Monthly Archives: April 2013

Grammar Basics: Unit 73 – I like ~, I hate ~

Posted on 2013/04/30
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There are some situations where we do NOT use “the”:

Do not use “the” for general ideas:

I like apples, but I don’t like pears. (not the apples…the pears)
Life is short, so eat dessert first. (not The life…the dessert)
Cats make good pets. (not The cats…the good pets)
Variety is the spice of life. (not The variety…the life)
Sweets are not good for you. (not The sweets)
Writing with chalk is messy. (not the chalk)
Boys have lots of energy. (not The boys…the energy)

Do not use “the” for games or sports:

Do you want to play tennis? (not the tennis)
Jack likes baseball and football. (not the baseball…the football)
My favorite sports are skiing and swimming. (not the skiing…the swimming)

Do not use “the” for languages or academic subjects:

Douglas does well in science, especially physics. (not the science…the physics)
I teach math, usually algebra and trigonometry. (not the math…the algebra…the trigonometry)
Uncle Paul speaks French and German, but not Spanish. (not the French…the German…the Spanish)

Note: Sometimes “the” might be needed in one context and not in another.

Look at the following examples:

  But:
I hate exams.

(exams in general – any exam)

 The exams I took on Monday were easy.

(specific exams – those on Monday)
I enjoy winter weather.

(weather in general – any weather in the winter season)

 Do you know what the weather is supposed to be like tomorrow?

(specific weather – tomorrow’s weather)
It used to be that Catholics didn’t eat meat on Fridays.

(meat in general – any meat)

 The meat was cooked to perfection.

(specific meat – the meat I ate)
I listen to music when I exercise.

(music in general – any music)

 The music is too loud – could you please turn it down?

(specific music – the music that is playing now)

Exercise. Look at the following sentences. Insert “the” if it is needed. If “the” is not necessary, write “OK.”

Example:

I hope we have ______ good weather for our picnic. ==> OK.
Did you feed ______ dogs last night? ==> Did you feed the dogs last night?

1. All’s fair in ______ love and ______ war.
2. By the time everyone was seated, ______ tea had grown cold.
3. Let me know when ______ water comes to a boil.
4. Mr. Brown encourages his children to study ______ music.
5. Jack has mastered ______ art of cake decorating.
6. Do you think ______ fish would make good pets?
7. I think ______ milk has turned sour.
8. Mary likes ______ sound of ______ rain on the roof.
9. Sometimes ______ life is not fair.
10. Father gave Mother ______ flowers for Valentine’s Day.
11. Some people think it’s wrong to wear ______ fur.
12. Sam spent three years studying ______ history of the northern fishing villages.
13. Older people are often uncomfortable using ______ computers.
14. How long have you been studying ______ English?
15. Wear a smock – working with ______ paint can be messy.
16. ______ sand is used to make ______ glass.
17. As soon as the oven is hot enough, put ______ bread in to bake.
18. Who introduced ______ silk to Europe?

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Education Focus: School Clubs – Extracurricular Activities

Posted on 2013/04/29
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clubAmerican schools are more than places of schooling, particularly at the high school level. According to American educational philosophy, one of the reasons for school is to help students develop into well-rounded persons. Thus, students are encouraged to develop interests outside of academics, and consequently, many schools offer extracurricular activities.

The nature and scope of extracurricular activities depend on various factors, such as the size of the student body (how many students attend that school) or local interest. Schools with a larger student body will be able to offer their students more extracurricular options than a smaller school, and kids in an urban school are probably not going to be as interested in agriculture-related clubs as kids in a rural school would be.

What are examples of typical extracurricular activities? In high school you might find: theater, speech team/club, debating society, math club, science club, camera club, JROTC (Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps), automotive club, foreign language club, aviation club, the school newspaper, and the school yearbook. Of course, there are many possibilities – just about any interest or hobby can be organized into an extracurricular club, as long as the interested students can find a faculty member to act as an academic advisor. The role of the academic advisor is to provide oversight, guidance, and stability to the group, as well as make suggestions regarding things like excursions or projects.

