Chapter 8

Inventions Make Life

Easier
 What’s on this chapter?

• Report text
• The Indefinite Article “A/An” and the
Definite Article “The”.
• Pronouns and Some, Most, All.
• Relating Verbs (Is/Are/Have/Has) and
Simple Present Tense.
Look at these picture and answer
the questions!

3
1 2 4
In Pairs, discuss the following questions.
1. What are the three most useful machines
in your home?
2. What are the three most useful gadgets
you own?
3. What are the three most impressive
inventions in the last decade?
 Factual report text

A factual report text is a text that provides information

about something.
The text can be about a living, or non-living subject,
such as animals, plants, things, social and natural
phenomena.
Generic Structure of factual report :
- General Classification : Introducing the topic of the
factual report.
- Description : Tells the shape/form, parts, the function,
its history.
Language features of report text :
- Focus on generic participant
- Use simple present tense
- Use simple past tense
- Use of passive sentence
- Use linking verbs (Is, are, have,has)
- Use of Noun phrase
- Use of Adjective .

Social function of report text:

To present information about something generally. It
generally describes the way things are (for example : a man-
made, things, animals, plants)
The things must be a representative of their class.
The use of article “A/An”
1. To refers something which is mentioned for the
first time.
e.g. – A telegraph is a machine that is used for
transmitting messages.
2. Use “a” with nouns starting with consonants
( b,c,d,k, etc)
e.g. – A digital camera is a camera that encodes
a digital image and a video digitally.
3. Use “an” with nouns starting with vowels
(a.i.u.e.o) or consonants that sound like vowels.
e.g. – An event must be documented by an
image.
- An umbrella is needed on rainy days.
BUT.
- An hour is sixty minutes
- A university is for higher education.
4. Use “a” and “an” with singular countable nouns
- A microscope - An event.
The use of article “the”
1. To refer something which has been mentioned
before.
e.g. A telegraph is a machine that is used for
transmitting messages. Nowadays, people don’t
use it anymore because mobile phones and the
internet are faster than the telegraph.
2. Use in the sentences or clauses where we define or
identify a particular person or object.
e.g. The message which is sent by a telegraph is
called a telegram or cablegram.
3. Use with superlatives and ordinal numbers
e.g. – What is the fastest means of
communication today?
- The first dishwasher was invented
by Josephine Cochrane
4. With a group of years or time phases
e.g. - In the late 1900
- in the next two decades.
- the following year
Fill in the blanks with suitable article a, an, or without article.

1. _____ thermostat 11. ______ mixture

2. _____ dynamos 12. ______ solutions
3. _____ wire 13. ______ American car
4. _____ appliance 14. ______ European model
5. _____ principles 15. ______ unique style
6. _____ soap 16. ______ antique type
7. _____ chamber 17. ______ explosive matter
8. _____ cooking-pot 18. ______ ion
9. _____ automatic knob 19. ______ atomic age
10. _____ metal filter 20. ______ funnels
Complete the text with the correct articles a, an, the or
without any article.

_____ (1) dynamo is ______(2) electrical generator

that produces direct current with the use of
______(3) commutator. ______(4) Dynamos were
______ (5) first electrical generators capable of
delivering power for industry, and _____ (6)
foundation upon which many other later electric-
power conversion devices were based, including
______ (7) electric motor, ______ (8)
alternating-current alternator, and ______ (9)
rotary converter. Today, ____ (10) simpler
alternator dominates large scale power generation,
for efficiency, reliability and cost reasons.
Pronouns
1. The subjective pronouns for things (it and they)
are used for the subject of a clause.
e.g. - A ceiling fan is a mechanical fan. It is
usually electrically powered.
- Fans only move air- they do not directly
change its temperature.
2. The objective pronouns for things ( it and them)
are used for the object of a verb or preposition.
e.g. – A ceiling fan is a mechanical fan which is put
on the ceiling and rotating paddles are
mounted to it to circulate air.
3. The possessive before a noun (their, its) is used to
show possession.
e.g. – The rotating cutting wheel is mounted on its
lid to slide open the fan.
Most, Some, and All are quantifiers. They precede
plural nouns.

Most/Some/All + Plural Noun without the

e.g. – Some digital cameras can crop and stitch pictures
and perform other elementary image editing.
- Most cars have four doors but some have two.
- All rooms are air-conditioned.
Underline the pronouns in this text and answer the
questioned!.
A ceiling fan is a mechanical fan that is powered by
electricity. It is hung from the ceiling. The major
part of the fan is the rotating paddle that is used to
circulate air.
The fans rotate much more slowly than a desk fan
because the paddles are much bigger. They cool
people effectively by rotating the still, hot air of a
room. Different from air conditioners, fans do not
directly change the temperature. Some ceiling fans
have an adjustable blade pitch instead of a
reversible motor.
1. “It is hung from the ceiling.” What does it refer to?
2. Why do we use the pronoun “it”?
3. “They cool people effectively …” What does “they”
refer to?
4. When do we use pronoun “they”?
5. “Some ceiling fans have an adjustable blade pitch
instead of reversible motor”. What does the
underline word mean?
6. Do all ceiling fans have adjustable blade pitch?
why/why not?
7. What is the use of “some” in this sentence?
8. Can we change “some” with “most” or “all”?
what do the sentences mean then?
 IS/ARE USED TO……. IS/ARE USED FOR……..
PAY ATTENTION TO THESE SENTENCES!
- Scissors are used for cutting paper or cloth.
- A juicer is used to make fruit or vegetable juice.
- Glue is used to stick things together.
- A nail-cutter is used for cutting nails.
ANSWER THE QUESTIONS.
1. What are the sentences telling you about?
2. Do they have active or passive meaning?
3. When do we use “is used” or “are used” ?
4. When do we use “verb-ing form (gerund)” or
“infinitive” ?
Complete the phrases in column A with suitable
information in column B !
a. For storing information
1. A camera is used …
b. To take pictures or
2. A sewing-machine is photographs
used … c. To make sounds louder so that
a person with hearing loss can
3. Detergent is used … listen.
4. A lighter is used … d. To see object that are too
small for the naked eye.
5. A water-heater is used e. To light fires
6. Can-openers are used … f. For sewing cloth
7. Compact disks are used g. For opening the lids of cans
h. For cleaning clothing
8. Microscopes are used … i. To heat water
9. Hearing aids are used … j. For recording, storing and
10. A data-base is used … playing back audio.