SFL/METU Fall 2020

DBE
WHO 4 (NLL ELE Unit 5)

ELEMENTARY GROUP
Part 1. READING

A. Pre-reading: Discuss the questions below with your partner.

 What methods of transportation do you use to travel in Ankara / your city?
 Which one is more effective/cheaper/easier to use?
 Do you have any ideas about the transportation systems in other countries?
B. Read the text quickly and find the means of transport in Paris.

_________________________________________________.

C. Read the text again. Which words does the writer use to connect ideas? Underline them.

Transportation in Paris is easy because there are several ways of transport. The metro is the ideal way
to travel. There are 16 lines for travelling around the city. They seem confusing at first, but it becomes
easy when you understand the system. Each line has a different color and number. You have a large
choice of different metro passes (daily, weekly or monthly passes). These passes are more convenient
and cheaper than individual tickets. Buses are also a great option in Paris. There are a lot of buses
there, so you can go almost everywhere by bus. The only problem is to find where they stop. Bus stops
are more difficult to find than metro stations. The RER (a railway
system) is another good way to get from one place to another
very fast, but the lines are fewer than metro lines. People use
RER mainly to travel to nearby suburbs or to travel in the city
very fast. Apart from these, you can choose to travel by boat, by
train, or by bicycle in the city. The free bicycle system in Paris is
an excellent way to get around the city.

1
 Part 2. LANGUAGE STUDY

Connecting Ideas II
In WHO 2, you studied linking words “and, but, or.” We use them to connect parallel structures such as nouns,
adjectives, adverbs, verbs and prepositional phrases. Study the examples below:
* Each line has a different color and number.
* These passes are more convenient and cheaper than individual tickets.
* The metro system is very convenient but expensive.
* You can choose to travel by boat, train or bicycle.

It is sometimes necessary to combine the sentences. If all the sentences in our writing are simple
sentences, then it gets boring and more difficult to read. When we want to make the writing fluent and
varied, we use “and, but, or, so” to join two or more sentences.

AND / BUT / OR / SO
Sentence 1 , sentence 2 .

There are different means of transport in Paris , and they are very convenient.

RER is a good way to get around the city , but the lines are fewer than metro lines.

People choose to travel by bus , or they use the free bicycle system in Paris.

There are a lot of buses in Paris , so you can go almost everywhere by bus.

2
These linking words add a different meaning to a sentence, so they show different relationships between the ideas.
AND connects two parallel ideas.
Examples:
* Cyclos are a fun way to get around in Hanoi, and they are good for the environment.
* Cessna Citation is a small plane, and it only carries nine passengers.
* Oz Air has a very good in-flight service, and its tickets are very cheap.

BUT signals a change in the flow of ideas. It connects contrasting ideas.

Examples:
* My favorite means of transport is on foot, but I can’t walk everywhere.
* Modern cars go very fast, but there is a speed limit on the majority of motorways.
* Passenger ships are relaxing, but they are slow.

OR connects two or more alternatives or choices.

Examples:
* This city has different means of transport. You can use the metro, or you can travel by bicycle.
* Passengers of Top Air can watch films, or they can play video games during the flight.
* In the morning, I go to work by bus, or my husband drives me there.

SO connects two ideas when there is a reason-result relationship. It introduces the result.
Examples:
* My office is near my home, so I go there on foot every day.
* Riding a motorcycle is dangerous, so I wear a helmet all the time.

Practice 1. Read the sentences and underline the correct linker.

1. The Moscow Metro is the busiest system in Europe, (and / or) the stations are the most beautiful.
2. Ships in this city are slow, (so / but) they are more comfortable than other means of transport.
3. I go camping every summer with my family, (and / but) we usually have fun.
4. We can call the airline company for the problem, (but / or) we can send them an e-mail.
5. Monique wants to become a tourist guide, (so / but) she is learning English and Spanish.
6. We can travel around the city by taxi, (or / but) we can rent a car.
7. In Shanghai, the metro is cheaper than buses, (so / but) there are only two metro lines.
8. I don’t want to pay a lot of money for the plane tickets, (or / so) I am planning to go by bus.
9. I really like sightseeing holidays, (and / but) I love spending time in old buildings.
10. I have nothing to do this afternoon. I can ride my bike, (but / or) I can take a walk around the woods.

