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This is a practice worksheet for cause & effect signal language

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ESL Quiz - Active or Passive (Vera Mello) I-TESL-J

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This is a quiz for students of English as a second language. You can take this quiz and then check your answers right away. This is one of the quizzes from The Internet TESL Journal's 'Self-Study Quizzes for ESL Students'.

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Transitive verbs have both active and passive forms:

Passive forms are made up of with a past participle:

If we want to show the person or thing doing the action, we use by:

She was attacked by a dangerous dog.
The money was stolenby her husband.

Active and passive voice 1

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Active and passive voice 2

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Active and passive voice 3

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Level: intermediate
The passive infinitive is made up of to be with a past participle:

The doors are going to be locked at ten o'clock.
You shouldn't have done that. You oughtto be punished.

We sometimes use the verb get with a past participle to form the passive:

Be careful with that glass. It might get broken.
Petergot hurt in a crash.

We can use the indirect object as the subject of a passive verb:

We can use phrasal verbs in the passive:

Active and passive voice 4

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Active and passive voice 5

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Level: advanced
Some verbs which are very frequently used in the passive are followed by the :

John has been asked to make a speech at the meeting.
Youare supposed to wear a uniform.
The meetingis scheduled to start at seven.

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Learn how to form the passive voice and do the exercises to practise using it.

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An effective introductory paragraph both informs and motivates. It lets readers know what your essay is about and it encourages them to keep reading.

There are countless ways to begin an essay effectively. As a start, here are 13 introductory strategies accompanied by examples from a wide range of professional writers.

State Your Thesis Briefly and Directly

But avoid making your thesis a bald announcement, such as "This essay is about...".

"It is time, at last, to speak the truth about Thanksgiving, and the truth is this. Thanksgiving is really not such a terrific holiday...." (Michael J. Arlen, "Ode to Thanksgiving." The Camera Age: Essays on Television. Penguin, 1982)

Pose a Question Related to Your Subject

Follow up the question with an answer, or an invitation for your readers to answer the question.

"What is the charm of necklaces? Why would anyone put something extra around their neck and then invest it with special significance? A necklace doesn't afford warmth in cold weather, like a scarf, or protection in combat, like chain mail; it only decorates. We might say, it borrows meaning from what it surrounds and sets off, the head with its supremely important material contents, and the face, that register of the soul. When photographers discuss the way in which a photograph reduces the reality it represents, they mention not only the passage from three dimensions to two, but also the selection of a point de vue that favors the top of the body rather than the bottom, and the front rather than the back. The face is the jewel in the crown of the body, and so we give it a setting." (Emily R. Grosholz, "On Necklaces." Prairie Schooner, Summer 2007)

State an Interesting Fact About Your Subject

"The peregrine falcon was brought back from the brink of extinction by a ban on DDT, but also by a peregrine falcon mating hat invented by an ornithologist at Cornell University. If you cannot buy this, Google it. Female falcons had grown dangerously scarce. A few wistful males nevertheless maintained a sort of sexual loitering ground. The hat was imagined, constructed, and then forthrightly worn by the ornithologist as he patrolled this loitering ground, singing, Chee-up! Chee-up! and bowing like an overpolite Japanese Buddhist trying to tell somebody goodbye...." (David James Duncan, "Cherish This Ecstasy." The Sun, July 2008)

Present Your Thesis as a Recent Discovery or Revelation

"I've finally figured out the difference between neat people and sloppy people. The distinction is, as always, moral. Neat people are lazier and meaner than sloppy people." (Suzanne Britt Jordan, "Neat People vs. Sloppy People." Show and Tell. Morning Owl Press, 1983)

Briefly Describe the Primary Setting of Your Essay

"It was in Burma, a sodden morning of the rains. A sickly light, like yellow tinfoil, was slanting over the high walls into the jail yard. We were waiting outside the condemned cells, a row of sheds fronted with double bars, like small animal cages. Each cell measured about ten feet by ten and was quite bare within except for a plank bed and a pot of drinking water. In some of them brown silent men were squatting at the inner bars, with their blankets draped round them. These were the condemned men, due to be hanged within the next week or two." (George Orwell, "A Hanging," 1931)

