English Language

英國語文

The HKDSE Vocabulary Vault: Your Key to Reading Excellence - Volume 1

香港中學文憑試 超頻英語單字寶庫 (1)

Written by Ian Chan & Michael Chan

Published by Mesa Press Ltd.

First Edition: January 2024

ISBN 978-962-296-106-7

About the Book

The HKDSE Vocabulary Vault aims to alleviate the often-daunting task of memorizing a vast number of words by providing students with a streamlined and effective learning tool. It serves as a valuable resource for HKDSE candidates and anyone seeking to enhance their English vocabulary proficiency.

We firmly believe that technology can revolutionize how we learn and acquire knowledge. By utilizing computer macros and data analysis capabilities, we have created a unique and invaluable resource for students who are determined to excel in the HKDSE English reading examinations. This book represents a pioneering effort to harness the power of technology in language learning, emphasizing the practical application of vocabulary in real-world examination contexts.

Contents

Set 1 – Sample Paper

Set 2 – Practice Paper

Set 3 – 2012 Exam Paper

Set 4 – 2013 Exam Paper

Set 5 – 2014 Exam Paper

Suggested Answers

When I Fall in Love with English: (1) Sentence Construction

當我愛上英語：(1) 句型 • 建構

Written by Ian Chan & Michael Chan

Published by Mesa Press Ltd.

First Edition: January 2022

ISBN 978-988-16764-0-5

About the Book

Writing well in English requires proficiency in English grammar, comprehensive knowledge of academic vocabulary and a master of sentence structures. As students strengthen their writing abilities, they also naturally improve their understanding of English grammar, expand their English lexicon, and advance their reading comprehension skills.

This book is written primarily for secondary students who are interested in English sentence structures. All of the chapters covered introduce structural patterns about cause-and-effect relationships in texts. They emphasize on the various ways in which you can link causes and effects in academic settings and the importance of using a range of cause-and-effect structures in your writing.

Contents

When I Fall in Love with English: (2) Reading Rapid Tests

當我愛上英語：(2) 閱讀 • 快測

Written by Ian Chan & Michael Chan

Published by Mesa Press Ltd.

First Edition: January 2023

ISBN 978-988-16765-3-5

About the Book

The book, Reading Rapid Tests, consists of a collection of short reading passages written by Michael and Ian. We have covered many "hot" topics: Mirror, Squid Game, Ossan's Love and most "talked" issues: Online Learning, Home office, Online Scam that have been circulating in various social media platforms for the past couple years.

All the reading passages are accompanied by a set of questions that are specially and carefully written to familiarise students with the latest question types tested in English Paper 1 Reading Comprehension at the HKDSE.

Contents

Section A - Entertainment

Section B - The Epidemic

Section C - Education

Section D - The Social Issues

Falling in Love with Sentence Structures

愛上英語句型

Written by Ian Chan & Michael Chan

Published by Martindale Press Ltd.

First Edition: February 2009

ISBN 978-962-296-062-6

About the Book

英文句型是英文的生命，沒有別具一格的英文句型，寫出來的句子就欠缺生命力。本書羅列了六十種變化萬千的英語句型，使同學書寫出來的文章更具生命力，並額外提供五百多組超強動詞片語，豐富考生遣詞用字的表達能力。對應付香港中學文憑試、IELTS 雅思國際英語測驗、TOEFL iBT 托福考試的學生，以及大專生、大學生、社會各階層人士、上班一族、有心改善英文的人士有莫大幫助。

Writing Argumentative Essays (2nd Ed.)

英語絕活之星級[議論文]料理 (第二版)

Written by Ian Chan & Michael Chan

Published by Martindale Press Ltd.

First Edition: September 2009

Second Edition: September 2019

ISBN 978-962-296-098-5

About the Book

"The moment we want to believe something, we suddenly see all the arguments for it, and become blind to the arguments against it."

- George Bernard Shaw

議論文是對人或事物發表議論、闡述觀點、論述道理的一種文體。它由論點、論據、論證三個部分組成。論點鮮明、論據充分、論證有力是寫好議論文的關鍵。本書提供高分範文，旨在幫助香港中學文憑、托福、雅思等公開試考生取得高分。

Contents

Essential HKDSE Vocabulary 500 

HKDSE [快熟] 英語字彙

Written by Ian Chan & Michael Chan

Published by Martindale Press Ltd.

First Edition: June 2010

ISBN 978-962-296-066-4

About the Book

"The ambiguities of language, both in terms of vocabulary and syntax, are fascinating: how important connotation is, what is lost and what is gained in the linguistic transition."

- Marilyn Hacker

本書提供大量常用字彙及前置詞片語，旨在幫助香港中學文憑、托福、雅思等公開試考生取得高分。

The Little Blue Book on English Grammar and Expressions

英語文法詞彙藍皮書

Written by Ian Chan & Michael Chan

Published by Martindale Press Ltd.

First Edition: July 2010

ISBN 978-962-296-067-1

About the Book

READ to WRITE better; LISTEN to SPEAK smarter.

