Unit 4 Argumentative Essay Compare/Contrast

ING 600 COURSE BOOK ACADEMIC READING & WRITING UNIT 4

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ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY COMPARE/CONTRAST

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Lesson 4.1: Listening Comprehension Listening

This skill is aimed at trying to understand what the topic is about, the essential part of it. Do not try to understand every single word; do not focus on details; however, taking notes is a very important tool when listening. Use abbreviations or symbols when doing so.

Listen to the lecture and then answer the following questions by underlining the most suitable response:

What is the main idea of the talk?

How libraries purchase materials How libraries meet users’ needs How to use the library How libraries use modern technology What can be inferred from the talk?

Libraries have limited funds and space.

Libraries contain everything the user needs.

Libraries must purchase more books.

Libraries are no longer needed by students and professors.

How do libraries decide what to purchase?

Professors make suggestions.

They use the interlibrary loan system.

They contact other libraries.

They buy everything in print.

According to the talk, what can students do if they can’t find a book in the library?

Have the librarian do a computer search Purchase it at the bookstore Borrow it from the professor Contact the publisher v The professor briefly explains the steps that a library user would follow to obtain materials. Put the steps in order. Write numbers from 1 to 4 next to each sentence. (.....) A user would check if the library has copies of the needed materials. (.....) A user would search the computer system for other libraries that have the needed materials.

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(.....) A user would use the interlibrary loan system to order the materials. (.....) A user would return the materials to the library to be sent back to the original library.

Source GGothica. (2011). Toefl Listening Practice - Lecture 9, GGothica Youtube Channel, retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MAorc4S1tM&list=PL01915CF568816175&index=10

Lesson 4.2: Proper Question Structures & Parallel Structures Basic Question Structure: The basic structure of a question in English is very simple: auxiliary verb + subject + main verb

Exception!

For the verb “be” in simple present and simple past, we do not use an auxiliary verb. We simply reverse the positions of “be” and subject:

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Practice 1: Proper Question Structure Instructions: Change the following statements into questions.

1. It is windy.

2. We are polite.

3. Bryan is stubborn.

4. Carol is driving to Rome.

5. We lost the match.

6. Ben ate the last piece of apple pie.

7. You broke the rules.

8. The fox caught a chicken.

Practice 2: Proper Question Structure Instructions: Come up with a proper question for each of the following responses.

1. A chicken salad, please.

2. Oh, I stayed up late and marked papers.

3. She is doing homework at the moment.

4. We are going to visit Galapagos next month.

5. I usually wake up at 7:00AM but get up at 8:00AM.

6. No, he is divorced.

7. For about twelve years now.

8. I was doing the dishes when he knocked the door.

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Practice 3: Proper Question Structure Instructions: Fix the following incorrectly-structured questions.

1. Why Ecuador should legalize same sex marriage?

2. How affected Ecuador the economic and financial crisis of the late 1990s?

3. How influenced the end of the Cold War on the world?

4. How the evolution of the food industry has affected the United States?

5. The negative effects of technology on society?

6. What negative effects have produced the Ecuador’s new communication law?

7. How a free trade agreement with Europe would affect Ecuador’s economy?

8. Why World War I did happen?

Practice 1: Parallel Structures Instructions: Choose the correct answer to maintain parallel structures in the following sentences.

1. Learning a new language as an adult is more difficult than to learn one as a child.

learning to learning no change

2. Every morning, I run two miles, walk one mile, and half a mile on the bike.

half a mile bike half a mile no change 3. There are two ways to get a promotion: working hard or make friends in high places.

work hard to working hard no change

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4. Many college student shave the same goals: playing hard, going well in classes, and a job after graduation.

after graduation, a job finding a job after graduation no change

5. The man walked down the street, stopped at a shop window, and was fixing his tie.

fixed his tie. to fix his tie no change

6. The chef chopped the parsley, peeled the tomatoes and cut the zucchini into cubes.

Was cutting the zucchini into cubes cubed the zucchini No change

7. People often try to avoid eye contact with others, whether riding on a bus, strolling through a shopping mall, or when they are in line at a supermarket. waiting in line at a supermarket in a supermarket line no change

