Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Reading – It’s Easter Time!

Everyone enjoys celebrating Easter because it is a sign that spring is coming after a long, cold winter!
Everywhere you go around Easter time you can see Easter decorations: pictures of bunnies, eggs, baby ducks, chicks, and lots of pastel colours!
What do you do on Easter?
While children are asleep, the Easter Bunny visits their house with his basket of eggs and hides chocolates all over the house! When they wake up in the morning on Easter Sunday, the first thing they do is search all over the house for the hidden chocolate eggs! The eggs can also be plastic eggs with candies or other treats inside of them.
Good Friday and Easter Sunday are both official public holidays. For many people, Easter, like Christmas and Thanksgiving, is a day to spend with family. Every year I have dinner with my family, and my aunt and cousins join us for a big family celebration. Normally we eat ham with a few different vegetables (potatoes, squash, carrots), and for dessert – chocolate, of course!
What is Easter?
In Christianity, Easter is one of the most important days of the year. Easter Sunday celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ – the day Jesus came back to life. In many Catholic countries, Easter is a more important celebration than Christmas.
Jesus had returned to Jerusalem to observe the Jewish celebration of Passover. He ate the Passover meal with his disciples at what is now known as the Last Supper. He was later arrested, tried and convicted, and then finally sentenced to death. On Good Friday (before Easter Sunday), Christians remember the crucifixion of Jesus.
Easter is a ‘moveable feast,’ meaning the date changes. It’s not a fixed date like Christmas (which is always on December 25th). It was decided in 325 A.D. (Anno Domini = ‘in the year of our Lord’) that Easter Sunday would be on the 1st Sunday after the first full moon of spring.
It is only in English and German that this day is called ‘Easter.’ England adopted the name used for an old spring festival in Germany called ‘Eostre.’ In most other languages in Christian countries, (like French, Italian, and Spanish), the word for this day comes from the original Greek word ‘Pascha’ used for the Jewish Passover.
Related Posts:
Canadian Thanksgiving
Trick or Treat – It’s Halloween!
What is Christmas?
Valentine’s Day
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Friday, March 26, 2010
Grammar – What Are You Doing This Weekend?

Talking about future plans is challenging in English because we use different verb forms and tenses. In this post I show you how to talk about your plans for the weekend. I explain when to use the present continuous, be going to, and will. I also explain why ‘gonna’ is NOT a proper or acceptable written word!
My sister is getting married on Saturday!
I’m going shopping with my friends.
We’re having a party at our place Saturday night!
I’m meeting my parents for dinner tomorrow.
I’m taking my cat to the vet for his annual checkup!
I’m going to the U2 concert!
(*note that this is NOT the ‘be going to’ future! This is simply the verb ‘go’ used in the present continuous!)
Then use the be going to future. It is used to express a plan. Think of be going to as a modal verb – it is always used with another verb.
I’m going to clean my entire house this weekend!
I’m going to finish my book report and then meet my friends for dinner!
We are going to look for a new car!
I don’t know why people learning English like to use this word so much – they use it more than native speakers do! It’s a very bad habit that you need to get out of. (When native speakers write this word, it is usually when they are imitating what someone said.)
I don’t know what I’m doing this weekend. I think I’ll call Anne and she what she’s doing.
I think I’ll try to get a ticket for the U2 concert on Sunday.
If the weather is nice this weekend, I’ll take my family to the park.
If I finish my homework by Saturday night, I’ll go to Amber’s party.
*Shall is not used in North American English.
Related posts:
Using the simple present to talk about the future
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Pronunciation – How to Say Different Numbers in English
- different ways to say ‘0’
- time
- sports scores
- money
- years
- population
This is the third video in my series of numbers videos. Here are the two previous videos:
Numbers I – How to Say Numbers 0-99
Numbers II – How to Say Numbers 100 – 1 trillion
More Pronunciation videos:
The Alphabet
7 Commonly Mispronounced English Words
5 More Commonly Mispronounced Words
11 English Words with Silent Letters
Words That Look the Same but Are Pronounced Differently
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Reading – Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Every year on March 17th, people pretend they’re Irish! People dress in green, drink Irish beer, dance to Celtic music and try to have as much fun as possible. They put on all sorts of funny things like leprechaun hats and green bowties. Parades are held throughout North America, and in Chicago they dye the Chicago river green!
