This is a true story which happened in the States. A man came out of his home to admire his new truck. To his puzzlement, his three-year-old son was happily picked stone and scratched lines on the side of the truck. In his anger, the man ran to his son, knocked him away. And took the little boy's hands and hit it many times as punishment, not realizing he was using a wrench. When the father calmed down, he rushed his son to the hospital.
Although the doctor tried desperately to save the crushed bones, he finally had to amputate the fingers from both the little boy's hands. When the boy woke up from the surgery and saw his bandaged stubs, he innocently said, "Daddy, I'm sorry about your truck." Then he asked, "But when are my fingers going to grow back?" The father was so hurt. He went back to truck and kicked it a lot of times. Sitting back he looked at the scratches, little boy wrote "I LOVE YOU DAD." Later then committed suicide.
Think about this story the next time someone steps on your feet or you wish to take revenge. Think first before you lose your patience with someone you love. Trucks can be repaired. Broken bones and hurt feelings often can't. Too often we fail to recognize the difference between the person and the performance. We forget that forgiveness is greater than revenge.
People make mistakes. We are allowed to make mistakes, because we human beings are not perfect. But the actions we take while in a rage will haunt us forever.
این داستانی حقیقی است .مردی از خانه بیرون آمد تا نگاهی به وانت نوی خود بیندازد و آنرا تحسین کند. ناگهان با چشمانی حیرت زده پسر سه ساله خود رادید که شاد و شنگول با ضربات یک چکش رنگ براق ماشین را نابود می کند. مرد بطرف پسرش دوید، او را از ماشین دور کرد، و با چکش دستهای پسر بچه را برای تنبیه او خردو خمیر کرد. وقتی خشم پدر فرو نشست با عجله فرزندش را به بیمارستان رساند.
هرچند که پزشکان نهایت سعی خود را کردند تا استخوان های له شده را نجات دهند اما مجبور شدند انگشتان هر دو دست کودک را قطع کنند. وقتی که کودک به هوش آمد و باندهای دور دستهایش را دید با حالتی مظلوم پرسید؟بابا متاسفم برای وانتت اما انگشتان من کی در میان؟پدر خیلی داغون به سوی وانتش برگشت و شروع به لگد زدن به ماشین کرد . بعد نشست و نگاه کرد به خط خطیهایی که پسرش روی وانت کشیده بود . پسر کوچولویش نوشته بود . بابا عاشقتم . پدر بعد از خوندن این نوشته خودکشی کرد.
نکته پندآموز این حکایت:
دفعه دیگری که کسی پای شما را لگد کرد و یا خواستید از کسی انتقام بگیرید این داستان را به یاد آورید. قبل از آنکه با کسی که دوستش می دارید صبر خود را از دست بدهید کمی فکر کنید. وانت را می شود تعمیر کرد. انگشتان شکسته و احساس آزرده را نمی توان ترمیم کرد. در بسیاری از موارد ما تفاوت بین شخص و عملکرد او را متوجه نمی شویم. ما فراموش می کنیم که بخشیدن با عظمت تر از انتقام گرفتن است.
مردم اشتباه می کنند. ما هم مجاز هستیم که اشتباه کنیم. ولی تصمیمی که در حال عصبانیت می گیریم تا آخر عمر دامان ما را می گیرد.
nelson mandela:
"education is the most weapon we can use to change the word."
20 Common Grammar Mistakes That (Almost) Everyone Makes
Who and Whom
This one opens a big can of worms. “Who” is a subjective — or nominative — pronoun, along with "he," "she," "it," "we," and "they." It’s used when the pronoun acts as the subject of a clause. “Whom” is an objective pronoun, along with "him," "her," "it", "us," and "them." It’s used when the pronoun acts as the object of a clause. Using “who” or “whom” depends on whether you’re referring to the subject or object of a sentence. When in doubt, substitute “who” with the subjective pronouns “he” or “she,” e.g., Who loves you? cf., He loves me.Similarly, you can also substitute “whom” with the objective pronouns “him” or “her.” e.g., I consulted an attorney whom I met in New York. cf., I consulted him.
