TYPE-2 UNTRUE (CONTRARY TO FACT)IN THE PRESENT OR FUTURE
In type-2 we talk about imaginary situations and in the main clause we speculate about their imaginary consequences so it is called "Imaginary Condition" as well . Although we use past tenses the reference is not to the past time. That is why it is called unreal, untrue past. The most commonly used form is :
IF + SIMPLE PAST, WOULD + V1
Truth =>I don't have enough money now, so I can't lend you any(Present)
Conditional Sentence=>If I had enough money, I would lend you some.
Truth => I am not rich , so I can not buy a villa in Kuşadası.
Conditional Sentence=> If I were rich , I would buy a villa in Kusadası.
Truth => She is so shy ; That is why she doesn't enjoy parties.
Conditional Sentence=> If she weren't so shy , she would enjoy parties.
Truth => We haven't central heating , so the house is rather cold.
Conditional Sentence=> If we had central heating , the house wouldn't be cold.
Truth => I live near my office , so I don't spend much time travelling to work.
Conditional Sentence=> If I didn't live near my house , I would spend much time travelling to work.
Truth => Because I cannot drive , we cannot take the car.
Conditional Sentence=> If I could drive , I could take the car.
Truth=>I will work tomorrow, so I can't come to the cinema with you.
Cond. Sentence=>If I didn't have to work tomorrow, I'd come to the cinema with you.
Truth => He never shaves so he looks unattractive . Cond. Sentence=> If he shaved , he wouldn't look unattractive.
SITUATION: You are watching the starts one night with a friend . You start talking about aliens.
You say :
If some aliens landed on earth , I would make friends with them.
If they didn't speak Turkish , I would use sign language.
If they took me back to their planet , I'd learn their language.
If anyone believed my story , I would become famous.
24 Ekim 2009 Cumartesi
If Clauses Type 3 Unreal Past
TYPE-3: UNTRUE(CONTRARY TO FACT)IN THE PAST
We use type-3 when the time is past and the condition cannot be fulfilled because the action in the if-clause didn't happen. The most commonly used form is ;
IF + PAST PERFECT, WOULD HAVE V3
Truth =>She didn't study hard enough ,so she didn't pass the test.
Conditional Sentence: If she had studied hard enough, she would have passed the test.
Truth => I drove so fast , so I had an accident.
Conditional Sentence: If I hadn't driven so fast, I wouldn't have had an accident.
Truth => Merve and Senem didn't see the signal, so they didn't stop.
Conditional Sentence: If Merve and Senem had seen the signal , they would have stopped.
Truth => It was raining , so I didn't take the kids to the beach.
Conditional Sentence: If it had not been raining, I would take the kids to the beach.
Truth => We didn't go by air only because we hadn't enough money.
Conditional Sentence: If we had had enough money, we would have gone by air.
Truth => The exit door were blocked , so people couldn't escape from the burning wall.
Conditional Sentence: People could have escaped from the burning wall if the exit door hadn2t been blocked.
Truth=> She was late for work, because she didn't hear the clock ring.
Conditional Sentence: If she had heard the clock ring, she wouldn't have been late for work.
We use type-3 when the time is past and the condition cannot be fulfilled because the action in the if-clause didn't happen. The most commonly used form is ;
IF + PAST PERFECT, WOULD HAVE V3
Truth =>She didn't study hard enough ,so she didn't pass the test.
Conditional Sentence: If she had studied hard enough, she would have passed the test.
Truth => I drove so fast , so I had an accident.
Conditional Sentence: If I hadn't driven so fast, I wouldn't have had an accident.
Truth => Merve and Senem didn't see the signal, so they didn't stop.
Conditional Sentence: If Merve and Senem had seen the signal , they would have stopped.
Truth => It was raining , so I didn't take the kids to the beach.
Conditional Sentence: If it had not been raining, I would take the kids to the beach.
Truth => We didn't go by air only because we hadn't enough money.
Conditional Sentence: If we had had enough money, we would have gone by air.
Truth => The exit door were blocked , so people couldn't escape from the burning wall.
Conditional Sentence: People could have escaped from the burning wall if the exit door hadn2t been blocked.
Truth=> She was late for work, because she didn't hear the clock ring.
Conditional Sentence: If she had heard the clock ring, she wouldn't have been late for work.
23 Ekim 2009 Cuma
Who Is Mevlana
KONYA (MEVLANA)
One of the great moslem mystic movements was born in KONYA. This religion known to the west as the whirling Dervishes of Konya was founded by Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi , a mystic poet whose tolerance and humanity were quite expectional for his age. There was not a seeing of fanaticism in Mevlana.
“ Come” he said. “Come again whoever you may be come again, eventhough you may be pagan or fire-whorshippers.” As the symbol of the slicing of earthly ties, Mevlana thought the whirling dance accompanied by the relaxing sound of the thin flute.
One of the great moslem mystic movements was born in KONYA. This religion known to the west as the whirling Dervishes of Konya was founded by Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi , a mystic poet whose tolerance and humanity were quite expectional for his age. There was not a seeing of fanaticism in Mevlana.
“ Come” he said. “Come again whoever you may be come again, eventhough you may be pagan or fire-whorshippers.” As the symbol of the slicing of earthly ties, Mevlana thought the whirling dance accompanied by the relaxing sound of the thin flute.
Nasrettin Hodja
NASREDDIN HODJA
He lived five hundred years ago but he
still remains among us today in our minds.
His name is a household word in Turkey.
In everything he did there was not only
something funny and smart but also there
was reality.
Here is a story of the Hodja :
As the story goes, the Hodja owned a
donkey and fed him well. Nevertheless
on an unlucky day his donkey ran away.
The Hodja couldn’t afford another one
but he seemed almost happy to the
villagers who saw him. “Allah be prased “
he repeated. “Why do you thank Allah when
your donkey has run away? ”
“I was not on him when he ran away.
So I am safe, if I was on him we would
both be lost.“ answered the Hodja.
He lived five hundred years ago but he
still remains among us today in our minds.
His name is a household word in Turkey.
In everything he did there was not only
something funny and smart but also there
was reality.
Here is a story of the Hodja :
As the story goes, the Hodja owned a
donkey and fed him well. Nevertheless
on an unlucky day his donkey ran away.
The Hodja couldn’t afford another one
but he seemed almost happy to the
villagers who saw him. “Allah be prased “
he repeated. “Why do you thank Allah when
your donkey has run away? ”
“I was not on him when he ran away.
So I am safe, if I was on him we would
both be lost.“ answered the Hodja.
Pamukkale Travertens "Cotton Castle"
PAMUKKALE (COTTON CASTLE)
Here is a touristic place in the Aegean District. In english its name is “COTTON CASTLE”. It is a natural wonder. It is a frozen waterfall. This thermal water leaden with calcium carbonate comes out of the mountain side over the plateau edge. Today people are using this thermal water very good for tourism.
It is 22 km. far from Denizli. In the First Ages its name was Hierapolis. This name came from the King of Misya’s wife whose name was Hiera. Today it is calling cotton castle.Because there are white rocks and when you look at it, it looks like cotton. In the springs people come there from all over the world. They make festivals.
There are historical places for example theatres. They are in very good condition. Beside that there is a historical main street here. Also there is a cave which is very popular and historical. Its name is “Plutonium Cave”. In this cave there are poisonous gases. It is very different and strange isn’t it ?
Here is a touristic place in the Aegean District. In english its name is “COTTON CASTLE”. It is a natural wonder. It is a frozen waterfall. This thermal water leaden with calcium carbonate comes out of the mountain side over the plateau edge. Today people are using this thermal water very good for tourism.
It is 22 km. far from Denizli. In the First Ages its name was Hierapolis. This name came from the King of Misya’s wife whose name was Hiera. Today it is calling cotton castle.Because there are white rocks and when you look at it, it looks like cotton. In the springs people come there from all over the world. They make festivals.
There are historical places for example theatres. They are in very good condition. Beside that there is a historical main street here. Also there is a cave which is very popular and historical. Its name is “Plutonium Cave”. In this cave there are poisonous gases. It is very different and strange isn’t it ?
History of Anthic Troy
TROY
After crossing the channel we arrive at Çanakkale TROY. It is one of the oldest cities of Anatolia. We hear of Troy described in Homer’s Iliad for the first time during a beauty contest. This contest was probably the first to be ever held in the world. It took place at Mt.Ida. The three finalists were Hera and her daughters Aphrodite and Athena. King of Troy was the one to decide the winner. He chose Aphrodite. Aphrodite kidnapped the King of the Greek Helene. Because of this the war started.
The Greeks wished to recapture Helene. The capture of Troy took along time was succesfull only with the trick of Achilles. The Greeks constructed a huge wooden horse and left it in front of the gates of the city walls. The Geek army retreated to give the impression of defeat. The Torojans were deceived and they pulled the giant horse into the city. But they were unaware that a group of Greek soldiers had hidden inside the horse. They celebrated their victory and fell asleep drunk with joy. The Greek soldiers climbed out when the city was asleep and opened the gates of the city and Troy was finally captured.
After crossing the channel we arrive at Çanakkale TROY. It is one of the oldest cities of Anatolia. We hear of Troy described in Homer’s Iliad for the first time during a beauty contest. This contest was probably the first to be ever held in the world. It took place at Mt.Ida. The three finalists were Hera and her daughters Aphrodite and Athena. King of Troy was the one to decide the winner. He chose Aphrodite. Aphrodite kidnapped the King of the Greek Helene. Because of this the war started.
The Greeks wished to recapture Helene. The capture of Troy took along time was succesfull only with the trick of Achilles. The Greeks constructed a huge wooden horse and left it in front of the gates of the city walls. The Geek army retreated to give the impression of defeat. The Torojans were deceived and they pulled the giant horse into the city. But they were unaware that a group of Greek soldiers had hidden inside the horse. They celebrated their victory and fell asleep drunk with joy. The Greek soldiers climbed out when the city was asleep and opened the gates of the city and Troy was finally captured.
Wrestling History
KIRKPINAR WRESTLING
There is a sort of wrestling in Turkey which I am sure you have never heard of. The Wrestlers cover themselves with olive oil. They also wear a special sort of breeches made out of buffalo skin and which is tightened around the waist and legs. The traditional place where these wrestling matches are held is at Kırkpınar ( meaning forty springs ), near Edirne. There is also a legend to this place.(In the past) The story of the Wrestling is here: Wrestling competitions were held in honour of the Sultan who was visiting the area. Forty men wrestled with each other and not one of them yielded until morning came when all of them fell down from exhaustion and died. There is also a legend to this place.
Suddenly forty springs sprang from the ground where they had fallen. And the Sultan moved by this scene, ordered that from now on all the wrestling matches would be held at Kırkpınar each year in honour of the forty men who would not be defeated in front of their Sultan.
There is a sort of wrestling in Turkey which I am sure you have never heard of. The Wrestlers cover themselves with olive oil. They also wear a special sort of breeches made out of buffalo skin and which is tightened around the waist and legs. The traditional place where these wrestling matches are held is at Kırkpınar ( meaning forty springs ), near Edirne. There is also a legend to this place.(In the past) The story of the Wrestling is here: Wrestling competitions were held in honour of the Sultan who was visiting the area. Forty men wrestled with each other and not one of them yielded until morning came when all of them fell down from exhaustion and died. There is also a legend to this place.
Suddenly forty springs sprang from the ground where they had fallen. And the Sultan moved by this scene, ordered that from now on all the wrestling matches would be held at Kırkpınar each year in honour of the forty men who would not be defeated in front of their Sultan.
Transitions
To show addition
• and
• in addition
• besides
• furthermore
• moreover
• what's more
• too
• not only ... but also
• both ... and
• not so obvious
• as well as
• another
To show time
• now
• since
• after this
• at length
• thereafter
• already
• after a few hours
• in the end
• afterwards
• then
• later
• previously
• formerly
• at an earlier time
• at the same time
• simultaneously
• meanwhile
• in the meantime
• and then
To show sequence
• first, second, etc.
• next
• former
• latter
• final
• last
To show purpose
• to
• in order to
• so that
• for the purpose of
• with this in mind
• with this in view
To conclude
• to conclude
• in conclusion
• thus
• finally
• last
• to end
To infer
• hence
• so
• therefore
• consequently
• as a result
• for this reason
• this being the case
• it follows that ...
To summarize
• in brief
• in summary
• on the whole
• to sum up
• in other words
• briefly
• in short
• in conclusion
To exclude
• with this exception
• all except
• all but
• except for this
• not that
• but not
• neither ... nor
To show condition
• if
• whether
To show alternatives
• or
• either ... or
• whether ...or not
To concede
• no doubt
• admitting
• to be sure
• certainly
• indeed
• granted
• true
• in any case
• in any event
To emphasize
• obviously
• in fact
• as a matter of fact
• indeed
• what's more
• even without this
• especially
• truly
• really
• certainly
• moreover
• in truth
• above all
To compare
• similarly
• likewise
• in like manner
• parallel with
• in the same category • comparable to
• equally important
To contrast
• on the other hand
• on the contrary
• conversely
• by contrast
• from another point of view
• more important
• but
• yet
• and yet
• however
• still
• after all
• for all that
• although this is true
• while this is true
• in spite of
• though
• even though
• nonetheless
• nevertheless
• notwithstanding
• in spite of this
To include
• namely
• especially
• specifically
• in detail
• including
• in particular
• to list
• to enumerate
To repeat
• to repeat
• in brief
• in short
• as I have said
• as I have noted
• in other words
• once more
• again
• yet again
• that is
To give examples
• for instance
• for example
• to demonstrate
• to illustrate
• as an illustration
• a case in point
• another case
To paint a picture
• imagine this scene
• to illustrate my point
• let's examine this idea closely
To mark
• with respect to
• as for ...
