Indirect Questions

There’s more than one way to ask a question. An indirect question is a polite way of asking a question by adding another question to it.

After the question words (when, where, who, how, etc.), indirect questions have the same word order as positive statements; they do not need a change in word order in the main question.

Example:
Where is the nearest bank please? (direct question)

To make it more polite, we can add an introductory phrase, such as, “Could you tell me…?” before the direct question. Now we have an indirect question,“Could you tell me where the nearest bank is, please?”

Note that the second part of the sentence is no longer in question form (direct question).

Here are some introductory phrases you can use in indirect questions:
• Could you tell me…
• Do you know…
• I was wondering if you…
• May I ask…
• Would you mind telling me…
• Do you happen to know…
• Do you have any idea…

Let’s practice!
You don’t know the cost for two-one way tickets to Surabaya. You ask your friend how much for them. Use one of the introductory phrases mentioned above.


OMITTING "IF"

“If” is commonly used to introduce a conditional clause. “If” can be omitted from a conditional clause to shorten the sentence and place more emphasis on the result clause.

Example:

If I were you, I would accept that job offer in Chicago.

Remember, “if I were you” phrase is also used to give advice, but in this case, on a hypothetical situation.

Hypothetically speaking, I would accept that job offer in Chicago if I were you, but hey, I’m not you! So, if you want to omit the “if” from the sentence, don’t forget to inverse the auxiliary and the subject; swap their position.

Were I you, I would accept that job offer in Chicago.

If you should need my advice, I would gladly help you.

Inverse the auxiliary: should and the subject: you – swap their position. “Should” is also used to mean “in case”.

Should you need my advice, I would gladly help you.

Alright, that’s it for today’s lesson. If you still don’t understand this article about “if omission”, feel free to ask me a question. I know what you’re thinking … No, you cannot omit the “if” from that sentence. :) You can only omit the “if” when the sentence uses had, were, or should.

Hanged vs Hung

Both ‘hanged’ and ‘hung’ are intransitive verbs; that means they need an object. These words are one of the most confusing words to ESL students. They often mix up the two words. I hope after reading my explanation about these two confusing words, you won’t be confused anymore.

HANGED is the simple past and past perfect form of the verb ‘hang’.

hang – hanged – hanged – hanging

Definition: Kill by hanging

Example:

The murderer was hanged on Friday.

HUNG is the simple past and past perfect form of the verb ‘hang’.

hang – hung – hung – hanging

Definition: Be suspended or hanging

Example:

I hung the clock on the wall.

Often you’ll see ‘hung’ is used for suicide, eg.: “He hung himself”, but as seen above, ‘hanged’ is used for executions. However, if you’re not discussing about death, you probably want to use ‘hung’, eg.: “She hung her clothes”, “I hung up on him” (NOT “I hanged up on him”).

Fill in the blanks with HANGED or HUNG.

1. Ted _____ the modern painting in his living room.

2. Yesterday I _____ wet towel on the clothes line to dry.

3. He was _____ for murder town years ago.

4. Last Saturday I saw the film about a person who was _____.

5. The white jacket which _____ on the red chair belonged to your mother.

6. The book is about a woman who _____ herself in her cell.

7. Don’t hang your pictures too high. They should be _____ at eye level.

8. They _____ him in the main square in the 1869s.

9. I _____ my son’s pictures above my bed.

10. They _____ 20 people in the village 100 years ago.

Answers: 1. hung, 2. hung, 3. hanged, 4. hanged, 5. hung, 6. hanged, 7. hung, 8. hanged, 9. hung, 10. hanged

“Is Closed” or “Is Close”?? “Is Opened” or “Is Open”?? – What’s the difference?

The word CLOSED can be a verb, an adjective, and also an adverb. Consider the following sentences:

1. The door is closed.

“is closed” indicates a state of being (closed is functioned as an adjective) — The door is not open; the door is shut.

2. The door is close.

“is close” indicates location — The door is nearby; the door is not far from here.

