Wednesday, 28 August 2013
Sunday, 25 August 2013
Saturday, 24 August 2013
Forgetting and remembering
- I don't remember dancing with him.
- I can't remember her name.
- I'm afraid I've forgotten my book somewhere.
- I've forgotten how to use it!
- Sorry, I forgot to bring my records.
- I'm so forgetful of phone numbers!
- It has slipped my mind again!
- It's very important, don't you forget it!
- It's not a big deal, let's forget it!
- I can remember you very well.
- I remember telling him.
- I still remember the moment when she took me in her arms.
- I must remember to tell him about Jeremy and his girlfriend.
- As far as I can remember, the police station is next to the pharmacy.
- If I remember rightly, you were born in October, weren't you?
- If my memory serves me right, you used to go out with her when you were in high school.
- Don't let me forget it!
- It's on the tip of my tongue!
- Make me think of changing the sheets, please!
- This sportsman reminds me of my little cousin Anna.
- You know that we have that important meeting tomorrow. May I remind you to get up earlier?
- I'll never forget the day when I went to school for my first time.
- Don't bother, I still recall you.
- I still have his last words in mind.
- We must bear in mind that religion is essential to them.
http://www.englishlearningbox.com
Using the Passive
The
passive voice is often used to explain how things are done. But that’s
not all. If you want to be more diplomatic, choose the passive, too.
The passive voice is often used when people want to describe processes and procedures at work. Here, we look at some authentic examples of the passive voice being used.
1. Procedures: the “be”-passive
In this dialogue, Ann is training a new employee, Meg, and explaining how to handle invoices and other documentation.
The “be”-passive is used in a number of cases here because it is the procedure that is important, not who does it:
Meg: I wanna ask you about things I wasn’t sure about sorting bills of lading?
Ann: That comes with every order and it can be thrown away.
Meg: OK.
Ann: I don’t know if I explained this already or not, but the stuff that’s already been paid COD, which is indicated by that little green stub, is not that high of a priority to code and enter until around the end of the month, and if something has to be put off...
Meg: ...and we leave it for last.
Ann: That’s why GM and West Farm and Tree of Life, and some other miscellaneous pay things, are always at the back of the pile.
Meg: OK.
Ann: Because they’ve already been paid.
Meg: OK.
Ann: That’s the most important thing.
Meg: Right. So, the priority is... the things that still need to be paid.
2. The “get-passive” and “have something done”
Sometimes, we form the passive with “get” instead of “be”. This is more informal and used mainly in spoken language. Ann uses this variant when Meg shows her a document:
Ann: That’s for the Save the Earth stuff. It will eventually probably get thrown away, but if you haven’t come across a packing list for Save the Earth products, hang on to it.
Another construction is “to have something done”. This is
often used to talk about getting a supplier to do a job for you:
■ I had some envelopes made by J.G. Mark’s the other day, and it took a couple of weeks.
3. Explaining your services
If we want to emphasize who is doing something, we often prefer to use the active voice. In the next example, Ian, a representative from a paper supplier, uses “we” and an active verb to describe a production procedure. He wants to emphasize the services that his company provides:
Ian: So, what we’re doing is... we run the wheels until we’ve got enough paper made for you. And then we make, you know, a few hundred sheets extra, and then we just revert to stock sizes.
4. Being diplomatic
The passive is also commonly used when people want to be diplomatic and avoid blaming someone directly:
Maria: How come that wasn’t done much sooner?
Maria uses the passive (“How come that wasn’t done...?”) because the active would have sounded more aggressive (“How come you didn’t do that much sooner?”).
http://www.falibo.com
The passive voice is often used when people want to describe processes and procedures at work. Here, we look at some authentic examples of the passive voice being used.
1. Procedures: the “be”-passive
In this dialogue, Ann is training a new employee, Meg, and explaining how to handle invoices and other documentation.
