20110316160335fik 3042 English for Communication 2

8/7/2019 20110316160335fik 3042 English for Communication 2

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/20110316160335fik-3042-english-for-communication-2 1/33

FIK 3042 ENGLISH FOR COMMUNICATION 2

EDITORSAINON OMAR

AHMAD ZAINURI LOAP AHMAD

AZIZAH ATAN

LEELA CHAKRABARTY



Writers:

Ainon Omar

Ahmad Zainuri Loap Ahmad

Farah Natchiar Mohd Khaja

Goh Hock Seng

Leela Chakrabarty

Mariyatunnitha Shari

Mohammad Sidik Ariffin

Napisah Kepol

Nor Azmi Mostafa

Nor Hashimah Isa

Azizah Atan

Seva Bala Sundaram

Abdul Ghani Abu

Che Ton Mahmud

Hasimah Ja‟afar

Maizatulliza Muhammad

Raja Nor Safinas Raja Harun

Intan Safinas Mohd Ariff Al-Bakri

Abdul Halim Ibrahim

Fairus Ahmad Daud



CONTENT

Unit Topics Page

1. Human Interest 1

Listening 1Speaking 2

Reading 3

Language Focus 11

Writing 19

Self Assessment 26

2. Journey to the Future 37

Listening 38

Speaking 39

Reading 50

Language Focus 54Writing 59

Self Assessment 62

3. Tech Savvy 67

Speaking 67

Listening 74

Reading 80

Language Focus 84

Paraphrasing 89

Self Assessment 95

4. A Way of Life 113

Speaking 113

Listening 117

Reading 121

Writing 127

Language Focus 128

5. Job Satisfaction 150

Listening 150

Speaking 153

Reading 155Language Focus 160

Writing 163

Self Assessment 168



COURSE GUIDE i

INTRODUCTION

The course guide is to assist students to understand the course content and

assessment. Students are advised to read this section carefully and take note of

the course requirements so that they can complete the course successfully.

The course FIK3042 English for Communication 2 will cover 5 units in this

book which are thematic and authentic, catering for students from both science

and arts streams. Specific Language skills such as listening, speaking, reading

and writing are covered in each unit. While these language skills are presented

under separate sections, they are integrated throughout the module.

Furthermore, grammatical aspects are peppered throughout to reinforce the

students‘ general grasp of the language.

The listening components for the respective units are designed to cater to the

while and post-listening activities. The speaking section allows students tointeract in pairs and groups. In addition, these speaking tasks encourage

creativity and freedom amongst students to express their views. The reading

texts that appear in each unit are interesting and varied, covering various

pertinent current issues. The culmination of these skills prepares the students for

the writing section. It is a 2 credit hour course.

TARGET AUDIENCE

This course is offered to all students undergoing the Bachelor of Education

Program at UPSI. However, this module has been specially designed forstudents pursuing the Distant Education Program.

STUDENT LEARNING TIME

According to UPSI‘s and MQA Standards, every credit requires that students

allocate 40 hours of learning time. Therefore, for this course students are

required to spend 80 hours of learning time. The estimated learning time for the

course FIK3042 is presented in Table 1.



COURSE GUIDE ii

Table 1 Estimated learning time for the course FIK3042

Learning Activity Learning Time

Face-to-Face Independent

Reading the Module, revision and completing

assignments

21

Tutorial at centres 10

On-lineTutorial (E-Learning, example, via

BigBlueButton, Skype, etc.)

26

Forum (E-Learning via MyGuru2) 12

T&L Video via MyGuru2 10

On-line Quiz via MyGuru2 1

36 44

Total Learning Time 80

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOME

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate effective listening, speaking, reading and writing skills

learned in the course for communicative purposes.

2. Use correct grammar and vocabulary when writing a variety of texts.

Define and discuss, individually and in groups, vocabulary, expressions,

and issues found in a variety of texts.

