ISL M2

Identify nouns, pronouns, adjectives

Parts of Speech - Nouns

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'What type of noun is woman?'

You probably know that a noun is a type of 'thing'. For example 'table' and 'car' are both types
of nouns. Here we take a look at all the different types of nouns there are and how to spot
them:

concrete nouns
As above, 'car' and 'table' are concrete nouns. These are the nouns which we can touch, see,
feel, smell and hear. Basically, these are nouns which we are connected to our senses.
'What a delicious apple.'
'Please open the window.'
'I put it in my pocket.'

proper nouns
Proper nouns are the names of people and places. We use capital letters with proper nouns.
'Jack will go shopping tomorrow.'
'She comes from Russia.'
'The Nile is the longest river.'

common nouns
Common nouns are nouns which describe a group of objects. For example, Oxford University
is a proper noun because it is the name of a place. University is a common noun because it
refers to a group. Common nouns are used to describe groups of people.
Coffee shops are popular.'
'He took his children to the zoo.'
'I'd rather live in the city.'
abstract nouns
These nouns refer to things which we can't experience with our senses. Abstract nouns refer
to emotions (love, hate), states (peace, beauty), concepts (faith, truth) and movements
(education, progress). The following suffixes are used with abstract nouns:
• -tion
• -ism
• -ity
• -ment
• -ness
• -age
• -ence
• -ship
• -ability
• -acy
'He takes a lot of pride in his work.'
'India has an interesting culture.'
'Do you ever give to charity?'

collective nouns
Collective nouns refer to a group of people, animals or things.
'A flock of birds.'
'A herd of cattle.'
'My family is important to me.'

pronouns
Pronouns are used instead of nouns to describe people and things.
'That bag is his.'
'I am here.'
'It is good.'

countable nouns
Countable nouns can be used to describe singular nouns (car) and plural nouns (cars)
'Where is my hat?'
'Where are my hats?'
'The girl is pretty.'
'The girls are pretty.'

uncountable nouns
Also known as mass nouns, uncountable nouns only use the singular. They are nouns which
can't be counted. We can use 'the' with uncountable nouns, but not 'a' or 'an'.
'Can you lend me some money?'
'The grass is very green.'
'I hate rain.'
Parts of Speech: Pronouns
Pronoun: a word that replaces a noun without specifying a name.
—He was tired.
In this sentence, he is the pronoun, replacing the name of the person who was tired (“Jack
was tired”) or some other identifier (“The boy was tired”).
Antecedent: the word to which a pronoun refers.
—Because Jack left in a hurry, he forgot his lunch.
In this sentence, Jack is the antecedent and he is the pronoun.

Types of Pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns: the words this, these, that, and those, which replace a noun.
—This is unacceptable.
Indefinite pronoun: a pronoun that indicates unspecified quantities or degrees.
—Most were appalled by the prime minister’s lies.
Intensive pronoun: a pronoun that emphasizes the word to which it refers.
—The stars themselves use this skin cream.
Interrogative pronoun: a pronoun that initiates a question.
—Who called this afternoon?
Objective personal pronouns: the words me, you, her, him, it, us, and them, used to indicate
that the pronoun is functioning as an object.
—She was glad that he gave her his trust.
Personal pronoun: personal pronouns all fall into one of three persons, which indicate to
whom the pronoun refers.
• First person: expresses the identity of the speaker.
—I was driving my car.
• Second person: addresses the speaker’s listener.
—You were driving your car.
• Third person: refers to someone who is neither the speaker nor the listener.
—They were riding in her car.
Possessive personal pronoun: a pronoun that indicates possession or ownership.
—She was glad that he gave her its key.
Reflexive pronoun: a pronoun that refers to the subject of the sentence.
—The cat keeps itself clean.
Relative pronoun: a pronoun that links one phrase or clause to another.
—He would speak to whoever had answers.
Subjective personal pronoun: a pronoun that acts as a subject rather than as an object.
—She was glad that he gave her its key.
Parts of Speech: Adjectives
Adjective: a word that describes or modifies nouns and pronouns.
1. Types of adjectives
○ Demonstrative adjectives: the words this, that, these, and those, which specify
nouns. Demonstrative adjectives are similar to demonstrative pronouns, but
indicate particular nouns rather than replace them.
—This chair is more comfortable than that chair.
○ Indefinite adjectives: adjectives that refer to unspecified quantities. Similar to
indefinite pronouns, but used in relation to particular nouns.
—Most people would rather have a few close friends than many shallow
acquaintances.
○ Interrogative adjectives: adjectives that initiate questions by requesting
specification.
—Which car do you want to take?
—What movie did you see?
○ Possessive adjectives: adjectives that indicate ownership or possession.
—His t-shirt was stained with blood.
—Julianne was frustrated; no one was sympathetic to her idea.
2. Degrees of adjectives: in comparing nouns, adjectives change by degree depending on
the number of objects being compared.
○ Positive degree: an adjective modifying a single object.
—happy
○ Comparative degree: an adjective implying a comparison between two objects.
—happier
○ Superlative degree: an adjective implying a comparison among three or more
objects.
—happiest
3. Participle: an adjective formed from a verb.
○ Present participle: describes action in the present; made by adding –ing to a
verb and using it as an adjective.
—The running man was slower than the galloping horse.
○ Past participle: describes action in the past; takes an irregular form.
—Grown men should know better than to throw temper tantrums.

Adjectives are words used to describe nouns.

Adjectives give more information about a noun.

Use adjectives to make your writing more interesting.

"Fast, fun, new, old, red, ugly" are all

adjectives. They describe a noun.

READ THESE EXAMPLES:

It's a fast car. It's a fun car. It's a new car.
It's an old car. It's a red car. It's an ugly car.

Adjectives can come BEFORE the NOUN

(adjective + noun)

EXAMPLES:
It's an expensive bicycle. It's a racing
bicycle. It's a red bicycle.

Adjectives can come AFTER a BE verb. (BE +

adjective)

EXAMPLES:
The butterfly is pretty. The butterfly is
blue. Butterflies are interesting.

Nouns can also work as adjectives. A noun

can help describe an object.

EXAMPLES:
It's a business meeting. They're having a job
interview. It's a school conference.
Present participles (-ing verbs) can also
work as adjectives.

EXAMPLES:
Baseball is an exciting game. Baseball is
interesting. It's an interesting game.

