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British Culture and Language Learning

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
54 views151 pages

British Culture and Language Learning

Uploaded by

macieljorgeomar8
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Instituto Superior “Josefina Contte” – Language IV– Profesorado de Inglés

Unit: Britain and Its people.

As a future teacher of the English language, you must have some information about the British culture. Please, follow the
link and watch and listen to the information about Great Britain / The United Kingdom.

Then, work in groups, complete the map and answer the questions below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eizhmb_tNSk

B) Listen and complete this box with information from the video:

Countries in the U.K.

Countries Capitals Characteristics they don’t share


C) Listen again and answer these questions reflecting in group.

1. What do we mean / involve when we say “Great Britain”, “The U.K.” and “The British Isles”?

2. What is The Brexit and why may it be wrongly stated?

3. What is the full form for the U.K.?

4. Explain what these terms mean / involve: Commonwealth – Commonwealth Realms – British Overseas Territories.

D) Read the text and do the exercises that follow:


It’s never too late to learn a new language
Level 3 l Advanced
1 Warmer
What is easy and what is difficult when learning a new language? Put these in order from 1 (easiest) to 6
(most difficult).

1. __________________________________ a. learning vocabulary


2. __________________________________ b. pronunciation
3. __________________________________ c. using grammatical structures correctly
4. __________________________________ d. understanding what people say
5. __________________________________ e. reading texts
6. __________________________________ f. holding a conversation

2 Key words
Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text.

constraints bilingual brainchild animated reservations


accessible irrelevant dementia stroke preconceptions

1. ____________________ is a serious illness affecting someone’s brain and memory in which they gradually
stop being able to think or behave in a normal way.
2. If you are ____________________, you are lively or active.
3. A ____________________ is a clever system, idea or plan that someone thinks of and develops.
4. If someone is ____________________, they can speak two languages extremely well.
5. A ____________________ is a medical condition in which blood is suddenly blocked and cannot reach
the brain.
6. ____________________ are feelings of doubt about whether something is good or right.
7. ____________________ are opinions about something that people form before they have a lot of information
about it or experience of it.
8. ____________________ are things that limit people’s freedom to do what they want.
9. If something is ____________________, it is easy for people to use.
10. If something is described as ____________________, it is not important to what you are discussing or doing.

3 Find the information


Find the following information in the text as quickly as possible.
1. Which four languages are offered in courses provided at care homes in Scotland?
2. Which other three languages are mentioned in the text?
3. In which Scottish city will a language hub open in 2018?
4. What is Thomas Bak’s profession?
5. When was Lingo Flamingo started?
6. How much does a Lingo Flamingo language course normally cost?
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NEWS LESSONS / It’s never too late to learn a new language / Advanced
CA O
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It’s never too late to learn a new language
Level 3 l Advanced
The care-home residents proving it’s 6 Even for people who aren’t bilingual, learning a
never too late to learn a new language language in later life has benefits, Bak says. He has
found improvements among older adults’ attention,
French and Italian classes are improving self-
verbal fluency and memory, regardless of IQ and
confidence and wellbeing, as well as cognition
often to a greater degree than younger learners.
– even for those with dementia
Language learning can also have an impact
Emma Sheppard relatively quickly – Bak found there was a marked
25 July, 2018 difference in concentration levels among participants
1 When a notice appeared advertising French classes after just one week of intensive learning.
in Dundonald House Care Home in Ayrshire, Mari 7 Bak believes it is never too late to learn a language.
Dougan was surprised her parents were interested “If anything, it becomes more important with age,”
in attending. Dougan’s mum, Patricia, has lived at he says, adding that what is particularly valuable
the home for two years and has had dementia for about language learning is the variety of tasks
the past nine, losing most of her speech. Despite involved. “You have to learn to distinguish different
this, the course was something she and her sounds. You have to learn new concepts that
husband, Eric, could do together and the whole might be very different from your mother tongue.
family has noticed a change in her. You have to learn grammar and how to use words
2 “I think Dad decided he’d take Mum purely for her in a conversation,” he says. In contrast, according
benefit,” says Dougan. “But he loved it just as much to Bak, doing a sudoku puzzle is like going
as she did. After they did the French course, they to the gym and spending all your time on a
did Italian. It became the highlight of their week. single machine.
Mum knows she’s there, she’s joining in and she’ll 8 Many care homes had reservations. One thought
pick up the pen and answer back the odd word – it would confuse the residents so much they’d
that’s huge. She’s much more animated since she’s become agitated and need sedating but that
been going to the classes.” hasn’t happened. Norval has also had to challenge
3 The language classes are the brainchild of preconceptions about learning languages, including
entrepreneur Robbie Norval, who started Lingo that it is hard or not something for working-
Flamingo in 2015 to provide lessons for older adults. class people. There are also budget constraints
The social enterprise employs 35 tutors who work in – it typically costs £400 for the whole course,
care homes and community centres across Scotland. regardless of the number of participants.
So far, it has worked with more than 800 people. 9 The course material has been designed to be
4 Courses in French, Italian, German and Spanish accessible, with textbooks printed in a larger font,
typically run in blocks of ten weeks for an hour a incorporating colours that those with dementia can
week. Norval says running the courses has not recognize and using sensory learning to include
always been easy. “When you initially tell people those who might be unable to speak. One group
you teach language learning in care homes, they writes postcards to a twinned care home in France
say, ‘Why on earth would you do that?’ Thankfully, and has held a lesson with local schoolchildren.
that opinion is changing.” 10 “Apart from the cognitive research, we’ve found it
5 Working with Thomas Bak, a psychologist from really increases wellbeing and self-confidence,”
Edinburgh University, has been key to building Norval says. “If an adult living with dementia can
credibility. Bak’s research into dementia over 20 learn a couple of words, they think to themselves,
years has found that people who are bilingual ‘Actually, I can learn new things.’ They don’t fear
develop the condition up to four years later than Alzheimer’s as much. They realize they’re not
those who are monolingual. There are also better forgetting everything, which is a really important
cognitive outcomes for people who have had a message as well.”
stroke. “The term used is ‘cognitive reserve’,” says 11 Norval has recently introduced a volunteer
Bak. This means that people who have a stroke befriending programme to pair linguists with those
are better able to cope. “If your brain is better with dementia who revert to their mother tongue
interconnected, better trained, you might still get (such as Urdu, Punjabi or Polish) and may be
dementia but you’ll cope with it a bit longer,” feeling isolated in a care home. He is also opening
he says. a language hub in Glasgow in 2018 with the
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NEWS LESSONS / It’s never too late to learn a new language / Advanced
CA O
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It’s never too late to learn a new language
Level 3 l Advanced
money raised from paying participants used to fund good to learn a new language and stimulate the
courses in care homes. brain but it’s also good to feel you belong and make
12 In Aberdeen, Sarah Duff, service manager at new friends and have fun.”
the Dementia Resource Centre, is arranging a 14 Dougan adds that the joy of the class for her
graduation party, complete with flamenco guitarist, parents has been that the dementia becomes
for participants finishing their first Spanish course. almost irrelevant. “Everyone is on a level
She was initially concerned that the teacher playing-field. Nobody is any better at speaking
wouldn’t be able to cater for different levels of the language than anybody else, whether you
dementia but says everyone has really enjoyed have dementia or not. For that period of time, the
the classes since they started in January, often dementia is not there.”
regardless of how much Spanish they’ve learned. © Guardian News and Media 2018
13 “It’s been such a great group,” she says. “It’s First published in The Guardian, 25/07/18
brought in people who didn’t attend other things.
When you’ve got a diagnosis like dementia, it’s

4 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. What benefits can learning a language in later life have?


a. It can improve a person’s IQ.
b. It can help people with dementia live up to four years longer.
c. It can improve verbal fluency and memory.

2. What, according to Thomas Bak, is particularly valuable about learning a language?


a. It includes a variety of tasks and this is good for the brain.
b. Language is logical and this is good for memory and understanding.
c. It is more effective than doing Sudoku puzzles.

3. How can learning a couple of words help someone with dementia?


a. It can stop them forgetting everything.
b. It can help them realize that they are not forgetting everything.
c. It can make them realize that learning a language isn’t hard.

4. How has Mari Dougan’s mother benefited from the language classes?
a. She has become bilingual in French.
b. She has become much more animated.
c. She has regained her speech.
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NEWS LESSONS / It’s never too late to learn a new language / Advanced
CA O
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It’s never too late to learn a new language
Level 3 l Advanced
5 Find the word
Find the following words and phrases in the text.
1. a two-word phrasal verb meaning do an activity with people who are already doing it (para 2)
2. a noun meaning the qualities that someone or something has that makes people believe or trust them (para 5)
3. a noun meaning the possible or likely result of something (para 5)
4. a noun meaning an effect or an influence (para 6)
5. a verb meaning give someone a drug that makes them calmer (para 8)
6. a two-word phrasal verb meaning return to a previous state or way of behaving (para 11)
7. a two-word phrasal verb meaning provide people with things they want or need (para 12)
8. a three-word noun phrase meaning a situation that is fair or the same for all the people involved (para 14)

6 Verb + noun collocations


Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns or noun phrases in the right-hand column.

1. run a. preconceptions
2. develop b. an impact
3. have c. self-confidence
4. challenge d. a course
5. increase e. money
6. raise f. a condition

7 Word-building
Complete the sentences using the correct form of the word in brackets at the end of each sentence.

1. Each course costs £400, __________________ of the number of participants. [REGARD]


2. Learning a language can improve verbal __________________. [FLUENT]
3. __________________, the idea that teaching a language in a care home is strange is changing. [THANK]
4. Language learning can have an effect __________________ quickly. [RELATE]
5. Course material includes __________________ learning to involve people who might be unable to speak.
[SENSE]
6. In a volunteer programme, linguists will __________________ dementia sufferers who revert to their mother
tongue. [FRIEND]

8 Discussion
Discuss the statements.
• It’s never too late to learn a language.
• The older you get, the more difficult language learning becomes.
• Learning a language opens a door to the world.
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NEWS LESSONS / It’s never too late to learn a new language / Advanced
CA O
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Instituto Superior “Josefina Contte” – Language IV– Profesorado de Inglés

“Reasons to learn new languages”

You will watch a TV report about the Lingo Flamingo project mentioned in the text “It's never too late to learn a new
language”

Before watching make a list of activities that residents in care homes can learn to stimulate self-confidence, wellbeing,
and cognition.

While watching the TV News Report at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HXM40BDnP4&list=WL&index=30 state


the objectives of the Lingo Flamingo Project in care homes.

Watch the report once again. Write a summary about the benefits of this project on residents, including those which you
consider elderly people take advantages from.

After watching the report, think of the following questions and exchange ideas in the forum.

Do you consider it is worthy that elderly people learn new languages? Or do you think it is a waste of time?

Have you ever had the opportunity of, or thought on, teaching seniors English or any other languages? How do you think
they learn differently from children/adolescents? What methods/techniques would you apply to teach them the target
language?

Now, let's focus on the reasons to learn new languages.

Before watching John McWhorter's TED talk, express the reason/s that led you to learn a second language.

While watching McWhorter's lecture at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQRjouwKDlU&list=WL&index=27&t=0s


state the 4 reasons he describes to learn languages and provide a brief explanation of each one.

Watch the lecture once again and find words or phrases to complete the following sentences.

1- Right now, English is the language of ____ ___________, _______________, __________ _____ _________,
_________ ________, and ______________, among others.
2- There are about 24 Universities in China teaching all in English. The language is _________ ________.
3- The idea that a language channels your thoughts is marvellously ______________, but it's kind of __________.
4- You have to control the language that the culture happens to be conducted in if you want to ____________ the
culture.
5- Bilingualism is healthy because dementia is less likely to set in and makes you a better _________________.
6- Learning to speak Cambodian is like having 30 different vowels _____________ and ______________ around
the mouth like bees in a hive.
7- 20 years ago, thinking on the idea of having any language available in your pocket would have sound like
___________ ___________.

After watching McWhorter's lecture, answer the following questions.


1- What is the consensual idea about languages as regards thoughts?
2- What do you have to do if you want to assimilate the culture of the target language?
3- What disease can bilingualism help to delay?
4- What makes learning languages fun? Provide some examples.
5- Which were the resources people used to have to learn a new language? Is there any different
technique/device that helps us now?
British Council
Mixed ability classes https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/blogs/ninamk/mixed-ability-classes

All of us teach mixed ability/multiple level classes.

All of us teach mixed ability/multiple level classes. It is perhaps a natural side-effect of the historically recent
compulsory education: (1) …………………………………………………………………………..
While the curriculum is oriented towards a non-existent “average” student, who is expected to absorb a lot of
knowledge in a large variety of subjects during the requisite decade of studying, the real-life children differ greatly.
(2) ………………………………………………………………………….. Their health, their stamina, their families and social milieu
represent the society as a whole. In one class, we may have an assortment of polar opposites! Here is a novel aspect,
a topic for discussion. We went through the same system. Let us remember our own school years. Were we
excellent, straight-A students? Did we find ALL the subjects equally fascinating and manageable? Did we like ALL our
teachers? Were they able and willing to satisfy our thirst for new knowledge? Did we have that shattering
experience, when we suddenly discovered that our teachers made mistakes? Since we are all EL teachers here, does
this necessarily mean that we struggled with, say, mathematics and science? What were our own final grades?
Straight A’s, or top marks in English and literature, but good or satisfactory ones for the other subjects? Or maybe
we got “Satisfactory” in all the subjects. (3) …………………………………………………………………………. In a way, we have to
deal with our own younger selves.
* (4) ………………………………………………………………………….. How does a young, beginner teacher identify them? They may
perform all the tasks in half the allotted time. If they cannot attract our attention, they become bored. They may
also keep quiet because their peers make fun of them. Why exactly? Have you often seen those who lag behind
congratulate the smartest children and offer words of praise and encouragement? A bored child may misbehave and
even become disruptive in the classroom; sometimes, like Hermione Granger, they may be the very first ones to
raise their hands up and try to answer all our questions ahead of the class. While we may wish to hold an intelligent
conversation with the most gifted student in our room, we must involve the whole group in every activity. (5)
………………………………………………………………………….. Once your best pupil is done with all the exercises, quietly give
them a card with the new task, or have them work on an on-going project. With one very talented and extremely
active girl, I had a short conversation after the lessons. We agreed that she would contain her enthusiasm and
impatience, and do some research while the rest of the group would finish their work. I gave her a plan for the term.
When somebody asked why she could use the internet while everybody else was busily plodding along with pens
and exercise books, I said mildly that anybody could do the same if they achieved her speed – and her marks. (6)
………………………………………………………………………….. Some of them tried to emulate her, with good results.
* The weaker students are generally easier to see. First of all, there is the tell-tale behaviour, they tend to try and
hide behind their classmates, and they practically never raise their hands. (7)
………………………………………………………………………….. If we know that while the rest of the class will manage to perform
all the tasks in a test, the weaker ones will struggle simply because they are afraid of the amount, of what they see
as an insurmountable huge number of items. We may mark those items which are a must for them, and tell them
that the others are just revision, repetition, and thus are not so important. (8)
………………………………………………………………………….. Some children freeze if called to come out to the board, because
they are used to getting sneers and jeers at every lesson. We may begin by letting them reply from their safe place,
their own desk, and gradually move on to other forms of answers.
* The average students, or the majority of a class, are the ones at whom the whole curriculum is oriented. We
should always see them, too. If they find any topic too difficult, we may find a different approach to its presentation.
(9) ………………………………………………………………………….. It pays to use several activities which are liked by multiple
levels, be it a daily or weekly warmer, an international project, or a school festival. I once had a whole class of
teenagers who loved reading aloud. It seemed to me at times that their parents had never read to them. They would
rush into my classroom, open their books and look at me with shining eyes. (10)
………………………………………………………………………….. Thus we attacked any grammar theme, any new text, any exercise.
Bottom line is, whatever works goes.

 Fill in the missing utterances.

a- The stronger students present quite a challenge to any teacher.


b- No two pupils are alike. They have various temperaments, inclinations, interests and abilities.
c- If a topic seems too easy or boring, we may think of how to make it more attractive.
d- The challenge usually works well among children.
e- in many countries, parents are required by law to send their children to school between the ages of 5-6 and
16-17.
f- A good way to encourage them is to set some limits.
g- This means, in effect, that we teachers are also a mixed-ability bunch of people.
h- So we chain-read on a weekly basis, a sentence per student.
i- One way to help both the young talents and the rest of the students is to have some extra tasks ready.
j- This immediately reduces the pressure, and they may actually manage to do quite a lot.

 Write a short “why to read this article” note for the rest of the group. Be clear as regards the main
information that readers should encounter in the article.
British Council
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/blogs/rachael-harris/all-elt-teachers-are-teachers-inclusive-practices
All ELT teachers are teachers of Inclusive Practices

Just as “every teacher is a teacher of SEN (Special Educational Needs)” according to the new code of practice, it
seems to me that every ELT teacher is an Inclusive Practices (IP) teacher.

It’s probably to do with having mixed level classes; any language teacher knows that by definition every group class
is heterogeneous, different learners find different aspects of language learning more or less challenging, be it
comprehension, writing, etc.

Let’s look at the following tenets of IP:

1. Overlearning. ……….
2. Instructions. ……….
3. Modelling activities. ……….
4. Use examples. ……….
5. Varied activities. ……….
6. Vary production and assessment methods. ……….
7. Avoid excessive writing and board-copying. ……….
8. Use Word Lists. ……….
9. Structure and Routine. ……….
10. Involve the Students in the learning process. ……….

I think it’s fair to say that with a little forethought, every ELT teacher can easily practice inclusivity in their lessons,
although there is always more that we can be doing to ensure every student is sufficiently supported and challenged
in our classrooms, and I’ll be looking at some tweaks and tips in my next blogpost.