• concerning
• in point of reference
To link
• in general
• to resume
• in particular
• to continue
• to return
• along with
To refuse
• no
• hardly
• on the contrary
• never
• and
• in addition
• besides
• furthermore
• moreover
• what's more
• too
• not only ... but also
• both ... and
• not so obvious
• as well as
• another
To show time
• now
• since
• after this
• at length
• thereafter
• already
• after a few hours
• in the end
• afterwards
• then
• later
• previously
• formerly
• at an earlier time
• at the same time
• simultaneously
• meanwhile
• in the meantime
• and then
To show sequence
• first, second, etc.
• next
• former
• latter
• final
• last
To show purpose
• to
• in order to
• so that
• for the purpose of
• with this in mind
• with this in view
To conclude
• to conclude
• in conclusion
• thus
• finally
• last
• to end
To infer
• hence
• so
• therefore
• consequently
• as a result
• for this reason
• this being the case
• it follows that ...
To summarize
• in brief
• in summary
• on the whole
• to sum up
• in other words
• briefly
• in short
• in conclusion
To exclude
• with this exception
• all except
• all but
• except for this
• not that
• but not
• neither ... nor
To show condition
• if
• whether
To show alternatives
• or
• either ... or
• whether ...or not
To concede
• no doubt
• admitting
• to be sure
• certainly
• indeed
• granted
• true
• in any case
• in any event
To emphasize
• obviously
• in fact
• as a matter of fact
• indeed
• what's more
• even without this
• especially
• truly
• really
• certainly
• moreover
• in truth
• above all
To compare
• similarly
• likewise
• in like manner
• parallel with
• in the same category • comparable to
• equally important
To contrast
• on the other hand
• on the contrary
• conversely
• by contrast
• from another point of view
• more important
• but
• yet
• and yet
• however
• still
• after all
• for all that
• although this is true
• while this is true
• in spite of
• though
• even though
• nonetheless
• nevertheless
• notwithstanding
• in spite of this
To include
• namely
• especially
• specifically
• in detail
• including
• in particular
• to list
• to enumerate
To repeat
• to repeat
• in brief
• in short
• as I have said
• as I have noted
• in other words
• once more
• again
• yet again
• that is
To give examples
• for instance
• for example
• to demonstrate
• to illustrate
• as an illustration
• a case in point
• another case
To paint a picture
• imagine this scene
• to illustrate my point
• let's examine this idea closely
To mark
• with respect to
• as for ...
• concerning
• in point of reference
To link
• in general
• to resume
• in particular
• to continue
• to return
• along with
To refuse
• no
• hardly
• on the contrary
• never
22 Ekim 2009 Perşembe
Too - Enough
TOO & ENOUGH
PART A: Put in words from the box together with enough.
big Champaign clever good hard
time confidence friends old money
1. "In art the best is ____________________" Goethe says.
2. I never had ____________________ when I was young; now I never have ____________________.
3. This room isn't ____________________ for both of us.
4. Helen hasn't got ____________________ to play with.
5. Robert is not ____________________ to travel by himself.
6. There was ____________________ to give everybody a glass.
7. If you work ____________________, you don't have to be very clever.
8. She was ____________________ to do anything she wanted, but she didn't have ____________________ to try.
PART A:
1. good enough
2. enough money/enough time
3. big enough
4. enough friends
5. old enough
6. enough Champaign
7. hard enough
8. clever enough/enough confidence
PART B: Complete the sentences with too/enough and words from the list.
clean / people / swim
fast / police / catch
muddy / them / see
old / take
spicy / children / eat
quietly / me / hear
tired / understand
well / listen
well / decide
1. The meal was ____________________________________________.
2. Sue is not _______________________________ the dog for a walk.
3. They were speaking _____________________what they were saying.
4. Near some beaches, the sea is not _________________________ in.
5. There's someone out there, but I can't see ______________________ if it's Emily.
6. The water was ____________________________________ anything.
7. I'll work on this tomorrow - I'm ________________________ it tonight.
8. I don't understand English _____________________ to Australian radio.
9. He drove ____________________________________________ him.
PART B:
1. too spicy for the children to eat
2. old enough to take
3. too quietly for me to hear
4. clean enough for people to swim
5. well enough to decide
6. too muddy for them to see
7. too tired to understand
8. well enough to listen
9. too fast for the police to catch
PART A: Put in words from the box together with enough.
big Champaign clever good hard
time confidence friends old money
1. "In art the best is ____________________" Goethe says.
2. I never had ____________________ when I was young; now I never have ____________________.
3. This room isn't ____________________ for both of us.
4. Helen hasn't got ____________________ to play with.
5. Robert is not ____________________ to travel by himself.
6. There was ____________________ to give everybody a glass.
7. If you work ____________________, you don't have to be very clever.
8. She was ____________________ to do anything she wanted, but she didn't have ____________________ to try.
PART A:
1. good enough
2. enough money/enough time
3. big enough
4. enough friends
5. old enough
6. enough Champaign
7. hard enough
8. clever enough/enough confidence
PART B: Complete the sentences with too/enough and words from the list.
clean / people / swim
fast / police / catch
muddy / them / see
old / take
spicy / children / eat
quietly / me / hear
tired / understand
well / listen
well / decide
1. The meal was ____________________________________________.
2. Sue is not _______________________________ the dog for a walk.
3. They were speaking _____________________what they were saying.
4. Near some beaches, the sea is not _________________________ in.
5. There's someone out there, but I can't see ______________________ if it's Emily.
6. The water was ____________________________________ anything.
7. I'll work on this tomorrow - I'm ________________________ it tonight.
8. I don't understand English _____________________ to Australian radio.
9. He drove ____________________________________________ him.
PART B:
1. too spicy for the children to eat
2. old enough to take
3. too quietly for me to hear
4. clean enough for people to swim
5. well enough to decide
6. too muddy for them to see
7. too tired to understand
8. well enough to listen
9. too fast for the police to catch
21 Ekim 2009 Çarşamba
Various Structers With If
1. If with happen to : "Happen to" is used to suggest that something happens by chance . It is often used with If .
If you happen to pass a baker's , pick me up a loaf , would you ?
"should happen to" can be used together.
If you should happen to finish early , give me a ring .
2. If so and If not : These are two useful expressions which are used instead of complete sentences .
Have you got a free evening next week ? If so , let's have dinner .(=If you have , let's ... )
Is anybody feeling cold ? If not , let's put the central heating off .
3. If I'd have : In Informal spoken English , an extra have is sometimes put into if-clauses referring to the past
This is considered "incorrect" and is not normally written , but it is common even in educated people's speech .
If I'd have known I'd have told you . (=If I had known ....)
4. If meaning Although : In a rather formal style of English , "if" can be used with a similar meaning to (al)though . This is most common in the structure If + adjective ( with no verb ) . "If" does not give so much importance as (all)though to the contrast , exception or concession that is referred to .
His style , if mannered , is pleasant to read .
The profits , if a little lower than last year's , are still extremely healthy .
If you happen to pass a baker's , pick me up a loaf , would you ?
"should happen to" can be used together.
If you should happen to finish early , give me a ring .
2. If so and If not : These are two useful expressions which are used instead of complete sentences .
Have you got a free evening next week ? If so , let's have dinner .(=If you have , let's ... )
Is anybody feeling cold ? If not , let's put the central heating off .
3. If I'd have : In Informal spoken English , an extra have is sometimes put into if-clauses referring to the past
This is considered "incorrect" and is not normally written , but it is common even in educated people's speech .
If I'd have known I'd have told you . (=If I had known ....)
4. If meaning Although : In a rather formal style of English , "if" can be used with a similar meaning to (al)though . This is most common in the structure If + adjective ( with no verb ) . "If" does not give so much importance as (all)though to the contrast , exception or concession that is referred to .
His style , if mannered , is pleasant to read .
The profits , if a little lower than last year's , are still extremely healthy .
Incorrect Examination
EXAMINATION
INCORRECT
1- The police is still looking for him.
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
2- Athletics are my favourite sport.
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
3- Those is nice trousers.
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
4- Twenty pounds is a lot of money.
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
5- The news is not very good.
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
6- Three years are a long time.
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
7- My glasses is broken.
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
8- My scissors is not cutting properly
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
9- Economics are very difficult to understand
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
10- Physics is a very important subject.
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
11- The police have arrested him.
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
12- Many people is worried about this
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
13- The United States are very powerful.
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
14- Fish and chips is nice to eat.
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
15- One of my friends are coming to meet us here
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
16- More than one person are unhappy with this
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
17- A number of us is concerned.
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
18- There are a couple of points to make.
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
19- The rest of the staff are coming later.
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
20- Five hundred dollars are expensive. Have you nothing cheaper?
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
INCORRECT
1- The police is still looking for him.
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
2- Athletics are my favourite sport.
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
3- Those is nice trousers.
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
4- Twenty pounds is a lot of money.
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
5- The news is not very good.
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
6- Three years are a long time.
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
7- My glasses is broken.
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
8- My scissors is not cutting properly
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
9- Economics are very difficult to understand
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
10- Physics is a very important subject.
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
11- The police have arrested him.
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
12- Many people is worried about this
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
13- The United States are very powerful.
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
14- Fish and chips is nice to eat.
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
15- One of my friends are coming to meet us here
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
16- More than one person are unhappy with this
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
17- A number of us is concerned.
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
18- There are a couple of points to make.
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
19- The rest of the staff are coming later.
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
20- Five hundred dollars are expensive. Have you nothing cheaper?
a ) "are " not "is " b ) correct c ) "is" not "are"
19 Ekim 2009 Pazartesi
Believe It Or Not "Turkey"
-The only city in the world located on two continents is Istanbul, which has been the capital of three great empires, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman for more than 2000 years
-The number of archaeological excavations going on in Turkey every year is at least 150
-The oldest known human settlement is in Catalhoyuk, Turkey (7500 BC)
-Temple of Artemis and the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the two of the seven wonders of the ancient world, are in Turkey
-Abraham was born in Sanliurfa in Southeastern Turkey
-Anatolia is the birthplace of historic legends, such as omer (the poet), King Midas, Herodotus (the father of history) and St. Paul the Apostle
-Julius Ceasar proclaimed his celebrated words, "Veni, Vidi, Vici" (I came, I saw, I conquered) in Turkey when he defeated the Pontus, a formidable kingdom in the Black Sea region of Turkey
-Turks introduced coffee to Europe
-Turks gave the Dutch their famous tulips
-St. Nicholas, who became popular as Father Christmas, was born in Demre on Turkey's Mediterranean Coast
According to legend, Noah's Ark landed on Agri Dagi (Mount Ararat) in Eastern Turkey. The last meal on Noah's Ark, a pudding with nearly 20 ingredients, is still served throughout Turkey
-The last home of Virgin Mary is in Selcuk
-St. John, St. Nicholas, St. Paul and St. Peter have all lived and prayed in Southern Anatolia
-Part of Turkey's southwestern shore was a wedding gift that Mark Anthony gave to Cleopatra
-Homer was born in Izmir on the west coast of Turkey and he depicted Troy in his Epic the Iliad
-Aesop, famous for his fables and parables, was born in Anatolia
-Leonardo da Vinci drew designs for a bridge over the Bosphorus, the strait that flows through Europe and Asia. It was never built
-Alexander the Great conquered a large territory in what is now Turkey and cut the Gordion Knot in the Phrygian capital (Gordium) not far from Turkey's present-day capital (Ankara)
-Istanbul's Robert College (established in 1863), is the oldest American school outside the United States
-Early Christians escaping Roman persecution nearly 2000 years ago sheltered in Cappadocia in Central Anatolia
-The Famous Trojan Wars took place in western Turkey, around the site where a wooden statue of the Trojan Horse rests today
-According to Turkish tradition a stranger at one's doorstep is considered "A Guest from God" and should be accommodated accordingly
-The first church built by man (St. Peter's Church) is in Antioch (Antakya)
-The first Ecumenical Council was held in Iznik.
