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Unit 3English Language 1 Descriptive Texts & Parts of Speech

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Adjectives

An adjective modifies a noun or a pronoun by describing, identifying or quantifying it.

An adjective usually comes before the noun or the pronoun which it modifies.

The room was filed with large, yellow rain boots

XGurmit says that this was a luxuriously item to buy.

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AdverbsAn adverb can modify a verb, an

adjective or another adverb. My grandmother knits intricately

patterned mittens.

An adverb indicates manner, time, place, cause, or degree and answers questions such as "how" "when" "where" "how much".

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AdverbsSome adverbs can be identified by their

characteristic "ly" suffix,.The seamstress quickly made the mourning

clothes.The midwives waited patiently through a long

labour. The boldly-spoken words would return to haunt

the rebel. Unfortunately, the bank closed at three today. My grandmother knits intricately patterned

mittens. X That is an enormous big car.

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Activity 1

 Identify and discuss the faulty omission of –ly:  No matter how convincing a leader preaches about

the progress, we can be more convinced by his deeds.

how convincingly The poor educated and the uneducated can never

compete equally in this society. poorly educated Surprisingly, there was a tremendous good reception

for our nobly beaten opponents tremendously good The boys must be running wild through the streets

and shouting loudly. running wildly

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Rule Based Spelling Rule 1 all, fill, full, skill, well, will. When these single-syllable words combine they drop

an l. Example: all + most [almost ] skill + full [skilful]

Rule 2 Normally a short vowel takes a double consonant and a

long vowel takes a single consonant after it if a further syllable follows

Example: short vowel in 'tap' [tapping] long vowel in ‘tape’ [taping]

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Rule Based Spelling Rule 3 Unstressed syllables do not take double consonants to follow the

vowel Example: limited (unstressed ) [limited] permitted (stressed) [permitted]

Rule 4 When adding to a word that ends in e, keep the e if you

add a consonant next, drop the e if you add a vowel next. Example: grace [graceful] hope [hopeful] fame [famous]

But there are exceptions to this rule.

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Rule Based Spelling Rule 5 Remember i before e except after c, if the sound is 'ee' Example: field siege relieve deceive conceit perceive

Rule 6 Root words ending in y change the y to ie if the y follows a

consonant but keep the y if it follows a vowel. Example: city [cities] try [tried] key [keys]

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Rule Based Spelling Rule 7 Get to know prefixes like dis- and un- and notice that a double

consonant only appears where the root word has the same consonant as that of the prefix

Example: appear [dis + appear = disappear] satisfied [dis + satisfied = dissatisfied] opened [un + opened = unopened] notice [un + noticed = unnoticed]

Rule 8 With suc, exc, and proc, double e should follow Example: succeed exceed proceed

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Rule Based Spelling Rule 9 Most words ending in 'o' make a plural by adding 's', but it is

worth learning the little group that takes a plural in 'es': Example: negroes would be heroes if they played banjoes with

tomatoes or potatoes. Do notice there is no e in the singular potato, tomato. Rule 10 If a word ends in 's', 'ss', 'sh’, “ch', 'x' or 'zz' it makes its

plural by adding 'es'. Examples: bus [buses] church [churches] mass [masses} box [boxes] buzz [buzzes] bush [bushes]

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Rule Based SpellingRule 11When a word ends in 'f’ the

plural is 'ves'. Example: shelf [shelves] wolf [wolves] With some exceptions: roofs,

chiefs.

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Activity 2

Spelling! 10 words.1. supersede2. receive3. cemetery4. occasion5. repetition6. privilege7. mischievous8. rhythm9. occurred10. collectible

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Commonly misspelled words. Accept, Exceptaccept = verb meaning to receive or to

agree.except = preposition meaning all but,

other than.Advise, Adviceadvise = verb that means to recommend,

suggest, or counsel.advice = noun that means an opinion or

recommendation about what could or should be done.

