Express Teach: May 2010

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Verb + “that” clause

To say, think, know, believe, reply, agree, insist, feel, explain, claim, estimate, admit, argue + that…

We can use these verbs to express an idea or opinion.

They said that they enjoyed the basketball match.
I thought that the problem was solved.
We knew that the problem would be solved.
I believe that the fastest way there is by plane.
She replied that she wasn’t going to attend the conference.
I agree that the problem should be solved.
We insisted that they give us a refund.
I feel that their prices are high.
He explained that the procedure was difficult.
She claimed that she was innocent.
We estimate that next year the company will make a profit.
They admitted that the problem was out of control.
He argued that the company was doing all it could to solve the problem.

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Certainty and uncertainty

Writers who are certain about something may use these expressions:

I’m certain/sure/positive/know that…
Studies/Research/Surveys show that…
It’s a fact/certain /true that…

For uncertainty:

It appears/seems that…
It’s possible that...
The research/study/survey indicates that…
I think that…

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Signal words

Signal words can be used to lead a reader in a particular direction. They are useful when writing an essay or reading a comprehension passage.

Introduction: to begin with, to start with, first of all, initially, in the first place

Continuing: secondly, afterwards, then, next, in addition, furthermore, another point, the steps involved are

Conclusion: to sum up, finally, lastly, last of all, to conclude

Comparison [how things are alike]: likewise, in the same way, at the same time, in the same manner, similarly, equally, not only…but also, compared to, and, as well as

Contrast [how things are different]: however, on the other hand, but, on the contrary, in contrast, although, even though, instead of, as opposed to, while

Illustration: for example, for instance, like, such as

Result: as a result, therefore, thus, for this reason, consequently, hence, the effects of, leads/led to, is caused by, may be due to, because of this, since

Emphasis: not only this but also, what is more, in fact, besides, most of all, a significant factor, a major development, a key feature, a primary concern, a major event, a central issue, above all, it is important to note, the basic concept

Uncertainty: almost, it looks like, maybe, could, alleged, might, reputed, seems like, was reported, probably, it could be argued that, typically

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Culture file - postcards from Mongolian students

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Concrete nouns

Concrete nouns can be seen, touched, smelt or tasted.

People – teacher, woman, child, etc.
Things – pen, paper, desk, etc.
Animals – chicken, fish, dog, etc.
Places – village, city, river, etc.
Liquids – water, milk, rain, etc.
Substances – plastic, glass, iron, etc.
Gases – oxygen, smoke, air, etc.

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'number' or 'amount'

We use number with countable nouns.
The number of students, chairs, tables, computers etc.

We use amount with uncountable nouns.
The amount of money, information, water, equipment, etc.

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Several meanings

Many English words have more than one meaning. You can build your vocabulary by learning these extra meanings. Here are some examples.

LIKE
I like sleeping.
She looks like her father.
What do you like doing in your free time?
She’s young but she acts like she’s thirty!
Would you like a cup of tea?
Do you feel like going to the cinema?
What do you think of extreme sports like bungee jumping?

COURSE
What are you having for main course? Fish or chicken?
My German course lasts for six months.
The plane was going to Paris but then changed its course.
Of course we’re going to class!

BANK
They were fishing from the river bank.
The bank has a branch in every city.
We left our newspapers at the paper bank for recycling.

RUN
I ran to school.
A river runs through the city.
I ran out of money fast as everything was so expensive.
She ran her fingers through her hair.
He’s running for president.
They run an article on culture every month.

STAR
The stars shone brightly in the sky that night.
Angelina Jolie is a famous star.
She stars in three important films.
John is a star pupil. He has the highest grades.

CHANGE
I need some change to use the phone box.
This year we are travelling abroad for a change.
The t-shirt was too small so I changed it.
He brought a change of clothes with him for his long journey.

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Expressteach in Pristina, Kosovo

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Joke - One for the Married Folk among you

Doctor was addressing a large audience in Cork.

'The material we put into our stomachs is enough to have killed most of us sitting here, years ago. Red meat is awful. Soft drinks corrode your stomach lining. Chinese food is loaded with MSG. High fat diets can be disastrous, and none of us realizes the long-term harm caused by the germs in our drinking water.

However, there is one thing that is the most dangerous of all and we all have eaten, or will eat it.

Can anyone here tell me what food it is that causes the most grief and suffering for years after eating it?'

After several seconds of quiet, a 75-year-old man in the front row raised his hand, and softly said,

'Wedding Cake.'

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Learn English with Pocoyo (video list 1 to 5)

Do you know Pocoyo? And who doesn’t nowadays? :) Pocoyo videos are famous because they are very funny and extremely educational. They’re recommended for children older than 3 years although there are many adults who also enjoy watching them.

If Pocoyo is so liked, why don’t we enjoy the episodes in English so that we can encourage children (and adults) to improve their English? This post includes the first five episodes from the first Pocoyo season.

Hush

Link to Hush on YouTube

Pocoyo Dance

Link to Pocoyo on YouTube

Drum Roll Please

Link to Drum Roll Please on YouTube

Umbrella Umbrella

Link to Umbrella Umbrella on YouTube

A Mystery Most Puzzling

Link to A Mystery Most Puzzling on YouTube

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a drink, to drink (synonyms)

Drink can be both a noun and a verb depending on how it is used in a sentence.

“Would you like a drink?” [noun]
I was so thirsty, I drank all the water. [verb - to drink]

A drink is also called a beverage or a liquid refreshment.

Alcoholic drinks (booze, liquor) are spirits, cocktails, beers etc.

Bottled water comes in different forms.
Mineral water, still water, spring water or
Sparkling water, fizzy water, carbonated water.

Tap water is directly from the tap.

There are different ways to drink a beverage depending on how fast or slow you drink.
To drink slowly = to sip
To drink fast = to down, to gulp, to guzzle, to knock back

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You are right actually!

Actually = in fact / in reality

It is used for emphasis - when someone has something surprising to say.
e.g. They cheated in the exam. I actually caught them! I can't actually believe they cheated.

or if you want to disagree with what someone has said.
e.g. "It was built in 1925".
"Well, actually it wasn't. It was built in 1930".

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Culture file - Baba Zula (music from Istanbul)

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Listen! Did you hear that? – Listen and hear

Listen is when you pay attention to sounds. e.g. What kind of music do you listen to? Yesterday, I listened to some pop music. [You wanted to listen]

Hear is when sounds come to your ears without you necessarily wanting them to. e.g. I heard a strange noise in the kitchen. [You just happened to hear this]

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Let’s agree to disagree – an oxymoron

An oxymoron joins two terms that are usually opposite in meaning.

Here are a few examples.

a little big, adult children, big baby, alone in a crowd, almost done, assistant supervisor, awfully nice, bad health, bad luck, big town, bankrupt millionaire, bitter sweet, calm storm, clearly confused, cold toast, completely destroyed, same difference, a fine mess, an accurate estimate

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An (indefinite article)

We use an before a singular, countable noun with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) sound.

an apple, an average day
an egg, an exciting film
an idea, an interesting animal
an orange, an original dvd
an umbrella, an unbelievable story

an honest, honour, hour, hourly [The h is silent. These words are pronounced with a vowel sound at the beginning]

a European, union, university, used, useful [These words are pronounced with a consonant sound at the beginning /ju:/ ]

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