- My father quit ________________(smoke) three years ago.
- They discuss ____________(buy) a new sport car.
- I stopped ____________(take) my mother's birthday cake at the bakery.
- We decided ___________(change) the color of our classroom wall.
- I hope ____________(see) you again soon.
- The thief admits ______________(steal) the jewelry from the museum.
- My mother remembered ______________(sew) clothes.
- Don't forget ___________(close) the windows before you leave the house.
- Would you mind ____________(help) me carry this bag?
- I heard that the committee will begin _____________(vote) for the new leader.
- Mike said that he wanted ____________(marry) Issabela.
- Goerge really hates ____________(stand) in a very long queue.
- Please remember, because you've promised _____________(lend) me the book.
- I regret __________ (leave) you alone last night.
- I think this car needs_____________(fix) immediately.
- It's unbelievable that the little girl learned _______________(drive) by herself.
- She doesn't continue her study because she can't afford ___________(pay) the college fee.
- Do not become so unwise by postponing ___________(tell) your mother about the truth.
- Her son loves______________(play) football so much.
- The parents refuse ____________(sign) their daughter approval letter.
30.3.09
gerunds and infinitives exercises
Please complete the following sentences with the correct verbs form!
i'm sorry
i said i'm sorry
for not loving you as much as you do
for not loving you as lovingly as you do
for not loving you as sincerely as you do
for not loving you as deeply as you do
for not loving you as long as you do
i said i'm sorry
for loving you just this much
for loving you just the way i do
i said i'm sorry
so often i feel complete without you
so often i feel free without you
so often i feel happy without you
so often i feel comfort without you
i said i'm sorry
so often i feel i don't need you
so often i feel i don't feel you
i said i'm sorry
would you please forgive me??????
for not loving you as much as you do
for not loving you as lovingly as you do
for not loving you as sincerely as you do
for not loving you as deeply as you do
for not loving you as long as you do
i said i'm sorry
for loving you just this much
for loving you just the way i do
i said i'm sorry
so often i feel complete without you
so often i feel free without you
so often i feel happy without you
so often i feel comfort without you
i said i'm sorry
so often i feel i don't need you
so often i feel i don't feel you
i said i'm sorry
would you please forgive me??????
multitasking
Di tengah jaman yang serba hiruk pikuk, semua orang dituntut untuk bekerja cepat. bahkan kalau bisa menyelesaikan 2-3 pekerjaan sekaligus. karena itu, individu yang punya bakat mumpuni untuk melakukan multitasking pasti laku keras. mereka adalah orang2 luar biasa yang bisa menjaga efektifitas diri dan kualitas karya.
Tapi apa jadinya kalau multitasking diterapkan pada posisi yang salah oleh orang yang salah. aku sendiri merasa bukan tipe yang bisa melakukan multitasking. ketika mengajar, aku cenderung meninggalkan HP di kantor karena tidak mau terganggu oleh dering telpon atau sms. aku juga hanya bisa membantu, menjawab pertanyaan, dan memeriksa pekerjaan siswa one by one, meski memakan waktu, tapi lebih baik daripada semua berantakan karena maksa multitasking tanpa kemampuan.
Kembali pada penerapan multitasking yang salah. berdasarkan pengamatan di kelas. entah karena siswa sudah pintar, atau mereka memang benar2 sibuk, atau karena metode pangajaranku yang membosankan, sering kali aku menemukan siswa yang melakukan multitasking tidak pada tempatnya. pada saat aku menerangkan pelajaran atau membahas soal2 ada saja siswa yang bercengkrama dengan teman, dengan cermin, dengan HP mereka, menerima/mengirim sms, facebooking, hingga browsing.
Kejadian ini sangat tidak nyaman di hati, sebagai guru aku merasa diabaikan. rasa ini akan sedikit lebih baik jika siswa yang sibuk dengan multitasking itu bisa mengikuti pelajaran dan bisa menjawab pertanyaan yang aku ajukan, tapi hatiku semakin tidak nyaman ketika para siswa multitasking itu sebenarnya tidak memiliki kemampuan untuk multitasking. ya, mereka hanya berkonsentrasi pada aktivitas masing2 dan mengabaikan pelajaran. akibatnya ketika ditanya tentang materi yang sedang diberikan, mereka hanya bisa mlongo, bengong, berkata HAH?? apa BU? atau cengar cengir ga jelas sambil minta maaf.
