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Resources to Help You Learn English Grammar
Grammar is one of the key requirements for learning English. This article gives you some insight into the kind of resources that you might use for this purpose. You can then expand on the resources that have been discussed.
Using resources to teach English grammar
When you are teaching the language, it is important to consider all the avenues that are open to you. There are some really great resources that are provided at the British Council as well as the American Consulate. You can also use the internet to access some important tools for your task. Broadly speaking these are some of the resources that are available to you
1. Novels and plays: You should expose your students to a wide range of novels and plays. Apart from the classics such as Jane Austen and Charles Dickens, you should try to use modern writers as well. Harry Porter is a great resource for younger students. Get the students to select the materials that have specific interest for them. In that sense, they can learn English whilst enjoying the experience.
2. Interactive CD-ROMs and cassettes: The use of interactive cassettes and other forms of media has grown in stature as we become aware of modern learning techniques. Remember that the younger generation is already conversant with these tools when they play video games. You are merely giving them the opportunity to become better at a language using the tools that they routinely work with.
3. Videos and television: The power of visual images cannot be underestimated when learning a new language. Some viewers spend an average of five hours a day on television. That time is well spent if they are learning English in the process. Make sure that your students get access to informative television programs from time to time.
4. Blogs: Many of the international universities such as the University of Liverpool are effectively using the internet to communicate with their students. You can set up a blog which will help your students to practice their writing skills. At the same time you can give them feedback on how well they are doing through this medium.
5. Illustrated Comics: This is an innovative way to get your students to study the language in an enjoyable format. Some of the great French comics have been successfully translated into English. Why not use Tin-Tin to get your students to practice their grammar? You might even get them to do the work in their leisure time.
The resources for teaching English grammar are in no way exhaustive. You will need to find a set of materials that helps you in your work. At the same time you have to maintain interest in the classroom. These materials can help you to achieve this objective through the variety of ways in which the information is presented. You will also be using modern technology to ensure that you are leading the class effectively. Those are the minimum standards that are expected in this context as you expand the educational horizons of your students.
Using resources to teach English grammar
When you are teaching the language, it is important to consider all the avenues that are open to you. There are some really great resources that are provided at the British Council as well as the American Consulate. You can also use the internet to access some important tools for your task. Broadly speaking these are some of the resources that are available to you
1. Novels and plays: You should expose your students to a wide range of novels and plays. Apart from the classics such as Jane Austen and Charles Dickens, you should try to use modern writers as well. Harry Porter is a great resource for younger students. Get the students to select the materials that have specific interest for them. In that sense, they can learn English whilst enjoying the experience.
2. Interactive CD-ROMs and cassettes: The use of interactive cassettes and other forms of media has grown in stature as we become aware of modern learning techniques. Remember that the younger generation is already conversant with these tools when they play video games. You are merely giving them the opportunity to become better at a language using the tools that they routinely work with.
3. Videos and television: The power of visual images cannot be underestimated when learning a new language. Some viewers spend an average of five hours a day on television. That time is well spent if they are learning English in the process. Make sure that your students get access to informative television programs from time to time.
4. Blogs: Many of the international universities such as the University of Liverpool are effectively using the internet to communicate with their students. You can set up a blog which will help your students to practice their writing skills. At the same time you can give them feedback on how well they are doing through this medium.
5. Illustrated Comics: This is an innovative way to get your students to study the language in an enjoyable format. Some of the great French comics have been successfully translated into English. Why not use Tin-Tin to get your students to practice their grammar? You might even get them to do the work in their leisure time.
The resources for teaching English grammar are in no way exhaustive. You will need to find a set of materials that helps you in your work. At the same time you have to maintain interest in the classroom. These materials can help you to achieve this objective through the variety of ways in which the information is presented. You will also be using modern technology to ensure that you are leading the class effectively. Those are the minimum standards that are expected in this context as you expand the educational horizons of your students.
Master in English with latest E-Learning Technology
In today’s world, knowledge of English is a must. You need to understand it in order to carry on conversation with everyone. If you want to excel in your field, you need to be thorough with it. There are many ways, which help you to learn English. The new technology advancements have made it very clear that you can learn or master English by just staying at your own place. In today’s hectic life, not everyone gets time to manage everything. We just have 24 hours and we have to manage everything within the same time period. With everyone involved in to office, school and colleges, it may feel burdened to take time out for learning or mastering English. But with E learning available to us, everyone can learn English at the suitable time.
Before you joining E learning classes, you need to do a little home work at your end. You must get an English Dictionary, which is a must. Secondly, you must try to go through the chapters by yourself. Once you enroll yourself in any of the E learning class for mastering English, it would be helpful. Secondly, when you get taught by English through E learning system, you must practice it every day. This is one of the important things. Unless you start speaking, you would not get corrected at the mistakes. So start speaking whatever you learn on every day basis. E learning helps you to master English from any corner of the world. You can use the software from any part of world. You have some of the best tutors of English who would help you to learn and become fluent in this language. All you need to do is search for some of the best means that can be handled by you and that suits your time.
Everyone can master in English with the help of e learning. There is no discarding factor involved. You can clear out all kinds of confusions with the tutor. You have so many features involved with e learning facilities. When you are looking out to master English, you must get out with E learning. You can chat with your other friends who are learning English in similar way. Apart from the e learning classes that you do, you need to practice it well in your life. You can speak amongst each other in English. You can read out novels as well as newspapers in order to understand the language in depth. Wherever you have any confusions, you can just your tutor know about it.
