These scenes from "The Big Bang Theory" highlight the differences between using "will" and "going to" in Future Simple
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Knock, knock jokes
The knock-knock joke is a type of joke, in the format of "call and response", where the response contains a pun.The standard format has five lines:
- The punster: Knock, knock!
- The recipient: Who's there?
- The punster: a variable response, sometimes involving a name (Doctor.)
- The recipient: a repetition of the response followed by who? (Doctor who?)
- The punster: the punch line, which typically involves a pun-
based misusage of the word set up during the response (How did you know?)*
*From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Tank.
Tank who?
Your welcome!
Knock, knock
Who’s there?
Alex.
Alex who?
Alex-plain later!
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Annie.
Annie who?
Annie body home?
Knock, knock!
Knock, knock.
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Iowa.
Iowa who?
Iowa big apology to the owner of that red car!
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Viper.
Viper who?
Viper nose, it’s running!
Who’s there?
Tank.
Tank who?
Your welcome!
Knock, knock
Who’s there?
Alex.
Alex who?
Alex-plain later!
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Annie.
Annie who?
Annie body home?
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Watson.
Watson who?
What’s on tv tonight?
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Spell.
Spell who?
W-H-O
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Norma Lee.
Norma Lee who?
Norma Lee I don’t go around knocking on doors, but I just had to meet you!
Who’s there?
Somebody too short to ring the doorbell !!
doorbell!
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Iowa.
Iowa who?
Iowa big apology to the owner of that red car!
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Viper.
Viper who?
Viper nose, it’s running!
Adjectives ending in -ed and -ing.
-ED and –ING adjectives
There are many adjectives that we have in English that end in -ED or -ING.
Yes, that's correct, they are not only endings that we use for verbs!
An adjective that ends in -ING is used to describe: the characteristic of a person or a thing.
An adjective that ends in -ED is used to describe: a feeling.
Compare the difference:
My girlfriend is bored. - (My girlfriend feels bored)
My girlfriend is boring. - (My girlfriend is a boring person)
Adjectives that end ‘-ed’ (e.g. ‘bored’, ‘interested’) and adjectives that end ‘-ing’ (e.g. ‘boring’, ‘interesting’) are often confused.
-ed adjectives
Adjectives that end ‘-ed’ describe emotions and feelings – they tell us how people feel about something. They can also be used to describe the emotions of (domestic) animals as well,
I was very bored in the maths lesson. I almost fell asleep.
He was surprised to see Helen. She’d told him she was going to Australia.
Feeling tired and depressed, he went to bed.
-ing adjectives
Adjectives that end ‘-ing’ describe the thing that causes the emotion – a boring lesson makes you feel bored.
Have you seen that film? It’s absolutely terrifying.
I could listen to him for hours. He’s one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met.
I can’t eat this! It’s disgusting! What is it?
Remember that people can be boring but only if they make other people feel bored.
He talks about the weather for hours. He’s so boring.
NOT I was very boring at the party so I went home.
Of course, you could also find both adjectives in the same sentence. Then you really need to concentrate on the intent / context of the sentence.
Examples:
I was shocked by how shocking the accident was last night.
They were frightened by the frightening roller-coaster ride!
I am annoyed by how annoying that person in front of us is.
Sally was confused by the confusing street signs in the city.
Note that the sentences above are to highlight how both adjectives can appear in the same sentence though it isn't common (because it sounds repetitive).
He was surprised to see Helen. She’d told him she was going to Australia.
Feeling tired and depressed, he went to bed.
-ing adjectives
Adjectives that end ‘-ing’ describe the thing that causes the emotion – a boring lesson makes you feel bored.
Have you seen that film? It’s absolutely terrifying.
I could listen to him for hours. He’s one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met.
I can’t eat this! It’s disgusting! What is it?
Remember that people can be boring but only if they make other people feel bored.
He talks about the weather for hours. He’s so boring.
NOT I was very boring at the party so I went home.
Of course, you could also find both adjectives in the same sentence. Then you really need to concentrate on the intent / context of the sentence.
Examples:
I was shocked by how shocking the accident was last night.
They were frightened by the frightening roller-coaster ride!
I am annoyed by how annoying that person in front of us is.
Sally was confused by the confusing street signs in the city.
Note that the sentences above are to highlight how both adjectives can appear in the same sentence though it isn't common (because it sounds repetitive).
