Group B - Blog Assessment

Please ensure that you have the tasks below uploaded on your website as I will be assessing your blogs at the end of the week :

1. Group Profile
2. Company Profile
3. Cadbury Advertisement
4. Retail and Consumer Habits of Malaysians and Singaporeans
5. Comparison Chart - benefits to franchisees and franchisors
6. Assignment Outline
7. Assignment Presentation Slides
8. Business Practices Presentation Slides
9. Report
10. Business Plan
11. Mind Map (Acquisitions and mergers)
12. Honda Advertisement Analysis

Group A - Blog Assessment

Please ensure that your blog sites are updated with the tasks below as I will be assessing you based on this :

1. Group Profile - with pictures of group members if possible
2. Company profile
3. Cadbury Advertisement
4. Cover letter
5. Memorandum
6. Business plan
7. Assignment Outline
8. Assignment Presentation Slides
9. Mind-map (Acquisitions and mergers)
10. Honda Advertisement Analysis

Tasks and Reminders

Reminder :
Please ensure that all the relevant blog entries have been uploaded as I will be checking and awarding marks by Sunday, 15th November 2009.

New tasks
As we have come to almost the end of your module, I have decided to simplify the last two tasks as I know that you are all busy preparing for your final examinations.
The blog tasks are as stated below :

Task 1
Read up on the reference at http://www.economywatch.com/mergers-acquisitions/benefits.html and produce a mind-map on the main points of the text. You can produce your mind-map on powerpoint and then save it as a .jpeg file and upload it on your blog.

Task 2
Watch a Honda commercial at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKIXW9wBWXo and decide if the commercial is effective. Discuss your group response in one or two paragraphs.

Both tasks are due by 20th November 2009

Grammar Guide - Imperatives

The imperative uses the same form as the infinitive, but without the "to".

We can use imperatives to do any of the below :
Give orders - Do your homework
Give instruction - Turn to page 31 of your course book.
Give strong advice - Make sure that you work harder for the next exam.

We can also use imperatives to form emphatic statement.
Do invite us for your wedding.

Grammar Guide - Conditionals

Conditional sentences are divided into two parts :

• the "if" clause
• the main clause

Examples:

1. I will thumb a lift from him if he goes.
2. If he goes, I will thumb a lift.

There are four types of conditionals :

• The first conditional - talks about possibilities in the future, used when results are habitual or automatic
• The second conditional - talks about unreal situations in the present or the future
• The third conditional - talks about unreal situations in the past, impossible situations
• Zero conditional

The structure of the conditional :

• First conditional -if clause (present simple verb), main clause (future tense - will + base form)
• Second conditional - if clause (past tense verb), main clause (would + base form)
• Third conditional - if clause (past perfect tense), main clause (would have + past participle)

Examples:

• If he arrives late, he will miss the flight.
• If I had a million ringgit, I would travel around the world.
• If he had worked harder, he would have scored straight As in the exam.

Grammar Guide - Adverbs

Adverbs can be used to do one of the below :

1. modify a verb
2. modify an adjective
3. mody another adverb
4. modify a phrase
5. modify a clause

Adverbs are typically formed by adding an -ly to an adjective
Example : quiet (adj) - quietly (adv)

Adverbs answer questions such as :

1. how
2. when
3. how
4. where
5. how much

Writing Guide - Reports

Grammar Guide - Adjectives

Adjectives are used to describe nouns.
They can describe the following :

1. Size
2. Shape
3. Colour
4. Origin
5. Material
6. Texture
7. Opinion and many others

• Adjectives can be used in two positions in a sentence.
• Attribute - before a noun
• eg : The handsome boy is my classmate
• Predicative - after the verb
• eg : He is intelligent

Happy Birthday to Mr. Mafia

To the class Godfather,

Happy Birthday!!!

Grammar Presentation List - Group A

Updated!
Please check once again the dates for your group presentations. Although I have noted all dates for Mondays, the presentations will normally be on Tues during our double period

Please note that these are the dates for your grammar presentation. Ensure that during your presentation, you provide enough examples and exercises for your friends to practice the grammar item.

