SAY x TELL

These two verbs confuse nine out of ten students. Still, using them is not that complicated and you'll find a quick and straightforward explanation to master the difference in use below:



SAY: followed by something.
(you can also use SAY STH TO SB, but prefer not to do it)

- She said she had to go to a doctor's appointment.
- I never said I was the only guy responsible for that.
- Bob said bad things about the program.

TELL: followed by someone.

- I have already told you this is not an easy decision to take.
- What did you tell her?
- Pam didn't tell me anything about the weather.

TALK: used to indicate conversation. The structure is TALK TO SB ABOUT STH.

- I talked to my father about the car.

- I don't know what they were talking about.

- Jack didn't talk to me in the morning.

SPEAK: indicates the ability of using a language.

(there are other ways, but prefer the other options)

- I speak three languages.

- I can't hear you! You are speaking too low.

- How long does it take how to speak English?

Click on the links below:

http://www.iei.uiuc.edu/structure/Structure1/saytell.html

http://www.languageproject.co.uk/free_exercises/exercise_page.php?ID=8

Best wishes,

André

MODALS and INDICATORS

I know grammar is boring, but it shouldn't be like that. You don't have to understand it quite well... all you have to do is use it to indicate things. For instance, if you want to indicate action in the past, you know that most verbs will take -ED at the end and a few of them will change. Only that!!! You don't have to learn that changing verbs are called irregular and the others are called regular. You don't need that. What you actually need is reference and indication.

Following that line of thought, check out the list of words that can help you be accurate when trying to communicate:

SHOULD: indicates sth is important / prudent
- You should study English more often.

HAD BETTER: indicates recommendation
- You'd better avoid mentioning those problems in the meeting.

WOULD: consequence that is not real.
- If you lived in Spain, you would learn how to speak Spanish.

COULD: indicates possibility (either in the past or formal)
- You could take some exams to find out if you have a disease or not.

CAN: indicates possibility
- We can find great articles on that site.

MAY: indicates high probability and probability that is under your control.
- We may have to face a serious issue soon.

MIGHT: indicates low probability and probability that is out of your control.
- I think it might rain tonight.

MUST: indicates deduction and obligation (formal).
- Tom must be tired. Look at him!

OUGHT TO: SHOULD (not common)
- We ought to take care of these issues.

SHALL: indicates "let's". It is only used with WE and I. (formal and obsolete)
- Shall we begin the meeting?

TO BE SUPPOSED TO: indicates expectation.
- I am supposed to meet my friends at the mall. (I may or may not go)

HAVE TO: indicates obligation.
- They have to finish the project until Monday.

HAVE GOT TO: indicates necessity or obligation.
- I've got to go now.

NEED TO: indicates necessity.
- I need to buy food at the supermarket.

NOT TO BE SUPPOSED TO: indicates prohibition.
- You are not supposed to eat red meat! You heard the doctor!

TO BE LIKELY TO: indicates tendency.
- We are likely to accept their offer.

USED TO: indicates sth was common in the past, but not anymore.
- I used to have more free time.

TO BE USED TO: indicates sb is accustomed to sth.
- Larry is used to arriving at work late.

ATTENTION:

Present / Future
- You should learn another language.
Past
- You should have learned another language. (now it is too late to learn another language)

Click on the links below to master the use of the "indicators" shown above:
http://www.englishpage.com/modals/interactivemodal1.htm
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/auxiliary-verbs/exercises
http://www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/lefg1_mixedmodals2.html
http://www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/lefg3_mightnotcouldnot.html
http://www.englishpage.com/modals/interactivemodal5.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/modals/interactivemodal8.htm
http://www.englishgrammarsecrets.com/usedto/exercise4.html


Best wishes,
André

LOVE VOCABULARY

LOVE is undoubtedly one of the best subjects to talk about when you feel it. People can say it's a gay thing for men to come up with, people can say it's not supposed to be talked about, people can say it's something beyond words. I prefer to call it one of our greatest gifts.

LOVE can be expressed in different ways: You can show love for your family, your friends, your job or even your country. It's hard to define such a feeling. You just know it's there!!!
.


