Games for learning English: Fruit and Vegetables

Confusing Words: Journey, Travel, and Trip

I’m planning a travel to the US.

I’m planning to travel to the US.

I’m planning a trip to the US

Why is the first sentence incorrect? Why is to travel anda trip correct in the second and third sentence?

For today’s lesson you’re going to learn some confusing words: JOURNEY, TRAVEL, and TRIP and at the end of the lesson I’m going to give you a series of quizzes related to this lesson. So let’s have a look at these examples:

JOURNEY

• He was planning for a four-week trip to Indonesia.

• They went on a trip to Africa.

We use JOURNEY as a noun, meaning a trip (a long distance trip) from one place to another; an expedition.

TRAVEL

• How often do you travel abroad?

• The train was  travelling at about 100 miles an hour.

We use TRAVEL as a verb to mean to go from one place to another on a trip, usually over a long distance.

TRIP

• I met my husband on a trip to Bali.

• Alejandro had to make a number of business trips to New York.

We use TRIP as a noun, meaning a travel from one place to another, usually for business or pleasure.

TRIP over

• He tripped over the child.

• I tripped over the kerb and broke my nose.

TRIP over is a verb (phrasal verb), meaning to fall because you hit an obstacle.

Check out this video lesson from Espresso English.

Acronym vs. Abbreviation

ACRONYM:

A word formed from the initial letter or letters of each of the successive parts or major parts of a compound term which can be pronounced as a word, as inNATO, radar, or laser. Acronym is a part of abbreviation.

ABBREVIATION:

A shortened form of a written word or phrase used in place of the whole. For example, abbr (abbreviation), adj (adjective), tech (technical).

In English, Medicinae Doctorabbreviated as M.D. is the title for doctors. There are many English abbreviations rooted from Latin, for examples etc., eg., ie. Just so you know etc. is the short for et cetera, meaning ‘and other things’or ‘and so on’. People often write this abbreviation the wrong way. They write etc. as ect. For God’s sake! Get it right, people! :D

eg. stands for exempli gratia, meaning ‘for example’ and ie.stands for id est, meaning ‘in other words’ or ‘that is’. These two abbreviations are often confused because they are both used to introduce some clarifications of something previously mentioned.

Compare these sentences:

• The buffet provided excellent variety, eg., (for example) vegetarian, non-vegetarian soups, Italian, French breads, and numerous deserts.

• Service charge is included in all prices, ie., (in other words) you don’t have to leave a tip.

There’s one acronym that I found annoying; YOLO. It’s the short for You Live Only Once. I don’t know why; I just hate it! :D


UP and DOWN

⇑ UP

The particle UP means:

– towards a higher place

– make bigger

– to a centre

– increase

– improve

– complete

– establish

⇓ DOWN

The particle DOWN means:

– towards a lower place

– make smaller

– reduce

– decrease

– destroy

– analyze

So when I say “I picked up the book from the floor”, it means I moved the book to a “higher place”. However, when I say “I live in Bristol but I go up to London regularly”, it doesn’t mean that London is in a higher place, but rather to describe London as the political and economic center of England is “higher in importance” than other towns.

More examples:

They decided to pull down the ruined building.

We use the particle down with the verb pull, NOT up (pull up) because buildings normally stand up in the air. So when the ruined buliding was pulled down, it means it was brought to the grown; it was destroyed.

She cut up the carrots and put them in the pan.

We use the particle up in cut up to mean that the carrots were cut completely to small pieces.

Adjectives Used as Nouns

We can use certain adjectives as nouns to categorise people by social class or physical condition.

For example, as an alternative to saying deaf people, we can simply say the deaf. This means ALL deaf people. Instead of saying poor people, we can say the poor to mean ALL poor people.

Note that we always use a definite article (the) in these cases.

INCORRECT: She likes to feed the poors.

CORRECT    : She likes to feed the poor

INCORRECT: He is working for
the blinds.

CORRECT    : He is working for the blind.

Expressions like the poor, the blind, the deaf, the rich, etc. are always plural. We don’t have to make their plural forms by adding -s.

Here are some examples in sentences:

• The local library has facilities such as ramps and low tables for the disabled.

• A new support centre has opened for the unemployed.

• The film has subtitles for the hard of hearing. (people with hearing difficulties)

• The recession, as is always the case, has hit the poor very hard.

• The bus service is free for the elderly.