3. Apply critical reading skills when reading texts on current issues.

4. Organise and implement a collaborative writing project.



COURSE GUIDE iii

COURSE SYNOPSIS

This course helps students in developing strong foundations in reading and

writing skills for communicative purposes in a variety of contexts. The course

integrates the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing, with more

emphasis being given to the skills of reading and writing.

COURSE CONTENT

To assist students in achieving the learning outcomes for this course, the course

content is divided into five units which cover the listening, speaking, reading and

writing skills.

UNIT TOPIC

1 HUMAN INTEREST

Listening – Healthy Lifestyle

Speaking – Nutrition and Food Pyramid

Reading- Letter to the Editor

- Word Attack

- Comprehension

Language Focus

- Present Tense

- Past Tense

Writing

- Pre-writing Activities

- Writing Process

Self-Assessment

2 JOURNEY TO THE FUTURE

Listening to a radio interview





COURSE GUIDE v

- Word Attack

- Comprehension

Language Focus

- Gerunds and Infinitives

Writing

- Summary Writing

Self-Assessment

5 JOB SATISFACTION

Listening to a Radio Interview

Speaking – My Dream Job and Conducting Interviews

Reading - Workplace Satisfaction

- Word Attack

- Comprehension

Language Focus

- Passive Voice

Writing

- Letter of Application

Self-Assessment



COURSE GUIDE vi

ASSESSMENT

Assignment %

Weightage

Approach and

Assignment

Outcome

On-line Quiz 1 10 On-line via MyGuru2

On-line Quiz 2 10 On-line via MyGuru2

Project Work

Final Examination

40

40

On-line via MyGuru2

Conducted at Centres

Total 100

ICON SPECIFICATIONS

Exercises to consolidate students‘ understanding of the

topics learnt.

Exercises with answer key. Aktiviti latihan yang disertakan jawapan

serta maklum balas.A



1

UNIT 1

HUMAN INTEREST

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

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

1. listen to texts and answer T/F questions;

2. discuss on given topics in groups;

3. read and answer comprehension questions and

4. write paragraphs on topics discussed.

CONTENT

LISTENING

Task 1 Listen to the Radio Talk Show entitled “Healthy Lifestyle” andanswer the following questions.

1. The radio talk show is about En. Hamid‘s health. T / F

2. Mr. Sam is the Deejay. T / F

3. Dr. Sani is the nutritionist from ANPAC. T / F

4. We need to stop being stressful and start living healthily. T / F

5. To be healthy we must avoid processed food. T / F

6. En. Hamid is a university lecturer. T / F

7. En. Hamid often has palpitation in his chest. T / F

8. Mr. Sam advises En. Hamid to reschedule his activities. T / F



2

9. Dr. Sani suggests that En. Hamid goes for medical

check up as soon as possible. T / F

10. Almonds are good source of calcium and fibre. T / F

SPEAKING

Nutrition and the Food Pyramid

Task 2 Study the food pyramid below and in groups of four discuss the various

types of food one needs to consume in order to lead a healthy life. Then, the

group representatives will present the groups‘ findings.

Nutrition and the Food Pyramid

Source: Ignatowski .A. 2005. Food Pyramid Chart for Balanced Diet. Best

vitamin- supplements- guide.com.

Dialogue

Imagine that you and your three friends meet after a tutorial class at the

cafeteria, and your next tutorial is an hour later. While having a drink each of you

relate events that took place in your lives. While listening, the others are to ask

questions and give opinions wherever necessary. Come up with a dialogue to be

presented to the class.



3

READING

PASSAGE ONE

Read the letter to the editor and carry out the tasks.