8. When trying to impress a prospective employer, people should pay attention to their clothing, their posture, and that they don’t use too much slang.

if they use too much slang their speech no change

9. Critics argue that the television show trivializes violence, glamorizes drug use and premarital sex.

encourages premarital sex was encouraging premarital sex no change

10. The bedroom was filled with old newspapers and radios that don’t work.

radios that are broken broken radios no change

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Source: http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/english/langan/sentence_skills/exercises/ch17/

p4exj.htm

Practice 2: Parallel Structures Instructions: Rewrite the following sentences to have proper parallel structures.

1. An actor knows how to memorize his lines and getting into character.

2. Tell me where you were, what you were doing, and your reasons for doing it.

3. Clark’s daily exercises include running, swimming, and to lift weights.

4. To donate money to the homeless shelter is helping people stay warm in the winter.

5. Jim not only likes working outside but also getting dirty.

6. We followed the path through the forest, over the hill, and we went across the river.

7. The writer was brilliant but a recluse.

8. After the party, we want to either go to a movie or the diner.

9. She told Jake to take out the trash, to mow the lawn, and be listening for the phone call.

10. Marcie studied for the test by reviewing her class notes and she read her textbook.

Source: Towson University (2011). Writing Support Program. Retrived from: http://www.towson.edu/ows/exercises/Parallel%20Sentence%20Structure%20-%20Exercise01. aspx

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Lesson 4.3: Comma Splices *Comma splices A comma splice is one of the most frequent mistakes made when using a comma. A comma splice occurs when a comma is used to connect two independent clauses. In these cases, the use of a comma is incorrect.

Ex: Jim usually gets on with everybody, he is an understanding person.

The Comma The comma is a much misused and often overused piece of punctuation. The complexity of its usage stems primarily from the fact that there are several different situations in which the comma is the correct piece of punctuation to use. The trick is to identify those situations in order not to use the comma in places where it really should not be. The comma has many functions: 1. To separate the elements on a list of three or more items Ex: The potion included gobstoppers, chewing gum, bran flakes(,) and coleslaw.

There is debate over whether or not a comma is needed before the last item in a list, and therefore both ways are commonly seen. But be consistent in the way that you choose.

2. Before certain conjunctions A comma should be used before—not after—these conjunctions: and, but, for, nor, yet, or, so to separate two independent clauses. They are called co-ordinating conjunctions.

Ex: She was a fantastic cook, but would never be as good as her mother in law.

Ex: He hated his neighbours, so he never invited them round.

3. To separate introductory elements in a sentence

Ex: Given the appalling weather conditions, Michael was lucky to survive the storm.

Ex: As the night drew to a close, the clubbers wandered home.

Ex: Having mastered the use of the colon, it is important to make it work for you in your

writing.

This should also be used before connectors that begin a sentence, such as however, nevertheless, on the other hand, etc.

4. To separate parenthetical elements in a sentence A comma is used to set off parenthetical elements in a sentence. The parenthetical element (also known

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as an aside) is part of the sentence that can be removed without changing the essential meaning of the sentence.

Ex: Sarah, the most intelligent pupil in the class, was always late for school.

Ex: The pyramids, one of the wonders of the ancient world, lie just outside Cairo.

Source: Ruciman, L. & Lengel, C. (2010). Easy Writer. (4th.ed.).Boston:Bedford/ST. Martin’s. Retrieved from http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/webpub/english/easywriterhs4e/Exercises.pdf Examples: Commas are used to separate items.

Carolina likes climbing, dancing (,) and singing.

Commas when the complement is switched.

Carolina loved cooking with her grandma when she was a little girl.

When she was a little girl, Carolina loved cooking with her grandma.

I am working late today.

Today, I am working late.

Commas are used before fanboys when there is a sentence after it.

For, and, nor, but, or, yet, so Elizabeth loves English, but Carolina loves French.

I trust him but was craze.

Commas for parenthetical information Quito, la Carita de Dios, celebrates its foundation in December.

