Hello, it's Amy!
Hello Yumi and everyone! This is Amy blogging now. I guess I am the ‘incoming blogger’! I’ve really enjoyed reading through all your recent postings and comments – there’s been such a great response to Catherine and Yumi’s blogs! And Yumi, I’m so impressed that you have taken the time to reply to each person individually. I will try and do the same sometimes ;-) Catherine – you’ll be a hard act to follow! :-)
First I’d like to introduce myself a little bit and then we’ll get cracking with some notes on language and the usual stuff. As Paul said, I live in New Delhi in India, although at the moment I’m in England on holiday for four weeks. I’m heading back to Delhi on Friday. I work there as a teacher and teacher trainer and have been there for three years. It’s a fascinating country and Delhi is a great city to live in, although it’s pretty hot at the moment. I’m hoping that it will have cooled down a bit by the time we return. We’ll see! I see you have travelled to India, Yumi – as Catherine said, you seem to have done lots of travelling! I’ll look forward to hearing more about that :-)
Speaking of fascinating countries, I’m looking forward to the travel tips for Japan that you promised Vincent and Sue, Yumi! I’ve always wanted to visit but so far have only managed a stopover in Osaka on the way to Australia a few years ago. I just stayed at a hotel at the airport and I remember (among other things) being very impressed with how technological the bathroom was! There were buttons everywhere! I really hope to visit one day.
Okay – let’s have a look at some language. First of all, in one of your recent blogs, Yumi, you asked us all whether we talk about real intentions and stated reasons. I think you put this very nicely. I think we all do this actually, regardless of our country or culture, although maybe we don’t define it in the same way. I think we all usually tell people the reasons we think will sound the most convincing, or appropriate, but there are usually underlying reasons for why people decide to do things, don’t you think? Sometimes these remain a secret!
Yumi your English really is great. You use some fabulous phrases and a nice mixture of simple and complex sentence structures. I noticed in your last couple of postings that you sometimes miss out prepositions, or use the wrong one. Below I’ve copied in some of the things you have written. Can you and the other readers have a think about what the missing or correct prepositions should be? Here you go…
1) I had so many difficulties with communicating ** people
2) They were very open for foreigners
3) You comment to every blogger
4) It varies for every country and culture
5) I do dance in weekends
I was interested to read the comment by Antonio saying how useful he had found Catherine’s matching exercise and that he usually just copied the new vocabulary into his notebook without always thinking about the meaning. I am a great believer in learning new vocabulary by looking at the words around it and trying to guess the meaning, rather than just heading straight for a dictionary. So, I thought we could try something a little bit different for the next few weeks. Each blog I will highlight interesting and useful vocabulary items as usual, but instead of giving the definitions immediately below, I’ll give you the definitions the next time I blog. Hopefully this will encourage you to use your loaf :-) and to try and figure out the meaning yourselves from the context, and/or consult friends or the dictionary to help you if necessary. You can then check your guesses or answers with the list of definitions that appears a couple of days later. I might even give you a little quiz one day! Some of the words or phrases might be a bit tricky to find definitions for in your dictionary, especially if they are phrases. Try looking up the key words and seeing if the phrase is listed (e.g. ‘loaf’ for ‘use your loaf’). Don’t forget about the online dictionaries – they’re a great resource and may be more up-to-date than your dictionary at home. Sometimes there may be more than one meaning for a word but I’d like you to concentrate on the meaning that fits the context the best.
Don’t forget to keep a record of all these lovely new words and phrases. I enjoy putting a tick next to any word that I look up in my dictionary – then I can see how many words I’ve been learning and also I’ll know if I look up the same word or phrase more than once.
Take care and more soon!
Amy
Today’s vocabulary (Definitions next time! – Remember to look at how the word is used above to help you understand the meaning)
A hard act to follow
To get cracking
To head back
A stopover
To put something (very) nicely
Regardless
Convincing
To remain a secret
To use your loaf
Context
Tricky
Comments
Welcome Amy!!! Hmm... I´m really looking forward to hearing more from you and also about your life in New Delhi :-). Well I´ll have a go to find out the prepositions: 1-with; 2-to; 3-on; 4-from; 5-on. Best wishes, Ana Paula.
