Future perfect tense -- let’s use it!

Having goals and to-do lists help keep us on track (progressing properly). Depending on how organized you are, you could have every minute of your life planned out. I’m not that way but I think I’m pretty efficient.

We can speculate about our futures using the future perfect tense. Though used in only a few situations, it’s helpful to know. Besides, it has a simple formula: will + have + the past participle




For example:
will have seen
will have worked
will have traveled
will have known (someone)

So think about your life right now, and then think of a point in the future and your expected activity in between those two periods.

The future perfect is used when an action will be complete at a specific time in the future, but we don’t know exactly when. For this we need a future time period (often beginning with “by”).

By January 2017, Barack Obama “will have served” eight years as President of the United States.

By July 25 Lucy and Ricky “will have known” each other for 20 years.

By the end of the evening, Claudia “will have finished” the novel.

By the end of today, you “will have improved” your English.

Intensifiers intensify!

When you’re speaking informally, telling a story, for example, using intensifiers in everyday speech gives force or emphasis to the details. An intensifier is a type of adverb that enhances adjectives and adverbs. In English, they come before the words they modify. Look at this example:

I’m sorry.
I’m “really” sorry.
I’m “very” sorry.
I’m “so” sorry.
I’m “quite” sorry.
I’m “extremely” sorry.
I’m “awfully” sorry.

OR

Jean dances well.
Jean dances “very” well.
Jean dances “extremely” well.
Jean dances “pretty” well.
Jean dances “so” well.
Jean dances “quite” well.
Jean dances “fairly” well.
Jean dances “rather” well.
Jean dances “awfully” well.
Jean’s dancing is “absolutely” amazing.
Jean’s dancing is “pretty” amazing.
Jean’s dancing is “so” amazing.

Common intensifiers in everyday speech include so, really, very, quite, extremely, absolutely, strongly, pretty, fairly, rather, a little, just, too, and more.

It's “quite” humid today.
Blair is “too” sarcastic.
Marco is “really” busy on Mondays.
Kathy is my “very” best friend.
Andrea is a “little” tired today.
Kurt “just” got a brand new car.
I know her “fairly” well.
It's “extremely” windy outside.
You're “absolutely” right!
The traffic is “rather” noisy.
I was a “little” nervous before my wedding.
That was a “pretty” tasty burger.


Pretty may seem like an unusual intensifier but it’s very common. Pretty means attractive but it’s also an informal adverb meaning “to a moderately high degree; fairly.”

It’s “pretty” good ice cream but I’ve tasted better.
Danny is “pretty” smart. I think he’ll do well at the university.
I’m “pretty” sure I’ll accept the job but I need to think about it over the weekend.

I hope this post was extremely helpful :)

Confusing words: high or tall?

High and tall are adjectives that refer to vertical height, but they are usually not interchangeable even though they are very similar. Here's how to use them correctly:




1. Tall is mainly used for things that are narrower or thinner than they are high: tall people, tall trees, tall buildings, tall glasses, tall ladders.

2. We prefer to use high for things that are very wide: high mountains, high walls, high fences.

3. We also use high for things that are out of our reach, or far above the ground: a high branch, a high shelf, high clouds, a high ceiling.

4. When measuring something we use tall for people, but usually high for objects.

- Flavia is 162 cm tall.
- The heels on her shoes are at least 10 cm high. Wow!

- Redwood trees, native to California and Oregon, are the tallest trees in the world. An average redwood tree can grow up to 91 meters high (measurement).


How tall are you?

Interjections

Wow, here is something easy: interjections.

Hi

Hey

Oh

Ouch



Some interjections are sounds:

Ah

Mmmmm

Ugh


There are interjections used as introductory expressions:

Yes

No

Indeed

Well

Interjections are words used to express a strong feeling or sudden emotion. They are usually included at the beginning of a sentence to express a feeling such as surprise, disgust, joy, excitement or enthusiasm. We use interjections quite often, generally more in speaking than in writing.

Wow, this is a great post!