-Suleyman the Magnificent (the famous Ottoman Sultan) was a poet who wrote over 3000 poems, some of them criticizing the greed of mankind
-Turkey is a long-time member of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) since 1952
-Turkey provides 70% of the world's hazelnuts; the nut in your chocolate bar was most probably grown in Turkey
-Istanbul has a 540-year-old covered shopping mall of 64 streets, 4000 shops, 22 entrances and 25,000 workers, -the famous Grand Bazaar
-The most valuable silk carpet in the world, is in the Mevlana Museum, Konya with 144 knots per square centimeter
-In the 13th century, Marco Polo wrote "the best and handsomest of rugs are woven here, and also silks of crimson and other rich colors"
-Hezarfen Ahmed Celebi was the first man who flew a significant distance using wings across the Bosphorus
-Anatolia is the location of the first known beauty contest, judged by Paris, with Aphrodite, Hera and Athena as leading participants
-Anatolia was producing wine as early as 4000BC
-Turkey receives children from around the world each year on 23rd April to "honor and cherish the freedom and independence of all people"
-Anatolia is the location of Seven Churches of Asia
-Anatolia is the origin of the names of Paris, Philadelphia and Europe
-The number of archaeological excavations going on in Turkey every year is at least 150
-The oldest known human settlement is in Catalhoyuk, Turkey (7500 BC)
-Temple of Artemis and the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the two of the seven wonders of the ancient world, are in Turkey
-Abraham was born in Sanliurfa in Southeastern Turkey
-Anatolia is the birthplace of historic legends, such as omer (the poet), King Midas, Herodotus (the father of history) and St. Paul the Apostle
-Julius Ceasar proclaimed his celebrated words, "Veni, Vidi, Vici" (I came, I saw, I conquered) in Turkey when he defeated the Pontus, a formidable kingdom in the Black Sea region of Turkey
-Turks introduced coffee to Europe
-Turks gave the Dutch their famous tulips
-St. Nicholas, who became popular as Father Christmas, was born in Demre on Turkey's Mediterranean Coast
According to legend, Noah's Ark landed on Agri Dagi (Mount Ararat) in Eastern Turkey. The last meal on Noah's Ark, a pudding with nearly 20 ingredients, is still served throughout Turkey
-The last home of Virgin Mary is in Selcuk
-St. John, St. Nicholas, St. Paul and St. Peter have all lived and prayed in Southern Anatolia
-Part of Turkey's southwestern shore was a wedding gift that Mark Anthony gave to Cleopatra
-Homer was born in Izmir on the west coast of Turkey and he depicted Troy in his Epic the Iliad
-Aesop, famous for his fables and parables, was born in Anatolia
-Leonardo da Vinci drew designs for a bridge over the Bosphorus, the strait that flows through Europe and Asia. It was never built
-Alexander the Great conquered a large territory in what is now Turkey and cut the Gordion Knot in the Phrygian capital (Gordium) not far from Turkey's present-day capital (Ankara)
-Istanbul's Robert College (established in 1863), is the oldest American school outside the United States
-Early Christians escaping Roman persecution nearly 2000 years ago sheltered in Cappadocia in Central Anatolia
-The Famous Trojan Wars took place in western Turkey, around the site where a wooden statue of the Trojan Horse rests today
-According to Turkish tradition a stranger at one's doorstep is considered "A Guest from God" and should be accommodated accordingly
-The first church built by man (St. Peter's Church) is in Antioch (Antakya)
-The first Ecumenical Council was held in Iznik.
-Suleyman the Magnificent (the famous Ottoman Sultan) was a poet who wrote over 3000 poems, some of them criticizing the greed of mankind
-Turkey is a long-time member of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) since 1952
-Turkey provides 70% of the world's hazelnuts; the nut in your chocolate bar was most probably grown in Turkey
-Istanbul has a 540-year-old covered shopping mall of 64 streets, 4000 shops, 22 entrances and 25,000 workers, -the famous Grand Bazaar
-The most valuable silk carpet in the world, is in the Mevlana Museum, Konya with 144 knots per square centimeter
-In the 13th century, Marco Polo wrote "the best and handsomest of rugs are woven here, and also silks of crimson and other rich colors"
-Hezarfen Ahmed Celebi was the first man who flew a significant distance using wings across the Bosphorus
-Anatolia is the location of the first known beauty contest, judged by Paris, with Aphrodite, Hera and Athena as leading participants
-Anatolia was producing wine as early as 4000BC
-Turkey receives children from around the world each year on 23rd April to "honor and cherish the freedom and independence of all people"
-Anatolia is the location of Seven Churches of Asia
-Anatolia is the origin of the names of Paris, Philadelphia and Europe
Useful Links For English
ALL THE SUPPORT YOU NEED…..
• www.longman-elt.com
• www.penguinreaders.com
• www.pingu-longman.com
• www.longman-elt.com/Snapshot
• www.longman-elt.com/cuttingedge
• www.longman-elt.com/gold
• www.penguinenglish.com
GATEWAY SITES AND RESOURCES:
• BBC World Service: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish
Learning English
• The Comenius Group: http://www.comenius.com
• Dave Sperling’s ESL Cafe: http://www.eslcafe.com
• Dictionary.com: http://www.dictionary.com
• The Global Schoolhouse: http://www.gsh.org
• Linguistic Funland: http://www.linguistic-funland.com
• Volterre: http://www.wfi.fr/volterre
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS:
• IATEFL: http://www.iatefl.org
• JALT: http://www.jalt.org
• TESOL: http://www.tesol.edu
JOURNALS AND NEWSLETTERS ONLINE:
• Internet TESL Journal: http://www.aitech.ac.jp/~iteslj
SITES WITH POTENTIAL FOR READING ACTIVITIES
• CraYon:Create your own newspaper: http://crayon.net
SITES WITH POTENTIAL SPEAKING ACTIVITIES
• Learn2.com:FYI site online tutorials: http://www.learn2.com
• Web museum: http://sunsite.doc.ic.ac.uk/wm/
SITES WITH POTENTIAL WRITING ACTIVITIES
• Classroom Connect: http://www.classroom.com
• Electronic postcards http://www.corbis.com
• The online writing lab: http://owl.wsu.edu
• Reviews of Internet: http://hut.fi/-rvilmi
SITES WITH POTENTIAL LISTENING ACTIVITIES
• The Academy Awards: http://www.oscar.com
• BBC:News channel site: http://www.bbc.co.uk
• CNN.News channel site: http://www.cnn.com
• The International Lyrics Server: http://www.lyrics.ch
• Timecast:listing of live Real player: http://timecast.com
teslcafe.com :free download sitesi
longman.antalya@pearsoned-ema.com
ugur.kavraal@pearsoned-ema.com U.KAVRAAL 2001/2002
• www.longman-elt.com
• www.penguinreaders.com
• www.pingu-longman.com
• www.longman-elt.com/Snapshot
• www.longman-elt.com/cuttingedge
• www.longman-elt.com/gold
• www.penguinenglish.com
GATEWAY SITES AND RESOURCES:
• BBC World Service: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish
Learning English
• The Comenius Group: http://www.comenius.com
• Dave Sperling’s ESL Cafe: http://www.eslcafe.com
• Dictionary.com: http://www.dictionary.com
• The Global Schoolhouse: http://www.gsh.org
• Linguistic Funland: http://www.linguistic-funland.com
• Volterre: http://www.wfi.fr/volterre
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS:
• IATEFL: http://www.iatefl.org
• JALT: http://www.jalt.org
• TESOL: http://www.tesol.edu
JOURNALS AND NEWSLETTERS ONLINE:
• Internet TESL Journal: http://www.aitech.ac.jp/~iteslj
SITES WITH POTENTIAL FOR READING ACTIVITIES
• CraYon:Create your own newspaper: http://crayon.net
SITES WITH POTENTIAL SPEAKING ACTIVITIES
• Learn2.com:FYI site online tutorials: http://www.learn2.com
• Web museum: http://sunsite.doc.ic.ac.uk/wm/
SITES WITH POTENTIAL WRITING ACTIVITIES
• Classroom Connect: http://www.classroom.com
• Electronic postcards http://www.corbis.com
• The online writing lab: http://owl.wsu.edu
• Reviews of Internet: http://hut.fi/-rvilmi
SITES WITH POTENTIAL LISTENING ACTIVITIES
• The Academy Awards: http://www.oscar.com
• BBC:News channel site: http://www.bbc.co.uk
• CNN.News channel site: http://www.cnn.com
• The International Lyrics Server: http://www.lyrics.ch
• Timecast:listing of live Real player: http://timecast.com
teslcafe.com :free download sitesi
longman.antalya@pearsoned-ema.com
ugur.kavraal@pearsoned-ema.com U.KAVRAAL 2001/2002
Links to Language & Study Skills Resources
Links to Language & Study Skills Resources
Below are listed a number of categorised links to resources recommended. You can also find additional links and resources on language & Study Skills.
Listening On the Internet
If you've gone to some sites on the internet that have audio links and could not connect, it could be because you need this version of RealPlayer. It is RealOne player. I found it to be the case with me. I now have access to some audio links that I did not have before. http://service.real.com/faq/downloadfaqs...97.r1fw.en
http://www.npr.org/archives/
http://eslbears.homestead.com/Blank.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/
http://www.theenglishprofessor.com/alphal.htm
http://grove.ufl.edu/~ktrickel/activity.html#listen
http://eslbears.homestead.com/Basic.html
http://grove.ufl.edu/~ktrickel/activity.html#listen
http://www.imagesofireland.net/irishtv.html
http://www.languagebox.com/WorldNewsRadioEnglish.html
http://www.englishlistening.com/
http://www.esl-lab.com/index.htm
You can use the Encarta online dictionary in order to hear how a word is pronounced:
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/d...h=alphabet
Newspapers and Magazines on the Internet
http://www.onlinenewspapers.com//index.htm
http://www.actualidad.com/
http://www.time.com/time/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/home/main100.shtml
http://www.msnbc.com/news/NW-front_Front.asp
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/
http://news.ft.com/home/rw/
http://www.economist.com/
http://www.oneworldmagazine.org/cover.htm
http://www.refdesk.com/
http://www.imagesofireland.net/index.html
ESL/EFL Reading Resources on the Internet
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/aaworld/reference/articles.html
http://reading.englishclub.com/
http://ofcn.org/cyber.serv/resource/bookshelf/
http://usinfo.state.gov/about/index.htm
http://www.rhlschool.com/reading.htm
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/3.../index.htm
http://depts.gallaudet.edu/englishworks/...ading.html
http://literacynet.org/cnnsf/week.html
http://eslbears.homestead.com/Map_and_Di...s~ns4.html
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/
Below are listed a number of categorised links to resources recommended. You can also find additional links and resources on language & Study Skills.
Listening On the Internet
If you've gone to some sites on the internet that have audio links and could not connect, it could be because you need this version of RealPlayer. It is RealOne player. I found it to be the case with me. I now have access to some audio links that I did not have before. http://service.real.com/faq/downloadfaqs...97.r1fw.en
http://www.npr.org/archives/
http://eslbears.homestead.com/Blank.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/
http://www.theenglishprofessor.com/alphal.htm
http://grove.ufl.edu/~ktrickel/activity.html#listen
http://eslbears.homestead.com/Basic.html
http://grove.ufl.edu/~ktrickel/activity.html#listen
http://www.imagesofireland.net/irishtv.html
http://www.languagebox.com/WorldNewsRadioEnglish.html
http://www.englishlistening.com/
http://www.esl-lab.com/index.htm
You can use the Encarta online dictionary in order to hear how a word is pronounced:
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/d...h=alphabet
Newspapers and Magazines on the Internet
http://www.onlinenewspapers.com//index.htm
http://www.actualidad.com/
http://www.time.com/time/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/home/main100.shtml
http://www.msnbc.com/news/NW-front_Front.asp
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/
http://news.ft.com/home/rw/
http://www.economist.com/
http://www.oneworldmagazine.org/cover.htm
http://www.refdesk.com/
http://www.imagesofireland.net/index.html
ESL/EFL Reading Resources on the Internet
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/aaworld/reference/articles.html
http://reading.englishclub.com/
http://ofcn.org/cyber.serv/resource/bookshelf/
http://usinfo.state.gov/about/index.htm
http://www.rhlschool.com/reading.htm
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/3.../index.htm
http://depts.gallaudet.edu/englishworks/...ading.html
http://literacynet.org/cnnsf/week.html
http://eslbears.homestead.com/Map_and_Di...s~ns4.html
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/
Taking Control of the English Language
* How can I speak English better?
* How can I communicate better in English?
* How can I express myself better in English?
* How can I listen to and understand English better?
* How can I improve?
What does taking control of the English language mean?
You speak English at an advanced level. You speak it fluently and you use it every day, yet you aren’t satisfied with your ability. You feel like you can’t express yourself the way you want to. When you can’t say what you want to say or need to say in the manner that you would like to, it might not leave you with the best feeling you could possibly have. There is only one thing to do about it. You must take control of the English language. What does taking control of the English language mean? It does not mean taking control of the entire language. It means taking control of the English language that is yours; the English language that you have. It means using the English that you already have to get more. It means taking responsibility for your own learning.
You might tell yourself that you want to have private instruction with an English language tutor. Great idea! However, there is something you should know and be well aware of. What happens during the time that you meet with an English language tutor is very important, but what happens during the time between your meetings with an English language tutor is even more important. The proactive steps that you take in order to improve have a direct effect on what it is you get out of the time and money that you spend with an English language tutor. In order to receive the maximum benefit possible for the money you spend on a tutor, you must dedicate a sufficient amount of time to studying between each lesson. Of course, the amount of time that anyone is able to dedicate to studying will vary, but nevertheless, it must be done. Furthermore, there are a number of things you should do leading up to the time that you decide to pick up the phone and make that call. So you ask, what is it that I need to do? What can I do on my own?
Read to Increase your Vocabulary
You need to increase your vocabulary. You need to build your lexicon. You need to learn more idiomatic expressions. Does this mean studying vocabulary lists? No. Does that mean buying books that list idiomatic expressions in English and their meanings? That may or may not be helpful. Does it mean going to the Internet and studying idiomatic expressions that are listed at websites? Perhaps, but that wouldn’t be all. Does it mean learning the word of the day that is given by online dictionaries? No! You need to build a personal lexicon. You need to maintain a lexical notebook. You need to learn words and expressions that are interesting to you and will be useful to you. You need to learn words and expressions that are part of your environment. Where can you find these words and expressions? You can find them by listening to the radio, by listening to those that you speak with on a daily basis, and by even listening to those that you don’t speak with. You don’t have to converse with someone in order to listen to someone. Of course, you can find new words and expressions by choosing challenging reading material that is interesting to you: newspaper and magazine articles, books, short stories. In order to start building your new lexicon, I suggest starting by finding something to read.
