Adjective: Definition and Examples

   

        Adjective: Definition and Examples

One of the most important components of a sentence is the adjective. This part of speech is so common that people use it almost automatically, both in speech and in writing. For you to understand the concept of adjectives better this article will answer the following questions:

• What is an adjective?
• What are the functions of adjectives?
• What are the different kinds of adjectives?
• What are the degrees of adjectives?

What is an Adjective and its Functions?

• An adjective is a part of speech which describes, identifies, or quantifies a noun or a pronoun. So basically, the main function of an adjective is to modify a noun or a pronoun so that it will become more specific and interesting. Instead of just one word, a group of words with a subject and a verb, can also function as an adjective. When this happens, the group of words is called an adjective clause.
  For example:
  • For example: My brother, who is much older than I am, is an astronaut.
  In the example above, the underlined clause modifies the noun ”brother.” But what if the group of words doesn’t have a subject and a verb? What do you think the resulting group of words will be called?
  If you think it’s called an adjective phrase, you are right. As you might recall, phrases and clauses are both groups of words and the main difference is that clauses have subjects and verbs, while phrases don’t.
  • For example: She is better than you.

What are the Different Kinds of Adjectives?

1. Descriptive Adjectives

Among the different kinds of adjectives, descriptive adjectives are probably the most common ones. They simply say something about the quality or the kind of the noun or pronoun they’re referring to.

Examples:

• Erika is witty.
• She is tired.
• Adrian’s reflexes are amazing.

2. Adjectives of Number or Adjectives of Quantity

• As the name suggests, this kind of adjective answers the question, “How many?” or “How much?”
  Examples:
  • Twenty-one students failed the exam.
  • The plants need more water.

3. Demonstrative Adjectives

• • Demonstrative adjectives point out pronouns and nouns, and always come before the words they are referring to.
    Examples:
    • I used to buy this kind of shirts.
    • When the old man tripped over that wire, he dropped a whole bag of groceries.

4. Possessive Adjectives

• • Obviously, this kind of adjectives shows ownership or possession. Aside from that, possessive adjectives always come before the noun.
    Examples: 
    • I can’t answer my seatwork because I don’t have a calculator.
    • Trisha sold his dog.

5. Interrogative Adjectives

• • Interrogative adjectives ask questions and are always followed by a noun.
    Examples:
    • What movie are you watching?
    • Which plants should be placed over here?

What are the Degrees of Adjectives?

• • • 
      There are only three degrees or levels of adjectives (also known as degrees of comparison) namely, positive, comparative, and superlative. When you talk about or describe only a single person, place, or thing, you should use the positive degree.

• • • Examples:

• • • • She is a beautiful lady.
      • It was a memorable trip.
      If on the other hand, you are comparing two persons, places, or things, it is appropriate to use the comparative degree of the word. Normally, you will need to add “-er” to transform the word into its comparative form or add the word “more.” Also, the word “than” should be added after the adjective in the comparative degree.
      Examples:
      • This swimming pool is bigger than that one.
      • Ashley is more intelligent than Aldrin.
      *Note: For words ending in “y,” you should first change the “y” into “i,” and then add “-er” (e.g., lovely-lovelier; pretty- prettier; tasty- tastier)
      Lastly, if you are comparing more than two things, the superlative form of the adjectives should be used and the word “the” should be added before the adjective. In order to transform the adjective into its superlative form, you just have to add the suffix “-est” or the word “most.”
      Examples:
      • That is by far, the tallest tree I have ever seen in my entire life.
      • This is the most crucial match of the season.
      *Note : For words ending in “y,” you should first change the “y” into “i,” and then add “-est” (e.g., lovely-loveliest; pretty- prettiest; tasty- tastiest).
      Finally,
      • • • This article entitled “Basic Grammar: What is an Adjective?” can be very helpful for beginners who want to improve their grammar skills and ace the English subject. If you really have a deep understanding of what is an adjective, you will surely be able to apply this concept to your compositions properly. Just remember that although adjectives seem a little trivial, an effective use of this part of speech can actually strengthen your writing.

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Grammar Rules about Noun Pronoun Verb

               

                  Grammar Rules
1. Noun identification
2. Count, Mass, and Collective Nouns
3. Plural and Possessive NounsNoun Identification
What is a noun?
A noun is a person, place, thing, quality, animal, idea or activity.
For example:
Person — Salman
Place — Denmark
Thing — Table
Quality — Cheap
Animal — Cat
Idea — Narrow
Activity — Navigation

Spot the nouns in a sentence: Salman went into the city to purchase detergent.

