40s Singleness-Learn English Online

Write On Wednesday

2008-01-16T05:02:00.000-06:00

In English we use adverbs to describe or modify verbs. They tell how, when, and where and can make your writing more interesting.

Many times we add -ly to an adjective to make an adverb.

For example, "The new computer worked beautifully."

By adding -ly to beautiful, we can tell how the computer worked. Here are some other examples using the same subject--the computer.

"The new computer worked quickly."
"The new computer worked fast."
"The new computer was working yesterday."
"It's working fast."
"It's working slow today."

Adverbs can also be used to describe adjectives.

For example, "Fabiola is a very hard worker."

and

"Matt is usually late."

and

"Luis is always conscientious about his work."

We can also use them to compare actions.

For example, "Victor works more quickly than Xing."

and

"Xing works more carefully than Victor."

Sometimes adverbs can join clauses together.

For example, "We'll do our bellwork, then have our lesson."

Adverbs of frequency-
The placement of adverbs of frequency, words that tell us how often something is happening, such as never, always, and sometimes depend upon the verb.

If the sentence contains one verb (there is no auxiliary verb such as to be), the adverb goes before the verb. For example, "I always brush my teeth when I wake up." If the sentence does contain an auxiliary verb, the adverb comes after the verb. For example, "The math teacher is always late to school." The exception to this is the very short sentence. For example, "He always is."

If the sentence contains more than one verb, the adverb is placed after the first verb. For example, "He can never get here on time."

Sometimes the adverb is placed at the beginning or end of a sentence for emphasis-usually at the end. For example, "Sometimes he manages to get here on time." or "He manages to get here early sometimes."

See how you do!

Adverb quiz 1
Adverb quiz 2
Adverb quiz 3
Adverb quiz 4

Idiom of The Week

2008-01-13T07:47:00.000-06:00

Today's idiom...

white elephant

A white elephant is an expensive, useless item. For example, "The town's new convention center, with a cost of over $5 million, is a white elephant."

*click on the image to order it from allposters.com

Friday Fun...ESL Humor

2008-01-11T05:19:00.000-06:00

From Humor and stories for interpreters: Our crazy English language!

Fat chance and slim chance mean the same thing.

Flammable and inflammable mean the same thing.

There is a whole collection of words called "Janus-faced" or "contronym" words.

Examples:

(source "Crazy English" by Richard Lederer)

WITH: a) alongside b) against
a) England fought with France against Germany.
b) England fought with France.

CLIP: a) fasten b) separate
a) Clip the coupon to the newspaper
b) Clip the coupon from the newspaper

FAST: a) firmly in one place b) rapidly from on place to another
a) The pegs held the test fast.
b) She ran fast.

BOLT: a) to secure in place b) to dart away
a) I'll bolt the door.
b) Did you see the horse bolt?

TRIM: a) add things to b) cut away
a) Let's trim the Christmas tree.
b) Let's trim the hedge.

DUST: a) remove material from b) spread material on
a) Three times a week they dust the floor.
b) Three times each season they dust the crops.

WEATHER: a) withstand b) wear away
a) Strong ships weather storms.
b) Wind can weather rocks.

HANDICAP: a) advantage b) disadvantage
a) What's your handicap in golf?
b) His lack of education is a handicap.

COMMENCEMENT: a) beginning b) conclusion
a) Beautiful weather marked the commencement of spring.
b) She won an award at her high school commencement.

HOLD UP: a) support b) hinder
a) Please hold up the sagging branch.
b) Accidents hold up the flow of traffic.

KEEP UP: a) continue to fall b) continue to stay up
a) The farmers hope that the rain will keep up.
b) Damocles hoped that the sword above his head would keep up.

LEFT: a) departed from b) remaining
a) Ten people left the room
b) Five people were left in the room.

DRESS: a) put items on b) remove items from
a) Let's dress for the ball
b) Let's dress the chicken for cooking

TEMPER: a) soften b) strengthen
a) You must temper your anger with reason.
b) Factories temper steel with additives.

