CA5 Writing - Error Correction 3

Hello, everyone!

Here you will find some very good expressions you used when talking about films in the class forum. I recommend you all have a look because there are some true gems in here!

GOOD

1.    I've never seen this film, because I don't like drama films. But I think it will be a good movie if it is inspired by true events.

2.    I think it is a beautiful film with a beautiful love story.

3.    I just saw the trailer and I'm intrigued.

4.    The plot is about an ex-convict, called Jean Valjean, who has a difficult life, but he received the help of Myriel who asked him for a change in his life.

5.    Since Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto won the Academy award, the film caught my attention. I have seen the trailer and it’s fascinating.

6.    I want to see this movie because it’s very difficult to tell a story about AIDS without falling into cliché. 

7.    I have already seen this movie. I think it’s very entertaining and the cinematography is stunning.

8.    You do not know whether to laugh, cry...

9.    The director is Stanley Kubrick, and this is one of the reasons why I want to see it.

10. Thelma & Louise was filmed in 1991 so maybe you saw the movie once, but if you haven't seen yet you should read this review and push the play on your DVD player, because the combination of the plot and the cast puts this movie in an extraordinary place inside the world of the road movies.

11. As a journalist and voracious reader I have to see this movie soon! I'm a declared fan of Truman Capote and his book In Cold Blood  is one of my favourite non-fiction novels.

CORRECTIONS

As usual, there are also some incorrect sentences in the written activity. I've chosen the lucky number 13 for your final error correction exercise! Even though there are more sentences this time, you'll see that by now the corrections you have to make are very easy! I hope to see more people participate in this final exercise!

1.    It is an amazing story. I really liked the movie because you can see how difficult was to convince the author.

à Here there’s a very small mistake: just a missing word. What word is missing?

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REASON:

2.    This movie is supposed to be interesting, exciting and with mani adventures.

à There’s a spelling mistake here.

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3.    I am agree with the following review.

à Oh, no! The worst mistake you can make!

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4.    I enjoyed with this film. Although, at the moment the film remembered to another film The Sixth Senses.

à Two big errors: wrong structure and wrong word.

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5.    I think that this movie is very real, because nowadays some people have a close relative with this ill.

à The word “ill” is an adjective. Do you need an adjective here?

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6.    I have also chosen this film for your actors, Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore.

à Always be careful with what pronouns you use! You need to be consistent.

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7.    It is a haunting movie; you don’t understand some things until the end where you can see the different way to narrate a ghost story, by the point of view of the ghosts, who are experiencing strange thing into their house.

à Very good sentence! It’s almost perfect!

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8.    Is one of the better science fiction films that I have ever seen, although I’m not lover of science fiction films, but I would recommend it to someone.

à Remember comparative and superlative adjectives?

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9.    Two days ago I see the trailer, and the dark ambience and the special effects are spectacular!

à Past, present or future?

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10. Philippe is a quadriplegic millionaire and when he hires Driss as a nurse, his live will change.  

à What’s wrong here?

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11. In the movie appear different historical moments, as the Vietnam War, the killed of the president Kennedy, the hippy movement, etc. 

à Two incorrect word choices. Why?

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12. I think that I'm sure that I will watch it but, you think that will like me?

à Almost!

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13. I don't like this movie, because there are too much blood in this movie.

à Is the word “blood” countable or uncountable?

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CA4 - Written Task - General Comments + Error Correction

Hello, class!

Now that we’ve completed Activity 4, I would like to give you some general feedback. Below you will find general feedback on the first task of Activity 4 (the written task in the forum). Remember that soon you will receive individual feedback for Task 2 (the Tandem conversation).

GOOD EXPRESSIONS

Here are some excellent expressions you used when applying for jobs. I suggest you have a look at all the examples, because I’m sure you’ll find something new! (Some of these sentences contained very small mistakes, which I corrected in bold.)

1.    I'm writing in response to your advertisement for lifeguard, which I saw advertised on http://www.idealist.org/view/job/hFDkMpw9C3H4/. 

2.    I consider myself a responsable, tidy, methodical and hard-working person, accustomed to work on rotating turns, driving some different trucks (I have all of types of truck driver licenses), and I believe I will be a valuable asset to your great team in Kent

3.    I am writing you to apply for the position of Cirque du Soleil Performer which I saw advertised on your website. As you can see from my attached CV, I have been working as a String Gymnast during 5 years in a Fantasy Circus. I have my own performance with fire

4.    As you can see from my attached CV, I have a lot experience in graphic design in different enterprises and as a freelance I have all the latest versions of PowerPoint and other specific design programmes in my MacProBook.

5.    I consider myself a dynamic and responsible person with initiative and organizational skills. I think these skills might fit in the position that you are offering. I appreciate your attention and I hope to be a valuable contribution to your company.

6.    As you can see from my attached CV, my qualifications include a degree in Multimedia Studies from UOC (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya) and some specialized courses of the most important design programs such as Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator and Flash.

7.    I think I am a good candidate for this job because I am a hard worker, I love my job, I investigate and improve the current education through new techniques; I try to learn a lot of things every day... I hope you will consider me for this job. I look forward to your reply.

