September 29, 2010

The Present Continuous - Part I

Hey guys!

On today's class, we're going to learn another Present verb tense. You have already learnt The Simple Present. The verb tense we're going to see today is called The Continuous Present, 'cause not everything is so "simple" (LOL).
Well, first of all, we'll see the Verb To Be, about which I had told you.

Observe:
am
You are
He is
She is
It is
We are
They are

NOTICE:
Did you see that, for the third person singular (He, She, It), the Verb To Be conjugated is the same (is)? So, I could conclude that that's the reason why we add "-s", "-es" or "-ies" to verbs. Something important, too, is that "I" is always uppercase, no matter where it is in the sentense. One more thing: "You" may mean I'm talking to "only one person" or "many people", it's plural or singular, depending on the sentence. "We" means "I + You" or "I + He/She/It" or "I + They". "They" means "the plural of He/She/It". We use "It" for things and animals, or what's not a human being.

But where's The Continuous Present?
To say something with the Continuous Present, we'll need the verb To Be in it, that's why I explained it all to you before it. Well, basically, The Continous Present is a word that ends in "-ing". Hey, are you telling me the word "ring" is an example of Continuous Present? No! I think I didn't say it the right way... What I mean is, The Continuous Present happens when we add "-ing" to a verb, just like in "Leaving", "Running", "Sleeping".

But there are some rules you've got to follow to add "-ing" to a verb.
Observe:
- With Monosyllabic verbs ending with a vowel + consonant, we must duplicate the last consonant and add "-ing": To Cut = Cutting.
- With dissyllabic verbs ending with a vowel + a consonant, and the last syllable is tonic, we must duplicate the last conconant and add "-ing": To Begin = Beginning.
- With verbs ending with "-ie", we replace "-ie" for "-y", and add "-ing": To Die = Dying.
- With verb ending just in "-e", we simply remove it and add "-ing": To Write = Writing.
- With verbs ending with a vowel + l, we must duplicate the last "l" and add "-ing": To Travel = Travelling.
- With the other verbs, we just add "-ing": To Say = Saying.

We usually say "I am working right now." or "We are eating now.". First, there's the Verb To Be, then it comes the verb with "-ing". I think you noticed how to write something using the Continuous Present. If you said we have to put the verb To Be and a verb ending with "-ing", you're right!:

"I am watching TV."
"They are playing football right now."
"He is going to the beach."

This is the Affirmative Form of the Continuous Present.
But there are some verbs that would be some weird if you added "-ing" to them, verbs like Like, Love, Hate, Understand, Want, Need, Feel and Hear. But what if I want to say something with these verbs in the Present Tense? The best way to do it is using the Simple Present:
I am feeling -> I feel

You got it?

This is the Affirmative Form of the Continuous Present.
Click here for the second part.

See you!
____________________

Hey guys!

Na aula de hoje, veremos um outro tempo verbal do Presente. Um vocês já viram, O Simple Present, mas hoje veremos o outro, O Present Continuous, porque nem tudo é tão "simple" (rsrs).
Bom, primeiramente, veremos o Verbo To Be, sobre o qual já havia comentado.

Observe:
am (Eu sou/ estou)
You are (Você é/ está)
He is (Ele é/ está)
She is (Ela é/ está)
It is (Ele ou ela é/ está, para objetos ou animais)
We are (Nós somos/ estamos)
They are (Eles são/ estão)

OBSERVAÇÕES:
Percebeu que, para as terceiras pessoas do singular (He, She, It), o Verbo To Be conjugado é o mesmo (is)? Pelo o que eu concluí, é por isso que acrescentamos "-s", "-es" ou "-ies" aos verbos. Outra observação, é que o pronome "I" (Eu) é sempre maiúsculo, não importa a posição na frase. Outra observação, é que o pronome "You" pode significar "Você" ou "Vocês", dependendo da frase. "We" significa "Nós", e "They" significa "Eles", pois é o plural da terceira pessoa do singular. O pronome "It" significa "ele" ou "ela", mas para coisa, animais, objetos ou qualquer coisa que não seja humana. O Verbo To Be significa "Ser" ou "Estar", dependendo da situação.

Mas, onde está o Present Continuous?
Para formarmos uma frase no Present Continuous, usamos o Verbo To Be, por isso que estava explicando esse verbo primeiro. O Present Continuous seria como o nosso "Gerúndio", ou seja, palavras que acabam com "-ndo", em português.
Então, quer dizer que as palavras "Lindo" ou "Fundo" são um caso de gerúndio? Não! Acho que eu não consegui me expressar muito bem. Gerúndio é quando um verbo acaba em "-ndo", em português, como em "Amando", "Correndo", "Dormindo". Mas como eu falo isso em Inglês? Basta acrescentar o "-ing" ao verbo. Esse seria o gerúndio em Inglês. Mas não é só isso.

Existe o jeito certo de acrescentar o -ing ao verbo.
Observe:
- Verbos monossílabos terminados em vogal + uma consoante dobramos a última consoante e adicionamos o "-ing": To Cut = Cutting.
- Verbos dissílabos terminados com uma vogal + uma consoante, em que a última sílaba é tônica, dobramos a última consoante e adicionamos "-ing": To Begin = Beginning.
- Verbos terminados em "-ie", substituímos "-ie" por "-y", e acrescentamos "-ing": To Die = Dying.
- Verbos terminados em "-e", apenas tiramos o "-e" e acrescentamos o "-ing": To Write = Writing.
- Verbos terminados em vogal + l, dobramos o "l" e acrescentamos o "-ing": To Travel = Travelling.
- Com os demais verbos, apenas acrescentar "-ing": To Say = Saying.

