ATM machine

Redundancy of words may create confusion. For example, "That guy deposited his money in the ATM machine." WHEW! Isn't the meaning of the acronym ATM is Automated Teller Machine? If we combine the meaning of the acronym ATM and machine, then we will have Automated Teller Machine machine. This is weird.


X)

Interjections

I wonder how people’s conversations would be if interjections were not introduced. Possibly, conversations would be dreary and lifeless. Interjections are words that express strong emotions. Some of the commonly used interjections nowadays are “hmm”, “whew”, “ouch”, “shh”, “oops”, and “duh”. I am glad because through the interjections, I am able to express my emotions clearly.

our pronounced as "are"

Most people commonly pronounced our as "are" or the letter "R". Obviously, it is incorrect. The proper pronunciation of our is the same as hour. The words our and hour are called homophones. Homophones are words that have similar pronunciations but have different meanings. However, our and are are not homophones. They have different pronunciations and spellings.

-Erica Jiel Yuzon

Longest Word

Many of us know that the longest word in the English dictionary is "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious", but when I watched a video in youtube, I realized that i was wrong. “Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis” is the longest word in the English dictionary which means, a lung disease caused by inhalation of silica. Hope that I added something in your vocabulary.

:)

Writing to Length

Most written works, like our blog, have a word limit. This is for an individual to omit irrelevant ideas. Also, this is for one to have laconic writing skills. This will help too to make one think comprehensively on how he or she organizes his or her thoughts on the given topic. So, this means every word counts.

"Reading Without Reflecting is Like Eating Without Digesting" -Edmund Burke

We can't deny the fact that reading should be done with understanding. Comprehension is needed; therefore, we should absorb the things that we have learned so that we could apply them in our daily lives. It is also a one way solution to enhance ourselves and for us to be familiar with the English language.

Redundancies

Moral lesson, repeat once again, free gifts, foreign imports, advance warning, ATM machine, etc. These words contain redundancy errors. Redundancies are errors that express repetitious meanings. These redundant expressions make writing longer, not better. Moreover, the phrases just weigh down our writing with unnecessary words. Other examples are brief summary, absolutely essential and actual facts.

REDUNDANCY: A Major Major Mistake!

Redundancy is the mistake of using two words that have the same meaning in a sentence. A very good example is commonly heard inside the classroom, "Kindly repeat that again once more." It actually makes sense, but try to ponder the words "repeat", "again", and "once more". Funny, isn't it? Unless employed deliberately for emphasis, the repetition of words with the same meaning should be avoided.

If or Whether?

Use if for a conditional idea, whether for an alternative or possibility.
• Let me know if you'll be coming means that I want to hear from you only if you're coming.
• Let me know whether you'll be coming means that I want to hear from you about your plans one way or the other.
(Garner, The Oxford Dictionary of American Usage and Style)

Proximity and English

Proximity, which results to repeated exposure is a big factor why people become attracted with one another. It is also the same with English. If we will use the language frequently ( repeated exposure ),the greater is the possibility that we will like it and the more that we will learn from it.

A closer look at "Major Major"

The word 'major' has been the most popular, or should I say, infamous word circling the country for the past few days. What I am saying is not just about the word 'major'-- it is about the words 'major, major'.

According to some of our country's linguists, Ms. Venus Raj translated her answer from Tagalog to English (e.g bonggang-bongga, araw-araw).She assumed that the translation would be fine, considering most translations. Her answer in Tagalog, I assumed was this : "Walang major na major na problema". Therefore, her answer in English turned out to be this: "There is nothing major major, I mean problem..". The phrase 'I mean' signified Venus' realization that her answer proved to be grammatically wrong. :)

But that' okay. She just let the world know that her line "major major" sprung from her being Filipino.

NO PARKEng

I saw this signboard, 'NO PARKEng' last Friday. I had a quick glance on it and thought ‘Why that spelling?'. There’re many reasons why an artist would do that. It is possible that he doesn't know the spelling or it can be that he did it to emphasize some points. I'm just amazed that simple phrases can somehow be twisted.

"I" vs "me"

The use of “I” and “me” is one of the common errors in pronoun usage. “I” is use as the subject of the sentence while “me” is use as the object of the sentence. When these pronouns are used with a noun, the noun should go first followed by the correct form of the pronoun, as if it stands alone.

The Difference Between TAKE and BRING

I used to think that the words TAKE  and BRING  have the same meaning, until I discovered that TAKE means "to carry an object to a more distant place from a nearer one", while BRING means" to carry an object to a nearer place from a more distant one."
Examples:
1. Bring that bag over here.
2.Take these cakes to Granny's house.