Nouns: Person — Salman
Place — City
Thing — Detergent

The functions of nouns

Nouns sometimes function differently in sentences. For example:
Subject: Salman likes ice cream
Object of Preposition: He gave the ice cream to Salman.
Subject complement: The best customer is Salman.

Grammar vocabulary: Nominal means any word, or group of words, used as a noun. The nominal word used in the original noun example is Salman.

Types of Nouns

The names of specific things, places, and people, like Salman or Detroit, are Proper nouns.

General, colloquial names, like table or house are Common nouns. Common nouns can either be concrete, or abstract.

When an object is concrete i.e. you can see it and touch it, like a phone or a chair, it is a Concrete noun.

When it is a quality or idea, like freedom or justice, it is an Abstract noun.

Count Nouns

Count nouns are anything that can be counted. They are singular or plural. Plurals usually end with “s.”

Singular — Car
Plural — Cars

Irregular Examples

Singular — Mouse
Plural — Mice

Plural Nouns

Plural nouns are the nouns that have been changed into their plural states by adding -s or -es. Remember your irregular nouns, such as mice and children! They too are plural nouns.

Possessive Nouns

Nouns can be possessive and express ownership, usually following the use of “of.”

Example: The life of Salman.

Most singular possessives are formed by adding an apostrophe and “s.” If the noun is plural, the possessive form becomes “s” and apostrophe.

Singular Common: Dog
Singular Possessive: Dog’s
Plural Common: Dogs
Plural Possessive: Dogs’

Exception: if the plural noun does not end with an “s,” the possessive is formed by adding apostrophe and “s.”

Example:

Singular Common: Woman
Singular Possessive: Woman’s
Plural Common: Women
Plural Possessive: Women’s

Pronouns

A pronoun takes the place of an unknown noun. The unknown noun is called the “antecedent.”

Example: Maria wondered if she was late for work.

Maria is the antecedent of “she.” Instead of saying: Maria wondered if Maria was late for work, “she” appears to take the place of “Salman.”

The Nine forms of Pronouns:

Personal, possessive, indefinite, reflexive, reciprocal, intensive, interrogative, relative, and demonstrative.

Pronoun Cases

Nominative Cases: I, you, he, she, it, we, they, who

The nominative, or subjective, case pronoun is the subject of the sentence.

Examples: She went to the store.
Who has the book?
I am he.
This is she.

Objective Cases: Me, you, him, her, it, us, them, whom

These function as direct or indirect objects.

Examples:
We gave HER the bus money.
We gave IT to HER.
I don’t know to WHOM I speak.
The bag is with HER.

Possessive Cases: My, mine, his, her, hers, its, our, ours, their, theirs, your, yours, whose

The possessive case pronoun shows possession

Example:
That is MY bag.
That bag is MINE.
HER bus was late.
The bags are all HERS.

Personal Pronouns can refer to the person/people speaking (First person,) spoken to (second person,) or spoken ABOUT (third person.)

First person subject singular: I
First person subject plural: We
First person object singular: me
First person object plural: us

Second person subject singular: you
Second person subject plural: you
Second person object singular: you
Second person object plural: you

Third person subject singular: he, she, it
Third person subject plural: they
Third person object singular: him, her, it
Third person object plural: them

Example: I wanted to give them to her, but he wouldn’t let me.

I — first person singular
Them — third person plural
Her — third person singular
He — third person singular
Me — first person singular

Possessive Pronouns

Like regular nouns, personal pronouns can also be possessive. Possessive Determiners are possessive forms of personal pronouns. Possessive Determiners must have a following noun.

First person determiner singular: My (book)
First person determiner plural: Our (book)
First person pronoun singular: Mine
First person pronoun plural Ours

Second person determiner singular: Your (book)
Second person determiner plural Your (book)
Second person pronoun singular: Yours
Second person pronoun plural: Yours

Third person determiner singular: His, Her, Its (book)
Third person determiner plural: Their (book)
Third person pronoun singular: His, hers, its
Third person pronoun plural: Theirs

Example: They have MY bags but they know they’re MINE.

My — Determiner, dependent on “Bags”
Mine– stands in place of “My bags.”

