I found the Hacker
site very helpful for me. Lots of mistakes that I have been doing all this time
that I thought they were correct until I took the short quizzes. I had some
difficulties in active and passive voice. I did not do very well on the quiz
when I first took it until I saw the explanation and took it again; I finally
nailed the rule of active and passive voice. However, there were some other
easy quizzes that I have been used to them because of the everyday using. For
example, the needed words topic. Without a doubt it is a very important thing
to know because it organizes the way you are talking or writing, I found it
easy because I have trained on it a lot in the Intensive English Center in the
university last semester. An example of that is: “One
value of the Internet is the amount of time that it can save”, here we do
not need to use "that", the sentence is grammatically correct without
it. The most helpful quiz that I took was the
choppy sentences, which I really have done a lot of mistakes in. Choppy sentences
are like the first draft we make for a paper, we write all the ideas at ones
without organizing or picking the right sentences or words. When you know how to
avoid those type of sentences, your wording will be beautiful as a final draft
paper.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
Clear Sentences
Topic 1-) Active vs. passive verbs: I found that a bit hard but I learned a lot from the exercise.
Topic 2-) Active vs. be verbs: be verb has always been easy for me, I got 8 correct answers
Topic 3-) Active verbs (edit and compare) : it wasn't that bad actually, I took it in the IEC and did very well
Topic 4-) Parallelism : It's good to know more about that topic and keep practicing it so I do not forget the rule
Topic 5-) Needed words : It is always good to know when do and don't use some words
Topic 6-) Mixed constructions : it was pretty easy and I did well in it
Topic 7-) Misplaced modifiers : modifiers have been so much fun for me
since I started learning english. Found it fun and I got them all right
Topic 8-) Dangling modifiers : It wasn't hard cause I love modifiers.
Topic 9-) Shifts : did not help me a lot but still it's good to know more
Topic 10-) Choppy sentences : I really needed that exercise cause I feel I always mess with my sentences
Topic 11-) Subordination : I really benefited from it, I got a lot of questions about it answered
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Clear sentences "Group 8"
13-4 Shifts
Original: A new neighbor often forms lasting impressions of the neighborhood because of the way they were treated when they first moved in. Revision: New neighbors often form lasting impressions of the neighborhood because of the way they were treated when they first moved in.
We wrote the sentence like this because it is talking about plural new neighbors in the first sentence, but the second makes it more clear.
14-1 Choppy Sentences
Original: An instruction manual is enclosed with your computer. The manual is user-friendly.
Combined Sentences: A user-friendly instruction manual is enclosed with your computer.
We put the two sentences together and rearranged its wording to make it more readable.
14-2 Choppy Sentences
Original: The aides help the students with reading and math. These are their weakest subjects.
Revised: The aides help the students with their weakest subjects, reading and math.
We put the two sentences together to have the two sentences to flow together.
14-3 Subordination
Which Sentence emphasizes the length of time a residency takes?
A) This highly specialized medical training, called a “residency,” usually takes four years to complete.
B) This highly specialized medical training, which usually takes four years to complete, is called a “residency.”We chose option A because it gets straight to the point on how long a residency is.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Grammar Issues
- Needed words
Ex. One value of the Internet is the amount of time that it can save
* we do not need to use "that", the sentence is grammatically correct without it
- Major uses of the comma
Ex. While we were eating, a huge delivery truck drove right into our front lawn.
* we needed the comma after the clause to keep up the order of the sentence.
- Who & Whom
Ex. (Who/Whom) was Martin Luther King's mentor?
* we use who in the subjective case like the example, unlike whom we use the objective cases.
I chose to study those topics again because they get me confused when I talk or write especially in (Who/Whom) case. Although most Americans use "who" in the informal talk and writing, it is important to know the difference for higher level studying that I'm going to be in someday.
