Daily English - May 24th

I am always disappointed with myself not speaking in English which is my major very correctly, every time I go the Conversation club.
Anyways, that is the beauty of life.
Let's get started.


1. How can I say, How can I put this and What can I say????

Can you find differences among those three expressions?
No? Yes?
Definitely Yes.
While we(non-native English speakers) talking, we say something when we need time to think about something.
What do you say at that situation?
There are some tricky expression what ESL students are usually confused.

1) How can I say...
2) What can I say...
3) How can I put this...

the answer is............... 3)
when we need to think about what to say, we should say 'How can I put this?....'

So, what do the other two things mean?
'How can I say?' means that you do not know how to pronounce some words.
For example, 'How can I say this name? W-I-T-T-G-E-N-S-T-E-I-N.'
He is an Austrian and his name pronounces like German. So....
It sounds like 'vit-gen-shu-tain'.
That is how it works for.
The other one,'What can I say?'
The expression 'what can I say' could be used when you do not know a word or an expression you want to say about.
For example, 'I want to replace my...what can I say... some spike-like plastic things on soccer shoes.' which is 'cleats'.
I think those three expressions are very useful in our life, don't you think??? hahahaha


2. Condition

'I had a terrible weekend, because my condition was very bad.'
This is a very usual mistake what ESL students(especially Korean students, including me) make. I think it is because there is a loanword 'condition' in Korean language.
However, unfortunately, but precisely, the word is not for that kind of situation.
The word 'Condition' is only used for things, not our body.
For example, if you post on cragslist or some second-hand market board, you would write. '2011 I-Phone, perfect condition like a brand new, it has been used only for a week..'
like that.
Condition is not your feeling but a state of someTHING.
Once again, there is an exception as usual.
We can use the word 'condition' for our body when we talk about health.
'He was reported to be in a critical condition by his doctor.'
Other than this kind of situation, you cannot use 'condition' for saying about your feeling.
Then, what can we say??
We can just say 'I felt not that well.'.
Easy peasy!!


3. in a row

What are you going to say if you met your girlfriend(if you have one lol) last Friday, Saturday and Sunday?
I met my girlfriend whole the weekend? it sounds like you have stayed with your girlfriend on weekend. So, pass.....
I met my girlfriend.....
OK it is 'in a row'.
You met your girlfriend 3 days in a row.
row row row your boat gently down the stream...... hahaha
yes, there is a meaning you to propel paddles but
more important meaning is 'a line of persons or things so arranged'.
All clear???
This is the end of today's daily English.
Have a good day dear readers.
And Thank you for reading this awful blog again.

Metropolis Mall with beautifully blossomed tulips

Daily English - May 19th

It will be not a long one today. So, fasten your seatbelt.


1, Keep one's eyes out
Have you heard this expression? I have not.
the meaning is 'to try and look for something while doing normal things'.
means you are not exatly trying to do or looking for something, but you keep your mind to try or find that.... not easy to explain... TT
We can apply this expression to our lives like this.


TS - Hey JM, I want to try a good Indian food. Do you know a good Indian food restaurant?
JM - No, but I think I heard about an indian restaurant where serves very good food.
TS - Oh... that sounds good. Where is it?
JM - I don't remember, I think it's on Robson street.
TS - Ok......
JM - I will meet my friends on Robson street this evening. I will keep my eyes out, but no garantees!
TS - Ok then... I better google it.


2. Happy medium

It means 'a compromise or middle istuation'.

For example, we often try to make 'happy medium' when we are dealing.

Seller wants to get 100 dollors and you want to pay 60 dollors.

You and the seller's happy medium will be 90 dollors.

That is very useful expression but hard to learn on ESL classroom, in my opinion...

3. About face

About face? Am I talking about your face???

no... that's not that... hahaha

Meaning is that 'to completely cahnge to an opposite opinion'.

It can be betraying or backstabbing in some situations.

I am so hungry. So I will go Costco near Chinatown Skytrain station and grab a hotdog. hahahaha

Only $2 included bottomless pop.....

wait for it... hahaha

Daily English - May 17th

Today I got a very interesting class with a teacher who I do not know.... his.... name...
(sorry)
Anyway, I found interesting points in the class because he focuses on mistakes ESL students make a lot but we(ESL students) do not know those are not correct.
Moreover, he does not focuses on grammatical issues a lot but everyday used English.
Let's get started.

First, No English Native speakers use 'so so' as a reply to greeting such as 'How are you?'
I have been using that for a long time but I realized I have never heard that in any movie or American drama.
He said that it is never used.
So, we can use the others, such as 'Not that bad', 'Nothing big/major/interesting', 'Same as usual/always/ever' or 'Same old same old'.

