Tài liệu Developing writting skills 1 part 6 pdf

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Tài liệu Developing writting skills 1 part 6 pdf

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(b) Join the following pairs of sentences using so … that, such … that where necessary. 1. He was glad to see me. He asked me to stay the night. 2. He was tired. He could not get up in the morning. 3. I have many friends abroad. I cannot write to all of them. 4. He is a good driver. I am surprised to hear he has had an accident. 5. He is an interesting person. It is a pleasure to hear him talk. 6. It is a good film. it would be a pity to miss it. 7. She was very angry. She refused to see him. 8. It is a beautiful evening. We should go for a walk. 9. He is a shy person. He dislikes talking to strangers. 10. We arrived early. We had to wait for over an hour. (c) Join the following parts of sentences using the conjunctions given in brackets, omitting the phrase it doesn’t matter if / how. 1. I wrote to him several times. I received no answer. (although) 2. He plays well. He is still not good enough for the football team. (in spite of the fact that) 3. We are determined to get there. It does not matter how far away it is. (however) 4. The journey takes too long. It does not matter if you go by plane. (even if) 5. I’m sure he won’t come. It does not matter how long you wait. (however) 6. We are going on an excursion. The weather is bad. (in spite of the fact that) 7. He speaks French well. He has never been to France. (even though) 8. She was very busy. She was able to help me. (although) 9. I should not work for him if I were you. It does not matter if he offers you a big salary. (even if) 10. I still think the film is poor. It does not matter if so many people enjoyed it. (even though) Exercise 2. Combine each group of sentences to form one complex sentence. You may make any necessary changes in the arrangement of material and in the wording, but must not change the sense of the original. (Skeleton structures have been suggested to indicate possible approaches to the syntax, but they are not obligatory.) 1. I returned to the city. I had been born there. I had been absent for many years. Many of its narrow streets had been 51 demolished. So had their picturesque houses. They had made way for shopping thoroughfares. These were modern but undistinguished. I was dismayed to find this. (When … I was dismayed to … .) 2. The bubonic plague raged in Europe during the Middle Ages. The name given to it was “The Black Death”. It carried off thousands of the population. In some cases, it exterminated whole towns and villages. (“The Black Death” … , carrying … and … exterminating … .) Exercise 3. Combine each group of sentences so as to form not more than two complex sentences. You may make any necessary changes in the arrangement of material and in the wording, but must not change the sense of the original. 1. Sir Christopher Wren (1632 – 1723) had already attained distinction as an astronomer. He was only sixteen then. Nevertheless, later, he seriously took up the study of architecture. This was not till he was nearly thirty. The most precious fruit of this study was St Paul’s Cathedral. 2. Queens’ college was the second royal foundation at Cambridge. King’s College was the first. The former is distinguished from the college of the same name at Oxford in a certain respect. It owes its foundation to two Queens. One was Margaret. She was the wife of Edward the Fourth. This is why the apostrophe comes after the s. 3. The Pilgrim Fathers were a group of English Puritans. They first spent some years in exile in Holland. They did this to escape religious persecution. They later sailed to America in the Mayflower. They established a colony at Plymouth in Massachusetts. Exercise 4. Explain what is wrong with the following sentences. Suggest a more logical version if possible. If the ideas are not logically connected, say so. 1. One of them was red-faced, another was young and lean. 2. The art dealer got two thousand dollars for the portrait, so he paid the painter his twenty-five dollars and ordered him to do another picture, a landscape. 3. Her father was overwhelmed with financial worries, he was a painter. 4. He was a heavy man, and I could hardly help him. But he still wanted to ride to T. It was impossible for him. He 52 could not mount the horse. 5. The family got poorer and poorer, and now Bella lived alone in a very big house. 