Yes, No, Not Given questions

Questions 27-30

Let’s look at the format. It’s all paraphrases that needs to be checked in the essay so it’s very time consuming. Let’s skip this.

The answers from 27-30 is the main-thesis, and all of paragraph 2.

We start off with the hook (1st sentence), and then we have the thesis (last sentence). And the answer for Question 27 is the last sentence. But nevertheless, I find that its better to really read through the sentences.

27. Wegener’s ideas about continental drift were widely disputed while he was alive.

The answer is found in the main thesis of the introduction:

The Origin and Continents and Oceans, went through four editions and was the focus of an international controversy in his lifetime and for some years after death.

Answer – Yes

Paragraph 1

28. The idea that the continents remained fixed in place was defended in a number of respected scientific publications.

Nowhere does it say continent remained fixed in place was defended. Paragraph 2 talks how about how mysteries about Earth’s history could be solved IF THEY ASSUMED that continents moved. He used a large amounts of evidence from other sciences. But never did it mention anything about scientific publications defending fixed placed continents.

Answer – Not Given

29. Wegener relied on a limited range of scientific fields to support his theory of continental drift.

Wegener did rely on scientific fields, but they were not limited. The article says using evidence from a large number of sciences

Answer – No

Paragraph 2

30. The similarities between Egener’s theory of continental drift and modern-day plate tectonics are enormous.

Now in Paragraph 2, we keep reading and come to this line:

“Plate tectonics is in many respects quite different from Wegener’s proposal”.
But what is Wegener’s proposal?

In the first paragraph we see his “theory” is ‘continental drift’, thus:

“Plate tectonics is different from continental drift (Egener’s)”
So this is in stark contrast to where the problem claims there are many similarities.

Answer – No

Thus, we conclude Questions 27 to 30

Fill in the blank

This is the second hardest because even though the answer sentences are all in one paragraph, we’re just not sure WHICH paragraph. Let’s leave this for the middle.

The answers is Paragraph 3.

When you move to the next section in your answer, make sure you move along the paragraph too.
Read the paragraph line by line and honestly. You notice that the author is writing about Wegner, thus its an autobiography.

“When i started writing about Wegener’s life and work….”
Therefore 31 is I

Paragraph 3

32 something about atmospheric physics. So we read on.
“He trained as an astronomer and pursued a career in atmospheric physics.

Now career is a profession “His ________ 32 __________ were limited to atmospheric physics”….we’re trying to find a synonym of career. And we feel F “professional interests” fits best.

Therefore 32 is F

There’s a lot of paraphrasing and synonyms going on, so be mindful.

For example, “However, he was not an ‘unknown’. ” This just means that even though he is not famous, he is still know. And the article continues to list what made him quai-famous. For example, “In 1906 he had set a world record for time aloft…etc”

33. Therefor He was already a person of (modest fame). So A is the answer.
34. Naturally the next sentence talks about his 52 hours in a hot-air balloon, which was mentioned as a record breaker. So, C is the answer.

After the hot air balloon sentence, it says “Between 1906 and 1908 he had taken part in a highly publicized and extremeley dangerous expedition to coast of Greenland.

By paraphrasing, we see that the answer is “followed by his well-publicized but hazardous exploration of Greenland’s coast.
35. so H is the answer

Finally for 36, we continue with the sentence.

He had also made a name for himself amongst a small circle of meteorologists and atmospheric physicists in Germany …etc

So he had also come to the attention of a ‘select group’ of German scientists.

36, answer is E

Question 31-36

Multiple Choice Tip

The questions in this section tells you exactly which paragraph to read. So do this part first.

Let’s look at 37-40. These are multiple choice questions where it asks you what’s someone’s main point? Or in paragrah n, what is who doing…etc.

The answers are either last line (sum up) of paragraph, or the first line (mini-thesis). However, you should nevertheless read the WHOLE PARAGRAPH for context and understand the jist of its saying.

If you take a look at the answer, we notice that much of them are the last line of the paragraph. Only #40 is the first line of the conclusion.

