Unit1-Preparing To Write

ELC1011 Practical English for University Studies Unit 1 Preparing to write
Unit 1
Preparing to Write
Learning outcomes
At the end of the unit, you should be able to:
 identify strengths and weaknesses in your writing

 use tenses, active and passive voices, modal verbs and parts of speech effectively
 use accurate sentence structures in your writing
 identify the different sentence types in writing
 incorporate clear paragraph structures in your writing
 identify topic sentences and supporting ideas
Unit outline
This unit is divided into four sections reviewing various aspects that one needs to consider when one
is writing.
Section 1 Section 2 Section 3 Section 4

Understanding your Reviewing tense , Reviewing sentence Reviewing paragraph
writing ability passive voice, structure and structure and
modality and parts writing effective writing effective
of speech sentences paragraphs
Section 1 Understanding your writing ability
To become a proficient writer, it is very important to learn from your peers and classmates in a learning
community. Capitalising on your strengths and improving on your weaknesses in writing give you a
head start in writing as a university student. This unit is designed to help you get to know your
classmates well and yourselves better as writers.
© English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 1

Activity 1 – Getting to know your classmates
This activity gives you the chance to get to know your classmates. The reason we do this is to better
connect with the people who will likely read what we write. Then our writing can better connect with
them. In this case, they are your classmates! Try to ask follow up questions to get more information.
Write down the names of classmates and the information (if applicable).
For example: Have you logged onto your Learn@Polyu account yet? Why not?!
Find someone who ...
1. has a Twitter account.
2. knows what Assessment 1 is.
3. has a pet.
4. lives in the same district as you.
5. has read any English book lately.
6. won in a competition. What was it?
7. is good at grammar.
8. knows when Assessment 2 must be submitted.
9. reads an English newspaper regularly. Which one?
10. knows how many classroom meetings there are for

this course.
11. knows how many out-of-class hours are required for

this course.
12. has not logged onto their Learn@PolyU account.
13. got a D or above in Paper 2 (English Writing of HKDSE).

Activity 2 – Survey on Your Writing Habits
This activity gives you the chance to better understand your writing habits.
Complete the following questionnaire by ticking appropriate circles. Be

honest!
Always Sometimes Rarely Never

1. I make a plan or outline before I start writing.    
2. I consult sources for facts and information    

about my topic.
3. I use writing tools such as dictionaries or spell    

checkers.
4. I talk with my supervisor or classmates about    

my writing at different stages of writing.
5. I read extensively to help me improve my    

writing style.
6 My writing includes a variety of words and    

expressions.
7. My writing includes a variety of sentence    

structures.
8 I can use tenses and modals accurately.    
9. I can use the active and passive voices    

correctly.
10. I include a topic sentence for each body    

paragraph.
11. My body paragraphs elaborate on the    

objectives/ focus stated in the introduction.
12. I conclude my writing with a summary of the    

main points.
13. I usually proofread my writing.    
Scoring the questionnaire:
3 = Always
2 = Sometimes My score:
1 = Rarely
0 = Never

28 – 39 shows you are very aware of what is needed to become a proficient writer
points
shows you display some evidence of being an experienced writer
19 – 27
points shows you may not be a confident writer and will get useful tips and practice from
10 – 18 this course.
points
0 – 9 points shows you may not have much experience writing
Activity 3 - Writing (Title: A Learning Experience)
In Activity 2 you thought about your strengths and weaknesses. You are now going to do some writing
about a learning experience you had. Your teacher will give you a piece of paper and collect your
writing after 30 minutes.
The purpose of this activity is:
To give your teachers a sample of your writing and thereby help you improve further.
The content of what you share can help your teachers understand how you think and operate as a
learner.
Hence, doing this to the best of your ability can form the basis for working with your teachers to give
you the best chance of making real and noticeable improvements in your writing.
Think about a learning experience that you have had and write about it e.g. an event that happened
in your life that changed you for the better. Think about the questions below to help you make some
notes for your text. Write your notes first in the box below.
How old were you?

What were you doing at the time?
Who was with you?
What happened?
How did you feel?
What did you learn from this experience?
How has it changed you?
What will you do differently next time?

Section 2
Reviewing Tense, Active and Passive Voices, Modality and Part Of Speech
Three of the more common weaknesses in writing among Hong Kong students are the use of tenses,
passive voice and modality. Although by no means exhaustive, this section will draw attention to some
of the common errors made in these areas in the hope that you will be more conscious of them when
you start to write your essay. Therefore, this will help to improve the quality of your writing leading to
more success in your studies and future career.
Activity 4 – Pre-reading discussion
Discuss the following questions with a partner
1. Which family member do you have the best relationship with?

2. What things do you do that may annoy your parents or family members?
3. Look at the picture below. What do you think the problem might be?

Activity 5 – Reading a piece of reflective writing
Read the following piece of reflective writing from a Form 6 secondary school student and decide
whether the questions are true (T), false (F) or not mentioned (NM).

