The Advanced Grammar Book - Jocelyn Steer, Karen Carlisi 1998

Chapter 5 Health and Fitness

• The Sentence: Introduction (Review Chapter)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Do you consider yourself a healthy individual? What aspects of your lifestyle help you to maintain your health? What bad habits (if any) do you have that are threatening to your health?

2. Are you involved in a sports or exercise program? Is there any sport that you’ve never tried that you’re curious about?

3. What kind of medical system exists in the country where you’re living? Is medical care expensive? Do you have medical insurance? How is this system different from other medical systems you’ve experienced?

OBJECTIVES

IN this chapter you will learn:

1. To undestand the distinction between phrases and clauses

2. To understand the components of English sentenses in a variety of forms.

3. To recognize and correct faulty sentences

Grammatical Terms

Preview

DIRECTIONS: Read the following interview between Randy Brown, a leading T.V. journalist, and Joyce Coles, the famous actress who popularized aerobics instruction.

RANDY: Tell me, Joyce. What made you become so seriously involved in aerobics instruction?

JOYCE: Well, you know, I’ve always been kind of a health nut, but for years I hadn’t been very good about staying in shape because of my film career. Then several years ago, I attended an aerobics class here in LA., and I felt so great afterwards that I signed up for a year of classes. I really got into it for a year and then decided to start a class of my own.

RANDY: And now you have your own fitness center and a videotape that has sold millions. A real hit!

JOYCE: Yeah, I took some time off from making movies for a while to get the fitness center off the ground. The video was a fairly simple project because I was already running classes at the center in Hollywood. It was a cinch.

RANDY: You know, you’ve been an inspiration to many people who thought there was n© getting around the middle-aged spread. What is your message to these people?

JOYCE: I want them to realize that we can stay fit and beautiful by working out regularly. If our bodies are in shape, our minds work better and we feel better about ourselves.

RANDY: Is working out the only answer? What about diet?

JOYCE: Of course, a balanced diet along with a regular program of exercise is the real key to getting into shape and maintaining that condition for an extended period of time. There are too many fad diets out there that can be very unhealthy and even dangerous.

RANDY: Well, Joyce, I’m sure you know what you’re talking about because you are definitely the picture of health. Thanks for talking to us today, and we’ll look forward to your upcoming video of aerobics for pregnancy.

JOYCE: Thank you, Randy, it was a pleasure speaking with you.

VOCABULARY

aerobics: an exercise routine set to music and designed to increase the heart rate

health nut: a person who is preoccupied with health

a cinch: very easy

get into shape: improve your physical condition so that you are at your ideal weight and your muscles are toned

staying in shape: maintaining a good physical condition through regular exercise and good diet

get into (something): become interested and involved in something

fad diet: a strict diet that promises rapid weight loss and that becomes very popular

fitness center: a place for physical training usually consisting of a running track, swimming pool, weight room, exercise bicycles, and saunas

get (something) off the ground: get a new project started

no getting around: no avoiding

middle-aged spread: heaviness around the middle of the body that can occur during middle age picture of health: looking perfectly fit and healthy

a balanced diet: eating the proper amount of food from the major food groups and avoiding unhealthy foods

a cinch: very easy; without effort.

CULTURAL NOTE/DISCUSSION

In the last two decades a health craze has swept the United States. Many people are preoccupied with maintaining a healthy diet and a regular program of exercise. Is there much emphasis on health and exercise in your country? What kinds of diets and exercise are popular?

Focus ON GRAMMAR

The following questions are based on the preview text and are designed to help you find out what you already know about the structures in this chapter. Some of the questions may be hard and some of them may be easy. Answer as many of the questions as you can. Work with a partner if your teacher tells you to do so.

1. In the following two sentences from the preview, and is used to connect two grammatical patterns in one sentence. How is the pattern of the two sentences different based on the function of this connector? How could you change the sentences so that they have the same pattern?

a. Then several years ago, I attended an aerobics classes here in L.A., and I felt so great afterwards that I signed up for a year of classes.

b. / really got into it and then decided to start a class of my own.

2. What is the difference between the two underlined groups of words in the sentences below?

a. The video was a fairly simple project because I was already running classes....

b. I hadn’t been very good about staying in shape because of my film career.

3. Which of the following examples from the interview is an incomplete sentence? How could you make it a complete sentence?

a. A real hit.

b. It was a cinch.

4. In the following sentence identify the subject, verb and object and write them below the sentence.

Of course, a balanced diet along with a regular program of exercise is the real key to getting into shape.

