Two Recommended Websites For General English Practice

As I mentioned a while ago, I often have my students complete practice logs. It's a good way to encourage them to practice, and it's also a good way for me to find new language-learning resources that I can pass on to other students. 

This week my student Henry included two good websites in his practice log, and I wanted to mention them here. 

The first is apparently called Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab (although the URL is simply "esl-lab.com," which seems much easier). As the name indicates, it's got a lot of listening exercises with audio, partial scripts, quizzes, and vocabulary highlights. It's even got cultural tips in some of the sections, so the site is pretty great. The topics are very diverse, from pizza delivery to how to behave in a Japanese public bath. There seem to be between 200 and 300 different pages with different topics, and they're conveniently arranged according to difficulty. Check it out!

The second link my student visited was engvid.com. It's also got a self-explanatory name, as it's mainly focused on videos. If you scroll down on the home page, you'll see different topics like business English, grammar, pronunciation, and even my favorite, idioms. The grammar section alone has 105 videos, so there's plenty of material to keep you busy for a while! Check it out, and enjoy!

Thanks for reading, and if you have any additional suggestions for online practice, please leave a comment. Have a great day!

Common Error: "Since" vs. "For"

Good evening, and welcome to Trouble Tuesday! We're back tonight with an error that many students make when talking about things that happened in the past. Let's take a look:

Common Error: "Since" vs. "For"
DON’T say this:	She's lived in San Jose since 15 years. I only have 5 months at my new job.
WHY?	For and Since can both be used to refer to activities that started in the past and continue today, but each word is used a little differently: -Use since if you mention when the activity started. -Use for if you mention the period of time that has passed or will pass. The second incorrect example above is wrong because you can generally not "have" time. In this case, you'd have to re-phrase the sentence (see below). Note: Both since and for can generally be used with any tense except the simple present tense.
INSTEAD, SAY THIS:	-"She has lived in San Jose for 15 years."  OR "She has lived in San Jose since 1997." -"I have only been working at my new job for 5 months." OR "I have only been working at my new job since December."

So, this error isn't actually that complicated to fix, right? If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to leave a comment or contact us. Thanks for reading, and have a great day!

Common Error: "Thank God" vs. "Thanks God"

Hello, and welcome again to Mistake Monday! Today's error is small and technically, it's not actually an error some of the time. Still, it could cause some confusion. For example, sometimes my students say, "Thanks God!" To which I just reply, "I'm not God."
Why do I say that? Well, because I'm not God. But there's also a grammatical reason. Let's take a look:

Common Error: "Thanks God" vs. "Thank God"
DON’T say this:	Thanks God that we weren't in that earthquake! "Thanks God!" said Pete when he realized that the quiz was canceled.
WHY?	-As I said above, "Thanks God" isn't actually an error, in the right context. If you're talking directly to God, you could say something like, "Thanks, God, that was great!" -However, most of the time when people use this phrase, it's more of an exhortation (like a command, almost), and in that case, "Thank God" is generally considered correct. -In the same way, people would say, "Praise God!"
INSTEAD, SAY THIS:	-"Thank God we weren't in that earthquake!" -"'Thank God!'" said Pete when he realized the quiz was canceled. -"At church, the pastor could be shouting 'Praise God! Praise God! Praise the Lord!' over and over." "'TGIF' means 'Thank God It's Friday!'" BUT: -"Sean thanks God every day for his health." (Here "thanks" is a third-person verb) -"Thanks, God, for my good health." (If praying, since you'd be talking to God)

So, that's it for today. If you have questions or comments, please leave a comment or contact us. Thanks for reading!

English Link For Teachers, Advanced Learners, and Native Speakers

You may have noticed that someone named AnnaLisa has commented on this blog a few times. AnnaLisa is actually my cousin, and she's also a professional writer and the owner/operator of Sunny Words Writing Services. In connection with that, she also writes the blog Word-wise. The blog deals with writing skills in general, but also deals with common vocabulary, grammar, and punctuation problems that even native speakers confront.

So, it may be a bit difficult if you're just starting to learn English, but if you're a teacher, an intermediate or advanced English learner, or even a native speaker, then check out the site!

Common Error: Confusing "say," "tell," and "speak"

Let's call today "Mistake Monday" and talk about another Common Error!