Pay attention to the way you can use words to describe a relationship between two people:

I'm seeing someone.
(going out with someone, without a strong bond)
I'm dating someone.
(in a relationship)
That woman and I are going steady.
(continuously going out)
I was just flirting with her.
(trying to go out)
We just had a fling for a couple of months.
(brief sexual or romantic relationship)
I found out my wife was having an affair.
(a secretive or illicit relationship)
She knew her husband was cheating on her.
(going out with someone else behind her back)
That guy was hitting on me.
(flirting)
We just had a one-night stand.
(slept together for one night)
She dumped me out of the blue.
(rudely stopped dating)
She's crying because her boyfriend broke up with her.
(ended a realtionship)

Check out the following link and try to distinguish some terms:
http://www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/vocabulary/lefg2_vocabulary15.html

Take a look at the possible ways of expressing love again:

I like you.
(not so strong, but conveyance that there are good feelings involved)
I care for you.
(indicates somebody's happiness and health mean a lot)
I fancy you.
(there is an attraction and strong feeling involved)
I adore you.
(stronger than like)
I cherish you.
(there is affection and tenderness involved)
I am really fond of you.
(strong affection)
I am keen on you.
(indicates there is interest and desire)
I am head over heels in love with you.
(indicates deep love)
I fell in love with you.
(indicates change from like to love)
I am deeply in love with you.
(strong feelings)
I have a crush on you.
(strong but usually temporary attraction)
It was love at first sight!
(there was a strong connection before someone even said anything)
I am crazy for you.
(too much love, extreme)
I can't live without you.
(too much love, extreme)

Best wishes,
André

ADDITIONAL LISTENING EXERCISES

Take a look at the following links:

City tips:
http://www.elllo.org/english/Games/G036-CityTips.html

Action:
http://www.elllo.org/english/Games/G030-WhatTalk.html

Favors:
http://www.elllo.org/english/Games/G028-Favor.html

Money:
http://www.elllo.org/english/Games/G020-Money.html

Best wishes,
André

LISTENING GAMES

Improving vocabulary is not always a comfortable or quick activity. Still, you'll be able to find alternative ways to make this process interesting.

Listening is crucial!
Click on the links below to practice vocabulary related to different topics:

Sports:
http://www.elllo.org/english/Games/G040-Sports.html

Appliances:
http://www.elllo.org/english/Games/G038-Appliances.html

Signs:
http://www.elllo.org/english/Games/G027-Signs.html

Clothes:
http://www.elllo.org/english/Games/G025-Clothes.html

Best wishes,
André

PRONUNCIATION

You are watching a movie. The guy says something you can't understand. You rewind the scene and try to get the words he uses. Once again, you are unable to make sense out of it. Shit!!! You give it another try and nothing changes! Then, you decide to turn the subtitles on and you find out everything he says you know quite well. Disappointing???

*rewind = return a scene or movie to the beginning

Pronunciation is one of the most important features of the English language.
There is one general rule that is 100% effective:

VOWEL + T / D + VOWEL = T / D is transformed into "R".

Take a look at the sentences below:

"She said hello to me on the phone"

She said HELLO TO me on the phone.

She said [rélôuru] me on the phone.

Teacher, is it wrong to say HELLO TO??? No, you can actually say each word, but how often do you think you will hear someone say each word??? The problem lies in listening, not speaking.
*lie in = to be located in

Pay attention to the changes the following sentence goes through:

"I have GOT TO go home"
"I've GOT TO go home"
"I GOT TO go home"
"I GOTTA go home" = I [góra] go home.

Other examples:
What are you doing?
[uóraryou] doing?
I had a problem.
I [réra] a problem.
Wait a minute.
[uêira] minute.

Next time you catch a movie to watch at home, try to identify the trasnformation and recognize the sound of the words.
Got any questions? Get in touch with me!
[górêni] questions? [gérin] touch with me!

Best wishes,
André

VOCABULARY

Studying vocabulary is certainly one of the best ways to improve your understanding. Still, knowing how to do it is very important.

Suppose you are reading a newspaper article and you come across the sentence "the CONSPICUOUS castle could be seen from miles away."
Damn! What "the hell" does CONSPICUOUS mean???

FIRST STEP: Go to a dictionary (do it online, use two dictionaries to compare). Find the definition of that word.
* conspicuous: very noticeable, attracting attention, obvious.
- She was wearing a conspicuous dress.
- The man tried not to look conspicuous and leave the room.

SECOND STEP: Create your own sentences.
- I would look conspicuous in a group of japanese students.
- He drove a conspicuous car.
- Her pants had a conspicuous blood stain.

THRID STEP: Go back to the context you first found this word in. Check the context again.

FOURTH STEP: The first chance you have, put it into practice.

The process gets even easier and simpler when it comes to practicing concrete words, that is, things you can see or make reference to by pointing.

Someone said: "the turnstile is broken again."

Turnstile???

So, Next time you see a turnstile, repeat it in your mind: TURNSTILE. That's the way you can improve and actually memorize new vocabulary.