1

2

3

Dear Editor,

I am an ardent fan of ASTRO, so much so that the first thing I do uponentering my humble abode is to switch on to HBO, Star Movies , E, ESPN ,

Animal Planet , Discovery Travel and Living and of course to AFC or Asian Food Channel when I am incredibly hungry. As I watch delicious foods onAFC, I sincerely hope the pang of hunger will slowly disappear into oblivion.More often than not, this does not work to my advantage especially when I amfamished. The effect is just the opposite as I gazed at the delicious foodsprepared by the chefs. And talk about the camera men! They are incrediblygood at focusing. The food is so crystal clear that you are practically throwninto the chef‘s kitchen. Once, I became so hopelessly hungry watching theprogram `License to Grill‟ that I could not stop myself from rummaging mysmall refrigerator for bits of snacks. I was desperate for food in the middle ofthe night.

I love to read the Astroview – your magazine with the slogan `Malaysia‟slargest circulated entertainment magazine‟ which is out monthly, complete withinformation and updates on the different channels, celebrity news, health tipsand other news useful to ASTRO subscribers. Congratulations! Your viewersmust be so thrilled to grab a copy every month. I am keen on watching Animal Planet and I am very thrilled to read that this channel will be airing a newprogram called Bindi: The Jungle Girl . I think Steve Irwin‘s daughter is such abrave girl to be among snakes and other animals. She has her daddy‘s talentsand not to forget his smile. I just had to bring to your readerson page 8 of December 2007 issue entitled ‗Watch out - Jungle Girl‟

―My daddy was a hero,‖ she said, and her short speech earned a standing

ovation and an indelible mark on the memory of many Australians. Now,Bindi‘s charms comes to the small screen in Bindi: The Jungle Girl , a newwildlife series that brings the Irwins and heir passion for animals together on-screen. Here are some quick facts about Bindi:

She has a rat named Candy―Candy is my favorite friend and we do lots of fun things together! We go outrollerblading and he rides on my shoulder. He likes to play with all my otheranimal friends too except the snakes, of course!‖

She‘s not afraid of the animals she handles

5

10

15

20

25

30



4

4

5

6

―My dad taught me to respect all animals, so I‘ve never had to overcome myfear.‖

As I am a traveler I love to read the travel guide and tips given by famoustravelers such as Samantha Brown and Anthony Bourdain. I just loveSamantha because of her sweet smile and her pink attire. She makes me

want to travel to those countries and experience what she had experienced.Who does not know Anthony Bourdain on Discovery Travel and Living ? He isthe tall New Yorker Chef who travels around the world to discover culinaryheaven. We can catch him on No Reservation 3. Bourdain is the man for realtravel….no reservation indeed. He is like the Guru of real travel. He has noboundaries and limits to trying local foods and drinks. In the December issue,he gave a few very practical travel tips on page 9. He suggested that we:

Never eat in the hotel and never ask the concierge where toeat. Ask your taxi driver instead.

Eat local. Don‘t travel in packs – no more than two or three people. It

gets difficult after that.

These travel tips are so practical and I will definitely remember them when Ivisit Scotland next week. I will unquestionably follow Bourdain‘s tips when I amthere. It is so true that one should try and eat local foods and not insist onlooking for your own traditional foods. When we are in a foreign country wemust try to adapt and adopt. If we are rice eaters, we can opt for bread instead,or croissant. We cannot be looking high and low for restaurants selling rice.

Well, I welcome other readers to share my views of ASTRO and Astroview.Well done ASTRO!

[email protected]

35

40

45

50

55

Task 3 Provide the meanings of these words pertaining to the letter to the

editor.

1. ardent (line 1) _______________________________________________

2. abode (line2)________________________________________________

3. famished (line 7)______________________________________________

4. rummaging (line 11) __________________________________________

5. keen (line 18)________________________________________________



5

6. attire (line 38)________________________________________________

Task 4 Answer the questions.