CLEAVE: a) separate b) adhere firmly
a) A strong blow will cleave a plank in two.
b) Bits of metal cleave to a magnet.

STRIKE: a) secure in place b) remove
a) Use a firm grip to strike the nail.
b) When the show is over, we'll strike the set.

GIVE OUT: a) produce b) stop producing
a) A good furnace will give out enough energy to heat the house.
b) A broken furnace will often give out.

SANCTION: a) give approval of b) censure
a) The NCAA plans to sanction the event
b) Should our country impose a new sanction on Libya?

SCREEN: a) view b) hide from view
a) Tonight the critics will screen the film.
b) Defensemen mustn't screen the puck.

OVERSIGHT: a) careful supervision b) neglect
a) The foreman was responsible for the oversight of the project.
b) The foreman's oversight ruined the success of the project.

QUALIFIED: a) competent b) limited
a) The candidate for the job was fully qualified.
b) The dance was a qualified success.

MOOT: a) debatable b) not worthy of debate
a) Capital punishment is a moot point.
b) That the earth revolves around the sun is a moot point.

CERTAIN: a) definite b) difficult to specify
a) I am certain about what I want in life.
b) I have a certain feeling about the plan.

MORTAL: a) deadly b) subject to death
a) The knight delivered a mortal blow.
b) All humans are mortal.

BUCKLE: a) fasten together b) fall apart
a) Safe drivers buckle their sear belts.
b) Unsafe buildings buckle at the slightest tremor of the earth.

TRIP: a) to stumble b) to move gracefully
a) Don't trip on the curb.
b) Let's trip the light fantastic.

PUT OUT: a) generate b) extinguish
a) The candle put out enough light for us to see.
b) Before I went to bed, I put out the candle.

UNBENDING: a) rigid b) relaxing
a) On the job Smith is completely unbending.
b) Relaxing on the beach is a good way of unbending.

WEAR: a) endure through use b) decay through use
a) This suit will wear like iron.
b) Water can cause mountains to wear.

SCAN: a) examine carefully b) glance at hastily
a) I scan the poem.
b) Each day, I scan the want ads.

FIX: a) restore b) remove part of
a) It's time to fix the fence.
b) It's time to fix the bull.

SEEDED: a) with seeds b) without seeds
a) The rain nourished the seeded field.
b) Would you like some seeded raisins?

CRITICAL: a) opposed b) essential to
a) Joanne is critical of our effort
b) Joanne is critical to our effort.

THINK BETTER: a) admire more b) be suspicious of
a) I think better of the first proposal than the second.
b) If I were you, I'd think better of that proposal.

TAKE: a) obtain b) offer
a) Professional photographers take good pictures.
b) Professional models take good pictures.

IMPREGNABLE: a) invulnerable to penetration b) able to be impregnated
a) The castle was so strongly built that it was impregnable.
b) Treatments exist for making a childless woman more impregnable.

BELOW PAR: a) excellent b) poor
a) Her below par score won the golf tournament.
b) I'm disappointed in you below par performance on the spelling test.

DOWN HILL: a) adverse b) easy
a) When the source of the capital dried up, the fortunes of the corporation went down hill.
b) After you switch to diet drinks, it will be all down hill for your weight-loss program.

WIND UP: a) start b) end
a) I have to wind up my watch.
b) Now I have to wind up this discussion of curious and contrary contronyms.

- Stan Niles

Write On Wednesday

2008-01-02T08:16:00.001-06:00

Sentence construction and word order are very important in writing English. Here are a few rules concerning adjective placement in sentences.

In English, adjectives modify nouns and are placed before them in a sentence.

For example, "That is a beautiful painting!"

In this sentence the adjective beautiful modifies the noun painting and is placed before it in the sentence.

If more than one adjective modifies the noun, they are placed before the noun in the following order:

1. Opinion
2. Dimension
3. Age
4. Shape
5. Color
6. Origin
7. Material

For example, "She's wearing an ugly purple wool sweater."