Brandy - Have You Ever (1998)
Listen to this song by Brandy and practice the Present Perfect tense by completing the lyrics below using the past participle of the verbs in parenthesis.
"Have You Ever?"
"Have You Ever?"
[Chorus]
Have you ever _______(love) somebody so much
It makes you cry
Have you ever _______(need) something so bad
You can't sleep at night
Have you ever ______(try) to find the words
But they don't come out right
Have you ever, have you ever?
Have you ever ______(be) in love
Been in love so bad
You'd do anything to make them understand
Have you ever _______(have)someone steal your heart away
You'd give anything to make them feel the same
Have you ever ________(search) for words to get you in their heart
But you don't know what to say
And you don't know where to start
[Chorus]
Have you ever _______ (find) the one
You've _______(dream) of all of your life
You'd do just about anything to look into their eyes
Have you finally _______(find) the one you've given your heart to
Only to find that one won't give their heart to you
Have you ever _______(closed) your eyes and
Dreamed that they were there
And all you can do is wait for the day when they will care
[Chorus]
What do I gotta do to get you in my arms baby
What do I gotta say to get to your heart
To make you understand how I need you next to me
Gotta get you in my world
'Cuz baby I can't sleep
[Chorus]
Have you ever _______(love) somebody so much
It makes you cry
Have you ever _______(need) something so bad
You can't sleep at night
Have you ever ______(try) to find the words
But they don't come out right
Have you ever, have you ever?
Have you ever ______(be) in love
Been in love so bad
You'd do anything to make them understand
Have you ever _______(have)someone steal your heart away
You'd give anything to make them feel the same
Have you ever ________(search) for words to get you in their heart
But you don't know what to say
And you don't know where to start
[Chorus]
Have you ever _______ (find) the one
You've _______(dream) of all of your life
You'd do just about anything to look into their eyes
Have you finally _______(find) the one you've given your heart to
Only to find that one won't give their heart to you
Have you ever _______(closed) your eyes and
Dreamed that they were there
And all you can do is wait for the day when they will care
[Chorus]
What do I gotta do to get you in my arms baby
What do I gotta say to get to your heart
To make you understand how I need you next to me
Gotta get you in my world
'Cuz baby I can't sleep
[Chorus]
Numbers
There are two main types of numbers:
Cardinal Numbers - 1 (one), 2 (two) etc. (Used mainly for counting)
Ordinal Numbers - 1st (first), 2nd (second) etc. (Used mainly for putting things in a sequence)
Cardinal Numbers
Cardinal numbers are normally used when you:
Ordinal Numbers
We use ordinal numbers (at the end position) to talk about fractions.
1/2 - a half
1/3 - a third
2/3 - two thirds
1/4 - a quarter (a fourth)
3/4 - three quarters (three fourths)
1/5 - a fifth
2/5 - two fifths
1/6 - a sixth
5/6 - five sixths
1/7 - a seventh
1/8 - an eighth
1/10 - a tenth
7/10 - seven tenths
1/20 - a twentieth
47/100 - forty-seven hundredths
1/100 - a hundredth
1/1,000 - a thousandth
Notice that for 1/4, you can say a quarter OR a fourth.
IF we have a whole number with a fraction, we use the word AND between the two parts.
e.g. 2 3/5 = two and a three-fifths
For parts of whole numbers, we use a decimal point (and NOT a comma).
e.g. 2 1/2 (two and a half) = 2.5 (two point five)
If there is more than one number after the decimal point, we say each number individually.
e.g. 3,456.789 = three thousand, four hundred and fifty-six point seven eight nine.
Cardinal Numbers - 1 (one), 2 (two) etc. (Used mainly for counting)
Ordinal Numbers - 1st (first), 2nd (second) etc. (Used mainly for putting things in a sequence)
Cardinal Numbers
Cardinal numbers are normally used when you:
- count things: I have two brothers. There are thirty-one days in January.
- give your age: I am thirty-three years old. My sister is twenty-seven years old.
- give your telephone number: Our phone number is two-six-three, three-eight-four-seven. (481-2240)
- give years: She was born in nineteen seventy-five (1975). America was discovered in fourteen ninety-two
Ordinal Numbers
You can normally create Ordinal numbers by adding -TH to the end of a Cardinal Number.
