ESL Lesson: Tenses (Part 1)

This blog entry is all about tenses in the English language. What are tenses? Tenses are a part of speech involved with verbs (action words) that let you know what time something occurred. It is a bit complex, but tenses are very important in the English language. The three basic tenses are past, present and future tense. Past refers to events that have happened already. Present refers to events that are happening right now. Future refers to events that will happen.

Consider the following verbs with special tenses:

To be

In the past tense, this verb becomes was for singular nouns or pronouns and were for plural nouns or pronouns.

In the present tense, this verb becomes is for singular nouns or pronouns, am for the pronoun “I” and are for plural nouns or pronouns.

In the future tense, this verb becomes will be for singular and plural nouns and pronouns.

To go

In the past tense, this verb becomes went for all singular and plural nouns or pronouns.

In the present tense, this verb becomes goes for singular nouns or pronouns, and go for the pronoun “I” and plural nouns or pronouns.

In the future tense, this verb becomes will go for singular and plural nouns and pronouns.

To eat

In the past tense, this verb becomes ate for all singular and plural nouns or pronouns.

In the present tense, this verb becomes eats for singular nouns or pronouns, and eat for the pronoun “I” and plural nouns or pronouns.

In the future tense, this verb becomes will eat for singular and plural nouns and pronouns.

To have

In the past tense, this verb becomes had for all singular and plural nouns or pronouns.

In the present tense, this verb becomes has for singular nouns or pronouns, and have for the pronoun “I” and plural nouns or pronouns.

In the future tense, this verb becomes will have for singular and plural nouns and pronouns.

To see

In the past tense, this verb becomes saw for all singular and plural nouns or pronouns.

In the present tense, this verb becomes sees for singular nouns or pronouns, and see for the pronoun “I” and plural nouns or pronouns.

In the future tense, this verb becomes will go for singular and plural nouns and pronouns.

Do you have any other questions or comments about this or any other ESL subject? Leave them in the comment section and we will answer them. Stay tuned for more free advice on this and other subjects as well as promotions and news!

If you want individual tutoring and help in learning English, contact Kingston University USA today!!

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ESL Lesson: Possessive Pronouns

This blog entry is all about possessive pronouns. Remember, we discussed possessive nouns here. A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a person, place, thing, animal, idea or event. Pronouns include I, me, he, she, they, we, you, us, and it. Possessive pronouns take the place of owned, belonged or related things. Like all pronouns, possessive pronouns help keep speech and writing more direct by not repeating the noun over and over again.

The following are the eight possessive pronouns in English
1) Mine: This possessive pronoun refers to what belongs to the speaker.
Examples:
I bought those shoes yesterday. They are mine.
The blue umbrella on the floor is mine.

2) Yours: This possessive pronoun refers to what belongs to the person the speaker is addressing.
Examples:
I picked these flowers for you; they're yours.
The new computer is available to you; it's all yours.
The keys with the colorful key-chain are yours.

3) His: This possessive pronoun refers to what belongs to a male noun.
Examples:
The dog chewed on his bone.
His shoes were muddy after it rained this afternoon.
His brother, Ted, came to visit him this week.

4) Hers: This possessive pronoun refers to what belongs to a female noun.
Examples:
The bright and colorful skirt that was folded on the table was hers.
That pile of books on the table are hers.

5) Its: This possessive pronoun refers to what belongs to a thing or animal.
Examples:
The cat licked its paws and legs while sitting on the sofa.
The tree lost its leaves when the cold wind blew them away.

6) Ours: This possessive pronoun refers to what belongs to us or we.
Examples:
The day is ours to enjoy.
The house across the street is much bigger than ours.
The white domestic cat that ran away is not ours; our cat is black.


7) Theirs: This possessive pronoun refers to what belongs to "they" or a group that does not include the speaker/writer.
Examples:
Is this book mine? No, the book is theirs.
Our sailing boat is much smaller than theirs.
The food on their table is theirs.

8) Whose: This possessive pronoun refers to what belongs to whom.
Examples:
This is the man whose father started the local newspaper.
The woman, whose sunglasses were very dark, said that she was sensitive to light.


Do you understand possessive pronouns better? Share your questions, comments or suggestions in the comment section. Stay tuned for more ESL advice on this blog. If you are interested in personal, one-on-one tutoring in ESL or other subjects, contact Kingston University USA. Find out how you can live locally and learn globally!

