Verb + Preposition (Count & Depend)

I mentioned yesterday about some trouble I had with my hosting company. I depend on the internet to be on and working every day so that I can create these lessons here and communicate with you guys, my readers. I think now you count on me to help you learn English, so if the internet is not working, or the website is down, we can’t get together like this. Can you count on your internet company?

Today, let’s continue looking at the verb + preposition combination. Some verbs are always followed by a certain preposition, and this can get confusing. Today we will look at these two verbs: count & depend. Do you know which prepositions follow these verbs? Have a look at the paragraph above and then check the lesson below:

Use count on followed by a person or thing. You can use count on in the progressive (verb + ing) form:

• I told Jane, “I am counting on you!”
• Can you count on your internet company?

We use count on [person/thing] + to Verb to show what we count on that person/thing to do. You can also use count on [person/thing] + for [something]

• You count on me to help you learn English.
• I count on my internet company for reliable service.

Use depend on followed by a person or thing. Note that we do not use depend on in the progressive (verb + ing) form:

• I told Jane, “I depend on you!” Not, I am depending on you.
• Can you depend on your internet company?

We use depend on [person/thing] + to Verb to show what we depend on that person/thing to do. You can also use depend on [person/thing] + for [something]

• You can depend on me to help you learn English here!
• I depend on my internet company for reliable service.

Happy English

Verb + Preposition (Apologize & Complain)

Last week the website was down. I hope not too many people were bothered by that. There was some problem at my hosing company. Of course I complained to the hosting company about the situation and they apologized to me for the trouble, but still I don’t know what happened. I hope we don’t have any more technical problems!

Today, let’s continue looking at the verb + preposition combination. Some verbs are always followed by a certain preposition, and this can get confusing. Today we will look at these two verbs: apologize & complain. Do you know which prepositions follow these verbs? Have a look at the paragraph above and then check the lesson below:

Use apologize to followed by the person that the apology is directed to:

• They apologized to me right away.
• You should apologize to your boss when you are late for work.

Use apologize for followed by reason an apology is given. The structures are apologize + for + something and apologize + for + Verb+ing:

• They apologized for the downtime of my website.
• You should apologize for being late to work

Of course, you can use both prepositions in one sentence with apologize:

• They apologized to me for the downtime of my website.
• You should apologize to your boss for being late to work.

Use complain to followed by the person or place that the complaint is directed to:

• I complained to the hosting company.
• The customer complained to the store manager.

Use complain about followed by reason a complaint is made. The structures are complain + about + something and complain + about + subject + Verb+ing:

• I complained about the downtime of my website.
• The boss complained about Mary coming late to work.

Of course, you can use both prepositions in one sentence with complain:

• I complained to the hosting company about the downtime of my website.
• The boss complained to Mary about her coming late to work.

Happy English

Usando Conectivos em Inglês.

Usamos muito a palavra “assim” em português como conectivo de ideias. Turbinar o vocabulário em inglês com essas expressões nos ajuda a ser mais fluentes e a fazer nossa comunicação no inglês ser mais natural. Abaixo alistamos algumas expressões com o conectivo “assim” e seus compostos que podem ser de ajuda nesse respeito.

Ainda assim: even so. Ex.: I helped her many times, even so, she doesn’t talk to me. [Eu a ajudei muitas vezes, mesmo assim ela não fala comigo]

Assim como: as well as, just as, such as. Ex.: I like watching TV as well as reading books. [Eu gosto de assistir TV assim como de ler livros.]Assim mesmo: exactly like that, notwithstanding, even so. Ex.: Although I tried hard, he doesn’t cherish our friendship notwithstanding. [Embora eu realmente tentasse, mesmo assim ele não prezava nossa amizade]Assim que: as soon as. Ex.: I will let him know as soon as he comes. [Assim que ele vier, eu avisarei]Assim seja!: be it so! Ex.: She told me she’d come. Be it so! [Ela disse que viria. Assim seja!]Como assim: how come? Ex.: They’re not coming? How come? [Eles não vêm? Como assim?]E assim por diante: and so on, and so forth. Ex.: You gotta read, write, talk and so on (and so forth) [Você tem que ler, escrever, falar e assim por diante]Mesmo assim: nevertheless. Ex.: I know it’s tough, nevertheless, I wanna try. [Sei que é difícil, mesmo assimquero tentar.]Não é assim? isn’t that so? Não sou bobo assim: I am not such a fool. Ex.: She thinks she deceiving me, but I’m not such a fool. [Ela cha que está me enganando, mas não vou bobo assim]Por assim dizer: so to speak. Ex.: He is the best English teacher I’ve ever met. I could say he’s English itself,so to speak. [Ele é o melhor professor de ingles que eu já conheci. Poderia dizer que ele é o próprio inglês, por assim dizer]Sendo assim: in such case, in this case. Ex.: We’re not allowed in, so, in such a case, we’d better leave. [Não nos foi permetida a entrada, assim, neste caso, é melhor irmos embora]Para que assim: so that. Ex.: You should be studying English all the time, so that you can speak fluently. [Você deveria estar estudando ingles o tempo todo, para que assim você possa falar inglês fluentemente]

Casual Greetings

Here is a sample conversation between two friends. I am sure you have seen a conversation like this many times:

Brad: Hello AngelaAngela: Hello Brad.Brad: How are you?Angela: I’m fine thanks, and you?

