Thursday, 16 February 2017
What you need to know to understand Trump.
British English and American English
With the appointment of the controversial 45th American president, Donald Trump, we'll be hearing a lot of American English over the next four years.
Take a look below to see the differences between the Yanks and the Brits.
British people and American people can always understand each other – but there are a few notable differences between British English and American English
Grammar
Americans use the present perfect tense less than speakers of British English and a British teacher might mark wrong some things that an American teacher would say are correct.
Grammar
Americans use the present perfect tense less than speakers of British English and a British teacher might mark wrong some things that an American teacher would say are correct.
- US Did you do your homework yet?
- Brit. Have you done your homework yet?
- US I already ate.
- Brit. I’ve already eaten.
In British English, ‘have got’ is often used for the possessive sense of ‘have’ and ‘have got to’ is informally used for ‘have to’. This is much less common in American English.
- Brit. I’ve got two sisters.
- US I have two sisters.
- Brit. I’ve got to go now.
- US I have to go now.
There are a number of other minor grammatical differences.
Vocabulary
There are a lot of examples of different words being used in British and American English. Here are a few of the commonest.
Vocabulary
There are a lot of examples of different words being used in British and American English. Here are a few of the commonest.
- angry (Brit.) = mad (US)
- autumn = fall
- boot (of a car) = trunk
- chemist’s = drug store
- cupboard = closet
- flat = apartment
- lift = elevator
- nappy = diaper
- pavement = sidewalk
- petrol = gas/gasoline
- rubbish = trash
- tap = faucet
- trousers = pants
There are British words which many Americans will not understand and vice versa. There are also words which exist in both British and American English but have very different meanings.
Spelling
There are also a number of different spelling rules between British English and American English.
1 Some words that end in ‘-tre’ in British English end in ‘-ter’ in American English.
Spelling
There are also a number of different spelling rules between British English and American English.
1 Some words that end in ‘-tre’ in British English end in ‘-ter’ in American English.
- US theater, center
- Brit. theatre, centre
2 Some words that end in ‘-our’ in British English end in ‘-or’ in American English.
- US color, labor
- Brit. colour, labour
3 Some words are shorter in American English than in British English.
- US catalog, program
- Brit. catalogue, programme
There are other minor spelling differences between British and American English.
Wednesday, 15 February 2017
U2 - Sunday Bloody Sunday
"Sunday
Bloody Sunday"
"Sunday
Bloody Sunday" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the opening track
from their 1983 album War and was released as the album's third single on 11
March 1983 in Germany and the Netherlands. "Sunday Bloody Sunday" is
noted for its militaristic drumbeat, harsh guitar, and melodic harmonies. One
of U2's most overtly political songs, its lyrics describe the horror felt by an
observer of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, mainly focusing on the Bloody
Sunday incident in Derry where British troops shot and killed unarmed civil
rights protesters and bystanders who were there to rally against Operation
Demetrius-related internment (imprisonment without trial), while at the same
time rejecting hate and revenge as a response noted in the lyrics, "There's
many lost, but tell me who has won." Along with "New Year's
Day," the song helped U2 reach a wider listening audience. It was
generally well received by critics on the album's release.
The song
has remained a staple of U2's live concerts. During its earliest performances,
the song created controversy. Lead singer Bono reasserted the song's
anti-sectarian-violence message to his audience for many years. Today, it is
considered one of U2's signature songs, and is one of the band's most performed
tracks. Critics rate it among the best political protest songs, and it has been
covered by over a dozen artists.
If you’d
like to read more about the song, follow the link directly below and if you’d
like to read more about the events of that day, follow the second link
So now I
want to hear your point of view.
What do you
think about the events of 30th January 1972?
Do you
think that musicians should take a political stand?
Past habit – used to/would/past simple
Past habit – used to/would/past simple
When we talk about things that happened in the past but don’t happen anymore we can do it in different ways.Used to
- We used to live in New York when I was a kid.
- There didn’t use to be a petrol station there. When was it built?
- I used to go swimming every Thursday when I was at school.
- I used to smoke but I gave up a few years ago.
Remember that ‘used to’ is only for past states/actions that don’t happen now – we can’t use it for things that still happen now. Also, ‘used to + infinitive’ should not be confused with ‘be/get used to + ‘ing’ form’ – this is covered in a separate section.
Would
- Every Saturday I would go on a long bike ride.
- My teachers would always say “Sit down and shut up!”
Often either ‘would’ or ‘used to’ is possible. Both of these sentences are possible.
- Every Saturday, I would go on a long bike ride.
- Every Saturday I used to go on a long bike ride.
- We used to live in New York when I was a kid.
We would live in New York when I was a kid.
- We went/used to go/would go to the same beach every summer.
- I had/used to have a dog called Charlie.
- I went to Egypt in 1988.
Tuesday, 14 February 2017
Monday, 13 February 2017
6 minute English - Women’s right to Vote
Here are some questions that I have prepared for a 6 minute English listening on the BBC website. Follow the instructions below:
- Read the questions.
- Read the specific vocabulary.
- Follow the link below and try to answer the questions as you listen. You might need to listen twice. http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-161124
- Scroll down the BBC web page and listen again with the transcript so you can check your answers.
Women’s right to Vote - 6 minute English
Questions
Questions
1. What is the name
of the women who fought for the right to vote in the UK?
2. What are the 3
countries in the question?