La Carita de Dios, Quito, celebrates its foundation in December.

My first love, the one I remember today, has already gotten married.

Commas for relative clauses Never place a comma before the word THAT The guy that bought flowers for you is currently waiting for you on the corner.

The shoes which I tried before you came aren’t big enough.

These shoes, which I adore, aren’t big enough.

Never place a comma before if If I have money, I will go to the beach with you in Easter.

I will go to the beach with you in Easter X if I have money In Easter, I will go to the beach with you if I have money.

Semicolons are used to separate complicated lists.

Carolina likes climbing mountains in Ecuador; dancing with good friends; and singing only when she is happy.

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Commas after certain connectors Moreover, Furthermore, In Addition, However, Nevertheless, Nonetheless, In fact, Indeed, For instance, Although = but I am kind of busy, but I will help you.

Although I am kind of busy, I will help you.

I will help you although I am kind of busy.

Despite being kind of busy, I will help you.

Exercise: The periods in this article have been replaced with commas, making run-on sentences. Fix the run-on sentences by replacing the commas (,) with periods (.) where appropriate. se an online dictionary to look up new vocabulary if necessary.

TRADE-WATCHERS often look to the oceans to gauge activity, bustling docks and harbours mean importers and exporters are busy, and trade figures are likely to be strong, empty quays are ominous, at the end of 2011 data from big ports started to turn choppy, fuelling fears of a slowdown that has come to pass, the OECD reports that exports fell by over 4% in the second quarter of 2012 in Britain and India; Russia and South Africa lost more than 8%, that is particularly bad news for places like Singapore and Hong Kong, which are important trade hubs (see chart 1).

The obvious cause of falling trade is the global economic slowdown, since exports are sales to foreigners, they tend to weaken when buying power is low, that means trade often tracks global GDP 12 quite closely, at a more granular level, too, the patterns of trade match the fortunes of economies, since 2011, imports into the stagnant European Union have fallen by 4.5%, in contrast the oil-rich Middle East has increased imports by 7.4%.

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If the global economy were the only factor in determining trade, a pick-up in world output would translate automatically into rising trade, the IMF, for example, thinks that trade will grow by 5.1% in 2013 on the back of a strengthening economy, but the fund’s pre-

dictions assume that looser policies in the euro area and emerging markets will be successful, if that turns out to be too optimistic then growth, and trade, could undershoot its forecasts, the latest shipping data hold out little hope for a rapid rebound, a survey reported by Lloyd’s List on September 5th showed that container volumes from Asia to Europe plunged by 13.2% in the year to July.

What’s more, trade does not track business cycles perfectly, trade has generally grown faster than GDP in recent years, rising from 22% to 33% of world GDP between 1996 and 2008, its downturn this year has been more pronounced than that of the world economy, that suggests other factors may be at work beyond the pace of global growth.

One candidate is decreased availability of trade finance, businesses that operate internationally rely heavily on banks, take exporters, once they have bought raw materials and other inputs, they must make their products before exporting them to a destination country, they may deliver them to a final buyer before receiving payment, this creates a lag between incurring costs and receiving revenues, a gap bridged by short-term trade-finance loans.

European banks are major players in trade finance, according to a recent World Bank study, large euro-area banks accounted for 36% of global trade finance in 2011, French and Spanish banks alone provided 40% of trade credit to Latin America and Asia, but euro-zone banks have been cutting back their trade-financing operations, according to Jean-François Lambert of HSBC, an international bank, one reason for this withdrawal is that international trade takes place in dollars, and risky-looking euro-zone lenders are finding it harder to access dollar liquidity, another is the need for European banks to slim their balance-sheets: trade finance, because of its short-term nature, is easy to prune, many lenders are also under pressure to concentrate their activities on domestic markets, the likes of HSBC can pick up some of the slack left by departing Europeans, Japanese banks, and local banks in China and Brazil, are also moving to fill gaps, but trade finance is likely to be less abundant than it was.