Which and That
This is one of the most common mistakes out there, and understandably so. “That” is a restrictive pronoun. It’s vital to the noun to which it’s referring. e.g., I don’t trust fruits and vegetables that aren’t organic. Here, I’m referring to all non-organic fruits or vegetables. In other words, I only trust fruits and vegetables that are organic. “Which” introduces a relative clause. It allows qualifiers that may not be essential. e.g., I recommend you eat only organic fruits and vegetables, which are available in area grocery stores. In this case, you don’t have to go to a specific grocery store to obtain organic fruits and vegetables. “Which” qualifies, “that” restricts. “Which” is more ambiguous however, and by virtue of its meaning is flexible enough to be used in many restrictive clauses. e.g., The house, which is burning, is mine. e.g., The house that is burning is mine.
سوالات و پاسخ نامه امتحان نهایی زبان انگلیسی سوم دبیرستان خرداد ماه ۱۳۹۰ جهت استفاده
همکاران و دانش آموزان بر روی وبلاگ قرار گرفت .
پاسخنامه صفحه1 پاسخنامه صفحه 2
- دسته بندي: زبان انگلیسی دوره راهنمایی
در این پست نمونه سوالات راهنمایی برای زبان انگلیسی مدارس آورده شده است .این نمونه سوال مربوط به درس زبان انگلیسی سال اول راهنمایی مدارس می باشد که مربوط به نیمسال اول سال اول راهنمایی است.
برای مشاهده نمونه سوالات بر روی ادامه مطلب کلیک کنید.
برای دانلود بر روی عناوین زیر کلیک کنید
نمونه سوال دی ماه سوم راهنمایی 1
نمونه سوال دی ماه سوم راهنمایی 2
نمونه سوال دی ماه سوم راهنمایی 3
برای دانلود روی عناوین زیر کلیک کنید
نمونه سوال دی ماه دوم راهنمایی 1
نمونه سوال دی ماه دوم راهنمایی 2
نمونه سوال دی ماه دوم راهنمایی 3
Persian Name | English | Color Table | |
---|---|---|---|
قرمزها | |||
جگری | Indian Red | ||
بژ تیره | Light Coral | ||
حناییِ روشن | Salmon |
-
Akrotiri and Dhekelia – Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia (UK overseas territory)
English |
انگلیسی |
English |
فارسی |
the animals |
حیوانات |
the leopard |
پلنگ |
the bear |
خرس |
the llama |
لاما |
the beaver |
بیش از حد |
the monkey |
میمون |
the cat |
گربه |
the mouse |
ماوس |
the chimpanzee |
شامپانزه |
the panda |
پاندا |
the deer |
گوزن |
the penguin |
پنگوئن |
the dog |
سگ |
the pet |
حیوان خانگی |
the elephant |
فیل |
the puppy |
توله سگ |
the fish |
ماهی |
the rabbit |
خرگوش |
the fox |
روباه |
the rat |
موش |
the goat |
بز |
the rhino |
کرگدن |
the gorilla |
گوریل |
the sheep |
گوسفند |
the hippopotamus |
کرگدن |
the squirrel |
سنجاب |
the horse |
اسب |
the tiger |
ببر |
the hyena |
کفتار |
the whale |
نهنگ |
the kangaroo |
کانگورو |
the wolf |
گرگ |
the kitten |
بچه گربه |
the zebra |
گورخر |
شغل |
معادل فارسی |
شغل |
معادل فارسی |
actor |
هنرپیشه مرد |
actress |
هنر پیشه زن |
artist |
هنرمند |
captain |
ناخدا |
assistant |
معاون |
demarche |
بخشدار |
banker |
بانکدار |
dressmaker |
خیاط زنانه |
armchair
صندلی دسته دار
An armchair is a chair with arms
bathtub
وان (حمام)
You take a bath in a bathtub
bed
تختخواب
People sleep in beds
bench
نیمکت
A few people can sit on a bench
پس از معرفی کلی آزمون آیلتس و بررسی انواع این آزمون و ویژگی های آن در چندین پست (که در آینده هم ادامه خواهد داشت) لغات ضروری را آموزش دادیم. در این پست قسمت جدید را که مربوط به اصطلاحات و افعال مرکب رایج در آیتلس می باشد شروع می کنیم. دانستن اصطلاحات آزمون آیلتس که رایج هستند می تواند به داوطلبین این آزمون کمک شایانی نماید.