There are numerous benefits to extracurricular activities. Participation in a club gives student the chance to develop greater breadth in their knowledge and expertise of a hobby or interest. Guest speakers, conferences, and discussion groups can also help students think about possible future careers, whether that career is directly related to the extracurricular club or not. Extracurricular activities give students the opportunity to develop leadership skills and learn time management skills. These clubs can help students make the connection between the subject matter learned in the classroom and real life. And last but not least, participation in extracurricular activities might even result in a scholarship, which would help students to prepare for the financial challenges of attending college.

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Crossword – Basic Vocabulary 41 (Solution)

Posted on 2013/04/29
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basic vocab 41-sol

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Crossword – Basic Vocabulary 41

Posted on 2013/04/28
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basic vocab 41
Across
1 Small auxiliary verb (2)
2 Polygon with four right angles (9)
8 Cat sound (4)
9 Obtain (3)
10 Fantasy (11)
13 Symbol (4)
14 You have two, one on each side of your head (3)
16 Usual drinking age in America (6-3)
17 A word used when talking about something that might have happened (2)
18 Speak (4)
19 Political leader (9)
22 Not outer (5)
24 Part of a book (4)
25 ____ and on (3)
26 Thick mat (3)
28 Second thought (12)
30 What you wear on your head (3)
31 Affirmative answer (3)
32 Sick (3)
33 On top of (4)
34 Unpleasant taste (6)
35 Having to do with finances (9)

Down
1 The process of digesting food (9)
3 Way to smoke tobacco (9)
4 When (2)
5 Opposite of “come” (2)
6 Kingdom (6)
7 Relationship (10)
10 Understanding of something (14)
11 From the outside to the inside (4)
12 A second one (7)
15 Something that rolls (6)
20 Big fire (7)
21 Paper used for blowing your nose (6)
23 Nothing there (5)
24 Pot and ____ (3)
25 Opposite of “in” (3)
27 Arid place (6)
29 Place to sleep when traveling (5)
30 One of two equal parts of something (4)
34 To ____ or not to ____ (2)

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Idiom Focus: Common English Idioms 24

Posted on 2013/04/27
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Every Saturday I’ll give you a couple of idioms to learn.  An idiom is a saying or phrase whose meaning cannot be taken from the literal meanings of the words.  Currently, we’re looking at some common English idioms.

to hang on:  to ask someone to wait

Example:

Are you going to the store?  Hang on a minute – I’ll come with you.

twenty-four/seven (24/7):  constantly, around the clock

Example:

My favorite hamburger place is open 24/7, so sometimes I go there for a late-night snack.

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Writing Assignment: Driving a Car (Solution)

Posted on 2013/04/27
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driving

1. What are the people in the picture doing?
The people are going for a drive in the car.

2. What do you call a car without a roof?
A car without a roof is called a convertible.

3. What kind of road do you suppose the car is driving on?
It looks like the car is driving on a country road, or perhaps on an interstate or expressway.

4. What do you call the person who controls the car?
The person who controls the car is called the driver.

5. What do you call a person who is not controlling the car?
Someone who is not controlling the car is called a passenger.

6. What is a driver’s license?
A driver’s license is a document which signifies that a person enjoys the legal privilege of being able to drive a car.

7. When you prepare to drive a car somewhere, what sort of things do you have to do?
When you prepare to drive a car, there are several things that you have to do. You have to put on your seatbelt, adjust the seat and mirrors if necessary, turn on the ignition, and put the car in gear. If you are parked in a driveway, you might have to back up the car in order to get it onto the road.

8. What does a seatbelt do?
A seatbelt restrains the driver and/or passengers in the event of a car crash.

9. What does the driver use mirrors for?
The driver uses the mirrors to view the traffic behind him, and to see where he is going if he has to drive the car in reverse.

10. Why is the dashboard important to the driver?
The dashboard is important to the driver because he is able to view the speedometer, the gas gauge, and other important instruments that let him know how the car is currently functioning.

11. What does the speedometer do?
The speedometer tells the driver how fast the car is going. It also usually tells the total number of miles the car has been driven.