1. Name the ASTRO channels found in the letter to the Editor.

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

2. What is the slogan for Astroview?

__________________________________________________________

3. Who is the New Yorker chef that Shima Daniel admires?

___________________________________________________________

4. What is the programme that the chef hosts?

___________________________________________________________

5. Who is Bindi‘s father?

___________________________________________________________

6. In your own words, explain what the writer means in the phrase ―It is so

true that one should try and eat local foods and not insist on looking for your own traditional foods”

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________



6

7. Imagine you are the Editor of Astroview. Reply to Shima Daniel‘s letter viae-mail.

Dear Shima Daniel,

Thank you so much for your letter. ________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Editor.

Task 5 In groups of four, prepare a mind map of the advantages of tuning

in to ASTRO channels. You are to present your mind map. You have 15 minutes

to discuss and create the mind map. Choose your group‘s best channel and givefour reasons for your choice.

Our best Channel -



7

Task 6 Still in your group, prepare an e-mail to Shima Daniel, in response

to her letter to the editor. You may agree or disagree with her pertaining to

ASTRO‘s channels and Astroview. Give reasons for your agreement or

disagreement.

Dear Shima Daniel,

I read your letter to the editor and ………

Yours faithfully,

…………………………….

*Please exchange your group‘s e-mail with other groups. Note the differences orsimilarities between the e-mails. Underline them.

PASSAGE TW0

Read the passage and complete the given tasks

1

2

I had been a quiet, bookish child. My father had led a peripatetic careeras a teacher and he had taken his young family with him to successive postingsacross the length and breadth of the Malayan Peninsula. And it was a growingfamily; my two brothers were born, at three-year intervals, in Johor Bharu at the

peninsula‘s southern tip, and in Kuala Krai in the interior of Kelantan, where mymobile family had come to a temporary rest. Eventually my father had receivedwhat would be the last posting of his abbreviated life, as a senior lecturer at theLanguage Institute in Kuala Lumpur.

It was in our house in Kuala Lumpur, on a dark and rainy night in 1967,that my father first spoke to me about my future. I was twelve years old then, inStandard Six of primary school; the next year, I would be moving on tosecondary school. My father had always been a fairly remote figure to his three

5

10



8

3

4

5

6

7

sons; stern and affectionate in equal measure, but still remote. Much, much,later I would console myself with the thought that he had been saving himself forlater in our lives, when we were out of our infancy and could understand more ofhis strong and complex personality.

That night, my father said to me: ―The Malay College is not just any

school. It is the school.‖ That‘s about all I remember, although there must havebeen more. I do remember not being sure what he was on about. I knew that Iwould be sitting for the Malay College entrance examinations very soon, and Iwas vaguely aware that this was a place, a big boarding school way up in KualaKangsar, spoken of with much respect by my teachers. But merely sitting for theexams was no big deal; practically every Standard n the country did so, and Ihad by no means excelled in school so far. But here was my father talkingabout the Malay College in a way that made me feel, for the first time in myyoung life, that he actually had hopes for me. And he went on: ―You must takethe Sciences. There is no future in the Arts.‖ What was this? ―Sciences‖?―Arts‖? I couldn‘t even draw! And I was certainly no whiz at arithmetic.

The day of the entrance exam came, and the four of us who were theonly four Malay boys in our primary school‘s top class went to take it. Ghani andAzizi were deadly serious about it; Muslini and I larked about. Ghani and Aziziwere the great hopes of our school, which would apparently be honoured tosend off a ward or two to the Malay College; Muslini and I were there to make upthe numbers.

So of course, when the results came out a month later, Muslini and Imade the cut and the other two didn‘t. Nobody could believe it, least of allMuslini and me. I went home a very happy kid that Friday. My father was athome when I got there, reading the newspaper. ―Papa,‖ I said, struggling to keepthe excitement from my voice. ―I‘ve got the results. I passed. I have to report to

Malay College on January seventh.‖ He didn‘t even lower the paper. ―Good,‖ hesaid. Years later, my mother would tell me that was one of the proudestmoments of his life. He certainly fooled me then.

