English Grammar – Distances and dimensions

Hello everyone!

Today we are going to learn all about words we use to talk about distances and dimensions. For example: “my swimming pool is very deep”.

Broad and wide and tall and high

Wide – extending a great distance from one side to the other : not narrow.
Ex: “Sarah’s room has great wide windows, there’s always a lot of light”

Broad - arge from one side to the other side.
Ex: “He has a broad knowledge of the education system”

We use “wide” more commonly than “broad”.

Tall - greater in height than the average person, building, etc.
Ex: “Paul is not very tall for his age”

High – rising or extending upward a great distance.
Ex: “The Alps are very high mountains”

We use “tall” for people and “high” for objects and things.

Deep and shallow

Deep -
Ex: “The sea is very deep here, so you can see a lot of different types of fish”

Shallow -
Ex: “The children were playing in the shallow end of the beach”

Derived words, phrases and compounds

Long

Length - the distance from one end of something to the other end : a measurement of how long something is.
Ex: “Measure the length of the wall, then we’ll know how much paper we need”

Lengthen – to become longer.
Ex: “You must try to lengthen my dress, it’s too short”

Short

Shorten - to become shorter.
Ex: “If you take that road, it’ll shorten your journey”

Wide

Width - the distance from one side of something to the other side : a measurement of how wide something is.
Ex: “The width of the classroom allowed for 10 chairs and tables”

Widening - to become wide or wider
Ex: “The hole in Tom’s shorts is widening, soon it’ll be huge”

Broad

Broaden - to make (something) wider or more general.
Ex: “Travel broadens the mind”

Broad-minded - willing to accept opinions, beliefs, or behaviors that are unusual or different from your own.
Ex: “Broad-minded people are open people, they like to experience new things and meet new people”

High

Height - a measurement of how tall a person or thing is : the distance from the bottom to the top of a person or thing.
Ex: “The height of that shelf is two metres”

Low

Lower - located below another or others of the same kind.
Ex: “Could you lower your prices? It’s a bit expensive”

Deep

Depth - a distance below a surface.
Ex: “The depth of the Amazon river is over 20 metres”

More dimension words:

Stretch - to continue for a specified distance: to extend over an area.
Ex: “The road stretches all the way down the hill”

Spreading - to become larger or to affect a larger area : to move into more places.
Ex: “The city is growing very fast and spreading all over the mountain”

Shrink - to make (something) smaller in amount, size, or value.
Ex: “The forest is shrinking due to deforestation”

Awesome! You’ve learnt a lot of new words today. Any questions? Can you think of more dimension vocabulary words?

Remember, words such as the these will greatly help your ability to speak and understand advanced English. Why? Because sometimes particles of a sentence like “depth” and “wider” are used all the time,

English Grammar: “Linking Adverbs and Transition Words”

7 February 2012 by Kate 9 Comments

Finally: part 4 of Sentence Connectors.

Let’s remember what linking adverbs and transition words are. They connect two independent clauses or sentences. They provide transition between ideas. They can also be called conjunctive adverbs.

They can be used at the beginning of a sentence or mid-sentence with punctuation.

Addition	Alternative	Cause-Effect	Comparison	Condition	Contrast	Emphasis
Furthermore	Otherwise	Therefore	In the same way	Otherwise	Nevertheless	Indeed
In addition	Rather	Consequently	Similarly	In the event	Nonetheless	In fact
Moreover		As a consequence	In contrast	Anyway	On the other hand
Additionally		As a result	Unlike		In contrast to
Besides

When do we use each connector?

Ok, we will now look at the most used transitional words. Yes, it’s quite a long list – don’t worry, just understand when we use each one and practice making sentences with them.

Accordingly - in a proper or appropriate way : in a way that suits the facts, needs, or requirements of a situation.
Example: “Susan is an intern and she is paid accordingly”

Besides – synonym of also; in addition to what has already been said.
Example: “I really want to go to the party, and besides, it’s close to my house”

Consequently - happening as a result of a particular action or set of conditions.
Example: “The price of real estate has gone up. Consequently people have to move outside the city”

Finally - at the end of a period of time.
Example: “After years of arguing, Tim and Tina finally got divorced”

Furthermore - in addition to what has been said.
Example: “Bruno always makes amazing art. Furthermore, he’s such a nice man!”

Hence – for this reason.
Example: “The company lost a lot of money. Hence, the manager was asked to resign”

However- used when you are saying something that is different from or contrasts with a previous statement.
Example: “Mary should stay at home and study. However, she decided to go camping”

In fact - in truth — used to stress that a statement is true although it may be surprising or unlikely.
Example: “He looks young, but in fact, he’s in his 40′s”

Instead - used to say that one thing is done or that one thing or person is chosen when another is not chosen, cannot be done, etc.
Example: “I don’t have any coffee, would you mind tea instead?”