The “be”-passive is used in a number of cases here because it is the procedure that is important, not who does it:
Meg: I wanna ask you about things I wasn’t sure about sorting bills of lading?
Ann: That comes with every order and it can be thrown away.
Meg: OK.
Ann: I don’t know if I explained this already or not, but the stuff that’s already been paid COD, which is indicated by that little green stub, is not that high of a priority to code and enter until around the end of the month, and if something has to be put off...
Meg: ...and we leave it for last.
Ann: That’s why GM and West Farm and Tree of Life, and some other miscellaneous pay things, are always at the back of the pile.
Meg: OK.
Ann: Because they’ve already been paid.
Meg: OK.
Ann: That’s the most important thing.
Meg: Right. So, the priority is... the things that still need to be paid.
2. The “get-passive” and “have something done”
Sometimes, we form the passive with “get” instead of “be”. This is more informal and used mainly in spoken language. Ann uses this variant when Meg shows her a document:
Ann: That’s for the Save the Earth stuff. It will eventually probably get thrown away, but if you haven’t come across a packing list for Save the Earth products, hang on to it.
Another construction is “to have something done”. This is
often used to talk about getting a supplier to do a job for you:
■ I had some envelopes made by J.G. Mark’s the other day, and it took a couple of weeks.
3. Explaining your services
If we want to emphasize who is doing something, we often prefer to use the active voice. In the next example, Ian, a representative from a paper supplier, uses “we” and an active verb to describe a production procedure. He wants to emphasize the services that his company provides:
Ian: So, what we’re doing is... we run the wheels until we’ve got enough paper made for you. And then we make, you know, a few hundred sheets extra, and then we just revert to stock sizes.
4. Being diplomatic
The passive is also commonly used when people want to be diplomatic and avoid blaming someone directly:
Maria: How come that wasn’t done much sooner?
Maria uses the passive (“How come that wasn’t done...?”) because the active would have sounded more aggressive (“How come you didn’t do that much sooner?”).
http://www.falibo.com
Apologizing
- I'm sorry.
- So sorry.
- I'm sorry to have broken it.
- I'm sorry but I've got to go now.
- I'm awfully sorry for what happened yesterday.
- I can't tell you how sorry I am!
- I'm terribly sorry for that mistake.
- Sorry for being late.
- I'm very sorry for telling you uncle that you were here.
- How stupid of me!
- Excuse me, I didn't mean it.
- Excuse my insisting, I didn't know he was listening.
- Excuse me for being so critical, but this is who I am.
- I thought I was doing right!
- I didn't do it on purpose!
- I do apologize.
- Please accept my apologies.
- I must apologize for not returning it on time.
- Pardon me!
- Pardon me for saying so.
- It's my fault!
- I am entirely to blame!
- Do forgive me for lying.
- It's unforgivable of me!
- I can only say once again how sorry I am!
- I hope you'll understand that I'm not fully responsible!
- I didn't mean it.
- I didn't do it on purpose.
- I didn't mean to vex him.
- I had no intention of shocking her.
- I didn't realize I was distrubing you.
- I'm not entirely responsible for it.
- I'm afraid I'm a bit early.
- I shouldn't be so strict.
- I know I shouldn't have insisted but that was very important for me.
- If I had known you didn't like flowers, I wouldn't have brought them.
http://www.englishlearningbox.com
Thanking someone / Responding to thanks
Thanking someone personally
- Thanks! / Thanks a lot.
- Thank you very much. / Thanks very much. / Thank you so much.
- Thanks for coming along.
- Thanks for spending time on this.
- I can't thank you enough.
- If there's anything that I can do for you, just let me know.
- You're a star!
- I don't know what I would have done without you.
- You're just so kind!
- It was very kind of you.
- I really appreciate your help.
- I really appreciate what you did for us.
- I owe you big time. (informal)
- Thanks a million. (informal)
- Not at all. (formal, UK)
- You're welcome!
- (It's) my pleasure!
