Owl Talk

Just for Laughs :)

Prepositions

Hi there! In class today we have learnt prepositions of direction. Easy, wasn't it? It was more of a reviewing actually, since most of you were able to use the prepositions correctly in the exercises we did in class today.

Just a recap,

• Prepositions of direction indicate where something is going or moving to.
• Among the common ones are towards, across, along, through, out of, past, to, from, up, down, etc.

Now, it's time to move on to another type of preposition, prepositions of purpose. 

• Prepositions of purpose describe the intention of an action. 

Read the following sentences using the three prepositions of purpose: for, so that and in order to, and see how they are used in different situations.

For

• My father is going to Kuching for a meeting tomorrow. Then, he will head for Miri to join his friends for a trip to the famous Mulu Caves.
• Sally bought a new dress for the party. She has saved a long time for this dress so I bet she is going to make heads turn that night. 
• The director thanked all donors for their generosity. Certificates of appreciation will be presented to the donors for their contribution. 
• Protein is an important nutrient essential for growth and development of the body. It is also essential for the repair of damaged cells and tissues. 
• I was paid RM20 a day for helping out in the shop. I have decided to save that money for my holiday.

So that

• Traders wishing to conduct business in the weekly Pasar Tamu Satok must arrive early so that they can book themselves a strategic spot to peddle their ware. 
• Huge, colourful umbrellas are set up so that vendors and shoppers are protected from the blazing sun. 
• The public should come forward to donate blood so that the blood bank will not run out of supply during emergencies. 
• I need to get home by six-thirty so that I will be in time to watch my favourite show on television.
• Let us donate generously so that we can share our joy with the unfortunate.

In order to

• The clearing of these forests should be reduced in order to prevent further erosion.
• Strict laws are enforced in order to deter illegal immigrants from entering our shores.
• The electrician told us that in order to get better reception for our television, we have to get a new aerial.
• In order to heighten society's awareness on the need to preserve the environment, more campaigns have to be launched.
• The survivors of the shipwreck had to abandon the ship quickly in order to save their own lives.

Click on this link for exercise: Exercise 3 

Does accent matter?

I believe what more important is to get your message across properly and comfortably, instead of painstakingly speaking with accents but lacking in the accuracy department. Many people are trying hard to speak with accents, especially American and British accents. But what many of us don't know is that some accents that these people try to emulate are regarded as the accents of those from the lower social class in foreign cultures. Thus, my advice is, don't attempt to do something that you're unsure of; it might lead you to embarrassment.

If you're confused, just speak proper English, doesn't matter if it sounds very Malaysian-ish, because that shows your national identity. 

Here's sharing an interesting video for you who would like to learn accents, just for fun. Enjoy :)

Should and Need

Nobody's got the answer right to my question. I was quite disappointed today, because the answer was right there under your nose! Oh well, I'd save the chocolate bar for another time. 


So, the lesson on the modals 'should' and 'need' will be done via this blog, as this is not difficult, and we could save a lot of our class time. Shall we begin?

• Should and need are both modals.
• They are used in different situations to serve different purposes.

Let us look at each of them individually:

Should ·         We use the modal ‘should’ to indicate giving advice. ·         It is similar in meaning to ‘must’. Example: You should talk to your parents about your problem. You should exercise regularly to maintain a healthy body, Should not ·         ‘Should not’ is the negative of ‘should’. ·         It can be written as ‘should not’ or in its contracted form ‘shouldn’t’. Example: You should not be so rude to the salesman. You shouldn't have left your gate open.

Need ·         We use the modal ‘need’ or ‘need to’ to indicate a necessity or ‘have to’. ·         There are two simple rules to observe. Ø  Use a noun after ‘need’ Example: You have been working very hard. You need a break. Ø  We can also use need+to+infinitive verb Example: I need to get to school by 7.30 a.m. Need not ·         ‘Need not’ is the negative of ‘need’. ·         After ‘needn’t’ we must use an infinitive verb without ‘to’. Example: We needn’t worry about Maria. She’ll be alright.

An exercise for this lesson can be accessed here, Exercise 2.

Download this exercise, print and complete it, and put in your Grammar folder.

Bring to class on Friday. Toodles!

What's next?

Here are the clues for our next Grammar lesson. The first person who gets the topic right will win a bar of Cadbury chocolate. Go on, give a guess!

(p/s: Don't be too analytical. The pictures say it all.)

Congratulations!

Good job, boys and girls!

You have proven to me that you have mastered Present Perfect Tense! Ergo, there's no need for me to post another exercise here! You have done well both in class and online exercises. Here's a video to celebrate. Enjoy :P