how he would evaluate his education.

Jim responded, “I absolutely hate going to school!”(exclamation)

Jim said that he absolutely hated going to school.

“Jim,” Frank said, “you’re crazy if you think it’s going to be easy to get a job.”

Frank told Jim he was crazy if he thought it was going to be easy.

Frank said, “Jim, don’t be a fool!” (exclamation)

Frank told Jim not to be fool.

Jim’s parents asked, “Frank, when are you going to start taking your future seriously?”

Jim’s parents asked him when he  was going to start taking his future seriously.

Blog Writing #12.2: Reported Speech (due Monday, 10/29)

Go back to blog writing #12.  Reply to your original comment and write the sentences in reported speech.


Example:

Quoted speech:
"I heard you the first time," Ricky said to Lucy, "but what language is it?"

Reported speech:

Ricky told Lucy that he had heard her the first time but he didn't know what language it was.

Texas Renaissance Festival

Tickets for the TexRenFest are now for sale in room 118. 

This is a great event that you shouldn't miss! 

Building Your Vocabulary

In order for you to improve your vocabulary in general, I have given you access to the on-line materials available at Townsend Press. So when you log in, go to the vocabulary book. Although I am not going to test you on this, I recommend that you try to do 2-3 chapters a week on your own. It is not required, but this is truly a wonderful way for you to build your vocabulary substantially each week. Increasing your vocabulary will make reading much easier and far more enjoyable for you.

Blog Writing #12: Quoted Speech (due Monday, 10/29)

Watch the following video. With a partner, write 10 sentences from the dialogue in the video in quoted speech. There are many ways to do this. Please vary your style and word choice of your reporting verbs to make it interesting.

For instance,
"I heard you the first time," Ricky said to Lucy, "but what language is it?"

http://www.schooltube.com/video/8d94448e0ba3a3f756b9/I-Love-Lucy-Ricky-has-problems-with-English

Some humor...

One day God was looking down at

earth and saw all of the rascally behavior       

that was going on...

So He called His angels and sent

one to earth for a time.

When the angel returned,

he told God,'Yes, it is bad on earth;

95% are misbehaving and only

5% are not.

God thought for a moment and said,

'Maybe I had better send down a second

angel to get another opinion.'

So God called another angel and sent

her to earth for a time.

When the angel returned she went to

God and said, 'Yes, it's true. The earth

is in decline; 95% are misbehaving,

but 5% are being good...'

God was not pleased.

So He decided to e-mail the 5%

who were good, because he wanted to

encourage them, and give them a little

something to help them keep going.

Do you know what the e-mail said?

Okay, ……………I was just wondering,

because I didn't get one either.

Picnic on Sunday

Let's get together for some fun, frisbee, and football at Godwin Park, which is located near my home at 5101 Rutherglenn Drive  Houston, Texas 77096.

From 1-4.

Bring your friends.  

Let me know if you need a ride. We'll arrange rides, so don't worry.

LCC Social Events

The LCC would like to have a weekly social event. This week, the event is the UH football game on Saturday. Students can meet at the fountain outside the LCC at 2 pm, walk to the tailgate at 2:30, and go to the game at 3:30.  Conversation Club guides will be wearing LCC T-shirts. We'll encourage students to wear their T-shirts, too. To get in for free, students must bring their UH IDs.  Details will be posted on Facebook and the bulletin board.

My response to your noun clauses is on Voicethread

https://voicethread.com/groups/subscribe/74669/26ede6691/

Paulina and Mohammed, I noticed that you're not on voicethread.  Maybe you were absent when we did it in the call lab. Please go to the link above and listen.

Noun clause song contest (due Monday, 10/29)

Think of the English songs that you love. Do any of them have good noun clauses? A prize will be awarded (by yours truly) to the best suggestion. You have until Friday to submit your ideas. Please post your songs as comments. You should CAPITALIZE all of your noun clauses.

Weekly schedule for this week has been posted under weekly schedules. I'll give you a hard copy in class tomorrow.