References:
New Code of Practice : 0 to 25 years Sep 2014 Department of
Education https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25

 Match the tenets with their descriptions.

a- Students with learning difficulties will appreciate clear modeling of activities so they know what is expected
of them – CELTA lesson 2 I believe!
b- Some students will find it challenging to copy long texts from the board – especially in a foreign language, it’s
boring too.
c- Students with learning difficulties will need to ‘meet’ new items many times over a period of time- as if our
language learners ever ‘got’ the past tense first (or fiftieth) time round.
d- Although tips can be useful, each SEN learner is different, so ask them how they learn and what works for
them or doesn’t – This final point brings us back to the introduction, ALL learners are different and getting
them involved in their learning process not only produces more favourable outcomes, it is also more
motivating and empowering.
e- Some students with learning difficulties will find it difficult to write long essays or remember long texts -it’s
just as common to have students produce a podcast instead of a written text, perhaps more so.
f- Students with learning difficulties will need instructions to be clear, simple, one step at a time – I think this
was my first ever CELTA class.
g- Students with learning difficulties will appreciate different ways of receiving information – when was the last
time you just ‘did’ writing for one hour? Or reading or listening in fact? One of the main advantages of the
four skills is that there are four of them.
h- Some students with learning difficulties will work better with lists of frequently used words easily available –
ooh, look at those lovely posters of labeled body parts and frequently used verbs that are on the walls of my
classroom!
i- It is far better to give Students examples than complex explanations – lesson 3 I imagine, and we could go
on!
j- Students with learning difficulties are more comfortable when they know what is happening and what is
going to happen next – don’t we all? Most learners will want to know what’s going on, especially when they
don’t necessarily understand everything the teacher is saying.

 Write a short “why to read this article” note for the rest of the group. Be clear as regards the main
information that readers should encounter in the article.
British Council
Difficult students https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/blogs/ninamk/difficult-students

(1)……………………………………………………… . According to statistics, at least 15% of school children have some problems,
both psychological and physical ones. It means that in every class of 25, we have 3-4 problem students. (2)
……………………………………………………………; students often copy their teachers’ behaviour. J.K. Rowling brilliantly
showed it with Harry Potter and Dumbledore on the one hand, and Draco Malfoy and Severus Snape on the other
hand. She has also taught us that things are often not what they seem: human beings are more complex. Opposites
attract; they also vie with each other, often in the same person. Good versus evil, stupidity versus intellect, bravery
versus cowardice, nimbleness versus clumsiness…

Let us look at various cases and see what can be done about them.

• Some children and adults are slower than others. One student seems to understand any new topic practically
before we finish the explanation; another needs help again and again. It does not mean that one of them can
achieve success and the other cannot. (3) ……………………………………………………………, that is have enough tasks to
occupy the fast learner, and patiently let the slower one catch up. If we are Dumbledores or McGonagals so to
speak, (4) ……………………………………………………………, and watch it that the other students do not make fun of them or
bully them. It helps if we find the time to learn about our students’ interests. Any difficult topic becomes much
easier if we offer exercises connected to their interests. For example, when teaching a group of adult American
students Russian, I would bring in different texts for everybody to translate. Thus we would listen to reports on jet
propellers, pediatrics and bee behaviour in one lesson. It was beneficial for everybody including myself.

• Sometimes students are disruptive because they are bored, which refers both to very talented ones and to the
slow ones. Albert Einstein is one of my favourite examples. He was expelled from various schools and pronounced
unfit for studies, yet his parents persevered, finding various schools which agreed to accept him. Once he became a
college student, it was clear that his “slowness” and “tardiness” stemmed from his being really, really talented in just
one field, hence being really, really bored at all the other lessons. (5) ……………………………………………………………, you
may be faced with a new Einstein!

• Physically challenged students, be it a disease, or simply a lack of growth, or what they see as ugliness, need our
help and encouragement. Again, there are no rules. I had two very short boys in two classes; they simply would not
grow. (6) ……………………………………………………………, and a brilliant student; the other took his lack of stature as a
personal insult from life, and tried to act out at every lesson. I talked to him in private, and cited several examples of
people I knew who either grew up much later in life, or remained short but achieved great success. It helped. My
grandmother used to say, “You cannot saw off an inch and you cannot glue on an inch to yourself.” I shared it with
many of my students.

• (7) ……………………………………………………………, there are plenty of people with psychological problems, and serious
deviations from what is considered socially accepted behaviour. We are teachers, not psychologists, so it may take a
while to realize what the problem is. A child may seem too boisterous or too emotional until a situation occurs which
makes it clear that something is seriously wrong with them. And even when we are aware of an existing problem, we
cannot always eliminate it. Let us look at some real-life experiences. A new boy appeared in my child’s first grade.
The headmaster explained to us parents that he had serious psychological problems, and as the doctors deemed it
advisable for him to spend some time among normal children, he would attend a few lessons a week, with his
mother always present in the classroom. He behaved normally until the moment his mother stepped out for a
minute; then he immediately threw himself on the floor, yelling and thrashing his limbs. (8)
……………………………………………………………, all the children were traumatized, and reported the incident to us. We went
to the headmaster, and learned that (9) …………………………………………………………… . I am not sure that it was beneficial
for the boy, though he clearly enjoyed the attention; it was definitely not good for our children. We sympathized
with the boy’s parents, yet we worried about our kids. So we arranged a rotation, with one parent staying in the
classroom whenever the boy came to school. It worked until the time when the doctors and the disctrict educational
authorities decided he had to be transferred to a specialized school. That was a good lesson for me as parent and
teacher. When I came across another such case later, I recognized what I was seeing, and immediately tried to get
help. While the child’s parents were in complete denial and the school preferred a cover-up, the other parents in
that class worked with me to get help for the child in question, and to safeguard the other children.

What can be done if we encounter an adult student who is clearly disruptive, or maybe even psychotic? Quite often,
they are also very talented, and have no trouble fulfilling all the tasks in the curriculum. There is an old saying: (10)
…………………………………………………………… . Meaning, seek help. Ask other teachers, consult specialists, go to the school
administration. What works with a slow student or a genius will not work with a psychologically unstable person. We
should be aware of that.

 The following sayings/proverbs and fixed expressions have been removed from the text. Decide upon the
meaning of the underlined bits. Then place the expressions in the correct gap.

Sayings/proverbs and fixed expressions from the text Meaning/usage

a- One was the heart and soul of every event Used when you mention the final person or thing in
a list, in order to say that they are equally important
b- we were locked in an impossible situation The essence and core
called “Doctor’s orders”

c- if you smell sulfur, call a priest; do not wait for


Said to emphasize that people have
the devil to appear different characters, opinions, and abilities, and that
you should accept this
d- Look carefully before forming a judgment on Ask for help
any student

e- Children are their parents’ mirrors, as well as Come to a conclusion/decision


our own

f- Needless to say Laugh at and criticize sb

g- Last but not least To feel stuck and with no choices or solutions

h- It takes all kinds to make the world. As you would expect; added to, or used to introduce,
a remark giving information that is expected and
not surprising
i- What we need to do in such cases is probably Children reflect parental behavior.
go with the flow

j- we will not jeer and sneer at those who lag Be relaxed and accept a situation, rather than trying to
behind alter or control it.

 Write a short “why to read this article” note for the rest of the group. Be clear as regards the main
information that readers should encounter in the article.
Instituto Superior “Josefina Contte” – Language IV– Profesorado de Inglés

This time we will introduce a topic a teacher will have to deal with in the heterogeneous class: DYSLEXIA

1. Follow this link to answer the following questions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11r7CFlK2sc

1. What does dyslexia affect?


2. What may dyslexic people find particularly difficult?
a. …………………………………………………………………………
b. ………………………………………………………………………..
c. …………………………………………………………………………
d. ……………………………………………………………………….
e. ……………………………………………………………………….
f. ……………………………………………………………………….
g. ………………………………………………………………………
h. ………………………………………………………………………
3. What feelings may arise in dyslexic people when they realize they can’t cope with the surrounding? What do dyslexics
generally do with their problem?
4. What may a person with dyslexia be good at:
a. …………………………………………………………………………….
b. …………………………………………………………………………….
c. …………………………………………………………………………….
d. …………………………………………………………………………….
e. …………………………………………………………………………….
f. …………………………………………………………………………….
5. Complete:
Inventing, …………………………………….., painting, and …………………………………….things; seeing the bigger
………………………………………….. Dyslexic people can do a lot of things, they just
might…………………………………………………………to how others would. Many have become famous for it.

After listening, find out what famous people were dyslexics: (apart from your teacher)

2. Read the paper in relation to this topic I share as a file and prepare a summary of it.
Instituto Superior “Josefina Contte” – Language IV– Profesorado de Inglés

Dyslexia involves difficulty reading due to problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words
(decoding). It affects areas of the brain that process language and that’s why it is so important for a future teacher to know a little bit
about it.
What are the types of dyslexia?
 Phonological Dyslexia.
 Rapid Naming Dyslexia.
 Double Deficit Dyslexia.
 Surface Dyslexia.
 Visual Dyslexia.
 Developmental Dyslexia.
 Acquired Dyslexia.
Dyslexia in Schools: Understanding and Teaching Students with Dyslexia

Now more than ever before, literacy is an essential skill for functioning in our society. From computer screens to road signs, from
restaurant menus to text messages, the ability to read affects nearly every aspect of our lives. Unfortunately, about 40% of all adults in
the United States lack the reading skills needed to thrive at work and at home.[1]

One of the most common reading disorders is dyslexia, which affects roughly one in five students.[2] Odds are, you’ll have at least one
or two students in your class who struggle with this disorder each year. Since students with dyslexia develop better reading skills if they’re
provided treatment early on, learning how to recognize dyslexia symptoms and support these students can have a lasting impact.

Understanding what the definition of dyslexia is and is not can help educators best meet their students’ needs. According to the
International Dyslexia Association, the definition of dyslexia is a learning disability that causes problems with phonological awareness,
spelling, and word recognition.[3] While the medical field uses the term “dyslexia,” some educators prefer to call it specific reading
disability to avoid labels.[4] This is because in the educational field, there are a lot of misconceptions surrounding dyslexia.

For example, many teachers assume that dyslexia is a visual processing disorder. Despite popular belief, however, dyslexia is actually
a language-based learning disability.[5] This means that dyslexia isn’t a problem with a student’s eyes–their brains have trouble
connecting print letters to sounds. This is why when a child is diagnosed with dyslexia, we send them to a reading specialist rather than
an optometrist.

Dyslexia symptoms can vary from student to student–some might see words as warped or jumbled up while others might not be able to
tell the difference between similar looking letters. Of all forms of dyslexia, English is a particularly different language for these students
to learn to read in–regardless of native tongue–because the relationship between sounds and letters isn’t always predictable.[6] For this
reason, students learning to read in English may feel even more frustrated than those learning literacy in other languages.

Like many learning disorders, dyslexia isn’t usually caused by one specific thing but a variety of complex factors.[7] The more educators
study dyslexia, the more they’ve realized just how complicated developing the disorder is. While these factors are still being researched,
experts have narrowed down a few key areas.

Is dyslexia genetic or hereditary? It seems that dyslexia can be hereditary, but the exact relationship between this reading disorder and
our genes isn’t yet clear.[8] Because dyslexia can run in families, clinicians often ask if any relatives have been diagnosed with dyslexia
when they’re evaluating a student. But as for a specific gene or set of genes, researchers have not yet pinpointed a cause. And because
many students diagnosed with dyslexia don’t have a family history of it, the connection between genetics and reading difficulties is even
less clear.

There also appears to be a connection between dyslexia and neuroscience. Researchers have found that students with dyslexia have
lower levels of activation in the parts of the brain associated with reading.[9] What this suggests, however, isn’t that these students don’t
try hard enough but that the brain functions that contribute to literacy might be underdeveloped. Their brains might try to compensate by
using different areas to read but are unable to decode letters in quite the same way.[10]

What researchers know for certain is that dyslexia develops early in a child’s life. Early signs of reading disorders can occur as early as
2 ½ years old.[11] In PreK, children with dyslexia often already have difficulties with letter-sound recognition, phonemic awareness, and
vocabulary.[12] Those who study the causes of learning disabilities also believe that dyslexia is chronic, not temporary. This means that
while treatment can help these students turn their weaknesses into strengths, the symptoms they experience don’t always go away.[13]

Is dyslexia a learning disability that limits a student’s potential? While dyslexia is considered a reading disorder, it in no way determines
a student’s IQ or academic ability.[14] Students with dyslexia do have different needs than other students when learning to read, and
they may have distinct strengths or weaknesses. But these students are just as capable of not only reading but achieving just as much
as their peers.

In fact, plenty of people diagnosed with dyslexia have been able to lead fulfilling and successful lives. A few famous people with dyslexia
include:[15]

 Scientists: Albert Einstein, Elizabeth Blackburn, Ann Bancroft


 Artists: Walt Disney, Sally Gardner, Ansel Adams
 Writers: Hans Christian Andersen, Agatha Christie, F. Scott Fitzgerald
 Actors: Whoopi Goldberg, Keira Knightley, Robin Williams
 Entrepreneurs: Steve Jobs, Henry Ford, Tommy Hilfiger
Does anything surprise you about this list? Maybe you weren’t expecting notable writers to have been diagnosed with a reading disorder.
Or maybe you didn’t think that Albert Einstein, who many believe to be the smartest person who ever lived, would make the list of famous
people with dyslexia. Dyslexia doesn’t prevent a student from achieving their dreams and making a difference in the world. As educators,
having a positive mindset about how to teach these students can help prepare them for academic success.

But that being said, if dyslexia significantly impairs a student’s literacy acquisition, dyslexia is considered a learning disability under the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA).[16] This means that your student could be eligible for accommodations
through a school’s specialists or accessibility centers. If you have a student with dyslexia in your class, talk with your colleagues or
administrators about dyslexia accommodations.

Dyslexia symptoms in children can vary in severity depending on the person, so no two students’ needs are alike.[17] Like many learning
disorders, the characteristics of dyslexia exist on a spectrum. But while every child is different, there are some common traits you can
look for to spot dyslexia in the classroom.

What are the symptoms of dyslexia? Although only a professional can officially diagnose a child with a reading disorder, here are a few
symptoms of dyslexia to watch for:

 Cannot read sentences smoothly–may skip or swap out unfamiliar words [18]
 Does not associate print letters with sounds [19]
 Uncomfortable reading words sentences out loud [20]
 Confuses letters that look similar (e.g. “d” and “b”) [21]
 Reading ability does not match their overall intelligence [22]

Students with dyslexia are also more likely to have trouble focusing in class because reading is more difficult for them.[8] For this reason,
some children who have dyslexia are misdiagnosed as having attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Although students can
have both ADHD and dyslexia, these two disorders benefit from distinct treatments. If you notice that a student has trouble paying
attention in class, try referring them to a specialist for a proper diagnosis.

Because dyslexia can be hereditary, it could help to ask a child’s parents if they or any of their relatives have received a diagnosis.[23]
If their student displays any warning signs of dyslexia, they could be more prepared to offer support. Even if dyslexia doesn’t run in a
child’s family, however, discussing the possibility with their parents may encourage them to seek an official diagnosis. The sooner a child
receives help, the faster they’ll be able to catch up with their peers.[24]

Many teachers feel that while they know how to teach early reading skills, they don’t know how to best reach children with dyslexia.[25]
But luckily, with the right learning strategies for students with dyslexia, you can help every child in your classroom thrive and develop
strong reading skills.

Use these five activities, teaching strategies, and accommodations for dyslexia to help struggling students learn to read:

 Try engaging all of the student’s senses when teaching them to read, like giving them magnet letters to put together
words. Multisensory activities are shown to significantly help students with dyslexia develop literacy [26]
 Help students with dyslexia access resources like audiobooks, dictation programs, or spell-checking software [27]
 Encouragement can help students who have dyslexia find the confidence they need to succeed in school. Give your students
praise when they master a challenging skill and celebrate milestones they reach along the path to literacy
 Set mutually agreed-upon reading goals with children diagnosed with dyslexia to promote student engagement [28]
 Some students with reading difficulties may need extra help outside of the classroom. Refer students to remediation or learning
disorder specialists, if needed [29]

Answer these questions after reading the text:

1. what does dyslexia mean and how does it affect learning?


2. what are the factors that cause dyslexia in children?
3. is dyslexia a disability or a disorder? explain
4. how could a teacher recognize early signs of dyslexia in children?
5. is dyslexia hereditary? why is it important to know this?
Sources:
Thomson, J. Good Practice in interventions for teaching dyslexic learners and in teacher training in English ‐speaking countries. Harvard
Graduate School of Education, July 2010, pp. 1-13.[1]

Washburn, E.K., Joshi, R.M., and Binks-Cantrell, E.S. Teacher knowledge of basic language concepts and dyslexia. Dyslexia: An
International Journal of Research and Practice, May 2011, 17(2), pp. 165-83.[2]

International Dyslexia Association. IDA Dyslexia Handbook: What Every Family Should Know. Retrieved from readingrockets.org:
http://www.readingrockets.org/sites/default/files/IDA%20Dyslexia%20Handbook.pdf.[3]
Rewrite the sentences, making them more emphatic.