Em português, dizemos "Eu estou trabalhando agora." ou "Nós estamos comendo agora.". Primeiro o Verbo Estar, depois um verbo que acaba com "-ndo".
Acho que você já sabe como formar o Present Continuous agora. Se você pensou que temos que colocar o Verbo To Be, e depois um verbo com -ing, você acertou!:

"I am watching TV." ("Estou assistindo TV.")
"They are playing football right now." ("Eles estão jogando futebol agora.")
"He is going to the beach." ("Ele está indo para a praia.")

E essa é a Forma Afirmativa do Present Continuous.
Mas existem alguns verbos que ficariam um pouco estranhos se acrescentássemos o -ing. São eles:
Like, Love, Hate, Understand, Want, Need, Feel e Hear. Mas, como eu escreveria uma frase com esses verbos, no Presente? O melhor jeito é usando o Simple Present:
I am feeling -> I feel

Entendeu?

E essa é a Forma Afirmativa do Present Continuous.
Clique aqui para a parte 2.

See you!

September 28, 2010

The Simple Present - Exercises and Answers

Hi! How are you?

Here you have some exercises about Simple Present. Pay attention and good luck:
Aqui estão alguns exercícios sobre Simple Present. Responda com atenção e boa sorte:

1. Complete the sentences with always, often, usually, sometimes, hardly ever or never to make true sentences about yourself:
a) I _____ study in the afternoons.
b) I _____ visit my grandfather and my grandmother.
c) I _____ spend my vacation on the beach.
d) I _____ win some money.
e) I _____ take the bus to go to school.
f) I _____ eat vegetarian food.
g) I _____ travel by plane.
h) I _____ see a rat in my house.
i) I _____ go out to dance.
j) I _____ think in English.

2. Write the Affirmative or the Negative Forms of the verbs to express real facts:
a) Argentinians _____ Portuguese. (To Speak)
b) New Yorkers _____ in Arabia. (To Live)
c) The Earth _____ around the moon. (To Go)
d) Television _____ public opinion. (To Influence)
e) It _____ in Bahia. (To Snow)
f) Penguins _____ hot places. (To Like)
g) Camels _____ in hot places. (To Live)
h) The sun _____ in the east. (To Rise)
i) The moon _____ around the Earth. (To Go)
j) Many people _____ Orkut nowadays. (To Use)

3. Change the sentences into Questions:
a) You go to school in the morning.
b) You live near the school.
c) He likes cats.
d) This paper flies like a bird.
d) They know me!
e) You look like* your brother.
f) She thinks I am beautiful...
g) The Pope lives in New York.
h) They get good grades in our English tests.
i) She takes the bus to school everyday.
j) I teach you English.

* "Look like" means "To be similar to", "To have similar appearances", you got it?
* A expressão "Look like" tem o significado de "Parecer", "Ser igual à", entendeu?

4. Complete the text:
(alguns verbos estão no passado, os aprenderemos mais para frente)

Hey Mom,
This is Bill,  and I will describe in this letter the things that happened with me here in New York City.
When I arrived here, I met a beautiful woman, with light hair, blue eyes, and very intelligent. She _____ (To Read) good books and _____ (To Speak) four languages: Spanish, French, Japanese and German! She _____ (To Talk) to people from different countries around the world. She _____ (To Know) how to make good food. She _____ (To Live) near my house. I always _____ (To Go) with her to many places in the City. We _____ (To Watch) movies together, we _____ (To Play) basketball in the backyard of her house, we _____ (To Buy) things together, we _____ (To Study) together for exams in the university...
But it is all finished when I saw her talking to a boy in a dark place of the university. He is her boyfriend. He _____ (To Give) her flowers and chocolate... (I am jealous!). But they ended up their relationship because of cheating (She must be too sad...). Some time passed, and I had to go to California. She wanted me to stay with her, but I _____ (have) to work there... So, she went with me to California and now we are happy (we are in love). I _____ (To Think) she is pregnant! You are a future grandmother, Mom. Well, it's all that happened to me during this time... I _____ (To Love) you Mom. Take care!
Bye...

Answers:

2.
a) don't speak
b) don't live
c) doesn't go
d) influences
e) doesn't snow
f) don't like
g) live
h) rises
i) goes
j) don't use



3.
a) Do you go to school in the morning?
b) Do you live near the school?
c) Does he like cats?
d) Does this paper fly like a bird?
e) Do you look like your mother?
f) Does she think I'm beautiful?
g) Does the Pope live in New York?
h) Do they get good grades in their English tests?
i) Does she take the bus to school every day?
j) Do I teach you English?


4.
reads, speaks, talks, knows, lives, go, watch, play, buy, study, gives, have, think, love.



I hope you have understood the Simple Present. That's all for today...
Bom, espero que tenham entendido o Simple Present. Por hoje é só...
Take care!

See you!

September 27, 2010

The Simple Present - Part III

Hello!

This is the last post about the Simple Present, the Interrogative Form.
Pay close attention so you can answer the exercises later.

In the previous post we have learned that we should put "do + not" or "does + not" before a verb in the Negative Form, right?
To make a question, we remove "not" and put "do" or "does" BEFORE the subject of the phrase.

Look at this:
Do you like pizza?
Do they like hip hop?

