Page 134 - English - Teaching Academic Esl Writing

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CHAPTER 5
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This proofreading technique can help students locate and correct about one third to half of the word-form errors in their writing. In most cases, students need to be shown this technique only one time because it is simple to understand and use. They just need to be reminded to proofread their text, read it out loud, and follow what iswritten (rather than what they think iswritten).Reminding writers to proofread is not a new task for any writing teacher.
For example:
(Thisisthelastsentencetobeproof-read (6)]WhenIwasachild,allthetechnolo- gies in my hometown were still simple. [The fifth sentence to the end (5)] Started from televisiontocomputers, allwerechanged. [Then the fourth sentence to the end of the sentence (4)]Basically,alltechnologiesthatpeoplediscoveredincommunicationswerenot to make money. [Then read the third sentence to the end (3)] They were madefor im- provements. [Then continue with the second sentence to the end of the sentence
(2)] It is true that until now there are no technologies that can promote person contact. [Start reading here to the end of the sentence—(1)] Forexample, people can only hear voices from telepJwne and people can only see thefaces and voices through internet. (From another student's text on technology and communication.)
Gerund Practice
As mentioned, gerunds derived from transitive verbs often retain their objects even when they play the role of sentence subjects. Identifying the sentence sub- ject appropriately when working with gerund constructions is important in subject-verb agreement editing. To raise students' awareness of gerund com- plexities, many gerund + direct object constructions can be found. Students
usually learn a great deal from such practice and enjoy it. For example, Please explain which verb form is correct and is an appropriate choice in
this sentence. How many are possible and why?
Trusting friends becomes/become necessary at the time of trouble.
Eating fresh vegetables is/are recommended for children and adults of all ages. Reading books is/are essential in learning a second language.
Hiding cookies from children is/are something that many parents do, when they want to control their children's diet.
Writing exercises help/helps students to improve their vocabulary skills. Choosing universities is/are complicated for teenagers without their parents' assistance.
In general, gerund + direct object constructions are extremely common (e.g., understanding parents/children/students, building blocks (of houses), buying cars, answering phones, typing letters), and many similar sentences can be made for practice.
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