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...