Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Tanya on February 11, 2010 at 9:42

Dear Mayimi! "Their" is right if the apartment is their common ownership. If you don't know anything about that, it is right, too, because, as usual, an apartment or a house is a common ownership of a married couple. You can say "her apartment" as well. In this case, it is obvious, that the apartment is her ownership only and you emphasize that fact.

I don't like the word "lousy" in this context. It sounds bad, almost like dirty slang. It is better to sat "lazy". I don't also like the expression "She takes it upon herself ". It means "to take charge of something" and doesn't sound right for me here.

mayumi garcia said:

Hello Teacher Tanya,

It's me again...

Would you please help me on this sentence..I don't know what pronoun should be used on this sentence..

There is a girl named Ana. She takes it upon herself to change her husband. She is very picky. But her husband is a very lousy housekeeper. Ana wants their apartment to be always perfecly clean.

--Is it correct to use their as a pronoun that refers to Ana and her husband's ownership of the apartment? or

--Should I use her because in that sentence, Ana is the only one who wants to have their apartment to be perfectly clean and not with her husband?

Thank you in Advance and have a nice day!
mayumee...

Permalink Reply by Mayumi on February 12, 2010 at 10:12

Warmth Greetings!

Hi again Teacher Tanya....Thanks for your explanation about pronoun...I know now that it's ok to use both of the pronoun(their/her) in that sentence, depends on what the speaker wants to emphasize...

And about lousy, hmmm I really don't know that word is a dirty slang...thanks for reminding me...but mam can you pls. tell me why and give an instances how does someone use that word..

She took upon herself to change her husband.--Is it ok if I mean here is that she decided by herself and no one told her to change her husband...

Teacher Tanya, please forgive me for being insistent..and thank you!

Your Student,
mayumee...

Permalink Reply by Tanya on February 13, 2010 at 16:08

Hi, Mayumi! Happy upcoming Valentine's Day!

You seem not to have gotten me right. I didn't say that "lousy" is a swearword. But in that sentence of yours it is informal English. This word is tough, not to say rough. Its synonyms are:

dirty , filthy , contemptible , mean , scurvy , vile

If you mean that, it is OK. I'd like to add that if it is a fiction and you describe some special relationship, this word is suitable. But if it is just a conversation, especially with the participation of men, this word will sound too rough for a lady. That is what I meant.

As to "take upon her". Well, there is nothing bad. It is my opinion that this idiom doesn't express your mind completely. Foreigners should use idioms very carefully not to sound funny or silly. Nobody likes that. In this case, it is neither funny nor silly. I just feel, it is not the one. It is always possible to express your mind somehow differently. You can always ask a native speaker in such a situation.

mayumi garcia said:

Warmth Greetings!

Hi again Teacher Tanya....Thanks for your explanation about pronoun...I know now that it's ok to use both of the pronoun(their/her) in that sentence, depends on what the speaker wants to emphasize...

And about lousy, hmmm I really don't know that word is a dirty slang...thanks for reminding me...but mam can you pls. tell me why and give an instances how does someone use that word..

She took upon herself to change her husband.--Is it ok if I mean here is that she decided by herself and no one told her to change her husband...

Teacher Tanya, please forgive me for being insistent..and thank you!

Your Student,
mayumee...

Permalink Reply by Mayumi on February 14, 2010 at 6:25

DEaR Teacher Tanya,

A VeRy VERy HaPpy HEartS DAy To yOU!

Thank you mam for clearing these to me...I thought that dirty word was a swearword..but now I understand that you only mean to soften my wording, to be not rough...

And yes Mam, your advice is good for me..I'll take it as a reminder for me to be careful in using idioms in conversations...Maybe I'll just use idioms if only needed in my writings unless I'm too sure how to use one in conversation...Maybe I'll start with the simple ones that are not too complicated...

Enjoy the lovely day,
mayumee...

Permalink Reply by Tanya on February 15, 2010 at 8:39

Dear Farid! I don't see how I can help you. As far as I understand, you say you know many words but don't use them. Right? The only one advice I can give you in such situation is to use the words you know. I think, you mean something different. So, try to formulate your question in another way because I don't understand what you mean. OK?

faridahmad_Afghan said:

Hello Tanya,
how are you? i have a one question.
could you tell me , how to increase my english words. to speaking with an english .and i need to know how i get useful english words. i remembered so many words in an english , but it cannot use in these days. could you help me ?
thank you.

farid

Permalink Reply by becky on February 15, 2010 at 16:24

Hello, I want to ask "what is the difference between 'I' and 'Me'? When supposed to use 'I' and 'Me'?