1. I was most unhappy with the service.


- What………………………………………………………………(to be unhappy with)
2. I can’t stand the noise.
- It’s……………………………………………………………………. (the noise)
3. John didn’t pay for the wedding ring, Sarah did.
- It………………………………………………………………… ……. (Jonh)
- It………………………………………………………………… ……. (Sarah)
4. He’s always late. It really annoys me.
- What…………………………………………………………………. (to annoy)
5. Did you choose the furniture?
- Was………………………………………………………………...…. (you)
6. The waiter’a attitude made things worse.
- It…………………………………………………………………...…. (waiter’s attitude)
7. I love autumn because of the colour of the leaves.
- What…………………………………………………………………. (autumn)
8. Her terrible accent annoyed me most.
- What…………………………………………….………………….…. (to annoy)
9. I bought it because it was a bargain.
- It was…………………………………………………………………. (to be a bargain)
10. In the end Martha went to the police.
- What……………………………………………………………………(go to the police)
 “Cleft”  divided
CLEFT SENTENCES  Use:
- To give extra emphasis
- To give explanations
- To make a contrast

IT cleft sentences
It + a form of be (+not and /or adverb) + emphasised word/phrase

 Use Cleft sentences to emphasise:
+ that – which – who clause

Example: 1. The subject


2. The object
It isn´t just her beauty that attracts me.
3. The adverbial
4. Prepositional phrase
Normal sentence:  Emphasing the subject

Susan gave John some money yesterday. It was Susan who gave John some money yesterday.

 Emphasising the object  Emphasising the adverbial

It was John (that) Susan gave some money yesterday. It was yesterday (that) Susan gave John some money.
Wh- Cleft Sentence
 Informally  Use:
Highlight the action in a sentence.
Can use:
 When / where Form:
Wh- clause + a form of be + bare infinitive.
Can´t use: The Wh- clause contains a form of do.
 How / why

Example:  Highlighted verb in Continuous

What Susan did was give John some money yesterday. What Susan is doing is giving John some money.

 Highlighted verb in Perfect

What Susan has done is given John some money.


Types of Inversions

 Under no circumstances will I wash the dishes today.


FRONTING
 At the end of the corridor lives the old woman.

 More cosmopolitan New York could be but more


beautiful it isn’t.

 Normal sentence:

 To make a contrast with sth. In the She may be friendly but she isn´t reliable.
previous statement.
 Fronting the object:
 Move objects and complements to the
beginning of the sentence. Friendly she may be, but reliable she isn´t.
 Normal sentence: Elements that are fronted
include
I disagree with that.  Prepositional phrases

 Fronting At the back of the room stood a few


couples chatting

That I disagree with.


Normal sentence order:
A few couples stood at the back of the room
chatting.

 Comparative adjectives  Objects

The salmon was good, but even He bought some whisky and a
better was the dessert that followed it. beer. Whisky he downed immediately.

Normal sentence order: Normal sentence order:


The dessert that followed it was even better. He downed some whisky immediately.
Fronting and inversion
 The two first examples include subject-
 Noun clauses verb inversion.
(wh-clauses, that clauses, infinitive clauses)  The second two don't.
 so we can divide fronting into those forms
That she had been swimming was obvious. where inversion is usual, and those where
there is no inversion.
Normal sentence order: Beside the bed stood a small table.
It was obvious that she had been swimming. Bigger they may be, but are they better?

Advanced Learners’ Grammar – Unit 34 –


page 322.
Exercise 3 – page 325
Instituto Superior “Josefina Contte” – Language III– Tecnicatura Superior en Traducción de Inglés

FRONTING
The basics
Fronting means putting at the beginning of the sentence something that usually comes later. This is usually done for emphasis or
special effect, or sometimes to link to something that has gone before. Elements that are fronted include:
 Prepositional phrases
At the back of the room stood a few couples, chatting
Normal sentence order: A few couples stood at the back of the room chatting.
 Comparative adjectives
The salmon was good, but even better was the dessert that followed it.
Normal sentence order: The dessert that followed it was even better.
 Objects
He bought a whisky and a beer. The whisky he downed immediately.
Normal sentence order: He downed the whisky immediately.
 Noun clauses (wh-clauses, that clauses,infinitive clauses)
That she had been swimming was obvious.
Normal sentence order: It was obvious that she had been swimming.

There are quite a few other elements that can also be fronted, as we shall see in the following exercises.

Fronting and inversion


Those first two examples include subject-verb inversion, whereas the second two don't, so we can divide fronting into those forms
where inversion is usual, and those where there is no inversion.

Common examples of fronting with here, there, up, down etc


Fronting with here and there is often used in an informal style. Fronting with simple adverbs like up, down, off and away is especially
used when talking to children.
Fronting with simple adverbs is also used in songs and nursery rhymes. Here's a verse from the famous Australian traditional
song Waltzing Matilda:
Down came a jumbuck to drink at that billabong.
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee.
And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag:
"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me."

Fronting combined with subject-verb inversion


More common forms of fronting with subject-verb inversion include:
 Fronting adverbial expressions of place, direction and time
 Comparing with what's gone before - adjectives
 Fronting participles
 Fronting subject complements - noun phrases
Fronting adverbial expressions of place, direction and time
You could perhaps try the exercise, using your intuition, before you look at the principles. Or you may prefer to look at the principles
first - Show the principles
Fronting other adverbial expressions
We can also front other adverbials expressions, especially of time and sequence, with be or verbs of place or movement
(especially come). Again, inversion is often used with nouns, but not with pronouns. Expressions include:
 first, then, next, after that, finally
Comparing, contrasting and highlighting with adjectives
Comparatives and superlatives, together with other forms of comparison with adjectives, are sometimes fronted before the verb be,
often to link with something said before:
 Even more surprising is his attitude to women.
 Best of all was the trip round the lake.
 Particularly recommended are the seafood dishes.
 Just as surprising was his reaction.
 Well worth a trip are the nearby mountains.
Fronting participle clauses
We can sometimes front a verb phrase by turning it into a participle and adding the verb be, with the original subject coming after be.
This often happens with prepositional phrases of place and movement. It is often used to set the scene in narratives, so be is usually in
past simple.
 Active verbs: -ing forms
An old man lay in the doorway.
Lying in the doorway was an old man.
 Passive verbs: -ed forms
A large car was parked in the driveway.
Parked in the driveway was a large car.
 Notice what happens to past perfect passive forms:
A heavy chain had been hung across the gateway.
Hung across the gateway was a heavy chain.
Fronting with inversión of verb and subject
We've already seen how some adjective phrases that normally follow be, especially comparatives and superlatives, can be fronted. We
can do the same with some noun phrases and adverbial expressions. Notice what happens to words like also:
 The end of the eighteenth century was a period of great turmoil in Europe.
A period of great turmoil in Europe was the end of the eighteenth century.
 His latest novel is in the running for the Booker Prize.
In the running for the Booker Prize is his latest novel.
 The council's cycle path programme is also under threat.
Also under threat is the council's cycle path programme.
Fronting without inversion
 Fronting objects, wh-clauses and infinitives of purpose
 Fronting noun clauses
 Fronting adjectives (and adverbs) in concession clauses etc
Fronting objects etc
For emphatic effect, we sometimes front objects, wh-clauses functioning as objects or similar, and infinitives of purpose:
 She was wearing glves and a scarf. She had bought the scarf in the sales.
... The scarf she had bought in the sales.
 I don't know what he wants to do with his life.
What he wants to do with his life I don't know
 He wants to move to a larger firm to gain more experience.
To gain more experience he wants to move to a larger firm.
Fronting noun clauses
Noun clauses - for example that clauses and to-infinitive clauses usually follow introductory it, as do some wh- clauses. These are
sometimes inverted for emphasis (dropping it), especially when there's an element of surprise, disbelief or mystery:
 It's rather surprising that he didn't know about the meeting.
That he didn't know about the meeting is rather surprising.
 It's always been our mission to put a man on Mars.
To put a man on Mars has always been our ambition.
 It's amazing how she always gets it absolutely right.
How she always gets it absolutely right is amazing.
Fronting with concession and contrast
We can sometimes front an adjective (or adjective phrase) or adverb in concession clauses with though(but not although or even
though).
We can do the same with some other clauses involving concession (especially with may, certainly, undoubtedly), followed by but. Look
at these patterns:
 Although she is good at chess, her brother occasionally beats her.
Good at chess though she is, her brother occasionally beats her.
 Even though he ran fast, he just couldn't keep up with the others.
Fast though he ran, he just couldn't keep up with the others.
 They may be bigger, but are they better?
Bigger they may be, but are they better?
 It's undoubtedly well-made, but does it what we want it to do.
Well-made it undoubtedly is, but does it what we want it to do.
The following little passage has twenty examples of fronting, some involving inversion, some not. You might find it a
bit difficult first time. But it should be a lot easier after you've done the other exercises. See how many you can spot.

Exercise 1 Underline the elements you think have been fronted. Then decide how many involve subject-
verb inversion.
Slowly, he walked into the room. Occupying almost the whole of one wall was an enormous fireplace and in front of
the fire lay an equally enormous dog. A cat was sleeping peacefully next to the dog. In the middle of the room was a
table, and lying on the table were two letters, clearly addressed to him. He opened one of them, glanced at it
quickly and threw it on the fire. The second he read more carefully before putting it into his pocket.
At that moment the door opened and there stood Fiona, his ex-wife, which was something of a surprise, to put it
mildly. How she had got into the house, he had no idea. That she was even in Britain came as a bit of a
shock; he had thought her to be in Paris. She was a clothes designer, and to further her career in the fashion
world, she had moved there some time before. And further her career she had certainly done; these days he could
hardly open a paper without seeing her name.
But to see her acting as if she owned the place didn’t really surprise him. For her, it was typical. Much more
surprising was the way she was dressed - in a smart business two-piece suit. He couldn't remember ever having
seen her in a suit before. Particularly impressive was the slim leather briefcase she held in her gloved hand. Not
quite so reassuring, however, was the gigantic suitcase she was towing behind her; a flying visit this was obviously
not. But, strange though it sounds, he was really rather pleased to see her.
http://random-idea-english.blogspot.com.ar/2014/10/fronting-exercises-with-bit-of-subject.html

Activity 2 Complete the sentences using the words given below each sentence. Start with an adverb and invert where
possible (about half of the questions).

1.
Look! , now
comes here she

2.
, "Miss! Miss! I know the answer".
hand up went his

3.
Hurry up! .
comes here bus our

4.
, children, it's time for school.
go off you

5.
, try this.
go you there

6.
You let go of the balloon, and .
goes it away

7.
, one white coffee.
you are here

8.
Right children, to bed.
off go you

9.
Look! , over there.
friends are there my

10.
Bad sales results again, so , I'm afraid.
our there bonus goes

11.
Down came the rain and .
the up umbrellas went

12.
So, , lost in the middle of the forest.
were there we

13.
, who sat down beside her.
came spider along a
(Nursery rhyme - Little Miss Muffet)

14.
In another moment after it (the White Rabbit).
Alice went down

15.
When from France, who invited me to her house.
this girl comes up
Bob (Song by Bb Dylan - Dylan's 115th Dream)

Random Idea English


http://random-idea-english.blogspot.com

Activity 3 Rearrange the words in italics to make or complete the sentences, starting with a prepositional phrase, as in the
example. Invert where possible (which is in the majority of cases)

EG. the table small bed beside a stood


Beside the bed stood a small table.

1. a small the among cottage was trees


.

2. a child on small the lay bed


.

3. some gate wandered cows the through


.

4. was across road a man grass mowing the the


.

5. ran the he stairs up


, taking them two by two.

6. into room men burst the three


, wearing identical clothes.

7. portrait of fireplace a man the hung a above


in uniform.

8. the fierce at young sat woman desk looking a


.

9. the had some placed someone flowers on table


.
10. seen a in could group of the distance riders be
.

11. of the car a man large out rather stepped


.

12. out car side a street of shot a dangerously


into the main road.

13. sky in the kite high flew red a large


.

14. ran river floor valley along the a small


.

15. round soldiers a marched the of corner group


.

Fronting other adverbial expressions

We can also front other adverbials expressions, especially of time and sequence, with be or verbs of place or movement
(especially come). Again, inversion is often used with nouns, but not with pronouns. Expressions include:

 first, then, next, after that, finally

Activity 4 Rearrange the words in italics to make or complete the sentences, starting with an adverb or adverbial
expression. Invert where possible.

Today's party political conference news:

1.
among young people.
a was unemployment debate first about

2.
concerning a possible wealth tax.
followed heated discussion a then

3.
, given by the prime minister.
the came finally the key speech conference of

And now a look at the rest of the evening's programmes:

4.
.
sharks a documentary about next is
5.
of our new drama series.
episode that first comes after the

6.
And at the latest films.
than scheduled look a originally later be will

Comparing, contrasting and highlighting with adjectives

Comparatives and superlatives, together with other forms of comparison with adjectives, are sometimes fronted before the verb be,
often to link with something said before:

 Even more surprising is his attitude to women.


 Best of all was the trip round the lake.
 Particularly recommended are the seafood dishes.
 Just as surprising was his reaction.
 Well worth a trip are the nearby mountains.

Activity 5 Rewrite the sentences, putting the adjective expressions to the front, as in the examples above. Don't use any
punctuation.

1. The first act was pretty good. The second act was better still.
The first act was pretty good. .

2. The design of the house is striking, but its history is even more interesting.
The design of the house is striking, but .

3. The way they welcomed us was nicest of all.


.

4. Her younger brother is just as good at chess as Samantha.


.

5. Jenny Brown was by far the youngest competitor.


.

6. My cousin was even more fortunate, winning second prize.


, winning second prize.

7. The main course was fine, but the dessert was not so tasty.
The main course was fine, but .

8. The science museum is definitely worth a look.


.
9. The rest of the the book was rather less exciting.
.

10. The fourteenth century parish church is also worth a visit.


.

11. The novel use of horns in the second movement is particularly impressive.
.

12. His latest book is equally as good as anything he has written before.
.

Fronting participle clauses

We can sometimes front a verb phrase by turning it into a participle and adding the verb be, with the original subject coming after be.
This often happens with prepositonal phrases of place and movement. It is often used to set the scene in narratives, so be is usually in
past simple.
 Active verbs: -ing forms
A old man lay in the doorway.
Lying in the doorway was an old man.
 Passive verbs: -ed forms
A large car was parked in the driveway.
Parked in the driveway was a large car.
 Notice what happens to past perfect passive forms:
A heavy chain had been hung across the gateway.
Hung across the gateway was a heavy chain.

Activity 6 Rewrite the sentences fronting with -ing or -ed participles, as in the examples above.

1. Some cows were grazing in the field.


.

2. Several trees had been uprooted by the storm.


.

3. A large tree blocked the road.


.

4. A large sofa occupied most of one wall.


.

5. There was a baroque fountain situated at the end of a broad avenue.


.

6. A picturesque old cottage was set back from the road.


.

7. The days when holidaymakers flocked to Blackpool are long gone.


.

8. An old man carrying a rucksack was walking slowly up the hill.


.

9. Black Beauty is leading the race.


.

Fronting subject complements etc

We've already seen how some adjective phrases that normally follow be, especially comparatives and superlatives, can be fronted. We
can do the same with some noun phrases and adverbial expressions. Notice what happens to words like also:
 The end of the eighteenth century was a period of great turmoil in Europe.
A period of great turmoil in Europe was the end of the eighteenth century.
 His latest novel is in the running for the Booker Prize.
In the running for the Booker Prize is his latest novel.
 The council's cycle path programme is also under threat.
Also under threat is the council's cycle path programme.

Activity 7 Change the emphasis of these sentences by moving the part after be to the front. In one question there is no
inversion.

1. Pride and Prejudice is Jane Austen's best-known novel.


.

2. Peter Hedley and Janet Johnson were also in the cast.


.

3. Its size is one thing that you should take into consideration.
.

4. A Swiss army knife is a particularly useful tool to take with you.


.

5. Pat Smith has been the frontrunner from start to finish in this contest.
.

6. This is the gadget I was talking about, and it is a very useful gadget.
This is the gadget I was talking about, .

7. Mauritius is another place worth considering for your holidays.


.

8. And David Thomson is this year's winner of the literature prize.


.

9. Jumping Jack Flash has been in the lead from start to finish.
.

10. Peter Jackson is also in line for promotion.


.

Fronting objects etc

For emphatic effect, we sometimes front objects, wh-clauses functioning as objects or similar, and infinitives of purpose:
 She was wearing glves and a scarf. She had bought the scarf in the sales.
... The scarf she had bought in the sales.
 I don't know what he wants to do with his life.
What he wants to do with his life I don't know
 He wants to move to a larger firm to gain more experience.
To gain more experience he wants to move to a larger firm.

Activity 8 Make these sentences more emphatic by moving an element to the beginning, as in the examples above.

1. I'm just not prepared to accept this sort of behaviour.


.

2. I can't think where she could have got to.


.

3. She's taken up jogging to try and lose weight.


.

4. He gives what spare money he has to charity.


.

5. He does not consider a week a particularly long time to wait.


.

6. I'll be talking about the problems with this method at some length.
.

7. They didn't say whether the work will be finished on time.


.
8. He got a new bike and a train set. He got the train set from his aunt.
He got a new bike and a train set. .

9. I really can't stand people being rude like that.


.

10. He's gone on a special course to perfect his skills.


.

Fronting noun clauses

Noun clauses - for example that clauses and to-infinitive clauses usually follow introductory it, as do some wh- clauses. These are
sometimes inverted for emphasis (dropping it), especially when there's an element of surprise, disbelief or mystery:
 It's rather surprising that he didn't know about the meeting.
That he didn't know about the meeting is rather surprising.
 It's always been our mission to put a man on Mars.
To put a man on Mars has always been our ambition.
 It's amazing how she always gets it absolutely right.
How she always gets it absolutely right is amazing.

Activity 9 Rearrange the words in each question to make one sentence (starting with a noun clause, as in the examples
above)

1. have was big to so late a it left mistake

2. it she why bit did a a of is mystery

3. the field out is the of known how cows got not

4. that believe is to say he thing a should such difficult

5. knowledge common happened next what is

6. should that happened all at this have unfortunate is


Fronting with concession and contrast

We can sometimes front an adjective (or adjective phrase) or adverb in concession clauses with though (but not although or even
though).
We can do the same with some other clauses involving concession (especially with may, certainly, undoubtedly), followed by but. Look
at these patterns:
 Although she is good at chess, her brother occasionally beats her.
Good at chess though she is, her brother occasionally beats her.
 Even though he ran fast, he just couldn't keep up with the others.
Fast though he ran, he just couldn't keep up with the others.
 They may be bigger, but are they better?
Bigger they may be, but are they better?
 It's undoubtedly well-made, but does it what we want it to do.
Well-made it undoubtedly is, but does it what we want it to do.