Effect and Affect

In the journalism school at my university, excellent grammar was a requirement for admission. Before attending any class, passing a grammar usage test was a prerequisite (a necessity). If you failed, you had to seek another major course of study. Surprisingly, in one of my journalism courses, my professor had to take a moment to explain the difference between effect and affect because so many of his students used these words incorrectly. Even though everyone had passed the grammar usage test, they still couldn't remember when to use effect and affect. To avoid any future confusion, I will clarify their uses:

Effect is a noun ---> a result or consequence
Affect is a verb ---> to influence, impact

- The drug affected (verb) the patient. The effect (noun) was pain relief.
- Rain has no effect (noun) on Darla's hair but the damp air affects (verb) her bones.
- The sun affects (verb) my skin. The effect (noun) is sunburn.


Affect, the verb, has a second meaning ---> to touch the feelings or emotions (of someone)

- Katie is always affected by love stories.
- Memories of war still affect many soldiers when they return home.


My professor would be very proud of you :)

Common confusion: when NOT to use definite articles

The is a definite article and also the most frequently used word in English. We use definite articles in front of nouns when referring to specific things or things already mentioned. For example:




The brightest star in the sky is Sirius. (specific star)
The new pope is from Argentina. (specific pope)
The Pacific Ocean is great for surfing. (specific ocean)

The title of this post is when not to use a definite article, so when is that? I highlight this question because many English learners use the too much, when it's not needed, especially when they're referring to a general, non-specific group.

We don't use definite articles with general categories.

- Mary is terrified by snakes. (not the snakes)
- Judy is allergic to flowers (flowers in general, not specific flowers).
- Mosquitoes are annoying. (not the mosquitoes)

Even though the is the most frequently used word in the English language, it's also beneficial knowing when not to use it. Be aware of this difference and you'll sound like a natural, native speaker.

Compound Adjectives

The richness of your vocabulary combined with an effective use of adjectives and adverbs creates descriptive imagery when speaking or writing. One unrestricted way to enhance this ability is through the use of compound adjectives.

- Carlo didn't know it but he was swimming in crocodile-infested waters.

By definition, a compound adjective is an adjective that contains two or more words. In general we put a hyphen between two or more words (before a noun) when we want them to act as a single idea that describes something. In the sentence above, crocodile-infested is used to describe the kind of water Carlo was swimming in. We use a hyphen to connect the word crocodile with infested to show that it is one adjective (or one idea).

So, how do you correctly form compound adjectives?

1) Compound adjectives with numbers
The easiest compound adjectives to recognize are the ones which include numbers: two-car garage, seven-day forecast, 250-page thesis

2) Unlimited combinations are possible. Here are suggested patterns:

a. Adj / adv / noun + present participle (good-looking, hard-working, record-breaking, for example)

b. noun + past participle (tongue-tied, doctor-approved, sun-dried, for example)

c. noun + adjective (worry-free, caffeine-free, world-famous)

d. adj + noun (deep-sea, full-length, last-minute)




Two things to note:

1) Don't use a hyphen when combining an adverb and an adjective, or two adjectives together. This does not create a compound adjective. No hyphen is required because it is already clear that the adverb/adjective modifies the adjective rather than the noun.

- It's a very humid day today. (adverb followed by an adjective)
- I fed my gentle old horse some ripe red apples. (adjective followed by an adjective - If you can use the word “and” between the two adjectives, then a hyphen isn't necessary.)

2) As a general rule, the words in a compound adjective are hyphenated when they come before a noun (a densely-populated city) but not when they come after (New York City is densely populated.)



I hope you have benefited from this information-filled post.

Few or Little

When talking about quantities, whether to use few or little might be unclear, but not after reading this blog post. Let’s get it right! Actually it’s just a matter of countable or uncountable nouns.

In a previous post I clarified the difference between fewer and less because it's a common confusion. So now let's look at few and little:

Once again, we have the uncountable nouns which we use with a little or little in the singular form.

Would you like a little ice in your Coke?
There is little time between flights.