E learning provides you so many samples of getting in touch with English. You are being provided the audio files where you can know the correct pronunciations involved with any word. You can communicate in English. You are also being given course material by the online medium itself. So get going to master in English with the help of E learning methods. You are sure to get all kinds of exposure with English through E learning medium too. Now, you just do not need to depend on physical class room to learn English.
Problems With Learning the English Language
English presents a number of issues to non-native (and sometimes native) speakers. It is grammatically unlike other languages, even those from which it has borrowed large vocabulary groups, and possesses a number of irregularities. Understanding these features of English may help the non-native speaker grasp the language and help native speakers see why learning English can be so difficult.
Related Languages
One problem with learning English is that is not directly related to many languages. The two closest are Scots and Frisian, but even these are not, for the most part, mutually intelligible with English. One of the things that makes learning a new language easier is already speaking a related language, and very few people speak languages closely related to English.
Plural Nouns
Though most nouns in English simply add "s" to their singular form to create the plural, there are many exceptions to this rule. These include words ending in "f" or "fe" (wife/wives, knife/knives), words ending in "y" (spy/spies, fly/flies), words that change interior vowel sounds (man/men; mouse/mice), and Old English plurals, such as child/children and ox/oxen.
Verb Tenses
English has a relatively large number of verb tenses, the correct mastering of which is important for communicating shades of meaning in English. To complicate the difficulty, English uses many auxiliary words, instead of verbal inflection, to create its tenses.
Irregular Verbs
English has many irregular verbs. Some English verbs are altered radically in conjugation (drink/drank/drunk, grow/grew/grown), while others do not change at all, such as burst/burst/burst and cast/cast/cast.
Writing System
There is often little connection between the way a word is written and the way it is pronounced. Consider cough vs. through and flood vs. door. Other inconsistencies include heteronyms, words that are spelled the same but pronounced differently, such as wound (wrapped up) and wound (an injury), and row (a fight) and row (a line of something).
Syntax
English relies heavily on word order to convey meaning, while many other languages rely on case systems that show relationships between words with noun, pronoun and adjectival endings. English only retains these relationships with pronouns, but the alternations in English pronouns are also highly irregular.
Related Languages
One problem with learning English is that is not directly related to many languages. The two closest are Scots and Frisian, but even these are not, for the most part, mutually intelligible with English. One of the things that makes learning a new language easier is already speaking a related language, and very few people speak languages closely related to English.
Plural Nouns
Though most nouns in English simply add "s" to their singular form to create the plural, there are many exceptions to this rule. These include words ending in "f" or "fe" (wife/wives, knife/knives), words ending in "y" (spy/spies, fly/flies), words that change interior vowel sounds (man/men; mouse/mice), and Old English plurals, such as child/children and ox/oxen.
Verb Tenses
English has a relatively large number of verb tenses, the correct mastering of which is important for communicating shades of meaning in English. To complicate the difficulty, English uses many auxiliary words, instead of verbal inflection, to create its tenses.
Irregular Verbs
English has many irregular verbs. Some English verbs are altered radically in conjugation (drink/drank/drunk, grow/grew/grown), while others do not change at all, such as burst/burst/burst and cast/cast/cast.
Writing System
There is often little connection between the way a word is written and the way it is pronounced. Consider cough vs. through and flood vs. door. Other inconsistencies include heteronyms, words that are spelled the same but pronounced differently, such as wound (wrapped up) and wound (an injury), and row (a fight) and row (a line of something).
Syntax
English relies heavily on word order to convey meaning, while many other languages rely on case systems that show relationships between words with noun, pronoun and adjectival endings. English only retains these relationships with pronouns, but the alternations in English pronouns are also highly irregular.
Healthy Lifestyle Tips
Human beings are very often products of our environments. Whatever habits we are surrounded with are what we usually pick up as a kid. Our parents set the standard for us as kids at an early age when it comes to our nutritional habits. If people had more knowledge about nutrition and how to lead a healthy lifestyle we wouldn't have the problem we have today with obesity starting already at the age of 5 in our society. Knowledge is power and to have the power to make the right choices based upon your knowledge is what makes the difference in people's life. To make healthy conscious choices makes you feel very powerful and strong. You are in charge of your own healthy and your own lifestyle. Nobody likes to be the victim of his or her own environment.
Healthy Lifestyle Tips: Educate Your Family
Educate yourself and your family. Learn how to cook healthy meals for your children and your family. The more knowledge you have as an adult, the more you can pass on to your children and give them a healthy start in life.
Healthy Lifestyle Tips: Build a Support Group
If you are starting a strict diet, try to get the support from your family and friends. The more informed people around you are the more you can count on them to support you in your pursue of a healthy lifestyle.
Healthy Lifestyle Tips: Avoid Temptation
Clean out the cupboards in your kitchen and through out everything that you shouldn't eat. Create a new healthy kitchen for you and your family. Do not buy anything in the grocery store that is not on your diet. If you bring it home, you will end up eating it at a weak moment. The rule is very simple: If you shouldn't eat it, don't buy it!
Healthy Lifestyle Tips: Top Up On Tap
Bring a bottle of water with you everywhere you go whether it's shopping, driving in your car, going to a meeting or just to work. Don't let that water bottle leave your side all day. Keep drinking your water throughout the day.
Healthy Lifestyle Tips: Beat The Pavement
Take a walk around the block at night before you go to bed to clear your mind and to get some fresh air before you go to sleep. If you work in the city, take a 20 minutes walk at your lunch. It will relieve some stress and get your metabolism going. If you have the possibility to take a power nap nothing will recharge your batteries better then a 20-30 minutes catnap.
