Vusumuzi Dube
REMEMBER this: What are irregular verbs? An irregular verb forms the past and past participle on some other way than by adding –d or –ed to the base form. An irregular verb forms its past and past participle by changing vowels or consonants, by changing vowels and consonants and making no change.
Examples of vowel change: base form –sing, present participle (is) singing. Past tense – sang. Past participle – (have) sung. Consonant change; base form –lend, present participle (is) lending. Past – lent and past participle – (have) lent. Vowel and consonant change – buy, present participle (is) buying. Past tense – bought and past participle (have bought). No change – cost. Present participle (is) costing. Past tense – cost and past participle – (have) cost.
When forming the past and past participle of irregular verbs, avoid these common errors: 1. using the past form with a helping verb. Example of nonstandard form: I have ran to school for three years. Standard: I ran to school for three years. 2. Using the past participle form without a helping verb. Nonstandard: I rung the bell three times before anyone arrived. Standard: I have rung the bell three times before anyone arrived.
Have a look at some irregular verbs which have the same form of its past and past participle: bind (is binding), past tense – bound and past participle (have bound). Build (is building), past tense – built and past participle (have) built. Have (is having), past tense – had and past participle (have) had. Creep (is creeping), past tense – crept and past participle (have) crept.
Avoid using the past participle form without a helping verb. Non-standard: They sung two hymns in church this week. Standard: they have sung two hymns in church this week.
Let us briefly go back to the basics to help pupils write better. An introduction can be as short as one sentence. But, regardless of its length, an introduction should these three things: get the reader’s attention so that they will read on. Set the tone (humorous, friendly, critical, casual and so on). Here are techniques of writing introductions: Try one or more of them for yourself – they can be combined – when you write an introduction.
Start with a question. An intriguing question or a question readers will apply in their own lives can be an effective “hook”. Open with an anecdote or example. An anecdote, a brief story, or an extended example can also hook readers. Open with a startling or unusual fact, idea or opinion. Address the reader directly. Simply state your topic. Often a well-worded topic is interesting in itself.
Describe a person, object, or place. If your composition involves a person, object, or place this unusual or especially interesting, you can start with a description. Begin with interesting, specific details. These may often be sensory details that help readers see, hear, taste, smell and touch the subject.
Begin with your stand on an issue. A direct statement on an issue can often be the most effective introduction for a persuasive essay.
The ideas given here need to be able supported by a strong teacher’s input for them to make sense to the pupils. The body of a composition develops the major points that support the story. One or more paragraphs develop each point and support or prove it with details. Readers can follow these points clearly and easily if the body of the composition has these characteristics:
Unity – all paragraphs and details relate to the main idea set out in the topic statement. Coherence – relationship between ideas are obvious and emphasis – important ideas stand out more than ideas that are less important. Unity is the condition of being “one”. For a composition to have unity, all the major points must relate to the main idea. In addition, all the details in each paragraph must relate to the point expressed in the topic sentence of that paragraph.
Coherence describes an orderly relationship. In a coherent composition, ideas are clearly connected. Readers get the sense that sentences and paragraphs flow smoothly and sensibly from one to the other. You can use three techniques to make a composition coherent: (10 transitional words and phrases, (2) direct references, and (3) in a longer composition, a short paragraph that acts as a transition between the paragraph before and the one after.
What are direct references? Direct references are words that refer to a noun or pronoun used earlier. There are three ways to make direct references: Use a noun or pronoun that refers to a noun or pronoun used earlier. Repeat a word used earlier. Use synonyms to recall words or phrases used earlier. Transitional words and phrases are words that connect by showing transitions between ideas.
They include prepositions that show chronological or spatial order and conjunctions that connect ideas and show relationships.
For example transitional words and phrases likely to be used when comparing ideas are also, and, another, just, like, likewise, moreover, similarly and too. Contrasting ideas use expressions such as although, but, however, in spite of, on the other hand, instead, nevertheless, still and yet.
When showing cause and effect/ narration use expressions such as: accordingly, as a result, because, consequently, for, since, so, so that and therefore. Showing time/narration: after, at last, at once, before, early, eventually, finally, first, immediately, lately, later, meanwhile, next, then, thereafter, until, when and while.
Expressions most likely to be used when showing place/description are above, across, around, before, behind, below, beside, between, beyond, down, here, in, inside, into, over, there, next, and under.
Remember these expressions are meaningless when used in isolation. Use them correctly in sentence construction. These are some examples with many more not listed here. Read and you will learn more.
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