3. When did women
win the right to vote in the UK?
4. At that point in
time, what percentage of men didn’t have the right to vote?
5. What was the
name of the most famous female activist?
6. What is the name
of the book that Julia Bush has written?
7. According to
Julia what else did women want apart from the vote?
8. What is June
Purvis a professor of?
9. According to
June, what did women do to try to get the vote?
10. What was Lyons Corner House?
11. How long after
the first world war did women get the vote?
12. In what year did
answer to question 3 give
women the right to vote?
Vocabulary (if there are any words you don't understand, look them up before you start)
role models
lobbied
electorate
plight
raised their profile
impromptu
militant
direct action
role models
lobbied
electorate
plight
raised their profile
impromptu
militant
direct action
6 Minute English - Is English changing?
Here are some questions that I have prepared for a 6 minute English listening on the BBC website. Follow the instructions below:
- Read the questions.
- Read the specific vocabulary.
- Follow the link below and try to answer the questions as you listen. You might need to listen twice. http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-160804
- Scroll down the BBC web page and listen again with the transcript so you can check your answers.
Is English Changing? - 6 minute English
Questions
Questions
1.
What is the first example they
give of English changing?
2.
What are the 3 options in
the questions?
3.
What modal verb is on the
way out (disappearing)?
4.
What is Bas Aarts’ job?
5.
What is the name of the
programme on BBC radio 4?
6.
The use of what other modal
verb is declining rapidly?
7.
According to Bas Aarts, when
did the present progressive tense start being used more?
8.
What popular new progressive
sentence does Michael use?
9.
What is Mark Pagel’s job and
where does he work?
10.
According to Mark how long
ago were our ancestors using answer to
question 2?
11.
How long ago were our
ancestors using number words?
Vocabulary
baffling
hard to understand
hard to understand
on the way out
disappearing; declining in popularity and use
disappearing; declining in popularity and use
interrogative
question
question
win out
succeed after a fight
succeed after a fight
obligation
having a duty to do something
having a duty to do something
authoritarian
demanding obedience from people
demanding obedience from people
shying away from
avoiding
avoiding
progressive
ongoing; continuing
ongoing; continuing
stative
expressing a state of 'being' – as opposed to 'doing'
expressing a state of 'being' – as opposed to 'doing'
Sunday, 12 February 2017
Prepositions: In, On, and At (with specific times and places)
Prepositions: In, On, and At (with specific times and places)
The prepositions in, on,
and at can be used to
indicate time and place. Notice how they are used in the
following situations:
In
many languages, there is only one preposition for the above
situations. In English there are three. Just remember that in usually indicates the
"largest" time or place, and at
usually indicates the "smallest" time or place.
Examples:
Q: Where's your office?
A: In Taipei, Taiwan.
Q: Really? What part of Taipei?
A:
It's on Chung Shan North Road.
Q: I know that area. Where exactly is it?
A:
It's at 105 Chung Shan North Road,
next to the bookstore.
Q: When is the wedding?
A: It's in June.
Q: What day?
A: It's on Saturday, the 25th.
Q: What time?
A:
It starts at 6:00.
|
Prepositions with articles and locations
When talking about locations,
use at to indicate the general vicinity or area, and in to
indicate inside the building, enclosed area, etc. For example:
at the swimming pool (on
site)
|
in the swimming pool (in the
pool itself i.e. in the water)
|
|
at the post office/bank
(general)
|
in the post office/bank
(inside the building)
|
|
at the zoo (visitors,
general area)
|
in the zoo (animals in their
cages)
|
|
at school
|
in the classroom
|
Sample sentences:
I met my wife at the theatre.
(while watching a movie)
I spilled my drink in the
theatre (on the floor of the building)
She works at the library on
Wednesdays.
She found a rare coin in the
library (building).
Dr Jones works at the hospital
every day.
For school, prison,
and church, the is used to indicate the building. No article
indicates the general situation. Note the following:
"practice"/situation
|
building
|
|
in school (studying,
listening to teacher, etc.)
|
in the school
(building)
|
|
in jail/prison (staying
there as a criminal)
|
in the jail/prison
(temporary)
|
|
in church (praying,
listening to a sermon, etc.)
|
in the church
(building)
|
Where's Dad?
in church (attending
services)
|
in the church (fixing the
windows)
|
|
at church
|
at the church
|
|
in prison (He committed a
crime.)
|
at the prison (visiting his
friend)
|
Verb phrases
Verb phrases
Verb phrases are groups of words that express action or state of being.
They take on various forms.
The men live in the dormitory.
|
(Single
verbs)
|
He stayed at the Hi Hat Hotel.
|
(Past
tense verbs)
|
I am learning many new things.
|
(Progressive
verbs)
|
She has been there before.
|
(Perfect
verbs)
|
They have been working here five years.
|
(Perfect
progressive verbs)
|
I could use some assistance.
|
(Verbs
and modals)
|
The trip was approved by the
professor.
|
(Passive
verbs)
|
Do you want some
more pie?
|
(Verbs
in questions)
|
Other words can be added to enhance verb phrases:
The
mayor works here.
|
(adverbs)
|
Neil is not a candidate.
|
(negatives)
|
They
live in the suburbs.
|
(prepositional phrases)
|
She'll
leave whenever she wants.
|
(adverbial clauses)
|
Don't talk while eating.
|
(phrases)
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