Kesal? tentu saja. aku kesal dengan mereka yang tidak bisa mengenali bakat alamiah mereka, bahwa multitasking tidak tercantum di dalamnya. seharusnya mereka mau meluangkan waktu untuk fokus pada pelajaran, karena memang itu saatnya untuk fokus. toh, dengan berfokus, mereka tidak akan kehilangan, malah mendapatkan lebih. dengan berfokus mereka mendapatkan ilmu, dengan fokus mereka sudah bersyukur atas rahmat TUHAN yang sudah memberikan mereka kesempatan untuk belajar di sekolah yang baik, dengan fasilitas yang baik, jauh lebih baik dari anak2 laskar pelangi.
Multitasking is a gift. jadi tidak semua orang bisa melakukannya disaat yang tepat, untuk pekerjaan yang tepat. alih2 memanfaatkan waktu untuk efektifitas dan produktifitas, multitasking yang salah bisa membuat orang lain merasa terabaikan, bisa juga membuat tugas terlalaikan karena tidak dikerjakan secara maksimal dan terfokus.
contoh multi tasking yang salah: (selain yang sudah aku keluhkan di atas)
Kapankah saat yang tepat untuk multitasking? semoga kita cukup bijak untuk menjawab pertanyaan ini :)
Tapi apa jadinya kalau multitasking diterapkan pada posisi yang salah oleh orang yang salah. aku sendiri merasa bukan tipe yang bisa melakukan multitasking. ketika mengajar, aku cenderung meninggalkan HP di kantor karena tidak mau terganggu oleh dering telpon atau sms. aku juga hanya bisa membantu, menjawab pertanyaan, dan memeriksa pekerjaan siswa one by one, meski memakan waktu, tapi lebih baik daripada semua berantakan karena maksa multitasking tanpa kemampuan.
Kembali pada penerapan multitasking yang salah. berdasarkan pengamatan di kelas. entah karena siswa sudah pintar, atau mereka memang benar2 sibuk, atau karena metode pangajaranku yang membosankan, sering kali aku menemukan siswa yang melakukan multitasking tidak pada tempatnya. pada saat aku menerangkan pelajaran atau membahas soal2 ada saja siswa yang bercengkrama dengan teman, dengan cermin, dengan HP mereka, menerima/mengirim sms, facebooking, hingga browsing.
Kejadian ini sangat tidak nyaman di hati, sebagai guru aku merasa diabaikan. rasa ini akan sedikit lebih baik jika siswa yang sibuk dengan multitasking itu bisa mengikuti pelajaran dan bisa menjawab pertanyaan yang aku ajukan, tapi hatiku semakin tidak nyaman ketika para siswa multitasking itu sebenarnya tidak memiliki kemampuan untuk multitasking. ya, mereka hanya berkonsentrasi pada aktivitas masing2 dan mengabaikan pelajaran. akibatnya ketika ditanya tentang materi yang sedang diberikan, mereka hanya bisa mlongo, bengong, berkata HAH?? apa BU? atau cengar cengir ga jelas sambil minta maaf.
Kesal? tentu saja. aku kesal dengan mereka yang tidak bisa mengenali bakat alamiah mereka, bahwa multitasking tidak tercantum di dalamnya. seharusnya mereka mau meluangkan waktu untuk fokus pada pelajaran, karena memang itu saatnya untuk fokus. toh, dengan berfokus, mereka tidak akan kehilangan, malah mendapatkan lebih. dengan berfokus mereka mendapatkan ilmu, dengan fokus mereka sudah bersyukur atas rahmat TUHAN yang sudah memberikan mereka kesempatan untuk belajar di sekolah yang baik, dengan fasilitas yang baik, jauh lebih baik dari anak2 laskar pelangi.