Adjectives can be placed at the end of a sentence if they describe the subject.

For example, "The painting is beautiful!"

Try these exercises to test your use of adjectives.

Adjective Quiz Level A
Adjective Quiz Level B
Adjective Quiz Level C
Adjective Word Order Quiz

Tune in Tuesdays...Listening Skills

2008-01-01T07:07:00.000-06:00

Here are 3 New Year's listening activities from ello.org. Just click each picture to go to the activity.

Activity 1

Activity 2

Activity 3

Friday Fun...ESL Humor

2007-12-28T05:45:00.000-06:00

From Tina's Humor Archives

NOTICE:

To make things easier for all of us, please notice this Important Notice About Notices. You may have noticed the increased number of notices for you to notice. We notice that some of our notices have been noticed. On the other hand, some of our notices have not been noticed. This is very noticeable. It is noticed that the responses to the notices have been noticeably unnoticeable. This notice is to remind you to notice the notices and respond to the Notices because we do not want the noticed to go unnoticed.

Thursday's Reading Room

2007-12-27T08:44:00.001-06:00

One strategy to use to improve reading comprehension is a K-W-L chart. K-W-Ls are very helpful for setting a purpose for reading.

First, preview the text by reading the title, scanning the text for questions and graphics, reading author information and paying attention to words in bold type, headings, and any charts or graphs.

Next, create a K-W-L chart. This is a very simple 3 column chart as shown below.

Once your chart is drawn out, complete the first two columns. Write down things you already know about the topic of the text. In the second column, write things you want to know about the topic.

Then, after reading the text, fill out the third column which is things you learned in the text. Doing this will help you focus as you read.

Since the object here is to improve your reading comprehension in English, try completing the chart in English.

Write On Wednesday

2007-12-26T07:52:00.001-06:00

A common tradition in the United States is writing New Year's resolutions. Usually these are things we want to improve upon or do better in the year to come. They are things like losing weight, quitting smoking, being kinder or more generous, and trying a new activity such as dancing.

Why not practice your English writing skills by writing some resolutions for 2008? A good start would be to improve your English skills in any of the four areas: speaking, listening, reading or writing.

Write at least three resolutions and post them as a comment. I can't wait to read them!

I'll start with three of mine.

Be happy with me.
Work out regularly (at least 4 times a week).
Develop a deeper level of gratitude.

Happy 2008!

Monday Grammar Point

2007-12-24T07:18:00.000-06:00

Here's a great verb practice activity by Lingo4you - www.lingo4u.de based on the classic German story, "The Gingerbread Man."

