Welcome to Word Wednesday! It's getting late, I'm still having computer problems, and it's almost Thursday, but I wanted to be sure to put up a post about vocabulary. So today's post will be fast.
Hmm, an interesting group of musicians. What do they look like? What do you think they like? What do you think they're like?
If you've ever confused the phrases...
What do you like?
What are you like?
What do you look like?
...then don't worry, you're not alone. I'll try to write more about these types of phrases soon, but I noticed that a podcast called ESL Aloud recently did a whole episode on this topic. You can listen to the episode (or download it) and read many examples of sentences like these here on their page. It's a great way to practice and learn some new vocabulary.
"They just don't make them like they used to." I've only had my computer for a couple of decades and already it has a major problem! (Image)
Welcome to "Mistake Monday"! We normally look at Common Errors on Mondays, but I had a major computer problem this morning. My computer doesn't work at all, so that obviously makes it hard for me to use it. But it did inspire me to talk about computer vocabulary; after all, computer errors are some of the most common errors there are!
I chose 10 words and phrases that are very useful for talking about computers and technology in general, but there are certainly many more:
1.hard drive - This is the part of the computer that contains the information and files. These days, a common size for a laptop hard drive is between 250 and 500 gigabytes, also pronounced "gigs" and often abbreviated as "GB."
2.start up and shut down - These are two phrasal verbs that mean to start and stop your computer. For many electronic devices including computers, you can also use the phrases "turn on" and "turn off." If you restart or reboot your computer, you turn it off and then turn it on again right away.
3. keyboard - The keyboard is the part of your computer with letters, where you type words. The verb to type describes using a keyboard to write.
4. cords and cables - These describe the pieces of metal covered in plastic that connect computers to power or accessories. Common types of cords are AC adapters (to connect the computer to power) and USB cables (to connect an accessory to a computer).
5. plug in - Another phrasal verb. This means to connect something electronic to a power source, or to connect two pieces of electronic equipment.
6. desktop, laptop, and tablet - Desktop computers are ones that have a separate monitor and keyboard. As their name indicates, they usually are on a desk. Laptops are smaller and portable, and have everything together in one unit. A tablet is a newer type of computing device with a touch-screen and no physical keyboard. The iPad is the most popular tablet at this time.
7. download and upload - These are verbs that mean to transfer a file from the Internet to your computer (download), or from your computer to the Internet (upload).
A flat-screen desktop computer monitor (left) plugged into a laptop (right). (Image)
8. screen and monitor - On a desktop computer, the monitor is the part of the computer that shows you images. It looks like a TV. Computer monitors, TVs, and laptop computers all have screens, which is the display surface where you see the images. The word screen is also used for movie theaters.
9. hardware and software - Hardware refers to the physical parts of your computer like the hard drive, sound card, and other tangible things. Software refers to the programs or information that your computer has. For example, Microsoft Word is an example of word processing software.
A motherboard. Wait, that's a motherboard? Oh no, this is going to be expensive! (Image)
10. motherboard - This is apparently the thing that doesn't work in my computer. I don't really know what it is (if I knew what it was, I might not be having trouble with it right now), but I do know that when it breaks, you have a major problem and it costs a lot to fix or replace it.
What other computer vocabulary do you know or have trouble with? Feel free to join in the conversation by leaving a comment below.
Thanks for reading, and good luck with your computers!
Hello, and welcome to "Fun Friday"! Also, welcome to this blog's 100th post! Thanks to everyone who's been following Sitzman ABC and liking it on Facebook! If you know anyone who might be interested in this site, please tell him or her about it.
Since the last two "Fun Fridays" were not especially "fun" (unless you're a geography nerd like I am!), I decided I'd put up a video today. It's a song called "The Promise" by the group When In Rome:
The song is from 1988, but it became popular again a few years ago when it was featured on the soundtrack for Napoleon Dynamite, a 2004 comedy. Let's look at the lyrics and find some good vocabulary (you can also just read the lyrics while listening to the song, since the video hasn't got too much interesting stuff going on except a lot of bad late-80s fashion):
If you need a friend, don't look to a stranger, You know in the end, I'll always be there.
And when you're in doubt, and when you're in danger, Take a look all around, and I'll be there.
(Chorus:) I'm sorry, but I'm just thinking of the right words to say. (I promise) I know they don't sound the way I planned them to be. (I promise) But if you wait around a while, I'll make you fall for me, I promise, I promise you I will.
When your day is through, and so is your temper, You know what to do, I'm gonna always be there.
Sometimes if I shout, it's not what's intended. These words just come out, with no gripe to bear.
(Repeat Chorus)
I gotta tell ya, I need to tell ya, I gotta tell ya, I gotta tell yaaaa ...