زمان آینده
زمان آینده ساده ( The simple future Tense )
این زمان دلالت بر انجام کاری میکند که در آینده انجام خواهد شد و بیشتر قول و تصمیم را نشان می دهد.
چگونگی ساخت این زمان در زبان انگلیسی :این زمان را با اضافه کردن افعال کمکی( shall – will ) به جملات زمان حال ساده به دست می آید . مثل :
I (shall) will go. You will go. ( she – he – it ) will go
غات و اصطلاحات کاربردی
نظرات و عقاید
تا آنجایی که من میدانم As far as I’m concerned
دور چیزی را خط کشیدن Draw the line at
از لحاظ In view of
چشمم آب نمی خورد Take a dim view of
مطمئن شدن Make certain
تجدید نظر کردن Think twice about
افعال کمکی (معین)
افعال کمکی یا معین (auxiliary verbs) معمولاً قبل از یک فعل دیگر (فعل اصلی) در جمله قرار میگیرند و کارشان کمک به فعل اصلی جمله در تشکیل عبارات فعلی میباشد.
افعال کمکی را میتوان به دو دسته تقسیم نمود:
افعال کمکی اصلی |
be, have, do |
|||||
افعال کمکی وجهی |
|
ویژگیهای افعال کمکی
الف) افعال کمکی اصلی
حالت سوم شخص مفرد (-s form)، گذشته ساده و اسم مفعول (قسمت سوم فعل) آنها نامنظم (بی قاعده) است:
past participle | past tense | -s form |
be: have: do: |
been had done |
was / were had did |
is has does |
ب) افعال کمکی وجهی
1- در حالت سوم شخص مفرد (بر خلاف افعال معمولی) -s نمیگیرند:
-
She can play the piano quite well. (not: She cans ...)
-
He must work harder. (not: He musts ...)
2- در جملات پرسشی و منفی، از فعل کمکی دیگری استفاده نمیکنند:
-
What would you buy if you won the lottery?
(not: What did you would buy ...)
3- هیچگاه to بعد از آنها قرار نمیگیرد (به استثنای ought to و used to):
-
You should phone the police immediately. (not: you should to phone ...)
4- هیچگاه -ed یا -ing نمیگیرند:
musting, musted
5- هیچگاه با همدیگر به کار برده نمیشوند:
-
I might could wash the car.
قابلیت های مختلف افعال کمکی
1- برای منفی کردن یک جمله کافی است پس از فعل کمکی، not اضافه کنید و یا از حالت مخفف آن استفاده کنید:
She will come → She will not (won't) come.
2- برای پرسشی کردن یک جمله، فعل کمکی را قبل از فاعل جمله قرار دهید:
She will come → Will she come?
3- گاهی میتوان فعل اصلی پس از فعل کمکی را حذف کرد به شرط آنکه معنی آن (با توجه به شرایط) واضح باشد:
-
'Will she come tonight?' 'No, she can't.' (='she can't come.')
-
'I've never been to China. Have you?'
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -
از جملات شرطي نوع اول براي بيان يک شرط (يا موقعيت) ممکن و يک نتيجه محتمل در آينده استفاده ميشود.
if حال ساده will/won't مصدر بدون to
if
I work hard,
I will
pass my exams. -
If I find your watch, I will tell you. (.اگر ساعت شما را پيدا کنم به شما خواهم گفت)
-
If we leave now, we'll catch the 10.30 train.
