grammatical expression: God forbid…

{ January 13, 2011 @ 1:05 am } · { grammatical expression }
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I have an interesting expression today which seems very religious in nature, but actually it’s not. The expression is “God forbid…” We use it when we want to criticize someone else’s attitude about something. For example:

My husband really wants me to stay at home with him in the evenings. God forbid I should go out with a friend of mine!

My mother is always telling me to wear a long skirt. God forbid anyone should see my legs!

In the first sentence, the speaker is criticizing the attitude of the husband for not wanting her to go out in the evenings with any of her friends. In the second sentence, the speaker is criticizing the attitude of her mother for always wanting her to cover her legs.

We can also use this when another person doesn’t do something we think they should have done. For example:

We didn’t know how long we would have to wait in line. God forbid someone should come and tell us!

My family expects me to do all the cleaning in our house. God forbid they should help me!

In the first sentence, the speaker is criticizing the staff at the restaurant for not telling them how long they would have to wait. In the second sentence, the speaker is criticizing her family for not helping her clean the house.

Please note that with this expression we always use the word “should” in the sentence.

As I mentioned before, this expression seems very religious because of the use of the word “God”. However, most English speakers use it even if they are not Christian or Jewish. It has simply become a common expression and people usually no longer think about it as being religious.

adjectives: competent/incompetent

{ January 12, 2011 @ 1:49 am } · { adjectives }
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Today I’d like to write about the adjective “competent” and its opposite “incompetent”. These words are used to describe a person’s ability to do their job. If a person is able to do their job well, we say they are competent. On the other hand, if a person cannot do their job well and are constantly making mistakes, we say they are incompetent. For example:

Nathan is a very competent engineer, so I think we should ask him to lead this project.

A: Who’s the most competent person in your department?

B: I would say it’s Justin. He’s extremely competent at his job.

Paul is very competent when it comes to computer programming, but he’s not so competent when it comes to organizing the schedule.

Our company has a new president who’s completely incompetent. His bad decisions have cost our company a lot of money.

Jackie was fired yesterday because she was completely incompetent at her job.

I do all the cooking at my house because my wife is totally incompetent in the kitchen.

It’s important to note that we cannot use the word “competent” about jobs that are more artistic in nature because the word sounds very technical. Therefore, we would NOT say, “She’s a very competent artist.” Instead, we would choose a word with more emotion in it. For example, “She’s a wonderful artist.” or “She’s an amazing artist”. If we used the word “competent” in that situation, it would not sound like a compliment.

Also, if we simply say a person is “competent” at something, it doesn’t sound extremely positive. It’s like saying, “He has the required skills to do the job.” If we want it to sound more positive, we put words like “very”, “totally”, “completely” or “extremely” in front of “competent”.  Then it will sound much more positive.

Finally, please be careful not to use the word “competent” directly to another person. If we say “You are very competent at your job.”, it doesn’t sound very good because it’s very technical and there’s no emotion in the statement. Therefore, we always use it when talking about other people who are not there at the moment.

grammatical word: practically

{ January 11, 2011 @ 1:01 am } · { grammatical word }
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Today, I’d like to talk about the adverb “practically” which is commonly used in English. It has the same meaning as “almost” but is a little more casual. Let me give you some examples:

I  have meetings at work practically every day.

My son is 18 years old now. He’s practically a man.

This cleaner is so effective. It can clean practically anything.

I ran in a marathon last week. It was so hard for me; I practically died.

In the case of the last sentence, this is an example of exaggeration. English speakers often do this in casual conversations. When the person says “I practically died.”, they don’t really mean to say they almost died. The true meaning is that they were extremely tired. Here are some other examples of exaggeration using “practically”:

That guy is so tall he’s practically a giant.

It was so windy yesterday my house practically blew down.

My cousin drives so fast. He practically breaks the speed of light when he’s driving.

the difference between words: suggest and recommend

{ January 10, 2011 @ 1:12 am } · { the difference between words }
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Recently, one of my students asked me what the difference between “suggest” and “recommend” was. I thought that would make a good blog entry, so that’s what I’ll go over today.

We use “suggest” when talking about giving someone an idea in general, and we use “recommend” when telling someone that a certain choice or option is the best one. For example:

I suggest that you wear a nice suit tomorrow. The company president is going to be visiting the office.

If you want to cook delicious dishes, I suggest that you buy fresh ingredients.

My brother suggested a Greek restaurant for dinner tonight. What do you think?

I recommend that you try the chocolate cake for dessert. I think it’s the best dessert on the menu.

My friend recommended that we go to Spain for our vacation. He said it was the best country he’s ever been to.

The clerk in the bookstore recommended this book for people who are interested in Asian culture.

