Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and exercises for English for Other courses

Quantifiers: Countable, Uncountable, and Both

• Uncountable: much, a bit, little, a great deal of, a little, very little.
• Countable: several, many, a number of, few, very few, most, all, some, any, no.
• Both: all, enough, none, some, more, most, a lot of, less, any, plenty of.

Grammar Rules: Prepositions and Modals

Every time we have a preposition (in, on, of, at, with, for, about), the verb following it must be in the gerund form. Note that to does not take a gerund, except in phrases like looking forward to or getting/being used to.

Speculation

• In the past:
  • Certainty: MUST, CAN’T, or COULDN’T + HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE.
  • Possibility: MAY, MIGHT, or COULD + HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE.
• In the present:
  • Certainty: MUST, CAN’T, or COULDN’T + infinitive.
  • Possibility:

TED Talk Review – “Why You Procrastinate Even When It Feels Bad”

The TED-Ed talk I chose is “Why You Procrastinate Even When It Feels Bad,” created by TED-Ed and based on the ideas of educator Fuschia Sirois. I chose this talk because procrastination is something that I can relate to, especially as a university student. Sometimes I know that I have an important assignment to complete, but I still find myself checking my phone or doing other things instead. For this reason, I wanted to understand why people procrastinate even when they know that it can cause more stress later.

First, the talk explains that procrastination is not the same as laziness. In fact, people sometimes procrastinate because they care too much about the result...

Memories of a Beautiful Girl

• When she used to pass by near Raj's house, he would call his maid, hold his bag, and walk until the bus stop to show his standard.
• I was very shy, but luckily got to sit with her in a seating arrangement made so that boys and girls would sit together.
• But three or four days later, one of the girls was a bit uncomfortable and asked the teacher to change it.
• And again, by luck, I got a seat in just the next row by her seat.
• While sitting with her, yes, I can say those were my most beautiful days, but I was very nervous and hardly made any move, always kept distance so that she wouldn't find anything uncomfortable.
• Some boys started teasing me by her name as I got a chance to sit with her, which made me feel more frightened

Troilus and Criseyde Analysis

Troilus’ Appearance and Character

Physical and Psychological Traits

• Physical: Breathtaking, tall, thin, and well-proportioned, as a knight should be.
• Psychological: Full of courage and gallantry.

Key Relationships

• Pandarus: The only direct relationship shown prominently in the poem.
• Criseyde: The protagonist's love interest. They have little direct contact until the middle of the poem.
• His Family: They barely appear, with very little contact shown (e.g., Hector, Deiphebus, Helen).

Troilus’ Evolution Towards Love

Scepticism

At the beginning of the poem, Troilus is a sceptic. He mocks lovers because he does not believe in love at all. He thinks that love causes pain, as lovers only care about their beloved ones, living...

Antonio's Journey in New York City

The story begins with the main character, Antonio, talking with George on a plane flying to New York. Upon landing, George takes Antonio to Jason’s house by limousine. When they arrive, Jason and George meet and shake hands. George departs, and Jason takes Antonio to Times Square, where Antonio is captivated by the sights. Jason mentions that they will celebrate Thanksgiving the following day and invites Antonio to attend the Thanksgiving parade. They are joined by a girl named Elaine, whom Antonio finds beautiful and kind. After the parade, Antonio joins Jason’s friends for a celebration, where he enjoys plenty of food and continues to bond with Elaine. Elaine suggests that they visit the city's main monuments...

Understanding Contextual Word Usage

• It is totally understandable.
• Don't joke; be courageous.
• That sidewalk is slippery.
• After Monday, citizenship.
• Arthur is friendly.
• Every afternoon, sharpen.
• Mary Lou is unfriendly.
• The stock market is listless.
• I have a class; I oversleep.
• The groom will unveil.
• I think it is risky.
• My father's death brought emptiness.
• George W. will liberate.
• Americans fought for freedom.
• When you work, be careful.
• Every time I think, I undo.
• I had to take an understanding.
• He will uncork.
• You need to avoid misspellings.
• The weather forecast.
• Chestnut honey is effective.
• Come rain, it is exceptional.
• Dreaming of a beautiful retirement? Enjoy affordable living.
• The post-war consummation.
• In the first quarter, importance.
• The gradual collapse.
• Jamie'

English Sentence Transformation Practice

• 29. She called twice but got no answer. She called twice without getting an answer.
• 30. Never buy shoes unless you try them on first. Never buy shoes without trying them on first.
• 31. The house is so expensive that I can't afford it. It is such an expensive house that I can't afford it.
• 32. There is no advantage in shouting at him. It's no good shouting at him.
• 33. She plays tennis better than me. I don't play tennis as well as her.
• 34. You can't carry this suitcase because it's too heavy. This suitcase is too heavy for you to carry.
• 35. It is possible that you left your gloves on the bus. You may have left your gloves on the bus.
• 36. I won't tell anybody else about it. I'll tell nobody else.
• 37. "Open the door

Topic 1: Introductions and Greetings

• David: Let me introduce you to... Stranger: Hello, pleased to meet you. David: Pleased to meet you, too.
• Stranger: Excuse me, but are you Mrs. Rice? Mrs. Rice: Yes, that's right. Stranger: May I introduce myself? I'm Michael West. Mrs. Rice: How do you do? Michael: How do you do?
• Lucy: Hello, Lucy. How are you? Alan: Fine, thanks, Alan. Good to see you again. Lucy: Nice to see you, too. How's the family? Alan: They're all very well. How's life? Lucy: Oh, not too bad, thanks, but very busy.
• Juan: I must go now—my flight is at 5:00. Friend: Well, it was very nice meeting you. Juan: I really enjoyed meeting you, too. I look forward to seeing you in Madrid. Friend: I do, too. See you next month.

Topic 2: Telephone

Semantics and Linguistic Signs

Semantics is the study of the meaning of linguistic signs, which include words and sentences. It establishes the relationship between expression and the semantics of signs—what they actually mean.

• Polysemy: One signifier with several meanings.
• Homonymy: One signifier with several meanings; these may be homophonic or homographic.
• Synonyms: Different signifiers that share one meaning.
• False Synonyms: Different signifiers with distinct meanings.

Word Structure and Morphology

Morphology is the study of the structure of word formation.

• Simple words: Words that do not consist of two or more words.
• Compound words: Formed by more than one lexeme.
• Derivative words: Formed by one lexeme and at least one derivative morpheme.
• Parasynthetic