Grammar Awareness

Postado por O Peixe Babel

Work + Preposition


  • work in + department / company place
"When the pant was finished, I started work in the production department."
“She started work in our Ottawa office on February 6.”

  • work on + a project
“Gardening is a great way to exercise while they work on a project of calm and creative.”
“I would never have had the opportunity to work on a project like this in France.”

  • work for + company / name
“I do find it exciting to work for a company that’s a leader in its field.”
“Everyone at the picnic works for the same employer.”

  • work with + person
“Let me work with him for a while. I’ll convince him.”
“Students also learn to work with guest artists.”

  • work on + objective
"The carpenter worked on the fence for three hours."
“Bill is out working on his car engine.”

Category: 0 comentários

Grammar Awareness

Postado por O Peixe Babel

American English / British English – Part II


have you got / do you have

Have got is the usual verb in BrE to show possession in positive statements in the present tense, in negative statements and in questions: They’ve got a wonderful house. / We haven’t got a television. / Have you got a meeting today?

Have is also used but is more formal: I have no objection to your request. / Have you an appointment?

In AmE have and forms with do/does are the usual way to show possession in positive statements, negatives and questions: They have a wonderful house. / We don’t have a television. / Do you have a meeting today?

In both BrE and AmE have and forms with do/does and did are used when you are referring to a habit or routine: In my country people usually have large families. / We don’t often have time to talk. / Do you ever have headaches?

Adapted from Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

Category: 1 comentários

Lexical Appropriateness

Postado por O Peixe Babel

Do and Make


1. We use DO when the exact activity is not stated, especially with words like thing, something, nothing, anything.

What are you doing over the weekend?
I feel like doing nothing for a change.

2. We use DO to talk about works and jobs.

What do you do for a living?
She did her homework before dinner.

3. We use MAKE to talk about building, constructing, creating. We use it as a synonym for create, develop, produce, generate, form.

He once made a small fishing boat with his brother.
Let’s make the dinner first and then we can make a cake.

4. DO and MAKE have hardly any meaning on their own, but which are part of many fixed expressions and common collocations:

DO – exercises / your best / the ironing / the gardening / the right thing / a favor / the laundry / good / a translation / your hair / your make-up / an assignment / the shopping

MAKE – a list /  an effort / a mess / a claim / a mistake / a phone call / a wish / a breakthrough / a promise / a decision / a proposal / one’s mind / an excuse

Adapted from Gems of Wisdom

Category: 0 comentários

Grammar Awareness

Postado por O Peixe Babel


Verb Agreement After Certain Words


Certain words in English are always grammatically singular, even though they might have plural meanings.

Everybody is going to the theater.

Even though we understand from this example that a lot of people are going to the theater, everybody is singular and requires a singular verb.

These words or expressions are grammatically singular, so they take singular verbs:

anybody    everybody   nobody      somebody   each (+ noun)
anyone     everyone     no one      someone    every (+ noun)
anything   everything  nothing     something

Adapted from Longman Complete Course for the TOEFL® TEST

Category: 0 comentários

Grammar Awareness

Postado por O Peixe Babel


CAN or COULD or BE ABLE TO


Can is used to say that somebody knows how to do something: Can you play the piano? / I can cook very well. / I can’t do it.

Can or be able to are used to say that something is possible or that somebody has the opportuniy to do something: Can you / are you able to come on Saturday?

You use be able to to form the future and the present perfect tenses: You’ll be able to get a taxi outside the station. / I haven’t been able to get much work done today.

Could is used to talk about what someone was generally able to do in the past: Our daughter could walk when she was nine months old.

You use was/were able to (but not could) when you are saying that something was possible on a particular occasion in the past: I was able to find some useful books in the library. In negative sentences, could not can also be used: We weren’t able to / couldn’t get there in time.

Could have is used when you are saying that it was possible for somebody to do something in the past but they did not try: I could have won the game but decided to let her win.

Adapted from Oxford Advanced Learner`s Dictionary

Category: 0 comentários

Writing Tips

Postado por O Peixe Babel



Commas that separate Non-restrictive Clauses

Subordinate clauses can be restrictive (they are vital to the meaning of the main clause) or non-restrictive (they add some new information). Restrictive clauses do not require commas; non-restrictive clauses do.

Restrictive
People who like sports are our best customers.
Do not go until you have read all the directions.
It was a report which he desperately needed.

