Hi everybody! There's a new podcast that explains how to use the definite and indefinite articles (a an the) in English speech. Essentially, a and an are indefinite articles, used when you are talking about something but not a specific something: "A train" or "an ice cream cone."
You use a when the thing you are referring to starts with a consonant and an when it starts with a vowel. "A box of donuts." "An osprey."
(An osprey is a kind of bird, similar to a hawk.)
You use the when you are talking about one specific thing out of many--"the osprey that we saw in the moonlight last night" or "the box of donuts we got from Dunkin Donuts the morning of the test."
That's the general idea. As with all my podcasts, I hope you enjoy this one. If you'd like to reach me, remember that I offer a free telephone consult and a free trial lesson. Give me a call at (732) 618-4135 to get your free consult and free trial lesson today!
I've added a tip jar to this blog. If you find these podcasts at all useful, won't you show your support by bestowing some of the old gelt on the man who writes it, whose picture is on it, and who takes the time to do it when he could just as easily be wandering a beach in Bora Bora with a metal detector and a sand scoop...
Next time: Video for the Blogshack
Monday, February 14, 2011
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Major American football game this week if you live in the Northeast. The New York Jets vs the New England Patriots. People have parties with "buffalo wings"--chicken wings baked in hot sauce, which they dip in bleu cheese and then eat celery to cool their mouths.
At football parties we eat tortilla chips dipped in "layer dip", and "onion dip"--Lipton onion soup mix mixed with sour cream. We order out pizza and "subs"--huge sandwiches with meat, cheese, dressing, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, oregano, salt, and hot peppers. In America, pizzerias will usually deliver pizza and subs to your house. You should tip the delivery person--three or four dollars is appropriate for a party order. The delivery person makes part of his living from tips; he is only paid a small wage by the pizzeria that employs him.
At football parties we watch our teams and cheer them on--for the jets the cheer is "J-E-T-S! JETS JETS JETS JETS!"
Here's video of "Fireman Ed"--an unofficial Jets mascot leading fans in a Jets cheer.
Some people even have home theaters with huge television screens where they watch the games. We drink beer--Heinekin, Budweiser, or Coors are good brands.
We also have a tradition in this country of "tailgating" at American style football games. "Tailgating" is when fans of a team gather in the parking lot of the stadium before a game and set up huge grills and portable cookers and cook chile, hot fries, ribs, po' boys, crab sandwiches, barbecued chicken--everything and anything goes at a tailgate party. It's rowdy and raucous--a place to really let down your hair. (To "let down your hair" means to get rowdy and act wild). Tailgate parties often involve competitions for the hottest chili or the best ribs.
Tailgating got its name because of the "tailgate" of a pickup truck--people would drive their pickup trucks to the game and put their cookers and food and everything in the bed and sit on or serve food on the lowered tailgate. Tailgate parties are a great time for fans to meet up with each other and generally enjoy the camaraderie of their fellow team lovers.
Note: if you ever go to a tailgate party, you are expected to bring some kind of food yourself--meat is best but if you can't, a selection of dips, salsas and *plenty* of chips and drinks will do. You have to remember that you are feeding a *huge* number of people. It's also a good idea to bring beer--but be *careful* who you give it to. In America, the drinking age is 21 and it is ILLEGAL to provide alcohol to anyone under that age, and the consequences are SERIOUS.
All right? LETS GO JETS!
(The Jets are winning the game going on right now Sunday evening...if they go all the way to the Super Bowl at the end of January it will be their first time since 1969. Jets fans used to be referred to as "long suffering"--the Jets were famous for opening the season big and then falling apart. No more. Last year they made it all the way to the conference championships, one game before the Super Bowl. This year it is conceivable that they could go all the way and maybe even win it.)
All right? All right? Catch you later! LETS GO JETS! ;-)
At football parties we eat tortilla chips dipped in "layer dip", and "onion dip"--Lipton onion soup mix mixed with sour cream. We order out pizza and "subs"--huge sandwiches with meat, cheese, dressing, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, oregano, salt, and hot peppers. In America, pizzerias will usually deliver pizza and subs to your house. You should tip the delivery person--three or four dollars is appropriate for a party order. The delivery person makes part of his living from tips; he is only paid a small wage by the pizzeria that employs him.