Best wishes,

André

BASIC LEARNING

A student needs to remember that the learning process is long and endless. It takes a lot of work and dedication to atually learn how to communicate effectively and fluently in the English language. The first steps are the most important ones. Knowing how to use PRESENT, PAST and FUTURE is crucial to creating a substantial and strong knowledge.

You will find a list of links to basic exercises below:

PAST:

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/tenses/simple_past_statements.htm

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/tenses/simple_past_statements2.htm

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/tenses/simple_past_negation_sentences3.htm

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/questions/simple_past.htm

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/tenses/was_were.htm

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/tenses/was_not_were_not.htm

PRESENT:

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/tenses/simple_present_statements.htm

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/tenses/simple_present_statements2.htm

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/tenses/simple_present_negation_sentences3.htm

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/questions/simple_present.htm

FUTURE:

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/will_future1.htm

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/will_future2.htm

If you want to remember or need the explanation again, click on the links below:

PAST explanation:

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/grammar/simple_past_form.htm

PRESENT explanation:

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/grammar/simple_present_form.htm

FUTURE explanation:

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/grammar/will_future_form.htm

Best wishes,

André

FALSE COGNATES

False cognates are words that confuse us for looking and sounding the same in both Portuguese and English. Learning vocabulary is basically the key to knowing the right choice.

Take a look at the following example:

A DAY AT WORK
In the morning I attended a meeting between management and union representatives. The discussion was very comprehensive, covering topics like working hours, days off, retirement age, etc. Both sides were interested in an agreement and ready to compromise. The secretary recorded everything in the notes. Eventually, they decided to set a new meeting to sign the final draft of the agreement.
Back at the office, a colleague of mine asked me if I had realized that the proposed agreement would be partially against the company policy not to accept workers that have already retired. I pretended to be really busy and late for an appointment, and left for the cafeteria. Actually, I didn't want to discuss the matter at that particular moment because there were some strangers in the office.
After lunch I attended a lecture given by the mayor, who is an expert in tax legislation and has a graduate degree in political science. He said his government intends to assist welfare programs and senior citizens, raise funds to improve college education and build a public library, and establish tougher limits on vehicle emissions because he assumes this is what the people expect from the government.

ATTEND = take part

REALIZE = perceive, notice, understand

PRETEND = suppose, act falsely

There are other false cognates in the text above. Find and look them up in a dictionary in order to distinguish their uses.

Try the following quiz: http://www.esoeonline.org/main-index/index-exercises/vocabexs/falsefriends/ffe.htm

Best wishes,

André

House-related vocabulary

It's obvious that you know some words related to the house such as kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, garage among others. Still, there must be a couple of them you might get confused using or even not know. Check out the following words and pictures:

...
ATTIC............................... ......AWNING

.

FOYER.............................. .......HALLWAY

..
PATIO.......................................CEILING

.
PANTRY................................. BALCONY

.
Best wishes,
André

SINGULAR - PLURAL

Singular and plural forms in English may differ from Portuguese a little bit.
.
There are words which will change or remain the same in the plural form.
.
Check out a couple of examples below:


Man = Men.
Leaf = Leaves.
Mouse = Mice.
News = News.
Company = Companies
..
Check out the following links to practice plural and singular forms:
.
http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/plural1/index.php
http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/plural2/index.php
http://www.nonstopenglish.com/exercise.asp?exid=230
http://www.english-4u.de/plural_ex1.htm

Best wishes,
André

READING PRACTICE

January 26, 2008

16-year-old arrested over alleged plot to hijack a US airliner

A 16-year-old male from Novato, California has been arrested in Tennessee over allegations he intended to hijack a commercial passenger airliner in the United States.
.

The boy, who was unnamed due to his age, was a passenger on board Southwest Airlines Flight 284 from Los Angeles to Nashville on Tuesday, with his parents reporting him missing at 11:30 am the same day. Although he remained calm throughout the flight and made no hijacking attempt, authorities report he had handcuffs, duct tape and yarn inside the aircraft cabin with him. Although his arrest was only made public on Friday, it is reported that he was detained immediately on reaching Nashville International Airport.
.

George Bolds, a spokesman for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said that the items were "suspicious" and that the boy had informed the FBI he had indeed intended to hijack the aircraft. An FBI agent told reporters that he felt the plot was ill-conceived, saying "His plan had a low probability of success."
.

The FBI also conducted a search of his home on Thursday, finding in his room "a photograph of the inside of a small aircraft, something you'd find in a bookstore."
.

