Saturday, May 22, 2021
Monday, May 3, 2021
Mis Words
The other day, I was asked the meaning of the word 'misfit'. I said it was something or someone that did not 'fit' properly like the expression 'a square peg in a round hole'. It does not fit properly. It is a misfit. It could be a person trying to become a member of a group. If he or she has nothing in common with the group, they would be a 'misfit'.
There are lots of words that begin with 'mis'. Not all of them carry a negative meaning but for anyone learning English, here are some words to watch out for:
These ROOT-WORDS are MIS & MISO which mean WRONG, BAD & HATE. We all make MIStakes and MIS is the ROOT that says it’s wrong. Consider word No.10 Mischief is trouble. The mischievous fellow is a troublemaker, usually a poor student. Smart ones have no time for mischief. Perhaps the mischievous fellow would like to be the leader, the chief. But he cannot be the chief since he does not achieve good work. He wants attention, so he goes in for mischievous acts, achievement of the wrong kind.
1. Misadventure : MIS adventure (mis ad ven’ chur) n.
An accident; misfortune
2. Misalliance : MIS alliance (mis a lie’ ans) n.
An improper union; esp., an improper marriage
3. Misanthrope : MIS anthrope (mis’ an thrope) n.
A hater of mankind
4. Misappropriate : MIS appropriate (mis a pro’ pree ate) v.
To use wrongly; esp., for one’s own benefit
5. Misbegotten : MIS begotten (mis be got’ en) adj.
Born out of wedlock; ill-born
6. Misbehavior : MIS behavior (mis be hay’ vyor) n.
Improper conduct
7. Miscalculate : MIS calculate (mis kal’ kyu late) v.
To make an error in counting
8. Miscarriage : MIS carriage (mis kar’ ij) n.
Wrong handling; as, a miscarriage of justice
9. Miscast : MIS cast (mis kast’) v.
To give an actor a role not suited to him
10. Mischief : MIS chief (mis’ chif) n.
An act which results in damage or injury
11. Misconception : MIS conception (mis kon sep’ shun) n.
An erroneous idea; wrong interpretation
12. Miscreant : MIS creant (mis’ kree ant) n.
An evil-doer; one who is vicious in behavior
13. Misgivings : MIS givings (mis giv’ ings)
Doubt about the result
14. Misnomer : MIS nomer (mis no’ mer) n.
The wrong name
15. Misguide : MIS guide (mis gide’) v.
To lead in the wrong direction
16. Misogynist : MISO gynist ?(mi soj’ i nist) n.
A hater of women
17. Misopedia : MISO pedia (mis o pee’ di a) n.
A morbid dislike of one’s own children
18. Misrepresent : MIS represent (mis rep re zent’) v.
To give a false impression of
19. Mistrial : MIS trial (mis trie’ al) n.
A trial of no effect because of some error in the proceedings
20. Misinterpretation: MIS interpretation (mis in ter pre tay’ shun) n.
Misunderstanding
Source: The free dictionary.com
Note: These should not be confused with Japanese 'Miso' soup which is delicious!
Friday, April 30, 2021
Canadian Culture in Thailand and Word Sounds
Tim Hortons now had eight restaurants in Bangkok, Thailand. Tim Horton was a defenceman with the Toronto Maple Leafs Hockey Club a long time ago.
If you read the above sentences, you may see what appear to be two grammatical errors. Shouldn't it be Tim Horton's? What about Toronto Maple Leaves?
Yes, in correct English, they should be, but these are 'brand' names and so, although they look odd to grammarians, they do stand out and that is what effective brand names are supposed to do.
One of Tim Hortons most popular products is 'Tim Bits' or donut holes. My wife, who is Thai, said that in Thailand, Thai people call them 'Tim Bites'.
I thought I would explain how, if you are learning or teaching English, you can quickly decide which is correct.
English has many small words with a single vowel between consonants. Usually, the word is pronounced with a short vowel sound:
bit, can, win, kit, man, hat
The dog bit the cat.
I can read English.
The best team will win.
I have a kit to build a toy boat.
The man was tall.
The girl was wearing a hat.
Listen to what happens when we add an 'e' at the end of those words.
bite, cane, wine, kite, mane, hate.
Adding the 'e' changes the vowel to a long sound.
Read these sentences and hear the differences in the sound of the words now.
The dog may bite you.
The old man uses a cane.
We had wine with dinner at the restaurant.
I like to fly my kite.