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Task 1 In groups of 5, differentiate the meanings of the

following homophones: Brows, Browse Brows = the eyebrows Browse = look through something

Complement, Compliment Complement = something that completes or a

counterpart Compliment = expression of respect

Dual, Duel Dual = two Duel = a fight between two persons

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Task 1 Elicit , Illicit Elicit = to bring out Illicit = unlawful

Ion, Iron Ion = an atom with a free electron Iron = a metal

Medal, Meddle Medal = a prize Meddle = interfere

Net, Nett Net = as used in fishing Nett = as used in computation  

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Task 1 Queue, Cue Queue = as in lining up Cue = a prompt given

Soared, Sword Soared = as in flight Sword = a weapon

Waive, Wave Waive = to refrain from pressing or enforcing Wave = a hand gesture

Yoke, Yolk Yoke = a wooden bar or frame by which two draft animals (for

example, oxen) are joined at the heads or necks for working together

Yolk = as in an egg yolk

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A Table of some commonly misspelled words among tertiary students

absence category exceed questionnaire

accumulate clientele flexible receive

achieve committee independent repetition

alignment convenient maintenance technique

analyze eligible necessary Add on…..

appropriate exaggerate occurrence

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Tips for overcoming spelling errors:

1. Make a list of your most common spelling mistakes  

2. Make a separate list of the current spellings of these words.

3. Commit this list to memory by looking at it for five minutes, turning it over and writing out the words.

4. Write out each word 5 times and see how many words you can remember.

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Task 2

Spell some words based on the rules you have learned.

1. preferred, preference 2. potato, potatoes3. succeed, precede4. appear, disappear5. satisfied, dissatisfied6. notice, unnoticed7. relieve, receive8. limited, permitted9. win, winning10. skill, skilful

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Task 3 

Circle the correctly spelled word in the following sentences:

  1. The $5m reward is a great insentive / incentive to

work hard to capture the criminal.   2. It is extreemly / extremely doubtful that computers

will replace all human beings by 2013.   3. Many companies / companys are using e-Marketing to

do business.   4. This country now possesses / posseses rich resources

to become the world’s largest exporter of Copper and Iron-Sulphate.

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Task 3 

5. Religion and literature have become similar in the past / passed few years.

  6. This nuclear accident ocured / occurred in the 1950s when

scientists were not fully aware of the danger of nuclear wastes.   7. She was so shocked by the news that she threw the telephone

reciever / receiver onto the floor.   8. Email is still the prefered / preferred mode of communication

in the office.   9. On many occassions / occasions, we found him drunk while at

work.   10. Most of my teammates / teamates are willing to put in more

time to complete the project. 

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DESCRIPTIVE TEXTS

• A descriptive text is a text that wants you to picture what they are describing.

A novel might want you to imagine the characters and see them in your mind.

A travel book will want you to see the country it is describing.

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What are the features of descriptive texts?

make use of adjectives and adverbsuse comparisons to help picture it -

something is like somethingemploy your five senses - how it feels,

smells, looks, sounds and tastes

The morning air was crisp and sharp as Sean walked merrily down the road.The pavement was slippery and cold beneath his feet like a slimy wet fish.

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Sample Passage

We visited a big temple. It was magnificent(adj)! We went in and were greeted by many life-like (adj) statues which were however covered by much dust. At the prayer (adj) hall, the incense rapidly (adv) stung my eyes and made it hard (adj) for me to breathe. As we jostled among the sweat-drenched (adj) devotees, I painstakingly (adv) avoided being burnt by the bundles of incense they carried. It was only in the inner (adj) hall that I found respite. The sonorous (adj) chanting of the monks had a wonderfully (adv)calming (adj) effect on me….

Discussion questionHow does the passage engage your 5 senses?

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Web-activity timeNow that you know what a

descriptive text is, have some fun at this web-site. You will have to identify a descriptive text from among other text types:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/words/reading/typesoftext/game.shtml

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Put it into practice

A) Write it!Write a descriptive piece of about 100 words.

Some topics for your consideration:First day at NYPMy first date/my dream dateMy best holidayDriving my dream car down/along ____________

B) Edit it!Exchange work with a friend to do peer-editing,

focussing on improving the use of adjectives.