A common mistake for students learning English is the difference between Fun and Funny.

What is the difference between Fun and Funny?

Both are adjectives (words that describe something)

Funny = it makes you laugh
Fun = when you enjoy yourself and have a good time

A comedian is…. FUNNY (because he makes you laugh)
Going to an amusement park is … FUN (because you enjoy yourself and have a good time)

Compare these examples:
John is a fun guy. (I have a good time when I am with John)
John is a funny guy. (John makes me laugh)

And in negative sentences…
Going to a dentist is not fun!
Doing a long boring exam is not fun.
Nobody laughed because his joke was not funny.
An accident is never funny. (Well, it’s not supposed to be funny!)

Are the following situations fun or funny?

1. A party with your friends is…
2. A clown is…
3. Playing a game is…
4. Visiting new places is…
5. A friend tells you a great joke. The joke is…

Answers
1. Fun 2. Funny 3. Fun 4. Fun 5. Funny

Are you a fun person or funny person?

The Quote

You don’t drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.
Anonymous

Vocabulary
Drown = to die in a liquid (usually water) because you cannot breathe. It normally happens when water (or other liquid) enters the lungs.

Grammar
By + Gerund = to describe how to do things = to say how something can happen
You can improve your English by watching movies in English.
You can find the answer by clicking on the blue button.

Thoughts about the quote
With this quote you can compare “falling into water” as being in a difficult or bad situation.

When you are in the water what are your options?
You can stay there, do nothing and eventually drown, or you can try and do something like swim to safety, or call for help or find some other solution so that you are no longer in the water.

When you are a difficult situation what are your options?
You can stay there, do nothing and eventually “drown”, or you can try and do something / find a solution to get out of that situation.

Some people when they are in a difficult situation, they spend more time complaining about how bad their life (or situation) is without doing anything. No amount of complaining or doing nothing is ever going to make things better. Don’t wait for external events to improve; YOU have to make a decision and take steps to improving your own situation!

So what do you do when you are in a difficult situation?

A winter morning

January in Wisconsin, United States. It gives me chills just thinking of it. I wake up to my alarm, but spend a good 5 minutes in my bed working up the courage to get up and enter no-mans-land (the brisk air found even indoors).  During these 5 minutes I start to admire bears, which seem to have figured it out. Don’t ever leave your house (or in their case den) during the winter until the weather is nice again in the spring. I get up and run to the shower where I have to find courage yet again to turn off the steaming hot water. I get dressed in many layers: long underwear, socks, long-sleeved shirt and pants, socks again, sweater, boots, jacket, thin gloves, thick gloves, hat, and finally scarf. In spite of all these layers the cold still manages to find its way to my skin.  I pour coffee into a thermos, and leave my house. Outside, I chug the coffee knowing that by the time I get to the bus stop (2 blocks away) it will already be cold. My teeth chatter and my eyes burn with the intrepid cold. When not drinking my coffee, I bury my face in my scarf, trudge through the snow and pray that the bus arrive soon. The bus turns the corner and I am relieved – not a long wait this time. As I get on the bus, my mind is lost in thoughts of flowers, shorts and greenery. Let’s hope for an early spring this year!

How is winter in your city?

To break the ice
= to create a relaxed atmosphere; to make a situation more comfortable

• Erin is so extroverted, she always can break the ice when I introduce her to new people.
• No one is talking, I hope someone breaks the ice soon!

Also: Icebreakers = (noun) games people play in groups of people to get to know them.

• The camp counselor played icebreakers with the new kids.

Sometimes the noun is divided into two words: Ice breakers.

Not your normal chest of drawers

This chest of drawers was on sale on eBay recently and I thought it was quite funny and a truly original idea. Photo from www.geekologie.com

Vocabulary – Furniture
A drawer is a type of box (or container) without a lid (or top) that slides in and out of a piece of furniture. It is normally used to store things.

