Everyday Grammar - forget

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5410000.html

Video News #38 - Free English Gifts of the Month - June 2020

get your learning gifts for the month of June 2020

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/video-news-38-free-english-gifts-of-the-month-june-2020

Compound Nouns and Pronunciation

In the film A League of Their Own, actor Tom Hanks plays the coach of an American baseball team. He oversees an all-female team called the Rockford Peaches. In one famous scene at a game, Hanks gets angry at one of the players. She begins to cry. He then says the following words: There’s no crying... There’s no crying in baseball.   That movie line has also been in the news recently. In March, while visiting Australia, Hanks tested positive for the new coronavirus. A short time later, the actor wrote on Twitter: “Remember, despite all the current events, there is no crying in baseball.”   Today on Everyday Grammar, we will explore how this famous line can teach you about the link between grammar and pronunciation -- the ways in which words are spoken. What are compounds? The word compound suggests two words that, together, have one meaning. The two words have become a kind of phrase or expression that acts like a noun. Often, two nouns make up a compound. For example, the nouns book and shelf can be combined to make the compound noun bookshelf. Every student fears another kind of compound noun: a report card. In writing, compounds sometimes have a space between the two words; sometimes they do not. At times, a compound noun is based on an adjective and a noun. Hot dogs are a popular food sold at baseball games in the U.S. The word hot is an adjective and dog is a noun. Together, they make the compound noun, hot dog. Compounds and pronunciation You might be asking yourself what the link is between compounds and speaking. The idea is this: In speaking, Americans usually stress the first word in a compound. They say the first word louder or longer to show its importance. At times, stress could also mean saying something with a higher pitch in your voice. Listen to some of the words from earlier in our report: bookshelf report card hot dog However, when an adjective goes before a noun, and the two words do not make a compound, then the stress should go on the noun - the second word. So, if the adjective good goes before the noun job, then the stress goes on job. This is because good job is not a compound noun - it is just an adjective and a noun. Here are two examples: He did a good job. Good job! In the book Mastering the American Accent, Lisa Mojsin writes how stress helps show a difference in meaning between a compound noun and an adjective plus noun group that is not a compound. Here are two examples: I went to the White House. I went to the white house. The first statement uses a compound noun – White House, the official home of the U.S. president. The second statement uses an adjective and noun that do not make up a compound - white house. Did you hear how the stress was different in the two statements? Pronunciation and films Think back to the words Tom Hanks said at the beginning of our report. There’s no crying... There’s no crying in baseball. Did you hear how Hanks said baseball? Baseball is a compound noun made of the words base and ball. In baseball, the batter is supposed to run toward first base after he or she hits the ball. You could say that the batter’s attention is on getting to the first base. Likewise, when you pronounce compound nouns, your attention should be placed on the first word, or first part of the word. The next time you are watching an American film, try to listen for how the actors put stress on different words. Try to listen for examples of compound nouns. Try using word stress in the way we talked about today. With time, your speaking will become clearer and more understandable to native speakers. And remember, there is no crying in baseball! I’m Ashley Thompson. And I’m John Russell.   John Russell wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. ​ _________________________________________________________________   Words in This Story   scene – n. the place where an event happens or happened despite – prep. without being affected by grammar – n. the system and structure of a language pitch – n. the highness or lowness of a sound batter – n. baseball - a player who is trying to hit the ball; a player who is batting likewise – adv. in the same way  

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/compound-nouns-and-pronunciation-/5439406.html

Compound Nouns and Pronunciation

source https://av.voanews.com/clips/VLE/2020/05/28/5e03de90-a444-4ffe-b4bc-8ce610202682_hq.mp3

Is the recycling system broken?