Ordinal numbers are normally used when you:
- give a date: My birthday is on the 27th of January. (Twenty-seventh of January)
- put things in a sequence or order: Liverpool came second in the football league last year.
- give the floor of a building: His office is on the tenth floor.have birthdays: He had a huge party for his twenty-first birthday.
Fractions and Decimals
We use ordinal numbers (at the end position) to talk about fractions.
1/2 - a half
1/3 - a third2/3 - two thirds
1/4 - a quarter (a fourth)
3/4 - three quarters (three fourths)
1/5 - a fifth
2/5 - two fifths
1/6 - a sixth
5/6 - five sixths
1/7 - a seventh
1/8 - an eighth
1/10 - a tenth
7/10 - seven tenths
1/20 - a twentieth
47/100 - forty-seven hundredths
1/100 - a hundredth
1/1,000 - a thousandth
Notice that for 1/4, you can say a quarter OR a fourth.
IF we have a whole number with a fraction, we use the word AND between the two parts.
e.g. 2 3/5 = two and a three-fifths
For parts of whole numbers, we use a decimal point (and NOT a comma).
e.g. 2 1/2 (two and a half) = 2.5 (two point five)
If there is more than one number after the decimal point, we say each number individually.
e.g. 3,456.789 = three thousand, four hundred and fifty-six point seven eight nine.
The exception to this rule is when we are talking about dollars and cents (or pound and pence)
e.g. $21.95 = twenty-one dollars, ninety-five (cents). Saying the word cents at the end is optional.
e.g. $21.95 = twenty-one dollars, ninety-five (cents). Saying the word cents at the end is optional.
Quoted from:
How to improve your English Listening Skills
A lot of English learners have trouble understanding what native English speakers say.
One reason that real English is difficult to understand is that the English in classrooms and textbooks is very different from how people really speak. Some of the differences include:
People use different words and phrases in spoken English than they do in writing.
1.- They use slang.
They say "um", "hmm", "ah", "uh", etc.
They skip the word "that" when using relative clauses....and so on.
2.- Native English speakers pronounce words differently when they say them together than when you say them one-by-one. This is called "connected speech".
If you only learn English in a classroom, you probably only hear very careful pronunciation. You won't be prepared when someone asks you something that sounds like:
W'joominehand'nmethabagovethare? ("Would you mind handing me that bag over there?")
W'joominehand'nmethabagovethare? ("Would you mind handing me that bag over there?")
3.- People talk about a lot of different topics. Some topics are very specialized and uncommon. An English class, textbook, or even a website can't prepare you for all of the possible topics in this world.
The #1 tip for improving your listening:
So how can you get better at understanding spoken English?
The best way to improve is to listen to English. A lot. There's no way around it; you have to spend hours and hours listening to people speaking English. Listen to things that interest you. If you don't enjoy something, it's going to be hard for you to continue. You'll get bored and stop.
Other listening tips:
The amount of listening that you do is the most important thing. But you can also improve the quality of your listening practice. Here are some things to think about:
-Interactive listening is best. In other words, it's better to talk with someone than just to listen to a recorded TV show, radio program, or podcast. When you talk to people live, you listen more carefully, and you also think about how you're going to respond. Of course, here in our country it's almost absurd to speak English all the time but, while at CEVAZ, try to engage in a conversation with friends using English and correct each others' mistakes.
- Don't just listen to the same kind of English all the time. Don't just listen to the news, or only watch TV comedies. Expose yourself to a variety of different kinds of situations and topics.
-Try listening. Listening and Hearing are different. When you listen, you pay attention to what is said. When you hear, you don't really pay attention, you just hear words, sounds.
-Prefer English captions to subtitles in your native language. When you read subtitles in your language, it keeps your brain locked into "native language mode". English subtitles are good, though. They help you to match words that you know with their natural pronunciations.
The 5 best ways to improve your English listening skill:
So here are the 5 best ways to improve your English listening skill. Take a look:
So here are the 5 best ways to improve your English listening skill. Take a look:
1.- Live and work in a completely English-speaking environment. Again this is hard to do, since we live in a Spanish speaking country, but as I said before; try to engage in English conversations as much as you can.
2.- Do some kind of sports, hobbies, or other activities with a group of English speakers.
2.- Do some kind of sports, hobbies, or other activities with a group of English speakers.
