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 :)

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

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 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!

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!

Infinitive (to+verb), Gerund (verb+ING) or BOTH? (for Beginners)

Whenever we use two verbs together in English, the second verb must change to either an infinitive or gerund, or sometimes it can be either one.  For example:

I enjoy have a coffee after dinner.
I enjoy to have a coffee after dinner.
I enjoy having a coffee after dinner.

I need buy a dress.
I need buying a dress.
I need to buy a dress.

I like go to the beach.
I like to go to the beach.
OR
I like going to the beach.

These examples represent the three groups of verbs below:

1. gerund ONLY (verb+ing)
2. infinitive ONLY (to+verb)
3. gerund OR infinitive 

Here is a short list of the most commonly used verbs that correspond to one of these three groups.

1. The following verbs MUST be followed by a gerund (verb + ing)

• can't stand (really don't like!)
• enjoy
• finish
• give up
• go + activity (swimming, surfing, shopping, dancing, sightseeing...)
• recommend

      2.  The following verbs MUST be followed by an infinitive (to + verb)

• forget
• learn
• mean
• need
• try
• want

      3.  The following verbs can be followed by a gerund (verb + ing) OR an infinitive (to + verb)

• begin
• can't stand
• hate
• like
• love
• prefer

5 Common Mistakes for Portuguese Speakers

Naturally, 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. congress/conference

• I'm going to an international congress conference about physical therapy this weekend.

Note: Congress is the governing body in the United States consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

2. all the people/everybody

• I think all the people go everybody goes on vacation in August in Europe.

Note: We use "all the people" when it is more specific or qualified, such as "all the people who registered for the test" or "all the people who I invited to the party"...

3. toes/fingers

• My feet were so cold after snowboarding all day that I could hardly move my fingers toes.

Note: The word "toes" does not exist in Portuguese; fingers is used instead.

4.  to have/be ______ years old

• When I had was 10 years old, I visited Finland with my family.

5. to like something

• I like very much going to the beach very much.
• She likes more shopping downtown more than going to the mall.

Note: These are syntax (word order) errors.

When do I use DO/DOES/DID?

The structure of questions in English varies depending on the verb.  Verbs are divided into two categories:

1. to be
2. ALL other verbs (DO/DOES/DID)

If the verb is (to be), then the grammar 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.  We also use DO/DOES/DID for negative statements, but for this post, let's take a look at questions.  At the end of this post, you can find information about questions using the verb TO BE.

Questions: ALL Other Verbs (Using DO/DOES/DID)

To form questions in English using any other verb except (to be), we must use the helping or auxilary verbs: DO/DOES/DID.  Remember that DO/DOES we use in the present tense with the following subjects:

• PRESENT TENSE (AUXILIARY VERB): DO/DOES

Do (I, you, we, they) understand English?
Does (he, she, it, your mother, the man) speak well?

• PAST TENSE (AUXILIARY VERB): DID

And we use DID in the past tense with all subjects:
Did (I, you, he, she, it, we, they) pass the exam?

• When forming questions with DO/DOES/DID, we use the following format:

Question Word + DO/DOES/DID + Subject + Verb
What                 + do                      +you        +like to do on the weekends?

We use DO/DOES/DID with the present and past simple tenses as seen below.

Examples:

• He likes to play baseball.= Does he like to play baseball?
• They went shopping yesterday.= Did they go shopping yesterday?
• They do their homework after dinner.= Do they do their homework after dinner?
• She travels to Asia every summer.= Where does she travel every summer?
• We go jogging at 7:00 am every morning.= When do you go jogging?
• I went to class four times per week.= How often did you go to class?

Questions: TO BE

To form questions using the verb to be, all we do is switch the position of the subject and verb.  Remember, we use the verb to be in the present, past, continuous, future (going to) and passive constructions, as seen below.