Past participles (verb 3) can also work as

adjectives.

EXAMPLES:
The man is tired. The exhausted man fell
asleep. He was worn out by work today.

Adjectives can be hyphenated.

EXAMPLES:
The computer-generated error message made
the program freeze.
My friend isn't very good at do-it-yourself
projects.

Numbers can be used as adjectives.

EXAMPLES:
That's a three-ton
truck.
The man is a thirty-seven-year-old
trucker.
In his 20-year career, he's never had an
accident.
Adjectives can be used to compare things.

EXAMPLES:
Cats are softer than dogs. My cat is the cutest
cat I know.
The entire ceiling of the public gallery at the Penang assembly building collapsed yesterday.
NST picture by Ramdzan Masiam

Penang assembly ceiling collapses

2010/05/01
By Lee Keng Fatt
news@nst.com.my
GEORGE TOWN: With just three days before the state assembly convenes on Monday, the
entire ceiling above the public gallery of the building collapsed yesterday. No one was
injured in the 3.30pm incident.

The damaged ceiling was directly above the gallery where members of the press and public
are usually seated.

State Legislative Speaker Datuk Abdul Halim Hussain, when contacted, said the incident
would not affect the sitting starting on Monday until Thursday.

"We are waiting for a full report on the actual cause of the incident from the state Public
Works Department."

Contrary to the state government's core governance based on the principles of Competency,
Accountability and Transparency (CAT), scores of reporters, alerted of the incident, were
prevented from entering the main compound of the assembly building for more than an hour.
Two policemen on duty said they had instructions not to allow reporters from entering the
premises. The main gates leading to the building were then closed. The cost of the damage
has yet to be estimated.

This is the second incident where the building's ceilings had collapsed.

On July 23 in 2008, parts of the ceiling at the lobby of the building collapsed forcing
reporters covering the sitting to scramble to safety.
1Malaysia fund for kids
2010/05/01
By Aidi Amin and Evangeline Majawat
news@nst.com.my
SERDANG: Prime Minister's wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor has proposed the setting up of
a special trust fund for children's development.
She suggested that corporate bodies channel their contributions to the fund which should be
named the 1Malaysia Children Trust.

"I urge all corporate bodies to take a new approach towards corporate social responsibility in
developing the children's potential in this country.

"I would like to suggest that all companies allocate a part of their CSR budgets to the fund,"
she said after launching DRB-Hicom Hope Camp 2010 at Universiti Putra Malaysia
yesterday.

The 1Malaysia Children Trust fund would be used to improve public facilities for children
such as the building of a children's hospital.

Later, Rosmah, on behalf of Yayasan Harapan Kanak-Kanak Malaysia (YHKM), received a

cheque of RM70,000 from DRB-Hicom automotive division group director, Datuk Nik
Hamdam Nik Hassan, for the camp.
She also distributed 13 computers to 12 schools and an orphanage under YHKM's community
project.
Keeping fit with
capoeira
2010/04/26
MEENA SREENIVASAN
meena@nstp.com.my
It is more than a form of martial arts. Capoeira
is a game of movement, writes MEENA
SREENIVASAN

THERE are hundreds of workouts and exercise

regimes, why opt for capoeira? This is a mix of
body and soul, dance and fight, and instruments
and voices. Its history and culture owe much to
Brazil’s fascinating hybrid of Latin, African and
European roots dating from early colonial times.
Officially recognised as Brazil’s national sport,
it has become a popular form of exercise all
over the world and is catching on here as well.
This is no surprise as it is considered one of the
most comprehensive forms of physical
conditioning and is an integrated balance of mind, strength, rhythm, agility and harmony. If it
isn’t already obvious from the superb bodies that capoeristas have, the exercise offers
impressive health benefits that include strength, flexibility, cardio, stamina and overall
fitness.

Some capoeiristas are even on par with yoga practitioners in terms flexibility. They are
always moving around on their hands doing handstands, rolls and poses that build upper body
strength. They also perform jumping kicks and movements which improve leg strength. With
constant repetition of movements and techniques, this form of martial arts makes for a great
form of exercise and also helps develop an individual holistically. It may take a while to
become fit but once you start taking capoeira seriously, you will surely be a picture of health.
If you’d like to give capoeira a shot, or if you are curious about it, read on for some basic
moves. Capoerista trainer Rubens Carlos de Oliveira, better known as Professor Pimbal, who
teaches at Purple Yogis (www.purpleyogis.com.my) in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur , shows us
how to get started on this “game” of movement as he calls it. Having attained a brown belt in
capoeira, he affirms it as excellent for overall body toning. “I started training in capoeira at
nine years old in school. It was part of the physical education, Colegio Depois, and I started
to train with my brothers and friends,” he says.

In 1995, a friend invited him to train in capoeira EBC. “I was charmed by the methods of
training, techniques and focus on fight. The magic that surrounds capoeira — in the dance,
fight, musicality of the instruments and energy of each person — is great!”
ISL M3

Parts of speech – verbs/adverbs

Parts of Speech: Verbs

By Melissa Donovan
Verbs are action words, one of the eight parts of speech. They are also one of the two
essential components in forming a complete sentence.
In language, verbs are the most active of all the parts of speech. A well chosen verb can
communicate action through imagery. For example, “She struts” says a lot more than “She
walks.”
Verbs are also flexible. Add the -ing suffix to a verb to make a noun (He revised his own
writing). Verbs can also function as adjectives (We have a running dialog). Basically, you
can have a lot of fun with verbs, tweaking them to suit your own writerly purposes. But first
you have to understand what they are and what role they fulfill.

Verbs Defined
As previously stated, a verb is one of the parts of speech and it’s an action word. The types of
action that are represented by verbs are as follows:
Action: walk, run, dance, write, think, talk
Occurrence: shimmer, breakdown
State of Being: sit, sleep, be
It’s not necessary to classify verbs based on action, occurrence, and state of being. These are
just examples so you can better identify verbs. Some people might say there is no action in “I
am.” However, am (a form of the verb “to be”) is most definitely an action — it’s the action
of being (from the verb to be).

