G’day from Oz!
Hello Satya and everyone, and welcome to the blog for October! I have to admit to having a few butterflies about this – I’m a bit of a technophobe, and have never done a blog before, so fingers crossed it will all work out OK!
Let me tell you a bit about myself. As you all know, I’m Rachel, and if you look at the title of today’s blog, you might be able to work out where I’m writing from. Any ideas? That’s right – Australia. Sydney, to be precise. Although I’ve lived here for several years, I’m not actually Australian; I’m a Pom, which is Aussie slang for someone from England. (And a bit more Aussie slang for you – G’day is what Australians say to greet someone (like “hello”) and it’s pronounced Giddai.) Anyway, I’m doing all sorts of things at the moment; writing materials, teaching and training up as a teacher trainer. AND I have a two-year-old son! Phew! His name is Owen and he really keeps me on my toes. I’m sure I’ll be telling you much more about him and his antics over the next month …
Well, I thought I’d start off by telling you a bit about Sydney. I’m sure you all know of its two most famous landmarks – the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. Maybe even Bondi Beach as well! We live about 20 minutes out of the city, in a suburb called Hurlstone Park. What we really like about it is the fact it’s really quiet, not busy at all. It’s almost like living in a village; there’s a main shopping street with a few shops (just the essentials), and everyone knows everyone else. We’re also on the Cooks River, so there are a lot of parks nearby, which is great for Owen! The other great thing about living where we do is that we’re close to other suburbs that have a lot of restaurants, cafes and bigger shopping areas, so we can get our fill of the hustle and bustle and then come home to some peace and quiet. Sydney is a very multicultural city, with people of all nationalities, so it’s easy to experience other cultures (my favourite part of experiencing other cultures is trying their food!). To give you an example, if you walk down the main street of Dulwich Hill, our neighbouring suburb, there are Chinese, Turkish, Lebanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Pakistani and Egyptian restaurants, plus an Italian deli, a Greek cake shop and an Eastern European smokehouse (they make sausages and cured meats). (And yes, I have tried all of them!!)
Satya, it’s nice to “meet” you – I’m really looking forward to getting to know you better over the next month and hearing about what you’re doing. Good luck in Chennai with the robot; I hope you manage to get it finished and also that you have internet access so you can let us know how it’s going!
I thought I would pinch an idea from Amy (hope you don’t mind, Amy!) – I totally agree that it’s better to try and figure out the meanings of words from their context, so I’ll just give you a word list at the end of each entry. If you’re keeping a vocab book, that’s great – try and write the whole sentence with the word underlined so you can see the context, then you can add a definition, pronunciation etc as well. I’ll post the definitions every couple of weeks in case there were any you couldn’t get.
Here’s just a little bit of homework to get us started …
Have a look at this sentence from today’s post:
• I have a two-year-old son
Why is it two-year-old and not two-years-old?
Can you think of any more examples like this? (It’s possible to use other nouns apart from year.)
And this one …
• I’m really looking forward to getting to know you better
Why is it getting and not get?
Can you see an example of this in your post from today and correct it?
And finally …
I’m going to be a bit mean with this one and not give you any help – see if you can correct it yourself and we’ll talk about it next time …
How could you rewrite I have started learning English just 4 years ago to make it more correct?
Anyway, that’s it for today. We had a public holiday today (hurray!) so I’ll write soon and let you know what we got up to! (If I’m feeling really brave I might even try and include some pictures …)
More later,
Rachel
Vocab from today:
to have butterflies (expression)
technophobe (n)
(to keep your) fingers crossed (expr)
keeps me on my toes (expr)
antics (n.pl)
start off (v)
hustle and bustle (n)
pinch (v) – there’s more than one meaning to this one!
figure out (v)
to get up to (something) (v)
Comments
Hello Rechal and welcome on the board. It will be great to know about Australia over the next month. You have asked interesting questions and I would like to try my hand at them.1)When talking about age and quantity we use numbers in their singular form for eg.,I have a 3 rupee note.2)When we say 'forward to' the verb followed by 'to' is written in 'ing' form. It can be written in two ways 'looking forward to seeing you' and 'look forward to see you'.3)We can say 'I started learning English 4 years ago'. I'm keeping my fingers crossed to read your explanation in the next post. Naheed
Hi Rachel, Welcome. I hope that you will say more and more about Australia. You have not explained the meaning of "Oz!" Homework Year is in number form. I have a two car. Getting has been used as a Gerund
Welcome Rachel, it will be a pleasure to know about Australia. I think it's about half-day the difference in time zone from here.
