Confused about confusing language?

How do you know when something is confused or confusing? When the movie wasn't so great,
was I bored or boring? Does it make a difference if I tell my friend he's annoyed or annoying?
It does. And there is an easy way to know which one to choose.
Words that end with -ed- talk about a person's feelings.
Examples:
1. Adam was so bored on his date. He really wanted to leave.
2. Sarah was annoyed with her employee. This employee was always late.
3. Omar was confused about the new rules. They were very complicated.
4. The children were excited about the school trip.
5. Melanie was surprised to get a gift.
6. The class was interested in the game.
*************
-Words that end with -ing, however, talk about the situation or thing that cause a person's
feelings.
Examples:
1. The date was really boring. Adam wanted to leave.
2. The employee was annoying. He was always late.
3. The rules were confusing. They were complicated.
4. The school trip was exciting.
5. The gift was surprising.
6. The game was interesting.



Have: Simple or Continuous?

Some verbs are never used in the continuous form. For example: like, want, need, believe, know:
Wrong: Im knowing how to cook.
Right: I know how to cook.

Note: The word have is a special case. Sometimes it can be continuous, and sometimes it cant.

*Have for possession is never continuous
E.g:
-I have a car now. (Not I 'm having a car now.)
-Do you have a computer? (Not are you having a computer?)
-She has two brothers. (Not she is having two brothers.)
-Sarah had the flu last week. Not Sarah was having the flu...)
-We had a dog 10 years ago. Not we were having a dog 10 years ago)

*Have in expressions can be continuous
E.g:
- While I was having dinner with some freinds last night, I saw my teacher.
-Are you having a good time on vacation?
-Were having breakfast right now.
-Shes having a baby in November.
-Theyre having a bad day.



* MUCH, MANY and A LOT: *

"Much", "many", and "a lot of" indicate a large quantity of something, for example "I have a lot of
friends " means I have a large quantity of friends.

Much, many, and a lot are quantifiers.
In the interrogative forms we use:

Much with uncountable nouns. (money, bread, water...)

Example:

How much money/bread/water...is there?
many with countable nouns. (students, desks, windows...)

Example:

How many students/teachers/desks... are there?
(See the lesson on countable and countable nouns )

In the negative forms we use:

much with uncountable nouns. (money, bread, water...)

Example:

I haven't got much money/bread/water...
many with countable nouns. (students, desks, windows...)

Example:

There aren't many students/teachers/desks...

In the affirmative forms:

In spoken English and informal writing we tend to use:

a lot, a lot of, lots of with countable and uncountable nouns.

Example:

"How many students are there in the classroom?"
"There are a lot."
"How many students are there in the classroom?"
"There are a lot of / lots of students"..

In formal written English:

It is also possible (and preferable) to use many and much rather than a lot of, lots of and a lot in
formal written English.

Example:

There are many students.
Much time was spent on studying.
So if you're speaking or writing to friends (informal), use a lot, a lot of, lots of. But if you want to
be more formal, perhaps it is preferable to use much and many.

Remember:

In affirmative sentences with so, as or too, we also use much / many.

Examples:

"Carla has so many friends."
"She has as many friends as Sue."
"Kevin has too much money."

Study the examples below:

1. How much money have you got?
- I haven't got much money.
- I have got a lot.
- I have got a lot of money.

2. How many students are in the classroom?
- There aren't many.
- There are a lot.
- There are a lot of / lots of students.


Misused Forms

1-The same as/same that.
Don't say: Amelia bought the same bag that me.
Say: Amelia bought the same bag as me.
After the same we use as unless it's followed by a subordinate clause, in which case we use that,
or omit it.
E.g: David ordered the same meal that he ordered before.
Note: Sometimes we use that instead of who or which after same. E.g: He wore the same domes
that he wore on Sunday.

2-Using one other instead of another.
Don't say: Please give me one other book.
Say: Please give me another book.
Another is formed from an and other, but instead of being written an other it's written as one
word another.

3-Using home instead of at home.
Don't say: In the afternoon I stay home.
Say: In the afternoon I stay at home.
Note: Use the phrase at home to mean inn the house. With verbs as come or go no preposition is
necessary
E.g: He wants to go home

4-Mixing up one form of the verb with another.
Don't say: It's better to enjoy yourself when you're young rather than wasting time worrying
about the future.
Say: It's better to enjoy yourself when you're young than to waste time worrying about the future.
Don't mix one form of the verb with another. If the first verb in a comparison is in the infinitive,
the second must also be in the infinitive.