Sentence Diagramming and Parts of Speech

If you’ve ever attempted sentence diagramming, you probably started out by learning to
identify nouns and verbs. For a sentence to be complete, it must contain one of each of these
two parts of speech. In sentence diagramming, the noun is the subject, and the verb is the
predicate.
I write.
In the sentence “I write,” the noun/subject is “I.” The verb/predicate is “write.” This is basic
grammar and the most elementary sentence structure possible. It’s a good thing for a writer to
know.

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

In a sentence, the verb is connected to one or more nouns. At the very least, there is a noun
performing the action of the verb (I eat) or receiving the action (The cookies were eaten).
Two nouns can be impacted by the same verb (I eat cookies). The number of nouns that a
verb affects in a sentence is referred to as the verb’s valence or valency.
Intransitive verbs have valency 1. In other words, the verb is only tied to the sentence’s
subject (I eat). I is the subject and eat is the predicate. In this sentence, eat is an intransitive
verb.
Transitive verbs have valency 2. The verb is tied to two words in the sentence – the subject
and the object (I eat cookies). I is the subject, eat is the predicate, and the word cookies is the
direct object. In this sentence, eat is a transitive verb.
All verbs must have valency. There is no such thing as a verb with zero valency. In order for
there to be an action, that action has be performed or received by somebody or something. In
other words, verbs need nouns in order to exist. Even if the noun isn’t directly stated (Run!),
it is implied (You run!).

Verbal Nouns
Gerunds
If you add -ing to a verb and use it as a noun, you’re using a gerund:
Reading books is fun.
In the sentence above, reading (normally a verb) is used as a noun. The verb in the sentence
is “is.”
Infinitives
The infinitive form of a verb is its raw form. The classic example of an infinitive is “to be.”
Other infinitives include to see, to run, to dance, etc.
Like gerunds, infinitives can function as nouns.
Running is like jogging.
To err is human.
In the example sentences above, the underlined verbs (gerunds in the first sentence, infinitive
in the second) are functioning as nouns or more specifically, as verbal nouns.

Agreement
In sentences, verbs must be in agreement with the words they impact. There are several types
of verb agreement, including tense and number agreement. Other languages (such as Spanish
and French) also mandate gender agreement.
What does verb agreement mean to a writer? Well, your verbs have to match up to your
nouns. When it comes to agreement, English writers and speakers are lucky because we don’t
have nearly as many agreements to consider as some other languages have.
Tense
Tense can be a challenge for people who are new to speaking or writing English (and for
English natives learning any other language). Verb tense agreement warrants its own, lengthy
article, so we’ll keep it simple here and just demonstrate the absolute basics.
If something happens in the past, the verb has to be in past tense. You cannot say “She was
writes” or “He is danced” (although these phrases might fit nicely in a poem). What you can
say is “She was writing” or “She wrote.” You can say “He is dancing” or “He dances.”
It’s important to learn tense and understand how to put verbs into past tense because much
writing is done in past tense. Stories – entire novels – are often written in past tense and it’s
not at all uncommon for past and present tense to both appear in a single work.
Most native English speakers naturally grasp tense, which is why we won’t get into a lengthy
discussion about it here. Mismatched verb tenses can be a giveaway of folks for whom
English is a second language. It’s just one of those mistakes natives rarely make. However, as
can be seen in the poetic examples above, mixing up tense can produce some endearing
phrases, which may be used in some types of writing, such as poetry. However, erroneous
tense agreement in a formal paper or business communication is never a good idea.
Third Person, Singular, Present
The only other strict agreement in English is the third person, singular, present tense of a
verb, which takes an -s. That’s a mouthful, so here’s an example:
I run.
You run.
He/she runs.
They run.
We run.
For the record, what we’ve just done here is we conjugated the verb “to run.” Verb
conjugation is not much fun in English. As you can see, “run” doesn’t get conjugated all that
much, the only exception is when it’s attached to “he” or “she,” in which case it takes an -s.
Also for the record, conjugating verbs in French or Spanish is far more exciting.
Are there any grammar issues that you’re struggling with? Parts of speech you don’t quite
understand? Got questions about verbs? Participles? Types of verbs? Share your thoughts by
leaving a comment.

Parts of Speech - Adverbs

Main Page: Parts of Speech

Page Contents
1. Adverbs
1.
1. Adverbs of Manner
2. Adverbs of Place
3. Adverbs of Time
4. Adverbs of Degree
5. Linking Adverbs (or conjuntival adverbs)
6. Stance
7. Adding in Positive and Negative Sentences
8. Prepositional Adverbs (or Particles)
9. Phrasal Verbs
Adverbs
An adverb is a word that describes or modifies a verb, an adjective or another
adverb. The class adverb is also a home for unwanted words, which do not easily
fit into the other categories. Therefore, the words in this class are not a uniform
group.

Sometimes adverbs modify pronouns:

Almost everyone gave something. Nearly all of them came.

Naturally, some will argue that these words are adjectives. Of course, they
function as adjectives in these sentences. Yet they are quite unlike adjectives in
other uses.

Adverbs of Manner
These adverbs tell us how something is done. They answer the question, "How".

quickly, slowly, elegantly, rationally, thoughtfully, clumsily, expertly

For example:

He ran fast. How did he run? The word fast tells us how he ran and is an adverb.

And

He thoughtfully read the book. How did he read the book? thoughtfully tells us
how he read the book and is an adverb.

Adverbs of Place
These tell us where the action of the verb happened. They answer the question,
"Where?"

here, there, everywhere, above, below

For example:

She went upstairs. Where did she go? And the answer is the adverb, upstairs.

Adverbs of Time
Adverbs of time often answer the question, "When".
These tell us when something happened. They answer the question, "When?"

now, later, yesterday, immediately, generally

For example:

He received the letter yesterday. When did he receive the letter? And the
answer is the adverb, yesterday.
Others refer to a period of time:

never, always, just, long

Examples:
She will never do it. Will you be long? I have just done it. We always have to
wait.

Still others, sometimes called adverbs of frequency, answer the question,

"How often?"

often, seldom, sometimes, never

For example:

He mows the lawn weekly. How often does he mow the lawn? The answer
weekly, gives us the adverb.

Adverbs of Degree
These often modify an adjective. They answer the question, "To what extent?"

very, too, slightly, excessively, so, quite, rather

For example:

The horse is too tired.

Linking Adverbs (or conjuntival adverbs)

Linking adverbs link the current sentence to a previous one. They are sometimes
called transition words. They differ from conjunctions, which link nouns, phrases
or clauses. Unlike a conjunction, linking adverbs can often be omitted without
making the sentence ungrammatical.

