The Future Continuous Tense

What will you be doing on New Year's Eve?

When you want to talk about future activity, the future continuous tense is one of the tenses you can use. You can also use the "going to" future and the present continuous tense.

Today's lesson is right here.

Some updates to the site:

I've finished updating the Yellow Level. Some of the content has changed, but most of all I just wanted to fix the broken links and make it easier to navigate.

The U.S. Citizenship page has also been updated with links to the new citizenship test. You can also download the 100 practice questions from my site. The videos still match the previous test, but the information on the videos will help you prepare for the test as you practice listening to and reading the test questions.�

Direct and Indirect Quotations

Today's lesson is on direct and indirect quotations. I'd like to use the words of a student who wrote to me yesterday to demonstrate how to change the words actually spoken or written by someone into words that are described by another person.

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From Humoud, an online student:

"I have taken a look at your video lessons. They are fantastic and perfect. But I have a simple suggestion I hope you consider when you explain verb tenses. You didn't mention why we use these tenses." (Hamoud's exact words)

Hamoud said that he had taken a look at my video lessons. He said that they were fantastic. (Thanks!!) However, he had a suggestion for me. He hoped that I would consider explaining why verb tenses are used. (My description of what he said)

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Of course, I changed a few words here and there, but did you notice how the verbs changed as well? This is something that speakers of English do naturally, and it's a very good thing to learn, because we are all put in the position at one time or another of having to describe what someone else said. �

The Present Perfect Continuous Tense

One of my intermediate level classes recenly practiced the present perfect continuous tense. This is used for activities that began in the past and are continuing now, so you can't apply it to every situation, but it's very popular in conversation.

I have been teaching English for the last 20 years.

In the example above, the activity (teaching) started 20 years ago and has continued nonstop up to this moment in time.

Nadia has been working at that bakery since last August.

They've been eating a lot of potatoes lately.

We've been preparing for the holidays since November. �

Should

This week we continue to learn about modal verbs. The lesson featured today is the same as the one featured on Friday because it's so important and it takes time to learn how to use all the different modal verbs. Let's look at "should." This modal is used to express when something is a good idea, a recommendation.

The doctor said that you should try to eat more fruit.

Everyone should try to help those who are in need.

You shouldn't smoke. It's very dangerous to your health. �

"Should" is often used in place of "shall" in American English. "Shall" is not very popular in the United States although it's commonly used in other countries where English is spoken. If you do hear "shall" used, it sounds like this: Shall we go? (Do you want to leave?) And that's about it. �

Modal Verbs

Today's lesson is on modal verbs. Following a modal verb (can, could, will, would, may, might, must, should) is the main verb in the simple form. I think it's helpful to use the verbs "be" and "do" as the main verb when teaching beginning level student how to use modal verbs for the first time. I've also noticed that some of my intermediate level students don't consider "be" and "do" as main verbs because they are also used as helping verbs.

modal verb + be

A: Where will you be today?

B: I'll be at work.



modal verb + do


A: Can I do this work tomorrow?

B: Yes, but you must finish it by then.

For more practice with modal verbs, click here. �

The Past Continuous Tense

Where were you living a year ago? Where were you working ten years ago? How much studying were you doing last weekend? These are all examples of the past continuous which is used to describe continuous activities in the past. You can't use if for everything, and sometimes the simple past tense is good enough, but try not to confuse if with other tenses.

To make the past continuous: Subject + (be: was or were) + ______ing. The main verb is in the simple form--represented by the the big blank space--and you add "ing" to that. Here are some examples:

She wasn't having much fun at the party, so she went home early.

I tried calling you last night but you didn't answer. What were you doing?

I was living in Chicago in the 1990s at the same time that Barack Obama was living there.

For more practice, click here. �

comparative adjectives

The comparative form is used when describing the difference between two things. Today's lesson focuses on adjectives, but you can also make comparisons with adverbs and nouns.

The comparative form for adjectives:

The weather today is worse than the weather we had yesterday.

This lasagna that you made is better than the stuff we ate at that terrible restaurant.

The grocery stores are more expensive here than where I used to live.

The Verb "Have"

Today's lesson features the verb "have." It's important to know that this word is used as a main verb and as a helping verb in the present perfect.