Indefinite Pronouns

These have no specific antecedents. These are usually identified with general words like: all, any, some, or none.

Examples:

Singular: another, both, nobody, everything, nothing, somebody, everyone, no one, something, etc.

Plural: all, many, most, much, some

Examples: Somebody has her bags.
Plural: Everyone knows about Maria’s bags.

Indefinite pronouns are only pronouns if they are used ALONE. If they are used with a noun, they become indefinite adjectives.

Pronoun: Both knew they were Maria’s bags.
Adjective: Both beggars knew they were Maria’s bags.

If the subject performs actions TO or FOR itself, the action in the sentence passes BACK to the subject and becomes a reflexive pronoun.

First person singular: Myself
First person plural: Ourselves
Second person singular: Yourself
Second person plural: Yourselves
Third person singular: Himself/Herself/Itself
Third person plural: Themselves

Example: We asked OURSELVES where her bags were.

“We” is the doer and receiver of the action “ask.”

Intensive Pronouns are used to point back to the noun or pronoun for emphasis.

Example: I myself knew they were Maria’s bags.

The intensive pronoun does not always need to directly follow the noun.

Example: I prefer walking myself.

Reciprocal pronouns express mutual action.

Examples: each other/ each other’s
One another/one another’s

Maria and Heather greeted each other.

Interrogative Pronouns

These are used to ask questions and can be personal or non-personal

Personal subject: Who/Whoever
Personal object: Whom/Whomever
Personal possessive: Whose
Non-personal subject: Which
Non-personal subject: What

Example:
Who has the bags?
Which beggar has them?
Whose bags are these?

Demonstrative Pronouns

These substitute specific nouns, usually when someone is gesturing toward something.

Singular: This/That
Plural: These/Those

Example: These are for her.

Verbs

A verb is an action part of speech. It can also express a state of being, or the relationship between two things. It is most powerful when following a noun. Example: He HIT her. Verbs are the most complicated part of speech because they can sometimes become nouns, depending on their use.

The three kinds of verbs: transitive verbs, intransitive verbs, and linking verbs.

Transitive verbs

These take objects. Transitive verbs carry the action of subject and apply it to the object.

Example: She TOOK the bags.

Intransitive verbs

These do not take an object, but express actions that do not require the agent doing something to something else.

Example: She LEFT.

Linking verbs

These link the agent with the rest of the sentence and explain the link between the subject and the rest of the sentence.

Examples: appear, grow, seem, smell, taste

Example: Maria seems tired from shopping.

The Lay/Lie and Raise/Rise Confusion

These two pairs of verbs are constantly misused. In each, there is a transitive verb (TRV) and an intransitive verb (INV).

Lie — Intransitive, means recline or be situated
Lay — Transitive, means to place or put something

Rise — Intransitive, means to get up.
Raise — Transitive, means to lift something up.

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Sentence structure

                 

                   Sentence structure

This content explains how sentences are constructed and how different types of sentences are formed. It shows you how to punctuate each type correctly and how to combine different sentence types for effective written communication.

What is a complete sentence?

Sentences provide us with the framework for the clear written expression of our ideas. The aim in writing is always to write in complete sentences which are correctly punctuated. Sentences always begin with a capital letter and end in either a full stop, exclamation or question mark. A complete sentence always contains a verb, expresses a complete idea and makes sense standing alone.

Andy reads quickly. This is a complete sentence as it contains a verb (reads), expresses a complete idea and it does not need any further information for the reader to understand the sentence.

When Andy reads is an incomplete sentence. It contains a verb, but the opening word when tells us that something happens when Andy reads; we need more information to complete the idea.

When Andy reads, he reads quickly. This is now a complete sentence, as the whole idea of the sentence has been expressed. The following examples show the incomplete sentences in italics.

There is another theory. Which should not be ignored.

There is another theory which should not be ignored.

The proposal was finally rejected. Although they considered it.

Although they considered the proposal, it was finally rejected.

To check that you are writing in complete sentences, try reading your sentences aloud, pausing as indicated by the punctuation. Can each sentence stand alone as a complete thought? If further information is needed to complete the idea, then it is not a complete sentence.

Types of sentences
Simple sentences
Compound sentences Complex sentences

Simple sentences - consists of just one independent clause; it requires only one punctuation mark at the end (a full stop, exclamation or question mark).