Multitasking is a gift. jadi tidak semua orang bisa melakukannya disaat yang tepat, untuk pekerjaan yang tepat. alih2 memanfaatkan waktu untuk efektifitas dan produktifitas, multitasking yang salah bisa membuat orang lain merasa terabaikan, bisa juga membuat tugas terlalaikan karena tidak dikerjakan secara maksimal dan terfokus.
contoh multi tasking yang salah: (selain yang sudah aku keluhkan di atas)
- makan sambil nonton tv; kita ga sadar berapa banyak kalori yang masuk karena fokus ke acara tv.
- dengerin curhatan temen sambil baca buku or nonton tv; yang ada temen malah ngloyor pergi dengan kecewa karena kita ga fokus n ga kasih perhatian yang tulus.
- masak sambil ngrumpi; kebanyakan ngrumpi masakan jadi gosong deh :)
- ngoreksi ulangan sambil ngobrol; terlalu asik ngobrol malah ga kelar2 ngoreksinya.
- nyetir sambil telpon or SMS-an; yakin deh, klo bukan kita yang celaka pasti orang lain yang celaka.
- masih banyak yang lainnya, ayo kita ingat2 bersama, berapa banyak uneffective multitasking yang pernah kita lakukan !!!!
Kapankah saat yang tepat untuk multitasking? semoga kita cukup bijak untuk menjawab pertanyaan ini :)
24.3.09
Things to do everyday
we live our life day by day
sometimes we wake up in the morning wondering of how we are going to spend the day
so often we go to bed at night without realizing what we've done during the day
friends, i would like us to remember
that today is a gift, that's why it's called "present"
so, please get ourselves ready for the biggest present in everyday of our lives
here are some things to do everyday:
Have a nice day everyone :)
sometimes we wake up in the morning wondering of how we are going to spend the day
so often we go to bed at night without realizing what we've done during the day
friends, i would like us to remember
that today is a gift, that's why it's called "present"
so, please get ourselves ready for the biggest present in everyday of our lives
here are some things to do everyday:
- wake up early : you'll be able to get yourselves ready for the rest of the day
- pray : no pray no way
- make a list : be well organized, you'll amazed off how far you can go by listing your activities
- do something nice for another person : the love that you give is the only love that you have, the more love you give-the more love you have
- read : get yourselves literate, books are the window to the world
- eat right : you are what you eat
- exercise : health is everything, keep your body healthy-keep your life cozy
- laugh : release your feeling, laughing is the best thing
- watch the sunset : i add this list because i love sunset :)
- muhasabah : count yourselves before HE does
Have a nice day everyone :)
23.3.09
students like you
so many thoughts and feelings that i have for my students
i really am a teacher
but i learn a lot from my students
suppose i can say a word or two to thank them
to show them how worthy they are to me
but the following poem
may have glaring presentation of mine
to my students
who are like YOU
Students Like You
i really am a teacher
but i learn a lot from my students
suppose i can say a word or two to thank them
to show them how worthy they are to me
but the following poem
may have glaring presentation of mine
to my students
who are like YOU
With students like you, teaching is easy
I look forward to each day;
Your wondering minds keep me on my toes;
You make teaching more like play.Students like you make teaching rewarding;
When I go home, I’m content;
You pay attention, you learn—giving me
A sense of accomplishment.Thank you for being the way you are,
For making my job so much fun.
I’ll remember how good you made me feel,
Even when my teaching is done.
By Joanna Fuchs
I look forward to each day;
Your wondering minds keep me on my toes;
You make teaching more like play.Students like you make teaching rewarding;
When I go home, I’m content;
You pay attention, you learn—giving me
A sense of accomplishment.Thank you for being the way you are,
For making my job so much fun.
I’ll remember how good you made me feel,
Even when my teaching is done.
By Joanna Fuchs
a teacher for all season
i read this poem
to encourage me of my destiny
to keep up faith
to still believe
that
i'm a teacher
to encourage me of my destiny
to keep up faith
to still believe
that
i'm a teacher
A Teacher for All Seasons
Who nurtures new green sprouts,
Encourages and leads them,
Whenever they have doubts.
Whose sunny temperament
Makes studying a pleasure,
Preventing discontent.
With methods crisp and clear,
Lessons of bright colors
And a happy atmosphere.
While it’s snowing hard outside,
Keeping students comfortable,
As a warm and helpful guide.