We put DO before "I", "You", "We" and "They":
Do I know you?
Do you speak English?
Do we have girlfriends?
Do they watch horror movies?

We put DOES before "He", "She" and "It". You should not add -s to the verb (Base Form):
Does he study a lot?
Does she play basketball?
Does it fly?

Now, what if I want to answer those questions?
You have two choices:
- You can use the auxiliary verb:
Q: Do you know me?
A: Yes, I do! / No, I don't.
- Or you can use the verb of the phrase:
Q: Do you know me?
A: Yes, I know you! / No, I don't know you.

That's all for now. Don't forget about the exercises!
Take care!

See you!
__________
Hello!

Para finalizar, postarei a terceira parte do Simple Present: a Forma Interrogativa.
Preste atenção para poder responder os exercícios depois.

Na aula passada, vimos que, para formar um frase na Forma Negativa, devemos colocar "do + not" ou "does + not" antes do verbo, certo?
Para formarmos uma pergunta na Forma Interrogativa, devemos retirar o "not" e colocar o "do" ou "does" ANTES do sujeito da frase.

Observe:
Do you like pizza?
Do they like hip hop?

Para os Pronomes "I", "You", "We" e "They", colocamos o Verbo Auxiliar Do antes do sujeito:
Do I know you?
Do you speak English?
Do we have girlfriends?
Do they watch horror movies?

Para os Pronomes "He", "She" e "It", colocamos o Verbo Auxiliar Does antes do sujeito e o verbo fica na Forma Base (Base Form):
Does he study a lot?
Does she play basketball?
Does it fly?

Mas, e para responder essas perguntas?
Você tem opções:
- Ou você responde com o verbo auxiliar que foi usado na pergunta:
Pergunta: Do you know me?
Resposta: Yes, I do / No, I don't.
- Ou você responde com as palavras que foram usadas na pergunta:
Pergunta: Do you know me?
Resposta: Yes, I know you. / No, I don't know you.

Por hoje é só. Não se esqueça dos exercícios!
Até mais!

See you!

The Simple Present - Part II

Hey there!


Like I said in the previous post, today we're going to talk about the Negative Form of the Simple Present Tense. It is a verb tense that indicates an action that happens very often, like going to school, to work, drinking water, and if you don't remember, you can click here.

This is the Negative Form:

I don't know you.
They don't study French.

Imagine this situation:
You are talking to a friend and say to him that he does not like to study. You would say: "You don't like to study." Your friend wants to compare him with his friend who also doesn't like to study. He would say: " My friend doesn't like to study either.".
Did you see that, after the subject of the sentence, there is a word? We call it the Auxiliary Verb, and it means "no" or "not".
So why is it written "don't" in the first one and "doesn't" in the second?

"No" in English is used with the Auxiliary Verb "do + not" or "don't" for the Personal Pronouns "I", "You", "We" and "They":

don't sing very well.
You don't play football.
We don't use computer here.
They don't drink beer.

For "He", "She" and "It", we use the Auxiliary Verb "does + not" or "doesn't":
He doesn't have a pen.
She doesn't eat cow.
It doesn't fly so high.

What about the Main Verb? Don't we have to add an "-s"?
No! After the Auxiliary Verb, the Main Verb stays in its base form.

SHORTENING:
So, the Negative Form of the Simple Present Tense works like this:
You have a subject + do or does + not + verb in base form + complement
"They don't like raw fish."
"She doesn't watch horror movies."

Hope you got it. That's easy!
If you want help, send us a message.

See you!
____________________
Hey there!

Como havia dito na aula passada, hoje estudaremos a Forma Negativa do Simple Present
Como disse, o Simple Present é o tempo verbal usado para indicar uma ação habitual que ocorre com uma certa frequência, como ir à escola, trabalhar, beber água, vocês se lembram? Se não se lembra, clique aqui.

Bom, vamos a Forma Negativa:

I don't know you.
They don't study French!

Imagine a seguinte situação:
Você está conversando com um amigo e diz que essa mesma pessoa não gosta de estudar. Você diria:   "You don't like to study". Seu amigo quer se comparar com um amigo dele e diz que esse amigo também não gosta de estudar. Ele diria: "My friend doesn't like to study either.".
Perceberam que, depois do sujeito da frase, existe uma palavra? Essa palavra se chama Verbo Auxiliar, e significa "não".
Mas, porque que na primeira fala está escrito com o "don't" e na segunda, com o "doesn't"?

O "não" em Inglês é usado com o verbo auxiliar "do + not" ou a contração "don't" (/dânt/), para os Pronomes Pessoais "I", "You", "We" e "They":
I don't sing very well.
You don't play football.
We don't use computer here.
They don't drink beer.

Para os Pronomes Pessoais "He", "She" e "It", usamos o verbo auxiliar "does + not" ou a contração "doesn't" (/dâznt/):
He doesn't have a pen.
She doesn't eat cow.
It doesn't fly so high.

Mas, e o verbo principal, não tínhamos que conjugá-lo? Não devíamos acrescentar o -s?
Não! Depois do Verbo Auxiliar (don't ou doesn't) o verbo fica na Forma Base, SEM o To na frente.

RESUMINDO:
Então, a Forma Negativa do Simple Present funciona assim:
Temos um sujeito + do or does + not + verbo na forma base + complemento
"They don't like raw fish." ("Eles não gostam de peixe cru.")
"She doesn't watch horror movies." ("Ela não assiste filmes de terror.")

Espero que tenham entendido. É fácil!
Se precisar de ajuda, envie-nos um mensagem.

