We need a new home

Dr Rod’s English Blog has become a huge success, but we are totally frustrated by our limitations of being a Blog. The Blog acted really great in the beginning but as we have grown and our readership increased from 50 to over 19000 in 4 months we realize we need a different format and to offer many other things that we just cannot do.

We have identified areas where students from across the world need to work together – to collaborate, so see other kids work. We have seen teachers crying out for varied resources as well as original ideas. We never thought of our self as UNIQUE, yet we have become so. Every day I get letters asking for help on essays, exams, Shakespeare and hundreds of other things and yet many have to go unanswered.

So we need HELP! We cannot do this by a Blog any longer. I know Front Page and can work well with that. I would love to develop this site into an open resource linking together students of all ages from Year 5 through University. But they cannot search through Blog entries after Blog entries. So please, if there is anyone out there who can help us with a dedicated site – sorry we have NO money! And can help us get going for three months before the new school year begins PLEASE contact us here!

Write today! The possibilities are endless and the audience as you can see in UNIVERSAL not just USA, Europe but from Mongolia to Lesotho, Columbia to Yemen, Russia, Hong Kong, the lists is over 120 different countries. If your company today can help us PLEASE let me know.

Thanks Dr. Rod

Write to me here!

We need a new home

Dr Rod’s English Blog has become a huge success, but we are totally frustrated by our limitations of being a Blog. The Blog acted really great in the beginning but as we have grown and our readership increased from 50 to over 19000 in 4 months we realize we need a different format and to offer many other things that we just cannot do.

We have identified areas where students from across the world need to work together – to collaborate, so see other kids work. We have seen teachers crying out for varied resources as well as original ideas. We never thought of our self as UNIQUE, yet we have become so. Every day I get letters asking for help on essays, exams, Shakespeare and hundreds of other things and yet many have to go unanswered.

So we need HELP! We cannot do this by a Blog any longer. I know Front Page and can work well with that. I would love to develop this site into an open resource linking together students of all ages from Year 5 through University. But they cannot search through Blog entries after Blog entries. So please, if there is anyone out there who can help us with a dedicated site – sorry we have NO money! And can help us get going for three months before the new school year begins PLEASE contact us here!

Write today! The possibilities are endless and the audience as you can see in UNIVERSAL not just USA, Europe but from Mongolia to Lesotho, Columbia to Yemen, Russia, Hong Kong, the lists is over 120 different countries. If your company today can help us PLEASE let me know.

Thanks Dr. Rod

Write to me here!

We need a new home

Dr Rod’s English Blog has become a huge success, but we are totally frustrated by our limitations of being a Blog. The Blog acted really great in the beginning but as we have grown and our readership increased from 50 to over 19000 in 4 months we realize we need a different format and to offer many other things that we just cannot do.

We have identified areas where students from across the world need to work together – to collaborate, so see other kids work. We have seen teachers crying out for varied resources as well as original ideas. We never thought of our self as UNIQUE, yet we have become so. Every day I get letters asking for help on essays, exams, Shakespeare and hundreds of other things and yet many have to go unanswered.

So we need HELP! We cannot do this by a Blog any longer. I know Front Page and can work well with that. I would love to develop this site into an open resource linking together students of all ages from Year 5 through University. But they cannot search through Blog entries after Blog entries. So please, if there is anyone out there who can help us with a dedicated site – sorry we have NO money! And can help us get going for three months before the new school year begins PLEASE contact us here!

Write today! The possibilities are endless and the audience as you can see in UNIVERSAL not just USA, Europe but from Mongolia to Lesotho, Columbia to Yemen, Russia, Hong Kong, the lists is over 120 different countries. If your company today can help us PLEASE let me know.

Thanks Dr. Rod

Write to me here!

How to add quotes.

Here is a short PowerPoint presentation on how to add quotations to your work.

Trouble with Grammar?

If you are having trouble understanding the grammar we are covering in class, try these helpful websites:

• (US) Purdue University’s English writing and grammar site:  http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/
• (US) Web English Teacher has links to various grammar helps: http://www.webenglishteacher.com/grammar.html
• (US) Online English Grammar–our textbook series recommended this site: http://www.edunet.com/ english/ grammar/ index.cfm
• (US) The Grammar Lady:  http://www.grammarlady.com/
• (US) Guide to Grammar and Writing: http://ccc.commnet.edu/ grammar/ index.htm
• (UK) School Zone: http://www.schoolzone.co.uk/resources/webguide/search/newsearch.asp?searchit=yes&engine=0&search=gcse&subject=11&subcat=0&levelid=5&order=StarRating&num=20  Use "grammar" as the keyword.
• (UK) Teachit.co.uk is a website for UK teachers.  http://www.teachit.co.uk/index.asp?A=7&S=309&M=3&Z=1

 

Grammar – CONJUNCTIONS

CONJUNCTIONS

 

According to our textbook*, "A CONJUNCTION is a word used to connect words, phrases, or sentences.  There are three kinds of conjunctions:

COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS

CORRELATIVE CONJUNCTIONS

SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS.”

