what is this?

Homeschooling is an alternative way to educate our kids beside sending them to public school. Homeschooling is becoming more popular every day. There are about two million children currently learning at home. However it has some advantages and disadvantages.
Parents choose homeschooling to educate their kids because they believe that homeschooling can be a personalized schedule. Home schooling allows parents and children to work out a schedule that will best work for the child.
Another advantage is flexibility in time and curriculum. By home schooling parents can set the curriculum around vacation, illnesses, and other surprise event
On the other hand, homeschooling can spoil parents' time. Homeschooling needs a lot of time in preparation and delivery. Parents have to research topics, prepare the lessons, set up the projects and field the trips.
So, when thinking about putting children through home school, we should make sure that we understand all of the criteria involved in the home education.
Note: this example of discussion text "The Advantages and Disadvantages of Homeschooling is simplified and arranged from: whitney05.hubpages.com/hub/Advantages-and-Disadvantages-to-Homeschooling


Using Colon

To use Colon, there are some terms and condition that must be fulfilled. They are:
1.      Colons are used before explanations.
Example
  • We decided to cancel the match: it was raining.
2.      A colon can be used when direct speech is introduced by a name or short phrase.
Example:

3.      Colons can also used when famous sayings are quoted.
  •  ‘Reading makes a full man, writing an exact man, speaking a ready man.’ Said Bacon.
  • Polonius: ‘What do you read, my lord?’
  • ‘Words, words, words.’ (Hamlet)

Computer, tablet, mobile phone, and other devices connected to Internet have been the most outstanding innovation in the history of mankind. As with every single innovation, internet has its own advantages and disadvantages.
The target of internet has always been the communication. By the advent of computer's Internet, our earth has reduced and has attained the form of a global village. Now we can communicate in a fraction of second with a person who is sitting in the other parts of the world. Today for better communication, we can avail the facilities of e-mail; we can chat for hours with our loved ones. There are plenty messenger services in offering. With help of such services, it has become very easy to establish a kind of global friendship.
However, Internet also has disadvantageous sides. One of them is the wide spread of unsuitable content for kids. It is a very serious issue and related to children's healthy mental life. There are thousands of such inappropriate contents on the Internet which can be easily found.
Though, internet can also create havoc, destruction and its misuse can be very fatal, the advantages of it outweigh its disadvantages.

This example of discussion text about the advantage and disadvantage of internet is arranged from: www.buzzle.com/articles/advantages-disadvantages-internet.html


Story Writing Tips

There are many story writing tips. Here I will give you some of them. The first you need to tell a story well is some practice. They are:
·         A good story writer has a plan to what he wants to write about and looks ahead as he tells the story.
The point above is the most important one. To write a story, the writer should make a plan about what will he or she wants to write about,
·         The writer must have the whole plot clear in your mind.
You must also have the main points arranged in their proper order.
·         To be a good story writer you must have a fertile imagination.


Some Conjunctions and Their Usage
 There are many conjunctions in English. Now I will explain it one by one.

Than
The function of THAN is to follow an adjective or adverb in the comparative degree.
Example:
  • Wisdom is better than riches.
  • He is wiser than I am.
  • I am smarter than you are.
Lest
Although it is rarely used, it can be categorized to conjunction. Lest can be used as a subordinating conjunction expressing a negative purpose. Lest has a similar meaning to ‘for fear that’. As I mentioned previously, lest is rarely used in English, even in modern English. It is important to know that the only auxiliary that can follow lest is should.
EXAMPLE
  • He fled lest he should be killed.
While
While is also one of conjunction. While has some meaning. While used to mean:
a) During the time that; as long as; as
  • While the sun is still rise, there is a hope.
  • While I was sleeping, my mother came in.

Going to college or getting a job right after graduating high school is the common choices of teens will likely face. Some likely choose to continue studying at college or university but the others try to find job. Here are the reasons.
Why is it so important for student to continue on to post-secondary education; university or college? The reason is that post-secondary education will allow them to get the skills and tools that they will need to help them prepare for a good career. It has been said that the more education they have the more careers will be open for them to choose from. Employers today will tend to be more open to a person with the more education.
However some of them choose to get job right after high school. They believe that education is critical but college is not. In fact, there are numerous careers, such as in healthcare, technology, operations, transportation, and the building trades, that do not require a four-year degree from college or university. Furthermore, as they advance in these careers, there is also nothing stopping them from pursing a college degree at a later age.
So, what are you doing after graduating high school? Think carefully!

