Literacy Lesson - 31/01/13

Punctuation Practice

Review:  

Full Stop = 

Marks the end of a sentence. Watch out for Run on Sentences!

Commas = 

Separate items in a list, e.g. I like apples, oranges, grapes and pears.

Separate connectives at the start of sentences, e.g. Meanwhile, ...

Separate clauses in complex sentences, e.g. The classroom, which was heaving with students, was getting stuffy.

The Question Mark ?

Marks the end of a direct question. Example, When will you be ready?

Marks the end of a rhetorical question (used as a persuasive device where you are not looking for an answer). Example, Wouldn’t you like to have hair as manageable as this?

Motivational Quotes - 30/01/13

“If the people knew how hard I had to work to gain my mastery, it wouldn’t seem wonderful at all.”

- Michelangelo

Brain Teaser - 25/01/13 - The Answer

How can you throw a ball as hard as you can and have it come back to you, even if it doesn't bounce off anything? There is nothing attached to it, and no one else catches or throws it back to you.

Answer: Throw the ball up in the air.

Brain Teaser - 25/01/2013

How can you throw a ball as hard as you can and have it come back to you, even if it doesn't bounce off anything? There is nothing attached to it, and no one else catches or throws it back to you.

Answer on Monday

Literacy Lesson 24/01/2013

The Dreaded Comma Splice!!

This happens when a writer has connected two simple sentences (two main clauses) with just a comma.

Remember the example of a Run on Sentence?

I rushed out to the shop I had no milk left.

Well, some realise that they cannot leave this sentence like it is and know the two simple sentences need to be separated so they simply insert a comma.

I rushed out to the shop, I had no milk left.

WRONG! This is known as “Comma Splicing”.

Again, your best solutions are to:

·        Insert a full stop to make two separate sentences.

·        Insert a semi-colon to connect the two sentences.

·        Insert a connective to make a complex sentence.

Motivational Quotes - 23/01/13

“The most important thing about education is appetite.”

- Winston Churchill

Literacy Lesson - 22/01/13

RUN ON SENTENCES

Run on sentences are sentences that lack punctuation. They simply run into each other!

E.g. I rushed out to the shop I had no milk left.

Solutions:

1. Put in a full stop.

I rushed out to the shop. I had no milk left.

2. Use a semi-colon if there is a connection between the two sentences.

I rushed out to the shops; I had no milk left.

3. Insert a connective to make a complex sentence.

I rushed out to the shop because I had no milk left.

Although it may be obvious in this simple example, it is easy to get carried away when writing an essay and end up with too many run-on sentences!

Monday Motivational - 21/01/13

“If we did all the things we were capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.”

- Thomas Edison

Brain Teaser - 18/01/13 - The Answer

There is a frog stuck in a 60 foot well. How many days will it take the frog to get out if for every day he jumps five feet up, but then falls back three feet?

A: 29 days. The last jump he did was out of the well so he did not fall 3 feet back.

Brain Teaser - 18/01/13

There is a frog stuck in a 60 foot well. How many days will it take the frog to get out if for every day he jumps five feet up, but then falls back three feet?

Answer on Monday

Literacy Lesson - 17/01/13

 sentences begin with power openers

VERB + ING - Looking behind her, she softly closed the door

ADVERB - Carefully, I placed the beaker on top of the flame.

CONNECTIVE - As a result, the war continued longer than expected.

Motivational Quotes - 16/01/13

“Character is destiny”

- Heraclitus

Literacy Lesson - 15/01/13

 

Sentences use connectives to:

 

Sequence information e.g. First, Next, Afterward, Finally

 

Show results e.g. therefore, because, so, as a result

 

Add information e.g. also, in addition, as well as

 

Argue a point e.g. however, despite, although, on the other hand

Monday Motivational - 14/01/13

“Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice, it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.”

- William Jennings Bryan

Brain Teaser - 10/01/13 - The Answer

There are two books sitting side by side, consisting of exactly 100 pages. The book on the left is upside down. If you add the page number at the extreme left side of the book on the left to the page number at the extreme right side of the right hand book.

What is the total?

A: The total is 2.

Brain Teaser - 10/01/13

There are two books sitting side by side, consisting of exactly 100 pages. The book on the left is upside down. If you add the page number at the extreme left side of the book on the left to the page number at the extreme right side of the right hand book.

What is the total?

Answer tomorrow.

Motivational Quotes - 09/01/13

“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly”.

- Robert. F. Kennedy

Literacy Lesson - 08/01/13

Types of Sentences

Complex Sentences

A complex sentence has a main clause and at least one subordinate clause.
When you use connectives like 'if', 'while' 'as', 'although' and 'however' to add information and explain things you are making complex sentences.

• A main clause makes sense on its own. It can forma complete sentence.
• A subordinate clause does not make sense on its own. It depends on the main clause to make sense.

Example:

As the thunder rumbled, the boy ran into the shelter.
     subordinate clause                   main clause

OR

The boy ran into the shelter as the thunder rumbled.
            main clause                  subordinate clause

Monday Motivational - 07/01/13

“Create your future from your future, not your past.”

- Werner Erhard