They include:

hence, afterwards, then, nonetheless, therefore, beforehand

Words which are normally considered conjunctions, such as and, but, for, nor,
yet, and or are considered linking adverbs when they begin a sentence.
Conjunctions cannot be used to begin a sentence, because they link two words
or two clauses, not two sentences. But words which look like conjunctions, when
acting as linking adverbs, can be so used. For instance:
She hated cricket. And she hated soccer even more. She hated cricket. She

hated soccer even more.

And is a linking adverb not a conjunction. It, unlike a conjunction, can be omitted
without drastically affecting the sentences. Also, unlike a conjunction, it does not
link two words or clauses, but links two sentences.

Because they link sentences, not clauses, linking adverbs are always preceded
by a full stop or a semicolon. For instance:

Bob does not like sport; hence, he isn't coming to the game. Bob does not

like sport; he isn't coming to the game.

Or

Bob does not like sport. Hence, he isn't coming to the game. Bob does not

like sport. He isn't coming to the game.

In the above sentences, we can omit the linking adverb, hence, and the
sentences remain grammatical and still make sense. (Of course, we also need to
omit the comma, and need to capitalise the first word of the sentence).

Stance
These often show the speakers attitude or emotion and include:

probably, perhaps, surely, oddly, actually, officially, obviously, clearly, wisely,

morally, disgustingly

Adding in Positive and Negative Sentences

Some adverbs have the effect of adding or subtracting.

I went fishing. So did Harry.

I went fishing. Harry went too.
I went fishing. Harry went also.

The adverbs so, also and too add some of the meaning of the first sentence in
the pairs above to the second one. They have the idea of in addition.
In these sentences:

Teresa did not go. Nor did I. (I, too, did not go.)
Teresa did not go. Neither did I.
Teresa did not go. I didn't either.
The words nor, neither and either also have the idea of in addition (too), and are
used in negative expressions.
Words used like this include:

neither, nor, too, so, either, else, also

Prepositional Adverbs (or Particles)

Prepositional adverbs have the word form of a preposition, but function as an
adverb, that is they modify verbs, often saying where the action takes place. For
example:

• Some shady characters were hanging around.

• We stayed in.
• Put that down!
• It was living inside.
• She lives opposite.
• We examined it through and through.
All the words in bold above are prepositional adverbs. They differ from
prepositions in that they modify a verb (adverbial) and they do not stand before
a noun.

Prepositional adverbs are used to form phrasal verbs. When they do this, they
change the meaning of the verb. That is, act as an adverb by modifying a verb.
For instance:
Phrasal Verbs

Example Alternative

I looked the word up. I looked up the word.

She brought up an
She brought an interesting
interesting point in the
point up in the meeting.
meeting.

Oh! Have they fallen out

(No object)
[had a quarrel] again?

They have decided to give They have decided to give

smoking up. up smoking.

A verb plus prepositional adverb is a phrasal verb only when the verb's meaning
changes. Also it is often possible to place the object of the verb (if there is one)
between the verb and the prepositional adverb. Phrasal verbs differ from
prepositional verbs in the previous mentioned two ways.

See comparison of phrasal verbs and prepositional verbs.

Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal verbs are composed of a verb and a prepositional adverb. The
prepositional adverb, which has the word form of a preposition, modifies the verb
and changes its literal meaning. In addition, the prepositional adverb can be
precede the object as a Noun Phrase, or follow it, as in the examples in the table
below. If the object is a pronoun, it must come before the particle (prepositional
adverb).

Phrasal Verbs

Example Alternative

The lift has broken down. (No object)

She brought up an
She brought an interesting
interesting point in the
point up in the meeting.
meeting.
She brought it up in the
She brought up it in the
meeting.
meeting.

Oh! Have they fallen out

(No object)
[had a quarrel] again?

They have decided to give They have decided to give

smoking up. up smoking.
They have decided to give it They have decided to give
up. up it.

His children are grown up. (No object)

I looked the word up. I looked up the word.

I looked it up. I looked up it.

She put the meeting off. She put off the meeting.
She put it off. She put off it.

They ran the dog over. They ran over the dog.
We turned off the tv. We turned the tv off.

The phrasal verbs, shown in bold, differ in meaning from the literal form of the
verb. They differ from prepositional verbs.
ISL M4
Identify and compare simple, progressive, perfect tenses used in the text
provided.

Simple Present Tense

I
sing

How do we make the Simple Present Tense?

subje auxiliary main
+ +
ct verb verb

do base

There are three important exceptions:

1. For positive sentences, we do not normally use the auxiliary.
2. For the 3rd person singular (he, she, it), we add s to the main verb or es
to the auxiliary.
3. For the verb to be, we do not use an auxiliary, even for questions and
negatives.
Look at these examples with the main verb like:
auxiliary main
subject
verb verb

I, you, we, coffee

like
they .
+
coffee
He, she, it likes
.

I, you, we, no coffee

do like
they t .
-
no coffee
He, she, it does like
t .

? Do I, you, we, like coffee

they ?
 coffee
Does he, she, it like
?

Look at these examples with the main verb be. Notice that there is no auxiliary:
main
subject
verb

Frenc
I am
h.

You, we, Frenc

+ are
they h.

Frenc
He, she, it is
h.

no
I am old.
t

You, we, no
- are old.
they t

no
He, she, it is old.
t

Am I late?

you, we,
? Are late?
they

Is he, she, it late?

How do we use the Simple Present Tense?

We use the simple present tense when:
• the action is general
• the action happens all the time, or habitually, in the past, present and
future
• the action is not only happening now
• the statement is always true

John drives a taxi.

 past present future

It is John's job to drive a taxi. He does it every day. Past, present and
future.

Look at these examples:

• I live in New York.
• The Moon goes round the Earth.
• John drives a taxi.
• He does not drive a bus.
• We do not work at night.
• Do you play football?
Note that with the verb to be, we can also use the simple present tense for situations that are
not general. We can use the simple present tense to talk about now. Look at these examples
of the verb "to be" in the simple present tense - some of them are general, some of them are
now:
Am I right?
Tara is not at home.
You are happy.

prese futur
past
nt e

The situation is now.

