As you know there are four conditionals in English, the zero, the first, the second and the third, in this lesson I would like to look at first conditional.
Lets start this lesson by considering the following:
If you study this lesson you will learn how to use the first conditional, if you learn the first conditional, your English will be better, if your English is better, you will be a student of SmartLanguageSolutions.com!
The above sentences are examples of the first conditional and as you can from the sentences the first conditional is used to express a possible condition and its possible result.
Like all conditionals the first conditional has two parts, the condition and its result.
The condition is formed by If + present simple, for example:
"If it rains..."
"If you study this lesson..."
and "If I see John..."
The result is formed by Will + the base of the verb:
"...I will stay at home"
"...you will learn how to use the first conditional"
"...I will tell him"
To complete the conditional sentences:
"If it rains, I will stay at home"
"If you study this lesson, you will learn how to use the first conditional"
"It I see John, I will tell him"
It is possible to use "shall", "can" or "may" instead of "will".
"If it rains, I shall stay at home"
"It I see John, I can tell him"
"If you leave now you may catch the bus"
When we use "may" in the result we are expressing a possibility while when we use "will" we are expressing a certainty.
Remember the first conditional is used to express a possible conditional and its possible result.
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Showing posts with label Englische Grammatik. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Englische Grammatik. Show all posts
Tuesday, 11 May 2010
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
A Cougar is not only a cat!
In this mini English lesson I would like to talk about the phrase Cougar.
A few days ago I was driving through London and I noticed billboard for a new American TV show.
The name of the show is Cougar Town, and I thought it might be a good idea explain what is the meaning of Cougar in this context.
If you look up the standard dictionary you will find that Cougar is a wild American Mountain Lion.
However in the urban dictionary and in the title of show Cougar, is used to describe a woman who is over 40 years old who likes to date younger men, normally a man who is 32 years old or younger.
In return a man who dates a Cougar can be called either a cub or a toy boy.
The urban dictionary also tells us that an older man who dates a younger woman is normally called a Sugar Daddy, while a younger woman who dates an older man could be called either a sugar baby or a Chihuahua.
We at Smart Language Solutions, would not recommend you use any of these terms in your writing or speaking as they may be considered offensive, however we would ask you to be aware of the them so you can recognise them when you see or hear them used by others.
Learn English interactively online @ SmartLanguageSolutions.com
A few days ago I was driving through London and I noticed billboard for a new American TV show.
The name of the show is Cougar Town, and I thought it might be a good idea explain what is the meaning of Cougar in this context.
If you look up the standard dictionary you will find that Cougar is a wild American Mountain Lion.
However in the urban dictionary and in the title of show Cougar, is used to describe a woman who is over 40 years old who likes to date younger men, normally a man who is 32 years old or younger.
In return a man who dates a Cougar can be called either a cub or a toy boy.
The urban dictionary also tells us that an older man who dates a younger woman is normally called a Sugar Daddy, while a younger woman who dates an older man could be called either a sugar baby or a Chihuahua.
We at Smart Language Solutions, would not recommend you use any of these terms in your writing or speaking as they may be considered offensive, however we would ask you to be aware of the them so you can recognise them when you see or hear them used by others.
Learn English interactively online @ SmartLanguageSolutions.com
Friday, 19 March 2010
Business English - Churn Rate
In business English there are many phrases that you simple just don't find in normal everyday English.
In this lesson I would like to explain the phrase, churn rate.
As more an more people work in the service sector, the higher the chance that they will come across the phrase, churn rate.
This phrase is used to describe situations related to customers and employees.
When we use churn rate in connection to customers, we are describing the percentage of contracted customers who leave a company over a given period of time.
For example: "I work in the call centre of a mobile phone company and the churn rate of our customers is really big"
In this example the speaker is telling us that the mobile phone company they work for has a large percentage of customers leaving the company at the end of their contract.
When we use churn rate in connection to employees, then we are describing the high turnover rate of employees in a company.
For example: "When I worked in the fast food restaurant, there was a high rate of employee churn"
In this example the speaker is describing their time working in a fast food restaurant, and how they noticed that most employees did not stay long in the job.
Learn English correctly @ the online language school, SmartLanguageSolutions.com
In this lesson I would like to explain the phrase, churn rate.
As more an more people work in the service sector, the higher the chance that they will come across the phrase, churn rate.
This phrase is used to describe situations related to customers and employees.
