Basic English

The Basics of Writing

The Writing Process:

1) plan what you intend to write: select a topic and purpose of your writing;

2) prepare a first draft;

3) edit and correct your first draft;

4) write a final draft.

Types of Writing

1. A note to someone. Writing a simple plan is called a brainstorming.

2. An Email or Online Communication. It must be written as carefully as a handwritten note.

3. Formal and Impersonal Writing. Suppose, you apply for a sales position at the local Mazda dealership. You write a formal cover letter. This letter is really a type of sales letter. You're selling yourself. As you did the first draft, ask yourself these questions:

1) If you were getting this letter from smn you didn't know, what impression would it make on you?

2) Would you want to hire this person? Why or why not?

3. Writing a Paragraph

An Example:

1) Plan (picture 1);

2) the First draft. It should have a topic sentences (picture 2);

3) Edit and correct (picture 3);

4) write a final draft (picture 4).

Sentence Punctuation

Sentence Punctuation Marks: there're 8 main ​​​of them:

1. Period (.) - marks the end of sentences and some abbreviations.

2. Comma (,) - 1) separates 2 complete sentences joined by and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet; 2) separate introduce words (however, while, as usual and so on); 3) separate items in a list of three or more, including the last item before conjunction (Nicholas, Alyssa, Emma, and Ramon reach the top of mountain); 4) a comma set off words that add details, parenthetical elements (Isabel, who is studying biology, is interested in Jim's aquarium); 5) separate the names of people being spoken to from the rest of the sentences (Good night, Mario)

3. Question Mark (?) - don't use question mark at the end of an indirect sentences.

4. Exclamation Point (!) - (Watch out!)

5. Colon (:) - is like an arrow - it points to smth that follows it. (Here's my question: How long will you be away on vacation?)

6. Semicolon (;) - separates two complete sentences the are very closely related. (Earl is golf addicted; he plays every day)

7. Apostrophe (') - 1) indicate when something belongs to someone or something (Albert's laptop has a big screen). 2) is used to point out the letter(s) left out when forming a construction. (I am - I'm)

8. Quotation Marks (" ") - 1) they set off the exact words of a speaker ("Get out!" Maria shouted. Marcus added, "The time is right.". 2) they set off the titles of short works such as short stories, magazines' article, songs and etc (My favorite poem is "Trees".) If you come across a sentences that has quote inside another, you must use two different types of quotation marks (' ') (Mary admitted, "I teal enjoy reading the short story 'Bartleby.' ")

Capitalization Rules

1. Beginning of a sentences.

2. The Pronoun I. (I'm; I'll).

3. Capitalize the days of the week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and etc.

4. Capitalize the name of 12 months: January, February, March, and etc.

5. Don't capitalize the name of the 4 seasons: winter, spring, summer, and autumn.

6. Don't capitalize the tomorrow, today, and yesterday.

7. Capitalize all elements of a person's name (George M. Long)

8. Capitalize Jr. and Sr.

9. Capitalize all titles before a name. (Senator Marco J. Rev. Ales M.)

10. Geographical Names: states: rivers, towns. and etc.

11. Don't capitalize the before the name of specific geographical locations. (the Atlantic Ocean)

12. If you address to mother, father, grandparents, aunt, and so on capitalize it. (I didn't do it, Father.)

13. Capitalize titles. (Big Bang, "Leon on me" song)

Writing Datas

1. Month -> day -> year including the comma after the day. (December 7, 1965. Sunday, June 1, 2007)

2. If, day -> month -> year, then no punctuation. (7 December 1965)

3. (12/24/1966)

Punctuation and Capitalization

Nouns

Nouns are words that point out persons, things, places, qualities (beautiful, hardness), ideas (communism, gravity), and actions (running).

There're 2 types:

1. Concrete nouns (indicate objects that we can touch, heard, seen)

2. Abstract nouns (feelings, love, democracy).

The Jobs of Nouns

1. The subject os a sentences is the word that tells who or what is doing an action.

2. The predicate tells what the action is. It's the verb in the sentences.

3. The object tells who or what is acted upon.

Examples (picture 1and 2).

Compound objects or subjects - when sentences has more than 1 obj or sbj.

Types of Nouns (picture 3)

1. Common nouns - indicate a general​​​​​​ person, thing, or a place.

2. Proper nouns - indicate a specific person, thing, or place.

Plural (irregular) and Singular Nouns (picture 4 and 5)

5 and 5)

Pronouns

Pronouns are words that take place of nouns (I, yours, it, our, them).

Types: (picture 1)

1. Subject pronoun - take the place of nouns.

2. Object - take a place of a noun in the object part.

3. Possessive - indicate that smth belongs to smn or smth.

Antecedent

The noun that's replaced by a pronoun is called the antecedent.

Who or Whom.

Who is a subject pronoun, whom is an object pronoun.

Adjectives

It is a word that describes a noun or a pronoun. Answers the questions which one, what kind or how many.