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ESL Lesson: Possessive Nouns

Hello! This blog post is about helping ESL learners better understand possessive nouns. What are possessive nouns? Remember that nouns are any people, places, things, animals, ideas or events. When any noun has or is related to something else, then the possessive is used. Possessive nouns require a punctuation mark called the apostrophe. The apostrophe looks like this
'
Now, here are ways the apostrophe is used to make a noun into a possessive noun.

We use the possessive 's with a person to talk about relatives and possessions.

Examples:
She is Omar's sister.
I am Jane's oldest uncle.
Bobby's pet dog is named Rover.
Fritz's car broke down on the highway.

We also use the possessive 's with irregular plural nouns: men, women, children, people, etc.
Examples:

Here are my children's rooms.
Those women's jewelry look really shiny and pretty.
The people's attitude on the issue changed over time.


We use the possessive s' with regular plural nouns.

Examples:
Dr. Janet Smith is my parents' colleague at the university.

The dogs' excitement increased once they reached the park.
The cats' collars are too tight around their necks.

When a noun ends with the letter s, we simply add an apostrophe ' to the end of the noun.

Examples:

James' car is a red convertible. 

This book is Russ'.

Francois' hat is brown, wool and very sharp-looking. 

Do you understand possessive nouns better? Share your questions, comments or suggestions in the comment section. Stay tuned for more ESL advice including possessive pronouns on this blog. If you are interested in personal, one-on-one tutoring in ESL or other subjects, contact Kingston University USA. Find out how you can live locally and learn globally!

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Learn More About the Teachers at Kingston University

Are you looking for one-on-one assistance in learning? Perhaps you are a student looking for tutoring in a specific subject and its materials such as medicine, philosophy, chemistry or history. Or are you a student who struggles in university courses taught in English because English is not your native language? Are you simply an E.S.L. (English as a second language) learner who wants practice and instruction to improve your English writing, reading and conversational skills?

If so, Kingston University can help you no matter where you live and what your current skill level is!

Would you like to meet some of the teachers willing to help you along your journey in learning and improving yourself?

This is Joe. He is an empathetic teacher with years of experience in education and the subjects of chemistry and physics. He enjoys hiking, raquetball and movies. If you are interested in selecting Joe as your teacher, his ID number is 120510. Watch his introduction:

Meet Daniel. He is an experienced tutor for ESL learners helping learners online and in his community. He enjoys reading, writing, and philosophy. If you are interested in selecting Daniel as your teacher, his ID number is 120203.

Rachael is an American teacher working for Kingston University. She would love to help you achieve your learnig goals! Her ID number is 120801. Watch as she tells you a bit about herself.

Contact Kingston University USA to find out how you can live locally and learn globally!

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ESL Practice: Singular and Plural Nouns

Hello ESL learners! 
Now that we have been introduced to the concepts of singular and plural nouns, let us practice these concepts. Try to fill in some of the following sentences with the right plural or singular form of the noun provided before the sentence. The answers will be at the end of the blog post.

1. Noun: Glove

Laura is wearing two black ______ right now.

2. Noun: Hat

That is a sharp looking _____ you are wearing.

3. Noun: Fish

There are over forty ____ in the aquarium.

4. Noun: Box

Pack your clothes away in the four ______ over there.

5. Noun: Child

The classroom was filled with over thirty _____.

6. Noun: Month

I have one ______ to complete my business project for school.

7. Noun: Woman

The two ______ walked to the office building to attend a business seminar.

8. Noun: Loaf

I bought three ______ of bread today at the grocery store.

9. Noun: Car

The ____ were slow moving today on the highway.

10. Noun: Dog

The lone ____ chased a bird in the park today. 

Can you make the following singular nouns plural?

1. Bus

2. Teacher

3. Book

4. Kiss

5. Hand

6. Foot

7. Sheep

Can you name the singular form of the following nouns?

1. Mice

2. Cities

3. Men

4. Toys

5. Trees

Answers:

Fill- in-the-blank

1. gloves

2. hat

3. fish

4. boxes

5. children

6. month

7. women

8. loaves

9. cars

10. dog

Can you make the following singular nouns plural?

1. Buses

2. Teachers

3. Books

4. Kisses

5. Hands

6. Feet

7. Sheep

Can you name the singular form of the following nouns?

1. Mouse

2. City

3. Man

4. Toy

5. Tree

Do you have any questions or comments about this or any other ESL subject? Leave them in the comment section and we will answer them. If you want individual tutoring and help in learning English, contact Kingston University USA today!

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Happy Groundhog Day!

