Using the verb "To Do'.

ESL learners sometimes have difficulty with the uses of the verb do. For example, a reader wonders about the use of the -ing form doing:

According to what I have learned, “do” is used with the simple present form of the verb to make a question: “Do you like pizza?” But I have seen “do” used with the “-ing” form of the verb:
“Does closing a scheme for new money pay off?”
“Does shutting furnace vents improve efficiency?”
“Does doing a tattoo hurt?”
Please explain.

Do may be used as either a main verb or as a helping verb. Its forms are do, did, (have) done, doing.
As a main verb, do means “to carry out some action.”

What shall I do about the spoiled fruit? (main verb)
Mr. Baxter does odd jobs. (main verb)
She did all the cleaning for her mother. (main verb)

As a helping verb, do is used to pose questions:

Do you live in the neighborhood? (The main verb is “do live.”) Does your dog know the basic commands? (The main verb is “does know.”) Didn’t I see you at the Court House yesterday? (The main verb is “did see.”

Do is used both to frame a negative statement and to contradict a negative statement:

A: I don’t think you know Charley. (negative statement)
B: I do know him. (contradiction)
A: I don’t think Mrs. Wong turned off the lights last night. (negative statement)
B: She did turn them off. (contradiction)

Do is used for emphasis:

I do love chocolate chip cookies!
Jack certainly does love his Monday night football!

The form doing can be used with a helping verb to form a main verb, as in “She was doing her best not to cry,” but in the examples that puzzle the reader, the -ing form doing is not part of the verb. It is a noun (gerund):

Does closing a scheme for new money pay off? (The verb is “does pay off.” The subject is “closing a scheme for new money.”)
Does shutting furnace vents improve efficiency? (The verb is “does improve.” The subject is “shutting furnace vents.”)
Does doing a tattoo hurt? (The verb is “does hurt.” The subject is “doing a tattoo.”

In some contexts, the verb do cannot be replaced. For example, “What shall I do?” But in many others, it can be replaced by a more specific verb. For example, “I’m doing the dishes” can be rephrased as “I’m washing the dishes.”

Here are some common expressions that use do as a main verb:

do a favor
do well/do badly
do good/do evil
do damage
do homework
do housework
do nothing
do research
do something
do the math
do one’s best
do 70 miles an hour
do time (serve a prison sentence)

Source: Daily Writing Tips

Ten Reasons to Learn English

This is from Kenneth Beare, ESL Editor with About.com and could be useful with your students who seem reluctant to learn English... 

Here are ten reasons to learn English - or any language really. I've chosen these ten reasons as they express a wide range of not only learning goals, but also personal goals.

1. Learning English is fun. 
I should rephrase this: learning English can be fun. For many students, it isn't much fun. However, I think that's just a problem of how you learn English. Take time to have fun learning English by listening to music, watching a movie, challenging yourself to games in English. There are so many opportunities to learn English while having fun. There's no excuse not to enjoy yourself, even if you have to learn grammar.

2. English will help you succeed in your career.
This is obvious to anyone who lives in our modern world. Employers want employees who speak English. This might not be fair, but it is the reality. Learning English to take a test such as the IELTS or TOEIC will give you a qualification that others might not have, and that might help you get the job you need.

3. English opens up international communications.
You are on the internet learning English right now. I am in the United States writing articles about learning English. We are probably living in two different places, and we have been brought up in different cultures. We all know the world needs more love and understanding. What better way to improve the world than to communicate in English (or other languages) with those from other cultures?!

4. Learning English will help open your mind.
I believe that we are all brought up to see the world in one way. That's a good thing, but at a certain point we need to expand our horizons. Learning English will help you understand the world through a different language. Understanding the world through a different language will also help you view the world through a different perspective. In other words, learning English helps to open your mind.

5. Learning English will you help your family.
Being able to communicate in English can help you reach out and discover new information. This new information could help save the life of someone in your family. Well, it certainly can help you help the other people in your family who don't speak English. Just imagine yourself on a trip and you are responsible for communicating with others in English. Your family will be very proud!