Healthy Lifestyle Tips: New Role Models
If you are trying to change old habits and create new healthy ones it can sometimes be hard to do it all alone. Try to find other people that are going through the same experience and share your thoughts with them. Join a community group or participate in an online health and fitness message board.
Healthy Lifestyle Tips: New Activities
Pick up a new activity involving the whole family such as hiking, group exercise and outdoor activities in the park on the weekends. There is a lot offered if you just look around you a little.
Healthy Lifestyle Tips: Change Your Mind
Put little notes of motivational thoughts and other supporting words in your home in places where you will walk by them constantly. Changing your lifestyle takes discipline, energy, determination, motivation and will power but it can be done and the sooner you start to take that first step towards a healthier you the sooner you get to reap the rewards.
Healthy Lifestyle Tips: Get Personal
Join the nearest fitness center and book yourself a couple of sessions with a personal trainer. You will not only push yourself to go if you have an appointment with somebody but you will also learn so much more from a fitness professional then just how to use the exercise equipment. A personal trainer can answer a lot of your health related questions and help you put a weekly lifestyle schedule together that would work for you. Starting out with a personal trainer also help you get to know more people at the fitness center that are trying to do the same thing as you are.
Healthy Lifestyle Tips: Prepare for New Environment
If you have never been to a health club it can be intimidating the first time. Go online and find out as much information you can before you go there or call them up and ask all the questions on forehand. That way you will be a little bit prepared once you step foot inside the fitness center.
Healthy Lifestyle Tips: Educate Your Family
Educate yourself and your family. Learn how to cook healthy meals for your children and your family. The more knowledge you have as an adult, the more you can pass on to your children and give them a healthy start in life.
Healthy Lifestyle Tips: Build a Support Group
If you are starting a strict diet, try to get the support from your family and friends. The more informed people around you are the more you can count on them to support you in your pursue of a healthy lifestyle.
Healthy Lifestyle Tips: Avoid Temptation
Clean out the cupboards in your kitchen and through out everything that you shouldn't eat. Create a new healthy kitchen for you and your family. Do not buy anything in the grocery store that is not on your diet. If you bring it home, you will end up eating it at a weak moment. The rule is very simple: If you shouldn't eat it, don't buy it!
Healthy Lifestyle Tips: Top Up On Tap
Bring a bottle of water with you everywhere you go whether it's shopping, driving in your car, going to a meeting or just to work. Don't let that water bottle leave your side all day. Keep drinking your water throughout the day.
Healthy Lifestyle Tips: Beat The Pavement
Take a walk around the block at night before you go to bed to clear your mind and to get some fresh air before you go to sleep. If you work in the city, take a 20 minutes walk at your lunch. It will relieve some stress and get your metabolism going. If you have the possibility to take a power nap nothing will recharge your batteries better then a 20-30 minutes catnap.
Healthy Lifestyle Tips: New Role Models
If you are trying to change old habits and create new healthy ones it can sometimes be hard to do it all alone. Try to find other people that are going through the same experience and share your thoughts with them. Join a community group or participate in an online health and fitness message board.
Healthy Lifestyle Tips: New Activities
Pick up a new activity involving the whole family such as hiking, group exercise and outdoor activities in the park on the weekends. There is a lot offered if you just look around you a little.
Healthy Lifestyle Tips: Change Your Mind
Put little notes of motivational thoughts and other supporting words in your home in places where you will walk by them constantly. Changing your lifestyle takes discipline, energy, determination, motivation and will power but it can be done and the sooner you start to take that first step towards a healthier you the sooner you get to reap the rewards.
Healthy Lifestyle Tips: Get Personal
Join the nearest fitness center and book yourself a couple of sessions with a personal trainer. You will not only push yourself to go if you have an appointment with somebody but you will also learn so much more from a fitness professional then just how to use the exercise equipment. A personal trainer can answer a lot of your health related questions and help you put a weekly lifestyle schedule together that would work for you. Starting out with a personal trainer also help you get to know more people at the fitness center that are trying to do the same thing as you are.
Healthy Lifestyle Tips: Prepare for New Environment
If you have never been to a health club it can be intimidating the first time. Go online and find out as much information you can before you go there or call them up and ask all the questions on forehand. That way you will be a little bit prepared once you step foot inside the fitness center.
Story Dialougue Example
Lisa had just gotten out of the car and was heading around the corner of the garage when she ran into Brian. "Gosh, you startled me. I wasn't expecting you here." His face looked sort of pale and pinched. He's found out, she thought. I finally broke it off, but I was too late.
He said, "It's been a real day for expectations. Where were you? I've been waiting here for an hour. You didn't leave a note or---"
"I wasn't planning on going anywhere---" Which sounded like bullshit when she said it, and she knew it. She was wearing a navy dress with a fitted waist and a low neckline, which had been a gift from Kevin. Heels. Hose. Make-up. The last time Brian had seen her in make-up when they weren't on their way to church or a restaurant had been right after the second baby was born. Eight years ago? Yeah. About that.
He raised an eyebrow. "I can see that." Pure sarcasm. For a moment his face lost the pinched look, and she saw suspicion in his eyes. "Where's your coat?"
"I left the house in a hurry. I ... um ... my mother ..."
The pinched look was back around his eyes, and she stopped, suddenly frightened. He knew she hadn't been visiting her mother in the hospital. Maybe he'd hired a detective to follow her. The sound of her heart pounding roared in her ears. If he really knew, she would lose everything. The boys. Brian. Her home. Her friends.
But he was saying, "The hospital reached you? God, I'm sorry. That's why---"
Now the scared feeling was worse. Different. But worse. "The hospital?"