We've already talked about the eyes (see, watch, look) and earlier today we discussed what we do with our ears (hear and listen). Now let's take a look at words associated with our mouths, namely "say," "tell," and "speak." I notice that my students have trouble with these words, so let's see how we can use them correctly:

Common Error: Confusing "say," "tell," and "speak"
DON’T say this:	Please say me your name. I said him that I couldn't meet for dinner. What did you just tell?
WHY?	-When you use the word “tell,” you usually indicate who is told. There is usually a “personal object”: “Tell me what you’re thinking.” There are a few expressions that can work without the personal object, like “tell the truth,” “tell a lie,” “tell the time,” and “tell the difference,” but you can also add a personal object to all of these, if you want. -The word “say” has almost the same meaning as “tell,” but with “say,” we usually don’t indicate who is told. The word “say” usually comes before a clause, as in: “You didn’t say that you were hungry.” OR “Kiersten said, ‘Hello!’” -“Speak” means to talk formally, and it often uses the words “to” or “with” if a personal object is indicated: “I spoke to John about his bad behavior.” OR “Could you please speak with him to clear up this matter?” Also, speak can indicate language ability: “I don’t speak Japanese.”
INSTEAD, SAY THIS:	-“Could you tell me your name, please?” -“What did you just say?” OR “What did you just tell Mary?” -“I told him that I couldn’t meet him for dinner.” -"What would you say if I told you I was a vampire?" -“She told John that he should stop telling lies about her."

I hope this explanation helps you out! If you have any questions or comments, be sure to write me a message in the comments area. Thanks for reading, and good luck!

Common Error: Confusing "Listen" and "Hear"

We recently talked about see, look, and watch, so today let's move from our eyes to our ears and focus on another common error that language learners make:

Common Error: Confusing "listen" and "hear"
DON’T say this:	I'm sorry, but I wasn't hearing to you. Hear! I think I listen a car coming! Did you listen that noise just now?
WHY?	Much like the difference between "watch," "see," and "look," the difference between "listen" and "hear" has a lot to do with intention: -You naturally hear things; "to hear" is to perceive sounds that reach your ears by using your sense of hearing. You normally don't plan to hear: it's spontaneous. -To hear of/about something means to have knowledge related to that thing. -If you listen, you carefully or continuously hear something. You have to pay attention to listen to something. If you have an object that follows the word "listen," be sure to add the word "to." -Additionally, "listen" can be used as an interjection, but "hear" generally can't.
INSTEAD, SAY THIS:	-"Listen to this music. It'll change your life." -"Sorry, but I didn't hear what you said. I wasn't listening." -"Have you heard about Pete? He got fired for always coming to work late!"

That's it for today. If you have any questions or comments, please tell me!
Thanks for reading!

Common Errors Archive

Here is a list of the Common Errors we've talked about in the blog, in chronological order. I'll continue to update the list as I publish more common errors, and you can always come back to this list by clicking the tab that says "Common Errors" at the top of the blog.

24-Jan-2011: Confusing say, tell, and speak

24-Jan-2011: Confusing listen and hear

18-Jan-2011: Confusing borrow, lend, and loan

24-Dec-2010: Confusing see, look, and watch

12-Dec-2010: Question Word Order

Common Error: Confusing "Borrow," "Lend," and "Loan"

You're in English class taking notes, but you just made a mistake. The girl sitting next to you has an eraser, but you can't remember how to ask her if you can use it. What do you say?

People often misuse the words borrow, lend, and loan. This mistake is not the kind that causes major misunderstanding, but it's still a common error that my students often make. Let's have a look, shall we?

Common Error: Confusing "borrow," "lend," and "loan"
DON’T say this:	Can you borrow me your pen? I am going to see if I can lend some money from Peter.
WHY?	-To borrow something means to take it. -To lend or loan something means to give it to someone. -Additionally, all three words can function as verbs, but only loan can also function as a noun.
INSTEAD, SAY THIS:	-"Could you please lend/loan me your pen?" -"Could I borrow your pen?"

That's it for today. If you have any questions or comments, please tell me!
Thanks for reading!

Writing Tip: Dealing With Run-On Sentences and Comma Splices

Ryan's note: I have noticed that my students often have trouble with writing, and this is one of the most common types of errors I find. I wrote this exercise for a job in the past, and I've been changing it to try to help current students. Please tell me in the comments section if you have any problems with or questions about this exercise.

What are Run-on Sentences and Comma Splices?