Thus, as we know, the first line are the main point (or mini-thesis) of each paragraph.
The last line wraps up or supports

Answer on Sentences

Introduction (paragraph 1) – yes, no, not given

(Paragraph 2) – yes, no, not given

(Paragraph 3) – fill in the blanks

IELTS Writing part 2 analysis

Rewrite – 40 minutes (part 2)

Some people think that competition at work, at school and in daily life is a good thing. Others believe that we should try to cooperate more, rather than compete against each other.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant example from own experiences.

The Paraphrase

The first sentence is our paraphrase. It paraphrases the original statement.

In today’s hectic world, one group of people says competition facilitates better productivity, while the other group stands with cooperation.

Thesis

Next is our thesis, which is what we want we want to answer (argue for).
Make sure the prompt is appropriately addressed. A clear and fully developed position is presented which directly answers the question. (TR)

This essay will discuss the pros and cons of each, and argue that a healthy dose of both is needed to create a constructive environment.

Pay attention to cohesion here. Notice that in our writing question, it says

competition at work, at school and in daily life is a good thing

This is why in our thesis, we assigned constructive environment as the “good thing”.

Talk about Side A

We choose to talk about the pros of Side A (competition) because of cohesion. Notice in the assignment, it says:

Some people think that competition at work, at school and in daily life is a good thing.

1) So we need to support and talk about how competition is a good thing.
2) The first sentence of a body paragraph is always the mini-thesis, so we need to match this up with our main thesis.

Therefore, we choose our mini-thesis like so:
Competition challenges its participants to be their best and pushes their limits

By definition, challenging its participants to do their best and pushing them to the limit is an environment that is constructive. This satisfies our thesis. Because constructive means “having beneficial or useful purpose”. Thus, making someone do their best is beneficial to that individual.

Competition challenges its participants to be their best and pushes their limits. Individuals who are in a competitive environment experience hard work, self discovery, and are at the forefront of their respective expertise.

The rest of the paragraph must support this mini-thesis with examples. Again, make sure we’re cohesive (CC) and we explore it in depth (TR).So the examples we make should be in business, academics, and daily life just like the assignment prompt says.

For example, employees in large companies work fast, concentrate hard, and often reap the rewards. In an academic setting, competition pushes students to work harder, to get better grades, and in the process, to become better employees. In our daily lives, competitive sports have given participants an outlet to achieve their physical best.

Close it/rephrase mini-thesis:

Thus, competition is the ingredient that pushes us forward in every facet of life.

Talk about side B

Now, we need a mini-thesis that satisfies the other side (cooperation), and again, pay attention to cohesion with the assignment:

Others believe that we should try to cooperate more, rather than compete against each other.

So, our mini-thesis is:

On the other end of the spectrum, the opposing group says cooperation not only produce the better results, but is a necessity.

Again, just like competition, we make examples according to the assignment.

company:

Great software with a tight deadline requires a team: the manager manages time, the coders crank out code, and the testers assures quality. Even in startups, successful teams are assembled with exceptional people.

school:
As opposed to a homeschooled child with no social skills, pertinent life skills can only be learned in a group setting offered by public schools, which is imperative for a child’s growth.

daily lives:

In our daily lives, one cannot ascend a mountain alone, as it is always safer in a group.

rephrase to close it:

Therefore, cooperation is essential to success.

Your opinion

mini thesis for our opinion

Personally, I feel that a mixture of both competition and cooperation produces the most constructive environment.

Examples should depict how one side is too much and by adding a little bit of the other, creates a perfect balance.

Specifically, too much cooperative work may be counterproductive. This is particular true for those students who take group achievements as their own. It creates the illusion of personal capability, feeds their ego, and impedes their individual progress. In these scenarios, incorporating moderate competition can be a counterbalance, pushing students to pursue personal growth while working in group settings.

Notice how we created an example with students in an academic environment. The cohesion is strong here.

Additionally, employees in the corporate world with their heavy workloads are often marred by physical ailments. The workloads often culminate to burnout, which affects employees’ health, and in turn, their life satisfaction. If we throw in more cooperation, employees would offload what they can’t finish, and this directly means more time at home, happier employees, and better life satisfaction.

Again, our example is in the workplace, tying in with the original statement of:

workplace, school, and personal life.

