Phrase of the day: What's cooking?

Native English speakers use this expression “What’s cooking?” in a casual way to ask someone what’s happening, what’s going on or what someone is planning.

Examples:

• What’s cooking at your house? I just saw a cop came into your house.
• Hey, Julie! What’s cooking?

“What’s the catch?” = Apa imbalannya?

When someone did something for you and you feel like he wants something in return, you can say “What’s the catch?”

A: I brought you a bacon tart. = Saya bawain kamu tart bacon.
B: Hmm.. What’s the catch? = Hmm… Apa imbalannya nih?
A: Nothing. = Gak ada kok.

You can also say “What’s in it for me?” to mean “What will I get?” or “Will I get paid?” for something you did.

“Be about + to-infinitive“ refers to arranged actions that happen in the immediate future. It is often used with“just”.

Examples:

• Hurry up! The ceremony is about to begin!
• Do you have a minute? – I’m sorry, I’m just about to leave.

“Worry about“ is a verb-preposition combination that needs a gerund after it. The same as “think about”.

Examples:

• I worry about having children and not being able to raise them well.
• Do you ever think about getting married and having children?

Confused Words: Bring or Take?

Can you answer this quiz? After answering the quiz, you can read the explanation below.

Here’s the explanation to the quiz:

English learners often get confused with these two words: bring and take because in their native language, these words show no different in usage and meaning.

Take a look at these two sentences, both of them are correct:

• Bring an umbrella with you in case it rain. 

  – Probably said to you by someone who is going somewhere with you.

• Take an umbrella with you in case it rains.
– Probably said to you by someone who is not goin

To understand bring and take, think about direction.Something coming your way is brought to you whilesomething going away is taken from you.

We use bring if the speaker refers to something that is at his current location and when something moves from there to here.
Bring shows movement toward the speaker.

We use take if the speaker refers to something that is in a different location and when something moves from here to there.
Take shows movement away from the speaker.

Common Mistake: Sit IN an armchair or ON?

I like to spend “me time” reading a good book or watching a movie without my kids around! How do like to spend your “me time“?

What do you call it?

There are times when you can’t recall the name of a thing or a person. It’s up there on your mind, but you just can’t spit it out. You would probably say “Mmm… What do you call it?” Or “What was that thing…? Mmm… You know that thing.”

Here are two cool expressions that you can use when you don’t know or remember the name of a thing or a person’s name:

Thingamajig /ˈthiŋ-ə-mə-ˌjig/ and Whatchamacallit /ˈhwä-chə-mə-ˌkȯ-lət/

Meaning: Used to refer to or address a person or thing whose name one has forgotten, does not know, or does not wish to mention.

Thingamajig Audio Player

00:00

00:00

WhatchamacallitAudio Player

00:00

00:00

Examples:

“Can I have that thingamajig… that thingamajig that mild, has firm texture, very creamy…”
“I can’t find the whatchamacallit that holds the paper down so that it won’t be blown away by the wind.”

Present Perfect Tense

The Present Perfect is used to indicate a link between the present and the past. The time of the action is before now but not specified; the exact time it happened is not important, and we are often more interested in the result than in the action itself.

In this lesson, I will explain the present perfect tense in a series of cartoons.

1. To describe experience.

2. To express the repetition of an activity before now.

3. To express a finished action with a result in the present.

4. To express a recent time action with just, only just, and recently.

5. To express a duration or a starting point of an activity with for and since.

6. Using already to refer to an activity that happened before the moment of speaking and to indicate some surprise.

7. Using yet to show an action that has lasted longer than expected. Yet means still.  

Tag Questions with Indefinite and Demonstrative Pronouns

A tag question is a question added at the end of a sentence. Speakers use tag questions chiefly to make sure their information is correct or to seek agreement. The tag question consists of a statement and a tag . If the statement is positive, the tag is usually negative and vice versa.

In today’s lesson, I’m going to explain tag questions with indefinite and demonstrative pronouns in a series of cartoons. Here are the rules for tag  questions . . .