Increased protectionism may also be starting to drag on trade, in the early phases of this crisis, it seemed that protectionism was one thing the world did not have to fret about: the lessons of the 930s (avoid trade wars at all costs) had apparently been learned, but the number of new trade disputes is ratcheting up to a level that is beginning to look worrying, Argentina is involved in a host of arguments, America, India and China are embroiled in a spat over steel, on September 4th Brazil said it would raise tariffs on 100 products, the risk, according to Jagdish Bhagwati of Columbia University, is that commitment to free trade could flag, particularly as electoral pressures take their toll.

Even if a new round of protectionism can be avoided, ambitions to liberalise trade further are disappointingly limited, the 11-year-old Doha round of global trade negotiations, which could add 0.5% a year to global GDP by opening up new markets, is as good as dead, in its place a tangle of regional deals—a “spaghetti bowl”, in Mr Bhagwati’s words—has emerged, the hope is that the most promising elements of Doha can somehow be revived in a new deal, an agreement on “trade 13 facilitation” (cutting red tape at borders) would more than offset the petty protectionism of some G20 members, but the tide of support for free trade is ebbing.

Source: The Economist. (2012, November 24). Boxed in: Global trade has turned down sharply this year.

The outlook is pretty bleak, too. The Economist. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/node/21562221 13

Lesson 4.4: Connectors to Show Contrast CONNECTORS

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Rewrite the following sentences using the connector in brackets.

1. Isabel apologised several times. Nevertheless, Pau wouldn’t speak to her. (but) 2. We decided to walk even though it was raining. (in spite of) 3. Roger works very hard to help his parents. He’s also a good student. (In addition) 4. I’m keen on Ice cream. In addition, I’m keen on chocolate. (as well as) 5. You’re late again. Furthermore, you haven’t brought your books. (and) 6. On the one hand, I’d love to come. On the other hand, I really haven’t got the time. (However) 7. Rome is a great place to visit, but it has got terrible traffic problems. (despite)

Lesson 4.4: Punctuation The following provides an explanation of the proper uses of colons (:), semi-colons (;), commas (,) and apostrophes (‘).

The Colon The colon is a widely misused but very useful piece of punctuation. Use it correctly and it can add precision to your written work. The colon has a number of functions: 1. To introduce an idea The colon has two main uses. Firstly it is used to introduce an idea that is an explanation or continuation of the one that comes before the colon.

Ex: You are left with only one option: Press on until you have mastered it.

2. To introduce a list The second main use of the colon is to introduce a list. You need to take care; many people assume that a colon always precedes a list. This is not the case.

Ex: The potion contained some exotic ingredients: snails’ eyes, bats’ tongues and garlic.

Ex: The magic potion contained sesame seeds, bran flakes and coleslaw

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3. To introduce quoted material The colon has other uses: it can also be used after a clause introducing quoted material. If the colon precedes a quotation, you should begin the language of that quote with a capital letter.

Ex: Charles Tilly is most often remembered for his infamous quote on war: “War made the state, and the state made war.�

The Semi-Colon The semicolon is a hugely powerful punctuation mark. Getting it right will allow you to express your ideas and opinions with more subtlety and precision than ever before. The semi-colon has a number of functions: 1. Complicated lists The semicolon can be used to sort out a complicated list containing many items, many of which themselves contain commas. In most lists a comma is enough to separate the items. In a complicated list like the below examples, the use of semicolons makes the list more understandable.

Ex (wrong): In the meeting today we have Professor Wilson, University of Barnsley, Dr Watson,

University of Barrow in Furness, Colonel Custard, Metropolitan Police and Dr Mable Syrup, G e n i u s General, University of Otago, New Zealand.

Ex (right): In the meeting today we have Professor Wilson, University of Barnsley; Dr Watson,

University of Barrow in Furness; Colonel Custard, Metropolitan Police; and Dr Mable Syrup, Genius General, University of Otago, New Zealand.

2. Separating closely-related independent clauses The semicolon is also used to connect two closely-related independent clauses.

Ex: Terry always slept with the light on; he was afraid of the dark.

The two clauses here are closely connected but the link has not been made explicit. They could have been separated by a full stop.

Ex: Terry always slept with the light on. He was afraid of the dark.