14/9/09
Lim Yan Ping, Christine Loh (Make and do)
Chua Kai Xin, Lee Chen Hong (Used to do, used to be doing)

28/9/09
Sherwynn Choi, Ng Chai Ying, Bruce Wong (Imperatives)
Sim Kuan Liang, Woh Xian Ting, Ng Yap Siang (Adjectives)

19/10/09
Ng Wen Xian, Yow Hui Chean, Wong Hui Ying (Adverbs)
Ng Hui Shan, Tay Boon Cherng, Seng Wei, Eric, Ming Zhi (Conditionals)

26/10/09
Andrea Poon, Angeline Lim (Allow, Enable, Let etc)
Chong Liang Wai, Yim Kien Zhong, Ong Keen Hong (The Passive)

2/11/09
Soon Leong, Jasmin, Hui Min (Nouns and Prepositions)
Kho Kar Hua, Aw Bing Xing, Prem (Phrasal Verbs)

9/11/09
Ho Yong Shen, Shaun Jit Singh (Reported Speech)
Ng Hui Shan, Tan Mui Kim (Articles)

16/11/09
Eric Phoon, Pung Khai Keong, Kok Chee Kian (Modals)

Memo Writing Task _ Group A

You have received the following e-mail from your company’s President. He wants you to inform all staff and department heads of the below.

EFFECTIVE CUSTOMER SERVICE TRAINING
Date : 8th November 2009
Time: 9.30 – 4.30pm

For all members of staff
Attendance compulsory for all staff.
Staff have to be dressed in company uniform.
Staff must be punctual at all times.
Staff are encouraged to conduct discussions in English.

Heads of Department to take attendance of their members of staff.

Head of Human Resource Department to ensure that training room is ready for the training one day before.
There must be enough chairs and tables for all. Stationery (Pens, Paper, Paper file) must be provided.
Arrangements also need to be made for refreshments (One hot drink, one bottle of mineral water and lunch for all staff that are attending the course)


Write a memo to all department heads and members of staff to ensure that they get the information above.

You are also encouraged to add additional details about the customer service training and the do’s and don’ts during the training.

Task :
Write a memo

REMINDER TO ALL GROUPS

I noticed that many groups in August 09, Group A have the same blog title. Can you please kindly change the blog names so that I do not get your blogs mixed up?

Used to do Vs Be used to doing

Used to do
"Used to do" is used to describe a habitual action in the past. Typically, the action is already finished in present time.
EG :
He used to play football every evening (he doesn't do so now)
He used to sleep early. (he doesn't do so now)

Be used to doing
"Be used to doing" is habitual action (present)
EG :
He is used to sleeping in class. (he still does it now...and does it frequently)
He is used to skipping 8.30 lectures (he still does it now)

Grammar Guide - Make and Do

Both groups have been hard at work, presenting on the differences between make and do...
As everyone knows, using the words "make" and "do" can be quite confusing, especially when both the Malay and Chinese language only have one corresponding word.

Make
Make is generally used to mean constructing, building, creating, producing.
It is normally followed by a physical product.
Eg :make tea, make chicken rice, make a cup of coffee.
There are also collocative phrases with "make", eg : make a date, , make progress.. in this phrases, the product cannot be seen yet the verb "make" is still used.

Do
Do is normally used to describe an action, a task, or some sort of work.
Eg : do the ironing, do homework

Happy Birthday to Mr. Bollywood

Updates on Class Quiz - Group A

Tasks - Group A

This is a gentle reminder only for students of Group A. Below is the list of tasks that needs to be completed by this Friday :

1. Personal Profile - Entry 1
2. Company Profile - Entry 2
3. Cover letter - Entry 3
4. Print advert for Cadburys - Entry 4

Group B - Task for 3/9/09

1. Edit your profile and add a bloglist to your blog.
2. Write a short comparison report of Malaysian and Singaporean retail trends
3. Design a promotional brochure/ leaftlet for a company of your choice

Updating your profile

Just a reminder for all groups to update their blog profiles...for example, add your group photos etc....

Albert Einstein once said

"It is the supreme art of a teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge".

I hope through this blog,

I will be able to awaken creative expression and knowledge in my own students.