Commas are really important in writing. Without using commas we do not follow the writing. Commas help us know when to pause, understand, and then continue reading what comes after it. They also show us that there are going to be list of examples when we use it after each noun or verb. Beside that some of the word that we write in an essay or an article are unnecessary, we just make our writing longer by them when most of the time there is no need for them. It is important to learn when do we do or don't need the word in there.
Ex. One value of the Internet is the amount of time that it can save
* we do not need to use "that", the sentence is grammatically correct without it
- Major uses of the comma
Ex. While we were eating, a huge delivery truck drove right into our front lawn.
* we needed the comma after the clause to keep up the order of the sentence.
- Who & Whom
Ex. (Who/Whom) was Martin Luther King's mentor?
* we use who in the subjective case like the example, unlike whom we use the objective cases.
I chose to study those topics again because they get me confused when I talk or write especially in (Who/Whom) case. Although most Americans use "who" in the informal talk and writing, it is important to know the difference for higher level studying that I'm going to be in someday.
Commas are really important in writing. Without using commas we do not follow the writing. Commas help us know when to pause, understand, and then continue reading what comes after it. They also show us that there are going to be list of examples when we use it after each noun or verb. Beside that some of the word that we write in an essay or an article are unnecessary, we just make our writing longer by them when most of the time there is no need for them. It is important to learn when do we do or don't need the word in there.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
What makes a good story?
What Makes a Good Story?
1. A title that is attention getting.
2. Significant and clear thesis.
3. Creative structure.
4. Clear transitions between paragraphs.
5. Coherent sentences that flow.
6. Use strong emphasis words and sentences.
7. Double check grammar and correct spelling.
8.Conclusion that summarizes main points of the story.
9. Strong Closure that makes the reader want to know more.
10. Have a unique style to the story.
11. Have one plot so it is not confusing.
12. Attractive clues to make you want to read more.
13. Put facts from least important to most important.
2. Significant and clear thesis.
3. Creative structure.
4. Clear transitions between paragraphs.
5. Coherent sentences that flow.
6. Use strong emphasis words and sentences.
7. Double check grammar and correct spelling.
8.Conclusion that summarizes main points of the story.
9. Strong Closure that makes the reader want to know more.
10. Have a unique style to the story.
11. Have one plot so it is not confusing.
12. Attractive clues to make you want to read more.
13. Put facts from least important to most important.
One man's loss is another man's gain "Story in a Box"
Story in a Box
The story is about a young man who fight for living. He uses the talent that he has to entertain people and get some money out of it. He helped with something that got him from living in a canon to living in a place that considered a little home.
In a small town there was a poor Indian man called Jacob who lives in his small tiny boat. The town was famous of its rivers and chestnut trees. Jacob did not have enough money to buy food to keep him standing. All he had was couple of coins enough to buy him a ruler that he needed to do his tricks in the street with pieces of chestnuts. Jacob has some moves that empress kids and adults in the street to earn some money.
One day when he got back to his boat he found something scared him a lot. He found a dead body of an African man lying down his boat. He did not know what to do, who to call, or where to go! When he looked down he saw a wallet. He opened it and saw a picture of that man with his wife. He turned the picture and saw an address.
Jacob was scared to be blamed for killing the man so he decided to go to that address. After an hour of looking for that address he finally got in there. The African man was living with his wife in a beautiful spanish house. Jacob knew once he saw the house that they are really wealthy people. He knocked the door and waited. The wife came out to him asking if she can help. Jacob said "I found this picture in your husband's wallet" The women yelled and cried saying "where is he? he has been missing for a week" Jacob tried to calm her down. After a few minutes he explained to her how he found his dead body. The wife started to cry and the scarf on her head fell off. Jacob was surprised when he saw her head! She was bold! He realized that if she keep crying like this something bad might happen to her. He talked to her and made her calm again.
After a week from the accident the woman sent someone to ask Jacob to visit her. Jacob responded to that and went to her. When he got into the same living room he was in a week ago, he saw a wonderful jar stole his eyes away. He asked about it and she said "My husband ashes should be inside a beautiful jar like his heart" Jacob was touched with her words and expressed his sorrow to her. She wanted to reward him for his kindness and for finding her husband's body. She wrote him a check with her stamp on.