When we use churn rate in connection to customers, we are describing the percentage of contracted customers who leave a company over a given period of time.
For example: "I work in the call centre of a mobile phone company and the churn rate of our customers is really big"
In this example the speaker is telling us that the mobile phone company they work for has a large percentage of customers leaving the company at the end of their contract.
When we use churn rate in connection to employees, then we are describing the high turnover rate of employees in a company.
For example: "When I worked in the fast food restaurant, there was a high rate of employee churn"
In this example the speaker is describing their time working in a fast food restaurant, and how they noticed that most employees did not stay long in the job.
Learn English correctly @ the online language school, SmartLanguageSolutions.com
Wednesday, 17 March 2010
If you pay peanuts.
In this blog I would like to explain the phrase
"If you pay peanuts you get monkeys."
The phrase is attributed to the Anglo French businessman James Goldsmith, and it is used to describe the quality of service offered by people in business.
It is a negative phrase and is used to describe the situation where the speaker feels that if an employer pays low wages then the staff working for them will be bad.
For example:
Speaker A: "Every time I call that company I can't get the service I want"
Speaker B: "Well if you pay peanuts you get monkeys"
In this example the first speaker is describing a situation where they feel that the service they are getting from the company is very bad, the second speakers is expressing their feeling that because the company pays their staff so little money, this is the reason for the bad service.
The phrase can also used to describe the situation where a person who pays too little for a service should not expect the quality of the service
to be any good.
For Example:
Speaker A: "Juan is trying to learn English online and pays only $1 for an hour's one to one lesson, but I have to say his English is getting worse"
Speaker B: ""Well maybe someone should teach Juan the expression, if you pay peanuts you get monkeys"
In this example the first speaker is saying that they are shocked at how bad Juan's English is.
The second speaker, suggests that because Juan pays so little money for his lessons, his teacher is not a professional.
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog.
Remember you can learn online from professional native speaking English teachers
@
SmartLanguageSolutions.Com
"If you pay peanuts you get monkeys."
The phrase is attributed to the Anglo French businessman James Goldsmith, and it is used to describe the quality of service offered by people in business.
It is a negative phrase and is used to describe the situation where the speaker feels that if an employer pays low wages then the staff working for them will be bad.
For example:
Speaker A: "Every time I call that company I can't get the service I want"
Speaker B: "Well if you pay peanuts you get monkeys"
In this example the first speaker is describing a situation where they feel that the service they are getting from the company is very bad, the second speakers is expressing their feeling that because the company pays their staff so little money, this is the reason for the bad service.
The phrase can also used to describe the situation where a person who pays too little for a service should not expect the quality of the service
to be any good.
For Example:
Speaker A: "Juan is trying to learn English online and pays only $1 for an hour's one to one lesson, but I have to say his English is getting worse"
Speaker B: ""Well maybe someone should teach Juan the expression, if you pay peanuts you get monkeys"
In this example the first speaker is saying that they are shocked at how bad Juan's English is.
The second speaker, suggests that because Juan pays so little money for his lessons, his teacher is not a professional.
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog.
Remember you can learn online from professional native speaking English teachers
@
SmartLanguageSolutions.Com
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
Packed in like Sardines
The other night I was teaching a client in Moscow and he asked me to explain the phrase, "packed in like sardines" which he had heard was a good way to describe rush hour on the Moscow Metro, however he was a little unsure if it was an offensive phrase or not.
The phrase is not offensive and in fact comes from the business of food processing.
Sardines, as you know are a type of fish, and we normally buy our sardines in small tins. When we open a tin of sardines, its normal that there are a lot fish in the tin and there no free space.
Therefore the phrase packed in like sardines is used to describe a situation where people are in an area or space with little room to move.
So it is not offensive and in fact a very good way to describe the Moscow Metro during rush hour.
"Every morning I take the Metro to work, it is always full and there is no room to move because everyone is packed in like sardines."
Packed in Like sardines = No space to move
Learn more English online- SmartLanguageSolutions.com
The phrase is not offensive and in fact comes from the business of food processing.
Sardines, as you know are a type of fish, and we normally buy our sardines in small tins. When we open a tin of sardines, its normal that there are a lot fish in the tin and there no free space.
Therefore the phrase packed in like sardines is used to describe a situation where people are in an area or space with little room to move.
So it is not offensive and in fact a very good way to describe the Moscow Metro during rush hour.