Likewise - in the same way.
Example: “Everyone in class studies 3 hours a day, we should do likewise”

Meanwhile - at or during the same time : in the meantime.
Example: “Please make something to eat. Meanwhile, I’ll clean”

Moreover - in addition to what has been said. This word is quite formal.
Example: “I’d love to come over for coffee. Moreover, I’ll bring a cake!”

Namely - used when giving exact information about something you have already mentioned.
Example: “Malaria can be prevented, namely by taking malaria tablets and using a moskito net”

Nevertheless - in spite of what has just been said.
Example: “Joy doesn’t like avocados, nevertheless she ate them for her husband”

Nonetheless - in spite of what has just been said.
Example: “We’re always arguing, she’s my best friend nonetheless”

Otherwise – in a different way or manner.
Example: “After the fire, all the books had been burnt or otherwise destroyed”

Similarly - in a similar way : in almost the same way.
Example: “My sister’s and my house are decorated similarly: we love minimalism”

Thereafter - after that.
Example: “Thereafter, the companies merged together”

Therefore – for that reason : because of that.
Example: “The mobile phone is light to carry, therefore it’s very conveniant”

Thus - in this way or manner : like this. This word is also very formal.
Example: “The detergent is highly concentrated, thus you will have to dilute it”

Wow, good job everyone! You should now have a clearer understanding of sentence connectors.

Do you have any questions? Let us know!

English Grammar: “Quantifiers”

Hello people!

Quantifiers are words that precede and modify nouns. They tell us how many or how much. Selecting the correct quantifier depends on your understanding the distinction between Countable and Non-Countable Nouns. For our purposes, we will choose the countable noun trees and the non-countable noun dancing

The following quantifiers will work with countable nouns:

•       many trees
•       a few trees
•       few trees
•       several trees
•       a couple of trees
•       none of the trees

The following quantifiers will work with non-countable nouns:

•       not much dancing
•       a little dancing
•       little dancing
•       a bit of dancing
•       a good deal of dancing
•       a great deal of dancing

The following quantifiers will work with both countable and non-countable nouns:

•       all of the trees/dancing
•       some trees/dancing
•       most of the trees/dancing
•       enough trees/dancing
•       a lot of trees/dancing
•       lots of trees/dancing
•       plenty of trees/dancing
•       a lack of trees/dancing

There is an important difference between “a little” and “little” (used with non-countable words) and between “a few” and “few” (used with countable words).

If I say that Jenny has a little experience in management that means that although Jenny is no great expert she does have some experience and that experience might well be enough for our purposes. If I say that Jenny has little experience in management that means that she doesn’t have enough experience.

If I say that Charlie owns a few books on Latin American literature that means that he has some some books – not a lot of books, but probably enough for our purposes. If I say that Charlie owns few books on Latin American literature, that means he doesn’t have enough for our purposes and we’d better go to the library.

This should help you use the quantifiers correctly , but make sure to also learn your countable and non-countable nouns too as that is crucial to understanding quantifiers correctly.

Hope you enjoyed this lesson! Have a marvellous weekend!

Intermediate Grammar: How to use “wish”

Minoura, one of our Facebook friends, has asked us about the grammar rules of using “wish”.

The verb “wish” expresses a desire for a situation that doesn’t exist now.

1. Wish + Simple Past

We use “wish” + simple past to express that we want a situation in the present (or future) to be different.

Examples:
“I wish I lived in Spain” – Right now this person does not live in Spain but would like to in the present.
“He wished he had a Lambourghini” – Right now this person does not have a lambourghini but want one in the present.
“They wish it was June” – Right now it’s May and they still have to wait a month to go on holiday in the future.

2. Wish + Past Continuous

We use “wish” + past continuous to express that we want to be doing a different activity in the present (or the future).

Examples:
“I wish I was eating Spanish food in Barcelona” – Right now this person is in the office, they would like to be in Spain, eating tapas, in the present.
“He wished he was driving a Lambourghini in Paris” – Right now this person is also in an office, they want to be driving, in the present.
“They wish they were leaving tomorrow to go on holiday” – They aren’t going on holiday, in the future, but would like to.

3. Wish + Past Perfect

We use “wish” + past perfect to express regret. This means we want to be able to change a situation in the past.

Examples:
“I wish I hadn’t eaten so much chocolate” – This person ate too much chocolate, feels sick and would like to go back to the past and change it.
“He wished his Dad had bought him a Lambourghini for his birthday” –  This person would have liked a car for his birthday, in the past.
“They wish they had studied more for their exam” – They didn’t study and now would like to go back and study more.

4. Wish + Would

We use “wish” + would + infinitive to express dissatisfaction with the present situation.

Examples:
“I wish you would stop making so much noise” – The person wants the other to stop making noise.
“He wished his dog would behave” – The dog is barking and he wants it to stop.