At football parties we watch our teams and cheer them on--for the jets the cheer is "J-E-T-S! JETS JETS JETS JETS!"
Here's video of "Fireman Ed"--an unofficial Jets mascot leading fans in a Jets cheer.
Some people even have home theaters with huge television screens where they watch the games. We drink beer--Heinekin, Budweiser, or Coors are good brands.
We also have a tradition in this country of "tailgating" at American style football games. "Tailgating" is when fans of a team gather in the parking lot of the stadium before a game and set up huge grills and portable cookers and cook chile, hot fries, ribs, po' boys, crab sandwiches, barbecued chicken--everything and anything goes at a tailgate party. It's rowdy and raucous--a place to really let down your hair. (To "let down your hair" means to get rowdy and act wild). Tailgate parties often involve competitions for the hottest chili or the best ribs.
Tailgating got its name because of the "tailgate" of a pickup truck--people would drive their pickup trucks to the game and put their cookers and food and everything in the bed and sit on or serve food on the lowered tailgate. Tailgate parties are a great time for fans to meet up with each other and generally enjoy the camaraderie of their fellow team lovers.
Note: if you ever go to a tailgate party, you are expected to bring some kind of food yourself--meat is best but if you can't, a selection of dips, salsas and *plenty* of chips and drinks will do. You have to remember that you are feeding a *huge* number of people. It's also a good idea to bring beer--but be *careful* who you give it to. In America, the drinking age is 21 and it is ILLEGAL to provide alcohol to anyone under that age, and the consequences are SERIOUS.
All right? LETS GO JETS!
(The Jets are winning the game going on right now Sunday evening...if they go all the way to the Super Bowl at the end of January it will be their first time since 1969. Jets fans used to be referred to as "long suffering"--the Jets were famous for opening the season big and then falling apart. No more. Last year they made it all the way to the conference championships, one game before the Super Bowl. This year it is conceivable that they could go all the way and maybe even win it.)
All right? All right? Catch you later! LETS GO JETS! ;-)
Monday, January 10, 2011
How to get your snow shoveled or your car shoveled out...
In America, particularly on the East Coast, it snows a *lot*. If you are from India or Southeast Asia, or somewhere tropical and warm, you might not be used to the snow or know how to handle it. What do you do when your car gets stuck and you can't go anywhere?
Remember how I mentioned a few posts back that kids sometimes in the fall will go around the neighborhood seeking small chores?
Well, often in the winter those same enterprising kids come to shovel cars out. Now, this is a situation where you *must* not bargain or try to get the job done inexpensively. In this situation, the kids have the upper hand and here's the reason: There's plenty of work--if they can't work with you on price they'll leave you stuck and go somewhere else. People get desperate in the snow, when they can't go anywhere.
The going rate in NJ is about $30-35 to shovel out a car so it can move on to the road--in other words, to get it completely unstuck from the snow. Driveways are more expensive--between $50 and $80. Bear in mind that the kids work quickly and the work is backbreaking.
If you hire a crew of two or more kids, then the going rate is $20-25 per person, flat rate for a car or $40 per person or so for a driveway. What you are paying for is speed. A three man crew should have a car completely unstuck and a parking space carved out and able to move in half an hour or less. It's in their best interests to move fast--their goal is to move from job to job to make as much money as possible.
DO NOT hire a crew or a worker and then attempt to pay by check. First of all, most kids can't cash a check--they have no ID and no bank account. This kind of work is ALWAYS paid for in cash.
All right? That's how that works. Kids are taught from an early age in America that if they want money or anything else, they have to be willing to work for it. SO they work for it. However, if you live in a wealthy neighborhood, the kids might not come shoveling because they don't need to. It depends on the circumstances.
Remember how I mentioned a few posts back that kids sometimes in the fall will go around the neighborhood seeking small chores?
Well, often in the winter those same enterprising kids come to shovel cars out. Now, this is a situation where you *must* not bargain or try to get the job done inexpensively. In this situation, the kids have the upper hand and here's the reason: There's plenty of work--if they can't work with you on price they'll leave you stuck and go somewhere else. People get desperate in the snow, when they can't go anywhere.
The going rate in NJ is about $30-35 to shovel out a car so it can move on to the road--in other words, to get it completely unstuck from the snow. Driveways are more expensive--between $50 and $80. Bear in mind that the kids work quickly and the work is backbreaking.