I am not fat.
Why are you so beautiful?
Ram is tall.

past present future

The situation is general. Past, present and

future.
Time to fly your kite!
2010/04/30
EDWIN WONG
EDWIN WONG poses how to be a pilot, engineer, weatherman all in one and in very easy
steps at that
THE humble kite, or "layang layang" as many of us have come to know it, runs far deeper
than meets the eye meets.

What many of us see as a leisurely, evening past time actually has a fascinating history that is
as colourful as the variety of kites that can be found.

In 637, a Korean General of Silla, Kim Yu-sin, rallied his troops to defeat rebels by lofting a
kite with a straw man that looked like a burning ball flying through the sky.

Russian chronicles mention Prince Oleg of Novgorod using kites during the siege of
Constantinople in 906 AD, where "he crafted horses and men of paper, armed and gilded, and
lifted them into the air over the city; and the Greeks saw them and feared".

Apart from being used in military applications, kites have also been successfully used for
scientific purposes, radio communications, power generation, as well as transportation and
sports.

History An invention of the famous 5th Century BC Chinese philosophers Mozi and Lu Ban,
the humble kite was first used more than 2,800 years ago in China, where materials ideal for
kite building were readily available — silk fabric for sail material, fine high-tensile-strength
silk for flying line, and resilient bamboo for a strong, lightweight framework.

The period between 1860 and 1910 became the "golden age of kiting", where they were used
for scientific purposes, especially in meteorology, aeronautics, wireless communications and
photography.

Materials Kites typically consist of one or more spars to which a paper or fabric sail is
attached, although some, such as foil kites, have no spars at all.

Classic kites use bamboo, rattan, or some other strong but flexible wood for the spars, paper
or light fabrics such as silk for the sails, and are flown on string or twine. Modern kites use
synthetic materials, such as ripstop nylon or more exotic fabrics for the sails, fibreglass or
carbon fibre for the spars, and dacron or dyneema for the kite lines.

Kites come in many different shapes, forms, and sizes — from flat geometric designs, boxes
and other three-dimensional forms to modern sparless inflatable designs.
Designs often emulate flying insects, birds and other beasts, both real and mythical. The
finest Chinese kites are made from split bamboo (usually golden bamboo), covered with silk,
and hand painted.

On larger kites, clever hinges and latches allow the kite to be disassembled and compactly
folded for storage or transport. Cheaper mass-produced kites are often made from printed
polyester rather than silk.

Why fly kites? Here is a hobby that provides pleasure, entertainment and education all year
long.

Pleasure that is best described by this line from Wordsworth: "My heart leaps up when I
behold a rainbow in the sky." In the words of the great poet, that very same feeling will come
to us as we see our kites — the ones that we made with our hands — flying so proudly high
in the sky above! Entertainment in the many hours you keep yourself engaged designing,
building, testing, fine-tuning and seeing your kite soar away! Besides having a healthy open-
air appeal, there are many educational aspects of kites.

Making a kite itself is an activity that develops skills. However simple it may seem, a kite
must be properly made if it is to fly. Far from being a toy, kites are akin to an aircraft, where
aerodynamic skills are required for a successful flight. It also introduces you to the concept of
conformity with basic principles. Fail to confirm and you will experience failure.

Successful kite flying also introduces you to meteorology since the weather and flying are
always closely related. The study of the weather, especially how it affects flight patterns, is
no different from how a pilot steers his/her aircraft through stormy weather.

Then of course, there is the creative element. Kite making appeals to the imagination. There
is freedom of choice, and encourages experimentations in design.

How do kites fly? Kites are heavier than air, and yet the air supports it just as water supports
a boat.

Not only that, air lifts kites, the same way it lifts the wings of an aeroplane, enabling the kite
to climb upwards.

Kites need a strong wind to soar. They are eager to climb and attain an overhead position, and
the greater wind pressure and stronger pull on the line will cause the kite to assume an angle
that will respond readily to the upward thrust.

In summary, a kite in flight is subject to the influence of four forces — resistance, upward
thrust, downward pull and propulsion. How's that for educational value? Lessons from the
weatherman One of the most crucial factors that will determine how well your kite will soar
is the weather.

The higher the clouds, the better the weather is likely to be. In particular, three factors are key
to managing the weather — movement, change and colour.

Some lessons from the weatherman When small cirrus clouds thicken and become lower, it is
a sign that rain is on the way. "Cirro-cumulus" heralds the approach of rain, and on occasion,
thunder. When cumulus clouds expand early in the day, it is a warning that rain will fall later.

When clouds do not thicken, and appear to be at a standstill or only moving slowly, then it
means fine weather is expected.

Sky colours also reveal if rain is coming, where the colour of clouds are associated with
changes in the weather true to the old saying: "Red sky at night, sheperd's delight. Red sky in
the morning, sheperd's warning." A watery yellow sunset is a sign of coming rain, a bright
yellow sunset is a token of approaching high wind. A golden ring around the moon is a
warning that a storm is on the way.

Just as clouds are an index of weather changes, so is the wind. Remember, wind is both friend
and foe to kite flyers! Although there are hundreds of different types of kites you can make,
let's look at one of the easiest to make.
Pegtop Kite
The Pegtop is an easy-to-make kite with the framework comprising a simple, two-piece unit.
When this is covered, and a bridle and tail is added, it is ready to fly!