Hello Rachel! It´s 5.56pm now, and I´m at home ready to give it a go in the homework. So, here we go: • I have a two-year-old son Why is it two-year-old and not two-years-old? I think it´s because 'two year old' functions in this case as an adjective for the noun 'son'( sorry Rachel, my grammar is very poor :-)). Can you think of any more examples like this? (It’s possible to use other nouns apart from year.) A five dollar bill; • I’m really looking forward to getting to know you better Why is it getting and not get? Because 'to' is a preposition, and we use ing form after prepositions. How could you rewrite I have started learning English just 4 years ago to make it more correct? I started learning English 4 years ago. Vocabulary: to have butterflies (expression): to get very anxious or nervous about something you´r going to do; technophobe (n): a phobia or a aversion to technological things; (to keep your) fingers crossed (expr): to hope a positive result; keeps me on my toes (expr): keeps me always alert; antics (n.pl): amusing, silly or strange behaviour; start off (v): to begin; hustle and bustle (n): busy and noisy; pinch (v): hmm... is the meaning steal? if it isn´t, I´m sorry; figure out (v): to understand; to get up to (something) (v): to do something that it´s not often approved by other people. Well Rachel, I´m looking forward to reading your next blog, and I hope you feel brave enough to post some pictures for us ;-). Best wishes, Ana Paula.
Hi Rachel , welcome to the blog. you have a great amount of homework!poor Satya! emmm ok, let's try some of them: I can rewrite the sentence like this: *I have learnt English for (4 years) OR (since 2003)isn't right?? for saying (two -year -old)we can say : fifty -meter- tall ok Rachel is G'day is a short way to say " good day " and , are there any differences between Australian English and British one?
Hi Rachel Welcome and Its nice to meet you. Im new here,moreover, I want to participate in this clup to obtain and improve my inglish .Id appreciate it if you help me.I will try to do my best. About your question: 1: because compound adjectives made up of a number and noun are convenient way to describe something which involves a number we don’t include an-s on the word counted: A three-storey building. I live in two-bedroom house . they are all ten-year-olds. 2: I think we can use "ing" form when the verb followed by to 3: In my opinion we can use in two ways A: I have been started learning English just for 4 years. B:I have been learning English for 4 years. To be honest, im not really sure please correct me if im wrong Best wishes. Fatemeh
Hi Rachel Nice to meet you! This is my first time in the blog So I have butterflies in my stomach too! I've been studing English for 4 years because I want to become an English teacher! Help me to improve my language!! As regards the homework: 1- I have a two-year-old son It is singular because it's working as an adjetive and adjetives are always singular. Other examples: It's a five-star Hotel, It's a two-litre bottle, It's a ten-kilo box. 2_ I'm looking forward to "getting" to know you better and not "get" because after a preposition we use the "ing" form of the verb. 3- I started learning English 4 years ago. (Definite Time) I will be waiting for your answers!! Bye
Hello Richal. I'm Thao Tran from Vietnam. It's first I've commented on this page. I'm also worry because my English is so bad. I hope it'll be improved soon. And then I can answer your questions: 1. In a compound noun, noun before main noun is used as adjective modify noun, so it is always singular. Eg: a ten-day-old baby, a hundred-metre-long bridge... 2. structure "to look forward to doing sth", the verb after "forward to" is V-ing. 3. I agree with Naheed. But I think we can also say "I've been learning E for 4 years", can't we? About your vocab, there're some I don't know. I'm looking forward to hearing from you. P/s: Have U tried Vietnamese food? I hope U like them. :)
Hello & welcome, Rachel! Nice to know about you and I do expect more slangs knowing that you're in Australia and that they, like Americans, don't wanna feel bound by the rule-book restrictions when it comes to language, am I right? Here's the homework: 1)We say a two-year-old because in compound adjectives we don't use the plural of the word describing age, size, weight and duration of time. 2) The reason behind using the gerund i.e the -ing form of a verb is because when we use "to" as a preposition we always use the gerund and not the bare infinitive, hence: I'm looking forward to (preposition) getting to know you (the 2nd "to" is part of the infinitive "to know"). 3) I started learning English just 4 years ago. To have butterflies: to be nervous about something one is about to do. Technophobe (n) someone who has a fear of technology especially computers etc. To keep one's fingers crossed: wait in anticipation/hope that one's plan will be successful. Keeps me on my toes: keeps me alert & ready antics: strange movements/behaviour Start off: begin something Hustle and bustle: busy activities/atmosphere of a place Pinch (here) to take something without prior permission. Figure out: to know something after thinking/calculation. To get upto (something) to reach a specified point/idea etc.
