Category Archives: Beginner

Floor vs. Ground

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Don’t Say
– (In your kitchen) I dropped a glass on the ground.
– (In your son’s bedroom) Please pick up all your dirty clothes from the ground.
– (In a parking lot) I found $20 on the floor.
– (At a park) I’m throwing bread on the floor for the birds.

Say This:
– (In your kitchen) I dropped a glass on the floor.
– (In your son’s bedroom) Please pick up all your dirty clothes from the floor.
– (In a parking lot) I found $20 on the ground.
– (At a park) I’m throwing bread on the ground for the birds.

Remember:

  • Outside – Use ground  
  • Inside – Use floor  
  • Sometimes English considers some natural spaces bounded, like a room
    So… the ocean floor and the forest floor
    Ex: We studied the ocean floor in science class.
  • but… what is a “ground floor”??
    • The ground floor of a tall building is usually the same as the ‘first floor’ – at the ground level.

Thanks Alan!

Fun or Funny?

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Don’t say: 
– My vacation was really funny.
– We did lots of funny things together, like partying and going to the beach.

Say this:
– My vacation was really fun.
– We did lots of fun things together, like partying and going to the beach.

Remember:

  • Fun is something (or someone) that you enjoy.  We all had fun at the picnic.  He’s fun to be with.
  • Funny is something (or someone) that makes you laugh.  He knows a lot of funny jokes.  Three funny movies (comedies) are Airplane, Blazing Saddles, and Monty Python and the  Holy Grail

Where’s the Monkey?

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  In, on, under…   these small words are used to describe where someone or something is.

  • In the first picture, the ball is in the box.
  • In the second picture, the ball is on the box.

Here’s a silly, short kids’ video that can help you remember which word to use.

And here’s a little lesson on these words – called “prepositions of place”.

Finally, here is a description of many more prepositions of place,  and a quiz.