Five days into 1968, my father bundled his wife and sons into the car andset off on a 200-kilometre drive north to Kuala Kangsar, a small, sleepy towndozing by a bend of the Perak River not far south of Taiping. Kuala Kangsar hada distinguished air about it: it was the royal town of Perak, site of the Sult an‘sPalace, and of the esteemed Malay College. It had been founded by the Britishin 1905 as a place in which the sons of Malay Sultans could acquire therudiments of a sound British education before moving on to tertiary institutionsin Britain itself. It was indeed a grand old school, and its reputation was well

deserved. My first impression, however, was of bedlam: a horde of twelve-year-olds and what seemed to be their families, seeking out their allotted bed-spacesin the dormitories, being endlessly hugged by weeping mothers, grandmothersand aunts. I was happy to find Muslini amidst the chaos, although he seemedaltogether too dazed to be coherent.

The day drew to an end; the families were waved a tearful goodbye. Wehad our first mass meal in the dining hall, in which were hung framed groupphotographs of the College‘s previous First-Form intakes, and were sent to our

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55



9

beds at nine. Within the soft white drapes of their brand-new mosquito nets,ninety-two young boys fell asleep on their first night away from their homes andfamilies. From that day on, home would be a place we would only visit onholidays. It was all for the best that we were utterly exhausted.

Adapted from: A Malaysian Journey by Rehman Rashid.

56

Task 7 The following words given in Column A are found in the passage

above. Match the meanings in Column B with the words in Column A in context

of the passage.

A B

1. peripatetic ________________

2. stern _______________

3. excelled _______________

4. whiz _______________

5. larked _______________

6. apparently _______________

7. esteemed _______________

8. rudiments _______________

9. bedlam _______________

10.coherent _______________

a. confusion and noise

b. clever

c. definitely

d. strict

e. very good

f. speak clearly

g. basics

h. roamed

i. traveling from place to place

j. respected and admired

Task 8 Mark with a (√) for the statements which are true and a (x) for the

statements which are false

1. The writer‘s family had stayed in a number of places throughoutthe peninsula ( )

2. The writer‘s father last career was a senior lecturer ( )



10

3. The writer‘s father was very close to his sons ( )

4. The writer was not very interested to be in the Malay College ( )

5. The writer was good in arithmetic ( )

6. The Malay College is the only well-known place in Kuala Kangsar ( )

Task 9 Answer the following questions in your own words.

1. When did the writer‘s family finally settle down?

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

2. How was the father-son relationship in the writer‘s family?

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

3. Why was the writer not keen in enrolling in the Malay College?

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

4. What was the response of the writer‘s father when he was successful in the

Malay College entrance exam?

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________



11

5. What was the main aim of the establishment of the Malay College by the

British in 1905?

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

Task 10 You may have some ideas after reading the above passage.

1. Relate your experience on your first day in primary or secondary school.

2. Describe any memorable happenings in your school or college life.

LANGUAGE FOCUS

TALKING ABOUT THE PRESENT

Simple Present Tense shows habitual action, a fact or general truth, a planned

action that will take place in the future and to show the time of action.

Usage Examples

1. To show a fact or general truth e.g. Penang is the `pearl of the orient‘UPSI is located in South Perak.

2. To show habitual action. e.g. Goh always plays tennis at UPSIcourt.Shima drives from Proton City toUPSI every day.

3. To show a planned action that willtake place in the future.

e.g. The plane takes off at 12 midnightfrom KLIA.The Kayak participants leave forUPM tomorrow.



12

4. To show an event that is likely tohappen in the future (Ìf‘ is used).

e.g. If he arrives, just let him into thehouse.The students will respect you if youdemonstrate some concern andkindness.

5. To show the time of action. Wordslike ùntil‘, às‘, às soon as‘ and`when‘ are used.

e.g. As soon as she locks the door, therobber grabs her.When he reaches his house, hegoes straight to bed.

Task 11 Change the forms of the verbs in brackets to the present tense.