See you!

September 26, 2010

The Simple Present - Part I

Hi!

As I said in the previous post, today we're going to learn the Present Tense, or the Simple Present. The first part we're going to learn is the Affirmative.
Ok, the Simple Present is a tense that indicates an action that happens all the time or with a certain frequency.

Here you have some examples: 
Humans communicate in different ways.
My computer needs maintenance regularly.

Did you see? The main verb is in the Present.
In general, the Simple Present form coincides with the base form of a verb in English.

I have no time for doing this.
Americans influence the whole world.

Take for example the verb "To Play".
When there is a "To" in front of a verb, it means that it hasn't been conjugated yet.
It's the same as "JogAR", "CorrER" or "CaIR" in Portuguese.
When there is no "To" the verb is in its infinitive form.

Observe:
Verb To Think:
I think in English most of the time.

Verb To Need:
I need water!


There are some rules you have to follow to conjugate verbs in English. Here they are:

For "I", "You", "We" and "They" the verb stays the way it is, but without "To" in front of it:

To Love:
I love you.
You love me.
We love you.
They love me.

To Speak:
I speak English.
You speak German.
We speak French.
They speak Italian.


For "He", "She" and "It" we have to add -s, -es or -ies to the verb. See how to do that:
--> For verbs ending with "ch", "sh", "z", "s" and "o", we have to add -es to the verb:

To Go:
He goes to school every day.
She goes to her office by car.
It goes to the garden every morning.

To Wish:
He wishes to be a beautiful man.
She wishes a rich husband.
It wishes a bone.

--> For verbs ending with a consonant and Y, we have to take the "Y" out and add -ies:

To Cry:
He cries a lot.
She cries for me.
It cries of fear.

To Fly:
He flies like Batman.
She flies with a parachute.
It flies like an eagle.

--> For other verbs, just add -s:

To Change:
He changes his sunglasses every year.
She changes her clothes.
It changes our minds.

To Say:
Ha says my name very well.
She says I am beautiful.
It says "meow meow"...

We can use some adverbs of frequency to say how often something happens:
Always
Often
Usually
Sometimes
Hardly Ever
Seldon
Rarely
Never
Once [a week, a month, a year]
Twice [a day]
Three times [...]

Examples:
Samuel always goes to school by bus.
I usually drink water.
They do it three times a day.


To be short:
For "I", "You", "We" and "They", the verb is the same but without the "To":
To Do:
I do my homework every day.

For "He", "She" and "It" we add -s, -es or -ies:
To Play:
He usually pays video games.


I hope you got it.
If you have any question, send me a message.
Always use a good dictionary.

See you!
____________________
Hi!

Como disse na aula passada, hoje iremos aprender o tempo verbal do Presente, o Simple Present ou Presente Simples. A primeira parte que aprenderemos é a Afirmativa.
Bom, o Simple Present é um tempo verbal que indica uma ação que acontece a todo o tempo ou com uma certa frequência.

Observe as frases:
Humans communicate in different ways.
My computer needs maintenance regularly.

Perceberam que o verbo principal está no Presente?
Em geral, a forma do Simple Present coincide com a forma infinitiva ou forma base em inglês.

I have no time for doing this.
Americans influence the whole world.

Veja como exemplo o verbo "To Play". Quando, antes dele haver um "To", significa que ele não foi conjugado ainda. Seria o nosso "JogAR", "CorrER" ou "CaIR", em português.
Quando tiramos o "To", o verbo fica no infinitivo.


Observe:
Verbo To Think (Pensar):
I think in English most of the time.

Verbo To Need (Precisar):
I need water!


Para conjugar os verbos em inglês, basta que sigamos as regras abaixo:

Para os Pronomes Pessoais "I" (Eu), "You" (Você, vocês), "We" (Nós) e "They" (Eles), o verbo fica do jeito que é, mas sem o "To" na frente:

To Love (Amar):
I love you.
You love me.
We love you.
They love me.

To Speak (Falar):
I speak English.
You speak German.
We speak French.
They speak Italian.


Para os Pronomes Pessoais "He" (Ele), "She" (Ela) e "It" (Ele ou ela para coisas e animais), devemos acrescentar um -s, -es ou -ies aos verbos. Veja como o fazer:
-> Para verbos terminados em "ch", "sh", "z", "s" e "o", devemos acrescentar -es ao verbo:

To Go (Ir):
He goes to school every day.
She goes to her office.
It goes to the garden every morning.

To Wish (Desejar):
He wishes to be a beautiful man.
She wishes a rich husband.
It wishes a bone.

-> Para verbos terminados em Consoante e "Y", devemos retirar o "Y" e acescentar -ies:

To Cry (Chorar):
He cries a lot.
She cries for me.
It cries of fear.

To Fly (Voar):
He flies like Batman.
She flies with a parachutes.
It flies like a eagle.

-> Para os demais verbos, acrescentar apenas -s:

To Change (Mudar):
He changes his sunglesses every year.
She changes her clothes.
It changes our minds.

To Say (Dizer):
He says my name very well.
She says I am beautiful.
It says "meow meow".

Podemos usar advérbios de frequência para dizer com que frequência tal coisa acontece:
Always (Sempre)
Often (Frequentemente)
Usually (Normalmente)
Sometimes (Às vezes)
Hardly ever (Raramente)
Seldon (Raramente)
Rarely (Raramente)
Never (Nunca)
Once [a week, a year, a month...] (Uma vez [por semana, por ano, or mês])
Twice [a day...] (Duas vezes [por dia...])
Three times [...] (Três vezes [...])