Hi Amy, Here is my answers: 1. with 2.to 3.on 4.between 5.at weekends (US-on the weekends) What do you think?
Namasté Amy! Here are my answers: 1)with,2)to,3)on,4)from and 5)at. I cannot wait to read your answers. All the best,Filippo
Hello Amy, I am really interested to interact with blogger to improve my English. Here is my answer for your preposition questions. 1-with, 2-to, 3-on,4-from,5-on. Kishor Silwal
Hi Amy,your blog is easy to follow, useful, and very interesting; about the homework; I think they could be; 1.I had so many difficulties communicating with people. 2.they were very open to foreigners. 3.you comment on every blogger. 4.It varies from country and culture to another. 5.I do dance at weekends. Best wishes
Hello Amy and you are welcome to join us! I appreciate that you are trying to help students, although you are back home for your holiday , and you are demonstrating yourself as a real helper for the people who are really needy. I will have a try to answer those questions: 1-with the, 2-with, 3-on, 4-with, 5-at/on Have a nice staying with us.
Hi Amy, It would be a pleasure for us hearing from you in the coming blogs. I have my answers for your exercises inside my mind, however I'm tired to type now. Tomorrow I'll check them. Good night
Hi Amy, I hope the consequences of my comment will not nag the other readers. Today I have not much time so I am only writing to wish you a warm welcome. Antonio
Hi Amy! I am from India so I like to hear your experence in our capital city.Well I have a stab at homework.1-to,2-with,3-on,4-from,5-on.Now meanings:A hard act to follow -difficult to follow somebody To get cracking -start work immediately To head back -return A stopover -short stay somewhere between to prts of a journey To put something (very) nicely -did in agood way Regardless-paying no attention to something Convincing -that makes sb believe that sth is true To remain a secret -don't want to know others To use your loaf -brain Context -sentence,phrace,etc in which aword appears Tricky-difficult to deal with God bless ~ CUL8er
Hello Amy and Welcome!This is going to be great time with you,as this time the teacher blogger will be blogging from India.We would like to know about your experience of indian food,travel and so much.I'd gone to India when I was young but I still have those beautiful memories of the places I went to.I had visited Mumbai and Ahmedabad and had a whale of time there.I can guess from your photo that you are wearing an Indian dress,is it so? One of the words from the vocabulary you have given, reminds me of Jo Kent (the outgoing teacher blogger)that's loaf.It's a cockney rhyming slang 'loaf of bread' which means 'head'.I agree with your idea of learning new words.Actually I also do the same,first I try to understand the meaning through the context and then check the dictionary as how far I am correct.Bye for now, Naheed:>
Hello, Amy!I used my loaf and tried to fill in prepositions, I'm not sure in my answers, but still here they are: 1-with, 2-to, 3-on, 4-in, 5-on.
Hi Amy!! I am pleased to meet you and frankly speaking it's great that you guys help englishlearners all arround the world improve their knowldege and you can be sure that what you do is useful and helpful. The greatest thing about this blog is that it connects peaople with similar interests. i've been noticing that many people nowadays are learning English but few pay close attention to how to speak correctly. it's another advantage of visitng your blog. Anyyway, I won't bother you with my guesses about the homework since i see above that a couple of visitors have already listed my options. Cheers.
Hello, Amy! I saw your photo a couple of days ago before you posted your first blog. I was looking forward to meeting you here. Let me do the homework first. The correct prepositions should be: 1-with, 2-to, 3-on, 4-from, 5-during or on? (I’m not quite sure.) Amy, I like your new method of teaching us new phrases and words. I think I get their meanings and I want to make sentences using them. 1. I’m sure in 2008, Beijing Olympic Games will be a great success and a hard act to follow for the next organizer. 2. “Honey, get cracking with your homework, we can go to the amusement park if you finish it.” Do parents always say like this to their children? :) 3. During my 7-day holiday, I visited many beautiful places and made a stopover at an amazing village. I’m heading back to Beijing this Sunday. (I really hope this will happen one day.) 4. Amy gave us a new way to learn English words. She put this very nicely, didn’t she? (Yes, she did.) 5. Hey, everybody, we should use our loaf to read and learn Amy’s blog, regardless we have time or not. In fact, if we want to learn and improve our English, we will of course have time, yes? Even though there are tricky phrases through the context, I just enjoy the learning process. 6. Amy, am I giving you a convincing comment to let you know that I’m glad to meet you? How to make a sentence with ‘To remain a secret’? Oh, I’ve made one already. :) See you next time. Jill.