We talk about the over-reliance on recycling rather than reducing the use of plastics

source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08ffdrt

English Grammar Made Easy S1 #114 - Pronunciation: Beginning "Th" Sounds

review how to pronounce beginning "th" sounds

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/english-grammar-made-easy-114-pronunciation-beginning-th-sounds

Everyday Grammar: Try

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5409999.html

Business English- Reporting on Reports

New Entry: 'Business English- Reporting on Reports' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.

source https://www.usingenglish.com/teachers/lesson-plans/view-business-english-reporting-on-reports/

Ranking Weak and Strong Opinion Phrases

New Entry: 'Ranking Weak and Strong Opinion Phrases' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.

source https://www.usingenglish.com/teachers/lesson-plans/view-ranking-weak-and-strong-opinion-phrases/

Salty

Why are people saying 'salty'? Find out with Feifei and Roy.

source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08dynl8

Up in arms

New Entry: 'Up in arms' has just been added to the Idioms area of UsingEnglish.com.

source https://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/up+in+arms.html

English Vocab Builder S1 #189 - Folklore: Common Monsters

learn essential vocabulary and common terms related to monsters in folklore

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/english-vocab-builder-189-folklore-common-monsters

News #280 - Why Are You Learning English? Peter’s Language Story Inside

learn how your reason for learning will secure your success

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/news-280-why-are-you-learning-english-peters-language-story-inside

Everyday Gramma - try

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5409999.html

There's no vaccine ____ the disease.

New Entry: 'There's no vaccine ____ the disease.' has just been added to the Language Polls area of UsingEnglish.com.

source https://www.usingenglish.com/poll/1229.html

Test Yourself with This Everyday Grammar Quiz

We have an expression in English that goes “Use it or lose it.” It means that if you do not use or practice an ability, you might lose that ability.  That could not be more true about English grammar. And here at Everyday Grammar, we do not always give you a chance to review the material we teach you. So today I am going to do that with a short quiz on some of the grammar rules I have talked about on the show.  Ready to test yourself? Then let’s get started. I will ask you questions. You will have only a short time to choose your answers.  Question 1. Imagine someone is giving you directions to a supermarket. The person wants to express that finding the place is not difficult at all. Which of these could they say? a-The supermarket is easy finding. b-The supermarket is easy to find. c-Both are correct. The answer is b. The supermarket is easy to find. After some adjectives, such as “easy,” we use an infinitive verb — not a gerund. In the correct sentence, the infinitive is “to find.” Question 2. Since the stay-at-home orders began, many of us have been spending a lot of time at home. Suppose things were starting to become boring. How might you express it? a-I am bored of staying at home every day. b-I am bored to stay at home every day. c-Both are correct. The answer is a: I am bored of staying at home every day. Some adjectives, such as “bored,” are followed by a preposition. And after a preposition, you will find a gerund or some other noun — not an infinitive verb. In the correct sentence, the gerund is “staying.” Question 3. Suppose you were making dinner and got an important phone call. So, you set aside what you were doing and took the call. Which of these could you say? a-I stopped to take an important call. b-I stopped taking an important call. c-Both are correct. The answer is a: I stopped to take an important call. In the correct sentence, “stop” is followed by the infinitive “to take.” When we follow “stop” with an infinitive verb, it means someone suspends one action for the purpose of doing something else. Question 4. This one is about cleft sentences. If you do not remember much about them, try reviewing them before answering the question. Which of these is an example of a cleft sentence? a-It was the film Avengers: Endgame that led theater box offices last year. b-It was the superheroes who held the Infinity Stones before Thanos. c-Both are cleft sentences.  The answer is c. Both are cleft sentences.  In cleft sentences, the first clause gives information that is new to the listener, such as “It was the film Avengers: Endgame…” The relative clause gives information known to the listener, such as “…that led box offices last year.”   Question 5. Imagine that you wanted to tell people about a fun or unusual skill or ability from your childhood days. Which of these is a correct way to say it? a-I could walk on my hands when I was 10. b-I was able to walk on my hands when I was 10. c-Both are correct.  The answer is c. Both are correct. English speakers almost always use the word “could” to talk about general skills or talents from the past. “Was able to” is also possible but used less often in spoken English. Question 6. Suppose some tree branches kept hitting the top of your house and making noise. So, you went up there and cut down the branches. What could you say after the work was done? a-I was able to cut down the branches. b-I could cut down the branches. c-Both are correct.  The answer is a. I was able to cut down the branches. When talking about a past ability during a specific occasion, we use “was (or) were able to” — not “could.” Question 7. As a reminder, a collocation is a group of two or more words that is commonly used together. Which of the following is an example of a verb + noun collocation? a-a stupid mistake b-make a mistake c-sadly mistaken The answer is b. make a mistake. All three answers are examples of collocations, but only “make a mistake” is an example of a verb + noun collocation. The verb is “make” and the noun is “mistake.” Now for our final question:  Question 8. This one also deals with collocations. Which of these is an adverb + adjective collocation? a-happily married b-happily alive c-thankfully happy The answer is a. happily married. The other two answers are not examples of ways we commonly put words together. So, how did you do on the quiz? Good, I hope.  If you would like to review any of the grammar from the program today, visit our website, learningenglish.voanews.com. Join us again soon for another chance to test yourself. I’m Alice Bryant.   Alice Bryant wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ________________________________________________________________   Review and Practice   You can review the following programs to learn more about the grammar from today's quiz. And be sure to practice the grammar at home in your speaking and writing!  A Common Form: Be + Adjective + Infinitive (for Question 1) What Are You Excited About Learning? (for Question 2) Verbs that change with Gerunds and Infinitives (for Question 3) Cleft Sentences in Speaking, Writing (for Question 4) Past Ability: Could, Was Able To, Managed To (for Questions 5 and 6) Do These Things to Improve Your Collocations (for Questions 7 and 8) ________________________________________________________________   Words in This Story   practice - v. to do something again and again in order to get better at it review - v. to study or look at something again quiz - n. a short spoken or written test that is often taken without preparation infinitive - n. the basic form of a verb (to + verb) gerund - n. an English noun formed from a verb by adding -ing boring - adj. dull and uninteresting  box office - n. an area in a theater where tickets are sold for a movie or performance clause - n. a part of a subject that has its own subject and verb branch - n. a part of a tree that grows out from the trunk occasion - n. a particular time when something happens  