3.- Talk one-on-one with an English-speaking tutor a few times a week.
4.- Watch movies, TV shows, and videos in English (with English captions or without subtitles).
5.- Listen to English podcasts on a topic that's interesting to you.
4.- Watch movies, TV shows, and videos in English (with English captions or without subtitles).
5.- Listen to English podcasts on a topic that's interesting to you.
If you really want to learn a language, surround yourself with that language. Talk to as many people as you can that you know speak English. Listen to songs and look for their lyrics. Listen to English news and channels."
What do you think? Is there something on there that you don't agree with? Do you know of any other great ways to practice your listening skills?
What do you think? Is there something on there that you don't agree with? Do you know of any other great ways to practice your listening skills?
Quoted from:
Monday, March 30, 2015
Amy Winehouse - Love Is A Losing Game (with lyrics)
Listen to the following song and complete the exercise below using Simple Past tense:
Read the text and complete Amy Winehouse's biography with Simple Past verb forms.
Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011)_______ (be) an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful voice and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 first album: "Frank", ______ (be) critically successful in the UK ; it __________(be/nominate) for the Mercury Prize. Her next album, "Black to Black,"_______ (be) even more successful. Amy Winehouse____________ (become) the first British female to win five Grammy in a single night, including three of the "Big Four": Best New Artist, Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
On 14 February 2007, she______ (win) a Brit Award for Best British Female Artist; one in 2007 for Best Contemporary Song for "Rehab" , and one in 2008 for Best Song Musically and Lyrically for "Love is a losing Game". The album________ (be) the third biggest seller of the 2000s in the United Kingdom. Winehouse's distinctive style of life________ (make) her a muse for fashion designers such as Karl Lagerfeld.
Winehouse's problems with drug, alcohol abuse and violence_______ (be) regular tabloid news from 2007 until her death. In 2008, Winehouse ________(have) a series of health complications.
Amy Winehouse _______(die) on 23 July 2011, at her home in London. She was_______ (cremate) at Golders Green Crematorium. She ________(leave) millions of fans all around the world.
Complete the lyrics to the song using the Simple Past form of the verbs in parenthesis:
Read the text and complete Amy Winehouse's biography with Simple Past verb forms.
Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011)_______ (be) an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful voice and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 first album: "Frank", ______ (be) critically successful in the UK ; it __________(be/nominate) for the Mercury Prize. Her next album, "Black to Black,"_______ (be) even more successful. Amy Winehouse____________ (become) the first British female to win five Grammy in a single night, including three of the "Big Four": Best New Artist, Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
On 14 February 2007, she______ (win) a Brit Award for Best British Female Artist; one in 2007 for Best Contemporary Song for "Rehab" , and one in 2008 for Best Song Musically and Lyrically for "Love is a losing Game". The album________ (be) the third biggest seller of the 2000s in the United Kingdom. Winehouse's distinctive style of life________ (make) her a muse for fashion designers such as Karl Lagerfeld.
Winehouse's problems with drug, alcohol abuse and violence_______ (be) regular tabloid news from 2007 until her death. In 2008, Winehouse ________(have) a series of health complications.
Amy Winehouse _______(die) on 23 July 2011, at her home in London. She was_______ (cremate) at Golders Green Crematorium. She ________(leave) millions of fans all around the world.
Complete the lyrics to the song using the Simple Past form of the verbs in parenthesis:
“Love is a losing game”
For you I_______ (be) a flame
Love is a losing game
Five story fire as you_______ (come)
Love is a losing game
Why do I wish I never________ (play)
Oh, what a mess we_________ (make)
And now the final frame
Love is a losing game
For you I_______ (be) a flame
Love is a losing game
Five story fire as you_______ (come)
Love is a losing game Why do I wish I never________ (play)
Oh, what a mess we_________ (make)
And now the final frame
Love is a losing game
__________(play) out by the band
Love is a losing hand
More than I__________ (can) stand
Love is a losing hand
Self professed... profound
Till the chips_______(be) down
.. Know you're a gambling man
Love is a losing hand
Though I'd rather blind
Love is a fate resigned
Memories mar my mind
Love is a fate resigned
Over futile odds
And__________ (laugh) at by the gods
And now the final frame....... Love is a losing game.
