Filed under: Grammar, Student Stumpers | Tags: compound modifiers, compound words, compounds, Englisgh with Jennifer, Jennifer Lebedev, JenniferESL, student stumper
QUESTION: How do we know if a compound word is written as a single word, as separate words, or with a hyphen?
ANSWER: Look it up in the dictionary.
I love a question that allows me to give a clear and satisfying answer to a student. Unfortunately, not all questions are like this. The question above about compound words is one that doesn’t lead to immense gratitude from the questioner when I tell the answer. There isn’t one simple rule that makes it easy to know if a compound word is closed (one word), open (two or more words), or hyphenated. This question can cause as much frustration for language learners as questions about gerunds v. infinitives or separable v. inseparable phrasal verbs.
However, compound rules do follow some patterns. Awareness of them will lead to greater accuracy when writing compound words. Most sources I’ve checked agree on the following:
- Compound modifiers with numbers: Hyphenate these modifiers before nouns. Example: a thirty-year-old man. Note the use of the singular unit year. Contrast it with the plural form in this word order: The man is thirty years old.
- Compound modifiers with past participles: These modifiers are hyphenated. Examples: age-related, web-based, drug-induced.
- Color combinations: These modifiers are hyphenated. Example: a blue-green scarf.
- Well-known compounds: Some compounds involving three or more words are so common that there’s little if any chance of confusion, so open forms are used. Examples: a ham and cheese sandwich, high school students, parking lot attendant.
I’d like to add these patterns and see if others agree or wish to challenge them:
- Compound words with numbers: If the numbers are not being joined with common nouns used for weights and measures (such as year, pound, page), a hyphenated form is used as a modifier, an adverb, and a complement. Example: A two-handed throw. / He threw the ball two-handed. / The throw was two-handed. Similar compounds: two-headed, one-armed, three-legged, one-eyed.
- Compound modifiers with present participles: They are hyphenated just as the [noun + past participle] combination is. Examples: ever-changing, all-knowing, fast-growing.
- Compounds with of and only: These multi-word compounds are hyphenated. Examples: state-of-the-art, man-of-war, read-only, text-only.
- Compound words with in-law: These compound nouns are hyphenated. Examples: mother-in-law, brother-in-law, daughter-in-law.
- Compound words with great: These compound nouns are hyphenated. Examples: great-aunt, great-grandfather, great-grandchildren.
- Compounds with single letters: These compounds are hyphenated. Examples: a U-turn, an A-frame, L-shaped, x-ray, t-shirt.
- Directional compounds: These are closed forms. Examples: northeast, northeastern. Exception: if a range is implied a hyphen is used between the two possible directions. Example: travel south-southwest.
Do you need to present the concept of compound words to your students? These short clips may be of help. They’re based on the work done by elementary school children:
Do you need ideas to help students practice using compound words? Check back soon. I’ll offer an activity in my next posting.
Sources:
Mauer, Jay. Focus on Grammar: An advanced course for reference and practice. Longman: 2000.
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/compounds.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyphen#Compound_modifiers
Filed under: Classroom Tips, Conversation, Listening, Writing | Tags: English With Jennifer, Jennifer Lebedev, JenniferESL, online photos, photoblogging, photos in the language classroom, visual aids
As a continuation of my previous posting, here are two more whole language activities centered around online news photos:
2. Photoblogging. Some of the same sites that post weekly albums offer community interaction through photoblogging. Share one of the editor’s picks of the week with the class. Read the caption aloud and explain the meaning of any unfamiliar vocabulary or grammar. In pairs students can discuss their reactions to the photo. Prompts can be given, for example:
- Have you seen anything similar to this before?
- Does this photo help you learn anything new?
- What do you feel when you look at this photo?
- If you had to title this photo yourself, what title would you choose?
This brief oral exchange should serve as preparation for a writing activity. Have students write a personal reaction to the photo in 4-5 sentences. Once they submit it to you and receive feedback, they can be encouraged to post their comments online.