(Repeat Chorus)
GOOD VOCABULARY:
stranger - A stranger is a person that you have not met. It's different than a strange person; a strange person is someone who isn't normal for some reason.
Example: "A stranger walked into the room and introduced himself as 'Robby Smith.'"
doubt - My students often confuse this word with "question"; it's similar to a question, but it's not the same. If you are in doubt or if you doubt yourself, then you are not confident about your abilities or your understanding. Also, notice that the "b" is silent, and the word rhymes with "out."
Example: "It's pretty late, and I've barely started this project. I doubt I can finish it by tomorrow morning, but I'll try."
fall for (someone) - If you fall for a person, it means that you fall in love with him or her. It can be fast and sudden, but often it's a gradual process.
Example: "At first Tina thought Charlie was arrogant and mean, but after she got to know him, she fell for him and they eventually even got married!"
temper - Temper refers to your mood, but it's most common in the phrase lose (your) temper. If you lose your temper, you become angry and impatient, and sometimes begin to yell or shout.
Example: "Kate was very patient with the kids she was babysitting until one of them spilled juice on her. Kate lost her temper and sent the children to their rooms."
gripe to bear- Honestly, this phrase is very rare, and you'll probably never hear it outside of this song. But I mentioned it because it stood out and I was sure someone would ask about it if I didn't. If you bear a gripe, it means that you complain about something. The word "gripe" generally means to complain, and it's more common.
Example: "I don't mean to gripe about this, but we really need to get some new coffee mugs. All the ones we have are broken."
Finally, the band's name can illustrate an interesting vocabulary point.
The phrase "When in Rome..." is a shorter version of:
"When in Rome, do as the Romans do."
This phrase means that if you are visiting a different culture, you are the person who should adapt, and that you shouldn't expect the culture to adapt to you.
For example, if you go to Japan and notice everyone bowing as a greeting, instead of shaking hands or kissing on the cheek, you can say, "Well, when in Rome..." and bow like everyone else:
An American military officer bowing in Japan, following local customs. (Image credit)
So, that's it for today. I hope you liked the song. If you have any questions or comments, please join in the conversation by leaving a comment. Have a great weekend!
Three beauty pageant winners wearing their "Miss" title sashes. If you don't know the difference between "Miss USA" and "Mrs. USA," then this post is for you. Photo by Glenn Francis.
Good afternoon, and welcome to Word Wednesday! This will be our final post on titles for addressing people in English. In the last week we've talked about how to use the title "professor" and the job description "teacher," and a while ago we talked about naming customs in the USA, where we looked at a few titles.
Today we'll look at how to use some of the most common titles in English. Remember that if you use any of these titles, you should normally say:
(TITLE) + (LAST NAME/S)
It's sometimes appropriate to include the person's first name, but only if you also include the last name. For example, you could call me "Mr. Sitzman" or "Mr. Ryan Sitzman." The first is more common if you're talking to the person, and the second is used more when writing. You should not say something like "Mr. Ryan," though, unless the person you're speaking to asks you to do so.
Another quick note: If you don't know a person's title, then it's normally perfectly acceptable to ask "What should I call you?" to a person you meet. If he or she includes a title like Doctor, Admiral, or Professor, then use the title they tell you. Or, they may say something like "Just call me Jimmy"; if they do, don't call them something like "Admiral Jimmy Akbar" if it goes against their wishes.
So, let's look at the most common titles:
Titles for men and/or women:
There are some titles that are the same for men and women. The most common examples of these are:
Doctor (often abbreviated "Dr."): This is used for people who have an MD (doctor of medicine), DVM (doctor of veterinary medicine), or other doctorate-level degree. It's more common for people in the medical profession, but often university professors use the title "Doctor" after completing a PhD (doctor of philosophy degree).
Professor: As we discussed a few days ago, this is normally for people who have graduated from the university with a PhD (doctorate of philosophy degree). My friend Marie also pointed out that often university instructors with an MA (master's degree) are addressed with this title.
Any military rank: Depending on the branch of the military, these titles can include Private, Captain, Lieutenant, General, Admiral, etc.
Titles for men:
A joking sign featuring Mr. T. What does the "T" stand for?
Mister (normally abbreviated "Mr."): This is the common, general title used for all men, married or unmarried, who don't have a different title (like Doctor or any other title mentioned above).
Titles for women:
So if she's "Miss USA," does that mean her last name is "USA"? Good question.
If a woman doesn't have one of the titles mentioned above (like Professor or Doctor), then there are three main titles specifically for women: Miss, Mrs., and Ms. Here are some guidelines:
Miss: (click for pronunciation) Used for unmarried and/or young women, and generally followed by the last name.
