My English blog

Remember that gerunds are nouns but participles have linking functions and can be all parts of speech except a noun.i

Deciding where to spend the holiday, I went to get a ticket.i         Participle

     Deciding where to spend the holiday is a difficult task.    Gerundi

Perfect participle (active)i

a) action 1 is completed before action 2

I had had dinner. I went to the movies.i

Having had dinner, I went to the movies.i

b) action 1 continues for a while before action 2 starts

I had been (was) my own boss for 5 years. I couldn't stand having another boss.i

Having been my own boss for 5 years, I couldn't stand having another boss.i

c) action 1 happens several times before action 2 starts

He had failed 3 times, He didn't want to try again.i

Having failed 3 times, he didn't want to try again.i

Absolute participle:  is a kind of participle in which there are two different subjects for two different parts of a sentense

The weather was fine. We went on a picnic.i

The weather being fine, we went on a picnic.i

Functions of past participle

a) to help form perfect tenses

He has worked hard

b) as a participle adjective

a rented room            an educated man               coloured eggs

c) with special verbs

c-1   causative have  :    We had the car fixed.i

c-2   after "find, keep , leave"i

We found the money hidden in the garden.i        یعنی مخفی کرده بودند

We found the man hidding in the garden.i     یعنی خودش مخفی می شد

c-3 After perceptive verbs:   see, hear, watch......i

There is a difference in meaning between present and past perfect participles after perceptive verbs.i

I saw her cooking lunch.i                 در حال انجام عمل دیده

I saw her cooked lunch.i          یعنی از اول تا آخر عمل رو دیده

d) as  a reduced adjective clause

The books which are published in Iran are cheaper.i

The books published in Iran are cheaper.i

Misrelated participle:   is the most troublesome participle because it is always wrong

How to correct a misrelated participle?i

a) by changing the voice of one part

        When using this car, the brakes should be checked.i         incorrect

When using this car, you should check the brakes.i     correct

b) by changing word order

Shining in the sky, we saw the first star.i       incorrect

We saw the first star shining in the sky.i     correct

In the first sentence "shining in the sky" is related to "we" and it is wrong.i

c) by using the full clause

Climbing down the tree, one of the eggs broke.i     incorrect because eggs cannot climb down the tree

While he was climbing down the tree, one of the eggs broke.i     correct

Participles can be used in passive voice ,too.i

When did the soldier go out of the battle field?i

Having been wounded by a bullet, he fell down and was carried out

Participles can be used in different ways but be sure that you use them in a correct way because changing the order of the words can cause incorrect sentences.i

Hearing that Juliet was dead, Romeo killed himself

Romeo killed himself, hearing that Juliet was dead

Romeo, hearing that Juliet was dead, killed himself

THINK ABOUT:i

How can you change the following sentence into a participle?i

His heads I win tails you lose attitude annoys me.i

Which part of the sentence is incorrect and what is the correct form?i

While watching from our window, the great ship entered the harbor, whistle blowing and crew cheering.i 

The Cookie Thief

a lick and a promise

کاری را سرهم بندی کردن - گربه شور کردن

A "lick" means a slight and hasty wash, and "a lick and a promise" means a superficial effort made without care or enthusiasm with a promise to do a more thorough job later. This expression is believed to allude to the quick lick a cat or any other animal might give itself and a promise to do more or better at some future time.i

The meticulous housewife was in so much of a hurry that she could only give the apartment a lick and a promise.i

The fat is in the fire

کار از کار گذشتن

When cooking took place over open fires, the fat from spit-roasted meat was collected for basting or subsequent use. The loss of the fat into the fire was wasteful and too much fat could cause a conflagration, as could an overheated pan containing fat. For whichever reason, too much fat in the fire was a bad thing. In its earliest use in the 14th century, the expression had to do with failure; only later did it come to imply , as it now does, a crisis or " Something has been done with damaging consequences"i

We implored him to desist, but he said that the fat was already in the fire.i

WHY ENGLISH IS SO HARD TO LEARN

We must polish the polish furniture

He could lead if he would get the lead out.i

The farm was used to produce the produce.i

The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.i

The soldier decided to desert in the desert.i

This was a good time to present the present.i

A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.i

When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.i

I did not object to the object

The insurance was invalid for the invalid.i

The bandage was wound around the wound.i

There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.i

They were too close to the door to close it.i

The buck does funny things when the does are present.i

They sent a sewer down to stitch the tear in the sewer line.i

To help with playing, the farmer taught his sow to sow.i

The wind was too strong to wind the sail.i

After a number of injections my jaw got number.i

Upon seeing the tear in my clothes, I shed a tear.i

I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.i

How can I intimate this to my most intimate friends?i

I read it once and will read it again.i

I learned much from this learned treatise.i

I was content to note the content of the message.i

The blessed Virgin blessed her. Blessed her richly.i

It's a bit wicked to over-trim a short wicked candle.i

If he will absent himself, we mark him absent.i

I incline toward by passing the incline.i

A Geround is always a noun but Participle can be all parts of speech except noun. The Participle has a linking function and is mainly a written form.i    

