When NOT to use commas: correcting run-on sentences

Hi there!

A couple of days ago I published an entry about when to use a comma. Today we're going to focus on the opposite: when not to use it! More specifically, we're going to focus on run-on sentences, which appear over and over again in your compositions. (You have some practice at the end of the entry).

Run-on or run-together sentences are two separate sentences punctuated as if they were only one. Normally, run-togethers happen because you have in mind two closely related ideas and write them down quickly, with only a comma in between. For example,

Everyone felt happy, it was the first warm day of the year.

Mike forgot the matches, I forgot the salt.

She likes quiz programs, he likes Westerns.

Since you are concentrating on the meaning, you do not stop to notice that you have written two complete sentences which must be appropriately separated.

WARNING SIGNAL

The second sentence of a run-together often begins with one of the following words:
then, there, now, he, she, it, we, they. When you spot one of these "warning signals" in the middle of a sentence, check it carefully. There is a good chance that it is a run-together!!

First she told us how to get there, then she drew a map.

Jack didn't lie, he just exaggerated.

Don't wear the orange coat, it clashes with your dress.

CORRECTING RUN-TOGETHERS

There is more than one way to correct a run-together. You decide which one to use!

1. Divide the run-together using a full stop:

First she told us how to get there, then she drew a map.

First she told us how to get there. Then, she drew a map.

2. Use a semicolon (;) instead of a comma:

We had to leave Fluffy at home, Grandma doesn't like cats.

We had to leave Fluffy at home; Grandma doesn't like cats.

3. Insert a connector like and, but or because after the comma, depending on how the sentences are related:

The living-room is beige, the bedroom is green.

The living is beige, and the bedroom is green.

Last summer I did nothing, this summer I'm going to camp.

Last summer I did nothing, but this summer I'm going to camp.

Ben wore his sunglasses to school, his regular glasses were broken.

Ben wore his sunglasses to school, because his regular glasses were broken.

PRACTICE

Now it's time for you to practice! Click here to take a quiz!

8 rules for using a comma

We all know that punctuation is not easy, and we very often have trouble when writing our compositions.

Today we're going to focus on the use of a comma (,), and I'm going to provide you with 8 rules that will help you know when to use it.

Read the rules and the examples carefully, and check them again when you write your next composition. If you do this regularly, little by little these rules will become automatic and you won't need to look back at them :)

(Adapted from www.eslbasics.com)

RULE #1:

Use commas to separate words or phrases in a series of three or more.

I need to pick up bananas, tuna, bread, and ice cream from the grocery store today.

RULE #2:

Use a comma to separate independent clauses when they are joined by and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet. You do not need to use a comma if both independent clauses are short.

We agreed to come with Sarah, but we told her that we would need to leave early.

RULE #3:

Use commas when the relative clause is non-defining, that is, when it gives extra, unnecessary information.

Mr. Perryman, who enjoys playing golf, decided to retire in Florida.

The boy who lives next door to us is in the fourth grade.

RULE #4:

Use commas after introductory phrases and clauses that come before the main clause. If the introductory phrase has less than three words, the comma is optional.

When the clock struck midnight, the carriage turned back into a pumpkin.
After you leave school, make sure to pick up the mail.
Next Saturday we will be getting married.

RULE #5:

Use commas before and after "interrupting words" such as however and therefore.

I would, therefore, like to continue this conversation at another time.

RULE #6:

Use a comma after introductory adverbs.

Fortunately, Samir had remembered to back up his files.
Unsurprisingly, Raul passed the class with flying colours.

RULE #7:

Use commas when directly addressing a person (vocative).

Have you, Millie, considered going to college?
What do you think that means, Doctor?

RULE #8:

Use a comma before question tags.

You're a senior in college, aren't you?

Linguistic and Cultural Immersion in England

Are you interested in spending a long weekend with a family in England?

Well, now's your chance! The Official Language School "Roquetas de Mar" is going to organise an immersion stay for its students from the 1st May till the 4th May.

You have further information in the poster below!

Linguistic and Cultural Immersion in England by ana_uk877884

Grants for English language immersion programmes

Hi everyone!

The Ministry of Education has just offered more than 15000 grants for English language immersion programmes organised by the Menéndez y Pelayo International University. If you wish to know the requisites to apply, please visit the link below.

Further information about the grant.

Good luck! :)

New Year's Resolutions: setting real and feasible objectives!

Now that we're starting a new year, and a new term, it's time to think of our New Year's Resolutions!!

One of the best ways -if not the only one- of achieving a long-term goal (getting fit, losing weight, taking up a hobby, learning a new language, etc.) is to divide it into short, real and feasible objectives.  

You can apply this to any area of your life, but here I give you a few examples to learn English. Take the ones that work for you, add new ones, and design a list of the things you intend to do with/in English every week.

• Learn 10 new English words or phrases every day, Mondays to Fridays (repeat on Saturdays, relax on Sundays)
• Unlearn one typical mistake before the next test/composition
• Study 15 minutes every day
• Read the lyrics of an English song every week and try to understand its main content
• Read and try to understand one short English text every week

Stick to your plan, and you'll see incredible results in a few months. And with very little effort. Take my word :)

Ps: Feel free to post your suggestions in the comments below!

Pss: What other New Year's Resolutions do you have??

Some studying tips... FOR THE WHOLE YEAR!

Hi there!

Now that the exams are round the corner, here I leave you with some tips that will help you learn better. Hope you find them useful!