With the words “suggest” and “recommend” it’s very important to pay attention to the grammar because we often use a different verb tense called the subjunctive with these words. For example, many non-native English speakers say things like: “I suggest you to study economics.” or “I recommended my friend to try the apple pie.” These sentences are totally WRONG!

If you look at the example sentences I wrote above, you’ll see that the grammar is different. The grammar is as follows:

subject + suggest/recommend + that + another person + base form of the verb

It’s important to note that the verb which comes after “suggest” or “recommend” is always in the base form, even with “he” and “she”. That’s what makes this the subjunctive tense. We can also use this tense with the verbs “demand” and “insist”. Let me give you some more examples:

My friend wants to lose weight, so I suggested that he join a gym.

The waiter recommended that we not try the curry soup because it’s very spicy.

My customer demanded that I give him a refund.

My boss insisted that Pauline go home because she wasn’t feeling well.

Normally, we would say “he joins” or “Pauline goes” but, as I said before, we must always use the base form of the verb in these types of sentences.

However, if we put a noun directly after the words “suggest” or “recommend”, the sentence is not subjunctive. For example:

My brother suggested a Greek restaurant for dinner tonight. What do you think?

The clerk in the bookstore recommended this book for people who are interested in Asian culture.

idiom: to give someone a run for their money

{ January 9, 2011 @ 2:03 am } · { idioms }
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I recently heard someone use today’s idiom at a party, so I’d like to write about it today. The expression is to “give someone a run for their money”. It is used when we want to talk about two people doing something which requires some skill. The main person is very good at it, but the second person’s skill is almost equal. The first person is still better, but the second person shows that their skill is almost as good. For example:

Carl is really getting a lot better at tennis. We played yesterday and I won, but he really gave me a run for my money.

Betty wins the baking competition every year, but this year I think I’ll give her a run for her money with my apple pie.

Everyone thinks The Storm by Martin Collins will win the best book prize this year, but the new book by Pauline Young will really give Collins a run for his money.

So far Germany has won 232 gold medals at the Olympics, but Italy is giving them a run for their money with 227 gold medals.

So we usually use this idiom when talking about games, sports or competitions. The idea is the favored person or team to win will have to work harder in order to stay in the lead position. They can’t just relax and assume that they will win for sure.

separable phrasal verb: set up

{ January 7, 2011 @ 3:33 am } · { phrasal verbs }
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The phrasal verb for this week is “set up”, and it has a few meanings. Let me go over the various ways to use it.

1. to assemble or prepare something for use. For example:

Can you help me set up the computer? I don’t know how to do it.

My computer needs to be set up. Can you help me? (passive voice)

We have to set up all this equipment before the meeting starts.

All this equipment has to be set up before the meeting starts. (passive voice)

2. to frame someone for a crime. For example:

I just saw a movie in which a man killed his wife and then set up his best friend for the murder.

I didn’t kill Jack’s wife! Jack killed her and then set me up!

I’m being set up for the murder of Jack’s wife! (passive voice)

3. to establish a business. For example:

I want to set up my own business, but I know it’s going to be difficult.

I tried to set up my own business, but the bank wouldn’t give me a loan.

4. to establish someone else in business. For example:

My uncle set me up in the restaurant business. I couldn’t have done it without his financial support.

I was set up in the restaurant business by my uncle. (passive voice)

I wish I knew someone who could set me up in business, but I have to do it myself.

5. to arrange a blind date for someone. For example:

Can you set me up with your cousin? I think she’s really pretty.

A: Are you seeing anyone right now? I have a friend, and I think you’d really like him.

B: Are you trying to set me up? I hate blind dates!

The second meaning of “set up” is usually only for movies and TV shows. That’s the kind of language we hear all the time when watching suspense shows or movies. If you’re not sure, to “frame” someone for a crime means to make it seem like another person committed a crime that you did yourself.

Also, please note that with the last meaning of “set up”, in the case of the blind date, we have to use “with” between “set up” and the person who will go on the blind date.

grammatical expression: in lieu (of)

{ January 6, 2011 @ 3:01 am } · { grammatical expression }
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Today I’d like to write about an expression that I was teaching to some of my students just before the holiday. The expression is “in lieu” and it is usually followed by the preposition “of”. It basically has the same meaning as “in place of”. We use it when we want to talk about replacing a customary activity with another activity. Let me give you some examples:

For my grandfather’s funeral, my family would like people to send a donation to cancer research in lieu of sending us flowers.

In order to celebrate my father’s birthday, my family and I decided to have a quiet dinner at home in lieu of a big party.

This store gives customers discounts on future purchases in lieu of refunds.

My friend does various jobs for his landlord in lieu of paying rent.

A: Do you get paid extra for overtime work at your company?

B: No, my company doesn’t do that. They give us time in lieu instead.

In the case of this last example, “time in lieu” is a set expression which means that the person will receive time off from work in the same amount of overtime that was worked. This system is often used by companies that can’t afford to pay overtime to their employees. So, if a person works eight hours of overtime, they will get one day off in lieu of being paid overtime.