3. She has closed the door.

“has closed” indicates the use of present perfect tense in the sentence; “closed” is the past perfect of the verb close.

4. The door was closed by her.

“was closed” indicates the passive voice.

Active : She closed the door.

Passive: The door was closed by her.

5. They hid behind closed door.

“closed door” is a noun phrase; “closed” is served as an adjective modifying the noun “door”.

The word OPEN can be a verb and also an adjective. Take a look at the following sentences:

1. The door is open.

“is open” indicates an open state; the door is not closed (open is functioned as an adjective).

2. The door is opened automatically.

“is opened automatically” indicates the process of opening the door; it is a passive voice. (Opened is the past participle of the verb open)


Phrasal verbs with OFF, UP, and DOWN

The combination of verb with a preposition is called a phrasal verb. A phrasal verb can be formed by a combination of a verb and a preposition, a verb and an adverb, or a verb with both an adverb and a preposition. We call the preposition and adverb following the verb as particles.

The particles "up", "off" and "down" with some verbs have certain meaning in phrasal verbs.
For example, cut up, burn up, chop up, tear up, eat up, clean up, etc., the particle "up" suggests an action which is complete. Thus, to burn up is to burn something completely. To cut up is to cut something completely into small pieces.

The particle "down" in cut down, burn down, means to bring something to ground level. So, to cut the tree down is to cut the tree to the ground. When you say the house was burned down, it means the house was burned to the ground; the house was no longer standing.

The particle "off" in cut off, bite off, tear off, break off, chew off, means to remove a piece or a section of something by cutting, tearing, breaking, etc.

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BILL, TIP, FARE, FINE, and FEE – What’s the difference?

BILL
When you have finished having dinner in a restaurant and you want to pay for it. You are raising your arm to call the waiter and say this to him:

“Could I have the bill, please?”

You pay:

• electricity bill
• gas bill
• telephone bill

TIP
After paying the bill you can leave a small amount of additional money to the waiter, it’s a ‘tip’.

FARE
‘Fare’ is the price you pay to travel by bus, train, taxi, plane, etc.
The woman is paying the bus fare to the driver

FINE
‘Fine’ is the money that you have to pay as a punishment when you have done something illegal or broken a rule.

• In a car, a little child must be seated in a safety chair, if not, the driver can expect to be fined.
• If you don’t take a ticket when you park your car you will have to pay a fine. If you don’t return the book to the library, you will have to pay a fine.

FEE
‘Fee’ is the money you pay to a professional: doctor, lawyer, etc.
• the money you pay for school.
• the money you pay to enter a place: cinema, museum, etc.
• the money you pay to join something like a tennis club.

---

Fill in the blanks with BILL, TIP, FARE, or FEE.

1. I’m going to the reception desk to pay the _____.
2. Meanwhile, you should give the porter a big _____.  This man has been very helpful.
3. The man has robbed a shop. If he found guilty, he faces six month in jail and a heavy _____.
4. A : How will I cross the Channel? 
    B : Try the Eurostar; it’s so comfortable. Their standard _____ starts from £49. 
5. Private schools _____ are expensive. 
6. Sorry, sir, but the speed limit is 110 km per hour. You will be _____ for speeding.
7. Look at this huge phone _____! I’m sure Sonia has been talking with her boyfriend when we were out. 
8. I’m going to see lions and giraffes with the children. 
9. A : You look angry. What happened? 
    B : I just have been _____ for parking in a prohibited area. 
10. On some planes, children under 14 travel half _____. 

Answers: 1. bill, 2. tip, 3. fine, 4. fare, 5. fees, 6. fined, 7. bill, 8. fee, 9. friend, 10. fare

At – On – In – Pesky Prepositions

In my day-to-day teaching I find that choosing the correct preposition is one of the most common areas of difficulty for ESL students. They often make mistakes because they assume that they can translate the preposition used in their own language into its equivalent in English. For example, an Indonesian student might say or write “Her dress looks similar with her sister’s” (Bajunya mirip dengan baju milik saudara perempuannya. ‘dengan’ = ‘with’), not knowing that in English she/he should write “Her dress looks similar to her sister’s” (similar to = sama dengan, NOT similar with).