The Gingerbread Man
© by Lingo4you - www.lingo4u.de

Once upon a time there (be)______________1 a little old man and a
little old woman, and they (live) ______________2 all alone in a
little old house. They (feel)______________3 quite lonely because
they (have) ______________4 no children. So one day, the little old
woman (make) ______________5 a little boy out of gingerbread.
When the little old woman (decorate) ________________________6
her gingerbread boy, she (put) ______________7 him in the oven.
Some time later the little old woman (open) ______________8 the oven door to (take)
______________9 her little gingerbread boy out again. But he just (jump) ______________10 out
of the oven and (run) ______________11 away.
The little old man and the little old woman (run) ______________12 after him to (catch)
______________13 their little gingerbread boy. But the gingerbread boy (be) ______________14
faster than the little old man and the little old woman. He (laugh) ______________15 and (shout)
______________16 , »(Run) ______________17 as fast as you (can) ______________18 . You
(catch/not) ______________19 me. I (be) ______________20 the gingerbread man.«
And they (can/not) ______________21 catch him.
The little gingerbread boy (run) ______________22 on and on and after a while he (pass)
______________23 a cow. The cow (say) ______________________24 , »Hello, little gingerbread
boy. You (look) ____________________________25 delicious. Please stop, I (want / eat)
________________________26 you.«
But the gingerbread boy just (laugh) ______________27 , »I (run) ______________28 away from
the little old man. And I (run) ______________29 away from the little old woman. So just (run)
______________30 as fast as you (can) ______________31 . You (catch/not)
______________________32 me. I (be) ______________33 the gingerbread man.«
And the cow (can/not) ______________34 catch him.
The little gingerbread boy (run) ______________35 on and on and after a while he (come)
_________________36 to a horse. The horse (tell) __________________37 the gingerbread boy,
»Please stop, you (look) ___________________38 very good to (eat) __________________39 .«
But the gingerbread boy just (laugh) ______________40 , »I (run) ______________41 away from
the little old man. I (run) __________42 away from the little old woman. I (run) ____________43
away from the cow. And I (run) ______________44 away from you! So just (run) ____________45
as fast as you (can) __________________46 . You (catch/not) ________________________47 me.
I (be) ______________48 the gingerbread man.«
And the horse (can/not) __________________49 catch him.
After the gingerbread boy (run) ____________________50 for another while, he (see) ________51
a fox. The gingerbread boy (cry) __________________52 , »I (run) ______________53 away from
the little old man.I (run) ____________54 away from the little old woman. I (run) ____________55
away from the cow. And I (run) _____________56 away from the horse. So just (run) _________57
as fast as you (can)_________58 ! You (catch/not) _________________59 me. I (be) _________60
the gingerbread man.«
But the fox (reply) __________61 , »I (know) ___________62 I (can/not/catch) ______________63
you. You (be) ______________64 too fast for me. But even if I (can) ______________65 catch
you, I (not/do) __________________________66 it.«
The little gingerbread boy ran on and on. But suddenly he (come) ____________________67 to a
river. He (be) ______________68 in deep trouble because he (know/not) ______________69 how
to swim. And the little old man, the little old woman, the cow and the horse (run/still) __________
__________________70 after him.
The fox (say) ______________71 , »Jump on my tail and I (take) ______________72 you across
the river.«
So the little gingerbread boy (jump) __________73 on the fox's tail. They (swim) ____________74
just a little distance when the fox (turn) __________________________75 his head to the little
gingerbread boy, »You (be) ___________________76 too heavy for my tail. Please little
gingerbread boy, (jump) ___________________77 on my back.«
So the little gingerbread boy (jump) ____________________78 on the fox's back. In the middle of
the river, the fox (ask) ________________79 the little gingerbread boy, »You (be) ___________80
too heavy. My back (sink) _______________________81 . (jump) ______________82 on my nose
and you (stay) ______________83 dry.«
So the little gingerbread boy (jump) _________________84 on the fox's nose. But as soon as they
(reach) _________________________85 the other side of the river, the fox (throw)
______________86 back his head and (eat) ___________________87 the little gingerbread boy.

Click here and scroll to page 3 for the answers.

Idiom of The Week

2007-12-23T07:08:00.000-06:00

Today's idiom...

a white Christmas

A white Christmas probably originated with Bing Crosby's popular song by the same name. It refers to having snow on Christmas Day. For example, "Look! It's snowing! We'll have a white Christmas after all!"

Enjoy Bing Crosby's "White Christmas"

*Click on the image for its source.

Speaking Skills Saturday

2007-12-22T05:25:00.000-06:00

Sing along with David Bowie and Bing Crosby in this fabulous rendition of Little Drummer Boy. The script and lyrics are below the video.