1. The backbone is formed from 0.6cm by 1cm stripwood, 46cm in length and is notched at
the bottom end. It must be straight and smooth.
2. For the curved top, use a flexible piece of split cane about 0.6cm in diameter and 41cm in
length, and notch it at the ends. Suitable cane may be obtained from handicraft or horticulture
shops.
3. The cane is curved to a bow shape, as shown. The shaping is more easily done if the cane
is subjected to dry heat, such as a gas jet or electric fire. This prevents cracking or splitting.
4. The bow is held in position bya bowstring, tied at each end. Use thin, strong string because
it has to withstand considerable strain. The depth of the curve at the centre is 9cm.
5. Secure the cane at its centre to the top of the backbone. Use glue and bind with strong
thread. Apply glue to the binding to prevent it from slipping. Make a neat, firm joint. The
strength of the framework depends on this.
6. The next stage is to complete the bracing of the framework. Use thin, strong string. Tie this
to one end of the curved top. From there take it to the bottom of the backbone and up to the
other end of the top. This string should not be too taut as most of the strain is taken up by the
bowstring. The framework is now complete, and is ready for covering.
7. For the cover, use tissue or unbleached greaseproof paper! (For a larger size kite, say
above 91cm, it would be better to use a lightweight cloth cover.)
8. Place the framework on the paper and with a pencil, mark out the shape of the cover.
Allow a margin of 3.8cm all round and cut out. At this point, the cover may be decorated.
9. Attach the cover to the framework, be careful not to crease or tear the paper. Apply glue to
the backbone, and stick the cover to it and set aside for a little while for the glue to dry.
10. Finally, cut narrow V-shaped slits at intervals around the margin. Apply glue to the
curved top, and to the outer half of the margin. Fold this over and fasten it down around the
top and the outer strings. A 7.6cm folded reinforcing strips may be glued around the strings
and the top.
The kite may be embellished with tassels or fringes. If fringes are chosen, then two loops of
string are tied to the ends of the bow and the bottom of the backbone.
If tassels are chosen, they would hang from the ends of the curved top.
And there you have it. Your very own kite!
So next time someone tells you to “go fly your kite”, you may want to actually consider it.
After all, veteran kite flyers will tell you that it’s very much like flying an airplane, only that
instead of just being a pilot, you also get to be the engineer, designer and flight controller!
A scene from Glee. The musical theatre workshop hopes to expose children to the world of
performing arts

Performing arts workshop for kids

2010/04/30
FONG LI YIN
nstent@nst.com.my
TO sing, dance and act in a drama — the freedom of expression allows a child to grow in
confidence and to discover within the ability to excel.

With this in mind, FusionExcel International will be holding a “Hope For Children” World
Day Carnival on May 29 in Kuala Lumpur in conjunction with International Children’s Day
on June 1.

Leading up to the day itself, a musical theatre workshop will be held with West End
professionals from the United Kingdom.

Children aged 8 to 18 will be exposed to the world of performing arts in the workshop.

Dance, drama and singing will be the focus as the facilitators strive to bring out the innate
talent in every child.

The workshop will follow themes from films that feature high school life. Think Glee. With
30-hour rehearsals spread out before the carnival, the children will have ample time to
prepare for a musical performance on that day.
They will receive certificates for completion of the workshop.

Only 60 places are available, so act now. FusionExcel International will be approaching local
children’s homes to inform them of the event and where to audition.

Auditions will be held today and tomorrow from 10am to 4pm at FusionExcel’s headquarters
(Lot 8230, Jalan 222A, Section 51A, 46100 Petaling Jaya).

Call 012-203 2317 (Maggie Loo) to sign up. Children will need to sing a few lines from a
self-selected song and read some dialogue given by the organisers.
ISL M5

Sentence types; simple, compound, complex

Sentences: Simple, Compound, and Complex

Experienced writers use a variety of sentences to make their writing interesting

and lively. Too many simple sentences, for example, will sound choppy and
immature while too many long sentences will be difficult to read and hard to
understand.
This page contains definitions of simple, compound, and complex sentences
with many simple examples. The purpose of these examples is to help the
ESL/EFL learner to identify sentence basics including identification of sentences
in the short quizzes that follow. After that, it will be possible to analyze more
complex sentences varieties.
SIMPLE SENTENCE
A simple sentence, also called an independent clause, contains a subject and a
verb, and it expresses a complete thought. In the following simple sentences,
subjects are in yellow, and verbs are in green.

A. Some students like to study in the mornings.

B. Juan and Arturo play football every afternoon.
C. Alicia goes to the library and studies every day.

The three examples above are all simple sentences. Note that sentence B
contains a compound subject, and sentence C contains a compound verb.
Simple sentences, therefore, contain a subject and verb and express a complete
thought, but they can also contain a compound subjects or verbs.
COMPOUND SENTENCE
A compound sentence contains two independent clauses joined by a
coordinator. The coordinators are as follows: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.
(Helpful hint: The first letter of each of the coordinators spells FANBOYS.)
Except for very short sentences, coordinators are always preceded by a comma.
In the following compound sentences, subjects are in yellow, verbs are in green,
and the coordinators and the commas that precede them are in red.

A. I tried to speak Spanish, and my friend tried to speak English.

B. Alejandro played football, so Maria went shopping.
C. Alejandro played football, for Maria went shopping.

The above three sentences are compound sentences. Each sentence contains
two independent clauses, and they are joined by a coordinator with a comma
preceding it. Note how the conscious use of coordinators can change the
relationship between the clauses. Sentences B and C, for example, are
identical except for the coordinators. In sentence B, which action occurred
first? Obviously, "Alejandro played football" first, and as a consequence, "Maria
went shopping. In sentence C, "Maria went shopping" first. In sentence C,
"Alejandro played football" because, possibly, he didn't have anything else to
do, for or because "Maria went shopping." How can the use of other
coordinators change the relationship between the two clauses? What
implications would the use of "yet" or "but" have on the meaning of the
sentence?
COMPLEX SENTENCE
A complex sentence has an independent clause joined by one or more
dependent clauses. A complex sentence always has a subordinator such as
because, since, after, although, or when or a relative pronoun such as that,
who, or which. In the following complex sentences, subjects are in yellow,
verbs are in green, and the subordinators and their commas (when required) are
in red.

A. When he handed in his homework, he forgot to give the teacher the

last page.
B. The teacher returned the homework after she noticed the error.
C. The students are studying because they have a test tomorrow.
D. After they finished studying, Juan and Maria went to the movies.
E. Juan and Maria went to the movies after they finished studying.

