Experience English: Grammar Points

Showing posts with label Grammar Points. Show all posts

How To Use The Future When You Talk About Your Schedule And Appointments

As professionals in the business world, we have to talk about dates, times, meetings, and appointments. How do you talk about meetings and appointments in English? Check out the four ways to talk about your schedule below!

I have a meeting with my boss on Monday, August 18th at 9 a.m. / from 9 to 10 a.m.

[TO HAVE (PRESENT SIMPLE) + SOMETHING]
I will be in Nice / with my boss / out of the office / on holiday / in a team meeting on Monday at 11 a.m.

I will not be available because I have a conference call at 10:30 a.m.

[I WILL BE + PLACE / PERSON or I WILL NOT BE]
I am going to be in a meeting with John on Wednesday at 2 p.m.

I am going to see my boss on Monday morning.

I am going to have lunch with Caroline on Thursday.

[GOING TO + VERB]
I am meeting my manager on Tuesday, August 23rd at 10 a.m.

I am seeing John on Friday at 3 p.m.

I am having dinner with Susan on Friday to talk about a marketing campaign.

[PRESENT CONTINUOUS FOR ACTIONS, PLANS, AND ARRANGEMENTS]

For information on making appointments, please click here.

PRACTICE AND THINK IN ENGLISH

What are you doing tomorrow? What are your plans next week?

Tell me by leaving a comment below or in a message by E-mail at kaufman.terry@gmail.com, if you like.

To learn how to leave a comment, please click for instructions in English or click for instructions in French. It is not necessary to have a Google account. After you type your comment, click on the menu, "Comment as" ("choisir une identité") and choose "Name" or "Anonymous".

The Future: Making Predictions Using Will, Could, And Might

When you make predictions in English, we generally use WILL, COULD, and MIGHT to express probability. However, it is easy to confuse the use of will, could, and might with the present continuous for the future to talk about future actions and plans.

Please click on the image below to see how we use will, could, and might to make predictions:

Here is an example of how we express probability using will, could, and might:

Journalist: What do you think will happen to the economy next year?

Economist: I think the economy will improve around the world. (The person thinks the economy is sure to improve.)

Journalist: Do you think there will be a recession before the economy improves?

Economist: Some countries in Europe could experience a recession. (There is a possibility.) However, the US economy will pick up (improve).

Journalist: What do you think will happen to the eurozone?

Economist: The eurozone might break up (separate) because of weak economies in certain countries. (The break up is not probable and the economist does not know if it will happen. The economist is not sure.)

Now, let's compare making predictions and the use of the present continuous for the future:

Julie: Hey Terry, what are you doing this weekend? (Use the present continuous to ask about someone's plans.)

Terry: I am going on vacation. We are going to Los Angeles to see my parents! (Terry made plans to go to Los Angeles and bought his plane tickets. That is why we use the present continuous to talk about future plans and actions. He is not expressing probability or possibility about a future action or event.)

Julie: Really? That is great! When are you leaving?

Terry: We are leaving on Saturday morning. I think our flight will be on time, so we will have time in the afternoon to go to the beach and enjoy the sun.

Julie: What are you going to do in Los Angeles?

Terry: I am going to a barbecue at my uncle's house on June 29. I am also having lunch with my friend, Mike, at his parents' house on June 30. (Going to a barbecue and having lunch are future plans and actions.) I might go bicycling with him in the afternoon, but I am not sure yet (I have not decided yet). I know I am going to eat a lot of food, so I am going to run three days a week. I could also go bicycling and walking in the Santa Monica Mountains. (Bicycling and walking are future possibilities.)

Julie: Have a wonderful trip!

To sum up (summarize, recapitulate), we use WILL, COULD, and MIGHT to make predictions and express probability:

- Subject + Will / Could / Might + Verb (Infinitive)

- Will is the most probable and expresses a sure prediction about future events and actions.

- Could expresses a future possibility (or different possibilities) about future events and actions.

- Might is the least certain and probable. We use might when you are not sure or you do not know what will happen in the future.

- Always use the present continuous when you talk about a future plan and action. We only use will, could, and might to make predictions and talk about probability.

