Wah Wasabi Learning English Grammar and English Sentences for Daily Life

Wah How to use Whether or not.

noreply@blogger.com (Shallot) — Fri, 24 Jan 2014 08:25:00 +0000

When we are not sure or we don't care which one is true, we can use Whether or not.

I’m not sure whether I can park here or not. (I am not sure that I can park here or I cannot park here.)

And we can say like this:

I’m not sure whether or not I can park here.

When we use the word whether, we imply that there will be two things to choose. If the other thing is or not, then you can leave it off, as in:

I’m not sure whether I can park here. (Because we already know that "or not" means I cannot park here.)

Let's see other examples:

I don't care whether you come or not. (It does not matter to me whether or not you come.)
I don't care whether you go or not. (It's all the same to me whether you go or stay.)
I don't know whether or not I am ready for this surgery.
I'm not sure whether or not I locked the door.
You can come to the baseball game whether you have enough money or not.

I am not sure whether it is a lion or not.

Wah How to use Wah How t"

noreply@blogger.com (Shallot) — Wed, 22 Jan 2014 06:52:00 +0000

We can use Subject + Be + To when we are talking about responsibilities or duties.
This form has the same meaning as Be supposed to.

My mom told me that I was to clean up the house before she was back. (I was supposed to clean up the house.)
My boss says that John is to finish the job by Friday. (John is supposed to finish the job by Friday.)
The doctor said that I was to start exercising. (I was supposed to start exercising.)
Employees are to wash their hands after using the toilet.
Jane is to present her report first.
My children are to read a book before bed every day.
The security guards are to ensure that everything is alright.

The police officer told her that she was to drive slowly.

Wah How to use Wah How t" use ""Between"

noreply@blogger.com (Shallot) — Thu, 16 Jan 2014 04:11:00 +0000

Between is a preposition
We use Between when there are only two objects in addition to the object we are talking about, and the object occupies the space somewhere in the middle.

Mongolia lies between Russia and China.
The train runs between the town and the airport.
Please keep this secret between you and me.
John was standing between Martin and Alex.
Do you know the difference between right and wrong?

We also use Between when the objects we are talking about are positioned clearly or the relationship they have relative to each other is clearly defined even though there are more than two objects.

My villa is between the village, the river and the woods.
There is a disagreement on this issue between the gorverment,the police and the military.
The trade agreement between Italy, France and Germany was signed last month.

The gulf that is located between Saudi Arabia and Iran is called the Persian Gulf.

Wah How to use "Whereas"

noreply@blogger.com (Shallot) — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 10:10:00 +0000

We know that we can use while for contrasting sentences.
And we can also use whereas in written or formal English.

I am poor, whereas my brothers are very rich.
Sugar is sweet, whereas lemons are sour.
Martin is very tall, whereas his bother is short and fat.
John's job is very interesting and relaxed, whereas my job is boring and stressful.
I did't enjoy the movie, whereas my girlfriend thought it was great.
My new car is reliable and economical, whereas my old car was unreliable and expensive to run.
My father used to walk to work, whereas nowadays he use the car.

Note: We should always use a comma between the contrasting sentences.

Some people believe that schools are responsible for the behavior of their students, whereas others argue that discipline is the responsibility of parents.

Wah How to use Impersonal You / One.

noreply@blogger.com (Shallot) — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 10:16:00 +0000

We can use you to refer to people in general.
In these sentences, you doesn't mean one person.

You can't believe everything you watch on the television. (People can't believe everything they watch on the television.)
You should always be polite. (People should always be polite.)
You can’t learn a language in two weeks. (People can’t learn a language in two weeks.)
If you get ill, you should see a doctor.
If you want to succeed, you should work hard.
The only place you can get great food is in Thailand.

In formal English, we can use one instead of you.

One can't believe everything one watches on the television.
One should always be polite.
One can’t learn a language in two weeks.
If one gets ill, one should see a doctor.
If one wants to succeed, one should work hard.
The only place one can get great food is in Thailand.

If one fails, then one must try harder next time.

