Kompetenzerweiterung III, Preparing for the Exam

Make sure that you have sent me the question and topic domain you and your partner would like for your debates by the end of this week. The debates will take place in my office, Room 406. Please show up at least 10 minutes before your scheduled time and wait to be called in.

Some links that might help you for the essay writing portion of the exam:
Verbs that take the gerund or the infinitive: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/verblist.htm
Verbs that take both the gerund and the infinitive and change meaning: http://www.skesl.com/grammar/course/verbs-followed-by-gerunds-infinitives-different-meaning
List of academic verbs: http://tweedediting.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Academic_Verbs.pdf

The exam will feature 3 short essays (each 150-200 words in length) and separate grammar sections on conditional transformation, inversion transformation, reported speech, and participle clauses. (Consult the study pack posted pre-Christmas for exercises.) Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. See you on exam day!

Kompetenzerweiterung I, Preparing for Exam

Please let me know if you have any questions in advance of the exam via email! See you on exam day :).

Link to roommate article: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/12/realestate/getting-a-roommate-in-your-golden-years.html

Link to Jim Carrey article: https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/celebrity/jim-carrey-thought-he-had-10-minutes-to-live-after-hawaii-ballistic-missile-warning/ar-AAuGvA2

1.       I feel really tired. I think I’ll go to bed.

2. Where are you going?

I’m going to visit a customer.

3. Do you want me to help you?

No thanks. John’ll help me.

4. Would you prefer tea or coffee?

I’ll have some tea, please.

5. Would you like to come to my house for dinner and talk about the matter?

Good idea. I’ll bring some wine.

6.    I’ve already decided. I’m going to buy a new car.

7. What are your plans for next week?

I’m going to fly to New York on business.

8. What are your plans for the holidays?

I’m going to visit my parents for a few days and then go walking in Scotland.

9. Why are you wearing your best suit?

I’m going to have lunch with my biggest customer.

10. Do you want to have the chicken or the beef?

I think I’ll have the beef.

11. My head hurts.

Sit down and I’ll get you an aspirin.

12. We need some more ink for the printer.

I’ll go to the shop and get some.

13. Look! There’s smoke coming out of the photocopier.

You turn it off and I’ll phone the safety officer.

14. I cannot see how to use this spreadsheet.

Don’t worry. I’ll help you.

15. I need to speak to you today.

I’m going out now but I’ll be back later.

16. Did you phone Michael?

I’m sorry. I completely forgot. I’ll do it now.

17. Can you help me with this? I don’t understand.

I’ll give you a hand as soon as I’ve finished this.

18. That’s much too heavy for one person. I’ll give you a hand.

19. Could someone answer the phone?

I’ll get it.

20. It’s really hot in here. I’m going to put on the air-conditioning.

Tips for AFTER the exam:

The best way to prepare for exams in English in the future is to be continuously working on your advanced language skills. This means incorporating exercises and sophisticated language into your regular diet. Use the blog in the semester breaks and after the course for links for review quizzes and consult online journalistic sources for reading and listening input. Don’t make unrealistic "all-or-nothing" goals: if you skip a week, don’t worry about it, but get back in the saddle so that understanding advanced language becomes less and less of a struggle. (When I had my first year abroad in Germany in 2006 I could hardly understand the Süddeutsche Zeitung. I went to the library every day during the semester break and read articles from that day’s issue and by April I was understanding most of what I was reading.) Use articles, podcasts, and videos to learn both vocab and grammar and your intuition for good and correct language use will increase before you know it.

Kompetenzerweiterung III, Final Post Before Exam

Supplementary links for the exam will be posted here Tuesday night.

Kompetenzerweiterung I, Final Homework

https://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs18.htm

http://www.englishtenses.com/test/romance_novel1

Have a look at the Room for Debate page and identify five colloquial words or expressions in an article and supply formal equivalents, as we did in class: https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate

The articles distributed in class today (Get Rid of Them and Anonymity May Have Killed Online Commenting) can be accessed here: https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2016/04/18/have-comment-sections-on-news-media-websites-failed

Your optional essay topics include either writing an "a moment that changed me" essay or a best/worst shows/movies/books/albums/trends of 2017 article. 

Kompetenzerweiterung III, Final Homework

If you haven't already done so, please complete the tasks from the "study pack" post and bring any questions regarding grammar to our final session.

Have a look at this link concerning mastering -ic and -ical endings with English adjectives: http://www.perfectyourenglish.com/vocabulary/words-ending-in-ic-ical.htm

Consider how you would complete the following essay prompts (very close to what will be on the exam) in approx. 150 words (you can submit these to me via email if you'd like for practice):

Write approx. 150 words about grades/marks from the point of view of:
i) a school principal/head master
ii) a parent
iii) a student studying to become a teacher
iv) a pupil


Choose between one of the following questions:
Is vegetarianism for everyone?
Are taxes necessary for modern society?

Find FOUR reasons for ONE of the following and justify them:
1) Smoking should be banned from all public places.
2) The voting age should be raised from 18 to 21.
3) Slang should be banned from the classroom.

Remember also to submit your question for the prepared debate and topic area for the spontaneous debate to me via email if you haven't already done so.