David: Hello...... you're the new butler?
Bing: Hahaha! Well, it's been a long time since I've been the new anything!
David: What's happened to Hudson?
Bing: I guess he's changing.
David: Yeah, he does that a lot, doesn't he? Uhm... Oh, I'm David Bowie, I live
down the road.
Bing: Oh!
David: Sir Percival let's me use his piano if he not around. He's not around, is
he?
Bing: I can honestly say I haven't seen him, but come on in! Come in!
David: But uh...
Bing: Come on in!
David: Are you related to sir Percival?
Bing: Well, distantly...
David: Oh, you're not the poor relation from America, right?
Bing: Ha! Gee... news sure travels fast, doesn't it? I'm Bing.
David: Oh, I'm pleased to meet you. You're the one that sings, right?
Bing: Well, right or wrong, I sing either way.
David: Oh well, I sing too.
Bing: Oh good! What kind of singing?
David: Mostly the contemporary stuff. Do you eh... do you like modern music?
Bing: Oh, I think it's marvellous! Some of it's really fine. But tell me, have you ever listened to any of the older fellows?
David: Oh yeah, sure. I like ah... John Lennon and the other one with eh...Harry
Nilsson.
Bing: Mmm... you go back that far, uh?
David: Yeah, I'm not as young as I look.
Bing: Haha, none of us is these days!
David: In fact I've got a six year old son. And he really gets excited around the Christmas holiday-thing.
Bing: Do you go in for anything of the traditional things in the... boy, household, Christmas time?
David: Oh yeah, most of them really. Presents, tree, decorations, agents sliding down the chimney...
Bing: What??
David: Oh, I was just seeing if you were paying attention.
Bing: Haha!
David: Actually, our family do most of the things that other families do. We
sing the same songs.
Bing: Do you?
David: Oh, I even have a go at 'White Christmas'.
Bing: You do, eh!
David: And this one. This is my son's favourite. Do you know this one?
Bing: Oh, I do indeed, it's a lovely theme.

And they told me pa-ram-pam-pam-pam
A new-born king to see pa-ram-pam-pam-pam
Our finest gifts we bring pa-ram-pam-pam-pam
Ra-pam-pam-pam, ra-pam-pam-pam

Peace on Earth, can it be
Years from now, perhaps we'll see
See the day of glory
See the day, when men of good will
Live in peace, live in peace again

Peace on Earth, can it be
Every child must be made aware
Every child must be made to care
Care enough for his fellow man
To give all the love that he can

I pray my wish will come true
For my child and your child too
He'll see the day of glory
See the day when men of good will
Live in peace, live in peace again

Peace on Earth, can it be
Can it be

Bing: It's a pretty theme, isn't it?

Friday Fun...ESL Humor

2007-12-21T05:26:00.000-06:00

From Tina's Humor Archives

A Southern Interpretation
In a small southern town I saw a wonderful "Nativity Scene," but one feature bothered me. The three wise men were wearing firemen's helmets.
Unable to come up with a reason or explanation, I left. At a "Quik Stop" on the edge of town, I asked the lady behind the counter about the helmets.
She exploded into a rage, yelling at me, "You darn Yankees never do read the Bible!" I assured her that I did, but simply couldn't recall anything about firemen in the Bible.
She jerked her Bible from behind the counter and ruffled through some pages, and finally jabbed her finger at a passage. Sticking it in my face she said "See, it says right here, 'The three wise men came from afar.'"

(Note: To get the full effect you must understand the American Southern Drawl. Fire is often pronounced 'far.' Read it aloud to really 'get' the humor.)

Tune in Tuesdays...Listening Skills

2007-12-18T06:00:00.000-06:00

From Musical English Lessons here are some great listening lessons using Christmas Carols.

Away In A Manger-Listen

* Dictionary Work

* Vocabulary in Context

* Pronunciation & Intonation in a musical context

While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks At Night-Listen

* Internet fun research for purposes of comparison

* Pronunciation & Intonation in a musical context

We Three Kings-Listen

* Stress & Intonation Practice

* Pronunciation & Intonation in a musical context

Monday Grammar Point

2007-12-17T05:13:00.000-06:00

Another fabulous School House Rock video. This one features verbs.

