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College Writing Skill/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 6E
©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
Chapter 45
ESL PointersESL Pointers
College Writing SkillsCollege Writing Skills, 6E , 6E and and College Writing College Writing Skills with ReadingsSkills with Readings, 6E, 6E
John LanganJohn Langan
Chapter Forty-five
College Writing Skill/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 6E
©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
Chapter 45
Articles with Count and Noncount Nouns
• ArticlesArticles are noun
markers: they signalsignal that a noun will follow.
There are indefinite articles indefinite articles and a definite article.a definite article.
College Writing Skill/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 6E
©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
Chapter 45
Indefinite Articles• The indefinite articles are A A and ANAN..
• Use “aa” ” before a word that begins begins with a with a consonantconsonant sound sound..
EX.: A car; a piano; a uniform
• Use “an” before a word that begins begins with a with a vowelvowel sound sound..
EX. An effort; an office; an honor
College Writing Skill/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 6E
©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
Chapter 45
The Definite Article
The definite article is:
THETHE
College Writing Skill/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 6E
©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
Chapter 45
Articles• An article may immediately immediately precede a nounprecede a noun::
– a smile– the reason
• Or it may be separated from be separated from the noun by modifiersthe noun by modifiers::
– a slight smile– the very best reason
College Writing Skill/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 6E
©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
Chapter 45
Count Nouns• Count nouns name people, places, people, places,
things, or ideasthings, or ideas that can be counted and made into plurals.
EXS.:EXS.:
»teacher-- teachers
»restroom-- restrooms
»joke-- jokes
College Writing Skill/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 6E
©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
Chapter 45
Noncount NounsNoncount nouns are things or ideas that cannot be countedcannot be counted. Common Common noncount nouns include:noncount nouns include:
Abstractions and EmotionsAbstractions and Emotions:: anger, bravery Activities:Activities: baseball, joggingFoods:Foods: bread,cheeseGases and vapors:Gases and vapors: air, smoke, steamLiquids:Liquids: blood, tea, water Materials that come in bulk form:Materials that come in bulk form: cloth, dust, sandNatural occurrences:Natural occurrences: rain, snow
College Writing Skill/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 6E
©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
Chapter 45
Qualifiers
• The quantityquantity of a noncount noun can be expressed with a word or words called a qualifier:qualifier:
•Some, a lot of, a unit of, etc.
College Writing Skill/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 6E
©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
Chapter 45
Using a or an with Nonspecific Singular Count Nouns
• Use a or an with
singular nouns that singular nouns that
are nonspecificare nonspecific.
A noun is nonspecific
when the reader
doesn’t know its
specific identity.
Ex:
A left-hander faces special challenges with right-handed tools.
College Writing Skill/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 6E
©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
Chapter 45
When its identity When its identity is suggested by is suggested by
the general contextthe general context:At Willy’s dinner last night,
the service was terrible and the food was worse.
Using the with Specific Nouns
• A noun is specific in the following cases:A noun is specific in the following cases:
When it has already been mentioned once:Today, our cat proudly
brought a baby bird into the house.
Luckily the bird was still alive.
When it is identified by a word or phrase
in the sentence:The pockets in the
boy’s pants are often filled with
sand and dirt.
When it is precededWhen it is precededby a superlative adjectiveby a superlative adjective
(best, biggest, wisest)The biggest wish I have ever made just came true.
When it is When it is uniqueunique: There will be an eclipse of the moon tonight.
College Writing Skill/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 6E
©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
Chapter 45
Omitting Articles
• articles with nonspecificnonspecific
plurals and no count nounsplurals and no count nouns,, that is, when they refer to something in general:
Pockets didn’t exist until the end of Pockets didn’t exist until the end of the 1700s. the 1700s.
Iris serves her children Iris serves her children homemade homemade lemonade.lemonade.
College Writing Skill/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 6E
©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
Chapter 45
Using The with Proper Nouns
Do Not use thethe for most singular proper nouns, including names of the following:
•People and animalsPeople and animals
•Continents, states, cities, streets, and parksContinents, states, cities, streets, and parks
•Most countriesMost countries
•Individual bodies of water, islands, and Individual bodies of water, islands, and mountains.mountains.
College Writing Skill/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 6E
©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
Chapter 45
Using The with Proper Nouns
Use thethe for the following types of proper nouns:
•Plural proper nouns (The Turners; The United States)
•Names of large geographic areas, deserts, oceans, seas, and rivers (The Black Sea)
•Names with the format the__ of___ (The Fourth of July)
College Writing Skill/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 6E
©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
Chapter 45
Incorrect:
Incorrect: The manager he
asked Dmitri to lock up tonight.
Correct:Correct: T
he manager asked
Dmitri to lock up tonight.
Correct:Correct: H
e asked Dmitri
to lock up tonight
Subjects and verbs• A particular subject can be used only once in
a clause. Don’t repeatDon’t repeat a subject in the same clause
by following a noun with a pronoun.