Recount an Incident That Dramatizes Your Subject

"One October afternoon three years ago while I was visiting my parents, my mother made a request I dreaded and longed to fulfill. She had just poured me a cup of Earl Grey from her Japanese iron teapot, shaped like a little pumpkin; outside, two cardinals splashed in the birdbath in the weak Connecticut sunlight. Her white hair was gathered at the nape of her neck, and her voice was low. "Please help me get Jeff's pacemaker turned off," she said, using my father's first name. I nodded, and my heart knocked." (Katy Butler, "What Broke My Father's Heart." The New York Times Magazine, June 18, 2010)

Use the Narrative Strategy of Delay

The narrative strategy of delay allows you to put off identifying your subject just long enough to pique your readers' interest without frustrating them.

"They woof. Though I have photographed them before, I have never heard them speak, for they are mostly silent birds. Lacking a syrinx, the avian equivalent of the human larynx, they are incapable of song. According to field guides the only sounds they make are grunts and hisses, though the Hawk Conservancy in the United Kingdom reports that adults may utter a croaking coo and that young black vultures, when annoyed, emit a kind of immature snarl...." (Lee Zacharias, "Buzzards." Southern Humanities Review, 2007)

Use the Historical Present Tense

An effective method of beginning an essay is to use historical present tense to relate an incident from the past as if it were happening now.

"Ben and I are sitting side by side in the very back of his mother's station wagon. We face glowing white headlights of cars following us, our sneakers pressed against the back hatch door. This is our joy-his and mine-to sit turned away from our moms and dads in this place that feels like a secret, as though they are not even in the car with us. They have just taken us out to dinner, and now we are driving home. Years from this evening, I won't actually be sure that this boy sitting beside me is named Ben. But that doesn't matter tonight. What I know for certain right now is that I love him, and I need to tell him this fact before we return to our separate houses, next door to each other. We are both five." (Ryan Van Meter, "First." The Gettysburg Review, Winter 2008)

Briefly Describe a Process That Leads Into Your Subject

"I like to take my time when I pronounce someone dead. The bare-minimum requirement is one minute with a stethoscope pressed to someone's chest, listening for a sound that is not there; with my fingers bearing down on the side of someone's neck, feeling for an absent pulse; with a flashlight beamed into someone's fixed and dilated pupils, waiting for the constriction that will not come. If I'm in a hurry, I can do all of these in sixty seconds, but when I have the time, I like to take a minute with each task." (Jane Churchon, "The Dead Book." The Sun, February 2009)

Reveal a Secret or Make a Candid Observation

"I spy on my patients. Ought not a doctor to observe his patients by any means and from any stance, that he might the more fully assemble evidence? So I stand in doorways of hospital rooms and gaze. Oh, it is not all that furtive an act. Those in bed need only look up to discover me. But they never do." ( Richard Selzer, "The Discus Thrower." Confessions of a Knife. Simon & Schuster, 1979)

Open with a Riddle, Joke, or Humorous Quotation

You can use a riddle, joke, or humorous quotation to reveal something about your subject.

"Q: What did Eve say to Adam on being expelled from the Garden of Eden? A: 'I think we're in a time of transition.' The irony of this joke is not lost as we begin a new century and anxieties about social change seem rife. The implication of this message, covering the first of many periods of transition, is that change is normal; there is, in fact, no era or society in which change is not a permanent feature of the social landscape...." (Betty G. Farrell, Family: The Making of an Idea, an Institution, and a Controversy in American Culture. Westview Press, 1999)

Offer a Contrast Between Past and Present

"As a child, I was made to look out the window of a moving car and appreciate the beautiful scenery, with the result that now I don't care much for nature. I prefer parks, ones with radios going chuckawaka chuckawaka and the delicious whiff of bratwurst and cigarette smoke." (Garrison Keillor, "Walking Down The Canyon." Time, July 31, 2000)

Offer a Contrast Between Image and Reality

A compelling essay can begin with a contrast between a common misconception and the opposing truth.