The photo above has three drawers. When there are two or more drawers used to store clothes, that piece of furniture is called a chest of drawers. Normally a chest of drawers contains your socks, shirts, pants and other things you wear.

Let’s imagine you had a chest of drawers that wasn’t for clothes.
What would you put in each drawer?

If I had my own one it would probably say:

• Chocolate – this would be the top on, easily accessible and out of reach of little children
• Crazy Ideas – it would be filled with the scraps of paper I scribble on whenever I get inspired
• Fun – let’s just say the things my wife and I can use… together

What words would be on each of your drawers?

Learn something new every day

As of the 1st of September 2010 we will be publishing the following to help you improve your English:

Monday: Proverbs & Quotes
Proverbs that are used in English as well as famous quotes to inspire you and to learn from.

Tuesday: Common Mistakes
These are the typical mistakes students make when they are learning English, how to avoid and why.

Wednesday: Jokes and Fun
Funny jokes, cartoons and things that will make you laugh as you learn English. Of course we will try to explain why it is funny. Remember, if you do laugh, then you are really getting a good grasp of the language. If you don’t laugh don’t worry, humour cannot always be translated well (or the same) into some languages.

Thursday: Phrasal Verbs & Idioms
There are many phrasal verbs and Idiomatic expressions that you need to learn to become proficient and usually the only way to learn them is one by one. Here we help you learn them by adding a new one every week with an explanation about what it means with examples.

Friday: Stories, Articles & Learning Tips
Short Stories, articles and longer texts to read that contain a lot of vocabulary to help you learn. Every now and then we will also write about tips that will help you learn English.

If there is anything you would like to learn, just let us know.
Hope you enjoy them!

On our Learn English on Twitter we have an “English word of the day” to help you improve your vocabulary with a new word every day from Monday to Friday.

How can you use the English word of the day to help you learn?

The most important thing about learning vocabulary is to USE the new word.
It is best to learn words in context or associated with something and not just reading long lists of words (which is boring and doesn’t help you very much). That is why we have created 7 Tips to help you learn the new word of the day.

7 Tips for learning an English Word a day

1. Use the new word in a sentence
After you have read the word and understood its meaning, use that new word in your own sentence. It is best to try and create a sentence that has some type of relationship or connection with your life.

2. Look for grammatical variations of the word
Look for the different ways (grammatical forms) the word can appear. For example if the word to suspect (a verb) is given to you, you can look for its noun form (suspicion), its adjective form (suspicious) etc. Suspect can also be a noun (a suspect). Remember that not all words have all grammatical forms. It pays to have a good English dictionary to help you with this.
Once you have the different forms of the new word, you can then try and make a sentence with each one.

3. Word Associations
Try and associate the word with other things (like a mind map). Not only will it help you remember the new word but it will also increase your knowledge (vocabulary) of other things associated with the word.

For example if you have the new word CAR (a noun),
Think of nouns associated with the word (parts of a car: windscreen, steering wheel…)
Think of verbs associated with the word (to Brake, to accelerate, to crash…)
Think of adjectives to describe it (Fast, rusty… )
Think of examples of the word (Limousine, Jeep…)

If the word is an adjective for example BIG

Think of synonyms or words with a similar meaning (large, enormous, huge…)
Think of antonyms or opposites (small, tiny…)
Think of examples of the adjective (Big: Elephant, a continent, Jupiter…)

4. Carry a notepad with you
Write the new word and its meaning (and maybe an example too) in a small notepad that you can carry with you and read whenever you have a spare moment. This can be read while you are sitting on a bus, on the underground/subway, or while you are in a waiting room. This will help you see the words more than once and will help them stick in your mind.

5. Little flash cards
Make little cards with each new word on one side and the meaning of that word on the other side. Put them on the ground and if the meaning is face up, then try and think of the word. If the word appears face up, then think of its meaning. When you start to have a lot of cards you can shuffle them and randomly pick out 10 or so every day.

