Using Pronouns Correctly

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

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

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.

Sending an email

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

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.

the use of details

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

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

Essay Analysis

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

TOEFL Essay Tips

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