Saturday, December 26, 2009

Some Notes

Present Simple - I read
Past Simple - I read
Future - I will read
Present Perfect - I have read
Past Perfect - I had read
Future Perfect - I will have read
Present progressive - I am reading
Past progressive - I was reading
going to - I am going to read

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5 Style in English
1. Formal - for writing - Yes
2. Informal - for conversation - OK
3. Slang - bad English - Yeah, yep!
4. Expressions - fun words - Yes
5. New York Style - chic words - Right :)

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How was your day so far?
So far, so good. OR My day has been good so far.
What is your opinion about the weather?
I think the weather is nice (rainy, windy, cloudy, sunny...) today.

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Noun - chair
Pronoun - we
Verb - read
Adjective - beautiful (He is a fast driver.)
Adverb - slowly (He drives fast.)
Preposition - of
Conjunction - therefore
Interjection - wow!

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4 kinds of sentences
1. Simple sentences - gives one idea or fact, detail.
I think today is Monday.
2. Compound sentences - gives two ideas or facts, details.
I think today is Monday, and tomorrow is Tuesday.
3. Complex sentences - gives one complete idea, and one incomplete idea.
I was late today, because the subway was late.
4. Compound - Complex sentences - givens two complete ideas and one incomplete.
I think today is Monday, and tomorrow is Tuesday; however I like Friday.

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and - two
but - contrary
also - in addition to
when - time
because - reason
if - conditional
however - as a result
therefore - as a result
since - before
as - before
or - one
nor - none
Compound sentences - and, or, nor
Complex sentences - "the others"
However, therefore open the new paragraph. In addition to, furthermore are used proceding paragraph.

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1. linking verb - look, taste, hear, see, smell
The apple tastes sour.
2. state of being verb - "be" "have/has" (Posses or there is no action.)
I have a dog.

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I don't like to read repetitive, it is not inconsequential.
It doesn't have sense of humor.
However, some people are addicted to read this kind of book.
For me, it is not riveting, it is unappealing.

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Are you kidding? I kid you not.
I am a technical buff.
Do you have snafu today?
I was vague about Darwin's age.
You are a just wall flower.
He is hitting the nail on the head. (He is absolutely right.)
I put myself over the top. ( I got carried away.)
I'd better knock it off. (I'd better stop it.)
You are getting on my nerve. (You are running out of patient here.)
lazy (too strong) - relaxing person
At the time, the company officials could not have known that the chemicals would have terrible effects many years later.
Workers at the company should not have poured the chemicals into the ground, but they did.
I am under the weather today. (figurative)
The earth is under the weather. (literature)
I am trying to keep my head about above the water in this terrible economic situation. (figurative)
While swimming, I was trying to keep my head above the water. (literature)
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3 moods
1. Indicative - a statement or a question
2. Imperative - Listen to me.
3. Subjunctive - a wish or a dream (use "were") I wish I were a millionaire.

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1. What do you call air in our lungs?
I call air in my lungs like (is) breath.
2. What is the another way tosay "not here"?
Another way to say "not here" is "there" or "over there".
3. What's another word for "belive" ?
Another word for "believe" is "think".
4. How else can we say "nevertheless"?
We can say "nevertheless" means "though".
5. Which is it if it's not "that"?
If it is not "that", it is (must be) "this".
6. What's another word for "object"?
Another word for objects is "things".
7. What's the name of our planet?
The name of our planet is "the earth".
8. How else can we say "I appreciate it"?
We can say "I appreciate" means "thanks".

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crew - in plane, in ship
staff - in company , factory
customer - store, restaurant
client - lawyer
award - prize
reward - in return of something
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Who is the message for? The message is for him.
If it is not flexibility, what is it? It must be solidness.
How do yo do? How do yo do?
Guess who I had dinner with last night? You must have had dinner with your girlfriend.
Guess who I saw today? I guess you saw Michael Jackson today.
What is another word for "debate"? Another word for "debate" is "discussion".
Can you do me a favor, please? Yes, I can do you a favor.
What is your favorite planet? My favorite planet is the earth.