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/test-yourself-with-this-everyday-grammar-quiz/5427968.html

Test Yourself with This Everyday Grammar Quiz

We have an expression in English that goes “Use it or lose it.” It means that if you do not use or practice an ability, you might lose that ability.  That could not be more true about English grammar. And here at Everyday Grammar, we do not always give you a chance to review the material we teach you. So today I am going to do that with a short quiz on some of the grammar rules I have talked about on the show.  Ready to test yourself? Then let’s get started. I will ask you questions. You will have only a short time to choose your answers.  Question 1. Imagine someone is giving you directions to a supermarket. The person wants to express that finding the place is not difficult at all. Which of these could they say? a-The supermarket is easy finding. b-The supermarket is easy to find. c-Both are correct. The answer is b. The supermarket is easy to find. After some adjectives, such as “easy,” we use an infinitive verb — not a gerund. In the correct sentence, the infinitive is “to find.” Question 2. Since the stay-at-home orders began, many of us have been spending a lot of time at home. Suppose things were starting to become boring. How might you express it? a-I am bored of staying at home every day. b-I am bored to stay at home every day. c-Both are correct. The answer is a: I am bored of staying at home every day. Some adjectives, such as “bored,” are followed by a preposition. And after a preposition, you will find a gerund or some other noun — not an infinitive verb. In the correct sentence, the gerund is “staying.” Question 3. Suppose you were making dinner and got an important phone call. So, you set aside what you were doing and took the call. Which of these could you say? a-I stopped to take an important call. b-I stopped taking an important call. c-Both are correct. The answer is a: I stopped to take an important call. In the correct sentence, “stop” is followed by the infinitive “to take.” When we follow “stop” with an infinitive verb, it means someone suspends one action for the purpose of doing something else. Question 4. This one is about cleft sentences. If you do not remember much about them, try reviewing them before answering the question. Which of these is an example of a cleft sentence? a-It was the film Avengers: Endgame that led theater box offices last year. b-It was the superheroes who held the Infinity Stones before Thanos. c-Both are cleft sentences.  The answer is c. Both are cleft sentences.  In cleft sentences, the first clause gives information that is new to the listener, such as “It was the film Avengers: Endgame…” The relative clause gives information known to the listener, such as “…that led box offices last year.”   Question 5. Imagine that you wanted to tell people about a fun or unusual skill or ability from your childhood days. Which of these is a correct way to say it? a-I could walk on my hands when I was 10. b-I was able to walk on my hands when I was 10. c-Both are correct.  The answer is c. Both are correct. English speakers almost always use the word “could” to talk about general skills or talents from the past. “Was able to” is also possible but used less often in spoken English. Question 6. Suppose some tree branches kept hitting the top of your house and making noise. So, you went up there and cut down the branches. What could you say after the work was done? a-I was able to cut down the branches. b-I could cut down the branches. c-Both are correct.  The answer is a. I was able to cut down the branches. When talking about a past ability during a specific occasion, we use “was (or) were able to” — not “could.” Question 7. As a reminder, a collocation is a group of two or more words that is commonly used together. Which of the following is an example of a verb + noun collocation? a-a stupid mistake b-make a mistake c-sadly mistaken The answer is b. make a mistake. All three answers are examples of collocations, but only “make a mistake” is an example of a verb + noun collocation. The verb is “make” and the noun is “mistake.” Now for our final question:  Question 8. This one also deals with collocations. Which of these is an adverb + adjective collocation? a-happily married b-happily alive c-thankfully happy The answer is a. happily married. The other two answers are not examples of ways we commonly put words together. So, how did you do on the quiz? Good, I hope.  If you would like to review any of the grammar from the program today, visit our website, learningenglish.voanews.com. Join us again soon for another chance to test yourself. I’m Alice Bryant.   Alice Bryant wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ________________________________________________________________   Review and Practice   You can review the following programs to learn more about the grammar from today's quiz. And be sure to practice the grammar at home in your speaking and writing!  A Common Form: Be + Adjective + Infinitive (for Question 1) What Are You Excited About Learning? (for Question 2) Verbs that change with Gerunds and Infinitives (for Question 3) Cleft Sentences in Speaking, Writing (for Question 4) Past Ability: Could, Was Able To, Managed To (for Questions 5 and 6) Do These Things to Improve Your Collocations (for Questions 7 and 8) ________________________________________________________________   Words in This Story   practice - v. to do something again and again in order to get better at it review - v. to study or look at something again quiz - n. a short spoken or written test that is often taken without preparation infinitive - n. the basic form of a verb (to + verb) gerund - n. an English noun formed from a verb by adding -ing boring - adj. dull and uninteresting  box office - n. an area in a theater where tickets are sold for a movie or performance clause - n. a part of a subject that has its own subject and verb branch - n. a part of a tree that grows out from the trunk occasion - n. a particular time when something happens  