The essay was late.

Compound sentences - are made by joining simple sentences. We join sentences which are closely related in content to make the writing more fluid. We can join simple sentences with a comma and a word such as: and, but, so, yet.

The essay was late, so he lost marks.

We can also join simple sentences with a semi-colon.

The essay was late; he lost marks.

Complex sentences - are made when we combine an independent clause with a dependent clause. The dependent clause in the following example is in italics.

Because his essay was late, he lost marks.

When the dependent clause comes first, as in the example above, it is separated from the independent clause with a comma. When the sentence begins with the independent clause, there is no need to separate the clauses with a comma.

He lost marks because the essay was late.

Comparing these two examples, it can be seen that the emphasis tends to fall on the clause at the beginning of the sentence. Vary your placement of dependent clauses in order to emphasis the most important idea in the sentence. Common ways to begin a dependent clause are: although, as, because, even though, if, instead, through, when, whenever, where, while.

Different types of sentences can be combined to form compound-complex sentences. In the example below, the central independent clause combines two sentence types. It serves as both the ending of the complex sentence and the beginning of the compound sentence.

When considering owning a pet, you must calculate the cost, or the animal may suffer.

When punctuating a compound-complex sentence, apply the rules for both compound and complex sentences. The example above begins with a dependent clause separated from the central clause by a comma, as in the rule for complex sentences. At the end of the sentence the independent clause is joined by a comma and the word or, as in the rule for the compound sentences.

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THE STORY OF OEDIPUS REX

THE STORY OF OEDIPUS REX

          
OEdipus is the son of Laius and Jocasta and the king and queen of Thebas.
The People of Thebes gathered at the palace. The steps were crowded by the petitioners. They were delegates. When Oedipus appeared and asked the priest, the eldest of all there, to speak what they wanted from the king. The priest described that the Thebans were suffering from the plague. They were dying. Their houses were being destroyed.
Among the mortals, king Oedipus was the wisest man. He had answered the riddle of the Sphinx and saved Thebes before it could be destroyed. They believed that he could save them again from the plague by finding some ways.Oedipus answered them that he had sent Creon to Delphi tovisit Apollo for instruction of getting rid of the plague. Creon entered and reported that the god commanded them to expel an old defilement from the land of Thebes. The murderer of king Laius was to be exiled or executed. The murder had taken place before Oedipus answered the Sphinx and became the king. They were obstacle in further investigation of the murder by the trouble created by the riddle of the Sphinx. The priest and other suppliants were convinced by Oedipus that he would take right action to search the murderer and do whatever would be right for the welfare of the citizens. Oedipus declared that the old defilement must be driven out of the house where he was being sheltered. He must be discovered by the citizen whoever was giving him shelter. He also cursed him by praying the god that the man's life be consumed in evil and wretchedness. He determined that the case of the murder of King Laius would be further investigated by him in his own interest. Choragos suggested him to summon the skilled Teiresias, the prophet, to discover the murderer. The blind seer Teiresias entered being led by a page. Oedipus urged him to help in the time of distress. Teiresias refused to tell the truth because he believed that the truth would be more dreadful than the present condition of the suffering. Oedipus was enraged by the words, refusal and the behavior of the prophet. He accused the prophet of killing the king with his own hands. Then, Teiresias spoke in anger that Oedipus himself was the pollution of the country. Oedipus charged him with the count of murder of king Laius with the help of Creon. They were making a plot against the kingship and against the kingdom. Oedipus reasoned that Teiresias was