30 03, 2013

One Point English Lesson: Talk About Time with At, On, and In

Today’s graphic show the basics about which prepositions you can use to talk about time. We basically use at for clock time, on for a day or date, and on for all other time words like month, year, etc:

happy-english-at-in-on-time

29 03, 2013

English Lesson: How to Pronounce the Years!

Here is how to pronounce "years"

Here is how to pronounce “years”



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29 03, 2013

English Grammar Lesson: Above Vs. Over

The fireworks above the city are beautiful

The fireworks above the city are beautiful

The prepositions above and over both describe the position of something in a higher position than another thing. However, we use these two words differently. Today, I’m going to show you how to use these words.

We use both above and over to mean “higher” or “higher than ~,” like this:

  • The sun is above the garden in the afternoon.
  • The sun over the garden in the afternoon.
  • The picture is above the fireplace.
  • The picture is over the fireplace.

We usually use over when on thing is touching or covering another thing:

  • I put a blanket over the dog.
  • I usually wear a sweater over my shirt.
  • They put a cover over the pool in the winter.

We prefer to use above when one thing is not touching another thing:

  • The clouds above us look like flowers.
  • The fireworks above the river look so beautiful.
  • The hawk was circling above its prey.

We use over to show that movement, when something crosses another thing:

  • The plane flew over the school several times.
  • He walked over the broken glass and hurt his foot.
  • The trains go over the roadway.

We use over when we talk about age, amounts, and speed:

  • You can’t buy beer unless you are over 18 year old.
  • The police will stop you if you drive over 65MPH.
  • Over 500 people were waiting for the store to open on Black Friday.

We use above when we talk about height, rank, & temperature, in other words, things that are measured vertically:

  • Mount Fuji in Japan is 3,776 meters above sea level.
  • A general is above a captain in the military.
  • When the temperature reaches 28°C above zero the machine turns off automatically.

We use above in documents and books when referring to something that came before:

  • If you agree to the above policy, please sign your name here.
  • For the reasons stated above, I think learning English is interesting.
  • Please do not write above this line.

Now it’s your turn. How about trying to write an original sentence using some of the above patterns. Use the comment box below!



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28 03, 2013

English Grammar Lesson: Be Able Vs. Can

English Grammar Lesson Be Able Vs. Can

When you want to talk about ability, you can use be able or can. Today, I am going to show you a few ways  to use be able to or can.

We use be able + infinitive [to verb]. For example be able to go, be able to eat, be able to play, etc. In this way, be able to has the same meaning as can. The negative forms of be able to are not able to (and) be unable to:

  • I am able to leave work early today.
  • Jack said he is not able to finish the report by 5:00pm.
  • I had to change my seat because I was unable to see the stage.

We use can + base verb, for example, can go, can eat, can play, etc. The negative forms are can not and can’t:

  • I can leave work early today.
  • Jack said he can’t finish the report by 5:00pm.
  • I had to change my seat because I could not see the stage.

When we talk about present ability, we use both be able and can, but can is more common:

  • I can speak English and German.
  • I am able to speak English and German.
  • Jack can cook French food.
  • Jack is able to cook French food.

When we talk about future ability, or use the present perfect, we only use be able.

  • You will be able to speak English well after spending two years at this school.
  • Someday, scientists will be able to communicate with dolphins.
  • Jack has been able to study English in the USA and in the UK.
  • I haven’t been able to call you because I’ve been busy at work.

When we talk about decisions or appointments in the future, we use both be able and can, but here too, can is more common:

  • I can meet you at the airport next week.
  • I am able to meet you at the airport next week
  • Sorry, I can’t come to the party tomorrow.
  • Sorry, I am not able to come to the party tomorrow.

Now it’s your turn. How about trying to write an original sentence using some of the above patterns. Use the comment box below!



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If you know anyone who has trouble with this English language point, why not help them out! Just share this lesson with them.

Thanks for studying today!