English Grammar and Writting
Thursday, August 4, 2016
Writing essays
Following list have the compare and contrast transition words which need to be used to make the essay coherent. There should be proper flow from one sentence to next sentence and one paragraph to next paragraph. Learn these words and use them in writing.
Contrast Transition
Words
|
comparison transition
words
|
although/though
|
again
|
conversely
|
alike
|
either...or
|
Also
|
even if
|
and
|
Even though
|
as
|
Example: I love same, however,
|
as well as
|
for all that
|
both
|
however
|
Both...and
|
in contrast/ in spite of
|
each of
|
instead of
|
Furthermore
|
nevertheless
|
have in common
|
of course
|
in addition
|
on the contrary
|
in the same manner
|
on the other hand
|
In the same way
|
some may say
|
Just as
|
Unlike
|
just as...so
|
whereas
|
like
|
while
|
Likewise
|
yet/but
|
moreover
|
Neither... nor
|
|
not only...but also
|
|
share the same
|
|
Similar to
|
|
similarly
|
|
Too
|
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Quantifiers
https://www.tesol-direct.com/tesol-resources/english-grammar-guide/quantifiers/
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/determiners-and-quantifiers/quantifiers
https://www.coursera.org/learn/tricky-english-grammar/lecture/m8jWV/quantifiers-part-4-lecture
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/determiners-and-quantifiers/quantifiers
https://www.coursera.org/learn/tricky-english-grammar/lecture/m8jWV/quantifiers-part-4-lecture
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
Resources
This post is about the good and general english grammar and writting resources.
Grammar Girl - http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl
Count noun/ non count noun practice - https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/unex-esl-mooc/Intermediate+Grammar/Count+v+NonCount/story.html
Grammar Girl - http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl
Count noun/ non count noun practice - https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/unex-esl-mooc/Intermediate+Grammar/Count+v+NonCount/story.html
Saturday, July 23, 2016
Complex Sentence
A complex sentence contains
an independent clause and at least one dependent clause. An independent
clause can stand alone as a sentence and makes a complete thought and
a dependent clause cannot stand alone, even though it has a
subject and a verb.
Complex Sentences from
Everyday Life
The independent clause in each of the
following sentences is underlined:
·
Because
my coffee was too cold, I heated it in the microwave.
·
Though
he was very rich, he was still very unhappy.
·
She
returned the computer after
she noticed it was damaged.
·
When
the cost goes up, customers buy less clothing.
·
As
she was bright and ambitious, she became manager in no time.
·
Wherever
you go, you can always find beauty.
·
The
movie, though very long, was
still very enjoyable.
·
Evergreen
trees are a symbol of fertility because
they do not die in the winter.
·
The
actor was happy he got a part in a movie although the part was a small one.
·
The
museum was very interesting as
I expected.
·
Because
he is rich, people make allowance for his idiosyncrasies.
·
The
professional, who had been thoroughly
trained, was at a loss to explain.
·
When
she was younger, she believed in fairy tales.
·
After
the tornado hit the town, there was little left standing.
·
I
have to save this coupon because
I don’t have time to shop right now.
·
Let’s
go back to the restaurant where
we had our first date.
·
Although
my cousin invited me, I chose not to go to the reunion.
·
As
genes change over time, evolution progresses.
·
I
really didn’t like the play although
the acting was very good.
·
Everyone
laughed when he got a cream
pie smashed in his face.
·
After
twenty years, he still had feelings for her.
·
Some
people tell me that money can’t buy happiness.
Complex Sentences from
Literature
·
If
a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a
different drummer. - Henry David Thoreau
·
The
Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman stood up in a corner and kept quiet all night,
although of course they could not sleep. - L. Frank Baum
·
Because
he was so small, Stuart was often hard to find around the house. - E.B. White
·
He
was like a cock who thought the sun had risen to hear him crow. - George Eliot
·
No
man, in all the procession of famous men, is reason or illumination, or that
essence we were looking for; but is an exhibition, in some quarter, of new
possibilities. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
·
The
path to my fixed purpose is laid on iron rails, on which my soul is grooved to
run. - Herman Melville
English
Composition 1
Sentences: Simple, Compound, and Complex
A common weakness in writing is the lack of varied
sentences. Becoming aware of three general types of sentences--simple,
compound, and complex--can help you vary the sentences in your writing. The
most effective writing uses a variety of the sentence types explained below.
1.
Simple Sentences
A simple sentence has the most basic elements that make
it a sentence: a subject, a verb, and a completed thought.
Examples of simple sentences include the following:
Joe waited for the train.
"Joe" = subject, "waited" = verb
The train was late.
"The train" = subject, "was" = verb
Mary and Samantha took the bus.
"Mary and Samantha" = compound subject,
"took" = verb
I looked for Mary and Samantha at the bus station.
"I" = subject, "looked" = verb
Mary and Samantha arrived at the bus station early but
waited until noon for the bus.