3
Connecting Ideas with BECAUSE

BECAUSE connects two ideas when there is a reason-result relationship. It introduces the reason. We do not
use a comma before ‘because.’ However, when it is at the beginning of a sentence, the two clauses are
separated with a comma.

BECAUSE + reason , result.

Result BECAUSE + reason.

Examples:
* Air conditioned taxis are a comfortable way to travel in Hanoi because it’s usually very hot outside.
result reason
Because it’s usually very hot outside, air conditioned taxis are a comfortable way to travel in Hanoi.
reason result
* I don’t like taking the underground because it is very crowded.
Because it is very crowded, I don’t like taking the underground.
* Moscow needs a good transport system because it’s the largest city in Europe.
Because it’s the largest city in Europe, Moscow needs a good transport system.

Practice 2. Rewrite the following sentences by using SO and BECAUSE.

1. The bridge is closed. We cannot get across the river.

_________________________________________________.

_________________________________________________.

2. I’m not interested in travelling. I don’t read many travel books.

_________________________________________________.

_________________________________________________.

3. People usually take the bus in Turkey. Bus travel is cheap.

_________________________________________________.

_________________________________________________.

4
Practice 3. Fill in the gaps with a suitable connector from the box and a sentence below (a-d). Use each
connector and sentence only ONCE. Be careful. The sentences are NOT in the correct order.

Discover London with Magic Tours

There are many sightseeing tours in London,
(1)_________________________________________
___________________________. Magic Tours has
been organizing small group tours of London for
more than ten years. We offer sightseeing tours of
high quality and exceptional service. With our
experienced guides, you can see the most popular
tourist attractions within only eight hours. Our tour
starts with a visit to the Tower of London, which is a historic monument in central London. Afterwards, you take
a short cruise on the river Thames. During this cruise, you can enjoy excellent views of St. Paul’s Cathedral,
Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, and the House of Parliament, but don’t forget to bring a jacket (2)____________
________________________________. During our tour, you have the chance to visit popular tourist attractions
and famous shops, (3)_____________________________________________________.
Finally, you visit Buckingham Palace, the official house of Queen Elizabeth II, and the tour finishes with this
marvelous sight. With Magic Tours you’ll see all the main sights and attractions of this lovely city at a price of
£128 per person. For your reservations please visit our website, (4)_____________________________________
___________________________________.

so or because but

a) London can be rainy even in summer

b) you can buy gifts and souvenirs for your friends and family during your tour in London
c) our company, Magic Tours, is the best
d) you can reach us at 44 08702255303

Practice 3. Complete these sentences with your own words.

1. I want to go to school on foot, but __________________________________.
2. You can visit the Ankara Castle today, or __________________________________.
3. Ankara is a big city, but __________________________________.
4. ODTÜ has a big campus, so __________________________________.

5
 Part 3. WRITING

A. In writing, writers use comparative structures to analyze or show the differences between people or things.
Examples of comparative structures:

High-speed trains are faster than buses.

Buses are more expensive in London than in São Paulo.
Chicago O’Hare Airport is busier than Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.

I. Read the question and the responses of two students. Which student answers the question correctly?
_________________________________________________.
II.Read the question and the responses of two students. Analyze the texts A & B in detail:
a) Underline the irrelevant sentences.
b) Underline the comparative structures.
c) Circle the linker if it connects two ideas.
Question: Explain how Ankara is different from São Paulo in terms of their metro system.