6. Although he was a rich man, he was lame from birth. Section 3. Writing Practice. Composition Technique Character Sketch. The character sketch like the description of a place is designed to evoke an impression (of excitement, enthusiasm, fury, admiration, etc.), to express an attitude, to produce an essentially emotional effect. In the character sketch the effect is likely to be somewhat more complex, because it is concerned with human personality The writer of a character sketch analyses the traits of the character and depicts them as vividly and concretely as he can. He does not merely inform the reader about them, but appeals to the reader’s senses and emotions. The reader should come to feel that he knows the person who is the subject of the sketch. If he does have this feeling, the character sketch is successful. For illustration, here is a passage from literature. Note the linguistic devices the author uses to achieve such a marvellous effect describing an old man. An old man in a brown bowler walked slowly along the path. His narrow trousers, in a pale brown whipcord, were cut in the style of the nineties. The sleeves of his long waisted coat were so tight that one wondered how his great yellow hands could pass through them. He was like an old grasshopper, left over from last year to shuffle when it could not leap. He reached a bench, stared at it a long moment, tapped it with his stick as if to require something of it. Then he turned himself carefully round; bringing into the spring sunlight, pale as a primrose, his dull face, hollow-cheeked and dry; the great orbits of his sunk eyes, the long nose fallen at the tip; his white moustache, of thin separate hairs like glass threads. This face expressed resolution and some alarm. A string of muscle jerked in the shadow of the cheekbone. Suddenly he swung forward from the hips, placed both hands upon the knob of his stick, and broke at the knees. His look of alarm became intense, his long flat feet jerked upwards, he collapsed upon the seat as if his body had telescoped 53 into itself, like a picnic breaker. But in a moment it began to rise again; the clothes to fill. The old man straightened his back, raised his chin; until, upright at last, he pulled down his waistcoat, settled his hat, and looked about him. He had now the air of success. (By Joice Cary) Exercise 1. Conversations Overheard Place yourself where you'd likely find groups of people. It could be in a restaurant, a grocery aisle, bank line, beauty parlor or anywhere else you can think of. You are the narrator, relaying the conversation (s) you overhear to the reader. You will be telling the stories of the people you overhear. The dialogue you overhear will have basic content, but it is your job to relay the subtexts--underlying meaning--to the reader. The conversation you overhear can be gossip, or revealing a secret, or the simple differences between the characters you overhear. It's up to you where you take it, what your characters talk about, what they look like and how your narrator interprets it. It's not as hard as it sounds. Think of the conversations you've eavesdropped on while waiting in the check out line or at the next table in the restaurant. Now create a scene. Have fun with this! Exercise 2. Write a story of about 100-120 words, using the pairs of sentences given below. (You have been given the first and last sentences of your paragraph and should supply those, which come between.) Find a suitable title for your story. “But I haven’t got any money,” I said to the waiter. … … … I spent half the night washing dishes. 54 Lesson 6 Section 1. Spelling A. Suffixes -en and -ness. (a) -en is a Germanic suffix met in verbs; added to adjectives and sometimes to nouns to form verbs (transitive and intransitive). M o d e l: mad + en = madden (to make mad); red + en = redden (to make red, or to become red). (b) -ness is a Germanic suffix used to form abstract nouns from adjectives. Exercise 1. Form verbs from the words given below by adding the suffix - en and fill in the blanks. Translate the sentences. (deep, hard, height, sick, sharp (2), dark, haste, deaf, length, quiet, tight) 1. Bill got out a long-bladed pocket-knife and … it on a stone. 2. The lines of his face … and into his eyes came a fighting look. 3. Roy put his hand on her arm quickly to … her. 4. It is terrible. It … me to think of it. 5. The fair was in full swing. The noise was … . 6. This plan he was now … to put into execution. 7. The spring came and with it a hundred new delights; Peggy watched the … days. 8. He … the belt around his slim waist. 9. Her copy of Science and Health and her Quarterly were on a table beside her bed in the … room. 10. Now every impression was … , every part of me singularly aware: eyesight, hearing, sense of smell, all had been in some way … . 11. The word was uttered in a hasty whisper that seemed to … the ensuing silence. Exercise 2. Form nouns from the adjectives given below by adding the suffix -ness and fill in the blanks. Translate the sentences. (rude, happy, ready, bold, kind, dark, mad, sleepless, ugly, weak) 1. He was not polite. But this time I didn’t mind his … . 