(اگر حالا حرکت کنيم به قطار ساعت 10:30 ميرسيم) -
If I see him, I'll tell him the news. (.اگر او را ببينم خبرها را به او خواهم گفت)
-
You'll get wet if you don't take an umbrella. (.اگر چتر نبري خيس خواهي شد)
علاوه بر will ميتوان از should ،must ،can ،might ،may و غيره نيز استفاده کرد که در اين صورت معني آن کمي فرق خواهد کرد: -
If you pull the cat's tail, it may scratch you.
(اگر دم گربه را بکشي ممکن است تو را چنگ بزند ) -
You should eat less rice if you want to lose weight.
(اگر ميخواهي وزن کم کني بايد کمتر برنج بخوري)
از جملات شرطي نوع دوم براي بيان يک شرط يا موقعيت غير واقعي يا غير ممکن و نتيجه محتمل آن در زمان حال يا آينده بکار ميرود. در واقع در اين نوع جملات حال يا آيندهاي متفاوت را تصور ميکنيم.
if گذشته ساده would ('d)
would not (wouldn't)مصدر بدون to
if
I had more money, I
would ('d)
buy a new car. if
you lived in England, you
would ('d)
soon learn English.
چند مثال ديگر:
-
If he needed any money, I'd lend it to him. (But he doesn't need it)
(اگر به پول احتياج داشت به او قرض ميدادم) -
If I had more time, I'd help you. (اگر وقت بيشتري داشتم به شما کمک ميکردم)
-
If I were* a rich man, I'd buy an expensive car.
(اگر ثروتمند بودم يک ماشين گرانقيمت ميخريدم) -
I wouldn't accept the job (even) if they offered it to me.
(اگر آن کار را به من پيشنهاد ميکردند هم قبول نميکردم)
* در اين نوع جملات، اغلب بجاي was از were استفاده ميشود:
-
If I were living in Tehran, we could meet more often.
از اين نوع جملات شرطي براي تصور گذشتهاي غير ممکن استفاده ميشود. در واقع در اين نوع جملات، گوينده آرزوي يک گذشته متفاوت را دارد. (ولي به هر حال گذشتهها گذشته!)
if + گذشته کامل + would have + قسمت سوم فعل (p.p.) + ....
-
If I'd seen you, I would have said hello.
(اگر تو را ديده بودم، سلام ميدادم) -
If he had driven more carefully, he wouldn't have been injured.
(اگر با دقت بيشتري رانندگي کرده بود، مجروح نميشد) -
If I had known you were in hospital, I would have gone to visit you.
(اگر ميدانستم شما در بيمارستان بستري بوديد ميآمدم و شما را ملاقات ميکردم) -
I would have gone to see him if I had known that he was ill.
(اگر ميدانستم بيمار بود ميرفتم و به او سر ميزدم) -
منبع زبان آموزان
-
Collocations
Tell me who you go with and I'll tell you who you are. |
What is a collocation?
A collocation is two or more words that often go together. These combinations just sound "right" to native English speakers, who use them all the time. On the other hand, other combinations may be unnatural and just sound "wrong". Look at these examples:
Natural English... | Unnatural English... |
the fast train fast food |
the |
a quick shower a quick meal |
a a |
Why learn collocations?
- Your language will be more natural and more easily understood.
- You will have alternative and richer ways of expressing yourself.
- It is easier for our brains to remember and use language in chunks or blocks rather than as single words.
How to learn collocations
- Be aware of collocations, and try to recognize them when you see or hear them.
- Treat collocations as single blocks of language. Think of them as individual blocks or chunks, and learn strongly support, not strongly + support.
- When you learn a new word, write down other words that collocate with it (remember rightly, remember distinctly, remember vaguely, remember vividly).
- Read as much as possible. Reading is an excellent way to learn vocabulary and collocations in context and naturally.
- Revise what you learn regularly. Practise using new collocations in context as soon as possible after learning them.
- Learn collocations in groups that work for you. You could learn them by topic (time, number, weather, money, family) or by a particular word (take action, take a chance, take an exam).
- You can find information on collocations in any good learner's dictionary. And you can also find specialized dictionaries of collocations.