1. She (sip) ___________ the hot tea slowly.

2. Her nephew (love) __________ to play squash and he (is) ________ the

state champion.

3. The vet (suggest) __________ that her dog be put to sleep.

4. He (inform) __________ his class of the concert tonight.

5. Ahmad (write) to his parents every week.

6. Mei Lee (sing) at the Charity Ball every year.

7. We (experience) longer days in the U.K. during summer.

8. Friends (support) one another in difficult and challenging times.

9. The university bus (depart) as early as 7 in the morning.

10. Vitamin C and Fish Oil (help) our bodies fight against influenza.

Task 12 Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the present tense.

Herman _________ 1 (love) to kayak. He ___________ 2 (dream) to be a

Malaysian cum an Olympic Kayak paddler one day. Realizing his passion, he



13

_________ 3 (join) the UPSI Canoe Club, under the guidance of the Sports

Science Faculty.

The Club members train at the Proton City Lake about 8 kilometres from

UPSI. Herman and five other peddlers normally _________ 4 (practise) from

5.00 pm. to 7.30pm everyday. He _______ 5 (join) his team to row the kayak

back and forth several times under the watchful eyes of the coach. When he

__________ 6 (finish) his training, he returns home and continues working on

his assignments like any ordinary university student. Herman _______ 7

(receive) his early training at Belaga, Sarawak where he rows sampan and

maneuvers motorboats. His effort __________ 8 (pay) off as he is now the

university Kayak peddler.

Herman and his team ___________ 9 (compete) in the Asian Varsity

Rowing Tournament in October. The UPSI Kayak peddlers _________ 10

(leave) for Putrajaya on 14 October 2008. They have made us proud winning

the gold medal a few months ago and we pray for their success in the up

coming tournament.

SIMPLE PAST TENSE

USAGE EXAMPLES

To express an action completed inthe past usually with a time frame

Salim played rugby when he was inschool.I saw this movie when I was 12 yearsold.



14

To show a past habit, usuallyaccompanied by adverbs like„always‟ , „often‟ , or „ „never‟

She always visited the old folks homewhen she was in town.My teacher often made it compulsoryfor us to write an essay every week.

To express a series of past actions He got into the car, started the engineand drove off in a hurry.

To express an unlikely situation in the‗if‘ clause of a conditional sentence

Father would be angry if I did not gethome by 11 pm

In indirect speech Direct: She said ― I want this book‖

Indirect: She said she wanted thatbook

In its passive form to indicate a pastaction was done to the subject andnot by the subject

I was asked to give a speech.The students were reminded to submitthe report before the deadline.

In English, the simple tenses are the present, past and future. The tenses show

the time when the action takes place. Verbs (‗doing‘ word) in sentences willindicate when the action has occurred.

Task 13 Tick the sentences in the simple past tense form only.

1. He eats rice for lunch and dinner. ( )

2. Dollah scored a goal for his team. ( )

3. She studied hard for the examinations. ( )

4. The police sent the prisoner to jail. ( )

5. Do you always go out at night? ( )

6. I watched a horror movie. ( )

7. The tiger killed and ate the deer. ( )



15

8. The river flows into the lake. ( )

9. They visit their aged parents on weekend. ( )

10. Bears love honey. ( )

Task 14 For each of the following sentences change of the verb in bracketinto the past tense form.

1. I (buy) _____________ a new car yesterday.

2. His uncle (arrive) _____________ from Johor Bahru last night.

3. The cat (catch) _____________ a rat in the drain.

4. She (walk) _____________ to her office this morning because of the jam.

5. The doctor (tell) _____________ me to take less sugar.

6. We (find) _____________ a strange- looking insect on our field trip.

7. The guest speaker (give) _____________ an interesting talk.

8. He (run) _____________as fast as he could when the dog chased him.

9. She (get) _____________ into trouble after complaining to the authorities.

10. He (is) _____________ a well-known rugby player in his younger days.

Task 15 Complete the passage below with the correct past tense form of theverbs in bracket.