"Every morning I take the Metro to work, it is always full and there is no room to move because everyone is packed in like sardines."
Packed in Like sardines = No space to move
Learn more English online- SmartLanguageSolutions.com
Thursday, 25 February 2010
Using Will to express the future
When talking about the future we can use the verbs will, going to and the present continuous used with a future time point.
In this mini English lesson from www.SmartLanguageSolutions.com I am going to talk about using will to express the future.
Will has three different and distinct future uses in English, however in this mini lesson I will focus only one of the three uses.
In English Will is used to express promises and offers.
To use will as a promise:
"If you let watch TV now, I promise I will do the washing up tomorrow."
To use will as an offer:
"Oh sit down I will do the washing up for you."
As mentioned will has two other uses in English and you will find those uses explained in other blogs from www.SmartLanguageSolutions.com
Of course learning English is a two way interactive process, and the best place to learn online with live interactive English teachers is at www.SmartLanguageSolutions.com
In this mini English lesson from www.SmartLanguageSolutions.com I am going to talk about using will to express the future.
Will has three different and distinct future uses in English, however in this mini lesson I will focus only one of the three uses.
In English Will is used to express promises and offers.
To use will as a promise:
"If you let watch TV now, I promise I will do the washing up tomorrow."
To use will as an offer:
"Oh sit down I will do the washing up for you."
As mentioned will has two other uses in English and you will find those uses explained in other blogs from www.SmartLanguageSolutions.com
Of course learning English is a two way interactive process, and the best place to learn online with live interactive English teachers is at www.SmartLanguageSolutions.com
Wednesday, 10 February 2010
One use of the Present Simple Tense
In English grammar it is generally accepted that there are 3 uses of the present simple tense.
In this blog I only want to focus on one of them.
We use the present simple to describe our habits.
A habit is something we do regularly, something that is part of our everyday life.
They eat dinner every day at 5PM.
He drinks too much beer every Saturday.
Remember the construction of the present simple
I, we, you, they + infinitive of verb + object.
I drink coffee every day.
He, she, it + infinitive + s + object
She runs 5KM every day.
In another post I have explained the other uses of Present Simple.
Remember keep the Present Simple, simple!
For more information on learning English go to our website www.smartlanguagesolutions.com
In this blog I only want to focus on one of them.
We use the present simple to describe our habits.
A habit is something we do regularly, something that is part of our everyday life.
They eat dinner every day at 5PM.
He drinks too much beer every Saturday.
Remember the construction of the present simple
I, we, you, they + infinitive of verb + object.
I drink coffee every day.
He, she, it + infinitive + s + object
She runs 5KM every day.
In another post I have explained the other uses of Present Simple.
Remember keep the Present Simple, simple!
For more information on learning English go to our website www.smartlanguagesolutions.com
Monday, 10 August 2009
Countable and Uncountable Nouns
In English we class our nouns into countable and uncountable.
Countable nouns are nouns we can physically count:
5 Apples
2 People
7 Books
Uncountable Nouns are nouns we can’t physically count:
Water
Electricity
Rice
Money is an uncountable noun!
Some and Any
We use some in positive sentences with uncountable and plural nouns:
There is some water in the pool
There are some apples in the kitchen
We also use some when we ask for and offer things:
Can I have some rice please?
Would you like some books to take home?
We use any in questions and negative sentences with uncountable and plural nouns:
Is there any electricity in the house?
There aren’t any people at the party.
How much/many
We use how much with uncountable nouns:
How much rice is in the pot?
We use how many with countable nouns:
How many people were at the party?
Learn more English as a foreign language at smart language solutions
www.smartlanguagesolutions.com
Countable nouns are nouns we can physically count:
5 Apples
2 People
7 Books
Uncountable Nouns are nouns we can’t physically count:
Water
Electricity
Rice
Money is an uncountable noun!
Some and Any
We use some in positive sentences with uncountable and plural nouns:
There is some water in the pool
There are some apples in the kitchen
We also use some when we ask for and offer things:
Can I have some rice please?
Would you like some books to take home?
We use any in questions and negative sentences with uncountable and plural nouns:
Is there any electricity in the house?
There aren’t any people at the party.
How much/many
We use how much with uncountable nouns:
How much rice is in the pot?
We use how many with countable nouns:
How many people were at the party?
Learn more English as a foreign language at smart language solutions
www.smartlanguagesolutions.com
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