No smoking IN this area.

The same mistake happened with the sign above. The sign should say “No smoking in this area”, NOT “No smoking on this area”.

How to talk about locations?

At – On – In – Preposition of Place

One of the most confusing grammar points for English learners is trying to figure out whether to use AT, ON, or IN when you talk about locations and places. I hope after reading this explanation, you will no longer be confused.

When do I use IN?

Use the preposition IN when you are talking about something that you can physically enter or that you can place something inside of such as:

• I am standing in the room (I can enter a room)

• I put the chicken in the oven

• My wallet is in my pocket.

• How long did you live in Jakarta?

When do I use AT?

You should use AT when you want to indicate a specific location or place.

For example:

• We wait for bus number 39 at the bus stop

• I buy my groceries at the farmer’s market

• Turn left at the end of the block

• Please wait at my desk if you want to speak with me.

• The teacher asked the students to sit at their own desk.

Remember you “sit at the desk” and not “sit on the desk”

— “sit at the desk” means you sit on the chair near the desk and “sit on the desk” means you sit on top of it.

When do I use ON?

We use ON when we want to say that something is resting on a vertical or horizontal surface.

We can say:

• We sat on the bench

• I put the poster on the wall

• Put your feet on the floor

• Drive one mile and store will be on your left.

• What’s on the menu?

How to talk about time?

At – On – In – Preposition of Time

This is an easy way to remember the prepositions of TIME:

• AT is for small times

  at 2 pm; at the moment; at that time; at lunchtime; at midnight; at midday

• ON is for days:

on May 30; on Thursday morning; on New Year’s Eve; on weekdays

• IN isfor big times:

in 2014; in December; in the winter; in my life; in the 18th century

I hope you will understand the use of at – on – in as prepositions of place and time after reading my explanation in this section. Leave me a reply should you need more explanation on this subject.

. In a Newspaper or on a Newspaper

More examples:

• I read that news in the newspaper.
• I saw that news on TV.
• I heard that news on the radio.
• I read that story in the book on page 57. (The story is inside the book. The story is on [the surface] page 57.)

Note:
A systematic analysis of the occurrence of the prepositions “in” and “on” in their core usage as indicators of time and place, helps us establish some key meaning concepts which will aid us in identifying and explaining their extended meanings

ON – is a mechanism which usually describes something in relation to a second, often linear dimension, hence it relates to the calendar (days and dates) and surfaces or lines.
• Write the number down on a piece of paper.
• The picture is on page 10.

IN – is a mechanism for describing something in relation to the things that surround it in time or space, hence it relates to periods of time and three dimensional spaces or containers. It is also used to show when something is part of something else.
• I’ve found one or two spelling mistakes in your essay.


On Your Mind Vs. In Your Mind

Grammar Lesson: Parts of Speech

In order to learn speaking and writing English language correctly, it is essential to recognize how to construct a correct sentence structure; therefore, we need to understand the components of a sentence; the important eight parts of the English language which are:nouns, verbs, helping verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions and interjections.

1. NOUNS

Nouns are the most basic words which make up a sentence. They describe a person, place, thing or idea, such as, teacher, airport, cat, love, etc.

– Proper nouns: Proper nouns are always ‘capitalized’and point to something specific, such as, Jakarta, Mrs.Fadillah, New York, etc.

– Possessive nouns: Possessive nouns show ownership and ‘always contain an apostrophe’. For example, Jane‘s car, the cat‘s tail.

2. PRONOUNS

A pronoun (I, you, they, we, he, she, it) replaces a noun.

Examples:

The girl is pretty. ⇒ She is pretty.

Sam and Mike are classmates. ⇒They are classmates.