Love is a losing hand
More than I__________ (can) stand
Love is a losing hand
Self professed... profound
Till the chips_______(be) down
.. Know you're a gambling man
Love is a losing hand
Though I'd rather blind
Love is a fate resigned
Memories mar my mind
Love is a fate resigned
Over futile odds
And__________ (laugh) at by the gods
And now the final frame....... Love is a losing game.
Five common mistakes made by Spanish speakers in English
Most articles discuss common mistakes made by English learners, but none of them discuss how to actually eliminate those mistakes for good.
Here are the top 5 mistakes Spanish-speakers make in English, Why they happen and how to get rid of them forever!" 1
1.- Missing Subject
This mistake happens because the subject in Spanish isn’t always necessary. In English, however, it most definitely is! “Es importante estudiar todos los dÃas.” is correct in Spanish, but when we go to translate this, many people say, “Is important to study every day.” Can you find the mistake? It should say, “It is important to study every day.” In English, you must specify the subject. ‘it’ may be a small word but it makes a big difference!
2.- Not using the Present Perfect
This infamous mistake occurs due to the difference in sentence construction used in Spanish. When we’re talking about how long we have been somewhere in English, we say “I have been living in Ecuador for 3 years.” or “I have lived in Ecuador for 3 years.” However, in Spanish this is not the case! In Spanish we say,” Llevo 3 años en Ecuador.” Completely different! Anytime you want to talk about how long you have been doing something, make sure to use the present perfect.
3.- ‘The’ or no ‘the’?
One of the most difficult aspects of learning English is the lack of rules. I know, English would be so much easier if we just stuck to (obeyed) the rules! The confusion with ‘the’ or no ‘the’ is always problematic for Spanish speakers because the use of ‘the”’ in Spanish is much more common than in English. Think about it for a moment. If we were to talk about children and adults in general, we would say, “Los niños son más inocentes que los adultos.” This is a perfectly correct sentence in Spanish. However, “The children are more innocent than the adults.” is not correct. Because we are talking about children and adults in general, we must say, “Children are more innocent than adults.” ‘The’ is generally only used for specific things.
4.- Prepositions
Oh prepositions! Prepositions may be the most disliked part of the English language for many learners. When faced with a difficult challenge such as prepositions, you have two options. Option one is to become extremely frustrated and decide that English is crazy and give up. Or you can accept the fact that learning languages is a process, not a marathon and learn these little monsters one relaxed step at a time. Prepositions are simply different in English and Spanish and by learning all the prepositions by way of a list is the worst thing you can do. Learn a few prepositions a day in context.
5.- Subject-verb agreement
Finally, we have reached our last and most common mistake. An example of this mistake would be, “Everyone love that movie.” The correct sentence is “Everyone loves that movie.” ‘Everyone’ is a singular noun, even though it includes many people. We call these collective nouns. A Collective noun is a collection of things taken as a whole and take the singular form of the verb. Other examples where we use the singular form of the verb in English is with the following collective nouns: anybody, somebody, anyone, everybody, someone, anything, everything, something etc.
1) Quoted from:
This mistake happens because the subject in Spanish isn’t always necessary. In English, however, it most definitely is! “Es importante estudiar todos los dÃas.” is correct in Spanish, but when we go to translate this, many people say, “Is important to study every day.” Can you find the mistake? It should say, “It is important to study every day.” In English, you must specify the subject. ‘it’ may be a small word but it makes a big difference!
2.- Not using the Present Perfect
This infamous mistake occurs due to the difference in sentence construction used in Spanish. When we’re talking about how long we have been somewhere in English, we say “I have been living in Ecuador for 3 years.” or “I have lived in Ecuador for 3 years.” However, in Spanish this is not the case! In Spanish we say,” Llevo 3 años en Ecuador.” Completely different! Anytime you want to talk about how long you have been doing something, make sure to use the present perfect.
3.- ‘The’ or no ‘the’?
One of the most difficult aspects of learning English is the lack of rules. I know, English would be so much easier if we just stuck to (obeyed) the rules! The confusion with ‘the’ or no ‘the’ is always problematic for Spanish speakers because the use of ‘the”’ in Spanish is much more common than in English. Think about it for a moment. If we were to talk about children and adults in general, we would say, “Los niños son más inocentes que los adultos.” This is a perfectly correct sentence in Spanish. However, “The children are more innocent than the adults.” is not correct. Because we are talking about children and adults in general, we must say, “Children are more innocent than adults.” ‘The’ is generally only used for specific things.
