The Difference Between TOO & VERY

TOO 

Remember that TOO implies excess, and something that (usually) is not good. Often students confuse TOO with superlatives (prettiest, most beautiful, hottest, fastest, etc.)

It sounds kind of strange to say:
Ex. "She's too beautiful".

One would say:
Ex.  "She's the most beautiful woman (I've ever seen)".

We often use the following construction with TOO:
Subject  + Verb TO BE + TOO + Adjective  + INFINITIVE (to+verb)

See the following examples:
1. She is too tired TO GO OUT tonight.
2. I'm too broke TO BUY Ray Ban sunglasses! (broke=no money)
3. They're too sunburnt (or sunburned) TO GO to the beach tomorrow.

VERY 

VERY is similar to the adverb "so".  Both "so" and VERY  express "a lot".  VERY is an adverb because it compliments adjectives.

Ex.  She's very beautiful!
Ex.  She's very hardworking...  She works a lot!
Ex.  The trip was very/so exciting!

TOO vs. VERY 

And finally, let's look at the difference between TOO and VERY in the following sentences:

Ex.  "I'm too tired to stay up." (I can't stay awake longer... I must sleep.)
        "I'm very tired tonight."  (Although I'm tired, I can stay up a little longer.)

Ex. "He's too frustrated to finish the project today." (He won't finish the project today.)
      "He's very frustrated with the project." (Despite being so frustrated, he may or may not finish.)


That's it!  Ciao for now.

What's the difference between wOnder & wAnder?

This is a tricky one because the difference in pronunciation is minuscule.  As a result, many ESL students have difficulty in detecting the correct word, as well as pronouncing it.  Let's take a look at each.

WONDER

The "o" in wonder sounds like "uh" as in the word "fun."  The meaning is to think or imagine something.

Ex. I wonder what she's doing right now... Is she thinking about me?"

WANDER 

The "a" in wander is like the sound "ah" as in the word "walk."  To wander means that you have no destination or that maybe you're lost or that you have no particular place to go and instead you prefer to take any direction or way that you choose spontaneously.

We often use this word with the preposition "around."

Ex.  Instead of using the map, we preferred to wander around the quaint neighborhood of El Born in Barcelona.

I hope this makes it clear for you!

Motto of the U.S.A. "E PLURIBUS UNUM" or "IN GOD WE TRUST"? (a little history lesson)

So today's post is about the motto of the United States of America.  Many of you readers have heard "E pluribus unum" and "In God We Trust", which are both found on American currency today.  The current motto is actually "In God We Trust".  It used to be "E pluribus unum".

So let's take a look at each:

"E pluribus unum"

Surely you have heard of this expression and maybe you know what it means.  Just in case you don't, it is Latin for "One out of many" or "One among many".  This expression used to be the motto of the United States of American, adopted by an act of Congress in 1782.  (It is also the motto for the biggest soccer (or football) club in Portugal, the great BENFICA.)  The expression was chosen at the time to represent the union of the various states of the United States, and today it has evolved to represent the idea of the melting pot in the U.S.A., or the union of various races, religions, languages, and ancestries.

"In God We Trust"

In 1956 Congress passed act adopting "In God We Trust" as the official motto of the United States, leaving behind "In pluribus unum" (though it still can be found on our currency...).  The president at that time was Dwight Eisenhower.  "In God We Trust" first appeared on paper currency in 1957.   The phrase was taken from the "Star-Spangled Banner" (the national anthem), which was written by a 35-year-old lawyer/amateur poet named Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812.  There is controversy surrounding this motto, as there exists a separation of the Church and the State in the U.S.A.  (This is a conversation that regularly comes up among Americans...even as teenagers, we would discuss this.)  However, it continues to be the official motto of the U.S.A., supported and upheld legally as an act of Congress.  

That's it for today.  I hope you liked the history lesson!

THEIR, THEY'RE or THERE? This one can be VERY confusing...!?!?!?

So many native and non-native speakers struggle in understanding the difference among their, they're and their.  So let's break it down; They are ALL pronounced in the same way, which is why people normally have trouble using the correct spelling along with the correct meaning.

THEIR

Their is simply the posessive adjective (or determiner), as seen below:

my dog
your computer
his house
her car
its leash
our family
their computer

As you can see, we use possessive adjectives (or determiners) with a noun.

THEY'RE

This is quite simply a contraction:

THEY + ARE

As you can see, they apostrophe (') substitutes the 'a' in the verb ARE.  So 'they're' is actually a subject + a verb (they+are.)  Here are some examples:

They're (they+are)almost ready to go!
They're (they+are) visiting us in August.
They're (they+are) the new champions.

THERE

This is what is referred to in grammar as a "dummy subject."  What is a "dummy subject?"  Well, in English there MUST be a subject and a verb.  So, when we don't have a specific verb (my mother, your teacher, his brother, Mary, John, Xander...etc.)  There serves as a general verb.  Here are a few examples:

There is some chocolate cake left if you want some.  (present)
There was a big storm outside, so take your umbrella.  (past)
There are mosquitos in the room!...It keeps biting me!  (present)
There will be consequences for your actions.  (future)

As you can see, you can use there with the past, present or future.

I hope this clears up your doubts.  If you happen to still have some, leave questions or comments below.

The Diffrence Between GOOD and WELL and more about IRREGULAR ADVERBS.

So what's the difference between GOOD and WELL?...

Well, that's a good question and also a common one for both native and non-native speakers.  First of all let's take a look at the grammar, and then we'll take a look at examples and explanations.

Grammar.

Basically, good is an adjective, and well is an adverb.  Now, you probably know what an adjective is, but you may not know what an adverb is.  But let's go ahead and take a look at both:

What's an adjective?  An adjective describes (or modifies) a noun. 

An adjective answers the question: What kind....?

Ex. What kind of swimmer are you?  I am a good swimmer.

Ex. What kind of apples do you prefer?  I prefer green apples.