__________

 

We can also use “wish” to express “want” in a formal situation, for example, we can say “I wish to talk to the headmaster”. We do this by saying “wish” + infinitive.

Finally, we can use subject + wish + someone as a fixed expression to congratulate them or desire them well. For example: “We wish you a Merry Christmas”, “My parents wish you a Happy Birthday”, “I wish you good luck in your new job”, “She wishes her sister the best of happiness”.

We hope this lesson helped you understand how to use “wish”. And remember, if you have any questions, let us know in the comment section!

25 Most Useful Phrasal Verbs

 

Phrasal verbs are not students favourite topic, are they? There are so many in the English language and each one has many different meanings.

This is why it’s important to begin memorising the most important ones. Are you ready? Excellent!

It might seem like a lot, but these 25 phrasal verbs will improve not only your written communication, but also your ability to understand conversations. Native speakers use phrasal verbs all the time in conversation!

Most of these phrasal verbs have several meanings, make sure you remember them all!

1. Add up

a- To be added together and equal the expected or correct total.
Example: “We added up the apples: there were 12″

b-To make sense : to seem to be logical or true.
Example: “Her story didn’t add up, I think she was lying, it didn’t make sense”

2. Blow up

a- To fill (something) with air or gas
Example: “Please could you blow up those balloons?”

b- To explode or to cause (something, such as a bomb) to explode.
Example: “The building was blown up by a bomb”

c- To become very angry.
Example: “When I said I couldn’t go to her party, she blew up”

3. Bring up

a- To take care of and teach (a child who is growing up).
Example: “Their grandparents brought them up because their parents were always travelling”

b- To mention (something) when talking : to start to talk about (something).
Example: “Don’t bring up the fight again, please!”

4. Call off

a- To stop doing or planning to do (something) .
Example: “Maria called off the wedding, she decided she didn’t love him”

b- To cause or tell (a person or animal) to stop attacking, chasing, etc.
Example: “Call off your dog! He’s attacking my cat”

5. Carry on

a- To continue to do what you have been doing
Example: “Sorry I interrupted, carry on talking!”

b- To behave or speak in an excited or foolish way.
Example: “The little boy was carrying on: shouting and kicking all day long”

6. Come across

a- To seem to have a particular quality or character : to make a particular impression.
Example: “Julia came across as a bit bossy”

b- To be expressed to someone.
Example: “I tried to sound happy but it came across as over-excited”

c- To meet or find (something or someone) by chance.
Example: “Luis was leaving the fruit shop and he came across Tom, what a coincidence”

7. Come up with

a- To get or think of (something that is needed or wanted).
Example: “We finally came up with a solution to the problem!”

8. Fall apart

a- To break into parts in usually a sudden and unexpected way,
Example: “My cake fell apart when I tried to cut it”

b- To become unable to live in a normal way because you are experiencing a lot of confusion or emotional pain
Example: “After the divorce, she fell apart”

9. Get along

a- To be or remain friendly
Example: “We’re not together anymore, but we get along great”

b- To make progress while doing something.
Example: “How are you getting along at playing the guitar?”

c- To leave a place
Example: “It was lovely to see you, but my friend has to get along, she has class”

d- To become old.
Example: “Her grandma is getting along; she’s almost 99″

10. Get away

a- To go away from a place.
Example: “I can0t wait to get away from the city”

b- To avoid being caught : to escape
Example: “The thieves managed to get away in a stolen car”

c- To not be criticized or punished for (something).
Example: “Yvonne is always lying, I can’t understand how she gets away with it”

11. Get over

a- To stop being controlled or bothered by (something, such as a problem or feeling).
Example: “I got over my fear of flying”

b- To stop feeling unhappy about (something).
Example: “Finally, Kylie got over her ex-boyfriend”

c- To become healthy again after (an illness).
Example: “Have you heard? Dave has gotten over the flu”

12. Give up -

a- To stop an activity or effort : to admit that you cannot do something and stop trying
Example: ”We all gave up smoking on January 1st”

13. Go on -

a- To continue.
Example: “They landed in Paris and then went on to Montpellier”

b- To go or travel to a place before another person or group that is with you.
Example: “You go on to the restaurant, I’ll come in 10 minutes”

c- To happen
Example: “What’s going on? What’s happening?”

d- Used in speech to urge someone to do something
Example: “Go on! Try it, it’s delicious”

14. Hold on

a- To have or keep your hand, arms, etc., tightly around something.
Example: “Hold on to the railing, that way you won’t fall”

b- To succeed in keeping a position, condition, etc.
Example: “I will hold on to my job until May”

15. Look after -

a- To take care of (someone or something).
Example: “The nurse looked after the patient for months, until he was better”

16. Look forward to

a- To expect (something) with pleasure.
Example: “William is really looking forward to going on holiday”

