English Today

Easily Confused Words 10

1. loud - aloud - allowed

loud (adj.)

(a) making a lot of noise

• What was that loud bang outside?
• The music's too loud. Turn it down, please.

(b) unpleasantly bright clothes

• John was wearing a loud, checked shirt.
• I hate your tie. It's too loud.

aloud (adv.) = audibly

• The students read the passage aloud.

2. even - still

even (adv.)

(a) used to talk about something surprising or unexpected in what you say

• Even little children know what a lake is!

(b) even if / though = although

• Even if it rains, we'll go for a walk.

still (adv.)

(a) up to a certain point and continuing at that moment

• He was still sleeping when I arrived.
• My leg still hurts. The wound hasn't been healed yet.

(b) however / nevertheless

• She didn't study hard but she still passed her exam. (= Even if / though she didn't study hard, she passed her exam.)

3. vocation - vacation

vocation (n) = a special talent

• This girl has a natural vocation in singing.

vacation (n) = holiday

• All students are now looking forward to their summer vacation.

4. attend - follow

attend (v) = be present regularly

• Several members of the staff did not attend the annual meeting.
• You must attend classes regularly if you want to improve your performance.

follow(v) = be engaged in , understand, be interested in, go behind

• He has followed a course in marketing
• He spoke so fast that I couldn't follow him.
• More than 500 people follow Celia on TypePad
• I'll show you the way. Please follow me.

5. admit - agree

admit(v) 

(a) allow entrance or access

• He was admitted to London University after having passed his IGCSEs with straight As.

(b) accept as valid or true

• He finally admitted that he was lying.

agree (v) = share the same opinion

• The students agreed to have a party next week.

6. formerly - formally

formerly (adv) = in the first place , previously

• He denied everything that he had formerly said.

formally (adv.) = in a conventional manner

• This enrolment form must be filled in formally.
• You have to be formally dressed if you wish to attend the meeting.

Reported Speech 3 - Reporting Questions

 

In Reported Questions, we use affirmative word order and the question mark is omitted.

• To report a Wh-question, we use "ask" followed by the question word (who, what, where etc).
• When there is no question word in direct questions, we use  "if" or "whether".
• Pronouns, possessive adjectives, time expressions and tenses change as in statements.

Examples

(1)  Direct Question : He asked, "What time is it?"

      Reported Question: He asked what time it was. NOT He asked what was the time.

 

(2)  Direct Question: He asked me, "Do you know her?"

      Reported Question: He asked me if / whether I knew her.

 

Now your turn!

Report the police officer's questions to the shop owner. The first one has been done for you.

1. What's your name?

2. Did you see the robbers?

3. What were they wearing?

4. How do you think they got in?

5. What did they take?

6. Has this ever happened before?

 

1. The police officer asked him what his name was.

2. ----------------------------------------------------------

3. ----------------------------------------------------------

4. ---------------------------------------------------------

5. ---------------------------------------------------------

6. ---------------------------------------------------------

 

 SOURCE: Round-Up 4 by Virginia Evans

Reported Speech 1 - Reporting Statements

A. REPORTING STATEMENTS

We use Direct Speech to quote someone’s words as they were spoken. It is important to use quotation marks.

Example:  She said: “I’ll call you tomorrow”

We use Reported or Indirect Speech to report the exact meaning of someone’s words. In this case we don’t use quotation marks.

Example: She said (that) she would call me the following day.

Note the different ways we use SAY and TELL discussed earlier on this blog.

Reporting Statements:

• To report statements we need a reporting verb such as say / tell / explain / promise / advise etc followed by “that” which can be omitted in spoken English.

Joanna said (that) she had already been to Paris.

• Sometimes pronouns and possessive adjectives change to make good sense:

(1) Direct Speech: Tom said, “ I never work on Saturdays.”

Reported Speech: Tom said he never worked on Saturdays.”

(2) Direct Speech:  Maria said, “My car has broken down.”

Reported Speech: Maria said her car had broken down.

PHOTO CREDIT

• When the reporting verb is in the past tense, tenses change as follows:

DIRECT  SPEECH	REPORTED SPEECH
Present Simple	Past Simple
“I love science fiction films,” she said.	She said that she loved science fiction films.
Present Continuous	Past Continuous
“My sister is learning French,” he said.	He said (that) his sister was learning French.
Past Simple	Past Perfect /Past Simple
“Julia spent all her money,” he said. “I always carried an umbrella when I lived in London,” he said	He said that Julia had spent all her money. He said he always carried an umbrella when he lived in London.
Future Simple	Conditional
“I’ll do my homework later,” she said.	She said (that) she would do her homework later.
Present Perfect	Past Perfect
“I’ve finished my project,” he said.	He said (that) he had finished his project.