This example of discussion text about life after high school is arranged from:
http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/growing/after_hs.html
http://www.r-go.ca/postsecondary.htm
http://www.quintcareers.com/college_alternatives.html

What is discussion text? Discussion is a text which presents a problematic discourse. This problem will be discussed from different points of view. This kind of text is commonly found in philosophical, historic, and social text. Read the following example of discussion text!

The Pros and Cons of School Uniform
School uniforms are dress codes that are determined by the teaching institutions and students has to follow the designed code obediently everyday. Many people believe that school uniforms should be applied but the others don't.
Uniforms have various advantages for both the family and the child. A united school apparel can relief a financial stress of the backs of many families. As kids tend to compete and imitate each other, the race of following new trends in fashion or, providing different attire for every school day is considered a financial burden, not every family can afford it.
Additionally, a uniform creates a sense of equality between all pupils. Young kids tend to judge others according to their look and what they wear. Uniting their school attire will draw their attention to other criteria and, the only advantage of one student over another would be personality, academic achievement or being good at sports.
On the other hand, as repetition can lead to boredom, children can get frustrated of wearing same thing to school every day. Also, prevent their first steps of individuality by taking away their right to choose what to wear on their own free well.
In conclusion, I believe uniforms aren’t meant to suppress the creativity or freedom of children. It helps redirecting kids’ creativity towards more important things than outer look, and waive financial burden of their families.
Note: This example of discussion text about the pros and cons of school uniform is adapted from http://www.english-test.net/forum/ftopic40618.html


Attributive adjectives after nouns

Hola! Today, Mr. Enjoy wants to talk about Attributive adjectives afternouns. In English, many adjectives can go in two main places in a sentence. They are in attributive position and predicative position. I will explain both of them.
1.     
In attributive position

An adjective comes before the noun it modifies. Look at examples below:
  • Nolan is a nice girl.
  • Jean married a rich businessman.
2.      In predicative position

An adjective goes after the verb. Look at examples below:
  • Nolan is nice.
  • He looked upset.
While attributive adjectives usually go before the nouns, a few can be used after nouns. This happens in some fixed phrases. Look at examples below:
  • Secretary General
  • Poet Laureate
  • Attorney General
  • Court martial
Some adjectives ending in -able/-ible can also be used after nouns.
  • It is the only solution possible.
  • Book all the tickets available.
After something, everything etc.
Adjectives come after words like something, everything, anything, nothing, somebody, anywhere etc.
  • I would like to go somewhere quiet. (NOT I would like to go quiet somewhere.)
  • I heard something interesting today. (NOT I heard interesting something today.)
In most expressions of measurement adjectives come after the measurement noun.
  • ten years older (NOT Older ten years) (NOT ten older years)
  • six feet deep
  • two miles long

Here is the formula:

VERB + OBJECT + ADJECTIVE

Adjectives can be placed after the object.
  • You make me happy.
  • Can you get the children ready for school?


Hola! Mr. Enjoy feels so sorry because in few days ago, Mr. Enjoy did not post any article. It was because Mr. Enjoy have to do the mid term examination. But don’t worry. Today Mr. Enjoy back to you again and we will discuss about Adjective Phrases.

In an adjective phrases sentence, sometimes a group of words does the work of an adjective.
Study two examples below:
  • The minister was a wealthy man.
  • The minister was a man of great wealth.
In the first example, the adjective wealthy says what sort of man the mayor was. In the second example, the group of words ‘of great wealth’ also says the same thing. It qualifies the noun man as an adjective does. Therefore, it does the work of an adjective. It is called an adjective phrase.


RECOGNIZING ACTIVE AND PASSIVE MEANINGS

Sometimes, in English there is no object (with or without by) after a verb. Don’t be panic, man! Thing that you should do is you must look at the meaning of the sentence to determine if the verb should be active or passive. Sentences with an incorrect passive verb and no by + object to tell you that the verb should be passive are the most difficult passive errors to recognize on the English Language Tests. Here I give you examples:

  • ·         They mailed the package at the post office.
  • ·         The letter was mailed by them today before noon.
  • ·         The letter was mailed today before noon.
  • ·         The letter mailed* today before noon.

The first three examples above are correct. The reason is because it has the active verb mailed used with the object package.
The second example has the passive verb was mailed used with by us.
The third sentence has the passive verb was mailed used without an object.
The fourth example is the type of passive error that appears most often on the TOEFL test. This type of sentence has the following characteristics: (1) an incorrect passive verb that looks like a correct active verb, and (2) no by + object to tell you that a passive is needed. To correct the fourth example, the active verb needs to be changed to the passive was mailed.