Exemplos:
Samuel always goes to school by bus.
I usually drink water.
They do it three times a day.


Resumindo:
Para os Pronomes "I", "You", "We" e "They", o verbo é o mesmo, apenas retiramos o To:
To Do:
I do my homework every day.

Para os Pronomes "He", "She" e "It", acrescentamos -s, -es ou -ies:
To Play:
He usually plays video game.


Espero que tenham entendido.
Para qualquer dúvida, envie-me uma mensagem.
Use sempre um dicionário.

See you!

September 25, 2010

Prepositions and their uses - Exercises and Answers

How are you?

Today I'll give you some exercises about the prepositions I taught you. If you have any question, send us a message. The answers are right below the questions.
Hoje darei alguns exercícios sobre as preposições aprendidas. Caso vocês tenham alguma dúvida, envie-nos uma mensagem. As respostas estão logo abaixo das perguntas.

1. Complete with in, on, at or by:
a) The movie is going to begin _____ 9 o'clock _____ the morning.
b) What are you going to do _____ Friday?
c) They live _____ a beautiful house!
d) There was a big parade _____ Independency Day!
e) She would like to get a present _____ Christmas...
f) They go to the club _____ bus but I go _____ car.
g) The Smiths live _____ a beautiful farm!
h) This best seller was written _____ Leon Uris.
i) It was very cold _____ the winter!
j) He lives _____ 456 Gilbert St..
k) Matheus doesn't like to study _____ night.

2. Fill in the blank with the correct preposition:
a) Let's go _____ my office.
b) Mary was born _____ Jan 1st, 1950.
c) We have never believed _____ his honesty.
d) We have nothing _____ common.
e) They lived in New York _____ 2000 _____ 2010.
f) Mary gets up _____ 6 o'clock and goes _____ school _____ the morning.
g) My sister was born _____ a beautiful day _____ December.
h) I'm over 21 years of age! Can I go _____ a pub now?
i) Get _____ the train! Now!
j) This book is _____ a little girl I met...
k) Can you get some milk _____ me?
l) Can I go _____ you?
m) They can't live _____ me! They need me!
n) We usually stay _____ our house in the evening.
o) They moved _____ the other side _____ the city.
p) Stay _____ my side!
q) They are _____ the surface!
r) That cloud is _____ us!
s) Can you see _____ the black glass?
t) Go _____ to the mountain!
u) I'm _____ Canada.
Globetrekker, Marcelo B. Costa

Answers:
1.
a) at, in
b) on
c) in
d) on
e) on
f) by, by
g) on
h) by
i) in
j) on
k) at

2.
a) to
b) on
c) in
d) in
e) from, to
f) at, to, in
g) on, of/ in
h) to
i) on/ off
j) for
k) for
l) with
m) without
n) in
o) to, of
p) by
q) on
r) above
s) through
t) up
u) in

Espero que tenham gostado! Até mais!
I hoped you liked it!

See you!

Prepositions and their uses - III

Hey!

Hoje veremos outras preposições importantes e seus usos. Só para lembrar, preposição é "Palavra invariável que liga partes da oração, estabelecendo entre elas numerosas ligações", de acordo com o mini dicionário escolar Aurélio da Língua Portuguesa.


Other Important Prepositions:

OF (da, de, do) - Que ou quem pertence à.
Ex.: A page of the book.
A picture of a place.

BY (por, [autoria de]) - Algo feito por alguém, ou de autoria de alguém.
Ex.: A book by Mark Twain.
A picture by a photographer.

OFF (de, do) - Sair de um meio de transporte público.
Ex.: Get off the bus.
Get off the taxi.

OUT OF (fora do, de) - Sair de um meio transporte.
Ex.: Get out of the taxi! You have no money to pay for it!
Get out of the train! It's falling down!

BY (para, de) - Subir ou descer da algo, andar de, viajar (com exceção de "a pé" e "a cavalo").
Ex.: Prices have risen by 10 percent.
I'll travel by car.

AT (aos [idade]) - Para idades.
Ex.: She learned Russin at 65.
They studied French at 12.

ABOUT (sobre, a respeito) - Acerca de, a respeito de, em relação à.
Ex.: We were talking about you.
They are doing a homework about the World Second War.

FOR (por, para) - Quando alguém faz algo para ou por você.
Ex.: Can you carry my suitcase for me?
I got some food for you.

TO (para) - Quando vamos para algum lugar.
Ex.: This letter is going to the USA.
He sent a letter to Mary.

WITH (com) - Fazer algo com (alguém, alguma coisa).
Ex.: Sally plays with her dogs.
I'm with my umbrella.

WITHOUT (sem) - Fazer algo sem (alguma coisa).
Ex.: You can't travel without a passaport.
I can't live without you.


Exercises:

1. Choose the correct preposition:
a) Jess, there's an e-mail _____ you.
off / to / for
b) He offered a job _____ Mary.
out of / to / without
c) We have to read the episode _____ the accident.
for / about / without
d) You can't travel by car. Get _____ it!
off / out of / without
e) Dan is planning to come to the beach _____ me.
for / from / with
f) Let's go _____ the computer lab.
without / about / to
g) I'm _____ my notebook. Where is it?
without / for / from

Espero que esteja gostando do blog. Deixe comentários...

See you!

September 24, 2010

Prepositions and their uses - II

What's up?