1 I couldn’t enter university this year so I am studying at home and in a tutorial college to try and
2 improve my grades so I can enter next year. I don’t know which university I will go to but I want
3 to study Design so I might go to the PolyU. It must be good because it is difficult to get a place.
4 Until recently, I lacked the self-discipline to focus on my studies and there was every possibility
5 that I would fail again at the next attempt. I live alone with my mum. She works long hours as a
6 negotiator in a property agency. I hardly see her as she goes out in the morning and stays late
7 catching up on paperwork or entertaining clients. She never seems happy so she must hate her job.
8 We rarely eat together in the evening. Instead, my mum gives me HK$30 a day to buy takeaway
9 food. We have been living in our current flat for about a year. The elevator is always broken so we
10 have to walk up five floors. It is small; but I have my own room. I have to admit it is a mess and I
11 know I should clean it; I don’t like my mum to go in there and see my private stuff. She has gone
12 into the room a few times and every time we have had an argument.
13
14 The other evening, I was watching TV when Mum came back. I had been eating takeaway food and
15 the cartons were strewn all over the floor and I had my feet up on the coffee table. The place was a
16 mess as usual. Mum usually picks up after me. I am not sure what time it was. It might have been
17 about 10pm, but I know it was late. I must have been sleeping when she came in as I remember
18 waking up suddenly. When she saw me, she started shouting: “You have been lazy since the day
19 you were born! You waste your time playing on the computer. You’ll be a loser just like your father!”
20 She had not mentioned him for a long time. He had left us when I was still at primary school. He
21 had gambling problems and when I was 8 mum told me he had been arrested for stealing money
22 from his company. She then burst into tears and would not stop crying.
23
24 I was speechless. I had never seen my mother break down like that. She had always controlled her
25 feelings. As she sat on the sofa sobbing, I felt mixed emotions. I felt afraid to see her so hysterical.
26 I also felt guilty because it was my behaviour that had triggered her reaction.
27
28 I went up to mum and asked her what the matter was. She told me she was having trouble at work.
29 Her boss had warned her that she would be dismissed if she failed to meet the sales target. People
30 have to pay a special tax now if they sell their property and so sales have dropped. He had told her
31 she had to sell 3 properties this week. She told me that in the recession her income had dropped by
32 half and our financial situation was precarious. She felt exhausted and when I was not pulling my
33 weight at home, it was the last straw. In addition to this, she feared that if I failed my exams again,
34 I was throwing my future away. This was the first time she had treated me like an adult. I realised
35 I had to start behaving like one too. We spoke together for about an hour and it was good to
36 communicate. It was a turning point for me, with the result that I stopped seeing the world through
37 a child’s eyes.
38
39 All in all, I am determined to work hard and not waste time. I have drawn up a study plan and I
40 will keep to it. I have also found a part-time tutoring job which brings in $1,000 a week. I hand it
41 over to my mother. My goal is to study Design at university. If you have a concrete goal, you can
42 strive towards it. I must make a change. Above all, I am going to make my mother proud of me.

ELC1011 Practical English for University Studies
Unit 1 Preparing to write
True (T), false (F) or not

mentioned (NM).
1. The writer is a boy.
2. The writer has lived in the same flat for a long time.
3. The writer’s mother enjoys her job.
4. The writer and his mother have always been close.
5. The writer has always been a hardworking student.
6. The writer is not a tidy person.
7. The writer’s father works in the financial industry.
8. The writer’s mother worries about her job security.
9. The writer changed his attitude after talking with his mum.
10. The writer pays $1000 dollars a week for tutorial school.
2.1 Reviewing tenses
Activity 6 – Identifying tenses and functions
Column 1 shows extracts from the text you have just read in Activity 5. Fill in Column 2 with the tense
used. In pairs, discuss the situation in which the tense is used and match the reason for use in Column 3.
Follow the first example that is done for you.
Understanding and skillfully using tenses can help you more accurately convey your message, and, thus,
make your writing more effective.
Column 1 (Extract) Column 2 Column 3 Reason for Use

(Tense) (Reason for
Use)
1. I live… Present simple A A. Habits, states, general truths
2. I am living… B. Unfinished time up till now
3. She has gone … C. Temporary activity in the past

before another past
4. We have been living… D. Finished time
5. I had been eating E. Temporary activities/
takeaway situations
6. I was watching… F. Past before another past

7. The day you were born.. G. Intention
8. He had been arrested… H. Experiences/ time up till now/
recent past actions with
present relevance
9. You’ll be… I. Temporary activity in the past
10. I am going to… J. Prediction

2.1.1 Talking about the present
In general, we use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is habitual, repeated, or usual.
We typically use the Present Progressive tense to show actions that are happening now. The Present
Perfect is used to show an action that started in the past but is still happening. Similarly, the Present
Perfect Progressive is also used to show an action that is still going on, but it is used also to emphasize
the continued action.
Verb Tense Affirmative/Negative/Question Use Frequent Signal

Words
Simple Present A: She studies.  To show a present always, every,

N: He does not study. action: once, never or never,
Q: Does he study? several times usually, often,
 to show facts seldom
 to show habitual actions
 to show action based on
a schedule or timetable
Present Progressive A: He is studying.  action taking place in now, at the

(or Present N: She is not studying. the moment of speaking moment, currently
Continuous) Q: Is he studying?  action taking place only
for a limited period of
time
 action arranged for the
future
Present Perfect A: He has studied.  to show action that already, ever, not
N: He has not studied. started in the past and is yet, so far, until
Q: Has he studied? still going on now
 to show action that just
stopped recently
 action that has just
taken place once, never
or several times
Present Perfect A: He has been studying.  to emphasise the all day (week,
Progressive N: He has not been studying. continued action (not month, semester,
(or Present Perfect Q: Has he been studying? the result) year, etc.), for 3
Continuous)  to show continued years, since 2012,
action that recently how long?
stopped or is still going
on

2.1.2 Talking about the past
Typically, we use the Simple Past to show actions that happened in the past and are finished. We use
the Past Progressive to indicate an ongoing action in the past, or to show that something interrupted an
action. The Past Perfect is often used to show an action that started and finished in the past before
another action began or occurred. The Past Perfect Progressive is similar to the past perfect, but is also
used to emphasize the duration of the action.

