ESL Study Guide

show up

2010-02-08T00:18:00.000-08:00

show up
show up & shows up
showing up
showed up
shown up

1. show up p.v. When you appear somewhere, you show up. Turn up is similar to show up.
/ was supposed to meet my sister for lunch, but she hasn't shown up yet.
Over a hundred people showed up for the news conference.

2. show up p.v. When something appears or becomes visible, it shows up.
It's hard to photograph polar bears because they don't show up well against the snow. The spots won't show up until the last stages of the disease.

run into

2010-02-08T00:16:00.000-08:00

present tense
-ing form
past tense
past participle
run into
run into & runs into
running into
ran into
run into

1. run into p.v. When you are driving and hit another vehicle or something near the road, such as a tree or a telephone pole, you run into it.
Ali was driving too fast, and he ran into a telephone pole. I was run into by a drunk driver.

2. run into p.v. When you meet people unexpectedly or unintentionally, you run into them. Bump into is the same as run into.
We ran into Karen and her new boyfriend at the supermarket yesterday.
I owe Frank $300, so I hope I don't run into him.

3. run into p.v. When you unexpectedly encounter difficulties or problems, you run into them.
/ thought it would be easy to fix my car, but I've been running into problems.
Janice ran into one problem after another at work today.

4. run into p.v. When the total of something grows to a large amount or number, it runs into that amount or number.
If you fixed everything on that old car that needs fixing, it would run into thousands of dollars. The number of starving people in the country ran into millions.

put on

2010-02-08T00:06:00.000-08:00

put on
put on & puts on
putting on

put on

1. put... on p.v. When you place something on or apply something to your body, you put it on.
I put on my new dress before going to the party. Eric forgot to put suntan lotion on, and now he's as red as a lobster.

2. put... on p.v. When you place something on or apply something to another surface, you put it on.
I put the book on the table.
Jerry put too much fertilizer on his lawn, and now he has to cut it twice a week.

3. put... on p.v. When you attach or affix something to another thing, you put it on.
The Wilson’s put a new roof on their house last year.
I told the tailor to put red buttons on the dress he's making for me.

Did you see Mike? He's put on so much weight that I didn't recognize him. I need to go on a diet. I've been putting on a lot of weight lately.

4. put ...on p.v. When you organize or perform something for other people's entertainment, such as a play or a concert, you put it on.
The club put on a show to raise money for the party.
That opera hasn't been put on in more than 200 years.

5. put.. .on p.v. [informal] When you put people on, you kid or tease them.
You won the lottery? You're putting me on!
Don't put me on — tell me the truth.
put-on n. Something done with the intention of fooling or deceiving people is a put-on.
He didn't really win the lottery. It was all a big put-on to impress his girlfriend.
put... on p.v. When you put on weight, you gain weight.

common mistakes

2010-02-04T23:52:00.000-08:00

Aim at, not on or against.
Don't say: She aimed on (or against) the target
Say: She aimed at the target.

Note Use the preposition at to denote direction: throw at, shout at, fire
at, shoot at. Shoot (without the at) means to kill: He shot a bird ( = he hit
and killed it).

Angry with, not against.
Don't say: The teacher was angry against him.
Say: The teacher was angry with him.

Note 1 We get angry with a person but at a thing. He was angry at the
weather (not: with the weather)

Note 2 Also annoyed with. vexed with. indignant with a person but at
a thing.
Anxious ( = troubled) about, not for.
Don't say.' They're anxious for his health.
Say: They're anxious about his health.

Note
· Anxious meaning wishing very much takes for: Parents are anxious
for their children's success.

Arrive at, not to.
Don't say: We arrived to the village at night.
Say. We arrived at the village at night.

Note Use arrive in with countries and large cities: Mr Smith has arrived in
London (or New York. India, etc.)

9 Ashamed of, not from.
Don't say: He's now ashamed from his conduct.
Say: He's now ashamed of his conduct.

Note It isn't correct to use ashamed of meaning shy . Ashamed means
feeling shame or guilt about something. Shy means feeling nervous with
someone, Instead of saying: I'm ashamed (or shamed) of my teacher, say:
I'am shy of my teacher.

common mistakes

2010-02-04T23:49:00.000-08:00

Absorbed (~ very much interested) in, not at.
Don't say: The man was absorbed at his work.
Say: The man was absorbed in his work.

Accuse of, not for .
Don't say: She accused the man for stealing.
Say: She accused the man of stealing.

Note: Charge takes with: The man was charged with murder.

3 Accustomed to, not with.
Don't say: I'm accustomed with hot weather.

Say: I'm accustomed to hot weather.
Note: Also used to: He is used to the heat

4 Afraid of, not from.
Don't say: Laura is afraid from the dog.
Say: Latira is afraid of the dog.

ESL Study Guide, Grammar - Possessive Nouns and Plural Nouns

2010-01-20T14:12:00.000-08:00

Possessive Nouns

In grammar, possession shows ownership. Follow these rules to create possessive nouns.

1. With singular nouns, add an apostrophe and an s.
dog → dog’s bone
singer → singer’s voice

2. With plural nouns ending in s, add an apostrophe after the s.
dogs → dogs’ bones
singers → singers’ voices

3. With plural nouns not ending in s, add an apostrophe and an s.
men → men’s books
mice → mice’s tails

Plural Nouns

Here are the guidelines for creating plural nouns.

1. Add s to form the plural of most nouns.
cat → cats computer → computers

2. Add es if the noun ends in s, sh, ch, or x.
wish → wishes inch → inches box → boxes

ESL Study Guide, Grammar - Nouns

2010-01-20T14:08:00.000-08:00

A noun is a word that names a person, place, or thing. Nouns come in these varieties: common
nouns, proper nouns, compound nouns, and collective nouns.

1. Common nouns name any one of a class of person, place, or thing.
girl city food

2. Proper nouns name a specific person, place, or thing. Proper nouns are always capitalized.
Barbara New York City Rice-a-Roni

3. Compound nouns are two or more nouns that function as a single unit. A compound noun
can be two individual words, words joined by a hyphen, or two words combined.

Individual words: time capsule
Hyphenated words: great-uncle
Combined words: basketball

4. Collective nouns name groups of people or things.
audience family herd crowd

ESL Study Guide, Grammar - Interjections

2010-01-20T14:03:00.000-08:00

Interjections show strong emotion. Since interjections are not linked grammatically to other
words in the sentence, they are set off from the rest of the sentence with a comma or an exclamation mark. For example:

Oh! What a shock you gave me with that gorilla suit.
Wow! That’s not a gorilla suit!

ESL Study Guide, Grammar - Conjunctions

2010-01-20T13:41:00.000-08:00

Conjunctions

Conjunctions connect words or groups of words and show how the words are related. There
are three kinds of conjunctions: coordinating conjunctions, correlative conjunctions, and subordinating conjunctions.

1. Coordinating conjunctions link similar words or word groups. There are seven coordinating
conjunctions: for and nor but or yet so

Quick Tip

Use this mnemonic to help you remember the seven coordinating conjunctions:
FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so).