The horse has a long mane.
I hate getting splashed by cars.
As with many English rules, you may find exceptions but generally speaking, this is a good rule to follow.
If you want to see how Canadian culture is finding a home in Bangkok. watch this YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPaK0FygM98
Thursday, April 15, 2021
New Overseas Teaching Jobs
New Overseas Teaching Jobs
We just posted 678+ overseas teaching jobs on our website. Teachers are needed around the world in 25+ countries and territories plus online as of April 14, 2021. A ‘v' after a number means a ‘volunteer' or likely unpaid job...though housing, meals and medical are usually covered. All others are presumably salaried and contracted positions. An (F) after a number means that only females will be considered. An (EU) after the number means the position is open only to applicants who can enter that country visa-free (EU).
Online English has always been a huge category. With many school closures,and people reluctant to, or restricted from travelling overseas, this is a category that you might wish to consider. France has always been a big user of online teaching and the demand has exploded in Asian countries such as China and South Korea. Stay home and earn up to $20-$24USD/hour or more teaching from your computer. Click here to go to our Teach Online page!
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Thursday, September 24, 2020
QUIZ: I’d Rather, I Wish, I’d Better
I’d Rather, I Wish, I’d Better
Fill in the blanks.
1. I would rather you ........................... on Monday.
2. I'd rather you .................................. fight with me in public.
3. You'd better ............................. now before he gets angry.
4. I 'd rather you ............................. me with the housework.
5. You'd better .................................. smoking.
6. We'd better ................................... seats.
7. I wish I ............................... there when they arrived.
8. I wish I ............................... like that.
9. I wish I .................................. out of school at 14.
10. I wish I ................................... handsome.
11. I wish that it ………………………….. stop raining soon.
12. I wish dad ……………………… come soon.
Answers
1. I would rather you didn’t come on Monday.
2. I’d rather you didn’t fight with me in public.
3. You’d better leave now before he gets angry.
4. I’d rather you helped me with the housework.
5. You’d better stop smoking.
6. We’d better reserve seats.
7. I wish I had been there when they arrived.
8. I wish I hadn’t behaved like that.
9. I wish I hadn’t dropped out of school at 14.
10. I wish I was handsome.
11. I wish that it would stop raining soon.
12. I wish dad would come soon.
Source: https://www.englishgrammar.org/id-rather-i-wish-id-better/
Saturday, August 22, 2020
Which is correct: “I wish I was…” or “I wish I were…”?
Which is correct: “I wish I was…” or “I wish I were…”?
Picture it. You’re texting your buddy, and you type out “I wish I were.”
But there’s that pesky autocorrect, trying to change it to “I wish I was.” Is
autocorrect ducking with you, or are you about to commit a grammar faux pas?
First, a little grammar lesson …
Were and was are both past tense versions of the verb to be.
But were is usually used in relation to second person singular and
plural pronouns such as you, your, yours. It is also used
with select first and third person plural pronouns such as we, they.
We use was, on the other hand, when we’re using the first person
singular pronoun I or using the third person singular such as he
or she.
For example, you wouldn’t say “You was going to the store.” You would
say “You were going to the store.”
But you would say “I was going to the store,” rather than “I were going
to the store.”
Got it?
Why we say “I wish I were”
So, what happens when you’re talking about “I wish I were …” ? I
is a first person singular pronoun, which is what makes using were seem
confusing. Shouldn’t we always use was after I?
Nope!
“I wish I were” is actually the preference of grammar experts because
you’re talking about something that hasn’t actually occurred.
For example, “I wish I were on a beach right now with a pile of books”
is something a dedicated
bibliomaniac
might say, and we’d love to join them!
bibliomaniac
might say, and we’d love to join them!
This is correct because of something linguists call the subjunctive mood. Subjunctive refers to words that describe doubtful or
hypothetical situations … like wishes for things that aren’t real!
However, sometimes we still hear “I wish I was” …
But, wait a second!
“I wish I was a little bit taller, I wish I was a baller …” and Pearl Jam’s “Wishlist” is littered with variations of “I wish I was.”
Well, let’s face it: Some of our favorite songs are chock full of
grammatical errors. These 90s favorites aren’t exactly wrong. They’re simply
non-standard.
While grammarians will tell you to stick to “I wish I were” to follow
the rules of the subjunctive, language has evolved, and the non-standard “I
wish I was” has become increasingly popular. Our advice?