If you hire a crew of two or more kids, then the going rate is $20-25 per person, flat rate for a car or $40 per person or so for a driveway. What you are paying for is speed. A three man crew should have a car completely unstuck and a parking space carved out and able to move in half an hour or less. It's in their best interests to move fast--their goal is to move from job to job to make as much money as possible.
DO NOT hire a crew or a worker and then attempt to pay by check. First of all, most kids can't cash a check--they have no ID and no bank account. This kind of work is ALWAYS paid for in cash.
All right? That's how that works. Kids are taught from an early age in America that if they want money or anything else, they have to be willing to work for it. SO they work for it. However, if you live in a wealthy neighborhood, the kids might not come shoveling because they don't need to. It depends on the circumstances.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Hi everybody! Here is a new call widget! Now you can click on the call widget and Google will connect you with me for nothing! (Your cell carrier may charge you for time, though).
Try it! Give me a call! Schedule some lessons for Christmas, Diwali, or for the New Year! Improve your English! Make yourself better than what you were--better positioned in America to do business, interact with customers, talk to clients, make presentations, get along at work, live comfortably in America! You CAN do it! I believe in you! Give me a call!
Happy Christmas,
Dave
Try it! Give me a call! Schedule some lessons for Christmas, Diwali, or for the New Year! Improve your English! Make yourself better than what you were--better positioned in America to do business, interact with customers, talk to clients, make presentations, get along at work, live comfortably in America! You CAN do it! I believe in you! Give me a call!
Happy Christmas,
Dave
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Hi everybody! There's a great new podcast up over on the right hand side of this blog. The podcast deals with intonation. Intonation refers to the way American English native speakers indicate emotion when they speak. It's a very important part of understanding and expressing yourself with American English.
Essentially, American speakers indicate emotion by stressing certain words within a sentence and changing the musical pitch of parts of a given sentence. Sometimes an American will speak part of a sentence in a higher pitched voice than other parts. Unlike Mandarin Chinese speakers, who change pitch to change the word used, an American speaker changes pitch to change conveyed emotion. It's the difference between what is said directly in words and what is said "between the lines" or indicated without using words.
The podcast explains a basic rule of intonation, which is to emphasize the important words in a sentence. There are some examples. Give it a listen, and remember, if you have any questions or want to call me for your free phone consult and to set up a free trial lesson, give me a call at (732) 618-4135. Hope everyone is enjoying this moody, rainy day!
Essentially, American speakers indicate emotion by stressing certain words within a sentence and changing the musical pitch of parts of a given sentence. Sometimes an American will speak part of a sentence in a higher pitched voice than other parts. Unlike Mandarin Chinese speakers, who change pitch to change the word used, an American speaker changes pitch to change conveyed emotion. It's the difference between what is said directly in words and what is said "between the lines" or indicated without using words.
The podcast explains a basic rule of intonation, which is to emphasize the important words in a sentence. There are some examples. Give it a listen, and remember, if you have any questions or want to call me for your free phone consult and to set up a free trial lesson, give me a call at (732) 618-4135. Hope everyone is enjoying this moody, rainy day!
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Lost my cell phone...
Hi everybody. It's Wednesday, December 1, 2010. I seem to have lost my cell phone; I think it slipped out of my pocket when I was getting out of a taxi. That'll teach me to use a holster!
If you need to reach me in the next couple of days, you can do so at (732) 841-2969. I will be reachable at that number until Thursday night, December 2nd, around 8 PM or so. Since I am off contract with my old cell carrier, I now have to decide what I want to do for a phone and cell service. I'll post my new number sometime over the course of the next week, as this issue gets resolved.
Other than that, email communications are best. My email address is david.berlin.esl@gmail.com. Thank you for your understanding of this matter.
Onward! Life goes on!
If you need to reach me in the next couple of days, you can do so at (732) 841-2969. I will be reachable at that number until Thursday night, December 2nd, around 8 PM or so. Since I am off contract with my old cell carrier, I now have to decide what I want to do for a phone and cell service. I'll post my new number sometime over the course of the next week, as this issue gets resolved.
Other than that, email communications are best. My email address is david.berlin.esl@gmail.com. Thank you for your understanding of this matter.
Onward! Life goes on!
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