What is the difference between might and may?

We generally use might in conversation and may in more formal writing and business contexts.

PRACTICE AND THINK IN ENGLISH

Look at the photo below:

- What do you think will happen to the plane and the people on the beach?

Use will, could, and might to make predictions and answer the question.

Best Practices And Grammar Review: Are You Operational In English?

To communicate comprehensibly and clearly in English, there are four fundamental verb tenses to know. If you know them and use them correctly, you will not have any trouble expressing yourself. What is the secret? Be (super) operational!

In English, there are tenses we use to communicate routine and generalities, present actions, future plans and actions, and finished, past actions.We use the specific tenses all the time.

The Four Tenses To Know To Be (Super) Operational

Click on the image to make it bigger

To express routine and generalities, use the Present Simple:

I live in Paris.
I work as an English trainer.
I run three times a week.
I drink coffee every day.

Examples of time expressions that correspond to the present simple:

Every day
Once a week
Always
Never
All the time
Sometimes
From time to time

The idea is to associate the time expressions with the verb tense.

Asking questions: DO/DOES + SUBJECT + VERB

Do you always drink coffee in the morning?
Does she have a car?
Where do you live and work?
How often do you run?
To express present actions, use the Present Continuous:

I am creating a new exercise now.
We are using a computer at the moment.
I am wearing black shoes today.
She is currently working in London.

Examples of time expressions that correspond to the present continuous:

Now
At the moment
Today
At present
Currently (presently)

Remember to associate the time expressions with the verb tense.

Asking questions: AM/IS/ARE + SUBJECT + VERB+ING

Is she currently working in London?
What are you wearing today?
What are you doing now?
To express future plans and actions, we also use the Present Continuous:

Tomorrow, I am going to Rome. I am staying in a hotel from Monday to Wednesday.
I am travelling to Japan next month.
He is meeting the general manager on Friday at 2 PM.
They are giving a presentation to their clients tonight.

Examples of time expressions that correspond to the present continuous for the future:

Tomorrow
Next week/month/year
In June
At 12 PM

Do not forget to associate the time expressions with the verb tense.

Asking questions: AM/IS/ARE + SUBJECT + VERB+ING

Where are you going tomorrow?
Are you travelling to Japan next month on business?
Who is Tom meeting on Friday?
To express finished time and past actions, we use the Past Simple:

I went to New York last week.
She ate fish and chips for lunch yesterday.
They saw a movie last night.
I moved to Paris 18 years ago.

Examples of time expressions that correspond to the past simple:

Two days ago
On Monday
Last weekend/night/day/week
Yesterday morning/afternoon/evening

Again, associate the time expressions with the verb tense.

Asking questions: DID+SUBJECT+VERB

Did you go on holiday last month?
When did you go to the movies?
What did you do yesterday?

When do we use WILL?

We use WILL for predictions and future events. On the contrary, we use the present continuous for future plans and actions:

The meeting will be in Los Angeles from June 1 to June 3. (The meeting is a future event.)
I think I will go on vacation next month. (I did not make any plans yet. It is a prediction.)
I am going to Munich on Friday. (I bought my plane tickets and I made my hotel reservations. It is a future plan.)

If you have made plans for the future, use the present continuous to talk about a future plan or action.

PRACTICE AND THINK IN ENGLISH

Write a paragraph about your best friend. Explain what he/she does for a living (for work), present activities, past experiences and actions, and future plans. Practice using the verb tenses above to be operational in English and remember to use time expressions.

Best Practices: Phrasal Verbs And Vocabulary To Know And Use

English vocabulary consists of many phrasal verbs. You can find them in conversation, business English, movies, songs, books, and virtually everywhere people communicate in English!

What is a phrasal verb?

A phrasal verb consists of a verb and a prepositional particle. Typical phrasal verbs are to get up, sit down, deal with, and look forward to.

As the image shows above, fluent speakers use phrasal verbs. The challenge is that phrasal verbs can be literal in meaning or figurative in meaning. For example, "Look up at the sky" literally means to move your head up and look at the sky. However, "Look up the address of the restaurant in the phone book" figuratively means to search for and find (the address) in a reference book (phone book or dictionary).