Non-Restrictive
Boston, which is the site of the famous Tea Party, is a very old city.
He gave the money to Leonard Sedder, who is my father-in-law.
You are all invited to come, although the weather might be fairly cool.

Adapted from Stevens Institute of Technology

Category: 0 comentários

Vocabulary Expansion

Postado por O Peixe Babel


10 Words for Writing - Part I



1. Article: A piece of nonfiction that appears in a periodical or on a Web site. (It also refers to a section of an official piece of writing).
2. Brief: Nowadays it refers to a legal summary – hence briefcase.
3. Chronicle: This term refers to an account of a succession of historical events.
4. Composition: It refers to the assemblage of sentences that constitute a written effort, either in general or in the specific reference to a scholastic exercise.
5. Dissertation: A scholarly writing that examines or debates an assertion.
6. Documentation: This term implies information provided to support or authenticate other writing, and is used especially in computing and in academic research.
7. Essay: Scholastic assignment of a written opinion presented for the audience’s approval.
8. Guide: This word refers to publications that inform readers about how to do something or where to visit. It may be extended to guidebook.
9. Memorandum: This word and it abbreviation, memo, refer to an official note.
10. Paper: This meaning describes a scholarly written presentation.

Adapted from  DailyWritingTips

Category: 0 comentários

Writing Tips

Postado por O Peixe Babel


Linking Words




Liking words help you to connect ideas and sentences. They might be used for:

1. Giving Examples: for example / for instance / namely
2. Adding Information: and / in addition / as well as / besides / moreover / futhermore
3. Summarising: in short / to conclude / to summarize / in a nutshell
4. Sequencing Ideas: firstly / secondly / first of all / lastly / the following
5. Giving a Reason: because / due to / owing to / since / as
6. Showing Consequence: so / then / consequently / therefore / as a result
7. Contrasting Ideas: but / however / although / even though* / nevertheless / despite / whereas

*For a better understanding on the use of Although and Even though, read our post of Feb 14.

Adapted from  English At Home

Category: 0 comentários

Grammar Awareness

Postado por O Peixe Babel


Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal Verbs are verbs that consist of two, or sometimes three, words. The first word is a verb and it is followed by an adverb (break down) or a preposition (eat into) or both (come down with). These words are sometimes called Particles.


Grammar of Phrasal Verbs


Phrasal Verbs can be Transitive (they take an object) or Intransitive (they have no object). Some Phrasal Verbs can be used in both ways:

For heaven’s sake shut her up. (transitive)
He told me to shut up. (intransitive)

Intransitive Phrasal Verbs: the two parts of the verbs cannot be separated by any other word. You can say:


             Shall we eat out tonight?
but not Shall we eat tonight out?

Transitive Phrasal Verbs: with some phrasal verbs, the object can go either between the verb and the particle or after the particle.

She tore the letter up.
She tore up the letter.

*When the object is a long phrase, it usually comes after the particle:

She tore up all the letters he’d sent her.

*When the object is a pronoun (for example it standing for the letter), it must always go between the verb and the particle:

She read the letter and then tore it up.


Adapted from Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

Category: 0 comentários

Useful Expressions

Postado por O Peixe Babel

10 Idioms About Talking – Part I


1. Diarrhea of the mouth: excessive talking

2. Like talking to a brick wall: said of trying unsuccessfully to persuade or reason with someone

3. Shoot the breeze: to chat

4. Speak the same language: to be in agreement

5. Spit it out: to speak about something one is reluctant to discuss – often used as an imperative

6. Talk around: to avoid (a subject)

7. Talk dirty: to try to stimulate someone sexually by speaking provocatively

8. Talk (one’s) ear off: to talk to someone excessively

9. Talk in riddles: to speak obscurely or with hints

10. Talk (something) up: to promote something to draw attention to it

Adapted from DailyWritingTips

Category: 0 comentários

Useful Expressions

Postado por O Peixe Babel

10 Expressions about Hands – Part 1




1. To bite the hand that feeds you: to be hostile to someone who has been kind to you.

2. To give a hand: to help, though it also refers to applauding by clapping one's hands.

3. To hand in something: to deliver it.

4. To have blood on one's hands: to be culpable for an act.

5. To have your hands full: to be busy.

6. To know something like the back of one's hand: to know it thoroughly.

7. To say that something is on hand: to indicate that it is available.

8. On the other hand: a synonym for however or by contrast.

9. Something that gets out of hand: to go out of control.

10. Put your hands up: a command by law enforcement personnel directing someone to raise their hands so that they are in clear view and not likely to reach for a weapon.