 — The Language of Literature: American Literature (2006), page 1314

 

COORDINATING CONJUCTIONS connect words or word groups that have the same function in a sentence:

and / but / or / for / so / yet / nor

 

Coordinating conjunctions can join nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositional phrases, and clauses in a sentence. Examples:

 

2 noun objects =  I have many friends but few enemies.

2 prepositional phrases = We ran out the door and into the street.

2 predicates (with predicate adj) = They are pleasant yet seem aloof.

2 clauses = We have to go now or we will be late.

 

CORRELATIVE CONJUNCTIONS are similar to coordinating conjunctions.  However, correlative conjunctions are always used in pairs. Examples:

 

Both Tom and Mary are planning to go.

Either Tom or Mary is planning to leave.

Neither Tom nor Mary is planning to eat the food.

Whether Tom or Mary will eat the food is unknown.

Not only Tom but also Mary is planning to come.

 

SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS introduce subordinate clauses—clauses that cannot stand by themselves as complete sentences.  Subordinate clauses relate to the rest of the sentence.  The relationships include time, manner, place, cause, comparison, condition, and purpose.  Examples:

 

TIME = after / as / as long as / as soon as / before / since / until / when / whenever / while

MANNER = as / as if

PLACE = where / wherever

CAUSE = because / since

COMPARISON = as / as much as / than

CONDITION = although /as long as / even if / even though / if / provided that / though / unless / while / in order that / so that / that

EXAMPLE = Walt Whitman was a man of the people, although many did not appreciate his poems.

 

CONJUNCTIVE ADVERBS are used to connect clauses that can stand by themselves as sentences.  Examples:

also / besides / finally / however / moreover / nevertheless / otherwise / then

 

EXAMPLE:  She loved the fall; however, she also enjoyed winter.

 

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* The information on this page was adapted from literature textbook:  Applebee, Arthur, Andrea B. Bermudez, et.al. (2006).  The Language of Literature: American Literature, Teacher’s Edition. Evanston, IL: McDougal-Littell Inc., p. 1315.    For a more detailed explanation and exercises, see the text.

Grammar – Prepositions

PREPOSITIONS

According to our textbook*, "A PREPOSITION is a word used to show the relationship between a noun or a pronoun and another word in the sentence….The preposition is always followed by a word or group of words that serves as its object.  The preposition, its object, and modifiers of the object are called the PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE.” (p. 1314)

 

Examples:

Thoreau lived in the woods by himself. 

In his short time of living in the woods, Thoreau wrote Walden, an account of his thoughts and musings.

 

Here are some common prepositions in use:

aboard / about / above / across / after / against / along / amid / among / around / at / atop / before / behind / below / beneath / beside / between / beyond / but (meaning except) / by / concerning / down / during / except / for / from / in / inside / into / like / near / of / off / on / onto / outside / over / past / regarding / since / through / throughout / to / toward / under / underneath / until / up / upon / with / within / without

"Prepositional phrases may be used as adjectives or adverbs.   

Adjective (modifying future):  The future of the entire world is uncertain.

Adverb (modifying searched): We searched through the deepest woods.”

 

 

WATCH OUT!  Prepositional phrases must be as close as possible to the word they modify.

 

Example: 

Misplaced:  We have clothes for leisurewear of many colors.

 

Clearer: We have clothes of many colors for leisurewear.

 

————————–

* The information on this page was adapted from literature textbook:  Applebee, Arthur, Andrea B. Bermudez, et.al. (2006).  The Language of Literature: American Literature, Teacher’s Edition. Evanston, IL: McDougal-Littell Inc., p. 1314.    For a more detailed explanation and exercises, see the text.

Grammar – INTERJECTIONS

"INTERJECTIONS are words used to show strong emotions, such as Wow! or Cool!  Often followed by an exclamation point, they have no grammatical relationship to the rest of the sentence.  Example:  Thoreau lived in the woods by himself.  Amazing!"  — The Language of Literature: American Literature (2006), page 1315.

