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Thursday, January 21, 2010

Essays and vocabulary

Before I get started on essays, I'd like to draw your attention to a helpful site with the vocabulary from our coursebook (don't thank me, thank Sarah and Adalbert!)
www.oup.com/elt/result. You'll find quite a few resources, but especially have a look at Words and Phrases - Key vocabulary.

The vocabulary is presented clearly unit by unit, and was new to me as well (see, I don't spend all my time surfing the internet :-) )

Now for the essays:

Say what you are going to say.
Say it.
Say what you've said.

The layout is simple. You have an introductory paragraph where you will have your key statement. This tells the reader what you are writing about and what your position is.

The body is divided into 2-3 paragraphs, each of which should have a topic sentence, which tell the reader what the paragraph is about.

The concluding paragraph sums up.

This is a powerful tool for writing an essay successfully, and even more useful if you also use it when reading.

Remember when I told you to 'look at' the text before you begin reading it?
Basically, all you need to do is find these key sentences and you will already have an idea of the topic and the writer's view.

If you want more on the subject of essays, especially is you decide to take the IELTS, then this link may help you: Basic Guide to Essay Writing

Friday, January 8, 2010

In a nutshell by Andrea

Well, Andrea was up for the challenge and managed to summarize our book quite nicely with just 2 extra spaces more used.

After a dead man has been found in a glass factory in Venice, the reader is left in doubt who the murderer is almost up to the last page of the book.


Is anyone else up for the challenge?

Sunday, January 3, 2010

A game from down under

Hi everybody
I'm writing you from overseas. I've been here since 22 of december and I will stay here till the 16th of january. So I thought you can learn from what I learned in Rosebud in a little house near the coast on NYE. :-)

It's a card game called 13.

carbon-poker-cards.jpg

You need poker cards (52 without the Jokers) and you play with four people. Everyone gets 13 cards and the one with the lowest card (in this game the spade 3) starts the game. He has to put down his spade 3. Then the next one (you go around clockwise) has to give a higher card. It can be straight a higher number like a 5, a lady or it can be a 3 as well. There it depends on the suit. First is the heart, then diamond, then the club and at last the spade. If you don't want to put a card on the table you can pass. If someone gives the heart 2 it can only be beaten with a chop. That would be three doubles in a row or four of the same card. When now one can beat, this person he has the power. That means he can start the new round. It doesn't has to be a single round. You can also start with doubles, triples or with a row of minimum three cards. The next has to give the same thing just higher. The first who has put down all his cars wins. The last one has to shuffle and deal out the cards for the next game.

If there are more players who want to play this game you can make out, that the last two or just the last one will be replaced by a new player.

I hope you can follow my explanations and have fun with the game! I'm already addicted to it.

See you in a couple of weeks.
Angi