Give up means to stop
making an effort or to
stop doing something.

In addition, phrasal verbs have different meanings that depend on the context. Always remember that meanings of phrasal verbs are contextual and they depend on the context.

In general, phrasal verbs follow specific grammar constructions:

You give up something (verb + ing). For example, I gave up smoking in 1995.
You give something up. For example, I gave it up in 1995.

You cannot say, "I gave up it in 1995."

Pronouns, such as YOU, HIM, HER, THEM, US, and IT go between the verb and the prepositional particle.

More examples:

I picked up my parents at the airport. I picked them up at the airport.
(I went to the airport to get or collect my parents.)
If a phrasal verb consists of two particles, such as look forward to, pronouns go after the last particle.

I am looking forward to my holiday. I am looking forward to it.
(I am anticipating and excited about my future holiday.)

Be careful, because there are many exceptions. For example, the phrasal verb deal with only has one particle, but pronouns go after with and not between deal and with.

I have to deal with customers who have bad attitudes. I have to deal with them.

Make up means to reconcile and to stop a dispute. It
also means to put makeup or cosmetics on your face.

Please click on the image below to see the 15 most useful phrasal verbs in the English language.

Click on the image to see it.

Click here to download a list of about 200 useful phrasal verbs with meanings and examples.

If you have difficulty downloading the documents:

Right-click on the document (cliquer à droite)
Choose "save as . . . " (choisir "enregistrer sous . . .")

PRACTICE AND THINK IN ENGLISH

Look at the image above and choose five phrasal verbs. Create a story with them.

Tell me your story by leaving a comment below or in a message by E-mail at kaufman.terry@gmail.com, if you like.

To learn how to leave a comment, please click for instructions in English or click for instructions in French. It is not necessary to have a Google account. After you type your comment, click on the menu, "Comment as" ("choisir une identité") and choose "Name" or "Anonymous".

I love LA!

As a person who lives in two different worlds, I experience the best of Los Angeles and Paris. I experience the best of both worlds (the best aspects of two different things).

Los Angeles means "the city of angels" in Spanish. People from LA often use the expression when they talk about the city. Los Angeles has the largest population in California and has the second largest population in the United States. The city with the largest population in the US is New York City.

When people think of Los Angeles, Hollywood often comes to mind (something enters your thoughts). LA is known as the "Entertainment Capital of the World." However, it is also a world center of business, international trade, entertainment, culture, media, fashion, science, sports, technology, and education.

When I am in LA, I have my favorite places to visit and my passions to experience. I must also tell you that I have my favorite food to eat.

Click on the photo to see it.

In Los Angeles, the Pacific ocean and the beach are to the west and the mountains are to the east. One of my favorite views is the Hollywood sign from the beach. You can see the sign in the middle of the photo, between the two buildings.

Click on the photo to see it.

There is a bicycle path on the beach that is about 22 miles long (35 kilometers). I love riding a bike or running on the path. The path is also called "The Strand" by Los Angelians (people who were born in Los Angeles). I am also fond of the view from the beach and I often run on the path to make up for (compensate for) all the food I eat (you will see the food below).

Click on the photo to see it.

My parents and I like to go to a pedestrian street (for people only, where there are no cars) called the Third Street Promenade. There are many stores and restaurants and the promenade is about two minutes from the beach.

Click on the photo to see it.

One of the traditions I have with my family in Los Angeles is to go to a famous cafe called The Pantry. The cafe is located (situated) in downtown LA and it never closes. It is open 24/7 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) and it is never locked (closed with a key) because there is no lock on the door! People generally go to The Pantry for breakfast and enjoy eggs, pancakes, coffee, and hash browns (fried potatoes that are cut into small pieces).

WARNING: If you are not familiar with the food in the photos, it could gross you out (disgust you or make you sick).

Click on the photo to see it.

A favorite tradition my father and I have is to eat a chili burger (a hamburger with chili in it) for dinner when I arrive in Los Angeles. The restaurant we go to is called Tomy's.

Click on the photo to see it.