We use a few or few for countable nouns in the plural form.

Do you have a few minutes to help me set up my new computer?
The concert was canceled because few tickets were sold.


A little and a few express a positive meaning while little and few convey a negative meaning.

I have a little cheese left. Would you like some? - positive
I have a few grapes to eat with the cheese. - positive


There is little wine left in the bottle. - negative
Carlo has few friends in the city. - negative

Interested in

How do you know which prepositions go with certain words? Sometimes it's hard to remember their combinations. Depend on is one of those phrases and interested in is another. In always follows interested for the common phrase, interested in, to indicate your curiosity or concern about something or someone.

Interested in is followed by a noun and, if your focus is an activity, this noun should be in the form of a gerund (a verb form that functions as a noun).


Monty has been interested in horses since he was a child. (noun = horses)
Jack is interested in French cuisine. (noun = French cuisine)
Federica is interested in kickboxing. (noun = kickboxing)

Nic is interested in becoming a professional tennis player. (gerund = becoming)
NASA is interested in exploring other galaxies. (gerund = exploring)
John is interested in flying jets. (gerund = flying)

I am interested in improving your English!

How + adjective questions

There is a certain way to ask questions when you want to know the amount, level, or extent of something or someone's qualities, and it's an easy questions to form:
How + adjective

How + talented is David's sister?
How + long is a Boeing 747?
How + old is Charlie Brown?
How + dry is the Sonoran Desert?

When speaking of height for people, never use high as the descriptive adjective.
Instead we use How + tall is...? How + short is...?

How tall is Paul McCartney?
How high is Mt. Everest?
How short is Tom Cruise?

How + smart are you after reading this post? Very!

Being Forceful

Strong, assertive, and powerful are words that describe a forceful person. This could be your boss, a parent, spouse, teacher, any authority figure, perhaps you! So how do you describe these forceful actions when speaking English?

Certain verbs are used to say that a person is forced to or made to do something  (make, force, have, get).

My boss made me work until 10 p.m.

The thief forced Carlo to hand over all his money.

David had the barber cut his hair.

I finally got her to see my side of the story.

These words can be divided into two groups: some of the words need "to" (the infinitive), but others don't. For example,

+ verb (without infinitive)

make [SOMEONE] do

have [SOMEONE] do
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
+ to verb (infinitive)

force [SOMEONE] to do

get [SOMEONE] to do

Our coach makes us practice on Sunday. Our coach forces us to practice on Sunday.

The customer had the waiter bring a menu. The customer got the waiter to bring a menu.

Obviously some situations don't require extreme force, merely a mild request. Can I get you to determine which is which in the above examples?

All about the subject: reflexive pronouns

An easy way to use reflexive pronouns correctly is by remembering that they reflect back to the subject, just like a mirror, so in a sentence the subject and object are the same. For example,

Mattia enjoyed himself at the concert. (Not Mattia enjoyed at the concert.)

Roberto cut himself while shaving. (Not Roberto cut while shaving.)

Andrea taught himself how to play the piano. (Not Andrea taught how to play the piano.)

Singular reflexive pronouns are myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself and plural reflexive pronouns are ourselves, yourselves, themselves.

Remember that a reflexive pronoun is the object of a sentence, not the subject, so try not to make this mistake:

(Incorrect) Debbie and myself arrived late for class.

(Correct) Debbie and I arrived late for class.

A reflexive pronoun bounces back to the subject of the sentence. It’s something to think about as you admire yourself in the mirror.

A Flock of Seagulls

Do you remember the New Wave band from the 1980’s called A Flock of Seagulls? It’s their name that interests me, not their music, because specific groups of animals (like seagulls) are one example of collective nouns.

A collective noun is, simply, a group. If you have a particular group, there usually is a specific name for it. Of course, you can use the word ‘group’ to describe any collection of people or things (such as, a group of students, a group of dogs, a group of ships) but how boring, uninteresting, and mundane is that?! Get specific with collective nouns and become a colorful speaker instead of a dull one.