When a complex sentence begins with a subordinator such as sentences A and D,

a comma is required at the end of the dependent clause. When the independent
clause begins the sentence with subordinators in the middle as in sentences B,
C, and E, no comma is required. If a comma is placed before the subordinators
in sentences B, C, and E, it is wrong.
Note that sentences D and E are the same except sentence D begins with the
dependent clause which is followed by a comma, and sentence E begins with
the independent clause which contains no comma. The comma after the
dependent clause in sentence D is required, and experienced listeners of English
will often hear a slight pause there. In sentence E, however, there will be no
pause when the independent clause begins the sentence.
COMPLEX SENTENCES / ADJECTIVE CLAUSES
Finally, sentences containing adjective clauses (or dependent clauses) are also complex
because they contain an independent clause and a dependent clause. The subjects, verbs,
and subordinators are marked the same as in the previous sentences, and in these
sentences, the independent clauses are also underlined.
A. The woman who(m) my mom talked to sells cosmetics.
B. The book that Jonathan read is on the shelf.
C. The house which AbrahAM Lincoln was born in is still standing.
D. The town where I grew up is in the United States.
Adjective Clauses are studied in this site separately, but for now it is important to know
that sentences containing adjective clauses are complex.
CONCLUSION
Are sure you now know the differences between simple, compound, and
complex sentences? Click QUICK QUIZ to find out. This quiz is just six
sentences. The key is to look for the subjects and verbs first.
Another quiz, this one about Helen Keller contains ten sentences.
These quiz sentences based on the short story, The Americanization of Shadrach Cohen,
by Bruno Lessing.
Quick Quiz: Shadrach
After each quiz, click GRADE QUIZ to see your score immediately.
Remember that with the skill to write good simple, compound, and complex
sentences, you will have the flexibility to (1) convey your ideas precisely and (2)
entertain with sentence variety at the same time! Good luck with these
exercises!
ISL M6

Classify types of questions (Yes/No Q, Information/WH Q, Tag Q)

Yes/No Questions
There are many types of questions in English. The easiest are questions that can be
answered "yes" or "no."
A: Are you from around here?
B: Yes, I am.

A: Do you come here often?

B: Yes, I do.

A: Can I buy you a drink?

B: No, thanks.

A: Are you married?

B: Yes, I am.

To form a question from a statement, first count the number of verbs.

John is a doctor. One verb: is (be)
Jane drives a sports car. One verb: drives
Joan played basketball last night. One verb: played
Jan is eating her dinner. Two verbs: is eating
June has rented an apartment. Two verbs: has rented
Jen has been living there since 1969. Three verbs: has been living
If there is one verb in the statement and the verb is a form of be, simply switch
the
positions of the subject and verb.

Statement Question

John is a doctor. Is John a doctor?

The Jensens are here. Are the Jensens here?
If there are two verbs, simply switch the positions of the subject and first verb.
Statement Question

Jan is eating dinner. Is Jan eating dinner?

 June has rented an apartment. Has June rented an apartment?
Jen has been living here since 1969. Has Jen been living here since 1969?
If there is one verb, and the verb is not a form of be, the process is more complex.
1. Add Do to the beginning of the sentence.
The Johnsons live in that house. Do the Johnsons live in that house?
2. If the main verb "carries" a third person singular s, move the s to Do, making it Does.
Jane drives a car. Do Jane drives a car? (Not finished
yet!)
Does Jane drive a car? (Good
question!)
3. If the main verb "carries" past tense, move the past tense to Do, making it
Did.

Joan played basketball last night. Do Joan played basketball? (Not finished
yet!)
Did Joan play basketball? (Good question!)

In conversation, most questions are asked of the second person (you) and answered in
the first (I).
A: Are you from California?
B: No, I'm from Oregon. Are you?
A: Yes, I'm from Hollywood.
B: Do you know any movie stars?
A: No, I don't go out at night.

In British English, the main verb have sometimes functions like be in questions. This is
not common in American English.
Statement Question

You have a pet ferret. Have you a pet ferret? (British)

Do you have a pet ferret? (American)
Wh- Questions
See also: Free-English-Study: Wh Questions.

Click for Audio

Wh- Questions allow a speaker to find out more information about topics.
They are as follows:
When? Time
Where? Place
Who? Person
Why? Reason
How? Manner
What? Object/Idea/Action

Other words can also be used to inquire about specific information:

Choice of alternatives
Which (one)?
Possession
Whose?
Person (objective formal)
Whom?
Price, amount (non-
How much?
count)
How many?
Quantity (count)
How long?
Duration
How often?
Frequency
How far?
Distance
What kind (of)?
Description

The "grammar" used with wh- questions depends on whether the topic
being asked about is the "subject" or "predicate" of a sentence. For the
subject pattern, simply replace the person or thing being asked about
with the appropriate wh-word.
Who has my
(Someone has my baseball.) baseball?
(Something is bothering you.) What is bothering
you?

For the predicate pattern, wh- question formation depends on whether

there is an "auxiliary" verb in the original sentence. Auxiliary or
"helping" verbs are verbs that precede main verbs. Auxiliary verbs are
italicized in the following sentences.
I can do it.
They are leaving.
I have eaten my lunch.
I should have finished my homework.

To make a question using the predicate pattern, first form a yes/no

question by inverting the subject and (first) auxiliary verb. Then, add
the appropriate wh- word to the beginning of the sentence.
(You will leave some time.) ? will you leave
When will you
leave?
(He is doing something.) ? is he doing
What is he doing?
(They have been somewhere.) ? have they been
Where have they
been?
If there is no auxiliary and the verb is "be," invert the subject and
verb, then add the appropriate wh- word to the beginning of the
sentence.
(He is someone.) ? is he
Who is he?
(The meeting was some time.) ? was the meeting
When was the
meeting?
If there is no auxiliary and the verb is not "be," add do to the
beginning of the sentence. Then add the appropriate wh-question
word. Be sure to "transfer" the tense and number from the main verb
to the word do.
(You want something.) ? do you want
What do you want?
(You went somewhere.) ? did you go (past
tense)
Where did you go?

(She likes something.) ? does she like (third

person -s)
What does she like?
Tag question
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

This article does not cite any references or sources.

Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced
material may be challenged and removed. (December 2006)

A question tag or tag question is a grammatical structure in which a declarative statement or

an imperative is turned into a question by adding an interrogative fragment (the "tag"). The
term "question tag" is generally preferred by British grammarians, while their American
counterparts prefer "tag question".