• Don't overdo it: studying 15-30 minutes per day is more effective than studying 2 hours once every week.
• For a whole week, try studying 15-30 minutes each day. Not less. And definitively not more than that (even if you could).
• You will see that the following day, studying is much more fun, simply because you didn't push it to the limit the day before.

The 50 most common spelling mistakes

While the Spanish strive to learn English... Cambridge University reveals the 50 most common spelling mistakes we make. See if you can find them!

ESQUIRE | 06 DE NOVIEMBRE DE 2013

wich
confortable
becouse
accomodation
posible
belive
diferent
bycicle
enviroment
beatiful
recomend
begining
reponsability
demostration
recived
oportunity
advertisment
untill
ruber
bussiness
succesful
adress
nowdays
necesary
enought
tipical
hellow
embrrasing
reponsabilities
responsable
recieved
decission
bougth
arround
whith
se
recive
goverment
bussines
polution
dificult
posibility
nervious
imposible
diferents
comunication
coffe
whises
whe
possitive 

Christmas Card Contest

Christmas Card Contest by ana_uk877884

Choosing a topic for your oral presentation

This entry corresponds to Advanced Level 1 (B.2.1)

Hi there!

For next Monday (11th November) you have to prepare your first oral presentation. I have given you the choice to talk about any topic you want, but... how do you decide what to talk about?

Normally, students choose the topics based on one of the following criteria:

• They talk about what they think the teacher wants to hear.
• They choose topics that they perceive as easy.
• They choose a topic that inspires or excites them.

In my view, the best results happen when the students choose the third option: they are inspired by the topic.

The truth about your presentation is that if it doesn't excite you, it won't excite your listeners. If you're not fascinated by the content, your insights will be mechanical and unattached. Plus, you'll lose motivation along the way.

So, the next time you ask yourself, "How do I decide what to talk/write about?", start with what inspires you and build from there.

Adapted from www.eslbasics.com

Readings C1 (2013-2014)

This entry corresponds to C1

Here you have the Set Readings for this year.

Since all the books are original, it doesn't matter if you buy a different edition. That is, the cover doesn't have to be the same one I have shown you.

Set Readings C1 by ana_uk877884

Readings Advanced Level 1 (2013-2014)

This entry corresponds to Advanced Level 1 (B.2.1)

Here you have the Set Readings for this year.

Since the books for the 2nd and 3rd terms are original, it doesn't matter if you buy a different edition. That is, you don't need to have the same cover (portada) that I have shown you.

Set Readings Avanzado 1 by ana_uk877884

Health; going to the doctor's; good stress; present perfect simple vs. continuous

This entry corresponds to Advanced Level 1 (B2.1)

Hi there!

These days we've been talking about health and eating habits. In one of the first sessions we discussed whether milk was good for the body or not . Here I post the video in case you may want to watch it again. If you open it directly on YouTube remember that you can activate subtitles. However, remember that they are computer-generated, so you may find many mistakes. Still, they are still helpful to follow the main ideas.

We've also talked about going to the doctor's, and we've learnt plenty of vocabulary related to illnesses and symptoms. Below you have two listening exercises about talking to a doctor:

• Talking to the doctor 
• Phoning the doctor 

You might find them rather easy, as they are from the Intermediate level, but still they're good for practice.

We also discussed whether stress was good for you. Well, apparently it is! Check out the video below!



About grammar, we've been revising the differences between the present perfect simple and continuous. Here you have quite a completely summary about when to use each:

Taken from www.ego4u.com

You can practise doing the exercises below:

• Exercise 1
• Exercise 2
• Exercise 3

And that is all for the moment!

Ana.

Language, culture and identity; Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

This entry corresponds to level C1

Hi there!

In these weeks we've mainly been talking about culture and identity, and we've discussed identity icons that define us, our country, or other countries.

In one session we also talked about the relationship between language and identity, and in that sense I'd like you to know a little bit about the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, which holds that the structure of a language affects the perceptions of reality of its speakers and thus influences their thought patterns and worldviews.

Please, check the video below (it's only 6 minutes; the remaining 2 are for credits). If you open it on YouTube, you can activate the option of "subtitles". As you know, those subtitles are computer-generated, so you're going to find many mistakes. However, they can still help you to follow the main ideas.

In Unit 3 we've started talking about relationships, and I've asked you to read the short story "Imitations", by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

She's an Igbo writer from Nigeria. She has been labeled as the most prominent of a procession of acclaimed young anglophone authors that has succeeded in attracting a new generation of readers to African literature. Since she's settled in the US, some of her stories also show the cultural clash between the Western and African views of the world.

Listen to her on this very interesting talk about the power of stories. You'll find her extremely easy to understand due to her crystal-clear diction and her outstanding communicative skills.



If you want to read a little bit more about her life, and her writing career, check the document below. You can also visit her official website here. I strongly recommend you to read something else by her.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie by ana_uk877884



For Tuesday, remember you have to record a video about a day in your lives; on Thursday you have to hand in the second writing of the term.

Have a great Sunday!
Ana.

Halloween Party at the EOI "Roquetas de Mar"

Halloween by ana_uk877884

On public speaking

Hi there,

I've just come across this article on "public speaking", which is -fortunately- becoming an important matter for educationalists in Spain.

Why is "public speaking" taught in British schools but not in Spanish ones? What are the consequences of this? Read the article to find out...

¿Por qué los colegios ingleses enseñan oratoria y los españoles no?