Virtual Class 3 1

Part 1: Freedom of Expression

I want you to work in teams of 3… these will be your debate teams for this partials project activity.

In the first part of the virtual class please carry on with the work we were doing in class and complete the following:

Define what is a “debate motion”. For each of the following topics define a corresponding debate motion.

2. Investigate the following website:

http://www.idebate.org/index.php browse thoroughly the site investigating its contents and make a list of 5 motions you would be interested in debating. Come to class on Friday to share this information with the rest of the class. (You can get full access to the site if you join as a student.)

Censorship Freedom of the press Intellectual property

Part 1: Freedom of Expression cont.

In your text book… complete the reading / comprehension exercise p. 187-190. Check your answers after completing the exercise.

(Please do this activity individually)

Part 2: TOEFL Grammar Practice

Four specific problems occur frequently on the TOEFL:

Knowing when to use the past with the present .

Using have and had correctly.

Using the correct tense with time expressions.

Using the correct tense with will and would.

Work through the following exercises… send me a word document via Webtec, one per team of three with your answers to this part of the virtual class. Please do not send the PPT. The file you send should be named VC3xxx.doc where xxx are the names of the 3 team members. Please send this part of the virtual class to reach me no later that 2:00 pm Tuesday… its good TOEFL practice.

1. When to use the Past with the Present

Often when a sentence has both a past and a present tense, it is incorrect:

He took the money when he wants to.

There are two possible ways in which this sentence can be corrected. Any ideas?

He took the money when he wanted to.

He takes the money when he wants to.

Using the Past with the Present

However, sometimes it is possible for a logical sentence to have both the past and the present tense:

I know that he took the money yesterday.

When you see a sentence on the TOEFL with both the past and the present tense, you must check the meaning of the sentence carefully to see if it has a logical meaning.

Exercise: Indicate if the following sentences are correct or incorrect… correct if they are incorrect

I tell him the truth when he asked me the question.

I understand that you were angry

When he was a child, he always goes to the circus.

Last semester he reads several books and wrote five papers.

Steve wakes up early every morning because he went to work early.

He is telling the teacher why he didn’t have time to finish.

She is where she is today because she worked hard when she was a student.

Tom keeps studying hard because he intended to go to law school.

2. Using have and had correctly

Two tenses that are often confused are the present perfect and the past perfect. They have completely different uses:

** Except when the time expression since is part of the sentence.

Tense Form Meaning Use present perfect have+past participle past up to now not with past tense** past perfect had+past participle before past up to past not with a present tense

Exercise: Indicate if the following sentences are correct or incorrect. Correct them if incorrect

1. I have always liked the designs that are on the cover.

2. Because her proposal had been rejected, she is depressed.

3. The students have registered for classes before the semester started.

4. When she had purchased the car, she contacted the insurance company.

5. He said that he had finished typing when you finish your reports.

6. She has enjoyed herself every time that she’s gone to the zoo.

7. He drove to the office after he has finished preparing the package.

3. Tenses and Time Expressions

Often in the TOEFL test there is a time expression that clearly indicates what verb tense is needed in the sentence

We moved to New York in 1970.

We had left there by 1980.

We have lived in San Francisco since 1982.

Some additional time expressions that clearly indicate the correct tense are ago, last, since and lately.

She got a job two years ago.

She started working last week.

She has worked very hard lately.

Exercise: Indicate if the following sentences are correct or incorrect. Correct them if they are incorrect

The phone rang incessantly last night

They have finished contacting everyone by 4:00 yesterday.

The Pilgrims have arrived in the New World in 1612.

Since the new law was passed, it has been difficult to estimate taxes.

The cashier put the money into the account two hours ago.

All the votes have been counted last week.

The Senate votes on the law to ban cigarette smoking in public in 1990.

By the time the main course was served, all the guests had arrived and been seated.

4. Tenses with Will and Would

Certain combinations of verbs are very common in English. One is the combination of the simple present and will

I know that they will arrive soon.

It is certain that he will graduate.

Another combination that is quite common is the combination of the simple past and would.

I knew that he would arrive.

It was certain that he would arrive.

It is important to stress that in the combination discussed here, the present should be used with will and the past should be used with would; they generally should not be mixed.

Exercise: Indicate if the following sentences are correct or incorrect. Correct them if they are incorrect