Conclusion

rephrase the assignment: competition and cooperation are opposing doctrines
rephrase your argument: but from my personal experience, a little bit of both works best
Then wrap it up

In short, competition and cooperation are opposing doctrines, but from my personal experience, a little bit of both works best. Competitive entities will find solace and balance with cooperation. And cooperative groups will gain competitiveness by welcoming competition. This balance is something that our workplaces, schools, and personal lives can all benefit from.

Rewrite – 40 minutes (part 2)

Some people think that competition at work, at school and in daily life is a good thing. Others believe that we should try to cooperate more, rather than compete against each other.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant example from own experiences.

There are currently two trends that stand out when it comes to maximizing productivity: competition and cooperation. This essay will discuss the pros and cons of each, and argue that a healthy balance of both is needed to create the best results.

Competition challenges its participants to be their best and pushes their limits, but is known to create burnout if they’re not careful. For example, many employees in fortune five hundred companies grow their technical expertise very quickly. In addition, they often hustle and bustle amidst a never ending competitive rat race. On the downside, the onslaught of the heavy workload in their environment leads to insomnia, weight gain, and early onset of male pattern baldness. Thus, if we add a dash of competition into cooperative teamwork in the corporate world, its employees can still maintain competitiveness and enjoy a proper work-life balance at the same time.

Cooperation is the essential ingredient in getting things to run smoothly, but we need to make sure each cog is well oiled and running. Let’s take a look at team projects in public schools. Many kids in public schools enjoy many group projects. However, their time away from individual work and taking accountability for their efforts will wane. In order to prevent this, we should emphasize more competition in schools in order to push and maintain personal growth. Students should be accustomed to fierce competition so that they are pushed to learn more about hard work, study methods, and above all, themselves.

In conclusion, competition is the fire that forges the iron, but cooperation shapes the iron into usable tools. While competition and cooperation undoubtedly have their strengths, a complete adaptation to either doctrine will lead to its respective detriments.

Some children spend hours every day on their smartphones. Why is this the case? Do you think this is a positive or a negative development?

main thesis –
Children spend too much time on their smartphones because it gives them cheap entertainment, and as a result leads to retinal damage, stunted growth, and robs them of human interactions.

Intro

Since the early 2000s, smartphones have taken over the world. From students to professionals, smartphones have become everyone’s preferred tool of communication. Unfortunately, its long cables of influence have taken its toll on our most vunerable demographic: children. Children spend too much time on their smartphones because it gives them cheap entertainment, and as a result leads to retinal damage, stunted growth, and robs them of human interactions.

Body 1

mini-thesis 1 – Prolonged time in front of a mobile screen can damage the human eye, especially children’s.

Prolonged time in front of a mobile screen can damage the human eye, especially children’s. Naturally, latchkey kids would glue their faces to smartphones, spending countless hours in front of a screen. Electronic screens can damage the human eye, especially children’s. The white blare of the screen radiates against their tender eyes. Its white heat burns their retina, and after a while, their faces would scrunch together in order to lubricate their damaged eyelids. This is why optometrists would always encourage their young patients to put some distance between themselves and the screen, take more breaks, and always go outside to recalibrate their vision with the real world.

Body 2

mini-thesis 2 – Addictive games and monotonous cartoons stunt a child’s growth by putting their feeding and sleeping time in a dishevel.

Addictive games and monotonous cartoons stunt a child’s growth by putting their feeding and sleeping time in a dishevel. Growing children need to eat on schedule and addictive entertainment can lead them astray. Instead of eating three to four meals a day, they would often eat too late or even skip meals in order to stay online. This is detrimental to their nutritional needs and therefore, their health. Even worse, children will play on smartphones late into the night. This is one of the worse problems to a child’s growth because it ruins their Circadian Rhythms. Twelve hours of sleep from eight at night is very different than twelve hours from midnight. Too many late nights will affect their bodies and can potentially lead to serious disease later on in life.

Body 3

mini-thesis 3 – smartphones will steal the child’s life away.

Last but not least, all that time with a smartphone will steal the child’s life away. With its addictive chat apps, games, and cartoons, technology today easily wipes away the child’s precious moments with the real world. A child needs positive human interaction to strive and learn. But if these important interactions are not given, the smartphone will create artificial memories with the child, rather than meaningful memories with humans. This will damage the child’s psyche after they mature and will create bad habits later on.