Now that you have chosen something interesting to read, here is what you need to do. You need to write down the words and expressions that you don’t understand. Take note of the page number and paragraph that the words or expressions are on as you read. After you are done reading, go back to the words and expressions that you didn’t understand and write them in your lexical notebook. Leave space to write an explanation or a definition. From the context, see if you can figure out what the words or expressions mean. After you have done this, go to a dictionary. For idiomatic expressions and phrasal verbs that you are unfamiliar with, I strongly recommend taking advantage of Cambridge Dictionaries Online. It is important that you practice these new words and expressions by writing your own sentences. This is helpful in incorporating them into your daily conversations and speaking habits. Don’t be overwhelmed by thinking you have to read a lot. Read what is good for you. If you come across too many words and expressions that you don’t recognize, it might be a good idea to find some less challenging reading material. What you read should be challenging, but it should not be so challenging that it might be discouraging.
Using Radio to Listen to and Understand English Better
Listen to the news on the radio. Listen to talk shows. Generally speaking, radio announcers that report the news speak clearly, use good vocabulary, and also use idiomatic expressions. If you have a computer, you can listen to news reports from National Public Radio and the British Broadcasting Corporation (NPR and the BBC). You can usually find a RealPlayer link to listen to news stories from both of these resources. However, listening to the radio will suffice as well. If you can, it would be a good idea to record a ten to fifteen minute segment of a news show or any broadcast that might interest you. Take note of any words or expressions that sound unfamiliar to you. Write them down in your lexical notebook. If you were able to record what you listened to, listen to it again to see if you can figure out what the new words and expressions mean through the context that they are used in. If you are unable to figure out what something means, then by all means go to a dictionary. Once again, I suggest using Cambridge Dictionaries Online for a comprehensive overview of any single word. Cambridge Dictionaries Online is a very good resource in that it demonstrates how words are used in idiomatic expressions and phrasal verbs. Cambridge Dictionaries also point out any important secondary definitions that a word might have.
Pay attention to what you hear wherever you go. If you are on a bus or a train, listen to what people say and how they say it. If you are in a supermarket, a shopping mall or any other public place where you can hear others speak, open your ears and try to listen. Take note of what you hear. Jot it down in a small pocket size notebook. Later, you can add it to your lexical notebook. If you pay attention, you are eventually bound to hear at least one word or one expression that is new to you. When you hear it, write it down. Find out what it means later. Learn it. Use it.
When learning new words and expressions, it is important to take note of whether these words and expressions are used in an informal context or a formal context. Many words and expressions are used both formally and informally. If you aren’t sure of exactly how to use a new word or expression, you can try them out with work colleagues and friends. Find people to converse with. They may not be instructive in any way, but you can try out new ways to express yourself. You should also listen as closely as possible when you converse. Listen for anything that sounds different, new, or unfamiliar. If the circumstance permits, don’t be afraid to take out your pocket notebook and write it down. If you say something that isn't quite right, the person you are speaking with might take note of it and let you know. If you aren’t sure of something you said or would like to say, then ask about it. If you hear something and you don’t know what it means, ask about that as well. Some, or even many people, may not view themselves as "teachers" per se, but most native speakers of English should be able to assist you in this manner. I believe most people would be glad to help. It is of the utmost importance to not be afraid to ask questions. That’s part of taking control of the English language. That’s part of making the English language your language. English is not your first language, but there is no reason why it cannot be your language. Get a notebook. Get something to read. Find something to listen to on the radio. Take control of the English language now.
* How can I communicate better in English?
* How can I express myself better in English?
* How can I listen to and understand English better?
* How can I improve?
What does taking control of the English language mean?
You speak English at an advanced level. You speak it fluently and you use it every day, yet you aren’t satisfied with your ability. You feel like you can’t express yourself the way you want to. When you can’t say what you want to say or need to say in the manner that you would like to, it might not leave you with the best feeling you could possibly have. There is only one thing to do about it. You must take control of the English language. What does taking control of the English language mean? It does not mean taking control of the entire language. It means taking control of the English language that is yours; the English language that you have. It means using the English that you already have to get more. It means taking responsibility for your own learning.
You might tell yourself that you want to have private instruction with an English language tutor. Great idea! However, there is something you should know and be well aware of. What happens during the time that you meet with an English language tutor is very important, but what happens during the time between your meetings with an English language tutor is even more important. The proactive steps that you take in order to improve have a direct effect on what it is you get out of the time and money that you spend with an English language tutor. In order to receive the maximum benefit possible for the money you spend on a tutor, you must dedicate a sufficient amount of time to studying between each lesson. Of course, the amount of time that anyone is able to dedicate to studying will vary, but nevertheless, it must be done. Furthermore, there are a number of things you should do leading up to the time that you decide to pick up the phone and make that call. So you ask, what is it that I need to do? What can I do on my own?
Read to Increase your Vocabulary
You need to increase your vocabulary. You need to build your lexicon. You need to learn more idiomatic expressions. Does this mean studying vocabulary lists? No. Does that mean buying books that list idiomatic expressions in English and their meanings? That may or may not be helpful. Does it mean going to the Internet and studying idiomatic expressions that are listed at websites? Perhaps, but that wouldn’t be all. Does it mean learning the word of the day that is given by online dictionaries? No! You need to build a personal lexicon. You need to maintain a lexical notebook. You need to learn words and expressions that are interesting to you and will be useful to you. You need to learn words and expressions that are part of your environment. Where can you find these words and expressions? You can find them by listening to the radio, by listening to those that you speak with on a daily basis, and by even listening to those that you don’t speak with. You don’t have to converse with someone in order to listen to someone. Of course, you can find new words and expressions by choosing challenging reading material that is interesting to you: newspaper and magazine articles, books, short stories. In order to start building your new lexicon, I suggest starting by finding something to read.
Now that you have chosen something interesting to read, here is what you need to do. You need to write down the words and expressions that you don’t understand. Take note of the page number and paragraph that the words or expressions are on as you read. After you are done reading, go back to the words and expressions that you didn’t understand and write them in your lexical notebook. Leave space to write an explanation or a definition. From the context, see if you can figure out what the words or expressions mean. After you have done this, go to a dictionary. For idiomatic expressions and phrasal verbs that you are unfamiliar with, I strongly recommend taking advantage of Cambridge Dictionaries Online. It is important that you practice these new words and expressions by writing your own sentences. This is helpful in incorporating them into your daily conversations and speaking habits. Don’t be overwhelmed by thinking you have to read a lot. Read what is good for you. If you come across too many words and expressions that you don’t recognize, it might be a good idea to find some less challenging reading material. What you read should be challenging, but it should not be so challenging that it might be discouraging.
Using Radio to Listen to and Understand English Better
Listen to the news on the radio. Listen to talk shows. Generally speaking, radio announcers that report the news speak clearly, use good vocabulary, and also use idiomatic expressions. If you have a computer, you can listen to news reports from National Public Radio and the British Broadcasting Corporation (NPR and the BBC). You can usually find a RealPlayer link to listen to news stories from both of these resources. However, listening to the radio will suffice as well. If you can, it would be a good idea to record a ten to fifteen minute segment of a news show or any broadcast that might interest you. Take note of any words or expressions that sound unfamiliar to you. Write them down in your lexical notebook. If you were able to record what you listened to, listen to it again to see if you can figure out what the new words and expressions mean through the context that they are used in. If you are unable to figure out what something means, then by all means go to a dictionary. Once again, I suggest using Cambridge Dictionaries Online for a comprehensive overview of any single word. Cambridge Dictionaries Online is a very good resource in that it demonstrates how words are used in idiomatic expressions and phrasal verbs. Cambridge Dictionaries also point out any important secondary definitions that a word might have.
Pay attention to what you hear wherever you go. If you are on a bus or a train, listen to what people say and how they say it. If you are in a supermarket, a shopping mall or any other public place where you can hear others speak, open your ears and try to listen. Take note of what you hear. Jot it down in a small pocket size notebook. Later, you can add it to your lexical notebook. If you pay attention, you are eventually bound to hear at least one word or one expression that is new to you. When you hear it, write it down. Find out what it means later. Learn it. Use it.
When learning new words and expressions, it is important to take note of whether these words and expressions are used in an informal context or a formal context. Many words and expressions are used both formally and informally. If you aren’t sure of exactly how to use a new word or expression, you can try them out with work colleagues and friends. Find people to converse with. They may not be instructive in any way, but you can try out new ways to express yourself. You should also listen as closely as possible when you converse. Listen for anything that sounds different, new, or unfamiliar. If the circumstance permits, don’t be afraid to take out your pocket notebook and write it down. If you say something that isn't quite right, the person you are speaking with might take note of it and let you know. If you aren’t sure of something you said or would like to say, then ask about it. If you hear something and you don’t know what it means, ask about that as well. Some, or even many people, may not view themselves as "teachers" per se, but most native speakers of English should be able to assist you in this manner. I believe most people would be glad to help. It is of the utmost importance to not be afraid to ask questions. That’s part of taking control of the English language. That’s part of making the English language your language. English is not your first language, but there is no reason why it cannot be your language. Get a notebook. Get something to read. Find something to listen to on the radio. Take control of the English language now.
How to Master the English Language
How to Master the English Language
I truly hope that at the end of this short essay I will be able to convey you some pertinent information to point you in the right direction on how to learn the English language. I trust that you will all bear with me while I will try to describe you how I, as a foreigner, did learn the English language and where I struggled most, and by doing this I hope it will stimulate those who would like to improve their language skills.
Having been born in Somalia, with Asian background and with Italian as my mother tongue, I have to admit that I have always been more prone to learn languages rather than being dragooned into doing so. Learning English, however, has been anything but easy or predictable, for when I arrived in London my knowledge of the language was, to say the least, a bit thin. Luckily enough, soon after my arrival, I was able to enrol in a Sixth Form college where I found highly motivated and caring teachers, who patiently taught me English. This, I think, was a significantly important factor that allowed me to learn the language. Nonetheless, those of you who are not fortunate enough in this regard should not despair, because, if enrolling in the right college or being taught by a caring teacher are very important and practical issues in learning a language, even more important, however, is to work hard and to be committed to doing well. I was committed to learning English; more precisely, I desperately wanted to go to university, and mastering the language was the means to achieve my goal.
Now that I have completed my Master’s Degree from Oxford University, and looking back in retrospect, I realize I was quite naïve, for I never imagined learning English was going to be so much work, and the more fluent I became the harder the language became too. English is indeed a very peculiar language: not only does it have so many grammatical rules, but, irritatingly enough, there are also hundreds of exceptions to those rules, which one can master only through years of persistence, dedication, and indefatigable energy, and earnestly speaking I have yet to reach such flawlessness in the use of English.
Some basic recommendations, which I would give to those who were interested in learning the language, are: firstly, buy a good English dictionary, for this is the most important thing that you will need when learning English. Successful English learners use their dictionaries all the time. Secondly, if you want to improve your speaking/writing ability, read the newspaper, and while doing that highlight the words you do not know, and then go and check them on your new dictionary. Thirdly, instead of watching TV, listen to the radio. Fourthly, talk, talk and talk to anyone at anytime and anywhere. And finally, learn to go with the flow while enjoying the many benefits of learning a new language; and even though, at times it may be frustrating and embarrassing to make mistakes, you will eventually learn to accept them, and only when you will focus more on understanding your mistakes rather than judging yourself, then you will start to become fluent.
I truly hope that at the end of this short essay I will be able to convey you some pertinent information to point you in the right direction on how to learn the English language. I trust that you will all bear with me while I will try to describe you how I, as a foreigner, did learn the English language and where I struggled most, and by doing this I hope it will stimulate those who would like to improve their language skills.
Having been born in Somalia, with Asian background and with Italian as my mother tongue, I have to admit that I have always been more prone to learn languages rather than being dragooned into doing so. Learning English, however, has been anything but easy or predictable, for when I arrived in London my knowledge of the language was, to say the least, a bit thin. Luckily enough, soon after my arrival, I was able to enrol in a Sixth Form college where I found highly motivated and caring teachers, who patiently taught me English. This, I think, was a significantly important factor that allowed me to learn the language. Nonetheless, those of you who are not fortunate enough in this regard should not despair, because, if enrolling in the right college or being taught by a caring teacher are very important and practical issues in learning a language, even more important, however, is to work hard and to be committed to doing well. I was committed to learning English; more precisely, I desperately wanted to go to university, and mastering the language was the means to achieve my goal.
Now that I have completed my Master’s Degree from Oxford University, and looking back in retrospect, I realize I was quite naïve, for I never imagined learning English was going to be so much work, and the more fluent I became the harder the language became too. English is indeed a very peculiar language: not only does it have so many grammatical rules, but, irritatingly enough, there are also hundreds of exceptions to those rules, which one can master only through years of persistence, dedication, and indefatigable energy, and earnestly speaking I have yet to reach such flawlessness in the use of English.
Some basic recommendations, which I would give to those who were interested in learning the language, are: firstly, buy a good English dictionary, for this is the most important thing that you will need when learning English. Successful English learners use their dictionaries all the time. Secondly, if you want to improve your speaking/writing ability, read the newspaper, and while doing that highlight the words you do not know, and then go and check them on your new dictionary. Thirdly, instead of watching TV, listen to the radio. Fourthly, talk, talk and talk to anyone at anytime and anywhere. And finally, learn to go with the flow while enjoying the many benefits of learning a new language; and even though, at times it may be frustrating and embarrassing to make mistakes, you will eventually learn to accept them, and only when you will focus more on understanding your mistakes rather than judging yourself, then you will start to become fluent.
Forming Good Habits When Learning English
Forming Good Habits When Learning English
Here is something which I am sure that any student will readily understand. Good and bad habits, once formed, are difficult to undo. It is hoped that the things which you learn in connection with reading, speaking and pronouncing English will be correct, because psychologists tell us that if you do a thing a certain way three times in succession, a habit will be formed which will be difficult to undo. After all, we may be intellectually superior to other animal species, but we are basically animals, and you will find that if you are training a dog, cat, horse etc, the same principles will apply. Perhaps you may give your pet dog a treat if they have done something the way you want them to do it three times, but, usually, after that they will continue using the habit which they have now acquired, without even thinking about it.