"They aren't what most people think they are. Human eyes, touted as ethereal objects by poets and novelists throughout history, are nothing more than white spheres, somewhat larger than your average marble, covered by a leather-like tissue known as sclera and filled with nature's facsimile of Jell-O. Your beloved's eyes may pierce your heart, but in all likelihood they closely resemble the eyes of every other person on the planet. At least I hope they do, for otherwise he or she suffers from severe myopia (near-sightedness), hyperopia (far-sightedness), or worse...." (John Gamel, "The Elegant Eye." Alaska Quarterly Review, 2009)

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An effective introductory paragraph both informs and motivates. It lets readers know what your essay is about and it encourages them to keep reading. There are countless ways to begin an essay effectively. As a start, here are 13 introductory strategies accompanied by examples from a wide range of professional writers.

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Educreations is a community where anyone can teach what they know and learn what they don't. Our software turns any iPad or web browser into a recordable, interactive whiteboard, making it easy for teachers and experts to create engaging video lessons and share them on the web.

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Conditionals describe the result of a certain condition.

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Look at these examples to see how zero, first and second conditionals are used.

If you freeze water, it becomes solid.
If it rains tomorrow, I'll take the car.
If I lived closer to the cinema, I would go more often.

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Read the explanation to learn more.

Grammar explanation

Conditionals describe the result of a certain condition. The if clause tells you the condition ( If you study hard) and the main clause tells you the result ( you will pass your exams). The order of the clauses does not change the meaning.

If you study hard, you will pass your exams.
You will pass your exams if you study hard.

Conditional sentences are often divided into different types.

Zero conditional

We use the zero conditional to talk about things that are generally true, especially for laws and rules.

If I drink too much coffee, I can't sleep at night.
Ice melts if you heat it.
When the sun goes down, it gets dark.

The structure is: if/w hen + present simple >> present simple.

First conditional

We use the first conditional when we talk about future situations we believe are real or possible.

If it doesn't rain tomorrow, we'll go to the beach.
Arsenal will be top of the league if they win.
When I finish work, I'll call you.

In first conditional sentences, the structure is usually: if/ when + present simple >> will + infinitive.

It is also common to use this structure with unless, as long as, as soon as or in case instead of if.

I'll leave as soon as the babysitter arrives.
I don't want to stay in London unless I get a well-paid job.
I'll give you a key in case I'm not at home.
You can go to the party, as long as you're back by midnight.

Second conditional

The second conditional is used to imagine present or future situations that are impossible or unlikely in reality.

If we had a garden, we could have a cat.
If I won a lot of money, I'd buy a big house in the country.
I wouldn't worry if I were you.

The structure is usually: if + past simple >> + would + infinitive.

When if is followed by the verb be, it is grammatically correct to say if I were, if he were, if she were and if it were. However, it is also common to hear these structures with was, especially in the he/ she form.

If I were you, I wouldn't mention it.
If she was prime minister, she would invest more money in schools.
He would travel more if he was younger.

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Language level

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Do you know how to use the zero, first and second conditionals? Test what you know with interactive exercises and read the explanation to help you.

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Relative clauses

Meaning and use

Relative clauses are used to give additional information about a noun, such as a person, place or thing. Relative pronouns introduce a relative clause. They include who for people, that and which for things, when for time, and whose to show possession.

Relative clauses belong to one of two categories: defining relative clauses and non-defining relative clauses.

1. Defining relative clauses add essential information to a sentence.
The woman who found my wallet handed it in to reception. The student whose dog has run away has gone to look for it. I remember the day when we first met. These are the earrings that my mother gave me.
These clauses give essential information about the subject of the sentence. They define the person, time or thing that we are talking about. If we remove the clause, the sentence does not make sense.