Also notice that these nouns are plural, so we use a plural verb:

• The rich are better off after the tax reforms.

• The injured were taken to a nearby hospital.

• The old and sick are advised to stay at home when pollution levels increase.


Thank Vs. Thanks

Thank (Verb).
-I thank you for loving me.
-You've to thank her, she's helped you.
-Just relax, no need to thank me.

Thank you (Noun).
-She's so arrogant, I didn't even get a thank you after helping her.

Thank you (Adjective).
-Finally, she sent me a thank you note yesterday.

Thanks (Noun).
-They have helped us. At least, give them our thanks.

Thank you (Formal).
-Thank you for approving me.

Thanks (Informal).
-Thanks for approving me.

Thanks to (Preposition) means 'Because of'.
-Thanks to you, I can be like this.
(Terima kasih, saya bisa menjadi seperti ini karena anda/Terima kasih, karena anda, saya bisa menjadi seperti ini).


5 Ways to Say THANK YOU

Do you sometimes feel grateful for what you have or what someone has done for you? Do you know how to express your gratitude to the people around you? Do you want to be able to say “thank you” in more than just one way?

Here are 5 ways to say it, depending on the situation.

1. “I can’t thank you enough”

This is a very polite and useful phrase. It can be used when someone has done a favor for you or has helped you. It can also be used when there is some kind of emergency and someone has helped keep you safe and out of danger. This term can have a sense of urgency.

Other ways to say it:

• You saved my son. I can’t thank you enough.

• We really needed your help. I can’t thank you enough.

• Your help made all the difference. I can’t thank you enough.

2. “I would like to thank you” or “I want to thank you”

These are both very polite and deliberate ways of saying thank you. This could be used when someone does a favor for you and when you want to make your gratitude clear to them.

Other ways to say it:

• What you have done is very kind. I really want to thank you.

• I’d like to say thank you for what you have done.

3. “I really appreciate this”

This is another polite way to show your gratitude; you “appreciate” something or someone. It means that you value what they have done for you. This can be used when your colleague takes over your work while you are out sick or when your neighbor picks up your mail for you and brings it to your home. It can be used in a lot of different situations.

Other ways to say it:

• I want you to know that I really appreciate this.

• I am really appreciative of this.

4. “I’m grateful for your help”

This phrase is used less commonly but it’s still useful and polite. This could be used when someone does something rather significant for you.

Other ways to say it:

• I want to express my gratitude for your help.

• I would like to let you know that I am grateful for your help.

5.  “Thanks a lot”

This can be used for more casual, everyday situations. Maybe someone lets you have their seat on the bus or when someone holds the door for you, or maybe a friend buys you a coffee. Just simple things people do for you, but still they deserve your thankfulness.

Other ways to say it:

• Thanks.

• Thank you.

• Hey, thanks!

• Thanks a bunch.

• I owe you one!

You don’t get to hear a simple thank you very often these days. It has become a rare thing to hear. Sadly (some) kids don’t say the five magic words anymore;“please,” “thank you,” “you’re welcome,” “excuse me,” and “I’m sorry.” My mom taught me if you want something, you say “please.” If someone gives you something, you say “thank you.” When someone says “thank you,” you say “you’re welcome.” If you hurt someone’s feelings you say “I’m sorry.” And, if you bump into someone, you say “excuse me.” I also teach these things to my little boy. I want him to become a kind, caring, and respectful person. Love ya, my little bugger!

10 Uncountable Nouns Related to Food

Today, you’re going to learn 10 uncountable nouns related to food. This lesson is suitable for elementary level of English learners.

Nouns are either countable or uncountable:

• if a noun is countable we can count it; countable nouns are seen as individuals

You can say things as:

– We will have two sandwiches.

– There are a few eggs left.

• if a noun is uncountable we can’t count it; uncountable nouns are seen as mass and are always singular

You can say things as:

– There isn’t much honey in the jar.

– I would eat a little chocolate

Take a look at these sentences:

Would you like some coffee?	uncountable because it’s referring to the drink in general
He ordered a coffee.	countable, because it’s referring to a cup of coffee
Would you like some beer?	uncountable, because it refers to n alcoholic drink made from yeast-fermented malt
I’ll have a beer.	countable, because it’s referring to a pint of beer; he ordered a beer.

