Your Questions
Hi Satya,
Hope the conference is going well and that you’ve managed to get your robot finished!
As I promised yesterday, I’m going to answer your questions – Owen is having a snooze (there’s no way I can use the computer when he’s awake as he takes over to go on the Thomas the Tank Engine website …) and I’ve set myself up like a true Pom with a cup of tea and a biscuit, so I’m ready to go!
You wrote:
* Is it October 2 or 2nd October or October 2nd?
You can actually use all three – 2nd October is British (and Aussie) English, whereas the Americans tend to say October 2nd. (Make sure you use a capital O for October.)
* Is everything okay with the sentence "It was my third day of waiting"?
Grammatically the sentence is OK, and I can understand what you mean. However, a more natural way to put it would be something like: I had been waiting for three days, or It was the third day I had been waiting.
* What's the difference between everybody and everyone? Any rules?
They’re both the same – just like somebody/someone, anybody/anyone.
It’s good that you used a singular verb, as that’s how the grammar works:
Everybody was watching them curiously.
If you’re using everyone / everybody with a possessive, it’s more formal to use a singular pronoun, and less formal to use a plural pronoun –
Has everyone finished his or her dinner? (more formal)
Has everyone finished their dinner? (less formal)
When everyone had finished eating, the waiters took their plates away.
( it needs to be plural here - you can't say his or her plates)
* I guess I really had problems using perfect tenses (present, past)... can I use 'had' there?
This was your sentence:
Everybody was watching them curiously. They had entered into the Manager's Chamber and placed all the flowers on his table.
I don’t think you need to use the past perfect, as you’re describing events that happened at pretty much the same time – they entered the room and put flowers on the table. You only really need to use past perfect to make it clear which event happened first.
* Where should I use "could" and "can"?? What's the difference between these two sentences:
I could not get that
I cannot get that
In the context you’re using it, the only difference is between the past (the first sentence) and the present (second sentence) to talk about your ability to do the homework. As I’m sure you know, could has several uses in English, which I’m happy to discuss with you if you’d like (just let me know!).
I am going to be a bit picky about the whole sentence, though – hope that’s OK!
You wrote: sorry for I could not allot much time to your homework.I just want to have a look at the way we use “sorry” – you could rewrite that sentence in a few different ways:
1. Sorry I could not allot much time to your homework. (without for)
2. Sorry that I could not allot much time to your homework.
3. Sorry for not being able to allot much time to your homework.
If you use for, you need to follow it with a noun or a gerund (-ing form).
I also wanted to comment on your blog entry about your journey to Chennai – your use of tenses was very accurate, so well done!
Satya, it’s great that you’re able to cast a critical eye over your writing and pick up on things that you’re not sure about – that’s definitely a good way to improve your English because it means you’re getting the feedback you need, so please keep asking questions and I’ll do my best to answer them for you! (To those of you who had a go at answering Satya’s questions, that’s fantastic!) I also wanted to say as well that if you’d prefer me to give feedback in a different way, just let me know – this is your month!
For everyone (everybody!) else who’s reading this, thank you so much for your comments and questions – as I said last night, I’ll get round to answering you all individually next week, so watch this space! And please keep up with the comments; I’m really enjoying hearing from you all.
Here’s some vocab from today’s post, and also some great expressions that Satya used in his first few posts (I’ve included the sentences that Satya used so you can see the context) …
watch this space! (informal expr)
get round to (phr vb)
keep up with (phr vb)
pick up on (phr vb)
cast a critical eye over (expr)
to be a bit picky (expr)
set myself up (phr vb)
takes over (phr vb)
snooze (vb/ /n)
(What a lot of phrasal verbs! Sorry!)
Here are Satya's ...
So, we have ample time to complete our robot.
Sorry I could not allot much time to your homework.
Please take pains to correct my language.
