Hi, everyone. VOA's English Doctor is in. Is everyone ready to practice some writing?

It's nice to see everyone. Sometimes, ace!oo" won't let me give yo# a $li"e$, !#t I
$li"ed$ everyone.
%e tal"ed a!o#t prepositions yesterday. &ow, we're going to write a
paragraph. %hen we come to a preposition, yo#'re going to tell me which
one will wor".
'e(ore we start the paragraph, these are some things to thin" a!o#t when
yo#'re writing in English.
). Stay (oc#sed. *emem!er that good e+amples ma"e yo#r writing stronger.
,. -ry not to #se the ver! $to !e$ too m#ch. .hoose active ver!s.
/. 0se e+pressions to connect yo#r tho#ghts when yo# can11 E+ample2 In
addition . . .
Here's the 3#estion that we'll write a!o#t 11 %o#ld yo# pre(er to st#dy at a large college
with /4,444 st#dents or a small college with /,444 st#dents?
%e can start with an $i($ cla#se. *emem!er these two str#ct#res2
). I( I HAD the choice . . . ., I %O05D . . .
,. I( I HAVE the choice . . ., I %I55 . . .
Here's o#r (irst sentence. %hen yo# !egin a paragraph, tell #s what yo#'re going to tal"
a!o#t.
$I( I had the choice 6666666 a large college with /4,444 st#dents or a small
college 6666666 /,444 st#dents, I wo#ld choose the large college.$
7lease (ill in the !lan"s with the correct prepositions.
-here are a co#ple o( prepositions that will wor".
I( I had my choice !etween8o( . . .
5et's tal" a!o#t why these choices wor".
!etween 11 $'etween$ connects two things. E+ample2 9y choice is
'E-%EE& a large college and a small one.
o( 11 $O($ gives more in(ormation a!o#t the no#n. $.hoice$ is the no#n.
.hoice o( what? .hoice o( a large college or a small one.
or the second part o( the sentence, $with$ is correct. $%ith$ tells what's
incl#ded 11 a college %I-H /,444 st#dents :E+amples2 a s#it with a matching
tie; a dinner with meat, potatoes, etc.<
Here's the whole sentence2
I( I had my choice !etween a large college with /4,444 st#dents or a small
college with /,444 st#dents, I wo#ld choose the large college.
&e+t sentence11
$I am a very special person 6666666 a variety 6666666 interests.$
7lease (ill in the prepositions.
9ost o( yo# got it. It sho#ld !e 11 $I am a very special person %I-H a variety O
interests. :$o($ gives more in(ormation a!o#t the no#n 11 variety<.
&e+t sentence2
$I (eel that a large college wo#ld o((er a wider range 6666666 activities and
cl#!s.$
It loo"s li"e everyone got it. It sho#ld !e 11 o(
. . . a wider range o( activities and cl#!s. :$o($ gives more in(ormation a!o#t
$range$<
$%hile smaller colleges have advantages, s#ch as smaller class si=es, I thin"
that having more st#dents 6666666 camp#s leads 6666666 more diverse
interests.$
-his one was to#gher.
Sho#ld it !e $in$ camp#s or $on$ camp#s?
5et's loo" at it.
$In$ gives the (eeling o( !eing inside o( something. %hen we thin" o(
elementary schools or other schools, we thin" o( mainly a (ew !#ildings. >o#
can !e inside o( !#ildings. >o#'d say, $in school$ !eca#se yo# can !e inside
primarily.
$On$ gives the (eeling o( $on top o($. :E+ample2 a !oo" on the ta!le< %hen
we thin" o( a camp#s, tho#gh we have !#ildings, we also have a lot o( roads.
>o# are $on$ roads. *emem!er that we #se $on$ with street names 11 He
lives on 'a"er Street. >o#'d say, $on camp#s$ !eca#se yo#'re on the roads
that connect the camp#s.
It sho#ld !e 11 $%hile smaller colleges have advantages, s#ch as smaller class
si=es, I thin" that having more st#dents O& camp#s . . .$
-he ne+t preposition sho#ld !e 11 $to$. $-o$ is the preposition o( movement.
E+amples2 %here's 9ar"? He went -O wor".8?ive the !oo" -O her.
-he ne+t part sho#ld !e 11 $. . . leads -O more diverse interests.
-he whole sentence sho#ld !e 11
$%hile smaller colleges have advantages, s#ch as smaller class si=es, I thin"
that having more st#dents O& camp#s leads -O more diverse interests.$
&e+t2
$%hile there are some aspects 6666666 a smaller college that are appealing,
I "now I wo#ld do !etter 6666666 a larger school.$
>o# can #se $in$ (or the (irst !lan". I was thin"ing a!o#t $o($. *emem!er that I said
$o($ adds in(ormation a!o#t the no#n 11 aspects. $Aspects$ o( what?
$Aspects o( a smaller college$.
or the second !lan", yo# co#ld also #se $in$, !#t I was thin"ing o( $at$.
Here's the reason. $At$ is the preposition o( location. %e're telling yo#r
location 11 >o#'ll !e A- a smaller college.
Here's the whole sentence2
$%hile there are some aspects O a smaller college that are appealing, I
"now I wo#ld do !etter A- a larger school.$
Everyone did well. *emem!er that this is a lesson on ma"ing a good paragraph and
#sing prepositions correctly.
Here's the whole paragraph2
$I( I had the choice 'E-%EE& a large college with /4,444 st#dents or a
small college %I-H /,444 st#dents, I wo#ld choose the large college. I am a
very special person %I-H a variety O interests. I (eel that a large college
wo#ld o((er a wider range O activities and cl#!s. %hile smaller colleges
have advantages, s#ch as smaller class si=es, I thin" that having more
st#dents O& camp#s leads -O more diverse interests. In addition, I thin"
that a larger college might !e more a((orda!le. %hile there are some aspects
O a smaller college that are appealing, I "now I wo#ld do !etter A- a larger
school.$
%hy is this paragraph good?
). It stays on the topic 11 I'd choose a large college.
,. It gives a lot o( e+amples to s#pport the writer's opinion.
/. 9ost o( the sentences are active.
@. It #ses connecting phrases 11 $In addition$.
-his is part o( the -OE5 7reparation lesson in -he .lassroom :in
Activities, Academic English<. I( yo#'d li"e to see the whole lesson, please
clic" on the lin".
I've !een as"ed to as" yo# a!o#t the aceteaching 3#i==es each day this wee", so i( yo#
wo#ld answer the poll, I'd appreciate it. '#dget c#ts and all o( that. -hey
need to see i( yo# are act#ally #sing the 3#i==es. -han"s, everyone.
I'll !e !ac" tomorrow at 4,244 ?9- with another English class. I hope this
one was help(#l. O#r ne+t live English class will !e at )/244 ?9- with the
English -ravelerA
-a"e good care, everyone.