"They called me when they couldn't get you."
"I don't understand."
"Your mother. You said ---"
The lie came easily, easier than the lies that had preceded it over the last three months, pouring out of her mouth without any effort on her part. She shivered and rubbed her arms and said, "I ran out to buy some flowers for her. She's been so down." Breast cancer and a modified mastectomy at fifty-eight. Mom was in the hospital doing chemo, and she was coming through it like a trooper, but she really had been down. Not that Lisa had done much to cheer her up. She'd had her mind on ... other things. No more of that, though.
The suspicion was back in his eyes. "For three hours you've been buying flowers?"
"And then I drove around. I've had ... a lot on my mind. But I'm fine now. Fine."
He looked a little sick. "You didn't go by the hospital?"
"No." She'd been saving that for when she could look her mother in the eye again. No, mom, I'm not cheating on my husband. I'm not cheating on my family. I'm a good wife. A good mother. Now she could do that. "Look, I'm freezing. Let's go inside. Why did the hospital call? Does the doctor need to talk to me about more tests?"
He was shaking his head---no, no, no---and his eyes were as bleak as the day. "We have to go to the hospital."
Her mother was being demanding again. She couldn't face that right now. Not after the scene with Kevin. That had been ugly. Ugly. Never again, she promised herself. "I've had a terrible---"
He cut her off. "We have to go to the hospital. Now. The rest of your family is already there."
Everything shifted. He hadn't come home because he knew about the affair. He hadn't come home because the hospital had been trying to reach her about another of her mother's demanding snits. Everything she did to make things right, she had done too late. "Oh. Oh, God. Mom's all right, isn't she?" But the look on his face told her what she already knew. "Oh, Christ, she isn't. I'm being punished ... she's dead."
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He said, "It's been a real day for expectations. Where were you? I've been waiting here for an hour. You didn't leave a note or---"
"I wasn't planning on going anywhere---" Which sounded like bullshit when she said it, and she knew it. She was wearing a navy dress with a fitted waist and a low neckline, which had been a gift from Kevin. Heels. Hose. Make-up. The last time Brian had seen her in make-up when they weren't on their way to church or a restaurant had been right after the second baby was born. Eight years ago? Yeah. About that.
He raised an eyebrow. "I can see that." Pure sarcasm. For a moment his face lost the pinched look, and she saw suspicion in his eyes. "Where's your coat?"
"I left the house in a hurry. I ... um ... my mother ..."
The pinched look was back around his eyes, and she stopped, suddenly frightened. He knew she hadn't been visiting her mother in the hospital. Maybe he'd hired a detective to follow her. The sound of her heart pounding roared in her ears. If he really knew, she would lose everything. The boys. Brian. Her home. Her friends.
But he was saying, "The hospital reached you? God, I'm sorry. That's why---"
Now the scared feeling was worse. Different. But worse. "The hospital?"
"They called me when they couldn't get you."
"I don't understand."
"Your mother. You said ---"
The lie came easily, easier than the lies that had preceded it over the last three months, pouring out of her mouth without any effort on her part. She shivered and rubbed her arms and said, "I ran out to buy some flowers for her. She's been so down." Breast cancer and a modified mastectomy at fifty-eight. Mom was in the hospital doing chemo, and she was coming through it like a trooper, but she really had been down. Not that Lisa had done much to cheer her up. She'd had her mind on ... other things. No more of that, though.
The suspicion was back in his eyes. "For three hours you've been buying flowers?"
"And then I drove around. I've had ... a lot on my mind. But I'm fine now. Fine."
He looked a little sick. "You didn't go by the hospital?"
"No." She'd been saving that for when she could look her mother in the eye again. No, mom, I'm not cheating on my husband. I'm not cheating on my family. I'm a good wife. A good mother. Now she could do that. "Look, I'm freezing. Let's go inside. Why did the hospital call? Does the doctor need to talk to me about more tests?"
He was shaking his head---no, no, no---and his eyes were as bleak as the day. "We have to go to the hospital."
Her mother was being demanding again. She couldn't face that right now. Not after the scene with Kevin. That had been ugly. Ugly. Never again, she promised herself. "I've had a terrible---"
He cut her off. "We have to go to the hospital. Now. The rest of your family is already there."
Everything shifted. He hadn't come home because he knew about the affair. He hadn't come home because the hospital had been trying to reach her about another of her mother's demanding snits. Everything she did to make things right, she had done too late. "Oh. Oh, God. Mom's all right, isn't she?" But the look on his face told her what she already knew. "Oh, Christ, she isn't. I'm being punished ... she's dead."
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Writing Story Dialogue
Writing verbal conversations or dialogue is often one of the trickiest parts of creative writing. New writers often go into a story thinking it should be easy; after all, we all hold conversations several times a day!
What new story writers quickly realize is that crafting a relevant dialogue within the context of a story requires much more work than carrying out natural conversation.
Dialogue isn't just about creating direct quotations from different characters. Sometimes dialogue is best when it's put into a summarized form, rather than the drawn-out form of an actual conversation.
If you think about it, our conversations are boring to read, for the most part. A normal exchange would go something like this:
"Hi Tony," said Katy.
"Hey," Tony answered.
"What's wrong?" Katy asked.
"Nothing," Tony said.
"Really? You don't act like nothing's wrong."
Pretty tiresome dialogue, right? But by condensing a conversation within the narrative, the writer can convey relevant information that isn't important enough to merit its own dialogue segment. You might think ofdialogue as feelings that are verbalized in an abbreviated way.
Instead of writing a dialogue like the one above, a writer could condense the scene:
"Hi Tony."