2. Non-defining relative clauses add extra information to a noun or noun phrase.
My friend's birthday, which was last weekend, was great fun. My current girlfriend, who I love very much, calls me every night.
This extra information is not essential. If we remove the clause, the sentence still makes sense. This type of clause is more common in written English.

Form

Defining relative clauses are made with noun + relative pronoun + rest of clause.
A kangaroo is an animal which lives in Australia. The man who came for lunch Winter is a time when it sometimes snows. was my uncle. My favourite food, which used to be Italian, is now Japanese. Rachel, who we met yesterday, lives in this neighbourhood. My car, which I bought seven years ago, needs replacing. This shirt, which I bought last weekend, cost £50. My best friend, who I met at university, is coming for dinner.
Non-defining relative clauses are made in the same way. An important difference, however, between both types of clause, is the use of punctuation. With non-defining relative clauses, we separate the clause with commas. We cannot use that in this type of clause.

Take note: replacing the relative pronoun
The woman that called last night was very polite. Do you remember the time that you first met?
In informal communication, relative pronouns, such as who and when, are commonly replaced with that in defining relative clauses.

Take note: leaving out the relative pronoun
This is the shirt that I bought. This is the shirt I bought. The girl who I like isn't here yet. The girl I like isn't here yet.
When using defining relative clauses in informal speech and writing, the relative pronoun can be left out completely if it refers to the object of the relative clause.

In non-defining relative clauses, the relative pronoun cannot be left out.

Take note: spoken English

The relative pronoun who is used when referring to people. However, in formal written and spoken English, if the pronoun refers to the object of the clause, we use whom instead.

My German teacher, whom I really admired, retired last year.

The woman whom I called this morning was my secretary.

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BBC Learning English - Course: Towards Advanced / Unit 1 / Grammar Reference

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Relative clauses are used to give additional information about a noun, such as a person, place or thing. Relative pronouns introduce a relative clause. They include who for people, that and which for things, when for time, and whose to show possession. Relative clauses belong to one of two categories: defining relative clauses and non-defining relative clauses.

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This section offers listening practice to help you understand extended, standard speech about familiar topics that may contain complex ideas.

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Listening practice to help you understand extended, standard speech about familiar topics that may contain complex ideas. Situations include broadcasts, reviews, presentations and lectures.

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This section offers speaking practice to help you learn and practise useful phrases that will help you to speak English clearly and effectively.

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Speaking practice to help you learn useful language for everyday communication. Situations include giving advice, dealing with a problem and challenging someone's ideas.

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This is the first part of your Listening test. Listen to the audio and answer questions 1-10.

Listen to the instructions for each part of this section carefully. Answer all the questions. You can download the questions for the entire Listening practice test from the Listening practice test 1 page. The questions for part 1 are also shown on this page.

While you are listening, write your answers on the question paper. Use a pencil.

When you have completed all four parts of the Listening test you will have ten minutes to copy your answers on to a separate answer sheet.

IELTS practice Listening test audio: part 1

First, listen to the audio. Left click on the link to listen now (the audio player will open in a new tab) or right click and select 'Save Link As' to download the file to your computer and listen later.

Complete the notes below. Write no more than two words and/or a number for each answer.

Questions: transport from Bayswater

1. Express train leaves at (1) .........................

2. Nearest station is (2) .........................

3. Number 706 bus goes to (3) .........................

4. Number (4) ......................... bus goes to station

5. Earlier bus leaves at (5) .........................

Questions 6-10

Complete the table below. Write no more than one word and/or a number for each answer.

You have completed the first section of your Listening test. Now move on to Listening section 2.

See also

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Free IELTS Practice Listening Test - Part 1 | Take IELTS

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Prepare for your IELTS Listening test with part 1 of this free Listening practice test. Listen to the audio and answer questions 1 - 10.