Predicate Adjective - they're come after the verbs that are related to the senses (be, seem, feel, taste, appear). (Sheldon seems happy)

The Value of Adjectives. They can help readers to imagine and know how smth is feels, looks, and tastes.

Nouns, Pronouns, and Adjectives

Verb

Verbs are words that express action, perceived action, or a state of being. (picture 1).

Base Form of Verbs are verbs in their simplest forms.

Infinitives is the base of verb preceded by a word to.

Principal Parts of Verbs: (picture 2)

1. the present (base form)

2. the present participle (base form + -ing)

3. the past (base form + -d or -ed)

4. the past participle (have + base form + -d or -ed)

Verb Tenses

Simple Tenses:

~ Present tense: Carol tries to study.

~ Past tense: Carol tried to study.

~ Future tense: Carol will try to study.

Perfect Tenses:

~ Present perfect tense: Carol has tried to study.

~ Past perfect tense: Carol had tried to study.

~ Future perfect tense: Carol will has tried to study.

Regular and Irregular Verbs (picture 3).

Progressive Form

When the present participle is used in conjunction with a helping verb, the verb is called progressive. They show continuous action.

Other Helping Verbs: can, may, shell, would, could, should, must, might. They used as helping verbs, clarify the meaning.

Singular and Plural Verbs (picture 4 and 5).

Add s; add -es to verb that end in -ch or -sh; change the y to i and add -es.

Adverbs Defined

Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs. They answer the questions: how, when, where, and how often. (picture 1)

Adverbs from adjective (picture 2)

Add -ly to the adjective. If word ends in -y, change the -y on -I and add -ly. If word ens on -le, change -le on -ly.

Placement of Adverbs

1. Before the word the modify. (She was overly confident).

2. When an adverb modifies a form of the verb be, placed it after the verb (The group is definitely prejudiced).

3. When an adverb modifies a verb that has a helping verb, placed it after helping verb (We have always enjoyed summer).

4. When an adverb modifies a verb, placed it before the verb (She mistakenly turned left at the corner).

Making Comparisons with Adjectives and Adverbs

Comparisons of Adjectives (picture 3 and 4)

Comparisons of Adverbs (picture 5).

Prepositions

Prepositions' job:

1. They show position, or space, relationships. (I stood beside Judy.)

2. They show time relationships.​​​ (I am here because of my job.)

Whom or what.

Verbs, Adverbs, and Other Part of Speech

Conjunctions and Injunctions

Conjunctions are words used to connect 2 parts of sentences.

There're 3 types:

1. Coordinating Conjunctions join part of sentences that are equal in importance (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, and So).

2. Correlative Conjunctions are similar to Coordinating Conjunctions, the main difference is that correlative comes in pairs (Both..and; Not only..but also; Not..but; Either..or; Neither..nor; Wether..or; As..as).

3. Subordinating Conjunctions introduce a subordinate clause (picture 1). They connect independence sentences and dependent sentences (picture 2).

Injunctions and Exclamations points are always together. (Wow, ouch, whoa, whew, cool, awesome, great). Injunctions haven't spacial rules; they are used more in speech than in writing.

Sentence Structure

Sentence Fragments don't express a complete thought.

1. Clauses That Begin with a Subordinating Conjunctions. As I've already know a suborning conjunctions introduces a subordinate (depend) clause. For turning a fragment to a sentences I must do:

1) remove the first word to get a complete sentence (Because I told you to do it. -> I told you to do it.);

2) add words for providing more information (Because I told you to do it, I am responsible for the mistake.).

2. Fragments That Begin with a Word That Ends in -ING.

For turning a fragment to a sentence:

1) add a subject (Going through a divorce -> Louis is going through a divorce).

2) add a helping verb (Louis will be going through a divorce.)

The Art of Writing Sentences

Types of Sentences:

1. A Declarative sentence makes a statement (There're 12 inches in a foot.)

2. The Imperative sentence gives a command or make a request (Do this as soon as possible!)

3. An Interrogative sentence asks a question and always ends with a question mark (What I am supposed to do now?)

4. An Exclamatory sentence expresses strong emotions and ends with a exclamation points (That's a rattlesnake!)

Building Sentences:

1. Think out or plan what you want to say.

2. Place your words in some order, following your plan.

3. Check to see that your plan follows the rule of language.

Spelling

Ad a Suffixes. (picture 1 and 2)

Rules for words that end in -y. (picture 3 and 4)

1) if word ends in -y precede by a consonant, change -y on -I, and add a suffix.

2) if words in -y preceded by a vowel, just add a suffix.

Word That End in Silent -E ​​​​​​drop the e and add a suffix.

Rules for E and I (picture 5)

Homophones are words that sound alike, but are spelled differently and have different meanings. (picture 6)

Homonyms are words that sound and spelling alike, b ut have different meanings (chair, matter, tread)

Using a Dictionary (picture 7)