COMMON MISTAKES in the use of WH question words in a sentence

INCORRECT: Where is here?

CORRECT    : Where are we?

— Say “Where are we?” to ask where your about is. For example, you are lost and don’t know where you are now (don’t know the place), you say, “Where are we now? I don’t know this place.”

INCORRECT: How heavy are you?

CORRECT    : How much do you weigh?

— Asking for someone’s weight with “How heavy are you?” is impolite and uncommon.

INCORRECT: Are you home tomorrow?

CORRECT    : Are you at home tomorrow?

— ‘Home’ (without ‘at’) is used to show someone is returning home. ‘At home’ is used to show location.

Take a look at the dialog:

A: Are you home? (Asking: Have you returned home yet?)

B: Not yet. I’ll be home in ten minutes.

A: (ten minutes later) Are you home now?

B: You can come over. I’m at home now. (Showing location)

INCORRECT: How does she look like?

CORRECT    : What does she look like?

— “What + look like” asks for physical description.

INCORRECT: This is the way how I did it.

CORRECT    : This is how I did it. or This is the way I did it.

— ‘The way’ in “This is the way how I did it” is redundant. ‘How’ already asks for a method/way; how something is done.

INCORRECT: How do you think about Indonesia?

CORRECT    : What do you think about Indonesia?

— “What do you think about…?” is used to ask for opinion.

INCORRECT: How can I do?

CORRECT    : What can I do?

— “What can I do (for you)?” is used to offer help.

INCORRECT: How about Chinese food?

CORRECT    : Do you like Chinese food?

— To ask for preference, use a form  of DO + like; Do you like it? Does he like it? Did she like it? ‘How about…?” is used to give suggestion.

Pronoun Rule after “than” and “as”

To decide whether to use the subject or object pronoun after the words “than” or “as”, mentally complete the sentence.

Examples:

• Sonali is as smart as she/her.

— If we mentally complete the sentence, we would saySonali is as smart as she is. Therefore, she is the correct answer.

• Rina is taller than I/me.

— Mentally completing the sentence, we have Rina is taller than I am.

• Graham would rather talk to her than I/me.

We can interpret this sentence in two ways:

– Graham would rather talk to her than (talk) to me. 

OR

– Graham would rather talk to her than I would (talk to her). 

The meaning of a sentence can change considerably, depending on the pronoun you choose.

Although for most people the “than me” (using object pronoun) version sound more natural than the “than I”(using subject pronoun) version, the previous runs the highest risk of being considered wrong. It’s because the“than I” version has been around longer and seems more grammatically correct. The “than I” version is falling out of favor and now sounds a bit stilted though.

Evidently, the dilemma between the “than I” and “than me” is not clear cut. So, the best thing to do is to consider your audience (listeners/readers). In formal situations, it would be best to stick with the “than I”(subject pronoun). Otherwise, you may need to be prepared to fight your corner.

DIRECT and INDIRECT SPEECH

What is DIRECT SPEECH?

Consider the following sentence:

Rina said: “I don’t understand indirect speech. I need explanation about this lesson.”

The given sentence is in direct speech:

– The exact words of the speaker have been put within quotation marks ( ” ” )

– There is a colon ( : ) after ‘said’.

– The first word inside the quotation marks ( ” ” ) starts with a capital letter.

What is an INDIRECT SPEECH then?

Let’s take a look at the following sentence:

Rina said (that) she didn’t understand indirect speech. She needed explanation about that lesson.

In  Indirect speech:

– The quotation marks as well as the colon after said are removed.

– The conjunction ‘that’ introduces to us the words (not exact) spoken by the speaker. However, the latest trend is to drop ‘that’

RULES FOR CHANGING DIRECT INTO INDIRECT SPEECH:

Get one thing straight – you do not have to learn the rules by heart. Simply understand what they ask you to do and apply the same in converting a sentence from direct to indirect.