6. Learning English will keep Alzheimer's away.
Scientific research says that using your mind to learn something helps keep your memory intact. Alzheimer's - and other diseases dealing with brain functions - isn't nearly as powerful if you've kept your brain flexible by learning English.

7. English will help you understand those crazy Americans and Brits.
Yes, American and British cultures are rather strange at times. Speaking English will certainly give you insight into why these cultures are so crazy! Just think, you will understand English cultures, but they probably won't understand yours because they don't speak the language. That's a real advantage in so many ways.

8. Learning English will help you improve your sense of time.
English is obsessed with verb tenses. In fact, there are twelve tenses in English. I've noticed that this is not the case in many other languages. You can be sure that by learning English you will gain a keen sense of when something happens due to the English language's use of time expressions.

9. Learning English will allow you to communicate in any situation.
Chances are that someone will speak English no matter where you are. Just imagine you are on a deserted island with people from all over the world. Which language will you speak? Probably English!

10. English is the world language.
OK, OK, this is an obvious point I've already made. More people speak Chinese, more nations have Spanish as their mother tongue, but, realistically. English is the language of choice throughout the world today.

Source: About.com
http://esl.about.com/od/intermediateenglish/fl/Ten-Reasons-to-Learn-English.htm?nl=1

New Overseas Teaching Jobs

Well, we are into August. Overseas schools that follow the September - June school year as we do here in North America will be starting back next month so they are heavy into recruiting to fill gaps. But, if you are not quite ready, don't despair! Once the school year begins, some new teachers find that teaching, or the school, or whatever is not for them and the quit... leaving the school with a gap to fill somewhere during a term. Send out your resume (Curriculum Vitae sounds better) and follow up with any schools that particularly interest you.

For a listing of new overseas teaching positions as of today go to:

http://www.teachesl.org/jobs.shtml

Where would you like to teach? Does a particular country interest you? Go for it! Send out your resume (CV). Include a picture and a covering letter indicating why you want to teach at that school. When I was hiring in a school in Thailand, I'd receive many resumes (CVs) with no covering letter. These people were blanketing all schools with their info and hoping someone would select them. I always preferred to see a covering letter. It became more personal - showed more interest in my school.

Here in Canada job applicants are not supposed to include a picture or state their age. However, that does not apply overseas. School recruiters are unlikely to bother checking with you if you don't include these because they probably have 20-50 other resumes (CVs) to consider. 

Be sure you have a TESOL certificate or equivalent because this will open many more doors and move your letter to the top of the pile. Don't have your TESOL? Get it here in 4-6 weeks...just in time for the start of the school year!

Possessive of Proper Names Ending in S

The questions on the use of the apostrophe to form the possessive keep coming. This post is about how to form the possessive of a proper name that ends in -s. 

Most stylebooks agree that the rule for forming the possessive of a singular noun ending in -s is formed by adding ’s:

the boss’s birthday
the bus’s wheels
the witness’s testimony

When it comes to forming the possessive of a proper name that ends in s, guides disagree. 

Some stylebooks recommend a single apostrophe for Biblical or classical names like Jesus and Achilles, but ’s for names like James and Charles; others say, “Treat all names ending in s the same.”
The Chicago Manual of Style once recommended a single apostrophe to form the possessive of Biblical or classical names:

Moses’ tent
Achilles’ helmet
Jesus’ name

Some guides still recommend this usage, but CMOS has changed its policy in a spirit of consistency; now it recommends that all proper names ending in -s form their possessive by adding ’s:

Moses’s tent
Achilles’s helmet
Jesus’s name
Travis’s friends
Dickens’s novels
Descartes’s philosophy
François’s efforts
Tacitus’s Histories
Kansas’s legislature
Euripides’s tragedies
the Ganges’s source

Equally consistent, the Associated Press Style Book opts for a single apostrophe for all proper names ending in -s:

Moses’ tent
Achilles’ helmet
Jesus’ name
Travis’ friends
Dickens’ novels
Descartes’ philosophy
François’ efforts
Tacitus’ Histories
Kansas’ legislature
Euripides’ tragedies
the Ganges’ source

The New York Times style manual generally agrees with CMOS, but adds this wrinkle:

Omit the s after the apostrophe when a word ends in two sibilant sounds…separated only by a vowel sound: Kansas’ Governor; Texas’ population; Moses’ behalf… But when a name ends with a sibilant letter that is silent, keep the possessive s: Arkansas’s…

Disagreement on the issue of apostrophe s vs. plain apostrophe goes all the way to the Supreme Court. Justice Clarence Thomas believes that the possessive form of a name like his should be formed by adding only an apostrophe: “Justice Thomas’ opinion.” Referring to the case Kansas v. Marsh (2006), Thomas wrote “Kansas’ statute,” but his colleague Justice Souter wrote “Kansas’s statute.”

If you write for publication, how you treat the possessive of proper names that end in -s will be determined by your employer’s house style.
If you are free to choose which style to follow, keep in mind that the writer’s goal is to convey thoughts as clearly as possible to readers. Style guides exist to assist writers in this goal, but it seems to me that there are problems with the recommendations of all three guides mentioned above.
I prefer the guidelines given in the Penguin Guide to Punctuation:

A name ending in s takes only an apostrophe if the possessive form is not pronounced with an extra s. Hence: Socrates’ philosophy, Ulysses’ companions, Saint Saens’ music, Aristophanes’ plays.

The reasoning behind this rule is that as we don’t say [sok-ru-teez-iz], there’s no reason to write “Socrates’s.” 

Punctuation is supposed to aid readers, not puzzle them. It’s no help to readers unfamiliar with English pronunciation to mislead them into trying to say [dick-inz-iz], or [u-rip-uh-deez-iz] by writing “Dickens’s novels” or “Euripides’s plays.” 

The bottom line is that stylebooks do not agree on whether to write “Jesus’ name” or “Jesus’s name,” “Travis’ friend” or “Travis’s friend.” Writers not bound by a specific style manual must make their own decision and be consistent with it. Personally, I’d write “Jesus’ name” and “Travis’s friend” because I would say “[jee-zus] name” and “[trav-is-iz] friend.”

Source: Daily Writing Tips

So there you have it...they agree to disagree. Oh well!

How Many Tenses Are There in English?

Most modern grammar writers argue that there are only two tenses in English, past and present. We talk about the future using various modal verbs, including WILL, (and SHALL in British English) because we are usually talking about our perception of the future. The example you give…seems pretty nonsensical to me.

In the terminology of linguistics, English is a language with only two tenses: past and present.

Linguistics is a useful science. Because it is a science, it needs numerous precise terms that enable its students to make fine distinctions about the function of words in different languages.

The focus of linguistics is not English, but all the languages of the world. Students of this demanding science need to distinguish between tense and aspect; between adjectives that describe people and adjectives that describe inanimate objects.

Words like determiner, intensifier, modal, and word class are suited to making finer distinctions than adjective, adverb, helping verb, and part of speech. But I find that the older terms serve me adequately in explaining basic usage to students for whom a little grammar goes a long way.

How many tenses in English? The answer all depends upon whom you ask and what meaning you attach to the grammatical term tense. 

The Oxford English Dictionary defines grammatical tense as “any one of the different forms or modifications (or word groups) in the conjugation of a verb which indicate the different times (past, present, or future) at which the action or state denoted by it is viewed as happening or existing.”

Most ESL sites set the number of English tenses at twelve. One site I found adds a thirteenth tense to accommodate the way we express the future with going and an infinitive: I’m going to paint the garage in the morning.
In the realm of linguistics, English has only two tenses: present and past because according to linguistics terminology, a tense is indicated by a distinctive verb form. “I sing” is in the present tense because the idea of present time is expressed in the single form sing. 

“I sang” is past tense because the idea of past time is expressed in the single form sang. 