 

• When the reporting verb is in the past tense, time expressions change as follows:

DIRECT SPEECH	REPORTED SPEECH
Today	That day
Tonight	That night
This week / month / year	That week / month / year
Now	Then / at that time / at once
Yesterday	The day before
Last night / week / month	The previous night / week / month
Two years / days / weeks ago	Two years / days / weeks before
Tomorrow	The day after / the following day
Next week / month / year	The following / the next week / month / year
Now that	Since

 

EXAMPLES

“I’m in a good mood today,” he said.

He said he was in a good mood that day.

“We’re having dinner out tonight,” she said.

She said they were having dinner out that night.

“I’m going to work by bus this week,” she said.

She said she was going to work by bus that week.

“I met Susan five years ago,” I said

I said that I met / had met Susan five years before.

“Bob will have to work harder now that he has an exam to pass,” the teacher said.

The teacher said (that) Bob would have to work harder since he had an exam to pass.

“We’re flying to Rome next week,” he said.

He said they were flying to Rome the following week.

• Tenses do not change when:

1.      The reporting verb is the Present , Present Perfect or Future tense:

Dad says: “I’m tired”.

Dad says (that) he is tired.

1. 2.     The reporting verb is in the past tense but the meaning refers to something which never changes or is always true:

“The Earth is round,” the teacher explained

The teacher explained that the Earth is round.

“Monkeys can’t fly,” he said.

He said that monkeys can’t fly.

1. The modals should / might /could / would / ought to are used:

“You should do your homework,” mum said

Mum said (that) I should do my homework.

“Aunt Helen might visit us,” she said

She said that Aunt Helen might visit us.

World Food Maze.pdf

Download World Food maze

Punctuation: The Comma That Kills!

Photo Credit

 

The Use of the Comma

• To separate a vocative from the remainder of a sentence:

Patricia, we very much doubt whether it can be done.

• To separate a parenthetical clause from the remainder of a sentence:

Arthur, absent-minded as usual, had forgotten the invitation.

• To separate direct speech from its reporting verb and other words:

"Sit down", she said quietly, "and listen to what I have to say."

• To separate items in a list of enumeration:

Robert ordered half a loaf of fresh bread, some local butter, some cheese, a large onion, and a pint of beer. (the final comma can be omitted)

I don't know when he will come, how he will come, with whom he will come, or whether he will come at all!

BUT somethimes the presence or absence of a comma changes completely the meaning of a sentence:

The twins, Mary and Helen, went home early. (two people)

The twins, Mary, and Helen went home early. (four people)

Let's eat grandpa!!!

Let's eat, grandpa.

• To separate an adverbial clause from a main clause:

As soon as he arrives, give him this note.

If you want any help, just let me know.

• To distinguish a non-defining (parenthetical) relative clause from a defining one:

The animals, which had not been brought under cover, were killed by the sub-zero temperatures. (= all the animals)

The animals which had not been brought under cover were killed by sub-zero temperatures. (= only some animals - the ones that had not been brought under cover)

• After each of two or more adjectives or prepositions:

She is a clever, but a self-opinionated, woman.

• To indicate the omission of a part of a sentence:

Molly and Carol will go with Philip in the Mazda; you and John, with me in the Bentley!

(omitted: will go)

 

 

Apply

1. Apply = put into use

If you learn to apply the rules in Grammar, you will be able to write correctly.

2. Apply for = ask to be given

Have you applied for the post you were interested in?

3. Apply to = concern

The teacher's remarks did not apply to all students.

4. Apply something = put on a surface

You must apply this cream on dry skin.

5. Applied (adjective) = put into practical use

I have never passed an exam on applied mathematics.

6. Apply yourself to something / to doing something  = give all your attention in order to succeed in doing something

She applied herself to cooking and soon became an excellent cook.

 

Christmas Lunch - Reading Comprehension

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions which follow . Complete sentences are not necessary but your answers must be accurate!

The English are not particularly famous for their tasty food.
However, there are occasions when even the English do
themselves proud, and one of these is Christmas. Christmas for
the English is a time of "goodwill and peace to all men", a time
when children are spoilt silly and stay up all night, and grown
ups have no guilt feelings about being extra lazy and self­
indulgent. It is a time when relations are nice to each other,
when they sing carols together and eat, drink, and make merry
to their heart's content.

Preparations for the next Christmas begin almost as soon as the
last one is over. The famous Christmas pudding, which consists
of raisins, dates and an assortment of nuts and brandy, is made
immediately after the previous Christmas and is left to mature
for a whole year. The goose, turkey or duck - most people have
turkey these days, is bought some days in advance and hung to
allow it to become tender and acquire flavour. On Christmas
day, it is thoroughly cleaned and then stuffed. Two stuffmgs are
generally used; a herb stuffmg, consisting of bread mixed with
herbs, spices and onions, and a chestnut stuffmg. The bird is
placed in a hot oven and allowed to roast slowly for between
three and six hours. The pudding is steam-boiled in water for
about an hour.