Ex. What kind of food do you like?  I like Mexican food.

Ok, so what's an adverb?  An adverb describes (or modifies) a verb, adjective or another adverb. 

An adverb answers the question: How...?

*Note: Below the adverb is underlinded and the word the adverb modifies is in bold.

Ex. How do you swim?  I swim well.  (modifies the verb "swim")

Ex. How intelligent are you?  I am extremely intelligent.  (modifies the adjective "intelligent")

Ex. How well do you swim?  I swim very well.  (modifies the adverb "well")

Examples & Explanations.

Now that we know the difference between an adjective (good) and an adverb (well), let's take a look at some examples.  Remember that "good" modifies nouns and "well" modifies verbs:

Ex. He is a good writer.  He writes well.

Ex. We are good students.  We study well.

Ex. They are good workers.  They work well.

I think you get the idea now...But you may be wondering: Why is there so much confusion between good and well?  It's something that my mother always corrected when I was a child.  Let's take a closer look.

"Well" is an irregular adverb.  With regular adverbs we normally just add -ly:

• quiet--quiet+ly
• quick--quick+ly
• silent--silent+ly

Some adverbs (like "well") are irregular.  Here is a list of irregular adverbs:

• good--well
• fast--fast
• hard--hard

Lastly, let's take a quick look at the following examples.  Don't these sentences sound strange?

1. "Sir, you are driving too fastly fast!"  
2. "She's working hardly hard."
3. "You work good well under pressure."

Does that make sense?  Well, if it doesn't, just leave a question below ;)

5 MORE Common Mistakes Portuguese Speakers Make

I've already posted about common mistakes the Portuguese make, but here are some more! Yay! As I wrote before: When we try to speak in a foreign language we translate directly and literally from our own, but sometimes translating does not work, as in the following examples.

1. assist/attend

• I'm going to assist attend a conference about international business this weekend.

Note: Assist means to help somebody or provide assistance.  Ex. I need somebody to assist me in deciphering this cell phone bill!

2. coffee/café

• I want to go to a outdoor coffee café with a view of the river. 

Note: We only use coffee for the drink...this mistake is SO common!

3. yet/still

• Are you still working yet?

Note: We could also ask the question: "Have you gotten off of work YET?"

4.  anybody/nobody

• Anybody  Nobody wants to take vacation in August.  Everybody wants to take vacation at the end of July. 

5. are/there are

• Are There are lots of people here!

I hope this helps!

Since it is JULY 4TH, INDEPENDENCE DAY...what does Yankee DOODLE mean anyway?

If you're an American like me, you will remember the song "Yankee-Doodle"...

Yankee-Doodle went to town
riding on a pony.
Stuck a feather in his hat
and called it Macaroni.

You probably also remember the childish version we would sing as kids (!)...Either way, this is something ingrained in every American. I know the song...my Portuguese husband does NOT know the song. It is part of American culture...it is part of us, whether or not we even care or want it to be!

I find these cultural impressions fascinating and interesting!

So back to the topic at hand: What does DOODLE mean? (And it didn't mean to draw....)

From the early seventeenth century, it came to English through Low German and meant "to play music badly," and also it meant a person who was unsophisticated, a simpleton or even a fool. 

So what does the song mean?

So the song is about a Yankee (obviously, an American) sticking a feather in his hat and thinking he is automatically a "Macaroni," or gentleman, at the time in England, who dressed effeminately and belonged to an exclusive club called the Macaroni Club.  (seriously!)  They wore wigs, two watches and only dressed in high fashion, scoffing at their American counterparts who were not as "sophisticated" as them.  Us Americans figured by simply wearing a feather in our hat we would be granted "Macaroni" status!  Well, we were wrong...as this song makes fun of us a bit, but who cares...!  I love being American and wouldn't trade it for any other nationality in the world...ever!

Enjoy the fireworks and Happy Independence Day!!!

What's the DIFFERENCE between HIS and HE'S?

This question has two elements: Pronunciation and grammar.

PRONUNCIATION: HIS vs. HE'S

The difference between the sounds i: (he's) and I (his) is the most difficult sound for all students regardless of their native tongue.  To read more about the difference between these sounds, to practice pronunciation pairs and to understand the pronunciation element in depth, read The Most Commonly Mispronounced VOWEL Sounds.

GRAMMAR: HIS vs. HE'S

The difference between HIS and HE'S is fairly simple, but students get confused because of the pronunciation.  The grammar is straight forward and easy to understand when explained.

HIS is the possessive adjective for HE, of course:

I--my

You--your

He--his

She--her

It--its

We--our

They--their

Ex.  Don't work on his computer because he's still finishing his reports. 

HE'S=HE+IS.  It's that simple!  He's is a contraction for the verb TO BE:

I'm=I am

You're=you are

He's=he is

She's=she is

It's=it is

We're=we are

They're=they are

Ex. He's working on his thesis right now, so please don't disturb him!

I hope this helps....if not, leave a question below.  Have a great weekend :)

NEVER ask a CATALAN if their LANGUAGE is a mix of French & Spanish!

A Weekend in Catalonia

After traveling to Barcelona for the weekend, I committed a grave error by asking the question: "So, is Catalán a mix of French and Spanish?"  There is no quicker way to lose a local friend than by asking this (ignorant) question.  I should have known better, but my Catalonian friend quickly explained to me, very simply, that Catalán came directly from Latin just as Spanish did.

After that clarification, my friend taught me how to say "My dog is very big" in Catalán "El meu gos és molt gran".  It was not easy to remember because dog=gos, a word that I don't associate with the Spanish (pero) or the Portuguese (cão/cadela/cachorro) or the French (chien)...or the Latin (canis) or even the Romanian (câine).

Where in the world does this Catalonian word gos (dog) come from?  If you are Catalán, please leave the answer below in the comment section!  It's a mystery to me, and I'm very curious...