2. Correlative conjunctions also link similar words or word groups, but they are always used
in pairs. Here are the correlative conjunctions:
both . . .and either . . . or
neither . . . nor not only . . . but also whether . . . or

3. Subordinating conjunctions link an independent clause (complete sentence) to a dependent
clause (fragment). Here are the most often used subordinating conjunctions:
after although as as if
as long as as soon as as though because
before even though if in order that
since so that though till
unless until when whenever
where wherever

ESL Study Guide, Grammar - adverbs

2010-01-18T23:08:00.000-08:00

Adverbs are words that describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Adverbs answer the
questions:

When? Where? How? or To what extent?
When? left yesterday begin now
Where? fell below move up
How? happily sang danced badly
To what extent? partly finished eat completely

Most adverbs are formed by adding -ly to an adjective. For example:

Adjective Adverb
Quick — quickly
Careful — carefully
Accurate — accurately

Here are some of the most common non-ly adverbs:

afterward almost already also back even
far fast hard here how late
long low more near never next
now often quick rather slow soon
still then today tomorrow too when
where yesterday

Follow these guidelines when you use adverbs:

Use an adverb to describe a verb.

1.Experiments using dynamite must be done carefully.
verb adv.

2. Use an adverb to describe an adjective.

Sam had an unbelievably huge appetite for chips.
adv. adj.

3. Use an adverb to describe another adverb.
They sang so clearly.
adv. adv.

Quick Tip

Conjunctive adverbs are used to connect other words and to link ideas and
paragraphs.

accordingly again also besides
consequently finally for example furthermore
however indeed moreover on the other hand
otherwise nevertheless then therefore

ESL Study Guide, Grammar - Adjectives

2010-01-18T22:26:00.000-08:00

Adjectives

Adjectives are words that describe nouns and pronouns. Adjectives answer the questions:

What kind? How much? Which one? How many?

For example:

What kind? red nose gold ring
How much? more sugar little effort
Which one? second chance those chocolates
How many? several chances six books

There are five kinds of adjectives: common adjectives, proper adjectives, compound adjectives,articles, and indefinite adjectives.

1. Common adjectives describe nouns or pronouns.
strong man
green plant
beautiful view

2. Proper adjectives are formed from proper nouns.
California vegetables (from the noun “California”)
Mexican food (from the noun “Mexico”)

3. Compound adjectives are made up of more than one word.

far-off country
teenage person

4. Articles are a special type of adjective. There are three articles: a, an, the.
The is called a “definite article” because it refers to a specific thing.

A and an are called “indefinite articles” because they refer to general things. Use a with consonant sounds; use an before vowel sounds.

5. Indefinite adjectives don’t specify the specific amount of something.

all another any both
each either few many
more most neither other
several some

Follow these guidelines when you use adjectives:

1. Use an adjective to describe a noun or a pronoun.

Jesse was unwilling to leave the circus.
noun adj. adj. noun

2. Use vivid adjectives to make your writing more specific and descriptive.
Take a larger slice of the luscious cake.
adj. noun adj. noun

3. Use an adjective after a linking verb. A linking verb connects a subject with a descriptive word. The most common linking verbs are be (is, am, are, was, were, and so on), seem,appear, look, feel, smell, sound, taste, become, grow, remain, stay, and turn.

Chicken made this way tastes more delicious (not deliciously).

Quick Tip

Predicate adjectives are adjectives separated from the noun or pronoun by a linking
verb. Predicate adjectives describe the subject of the sentence.

The weather was cold all week.

pronoun practice

2010-01-17T07:59:00.000-08:00

consider the answers to the following questions:

‘Did you see Jonathon last night?' 'No, I phoned ______ but he wasn't there.'

I can't do this homework. Can you help ______?

I asked a question but you didn't answer ______ .

We're not ready. Please give ______ some more time.

She speaks very quickly. I can't understand ______ .

I'm sorry about your birthday. I'm afraid I forgot about ______.

Jill's a very nice woman. Do you know ______?

My parents are coming this weekend. Would you like to meet ______?

They're not married now. She left ______ a year ago.

'Where's your passport?' 'I don't know I can't find ______.'

My mother writes to me every week but I don't write to ______ very often.

Were you at the meeting last night? I didn't see ______ there.

We want to help you. Please ______ tell about your problems.

living in china

2010-01-17T06:24:00.000-08:00

Living in China is something a lot of foreigners are often worried about. Will I have trouble with this or that? Will I have trouble adjusting to the culture? Living in China I have found it is not just a matter of culture. In the first year alone, I would say the number of people is the biggest thing to get use to.

This has a lot of interesting effects. In Canada, getting something delivered can be incredibly expensive. A simple courier costing fifty dollars or more. The first time I move, I can remember renting a truck that cost $100 a day. God knows what it would have cost to hire an entire moving crew. Most Western students could rarely afford such a thing. China is an entirely different matter. Walking done the street in XuJiaHui, one of the busiest districts in Shanghai, you can see many things. When one man on a bicycle went buy carrying a stack of furniture higher than me (I'm 6'1”) I had to stop and take a picture.

Apostrophe Practice

2008-10-24T01:38:00.000-07:00

Rewrite the following sentences with apostrophes.

1.) Have you met Susans friend?

2.) About sixty people use the teachers room.

3.) Someone had taken Barbaras purse.

4.) Something was hurting the animals foot.

5.) I'm going to write to the childrens parents.

6.) Jane works in my mothers office.

7.) The dog doesn't like its food.

8.) Mary and Pat stayed at their friends house.

9.) Are you going to the secretaries meeting?

10.) I put the money in the waiters hand.

Remember, the apostrophe has three uses.

1) to form possessives of nouns
2) to form contractions
3) to indicate certain plurals of lowercase letters.

I will post the answers later.

Good luck with your studies,
ESL Study Guide

Article Practice

2008-10-19T03:36:00.000-07:00

Complete the sentences with a or an, the or no article.

1 'How much are ......... beans?' 'They're 80 cents ......... pound.'
2 I went to ......... wonderful concert by ......... London Symphony Orchestra.
3 ......... local school is going to be closed soon.
4 I usually go to work by ......... train.
5 Is ......... meat in ......... oven?
6 Is this ......... first time you've been to ......... Isle of Man?
7 He's ......... art teacher and she's ......... electrician.
8 A lot of people give ......... money to charity at this time of year.
9 What ......... beautiful face that child's got!
10 ......... British usually have butter on their bread.
11 Life is very difficult for ......... unemployed these days.
12 ......... leader of ......... opposition is in danger of losing her seat at ......... next election.
13 I like to have ......... cup of tea when I wake up in ......... morning.
14 I saw ......... fox this morning. I think it must have been ......... same one that I saw last week.
15 Can I have ......... apple?
16 Have you ever seen ......... Acropolis in Athens?
17 ......... police have had a lot of support from ......... general public over this issue.
18 ......... shirts on ......... washing-line should be nearly dry now.
19 ......... people don't like him because of his selfish attitude.
20 I bought my sister ......... book and bottle of perfume for her birthday but I don't think she liked ......... perfume.

Try to complete all of the following questions. I will be posting the answers later.

Answers

1.) the, a
2.) a, the
3.) a
4.)
5.) the, the
6.) the, the
7.) an, an
8.)
9.) a
10.) the
11.) the
12.) the, the, the
13.) a, the
14.) a, the
15.) an
16.) the
17.) the, the
18.) the, the
19.)
20.) a, the

Good luck with your studies,
ESL Study Guide

Verb Tense practice

2008-09-26T12:43:00.000-07:00

Complete the following sentences. Use yesterday, last, tomorrow, or next.