Studying hard results in success.i            Gerund

Studying hard for the finals, he fell ill.i      Participle

Functions of present participle

a) to help form continuous tenses

He is working.i

b) participle adjective

Participle                                                          Geround

walking man                                                       walking stick

crying baby                                                        chewing gum

diving man                                                          diving board

What is important in participle adjectives is the pronounciation. In participle adjectives, the stress is on the second word (man, baby, man) but in gerunds, the stress is on the first word( (walking, chewing, diving).i

c) after specific verbs

c-1. perceptive verbs:    see, hear, notice, watch, ....i

I felt my heart beating hard.i

c-2. causative have

I had them laughing all night.i

c-3. after a group of verbs like :    find, leave, catch

I caught him backbiting me.i

I felt him waiting at the door.i

I found him waiting at the door.i

d) as a reduced adjective clause

The students talking to doctor Ray are my classmates.i

e) as a reduced adverb clause

e-1 .  time:    while , when , after , before , since

While I was crossing the road, I saw Tom

While crossing the road, I saw Tom.i

When I saw him I greeted him. (when is omited for single action, but we keep it for repeated action)i

Seeing him I greated him.i

When you use this car, you should check it.i   SSingle action

Using this car, you should check it.   Repeated action (it means WHENEVER using...)i

After I had talked to him, I said goodbye.i        After talking to him, I said goodbye.i

Before I went home, I had bought a newspaper.i      

Before going home, I had bought a newspaper.i

Since I came here, I have had a busy life.i       Since coming here, I have had a busy life.i

f) reason  :    because / as / since

Because/ As/ Since he was on leave, he didn't finish the report.i

 Because/ As/ Since being on leave, he didn't finish the report.i

g)  contrast

Although:  Although he was tired, he wanted to continue.  

AAlthough being tired, he wanted to continueAlthough being tired, he wanted to continue.i

In spite of / Despite: In spite of/ Despite the fact that he was tired, he wanted to continue.i

     .....In spite of / Despite being tired, he wanted to continue.i

h)  to join two main clauses

h-1.  to join two simultaneous actions

He ate lunch.  He read the paper.i

Eating lunch, he read the paper.i        Reading the paper, he ate lunch.i

h-2.  to join two actions which happen immediately after one another.i

He opened the drawer. He  took out the money.i

Opening the drawer, he took out the money.i

h-3.  action 2 is a part of or a result of action 1.i

He opened the door, taking out the money.i

She went out slamming the door behind.i

Participles will be continued in the next post 

on tenterhooks

معلق بین زمین و آسمان- در حال بلا تکلیفی

It comes from one of the processes of making woolen cloth. After it had been woven, the cloth still contained oil from the fleece, mixed with dirt. Then it had to be dried carefully or it would shrink or crease. So the lengths of wet cloth were stretched on wooden frames, and left out in the open for some time. This allowed them to dry  and straightened their weave. These frames were the tenters and the tenterhooks were the metal hooks used to fix the cloth to the frame. And as the story reveals, the phrase shows an extreme state of anxiety about sth.i

I left him upon the tenterhooks of impatient uncertainty.i

Two strings to one's bow

دو تیر در ترکش داشتن- دو یا چند هنره بودن

If you have " more than one string to your bow", you have more than one skill or qualification so that if your first one fails, you can make use of the other one. The bow is sth that you shoot arrows from; the metaphore simply means that you have a spare bowstring, so even if the first one breaks, you have one in reserve and can still shoot your bow.i

The salesman had two strings to his bow- if a phone call didn't get results, he would appear in person.i

Comma Rules

1. Use a comma before the conjunction (and, for, but, or, nor, so) that joins the two independent clauses in a compound sentence.

Examples:

(1) I like working outside, and I also enjoy reading.

(2) He got out of school early, so he took a nap.

2. Use a comma after relatively lengthy introductory phrases or dependent (subordinate) clauses.

It is important to note that a comma should not be used when the clause or phrase comes at the end of the sentence as illustrated by the third example.