Conclusion

Smartphones and technology have been a detriment to our future generation. It damages eyes, creates unhealthy living habits, and removes our children from the natural world. If this is a precursor to how our future generation will be raised, then we are in a world of trouble for what’s to come. Because happy adults who contribute to society are raised with lots of communication with their peers, family, and the natural world. And those who are raised without it, fare much worse.

ref – https://7esl.com/adverb-placement/

1. Action verbs (Transitive)

   Subject – Verb (action 行为/transitive 及物 动词) – Direct Object （直接宾语）

   及物动词下一个位子能接受一个宾语。。这个叫直接宾语

   Subject （主语）- who or what performs the action
   transitive verb （及物动词） – the action
   direct object (直接宾语) – whoever or whatever receives that action

   • Ricky plays volleyball.
     Subject （主语） – Ricky
     transitive verb （及物动词） – plays (we add ‘s’ because subj is 3rd singular)
     Object (直接宾语) – volleyball
   • He rides a bike.
     Subject （主语） – He
     transitive verb （及物动词） – rides (present tense: ride + ‘s’ because subj is 3rd singular)
     Object (直接宾语) – a bike
   • They fly a kite.
     Subject （主语） – They
     transitive verb （及物动词） – fly
     Object (直接宾语) – a kite

2. Action verbs (intransitive)

   Subject (主语) – Verb (action 行为/intransitive 不及物 动词) – Preposition (介词) – Prepositional Obj (宾语)

   The rabbit laughed me. X

   You cannot laugh something, you need to use preposition (at).

   The rabbit laughed [at] me. √

   (主语) – The rabbit
   verb (不及物 动词) – laughed
   preposition (介词) – at
   object (宾语) – me

   The turtle lives forest. (X 不对)
   A turtle lives [in] a forest. √

   Subject (主语) – The turtle
   Verb (不及物 动词) – lives
   preposition (介词) – in
   Object (宾语) – a forest

   更多的例子

   • The birds fly in the sky.
     Subject (主语) – The birds
     Verb (不及物 动词) – fly
     preposition (介词) – in
     Object (宾语) – the sky

   • The girl sits [on] the couch.

     Subject (主语) – The girl
     Verb (不及物 动词) – sits
     preposition (介词) – on
     Object (宾语) – the couch

   • Tom jumps box. (X 不对)
     Tom jumps [onto] the box. √

   加个副词在宾语后面：
   Tom jumps [onto] the box (excitedly).
   加个副词在动词后面：

   • Tom jumps (excitedly) [onto] the box.
   • The book is on the table. (The table is the prepositional object)
   • The dog ran around the corner. (The corner is the prepositional object)
   • We head towards the airport. (The airport is the prepositional object)
   • The car sits in the garage. (The garage is the prepositional object)
   • The teacher wrote on the blackboard. (The blackboard is the prepositional object)
   • The kids play in the backyard. (The backyard is the prepositional object)

3. Linking Verb (is)

   Subject (主语) + linking verb (“is/am/are/was/were/will be”) (链接动词”识别”) + Subject Complement (noun or adjective) (主语补语)

   Ricky is a teacher.
   Subject – Ricky, linking verb – is, sub complement (noun) – teacher

   You are a monster!
   subject – You, linking verb – are, sub complement (noun) – a monster

   I am pretty.
   subject – I, linking verb – am, sub complement (adj) – pretty

   She was a boy.
   subject – She, linking verb – was, sub complement (noun) – a boy

   She will be a doctor.
   subject – She, linking verb – will be, sub complement (noun) – a doctor

   You are terrible!
   subject – You, linking verb – are, sub complement (adj) – terrible

4. Linking verbs – sense

   Subject(主语) +
   linking verb (‘sense’ – look/see/feel/smell/sound/taste) (链接动词”感觉/五官”) +
   subj complement (noun/adjective) (主语补语)

   linking verb
   subject complement (noun or adjective)

   • The family hears a burglar.
   • My dog smells trouble.
   • I see a waterfall.
   • Water tastes great.
   • My neighbor’s cat looks aggressive.

