ENGLISH FOR AGRICULTURE

SILLABUS
(Level: Intermediate)

FOCUS:

1. Structure of Sentences (Basic)

2. Ability to understand scientific reading
3. Vocabulary improvement (4000 – 5000) & idea
expression

A. Structure of Sentences
- Basic
- Simple-complex
- Tenses
 B. Language skill exercises

1. Word studying exercise /unfamiliar vocabulary (Vocabulary from

context, stem and affixes, dictionary usage)
2. Sentence study exercise
3. Paragraph reading and paragraph analysis
4. Non-prose reading

C. Reading Skill Exercise

1. Skimming – general idea(s)

2. Scanning – locate specific info
3. Reading for thorough comprehension
4. Critical reading
 SENTENCES
A sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete
idea.
Every sentence includes, at least, a subject and a verb.
The verb may be followed by an object or a complement.
There are four basic types of sentences;

1. Statement. Agriculture is an important sector.

A statement gives I just bought some fruits.
information or Amir is a skillful farmer.
opinions Rice is a main crop in Indonesia.

2. Question. What is your favorite flower?

A question asks for Where did you buy those apples?
information When will you plant the trees?
Why are the plants wilting?
 SENTENCES
( c o ntin ue d )

3. Exclamation. What a beautiful roses you have!

An exclamation What a delicious fruit durian is!
expresses surprise, What an expensive seedling!
pleasure, or other What a beautiful scenery!
emotions.

4. Command. (You) Cut that tree!

A command tells (You) Be quiet, please.
what to do (You) Eat as much as you can.
(You) Please tell everyone how to
handle the disease.
 SUBJECTS
The subject is normally the most important person,
place, thing, or idea in the sentence.
Subjects commonly take four forms;

1. Noun. Amat just watered his garden.

A noun can be a Mataram is a green city.
person, place, Manggo is a common fruit.
thing, or idea. To grow many crops is a good
way to avoid disease outbreak.

2. Pronoun. He has grown corn for years.

A pronoun is used It is an expensive fruit.
in place of a noun. They are diligent farmers.
We will have an agricultural extension.
 SUBJECTS
( co nti nu e d )

3. Phrase. Several Javanese farmers visit

A phrase is a Lombok.
group of related Grow tobacco is popular.
words with a noun Working in the field is exhausting.
or a verb form. Eating healthy food is encouraged.

4. Clause. Why he sold his land is a mystery.

A clause is a Her behavior to work late
group of related explains why she got less.
words with a His decision to grow vegetables
subject or a verb. is reasonable.
To have a big farm is one of Amir’s
dreams.
 SUBJECTS
(continued)
To identify a subject, find a verb, then use the
verb in a question beginning with who or what

Amat just watered his garden.

Verb : watered
Who just watered?
Amat Just watered . (Not his garden)

He has grown corn for years.

Verb : grown
Who has grown?
He has grown. (Not for years).
 SUBJECTS
( co ntin u ed )

To identify a subject, find a verb, then use the verb

in a question beginning with who or what

Working in the field, a common activity in rural areas, is exhausting.

Verb : is exhausting
What is exhausting?
Working in the field. (Not a common
activity
Why he sold his land, a few years ago, is a mistery.
Verb : is (a mistery)
What is a mistery?
Why he sold his land.
 VERBS
Verbs (kata kerja) are words that express action,
occurrence or existence
Verbs commonly take three forms; 1) Action Verbs,
2) Linking Verbs, and 3) Auxiliary Verbs.

1. Action verbs. These verbs express the action

taken by a subject.
There are two types;
a. Intransitive.
An intransitive verb is complete without an object.
- He rests on Sunday.
- Amir and Ali work everyday.
b. Transitive.
A Transitive verb is incomplete without an object.
- He bought a cheap fertilizer .
- She plants a healthy seedlings.
 VERBS ( co n tinu e d )

2. Linking Verbs.
These verbs connect the subject to the complement.
The complement describes subject.
A complement can be a noun, pronoun, adjective or
verb form.

Sam is a seed supplier.

He appears quite intelligent.
He looks rather tired.
He sounds upset.

3. Auxiliary Verbs.
These verbs will be discussed separately
 Objects of Verbs

Direct (langsung) Indirect (Tdk langsung)

To identify: find S & V (Utk To identify: find S, V & DO (Utk tahu

tahu temukan Subjek & Kata temukan S, P & Objek langsung)
Kerja) To whom or for whom (to what or for
Use them in a question ending what) something is done (Pada siapa
with whom or what (Pakai utk atau utk siapa (pd apa atau utk apa)
pertanyaan berakhir dg Siapa sesuatu dikerjakan
atau Apa)

