Tao's Blog

There was an old man with a beard,  who said, "It is just as I feared!—  Two owls and a hen, four larks and a wren,  Have all built their nests in my beard! by Edward Lear When you read a funny story, poem or article, you’ll find yourself smiling or even laughing, and feeling much happier afterwards. How do writers achieve this magic? And how can we understand this art and maybe even practice it in our speech and writing? That’s what we’ll learn in this lesson. Different people find different things funny, but there are a few tricks that humor writers use to get us laughing. Let’s see what they are. 1. Setting up expectations and delivering completely different results: Surprise is an important element of humor. Read the poem we began with. We’re not expecting the birds to be living in a beard, and that’s what makes the poem so funny. 2. Unlikely comparisons and exaggerations: Authors often use comparisons between two very different objects or exaggera...

Memorizing new words can be hard. However, you can increase your vocabulary quickly by practicing words that are related to each other. Even if you do not know the exact meaning of a word, you can sometimes guess correctly if you know the different parts. This lesson focuses on root   words , or the basic word before other parts are attached to it. A root word can have parts attached to the beginning (a prefix) or ending (a suffix). Prefixes and suffixes have standard meanings. So if you know the meaning of the root, plus the meanings of the parts attached, you can guess the meaning of a word which is new to you. Sometimes the spelling of the root word changes a little bit when a part is added to it. For example, you know the adjective  happy . If you add the prefix  un -, which means “not,” the new word is  unhappy . This word means “not happy.” The suffix  -est  means “most,” so  happiest  means “most happy.” The suffix  -ness  t...

Objectives DESCRIPTION:  Composing oral and written texts to state and ask about an action/event that is happened or done in the past by referring to the past times and times after and considering the right and suitable social functions, structure of text, and language unsure. LESSON Key Points Writing events in the past is actually an easy thing to do if you know how to do it well and simply. Just keep in mind that it isn’t different from telling a common story yet the story is non-fictive and based on what really happened on you or others persons that you know. Based on this, there are many components you must mention directly or indirectly in writing events in the past. Here are they:  • Setting of events or time and place when and where the event takes place  • Characters. It can be you or and other persons you know • Plot or chronological order either progressive or flashback • Point of view, either to use first person (I or we) or third p...

Objectives DESCRIPTION:  Analyze social functions, structures of text and language unsure in a statement or question about action/event happened in the past by referring the past times and times after depends on the usage contexts.  LESSON Key Points DEFINITION: Describing events in the past is very common in our daily lives. We sometimes do it when telling story to a friend, do any homework or other school-works related with delivering any events in the past, answer the question or request to tell any event happened before etc. As what we have in some previous lessons, make sure your description on any past event suitable with the context or as needed and properly. Take a look at this following conversation:  X: Can you tell me what really happened at class yesterday?  Y: Yes, only a little bit I know. X: No problem, just tell me.  Y: One of our classmates was sleeping during the lesson and teacher found him.  X: Which teacher? Y...

Objectives DESCRIPTION:  Learn how to express and respond and develop oral and written text to say congratulations and respond winged (extended), having regard to the purpose, text structure and linguistic elements, correctly and in accordance with the context. Objective:  In this lesson, you are going to learn how to express and respond congratulation. LESSON Key Points DEFINITION: Congratulation expression is used when we want to express our compliment and share happiness with someone who had his success/achievement. The expression can be in the form of formal and informal, verbal and written. 1. Formal congratulation In formal congratulation, we salute someone’s achievement formally, using proper language. The examples are: Please accept my warmest congratulation on … On behalf of … we congratulate you on … Formal congratulation usually used in company correspondences, institutional (schools, universities) and other formal situations. Form...

Objectives DESCRIPTION:  Analyzing social functions, text structure, and linguistic elements in a congratulation according to the context of its use. LESSON Key Points Showing to others that you are happy when they are successful is part of what is called empathy. Furthermore, congratulating people shows that you care for them, appreciate their achievement and be happy for them. It is very ethical and polite to do this in different situations such as to your friends, teachers, parents, sibling, even to rivals. In a competition, your best friend is the winner. You want to congratulate him over his success. Do you know, what will you say to show that you are happy for him? In this discussion, we will learn about the expressions of congratulation. Congratulation is an expression that we use to give acknowledgement, show happiness and appreciation to someone when s/he succeeds doing something. When can we congratulate someone? The following social and personal c...

Objectives Objective:  In this lesson, you will continue the previous one about caring expression. We deal with expressing of care and responding it in our daily lives, so it is also important to know how to respond when other express their cares on you. Certainly, what and how you respond the caring expression is made suitable with the expression you receive from other persons. LESSON Key Points For example: Anton : Congratulation for your team’s success in the last match. We are very proud of you. Budi : Thank you so much. Your support really means for us. Candy : You look unwell. Why not visiting a doctor soon after school? Dina : Thanks, Candy, but I am ok. I am just sleepy right now that I am not energetic. Ela : I guess you would be better to go by train instead of plane. Fina : Thank you but I would prefer to go by plane. The above examples show how to respond various caring expressions in different situations. You can notice that no matt...

Objectives Objective: In this lesson, you will learn to distinguish expression appreciation (extended) with another expression and explain the function appreciation phrase Let’s think Element of Appreciation Expression • Social function : To maintain a relationship with the teacher, friends, and others • Language features : The use of pronunciation, intonation, and word stress. • Generic Structure : Study the following situations along with the expressions for appreciation.  Key Points Many appreciations can be created by following one of these formulas Your + Noun Phrase + is/looks + (really) + Adjective • Your dress is really elegant. I + (really) + like/love + Noun Phrase • I love this vegetable soup! This/That + is + (really) + Adjective + Noun Phrase • This is a really nice painting. What a/an + Adjective + Noun Phrase • What a lovely apartment! Learn about it Expression of Appreciation Asking for Appreciation • Wha...

Objectives DESCRIPTION:  Analyze social functions, text structure, and linguistic elements in the expression of appreciation (extended) and the response, according to the context of its use. Objective:  In this topic, you will learn to identify the expressions of appreciation (extended).  LESSON Let’s think! DEFINITION: What does Appreciation mean? Appreciation   1. *to express praise or approval to somebody, to show a statement of appraised a congratulation. 2. *to show a gesture of respect or honor. 3. *to show expressions of respect and good wishes. 4. *to give somebody a gift/a present as a sign of respect or honor. 6. * to express congratulations to somebody. Key Points Giving a sincere appreciation can make someone’s day or make a person feel superb, as a very positive point in their day. Appreciation is an expression of praise, admiration, or congratulation. These phrases use such as praise the house, the garden, better appea...

Objectives Objective:  In this topic, students can understand the situation of when or where it can use the questions regarding personal information and how to answer it, (sentences and form of the language used). LESSON Key Points DEFINITION: What is personal information about? Some information about a person’s name, address, phone number,professions/ jobs, date of birth, country of origin etc. It’s an identity of a male or female member as a part of society. Our lesson today is to learn how to ask or questions someone/ a person who you want to know and it’s usually someone you just met or knew. This normally happens in the first meeting. We can call this situation ‘getting to know’. Examples (Contoh Pertanyaan) When you are in your friends birthday party you meet some new friends and you want to know their names and more about them. 1. What’s your name? 2. What school do you go? 3. What grade are you now? 4. How old are you? 5. Where do you live? 6. What’...