Wah How to use "Be able to"

noreply@blogger.com (Shallot) — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 07:13:00 +0000

We use be able to talk about ability.
We sometimes use it instead of can and could.

I cannot visit my parents. = I am not able to visit my parents.

We can use be able to in many different forms.

Future Tense

Tomorrow, he will be able to join our party. ~~Tomorrow, he will can join our party.~~ is incorrect.
Will you be able to go to the park with me next week?
I am afraid I won't be able to go with you.

Present Perfect Tense

Simon has been always able to remember his students' name. ~~Simon has been always can remember his students' name~~. is incorrect.
I have never been able to swim.

Past Tense

I was able to solve the question this morning. (= I could solve the question this morning.)
I was able to explain to her.

Infinitive Forms

John is going to be able to help me.
You have to be able to speak English if you want to get this job.
You must be able to understand it. It's very important.

I would like to be able to play the piano.

Wah How to use It's about time.

noreply@blogger.com (Shallot) — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 03:46:00 +0000

We know how to use It's time but it's different than It's about time.
We use It's (about) time + Past tense to talk about something you should have done in the past but you didn't do it in that time. (It is almost too late.)

It's about time he got a haircut. (Your hair is too long. You should have cut it 3 weeks ago, then you should get a haircut now.)
It's about time you paid me. (It's 2 month late and you haven't paid me so far, you should pay me right now.)
It's about time I started learning English.
It's about time we had a break.
It's about time you cleaned your shoes.

Note: We don't have to put about in the sentences
It's time he got a haircut.
It's time we had a break.

Let's see the difference between It's time and It's about time.

It's time for you to wash your car. (Your car is a bit dirty, you should wash it right now.)
It's about time you washed your car. (Your car is very dirty. You should have washed it last week ago, then you should wash it right now.)

It's about time you get some new clothes.

Wah How to use Count on + Gerund / Noun

noreply@blogger.com (Shallot) — Fri, 27 Dec 2013 06:54:00 +0000

We can use Count on + Gerund / Noun to talk about something that you hope or expect to happen, or something you had planned about it.

I counted on finding towels in my hotel room. (But I hadn't found it.)
I was counting on being paid today.
I was counting on finding a good restaurant in this neighborhood.
We're counting on about 50 people coming to the party.

When we use Not + Count on + Gerund / Noun to talk about something unexpected or something you hadn't planned about it.

I never counted on having the camel meat for dinner. (I hadn't expected to have the camel meat for dinner.)
The bad climate was something we hadn't counted on.
I didn't count on the prices being so high.
She hadn't counted on it raining.

We can use this form after can to talk about the reliability.

I think you can count on him. (You can trust him.)
You can't count on the weather in Bangkok. (The weather is not reliable)
You can count on traveling in Tokyo. (I am sure, you would have a great time there.)

I weren't counting on having to stand in line for a day.

Wah How to refer to people.

noreply@blogger.com (Shallot) — Wed, 25 Dec 2013 08:00:00 +0000

As we know how to use these pronouns to refer to people who are males, female and plural.

	Subject	Object	Possessive
Males	he	him	his
Females	she	her	her
All males, all females or both.	they	them	their

What if we talk about one person that we don't know the gender?
You may think it could be it, right?
The answer is They. We can use they even though we are referring to one person.

For example:

A: Someone came into the shop yesterday and brought the $5000 dress.
B: Really, did they?

If someone calls, please tell them they will get their money tomorrow.
Somebody has left their bag on this couch.
When I tell a customer a joke they laugh.
A teenage rarely thinks about their future
When I greet a friend I hug them.
Someone called for you, but they did not leave a message.
A child becomes an adult when they turn 18.

If there is anyone knocking on the door, don't let them in.

Wah How to use Those Who.

noreply@blogger.com (Shallot) — Mon, 23 Dec 2013 06:07:00 +0000

When we can use Those who instead of People who.

This sport is not for those who are weak!! (This sport is not for people who are weak.)
Maldives is a great place for those who want a family holiday.
For those who have so much money can rent a private jet plane to go wherever they want.
Those who are interested in English grammars can visit Wah Wasabi's website.
I really love to speak with those who are friendly.
Those who live in the southern town are our alliance.
You may as well make friends with those who need you.