Blog Writing #11: Indirect Speech (due Monday, 10/26))

Go to p. 186 in FOG (exercise 6). Listen to your cd and then answer the 8 questions here on the blog.

Blog Writing #13: A Funny Story (due Monday 10/29)

Write a composition (three to five paragraphs) about a situation that you witnessed or participated in that you found humorous. It could involve a misunderstanding. Describe the situation fully, using a number of supporting details. Explain why the situation was funny for you. Also, be sure to include both direct and indirect speech.

Use some of the following phrases:

One day, something funny happened. What happened was...
At first, I thought that...
Then I realized that...
How this happened is something that...
What I heard was...
What I said was...
I wanted to know whether...
I didn't believe that...
Perhaps one day I will comprehend why...
I am convinced that...

Have a great weekend

Bowling was a blast. I want to say thank you so much to Fahad for picking up the tab for all of us. That was both kind and generous.

For Monday... unit 10, ex. 5, ex. 7 (with the cd), and unit 10 review on p. 172.
In addition, read pp. 173-174 and answer the questions on p. 175.
A few things to do on the blog as well...

Also, in EW, read pp. 74-78. We might get to this on Monday, maybe Tuesday.

Finally, week 6 is midterm week, which means midterm exams. I'll give you a writing test in the call lab next week on Thursday and a grammar test on either Thursday or Friday. The grammar test will be on modals (units 4 and 5) and noun clauses (units 10 and 11). I will give you some work to review next week.

Enjoy the magnificent weather.

Get some rest.

See you Monday!

Blog Writing #10.3: Noun Clauses (due Friday, 10/18)

Here is a chance for you to ask me a personal question, but you have to use a noun clause.

You can start it like this:
Holly, I'd like to know what your middle name is.

Or...
Holly, could you tell me what your middle name is?

Or... if you have another way to ask the question using a noun clause, TERRIFIC.

I'm not sure WHICH QUESTIONS I'LL ANSWER yet. Let's see what you come up with!

Ask me three questions.

Blog Writing 10.2 (due Friday)

Listen to the conversation (exercise 6, p. 168). Answer the questions using noun clauses.

Blog writing #10 (due Friday)

Explain the bumper stickers on p.  of FOG. Use a noun clause in your answer. The instructions--and an example--are in the book.

Website to review noun clauses

http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/nounclausesum.html

Musical Lesson: Noun Clauses beginning with question words

"I Want to Know What Love Is," by Foreigner

"what love is" is a noun clause. It is the object of the verb "know."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnsuaCU5igg

I gotta take a little time
A little time to think things over
I('d) better read between the lines
In case I need it when I'm older
Aaaah woah-ah-aah

Now this mountain I must climb
Feels like a world upon my shoulders
And through the clouds I see love shine
It keeps me warm as life grows colder

In my life there's been heartache and pain
I don't know if I can face it again
Can't stop now, I've traveled so far
To change this lonely life

I wanna know what love is
I want you to show me
I wanna feel what love is
I know you can show me
Aaaah woah-oh-ooh

I'm gonna take a little time
A little time to look around me, oooh ooh-ooh ooh-ooh oooh
I've got nowhere left to hide
It looks like love has finally found me

In my life there's been heartache and pain
I don't know if I can face it again
I can't stop now, I've traveled so far
To change this lonely life

I wanna know what love is
I want you to show me
I wanna feel what love is
I know you can show me
I wanna know what love is
I want you to show me
And I wanna feel, I want to feel what love is
And I know, I know you can show me

Let's talk about love
(I wanna know what love is) the love that you feel inside
(I want you to show me) I'm feeling so much love
(I wanna feel what love is) no, you just cannot hide
(I know you can show me) yeah, woah-oh-ooh
I wanna know what love is, let's talk about love
(I want you to show me) I wanna feel it too
(I wanna feel what love is) I wanna feel it too
And I know, and I know, I know you can show me
Show me what is real, woah (woah), yeah I know
(I wanna know what love is) hey I wanna know what love
(I want you to show me), I wanna know, I wanna know, want know
(I wanna feel what love is), hey I wanna feel, love
I know you can show me, yeah