Uncountable nouns can’t have a number before them. We cannot say: one meat, two breads, three creams. However, many uncountable nouns can be changed to countable nouns if they represent a type, a quantity, a unit, etc. of the nouns in question, particularly when ordering in restaurants.

Examples:

• I’d like a beer, please. = a glass of beer / a bottle of beer

• Would you like a yogurt for a snack? = a cup or bowl of yogurt

• I eat a salad with every meal. =a serving; ‘salad’ is often a countable noun

• Could you bring me a coffee, please? = a cup (It is heard a lot although I rarely say ‘a coffee’.)

Here are 10 uncountable nouns related to food:

1. rice

2. meat

3. bread

4. salt

5. honey

6. pasta

7. soup

8. flour

9. cream

10. oil

Before uncountable nouns we often use some:

• some meat

• some honey

• some pasta

It is also possible to make these nouns countable by saying:

• a piece of meat

• two pieces of bread

Or we can be more specific:

• three slices of bread

• four jars of honey

•  five loaves of bread

• six bowls of soup

What's a PHRASAL VERB?

The difference between a normal verb and a phrasal verb

A phrasal verb is a combination of a verb and preposition, a verb and an adverb, or a verb with both an adverb and a preposition.

A phrasal verb has a meaning which is different from the original verb.  You may need to try to guess the meaning from the context, or look it up in the dictionary.

A further way of considering phrasal verbs is whether they are separable or inseparable. In inseparable verbs, the object comes after the particle (adverb/preposition that follows the verb).

Examples:

• She got on the bus.

• On weekdays, my parents look after my son because I have to work.

Separable verbs have several ways of separating verb, particle, and object. Usually, the object comes between the verb and particle.

Examples:

• She looked up the word in her dictionary.

• She looked it up in her dictionary.

However, with some separable verbs, the object can come before or after the particle.

Examples:

• Switch the light off.

• Switch off the light.

• Switch it off.



PHRASAL VERBS WITH "GO"

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.

Go for.
Meanings:

-Attack.
My neighbour's dog went for the postman and bit him.

-Be attracted to.
She tends to go for a man like him.

-Try to get.
The player went for the ball but missed.

-Choose.
When choosing margarine, go for the soft rather than the hard.

-Attempt to gain or attain.
He went for a job as a delivery driver.

Go forth.
Meaning:

-Leave a place.
He went forth and found a wife in another city.

Go for it.
Meanings:

-Be assertive and ready to initiate action.
He was not always succesful, but whatever he tried to do he would always go for it.

-Strive to the utmost to gain or achieve something (frequently said as an exhortation)
It's a good idea, go for it!
We saw a niche in the market that wasn't filled and we went for it.

Taken from Oxford and my other dictionaries.

Note:

There’s usually no way of telling whether they are separable or inseparable. In most cases you have to get a feel for them.

A Shotgun Wedding

"Shotgun Wedding" -- Pernikahan karena hamil duluan

Meaning: A wedding that is arranged to avoid embarrassment due to an unplanned pregnancy.
-- Kita mengenal istilah MBA (Married By Accident) untuk mengggambarkan pernikahan yang disebabkan karena si pengantin perempuan hamil terlebih dahulu.

The phrase is based on the situation that the father of the pregnant daughter must resort to using coercion (such as threatening with a shotgun) to ensure that the man who impregnated her follows through with the wedding.
-- Istilah ini berasal dari sebuah keadaan di mana ayah dari perempuan yang hamil harus menggunakan kekerasan atau mengancam - dalam budaya barat menggunakan senjata api (dalam budaya Indonesia menggunakan golok) - agar si laki-laki yang menghamili anak perempuannya mau menikahi anaknya.

Examples:
• Looks like it's a shotgun wedding for those two.
• When she told her parents that she was pregnant, her father forced her into a shotgun wedding.
• After a shotgun wedding at 20, she had 3 children before divorcing from her husband.


"My phone is broken" or "My phone is out of order"

Don’t say:

The telephone is “broken”.

When you say “my phone is broken”, your listener might think you just dropped your phone on the floor and now it’s broken (shattered) to pieces.

Say:

The telephone is “out of order”.

When something, for examples, telephone, ATM, toilet, vending machine, elevator, etc., is not in working condition, say “it’s out of order”, or just simply say “it’s not working.”

Examples:

• The elevator was out of order and we had to walk to the tenth floor.

• We couldn’t use the telephone because it was out of order.

When you say “my phone is dead”, it means the battery is dead; your phone needs charging.