Ismail (1)………….. (leave) in a hurry with Kandan. They (2)………… (be) on

their way to the house of the village headman, Haji Hamid, who

(3)……………(live) a quarter of a mile from the mosque. Ismail‘s neighbour,

Khalid (4) …………… (spot) the terrorists crossing the Langat river just before

sunset. There (5)…………. (be) seven of them, all in light green uniforms and (6)



16

..………….. (arm) with rifles. They (7) …………. (come) from the isolated Sungai

Long track and (8)……………..(approach) the village from Bukit Enggang.

The intrusion to Omar (9) ………… (be) frightening. He (10) ……….. (hear) from

uncle Ali that there were brutal killings in the district. The Communist terrorists

(11) ………… (ambush) and (12) …………. (kill) a Scottish planter in a rubber

estate near Semenyih in broad daylight. Two days later, they (13) …………..

(burn) down a bungalow in another isolated rubber estate, in full view of the

workers. Before the terrorists (14) …………. (set) the bungalow on fire, they (15)

…………..(shoot) dead the English planter and his wife.

Adapted from: Long Road to Merdeka by Kamarul Zaman Ariff (2007)

PRESENT PERFECT TENSE

USAGE EXAMPLES

To show actions at an unspecified timewith words like ‗before‘, ‗ever‘ or ‗finally‘

Bakri has never seen a tapir before.

Have you ever seen a ghost before?

To show a past action that hascontinued until NOW, with words like‗for‘, ‗since‘, ‗so far;, ‗up to the present‘

My mother has cared for me since Iwas born.

She hasn‟t settled the loan untiltoday.

To express an action that begins in thepast and finishes at the moment ofspeaking

I have not seen her for years untiltoday.

He has not spoken a word ofEnglish for years. (But he is speakingit now)



17

To show an action completed recentlywith the verb ‗just‘

The train has just left the station.

Alin has just finished cooking lunch.

Used with the phrase‘ the first time‘ This is the first time I have arrivedhere.

Is this the first time you have met myparents

The present perfect tense shows an action that started in the past and was

completed at an unspecified time or still continues into the present. It involves

two periods of time that is a ‗half present and half past‘ action.

Task 16 For each of the following sentences, change the present tense intothe present perfect form

Present Perfect

Example: He eats durians has eaten

1. Jenny and I drive to town

_________________________________________________________

2. The life guard watches the children in the pool _________________________________________________________

3. Our friends bought the final match tickets _________________________________________________________

4. Omar dreams of winning an award _________________________________________________________

5. Rodiah finishes her project _________________________________________________________

6. The worker gives his manager an answer _________________________________________________________

7. The baby catches cold _________________________________________________________



18

8. The mechanic repairs the car _________________________________________________________

9. I submit my assignment

_________________________________________________________

10. We take our meal _________________________________________________________

Task 17 For each of the sentences below, change the verbs in the brackets

into the present perfect form.

1. The workers …….. (have) just …………… (finish) the road repair work.

2. I ………….(have) already…………..(buy) the ticket for tonight‘s big match.

3. She ………..(have) ………….(live) here for thirty years.

4. The boys ………..(have) not ……………..(complete) their homework.

5. I ………(have) ……….( play) rugby since I was in secondary school.

6. The tutor …………(have) just ………….(give) us the assignment topic.

7. Nizar ………..(have) just …………..(report) for duty this morning.

8. We ………….(have) already …….. (see) that movie in 2001.

9. Kumar ………..(have)……….(leave) the office ten minutes ago.

10. Eliza is worried. Her boyfriend ……….(have) not ………(call) her or

........... (send) her any messages for the last few weeks.



