A Sunny Saturday Morning
Hi everyone!
I’m sitting here on a sunny Saturday morning in our office with the double doors open onto the veranda and I can hear the song of a variety of birds. Isabel is playing with her grandparents in the living room and Pankaj is making me a proper coffee. All is right with the world. :) Where are you sitting? What are you doing? Whatever and wherever it is I hope you are feeling as content as I am.
Hyoshil, I long for a bit of ‘sharp and nippy’ weather but right now I have to say, it is pretty perfect. No doubt it will get a bit sticky later in the day. 
This morning, the coconut fella came and cut the ripe coconuts for us. Here are some pics of him and Isabel enchanted by the whole experience. The coconut water was pretty delicious too. Pankaj eats the 'millai' as well - the creme/milk from the flesh. What an idyllic morning!
Olfa, first of all, let me tell you that your use of English is really rather sophisticated. Here are some lovely examples of your ability to use complex constructions and natural English:
• … not to have seen the atrocities of war
• to my mind
• not only to…….. but also to …………
• I have to deal simultaneously with
• To answer your question
• just astonished (just + adjective is a nice construction to emphasise the extent of the feeling; we often put extra stress on just for this purpose)
What I would like you to focus on for next time (and maybe the other bloggers can help you out here) are the following chunks – what do they have in common? What is wrong with them and how can you rephrase them to make them accurate?
• one of the many day-off
• a 4 days-off
• this 4 days
• a well-prepared workers who knows
• until my fifteen years
For the poppy story, go to the link I sent you in the November 11 blog – it is explained on the BBC News site.
Unfortunately, you are right Paulraj, people have become used to living in war torn areas. Notice the correction I have made to your sentence here and see the grammar notes below.
Marianna, you write very visually. I think you would make a good film director or script writer. Mukta, it is interesting to hear how silence seems to be used in lots of countries as a sign of respect and to aid our memory and reflection process. Mukta, I will talk about my ‘love story’ in another blog.
Answers to vocabulary from November 11th blog
Vocabulary
Contextualised – put into context
Pay our respects – show signs of respect
Tribute – words/gift/other expression to acknowledge (note as with respect, tribute collocates with ‘pay’)
Armistice – truce/suspension of hostilities
Poppy – large red flower, cornfield plant
Grind to a halt – come to a complete stop
War-weary – tired of war and its effects
Grammar
Well done to you all for noticing all the expressions with used to in my blog and well done to those of you who constructed sentences of your own using the grammar. Tiasha, you did pretty well but there’s one correction: we cannot use ‘used to’ for past states/habits followed by the gerund. If we want to use it followed by the gerund, we need to use it with the verb ‘be’. See below for details. Ana Paula, well spotted! I didn’t use the auxiliary verb with the question ‘used to misusing used to? Because I used that question and following statement as a sort of sub title for the next part of my blog and as such it is not necessary to use the auxiliary. We also miss out auxiliary verbs in headlines in newspapers etc. It is a way of making the language stand out and catch the readers’ attention.
Here is a little summary of the form, meaning and pronunciation:
Used /t/ to+bare infinitive – is used /d/ to talk about a past habit; can also use would+bare infinitive/past simple to express the same idea.
Did+not+use+to+bare infinitive*(*Note, no 'd' in the negative form)
For example
I didn't use to go to bed so early.
Did+subject+use+to+bare infinitive* (*note here there is no ‘d’ on use in the q-form – easy to make a mistake with this)
For example
Did you use to observe 2 minutes' silence for Remembrance Day when you were at school?
For example:• I used to play badminton (but now I don’t)
• I would play badminton every day when I lived in Vietnam (I don’t play every day now)
• I played badminton a lot when I was younger (I don’t now that I’m older)
Be used to+ verb+ing (be accustomed to doing something – because you have done it many times)
For example:
• Maoine says in Italy “We are used to celebrating their memory on the 4th of November”.
• Isabel is used to going to play school now.
• I am not used to Sri Lankan food yet.
• Are you use to playing a lot of sport? I’m not.
Get used to+verb+ing (be in the process of becoming used to doing something)
For example:
• I’m getting used to blogging.
• I’ve got used to having my in-laws around and will feel sad when they go.
• I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the level of humidity in the monsoon season in Sri Lanka.
Notice how here I have used a variety of tenses with this structure. I recommend you do the same. Don’t think you have to use a particular expression with only one tense.
Well, what was going to be a short one turned into a bit of a mammoth blog! – hope you manage to digest all that grammar! See you next time. Off to help my in-laws with their leaving preparations now and I've got to get lunch on the go.
Olfa - please, please send us some pics of your life in Paris now that you have got used to blogging!
Helen
Comments
hi Helen evry otherday I go english classes.I read your post as possible as I can.it helps me to improve my english knowledge. i used to do exercise and nowadays i used to watch t.v series that name s Lost. your posts are so useful for me ,good luck.
