30 June 2008 - Written by Rob

There are hundreds of what are known as ‘phrasal verbs’ in the English language. This can be one of the most frustrating things about learning English as a non-native speaker. Phrasal verbs are words compounded of two or more words, including one ‘normal’. For example: get back - means ‘to return’; get away - means ‘to escape’; come back - means ‘to return’.

There is no rule or logic behind these phrasal verbs; the only way to learn them is by becoming familiar with them through speech, listening, reading, and practice. With a little effort, it won’t take long to master a few of the most common phrasal verbs. After that, more and more can be added as they are found.

Here are a few phrasal verbs related to anxiety, and an exercise for you to try:

Fill in all the gaps, using the phrasal verbs below

I really felt sorry for Jane today. I saw her sitting outside, but she didn’t look as relaxed as she usually does. I asked her if anything was ________her _______, but instead of replying she _______ crying! I was so shocked. It turned out that she had an important deadline to meet at work, and her boss had been her _______ by constantly reminding her of how important the project was, and how everyone was depending on her to do it well. As she was telling me she started _______ herself _______ again, to the point that she started shaking. I tried my best to _______ it _______, and even offered to help her with some of the work, but I don’t think she’ll be able to relax again until the project is complete.

work up / smooth over / wind up / burst out / stress out

26 June 2008 - Written by Lyle

Onomatopoeia is a word or a grouping of words that imitates the sound it is describing.

A common example is “Knock, knock” – the sound of someone tapping on a door with their knuckles. The sounds that animals make are also described with onomatopoeic words. For example the sound a cat makes is “Meow”. Onomatopoeic words can also be used as verbs.

Eg. Someone knocked on my door.

Eg. My cat always Meows when she wants something to eat.

When used as verbs, almost all onomatopoeic words conjugate like a regular verb. So for the past tense just add “ed”.

Try to put these onomatopoeic words in the sentences below. Don’t forget to use the correct tense.

Achoo. Chirp. Hiccup. Moo. Oink. Thump. Boom. Smooch.

1. The birds were _______________ loudly this morning.

2. My brother ____________ me on the shoulder.

3. I ate that cake too fast and got the _______________.

4. “______________!” I think I have hay-fever.

5. I wish that couple would stop ______________.

6. The sound a cow makes is “____________”.

7. The canons on the ship _____________.

8. Those pigs always start _______________ when they eat.

19 June 2008 - Written by Lyle

One point that often causes trouble (even to native speakers) is how to name the people of place. There are many suffixes which are attached to the end of a place name to create a new word, which can be used to name a person.

As a general rule, for countries ending in “a” or “ia” (Korea, Bulgaria, etc) you can simply add an “n” to describe a person from there.

Eg. “My friend married a Korean.”

For countries that do not end in “a” or “ia” it becomes more difficult. The most commonly used suffixes are “er”, “o”, “ard”, and “i”.

Eg. New Zealander, Filipino, Spaniard, Pakistani.

Another common suffix is ‘ese’, but it is usually only used as an adjective, or to refer to the group in its entirety.

Eg. “Do you like Portuguese food?”
“The Japanese are hard workers.”

“Person” is often added when you want to refer to a single person.

Eg. “ I’ve never met a Chinese person.”

Be careful using “ish”, because it is also used as an adjective, or to refer to a language.

Eg. “Swedish cars are expensive.”

“Many Irish children study Spanish.”

There are many irregular forms. It’s quite difficult to master. Names that refer to the people of a region or city are also, but for now let’s just stick with some European countries. Have a go at these…

1. Someone from Denmark is called a ____________________.
2. Someone from Italy is called an _________________________.
3. Someone from Hungary is called a _____________________.
4. Someone from Poland is called a _______________________.
5. Someone from Romania is called a _____________________.
6. Someone from Sweden is called a ______________________.
7. Someone from the U.K. is called a ______________________.
8. Someone from Greece is called a _______________________.
9. Someone from Finland is called a ________________________.
10. Someone from Estonia is called an ______________________.

12 June 2008 - Written by Rob

One of the most frustrating aspects of learning English can be the correct use of ‘prepositions of place’ (for example; in, at, on). The main reason why this is difficult to learn is that there aren’t many rules that can be memorised concerning these prepositions. However, with enough practice and familiarisation, English students can learn to use prepositions in the correct way every time. Reading prose will help, as well as listening to the spoken language.

Here is an exercise about prepositions of place. Fill in the gaps with the correct word (in, at, on or in):

1. The headquarters of the United Nations is ___ New York.

2. In most countries people drive ___ the right.

3. I usually buy a newspaper ___ my way to work.

4. Last year we had a lovely skiing holiday ___ the Swiss Alps.

5. San Francisco is ___ the west coast of the United States.

6. She spends most of the day sitting ___ the window.

7. The report about the accident was ___ the front page of the newspaper.

8. In the theatre we had seats ___ the front row.

9. Write the name and address ___ the front page of the envelope.

10. It’s dangerous to play football ___ the streets.

11. I’ll meet you ___ the corner of the street at 10.

12. We got stuck in a traffic jam ___ the way to the airport.

13. Look at the horses ___ that field.

14. ___ the end of the street is a path to our house.

15. Do you want sugar ___ your coffee?