For those who want to get a suntan, there are two beaches in this town.

Wah How to use As far as + Concerned

noreply@blogger.com (Shallot) — Wed, 18 Dec 2013 06:57:00 +0000

We use As far as + Concerned in two ways

1. To introduce a topic of conversation.

As far as + Something + Be concerned.

As far as money is concerned, he can buy whatever he wants. (He has no worries about money.)
As far as education is concerned, Wasabi University is one of the best in this country.
As far as homework assignments are concerned, I have to finish them tonight.
As far as the weather is concerned, we've been having nothing but rain for the past week.

2. To talk about someone's opinion.

As far as + Someone + Be concerned.

As far as my doctor's concerned, I have to stop eating fast food and work out everyday. (In my doctor's opinion, I have to stop eating fast food and work out everyday.)
As far as John is concerned, All kinds of wine taste the same.
As far as my girlfriend is concerned,All computer games are boring.
As far as I am concerned, you can do what you want.

As far as our holiday is concerned, we will have to talk about it right now.

Wah How to use "Did" for emphasis.

noreply@blogger.com (Shallot) — Tue, 17 Dec 2013 05:03:00 +0000

We usually use did in the past simple in the question and negative statement.

Did you go to work yesterday?
I didn't read a book.

We can also use did in the positive sentences to emphasize what we did.

We did eat a lot. (We ate a lot)
I was sure I did do the right thing. (I was sure I did the right thing.)
Maria did spend a lot of money.
It did snow a lot.
Why is the door still open? I did lock it by myself!
I am sure John did not like this website. No, you are wrong. He did like it in fact.
Did you ask Mary to come to the party? Yes, I did ask her.

I have been thinking of him all time, I did like that guy so much.

Wah How to use "Be Prepared" in two ways.

noreply@blogger.com (Shallot) — Thu, 12 Dec 2013 04:37:00 +0000

1. We use Be + Prepared to tell someone that you are ready for something.

No matter what may happen, I am always prepared for it. (I am always ready for it.)
We must always be prepared for the worst.
I am prepared for the meeting this morning.
Are you prepared for taking an exam?
He was not prepared for playing football.
We are prepared for the party tonight, everything is ready.

2. We use Be + Prepared to tell someone that you are willing to do something.

I am prepared to give you one more chance. (I am willing to give you one more chance.)
I am not prepared to wait for long time.
Wah is prepared to help me.
I'm prepared to do anything to protect my family.
She is not prepared to listen his excuses.
They are prepared to let me do this job if I can show them I can do it.

Note: Be prepared for = Be ready for
Be prepared to = Be willing to

"So prepare for a chance of a lifetime
Be prepare for sensational news" - Be Prepared from The Lion King (c) Disney

Wah How to use "As for"

noreply@blogger.com (Shallot) — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 07:32:00 +0000

As for means regarding someone or something, speaking about.
We use As for to introduce a subject that is related to what you have just been talking about.

Look at the examples:

The food is very delicious, and as for the drinks, they are marvelous!
We have lots of bread, and as for butter, we have more than enough.
Your Spanish is good, and as for English, it's excellent.
I like basketball and swimming, and as for football, I love it!
Your living room are comfortable, and as for the garden, it's fabulous!
John's job is very hard, and as for free time, He doesn't have any!

Most people like summer, but as for me, I like winter much better.

Wah How to use How would you like it if...?

noreply@blogger.com (Shallot) — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 05:03:00 +0000

We use How would you like it if + past simple to ask someone's felling or idea about what if something happened?

How would you like it if someone stole your mobile phone?
How would you like it if your car was destroyed?
How would you like it if you had to get up at 5 p.m. every day?
How would you like it if you had to be stuck in traffic for 3 hours every day?
How would you like it if someone called you a liar?
How would you like it if a stranger was standing in your living room?

How would you like it if you didn't have any nice clothes to wear?