You may be told that the best way to improve your English is to practise it every day. True, but what if you are practising something in the wrong way and nobody corrects you? You are reinforcing a bad habit which will become increasingly difficult to undo. I know this because I taught myself Italian from a book. I thought I was pronouncing some words correctly, but when I eventually spoke to Italians, when I came to the word which I was pronouncing incorrectly, it was soon apparent, from the look on their face, that I was not.
HELP WITH GOOD HABIT FORMATION
I have produced approximately 230 new poems in the English language and, at the request of local English children (who are learning English exactly as you are), I have put the poems onto my own internet website.
The children asked me to add an accompanying voice recording to each poem because they discovered, as you will have discovered, that words that sound alike in English are not spelt the same way. Or to put it the other way, what you see written in English often gives you no clue as to how it sounds: Take these words for example, which all sound the same: off/cough; blue/through/too. Then look at these words which have similar spelling but all sound completely different: through; though; bough; cough; dough. Not one word in the last list sounds like any other in the list. So when you meet these words in a book, how on earth do you know how to pronounce them?
YOU NEED TO READ AND HEAR A WORD IN ENGLISH AT THE SAME TIME
The poems are freely available, and so are the voice recordings. I have put them there for your benefit. Many of the poems are fun story poems for children, because children are learning to speak and read English too. However, whether you are young or old, the poems will benefit you because they are short, fun and you have a variety of words that you would not normally find in many ESL books. The thing is that you will hear and read words in English together, and you will hear English written and spoken naturally as we native speakers speak it. I have been a teacher of business studies all my working life, but for 20 years I have worked with students from abroad, teaching them English. I know the problems you face. I would suggest that you take one poem a day. Read and listen to the poem at least three times. Make a note of the fact that there are words that sound alike but are spelt differently. The rhyming and rhythm of the poem will make it interesting and fun for you. As I read the words, please say them with me at the same time, noting my good English accent. I speak slowly and clearly because I have been a teacher and my students needed to understand every word I said. There is an advantage in not only being a poet, but also having an educational background. It is a good idea to learn the words of the poem and, away from the screen, say them to yourself on other occasions, perfecting your pronunciation.
Here is something which I am sure that any student will readily understand. Good and bad habits, once formed, are difficult to undo. It is hoped that the things which you learn in connection with reading, speaking and pronouncing English will be correct, because psychologists tell us that if you do a thing a certain way three times in succession, a habit will be formed which will be difficult to undo. After all, we may be intellectually superior to other animal species, but we are basically animals, and you will find that if you are training a dog, cat, horse etc, the same principles will apply. Perhaps you may give your pet dog a treat if they have done something the way you want them to do it three times, but, usually, after that they will continue using the habit which they have now acquired, without even thinking about it.
You may be told that the best way to improve your English is to practise it every day. True, but what if you are practising something in the wrong way and nobody corrects you? You are reinforcing a bad habit which will become increasingly difficult to undo. I know this because I taught myself Italian from a book. I thought I was pronouncing some words correctly, but when I eventually spoke to Italians, when I came to the word which I was pronouncing incorrectly, it was soon apparent, from the look on their face, that I was not.
HELP WITH GOOD HABIT FORMATION
I have produced approximately 230 new poems in the English language and, at the request of local English children (who are learning English exactly as you are), I have put the poems onto my own internet website.
The children asked me to add an accompanying voice recording to each poem because they discovered, as you will have discovered, that words that sound alike in English are not spelt the same way. Or to put it the other way, what you see written in English often gives you no clue as to how it sounds: Take these words for example, which all sound the same: off/cough; blue/through/too. Then look at these words which have similar spelling but all sound completely different: through; though; bough; cough; dough. Not one word in the last list sounds like any other in the list. So when you meet these words in a book, how on earth do you know how to pronounce them?
YOU NEED TO READ AND HEAR A WORD IN ENGLISH AT THE SAME TIME
The poems are freely available, and so are the voice recordings. I have put them there for your benefit. Many of the poems are fun story poems for children, because children are learning to speak and read English too. However, whether you are young or old, the poems will benefit you because they are short, fun and you have a variety of words that you would not normally find in many ESL books. The thing is that you will hear and read words in English together, and you will hear English written and spoken naturally as we native speakers speak it. I have been a teacher of business studies all my working life, but for 20 years I have worked with students from abroad, teaching them English. I know the problems you face. I would suggest that you take one poem a day. Read and listen to the poem at least three times. Make a note of the fact that there are words that sound alike but are spelt differently. The rhyming and rhythm of the poem will make it interesting and fun for you. As I read the words, please say them with me at the same time, noting my good English accent. I speak slowly and clearly because I have been a teacher and my students needed to understand every word I said. There is an advantage in not only being a poet, but also having an educational background. It is a good idea to learn the words of the poem and, away from the screen, say them to yourself on other occasions, perfecting your pronunciation.
Five Common Mistakes in English
Five Common Mistakes
Everyone vs Every One
'Everyone' is a pronoun that refers to all the people in a group. -> Everyone wants to have a party!
NOTE: Even though, 'everyone' refers to all the people, its conjugation is singular.
'Every one' is used as a noun to refer to each person. -> Every one of those boys likes candy.
A little, little, a few, few
'Little' is used with uncountable nouns.
Use 'a little' to make a simple statement. -> There's a little water left in that jug.
Use 'little' to make a statement that implies that there is not enough of something. -> There's little hot water left for a shower.
Use 'few' with countable nouns.
Use 'a few' to make a simple statement. -> There are a few people in that room.
Use 'few' to imply that there aren't enough of something. -> There are few reasons to move to New York.
Neither ... nor, either ... or
Use 'neither ... nor' in a negative sense. Conjugate the verb based on the noun following 'nor'. -> Neither my children, nor Tom wants to come to the party. (Notice that 'Tom' takes the conjugation and is therefore singular.)
Use 'either ... or' in a positive sense. Conjugate the verb based on the noun following 'or'. -> Either Peter, or the boys are eating out tonight.. (Notice that 'the boys' takes the conjugation and is therefore plural.)
Make vs Do
You can read a more detailed grammar chant on this here. Unfortunately, there are many exceptions...
The general rule is that 'make' is used when you create something new that wasn't there before. -> I made a cup of tea.
Use 'do' with tasks. -> I did the cleaning up.
Double Negatives
Never use 'no' or a negative twice. In other words, after a negative conjugation do not use a 'no' word. -> He didn't meet anybody. NOT He didn't meet nobody.
Samples;
1) Unfortunately, I have little time left to work on that problem.
2) Neither the girls nor Alice has (have) enough experience.
3) Everyone is invited to the party!
4) Have you done your homework yet?
5) She doesn't enjoy anything that involves the ocean.
6) There are a few oranges on the table.
7) Every one of the students got a high score on the test.
8) He made the decision to move last week.
9) Either Tom or Peter plays (play) the piano.
10) Nobody likes this food!
Everyone vs Every One
'Everyone' is a pronoun that refers to all the people in a group. -> Everyone wants to have a party!
NOTE: Even though, 'everyone' refers to all the people, its conjugation is singular.
'Every one' is used as a noun to refer to each person. -> Every one of those boys likes candy.
A little, little, a few, few
'Little' is used with uncountable nouns.
Use 'a little' to make a simple statement. -> There's a little water left in that jug.
Use 'little' to make a statement that implies that there is not enough of something. -> There's little hot water left for a shower.
Use 'few' with countable nouns.
Use 'a few' to make a simple statement. -> There are a few people in that room.
Use 'few' to imply that there aren't enough of something. -> There are few reasons to move to New York.
Neither ... nor, either ... or
Use 'neither ... nor' in a negative sense. Conjugate the verb based on the noun following 'nor'. -> Neither my children, nor Tom wants to come to the party. (Notice that 'Tom' takes the conjugation and is therefore singular.)
Use 'either ... or' in a positive sense. Conjugate the verb based on the noun following 'or'. -> Either Peter, or the boys are eating out tonight.. (Notice that 'the boys' takes the conjugation and is therefore plural.)
Make vs Do
You can read a more detailed grammar chant on this here. Unfortunately, there are many exceptions...
The general rule is that 'make' is used when you create something new that wasn't there before. -> I made a cup of tea.
Use 'do' with tasks. -> I did the cleaning up.
Double Negatives
Never use 'no' or a negative twice. In other words, after a negative conjugation do not use a 'no' word. -> He didn't meet anybody. NOT He didn't meet nobody.
Samples;
1) Unfortunately, I have little time left to work on that problem.
2) Neither the girls nor Alice has (have) enough experience.
3) Everyone is invited to the party!
4) Have you done your homework yet?
5) She doesn't enjoy anything that involves the ocean.
6) There are a few oranges on the table.
7) Every one of the students got a high score on the test.
8) He made the decision to move last week.
9) Either Tom or Peter plays (play) the piano.
10) Nobody likes this food!
28 Top Tips For Exams and Tests
28 Top Tips For Exams and Tests
* Practical Exam Tips
* Writing
* Multiple Choice
* Speaking
* Listening
* Examiners & Exam Myths
Practical Exam Tips
1) Pens and Pencils
Some exams require the use of PENS, while others have to be completed in PENCIL. Make sure you know what you should be using in every paper before you go in.
2) Websites
All the major examination boards have websites these days, usually with sample papers and examiners' reports that you can download. These sites are well worth a visit as they may offer a lot of sound advice. The examiners' report, for instance, can give you an idea of exactly what it is that they are looking for.
3) Take Spares
Take spare pens and pencils just in case the one you are using stops working.
4) On time not In time
Allow for problems, hold-ups and traffic jams on the way and make sure you arrive with time to spare so that you can go in calmy rather than in a frantic rush.
5) It may sound stupid, but ...
Don't forget to read the instructions and make sure you know what you are being asked to do. You should go into the exam well aware of what is expected of you, but you should always check. Don't, however, waste a lot of time on this.
6) Honesty- 1
A language exam is not a test of honesty and you will not be penalised if you tell the examiners that you are CANCER rather than SAGITTARIUS in a written question simply because you are sure of how to spell it. Language Tests are quite simply that; they are designed to test your language and not your honesty- don't worry about lying or being economical with the truth in order to show off your accurate language use.
7) Zzzzz
Try to get a good night's sleep the night before any exam.
8) Hangovers
Try to avoid alcohol the night before an exam, especially in quantity, as a bad hangover is among the very worst things to be suffering from in an exam room.
Writing Tips
9) Writing- 1
Don't carried away and overload your writing with too many obvious connectives and contrastives; if every sentence has two or three such words or expressions, then the writing can seem strained and artificial. Remember- you can try too hard as well as not hard enough.
10) Writing- 2
Write on alternate lines (leaving every second line blank) so that you have space to make changes when checking through your work.
11) Writing- 3
Always credit your sources in academic writing, even when you are referring to ideas rather than actually quoting.
Multiple Choice Tips
12) Psychological Warfare
Examiners can choose the same letter successively for the correct answer. After three consecutive answers with the same letter, many students may well start to feel confused and worried. Eventually, many candidates will start changing their answers simple because they don't believe that examiners would have half a dozen of more questions with the same letter one after the other. They can and sometimes do; this is a real test of your comprehension and reduces the possibility of scoring by guessing.
13) Right word, wrong answer
With multiple choice comprehension questions based on a text, a simple trick is to take obvious and prominent words from the text and put them in an incorrect option. Seeing a word or phrase from the text is not enough; these questions are designed to test comprehension not recognition of a word from the passage.
Speaking Tips
14) Speaking- 1
Don't bother learning speeches and trying to say them verbatim (word-for-word) in interviews; examiners will usually spot this without too much difficulty and mark you down for it. It is very hard to do this and sound natural.
15) Speaking- 2
Do think over your answers to common questions about yourself. This an opportunity for examiners to get a general picture of your language level, especially your ability to talk about past, present and future experiences, so run these thing over in your mind and try to include corresponding verb forms accordingly.
16) Speaking- 3
If you are asked to talk about or describe a photograph, don't get too hung up on describing every visible detail. Instead, be prepared to speak in general terms about it and how the theme it illustrates affects you.
Listening Tips
17) Listening- 1
You are often given false information first that sounds as if it could be the answer to the question. An instance of this is where the information given matches one of the answers, but does not fit the criterion given in the question- the person could be talking about last week, say, when the question asks about next week. The correct information usually, but not always, comes afterwards.
18) Listening- 2
Nearly right is not the same thing as right; examiners often give information that sounds more or less correct, but is in some way unsatifactory. Adverbs and modals are often used to send you the wrong way; the listening text might use 'She may well be late' and the question 'She will be late'- this is not an exact match and consequently could easily be the wrong answer. It has to be 100% accurate to be right.
19) Listening- 3
In longer listening passages, they often try to lull you into losing concentration by having quite long sections where no information relevant to the exercise is given, then out of the blue they hit you with a couple of answers in quick succession.
20) Listening- 4
Although most longer listening passages begin with an introduction that lets you get into the flow before they start testing you, you cannot depend on this; the first word could in theory be the answer to the first question.
21) Listening- 5
Examiners will often place a word directly from the passage in a wrong answer and use a synonym *[syn.] in the correct answer; check the meaning and do not rely on word recognition to get the right answer.
Examiners & Exam Myths
22) Examiners- 1
Examiners are, by and large, sadistic so-and-sos. Their sole aim in life is to trap you and catch you out.