G'day Rachel! It's nice to meet you and your cheeky monkey, Owen. I'm curious about his antics. Also nice to hear you have tried Vietnamese food together with the other scrumptious kinds. It makes us closer to you! Here are my answer to the homework: 1/ 'year' in the phrase doesn't take 's' because it forms an adjective. Another example of this kind is 'That is a six-level course'. 2/ 'To look forward to' is a phrasal verb (I think this is one of the lessons from Amy) type 4 which needs an object (usually a noun or 'ing' verb form), is inseparable and has two 'particles'. So 'getting' not 'get' comes after 'look forward to'. 3/ I started learning English 4 years ago. Anyway, I'm looking forward to hearing how the public holiday was and watching your pictures. Best wishes, Myen.
Hi Hunt welcome. It's nice to know that this month teacher is from Australia. your cricket team is now touring India. why does Ausrtralian speak very quickly. very difficult to follow their pronounciation. Ricky ponting and Steve vaugh speak very fastly. like that you have any differnt style in writing also? I started learning English 4 years ago. since Sathya used the year in the past it would be better to use past tense. In recent time happening and the effect of it at the time of speaking we can use present perfect. the new teacher blogger from Australia has started to write. Sathya has arrived Chennai.
Hi Rachel, it's my first statement here. I like reading your blog very much. Now I will try to do your task. 1)in this case two-year-old is used as an Adj and it should be in singular form. other examples are seven-floor block, three-layer cake etc. 2)look forward to + v-ing, 3)I have been learning English for 4 years. I hope to meet you often this month. Phuong nga
Hello Rachel :-) It's nice to have a teacher blogger from the Antipodes. You called yourself a Pom, which surprised me a little bit because I had found in one of my dicionaries that it's used by Australians and New Zealanders for an English person often disapprovingly. Maybe it's similar to 'a Brit'. Some people like to be called a Brit, but I met a man who said that he would kill a person who would have called him like that. Australia is a fascinating country with lots of cultures and a lot of strange animals and plants. I've never been to there, so I'm anxious to read your blogs. Until next time.
Hi Rechal.Its great to learn about you from your post. Your locality appears to be wonderful place to live in, as one could get what one asked for from near by place. Hope we will get to learn more about diverse cultures and traditions of Australia from you, and learn English language as well. I heard that Australia is inhabited by migrants from all cross the world, It might be very interesting live in a place where one could experience a diverse cultures, traditions and food too. As each nationality and community has their own identity and unique way of life its too good to experience so many things from one place. .My answers for your questions are : a) Our office is going to organize a four days seminar from October3rd to 6,2007. b) I am getting to like Chinese food these days. (I have came cross these kinds of sentences quite often but really don't know the reasons. It would be wonderful to know from you.) 3) I have started learning English since four years ago
Dear Rachel, Welcome here. You have written a lovely first blog and I'm sure everybody have enjoyed it as much as I have. This should put you out of your phobia. Happy blogging! 1) 2 years as such acts as a noun & needs the 's' e.g. his age is 35 years. On the other hand, 2-year-old is a compound word where 2-year describes old & hence acts like an adjective. So there is no need for an extra 's'. A few words like this are : 24-carat-gold, 4-cm-thick 5-star-hotel 7-foot-tall 100-metre-wide 2) Looking forward to takes a noun/ gerund immediately after it and not a bare infinitive. That is why we have to use getting & not get. 3) I have been learning English for only 4 years.