They have a lot of time to go shopping today. (present tense)

She doesn't have a car. (present tense, negative)

He had a test yesterday. (past tense)

We didn't have anything to do at work last night. (past tense, negative)

I have had the same car for the last ten years. (present perfect)

You haven't had enough time to study English online (present perfect, negative)�

The Present Perfect

Because we're going to start studying the present perfect this month, it's necessary to look at some differences among the present tense, the past tense, and the present perfect all at the same time.

The present tense is used for every day:

I go to school Monday through Friday.

The past tense is used for yesterday, last week, last year:

I went to school every day last week.

The present perfect is used to show a length of time or some indefinite amount of time:

I have gone to that school for the last three years.

The present perfect is one of the most important tenses for conversational English. In fact, one of the first questions asked of someone who is new to the United States is, "How long have you lived here?" You answer this way: "I have lived here for _______," or "I have lived here since _______.

I like to teach the present perfect because it really helps people at the intermediate level of English to improve. But you must know your past participles, especially for irregular verbs, so start studying them now. �

Mumbai

My condolences to the people of India where the scourge of terrorism once again has struck at the innocent. In contrast to this horror, past random acts of God and nature have resulted in much larger numbers of those dead, as we have seen recently with tsunamis and earthquakes, but when human beings--in this case, terrorists--decide for themselves who will die, they have chosen to become the instrument of destruction, and in some way pretend to be God-like. That is truly horrifying and despicable.�

Gerunds

Today's featured lesson is on gerunds. Gerunds are words that look like verbs with their "ing" ending, but they function more like nouns. Here's a simple example:

Riding a bike is a good way to help protect the environment.

The word "riding" is a gerund. The singular verb that matches it is "is." When gerunds are in the position of the subject, they are always singular.

Gerunds often appear after words describing time or in adverbial phrases:

Before going to sleep, I set my alarm.

When working on her computer, she likes to listen to the radio.

After winning five games in a row, the football team finally lost one last night.

As you can see, a gerund follows each expression of time. The first part of the sentence is a dependent clause, the second part following the comma is the independent clause. �

More examples of infinitives

I often have to remind my students that infinitives are very useful because they can help explain why someone does something. Look at this sentence:

I'm going to go to the store to get some milk.

Why am I going to go to the store? To get some milk.

I think the problem for many students is that they see the word "to" in so many different places, it causes some confusion. In the first part of that sentence, there's the "going to" future in which the main verb is "go." Then there's a prepositional phrase, "to the store." Finally, the infinitive explains my reason for going to the store. Look at the sentence again:

I'm going to go to the store to get some milk.

Clearly there are three different ways in which the word "to" gets used. Here are a few more examples of sentences that use infinitives in the same manner?

She has to drive to Iowa to see her mother.

They walked outside to get some fresh air.

The students stayed after class to ask their teacher some questions. �

Conjunctions

If you can learn how to use conjunctions properly, you can be a better communicator in English. The most common conjunction, "and," doesn't get as much attention as it deserves. It's good to know when to use it and when not to use it. Here are some examples:

Harold and Brooke are getting married. ("and" creates a compound subject)

She likes to sing and dance. ("and" creates a compound verb)

My computer is kind of slow, and it keeps on crashing. (compound sentence)

To learn more about how to use "and" and other conjunctions, click here.

The "going to" future tense

Another way of making the future tense is to use (be) going to. The verb "be" will change depending on the subject, then use "going to," and then the simple form of the verb after that. This is an extremely popular way of expressing the future, so learn this well. Most Americans blend "going" and "to" and say "gonna."

A: How are you going to go home?


B: I'm going to take the bus.



A: What time are you going to go to work?


B: I'm going to be there before 6:00.



While it might be possible to use "will" instead, that would sound kind of strange in the examples above. The "going to" future sounds very relaxed and natural.�

Will

The modal verb "will" is used to make the future tense. It's often used with contractions. The sentences below show how to make contractions with pronouns.

Maria will go to work tomorrow. She'll go to work tomorrow.

Bob will look at some new cars today. He'll look at some new cars today.

The weather will be cold this evening. It'll be cold this evening.