Example: Example:
Ali invited the reporter to lunch. Ramli sent Aminah an invitation
S : Ali, V : invited S, V & DO: Ramli sent an invitation
Q : Ali invited whom (or Q: Ramli sent an invitation to
what)? or whom?
Whom did Ali invite? To whom did Ramli send an
A : the reporter (DO) invitation?
 Auxiliary verb
(Kata Kerja Bantu)

Beberapa Auxiliary verb:

 am, is, are --------- was, were
 have, has --------- had
 be --------- been
 do, does -------- did
 can -------- could
 may -------- might
 will -------- would
 shall -------- should
 must

Kelompok kata (word group) yang juga dapat berfungsi sebagai

auxiliary verb:
Am going to; is about to; ought to; used to; have to
 Functions of auxiliary verb:

1. Kata kerja bantu dalam kalimat yang mengandung “ING FORM”

Menunjukkan aktifitas yang sedang berlangsung

Subjec Aux verb Verb+ing

We are eating delicious food
Example:

We enjoying the scenery X

Bukan verb ----- enjoy (verb)

We are enjoying the scenery

 2. Untuk membuat pertanyaan

Aux. verb Subject Verb ?

Did you watch the news last night?

I live in Mataram ------ Where do you live?

I went to Mataram Mall last night---- Whendid you go to Mataram Mall?
Amir wants to see the Dean ------ Whom does Amir want to see?

They are studying Agriculture ------ What are they studying?

3. Membentuk kalimat pasif

Subject Aux. verb Verb (3rd form)

Water is absorbed by the plant from the soil
Hnd Tractors are purchased twice a year
 Exercise:

1. watered / is / sprinkle / with / the field / technique

2. set / two months ago / I / in the field / the equipment

3. study / you / agriculture / do / why ?

4. Need / operate / some machines / to / gasoline

5. transfered / sunlight / other forms of energy / may /

into/ be
1). the / parts/ chlorophyll / found/ is / green/
plant / of / the / in

2). affect/ water/ can/ photosynthesis / and /

carbondioxide

3). you/ the/ would/ to/ describe / me/ situation ,

please?

4). flooding/ rain/ at/ heavy/ agricultural / several/

caused / fields
 Sentences simple

Simple sentences: complex

Dr. Ford explained the process
He drew simple illustration

Complex sentences:

Explaining the process, Dr. Ford drew simple illustration

Simple illustration drawn by Dr. Ford explained the process

Dr. Ford explained the process by drawing simple illustration

Dr. Ford drew simple illustration to explain the process

 Simple sentences:
During photosynthesis, carbohydrates are produced
During photosynthesis, oxygen is released

Complex sentence:
During photosynthesis, carbohydrates are produced and
oxygen is released

Simple sentences:
Crop plants can only build up chlorophyll in the light.
Leaves which develop in the dark are yellow.
Yellow leaves cannot produce carbohydrates.

Complex sentence:
Crop plants can only build up chlorophyll in the light , hence
leaves which develop in the dark are yellow and cannot produce
carbohydrates
 Combining Sentences

Untuk membuat kalimat kompleks  mengkombinasikan kalimat tunggal

Watermelon is a small plant.

Watermelon has big fruits.

Various combinations:

Watermelon is a small plant, but it has big fruits

Although it has big fruits, Watermelon is a small plant.

Watermelon, which is a small plant, has big fruits.

The small plant, watermelon, has big fruits.

Watermelon is a small plant with big fruits.

 EXERCISE A
Find the subjects, the verbs, object(s) or complement(s)

1. Humans have been practicing agriculture for at least two thousand years.

2. Experts have identified over four thousand plants.

3. Some plants are relatively new in human history.

4. Others were cultivated for thousands of years and then mysteriously

disappeared.

5. Over one thousand plants and their products are currently being used.

6. Some of them are economically very important.

7. Experts have given clear description of the use of these plants.

 ASK YOURSELF

1. What do you know about your staple food?

2. What type of material is it?

3. Is it a directly consumed material or a processed one?

4. If it is not directly consumed, how do you process it?

5. Do all people have the same staple food?

 EXERCISE B
Identify the part of the speech (noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb,
article, preposition, conjunction) of the italicized words.

1. A number of people are allergic with several food.

2. The most common staple food in Indonesia is white rice, but it is not
routinely consumed in certain areas.
3. There are about 150 millions of white rice consumers in indonesia.
4. Almost three quarters of the West Papua population consumes sweet
potato as staple food.
5. Dragon fruit is a new popular fruit, and its popularity is growing.
6. If all fruits are considered, manggo is the most common fruit in
Lombok.
 EXERCISE C
Find the clauses in the following sentences. If the sentence has more than
one clause, find the word that connects the clauses.

1. Although some societies are technologically

underdeveloped, their agriculture are quite complex.
2. The sasaknese people, who live in Lombok island, lead
simple lives.
3. Their agriculture is also simple.
4. While dragon fruit is considered expensive, it is much
cheaper than the imported fruits.
5. Every farmer can grow many types of crops, and each crop
needs particular attention.