Mrs.: (click for pronunciation) Used for married women, and generally followed by the husband's last name. Important note: this is not the "plural" of "Mr."!
Ms.: (click for pronunciation: notice it's pronounced with a /z/ sound, not /s/). Used for married or unmarried women. If you don't know if a woman is married or not, this is a safe choice. Also, some women choose to use this as their title since it's really nobody's business but their own if they're married or not, and the title "Ms." allows them to keep that information private.
So, that's it for today. Hopefully that'll help you in your social interactions in English.
Welcome to Mistake Monday! Today's Common Error is very basic but very common, at least in almost all my classes in Costa Rica.
My face wasn't this skeptical until my students started calling me "Teacher Ryan" continuously.
Common Error: Addressing a teacher as "Teacher"
DON’T say this:
"Hello Teacher, how are you?" "Teacher Ryan, could you repeat that?"
(To get my attention): "Teacher! Teacher!"
WHY?
I realize that in Costa Rica this is common for some reason, but it still sounds ridiculous to me (and to any teacher from the U.S.A. I talk to about this). Whenever my students call me "Teacher," I respond by calling them "Student" or, if I know their jobs, "Baker," "Engineer," "Airport Cop," "Carpenter," etc. If that sounds strange, then you understand why calling me "Teacher" is strange for me. My name is Ryan, so call me Ryan or, if you absolutely need a title, you can call me "Mr. Sitzman."
Don't confuse a personal title with a job description. Common personal titles include Mr., Mrs., Miss, Doctor, Professor, Principal, President, and a few others. If you call someone by their title, you say Title + Last Name, as in:
-"Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is the title of a famous movie."
-"Principal Jefferson gave a teaching award to Miss Holmes, the Math teacher."
-"Dr. Henderson prescribed the old man some medicine for his back pain."
In English, "teacher" is a job description, but not really a title. Think of this: I have a friend named Brad who is a lawyer, but no one calls him "Lawyer Brad." I have another friend named Andrea who cleaned hotel rooms, but no one called her "Housekeeper Andrea." Those are just job names or descriptions, but not titles for people.
Also, as I mentioned last week, you shouldn't address your teacher as "professor" unless she or he has a PhD degree. If that's the case, then you can call them "Professor + (last name)." For example you could call Albert Einstein "Professor Einstein," but not "Professor Albert," and definitely not "Teacher Albert."
INSTEAD, SAY THIS:
-"Hello Ryan, how are you?"
OR
-"Hello Mr. Sitzman, how are you?"
-"Ryan, could you repeat that?"
OR
-"Could you repeat that?" (If you're already looking at me, then you don't need to say my name over and over.)
-(To get my attention): "Excuse me, Ryan?"
OR
-(You can also just silently raise your hand... I'll probably see you and help if I can.)
So, that's it for today. If you have questions or comments, please leave a comment or contact me. Thanks for reading, and have a great week!
Hello, and happy Friday! Last week we talked about confusing capitals in English-speaking countries, and I mentioned that today I'd talk about England and Ireland, since that part of the world is even more confusing. It's important for English learners to understand at least a little about that part of the world because England is obviously one of the places where the English language came from, and many resources you find online may use British English.
First, if you want to understand why these geographical and political place names are so complicated, you can check out this video (the speaker talks very quickly, but if you click here you can find a script for the video and read along):
That's obviously a lot of information and it goes very fast, even for a native speaker like me. But the point is, that part of the world is very confusing politically and geographically. The capitals aren't as confusing, though.
Road signs in Ireland, some of which are in English and Irish. (Image)
For the Republic of Ireland, the capital is Dublin, and the residents are called "Irish." The two main languages spoken there are Irish English and Irish. Many signs are written in both languages.
The United Kingdom coat of arms. It's pretty awesome that it has a unicorn! (Image)
For the United Kingdom (as the video says, the full name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland), the capital is London. Most people there speak British English, but there are some people who speak Scots, Welsh, and other minority languages. As the video mentions, the UK is also divided into different countries, and each of those countries has a capital. The four countries in the UK, along with their capitals, are:
England - London
Scotland - Edinburgh
Wales - Cardiff
Northern Ireland - Belfast
The adjective for each of these places can be "British," but each country also has its own adjective, like "English," "Scottish," "Welsh," and "Northern Irish."
Here are a few examples:
"Princess Diana was Welsh, since she was from Wales."
"I often have trouble understanding some dialects of Scottish and Irish English."
"There are many differences between British and American English, but if you understand one, you can normally understand the other." (Read here and here for more information)
That's it for today! If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please leave a comment or contact me. Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend!