1. I went swimming ______ morning.
2. Ken is going to go to the beach ______ morning.
3. I'm going to take a trip ______ week.
4. Alice went to Miami ______ week for a short vacation.
5. We had a test in class ______ afternoon.
6. ______ afternoon we're going to go on a picnic.
7. My sister is going to arrive ______ Tuesday.
8. Sam bought a used car ______ Friday.
9. My brother is going to enter university ______ fall.
10. ______ spring I took a trip to San Francisco.
11. Ann is going to fly to London ______ month.
12. I'm going to study at the library ______ night.
13. ______ night I watched TV.
14. ______ evening I'm going to go to a baseball game.
15. Matt was at the laundromat ______ evening.

See if you can complete all 15 sentences. I will post the answers tomorrow.

Good luck with your studies,
ESL Study Guide

Answers
1. yesterday
2. tomorrow
3. next
4. last
5. yesterday
6. Tomorrow
7. next
8. last
9. next
10. Last
11. next
12. tomorrow
13. Last
14. Tomorrow
15. yesterday

Possessive adjectives

2008-09-23T23:02:00.000-07:00

Pronouns each have a possessive adjective:

I —> my
we —> our
you —> your
you —> your
he —> his
they -> their
she —> her
it —> its

Comparative Forms

2008-09-23T22:27:00.001-07:00

Complete the following sentences using the words in brackets.

1 It's _____________ here than in London. (hot)
2 She's _____________ her brother. (imaginative)
3 He's _____________ all the other students. (old)
4 Do you think Pat is _____________ Brian? (intelligent)
5 This school is _____________ ours. (old-fashioned)
6 The computer was _____________ I thought. (expensive)
7 The rooms are _____________ they used to be. (clean)
8 He's _____________ he was a year ago. (healthy)
9 Do you think English is _____________ French. (difficult)
10 He eats a lot - he's getting _____________ before. (fat)

Answers

1 hotter
2 more imaginative than
3 older than
4 more intelligent than
5 more old-fashioned than
6 more expensive than
7 cleaner than
8 healthier than
9 more difficult than
10 fatter than

Basic Grammar Review - Making Comparisons

2008-09-13T04:03:00.000-07:00

There are three basic ways to compare objects:

The same (as), similar (to), different (from)

1. Is the population of China and India the same?
3. Is the culture of China and Japan similar?
4. Do you think College and University are different?
5. Do you think Michael and Sean are similar?
6. Are Richmond and Vancouver different?

Using Pronouns Correctly

2008-09-12T03:36:00.000-07:00

Only two parts of speech, nouns and pronouns, have case. This means that they change form depending on how they are used in a sentence. English has three cases: nominative, objective, and possessive.

Nominative case
- the pronoun is used as a subject.

example:
I threw the ball.

Objective case
- the pronoun is used as an object.

example:
Give the ball to me.

Possessive case
- the pronoun is used to show ownership.

example:
The ball is mine.

Nominative Objective Possessive
(Pronoun as subject) (Pronoun as object) (Ownership)
I me my, mine
you you your, yours
he him his
she her her, hers
it it its
we us our, ours
they them their, theirs
who whom whose
whoever whomever whoever

A Tip for Reference and Paraphrased Sentence Questions

2008-09-05T00:59:00.000-07:00

SENTENCES that ask you to identify a reference or the best paraphrase for a sentence are testing a similar skill. In both cases, you need to show that you understand what a particular sentence means.

The following strategy will help you pick the correct answer.

First, eliminate any answers that you know are incorrect. Take the remaining choices and place them one at a time into the sentence or paragraph. Does the answer make sense in the context of the sentence or paragraph? If it does not, it is not the correct answer.

For example, notice how this works with the following reference question:

The word they in paragraph 3 refers to:
a. people suffering from bipolar disorder.
b. symptoms of bipolar disorder.
c. family members of people with bipolar disorder.
d. people who have occasional mood swings.

Here's the sentence in which they is used:

They are often greatly relieved to learn that they suffer from a treatable medical condition.

It's clear that 'they' refers to people, not symptoms, so we can immediately rule out answer b. Now, we can begin the process of elimination by replacing 'they' with each of the remaining answers:

a. People who suffer from bipolar disorder are often greatly relieved to learn that they suffer from a treatable medical condition.
c. Family members of people with bipolar disorder are often greatly relieved to learn that they suffer from a treatable medical condition.
d. People who have occasional mood swings are often greatly relieved to learn that they suffer from a treatable medical condition.

This process makes it clear that a is the correct answer.

Freewriting

2008-09-01T01:25:00.000-07:00

Successful Freewriting

Freewriting is probably one of the best-known prewriting or brainstorming techniques. It works well when you have some thoughts on a topic, but can't decide how to develop it into an essay. Freewriting also functions as a development tool. It turns isolated ideas into a potential essay. People use this technique and often surprise themselves by coming up with an idea they didn't realize they had.

Specifically, freewriting means spending a predetermined amount of time writing nonstop and focusing on one specific topic. This technique may also be referred to as 'flow writing,' because it works on the flow, or momentum, that comes when you stay with your writing. The key is to not stop writing. Ignore your grammar, spelling, or whether your ideas make sense. It is purely about improving the speed of your writing.

1.) Resist the temptation to look back at what you have written.

2.) If you can't stay on topic, keep writing anything to maintain the flow.

3.) Don't censor yourself; remember, no one will see it so write everything.

4.) Follow your ideas regardless of where they lead you.

5.) When finished, highlight the most interesting and strongest ideas.

Try the process again after you've focused your topic; more ideas may be generated.

Subscribing to the idiom of the day

2008-08-29T13:11:00.000-07:00

You can check out the new RSS feed for the idiom of the day by adding it to your RSS reader. Just add:

http://www.eslstudyguide.com/feed.xml

Good luck with your studies,
ESL Study Guide

Sending an email

2008-08-05T07:02:00.000-07:00

One of the easiest ways to practice English is with a penpal via email. But what about the format of a message? What if you want to send an email message to a company? How should you write it?

If you are familiar with the person you are writing to you are able to get away with being informal. On the other hand, if you do not know the person you need to be more formal. Take a look at the following sample email.

Date: Mon, 23 Oct 1995 12:33:24 –0500
From: Sara Chang
To: All Employees
Subject: New phone installations this weekend

**ATTENTION**

We will be getting a new phone system installed in the office on Saturday, October 29. To help with the installation, you are asked to do the following things by
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, at 5 PM.

1. Please remove all your belongings and papers from your desk.

2. Please be sure to delete all of your voice mail messages from the system.

If you have any questions or need help complying with these requests, please
call me at extension 555. Thanks for your cooperation!

Sara
Sara Chang
Ext. 555
schang@company.com

Describing a Picture

2008-07-22T17:28:00.001-07:00

How can we describe this picture?

Begin your description with the kind of animal it is. You can then go on to physical characteristics and actions.

I see a green and black fly. It has big red eyes and is sitting on a white table.

Analyzing an Introduction

2008-07-20T10:20:00.000-07:00

Look at the following introduction:

Many people living longer, because now people have a good alimentation than before, I think one of the reason is about that works, frecuently people spend less time in hard works and people make more exercises now and these exarcises are good for health people, other reason is about people are living more comfotable now, in the past people lived really bad for cause a many factores,

Clarity

The response has all of the basic components but is not as clear as it could be. Break it up bit by bit.

'Many people living longer, because now people have a good alimentation than before.'

What is the author trying to say?

1.) People live longer
2.) 'alimentation' shows a weakness in vocabulary and should be replaced with a separate idea
- Ailment seems to be what the author was wanting to use
- We will replace it with 'health'

Many people are living longer because of improvements in their health.

What about the rest of the response?