As I said in the previous post, today we're going to learn some prepostions of place...
Pay close attention to it and you'll understand what you read:


Referring to PLACE:

IN - Has the meaning of "inside", for example, inside a box.
Ex.: I'm in the kitchen.
I'm in the bus to Sao Paulo.

AT - Means "next to", "near to". Used to talk about places that you go to do typical things. Also used for events.
Ex.: I'm at the door waiting for you.
We used to watch movies at the cinema.

ON - Means "above" something, "touching something on the surface. Used for "left" and "right", for a floor of the house, for "TV", "radio"...
Ex.: I watched it on TV.
I was on the bus when I saw birds flying through the window.

BY/ NEXT TO/ BESIDE -
Ex.: Janny was standing by my side/ standing next to me/ standing beside me.
They are next to the haunted big house!

UNDER - There is something below.
Ex.: This country is under a big cloud of snow.
They married under the sea.

BELOW -
Ex.: Answer the questions below.
The fish are below the surface.

OVER - Means "more than", "across something".
Ex.: I am over than 16 years of age.
We were walking over the bridge.

ABOVE - Something that is on top, but don't touches us.
Ex.: God is above us.
The sky is above our heads.
(If I wrote "On", the sky would be touching our heads.)

ACROSS - Get to the other side.
Ex.: Walk across the bridge.
Swim across the lake.

THROUGH - Go to the other side, in a closed place.
Ex.: Drive through the tunnel.
Look through the mirror.

TO - When we go, we go To some place.
Ex.: I always go to bed at 11 o'clock.
I go to school by car.

INTO  - Get in the house or school. You also can use "To".
Ex.: Go into the kitchen and wash dishes.
I want to go into my house.

TOWARDS - Go directly to something.
Ex.: Go 5 steps towards the house.
He went towards the lake...

ONTO - Go to the top.
Ex.: Jump onto the car.
Go onto the mountain.

FROM - Used to say that there is a place where things come out from...
Ex.: There's a flower from the garden.
I am from the United States.


Exercises:
1. Complete the exercise with the correct preposition. More than one preposition may be correct:
a) I am waiting for you _____ the bedroom.
b) I'm ____ Japan.
c) I'm going _____ your house.
d) Go 111 steps _____ the desert and find the treasure.
d) The drinks are _____ the table.
e) _____ the picture, there are many people.


2. Complete: "When I go to a place, but not directly to it, I use the preposition _____.".


Next class, we'll see other important prepositions.


See you!

____________________


What's up?

Como disse na aula passada, hoje iremos aprender as preposições de lugar...
Concentre-se para entender o que lerá:

Referring to PLACE:

IN (em) - Usado com o sentido de "dentro" de algum lugar.
Ex.: I'm in the kitchen.
I'm in the bus to Sao Paulo.

AT (em) - Usado com o sentido de "próximo à" ou "perto de". Usado para falar de lugares que você vai para fazer coisas tipicas. Usado para eventos também.
Ex.: I'm at the door waiting for you.
We used to watch movies at the cinema.

ON (em) - Usado para transportes públicos. Tem o sentido de "sobre". Para "left (esquerda)" e "right (direita)", para um andar numa casa, para "TV", "radio"...
Ex.: I watched it on TV.
I was on the bus when I saw birds flying through the window.

BY/ NEXT TO/ BESIDE (próximo de, ao lado) - Ao lado de alguém ou alguma coisa.
Ex.: Janny was standing by my side/ standing next to me/ standing beside me.
They are next to the haunted big house!

UNDER (abaixo, sob) - O que está abaixo de algo.
Ex.: This country is under a big cloud of snow.
They married under the sea.

BELOW (abaixo) - O que está abaixo de algo.
Ex.: Answer the questions below.
The fish are below the surface.

OVER (mais que)  - Usado para coisas abrangidas em outras; tem o sentido de "mais que". Tem também o sentido de "sobre" ou "algo longo de".
Ex.: I am over than 16 years of age.
We were walking over the bridge.

ABOVE (acima, sobre [mas não toca]) - Acima de alguma coisa, algo que está acima.
Ex.: God is above us.
The sky is above our heads.
(Perceba que se eu colocasse "On", ficaria "O céu está em nossas cabeças.")

ACROSS (atravessar) - Chegar ao outro lado.
Ex.: Walk across the bridge (Atravesse a ponte [andando]).
Swim across the lake.

THROUGH (através, além) - Passar para o outro "lado", a partir de um lugar "fechado".
Ex.: Drive through the tunnel.
Look through the mirror.

TO (para) - Quando vamos para algum lugar ou para alguma coisa.
Ex.: I always go to bed at 11 o'clock.
I go to school by car.

INTO (ir para dentro) - Entrar em algum lugar. Pode-se usar "To", também.
Ex.: Go into the kitchen and wash dishes.
I want to go into my house.

TOWARDS (em direção à) - Movimento que vai na direção de alguma coisa, mas não diretamente para essa coisa.
Ex.: Go 5 steps towards the house.
He went towards the lake...

ONTO (ir para cima) - Movimento para cima de alguma coisa.
Ex.: Jump onto the car.
Go onto the mountain.

FROM (de, que vem de, pertencente à) - Usado para dizermos que alguma coisa vem de tal lugar, ou que vem a partir de algum lugar...
Ex.: There's a flower from the garden.
I am from the United States.