有別於一般文法書單調、枯燥的編寫方式，本書是一本將基礎至進階英文文法全面包羅的文法書，詳細分析一百則常用英語文法及表達的運用，對應付中學文憑、托福、雅思的學生、大專生、大學生、社會各階層、上班一族、有心改善英文的人士有莫大幫助。

Verb-Noun Collocations to Impress

絕活的[動詞+名詞]搭配

Written by Ian Chan & Michael Chan

Published by Martindale Press Ltd.

First Edition*: December 2010

Revised Edition: February 2017

ISBN 978-962-296-097-8

About the Book

"You shall know a word by the company it keeps."

- J. R. Firth, A Synopsis of Linguistic Theory (1957)

本書是英文作文大補帖系列的第五步曲，之前的四本書著重句型分析、議論文寫作、常用字彙和文法運用，而本書則集中羅列英語常用的四百組動名詞搭配 (Verb-noun collocation) 及範例，務求同學在英語表達上，更符合英美外國人道地寫作習慣，使考生不論在香港中學文憑試、IELTS 雅思國際英語測驗、以及 TOEFL iBT托福考試上，都能取得卓越的成績。

* The First Edition was titled as "Searching For Verb-Noun Collocations in Newspaper Writing (尋找[報章英語]動名詞搭配)"

Contents

Writing Short Stories

一人有一個英語故事

Written by Ian Chan & Michael Chan

Published by Martindale Press Ltd.

First Edition: September 2011

ISBN 978-962-296-072-5

About the Book

"We can tell people abstract rules of thumb which we have derived from prior experiences, but it is very difficult for other people to learn from these. We have difficulty remembering such abstractions, but we can more easily remember a good story. Stories give life to past experience. Stories make the events in memory memorable to others and to ourselves. This is one of the reasons why people like to tell stories."

- Roger C. Schank, Tell Me A Story

本書提供高分故事範文，並列舉大量描寫文和記敘文常用詞彙和連接副詞，幫助同學在故事表達上，更符合外國人道地寫作習慣，希望能協助香港中學文憑試考生取得高分。

The Ultimate Sample Essays: English Language Paper 2

英語寫作 ‧ 細味範文

Written by Ian Chan & Michael Chan

Published by Martindale Press Ltd.

First Edition: November 2011

ISBN 978-962-296-075-6

About the Book

本書提供多款高分範文，幫助香港中學文憑試考生獲得高分，是考生必買的參考書。

This book is never meant to be Holy Bible for sheer memorization or regurgitation. Plagiarism has always been a big no-no in public examinations, or anywhere else. So, don't chance it.

Writing Social Issues for HKDSE - Teens Today

那些年，我們討論的社會議題 - 個人篇

Written by Ian Chan & Michael Chan

Published by Martindale Press Ltd.

First Edition: September 2012

ISBN 978-962-296-079-4

About the Book

Life is but a battle. Study hard, my friends.

本書提供多款高分範文，涵蓋從個人角度出發的社會議題，幫助香港中學文憑試考生獲得高分，是考生必買的參考書。

Contents

Teen Issues and Challenges

Current Issues in School and Education

Miscellaneous Social Issues

Writing Social Issues for HKDSE - The World Around Us

那些年，我們討論的[社會]議題 - 世界篇

Written by Ian Chan & Michael Chan

Published by Martindale Press Ltd.

First Edition: September 2012

ISBN 978-962-296-080-0

About the Book

Life is but a battle. Study hard, my friends.

本書提供多款高分範文，涵蓋從世界角度出發的社會議題，幫助香港中學文憑試考生獲得高分，是考生必買的參考書。

Contents

Write On: A Step-By-Step Guide to Writing HKDSE Essays

中學文憑試英語寫作星級導讀

Written by Ian Chan & Michael Chan

Published by Martindale Press Ltd.

First Edition: March 2013

ISBN 978-962-296-083-1

About the Book

"Do not put statements in the negative form. And don't start sentences with a conjunction. If you reread your work, you will find on rereading that a great deal of repetition can be avoided by rereading and editing. Never use a long word when a diminutive one will do. Unqualified superlatives are the worst of all. Deaccession euphemisms. If any word is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb is. Avoid trendy locutions that sound flaky. Last, but not least, avoid clichés like the plague."

- William Safire, Great Rules of Writing

本書提供最道地的文章寫作技巧，包括標題創作，文章格式，短文範例及聆聽部分的常用句型，旨在幫助香港中學文憑試考生獲得高分，是考生必買的參考書。

Contents

The Way to Make a Good Title

Different Formats on Paper 2

The Ultimate Part A Samples

Useful Sentences for Paper 3 (Listening Extended Tasks)

Useful Skills for Paper 3 (Listening Extended Tasks)

Sample Passages for Listening Extended Tasks

Bonus: Connectives for Writing Extended Tasks

The DSE Phrasal Verb Book

DSE 終極動詞片語全書

Written by Ian Chan & Michael Chan

Published by Martindale Press Ltd.

