FUTURE TIME: USING WILL
A. Statements |
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I will read this book tomorrow.
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[The simple form of a verb follows will.] |
| B. Questions |
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| Will Jeff wear his uniform tonight? |
[Will precedes subject; is usually first word.] |
| Who will prepare the meal tonight? |
[Subject precedes will and is usually first word.]
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| C. Contractions |
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| I will read. = I’ll read |
[Will is contracted to ‘ll with subject pronouns. These conjunctions are common in both speech and writing.] |
| You will read. = You’ll read. |
| She will read. = She’ll read. |
Etc…
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| D. Negative |
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| Frances will not be there. |
[Negative contaction: Will + not = won’t.] |
| Frances won’t be there. |
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Exercise: |
Change the sentences by using will to express future time. Use contractions where indicated. |
| 1. |
I’m going to arrive around six tomorrow.
I’ll arrive around six tomorrow. |
| 2. |
Fred isn’t going to come to our party tomorrow.
Fred will not come to our party tomorrow. |
| 3. |
Miriam is going to lead the band tomorrow. |
| 4. |
They’re going to start playing at seven o’clock. |
| 5. |
Is Carol wearing her best gown tonight? |
| 6. |
Zina isn’t going to read that book. |
| |
Etc… |
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A COUPLE AND A FEW...
With ago (past) and in (future)
1. He graduated a couple of months ago. |
[A couple of means “two.”] |
| 2. I heard from Rita a few weeks ago. |
[A few means “a small number.] |
| 3. Sheila will be here intwo minutes. |
[Numbers are often used in expressions with ago and in.] |
| Exercise: |
Complete the sentences using information from your own life. Use the words in italics.
Use ago or in. Use numbers (one, two, ten, fifteen, etc.) or the phrases a couple of or a few. |
| |
|
| 1. days |
We are going on vacation in a few days. |
| 2. hours |
I finished that job two hours ago. |
| 3. weeks |
Sarah wrote to me ______________________________. |
| 4. minutes |
Betty will be ready _____________________________. |
| 5. months |
Ruth and Wayne are going to be married ____________. |
| 6. years |
Sam graduated from SCSU ______________________. |
| |
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| |
Etc. … |
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SUFFIXES
Knowledge of suffixes and their meaning can be quite helpful in decoding and understanding long words and unfamiliar ones, and can also be a help in spelling the words. Suffixes are small clusters of letters added to the end of a word, changing form of the word. For example, adding the suffix -ness to the word, good, an adjective, creates a new word, goodness, a noun.
Rule for adding –ness to words ending in –y: Change y to i and add –ness.
A. The suffix -ness
Exercise 1. |
Complete these sentences, choosing the best word from the list at the left and add –ness to it.
|
fair |
1. Rose did it out of the goodness of her heart. |
| good |
2. The _______ of Barbara’s plan convinced everyone. |
| happy |
3. _____ was a characteristic of Sam as an athlete. |
| short |
4. Ernest showed his _______ at becoming a citizen by hosting a party. |
| rude |
5. The clerk’s _______ made Jimmy decide to patronize another store. |
| sound |
6. The patient’s _____ of breath caused the nurse to call a doctor to his side |
| |
Etc….
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| Exercise 2. |
Ask your student to find words ending in –ness in a newspaper article or other reading material, and to identify the stem word.
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| Exercise 3. |
Ask your student to find another common suffix and make a list of those words.
Those words can then be taught as sight words and used in sentences written by the student. |
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ABBREVIATIONS
Everybody knows all the abbreviations commonly used in newspaper articles, street maps, signs, etc.
Right? Maybe not. This exercise may be used in a number of ways – show your students the word and ask them to say the abbreviation; or show the abbreviation first; or ask them to find and identify abbreviations in their reading outside of class and in the classified section of a newspaper.
Exercise 1. Identify the meaning of each abbreviation:
in. (inch) |
km. (kilometer) |
oz. (ounce) |
gal. (gallon) |
| ft. (foot) |
m. (meter) |
qt. (quart) |
hr. (hour) |
| mi. (mile) |
lb. (pound) |
pt. (pint) |
min. (minute) |
Exercise 2. These abbreviations are frequently seen in the classified ads. Identify each.
refs. (references) |
pref. (preferred) |
trans. (transportation) |
lic. (license) |
| exp. (experience) |
req’d (required) |
equip. (equipment) |
vac. (vacation) |
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