I think one of the reason is about that works, frecuently people spend less time in hard works and people make more exercises now and these exarcises are good for health people, other reason is about people are living more comfotable now, in the past people lived really bad for cause a many factores,

Break it up into complete sentences based on the ideas the author wants to use and you might rewrite it as follows.

I think one of the reasons for this is that people frequently spend less time working so hard and exercise more often. Exercise and less stress is good for people's health. Another reason is that people have more comfortable lives than in the past.

The author should keep in mind we do not want to go into too much detail about the reasons. Detail should be saved for the body paragraphs. The longest part of the introduction will probably end up being your hook, something that can be expanded upon in this response.

Any ideas for a hook?

Good luck with your studies,
ESL Study Guide

Analyzing Tone

2008-07-17T09:43:00.000-07:00

The following is a sample business letter:

[date]
Mr. John R. Michaels
Skyline Technologies
P.O. Box 423
Richmond, British Columbia
V6X1A7

Dear Mr. Michaels:

Congratulations! Your account at Blair's Computer Wholesale has been approved. We are
proud to have you as a customer. John, as you probably know, Blair's Computer Wholesale is a 12-year-old company, with 71 stores in nine provinces. We supply a complete line of computer products to our customers, including servers, desktops, notebooks, software, accessories, and individual hardware componentd. As a leader in this industry, we strive to provide the best possible customer service.

Our goal is to be the supplier you consider first whenever you have computer needs. Customer satisfaction is our number-one priority.

Your approved credit line is $7,200, with a monthly billing cycle. Monthly statements are mailed on the first working day of every month. Service charges will be added on past-due balances that are not paid by the twenty-fifth of the month.

We at Blair's Computer Wholesale are looking forward to serving you and developing a long and prosperous relationship. The local manager is Tina Wang. Her telephone number is 778-555-7281.

Yours truly,
Jack Blair
Credit Department

Analysis:

Tone

The tone of a letter can get a positive or negative reaction from a reader. You should set the tone of a letter at the beginning and maintain it throughout. The tone of any business letter should be courteous and friendly, and written as if you were talking directly with the reader. You don’t want to get too technical. Write in language that the reader can understand

The tone should also help to show that someone with a personality, rather than a computer, is writing the letter. If the reader believes that you are actually concerned about how they are affected, a positive response is much more likely.

Consider the sample Letter above. The letter sets a tone emphasizing efficiency and a personal touch right from the beginning by addressing both the writer’s past involvement with the customer and what the customer needs. The writer comes directly to the point and discusses the credit proposal for his customer’s company.

In the first paragraph, the writer establishes the tone of the letter:

We are proud to have you as a customer. In the second paragraph, he addresses the customer by their first name, maintaining a personal, courteous tone. Not only does Jack express positive feelings about his customer, he also suggests that the tone of the entire letter will remain one of positive feelings.

The sample letter is written with a positive tone directed toward its reader, which is maintained from start to finish. By convincing the reader that he is receiving a fair proposal from someone in a position to help them, then the letter will likely be successful.

the use of details

2008-06-27T10:52:00.000-07:00

Consider the following response:

summer vacation is wonderful holiday to techers.

first, we can go traveling abroad to seesight seeing. when we go to other country, we'll learn more things than we learned in Korea using text books.

Second, we will take a rest to be refresh in order to work again with a new energy.

Third, we have our own time to enjoy my dream. sometimes we can meet my friends without having any barriers.

finally, summer vacation is perfect season for my leisure time

At first glance, it may seem poor, but this is not the case. The structure is clearly defined, and while using very little detail, what is given is fairly clear and to the point. This is something that will lead to a higher overall TOEFL iBT score. Clear writing means you will be understood.

What can we do to improve it?

1.) expand on the details
- remember: TOEFL iBT independent essays should be around 300 words.

2.) how can I expand on the details?
- we can go traveling abroad to seesight seeing.
- what can you see?
- here is somewhere you can talk about the interesting things you could see in the foreign
country you chose to visit.

- Second, we will take a rest to be refresh in order to work again with a new energy.
- How are you going to be refreshed?
- here is where you can talk about relieving stress
- people will be able to get there mind off of their work
- what could happen if we did not refresh ourselves and just worked nonstop?

- Third, we have our own time to enjoy my dream. sometimes we can meet my friends without having
any barriers.
- What is your dream/hobbies?
- why can you not normally do this?
- what barriers are you referring to?
- different time schedules?
- how often do you normally get to see your friends?

By expanding on the initial response this way, our TOEFL iBT writing score will be significantly higher.

Good luck with your studies,
ESL Study Guide

Expanding on an idea

2008-06-26T12:31:00.000-07:00

Topic: Do you like sports?

Response:
I think that sport is a very helthy stuff to do. First of all is that sport burn your fat u dont have to be a faty and get calls.

Where do we begin to build on this?

go back to the question
- did we fully answer it?
- is our answer properly addressing the question?

In looking at the previous two points, we should quickly realize that it is something we can improve. Do you like sports? What kind of question is this? A writing prompt like this is asking for an opinion and we will need to give some supporting reasons to go with it. Again, go back to our basic structure. The following is an outline of how we could structure our answer, expanding on the given writing sample.

Introduction
- Hook: Is there a sport you play? find interesting?
- Opinion: Yes, I like sports
- reasons: avoid becoming fat, avoid insults

body paragraph 1
- topic sentence: Playing sports ensures people will (be skinnier/be healthy/avoid becoming fat)
- supporting detail: how do sports help you avoid becoming fat?
- burn it off
- advantages of exercise
- convert fat to muscle

body paragraph 2
- topic sentence: Playing sports ensures people will (avoid getting insulted/not be called names)
- supporting detail: why will people not be called names?
- develop muscle
- increased physical strength
- what about an example: martial arts
- not afraid to defend oneself

conclusion
- summarize your point of view

At this point we have a complete outline and can fill it in by discussing our points (making the essay). When using an example to expand on an idea, use something you are familiar with. One last point, while fatty may seem informal, the use of well placed idioms in an essay can go a long way towards showing improved or higher writing abilities.

Good luck with your studies,
ESL Study Guide

Where to begin?

2008-06-25T10:16:00.000-07:00

Many times visitors to the site will submit things like the following in the free-writing exercises.

topic: homeless

response:
I have a lot of things to said. but i dont know speak english very well. That's too hard for me. i was very upset because i want to saying, writting something but i cant do it.

While there is obvious grammatical problems. The first and foremost thing is always addressing the topic.

What did you want to say about homelessness?
- That it is a big problem?
- That it is a minor problem?
- How to eliminate it?
- How certain things are contributing to it?

From there, brainstorm on the topic to find 2 or 3 supporting points to help you develop your argument.

If you wish to write on how it is a big problem, then you may choose reasons to support that.

- affects many people
- insufficient retraining programs (government programs to help people find jobs)
- less government funding to combat it (things such as housing projects for low income families)

If those are our three reasons we then need to expand on them in our body paragraphs. Remember the basic structure of an essay.

Introduction
- introduce the topic
- give your point of view

body paragraph 1
- introduce supporting reason
- supporting details

body paragraph 2
- introduce supporting reason
- supporting details

body paragraph 3
- introduce supporting reason
- supporting details

conclusion
- summarize your point of view

You do NOT need to write a perfect essay immediately. Learning any skill takes times and anyone learning English should take this into account. You will need regular practice and if possible, someone to give you some feedback. As always, don't get discouraged, everyone has to start somewhere.