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/test-yourself-with-this-everyday-grammar-quiz/5427968.html

Test Yourself with this Everyday Grammar Quiz

source https://av.voanews.com/clips/VLE/2020/05/21/37488cf6-4f29-429b-b605-ad81dbb4e254_hq.mp3

The soothing power of books

How can books help us relax and feel more alive during troubled times?

source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08dtnyl

Must-Know American English Social Media Phrases S1 #23 - Happy New Year!

learn how to post comments about New Year greetings

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/mustknow-american-english-social-media-phrases-23-happy-new-year

English Grammar Made Easy S1 #113 - Talking About the Very Recent Past

learn how to talk about the very recent past ("just," "just about", and "just" + progressive)

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/english-grammar-made-easy-113-talking-about-the-very-recent-past-with-just-just-about-and-just-progresive

Extensive Reading in English for Intermediate Learners #20 - Jobs in Schools

learn about jobs in schools and improve your reading skills

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/extensive-reading-in-english-for-intermediate-learners-20-jobs-in-schools

Skeleton crew

An expression for when there aren't many people working.

source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08dhg39

Everyday Grammar: Collocations

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5409996.html

Everyday Grammar - collocations

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5409996.html

Meeting for the first time and again- needs analysis and questions review

New Entry: 'Meeting for the first time and again- needs analysis and questions review' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.

source https://www.usingenglish.com/teachers/lesson-plans/view-meeting-for-the-first-time-and-again-needs-analysis-and-questions-review/

Unreal Past Sentence Completion

New Entry: 'Unreal Past Sentence Completion' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.

source https://www.usingenglish.com/teachers/lesson-plans/view-unreal-past-sentence-completion/

Dish it out

New Entry: 'Dish it out' has just been added to the Idioms area of UsingEnglish.com.

source https://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/dish+it+out.html

Unreal Past Sentence Completion

New Entry: 'Unreal Past Sentence Completion' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.

