This document provides a summary of a grammar lesson on articles and count/non-count nouns. It also reviews analyzing point of view in short stories and assigns an in-class creative writing activity. Students are to choose a scene from "The Tell-Tale Heart", "All Summer in a Day", or "The Possibility of Evil" and rewrite it from a different character's perspective. Homework includes finishing short stories and preparing for an exam on April 13th.
4. Articles, p. 581 An article signals that a noun will follow. indefinite = a/an definite = the
5. Choosing the Correct Indefinite Article(a vs. an) a carrot, a uniform (use a with a noun that starts with a consonant sound) an onion, an honor (use an with a noun that starts with a vowel sound)
6. With Count and Non-count Nouns Count nouns name people, places, things, or ideas that can be counted and made into plurals. Ex: desk, blackboard, and teacher (desks, blackboards,and teachers)
7. With Count and Non-count Nouns Non-count nouns name things or ideas that cannot be counted and therefore cannot be made into plurals. Ex: weather, anger, and happiness NOT: weathers, angers, and happinessesx
8. Common Non-count Nouns (p. 582) Abstractions and emotions: justice, joy Activities: soccer, reading Foods: sugar, spaghetti Gases and vapors: smoke, oxygen Languages and areas of study: Cantonese, Farsi, biology Liquids: coffee, milk Materials that come in bulk: lumber, stationery Natural occurrences: snow, thunder Others: clothing, furniture, homework, etc. . . .
9. More on Non-count Nouns Q: Since non-count nouns cannot be made into plurals, how can we show “how much”? A: The quantity of non-count nouns can be expressed with qualifiers such as some, more, a little. Ex: I hear a lotof anger in your voice. Ex: May I have somespaghetti?
10. More on Non-count Nouns Some words can be either count or non-count depending on if they refer to one thing or more than one thing. Ex: She had many thrilling experiences on her vacation. (several different countable moments) Ex: They told me I did not have enoughexperience for the job. (an abstract, non-countable idea that describes what you have gained from many countable experiences.)
11. Use a/an with Non-specific Singular Count Nouns when -you can count it -you don’t know “which one” specifically Ex: A penguin cannot fly; it uses its “wings” to “fly” through water. (Any penguin) Ex: There was a fire today in our neighborhood. (This fire is unfamiliar to us; it is the first time it has been mentioned)
12. Use the with Specific Nouns When the noun has already been mentioned once. Ex: There was a fire at work. The fire destroyed everything. When words or phrases in the sentence identify the noun or suggest its identity. Ex: The lights in the classroom are turned off. Ex: The coffee at Starbucks is too bitter for me.
13. Use the with Specific Nouns When it is unique. (There is only one.) Ex: It is harmful to stare at the sun. 4. When it comes after a superlative adjective (best, tallest, fastest, etc.) Ex: He is the best runner in the class.
14. Omit articles for non-specific plurals and non-count nouns Do not use articles when non-specific nouns refer to something in general. Ex: Teachersdo not become rich. Ex: Paint can give off a pungent odor.
15. Proper Nouns Do not use the for most singular proper nouns: people and animals (the Stephen Harper) continents, provinces, cities, streets, and parks (the Granville Street ) most countries (the Korea, the Nicaragua) individual bodies of water, islands and mountains (the Mount Seymour, the Vancouver Island)
16. Proper Nouns Do use the for plural proper nouns (the Simpsons, the Canucks, the Rockies) names of large geographic areas (the Pacific Ocean, the North Shore) names with the format “the ________ of ___________.” (the Premier of BC, the University of British Columbia)
17. Activity 1, p. 584 Choose the correct form of noun in the parentheses. 1. A telephone 2. a used car 3. The car 4. fog 5. New Jersey 6. patience 7. The Indian Ocean 8. curiosity 9. wine 10. The water
20. Analysing Point of View Tell Tale Heart – the narrator is the main character of the story and tells the story using the pronoun “I” – we have access to all his thoughts and feelings so we know a lot about him – but we don’t have any other information about things like his name, background, appearance, the setting, etc. – We only know what the narrator tells us; we don’t have any outside information that we can use to decide what is true or false/real or unreal
23. what the narrator says about them (“She was a very frail girl . . . ,” p. 93),
24. the characters’ words and actions (“Margot stood alone,” p. 93, and “Oh, but,” Margot whispered, her eyes helpless,” p. 94)
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26. In “The Possibility of Evil” the writer tells us quiet a bit about Miss Strangeworth’s thoughts and feelings, but from a distance; we are able to feel a bit close to her but still be able to judge her
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28. In-class Creative Writing Assignment First, re-read the relevant part of the story to refresh your memory. Then, use your imagination to write what the characters may have thought, said, or done that the narrator of the original story did not show or tell us. Make sure to include some description and dialogue in your story. Do not change any of the “facts” of the original story. Write on your own paper. Length = at least one page (double-spaced).
29. Homework Complete any unfinished short story assignments – deadline next Wednesday, April 13th. Prepare for exam – Wednesday, April 13th.