Types of Collocation
There are several different types of collocation made from combinations of verb, noun, adjective etc. Some of the most common types are:
- Adverb + Adjective: completely satisfied (NOT
downrightsatisfied) - Adjective + Noun: excruciating pain (NOT excruciating
joy) - Noun + Noun: a surge of anger (NOT a
rushof anger) - Noun + Verb: lions roar (NOT lions
shout) - Verb + Noun: commit suicide (NOT
undertakesuicide) - Verb + Expression With Preposition: burst into tears (NOT
blow up intears) - Verb + Adverb: wave frantically (NOT wave
feverishly
English Punctuation: Apostrophe
The apostrophe probaly causes more grief than any of the other punctuation marks put together!
The problem nearly always seems to stem from users not understandingthat the apostrophe has two very different (and very important) uses in English.
- to show possession and ownership - e.g. Jack's car. Mary's father.
- to indicate a contraction - he's (he is), we're (we are), they're (they are)
These two examples show the apostrophe being used for possession (sentence 1) and contraction (sentence 2)
- Colombia's coffee exports have risen steadily over the past decade.
- Colombia's one of the main coffee producing countries in the world.
The POSSESSIVE APOSTROPHE
In most cases you simply need to add 's to a noun to show possession:
- a ship's captain, a doctor's patient, a car's engine, Ibrahim's coat, Mirianna's book.
Plural nouns that do not end in s also follow this rule:
- the children's room, the men's work, the women's club
Ordinary (or common) nouns that end in s, both singular and plural, show possession simply by adding an ' after the s but proper nouns (names of people, cities, countries etc.) can form the possessive either by adding the 's or simply adding the ':
- a. The Hughes' home (or the Hughes's home), Mr Jones's shop (or Mr Jones' shop), Charles' book (or Charles's book)
- b. the ladies' tennis club, the teachers' journal, the priests' church (note that the priest's church would only be refering to one priest while the priests' church refers to a group.)
General notes: Many people want to know how to form the possessive of their own name when it ends in an 's' or when refering to the whole family, e.g. The Jones' children.
Today it is no longer considered incorrect to use either form (Jones's or Jones') and many largeorganisations now drop the ' completely (e.g. Barclays Bank,Missing Persons Bureau) when publishing their name.
The APOSTROPHE for CONTRACTION
The most common use of contracted apostrophes is for:
- has'nt = had not
- can't = can not
- there's = there is
- mustn't = must not
- I'm = I am
- it's = it is
- let's = let us
- I've = I have (also they've, we've)
- she's = she has or she is (also he's)
Remember:
- it's = it is (a contraction) while its = possession
- who's = who is (a contraction) while whose = possession
Quotes | Period (full stop) | Question Mark | Exclamation | Brackets | Semicolon |
Apostrophe | Hyphen | Capitals | Comma | Punctuation Home | Grammar Home |
The Exclamation Mark
The exclamation mark is used to express exasperation,astonishment or surprise or to emphasise a comment or short, sharp phrase.
Examples
- Help! Help!
- That's unbelievable!
- Get out!
- Look out!
You can also use it to mark a phrase as humourous, ironic or sarcastic.
- 1. What a lovely day! (when it obviously is not a lovely day)
- 2. That was clever! (when someone has done something stupid)
Some general remarks:
- Don't overuse the exclamation mark
- Don't include a series of exclamation marks. E.g., I'll never get it right!!!!
Quotes | Period (full stop) | Question Mark | Exclamation | Brackets | Semicolon |
Apostrophe | Hyphen | Capitals | Comma | Punctuation Home | Grammar Home |
The Question Mark
Use the question mark:
1. At the end of all direct questions
- What is your name?
- Do you speak Italian?
- You're Spanish, aren't you?
2. Do not use the question mark for reported questions
- He asked me what my name was.
- She asked if I was Spanish.
- Ask them where they are going.
General notes:
1. Don't forget to place a question mark at the end of long sentences that contain a question
- Isn't it true that global warming is responsible for more and more problems which are having a disastrous effect on the world's climate and leading to many millions of people in countries that can least afford it having to contend with more and more hardship?