By the way, the pronunciation of the word “lieu” is /lew/.

adjective: sensible

{ January 5, 2011 @ 1:20 am } · { adjectives }
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Today, I would like to go over the adjective “sensible”. It is used to talk about a person or action that shows good sense. Another way to say that is that the person or action shows logical thinking that will help avoid problems. For example:

Jill is a very sensible girl, so I’m sure she’ll choose a career that will allow her to earn a good salary.

My wife is very sensible when it comes to money, so we can save a lot every month.

You want to quit your job to become a musician?! Please be sensible! That would be a big mistake!

You didn’t bring a jacket with you when you went hiking? That wasn’t very sensible, was it?

Make sure you take a pair of sensible shoes with you on your trip. You’ll need shoes that will be comfortable.

In the last example, I used the word “sensible” to describe the shoes rather than the person or the action. This is a special case. We often say “sensible shoes” to talk about shoes which are flat and comfortable for the person to wear. We use the word “sensible” because the person’s action of wearing such shoes is logical and shows good sense.

grammatical word: besides

{ January 4, 2011 @ 4:07 am } · { grammatical word }
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I hope everyone is having a good week. Today I would like to write about a word that is very useful in English. The word is “besides”, and it has two meanings.

We use the first meaning of “besides” when we want to say “except for”. In other words, we use it to exclude a certain thing from a group which it would usually go with. For example:

A: Paul just told me he can’t come to our party.

B: Ok. Is there anyone else besides Paul who can’t come?

Besides my parents, there’s no one in the world I love more than you.

I’m allergic to seafood, and Bill doesn’t like pork so, besides those two things, is there any other food we can’t serve?

A: I know you love Star Wars but, besides that, what’s your favorite movie?

B: Besides Star Wars it would have to be The Lord of the Rings.

The second way we use “besides” is to add more information when explaining why we feel a certain way about something. We use it when explaining the reason for something. For example:

I’m too tired to go to Dan’s party, and besides, I don’t really like him.

I turned down the promotion my boss offered me. It would have been too much responsibility, and besides, I like the job I have now.

I think you should join this class with me. You’ll be able to learn a lot of new things, and besides, you might meet some interesting new people.

I don’t mind getting older. I feel much wiser than I used to, and besides, people give me more respect.

Please be careful not to confuse “besides” with an S and “beside” without an S. The word “beside” simply means “next to”. One example would be, “The lamp is beside my bed so I can read at night.” By adding the S the meaning completely changes, so please be careful about S forms when studying English.

the difference between words: say and tell

{ January 3, 2011 @ 4:58 am } · { the difference between words }
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Today I have a blog for you that will go over the difference between “say” and “tell”.

Basically we use “say” when talking about communicating something in general, but we don’t emphasize the person to whom we are talking. We use “tell” when we want to emphasize the person to whom we are talking. For example:

A: What did you say? I couldn’t hear you.

B: I said I wanted to go home.

_________________________________________________________________

A: What did you tell your husband?

B: I told him I wanted to go home.

I want to say something. I really appreciate your kindness to me this week.

I want to tell you something. I really appreciate your kindness to me this week.

Is there something you want to say?

Is there something you want to tell me?

It is possible to use “say” when emphasizing the person to whom we are talking, but we must put the preposition “to” after “say”. For example:

A: What did you say to your husband?

B: I said I wanted to go home.

I want to say something to you. I really appreciate your kindness to me this week.

Is there something you want to say to me?

While it is possible to use “say to”, I think English speakers use “tell” more often when emphasizing the person. However, “say to” has a softer feeling and “tell” sounds more direct. Please note that in the first example person B did NOT say, “I said to him I wanted to go home.” as the response. Because “to your husband” was used in the question, it’s unnecessary to repeat “to” in the answer.

Also, please note that in the second example the person did NOT say, “I want to say to you something.” When we use the words “something” or “anything”, they always come after “say”.

Finally, there is another way to use the word “tell”.  We can also use it when talking about giving direct orders to someone. For example:

My boss told me to finish this report by tomorrow.

I told my friend to meet us at the station at 7:00.

I told my sister not to go into my room.

My mother told me to not be late for dinner.

In these situations when we use “tell”, it sounds very strong. If you want it to sound softer, you can use the word “ask”. For example:

I asked my friend to meet us at the station at 7:00.

Nick asked Susan to move over so he could sit down.

I asked my sister not to go into my room.

My mother asked me to not be late for dinner.

So, in these cases, “tell” or “ask” is followed by the infinitive (to + base form of a verb). In negative forms, we can use “not to…” or “to not…” with the words “tell” or “ask”. However, in my opinion, it’s more natural to use “not to…” with negative sentences of this kind.

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