Unit 1 The written word

Grammar and usage

Teaching aims:

Students will learn the basic function of negative statements, the most commonly used negative words such as no, not, never and neither and how to use them in different situations.

Teaching procedures:

Step 1

Lead-in

(PPT 4-5)

1. Play a piece of video to the students, asking them what it is about.

　(Sharon Stone's false comment on China's earthquake.)

2. Show the students the transcript of the comments by Sharon Stone on China's earthquake. Ask: 1) What do all the red words have in common? (They are negative expressions.)

2) Why did the woman use so many negative expressions? (To express her hatred and dissatisfaction towards our government.)

　3) What words did she use to describe the earthquake in China？（Interesting, Karma.）

　4) What does Karma possibly mean？(B. 因果报应)

　5) Is it right to say so? How do we correct it?

Step 2

1. auxiliary verb + not

　In the simplest kind of negative statement, not or n't comes after the auxiliary verb.

> 莎朗的言论是不合适的。

　　Sharon's words are not appropriate.

> 我认为她那么说是不明智的。

　 I don't think she was wise to say so.

　Tip: A negative statement may sometimes have a positive meaning.

　> 地震不仅是中国的灾难也是全人类的。莎朗的表现表明她不仅缺少爱心而且缺少人性。

　> The earthquake is not only China's disaster, but also a disaster for all of mankind. Sharon Stone's performance shows that not only does she lack love, but she lacks humanity.

2. not paired with other words

When used before a word with a negative prefix (e.g. un-, dis-, or in-), the meaning becomes positive. But this type of phrase is not as strong as a direct positive statement.

> 她不可能对地震中大量的死亡数未有所闻。

When used before a phrase of time, distance or a noun phrase including quantities,