17. Look up

a- Improve.
Example: “The economy is finally looking up”

b- To search for (something) in a reference book, on the Internet, etc.
Example: “Let’s look up his number in the yellow pages”

18. Make out -

a- To write down the required information on (something, such as a check).
Example: “Who shall I make the check out to?”

b- To hear and understand (something)
Example: “I can’t make out what you’re saying, can you speak louder?”

c- To kiss and touch for a long time in a sexual way.
Example: “We made out in the back of his car”

19. Pass out

a- To fall asleep or become unconscious.
Example: “Lisa was so tired, she got home and passed out on the sofa”

b- to give (something) to several or many people.
Example: “I passed out leaflets with information on our course”

20. Pull over -

a- To move a vehicle to the side of the road and stop.
Example: “That looks like a lovely restaurant, can you pull the car over and park?”

21. Put down

a- To place (someone or something that you have been holding or carrying) on a table, on the floor, etc.
Example: “You can put the suitcases down in the bedroom”

b- To write (something) : to record (something) in writing
Example: “He put down his memories to write a book when he was older”

c- To give (an amount of money) as a first payment when you are buying something that costs a lot of money
Example: “My husband and I are going to put down some money to buy that house in the centre of town”

d- To kill (an animal) in a way that causes it little pain usually because it is injured or sick
Example: “Jessica had to have her rabbit put down; it was very sick”

22. Put off

a- To decide that (something) will happen at a later time : postpone.
Example: “Graham was so tired he put the shoppin off until next week”

b- To cause (someone) to dislike someone or something
Example: “You’re putting me off my food, stop talking about insects!”

23. Put up with

a- To allow (someone or something unpleasant or annoying) to exist or happen.
Example: “My mother won’t put up with my sisters or I swearing”

24. Turn up

a- To be found usually unexpectedly.
Example: “Oh! My phone turned up in my bed!”

b- To arrive at a place
Example: “As always, Julian turned up late”

c- To increase the volume, temperature, etc., of something by pressing a button, moving a switch, etc.
Example: “Please turn the music up, I love this song!”

25. Watch out

a- To be aware of something dangerous.
Example: “Watch out in the mountain, there are bears there!”

Are there any phrasal verbs you think should also be on the list?

English Vocabulary: Imaginary words!

Hello!

Today’s lesson is fun. It’s a collection of imaginary words – they don’t exist in the English language but they should. English is a very flexible language, it’s easy to make invented words and have people understand them.

Words are created in many different ways: we borrow words from other languages, we shorten words – from gymnasium, we all say “gym”, we use suffixes and prefixes, we mix or blend two words together to make one – the word “brunch” comes from combining “breakfast” and “lunch”. We also use onomatopoeias and acronyms like FBI, as well as using new words that arise from popular culture. Finally, another way we have of creating new words is by functional shifting: this is the process by which an existing word begins to be used with another grammatical function. For example: e-mail means “electronic mail” and is a noun used to describe electronic post, right? But now we also use it like a verb: “to email”.

Let’s look at some invented words and understand how they were created. This way you can learn to make up your own words too! As long as you remember to observe basic grammatical rules of how words are formed, everyone should still understand you!

ImaginaryWords

afterglobe n. The warm, fuzzy feeling one gets after a long immensely satisfying trip.

How was afterglobe formed?

First, let’s look at the meaning of the words:

after - following in time : at a later time

globe – another way of saying the Earth.

afterglow - a happy feeling that remains after a successful or emotional event.

From these three words, do you see how we can create a word to mean the happy feeling after we do something, in this case, to travel? By using a combination of two words and a suffix, we have a brand new word that makes perfect sense!

ingesticulate v. To point and mime to order food when you don’t know the local language.

How was ingesticulate formed?

ingest - o take (something, such as food) into your body : to swallow (something).

gesticulate - to move your arms and hands especially when speaking in an angry or emotional way; to mime.

Here, we have combined two words to make one. Two verbs to make one action.

Have you ever ingesticulated in a foreigh country before?

Let’s see if you can create a new word too! Give us your best made-up words in the comment section below.

And if you wish to see the rest of imaginary words, visit this Lonely Planet article.

30 travel terms that don’t exist but should

adminLonely Planet author

The Oxford English Dictionary contains over 600,000 unique words – surely enough to describe any situation, one would think. But as any traveler knows, the world has a way of confronting us with sights and experiences that can leave even the smartest among us at a loss for words. Sometimes we’re limited by our vocabularies, but often the word we need to describe what we’ve seen and done simply doesn’t exist…yet.

Thankfully, languages can evolve and grow to meet our needs, so here are 30 highly useful brand-new travel words and phrases to liven up your next postcard or travelogue:

afterglobe n.

The warm, fuzzy feeling one gets after a long immensely satisfying trip.

autobanhmi n.

A Vietnamese sandwich eaten while driving at high speed.

automobilogic n.