RULE 1

If in direct speech you find say/says or will say then DO NOT CHANGE THE TENSE that you can find within the quotation marks

EXAMPLES:

Direct   : He says, ”I was a fool then.”

Indirect: He says  he was a fool then.

Direct   : She says, ”I will be more experienced then.”

Indirect: She says  she will be more experienced then.

RULE 2

If in direct speech the words within the quotation marks talk of a universal truth or habitual action then RULE ONE  is followed or in other words the tense inside the quotation marks is not changed at all.

Example:

Direct   : The teacher said, ”The sun rises in the east.”

Indirect: The teacher said  the sun rises in the east.

RULE 3

If there is ‘said’ in the direct speech then the  tense of the words inside quotation marks is changed to the past tense.

Example:

Direct   : I said, ”I am studying grammar.”

Indirect: I said  I was studying grammar.

Help List 1:

Words indicating nearness are changed into words showing distance

• Here –> there

• This –> that

• These –> those

• Today –> that day

• Tonight –> that night

• tomorrow –> the next/following day

• yesterday –> the previous day

• the next week –> the following week

• now –> then

Help List 2:

The following changes in the tense need to be considered

• Is/am –> was

• Are –> were

• Is (sleeping) –> was (sleeping)

• Are (sleeping) –> were (sleeping)

• Has/have killed –> had killed

• Was/were laughing –> had been laughing

• Can –> could; will –> would; shall –> should; may –>might

• Did –> had done

Examples:

Direct   : I said, ”My mother cooks well.”

Indirect: I said  my mother cooked well.

Direct   : She said, “I am reading a whodunit now.”

Indirect: She said she was reading a whodunit then.

Direct   : He said, “I killed a spider.”

Indirect: He said he had killed a spider.

Direct   : We said , “They have done their job.”

Indirect: We said they had done their job.

Direct   : He said , ”She will do this task quickly.”

Indirect: He said she would do that task quickly.

"Have gone" vs "Have been" - What's the difference?

“Has/have gone to” refers to someone who has gone to a place, but has not yet returned.

Example:

A : Where’s Tom?
B : He has gone to the bank. He should be back soon.

“Has/have been to” refers to a place which someone has visited sometime in his life. In other words, “has been to” refers to an experience.

Example:
A : Have you been to Italy?
B : Yes, I have. Actually, I have been there a couple of times.

Fill in the blanks with BEEN or GONE.

1. Have you ever _____ to Canada?

2. My best friend isn’t here at the moment. He’s _____ to France for two months. 

3. My husband and son have _____ to the stadium. The match is ending in 20 minutes.

4. Have you ever _____ to Brazil before?

5. Yes, I have! I’ve _____ abroad many times.

6. Mary has _____ to France for six months. She is coming back to England in a week.

7. Are you sure she has never _____ abroad ?

8. -Where is Dad? -Don’t worry, he has _____ to the bank. He’ll be back soon.

9. The children have already _____ to the park. They came back home an hour ago.

10. John has _____ everywhere around the world. Now, he just wants to stay at home.

Answers:

1. been, 2. gone, 3. gone, 4. been, 5. been, 6. gone, 7. been, 8. gone, 9. gone, 10. been

It’s not rocket science

It’s not rocket science

“It’s not rocket science” (also it doesn’t take a rocket scientist)

Meaning: Something that is not very difficult to do or to understand.

Examples:

• Drugs equals crime. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.

Fatila  : How do you make a Fettuccini Carbonara?

Sonali: Easy peasy! It’s not  rocket science.

You can try this Fettuccini Carbonara recipe at home.

Parallelism

What’s Parallelism?

Parallelism is the balance between two or more similar words, phrases, or clauses. Parallelism is also calledParallel Structure or Parallel Construction. Parallel construction prevents awkwardness, promotes clarity, and improves writing style and readability.

INCORRECT: Julie likes playing the piano, the trumpet, and play the guitar.