Examples:

(1) In order to be successful, one must learn to write well.

(2) After she learned the rules for using commas, her grades improved.

(3) Her grades improved after she learned to use commas correctly.

3. Use commas to separate items in a series.

Be sure to insert a comma before the conjunction that precedes the last item unless your teacher or style manual specifically tells you to exclude them.

For example:

Amy ordered two hamburgers, a Coke, and a large order of fries.

4. Use commas before and after non-essential elements (parts of the sentence providing information that is not essential in order to understand its meaning).

Example:

Horace Mann Elementary, which is the smallest school in the district, enrolls only 160 students.

5. Use commas between coordinate adjectives (of equal importance) that modify the same noun.

Do not separate adjectives of unequal importance. A good way to determine if the adjectives are of equal importance is to reverse them in the sentence. If the sentence does not read well after the reversal, do not use a comma between them. The second example below clearly illustrates this point. Reversing the adjectives (blue big eyes or red bright hair) simply doesn't work!

Examples:

(1) By the end of the game, the field was a slippery, wet mess.

(2) Her big blue eyes and bright red hair made her strikingly beautiful.

6. Use commas to separate the elements of dates and places.

Examples:

The date was June 12, 1999.

He was born in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

7. Use a comma before a direct quotation.

Also, as shown in the example, commas (and periods as well) go inside the quotation marks.

Example: When asked if he had studied for the test, Paul replied, "Only a little," and his grade showed it!

8. Use commas before and after words and phrases like “however” and “nevertheless” that serve as interrupters.

Example: Adam did not like math. He was, however, very successful in his math classes.

Semi-Colon Rules 

1. Use a semi-colon in place of the comma and conjunction to separate the two independent clauses in a compound sentence.

Example: I like working outside; I also enjoy reading.

2. Use a semi-colon before the conjunctive adverb (such as however and therefore) that joins two independent clauses.

Be sure to put a comma after the conjunctive adverb.

Example: I like working outside; however, I also enjoy reading.

3. Use semi-colons to separate elements in a series if they contain internal punctuation.

Example: On his fishing trip, Jeff caught rainbow, brook, and lake trout; large-mouth, small mouth, and white bass; and a few northern pike.

There's also a test on the taught materials, you can test yourselves if you just simply press continue

گفتگوی میان مردگان و زندگان ( in three lgs)                          

Live: Thou, who have gone so fast      ایللردی کی توپراقداکی آرام یاتانا چوخلی سوزوم وار

در شگفتم از شما که به چه شتاب رفتید

Why on earth thou didn't last       حیرتده یم آخر نه قدر اوندا دوزوم وار

از چه رو با مرگ هم آغوش شدید

What did thou get from the earth            نئجه وارلیخدان ال اوزماخ نئجه گتماخ

باز گویید از ره توشه تان

What did thou do since the birth        نگران گوزلری آخر نئجه توپراقینان اوتماخ

از گذر عمرتان

Dead: We were just like a river             بیر عومور تکجه بیرآرام سو کیمی داغلار آشیردیخ

جویباری بودیم

Not still, but travel                    اما دوزماخ نان یورولماخ تانیمیردیخ

بیگانه با خاموش و سکون

Like a watchful primrose                 نگران نرگسه تک  تکجه افقنان تانیشیردیخ

و به سان نرگس همیشه نگران

Beholding of life shadows                 بئله اولدی کی سحرلر گونشیله دانیشیردیخ

تنها نظاره گر سایه ای از زندگی بودیم

We were just a little dust                 بیر سیخیم توپراقیدیخ نفسه حق دن اویاندیخ

ذره ای ناچیز از خاک بودیم

Not problem if it bust                         بیر عومور ذللتیله یئرده دایاندیخ

که بودو نبود آن توفیری نداشت

The path was a long way                             یول اوزون گتماغا جان یوخ

رهگذر جاده ای بی انتها بودیم

But the time was just a day                               عومور آز صبره امان یوخ

ولی فرصت تنها از طلوعی بود تا غروبی

Now the night is on the way                         عاقبت حسرتیله توپراقا باتدیخ

حالا که شب در راه است

And I envy the whole day                      دنیانین آرزولارین داشینی آتدیخ

من هنوز در حسرت لحظه لحظه روز می سوزم

Though I have got the rest                    گئجه ظلمت لئچکین باشینا آتدی

گرچه آرام یافته و با خاک هم آغوشیم

The tomb is my dream's nest                      آرزولار توپراقینان قول قولا چاتدی