23) Examiners- 2
In multiple choice exercises, examiners have been known to use the same letter for the correct answer several times in succession (a, a, a, a, a, etc). This is unsettling and can make students worry that their answers must be wrong; it does not. I once gave a Cambridge Proficiency group an entire Reading Comprehension exercise (25 questions) with the same answer for all. The students started changing their answers and choosing wrong ones because they couldn't believe that this was possible. While I have never seen it, there is nothing to stop them doing it. They are there to test your understanding and will play psychological games to make you doubt yourself, and this is one little trick they use. It also has the advantage of reducing the possibly of inaccurate scores achieved by guessing, as few would guess in a regular pattern, but would try to vary their answers across the range of possibilities. From their perspective, grouping a few consecutive answers with the same letter makes sense.
24) Examiners- 3
Many students and teachers try to analyse exams and work out patterns. In one Cambridge First Certificate exercise, there were usually between four and six correct sentences. Then one year there were only two. Patterns may help, but beware of relying on them; examiners will change them without warning.
25) Exam Myth 1
Apparently, a philosophy student got a first class grade for a paper which had "Is this a question?" as an essay title. Instead of going into the nature of questions, etc, he or she simply wrote "Yes, if this is an answer." Perhaps you should read Exam Myth 2 before feeling encouraged to do likewise.
26) Exam Myth 2
When asked "What is courage?", another philosphy student wrote "This." He or she failed; even though it was, indeed, courageous to stake their degree on such an answer, it was not held to have answered the question. The answer was an example and not an explanation.
27) Exam Myth 3
An Oxford undergraduate, or so the story goes, discovered an ancient regulation that allowed a gentleman to send the invigilator to buy a quart (Two pints or 1.14 litres) of ale (beer) during the exam for the student's refreshment. He duly ordered it and produced his evidence and was bought the beer. The following day, the invigilator approached him with a hat, gown and sword, which another old regulation stipulated had to be worn at all times. So, the student had to to sit through the exam in a stuffy hall on a hot day in a heavy hat, etc.
28) Exam Myth 4
A student used amphetamines (a chemical stimulant) to stay awake to study all night in the days leading up to an exam, hoping to make up for lost time. Feeling shattered on the morning of the exam, they took a huge dose to make sure they were bright and alert and didn't fall asleep halfway through. Throughout the exam, they scribbled away frantically; writing page after page. Unfortunately, they'd taken so much of the stimulant that they failed to notice that they had written everything on the same side of paper, which meant that instead of handing in a dozen sheets of paper, they had one so covered in writing that it had turned black.
* Practical Exam Tips
* Writing
* Multiple Choice
* Speaking
* Listening
* Examiners & Exam Myths
Practical Exam Tips
1) Pens and Pencils
Some exams require the use of PENS, while others have to be completed in PENCIL. Make sure you know what you should be using in every paper before you go in.
2) Websites
All the major examination boards have websites these days, usually with sample papers and examiners' reports that you can download. These sites are well worth a visit as they may offer a lot of sound advice. The examiners' report, for instance, can give you an idea of exactly what it is that they are looking for.
3) Take Spares
Take spare pens and pencils just in case the one you are using stops working.
4) On time not In time
Allow for problems, hold-ups and traffic jams on the way and make sure you arrive with time to spare so that you can go in calmy rather than in a frantic rush.
5) It may sound stupid, but ...
Don't forget to read the instructions and make sure you know what you are being asked to do. You should go into the exam well aware of what is expected of you, but you should always check. Don't, however, waste a lot of time on this.
6) Honesty- 1
A language exam is not a test of honesty and you will not be penalised if you tell the examiners that you are CANCER rather than SAGITTARIUS in a written question simply because you are sure of how to spell it. Language Tests are quite simply that; they are designed to test your language and not your honesty- don't worry about lying or being economical with the truth in order to show off your accurate language use.
7) Zzzzz
Try to get a good night's sleep the night before any exam.
8) Hangovers
Try to avoid alcohol the night before an exam, especially in quantity, as a bad hangover is among the very worst things to be suffering from in an exam room.
Writing Tips
9) Writing- 1
Don't carried away and overload your writing with too many obvious connectives and contrastives; if every sentence has two or three such words or expressions, then the writing can seem strained and artificial. Remember- you can try too hard as well as not hard enough.
10) Writing- 2
Write on alternate lines (leaving every second line blank) so that you have space to make changes when checking through your work.
11) Writing- 3
Always credit your sources in academic writing, even when you are referring to ideas rather than actually quoting.
Multiple Choice Tips
12) Psychological Warfare
Examiners can choose the same letter successively for the correct answer. After three consecutive answers with the same letter, many students may well start to feel confused and worried. Eventually, many candidates will start changing their answers simple because they don't believe that examiners would have half a dozen of more questions with the same letter one after the other. They can and sometimes do; this is a real test of your comprehension and reduces the possibility of scoring by guessing.
13) Right word, wrong answer
With multiple choice comprehension questions based on a text, a simple trick is to take obvious and prominent words from the text and put them in an incorrect option. Seeing a word or phrase from the text is not enough; these questions are designed to test comprehension not recognition of a word from the passage.
Speaking Tips
14) Speaking- 1
Don't bother learning speeches and trying to say them verbatim (word-for-word) in interviews; examiners will usually spot this without too much difficulty and mark you down for it. It is very hard to do this and sound natural.
15) Speaking- 2
Do think over your answers to common questions about yourself. This an opportunity for examiners to get a general picture of your language level, especially your ability to talk about past, present and future experiences, so run these thing over in your mind and try to include corresponding verb forms accordingly.
16) Speaking- 3
If you are asked to talk about or describe a photograph, don't get too hung up on describing every visible detail. Instead, be prepared to speak in general terms about it and how the theme it illustrates affects you.
Listening Tips
17) Listening- 1
You are often given false information first that sounds as if it could be the answer to the question. An instance of this is where the information given matches one of the answers, but does not fit the criterion given in the question- the person could be talking about last week, say, when the question asks about next week. The correct information usually, but not always, comes afterwards.
18) Listening- 2
Nearly right is not the same thing as right; examiners often give information that sounds more or less correct, but is in some way unsatifactory. Adverbs and modals are often used to send you the wrong way; the listening text might use 'She may well be late' and the question 'She will be late'- this is not an exact match and consequently could easily be the wrong answer. It has to be 100% accurate to be right.
19) Listening- 3
In longer listening passages, they often try to lull you into losing concentration by having quite long sections where no information relevant to the exercise is given, then out of the blue they hit you with a couple of answers in quick succession.
20) Listening- 4
Although most longer listening passages begin with an introduction that lets you get into the flow before they start testing you, you cannot depend on this; the first word could in theory be the answer to the first question.
21) Listening- 5
Examiners will often place a word directly from the passage in a wrong answer and use a synonym *[syn.] in the correct answer; check the meaning and do not rely on word recognition to get the right answer.
Examiners & Exam Myths
22) Examiners- 1
Examiners are, by and large, sadistic so-and-sos. Their sole aim in life is to trap you and catch you out.
23) Examiners- 2
In multiple choice exercises, examiners have been known to use the same letter for the correct answer several times in succession (a, a, a, a, a, etc). This is unsettling and can make students worry that their answers must be wrong; it does not. I once gave a Cambridge Proficiency group an entire Reading Comprehension exercise (25 questions) with the same answer for all. The students started changing their answers and choosing wrong ones because they couldn't believe that this was possible. While I have never seen it, there is nothing to stop them doing it. They are there to test your understanding and will play psychological games to make you doubt yourself, and this is one little trick they use. It also has the advantage of reducing the possibly of inaccurate scores achieved by guessing, as few would guess in a regular pattern, but would try to vary their answers across the range of possibilities. From their perspective, grouping a few consecutive answers with the same letter makes sense.
24) Examiners- 3
Many students and teachers try to analyse exams and work out patterns. In one Cambridge First Certificate exercise, there were usually between four and six correct sentences. Then one year there were only two. Patterns may help, but beware of relying on them; examiners will change them without warning.
25) Exam Myth 1
Apparently, a philosophy student got a first class grade for a paper which had "Is this a question?" as an essay title. Instead of going into the nature of questions, etc, he or she simply wrote "Yes, if this is an answer." Perhaps you should read Exam Myth 2 before feeling encouraged to do likewise.
26) Exam Myth 2
When asked "What is courage?", another philosphy student wrote "This." He or she failed; even though it was, indeed, courageous to stake their degree on such an answer, it was not held to have answered the question. The answer was an example and not an explanation.
27) Exam Myth 3
An Oxford undergraduate, or so the story goes, discovered an ancient regulation that allowed a gentleman to send the invigilator to buy a quart (Two pints or 1.14 litres) of ale (beer) during the exam for the student's refreshment. He duly ordered it and produced his evidence and was bought the beer. The following day, the invigilator approached him with a hat, gown and sword, which another old regulation stipulated had to be worn at all times. So, the student had to to sit through the exam in a stuffy hall on a hot day in a heavy hat, etc.
28) Exam Myth 4
A student used amphetamines (a chemical stimulant) to stay awake to study all night in the days leading up to an exam, hoping to make up for lost time. Feeling shattered on the morning of the exam, they took a huge dose to make sure they were bright and alert and didn't fall asleep halfway through. Throughout the exam, they scribbled away frantically; writing page after page. Unfortunately, they'd taken so much of the stimulant that they failed to notice that they had written everything on the same side of paper, which meant that instead of handing in a dozen sheets of paper, they had one so covered in writing that it had turned black.
English Jokes
Child pushing himself next to his grandfather.
-Grandad, will you close your eyes?
-Why should I close them, child?
-Because mummy and daddy said, if grandaddy just closes his eyes, we will be very rich.
-Grandad, will you close your eyes?
-Why should I close them, child?
-Because mummy and daddy said, if grandaddy just closes his eyes, we will be very rich.
18 Ekim 2009 Pazar
This-That-These-Those
EXERCISE 1: Answer each question using the word in parentheses.
Ex. 1. Is that a pen ? (pencil) No. That’s a pencil.
2. Is that a post office ? (bus station) 3. Is this a taxi ? (car) 4. Is that a sports stadium ? (factory)
5. Is this an eye ? (ear) 6. Are those cats ? (sheep) 7. Is that a woman ? (child) 8. Are these
tomatoes ? (apples) 9. Are those theaters ? (hotels) 10. Are these boy ? (men)
EXERCISE 2: Change to the plural.
Ex. 1. This is a child. These are children.
2. This is a foot. These are feet.
3. This is a dress. 4. This is a foot. 5. That is a man. 6.This is a boy. 7. This is a woman 8. That is a girl.
9. This is a watch. 10. That is person
EXERCISE 3: Make Singular.
1.Those are glasses. 2. These aren’t knives. 3. Are they ashtrays? 4. What are they ?
5. We are not businessman.6. You are students. 7. Are those shelves. 8. What are these ?
EXERCISE 4: Answer these questions.
1. Is this a table ? (-)2. Are these glasses ? (-)3. Is this a chair ? (+)4. Are those buses ? (-)5. Is this a lemon ? (-)6. Are they car ? (+)7. Is that a fork ? (-)8. Are they towels ? (-)9. Is that a spoon ? (+)10. Are they beds ? (-)11. Is this an egg ? (+) 12. What is this ? (egg)13. Is this an orange ? (-) 14. What is this ? (knife)15. Is that a spoon ? (-)16. What are these ? (knife)17. Is that a clock ? (-)18. What is it ? (watch)19. Is this a watch ? (+) 20. What are they ? (watch)21. Is it a key ? (+)22. What is it ? (truck)23. Is it an umbrella ? (-)24. What are they ? (ashtray)25. Are these houses ? (-)26. What are these ? (glass)27. Are these radios ? (-)28. What is this ? (glass)29. Are those lemons ? (+)
EXERCISE 1: Change to the plural.
1. The country is big. The countries are big.
2. The city is old. 3. He is busy. 4. It is a pear. 5. I’m a computer programmer.
6. It’s delicious. 7. She’s a scientist.
EXERCISE 2: Complete the statements.
1. A foot has .............. toes. 2. Two hands have .............. fingers. 3. A man has .............. arms.
4. An arm has ............. hand. 5. Five tables have ............... legs. 6. Two chairs have ................ arms.
7. A cat has .............. eyes. 8. I have twelve books. I give one to Ann. I have .............. now.
9. We have nineteen apples. We eat six. We have ............... now. 10. Three children have ............... arms.
EXERCISE 3: Change to the plural.
Ex. He’s a doctor. I’m a tourist. It’s a school
They are doctors. We are tourist. They are schools.
1. I’m a student 5. It’s a city 9. You are a teacher.2. She is a nurse 6. You are a secretary 10. He’s a cook.
3. It’s a dog7. I’m a lawyer11. It’s a watch.4. He’s a friend 8. It’s class
EXERCISE 4: Make Plural.
1. Is this an apple ?2. It is not a knife ?3. What is that ?4. Is that a truck ?5. He is a teacher.6. I am a student.7. She isn’t a tourist.8. You are a businessman.
EXERCISE 5: Make sentences.
1. They / pens / ( ?)2. What / those / ( ?)3. These / trucks (-)4. They / umbrellas (+)
5. It / orange / (+)6. Students / those / American (-)7. It / taxi / ( ?)8. We / holiday / on ( ?)
Ex. 1. Is that a pen ? (pencil) No. That’s a pencil.