"Interjections are set off by a comma or an exclamation point, depending on the level of emotion they express." — The Language of Literature, Grade 10 (2000), Grammar Transparencies and Copymaters, page 81.

• "Oh!  You surprised me!" Mary gasped.
• "Oh, I don’t know.  Steve may have left at five," Mary drawled. "I didn’t look at the clock when he left."

For other links regarding interjections, try some of the following:

• Guide to Grammar and Writing:  http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/interjections.htm
• English Club’s list of common interjections and what they mean:  http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/interjections.htm

————————–

The information on this page was adapted from literature textbook:  Applebee, Arthur, Andrea B. Bermudez, et.al. (2006).  The Language of Literature: American Literature, Teacher’s Edition. Evanston, IL: McDougal-Littell Inc., p. 1315.    For a more detailed explanation and exercises, see the text.

Grammar – NOUNS

 NOUNS*

USED TO NAME A PERSON, PLACE, THING, IDEA, QUALITY, OR ACTION

1. COMMON NOUNS = general names, common to an entire group — e.g., boy, singer, field, horse

2. PROPER NOUNS = name specific for one-of-a-kind thing — e.g., Istanbul, Turkey, Bob, Colorado

3. CONCRETE NOUNS = things that can be perceived by the senses — e.g., cows, rain, shelf, cup

4. ABSTRACT NOUNS = things that cannot be observed by the senses — e.g., intelligence, happiness, fear

	COMMON	PROPER
ABSTRACT	freedom	Age of Discovery
CONCRETE	man	Denver

5. COMPOUND NOUNS = formed by combining two or more words, but the new word expresses a single idea — e.g., boyfriend, folk tale, brother-in-law

	SINGULAR	PLURAL	POSSESSIVE
EQUAL PARTS	FOLK TALE	FOLK TALES	FOLK TALE’S / FOLK TALES’
	BIRTHRIGHT	BIRTHRIGHTS	BIRTHRIGHT’S / BIRTHRIGHTS’
UNEQUAL PARTS	FATHER-IN-LAW	FATHERS-IN-LAW	FATHER-IN-LAW’S / FATHERS-IN-LAW’S
	PASSERBY	PASSERSBY	PASSERBY’S / PASSERSBY’S

6. COLLECTIVE NOUNS = NOUNS THAT REFER TO GROUPS OF PEOPLE OR THINGS — E.G., ARMY, FLOCK, CLASS

NOTE the following:

• AMERICAN ENGLISH:  Collective nouns always take a singular noun — e.g., The army is attacking.
• BRITISH ENGLISH:  Collective nouns can be singular or plural–whether you mean all the individuals separately (plural) or the group (singular) — e.g., The army are eating their dinners.  (Each member of the army is eating.)  / The army is attacking. (They are attacking as one — as a group.)

 

7. POSSESSIVE NOUNS = nouns that show who or what owns something 

CATEGORY	POSSESSIVE NOUN RULE	EXAMPLE
ALL SINGULAR NOUNS	ADD APOSTROPHE PLUS -S	George’s, sister-in-law’s, jury’s, Jesus’s
PLURAL NOUNS NOT ENDING IN "S"	ADD APOSTROPHE PLUS -S	men’s, people’s, children’s
PLURAL NOUNS ENDING IN "S"	ADD APOSTROPHE ONLY	witnesses’, males’, friends’, churches’

 

————————–

*The information on this page was adapted from literature textbook:  Applebee, Arthur, Andrea B. Bermudez, et.al. (2006).  The Language of Literature: American Literature, Teacher’s Edition. Evanston, IL: McDougal-Littell Inc., p. 1306.    For a more detailed explanation and exercises, see the text.

Trouble with Grammar?

If you are having trouble understanding the grammar we are covering in class, try these helpful websites:

• (US) Purdue University’s English writing and grammar site:  http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/
• (US) Web English Teacher has links to various grammar helps: http://www.webenglishteacher.com/grammar.html
• (US) Online English Grammar–our textbook series recommended this site: http://www.edunet.com/ english/ grammar/ index.cfm
• (US) The Grammar Lady:  http://www.grammarlady.com/
• (US) Guide to Grammar and Writing: http://ccc.commnet.edu/ grammar/ index.htm
• (UK) School Zone: http://www.schoolzone.co.uk/resources/webguide/search/newsearch.asp?searchit=yes&engine=0&search=gcse&subject=11&subcat=0&levelid=5&order=StarRating&num=20  Use "grammar" as the keyword.
• (UK) Teachit.co.uk is a website for UK teachers.  http://www.teachit.co.uk/index.asp?A=7&S=309&M=3&Z=1