Jul 8, Main Verbs, Auxiliary Verbs (Helping Verbs) and Compound Verbs

English sentences can have main verbs, auxiliary verbs (also called helping verbs) and compound verbs.

Let's go over each group.

Auxiliary verbs are verbs that are used together with another verb (called the main verb of the sentence) to express the action or state.

Main verb + auxiliary verb = complete idea

The most common auxiliary verbs are:
be, am, is, are, was, were, do, did, have, has, had.

Are singing

The main verb is "singing."
The auxiliary verb is "are."

Example sentences (the auxiliary verb is bold, and the main verb is underlined):
They are jogging. She was sitting. We were waiting for hours. Is she sleeping? He didn't know the answer. We have gone a long way. Has she received any of my letters? Do you smoke? Will she help?A compound verb = auxiliary verb + main verb.

Examples:
was playing, has eaten, doesn't want.

She will fall.

"Will fall" is a compound verb.

Example sentences:
They were discussing their future.He didn't tell us the truth.I have finished my homework.She will meet us there.

Jun 10, Confusing Words in English and Some Common Mistakes 09

Expand = to become bigger in size or importance. 

Examples:
"His business expanded greatly throughout the previous year.""Balloons expand when you blow into them.""Our little class has expanded into a big school." To expand also means to make something else bigger in size or importance.

Examples:
"He wants to expand his vocabulary." "The government is going to expand the airport." "They will expand the short movie into a mini-series."The word "expend" has a completely different meaning…  Expend = to use a lot of time, money, energy, etc.

Examples:
"James has expended all his efforts to help his family get out of debt.""Beth has expended huge amounts of money to build her dream house.""We have expended a lot of time and money on promoting our products."In summary, to expand is to grow, and to expend is to use.

Jul 13, How Do I get ESL Teacher Certification?

If you are considering becoming an ESL teacher then you need to think about getting ESL teacher certification.

If you are lucky, you may be able to find a job in some parts of the world without certification, but this is getting more and more difficult.

Most employers want certification and often they want a college degree too. There are so many courses available so how do you choose the right one for you?

The first thing you need to be aware of is that online teacher certification courses are not worth the money you pay. They may give you an idea of what the job involves but most good English language schools will not employ people who have only taken an online course.

Why is this?

The online courses include no practical classroom practice or assessment. This is the most important part of any ESL teaching course. Theory is important, but you can't get all the skills you need simply by reading about them.

Are weekend courses any better? Well, they are better. But only just. Many employers specify that the course you take must be a minimum of 60 hours long, including classroom practice. Elementary math can show you it would be pretty tough to do 60 hours of training in one weekend!

You need to consider where you want to study. If you study in the US, most colleges now offer TESOL (or TEFL) teacher training programs. Some are as an addition to a college degree, some are separate courses. Many can be studied full-time or part-time. If you want to study in the UK then you should take the Cambridge CELTA course. Again, this can be studied full time or part time. Obviously, the CELTA course will focus on British English.

The third option is to study abroad. There are many programs all over the world where you can get teacher certification and practice with local students. This will give you invaluable experience of living in another country. This is very useful if you are considering working abroad.

If you choose this option, be sure to take into account living costs such as accommodation and food when working out your budget. Some schools offer help finding accommodation and others expect you to find somewhere yourself.

Any reputable ESL teacher certification course will include some grammar work, some teaching theory and a lot of practice. Usually you will be in a group of 8-16 trainee teachers and you will give each other feedback after teaching sessions. Assessment is through teaching observations, written assignments, and in some cases, an exam.

The courses are usually pretty intensive and can be stressful, so be prepared to lose any social life for a while until you finish the course!

When you choose which ESL teacher certification course to take, you may want to consider if they can offer any help in finding employment. Many schools employ their graduates, and others have job finding services.

Whichever option you choose, good luck!

Essential Linking Words

One of the most popular pages on our site is Linking words. (The words and phrases you need to connect your ideas.) Take a look at it if you haven't already – there are explanations and example sentences to help you use these words effectively.

The list is long – we have many ways in English of saying the same thing! So here's a shorter guide to the most essential linking words in English.

For example – to give an example. You can have this either at the beginning or at the end of the sentence.