2. Sometimes a question mark can be placed within a sentence
- There is cause for concern - isn't there? - that the current world economic balance is so fragile that it may lead to a global economic downturn.
The Comma
There are some general rules which you can apply when using the comma.
However, you will find that in English there are many other ways to use the comma to add to the meaning of a sentence or to emphasise an item, point or meaning.
Although we are often taught that commas are used to help us add 'breathing spaces' to sentences they are, in fact, more accurately used to organise blocks of thought or logical groupings. Most people will now use commas to ensure that meaning is clear and, despite grammatical rules, will drop the comma if their meaning is retained in the sentence.
A. Using the comma to separate phrases, words, or clauses in lists
1. a series of phrases
- On my birthday I went to the cinema, ate dinner in a restaurant,and went dancing.
2. a series of nouns
- The meal consisted of soup, fish, chicken, dessert and coffee.
3. a series of adjectives
- She was young, beautiful, kind, and intelligent.
Note: if an adjective is modifying another adjective you do not separate them with a comma - e.g. She wore a bright red shirt.
4. a series of verbs
- Tony ran towards me, fell, yelled, and fainted.
5. a series of clauses
- The car smashed into the wall, flipped onto its roof, slid along the road, and finally stopped against a tree.
B. Using the comma to enclose insertions or comments. The comma is placed on either side of the insertion.
- China, one of the most powerful nations on Earth, has a huge population.
C. Use the comma to mark off a participial phrase
- Hearing that her father was in hospital, Jane left work immediately.
D. Use the comma in 'tag questions'
- She lives in Paris, doesn't she?
- We haven't met, have we?
E. Use to mark off interjections like 'please', 'thank you', 'yes', and 'no'
- Yes, I will stay a little longer, thank you.
General notes:
1. Misplacing a comma can lose friends!
Putting a comma in the wrong place can lead to a sentence with a completely different meaning, look at these two examples:
- I detest liars like you, I believe that honesty is the best policy.
- I detest liars, like you, I believe that honesty is the best policy.
Quotes | Period (full stop) | Question Mark | Exclamation | Brackets | Semicolon |
Apostrophe | Hyphen | Capitals | Comma | Punctuation Home | Grammar Home |
The period (known as a full stop in British English) is probably the simplest of the punctuation marks to use.
You use it like a knife to cut the sentences to the required length. Generally, you can break up the sentences using the full stop at the end of a logical and complete thought that looks and sounds right to you. Use the full stop
1. to mark the end of a sentence which is not a question or an exclamation.
- Rome is the capital of Italy.
- I was born in Australia and now live in Indonesia.
- The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people.
2. to indicate an abbreviation
- I will be in between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Note: Dr and Mr and Mrs and Ms do not take a full stop nor do most abbreviations taken from the first capital letters such as MA Phd CNN
3. special case - three dots
Often you will see a sentence concluding with three dots. This indicates that only part of the sentence or text has been quoted or that it is being left up to the reader to complete the rest of the sentence.
- The Lord's Prayer begins, 'Our Father which are in Heaven...'
3. fullstop after a single word
Sometimes a single word can form the sentence. In this case you place a fullstop after the word as you would in any other sentence.
- "Goodbye."
- "Hello."
English Punctuation
Punctuation is used to create sense, clarity and stress in sentences.
You use punctuation marks to structure and organise your writing. The most common of these are the period (or full stop in British English), the comma, the exclamation mark, the question mark, the colon and semi-colon, the quote, the apostrophe, the hyphen and dash, and parentheses and brackets. Capital letters are also used to help us organise meaning and to structure the sense of our writing.
You can quickly see why punctuation is important if you try and read this sentence which has no punctuation at all:
perhaps you dont always need to use commas periods colons etc to make sentences clear when i am in a hurry tired cold lazy or angry i sometimes leave out punctuation marks grammar is stupid i can write without it and dont need it my uncle Harry once said he was not very clever and i never understood a word he wrote to me i think ill learn some punctuation not too much enough to write to Uncle Harry he needs some help
Now let's see if punctuating it makes a difference!