Tony looked down at his shoe, dug in his toe, and pushed around a pile of dust. "Hey," he replied.
Katy could tell something was wrong.
There are several important things to remember when writing conversations like the examples above, which are called direct dialogue:
•Do not use dialogue simply to convey information. Dialogue should set the scene, advance action, give insight into characterization, remind the reader, and foreshadow. Dialogue should always be doing many things at once.
•Keep the character's voice in mind but keep it readable. Dialogue doesn't have to be grammatically correct; it should read like actual speech. However, there must be a balance between realistic speech and readability.
•Don't use too much slang or misspelling in order to create a character's voice. Also remember to use speech as a characterization tool. Word choice tells a reader a lot about a person: appearance, ethnicity, sexuality, background, and morality.
•Tension! Sometimes saying nothing, or the opposite of what we know a character feels, is the best way to create tension. If a character wants to say 'I love you!" but their actions or words say 'I don't care,' the reader cringes at the missed opportunity.
Using Thoughts in Dialogue
Using thoughts or memories of occurrences and conversations can also show important details of a story without unnecessary character interaction. This indirect dialogue is another way of creating the feel of exchange without quotations. This often takes place internally in one of the characters.
"Hi Tony."
Tony looked down at his shoe, dug in his toe, and pushed around a pile of dust. "Hey," he replied.
Katy braced herself. Something was wrong.
It is important to keep in mind when writing thoughts not to use quotations. If you must write a direct thought, always italicize what is being "said" within the character's mind.
Formatting Short Story Dialogue
Format and style are key to successful dialogue. Correct tags, punctuation, and paragraphs can be almost as important as the actual quotations themselves.
The first thing to remember is that punctuation goes inside quotations.
•"I can't believe you just did that!"
Dialogue tags are the he said/she said's of quotations. Very often they are mistakenly used as forms of description. For example:
•"But I don't want to go to sleep yet," he whined.
While these types of tags are acceptable and even necessary at times, they should only be used sparingly. The dialogue and narration should be used to show the emotion or action stated in the tag. One of the most important rules of writing fiction is: show, don't tell.
Instead of telling the reader that the boy whined in the example above, a good writer will describe the scene in a way that conjures the image of a whining little boy:
•He stood in the doorway with his hands balled into little fists at his sides. His red, tear-rimmed eyes glared up at his mother. "But I don't want to go to sleep yet."
Paragraphs are very important to the flow and comprehension of the dialogue. Remember to start a new paragraph each time the speaker changes within the dialogue. This helps the reader know when someone new is speaking (and who it is).
If there is action involved with a speaking character, keep the description of the action within the same paragraph as the dialogue of the character engaged in it.
Creative writing is one of the few activities where hearing voices is not only a good thing, it is a necessity. If you find yourself having difficulty coming up with new voices for your characters, there are a few things you can do to help develop the voices in your head.
•Start a dialogue diary. Practice speech patterns and vocabulary that may be foreign to your normal habits. This will give you the opportunity to really get to know your characters.
•Eavesdrop. You should always carry a small notebook with you and write down phrases, words, or whole conversations verbatim to help develop your inner ear.
•Read! Reading will hone your creative abilities. It will help familiarize you with the form and flow of narration and dialogue until it becomes more natural in your writing.
As with anything, practice makes perfect. Not even the best writers get it right the first time. Start off writing in your dialogue diary and once you get to drafting, it will be a matter of molding your words into the feel and message that you intend.
What new story writers quickly realize is that crafting a relevant dialogue within the context of a story requires much more work than carrying out natural conversation.
Dialogue isn't just about creating direct quotations from different characters. Sometimes dialogue is best when it's put into a summarized form, rather than the drawn-out form of an actual conversation.
If you think about it, our conversations are boring to read, for the most part. A normal exchange would go something like this:
"Hi Tony," said Katy.
"Hey," Tony answered.
"What's wrong?" Katy asked.
"Nothing," Tony said.
"Really? You don't act like nothing's wrong."
Pretty tiresome dialogue, right? But by condensing a conversation within the narrative, the writer can convey relevant information that isn't important enough to merit its own dialogue segment. You might think ofdialogue as feelings that are verbalized in an abbreviated way.
Instead of writing a dialogue like the one above, a writer could condense the scene:
"Hi Tony."
Tony looked down at his shoe, dug in his toe, and pushed around a pile of dust. "Hey," he replied.
Katy could tell something was wrong.
There are several important things to remember when writing conversations like the examples above, which are called direct dialogue:
•Do not use dialogue simply to convey information. Dialogue should set the scene, advance action, give insight into characterization, remind the reader, and foreshadow. Dialogue should always be doing many things at once.
•Keep the character's voice in mind but keep it readable. Dialogue doesn't have to be grammatically correct; it should read like actual speech. However, there must be a balance between realistic speech and readability.
•Don't use too much slang or misspelling in order to create a character's voice. Also remember to use speech as a characterization tool. Word choice tells a reader a lot about a person: appearance, ethnicity, sexuality, background, and morality.
•Tension! Sometimes saying nothing, or the opposite of what we know a character feels, is the best way to create tension. If a character wants to say 'I love you!" but their actions or words say 'I don't care,' the reader cringes at the missed opportunity.
Using Thoughts in Dialogue
Using thoughts or memories of occurrences and conversations can also show important details of a story without unnecessary character interaction. This indirect dialogue is another way of creating the feel of exchange without quotations. This often takes place internally in one of the characters.
"Hi Tony."
Tony looked down at his shoe, dug in his toe, and pushed around a pile of dust. "Hey," he replied.