6. Look for examples from internet
Type the word in a search engine (such as Google) and write down 7 different sentences that contain an example of that word. This way you will see the word in context and maybe other vocabulary associated with it. For better results, look for one sentence every day over 7 different days.

7. Learn a word more than one day
Don’t just learn or practice a word one day and then forget about it. You may think you have learnt the word (since you have just been using it) but if you try to remember/use the new word a couple of weeks later, you may find it difficult. To really remember a word you need to reuse that word over and over before it sticks in your long-term memory.

There is a saying in English “Use it or lose it.” Basically this means if you don’t use (or practice) something you have learnt, you will eventually forget how to use it properly.

I hope these tips have helped. See you at our English Word of the Day on Twitter.

English word of the day

Starting today we have an “English word of the day” to help you improve your vocabulary. We will add a new word every day from Monday to Friday on our http://twitter.com/EnglishChile

The word of the day will include what part of grammar it is (noun, verb, adjective etc), and also its meaning (in English).

How can you use the English word of the day to help you learn?

On Friday you will be able to read our article: 10 Tips for learning English Vocabulary so that you know how those English words of the day can help you.

Have a great day!

When do you use maybe and when do you use may be?

This is a common mistake for students learning English (and sometimes native speakers too!).

The simplest explanation is:
Maybe = perhaps
May be = is possibly

• Our boss was sick yesterday so he may be absent from work today. Maybe our meeting will be postponed until he comes back.
• He may be creative or maybe he is just crazy.

A bit more detail…

MAYBE
Maybe is an adverb that means perhaps.

• Maybe it will stop raining soon. = Perhaps it will stop raining soon.
• A: I thought Suzy would be here by now. B: Maybe she forgot.

MAY BE
May is a modal verb which indicates possibility.

• He may be lost = It is possible that he is lost
• This may be the best website = This is possibly the best website

After may be we usually have an adjective, a noun or a verb (in ING form)

• He may be crazy. (may be + adjective)
• He may be a genius. (may be + article + noun)
• He may be trying too hard. (may be + verb ING form)

Remember that May is similar to Might

• He may be late = He might be late

Maybe you have a better explanation than this.

The following is an example of what to expect in Task 1 of the Academic version of the IELTS exam. In this sample you will see a bar graph.

Woodward Chocolate Bars

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The graph below shows the quarterly sales figures of Woodward chocolate bars for last year.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

What is the difference between Travel and Trip?

These two words frequently confuse learners of English.

A quick explanation that is valid for most situations is the following:

Travel – a verb (the action)
Trip – a noun

Susan’s husband isn’t in town at the moment; he is on a business trip. He travels to many different countries. Susan met her husband on a trip to the Bahamas.

Travel – to go from one place to another
Trip – a journey that is often for a short period of time.

NOTE: There are some exceptions to the general rule above.

Travel can also be a noun when it refers to the act of traveling.

• Travel is difficult in that part of the country since there are no paved roads.
• Travel broadens your mind.

Sometimes Travel appears in plural form and in that case is normally preceded by a possessive adjective (my travels, his travels etc.)

• She has had many adventures in her travels.
• I have never seen any as strange as that in all of my travels.

Trip can also be a verb though it has a completely different meaning.
To Trip – to accidentally stumble and almost fall while walking or running, usually after catching your foot on something.

• He didn’t see the cat and he tripped up.

Trip vs. Journey

A trip usually refers to traveling to a place and returning back to where you started.
A journey usually implies traveling from one place to another (not necessarily returning to where you started). It sometimes refers to the length of time taken to go from one place to another.

• They went on a journey through South America that lasted 6 months.
• It is a three-day journey by train.

Some more uses of the word Trip

A day trip usually refers to a tourist activity that occupies your entire day.
A business trip is when you travel for business reasons.
A round trip means to travel somewhere and return to place of original, there and back (= a return trip)

What is the best trip you have ever had?

Which words would make the sentence correct?

They’re/Their/There playing they’re/their/there video games over they’re/their/there.