Mexican food is fantastic (superb) in LA. After a chili burger, I often like to eat a chicken or potato burrito. Please note that I do not have a burrito the same day I eat a chili burger. I usually wait two or three days to completely digest the chili burger.

Click on the photo to see it.

Another favorite place my family and I go to is Farmers Market. At Farmers Market, you can buy fresh fruit and vegetables. In addition, there are restaurants and a shopping center.

Click on the photo to see it.

When I go to Farmers Market, I stop by (visit a place for a short period of time) Bob's Coffee and Doughnuts.

Click on the photo to see it.

They make the best apple fritters (a pastry that is made with apples) there!

Click on the photo to see it.

Finally, before I leave LA, I eat a pastry called a cinnamon roll at a place called Cinnabon. The pastry is made with a lot of sugar, butter, and cinnamon.

As you can see, my passions in Los Angeles include (consist of) bicycle riding, running, and eating. However, LA is a unique city that has a little of everything for everyone. That is why I love LA!

PRACTICE AND THINK IN ENGLISH

Where are your favorite places?
What are your passions?

Video Discussion: Coffee or tea?

I am fond of coffee. In fact, I love it. I drink two or three cups a day. Espresso and cappuccino are my favorites. I also like tea, but I prefer coffee to give me the energy I need during the day. But I would rather have tea in the evening or at night than drink coffee. I like drinking camomile tea before going to bed. On the contrary, at the weekend, I prefer having green tea, Ruschka tea, or Marco Polo tea in the afternoon. Drinking tea and reading a book are wonderful things to do to relax, in my opinion!

In the text above, there are some interesting grammar points and vocabulary:

TO BE FOND OF something or doing something (verb + ing). We use this expression when you like something very much.
WOULD RATHER DO SOMETHING THAN DO SOMETHING. To express a preference, we use this expression.
LIKE OR PREFER DOING SOMETHING (verb + ing). We also use the construction LIKE OR PREFER TO DO SOMETHING (to + a verb).
BEFORE DOING SOMETHING (verb + ing).
ON THE CONTRARY is the same as "in contrast" and "on the other hand".
IN MY OPINION is the same as "from my point of view" and "to me".
Please note the use of time expressions and prepositions: IN THE EVENING, AT NIGHT, AT THE WEEKEND, and IN THE AFTERNOON.

In the following video discussion, you will hear people in London discuss coffee and tea.

You will hear some interesting vocabulary:

'Cos is a contraction of because.
As well is the same as "too".
Awake is the opposite of asleep. You are awake during the day and asleep at night.
A substitute is the same as "a replacement (for something)".
To get started is to begin (something).

Source: Express English - Coffee or tea?

PRACTICE AND THINK IN ENGLISH

Do you prefer coffee or tea?
When do you rather drink coffee than drink tea?
Do you have a favorite activity that you like doing when you drink coffee or tea?
Can you do more things with tea than coffee?

Tell me by leaving a comment below or in a message by E-mail at kaufman.terry@gmail.com, if you like.

To learn how to leave a comment, please click for instructions in English or click for instructions in French. It is not necessary to have a Google account. After you type your comment, click on the menu, "Comment as" ("choisir une identité") and choose "Name" or "Anonymous".

Video Discussion: Do you exercise for your health?

Exercise is important to your health and fitness. In the video below, you will hear people from London talk about the exercise they do to keep fit (stay in good health).

Source: Express English - Fitness

Interesting grammar points in the video:

"Going to the gym makes you feel good."

We use the construction, MAKE + SOMEONE + FEEL SOMETHING, when someone or something creates a feeling in you.

We use MAKE + SOMEONE + DO SOMETHING, when you force someone to do something. For example, "I made my children do their homework," means that my children did not want to do their homework, so I forced them to do it.

"I do running."

When you use DO + AN ACTIVITY, we use a VERB + ING. You do shopping and you do cooking, for example.

"I go jogging."

When you use GO + AN ACTION OR ACTIVITY, we also use a VERB + ING. You go swimming, go dancing, go skiing, and go bowling, for example.

Please note that you play golf, play basketball, play tennis, and play cards.

PRACTICE AND THINK IN ENGLISH

What do you do to keep fit? (What sports do you do for exercise?)