Experiential Learning

Abstracted from http://www.businessballs.com/experiential_learning.htm

Good explanation of how tenses are used

Using Other Tenses in Conjunction with Simple Tenses

(abstracted from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/601/08/)

It is not always easy (or especially helpful) to try to distinguish perfect and/or progressive tenses from simple ones in isolation, for example, the difference between simple past progressive ("She was eating an apple") and present perfect progressive ("She has been eating an apple"). Distinguishing these sentences in isolation is possible, but the differences between them make clear sense only in the context of other sentences since the time-distinctions suggested by different tenses are relative to the time frame implied by the verb tenses in surrounding sentences or clauses.

Example 1: Simple past narration with perfect and progressive elements
On the day in question...

By the time Tom noticed the doorbell, it had already rung three times. As usual, he had been listening to loud music on his stereo. He turned the stereo down and stood up to answer the door. An old man was standing on the steps. The man began to speak slowly, asking for directions.

In this example, the progressive verbs had been listening and was standing suggest action underway at the time some other action took place. The stereo-listening was underway when the doorbell rang. The standing on the steps was underway when the door was opened. The past perfect progressive verb had been listening suggests action that began in the time frame prior to the main narrative time frame and that was still underway as another action began.

If the primary narration is in the present tense, then the present progressive or present perfect progressive is used to indicate action that is or has been underway as some other action begins. This narrative style might be used to describe a scene from a novel, movie, or play, since action in fictional narratives is conventionally treated as always present. For example, we refer to the scene in Hamlet in which the prince first speaks (present) to the ghost of his dead father or the final scene in Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing, which takes place (present) the day after Mookie has smashed (present perfect) the pizzeria window. If the example narrative above were a scene in a play, movie, or novel, it might appear as follows.

Example 2: Simple present narration with perfect and progressive elements
In this scene...

By the time Tom notices the doorbell, it has already rung three times. As usual, he has been listening to loud music on his stereo. He turns the stereo down and stands up to answer the door. An old man is standing on the steps. The man begins to speak slowly, asking for directions.

In this example as in the first one, the progressive verbs has been listening and is standing indicate action underway as some other action takes place. The present perfect progressive verb has been listening suggests action that began in the time frame prior to the main narrative time frame and that is still underway as another action begins. The remaining tense relationships parallel those in the first example.

In all of these cases, the progressive or -ing part of the verb merely indicates ongoing action, that is, action underway as another action occurs. The general comments about tense relationships apply to simple and perfect tenses, regardless of whether there is a progressive element involved.

It is possible to imagine a narrative based on a future time frame as well, for example, the predictions of a psychic or futurist. If the example narrative above were spoken by a psychic, it might appear as follows.

Example 3: Simple future narration with perfect and progressive elements
Sometime in the future...

By the time Tom notices the doorbell, it will have already rung three times. As usual, he will have been listening to loud music on his stereo. He will turn the stereo down and will stand up to answer the door. An old man will be standing on the steps. The man will begin to speak slowly, asking for directions.

In this example as in the first two, the progressive verbs will have been listening and will be standing indicate ongoing action. The future perfect progressive verb will have been listening suggests action that will begin in the time frame prior to the main narrative time frame and that will still be underway when another action begins. The verb notices here is in present-tense form, but the rest of the sentence and the full context of the narrative cue us to understand that it refers to future time. The remaining tense relationships parallel those in the first two examples.

The present perfect is also used to narrate action that began in real life in the past but is not completed, that is, may continue or may be repeated in the present or future. For example: "I have run in four marathons" (implication: "so far... I may run in others"). This usage is distinct from the simple past, which is used for action that was completed in the past without possible continuation or repetition in the present or future. For example: "Before injuring my leg, I ran in four marathons" (implication: "My injury prevents me from running in any more marathons").

Time-orienting words and phrases like before, after, by the time, and others—when used to relate two or more actions in time—can be good indicators of the need for a perfect-tense verb in a sentence.

• By the time the Senator finished (past) his speech, the audience had lost (past perfect) interest.
• By the time the Senator finishes (present: habitual action) his speech, the audience has lost (present perfect) interest.
• By the time the Senator finishes (present: suggesting future time) his speech, the audience will have lost (future perfect) interest.
• After everyone had finished (past perfect) the main course, we offered (past) our guests dessert.
• After everyone has finished (present perfect) the main course, we offer (present: habitual action) our guests dessert.
• After everyone has finished (present perfect) the main course, we will offer (future: specific one-time action) our guests dessert.
• Long before the sun rose (past), the birds had arrived (past perfect) at the feeder.
• Long before the sun rises (present: habitual action), the birds have arrived (present perfect) at the feeder.
• Long before the sun rises (present: suggesting future time), the birds will have arrived (future perfect) at the feeder.

