FEEDBACK TUTORIAL LETTER 1st SEMESTER 2017 ASSIGNMENT 1 ENGLISH IN PRACTISE EPR511S 1
COURSE: ENGLISH IN PRACTISE COURSE CODE: EPR511S SUBJECT CODE: ASSIGNMENT 1 TUTOR MARKER: Mrs. Kaputu Dear EPR Students Below is the feedback on assignment 1. We hope it will help you in preparation for the next assignment and gives you an understanding of English in practice (EPR511S). Section A: Comprehension General: This section was well answered. If you did not score a high mark, consider the following: i) Read the story on hotel work again ii) Read the questions. Make sure you know exactly what is expected from you. (Should you explain, describe, list) iii) Read the story again; underline names of people, places, numbers, dates, figures, processes, and careers, anything that stands out. iv) Before you write the answer, read the question again. This will ensure your answer corresponds with the questions A. For each question, choose the one which you think fits best. On your answer sheet indicate the letter A, B, C or D against the number of each item for the answer you choose. Give one answer only to each question. Read each passage right through before choosing your answer. 1. It didn't take the writer long [2] A to understand how work in the hotel was organised B to get used to the noise and disorder C to realize that hotel work is similar to factory work D to see how badly run the hotel was 2
2. If hotel workers didn't quarrel at rush hours [2] A the hotel would function more efficiently B they would be able to do their work more quickly C the work would never get finished on time D fewer steaks would get burned 3. Why do hotel workers use bad language? [2] A to help each other get their work done B because it is difficult to avoid bad language when speaking French C to reply to the girl in the bakery D because they were all brought up to use bad language 4. 4 Cooks, waiters, and plongeurs [2] A try to do as little work as possible B look very different C have at least one characteristic in common D are not as efficient as they think 5. The writer thinks hotel work is. [2] A particularly hard B something to be proud of C beastly and silly D stimulating B. Complete the following questions in full sentences 6. What keeps hotel work going? The fact that the employees take a genuine pride in their work [2] 7. Mention two things that astonish anyone coming for the first time into the quarter of a hotel (a) fearful noise (b) disorder during the rush hours [2] 3
8. Why is hotel work done in a frantic haste? Because at mealtimes everyone is doing two men s work [2] 9. Which figure of speech is raged and cursed like demons used in paragraph They were very busy [2] 10. Justify why quarrels are part of the hotel service process? [2] Because the pace would never be kept up if everyone did not accuse everyone else of idling. [Total: 20 marks] Section B: Grammar [30 marks] General: The majority of you scored poor marks in this section, please use your EPR guide to help you review these questions. This section is on grammar; therefore the focus was on grammatical sentences presented. Hence, a wrong use of word, tense or spelling a sentence resulted in no mark obtained. The few who did good, well done and please do refer back to the study guide for better understanding on grammar. Exercise 1: One mark per question, apart from question 3 that has two marks Mixed tenses: Telephone conversations Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense and fill the spaces with suitable forms. Write in your answer booklet only the suitable form. 1. Caller: this is Mrs. Shilongo, could I have an appointment for a shampoo and set, please? 2. Receptionist: yes, Mrs. Shikongo. Who usually (does) your hair? 3. Caller: Sylvia usually (does) it, but the last time I (came) she (was) on holiday and Lisony (did) it. So if Sylvia (is) not available, Lisony (would do) very well. 4. When (do you want) to come, Mrs. Shikongo? 5. Caller: I (would like) to come tomorrow afternoon if possible. 6. Receptionist: I am afraid that that afternoon is full. Would Thursday afternoon at 4pm (suit) you? 7. Caller: I am afraid, it would not suit me. My mother-in-law (is coming) for tea. 4
8. Receptionist: then what about Friday afternoon? Peter (would be able) (to do) you at 4pm. 9. Caller: that (will/would be) splendid. Thank you very much. 10. Receptionist: thank you, Mrs. Shikongo. We (will/shall expect) you at 4pm on Friday the. Goodbye. [10marks] Exercise 2: Indirect Speech (one mark per correct sentence) Put the following statements into indirect speech 1. I am going out now, but I will be in by nine, he said. (omit now) He said he was going out but he would be in by nine. 2. We are waiting for the school bus, said the children. It s late again. The children said they were waiting for the school bus and was late again 3. I can t live on my basic salary, said Peter. I will have to offer to do overtime. Peter said he could not live on his basic salary and he would have to do overtime. 4. Nothing ever happens in the village, she said. It s like a dead village. All the young people have drifted away to the towns. She said nothing ever happened in the village. It was like a dead village. All the young people had drifted away to the towns. 5. Even if strikers go back to work tomorrow it will be some time before things return to normal, said the official. The official (She/he) said even if the strikers went back the following day it would be sometime before things returned to normal. 6. There s been an accident, and the road is blocked, said the policeman. It won t be clear for some time. You d better go round the other way. The policeman said there had been an accident and the road was blocked, it would not be clear for some time. He advised us to go/he said we could better go round the other way. Exercise3: Mixed conditional sentences (one mark per sentence) Put the verbs in brackets into the correct forms [6 marks] 1. I have hung out the clothes. It s a lovely and sunny day; if it (would stay) like this they (would) dry in two hours. 5
