Articles, that is, use of the words "the", "a" or "an" are "troublesome" for "speakers whose first language is not English" (Hacker 169). Let's discuss this trouble area in more detail in today's blog.
Articles are used mainly to mark nouns. Consider the following phrases:
the Speaker of the House
a lovely sunset
the best Merlot of the year
a Rolls-Royce
an apple
the pear on the table
a better way of doing business
1. Use "the" if the identity of the subject is known the speaker. As in:
Colonel John Sheppard flew the Puddlejumper directly into the Wraith ship.
Spock went to the planet Vulcan to save his mother.
The fourth contestant had to eat worms.
This is the town where I grew up.
2. Use "a" or "an" with singular non-count nouns whose identity is not known to the writer. Count nouns refer to objects which can be counted such as three girls, five cities, two general strikes, two World Wars, five dogs and so forth. Abstracts concepts, such as love, harmony, knowledge cannot be quantified in this way. Therefore, we cannot say:
He has a knowledge. Instead we would generally say, "He has knowledge." However, we could say: He arrived at our house in a car.
3. Therefore, we can say generally that with abstract concepts we do not use the words "an" or "a" or "the" with non countable nouns. So, we can say:
Honour is a concept well understood in the military. I feel love.
However, if a non-countable noun such as "sugar" is quantified you can say the following:
He needs a kilogram of sugar to make that cake.
We are going to buy two Victorian end tables.
4. Do not use "the" in a sentence when you use a plural or non-count noun meaning "all" or "in general".
Fountains distinguish a fine perennial garden.
Flour is required to make bread.
If you have any further questions regarding this post, please email me at:
ulsmdltutor@le.ac.uk
Have a good weekend until next time.
KB
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Time Management and Exams
Many of you have asked about planning for an exam. What do you do? In earlier blogs, I discussed a number of studying strategies. Today, we will discuss how to create a realistic schedule that utilizes your available time.
Your time management schedule for your exams should:
1. Update you daily on your progress toward your goal - the exam.
2. Be amended when you find that your progress is slower because the subject matter is more challenging or faster because you covered the material in less time than you expected.
3. Ensure that you have made daily achievable goals.
When you begin planning for your exam, it is likely some subjects will take more time to cover than others. You should not make assumptions about what questions will be on the exam and you should therefore ensure you provide comprehensive coverage of all the module materials. As you read through the materials, you will realize that your retention of some subject materials is greater than others, and you should revise your schedule accordingly. Use chapter titles to see overall themes in the module materials. You should try and see the connections between different parts of the modules materials. For example, you should understand how they are important to the subject as a whole and how they are connected to other ideas that came earlier or later. Evaluation or critical assessment of the material you study is important as the exams at U of Leicester are meant to test your ability to think critically.
You will need to plan the use of each available study day. Many students have jobs and families and you must plan realistically to allow yourself at least one uninterrupted hour of work, followed by a 15 minute break. As stated above, goals are important. With the achievement of a goal, for example the review of an entire section of a subject module, you need to acknowledge your progress in a daily log. Daily logs give students the feeling that they are reaching their goals and will complete their task.
Additionally, students need to recognize that some modules will be more difficult than others. This calls for the reassessment of your time requirements for a particular module. When you have broken down what you are going to do, day by day and week by week, you have a good idea of how you are going to manage your time. As stated earlier, this time management schedule will be changed as you moved through the material you need to cover for the exam. Remember shorter periods of study, accompanied by self testing of your material and further review has been found to be most effective for the retention of module materials before exams.
For this reason, you should use short periods of time just as wisely as a longer days of study. Repetition and revision is the key to success in managing time through a study schedule before your exam. Good studying.
KB
Your time management schedule for your exams should:
1. Update you daily on your progress toward your goal - the exam.
2. Be amended when you find that your progress is slower because the subject matter is more challenging or faster because you covered the material in less time than you expected.
3. Ensure that you have made daily achievable goals.
When you begin planning for your exam, it is likely some subjects will take more time to cover than others. You should not make assumptions about what questions will be on the exam and you should therefore ensure you provide comprehensive coverage of all the module materials. As you read through the materials, you will realize that your retention of some subject materials is greater than others, and you should revise your schedule accordingly. Use chapter titles to see overall themes in the module materials. You should try and see the connections between different parts of the modules materials. For example, you should understand how they are important to the subject as a whole and how they are connected to other ideas that came earlier or later. Evaluation or critical assessment of the material you study is important as the exams at U of Leicester are meant to test your ability to think critically.
You will need to plan the use of each available study day. Many students have jobs and families and you must plan realistically to allow yourself at least one uninterrupted hour of work, followed by a 15 minute break. As stated above, goals are important. With the achievement of a goal, for example the review of an entire section of a subject module, you need to acknowledge your progress in a daily log. Daily logs give students the feeling that they are reaching their goals and will complete their task.
Additionally, students need to recognize that some modules will be more difficult than others. This calls for the reassessment of your time requirements for a particular module. When you have broken down what you are going to do, day by day and week by week, you have a good idea of how you are going to manage your time. As stated earlier, this time management schedule will be changed as you moved through the material you need to cover for the exam. Remember shorter periods of study, accompanied by self testing of your material and further review has been found to be most effective for the retention of module materials before exams.
For this reason, you should use short periods of time just as wisely as a longer days of study. Repetition and revision is the key to success in managing time through a study schedule before your exam. Good studying.
KB
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