not skillful prophet; he had no skill of prophecy; otherwise he would have himself helped the Thebans by answering the riddle of the Sphinx. Teiresias responded him that Oedipus, with both his eyes, was blind. He could not see the wretchedness of his life. He didn't know in whose house he lived, with whom lived and who were his father and mother. He said that he would learn the echo of Cithaeron (Kithairon) and of bridal-descent of his.Oedipus commanded him to leave the place. He did not like to hear any more of the babbling. Before departure, Teiresias said that Oedipus would become a blind man, though he had now his eyes. He would become a penniless man who was now rich. He would go tapping the strange earth with his staff. To the children with whom he lived now he would be brother and father- the very same; to her who bore him, son and husband- the very same. He asked Oedipus to think over his statements, and if he would find any error, he could say that the prophet had no skill in prophecy.
There was a hot argument between Oedipus and Creon later in the palace. Oedipus charged him for the conspiracy, but Creon reasoned out that he had never intended to be the King. Jocasta (lokasta) interrupted their dispute and convinced that Creon was telling the truth. The king could believe on him without doubt. When Creon left the place. Oedipus and Jocasta both debated on the question of soothsayers. She said that an oracle was reported to Laius once that his doom would be death at the hands of his own son, born of his flesh and of hers. The king Laius was killed at a place where three highways met. The baby with whom there was fear of death was already left on the hills of Cithaeron (Kithairon) where it was supposed to be dead. Oedipus recollected the dim memory of an event in which he was himself involved. He said that his father was Polybus of Corinth and mother was Merope. A drunken man declared that Oedipus was not a child of the king and queen. Though his parents (foster-parents) convinced him that they were really his father and mother, he had still some doubt. He went to the shrine of Apollo, where he heard a dreadful oracle that he would lie with his own mother, and beget children and that he would be the murderer of his father. With fear he left Corinth forever. One day, while he was wandering, he came to a place where three highways met. There he encountered with an old man on a chariot. There was a herald, too. As the herald drove Oedipus off the road, he was quite angry. There was a fight. Oedipus killed them. Then, he came to Thebes, where he answered the Sphinx and freed the city from its danger. He became king.The queen told her that a shepherd had escaped from a fight. He came back to the country. When he saw Oedipus enthroned in the place of the old king, he requested to send him away to the border where only shepherd used to go. His wish was granted. Oedipus intended to meet the shepherd to know whether there was one murderer or many. The shepherd had said that there were many. Oedipus wanted to get to the truth. Oedipus was quite disturbed.
Jocasta prayed to the god to have mercy on the King, to give him peace of mind. Meanwhile, a messenger from Corinth came with a news that King Polybus was dead. He was dead of sickness. Oedipus was assured that the oracle proved wrong in this case. Oedipus was still worried of his mother, Merope who was still alive. With a good meaning, the messenger declared the truth that King Polybus and Queen Merope were not his parents. The messenger had himself given the baby Oedipus to them from his own hand. He had taken the baby from the shepherd of King Laius. The baby's feet were pinned with a skewer. Oedipus said that the mark of the wound was still there on his feet. As the parental identity was not still cleared, he wished to meet the shepherd. The shepherd was brought to the palace. He was questioned, and being obliged by the King, he declared that it was the King Laius, who had given him the baby to leave on the hills of Cithaeron (Kithairon). The queen had herself given it to him because of the cursed oracle. When the truth is discovered, Jocasta makes her suicide. Oedipus blinds himself and asks for exile. He requests Creon to take care of his daughters. He was not worried of the sons because they could manage to live somehow because they were men. Thus, the King, who solved the famous riddle and towered up only to fall into ruin.

