Writing tip: Here’s part III on how you shouldn’t end your composition. (See part II here https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=198039540368604&set=a.175449439294281.1073741828.175114272661131&type=1) Don’t end your story abruptly. More often than not, students don’t manage their time well and panic when you see the time is almost up. Imagine watching Superman: Man of Steel at the theatre. After the exciting fight[…]
Writing tip: On Aug. 1, we advised students not to end the story by saying it’s a dream. (See link: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=184968275009064&set=pb.175114272661131.-2207520000.1378436313.&type=3&theater) Over the next few days, let’s examine other atrocious methods to conclude your composition. Conclusion 2: What’s Worse Than a Dream? Asking your reader "Was I dreaming or was it real?" Make up your[…]
On this very wet day, I thought I should share this again— idioms based on the weather. Drive safe on the roads!
English tip: The following sentences are WRONG: Last time policemen wore shorts. Last time Goh Chok Tong was the prime minister. Singaporeans loves using "last time" in their sentences. This is probably because we mix the Chinese word
English tip: Many students are confused when to use "during", "for", and "since". Let’s learn this today- it would be useful for cloze passages and your compositions. FOR We use "for" when we explain the number of hours, days, months, etc. For example: I am going to the supermarket for half an hour. Mary is[…]
English tip: We mentioned sentences need to be concise and tight. We must avoid needless words. The use of "who" and "which" sometimes result in such redundancy. For example: Before: He is a man who is very sly. After: He is very sly. Before: Disneyland is always a theme park which I have always wanted[…]
English tip: I was asked how/when to use a colon and a semicolon. A colon : Use a colon to set off a summary. For example: There were so much food at the party: chicken pie, curry fish head and french fries. A semicolon: This is stronger than a comma, less forceful than a full-stop.[…]
English tip: We talked about using the active voice yesterday. Sometimes, when we use affixes, it shortens the sentences, tightening the language. Here are some examples: He is not honest–> He is dishonest This is not a usual situation. –> This is an unusual situation. He was better than his classmates –> He outperformed his[…]
English tip: Always use the active voice in your composition. It’s more direct and more vigorous. For example: Active: I like my cat. Passive: The cat is liked by me. Active: The children ran around the school compound. Passive: The school compound was filled with running children. The active form is stronger, shorter and reads[…]
English tip: There’s a difference between "compare to" and "compare with." Here’s how you differentiate them. *To "compare to" is to suggest resemblances between things that have different natures: Examples: He compared his looks to Ryan Gosling’s. What an inflated ego he has! Jame’s mother compared his room to a dump. James must be very[…]