Monthly Archives: June 2017

Reflexive Pronouns

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In English grammar, a reflexive pronoun indicates that the person who is realizing the action of the verb is also the recipient of the action. While this might seem strange at first, the following examples of reflexive pronouns and the accompanying list of reflexive pronouns will help you gain thorough understanding. You will probably notice that you yourself use reflexive pronouns frequently when speaking or writing.

Examples of Reflexive Pronouns

  1. I was in a hurry, so I washed the car myself.
  2. You’re going to have to drive yourself to school today.
  3. He wanted to impress her, so he baked a cake himself.
  4. Jennifer does chores herself because she doesn’t trust others to do them right.
  5. That car is in a class all by itself.
  6. We don’t have to go out; we can fix dinner ourselves.
  7. You are too young to go out by yourselves.
  8. The actors saved the local theatre money by making costumes themselves.

Reflexive Pronoun Exercises

The following exercises will help you gain greater understanding about how reflexive pronouns work. Choose the best answer to complete each sentence. Continue reading →

Independence Day!

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Independence Day is also called The Fourth of July or sometimes, July Fourth.  It is a federal holiday in the United States.  It is the day that the United States declared its Independence from Great Britain in 1776.

On The Fourth of July, many people have cook-outs.  There are parades in many communities.  Some places have Fireworks displays for everyone (Here’s a list).  But in some places it is illegal to have your own fireworks.

What will you do to celebrate July Fourth?

How old will the United States be this Fourth of July?  (click on the flag to find out) 

Whatever you decide to do, we hope you have a great day!

— Thanks to Christine for this article —

On Amazon: 30 Popular Kids’ eBooks for $1 Each

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On sale through Friday June 30th – 30 popular children’s eBooks (ages 3 to 12) for $1 each.  They usually cost about $4 to $12.  You can download the books to your phone, tablet, or computer, and then read it with the free Kindle app.

Reading with your kids is good English practice, and a great thing to do with them.

Now, and after June 30th:  You can also look here for a list of many more free/cheap eBooks on Amazon for children 4 to 8 years old.

Get More Practice on the HiSET Math Test

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  The HiSET® exam is a test (similar to GED) that you can  take to show that you have the skills and knowledge equivalent to someone who has graduated high school in the United States.

The  HiSET Math Test is 90 minutes long and includes 50 multiple-choice questions. The content of the HiSET Math test includes the following:
• Number Operations and Number Sense
• Measurement and Geometry
• Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability
• Algebraic concepts

Practice tests below cover each of those areas.   When you take a test:

 Always thoroughly read the directions so that you know exactly what to do.
 Read each question carefully so that you fully understand what is asking.
 Read all answers choices.
 Narrow your answer options by eliminating some answers and work throughout to find the best answer. Only one answer is correct.

Click any of the links below to begin  a HiSET® Math Practice Test:

— Thanks to Yuriy for this article —

Strawberry Picking

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It’s fresh strawberry season now in Massachusetts.  Going strawberry picking is a different, fun, and delicious family activity.  Here are some places to pick strawberries in MetroWest:

Before you go, check the farm’s Facebook page, or call, to make sure they are picking that day.  Here’s a map for other fruit picking places in Massachusetts.

There are other fruits you can pick this summer/fall.  Here are the approximate dates from Tougas Farm:

I’LL See You Tomorrow

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Don’t say: 
– I see you tomorrow.
– I go with you now.
– I do my homework next weekend.
– I tell you when she comes home.
– I call you Monday.

Say this:
– I’ll see you tomorrow.    (I will see you tomorrow)
– I’ll go with you now.
– I’ll do my homework next weekend.
– I’ll tell you when she comes home.
– I’ll call you Monday.

Remember:

  • Use I’ll as the shortened form of I will when talking about something you will do.
  • I’ll = I + will 
  • Be sure to pronounce the whole word, not just the I
  • Listen to a lot more people pronounce I’ll on YouGlish

The Tooth Fairy

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  In many countries, including the United States, the tooth fairy is  popular – somewhat similar to the Easter bunny or Santa Claus.  According to the custom, if a young child loses one of their baby teeth, and puts the tooth under their pillow, the tooth fairy will visit while they sleep and replace the tooth with a small gift.

There is a website called toothfairy.org, which has descriptions of 22 children’s books about losing teeth and the tooth fairy that you can buy on Amazon. On another website, you can read about where children of other countries put their lost baby teeth.

There’s an old Disney family movie for free on YouTube called Toothless about a dentist who had to act as the tooth fairy so she could be admitted into Heaven.  Remember that on YouTube, you can turn on Closed Captions to read the words while you watch.