"Mary and Samantha" = compound subject,
"arrived" and "waited" = compound verb
Tip: If you use many simple sentences in an essay, you
should consider revising some of the sentences into compound or complex
sentences (explained below).
The use of compound subjects, compound verbs,
prepositional phrases (such as "at the bus station"), and other
elements help lengthen simple sentences, but simple sentences often are short.
The use of too many simple sentences can make writing "choppy" and
can prevent the writing from flowing smoothly.
A simple sentence can also be referred to as an independent
clause. It is referred to as "independent" because, while it might be
part of a compound or complex sentence, it can also stand by itself as a
complete sentence.
2.
Compound Sentences
A compound sentence refers to a sentence made up of two
independent clauses (or complete sentences) connected to one another with a
coordinating conjunction. Coordinating conjunctions are easy to remember if you
think of the words "FAN BOYS":
·
For
·
And
·
Nor
·
But
·
Or
·
Yet
·
So
Examples of compound sentences include the following:
·
Joe waited for the train, but the train was
late.
·
I looked for Mary and Samantha at the bus
station, but they arrived at the station before noon and left on the bus before
I arrived.
·
Mary and Samantha arrived at the bus station
before noon, and they left on the bus before I arrived.
·
Mary and Samantha left on the bus before I
arrived, so I did not see them at the bus station.
Tip: If you rely heavily on compound sentences in an
essay, you should consider revising some of them into complex sentences
(explained below).
Coordinating conjunctions are useful for connecting
sentences, but compound sentences often are overused. While coordinating
conjunctions can indicate some type of relationship between the two independent
clauses in the sentence, they sometimes do not indicate much of a relationship.
The word "and," for example, only adds one independent clause to
another, without indicating how the two parts of a sentence are logically related.
Too many compound sentences that use "and" can weaken writing.
Clearer and more specific relationships can be
established through the use of complex sentences.
3.
Complex Sentences
A complex sentence is made up of an independent clause
and one or more dependent clauses connected to it. A dependent clause is
similar to an independent clause, or complete sentence, but it lacks one of the
elements that would make it a complete sentence.
Examples of dependent clauses include the following
·
because Mary and Samantha arrived at the bus
station before noon
·
while he waited at the train station
·
after they left on the bus
Dependent clauses such as those above cannot stand alone
as a sentence, but they can be added to an independent clause to form a complex
sentence. Dependent clauses begin with subordinating conjunctions. Below are
some of the most common subordinating conjunctions:
·
after
·
although
·
as
·
because
·
before
·
even though
·
if
·
since
·
though
·
unless
·
until
·
when
·
whenever
·
whereas
·
wherever
·
while
A complex sentence joins an independent clause with one
or more dependent clauses. The dependent clauses can go first in the sentence,
followed by the independent clause, as in the following:
Tip: When the dependent clause comes first, a comma
should be used to separate the two clauses.
·
Because Mary and Samantha arrived at the bus
station before noon, I did not see them at the station.
·
While he waited at the train station, Joe
realized that the train was late.
·
After they left on the bus, Mary and Samantha
realized that Joe was waiting at the train station.
·
Conversely, the independent clauses can go
first in the sentence, followed by the dependent clause, as in the following:
Tip: When the independent clause comes first, a comma
should not be used to separate the two clauses.
·
I did not see them at the station because
Mary and Samantha arrived at the bus station before noon.
·
Joe realized that the train was late while he
waited at the train station.
·
Mary and Samantha realized that Joe was
waiting at the train station after they left on the bus.
Complex sentences are often more effective than compound
sentences because a complex sentence indicates clearer and more specific
relationships between the main parts of the sentence. The word
"before," for instance, tells readers that one thing occurs before
another. A word such as "although" conveys a more complex
relationship than a word such as "and" conveys.
The term periodic
sentence is used to refer to a complex sentence beginning with a dependent
clause and ending with an independent clause, as in "While he waited at
the train station, Joe realized that the train was late."
Periodic sentences can be especially effective because
the completed thought occurs at the end of it, so the first part of the
sentence can build up to the meaning that comes at the end.
Beginning
Sentences with "And" or "Because"
Should you begin a sentence with "and" or
"but" (or one of the other coordinating conjunctions)?
The short answer is "no." You should avoid
beginning a sentence with "and," "or," "but," or
the other coordinating conjunctions. These words generally are used to join
together parts of a sentence, not to begin a new sentence.
However, such sentences can be used effectively. Because
sentences beginning with these words stand out, they are sometimes used for
emphasis. If you use sentences beginning with one of the coordinating
conjunctions, you should use these sentences sparingly and carefully.
Should you begin a sentence with "because"?
There is nothing wrong with beginning a sentence with
"because."
Perhaps some students are told not to begin a sentence
with "because" to avoid sentence fragments (something like
"Because Mary and Samantha arrived at the bus station before noon" is
a sentence fragment), but it is perfectly acceptable to begin a sentence with
"because" as long as the sentence is complete (as in "Because
Mary and Samantha arrived at the bus station before noon, I did not see them at
the station.")
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