A good textbook helps to improve writing skills

QUESTION: I always read the newspapers to improve my English. If I have a problem, I will check the dictionary, but it didn't help me at all. Before the English exam, I listened to the radio, but it also didn't help me at all. I will face the HKCEE next year. Can you give me some advice to improve my composition and listening skills? ALEX WONG, H.K. ANSWER: (a) Composition can be improved by systematically following a good textbook designed to improve writing skills. Learning to write a good composition takes a lot of practice and concentration.

Before buying a textbook, look at the chapter headings for units which (1) give examples of and practice in writing topic sentences; (2) show how to develop a free-flowing style with an introduction, a body, and a smooth conclusion, and (3) show means of linking sentences together smoothly by beginning sentences with such words as 'In this way', 'Therefore', 'First', 'Next', 'Finally', 'Furthermore' and 'Accordingly'.

(b) A major problem in developing listening skills in English is that speakers of English do not pronounce each written word in isolation, something very common with the Chinese language and which often makes English when spoken by Chinese speakers sound very jerky.

Instead, native speakers of English link words together by carrying one word ending over into the next word and running words together, for example, 'Whatseedoing?' ('what is he doing?').

Also, the spelling system in English is so confusing that a written word often gives little help to that word's pronunciation.

I suggest that you spend some time on practising the International Phonemic Alphabet and other aspects of spoken English - such as intonation, word-linking, and word and sentence stress - preferably with a trained native speaker of English.

Q: I am a Form One student. My English teacher told me that adverbs normally end with 'ly'. But one time she wrote this on the blackboard: 'She is very friendly'. I guess that this 'friendly' here is an adjective, but how come it has an 'ly' ending? BEN, Kowloon A: Your teacher is right in saying that 'ly' is added to most adjectives to form adverbs, for example, 'Mary always wears a happy smile' and 'Mary always smiles happily'.