Friday Fun...ESL Humor

2007-12-14T08:59:00.000-06:00

From Tina's Humor Archives

This is from D. Ridge, concerning a friend of his who was a Mormon Missionary to Switzerland, in a german speaking region.
It appears that he was having some trouble with the language, but had acquired a sufficiently good grasp that he felt comfortable presenting a sermon on the Book of Revelations, and the events leading up to the end.
So, he's rolling along, and he's evoking the picture of the rapture, and the rule of the beast on the earth, and the fight between the Archangels and the forces of Hell, and the tension is building and building, until he reaches the climatic moment, and intones in a voice of thunder, "Und Dann Kommt die Ente!" (and then comes the end!)
Suddenly, the place erupts in laughter, which he can't understand. It seems that what he meant to say was, "Und Dann Kommt die Ende", which is "and then comes the end", but by making that mistake of one consonant on the last word, had managed to tell his rapt parishoners, that when everything was done, the climax of Armageddon would be the coming of 'die Ente', or The Duck.
And so, in the last days, after the fall of the stars from the sky, and the battle between the Archangels and the Forces of Hell, there shall Come the Duck! Quack!

Thursday's Reading Room

2007-12-13T06:00:00.001-06:00

Here is a nice Christmas reading comprehension activity and a little American Christmas culture. I use this reading from edhelper.com to help bring a little American culture to my students' Christmas and to help teach Christmas vocabulary in context.

¹ You know it's the Christmas season without anyone telling you! You see, hear, and smell the Christmas clues all around you. The things that tell you Christmas is coming are symbols. They are symbols of Christmas.

² Your eyes light up with the decorations. Red lights, white lights, and multicolored lights outline houses. They are draped over bushes and around trees. They are like tiny stars that twinkle in the night. Those lights are a part of our Christmas season. They make everything seem pretty and magical!

³ Christmas trees are another wonder of the season. They are draped with tinsel, garland, and lights. They are topped with stars or angels or bows. Their branches are filled with ornaments of all sizes, shapes, and colors. The people of Germany were the first to decorate trees for the holiday.

⁴ When you see a jolly fat man in a red suit with a white beard, you've seen another symbol of Christmas. Clement C. Moore's poem, "The Night before Christmas," described this Christmas character for us. Thomas Nast's drawing was based on the poem.

⁵ There is a flower linked to Christmas. It is the poinsettia [poyn-SET-ee-uh or poyn-SET-uh]. Christmas is the only time we see pots of poinsettias everywhere we go. Poinsettias came from Mexico. They were named after America's first ambassador to Mexico, Joel Poinsett. He liked the bright red leaves that look like flower petals. Since he introduced this plant to America in 1828, Americans have embraced it and made it a special holiday flower. Now we have pink and also white poinsettias, but red remains the most popular symbol of the day.

⁶ There is a special candy that is a symbol of Christmas. Of course, much candy is eaten at Christmas. One kind is a stick of peppermint. It is curved at one end. It has red and white stripes. This candy is also made in other colors and flavors. This candy is great for hanging on a Christmas tree!

⁷ Another symbol that stands for Christmas is called a crèche [KRESH] or nativity scene. It stands for the night of a special baby's birth. His name was Jesus. It is a scene from more than 2,000 years ago. A crèche includes a stable, people in long robes, and a baby lying in a feed trough. Sheep and cows are often there. Perhaps a camel or two stand nearby. Sometimes angels are included in a crèche.

⁸ Sometimes we can hear the sounds of the holiday. Only at Christmas do we hear the familiar "Ho ho ho!" of the season. We also hear bells more than any other time of the year! "Jingle Bells" is not only a song; it is a sound that tells us that good things are coming! Speaking of songs, music is a vital part of the season. We only hear Christmas music when Christmas is on its way.

⁹ Sometimes we can sniff the air and smell the scents of Christmas. The fresh-pine scent of living Christmas trees and the warm aroma of gingerbread are just two smells that remind us of the holiday and the goodness it brings.

¹⁰ As Christmas draws near, you will come across many symbols of the holiday. How many sights, sounds, and scents are there in your neighborhood?

Read the article and answer the following questions:

1. After reading the article, what other Christmas symbols were not mentioned?
2. What Christmas symbol is described in paragraph 4?
3. What happens when we smell Christmas cookies?
4. What candy is described in paragraph 6?
5. Why would a Mexican flower be named after an American?
6. Which one of these is not a sound of Christmas?
7. What is your favorite Christmas song?
8. Christmas trees originally came from _________.