Brief Summary

The Oracle of Delphi tells King Laius of Thebes that he'll have a child who's destined to kill him and sleep with Laius's wife, Jocasta, the boy's own mother. When a baby comes along, the king pierces his ankles and leaves him on a mountainside to die. A shepherd finds the baby, though, and takes him to King Polybus and Queen Merope of Corinth, who name him Oedipusand raise him as their own.

One day, Oedipus goes to the Oracle of Delphi to find out who his real parents are. The Oracle doesn't see fit to tell him this, but she does tell him that he's destined to kill his father and sleep with his mother. Oedipus tries to run from this fate, but ends up running right into it. He kills Laius in a scuffle at a crossroads, not knowing he's his real dad. Later, he wins the throne of Thebes and unknowingly marries his mother, Jocasta, after answering the riddle of the Sphinx.

Several years (and several children) later Oedipus and Jocasta figure out the truth of everything with the unwilling help of Tiresias, the seer. Jocasta hangs herself, and Oedipus stabs out his own eyes. The blind king then goes into exile with only his daughter, Antigone, to guide him, and eventually dies in the town of Colonus.

Detailed Summary 

• Laius and Jocasta, the king and queen of Thebes, are having no luck conceiving a child.
• So, the king goes to the Oracle of Delphi to figure out what the deal is.
• The Oracle is all like, "I've got good news and bad news."
• "Lay it on me," says Laius.
• "Well... " says the Oracle, "You will have a child."
• "Awesome," says Laius.
• "But... " the Oracle tells him, "The child will kill you and sleep with his mother."
• "Not so awesome," Laius groans.
• For some ridiculous reason, Laius decides to keep sleeping with his wife despite this prophecy.
• Eventually, Jocasta gets pregnant and gives birth to a bouncing baby boy.
• To try and avoid the prophecy, Lauis pierces the baby's ankles, binding them together with a pin, and abandons his son on the slopes of Mt. Cithaeron.
• (Father of the year, right?)
• Later, a kindly shepherd comes by and finds the baby boy.
• He takes the child to Polybus and Merope, the King and Queen of Corinth, who don't have any children.
• The royal couple is all about the cute kid, and they decide to raise him as their own.
• They name him Oedipus, which means "swollen ankles," because of the way the pins in his ankles have swollen them.
• In some alternate versions, Laius puts Oedipus in a chest and throws him into the sea. Polybus finds him and names him Oedipias, which means "child of the swollen sea."
• (Man, Child of the Swollen Sea is a way better name than Swollen Ankles, right? Just sayin'.)
• Oedipus grows up thinking that Polybus and Merope are his legit parents.
• One day, though, some random drunk dude at a feast calls out that the royal couple aren't his real parents.
• "Say it ain't so!" Oedipus cries to people he thought were his parents.
• "It ain't so," they lie, totally denying it.
• Oedipus doesn't quite buy it, though, so he trucks it over to the Oracle of Delphi to get the truth of the whole thing.
• As usual, the Oracle's prophecy is a little bit of a downer... okay, actually it's a HUGE downer.
• The priestess totally dodges the question of who Oedipus's real parents are, but does let him know that he's destined to kill his father and sleep with his mother.
• Oedipus is totally freaked out by the prophecy.
• (Understandable, right?)
• The prince decides to never return home to Corinth, fearing that he'll kill Polybus and sleep with Merope, whom he assumes must be his real parents.
• The Oracle didn't bother to tell him otherwise, so they must be, right?
• (Wrong. So. So. Wrong.)
• Oedipus goes out a-wanderin' and comes upon a place where three roads meet.
• A few dudes roll up to the crossroads and tell Oedipus to get out of the way.
• Oedipus is all like, "No way, you get out the way."
• "Whatever, jerk," the guys say, and a fight breaks out.
• Our hero pulls out some major ninja moves and manages to kill the guys with only one survivor running away.
• (Man, it looks like the ancient Greeks had major road rage.)
• Oedipus walks off thinking he's a totally awesome warrior, but what he doesn't know is that one of the guys he's just killed is his real father, Laius, the king of Thebes.
• (Bummer.)
• Eventually, Oedipus makes his way to Thebes, which is having some serious trouble.
• Their king is nowhere to be found and a Sphinx has taken up residence outside of the city.
• The Sphinx is a crazy monster with the head and breasts of a woman, the body of a lioness, the wings of a bird, and (some say) a snake for a tail.
• Her favorite activity is sitting on a big rock outside of Thebes and asking everybody a riddle.
• When people get it wrong (and they always do) she strangles them, or eats them, or some other such awful thing.
• In Laius's absence Queen Jocasta's brother, Creon, has taken over ruling Thebes.
• Creon has offered the hand of the queen and the throne of Thebes to any man who can get rid of the Sphinx.
• When Oedipus hears this, he's like, "Awesome. I am totally going to rock this out."
• So, he strolls up to the Sphinx's rock, stepping over the bones of those of failed before him.
• The monster swoops down on him and asks her riddle.
