Tom, CO # 3, Reading- Debbie Carretta, September 3

The class began with instruction in how English speakers say the day and date:  "Today is Tuesday, September 3rd".  Then we began a review of Routine (Everyday) Activities, and creating a Schedule.  Example sentences with an emphasis on grammatical points are:

• I don't go to school on weekends.
• I go to school during the week.

Mrs. Carretta states that when we read, it should sound the way we speak, and vice versa.

When discussing everyday activities, we should use the simple present.  The main (most important) idea should answer the question "What is the topic of the story?"

Jen then came into the class to tell the students what was scheduled for them during the week.  Today (Tuesday) at 3:00 pm there will be tea time in the break room.  On Friday at 7:00 pm, everyone can go to watch a women's soccer game at the soccer stadium.  At 8:00 am on Saturday, whoever would like to go can go together to St. George Island.

Debbie then passed out, and the class read and reviewed, Debby's routine as an example of 'Everyday Activities'.  The class then answered the question 'How many things does Debby usually do in a day?'  This helped the students to distinguish between her activities and simple descriptions of her life that do not involve an action, e.g., 'Debby lives in Tallahassee with her husband Henry.', and 'She has four children.'  Mrs. Carretta then instructed that we should never use the present continuous with 'always', that is, with something that happens all the time.  We do not say:

• Every day I am coming to work.; and
• Every day I am sitting in my chair.

Mrs. Carretta then gave students an idea of the difference between certain adverbs of frequency, by placing percentages next to them:

• Always - 100%;
• Usually - 85%;
• Often - 75%;
• Sometimes - 50%; and 
• Never - 0%.

Of course, the students should not take the percentages literally.

The instructor then reviewed the pronunciation of certain words that students have difficulties with:

• brushes - two syllables;
• teeth - the 'th' sound;
• usually - 'll' in the middle of a word; and
• dressed - one syllable.

She stated that adding '-ed' to a one-syllable word would be pronounced as a single syllable unless the root word ends in 'd' or 't', e.g., 'graded' and 'grated'.