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Give to the world the best you have, and the best will come back to you.
What goes around, comes around.

Do you agree or disagree?

1. The best way to travel is in a group with a tour guide.
(Do you agree or disagree with that? In small group, use specifik reasons and examples to explain your opinion.)
2. Some universities require students to take classes in many subject. Other universities require students to specialize in one subject.
In your opinion, which is better? And why?
(In our circle of friends, use specific reasons and examples to explain your opinion.)
3. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? And why?
"Children should begin learning a foreign language as soon as they start school.
4."Boys and girls should attend separate schools." (In your circle of friends, use specific reason and examples to support your opinion.)
5. "Most experiences in our lives that seem difficult at the time, become valuable lesson for the future."
6. "Parents should make all important decisions for their older (fifteen to eighteen years) teenage children."
7. In your opinion, should cities preserve their old historic buildings, or destroy them, and replace them with modern building?
8. Do you aggre or disagree that classmate are more important influence that parents on child's success in school?
9. What do you want most in a friend - someone who is intelligent, someone who is reliable, or someone who has a sense of humor? Which one of these characteristic is the most important to you? (Use specific reasons and examples to explain your choice.)
10. Which would you choose - a high-paying job with long hours that would give you little time with family and friends or a lower-paying job with shorter hours that would give you more time with family and friends?
11. In your opinion, have computers made life easier and more convenient, or have computers made life more complex and streesful?
12. In your opinion, is daily homework necessary for students?
13. If you could study a subject that you have never had the opportunity to study in the past, what would you choose?
14. If you were an employer, which kind of worker would you prefer to hire: An experienced worker at a high salary or an inexperienced worker at a lower salary?
Factors to consider: Size of the company, position to be filled, employee's skills, advantage and disadvantage of both, what field of business... Don't forget that hiring period required so much money and time.
15. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
"Giving grades (marks) encourages students to learn." In your circles of friend, use specific reasons and examples to explain your opinion.)

Adjective Clauses - Objective Clauses

The letter that Bill wrote made karen feel sad.
The students who did very well on the test went home early.
The man whose son came in third place was very disappointed.
Mrs. Grady didn't agree with the speaker that supported building a shopping mall.
The car Maria bought has good gas mileage.
The employees who work for Smith Corporation are very worried.
The Employees whose jobs are in danger are very worried.
The computer graphics program that Peter bought is easy to use.
She was sad to see that the place where she used to climb trees was not longer there.
Michael get a %40 discount on the boos that he uses the internet to buy.
Robert always complaints to the neighbor whose children step on his flowers and ride bikes on his lawn.

I like the person who gave me this present.
He visit his friend whon you saw yesterday.
I am going to bring the glass which has a toy in it.
I put on the dress that has flowers on it.
This poet, wich is composed of four stanzas, is written by Willian Shakespare.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Pronunciation

  1. look at the DEsert.
  2. look at the desSERT.
  3. He gave me a MESsage.
  4. He gave me a masSAGE.
  5. What did you think of the COmedy?
  6. What did you think of the comMITtee?
  7. He lives in a JEEP now.
  8. He lives in Egypt now.
  9. I'm taking an ARabic class.
  10. I'm taking an aeRObics class.
  11. My aunt lives in MISery.
  12. My aunt lives in MisSOUri.

Pronouncing Regular Verbs

/t/ After unvoiced consonents
c (e) pronounced k - walked, cooked, wicked, naked, crooked, jumped, hoped, hopped
ch - watched
gh (f) coughed, laughed
f - stuffed
s - nursed
sh - washed
ss - messed up, dressed
th - clothed
x - faxed
/d/ After vowel sounds and voiced consonants
a - sprayed
e - agreed
i - fried
o - echoed
u - cued up
b - grabbed a bite
g - clogged, drugged, blogged, mugged
l - e-mailed
m - blamed
n - listened
r - answered
v - shaved, lived
w - followed, slowed up, widowed
y - studied, married, carried
z - buzzed, quizzed, pleased, accused, refused
employed, awed, admired, amazed
/ıd/ after words that end d or t
folded
paraded
needed
graded
recorded
painted
printed
voted
noted
waited
committed
completed
j - jed
q - qed

