Present Continuous Tense

Dear students. How are you? I have checked some of your answers for Quiz 2. I believe many did better than Quiz 1, well done and congratulations :).

Today we are going to look at another tense --> Present Continuous Tense.

First thing first. Let's see how to form it.

am/is/are + base verb + ing

E.g. is + cook + ing

She is cooking at the kitchen.

As long as you stick to this, you would have no problem to form Present Continuous Tense. However, you also need to understand how to use this tense to be able to use whenever necessary.

Present Continuous Tense (PreCoT) is used:

1) to show that something is happening right now, at the moment of speaking. It can also be used to show something is NOT happening right now.

Positive statement:

- Selfi and Ariff are arguing right now.

- At the moment, I am choosing the best outfit for the dinner tonight.

Question form:

Is Darshini sleeping?

Negative statement:

Darshini is NOT sleeping.

2) to show an action which is in progress and it may take a longer time (we might not do it at this exact time)

Positive statement:

They are studying to become lawyers.

Negative statement:

I am NOT reading any book nowadays as I am busy with work.

Question form:

Are you studying in the university now?

Note: All these sentences can be uttered during a conversation over dinner, for instance. Thus, the actions of studying and reading do not have to happen at the exact moment of you having the conversation and dinner. It suggest that you are in the process of the actions and they take longer time to be completed.

3) to indicate something will or will not happen in the near future.

Positive statement:

She is working this Saturday.

I am going to my mother's place for lunch tomorrow.

Negative statement:

Qayyum is not playing for Harimau Muda next season.

They are not going to the class tomorrow.

Question form:

Is she coming to work next week?

Is she not coming to work next week?

4) When you use PreCot with words like always and constantly, you would tend to show repetition and irritation.

E.g. She is always nagging and that annoys me!

They are always arguing about silly things!

He and his wife are constantly bragging about their new house and car.

***

Let's try some exercises at these following links:

1) English Club - Present Continuous Tense Quiz

2) Jennifer Eckerly's Present Continuous Quiz

3) English Page - Simple Present / Present Continuous Tense Quiz


I hope this note will help you to understand PreCot better. If you have any question, do not hesitate to contact me at aliazul@gmail.com.

Good luck! ^__*

Source: English Page - Present Continuous Tense

Quiz 2 - DHTM/DIVM

Salam and hi dear students.

Please answer the following questions and submit your answers to aliazul@gmail.com by 27th of August 2010 before 5pm. Thank you.

Instruction: Please change the verbs in the brackets to indicate the correct use of either simple present or simple past tense.

E.g. Didiliani ___________ (work) part time last year.

Answer: Didiliani worked part time last year.

1) Syakirah _______ (buy) the beautiful dress in Milan two years ago.

2) Lutfi _________ (pick up) Qayyum and Gaddafi at the hostel everyday.

3) Nowadays, there _______ (be) many singers emerging from reality TV programmes.

4) Fatin and Priya______ (be) best friends before they met Hasyir.

5) Every morning, Liyana ________ (walk) to the university with Zafira and Salwa.


Instruction: Complete the following sentences using not less than THREE words. Please pay close attention to your tenses.

E.g. Najmi woke up late..........................................................

Answer: Najmi woke up late and missed the train.


1) Kumeresh is.......................................................................................................................

2) Since 2005, Nazerah and Nik.................................................................................

3) It has been four years since................................................................................

4) You may go to the party but...............................................................................

5) I am happy.............................................................................................................


Good luck! ^__*

Quiz 2 - DTESL/DIA

Salam and hi dear students,

Please answer the following questions and submit your answers to aliazul@gmail.com by 27th of August 2010 before 5pm. Thank you.

Section 1

Instruction: Please change the verbs in the brackets to indicate the use of present perfect tense.

E.g. Hani Munirah and Shamaladhevi ____________ (be) good friends for more than ten years.

Answer: Hani Munirah and Shamaladhevi have been good friends for more than ten years.


1) Sarah _______ (move) to Jakarta.

2) Thilak _______ (submit) his proposal five times.

3) They _______ (never, like) each other.

4) _____ you _______ (ever, read) those books?

5) Nadhira and Naduwa ________ (already, bake) the cupcakes.


Section 2

Instruction: Complete the following sentences using not less than THREE words. Please pay close attention to your tenses.

E.g. Parvish woke up late..........................................................

Answer: Parvish woke up late and missed the train.


1) She is.......................................................................................................................

2) Since 2005, Mikail and Nik.................................................................................

3) It has been four years since................................................................................

4) You may go to the party but...............................................................................

5) I am happy.............................................................................................................


Good luck! ^__*

SIMPLE PAST TENSE

Hello again :)

Since my students are going to sit for their mid-term examination this week, I would like to share more notes on tenses. It is important to use the correct tense(s) when speaking and writing. It will help our listeners and readers to understand our message better.

Today, I'm going to blog about SIMPLE PAST TENSE.

Simple Past Tense is basically used to describe actions which happened at a specific time in the past.

For example,

Kimberly played netball yesterday.

