Welcome!
"English at Once" is a blog that intends to become a guide for students, offering help and showing tips to avoid the most common grammar mistakes. You will find, once a week, an entry with an error and how it must be corrected. You will also find tips for the writing or the oral, the typical "False Friends" and everything you need to speak a better English. Welcome on board! Welcome to English at Once!
Many times, students ask about the difference between skill and ability. How must we use them?
SKILL: an ability acquired through practice. It makes you think of something learned, something you worked hard to be good at. It's more "physical".
-What you've learnt
- Permanent changes in behaviour
- Aimed at achieving a goal
- Learning of the skill is demonstrated by changes in the consistency of performance, making it more efficient and successful
ABILITY: the state of being able to do something; something you are born with. It makes you think more of a natural talent and about mental tasks.
- Co-ordination
- Flexibility
- Balance
- Muscular power
- Muscular endurance
Is it clear? Try these examples. Choose the correct answer:
► Another common mistake is to think that 'to attend' stands for 'atender' in spanish.
'To attend' means 'to go to' a class or a meeting:
- I didn't attend the meeting last Friday because of a huge traffic jam.
So you don't 'assist' to the English courses but you 'attend'.
► If someone is in trouble or needs a hand, you may 'assist' him/her.
- My mother needed some help yesterday. So I assited her.
Here we have a case of
FALSE FRIENDS, words that appear to mean the same in English and Spanish but don't.
More false friends English-Spanish
here
The Simple Present Tense is used for everyday actions,likes and dislikes. You often use adverbs of frequence with it.
As you may know, you use the infinive with the subjects I, you, we, they. However, when the subjects of the sentence are 'he, she, it', the infinitive form takes an 's':
I always have breakfast at home.
They usually go to the cinema.
She rarely reads French literature.
Paul loves watching TV
BUT:
When the verb ends in 'o', 's', 'sh', 'ch', 'x' or 'z', 'ES' (instead of 's') are added:
Dad washes his car (to wash)
The students matches the sentences (to match)
The alarm clock buzzes at 9 o'clock every morning (to buzz)
ALSO, if the verb ends in 'y', you change the 'y' into 'i' and then 'ES' is added:
The girl cries when her mother leaves (to cry)
The boy studies german (to study)
Anyway, there are some exceptions:
To play - He/she/it plays
To pay - He/she/it pays
P: download a Powerpoint about Simple Present tense here.
Or you can visit thise website: FORTUNECITY
So, what do your friend/wife/husband does in everyday life?
I'm waiting for your answers!
Yes, prepositions in English are difficult, complicated. Many times, students wonder if they are using the right preposition.
Here we have a special case: Adjectives +AT something
Maybe you are good at something, even if you are not trained to do it, because you have a natural ability:
- I'm good AT maths.
- Mary is very good AT English
Maybe you are not good at something such as a job or a game because of a lack of skill:
- Paul ans I are bad AT football. But Messi is excellent at it!
Perhaps someone is lucky...
- They are lucky AT gambling.
To be + ADJECTIVE + AT + something
What about you? What are you good/bad at?
If you have a meeting or an appointment at 6 o'clock, do you usually arrive ON time or IN time? Do you know the difference between them?
- If you arrive ON time, it means that you arrive ponctually, at 6 o'clock.
- If you arrive IN time, it means that you arrive some minutes before, at 5:45.
The common mistake is to think that 'actually' stands for 'actualmente' in spanish.
'Actually' means 'in fact' or 'en realidad' in spanish.
Example:
- You're English, aren't you?
- No, actually, I'm Irish
Here we have a case of
FALSE FRIENDS, words that appear to mean the same in English and Spanish but don't.
A common mistake:
- Would you mind opening the door?
- Yes, sure!
The formal expression "would you mind" means "to be offended or bothered by doing something". If you answer "yes", you are showing embarrassment or that you are not willing to do what it's requested. That's why the correct or the polite answer is "No, I don't" or " Not at all":
- Would you mind if I smoke?
- Of course not!
"English at Once" is a blog that intends to become a guide for students, offering help and showing tips to avoid the most common grammar mistakes.
You will find, twice a week, an entry with an error and how it must be corrected. You will also find tips for the writing or the oral, the typical "False Friends" and everything you need to speak a better English.
Welcome on board! Welcome to English at Once!
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