2. English is essential in this job. All the telephonists speak it. If they (had not known) English they (would not understand) half the callers. 3. This flat would be all right if the people above us (would not be) so noisy. 4. She must have loved him very much because she waited for him for fifteen years. If she (Had not loved) him she (would have not waited) so long. [4 marks] Exercise 4: Articles (two marks per correct sentence) Insert a, an or the if necessary 1. There was a knock on the door. I opened it and found a small dark man in a check overcoat and a soft hat. 2. He said he was an employee of a gas company and had come to read the meter. 3. But I had a suspicion that he wasn t speaking the truth because the meter readers usually wear blue caps. 4. However, I took him to the meter, which is in a dark corner under the stairs. 5. I asked if he had a torch; he said he disliked torches and always read the meter by a light of a match. [10marks] SECTION C: CRITICAL READING [20 marks] The majority of students scored poor marks for this section. It appears that students had struggled with understanding the questions because they lack an understanding of the technical terms in critical reading. Please review in the guide the meaning of the technical terms (protagonist, antagonist, climax, plot, metaphor, simile, etc.). Furthermore, take time to first read and understand the story before answering the questions. Please read the story and do not try to understand every word, but rather try to get a general idea of what the story is about. When you read it for the second time underline the names of places, people, dates, similes [like. / as as], metaphors, personification). Those technical terms/keywords/ideas will assist you in finding the answers to the questions. SECTION C: CRITICAL READING [20 marks] 6
Read the short story I ve got something to tell you... [By: Jan Bell, 1990 p.3] Questions: 1. Who are the protagonist and the antagonist in this story? Antagonist - Mrs Mary Maloney Protagonist Mr Maloney / husband 2. What is the viewpoint of the story? It is from the third person perspective 3. Setting is usually time and place. State the setting in place and time and quote a sentence? From the story to support your answer: Place home/room because Mary was waiting for the husband to come from work Time afternoon /during the day When the clock said ten minutes to five/4:50 OR Time 4:50 the wife was waiting for the husband to come from work. 4. What is Mr Maloney s routine in the evening? He comes home by car punctually He passes by the window He turns the key in the lock He slams the door He sits quietly in his chair (he does not talk) He looks at his wife He drinks his whisky 5. Do you think she is happily married? Why/why not Yes, because she looks forward to her husband coming home and is happy to be expecting a baby. No, because when she brings dinner her husband refuse/ her husband only talks to her after drinking alcohol 7
6. What words are used to describe the room the couple are in? Warm, clean, drawn curtains, table lamps alight, drinks on the sideboard. [Any two] 7. What does he mean by there needn t really be any fuss? He does not want her to talk about it and cause any scandal. or He meant there is no need for her to complain as she would be taken care of 8. Describe Mrs. Maloney s character as she relates to her husband. She is admiring him, caring and loving character. She shows keen interest in wanting to hear what the husband has to tell her She is respectful, obedient 9. Explain the climax and falling action of this story. The climax being the pitch of the story is when Patrick told her about the divorce and it didn t take long, four or five minutes at most, and she sat very still through it all The falling action would be in the end when Mary s first instinct was not to believe any of it. 10. What do you think the story is about? The story is about a husband divorcing his wife/ the end of a relationship. SECTION D: ESSAY WRITING [30 marks] Select a topic from the list below and write an opinion essay in which you adhere to the required structure of an opinion essay. [It was disappointing to note that some students 8
copied essays from the internet. These students have deprived us of the opportunity to help them improve their essay writing skills.] Please do not make this mistake again, as you are penalized and will be penalized. It is plagiarism! For some or other reason students did not read the instruction. You were required to write an opinion essay. Students were supposed to write an essay giving their opinion on a topic they choose. Well it was fairly done, however the following points were noticed: students still do not write the thesis statement some did not write topic sentences students wrote too long sentences problem with one sentence paragraph spelling is still a problem punctuations Sentence construction is still a problem as there is wrong use of subject-verb agreement, tenses, word order and word choices to be used in academic context. some did not write the conclusion long paragraphs or too short Before you write the essay, spend a few minutes planning. Pay attention to the structure of a good essay, organization and coherence within your essay, as found in the study guide. Please do not forget to provide a title for the essay of your choice next time as some of you did not We wish you all the success for the future. If you need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact any one of us. tkavihua@nust jeiseb@nust.na tfrans@nust.na All the best with the next assignment and I believe you will compile a good assignment with the incorporation of the comments in the feedback letter. 9