Alphabets, Poems and English

Just recently, I have read a quote that goes like this :
"Old friends are like alphabets, and new friends are poems ; one will need to entirely learn the alphabets to make wonderful poems.."

Touching, is it not? This quote also signifies the importance of how we must view English. We must know the basics -- the nouns, pronouns etc.-- in order to make exemplary works of literature. In a sense, therefore, we must fully understand English and its other branches to our full potential.

SMS

It is now common to receive a text message composed of fragmented sentences. Most “texters” cut sentences down to size and this may or may not be due to the 160-character limit of certain mobile phones. It is normal that fragmented sentences are preferred in text messaging, but are not favored in formal writing. In this case, we should not forget what a complete sentence looks like.

English-speaking Toddlers

I want to share with you my observation about the English-speaking toddlers. I think they are so cute while they are saying their own sentences. But still, when you listen very carefully, you will still find flaws and error in grammar. But, I still commend them because they start speaking in English at young age.

English-speaking Toddlers

I want to share with you my observation about the English-speaking toddlers. I think they are so cute while they are saying their own sentences. But still, when you listen very carefully, you will still find flaws and error in grammar. But, I still commend them because they start speaking in English at young age.

A Book is a Friend

I can relate to this quotation that says, "You know you've read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend". I actually felt this when I read the book of Gifted Hands narrating the story of Ben Carson that inspired me so much.

Misplaced modifier

A misplaced modifier is one of the common mistakes in English language. Misplaced modifier is simply a word or phrase describing something but not placed near enough the word it is supposed to modify. For example, "The girl entered the house with a red dress." This is incorrect, it must be, "The girl with a red dress entered the house."

parallelism and parallel lines

Let's see how parallel lines and parallelism are connected with each other.
Parallel lines are lines that never meet nor intersect. They are lines having the same slope.The same is also true with parallelism. Words or group of words must be in the same kind. They come in pair.

same slope= same kind of words

Emotions through English

Humans have different emotions that they feel in their everyday life. It depends on the situation or the mood whether it is good or bad. Expressing your emotions through songs is not a bad idea to forget your problems and relax for a while. Having the knowledge in English language can help you express your emotions through songs. It can help you in writing songs. And the song will depend on what you feel that day. English language is really helpful in our daily lives.

:)

"dislike" and "unlike"

Yesterday, while browsing some posts in Facebook, I saw a comment which says “unlike”. A person reacted on that comment and said that it should be “dislike”. Because of my eagerness to know whether who was right, I looked up for the meanings of the words “unlike” and “dislike” in the dictionary and found out that both means “not like”.

Fancy Talk

If you want to make a good first impression on someone, than talk fancy by saying uncommon synonyms of words. For example, in a "yes or no" conversation, instead of saying "no", say "not by any means", and instead of saying yes, say "unquestionably". Its that easy. If you want to make other words sound fancy, look them up in a thesaurus, it helps a lot.

WHAT'S BENEATH IS SPECIAL

People speak words that don't mean what they mean (e.g. "you're my life...", meaning, that the person who spoke loves you truly that having life without you makes everything lifeless). We often use this speech (known as figurative speech) in expressing how we feel. I found that hearing this kind of speech is more heartwarming than literal words, especially when used properly.

Many people are confused on "How do you do?" and "How are you?". "How do you do?" is not actually a question, it is another way of saying "Hello". While "How are you?" is a question and the typical responses are "I'm fine, thank you.", "Fine, you?" and "Fine, thanks."

source: http://www.learnenglish.de/mistakes/howdoyoudovshowareyou.htm


-Erica Jiel Yuzon

Rappers and Their Art

Rappers never fail to entertain their audience. Their songs express sensible thoughts. But there is that one drawback that they can't seem to fix. Their songs contain sentences that are grammatically wrong. In the song Bump3X, Omarion said, "girl you need to be in magazines 'coz YOU'S a ghetto queen." We know that it shouldn't be "YOU'S" but "YOU'RE", instead. Others do the same, too. They insert words that will fit in the rhyme of their songs eventhough they are not acceptable in standard english.

"Can I?" or "May I?"

Because of my confusion, I looked up the proper usage of”may” and "can". Both have different meanings. "Can" refers to ability when used as a verb while "may” has to do with permission and possibility. Now, when someone asks if he can talk to you and you don’t want to you can say he can but he may not.

Using Words in Ways

Grammar is a developing set of rules in using words in ways that we can all concur on. Not everyone has the ability to speak with proper grammar. But the ability to portray this will agree to the growing communication techniques of this world. Paying attention to the English language like in English classes is a springboard to efficiency.

A Book is a Friend

I can relate to this quotation that says, "You know you've read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend". I actually felt this when I read the book of Gifted Hands narrating the story of Ben Carson that inspired me so much.