Hello Amy. You are welcome to the forum of the bloggers as our great teacher. We heard a lot of good things about you and your competence before we e-meet you through your meaty blog. Amy, would you tell us more about yourself? How is your everyday life in India? What do you do every day, besides teaching and blogging? Have you visited Tajmahal yet? Are you living there alone or with your family? Are you married? Or have you got a boyfriend? Is he Indian or English? Do you sometimes feel homesick? And now straight forward to the homework. Here are my answers: A)Prepositions: 1)I had so many difficulties with communicating with people.(Can we miss out the first with and put the sentence like this:"I had so many difficulties communicating with people". 2)They were very open to foreigners. 3)You comment on every blogger. ( In my humble opinion we don't comment on a blogger, but we comment on a blog. Am I right?) 4) It varies with/in every coutry and culture. 5)I do dance on weekends. B) Vocabulary: - A hard act to follow: An act placed at a high level of speed,accuracy, etc... to the point that nobody can reach it. - To get a crackling: to discuss, to debate... - To head back: To move in the opposite direction, to return. - A stopover: a short stop somewhere during a journey. - To put something nicely: here, it means to write something well and in a beatiful manner. - Regardless: without paying any attention to something. - Convincing: persuading. - To remain a secret: to be kept secret. (unknown by other people). - To use your loaf:to use your head, to think carefully. -Context: the text in which a word is found, circumstances in which something happens, etc. - Tricky: tricksy: presented in a clever and complicated way that you need a certain skill to figure out. Kind regards.
hi wellcome thanks for your blogging i hope learn more about english by yuor blogging excuse me something obsses my mind when i read your blog what the mean of the tips in the sentence you have wrote"i am looking forward to the travel tips ..."and what your intention of use it in the end i wondering if you could tell me my fail in this comment thanks thanks thanks
Hello Amy,i really welcome you warmly, and i wish you good luck with your job in New delhi.Any way if i guess the prober prepositions 1)to -with. 2)with 3)to 4)to 5)on. Thank's a lot . bye
Hi Amy, IÂ’m really happy that the teacher blogger is in my country. I feel great that the way you like my country. Truly itÂ’s a fascinating one. But unfortunately I could not visit my capital since my birth. My mother and brothers were there when my father was in army. I was thinking to take my children to show the beauty of Delhi and other remarkable places near Delhi. Actually I am living in Karaikudi, 90km from Madurai, southern parts of India. ItÂ’s a nice idea to develop vocabulary without referring dictionary and try to think what it would be with the context or surroundings. Hope you will talk about more in my country to other learners. 1) I had so many difficulties communicating with people. 2) They were very open to foreigners. 3) You comment on every blogger 4) It varies from every country and culture. 5) I do dance at the weekends. Hard act to follow: itÂ’ll be difficult situation in the future Get cracking: weÂ’ll start the lesson Heading back: returning back. Stop over: stop and stay for few hours when you transit and proceed to travel another place Put this very nicely: write or speak in attractive way in a coherently so that others can easily grasp. Regardless: in spite of Convincing: believe that our idea or conception is good. Remain a secret: may not visibly know Use your loaf: use your brain Context: in that particular situation Tricky: difficult to answer or use mind to think carefully to know exact meaning.
Hi,Amy.It's a great pleasure to have you back, by the way, your name is short and sweet.As for the prepositions,1with,2to,3on,4from,5at. I am very appreciated about your way of learning english.It's definitely no problem to fill the shoes of Catherine.It's such a great method to get cracking.
Hellow Amy, it is very nice to see you here. please tell me the best way to learn more phrases. Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi Amy,I'd gone to India when I was young I visited Bombay,Trivandrum,Madras,it was amazing.Here is my answer for your preposition questions. 1-with, 2-to, 3-on,4-between,5-on. Thank's a lot for explanation grammatical Bye
Hi Amy, I m new in BBC learning english blog. i m very weak in english and trying to learn A B C D of english. can u please guide to take most out of BBC english blog and BBC english web site, and step by step method to understand the language better.
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