The amount was beyond Jacob expectations. That check could turn his life to another whole level. She insisted on him to take that check and live somewhere else other than his boat that carried a dead body. He could not thank her enough. Jacob visit her every other week after that and their relationship became stronger ever since.
The story is about a young man who fight for living. He uses the talent that he has to entertain people and get some money out of it. He helped with something that got him from living in a canon to living in a place that considered a little home.
One man's loss is another man's gain
In a small town there was a poor Indian man called Jacob who lives in his small tiny boat. The town was famous of its rivers and chestnut trees. Jacob did not have enough money to buy food to keep him standing. All he had was couple of coins enough to buy him a ruler that he needed to do his tricks in the street with pieces of chestnuts. Jacob has some moves that empress kids and adults in the street to earn some money.
One day when he got back to his boat he found something scared him a lot. He found a dead body of an African man lying down his boat. He did not know what to do, who to call, or where to go! When he looked down he saw a wallet. He opened it and saw a picture of that man with his wife. He turned the picture and saw an address.
Jacob was scared to be blamed for killing the man so he decided to go to that address. After an hour of looking for that address he finally got in there. The African man was living with his wife in a beautiful spanish house. Jacob knew once he saw the house that they are really wealthy people. He knocked the door and waited. The wife came out to him asking if she can help. Jacob said "I found this picture in your husband's wallet" The women yelled and cried saying "where is he? he has been missing for a week" Jacob tried to calm her down. After a few minutes he explained to her how he found his dead body. The wife started to cry and the scarf on her head fell off. Jacob was surprised when he saw her head! She was bold! He realized that if she keep crying like this something bad might happen to her. He talked to her and made her calm again.
After a week from the accident the woman sent someone to ask Jacob to visit her. Jacob responded to that and went to her. When he got into the same living room he was in a week ago, he saw a wonderful jar stole his eyes away. He asked about it and she said "My husband ashes should be inside a beautiful jar like his heart" Jacob was touched with her words and expressed his sorrow to her. She wanted to reward him for his kindness and for finding her husband's body. She wrote him a check with her stamp on.
The amount was beyond Jacob expectations. That check could turn his life to another whole level. She insisted on him to take that check and live somewhere else other than his boat that carried a dead body. He could not thank her enough. Jacob visit her every other week after that and their relationship became stronger ever since.
Inventory List
Ruler: About 50 cm ruler used to measure small distance for drawing.
Coins: 3 ancient coins.
Shaped face: a bold woman from foreigner country.
Chestnuts: 3 pieces of chestnuts, different sizes, same dark color.
Scarf: hairy scarf or blanket will be useful in a cold weather.
Wallet: paige color wallet with a draw on top of it.
Jar: Colorful, small, can be used for decoration a small room
Stamp: an old kind
Finka: A small Spanish house, look like a piece of decoration too
An African statue: a black Egyptian person
Canon: weak cannon, the kind that native american were using
Native American statue: playing the drum, wearing a scarf. Doing special ritual
Coins: 3 ancient coins.
Shaped face: a bold woman from foreigner country.
Chestnuts: 3 pieces of chestnuts, different sizes, same dark color.
Scarf: hairy scarf or blanket will be useful in a cold weather.
Wallet: paige color wallet with a draw on top of it.
Jar: Colorful, small, can be used for decoration a small room
Stamp: an old kind
Finka: A small Spanish house, look like a piece of decoration too
An African statue: a black Egyptian person
Canon: weak cannon, the kind that native american were using
Native American statue: playing the drum, wearing a scarf. Doing special ritual
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Who am I - What people said.
People will start by introducing themselves and what their interests are. Then they will start talking about where and who raised them. That will lead them to say more about their culture. Finally, they are going to talk about their dreams and what they hoped for since their childhood.
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