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Seven Steps to Better Reading Scores - Main Idea

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Seven Steps to Better Reading Scores - Main Idea

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Seven Steps to Better Reading Scores - Main Idea

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Sentence parts and missing subjects - PART 2

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Sentence parts and missing subjects - PART 2

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Sentence parts and missing subjects -  PART 2

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How to Write a Three Paragraph Essay - Flipboard Magazine

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How to Write a Three Paragraph Essay - Flipboard Magazine

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Read and Learn how to create/write a 3 Paragraph Essay.. See more stories about Writing.

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Writing an essay is like making a hamburger. Think of the introduction and conclusion as the bun, with the "meat" of your argument in between. The introduction is where you'll state your thesis, while the conclusion sums up your case. Both should be no more than a few sentences. The body of your essay, where you'll present facts to support your position, must be much more substantial, usually three paragraphs. Like making a hamburger, writing a good essay takes preparation. Let's get started!

Structuring the Essay (aka Building a Burger)

Think about a hamburger for a moment. What are its three main components? There's a bun on top and a bun on the bottom. In the middle, you'll find the hamburger itself. So what does that have to do with an essay? Think of it this way:

The top bun contains your introduction and topic statement. This paragraph begins with a hook, or factual statement intended to grab the reader's attention. It is followed by a thesis statement, an assertion that you intend to prove in the body of the essay that follows.

The meat in the middle, called the body of the essay, is where you'll offer evidence in support of your topic or thesis. It should be three to five paragraphs in length, with each offering a main idea that is backed up by two or three statements of support.

The bottom bun is the conclusion, which sums up the arguments you've made in the body of the essay.

Like the two pieces of a hamburger bun, the introduction and conclusion should be similar in tone, brief enough to convey your topic but substantial enough to frame the issue that you'll articulate in the meat, or body of the essay.

Choosing a Topic

Before you can begin writing, you'll need to choose a topic for your essay, ideally one that you're already interested in. Nothing is harder than trying to write about something you don't care about. Your topic should be broad or common enough that most people will know at least something about what you're discussing. Technology, for example, is a good topic because it's something we can all relate to in one way or another.

Once you've chosen a topic, you must narrow it down into a singlethesis or central idea. The thesis is the position you're taking in relation to your topic or a related issue. It should be specific enough that you can bolster it with just a few relevant facts and supporting statements. Think about an issue that most people can relate to, such as: "Technology is changing our lives."

Drafting the Outline

Once you've selected your topic and thesis, it's time to create a roadmap for your essay that will guide you from the introduction to conclusion. This map, called an outline, serves as a diagram for writing each paragraph of the essay, listing the three or four most important ideas that you want to convey. These ideas don't need to be written as complete sentences in the outline; that's what the actual essay is for.

Here's one way of diagramming an essay on how technology is changing our lives:

Introductory Paragraph

Hook: Statistics on home workers

Thesis: Technology has changed work

Links to main ideas to be developed in the essay: Technology has changed where, how and when we work

Body Paragraph I

Main idea: Technology has changed where we can work

Support: Work on the road + example

Support: Work from home + example statistic

Conclusion

Body Paragraph II

Main idea: Technology has changed how we work

Support: Technology allows us to do more on our own + example of multitasking

Support: Technology allows us to test our ideas in simulation + example of digital weather forecasting

Conclusion

Body Paragraph III

Main idea: Technology has changed when we work

Support: Flexible work schedules + example of telecommuters working 24/7

Support: Technology allows us to work any time + example of people teaching online from home

Conclusion

Concluding Paragraph

Review of main ideas of each paragraph

Restatement of thesis: Technology has changed how we work

Concluding thought: Technology will continue to change us

Note that the author uses only three or four main ideas per paragraph, each with a main idea, supporting statements, and a summary.

Creating the Introduction

Once you've written and refined your outline, it's time to write the essay. Begin with the introductory paragraph. This is your opportunity to hook the reader's interest in the very first sentence, which can be an interesting fact, a quotation, or a rhetorical question, for instance.