CORRECT   : Julie likes playing the piano, the ttrumpet, and the guitar.

---

INCORRECT: You can apply the job by filling out this form or apply by email.

CORRECT   : You can apply the job by filling out this form or you can apply by email.

Rules of Parallelism

Parallelism is used to balance nouns with nouns, prepositional phrases with prepositional phrases, participles with participles, infinitives with infinitives, clauses with clauses.

Parallelism is used with elements joined by coordinating conjunctions

INCORRECT: My mother likes cooking and to read.

CORRECT   : My mother likes cooking and reading.

Parallelism is used with elements in lists or in a series

INCORRECT: This task can be done individually, in pairs, or can be done in groups of four.

CORRECT   : This task can be done individually, in pairs, or in groups of four.

Parallelism is used with elements being compared

INCORRECT: She is mad about watching TV more than to read a book.

CORRECT   : She is mad about watching TV more than reading a book.

Parallelism is used with elements joined by a linking verb or a form of be

INCORRECT: To lean is understanding the world.

CORRECT   : To learn is to understand the world.

Parallelism is used with elements joined by linking words

INCORRECT: The teacher not only wants her students to keep quiet but also to do the task.

CORRECT   : The teacher wants her students not only to keep quiet but also to do the task.

Common ‘g’ Sound Spellings

 

‘g’ spelling
When the ‘g’ spelling is followed by the letters e, i, or y, the ‘j’ sound is the most common pronunciation.

Examples:
gentle — \ˈjen-təl\
giant — \ˈjī-ənt\
gypsy — \ˈjip-sē\

‘ng’ spelling
When the ‘ng’ spelling occurs in the middle of a word, it may be pronounced as an ‘ng’ sound followed by a ‘g’ sound (double the ‘g’ sound) or just an ‘ng’ sound (consult your dictionary to be sure which is used for specific words). At the end of a word, or as part of the -ing ending, the ‘ng’ spelling does not typically include a ‘g’ sound.

Examples:
anger — \ˈaŋ-gər\
language — \ˈlaŋ-gwij, -wij\
single — \ˈsiŋ-gəl\

‘gue’ spelling
The ‘gue’ spelling is generally only pronounced as a ‘g’ sound when it is at the end of a word. In the beginning or middle of a word, the ‘gue’ spelling is likely pronounced ‘g’ sound+vowel sound.

Examples:
guest — \ˈgest\
guerilla — \gə-ˈri-lə\
intrigue — \ˈin-ˌtrēg\
league — \ˈlēg\

How to use the word BITCH correctly

                     

Let’s forget about the formal applications of English for awhile, and step into the wild side of bad words for a change. Today, we’re going to talk about the word ‘bitch’, which without a doubt, is all over the place in the English language and mostlly misunderstood by non-native English speakers.

I’m really concerned about how the ESL speakers/learners picked up this word straight from the movies, songs, and many social medias without knowing its correct use. ‘Bitch’ is a powerful word, actually. It can be offensive, neutral, and even used to empower woman.

1. “BITCH AND MOAN” (verb)

Meaning: to complain too much

The word “bitch” is often used together with “moan” to negatively portray someone (or yourself) who is complaining too much. This is not really offensive (depending on the tone)

• I wish people would just stop bitching and moaning about corruption in politics and do something about it!

2. “BITCH ABOUT” someone or something (verb)

Meaning: to complain about someone or something.

• You are always bitching about your girlfriend.

• Stop bitching about your job so much.

3. “BITCH someone OUT” (verb)

Meaning: to yell at someone in a really negative way for something they did

• My boss bitched me out for being 10 minutes late.

4. “BITCH someone OFF” (verb)

Meaning: to make someone angry.

• You really bitch me off, do you know that?

• That foul temper of yours could bitch off anybody.

5. “BITCH OF” a someone or something (noun)

Meaning: a really difficult person or thing.

• What a bitch of a day!

