Book of Answers: Pamela

Posted on June 14, 2024 | Leave a comment

“What was Pamela’s last name in Samuel Richardson’s Pamela? Andrews.”

Excerpted from: Corey, Melinda, and George Ochoa. Literature: The New York Public Library Book of Answers. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1993.

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Common English Verbs Followed by an Infinitive: Seem

Posted on June 14, 2024 | Leave a comment

OK, finally this morning, here is a worksheet on the verb seem when used with an infinitive. This worksheet seems to be intellectually lightweight.

If you find typos in this document, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.

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Communique

Posted on June 14, 2024 | Leave a comment

“Communiqué (noun): An official announcement or bulletin, usually addressed to the media or other official bodies rather than the public.

‘The communiqué contained—here you proceed at your own risk and probably would be well advised to have a companion—friendly and cooperative relations, harmonious relations, constructive relations, cooperative relations, the totality of varied relationships, a close and mutually beneficial relationship based on the principal of equality (it’s only the beginning folks, only the beginning), a common determination, an enhanced scope for creativity, the maintenance of peace and the evolution of a stable international order….The Tokyo communiqué somehow left out resolute action, which governments often promise to take and the end of meaningless meetings.’ Edwin Newman, A Civil Tongue”

Excerpted from: Grambs, David. The Random House Dictionary for Writers and Readers. New York: Random House, 1990.

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Cultural Literacy: Obscenity

Posted on June 14, 2024 | Leave a comment

Here is a Cultural Literacy worksheet on the concept of obscenity. This is a half-page worksheet with a reading of three sentences (the last a compound separated by a semicolon) and three comprehension questions. While obscenity as a legal concept doesn’t much appear in the press anymore, mostly because it appears to be a settled legal issue, it certainly was in the news a great deal when I was in high school.

So this may currently be irrelevant material–something I learned about in school because it was current in a way that it no longer is.

But what do you think?

If you find typos in this document, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.

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Modular

Posted on June 14, 2024 | Leave a comment

“Modular: Designed or constructed according to a standardized scale or parts, as in prefabricated building construction and furniture systems.”

Excerpted from: Diamond, David G. The Bulfinch Pocket Dictionary of Art Terms. Boston: Little Brown, 1992.

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The Weekly Text, 14 June 2024: A Lesson Plan on English Literary Periods from The Order of Things

Posted on June 14, 2024 | Leave a comment

This week’s Text comes from the pages of Barbara Ann Kipfer’s fascinating reference book (aside: I wish I had her job), The Order of Things: a lesson plan on English literary periods. This is a pretty simple lesson; it is intended, as everything under the header of The Order of Things on this blog is intended, for struggling and emergent readers as well as learners of English as a new language.

You’ll need this combined reading and comprehension worksheet (the reading is a list) to teach this lesson.

If you find typos in these documents, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.

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H.L. Mencken on Faith

Posted on June 7, 2024 | Leave a comment

“Faith may be defined briefly as an illogical belief in the occurrence of the improbable.”

H.L. Mencken

Excerpted from: Winokur, Jon, ed. The Big Curmudgeon. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal, 2007

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Common English Verbs Followed by an Infinitive: Request

Posted on June 7, 2024 | Leave a comment

Here is a worksheet on the verb request when it is used with an infinitive. They requested to work on something more substantial than the worksheet on the verb request.

If you find typos in this document, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.

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Term of Art: Stem

Posted on June 7, 2024 | Leave a comment

“stem” A question or statement on a multiple-choice test that poses a choice for the test taker. See also distracter; foils; multiple-choice item.”

Excerpted from: Ravitch, Diane. EdSpeak: A Glossary of Education Terms, Phrases, Buzzwords, and Jargon. Alexandria, VA: ASCD, 2007.

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Cultural Literacy: Vicious Circle

Posted on June 7, 2024 | Leave a comment

Here is a Cultural Literacy worksheet on the idiom vicious circle.  This is a half-page worksheet with a reading of one longish compound containing a colon and a semicolon which might, obviously, be best revised for emergent readers and those working to acquire English as a new language. There is one simple comprehension question and one imperative to use vicious circle in a sentence.

In other words, a basic introduction to this very commonly used idiom in English.

If you find typos in this document, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.

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