They could have been connected by a conjunction.

Ex: Terry always slept with the light on because he was afraid of the dark.

Apostrophes Apostrophes have two uses in English.

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1. Contractions One use of the apostrophe is in contracted words. The apostrophe is used to indicate that a letter or letters has/have been removed.

He is = he’s I am = I’m Do not = Don’t Can not = Can’t They have = They’ve It is = It’s I would = I’d Let us = Let’s She has = She’s Who is = who’s

Contracted forms are very common in spoken English but should not be used in formal or academic writing. The full, unabbreviated forms should be used in formal or academic writing.

2. Possession A second and trickier use of the apostrophe is to show possession. If the possessor is a singular noun, an -’s is added to the end of the noun. This is true for both proper nouns (people and places beginning with a capital letter) and common nouns (other nouns).

Ex: He found himself lost in Madrid’s winding streets.

Ex: I cannot understand Tim’s point of view.

Ex: The building’s foundations were very unstable.

Ex: The poet’s work was highly regarded around the world.

A very common mistake is to put apostrophes where they should not be. Many people, unsure about using the apostrophe, put it in every time they see a word ending in s.

Ex: Bristol contain’s a lot of lovely old building’s and street’s. (Wrong) If the possessor is a plural noun ending in s, simply adding an apostrophe after the final s indicates possession Ex: The teacher was always losing her pupils’ books.

Ex: I can never understand the politicians’ obsession with spin.

As you can see, the positioning of the apostrophe makes a big difference to the meaning of the sentence.

Make sure when adding the apostrophe that it indicates your intended meaning very precisely.

Ex: The monk’s meals were served in a cold, damp room. (One monk) Ex: The monks’ meals were served in a cold, damp room. (Lots of monks and lots of meals)

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If the possessor is a singular noun that happens to end in an -s, there is some debate about whether the apostrophe is simply added after the -s or whether an -’s is needed. It seems that both are acceptable, but be consistent.

Ex: Have you read James’ book?

Ex: Have you read James’s book?

Today, most style guides recommend adding an ‘s (e.g. James’s is preferable).

Source: Faculty of Arts. (2012). Improve Your Writing: Punctuation marks. University of Bristol. Retrieved from http://www.bristol.ac.uk/arts/exercises/grammar/grammar_tutorial/page_03.htm

Lesson 4.5. Article use ADVANCED USE OF ARTICLES Englishpage.com. (n.d). Advanced use of articles, retrieved from http://englishpage.com/articles/advanced-articles.htm USE 12 A(AN) can be used like the word “per”.

Examples:

· Apples currently cost $1.30 a pound.

· Cheetahs can run 60 miles an hour.

· You want $150 a person for the tour?

USE 13 Use THE with nouns modified by ranking or ordering expressions such as “the first”, “the second”, “the third”, “the next”, “the last”, “the previous”, “the following”, “the penultimate”, etc.

Examples:

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This is the fifth day of our conference.

I’ll pay the next time we have dinner.

Don’t forget the following rule.

USE 14 Use THE with superlatives such as “the best”, “the biggest”, “the most important”, “the least interesting”, etc.

Examples:

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This is the best day ever.

That is the most expensive hotel room I’ve ever heard of in my life.

He told the funniest joke!

Comparative forms, such as “bigger”, “better”, “more” can be used with both A(AN) and THE and follow general article usage.

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Examples:

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I like the bigger roller coaster.

He has a more expensive car than I do.

HOWEVER: THE is often used with comparative forms (bigger) rather than superlative forms (biggest) when comparing only two things. This is commonly used in phrases such as “the bigger of the two”.

Examples:

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Jessie and Shauna are both smart. But I think Shauna is the smarter of the two.

Between Jason’s son and his daughter, his daughter is the better athlete.

USE 15 Do not use articles when generalizing about uncountable nouns and plural countable nouns.

