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Go over language used for complaints - draw attention to differences between spoken language and written language from writing unit. Break students into groups. Give each group a "complaint" situation. Have groups create 2 dialogues - one where they approach the complaint inappropriately and one where it's handled appropriately. Dialogues should include "because/because of" sentences. Have students perform the "inappropriate" complaint in front of the class and have the rest of the class analyze why it is inappropriate. If there's time, have students perform the corrected version as well.

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Discuss what sort of language is appropriate for complaint emails (consider looking at some examples first). Go over email structure. Have students write a complaint email and do peer review of the emails. Have students email final draft to you for feedback.

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Find (or curate) level appropriate examples of emails that students can read. Create a set of comprehension questions for them and have students answer in groups. After students answer the questions, go over the answers. Discuss the types of questions use and what information they gather about the email. Break students into groups. Give each group a different email and have them work in breakout rooms to read the email and create 3-5 comprehension questions about the email. Have groups exchange emails/comprehension questions with another group. Go over answers as a class.

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After choosing your listening sample, create a graphic organizer that students can use while listening. Review the graphic organizer structure before listening. Have students fill out the graphic organizer while listening and then review in small groups before going over as a class.

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ELLLO - 50 High-Beginner Listening Lessons

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50 free ESL listening lessons for beginner students featuring naturally spoken English. ESL students and teachers can access free listening lessons that come with audio, script, quiz and vocabulary support.

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Using appropriate intonation to show attitude/emotion

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Clauses and Phrases

To understand punctuation, it is helpful to understand the difference between a phrase and a clause.

A I. phrase is a collection of words that may have nouns or verbals, but it does not have a subject doing a verb. The following are examples of phrases:

leaving behind the dog

smashing into a fence

before the first test

after the devastation

between ignorance and intelligence

broken into thousands of pieces

because of her glittering smile

In these examples above, you will find ). You also have some nouns ( dog, fence, test, devastation, ignorance, intelligence, thousands, pieces verbals ( leaving, smashing ), but in no case is the noun functioning as a subject doing a predicate verb. They are all phrases.

A II. clause is a collection of words that has a subject that is actively doing a verb. The following are examples of clauses:

since she laughs at diffident men

I despise individuals of low character

when the saints go marching in

Obediah Simpson is uglier than a rabid raccoon

because she smiled at him.

In the examples above, we find either a noun or a pronoun that is a subject (bold-print and red) attached to a predicate verb (underlined and purple) in each case:

since she laughs at diffident men

I despise individuals of low character

when the saints go marching in

Obediah Simpson is uglier than a rabid raccoon

because she smiled at him

If the clause could stand by itself, and form a complete sentence with punctuation, we call the clause an III. independent clause. The following are independent clauses:

I despise individuals of low character

Obediah Simpson is uglier than a rabid racoon

We could easily turn independent clauses into complete sentences by adding appropriate punctuation marks. We might say, "I despise individuals of low character." Or we might write, "Obediah Simpson is uglier than a rabid racoon!" We call them independent because these types of clauses can stand independently by themselves, without any extra words attached, and be complete sentences.

have a subject doing a verb, but they have a IV. Dependent clauses subordinate conjunction placed in front of the clause. That subordinate conjunction means that the clause can't stand independently by itself and become a complete sentence. Instead, the dependent clause is dependent upon another clause--it can't make a complete sentence by itself, even though it has a subject doing a verb. Here are some examples of dependent clauses:

since she laughs at diffident men

when the saints go marching in

because she smiled at him

These clauses simply do not form complete thoughts or sentences by themselves. Those subordinate conjunctions-- since, when, and because-- cause the listener to expect some extra material. The thought is incomplete. If you walked up to a friend in the dorms and said, "since she laughs at diffident men," and then walked away without adding an independent clause, the friend would be completely baffled.

It's important to understand the difference between phrases, dependent clauses, and independent clauses because many punctuation marks--such as commas, semicolons, and colons, require one or the other. Click here to move to subordinate conjunctions to learn more.

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composition doctor dr. english grammar literature medieval pedagogy poetry renaissance research rhetoric schemes teaching tropes writing

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This page is a resource for Doctor Wheeler's students in composition and literature. The page is still under construction, and I will be adding to this website over the term. Links include syllabus, course policies, composition, grammar, research, rhetoric, literature, poetry, classical literature, medieval literature, renaissance literature, and literary genres.

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Because of and because are both used to introduce reasons. Because of is a preposition, it is generally followed by a verb+ing or a noun. Because is a conjunction, it is followed by a subject and a verb. Here is an example of Because : * Because Maria was feeling sick, she didn't go to the superm...

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Grammar-Quizzes › Connectors › Connective Prepositions › Because Reduced Clause

Express cause in a shortened clause

Because + reason clause → Reduced Reason Clause (-ing)

Because is the head preposition of the connective prepositional phrase, which takes by a full clause (finite) or a reduced -ing clause (gerund-participle nonfinite clause) as its required complement. [because (P) + Tom worked so hard. (clause) = PrepPhrs) → Working so hard (gerund-particle nonfinite clause).

A f inite clause may stand alone as a complete sentence. The clause has a subject and a verb that can be inflected (suffixed) for tense or 3rd person.

A nonfinite clause cannot stand on its own. It rarely includes a subject and the verb cannot be inflected for tense or person. A nonfinite clause may serve as a subject or a complement to a verb, or preposition or noun (as a modifier). It takes form as an infinitival (to) work, gerund-participle -ing or past participle clause -ed.

¹Also called a dangling modifier or dangling participle. See Misrelated Clauses.

Contrasting Past Events

Participle Phrases - having verb+ed

Participle Phrases - having been

Errors and Solutions

Error and Solution

*Yellow highlighting marks an example of incorrect usage.

Nesting Birds

Shorten the reason (cause) clause.

1. Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.

2. Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "check" or "check 1-10" button.

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Grammar-Quizzes › Connectors › Connective Prepositions › Because Reduced Clause Because is the head preposition of the connective prepositional phrase, which takes by a full clause (finite) or a reduced -ing clause (gerund-participle nonfinite clause) as its required complement. [because (P) + Tom worked so hard.