Today is February 2nd, 2012. In the United States of America and Canada, the second day of February is called Groundhog Day. It marks six weeks until the end of winter in the Northern Hemisphere.* 


According to legend, if a groundhog sees his shadow on the morning of February 2nd, then the winter weather will continue for six more weeks; if not, spring may arrive early. Groundhog Day festivals are celebrated in Pennsylvania in the USA and Ontario in Canada featuring Punxsutawney Phil and Wiarton Willie as the most famous groundhogs. Scientist Neil degrasse Tyson quipped* that today is "evidence that Weather Forecasters still haven't convinced people that they know what they're talking about." 


Does your region or culture feature similar legends?? What do you think of Groundhog Day? Share your thoughts with us!

Vocabulary terms:
hemisphere: a term used for one of the planet's halves. There are northern, southern, eastern and western hemispheres.
groundhog: a large rodent related to ground squirrels such as the beaver.
quip: to make a witty, clever or joking remark

ESL: Educational Vocabulary

ESL: Educational Vocabulary

This blog entry is about learning new words in English that are important in educational and academic environments. The words will be listed with a pronunciation (how to say it), part of speech (e.g., verb or noun), definition, and examples of the word in sentences. We hope this blog will be useful for learners of English as a second language (ESL learners).

Education-related vocabulary:

Attend (ah-tendd) [verb] : To go to, show up or interact with a classroom, teacher, class, event or group.
Example sentences:
John attends his distance learning program by watching lectures,
completing assignments and talking with his instructor.
I attend class every Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings at 11 a.m.

Bachelor’s degree (Baa-chlurs duh-gree) [noun]: An education degree earned after studying beyond the secondary or high-school level. The bachelor’s degree is also called the undergraduate degree.
Example sentences:
You can earn a bachelor’s degree in English by enrolling at this university.
I will earn my bachelor’s degree after I finish this semester.

Credits (cred-itz) [plural noun]: Amount of academic work by a student acknowledged by his or her university.
Example sentences:
This class is worth three credits towards your degree.
I need twelve more credits to earn my degree.

Cram (kram) [verb]: This is a word students use for studying very hard for a test or assignment in a short amount of time.
Example sentences:
I have a test tomorrow, so I will cram for it by studying several hours tonight.
It is better to study on a regular basis than to cram at the last moment.


Distance learning (diss-tins luhrn-ing) [noun]: Formal education which takes place through long distance by mail or email rather than in a local classroom.
Example sentences:
I prefer distance learning because it is more convenient, interactive
and modern than traditional modes of education.
Does this school offer distance learning programs?

Enroll (in-rowl) [verb]: To join a class, university or a specific learning program.
Example sentences:
How do I enroll in this class?
I am glad I enrolled at Kingston University. I really learned a lot!

Instruct (in-strukt ) [verb]: To teach, tell or show someone how to do something, what certain information means or how to develop a certain skill.
Example sentences:
Can you instruct me how to use this new computer program?
The professor instructed the classroom of students on the proper
application of mathematics in chemistry.

Major (may-jur) [noun]: The focus of someone’s study for an undergraduate, masters, or doctoral degree. Examples of majors include physics, business administration and education.
Example sentences:
What is your major?
My major is business administration with a concentration in business ethics.

Master’s degree (mah-stirs duh-gree) [noun]: An education degree earned after studying beyond the undergraduate level.
Examples sentences:
Do you have a master’s degree?
I earned a master’s degree in business administration two years ago.

Semester (Sah-mess-tur) [noun] The period of time it takes to complete a course at university. This is similar to a school term.
Example sentences:
How long does this semester last?
This semester begins in January and ends in May.
This class was very engaging; the semester flew by!

Have you come across any other educational terms? Would you like to know more about education terms? Do you have any questions, comments or curiosities about the English language? What are your challenges in education as an ESL learner? Please leave a comment here and tell us about it!

Nothing can improve ESL and general language skills more than practice with specialized instructors. Contact Kingston University USA to find out more about enrolling in an English language course or receiving ESL tutoring. You will discover that you can live locally and learn globally no matter what your current English abilities are!

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Language Immersion at Kingston University (USA)

Language Immersion is a uniquely developed system by Kingston University (USA) you will be learning English like you learned your first language.  Your first language was easy to learn because you learned from someone who spoke the language.  The method was effortless because the teacher knew the language as a native speaker.