The "Big 5" Romance Languages

(*My source for the rest of my post is Wikipedia.)

Why did I have it in my head that there were 5 main Romance Languages (Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian and Romanian) that came from Latin and that the others were a hybrid of these five "originals"...??  It's because Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian and Romanian are the 5 Romance Languages that have the biggest groups of speakers:

Spanish=410  million
Portuguese=216 million
French=75 million
Italian=60 million
Romanian=25 milltion

Catalán=8-9 million

A Long, long list of ALL Romance Languages

Contrary to what I thought I knew, there are actually 23 various Romance Languages defined by some linguist on the basis of "mutual intelligibility" and they include the lovely language of Catalán of course!

Ibero-Romance:

• Portuguese
• Galician
• Mirandese
• Asturian-Leonese
• Spanish
• Aragonese

Occitano-Romance:

• Catalán
• Occitan

Gallo-Romance:

• Langues d'oil (including French)
• Franco-Provençal

Rhaeto-Romance:

• Romansh
• Ladin
• Friulian

Gallo-Italic Languages

Venetian

Italo-Romance:

• Corsican
• Italian
• Neopolitan
• Sicilian

Dalmatian (extinct)

Romanian:

• Daco-Romanian
• Istro-Romanian
• Aromanian
• Megleno-Romanian

  

Take the PRONUNCIATION CHALLENGE: Terpsichore, sward, ague, Melponmene, victual and MORE!

So, maybe you think you know how to pronounce all the words in the English language correctly...Well, most likely you cannot.  (Just as I cannot!)

This link is great for native speakers and advanced learners of English.  Do you know how to say Terpsichore, sward, ague, Melponmene, victual, plait and fifer? 

Click here to test your pronunciation...and to learn the pronunciation of the words above.

Good Luck!  You will need it.... ;)

EXPAND your Vocabulary: LACKADAISICAL

This is one of my favorite words because the sound of the word reflects its meaning, in my humble opinion.  And again, I use Dictionary.com to define the word.  I hope you like it as much as I do!

Ex.  This post is rather lackadaisical because all I did was quote Dictionary.com!

lackadaisical

\lak-uh-DEY-zi-kuhl\ adjective 1. without interest, vigor, or determination; listless; lethargic: a lackadaisical attempt. 2. lazy; indolent: a lackadaisical fellow. Quotes He had for a moment been very angry when his friend had told him that he could not sympathise with a lackadaisical lover. It was an ill-natured word. He felt it to be so when he heard it, and so he continued to think during the whole of the half-hour that he sat in that chair. -- Anthony Trollope, The Small House at Allington, 1864 Origin Lackadaisical stems from the archaic term lackadaisy, a variant of lackaday. These in turn came from an alteration of the phrase alack the day, an interjection used as an exclamation of sorrow, regret, or dismay.

What's the difference between the OXFORD COMMA and the SERIAL COMMA?

The answer is simple.  There is none.  The only difference is in the name.  The Oxford Comma comes from Great Britain, while the serial comma comes from the United States.

Ok, but what does it mean?

• The serial comma (or Oxford Comma) is used after a series (a list) of nouns.  

• I need to buy detergent, shampoo, and doggie treats.  (WITH COMMA)
• I need to buy detergent, shampoo and doggie treats. (WITHOUT COMMA)

In these examples the meaning is the same with or without the serial comma (or Oxford Comma). But now let's take a look at an example in which the meaning DOES change.  I will use an example from a video that I will share at the end.

• Here is the difference between using the serial comma (or Oxford Comma) and not using it:

• A. I'm having a party, so bring your friend Bob, a D.J., and a clown. (WITH COMMA)
• B.  I'm having a party, so bring your friend Bob, a D.J. and a clown.  (WITHOUT COMMA)

Now let's take a look at the difference in meaning of sentence A and sentence B.

Sentence A can be interpreted in two different ways:

1. Bring your friend Bob (who is a D.J.) and also bring a clown.  (2 people)
2. Bring your friend Bob, a D.J. and also bring a clown.  (3 people)

Sentence B implies the following:

1. Bring your friend Bob, who is a D.J. and who is also a clown...he has two jobs. (1 person)

Are you confused yet? These little details make a big difference. Punctuation is important in transmitting what we want to communicate in our writing.  

So let's take a look again at Sentence A and B.  In order to clarify if you want your friend to bring 2 or 3 people, we can rewrite the sentences like this:

• C:  (2 people) Bring your friend Bob, who is a D.J., and a clown. (this is a non-restrictive clause)
• D:  (3 people) Bring a D.J., a clown and your friend Bob.

The indefinite article (a) in Sentence C helps to clarify the fact that the D.J. and the clown are two different people.  

Now, the debate presented in this video is whether or not to use the comma or not.  As we can see in these examples, it depends on what you want to communicate, and it's that simple!  No need for debate, to use or not to use...we use the serial comma (or Oxford Comma) when we want to make it clear that there are 3 separate entities.

Let's take another look at the difference between using the serial comma (or the Oxford Comma) and not using it:

• I like eating quesadillas, rice, and beans. (WITH COMMA)
• I like eating quesadillas, rice and beans. (WITHOUT COMMA)

In the first sentence, I imagine a plate with quesadillas, a side of rice, and a side of beans...all separated.  In the second sentence, I imagine a plate with quesadillas and a side mixed of rice and beans.  (Of course, us Californians always know that rice and beans come separate.)  Still, I think this example demonstrates the difference between using and not using the serial comma (or Oxford comma).

One more example...imagine you are a painter!

• For my next painting, it will be orange, red and blue. (WITHOUT COMMA)
• For my next painting, it will be orange, red, and blue. (WITH COMMA)

What do you imagine?  The first sentence is orange with a mix of red and blue...so maybe there's some purple there...  For the second sentence you might imagine the colors separated: orange, red, blue.

