Weak Words In My Writing? Not Me!
Source: www.grammarcheck.net
Source: www.grammarcheck.net
From “Which make better pets, cats or dogs?” to “Truth: Is it absolute or relative?” the list of opinion essay topics can be infinite. An opinion essay is a type of formal essay where the writer expresses their personal viewpoint on a particular topic.
The essay can be short or lengthy, depending upon the range of ideas or the word limit according to a particular exam type. Whatever the case, follow the regular essay guidelines and stick to your topic. Be clear, support with examples, use connectors to smoothly link one point to the next, avoid repetition and always prepare a plan to follow. Here’s a simplified one for you:
You probably have been hearing a lot of alarming stories about Ebola lately. There is an outbreak of this virus disease in west Africa and it seems to be spreading, infecting thousands of people. A number of them unfortunately have died. There have also been confirmed transmission cases in the USA and Europe.
Although these facts create a lot of fear and anxiety, the truth is that people all over the world are taking measures to stop it and treat those who are sick. According to the World Health Organisation there are currently no licensed Ebola vaccines but two potential candidates are undergoing evaluation.We can also protect ourselves by taking simple steps like washing our hands regularly. The best thing to do is get informed, because “false knowledge is more dangerous than ignorance”.
Read some relevant articles at
dogonews.com (there are comprehension and challenge questions at the end of this article)
student.societyforscience.org (there is glossary for relevant vocabulary)
Lesson plan for teachers at pbs.org
Poster: ebolaposter_dosanddonts-update_unicef_final_16042014 from CDC.gov (www.cdc.gov) is your online source for credible health information and is the official Web site of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Phrasal verbs are an important part of the English language, because they are very common in spoken English and informal texts. Native speakers would probably say “The concert was put off” rather than “The concert was postponed”, so make sure you learn as many of them as possible by practising them regularly. Remember that they should be avoided in formal writing.
Still, what are phrasal verbs? What are they made up of? Is it easy for you to figure out their meaning? Do you often mix them up? If you have followed this introduction up to here, you definetely understand a few of them, since the highligted words are examples of phrasal verbs.
Get down to studying phrasal verbs with the following resources. You will find definition, syntax and types of phrasal verbs as well as a few quizes to practise them.
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Super-clean, super-smooth, super-white seem to have become a common routine, if not an obsession, for most of us. We meticulously apply our toothpaste and scrub with no second thoughts. However, apart from the damage we may cause to the top layer of our skin, we also cause serious damage to the environment. Why is that? It is because of microbeads, the tiny polyethylene particles contained in exfoliating products. Furthermore, our synthetic fabric clothes seem to add to the problem because of the microfibers they contain.
Watch the following videos to see how this is happening. Complete the missing information as you watch.
A)
B)
Look at these articles for more information:
ANSWERS
A)
Dedicated to 5th June, World Environment Day and 8th June, World Oceans Day.
The following links lead to exercises or tests that can help you revise and test your knowledge of the English language at an intermediate to advanced level (B2-C2). Because of their level, they are appropriate for Greek University Candidates who wish to have an overall evaluation of their competence.
GRAMMAR
Short exercises at edufind.com
READING
Intermediate at web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone
Upper-Intermediate at web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone
Advanced at web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone
Intermediate at usingenglish.com
Intermediate/Advanced at infosquares.com
WRITING
Guide and exercises at owl.english.purdue.edu
FCE/CAE/CPE/TOEFL/IELTS and more…
Tests at boostyourenglishscore.com
Tests at english-online.org.uk
IELTS reading and writing tests at ielts-exam.net (check the writing tasks because there are model answers)
IELTS sample tests at ielts-exam.net (check the writing tasks because there are model answers)
You may also be interested to check the rest of the resources labeled “Exams” and “Ειδικό Μάθημα Αγγλικά” from the unit on the right.
Click here to go to a news.google.com/newspapers page. Scroll to the middle of the page to find the article titled «May Day» which was published in The Age, 1 May, 1981. You can decrease or enlarge the page by clicking on the magnifying button.
Read the article and do the following tasks:
A) Match the words with their definition:
B) Answer the questions
C) True or False?
D) Answer briefly
Answers
A)
B)
C)
D) (suggested answers)
These exercises are my personal work aiming to provide esl/efl practice for use at home or in the classroom. They are not for commercial use. If you happen to like them, please do not redistribute, but rather suggest a link back to this page.
photo credit: pixabay.com
Get into descriptive language and organisation with the following resources:
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Transitional words and phrases are used to connect one idea to the next. They show how the main idea and its further development are connected within a paragraph or within a sentence. They are like the asphalt (bitumen) that glues the materials of the road surface together.
If the amount of the asphalt is little or of bad quality, then the road surface will come out cracky and rough, and our ride rather bumpy. Likewise, if we use little or inappropiate transitions in our writing, the meanings will be disorganised and the reader will not be able to read smoothly from one point to the next.
On the other hand, too many transitional phrases make our writing unnatural. Thus, it is necessary to fully understand what kind of transitions there are and how they are used.
Two helpful lists follow: the first includes some basic transitional words and phrases and the second presents links to examples and exercises.
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