4.- Prepositions
Oh prepositions! Prepositions may be the most disliked part of the English language for many learners. When faced with a difficult challenge such as prepositions, you have two options. Option one is to become extremely frustrated and decide that English is crazy and give up. Or you can accept the fact that learning languages is a process, not a marathon and learn these little monsters one relaxed step at a time. Prepositions are simply different in English and Spanish and by learning all the prepositions by way of a list is the worst thing you can do. Learn a few prepositions a day in context.
5.- Subject-verb agreement
Finally, we have reached our last and most common mistake. An example of this mistake would be, “Everyone love that movie.” The correct sentence is “Everyone loves that movie.” ‘Everyone’ is a singular noun, even though it includes many people. We call these collective nouns. A Collective noun is a collection of things taken as a whole and take the singular form of the verb. Other examples where we use the singular form of the verb in English is with the following collective nouns: anybody, somebody, anyone, everybody, someone, anything, everything, something etc.
1) Quoted from:
https://www.verbling.com/articles/top-5-mistakes-spanish-speakers-make-in-english/
For further reading and tips go to site above.
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Tongue Twisters
"Tongue twisters are a great way to practice and improve pronunciation and fluency. They can also help to improve accents by using alliteration, which is the repetition of one sound. They’re not just for kids, but are also used by actors, politicians, and public speakers who want to sound clear when speaking. Below, you will find some of the most popular English tongue twisters. Say them as quickly as you can. If you can master them, you will be a much more confident speaker". 1
1) Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers
Where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?.
2) Betty Botter bought some butter
But she said the butter’s bitter
If I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter
But a bit of better butter will make my batter better
So ‘twas better Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter.
3) How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
He would chuck, he would, as much as he could, and chuck as much wood
As a woodchuck would if a woodchuck could chuck wood.
4) She sells seashells by the seashore
5) How can a clam cram in a clean cream can?
6) I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream
7) I saw Susie sitting in a shoeshine shop
Susie works in a shoeshine shop. Where she shines she sits, and where she sits she shines.
8) Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear. Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair. Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn’t fuzzy, was he?
9) Can you can a can as a canner can can a can?
10) I have got a date at a quarter to eight; I’ll see you at the gate, so don’t be late
11) You know New York, you need New York, you know you need unique New York
12) I saw a kitten eating chicken in the kitchen
13) If a dog chews shoes, whose shoes does he choose?
14) I thought I thought of thinking of thanking you
15) I wish to wash my Irish wristwatch
16) Near an ear, a nearer ear, a nearly eerie ear
17) Eddie edited it
18) Willie’s really weary
19) A big black bear sat on a big black rug
20) Tom threw Tim three thumbtacks
21) He threw three free throws
22) Nine nice night nurses nursing nicely
23) So, this is the sushi chef
24) Four fine fresh fish for you
25) Wayne went to wales to watch walruses
26) Six sticky skeletons (x3)
27) Which witch is which? (x3)
28) Snap crackle pop (x3)
29) Flash message (x3)
30) Red Buick, blue Buick (x3)
31) Red lorry, yellow lorry (x3)
32) Thin sticks, thick bricks (x3)
33) Stupid superstition (x3)
34) Eleven benevolent elephants (x3)
35) Two tried and true tridents (x3)
36) Rolling red wagons (x3)
37) Black back bat (x3)
38) She sees cheese (x3)
39) Truly rural (x3)
40) Good blood, bad blood (x3)
41) Pre-shrunk silk shirts (x3)
42) Ed had edited it. (x3)
43) We surely shall see the sun shine soon
44) Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches?
45) Fred fed Ted bread, and Ted fed Fred bread
46) I slit the sheet, the sheet I slit, and on the slitted sheet I sit
47) A skunk sat on a stump and thunk the stump stunk, but the stump thunk the skunk stunk
48) Lesser leather never weathered wetter weather better
49) Three grey geese in green fields grazing.
50) Of all the vids I’ve ever viewed, I’ve never viewed a vid as valued as Alex’s engVid vid.
Where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?.
2) Betty Botter bought some butter
But she said the butter’s bitter
If I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter
But a bit of better butter will make my batter better
So ‘twas better Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter.
