LJ 3 - Writing practice (part 2)

• Engels
• MBO
• Studiejaar 3

Writing practice 

Lesson goals

-Learn about the different sentence structure types and how to apply/recognize it.

-Learn the difference between the independent and dependent clause

Writing a "good" note

Don't ever do this

How not to write an article or essay

What you need is sentence structure

It is a way of categorizing sentences by identifying the absence or presence of

• clauses (independent and dependent)
  
• conjunctions
  
• subordinators ( ex: using coordinating conjunctions, punctuations and/or subordinating conjuctions).

What is a clause?

A clause is a group of words that functions as one part of speech and that includes a subject (onderwerp) and verb(werkwoord).

1. Independent clause; A sentence that contains a subject and a verb - It can stand alone

Example: He will succeed. 

2. Dependent clause; Contains a subject and a verb, but it cannot stand alone. 

Example: If you work hard

3. Subordinating conjunctions; Conjunctions are used to link dependent clauses to independent clauses. 

Example: If you work hard, you will succeed. 

Types of sentence structure

From this perspective, the English sentence has four major building blocks:

 

1. Simple Sentence Structure:  

one independent clause.

2. Compound Sentence Structure: 

two independent clauses  connected by a coordinating conjunction (aka FANBOYS).

3. Complex Sentence Structure: 

one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses.

4. Compound-Complex Sentence Structure:

  two independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses.

Which one is a compound sentence?

1. While I was cooking he was still playing games on the computer.
2. I'll have a week in Rome, or I'll go to Paris for three days
3. Although I miss him so much, I cannot go to him because I do not have money.

Which one is a complex sentence structure?

1. Whenever it rains, I like to wear my blue coat
2. I looked for Mary and Samantha at the bus station.
3. They spoke to him in English, but she responded in Spanish.

Which one is a compound-complex sentence?

1. Do you know the man who is talking to Mary?
2. Elissa was very sick today and we will take her to the hospital now, before she gets worse.
3. Although I worked hard, I got a very low grade from the exam and stayed in the classroom.

Which one is a complex sentence structure?

1. Don’t leave the restaurant until the dishes here are washed.
2. He left in a hurry after he got a phone call.
3. Elissa was very sick today and we will take her to the hospital now, before she gets worse.

Which one is a compound- complex sentence structure?

1. If the ozone layer collapses, the global community will suffer.
2. She goes to the beach, and she takes her cat.
3. Mary and Samantha took the bus.

Conjunctions

Conjunctions

Choose the right conjunction

"I enjoy dancing, ... I like singing more."

1. and
2. so
3. but
4. because

Which conjunction fits best?

He is late for class .... he missed his train

1. While
2. Because
3. Cause
4. Therefore

Choose the right conjunction.

"I passed my exam, ... I studied a lot."

1. because
2. so
3. but
4. therefore

Which conjunction fits best?

.... she is cooking, I am doing the laundry

1. While
2. But
3. Additionally
4. Meanwhile

Conjunctions

Now go to the exercise sheet I gave you and choose the correct conjunctions for the sentence.

Articles

What are articles?

Articles are words that define a noun as specific or unspecific. 

• The indefinite article takes two forms. It’s the word a when it precedes a word that begins with a consonant (medeklinker). It’s the word an when it precedes a word that begins with a vowel (klinker).

• The definite article is the word the. It limits the meaning of a noun to one particular thing. 

Articles

....... customer came in to ........... store yesterday. She had ........... complaint about ............. service. She told .......... manager that .......... employee had forgotten to give her ........ 20% discount that was advertised in ........... newspaper.   ............ manager explained to her that there was no discount on .............. electric toothbrushes.  

Articles: (a/an/the/X)

a

a

an

the

the

the

the

the

the

X

Are you coming to ..... party next Sunday?

1. the
2. an
3. a
4. zero article

I bought ... new TV set yesterday.

1. the
2. an
3. a
4. zero article

Which one uses the right article (lidwoord) in English?

1. de bus
2. it house
3. an home
4. an hour

I think ... man over there looks a but odd.

1. the
2. an
3. a
4. zero article

I watched ... video you had sent me.

1. the
2. an
3. a
4. zero article

She was wearing ... ugly dress when she met him.

1. the
2. an
3. a
4. zero article

I am crazy about .... history books.

1. the
2. an
3. a
4. zero article

She is ... nice girl.

1. the
2. an
3. a
4. zero article

Do you want to go to .... restaurant where we first met?

1. the
2. an
3. a
4. zero article

He is ... engineer.

1. the
2. an
3. a
4. zero article

He thinks that ... love is what will save us all.

1. the
2. an
3. a
4. zero article

An email: A careers office

Your company is about to set up a branch in a town in Canada and needs to find suitable staff. You have been asked by your manager to write an email to an employment agency in the town. Your email should explain:

• what your company does
  
• what kind of staff you are looking for
  
• the advantages of working for your company.
  

Write your email in 220 – 260 words in an appropriate style.

Your company is about to set up a branch in a town in Canada and needs to find suitable staff. You have been asked by your manager to write an email to an employment agency in the town. Your email should explain:
- what your company does
- what kind of staff you are looking for
- the advantages of working for your company.
Write your email in 220 – 260 words in an appropriate style.