G`day from Warsaw, Poland Nice to meet you. You are absolutely right about the way in which we can experience other cultures. Could you tell us something about traditional Australian food. Best wishes
Hi Rachel ,It´s wonderful to know that you lived in Australia.I hope to travel there someday jeje. Please post some pictures of your city I can´t imagine how beautiful it is, as Australia is wellknown for his beautiful landmarks. sorry for my grammar I´m working on it ;) oh! by the way I have a request for you ,if you have time to do it of course in your next blog.Can you tell me how I can use infinitives and gerunds for uses and purposes. Thanks!!
I have just found this blog. How exciting! I have just started training to be a teacher and it's openng up all sorts of possibilities. I have never blogged before, so will be interested to see what happens. I hope I can find ways to use this for my students. It will be helpful to me when I need to explain points of grammar as well. G'day from Leeds in the cold and dark
Dear Rachel, First of all, I like to welcome you very warmly in this blog. I am really enthusiastic to learn way of writing and learn new vocabularies from my new teacher. After a long time I have started writing something in English for two months except my exam paper. I have graduated 15 years ago. Since then I started to do only official work and in my opinion it get degraded continuously and I am not sure whether my way of expression is correct or not. I am also extremely eager to know something about Australia. In your first blog you have started to give some idea about Australia. Another thing is that new generation started to enroll in several colleges in Australia and I was told that it is becoming land of opportunity for several people. In my opinion two-year-old is used as adjective. Similarly, I can write I have a five-month-old dog. Similarly for your next question, looking forward to something/doing something is a phrasal verb and in this phrasal verb we have to use known and gerund is also a noun. So we can not write I am looking forward to get to know you better. Meaning of words: 1. to have butterflies (expression) - to feel very nervous, usually about something you are going to do 2. technophobe (n) –fear of technology 3. (to keep your) fingers crossed (expr) - to hope very much that something will happen 4. keeps me on my toes (expr) - to force someone to continue giving all their attention and energy to what they are doing. 5. antics (n.pl) amusing 6. start off (v) -to begin by doing something 7. hustle and bustle (n) - busy and noisy activity 8. pinch (v) – there’s more than one meaning to this one! - to steal something 9. figure out (v)- find the solution to a problem 10. to get up to (something) (v)- to do something, often something that other people would disapprove of
Glade to talk to you,teacher Rachel Hunt!!!. Firstly, at a couple of weeks that I didn't have leisure time to meet and to share comment in here. I furstrated with lot of works that I must do all in time but now I have done all works already. Awesome!! Anyway, I am eager to know more about everything dealing with Australia as well as I am going to talk about Thailand much more, don't you think? Well, I am hungry now and promptly I have a tasty dinner. Cheers!!! Wisarut.
Hello Rachel! Welcome blogging! I am looking forward to learning a lot. Here´s my homework: • I have a two-year-old son Why is it two-year-old and not two-years-old? -> I don´t know why it is like this. I guess that it is because each year is given as a single one (here: two) one year and an additional year of age... I use this correctly if I look on my writings, but I can´t explain the rules... :-( Can you think of any more examples like this? (It’s possible to use other nouns apart from year.) -> Sorry, can´t guess at the moment.... And this one … • I’m really looking forward to getting to know you better Why is it getting and not get? -> It is used with a future meaning. Get is present tense. And finally … I’m going to be a bit mean with this one and not give you any help – see if you can correct it yourself and we’ll talk about it next time … How could you rewrite I have started learning English just 4 years ago to make it more correct? -> I started learning English 4 years ago. O.K., so far welcome as our teacher. I am glad to know somebody from Australia now. Yvonne, Germany
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