Katy braced herself. Something was wrong.
It is important to keep in mind when writing thoughts not to use quotations. If you must write a direct thought, always italicize what is being "said" within the character's mind.
Formatting Short Story Dialogue
Format and style are key to successful dialogue. Correct tags, punctuation, and paragraphs can be almost as important as the actual quotations themselves.
The first thing to remember is that punctuation goes inside quotations.
•"I can't believe you just did that!"
Dialogue tags are the he said/she said's of quotations. Very often they are mistakenly used as forms of description. For example:
•"But I don't want to go to sleep yet," he whined.
While these types of tags are acceptable and even necessary at times, they should only be used sparingly. The dialogue and narration should be used to show the emotion or action stated in the tag. One of the most important rules of writing fiction is: show, don't tell.
Instead of telling the reader that the boy whined in the example above, a good writer will describe the scene in a way that conjures the image of a whining little boy:
•He stood in the doorway with his hands balled into little fists at his sides. His red, tear-rimmed eyes glared up at his mother. "But I don't want to go to sleep yet."
Paragraphs are very important to the flow and comprehension of the dialogue. Remember to start a new paragraph each time the speaker changes within the dialogue. This helps the reader know when someone new is speaking (and who it is).
If there is action involved with a speaking character, keep the description of the action within the same paragraph as the dialogue of the character engaged in it.
Creative writing is one of the few activities where hearing voices is not only a good thing, it is a necessity. If you find yourself having difficulty coming up with new voices for your characters, there are a few things you can do to help develop the voices in your head.
•Start a dialogue diary. Practice speech patterns and vocabulary that may be foreign to your normal habits. This will give you the opportunity to really get to know your characters.
•Eavesdrop. You should always carry a small notebook with you and write down phrases, words, or whole conversations verbatim to help develop your inner ear.
•Read! Reading will hone your creative abilities. It will help familiarize you with the form and flow of narration and dialogue until it becomes more natural in your writing.
As with anything, practice makes perfect. Not even the best writers get it right the first time. Start off writing in your dialogue diary and once you get to drafting, it will be a matter of molding your words into the feel and message that you intend.
Short Story Writing: Dialogue
Dialogue, perhaps more than any other aspect of writing, is something one has to develop a feel for, but like other aspects, observing a few simple principles can help us on the way.
Dialogue is definitely not a representation of the way people really speak. Everyday speech is full of repetition and hesitation and mundane comments which are extremely tedious when written down.
"Good morning Janet, how are you?"
"Oh I'm fine thanks, how are you?"
"Not too bad thanks. Lovely weather today isn't it?" "Yes, gorgeous. Thank goodness that rain has stopped."
"Yes, I thought it would go on for ever. That's a nice dress you're wearing."
"Oh this old thing. I've had it for ages." "Did you watch any television last night?"
"Yes, I saw that film, it had that actor in it, what's his name? Oh goodness what is his name? It's on the tip of my tongue hold on a sec. . . . "
"Johnny Depp?"
"No, um, hold on a sec, it's coming . . . "
The yawning restless reader will not hold on a sec - he will abandon the story.
Dialogue should always be used to convey something important to the plot, and should be a distillation, or edited version, of real speech. It conveys the rhythm and syntax of real speech at its best, with all the roughness and redundancy pared away.
Dialogue needs to convey information to the reader, but in a way which sounds natural. For example if Janet says to Mary:
"Have you heard that John Jones is coming to work for us?"
This line conveys to us that there is a character around called John Jones with whom Janet is acquainted, and it does so in a way which sounds perfectly natural.
Don’t overload dialogue with information. If you do it becomes conspicuous and sounds unnatural. For example:
"Have you heard that John Jones, the guy I met on holiday in Majorca last year but who already had a girlfriend and lived in Manchester is coming to work for us?"
Don't be reluctant, as some people seem to be, to put in 'he said', 'she said', 'said Janet', 'said John' after lines of dialogue, but on the other hand, don’t put them in too often. We don't need them after every line, but we do need enough to keep us in touch with who is speaking. In a scene with only two characters they can largely be dispensed with, but with three or more characters present the reader will get lost without them. They are much less conspicuous when read than they seem while writing them.
The main objective in writing modern short story dialogue is to keep it brief and to the point. Every word must count, and it must sound natural. Listen to it as you write, and write it as the character would say it.
Dialogue is definitely not a representation of the way people really speak. Everyday speech is full of repetition and hesitation and mundane comments which are extremely tedious when written down.
"Good morning Janet, how are you?"
"Oh I'm fine thanks, how are you?"
"Not too bad thanks. Lovely weather today isn't it?" "Yes, gorgeous. Thank goodness that rain has stopped."
"Yes, I thought it would go on for ever. That's a nice dress you're wearing."
"Oh this old thing. I've had it for ages." "Did you watch any television last night?"
"Yes, I saw that film, it had that actor in it, what's his name? Oh goodness what is his name? It's on the tip of my tongue hold on a sec. . . . "
"Johnny Depp?"
"No, um, hold on a sec, it's coming . . . "
The yawning restless reader will not hold on a sec - he will abandon the story.
Dialogue should always be used to convey something important to the plot, and should be a distillation, or edited version, of real speech. It conveys the rhythm and syntax of real speech at its best, with all the roughness and redundancy pared away.
Dialogue needs to convey information to the reader, but in a way which sounds natural. For example if Janet says to Mary:
"Have you heard that John Jones is coming to work for us?"
This line conveys to us that there is a character around called John Jones with whom Janet is acquainted, and it does so in a way which sounds perfectly natural.