گور من نه مدفن تن من که مدفن آرزوهای من است

 published by permission

What's happiness

خوشبختی چیست

  One says happiness is being under no bond        یکی می گوید "خوشبختی یعنی آزادی از هر قیدو بند"

Another says "It's just a mirage or a sweet dream"i  دیگری می گوید: "خوشبختی سراب یا رویایی شیرین بیش نیست

Or it's an abstract context with no similarity in the world   یا خوشبختی مفهومی ذهنی است که هیچ عینیتی در دنیا نمی یابد

But is happiness really a sun with no rising      اما آیا واقعا خوشبختی خورشیدی است که هیچ وقت طلوع نمی کند

or a horizon which is beautiful but unaccessible?i      یا افقی زیباست اما دست نیافتنی؟                      

Is it like zephyr , scented but ephemeral?i            آیا آن واقعا مثل نسیم معطر و گذراست                  

It is really a white swan whose nest is no where?i?  یا چوت قوی سپیدی است که هیچ کجا آشیان نمی کند؟

No, I beleive happiness is a white dove that has nest in honesties' alter نه من ایمان دارم خوشتختی کبوتر سفیدی است که در محراب صداقتها آشیان دارد

And a gift, when and where you love people, may you enjoy this granting  و هدیه ای است که هر موقع و هر جا مردم را دوست بداری ارزانی توست

I beleive happiness is a share, a share of life; so  ایمان دارم خوشبختی تنها تقسیمی است تقسیمی از زندگی پس:

Shall we share the world          بیا دنیا را میان خود تقسیم کنیم

Vale be mine              دره مال من     

Hill be thine               کوه را تو بردار

Let's range like floods              مثل سیلها بخروشیم

Stream be mine                  رود مال من

Sea be thine              دریا مال تو 

As we are close               ما که مثل چشم و ابرو

Just like eyes and eyebrows                       کنار هم هستیم

Tears be mine           اشکها مال من

Eyes be thine            چشمها مال تو

Let's hold dear nights and days              شبها و روزها را گرامی بداریم

Sun be thine                        خورشید مال تو

Moon be mine                  ماه مال من

I share the world with thee                   من دنیا را با تو شریکم

Without us there is no laughter                    بی ما نه زمستان را خنده ای است

For spring or winter                         و نه بهار را

We can share all we have in life               در زندگی همه چیز را می توانیم تقسیم کنیم

But we have a love                      عشقی داریم اما

Undevidable                تقسیم ناپذیر       

 Published by permission    

What Do Language Teachers Need To Keep In Mind

Tie the knot

ازدواج كردن

I understand you want a baby, but don't you think you should tie the knot first. In fact maybe you should get a girlfriend first

 Wrong : I have visited Niagara Falls last weekend

Right : I visited Niagara Falls last weekend

Wrong : The woman which works here is from Japan

Right : The woman who works here is from Japan

Wrong : She’s married with a dentist

Right : She’s married to a dentist

Wrong : She was boring in the class

Right : She was bored in the class

Wrong : I must to call him immediately

Right : I must call him immediately

Wrong : Every students like the teacher

Right : Every student likes the teacher

Wrong : Although it was raining, but we had the picnic

Right : Although it was raining, we had the picnic

Wrong : I enjoyed from the movie

Right : I enjoyed the movie

Wrong : I look forward to meet you

Right : I look forward to meeting you

Wrong : I like very much ice cream

Right : I like ice cream very much

Wrong : She can to drive

Right : She can drive

Wrong : Where I can find a bank

Right : Where can I find a bank

Wrong : I live in United States

Right : I live in the United States

Wrong : When I will arrive, I will call you

Right : When I arrive, I will call you

Wrong : I’ve been here since three months

Right : I’ve been here for three months

Wrong : She doesn’t listen me

Right : She doesn’t listen to me

Wrong : You speak English good

Right : You speak English well

Wrong : The police is coming

Right : The police are coming

Wrong : I didn’t meet nobody

Right : I didn’t meet anybody

In the red

پول نداشتن

Putting kids through college is sure to put you in the red

Keep your pants on

صبور باش

Appears to suggest that one should calm down because romance is not imminent.

 will be off the telephone in a minute, so keep your pants on

In the black

درآمد داشتن

Standard practice for accounting is to record positive numbers in black ink and negative numbers in red ink. Operating "in the black" is to record positive numbers, that is to say earnings.