Good luck with your studies,
ESL Study Guide

Vocabulary showing English fluency

2008-05-30T23:20:00.000-07:00

How does vocabulary show you have a higher English fluency level? This can be an important characteristic if your responses on exams such as the TOEFL iBT, but you should keep certain things in mind.

1.) Should I memorize a lot of exotic or complicated words?

Absolutely not! Exams such as the TOEFL iBT are measuring the quality of your response. If you memorize a lot of exotic vocabulary and fail to use them correctly, you will be hurting your score rather than helping it. Focus on skills that will help make your response clear and easy to follow. I am not advocating that you do not spend any time on studying vocabulary, but the idea is to have a balance of all skills. You should also keep your audience in mind. If they do not understand your vocabulary, you will not be understood.

2.) I am worried about topics I do not understand. What about words from them?

This is part of your preparation. Before taking a TOEFL iBT exam, you should make sure that you are adequately prepared. Rather than reading topics from encyclopedias to try and learn as many academic topics as possible, concentrate on areas such as what you would hear in the news. Exams such as the TOEFL iBT do not require you to have special knowledge in specific subjects such as astronomy or chemistry, but the terminology you will hear in sources such as CBC, CNN, or other English news programs will give you a general background in almost all of the topics you will face. You should also concentrate on your vocabulary in context skills. If you can identify what the word is acting as in the sentence, you will be more likely to correctly guess its meaning even if you have not seen the word before.

3.) Can you give me a list of recommended words?

ESL Study Guide maintains many word lists for it members and even places some in the free section of the website. Feel free to browse the site and see what it available.

Finally, avoid sounding too simplistic. A broad vocabulary base will help you avoid sounding like a child or having a response that is too simple (ie, I am a student. I am from Korea.) and ensure that you are easily understood.

Good luck with your studies,
ESL Study Guide

The role of intonation in speaking

2008-05-28T12:09:00.000-07:00

How important is intonation in your speaking? Many second language learners commonly make the mistake of simply believing that their pronunciation is sufficient because they can produce the basic sounds of English and therefore require no further work.

I can be understood, why should I continue working to improve my pronunciation?

This is where intonation comes in. Communication is often dependent on many factors and one of them is intonation. Consider the following situation.

You are in class and have just been caught cheating on an exam. Your teacher is standing in front of you and says "What do you think you are doing?"

At this point, you may know you are in trouble, but exactly how much you can tell by their intonation. Does your teacher shout at you? Does your teacher speak in a tired manner? Does your teacher lean forward looking you in the eye and say it softly, almost in a monotone? Does the teacher simply state it in a bored manner?

In this case, their intonation will tell you just how much trouble you are in.

Good luck with your studies,
ESL Study Guide

Improving your speaking

2008-05-26T12:40:00.000-07:00

Speaking is one ability that language learners often have a hard time improving. Too often they are able to become proficient in one English skill such as grammar and neglect others. This is a very poor thing to do with regards to your overall fluency. If you are unable to meet native English speakers on a regular basis, you should keep certain things in mind.

What helps in your overall speaking ability?

1.) pronunciation
This is incredibly important. Native speakers of languages other than English often have specific sounds that are not present in their first language. It is important to recognize this and know which sounds are typically a problem.

In the case of Korean speakers, it is typically /f/, /v/, /q/ and /¶/. These sounds are produced as /p/, /b/, /t/ and /d/. The /p/ and /f/ and /b/ and /v/ sounds are also very often confused. English consonants such as /p/ and /b/, /t/ and /d/, /k/ and /g/ are also often mixed up.

2.) intonation
What is the tone of your voice like? Do you talk in a monotone? Are you placing emphasis on the end of a sentence? This is something that signifies a question rather than a sentence.

3.) pacing
Watch how fast your talk. Talking too quickly or too slowly indicates a lack of proficiency and needs to be addressed.

If you feel you are weak in your speaking ability, you can also visit our Live Chat feature and practice with native speakers.

Good luck with your studies,
ESL Study Guide

TOEFL Essays - Conclusions

2008-01-12T05:58:00.001-08:00

Independent Essays - Conclusions

Independent essays require three things in the conclusion to be complete:
Restate the thesis
Restate the reasons
Add any final emphasis

Restating the thesis

Your conclusion is the last chance to reinforce your argument. You have stated your thesis in the introduction and developed it through out your essay. Your conclusion serves to reinforce the effort you have put in to persuade the reader to see your point of view.

Remember: you do not have to specifically state your belief or premise, but it MUST be clearly implied to the reader. For example:

The government of South Korea should build a new university in Suji since .

This does not involve you stating your opinion in the first person but is just as effective.

I think that the government of South Korea should build a new university in Suji since .

Both approaches can be used depending on your overall needs and preference. The main point is to be as clear as possible what your point of view is.

Restating your reasons

Reinforcing your argument by merely giving your thesis again will not allow you to complete your essay with a strong finish. To fully develop the strength of your argument you need to restate the reasons as well. The wording for both restating your thesis and reasons should not copy that of your introduction. When restating a reason, begin with a transition to let the reader know which reason it is. Be sure to be consistent with the ordering of restated reasons. They should be listed in the order they were presented in the essay. For example:

First, a new university in Suji would allow students to save money.

Final Emphasis

You can end your essay in a manner forcing the reader to consider your point of view. A common approach fort this is ending with a question. You can also close with a statement that supports your argument. However, you must always be sure to never introduce new information.

TOEFL Essays - Body Paragraphs

2008-01-09T05:07:00.001-08:00

Body Paragraphs

You will need to accomplish three things in your body paragraphs:
Topic sentences
Supporting detail
Examples (optional)

Topic sentences

A topic sentence is a sentence whose main idea dictates the rest of the paragraph. The body of a paragraph explains or develops the topic sentence's main idea. It is best to use a transition at the beginning of the topic sentence as a placeholder to let readers know the progress of the essay.

Supporting detail

After introducing what you will be discussing in your topic sentence, it is important to build and expand on your reason. Be sure that each body paragraph only discusses one main point (the one introduced in your topic sentence). Supporting detail should give enough information to show why each point is relevant to the reason at hand.

Examples

To further persuade the listener and show additional understanding of the topic, an example can be used. Examples must however be relevant and should be developed in such a way as to give the reader little choice but to see your point of view. For example:

First, students should be required to attend class. Students attending university classes are gain necessary skills for later in life. An example that clearly highlights the need for experience and skills is medical students. If medical students were allowed to optionally attend class they would not have the necessary skills to diagnose patients. You may go to the doctor and get antibiotics that rather than cure an infection, make it worse.

By using the example of medical students and the fact that people wanting medical treatment have to see a doctor, we can make the reader consider the possibility of an unqualified doctor. While they may get one that regularly attended class, would you want to take the chance that they did not?

As long as your example is clearly related to the topic at hand and easy to understand, your argument can become much more persuasive.

Good luck with your studies,
ESL Study Guide

Toefl essay's - introducing your reasons

2008-01-01T02:58:00.001-08:00

TOEFL Essays - Introducing Reasons

If you go back to the structure of your introductions you will remember that you are generally required to do three things.

1.) hook
2.) thesis
3.) introduce reasons

While the first two are mandatory for TOEFL essays, how you introduce your reasons in the introduction is subject to some leeway.

If you wish to directly give your reasons in the introduction you must be brief and directly to the point. For example, if your topic was whether the government should build a university in your area (assuming you argue the affirmative point of view)

Hook
+
Thesis
+
First, a new university would save students money. Next, by not traveling so far away for school, students would be able to spend more time with their family. Finally, a new university would help develop the local area.

