Saturday,
April 3rd, two-forty-five p.m.
Dear
Students,
Please
find my recordings of A, B, C, and D at the following addresses:
http://www.zshare.net/audio/74562085bd0ba28b/
http://www.zshare.net/audio/745625913faa5e5a/
http://www.zshare.net/audio/74563197d670df7c/
http://www.zshare.net/audio/74563199a2373628/
Please
see my suggested corrections to the written portion of the homework, on the 'Correstion-Keys' page, as well
as a short discussion of the time expressions 'until time X', 'by time X', and so on.
Regards,
J.F.
Saturday evening, March 27th
Dear Students,
Kindly mail the following written + recorded assignment to me by Tuesday evening in a WORD document, along with
your sound-file for the oral exercises (see below; please send the WORD document and the sound-file together).
Text portion of homework:
1) Actives and Passives.
Imagine a scene involving the following elements:
Give - Fellow Passengers - Dirty Looks - Smoker
a) Write the sentence in Active voice which describes this scene.
b) Write the corresponding sentence in the Passive voice that has the closest meaning equivalent to a).
c) Write a sentence in the 'Victim Passive', i.e., one which is in the form of a causative, but which has a passive meaning
(there may be several possibilities; choose the one that seems the most appropriate and is compatible with a) and b) ).
2) Conditionals.
Continue and complete the following sentences.
a) I would have warned the driver right away if a fellow passenger...
b) Whenever I see any suspicious behaviour on a bus, I ...
c) If some idiot tried to light up a cigarette next to me, I ...
d) If I had been with you on that terrible, fateful night when that idiot sitting next to you lit up a cigarette, he
... to this day.
e) If my own kid ever tries anything like that, I ...
Recorded portion of assignment:
Please find your 'Read and Record' assignment on the Homework page.
Remember the prodedure: Use Audacity 1.2.6, available as freeware
on Download.Com.
Record at about 11,000 Hz (refer to menu at bottom left corner of Audacity
panel).
Export as a WAV file ...and nothing else! Kindly ignore the other options!
Give the file *YOUR NAME* and nothing else.
Regards,
J.F
Saturday,
March 20th
Good evening.
Here is what I would like you to do for me this week (by Monday evening,
please).
1) Watch the following clip:
In a *very* few lines, explain what the advantages are supposed to be
in having Traffic Girls float down from the sky.
2) Watch the following clip:
a) What is the meaning in context of the phrase, 'Everything is just
a few hundred clicks away'?
b) If you put your name on a waiting list to obtain this
product, what could you do to get it faster? (Answer with an appropriate conditional: non-real, non-past
cause/condition and effect/result.)
3) Now watch the following clip. [Warning: the following clip depicts
extreme vulgarity and contains vile, offensive language. You may skip this portion of the assignment if you object to such
material.]
Kindly disregard the gratuitous obscenity and preposterous profanity
of the speakers:
a) Explain these sentences, in context:
'Let's see if we can drag this out a little longer.'
'We will free-associate about what's going on.'
b) If you had to make a clip like this one, what would yours be about?
(Answer with an appropriate conditional.)
4) Lastly, watch the following:
1) Recall the meaning and use in standard English of the simple present vs.
the present continuous. Suggest a few corrections to Mr. Tahir's sentences.
2) What if the government had refused to give Mr. Tahir more land? (Speculate
about the non-real past effect/result of a non-real past cause/condition.)
4) Imagine again the government refusing Mr. Tahir's request for land. What
about those animals that are coming back now? (Speculate about the non-real, non-past effect/result of a non-real,
past cause/condition.)
You may refer to Tutorial C for a complete review of the relevant notions.
Sunday, March 14th, two-thirty p.m.
Dear Students,
After much consideration, I have decided that the material I wanted you to work on this week would have depended rather
heavily on acquaintance with the grammar topics mentioned in an earlier post. Most students had not looked at any of that
material yet when we spoke of it last week, and there was less time than expected at the end of class to discuss it in depth.
I therefore request that you review the chapters and indicated sections *very* carefully, so that we may work on these
issues straightaway next class. There is nothing to send me, but by next class, you should have checked my collected tutorials
for the following:
-Converting statements in the Active Voice to the Passive Voice, and vice-versa, e.g.,
Someone stepped on my mandolin.
>>>
My mandolin got stepped on.
Special difficulties: choosing the right type of passive for the context ('get', 'be', causative form); deciding whether
to include the 'agent' or 'by-phrase'.