Adapted from DailyWritingTips

Category: 0 comentários

Grammar Awareness

Postado por O Peixe Babel

The Possessive Case (’s)



The Possessive Case is used to show ownership. The possessive pattern (’s) is generally used when indicates a relation of ownership or association with a person, rather than a thing. There are, as ever, exceptions to this rule.



The main rules are:

  1. For a singular noun, use ’s:
The girl’s mother.
The world’s highest tower.
Brazilian’s climate.


  1. For a plural noun which does not end in -s, use ’s:
Children’s right.
The men’s room.
An old people’s home.


  1. For a plural noun which ends in -s, use s’:
My parents’ car.
Your brothers’ ideas.
His classmates’ books.


  1. You sometimes just add an apostrophe to names ending in -s, especially with singular literary or classical names:
Dickens’ novels.
Socrates’ works.
Keats’ poetry.


We often pronounce a possessive ’s even when it is not written /siz/.


  1. An apostrophe ’s can be added to first names ending in -s:
Cris’s motorcycle.
Carlos’s computer.
Marcos’s Iphone.


  1. If the thing possessed belongs to more than one person, we add the ’s only to the last one:
Paul and Mary’s daughter.
Bob and Brad’s toys.
Rick and Susan’s apartment.


  1. However, if each person has their own object, we add the ’s to each one:
Mark’s and Sharon’s cell phones. (each one of them has a cell phone)
Greg’s and Carol’s bicycles.
They're Dennis's and Carlos's mugs.

Adapted from Gems of Wisdom

Category: 0 comentários

Spelling Rules

Postado por O Peixe Babel

American English vs British English – Part I



AE = American English
BE = British English

-ae (encyclopaedia, mediaeval)
AE usually deletes the a from the diphthong ae (encyclopedia, medieval), however, it is retained in such words as aesthetic.

-ed (fitted, forecasted, knitted)
AE usually drops the past-tense ending in these words (fit, forecast, knit).

-ed [irregular] (lighted, strived)
AE prefers forms such as lit and strove.

-ement (acknowledgement, arguement, judgement)
AE omits the first e from the suffix (acknowledgment, argument, judgment)

-ence (defence, licence, offence)
AE spells these words with an s in place of a c (defense, license, offense).

-ise/-yse (analyse, criticise, memorise, realise)
AE favors -ize/-yze endings (analyze, criticize, memorize, realize).

 -l (enrol, fulfil, skilful)
AE doubles the l that is not part of -ful/ful- (enroll, fulfill, skillful)

-lled/-lling (cancelled/cancelling, levelled/levelling, travelled/travelling)
AE omits one l in this form (canceled/canceling, leveled/leveling, traveled/traveling)

-mme (diagramme, programme, telegramme)
AE omits the second m and the e at the end of these words (diagram, program, telegram)

-ogue (analogue, catalogue, dialogue, epilogue)
AE omits the diphthong ue (analog, catalog, dialog, epilog), though the full form is preferred for all its analogues.

-our (colour, favour, honour, labour)
AE omits the u in most words with -our (color, favor, honor, labor)

-oeuvre (manoeuvre)
AE simplifies this ending to -euver (maneuver).

-que (banque, checque)
AE replaces the -que by -k (bank, check).

-re (centre, litre, metre, theatre)
In AE, the letters in the -re ending are reversed (center, liter, meter, theater).

-st (amidst, amongst)
In AE, amid and among are preferred.

-t (dreamt, leapt, learnt)
AE replaces -t with -ed (dreamed, leaped, learned)

-wards (backwards, inwards, upwards)
AE omits the -s (backward, inward, upward)

Adapted from DailyWritingTips

Category: 0 comentários

Useful Phrases

Postado por O Peixe Babel

Telephoning


Calling Someone


Hello, can I speak to John?
Is Emile there please?
Can you put me through to Mr Adams please?

Answering the Phone


Hello, who’s calling please?
Jane speaking. How can I help you?
This is Mark. Who’s calling?

Transferring a Call


Hold the line please.
Hang on a minute.
Jill, there’s a call for you! [informal]
Martin, you’re wanted on the telephone. [informal]

The Person is not In


She’s not here at the moment. Can you ring back later?
I’ll phone back later.
Can I leave a message?
Can I take a message?