1. with I am

2. with nobody, no one, someone, somebody, anyone, and anybody

3. with everything, something, anything, and nothing

4. with there + a form of be

5. with demonstrative pronouns this, that, these, andthose

Before you answer these quizzes, you might want to read this lesson on Tag Questions first. You can check out the answers, along with the explanation, at the end of the quiz.

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

Check out these answers:

1. B

Explanation:

Use there in a tag when the sentence includes “there + a form of be“.

 2. D

Explanation:

Use they in a tag when the sentence includes indefinite pronouns such as nobody, no one, someone, somebody,anyone, anybody.

 3. A

Explanation:

Use it in the tag to refer to everything, something,anything, nothing.

 4. B

Explanation:

In this sentence “I’d” is the contraction of I had. Don’t get confused “I’d” = I had with “I’d” = I would.

“I’d” the contraction of I would is followed by verb1.
– I would (I’d) like some more tea, please.
– I would (I’d) buy those shoes if they were on sale.

“I’d” the contraction of I had is followed by either verb3 or better.
– I had (I’d) finished my homework before she came.
– I had (I’d) better go now.

5. B

Explanation:

Use they when the statement in tag question usessomeone, somebody, anyone, anybody, no one.

When we want to ask who the person is, but we don’t know whether it’s a male or a female, say “Who is it?”unless you already know that the person is a male or a female, then we can say “Who is he/she?”

6. B

Explanation:

Use aren’t I as the tag after I am. Am I not is a formal tag.

7. A

Explanation:

Some introductory phrases such as I am afraid, I think, I believe, I am sure, I suspect, I suppose, it appears that, it seems that, it looks as if, as far as I remember, as far as I can see don’t affect question tags.

8. B

Explanation:

The same as number 7.

How well did you do the quizzes? Did you nail all of them?

TOO, ALSO, and AS WELL

“You’re still confused on how to use TOO, ALSO, and AS WELL? Really?? Me too.”

Are you still confused on how to use too, also, and as well in a sentence? Well, this article will solve your problem.

TOO has the same meaning as also. We usually put too in end position:

• I love you too. OR: I also love you.

• She brought the wine to the party. She brought some flowers too. OR: She brought the wine to the party. She also brought …

TOO can occur immediately after the subject, if it refers directly to the subject. It does not normally occur after a modal or auxiliary verb. We sometimes write commas before and after too:

• I too thought she looked unwell.

• We, too, have been very pleased to receive the prize on her behalf. (Not:
We have too been very pleased …)

TOO is especially common in responses to fixed expressions such as giving good wishes, and in responses consisting of a single object pronoun:

A: Have a wonderful Sunday.

B: Thanks. You too. (Have a wonderful Suday to you too.)

Too and Also

ALSO has the same meaning as likewise, besides, too. ALSO is commonly used in writing, but is less common in speaking. It occupies different positions in a sentence.

We use ALSO in front position to emphasise what follows or to add a new point or topic:

Example:

OK, I’ll arrange a meeting with the board of commitee next week and we can discuss it then. Also, we need to decide who will receive the scholarship this year.

We use ALSO in the normal mid position for adverbs, between the subject and main verb, or after the modal verb or first auxiliary verb, or after be as a main verb. In this position, the meaning of also usually connects back to the whole clause that comes before:

• I’d like a new CD player for my birthday; also a new laptop.

• We stayed at a historic hotel in London, the same hotel that had alsowelcomed our grandparents many years ago.

In end position, ALSO normally connects two phrases. We use as well and too instead of also, in end position, especially in speech:

She contacted him in the office but he didn’t answer the phone. His cell phone was silent also. OR: His cell phone was silent too. OR: His cell phone was silent as well.

AS WELL is much more common in speaking than in writing, and is more common in speaking than also. AS WELL almost always comes in end position:

• While you’re at the store, could you get a few things for me as well?

• Our vacation was a disaster; not only the food was terrible, the weather was awful as well.