Exercises:


1. Complete the exercise with the correct preposition. More than one preposition may be correct:
a) I am waiting for you _____ the bedroom.
b) I'm ____ Japan.
c) I'm going _____ your house.
d) Go 111 steps _____ the desert and find the treasure.
d) The drinks are _____ the table.
e) _____ the picture, there are many people.


2. Complete: "When I go to a place, but not directly to it, I use the preposition _____.".


Next class, veremos outras preposições importantes.


See you!

September 22, 2010

Prepositions and their uses - I

Hi folks!

In today's class, we're going to learn some important prepositions in English related to time and place.
The first prepositions we're going to learn will be related to time.
Pay close attention to this lesson:

Referring to TIME:
ON - Used for days of the week and specific days.
 Ex.: "We go to our father's house on Mondays."
"My birthday is on March 12."

IN - Used for months, seasons, years, a certain period of time.
Ex.: "In the moning, I was sleeping."
"I was born in 1995."

AT - Used for a certain point in time, for any time of the day..
Ex.: "See you for lunch at midday."
"Let's meet you at 10 o'clock."

SINCE - Used to talk about a certain point in time until now, from past to now.
Ex.: "Since I was a child I see him doing this."
"I'm sad since my grandparents died."

FOR - During a period of time.
Ex.: "I worked here for 10 years."
"He was asleep for a long time."

AGO - Used to say that something happened some time in the past.
Ex.: "This book was mine ten minutes ago. It was sold."
"I was 10 years old two years ago. Now I'm 12."

BEFORE - Used for a point before a happening.
Ex.: "I was born before you."
"Tell me now, before I go."

TO - Saying the time.
Ex.: "It's ten to six (5:50) p.m! Go home now!"
"It's fifteen to midday (11:45). I'm hungry."

PAST - Saying the time.
Ex.: "It's ten past six (6:10)! We're late!"
"It's fifteen past midday (12:15)!"

FROM ... TO/ UNTIL - Says the beggining and the end of a period of time.
Ex.: "I worked here from 1969 to / until 2010..."
"Here it rains from March to/ until July."

BY - Until/ No more than [hours]
Ex.: "I will be back by 6 o'clock, ok?"
"I had read five pages by 11 o'clock."

Now, can you answer these questions?
1. Choose the correct preposition to fill in the blanks:
a) When I was born, I used to cry ______ a long time!
b) Summer in Brazil officially starts ______ December.
c) I think I will be back ______ ten o'clock.
d) Sam was born ______ 1991.
e) I go to curch ______ Christmas day.
f) We have to study. We have tests ______ Mondays and Wednesday.
g) It's twelve ______ one (13:12) p.m..
h) It's ten ______ ten (09:50) a.m..
g) I studied there 20 years ______.
i) I listen to this song _____ I was a child.
j) My mother read this book _____ March ____ April.

2. Complete this sentence: "To talk about specific days of the week, we use the preposition ______."


Answers:
1.
a) for
b) in
c) by/ at
d) in
e) on
f) on
g) past
h) to
i) since
j) from/ to

2. "on"

That's it for today, but in the next post, we're going to learn the prepositions of place.
Don't stop reading this blog!

See you!
____________________
Hi folks!

Na aula de hoje, iremos aprender preposições importantes no Inglês, com relação ao tempo e lugar. As primeiras preposições que veremos serão as de tempo. Preste muita atenção:

Referring to TIME:
 ON (em) - Usado para dias da semana e dias específicos.
 Ex.: "We go to our father's house on Mondays."

("Nós vamos para a casa do nosso pai de/às segundas-feiras.")
"My birthday is on March 12."

("Meu aniversário é em 12 de março.")

IN (em) - Usado para meses, estações, anos, um certo período de tempo.
Ex.: "In the moning, I was sleeping."

("De/pela/no período da manhã, eu estava dormindo.")
"I was born in 1995."

("Eu nasci em 1995.")

AT (em) - Usado para um certo ponto no tempo, para qualquer hora do dia.
Ex.: "See you for lunch at midday."

("Vejo você para o almoço ao meio-dia.")
"We'll meet you at 10 o'clock."
("Nos encontraremos às 10 horas.")

SINCE (desde) - Usado para falar de um certo ponto no tempo até agora, do passado até agora.
Ex.: "Since I was a child I see him doing this."

("Desde que era uma criança, eu o vejo fazendo isso.")
"I'm sad since my grandparents died."
("Estou triste desde que/quando meus avós morreram.")

FOR (por) - Durante um certo período de tempo.
Ex.: "I worked here for 10 years."

("Eu trabalho aqui há/já fazem 10 anos.")
"He was asleep for a long time."

("Ele já está adormecido por muito tempo.")

AGO (atrás, no tempo) - Usado para falar que tal coisa aconteceu há algum tempo atrás.
Ex.: "This book was mine ten minutes ago. It was sold."

("Esse livro era meu há 10 minutos atrás. Ele foi vendido.")
"I was 10 years old two years ago. Now I'm 12."

("Eu tinha 10 anos há 2 anos atrás. Agora eu tenho 12.")

BEFORE (antes) - Usado para um ponto antes de certo acontecimento.
Ex.: "I was born before you."

("Eu nasci antes de você.")
"Tell me now, before I go."

("Diga-me agora, antes que eu vá.")

TO (para as [horas]) - Dizendo as horas.
Ex.: "It's ten to six (5:50) p.m.! Go home now!"

("São dez para as seis (5:50) p.m.! Vá para casa agora.")
"It's fifteen to midday (11:45). I'm hungry."

("São quinze para o meio-dia (11:45). Estou com fome.")