- Look at the verb. The basic form of 'play' has been changed to 'played'. 'ed' is added to the base verb. This change indicates the use of simple past tense.

- The adverb 'yesterday' is the specific time which shows when did the action 'played' happen.

# We usually add 'ed' or 'ied' (for most words ending we 'y', we change the 'y' into 'i' and add 'ed') to the base verb to indicate past tense.

E.g.
1) I watched Jackie Chan's movie last night.
2) She moved to Jamaica last month.
3) Last year, Nikhil worked with his sister at the bowling center.
4) Devan and Jimmy studied at the Lincoln College of Arts before.
5) After graduation, they applied for a job in the engineering field.

# Other than action verbs, the form of be verbs also change when simple past tense is applied.

For example,

Mr. Pang was in Malacca two weeks ago.
He was a teacher before.
I was at her room when the robbery happened.
Sheila, Karen and Haneem were my best friends in primary school.
You were there after they buried him.
They were away the whole of last week.

So far, I have only shown you the examples for regular verbs in their past tense form. Now, let's have a look at the irregular verbs.

When we talk about irregular verbs, they simply mean verbs which do not follow the regular pattern of adding 'ed' or 'ied' in their past tense form.

For example,

Adlin drank a cup of coffee this morning.

Lee woke up late today.

We spoke to their parents after the class.

I put on my coat and left the house before sunrise.

#Irregular verbs can be learned through reading and daily communication.


Let's try some of these exercises:

1) Simple Past Tense Quiz by EnglishClub.com
2) Past Simple Tense Quiz by English-Quiz.net
3) Simple Past Tense Test by www.EnglishBee.net

SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

Hi everyone. Today we are going to look at a rather interesting topic in learning English, simple present tense. You might have been exposed to tenses before, but worry not, I shall try my best not to tire you with this subject. Basically, simple present tense is used for:

1) General Actions and Information.

e.g. She is a doctor.
They are the members of the Red Pants Opera Club.
Rajesh works with the law firm in Damansara.

2) Habitual Action (actions that are done frequently or all the time, in the past, in the future and in the present)

e.g. Kamal and Hamka walk to school every morning.
During school holidays, Ai Chern helps her mother at their grocery shop.
They study English every Monday.

3) Facts which are true all the time

e.g. The earth is round.
There are 24 hours in a day.
The fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia is Tun Dr. Mahathir.

# For singular nouns and pronouns (except ‘I’ and ‘You’), we should add ‘s’, or ‘es’, or ‘ies’ to the VERB.

e.g. Intan likes chocolate cake very much.
Muhammad passes the book to Ijlal.
Shazlin flies to Sabah every month to meet her sister, Rahimah.
She enjoys the performance.

# For plural nouns and pronouns, we should use the base form of the VERB (no ‘s’ added).

e.g. Intan and Safinas like chocolate very much.
Muhammad and Ijlal pass the driving test.
Shazlin and Adikin fly to Sabah every month to meet their sister, Rahimah.
We enjoy the performance.

# For the pronoun ‘I’ and ‘You’, we should use the base form of the VERB (no ‘s’ added).

e.g I/You like chocolate cake very much.
I/You pass the test driving test.
I fly to Sabah every month to meet my sister.
(Do) You fly to Sabah every month to meet your sister?
*(it would sound awkward if this was a statement)
I/You enjoy the performance.

Let’s try some of these exercises:

1) Simple Present Tense Quiz provided by EnglishClub.com.
2) ESL Quiz – Present Simple Verbs by Letitia Bradley.
3) Test Your Tenses by LEO Network.

For further reading, check out these websites:
- University of Victoria, Study Zone.
- The EnglishClub.com
- ENGLISH PAGE – Simple Present Tense

Good luck and have fun learning English! :)

WRITING A CONCLUSION

Conclusion has several functions in an essay:

1) To restate your thesis statement
2) To emphasize on your thesis statement
3) To bring your essay to a logical end
4) To justify your argument to your readers

The following are some suggestions and strategies to write a conclusion which I took from Nesbitt-Johnston Writing Center and Literacy Education Online

SUGGESTIONS

• Answer the question "So What?"

Show your readers why this paper was important. Show them that your paper was meaningful and useful.

• Synthesize, don't summarize

• Don't simply repeat things that were in your paper. They have read it. Show them how the points you made and the support and examples you used were not random, but fit together.

• Redirect your readers

• Give your reader something to think about, perhaps a way to use your paper in the "real" world. If your introduction went from general to specific, make your conclusion go from specific to general. Think globally.

• Create a new meaning

• You don't have to give new information to create a new meaning. By demonstrating how your ideas work together, you can create a new picture. Often the sum of the paper is worth more than its parts.
  

STRATEGIES

• Echoing the introduction: Echoing your introduction can be a good strategy if it is meant to bring the reader full-circle. If you begin by describing a scenario, you can end with the same scenario as proof that your essay was helpful in creating a new understanding.