12. How does the driver make the car go?
The driver makes the car go by putting the car in gear and stepping on the gas pedal (accelerator).

13. How does the driver steer the car?
The driver steers the car with the steering wheel.

14. What do wipers do?
The wipers clean the windshield of rain and snow, keeping it clear so the driver can see the road.

15. What do turn signals do?
Turn signals indicate to other drivers that the car is going to turn.

16. What does the driver use cruise control for?
The driver uses cruise control to keep the car at a constant speed, usually while driving on an expressway or interstate.

17. What part of the car is under the hood?
The engine is under the hood.

18. What is the trunk of a car?
The trunk of the car is where luggage and other parcels can be put. Often, a spare tire or other emergency equipment is also kept there.

19. Where is the fuel for a car stored?
The fuel for a car is stored in the car’s gas tank.

20. What sorts of road signs must a driver pay attention to?
The driver needs to pay attention to stop signs, speed limit signs, no passing zone signs, traffic lights, and direction signs.

Paragraph: Driving a Car

Have you ever driven a car? Are you learning how to drive? Do you like to drive? Write a brief paragraph about your driving experiences.

I remember when I got my driver’s license. I had turned sixteen several weeks earlier, but I decided to wait for several reasons. For one thing, all the cars in the driver’s ed course at school had automatic transmission, but all our family cars had manual transmission, and I was not especially confident in driving a stick shift. I felt I needed the extra time to become more proficient. Also, my birthday was in the winter, and I wasn’t too keen on trying to take my driver’s test on snowy roads.

So, one day during spring break, my mother took me to the driver’s license facility to get my driver’s license. I was very nervous, and my nervousness was made all the worse because I had to wait until a driver’s license examiner was available. At long last my turn came, and the examiner came out with me to my car. He observed me as I came out of the parking lot, and instructed me to turn onto the main road. I drove down the road, which had a stop sign at the end. I figured that the examiner would be picky about coming to a full stop, so I made sure that I completely stopped the car at the stop line.

However, when I went to make a turn at the stop sign, I had trouble with the car dying on me. I couldn’t understand what was wrong with the car until the examiner asked, “Why don’t you try putting the car into first?” When I had come to the stop sign, I had already gotten the car into third gear, and in my nervousness I completely forgot to go back to first gear after having stopped. I thought for sure the examiner was going to flunk me, but he must have had pity on me or something, because he passed me nonetheless. I was so glad to have the ordeal of a driving test behind me!

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Writing Assignment: Driving a Car

Posted on 2013/04/26
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On the open road

 

Vocabulary

Driver Passenger Seat belt Rear view mirror
Side mirror Dashboard Speedometer Steering wheel
Gas pedal Brake pedal Clutch Stick shift
Manual transmission Automatic transmission Wipers Turn signal
Cruise control Headlights Windshield Hood
Trunk Tires Gas tank In gear
Reverse Convertible Speed limit sign Stop sign
Traffic / stop light Driver’s license Road Highway
Interstate Expressway Toll road

 

1. What are the people in the picture doing?
2. What do you call a car without a roof?
3. What kind of road do you suppose the car is driving on?
4. What do you call the person who controls the car?
5. What do you call a person who is not controlling the car?
6. What is a driver’s license?
7. When you prepare to drive a car somewhere, what sort of things do you have to do?
8. What does a seatbelt do?
9. What does the driver use mirrors for?
10. Why is the dashboard important to the driver?
11. What does the speedometer do?
12. How does the driver make the car go?
13. How does the driver steer the car?
14. What do wipers do?
15. What do turn signals do?
16. What does the driver use cruise control for?
17. What part of the car is under the hood?
18. What is the trunk of a car?
19. Where is the fuel for a car stored?
20. What sorts of road signs must a driver pay attention to?

Paragraph: Driving a Car

Have you ever driven a car? Are you learning how to drive? Do you like to drive? Write a brief paragraph about your driving experiences.