Words
Simple Past A: She studied.  To show a past action: yesterday, last

N: He did not study. once, never or several Friday,
Q: Did he study? times last week, in
 to show an action or 2014
event that finished
 to show an action or
event that occurred
during another event
or action
Past Progressive A: He was studying.  To show action that now, at the

(or Past N: She was not studying. was taking place in the moment,
Continuous) Q: Was he studying? past currently, while
 To show action taking
place only for a limited
period of time
 To show action that
was interrupted by
something else
Past Perfect A: He had studied.  to show action that already, ever,

N: He had not studied. started in the past and just, until, once,
Q: Had he studied? finished in the past conditional ‘if’,
 to show action that
happened before
something else began
 to emphasise the fact
(not the duration)
Past Perfect A: He had been studying.  to show action that all day (week,
Progressive N: He had not been studying. started in the past and month,
(or Past Perfect Q: Had he been studying? was interrupted / semester, year,
Continuous) finished etc.), for 3 years,
 to show action that since 2012, how
happened before long?
something else began
 to emphasise the
duration (not the fact)

2.1.3 Talking about the future
The Future Simple 1 (will) is generally a prediction used to show a plan or future action. We also use the
Future Simple 2 (going to) to indicate a future action or plan. The Future 1 Progressive is generally used
to indicate a continuous action that will take place at some point in the future. The Future 2 Simple is
generally used to indicate a point in time in the future when an action will be finished. We typically use
the Future 2 Progressive to indicate that by a certain point in time in the future, a continuous action will
have been going on for some time and is still happening, or that it has just ended.

Words
Future Simple I A: She will study.  To show a future tomorrow, next
N: He will not study. action: once, never Friday,
Q: Will he study? or several times next week, in
 to show a future 2017
action that cannot be
influenced
 to show a decision
 to show a prediction
or assumption about
the future
Future Simple II A: He is going to study.  To show a tomorrow, next
(going to) N: She is not going to study. continuous future Friday,
Q: Is he going to study? action next week, in
 to show a decision 201
 to show a conclusion
about the future
Future Progressive I A: He will be studying.  to show action that tomorrow, next
N: She will not be studying. is going on at some Friday,
Q: Will he be studying? time in the future next week, in
 to show action that 2017
is sure to happen in
the near future
Future Simple III A: He will have studied.  to show action that by next week
N: She will not have studied. will be completed in (month, year), by
Q: Will he have studied? the future 2017
Future Progressive A: He will have been studying.  to show a continuous by next week
II N: She will not have been action (at a certain (month, year), by
studying. point in the future) 2017
Q: Will he have been studying? that has been going
on for some time
Now that we have finished looking at the common tenses in English Language, you can go to
Learn@PolyU - Indiwork for more practice.
Unit 1-Indiwork 1: Go to learn.polyu.edu.hk > Indiwork > Unit 1 Preparing to write

and complete Indi 1: General Past Tense Rules

and read Indi 2: PowerPoint: Perfect Tense

Activity 7 – More practice on Tenses - Correcting Errors
The following sentences are either grammatically wrong, or convey an unintended meaning. Identify the
errors, compare them with a partner and discuss how to re-write the sentences.
1. I was studied at high school for six years.
2. When the police arrived on the scene, it was clear the suspects left.
3. How long have you learned English?
4. I have been knowing you for three years.
5. The students demonstrated when the soldiers ordered to open fire.
2.2 Reviewing Modality
Activity 8 – Identifying Modal Verbs
In English, modal verbs (e.g. might) are used to give more information about the verbs
that follow them. They cannot be used alone as the main verb in the sentence. The
same verb can have different functions in different contexts. How many modal verbs
do you know? What functions do they have? Discuss and make a list with a partner.
Now look back at the text in Activity 5 and underline or highlight all the modal verbs you can find.
Activity 9 – Understanding Modal Verbs
Check the meaning of the following verbs in your dictionary:
(1) prediction (2) ability (3) obligation (4) certainty (5) possibility

The table below contains extracts from the text in Activity 5. What function (1) - (5) is being expressed
by the modal verb in each case? Write (1) - (5) in the column. Which ones refer to ‘past’ time? Write (P)
next to the number if it refers to past time.
Extracts from the text in Activity 5 Function Past time?
1. I couldn’t enter university this year (line 1) e.g. (2) e.g. P

2. So I can enter next year (line 2)
3. I don’t know which one I will go to (line 2)
4. I might go to the PolyU (line 3)
5. It must be good because it is difficult to get in (line 3)
6. There was every possibility that I would fail (line 5)
7. We have to walk up five floors (line 10)
8. I know I should clean it (line 11)
9. I must have been sleeping because… (line 17)
10. It might have been about 10pm (line 17)
11. People have to pay a special tax (line 30)
12. She had to sell three properties this week (line 31)
13. I must make a change (line 41)
1. What is the difference between have to, must and should (obligation)?
2. What is the difference between might and must (certainty)?
3. Can you make up one or two sentences to illustrate the difference?
Activity 10 – Correcting Errors with Modal Verbs
The following sentences are either grammatically wrong, or strange. Identify the errors, compare them
with a partner and discuss how to re-write the sentences.
1. Today is Monday 8th. So next Monday could be the 15th!
2. You must have been here an hour ago! I’ve been waiting for you since 2pm.
3. I think Japan must manage to emerge from its earthquake tragedy even stronger.