John and Sarah will be there. They'll be there.

To make a question, put the verb "will" before the subject:

Will I need to wear a heavy coat today?

Will you go with me?

One other use for "will" that you must know about is that it's used when someone volunteers to help. In this case, using the "going to" future (which we will look at tomorrow) isn't a good choice.

Do you need help with that heavy box? I'll help you.

We'll bring some pop to the party.

I'll get the phone.

She'll answer the door. �

Some / Any

"Some" and "any" are used before nouns as indefinite amounts:

They needed some help. (affirmative)

They didn't need any help. (negative)

It's easy to forget that "any" is used with the negative. As for "some," remember that we often put that word in front of nouns when making a statement.

I saw interesting birds at the zoo. (not so good)

I saw some interesting birds at the zoo. (much better!)

When making questions, it doesn't matter if you use "some" or "any," but I prefer "any."

Do you want some sugar with your coffee?

Do you want any sugar with your coffee?

Using "do" as a main verb

The verb "do" is a helping verb and a main verb. This causes a lot of confusion for students of English.

As a main verb, "do" appears as do, did, done, or doing. To make a question or the negative, add the helping verb (do, does, or did) to the simple form "do." What did you do yesterday? What do you do every day? I don't do anything on the weekend.

When using "do" as a main verb, it has special meanings--usually related to work:

I do a lot of cleaning on the weekend.

She did the dishes last night.

They do their homework when they get home.

In these sentences, "do" is not in the simple form. It's the main verb. �

Object Pronouns

A good knowledge of pronouns will make it easier for you to communicate in English. Today we're looking at object pronouns. Object pronouns receive some sort of action:

I gave my pencil to him.

She called me.

He likes her.

For more practice with object pronouns, you can go here. �

Commands

Today's lesson is on commands (or you can call it the "imperative form."). Commands are used when telling someone what to do. You use the simple form of the verb at the beginning of the sentence:

Give me your pen, please.

Take this.

Have a nice day!

A verb in the simple form begins each of these sentences. The implied subject is "you," but don't use it when making a command. For example, "You give me your pen," doesn't sound like good English. To make the negative, put "do not" or "don't" at the beginning of the command:

Don't push that button!

Don't be late!

Don't do that!�

Do vs. Did

Congratulations to Barack Obama who will become the 44th President of the United States on January 20th! We're lucky to have him as our next leader.

In Lesson Three in the Red Level, look at the difference between "do" and "did." They're both helping verbs, but one is used for the present tense (do) and the other is used for the past tense (did). If you understand that, and you understand how to use the simple form of the verb, you will develop very good control over your use of English.

Examples:

What do you eat for breakfast every day? (present tense: do + eat)

What did you eat for breakfast yesterday? (past tense: did + eat)

In both examples above, "eat" is in the simple form (eat/ate/eaten), and the helping verb determines the verb tense.

Do

The verb "do" is kind of like the steering wheel of a car. It controls the direction of a sentence or a question. English teachers often refer to it as the helping verb or the auxiliary verb. When used with the main verb verb, "do" indicates whether a sentence is positive or negative, or if it's a question. Lesson One in the Red Level looks at "do" in the present tense.

Here are some examples:

Do you eat breakfast every morning? (question)

helping verb: do / main verb: eat

No, I don't eat breakfast every morning. (negative: do + not)

helping verb: do / main verb: eat �

Do

Now comes the hard part: review. We're going to go through the Red Level again this month. Remember back in August when I laid out the schedule for studying English with my website? The Red Level is scheduled for the months of October and November. We will complete five lessons for the next four weeks. Tomorrow, Monday, we'll start with Lesson One, so if you're a new member to this website, this is a good time to catch up to everyone else.

Here's the schedule that I sent out in August:

September -- The Blue Level
October -- The Red Level
November -- The Red Level
December -- The Yellow Level
January -- The Yellow Level
February -- The Green Level
March -- The Green Level
April -- The Purple Level
May -- The Orange Level
June -- The Orange Level
July -- The Violet Level
August -- The Violet Level

As you can see, it will take a person a full year to go through the material on the website. If you try to do it too quickly, you'll have trouble remembering things. Just take your time and you will succeed in improving your English. �

Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive Pronouns refer your attention back to the subject. For example: I hurt myself. Who did it? I did. Don't say, "I hurt me." Today's lesson is featured on the home page, so if you want to watch the video, go to the home page or you can go to Red Level Lesson 20.