The extinction of dinosaurs made me really sad.

I now share with you a link to a website I stumbled upon going through the posts displayed on my Tumblr dashboard:

[SaveTheWords]

Save the Words displays a medley of words not often used in everyday language. Instead of letting these poor fellows gather dust in the attic, why not use them to fascinate close-by foppotees?

Jean Espejo

10 - 16575

Troika

While I was reading Al Neuharth’s book, Confession of an S.O.B., an unfamiliar word caught my attention. It was troika. I looked up its meaning at the dictionary and found out that it means a group of three people working together. Reading books really adds up to our vocabulary. Try it too. I don’t read books before, but now I do.

THE POWER OF A PEN

My post last time was about trying to speak in English.But, since some people are having a hard time in speaking in front of others they have an option,and that is WRITING. Here we can express more of our thoughts correctly because we can check it first before we let others see it.

It's Either Not Both

Whenever I see the street sign, "no parking on both sides," I scratch my head and think hard. I really don't get it. Is it possible to park a car on both sides of the street? It's very illogical. Then during one of our comm 3 sessions our professor mentioned that the "no parking on both sides" sign is actually grammatically incorrect. He said that it should be 'either' and not 'both'. After many years of wondering, now I know. Amazing.

"None" Goes with the Flow

When my sister asked me what the correct form of the verb is in the phrase, none of the scientists (experiment, experiments), I immediately answered, "Take the singular form of the verb because 'none' means nothing." She did not agree with my answer and so we asked a very good English teacher about it. My sister was right because according to the teacher's sources, the antecedent of the word 'none' should determine the form of the verb.

The Wonders of Etymology on Right and Left

Etymology(the study of words),along with English, makes language fascinating.

Take the words "left " and "right”. People can conclude that one is derogatory than the other. The word 'left' in many languages is associated with evil or the devil. However, the Greek "dexter" gives us the word "dextrous" (skilful) means "on the right". ‘Left' (from Old English lyft) means 'weak, worthless’. Among the Nyoro in Africa, for example, 'left' means 'hated', and in Japan it means 'crazy'.

Common words which we people speak nowadays also regard left a defamatory concept than its counterpart. Did you ever hear the words lefteous, or even upleft in conversations, perhaps?

The Notebook

When I was in high school, our English teacher used to require us vocabulary notebooks.

There, we would write three words a day,each with its pronunciation,meaning and example.

At the end of every quarter, she would give us a surprise quiz on whatever we wrote in our notebooks. Honestly, I've never liked it. Out of the hundred words I've written, I could only remember an approximate of 30 words.

WORD

One of the most important reminder on English grammar is the use of words. Some words might have the same pronunciation but contain different meanings. For example, the words censor and sensor, censor means preventing a thing from reaching a public, while sensor is a device which senses any change. One word can make a sentence non-sense.

I am sharing with you a joke that I have just read, which illustrated how the English language was abused to make you laugh.

Court Scene

Witness: Pagkatapos namin kinuha ang pera niya naghiwa-hiwalay na kami.

Interpreter: After we took his money, we sepa-separated.

In this joke, the translation was done literally. Though it sounded funny, it is still incorrect.

Tagalog to English

One of the questions in our first exam was to translate “Umalis na si Jo” in English. The right answer was "Jo had left." because the action is done in the past perfect tense due to the existence of the word "na". After that, I realized that it is not easy to translate Tagalog to English and vice versa.

The Importance of Feedback in Communication

Last night while i was surfing the internet, i saw a quotation that goes like this, "Don't forget that feedback is one of the essential elements of good communication". We all know that communication is one of the applications of the English language. The insights of other people will help us to know our mistakes and how we can improve those errors.

The Universal Language

Being proficient in English language can help you in many ways. As a student, knowing the language will be a BIG help for you in doing English-related tasks in different subjects that you take. And as a professional, it can help you in dealing with your foreign clients that use English. As a conclusion, English language is now a necessity for one to be successful in his or her life.

;)

Writing in English is an Art

Writing in English is not a science but an art. Though commonly taken for granted, it has its own glitter and luster. It is like a treasure hidden deep within the wilderness. Yet it doesn't have to be complicated. You don't have to be an experienced man to be a good writer, you just have to motivate yourself and believe that you have experienced it.

Like Riding a Bike

“Learning a language is like riding a bicycle. The most important thing about any language is communication. You learn to communicate effectively by using a language, by doing things with it, by having fun with it, and by experiencing it.”

We learn English in the same way we learn to ride a bicycle. We experiment and take risks that sometimes can lead us to few bumps and few bruises which are undeniably part of the learning process. People may laugh at us for our mistakes but that’s okay for we may laugh at ourselves too for the important discovery that we will have made.