Second, "I ENVY YOU."
The word 'envy' is a noun and a verb.
However, in the case it is used as a verb it needs a specific object which means that the sentence 'I envy you!' is not enough, that is what he said.
So, we rather use 'I envy your _________(big car).'
Or, 'I'm jealous of you.'. I wish I were you.' 'You're so lucky.' or even 'I hate you.'(while you laughing) hahahahaha.....

In the class, one of my classmates said that she has to got another room for June.
'I have to got another room for June.'
Have you found a problem here? It seems correct. Yes, it is grammatically correct.
The problem is that She is not finding a new room but place to live.
If I say 'I am looking for a room.', it sounds like I am looking for another room in the same house. So, we better say 'I am looking for a new place to live for June.'.

My mistake on this turn. (I make tons of mistakes but....)
'I move to another place and the floor of the apartment is wood.' that's what I said.
I felt slightly awkward when I said so..... and yes it was...
I should say 'My new place has got hardwood/laminate floors.'.
laminate is wood-like or fake wood plastic.
Anyway, that is the expression people use naturally and!!!!
floor is always pluralized.

I got a phone call in the class and I just hung up the phone.
My teacher said 'You're a good student.' 'Every time my students pick up their phone in the class, I feel they are so rude.' <- I am not sure what he exactly said. :)
I said, 'I know how you are feeling.' Again, he corrects me.....
'I know exactly how you feel.' not 'you are feeling.'
In this case, continuous tense is not appropriate, because the feeling is not lasting anymore.
For example, I had a dog and he died and my friends are crying since her dog died 10 minutes ago. In this situation, continuous tense is proper, because the feeling is still on my friend's heart right here, right now.
So, those are the differences between continuous and present simple, the status of the feeling you can share. If it was in one or several spot in the past or it is lasting now.

Last.....
Useful expression
'If I think of any questions, I will ask you.'
not 'If I have a question, I will ask you.'
Thank you!!!!
What a beautiful day it is here in Vancouver!!!!

Are you guys are jealous of me???

Daily English - May 16th

I was talking about pubs for hockey games in RCC.
I tried to say that the Cambie Pub which is a very dinsy but good-atmosphere having pub is the best place to watch a hockey game.

So, I said that
'Any pub can be compete with the Cambie Pub.'

Teacher Sahwa corrected to
'Nothing can compare to the Cambie Pub.'

What is wrong with the first sentence what I said?
I actually do not know exactly. The sentence is grammatically correct and makes sense to me. But.... it must be a Korean sense.

Next,

This is important.
One student in my class made a mistake using the 'conjunction' WHEN and AFTER.
First, what are conjunctions?
Conjunctions are functional words link 1) words and words
                                                        2) sentences which are not complete
                                                        3) complete sentences

The first mistake what she made is that
'I will buy a running pair of shoes when I will get my paycheck.'
When is used as a conjunction in this sentence and it functions to define the meaning of 'time' or 'condition'.
On this case; when is used as a conjunction, the tense in the 'when phrase' should be a 'present tense', because as itself 'when' means the time the subject did or will do something.
The phrase having a conditional conjunction should use the same tense as the 'timing conjunction(?)'.
For example, the correct form of my class mate's mistake was
'I will buy a pair of running shoes when I get my paycheck.'
Other conjunctions like AS, BEFORE, AFTER as timing conjunctions and IF, UNLESS as conditional conjunctions should be used the same way as the example up there.

However, there is a tricky 'correct' sentence.
'I will do my homework after showering.'
The sentence is also correct.
Why???? Conjunction should link two same formats of group words....(clauses or phrases)
The trick is that those two phrases are in the same level which means that even the AFTER phrase looks like a clause, it is basically a phrase.
The answer will be shown tomorrow's posting.
please reply me the reason.
I will be waiting for your reply......
hahahaha see you tomorrow!

Introduction

Really sick and tired to be a lazy man.

Starting today, I am going to upload, at least, one simple posting every weekday.

Let's get started.

I go an institution called 'Robson Conversation School'.

It is just a small private English learning center which has few part-time ESL learners.

Despite of the stereotype of those kinds of institutions, I like the way they teach student.

Literally, I like the way they feedback to students. 

Teachers give feedback when students make mistakes or after finishing the class.

Not only they comment about students' mistakes but also they write on a report and copy it for students.

This is today's report card from RCC.

This report card or the classes will be the basis of my posting in this folder.