• In a mysterious voice, she purrs, "Which creature walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening?"
• Oedipus scratches his head for a second and then declares confidently, "Man."
• Get it? It's because we humans crawl on all fours when we're babies, walk upright in our prime, and some walk with a cane when we're old.
• The Sphinx is so upset that somebody figured out her riddle that she throw herself of a cliff and dies.
• (Dude, she took her riddle mad seriously.)
• When Oedipus shows up in Thebes and announces his deed, everybody thinks he's awesome.
• Creon makes good on his word, giving him the throne and the hand of Jocasta.
• Wow, everything is working out great for Oedipus.
• Oh, wait, except for the fact that he just unknowingly married his mother.
• Oedipus and Jocasta get along swell and have a bunch of kids: Antigone, Ismene, Polyneices, and Eteocles.
• Eventually, though, a terrible plague comes to Thebes.
• Everybody is dying and everything sucks. Even the livestock are suffering.
• King Oedipus sends Creon to the Oracle of Delphi to find out what's going on.
• The Oracle, in her typically cryptic fashion, declares that the killer of Laius is living in Thebes and must be expelled.
• When Creon tells Oedipus this, the King swears that he'll figure out who the killer is and exile the jerk like nobody's business.
• Creon suggests that Oedipus call in the help of Tiresias, the famous seer, who knows pretty much everything about everything.
• "Cool beans," says Oedipus, and they call the old, blind man to the palace.
• At first, Tiresias really doesn't want to tell Oedipus what's up, and the seer advises the king to stop seeking the truth.
• Oedipus flips out and threatens him, though, and Tiresias finally tells the King that he's actually the murderer that he's looking for.
• Oedipus doesn't want to believe it, and he accuses Creon and Tiresias of being allied against him.
• Jocasta tries to comfort Oedipus, telling him that he couldn't be the killer because Laius was killed by robbers at a place where three roads meet.
• "Uh oh," says Oedipus. "Seems like I remember killing some dudes in a place just like that."
• The king sends for the one guy who is said to have survived the attack to find out he truth.
• Meanwhile, a messenger shows up from Corinth to let Oedipus know that Polybus has died.
• At first, Oedipus is relieved because he thinks this means he'll never fulfill the prophecy that he'll kill his father.
• The messenger totally bursts the King's bubble, though.
• It turns out that this guy is actually the shepherd who found Oedipus on the mountain and brought him to Corinth.
• So, now, Oedipus knows for sure that Polybus wasn't his real dad.
• Jocasta, remembering the prophecy that made her abandon her son, puts it all together at this point.
• She begs Oedipus not to pursue the truth any further, but he insists.
• Next thing you know, the survivor of the attack shows up and confirms that Oedipus is the killer.
• In some versions, the survivor guy is also the dude who took baby Oedipus up on the mountain.
• The whole truth comes crashing down on Oedipus like a ton of bricks.
• As if things weren't bad enough, Oedipus finds that Jocasta has hung herself.
• This makes him really go off the deep end, and he yanks a pin from her robe and stabs out his eyes.
• After this, Creon exiles Oedipus and the blind man wanders the wilderness with only his dedicated daughter, Antigone, to guide him.
• Eventually, Oedipus and Antigone end up in a town called Colonus, which is just outside of Athens.
• Oedipus is broken and old, and he's been told by a prophecy that he's meant to die here in a grove dedicated to the Erinyes (aka the Furies).
• Just then, Ismene shows up and gives them some bad news from Thebes.
• It turns out that in Oedipus's absence, Polyneices and Eteocles have been sharing the rule of Athens.
• They'd agreed to switch off ruling Thebes every year.
• When the time came for Eteocles to step down, though, he refused and exiled his brother.
• So, Polyneices went off and married a princess whose dad had a big army, and now he's at the gates determined to take back the throne.
• Creon shows up, representing Eteocles, and tries to convince the dying Oedipus to come back to Thebes to be buried, because a prophecy has said that wherever Oedipus is buried will be blessed.
• Polyneices shows up too and also tries to get Oedipus's blessing.
• Oedipus tells them both to buzz off.
• In some versions, he curses his sons to kill each other in battle, because he feels like they neglected him all these years, unlike his devoted Antigone.
• Creon takes Antigone and Ismene hostage to try and force Oedipus to do what he wants.
• Just in the nick of time, though, King Theseus of Athens steps in and saves the girls.
• Theseus grants asylum to Oedipus, allowing the old blind man to die in peace.
• His body is buried in secret somewhere near Athens, and the city receives his blessing.
• Antigone and Ismene weep over the death of their father/brother and beg Theseus to tell them where he's buried, so they can mourn over his grave.
• Theseus refuses, though, saying that nobody can ever know where Oedipus is buried.
• Antigone is super worried about the civil war between her brothers in Thebes, though, so she heads back home.