Here are some more examples:

She always buys herself a present on her birthday.

He can see himself in the window's reflection.

We decided to work for ourselves.

Reflexive pronouns also describe that a person or a group of people are alone:

Why are you sitting all by yourself? Can I sit with you?

It's nice to see children learn how to do things by themselves.

I went to see a movie by myself. �

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns can be used as subjects or as objects in a sentence:

Your class is in the evening. Mine is in the morning.

(Mine = My class; "Mine" is the subject)

She didn't have a pen, so I gave her mine.

("mine" is a direct object)

All the other prossessive pronouns end in an "s:" yours, his, hers, its, ours, yours, theirs.

Possessive pronouns are often used alongside possessive adjectives. It's important to know the difference. For example: His car is parked outside. Hers is in the garage. In the first sentence, "His" is a possessive adjective. It comes before a noun. In the second sentence, "Hers" is a possessive pronoun and you don't use if before another noun.

Look at this mistake: Hers car is in the garage. You should say, "Her car is..." This is a very common mistake. The person speaking is confusing the possessive adjective with the possessive pronoun.

Gerunds

Gerunds look a lot like verbs because they have an "ing" ending; however, they function like nouns in a sentence:

1. Swimming is fun.
2. I like swimming.
3. She is swimming.

The first two sentences use gerunds. The third is in the present continuous tense. Remember that continuous tenses are formed with the verb "be." That's how you can tell it apart from a gerund.

Gerunds follow some verbs but not others: I avoid shopping at Walmart. After the verb "avoid," you can use a gerund but not an infinitive. How do you know which verbs take gerunds, which verbs take infinitives, and which can take both? That's one of the things that makes English so difficult. It takes years to learn this through reading, listening, speaking, and writing.

For more practice with gerunds, click here. �

Infinitives

Today's featured lesson is on infinitives. An infinitive looks like a verb, but it often behaves like a noun. Consider the following sentences:

I like ice cream.

I like to eat ice cream.

In the first sentence, the subject is "I," the verb is "like," and the object is "ice cream."

In the second sentence, the subject is "I," the verb is "like," and the infinitive "to eat" indicates what the speaker likes. "Ice cream" becomes the object of the infinitive. You could also say, "I like to eat." That's a good sentence, too.

Infinitives are also useful because they explain why a person does something:

I go to work to make money.

Why do I go to work? To make money.

She went to the store to get some new shoes.

Why did she go to the store? To get some new shoes.

Like

There are a few different ways to use the word "like." The most common expresses a desire for something or someone: She likes ice cream. We like to go to the zoo. I like working on my website. Notice that "like" can be followed by an infinitive or a gerund.

"Like" is also used when making a comparison or a description: A bratwurst is like a sausage. He's like a brother to me. / What does it taste like? It tastes like chicken.

There's one more really important use for "like" in American English. Many people here use it in conversation, but it doesn't really have much of a meaning. It's similar to "uhh" and "you know" which also don't have any real meaning: I was, like, so tired last night I couldn't stay awake. This is, like, really easy. (In this application, "like" is often used after the verb "be.") I don't recommend the use of "like" in this manner, but if you talk to a lot of young Americans, in particular, it's important to know about. �

The Future Tense

Lessons this week will focus on the future tense using "will" and "going to."

What will you do tomorrow? What are you going to do tomorrow? Both of these questions ask about the future. One uses "will" as a modal verb; the other uses an idiomatic modal, "going to." Both are good but "going to" is very popular in American English. However, many Americans speak so quickly, you might not be able to hear someone say it. It usually sounds like "gonna." What are you gonna do tomorrow? You're also supposed to use the verb "be" with "going to," but this also might not be heard by the listener when someone asks, "Whatchya gonna do tomorrow?" �

The Present Tense vs. the Present Continuous Tense

Here's a link to a new video that shows the differences between these two tenses.