3) How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
He would chuck, he would, as much as he could, and chuck as much wood
As a woodchuck would if a woodchuck could chuck wood.
4) She sells seashells by the seashore 5) How can a clam cram in a clean cream can?
6) I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream
7) I saw Susie sitting in a shoeshine shop
Susie works in a shoeshine shop. Where she shines she sits, and where she sits she shines.
8) Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear. Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair. Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn’t fuzzy, was he?
9) Can you can a can as a canner can can a can?
10) I have got a date at a quarter to eight; I’ll see you at the gate, so don’t be late
11) You know New York, you need New York, you know you need unique New York
12) I saw a kitten eating chicken in the kitchen
13) If a dog chews shoes, whose shoes does he choose?
14) I thought I thought of thinking of thanking you
15) I wish to wash my Irish wristwatch
16) Near an ear, a nearer ear, a nearly eerie ear
17) Eddie edited it
18) Willie’s really weary
19) A big black bear sat on a big black rug 20) Tom threw Tim three thumbtacks
21) He threw three free throws
22) Nine nice night nurses nursing nicely
23) So, this is the sushi chef
24) Four fine fresh fish for you
25) Wayne went to wales to watch walruses
26) Six sticky skeletons (x3)
27) Which witch is which? (x3)
28) Snap crackle pop (x3)
29) Flash message (x3)
30) Red Buick, blue Buick (x3)
31) Red lorry, yellow lorry (x3)
32) Thin sticks, thick bricks (x3)
33) Stupid superstition (x3)
34) Eleven benevolent elephants (x3)
35) Two tried and true tridents (x3)
36) Rolling red wagons (x3)
37) Black back bat (x3)
38) She sees cheese (x3)
39) Truly rural (x3)
40) Good blood, bad blood (x3) 41) Pre-shrunk silk shirts (x3)
42) Ed had edited it. (x3)
43) We surely shall see the sun shine soon
44) Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches?
45) Fred fed Ted bread, and Ted fed Fred bread
46) I slit the sheet, the sheet I slit, and on the slitted sheet I sit
47) A skunk sat on a stump and thunk the stump stunk, but the stump thunk the skunk stunk
48) Lesser leather never weathered wetter weather better
49) Three grey geese in green fields grazing.
50) Of all the vids I’ve ever viewed, I’ve never viewed a vid as valued as Alex’s engVid vid.
Further expansion:
1.- "Fifty Tongue Twisters to Improve Pronunciation in English" by Alex:
http://www.engvid.com/english-resource/50-tongue-twisters-improve-pronunciation/
First Conditional
¨We use the First Conditional to talk about future events that are likely to happen. We use the first conditional to talk about something that will happen (the result), if a particular condition (which is likely to happen) is met. Notice that the “if” clause (condition) is expressed in the present and the result or consequence clause is expressed
in the future using “will”.
Example:
If it rains, I will stay at home.
We are talking about the future. We are thinking about a particular condition or situation in the future, and the result of this condition. There is a real possibility that this condition will happen. For example, it is morning. You are at home. You plan to play tennis this afternoon. But there are some clouds in the sky. Imagine that it rains. What will you do? Notice that we are thinking about a future condition. It is not raining yet. But the sky is cloudy and you think that it could rain. We use the Present Simple tense to talk about the possible future condition. We use will + base verb to talk about the possible future result. The important thing about the first conditional is that there is a real possibility that the condition will happen.
¨If (condition) Present Simple, will + base verb (result)
Examples:If we invite John, he'll be really pleased.
condition result/likely consequence
If you give me some money, I'll pay you back tomorrow.
If they tell us they want it, we'll have to give it to them.
If Mary comes, she'll want to drive.
The 'if' clause can be used with different present forms:
If I go to New York again, I'll buy you a souvenir from the Empire State Building. (Present Simple)
If he's feeling better, he'll come. (Present Progressive)
If she hasn't heard the bad news yet, I'll tell her. (Present Perfect)
If Mary comes, she'll want to drive.
The 'if' clause can be used with different present forms:
If I go to New York again, I'll buy you a souvenir from the Empire State Building. (Present Simple)
If he's feeling better, he'll come. (Present Progressive)
If she hasn't heard the bad news yet, I'll tell her. (Present Perfect)
¨The “if” clause and the “will” clause can change positions but “will” cannot be in the same clause as the “if” clause.
