Not quite such a beautiful day here
Hi, Silvia, and hi, everyone.
Not quite such a beautiful day here in the north of Poland, unfortunately - it's cold, wet, overcast and generally pretty miserable, in fact. Mind you, I suppose we should be grateful that it's still so mild for the time of year.
I've just made myself some tea, put some good music on and settled into my blogger's chair. Well, perhaps I shouldn't really say "settled" ..... it doesn't quite feel comfortable yet, because this is all new to me - I'm a bit of a fossil when comes to making use of modern technology. (I'm probably a bit of a fossil in other ways as well, but that's enough for now!)
Thanks for telling us about yourself and where you live. I know Alicante, and I think Elche is the place with the underground railway station between Alicante and Murcia. Is that right?
I like the expression “el quinto pino” for “the back of beyond”. I think it's literally "the fifth pine tree" - right? The place where I live is a bit like that, or perhaps more like "the end of the road". It's a place called Łeba on the Polish coast. You can't go any further north without ending up in the Baltic Sea, and there's no road directly along the coast to the east or west, either. Like you, we've got miles and miles of beaches; in fact, most of the Polish coast consists of beaches of very fine white sand, with sand dunes behind in lots of places. And Łeba is renowned for its dunes, which rise to about 45 metres above sea level. They move, too, about 10 metres per year. And on the lower slopes, as well as elsewhere on the sandy soil of the area, there are plenty of pine trees. (No palms, though!) So I think we could probably import the expression 'the fifth pine tree'. You can see from this introduction to Łeba that it's got quite a lot in common with Elche. But of course there are significant differences, too. Łeba's population is only about 4000, except during July and August, when it swells to 70,000. (So I've been told - I haven't tried to count them all.) And the climate's rather different, as you'd expect. I've lived here for about 12 years, with my wife, who's Polish. Oh, I suppose I should have said that I'm English, shouldn't I?
Turning to more strictly language-related matters .....
Don't say "sorry" for your mistakes - especially not before you've made them! Mistakes are an essential part of the process of learning and improving, so make them, have fun with them and learn from them! Anyway, you don't seem to make many, and I think you're being extremely modest when you say that you're a non-English speaker and that writing skills are your weak point.
There are just a couple of things that might be worth looking at.
You wrote: "At first I thought I’d never been able to achieve it" - I think that's probably just a typo, isn't it? Can you see what's wrong there?
"..... a brief introduction about my hometown" What should the preposition after 'introduction' be? (You can find the answer in this blog!)
You wrote: "I appreciate that anyone correct me if I’m wrong." The verb appreciate has various meanings and various different structures associated with it.
You can use appreciate that ..... to mean that you understand the significance or importance of something:
You don't seem to appreciate that we're running out of time.
We all appreciate that this has been a difficult time for you.
You can use appreciate + object + -ing to say that you're grateful for something that has happened, or something that happens generally:
I don't think there's anything you can do to help, but I appreciate you asking, all the same.
Help me if you can, I'm feeling down / And I do appreciate you being round (The Beatles: Help!)
So you could say 'I appreciate people correcting me if I'm wrong'. (Or you could use a passive: 'I appreciate being corrected when I'm wrong.')
If you're thinking of the future, and saying that you'd be grateful for something, you can use
would appreciate it if + subject + would/could + infinitive, or appreciate it if + subject + past tense:
We'd really appreciate it if you could stay a bit longer.
I'd appreciate it if you didn't leave your books lying all over the place.
So you could say: I'd appreciate it if somebody would/could correct me if I'm wrong,
If you wanted to ask someone to help you with your research, you could of course say something like 'Could you help me with my research, please'. How could you ask using these expressions:
I'd appreciate .....
I'd like .....
I hope .....
I wish you
I'd be grateful .....
Lastly, for today, instead of "my project’s research", it would be better to write:
my project research
or: the research for my project.
'Project research' is a compound noun like project manager, project appraisal project development, etc.
And now, my next project involves heading for the kitchen for something to eat .....
Bye for now, everyone.