The state of mind unique to road trips that convinces travelers that gummi bears and fried onion rings count as a daily serving of fruits and vegetables. Studies indicate that this may lead to automobesity.

bangclock n.

The amount of time a weary traveler can tolerate the sounds of sexual intercourse through thin hotel walls before pounding angrily on the wall.

below see level prep.

When you’re seated directly below the drop-down movie screen on an airplane and the other screens are all too far away to view comfortably.

bratpacker n.

Someone who believes they have a revolutionary system for packing luggage and insists on explaining it to anyone who will listen.

carbungle n.

Embarrassment caused by trying and failing to start, find reverse, or otherwise operate an unfamiliar automobile in a foreign country and having to ask someone for help.

comeuppants n.

When an obnoxious person loses their luggage and has no change of clothes.

crankophone n.

Someone who tries to make themselves understood in a foreign country simply by speaking louder in their own tongue.

egotourism n.

An approach to travel that purports to serve the local culture, environment, or further personal growth, but in reality only artificially inflates a traveler’s sense of self importance.

farflunk v.

Intending to take long trips but completely failing to make them happen.

fearenheit n.

Panic felt by Americans when attempting to comprehend temperatures in other countries.

filibluster v.

To cause pointless delay by creating a scene in the airport security line to prove some point about personal privacy rights that no one behind you cares about.

frankophile n.

A traveler obsessed with accumulating passport stamps.

frequent liar program n.

Travelers who will say anything to receive upgrades on flights or hotel rooms, free meals, etc.

fungalavant v.

To travel the world spreading athlete’s foot from one hostel shower to the next.

gap fear n.

Wanting to take a year off to travel, but being too chicken and going straight to university instead.

globetrots n.

Traveler’s diarrhea from one or more countries on a round the world trip.

grabbagger n.

A traveler that clings like a barnacle to the baggage carousel and won’t budge until their bag appears.

ingesticulate v.

To point and mime to order food when you don’t know the local language.

lavatorpor n.

Taking far too long in the airplane toilet.

meddle detector n.

One skilled at predetermining who will hold up the line unnecessarily at a security checkpoint.

overhead din n.

The disturbance caused by people trying to shove too-large bags into too-small compartments.

peripathetic adj.

Miserable due to a lack of upcoming travel plans.

rack rate n.

A discount on a hotel room for having a large bust.

saggamuffin n.

What passes for a pastry in an airplane breakfast.

trambunctious adj.

Overly excited by riding trains, funiculars, and other forms of public transport.

trapscallion n.

A talkative stranger with foul-breath in a situation where escape isn’t possible. (Synonym: palitosis.)

tuk-tuk-tuck n.

The maneuver required to wedge a large tourist into a small motorized tricycle.

xorse’s ass n.

Someone who has just returned from their first trip to Mexico and has decided to pronounce it “Meh-hee-co” to sound cultured.

English Grammar: 4 Spelling mistakes to avoid.

 

Here are 4 common spelling mistakes that we should all avoid!

1. Your vs. You’re

“Your” is a possessive pronoun, as in ‘your car” or “your dog”. “You’re” is a contraction for “you are”. such as “you are beautiful”.

Don’t confuse them!

2. It’s vs. Its

This is another common mistake. It’s also easily avoided by thinking through what you’re trying to say.

“It’s” is a contraction of “it is” or “it has”. “Its” is a possessive pronoun, as in “that cat has got its collar on”.

Here’s a super easy tip: repeat your sentence out loud using “it is” instead. If that sounds correct then write “it’s”, if it sounds wrong, it’s probably “its”.

3. There vs. Their

This one seems to trip up everyone occasionally, often as a pure typo. Make sure to watch for it when you proofread.

“There” is used many ways, including as a reference to a place (“let’s go there”) or as a pronoun (“there is no hope”). “Their” is a plural possessive pronoun, as in “their bags” or “their opinions”.

Always do the “that’s ours!” test—are you talking about more than one person and something that they possess? If so, “their” will get you there.

4. Affect vs. Effect

“Affect” is a verb, as in “Your ability to communicate clearly will affect your income immensely”. “Effect” is a noun, as in “The effect of a parent’s low income on a child’s future is well documented”.

By thinking in terms of “the effect”, you can usually sort out which is which, because you can’t stick a “the” in front of a verb.

Excellent work!

What are the mistakes you usually make?

First Conditional

Good morning,

How are you today?

And how good is your knowledge of the first conditional? We are going to be looking at this tense, together with if, when, unless and as soon as. Ready?

To talk about real possibilities in the future, we can use if + present simple + will/can/should/may (and other modal verbs).

If it rains, I will stay at home.

If he stays in Madrid, he should learn Spanish.

If it rains I won’t go out, if it doesn’t, I will.

Unless

Unless is used to say what will happen, be done, or be true if something else does not happen, is not done, or is not true.

“Unless it rains, I will go out”.