Example: If they do not pass their exam, their teacher will be sad.
Their teacher will be sad if they do not pass their exam.
If it rains tomorrow, will you stay at home?
Will you stay at home if it rains tomorrow?
If Mary wins the lottery, she will buy a new car.
Mary will buy a new car if she wins the lottery.
Wrong:
If Mary will win the lottery, she will buy a car. X
Will you stay at home if it rains tomorrow?
If Mary wins the lottery, she will buy a new car.
Mary will buy a new car if she wins the lottery.
Wrong:
If Mary will win the lottery, she will buy a car. X
Zero Conditional
They are used to express that the action in the main clause (without if) can only take place if a certain condition (in the clause with if) is fulfilled. "Condition" means "situation or circumstance". If a particular condition is true, then a particular result happens.
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¨We use the Zero Conditional to express certainty about a future result.
Example:
If you heat ice, it melts.
¨We use the so-called zero conditional when the result of the condition is always true, like a scientific fact. Take some ice. Put it in a saucepan. Heat the saucepan. What happens? The ice melts (it becomes water).You would be surprised if it did not.
If (condition) Present Simple clause, Present Simple clause (result).
(if + present simple, ... present simple)
Example:
Example:
If you heat water to 100 degrees Celsius, it boils.
Notice that we are thinking about a result that is always true for this condition. The result of the condition is an absolute certainty. We are not thinking about the future or the past, or even the present. We are thinking about a simple fact. We use the Present Simple tense to talk about the condition. We also use the Present Simple tense to talk about the result. The important thing about the zero conditional is that the condition always has the same result.
In Zero Conditional, we often use when instead of if, For example:
When I get up late, I miss my bus. When I am late for work, my boss gets angry.
Other examples:
If I miss the 8 o'clock bus, I am late for work.
If I am late for work, my boss gets angry.
If people don't eat, they get hungry.
If you heat ice, does it melt?
When I get up late, I miss my bus. When I am late for work, my boss gets angry.
Future Simple
Future Simple has two different forms in English: "will" and "going to“. Although the two forms can sometimes be used interchangeably, they often express two very different meanings. These different meanings might seem too abstract at first, but with time and practice, the differences will become clear. Both "will" and "going to" refer to a specific time in the future.
“ Going to" expresses that something is a plan. It expresses the idea that a person intends to do something in the future. It does not matter whether the plan is realistic or not. We use ”going to” to talk about plans decided before the moment of speaking. Future Simple with "going to" is formed in conjunction with the verb To Be + main verb in infinitive.
(Be + going to + verb in infinitive).
Be + Going to
Examples:
¨He is going to spend his vacation in Hawaii.
¨She is not going to spend her vacation in Hawaii.
¨A: When are we going to meet each other tonight?
B: We are going to meet at 6 PM.
¨I'm going to be an actor when I grow up.
¨Michelle is going to begin medical school next year.
¨They are going to drive all the way to Alaska.
“Will” for Future Simple expresses a spontaneous decision, an assumption with regard to the future or an action in the future that cannot be influenced."Will" often suggests that a speaker will do something voluntarily. A voluntary action is one the speaker offers to do for someone else. Often, we use "will" to respond to someone else's complaint or request for help. We also use "will" when we request that someone help us or volunteer to do something for us or for promises. Similarly, we use "will not" or "won't" when we refuse to voluntarily do something.Use “Will” for:
a spontaneous decision:
example: Wait, I will help you.
an opinion, hope, uncertainty or assumption regarding the future:
example: He will probably come back tomorrow.
a promise:
example: I will not watch TV tonight.
an action in the future that cannot be influenced:
example: It will rain tomorrow.
Use "Will" or "Be Going to" to Express a Prediction. ¨Both "will" and "be going to" can express the idea of a general prediction about the future. Predictions are guesses about what might happen in the future. In "prediction" sentences, the subject usually has little control over the future. In the following examples, there is no difference in meaning.
Examples:
¨John Smith will be the next President.
¨John Smith is going to be the next President.
¨The movie "Zenith" will win several Academy Awards.
¨The movie "Zenith" is going to win several Academy Awards
IMPORTANT
In the Simple Future, it is not always clear which USE the speaker has in mind. Often, there is more than one way to interpret a sentence's meaning. It all depends on how "certain" the speaker is about the future prediction.
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