Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Adverbs
An adverb can be added to a verb to modify its meaning. Usually, an adverb tells you when, where, how, in what manner or to what extent an action is performed. Very many adverbs end in '...ly' - particularly those that are used to express how an action is performed. Although many adverbs end 'ly', lots do not, e.g., fast, never, well, very, most, least, more, less, now, far and there.
Examples:
(The word 'carefully' is an adverb. It shows how the vase was placed.)
(The word 'gracefully' is an adverb. It modifies the verb 'to walk'.)
(The word 'fast' is an adverb. It modifies the verb 'to run'.)
(The word 'always' is an adverb. It modifies the verb 'to leave'.)
('early' - adverb; modifies 'to arrive')
('sometimes' - adverb; modifies 'to help')
('thoroughly' - adverb; modifies 'to know')
Types of Adverbs
Although there are thousands of adverbs, each adverb can usually be categorised in one of the following groupings:
Adverb of time
An
adverb of time tells us when something is done or happens. We use it at
the beginning or at the end of a sentence. We use it as a form of
emphasis when we place it at the beginning. Adverbs of time include afterwards, already, always, immediately, last month, now, soon, then, and yesterday.
- He collapsed and died yesterday.
- His factory was burned down a few months ago.
- Last week, we were stuck in the lift for an hour.
Adverb of place
An
adverb of place tells us where something is done or happens. We use it
after the verb, object or at the end of a sentence. Adverbs of place
include words such as above, below, here, outside, over there, there, under, upstairs.
- We can stop here for lunch.
- The schoolboy was knocked over by a school bus.
- They rushed for their lives when fire broke out in the floor below.
Adverb of manner
An adverb of manner tells us how something is done or happens. Most adverbs of manner end in –ly such as badly, happily, sadly, slowly, quickly, and others that include well, hard, fast, etc.
- The brothers were badly injured in the fight.
- They had to act fast to save the others floating in the water.
- At the advanced age of 88, she still sang very well.
Adverb of degree
An adverb of degree tells us the level or extent that something is done or happens. Words of adverb of degree are almost, much, nearly, quite, really, so, too, very, etc.
- It was too dark for us to find our way out of the cave. (Before adjective)
- The referee had to stop the match when it began to rain very heavily. (Before adverb)
- Her daughter is quite fat for her age.
- The accident victim nearly died from his injuries.
- After all these years, she is still feeling very sad about her father’s death.
Adverb of frequency
An adverb of frequency tells us how often something is done or happens. Words used as adverbs of frequency include again, almost, always, ever, frequently, generally, hardly ever, nearly, nearly always, never, occasionally, often, rarely, seldom, sometimes, twice, usually, and weekly.
They were almost fifty when they got married.
He hardly ever say something nice to his wife.
While overseas, he frequently phoned home.
She is not nearly always right although she thinks she is always right.
He complained that she never smiled back.
We only write to each other very occasionally.
Peter seldom reads the Bible.
Sometimes he stays late in the office to complete his work.
Our cat was bitten twice by the same dog.
The man usually proposes marriage.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
What Makes A Teacher Great?
What makes a good teacher? Teaching
is one of the most complicated jobs today. It demands broad knowledge of
subject matter, curriculum, and standards; enthusiasm, a caring attitude, and a
love of learning; knowledge of discipline and classroom management techniques;
and a desire to make a difference in the lives of young people. With all these
qualities required, it's no wonder that it's hard to find great teachers.
Here
are some characteristics of great teachers
- Great teachers set high expectations for all students. They expect that all students can and will achieve in their classroom, and they don't give up on underachievers.
- Great teachers have clear, written-out objectives. Effective teachers have lesson plans that give students a clear idea of what they will be learning, what the assignments are and what the grading policy is. Assignments have learning goals and give students ample opportunity to practice new skills. The teacher is consistent in grading and returns work in a timely manner.
- Great teachers are prepared and organized. They are in their classrooms early and ready to teach. They present lessons in a clear and structured way. Their classrooms are organized in such a way as to minimize distractions.
- Great teachers engage students and get them to look at issues in a variety of ways. Effective teachers use facts as a starting point, not an end point; they ask "why" questions, look at all sides and encourage students to predict what will happen next. They ask questions frequently to make sure students are following along. They try to engage the whole class, and they don't allow a few students to dominate the class. They keep students motivated with varied, lively approaches.
- Great teachers form strong relationships with their students and show that they care about them as people. Great teachers are warm, accessible, enthusiastic and caring. Teachers with these qualities are known to stay after school and make themselves available to students and parents who need them. They are involved in school-wide committees and activities, and they demonstrate a commitment to the school.
- Great teachers are masters of their subject matter. They exhibit expertise in the subjects they are teaching and spend time continuing to gain new knowledge in their field. They present material in an enthusiastic manner and instill a hunger in their students to learn more on their own.
- Great teachers communicate frequently with parents. They reach parents through conferences and frequent written reports home. They don't hesitate to pick up the telephone to call a parent if they are concerned about a student.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Adjectives
What is an Adjective?