Perhaps you don't always need to use commas, periods, colons etc. to make sentences clear. When I am in a hurry, tired, cold, lazy, or angry I sometimes leave out punctuation marks.
"Grammar is stupid! I can write without it and don't need it." my uncle Harry once said. He was not very clever and I never understood a word he wrote to me. I think I'll learn some punctuation - not too much, enough to write to Uncle Harry. He needs some help!
Use the punctuation section to learn how to make your English clearer and better organised.
Quotes | Period (full stop) | Question Mark | Exclamation | Brackets | Semicolon |
Apostrophe | Hyphen | Capitals | Comma | Punctuation Home | Grammar Home |
Which is the 'best' English?
Trash or Rubbish? - Sorting out our English
Colour or color? Socks or sox? Organisations or Organizations? Underground or subway? Gas or petrol? Fall or Autumn? Candy or sweets? Cookie or biscuit? Centre or center, Trash or rubbish?
I've had a lot of furious emails from users about my terrible spelling. While I admit that the OEG may have had some glaring typos (fixed as soon as they were pointed out!) the emails are often concerned with spellings that are to do with regional differences in spoken and written English and not with my poor language skills. And they often come from readers who are convinced that there is only one 'good' English - theirs!
And we're living in a world where the frontiers between these 'regional differences' are becoming more and more blurred. Globalised mass communications, the Internet, an increasingly mobile workforce, and cheap international travel are all making us aware of an English language with many faces - a dynamic language, changing and moving with our times. Where the building blocks of the language - grammar, vocabulary, syntax - are plastic and dynamic and not rigid and static. Of course, if we still believe, as many of us were taught to believe at school, that there is only one English - ours! - then it may seem as if civilization as we'd like to keep knowing it is crumbling around our ears.
My family's experience is a good example of the way in which we are now exposed to a 'globalised' (should that be 'globalized'?) English and the cultural and geographic influences that contribute to our use of it: I was born in England, went to Australia when I was five, was entirely educated in Australia, spent several years in the USA and Canada, another eight in England and lived in France for over fifteen years. I married a Colombian, the common language at home is French, my wife speaks Spanish to our children, I speak English to them and they go to a French school. We live in a very small French village but have satellite TV with broadcasts from the USA and the UK, and ADSL Internet. My children's English is smattered with expressions and grammatical usage that comes from the USA and even from within fairly minority sub-sets of American English which they pick up from the music channels and YouTube, and they have kept traces of usage from our time in England. They use the Internet to chat with cousins and sisters in Australia where they use the truncated English that will surely develop one day into a recognised 'Internet English' (if it hasn't already!). Their English is a very different animal from mine and the shaping influences on it very different from those that shaped my own.
In my home, as in millions of others around the world, English is clearly a language that is moving and changing as fast as the times we live in. English speakers living in Bombay, Brighton or Boston are being exposed on an almost daily basis to the English used by their fellow English speakers around the globe.
Although we have a rich global mapping of English which makes it possible for English speakers to almost immediately fix a fellow English speaker to a geographical area, there is more that is similar among these English variations than is dissimilar. If there wasn't, English speakers from different parts of the world would have absolutely no hope of understanding each other! In most cases it is pronunciation and idiomatic expressions, not vocabulary or grammar that makes a fellow English speaker from anotherpart of the world, or sometimes even another part of the country, difficult to understand.
In the Online English Grammar I am open to the international and evolving character of English and, try at least, to highlight the differences between British and American English where they appear. I am always happy to receive new examples of these differences from users of the OEG!
I point out grammatical rules that may vary slightly depending on where you are as well as differences in spelling and usage. And have listed some of the main spelling variations between British and American English in an appendix.
The important thing to remember is that while spelling 'remember' as 'rember' is definitely wrong, spelling 'socks' as 'sox' is not! That saying 'She speak English really well' is definitely wrong wherever you are (the verb 'speak' must be third person 'speaks' or used in another tense such as 'spoke'), saying 'She speaks English real well' may not bewrong (it is acceptable to use 'real' rather than 'really' in informal American English.)