DESPITE AND IN SPITE OF VS. ALTHOUGH, EVEN THOUGH, AND THOUGH

This article is about the different use between "despite, in spite of, although, even though, and though" in the same meaning.

Despite and In spite of. (Preposition)
Both of these prepositions are always followed by a noun as an object. They are interchangeable.

For example:
-Despite/In spite of the bad weather, the flight is not delayed.
('The bad weather' is a noun used as an object)

Although, Even though, and Though. (Conjuction)
All of them are always followed by a noun as a subject and verb/auxiliary verb. They are interchangeable.

For example:
-Although/Even though/Though the weather is bad, the flight is not delayed.
('The weather' is a noun used as a subject, and 'is' is an auxiliary verb)

We can't say:
-Despite/In spite of the weather is bad, the flight is not delayed. (Incorrect)
-Although/Even though/Though the bad weather, the flight is not delayed. (Incorrect)

~Taken from some trusted dictionaries~

Pronunciation: -ed Endings in Regular Simple Past and Past Participle Verbs

The past simple tense and past participle of all regular verbs end in -ed, for example, walked, stayed, laughed, etc. The question is how do we pronounce the -ed? The answer is, we can proniunce it in 3 ways:

/ɪd/

/t/

/d/

If the base verb ends in /t/ or /d/, the -ed ending is pronounced as /ɪd/

• want – wanted ⇒ /ˈwɒnɪd/ or /ˈwɒntɪd/

• end – ended ⇒ /ˈendɪd/

If the base verb ends in unvoiced /p/, /f/, /s/, /ʃ/, /ʧ/, and /k/, the -ed ending is pronounced as /t/

• hope – hoped ⇒ /həʊpt/

• laugh – laughed ⇒ /lɑːft/

• fax  – faxed ⇒ /fækst/

• wash – washed ⇒ /wɒʃt/

• watch – watched ⇒ /wɒʧt/

• like – liked ⇒ /ˈlaɪkt/

If the base verb ends in voiced, the -ed ending is pronounced as /d/

• play – played ⇒ /pleɪd/

• allow – allowed ⇒ /əˈlaʊd/

• beg – begged ⇒ /beɡd/

Note that it is the sound that is important in pronunciation, not the letter or spelling, for example, ‘fax’ ends in the letter x but the sound /s/; ‘like’ ends in the letter e but the sound /k/.

Now try to answer this question: Which sound do the following words end with?

1. answered

2. asked

3. believed

4. ended

5. entered

Ditto

Ditto ['dit-oh] (n, adj) -- sama, juga, idem, sama dengan yang di atas

Ditto or ditto mark is a mark that you write immediately under a word in a list to indicate you're repeating whatever is above; same as above.

Example:

Apple $2.00 a kilo

Pear      −”−  a kilo

Ditto mark ( −”− ) means the price list on second item is the same as the price list on the item above.

⇒ Tanda 'ditto'  ( −”− ) artinya idem; sama dengan yang (disebutkan) di atas.

You can also use the word ditto informally to describe repetition, the same, likewise.

⇒ 'Ditto' dapat digunakan untuk menyatakan suatu pengulangan kata/kalimat yang sama.

Example:

Barry: I love you, honey.

Julie  : Ditto

Ditto in the dialog means "I love you too" dalam dialog artinya "Saya juga cinta kamu".

Also it can be used to say that you have exactly the same opinion as someone else.

⇒ 'Ditto' bisa berarti sama atau juga.

Example:

A: I hated school when I was young.

    ⇒ Saya benci sekolah dulu waktu saya masih muda.

B: Ditto.

    ⇒ Sama.

Ditto in the dialog means "me too" or "I second you".

⇒'Ditto' dalam dialog mempunyai pengertian "saya juga" atau "saya setuju dengan kamu".


WAYS TO SAY I LOVE YOU

I know it’s not yet Valentine’s Day, but I’m feeling kind of romantic now, also a bit silly. So today I’m going to spread my love virus to you. I’m warning you, it’s contagious! ;)

There are so many different ways to tell someone that you love them, but the problem is there are so many phrases that seem to have the same meaning, and you can’t decide which one is more appropriate and sound more romantic than the others. Oh, boy! Telling someone you love them in English can be so challenging! :D

Here are some ways to say “I love you” without actually saying it:

1. You mean the world to me.

2. I need you to make me feel alive.

3. You are the one for me.

4. Me and you. Always.

5. You are the best thing that ever happened to me.

6. I’m so into you.

7. I’m yours.

8. I adore you.

9. You to me are everything.

10. Me minus you equals blue.

And sometimes adding humor often helps convey your feelings even better. Here are a few examples:

• You’re the reason I get up in the morning… Just kidding, I have to pee.