Hi Helen! Today is being a very hot and stuffy day here. Although the forescast has announced that we would have some thunderstorms during the afternoon, the reddish-orange horizont is out there denying this prediction. I´m missing the cold weather already. Well, all your pics are really lovely. Coconut water in this hot days is like a blesssing... it´s so refreshing, isn´t it? Anyway, thanks for your grammar explanations about used to. Let me have a go at the homework: one of the many days-off; a 4 day-off; these 4 days; well-prepared workers who know; until my fifteen years old. Enjoy your weekend, Ana Paula.
Hi helen,you ask what we are doing on Sunday morning and my answer is always the same;"cooking a large mealfor all the family.Sometimes it is a pleasure,other times it is tiresome. About grammar I believe that all the sentences contain a grammar mistake,I would rephrase them in such a way;ome of the many days off. A four day off. These four days WEll prepared workers who know Until I am 15 or until my fifeenth year.bye bye for now Maione
Hi Helen! Even though I've been following this BBC blog for only like 3 months or so, I have to tell you, I find your blogging the most interesting so far, and also the most beneficial in terms of teaching English for those who're really keen to learn. Believe me, you're doing a great stuff, just carry on best wishes
Hi Helen, I have noticed the mistake, leaving out the ing form in the sentence and wrongly used infinitive. The people have become used to living war torn areas. In this sentence people have become accustom to do so, not in the past action. Thanks for the correction. I have read in the daily yesterday, the Sri Lankan army captured main bastion of LTTE. There were lots of protests from Tamil leaders in India recent times against the military action. Mr. Kurunanithi, chief minister of Tamil Nadu wants both Sri Lankan Govt and LTTE announce truce and come to the negotiation table through third party mediation. But Mr.Rajapaksa, president wants the LTTE should lay down their arms. I used to attend the protest rally and fasting for the sake of Sri Lankan Tamil cause in the eighties. Since Rajiv Gandhi assassination the LTTE has lost the support of many Tamilians in India. Any how the problem should be settled down through negotiation. The civilians should not suffer on the hands of army.
Hi,Helen What a different world we live in! I mean weather-wise. I used to live in a similar climate like you before I settled in England. It is extremely scorching and humid in mid-summer in Korea. That is funny you said you long for ‘sharp and nippy’ weather because I yearn for the heat a lot. I don’t think I will ever get used to ‘wet and damp ’during long winters in England. On the other hand, I am used to driving on the opposite side. To talk of sport, I am a health freak and pretty fit. I love going out for walks, playing badminton, riding a bicycle and swimming. I’ve never been to any proper stadium to watch a football or tennis match. I really want to take up golf, but it costs an arm and a leg here. I love watching Formula One on Sundays. Some of my friends say that the sport is so boring and lethargic because it just goes round and round on circuits for a couple of hours, but I think it demands tremendous focus, health and skill. It is nail-biting and exciting for me to watch when a driver tries to overtake other cars. Helen, I believe when mums are healthy and happy their children get the best of care and you certainly look the part. Take carexx
Hi Helen, Hope you're fine. I'm Mahjabeen from Pakistan. This is the first time i'm writing to your blog. I like the view from your window it looks cool. However, i've noticed that you're a bit fimilar with the hindi words like' allo ky parathy' and 'mallai' its good to know that-:). In urdu we use the same words. We've few coconut trees in our garden and it produces bunch of coconuts. When the coconuts riped coconut fella do the same job like the one your did. Srilanka is popular for coconut trees because basically its an island. We're waiting for your next post with bated breadth. See you, Mahjabeen
Dear Helen! I took a day off from work on Friday to change the car tyres as winter is aproaching here. Imagine me twice a year come into the bussines full of men, I really dislike the procedure. Another one is to visit the bank - EURos will come to my country on the 1st January. Being only fifty I can´t yet remember how many times we had to change the currency. Monday, 17th we celebrated as the day of coming freedom and democracy in to this country from the year 1989. So, eventualy I came to read lots of interesting things in your blogs. And, I´ve read in astonishment your notice! From only such short comments, I just don´t know what to say on such praise. Actually, on Saturday, painters from this region should bring their works for annual exhibition which is the competition at the same time. I didn´t give my works again, I am more interested in the process itself, painting, than to collect or strive for appreciation on the given conditions. At the end, to my shame, I have to tell the truth that all I did last off days was pondering about matter of paintings and any time about my English studies. I turned into a mamoth comment too. All the best!
There's a typo in your grammar section you might want to correct - you wrote"Are you use to playing a lot of sport? I’m not". Should be "used" of course...
Dear Helen ! HOw are you? Its me Linz from Nepal. I am student of English though i am poor in English. I am trying to improve even its not being. I don't have much more time to ply in net with BBClearining.center. I have gone through your blog. I like it very much. But i didn't write like your. Take care.
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