Activity 10 Make these sentences more emphatic by moving an adjective or adverb to the beginning, and making any other
necessary changes, as in the examples above.

1. Though he was badly shaken he managed to help the others to safety.


, he managed to help the others to safety

2. She may be talented, but that doesn't excuse her behaviour.


, but that doesn't excuse her behaviour.

3. The journey was certainly fast, but it was not comfortable.


Fast the journey certainly was, .

4. Though he tried hard, he just couldn't reach the shelf.


, he just couldn't reach the shelf.

5. She may be highly qualified, but she's rather lacking in experience.


, but she's rather lacking in experience.

6. His education was undoubtedly expensive, but did it really benefit him?
, but did it really benefit him?
There are at least eighteen types of inversion:

1. neg intro

2. intro adverbial (in, down, prepositional phrase)

3. intro -ed

4. comparative

5. intro comparative

6. as

7. so... that...

8. had, should, were

9. there is

10. here is

11. intro -ing

12. emphasis

13. the bigger, the better

14. questions

15. "story speech"

16. nor

17. so do I/neither do I

18. intro adjective

Type Examples Notes

1. neg intro Never do I sleep. Question form is obligatory.

Only at night can I study. Used with all verbs.

In no way could I help you with your Japanese This one is very common on the TOEFL and somewhat
grammar question. common on the GMAT and GRE.

I believe that only rarely will I need your help. We need to learn the various types of words and phrases
that require this type of inversion.
Not until I got home did I realize that my shoes
were untied. Notice that sometimes the inversion occurs right after the
neg intro form and sometimes it occurs in the next
subject and verb.

See Neg Intro for more info.

2. intro adverbial Into the room ran the lady. Inversion is optional.

First comes love, then comes marriage. Used with be-verbs, linking verbs, and verbs of direction.

After A comes B, then comes C, next comes D. This one is less common on the TOEFL, but more
common on the GMAT and GRE.
Down came the rain and washed the spider out.
Notice that sometimes we have an adverb, like first and
down and sometimes we have an adverb phrase like into
the room or after A. These adverbs and adverb phrases
usually show location or direction.
Type Examples Notes

This type of inversion usually only occurs with be-verbs,


linking verbs and verbs that show direction or movement,
like come, go, run, etc.

3. intro –ed Found in San Francisco is Lombard Street, the so- Inversion is obligatory.
called crookedest street in the world.
Used with be-verbs.
Lost among the old tables and chairs was the
priceless Victorian desk.
This one is very common on the TOEFL, GMAT, and
GRE.
Located between San Francisco and Marin County
is the Golden Gate Bridge.
This type of inversion usually occurs with be-verbs, but
sometimes with linking verbs.

Notice that the phrase is the complement of the be-verb.

4. comparatives Cheetahs run faster than do antelopes. Inversion is optional.

You speak Chinese better than do I. Used with all verbs.

Jessica is more interested in Computer Science This form of inversion is common on the TOEFL, GMAT,
than is Benjamin. and GRE.

We normally only have inversion here if we are


comparing subjects of the verb, not objects. For example,
in the following two sentences, we are comparing
objects, carrots and potatoes, not the subject I.:

 I like carrots more than I do potatoes. 

 I like carrots more than do I like potatoes. 

Now, in this sentence, we are comparing subjects, I and


my friend Carl:

 I like carrots more than does my friend Carl. 

5. intro comparative Bigger than an apatosaur is the blue whale. Inversion is obligatory.

More important than your personal statement is Used with be-verbs.


your GPA.
This form is more common on the GMAT and GRE than it
No less impressive than the invention of the laser is on the TOEFL.
was the development of the wheel.
Notice that we can only use this form of inversion when
the verb is a be-verb since in every case, the
comparative is the complement of the be-verb.

Remember that less than is also a comparative.

6. as Megumi is from Japan, as is Sato. Inversion is obligatory.

So-eun wants to leave early today, as does Oi. Used with all verbs.

If thrown into the water, camels can swim, as can We can only use inversion if we are using as for
cats. comparisons.

as is one of the trickiest words in English; it can have


many different meanings.

7. so… that… So happy was I that I bought flowers for everybody Question form is obligatory.
in class.
Used with all verbs.
So quickly did she leave that we did not even
realize was gone.
This is not so common on the TOEFL, but is fairly
common on the GMAT and GRE.
So rarely does a comet appear visible to the naked
eye that when one does, it is considered a major
Type Examples Notes

event. The so… that… clause must before the verb in for this
type of inversion.

8. had, should, were for if- Had I remembered Tomomi's birthday, she wouldn’t Inversion is obligatory.
clauses be mad at me now.
Used with all verbs.
Note that the word if does NOT appear in the
clause when inversion is used:
This is somewhat common on the TOEFL and more
common on the GMAT and GRE.
Had I remembered = If I had remembered
This type of inversion is kind of special. Notice that we
Should you need a hand, I will be more than happy can only use this type of inversion when we are using an
to help you. if-clause. In other words, if is omitted: even though the
word if does not appear in the clause, we still have the
meaning of an if-clause.
Should you need a hand = If you should need a
hand
For more information, see had, should, were.
Were I you, I think I would study more for your
exam tomorrow.

Were I you = If I were you

9. there is, there are, there There is a good restaurant nearby. Inversion is obligatory.
exists, there comes, etc.
There comes a time in every person’s life when she Usually used only with these verbs.
realizes that she is responsible for her own
happiness, not other people.
This form of inversion is common on the TOEFL, GMAT,
and GRE, as well as in spoken and written English.
Scientists hypothesize that there exists a certain
type of particle that can travel faster than the speed
Most people remember there is and there are. BUT we
of light.
must also remember that there are other verbs that we
can use instead of is and are. The most common ones
are exist, come, and go.

10. here is, here are, here Here is some good food for you to try. Inversion is obligatory.
comes, here come
Here are the books that I don’t need anymore. Usually used only with these verbs.

Here comes the bus! You will probably not see this on the grammar section of
the TOEFL or on the GMAT or GRE. It could, however,
appear on the Listening Comprehension Section of the
TOEFL. We use this form mostly in spoken English.

11. intro -ing Burning out of control was the forest located in the Inversion is obligatory.
foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Used only with be-verbs.
Coming in last in the race was Joe "Elephant Legs"
Blow.
This form is not common on the TOEFL, but might show
up on the GMAT or GRE.
Not helping the situation was little Susie, who was
throwing newspaper on the spreading fire.
Notice the intro –ing phrase is the complement of the be-
verb.

12. emphasis Boy am I hungry. Inversion is optional.

Is it ever hot in here! Used with all verbs.

Do you know how to cook! You will probably not see this on the grammar section of
the TOEFL or on the GMAT or GRE. It could, however,
appear on the Listening Comprehension Section of the
TOEFL. We use this form mostly in spoken English.

13. the bigger, the better The closer an object is to another object, the Question form is optional.
greater is the gravity between the two objects.
Used with all verbs.

14. questions Is this the last example? Inversion is obligatory.


Type Examples Notes

Do you enjoy reading these lists? Used with all verbs.

Are we finished yet? You will probably not see this on the grammar section of
the TOEFL (TOEFL doesn't test questions anymore) or
on the GMAT or GRE. It would, however, appear on the
Listening Comprehension Section of the TOEFL.

15. "story speech" “I think it’s time to go,” said Susan. Inversion is optional.

“It’s time for you, but not for me,” replied Gary. Used with verbs that report speech.

“Maybe we should collect our thoughts for a You will probably not see this on the grammar section of
moment,” commented Lany. the TOEFL or on the GMAT or GRE.

16. nor No one has volunteered for the job, nor do we Inversion is obligatory.
expect anyone to volunteer in the future.
Used with all verbs.
Hok-ming cannot speak Portuguese, nor can José
speak Cantonese.
You might see this on the adaptive TOEFL if you are
scoring high and it could appear on the GMAT or GRE.
The zoo regulations will not permit you to touch the
animals, nor would most people advise you to do
Remember that nor is considered a conjunction, but we
so.
use it between two sentences (not between any two
elements like the other conjunctions).

17. "so do I"/ "neither do I." “So do I.” Inversion is obligatory.

“So can Terry.” Used with all verbs.

“Neither do most people I know.” You will probably not see this on the grammar section of
the TOEFL or on the GMAT or GRE.

18. intro adjective Beautiful beyond belief was my baby daughter. Inversion is obligatory in most cases.

Happy about their acceptance into their dream Used with be-verbs.
schools were Lany and Tomo.
This one is fairly rare and probably would not appear on
Quick and painless will be your medical procedure. the TOEFL, but you might see it on the GMAT or GRE.

Inversion is sometimes not used in poetic language.


Inversion refers to an irregular verb placement form:

1. Subject verb inversion

2. Subject auxiliary inversion

After A) Inversion after nagative aderbial

Adverbs of place Not only did she write a report but also an
Here lies the body of the King. article.

B) Inversion after a negative adverbial clause


Adverbs of time
First bring the cake!
Only when we arrived at the park did she
Then bring the drinks!
unpack the basket.
(read more – page 323 – Advanced Learners’ Grammar)
After the time adverbials

 NEVER (BEFORE)
In formal and literary language in particular, we  RARELY
use negative adverbials at the beginning of a  SELDOM
clause.  BARELY/HARDLY/ SCARCELY … WHEN/ BEFORE
 NO SOONER … THAN

The subject and verb are inverted.


Eg: - Seldom do we have goods returned to us
because they are faulty.
- Hardly had I got onto the motorway when
I saw two police cars following me.

 After  After

ONLY + A TIME EXPRESSION ONLY + OTHER PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES


(ONLY AFTER, ONLY LATER, ONLY ONCE, ONLY THEN, ONLY WHEN)
BEGINNING:
Eg: - She bought a newspaper and some ONLY BY…, ONLY IN…, ONLY WITH…,etc.
sweets at the shop on the corner. Only later
did she realise that she’d been given the Eg: - Only by chance had he discovered where
wrong change. the birds were nesting.
- Mary had to work at evenings and
- Only once did I go to the opera in the weekends. Only in this way was she able to
whole time I was in Italy. complete the report by the deadline.
 After
 After
expressions with PREPOSITION + NO
(AT NO TIME, IN NO WAY, ON NO ACCOUNT, UNDER NO
expressions with NOT… + OBJECT
CIRCUMSTANCES) (NOT ONLY, NOT UNTIL, NOT)

Eg: - At no time did they actually break the Eg: - Not until August did the government
rules of the game. order an inquiry into the accident.
They didn’t break the rules of the game at any
time. - Not a single word had she written since
- Under no circumstances are passengers the exam had started.
permitted to open the doors themselves.
The passengers aren’t permitted to open the
door under any circumstances.

 After B) Inversion can occur after a clause beginning


LITTLE (WITH A NEGATIVE MEANING) ONLY AFTER / ONLY IF / ONLY WHEN
NOT UNTIL
Eg: - Little do they know how lucky they are to
live in such a wonderful house. Eg: - Only when the famine gets worse will
world governments begin to act.
- Little did I realise the day would come - Not until the train pulled into the station
when Michael would be famous. did Jim find that his coat had gone.
We can use SUCH + BE ...THAT at the
SO + ADJECTIVE … THAT beginning of a clause to emphasise the
extent or degree of something.
Eg: - Her business was so successful that Marie
was able to retire at the age of 50.
Eg: - Such is the popularity of the play that the
Or
theatre is likely to be full every night.
- So successful was her business, that
Marie was able to retire at the age of 50. Or
- The play is so popular that the theatre is
likely to be full every night.

We invert the subject and verb after


NEITHER AND NOR  Avanced Learners’ Grammar – Unit 34 – page
323
when these words begin a clause.

Eg: - For some time after the explosion Jack


couldn’t hear, and neither could he see.

- The council never wanted the new


supermarket to be built, nor did local
residents.
Rewrite the following sentences using inversion.

1. I had hardly begun to apologize when the door closed . hardly


2. I have seldom heard such a talented singer.
3. If John had known that she liked curry, he would have brought her to an Indian restaurant. Had….
4. The artist rarely paid any attention to his agent's advice. Rarely
5. He had never felt so depressed. Never
6. The shop cannot be held responsible for customers' lost property in any way. In
7. The couple had no sooner arrived than the priest started the ceremony. No sooner
8. Tom only understood the meaning of the comment when he saw his wife's face.
9. She never at any time said that she was allergic to cats.
10. The restaurant cannot accept animals under any circumstances.

Rewrite the following sentences using the word/s given

1. There are no circumstances where audience members may consume alcohol. (Under no circumstances)
2. Nobody has won so many matches for his team since 1994. (Not since)
3. We won't consider you for the basketball team until you grow up. (Not until)
4. The gang didn't know that the police had them under surveillance. (Little)
5. You can't use my car at any time. (At no time)
6. They started to argue soon after they had got married. (No sooner)

Turn the following into inverted sentences.

1. The matter couldn’t be explained in any other way.

2. We had hardly started when it began to rain.

3. I have seldom heard such beautiful singing.

4. I shall never forget your kindness.

5. I saw only then the danger we were in.

6. As soon as we left the house it exploded.

7. He didn't realize that he had lost the key till he got home.

8. They not only robbed you, they smashed everything.

9. Half a dozen apples fell down.

10. If an emergency should arise, dial 999.

11. If Rex were a little more hardworking, he would not have failed.

12. If Mr Chan had been kinder to his employees, his business would not have collapsed.
PARTICIPLE CLAUSES
 Clauses in which a finite verb is replaced by
an –ing or –ed participle.
 Contain a participle instead of a full verb.

An introduction Putting on his jacket, Tony left the room.


Tony put on his jacket and he left the room.

Participle clauses may have these forms:  Participle clauses are used to avoid
repetition.
 Present: drinking
 Past: drunk  More frequently used in written rather than in
 Perfect: having drunk spoken English.
 Passive: being drunk / having been drunk
Participle clauses can describe:

1. Events happening at the same time 2. Events happening in a rapid sequence


(present). (present).

She listened to their favourite song and wrote He opened the box anxiously and took it out.
him a letter. Opening the box anxiously, he took it out.
Listening to their favourite song, she wrote him
a letter.

3. Events happening with a longer time gap 4. Other time relations when used with an
between them (perfect). appropriate conjunction such as before, after,
when, on, while, since.
When he found a job, he didn’t stay home any longer.
She has been much safer since she moved to a new
neighbourhood.
Having found a job, he didn’t stay home any longer.
She has been much safer since moving to a new
neighbourhood.
5. Concession when used with an appropriate 6. Cause or reason (perfect).
conjuction:
I have worked all day! I am tired.
She went to work even though she felt sick.
She went to work despite feeling sick. Having worked all day, I am tired.

Notes

 If the subject of a participle is not stated, we  If the subject of the participle is different from
assume it is the same as the subject of the that of the main clause, it must be stated:
main clause:
The party being boring, we decided to leave.
Having no money, he returned home.
Bibliography

 If not, the sentence may be a “dangling”


participle  i.e. Confusing  Foley, Mark and Hall, Diane – Advanced
Leraners’ Grammar – Unit 13 - Longman –
2005.
Kicking with all his strength, the ball went straight into the goal.
The boy kicking with all his strength, the ball went into the goal.
INSTITUTO SUPERIOR JOSEFINA CONTTE

ENGLISH LANGUAGE IV

Argumentative Essays

1. Differentiate the argumentative essay from any other ones you are used to writing.
2. What issues can’t an arg. Essay be based on? Why?
3. When is an arg. Essay a good choice for writing? Which are the topics/issues you can
write an argumentative essay about?
4. ‘The Thesis st. in an arg. Essay should take a stand’; explain this assumption.
5. Why is it important to know the ‘opponents’ views?
6. ‘in an arg. Essay you should refute opposing arguments’, what does this mean?
7. What’s the difference between the organization pattern 1 and 2?
PLAGIARISM
It is unacceptable to copy something out of a book, newspaper, journal or any other
printed / online source.
The most blatant example of this is to directly copy something word for word.
It does not matter if it is only a phrase. If it is not yours, either do not use it or place it
in quotes and reference it.
There are different methods for doing this.
The important thing is that the reader can tell what is yours, and what is someone
else's
HOW TO CITE Avoid plagiarism

DIFFERENT WAYS OF CITING FOR SHORT QUOTES


1. in text  short quotes Use quotation marks in the sentence.