2. Her eyes were tawny and bold; and in their … lay a curious innocence. 3. It was a shapeless red-brick house, but we did not think twice about its … , since there was room to be together. 4. Suddenly he smiled at 55 me with great … . 5. This afternoon he was filled with a … so complete, so unashamedly present in his face, that it seemed a provocation to less contented men. 6. The guards fired only twice for fear of killing one of their own in the … . 7. I’ll tell you what my … is: I get into fights and I’m always hungry. 8. It was sheer … to go out in such weather so late at night. 9. The … with which she accepted his proposal surprised me but little. 10. It distressed her to realize that … was robbing her cheeks of colour. B. Nouns with the Suffix -er. -Er is an active suffix. In Modern English it is added to verbs to form nouns which have the meaning: (1) a person who does smth: to bake – baker; (2) machine, instrument performing some operation: to polish – polisher; to mix – mixer; to wash dishes – dishwasher. When -er is added to nouns or adjectives, the corresponding nouns mean: (1) a person concerned with smth: geography – geographer; (2) a person born in that place: London – Londoner. N o t e: law – lawyer. Exercise 3. Insert a suitable word. Translate the sentences. (waiter, lawyer, writer, driver, employer, manager (2), reporter, hitch-hiker, teacher, angler, designer, New Yorker, producer, owner) 1. He was a clerk in a … office and had worked his way up from an office boy to a respectable position. His … called him Mr. Sunbury and sometimes asked him to see an important client. 2. The young … was thinking of Kate Swift, who had once been his school … . 3. The … was aware of certain drawbacks to his comfort, but content beamed from his rimless glasses. 4. Mr. Barbulis was … , … and staff of a drug-store. 5. He was like all … . From the very beginning he wanted to write. 6. A truck skidded and swerved but by some miracle it missed him. The … stuck his head out and shouted, “What’s wrong with you? Trying to commit suicide?” 7. “I work at a restaurant,” he said. The girl drew back. “Not as a …?” she asked. – “I am … in that restaurant you see with that brilliant electric sign Restaurant.” 8. There are drivers who feel a fierce prejudice against, not to say hatred of, … . 9. The fishing match is, to many … the crowning event of the year. 10. She was at grammar school and had 56 ideas about becoming a dress … . 11. No … ever came to see her, cigar in one hand and a film contract in the other. C. Nouns with the Suffix -or. Nouns with suffix -or have the same meaning as nouns with the suffix -er: to act – actor, to agitate – agitator, to accelerate – accelerator. There are some nouns with the suffix -or which cannot be traced to any verb used in English are are formed from verbs which are rarely used. A list of such nouns is given below. Find their meaning and pronunciation in a dictionary: ancestor, author, bachelor, benefactor, debtor, doctor, emperor, proprietor, rector, sailor, sculptor, spectator, senator, tailor, major, mayor, orator, predecessor, traitor, warrior, perambulator. N o t e: the following words below are spelt with the suffix - ar: beggar, burglar, liar, pedlar, pillar, scholar. Exercise 4. Form nouns from the following verbs by adding the suffix -or. Translate the nouns and memorize them. Accelerate, collect, commentate, conduct, conquer, create, decorate, demonstrate, edit, elevate, excavate, illustrate, indicate, innovate, inspect, instruct, invent, investigate, liberate, narrate, navigate, operate, originate, persecute, profess, prosecute, protect, refrigerate, ventilate. N o t e: compose – compositor. Exercise 5. Insert a suitable word and translate the sentences. (editor, possessor, senator, emperor, proprietor, accelerator, predecessor) 1. The girl had taken her six stories from the brief-case and handed them to the newspaper … . 2. Lawrence felt growing within him a cold hatred toward the utterly vicious man who had once been his … . 3. The figure of the old man vanished slowly into the shadows, and his place on the bench was taken immediately by a man younger and better dressed than his … . 4. He put his foot on … with such force that the car shot forward, tyres screaming on the 57 asphalt. 5. His light summer business suit did not shout aloud that its … was likewise the … of numerous millions of dollars and property. 