English PowerPoint

TEAS V7 English Overview

Conventions of English

Hosted by: Nurse Cheung

Spelling Rules

• I Before E, Except After CThe rule applies primarily when the combination produces a long 'e' sound.

  • Examples:

    • Achieve

    • Believe

    • Piece

    • Incorrect Spellings Include: Acheive, Beleive, Peice.

  • Exceptions Where It Is Not a Long 'E' Sound:

    • Ancient

    • Efficient

    • Science

    • Sufficient

    • Their

    • Foreign

    • Weird

    • Leisure

    • Height

    • Neighbor

    • Weight

    • Vein.

• Drop the Final EWhen adding a vowel suffix, drop the final 'e'.

  • Common Suffixes:

    • -ing, -ed, -ful, -less

  • Examples:

    • Hope + ful = Hopeful

    • Care + less = Careless

    • Hope + ing = Hoping (drop the 'e')

  • Exceptions:Keep the 'e' if the word ends in 'CE' or 'GE' when adding certain suffixes.

    • Examples:

      • Notice + able = Noticeable

      • Courage + ous = Courageous.

• Double the Final ConsonantFollow the 1:1:1 rule (one syllable, one vowel, one consonant).

  • Examples:

    • Run + ing = Running

    • Trip + ed = Tripped

  • Does Not Meet the Rule:

    • Dream + ing = Dreaming

    • Rest + ing = Resting

  • Exceptions: Words ending in H, W, X, and Y do not follow this doubling rule.

• Change the Y to IChange ‘y’ to ‘i’ when adding any suffix except -ing.

  • Examples:

    • Baby = Babies

    • Happy = Happiness.

  • Exceptions:When adding -ing, keep the final Y.

    • Examples:

      • Copy + ing = Copying

      • Enjoy + ing = Enjoying.

Rules for Plurals

• General RuleMost nouns form plurals by adding ‘s’.

  • Examples:

    • Car → Cars

    • Bag → Bags

    • Table → Tables.

• Special Cases

  • Nouns ending in ‘S, X, Z, CH, SH, SS’: add ‘es’.

    • Examples:

      • Bus → Buses

      • Bench → Benches.

  • Nouns ending in ‘F or FE’: change ‘f’ or ‘fe’ to -ves.

    • Examples:

      • Calf → Calves

      • Wolf → Wolves.

    • Exceptions:

      • Words like roofs, chefs retain 'f'.

  • Nouns ending in ‘O’:

    • Preceded by a vowel: add ‘s’.

      • Example: Piano → Pianos.

    • Preceded by a consonant: add ‘es’.

      • Example: Potato → Potatoes.

Homophones vs. Homographs

• HomophonesWords that sound the same but have different meanings:

  • Examples: Mail/Male, Bow/Bow, Knight/Night.

• HomographsWords that are spelled the same but may not sound the same:

  • Examples: Lead (to guide) vs. Lead (metal).

• HomonymsWords that are spelled the same and sound the same but have different meanings:

  • Examples: Ring (sound) and Ring (jewelry).

Standard English Punctuation

• PeriodUsed at the end of declarative sentences.

  • Example: She loves chocolate.

• CapitalizationCapitalize the first letter of every sentence and proper nouns.

  • Example: He is a boy. His name is David.

• ApostrophesDon't use apostrophes for plurals; use them for contractions and possession.

  • Incorrect: They have two car’s.

  • Correct: They have two cars.

• Question MarksEvery interrogative sentence must end with a question mark.

  • Example: Do you like pizza?

• CommasSeparate items in a series and independent clauses.

  • Examples: I bought coffee, tea, and milk.

• SemicolonUse between closely related independent clauses.

  • Example: I love coffee; you love tea.

• ColonIntroduce a list.

  • Example: They serve many types of food: Chinese, Indian, and American.

Narrative Writing

• Narrative StructureComponents include Characters, Setting, Conflict, Climax, and Resolution.

  • Characters: entities performing actions in the story, influencing the plot.

  • Setting: The time and location of the narrative which provides context and mood.

  • Conflict: The central problem or struggle affecting the characters, often driving the plot forward.

  • Climax: The peak action in the story where the conflict reaches its most intense point.

  • Resolution: The conclusion of the narrative where conflicts are resolved, and the story comes to a close.

Steps in the Writing Process

• Five Key Steps

  1. Prewriting: Plan and brainstorm ideas, create outlines, and develop topics.

  2. Writing: Draft your initial writing based on planned topics without concern for perfection.

  3. Conferencing: Get feedback from peers and teachers for objective viewpoints.

  4. Revision: Restructure large portions and address issues of content clarity and flow.

  5. Editing: Focus on grammar, punctuation, and spelling to refine the final draft.

Citations

• Citations BasicsGive credit to original authors, allowing readers to locate the source of information accurately.

  • In-Text Citations: Example: (Smith, 2020, p. 16) ensures proper attribution.

  • Reference Citation Format: Smith, J. (2020). Title of the Article. Title of the Journal, Volume(Issue), pages. Clear reference citing is critical.

  • Paraphrasing and Direct Quotes explained including the significance of original thought and wording.

Prefixes and Suffixes

• DefinitionsPrefixes: Begin words (e.g., unhappy, dislike), modifying the original term.Suffixes: End words (e.g., teachable, hopeful), indicating grammatical function or altering the meaning.

• Types:

  • Inflectional Suffix: Shows grammatical function without changing the base meaning.

  • Derivational Suffix: Creates a new meaning, altering the word's overall purpose.

  • Examples:

    • Dis + band = Disband (to end a group).

    • Play + ful = Playful (full of play).