3. VERBS

The verb is an essential part of correct sentence structure. Verbs describe the action or state of the noun in the sentence, such as jump, run, cry, laugh, etc. Keep in mind please, that verbs are always present in a sentence, otherwise it is incomplete.

4. ADJECTIVES

Adjectives are used to describe a noun or pronoun and can always be used to answer a question about them.

Example:

He is a smart boy. ⇒ the adjecive ‘smart’ describes what kind of boy (noun) he is.

5. ADVERBS

Adverbs describe a verb or an adjective. Therefore, they are descriptive words which apply to a verb or an adjective.

Example:

She ran home quickly. ⇒ The adverb  ‘quickly’decribe how she ‘ran’ (verb).

6. PREPOSITIONS

Prepositions are words that describe nouns and pronouns. There are not many prepositions to memorize so they are easily recognized. The following are all common prepositions: about, above, beneath, between, during, near, past, etc.

Example:

The cat hid under the car. ⇒ ‘under’ is the preposition and ‘under the car’ is the prepositional phrase).

7. CONJUCTIONS

Conjunctions are joining words which link words and phrases together, such as FANBOYS (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So) are all common conjunctions.

Examples:

Mr. Cartlidge and Mrs. Fadillah are English teachers.

I didn’t like him and neither did she.

8. INTERJECTIONS

Interjections are words which show expression and emotion in a sentence, for examples Yeah! Oh! Wow! Ouch!

Without understanding these basic parts of speech, it is impossible to comprehend the other components of English grammar. I believe that in no time you’ll be able to understand sentence structure if you practice these by making diagrams and dissecting sentences that you notice in magazines, stories, newspaper, etc.

Check out this video:

Got any  questions about this lesson? Feel free to ask me in the comment box.

Must, Have (got) to and Their Negative Forms

MUST and HAVE TO both express necessity. In everyday statements of necessity, have to is used more commonly than must. Must is usually stronger than have to and can indicate urgency.

When used in the negative ‘must‘ and ‘have to‘ have different meanings.

MUST NOT = prohibition (do not do this!)

• You must not tell anyone my secret. Promise?

[Do not tell anyone my secret. I forbid it. Telling anyone my secret is prohibited.]

DO NOT HAVE TO = lack of necessity

 • I can hear you clearly. You don’t have to shout.

[It is not necessary for you to shout because I can hear you clearly.]

Lack of necessity may also be expressed by NEED NOT + verb1.

• You need not shout at me.

• You needn’t worry.

Common Mistakes & Solutions in the Use of USED TO and WOULD

MISTAKE : In the past, I used to call her on her birthday.
SOLUTION: 
In the past, I would call her on her birthday. 
— Use WOULD for a custom. Use USED TO for a discontinued habit.

MISTAKE : Last year, I used to study very hard. (Including an adverb is awkward)
SOLUTIONS:
I used to study very hard.
— Remove the adverb.
Last year, I studied very hard.
— Change the verb to past tense when using an adverb for time.
When I was in college, I used to study very hard.
— Use a time-relative clause to refer to an earlier stage of life.

MISTAKE: I used to live in Missouri for five years. (Including an adverb is awkward)
SOLUTIONS:
I lived in Missouri for five years.
— Use past tense with a quantity of time.
I used to live in Missouri.
— USED TO is not used with a quantity of time.

MISTAKE: I used to go to the gym several times. (Including an adverb is awkward)
SOLUTIONS:
I went to the gym several times.
— Use past tense.
I often used to go to the gym.
— Use an adverb of frequency instead.

BINOMIAL PAIR

A binomial pair is an expression containing two words which are joined by a conjunction (usually and or or). The word order of a binomial pair is usually fixed.

Here are some of the most common binomials, split into five categories:
1. Binomial pairs joined by and
2. Binomial pairs joined by or
3. Binomial pairs with alliteration
4. Rhyming binomial pairs
5. Binomial pairs joined by other words.