The direct approach is only one possible way. If you wish to concentrate on the develop of your ideas in the body paragraphs, another strategy is as follows.

Hook
+
Thesis + "for the following reasons."

By ending your thesis statement with a phrase such as "for the following reasons" or "for three main reasons" you can effectively connect your introduction to the body paragraphs of your essay. However, if you use this approach, do not forget to use transitions with your topic sentences.

Good luck with your studies,
ESL Study Guide

Essay Analysis

2007-09-21T06:59:00.000-07:00

Topic: Read the question below and type your response in the box provided.
It has recently been announced that a large shopping center may be built in your neighborhood. Do you support or oppose this plan? Why? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

Essay: Student Submission

I am very happy when i know this new. i almost agree this plan. because i have many reasons. First i like shopping very much. i always waste of times to go shopping because they are so far form my house. i often go shopping every weekend. Second gas are rising now. if i go long way, i will waste of a lot of gas. Third i will pay for parking. in short building a large shopping center in my neighborhood almost correct. i will save a lot of things.

Analysis:

While a weak essay, this essay shows some of the basic components needed for a toefl essay. The biggest flaw with this essay is its lack of organization and short length. A toefl essay generally consists of five paragraphs and should be approximately 300 words long. The introduction should get the readers attention with a hook, state an opinion with a thesis statement, and then introduce the supporting reasons. Body paragraphs are used to expand on the supporting reasons. Topic sentences are used to introduce the supporting reason. Each paragraph should deal with one supporting reason and ONLY that idea. Writers may further develop body paragraphs with examples, though this is not mandatory. The conclusion allows writers to re-inforce their argument by restating the thesis statement and reasons. Writers may also emphasize final points, though it is important to not introduce any new information.

Introduction
- Hook
- Thesis
- Introduce reasons

Body Paragraph 1
- Topic sentence
- supporting details
- example

Body Paragraph 2
- Topic sentence
- supporting details
- example

Body Paragraph 3
- Topic sentence
- supporting details
- example

Conclusion
- Restate thesis
- Restate reasons

Good luck with your studies,

ESL Study Guide

ESL Discussion Questions

2007-08-03T07:27:00.000-07:00

While studying for the speaking section of the TOEFL exam, it is important to know the types of questions you will face. The speaking section is broken up as follows.

Independent
- Question 1
- Question 2

Integrated
- Question 3
- Question 4
- Question 5
- Question 6

Looking at the independent questions, they are about stating your opinion or personal preference. Look at the following questions:

1.) What is your favorite day of the year? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

2.) What is the primary advantage of receiving a university education? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

3.) Are first impressions accurate? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

Look at these questions and keep the following in mind when answering them.

1.) Are you answering the right question. For example, in question 1 are your stating why a certain day is your favorite?

2.) Use reasons to support your answer. Make sure your reasons support your argument.

3.) Speak for a MINIMUM of 3/4 of the allowed time. You are allowed 45 seconds to respond to independent questions. Your optimal response time should be between 40 - 43 seconds. ALWAYS be sure to finish your response within the time limit.

Use the example discussion questions and practice with a partner. Have your partner time you and practice answering the questions within the time limit.

Good luck on your studies,
ESL Study Guide

Speed Reading

2007-07-29T19:09:00.000-07:00

Speed Reading

Getting Started:

Speed Reading helps improve your reading ability by helping you text faster. On tests such as the TOEFL, speed reading will ensure you have more time available to complete the test. With the reading section of exams being a common weak point of second language learners, increasing your reading speed is essential.

The first step in increasing your reading speed is determining how fast you read.

http://www.eslstudyguide.com/section/reading/speed/speedreaderdiagnostic.php

After reading choosing a level and a passage, complete the questions to find your reading speed.

Improving your speed:

http://www.eslstudyguide.com/section/reading/speed/speedreader.php

Once you know your reading speed you can begin working on improving it. For example, if you find that you read at 200 words per minute (wpm). Using Speed Reader, choose a level and passage and then enter your reading speed. If you find you are answering 100% of the questions correctly, you need to enter a higher reading speed to practice with. As an optimal range, try using a reading speed where you find yourself answering 70% - 80% of the questions correctly. You should not overwhelm yourself, but you also need to ensure you are not making it too easier.

Something to keep in mind:

While you are reading, keep in mind the number of words you read at a single time. If you find yourself only being able to reading a single letter or word at a time, it is a point you can work to improve. Reading warmups is designed to increase the speed at which you move your eyes as you read. Watch as pictures appear and then disappear, then click on the matching picture. As you consistently choose the correct one, the picture will appear and disappear faster and faster.

Good luck with your studies,
ESL Study Guide

Idioms and slang

2007-07-29T04:55:00.000-07:00

Learning another language can be confusing at times. Idioms and slang can often make little if any sense. Here is a few idioms and slang terms dealing with the work place.

Idiom: work in
Definition: rub in
Example: I had to work in two trips to the post office, stopping at Staples and picking up an executive from the airport before meeting the boss to discuss next week's schedule.

Idiom: work into
Definition: force something to progress little by little
Example: I had to work into my routine, it was too much to start with at first.

Idiom: work off
Definition: make something go away
Example: I had a lot of debt to work off after finishing university.

Idiom: work on
Definition: try to improve
Example: I often work on my golf stroke.

Idiom: work your fingers to the bone
Definition: work very hard
Example: He has been working his fingers to the bone looking after his brothers.

Idiom: work out
Definition: solve a problem
Example: I was able to work out the problem that was posted on the board.

Idiom: work out
Definition: exercise
Example: I often work out on the weekends.

Idiom: work over
Definition: threaten or hurt someone
Example: My parents threatened to work me over if I ever stole anything again.

Idiom: work up
Definition: stir up, excite
Example: I worked up a sweat jogging.

Idiom: worked up
Definition: feeling excited, angry, worried
Example: The students were worked up after failing the vocabulary test.

Idiom: worm your way out of something
Definition: avoid a problem or taking responsibility
Example: I was able to worm my way out of helping my sister move.

Idiom: worse for wear
Definition: not as good as new, worn out
Example: After getting back from the hike, I was beginning to look the worse for wear.

Idiom: worth its weight in gold
Definition: valuable
Example: My teacher's advice was worth its weight in gold.

Idiom: wrap (something) up
Definition: finish or complete something
Example: We wrapped up the study group before noon and returned to the school.

More idioms and slang can be found in the ESL Study Guide - Idiom and Slang database.

http://www.eslstudyguide.com/idioms.php

Missing idioms are automatically submitted for review. The database currently contains over 8,000 idioms and slang terms.

Good luck with your studies,
ESL Study Guide

TOEFL Essay Tips

2007-07-02T05:27:00.001-07:00

Lets begin by breaking the essay down into its components. The question for this essay was "What do you think is more important towards society, the contribution of artists or scientists?"

Introduction:

With an independent essay it is important first to get the readers attention, next what are you going to talk about?, and what reasons do you have to support your argument?

The hook:

Getting a readers attention is always important. If you get off to a weak start in your essay, your score will likely suffer because of it. Remember, there are five common ways to begin an essay:

- shocking/surprising statement
- declarative approach
- celebrity statement
- anecdotal approach
- historical overview

Now look at the hook from the essay.

"We say art is the reflection of certain period. For example, when Korea experienced Japanese colonization, there were many literature, picture, and even music that presented the reality of many Koreans suffered from Japan's physical oppressions."