ERROR CORRECTION EXERCISE

And now we have reached your second error correction exercise! The routine is the same: have a good look at the nine sentences below and try to correct them. I have marked the mistakes in red. Write the corrected sentence below and also try to give a short explanation about why the original sentence was incorrect. Send me your corrections to the Exercises forum.

1.    In addition, as you can see from my attached CV, I have been working as pastry chef, and I have worked in different restaurants in Spain and foreign countries, where I prepared desserts.

CORRECTION:

REASON:

2.    I am interested in you advertisement.

CORRECTION:

REASON:

3.    I have worked at several beauty saloons since I was 22 years old.

CORRECTION:

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4.    I have large experience how lifeguard in differents swimingpools and some experience how beach lifeguard.

CORRECTION:

REASON:

5.    With reference to your advertisement published on Tuesday May 6 in the Forum, I am writting to apply for the position of Reack Truck Driver. 

CORRECTION:

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6.    I hope you consider me for this freelance job. If you need some references of my lasts jobs I'll keep in touch with these companies.

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7.    Dear Sir, // I saw her job offer as a teacher through the internet and I found very interesting.

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8.    I have experience in all levels of education; I worked in kindergarten and private school as a teacher. I think they are a good candidate for this job.

CORRECTION:

REASON:

9.    I'm a authentic beer fan, I have knowledges of the elaboration process of different beers and ingredients.

CORRECTION:

REASON:

Activity 2 - Task 1 - Error Correction Exercise 1

Hello, everyone! In this post, you’ll find some comments on Activity 2, Task 2: your wiki profiles. You’ll also find a new optional (but VERY useful!) exercise.

Overall, I have to say that I’m very happy with your work on the wiki profiles. Most of you chose to do your own personal profile, but some of you decided to make up characters, and both options turned out really well. Congratulations on your hard work!

EXCELLENT EXPRESSIONS

The following are some selected sentences from the different wiki profiles you created. All of these sentences contain excellent use of the language, plus some very good expressions! Great job! Please have a look because I’m sure everyone will find something useful here.

I’m agnostic, but I know different religions. I like learning about any topic I find interesting.

I studied primary teaching at Universidad de Valencia and now I work at a nursery school in Moixent.

I like polite and intelligent people who can talk to me about any topic.

 Do you think it is possible to travel with children?

As a student I had a few odd jobs to earn some money for my expenses

Three years ago I got married with a Catalan guy, he is the reason why I live in Sant Cugat.

5 adjectives that describe you: Sensible, nonconformist, open-minded, sociable, foul-mouthed.

I have two children about 17 and 14 years old, both boys. They are teenagers, so they are at a delicate age... but right now, I think I will survive!

Something I can’t stand: People who make a decision about what type of person you are before they get to know you.

ERROR CORRECTION

In this section, you will find some sentences that contain errors. This will be your first error correction exercise. Have a look at the example. I’ve marked the parts of the sentence which contain errors. Then, I’ve written the corrected version of the sentence and given a reason why the original was incorrect. Can you give it a try?

Please send your error correction exercise to the class forum called “Exercises.” I will post a message on the Notice Board about this.

0. Have you participed in one running race?

CORRECTION:   Have you [ever] participated in a race?

REASON: In the original sentence, the verb was incorrect. //

In the original, the student wrote “one race.” The use of “one” in English is a bit unnatural, since “one” is used specifically to refer to the number “one.” It is used to draw attention (per cridar l’atenció de que només és UN, no dos ni tres, només un, ja que la paraula és una número). Because it is used to draw attention, it sounds strange in this sentence. The most natural way to say “una cursa” in English is simply “a race.” The word “a” is an article, and it is used with singular nouns. //

I decided to eliminate “running.” It isn’t necessary. //

Finally, when asking about things that people have done in their lives (life experience), you can also use the word “ever”: have you ever… (+verb) = alguna vegada has…

So that was my example correction! Can you correct the other sentences? This is an optional activity, but I highly recommend it because you will see some common mistakes students make in B.1 level—and you’ll have the chance to correct them! This time I’ll help you and I’ll mark the errors in red!

I recommend you follow these steps:

1) Highlight the sentences and copy them.

2) Paste the sentences in a Word document.

3) Make your corrections in the Word document.

4) When finished, copy all your work and paste it in a message for the Exercises forum.

1. I also really like to travel and now we are planning a travel to Thailand.

CORRECTION:

REASON:

2. I educate childrens from 6-11 years old.

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3. Languages: spanish, catalan, french and italian.

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4. I have a very good couple called Cristina, she is the mother of my two beautiful daughters.

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5. In the actually I return to live with my parents and my sisters. 

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6. Finally I came back to Barcelona in 2007 for living near my family in my hometown.

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7. I'm not religious but I agree with the differents religions. 

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8. There I met my wife, but 2 years after get married we divorced we want different things in ours life.

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9. Now, I'm working like a medical researcher.

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10. I like psychology books because are useful in my life.

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