Intermediate 4 Unit 8 (Interchange 3)
Prompt: Think of a skill or hobby that you have learned. Read the questions below and take
notes. Then, use your notes to write about what the skill or hobby that you have learned.
What is required to be successful at it?
What are some ways people learn to do it?
How did you learn it?
What was difficult about learning it?
Example: I enjoy making pottery and people say I’m pretty good at it. I’ve learned how to
make pots and other ceramic ware by watching my father work in his workshop for hours. To
make beautiful pottery, you need to have creativity and perseverance. Working with pottery
helps me relax and I always find it soothing to make something new. Some people learn how
to work with clay and ceramic products by taking classes or becoming apprentices in a
workshop, but I learned by mimicking and trying different techniques.
Target vocabulary: grasp, gather, the big picture, struggle, distraction, associate, artistic
appreciation, competitiveness, perseverance, practical ends, college majors, curriculum,
mimic
Grammar Focus: By + gerund to describe how to do things.
You could improve your accent by listening to language CDs.
I learned new words best by writing them on pieces of paper and sticking them on things.
The best way to learn slang is not by watching the news but by watching movies.
Suggested practice: Avoid using dangling modifiers
A dangling modifier is a word or phrase that modifies a word not clearly stated in the sentence. A
modifier describes, clarifies, or gives more detail about a concept.
Having finished the assignment, Jill turned on the TV.
"Having finished" states an action but does not name the doer of that action. In English sentences,
the doer must be the subject of the main clause that follows. In this sentence, it is Jill. She seems
logically to be the one doing the action ("having finished"), and this sentence therefore does not
have a dangling modifier.
The following sentence has an incorrect usage:
Having finished the assignment, the TV was turned on.
"Having finished" is a participle expressing action, but the doer is not the TV set (the subject of
the main clause): TV sets don't finish assignments. Since the doer of the action expressed in the
participle has not been clearly stated, the participial phrase is said to be a dangling modifier.
Int 4 Unit 8
Barely acceptable
5
Grammar (by +
Grammar focus is
gerund to describe not used or used
how to do things ) poorly
Sentence
structure
(especially:
avoiding dangling
modifiers)
Very few
sentences are well
constructed, or
sentence
structures are all
very simple
Cohesiveness,
Ideas and flow
(ideal length 1215 lines)
There is little
coherence in
student’s writing
and there are
abrupt changes in
flow and ideas.
Good
10
Student
understands the
grammar focus
and mistakes are
rare
Most sentences
are well
constructed with
some mistakes.
Some attempts at
complex sentence
structure are
successful.
Student can
successfully use
transition phrases
ideas are clear.
Some digressions
in ideas are made.
Very good
15
Student has
mastered
grammar focus
All sentences are
well constructed
with very few
minor mistakes.
Complex sentence
structures are
used effectively.
Clear and
cohesive writing.
Ideas flow
smoothly and
message is clear