4. The majority of people in the UK must vote when they are 18.
5. A lot of people believe celebrities must expect some invasion into their privacy.
6. These days Hong Kong consumers should pay a levy on plastic bags.
7. Several commentators thought Hong Kong will deteriorate on its return to China.
8. Several years ago people must wear seat belts in cars; but now it’s the law.
2.3 Reviewing Active and passive voice
In Activity 5, which two of the examples are expressed in the passive voice? Why?
Why passive voice?
It is common to use passive voice in academic writing when:

 the doer is obvious
Corporate social responsibility policies are implemented not only for the good of society. [by
companies]
 the doer is unknown
The charity has been given an anonymous donation of $1 million.
[by someone]
 the doer is unimportant in the sentence
Recycling is promoted in most countries across the world.
[by governments, green organisations, green activists, etc.]
As a result:
 the action in the sentence is highlighted, instead of the doer
 the writing is more concise, because fewer words are required
 the writing is more objective and factual (e.g. in scientific and journalistic writing)
It is worth noting that overusing passive voice can cloud the meaning of your writing and make it
seem flat and uninteresting. Combine it with active voice, which sounds more direct and engaging.

Structure of passive voice

Tense Subject ‘Be’ (auxiliary verb) Past participle Doer / object
Singular Plural (Main verb) (optional)
Present Simple is are
Present Progressive is being are being
Present Perfect has been have been
Past Simple The recycling was were installed by the

Past Progressive was being were being government
bin / bins
worker /
Past Perfect had been had been workers.
Future Simple will be will be
Future Perfect will have will have
been been
No passive structure can be formed with an intransitive verb. It expresses an action but does
not allow a doer / object, e.g. arrive, die, happen. Some verbs can be both transitive and intransitive,
e.g. move, start, change.
Structure of active voice
Tense Subject Verbs (auxiliary verb + main verb) Doer /

object
Singular Plural
Present Simple installs install
Present Progressive Is installing are installing
Present Perfect has installed have installed
Present Perfect Progressive has been installing have been installing
Past Simple installed installed

The the
Past Progressive government was installing were installing recycling
Past Perfect worker / had installed had installed bin / bins.
Past Perfect Progressive workers had been had been installing
installing
Future Simple will install will install
Future Perfect will have installed will have installed

Future Perfect Progressive will have been will have been
installing installing

and complete Indi 3: Active and Passive Voice I

and complete Indi 4: Active and Passive Voice II

Activity 11 – Identifying Passive Voice
Change the active into passive in the following sentences. Omit the agent (doer) where appropriate.
1. I used headlines in order to create expectations in the reader.
2. We can identify three aspects of political language.
3. To conduct the experiment, we had to imagine a situation where an old man has a heart attack
in an MTR train at 5:45pm.
4. As part of the research, we hypothesized that the mixture of chemicals A, B and C would be
transparent in colour.
5. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment, the doctors’ reports as well as the
experience of patients will be considered.
6. After reading the 6 local magazines, we have not found even one advertisement that addresses
a male readership.
7. In designing web pages, we should organise them differently from their paper counterparts.
8. In this essay, I will divide the contents into three parts.
9. I can easily imagine the response from the public.

Activity 12 Using passive voice
1. Choose the most appropriate option with verbs in their passive forms.
PolyU’s proposal to cover Cross Harbour Tunnel Plaza
PolyU’s President Timothy Tong recently opened
discussions with the government on the possibility
of covering the toll booth area with a deck.
Containing and channeling traffic pollution
elsewhere a) was cited / cited as the main
reason for construction.
The deck b) would designate / is designated as a green public space. That is not all however,
according to the Oriental Daily. “Well, we do have a selfish motive,” said Tong. Part of the deck
c) used / would be used to build a sports hall and similar recreational facilities. A taskforce d)
has been set up / set up to study the feasibility of this project. However at this conceptual
stage, no further information or sketch design
e) provided / can be provided.
It is unclear just how large the deck would be. Currently, Hung Hom Station and PolyU f)
is connect / are connected by a footbridge. Another footbridge under Cheong Wan Road runs
over the toll booths and links the station to Tsimshatsui East. Assuming the area of the plaza
between the two footbridges is covered by the green deck, it g) is estimated / estimates to be
15,220 square metres.
How h) will / would be the deck builded / built while maintaining heavy traffic
flow underneath? This would be a tricky problem for the lucky contractor who wins the job. The
footbridge to PolyU i) supported / is supported by five columns while the Cheong Wan
Road footbridge has seven. Assuming columns are in the design, this would mean piling for
foundations and subsequent column construction, with all the associated temporary works in
the middle of the plaza area. It is likely that this prospect j) is not welcome / would not be
welcomed by tunnel users.
Adapted from: http://www.construction-post.com/polyu-green-deck-plan-hung-hom/