1. Binomials joined by AND
NEAT AND TIDY: clean, organised, tidy – not messy or untidy (also clean and tidy)
Example:
Her house is always very neat and tidy: there’s never anything out of place.
SICK AND TIRED: annoyed or frustrated with something / someone and at the point of getting angry or losing your patience
Example:
I’m sick and tired of our neighbours making such a noise – I’m gonna call the police.
WINE AND DINE: wine and dine someone – entertain someone with a good quality meal
Example:
The bosses of the advertising agency always wine and dine their top clients.
LOUD AND CLEAR: very clear and very easy to understand
Examples:
You don’t have to shout – I can hear you loud and clear.
The two pilots could hear each other loud and clear.
BACK AND FORTH: moving first in one direction then in another
Example:
We rocked the baby back and forth in the chair until she fell asleep.

2. Binomials joined by OR
MAKE OR BREAK: the result will be either success or failure, nothing between
Example:
The next match is make or break for us. If we lose we’ll have no chance of winning the league.
TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT: (of a negotiation) your last offer: you are not going to negotiation further or allow the other person to negotiate
Example:
Eight hundred dollars is my final offer for your car – take it or leave it!
SOONER OR LATER: that something will definitely happen, although it is not known when
Examples:
We’re all going to die sooner or later.
If you lie, people will find you out sooner or later.
MORE OR LESS: approximately; almost
Examples:
The repairs to the car will take a week, more or less.
Just give me another minute – I’ve more or less finished.

3. Alliteration
Some binomials are based on alliteration, i.e. the two words begin with the same sound:
SAFE AND SOUND: not in danger and not injured in any way
Examples:
The missing boy returned to his family safe and sound.
The soldier—thought to be dead—was found safe and sound in the forest.
RULES AND REGULATIONS: laws, rules, legislation
Example:
The rules and regulations in prisons are very strict.
LIVE AND LEARN: to learn from the experiences that life gives us (often you live and learn), said when you hear or discover something which is surprising
Example:
You mean I can get a discount because I’m under 26? Well, you live and learn – I never knew that!

4. Rhyming binomials
Other binomials have two words with a rhyming sound:
HUSTLE AND BUSTLE: a lot of noisy activity caused by people, usually in cities
Example:
There’s always lots of hustle and bustle at the market on Wednesdays.
WEAR AND TEAR: the decrease in value and/or quality of something because of its age and a lot of use
Example:
I paid $3000 for my car but because of wear and tear I sold it for just 1500 a year later.
WILLY-NILLY: haphazardly, randomly, and without much planning and organisation; without order
Example:
She’s so untidy – when she gets undressed she simply throws her clothes around the room willy-nilly.

5. Binomial pairs joined by other words
BACK TO FRONT: when the back of something faces the front, and vice-versa
Example:
You’ve got your t-shirt on back to front!
STEP BY STEP: to do something methodically, one step at a time
Example:
Follow the instructions step by step.

Phrasal Verbs with STAND

Phrasal Verbs – STAND

Here is a list of phrasal verbs using STAND:

1. STAND UP FOR (somebody) — Meaning: to support or defend

• Always stand up for your friends.

• You have to learn to stand up for yourself

2. STAND UP TO (somebody) — Meaning: to resist; not accept bad treatment from somebody

• It was brave of him to stand up to those bullies.

• I think you should stand up to your older brother and tell him to stop pushing you around.

3. STAND ABOUT — Meaning: to stand doing nothing especially at work

• Don’t just stand about with your hands in your pockets!

4. STAND BACK — Meaning: to move a short distance

• Beyonce’s bodyguards told the paparazzies to stand back.

• He screamed, “Stand back! Don’t move any closer!”

5. STAND BY — Meaning: to wait, also not to get involved in a situation

• I want you to stand by and answer the phone in case mom or dad calls.

• He just stood by and did nothing! Can you believe that?

6. STAND FOR — Meaning: to represent, also to tolerate

• FBI stands for “Federal Bureau of Investigation”.