PAST (depois das [horas]) - Dizendo as horas.
Ex.: "It's ten past six (6:10)! We're late!"

(São 10 depois das seis (6:10)! Estamos atrasados!")
"It's fifteen past midday (12:15)!"

("São 15 depois do meio-dia!")

FROM (de) TO/ UNTIL (até) - Marca o começo e o fim de um período no tempo.
Ex.: "I worked here from 1969 to / until 2010..."

("Eu trabalhei aqui de 1969 até 2010...")
"Here it rains from March to/ until July."
("Aqui chove de março a/até julho.")

BY (no mais tardar) - Até um certo tempo, no mais tardar.
Ex.: "I will be back by 6 o'clock, ok?"

("Eu estarei de volta até as/no mais tardar até as 6, ok?
"By 11 o'clock, I had read five pages."

("Até as 11 horas, eu havia lido cinco páginas.")

Você consegue responder a essas perguntas?

1. Choose the correct preposition to fill in the blanks:
a) When I was born, I used to cry ______ a long time!
b) Summer in Brazil officially starts ______ December.
c) I think I will be back ______ ten o'clock.
d) Sam was born ______ 1991.
e) I go to curch ______ Christmas day.
f) We have to study. We have tests ______ Mondays and Wednesday.
g) It's twelve ______ one (13:12) p.m..
h) It's ten ______ ten (09:50) a.m..
g) I studied there 20 years ______.
i) I listen to this song _____ I was a child.
j) My mother read this book _____ March _____ April.

2. Complete essa frase: "To talk about specific days of the week, we use the preposition ______."


Answers:

1.
a) for
b) in
c) by/ at
d) in
e) on
f) on
g) past
h) to
i) since
j) from/ to

2. "on"

Por hoje é só, mas na próxima aula, veremos as preposições de lugar.
Não deixe de acompanhar as postagens no blog.

See you!

September 21, 2010

First step...

Hello everybody!

Bom, em nossa primeira aula, veremos um diálogo entre o Professor Don Williams, Ph. D. em Sociolinguística, e  algumas pessoas ao redor do mundo. Leia-o com atenção:


M. Maru (New Zeland): Hello, Prof. Williams! An obvious question to start: Is really English the global language?


Don Williams: Absolutely! It dominates professional, sciemtific, artistic and academic activities. It's all over the internet, on your radio and television with songs, films and shows. People from different countries and different language use English to communicate with each other.


Mariana Santos (Brazil): When did this begin?


D. W.: Not a long time ago. Before the 19th century English was just one more European language, and with the expansion of the British Empire and then the empowerment of the USA, it gained a lot of momentum.


Luci Aranda (Spain): But are the other languages going to disappear?


D. W.: Oh no! Languages are part of the cultural heritage of a nation and people need them to preserve their national identity.


Buddi (Indonesia): Do you think Chinese will soon substitute English?


D. W.: No, I don't think the status of English as a global language is going to change in the near future. China is growing fast and the US may be losing popularity in some parts of the world, but it still has tremendous economic, cultural and military power. Other English-speaking countries like Canada and England are also very influential in global politics, as you know.

http://wordsmith.org/chat/dc.html

Agora, responda essa perguntas:
1. Which of these sentences are correct according to the text?

a) O Inglês continuará a ser a língua de comunicação mundial por muito tempo.
b) Atualmente, os Estados Unidos tem pouco poder cultural e econômico.
c) O Inglês será a língua de comunicação mundial no futuro.
d) O Inglês era um língua universal há 200 anos atrás.
e) Ninguém sabe se o Inglês é uma língua mundial.
f) Ninguém sabe como o Inglês surgiu.
g) O Inglês predomina somente nos rádios e televisões.
h) O Inglês predomina somente na internet.
i) O Inglês é usado como língua de comunicação entre pessoas de diferentes nacionalidades.

2. According to the text, what is the meaning of these words?

a) próximo
b) perdendo
c) mudar
d) ainda
e) atrás (no tempo)
f) músicas
g) crescendo
h) império
i) legado, herança
j) antes
k) também
l) século

Se precisar, use um dicionário...
Por hoje é só, mas não deixe de ler as próximas postagens.

See you!
____________________


Hello everybody!

Well, in our first lesson, we're going to read a dialogue between Professor Don Williams, Ph. D. in Sociolinguistic, and some people around the world. Read it carefully:



M. Maru (New Zeland): Hello, Prof. Williams! An obvious question to start: Is really English the global language?


Don Williams: Absolutely! It dominates professional, sciemtific, artistic and academic activities. It's all over the internet, on your radio and television with songs, films and shows. People from different countries and different language use English to communicate with each other.


Mariana Santos (Brazil): When did this begin?


D. W.: Not a long time ago. Before the 19th century English was just one more European language, and with the expansion of the British Empire and then the empowerment of the USA, it gained a lot of momentum.


Luci Aranda (Spain): But are the other languages going to disappear?


D. W.: Oh no! Languages are part of the cultural heritage of a nation and people need them to preserve their national identity.


Buddi (Indonesia): Do you think Chinese will soon substitute English?


D. W.: No, I don't think the status of English as a global language is going to change in the near future. China is growing fast and the US may be losing popularity in some parts of the world, but it still has tremendous economic, cultural and military power. Other English-speaking countries like Canada and England are also very influential in global politics, as you know.

http://wordsmith.org/chat/dc.html

(Those questions can only be answered by portuguese speakers. Text interpretation.)

See you!

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