It is, quite possibly, the least religious day of the year even though it is named for a Catholic saint! Originally, it was a religious holiday in Ireland, the feast day to celebrate Saint Patrick, and it is still an official public holiday in that country. In North America, it became a day to celebrate Ireland and all things Irish among the many new Irish immigrants. In fact, the very first St. Patrick’s day parade was held in the U.S. – not Ireland!
The main symbol of St. Patrick’s day is the green shamrock – it is said that St. Patrick used the 3 points of the leaf to explain the Holy Trinity (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit) to the Irish and convert them to Christianity. It’s considered good luck if you find a four-leaf clover – some say the 4 points represent hope, faith, love and luck, others think the rare 4th leaf represents God’s grace!
Who was St. Patrick?
St. Patrick is the patron saint (a saint who is believed to be a protector of a country or a group of people) of Ireland. No one knows the exact date he was born, but it is believed he lived in the 5th century and died on March 17th, the day now celebrated as his feast day.
He was born in Britain during the Roman era. When he was 16 years old he was captured by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland, where he was kept for 6 years as a slave. He became a devout Christian during his captivity, and he was able to escape after he believed God had spoken to him and told him it was time to leave. When he arrived in England, he had a second revelation when an angel appeared in his dream and told him to return to Ireland as a missionary.
He eventually became a priest and returned to Ireland to convert the inhabitants to Christianity. Although there were already a small number of Christians when he arrived, he is widely credited with introducing Christianity to Ireland.
Do you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in your country?
Related posts:
Valentine’s Day
What is Christmas?
Trick or Treat – It’s Halloween!
Canadian Thanksgiving
It’s Easter Time!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Pronunciation – How to Say Numbers 100 – 1 trillion
Have fun and happy studying!
This is the second video in my series of numbers videos.
Numbers I – How to Say Numbers 0-99
Numbers II – How to Say Numbers 100 – 1 trillion
Numbers III – Time, Sports Scores, Money, Years, Population
More Pronunciation videos:
The Alphabet
7 Commonly Mispronounced English Words
5 More Commonly Mispronounced Words
11 English Words with Silent Letters
Words That Look the Same but Are Pronounced Differently
Friday, March 12, 2010
Grammar – When to Use To + Gerund
In a previous post, I explained when you can and can’t use for + gerund, and I noted a basic grammar rule:
HOWEVER, there is always an exception to the rule in English! Normally, ‘to’ goes with a verb (as part of the infinitive form), not a noun. If, however, the ‘to’ is a preposition that is part of a combination, then it is OK to use to + gerund.
1) If the to is part of a phrasal verb or verb + preposition combination:
(Remember, not every verb + preposition combination is a phrasal verb! A phrasal verb is when the preposition changes the meaning of the verb.)
I look forward to meeting your parents tonight!
He confessed to killing his next-door neighbour
She adjusted to living on her own.
He objects to spending so much money on a T.V.
Mother Theresa devoted her life to helping the poor.
2) If the to is part of an adjective + preposition combination:
A lot of women aren’t accustomed to being treated so well!
I am addicted to watching soap operas on T.V.!
She is really committed to improving the education system.
I am opposed to increasing taxes.
Many of the nurses and doctors in the hospital are truly dedicated to making life better for the patients.
Mother Theresa was devoted to helping the poor throughout her life.
He’s not used to driving on the left-hand side of the road!
3) If the to is part of a noun + preposition combination:
His addiction to gambling has caused a lot of stress for his family.
Her great dedication to teaching inspires her students.
Mother Theresa’s devotion to helping the poor brought her worldwide acclaim.
Her reaction to winning the Oscar was priceless!
NOTES:
*Remember, you can use to + gerund, but the to MUST be a preposition that is part of a combination. You CANNOT say:
X I want to going shopping.
X I like to listening to music.
*Also note that in the above combinations, you could NOT use to + verb. You CAN’T say:
X He objects to spend so much money on a T.V.
X I am opposed to increase taxes
*As you may know, gerunds can be use after prepositions. This does NOT mean that gerunds must always be used after prepositions. Verb / adjective / noun combinations could also be followed by any noun or noun phrase:
I’m looking forward to her party tonight!
He confessed to the murder of his next-door neighbour.
I haven’t adjusted to the time change yet.
Now, I’m sure your next question is: how do I know what verb / noun / adjective combinations include to?