And – the easiest way to add information. Put it between two clauses or before the final item in a list.

Also – to add an idea or emphasise. "We also went to Greece on our holiday."

To summarise – use at the beginning of the sentence. "To summarise, we will go ahead with the plan."

Firstly, Secondly, Finally – use these to sequence your ideas. Use at the beginning of the sentence.

Because – to give a reason. You can have this at the beginning of the sentence, or between two clauses.
"Because I'm allergic to seafood I didn't order the prawns." "I didn't order the prawns because I'm allergic to seafood."

As – another way to say "because" and used in the same way.

So – an informal equivalent to "therefore" to give a result. Use it between clauses: "It was hot outside, so we sat indoors."

If you use "so" at the beginning of a sentence (with stress), it's like saying "well"..
"So, you're a friend of Joe's aren't you?"

But – the easiest way to contrast an idea. It's usually used between two clauses.
"I don't like milk, but I like yoghurt."

It can come at the beginning of a sentence to contradict someone.
"We should go to New York."
"But you said it was too expensive!"

However is more formal, and is used at the beginning of a sentence.
"We are interested in your proposal. However, we will only be able to discuss it in September."

Extra Exercise

Fill the gaps in the sentences with a linking word

1. I love the cinema, —– I'm interested in knowing who's won the Oscars.

2. She listens to most music. She loves classical, but she's —– a fan of jazz.

3. He's great with languages. —– he speaks French and Italian, and is now learning German.

4. We went to Italy last year, —– we didn't visit Rome.

5. I like Italy —– the food is so good.

Answers English lesson

Hi all

Having a great time in sunny Cornwall.

The coastline is really interesting – rugged cliffs but sandy dunes in places. We've been exploring some of the smugglers' coves famous in this part of Cornwall. The smugglers would bring the ships in from the sea, then steal all the cargo.

At low tide we often go walking along the shore to see what the tide has brought in. Haven't found anything interesting yet.

The sea is generally quite rough, with huge breakers. We've been told it's quite dangerous to swim, and we felt a strong current yesterday even at knee-height.

Not been stung by any jellyfish yet, though just a matter of time probably!

Love to all

Using "like" to talk about similarity in English

We can use both "like" and "as" to say how things are similar in English.

Remember: the grammar of these two words is different. "Like" is followed by a noun or pronoun, while "as" is followed by a subject and verb, or a preposition.

Example: "You're just like your mother!"
"I think the same as you do."

For more information on how to use like / as, see this grammar page.

We can use "like" in other ways to talk about similarity.

to resemble
look like: "She looks like her mother."

to describe
to be like: "What's he like?
"What is it like?"
It's a bit like …."

With sense verbs
feel like: "This feels like plastic to me."

taste like: "This cake is fabulous – it tastes like a cross between mousse and ice-cream."

smell like: "It smells like something has gone off in the fridge."

sounds like: "It sounds like we won't be able to go on holiday after all."

looks like / looks as if: "It looks like it's going to rain" / "It looks as if it's going to rain."


Examples:

Fill in the blanks with a type of holiday.

1. I like going on package holidays, because I don't have to worry about booking hotels or flights.

2. Next weekend is a bank holiday weekend. We've got three days to do something interesting.

3. When we were in Paris, we decided to pay for a sightseeing tour. It was worth it, as we got to see all the sights.

4. They've taken Friday and Monday off work, so they've got a long weekend.

5. Let's get up early tomorrow and go off somewhere on a day trip.

6. In the UK, Christmas Day and Boxing Day are public holidays.

7. The travel agent is advertising city breaks to Barcelona.

8. For their honeymoon, they've booked themselves a caribbean cruise.

9. Her children learnt how to climb rocks on their outward-bound course.
Exercise

Complete the following sentences.

1. I went to Scotland last month.
Oh really? What ———- ?
Beautiful.

2. Have you met David's brother, Paul?
He's just —— him.
I think that physically they both take after their father – they ———– him.

3. What's this made of? It ——- cotton, but it looks —– linen.

4. I want to go to the beach today. It ——— it's going to be a beautiful day.

6. This soup is wonderful. It ——– a combination of tomatoes and potatoes.

 

Talking about Holidays

Do you know words for different types of holiday in English?
Read these definitions, then choose the right one to fill the blanks in the exercise.