Thanks,

Cheers.

Permalink Reply by Tanya on February 16, 2010 at 7:58

Hi, Becky! Are you a beginner? The question you ask is so easy and usually learned at the very beginning. But I will answer to it.

All personal pronouns have two forms: Subject form (I) and Object form (me). So, if you use a personal pronoun as a subject (the first word in the sentence) it will be in the Subject form:

I like reading.
He is a good sportsman

If you use a personal pronoun as an object (after a predicate) it will be in the Object form:

Call me back later
I talked to him yesterday


Is it clear now?
becky said:

Hello, I want to ask "what is the difference between 'I' and 'Me'? When supposed to use 'I' and 'Me'?

Thanks,

Cheers.

Permalink Reply by becky on February 16, 2010 at 10:30

ya clear. thanks for the help.

Tanya said:

Hi, Becky! Are you a beginner? The question you ask is so easy and usually learned at the very beginning. But I will answer to it.

All personal pronouns have two forms: Subject form (I) and Object form (me). So, if you use a personal pronoun as a subject (the first word in the sentence) it will be in the Subject form:

I like reading.
He is a good sportsman

If you use a personal pronoun as an object (after a predicate) it will be in the Object form:

Call me back later
I talked to him yesterday


Is it clear now?
becky said:

Hello, I want to ask "what is the difference between 'I' and 'Me'? When supposed to use 'I' and 'Me'?

Thanks,

Cheers.

Permalink Reply by Tanya on February 23, 2010 at 16:25

Dear Farid! I hate to say that but your questions is so incorrect! However, I got the idea. So, let me correct your question, first. I hope, you don't mind.

I have a___ question .
Why do we use the 3rd form of a verb after"to be" ___? I mean something like this:

1- to be interpreted.
2- to be changed.
3-to be used.

and so on . I saw and read so many __kinds of such sentences in different topics. Just tell me why we should use the 3rd form of a verb after "to be"
Thank you!

Ok, my dear student! The third form of a verb is called the Past Participle, Passive. The Passive Voice means that an action is fulfilled by an object (not subject). It is regular that we don't mention an object in the passive voice because in this case it is of no matter. Let me give you a few examples:

I was told not to wait (Somebody told me not to wait)

This work should be done by tomorrow (Somebody should do it)

Children like to be told fairy tales (It means that children like when someone tells them tales)


Is it clear? If not, please, ask again!

faridahmad_Afghan said:

Hi Tanya ,
i have a one question . why it is use the 3rd form of verb after"To be" verb. like this.
1- to be interpreted.
2- to be changed.
3-to be used.

and so on . i saw and read so many this kind of sentences in each topic. just tell me why we should use after "to be" the 3rd form of verb.
thank you,

farid

Permalink Reply by Trai Pham on February 24, 2010 at 8:23

Hi, Tanya !
Hapy new year !(The Lunar new year of Vietnamese).
I didn't follow the room after a long time holiday.
Today , I wish to ask you a question a bout verbs which end by "-ed".
Can we use the structure "Verb+ed" to make compound nouns ?
For example , Can I say "Displayed area","Enclosed place"...etc.?

Thank you very much !

Permalink Reply by Tanya on February 24, 2010 at 11:14

Dear Trai Pham! Welcome back!

First, I have to say that a compound noun is something different. It is a combination of two nouns. For example: headache, boyfriend, spot remover. The part of the speech you are asking about is The Past Participle, Passive that is also known as the third form of the verbs. The past participle passive and the present participle active (V+ing) can be used as adjectives before nouns. For example: lost purse, crying baby, entered data, etc. So, your examples are right

Trai Pham said:

Hi, Tanya !
Hapy new year !(The Lunar new year of Vietnamese). I didn't follow the room after a long time holiday. Today , I wish to ask you a question a bout verbs which end by "-ed". Can we use the structure "Verb+ed" to make compound nouns ?
For example , Can I say "Displayed area","Enclosed place"...etc.?

Thank you very much !

Permalink Reply by Tanya on February 24, 2010 at 11:17

Happy New Year! When is it celebrated? I mean date.

Trai Pham said:

Hi, Tanya !
Hapy new year !(The Lunar new year of Vietnamese).
I didn't follow the room after a long time holiday.
Today , I wish to ask you a question a bout verbs which end by "-ed".
Can we use the structure "Verb+ed" to make compound nouns ?
For example , Can I say "Displayed area","Enclosed place"...etc.?

Thank you very much !

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