When

When is used at or during the time that something happens. We use when to show that a situation is 100% certain.

“When I wake up tomorrow I will go to the gym”.

As soon as

We use “as soon as” to say when something should be done, how often something should happen, etc. It is used to emphasize an event.

“I’ll tell him as soon as I see him”.

First conditionals can also describe events that are always true, for example: “If prices were lower, people would buy more”. This is a fact.

To talk about events that are always true, we can also use zero conditionals. Do you remember what they are? Zero conditionals are if + present simple + present simple.

For example:

“If I have time, I go to the gym.”

“If you don’t drink water for a week, you die“.

Ok, any questions? Let us know!

Cardinal and Ordinal Numbers

Hi!

Nice to have you here.

Do you know the difference between cardinal and ordinal numbers?

Cardinal numbers tells ”how many.” Cardinal numbers are also known as “counting numbers,” because they show quantity.

For example: “Today I ate 4 bananas, 1 apple and 2 oranges”.

See? The numbers tell us the quantity of fruit I ate today.

Ordinal numbers tell the order of things —first, second, third, etc. Ordinal numbers do not show quantity. They only show rank or position.

For example: “I ate the bananas first, the apples second and the oranges third”.

Here, I am telling you the order I ate the fruit, but not how many of each fruit I ate.

Easy, right?

Here’s a list of the first ten ordinal numbers and how to write them abbreviated.

• First – 1st
• Second – 2nd 
• Third – 3rd
• Fourth – 4th 
• Fifth – 5th
• Sixth – 6th 
• Seventh – 7th 
• Eighth – 8th
• Ninth – 9th 
• Tenth – 10th

One of the most important uses of ordinal numbers is for the date:

“7th (seventh) of November”

“21st (twenty first) of May”

Try to memorize at least 5 today and 5 more tomorrow! It’s the best way to slowly and surely learn a new language.

And remember, if you have any questions, let us know in the comments’ section below!

Beginner Grammar – Say or Tell?

Good morning!

Today we are going to remember the difference between say and tell.

So how do you know when to use them? It’s easy:

• You say something to someone
• You tell someone something

Say is inmediately followed by a noun clause (He said that he was right) or, if it is followed by a personal object, by to (He said to his father that he was right).

Tell is followed by an object noun or pronoun (Can you tell me who is right, please?)

SAY

1. We sometimes you “to someone” after we use say, for example:

“I said to him he was welcome to my birthday party but he said to me that he was busy, so I said to him that he could come later if he wanted to”

2. We use say with direct speech, for example:

Paul said, “Hi Julia! How are you?”
Julia said, “Well, I’m having a birthday party tomorrow, would you like to come?”
Paul said, “I’m working tomorrow”
Julia said, “Oh, well you can come later if you want to”

3. More examples with say:

- Susan said she was tired.
- Anthony says you found a new job. Congratulations!
- James came to my house yesterday and said he loved me.

TELL

1. We follow tell with a personal object, for example:

“I told everyone it was time to go home”

2. We use tell for orders and advice using the structure: tell + object + infinitive, for example:

“She told him to sit down but he told her he was not going to wait”

3. There are some fixed phrases we always use tell with, not say.

• tell (someone) a story
• tell (someone) a lie
• tell (someone) the truth
• tell the future
• tell the time
• tell a joke

4. More examples with tell:

- Tania told Charlie, “Turn off the TV now, I have to study”
- David told me that he found a new flat.
- Could you tell me what time it is?

Say or Tell? Exercise

Complete these sentences with say or tell. 

1. “Have a nice weekend!” Oliver _________ to me.

2. The teacher _________ us to study more.

3.  It’s very late, I’m going to have to _________ goodbye.

4. Don’t trust Tim, he always ________ lies.

5. Marissa ________ me that she was moving to Delhi.

6. Forget everything I just _________.

7. You shouldn’t _________ us that about Nina, it’s too personal.

8. Can you ________ me the way to the station, please?

9. What did Bruno ________ when he saw the surprise party?

10. Let me ________ you something about Victor: he always _________ the truth.

Quantifiers

Hi!

Quantifiers are words that precede and modify nouns. They tell us how many or how much. Selecting the correct quantifier depends on your understanding the distinction between Countable and Non-Countable Nouns. For our purposes, we will choose the countable noun trees and the non-countable noun dancing

The following quantifiers will work with countable nouns:

• many trees
• a few trees
• few trees
• several trees
• a couple of trees
• none of the trees

The following quantifiers will work with non-countable nouns:

• not much dancing
• a little dancing
• little dancing
• a bit of dancing
• a good deal of dancing
• a great deal of dancing

The following quantifiers will work with both countable and non-countable nouns:

• all of the trees/dancing
• some trees/dancing
• most of the trees/dancing
• enough trees/dancing
• a lot of trees/dancing
• lots of trees/dancing
• plenty of trees/dancing
• a lack of trees/dancing

There is an important difference between “a little” and “little” (used with non-countable words) and between “a few” and “few” (used with countable words). If I say that Tashonda has a little experience in management that means that although Tashonda is no great expert she does have some experience and that experience might well be enough for our purposes. If I say that Tashonda has little experience in management that means that she doesn’t have enough experience. If I say that Charlie owns a few books on Latin American literature that means that he has some some books — not a lot of books, but probably enough for our purposes. If I say that Charlie owns few books on Latin American literature, that means he doesn’t have enough for our purposes and we’d better go to the library.