Finally I will leave you with this video that my colleague sent me, which is much more entertaining than  reading my post :/ !!

I hope you enjoy it. 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ptM7FzyjtRk

How about a refreshing DESSERT in the DESERT? 10 more words that CHANGE according to STRESS

Here are 10 more examples words that change meaning or part of speech depending on word stress.  This is an extension of a previous blog posts that can be found here and here.

As already stated in both of my previous posts, it is crucial to know where to place the appropriate stress or intonation of many words in English, as the meaning of a word or its part of speech can change.

Pay close attention to which syllables (the first or second) carry the stress and what part of speech each word is (verb or noun).  Do you notice any pattern in these two syllable words?  Well, as you can see in these examples, if the stress is on the first syllable, it is a noun, and if the stress is on the second syllable, it is a verb.

Remember that when speaking English, stress is a crucial element in pronunciation, so always pay close attention to which syllable carries the stress and say it accordingly.  ESL Readers: Say it out loud!

1.  ALLY (noun): Ex. The Americans and United Kingdom were allies in World War II. 

ALLY (verb): Ex. It is crucial to ally with partners who have something to gain from our partnership. 

2.  COMBAT (noun): Ex. It is imperative that during combat, soldiers have a high level of trust among their fellow men and women.  

COMBAT (verb): Ex. In order to combat the spread of malaria, the regular use of nets is a necessity. 

3.  CONFINE (noun): Ex. Within the confines of the school, children are not allowed to use the Internet on their hand held devices.  

CONFINE (verb): Ex. By having a small area of space to play, the school essesentially confines children. 

4.  CONVICT (noun): Ex. The convict sat in prison for 20 years.  

CONVICT (verb): Ex. The court convicted the criminal for robbing a bank. 

This one is fun because the words completely change meaning!   

5.  DESERT (noun): Ex. The desert was dry and arid, but the sky was clear with a beautiful view of the pyramids.  

DESSERT (noun): Ex. The dessert was a white chocolate rasberry cake wtih hints of basil.  

6.  EXCUSE (noun): Ex. I don't want to hear any excuses from you anymore!  You must be on time, and that's the end of it!  EXCUSE (verb):  Please excuse my tardiness... but understand that my car broke down, and I had no control over the situation. 

*Pronunciation Note: With the noun, the 's' is pronounced as an 's,' (voiceless) but with the verb, the 's' is pronounced as a 'z.' (voiced)

7.  REBEL (noun): Ex. The rebels still have a stronghold on the capital city.  

REBEL (verb): Ex. All teenagers love to rebel!

8.  REFILL (noun): Ex. Only in America can I ask for another refill of Fanta. 

REFILL (verb): Ex. The huge ditch that the construction company had to be refilled with dirt. 

And again here, we can see that the stress changes the meaning of the word completely!  (As a noun, it means a topic or subject in school (History, Math, etc.).  As a verb it means to cause expose somebody to something negative.  Here's the full definition.

9.  SUBJECT (noun): Ex. My favorite subject is English, of course.  

SUBJECT (verb): Why must you repeatedly subject me to these meetings that last an hour and a half past 5:00 pm?

Here we have a word that is a noun, verb AND an adjective:

10.  UPSET (adjective/verb): Ex. I was upset after I found out the score of the soccer game. / Please don't upset me anymore with bad news!  UPSET (noun): Ex. Did you hear about the upset between Portugal and the United States?...The US won the soccer game!  

That's all!  If you like my blog, please share it with your friends :)

M.

A HEARTY WELCOME or a CORDIAL RECEPTION? This is so COOL! ...especially for native speakers...

When you think of a hearty welcome, what do you imagine...?

What are people wearing?  What are people drinking?  Where is everyone?

When you think of a cordial reception, what do you imagine...?

What are people wearing?  What are people drinking?  Where is everyone?

A TED Talk about the History of the English Language

So, what you imagine is a reflection of the roots of the English Language, and when I say roots, I mean a century (1,000 years) ago.

Thanks to my colleague, Tim, I leave you here with this amazing TED Talk, which explains the etymology of a hearty welcome and a cordial reception:

Enjoy!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kIzFz9T5rhI

THOUGH/THOUGHT/TOUGH/THROUGH/THRU*/THROUGHOUT/THOROUGH...What's the difference?

One of the most challenging aspects of English is spelling.  Let's take a look at the following words, one at a time, according to pronunciation and meaning/grammar along with some examples.

In terms of pronunciation, I will NOT be using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) because many readers are not familiar with it.  Instead I will be using audio links to Cambridge Dictionary online, where both American and British English pronunciations are demonstrated.

THOUGH--THOUGHT--TOUGH--THROUGH--THRU*--THROUGHOUT--THOROUGH

1. THOUGH (conjunction)

Pronunciation: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/pronunciation/british/though

Meaning/Grammar: Though is synonymous with but and although.  

Ex. Though I really like hot weather, 40 degrees Celsius is way too hot for me! 

2.  THOUGHT (verb)

Pronunciation: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/pronunciation/british/thought

Meaning/Grammar: Thought is the past tense of think. 

Ex. I thought about your proposal, but I can't accept it. 

3.  TOUGH (adjective)

Pronunciation: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/pronunciation/british/tough

Meaning/Grammar: Tough is synonymous with hard, difficult, firm or strict.  

Ex. My English test was tough. 

Ex. My grandfather is tough...he is 90 years old and still works in the field 8 hours a day!

4.  THROUGH (preposition)

Pronunciation: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/pronunciation/british/through

Meaning/Grammar:  From one end or side to the other; from beginning to end; because of someone or something; from one time until another. 

Ex.  First go through the tunnel, and then turn right.  

Ex.  I worked through the night to finish the translation.  

Ex. I got my job through my father-in-law.  

Ex. The bank is open from Monday through Saturday.

