March 16, 2010

Modal verbs (perfect modals) can be used to describe situations in the past. This is the formula you use:

• I could have made dinner. (But I didn't make dinner)
• She should have done her homework. (But she didn't do it.)
• They would have made a great couple. (But they never got married.)
• You must have seen Star Wars. (But I'm not sure. Did you?)
• He might have gone shopping. (But I'm not sure. Do you know where he went?)

Here's some more practice with perfect modals.

March 15, 2010

Idiomatic modal verbs can often replace regular modal verbs--but not always. They are very popular in conversation, so it's good to learn how to use them:

• It will probably rain today / It's probably going to rain today.
• We must eat more fruit and vegetables. / We have to eat more fruit and vegetables.
• Sandra can use a computer. / Sandra is able to use a computer.
• You should see a doctor. / You ought to see a doctor.

The interesting thing about idiomatic modal verbs is that they can be combined more easily than the regular modal verbs:

She's going to have to work longer hours.

I have to be able to get to work tomorrow.

You ought to be able to see downtown from here.

We're going to have to be able to use this faucet.

This last sentence combines three different idiomatic modal verbs, which probably isn't the best thing to do, but it does happen when Americans speak English. (The main verb is underlined in each of the above sentences.)

To learn more about idiomatic modal verbs, go to this lesson.

March 14, 2010

Did you remember to set your clocks ahead one hour for daylight savings time? Not everyone around the world does this, but in the United States we set our clocks ahead one hour in the spring to increase the amount of natural light that is available in the evening. It's one less hour of natural light in the morning, but that's okay because morning light is wasted if people are still sleeping as the sun is coming up.

Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.

- - Benjamin Franklin

March 13, 2010

I'm working on a new reading section for the website. You can preview some of it here.

Today's webinar begins at 11:00 CST.

March 12, 2010

There are eight modal verbs that are important to learn: can, could, will, would, may, might, should, and must. Then there are some other idiomatic modals that are a little more difficult to learn, but they're also important (have to, ought to, be able to). We'll work on those later.

Modal verbs show different degrees of possibility. Learning them well takes a lot of time and practice, but anyone can understand how to use them properly. Just remember not to put the word "to" after a modal verb. This is a very common mistake:

She needs to see a doctor. (okay)

She must to see a doctor. (no)

The students want to learn more about modal verbs. (okay)

The students should to learn more about modal verbs. (no)

Click here to learn more about modal verbs.

March 11, 2010

Today's lesson shows you the differences between the past tense and the past continuous tense:

It was raining this morning while I was driving to work.

or....

While I was driving to work this morning, it was raining.

Compare that to....

It rained this morning as I drove to work.

Continuous tenses sometimes sound better--or sound more natural--for certain situations that happen over a period of time. Look at these sentences and try to decide which one sounds better and why:

 1. Maria was studying English last night when she got a phone call.

 2. Maria studied English last night, and she got a phone call.

The first sentence, of course, is better. Studying English happens over a thirty-minute period. Or it takes several hours, right? Then she got a phone call. The verb "get" is in the past tense, and it interupts the action (studying) but it doesn't continue.

Learm more about the differences between the past tense and the past continuous tense by clicking here.

March 10, 2010

If you didn't receive an email from me today, please sign up on the homepage. Emails are sent out every week or every two weeks to let students know about new lessons and updates to the website.

Word of the Day: convenient

"Convenient" is an adjective. It means that something is easy to find, or something happens at a good time:

• This store is in a very convenient location.
• What time would be convenient for us to meet?
• We moved to a more convenient location.
• *It's convenient to have a bus stop nearby.

To make the negative, use "not" or the prefix "in."

• This is a very inconvenient time to have a meeting.
• This is not a convenient location for our business.
• I'm sorry if this is inconvenient for you.

The noun form of the word is "inconvenience."

• I'm sorry if this is an inconvenience.
• This new arrangement is too much of an inconvenience.

March 9, 2010

A student wrote to me last weekend and asked for help with the "th" sound in English. There are actually two "th" sounds. One is unvoiced, meaning that the vocal chords don't move. The unvoiced "th" sound is made entirely by blowing air over the tongue and the teeth:

third, through, thought, think, thermal, teeth, breath, bath

The other "th" sound is voiced, so the voiced "th" sound is made the same way with the tongue and the teeth, but the vocal chords move in this one and the tongue vibrates a little so that the sound is a little louder and a little slower:

this, that, then, there, the weather, breathe, bathe

Your tongue must touch your teeth when you make these sounds. It looks like this:

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Click here to go to today's lesson on superlatives.

It's not too late to sign up for the webinar tonight. Click here for more information.