Grаmmatical Patterns

I. Phrases and Clauses

The following two examples help to demonstrate the difference between a phrase and a clause. Notice that the clause has a subject and a verb whereas the phrase does not.

The chart below provides examples of the different types of phrases and clauses.

5.1 Recognition Drill: Phrase or Clause?

DIRECTIONS: State whether each underlined group of words is a phrase or a clause. Identify the type of phrase or clause. Refer to the charts on page 93 for assistance.

Example

Due to the growing interest in better health, many people are joining fitness clubs. (Phrase) (Type: Prepositional Phrase)

1. Because of the latest trend in health and exercise, health clubs are opening everywhere.

2. My favorite time to exercise is in the morning after getting up and before eating breakfast.

3. A leading expert in the field of nutrition has stated that calories play a more important role in weight gain than anything else.

4. Despite her repeated efforts to lose weight, she has had no success.

5. Getting enough sleep and eating well are essential in order to stay healthy.

6. I go to the health club every day to work out although it is very often an effort to get myself there.

7. Alicia likes any kind of exercise; however, she has never tried windsurfing or kayaking on the ocean.

Notice the difference between an independent clause and a dependent clause.

5.2 Recognition Exercise: Dependent or Independent Clause?

DIRECTIONS: In the passage below, underline the independent clauses once and the dependent clauses twice.

Mоге and more people are incorporating natural foods and herbs into their diets for better health as well as for medicinal purposes. The use of garlic, for example, has recently become popular for its beneficial effects on the immune system. Although the smell of garlic is not very pleasant, many people eat raw garlic as a nutritional supplement and there are now even garlic pills on the market. Another natural ingredient that has become popular recently is cayenne pepper. Because of a suggested relationship between the use of cayenne pepper and longevity, some people are adding cayenne pepper to their diet. Finally, the use of fresh ginger, which can be combined with lemon and honey to make a tea, can be very effective for coughs and colds.

II. The Parts of a Sentence

A. The Subject

The subject of a sentence can take a variety of forms as demonstrated in the chart below.

• See the chapters on noun clauses, gerunds, and infinitives for more explanation.

5.3 Written Exercise: Identification of Subjects

DIRECTIONS: Underline the subject in each of the following sentences. Work with a partner to identify the grammatical form of the subject.

Example

The video was a fairly simple project (noun phrase)

1. Bill and his friends take kickboxing lessons on Saturdays.

2. Something I really enjoy is hiking in the mountains.

3. Lifting weights and riding the lifecycle are Robin’s favorite activities at the gym.

4. The dietary requirements of Weight Watchers can be found in their manual.

5. To become a health nut was never Joe’s intention when he became a vegetarian.

5.4 Paired Activity

DIRECTIONS: You are a health expert and you must create a set of guidelines for optimal health. Discuss with a partner your guidelines using each given word or phrase as the subject of a sentence.

Example

Good health ...

Good health is a product of balanced nutrition and a regular program of exercise.

1. A regular program of exercise . . .

2. Taking aerobics classes ...

3. What you eat ...

4. Junk food, coffee, cigarettes, and alcohol ...

5. Fad diets ...

6. Staying healthy and fit ...

7. The best way to avoid getting sick ...

8. You ...

9. What you must always remember is ...

10. Finding a way to relieve stress ...

B. The Verb

English verbs can be either transitive or intransitive. If a verb is transitive, the action of the verb is received by a direct object. If the verb is intransitive, the action of the verb remains in the verb and there is no direct object.The charts below classify some of these verbs.

5.5 Paired Activity: Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

DIRECTIONS: Your partner or teacher will ask you a question. Answer the question using the verb provided in parentheses. If the verb can be either transitive or intransitive, use it in both ways in your answer.

Example

What are your eating habits? (eat)

TRANSITIVE: / try to eat three balanced meals every day.

INTRANSITIVE: / always read the newspaper while I’m eating.

1. Are you a good cook? (cook)

2. What do you do when you don’t know the meaning of a word? (use)

3. Are there special clothes for aerobics? (get dressed)

4. Which skills are your strongest in English? (read/write/speak/listen)

5. What happens in your culture if the parents of a child get divorced? (bring up)

6. What is your routine before you go to work or school in the morning? (leave)

7. Where do you sit when you go to the movies? (see)

8. How do you stay healthy? (need)

9. Do you like chocolate? (want)

10. Do you like your fitness class? (teach)

5.6 Written Activity: A Day in the Life

DIRECTIONS: You are a journalist for a top-selling fitness magazine. Use the information from the interview in the preview section to write an article about Joyce Coles. Use at least ten of the verbs from the above chart.

