Beach holidays, the letter S and phrasal verbs
Post categories: Teacher blog
| 14:16 UK time, Friday, 6 May 2011
Hi Lito (and everyone else!)
I really enjoyed reading your first post and seeing those beautiful pictures of your country. I have never been to the Phillipines but it's definitely on my list.
I find it especially interesting that in Boracay international and local tourists enjoy the beaches side by side. Do these two groups of people always get on together?
It reminds me of a holiday I went on a few years ago to Thailand. One day, I spent the whole afternoon swimming in the beautiful waters and sunning myself with the other tourists. Time seemed to slow down as the afternoon stretched into evening. The sun began to set beautifully.
Sorry, no holiday images from Thailand. Just a coconut.
After a while, I realised I was the only person on the beach; all the other tourists had gone off to bars and restaurants.
But suddenly, a large group of local people arrived on the beach. I recognised some of them as
workers from my hotel. They waded into the water fully dressed. Some of them were using coconuts as floats, something I had never seen before. The air was filled with peals of laughter as they started splashing about and throwing the coconuts to one another.
Some places are a joy to visit but even better to live in.
I'm really looking forward to your next post, Lito.
LANGUAGE
Lito, I think you employed some beautiful language in your piece. I like the way you described the restaurants' food as 'mouth-watering'. This means the same as delicious but it's a more interesting, evocative word. It's so important, when you're learning a language, to try and use new words. Some learners are too loyal to the words they already know (words like 'delicious') so they never move from using the language in an efficient way to using it an expressive way.
You said:
Not only Filipinos are spending holidays in that place, it is also sprayed with people from west countries.
It might be better to say:
It's not just Filipinos that spend holidays here; it is sprinkled with people from the west too.
Try to be a little careful with verb conjugation. In particular, ask yourself whether the verb you are using needs an S or not. For regular verbs in English, you only need to add an S in the third person (i.e. for he, she and it).
You said:
Are you getting stressed from the office work? needs to chill out? Wants to be away from the Bosses for a couple of weeks?
You don't need the S after 'need' or 'want' here because these questions are in the second person (you).
Restaurants that serves mouth watering western and asian foods
It should be 'serve' because restaurants is in the sixth person (they).
We would also normally say 'food' because this word is generally uncountable; we say 'How much food do you want?' not 'How many foods do you want?'
However, you can actually use the plural 'foods' in this sentence, as you have done. Does anyone know why? Some of you might also have noticed this unusual use of the plural in my passage above:
I spent the whole afternoon swimming in the beautiful waters.
HOMEWORK
If you look at my passage above, you'll notice I have used a few phrasal verbs.
Do these two groups of people always get on together?
...all the other tourists had gone off to bars and restaurants.
...they started splashing about and throwing the coconuts to one another.
Phrasal verbs are difficult to learn because there are so many of them! Also, they can have surprising meanings, sometimes even double meanings. However, it is extremely important to get a handle on these verbs if you want your English to sound more natural.
So, who would like to try making these four sentences sound much more natural, using phrasal verbs? You will find this site helpful.
1. I was reared by my parents.
2. When people criticise her, she should defend herself.
3. I'm starting to become ill.
4. I said goodbye to Alice at the airport.
There may be more than one correct answer for each sentence, but I'll give you four example answers next week.
USEFUL VOCABULARY
- it's on my list - It's on my to-do list, i,e, I want to do it / go there
- to sun oneself - to sunbathe, to enjoy the sunshine
- to wade - to walk in water
- side by side - together, in harmony
- A float - something you can hold to help you keep on the surface in water ('to float' is also a verb)
- peals of laughter - we can talk about a 'peal of bells,' which is the noise ringing bells make. Laughter can have a similar, happy sound.
- Evocative - bringing to mind an image, feeling or memory
Comment number 1.
At 6th May 2011, francesco6576 wrote:Hi William!
I read your post with great interest and I found a lot of helpful advises.
I do not know none of your homework phrasal verbs, so I'm going to look up. I hope that's right! I'm looking forward to read other users comments and your next post!
Francesco
Complain about this comment (Comment number 1)
Comment number 2.
At 6th May 2011, Abdisamad wrote:Hello William,
First of all, a very big, warm welcome from me. I hope you're doing well. As it happened, I couldn't wait to read your first entry in this blog, because I knew it right from the beginning that you're gonna post an amazing entry.
Your great job is always very much appreciated. And I am pleased to tell you, Will, that I just can't think of how my English would be without this amazing website.
I have to agree with you that learning phrasal verbs can make our English sound more natural. They certainly are.
Here's the homework:
1) I was brought up by my parents.
2)When people criticize her, she should stand up for herself.
3)This is a little bit hard for me. If I could think of another similar one, I'd say (I am fighting off cold, etc.
4) I saw Alice off at the airport.
I am looking forward to your next blog.
Kind regards,
Abdisamad
Complain about this comment (Comment number 2)
Comment number 3.
At 6th May 2011, beatriz wrote:Hi Will,
Welcome and thanks for your interesting and useful post. I usually avoid using phrasal verbs but I´ll try with your sentences.
1) I was brought up by my parents.
2) When people criticise her, she should fight it off.
3) I´m going down with something.
4) I saw Alice off at the airport.
Looking forward to your next post. The best. Beatriz.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 3)
Comment number 4.
At 7th May 2011, Mohammad Najmul Huda wrote:Hello Will,
Welcome and nice meet you. Your writing is awesome .It is not just you are teaching English , You are teaching how to write. About home work , I like this part but today I am feeling it is little a bit difficult .But I will not stop myself here .I will try
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ task :
1 I was born and brought up by my parents or I was born and bred by my parents.
2) When people criticize her, she should beat off it.