Using your English knowledge for Math Word Problems

Now, we're taking up word problems in Math 17. It's a little difficult for us because we are now encountering a problem inside a problem. The problems are how we will analyze the said problems and how we will compute it. But, I think, because of our basic lessons in English, it will be easier for us to solve.

"epistaxis"

Last week, I sent a group message to my friends. Some responded, but what really caught my attention was the comment of Jett, which was “epistaxis”. That word was very new to me that time. Out of curiosity, I asked Jett about its meaning. According to him, epistaxis means nosebleed. Hence, a new word was added to my vocabulary.

Try Speaking in English...

Some of us might say that using English as our  language in our daily lives is ridiculous. A possible reason is that we are not used to speaking it. Moreover ,we are afraid that we might say the wrong word,the wrong grammar or even the wrong intonation in our conversations .Yet if we will think deeply, when are we going to learn if we don't start speaking it now? We may commit mistakes at first, but that is normal, so do not be frustrated by that and after some time of speaking the language frequently, you will see, people may think of you as a professional English speaker.

ONE WORD A DAY,.......

Most of us increase our vocabulary by reading novels or pocket books. Reading these novels takes a lot of time. You might spend a day, a week, or even a month. We all know that few do not like reading. So how are they going to increase their vocabulary? Do not worry. Here is an alternative way. READ ONE WORD IN THE DICTIONARY EVERYDAY. One word is enough. Try to write them in a notebook and review them everyday. Do not forget to MASTER THE MEANING AND SPELLING OF THE WORDS BY HEART. Imagine how many words will be added in your vocabulary in one year.

Reading Novels...

Reading novels, based on my perception, can be of help to those who plan to give their English language a good foundation. Why? First, it can help people realize the application of the English language in daily conversations. Second, it can encourage individuals to also express their ideas and feelings through creative writing, thus, it can help improve their English usage.

Blogging > Facebook

I’ve been blogging since my entry to high school. Thus, I became accustomed to using the English language with less effort. Soon, Facebook came forth, enticing the internet community with its handsomer features. Blogging was eventually dethroned by less thought-provoking one-liners.

In my opinion, social networking sites that don’t encourage much brainstorming indirectly kindle the downfall of crafty English usage.

Jean Espejo

10 - 16575

“Writing is easy. You just stare at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead. “-Gene Fowler

Writing is one of the skills that one has to practice. It is not an easy career especially in our country. Writers write, though at times struggle to fight forces that threaten to stifle their voices. Let me take into conclusion that without their works, this world of learning would not take place as well as this piece of writing.

This afternoon, Anzel asked us, “Which one’s correct? Is it easy to bear or easy to bare’?” The others said that “bear” was right for that particular sentence but I strongly believed that it was “bare”. I asked our other classmates and they explained what they meant. “Easy to bear” is “madaling tangapin.” While “easy to bare” is “madaling hubaran”.

---

Hahahahaha. 60 words.. XD

Welcome

Starting Thursday, August 12, you may start posting your weekly entries here as individual posts that we can all comment on.  Don't forget to view ALL of your classmates' first entries HERE. Believe me, you can learn a lot from those and the comments to them.  The same posting guidelines apply:

1.)  Once a week, post a short paragraph talking about anything related to English usage and learning.  It could be a thought, an experience, or an observation you have had.  Make sure it makes sense and is worth our time.

(ONE entry per week should do it, thank you very much.  After all, this isn't your personal blog.)

2.)  Your post must be 50 to 60 words long and may be accompanied by links, photos/illustrations or learning resources that might help the class.

3.)  The deadline for posting is midnight of every Monday.  As an alternative to accessing blogger, you may e-mail your post to anamarie.alfelor@englishteacher.blogger.com for automatic posting to this site.

4.)  Read ALL of your classmates' posts.  I will expect you to know what I am talking about when I mention a particular post in class.

5.)  Be kind enough to help enrich your classmates' education by commenting on their posts, particularly if you spot any grammar, vocabulary, or usage error.  I will be taking note of those "kind-hearted" people who are quick to spot these errors.  

6.)  Unless your user name is your full name, kindly write your name after each post.  How are we to know who maroontikbalang is?

7.)  Be respectful in your comments.  We are all grown-ups with (supposedly) decent education.  The goals here are to share our knowledge and to enjoy the journey of English learning with one another. 

8.) Posts and comments must be written in English.  Text language is definitely not welcome.


9.)  Do not cheat on this project by stealing/ copying and pasting other people's ideas.  It's only 50 to 60 words. Have a brain, have a...good brain.

Entries that don't follow these guidelines will NOT be entertained.


That is basically it.  I might add a few more as we go and see how this turns out, but, until then, please go by these guidelines.

Happy posting. =)