English Lesson: Saying Thanks

Thanks so much to everyone for studying English with me here at Happy English. I appreciate your comments and emails, and of course I want to thank you for your time. In English when we say thank you, there are two ways we can thank someone. Let’s look at this topic today!

First up, you can thank someone for something. You can use thank you, or the more casual form, thanks. We can thank someone for something like this:

  • Thank you for your time.
  • Thank you for the birthday gift.
  • Thanks for the coffee. It’s really delicious.

Next, you can thank someone for doing something. Here too, you can use thank you, or the more casual form, thanks:

  • Thank you for studying with me.
  • Thanks for spending time with me last night.
  • Thank you for working hard today.

So to summarize, the structures are like this”

  • Thank you for + something. Thank you for the hat.
  • Thank you for + Ving. Thank you for giving me the hat.

Well, thanks for reading. Remember, you can always send me a message with your suggestions and requests for a one-point lesson!

English Lesson: Location & Directions Part II

Yesterday we looked at describing location. Today we will continue with the next part of this topic: giving directions around town. Make sure you have seen Part 1 here before continuing. Have a look at the map above and then read today’s lesson:

When you give directions, there are two things you need to do. First, say the directions and then, say the location. For example:

If you are at Πand want to go to the supermarket you should:

  • Go straight on 6th Ave to 57th Street.
  • Turn right on 57th Street, and walk 1 block.
  • The super market is on the left side, on the corner of 57th Street and Broadway.

Here are some common expressions used in giving directions:

  • Go straight on street name  → Go straight on 57th Street
  • Turn right on street name  → Turn right on 57th Street
  • Turn left on street name  → Turn left on Broadway

If you can remember these key expressions, you will always be able to find your way around town or help someone else find their way. Thanks for reading and send me your suggestions and requests for a one point lesson!

English Lesson: Location & Directions Part I

Someone asked me if I could teach a lesson on giving directions. Giving directions around town is related to talking about location, so let’s talk about location first! Have a look at the map above and then read today’s lesson:

In the USA, every street no matter how big or small has a name. Each building on the street is given a number, and the numbers go in order. The odd numbers (211, 213, etc) are on one side of the street, and the even numbers (212, 214, etc) are on the other side of the street. So as you can see in the map, the address of the bank is 212 57th Street. We use at when we talk about the whole address, and on when we just mention the street:

Location (address & street)

  • The bank is at 212 57th Street.
  • The bank is on 57th Street.

When you want to talk about the location without saying the address, you can do it this way:

On the corner of

  • The bank is on the corner of 57th Street and 6th Ave.
  • The book store is also on the corner of 57th Street and 6th Ave.
  • The supermarket is on the corner of 57th Street and Broadway.

Next to

  • The book store is next to the shoe store.
  • The shoe store is next to the pet shop.
  • The supermarket is next to the bank.

Between [A] is between [B] and [C]

  • The shoe store is between the book store and the pet shop.
  • The parking lot is between the bank and the supermarket.

Across from (or) Across the street from

  • The book store is across from the bank
  • The supermarket is across the street from the bank

Down the block from

  • The book store is down the block from the pet shop.

For practice, using as many of the ways to describe location, write at least five sentences to describe where the pet shop is. If you want me to check your work, write the sentences in the comment box or send me a direct message here.

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English Lesson: Restaurant Vocabulary

I love going out to eat, and New York is a great city to live in if you enjoy eating out. There are lots of restaurants in all price ranges with food from all over the world. Today we will look at some English Vocabulary related to eating in restaurants. 

When you are in a hurry, you can eat at a fast food restaurant. There are lots of burger joints, pizza parlors, and even street vendors in NYC. When you go to a fast food restaurant, they may ask you, “Is that for here or to go?” For here means eat at the restaurant, to go means you’ll take the food somewhere else and eat it. In British English they use take away instead of to go.

When you are looking for something a bit more nutritious and fancy, there are plenty of good restaurants in the Big Apple. There are some restaurants which are buffet style. This means that for one price, you can help yourself to as much food as you like from the many trays and platters on display.  

For some of the busier and more popular restaurants, you’ll need to make reservations. After your meal, if you still have some food leftover, you can ask for a doggy bag. This means you will take home those leftovers. When the check comes, you’ll need to figure out how much of a tip you will leave. At a restaurant, the norm is 15~20%.

A lot of restaurants and bars have happy hour. When it is happy hour, drinks are heavily discounted, sometimes by 50%. Happy hour is generally from about 5pm to 7pm, but the times vary depending on the bar. Some bars also have lady’s night where women can drink for half price or free the whole night. I wonder why they do that…. ;)