To determine that such a sentence is incorrect, you must study the meaning of the subject and the verb. You must ask yourself if the subject does the action of the verb (so an active verb is needed) or if the subject receives the action of the verb (so a passive verb is needed). In the incorrect example, you should study the meaning of the subject and verb, the letter mailed. You should ask yourself if a letter mails itself (the letter does the action) or if someone mails a letter (the letter receives the action of being mailed). Since a letter does not mail itself, the passive is required in this sentence.

The following chart outlines the difference in meaning between active and passive verbs:

I think that is enough
See you in the next post!

Mr. Enjoy


USING THE CORRECT FORM OF THE PASSIVE VOICE CORRECTLY

As I mentioned in the previous post, passive voice can be tested in the English Language Testing. Te passive voice can be tested in some ways. One of them is the passive can be tested on the TOEFL test with an incorrect form of the passive. I will give you example. The following sentences are examples of passive errors that sometimes tested in English Language Testing, especially TEFL test:

  • ·         The portrait was painting* by Jonathan.
  • ·         The project will finished* by John.
Look at the first example. We can found that there is the passive formed incorrectly because the past participle painted should be used rather than the present participle painting.
Now look at the second example. We can found that there is the verb be that has not been included, and some form of be is necessary for a passive verb. The verb in the second sentence should be will be finished. The following chart outlines the way to form the passive correctly:



I think That is enough
Don’t forget to stay tune on enjoy2learn-english.blogspot.com
See you in the next post!

Mr. Enjoy


(Changing active sentence into passive sentence)

PROBLEMS WITH PASSIVE VERBS

In the English language testing, in this case TOEFL test, there are sometimes sentences which have the error in an incorrect passive. So, you should be able to recognize the correct form of the passive. You should also be able to determine when a passive verb rather than an active verb is needed in a sentence.

There is a significance difference between passive and active sentence. The difference between an active and a passive verb is in its subject. The subject in an active sentence does the action of the verb. In contrast, the subject in a passive sentence receives the action of the verb. Active sentence can be converted into passive sentence, but you should make two changes. They are:
1.      The subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive sentence. In contrast, the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence.

2.      The verb in the passive sentence is formed by putting the helping verb be in the same form as the verb in the active sentence and then adding the past participle of this verb.


USING THE IRREGULAR -ER, -ER STRUCTURE CORRECTLY

This post is the next part of the previous post. We will continue to study Superlative and Comparative.

An irregular comparative structure consists of two parallel comparatives that introduced by the.

  • ·         The harder he tried, the further he fell behind.
  • ·         The older the children are, the more their parents expect from them.


In the first example, it contains the two parallel comparatives the harder and the further.
In the second example, it contains the two parallel comparatives the older and the more.
In this type of sentence, the and its comparison can be followed by a number of different structures. Take a look at these examples:
  • ·         The more children you have, the bigger the house you need.
  • ·         The harder you work, the more you accomplish.
  • ·         The greater the experience, the higher the salary will produced.

In the first example, the more is followed by the noun children and the subject and verb you have, while the bigger is followed by the noun the house and the subject and verb you need.
In the second example, the harder is followed by the subject and verb you work. Then, the more is followed by the subject and verb you accomplish.
In the third example, the greater is followed only by the noun the experience. Then, the higher is followed only by the noun the salary. You should consider that this last example does not even contain a verb, yet it is a correct structure in English.

The following chart outlines this irregular -er, -er structure:


I think that is enoug for now


SEE YOU

Mr. Enjoy


USING COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES CORRECTLY

In the previous post, we have discussed Comparative and Superlative. Now, we will learn about how to use comparative and Superlative correctly.

In the English test, Especially TOEFL Test, another problem with the comparative and superlative is that they can be used incorrectly. The comparative and superlative have different uses. You should understand these different usages to answer such questions correctly.

The comparative is used to compare two equal things. Take a look at the two examples below:
  • ·         My bedroom is larger than Sissy’s bedroom.
  • ·         Juana is more intelligent than Susanna.

In the first sentence, My Bedroom is being compared with Sissy’s Bedroom.
 In the second sentence, Juana is being compared with Susanna.

The superlative is used when there are more than two items to compare and you want to show the one that is the best, the biggest, or in some way the most outstanding.
  • ·         My bedroom is the largest room in my home.
  • ·         Juana is the most intelligent of all the students in the class.