Subsequent to his arrest he pled guilty on Friday to a "delinquent act," according to local officials. A juvenile court judge ordered him to be returned to California for continued perusal of that charge as well as others set to be made. He is currently in Davidson County Juvenile Detention Center in Nashville.

.

Authorities believe that the teen was suicidal, but the FBI dismissed earlier reports alleging that he intended to crash the airliner into a Hannah Montana concert in Lafayette, Louisiana

.

*http://en.wikinews.org/

.

Best wishes,

André

FREQUENCY TIP

There are sometimes words that make us confused or unsure. We may not know how to use those words or even know if those words are actually suitable for that specific situation.

In order to avoid being uncommon, old-fashioned or regionalist, we must verify whether the words we want to use are actually the best options.

You can search Google for the words and pay attention to the frequency indicator above the results. By checking it out, you'll be able to know if those words are common or not. You can also do it to find out which prepositon to attach to a word. You can compare words and sentences.

Ex: I'm not sure if I should use "afraid of" or "afraid from". So, I should type in both ways and analyze the results. Whichever brings back the highest frequency should be the best option. In this case, "afraid of" should not only be your best option, but also the correct option.

It's not always about correct or incorrect options, but about approaching your best choices and native-like fluency.

www.google.com

Best wishes,

André

EXERCISES - Practicing is crucial!

.

.
.

There's a list of links for your improvement below. Help yourself!

.
.
.

.

(adjectives) http://www.cad.ntu-kpi.kiev.ua/~demch/friends/esl4rus/libr/quizzes/iteslj/mc-confusedadj.html

(prepositions) http://www.cad.ntu-kpi.kiev.ua/~demch/friends/esl4rus/libr/quizzes/iteslj/mc-prepositions.html

(present perfect x simple past) http://www.cad.ntu-kpi.kiev.ua/~demch/friends/esl4rus/libr/quizzes/be/pspp1r.htm

(gerund x infinitive) http://a4esl.org/q/h/9801/el-to-ing.html

(prepositions - duration) http://www.cad.ntu-kpi.kiev.ua/~demch/friends/esl4rus/libr/quizzes/be/duration.htm

(passive voice) http://www.cad.ntu-kpi.kiev.ua/~demch/friends/esl4rus/libr/quizzes/be/passive1.htm

(phrasal verbs) http://www.cad.ntu-kpi.kiev.ua/~demch/friends/esl4rus/libr/quizzes/iteslj/ppva.html

(interrogative pronouns) http://www.cad.ntu-kpi.kiev.ua/~demch/friends/esl4rus/libr/quizzes/iteslj/m-queswords.html

(quantifier / container) http://www.cad.ntu-kpi.kiev.ua/~demch/friends/esl4rus/libr/quizzes/iteslj/mc-bun.html

(pronouns) http://a4esl.org/q/h/vm/pronouns.html

Best wishes,

André

PHRASAL VERBS

These verbs are the source of confusion for thousands of students.

PHRASAL VERBS: verbs that consist of a verb and a preposition forming a new verb with a different meaning. Take a look at the examples below:


.
FIND: Julia found a dog on the street.
FIND OUT: Julia is desolated. She found out she can't have babies.

PUT: We have to put gas in the car. Where is the nearest gas station?
PUT OFF: We'll have to put off the meeting because two of the directors are away on business.

MAKE: He made a terrible mistake.
MAKE UP: He's never been to europe. He made it up just to seem like an important person.

The only way to get better is through practice, isn't it???
Then, click on the links below to exercise your knowledge:

http://www.englishpage.com/prepositions/phrasalverbs1.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/prepositions/phrasalverbs2.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/prepositions/phrasalverbs3.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/prepositions/phrasalverbs4.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/prepositions/phrasalverbs5.htm

Best wishes,
André

Common mistakes

Click on the following link s and check if you are likely to make some specific mistakes:

http://www.angelfire.com/wi3/englishcorner/grammar/Interactive/errors1.html
http://www.angelfire.com/wi3/englishcorner/grammar/Interactive/errors2.html

If there is any uncertainty, go ahead and post it!
Best wishes,
André

DEFINITION - AS / LIKE / HOW / SUCH AS / AS IF

.

These words deserve special attention since they are invariably misused. Details can't be taken for granted in order to master the way they're used.

.

.

...

.

HOW: 1. it is an interrogative pronoun. 2. It indicates manner.

- How did you find out about that?

- I've known how to drive for 8 years.

.

AS: 1. it is a conjunction that shows similarity. 2. it is also a preposition that refers to sth in particular.

- Do as your mother says!