2. Discuss in small groups.
a) ‘Everything in life has a price connected to it. There’s a price to pay if you want to make things better,
a price to pay just for leaving things as they are, a price for everything.’ – Harry Browne
How does this quote apply to the Green Deck project?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
b) After reading this article, have you changed your opinion towards the Green Deck? Why?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
Activity 13 Common errors of active and passive forms

a) Label each error with the types indicated below. b) Correct the verb forms.
Type A. Active form error: redundant auxiliary (‘be’)

Type B. Active voice error: redundant auxiliary (modal verb)
Type C. Passive form error: not possible with an intransitive verb
Type D. Passive form error: missing auxiliary (‘be’)
Type E. Passive form error: incorrect past participle
1. A memo was circulate to all staff about the updated CSR strategies.
2. More eco-friendly office supplies have been chose by the procurement staff.
3. Another pollution source has been founded by the team of experts.
4. All safety procedures are review annually to protect workers’ rights.
5. The shipments of donated goods dispatched weekly to our overseas partners.
6. The entire school built by volunteers with their bare hands in just under two weeks.
7. Several pressing issues have been risen from the lack of green policies in the city.
8. The fundraising event has been happened successfully a month ago.
9. The activist group was decided to publish their findings about the unethical company.
10. They were understood that funding was impossible to continue operating the charity.
11. We are researching on the volunteering opportunities we might be encounter on our trip next year.
12. During the next managerial meeting they would be discuss new ways to reduce wastage.
13. Volunteers should have been completed their application forms before visiting our office.

2.4 Parts of speech and dealing with unknown vocabulary
To identify the class (or part of speech) of a word is to know how it

relates to other words in the same sentence. This then betters your
chances of successfully analysing and understanding the sentence.
Being aware of parts of speech also enables you to construct more

grammatically accurate writing. Imagine words as the parts of a car –
only if you know their functions and interrelationships, can you
correctly assemble a working vehicle!
Activity 14 Identifying parts of speech

Complete the table below with words representing parts of speech categories:
adverbs determiners nouns verbs adjectives

interjections conjunctions prepositions pronouns
Part of speech Function Examples
1. name things convenience, meals, Hong Kong,

citizens, English
2. talk about actions or states be, using, choose, can, need, have
3. describe nouns hot, non-managed, serious, fluent,

usable
4. determine nouns a, an, the, some, many
5. describe (the manner of) verbs, nearly, locally, usually, also

adjectives or adverbs
6. replace nouns you, they, your, our
7. link nouns to other words of, at, on, after, for
8. join words, clauses or sentences and, or, but
9. give short exclamations well, oh, ah
Many English words can exist in multiple parts of speech. Sometimes they come in the same or similar
written forms, which can cause a challenge.

Activity 15 Parts of speech confusion

a) This table contains words that learners may find confusing. Complete it with a partner, possibly with
the help of a good online dictionary, such as macmillandictionaries.com or oxforddictionaries.com.
Noun Verb Adjective Adverb
a) analysis,
analyses
b) breath,
breaths
c) choose, chooses, chose, chosen,
choosing
d) complain, complains, complained,
complaining
e) relaxing
f) successful
b) Correct the part-of-speech error in each sentence. (Hints in bracket)
1. The charity needs to identity new promotional methods to recruit more volunteers. (verb / noun
confusion)
2. The programme demonstrated great succeed in engaging children from lower socio-economic
backgrounds. (noun / verb confusion)
3. We should never overlook the important of doing good, no matter how small our deeds may be.
(noun / adjective confusion)
4. A responsible citizen should be proactively in giving back to the society. (adjective / adverb confusion)
5. Development a sense of social responsibility is of great importance for our company. (confusion with
different noun forms of the same root)
6. This is a scheme that helps former prisoners to start a completely new living. (confusion with
different noun forms of the same root)

7. This company uses the most advance technology to reduce waste in its manufacturing process.
(omission of ‘d’ in adjectives ending in ‘ed’)
8. Detail information is required from applicants of this volunteering camp. (omission of ‘d’ in adjectives
ending in ‘ed’)
Activity 16 Parts of speech and suffixes
You may have realised that words tend to transform across parts of speech by taking different
suffixes (word endings), without changing the root (base word). Have a look at the tables below for a
clearer idea.
1. Word race: You will compete in teams. For each

round, your teacher will announce a suffix and a part of
speech. Members will take turns to represent the team,
writing as many words on the board as possible. A point
will be awarded to each correct answer. The team with
the most points wins!
2. After the game, complete the ‘your example’ column

in pairs.
Common suffixes in NOUNS

Suffix Meaning Example Your example
-ion the act or process of attraction
-ity the state of infinity
-er someone who teacher
-ness the state or condition of kindness
-ism the belief, action or conduct of localism
-ment the action or process of enjoyment
-an someone who guardian
-ship the status or condition of friendship
-age the activity or result of breakage
-ery the practice or state of slavery
Common suffixes in VERBS

Suffix Meaning Example Your example
-ise to cause fantasise
-en to cause or become shorten
-ate to be graduate
-(i)fy to make beautify

Common suffixes in ADJECTIVES

Suffix Meaning Word Your example
-al having characteristics of personal
-en made of wooden
-ive having the tendency or function attentive
-ous possessing the qualities of humourous
-ful full of careful
-less without fearless
Common suffixes in ADVERBS