First Edition: September 2013

ISBN 978-962-296-085-5

About the Book

Phrasal verbs are an indispensable part of the English Language, especially when having a conversation with a native English speaker. Phrasal verbs consist of a verb and a preposition, a verb and an adverb, or sometimes a combination of the two. Phrasal verbs often have single-word synonyms, such as 'put off' and 'delay', but not all phrasal verbs have a precise equivalent. Building up your phrasal verb vocabulary will increase your understanding of the language, help you score at exams, and improve your English communication.

本書提供大量常用動詞片語的運用方法，解釋及練習，旨在幫助香港中學文憑，托福，雅思等公開試考生獲得高分。

Contents

HKDSE Must Reads: Phrases & Clauses

HKDSE 應試必讀: 片語及子句

Written by Ian Chan, Michael Chan & Michelle Chen Ying

Published by Martindale Press Ltd.

First Edition: September 2015

ISBN 978-962-296-092-3

About the Book

This book is specially written for those who want to polish and modify sentence structures of English Language including Noun Clauses, Adjective Clauses, Adverbial Clauses and Participial Phrases. 

本書提供修飾句子的常用子句系列，包括名詞子句、形容詞子句、副詞子句以及分詞片語的運用，旨在幫助香港中學文憑試、托福、雅思等公開試考生寫出更道地的英語句子。

Contents

English in Action

英語動起來

Written by Ian Chan, Michael Chan & Michelle Chen Ying

Published by Mesa Press Ltd.

First Edition: January 2016

ISBN 978-988-16764-2-9

About the Book

English in Action is a useful little book for students who want to solidify their foundation in the English language, especially in the areas of grammar, usage and confusing words. Say no more. Let’s move to score!

本書旨在幫助香港中學文憑試和雅思等公開試考生從常見文法、慣用法和混淆字詞三大方向改善英語基礎，從而能輕鬆寫出既生動又地道的文章。

IELTS Model Essays 

雅思文集

Written by Ian Chan & Michael Chan

Published by Martindale Press Ltd.

First Edition: December 2013

ISBN 978-962-296-086-2

About the Book

"I never had any frustration about writing uncredited. I always felt that the satisfaction of doing it was in the doing of it, really, and getting recognised by the small number of people that know what you did."

- Tom Stoppard

本書提供多款雅思高分作文範文，是考生必買的參考書。

Contents

Mastering Basic English Series

Mastering Basic English Grammar - Volume 1

Written by by Michael MacKenna

Published by Mesa Press Ltd.

First Edition: March 2010

ISBN 978-988-99883-9-5

About the Book

This is the first of two books. Key features of this book:

Contents

Unit 1

Unit 2

Unit 3

Unit 4

Unit 5

Mastering Basic English Grammar - Volume 2

Written by by Michael MacKenna

Published by Mesa Press Ltd.

First Edition: March 2010

ISBN 978-988-99883-0-2

About the Book

This is the second of two books. Key features of this book:

Contents

Unit 6

Unit 7

Unit 8

Unit 9

Unit 10

Mastering Basic English Usage - Book 1

Written by by Michael MacKenna

Published by Martindale Press Ltd.

First Edition: 1985

ISBN 978-962-296-003-9

About the Book

The Mastering Basic English Usage series has the main aim of helping students to learn the basic rules of English grammar, not so much by memorizing as by doing. 

The book is divided to 20 Units. Each Unit deals with a particular aspect of grammar and English usage. After a brief explanation of the grammatical point or point of usage being investigated, some pattern sentences or structures are provided. 

The exercise is arranged in such a way that it gives the student ample drill in using the pattern structure. By following this method, students soon feel that they are getting to grips with the language and so they are encouraged to stick at the boring task of “Mastering Basic English Usage”.

Contents

Mastering Basic English Usage - Book 2

Written by by Michael MacKenna

Published by Martindale Press Ltd.

First Edition: 1985

ISBN 978-962-296-004-6

About the Book

The Mastering Basic English Usage series has the main aim of helping students to learn the basic rules of English grammar, not so much by memorizing as by doing. 

The book is divided to 20 Units. Each Unit deals with a particular aspect of grammar and English usage. After a brief explanation of the grammatical point or point of usage being investigated, some pattern sentences or structures are provided. 

The exercise is arranged in such a way that it gives the student ample drill in using the pattern structure. By following this method, students soon feel that they are getting to grips with the language and so they are encouraged to stick at the boring task of “Mastering Basic English Usage”.

Contents

Mastering Basic English Usage - Book 3

Written by by Michael MacKenna

Published by Martindale Press Ltd.

First Edition: 1988

ISBN 978-962-296-008-4

About the Book

The Mastering Basic English Usage series has the main aim of helping students to learn the basic rules of English grammar, not so much by memorizing as by doing. 

The book is divided to 20 Units. Each Unit deals with a particular aspect of grammar and English usage. After a brief explanation of the grammatical point or point of usage being investigated, some pattern sentences or structures are provided. 

The exercise is arranged in such a way that it gives the student ample drill in using the pattern structure. By following this method, students soon feel that they are getting to grips with the language and so they are encouraged to stick at the boring task of “Mastering Basic English Usage”.

Contents