5.  THRU (preposition) *This is NOT Standard English...do not use!

Pronunciation: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/pronunciation/british/thru

Meaning/Grammar: Again, this is NOT Standard English.  It is a poor and easy spelling of the word through, as seen above.  The only proper use of this word is in the word "drive-thru".  

Ex. Whenever we eat at McDonald's, we use the drive-thru. 

6.  THROUGHOUT (preposition)

Pronunciation: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/pronunciation/british/throughout

Meaning/Grammar: In every part or place; during an entire period of time.  

Ex. The disease spread throughout the population with two short weeks.  

Ex. We listened to the lecture throughout the afternoon. 

7.  THOROUGH (adjective)

Pronunciation: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/pronunciation/british/thorough

Meaning/Grammar: Thorough is synonymous with careful, complete, meticulous, detailed, organized. Ex. Translation work requires a person to be thorough and detailed.  

I hope this helps!  Thanks for reading :)

What's the difference between HIS and HE'S? It's not as simple as you may think...

There is always a confusion with my students concerning HIS and HE'S.  Why?  Because, to ESL speakers ears, they hear and pronounce these words in the same way [HEES].

You can read about the correct pronunciation on my older post about the most difficult vowel sound for ESL speakers.

As I've already explained the pronunciation in a previous post, here we will focus a tiny bit more on pronunciation and then on the grammar.

Pronunciation: HIS vs. HE'S

• HIS is pronounced with the (I) sound according to the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) (as in it, live, ship, tin, bin, etc...)
• HE'S is pronounced with the (i:) sound according to the IPA, (as in see, free, tea, leave, etc...)

Again, if you want to learn more about the difference between (I) and (i:), visit my old post clicking on the link above.

Grammar: HIS vs. HE'S

HIS is a possessive adjective (or a possessive determiner):

• my
• your
• his
• her
• its
• our
• their

We use these possessive adjectives with nouns. 

• Ex. That is not your book!  That's his book!
• Ex. His i-Phone is older than my i-Pad. 

HE'S is a contraction.

• HE'S=HE IS
• Ex. He's my best friend!
• Ex. He's my colleague from France who has just joined our team.
• Ex. He's my puppy, and she's my cat.

I hope this clarifies the confusion between he's and his.  Remember: there are two differences, one is the pronunciation and the other is the grammar.  I hope this helps!

Did you know OBSOLESCENCE is a word? I sure didn't...

Dictionary.com has a Word of the Day that you can subscribe to, and there are always new and interesting words to learn.  I would recommend it to my readers of all levels!  Even if you are a beginner, it's great to challenge oneself.

You can subscribe here for FREE...if you like: http://dictionary.reference.com/wordoftheday/list

First of all, let's take a look at the more common word OBSOLETE.

As most of my readers know obsolete is something that is no longer used or out-of-date.  These days, this word is a useful because of the rapid pace of technological development.  

For example, tape cassettes are media to listen to music, and these days they are obsolete because nobody uses them. (Except for DJ Mada, and actually...I have been trying to find some to buy because my 2000 Golf has a tape cassette player!)  I can't manage to find a place to buy cassettes, so there you go!...It's a perfect word to describe my dilemna:

Ex. "As tape cassettes are obsolete, I can't manage to find any for my 2000 Golf cassette player!"

So there you have it.  Can you think of other obsolete items?  There are so many, like my 2006 Mac laptop, which is so outdated it has completely shut down or rotary telephones...or records...or VHS tapes...If you're a child of the 70s like me, the list is endless...

But this is the thing: Obsolete things are always the coolest, right?  

What does OBSOLETE mean again? (...I still don't understand...)

Well, then, here's the defnition of obsolete according to Dictionary.com:

adjective:

1. no longer produced or used, out of date.  Synonyms: OUT OF DATE, OUTDATED, OUTMODED, OLD-FASHIONED

2. BIOLOGY: (of a part or characteristic of an organism) less developed than formerly or in a related species.  Synonyms: RUDIMENTARY, VESTIGIAL

What does OBSOLESCENCE mean?

I'm going to use the help of Dictionary.com once again to take a look at this new word.  Basically, it is the noun of obsolete.

Here's the definition of obsolescence:

1. The state, process or condition of becoming obsolete.

Origin: This expression came into the English language in the 1820s.  Thanks to Latin, we have this word, which means "to fall into disuse."

So now, you have one more word checked off on your vocabulary list!

4 (American) Idioms in GREEN.

Here is a continuation from Color Idiom Series.  If you haven't yet seen my old posts, you can check them out here!... (red, blue, silver)

4 Idioms in GREEN (my favorite color)

• To give the green light
• Meaning:  To allow somebody to do something, to give permission
• Origin: Obviously this idiom is inspired from traffic lights (red-stop, yellow-wait, green-go!)
• Ex.  My boss gave me the green light to begin recruiting new employees for our project. 
• A green thumb
• Meaning: Somebody who is good with plants, somebody who can make plants grow and flourish easily.
• Origin: Algae that sticks to pots can turn a plant lover's thumb green, naturally!
• Ex. Murjhana has a green thumb for sure...have you seen her garden?!
• Green with envy
• Meaning: To be extremely jealous or envious.
• Origin: I'm not so sure what the origin is, and there is a lot of speculation, but I always associate green with money and money with greed and jealousy.
• Ex. He was green with envy when he found out that his best friend had conquered the woman he loved.
• "The grass is always greener on the other side."
• Meaning: This is an idiomatic phrase or expression.  It is about our perspective. As humans, things always look better when they don't belong to us...or our own lives always look worse compared to others' lives. Things seem to always be better somewhere else.
• Origin: This origin is unknown.
• Ex. Whenever you are feeling ungrateful, remember that the grass is always greener on the other side...

And here are a couple more thanks to an old colleague of mine!

• Greenback
• Meaning: Dollars, money!
• Origin: During the Civil War the United States government printed one-sided bills in green.  This currency was not backed up by gold or silver as was the case during this time.
• Ex. Greenbacks are always good for the weekend!
• 
  

Well, that's it for today! TGIF! (Thank God It's Friday) :)

What's the difference between WAS and WERE?