After a glass of sherry or mulled wine, heated red wine with
sugar, cloves and a little brandy, the meal proper begins. The
first course is something light, either sliced melon or grapefruit,
often with a sugared sherry on top. This whets the appetite and
prepares the palate for the main course. The bird, which by this
stage should be crisp and brown, is cut into slices and served
with stuffmg, roast potatoes and a variety of vegetables, the
favourites being Brussels sprouts and carrots. All this is
accompanied by a rich brown gravy poured over everything.
Then comes the pudding. It is taken out of its bowl, steaming
hot, and brandy is poured over it and lit, so that the pudding,
often with a bit of holly stuck in the top, arrives at the table
flambe. It is served with brandy butter (brandy mixed with
butter) and whipped cream. Those who still have an empty
corner somewhere finish off with cheese - Stilton or Cheddar,two famous English cheeses. Throughoutthe meal, of course, red or white wine is drunk.

When the meal is over, people retire to the sitting- room for
brandy, liqueurs or coffee to gather strength for the washing-up.
Finally, the assembled company is jolted back to reality by the
lady of the house who reminds everyone about the washing-up.
Traditionally, this was done by the ladies, but today everybody,
regardless of age or status, pitches in. Some gather the dirty
dishes while others wash, dry and put away. Christmas day is
perhaps the only day of the year when noone begrudges lending a hand with the washing up.

 

1. What's Christmas like for the English?

2. What does Chistmas pudding consist of?

3.  Why is the bird hung a few days before Christmas?

4. What's mulled wine?

5.  What's the stuffing for the bird?

6. How does the Christmas pudding arrive at the table?

7.What's the gravy for?

8. What do the English eat after Christmas lunch if the 've still got an empty corner?

9. What do people do after the meal is over?

10. Who does the washing up?

 

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

 

---

 

Report Writing

Guided Report Writing

Write a report on Milford Gym suggesting ways of attracting more young people and teenagers to the gym. Write between 150 and 200 words.

 

REPORT ON MILFORD GYM

PLAN

 

PLAN FOR A REPORT	SPECIFIC PLAN
Par.1 – state purpose of report	Describe Milford Gym and suggest ways of attracting young customers
Pars. 2-4 – main body	Facilities Classes Opening times and prices
Par. 5 – recommendations and conclusion	Recommendations / suggestions and conclusion

 

 

Introduction

This report describes Milford Gym and suggests ways of attracting younger customers.

 

Facilities

Milford Gym has one weightlifting and exercise room which contains a wide range of equipment from exercise bikes to rowing machines. There is also a studio for aerobics classes.

 

Classes

Aerobics classes are held every day. However, few people under the age of 25 attend these classes.

 

Opening Times and Prices

The gym is open 7 days a week from 7am-9pm. Membership is reasonably priced and costs £20 per month. However, subscriptions are for a minimum period of 6 months and must be paid in advance. Most young people are not able to afford this.

 

Recommendations

First of all, I suggest playing pop music in the weightlifting and exercise room so that young people can be encouraged to use this area. In addition, I recommend introducing some new classes, for example jazz or hip-hop dancing. It would also be a good idea to offer one-month subscriptions, which young people would be able to afford. If these changes are made, I am sure that there will be an increase in younger customers at the gym.

 

(188 words)

Put - Phrasal Verbs - Part 1

1. put aside / by = save money for future use

(aside often implies that the money is being saved for a certain purpose)

Examples:

He puts aside £30 a month to pay for his summer holidays.

BUT

Don't spend all your salary. Try to put something by each month.

2. put away = put something tidily out of sight (usually in drawers or cupboards)

Example:

Put your toys away, children! It's bedtime!

3. put something back = replace it where you found it

Example:

When you finish the book, put it back on the shelf.

4. put back a clock / watch = go back 1 hour

Example:

On  October 30, we had to put our clocks back.

Sometimes, this is used figuratively (as a metaphor) to mean "return to the customs of the past"

Example:

MOTHER: Your father and I will arrange a marriage when the time comes.

DAUGHTER: You are trying to put the clock back! Parents don't arrange marriages these days!

5. put down =

(a) stop holding something

Example:

He picked up the saucepan and put it down at once because the handle was almost red-hot.

(b) crush rebellions / movements

Example:

Troops were used to put down the rebellion.

( c ) write

Example:

Put down his phone number before you forget it.

Account

The word "account" can be used as a noun or verb in a variety of meanings.

A. VERB

1. accounted to be =  considered to be

In English law, a man is accounted innocent until he is proved guilty.

2. account for = explain the cause of

Mary has to account to her parents for every single penny she spends.

The student has been asked to account for his absence.

B. NOUN

1. statement of money

I have an account with the Barkleys Bank

Please put the goods down to my account.

Can I settle my account? (= pay what I owe?)

2. quarrel, dispute

He had an account to settle with his brother.

3. counting, calculation

Jane is quick at accounts.

4. report, description, narrative

You shouldn't believe all newspapers accounts.

The teacher asked us to give an account of our leisure.

5. create an account on an Internet site = sign up with that site

I've just created an account on Facebook.