source https://www.usingenglish.com/teachers/lesson-plans/view-unreal-past-sentence-completion/

Times- Discuss and Agree

New Entry: 'Times- Discuss and Agree' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.

source https://www.usingenglish.com/teachers/lesson-plans/view-times-discuss-and-agree/

Fiction, Adjective Phrases and Adjective Clauses

Are you thinking of ways to pass the time and improve your English? In our electronic age, an old-fashioned kind of activity might be just what you need. Reading fiction is a great way to learn and explore new worlds. Today we will discuss one of the most important ways that writers use grammar to express images and ideas: different kinds of adjectives. We begin with some definitions. Adjectives Nora Bacon is an English professor at the University of Nebraska Omaha. She has written about language, grammar and writing for several publications. Bacon also wrote a book, called “The Well-Crafted Sentence.” In it, she notes that one of the biggest differences between spoken and written English is the use of ‘adjectivals:’ adjectives, adjective phrases, and adjective clauses. They are much more common in writing than in speaking, she notes. As many of you know, adjectives are words that add meaning to nouns. Consider this example. Toni Morrison was a writer. This statement does not have an adjective. It is a very simple, factual statement. Here is how an adjective could change the sentence: Toni Morrison was a great writer. The adjective great adds meaning to the noun, writer. This statement gives information about the speaker or writer’s opinion of Morrison. Here is an important thing to remember about adjectives. Adjectives do not agree with the nouns they go with; they are neither singular nor plural. A final “s” is never added to an adjective, notes Betty Azar, a grammar expert we have noted in other Everyday Grammar programs. Here is an example that shows what she means: Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald were great writers. Note that the noun writers is plural. But the adjective great is the same as in our sentence about Toni Morrison. Adjective phrases Sometimes, adjectives appear as phrases - groups of words. These adjective phrases can be part of the noun phrase, or they can come before or after it. Let me give you an example. Imagine you are reading a horror story: A thick, dark, oppressive fog covered the city. A fog, thick, dark, and oppressive, covered the city. Thick, dark, and oppressive, the fog covered the city. Writers often use these kinds of phrases to establish or develop a kind of feeling, or mood, in their story. Adjective clauses Adjective clauses, also called relative clauses, are groups of words that have a subject-verb pair. Some words, such as that, which, or who, often lead into adjective clauses. Think back to our example about the fog. Here is how it might change if it had an adjective clause. The fog that covered the city was dark and thick. In general, the adjective clause comes after the noun that it is describing. Adjective clauses often answer questions like “What kind of?” or “Which one?” Sometimes writers leave out words such as that or who. With time, you will begin to recognize when these words do not appear. If you would like to learn more about words that disappear from relative clauses, read The Mystery of the Disappearing That. You can find it on our website, learningenglish.voanews.com. An example from Amy Tan Let us turn to another example, this one from My Grandmother’s Choice by writer Amy Tan. Tan describes an old picture she rediscovered. She wrote the following words: “The dark-jacketed woman next to her is a servant...” The term dark-jacketed acts like an adjective and describes the noun, woman. But something might be missing... Let’s think about the example again, with one small change: “The dark-jacketed woman (who is) next to her is a servant...” The adjective clause is who is next to her is a servant. The words who is do not appear. Closing thoughts You have now learned about all kinds of adjectives. These adjective structures are one of the most important tools that writers use to bring their stories to life. The next time you are reading a book – science fiction, mystery, romance – try to find examples of adjectives, adjective phrases, and adjective clauses. Over time, you will begin to understand how writers develop their special, unique, and wonderful styles. And that’s Everyday Grammar. I’m Ashley Thompson. And I’m John Russell.   John Russell wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ______________________________________________________________   Words in This Story   old-fashioned – adj. traditional or not modern; of or relating to the past: such as no longer used or accepted fiction – n. stories about people and events that are not real; literature that tells stories which are imagined by the writer grammar – n. the whole system and structure of a language or languages in general phrase – n. a group of two or more words that express a single idea but do not usually form a complete sentence clause – n. grammar: a part of a sentence that has its own subject and verb plural – adj. a word meaning more than one in number jacket – n. a piece of clothing, placed over the shoulders and extending to the waist or hips unique – adj. being one of a kind  

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/fiction-adjective-phrases-and-adjective-clauses/5419952.html

Fiction, Adjective Phrases and Adjective Clauses

source https://av.voanews.com/clips/VLE/2020/05/14/b1398843-431e-4daa-8c0a-b6b7443a70a9_hq.mp3

Shocking facts about electricity

Neil and Georgina talk about how electrical systems differ from country to country.

source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08d4v4h

English Grammar Made Easy S1 #112 - The Third Conditional

learn about the third conditional (If i had [past participle], I would/could/should/might...)