Here is another post for my beginning ESL students about the difference between WAS and WERE, a very simple concept, yet many of my students still have a bit of trouble remembering the conjugations and often confuse the pronouns.

Past Tense: TO BE

I           WAS

You     WERE

He        WAS

She      WAS

It          WAS

We       WERE

They    WERE

As you can see here, we have two groups of pronouns for each conjugation.  (I, he, she and it take on WAS, while (you, we and they) take on WERE.  Now let's take a look at negative statements and their abbreviations with apostrophes:

Negative Past Tense: TO BE

I was not= I wasn't

You were not=You weren't

He was not=He wasn't

She was not=She wasn't

It was not=It wasn't

We were not=We weren't

They were not=They weren't

A quick note about apostrophes: Apostrophes take the place of a letter or letters.  In this case it's only one letter...the letter 'o'.

Interrogative Past Tense: TO BE (Interrogative is a fancy word for question...)

Now remember that with the verb form TO BE and forming questions, we just switch the subject and the verb.   (I was tired./Was I tired?)  Also remember that we don't need to use any auxiliary verbs with the verb TO BE (such as do, does or did...)

Wasn't I a great speaker?

Were you not at work today?

Was he eating dinner?

Was she calling you?

Was it the final decision?

Were we late?

Were they at the police station?

Now we can add (Who, What, When, Where, Why) to these questions:

Why wasn't I a great speaker?

When were you at work today?

Where was he eating dinner?

What was she calling you about?

Why was it the final decision?

When were we late?

Why were they at the movies?

Here is an old post about interrogative present tense TO BE in case you're curious. 

I hope this helps!

What's the difference between AM, IS and ARE?

While this may seem easy, at times it can be tricky for beginning and even intermediate ESL Learners...so it's definitely worth taking a closer look.

Let's begin with the basics of the verb TO BE:

I            AM
You       ARE
He         IS
She        IS
It            IS
We        ARE
They      ARE

Now as you can see we use AM only with "I."  We use IS with "he," "she," and "it."  Finally, we use ARE with "you," "we," and "they."

How about the negative forms of the verb TO BE?

Well, there are actually two forms of the negative in English with the verb TO BE, except in the first person singular:

I'm not 
You're not OR You aren't
He's not OR He isn't
She's not OR She isn't
It's not OR It isn't
We're not OR We aren't
They're not OR They aren't

The verb TO BE is the most important verb in any language, so it's very important to learn these conjugations. If you have trouble remembering them, write each form down 5 times in your notebook.  You can do it!

E-mailing Politely: How do I ask for something NICELY?

Emailing can be a bit tricky for ESL learners.  Here are a few tips to get you started divided by section of the email.

• Greetings

• Dear___________, (formal, most common)
• Hello there __________, (informal, personal)
• Hi/Hey ____________, (very informal, personal)
• To Whom it May Concern, (formal, unknown recipient, used to make a complaint...)
• Dear Sir or Madam, (formal, unknown recipient, kinder, used for job applications) 

• Good openers

• I hope this email finds you well. (formal)
• I hope all is well. (formal)
• I hope all is good. (informal)
• Thank you for your email. (formal)
• It's great to hear from you. (informal)
• I just wanted to touch base regarding...(formal)
• I wanted to get in touch with you about...(formal)

• Making Requests (the verb is underlined)

• I would appreciate it if you could send (simple verb) me some samples from your office.
• It would be greatly appreciated if you could rush the request for payment because my client is waiting. 
• Would you mind moving (gerund) the deadline back?
• Do you think you could possibly find an earlier date?
• Could you check on that for me at your earliest convenience?

• Closing

• Best regards, (formal...and my favorite.)
• Best, (informal)
• Sincerely, (most formal)
• Your friend, (informal)
• Your colleague, (formal)

Well, readers, that should help you get crafting your polite emails.  That's it for today!

To make a travesty of the misuse of the word TRAVESTY. Huh?

This post is for native speakers of English (and naturally, my ambitious ESL readers).  Let's take a minute to look at the word, travesty.  (Now, I am guilty of the misuse of the word travesty.)  In other words, at one point I thought it mean a big, fat tragedy!  Doesn't it sound like that?  ...Well, I thought so!

But...I was wrong.  Travesty is actually NOT a hyperbole of tragedy.

First of all, let's take a look at the definition according to Merriam-Webster's website:

• to make a travesty of: PARODY
• (as a noun): something that is shocking, upsetting, or ridiculous because it is not what it is supposed to be. 

Now, that's easy to understand!  And easy to use too...Heck, people have been using it since 1637, according to Merriam-Webster online.

Now here is a more formal definition, according to www.dictionary.com:

 

So, the idea of a travesty of justice was used in a Clint Eastwood film when the judge decided to throw out proof the trial was based upon.  She referred to Clint Eastwood's reckless treatment of evidence as a travesty of justice.

And here is the etymology (word origin) of travesty:

Interesting, right?  Does it remind of you of any other words...?  Of course!... transvestite, someone who is disguised as a woman.

Now take a look at its negative, adjectival form and synonyms:

Untravestied?  Yep, it's a word, despite the fact that it's not in my computer's dictionary, as it is underlined in bright red.  

And finally, thank you to www.dictionary.com for its help on clarifying this.  You can click on the link here for more info or for bibliographic purposes:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/travesty

Thanks for reading!

QUICK TIP: The difference between THeN and THaN.

A friend of mine recommended this post as many excellent English as a Second Language (ESL) speakers (such as himself) have trouble with these little words because the only difference is one, little, itty-bitty letter.

THEN: 

Usage=Next, after OR used in a sequence of events.