5. Adverbs

   End position

   Subject (主语) + verb (action 行为动词) + (optional可用/可不用: object 宾语) + adverbs (副词)

   Mid position

   Subject (主语) + adverbs (副词) + verb (action 行为动词) + (optional可用/可不用: object 宾语)

   I played terribly
   subj – I, verb – played, adverb – terribly

   with object:
   I played the piano [terribly].

   He sang beautifully.
   subj – He, verb – sang, adverb – beautifully

   with object:
   He sang the song [beautifully].

   She stood motionlessly.
   subj – She, verb – stood, adverb – motionlessly

   with object:
   She stood outside [motionlessly].

   She undressed quickly.
   subj – She, verb – undressed, adverb – quickly

   with object:
   She [quickly] undressed in the bathroom.

   I performed remarkably.
   subj – I verb – stay adv – remarkably

   with object:
   I performed the routine [remarkably].

   The girl shouted excitedly.
   subj – The girl verb – shouted adverb – excitedly

   with object:
   The girl shouted at the animals [excitedly].

6. Infinitive as Objects

   Purpose: express wishes, plans, intentions, or needs

   Subject (主语) + [is, am, are, like, love, want, hope, prefer, wish, hope, desire, need, plan, hate, ask, seem, refuse, try] + (to verb)

   My purpose is [to dominate].
   subj – My purpose, verb – is, object – to dominate

   I desire [to win] her heart.
   subj – I, verb – desire, object – to win, object complement – her heart

   I prefer [to be] the boss.
   subj – I, verb – prefer, object – to be, object complement – the boxx

   I want [to play] that game.

   subj – I, verb – want, object – to play, object complement – that game

   She wants [to eat] my dinner.

   subj – She, verb – want, object – to eat, object complement – my dinner

   I hope [to win] the race.

   subj – I, verb – hope, object – to win, object complement – the race

   The elders need [to rest].

   subj – elders, verb – need, object – to rest

7. Infinitive as Adjective

   Subject + [am/is/are/was/were/have/has/get/find/found/buy/borrow/rent] + (object) + [to verb]

   I am the person (obj) [to ask].
   subject – I, verb – am, obj – the person,
   infinitive (acting as adjective to describe ‘person’. ) – to ask

   She is the girl (obj) [to marry].
   subject – She, verb – is, obj – girl,
   infinitive (acting as adjective to describe ‘girl’. ) – to marry

   English 101 is the class (obj) [to take].
   subject – English 101, verb – is, obj – class,
   infinitive (acting as adjective to describe ‘class’. ) – to take

   He has a joke (obj) [to tell].
   subject – He, verb – has, obj – joke,
   infinitive (acting as adjective to describe ‘joke’. ) – to tell

   We have a job (obj) [to do].

   subject – We, verb – have, obj – a job,
   infinitive (acting as adjective to describe ‘job’. ) – to do

   I have a wedding (obj) [to attend].

   subject – I, verb – have, obj – a wedding,
   infinitive (acting as adjective to describe ‘wedding’) – to attend

   That is the team(obj) [to beat].
   subject – That, verb – is, obj – team,
   infinitive (acting as adjective to describe ‘team’) – to beat

   Let’s get some food (obj) [to eat].
   subject – Let’s, verb – get, obj – some food,
   infinitive (acting as adjective to describe ‘food’. ) – to eat

   Let’s rent a movie (obj) [to watch].
   subject – Let’s, verb – rent, obj – a movie,
   infinitive (acting as adjective to describe ‘movie’. ) – to watch

   Let’s borrow a book (obj) [to read].
   subject – Let’s, verb – get, obj – a book,
   infinitive (acting as adjective to describe ‘book’. ) – to read

8. Infinitive as Adverb (‘in order’ test)

   Subject + (action verb) + object + [to verb]

   Do the ‘in order’ test.

