Welcome to WRITING
This is Professor Donahue's English as a Second Language Faculty Page WRITING BLOG A Language Learning Site for students to explore and learn. Writing, more particularly, refers to two activities: writing as a noun, the thing that is written; and writing as the verb, designates the activity of writing. It refers to the inscription of characters on a medium, thereby forming words, and larger units of language, known as texts. It also refers to the creation of meaning and the information thereby. In that regard, linguistics (and related sciences) distinguishes between the written language and the spoken language. The significance of the medium by which meaning and information is conveyed is indicated by the distinction that is made in the arts and sciences; for example, in speech, or speaking: public speaking is a distinctly different activity, as is poetry reading; the former is governed by the rules of rhetoric, while the latter by poetics.
Important Writing Links
Welcome to College Placement Test (CPT) PRACTICE!
This is Professor Donahue's English as a Second Language Faculty Page CPT BLOG A Language Learning Site for students to explore and learn.
Here is an example of a CPT QUESTION:
some places, virtually all the topsoil has washed away, leaving far less productive subsoil to sustain the crops.
Directions: Rewrite Sentence Beginning with:
Because in some places virtually all the topsoil has washed away,. . .
[ if because in middle , then no comma]
A. This leaves only the far less productive subsoil to sustain.
B. Leaving far less productive subsoil sustaining to sustain the crops.
C. The far less productive subsoil sustaining.
YES D. The far less productive subsoil must sustain the crops.
If you begin with any type of subordination a participle or preposition you MUST have a comma after the clause.
Additional information has a comma before and after it.
My country, Cuba, is a beautiful island. Called an appositive. Cuba renames MY COUNTRY.
Restrictive: People who visit the United States should visit the Statue of Liberty.
People, who visit the United States, should visit the Statue of Liberty.
[the second one is wrong] Commas tell us that that part could be removed. But if we remove it here it is a very weak sentence.
People should visit the Statue of Liberty. So the first one is best.
Semicolon rule: Use the semicolon to substitute for FANBOYS.
Although, If, are subordinators
The However rule: I like hotdogs; however, I hate hamburgers.
Never put subordination with FANBOYS
Example: Because I am a student, so I hate school. [wrong]
Because I am a student, I hate school.
If you begin with a participle, the SUBJECT goes after the COMMA.
Fishing in the lake, the man caught a big one.
Fishing in the lake, fish jumped into the man’s net. WRONG
While fishing in the lake, the man fell overboard the small boat.
[ remember sometimes you may have the ED or EN ending on a beginning participle]
Important CPT Links
Welcome to GRAMMAR!
This is Professor Donahue's English as a Second Language Faculty Page GRAMMAR BLOG A Language Learning Site for students to explore
Grammar is the of study rules use of governing the language. The set of rules governing a particular language is the grammar of that language; thus, each language can be said to have its own distinct grammar. Grammar is part of the general study of language called linguistics. Also, Grammar is a way of thinking about language.
Important Grammar Links
- MASTERCOMPETENCIES
- Error 1
- Error 2
- Error 3
- Error 4
- Error 5
- Error 6
- Grammar 1
- Grammar 2
- Grammar 3
- Grammar 4
- Grammar 5
- Grammar 6
- YOUR ADJECTOVE ROBOT
- YOUR TRANSITION ROBOT
- YOUR SUBORDINATION ROBOT
- YOUR MODAL ROBOT
- YOUR LOGIC ROBOT
- YOUR ADVERB ROBOT
- Quiz Master
- Grammar Test
- VOCABULARY
- Grammar Review
- MOVIE-Grammar
- Take A Break
- GRAMMAR POWERPOINTS
- GRAMMAR TEXTS
Welcome to SPEECH!
This is Professor Donahue's English as a Second Language Faculty Page SPEECH BLOG Language Learning Site for students to explore and learn. Public speaking is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners. In public speaking, as in any form of communication, there are five basic elements, often expressed as "who is saying what to whom using what medium with what effects?" The purpose of public speaking can range from simply transmitting information, to motivating people to act, to simply telling a story. Good orators should be able to change the emotions of their listeners, not just inform them. Enjoy :)
Important Speech Links
Welcome to ACCENT REDUCTION!
This is Professor Donahue's English as a Second Language Faculty Page Accent reduction ACCENT REDUCTION BLOG , also known as accent modification, is a systematic approach to reducing or eliminating a foreign accent. It is the process of learning the sound system (or phonology) of a language or dialect. The methodology involves several steps, including assessing your current accent for trouble spots, or non-standard patterns and habits, changing the way you form your mouth to form vowel and consonant sounds, modifying your intonation and stress patterns, and changing your rhythm. A person can learn phonological rules and prosody, which is the rhythm and stress, as well as intonation and phrasing. Accent modification is offered by certified speech-language pathologists, linguists and specialists in ESL (English as a Second Language). In the United States, they are governed by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).
Important Accent Reduction Links
Welcome to READING!
This is Professor Donahue's English as a Second Language Faculty Page READING BLOG A Language Learning Site for students to explore and learn. TReading is a process of retrieving and comprehending some form of stored information or ideas. These ideas are usually some sort of representation of language, such as symbols to be examined by sight, or by touch (for example Braille). Other types of reading may not be text-based, such as music notation or pictograms. By analogy, in computer science, reading is acquiring of data from some sort of computer storage. Although reading is now a primary means for most people to receive information this has been the case only for the last 150 years or so with some exceptions only a small percentage of the population in any country was literate before the industrial revolution. You are reading at this very moment.
Important Reading Links
Welcome to PHONE EXERCISES!
This is Professor Donahue's English as a Second Language Faculty Page PHONE LOGIN PAGEA Language Learning Site for students to explore and learn. Phone is an automated telephone learning system offering many advantages. Authentic listening and speaking can help take the place of the lack of interaction with native role models. Phone-in homework becomes an interactive and documented family experience. Moreover, increased verbal power spills over positively into related disciplines: writing, grammar, accent reduction, vocabulary building, reading, spelling, phonics, even math. Finally, the work load of teachers is lessened; the motivation of learners increased. Professor Donahue notes, "The promise and fruits of the Internet are close because of converging technologies such as Phone. A video add-on is next."
Important Phone Exercise Links