Examples:

• "After baking the cake at 220 degrees for 20 minutes, leave to cool.  Then add the frosting."
• "I will go to work early, and then, after lunch I will meet you at the café to catch up on the current projects your office is doing."
• "First you must call the agency and request an extension; then, you must effect payment online as soon as possible.  After that, your request will have been processed.

THAN:

Usage=Comparisons 

Examples:

• Everyone is shorter than I am.
• Group A was better than Group B.
• Comparatives are more difficult than superlatives.

Does the difference between THeN and THaN make sense now?  

I sure hope so...Don't forget how important those little, itty-bitty letters are!

PORTUGUESE SPEAKERS: You know more in ENGLISH than you may think...

As English possesses Latin, brought to England by the Roman Empire, there are tons of words in the English Language that have the ending (tion), which can be easily replaced with the Portuguese ending (ão).  This vocabulary is more advanced, as Latin words were brought to England by clergy who could read and write.

Here is a short list just to demonstrate that you (Portuguese speakers) probably know more than you think!...And if you English speakers are learning Portuguese, you already know 20 words:

1. transportation--transportação
2. information--informação
3. education--educação
4. determination--determinação
5. excavation--escavação
6. ovulation--ovulação
7. verification--verificação
8. laceration--laceração
9. petition--petição
10. classification--classificação
11. notion--noção
12. potion--poção
13. rendition--rendição
14. lotion--loção
15. cognition--cognição
16. inflammation--inflamação
17. congregation--congregação 
18. limitation--limitação
19. configuration--configuração
20. nation--nação

WORD of the Day. Floccinaucinihilipilification. Is that REALLY a word...?

Yes, it's a word, one of the longest in the English language.

What does it mean?

It means something that is valueless, or of no value.

What is floccinaucinihilipilification's etymology (word origin or meaning) of the word?

Well, here I refer to www.dictionary.com, a great website for learning new words:

"Origin

Floccinaucinihilipilification is a combination of the Latin words floccī+naucī+nihilī+pilīeach of which refer to something of little or no value. These terms appeared next to one another in a widely used textbook called The Eton Latin Grammar, and were combined in this facetious construction, which is first attested in the 1700s."

5 more (American) IDIOMS and their Origins.

Idioms are the heart of languages because they are expressive and reveal the nature of the people who speak the language.

Here are five of my favorite IDIOMS in English:

• "Close but no Cigar":  This idiom means that you've almost accomplished something or guessed something.  

Example:
--"Where are you from?" 
--"Guess!"
--"England?"
--"Close but no cigar...I'm from the United States."

Origins:  This expression is from the end of the 19th century when fairs were very popular.  Kids and their parents would go to play games and win prizes, except back in those days, the prizes weren't stuffed animals (as is the case today.)  Rather than giving a prize to the kids, the carnival workers would give the parents a cigar.  Thus the expression was born when somebody almost won the prize: a cigar!

• "A New York Minute": This idiom means a minute that passes very quickly!

Example:
--"When will you arrive?...I've been waiting for a half-hour!"
--"Don't worry...I'm on my way...I'll be there in a  New York minute."

Origin:  Obviously this idiom lends itself to the fast-paced atmosphere and life style of New York City.

• "In the Same Boat":  This idiom means that we're all in the same situation or facing the same challenges. It's a great idiom to express solidarity.

Example:

--"Have you finished your evaluations yet?"

--"No,...I have to write 207, and I've only written 24!"

--"Oh my goodness!  Well, I'm in the same boat...I have to write 150, and I've only finished 4!"

Origin: As I'm sure you know, this expression owes itself to traveling by boat upon dangerous open seas and oceans.  In the old days, people traveled by boat instead of planes, so this expression was born then. 

• "Backseat Driver":  This idiom is funny...It describes a person who, as a passenger in a car, tells the driver exactly what to do and when.  These people are annoying!

Example:

--"Don't drive so fast!"

--"You're going to hit the wall if you don't turn sharply right now!"

--"You have to turn wider around the corners otherwise you'll get in an accident!"

--"Please!  Enough of being the backseat driver!"

Origin:  This expression's origins are fairly obvious.  A person who isn't in the driving seat is usually riding shotgun (in the front) or he or she is in the backseat.

• "Bite my Tongue": To try very hard NOT to talk or say something explosive or rude.

Example:

--"Here are the final drafts...I spent the last two weeks working on this.  Isn't it great?"

--"Well, actually, I don't like the fact that there are no videos of monuments, just of the children."

--"Well, I think the children are more important than the monuments."

--"Well, I don't.  Do it over, now!"

--(Thinking: I have to bite my tongue...otherwise I will get in trouble with my boss!")

Origin: As with in the same boat, bite my tongue's origins are fairly obvious.  A synonym, hold your tongue, expresses the same idea: Don't speak!

I hope you like these expressions as much as I do...You will sound like a native speaker!

Gerund, Infinitive or EITHER?

I wrote a post about this topic two years ago, but I didn't use examples.  Here you will find examples for each verb.

In English when we use two verbs together, the second must be an infinitive, a gerund or sometimes, we can use either an infinitive or gerund.

But, wait!...What IS a gerund?

A gerund is a verb+ing.  (walking, going, doing, seeing...)

And WHAT is an infinitive?

An infinitive is to+the simple verb. (to walk, to go, to do, to see...)

And what about using both with the same verb? 

Like is an example of a verb in which you can use either the infinitive or the gerund:

Ex. She likes to swim at night.
OR
Ex. She likes swimming at night.

Remember: You can never have two simple verbs next to one another (like go).  You must have either (like going) or (like to go).

Ex. I like go going to the beach on the weekends.
Ex. I like go to go to the beach on the weekends.

Here is a short list of verbs that you can ONLY use with GERUNDS...

• don't mind: My Dad doesn't mind ironing; in fact, he likes it!
• enjoy: He enjoys staying home and watching a movie on Friday nights.
• keep: Keep going until you reach the stop sign, and then turn left!
• miss:  I miss watching the sunset in San Diego.
• practice:  We practice playing the piano on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
• recommend: She recommends going to bed early.
• understand: They understood quitting early, as it was the only option.