Wah How to use "Would you mind"

noreply@blogger.com (Shallot) — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 04:42:00 +0000

1. We use Would you mind + Gerund to ask politely someone to do something for you.

Would you mind doing something?
not ~~Would you mind to do something?~~

Would you mind opening the window? (Could you open window for me?)
Would you mind giving me more information?
Would you mind helping me?
Would you mind not smoking here?
Would you mind not talking here?
Would you mind not making so much noise?

2. We use Would you mind + If to ask politely for the permission.

Would you mind if I opened the window? (Could I open the window?)
or
Would you mind if I open the window?

Note: They have the same meaning but opened makes the request a little more polite.

Would you mind if I brought a friend to the party tonight?
Would you mind if I borrowed your car?
Would you mind if I smoked here?

Would you mind not making me fall in love with you?

Wah How to use So and Such.

noreply@blogger.com (Shallot) — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 04:37:00 +0000

We use So and Such to show the extreme of something.
These forms are often used in interjections.

So + adjective

This box is so heavy!
This meal is so terrible!
That movie is so boring!
You are so clever!
They are so lovely!
Sara's eyes are so beautiful!

Such + adjective + noun.

This is such a heavy box!
This is such a terrible meal!
That is such a boring movie!
You are such a clever person!
They are such lovely people!
Sara has such beautiful eyes!

You can use So + much / many to indicate the quantity of a noun.

Martin makes so much money.
I don't have so much time to do that.
She has so many friends.
I never knew John had so many sisters.
He had so many problems.

And you can also use Such + a lot of to indicate the quantity of a noun.

Martin makes such a lot of money.
I don't have such a lot of time to do that.
She has such a lot of friends.
I never knew John had such a lot of sisters.
He had such a lot of problems.

That is such a beautiful castle!

Wah How to use "Nevertheless"

noreply@blogger.com (Shallot) — Fri, 29 Nov 2013 04:22:00 +0000

We can use Nevertheless to indicate an unexpected contrasting idea, it is other ways of saying "but".
It is placed at the beginning of the second sentence.

I was very tired. Nevertheless, I was unable to sleep.
I am sick. Nevertheless, I must finish my homework.
It won't be easy. Nevertheless, we should do it.
We thought it would rain. Nevertheless, we started on our trip.
This food was so terrible. Nevertheless, they ate the whole lot.
This job is so great. Nevertheless, John doesn't like it.
Maria tried so hard. Nevertheless, she didn't win the competition.

It is raining. Nevertheless, They are still playing football.

Wah how to link sentences with While.

noreply@blogger.com (Shallot) — Wed, 27 Nov 2013 07:35:00 +0000

1. We can use while to join two related sentences.

Panda live in China, while the Koala live in Australia.
The meat of snake was used for food, while the skin were used to make boots.
I find new customers, while Mary manages the store.
Jason has got promoted to a Manager, while his wife has become a CEO.

2. We can also use while for contrasting sentences.

Many people like John, while some doesn't like him.
Many people believe there is no one live in the desert, while the reality is quite different.
While in summer the weather is very hot, in the winter it is very cold.
While I like all types of fish, my girlfriend always chooses meat dishes when we go out to eat.

A lot of people prefer traveling by plane, while others choose the train.

Wah How to use "It was...who"

noreply@blogger.com (Shallot) — Tue, 26 Nov 2013 04:35:00 +0000

We can use It was...who to answer the questions which asks about the person.

A: Who was the first person to discover America?
B: It was Christopher Columbus who first discovered America.

A: Who do you know who works for the Perry company?
B: It was Martin who works for the Perry company.

A: Who wrote Harry Potter?
B: It was J. K. Rowling who wrote Harry Potter.

A: Who founded Apple company?
B: It was Steve Jobs who founded Apple company.

A: Who was the first James Bond?
B: It was Sean Connery who was the first James Bond.

Note : ~~It was him who did it~~ "It was he who did it" because He did it not Him did it.

It was Taylor Swift who sings Love Story.

Wah How to use "That's what"

noreply@blogger.com (Shallot) — Fri, 22 Nov 2013 03:33:00 +0000

We can introduce a topic you want to talk about by using a noun or gerund and then use that's what to say something about it.