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/english-grammar-made-easy-112-the-third-conditional

Lowkey

A word used to describe something you love doing, but are embarrassed to tell people.

source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08cxh9n

Cambridge Proficiency (CPE) Use of English Part 4 Sentence Transformations on Verb Patterns

New Entry: 'Cambridge Proficiency (CPE) Use of English Part 4 Sentence Transformations on Verb Patterns' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.

source https://www.usingenglish.com/teachers/lesson-plans/view-cambridge-proficiency-cpe-use-of-english-part-4-sentence-transformations-on-verb-patterns/

Suffixes for Describing People- Subject Questions Quiz

New Entry: 'Suffixes for Describing People- Subject Questions Quiz' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.

source https://www.usingenglish.com/teachers/lesson-plans/view-suffixes-for-describing-people-subject-questions-quiz/

English Vocab Builder S1 #188 - Cars and Driving: Common Terms

learn essential vocabulary and common terms related to car and driving

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/english-vocab-builder-188-cars-and-driving-common-terms

News #279 - The 5 Easiest Ways to Learn English (Hacks & Study Tools Inside)

learn how to use our tools to learn the easy way

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/news-279-the-5-easiest-ways-to-learn-english-hacks-study-tools-inside

Everyday Grammar: Past Ability: Specific Occasions

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5335923.html

Lockdown clown

New Entry: 'Lockdown clown' has just been added to the Slang area of UsingEnglish.com. This entry is only available in our members' area.

source https://www.usingenglish.com/members/idioms/view.php?entry_id=27415

Manel

New Entry: 'Manel' has just been added to the Slang area of UsingEnglish.com. This entry is only available in our members' area.

source https://www.usingenglish.com/members/idioms/view.php?entry_id=27413

How to teach reporting verbs

New Entry: 'How to teach reporting verbs' has just been added to the Articles area of UsingEnglish.com.