19

WRITING

Are you ready to begin the writing process? Often, writers begin by doing some

Pre-writing activities. A pre-writing activity will help you find ideas to write what

you need to write about. A pre-writing activity is also a useful way to help you

organize your ideas in a logical order. Here are some suggestions.

TALK

Talk about what you want to write. Forexample, share your interests with agroup of students. Give reasons, listento your friend‘s reasons, exchangeviews and ask questions. Don‘t forgetto take note of the interesting thingsyou have discussed in your group.

FREE WRITING

Free writing involves writing about aparticular topic for a timed period. Forexample, writing about whatever thatcomes to your mind for ten minutesabout a particular topic. At the end often minutes, read what you havewritten and further develop your ideasfrom that point onwards.

BRAINSTORM

Brainstorming is a process where youlist down thoughts in words or phrasesthat come to your mind about aparticular topic. You can do this onyour own or in a group.

CLUSTERING

Another word that means the same asclustering is grouping. When youcluster or group certain words, phrasesor ideas together, you are actuallyorganizing and expanding yourthoughts. You will then form a diagramto show how each word, phrase or idealinks to one another.



20

Task 18 Now, let‘s start with some pre-writing exercises.

1. Share your thoughts on the things that you enjoy doing with a group of

students. Use the box below to take notes of some interesting thingsmentioned by others.

•

•

•

•

•

•

2. Write a paragraph on the topic below in not more than 10 minutes. Begin

now.

The most interesting thing that I have done in my life‘

………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………



21

3. Individually or in groups, list down as many words, phrases or ideas that

comes to your mind on the topic given below. Compare your list with

others.

‗Things that I wish to do in my lifetime‘

………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………

4. Use the diagram below to expand your ideas on ‗Interesting things peopledo‘.

Interesting things people do

Shop for antiques

Learn how to swim



22

Task 19 Before you write, take a look at the boxes below. Match the terms

in Box A with their definition in Box B. Then, check your answers.

Box A Box B

Topic •

Main idea •

Thesis statement •

Topic sentence •

Paragraph •

• A group of sentences about onemain idea

• A sentence that summarizeswhat an essay will be about

• A word or phrase that tells whata paragraph is about

• A word or phrase that tells whatan essay is about

• A sentence that includes themain idea of a paragraph

Let‘s find out if you have really understood the terms above by completing some

exercises. Use the terms above to fill in the boxes below. The first one has been

done for you.

0) Datuk Nicole David is my favourite squash player.

1) Topic sentence

1. Mountain climbing has captured the hearts ofmany people. Lately, young children have alsobeen introduced to mountain climbing activities

at camps. These young children are taught thebasics of mountain climbing and are givenproper training by qualified instructors. ____________________

2. It is easy to take up swimming for threereasons ____________________

3. Gardening can also help reduce stress. ____________________



23

4. Alternative Music ____________________

5.There are a few interesting activities that I doduring my free time.

____________________

Task 20 Now, the following exercises will help you narrow down your topic,

write a thesis statement, form topic sentences and finally, construct a paragraph.

STEP 1:

Narrow down your topic.

State three things that interest you in Column I. Then, add more information

related to the three things you enjoy in the Column II. Before you begin, check

out the example.

Column IThings that interest me

Column IIAdditional information

Example: Science Space, astronauts, exploration of planets



STEP 2:

Write a thesis statement.

Study information that you have stated in column I and II. Try and form a thesis

statement. Check out the example.Example:

Exploration of planets interests me for three main reasons.

Write your thesis statement:

________________________________________________________________

STEP 3:

Forming topic sentences.

Based on your thesis statement, form three topic sentences. Check out the

example.

Example:

Topic sentence 1: Firstly, I have always wondered about life beyond our

planet.

Write your topic sentences:

Topic sentence 1:

…………………………………………………………………………………………

Topic sentence 2:

…………………………………………………………………………………………

Tip:Use a sequence or logical connector to begin your topic sentence.

Documents

20110316160335fik 3042 English for Communication 2