THEORY-BOOK

1. THEORY-BOOK

2. UNIT 2 SKIMMING & UNDERSTANDING NOUN PHRASES Objectives: • To find the topic of the passage • To find the topic sentences and the controlling ideas • To get the main and supporting ideas of the passage • To understand Noun Phrases

3. SKIMMING A. Topic of the passage a. Topic stated at the first sentence: The Japanese macaque is an endangered monkey. It inhabits an area farther north than any other primate except for humans. The Japanese call this animal the snow monkey because it can be found in the snowy regions of Japan. Ironically, some troops of macaques have been relocated in Texas to ensure their survival.

4. b. Topic stated at the last sentence: • For thousands of years, desert dwellers have sheltered themselves in extremely functional buildings constructed of one of the most readily available, dependable, and inexpensive materials we know of. This ideal insulator, which absorbs heat during the day and slowly releases it at night, is mud.

5. c. Topic is implied: The potato is an important food for millions of people. Destruction of the potato crop by pests has resulted in famines. Plant researchers have uncovered a hairy wild variety of potato from Bolivia that emits strong glue from the end of its hairs. This glue traps and kills insects. A new hairy potato was developed when researchers successfully crossed the common potato with the hairy potato. This new hybrid potato not only reduces aphid populations by 40 to 60 percent, but also emits a substance that stops the population of the Colorado potato beetle, one of the most destructive potato pests. • The passage is about the developments in the cross breeding of potatoes.

6. B. Topic sentence a. Topic sentence at the beginning: The life cycle of a virus is in two phases. The first is extra-cellular. This means that the virus lives outside the cell. The second is intracellular, and this means thatthe virus lives inside the cell where it produces.

7. b. Topic sentence in the middle: Within the animal world, populations change all the time. Changes in the animal population depend on many factors. These include the rate of production of young, and the number of young that survive through the breeding stage. c. Topic sentence at the end: Doing research on rabies means being in close contact with the virus and this is very dangerous. It is also very difficult to grow the rabies virus sufficiently well. These two reasons explain why little is known about it.

8. A topic sentence contains a controlling idea that needs to be explained, described, illustrated, or developed in the sentences that follow the topic sentence. • A topic sentence is not a statement of a fact. Therefore the following statements of facts cannot be a topic sentence: • Susilo Bambang Yudoyono is the sixth president of Indonesia. • Prof. Dr. Ir. Ahmad Ansori Mattjik, MSc is the Rector of Institut Pertanian Bogor. • The Independence Day of Indonesia is celebrated annually on the 17th August.

9. A topic sentence can be a statement of intent or opinion, or both intent and opinion. • A statement of intent is an objective sentence that tells the reader what will objectively be explained in the paragraph that follows. Examples: The life cycle of a virus is in twophases. • Changes in the animal population depend on many factors. • These two reasons explain why little is known about it.

10. A statement of opinion makes ajudgment. Words like interesting, bad, exciting, best, terrifying, etc. give the writer’s subjective opinion (that is, a personal feeling or belief of the writer) and the paragraph that follows will support the writer’s opinion in the topic sentence. Study the following examples: • Some drugs are particularly worrisome because their continued use leads to addiction. • Television commercials can be very imaginative. • Learning English at the Self-Access Center is enjoyable.

11. C. Controlling ideas D. Main and supporting ideas

12. Sample passage • Plants can be limited in their growth rates by a variety of factors. Mineral nutrients may diffuse through the soil to the roots, and from there, they must be carried through the body of the plant. Carbon dioxide must be taken into the leaves. Sufficient light must fall upon the plant to cause a rate of photosynthesis greater than the rate of consumption of energy by the plant.

13. Grammar points: Noun Phrases A. Form Noun phrase is a phrase that consists of a noun plus a modifier; the modifier can be anadjective, a prepositional phrase, adjective clause, and another noun Adjective Examples: a big house, an extremely expensive car, easy tasks, complicated problems

14. Prepositional phrasesExamples: a new computer in the classroom, the man with glasses, the young teacher in red, the shoes under the table Relative clauses Examples: the people who work in the office a house which is 100 years old the bag which I was carrying the university where you study the day when I first came to Bogor

15. Another noun Examples: • Computer room • History book • Car park • Table lamp

16. B. Functions of Noun phrase a. Subject Examples: The explosion of bombs on all sides made the habitants fear for their lives. Most fast-food meals which are high in fat have become an increasing concern. French and American managers have decided different management styles Olympic athletes must be strong both physically and mentally

17. b. Noun phrase as an Object • Examples: • Their teacher was explainingthe pronunciation of the English vowels. • Generic research has producedboth exciting and frightening possibilities • Further exercise • Reread all the above paragraphs and underline the noun phrases that you find in each paragraph

18. THANK YOU…