Wasabi! That's what Japanese food is (all) about!
Positive thinking! That's what this job is about!
Listening and speaking! That's what learning language is all about!
Mountains and forest! That's what the outback is all about!
Money! That's what Mark thinks about all time!
Patience! That's what being a receptionist is all about!
Computer! That's what a programmer is all about!
Journey! That's what Peter thinks about all day!
Hard work! That's what this job is all about!

Football! That's what Isco Alarcón thinks about all day!

Wah How to use Present Perfect Continuous.

noreply@blogger.com (Shallot) — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 08:14:00 +0000

We use Present Perfect Continuous when we want to emphasize long actions or events that happened in the past and has continued up until now or that continue into the future

Have/Has + Been + Gerund

I've been waiting for you for an hour and you still haven't arrived.
He hasn't been living in Japan very long.
How long have they been painting this house?
I have been learning English since I was 10 years old.
She has been working all day, and now she is extremely exhausted.
Have you been sleeping well recently?
He has been trying to finish his homework.
The mechanic has been fixing that car for 6 hours.
I have a cold and I haven't been working for a week.

A: Why are your eyes red?
B: I have been crying all night.

A: Have you lost weight?
B: Yes, I have been dieting.

They have been staying in Maldives for two months.

Wah How to use Past Continuous and Past Simple.

noreply@blogger.com (Shallot) — Tue, 19 Nov 2013 07:05:00 +0000

We use Past Continuous and Past Simple forms to describe two event in the past which happen at the same time.

We use Past Continuous to indicate that a longer action in the past that was interrupted.
We use Past Simple for a single action that take a short time to interrupt the longer action in the past.

I was watching a television when the phone rang.
While we were sleeping, it started to rain.
She was cooking dinner when I got home.
I got to the office while Sara was just making some coffee.
The computer suddenly went off when I was writing the email.
I was attending the conference when I met my ex-boyfriend.
What were you doing when John arrived?
What were you doing when the lights went off last night?

When and While
We use when before Past Simple.
We use when or while before Past Continuous.

It was snowing when I went home.

Wah How to use Before and After with Gerund.

noreply@blogger.com (Shallot) — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 03:44:00 +0000

We can use Before and After with Subject + Verb or Gerund.

With Subject + Verb
I went to the U.S. after I left school.

With Gerund
I went to the U.S. after leaving school.

Note: Both of them have the same meaning as long as the subject is the same.

Before Jason gets to work, he always buys a milkshake.
Before getting to work, Jason always buys a milkshake.

After I decided, I started to worry about my decision.
After deciding, I started to worry about my decision.

Before you went to Maldives, how did you prepare?
Before going to Maldives, how did you prepare?

After you watch a good movie, what would you like to do?
After watching a good movie, what would you like to do?

Before John became a millionaire, he never enjoyed his life.
Before becoming a millionaire, John never enjoyed his life.

Please turn all the lights off before leaving.

Wah How to use "Wish".

noreply@blogger.com (Shallot) — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 04:09:00 +0000

1.) We can use Wish to talk about a desire connected with the present situation.
We would like things to be different from what they are, we might regret about the present situation.

Wish + Past Simple Tense

I want to buy that car but I don't have any money. I wish I was rich. (You regret that you don't have enough money to buy it.)
I am too short. I wish I was tall.
I feel terrible that I can't swim. I wish I could swim.
It is raining and I don't have an umbrella. I wish I had an umbrella.
She wishes I could buy that guitar.
John wishes his son would study harder.

Note: In formal English we usually use were instead of was.
I don't know how to solve this problem. I wish I were clever.
I am too short. I wish I were tall.

2.) We can use Wish to talk about a desire to change the past situation. (You didn't do it in the past.)

Wish + Past Perfect Tense

I wish I had not eaten too much. (I ate too much and I feel bad right now.)
Mary wishes he had not come to the party last night. (But he came to the party.)
I wish I had not bought such a useless thing. (I bought a lot of useless thing and I regret about that.)
I am so thirsty and I don't have water. I wish I had packed water. (But I didn't pack it.)
She wishes she had been born twenty years earlier.
They regretted not passing the test. They wish they had passed the test.

That woman was very beautiful. I wish I had known her.