Bad Listening Habits

  1. Being distracted by the speaker's appearance and delivery
  2. Deciding the topic is boring.
  3. Faking attention.
  4. Looking for distractions.
  5. Consantrading on unimportant details.
  6. Reacting emotionally to trigger words.
Don't tune out. Don't drift off. Don't wing it. :))

Idioms

eat out - eating in a restaurant
grab a bite
take out - to go, carry out
junk food -
eat up - eat completely
gobble up - eat quickly
leftover -
doggy bag - Can I take this home?
pot luck - different food brought by people
pot party - mariguana party
pig out - eat like a pig ( I pigged out on cookies.)
stuff one's face ( I stuffed my face with cookies.)
wolf down - eat or drink very rapidly, quickly
gulp down - drink quickly
have a sweet tooth
What tickles your funny bone? - What makes you laugh?

Conversation Questions

  1. Have you ever had to weather the storm?
  2. Are you able to save money for a rainy day? Why or Why not?
  3. When you feel under the weather, how do you take care of yourself?
  4. Have you ever had a fair-weather friend?
  5. Is there anything about the English language that's a breeze for you?

Top Food Idioms

a piece of cake (as easy as pie) - easy, a breeze
as merican as apple pie - very American, typical American
(Basebal is as American as apple pie.)
a smart cookie - intelligent
a tough cookie - a strong person
a lemon - defective product (used for electronic appliance, used cars...)
to be in a pickle ( to be in a jam) - you're in trouble
(I was in a pickle on my firstday at the work.)
go bananas (go nuts) - I am going crazy.
to be a nut - They are nuts (crazy people)
to be fishy - suspicious
fishy situations, no good explanation about situations
(Electronic voting is extremly fishy.)
to hear something through the grapevine
(I heard it through the grapevine. She's leaving but she didn't tell us.)
cup of tea - It's not my cup of tea. It's not my thing. It's not for me.
sour face - That woman has sour face.

Presentation Tips

  1. Warm up your voice before speaking
  2. Walk up to the front confidently even if you don't feel it.
  3. Sand up straight and avoid distracting behavior.
  4. Don't use disclaimers or apologies.
  5. Don't read your speech altough it's ok to use indexcards and glance at them.
  6. Look at your audience.
  7. Don't use fillers like "uh" or "ummm".

Some notes taken in the class

no strings (attached) - having no spacial conditions or limits on an agreement, relationship et.
get down to brass tacks - to begin to most important work or business; to start talking about the most important details or facts.
not to be out of the woods yet - used to say that there are likely to be more difficulties before things improve.
to get your second wind - to feel less tired than before, especially when playing a prost, doing physical work etc.
to beat the band - in large amonuts or wih great force.
to drum up something - to obtain something by asking a lot of people for help, information at.
music to someone's ears - something that makes you very happy or pleased; usually sometihg that you hear
to blow your own horn - to praise yourself for your own achievements
to blow the whistle on someone - to tell someone in authority about something wrong that is happening
for a song - very cheaply
a song and dance - an explanation or excuse that is too long and complicated.
to face the music - to accept criticism or punishment for something you have done
to change one's tune - to start expressing a different attitude and reacting in a different way after something has happened.
straight from the horse's mouth - exactly the person / directly
bend over backwards - try very hard to do something
eating someone - bothering you - what is eating you lately? What has been eating (upseting, disturbing, worrying) you lately?
kick the bucket - to die, pass away
pull someone's leg - make a joke / You're pulling my leg. (You're fooling me. You're kidding.)
smell a rat - something strange, bad, wrong, fishy
jump down someone's throat - angry
dead as a door nail - doesn't work
cold turkey - right away, immediately
blowing smoke - angry
a back handed compliment - compliment that is not true, putting down somebody
break a leg - good luck
brand spanking new - something new
bust your balls - giving him hard time
to chew the fat - talk about but not important
for the birds - That was for the birds. (It doesn't appeal to me. That wasn't interesting.)
go to the dogs - mess up, very bad condition
drive someone up a wall - send them over the edge


Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Phrasal verbs-2

brush up
Frank is going to Peru next month, so he's brushing up his Spanish.
come in/into
Welcome to my house. Please come in.
David's plane hasn't come in yet.
The manager is angry at linda because she comes in late every day.
I couldn't buy that new book because it hasn't come in yet.
I always take a sewing kit when I travel. It comes in handy when a button falls off.
cut back (on)
I am against cutting back spending on education.
You're getting fatter. Maybe you should cut back on sweets.
Noun: The workers are worried about their jobs because of cutbacks in military spending.
move in/into (with)
The landlord said we could move right in if we want to.
Moving all this furniture into a fifth floor apartment is going to be hard.
My mother might move in with my brother.
move out
could you help me move out? I have to leave by the end of the month.
move...out (of)
The store had a sale to try to move some merchandise out of the warehouse.
pull out (of)
The accident happened when the car pulled out of the parking space.
I've reconsidered the deal and decided to pull out.
pull...out (of)
General Johnson pulled all the troops out of the battle.
Noun: General Johnson ordered an immediate pullout.Bold
put...in/into
Please put your clothes in (into) the closet.
We put $10.000 into our saving account.
Jake got put in (into) jail for twenty years.
I put a lot of time into becoming a doctor.
When the check came for dinner, we each put $20 in.
We put central air conditioning into our house.
Margaret was put in charge of the Sales Department.
run out (of)
When I opened the door, the dog ran out.
I don't have any sugar for your coffee. I've run out.
I played poker last night and, for a while, I was ahead by $2,000. Then my luck ran out and I lost it all.
chop...up
Does this meat have to be chopped up?
Adjective: Mix the chopped-up onions and celery with mayonnaise.
cross...off
Crossing my name off the invitation list was a mistake.
Adjective: Here's the shopping list. Don't get the crossed-off stuff - I already did.
fill...up
We always fill the tank up in Indiana because gas is cheaper there.
Don't fill up on candy - you won't have room for dinner.
fill up
The hotels in Rio always fill up at carnival time.
Adjective: These water containers don't feel very heavy. Are you sure they're completely filled up.
pick...up
All this trash has to be picked up.
The travel agent said I could pick the tickets up tomorrow.
I'll pick you up at the airport tomorrow.
I need to pick up some milk on the way home.
Children can pick up a new language very easily.
The teacher started the class by picking up where she left off the week before.
General Johnston's radio transmission was picked up by the enemy.
Marsha picked up some interesting books at the used book store.
Charles was picked up for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Heather's father picked up the whole tab for the wedding.
Let's pick this place up - it's a mess.
Bill picked up someone, and they went to a cheap motel.
pick up
The book starts up slowly, but then it picks up.
Noun: The restaurant uses the back door for pickups.
The taxi driver went to 50 West 23rd Street for a pickup.
The company's profits improved after a pickup in sales.
sell out (of)
The store sold out of the new computer game in two days.
Adjective: I saw the most beautiful shoes but my size was all sold out.
You'll never get a ticket for that concert - it's been sold out for weeks.
straighten...out
My elbow is so swollen that I can't straighten my arm out.
My travel agent booked me into the hotel for the wrong day, but the manager straightened everything out.
I'm totally confused about what I'm supposed to do. Can you straighten me out.
Adjective: Erik was upset with Dan but they had a long talk and now everything is straightened out.
ask...out
Tom asked Judy out to the movies.
come down to
Learning a language comes down to practice, practice, practice.
deal with
There are many problems, but I can only deal with one at a time.
The governer's speech dealt with the rising crime rate.
hold on (to)
When the horse jumped over the fence, I held on as hard as I could.
We were holding on to each other when the hurricane came.
Can you hold on a little longer. I'll be right with you.
pay back (for)
Can you lend me $200 until Friday when I'll have the money to pay you back.
Jack shot Henry to pay him back for turning him in to the police.