5-Using one time or two times instead of once or twice.
Don't say: I was absent one time or two times.
Say: I was absent once or twice.
Note: Use once and twice instead of one time and t wo times

6-Using one and a half, instead of half past one, etc.
Don't say: Lessons begin at eight and a half.
Say: Lessons begin at half past eight.
Note:in tellingg time , say half past one, half past two, half past three.. ect

7-Poetry for Poem.
Don't say: I have a poetry to learn by heart.
Say: I have a poem to learn by heart.
Note: Poetry is the form of literature dealing with poems. A poem is one piece of poetry.





WORTH SHARING

READ IT

Q. How can you drop a raw egg onto a concrete floor without cracking it?
A. Concrete floors are very hard to crack! (UPSC Topper)

Q. If it took eight men ten hours to build a wall, how long would it take four men to build it?
A. No time at all it is already built. (UPSC 23rd Rank Opted for IFS)

Q. If you had three apples and four oranges in one hand and four apples and three oranges in the
other hand, what would you have?
A. Very large hands. (Good one) (UPSC 11 Rank Opted for IPS)

Q. How can you lift an elephant with one hand?
A. you will never find an elephant with one hand. (UPSC Rank 14 Opted for IES)

Q. How can a man go eight days without sleep?
A. No Probs, He sleeps at night. (UPSC IAS Rank 98)

Q. If you throw a red stone into the blue sea what it will become?
A. It will Wet or Sink as simple as that. (UPSC IAS Rank 2)

Q. What looks like half apple ?
A: The other half. (UPSC - IAS Topper )

Q. What can you never eat for breakfast?
A: Dinner.

Q. Bay of Bengal is in which state?
A: Liquid (UPSC 33 Rank)

Interviewer said "I shall either ask you ten easy questions or one really difficult question. Think
well before you make up your mind!" The boy thought for a while and said, "my choice is one
really difficult question." "Well, good luck to you, you have made your own choice! Now tell me
this.
"What comes first, Day or Night?"
The boy was jolted into reality as his admission depends on the correctness of his answer, but he
thought for a while and said, "It's the DAY sir!"
"How" the interviewer asked.
"Sorry sir, you promised me that you will not ask me a SECOND difficult question!"
He was selected for IIM!

Technical Skill is the mastery of complexity, while Creativity is the master of presence of mind.
This is a famous paper written for an Oxford philosophy exam, normally requiring an eight page
essay answer and expected to be backed up with source material, quotes and analytical reasoning.
This guy wrote the below answer and topped the exam!

OXFORD EXAMINATION BOARD 1987, ESSAY QUESTION
Question: What is courage? (50 Marks)
Answer: (After 7 blank pages, at the end of the last page)



Classroom Vocabulary

*Brainstorm: to collectively or individually think of as many ideas about a certain topic as possible
e.g: If we all brainstorm, Im sure that we can think of something.

*Back out of: to decide not to do something that was originally arranged e.g: Im going to have
toback out ofit tonight, I have too much homework.

*Carry on with: to continue to do something e.g: We should carry on with our readings.

*Catch up: to work harder in order to make up lost time and be at the same place as another
person e.g: I will have to read all night to catch up to the rest of the class.

*Come up with:to create an idea e.g: I came up with the idea for the essay while on the
subway.

*Cram: to study last minute, almost desperately; often done the night before a test e.g: "I've
been focusing so much on my other exams that I'll have tocramfor my last one."

*Fail: to flunk; to not receive at least 50% as a grade on an assignment or class; to not meet
expectations e.g: I think Im going tofailthe mid-term test.

*Pop Quiz: a surprise test, often only a small percentage of your grade e.g: "When the prof said
'Clear off your desk and take out a blank piece of paper', I knew we were having a pop quiz."

*To skip (1): to leave out or omit something e.g: Lets skip this chapter.
*To skip (2): deliberately not going to class e.g: Lets not go today, lets skip. (Skipping is bad.
You should never do it.)

*Study group: a group of people that work together on a project or for the purpose of helping
each other prepare for a test e.g: "Would you like to be part of astudy groupI've formed to
prepare for the final exam?"