Brad: I’m fine, thank you.

The conversation above is a textbook conversation. You will probably see a conversation like this in a textbook, but probably never have such a conversation in the real world. Today, let’s have a look at some real English greetings from the real world, not the textbook world.

Generally, hello is used when we when we answer the phone. It is a formal word and we don’t generally use hello when we greet our friends, classmates, or co-workers. Hi or Hey are more common

Brad: Hi Angela

Angela: Hey Brad.

We generally greet our friends by using their name, although for close friends we have some more casual greetings. Yo, hey, and dude are generally used by guys and names are not used:

Brad: Yo dude

Jack: Hey dude

In some languages, a conversation starts with a statement about the time of day or the weather. For example:

Mario: Good morning, Miguel Miguel: Good morning, Mario. Nice day today.

Mario: Yes, it’s a beautiful day

An English conversation a conversation usually starts with a question. There are two kinds of questions we use - how and what. Here are some examples of each:

• How are you? What’s new?
• How’s it going? What’s up?
• How’s life? What’s going on?
• How’s everything? What’s shaking?

The how questions ask about our feeling or condition, so the answers are something like what I wrote below. Keep in mind that each of these questions has the exact same meaning, so each of the answers could be used with each of the questions:

• How are you? → I’m ok.
• How’s it going? → Pretty good
• How’s life? → Not too bad
• How’s everything? → Great!

The what questions ask about news or information about us, so the answers are something like what I wrote below. Keep in mind that each of these questions has the exact same meaning, so each of the answers could be used with each of the questions:

• What’s new? → Not much
• What’s up? → I just finished work
• What’s going on? → I’m going on vacation next week
• What’s shaking? → I bought an iPad!

Please be careful not to confuse the type of questions someone asks:

Joe: What’s up? Bob: Fine! ← (the wrong answer, so Joe is confused!)

Joe: ???

So if we put it all together, we get something like this:

Brad: Hey AngelaAngela: Hi Brad. How’s it going?Brad: Pretty good. What’s up?Angela: I’m going on vacation next week.

Brad: Oh cool! Where are you going…..

This is much better than our “textbook” conversation up at the top of this lesson. The next time you are watching a TV show or movie, listen for how people great each other. Ok, that’s it for today’s lesson.

Happy English

Used to Vs. Be Used to Vs. Get Used to

I wasn’t always an English teacher. In fact, I used to work in the music business. I was a music teacher and also a music transcriber. That job was interesting. I used to listen to heavy metal records and then transcribe the guitar parts. Some of the music was really heavy, and honestly, I never got used to it. I think I’m much happier being an English teacher. I started doing that in Japan. At first it was a little hard living overseas, but I got used to it pretty quickly.

Today, let’s have a look at be used to and used to. These two words look similar, but they have two very different uses. Do you know how to use these words? Have a look at the paragraph above once more, and then check today’s lesson.

Used to

We use used to when we talk about our past habits or states of being. These are things that we did all the time in the past, but not anymore. The structure is used + to + verb (used + infinitive)

• I used to work in the music business. I don’t work in the music business anymore.
• Brad used to live in Florida. He doesn’t live there now.
• Jack used to smoke, but he quit. Jack doesn’t have the habit of smoking anymore.
• I used to listen to heavy metal records. I don’t listen to listen to them anymore (^o^).

Remember that used to is used to talk about past situations and circumstances which have changed. “I used to smoke” is a past situation which no longer exists. Used to indicates that a change in a situation and so we don’t use used to when we talk about what happened in the past. Compare the following:

• Jack worked for Apple for five years. This talks about a situation in the past only.
• Jack used to work for Apple. This talks about a situation in the past which no longer exists.

Be used to

We use be used to when we want to talk about situations that are familiar and/or no longer new or difficult. The structure is be used to + Ving or be used to + something

• I am used to using the subway in New York. At first it was difficult, but now I am familiar with the subway.
• Jack is used to living a smoke free life.
• Jane is from the countryside and she is not used to the noise of Manhattan.
• I am finally used to using a touchscreen phone.

You can also get used to something, which means that it becomes familiar over time:

• Joe got used to driving in London pretty quickly.
• Jack got used to not smoking by exercising at the gym.
• Anne said that she hopes she can get used to her new boss.

Let’s look at both words together:

• I used to drink black coffee. I drank black coffee in the past, but not anymore.
• I am used to drinking black coffee. Drinking black coffee is familiar to me now.

Happy English