"have got" and "have got to"

"Have got" and "have got to" are important verbs phrases that you should know.

"Have got" is almost the same as "have." Some examples: I've got a lot of work to do today. She's got a new boyfriend. Notice in that last sentence that "she's" is "she is." You could just use "have" instead of "have got," but it's very commonly used in American English.

"Have got to" is almost the same as "must." Some examples: We've got to find a new place to live. My company has got to lay off half of its employees because of the bad economy. The U.S. has got to get its house in order (which means to fix the bad situation its in). �

game-changer

Did you see the debate on Thursday night between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin? Joe Biden did very well, and Sarah Palin was able to hold her own--but that's about it. Overall, the debate wasn't a game-changer. "Game-changer." This expression has been around for a while, but lately it's getting used more often by the media and the public. A "game-changer" is an event or a person that suddenly changes everything or moves events in one direction. �

Biden vs. Palin

Tomorrow night is the big debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin. A lot of people are going to watch it because they're expecting gaffes to be made by each candidate. A "gaffe" is a mistake a person makes when speaking (for pronunciation: it rhymes with "laugh"). It's an error in describing a fact, or it's saying something kind of stupid. The expectations are for Sarah Palin to make more mistakes than Joe Biden, but they're both capable of misspeaking. I have to teach tomorrow night, so I can't watch the debate live, but I'll video tape it and watch it after it's done. �

Tonight's debate?

Will the debate scheduled this evening between Barack Obama and John McCain still take place. As of this Friday morning, it's still uncertain. Many observers think it would be foolish for John McCain to miss it while claiming that it's more important to work on the financial mess that we're all in. But it's only a 90-minute debate, and both men have jets that get them places very quickly. Something doesn't seem right here. The Republican Party is very good at playing tricks in order to win elections. Is this a political trick?

trick = an attempt to fool, to cheat, or do something with a negative result. �

asleep at the wheel

Capitalism in America gets a black eye with the recent housing crisis and the impact it has had on banking institutions. Someone was asleep at the wheel and not paying attention closely enough. Now we will all suffer the consequences for many, many years to come. It's all incredibly embarrassing.

asleep at the wheel = This is an expression we use in English to say that someone isn't doing his or her job properly. If you are asleep at the wheel of a car or a truck, you will crash. �

Bush is a loser.

Does anyone want to talk about the spectacular failure of the Bush administration over the last eight years? It's so hard for me to believe that Bush was elected as President in the 2000 election, yet eight years of our national nightmare bear witness to the facts. Now there's a banking crisis. Just add that to the list of failures while he's been President. And what will come next?

Almost everyone I know wants Obama to be President. We should be so lucky. The Republic Party is very good at winning elections. It's just about the only thing they're good at.

Keep your fingers crossed! �

Telling the Truth

Today I'm asking my intermediate level students to discuss these questions:

1. What is the difference between a fact and an opinion?

2. When you want to find out if something is a fact, where do you go? Name at least four sources for factual information.

3. When you hear someone repeat a lie, what is your response?

4. How do you know when someone is telling you the truth, whether it's on TV, in a newspaper, on the radio, or in person? �

You can post one or more responses to these questions.

There

Here are more examples of how to use "there":

There's a lot of water in his basement.

There are many reasons to save energy.

There isn't a baseball game on today, is there?

There aren't any more potatoes in the pantry.

There are many special days marked on the calendar. Tomorrow is one of them. It's the seven-year anniversary of the attacks on the U.S. in New York and Washington. September 11 is always a somber reminder of how much the United States and the world have changed. In the back of everyone's mind remains the fear that another big terrorist attack will happen somewhere in the world and the consequences will be tragic. Perhaps over time this threat will go away, but right now it feels as if it will be with us for quite awhile. �

There

Below is a video for "there." This one word is very important because it introduces things, people, and ideas. Many of my students forget to use "there" when they speak English. Don't forget to use it! It usually appears at the beginning of the sentence.




Students should use a notebook with my website and write out answers by hand. Some have asked me why they can't type answers into quizzes. It's because I want you to write instead of type. Writing helps to improve memorization. Clicking is not a good way to remember something. After you have written your answers in a notebook, you can review what you have learned. Be sure to put the date into your notebook at the top of the page.