In the first sentence, my bedroom is compared with all the other rooms in my home, and my bedroom is larger than each of the other rooms.
In the second sentence, Juana is compared with all the other students in the class, and Juana is more intelligent than each of the other students.
The following chart outlines the uses of comparatives and superlatives:


I think it is enough
SEE YOU

Mr. Enjoy


WHAT IS COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES?

Sentences with comparatives and superlatives sometimes appear in the English texts. It is important for you all to know these:
·         Forming the comparative and superlative sentences correctly.
·         Using the comparative and superlative correctly.
·         Using the irregular -er, -er structure.

Forming Comparatives and Superlatives Correctly
In the English test, especially TOEFL Test, there are sometimes comparative or superlative sentences that formed incorrectly. Therefore, you should be able to form the comparative and superlative to answer such questions correctly.


USING PARALLEL STRUCTURE WITH COMPARISONS

Hmm… This post is also the next part of the previous post. :D Okay, let’s go to the point.

When you make a comparison, you must point out the similarities or differences between two different things, and those similarities or differences must be in parallel form. You can recognize a comparison showing how is the difference of those two things from the -er... than or the more ... than.
Look at the example below:
·         My school is farther than your school.
·         To be rich is better than to be poor.
·         What is written is more easily understood than what is spoken.
·         (same structure) (same structure)
A comparison showing the similarities or how two things are the same might contain as ... as or expressions such as the same as or similar to. Look at the examples below:
·         Jonathan’s car is as good as Nathaniel’s car.
·         Renting those apartments costs about the same as leasing them.
·         The phone that Jack brings is similar to the phone that Hannah has.
Look at the following chart:



THE USAGE OF PARALLEL STRUCTURE WITH PAIRED CONJUNCTIONS

Hello, with me again Mr. Enjoy. Today, we sill discuss about parallel structure with paired conjunctions. In the previous post, we have discussed about USE PARALLEL STRUCTURE WITH COORDINATE CONJUNCTIONS. This is the next part of the previous post.

The paired conjunctions both... and, either.... or, neither.... nor, and not only ... but also require parallel structures.
  1. à   You know both where I went and what I did.
  2. à   Either Mickey or Susanna has the book.
  3. à   The books are neither in my bag nor in my white box.
  4. à   Steven is not only an excellent student but also an outstanding athlete.

The following statement is not parallel, and it must be corrected:
à   He wants either to go by train or by plane*.
Have you realized that? It is not correct because to go by train is not parallel to by plane. It can be corrected in some ways like below:
à   He wants either to go by train or to go by plane.
à   He wants to go either by train or by plane.
à   He wants to go by either train or plane.
When you are using these paired conjunctions, be sure that the correct parts are used together. The following are incorrect:
à   You want both this book or* that one.
à   Either Susanna nor* Stephanie is taking the course.
Did you know why those sentences are incorrect? Yes, you are right. These sentences are incorrect because the wrong parts of the paired conjunctions are used together. In the first example, the word and should be used with both. In the second statement, the word or should be used with either.
Look at the chart below. It outlines the use of parallel structure with paired conjunctions:



USING PARALLEL STRUCTURE WITH COORDINATE CONJUNCTIONS

The function of the coordinate conjunctions such as and, but, or is to join together equal expressions. We can also said that what is on one side of these words must be parallel to what is on the other side. These three conjunctions can join nouns, verbs, subordinate clauses, adjectives, phrases, or main clauses. They just must join together two of the same thing.

Some examples of two nouns that joined by a coordinate conjunction:

à    She needs to talk to the manager or the assistant manager.
à    Mira is not a manager but a lawyer.
à    You can choose from activities such as basketball and rafting.

Here are some examples of two verbs that joined by a coordinate conjunction:

à    Juan likes to eat and sleep in the evening.
à    Andrea invites us to her home but never talks with us.
à    You can stay home or go to the stadium with us.

Here are some examples of two adjectives that joined by a coordinate conjunction:

à    My manager is honest and handsome.
à    The exam that my teacher gave was short but it is really difficult.
à    Class can be interesting or boring.

Below are examples of two phrases that joined by a coordinate conjunction:

à    There are three students in the classroom and in front of the building.
à    The papers are on my desk or in the drawer.
à    The checks will be ready not at noon but at 1:00.

Below are examples of two clauses that joined by a coordinate conjunction:

à    They are not interested in what you say or what you do.
à    I am here because I have to be and because I want to be.
à    Mr. Enjoy likes to go home early, but his wife prefers to stay late.

Now, look at the following chart. It outlines the use of parallel structures with coordinate conjunctions:


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