6. He had never had time to love; he had been president of the chamber of commerce, mayor of the city, state … , but he had missed love. 7. When the peace comes, we will buy a little house and a garden, and be as happy as … . Section 2. Sentence Fragments Fragments are incomplete sentences. Usually, fragments are pieces of sentences that have become disconnected from the main clause. One of the easiest ways to correct them is to remove the period between the fragment and the main clause. Other kinds of punctuation may be needed for the newly combined sentence. Fragment (phrase or dependent clause) Possible Revision Mr. Brown offers many majors in engineering. Such as electrical, chemical, and industrial engineering. Mr. Brown offers many majors in engineering, such as electrical, chemical, and industrial engineering. I need to find a new roommate. Because the one I have now isn't working out too well. I need to find a new roommate because the one I have now isn't working out too well. You may have noticed that newspaper and magazine journalists often use a dependent clause as a separate sentence when it follows clearly from the preceding main clause, as in the last example above. This is a conventional journalistic practice, often used for emphasis. For academic writing and other more formal writing situations, however, you should avoid such journalistic fragment sentences. Some fragments are not clearly pieces of sentences that have been left unattached to the main clause; they are written as main clauses but lack a subject or main verb. 58 Fragment (incomplete main clause/no main verb) Possible Revisions A story with deep thoughts and emotions. Appositive: Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper," a story with deep thoughts and emotions, has impressed critics for decades. Direct object: She told a story with deep thoughts and emotions. Toys of all kinds thrown everywhere. Complete verb: Toys of all kinds were thrown everywhere. Direct object: They found toys of all kinds thrown everywhere. A record of accomplishment beginning when you were first hired. Direct object: I've noticed a record of accomplishment beginning when you were first hired. Main verb: A record of accomplishment began when you were first hired. Fragment (incomplete main clause/no subject) Possible Revisions With the ultimate effect of all advertising is to sell the product. Remove preposition: The ultimate effect of all advertising is to sell the product. By paying too much attention to polls can make a political leader unwilling to propose innovative policies. Remove preposition: Paying too much attention to polls can make a political leader unwilling to propose innovative policies. For doing freelance work for a competitor got Phil fired. Remove preposition: Doing freelance work for a competitor got Phil fired. Rearrange: Phil got fired for doing freelance work for a competitor. 59 These last three examples of fragments with no subjects are also known as mixed constructions, that is, sentences constructed out of mixed parts. They start one way (often with a long prepositional phrase) but end with a regular predicate. Usually the object of the preposition (often a gerund, as in the last two examples) is intended as the subject of the sentence, so removing the preposition at the beginning is usually the easiest way to edit such errors. Exercise 1. The sentences below appeared in papers written by students. Act as their editor, marking a C if the sentences in the group are all complete and an F if any of the sentences in the group is a fragment. Could you tell these writers why the fragments are incomplete sentences? Revise them. ____ 1. The scene was filled with beauty. Such as the sun sending its brilliant rays to the earth and the leaves of various shades of red, yellow, and brown moving slowly in the wind. ____ 2. He talked for fifty minutes without taking his eyes off his notes. Like other teachers in that department, he did not encourage students' questions. ____ 3. Within each group, a wide range of features to choose from. It was difficult to distinguish between them. ____ 4. A few of the less serious fellows would go into a bar for a steak dinner and a few glasses of beer. After this meal, they were ready for anything. ____ 5. It can be really embarrassing to be so emotional. Especially when you are on your first date, you feel that you should be in control. ____ 6. The magazine has a reputation for a sophisticated, prestigious, and elite group of readers. Although that is a valuable judgment and in circumstances not a true premise. ____ 7. In the seventh grade every young boy goes out for football. To prove to himself and his parents that he is a man. ____ 8. She opened the door and let us into her home. Not realizing at the time that we would never enter that door in her home again. 60 . the wording, but must not change the sense of the original. 1. Sir Christopher Wren ( 16 32 – 17 23) had already attained distinction as an astronomer. He. the … room. 10 . Now every impression was … , every part of me singularly aware: eyesight, hearing, sense of smell, all had been in some way … . 11 . The word

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