-Converting independent clauses stating Cause and Effect into complex clauses in the appropriate conditional
mode, and vice-versa, e.g.,
We have given up head-hunting,
(because)
Head-hunting is illegal.
>>>
If head-hunting were not illegal,
we would not have given it up.
Special difficulties: using the type of conditional (real vs. non-real, past or non-past, generic vs. specific) that
corresponds in meaning with the original.
-Converting independent clauses into complex clauses containing a Restrictive or a Non-Restrictive relative, e.g.,
I consulted the witch-doctor.
This witch-doctor used to take care of my mother's back-pains.
>>>
I consulted the witch-doctor who used to take care of my mother's back-pains.
Special difficulties: selecting the right kind of relative pronoun; producing the most natural word-order, particularly
when two-part verbs are involved.
The choice between infinitival and gerundive complements for verbs like 'enjoy', 'love', 'want', and 'stop' requires
some memory work, but corresponds to some simple meaning contrasts. Note, for example, that while 'like' can be followed by
an infinitive as well as a gerundive, 'dislike' may only take a gerundive complemement, e.g.,
I like cooking goat's meat
I like to cook goat's meat
But:
I dislike cooking goat's meat
*I dislike to cook goat's meat
Special difficulties: expressions based on nouns and adjectives
that also require either a gerundive or an infinitival complement, e.g.,
He has a license to hunt and kill werewolves.
He is eager to meet you and discuss your silver-bullet theory.
He has difficulty seeing through the periscope.
He went crazy looking for the right size filter.
Furthermore, there are complex structures:
I do not like it when he takes you out to the bioscope.
>>>
I do not like for him to take you out to the bioscope.
>>>
I do not like him taking you out to the bioscope.
>>>
I do not like his taking you out to the bioscope.
Each of the above has a potentially distinct meaning.
Please study the book and my tutorials, paying special attention to these features.
Then, before coming to class, please watch the following clips... and be prepared to discuss them:
The Black Hole
Hunger Can Hurt
Dial Up
Reach
The Best Italian Short Movie Ever
Have fun... do the reading... watch the clips... and don't hurt yourselves while you're at it.
Regards,
J.F.
Friday, March 5th, two-thirty p.m.
Dear Students,
As promised, I am suggesting some references to the book that are relevant to the
topics covered on the Mid-Term, and to the material we must cover in the remainder of the course.
We have covered to date the topics discussed in the following sections, which you
may review profitably:
Chapter 1, the Present.
See pages 4-6.
Chapter 2, the Past.
See pages 18-19, 22, 23-24, 26.
Chapter 3, the Future.
See pages 37-39, 43, 48.
Chapter 4, Modals.
See pages 55-56, 62-63, 70
To help yourselves preparing the second half of the semester, please review the following chapters. We have already touched on these topics, which will be examined
in greater depth over the next weeks.
Chapter 5, the Passive.
For the moment, pay particular attention to the formal explanations on pgs. 76-78,
80, 82, and 87.
Chapter 9, Gerunds and Infinitives.
Note expecially pgs. 152-154, 159-160, 166.
Chapter 10, Relative Clauses.
Note especially pgs. 172-175, 180, 181-182.
Chapter 13, Conditionals.
Note especially pgs. 240-243, 248-250, 251.
The collected tutorials and exercises on this site also offer a good deal of material
on the topic of Conditionals and Relative Clauses.
Regards, J.F.
Tuesday, March 2nd, six p.m.
Please see the Homework page.
I wish to receive your assignments by the afternoon of Sunday, March
7th.
The test of March 11th will include the following tasks.
You will be required to silently underline the accentuated syllables
of certain words, e.g., 'proFAnity, DEfecate, sponTAneous, spontaNEity'. (See the document on this site on the influence
of suffixation on the position of the accent.)
You will be required to create compound adjectives, e.g.,
'The surgeon pulled out a worm that was thirty-three inches long.'
>>>
'The surgeon pulled out a .................. worm.'
>>> a thirty-three-inch worm.
(See the tutorial on this site on creating compound adjectives, and
the relevant exercises + correction keys.)
You will be required to match Time Expressions with compatible conjugations,
as in previous homework.
You will be required to complete sentences starting with Time Expressions,
in your own words. (See Tutorial A for these two activities.)
You will be required to watch a clip and to create sentences based
on it using modals of Duty and modals of Certainty.
(See Tutorial B.)
You will be required to look at a picture and describe it.
Lastly, you will be required to watch a clip and describe it.
These two activities are described and explained on the first page
of Tutorial A, available on this site.