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Grammar Basics: Unit 72 – Articles: go to work, go home, go to the movies (Solution)

Posted on 2013/04/26
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Exercise. Look at the pictures and complete the following sentences. Use “the” if necessary.

Example:

He’s in ______. ==> He’s in church.

He’s in ______. ==> He’s in church.

 

 

 

 

 

1. She’s in bed.

1. She’s in bed.

2. They’re at the movies.

2. They’re at the movies.

3. He’s in prison.

3. He’s in prison.

4. She’s in the hospital.

4. She’s in the hospital.

5. He’s at the airport.

5. He’s at the airport.

6. He’s at home.

6. He’s at home.

 

Exercise. Choose words from the list to complete the following sentences. Use “the” if necessary.

Example:

Harry is studying chemistry in ______. (college) ==> Harry is studying chemistry in college.

1. Before we went on vacation, Father went to the bank to pick up some traveler’s checks.
2. Greg has to go to the doctor for a sports physical.
3. We’re going to have a company picnic at work this summer.
4. Instead of a big birthday party, Joan wanted to go to the movies with a few good friends.
5. Aren’t you going home? It’s nearly midnight.
6. Jack has the flu, so Mother told him to stay in bed and rest.
7. You’ll have to go to the post office to mail that package.
8. Martha had to go to school to pick up Jeremy. The school nurse said he’s come down with the chicken pox.
9. The punishment for that crime is five years in prison.
10. It’s about time you went to the dentist and had him take a look at that toothache.

Exercise. Complete the sentences, using the verb “go.” Use “the” if necessary.

Example:

If you want to study medicine, you ______. ==> If you want to study medicine, you go to college.

1. If you don’t want to stay at a party, you go home.
2. If you have appendicitis, you go to the hospital.
3. If you need to take a flight, you go to the airport.
4. If you are sick, you go to the doctor.
5. If you need to catch a train, you go to the station.
6. If you want to see a film, you go to the movies.
7. If you want to worship, you go to church.
8. If you have a toothache, you go to the dentist.
9. If you want to see a play, you go to the theater.
10. If you commit a crime, you go to jail.
11. If you have a job, you go to work.
12. If you are tired, you go to bed.
13. If you are a child, you go to school.
14. If you want to get an advanced degree, you go to college.
15. If you want to mail a letter, you go to the post office.
16. If you need some cash, you go to the bank.

Exercise. For the following sentences, write “the” where necessary. If the sentence needs no correction, write “OK.”

Example:

John went to movies on Saturday. ==> John went to the movies on Saturday.
Father served Mother with breakfast in bed. ==> OK.

1. Jack and Jill were married in church. ==> OK.
2. Grandmother took Grandfather to the doctor for his blood test.
3. The children are putting on a Thanksgiving play at school next week. ==> OK.
4. Helen has to go to the dentist for her six-month checkup.
5. Could you take this parcel to the post office for me?
6. Which bus goes to the airport?
7. I’ll go to the station and pick you up when your train comes in. Just give me a call.
8. Are you still in bed? It’s nearly 10 a.m. ==> OK.
9. I think I hear your mother calling you. You’d better go home now. ==> OK.
10. Uncle Steve broke his arm and had to go to the hospital.
11. Do you want to go out for a drink when you finish work? ==> OK.
12. We went to the theater for the opening of Julius’ new play.
13. I didn’t know that Uncle Clyde spent time in prison. ==> OK.
14. We go to the bank every payday and get some cash.
15. I don’t go to the movies much anymore.
16. George studied hard in college. ==> OK.

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Grammar Basics: Unit 72 – Articles: go to work, go home, go to the movies

Posted on 2013/04/25
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We’re going to look at some set phrases. Some of these phrases need the definite article “the,” and others do not use “the.”