take...up on
My brother has often invited us to visit him and last week we took him up on his offer.
turn...around
Someone called my name and I turned around to see who it was.
Turning the money-losing company around is going to take several years.
Noun: We won the game in a last minute turnaround.
wear...out
The carpet in the hallway wore out and we ha to replace it.
Babysitting for his grandchildren really wore Fred out.
Adjective: I need new running shoes; these are totally worn-out.
I have to sit down and rest for a while: I'm completely worn-out.
come from
Mike comes from Alaska.
Jane came from California for the wedding.
The word "admirol" comes from an Arabic word.
figure...out
I couldn't figure out where I put my keys.
give...back
Tommy, give that toy back to your sister right away.
look for
I looked for you at the party, but I didn't see you.
put...on
I put on my new dress today. Tom forgot to put suntan lotion on.
I put the book on the table.
The Wilsons put a new roof on their house last year.
Mike has put on so much weight that I didn't recognize him.
The club put on a show to raise money for the party.
You won the lottery? You're putting me on!
Noun: He didn't really win the lottery. It was all a big put-on for his girlfriend.
run into
I was run into by a drunk driver.
We ran into Karen and her fiance in the supermarket yesterday.
Jane ran into lost of problems at work today.
If you fixed everything on that old car, it would run into lots of money.
show up
More than a hundred people showed up for the concert.
It's hard to photograph polar bears because they don't show up well against the snow.
take...off
I took my shoes off because I didn't want to get mud on the carpet.
I took the book off the table.
Alonso always takes the skin off the chicken before he cooks it.
I have to take tomorrow off from work to go to the doctor.
The car dealer took $2,000 off the list price.
take off
Our plane took off an hour late because of the snow.
If this business takes off, we could make a lot of money.
This party's boring - let's take off.
Noun: The takeoff was delayed because of the snow.
blow...off
Bob had a hangover, so he blew off helping Marsha fix her car.
burst out
When Sam heard the news, he burst out laughing.
come back
I'm never coming back to this awful place again.
Senator Doolittle lost in 1988, but he came back to win in 1994.
I need to see a doctor. The pain in my shoulder has come back.
Miniskirts are coming back this year.
Noun: The Mets were down by four runs but won the game by three - What a comeback!
Health officials are afraid that tuberculosis is making a comeback.
I saved my wide neckties because I knew they'd make a comeback some day.
get off on
Mountain climbing is what I get off on.
go away
Mark went away not realizing he had left the light on.
We always go away for a few weeks in the winter.
Jane didn't go away to school; she went to college near home.
I have a pain in my back that never goes away.
bring...up
Would you please bring a glass of wine up to my office for me?
We were having a great time until you brought the subject of money up.
I was brought up to believe in honesty and compassion.
run around
The cat ran around the room chasing the mouse.
The woman was running around the store, looking for her lost child.
Noun: Why didn't you just tel the truth instead of giving me the runaround.
stick with
I don't like computers; I'll stick with writing letters by hand.
My mother has stuck with the same soap for forty years.
It will be very crowded at teh street fair, so stick with me so you don't get lost.
stick...with
I'm sorry to stick you with all this work, but you're the only one who can do it.
break out (of)
Bubba broke out of prison last month; the police have been looking for him ever since.
Rioting broke out after the general cancelled the election.
Noun: There hasn't been a successful breakout from the state prison in 25 years.
catch up (with) (on)
We left before Luke but he drove faster and caught up with us.
Let's call Mitch so we can catch up on the latest news.
Adjective: Now that I've read the newspapers I missed while I was on vacation, I'm all caught up.
chicken out (of)
I was going to ask Amy to the dance but I chickened out.
get along (with)
I haven't gotten along with my neighbors for years.
How are you getting along with your paper for the history class.
give up (on)
This job is impossible. I give up.
give...up