TIP 1: A selected photo can be the springboard for classroom discussion. On the MSNBC site, the editor includes a thought-provoking question that nicely suits this purpose.
TIP 2: Choose a photo with a caption that contextualizes vocabulary or grammar recently learned.
3. Audio commentaries. This is a variation of the previous activity and would have to be done in a language lab. Have students view 6-8 of the editor’s picks. Allow them time to select one photo and write 4-5 sentences about their personal reaction to it. Have them submit their writings to you for review. While you are providing corrections and feedback, students can work in pairs to come up with original titles for all the photos. Come back together as a class, view the photos again, and have volunteers call out suggested titles. Next, using their corrected writings, students must record their comments and send the audio files to you. As a class, you can playback these short recordings. The author will remain silent while the others guess which photo he or she is talking about.
TIP: Listen to the audio recordings once more after class and provide one-on-one feedback regarding each student’s pronunciation.
Filed under: Classroom Tips, Conversation | Tags: communicative activity, English With Jennifer, Jennifer Lebedev, JenniferESL, teaching with photos, using photos in the language classroom, visual aids, whole language activity
I love finding new uses for common teaching tools. Photos have always been one of my favorite visual aids because images evoke both emotion and thought. It’s unusual for someone not to have anything to say about an image. At the very least, a photo can be described objectively. What or who is shown? Describe what you see. However, if we bring a photo into language learning, the goal is to get the most and not the least use out of it.
Photos can stimulate writing, prompt group discussion, and put into practice newly learned language items and structures. In previous postings, I’ve shared ways to use photos in a pronunciation lesson on intonation and a grammar lesson on the passive voice. I also suggested using photos as a means to engage students at the start of a lesson. Today let’s begin to explore whole language activities based on photos. I’ll share one activity in this posting and two more in the next posting.
A number of sites offer albums titled This Week in Photos. Among them are:
Online news photos are coupled with captions, so students will automatically be faced with two forms of information: image and text. I give preference to MSNBC for two reasons: one, the editors note graphic content before actually displaying a photo and, two, the size of one collection is not overwhelming (approximately a dozen photos in each weekly album). Using recently taken photos can facilitate the following activity:
- Categorizing with a partner. Students can work in pairs or small groups and select one or two photos for each category:
- Having Importance Politically
- Having Importance Economically
- Having Importance Socially
- Most Powerful Image
If in a language lab, partners can discuss choices at their assigned computer. If in a classroom, the teacher could print out 10-12 photos from one album and post them around the room for viewing. Choices can be compared as a whole class, with each small group being asked to explain one of their choices. (Example: Which photo did you think had the most importance politically and why?) An optional writing assignment can be to express one’s personal reaction to a selected photo (perhaps the one that was voted Most Power Image by the majority).
TIP: Let some of the top choices in other categories lead into a current events discussion.
(To Be Continued)
Filed under: Grammar, Student Stumpers | Tags: adjectival phrases, adjectives, English With Jennifer, Jennifer Lebedev, JenniferESL, modifiers, placement of adjectives, student stumper, word order
QUESTION: Do adjectives always come before nouns in English?
ANSWER: No.
This question was shared with me by my Finnish colleague, a remarkable teacher with a firm grasp of grammar. She was challenged by her students to prove that adjectives in English always precede the noun they modify. Apparently, other sources led them to believe there was a hard and fast rule about word order. Well, she didn’t have to prove what she knew to be untrue.
At first, when asked about adjectives, we might automatically state a textbook-like definition: Adjectives modify nouns and pronouns. Of course, more readily understood wording could be used, but the basic idea is the same: Adjectives describe people and things, and they typically answer the questions which and what kind. The examples that would most likely come to mind first are simple and common ones: good book, tall man, happy girl, etc. Indeed, the more frequent practice is to place an adjective before a noun or pronoun. (We can say these adjectives function attributively.)
But with deeper reflection, we have to consider a number of constructions in which an adjective is placed after the noun or pronoun it modifies (i.e., functioning predicatively). Let’s start with these two:
- Participial adjectives/ passive constructions: Bruce Lee was, of course, a man trained in the martial arts.
