English grammar is the body of English rule

English grammar is the body of rules describing the properties of the English language. A language is such that its elements must be combined according to certain patterns. This article is concerned with (and restricted to) morphology, the building blocks of language, and syntax, the construction of meaningful phrases, clauses and sentences with the use of morphemes and words.

Simple Sentence Structure

Simple sentences are more easy to understand than complex ones. The simplest sentence structure in English is subject-verb-object-period, subject-verb-object-period and so on. Try to use the simplest sentences that make sense.

You should begin by writing simple sentences naturally when you’re thinking about adding something to Simple Wikipedia. In your mind, don’t phrase your sentence obscurely and then try to convert it to something simpler. Get in the habit of thinking in clear, direct English, without unnecessary words. But never be afraid to add a few words to make a sentence clearer. Simple English is not shorter English, although it frequently has shorter sentences.

In many cases, simple English requires more words than ordinary English. In part this is because of “filler words” (extra words), where the words act as a mental pause, allowing the reader to catch up with your thought. When converting something from the English Wikipedia, it’s not uncommon to find that your Simple English article takes up 25% to 50% more words than in standard English. In cases where the original English is poorly structured to begin with (usually in an attempt to seem erudite to others), you may consume upward of 200 or 300 percent more space.

Educational Technology: Not Just Computers

A question from the Palestinian territories about the use of tech in U.S. schools. And meet Cosmobot, a therapy robot for children with developmental disabilities. Transcript of radio broadcast:
16 December 2009

This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

A question from the West Bank: Zuheir Khlaif wants to know how American schools use educational technology.

There is not a simple answer. It depends on the subject and level of students, of course. But it also depends on the interest and training of the teachers, and the goals and budgets of the schools.

Words and their stories

What does it take to have a rich life?

I think people everywhere dream about having lots of money. I know I do. I would give anything to make money hand over fist. I would like to earn large amounts of money. You could win a large amount of money in the United States through lotteries. People pay money for tickets with numbers. If your combination of numbers is chosen, you win a huge amount of money – often in the millions. Winning the lottery is a windfall.

A few years ago, my friend Al won the lottery. It changed his life. He did not have a rich family. He was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Instead, my friend was always hard up for cash. He did not have much money. And the money he did earn was chicken feed – very little.

The Successful Presentation

The Presentation

Most presentations are divided into 3 main parts (+ questions):

1	INTRODUCTION	(Questions)
2	BODY
3	CONCLUSION
	Questions

As a general rule in communication, repetition is valuable. In presentations, there is a golden rule about repetition:

1. Say what you are going to say,
2. say it,
3. then say what you have just said.

In other words, use the three parts of your presentation to reinforce your message. In the introduction, you tell your audience what your message is going to be. In the body, you tell your audience your real message. In the conclusion, you summarize what your message was.

Short story for today

The Chapel

by Josef Essberger

She was walking lazily, for the fierce April sun was directly overhead. Her umbrella blocked its rays but nothing blocked the heat – the sort of raw, wild heat that crushes you with its energy. A few buffalo were tethered under coconuts, browsing the parched verges. Occasionally a car went past, leaving its treads in the melting pitch like the wake of a ship at sea. Otherwise it was quiet, and she saw no-one.

Stress and Intonation

Pronunciation – Practicing Stress and Intonation

I am often surprised at how focusing on the “stress – timed” quality of English helps students improve their pronunciation skills. Students often focus on pronouncing each word correctly and therefore tend to pronounce in an unnatural manner. By focusing on the stress – timed factor in English – the fact that only principle words such as proper nouns, principle verbs, adjectives and adverbs receive the “stress” – students soon begin sounding much more “authentic” as the cadence of the language begins to ring true. The following lesson focuses on raising awareness of this issue and includes practice exercises.

Facilitating writing from sources

Facilitating writing from sources: A focus on both process and product

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Abstract

This paper reflects on and theorises the experience of developing a postgraduate core subject in EAP, exploring the role of both genre awareness and process management in facilitating writing from sources. Reflection on our initial genre-based pedagogies indicated that teaching the literature review to coursework students was not appropriate, and that teaching genre sets and genre awareness did not adequately facilitate writing from sources.

English for Academic Purposes

Introduction

English for Academic Purposes (EAP) involves teaching students to use language appropriately for study. It is a branch of ESP (English for Specific Purposes) which has expanded together with the growing number of international students undertaking tertiary studies in English.

English News

Words and Their Stories:

Santa Claus is someone who will remain in the hearts of children forever. He is the make-believe person who brings toys and other gifts to children at Christmas. To grown-ups, he is a special symbol of good will and selfless giving.

Santa Claus also has some other names: Saint Nicholas, St. Nick, Kris Kringle, Pelznickel.