Instruction in English is effortless and will not only teach grammar, but also conversational English so you will be a natural speaker.You will have confidence in your diction and English skills because they will be taught with state-of-the-art technologies. Instructors are credentialed and experienced in education and other content related areas. Opportunity for students to speak conversationally with native speakers, in addition to instruction time, allows for a more natural language immersion. This one on one time is part of the curriculum and is invaluable in speaking naturally.

The Language Immersion program at Kingston University USA Inc. has proven program effectiveness. Student input is encouraged in the Question and Answer session that the Teachers utilize at the end of a scheduled session.  An experienced curriculum developer reviews all comments with the instructor. Learning from a native speaker is the same way that as a child you learned to speak in your native tongue--all cognitive aspects are the same--it worked to teach you your native language and it will work to teach you English which saves the time and effort of learning on your own.

The Language Immersion program at Kingston University USA Inc. believes that it is important to learn the language from native speakers because all dialects have regional and social connotations. It is quite hard to learn them if you haven't lived in those areas of if you don't belong to these communities. Americans speak with other Americans constantly and our goal is to help you do the same. Everyone learns differently and has different needs for the English language-because of the high credentials of our educators -they are flexible enough to provide English learning skills that are designed for individual needs. The student will get the best return on their investment by using the most qualified native speakers. Native speakers are not hindered by their own problems with the language, especially accent reduction instruction. 


Improve your English abilities and avoid the roadblocks to fluency and immersion. Contact Kingston University (USA) to enter the Language Immersion program and receive personalized and professional assistance in immersing yourself in English speaking today! 

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ESL Lesson: Punctuation Marks

Punctuation Marks

Welcome ESL learners. This blog entry offers some of the basics of punctuation marks for beginner-level learners. What are these symbols and when and why are they used in English?

To first understand the punctuation marks, let us first take a look at the different kind of sentences.

Declarative sentence:
The declarative sentence makes a statement. It starts with a word that is capitalized (begins with a big letter). In fact, the first word for every sentence is spelled with a capitalized first letter. The declarative sentence ends with a period. A period is a dot like this (.).
Example sentences:
Omar is going to work today.

Timothy ran three miles this afternoon at the park.

Interrogative sentence:
The interrogative sentence asks a question. The interrogative sentence ends with a question mark. They are questions, which people ask when they want to know something. The question mark is shaped like this:
?
Example sentences:

How much is this cup of iced coffee?

Why did you select this novel as your favorite book?

What is your favorite sport to play?

Exclamatory sentence:
The exclamatory sentence is a statement that shows strong emotion. The exclamatory sentence ends with an exclamation point. The exclamation point is shaped like this:
!
Example sentences:

I am feeling sick and need to see a doctor!

I am so happy to see you!
The streets are flooding from the storm!

*There are other punctuation marks that do not deal with the ending of a sentence. They include the semicolon. The semicolon links together two similar ideas or sentences together. It is shaped like this:
;
Consider these examples of a semicolon in English. 

The following two sentences are connected ideas. I am hungry. I will make a sandwich to eat. A semicolon can link them together.
I am hungry; I will make a sandwich to eat.
The following two sentences are connected ideas. The cat is afraid of the dog. He runs away whenever he sees it. A semicolon can link them together.
The cat is afraid of the dog; he runs away whenever he sees it.


*The colon is another punctuation mark. It is shaped like this:
:
The colon can be used to mark the start of a sentence or the explanation of a previous clause or “set-up.” Here is an example.
She had only one goal in mind: to succeed at school.
Notice how the colon does not end the sentence but shows you that what follows is what her goal was. Does that make sense? See another example below.
Bill Gates said of leaders of the future: leaders will be those who empower others.

You can also use a colon to start a list. Here is an example.
The leaders set to speak tomorrow at the town meeting include the following people: 
the mayor
the chief of police
the fire chief
the chair of the town council
Does that make sense? Can you write a few lists or other sentences that use a colon?


*Another common punctuation mark are quotation marks. Quotation marks are used for quotes and are shaped like this
“ ”
Quotation marks come in pairs for one at each end of a quote. A quote is a direct repeating of what someone else said or wrote. Quotation marks allow readers to know when a quote begins and ends. This is important because it separates what the author says and what the people the author is writing about said. Whatever punctuation mark ends the sentence is put in right before the last quotation mark. 

Here are two examples.
Mahatma Gandhi famously said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”
Robert asked Miriam, “Where are you going to this weekend?”

*The final punctuation mark is the comma. The comma never ends a sentence, but it is used for several basic purposes in grammar. The comma is shaped like this.
,
The following list will show you six common uses of the comma in English writing.