2. Is that a post office ? (bus station) 3. Is this a taxi ? (car) 4. Is that a sports stadium ? (factory)
5. Is this an eye ? (ear) 6. Are those cats ? (sheep) 7. Is that a woman ? (child) 8. Are these
tomatoes ? (apples) 9. Are those theaters ? (hotels) 10. Are these boy ? (men)
EXERCISE 2: Change to the plural.
Ex. 1. This is a child. These are children.
2. This is a foot. These are feet.
3. This is a dress. 4. This is a foot. 5. That is a man. 6.This is a boy. 7. This is a woman 8. That is a girl.
9. This is a watch. 10. That is person
EXERCISE 3: Make Singular.
1.Those are glasses. 2. These aren’t knives. 3. Are they ashtrays? 4. What are they ?
5. We are not businessman.6. You are students. 7. Are those shelves. 8. What are these ?
EXERCISE 4: Answer these questions.
1. Is this a table ? (-)2. Are these glasses ? (-)3. Is this a chair ? (+)4. Are those buses ? (-)5. Is this a lemon ? (-)6. Are they car ? (+)7. Is that a fork ? (-)8. Are they towels ? (-)9. Is that a spoon ? (+)10. Are they beds ? (-)11. Is this an egg ? (+) 12. What is this ? (egg)13. Is this an orange ? (-) 14. What is this ? (knife)15. Is that a spoon ? (-)16. What are these ? (knife)17. Is that a clock ? (-)18. What is it ? (watch)19. Is this a watch ? (+) 20. What are they ? (watch)21. Is it a key ? (+)22. What is it ? (truck)23. Is it an umbrella ? (-)24. What are they ? (ashtray)25. Are these houses ? (-)26. What are these ? (glass)27. Are these radios ? (-)28. What is this ? (glass)29. Are those lemons ? (+)
EXERCISE 1: Change to the plural.
1. The country is big. The countries are big.
2. The city is old. 3. He is busy. 4. It is a pear. 5. I’m a computer programmer.
6. It’s delicious. 7. She’s a scientist.
EXERCISE 2: Complete the statements.
1. A foot has .............. toes. 2. Two hands have .............. fingers. 3. A man has .............. arms.
4. An arm has ............. hand. 5. Five tables have ............... legs. 6. Two chairs have ................ arms.
7. A cat has .............. eyes. 8. I have twelve books. I give one to Ann. I have .............. now.
9. We have nineteen apples. We eat six. We have ............... now. 10. Three children have ............... arms.
EXERCISE 3: Change to the plural.
Ex. He’s a doctor. I’m a tourist. It’s a school
They are doctors. We are tourist. They are schools.
1. I’m a student 5. It’s a city 9. You are a teacher.2. She is a nurse 6. You are a secretary 10. He’s a cook.
3. It’s a dog7. I’m a lawyer11. It’s a watch.4. He’s a friend 8. It’s class
EXERCISE 4: Make Plural.
1. Is this an apple ?2. It is not a knife ?3. What is that ?4. Is that a truck ?5. He is a teacher.6. I am a student.7. She isn’t a tourist.8. You are a businessman.
EXERCISE 5: Make sentences.
1. They / pens / ( ?)2. What / those / ( ?)3. These / trucks (-)4. They / umbrellas (+)
5. It / orange / (+)6. Students / those / American (-)7. It / taxi / ( ?)8. We / holiday / on ( ?)
This-That-These-Those
EXERCISE 1: Answer each question using the word in parentheses.
Ex. 1. Is that a pen ? (pencil) No. That’s a pencil.
2. Is that a post office ? (bus station) 3. Is this a taxi ? (car) 4. Is that a sports stadium ? (factory)
5. Is this an eye ? (ear) 6. Are those cats ? (sheep) 7. Is that a woman ? (child) 8. Are these
tomatoes ? (apples) 9. Are those theaters ? (hotels) 10. Are these boy ? (men)
EXERCISE 2: Change to the plural.
Ex. 1. This is a child. These are children.
2. This is a foot. These are feet.
3. This is a dress. 4. This is a foot. 5. That is a man. 6.This is a boy. 7. This is a woman 8. That is a girl.
9. This is a watch. 10. That is person
EXERCISE 3: Make Singular.
1.Those are glasses. 2. These aren’t knives. 3. Are they ashtrays? 4. What are they ?
5. We are not businessman.6. You are students. 7. Are those shelves. 8. What are these ?
EXERCISE 4: Answer these questions.
1. Is this a table ? (-)2. Are these glasses ? (-)3. Is this a chair ? (+)4. Are those buses ? (-)5. Is this a lemon ? (-)6. Are they car ? (+)7. Is that a fork ? (-)8. Are they towels ? (-)9. Is that a spoon ? (+)10. Are they beds ? (-)11. Is this an egg ? (+) 12. What is this ? (egg)13. Is this an orange ? (-) 14. What is this ? (knife)15. Is that a spoon ? (-)16. What are these ? (knife)17. Is that a clock ? (-)18. What is it ? (watch)19. Is this a watch ? (+) 20. What are they ? (watch)21. Is it a key ? (+)22. What is it ? (truck)23. Is it an umbrella ? (-)24. What are they ? (ashtray)25. Are these houses ? (-)26. What are these ? (glass)27. Are these radios ? (-)28. What is this ? (glass)29. Are those lemons ? (+)
EXERCISE 1: Change to the plural.
1. The country is big. The countries are big.
2. The city is old. 3. He is busy. 4. It is a pear. 5. I’m a computer programmer.
6. It’s delicious. 7. She’s a scientist.
EXERCISE 2: Complete the statements.
1. A foot has .............. toes. 2. Two hands have .............. fingers. 3. A man has .............. arms.
4. An arm has ............. hand. 5. Five tables have ............... legs. 6. Two chairs have ................ arms.
7. A cat has .............. eyes. 8. I have twelve books. I give one to Ann. I have .............. now.
9. We have nineteen apples. We eat six. We have ............... now. 10. Three children have ............... arms.
EXERCISE 3: Change to the plural.
Ex. He’s a doctor. I’m a tourist. It’s a school
They are doctors. We are tourist. They are schools.
1. I’m a student 5. It’s a city 9. You are a teacher.2. She is a nurse 6. You are a secretary 10. He’s a cook.
3. It’s a dog7. I’m a lawyer11. It’s a watch.4. He’s a friend 8. It’s class
EXERCISE 4: Make Plural.
1. Is this an apple ?2. It is not a knife ?3. What is that ?4. Is that a truck ?5. He is a teacher.6. I am a student.7. She isn’t a tourist.8. You are a businessman.
EXERCISE 5: Make sentences.
1. They / pens / ( ?)2. What / those / ( ?)3. These / trucks (-)4. They / umbrellas (+)
5. It / orange / (+)6. Students / those / American (-)7. It / taxi / ( ?)8. We / holiday / on ( ?)
Ex. 1. Is that a pen ? (pencil) No. That’s a pencil.
2. Is that a post office ? (bus station) 3. Is this a taxi ? (car) 4. Is that a sports stadium ? (factory)
5. Is this an eye ? (ear) 6. Are those cats ? (sheep) 7. Is that a woman ? (child) 8. Are these
tomatoes ? (apples) 9. Are those theaters ? (hotels) 10. Are these boy ? (men)
EXERCISE 2: Change to the plural.
Ex. 1. This is a child. These are children.
2. This is a foot. These are feet.
3. This is a dress. 4. This is a foot. 5. That is a man. 6.This is a boy. 7. This is a woman 8. That is a girl.
9. This is a watch. 10. That is person
EXERCISE 3: Make Singular.
1.Those are glasses. 2. These aren’t knives. 3. Are they ashtrays? 4. What are they ?
5. We are not businessman.6. You are students. 7. Are those shelves. 8. What are these ?
EXERCISE 4: Answer these questions.
1. Is this a table ? (-)2. Are these glasses ? (-)3. Is this a chair ? (+)4. Are those buses ? (-)5. Is this a lemon ? (-)6. Are they car ? (+)7. Is that a fork ? (-)8. Are they towels ? (-)9. Is that a spoon ? (+)10. Are they beds ? (-)11. Is this an egg ? (+) 12. What is this ? (egg)13. Is this an orange ? (-) 14. What is this ? (knife)15. Is that a spoon ? (-)16. What are these ? (knife)17. Is that a clock ? (-)18. What is it ? (watch)19. Is this a watch ? (+) 20. What are they ? (watch)21. Is it a key ? (+)22. What is it ? (truck)23. Is it an umbrella ? (-)24. What are they ? (ashtray)25. Are these houses ? (-)26. What are these ? (glass)27. Are these radios ? (-)28. What is this ? (glass)29. Are those lemons ? (+)
EXERCISE 1: Change to the plural.
1. The country is big. The countries are big.
2. The city is old. 3. He is busy. 4. It is a pear. 5. I’m a computer programmer.
6. It’s delicious. 7. She’s a scientist.
EXERCISE 2: Complete the statements.
1. A foot has .............. toes. 2. Two hands have .............. fingers. 3. A man has .............. arms.
4. An arm has ............. hand. 5. Five tables have ............... legs. 6. Two chairs have ................ arms.
7. A cat has .............. eyes. 8. I have twelve books. I give one to Ann. I have .............. now.
9. We have nineteen apples. We eat six. We have ............... now. 10. Three children have ............... arms.
EXERCISE 3: Change to the plural.
Ex. He’s a doctor. I’m a tourist. It’s a school
They are doctors. We are tourist. They are schools.
1. I’m a student 5. It’s a city 9. You are a teacher.2. She is a nurse 6. You are a secretary 10. He’s a cook.
3. It’s a dog7. I’m a lawyer11. It’s a watch.4. He’s a friend 8. It’s class
EXERCISE 4: Make Plural.
1. Is this an apple ?2. It is not a knife ?3. What is that ?4. Is that a truck ?5. He is a teacher.6. I am a student.7. She isn’t a tourist.8. You are a businessman.
EXERCISE 5: Make sentences.
1. They / pens / ( ?)2. What / those / ( ?)3. These / trucks (-)4. They / umbrellas (+)
5. It / orange / (+)6. Students / those / American (-)7. It / taxi / ( ?)8. We / holiday / on ( ?)
There Is-There Are
THERE ARE ; THERE IS
Fill in the blanks with there is or there are .
1-............... ............... some apples in the basket.
2-............... ............... some cherries in the fridge.
3- ............... ............... some cherry juice in the fridge.
4- ............... ...............some pears in the box.
5- ............... ...............some milk in the fridge.
6- ............... ............... some meat in the fridge.
7-............... ...............some orange juice in the fridge.
8- ............... ...............some bread in the basket.
9- ............... ...............some grapes in the box.
10- ............... ............... some students in the classroom.
Fill in the blanks with the suitable words.
1- ............... there ............... water in the fridge?
Yes, there ............... ...............
2- ............... there ...............bananas in the fridge?
No , there............... ...............
3- ............... there ............... oranges in the basket?
Yes,there ............... ...............
4- ...............there ...............spinach in the fridge?
No,there............... ...............
5-There ............... any calenders in the classroom.
6-There ...............any milk in the fridge.
7-There ...............some orange juice in the fridge.
8-There............... some grapes in the basket.
9- ...............there ...............bread in the basket?
Yes, there ............... ............... ...............
10- ............... there ...............pears in the fridge?
Yes , there ............... ...............
11- ............... there ............... cherries in the basket?
No, there ............... ............... ...............
12- ............... there ...............orange juice in the ...............?
No, there ............... ............... ...............
Fill in the blanks with any or some
1- There is ...............milk in the fridge.
2- Is there ............... bread in the basket?
3- There isn’t ............... water in the fridge.
4- There aren’t ...............bananas in the fridge.
5- Are there ............... oranges in the basket?
6- Are there ...............students in the classroom?
Yes there are ...............
7- Is there ............... cherry juice in the fridge?
Yes, there is ...............
8- There are ...............pears in the basket.
9- There is ............... water in the glass.
10- There aren’t ...............grapes in the basket.
Fill in the blanks with SOME or ANY
1- Have you got ---------------?
2- No , I haven’t got --------------- money.
3- I have got ----------------friends.
4- Is there --------------milk in the fridge?
5- Are there ----------------tomatoes in the fridge?
6- There is ----------------money in my pocket
7- There aren’t ------------------apples in the basket.
8- There are ------------------oranges in the basket.
9- I have got .....................money in my pocket.
There isn’t any tea in the kettle.
1- Fill in the blanks with a little and a few .
A- Australians eat ...................meat , they don’t like it like it very much.
B- There is ...................money in his pocket.
C- Yesterday , I drank .................milk.
D- I have ...................friends at school.
E- My brother ate ...................hamburgers last evening.
F- My wife and I went shopping ,and she bought ................... cheese.
G- I need ...................money to buy a car.
H- Cellalettin Adıgüzel eats ...................meat everyday.
İ- Frank Şemsettin likes ...................girls..
J- I speak ...................English.
K- There was ...................rain yesterday.
2- Fill in the blanks with some or any.
A- Is there...................money in your pocket?
B- I have ................... friends.
C- I didn’t eat ...................hamburger yesterday.
D- Çulsuz Murtaza hasn’t got ...................money
E- Sanlı Sarıalioğlu has got...................money to buy a loaf of bread.
F- My friends didn’t read ...................books, but they watched ...................movies.
G- My grandmother told us ...................stories.
H- Do you have ...................friends ?
İ- Did you buy...................books last week?
J- Hakan Şükürlerolsun didn’t score .................. goal two days ago.
K- Banu Aldımvermez has got ...................cars.
3- Make proper sentences.
A- my father / any / money / hasn’t got /
B- little / can / she / speak / a / English
C- Do / have /friends /you /any ?
