Posts tagged grammar
English Lesson: Adjective Clauses (Relative Clauses)
Mar 11th
Happy is a dog who loves to sleep!
One of the readers asked about adjective clauses (also called relative clauses). Today I’m going to show you the basics of this grammar.
As you know, an adjective describes a noun and comes before the noun. For example:
- I met a nice man. Nice is an adjective and man is a noun.
An adjective clause also describes a noun but comes after the noun. Basically, adjective clauses begin with a relative pronoun. The three most common of these is who, which, and that. The relative pronoun who is used to describe a person.
- I met a nice man who spoke French.
- I have a teacher who gives us a lot of homework.
- My mom is a woman who takes good care of her family.
The relative pronoun which is used to describe a thing.
- I found a nice table lamp which I put on my desk.
- I have special knife which is used for cutting fish.
- Jack has a car which he bought in Canada.
The relative pronoun that can be used to describe people or things:
- I met a nice man that spoke French.
- I have a teacher that gives us a lot of homework.
- I found a nice table lamp that I put on my desk.
- I have special knife that is used for cutting fish.
Do you know anyone who is good at using relative clauses? How about you? Why not write a sentence in the comment section to practice this point?
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!
One Point English Lesson: Gerunds Vs. Participles
Feb 17th
Listen to the audio:
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Today we will have a look at the difference between gerunds and participles. Basically, gerunds function as nouns and participles function as adjectives. Read the paragraph below and see if you can find the gerunds and participles. Then, check the examples given after the dialog.
Reading Practice: Grammar in Context
Exercising is an important part of staying healthy. While some people enjoy exercising in a gym, I prefer walking. It’s because I don’t like exercising in a hot building. I like to walk on the beach or in the park. I find enjoying nature while exercising makes the time pass quickly…and more enjoyably! When I was walking this morning in my neighborhood, I saw a barking dog. He wasn’t barking at me, thank goodness. Maybe he was barking because someone disturbed his nap. Like the old saying goes, let sleeping dogs lie.
Dialog: Grammar in Context
Jack: I love running in Central Park in the morning. This morning my running partner was sick, so I ran alone.
Jen: Exercising in the morning doesn’t work for me. I prefer to do it at night. I do a cycling class at the gym.
Jack: So does that mean you don’t want to go running with me tomorrow if my partner is still sick?
Jen: No, thanks.
Grammar Point
A gerund is a verb+ing that works like a noun. Here are some examples:
- Exercising is an important part of staying healthy.
- My wife always complains about my snoring.
- George got in trouble for napping in his office.
- I like skiing.
A participle is a verb+ing that works like an adjective. Here are some examples:
- You shouldn’t disturb a sleeping dog.
- There was a crying baby on my flight to New York.
- My skiing holiday was cancelled because there was not enough snow.
- The students played a drinking game, called Beer Pong.
Practice
Do you like to exercise? Do you like exercising in a gym? What do you do to keep healthy? Leave a comment here and let me know.
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!
One Point English Lesson: Kind of & Sort of
Dec 26th
This curry is kind of spicy, but yummy!
Both kind of and sort of are used to mean a little when used with an adjective, and mean a type of when used with a noun or noun phrase.
Pattern #1 – kind of + adjective meaning “a little”
- I’m kind of tired, so I think I’ll stay home tonight.
- Jack said his job is kind of boring sometimes, so he wants to do something new.
- This curry is kind of spicy, so be careful when you eat it.
Pattern #2 – sort of + adjective meaning “a little”
- I’m sort of tired, so I think I’ll stay home tonight.
- Jack said his job is sort of boring sometimes, so he wants to do something new.
- This curry is sort of spicy, so be careful when you eat it.
Pattern #3 – kind of + noun phrase (adjective + noun) meaning “a type of”
- Tom is kind of a lazy guy, so the boss is going to have a meeting with him about it.
- This soup is kind of a traditional family recipe.
- New Hope, PA is kind of a quiet, small town where you can relax for a weekend.
Pattern #4 – sort of + noun phrase (adjective + noun) meaning “a type of”
- Tom is sort of a lazy guy, so the boss is going to have a meeting with him about it.
- This soup is sort of a traditional family recipe.
- New Hope, PA is sort of a quiet, small town where you can relax for a weekend.
Pattern #5 – be kind of + VerbING or be sort of + VerbING. This pattern is used in conversational English when you want to explain what you are doing or speak in a more indirect way.
- I am kind of wondering what to eat for dinner.
- Jack said he is sort of thinking about quitting the company next month.
- Cathy: Hey Joe, do you want to come to the club tonight?
- Joe: I’d love to, but I’m kind of trying to finish my report for school.
Do you know any other ways to use kind of or sort of? If so, why not leave a comment here and share your ideas!
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!