John McCain and the G.O.P.

So now the general election is underway with the end of the Republican National Convention in St. Paul. It will be between the old way of doing things and the new way of doing things. John McCain and his party represent what is old (and isn't working very well); Barack Obama represent what is new and has tremendous potential to turn our country in a positive direction.

Well, that's what I think.

G.O.P. = The Republican Party in the U.S.
G = Grand
O = Old
P = Party

This is another way of referring to the Republicans.

A New Approach

I'll be using my website to teach English in a more structured manner than I have been following lately. If you know someone who needs a lot of help in learning English, now is the time for that person to sign up on my homepage: www.learnamericanenglishonline.com

Beginning learners might find this approach to be useful, but intermediate learners might also benefit when they review things that they haven't studied in a long time. There are a lot of little errors that students make when they forget basic English.

A Radio Performer at the Minnesota State Fair

The Minnesota State Fair is a big event in the Upper Midwest. For 10 days, people from Minnesota and the surrounding states come to eat, listen to music, look at prize-winning farm animals and agricultural exhibits, and go on amusement park rides. In this short video, Kevin Kling, a writer and performer, is reading from one of his books and telling a story about what it was like to learn that school is closed for the day because of a snowstorm. In this part of the country, schools have to close sometimes because there's just too much snow or ice or it's too cold for children to go outside. It's one of the great joys of childhood in this part of the country to wake up to two feet of newly fallen snow and then find out that you don't have to go to school.

In the video, when he says "public and parochial," that means that the public schools are closed and so are the private and religious schools. "Parochial" is used to refer to a school that teaches religion as part of the curriculum.

September

Starting in September (I don't know when yet), I'll return to the Blue Level and concentrate more on helping new students who don't have a lot of experience with English or who know some English but want to learn the basics again. This is good also for intermediate learners of English because they sometimes forget the rules, especially when it comes to making the negative and questions in the present tense and the past tense (using "do" and "did").

I've been teaching English for 20 years, and it is very clear to me how important it is to review basic rules in English. But how do you do that without boring everyone?

Obama Picks Biden

Barack Obama has chosen Joe Biden, a Senator from Delaware, to be his running mate. Good choice! Biden has strong foreign policy experience and he has been in the Senate for 36 years. He's a good speaker (like Obama), he's tough, and he has great appeal to working-class Americans. Obama lacks that appeal a little because he's so well-educated and when he communicates to people he can't hide that fact. Americans like someone who's smart but not too smart. You want to know why Bush got elected twice? That's why.

Here's another advantage to choosing Biden: In the U.S. system of government, the Vice President is also the President of the Senate, and there are times, such as when there's a tie (50 Senators in favor of something and 50 Senators against it) and the Vice President can cast the deciding vote. How many tiebreakers will there be? It depends on how well the Democrats do in the general election. I think they're going to do very well for reasons that have to do with Bush's mismanagement of two wars, the economy, and a complete disregard of the environment.

working class = a person who works for hourly pay. This is generally used for people who do manual labor and work with their hands.

appeal = attractiveness; a quality that other people like; beauty, intelligence, physical strength, determination, etc.

tiebreaker = an event that ends a tie, when two sides are equal in number.

disregard = the decision to ignore something; the do nothing; carelessness �

It's Payday!

Today is Friday. For many people in the U.S. that means it's payday--the day employees get their check from their employer. Most are paid every other Friday. Some get a check every Friday. It's also the 15th of August. Some companies pay employees just twice a month, on the 15th and on the last day of the month. Bars and restaurants are very busy on this day because of this. People are more likely to spend money in the middle of the month than at the end of the month because they've already paid their rent or mortgage. Of course, like everything else, this observation doesn't apply to everyone. �

Who will be Obama's V.P.?

So who will Barack Obama pick to be his running mate? This is the question that hangs over both candidates, but it's likely that Obama will present his choice first because the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado is before the Republican National Convention in St. Paul--which I intend to go to, not as a supporter but as a protester. I'll be blogging on the event when it happens in early September.