And seeing as this is a very language-heavy post, I was wondering how you all record the new vocab that you come across? It would be great if we could share ideas about recording vocab – I think that could be really helpful. Cambridge has a great website where you can check words online using the different dictionaries that they publish – Advanced, Phrasal Verbs, even American English! Here's the link for you:
Anyway, with his usual good sense of timing, my boy is waking up so I’d better go before he realises I’m on the computer! Next time I’ll tell you how we spent our public holiday on Monday – if you’re really lucky I might even publish some more photos!! (I’m working all day Saturday, so I’ll catch up with you all after that).
Satya, I’m looking forward to hearing all about your experiences in Chennai! Have a great weekend everyone!
Bye for now,
Rachel
Comments
Hello Rachel, Im enjoying your blog posts very much and it's amusing to read about Owen. As for learning new words and recording them, I first try to work out the meaning from the context. I also write down the sentence that has a new word in it, this makes it easier the use of new word. It's also a good idea to make somewhat of a word tree, like in how many ways a word can be used.It can be used as noun,adjective,verb, and etc. And yes, I've been visiting the website of Cambridge dictionary since June, it's very handy, and I'd found it through google search. I like learning languages very much. I also watch the BBC food and News TV to speak like a Pom. Naheed:)
Hello,Rachel It's great to have you here and I am looking forward to learning good English from you. I clearly see you running around like a headless chicken as a mum ,wife ,career woman and teacher of this month blog.I've been to Astralia and I brought a boomerang with me. I've still got it and I like it a lot.I've been to Bondi beach,too.My son, who is five-year- old,used to watch Tomas The Tank Engine endlessly.We felt like our life being taken over by it but thankfully he has got out of it now.Thank you for your generous explanations.Have a goood day!
Hi dear Rachel Welcome to this month Blog . It's grate to take some information about Oz . I know that it's a wonderful country . And I think we are going to learn more American English expressions . It's sound grate ! I love living in suburbs , sth that is n't usual in Iran , at all . Please give us some more info about your living place . I have a five- year old son and I really know , how much he keeps you on your toes .In Iran we celebrate mother day 's , father day 's , teacher day 's , nurse 's day , … and we have lots of religious celebration , such as Eyd Fetr and Aeyd Gorban ( we say Eyed to our special celebrations ) . Kiss Owen for me Have a grate time with your family See you later
Dear Richal, thanks for your explanations. They're very clearly and plain. My vocab is very badly. I started learning E for a long time but not continuous. Really I'm very lazy. I've not found the way to record vocab which is suitable for me. I hope U and others here will give me a word of advise. See U next week!
Hi everyone! Am I not a traveler? From unforgetable Tricia´s Kuala Lumpur around the globe to Australia just sitting on the same place? Hey, Rachel, you have got for certain at least one companion who would never be able to send in here more than a gauche comment but any photo. You see you are my heroin who made me happy to see your lovely Owen! So, say hello to all your family from smallish country in Europe. I don´t think I will be able to learn more computer skills from anybody in my life yet, but which I hope really is to learn good English. Your explanations justifying me to believe in this. Best wishes!