2. Indented  longer tan 3 lines An example is "CFC's: These substances are also of concern in connection with the destruction of
3. Paraphrase  use of reporting verbs stratospheric ozone" (Winnipeg: Wuerz, 1994, p. 19)]
FOR LONGER QUOTES (3 LINES OR MORE) PARAPHRASING
Only use someone else's writing when you want to quote precisely what they wrote. If this is
not your goal, USE YOUR OWN WORDS and reporting verbs:
it is appropriate to indent the entire passage:

WORKS CITED OR CONSULTED LIST


Linking Words - A complete list of Transition Words & Conjunctions also called Cohesive Devices – Connecting Words

Transition Words and Phrases as a result for consequently

Effect / Result /
Consequence
in the first place again moreover under those circumstances thus therefore
not only ... but also to as well as in that case because the thereupon
for this reason then forthwith
Agreement / Addition / Similarity

as a matter of fact and together with


in like manner also of course henceforth hence accordingly
in addition then likewise
coupled with equally comparatively
in the same fashion / way identically correspondingly although this may be true but although
first, second, third uniquely similarly in contrast (and) still instead

Opposition / Limitation / Contradiction


in the light of like furthermore different from unlike whereas
not to mention as additionally of course ..., but or despite
to say nothing of too on the other hand (and) yet conversely
equally important on the contrary while otherwise
by the same token at the same time albeit however
in spite of besides rather
even so / though as much as nevertheless
be that as it may even though nonetheless
in other words notably in fact then again regardless
to put it differently including in general above all notwithstanding
for one thing like in particular in reality
as an illustration to be sure in detail after all
in this case namely to demonstrate
for this reason chiefly to emphasize
in the event that if in case
Examples / Support / Emphasis

to put it another way truly to repeat


that is to say indeed to clarify granted (that) ... then provided that
with attention to certainly to explain as / so long as unless given that

Cause / Condition / Purpose


by all means surely to enumerate on (the) condition (that) only / even if
for the purpose of when so that
important to realize markedly such as with this intention whenever so as to
another key point especially for example with this in mind since owing to
first thing to remember specifically for instance in the hope that while due to
most compelling evidence expressively to point out to the end that
must be remembered surprisingly with this in mind for fear that because of inasmuch as
point often overlooked frequently in order to as
on the negative side significantly seeing / being that since
on the positives ide in view of while
lest

Linking Words - A complete List - Sorted by categories Freely available from http://www.smart-words.org/ © 2013 Page 1 of 2
Linking Words - A complete list of Transition Words & Conjunctions also called Cohesive Devices – Connecting Words

in the middle here further as can be seen after all overall


to the left/right there beyond generally speaking in fact ordinarily

Conclusion / Summary /
in front of next nearby in the final analysis in summary usually
Space / Location / Place

on this side where wherever all things considered in conclusion by and large

Restatement
in the distance from around as shown above in short to sum up
here and there over before in the long run in brief on the whole
in the foreground near alongside given these points in essence in any event
in the background above amid as has been noted to summarize in either case
in the center of below among in a word on balance all in all
down beneath for the most part altogether
adjacent to up beside
Conjunctions
opposite to under behind
between across than Comparison That Rel.Pro. after Time
rather than what as long as
whether whatever as soon as
as much as which before

Subordinating
at the present time after henceforth whereas whichever by the time
from time to time later whenever now that
sooner or later last eventually though Concession Who Rel.Adj. once
at the same time until meanwhile although whoever since
even though whom till
up to the present time till further
while whomever until
to begin with since during
Time / Chronology / Sequence

whose when
in due time then first, second if Condition where Place whenever
until now before in time only if wherever while
as soon as hence prior to unless
as long as forthwith until how Manner because Reason
provided that as though since
in the meantime when straightaway
assuming that as if so that
in a moment once even if in order (that)
without delay about by the time in case (that) why
in the first place next whenever lest
all of a sudden now
at this instant now that Correlative as . . . as either . . . or what with . . . and
just as . . . so neither . . . nor whether . . . or
immediately formerly instantly both . . . and not only . . . but also
quickly suddenly presently hardly . . . when if . . . then no sooner . . . than
finally shortly occasionally scarcely . . . when not . . . but rather . . . than
Coordinating

F A N B O Y S
For And Nor But Or Yet So
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Transitional phrases

You can also begin a sentence with your own words, then complete it with quoted words.

Examples:

 Hamlet's task is to avenge a "foul and most unnatural murder" (Shakespeare 925).
 The speaker is mystified by her sleeping baby, whose "moth-breath / flickers among the flat pink roses"
(Plath 17).

To quote a critic or researcher, you can use an introductory phrase naming the source, followed by a
comma.

Note that the first letter after the quotation marks should be upper case. According to MLA guidelines, if
you change the case of a letter from the original, you must indicate this with brackets. APA format doesn't
require brackets.

Examples:

 According to Smith, "[W]riting is fun" (215).


 In Smith's words, " . . .
 In Smith's view, " . . .

Another way to introduce a critic's words is to use a descriptive verb, followed by a comma.

Avoid using says unless the words were originally spoken aloud, for instance, during an interview.

Examples:

 Smith states, "This book is terrific" (102).


 Smith remarks, " . . .
 Smith writes, " . . .
 Smith notes, " . . .
 Smith comments, " . . .
 Smith observes, " . . .
 Smith concludes, " . . .
 Smith reports, " . . .
 Smith maintains, " . . .
 Smith adds, " . . .

If your lead-in to the quotation ends in that or as, don't follow it with a comma.

The first letter of the quotation should be lower case.

Examples:

 Smith points out that "millions of students would like to burn this book" (53).
 Smith emphasizes that " . . .
 In Smith's view, " . . .
 Smith interprets the hand washing in MacBeth as "an attempt at absolution" (106).
 Smith describes the novel as "a celebration of human experience" (233).

https://www.ccis.edu/offices/academicresources/writingcenter/essaywritingassistance/suggested-
ways-to-introduce-quotations-
Your performance will be evaluated following this oral assessment chart:

Oral Assessment

Poor Average Excellent

1. Content – appropriate length and level of detail 1 2 3 4 5

2. Organization – e.g. opening statement, outline, introduction,


motivation, discussion, and conclusion 1 2 3 4 5

3. Language and Voice – appropriate choice of words for


audience, proper use of jargon, correct grammar, minimal 1 2 3 4 5
umms and aahs, good vocal variety, proper pace and
pronunciation.

4. Physical Behavior – good eye contact and appropriate


physical gestures vs. unnecessary and nervous
movements 1 2 3 4 5

5. Visuals/Transparencies – legible, simple, clear and


appropriate for topic and for audience, good graphics. Works
cited or consulted list.

1 2 3 4 5
LANGUAGE 3 – ORAL EXAMS RUBRICS

10 9-8 7-6 5-4 3-1


Body Language The speaker holds attention of He makes consistent use of He displays minimal eye He displays minimal eye contact He holds no eye contact with
entire audience with the use of direct eye contact with contact with audience, but he with audience, while reading audience, as he reads the entire
direct eye contact, seldom audience, but still returns to seldom looks at the notes. mostly from the notes. speech from the notes.
looking at notes notes He speaks with variation of He speaks in uneven volume with He speaks in low volume and/
He speaks with fluctuation in He speaks with satisfactory volume and inflection little or no inflection or monotonous tone, which
volume and inflection to variation of volume and causes audience to disengage
maintain audience interest inflection
and emphasize key points

Discourse The speaker produces extended The speaker attempts to use The speaker attempts to use The speaker produces short The speaker produces
Management stretches of language with very extended stretches of language extended stretches of language stretches of language with unintelligible/incomprehensible
little hesitation that isn’t with language-related little with a lot of language-related hesitation. He doesn’t use stretches of language.
language-related. hesitation hesitation cohesive devices or discourse He does not use cohesive
He also uses a range of cohesive He also uses some cohesive though it is understandable. markers accurately. devices or discourse markers.
devices and discourse markers. devices and discourse markers. He uses few cohesive devices or The speech lacks organization of The speech lacks organization
The organization of ideas is very The organization of ideas is discourse markers accurately. ideas but the message is partially of ideas. He is unlikely to
clear. coherent. The organization of ideas is conveyed. convey the message.
relatively easy to follow.
Pronunciation Pronunciation is accurate, with Pronunciation is satisfactory; Pronunciation is average; Pronunciation is rather hard to Pronunciation is very hard or
correct inflections, numbers of however some words are Though there are many understand; Though there are impossible to understand. The
syllables. Sentence and word mispronounced. Sentence and mispronounced words, the many mispronounced words, the speaker is unable to
stress are accurately placed. word stress are acceptable. The message is still conveyed. message is partially conveyed. communicate his ideas.
The speaker is clearly mistakes do not interfere with Sentence and word stress are Sentence and word stress are not
understood. the message. not accurate. accurate.
Grammar and The speaker uses a range of The speaker uses a range of The speaker uses a range of The speaker uses a range of The speaker makes frequent
vocabulary simple and complex simple forms and attempts to simple forms with some simple forms with some grammar use of inappropriate verb
grammatical forms use complex ones with some grammar mistakes and there is mistakes. He doesn’t use complex tenses and/or incorrectly
appropriately. He uses a wide difficulties. He uses a an attempt to use complex forms. He uses some technical constructs sentences or uses
range of vocabulary and considerable range of forms with difficulties. He uses words and structures related to parts of speech. His vocabulary
structures related to the vocabulary and structures some technical words and the subject. is plain.
subject. related to the subject. structures related to the
subject.
ORAL PRESENTATION SHEET

Topic:

Thesis:

Organization of the info:

Use of bb:

Visual aids:

Language use:

Acknowledge sources:

Presented word/ phrases, etc:

Pronunciation:

Attitude:

Mark:
1

EVELINE
James Joyce

SHE sat at the window watching the evening invade the avenue. Her head was leaned against the
window curtains and in her nostrils was the odour of dusty cretonne. She was tired.

Few people passed. The man out of the last house passed on his way home; she heard his footsteps
clacking along the concrete pavement and afterwards crunching on the cinder path before the new
red houses. One time there used to be a field there in which they used to play every evening with
other people's children. Then a man from Belfast bought the field and built houses in it--not like
their little brown houses but bright brick houses with shining roofs. The children of the avenue used
to play together in that field --the Devines, the Waters, the Dunns, little Keogh the cripple, she and
her brothers and sisters. Ernest, however, never played: he was too grown up. Her father used often
to hunt them in out of the field with his blackthorn stick; but usually little Keogh used to keep nix
and call out when he saw her father coming. Still they seemed to have been rather happy then. Her
father was not so bad then; and besides, her mother was alive. That was a long time ago; she and her
brothers and sisters were all grown up her mother was dead. Tizzie Dunn was dead, too, and the
Waters had gone back to England. Everything changes. Now she was going to go away like the
others, to leave her home.

Home! She looked round the room, reviewing all its familiar objects which she had dusted once a
week for so many years, wondering where on earth all the dust came from. Perhaps she would never
see again those familiar objects from which she had never dreamed of being divided. And yet
during all those years she had never found out the name of the priest whose yellowing photograph
hung on the wall above the broken harmonium beside the coloured print of the promises made to
Blessed Margaret Mary Alacoque. He had been a school friend of her father. Whenever he showed
the photograph to a visitor her father used to pass it with a casual word:

"He is in Melbourne now."

She had consented to go away, to leave her home. Was that wise? She tried to weigh each side of
the question. In her home anyway she had shelter and food; she had those whom she had known all
her life about her. O course she had to work hard, both in the house and at business. What would
they say of her in the Stores when they found out that she had run away with a fellow? Say she was
a fool, perhaps; and her place would be filled up by advertisement. Miss Gavan would be glad. She
had always had an edge on her, especially whenever there were people listening.

"Miss Hill, don't you see these ladies are waiting?"

"Look lively, Miss Hill, please."

She would not cry many tears at leaving the Stores.

But in her new home, in a distant unknown country, it would not be like that. Then she would be
married--she, Eveline. People would treat her with respect then. She would not be treated as her
mother had been. Even now, though she was over nineteen, she sometimes felt herself in danger of
her father's violence. She knew it was that that had given her the palpitations. When they were
growing up he had never gone for her like he used to go for Harry and Ernest, because she was a
girl but latterly he had begun to threaten her and say what he would do to her only for her dead
2

mother's sake. And no she had nobody to protect her. Ernest was dead and Harry, who was in the
church decorating business, was nearly always down somewhere in the country. Besides, the
invariable squabble for money on Saturday nights had begun to weary her unspeakably. She always
gave her entire wages--seven shillings--and Harry always sent up what he could but the trouble was
to get any money from her father. He said she used to squander the money, that she had no head,
that he wasn't going to give her his hard-earned money to throw about the streets, and much more,
for he was usually fairly bad on Saturday night. In the end he would give her the money and ask her
had she any intention of buying Sunday's dinner. Then she had to rush out as quickly as she could
and do her marketing, holding her black leather purse tightly in her hand as she elbowed her way
through the crowds and returning home late under her load of provisions. She had hard work to
keep the house together and to see that the two young children who had been left to hr charge went
to school regularly and got their meals regularly. It was hard work--a hard life--but now that she
was about to leave it she did not find it a wholly undesirable life.

She was about to explore another life with Frank. Frank was very kind, manly, open-hearted. She
was to go away with him by the night-boat to be his wife and to live with him in Buenos Ayres
where he had a home waiting for her. How well she remembered the first time she had seen him; he
was lodging in a house on the main road where she used to visit. It seemed a few weeks ago. He
was standing at the gate, his peaked cap pushed back on his head and his hair tumbled forward over
a face of bronze. Then they had come to know each other. He used to meet her outside the Stores
every evening and see her home. He took her to see The Bohemian Girl and she felt elated as she
sat in an unaccustomed part of the theatre with him. He was awfully fond of music and sang a little.
People knew that they were courting and, when he sang about the lass that loves a sailor, she always
felt pleasantly confused. He used to call her Poppens out of fun. First of all it had been an
excitement for her to have a fellow and then she had begun to like him. He had tales of distant
countries. He had started as a deck boy at a pound a month on a ship of the Allan Line going out to
Canada. He told her the names of the ships he had been on and the names of the different services.
He had sailed through the Straits of Magellan and he told her stories of the terrible Patagonians. He
had fallen on his feet in Buenos Ayres, he said, and had come over to the old country just for a
holiday. Of course, her father had found out the affair and had forbidden her to have anything to say
to him.

"I know these sailor chaps," he said.

One day he had quarrelled with Frank and after that she had to meet her lover secretly.

The evening deepened in the avenue. The white of two letters in her lap grew indistinct. One was to
Harry; the other was to her father. Ernest had been her favourite but she liked Harry too. Her father
was becoming old lately, she noticed; he would miss her. Sometimes he could be very nice. Not
long before, when she had been laid up for a day, he had read her out a ghost story and made toast
for her at the fire. Another day, when their mother was alive, they had all gone for a picnic to the
Hill of Howth. She remembered her father putting on her mothers bonnet to make the children
laugh.

Her time was running out but she continued to sit by the window, leaning her head against the
window curtain, inhaling the odour of dusty cretonne. Down far in the avenue she could hear a
street organ playing. She knew the air Strange that it should come that very night to remind her of
the promise to her mother, her promise to keep the home together as long as she could. She
remembered the last night of her mother's illness; she was again in the close dark room at the other
side of the hall and outside she heard a melancholy air of Italy. The organ-player had been ordered
to go away and given sixpence. She remembered her father strutting back into the sickroom saying:
3

"Damned Italians! coming over here!"

As she mused the pitiful vision of her mother's life laid its spell on the very quick of her being--that
life of commonplace sacrifices closing in final craziness. She trembled as she heard again her
mother's voice saying constantly with foolish insistence:

"Derevaun Seraun! Derevaun Seraun!"

She stood up in a sudden impulse of terror. Escape! She must escape! Frank would save her. He
would give her life, perhaps love, too. But she wanted to live. Why should she be unhappy? She had
a right to happiness. Frank would take her in his arms, fold her in his arms. He would save her.

She stood among the swaying crowd in the station at the North Wall. He held her hand and she
knew that he was speaking to her, saying something about the passage over and over again. The
station was full of soldiers with brown baggages. Through the wide doors of the sheds she caught a
glimpse of the black mass of the boat, lying in beside the quay wall, with illumined portholes. She
answered nothing. She felt her cheek pale and cold and, out of a maze of distress, she prayed to God
to direct her, to show her what was her duty. The boat blew a long mournful whistle into the mist. If
she went, tomorrow she would be on the sea with Frank, steaming towards Buenos Ayres. Their
passage had been booked. Could she still draw back after all he had done for her? Her distress
awoke a nausea in her body and she kept moving her lips in silent fervent prayer.

A bell clanged upon her heart. She felt him seize her hand:

"Come!"

All the seas of the world tumbled about her heart. He was drawing her into them: he would drown
her. She gripped with both hands at the iron railing.

"Come!"

No! No! No! It was impossible. Her hands clutched the iron in frenzy. Amid the seas she sent a cry
of anguish.

"Eveline! Evvy!"

He rushed beyond the barrier and called to her to follow. He was shouted at to go on but he still
called to her. She set her white face to him, passive, like a helpless animal. Her eyes gave him no
sign of love or farewell or recognition.
4

GUIDED ANALYSIS

1) Joyce: where was he born? Where did he live? What are his masterpieces?

2) Dublin: All Joyce’s works express the paradoxical situation of an author who
chose to abandon his native land, culture and religion, but for the rest of his life wrote
about nothing else. The paradox, moreover, is especially true of his first important work,
Dubliners, written between 1904 and 1907. It is worth remembering that the stories were
composed by a young and inexperienced writer, with great admiration for Flaubert. The
young Joyce deliberately wrote about what he knew and had personally experienced.
During his life he remained faithful to this precept: “You must write what is in your blood,
not what is in your brain” and he always wrote about Dublin because “if I can get to the
heart of Dublin, I can get to the heart of all the cities in the world. In the particular is
contained the universal.”
While the theme of paralysis can’t be said to be his exclusive subject matter, it must be
acknowledged as being the most crucial and pervading. In 1903 he wrote his brother
Stanislaus:

“What’s the matter with you is that you are afraid to live. You and people like you. The city
is suffering from hemiplegia of the will. I’ll call the series “Dubliners” to betray the soul of
that hemiplegia or paralysis which many consider a city.”