The answer appears at the end of the post so let’s learn the rules meanwhile.



HOMOPHONES

Words that sound the same but have different meanings (and sometimes spelling) are called homophones. Therefore they’re, their and there are Homophones.

So, what is the difference between they’re, their and there?



THERE

There is the opposite of Here. It means “in that place” not here.

• A: Where is my book? – B: It’s over there.
• I will look for a hotel to stay when I arrive there.

There is/There are = to show that something exists.

• There is a book on the table
• There are many countries in Europe.

THEIR

Their is a possessive adjective which is used before a noun. It shows possession, that something belongs to them.

• Their house is big.
• All of their friends were crazy.
• The children put their books in their school bags.

THEY’RE

They’re is a contraction of they are.
e.g. They’re happy = They are happy

They’re is usually before an adjective or a verb ending in ING.

• They’re very interested in the project.
• I personally think they’re crazy!
• They’re singing loudly.



So now you know the difference let’s try the original question:

They’re/Their/There playing they’re/their/there video games over they’re/their/there.

The answer is:

• They’re playing their video games over there.

Why?

They’re playing (they’re is used before a verb ending in -ing making it the progressive tense)

Their video games (their is a possessive used before a noun to show possession)

Over there (there because it means not here, in that place)



I hope you found this helpful.

Which of the following sentences are correct?

• Is there anything on the television tonight?
• Is there anything on television tonight?

The second sentence without the article THE is correct. Why?

When we talk about television in the sense of television programmes that are broadcast (transmitted), we DO NOT use the article THE.

• Television became widely available in the 1950s.
• I wonder what is on television tonight.

The word TV (written with capital letters) is pronounced as the individual letters T – V.

• There was a good movie on TV last night.

Sometimes we informally call the television ‘Tele’

• What’s on tele tonight?

BUT…

We use the article THE when we refer to television as the device or the piece of furniture.

• Don’t put the glass on the television, the water may spill onto it.
• The television didn’t fit in the wall unit.
• Don’t sit so close to the TV.

When we talk about more than one television, or televisions in a general sense, we don’t use the article THE.

• While televisions were available in the 1930s, their popularity only increased during the late 1940s.



I hope this helped you understand when to use the article THE with the word TELEVISION.

Do you watch television to improve your English?

April Fools’ Day

April Fools’ Day is a day that is celebrated every year on April 1st.

It is a day where practical jokes, pranks and hoaxes are made to try and ‘fool’ family, friends or people in general. Traditionally these pranks could only be made before midday (noon) otherwise the person creating it was considered the fool. However, nowadays the pranks can be done the entire day in most countries. The fun thing about this day is that many of these pranks have been elaborately planned and some even appear on television or in newspapers.

a Fool = idiot (a stupid person)
a Joke = something you say or do to make people laugh. Sometimes it is a story with a funny ending
a Prank = A mischievous trick or practical joke
a Hoax = Something said or done in order to deceive people or make them think something is real or true when it isn’t.

To go Dutch

(informal)

= When a group of people each pay their own expenses on an outing.
= To split the cost of a meal etc. when on a date instead of one person paying for everything.

• Fred and his girlfriend always go Dutch on their dates.
• I don’t have much money on me. How about we go Dutch tonight?

 
If you go Dutch on a date, it means that you pay for half and the partner pays for the other half. Sometimes each person will pay for what they consumed instead of exactly half the amount of the bill/check.

Normally both people agree to go Dutch before they go out so as to avoid an uncomfortable situation when the check/bill arrives at the end of a meal.

Remember: nationalities and languages are spelt with a capital letter in English.
We say Dutch not dutch, English not english.
 

To go halves

Another similar term to going Dutch is to go halves.

= I pay for half and you pay for the other half.

• Let’s go halves in a pizza for lunch.

 
Remember: the word half is irregular in plural form.
Half (singular) – Halves (plural)

What do you think about the concept of going Dutch?
Is this common in your country?