Here is a short list of verbs that you can ONLY use with INFINITIVES...

• agree: He wouldn't agree to work under our conditions.
• choose: She chose to do the right thing.
• decide: My sister decided to study Economics.
• learn: My students learned to speak English very well.
• need: I need to buy more laundry detergent.
• promise: He promised to buy more laundry detergent, but then forgot!
• want: I want to wash my clothes.

Here is a short list of verbs that you can use with BOTH GERUNDS & INFINITIVES:

• can't stand: I can't stand leaving/to leave work late.
• continue: The little boy continued to talk/talking during the entire class.
• like: I like to swim/swimming at the cliffs.
• love: I love to get/getting a massage.
• neglect: Her daughter neglected to warn/warning her of the new rules.
• prefer: I prefer to walk/walking instead of driving.
• propose: The teacher proposed to do/doing a project instead of reading the textbook.

Now, remember: after practicing all of these expressions over and over, it will become easier, but in the meantime, use this list as a reference.

How to write GOOD...(shouldn't that be well...?!)

DEAR READERS,

This is a joke, so don't take any notes.  Of course, you all know, first of all...we don't say "how to write GOOD..."  We say "how to write WELL."  This is the difference between an adjective (GOOD) and an adverb (WELL)...which I will explain in detail at a later post.

For now, if you don't get the jokes, don't worry, just leave a comment or ask a native English speaking friend.

Native Speakers: You should get this!

HOW TO WRITE GOOD

1. Avoid alliteration. Always.
2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
3. Avoid clichés like the plague. (They're an old hat.)
4. Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.
5. One should never generalize.
6. Comparisons are as bad as clichés.
7. Be more or less specific.
8. Sentence fragments?  Eliminate.
9. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.
10. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are unnecessary.
11. Who needs rhetorical questions?

Taken from the metapicture.com.

When do I use DO/DOES/DID? (Continued...making NEGATIVE statements)

In a previous post I reviewed using DO/DOES/DID in questions, and here, we will take a look at using this auxiliary verb in negative statements.

Again, remember that the structure of questions and statements in English vary depending on the verb.  Verbs are divided into two categories:

1. to be
2. ALL other verbs 

If the verb is (to be), then the grammatical structure will be different. If the verb is any other verb except (to be), then we use DO/DOES/DID as the helping or auxiliary verb.  Let's take a closer look at ALL other verbs in the negative:

Remember!  do+not=don't / does+not=doesn't / did+not=didn't

PRESENT: NEGATIVE USING DO & DOES.

I/You/We/They (DO)

I do not (don't) like vegetables.
You do not (don't) get up early.
We do not (don't) leave work early!
They do not (don't) play soccer on the weekend.

He/She/It (DOES)

He does not (doesn't) listen during class.
She does not (doesn't) get her nails done.
It does not (doesn't) work.

PAST: NEGATIVE USING DID.

I/You/He/She/It/We/They (DID) (Can't you see how easy English is!  ...It's all the same conjugation in the past!)

I did not (didn't) go to school today.
You did not (didn't) do your homework.
He did not (didn't) win the soccer game.
She did not (didn't) celebrate the victory!
It did not (didn't) work out...
We did not (didn't) remember to buy olives.
They did not (didn't) take the test.

Remember!  We use the simple verb (go, be, do, take, walk...) rather than the past tense verb when making statements.  Take a look at these examples:

I didn't went to the movies last night.
I didn't GO (simple verb) to the movies last night.

She didn't liked her old job.
She didn't LIKE (simple verb) her old job.

I tell my students that the "ED" is already found in "DID.  Or in other words, we already know it is in the past because we have the auxiliary "DID".  We then, don't need another verb in the past tense.  This is a bit confusing...but with practice, it becomes second nature ;)

The PAST PERFECT: The past before the past.

The past perfect grammar structure is as follows:

HAD + past participle

Remember:  Regular verbs have the same past participle as the past tense:
        Ex. walk/walked/walked, talk/talked/talked, create/created/created
                     Irregular verbs have a different past participle than their past tense:
        Ex. go/went/gone, do/did/done, eat/ate/eaten

We use the past perfect to express an action that happened in the past before another action that happened in the past.  Imagine the two events happening in time:

Alice broke up with her boyfriend Christopher.
Alice kissed Mason.

Isn't it important to know which happened first?  Let's imagine both scenarios and the implications using the past perfect:

        Alice had kissed Mason before she broke up with Christopher.  (Alice cheated on her boyfriend.)

        Alice had broken up with her boyfriend Christopher before she kissed Mason.  (Alice did not cheat on her boyfriend.)

The past perfect can clarify the order of events in the past tense.  This is why we use this grammar structure.

5 More (American) Idioms in Numbers

On second thoughts

• Meaning: After thinking about something, I've made a different decision
• Synonym: to change one's mind
• Example: "On second thoughts, I will join you after dinner tonight at the movies because I don't have to work early tomorrow.

Sixth sense

• Meaning: A keen intuitive perception or insight, an extension of the five senses.
• Synonym: instinct, "I've got the feeling that..."
• Example: "My sixth sense tells me that she wasn't upset about her grade...I think she was upset about something else..."

The whole nine yards

• Meaning: everything, all of it
• Synonym: the works
• Example: "We received the best of treatment on our business trip to New York, a driver, expensive restaurants and theatre tickets, the whole nine yards!

Twenty-four seven (24-7)

• Meaning: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Synonym: day and night
• Example: Denny's all around the United States are open 24/7

Two-faced

• Meaning: Somebody who says or does one thing, but then says the opposite to someone else, untrustworthy, deceiving. 
• Synonym:double dealing
• Example: She's a two-faced woman.  She told you one thing, and then turned around and lied to my face!