 

Examples:

• He is Italian= Is he Italian? (present)
• They are going to participate in the contest=  Are they going to participate in the contest? (future)
• She is leaving soon!= Is she leaving soon? (continous/future)
• The door is closed.= Is the door closed? (present passive)
• The children were swimming all day long.= Were the children swimming all day long? (past continuous)
• He is being interrogated by the FBI.= Is he being interrogated by the FBI? (present continuous)

I hope this helps.  If you have any suggestions for future blog posts, just write under the Q&A page on my blog ;)

What's the difference between THAT and WHICH?

The usage of that and which causes confusion, not only for students learning English as a second or foreign language, but also for native speakers of English.  Therefore, this topic can be a bit complicated for any speaker of English...The following will help clarify the major difference between the two: 

 

THAT

• That is used to describe essential information, necessary to express the meaning of the sentence.  The grammatical term for this is restrictive.  (Note: That always refers to the word preceeding it.)

Examples:

1. The house that was built by my grandfather built now belongs to another family in Nebraska. 
2. The woman that spoke at the conference yesterday gave me some useful information for our next project.

WHICH

• Which, on the other hand, is used for nonessential or extra information, not necessary to complete a sentence.  Commas are used with which but not with that.  This is referred to as non-restrictive.  (Note: Which can refer to the word preceeding it OR to another word in the sentence.)

Examples:

    1.

• The house that was built by my grandfather now belongs to another family in Nebraska, which is now worth three times as much.  (which refers to house) 
• The house that was built by my grandfather now belongs to another family in Nebraska, which is a state in the Midwest.  (which refers to Nebraska) 
• The house that was built by my grandfather now belongs to another family in Nebraska, which is a real shame.  (which refers to the belonging to another family.)

    2.

•  The woman that spoke at the conference yesterday gave me some useful information for our next project, which will start in one month. (which refers to project)
• The woman that spoke at the conference yesterday gave me some useful infomation for our next project, which I really appreciated. (which refers to the woman giving me info)
• The woman that spoke at the conference yesterday gave me some useful information for our next project, which I will pass along to our colleagues. (which refers to information)

SHADE or SHADOW? ...What's the difference?

Note this common mistake:

Let's walk in the shadow...it's too hot in the sun!
Let's walk in the shade...it's too hot in the sun!


There is frequent confusion between shade and shadow.  Shade is used to describe the general areas blocked by sunlight, whereas shadow is used to describe specific objects or people blocking sunlight.  
In the photograph below, you can see the shadows of three pedestrians strolling by in the sun next to the shade of a building. 

shade vs. shadow

1.  shade (n.), : describes any place where sunlight is blocked

• After walking for hours through the city on a hot and humid summer day, we found a place to rest in the shade.
• There's nothing like sitting on the cool grass in the shade of a cherry tree.

     shady (adj.)

• Let's find a shady spot to park the car, otherwise it may overheat later.

       *Note: Shady is also a slang word for suspicious, untrustworthy or dishonest. (a shady character, a shady neighborhood, a shady bar, etc.)

other usages: lampshade, window shade, shades of (a color)

2.  shadow (n.):  silhouette, the specific shape/outline of an object or person cast by the sun

• Looking down from the balcony, we could see the shadows of the people walking by cast on the pavement.
• He's so timid, that he's afraid of his own shadow!

      *Note: Five o'clock shadow is the term used to describe the stubble (super short facial hair) a man gets by the end of the day.

other idioms: beyond a shadow of a doubt

Fun or Funny?

Note this common mistake:

We had a funny time on our vacation
We had a fun time on our vacation. 

There is frequent confusion between fun and funny.  Take a look at the differences between these commonly used words:

fun vs. funny

+Funny (adj.) can describe a person or thing that is:

1. comical (haha...!)

I think George Carlin is the funniest American comedian.

2. different

My Japanese students think it's funny how Americans sometimes eat standing up.
3.  strange

Your bathing suit smells funny...did you forget to dry it?

4. interesting
It's funny how time flies, isn't it?

+Fun: describes an event, person or thing that is enjoyable and exciting.  It can be a noun or an adjective:

1.   (noun)

We always have fun when we go surfing. (event)  
2. (adjective)
 I enjoy spending time with my sister-in-law because she's so much fun. (person)
 Barcelona is a fun city, especially during the summer months.  (thing)