Hello Rachel! Father’s day is on March 19th in Italy. Although my father pretends that he does not want to get anything, I always buy him a present and he is very happy. He is like a spoiled child. LoL As for football, I hope your husband got over from Italy’s victory against Australia during the 2006 FIFA World Cup. About the other two sports, they are not as popular as in your country. I enjoy reading your blog and I cannot wait to read your next posts. Cheers
Hello Rachel, thanks for your post and also for all the phrasal verbs. We have had a start into it with Amy and now we are just working along ;-)). I am wondering how you celebrate your holiday as we Germans had our national holiday on 3rd of October. It is celebrated reminding on Germanys reunion in 1990. Mostly there are big parties in Berlin and this year in Schwerin (Capital of our state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) because it´s this time leading in politics of the states parliaments. You are right - the topic how to cope with all the vocabulary is even mine! I don´t know but just listing them up does not really help learning to getting used to them. I like clustering them around themes and try to use them as often as possibly. Have a nice holiday, Rachel! Yvonne
Very helpful information. I learnt a lot. Thanks. I have my chapbook reviewed by a friend. My book titled "Farewell to Sunflowers". He suggested "Farewell Sunflowers". Could you tell me what is the difference? Thanks a lot. Anna Yin
Dear Rachel, Your suggestion to write something based on how I handle vocabulary learned in lots of post by you and our colleague make me thought for sometimes. Actually I do not make such a plan to recall vocabulary I learned because I not using this site only to learn language and some grammar portion. When I read your blog, I will try my best to make a such plan as soon as possible and put it up in blog. When I read others post I got a bit of idea too. Here is meaning of words/phrase: 1.watch this space! (informal expr) – to be careful to check coming blog. 2.get round to (phr vb) - to find a way of dealing with 3.keep up with (phr vb) - to continue without stopping 4.pick up on (phr vb) - to notice something that a lot of other people have not noticed 5.cast a critical eye over (expr) – Watch critically 6.to be a bit picky (expr) - describes someone who is very careful about choosing only what they like 7.set myself up (phr vb) - to establish someone or yourself in a position 8.takes over (phr vb) - to do something instead of someone else 9.snooze (vb/ /n)- to sleep lightly for a short time
Hello Rachel :-) Thanks a lot for your explanations on grammar problem. You give examples which is really ver good, as an explanation on its own isn't always enough to understand many grammar problems, especially when the grammars (e.g. English and Polish) are very different, and they often are. You asked about recording the new vocab. I reckon there are a lot of usefull ways; I personally use a computer dictionary that I can edit freely. I've got thousands of words, phrases and grammar explanations in it. I try to put in it most of the explanations I have found on Teacher Blogger blogs. I hope I invade nobody's rights. All best wishes.
Hello Rachel! Well, I use a notebook to write down ever new word I come across. I organise the word, the noun, adjective and adverb that this new word can origin. Moreover, write down the words, has helped me to figure out FCE Paper 3 exercises, such as word transformation and key word transformation. Oh, this exercises are my weak point in the test. Ah! And I also visit Cambridge website. It´s a great site indeed. A friend mine sent me an e-mail with the site link one year ago, and since then I visit the Cambridge site everyday. Besides that, there is another site that I like very much to visit called the free dictionary. In this site there is an audio button that you can press and listen to the correct way this word is pronounced, and the best thing is this site is for free! :-) Here is the site: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ Well I´ll give a try at the vocabulary: watch this space! (informal expr): don´t miss what will be post in this space; get round to (phr vb): to find the time to do somenthing; keep up with (phr vb): to stay in the same level with sothing or someone; pick up on (phr vb): to choose the weaks point to talk about it; cast a critical eye over (expr): have a real idea of your weak and strong points; to be a bit picky (expr): to be a bit meticulous; set myself up (phr vb): to put( someone else) into a compromising situation (?) * I´m not sure about this one Rachel; takes over (phr vb): get the control; snooze (vb/ /n): to sleep lightly for a short while; Oh Rachel, I´m going to bid you farwell now. My sister wants to use the computer. She needs to find out some Sebastião Salgado pictures for a university essay about poverty and homeless that she´s doing. Oh Gee! She drives me crazy! Oh, I´m feeling dizzy! :-). Good night Rachel, Ana Paula. PS- My sister says hello, and she also found Owen very cute :-).
Hi Rachel!I am getting round to leave a comment since I've pay attention on there for a long time,but I always feel lazy to send a comment.To be honest,I've learnt much from there and nearly every post I have seen I picked up on every useful words and sentences and write all them down.So I want to give a huge thank to you,and I promise I'll keep up with the comment in the future.
How's everything? Teacher Rachel!!Very glad to talk with you again. According to the effective ways how to memorized a large number of vocabularies as you ask, I am catagorizing the same meaning or making mind map and jot down the contex in my book are effective method for tackleing out of ordinary words. And normally I attempt to observe around the context that from time to time it might be useful for me. Moreover, the best way of working out unfamilar words is to use the Internet dictionary like Cambridge dictionary. The last but not least, I use those words when I remember using word as many possible as I can. Take care. Wisarut.
