07 enero, 2008

grammar and vocabulary tips

Hi Fourths,
I hope all of you have had happy holidays.
I’ve been checking your compositions and these are some of the most common mistakes. I’ve tried to write some tips so you can correct them. There are some exercises to practice as well.
(grammar and vocabulary tips)
Job –work
Your job is the work that you do regularly in order to earn money, especially when you work for a company or public organization. My last job was with a computer firm. He finally got a job in a supermarket.
Work is used in a more general way to talk about activities that you do to earn money, either working for a company or for yourself. Will you go back to work when you’ve had the baby? I started work when I was 18.
Work is what you physically do on the job.
Your work would be the skills you were hired and get paid to perform.
DO NOT say: What is your job? Or what is your work? SAY what do you do? Or what do you do for a living?

For – during
During from the beginning to the end of a period of time
During the summer she worked as a lifeguard. He slept calmly during the early part of the night. Foxes remain hidden during the day.
At some point in a period of time
My father was killed during the war. I mentioned the subject during our discussions at her Washington office.
During -The preposition "during" is used to represent the length of time of an action that is while the action is happening. "During" is used with a noun/pronoun (or any other form of nouns).
I will be really busy during the week.
The kids were sleeping during the party.
The lights went out during the storm.
FOR used to say how long an action or situation continues for.
Bake the cake for 40 minutes. We had been talking for a good half hour. He's been off work for a while.
For - The preposition "for" is used to express how long something or someone is doing something. "For" is used to state a period of time and is usually used with a noun/pronoun (or any other form of nouns) .
I have been riding my bicycle for 2 hours.
The dog has been barking for a long time.
The traffic has been bad for the last three days.

As –like

AS can be a preposition meaning in the capacity of / in the function of like in the sentence ex: He works as a clerk. But it is usually a conjunction of manner and goes therefore followed by a verb form,Ex: When in Rome do as Romans do.
It also appears in comparative structures:ex: She is as busy as a bee.
In the group such as it means like:
Ex: There are different ways of travelling such as (=like) walking, flying or driving.
Use AS in comparisons in the expression as... as, with an adjective or adverb in between. Basketball is as popular as football here. He can’t read as well as his classmates
As is also used in the expressions not so... as and the same (...) as I wouldn’t go so far as that. He is the same age as me
LIKE Is a preposition and goes therefore followed by a noun. It expresses similarity:
ex: She feels like a rolling stone (=in the same way as) It was like a dream (=similar to)
Like is a preposition and is therefore followed by pronouns in the object form. ex: They said they didn't want people like me in that group.
It can also be followed by a verb, in the -ing form Ex: There's nothing like fishing from a boat
In fact, when we want to ask about the description of something we use
WHAT IS something LIKE ? which is quite different from
HOW is something /someone ? where we become interested in personal state, etc.
Use LIKE in comparisons followed by a noun. A movie is not like a book. (Not as a book). Like other people, (not as other people) he values his privacy.

AS or LIKE ?
1. There's no business___________show buisiness.
a) as
b) like
2. ___________a lawyer, I would advise caution
a) like
b) as
3. I once worked _______a bus conductor.
a) as
b) like
4. This motorway is___________a car park.
a) like
b) as
5. People________the Joneses always copy us.
a) as
b) like
6. ___________it was getting cold, we decided to go into a cafeteria.
a) like
b) as
7. There's nothing ____________fishing in the sea. It's so relaxing
a) as
b) like
8. Mary weighs the same____________her brother.
a) like
b) as
9. She is always as busy _____________a bee. She never has time.
a) like
b) as
10. ________he opened the door, he discovered that he had a nice visit.
a) like
b) as
online quiz & key at:
http://english.baladre.org/sedaviwebfront/aslike.htm
more exercises at:
http://www.better-english.com/grammar/aslike.htm

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