- Reduced adjective clauses (without participial adjectives): Who would play the lead role in this movie? The producers were looking for someone young yet mature./ The patient, now healthy and happy, thanked the doctor before leaving the hospital./I’ll eat anything sweet and chocolaty.
Wikipedia notes the role complex wording plays in deciding the placement of an adjective. This example is cited online: “an evildoer devoid of redeeming qualities”.[1] The point being that a simple adjective generally precedes a noun, but a complex adjectival phrase is more natural when placed after the noun. Going back to our first example, we could talk about a trained artist, but trained in the martial arts is too long and complex to place before the head noun.
I agree with the logic above, and yet does that mean it’s wrong to place a single adjective after the noun it modifies? Consider this statement: I like my coffee strong. This has a different meaning from I like my strong coffee, doesn’t it? The former means I prefer strong coffee to weak coffee. The latter suggests that I have some coffee in my possession, it’s strong, and I like it. Or it might mean that I like my strong coffee, but I don’t like yours. Hmm, so can we add another construction to our list?
- Omission of infinitive to be: I like my coffee (to be) strong. / She likes her men (to be) tall, dark, and handsome.
Here’s final construction Wikipedia poses for consideration:
- Adjectives qualified by an adverb phrase: “I saw three kids happy enough to jump up and down with glee.”[2]
Can you think of other cases when adjectives follow the nouns or pronouns they modify?
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adjective
Filed under: Reading, Writing | Tags: English With Jennifer, essay types, essay writing, Jennifer Lebedev, JenniferESL, lea, story scramble, student compositions
I hope the title caught your attention, but perhaps it’s also caused some confusion. Let me explain. I’d like to consider the possibility of using student compositions as the basis for other activities. It’s similar to a craftsman building something from recycled materials. Compositions that have been thoroughly revised and already graded could be used among the same group of students or with other groups at similar levels (assuming you have the authors’ permission) in the context of a new lesson. Here are two possible “second-hand” activities:
1. Solo reading and speaking to the class
Student compositions written by one group can be shared with a second. Students receiving the essays can be assigned questions to answer:
- For essays expressing a point of view (problem-solution, cause-effect, etc.): What is the topic? What is the author’s opinion? Do you agree with the author? Why or why not? Be prepared to share your answers with the class.
- For essays presenting information (narrative, definition, etc.): What is the topic? Can you summarize the essay? Did you learn anything new from the author? Can you provide any additional information on the topic? Be prepared to share your answers with the class.
2. Paired reading and problem-solving discussion
Students at one level should be able to comprehend not only the writings of their classmates but also of those one level head. This means a teacher could share the compositions of a high intermediate class with the students at the intermediate or low intermediate level. The number of unfamiliar words or grammatical structures shouldn’t be high enough to hinder comprehension. That said, try the following activity with a narrative essay or short story.
- Story Scramble: You’re likely familiar with this game. I put a spin on it for a LEA-inspired activity (Language Experience Approach) back in March 2009. Now we’re taking a story or a description of events as related on paper by a student and dividing it up into 10-12 segments. This needs to be done by the teacher in advance. I recommend keeping sets of the story in envelopes. You’ll need about 5-6 sets so that the class can work either in pairs or small groups. Each group will assemble the story to the best of their ability. One group can volunteer to read the assembled story to the class. Alternative sequences can be discussed.
VARIATION: You can have each group work with a different story. After an assigned amount of time (e.g., 10 minutes), you can present a copy of the original story to the group so they can check their work. Groups can hand back the original “whole” copies to the teacher and exchange sets so the activity is repeated. Finally, after all the materials have been collected, have volunteers recall and orally summarize the 5-6 stories. The class can listen and assist as necessary.