Live below your means and you will always be running in the black

The contest of Grammar was given to all the visitors of this blog. Unfortunately we didn't have many participants and among those few participants, SAMANEH ranked 80% gaining the first position. I do congratulate her

Inversion is a grammatical device which changes the place of the subject and verb, although the sentence is not a question. The reason for using inversion is emphasis and it is mainly used in written form.i

a) negative adverb

You should smoke on no account

On no account should you smoke

I have never seen such a sceen

Never have I seen such a seen

She didn't say a word all evening

Not a word did she say all evening

b) adverb of degree: so- such- little

He was so frightened that he couldn't speak

So frightened was he that he couldn't speak

He little understands others' problems

Little does he understand others' problems

c) adverb of emphasis

He understood the matter only after alot of explanation

Only after alot of explanation did he understand the matter

However inversion is not possible when

a) Negation relates to the subject

Few people know about this

b) Negative adverb refers to the whole sentence

No doubt, he is a good student

c) If the positive aspects of the adverb overrides the negative aspects

We agreed on all but a few minor points

On all but a few minor points we agreed (Two possible ways without inversion )i

Dear learners, by practicing in this field  and using it,you can improve your writting to a kind of advanced one!i

Many of you would like to get better grades but aren't sure exactly what will help raise marks. you may have trouble focusing or you may get bored easily. You may think it takes too much effort to get better grades. Try the following techniques...i

We use Wish Had / Were / Did to express regret that what we want now isn't possible

Examples: She hates straight hair. She thinks curly hair is beautiful. She has straight hair.i

She wishes her hair were curly. ( not was. Be careful)i

He doesn't like his job.i

He wishes he had another job.i

It takes her a long time to get to work.i

She wishes she bought a car.i

We use Wish Had Done to regret about having done sth in the past.i

Examples: The party was so bad that they left early.i

They wish they hadn't gone.i

He failed the exam.i

I wish he had studied during the semester.i

We use Wish Would Do to express what we want to happen in the future.i

Examoles: Her husband smokes too much.i

She wishes he would stop smoking

An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain

All polar bears are left-handed

The moon is actually moving away from the Earth at a rate of 1.5 inches per year

Chimps are the only animals that can recognize themselves in a mirror

The Main Library at Indian University sinks over an inch every year because when it was built engineers failed to take into account the weight of all the books that would occupy the building

Hawaii is moving toward Japan 4 inches every year

Honeybees never sleep

The heart of a mouse beats 650 times per minute

Women blink nearly twice as much as men

A snail can have about 25000 teeth

A snail can also sleep for three years

The earth gets 100 tons heavier every day due to falling space dust

The first FAX machine was patented in 1843,33 years before Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone

A cockroach can live several weeks with its head cut- it dies from starvation

Wearing headphones for just an hour will increase the bacteria in your ear by 700 times

The winter of 1932 was so cold that Niagara Falls froze completely solid

The Eiffel Tower shrinks 6 inches in winter

Pearls melt in vinegar

not to know the first thing about: know nothing at all about doing sth

at the first sight: when seen or examined for the first time

back to the square one: back to the starting point with no progress made

playing second fiddle: be treated as less important than another

be in the two minds about: feel doubtful about or hesitate over sth

second thoughts: change of opinion after reconsidering

second to none: unequal

second nature: what seems natural but has been learned

second best: there is someone better than you

sixth sense: awareness of things one cannot actually see, hear etc

at the eleventh hour: at the last possible moment

talk nineteen to the dozen: talk continually

to have forty winks: short sleep sp during the daylight

ninty- nine times out of a hundred: almost always

 AAn Empty Box...i

I'd like to congratulate all you on the holy birthday of

Prophet Muhammad and

Imam Sadeg ( A.S)...i

with flying colors

تمامي موفقيت ها

Lessons in

Life

Dear mother, when are you going to be

retired??  Never, indeed??i

I'm worried about you...i

TO YOU...i

Cut from the same cloth

مثل سيبي كه از وسط دو نيم شده باشد

If you're making a suit, the jacket and trousers should be cut from the same piece of cloth to ensure a perfect match, since there may be differences in color, weave etc. between batches of fabric. Only if the whole suite is cut from the same piece of cloth can we be sure of the match.

You and your father are cut from the same cloth; fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life son

The worst things a teacher

can do in the class

A letter to my son's

English teacher

High on the hog

به طور نامعقول

The best meat is on the upper portion of the pig. Rich people have always been afforded this luxury while the servants, slaves and poor have always had to eat pig's feet, chitterlings, cracklings, etc. - low on the hog.

If you choose to live high on the hog, you will be low in the wallet.