Unfortunately there is no easy answer. You can memorize lists, or you can do as much reading and listening as possible in English so that you get used to seeing and hearing these combinations! The purpose of the post was just to make you aware that there are certain, specific circumstances when you can use to + gerund.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Social Media Vocabulary Explained!
What are social media?
Social media is a new term in English. It is used to describe various websites or other forms of technology where people can connect and interact with one another and share information. Websites like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or personal blogs are considered social media.
The term social media was introduced into English very recently. These new ways of connecting with people have led to new vocabulary and new uses of words in English.
1) Follow
When you visit someone’s Twitter profile, there is a button on it that says Follow:
Follow is a verb. It is an action. When someone clicks the ‘follow’ button, they become a follower. When you want to thank someone for following you, the correct phrase is ‘Thank you for following me!’ (Remember, you cannot say ‘Thank you for follow’ because for is not used before a verb)
However, in English to follow someone has a negative connotation – it means that someone else is a leader and you are a follower. To be a follower is also considered a negative action. A follower can be a supporter, but it can also be someone who obeys. This is why a lot of people say ‘Thank you for the follow,’ where follow is used as a noun. They are trying to avoid calling someone a follower. This is a new use of the word ‘follow,’ and it is only used this way on Twitter.
2) Direct Message
Message in English is a noun – you can send a message or messages. On Twitter, there is an option to send someone a private message. It’s called a direct message:
The correct phrase in English is “Send me a direct message” or “I’ll send you a direct message.” However, there is room for only 140 characters in a tweet, so people now use message as a verb: “Message me,” or the even shorter “DM me” / “I’ll DM you” (where DM = direct message).
Message seems to now be a verb for all forms of social media, not just Twitter. You can also ‘message someone’ on Facebook. To ‘message someone’ could also mean sending a text message / sms on your cell phone.
In English, friend is a noun. The verb be or become is commonly used with friend: “Let’s be friends!” or “We are friends!” On Facebook (and some other forms of social media) you can send someone a friend request – a request to become/be friends on Facebook. I often say ‘Thank you for the friend request!’ However, people have now turned friend into a verb – ‘Friend me on Facebook.’
In 2009, the Oxford American Dictionary chose unfriend as the word of the year. To unfriend someone means to remove them as your friend on Facebook. A synonym is defriend.
To friend and unfriend / defriend someone can also be used on any social media platform where you can add people as friends.
YouTube
On YouTube you can subscribe to someone’s channel. You can also invite someone to be a friend. To invite (someone to something) is a verb; it’s an action. An invitation is a noun. However, when you sign into YouTube, you will see:
Here, invite is used as a noun. This is unique to YouTube. This is why on YouTube you will see many people leaving comments ‘Thank you for the invite.’ They are thanking someone for sending them an invitation to be friends on YouTube. It should be “Thank you for the invitation,’ but on YouTube invite is now used as a noun.
“Thank you for the add.” or “Thank you for adding me.”
I have noticed this sentence being used on all forms of social media (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and other networks like MyEC). It could mean anything! I think the general meaning is ‘thank you for adding me to your network.’ On Twitter, it could mean ‘thank you for following me;’ on Facebook it could mean ‘thank you for adding me as a friend;’ on YouTube it could mean ‘thank you for subscribing’ or ‘thank you for the friend invite.
I hope this helps explain some of the new words and different uses of words that you see on various social media. Are there any other words that you often see on social media that you’re not sure about? Please let me know!
Monday, March 1, 2010
Pronunciation – 11 English Words with Silent Letters
More Pronunciation Videos:
The Alphabet
Numbers I – How to Say English Numbers 0-99
Numbers II – How to Say English Numbers 100 – 1 trillion
Numbers III – Time, Sports Scores, Money, Years, Population
7 Commonly Mispronounced English Words
5 More Commonly Mispronounced Words
Words That Look the Same but Are Pronounced Differently
February Recap
Pronunciation
Since I posted my first video on YouTube last month, my three videos have had more than 5000 views – that’s incredible! I’m happy so many people find them useful!
Reading
Valentine’s Day
Vocabulary
I began a new section this month English Expressions Explained!
“A Chip on One’s Shoulder”
Spotlight on: Olympic Vocabulary
Grammar
Gerunds and Infinitives – for Purpose
Most Viewed Post This Month:
Spotlight on: Olympic Vocabulary (of course!)
Last Month’s Posts:
January Recap
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