Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and exercises for English for University

The Prologue- POEM

By Anne Bradstreet-1650 

-allusions to Greeks, Christianity, feminism...

-light-hearted tone. Critical of those who restrict women’s role. Humble, critic angry tone. 

-better with needle” even she writes something worthy critics will say is copied or luck 

-humility 

-verse, 8 stanzas, iambic pentameter ABABCC-daDum da Dum x5

-metaphors “the pen” & metonymy (big idea by referring to one small part)

-symbols: needle, war, tongue 

   Tongue: metonymy=power of speech 

-Purpose: role as female in a male-dominated Puritan society 

To my dear and loving husband-POEM

Anne Bradstreet-1650 “Selected Poems” 

-iambic pentameter 

-rhyme scheme: AABBCCDD*EEFF. This is rhyming COUPLES. 

-“Ever” 4 times in the poem, in...

Puritanism

Puritans feared the natives:

Natives were the opposite of what puritans wanted to be. Natives started to be seen as inferior and uncivilized because they didn’t believe in the true God. So, puritans started to exclude the natives. This situation developed fear and hatred: the puritans feared the natives converting other puritans into Natural liberties. They also fear possible native attacks (because of the exclusion). As natives were seen as a sign of God that they were doing something wrong, by killing natives, the puritans believed that they were assuring their people not to follow Natural liberty.

The issue of women:

Puritans feared also women that weren’t married and didn’t follow the patriarchal system. These women were not...

Mastering English Grammar: Relative Clauses, Modals, and More

Relative Clauses

The boy was an old friend. I was staying at his house: The boy whose house I was staying at was an old friend.

The dog had long, pointed ears. It was lying on the sofa: The dog which was lying on the sofa had long, pointed ears.

The book was a bit frightening. John was reading it: The book which John was reading was a bit frightening.

PP died in 1973. He was from Malaga: PP, who was from Malaga, died in 1973.

This is the CD. A. Sanz signed an autograph there: This is the CD where A. Sanz signed an autograph.

Modal Verbs

It's necessary for me to go to work yesterday: I didn't need to go to work yesterday.

Perhaps Mike didn't get your phone call: Mike may not have got your

Part 1: Short Dialogues

Berta's Absence

4. Sorry, Berta is off today. She went to see a doctor yesterday, but she is still sick.

A. She will probably be here tomorrow.

Studying and Grades

5. Son, if you work hard and you don't answer your cellphone or chat on your cellphone while you are studying...

A. I know; I will get better grades, right?

A Gloomy Evening

6. This is a cold winter evening. It's really cloudy out there. I feel sad.

A. I guess it will be a nightmare night for you.

Late to Work

7. Today I arrived late for the first time in six years and my boss gave me a memo. It's not fair.

B. From now on, you'll have to be more careful.

Vacation Plans

8. What are you going to do on vacation?

B. We're going to party a lot.

Taking Over

9. Who's going to take...

Analysis of First Impression Study Results

Question 1: True/False Statements

• a. False. Society has taught us two crucial—and contradictory—codes to live by: “Never judge a book by its cover” and “First impressions last a lifetime.” Yet new research shows that first impressions may be misleading.
• b. False. “He took photos of 100 students at the University of St. Andrews, ensuring that they were standardized by only picking those who wore no jewellery, wore neutral expressions, and were Caucasian.”
• c. True. “We automatically assume that attractive people are more intelligent.”
• d. False. “The implications of this study are quite severe when real-world situations are taken into account.”

Question 2: Summary Points

• a. Dr. Talamas

The Journey Begins

When I was young, at 16, I started receiving low marks. This disappointed my family, although I initially thought it was normal for that age. However, my friends weren't experiencing the same academic struggles. The core issue was a **lack of motivation**. This is where my journey truly began.

High School Challenges

As a result of those marks, I had to repeat grades, which changed everything. Despite my lack of motivation, I completed the last two years of high school (bachillerato) primarily due to the immense pressure I felt to succeed.

University Decisions

While preparing for the university entrance exam, I was very nervous about failing. Fortunately, it went well, and I decided to study Business Administration and Management...

Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

Forming Comparative Adjectives

The comparative form of an adjective is used to compare two things.

Rules for Forming Comparative Adjectives

• One syllable adjectives: Add "-er" (e.g., faster, bigger).
• One syllable adjectives ending in consonant-vowel-consonant: Double the final consonant and add "-er" (e.g., sad - sadder).
• One or two syllable adjectives: Add "-ier" (e.g., easy - easier).
• Two or more syllable adjectives: Use "more" before the adjective (e.g., expensive - more expensive).
• Irregular adjectives: These adjectives have unique comparative forms (e.g., good - better, bad - worse).

Forming Superlative Adjectives

The superlative form of an adjective is used to compare three or more things.

Rules for Forming

Beowulf: Plot Summary and Old English Context

The Epic Battles of Beowulf

Hrothgar, King of Denmark, did not know how to deal with a monster called Grendel, so he sought Beowulf's help. Beowulf fought against the monster, and Grendel died. However, the monster was not alone; after his death, his mother appeared. She had more experience fighting due to her age. Finally, Beowulf fought against the monster's mother and won the battle. Nevertheless, Beowulf was later killed in a battle against a dragon.

Themes and Context

The poem emphasizes the close relationship between kinsmen and highlights the importance of the relationship between the warrior and his lord. It was written during the Old English literature period. Old English poetry was characterized...

Finland's Unique Sporting Competitions

In the past decade or so, Finland has become host to a number of unusual sporting competitions. In many of these events, the winner – or winners – are crowned as world champions. Common to most of these pursuits are their origins in Finnish folk heritage. While intelligence or social skills are not required for success, power, stamina, and courage are vital.

What, then, are these strange sports? Here are a few of the most popular ones:

Wife Carrying World Championships

The Wife Carrying World Championships have been held in the small town of Sonkajärvi, Central Finland, since 1992. The winners are the couple who complete the course in the shortest time. To make it more difficult, two dry and two-meter-...