Category Archives: STNT

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

What Does This Mean?

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Don’t say: 
– What it means?
– What this means?
– What means this?
– What means [xx]? (such as What means hyperbole? or What means doodle?)

Say this:
– What does it mean?
– What does this mean?
– What does [xx] mean?  such as…
– What does hyperbole mean?
– What does doodle mean?

Remember:

  • When you don’t understand what something means and you want to ask someone about it, start your question with What does...
  • What does this emoji mean?  
  • What does sibling mean?

Yes/No Questions with ‘Does’

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Don’t Say Say This
Does she has a car?
 Does she have a car?
Does your father has an appointment? Does your father have an appointment?
Does he goes to Boston every Tuesday? Does he go to Boston every Tuesday?
Does the milk smells ok? Does the milk smell ok?
Does she likes pizza? Does she like pizza?

Remember

  • Present Tense – Use when something happens in the present in a usual/regular way.
  • Base Form of a verb – Same as the infinitive, without the ‘to’
    • Examples of base verbs: go (not – goes, going, went); like, have, do, eat, work, play
  • For he/she/it in present tense – Pronounce the sound of the S at the end of most verbs
    • He cooks every night.  She goes there often.  It looks good.
  • BUT – for questions, use the base form of the main verb
    • So… She has a new dress.    But… Does she have a new dress?
    • She goes to school every Tuesday.    But…  Does she go to school every Tuesday?
  • Answering these yes/no questions
    • Does she have a car?
      • Yes she does.  (or – Yes, she has a car.)
      • No she doesn’t.  (or – No, she doesn’t have a car.)
    • Does she like pizza?
      • Yes she does.  (or – Yes, she likes pizza)
      • No she doesn’t.  (or – No, she doesn’t like pizza.)
      • Don’t Say:  Yes, she like. or – Yes, she likes.

Here’s another good explanation from Woodward English:

He/She/It – Present Tense

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Don’t Say Say This
He work in Boston.
 He works in Boston.
She like pizza. She likes pizza.
Her dress look beautiful. Her dress (it) looks beautiful.
My brother do landscaping. My brother (he) does landscaping.
My daughter try to help her little sister. My daughter (she) tries to help her little sister.

Remember

  • Present Tense – Use when something happens in the present in a usual/regular way.
  • For he/she/it in present tense – Don’t forget to pronounce the sound of the S at the end of the verb.
  • Add the s (or ‘es’) only when
    • it’s with a he/she/it form (called ‘3rd person’)
      (not with I/you/we/they)
    • it’s in the present tense
    • the sentence is affirmative (not negative)
      • Affirmative example: His mother cooks dinner every night.
      • Negative example: His mother doesn’t cook dinner every night.
  • When s/es is added to the end of the word, the sound can be different – depending on the word.
    Here’s an explanation:

It’s from Woodward English in England, but the American pronunciation is very similar.

Pick Up

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Don’t Say Say This
Pick it up the pencil.
or Pick up it.
 Pick up the pencil.
or – Pick the pencil up.
or – Pick it up.
I’m going to pick it up my daughter. I’m going to pick up my daughter.
or – I’m going to pick my daughter up.
I’m going to pick up her/she. I’m going to pick her up.

Remember

  • to pick up is a “phrasal verb” (a two-word verb).  The most common meanings are:
    1. To lift something/someone from a surface
      Ex: He picked up his book.
    2. To meet someone and take them with you.
      Ex: I have to pick up my kids after school.
  • You can pick something up – or – pick up something
    Ex: Pick up the package.  or  Pick the package up.
  • But – You can only use a pronoun in the middle – between “pick” and “up”
    You can Pick her up or Pick it up.
    Incorrect: Pick up it. or Pick up her.
  • Also, Don’t use the noun and its pronoun together.
    Pick up the phone. – or – Pick the phone up. -or- Pick it up.
    But NOT: Pick it up the phone.
  • There are some other meanings of this phrasal verb too.
  • You can see pick up used as part of a conversation in many examples from YouGlish below.  You can press the Next Track button   to see another example.

Visit YouGlish.com

Supposed To

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Don’t Say Say This
I supposed to work tomorrow. I am supposed to work tomorrow.
My sister suppose be here for dinner. My sister is supposed to be here for dinner.
I suppose be here early this morning? Was I supposed to be here early this morning?
My son no suppose to go outside today. My son is not supposed to go outside today.

Remember

  • The phrase supposed to means expected to, or required to.  Used this way…
    1. It must include the verb to-be before it (I am supposed to…  He is supposed to….)
    2. Supposed is spelled with a d at the end, but that doesn’t mean it’s past tense (He is/was supposed to…)
    3. It is followed by the main verb of the sentence (My father is supposed to fly to Boston tomorrow.)
  • To be supposed to is similar to Have to, and Ought to
    • Supposed to – something expected or required – but it might not happen
      (Ex: I was supposed to be home for dinner, but the traffic made me late.)
    • Have to – similar to must.  There is no choice.
      (Ex: I have to stop at a red light.)
    • Ought to – similar to should.
      (Ex: You ought to stop smoking.)
  • To be supposed to is different from the verb suppose.  Suppose means to presume, or think something is true.
    (Ex: I suppose she’s happy, but I’m not sure.)