Monthly Archives: December 2007

gonna, ’cause and somethin’

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Hi Joan,

First of all, thank you for your comment, you are the first student to have used the blog, there should be some kind of prize for you, but, unfortunately, I haven’t got any, just be happy to be NUMBER ONE in this blog.

Well, expressions such as ’cause , gonna and somethin’ are nothing but a way to represent how the words because, going to and something are sometimes pronounced in conversation. We all know the difference between formal pronunciation and informal pronunciation, don’t we? We have plenty of examples in Spanish and Catalan: Me he doblado el dedo can be pronounced /m’he doblao el deo/ but you would never write that, would you? Or in Catalan he anat al mercat can be pronounced /he ‘nat al mercat/ and you wouldn’t write that either, right?

When writing, make sure to write words properly, especially in tests and papers at school. Use colloquial expressions only when given permission by the teachers.

Well, Joan I hope you find this information useful. I am looking forward to hearing from you again.

I know the phonetic transcription shown above is not correct but I think students will understand what I mean and see the point. No time now for phonetics!!!

VERB TENSES

2 Replies

Dear Students,

It’s very difficult to improve your English without a good knowledge of the English verb tenses. It’s shocking that after having studied them for so many years, they are still so difficult to know and use them properly. I think you should study better and more. However, I am going to provide an outline to help you revise this topic. I hope I can be of some help.

Present Simple

They are at home

They aren’t at home

Are they at home? Yes they are/No they aren’t

————————————————

They have got a new house

They haven’t got a new house

Have they got a new house? Yes they have/No they haven’t

————————————————————-

They study English

They don’t study English

Do they study English? Yes they do/ No they don’t

Present continuous

I am studying English

I am not studying English

Am I studying English? Yes I am/ No I am not

Past Continuous

I was studying English

I was not studying English

Was I studying English? Yes I was/ No I wasn’t

Past Simple

I studied English

I didn’t study English

Did I study English? Yes I did/ No I didn’t

——————————————————–

I went to England

I didn’t go to England

Did I go to England? Yes I did/ No I didn’t

Present Perfect Simple

I have studied English

I haven’t studied English

Have I studied English? Yes I have/ No I haven’t

Present Perfect Continuous

I have been studying English

I have not been studying English

Have I been studying English? Yes I have/ No I haven’t

Past Perfect Simple

I had studied English

I had not studied English

Had I studied English? Yes I had/ No I hadn’t

Past Perfect Continuous

I had been studying English

I had not been studying English

Had I been studying English? Yes I had/ No I hadn’t

Simple Conditional

I would study English

I wouldn’t study English

Would I study English? Yes I would/ No I wouldn’t

Perfect Conditional

I would have studied

I wouldn’t have studied

Would I have studied? Yes I would/ No I wouldn’t

Future (will)

I will study English

I won’t study English

Will I study English? Yes I will/ No I won’t

Future (to be going to)

I am going to study English

I am not going to study English

Am I going to study English? Yes I am/ No I am not

Future (present continuous)

I am studying English next summer

I am not studying English next summer

Am I studying English next summer? Yes I am/ No I am not

Future Perfect

I will have studied English

I won’t have studied English

Will I have studied English? Yes I will/ No I won’t 

Future continuous

I will be studying English

I won’t be studying English

Will I be studying English? Yes I will/ No I won’t 

This article is not finished yet!! I’ll add new things such as translations or other tenses in the future. Feel free to leave a comment if you want something to appear in here.