Want to know how you did? Click here and scroll to the bottom of the page for the answer key.

Monday Grammar Point

2007-12-10T05:10:00.000-06:00

In English, apostrophes have three basic uses.

They are used to show possessives. For example, "That is Lisa's cat." This shows that the cat belongs to Lisa.
They are used to show missing letters such as in contractions. For example, "It's cold outside." In this case, the apostrophe takes the place of the I in is.
Sometimes the apostrophe is used to show the plural of lowercase letters. For example, "Mind your p's and q's." This is an idiom meaning show some manners.

One very common apostrophe mistake is using them in plurals. For example, "Lisa has three cat's." Cats is not possessive; it is simply plural. Lisa has more than one cat. Using the apostrophe would show possession and there is nothing in the sentence that belongs to the cats.

Another apostrophe error involves using them in possessive pronouns. For example, "Those cats are yours'." Yours is already possessive. There is no need to add the apostrophe.

Apostrophes are also misused with capital letters and numbers. For example, "The 1960s was a crazy decade." or "Lisa ordered three Macintosh G4s ."*

*Source: The OWL at Purdue

Idiom of The Week

2007-12-09T06:55:00.000-06:00

Today's idiom...

cold day in hell

A cold day in hell refers to how hot is in hell and the fact that it will never be cold there. It means that something will never happen. For example, "In will be a cold day in hell before I loan her money again. She never pays me back!"

Friday Fun...ESL Humor

2007-12-07T05:14:00.000-06:00

From MLP Humor:

EuroEnglish Language

The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the EU rather than German, which was the other possibility. As part of the negotiations, Her Majesty's Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5 year phase-in plan that would be known as "EuroEnglish":

In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c". Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy. The hard "c" will be dropped in favor of the "k". This should klear up konfusion and keyboards kan have one less letter. There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year, when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced with the "f". This will make words like "fotograf" 20% shorter.

In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible. Governments will enkorage the removal of double letters, which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling. Also, al wil agre that the horible mes of the silent "e"'s in the language is disgracful, and they should go away. By the 4th yar, peopl wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" with "z" and "w" with "v".

During ze fifz year, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaiining "ou" and similar changes vud of kors be aplid to ozer kombinations of leters. After zis fifz yer, ve vil hav a reli sensibl riten styl. Zer vil be no mor trubls or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech ozer. ZE DREM VIL FINALI KUM TRU!

Write On Wednesday

2007-12-05T05:09:00.000-06:00

With only a few weeks until Christmas, I thought I would post a Christmas themed writing prompt. Hopefully, it gets your creative writing juices flowing. Practice your writing in English, email me your your story/article and I'll post them next Wednesday.

Here's the prompt:

Cozy family holiday memories

I look forward to reading your writing!

Tune in Tuesdays...Listening Skills

2007-12-04T05:10:00.000-06:00

Here are 3 Christmas listening activities from ello.org. Just click each picture to go to the activity.

Activity One

Activity Two

Activity Three

Monday Grammar Point

2007-12-03T06:28:00.000-06:00

A great vintage American favorite!

Idiom of The Week

2007-12-02T07:53:00.001-06:00

Today's idiom...

pain in the neck

A pain in the neck is a person who is annoying. For example, "That kid drives me crazy! He is the most annoying person I've ever met. What a pain in the neck!"

*Click on the image for its source.

Speaking Skills Saturday

2007-12-01T06:37:00.001-06:00

We've been discussing reductions in American pronunciation the last couple of weeks. Have you been practicing them? No? Then here's your chance. If you missed the posts, here they are:

November 17
November 24

Eva Easton has a great reduction section. Many different reductions are covered and you are even able to listen to and then practice them. When you feel confident, you can take a quiz to see if you can recognize them in spoken English conversation.

Have fun and be sure to come back and let me know how you did!

Friday Fun...ESL Humor

2007-11-30T06:33:00.000-06:00

Funny classified ads from innocentenglish.com...