Student A
Ankara and São Paulo are two big cities. Ankara is the capital of Turkey. It has a population of 5 million. São
Paulo is the largest city in Brazil with a population of 12 million, so it is more crowded than Ankara. Ankara’s
metro system is older than São Paulo’s metro system. The metro in Ankara is cheaper than the one in São
Paulo. In Ankara, people also travel around the city by bus because it is cheap, too. There are several lines in
both metro systems. In São Paulo, people use colors to name the lines, but in Ankara, the names of the
metro lines are different because people use numbers to name them.

Student B
Ankara’s first metro line opened in 1996. The first metro line in São Paulo was built in 1968, so the metro
system in São Paulo’s is older than the one in Ankara. There are different lines in both Ankara and São
Paulo. In Ankara, these lines have different names such as M1, M2 and M3, but in São Paulo, people use
colors like blue, green and red for different metro lines. In Ankara, the total length of metro lines is 55.1
kilometers. It is longer in São Paulo because the length of metro lines is 77.4 kilometers there. In Ankara,
people pay approximately $1 for one metro pass. In São Paulo, it costs $3.80, so the metro system in Ankara
is cheaper than the one in São Paulo.
B. Read the text below. Underline the comparative structures. Then, fill in the gaps with a suitable
connector from the box.
6
 and but so (X2) because or

Los Angeles (LA) and New York City (NY) are very popular American cities. LA is located in California with a
population of 10 million people. NY is located in New York State, and it is more crowded than LA. It has a
population of 18 million people. The public transportation system isn’t very good in LA, (1)__________ it is
sometimes very difficult to go from one place to another. In NY, it’s easier to travel (2)__________ the public
transportation system is better. LA and NY are on opposite coasts. LA is on the west, and NY is on the east,
(3)__________ these cities have different temperatures. The annual average temperature in LA is almost
18°C. In NY, it is 13°C, so LA is hotter and drier than NY. The main job sectors are also different in these two
cities. People who live in LA mostly work in movie business and tourism, (4)__________ most New Yorkers are
in finance, entertainment, telecommunications (5)__________ publishing. These two cities have their own
differences and characteristics. Both of them are among the most famous (6)__________ attractive cities in
the world.

C. Fill in the table with the information in the text. Do not write long sentences. Take notes only.

Los Angeles New York City

Where is it?
What is its population?
How is the public transportation system?

What is the weather like?

What are the main job sectors?

D. Topic Sentence: In NLL Unit 5 (p. 45), you learned how to plan your written work. It is a good idea to use word
webs to organize information in a visual way. Then, don’t forget to start your paragraph with a topic sentence. The
topic sentence of a paragraph tells us the topic of the paragraph. It is usually the first sentence.

7
E. Writing Task: In about 6-10 sentences compare Ankara and your hometown. If your hometown is Ankara,
compare it with another city you know well. Please revisit the sections in your book NLL Unit 5 and this handout
for the appropriate language structures and vocabulary. Use the information provided below. Make sure you use
 comparative forms,
 at least 2 of the linkers “and, but, or, so, because.”

Ankara Your hometown

Where is it?

What is its population?

What is the weather like?

What can tourists do there?

How is the public

transportation system?
How can people travel in the
city?

STEP 1. FIRST DRAFT - Write your text and submit it on ODTÜClass.

My hometown, …, and Ankara are different…

8
STEP 2. SELF-EDITING & REVISING

Before submission,

 read your own paper.

 check your paper yourself using the self-checklist below. Put a tick (√) in the relevant box.

In order to self-edit your writing, use the guideline. Tick the relevant box.

In this writing, we expect you to:

compare your hometown and Ankara in about 6-10 sentences

use the verb “to be” in simple present tense

use “there is / there are”

use “and, but, or, so, because” to connect your ideas

use comparative structures
pay attention to spelling, capitalization and punctuation

STEP 3. INSTRUCTOR FEEDBACK – FINAL DRAFT

Rewrite your text according to your instructor’s feedback. Then, submit it on ODTÜClass.