If you’re looking to write a hit song, it’s fine to use the less formal
“I wish I was.” If you’re writing a paper for your English professor, on the
other hand, stick with the grammarians, and use “I wish I were.”
********
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Thursday, December 12, 2019
Third Conditional Clauses
First a review.
Conditional clauses take their name from the fact that they place limits or conditions on the main clause they modify. Here are three examples of subordinate if clauses modifying main clauses:
First conditional: If you miss the bus, you will be late for school.The main clause in each sentence describes a situation that is unreal. The bus has not been missed. The lottery has not been won by the speaker. The man did not reveal his past before the marriage.
Second conditional: If I won the lottery, I would give my children a million dollars each.
Third conditional: If he had revealed his past before the marriage, she would not have married him.
First Conditional
The situation described in the main clause is likely to happen. The if clause takes present tense and the main clause takes future tense.
Second Conditional
The situation described in the main clause could happen, but is not likely to happen. The if clause takes past tense, and the main clause takes would have + the past participle form of the verb.
Third Conditional
The if clause of the third conditional addresses a situation that did not happen in the past. The main clause speculates as to what might have happened if the action mentioned in the if clause had taken place.
In this situation, past perfect tense is used in the if clause, and present perfect in the main clause:
If you had dropped the vase, it would have shattered.Many English speakers go to pieces with the third conditional by overdoing the woulds.
To illustrate, here are a few examples drawn from blogs, advertisements, news items, and the quoted speech of public figures.
INCORRECT: If they would have listened to the news and the weather reports, they would have been a little smarter.Remember, when the if clause refers to an action that did NOT occur in the past, use the past perfect and NOT the present perfect.
CORRECT: If they had listened to the news and the weather reports, they would have been a little smarter.
INCORRECT: If they would have hired a better architect the desk area would have been closer to the plug.
CORRECT: If they had hired a better architect, the desk area would have been closer to the plug.
INCORRECT: If he would have said that, I would have thrown him out of the office.
CORRECT: If he had said that, I would have thrown him out of the office.
INCORRECT: What would have happened if they would have covered the paper with only wax and not the chitosan?
CORRECT: What would have happened if they had covered the paper with only wax and not the chitosan?
INCORRECT: Would have given 4 stars if they would have honored no spice request.
CORRECT: Would have given 4 stars if they had honored no spice request.
The word would should not appear in both clauses of a third conditional construction.
Source:https://www.dailywritingtips.com
Friday, June 28, 2019
Answers to 'So You Think English Is Easy?'
Answers to 'So You Think English Is Easy?'
Test your pronunciation skills with these sentences and remember the usual rule is that with a two syllable word, with a noun, the emphasis is usually on the first syllable while with a verb, the stress is generally on the second syllable. Sentences where there is only one syllable in the confusing word (or sometimes two or more), it is a case of different pronunciation altogether.
2) The farm was used to produce produce.
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish furniture.
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present .
8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
19) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
20) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
Answers:
In English, for every rule, there are exceptions!
1) The bandage was wound (WOW-nd) around the wound (WOO-nd).2) The farm was used to produce (proDUCE) produce (PROduce).
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse (refuse) more refuse (REFuse).
4) We must polish (PAWlish) the Polish (Polish) furniture.
5) He could lead (LEED) if he would get the lead (LEH-D) out.
6) The soldier decided to desert (deSERT) his dessert (desSERT) in the desert (DESert).
7) Since there is no time like the present (PREsent), he thought it was time to present (present) the present (PREsent) .
8) A bass (BASS) was painted on the head of the bass (BASE) drum.
9) When shot at, the dove dove (DUHve) DOH-ve)I nto the bushes.
10) I did not object (obJECT) to the object (OBject).
11) The insurance was invalid (inVALid) for the invalid (INvalid).
12) There was a row (RAU) among the oarsmen about how to row (RO).
13) They were too close (CLOSE) to the door to close (CLOZE) it.
14) The buck does (DUZ) funny things when the does (DOZ)are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer (SEWer) fell down into a sewer (SEU-er) line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow (SOW) to sow (SO).
17) The wind (WIND) was too strong to wind (WY-ND) the sail.
18) Upon seeing the tear (TEHr) in the painting I shed a tear (TEEr).
19) I had to subject (subJECT) the subject (SUBject) to a series of tests.
20) How can I intimate (intiMATE) this to my most intimate (INtimate) friend?
Tricky, huh!
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