Incorrect:Incorrect: The girl who danced with you she is my cousin.
Correct:Correct: The girl who danced with you is my cousin.
College Writing Skill/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 6E
©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
Chapter 45
Including Pronoun Subjects and Linking Verbs
• Every clause, other than a Every clause, other than a command, must have a subject and a command, must have a subject and a verb.verb.
Incorrect:Incorrect: The Grand Canyon is in Arizona. Is 217 miles long.
Correct:Correct: The Grand Canyon is in Arizona. It isIt is 217 miles long.
Incorrect:Incorrect: Angelita’s piano teacher very patient.
Correct:Correct: Angelita’s piano teacher is very patient.
College Writing Skill/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 6E
©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
Chapter 45
Including There and Here at the Beginning of clauses
• A linking verb, usually in the form of to beto be, follows the words there and herethere and here when they begin a clause. In these cases, the verb comes before the subject.
Ex.: There are masks in every culture on Earth.
Remember not to Remember not to omit there or here!
Incorrect: Are several chickens in the Benson’s yard.
College Writing Skill/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 6E
©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
Chapter 45
Not Using the Progressive Tense of Certain Verbs
• Progressive tenses express actions or actions or conditions still in progressconditions still in progress at a particular time. They are made up of
forms of forms of bebe plus the plus the -ing-ing form of the main verbform of the main verb..
Ex.: George will be taking classes this George will be taking classes this summer.summer.
College Writing Skill/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 6E
©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
Chapter 45
Not Using the Progressive Tenses of Certain Verbs
• Verbs for mental statesmental states, the sensesthe senses, possessionpossession, an inclusionan inclusion are normally not used in the progressive tenses.
•Incorrect:Incorrect: All during the movie they were hearing whispers behind them.
•Correct:Correct: All during the movie they heard whispers behind them.
Exs.:
College Writing Skill/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 6E
©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
Chapter 45
Not Using the Progressive Tense of Certain Verbs
Thoughts, attitudes and desires:Thoughts, attitudes and desires: agree, believe, imagine, know, like, love, prefer, think, understand, want, wish
Sense perceptionsSense perceptions:: hear, see, smell, taste
Appearances:Appearances: appear, seem
PossessionPossession: belong, have, own, possess
Inclusion:Inclusion: contain, include
College Writing Skill/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 6E
©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
Chapter 45
Using Only Transitive Verbs for the Passive Voice
• OnlyOnly transitivetransitive verbs can have aa passivepassive formform. Intransitive verbs cannot be used in the passive voice.
• Incorrect:Incorrect: If you don’t fix those brakes, an accident may be happened.
• Correct: If you don’t fix those brakes, an accident may happen.
College Writing Skill/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 6E
©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
Chapter 45
Using Gerunds and Infinitives After Verbs
• A GerundA Gerund is the -ing-ing form of a verb that is used as a noun, e.g., For Walter, eatingeating is a daylong activity.
• An infinitive is to plus the basic form of the verb, e.g., to eatto eat. It can function as an adverb , adjective, or noun.
College Writing Skill/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 6E
©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
Chapter 45
Following The Order of Adjectives
AdjectivesAdjectives modify nouns and pronouns.
An adjective usually comes directly directly beforebefore the word it describes or after a linking verb.
That is an angry man.The man is angry.
College Writing Skill/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 6E
©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
Chapter 45
Typical Order of Adjectives in A Series
• If there is more than one adjectivemore than one adjective for the same noun, they follow this order:
1. Article or other noun marker (a, an, the, Lee’s, this. . .) 2. Opinion adjective (dull, handsome, unfair. . .)3. Size (big, huge, little. . .)4. Shape (long, short, round. . .)5. Age (ancient, medieval, old. . .)6. Color (blue, green, red. . .) 7. Nationality (Italian, Korean, Mexican. . .) 8. Religion (Buddhist, Catholic, Jewish…)9. Material (cardboard, gold, marble…)10. Noun used as an adjective (house call, tea bag. . .)
College Writing Skill/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 6E
©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
Chapter 45Using the Present and Past Participles as Adjectives
• A participle used as an adjective may precedemay precede the word it describes:
• It may also follow the linking verb and describe the subject of the sentence:
• Use the present participle to describe whoever or whatever causes a feeling:
• Use the past participle to describe whoever or whatever experiences the feeling:
That was an exciting ballgame.
The ballgame was exciting.
An embarrassing incident
The embarrassed parents
College Writing Skill/ College Writing Skills with Readings, 6E
©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
Chapter 45Prepositions Used for Time and Place
Use onon, , inin,, and atat to refer to time and place.Time
On a specific day: on Monday, on January 1In a part of a day: in the morning, in the daytimeIn a month or a year: in December, in 1776In a period of time: in an hour, in a few daysAt a specific time: at 10:00 A.M., at midnight
PlaceOn a surface: on the desk, on the counterIn a place that is enclosed: in my room, in the officeAt a specific location: at the mall, at his house