With a pleasant attitude;
You’re a teacher for all seasons,
And you have my gratitude!
22.3.09
Remember Me
In a far distance away
We're holding and longing to each other
Counting the nights without
Wondering of how many days should we wait for each other hands
To reach
To hold
To be
Together
In the darkest night you've sailed
Through the hardest day I live
You and I
We
Just Remember.....
We're holding and longing to each other
Counting the nights without
Wondering of how many days should we wait for each other hands
To reach
To hold
To be
Together
In the darkest night you've sailed
Through the hardest day I live
You and I
We
Just Remember.....
I love you
I don't remember how to forget you
I don't remember how to forget you
Copy Paste
Hari minggu yang cerah. seperti biasa aku langsung membuka koran Kompas dan membaca rubrik favorit, tulisan Samuel Mulia.
Kali ini judulnya adalah COpy PaSte. belum membaca, aku berasumsi bahwa isinya akan mengenai pelanggaran hak cipta atau plagiator yang banyak dilakukan oleh kaum intelektual.
Setelah membaca ternyata isinya jauh dari itu. yang dimaksud dengan copy paste disini adalah tentang keinginan kita untuk bisa menjadi seperti orang lain, dan melakukan cara yang persis sama dengan orang lain itu agar bisa menjadi sama suksesnya.
Samuel mencontohkan dirinya yang ingin kaya menyamai Warren Buffett, dan dia mencoba cara yang sama dengan Buffett untuk menjadi kaya. tapi ujung-ujungnya hanya menjadi buffet. :)
Pada dasarnya tidak ada cara yang tidak layak untuk dicoba demi sebuah keberhasilan, selama masih dalam koridor yang benar. tetapi kita juga harus ingat bahwa tidak semua cara cocok untuk keberhasilan semua orang.
Membaca tulisan itu, membuatku bercermin pada diri sendiri. dulu, aku mencoba segala cara yang namanya copy paste. terutama saat masih SMA. aku bersekolah di sebuah sekolah yang muridnya pintar2 semua. dan aku yang tidak sepintar teman2 ku berusaha sedemikian keras untuk bisa sama dengan mereka.
Pada akhirnya semua usaha itu sia2. karena aku terlambat menyadari bahwa aku bukan mereka dan mereka bukan aku. seharusnya aku tidak menyalahkan diriku dengan berkata bahwa "mereka saja bisa, kenapa aku tidak?" sebuah pertanyaan yang nyaris membunuhku.
Mungkin bukan pertanyaannya yang salah tapi yang bertanya yang salah. semua jadi begitu membingungkan. hingga aku menjalani satu tahun pencarian diri. dalam masa itu ku sadari bahwa aku punya takdir sendiri, tidak seperti teman2 ku yang IQ nya >140 (punyaku cuma 111). aku tidak ditakdirkan menjadi dokter atau insinyur atau diplomat atau pegawai bank atau notaris.
Sekarang, 8 tahun setelah masa penemuan takdir ku jalani, aku tahu siapa diriku sebenarnya, aku tahu dibidang apa aku ditakdirkan, aku tahu sejauh mana aku mampu berjalan di jalan TUHAN, aku tahu cara sukses apa yang benar2 bisa membuatku sukses. dan aku sangat bersyukur dan menikmatinya.
Jadi kawan, sudah tahukah kemana jalan takdirmu? segera temukan, dan temukan pula cara yang tepat untuk menjalaninya.
ingatlah bahwa tidak menyenangkan memakai sepatu orang lain meski ukurannya sama. :)
"Try to fit in your own shoes"
Kali ini judulnya adalah COpy PaSte. belum membaca, aku berasumsi bahwa isinya akan mengenai pelanggaran hak cipta atau plagiator yang banyak dilakukan oleh kaum intelektual.
Setelah membaca ternyata isinya jauh dari itu. yang dimaksud dengan copy paste disini adalah tentang keinginan kita untuk bisa menjadi seperti orang lain, dan melakukan cara yang persis sama dengan orang lain itu agar bisa menjadi sama suksesnya.