Holiday definitions
bank holiday = a type of public holiday in the UK when banks and businesses close for the day. All bank holidays in the UK are on Mondays. You might also hear the phrase "bank holiday weekend".
cruise = a journey on a luxurious ship.
city break = a short holiday where you visit a city (often in a different country) for a few days or for a weekend.
day trip = a day's holiday – often to the seaside. A person who goes on a day trip is called a "day tripper".
long weekend = a weekend plus one or two days.
outward-bound course = an activity holiday, often for children and teenagers.
package holiday = a holiday where everything has been pre-paid.
public holiday = a national holiday (on any day of the week).
sightseeing tour = a holiday where you visit places of interest.

Examples:
1. Student: "I'm coming to your lesson next week."
Teacher: "OK. Please remember to bringyour dictionary." (bring / take)
2. Can you lend me €10 until tomorrow? (lend / borrow)
3. High petrol prices will affect the economic recovery. (effect / affect)
4. You need to study economic policy to understand their decision. (economic / economical)
5. I think we're lost. Let me look at the map. (watch / look at)
6. Can you check these figures for me please? (check / control)
7. Is he attending the reception tomorrow? (attend / assist)
8. Please remind me to cancel the order. (remember / remind)
9. At the weekend I often go to my parents' house. I like being with my family. (stay / be)
10. If you lose my phone, you'll be in trouble! (lose / loose)

Exercise
Fill in the blanks with a type of holiday from the list above.
1. I like going on ——–, because I don't have to worry about booking hotels or flights.
2. Next weekend is a ——– bank holiday weekend. We've got three days to do something interesting.
3. When we were in Paris, we decided to pay for a ——–. It was worth it, as we got to see all the sights.
4. They've taken Friday and Monday off work, so they've got a ——–.
5. Let's get up early tomorrow and go off somewhere on a ——–.
6. In the UK, Christmas Day and Boxing Day are ——–.
7. The travel agent is advertising ——– to Barcelona.
8. For their honeymoon, they've booked themselves a caribbean ——–.
9. Her children learnt how to climb rocks on their ——–.

Sea and Seaside Vocabulary

If you're planning a beach holiday this summer, here are some useful words to describe what you can see:

The coastline

cliffs = rocky hills / mountains that drop down to the beach or sea

dunes = sandy hills behind the beach. OFten a particular type of grass grows on the dunes.

beach : can be formed by sand or pebbles – small smooth stones

bay / cove / inlet = where the sea comes inland in small – often semi-circular – areas of water

Water

sea is UK English, while ocean in American English

waves / breakers (breakers are big waves)

rockpool = a small, maybe quite shallow – area of water surrounded by rocks

current / undertow = where the water's energy can pull you in one direction. This can be dangerous if you're not a strong swimmer

high tide / low tide = when the tide comes in (leaving less beach) or when the tide goes out (leaving more beach)

driftwood = the wood which is left on the beach at high tide

Sea creatures

crabs = small animals with four legs that have a shell and are edible

jellyfish = a white-coloured sac with strings coming down from it. These strings can sting you.

shoal of fish = a group of fish

Examples:

1. I went to Scotland last month.
Oh really? What was it like?
Beautiful.

2. Have you met David's brother, Paul?
He's just like him.
I think that physically they both take after their father – they look like him.

3. What's this made of? It feels like cotton, but it looks like linen.

4. I want to go to the beach today. It looks like it's going to be a beautiful day.

6. This soup is wonderful. It tastes like a combination of tomatoes and potatoes.
Exercise

Fill in the missing words in this holiday postcard.

Hi all

Having a great time in sunny Cornwall.

The ——– is really interesting – rugged cliffs but sandy ——– in places. We've been exploring some of the smugglers' ——– famous in this part of Cornwall. The smugglers would bring the ships in from the sea, then steal all the cargo.

At ——— we often go walking along the shore to see what the tide has brought in. Haven't found anything interesting yet.

The sea is generally quite rough, with huge ——–. We've been told it's quite dangerous to swim, and we felt a strong ——– yesterday even at knee-height.

Not been stung by any ——– yet, though just a matter of time probably!

Love to all