This may also slow the flow of emails from angry users who think it is a disgrace that I consistently spell 'center' as 'centre' - am I dyslexic?
Forming the possessive
The possessive form is used with nouns referring to people, groups of people, countries, and animals. 'Belonging to' or 'ownership' is one of the relationships it expresses :
- John owns a car. ('John' is the possessor or owner)
- It is John's car.
- America has some gold reserves. ('America' is the owner)
- They are America's gold reserves.
It can also express other relationships, for example:
where someone works or studies or spends time:
- John goes to this school. This is John's school.
- John sleeps in this room. This is John's room.
a family relationship:
- John's mother
- The Queen's daughter
qualities:
- John'spatience.
- The politician's hypocrisy.
Form
To form the possessive, add 's('apostrophe -s') to the noun.
If the noun is plural, or already ends in -s, just add:' (an apostrophe).
For names ending in -s:
In speaking we add the sound /z/ to the name, but in writing it is possible to use either 'sor just '. The 's form is more common. e.g. Thomas's book, James's shop.
Examples
- The car of John = John's car.
- The room of the girls = The girls' room.
- Clothes for men = Men's clothes.
- The sister of Charles = Charles' sister.
- The boat of the sailors = The sailors' boat.
There are also some fixed expressions where the possessive form is used:
Time expressions | Other expressions |
a day's work | For God's sake! |
a fortnight's holiday | a pound's worth of apples. |
a month's pay | the water's edge |
today's newspaper | a stone's throw away (= very near) |
in a year'stime | at death's door (= very ill) |
in my mind's eye (= in my imagination) |
The possessive is also used to refer to shops, restaurants, churches and colleges, using the name or job title of the owner.
Examples
the grocer's | the doctor's | the vet's |
the newsagent's | the chemist's | Smith's |
the dentist's | Tommy Tucker's | Luigi's |
Saint Mary's | Saint James's |
- Shall we go to Luigi's for lunch?
- I've got an appointment at the dentist's at eleven o'clock.
- Is Saint Mary's an all-girls school?
- Country:I live in England.
- Adjective:He reads English literature.
- Noun: She is an Englishwoman.
COUNTRY |
ADJECTIVE |
NOUN |
Africa |
African |
an African |
America |
American |
an American |
Argentina |
Argentinian |
an Argentinian |
Austria |
Austrian |
an Austrian |
Names of streets, buildings, parks etc.
Park Lane |
Central Avenue |
Pall Mall |
George Street |
Sydney Opera House |
Central Park |
Hyde Park |
the Empire State Building |
Wall Street |
Adjectives relating to nationality nouns
France - French music |
Australia - Australian animals |
Germany - German literature |
Arabia - Arabic writing |
Indonesia - Indonesian poetry |
China - Chinese food |
Names of geographical formations
the Himalayas |
the Alps |
the Sahara |
Names of rivers, oceans, seas, lakes etc.
the Atlantic |
the Dead Sea |
the Pacific |
Lake Leman |
Lake Victoria |
Lake Michigan |
the Rhine |
the Thames |
the Nile |
Names of cities, towns, villages etc.
London |
Cape Town |
Rome |
Florence |
Bath |
Wagga Wagga |
Vancouver |
Wellington |
Peking |
Names of regions, states, districts etc.
Sussex |
California |
Queensland |
Provence |
Tuscany |
Vaud |
Florida |
Costa Brava |
Tyrol |
Geographical names...
Names of countries and continents
America |
England |
Scotland |
China |
Peru |
Albania |
Africa |
Europe |
Asia |
Holidays
Christmas |
Easter |
New Year's Day |
Boxing Day |
May Day |
Thanksgiving Day |
Seasons
Seasons | |
Spring | |
Summer | |
Autumn | |
Winter |
Days of the week
Monday |
Friday |
Tuesday |
Saturday |
Wednesday |
Sunday |
Thursday |
Months of the year
January |
July |
February |
August |
March |
September |
April |
October |
May |
November |
June |
December |
.: Weblog Themes By Pichak :.