Contents
[hide]
• 1 Forms and uses
• 2 Tag questions in English
○ 2.1 Auxiliary
○ 2.2 Negation
○ 2.3 Intonation
○ 2.4 Emphasis
○ 2.5 Variant forms
 2.5.1 False tag in Welsh English
• 3 Tag questions in the Celtic languages
• 4 See also
• 5 References

[edit] Forms and uses

In most languages, tag questions are more common in colloquial spoken usage than in formal
written usage. They can be an indicator of politeness, emphasis, or irony. They may suggest
confidence or lack of confidence; they may be confrontational or tentative. Some examples
showing the wide variety of structure possible in English are:
• Open the window, will you?
• She doesn't really want those apples, does she?
• You'd better stop now, hadn't you?
• So you thought it would be a good idea to reprogram the computer, did
you?
• It's quite an achievement, isn't it, to win a Nobel prize!
• Oh I must, must I?
• I just adore Beethoven, don't you?
 • I'm coming with you, all right?
• You've been there, right?
• Easier said than done, eh?
• You went there, no?
Some languages have a fixed phrase for the tag question, such as Russian не правда ли? (not
true?), French n'est-ce pas? ("is it not?") and German (known as "Refrainfrage") such as
"nicht wahr?", "ne?", "gell?", or "oder?" . Some languages (notably English and the Celtic
languages) construct their question tags to match the preceding clause for every sentence, and
are therefore quite variable: you've been here before, haven't you? You didn't buy it, did you
etc.
Care should be taken by the confident speaker to make certain that any tag questions are not
mistaken for a leading question.

[edit] Tag questions in English

English tag questions, when they have the grammatical form of a question, are atypically
complex, because they vary according to four factors: the choice of auxiliary, the negation,
the intonation pattern and the emphasis.
[edit] Auxiliary
The English tag question is made up of an auxiliary verb and a pronoun. The auxiliary has to
agree with the tense, aspect and modality of the verb in the preceding sentence. If the verb is
in the perfect tense, for example, the tag question uses has or have; if the verb is in a present
progressive form, the tag is formed with am, are, is; if the verb is in a tense which does not
normally use an auxiliary, like the present simple, the auxiliary is taken from the emphatic do
form; and if the sentence has a modal auxiliary, this is echoed in the tag:
• He's read this book, hasn't he?
• He read this book, didn't he?
• He's reading this book, isn't he?
• He reads a lot of books, doesn't he?
• He'll read this book, won't he?
• He should read this book, shouldn't he?
• He can read this book, can't he?
A special case occurs when the main verb is to be in a simple tense. Here the tag question
repeats the main verb, not an auxiliary:
• This is a book, isn't it?
(Not doesn't it?, as the normal rules for present simple would suggest.)
If the main verb is to have, either solution is possible:
• He has a book, hasn't he?
• He has a book, doesn't he?

[edit] Negation
English tag questions may contain a negation, but need not. When there is no special
emphasis, the rule of thumb often applies that a positive sentence has a negative tag and vice
versa:
 • She is French, isn't she?
• She's not French, is she?
These are sometimes called "balanced tag questions". However, it has been estimated that in
normal conversation, as many as 40%-50%[1] of tags break this rule. "Unbalanced tag
questions" (positive to positive or negative to negative) may be used for ironic or
confrontational effects:
• Do listen, will you?
• Oh, I'm lazy, am I?
• Jack: I refuse to spend Sunday at your mother's house! Jill: Oh you do, do
you? We'll see about that!
• Jack: I just won't go back! Jill: Oh you won't, won't you?
Patterns of negation can show regional variations. In North East Scotland, for example,
positive to positive is used when no special effect is desired:
• This pizza's fine, is it? (standard English: This pizza's delicious, isn't it?)
Note the following variations in the negation when the auxiliary is the I form of the copula:
• England (and America, Australia, etc.): Clever, aren't I?
• Scotland/Northern Ireland: Clever, amn't I?
• nonstandard dialects: Clever, ain't I?

[edit] Intonation
English tag questions can have a rising or a falling intonation pattern. This is contrasted with
Polish, French or German, for example, where all tags rise. As a rule, the English rising
pattern is used when soliciting information or motivating an action, that is, when some sort of
response is required. Since normal English yes/no questions have rising patterns (e.g. Are you
coming?), these tags make a grammatical statement into a real question:
• You're coming, aren't you?
• Do listen, will you?
• Let's have a beer, shall we?
The falling pattern is used to underline a statement. The statement itself ends with a falling
pattern, and the tag sounds like an echo, strengthening the pattern. Most English tag questions
have this falling pattern.
• He doesn't know what he's doing, does he?
• This is really boring, isn't it?
Sometimes the rising tag goes with the positive to positive pattern to create a confrontational
effect:
• He was the best in the class, was he? (rising: the speaker is challenging
this thesis, or perhaps expressing surprised interest)
• He was the best in the class, wasn't he? (falling: the speaker holds this
opinion)
• Be careful, will you? (rising: expresses irritation)
• Take care, won't you? (falling: expresses concern)
Sometimes the same words may have different patterns depending on the situation or
implication.
 • You don't remember my name, do you? (rising: expresses surprise)
• You don't remember my name, do you? (falling: expresses amusement or
resignation)
• Your name's Mary, isn't it? (rising: expresses uncertainty)
• Your name's Mary, isn't it? (falling: expresses confidence)
It is interesting that as an all-purpose tag the London set-phrase innit (for "isn't it") is only
used with falling patterns:
• He doesn't know what he's doing, innit?
• He was the best in the class, innit?
On the other hand, the adverbial tag questions (alright? OK? etc.) are almost always found
with rising patterns. An occasional exception is surely.
[edit] Emphasis
English tag questions are normally stressed on the verb, but the stress is on the pronoun if
there is a change of person.
• I don't like peas, do you?
• I like peas, don't you?
This is often a rising tag (especially when the tag contains no negation), or the intonation
pattern may be the typically English fall-rise.
In French, this would be expressed with et toi?, which is also a kind of tag question.
[edit] Variant forms
There are a number of variant forms that exist in particular dialects of English. These are
generally invariant, regardless of verb, person or negativity.
The tag right? is essentially equivalent to the Spanish ¿verdad?. It is common in a number of
dialects across the UK and US.
The tag eh? is of Scottish origin, and can be heard across much of Scotland, New Zealand,
Canada and the North-Eastern United States. In Central Scotland (in and around Stirling and
Falkirk), this exists in the form eh no? which is again invariant.
[edit] False tag in Welsh English
It is often erroneously assumed that Welsh speakers of English use a tag question to make an
emphatic statement, eg: Lovely day, isn't it?
However, this is instead a cleft sentence of the form: Lovely day, is in it.
This has its roots in the Welsh language, and this type of cleft features in all extant Celtic
languages. The lack of verb at the start of this construction coupled with the lack of rising
intonation mark this as distinct from tag questions, which are used in Welsh English in the
same manner as the majority of the UK.
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