5.7 Editing Activity: Transitive or Intransitive?

DIRECTIONS: Correct the error in each of the sentences below based on whether the verb is transitive or intransitive. Consider the meaning when deciding whether it should be transitive.

Example

[incorrect: When parents are growing up their kids, they should teach them about good nutrition.]

CORRECT: When parents are bringing up their kids, they should teach them about good nutrition.

1. In the morning I get dressed my clothes.

2. My aerobics instructor said me about the new music she will use.

3. The dinner was so delicious last night. I never tasted before.

4. I arrive the gym very early in the morning.

5. When my mother was raising, she always emphasized the benefits of fresh fruits.

6. When the moon appears the sky, it’s beautiful.

7. We usually listen the music during dinner.

8. My mother brought up with no help from her parents.

9. There’s a great new CD by the Bongos. Did you hear?

10. Yesterday I didn’t eat the food all day.

5.8 Oral Drill: Troublesome Verbs

DIRECTIONS: Answer the following questions using one of the six verbs listed in the chart above.

1. Your mother was extremely tired yesterday afternoon. What did she do?

2. What does your teacher do with his/her books when he/she comes into the classroom?

3. What happens to the level of water in a river during a flood?

4. Country X is in an inflationary period. What do you suppose happened to food prices?

5. What did the father do with his baby after she fell asleep?

6. Where did you put your coat after you walked into the house?

7. Where do you go when you want to take a nap?

8. What did the soldiers do after they captured the enemy?

5.9 Written Activity: The Picture of Health

DIRECTIONS: Describe someone you know who is the “picture of health”—in very good health and physically fit. Use a variety of transitive and intransitive verbs from the chart on page 96.

C. Direct Objects

As you have already seen, a direct object receives the action of a transitive verb. The chart below lists the various forms that direct objects can take.

5.10 Recognition Drill: Direct Objects

DIRECTIONS: Underline the direct object in each of the following sentences. Be prepared to identify the type of direct object it is.

Many people are taking up Capoeira as one of the latest fads in the fitness craze. Capoeira, which originated in Brazil, integrates the newest aerobic techniques with, traditional, combat styles. These new workout opportunities offer excellent cardiovascular conditioning, elastic flexibility and superb muscle tone. Capoeira involves working every muscle in your body. The strong kicks help to get the muscles popping; The masters of this sport understand why capoeira is becoming so popular. People appreciate the infectious rhythms, the beautiful sense of balance, and the deeply spiritual element.

D. Complements

There are a few different types of complements as shown in the chart below.

5.11 Oral Drill: Complements

DIRECTIONS: Restate the following sentences about soy protein, using the verb in parentheses and a subject or object complement.

1. Many doctors think that soy protein can be useful in preventing heart disease and cancer. (consider)

2. They are saying that soy protein is a new wonder food. (label)

3. They think that soy may be a replacement for certain drugs that treat high cholesterol. (regard as)

4. Genistein, a powerful natural chemical unique to soy, can be effective in slowing down the cancer process. (seems)

5. Unfortunately many people think that tofu, the primary food made from soy, is tasteless and unappealing. (find)

6. On the other hand, many vegetarians think that tofu is a viable substitute for meat. (accept as)

7. Health experts think that soy is a miracle food for its medicinal and nutritional qualities. (call)

5.12 Recognition Drill: Identifying Sentence Parts

DIRECTIONS: For each sentence below, underline the subject once, circle the verb, and underline the direct object or complement twice. Be prepared to describe each of those sentence parts.

Jim and wife are nouns. Eat is a transitive verb. Three balanced meals is a direct object.

1. What Rachel really enjoys is taking long walks in the evening.

2. Due to the growing number of people at this fitness center, we are expanding.

3. Taking too many vitamins can be harmful to your body.

4. The secret to avoiding Stress is managing your time wisely and exercising regularly.

5. Many avid joggers, cyclists, and swimmers have recently begun competing in the triathalon.

6. To be in excellent physical condition is what Grace-has always strived for.

7. Michelle and her friends follow a strict vegetarian diet.

5.13 Written Activity: Verbs at Work

DIRECTIONS: Identify the parts of the sentence in the following cartoon. Then replace the verb in the cartoon with exercises. What other changes do you have to make when you do that?

III. Sentence Types

A. Sentence Types According to Function

The chart below demonstrates the different types of English sentences according to their function;

5.14 Paired Activity: Asking Questions

DIRECTIONS: On the lines below, write five statements of fact about health and fitness. Take turns with your partner relating to each other the facts you have written. After one of you has made a statement, the other should ask a question about the information, using a different type of question each time.

Example

STATEMENT: Some people suffer from environmental illness.