After this first sentence, add your thesis statement. The thesis clearly states what you hope to express in the essay. Follow that with a sentence to introduce your body paragraphs. This not only gives the essay structure, but it also signals to the reader what is to come. For example:

Forbes magazine reports that "One in five Americans work from home". Does that number surprise you? Information technology has revolutionized the way we work. Not only can we work almost anywhere, we can also work at any hour of the day. Also, the way we work has changed greatly through the introduction of information technology into the workplace.

Notice how the author uses a fact and addresses the reader directly to grab their attention.

Writing the Body of the Essay

Once you've written the introduction, it's time to develop the meat of your thesis in three or four paragraphs. Each should contain a single main idea, following the outline you prepared earlier. Use two or three sentences to support the main idea, citing specific examples. Conclude each paragraph with a sentence that summarizes the argument you've made in the paragraph.

Let's consider how the location of where we work has changed. In the past, workers were required to commute to work. These days, many can choose to work from the home. From Portland, Ore., to Portland, Maine, you will find employees working for companies located hundreds or even thousands of miles away. Too, the use of robotics to manufacture products has led to employees spending more time behind a computer screen than on the production line. Whether it's in the countryside or in the city, you'll find people working everywhere they can get online. No wonder we see so many people working at cafes!

In this case, the author continues to directly address the reader while offering examples to support their assertion.

Concluding the Essay

The summary paragraph summarizes your essay and is often a reverse of the introductory paragraph. Begin the summary paragraph by quickly restating the principal ideas of your body paragraphs. The penultimate (next to last) sentence should restate your basic thesis of the essay. Your final statement can be a future prediction based on what you have shown in the essay.

In this example, the author concludes by making a prediction based on the arguments made in the essay.

Information technology has changed the time, place and manner in which we work. In short, information technology has made the computer into our office. As we continue to use new technologies, we will continue to see change. However, our need to work in order to lead happy and productive lives will never change. The where, when and how we work will never change the reason why we work.

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Writing an essay is like making a hamburger. Think of the introduction and conclusion as the bun, with the "meat" of your argument in between. The introduction is where you'll state your thesis, while the conclusion sums up your case. Both should be no more than a few sentences.

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Cause & Effect

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Talking about cause and effect

Cause and effect

When we talk about an effect resulting from a certain cause, we use expressions such as: because, since, as, owing to, due to...

Examples

The police arrested him because he broke into a bank.

The police arrested him since he broke into a bank.

She can't read the letter as she is illiterate.

He can't run fast for he is too fat.

Owing to his intelligence, he managed to solve the problem.

Due to the bad weather, they didn't go for a picnic.

Other ways to express cause and effect:

You can also express cause and effect as follows:

The cause of ...is...

...is caused by / is due to ...

Thanks to ...

Examples:

Is there a difference between due to and owing to?

Owing to and due to are used interchangeably by native speakers although some state that there is a difference.

If you can use caused by then you can also use due to:

Example:

"The cancellation of the flight was due to ( caused by) high winds."

If you can use because of then you should use owing to rather than due to:

Example:

"The flight was canceled owing to ( because of) high winds."

Use of thanks to

People tend to use thanks to in positive situations.

Example:

"Thanks to his intelligence he managed to find the solution to that math problem."

Sometimes thanks to is used ironically in a negative way

Example:

"Did she lose the election?"
"Yeah, thanks to you and to all the others who didn't bother to vote."

"The baby is awake thanks to your shouting."

Things to remember about cause and effect:

Examples:

Due to his laziness, he didn't pass the exam.

Thanks to her beauty, she attracted the attention of all the guests.

Because / since /as / they are in love, they forgive each other's mistakes.

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ESL/EFL speaking lessons - Talking about cause and effect in English

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When we talk about an effect resulting from a certain cause, we use expressions such as: because, since, as, owing to, due to... Examples The police arrested him because he broke into a bank. The police arrested him since he broke into a bank. She can't read the letter as she is illiterate.