Examples:

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Curiosity is a great trait. UNCOUNTABLE Water is an important resource. UNCOUNTABLE Vegetables are good for you. PLURAL COUNTABLE

USE 16 English speakers often use THE plus a singular noun when they talk about or make generalizations about certain topics, including: musical instruments (the piano, the guitar, the flute) plants (the coconut palm, the saguaro, the baobab) animals (the leopard, the elephant, the lowland gorilla) inventions (the steam engine, the plane, the light bulb) currencies (the dollar, the euro, the yen) body parts (the head, the eye, the ear) Examples:

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I play the piano.

The sequoia tree is native to California.

The dolphin is a very intelligent animal.

The Wright brothers invented the airplane.

Right now, the euro is stronger than the dollar.

Cheryl got poked in the eye.

In general, English speakers choose to use THE in this way to give the noun a more abstract or conceptual sound. We choose to say “the piano” to make it sound more like an abstract art form. Similarly, “the dolphin” sounds more like we are referring to the species. Moreover, “the plane” has a more conceptual sound that conveys the idea of invention. But remember, you can also make generalizations about these topics using plurals as in USE 15.

USE 17 The expressions “a few” and “a little” mean “some” and express the idea that you have more than expected.

Examples:

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He always carries a few dollars for emergencies.

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He had a little difficulty with his homework.

She has a few friends who can help her move.

HOWEVER: The expressions “few” and “little” (without an article) mean “not much” and express the idea that you have less than expected.

Examples:

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Unfortunately, I had little time to enjoy New York because I had to work so much.

Sadly, he has few people in his life.

They have little money, so their daughter cannot pay her tuition.

BUT REMEMBER: When the words “only” or “just” are used, “a few” and “a little” also emphasize the meaning “not much”.

Examples:

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Unfortunately, I only had a little time to enjoy New York because I had to work so much.

Sadly, he just has a few people in his life.

They only have a little money, so their daughter cannot pay her tuition.

USE 18 Generally, articles are not used with the names of illnesses or diseases.

Examples:

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Dr. Smith visits schools and universities to educate students on AIDS. Oncologists are doctors who specialize in treating cancer.

There are several medications that can be used to treat malaria.

HOWEVER: There are some illnesses which require THE. the measles the flu the mumps the bubonic plague MOREOVER: There are a few health conditions or illnesses which can be used with both A(AN) as well as THE and follow general article use. This category includes most aches, pains, growths, and attacks. a cold a heart attack a stroke a wart / tumor / growth / etc. a sore throat / sore back/ sore foot / etc. a headache / toothache / backache / etc.

REMEMBER: This last category follows general article use. Study the examples below.

Examples:

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John has a cold. The cold was pretty bad.

Nancy had a heart attack. The heart attack seriously weakened her heart.

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Deb had a sore throat. The sore throat made it hard to talk.

USE 20 THE can be used with plural family names to refer to the family as a group.

Examples:

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The Robinsons love to vacation in Florida.

The Shinoharas are originally from Japan.

My brother lives next door to the Jacksons.

USE 21 THE can be combined with certain adjectives to refer to a group of people such as “the blind”, “the elderly”, “the rich”, “the French”, “the Sioux”, etc.

Examples:

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He is elderly. ADJECTIVE The organization helps the elderly. ELDERLY PEOPLE

REMEMBER: This is especially important in situations where nationalities or ethnic groups and their languages might be confused. In such situations, THE is used to specify that we are talking about the nationality or ethnic group rather than the language.

Examples:

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I like French. LANGUAGE I like the French. THE FRENCH PEOPLE

HOWEVER: When generalizing about nationalities or ethnic groups that end in “-ans”, such as “Americans”, “Mexicans”, and “Hawaiians”, THE is not usually used.

Examples:

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Americans watch a lot of TV. Germans drink a lot of beer.

USE 22 Do not use THE with the names of most countries unless the name contains a word such as “States”, “Kingdom”, “Republic”, “Emirates”, “Union”, “Coast”, etc.

Examples:

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I love Italy.

John used to live in Japan.

He lives in the United States.

SIMILARLY: Don’t use THE with states, provinces, and cities unless THE is specifically part of the name or contains a word such as “Territory” or “Coast”.

Examples:

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He lives in California.

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Ladakh is in India.