Samuel mencontohkan dirinya yang ingin kaya menyamai Warren Buffett, dan dia mencoba cara yang sama dengan Buffett untuk menjadi kaya. tapi ujung-ujungnya hanya menjadi buffet. :)
Pada dasarnya tidak ada cara yang tidak layak untuk dicoba demi sebuah keberhasilan, selama masih dalam koridor yang benar. tetapi kita juga harus ingat bahwa tidak semua cara cocok untuk keberhasilan semua orang.
Membaca tulisan itu, membuatku bercermin pada diri sendiri. dulu, aku mencoba segala cara yang namanya copy paste. terutama saat masih SMA. aku bersekolah di sebuah sekolah yang muridnya pintar2 semua. dan aku yang tidak sepintar teman2 ku berusaha sedemikian keras untuk bisa sama dengan mereka.
Pada akhirnya semua usaha itu sia2. karena aku terlambat menyadari bahwa aku bukan mereka dan mereka bukan aku. seharusnya aku tidak menyalahkan diriku dengan berkata bahwa "mereka saja bisa, kenapa aku tidak?" sebuah pertanyaan yang nyaris membunuhku.
Mungkin bukan pertanyaannya yang salah tapi yang bertanya yang salah. semua jadi begitu membingungkan. hingga aku menjalani satu tahun pencarian diri. dalam masa itu ku sadari bahwa aku punya takdir sendiri, tidak seperti teman2 ku yang IQ nya >140 (punyaku cuma 111). aku tidak ditakdirkan menjadi dokter atau insinyur atau diplomat atau pegawai bank atau notaris.
Sekarang, 8 tahun setelah masa penemuan takdir ku jalani, aku tahu siapa diriku sebenarnya, aku tahu dibidang apa aku ditakdirkan, aku tahu sejauh mana aku mampu berjalan di jalan TUHAN, aku tahu cara sukses apa yang benar2 bisa membuatku sukses. dan aku sangat bersyukur dan menikmatinya.
Jadi kawan, sudah tahukah kemana jalan takdirmu? segera temukan, dan temukan pula cara yang tepat untuk menjalaninya.
ingatlah bahwa tidak menyenangkan memakai sepatu orang lain meski ukurannya sama. :)
"Try to fit in your own shoes"
21.3.09
Gerunds and Infinitves
...and what Precedes them
Gerunds and infinitives are forms of verbs that act like nouns.
| Ali quit smoking in 1977. | He just decided to quit one day. |
A gerund is a verb + -ing. An infinitive is to + the verb.
In both the examples above, the gerund and the infinitive are the objects of the verbs in the sentence. However, as noun substitutes, gerunds and infinitives can also be the subject of a sentence.
| Smoking is hard habit to give up. | To quit takes a lot of will power. |
This lesson will focus primarily on verbs that precede infinitives and gerunds when they are used as objects in a sentence.
Some common verbs are always followed by a gerund:
| Jeannie admitted taking the money from the desk. |
| The teacher considered calling the police. |
| Jeannie said she was so embarrassed that she felt like dying. |
| The teacher finally said she would recommend giving Jeannie a light punishment. |
Some verbs are always followed by infinitives.
| The president said he aimed to bring down taxes. |
| He asked Congress to pass a tax reduction bill. |
| The president's party consented to lower the taxes. |
| However, the opposition refused to cooperate. |
| The president promised to fight for lower taxes in the next term. |
Some verbs can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive.
| Edina's husband, Bob, began taking cooking lessons last month. |
| Soon he began to try out all his new creations on her. |
| Edina said she likes eating as much as Bob likes to cook. |
| She loves to sample his new recipes and she loves not cooking herself. |
| However, she told me she regrets eating so much rich food. |
| She's going to try eating less of his great food...and, she's going to try not to hurt Bob's feelings! |
Go, go, go!
A common expression in English is
go + an activity
We go swimming,
we go shopping,
we go fishing,
we go jogging,
we go sightseeing, and
we go bar-hopping (or, so I've heard).
Not always exactly the same...
Some verbs have the same meaning when followed by an infinitive or a gerund:
| The same: | I like going to the races. |
| I like to go to the races. | |
| The same: | I hate going to the dentist. |
| I hate to go to the dentist. | |
| The same: | It began raining. |
| It began to rain. |
However, some verbs have a slightly different meaning when followed by an infinitive as opposed to a gerund.