Filed under: Pronunciation | Tags: consonant sounds, English With Jennifer, Jennifer Lebedev, JenniferESL, pronunciation tips, vowel sounds
I’ve shared tips for teaching vowel and consonant sounds in an earlier posting. One addition to that list is the benefit of using our sense of touch. Some may describe this instruction as tactile or hands-on. Whatever you wish to call it, the idea is to get students to understand sound production by placing their hands in a certain position so that they can feel a change produced by the articulators. Below are some so-called tactile exercises to try your in your classroom.
- To understand aspiration:
Hold your fingers in front of your lips. Say /p, t, k/ and you’ll feel a puff of air. Say /b, d, g/ and you won’t.
- To understand voicing:
(1) Place your hand on your throat. Say voiced consonants such as /v, z, w/ and you’ll feel your vocal chords vibrate. Say voiceless consonants such as /f, s, h/ and you’ll feel no vibration.
(2) Plug your ears with your fingers. Say voiced consonants and you’ll hear your voice inside your head. Say voiceless consonants and your voice will sound much softer.
- To understand open (low) and closed (high) vowels:
(1) Place your hands full on your cheeks face with your fingers pointing upward. Say a sequence of vowels from high to mid to low such as /u, oʊ, ɑ/ and you’ll feel your jaw gradually drop.
(2) Place one thumb lightly under your chin. Say the same sequence of high to low vowels and you’ll feel the pressure of your chin on your thumb as the jaw drops.
- To understand nasal sounds:
Pinch your nose and pronounce the nasal consonants /m, n, ŋ/. The sound will be obstructed. Release your nose and say the sounds again. They should sound natural because the air is properly escaping from your nose and not your mouth.
Perhaps you know of other exercises. If so, please share them!
Filed under: Grammar, Writing | Tags: academic English, business English, English With Jennifer, formal writing, informal English, Jennifer Lebedev, JenniferESL, multi-word verbs, phrasal verbs, professional English, register, two-part verbs
The purpose of this exercise is to reinforce students’ understanding of the differences between formal and informal English, highlighting the role phrasal verbs can play in changing the register. Students will begin with informal speech and edit it for a more formal context, using one-word equivalents for the selected phrasal verbs.
Level: High intermediate to advanced
STEP 1 – Ask students to name people in positions of power who can effect change, for example, a president, mayor, or school director. List their ideas on the board.
STEP 2 – Ask the students to choose one person in power and list 2-3 actions they would like that person to take. Each item on the list must use at least one phrasal verb. Be sure students have access to a good phrasal verb reference chart that includes definitions, such as the one in the appendix of Book 4 of the Focus in Grammar series. Model:
I want our governor to:
- come up with a way to help out state college students with tuition
- put together a program to help students find work after college
- make laws that will stop people from using up too much gas, water, and electricity
STEP 3 – Students will use their lists to compose a short letter. Model the business letter format on the board, indicating the correct positions of the addresses, the greeting, the closing, and the signature. In the body of the letter, one-word equivalents must replace the phrasal verbs. (Additional revisions may be necessary to increase the formality, e.g., elimination of contractions and abbreviations, more appropriate greetings and closings, etc.) Model:
Dear Sir:
I would like to make three requests. First, I kindly ask you to find a way to assist students who attend state colleges. Tuition is difficult to pay, and students like me need more help to get a good education. Second, the state government needs to create a program to help students find work after college. You could create free job centers at libraries, for example. Finally, I am worried about the environment. I believe the state government can make new laws that will stop people from wasting gas, water, and electricity. Until there are such laws, people will continue to waste.
Thank you.
Respectfully,
VARIATION: Instead of a business letter, students can write a short article. Tell them to imagine they are writing for a local newspaper. The headline can be Time for Change or Changes We Need.
Filed under: Grammar | Tags: chain story, English With Jennifer, grammar games, Jennifer ESL, Jennifer Lebedev, multi-word verbs, phrasal verbs, two-part verbs, verb transivity
This activity puts a spin on a familiar classroom game: chain stories. It’s best to do it in writing so that the final product(s) can be reviewed. One option is to work as a class, having each student make a one or two-line contribution with the teacher acting as the scribe at the board. A more interesting and perhaps more beneficial approach is to have several stories being formed at once on paper. More stories mean more contexts in which to study the given phrasal verbs. I will use this second option to illustrate the activity.