- Don't mention it!
- It was the least I could do.
- That's OK.
- No problem.
- No sweat. (informal)
- Any time! (informal)
- It was nothing. (informal)
- That's alright. (informal)
- Thanks anyway.
- Thank you for (looking).
- Thanks for trying.
Wednesday, 21 August 2013
Saturday, 17 August 2013
Vocabulary : Cheer up!
http://www.falibo.com
Asking about a problem
- What's the matter?
- What's wrong?
- Is there anything wrong?
- Is there anything I can do?
- Can I help you in any way?
- What's up?
- Oh! it's nothing.
- It's nothing serious.
- Oh! it's just that ...
- I've just had some bad news.
- I've just found out that ...
- I've decided that ...
- I've just been told that ...
- Come one, it isn't that bad.
- It could be a lot worse.
- It isn't all that bad in the whole scheme of things.
- Come on, just look on the bright side, you could have ...
- Every cloud has a silver lining.
- Nothing lasts forever.
- There are plenty more fish in the sea.
- It's not all doom and gloom.
- Worse things happen at sea.
- Get over it! Just count your blessings.
- We've turned the corner.
- There's a light at the end of the tunnel.
- Things can only get better.
- It can't get any worse.
- I think we've been through the worst of it.
Different meanings of Get
Don't
underestimate the little word Get. It's a hard-working verb that is very
common in spoken English. There are many meanings and uses of this
versatile verb, as you can see from the examples listed on this page.
Receive
Did you get a present from your colleagues for your birthday?
Receive TV/radio
You can't get the BBC player TV programmes in Germany.
Receive a mark/grade
Guess what! I got an A in my physics test!
Contract an illness
She got a cold on the flight back from Australia.
Earn
A friend of my daughter got $8 an hour when she was working in a supermarket last summer.
Pay for
Wait a second! I'll get these drinks.
Fetch/Pick up
I have to get the children from school at half past three.
To be given a prison sentence
The two men got eight years for armed robbery.
Persuade
We couldn't get her to come to the cinema with us.
Pay someone else to do something
I need to get my eyes tested.
Start
We got talking when we were at Heathrow, waiting for a plane that had been delayed.
Have an opportunity
It's a real shame that we never get to have a quiet evening at home together.
Arrive somewhere
By the time we got to the centre of London, the shops had all closed.
Reach a point
It was really disappointing to lose after getting so far in the competition.
Travel by train/bus/taxi
Shall we get a taxi to the airport, or shall we take the train?
Enter
I can get on the bus at Bruntsfield Avenue, can't I?
Make something/someone move
I need to get this desk into the other room. Can you help me?
Prepare a meal
I must go home and get dinner for the children.
Answer a call
There's someone at the door. Can you get it?
Hit and harm
Look at my arm! A wasp got me!
Become
You'll soon get bored with your new job.
Make somebody become ...
Don't get grandma confused!
Understand
He's always telling jokes, but I never get them.
Misunderstand
You got me wrong! I said I'd pick you up at 6.30, not 7.30.
Annoy
What really gets me is having to work on Saturday.
Draw attention to something
Get this! The capital of California is Sacramento, not Los Angeles or San Francisco.
Receive
Did you get a present from your colleagues for your birthday?
Receive TV/radio
You can't get the BBC player TV programmes in Germany.
Receive a mark/grade
Guess what! I got an A in my physics test!
Contract an illness
She got a cold on the flight back from Australia.
Earn
A friend of my daughter got $8 an hour when she was working in a supermarket last summer.
Pay for
Wait a second! I'll get these drinks.
Fetch/Pick up
I have to get the children from school at half past three.
To be given a prison sentence
The two men got eight years for armed robbery.
Persuade
We couldn't get her to come to the cinema with us.
Pay someone else to do something
I need to get my eyes tested.
Start
We got talking when we were at Heathrow, waiting for a plane that had been delayed.