   I (earn) money [to live].

   test: I earn money ‘in order’ [to live]. √

   I (bought) a book [to read].

   test: I bought a book ‘in order’ [to read]. √

   I (ordered) a burger [to eat].

   test: I ordered a burger ‘in order’ to eat. √

9. Infinitive as Object Complement

   The teacher encouraged the students to think critically.
   We consider him to be the best candidate for the job.
   The court ordered the company to pay a fine.
   I want you to be happy.
   She persuaded him to change his mind.
   The doctor advised the patient to rest for a week.

10. Preposition and Prepositional Object

    at – location
    I cook at(prep) home(pre obj).
    I eat at(prep) home(pre obj).
    Let’s meet at(prep) Manners(pre obj).

    at – direction
    I look at(prep) you(prep obj).
    I smile at(prep) Sara(prep obj).
    The flashlight shines at(prep) us(prep obj).

    at – time
    I will meet you at(prep) midnight(prep obj).
    Let’s meet up at(prep) Terry’s(prep obj).
    Rebecca will meet us at(prep) 8pm sharp(prep obj).

    with
    I speak [with] anger.
    I play [with] Rover.
    I watch [with] awe.

    in – expressing the situation of something that is or appears to be

    I ponder [in] silence.
    I stare [in] awe.
    They rejoice [in] victory.

    in – inside a space

    I live [in] a cave.
    Let’s look [in] the box.
    The birds fly [in] the sky.

    in – time

    We visit [in] the summer.
    I’ll see you [in] five days.
    Let’s start [in] a few moments.

    in – expressing the situation of something that is or appears to be

    I ponder [in] silence.
    I stare [in] awe.
    They rejoice [in] victory.

    on – indicate a time frame during which something takes place

    My birthday is [on] August sixth.
    The meeting is [on] the tenth.
    The parade is [on] Sunday.

    on – surface

    I jump [on] the table.
    My pet sits [on] the ground.
    The plane lands [on] the tarmac.

11. Adverbial Phrase

    prerequisite:

    • infinitive/infinitive phrase
    • preposition/prepositional phrase

    Subject (主语) + verb (action 行为动词) + (optional可用/可不用: object 宾语) + adverbs phrase(副词短语)

    adverbial phrase = a group of words (2 or more) that functions as an adverb

    I played basketball [in the morning].
    subj – I, verb – played, adverb phrase for When? – in the morning

    He sings everyday [at two o’clock].
    subj – He, verb – sings, adverb phrase for When? – at two o’clock

    We throw trash [in the garbage bin].
    subj – We, verb – throw, adverb phrase for Where? – garbage gin

    You put the dirty dishes [in the washing machine].
    subj – She, verb – put, adverb phrase for Where? – in the washing machine

    They fought like lions.
    subj – They verb – fought adverb phrase for How? – like lions

    The elders spoke with quiet voices.
    subj – The elders verb – shouted adverb for How? – with quiet voices

    The pirates went to Krabi to find gold.
    subj – The pirates verb – went adverb for Why? – to find gold

    The pirates went to Krabi to find gold.
    subj – The pirates verb – went adverb for Why? – to find gold

    My parents scour for food to feed their children.
    subj – My parents verb – scour adverb for Why? – to feed

    If your adverbial is in the front, use a comma.
    If not, don’t use commas.

    [At four o’clock], open the gates. √
    Open the gates [at four o’clock]. √

12. Adverbial Clause

    prerequisite:

    • infinitive/infinitive phrase
    • preposition/prepositional phrase

    Subject (主语) + verb (动词) + (optional可用/可不用: object 宾语) + (subordinating conjunction 从属连词) + adverbs clause(主语 + 动词)

    A winner practices until they feel tired.
    subj – A winner verb – practices adverb clause – until they (s) feel (v) tired

    I became an adult when my wife gave birth.
    subj – I verb – became adverb clause – when my wife (s) gave (v) birth

    I’m an english teacher because I grew up in America.
    subj – I’m verb – an adverb clause – because I(s) grew up (v) in America

    I will work until I become rich.
    subj – I verb – will work adverb clause – until I(s) become (v) rich

    I’ll come after I finish breakfast.
    subj – I’ll verb – come adverb clause – after I (s) finish (v) breakfast

    I studied before I ate dinner.
    subj – I verb – studied adverb clause – before I (s) ate (v) dinner