The simplest definition of an adjective is that it is a word that describes or clarifies a noun. Adjectives describe nouns by giving some information about an object’s size, shape, age, color, origin or material. They also clarify which thing (noun) the speaker means by giving those kinds of information as well as the speaker’s opinion or observations about it and its purpose.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXhxqrk3svtHuY-zG9IYZtgbC2lkXIf9kHTc3DwplA0CNozOysth04bOMxZKQ_F5V18MJ9qYhDSOeTyidls6ydqFzGKT2VRCMNGkL2ns_0ULUP4I1LpYUKaF4uW1OO3E-h70J-jA7zQHc/s400/adjectives.gif)
What Do Adjectives Look Like?
English can be very tricky, so you have to be careful, but a lot of English adjectives end with these suffixes:
-able/-ible – adorable, invisible, responsible, uncomfortable
-al – educational, gradual, illegal, nocturnal, viral
-an – American, Mexican, urban
-ar – cellular, popular, spectacular, vulgar
-ent – intelligent, potent, silent, violent
-ful – harmful, powerful, tasteful, thoughtful
-ic/-ical – athletic, energetic, magical, scientific
-ine – bovine, canine, equine, feminine, masculine
-ile – agile, docile, fertile, virile
-ive – informative, native, talkative
-less – careless, endless, homeless, timeless
-ous – cautious, dangerous, enormous, malodorous
-some – awesome, handsome, lonesome, wholesome
Many adjectives also end with -y, -ary and -ate, but lots of nouns and adverbs also end with -y, lots of nouns also end with -ary, and lots of nouns and verbs also end with -ate, so be careful with those.
Kinds of Adjectives
1. Adjectives of Quality - These adjectives are used to describe the nature of a noun. They give an idea about the characteristics of the noun by answering the question ‘what kind’.
o Honest, Kind, Large, Bulky, Beautiful, Ugly etc.
New Delhi is a large city with many historical monuments.
Sheila is a beautiful woman.
2. Adjectives of Quantity - These adjectives help to show the amount or the approximate amount of the noun or pronoun. These adjectives do not provide exact numbers; rather they tell us the amount of the noun in relative or whole terms.
o All, Half, Many, Few, Little, No, Enough, Great etc.
They have finished most of the rice.
Many people came to visit the fair.
3. Adjectives of Number - These adjectives are used to show the number of nouns and their place in an order. There are three different sections within adjectives of number; they are -
o Definite Numeral Adjective - Those which clearly denote an exact number of nouns or the order of the noun.
One, Two, Twenty, Thirty-Three etc. also known as Cardinals.
First, Second, Third, Seventh etc. also known as Ordinals.
4. Indefinite Numeral Adjective - Those adjectives that do not give an exact numerical amount but just give a general idea of the amount.
Some, Many, Few, Any, Several, All etc.
E.g.: There were many people present at the meeting.
o Distributive Numeral Adjective -Those adjectives that are used to refer to individual nouns within the whole amount.
Either, Neither, Each, Another, Other etc.
Taxes have to be paid by every employed citizen.
4. Demonstrative Adjectives - These adjectives are used to point out or indicate a particular noun or pronoun using the adjectives - This, That, These and Those.
o That bag belongs to Neil.
o Try using this paintbrush in art class.
o I really like those shoes.
o These flowers are lovely.
5. Interrogative Adjectives - These adjectives are used to ask questions about nouns or in relation to nouns, they are - Where, What, Which and Whose.
o Where did he say he was going?
o What assignment did I miss out on?
o Which is your favorite author?
o Whose pen is this?
The comparative form of an adjective is used for comparing two people or things (e.g., he is taller than me), while the superlative is used for comparing one person or thing with every other member of their group (e.g., he was the tallest boy in the class).
Adjectives make their comparative and superlative forms in different ways, depending on the base adjective itself. Here’s a quick-reference guide to the spelling of comparative and superlative adjectives:
Adjectives with one syllable
In general, if the adjective has one syllable, then the letters -er or -est are added:
warm warmer warmest
quick quicker quickest
tall taller tallest
Adjectives with one syllable ending in e
If the adjective has one syllable and ends in e, just add -r or -st:
late later latest
nice nicer nicest
large larger largest
Adjectives with two syllables
Adjectives with two syllables vary. Some add -er/est or -r/-st:
feeble feebler feeblest
Some use the words ‘more’ for the comparative and ‘most’ for the superlative:
famous more famous most famous
Many, such as clever, can do either:
clever cleverer/more clever cleverest/most clever
Adjectives with three syllables or more
If the adjective has three syllables or more, then the words ‘more’ and ‘most’ are used:
interesting more interesting most interesting
attractive more attractive most attractive
Adjectives that change their spelling
Some adjectives change their spelling when forming the comparative and superlative:
Some one-syllable adjectives that end with a single consonant (e.g., big, wet, sad, fat) double this consonant before adding -er or -est:
big bigger biggest
wet wetter wettest
sad sadder saddest
If the adjective ends in y (e.g., happy, greedy, or tidy), change the y to an i and add -er or -est:
happy happier happiest
greedy greedier greediest
tidy tidier tidiest
Some common adjectives have irregular comparative and superlative forms that you just have to learn:
bad worse worst
good better best
little (of a quantity) less least
much more most
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