Suffix Meaning Word Your example
-ly In the manner of happily

and complete Indi 5: Parts of Speech

and complete Indi 6: Parts of Speech II
Activity 17 Dealing with unknown vocabulary
During university study, you will inevitably face many words that are
new to you in your academic reading. In many cases, it is not
essential to know all the words in a text to understand the main
ideas. When skillful readers see an unknown word, they tend to:
 infer its meaning from other content within the text

 search for its definition within the text
 look for its synonym within the text
 identify its part of speech
 use its prefix (word beginning) and suffix (word ending) to derive its meaning
The more affixes (prefixes and suffixes) you know, the more likely you can infer word meanings and
expand your vocabulary. Complete the table below.
Common prefixes
Prefix Meaning Example Your three examples

co- with, together cooperation
sub- under submarine
re- again renew
dis- not, opposite of disagree

over- over overtake

un- not undo
mis- wrongly misread
out- surpass outrun
un- not unfriendly
in-, im-, il- not incorrect,
impossible, illegal
Unit 1-Indiwork 7: Go to learn.polyu.edu.hk > Indiwork > Unit 1 Preparing to write and
complete Indi 7: Root Words I
complete Indi 8: Root Words II
2.5 Reading for grammatical improvement

It is all very well to consciously acquire grammatical knowledge and
do exercises for raising awareness, but there is no other way to
consolidate and internalise your learning than to be regularly
exposed to good English. Good input can lead to good output over
time. It is achieved through encouraging your brain to repeatedly
process, remember and reproduce correct usage.
Read or listen to something that is slightly above your current

level, so that you feel suitably challenged, learn something new and
not become disheartened. Here are some free and constantly
updated sites for English learners that you can check out:
 Breaking News English (news articles at 7 levels with listening and comprehension activities):
http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/
https://www.facebook.com/BreakingNewsEnglish-155625444452176/
 CNN Student News (subtitled news roundup videos and transcripts):

http://edition.cnn.com/studentnews
 The Times in Plain English (The New York Times articles rewritten in plain language):
http://www.thetimesinplainenglish.com/
https://www.facebook.com/The-Times-in-Plain-English-207856609332243/
 SCMP Young Post (news that matters to Hong Kong student life):
http://yp.scmp.com/
There are numerous online resources that you can exploit and enjoy. Don’t shy away from asking a
PEUS or CILL teacher for further suggestions! 

Section 3 Reviewing sentence structure
Once a writer has a good grasp of the grammar elements in his/her writing, he/she can move on to
mastering the different sentence types. When a writer knows the difference between the four sentence
types (simple, compound, complex and compound-complex), it is possible to write with sentence
variety. Sentence variety helps make your writing more interesting and accurate.
3.1 Simple Sentence
 A simple sentence usually contains a subject and verb.

 It expresses a single complete thought.
 A simple sentence is a single independent clause.
Sample Simple Sentences:
 The director will give you instructions.

 The staff makes all reservations.
 The teacher always answers the students’ questions.
 The student read the novel in one day.
Activity 18 – Identifying components of simple sentences
Underline the subjects within the four sample sentences above with a solid line and circle the verbs in the
sentences.
3.2 Compound Sentence
 A compound sentence contains two independent clauses.

 Conjunctions (for, and, nor, but, or, and yet, so) join these independent clauses.
(Hint: The conjunctions spell FANBOYS.)
 The conjunction used can impact the meaning of the sentence.
Sample Compound Sentences
 They arrived the lecture theater early, and they got really good seats.
 He really wants to go to work, but he is too sick to drive.
 He did not want to go to the lecture, yet he went anyway.
 Should we start class now, or should we wait for everyone to get here?
Activity 19 – Identifying components of compound sentences
In each of the sample compound sentences above, underline the two independent clauses with a solid
line. Circle the conjunction.

3.3 Complex Sentence
 A complex sentence is an independent clause joined by one or more dependent

clauses.
 A subordinating conjunction begins the dependent clauses.
 A dependent clause that begins a sentence must be followed by comma.
 A dependent clause has a subject and a verb, but it does not make sense on its own.
Sample Complex Sentences
 After thinking about it, the student decided to go to the class.

 He studied hard because he wanted to go to medical school.
 Although my classmate invited me, I chose not to go to the reunion.
 He forgot to give the teacher his assignment when he came late to class.
Activity 20 – Identifying components of complex sentences
In each of the sample complex sentences above, underline the independent clause with a solid line and
the dependent clause with a dotted line. Circle the subordinating conjunctions.
3.4 Compound-complex
 A compound-complex sentence is a sentence that has at least two independent

clauses and at least one dependent clause.
 The same subordinating conjunctions are used to introduce the dependent clauses.
 The same coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS) are used for joining the
independent clauses.
Sample Compound-Complex Sentences
 Although I like to go camping, I haven't had the time to go lately, and I haven't found anyone to
go with.
 Until he graduates, he will live in the apartment, but then he wants to move.
 After the two soccer players lost their game, they joined their other teammates for lunch, and
they went to the movies.
Activity 21 – Identifying components of compound complex sentences
In each of the sample compound-complex sentences above, underline the independent clauses with a
solid line and the dependent clauses with a dotted line. Circle the coordinating conjunctions.