When the robbers realized they were surrounded, they gave up.
My father didn't give skydiving up until he was 82.
hang up (on)
I was so mad when he swore at me that I hung up.
hang...up
When I get home, the first thing I do is hang my coat up.
Adjective: Tommy, why aren't your clothes hung up?
hook...up (to)
I hooked my sound system up to my TV.
hook up
After work, let's hook up at the restaurant on the corner.
Noun: The cable TV hookup usually costs $20, but it is free this month.
work up (to)
When he started lifting weights, he couldn't lift much but now he's worked up to 250 pounds.
work up
It took me a long time to work up the nerve to ask my boss for a raise.
Adjective: Mark has been acting nervous all day. What's he so worked up about?
get back (to)
We left three weeks ago and only got back yesterday.
Get back from the edge of the cliff. You might fall.
get...back
I have to get these books back to the library - they've overdue.
I couldn't believe I got my stolen car back.
get behind
I was sick last week so I got behind in my work.
get by
With all that junk in the hallway, it's hard for people to get by.
It's not easy getting by on $250 a week.
I have a great editor; not many mistake get by her.
get down (to)
The first thing I did when I got down to Miami was go to the beach.
When the enemy started shooting, the sergeant told us to get down.
get...down
When you put the dishes on the top shelf, I can't get them down.
Jim's marriage problems are really getting him down.
get in/into
Get into the car right this minute!
I'm eshausted. I got in really late last night.
get...in/into
We'll never get into that club, we don't know the right people.
These shoes are too small - I can't get my feet in.
Susie got into a lot of trouble at school today.
I wanted to buy that book but the bookstore hasn't gotten it in yet.
Dinner isn't until 7:30, so we have time to get a game of tennis in.
get out (of) (to)
We smelled gas and got out of the building just before it exploded.
I love the city. I almsot never get out to the country anymore.
There was a huge scandal after the news got out.
You work too hard; you should get out more.
get...out (of)
After Hank was arrested, his lawyer got him out of jail.
Mother's coming for dinner, so let's get the good china out.
Do you think bleach will get the wine stain out of my blouse?
You got me into this mess; now you can get me out.
get over (to)
Susie, get over here and clean up this mess right away!
I've had a bad cold for a week and I still haven't gotten over it.
I can't get over seeing my ex-wife with her new husband.
get up (to)
I haven't gotte up to my brother's house in Canada for years.
After he hit me, I got right up and hit him back.
get...up
I don't usually get up until 11:00 on weekends.
break in/into
A thief broke in and stole my TV. A thief broke into my house.
break...in
I have a blister on my foot because I haven't broken my shoes in yet.
Noun: The police are trying to solve the break-in at the liquor store.
Adjective: My new secretary makes lots of mistakes because she isn't broken in yet.
check in/into
Jim checked into the hotel when he arrived in Denver.
John has to check in with his parole officer every month or go back to jail.
check...in
You should check in at least two hours before your flight.
That bag is too big to carry on - you'll have to check it in.
check out (of)
Mrs. Garcia checked out of her hotel and went to the airport.
The supermarket line is very long. It's going to take forever to check out.
check...out
That new Mexican restaurant is great - you should check it out.
Applicants for child care should be thoroughly checked out.
Adjective: We're checked out; now, let's go to the airport.
Noun: We can sleep late tomorrow. Checkout time isn't until 11:00.
You get the fruit; I'll get the meat. We'll meet at the checkout counter.
go in/into
Frank went into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee.
That dish goes in the cabinet over the sink.
The National Guard was ordered to go in and stop the riot.
let...in/into
When the guests arrived, I opened the door and let them in.
The hole in the screen is letting the mosquitoes into the house.
plug...in/into
This phone isn't broken; you just forgot to plug it in.
Adjective: The iron is hot; it's plugged in.
sneak in/into
When I was a kid, I used to sneak into the movie theater through the emergencey exit.
sneak out (of)
Susie's father told her to stay in her room, but she sneaked out throught the window.