Have an opportunity
It's a real shame that we never get to have a quiet evening at home together.
Arrive somewhere
By the time we got to the centre of London, the shops had all closed.
Reach a point
It was really disappointing to lose after getting so far in the competition.
Travel by train/bus/taxi
Shall we get a taxi to the airport, or shall we take the train?
Enter
I can get on the bus at Bruntsfield Avenue, can't I?
Make something/someone move
I need to get this desk into the other room. Can you help me?
Prepare a meal
I must go home and get dinner for the children.
Answer a call
There's someone at the door. Can you get it?
Hit and harm
Look at my arm! A wasp got me!
Become
You'll soon get bored with your new job.
Make somebody become ...
Don't get grandma confused!
Understand
He's always telling jokes, but I never get them.
Misunderstand
You got me wrong! I said I'd pick you up at 6.30, not 7.30.
Annoy
What really gets me is having to work on Saturday.
Draw attention to something
Get this! The capital of California is Sacramento, not Los Angeles or San Francisco.
Countable and uncountable nouns to talk about food
Learn to talk about what you like to eat in English. In this beginner English lesson you will hear people using countable and uncountable nouns to talk about food. You will see the difference between words that can be counted (an apple, two apples, some apples) and words that cannot be counted (some milk, a glass of milk).
Third Conditional
We use If + Past perfect + Would have + Past participle to talk hypothetically about things that went unreal and had imaginary results.
- If I had kept that job, I wouldn't have spent some time with my family.
- If I hadn't come to Italy, I wouldn't have met you, baby !
- If I had finished my report yesterday, I wouldn't have been here today.
We can use might have or could have instead of "would have", if we want to indicate possibility.
- If Emily had studied harder, she might have passed all her exams.
- If I had seen her, I could have asked her out.
- If I had kept that job, I wouldn't have spent some time with my family.
- If I hadn't come to Italy, I wouldn't have met you, baby !
- If I had finished my report yesterday, I wouldn't have been here today.
We can use might have or could have instead of "would have", if we want to indicate possibility.
- If Emily had studied harder, she might have passed all her exams.
- If I had seen her, I could have asked her out.
Monday, 12 August 2013
Sunday, 4 August 2013
Phonemic Charts
This is the new British Council phonemic chart. Help your students hear the sounds of English by clicking on the symbols below. Click on the top right hand corner of each symbol to hear sample words including the sounds.
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/activities/phonemic-chart
English Phonemes, Spellings, Example Words, and Meaningful Names
Borrowed freely from Open Court materials and AU lesson designs| Phoneme | Spelling(s) and Example Words | Meaningful Names |
| /A/ | a (table), a_e (bake), ai (train), ay (say) | Long A; Fonzie's greeting |
| /a/ | a (flat) | Crying baby; baby lamb; home alone |
| /b/ | b (ball) | Beating heart; drum; basketball |
| /k/ | c (cake), k (key), ck (back) | Nutcracker; golf shot; camera, chopping with an ax; walking on gravel |
| /d/ | d (door) | Knocking; dribbling ball; drum; dinosaur |
| /E/ | e (me), ee (feet), ea (leap), y (baby) | Long E; shriek |
| /e/ | e (pet), ea (head) | Rocking chair; creaky door; hard of hearing |
| /f/ | f (fix), ph (phone) | Angry cat; clothes brush; electric fan; soda fizz |
| /g/ | g (gas) | Croaking frog, gulping soda |
| /h/ | h (hot) | Out of breath; warm breath; tired dog |
| /I/ | i (I), i_e (bite), igh (light), y (sky) | Long I; "Aye, aye, Captain" |
| /i/ | i (sit) | Crying puppy; icky sticky; baby pig |