In fact, the main thread that unites the stories is Dublin. The choice of Dublin as the
common setting for all the stories gives the collection the tight texture of a novel.
Why did he choose Dublin? First of all because Dublin was the city where he had lived and
of which he knew everything, the streets, the houses, the pubs, the people.
Secondly, because Dublin was the object of his love and of his hate. Thirdly,
because it appeared to him as a perfect product of western civilization and modern life.
Being a Dubliner , as he wrote to Grant Richards (15 October 1905), “seems to me to have
some meaning and I doubt whether the same can be said for such words as “Londoner”
and “Parisian”. And he concluded “I think people might be willing to pay for the special
odour of corruption which, I hope, floats over my stories.”
5

Dublin, therefore, was not only to be a place on the map of Ireland, but a place for
the mind, one where paralysis and corruption could be seen and smelled in the very din
and noise of modern life. As for his characters, they were to be adequately representative
of such a setting. Indeed, Joyce seems to suggest, only the Dubliners could inhabit that
“soul of hemiplegia” called Dublin.
The same excerpt indicates the other significant choice made by the author when
planning the order in which the stories should be arranged: he would create a sort of
diachronical history of Dublin by starting from stories of childhood, continuing with stories
of adolescence and of mature life, and ending with stories of public life. What connects all
the Dubliners, younger and older, is their fundamental sin against life. They feel that, in
order to live fully, they should leave the place of paralysis, Dublin, but they are not
determined enough to do so. Their eternal pendulum between escape and resignation,
stops them in a frozen gesture, like that of Eveline at the end of the story. All are victims of
the self-defeated life of Dublin. What is paralysis? Joyce described the dreariness of
Dublin life: what he called “paralysis” is the intellectual, moral and spiritual stagnation
paralysing the town. The word paralysis first appears in the mouth of a child in The Sisters
as the mysterious description of a disease which is both physical and moral. The old
priest’s body is paralysed but his disablement seems to be the externalization of the
disease of his soul: the loss of faith. The same paralysis reappears in the final scene of
Eveline as a form of disease of the will, or perhaps as the impossibility to hope in life.

He himself wrote:

“My intention was to write a chapter of the moral history of my country and I chose Dublin
for the scene because the city seemed to me the centre of paralysis.”

Moreover, no description has the function of ornament to the story, but each of them is
meant to add a tessera to the mosaic of Dublin life, assigning to the landscape the role of
another protagonist of the stories. Joyce adopts a very orthodox naturalistic approach in
relation to description. His treatment of Dublin follows the criteria of providing an accurate,
scrupulous reconstruction of its streets, monuments, squares,… and of guaranteeing an
almost scientific documentation of the details of Dublin life. But, as it has already been
noted, Joyce was looking also for the universal behind the incidental, the symbolic behind
the realistic. Dublin, recreated in its minutest details, becomes a symbol, too. It stands for
6

the spiritual condition of a whole people that is unable to get rid of the entanglements
which have accumulated in the course of centuries: the dependence on the political rule of
London, the religious dependence on Rome, the cultural and spiritual paralysis due to a
dissatisfaction incapable of reacting. The descriptions of Dublin streets, parks and public
places accompany the gestures of the characters, reinforcing the impressions of squalor
the latter produce and existing as the cause of new squalor.
Apart from rejecting Irish nationalism, Joyce rejected Irish life in toto. Yet at the
same time he set all his novels in Dublin, the capital of the land he had grown up in and
rejected, and his concern with the particulars of his life there was unflagging and
obsessive.
On the one hand Joyce loved his Dublin but, on the other, he hated it as the centre of
paralysis. That’s why in 1902, having taken his degree, he left Ireland for the first time. His
destination was Paris. He made a second trip to Paris a yeas later. In 1904 he met Nora
Bernacle, the woman who was to be his lifelong companion, and with her he left Ireland for
a voluntary exile on the Continent. This exile led him to Trieste, Praga, Paris.

3) Dubliners: In 1904, answering the request of the Irish writer George Russel,
Joyce wrote a “simple” story for the Irish Homestead. The story in question was “The
Sisters”.
Dubliners was, however, published only in June 1914, after a number of unfortunate
contacts with English and Irish publishers. The difficulty of finding publisher was due to
the supposed “immorality” of certain passages.
When the collection finally appeared, it received some attention, mostly negative, however,
owing to the unpleasant contents of almost all the stories and the meanness of style.
Dubliners is a collection of 15 objective, realistic sketches or short stories, a genre
particularly popular in Ireland, presenting with extraordinary clarity aspects of the sordid
slums and the daily trivialities of Dublin life, while at the same time embodying human
experience as a whole. The stories are arranged in thematic sequence, divided into four
sections, each of which represents one stage in life: childhood (The Sisters, An Encounter,
Araby), adolescence (Eveline, After the Race, The Gallants, The Boarding House),
maturity (A Little Cloud, Counterparts, Clay, A Painful Case) and public life (Ivy Day in the
Committee Room, A Mother, Grace), plus an epilogue (The Dead).
Nine years early, Joyce himself had written about the book in the following terms:
7

“My intention was to write a chapter of the moral history of my country and I chose Dublin
for the scene because that scene seemed to me the centre of paralysis. I have tried to
present it to the indifferent public under four of its aspects: childhood, adolescence,
maturity and public life. The stories are arranged in this order. I have written it for the most
part in a style of scrupulous meanness and with the conviction that he is a very bold man
who dares to alter the presentment, still more to deform, whatever he has seen and
heard.”

4) Now, tell me the plot of Eveline. (in the first part we learn of Eveline’s past and
present life, a hard one, on account of the poverty, the work, the drunkenness and the
brutality of ther father. We also hear of her young boyfriend Frank, who has asked her to
leave with him for Buenos Aires, as his wife. Still, she hesitates to escape, out of a sense
of duty, out of fear of an adventurous future, because her present life is difficult but “not
wholly undesirable”. The sound of a street organ changes the course of her reflections. On
the one hand it reminds her of her promise to her mother “to keep the house together as
long as she could” (an organ had played the same tune as she lay dying); on the other
hand it kindles her revolt against “that life of commonplace sacrifices”. Her decision is
taken: she will be saved and live. She is ready to elope with Frank. Once at the station,
however, she feels completely paralysed and can’t follow him).
- Who is Eveline? Joyce’s most frequent subject matter is the life of ordinary people. He is
interested in every day life. He doesn’t face general, metaphysical questions but he focus
his (and our) attention on small details and on matter-of-fact things.
- Is there a description of Eveline? What do you imagine about her? What does she look
like? Is she young or old? Is she active or passive? What actions does she do? Is she
standing or sitting? Is there any actions? Any psychological analysis? Which social class
does she belong to? What do we learn about her social status? The portrait of characters
is based on introspection rather than on descriptive details. Joyce no longer explains
things but he plunges into his characters and show their feelings and thoughts as he feels
and thinks. Students should notice that there is no physical description of Eveline. From
the narrator we learn only of her feelings and her memories of the past. This implies that
the narrator wants to concentrate on the psychological situation of the character.
-What are the impressions you got of this story? Do you like her?
-Do you approve her choice? Why?
8

5) How many characters can we find? Are they present or absent? Do they act?
Who are they? Are they alive or dead? Where do they live now? Are they real characters?

6) Now let’s analyse the text: What time is it? “The evening is invading the avenue”.
Is this choice fortuitous? the evening is a metaphor for the paralysis, it’s like a shadow
which gradually darkens the light of the day -life, future, dreams-.

7) Where is Eveline? She is at home, “a little brown house” with a view on the
street. The colour brown is often used to indicate paralysis.

8) What is she doing? She is watching people passing, her head is leaned against
the window curtains and in her nostrils “was the odour of dusty cretonne”: what does this
odour symbolise? It’s a metaphor of stagnation. “Dusty” indicates decay, something falling
into pieces. The environment, the atmosphere permeates people, entering and paralysing
them.

9) What kind of sensations do we have? How does Joyce describe the scene? Is is
a vivid scene or a soft one?

10) What does she remember? ”One time…her father coming”. It’s a flashback to
the past: there is the repetition of “used to”. What do we learn about her past life? Was
she happy? Does she regret her past life?
How does Joyce use this narrative technique? Can we find a chronological order in
Eveline’s thoughts? Think about the time: is it real or is it an inner time?
Eveline remembers her family: her mother, brothers, father. What do we learn about them?
Are they still alive or are they dead?

11) At once she thinks that “everything changes”. Joyce leads us back to the
present: “Now she was…”. There is the repetition of the word “home” and we have a brief
description of the room and the “familiar objects” (twice). What are these objects? A
yellow (=colour of paralysis) photograph, a broken (=decay) harmonium and a print of
Blessed Margaret Mary Alacoque (=Catholicism).
What do we learn about the whole set? What impressions do you get? How do you
imagine this house?
9

12) Now there is a flashback to the past “An yet …..to leave her home”. She
decided to leave but she wonders “Was that wise?”. She knows that “in her home anyway
she had shelter and food”, even if it’s a hard life and at work she is often humiliated.
Now she could begin a new life: Joyce uses the Conditional as future in the past, because
Eveline thinks about her possible future.
“But in her new home….it would not be like that”. She would be treated with respect. “But”
is at the beginning of the sentence to create a contrast between Eveline’s present life and
her future one. There are three levels of actions: the actual moment, the past and the
future.

13) We have a lot of temporal passages: “even now” (present), “when” (past), “but
latterly” (present), “and now”(present). She thinks about her father and their quarrels on
Saturdays. At the end of her reflections, she realizes that “it was a hard work, hard life but
now….”. Now she is about to “explore” a new life with Frank. What do you think about the
choice of this verb? “Explore” makes me think something dangerous, dreadful, like a
jungle, something which can hide some risks in itself. The feelings connected with her
recollections are fear and affection. Her feelings seem to be contradictory but as she
approaches the time of departure, the violence of her father becomes of secondary
importance.

14) Eveline thinks about Frank, about the first time they had met, their love and so
on. Who is he? Which social class does he belong to? What do we learn about their
relationship? What does he like doing? He likes music, singing, telling stories about his
journeys. What happened then? Her father had found out their affair and had forbidden her
to meet with him.
What is her attitude towards going away with him? How would you describe her feeling for
Frank? How would you describe the dilemma Eveline is facing? One of reality vs dream?
Prison vs liberty? Have you got any other opinions about that?

15) Another passage to the present: “the evening deepened the avenue”. Eveline
has two letters. Who are they addressed to? One is for her father, the other for her
brother. Why does the white of the letters grow indistinct? It’s a metaphor: the letters
represent her decision to leave, but the letters gradually disappear in the dark of the
evening, and in this way we can foresee that she won’t go away.
10

We can find here another passage to the past: “not long before…”, “another day”.

16) The atmosphere of the house weighs her down and prevents her from leaving:
“her time was running out but…”. She doesn’t take a decision, she is sitting passive and
motionless, but at once she hears a street organ playing: what does it remind her? It
reminds the promise to her mother to keep the house together as long as she could. She
remembers (the verb is repeated twice) the last night of her mother’s illness and “that life
of common…..”. Her mother’s life can be seen as Eveline’s future life in Dublin: it
represents the life of a woman in Dublin and if Eveline doesn’t leave, she will have the
same life as her mother. “A life of sacrifices closing in final craziness”. This makes us learn
about the condition of women in those times. But her sense of duty to her elderly father
and her promise to her dying mother are the main factors that stop her from leaving.

17) At once “she stood up”: this is the first action Eveline has done from the
beginning of the story. What does she decide to do? She must run away from this life. The
way out is Frank: “Frank would save her”. Joyce uses future in the past. “He would give
her life” as if she were dead now. In this moment it seems that Eveline has decided to
leave.

18) In fact now there is a change in the scene and time: Eveline is at the station at
North Wall. What is she doing? Why is she here? “He held her hand”: who is he? What
can Eveline see around her? There are a lot of soldiers, then she can see the boat, a black
mass (this refers to something frightening). What does she think about? Does she want to
leave or not? Why does she feel nausea?

19) Then “a bell clanged…”: she is frightened, she prays asking God for an answer.
Frank tells her to follow him but suddenly “no, no, no! It was impossible!”. We can see her
hands, hear her cry, we can imagine her pale face, her frightened eyes, but now her
reflections and thoughts seemed to stop. In this final passage the paralysis of action is
accompanied by a kind of physical paralysis. Eveline finds herself unable to make a
decision to leave, her body undergoes a gradual physical paralysis.
In contrast to Frank, who is described with verbs like “steaming” and “rushed”, about
Eveline we learn that “she stands” and “she doesn’t move”. In the final image, the paralysis
is total, since even her eyes have grown numb “no sign of love or farewell or recognition.”
11

Her final renunciation of her dream is a striking example of Dublin’s paralysing effect on its
inhabitants. The portrait of Eveline is vivid, realistic and moving, and the language is
simple but effective.

20) Escape: escape is the opposite of paralysis and originates from an impulse
activated by the sense of enclosure that many characters experience. A sense of
claustrophobia is often implicit in the small, cramped, stuffy rooms or houses where the
Dubliners spend their lives, for example Eveline’s relationship of love and hate with her
house. To Eveline escape would mean marriage and social respect. She sees marriage
as an escape from her dreary life. She likes Frank but she doesn’t seem to be in love with
him. She considers him the means of escape.
Almost all the Dubliners aspire to escape, but no one of them is destined to succeed, not
even the few ones who have materially been able to. They live as exiles at home, unwilling
to admit a resemblance with their fellow-citizens but also unable to cut the bonds that tie
them.
Joyce himself escaped from Dublin: let’s think about his voluntary exile.

21) (Escape from) Religion and Family: A claustrophobic element is present also
in the description of the Irish family in that it tends to enclose and imprison its members,
hindering the realization of their hopes. The fathers or the men, in particular, tend to
paralyse any effort of the younger members of their families. Eveline’s father quarrels with
Frank and compels Eveline to plan a secret elopment with her lover. At the same time he
can create such a sense of guilt in her as to convince her to renunciation.
Degenerate fatherhood is not always accompanied by an equally negative vision of
motherhood. The mothers may be over-protective or so much neglected as to end their
lives in “final craziness” like Eveline’s mother.
Marriage is not a guarantee of happiness and stability either, as one can easily infer
from many of the stories. It is a social necessity for both men and women, but often turns
out to be a hell.
As for religion, the influence of the Church permeates all the stories, as is logical in
a strictly observant country as Ireland was at the beginning of the century. In Eveline we
can find some references to religion: the print of Blessed Mary Alacoque; her final prayer
when she vainly tries to get help from God about her decision.
12

Let’s remember that in 1898, at the age of 16, Joyce enrolled at University College,
Dublin. He had been contemplating entering the Jesuit Order but then he decided against
it in favour of another and stronger vocation, that of art as a way to self-fulfilment. By this
time he had become something a rebel and nonconformist.

22) Symbolism: like other writers, Joyce found himself involved in the controversy
concerning the two most influential literary currents of the time, realism and symbolism.
He always refused to be classified in either movement, since realism and symbolism often
combined in his work. Dubliners is often said to be written in perfect adherence to the
principles of naturalism then dominating. As we have read, Joyce intended to describe
Dublin life in objective way and he also felt the need to document the verisimilitude of his
fictional world. Yet his total acceptance of naturalism is accompanied by a subterranean
search for symbols, which emerges in self-revelation between the lines of Dubliners. In the
stories the real and the unreal are blended, symbolic levels creep into everyday
descriptions and events. Joyce’s use of symbolism is apparent in several areas.
The names of certain characters are symbolic: Eveline makes us think about Eve,
the first woman, symbol of the whole female condition. Colour symbolism is also to be
found, with brow and yellow frequently suggesting the pervading theme of paralysis.
Then we can find the sea in Eveline: it is both the way towards a future of salvation from a
squalid destiny but also the symbol of the danger she imagines to exist outside her house
(“All the seas of the world tumbled over her heart”)

23) Epiphany: the style of the book is essentially realistic with a scrupulous
cataloguing of detail. However Joyce wanted to go beyond the mere reproduction of a
slice of life and we can find remarkable moments of sudden insight, which are one of the
characteristics of Joyce’s art. He called these moments of insight “Epiphany”. The original
meaning of the term is the showing of Jesus to the Magi: but Joyce adopts this expression
to signify a sudden revelation, the moment when a sudden spiritual awakening is
experienced in which all the petty details, thoughts, gestures, objects, feelings, etc, come
together to produce a new sudden awareness. In other words, there is an epiphany when
details or moments buried for years in one’s memory, suddenly surface in one’s mind and,
like old photos, start a long, often painful mental labour. His theory of epiphanies
suggested the search for something existing under the surface of things and events. His
stories possessed the same character of revelation of an inner truth hidden under the
13

seemingly transparent forms of reality. An epiphany is not signalled by a special


presentation on the part of the narrator. It consists in the description of common gestures,
objects and situations, suddenly acquiring the value of an intense experience of truth.
Whether an epiphany is activated by a song, by a cry of a baby, it always has the essential
function of indicating a crucial issue to the character. An epiphany is obviously preceded
by the narration of a case or of a situation. Dubliners contains stories organized in a
variety of combinations of the phases of a short story. One of the most common features is
the “in media res” opening, by which the reader is immediately immersed in a situation
while the antecedents to it are gradually communicated through various techniques.
In Eveline the information about the past passes through the minds of the
characters, mingling memories with thoughts of the present or the future.
The stories have simple plots: the present trivial episodes of everyday life. Most of
them propose closed endings, even if no authorial comment or final summing up is added
to confirm the reader’s impression. The characters, in fact, do not appear liable to any
change or improvement for the future: they are what they were at the beginning. Their
cases are closed.