QUESTION: What exactly is environmental illness?

Statements:

1. ...

2. ...

3. ...

4. ...

5. ...

5.15 Paired Activity: Complex Questions—Tags and Negatives

DIRECTIONS: Below are some influential statements commonly found on food product labels. Below each statement you will find two explanations for the statements. Discuss with a partner which explanation is correct, making the first explanation a tag question, the second one a negative question.

Example

“high in Vitamin C”

a. The food has 20 percent of the vitamin C you need to eat each day.

The food has 20 percent of the vitamin C you need to eat each day, doesn’t it?

b. The product delivers 10 percent of the daily recommended amount.

Doesn’t the product deliver 10 percent of the daily recommended amount?

1. “Cholesterol-free”

a. The cholesterol has been removed by the manufacturer.

b. The food was free of cholesterol in the first place.

2. “Light”

a. The product delivers half the fat.

b. The product delivers two-thirds the calories of the regular version.

3. “Good source of calcium"

a. The product has at least 20 percent of the calcium you need to eat each day.

b. The product supplies 10 percent of the government recommended amount.

4. “Low-fat”

a. The food gets no more than 30 percent of its calories from fat.

b. The product has fewer than 10 grams of fat.

5. “Reduced fat”

a. The fat in this product has been cut by at least 50 percent.

b. The producer has cut the fat per serving by a quarter compared to its regular product.

5.16 Written Activity: Follow-Up

DIRECTIONS: Write a letter to the FDA to clarify the nutrition facts from the previous exercise. In your letter, use a variety of tag and negative questions. Write to the following address: FDA, Office of Pulic Affairs, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857.

5.17 Editing Activity: Question Formation

DIRECTIONS: Correct the errors in the following questions.

1. How many times you ran around the track?

2. What kind of running shoes they are?

3. Richard came in second in the marathon, did he?

4. What kind of doctor you have?

5. You aren’t a vegetarian, aren’t you?

6. How often you take these vitamins?

7. How many people you asked about the new equipment?

8. You have a very healthy diet, do you?

9. Who you talked to about your sore arm?

10. When you are going to the clinic?

5.18 Rapid Drill: Exclamatory Sentences

DIRECTIONS: Use an exclamatory statement to respond to each of the following situations.

Example

CUE: YOU just heard some great news.

RESPONSE: What great news I just heard!

1. Your workout was exhilarating.

2. Your doctor has a very abrupt manner.

3. Your day at work was very stressful.

4. You feel sick.

5. You have found a great running path in the forest.

6. It’s 105° F. today.

7. You just saw a beautiful sunset.

8. You’re eating a delicious piece of homemade apple pie.

9. You’re looking at interesting pictures of your friend’s trip.

10. You just saw a very sad movie.

5.19 Oral Drill: Sentence Types

DIRECTIONS: Use a variety of sentence types to ask questions, give commands, make comments, and express surprise about the situations below.

Example

Your friend is extremely thin. (“Are you sick?” “How thin you are!”)

1. You sit down for your lunch break at work, and your office partner pulls out potato chips and a candy bar.

2. During a party, a friend of yours who never smokes is chain smoking.

3. You are walking up the stairs with a friend, and your friend is experiencing shortness of breath.

4. You just heard that a new discovery was made for treating obesity.

5. Your mother is putting six teaspoons of sugar into her coffee.

6. Your father, who experienced a heart attack a year ago, just ran two miles.

7. You are working out with your friend, and she just lifted two 100-pound weights.

8. A friend of yours whom you haven’t seen in six months looks extremely tired.

9. You just heard that the government has initiated a campaign to outlaw cigarette smoking.

10. Your sister has just started a diet on which she can’t have any sugar, caffeine, or alcohol.

5.20 Written Activity: Choose two of the situations above and for each one, write all the possible sentence types to respond to the situation.

5.21 Written Activity: What’s Funny?

DIRECTIONS: Read the following cartoon and discuss why it’s funny. On the lines below, write the man’s statement as a question and then as an exclamatory sentence with a different structure from the original.

QUESTION: ...

EXCLAMATORY: ...

5.22 Paired Activity: Your Diet

DIRECTIONS: After recording your diet for three days in the chart, show your partner and discuss how healthy your diet is. As you discuss your diet with your partner, respond to the instructions below the chart on the next page.

My Diet

1. Show surprise at two of the things your partner ate.

a. ...

b. ...

2. Make two observations or conclusions about your partner’s diet.

a. ...

b. ...

3. Ask your partner two questions about the diet.

a. ...

b. ...

4. Tell your partner to make two important changes in his/her diet.

a. ...

b. ...