• Mother doesn’t stand for anyone telling lies.

7. STAND IN — Meaning: to replace, also replacement

• He stood in for his twin brother in the wedding rehearsal.

• Jacky Chan never uses a stand-in actor in his films.

8. STAND OUT — Meaning: to be noticeable

• He’s so tall. He really stands out in the crowd.

9. STAND UP — Meaning: to not arrive to an appointment or date

• Before I was married, I never stood up any girls. I always thought that was rude.

10. STAND ASIDE — Meaning: to move to the other side so that someone/thing can pass, also to resign

• Please stand aside, we’re coming through.

• It’s time he stood aside and let his son run the business.

Plural Possessive

Here’s a quick and easy guide to the concept of plural possessive:

INCORRECT: Boss’ office.

CORRECT    : Boss’s office. (It looks weird, but this is how it should be for singular nouns, even if they already end in  “s”.)

INCORRECT: mother’s-in-law cooking

CORRECT    : mother-in-law’s cooking (This is how we make a compound noun possessive.)

INCORRECT: The Davis’s cars.

CORRECT    : The Davises’ cars. (You have to first make the Davis plural =Davises. Then you have to add the apostrophe to make it possessive. For PLURAL nouns that end in “s”, simply add an apostrophe after the word.)

We use “the” with the person’s name to refer to a family as a whole (father, mother, and children).

• The Jones

• The Kimes

• The Cartlidges

• We’re the Flintstones

Plural Compound Nouns

Plural Linked-Words

How do we pluralize these compound nouns?

Drive-in movie

Passer-by

Does ‘drive-in movie’ become drives-in movie or drive-in movies?

Does ‘passer-by’ become passer-bys or passers-by?

Hold your thought for a moment until you finish reading this explanation thoroughly, then you can go back and answer that question again.

PLURALIZE THE CHIEF ELEMENT

Normally, we pluralize the chief element of a compound word. (e.g., tooth [noun modifier] brushes [chief noun];black [adjective] birds [chief noun]; copy [verb] cats[chief noun])

1. CLOSED (NO SPACE)

birthday  [n.– n.] –> birthdays

blackbird [adj.– n.] –> blackbirds

crybaby [v.– n.] –> crybabies

handshake [n.– v./n.] –> handshakes

gamekeeper [n.– -er] –> gamekeepers

passerby –> passersby

2. OPEN (TWO WORDS)

couch potato –> couch potatoes

lieutenant general –> lieutenant generals

filet mignon –> filet mignons

chaise longue –> chaise longues

maitre d –> maitre d’s

3. HYPHENATED

mother-in-law –> mothers-in-law

attorney-at-law –> attorneys-at-law

runner-up –> runners-up

grant-in-aid –> grants-in-aid

4. POSESSIVES (OPEN)

traveler’s check –> traveler’s checks

rabbit’s foot –> rabbit’s feet

visitor’s permit –> visitor’s permits

letter of credit –> letters of credit

head of state –> heads of state

PLURALIZE OTHER ELEMENT

Occasionally, we pluralize the final element, especially when the compound includes a preposition, a repeated word, linked words, or the suffix -ful. (An apostrophe is used to avoid a word that can be misread.)

1. PREPOSITIONS

drive-in –> drive-ins

get-together –> get-togethers

go-between –> go-betweens

hand-me-down –> hand-me-downs

show-off –> show- offs

time-out –> time-outs

2. REPEATED WORDS

no-no –> no-nos / no-no’s

so-and-so –> so-and-sos / so-so’s

ding-dong –> ding-dongs

ha-ha –> ha-has / h-ha’s

3. LINKED WORDS

two-by-four –> two-by-fours

do-it-yourself –> do-it-yourselves

know-it-all –> know-it-alls

wannabe –> wannabes

have-not –> have-nots

4. FUL

handful –> handfuls

cupful –> cupfuls

pocketful–> pocketfuls

spoonful –> spoonfuls

armful –> armfuls