| /j/ | j (jet), dge (edge), g[e, i, y] (gem) | Scrub brush; wood rasp; jump rope |
| /l/ | l (lamp) | Flying saucer; mixer; lapping water |
| /m/ | m (my) | Mm-m-m; hummingbird |
| /n/ | n (no), kn (knock) | Mosquito; motorboat |
| /O/ | o (okay), o_e (bone), oa (soap), ow (low) | Long O; Oh, I see |
| /o/ | o (hot) | Say ah; doctor sound; cool drink; yawn |
| /p/ | p (pie) | Popcorn; water drip; skipping stone; soap bubbles |
| /kw/ | qu (quick) | Coffee pot; typewriter; quacking duck |
| /r/ | r (road), wr (wrong) | Chain saw; angry lion; robot; growling dog |
| /s/ | s (say), c[e, i, y] (cent) | Snake; leaky ball; hair spray; sizzling bacon |
| /t/ | t (time) | Ticking clock; timer; automatic sprinkler |
| /U/ | u (future), u_e (use), ew (few) | Long U |
| /u/ | u (thumb), a (about), e (loaded), o (wagon) | I dunno; mother bear; punch in the stomach; foghorn |
| /v/ | v (voice) | Electric shaver; airplane; vacuum |
| /w/ | w (wash) | Lariat; fly rod; washing machine; helicopter |
| /ks/ or /gz/ | x (box, exam) | Pop top soda can; grease gun |
| /y/ | y (yes) | Sticky mess |
| /z/ | z (zoo), s (nose) | Buzzing bee; arc welder; zipper |
| /OO/ | oo (boot), u (truth), u_e (rude), ew (chew) | Ghost; howling wolf; owl |
| /oo/ | oo (book), u (put) | Lifting weights; chin-up bar |
| /oi/ | oi (soil), oy (toy) | Seal; squeaky gate; spring |
| /ou/ | ou (out), ow (cow) | Inoculation; sting; pinch |
| /aw/ | aw (saw), au (caught), a[l] (tall) | Poor thing; crow |
| /ar/ | ar (car) | Spinning tire; grinding gears; gargle; pirate |
| /sh/ | sh (ship), ti (nation), ci (special) | Be quiet; watering the lawn; rain |
| /hw/ | wh (white) | Blow out the candle |
| /ch/ | ch (chest), tch (catch) | Old train; antique car; chipmunk |
| /th/ or /th/ | th (thick, this) | Peeling tape; angry goose; wet shoes |
| /ng/ | ng (sing), n (think) | Gong; string bass |
| /zh/ | s (measure) | Sawing wood; sander |
| /er/ |
er (her), ir (sir), ur (fur) |
Chain saw; angry lion; robot; growling dog |
The phonemic chart contains all 44 sounds that make up words in spoken English. It's very useful for studying English pronunciation, as it's the one used by most dictionaries, but there's no easy way of writing in phonemic "font" in most software. You can use this chart to type in phonemic symbols for use in documents, teaching materials and websites.
http://www.phonemicchart.com/
Click on the symbols to insert them into the text field in your desired order, then copy and paste them into Microsoft Word or any other software that supports Unicode fonts. Be sure to select the right font in your software: usually Gentium, Arial Unicode MS or Lucida Sans Unicode.
Phonemic_flash_cards.pdf
Thursday, 1 August 2013
English Verbs (Conjugation)
www.vocabulix.com/conjugation/English-Verbs.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_verbs
http://www.englishpage.com (Verb Tence Tutorial)
http://conjugator.reverso.net/conjugation-english.html
http://www.verbix.com/languages/english. (Verb conjugation on-line)
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs
http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/irregular-verbs/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_verbs
http://www.englishpage.com (Verb Tence Tutorial)
http://conjugator.reverso.net/conjugation-english.html
http://www.verbix.com/languages/english. (Verb conjugation on-line)
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs
http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/irregular-verbs/
Oxford English File workweb
Oxford English File workweb
Learn more English here with interactive exercises, useful downloads, games, and weblinks. Practise your grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, listening, and reading, and have some fun too. Select your edition and level below:
Oxford English File workweb
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