Hi Rachel...Thanks a lot for your great explanations and for sharing your everyday life with us. Owen is just a cute little kid and I perfectly understand what you mean when saying that you can't use the computer when Owen is around. I have to wait till my children (and my husband!)go to bed to sit at the computer! Talking about my husband, the other day I told him that you had told us that your husband likes sports very much, especially cricket and rugby and that he calls it "footy" and my husband says that it is a special kind of rugby. One that is played in Australia. Is he right? Is it a different kind of rugby from the one that is taking place as part of the world championship in France this days? As regards your question about ways to record the new vocab to which we come across, what I do is to write each new word on a card with the pronuntiation the meaning and some sentences to undertand how to use it in context (also with which prepositions it is used, etc) but let me tell you that the only way that I have found interesting or at least useful to learn new words is by making my own sentences and traying to use them as much as possible (but as I have a terrible memory there's no method that can help me remember words!!!) For you to have an idea I can't remember all the words from the homework you posted the first day... And now... the vocabulary for today! -watch this space! (informal expr) an expression used especially in newspapers to wait because things are going to develop further -get round to (phr vb) to finally do something that you have been intending to do for some time, but have not because you were too busy, too lazy, etc. -keep up with (phr vb) to continue doing something, or to make something continue -pick up on (phr vb) to noticfe something and react to it -cast a critical eye over (expr) to check or look at something -to be a bit picky (expr) someone who is picky only likes very particular things -set myself up (phr vb) to make the necessary arragements so that something can happen -takes over (phr vb) to take control of something -snooze (vb/ /n) to have a short sleep Bye Rachel, have a nice day!!!
Oops! I´ve had overseen your post correcting our homework Rachel! And I secondly had not read your post about the "unbirthday". Good idea and I liked much how you´ve organized that! Wonderful and he must have been glad and happy ! Phew! You´ve had a lot of luck with the kid! There´s an idiom saying that children tell the truth. How lucky that it didn´t come out...
Hello Rachel :-) Thanks a lot for your explanations on grammar problems. You give examples which is really good, as an explanation on its own isn't always enough to understand many grammar problems especially when the grammars (e.g. English and Polish) are very different foom each other, and they often are. As for recording the new vocab I reckon there are a lot of usefull ways to do it, I personally use a computer dictionary that I can edit freely. I've got thousands of words, phrases and grammar explanations in it. I try to put in it most of the explanations I have found on Teacher Blogger blogs. I hope I invade nobody rights. All best wishes.
Hello, Thank you for your nice posts. May I ask you to have a short description of the new words in each post. It think It will be more useful easier to learn.
Hi,Rachel I am very glad to meet you at this virtual digital community. It is a pleasure to read your blogs.Thank you for your clear explanations in grammar. kind regards
Hi Rachel, thank'u for your promisse about the replays to our questions, really I want to read about mine´s answer,I´ll be waitin' for that ;),I´m studiying English actually and the books that we used are from Cambridge system they´re really good but I need to lear more grammar I'm terrible with that but your blog helps a lot! Thanks:) Take care!!bye
Hi Rachel It's me again...the absent-minded who sent the comment without a name...Carolina Best regards!
Hi Rachel, Again Australians has shown their proficiency. They have outplayed India. Indian were champions two weeks back. Now you see their performance. Twenty 20 is totally different from one day game. Chris must be a happy man watching yesterday game. Except Yuvi none of the Indian players has showed there efficiency. Now they have to regroup and show their potential to defeat mighty Australians in the next couple of games. Is it wrong to use I have been waiting for three days, Or It was the third day I have been waiting in this situation.
I liked www.bbc.co.uk a lot. It has lots of useful info. This article is very professionally written. www.bbc.co.uk I will be back for sure.
Thanks for all your contributions. This blog has now closed and can no longer accept new comments.