5.23 Written Activity: Weight Watchers

DIRECTIONS: Weight Watchers is a well-known organization that is devoted to helping people reduce their weight. They have a strict diet that their members follow, regular meetings that their members attend, and their own food available in supermarkets. Think of at least five questions that you would like answered to better understand how the Weight Watchers program works. Write your questions in a letter to the organization.

B. Sentence Types According to Structure

The chart below demonstrates different types of English sentences according to their structure.

5.24 Written Activity: Sentence Types

DIRECTIONS: For each of the health disorders below, write a short paragraph with four sen­tences—one of each type from the above chart—describing the disorder. If you have no experi­ence or knowledge of the disorder, do some research in the library. Label each sentence as is shown in the example.

1. Multiple Sclerosis

2. AIDS

3. Leukemia

Focus on Writing

A. Sentence Fragments

A sentence fragment is an incomplete sentence that is written as if it were a sentence. A sentence fragment is missing one or more sentence parts such as a subject, a verb, or an object. Read the following passage and notice the sentence fragments that are underlined. Discuss what component of the sentence is missing.

A vegetarian is a person who doesn’t eat meat. For several reasons. Some vegetarians are opposed to the killing of animals. And being a vegetarian is a form of protest. These vegetarians don’t eat any red meat or poultry. Or use any animal products such as leather or fur. Other vegetarians don’t eat red meat for health reasons. Because red meat contains a lot of fat.

There are a few ways to correct sentence fragments. Notice the examples from the above paragraph corrected in the table below:

5.25 Editing Activity: Sentence Fragments

DIRECTIONS: In the passage below about the macrobiotic diet, underline the sentence fragments. Then, on the lines below the passage, rewrite the passage so that there are no fragments. You may have to add some words.

A macrobiotic diet is based on the concept of yin and yang in Eastern philosophy and the natural balance of nature. An example. There is no meat in a macrobiotic diet. The small number of teeth in our mouth used for chewing meat compared to the other kind of teeth. Macrobiotics believe that we are not designed to have meat in our diet. Sugar also. Brown rice, which requires a lot of chewing, is the primary food in the macrobiotic diet. When we chew the rice, natural sugar is produced in the mouth. So we don’t need any sugar from other sources. Of course, vegetables along with brown rice. Because they are such a rich source of vitamins and other essential nutrients.

В. Run-On Sentences

There are two types of run-on sentences as shown in the chart below.

5.26 Editing Activity: Run-on Recognition

DIRECTIONS: Determine whether each sentence below is a run-on sentence and justify your answer. Then, if necessary, make corrections so that it is not a run-on sentence.

1. Because Grace is a vegetarian, she must pay special attention to the amount of protein in the food she eats, so she eats a lot of beans, she also eats eggs.

2. When Grace first became a vegetarian, she missed eating meat since she had always liked the food she eats, so she eats a lot of beans, she also eats eggs.

3. When Grace first became a vegetarian, she missed eating meat since she had always liked the taste of it, but now she can’t imagine eating meat because she has grown to appreciate the pure taste of meatless cuisine, and meat tastes very strange to her, and so she is happy to be a vegetarian.

4. Sometimes it’s very difficult to eat out in restaurants due to the limited meatless choices on menus although that is changing now with the increase in vegetarian restaurants.

5. Grace is opposed to the killing of animals, so not only is she a vegetarian but she is also very disturbed by the use of animal fur for clothing.

6. She feels better now that she doesn’t eat meat anymore, she feels more humane and she feels healthier.

7. Being a vegetarian and feeling that she is doing her share to protect animals, Grace becomes irritated when people question her motives for being a vegetarian although she tries to be patient with such people, and she tries to make them understand the value of saving animals, but often people just don’t understand.

V. Special Problems

Pay careful attention to those special problems with sentences.

5.27 Editing Activity

DIRECTIONS: Correct the errors in the sentences below. Do not change anything that is already correct.

1. To play soccer, baseball, and hockey.

2. Because this is such an important meeting, I’m wearing nice.

3. The professor told about the experiments in cardiovascular improvement.

4. This new method of losing weight seems.

5. How many times you ran around the track?

6. How that concert was enjoyable!

7. After the game, the crowd left the parking lot in a very orderly fashion there were no problems.

8. Doctors they make me nervous.

9. Although many people haven’t read this book.

10. After the lecture was over, where you went?

Composition

1. Describe your diet and physical activities, and explain how they help you to stay healthy and fit.

2. Write a persuasive essay about the advantages and disadvantages of certain diets.

3. Describe a recent breakthrough or discovery in medicine and discuss its implications.