Objective: To increase awareness of object placement with transitive phrasal verbs
Level: Intermediate to advanced
STEP 1 – Select 6-8 transitive phrasal verbs and list them on the board. Include both separable and inseparable phrasal verbs. Be sure students have access to a phrasal verb reference chart to confirm definitions and whether a given verb is separable or inseparable. You can cue them by listing the phrasal verbs with objects in correct positions. Model:
Ask someone over
Go along with something/ someone
Hang something up
Look forward to something
Point something out
Show something off
Talk someone into something (or doing something)
Think something over
Wake someone up
STEP 2 – Next to the list of phrasal verbs, write 8-10 possible objects. You can ask students to volunteer ideas. Try to include some unusual choices to make the activity interesting. You should also include one or two pronouns and at least one very long object that will force students to make a decision regarding the best position of the object in a separable phrasal verb. Model:
a really cool-looking sports car
a late night party
neighbors
a problem
big scary dogs
it
him
them
an idea which at any other time would sound crazy
the question
STEP 3 – Ask students to work in pairs. Give each pair a blank sheet of paper. They must choose one phrasal verb and one object from the list to begin a short story. Once they write their first line, they pass their paper to the pair on the left. Students will continue the story they’ve just received by using a different phrasal verb and a different object from the lists. Sometimes an additional sentence will be necessary to transition from one idea to the next. This second sentence doesn’t have to contain a phrasal verb. End the activity when each story has five or six phrasal verbs.
STEP 4 – Collect all the stories. Read each one aloud to the class. As you read each line aloud, allow for feedback and corrections.
Possible story:
Jim was taking a nap. His brother, Matt, woke him up.
Jim and Matt had plans. Their friend Pete had asked them over.
Jim and Matt were looking forward to a late night party at Pete’s house.
Pete wanted to show off a really cool-looking sports car which his parents bought for him.
When the brothers got to Pete’s house, Jim pointed out a problem – big scary dogs.
Pete spoke sweetly and talked them into leaving Pete’s front door. Now they could go in and have fun!
Filed under: Grammar | Tags: English With Jennifer, Jennifer Lebedev, JenniferESL, multi-word verbs, particles, phrasal prepositional words, phrasal verbs, prepositional verbs, three-part verbs, two-part verbs
QUESTION: How can we know if a phrasal verb is separable or inseparable?
ANSWER: There isn’t always an easy way to find this out, but a good appendix like those in the upper level books of the Focus on Grammar series will prove to be a useful reference for students. The authors of books 3, 4, and 5 included lists of intransitive and transitive phrasal verbs, noting in the latter which transitive phrasal verbs can or must be separated.
You can explain that three-word verbs are easier to work with than two-word verbs. Three-word verbs end with a preposition. The preposition must be followed by an object. One general rule is not to separate a three-word phrasal verb:
Come up with something
Follow through with something
Get out of something
Go along with something
Keep up with someone
There are exceptions to the rule but not many. Consider three-word verbs that take two objects. The first object must separate the verb from the adverb particle:
Give it up for John! = Let’s applaud John!
Put it down to inexperience = The cause is/ was inexperience.
Of course, since prepositions are followed by objects, students could be taught to categorize phrasal verbs according to whether the verb is followed by an adverb, a preposition, or both. This practice makes the distinction among phrasal verbs, prepositional verbs, and phrasal prepositional verbs. I’ve come to prefer simplifying my instruction and using the term particle to refer to the short words following the verb. I think it’s less taxing to simply view the phrasal verb as a unit: a verb plus one or two particles. As each two- or three-word unit is studied, the student must learn three things about it: what it means, if it’s transitive or intransitive, and if it’s transitive whether it can be separated or not.
How do you teach phrasal verbs? What terms do you use with your students when talking about structure?