Problems with the Line


I’ve got the wrong number.
Could you speak up a little, the line’s terrible.
We seem to have got a crossed line. Shall I ring you back?
I’m sorry, we seem to have been cut off.
Could you re-connect me please?

Adapted from Word Routes - Cambridge

Category: 1 comentários

Grammar Awareness

Postado por O Peixe Babel

The Gerund – Part I



WHEN TO USE IT:


*AS THE SUBJECT: Swimming is a good exercise.

*AFTER PREPOSITION: We were thinking of buying a new apartment.

*CAN BE PRECEDED BY THE POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVE: I mind your smoking here.

*AFTER CERTAIN VERBS (enjoy, appreciate, mind, quit, stop, avoid etc): We avoid talking to her.

*AFTER CERTAIN EXPRESSIONS (can’t help, can’t stand, be worth, it’s no use, it’s no good, it’s useless, there’s no etc): It’s useless talking to him about it.

*PASSIVE INFINITIVE: The kid needs punishing (to be punished).


Further uses of The Gerund will be analysed in the near future.

Category: 0 comentários

Spelling Rules

Postado por O Peixe Babel


Capitalization


In English, we use capital letter with names of months, days of the week and festivals:

  • Her birthday is in April.
  • Her classes are on Saturday.
  • Christmas is on December 25.
Other words that are capitalized in English are names of countries and cities, names of nationalities and languages, the pronoun I, the first word of a sentence, the main words in titles, and the people’s names:

  • Candy and Sandy live in Los Angeles.
  • My grandmother was from Kenya.
  • Do you speak Chinese, Eliza?
  • He’s wearing the sweater I gave him.
  • Mr. and Mrs. Sanchez are coming over for dinner on Thursday night.
  • Do you ever watch “Friend?”
  • You know, I’ve never seen the movie “The Godfather.”
  • Two of my students are Brazilian.
Adapted from Parlo

    Category: 0 comentários

    Useful Phrases

    Postado por O Peixe Babel

    Apologizing

     

    I’m sorry…
    I’m terribly sorry…
    Sorry…
    I apologize for…
    My sincere apologies for…
    Please accept my/our apologies for…

    Accepting an apology

     

    That’s all right.
    That’s okay.
    That’s quite all right.
    It doesn’t matter.
    Don’t worry about it.
    Never mind.

    Adapted from Word Routes - Cambridge

    Category: 0 comentários

    Writing Tips

    Postado por O Peixe Babel

    Although / Even though / Though


    You can use these words to show contrast between two clauses or sentences. You can use although, even though and though at the beginning of a sentence or clause that has a verb.

    “Although / Even though / Though everyone played well, we lost the game”.
    “We lost the game, although / even though / though everyone played well”.

    *Even though sounds more emphatic than although.

    Although and though can also mean ‘but’.

    “Everyone played well, although we still lost the game”.
    “Everyone played well. We still lost the game though.”

    Though may come at the end of the sentence and is used more in spoken English than in written.

    Adapted from Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

    Category: 0 comentários

    Lexical Appropriateness

    Postado por O Peixe Babel

    Customer vs. Client

    A customer is simply a recipient of products or services in exchange for money. Even though the relationship to the provider might be long lasting, the sense is of discrete exchanges. By contrast, a client is engaged in a more qualitative relationship in which the provider generally applies professional skills to offer often intangible commodities such as legal services, insurance policies, and the like.

    Another distinction is that a customer is more likely to visit a retail establishment, whereas a client may more easily receive services without being physically present at the place of business.

    Because of the greater perceived value associated with provision of professional services, businesses not normally classified as providers of such have taken to referring to their customers as clients.

    Adapted from DailyWritingTips

    Category: 0 comentários

    Writing Tips

    Postado por O Peixe Babel

    Whether or If?

    If – implies probability / condition
    Whether – indicates a choice between alternatives

    “I’ll only stay if you offer me more money” involves a condition, not a choice and therefore if is correct. But, “He seemed undecided whether to go or stay” conveys two alternatives, so whether is better.

    Further examples:
    “You would know what was going on if you had listened.”
    “Mike didn’t know whether James would arrive on Friday or Saturday.”

    Note: When the sense of whether is “regardless of the possible alternatives”, include the phrase “or not”.
    “Call him if you are going to arrive on Friday.”
    “Call him whether or not you are going to arrive on Friday.”

    Adapted from DailyWritingTips

    Category: 0 comentários
    Assinar: Postagens (Atom)