• Loving you is like having diarrhea… I just can’t hold it in!

• Let’s grow old and miserable together.

• I love you more than coffee (or maybe a really close second).

• I knew I loved you when I farted you didn’t run away.

I know they are cheesy and corny, but hey, I like them! :D If you think you have a better way to say “I love you”, please share it in the comment. I’d like to hear it.

COMMON MISTAKES IN ENGLISH

COMMON MISTAKES

In this section, we’re going to review the common grammatical mistakes made by the non native speakers. Here are some of them:

INCORRECT: No sooner had I arrived home when it began to rain.

CORRECT    : No sooner had I arrived home than it began to rain.

(Inversion: No sooner + auxiliary + subject + verb … than …)

INCORRECT: Charles loves Angel more than Simpson.

CORRECT    : Charles loves Angel more than Simpson does.

(The sentence “Charles loves Angel more than Simpson” means Charles loves Angel more than he loves Simpson. To avoid confusion, put an auxiliary verb as an ellipsis: Charles loves Angel more than Simpson loves Angel. = Charles loves Angel more than Simpson does.)

INCORRECT: I saw where my mistakes lay and how to make up for them.

CORRECT    : I saw where my mistakes lay and how I could make up for them.

INCORRECT: My archrival, Frankie, he scored very high marks in the last test..

CORRECT    : Frankie, my archrival, scored very high marks in the last test.

(Put the additional description between the subject and the verb. Surround it with commas.)

INCORRECT: I felt very difficult to deal with this physics problem.

CORRECT    : I found it very difficult to deal with this physics problem.

INCORRECT: The general meeting is scheduled to be held this afternoon at three.

CORRECT    : The general meeting is scheduled to be held at three this afternoon.

(In a series of adverbs of time, put the specific time expression before the general one.)

INCORRECT: She ran into her boyfriend yesterday morning in Fair Avenue.

CORRECT    : She ran into her boyfriend in Fair Avenue yesterday morning.

(Adverbs in order: manner – place – time.)

THE USE OF MODALS

The use of MODALS

Still confused how to use “modals” in your sentences? Are you having problems and still not knowing which modal should go with your sentence? Well, in this article I’m going to ease your problems.

CAN is used to show:

1. Ability

    • I can swim.

2. Informal permission

    • You can use my car tomorrow.

3. Informal polite request

    • Can I borrow your car tomorrow?

4. Impossibility (Negative only)

    • That can’t be true!

COULD is used to show:

1. Past ability

     • I could swim.

2. Polite request 

    • Could you do me a favor?

3. Suggestion

    • I need help with my English. – You could ask Miss Demi for help.

4. Possibility (less than 50% certainty)

    • Where’s Rina? – She could be sleeping.

MAY is used to show:

1. Polite request

    • May I share this post?

2. Formal permission

    • You may leave the room.

3. Possibility (less than 50% certainty)

    • Where’s Prof. Cartlidge? – He may be at the library.

MIGHT is used to show:

1. Possibility (less than 50% certainty)

    • Where’s Sonali? – She might be at home.

MUST is used to show:

1. Strong necessity

    • I must go to class today.

2. Prohibition

    • You mustn’t open that door.

3. Possibility (95% certainty)

    • Fatila isn’t in class. She must be sick.

WILL is used to show:

1. Possibility (100% certainty)

    • He will be here at 7:00.

2. Willingness

    • The phone’s ringing. – I’ll get it.

3. Polite request

    • Will you past the salt?

WOULD is used to show:

1. Polite request

    • Would you mind if I left early?

2. Preference

    • I would rather stay home than go to the park.

3. Repeated action in the past

    • When I was a child, my father would read me bedtime story.

SHALL is used to show:

1. Polite question to make a suggestion

    • Shall I open the window?

2. Future with “I” and “we” as subject

    • I shall arrive at seven. (“will” is more common)

SHOULD is used to show:

1. Advisability

    • You should see a doctor.

2. Possibility (90% certainty)

    • She should do well on the test.