24) Narrative techniques


-The narrator: It is easy to infer that Joyce employed straightforward and everyday
language, for naturalistic purposes. In so doing, he endeavoured to achieve complete
fidelity to nature and to create realistic settings by apparently casual accumulation of
accurate yet seemingly unrelated details. Following Chechov’s methods, nothing
interesting or exciting or important happens in the development of the plot resulting in a
demonstration of the uneventful and paralysed life of a modern city.
Joyce, like many of his contemporaries, wished to escape form the use of an omniscent
narrator, who knew everything and commented on his characters’ lives and behaviour. At
the beginning of the 20th century, the vision of consciousness, time and knowledge was
such that writers and artist could no longer accept a single truth. A single point of view,
therefore, proved unacceptable.
In Dubliners we can find a third-person narrator with some clearly identifiable
characteristics. First of all he never interferes with the narration of events by commenting
on them explicitly and rarely commenting on them implicitly through the use of adjectives,
similes and metaphors. Secondly, the narrator does more than tending to objectivity, he
tends to disappear as an autonomous voice by entrusting most of the narration to the
14

dialogue or the narrated monologue, and by narrating what happens from the point of view
of the protagonist and, sometimes, also of other characters. Narrated monologue, in the
form of indirect thought and often of free indirect thought, is widely used in all the stories
and is especially employed in Eveline. It consists of the presentation of the protagonist’s
thoughts through the limited mediation of the narrator who adopts the language style of his
characters, with their idiosyncrasies, their colloquialisms and, in the case of Eveline, even
the banal clichés of the reader of sentimental literature. This technique enables the reader
to get an intimate and direct knowledge of the character, minimizing the narrator’s
interventions in the story. Joyce creates an effect of intimacy with the character.
In Eveline the passage is told from her point of view by a third narrator who tends to
disappear through the use of indirect thought into Eveline’s interior monologue. According
to Joyce, a work of art must be impersonal and the poet is not a speaker. In the case of
“Dubliners” Joyce remains essentially outside the tales. The narrator tells the tale from her
point of view: he knows Eveline intimately and is intent on revealing her thoughts and
feelings to the reader. At the same time the narrator doesn’t merge completely with her.
The reader can also intuit Joyce’s attitude to her: what is his attitude to her? Sympathy?
Why?

- the structure of the text: the classical English novel (18th century) was a novel in which
facts had a chronological development and in which there was a main character whose life
and adventures were told from the beginning (childhood). In the modern novel, on the
contrary, the writer abandons the sequence of episodes, takes the hero as he is, in the
precise moment, and the analysis of this instant carries the full psychological knowledge of
the character.
As a result of his interest in experimentation, Joyce created a new kind of dream
language, a mixture of existing words, inventive word combinations and non-existent
words, to provide a dense multi-layered prose that can be read on endless levels of
significance. Syntax is disordered, punctuation non-existent, in this immense river of
words.
In Eveline we can find that the structure changes as the narrator goes inside her
mind. Sentences become shorter and more broken as if the sentences reflected her
reflections and thoughts; the language becomes simpler and more colloquial as if she
herself were speaking.
15

-cinematic techniques: other devices used by Joyce include the cinematic ones like
montage, flashbacks, fade-out, slow-up, the overlapping of images and other devices such
as the story within a story, the use of similes and metaphors or a particular use of
punctuation (parentheses, dashes, …).

25) The stream of consciousness


● The following personalities, outside the field of literature, had an important influence on
Joyce.
- Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) was the founder of psychoanalysis, that is the
scientific approach and methods to treat such mental disorders as neurosis,
depression, hysteria, etc. He had posited that the subconscious, that is the
submerged part of our psychic life, conceals our fears and wishes in a state of
repression, from which they emerge, from time to time, in distorted forms like
dreams, slips of the tongue, jokes and, sometimes, diseases. He had come to this
conclusion after examining tens of cases of people all belonging to the middle
classes. This had led him to conclude that middle class morality and norms of life
were responsible for the unhappiness of the great majority of people.
Joyce’s early concept of epiphany, with its intuition of the existence of something
underneath the opaque appearance of the most ordinary things, seemed to be in
tune with Freud’s investigations. Probably Joyce didn’t know Freud’s works while he
was in Ireland, though he knew them when he lived in Trieste.
- Nietzsche (1844-1900): Joyce knew the great philosopher. In his works, N. had
proved the inconsistency of the principles on which the middle classes had laid the
foundations of their society: morality, democracy and education. He had proclaimed
the death of God, proposed amorality “beyond good and evil”, and the theory of
Superman, who lives in absolute separation from the mass. His concept of the artist
certainly influenced Joyce’s one: his definition of the amoral disposition that the
artist must have in relation to reality is the same that Joyce advocated for the artist
who must see life in all its aspects with detachment and impersonality.
- William James (1842-1910) the American psychologist spoke of the endless flux
and infinite change of the inner life, so that reality can’t be objectively given but is
subjectively perceived through consciousness. He wrote: “Consciousness does not
appear to itself chopped up in bits…but flows.… A river or a stream are the
metaphors by which it is most naturally described. In talking of it hereafter, let us
16

call it the stream of thought, of consciousness, or of subjective life.” As a


consequence, the present doesn’t exist; the real specific event is the individual with
his consciousness where past and future constantly flow into each other. The term
“consciousness” indicates “the entire area of mental attention, from pre-
consciousness on through the levels of the mind up to and including the highest one
of the rational communicable awareness.” In other words stream-of-consciousness
fiction is concerned with the area which is beyond communication. There are, in
fact, two levels of consciousness: the speech-level, which can be communicated
orally or in writing, and the pre-speech level, which has no communicative basis
and “is not rationally controlled or logically ordered.” An easy metaphor is that of an
iceberg: the novelist has to explore the part of the iceberg that is submerged, that is
he has to explore what starts and constitutes the mental process (memories,
dreams, sensations, …) and analyse how this process works (through associations
of ideas, symbolizations, …).
- Henri Bergson (1859-1941): his conception of what he called “la durée” or duration
flux, according to which inner time has a duration that eludes conventional clock
time, had turned the old conception of time from a sequence of separate points into
a flowing continuity.

● The basic and most prominent method to depict consciousness is the use of the interior
monologue. Though the term is often confused with “stream of consciousness”, there is a
distinction between them, since stream of consciousness is the psychic phenomenon
itself, while the interior monologue is the instrument used to translate this phenomenon
into words. To do so, the interior monologue often disregards logical transitions, formal
syntax and even conventional punctuation, so as to reflect the apparently disconnected
and chaotic sequence of thoughts.
In England this narrative technique was pioneered by Virginia Woolf (1182-1941)
who used a more repetitive style and the so-called indirect interior monologue (i.e. a
monologue introduced by such clauses as “he thought”, “he decided”, …) which provides
more rational links for the associations of ideas. Virginia Woolf tried to compress the
mental processes using a variety of techniques. This techniques show “her endless
search for the novel-form which would substitute the single time unit of the instant”. In her
need to shift back and forth in time and intermingle past, present and future, like Joyce she
used two methods which are analogous to film montage: the subject can remain fixed in
17

space and his consciousness can move in time (time-montage); time remains fixed and it
is the spatial element that changes (space-montage).
Joyce went further and deeper in his experimentation by using the direct interior
monologue , whereby he shifted abruptly from thought to thought, without any apparent
connection of verb, subject or even punctuation.
Robert Browning (1812-1889) turned to soliloquies (long passages recited by one
person who addressed the audience in general) into a monologue, the so-called dramatic
monologue. This monologue is in Browning a complete lyrical poem; he introduces a third
person, a speaker who introduces himself or someone else; there are “silent listeners”; his
monologues are dramatic in the sense of theatrical (they are drams with characters) and
crucial (the speaker is caught in a moment of crisis); he uses blank verse inside which
punctuation respects the logical thread of thoughts; his monologues are set in a historical
past time. The monologue has been defined as the “visible part of the iceberg whose
submerged part is both psychologically and historically defined”.

26) Joyce’s life: while Joyce was born on 2nd February 1882 in Rathgar, a suburb
south Dublin, the city which was to leave an indelible mark on all his writings, in 1904 he
left Ireland to spend the rest of his life as a self-imposed exile, staying for long periods in
Trieste, Zurich and Paris. His case is that of an Irishman whose native Anglo-Irish culture
was a mixed one, who wrote in an English which was heavily marked by Irish.
Joyce’s childhood and adolescence were unsettled since his restless father never stayed
in a job or a house long enough for the family to feel at home. Joyce received a sound
Catholic education from two Jesuit colleges: from 1881-91 he attended the Catholic
preparatory school in Ireland, Clongowes Wood College in County Kildare. Joyce’s talent
as a writer revealed itself quite early in life: in 1891, to commemorate the death of Ch.
Parnell, the nine-year-old Joyce composed a poem. In 1892 the family experienced
serious financial difficulties and moved to Dublin. Joyce resumed his Jesuit schooling at
Belvedere College, from 1893 to 1898. At the age of 16, he enrolled at University College,
Dublin, where he read Italian, French and English. He had been contemplating entering
the Jesuit Order but decided against it in favour of another vocation, that of art. By this
time he had become something of a rebel and nonconformist and his examinations were
not brilliant. In 1902, having graduated from University, he began his wanderings abroad
with a trip to Paris where he studied medicine for a brief time before returning to Dublin. In
1904 he started work on Stephen Hero as well as on Dubliners. He fell in love with Nora
18

Barnacle, who proved a significant inspiration for his work. On 13 August he published the
first story of Dubliners, “The Sisters” in Irish Homestead. In 1905 he was appointed to a
teaching job in Trieste where he continued with the composition of Dubliners. In 1906 he
was in Rome working in a bank, a job and a city he disliked intensely. In 1907 he moved to
Trieste. The next six years were marked by the beginning of his eye’s troubles which were
to leave hi almost blind in his maturity, In 1914 A Portrait of the artist as a young man was
published. In 1915, during the First World War, he moved to Zurich. After the war, in 1919,
he returned to Trieste and in 1920 he left for Paris where he remained for twenty years. In
1933 Nora and Joyce married in London for testamentary reasons. By 1933 he was nearly
blind and had to be helped to read by friends. In 1936 the Collected poems were
published. In December 1940 they fled from France to take refuge in Switzerland. Joyce
died on 13rd January 1941 in Zurich from a perforated ulcer.
While in Trieste, Joyce met Ettore Schmitz, who wanted to improve his English. He had
already written Una vita and Senilità, but these works had few success.

Assessment

- Now the students are asked to answer the following questions:


1) Do you think that Joyce’s choice of the girl’s name has any particular value?
2) What picture of Eveline’s father does the story convey?
3) How is the opposition change and no change, between action and immobility?
4) Make a note of what is told in the narrator’s voice and in Eveline’s one.
5) What main attitude towards Eveline in your opinion, does the story leave us with:
detachment; irony; pity; indifference; sympathy?
19

7- STREAM 8- 1 -IRELAND
OF JOYCE’S -DUBLIN
CONSCIOUSNESS LIFE -PARALYSIS
-DUBLINERS
-EVELINE

6-
NARRATIVE 2- ESCAPE
TECHNIQUES JOYCE

3- RELIGION
5- 4-
EPIPHANY SYMBOLS - FAMILY
Instituto Superior “Josefina Contte” – English Language IV– Profesorado de Inglés

The Sisters – James Joyce

1. What does Old Cotter think of the priest?

2. How does the boy feel about the priest’s death?

3. What impression does Joyce give us of the boy’s character?

4. The Priest

a. What impression does Joyce give us of the priest’s character?

b. Why is he a “disappointed man”?

5. How is Eliza a comic character?

6. Why is the story called like that?

7. How is the chalice a symbol in the story?

8. Summarize the story with your own words in no more than 200 words making use of emphatic
structures.
Dubliners

Dubliners word gnomon in the Euclid and the word simony in the
Catechism. But now it sounded to me like the name of some
maleficent and sinful being. It filled me with fear, and yet I
longed to be nearer to it and to look upon its deadly work.
by
Old Cotter was sitting at the fire, smoking, when I came
downstairs to supper. While my aunt was ladling out my
James Joyce stirabout he said, as if returning to some former remark of his:
“No, I wouldn’t say he was exactly… but there was some-
thing queer… there was something uncanny about him. I’ll
THE SISTERS
tell you my opinion….”
He began to puff at his pipe, no doubt arranging his opin-
THERE WAS NO HOPE for him this time: it was the third stroke.
ion in his mind. Tiresome old fool! When we knew him first
Night after night I had passed the house (it was vacation
he used to be rather interesting, talking of faints and worms;
time) and studied the lighted square of window: and night
but I soon grew tired of him and his endless stories about the
after night I had found it lighted in the same way, faintly
distillery.
and evenly. If he was dead, I thought, I would see the reflec-
“I have my own theory about it,” he said. “I think it was
tion of candles on the darkened blind for I knew that two
one of those … peculiar cases …. But it’s hard to say….”
candles must be set at the head of a corpse. He had often
He began to puff again at his pipe without giving us his
said to me: “I am not long for this world,” and I had thought
theory. My uncle saw me staring and said to me:
his words idle. Now I knew they were true. Every night as I
“Well, so your old friend is gone, you’ll be sorry to hear.”
gazed up at the window I said softly to myself the word pa-
“Who?” said I.
ralysis. It had always sounded strangely in my ears, like the

4
James Joyce
“Father Flynn.” “That’s my principle, too,” said my uncle. “Let him learn
“Is he dead?” to box his corner. That’s what I’m always saying to that
“Mr. Cotter here has just told us. He was passing by the Rosicrucian there: take exercise. Why, when I was a nipper
house.” every morning of my life I had a cold bath, winter and sum-
I knew that I was under observation so I continued eating mer. And that’s what stands to me now. Education is all very
as if the news had not interested me. My uncle explained to fine and large…. Mr. Cotter might take a pick of that leg
old Cotter. mutton,” he added to my aunt.
“The youngster and he were great friends. The old chap “No, no, not for me,” said old Cotter.
taught him a great deal, mind you; and they say he had a My aunt brought the dish from the safe and put it on the
great wish for him.” table.
“God have mercy on his soul,” said my aunt piously. “But why do you think it’s not good for children, Mr. Cot-
Old Cotter looked at me for a while. I felt that his little ter?” she asked.
beady black eyes were examining me but I would not satisfy “It’s bad for children,” said old Cotter, “because their mind
him by looking up from my plate. He returned to his pipe are so impressionable. When children see things like that,
and finally spat rudely into the grate. you know, it has an effect….”
“I wouldn’t like children of mine,” he said, “to have too I crammed my mouth with stirabout for fear I might give
much to say to a man like that.” utterance to my anger. Tiresome old red-nosed imbecile!
“How do you mean, Mr. Cotter?” asked my aunt. It was late when I fell asleep. Though I was angry with old
“What I mean is,” said old Cotter, “it’s bad for children. Cotter for alluding to me as a child, I puzzled my head to
My idea is: let a young lad run about and play with young extract meaning from his unfinished sentences. In the dark
lads of his own age and not be… Am I right, Jack?” of my room I imagined that I saw again the heavy grey face

5
Dubliners
of the paralytic. I drew the blankets over my head and tried Church, Meath Street), aged sixty-five years. R. I. P.
to think of Christmas. But the grey face still followed me. It The reading of the card persuaded me that he was dead
murmured, and I understood that it desired to confess some- and I was disturbed to find myself at check. Had he not
thing. I felt my soul receding into some pleasant and vicious been dead I would have gone into the little dark room be-
region; and there again I found it waiting for me. It began to hind the shop to find him sitting in his arm-chair by the fire,
confess to me in a murmuring voice and I wondered why it nearly smothered in his great-coat. Perhaps my aunt would
smiled continually and why the lips were so moist with spittle. have given me a packet of High Toast for him and this present
But then I remembered that it had died of paralysis and I felt would have roused him from his stupefied doze. It was al-
that I too was smiling feebly as if to absolve the simoniac of ways I who emptied the packet into his black snuff-box for
his sin. his hands trembled too much to allow him to do this with-
The next morning after breakfast I went down to look at out spilling half the snuff about the floor. Even as he raised
the little house in Great Britain Street. It was an unassuming his large trembling hand to his nose little clouds of smoke
shop, registered under the vague name of Drapery . The drap- dribbled through his fingers over the front of his coat. It
ery consisted mainly of children’s bootees and umbrellas; and may have been these constant showers of snuff which gave
on ordinary days a notice used to hang in the window, say- his ancient priestly garments their green faded look for the
ing: Umbrellas Re-covered . No notice was visible now for red handkerchief, blackened, as it always was, with the snuff-
the shutters were up. A crape bouquet was tied to the stains of a week, with which he tried to brush away the fallen
doorknocker with ribbon. Two poor women and a telegram grains, was quite inefficacious.
boy were reading the card pinned on the crape. I also ap- I wished to go in and look at him but I had not the cour-
proached and read: age to knock. I walked away slowly along the sunny side of
July 1st, 1895 The Rev. James Flynn (formerly of S. Catherine’s the street, reading all the theatrical advertisements in the shop-

6
James Joyce
windows as I went. I found it strange that neither I nor the as the Post Office Directory and as closely printed as the law
day seemed in a mourning mood and I felt even annoyed at notices in the newspaper, elucidating all these intricate ques-
discovering in myself a sensation of freedom as if I had been tions. Often when I thought of this I could make no answer
freed from something by his death. I wondered at this for, as or only a very foolish and halting one upon which he used to
my uncle had said the night before, he had taught me a great smile and nod his head twice or thrice. Sometimes he used to
deal. He had studied in the Irish college in Rome and he had put me through the responses of the Mass which he had made
taught me to pronounce Latin properly. He had told me sto- me learn by heart; and, as I pattered, he used to smile pen-
ries about the catacombs and about Napoleon Bonaparte, sively and nod his head, now and then pushing huge pinches
and he had explained to me the meaning of the different of snuff up each nostril alternately. When he smiled he used
ceremonies of the Mass and of the different vestments worn to uncover his big discoloured teeth and let his tongue lie upon
by the priest. Sometimes he had amused himself by putting his lower lip—a habit which had made me feel uneasy in the
difficult questions to me, asking me what one should do in beginning of our acquaintance before I knew him well.
certain circumstances or whether such and such sins were As I walked along in the sun I remembered old Cotter’s
mortal or venial or only imperfections. His questions showed words and tried to remember what had happened afterwards
me how complex and mysterious were certain institutions of in the dream. I remembered that I had noticed long velvet
the Church which I had always regarded as the simplest acts. curtains and a swinging lamp of antique fashion. I felt that I
The duties of the priest towards the Eucharist and towards had been very far away, in some land where the customs
the secrecy of the confessional seemed so grave to me that I were strange—in Persia, I thought…. But I could not re-
wondered how anybody had ever found in himself the cour- member the end of the dream.
age to undertake them; and I was not surprised when he told In the evening my aunt took me with her to visit the house
me that the fathers of the Church had written books as thick of mourning. It was after sunset; but the window-panes of

7
Dubliners
the houses that looked to the west reflected the tawny gold But no. When we rose and went up to the head of the bed
of a great bank of clouds. Nannie received us in the hall; I saw that he was not smiling. There he lay, solemn and co-
and, as it would have been unseemly to have shouted at her, pious, vested as for the altar, his large hands loosely retaining
my aunt shook hands with her for all. The old woman pointed a chalice. His face was very truculent, grey and massive, with
upwards interrogatively and, on my aunt’s nodding, pro- black cavernous nostrils and circled by a scanty white fur.
ceeded to toil up the narrow staircase before us, her bowed There was a heavy odour in the room—the flowers.
head being scarcely above the level of the banister-rail. At We crossed ourselves and came away. In the little room
the first landing she stopped and beckoned us forward en- downstairs we found Eliza seated in his arm-chair in state. I
couragingly towards the open door of the dead-room. My groped my way towards my usual chair in the corner while
aunt went in and the old woman, seeing that I hesitated to Nannie went to the sideboard and brought out a decanter of
enter, began to beckon to me again repeatedly with her hand. sherry and some wine-glasses. She set these on the table and
I went in on tiptoe. The room through the lace end of the invited us to take a little glass of wine. Then, at her sister’s
blind was suffused with dusky golden light amid which the bidding, she filled out the sherry into the glasses and passed
candles looked like pale thin flames. He had been coffined. them to us. She pressed me to take some cream crackers also
Nannie gave the lead and we three knelt down at the foot of but I declined because I thought I would make too much
the bed. I pretended to pray but I could not gather my noise eating them. She seemed to be somewhat disappointed
thoughts because the old woman’s mutterings distracted me. at my refusal and went over quietly to the sofa where she sat
I noticed how clumsily her skirt was hooked at the back and down behind her sister. No one spoke: we all gazed at the
how the heels of her cloth boots were trodden down all to empty fireplace.
one side. The fancy came to me that the old priest was smil- My aunt waited until Eliza sighed and then said:
ing as he lay there in his coffin. “Ah, well, he’s gone to a better world.”