Transformation & Synthesis

Where is the toilet, please?
Could you please tell me where the toilet is?

To see the doctor, you must take an appointment with him.
You must make an appointment with the doctor before seeing him.

Thought of the Day

Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Matthew 5:4 TNIV

What happened when Jesus Christ walked onto the earth, what happened at the Easter resurrection, is all about God telling you he is not out to condemn you. Jesus made that very clear to Nicodemus...

For God did not send his Son into the world
to condemn the world, but to save the world
through him. John 3:17 TNIV

Jesus is not interested in condemning us, but instead bringing life, forgiveness and wholeness to us. Paul writes in Romans 8...

Who then can condemn? No one.
Christ Jesus who died more than that, who was raised to life
is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Romans 8:35 TNIV

Not only do we learn that Jesus is not condemning us, Jesus is even interceding for us with the Father.

God is a God of love, grace, kindness and mercy.

King David wrote

But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love
and faithfulness.
Psalm 86:15 ESV

I love that part about God being slow to anger.

That is reassuring to me that no matter how many times I mess up, God responds with love rather than anger. When we understand that God is......

the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.2 Corinthians 1:3 TNIV

...then we understand and trust that God will indeed bring us hope and comfort. I think that is the reason most people love the 23rd Psalm...

Even though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death, I will fear no evil,
for you are with me; your rod and your staff,
they comfort me. Psalm 23:4 NIV

When we see God for who God is we find hope and comfort.

Glen VanderKloot
Faith Lutheran Church
(taken from Online with Faith)

Constructing better sentence

Reduced adverb clauses
He read the book while (he was) having breakfast.

Though(he was) study day and night, he still could not pass his examination.

Reduced relative clauses
The force (which holds) holding the solar system together is called gravity.

Add an adverb or adverbial to give more information on time
At noon, I sat on my sofa and muched my bread hungrily.
[when] [where] [how]

Strategies for Maths Problem

If the cost a chair is $10 and the cost of table is $12. John spent a total amount of $232 for 22 chairs and table. How many chairs and table did he buy?

Method - Assumption

Assume he bought all tables 22x$12 = $264

Diff in total amt = $264-232 =32

Diff between chair and table = $2

Therefore no of chairs = 32/2 = 16 chairs

Speaking English Well - A Key Asset

MOE has recently advocate the need to train our students to speak good English. I fully support such initatives by the Ministry. I remembered when I was doing a part-time job before entering University, one of my customers told me that my spoken English is unbearable to listen to. Since then, I have been very conscious of how I speak.

Maybe it is because of my 10 years of working in the government sector. I am always very skeptical of the way civil servants implements policy initiated by the government.

I am very involved in my girls education. I tracked the change in education policies closely. This is because I was one of those 'genine pigs' which managed to survive new initiatives from MOE. Hence, I want to ensure that my daughter who is also a 'genine pig' from the latest changes to walk out of the education system victoriously.

The most recent Speak Good English campaign has seen some school making changes to their curriculm.

My daughter has just entered Seconday 1 this year. To help the children cope with the significant increase in subject. The school has implemented a system which only requires some of the subjects to be taught and tested throughout the year. For example, History was taught and tested during the first half of the year while Geography was taught and tested during the second half of the year. This was a relief for my daughter and I.

However, English a main subject for passing Secondary 1 was also given the same treatment. Well, from the activities which my daughter told me they were doing during the first half of the year sound like they were suppose to help them improve their spoken English or at best learning English creatively. There was no English examination during this half year. However, during term 3, they class took their first common test in Comprehension and only 11 of them passed the test. Before the test, they only have 1 comprehension excercise.

So to the parents this means that the new initiative will help your child to speak better English but sorry your child will stilll need to pass his/her written English exam inorder for he/she to be promoted to the next level. Hence, please help her to study for him/her written exam.

Whenever there is a good intended policy to be implemented. The means and the result is never aligned. School either change the means of teaching without changing the testing process or change the testing process without change the method of teaching.

In the end, only kiasu parents like myself will try to bridge the gap of such poor implementation skill so as to ensure that my children are able to get pass the education system with minimum bruises.

Though a good education does not gaurantee a good career. A good education system will help to produce good workers for the nation.

Hence, I hope that the ministry and the school can work hand in hand to ensure that policies are designed such that they can be implemented and not just trying them out with different badges of students and those who are on trial will come the genine pigs of such experiments. Parents will then have to pray hard that their children will be able to overcome such "trials".