Example

Introduction

From the parking lot, I could see the towers of the castle of the Magic Kingdom standing stately against the blue sky. To the right, the tall peak of The Matterhorn rose even higher. From the left, I could hear the jungle sounds of Adventureland. As I entered the gate, Main Street stretched before me with its quaint shops evoking an old-fashioned small town so charming it could never have existed. I was entranced. Disneyland may have been built for children, but it brings out the child in adults.

Conclusion

I thought I would spend a few hours at Disneyland, but here I was at 1:00 A.M., closing time, leaving the front gates with the now dark towers of the Magic Kingdom behind me. I could see tired children, toddling along and struggling to keep their eyes open as best they could. Others slept in their parents' arms as we waited for the parking lot tram that would take us to our cars. My forty-year-old feet ached, and I felt a bit sad to think that in a couple of days I would be leaving California, my vacation over, to go back to my desk. But then I smiled to think that for at least a day I felt ten years old again.

• Challenging the reader: By issuing a challenge to your readers, you are helping them to redirect the information in the paper, and they may apply it to their own lives.

Example

Though serving on a jury is not only a civic responsibility but also an interesting experience, many people still view jury duty as a chore that interrupts their jobs and the routine of their daily lives. However, juries are part of America's attempt to be a free and just society. Thus, jury duty challenges us to be interested and responsible citizens.

• Looking to the future: Looking to the future can emphasize the importance of your paper or redirect the readers' thought process. It may help them apply the new information to their lives or see things more globally.

Example

Without well-qualified teachers, schools are little more than buildings and equipment. If higher-paying careers continue to attract the best and the brightest students, there will not only be a shortage of teachers, but the teachers available may not have the best qualifications. Our youth will suffer. And when youth suffers, the future suffers.

• Posing questions: Posing questions, either to your readers or in general, may help your readers gain a new perspective on the topic, which they may not have held before reading your conclusion. It may also bring your main ideas together to create a new meaning.

Example

Campaign advertisements should help us understand the candidate's qualifications and positions on the issues. Instead, most tell us what a boob or knave the opposing candidate is, or they present general images of the candidate as a family person or God-fearing American. Do such advertisements contribute to creating an informed electorate or a people who choose political leaders the same way they choose soft drinks and soap?

References:

The Trustee of Hamilton College. (2010) Nesbitt – Johnston Writing Center: Conclusions accessed on 16 July 2010 via http://www.hamilton.edu/writing/conclusions.html

Holewa, R., Mathison, J. & Kilborn, J. (2004) LEO: Literacy Education Online. Strategies for Writing a Conclusion accessed on 16 July 2010 via http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/acadwrite/conclude.html

THESIS STATEMENT

Salam and hi everyone. It's been quite some time since my last post. I am still in the education line but my current location is in Selangor. Today I would like to post some notes which I used for my class on writing a thesis statement of an essay. I took these notes from Dennis G. Jerz's webpage Thesis Statements: How To Write Them

The first thing that a student must understand is Thesis Statement is not just your opinion regarding a certain topic that you want to write about. Instead, it should be seen as a device which will determine the direction of your essay. It will also provide a direction for the body of your essay in which the items that you mention in your thesis statement will be further elaborated in the body paragraphs. In simpler words, thesis statement is the specific claim that your essay supports.

A good thesis statement must have THREE important elements: LIMITED SUBJECT, CLAIM and REASONING.

E.g. Siti Nurhaliza is a multi-talented woman as she is not only a talented singer but she is also a successful businesswoman and an ambassador to various popular brands in Malaysia.

In the sentence above,

- the limited subject is Siti Nurhaliza
- the claim is - Siti Nurhaliza is a multi-talented woman
- and the reasons to support the claim are - a talented singer, a successful businesswoman and an ambassador to various popular brands in Malaysia.

Ok, let's try some exercise. Feel free to scroll down to check out the answers
Note: These questions are taken from Jerz's webpage. Check out the webpage in the reference section below.

EXERCISE

Determine whether the examples below are good thesis statement or not. Explain your answer.

1) Is Black Elk Speaks an accurate representation of Indian lifestyle?

2) This paper will look at the book's attention to cultural detail, its use of Indian words, and its direct quotations from Black Elk, in order to determine whether Black Elk Speaks accurately represents Indian lifestyle.

3) Because the events in the story emphasize Black Elk's role as a Sioux Warrior, and do not describe Black Elk's eventual conversion to Catholicism and membership in the Society of St. Joseph, Black Elk Speaks presents a skewed and simplified view of the complex history of Native Americans.

* Black Elk Speaks is the title of a book.

Answers:

1) It is not a statement, it is just a question. It's fine to sit down at the keyboard with the intention of writing a paper to answer this question, but before you start churning out the sentences, you should have a clear idea of what answer you're trying to support.

2) It is a statement but it does not say whether the author plans to argue for or against the book’s accuracy.

3) It is a good thesis statement. It contains a topic/limited subject (the accuracy of Black Elk Speaks), an opinion (it is skewed and simplified), and reasoning (it only tells a part of the story).

For more information, check out the reference below:

Jerz, Dennis G. (2006) Thesis Statements: How to Write Them accessed on 16 July 2010 via http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/academic/thesis.htm