What I and a great many other English teachers still call “future tense” is not a tense according to linguistics terminology because it requires a helping verb (modal). “I will sing” is not a separate tense, but an aspect of the present tense.

For what I do, such distinctions seem unnecessarily confusing. I do not write for grammarians or students of linguistics; I don’t have the training or knowledge to do so. My focus is basic English usage. From my point of view, English has three main tenses: present, past, and future. Each of these main tenses has sub-tenses. 

Here are the twelve English tenses as conventionally taught:
Simple Present: He sings.
Present Perfect: He has sung.
Present Continuous: He is singing.
Present Perfect Continuous: He has been singing.
Simple Past: He sang.
Past Perfect: He had sung.
Past Continuous: He was singing.
Past Perfect Continuous: He had been singing.
Simple Future: He will sing.
Future Continuous: He will be singing.
Future Perfect: He will have sung.
Future Perfect Continuous: He will have been singing.
Note: The continuous tenses are also known as progressive tenses.

Source: Daily Writing Tips

One More Causative Verb...Help

HELP = assist someone in doing something

This is a natural and one we use every day.

Grammatical structure:

• HELP + PERSON + VERB (base form)
• HELP + PERSON + TO + VERB

After “help,” you can use “to” or not – both ways are correct. In general, the form without “to” is more common:

• He helped me carry the boxes.
• He helped me to carry the boxes.
• Reading before bed helps me relax.
• Reading before bed helps me to relax.

Other causative verbs include:
allow, enable, keep, hold, force, require, persuade
 

Here’s a quick quiz for your students:

Choose the appropriate options to complete the sentences

Top of Form

1. Sally made me ---- my shoes before I went into her house. She said she wanted to keep the carpet clean.

take off
to take off

2. I see that you have no time to clean the house on your own so you had better get somebody ---- it for you.

done
to do

3. What you should do before an emergency occurs is to get your fire alarm ---- that will also make you feel safer.

to fix
fixed

4. She had to have her phone number ---- because she was receiving obscene calls from a stranger.

change
changed

5. Her dress was too long, so she had it ----.

shorten
shortened

6. You'd better have a plumber ---- the leak in the bathroom.

repair
repaired

7. Instead of buying a new pair of shoes, I had my old ones ----.

repair
repaired

8. I got everyone in the family ---- Mary's birthday card before I sent it to her.

sign
to sign

9. I didn't have any time so I had my sister ---- my paper last night.

type
to type

10. The teacher got the students ---- the first quatrain of the poem to make it easy to memorize.

write
to write

11. Regular repetition makes one ---- new words easily.

learn
to learn

Want to See a Different Part of the World?

If you are ready to do some traveling and gain many new and interesting experiences, here’s a way you can do it all AND BE PAID FOR IT! Go overseas and teach for a year or two. Teachers get more holidays than most people. Steady job, salary, benefits, new culture to explore and country, new experiences and so much more.

There is a critical shortage of English teachers in many countries around the world. English has become the international language of business and personal communications. Thousands upon thousands of people want or need to learn to speak, read and write English.

You can earn your TESOL qualification in a month or so from Sunbridge Institute of English and be on your way to China or another country almost right away. We have been training people to teach overseas since 1998 and our TESOL certificates are well known and accepted around the world.

Most overseas schools offer a salary, health benefits, settling in allowance, free or subsidized accommodation, sometimes meals, Internet access and will reimburse your return airfare. My recommendation is to go where the jobs are most plentiful even if the country is not your first choice. 

Hey…think of the opportunities to travel and explore a country you’ve probably never been to before! You want to gain experience – then later, you could move to a different country. The important thing is to get started. Ready for a major change in your life? We can help you make it happen. New places to see! New friends! New experiences!

Click on this link to start: SunbridgeInstitute of English Make sure your passport is up-to-date and get ready to set out on a whole new adventure and life experience!

Dr. Robert Taylor    

PS: If teaching overseas is not for you but you know someone who would be interested, we pay a 10% referral fee. Forward this email to them, give us their name and email (be sure you let them know) and if they register for a course, we'll send you the referral fee!