• He is really a bitch of a boss.

6. “BITCHY” (adjective) — synonyms: spiteful, mean, nasty, cruel, vicious, malicious

Meaning: In a bad mood; irritable or cranky

• You’re being really bitchy today. Why can’t you be nicer to me?

7. “BITCH PLEASE” (colloquial)

This expression communicates that you don’t believe what the person says. It is used when someone makes a stupid comment , or just a fun way of saying no.

Julie: Justin Bieber is my super hero.

Kylie: Oh, bitch please!

8. “Life is a bitch!”

This is a common expression to communicate that life is complicated, not easy, etc. It has a sense of confronting the difficulties and also recognizing the unpleasant nature.

Just to be clear, I’m not promoting the irresponsible use of swear words. Much to the contrary, I think that if you’re going to swear, you should have a high degree of awareness as to what you’re communicating and the effect it has on people around you.

Types of Sentences

There are three types of sentences in English:

1. Simple sentence

2. Compound sentence

3. Complex sentence 

1. Simple Sentence

A simple sentence, also called an independent clause, contains a subject and a verb, and it expresses a complete thought. In the following simple sentences, subjects are in yellow, and verbs are in green.

1. Some students like to study in the mornings.
2. Juan and Arturo play football every afternoon.
3. Alicia goes to the library and studies every day.

The three examples above are all simple sentences. Note that sentence 2 contains a compound subject, and sentence 3 contains a compound verb. Simple sentences, therefore, contain a subject and verb and express a complete thought, but they can also contain compound subjects or verbs.

2. Compound Sentence

A compound sentence contains two independent clauses joined by a coordinator. The coordinators are as follows: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So. (Helpful hint: The first letter of each of the coordinators spells FANBOYS.) Except for very short sentences, coordinators are always preceded by a comma. In the following compound sentences, subjects are in yellow, verbs are in green, and the coordinators and the commas that precede them are in red.

1. I tried to speak Spanish, and my friend tried to speak English.
2. Alejandro played football, so Maria went shopping.
3. Alejandro played football, for Maria went shopping.

In sentence 3, “Alejandro played football” because, possibly, he didn’t have anything else to do, for or because “Maria went shopping.” In sentence 2, which action occurred first? Obviously, “Alejandro played football” first, and as a consequence, “Maria went shopping.” The above three sentences are compound sentences. Each sentence contains two independent clauses, and they are joined by a coordinator with a comma preceding it. Note how the conscious use of coordinators can change the meaning of the sentences. Sentences 2 and 3, for example, are identical except for the coordinators.

3. Complex Sentence

A complex sentence has an independent clause joined by one or more dependent clauses. A complex sentence always has a subordinator such as because, since, after, although, or when (and many others) or a relative pronoun such as that, who, or which. In the following complex sentences, subjects are inyellow, verbs are in green, and the subordinators and their commas (when required) are in red.

1. When he handed in his homework, he forgot to give the teacher the last page.
2. The teacher returned the homework after she noticed the error.
3. The students are studying because they have a test tomorrow.
4. After they finished studying, Juan and Maria went to the movies
5. Juan and Maria went to the movies after they finished studying.

Note that sentences 4 and 5 are the same except sentence 4 begins with the dependent clause which is followed by a comma, and sentence 5 begins with the independent clause which contains no comma. The comma after the dependent clause in sentence 4 is required, and experienced listeners of English will often hear a slight pause there. In sentence 5, however, there will be no pause when the independent clause begins the sentence.When a complex sentence begins with a subordinator such as sentences 1 and 4, a comma is required at the end of the dependent clause. When the independent clause begins the sentence with subordinators in the middle as in sentences 2, 3, and 5, no comma is required. If a comma is placed before the subordinators in sentences 2, 3, and 5, it is wrong.

Click this link for the chart Types of Sentences Chart or you can watch this video from Shmoop. It’ll teach you the types of sentences in a simpler way.