Don’t overload dialogue with information. If you do it becomes conspicuous and sounds unnatural. For example:
"Have you heard that John Jones, the guy I met on holiday in Majorca last year but who already had a girlfriend and lived in Manchester is coming to work for us?"
Don't be reluctant, as some people seem to be, to put in 'he said', 'she said', 'said Janet', 'said John' after lines of dialogue, but on the other hand, don’t put them in too often. We don't need them after every line, but we do need enough to keep us in touch with who is speaking. In a scene with only two characters they can largely be dispensed with, but with three or more characters present the reader will get lost without them. They are much less conspicuous when read than they seem while writing them.
The main objective in writing modern short story dialogue is to keep it brief and to the point. Every word must count, and it must sound natural. Listen to it as you write, and write it as the character would say it.
Top 8 Tips for Writing Dialogue
Writing dialogue — realistic dialogue, anyway — does not come easily to everyone. Done well, dialogue advances the story and fleshes out the characters while providing a break from straight exposition.
However, just as realistic dialogue is one of the most powerful tools at a writer's disposal, nothing pulls the reader out of a story faster than bad dialogue. It takes time to develop a good ear, but noting these simple rules and obvious pitfalls can make a huge difference.
1. Listen to How People Talk.
Having a sense of natural speech patterns is essential to good dialogue. Start to pay attention to the expressions that people use and the music of everyday conversation. This exercise asks you to do this more formally, but generally speaking it's helpful to develop your ear by paying attention to the way people talk.
2. Not Exactly like Real Speech.
But dialogue should read like real speech. How do you accomplish that? Alfred Hitchcock said that a good story was "life, with the dull parts taken out." This very much applies to dialogue. A transcription of a conversation would be completely boring to read. Edit out the filler words and unessential dialogue — that is, the dialogue that doesn't contribute to the plot in some way.
3. Don't Provide Too Much Info at Once.
It should not be obvious to the reader that they're being fed important facts. Let the story unfold naturally. You don't have to tell the reader everything up front, and you can trust him or her to remember details from earlier in the story.
4. Break Up Dialogue with Action.
Remind your reader that your characters are physical human beings by grounding their dialogue in the physical world. Physical details also help break up the words on the page: long periods of dialogue are easier for the reader's eye when broken up by description. (And vice versa, for that matter.) See the link above for examples of how this can work.
5. Don't Overdo Dialogue Tags.
Veering too much beyond "he said/she said" only draws attention to the tags — and you want the reader's attention centered on your brilliant dialogue, not your ability to think of synonyms for "said."
6. Stereotypes, Profanity, and Slang.
Be aware of falling back on stereotypes, and use profanity and slang sparingly. All of these risk distracting or alienating your reader. Anything that takes the reader out of the fictional world you're working so hard to create is not your friend. Read some examples of how to achieve the tone you want without stereotypes, profanity, and slang.
7. Read Widely.
Pay attention to why things work or don't work. Where are you taken out of the story's action? Where did you stop believing in a character? Or, alternatively, when did the character really jump off the page, and how did dialogue help accomplish that? You can start reading like a writer with the link above, or pick up an anthology and start your own list of writers to learn from.
8. Punctuate Dialogue Correctly.
The rules for punctuating dialogue can be confusing: many writers need help getting them right in the beginning. Take some time to learn the basics. A reader should get lost in your prose — not feel lost trying to follow your dialogue.
Resource: http://fictionwriting.about.com/od/crafttechnique/tp/dialogue.htm
However, just as realistic dialogue is one of the most powerful tools at a writer's disposal, nothing pulls the reader out of a story faster than bad dialogue. It takes time to develop a good ear, but noting these simple rules and obvious pitfalls can make a huge difference.
1. Listen to How People Talk.
Having a sense of natural speech patterns is essential to good dialogue. Start to pay attention to the expressions that people use and the music of everyday conversation. This exercise asks you to do this more formally, but generally speaking it's helpful to develop your ear by paying attention to the way people talk.
2. Not Exactly like Real Speech.
But dialogue should read like real speech. How do you accomplish that? Alfred Hitchcock said that a good story was "life, with the dull parts taken out." This very much applies to dialogue. A transcription of a conversation would be completely boring to read. Edit out the filler words and unessential dialogue — that is, the dialogue that doesn't contribute to the plot in some way.
3. Don't Provide Too Much Info at Once.
It should not be obvious to the reader that they're being fed important facts. Let the story unfold naturally. You don't have to tell the reader everything up front, and you can trust him or her to remember details from earlier in the story.
4. Break Up Dialogue with Action.
Remind your reader that your characters are physical human beings by grounding their dialogue in the physical world. Physical details also help break up the words on the page: long periods of dialogue are easier for the reader's eye when broken up by description. (And vice versa, for that matter.) See the link above for examples of how this can work.
5. Don't Overdo Dialogue Tags.
Veering too much beyond "he said/she said" only draws attention to the tags — and you want the reader's attention centered on your brilliant dialogue, not your ability to think of synonyms for "said."
6. Stereotypes, Profanity, and Slang.
Be aware of falling back on stereotypes, and use profanity and slang sparingly. All of these risk distracting or alienating your reader. Anything that takes the reader out of the fictional world you're working so hard to create is not your friend. Read some examples of how to achieve the tone you want without stereotypes, profanity, and slang.
7. Read Widely.
Pay attention to why things work or don't work. Where are you taken out of the story's action? Where did you stop believing in a character? Or, alternatively, when did the character really jump off the page, and how did dialogue help accomplish that? You can start reading like a writer with the link above, or pick up an anthology and start your own list of writers to learn from.
