Creative Writing English Lesson #2: Uh Oh!

Why is Mickey Surprised?

Why is Mickey surprised?

Hi Everyone,
Thanks for checking out last week’s creative writing project. That was such a big success, I thought it would be fun to try it again. Are you ready for today’s writing challenge? Have a look at the photo and explain your answer to this question in the comment box below:

Why is Mickey surprised?

If this is your first time writing a comment here at Happy English, your comment will not show up until it is checked (this is my anti-spam filter). In that case you should see your post within 12 hours. Ok, get writing!



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English Grammar Lesson: Non-Progressive Verbs

This takoyaki tastes amazing!

This takoyaki tastes amazing!

I am writing this lesson on my laptop right now. I used the verb write in its progressive form (with the be verb) because I am writing now. We use verbs in the progressive form when we talk about actions that are happening right now. Here are some other examples:

  • I’m working until 10pm tonight.
  • Jack’s sister is staying at his house this week.
  • Jane is listening to music while doing her homework.

Most present actions are described using the progressive form. However there are several kinds of verbs that are not used in the progressive, even if we are talking about right now. Today, I want to show you this English grammar and give you some example sentences.

First of all, there are verbs that show mental states (such as believe, know, remember, want, etc):

  • I believe this is the correct answer. Not, I am believing ~
  • I know how to fix that computer problem.
  • Yes, I remember what he asked me.
  • I want to have pizza for lunch.

Next, there are verbs that show emotions (such as love, like, hate, prefer, etc)

  • I love pizza. I’m sure you already knew that!
  • Bob said he likes his new job.
  • I prefer coffee to tea.

Third, there are verbs of the senses. These verbs (feel, hear, see, smell, sound, & taste) are not used in the progressive when they refer to the action of the senses. Generally, the subject of the sentence is the thing being described:

  • This cup feels hot.
  • Does this milk smell right to you?
  • That music sounds so relaxing.
  • The cheesecake she made tastes great.

Lastly, there are some special cases that you need to remember:

  1. Have is not used in the progressive when it means possession or ownership, but it is used in the progressive in other meanings (like experience) or in certain collocations:
    1. I have an iPhone, but my sister has an Android.
    2. Everyone is having a great time at the party!
    3. Jane is having a baby!
  2. Feel can be used in the progressive when it describes using your fingers to check something:
    1. I am feeling this glass carefully for cracks or chips.
  3. Think is not used in the progressive when it means opinion but it is used in the progressive when it means using one’s brain. Compare these two sentences:
    1. I think studying English is a good way to expand cross-cultural communication.
    2. I am thinking about the answer to this math problem, but I can’t figure it out.
  4. Look is not used in the progressive when it means seem but it is used in the progressive when it means using one’s eyes. Compare these two sentences:
    1. That cake looks delicious!
    2. Why are you looking at me that way?
  5. Weigh and measure are not used in the progressive when we describe the weight or length of something, but they are used in the progressive when we describe the action of weighing or measuring:
    1. I am weighing the coffee to see how much is in the bag. It weighs 5 pounds.
    2. Jack is measuring the table. He says it measures three meters long.

Well, that’s a lot of English rules! I hope you don’t feel too tired. How about using the comment box below and writing some original sentences using this grammar. I’ll check them for you!



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English Grammar Lesson: Reported Speech (Indirect Speech)

He said he liked pizza!

He said he liked pizza!

When you want to tell someone what another person told you, you can use reported speech. Here’s an example:

In the morning, you have this conversation with your friend Jack:

  • Michael: Hi Jack. What’s new?
  • Jack: I started a new job last week.
  • Michael: Really? How’ it going?
  • Jack: Oh, it’s pretty busy.

Later that day, you have this conversation with your friend Jane:

  • Michael: I talked to Jack this morning.
  • Jane: How’s everything going with his new job?
  • Michael: He said it was pretty busy.

A lot of students have a hard time with using reported speech. Today, I will show you how to use this English grammar:

We usually change the verb in the time clause to the past form:

  • “Oh, it’s pretty busy.” → He said it was pretty busy.
  • “I drink coffee every morning.” → He said he drank coffee every morning.
  • “I saw Jane this morning.” → He said he had seen Jane this morning.

This is the usual grammar, and I recommend you use the above grammar, especially if you have an English test in school. However, there are a few exceptions:

Exception #1: We don’t change the verb in the time clause when we report something that was just said. Imagine you are in a meeting, and the boss is talking. You may have a conversation like this with your coworker:

  • Joe: What did the boss say about the next meeting? I couldn’t catch it.
  • Michael: He said he wants us to meet next Tuesday.

Exception #2: We don’t change the verb in the time clause when we report something that is a general or usual truth. Here is a conversation from a cooking class:

  • Jack: What did the teacher say about fresh cream? I couldn’t catch it.
  • Michael: She said it is usually fresh for just one week.

Exception #3: We usually don’t change the verb in the time clause when we report something that we believe is still true about someone’s feelings or a situation. There are a lot of examples of sentences like this from pop songs:

  • “She says it’s cold outside…” – Matchbox Twenty, 3AM
  • “She says she love you…” ­– The Beatles, She Loves You
  • “He says I am beautiful…” – Candice Glover, I Am Beautiful

Even though there are these three exceptions, most English teachers follow the basic rule that says to change the verb in the time clause to the past. I’ve checked a few text and reference books and all of them say that we “usually” change the verb. This is a case where there is no clear cut answer, so just try to remember the basic rule and the three exceptions. If you have any additional ideas about using reported speech, why not leave a comment?



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Creative Writing! Using Your Imagination in English

Happy English creative writing projectToday I would like to try something a little different here. I want you to look at the photo below and think about the situation:

  1. What is the relationship between these two people?
  2. Why are they at the train station today?
  3. What do you think will happen next?

Write you answers and ideas in the comment box below, and I’ll check your work for you.



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