- Paul was appointed as the chairman of the board.

.

LIKE: 1. it is a preposition that indicates sth is similar to sth else.

- You look just like your Dad.

- Talking to you is like talking to a brick wall. Come on, say sth!

.

SUCH AS: 1. it is used for mentioning examples.

- I like several actors such as Harrison Ford and George Clooney.

.

AS IF: 1. it is used to indicate similarity in action.

- It seemed as if she had never seen that guy before.

- Why did you talk to me as if you were talking to one of your employees? I'm your wife! Have some respect!

.

COMPARE:

.

A. Tom knows how to cook.

B. I work as a teacher.

C. That joke sounded like a silly one.

D. I've read books by different authors such as S. Sheldon and A. Christie.

E. You act as if you were five years old sometimes.

.

A. HOW is followed by an action in the infinitive form.

B. AS is followed by a particular thing.

C. LIKE is followed by an object that is similar to the one already mentioned.

D. SUCH AS is followed by examples.

E. AS IF is followed by a sentence.

.

You should click on the link below for further practice:

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/arts/skills/grammar/grammar_tutorial/page_64.htm

.

Keep up the good work.

Best wishes,

André

DIFFERENCES - MAKE / DO

.
.
Another great and crucial topic that makes students confused is the use of the verbs MAKE and DO. Students may understand the basic definition of each one, but there are thousands of expressions with those verbs that don't seem to make sense and they actually do damage to students' comprehension.
..

.
BASIC DEFINITION:
.
DO: perform an action.
.
MAKE: construct, create, build.
.
#############################################################
.
Common expressions:
.
DO A FAVOR
DO DAMAGE
DO GOOD
DO WELL ON STH
DO BUSINESS
DO A JOB
DO ONE'S BEST
DO THE DISHES
DO THE HOUSEWORK / HOMEWORK

MAKE FRIENDS
MAKE AN EXCUSE
MAKE LOVE
MAKE A POINT
MAKE A DECISION
MAKE A LIST
MAKE SENSE
MAKE A MISTAKE
MAKE MONEY
MAKE PLANS
.
There is no better way to remember than practicing:
.
http://esl.about.com/library/vocabulary/blmakedo1.htm?lastQuestion=0&answers=1&submit=Next+Question+%3E%3E&ccount=0
.
http://engli.webpark.pl/makeordo.html

http://www.english-test.net/esl/learn/english/grammar/ei092/esl-test.php
.
Hope you can master the use of both verbs in expressions soon
Best wishes,
André

LOSE x MISS

The following verbs can be tricky, but only if you don't remember any of the hints or definitions below. Take the quiz after reading and get to know if you really understand the differences:


LOSE: to fail to keep sth; not to win.
- My father lost his eyeglasses once again.
- John lost the card game.
- I'm sorry I lost my mind back there. Tim can be a real jerk sometimes!
(figurative meaning - expression = not to be able to control oneself in anger)

MISS: not to be present; to fail to reach, understand or get to sth; to feel the absence of sb.
- Hurry up, the movie is about to begin. You don't want to miss the beginning.
- That's great, Mary! You can't miss this opportunity.
- I had no idea I would miss you this much.

***LOSE: involves sth you that once belonged to you.
I can LOSE a wallet, a key, a pen.

***MISS: involves sth that never belonged to you.
I can MISS a train, a meeting, a TV show.

Click on the link below for further practice:
http://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/254.html

Best wishes,
André

DIFFERENCES

There several words in the English language that are quite different from what we expect due to their portuguese-spelling similarity. Check out a couple of adverbs that might be taken into consideration:



EVENTUALLY: it describes what happens in the end. It's used to emphasize a result after a series of things. It also shows a "gradual" result. AT LAST is a synonym. It's used to emphasize a result that comes up at an unspecified time.

- Look at the way she treats her kid. She shouldn't beat him up every time he does something wrong. I hope she will eventually understand a beating isn't helpful at all.
- If Josh keeps exercising like that and doesn't get back to eating junk food, he will eventually lose weight.

FINALLY: it describes what happens in the end. It's used to give emphasis to the last thing that is done or happens in a series of events.

- After the teacher explained the topic for the third time, the student finally understood.
- The project has finally come to an end! We'll have time to focus on other issues from now on.

#############################################################

Fill in the blanks with the appropriate adverb:

1. Tim saved some money and ________________ bought his car last week.
2. You'll _______________ buy an apartment if you save money.
3. Tina worked hard and _______________ rose to the position of manager.
4. After 10 years of hard work, Tina _______________ got promoted to manager.


Best wishes,
André