8. Punctuate Dialogue Correctly.
The rules for punctuating dialogue can be confusing: many writers need help getting them right in the beginning. Take some time to learn the basics. A reader should get lost in your prose — not feel lost trying to follow your dialogue.
Resource: http://fictionwriting.about.com/od/crafttechnique/tp/dialogue.htm
DIRECT & INDIRECT SPEECH
When using indirect or reported speech, the form changes. Usually indirect speech is introduced by the verb said, as in I said, Bill said, or they said. Using the verb say in this tense, indicates that something was said in the past. In these cases, the main verb in the reported sentence is put in the past. If the main verb is already in a past tense, then the tense changes to another past tense; it can almost be seen as moving even further into the past.
*Note than when a Yes/No question is being asked in direct speech, then a construction with if or whether is used. If a WH question is being asked, then use the WH to introduce the clause. Also note that with indirect speech, these are examples of embedded questions.
The situation changes if instead of the common said another part of the very to say is used. In that case the verb tenses usually remain the same. Some examples of this situation are given below.
Another situation is the one in which modal constructions are used. If the verb said is used, then the form of the modal, or another modal that has a past meaning is used.
While not all of the possibilities have been listed here, there are enough to provide examples of the main rules governing the use of indirect or reported speech. For other situations, try to extrapolate from the examples here, or better still, refer to a good grammar text or reference book.
Some other verbs that can be used to introduce direct speech are: ask, report, tell, announce, suggest, and inquire. They are not used interchangeably; check a grammar or usage book for further information.
Source: http://www.athabascau.ca/courses/engl/155/support/direct_and_indirect_speech.htm
Verb tense changes also characterize other situations using indirect speech. Note the changes shown in the chart and see the table below for examples. With indirect speech, the use of that is optional.
*Note than when a Yes/No question is being asked in direct speech, then a construction with if or whether is used. If a WH question is being asked, then use the WH to introduce the clause. Also note that with indirect speech, these are examples of embedded questions.
The situation changes if instead of the common said another part of the very to say is used. In that case the verb tenses usually remain the same. Some examples of this situation are given below.
Another situation is the one in which modal constructions are used. If the verb said is used, then the form of the modal, or another modal that has a past meaning is used.
While not all of the possibilities have been listed here, there are enough to provide examples of the main rules governing the use of indirect or reported speech. For other situations, try to extrapolate from the examples here, or better still, refer to a good grammar text or reference book.
Some other verbs that can be used to introduce direct speech are: ask, report, tell, announce, suggest, and inquire. They are not used interchangeably; check a grammar or usage book for further information.
Source: http://www.athabascau.ca/courses/engl/155/support/direct_and_indirect_speech.htm
Final Exam Tips FOR UFS 201: DRAMA AND ROLE PLAY IN ENGLISH
SECTION A:
Part I: Multiple Choice Questions (Grammar)
Part II: Multiple Choice Questions (Grammar)
SECTION B: STRUCTURED QUESTIONS
Part I: Reading Comprehension
Part II: Meaning of Word from the Comprehension
Part III: Change Direct Speech to Indirect Speech
Part IV: Putting Adjectives in the Correct Order
Part V: Completing sentences using the correct tense
SECTION C: ESSAY
Part I: Writing a short paragraph based on the topic given. The paragraph should be 100 to 150 words.
For example:
a) If I were a millionare,...
b) If I have a lot of money,...
c) If I were a doctor,...
d) If I were an engineer,...
e) If I were a teacher,...
Part II:
Choose ONE of the two synopses and write a story dialogue based on the synopsis chose. It should be 150 to 200 words. You may include narration where necessary.
For example:
1) Azhar meets her girlfriend at the cinema. Since his girlfriend looks tired and weak, Azhar advises her by giving some tips on healthy lifestyle.
2) Farra and Joanna are discussing about the importance of the mastering English Language and the problems they are facing in mastering the language.
3) Tracy and Claribel are the Sports Science students in UMS. They are discussing on how to educate the students to have a healty lifestyle by giving them tips during their presentation.
Please study the following post according to the tips given.
Best of Luck and Have a Nice Holiday!
P/S: HAPPY HARVEST FESTIVAL 2011 TO ALL!
Part I: Multiple Choice Questions (Grammar)
Part II: Multiple Choice Questions (Grammar)
SECTION B: STRUCTURED QUESTIONS
Part I: Reading Comprehension
Part II: Meaning of Word from the Comprehension
Part III: Change Direct Speech to Indirect Speech
Part IV: Putting Adjectives in the Correct Order
Part V: Completing sentences using the correct tense
SECTION C: ESSAY
Part I: Writing a short paragraph based on the topic given. The paragraph should be 100 to 150 words.
For example:
a) If I were a millionare,...
b) If I have a lot of money,...
c) If I were a doctor,...
d) If I were an engineer,...
e) If I were a teacher,...
Part II:
Choose ONE of the two synopses and write a story dialogue based on the synopsis chose. It should be 150 to 200 words. You may include narration where necessary.
For example:
1) Azhar meets her girlfriend at the cinema. Since his girlfriend looks tired and weak, Azhar advises her by giving some tips on healthy lifestyle.
2) Farra and Joanna are discussing about the importance of the mastering English Language and the problems they are facing in mastering the language.
3) Tracy and Claribel are the Sports Science students in UMS. They are discussing on how to educate the students to have a healty lifestyle by giving them tips during their presentation.
Please study the following post according to the tips given.
Best of Luck and Have a Nice Holiday!
P/S: HAPPY HARVEST FESTIVAL 2011 TO ALL!
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