Comments
Hello Teacher Jonathan and welcome. It would be great to be able to know about Poland over the next month. Your name reminds me of a great writer Jonathan Swift, famously known for 'Gulliver's Travels'there are many, though. This is just a first day that you think your are a bit of a fossil, but soon you will get used to it and will enjoy yourself very much. Naheed
Hello and nice too meet you Jonathan! I hope you have a great time as our teacher blogger. I´m sure we´ll learn a lot from you :-). Leba seems to be a beautiful place. I really like to read about the Leba´s dunes. By the way, do you have any picture of them? If so, could you please show us? Hmm... I´ll have a go at the homework: At first I thought I have never been able to achieve it". "..... a brief introduction to my hometown". I'd appreciate if you could help me with my research; I'd like that you help me with my research; I hope you help me with my research; I wish you could help me with my research; I'd be grateful if you could help me with my research. Well, I´m looking forward to seeing the answers in your next blog. Oh, won´t you please, please help me, help me, oh! :-). Good night Jonathan, see you tomorrow, Ana Paula.
Hello, Jonathan! I only catch two last columns of the previous teacher, Rachel, as the teacher was changed. Of course, it is not fault of me or BBC team, it is just happened. I am looking a little confused now. I am only joined to the students’ team and I would like to improve my writing English, so it will be nice to me to continue to write on this site. OK, I like your first column. It is seemed that you have read all previous teachers columns and comments of students with attention. I understand you would like to be a real blogger and English teacher simultaneously. I like this way of writing. And your grammar commentary was very useful to me because I have very chaotic idea about English grammar. So happened that I studied English myself a little more than one year, after one year with teacher; but we do not have learned enough grammars rules because it was the course which has been prepared for FCE exam. I had to learn all grammar myself! Do you understand what a mess in my head is now? So I would be happy to hear any grammars’ explanation. And of course I would like to know about you a little more. Do you like to live in Poland? It seemed a little mysterious because very much polish people prefer to live and work in England and Ireland. It is more usually that a wife from Poland tries to move to England, not the wrong way. How you find yourself in Poland?
Hi Teacher! Nice to meet you sir, thanks for the first post which is so nice as it is brief and had a lot of learning material. We would really appreciate it if you could tell us about Poland, its history and culture in your future posts. "In the beginning, I thought I’d never be able to achieve this" "..... a brief introduction of my hometown" Thanks for the usage guidelines about ‘appreciate that’ and ‘appreciate it if’, you explain with simplicity and clarity and I enjoy it. 'Could you help me with my research, please'. I'd appreciate ..... it if you help me in my research project. I'd like ..... to ask for your help for my research. I hope ..... you will extend your efforts for the completion of my research project. I wish you … to help in your research project. I'd be grateful ..... if you help me in the completion of my research. I’d be happy to hear from your dear teacher.
Hello Jonathan! Welcome to the teacher blog! Leba (I can't type L exactly the way you did) sounds fab! I really like dunes. We have some in Vietnam. They are great! Would you mind posting its photo? We enjoy sliding down from the top by lying or sitting on a board. It's fun and exciting. Have you done it there? Now, to the language-related matters: 1/ The sentence should be 'At first I thought I'd never be able to achieve it. 2/ Introduction + to ... 3/3.1)I'd appreciate it if you could help me with my research. 3.2)I'd like you to help me with my research. 3.3)I hope you will help me with my research. 3.4) I wish you could help me with my research. 3.5)I'd be grateful to you for helping me with my research. That's for now. I'd appreciate it if you could tell me if there is a difference between would and could being used in this structure. All the best, Myen
Hi Jonathan, nice to meet you, Mr. Jonathan Marks seems to have a dry sense a humor! I am referring to your comment about the number of tourists in your neighborhood, you mentioned that you hadn´t count them all. Here in Finland we use statistics! It appears that the month of December is going to be enjoyable, such a good work pair Silvia and Jonathan seem to be. I am sure we will all do our best to make your days busy. Warm regards to Poland.
Hi Jonathan, glad to have you as new virtual teacher, but more than virtual I would say “teleteacher”. Very interesting the explanation referring to the expression “appreciate”. I must admit that I am going to read it twice or more to retain and try to use it correctly. Looking forward to hearing about your life in Poland. I have some Polish friends but they live in slightly smaller latitudes. I’ve had a look to Google map to see exactly where was your “quinto pino”. Antonio
Hello Jonathan, I am Lina From Colombia, I am a new student at this web site, and I found very interested your comment. I would like to know how does it work, what am I supposed to write in order to begin using the teachers blogs. Thanks for everything and please forgive me for my mistakes. Cheers!!!