The Northwest Territories is a province in Canada.

EXCEPTIONS: THE is used with “the Netherlands” as well as with many nations which are island chains, such as “the Philippines”, “the Maldives”, “the Bahamas”, etc. Additionally, in the past, THE was used with certain countries such as “the Sudan”, “the Gambia”, and “the Congo”; this usage is becoming less common.

Examples:

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He lives in the Netherlands.

I visited the Bahamas last year.

USE 23 Use THE with the names of: Oceans, seas, coasts, rivers, swamps, archipelagos, collections of lakes (such as the Great Lakes), mountain chains, deserts, references on the globe (such as the Equator, the North Pole), geographic regions (such as the Northwest, the Middle East), bridges (except Tower Bridge), pagodas, hotels, theaters, museums, institutes, skyscrapers, the Sun, the Moon, extraordinary works of art or architecture (such as the Mona Lisa, the Colosseum, the Great Wall of China, and the Taj Mahal) Examples:

· James visited the Hermitage, a famous museum in St. Petersburg.

· I would love to visit the North Pole.

· Nina walked over the Rialto Bridge.

Use our Articles Flashcards to memorize the categories in Uses 23 and 24.

USE 24 Do not use an article with: individual lakes, individual islands, beaches, waterfalls, individual mountains (except the Matterhorn), canyons (except the Grand Canyon) § people’s first names, streets (except the High Street), public squares, hospitals, stadiums, malls, parks, churches, temples, universities, colleges, languages, religions, days, months, holidays Examples:

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Have you ever visited Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris?

Kenta is Buddhist.

We went camping in King’s Canyon.

HOWEVER: There are additional exceptions to some of the above categories. For example, THE is often used in the pattern “the ... of ...”.

Examples:

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The University of Colorado The Temple of Ranakpur The Cathedral of Siena

USE 25 Time expressions can be especially confusing. THE is used in some time expressions such as: in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, during the night, during the day, the day before yester22

day, the day after tomorrow, the fall, the summer Examples:

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We’ll meet in the afternoon.

Jake loves to go camping in the fall.

There was a small earthquake during the night.

HOWEVER: In other time expressions, no article is used: at night at noon at midnight all day all night all month every month every year last night last Friday yesterday tomorrow Examples:

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Did you sleep well last night?

I’ll see you tomorrow.

We are meeting for lunch at noon.

MOREOVER: There are some expressions which can take both A(AN) and THE such as: a/the whole day a/the whole month an/the entire year an/the entire decade Examples:

· He spent a whole month in Hawaii. I wish I could do that.

· I took last Friday off to go to the doctor. I spent the whole day sitting in his office.

· When she first moved to Germany, it took an entire year for her to learn enough German to

go shopping.

· Phil hated the ‘90s. He spent the whole decade in a dead-end job struggling to pay his rent.

Article use activities Englishpage.com. (n.d). advanced article usage, retrieved from http://englishpage.com/articles/advanced-articles.htm

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References Englishpage.com. (n.d). advanced article usage, retrieved from http://englishpage.com/articles/advanced-articles.htm Faculty of Arts. (2012). Improve Your Writing: Punctuation marks. University of Bristol. Retrieved from http://www.bristol.ac.uk/arts/exercises/grammar/grammar_tutorial/page_03.htm

GGothica. (2011). Toefl Listening Practice - Lecture 9, GGothica Youtube Channel, retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MAorc4S1tM&list=PL01915CF568816175&index=10 Ruciman, L. & Lengel, C. (2010). Easy Writer. (4th.ed.).Boston:Bedford/ST. Martin’s. Retrieved from http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/webpub/english/easywriterhs4e/Exercises.pdf The Economist. (2012, November 24). Boxed in: Global trade has turned down sharply this year.

The outlook is pretty bleak, too. The Economist. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/node/21562221 Towson University (2011). Writing Support Program. Retrived from: http://www.towson.edu/ows/exercises/Parallel%20Sentence%20Structure%20-%20Exercise01.aspx

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Universidad de las Américas - Ecuador Teléfono: +593 (2) 3981000 - Ext: 168

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