3) I am getting ill.
4 I saw Alice off at the airport.
Thank you
Complain about this comment (Comment number 4)
Comment number 5.
At 7th May 2011, Lito wrote:Hi Will,
Many thanks for your advice, comments and suggestion Will. I agree that the usage of Phrasal Verbs are very difficult for me, because they're loads of them. You're right that some of them are in the same Phrasal but in different meaning, I always struggle to understand the Phrasal verbs that my Brits officemates are using. I always ask them to repeat the words they said every time I don't understand the words that they are saying.
I'm gonna spend most of my free time studying Phrasal verbs.
Thank again,
Will.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 5)
Comment number 6.
At 7th May 2011, ipjmac wrote:Hello William,
The site about phrasal verbs is very useful as "Face up to phrasals". Although I regularly check over them it is difficult to get over our habits! And sometimes these verbs are tricky. As an example, yesterday in "Words in the news" I was a bit surprised, finding out a new meaning of "run out" (complete a race) quite different of "running out of money", I had to use sometimes :) I suppose I was mistaking "run out" and "run out of". Tricky, indeed!outside the context.
With more and more practice I hope I'll succeed in using them more often.
About the homework, I would say:
I was brought up by my parents.
When people put her down, she should stand up for herself.
I'm starting to go down with illness.
I saw Alice off at the airport.
Thank you very much for your good advice I've appreciated since almost 3 years.
Kind regards
Jean marie
Complain about this comment (Comment number 6)
Comment number 7.
At 7th May 2011, kirsti wrote:Hi,
Thanks for teaching phrasal verbs. They are so difficult! I agree with Abdisamad for 1 and 4, then I suggest
2. When people get at her, she should stand up for herself.
3. I'm going down with something.
I think I spontaneously would only have said that I was brought up by my parents. Recently I had some words to match with one of four alternatives, all of which were phrasal verbs. I failed, not because I didn't know the meaning of the original words but because I didn't know the phrasal expressions.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 7)
Comment number 8.
At 8th May 2011, ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½_fan wrote:Hello,
I always had hard time learning phrasal verbs. The phrasal verbs as well as English articles is my Achilles heel. Anyway I'll try to do the homework :-)
1. I was brought up by my parents.
2. When people criticize her, she should stand up for her self.
3. I am coming down with flu (or something else).
4. I saw Alice off at the airport.
Thanks.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 8)
Comment number 9.
At 8th May 2011, Tereza wrote:Hi Will,
there are so many phrasal verbs, it is impossible to learn all of them! However, I will try:
1. I was brought up by my parents.
2. When people criticise her, she should stand up for herself.
3. I'm getting ill.
4. I saw Alice off at the airport.
Have a nice day!
Tereza
Complain about this comment (Comment number 9)
Comment number 10.
At 8th May 2011, Kika wrote:Hello,
Please I have a question:
- Can I say I grew up with my parents? or I grew up by my parents?
Thank you.
Bye.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 10)
Comment number 11.
At 9th May 2011, Carrie4 wrote:Hi,
You might also like to try our Phrasal Verbs crossword: /worldservice/learningenglish/quizzes/crossword/101022_crossword_phrasalverbs.shtml
Complain about this comment (Comment number 11)
Comment number 12.
At 9th May 2011, bana wrote:Dear William,
I would like to thank you for such a nice help in getting on in phrasal verbs, its really tough when dealing with these in daily routeen spoken.
1. I was brought up by my parents.
2. When people criticise her , she must stand up for herself.
3. I am getting sick.
4. I see off to Alice at the airport.
Waitting for your further advice and consideration.
Kind regards,
Complain about this comment (Comment number 12)
Comment number 13.
At 10th May 2011, cheesegroup wrote:Thanks! It's a very good way to learn English.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 13)
Comment number 14.
At 10th May 2011, mauricio wrote:Hi William,
it's nice to meet you.
Your post is very interesting.
Phrasal verbs are really a difficult topic for me. I could answer none of the sentences you assigned, but after I read other comments I recognized some of the verbs used. I guess sometimes we know the verbs but we don't know how to use them. It takes time and practice.
See you in your next post which I'll be expecting eagerly.
Bye...
Complain about this comment (Comment number 14)
Comment number 15.
At 10th May 2011, hind wrote:Hi william
I want to thank you for this exercise , but it is very hard ,however i will try
1. I was brought up by my parents.
3. I'm going down with something .
4. I saw Alice off .
Complain about this comment (Comment number 15)
Comment number 16.
At 10th May 2011, Naheed wrote:Hello William,
It's so good to have you as a teacher blogger this time and I am sure all the old readers will be so glad to read you over the month. Talking of learning languages, it's always worth knowing a new word and I am always looking up one. Having said that, along with new words, it's also of importance to learn their synonyms and that's what I am trying to learn these days. I have come across 'Peals of laughter' many times but have learned what it means now:).
Here are the phrasal verbs:
1. I was brought up by my parents.
2. When is picked on, she should stand up for herself.
3. I'm going down with something.
4. I saw off Alice at the airport.
Have a great day,
Naheed
Complain about this comment (Comment number 16)
Comment number 17.
At 12th May 2011, rhino wrote:Hello All
This is interesting homework
can I say
1. My parents brought me up
2. When people criticise her, she should stand up for herself
3. I feel under the weather
4. I sent off Alice at the airport
Complain about this comment (Comment number 17)