While this is generally an ok approach, the first tip for your TOEFL essay is the purpose (what is it?). Your hook should ALWAYS connect to your essay. Is this going to be an essay on art? A historical perspective to art? No, your TOEFL essay MUST answer the question. A tip to remember is making the hook more effective by connecting it to the purpose of the essay.

The rest of the introduction.

"The points we have to focus on from this fact are two. First is at changes people's consciousness, second is at gives dream."

While the student has gone on to introduce their reasoning in the introduction, the introduction is too disjointed to be truly effective. The next TOEFL tip to remember is the purpose of your reasoning. Is it connected to your essay? If you can not support your thesis with your reasoning your purpose has not been accomplished and you have thrown aside one of the things that will affect your score the most.

Moving on to the first body paragraph.

"First, at helps poeple change the conscious that can change the whole world."

Starting with a transition is a good way to begin. All of your paragraphs should be connected. If you can have a smooth even connection from start to finish, you should get a higher score. While possible to use a more advanced transition, remember to stick with what you know. A TOEFL essay is not a place to try something new.

Continuing the rest of the first body paragraph.

"There's no at that has no certain intention of creation."

Unfortunately, the paragraph begins with a total lack of clarity. Having seen many students make this mistake, I must say it again. A TOEFL essay is not a place to try something new. Stick with what you know, you are only hurting yourself otherwise.

"Therefore, the author adds his ideology, feelings, and opinions about social problems to support and present his intetions of creation. From this, the reader gets impressed, and finally can change his conscious, and finally this conscious developes the world. For example, the book 'ethics of slavery' changed the conscious of many slaves and some politics, and therefore slavery became illegal."

The rest of the body paragraph shows the same lack of clarity (one thing you MUST avoid in your TOEFL essays), as well as a significant amount of grammar mistakes. The lack of clarity highlights the importance of ONE idea per body paragraph. What is the main point of your paragraph? Use of examples within your body paragraph must again connect to your idea. If your ideas, paragraphs and examples are not connected, your score will suffer.

Continuing on to the second body paragraph, the essay still suffers from a complete lack of clarity.

"Second, at gives dream."

Starting with the transition again is good, but what reason are you using? Your reader MUST be able to clearly follow your ideas.

Continuing on

"Some artists present their own ideal worlds on their works. For example, in the book 'Utopia', Thomas More presented his ideal world that has no discrimination, and in the book 'the third stream', Elan Tofler presents his prediction of future, and indicates the direction we should follow to create ideal world. From this art, people makes the dream, and during the process to try to accomplish this dream, the world developes. Art developes the world by changing people's consicous and make them have dreams. This is why today's world exists and developed the world more importantly than science."

The first point to consider here, besides the lack of clarity, is what is your reason to discuss. Connect everything together, even if you must use simple sentence structure.

While you may have a hard time getting a 5/5 if your sentence structure is too basic on the TOEFL. If you lack too much clarity, you will have a hard time even getting a score above 2/5.

Finally, where is the conclusion? An independent essay should have a clearly defined conclusion. In your conclusion you should recap your thesis, restate your reasoning, and do this WITHOUT introducing ANY new information.

Overall, this essay would not leave your in a strong position after having spent 25 of your 30 minutes writing. I would grade it at 2/5. It neither acccomplishes it's purpose, has proper structure, or clearly conveys its argument and reasoning.

Good luck on your future studies,

ESL Study Guide

Keeping it simple

2007-04-28T13:18:00.001-07:00

I have been going over keeping things simple. One common mistake that students make is regularly trying to use vocabulary that they are not familiar with. The best policy to keep in mind with vocabulary is clarity and repetition.

How does clarity and repetition relate to test scores?

Always be sure to avoid 'beating around the bush'. Say what you want to say and avoid taking too much time to do it. This ties into time management as well, but after learning structure, clarity and repetition are two of the most common mistakes. Learning structure and purpose, students can generally get 3/5 on their TOEFL essays. Once they start eliminating other common mistakes such as clarity and repetition errors, many students rise at least 1 point overall.

Good luck with your studies,

ESL Study Guide

Vocabulary in context

2007-04-25T10:40:00.001-07:00

One practice that all test takers or English language learners should keep in mind is vocabulary in context. When you are faced with an unfamiliar word, learners have several options. Your first option is to skip the word and merely continue. This practice should be avoided.

Proficiency tests are not about achieving a perfect score, language learners should always try to maximize their score.

Your next option, is to randomly guess what the word means. Again this practice should be avoided.

Your biggest advantage is that when faced with an unfamiliar word, you are able to hear the word or see it used in a sentence. Sentences in English are composed of several pieces. A sentence is composed of a subject, a verb, and an object. Looking at a sentence, look at the parts of it that contains the unfamiliar word. Eliminating the parts, what part of the sentence is the unfamiliar word contained in?

Knowing the part of the sentence that the word is contained in tells you what part of speech the word is. The other factors to consider are whether the word has any suffixes or prefixes. Breaking the word or phrase down into its root form is another way to give you a clue to its meaning.

As an example,

The abstract expressionism exhibit opens Friday at the New York museum of art history.

If you are unfamiliar with art, you may be unfamiliar with abstract expressionism. Abstract modifies expressionism. Break expressionism down to its root form, 'expression' and its suffix 'ism'. The rest of the sentence deals with art, giving an additional clue to what abstract expressionism means.

Abstract expressionism is therefore a type of art. Abstract describes the category of art, while expressionism just deals with the fact that art expresses ideas or feelings.

Good luck with your studies,

ESL Study Guide

Run-on sentences

2007-04-23T03:53:00.001-07:00

Here is another grammar tip sent in by Jack.

A run-on sentence is composed of two or more independent clauses. An independent clause is a part of a sentence that can stand on its own. It is not the length of the sentence that makes it a run-on sentence but rather a structural flaw.

When two independent clauses are connected by only a comma, they form a comma-splice. When you use a comma to connect two independent clauses, it must be accompanied by a conjunction (and, but, for, nor, yet, or, so).

Run-on sentences may happen under the following conditions:

a. When an independent clause gives an order or directive based on what was said in the prior independent clause.
b. When two independent clauses are connected by a transitional expression (conjunctive adverb) such as however, moreover, nevertheless.
c. When the second of two independent clauses contains a pronoun that connects it to the first independent clause.

Good luck with your studies,

ESL Study Guide

Saving time and maximizing your test scores

2007-04-22T06:25:00.001-07:00

Once you have finished your writing, never forget to proofread it. In a toefl exam you get 20 or 30 minutes to write an essay. Always leave yourself time to check your work. This practice will ensure you do not lose points to simple mistakes.

Look at the following sentence:

The president ________ the election by a landslide.

(a) won
(b) he won
(c) yesterday
(d) fortunately

Looking at the blank, you should see that the sentence is missing a verb. Looking at the possible answers, the only answers containing a verb are A and B. The sentence already contains a subject, making b an incorrect choice. A is therefore the only possible answer.

Quickly eliminating the obvious is one method of saving time and maximizing your score. While you are proofreading, keeping in mind certain methods or practices can make the most of the time you have available for editing and proofreading.

Good luck with your studies,

ESL Study Guide

Sentence Structure Tip

2007-04-21T09:27:00.000-07:00

The Pioneer 10 and 11 spacecraft were the first vehicles of humankind to venture beyond the limits of ours solar system.