The following phrases do NOT use the definite article “the”:

(go) to work, (be) at work, start work, finish work:

Father went to work early because he had so much to do.  (not to the work)
What time do you finish work?  (not finish the work)

(go) to school, (be) at school, (be) in school, start school, finish school, etc.:

John is having trouble at school.  (not at the school)
What did you learn in school today?  (not in the school)
The twins enjoy school.  (not the school)

(go) to college, (be) in college:

Marcus is planning to go to college after he graduates from high school.  (not to the college)
Shirley studied biology in college.  (not in the college)

(go) to prison/jail, (be) in prison/jail:

The judge sentenced the thief to five years in prison.  (not in the prison)
Tom was arrested for driving under the influence, and had to spend the night in jail.  (not in the jail)

(go) to church, (be) in/at church:

Charles hasn’t gone to church in ages.  (not gone to the church)

(go) to bed, (be) in bed:

“Are the children all in bed?  For it’s now eight o’clock.”  (not in the bed)
Mother wasn’t feeling well, so she went to bed early.  (not went to the bed)

(go) home, (be) (at) home, etc.:

It’s late.  Let’s go home.  (not go to the home)
Janice likes to spend quiet evenings at home.  (not at the home)

The following phrases DO use the definite article “the”:

(go to) the bank / the post office / the hospital / the station / the airport:

I have to go to the bank and make a deposit.
James went to the post office and bought a roll of stamps.
Uncle Mark had appendicitis, and had to go to the hospital.
Father’s coming  home from his business trip, so Mother went to the station to pick him up.
We went to the airport early, and wound up waiting three hours for our flight.

(go to) the theater / the movies:

Jack and Jill go to the movies every Friday for date night.

(go to) the doctor, the dentist:

I have a horrible stomach ache.  Do you suppose I should go to the doctor?
Mary broke her tooth eating some nuts, and had to go to the dentist.

Exercise.  Look at the pictures and complete the following sentences.  Use “the” if necessary.

Example:

He’s in ______. ==> He’s in church.

He’s in ______. ==> He’s in church.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. She’s in ______.

1. She’s in ______.
2. They’re at ______.

2. They’re at ______.

3. He’s in ______.

3. He’s in ______.

4. She’s in ______.

4. She’s in ______.

5. He’s at ______.

5. He’s at ______.
6. He’s at ______.

6. He’s at ______.

 

Exercise.  Choose words from the list to complete the following sentences.  Use “the” if necessary.

Example:

Harry is studying chemistry in ______.  (college)  ==>  Harry is studying chemistry in college.

bank bed dentist doctor home
movies post office prison school work

1.    Before we went on vacation, Father went to ______ to pick up some traveler’s checks.
2.    Greg has to go to ______ for a sports physical.
3.    We’re going to have a company picnic at ______ this summer.
4.    Instead of a big birthday party, Joan wanted to go to ______ with a few good friends.
5.    Aren’t you going ______?  It’s nearly midnight.
6.    Jack has the flu, so Mother told him to stay in ______ and rest.
7.    You’ll have to go to ______ to mail that package.
8.    Martha had to go to ______ to pick up Jeremy.  The school nurse said he’s come down with the chicken pox.
9.    The punishment for that crime is five years in ______.
10.    It’s about time you went to ______ and had him take a look at that toothache.

Exercise.  Complete the sentences, using the verb “go.”  Use “the” if necessary.

Example:

If you want to study medicine, you ______.  ==>  If you want to study medicine, you go to college.

1.    If you don’t want to stay at a party, you ______.
2.    If you have appendicitis, you ______.
3.    If you need to take a flight, you ______.
4.    If you are sick, you ______.
5.    If you need to catch a train, you ______.
6.    If you want to see a film, you ______.
7.    If you want to worship, you ______.
8.    If you have a toothache, you ______.
9.    If you want to see a play, you ______.
10.    If you commit a crime, you ______.
11.    If you have a job, you ______.
12.    If you are tired, you ______.
13.    If you are a child, you ______.
14.    If you want to get an advanced degree, you ______.
15.    If you want to mail a letter, you ______.
16.    If you need some cash, you ______.

Exercise.  For the following sentences, write “the” where necessary.  If the sentence needs no correction, write “OK.”

Example:

John went to movies on Saturday.  ==> John went to the movies on Saturday.
Father served Mother with breakfast in bed.  ==>  OK.