There are various sections of the book which are relevant to this homework
and to preparation for the mid-term. Furthermore, I wish for you to start reading now about real and unreal conditionals,
which we will explore after the mid-term exam. Kindly read the relevant grammar discussions in the text book, and then have
a look at Tutorial C. I will post specific readings from the book later.
Regards,
J.F.
Monday, March 1st, eleven p.m.
Dear Students,
I am deeply embarrassed by my failure to post this week's homework and a proper study
guide for the mid-term exam on March 11th. It is impossible for me to do any of that now. Tomorrow, I will get someone to
help me take care of this. You'll see the outline is simple, and the homework + review material is very straightforward.
Keep on enjoying your week 'off'.
Regards,
J.F.
Tuesday, February 23rd, noon
Dear Students,
The dead-line for this week's homework was Monday afternoon (see previous entry,
below). Monday afternoon was a long time ago, from my point of view. I have received *one* assignment.
Is there something I'm missing?
Has my «Papa-gāteau» reputation preceded me?
These last two or three assignments, along with the material I am preparing for this
week, are intended to get you ready for the written mid-term exam that you will do when you come back from Reading Week.
Somebody say something...?
J.F.
Saturday, February 20th, noon
Dear Students,
Please find your work on the homework page, to be submitted by e-mail
by Monday evening.
Furthermore, I advise that you do some preliminary reading about condtionals. Use
the Tutorials (C) to familiarise yourself with conditionals. Also, I am examining the text and looking for supplementary material.
Check this site again soon for details.
Saturday, February 13th, noon
Dear Students,
Here is what you must send me by Monday afternoon.
Watch the following clip:
Using appropriately selected and conjugated modal expressions (as discussed in class, in the book, and in the tutorial
on this site), answer the following questions about the clip:
1) (duty) What task is Samir given?
2) (certainty) What is Samir running from in the opening shot?
3) (certainty) Why does Samir's father slap him?
4) (certainty) Is Samir really a Spelling-Bee champion?
5) (certainty) Is Samir a seasoned lady's man?
7) (certainty) Why do you suppose Samir's mother always supervises his phone conversations?
8) (certainty) Did Samir develop a nice friendship with the cute girl from Math class?
9) (certainty) Why does the young lady outside the restaurant slap Samir?
10) (certainty) What do you think the young lady did next?
11) (certainty) Was Samir's 'speed-dating' experience successful? What do you think happened?
12) (certainty) How will Samir's bride feel about the way he found her, and the reasons for it? (And what will she think
of his table manners?)
13) (duty) What mistake did Samir make at his married friend's party? How could he have avoided it?
14) (duty) What mistake did Samir make next??? How could he have known not to make that mistake?
15) (duty) What was Samir's marital fate after the Thirty Days were up? What could he have done to save himself???
...There are some extra exercises on conjugation that you can do for practice, with correction-keys, on the Selected
Resources page.
I have also posted the conjugations of 'must/have to' as discussed in class.
J.F.
Friday, February 5th, eight p.m.
Dear students,
There are two practice tests in the document, with correction-keys. Enjoy!
Remember to have a look at the practise tests on conjugating with modals in Tutorial B.
Saturday, January 30th, eight p.m.
Dear Students,
Here is the promised material:
1- The document on the Homework page that lists troublesome vocabulary items for speakers of French should
be reviewed carefully. Kindly take note of those words on this list which you did not realise to be 'false cognates', as well
as any words that you did not find on this list, but that you think should be included.
Be prepared to discuss your findings in class.
2- Some suggested corrections for those twenty sentences are now to be found on the 'Homework Summary' document.
I have received work from most, but not all students. Kindly send your sentences as soon as possible to:
3- Use of the obligatory text:
Kindly take a look at your copy of 'Grammar 4 sense'. How do the authors explain the difference between the perfect and
the perfect progressive? Between the future with 'going to' and with 'will'? Between the passive with 'get' and with
'be'? Between 'may' and 'might'? Be prepared to discuss your findings in class.
4- Suggestions regarding the use of practice material already posted on this site:
Start looking at 'Tutorial A', and attempt to do some of the exercises in matching time expressions with conjugations
(notice that for each exercise, a correction-key has been included).
5- Please review the tutorial on making and pronouncing compound adjectives. Be prepared to create appropriate compound
adjectives, and to pronounce them in complete sentences.
Also, please be advised that in the future, email homework and various instructions will be posted on this site by Saturday,
and the dead-line for email homework will usually be Monday evening.
Regards,
J.F.