source https://www.usingenglish.com/articles/how-to-teach-reporting-verbs.html

The Grammar of Star Wars

  This past Monday, May 4, was Star Wars Day. The holiday began in 2011 to celebrate the film series and its influence on popular culture. Every Star Wars Day, fans around the world say, “May the fourth be with you!” The words “May the fourth” sound like “May the Force,” part of a line in the movie from character Obi-Wan Kenobi. “May the Force be with you” is something he said often in the films. Star Wars has influenced English speech in many ways. Today, for example, English dictionaries contain words from the films, such as “jedi,” though its meaning has changed a little. But Star Wars has also brought us unusual sentence structures, mainly influenced by the speech of the character Jedi trainer Yoda. He is the beloved 900-year-old green creature who shows character Luke Skywalker how to become a Jedi. Yoda’s way of speaking is the most memorable thing about him, except for his unusual appearance. Today, Everyday Grammar will look at a few of Yoda’s lines to examine the sentence formation. This is a fun way to practice identifying the many parts of speech in English. Subjects, verbs and objects Before we begin, let’s look at three important parts of speech. A subject is a noun, noun phrase, or pronoun that performs the action of a verb in a sentence. For example, “Yoda” is the subject of the sentence, “Yoda teaches Luke Skywalker about the Force.” A verb is a word that expresses an action, happening or state of being. In the same sentence example, the verb is “teaches.” And an object is a noun, noun phrase, or pronoun that receives the action of a verb. In the sentence, the object is “Luke Skywalker.” Notice the word order goes like this: subject-verb-object. Most English sentences and clauses follow this word order. Not all sentences have objects, but knowing where to put them is useful. Very good Yoda's speech is Yoda almost never uses the subject-verb word order of standard English. And many of his sentences contain linking verbs. A linking verb is a verb that connects the subject of a sentence to a subject complement, which is a word or phrase that describes the subject. Listen to a sentence that uses normal English word order and has a linking verb: The mind of a child is truly wonderful. In this sentence, the subject is “the mind of a child,” the linking verb is “is” and the subject complement is “truly wonderful.” Now, listen to how Yoda said this sentence in the Star Wars film, “Attack of the Clones.” Truly wonderful the mind of a child is. Here, Yoda put the subject complement “truly wonderful” first, the subject “the mind of a child” next and the linking verb “is” last. Often, when a sentence has a subject complement, Yoda puts it at the beginning. Listen to this example, from the film “The Empire Strikes Back”: Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. In this sentence, the words “luminous beings” are the subject complement, “are” is the linking verb, and “we” is the subject. But note that Yoda put the subject at the end this time, rather than after the subject complement.  Generally speaking, Yoda’s sentence structure was not consistent. And that is OK since he is an imaginary character – and written to be hundreds of years old! We can still enjoy exploring his sentences to see where he places things. Use auxiliary verbs Yoda does Another thing Yoda does often is to separate main verbs from auxiliary verbs or modal verbs in sentences that contain them. Suppose you wanted to tell Luke Skywalker something about Darth Vader. Normally, English sentences put auxiliary verbs before main verbs, like this: And you will confront him. Here, the auxiliary verb is “will” and comes before the main verb, “confront.” Together, “will confront” makes the simple future verb tense. But listen to how Yoda says that same sentence about Vader, from the film “Return of the Jedi”: And, confront him you will. Notice that he has completely separated the auxiliary and main verbs. He put the auxiliary “will” at the end of the sentence and the main verb “confront” at the beginning. Even in this same piece of dialogue, however, the old, green teacher forms sentences other ways. Listen to more of the Yoda speech, in three short sentences: You must confront Vader! Then, only then, a Jedi will you be. And confront him you will. In each of these sentences, he places the subject, the modal or auxiliary, and the main verb in different places. The writers of the Star Wars movies made Yoga’s speech inconsistent in structure, maybe just to play with language. And now, it is your turn to have some fun with language. Visit our website to find a few more Yoda quotes and see if you can identify the parts of speech. May the Force be with you!  I’m Alice Bryant.   Alice Bryant wrote this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Practice Now, you try it! Follow the directions for each of Yoda’s sentences. Write your answers in the comments. We will post the correct answers next week!   1-What is the subject complement? “Powerful you have become.” 2-Put this in the correct word order and add any missing word/s: “Secret shall I tell you?” 3-What word is missing from this sentence? “Wars not make one great.” 4-What is the subject of this sentence? “Always in motion is the future.” 5-Put this in the correct word order and make any needed changes: “Happens to every guy sometimes this does.” 6-What is the object of this sentence? “This one a long time have I watched.” ___________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   character - n.  a person who appears in a story, book, play, movie, or television show practice - v. to do something again and again in order to get better at it Jedi - n. a member of the mystical knightly order in the Star Wars films, trained to guard peace and justice in the Universe clause - n. A part of a sentence that has its own subject and verb phrase - n. a group of two or more words that express a single idea but do not usually form a complete sentence luminous - adj. producing or seeming to produce light crude - adj. Very simple and basic standard - adj. accepted and used by most of the educated speakers and writers of a language modal verb - n. a verb  that is usually used with another verb to express ideas such as possibility, necessity, and permission auxiliary verb - n. a verb that is used with another verb to show the verb's tense, to form a question, or to do something else dialogue - n. the things that are said by the characters in a story, movie or play  

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/the-grammar-of-star-wars/5406733.html

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source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08ck03f

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source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08c7td2

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New Entry: 'LYSAAF' has just been added to the Chatlish area of UsingEnglish.com. This entry is only available in our members' area.

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New Entry: 'LYLAS' has just been added to the Chatlish area of UsingEnglish.com. This entry is only available in our members' area.

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New Entry: 'LYLAB' has just been added to the Chatlish area of UsingEnglish.com. This entry is only available in our members' area.

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New Entry: 'Subject Question Discussion Activities' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.

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New Entry: 'Subject Question Trivia Quizzes' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.

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source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/the-800-core-words-and-phrases-2-core-words-how-to-say-today-minute-and-more

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