    I will keep trying even if we’re behind.
    subj – I verb – will keep trying adverb clause – even If we(s) (v)are behind

    You push the button if anyone moves.
    subj – You verb – push adverb clause – if anyone(s) moves(v)

    I will pay provided that you give me a discount.
    subj – I verb – will pay adverb clause – provided that you (s) give(v) me a discount

    I study hard so that I will have a good life.
    subj – I verb -study adverb clause – so that I (s) will have(v) me a good life

13. Subject + helping verb + main verb + object

    helping verb
    main verb

    Present Perfect – Subj + [have/has] + Past Participle

    I have eaten squid.
    The turtle has eaten bugs since he was little.
    My friend has bought a new car.
    I have lived in LA for most of my life.

    Present Continuous – Subj + [am/is/are/was/were] + [verb + ing]

    I am playing video games.
    Ricky is correcting homework.
    My mom is cooking dinner.
    We are fixing the car.

• The R means ‘R’estate the Question.
• The A means ‘A’nswer the question.

Why did Sam choose the bird for a Pet?

Restate the Question

Sam chose the bird for a pet…

Answer the Question

because he liked that it could talk.

Question: Why is it helpful for bats to eat bugs?

It is helpful for bats to eat bugs because then crops will grow better.

Restate the Question

It is helpful for bats to eat bugs

Answer the Question

because then crops will grow better.

What lesson can we learn from this story?

Restate the Question

A lesson we can learn from this story is

Answer the Question

to be a problem solver

The C in the RACE means Cite the text evidence. This means go into the text, find the content that supports what you’ve stated from in RA.

Cite text Evidence

Use something from the story to prove our answer

How are elephants clever animals?

Restate the Question

Elephants are clever animals

Answer the Question

because they know how to avoid a sunburn.

Cite the text evidence

The author states that elephants use sand or mud as sunscreen to protect themselves from sunburns. They do this by throwing sand and mud on themselves. They also protect their young from sunburns by standing over them.

Let’s look at the “Tag at the Park” story again:

Once we’ve “Restated the Question”, and “Answered the question”, we need to find the evidence that supports it.

So we explain in our words what we’ve found from the text. In the story, Kate came up with a good idea to solve the problem.

She asked the other kids if she and her friends could join their game of tag.

What we should NOT do is to use words/sentences that has no support from the text.

RACE

E stands for Explain

R – A lesson we can learn from this story is
A – to be a problem solver.
C – In the text…

From the “Tag at the Park” story, what do I know about problem solving?

Your “explain” can be something like:

I know that it is good to solve problems because it helps people to get out of predicaments and work things out. Working things out and resolving issues is always a better solution that being stuck and angry.

Practice: From the “Tag at the Park” story, what’s wrong with this picture?

No R
No E

Practice: apply all RACE for the elephant story.

Practice: From the “Elephant Sunburn” story, what’s wrong with this picture?

No A. No E

It only “restates the question”. It does not answer it. Elephants are clever animals because why?

The explanation is not good either because it simply restates the cited text. It does not give a detailed explanation about why being clever is a good thing and can help us overcome problems and predicaments.

The key is that we want to have an explanation of what we think (and feel) about how A answers R. In our opinion, how does using mud and sand as sunscreen make elephants smart?

You can write it in many different ways, for example:

Similar to humans, elephants are intelligent, and they use ingenious ways to solve problems in their lives.

Last Step – Sum It Up with a last sentence after you have written sentences for RACE

Keep it:

• Short
• Simple
• Reviews Main Idea

Let’s use “Tag at the Park” story as an example:

What is the question about?

It is about the lesson we’ve (Kate) learned from this story.

What is the answer about?

The answer is about Kate being a problem solver

To sum it up, Kate shows us that being a problem solver helps us have a better time.

Elephant Story

What is the question about?

How are elephants clever?

What is the answer about?

They are clear because they can avoid sunburns.

–> Being clever pays off for elephants.

–> I’m glad elephants are clever so they don’t get sunburned!

Add these phrases in front of what you have written for the Sum:

• In summary…
• All in all…
• To sum up…

To sum up + [being clever pays off for elephants]. √

All in all + [I’m glad elephants are clever so they don’t get sunburned]. √