This should help you use the quantifiers correctly , but make sure to also learn your countable and non-countable nouns too as that is crucial to understanding quantifiers correctly.

We hope this lesson has reminded you of the importance of quantifiers (and the importance of dancing!)

Have a great day!

PS. Remember that if you have any grammar questions, let us know by asking them on our Facebook page. We will do our best to explain!

English Grammar – Question Tags

Good morning everyone!

If we want to ask for information we usually use the standard question form. However, sometimes we just want to keep a conversation going, or confirm information. In this case, question tags are often used to solicit input or confirmation to what we are saying. Using question tags well also promotes a understanding of the use of various auxiliary verbs. There are five ways in which we normally use question tags and they are easily explained here.

1. Positive/negative

If the main part of the sentence is positive, the question tag is negative.

Example: “He’s a doctor, isn’t he?”

Example: “You work in a bank, don’t you?” ( Note that if there is not an auxiliary use do, does, or didn’t at the end of the sentence)

If the main part of the sentence is negative, the question tag is positive.

Example: “You haven’t met him, have you?”

Example: “She isn’t coming, is she?”

2. With auxiliary verbs

The question tag uses the same verb as the main part of the sentence. If this is an auxiliary verb (‘have’, ‘be’) then the question tag is made with the auxiliary verb.

Example: “They’ve gone away for a few days, haven’t they?”

Example: “They weren’t here, were they?”

Example: “He had met him before, hadn’t he?”

Example: “This isn’t working, is it?”

3. Without auxiliary verbs

If the main part of the sentence doesn’t have an auxiliary verb, the question tag uses an appropriate form of ‘do’.

Example: “I said that, didn’t I?”

Example: “You don’t recognise me, do you?”

Example: “She eats meat, doesn’t she?”

4. With modal verbs

If there is a modal verb in the main part of the sentence the question tag uses the same modal verb.

Example: “They couldn’t hear me, could they?”

Example: “You won’t tell anyone, will you?”

5. With ‘I am’

Be careful with question tags with sentences that start ‘I am’. The question tag for ‘I am’ is ‘aren’t I?’

Example: “I’m the fastest, aren’t I?”

or in a negative form we use the same “am” form at the end as in the positive form of the sentence.

Example: “I’m not fat , am I?”

Perfect! You’ve learnt a lot today, haven’t you? If you have any questions, let us know!

How to remember prepositions!

Hi everyone !

Have you ever become frustrated trying to learn all the English prepositions?

We understand.

This is why we want to offer you some tips on how to remember and use them correctly.

Prepositions are little words that are often defined as “linking nouns, pronouns, and phrases to other words in a sentence”.

More simply, prepositions are words that indicate a place or time. However, there are other parts of speech that indicate place and time as well. Therefore, it’s often easier to recognize a preposition when you have all of the prepositions memorized.

3 Tips to Remember Prepositions

1. Memorize Through Grouping: there is such a long list of prepositions, that it will be much easier for you to remember them in smaller groups. For example: one day, learn all the prepositions that begin with A, the next day with B and so on.

Also, why not use a song to help memorize them? Choose a simple melody or a favourite song and sing the prepositions in rhythm  This will really help your brain remember all of them! And it’s a lot more fun.

Here is a video you could use of someone singing the prepositions to a Lady Gaga song:

2. Repetition: practice, practice, practice. Try writing the list of prepositions several times a day. This will help you to memorize the words as you will be thinking of the word in your head at the same time you are looking at it.

You can also do repetition in saying, not just writing. Say the words out loud as you are looking at the word written on the paper.

3. Increase your Understanding of Prepositions: you only have to do this activity once. Make a list of all the prepositions and research how each one works and what it means. Also, write down several examples.

It has been demonstrated that the more you understand a concept, the easier it is to remember!

English Grammar: “Will and Going To”

Good morning English fans!

Future tenses will and going to are used in different ways in English, people often get the two confused and tend to just refer to will as the future in all cases, however this is not right. Both will and going to refer to a specific time in the future.

Will

“Will“ to express a voluntary action.

“Will” often suggests that a speaker will do something voluntarily. A voluntary action is one the speaker offers to

do for someone else. Often, we use “will” to respond to someone else’s complaint or request for help. We also use “will” when we request that someone help us or volunteer to do something for us. Similarly, we use “will not” or “won’t” when we refuse to voluntarily do something.