Hi Jonathan! it's nice to hear that you live now in Poland, the weather wasn't amiable in the last dayes indeet; but we are starting such severe seson now, and unfortunatly it's going to be worse... But when it will be the froze and snow, despite that there will be cold, there will be beaty outside, the frost on trees, etc. There in Łeba, you have awful winds, and wet air, which are not enduraple for everyone. Once again it very nice to meet you here on blog, I hope read you soon, regards from Bialystok (one of the coldest cities of Poland)
Hello everyone:) I am so pleased that I've came across this site and this blogger. I am from Poland too. I live near Lodz, if you know. I will visit you as often as I could. Have a nice evening and Monday... Bye.
A very beautiful day today here in Russia! :) Hello, Jonathan, and welcome! Do you like your tea white or black? If you are English, then the former is the answer. And if you are English, then the last thing you are supposed to do is to complain about the weather in Poland! We need proof of your English origin. A photo of you as a baby taken in front of your family's house will do. Sincerely, Ana
Hi there , Nice to meet you here !please accept my warm welcome to here and Hope to have wonderful two months , please send my hello to your better half too .Have a nice day and bye
Nice to meet you Jonathan. I think this month would be good with you and Silvia. Where are you from? and Why are you living in Leba?. I'd like to know more about Poland traditions. Best wishes
Dear Jonathan, You are welcomed as a new teacher for all of us. I hope we will be able learn more about English language along with cultures of Poland. I am from Nepal country known for Mount Everest. As you posted in your blog, I have same opinion in learning anything that is one can learn from his mistake. Certainly, I am trying to learn English in better way than before because I not sure how much I can recapitulate English I learned during my school days. My descriptive power wasn’t good during those days and I secured average mark in my high school. Nowadays I realize that I have not put my full effort to learn this international language and regret for that. When blog friends talk about English novels and English movies, I am at the disadvantage. Nowadays I have very little free time to read novels and even I try to read anything, my children use to ask me why I am reading books in stead sharing my times with them. My answer is simple to them, I am reading nowadays to teach them. Unless and until I read, I will not be able to answer and guide them in their studies. So, I humbly request you to point out my mistake also and expect good suggestions from your side.
Hi, It's nice to hear that you live in Poland, me to... I will be able to check if you will be write true about us (I'm jokking!). I hope that from time to time I'll drop a line...Keep warm! Majka
Hello Jonathan Leba sounds like an interesting place to visit. I'v been always curious about what is in the end of a road. You have made me remember an english teacher I had at school. She loves The Beatles and often use parts of their songs as examples in her lessons. I think this is a very good way to teach, since a song is easier to keep in mind than a gramatical pattern, at least for me. Bye.
Hello Jonathan, nice to meet you. I´m a new blogger.I meet one time in a blog. I don´t know Traditions, cities and landscapes from Polonia. I am going glad that you explain about your country. I thin Wil be interesting. Wellcome ¡¡
I've printed your blogs out and checked my answers and i have found that I misunderstood last your question.So I would love to rewrite it again.5)I don't want to pry,but...or I don't want to be nosy,but... have a good day!
Hi Jonathan, Nice to know about you and your place Poland, wish I could visit hmmm. and espeically beaches I love to be at beaches, I am Mary from India belongs to a city Called Bangalore, located at Karnataka state. I was facinated about bloggers, while I was watching my colleague reading this. Its very interesting to know about different people from all over the world. India is mix of all climates,cultures etc.. I am keralite ( belongs to kerala, state of India) and native language is Malayalam. But my parents were born and brought up in Kerala and settled in Bangalore for almost 40years. I am working for a call centre and the work time 5am - 2pm, as I had some time in the morning I thought to write few words about Bangalore. Bangalore is a tropical city and its a metro city having people from all over the country. Its famous festivals are Dashura, Deepavali, Ganesh Chatrudi, Onam, Pongal etc. and its one of the booming IT city in India. It was called Garden city as it was filled with greenery. Now it is named as Bengaluru and it also got famous two parks called cubbon park and Lal Bagh.Hmmm, I think its time to get back to my work. Will write more and would like to know more about Poland. Wish you very Happy X'mas and Happy New Year. Mary
Hello Jonathan!!! Now i am living in Czech. i hope Czech and Poland are similar. maybe not. I have been trying to learn English for 2 years. Unfortunately, not really much success. So i am sending you my homework. I'd appreciate it if you would help me with my research I'd like ask about help me with my research I hope that you will help me with my research I wish you help me with my research I'd be grateful if you help me with my research Also, I would be grateful if you teach about usage differences between as and like.
Hello, nice to meet you, Jonathan. I'm very pleased to have just found this blog on the BBC website. Now it's quite late to read it over, but I'll do it as soon as I could. Greetings. :)
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