If you join two or more complete sentences without using proper punctuation, then we call it a run-on sentence. Run-on sentences can be long or short, but just because a sentence is long, doesn’t mean that it’s a run-on sentence.
A comma splice is similar to a run-on sentence, but with one difference. In a comma splice, two complete sentences are joined by using a comma improperly.

Why are run-on sentences and comma splices a problem in English?

These types of sentences can often cause misunderstandings, and they generally look and even sound bad to a native speaker.

Why are run-on sentences and comma splices a problem for Spanish speakers?

In English, there are different rules for how to properly construct a sentence. In schools in the U.S., children are taught the “K.I.S.S. rule” when writing. That means “Keep It Simple, Stupid!” Even though you can correctly form sentences that are very long, it’s not always a great idea. If your writing is unclear or cumbersome, your readers or clients will lose interest and even possibly complain. Run-on sentences and comma splices are common in English writing by native Spanish speakers.

OK, so how about an example?

Look at the following sentence:

“Paul is a very talented chef he still loves to make simple pizzas.”

This is a run-on sentence because both “Paul loves to make pizza” and “he is a very talented chef” can stand on their own as complete sentences. When you have two independent thoughts like this, you cannot combine them into one sentence without separating them somehow.

Now, look at this very similar example:

“Paul is a very talented chef, he still loves to make simple pizzas.”

This is also incorrect, but in this case it’s technically a comma splice.

How can we identify run-on sentences and comma splices?

Look for sentences that have two subjects, or a subject and a pronoun; these types of sentences are often run-on sentences. Comma splices are often easier to spot than run-on sentences because --obviously-- comma splices contain a comma...or many commas!

How can we fix run-on sentences and comma splices?

When you encounter a run-on sentence or a comma splice, you generally need to separate the sentences into two or more parts.

The five techniques listed below can be used to fix both run-on sentences and comma splices. Depending on what you’re trying to express, you’ll have to see which way works best in each situation.

Technique 1: Divide the run-on sentence into two sentences

This is often the easiest way to fix this problem:

“Paul is a very talented chef. He still loves to make simple pizzas.”

Technique 2: Add a coordinating conjunction
"Coordinating conjunction" is a fancy term for words like and, but, or, for, yet, nor, and so:

“Paul is a very talented chef, but he still loves to make simple pizzas.”

Technique 3: Add a subordinating conjunction
What's the difference between a coordinating conjunction and a subordinating conjunction? Who cares?! Just notice how you can use these words: after, although, before, unless, as, because, even though, if, since, until, when, while, etc.:

“Although Paul is a very talented chef, he still loves to make simple pizzas.”

Technique 4: Use a semi-colon
You can also fix the sentence with a semi-colon and a transitional word (however, moreover, on the other hand, nevertheless, instead, also, therefore, consequently, etc.):

“Paul is a very talented chef; however, he still loves to make simple pizzas.”

Technique 5: Separate the two sentences with a semi-colon
Finally, you can separate the two sentences with a semi-colon, but that's generally not the preferred method (why not simply separate it into two sentences?):

“Paul is a very talented chef; he still loves to make simple pizzas.”

See, doesn't it just seem sort of weird?

Conclusion:
Depending on the circumstances, one method may work better or seem more natural than another. You may have to change a run-on sentence a few times before it sounds good.

Practice Exercises
Run-on Sentences and Comma Splices

The following sentences all are run-on sentences or contain comma splices. Use one of the techniques mentioned today to correct the sentences.

1. Pablo went to Maxi Bodega, he needed to buy a microwave.

2. Americans shake hands when they meet the Japanese bow.

3. The girls watched TV the boys stayed in the kitchen.

4. I want to learn French Yeison wants to learn German.

5. People in Costa Rica say they like peace they don’t want an army.

6. I will make that change to your account, I just need your telephone number, can you hold on while I pull up some information?

7. Last year we went to Greece, it is a beautiful and exotic country.

8. I have many plans for this coming weekend, if it doesn’t rain we’ll go to La Fortuna, if it does rain we’ll stay at home and play games.

9. I told him that he was wrong, he got angry at me.

10. What’s happening to this neighborhood now you can’t even go outside without being afraid of getting shot!

11. We looked at his car it had a flat, this sort of thing always seems to happen to him.

12. Can you call Kate, her number’s there on the counter.

13. I’d like to present you to Professor Schneider she’s the visiting researcher from Munich.

14. The replacement part will be sent to you in five days, you can expect to receive it by then, if it’s not there call us.

15. Thank you for your interest in our company, it is clients like yourself who make this job rewarding.