And why is the choice of Vice President so important? There are two main reasons. First, if anything happens to the President while he (or she) is in office, the Vice President takes the position and holds it until the next election. Also, it's much easier for the Vice President to run for the Presidency, especially after a successful four or eight-year term for the party holding the position. It was easy for Al Gore to be picked as the nominee in 2000 because he had worked so closely and effectively with Bill Clinton, who most Americans considered to be a good President despite his bad personal behavior.�

A Trip to the Farmers Market in Minneapolis

This is a short video of a recent visit to the Farmers Market in Minneapolis. A written transcript follows the video, so if you want to read and listen at the same time, you may do that. There's just a small difference in the transcript between what you hear and what you read, of course, because spoken American English is full of little mistakes and we often run our words together--even I do do that! Also, when I'm speaking with the farmer, he's helping his customers at the same time, so you'll hear him say "thank-you" a few times to people off screen, and he tells someone the price of some cilantro while talking with me.


Click here for the transcript.

It's interesting to note that the farmer I'm speaking with was born in the United States, but his family is from Laos, so he's a first generation American. He's bilingual in two cultures and two languages. Immigrant families can adapt very quickly here, but I think those who come here as adults have the hardest time adjusting to their new lives. I'm sure the parents of the young man featured in this video are very proud of their son.

Some new idioms

Here are some new additions to the Idioms page: P, Q, and R. The letter Q is a little light on content, but that's because there just aren't as many words that begin with Q. Click here to go to the Idioms page.

Thanks to all my friends who write to me when they detect that I've made an error on my website. It really helps me make the website better. The fact is, I type about as quickly as I talk, so I don't always catch the mistakes that are made.�

Computer Problems

My computer needs some professional help, so I won't be able to do too much with the website, answer email, or post here. Sorry! In the meantime, keep going back to the website. 99% of it works properly, although there are a few pages here and there that aren't working. I promise big changes during the month of August, so be sure to keep checking back to see how things have changed.

Paul

Past Tense Regular Verbs

The past tense in English causes some problems for beginning and intermediate level students, so it's necessary to review regularly. There are two main categories of verbs: regular and irregular. The regular verbs add "ed" to the end of the verb in the past tense, while irregular verbs may change their form completely or not at all. Let's concentrate on regular verbs here.

Martha moved to Chicago last month. (statement)

Martha didn't move to Los Angeles because she thought it was too expensive. (negative)

Did she move to Chicago to get a job? (question)

To make the past tense negative, add "did + not" to the simple form of the verb. You can also use the contraction: didn't. To make a question, put "did" before the subject and then use the simple form of the verb. So, that's not too hard. But the pronunciation of past tense verbs is a little tricky. Here's a YouTube video that can help you out with that. Click on the first one you see.

The U.S. election in November

As we get closer to the general election in the U.S. this November, I'll post information about what's happening and I'll try to answer questions about why things happen. Many of my students are confused by the process of electing a President. Right now, all the talk is about who each candidate will choose for vice-president. This is important because it's the first big decision that a future President makes. It's also important because the person chosen becomes politically influential very quickly and may one day be a President himself or herself.�

Yet more new stuff!

I've added new material to both the Purple and Violet levels and to the idioms section. Be sure to check those areas of the website regularly, and if you have ideas regarding how I can make these sections better, or if you have questions about meanings, or if you don't understand something, just email me and I'll try to respond within a day or so. �

A new idioms page for the website

The idioms section of my website is growing quickly. Here's a link to idioms that begin with the letter "g."

The verb "get" is especially important to learn when studying idioms. If you look in a dictionary, you'll see close to a hundred different uses for this word. Americans like using "get" because it's simple and direct.

Modal Verbs in the Passive Voice

I took a few days off from working on the blog because of the holiday weekend, but now it's back to work. Here's a video that I made for the passive voice using modal verbs. Click here.

(be) supposed to

Click here to see a new video for "(be) supposed to." This is passive and it's a little idiomatic. It expresses obligation and responsibility. What are you supposed to do today? What were you supposed to do yesterday? Pay attention to how the verb "be" changes. You can use this in the present tense and the past tense, but that's about it. �

You can practice using it with a quiz. Click here.