8
James Joyce
Eliza sighed again and bowed her head in assent. My aunt Eliza smoothed her dress over her knees.
fingered the stem of her wine-glass before sipping a little. “Ah, poor James!” she said. “God knows we done all we
“Did he… peacefully?” she asked. could, as poor as we are—we wouldn’t see him want any-
“Oh, quite peacefully, ma’am,” said Eliza. “You couldn’t thing while he was in it.”
tell when the breath went out of him. He had a beautiful Nannie had leaned her head against the sofa-pillow and
death, God be praised.” seemed about to fall asleep.
“And everything…?” “There’s poor Nannie,” said Eliza, looking at her, “she’s
“Father O’Rourke was in with him a Tuesday and anointed wore out. All the work we had, she and me, getting in the
him and prepared him and all.” woman to wash him and then laying him out and then the
“He knew then?” coffin and then arranging about the Mass in the chapel. Only
“He was quite resigned.” for Father O’Rourke I don’t know what we’d done at all. It
“He looks quite resigned,” said my aunt. was him brought us all them flowers and them two candle-
“That’s what the woman we had in to wash him said. She sticks out of the chapel and wrote out the notice for the
said he just looked as if he was asleep, he looked that peace- Freeman’s General and took charge of all the papers for the
ful and resigned. No one would think he’d make such a beau- cemetery and poor James’s insurance.”
tiful corpse.” “Wasn’t that good of him?” said my aunt
“Yes, indeed,” said my aunt. Eliza closed her eyes and shook her head slowly.
She sipped a little more from her glass and said: “Ah, there’s no friends like the old friends,” she said, “when
“Well, Miss Flynn, at any rate it must be a great comfort all is said and done, no friends that a body can trust.”
for you to know that you did all you could for him. You were “Indeed, that’s true,” said my aunt. “And I’m sure now
both very kind to him, I must say.” that he’s gone to his eternal reward he won’t forget you and

9
Dubliners
all your kindness to him.” ther O’Rourke told him about, them with the rheumatic
“Ah, poor James!” said Eliza. “He was no great trouble to wheels, for the day cheap—he said, at Johnny Rush’s over
us. You wouldn’t hear him in the house any more than now. the way there and drive out the three of us together of a
Still, I know he’s gone and all to that….” Sunday evening. He had his mind set on that…. Poor James!”
“It’s when it’s all over that you’ll miss him,” said my aunt. “The Lord have mercy on his soul!” said my aunt.
“I know that,” said Eliza. “I won’t be bringing him in his Eliza took out her handkerchief and wiped her eyes with
cup of beef-tea any me, nor you, ma’am, sending him his it. Then she put it back again in her pocket and gazed into
snuff. Ah, poor James!” the empty grate for some time without speaking.
She stopped, as if she were communing with the past and “He was too scrupulous always,” she said. “The duties of
then said shrewdly: the priesthood was too much for him. And then his life was,
“Mind you, I noticed there was something queer coming you might say, crossed.”
over him latterly. Whenever I’d bring in his soup to him “Yes,” said my aunt. “He was a disappointed man. You
there I’d find him with his breviary fallen to the floor, lying could see that.”
back in the chair and his mouth open.” A silence took possession of the little room and, under
She laid a finger against her nose and frowned: then she cover of it, I approached the table and tasted my sherry and
continued: then returned quietly to my chair in the comer. Eliza seemed
“But still and all he kept on saying that before the summer to have fallen into a deep revery. We waited respectfully for
was over he’d go out for a drive one fine day just to see the her to break the silence: and after a long pause she said slowly:
old house again where we were all born down in Irishtown “It was that chalice he broke…. That was the beginning of
and take me and Nannie with him. If we could only get one it. Of course, they say it was all right, that it contained noth-
of them new-fangled carriages that makes no noise that Fa- ing, I mean. But still…. They say it was the boy’s fault. But

10
James Joyce
poor James was so nervous, God be merciful to him!” was something gone wrong with him….”
“And was that it?” said my aunt. “I heard something….”
Eliza nodded.
“That affected his mind,” she said. “After that he began to
mope by himself, talking to no one and wandering about by
himself. So one night he was wanted for to go on a call and
they couldn’t find him anywhere. They looked high up and
low down; and still they couldn’t see a sight of him any-
where. So then the clerk suggested to try the chapel. So then
they got the keys and opened the chapel and the clerk and
Father O’Rourke and another priest that was there brought
in a light for to look for him…. And what do you think but
there he was, sitting up by himself in the dark in his confes-
sion-box, wide- awake and laughing-like softly to himself?”
She stopped suddenly as if to listen. I too listened; but
there was no sound in the house: and I knew that the old
priest was lying still in his coffin as we had seen him, solemn
and truculent in death, an idle chalice on his breast.
Eliza resumed:
“Wide-awake and laughing-like to himself…. So then, of
course, when they saw that, that made them think that there

11
Instituto Superior “Josefina Contte” – Language IV– Profesorado de Inglés

Inequality at Work

A) Read the text and answer the questions below. Provide support from the text:
Instituto Superior “Josefina Contte” – Language IV– Profesorado de Inglés

The world of Work: WORKING MOTHERS

1. Read the text and choose the option that fits best according to the text. Provide reasons for your choice:

It is an undeniable fact that a woman's place was once in the home. In the past, women were merely required to fulfill the
role of mother and housewife. Today, this situation has changed tremendously. If a woman possesses the attributes and
qualities of her male counterpart, she will definitely be given equal opportunities in the career world without much bias.
Therefore, women began to make the scene and, eventually, there was a steady flow of women leaving their homes. A
certain vacuum or emptiness was thus created in the households. No more could the husbands turn to their wives after
a hard day's work. Society marveled at the ability of women, but it also suffered at the realization of the important role
that women play in their homes. Should women be allowed to work after marriage then? The answer is undoubtedly
positive although this issue is highly debatable in terms of the nature of the professions involved. If a woman pursues her
career but is at the same time able to care for her home and children, one simply cannot find any reason why she should
not be allowed to do so.
A woman's influence is greatly needed in the home, on the children. What a child needs most is his mother's care because
how the child is molded depends greatly on her. It is a real pity that women who leave their homes solely in search of a
career seldom give a thought to this. The children, being helpless and dependent creatures, may have nobody to turn to
at home, except servants or relatives. With the mother back only after a hard day's toil, the children surely do not get
much attention.
Whether a woman should continue to work after marriage would depend on the nature of her profession. It is a waste of
resources if women, after seeking higher education, immediately abandon their careers after matrimony. A woman's effort
can also contribute to the well-being and development of society. In the Malaysian context, a teacher is only required to
work a five-day week with term holidays every now and then Moreover, she is in school for only half of the day; the other
half of the day can be devoted to her home. A teacher, besides educating the society, can fulfill the role of both mother
and housewife. There are many other careers like those of nurses, clerks and typists where women can fulfill the double
role.
Nevertheless, there are may be professions which would not be advisable for women to indulge in after marriage. A public
relations officer spends almost three-quarters of her time in her career. She has heavy tasks to shoulder which might
require her to entertain others till odd hours at night. Women who venture into the business world should think twice
before plunging into it. It would be beyond their means to fulfill two demanding roles at the same time.
As it is, a woman's most important responsibility still lies in her home. Without her around in the house, one just cannot
bear to think of the consequences. Unless and until she can fulfill the basic role of a housewife and mother, she should
not make a career her sole responsibility.
Activity: Summarize with your own words this text and state your position as regards the topic in the end Use emphatic
language and linking devices.
INSTITUTO SUPERIOR JOSEFINA CONTTE – ENGLISH LANGUAGE IV – UNIT 2: CHILD LABOR.

STUDENT’S NAME:

DATE:

Trailer 1:

1. Where does it happen? Where do children work?


2. How are they treated? Provide 5 examples why you say so.
3. Why are children sought for this job?
4. Why do people send their children to work there? Why is it a “vicious cycle”?
5. List the health problems these children develop due to the working conditions there.
6. What is being done to fight for child labor there? Who is involved?
7. What does the child labor program focus on?
8. Why is education important in this area?
9. How is the scheme ensured?

Trailer 2:

1. Where does it happen? Who is involved?


2. What kind of job is involved? How is it dangerous?
3. Do they receive any kind of protection? Why are they given cigarettes and alcohol?
4. Why is child labor needed here?
5. What does Santiago do? Why doesn’t he accept to be interviewed?
6. What about education here? What is Agustín´s point of view?
Gradable and  Some qualities can vary in intensity or grade
(for example: rather hot, hot, very hot; hot,
Non-gradable Adjectives hotter, the hottest).

Adjectives describe qualities (characteristics) of The adjective hot is gradable.


nouns.

Gradable Adjectives

 Other qualities cannot vary in intensity or


grade because they are:  A gradable adjective can be used with
 extremes (for example: freezing) "grading adverbs" that vary the adjective's
 absolutes (for example: dead) grade or intensity.
 classifying (for example: nuclear)  The most common - very

The adjectives freezing, dead and nuclear are


non-gradable.

Examples
 grading adverbs:  Some gradable  A gradable adjective can also have
To strenghten: so, rather, adjectives: comparative and superlative forms:
extremely, terribly, angry, big, busy,
most (formal), pretty clever, cold, deep, fast,
(informal). friendly, good, happy, big, bigger, the biggest
To weaken: fairly, high, hot, important, hot, hotter, the hottest
slightly, a little, a bit, long, popular, rich,
strong, tall, warm,
important, more important, the most important
somewhat,
weak, young
 Look at these example sentences:
My teacher was very happy with my homework. "Gradable adjectives" are also called
That website is reasonably popular. But this one “qualitative adjectives".
is more popular.
He said that Holland was a little cold and "Grading adverbs" are also called
Denmark was rather cold. But Sweden was "submodifiers”.
the coldest.

Non-gradable Adjectives

 A non-gradable adjective cannot be used with  Non-gradable adjectives do not normally have
grading adverbs: comparative and superlative forms:

X It was rather freezing outside. X freezing, more freezing, the most freezing
X The dog was very dead. X dead, deader, the deadest
X He is investing in slightly nuclear energy. X nuclear, more nuclear, the most nuclear

 Often, non-gradable adjectives are used alone:


 The adjective dead is non-gradable because it
is an absolute. Dead is dead. We cannot be It was freezing outside.
more or less dead. One person cannot be The dog was dead.
"deader" than another. Other absolutes
include: correct, unique, perfect He is investing in nuclear energy.
Non-grading Non-grading adjectives
adverbs
Absolutely awful extreme
 However, a non-gradable adjective can be Utterly excellent
used with "non-grading adverbs" (which Completely terrified
usually just give the adjective extra impact). Totally dead Absolute
Nearly imposible
 The most common is absolutely. Virtually unique
Essentially chemical classifying
Mainly digital
Almost domestic

Examples Quite
 Gradables: means fairly
Her exam results were absolutely awful. She will It´s quite interesting.
have to take the exam again.
Is there anything like it in the world? It must be  Non-gradables: means completely
virtually unique. The night was quite freezing.
It starts an essentially chemical reaction.

Bibliography
 Foley, Mark and Hall, Diane. Advanced
Learners’ Grammar. Longman. 2005. (Unit
23)
Exercises
Reflexive and reciprocal pronouns

Ex. 1. Put in the correct pronoun so that the pronoun refers back to the subject. Use either the
object form of the pronoun (e.g. me) or the reflexive pronoun (e.g. myself).

1. It's time you learnt to look after ……………………, or else you'll find you're firmly on an
unreachable shelf.
2. And Mary stood by, her hands folded in front of ……………………, looking thoughtfully
down at her son.
3. I know that I have to believe in …………………… to overcome it but I can't when I'm
destroying myself.
4. We learn about …………………… by making mistakes, as well as through success; we
learn nothing by staying in a rut.
5. I reminded him and he went out banging the door behind …………………….
6. Don't wonder. Just have faith in …………………….
7. In what I hope was a rare lapse into intolerance, I asked the
reporter next to ……………………: ‘Does that little sod always talk like that?’
8. Then Alice saw a large mushroom near ……………………. It was as tall as she was.
9. I hope he can grow up to be a normal young man in spite of what has happened to me. I
don’t care about ……………………. But what you said about my family I care about.
10. Unless we have attitude training in preparation for our work, we are quite likely
to bring with ……………………. into the library our prejudices and biases.
11. There was still a world to face and in that world she had learned
to take care of …………………….
12. There are some in this town who should be ashamed of …………………… today.

Ex. 2. Fill in the gaps with each other, ourselves or themselves.

1. The warehouse walls blended into …………………… like a painting drenched with
turpentine.
2. Having freed …………………… from the naturalistic fallacy, we ask what are the chief
good things known to us.
3. They have also found …………………… agreeing to the introduction of temporary
workers in return for employers granting increased job security for the majority of the labour
force.
4. They were laughing into ……………………’s faces at some private joke; they hadn't seen
me.
5. The children were dividing …………………… off into small groups.
6. The scientists looked at …………………… in astonishment, and in that instant, Benny
bolted.
7. In an emotional reunion they hugged …………………… as West Brom’s chairman Bert
Millichip told the assembled press that Johnson's career at the Hawthorns was secure.
8. Creatures from pigeons to monkeys have shown …………………… capable of performing
this task successfully.
 Formed with  self / selves.
 Use  usually when the subject and
the object are the same person or
REFLEXIVE thing.
Compare:
PRONOUNS
1. Susy bought her a dress.
2. Susy bought herself a dress.
------
1. Her = someone else.
2. Herself = Susy

Always reflexive After prepositions


 Busy
She busied herself with answering letters.  We use object pronoun to refer to the subject
While john was busying himself Steve asked him when it is clear who or what it refers to,
about the bridge and the strange feeling in the otherwise we use reflexive pronouns
cutting. Susy arrived at the party and looked around her.
 Content (her = Susy)
Mr Lai has been asking for more responsibility, but Susy quarrelled with Brenda. Brenda was really
had to content himself with a minor managerial angry with her. (her = Susy)
post.
Susy quarrelled with Brenda. Brenda was really
 Pride
angry with herself. (Herself = Brenda)
As a Nation we pride ourselves on our strong
sense of sportsmanship and fair play.
After as (for), like, but (for), Idiomatic use of reflexive
except (for) pronouns
 Use either object or reflexive pronoun:  Some verbs take the reflexive in English
where it may not seem logical:
Susy made sure that everybody but
her/herself had a drink, as she was Enjoy yourself, help yourself, acquaint
driving. yourself (with), behave yourself.

Help yourself to the food (= take as much


as you want)

Emphatic use of reflexive


“As far as I´m concerned”
pronouns
 The reflexive pronoun can be placed  At the beginning or end of the sentence
after the subject, the auxiliary or the separated by comas:
verb, after the object or at the end of the
sentence Myself, I don´t believe her story.

I < have < used this technique < on a I don´t believe her story, myself.
number of occasions <.
“Without any help”
Never reflexive
“Completely alone”
 Some verbs which are reflexive in other
 Adding (all) (by) --- languages, are generally used without a
reflexive pronoun in English
I did the report all by myself!
Wash dress shave shower adapt
Readjust move hide concentrate
REFLEXIVES PRONOUNS – NEW PROFICIENCY GOLD EXAM MAXIMISER – Richard Mann

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