Groups of animals: army of ants, swarm of bees, pack of dogs, herd of elephants, and more.

Groups of people: team, audience, crowd, family, army, class, committee, department, jury, troupe, and more.

Groups of things: pad of paper, box of crayons, bouquet of flowers, galaxy of stars, range of mountains, cloud of dust, and more.

Fewer or Less?

When talking about quantities, whether to use fewer or less might be unclear, but not after reading this blog post. Let’s get it right! Actually it’s just a matter of countable or uncountable nouns.

Use fewer if you’re referring to people or things in the plural form that can be counted (for example: monkeys, airplanes, iPhones, singers, problems).

Use less for something that can’t be counted or doesn’t have a plural (for example: happiness, butter, money, electricity, information).

Example: David thinks he’ll have fewer problems if he wins the lottery but he could also have less happiness.

Common mistake: comparatives

Who doesn’t make mistakes? We all do, and it’s the norm when learning a new language. Just expect to make mistakes, move on, and don’t worry about it. Part of my blog is devoted to simplifying your life by correcting common English errors so let’s focus on one: the comparative form.

Incorrect: It is more hot today.


Correct: It is hotter today.

Although adding the word more before an adjective seems to make sense when comparing two things, it’s not always correct in English. Generally, comparatives are formed using -er but, if an adjective is two syllables or more and doesn’t end with a ‘y’, use ‘more’ before the adjective.

Examples of adjective that follow this rule are modern (more modern), interesting (more interesting), beautiful (more beautiful), and so on. Can you think of any others?

Calendars and Capital Letters

We all follow the same calendar to arrange our daily lives. Some countries, however, don't capitalize months or days when written but it's mandatory in written English. Always capitalize days of the week and months of the year when you write in English.

Also, Sunday (not Monday) is the first day of the week. The week begins on Sunday.

Knowing these small, simple rules will make you more credible as you use the language. You can do it!

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday

January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

Ask Whom?

It’s natural to translate as you speak when you’re learning a new language but, sometimes, a direct translation is a trap that leads to mistakes in English. Go to home is an example. (It’s go home).

Another possible trap is ask to. In conversation I often hear people say, "I asked to my coworker...", or "I’ll ask to my friend....." No need to ask to, just ask!

I asked my coworker.... I’ll ask my friend. Eliminate to when you talk about asking. (If you have any problems, simply ask me).

I’m a people person!

A people person is a person who likes people or is good at interacting with others. They’re sociable and friendly, but that’s not why I’m writing this post today. My only purpose is to clarify that the word people is plural, not singular. People are, not people is.

Are you a people person?

You can depend on me

Sometimes it’s hard to know which preposition goes with certain words, and depend is one of those words. On always follows depend for the common phrase, depend on, meaning rely on or determined by.

The homeless man depends on his daily free meal from the Salvation Army.

Marco’s job promotion depended on several factors.

You can depend on me to enhance your English speaking.

What are you going to do?

You were probably taught that will indicates the future tense in English but that’s really not true in most cases. Surprising, isn’t it? We often use the present continuous form or 'going to' when talking about future events when a plan or intention exists, or when you have evidence of something.

It’s Sunday night. What are your plans for Monday? ---> I’m working on Monday (the plan).

You won the lottery. What are you going to do with the money? ---> I’m going to buy a yacht (your intention).

The sky is grey and dark. What’s the weather? ---> It’s going to rain (prediction based on evidence).

So, when is will used?

When you have no plan before speaking, a spontaneous comment:

I need a ride because my car is at the mechanic. --- > I’ll drive you (a spontaneous offer-no plan).

For a prediction (without any evidence):

The fortune teller said I will meet a tall, dark stranger (their prediction based on no evidence).

With the verb BE:

The verb be is an exception with will. Even when we have a very firm plan, and we are not speaking spontaneously, we can use will with be.

I will be late for the party.

Angelo will be in London tomorrow.

Katia will be in Egypt for five days.

Will isn’t used as often as you think it is.