1.    Jack and Jill were married in church.
2.    Grandmother took Grandfather to doctor for his blood test.
3.    The children are putting on a Thanksgiving play at school next week.
4.    Helen has to go to dentist for her six-month checkup.
5.    Could you take this parcel to post office for me?
6.    Which bus goes to airport?
7.    I’ll go to station and pick you up when your train comes in.  Just give me a call.
8.    Are you still in bed?  It’s nearly 10 a.m.
9.    I think I hear your mother calling you.  You’d better go home now.
10.    Uncle Steve broke his arm and had to go to hospital.
11.    Do you want to go out for a drink when you finish work?
12.    We went to theater for the opening of Julius’ new play.
13.    I didn’t know that Uncle Clyde spent time in prison.
14.    We go to bank every payday and get some cash.
15.    I don’t go to movies much anymore.
16.    George studied hard in college.

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Culture Focus: Drinking Age

Posted on 2013/04/24
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shotPeople like to drink.  They enjoy beer, wine, and other alcoholic beverages.  However, in the US there is a minimum age for the purchase and public possession of alcohol.  We call this the “drinking age.”

Historically, most states (with few exceptions) had no drinking age, meaning that anyone could make, purchase, and/or consume alcohol, regardless of age.  In 1919, an amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed, instituting a national ban on the sale, production, and transportation of alcohol. The passage of this 18th amendment was known as “Prohibition,” since it prohibited alcohol.

Prohibition was a social experiment that ended in failure, and in 1933 the 21st Amendment was ratified, repealing Prohibition.  After the repeal of Prohibition, most states established a minimum drinking age of 21, which was the same as the age of majority (the age at which a person would be legally considered an adult).

The drinking age remained largely unchanged until the early 1970s, when some states lowered their drinking age – some to 18, some to 19, some to 20.  This was no doubt influenced by the ratification of the 26th Amendment, which had lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 and essentially changed the age of majority to 18.  In lowering the drinking age, some states placed additional restrictions on the 18 – 20 drinking crowd, such as limiting drinking in this age group to beer and wine but excluding hard liquor; other states imposed no restrictions.  Not all states lowered their drinking ages, however.  Of the fifty states, twelve states had a purchase age of 21 since Prohibition and never changed it.  But from 1969 – 1976, a majority of states (30) had lowered their drinking age.

However, problems began to arise as a result of the lowered drinking age.  18-year-olds, some of whom were still in high school, frequently used their legal status to buy alcohol for their underage friends.  Teen drinking became a huge problem with often deadly consequences, as many were involved in car crashes from driving under the influence of alcohol (driving drunk).   Consequently, there was a push to raise the drinking age back to 21, and in 1984 the National Minimum Drinking Age Act was passed by Congress.  This act required states to raise their purchase/public possession age to 21 by 1986; states that did not comply would lose ten percent of their highway funds.

It should be noted that the National Minimum Drinking Age Act only deals with the purchase and public possession of alcohol.  Most states permit underage drinking in certain situations – for example, as part of a religious ritual (Communion) or under the supervision of a parent.  But the drinking age effectively prohibits underage drinking.

Consequently, turning 21 is an important event to most young adults – they are able to drink legally.  Many people celebrate their 21st birthday by going to a bar or a restaurant and imbibing.  Of course, people who are not interested in drinking alcoholic beverages to begin with don’t bother with such drinking celebrations, and have a normal birthday party instead.

Because of the allure of “forbidden fruit,” many underage young adults try to get a hold of alcohol anyhow.  Sometimes they might arrange to have someone over 21 purchase the alcohol for them (this is illegal, though), or they might steal alcohol from their parents’ liquor cabinet.  But quite a number will attempt to get around the drinking age by making a counterfeit ID, and using this fake ID to get into bars or to purchase alcohol.  Naturally, states try to counter this by making driver’s licenses and other government-issued IDs tamper-proof and/or difficult to counterfeit.  But it seems like no matter how difficult it is to make a fake ID, there are those who figure out how to get around it somehow.  However, most people comply with the law (more or less) and wait until they are “legal” before they try purchasing and consuming alcohol on their own.

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