- remember, forget, stop
The difference is often in the sequence of events.
See what you think about the following pairs of sentences:
| I remembered to feed the dog this morning. | I remember feeding him his favorite food. |
| -----first--------- second | ---second----first |
| (I remembered and then I fed him.) | (I fed him and later I remembered the action.) |
| I forgot to go to the bank. | I forgot going to the bank. |
| ----------------- | second first |
| (I didn't remember and I didn't go to the bank.) | (I went to the bank, but later I forgot that I did.) |
| I stopped to smoke. | I stopped smoking. |
| ---first----- second | --second-- first |
| (I paused what I was doing to have a cigarette.) | (I was a smoker, but now I'm not.) |
One more difference
You can also use either an infinitive or a gerund after go on. However, note the difference:
| I told Billy to stop, but he went on putting his fingers in the soup. |
| (The use of a gerund after go on indicates a continuing or persistent activity.) |
| I was very proud of Billy. We went on to become a famous chef. |
| (The use of an infinitive after go on indicates a noteworthy or notorious future activity.) |
The real test for you will be how well you get the feel of when to use infinitives or gerunds. You can get a better understanding of this if you read English novels and other materials critically.
Gerunds and Infinitives List
| Verb + Gerund | Verb +Preposition +Gerund | Be +Adjective +Preposition +Gerund | Verb + Infinitive | Verb +Inifinitive or Gerund |
| acknowledge | adapt to | be accustomed to | agree | attempt |
| admit | adjust to | be afraid of | aim | begin |
| advise | agree (with) on | be angry about | afford | can/can't bear |
| anticipate | apologize for | be ashamed of | appear | can/can't stand |
| appreciate | approve of | be capable of | arrange | cease |
| avoid | argue about | be certain about | ask | continue |
| consider | ask about | be concerned with | care | forget |
| defend | believe in | be critical of | choose | go on |
| defer | blame for | be discouraged from | claim | hate |
| delay | care about | be enthusiastic about | consent | like |
| deny | complain about | be familiar with | dare | love |
| detest | consist of | be famous for | decide | neglect |
| discuss | decided on | be fond of | decline | prefer |
| dislike | depend on | be glad about | demand | regret |
| endure | disapprove of | be good at | deserve | propose |
| enjoy | discourage from | be happy about | desire | remember |
| escape | engage in | be interested in | expect | see |
| excuse | forgive for | be known for | fail | start |
| feel like | give up | be nervous about | guarantee | stop |
| finish | help with | be perfect for | happen | try |
| go | inquire about | be proud of | hope | |
| imagine | insist on | be responsible for | intend | |
| involve | interfere with | be sad about | know | |
| keep | keep on | be successful in | learn | |
| mention | look forward to | be suitable for | manage | |
| mind (object to) | object to | be tired of | need | |
| miss | participate in | be tolerant of | offer | |
| need (passive) | persist in | be upset about | plan | |
| omit | plan on | be used to | pledge | |
| postpone | prepare for | be useful for | prepare | |
| practice | profit from | be worried about | pretend | |
| prevent | prohibit from | promise | ||
| quit | put off | refuse | ||
| recall | result from | resolve | ||
| recollect | succeed in | seem | ||
| recommend | suffer from | tend | ||
| regret | talk about | struggle | ||
| resent | take part in | swear | ||
| resist | there's no point in | volunteer | ||
| resume | think about | wait | ||
| risk | warn about | want | ||
| suggest | work on | wish | ||
| tolerate | worry about | would like | ||
| understand | ||||
gerund and infinitives by David Tillyer
taken from :http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/7583/gerinfless.html
Noun Phrase, Pre and Post Modifier
Nouns
To begin our discussion, we must first establish the notion of a noun.
English teachers commonly identify nouns by their content. They describe nouns as words that "identify people, places, or things," as well as feelings or ideas—words like salesman , farm , balcony , bicycle , and trust. If you can usually put the word a or the before a word, it’s a noun. If you can make the word plural or singular, it's a noun. But don't worry...all that is needed at the moment is a sense of what a noun might be.