Example: “I will send you the information when I get it”
Example: “I will translate the email, so Mr. Smith can read it”
Example: “Will you help me move this heavy table?”
Example: “Will you make dinner?”
Example: “I will not do your homework for you”
Example: “I won’t do all the housework myself!”

“Will” to express promise, it is usually used to make promises.

Example: “I will call you when I arrive”
Example: “If I am elected President of the United States, I will make sure everyone has access to inexpensive health insurance”
Example: “I promise I will not tell him about the surprise party”
Example: “Don’t worry, I‘ll be careful”

Going To

“Be going to” future form

Be going to expresses that something is a plan. It expresses the idea that a person intends to do something in the future. It does not matter whether the plan is realistic or not.

Example: “He is going to spend his vacation in Hawaii”
Example: “She is not going to spend her vacation in Hawaii”
Example: “A: When are we going to meet each other tonight?”
B: We are going to meet at 6 PM.
Example: “I’m going to be an actor when I grow up”
Example: “Michelle is going to begin medical school next year”
Example: “They are going to drive all the way to Alaska”
Example: “Who are you going to invite to the party?”

Both “Will” and “Be going to” can also be used in prediction sentences as they express the speaker “guess” on what will happen and they can be used interchangebly.

Example: “It will rain tomorrow”
Example: “It’s going to rain tomorrow”
Example: “I will be tired if I don’t get to bed early”
Example: “I’m going to be tired if I don´t get to bed early”
Example: “The doctor will be late today I know it!”
Example: “The doctor’s going to be late today I can feel it!”

So now you know when to use will and going to. Any questions? We encourage you to ask as many as you like!

Take as much time as you need to read through the information and make sure you understand.

Until tomorrow!

Grammar for Beginners – Articles, Plurals and Nouns

Hey there,

How are you today? We are simply happy you’re here.

So what’s today’s grammar lessons about? It’s a beginner’s class on articles, plurals and nouns.

Articles A, AN and THE

The good news is that there are only three articles in English: “a”, “an” and “the”. These articles are separated into two groups: definite and indefinite.

“The” is the only definite article and we use it to speak about specific nouns. We use it for all nouns, both singular and plural.

So how do we use it?

Examples:

“The dog”, “the dogs”.

“The chair”, “the chairs”.

We are talking of a particular dog or a particular chair.

Ok, now let’s look at the indefinite articles for singular nouns: “a” and “an”. We use them when we are talking of nouns in a general sense.

Examples:

“A girl”

“An elephant”

Notice that “a” is used before nouns that begin with a  consonant and “an” is used before words that start with a vowel.

Some and Any

They can be used with plural and uncountable nouns. Usually we use “some” in affirmative sentences and “any” in negative sentences and questions.

Examples:

“Some girls”

“Some elephants”

“Any girls?”

“Any elephants?”

“Not any girls”

“Not any elephants”

Plurals

A plural is a noun that tells you that there is more than one of something. So “one cat”, “two cats“. See?

Most plurals are formed by just adding an “S” to the singular. But it is not always like this since we have regular and irregular plural. We say a plural is regular when it follows some rules.

Regular Plurals

Rule 1: When a noun ends in -S/-SH/-CH/-X, we add -ES.

Examples:

“Bus – buses”

“Watch – watches”

“Brush – brushes”

Rule 2: The second rule is that when a noun ends in a consonant + Y, we take away the “Y” and add “-IES”.

Examples:

“Factory – factories”

“Strawberry – strawberries”

Rule 3: When a noun ends in “-F” or “-FE”, we take away the “-F” or “-FE” and add “-VES”.

Examples:

“Knife – knives“

“Shelf – shelves”

Irregular Plurals

Ok, now we have understood regular plurals, let’s have a look at irregular plurals. Ready? What you need to know about irregular plurals is that they are exceptions, so it is harder to remember. That’s why it is so important to practice them!

Examples:

“Man – men”

“Woman – women”

“Child – children”

“Person – people”

“Foot – feet”

“Tooth – teeth”

“Mouse – mice”

“Sheep – sheep”

Why not try to remember one every day?

Plural Nouns

We also have only plural nouns. What are these? They are nouns that have no singular form. So we don’t use “is”, we always use “are”.

Examples: 

“the trousers”

“the glasses”

We can also use “a pair” instead of “the”. This way we can use them as singular nouns.

Countable and Uncountable Nouns

Countable nouns are easy to remember because they are things we can count, like “horses”, “beds”, “dollars”. Easy, right?

Uncountable nouns are also easy. Why? Because they cannot be counted as separate things. For example: “water”, “sand” or “milk”.

All we have to remember is that countable nouns have singular and plural forms. Uncountable nouns just have a singular form.

We can use “some” with both countable and uncountable nouns.