Looking at the sentence you should first consider the subject and verb. The sentence is talking about the Pioneer spacecrafts, a plural subject. The verb venture agrees with the subject, so there is no subject verb agreement problems with the sentence. Now, look at the rest of the sentence. What do you notice? Looking at solar system, it is talking about a singular object. What about what comes before it? If you noticed this, you found the mistake in the sentence. Instead of ours, it should say our (forcing it to agree with a singular object).

Always remember to keep in mind whether something is singular or plural. Mistakes like these are common for those learning English, this will affect not only verb conjugation but also pronouns.

Good luck with your studies,

ESL Study Guide

Structure, Structure and Structure

2007-04-08T00:28:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone

This is the first of Jack's posts from abroad. Before I begin going through the interview with Jack, I'll be posting some of the grammar points that Jack has brought up from being overseas. The first thing that Jack has specified as a necessary skill for improving your writing is basic grammar.

Jack: Thanks Amanda, it's great to finally be settled in and begin working with you.
Amanda: Hi Jack, it's great to be able to get started.
Jack: You had asked me previously Amanda about what skill or lack of one I noticed immediately. I would definitely say grammar was the first skill i noticed.
Amanda: How do you mean?
Jack: Many students are familiar with basic grammar rules, but they require more practice than they have been getting. One of the first things I noticed in class was students not using articles properly. Many students are unsure of the difference between using 'a' and 'the'. The next thing I noticed was students using subject and verbs incorrectly. For my first tip I'll be going over subjects and verbs. Take a look at the following sentence:

_______ was ringing continuously for hours.
Loudly
In the morning
The phone
The bells

In this sentence you should immediately notice the verb 'was ringing'. In the sentence one thing you will see missing is the subject. The third answer is the best answer because it is a singular subject that agrees with the verb 'was ringing'. Ensuring the subject agrees with the verb is known as subject-verb agreement. The first two answers are not subjects and are therefore incorrect. Although the fourth answer is a subject, it is a plural subject and does not agree with the verb 'was ringing'. The fourth answer is therefore incorrect.

Amanda: Thank you Jack, I'm looking forward to future posts and interviews.
Jack: Its been a pleasure, thanks Amanda

Stay tuned everyone,

ESL Study Guide

Jack's Interviews

2007-03-17T12:29:00.000-07:00

Jack has finished his TESOL training and has finally gotten settled in. ESL Study Guide will be posting a series of tips and articles about TESOL training and Jack's teaching experiences overseas. Jack will be posting his thoughts on how students can practice and improve their English proficiency through self study and online resources as well as how tutors and teachers can help their students.

Stay Tuned,

ESL Study Guide

New Years

2007-01-11T14:31:00.000-08:00

Hi All

Happy New Year. I hope everyone had a good New Years. I spent my New Years in New York and got to watch the ball drop in Time Square. I hadn't known what to expect but the whole experience overall was not too bad. My hotel was only 5 minutes away from Time Square so I didn't have to walk far. It was a little strange, in that everyone was hearded into pens setup and patrolled by the police. Unless you started waiting hours ahead of time you were not able to get very close to Time Square or could only get as close as your hotel. The fireworks were pretty good (though I prefer China on Chinese new years, now that's a display!). The most interesting point of the entire trip was the people. I was standing in Time Square and could see people standing on the roof of hotels and buildings watching and waiting for the ball to drop. It was pretty windy that night, not sure if I would have the nerve to sit on the edge of a 60 or so story building.

Happy New Year everyone, hope 2007 brings success to your studies

ESL Study Guide

So you want to learn English

2006-12-02T20:37:00.000-08:00

Hi All

I am often asked, "I want to improve my English" or "I want to learn English so what should I do?". There is no step by step guide to learning any language, but some common sense will get you a long way to accomplishing your goal.

1.) What specifically do you want to learn?

Clarifying your purpose in wanting to learn or improve your English is the first step in planning out your goal and how to reach it. Do you have a specific purpose in mind, such as wanting to take academic classes or do you just want to be able to understand your favorite song? For those of you wanting to improve your overall level of English you need to first find a place to start.

2.) Finding a place to start.

Have you completed any placement tests within the last 6 months? The majority of commercial placement tests will give you a general idea of your English level. A test such as the TOEFL test will measure a variety of aspects of your English broken up by skills. Remember, learning a language is very much like building a house, you need a good solid foundation to build on.

3.) Working on your weaknesses

Knowing what areas of English you are weak on, you can now concentrate on improving those areas. It is not a good idea to allow some of your skills to be high while others are low. For example, if you just wanted to improve your speaking you should be aware that you need to improve your grammar as well. If you only worked on speaking but your grammar level was too low, while you may pronounce everything properly if you can't say it with the correct grammatical structure, it is not likely you will be understood.

4.) Practice, Practice, Practice

The final and probably most important step is practice. If you do not practice with English you will quickly forget it. Interacting with people, whether online or offline, will help you not only keep your English but improve it.

Happy Studying,

ESL Study Guide

Jack's profile

2006-11-30T21:18:00.000-08:00

Hi all

Some exciting news that should add some interest to the blog. Jack, one of the previous forum administrators who is going for TESOL training and plans to work overseas, has agreed to post regularly on the blog about his experiences as he goes through TESOL training and then overseas. We will be creating some custom exercises based on his blog posts. The majority of the exercises will be reserved for members, however, the blog posts will be available for everyone to read.

ESL Study Guide

Outage

2006-11-17T16:58:00.000-08:00

Wanted to apologise for the downtime. I have finished upgrading all of the servers for ESL Study Guide so the site should be more stable. If somethings are not quite working properly they should be fixed within a few days. If you find something that is not working please feel free to let us know via the contact us form.

Sorry for any inconvenience,

ESL Study Guide

Reading Comprehension

2006-10-28T01:22:00.000-07:00

article link: http://blog.scifi.com/tech/archives/2006/10/26/liquid_bandage.html

This is an interesting article about some scientific researchers that have made bandages out of liquids. When you are reading the article, you should keep two things in mind.

1.) What is the main point of the article?
2.) What are the supporting details?

Improving your reading comprehension can be accomplished by first answering what is the main point of the article. In this article the main point of the article is the introduction of liquid bandages. The supporting details are additional information about the bandages.

An additonal point to consider is not knowing certain vocabulary. You should not let yourself get caught up in the vocabulary. In the next post I will discuss vocabulary in context, which is the ability to guess the meaning of unknown words from the way they are used in a sentence.

Enjoy your weekend,
ESL Study Guide

The fastest street legal car in the world

2006-10-22T01:10:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

Here's an interesting article on the fastest street legal car on the road. I don't know about you, but would you prefer to be able to beat a Porsche in a race, or would you prefer something with a little more style? Either way, definitely an interesting article.

YouTube Link

Good luck with your studies,
ESL Study Guide

Spam

2006-10-22T01:04:00.000-07:00

Well, as you can see, the forums have been removed from the free section of eslstudyguide.com because of the recent excessive spam. It is very unfortunate! As the site becomes bigger it is important that the website can be easily maintained and is Spam free without requiring an excessive amount of time policing it. Therefore, the forums have been put in the members section.

I have started a new blog, and any interesting article or videos will be posted here from now on. You can still post comments to the blog but they must be approved first before they can show up. This should hopefully put an end to the problems with spam. As you can see, the site is finally taking shape nicely. I have to admit, starting from scratch and watching it grow is like having a child. You watch the birth, then watch as it slowly begins to grow. However, like many parents, when do you ever get a night out ; )

Good luck with your studies,
ESL Study Guide