D- Told / us / some / stories / my / grandmother
E- Eat / Australians / meat / a lot of
Fill in the blanks with there is or there are .
1-............... ............... some apples in the basket.
2-............... ............... some cherries in the fridge.
3- ............... ............... some cherry juice in the fridge.
4- ............... ...............some pears in the box.
5- ............... ...............some milk in the fridge.
6- ............... ............... some meat in the fridge.
7-............... ...............some orange juice in the fridge.
8- ............... ...............some bread in the basket.
9- ............... ...............some grapes in the box.
10- ............... ............... some students in the classroom.
Fill in the blanks with the suitable words.
1- ............... there ............... water in the fridge?
Yes, there ............... ...............
2- ............... there ...............bananas in the fridge?
No , there............... ...............
3- ............... there ............... oranges in the basket?
Yes,there ............... ...............
4- ...............there ...............spinach in the fridge?
No,there............... ...............
5-There ............... any calenders in the classroom.
6-There ...............any milk in the fridge.
7-There ...............some orange juice in the fridge.
8-There............... some grapes in the basket.
9- ...............there ...............bread in the basket?
Yes, there ............... ............... ...............
10- ............... there ...............pears in the fridge?
Yes , there ............... ...............
11- ............... there ............... cherries in the basket?
No, there ............... ............... ...............
12- ............... there ...............orange juice in the ...............?
No, there ............... ............... ...............
Fill in the blanks with any or some
1- There is ...............milk in the fridge.
2- Is there ............... bread in the basket?
3- There isn’t ............... water in the fridge.
4- There aren’t ...............bananas in the fridge.
5- Are there ............... oranges in the basket?
6- Are there ...............students in the classroom?
Yes there are ...............
7- Is there ............... cherry juice in the fridge?
Yes, there is ...............
8- There are ...............pears in the basket.
9- There is ............... water in the glass.
10- There aren’t ...............grapes in the basket.
Fill in the blanks with SOME or ANY
1- Have you got ---------------?
2- No , I haven’t got --------------- money.
3- I have got ----------------friends.
4- Is there --------------milk in the fridge?
5- Are there ----------------tomatoes in the fridge?
6- There is ----------------money in my pocket
7- There aren’t ------------------apples in the basket.
8- There are ------------------oranges in the basket.
9- I have got .....................money in my pocket.
There isn’t any tea in the kettle.
1- Fill in the blanks with a little and a few .
A- Australians eat ...................meat , they don’t like it like it very much.
B- There is ...................money in his pocket.
C- Yesterday , I drank .................milk.
D- I have ...................friends at school.
E- My brother ate ...................hamburgers last evening.
F- My wife and I went shopping ,and she bought ................... cheese.
G- I need ...................money to buy a car.
H- Cellalettin Adıgüzel eats ...................meat everyday.
İ- Frank Şemsettin likes ...................girls..
J- I speak ...................English.
K- There was ...................rain yesterday.
2- Fill in the blanks with some or any.
A- Is there...................money in your pocket?
B- I have ................... friends.
C- I didn’t eat ...................hamburger yesterday.
D- Çulsuz Murtaza hasn’t got ...................money
E- Sanlı Sarıalioğlu has got...................money to buy a loaf of bread.
F- My friends didn’t read ...................books, but they watched ...................movies.
G- My grandmother told us ...................stories.
H- Do you have ...................friends ?
İ- Did you buy...................books last week?
J- Hakan Şükürlerolsun didn’t score .................. goal two days ago.
K- Banu Aldımvermez has got ...................cars.
3- Make proper sentences.
A- my father / any / money / hasn’t got /
B- little / can / she / speak / a / English
C- Do / have /friends /you /any ?
D- Told / us / some / stories / my / grandmother
E- Eat / Australians / meat / a lot of
Simple Past Tense
THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE
The simple past is used to express an action completed in the past at a definite or particular time and also used to express a past habit:
Example:
The simple past tense is also used for an action whose time is not given but which (1) occupied a period of time now terminated, or
(2) occurred in a period of time now terminated. See diagram.
1 |_______________|
2 |----------x-----------|
Examples: (1) In 1982, Sarah Michelle Gellar starred in a Burger King
Commercial (but she does not star there now).
(2) Gabriel Byrne once worked as a Teddy bear eye installer.
The following adverbs used with the simple past, are usually placed either at the beginning or at the end of a sentence.
Yesterday, last week/month, last year/time, ago/years ago
Example: John Savage lived in South Africa many years ago.
To form the affirmative of regular verbs, add ED to the infinitive without to. Verbs ending in e add d only. The same form is used for all persons.
Examples : Greta Scacchi worked as a ranch cowgirl in Australia.
Lisa Kudrow graduated from Vassar College with a degree in
biology.
The simple past affirmative form of each irregular verb must therefore be learnt, but once this is done there is no other difficulty, as irregular verbs (like regular verbs) and the same form is used for all persons. A list of irregular verbs will be found at the end of this grammar part.
Example : Penélope Cruz became a vegetarian after filming All The Pretty Horses.
The negative structure is formed by adding DIDN’T (did not) after the subject followed by the infinitive form without to of the main verb.
Example : Nicolas Cage didn’t play in Life Is Beautiful.
The interrogative form : DID + the subject + infinitive form without to
of the main verb + ?
Example : Did Nicolas Cage play in Life Is Beautiful?
Spelling notes.
When a verb of one syllable has one vowel and ends in a single consonant, this consonant is doubled before ED.
Example : stop = stopped
Verb of two or more syllables whose last syllable contains only one vowel and ends in a single consonant double this consonant if the stress falls on the last syllable.
Example : pre’fer = preferred
but ‘enter = entered (stress not on the last syllable).
Verb with a final « l » after a single vowel is, however, always doubled.
Example : travel = travelled, signal = signalled
Verb ending in « y » following a consonant change the « y » into « i » before adding ed.
Example : carry = carried
But obey = obeyed (« y » following a vowel does not change).
References:
Grammar Notes from Micheline Perreault
Teen Movieline Magasine, April 2000.
Thomson A.J. and Martinet A.V. A Practical English Grammar, 3rd edition, Oxford University Press, pp147-149.
The simple past is used to express an action completed in the past at a definite or particular time and also used to express a past habit:
Example:
The simple past tense is also used for an action whose time is not given but which (1) occupied a period of time now terminated, or
(2) occurred in a period of time now terminated. See diagram.
1 |_______________|
2 |----------x-----------|
Examples: (1) In 1982, Sarah Michelle Gellar starred in a Burger King
Commercial (but she does not star there now).
(2) Gabriel Byrne once worked as a Teddy bear eye installer.
The following adverbs used with the simple past, are usually placed either at the beginning or at the end of a sentence.
Yesterday, last week/month, last year/time, ago/years ago
Example: John Savage lived in South Africa many years ago.
To form the affirmative of regular verbs, add ED to the infinitive without to. Verbs ending in e add d only. The same form is used for all persons.
Examples : Greta Scacchi worked as a ranch cowgirl in Australia.
Lisa Kudrow graduated from Vassar College with a degree in
biology.
The simple past affirmative form of each irregular verb must therefore be learnt, but once this is done there is no other difficulty, as irregular verbs (like regular verbs) and the same form is used for all persons. A list of irregular verbs will be found at the end of this grammar part.
Example : Penélope Cruz became a vegetarian after filming All The Pretty Horses.
The negative structure is formed by adding DIDN’T (did not) after the subject followed by the infinitive form without to of the main verb.
Example : Nicolas Cage didn’t play in Life Is Beautiful.
The interrogative form : DID + the subject + infinitive form without to
of the main verb + ?
Example : Did Nicolas Cage play in Life Is Beautiful?
Spelling notes.
When a verb of one syllable has one vowel and ends in a single consonant, this consonant is doubled before ED.
Example : stop = stopped
Verb of two or more syllables whose last syllable contains only one vowel and ends in a single consonant double this consonant if the stress falls on the last syllable.
Example : pre’fer = preferred
but ‘enter = entered (stress not on the last syllable).
Verb with a final « l » after a single vowel is, however, always doubled.
Example : travel = travelled, signal = signalled
Verb ending in « y » following a consonant change the « y » into « i » before adding ed.
Example : carry = carried
But obey = obeyed (« y » following a vowel does not change).
References:
Grammar Notes from Micheline Perreault
Teen Movieline Magasine, April 2000.
Thomson A.J. and Martinet A.V. A Practical English Grammar, 3rd edition, Oxford University Press, pp147-149.
Passive Voice
THE PASSIVE VOICE
Example: to keep
TENSE / VERB FORM ACTIVE VOICE PASSIVE VOICE
Simple present keeps is kept
Present continuous is keeping is being kept
Simple past kept was kept
Past continuous was keeping was being kept
Present perfect have kept have been kept
Past perfect had kept had been kept
future will keep will be kept
Conditional present would keep would be kept
Conditional past would have kept would have been kept
present infinitive to keep to be kept
perfect infinitive to have kept to have been kept
present participle/gerund keeping being kept
perfect participle having kept having been kept
Example sentences:
Active: I keep the cheese in the fridge.
Passive: The cheese is kept in the fridge.
Active: They stole the painting.
Passive: The painting was stolen.
Active: They are repairing the road.
Passive: The road is being repaired.
Active: Shakespeare wrote Hamlet.
Passive: Hamlet was written by Shakespeare.
Active: A dog bit him.
Passive: He was bitten by a dog.
Example: to keep
TENSE / VERB FORM ACTIVE VOICE PASSIVE VOICE
Simple present keeps is kept
Present continuous is keeping is being kept
Simple past kept was kept
Past continuous was keeping was being kept
Present perfect have kept have been kept
Past perfect had kept had been kept
future will keep will be kept
Conditional present would keep would be kept
Conditional past would have kept would have been kept
present infinitive to keep to be kept
perfect infinitive to have kept to have been kept
present participle/gerund keeping being kept
perfect participle having kept having been kept
Example sentences:
Active: I keep the cheese in the fridge.
Passive: The cheese is kept in the fridge.
Active: They stole the painting.
Passive: The painting was stolen.
Active: They are repairing the road.
Passive: The road is being repaired.
Active: Shakespeare wrote Hamlet.
Passive: Hamlet was written by Shakespeare.
Active: A dog bit him.
Passive: He was bitten by a dog.
Conditional Sentences "if"
THE CONDITIONAL SENTENCES
A condition is something that has to be fulfilled before something else can happen.
Conditional sentences have two parts ;
1) the if clause
2) the main clause
Generally the if clause expresses a condition and the main clause expresses the event or result that might or might have occurred . To start the sentence with the if clause or the main clause does not change the meaning. Yet, we must use a comma as we start the sentence with the if clause.
If I go to İstanbul, I will visit the Topkapı Palace.
If Clause Main Clause
We will go for a walk, if Burhan Bey comes early.
Main Clause If Clause
TYPES OF CONDITIONAL SENTENCES
There are mainly five types of conditional sentences:
a) TYPE 0 => Cause and Effect - Habitual results - Advice/ Commands
If you heat the metal , it expands. (cause and effect )
I can't sleep at night , if I drink coffee. (habitual result )
If you have problems , talk to your teacher. (advice )
Don't wait for me if I am late this evening. (command )
b) TYPE 1 =>True in the present or future.
If the weather is nice, we usually sit in the garden. (Present)
If the weather is nice tomorrow, we will go on a picnic. (Future)
If we don't hurry , the others will go without us.
c) TYPE 2 => Untrue (contrary to fact) in the present or future.
If we were on holiday today ,we would sit in the garden. (Present)
If we were on holiday tomorrow, we would go on a picnic. (Future)
I would go to Japan if I had enough money. ( present )
d) TYPE 3 => Untrue(contrary to fact) in the past.
If the weather had been nice yesterday, we would have gone on a picnic.(past)
I would have told you the whole story if you had asked me. ( past )
e) MIXED TYPE => The past action affecting the present situation.
If you had planned this properly , we wouldn't be in this mess now.
If we had saved more money last year , we would have enough for a holiday today.
A condition is something that has to be fulfilled before something else can happen.
Conditional sentences have two parts ;
1) the if clause
2) the main clause
Generally the if clause expresses a condition and the main clause expresses the event or result that might or might have occurred . To start the sentence with the if clause or the main clause does not change the meaning. Yet, we must use a comma as we start the sentence with the if clause.
If I go to İstanbul, I will visit the Topkapı Palace.
If Clause Main Clause
We will go for a walk, if Burhan Bey comes early.
Main Clause If Clause
TYPES OF CONDITIONAL SENTENCES
There are mainly five types of conditional sentences:
a) TYPE 0 => Cause and Effect - Habitual results - Advice/ Commands
If you heat the metal , it expands. (cause and effect )
I can't sleep at night , if I drink coffee. (habitual result )
If you have problems , talk to your teacher. (advice )
Don't wait for me if I am late this evening. (command )
b) TYPE 1 =>True in the present or future.
If the weather is nice, we usually sit in the garden. (Present)
If the weather is nice tomorrow, we will go on a picnic. (Future)
If we don't hurry , the others will go without us.
c) TYPE 2 => Untrue (contrary to fact) in the present or future.
If we were on holiday today ,we would sit in the garden. (Present)
If we were on holiday tomorrow, we would go on a picnic. (Future)
I would go to Japan if I had enough money. ( present )
d) TYPE 3 => Untrue(contrary to fact) in the past.
If the weather had been nice yesterday, we would have gone on a picnic.(past)
I would have told you the whole story if you had asked me. ( past )
e) MIXED TYPE => The past action affecting the present situation.
If you had planned this properly , we wouldn't be in this mess now.
If we had saved more money last year , we would have enough for a holiday today.
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