Words used for drinking

Last week in one of the English classes I teach at the Mall of America, we started to talk about all the different words that can be used to describe drinking. The one most commonly used, of course is "drink." However, there are some others you might like to know about:

sip = a small amount of liquid. She slowly sipped her tea.

gulp = a big amount. He gulped down a large Coke.

chug = a big amount. Let's chug our beers and go to a different bar. ("chug" is often used for beer)

nurse = a small amount, also usually used with beer. I have to drive later, so I'm nursing my beer.

Past Tense, Passive Voice

We're continuing with the passive voice. Today I'll show you how to make the past tense passive:

Subject + (be) + the past participle

The car was fixed yesterday.

The accident victims were taken to the hospital.

Use "was" or "were" depending on the subject. Let's practice by changing a few sentences into the passive voice. These are all in the past tense:

A hunter killed two wild turkeys. Two wild turkeys were killed by a hunter.

Someone hit my car in the parking lot. My car was hit in the parking lot.

Skilled surgeons performed the operation. The operation was performed by skilled surgeons. �

This video will help you as well.

Present Continuous Tense, Passive Voice

This is how to make the present continuous tense in the passive voice:

Subject + (be) + being + the past participle

The car is being fixed today.

It's important to consider how the verb "be" changes following the subject. Of course, there are three possibilities: am, is, and are. Then, you use "being," but it's also possible to use the verb "get."

The car is getting fixed today.

The main verb in this case is "fix." It's a regular verb: fix / fixed / fixed. The main verb is in the form of the past participle.� I made a YouTube video for this. Just do a search on YouTube and you should be able to find it easily enough.

Present Tense, Passive Voice

The passive voice in the present tense often confuses students. Sometimes they think they're looking at the past tense if the past participle looks like a past tense verb. The important thing is to look at the verb "be." If you take the verb "pay" for instance. (pay / paid / paid) The past tense and the past participle are the same, but when you say "I'm paid twice a month," you're using the present tense: "I am." Here's a video that might help you. �

The Passive Voice

This week we're going to study the passive voice.

The passive voice requires two things: the verb "be" and the past participle. It's possible to use "get" instead of "be," but not always.

Knowing past participles for verbs is essential in the passive voice. For regular verbs, it's easy. Just add "ed" to the end of the word. The apple pie was baked in the oven. "Bake" is a regular verb: bake / baked / baked. Irregular verbs, on the other hand, must be memorized. If you don't know them, go here.

Also, pay attention to the verb "be." It indicates the tense. A new store is being built across the street. What tense is that? The present continuous--"is being." Isn't it strange to use "be" twice? But remember the rules for making the present continuous: S + (be) + _____ing. Then you add the past participle. �

Dictation Exercise

Here's a new dictation exercise. Number a piece of paper 1-10. Listen to each question and answer (they match), and then write down what you hear. The answers are at the end of the video. �

Click here to watch the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_WnrXSe-1k

Obama

Barack Obama is in a very strong position to become the next U.S. President. What are your thoughts about that?�

Reading

How much time do you spend reading English every day? I always tell my students that they should try to spend at least an hour a day reading a book, a newspaper, or a magazine in English. There are a lot of places online, too, but it's good to get away from the computer, go outside, and just read something that interests you. It can be any subject--gardening, music, history, religion, astronomy--and you should try to write down words that you don't know in a notebook that you use for collecting new vocabulary. I did this when I studied German and it helped me develop new vocabulary. �

Mess

In the email I sent out to students yesterday, the featured word of the week was "mess." I like to feature smaller words instead of bigger words because they are commonly used when Americans speak and write in English and because they can change easily with the addition of a preposition. Here are some examples: mess up, mess around, mess with, mess around with.

The United States government really messed up its response to Hurricane Katrina. (didn't do a good job)

A boy and a girl were caught messing around in the back seat of a car. (kissing)

If you mess with that dog, he's going to bite you. (bother or cause trouble)

He likes to mess around with his friends after school. (hangout, do things together)

A new blog!

While I continue to keep my other blog at www।learnamericanenglishonline.com, this will allow students to post comments and interact with me more easily. It will be extra work to maintain two blogs, but let's see how things go.

Welcome to the first day of this blog! Post a comment go to my website and sign up for email lessons if you are not already a member.