Term Archives

  1. A language function explains why someone says something. For example, if you are teaching a class you'll have to give instructions. "Giving Instructions" is the language function. Language functions then require certain grammar. To use our example, giving instructions requires the use of the imperative.
  2. One of the most common tasks on important tests is writing cause and effect essays or paragraphs. Here are some tips to help you write a cause and effect essay.
  3. A summary or Writing a summary is intended to highlight objectively the main points of another writer's work. Although written in your own words, the summary does not include your opinions of the piece you are considering.
  4. You're sure to be asked to write an article at some time during your course or for your exams. It might be a piece of writing that needs to persuade, argue and inform, for example. Above all, though, being an article, it will need to be interesting and lively.
  5. Before writ­ing, we need to remem­ber a fun­da­men­tal fact that essay writ­ing is also a skill that should be devel­oped like the skills of type­writ­ing, draw­ing, swim­ming etc.
  6. The writing you’re required to do in your lifetime varies for example, timed writings and essay questions on exams; autobiographical essays for college applications; high-school and college papers on a variety of subjects; business letters, proposals, and reports related to your work.
  7. It can be tricky to remember which verbs are followed by the infinitive (the to form) of the verb and which are followed by the gerund (the ing form) of the verb. Sometimes the use of a gerund or an infinitive can change the meaning of a sentence.
  8. Gerunds function as nouns. Thus, gerunds will be subjects, subject complements, direct objects, indirect objects, and objects of prepositions. Some verbs can be followed by a gerund or by an infinitive. When this is the case, the meaning of the two will be identical for some verbs, but different for others.
  9. Correlative conjunctions are sort of like tag-team conjunctions. They come in pairs, and you have to use both of them in different places in a sentence to make them work. They get their name from the fact...
  10. A contraction is a word made by shortening and combining two words. Words like can't (can + not), don't (do + not), and I've (I + have) are all contractions.
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