Go to learn.polyu.edu.hk > Indiwork > Unit 1 Preparing to write. Read Indi 9:

PowerPoints A, B, C & D on Sentence Types – Simple, Compound, Complex,
Compound-complex, to reinforce your understanding of the different sentence
types you have learned in this part.
3.5 Writing effective sentences
Effective sentences need to be concise and accurate. Writing effective sentences requires careful study
and regular practice. Now that we have looked at the basic mechanics that go into writing correct
concise sentences, it is time to put into practice all that we have reviewed in Unit 1.
Activity 22 – Producing grammatically correct sentences of various types
Demonstrate your knowledge of modals, tenses, and sentence structure by expressing the following
ideas in writing:
A. Three intentions you have with regard to improving your English
e.g. I am going to keep an English Journal and write in it every day.
1. I am going to ______________________________________________________________
2. I am going to ______________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________________________
B. Three predictions about the world in 20 years’ time.
e.g. Justin Bieber definitely won’t be the President of the United States.
1. ________________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________________
C. Three obligations/ lack of obligations you had at school and the difference now you are at
university
e.g. When I was at school, I didn’t have to question the material but at university I should
apply critical thinking to the material I interact with.

1. _______________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________________
D. Three regrets you have about the past (things you should have done, but didn’t) and the
consequences / missed opportunities. Try to write complete sentences.
e.g. I wish I had spent more time with my grandmother. If I had spent more time with her, I
could have learned more from her wisdom.
1. ________________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________________
Section 4 Reviewing Paragraph Structure
During the course of your university studies, you will need to write different types of texts including short
essays. An essay is made up of one or more paragraphs. This section focuses on reviewing the structure
of a paragraph.
Writing Effective Topic Sentence and Supporting Sentences
Most body paragraphs contain a topic sentence, supporting sentences and a concluding sentence. The
topic sentence outlines the central idea of the paragraph. It usually occurs at the beginning. The
supporting sentences provide examples, anecdotes/stories, analogies, descriptions, explanations,
quotations, research results using statistics/data/studies and experts’ opinions to support that idea. The
paragraph sometimes (but not always) ends with a concluding sentence especially for longer paragraphs,
where the reader can be reminded of the main idea.
Topic sentence
Supporting sentences
Concluding sentence

Activity 23 – Identifying Topic Sentence and Supporting Ideas
Look at the body paragraph below.
 Can you identify the topic, supporting and concluding sentences?
 Can you identify which supporting ideas use an example, statistics and quotation?
Academic Qualifications Do Not Always Ensure Life Success

Having a degree is often an important component in landing a job, but it may not be
the qualification itself that leads to success. Many people out there are struggling to
find work even though they have an academic qualification. The Australian bureau of
statistics notes that 7.2% of unemployed people have a degree or certificate.
Furthermore, there are plenty of instances of success in the absence of a formal
education. Bill Gates, who did not finish his undergraduate studies at Harvard
University, is one example of this. Jerry Yang, founder of Yahoo, and Mark
Zuckerburg, founder of Facebook, are others. However, another thing that these
successful entrepreneurs had in common was ‘vision’ and a love of reading. Mark
Zuccerburg excelled at classic literature at school, and Bill Gates was never without a
book as a child. In his own words: “I really had a lot of dreams when I was a kid, and
I think a great deal of that grew out of the fact that I had a chance to read a lot.”
University may not be the key to fortune, but it might provide the opportunities for
two powerful tools: reading, and thinking big.
Activity 24 Identifying effective topic sentences
A well-organized paragraph supports or develops a single controlling idea, which is expressed in a

sentence called the topic sentence. The functions of a topic sentence include:
 substantiating or supporting an essay’s main idea

 unifying the content of a paragraph and directing the order of the sentences
 advising the reader of the subject to be discussed and how the paragraph will discuss it
Read the following paragraphs and decide which are effective topic sentences in expressing the idea of
the paragraph and which are not. Rewrite the topic sentence when necessary so that the reader will clearly
understand what will follow in each paragraph.

A. Eye contact is a funny thing. The importance of looking a person in the eye is noticed when it is lacking.
If a person speaks to us and looks away, there is a strange feeling. It makes a person feel one of two
things: either that he or she feels inferior or that he or she is lacking in confidence. There is also a self-
feeling of uncomfortableness when there is no eye contact. If one person does not look at another
person, the person not being looked at very often feels that the person not looking does not like him
or her.
 effective topic sentence  not effective topic sentence (write a new topic sentence below)
Reason: _______________________________________________________________________
New Topic Sentence: ____________________________________________________________
B. Students decide to go to a tertiary institution after finishing secondary school. Some students go
because their parents force them to go. They are not strong enough to force their will on their parents,
and therefore, they do whatever they are told to do. Others see a degree as the ticket to a higher
paying job. Without it they will always stay at the bottom of the ladder. Still others want a degree in
order to specialise in something they are very interested in. They want to learn about Engineering,
Computers, or Social Work. In addition, there are those who worship the honour of having a
recognised degree. Last of all, there are those who do not know what else to do; they hope that during
their studies they will find a reason for living.
Reason: _______________________________________________________________________
C. As advanced technology brings with it serious side effects, research in technology should be
discontinued. One only needs to look at lakes and rivers and the results of technical progress are
evident in pollution. Another reason why technical progress should be stopped is that inventions
which were originally designed to enhance man’s life are now being used for evil purposes. A look at
nuclear power and nuclear weapons is just one example. These examples show that man cannot
guarantee that inventions will only be used for good effects; therefore, we should suspend the
continued development of science and technology.
Reason: _______________________________________________________________________
complete Indi 10: Topic Sentences