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IELTS WRITING TASK 2

      

IELTS Writing Task 2:

Lessons, Tips and Strategies

For IELTS writing task 2, general or academic modules, you have to write an essay that must be a minimum of 250 words. You have 40 minutes. 

These lessons, strategies and tips will show you how to write an IELTS essay. They go through all the various types of essay that you may get and instructions on how to best answer them.

IELTS Writing Task 2 Lessons

These lessons are free and teach you all the key things you need to know about the IELTS writing task 2, such as writing an introduction, analyzing essay questions, writing for a band 7, developing coherency and understanding opinion essays.

How to Write an IELTS Essay:
This starter lessons tells you in simple steps how to structure and write a basic IELTS essay.

Learn how to identify the topic of an essay question in order to help you answer it correctly.

This IELTS practice will help you identify the task of an essay question. The most important thing to make sure you answer the question.

In this IELTS lesson, learn how brainstorm ideas for your essay and how to extend those ideas and create a plan.

Candidates often worry about not having any ideas for IELTS essay topics. This gives you some advise on how to generate ideas.

Parts of an Essay:

IELTS Essay Introduction
This lesson explains how you should approach writing an introduction for an IELTS Task 2 essay. 

Writing a Thesis Statement
The thesis statement is an important part of your essay, so this lesson explains how to write thesis statements for different essay types. 

Paragraph Writing
Writing clear and well-organized paragraphs is essential for your essay, so here you will learn about the basic elements that make up a good paragraph. 

IELTS Essay Conclusion
Learn how to write a quick conclusion for an IELTS essay.

Coherency and Cohesion:

Writing Coherence
One way to improve coherency in your writing is to use transition words. This lesson teaches you how. 

Pronouns
Your writing must be coherent, and this IELTS practice lesson shows you how pronouns can help you to do this.

Essay Types:

Problem Solution Essays
Learn how to write a problem solution essay for the IELTS test - a quick method that will produce a well-organized answer.

IELTS Opinion Essays
Get an overview of the various types of essay that ask for your opinion in the test.

Advantage Disadvantage Essay
This lesson shows you how to write an IELTS advantage disadvantage essay that requires you to give an opinion. 

A Complex Essay Question
This lesson shows you how to answer a more complex IELTS essay question that does not have a straightforward 'task' given to guide you.

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IELTS WRITING TASK 1

Writing Task-1 For IELTS              

IELTS Writing Task 1 Essential Information

Under the 7 essential facts about Task 1. Many students worry about these small details to focusing on what really matters- improving your performance. These facts will help you understand what the test is and how it is scored so that you can move on to improving your performance.

1. People doing the Academic test will write a report on a data set, map, or process. People doing General Training will write a letter.
2. You must write 150 words or more.
3. You should spend around 20 minutes on this part of the test.
4. Task 2 is worth 1/3 of your total mark on the Writing test.
5. You will be assessed in four areas:
   1. Task Achievement (25%)
   2. Coherence and Cohesion (25%)
   3. Lexical Resource (25%)
   4. Grammatical Range and Accuracy (25%)
6. The most important thing is that you can demonstrate that you can clearly communicate in English.
7. The key to doing well is to know exactly what the examiners want and giving it to them.

Task 1 Academic Writing Skills

• How to write an overview paragraph

Your overview paragraph is the most important part of your whole Task 1 essay. This article will show you how to pick out the main features and how to include them in your overview.

• How many words?

Around 150 words? Exactly 150 words or over 150 words? How many words over? How do I know how many words I have? This article answers all those questions.

• How to paraphrase

Paraphrasing is one of the most essential IELTS skills, not just in Writing Task 1, but in all parts of the IELTS test. You should paraphrase the question in every essay and I recommend doing this in the very first sentence to help boost your vocabulary score.

• How to write a complex sentence

Complex sentences help you boost your score for grammar. Complex sentences are actually very simple to write and are not complex at all- in this article we show you how.

      Paragraphing and editing 

This article will show you how to make your writing as clear and as easy to read as possible. It will also give you advice on whether to use a pen or pencil.

• Writing Academic Task 1 in 5 Easy Steps 
Task 1 can seem really difficult if you haven’t seen one before. This lesson breaks the question down into 5 easy to understand steps.
• Charts Lesson
Charts are probably the most common Task 1 question. We show you what data to choose and how to describe it.
• Maps Lesson
Maps are not very common, but they are the easiest (in my humble opinion). If you don’t learn how to do them, you will really regret it if one appears on your paper.
• Multiple Charts/Graphs 
What should you do if you get two different charts or graphs? This lesson shows you how.
• Process Lesson
Sometimes you will be shown a process such as a life cycle or how something is manufactured. This requires a very specific approach and we cover everything here.
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