Noun Pre-Modifiers
What if a single noun isn't specific enough for our purposes? How then do we modify a noun to construct a more specific reference?
English places modifiers before a noun. Here we indicate the noun that is at the center of a noun phrase by an asterisk (*) and modifiers by arrows pointed toward the noun they modify.
white house
*
large man
*
Modification is a somewhat technical term in linguistics. It does not mean to change something, as when we "modify" a car or dress. To modify means to limit, restrict, characterize, or otherwise focus meaning. We use this meaning throughout the discussion here.
Modifiers before the noun are called pre-modifiers. All of the pre-modifiers that are present and the noun together form a noun phrase .
NOUN PHRASE
pre-modifiers noun
*
By contrast, languages such as Spanish and French place modifiers after the noun
casa blanca white house
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homme grand big man
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The most common pre-modifiers are adjectives, such as red , long , hot . Other types of words often play this same role. Not only articles
the water
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but also verbs
running water
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and possessive pronouns
her thoughts
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Premodifiers limit the reference in a wide variety of ways.
Order: second, last
Location: kitchen, westerly
Source or Origin: Canadian
Color: red, dark
Smell: acrid, scented
Material: metal, oak
Size: large, 5-inch
Weight: heavy
Luster: shiny, dull
A number of pre-modifiers must appear first if they appear at all.
Specification: a, the, every
Designation: this, that, those, these
Ownership/Possessive: my, your, its, their, Mary’s
Number: one, many
These words typically signal the beginning of a noun phrase.
Some noun phrases are short:
the table
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Some are long:
the second shiny red Swedish touring sedan
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a large smelly red Irish setter
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my carved green Venetian glass salad bowl
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the three old Democratic legislators
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Notice that each construction would function as a single unit within a sentence. (We offer a test for this below,)
The noun phrase is the most common unit in English sentences. That prevalence can be seen in the following excerpt from an example from the section on the choice of language:
The stock market’s summer swoon turned into a dramatic rout
Monday as the Dow Jones industrial average plunged.The stock market’s summer swoon turned into a dramatic rout
Monday as the Dow Jones industrial average plunged.
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To appreciate the rich possibilities of pre-modifiers, you have only to see how much you can expand a premodifier in a noun phrase:
the book
the history book
the American history book
the illustrated American history book
the recent illustrated American history book
the recent controversial illustrated American history book
the recent controversial illustrated leather bound American history book
Noun Post-Modifiers
We were all taught about pre -modifiers: adjectives appearing before a noun in school. Teachers rarely speak as much about adding words after the initial reference. Just as we find pre -modifiers, we also find post -modifiers—modifiers coming after a noun.
The most common post-modifier is prepositional phrases:
the book on the table
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civil conflict in Africa
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the Senate of the United States
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Post-modifiers can be short
a dream deferred
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or long, as in Martin Luther King Jr.’s reference to
a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves
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and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down together
at a table of brotherhood.
What does King have? A dream? No. He has a specific dream. Once we are sensitive to the existence of noun phrases, we recognize a relatively simple structure to the sentence. Here we recognize a noun phrase with a very long post-modifier—thirty-two words to be exact.
We do not get lost in the flow of words, but recognize structure. At the point that we recognize structure within the sentence, we recognize meaning. (Notice also that post-modifiers often include clauses which themselves include complete sentences, as in the last example above.)
Post-modifiers commonly answer the traditional news reporting questions of who , what , where , when , how , or why . Noun post-modifiers commonly take the following forms:
prepositional phrase the dog in the store
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_ing phrase the girl running to the store
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_ed past tense the man wanted by the police
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wh - clauses the house where I was born
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that/which clauses the thought that I had yesterday
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If you see a preposition, wh - word ( which, who, when where ), -ing verb form, or that or which after a noun, you can suspect a post-modifier and the completion of a noun phrase.
The noun together with all pre- and post-modifiers constitutes a single unit, a noun phrase that indicates the complete reference. Any agreement in terms of singular/plural is with the noun at the center.
The boys on top of the house are .............
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Here the noun at the center of the noun phrase is plural, so a plural form of the verb is called for (not a singular form to agree with the singular house)
taken form: Dan Kurland's www.criticalreading.com
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