Activity 25 Completing Supporting Ideas
Read through the following paragraphs. Using your own ideas, insert or complete the missing sentences
so the paragraphs make sense.
Paragraph A – Is it morally acceptable to kill animals for the purposes of trade

and food? (Body Paragraph)
The use of animals for food is ethically permissible, provided that the animal is well
taken care of while alive, is killed painlessly and is not an endangered species. The
whole animal should also be used, e.g. cow hides ______________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Still, a pro-vegetarian ecological argument can be made against killing animals for
meat altogether: for an animal to produce one pound of meat, it must eat many
pounds of grain. Despite this, some people still believe that life without barbecued
sausages is not worth living.
Paragraph B – For or Against Fast Food (Body Paragraph)
On the other hand, fast food is not particularly healthy, especially when eaten
regularly. One should be careful to never underestimate the amount of fat that a
standard portion contains. For example, a regular Big Mac contains
________________________________________________________________________
and, surprisingly, a salad with dressing and croutons contains
_______________________________________________________________________ .
Ignorance of the amount of calories fast food contains has added to the overall
problem of obesity.
Paragraph C – The Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Credit Cards (Body

Paragraph)
However, credit cards can be misused. For example, people _____________________
______________________________________________________________________; it is
such a temptation to over-use one’s credit card! Moreover, the credit card company
gives the customer the option of making a "minimum payment" on unpaid monthly
bills. This is a major drawback because it encourages users to pay off their bills
slowly. For this reason, it does not take long for people to sink into debt if they use
their credit cards unwisely.

Paragraph D –The Pros and Cons of Computer Games for Children (Body
Paragraph)
A point in favour of computer games for children is the fact that they can often help
the child to sharpen his or her responses, since they require players to act and
respond quickly. Studies of college students' reaction times for responding to
multiple stimuli of different colored lights were conducted. It was found the
students who regularly played computer
games___________________________________________________ than those students
who rarely or never played computer games.
Paragraph E – Should cigarette advertising be banned?

________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________.
One reason why many teens take up smoking is due to peer pressure. They see
their friends smoking and think it is ‘cool’, so in return they experiment too.
Sometimes smoking is used to be accepted into a group. Another reason teens are
smoking is to be an “adult.” Children want to be grown up, or act like older people.
In return, they feel smoking will help them achieve this. Marlboro’s tend to be the
more adult brand cigarette. People have made the correlation between advertising
and smoking because Marlboro is one of the most heavily smoke brands in the
United States and one of the most heavily advertised. However the correlation has
no basis in fact. The only reason that Marlboro’s are the most heavily smoked
brand in the United States is because they are considered more “adult-like”, not
due to the advertising they make. People smoke for various reasons, many of
which are not from advertisements of cigarettes. Therefore, there are many factors
that add to the problems of underage smokers, not just advertising alone and
banning cigarette advertising might not help solve the problem of teenage
smoking.

Review of Learning
Read the learning outcomes stated on the first page of this unit again. Have you achieved those
learning outcomes? Recapture a few things you have learnt in this unit below.
In this unit, I have learnt
1. _____________________________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________________________________
4. _____________________________________________________________________
5. _____________________________________________________________________
6. _____________________________________________________________________

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ELC1011 Practical English for University Studies Unit 1 Preparing to write

At the end of the unit, you should be able to:

 identify strengths and weaknesses in your writing

Section 1 Section 2 Section 3 Section 4

Section 1 Understanding your writing ability

© English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 1

Activity 1 – Getting to know your classmates

Find someone who ...

1. has a Twitter account.

2. knows what Assessment 1 is.

4. lives in the same district as you.

5. has read any English book lately.

6. won in a competition. What was it?

8. knows when Assessment 2 must be submitted.

9. reads an English newspaper regularly. Which one?

10. knows how many classroom meetings there are for

11. knows how many out-of-class hours are required for

12. has not logged onto their Learn@PolyU account.

13. got a D or above in Paper 2 (English Writing of HKDSE).

© English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 2

Activity 2 – Survey on Your Writing Habits

Complete the following questionnaire by ticking appropriate circles. Be

Always Sometimes Rarely Never

2. I consult sources for facts and information    

3. I use writing tools such as dictionaries or spell    

4. I talk with my supervisor or classmates about    

5. I read extensively to help me improve my    

6 My writing includes a variety of words and    

7. My writing includes a variety of sentence    

8 I can use tenses and modals accurately.    

9. I can use the active and passive voices    

10. I include a topic sentence for each body    

11. My body paragraphs elaborate on the    

12. I conclude my writing with a summary of the    

13. I usually proofread my writing.    

Scoring the questionnaire:

© English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 3

0 – 9 points shows you may not have much experience writing

Activity 3 - Writing (Title: A Learning Experience)

The purpose of this activity is:

How old were you?

© English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 4

Activity 4 – Pre-reading discussion

Discuss the following questions with a partner

1. Which family member do you have the best relationship with?

© English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 5

Activity 5 – Reading a piece of reflective writing

© English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 6

© English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 7

True (T), false (F) or not

2.1 Reviewing tenses

Activity 6 – Identifying tenses and functions

Column 1 (Extract) Column 2 Column 3 Reason for Use

3. She has gone … C. Temporary activity in the past

6. I was watching… F. Past before another past

9. You’ll be… I. Temporary activity in the past

10. I am going to… J. Prediction

© English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 8

2.1.1 Talking about the present