March 8, 2010

If you watched the Academy Awards ceremony last night, then you know that The Hurt Locker won more awards than any other film. It also won the Oscar for Best Picture, and Kathryn Bigelow, the director of the film, won the Oscar for Best Director. The movie Avatar was more popular at movie theaters and made more money than The Hurt Locker, but the amount of money a movie makes doesn't determine the winner of an award, which is a very good thing.

The paragraph above uses comparatives and superlatives to make comparisons between and among movies. Today the lesson is on comparative adjectives and tomorrow it's on superlative adjectives.

To sign up for the next webinar, click here.

March 7, 2010

Tomorrow and Tuesday, you'll learn about using comparative and superlative adjectives if you follow the schedule that's on the home page. Because the Oscars ceremony is tonight, the examples below should be helpful in getting started on this subject:

Who's a better director, James Cameron or Kathryn Bigelow?

In this question, the word "better" is the comparative form for "good." Comparatives describe differences between two things or two people.

Which movie will win the Academy Award for Best Picture?

In this question, the word "best" is the superlative form for "good." Superlatives describe one thing or person in a group of three or more.

There will be another webinar this Tuesday. Sign up is free. Click here for more information.

March 6, 2010

I made a new video that explains some of the differences between the present tense and the present perfect. I'm going to post if here and put beside it another recent video that explains some of the differences between the past tense and the present perfect. If you watch both videos, you might gain a better understanding of how to use the present perfect tense:

There's still time to sign up for today's webinar. Click here.

The next webinar is on Tuesday, March 9, 2010.

March 5, 2010

The final lesson this week for the present perfect tense shows you how to make questions. As with many other tenses, the helping verb goes before the subject and the main verb goes after the subject:

Have you eaten breakfast yet?

What have you done so far this week?

Where have all cookies gone?

Click here for the next Yellow Level lesson.

I'm working on a new section of the website for reading. It will look something like this.

March 4, 2010

Today you'll continue to learn about the present perfect tense with a lesson in making the present perfect tense negative. It's helpful to show how to make the present and past tenses negative when studying this:

Main verb: go

• I don't go shopping at that store. (present tense)
• I didn't go shopping at that store. (past tense)
• I haven't gone shopping at that store. (present perfect tense)

Main verb: have

• She doesn't have anything to eat. (present tense)
• She didn't have anything to eat. (past tense)
• She hasn't had anything to eat. (present perfect tense)

Main verb: be

• They aren't in class today. (present tense)
• They weren't in class yesterday. (past tense)
• They haven't been in class since last week. (present pefect tense)

You can learn more about making the present perfect tense negative in this lesson.

March 3, 2010

After you learn how to use the present tense and the past tense well, you should learn how to use the present perfect tense. Knowing how to use the present perfect tense will allow you to describe events in the present and the past more accurately. There are three ways to use it:

1. Describe something that started in the past and is still true now:

She has lived in the United States since 2007.

This means that she moved to the U.S. in 2007 and she still lives here now. The present perfect tense is very useful in expressing the passage of time from the past to the present.

2. Describe something that happened in the recent past without an indication of time:

We have decided to get married.

When did they decide to get married? It's not clear. But we know that the decision happened in the past.

3. Describe a repeated action in the past:

I have read that book many times.

He's been to Europe at least five or six times. (He's = He has)

I always tell my students that the present perfect tense is one of the most important tenses to learn. For the next three days, if you follow the lessons on the website, you'll learn how to use the present perfect tense in making statements, negatives, and questions. Click here to begin.

If you have trouble understanding the differences between the past tense and the present perfect tense, this video might help.

March 2, 2010

Before you study the present perfect tense in Yellow Level Lesson Three, you should have a very good understanding of how to use the verb "have." The reason for this is that "have" is a helping verb used in making the present perfect tense, but it's also a very common main verb. Look at these sentences below:

I have a guitar.

She has three cats.

He doesn't have any patience.

We have some time before the movie begins.

My car doesn't have any gas in it at all.

They had a good time last night.

I've caught a rabbit.

All of these sentences use "have" in the present tense except for the last two sentences. "Had" is the past tense form of "have" and "have caught" is in the present perfect tense. To learn more about how to use "have," click here for Yellow Level Lesson Two.

In addition to the webinar on Wednesday evening, I've added another webinar for this Saturday. Please sign up if you are interested in attending.

March 1, 2010

Today you'll begin the Yellow Level. The first two lessons are an important review, and then in Lesson Three you'll start learning about the present perfect tense.

Word of the Day: Hurry

hurry / hurried / hurried

The word "hurry" is used as a verb and sometimes as a noun. It means to go fast:

• She hurries to work in the morning.
• Hurry up! We have to go!
• Please don't hurry. We have a lot of time.
• If we hurry, we can get to the movie on time.
• You wouldn't have to hurry if you work up earlier.

Sometimes the word "hurry" is used as a noun:

• I'm in a big hurry.
• What's the hurry? We're not going to be late.

Click here to go to February 2010

.