1. Use commas to separate three or more words or phrases in a series.
Example sentences:
The salad has lettuce, onions, tomatoes, and croutons in it.
I cleaned, organized, and decorated the bedroom.

2. Use commas to indicate that a person is being addressed by name.
Example sentences:
I would like to talk with you, Alex.
Juan, can you lend me the newspaper?
Can I borrow your computer, Lisa?

3. Use a comma when noting dates and addresses.
Example sentence:
Today’s date is January 28, 2012.

4. Use commas after phrases, clauses, or small words that introduce the main idea of your sentence.
Example sentences:
No, Bob did not go to the park with us.
Because Janet studied for her test, she improved her grades and learned new skills and knowledge.
After dinner, we went to the movie theater to see a comedy.

5. Use commas to set off words, phrases or clauses that comment on or give additional information about the main part of the sentence, or otherwise interrupt the natural flow of the sentence.
Example sentences:
Jonas Salk, the famous scientist, was from New York City.
Pierre, after studying at dental school, became a dentist.

6. Use commas before coordinating conjunctions such as "and," "or,", "but" that join two complete sentences, or when the comma is needed for clarity, emphasis, or contrast.
Example sentences:
Buffalo may be cold, but it is home to me.
Jane used the Academic Muse program, and he is performing better in class as a result.

I hope this is helpfully for ESL learners who are just beginning to write in English. Grammar and punctuation marks are important for being clear and effective in writing. Do you have any questions? Can you use these punctuation marks in your writing? Share any question or comment with us here on this blog. Stay tuned for more blog entries on improving your English skills. If you wish to really improve your skills with personalized and attentive help, contact Kingston University USA for more information! 

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ESL: The Basics of English Words

This blog entry is about the very basics of the English language for non-native speakers. These concepts are very important when learning English as a Second Language. They are the foundation of writing and speaking correctly. Let us begin with the different types of words.

Nouns

What is a noun? A noun is a person, place, thing, animal, idea or event. Words such as doctor, house, chair, cat, victory and lunch are all nouns because they fit into one of these categories. When a noun is very specific to a particular a person, place, thing, animal, idea or event, it is called a proper noun. The first letter in each word of a proper noun is always capitalized. This is why people’s names, cities, countries, and holidays are always capitalized. For example, John Smith is spelled with capital letters J and S rather than being spelled john smith.

Pronouns

What is a pronoun? A pronoun is a word that takes place of a noun previously mentioned by a speaker or writer. Pronouns include he, she, you, we, it and I. For any male person, the pronoun he is used. For any female person, the pronoun she is used. When referring directly to another person or group of people, the pronoun you is used. When referring to oneself and other person(s), the pronoun we is used. When referring to objects or things, the pronoun it is used. When referring to oneself, the pronoun I is used. Here are some examples of pronouns in use in English writing:

“John and I were walking down the street. We were both heading to the restaurant to have lunch together.”

“The final exam is coming up soon for our class at university. Studying for it is something we have to do.”

“Jane loves to play the piano. She is very creative and talented in creating music.”

“Ian works at a bakery. He helps make bread and other baked goods for customers.”

“I turned to the other students and asked, ‘What are you going to do?’”

Did you notice how the words I, we, he, she, it and you were used to replace nouns? This is what pronouns are used for in English.

Verbs

What is a verb? Simply, verbs are words that describe action. These actions include working, thinking, moving, feeling, and anything else anything or anyone can do. Verbs have many different possible conjugations based on the particular tense, subject, person and numbers involved. For instance, the word run is conjugated to running when it refers to a single man in the present tense, “He is running right now.”

Adjectives

Adjectives are words that provide descriptions for nouns. They tell you what the nouns are like. Some examples include,

The tall man is talented in basketball.

The black cat is small.

The lemonade is sweet.

She is smart and clever.

The tree is brown.

The comedian is funny.

In these sentences, tall, talented, black, small, sweet, smart, clever, brown and funny are all instances of adjectives. Notice how adjectives come before the noun when they are “attached” to one another. In English, it is always ordered “the tall man” rather than “the man tall” or “man tall.”

For example,

Correct: The happy dog wagged his tail.

Incorrect: The dog happy wagged his tail.

Adverbs

Like adjectives, adverbs are words that describe. Adverbs describe verbs; they describe in what manner someone or something does an action. Adverbs often, but not always, end with the letters “-ly.” For example, gently, quickly, slowly, constantly, and forcibly are all adverbs.

Prepositions

Prepositions are words that modify or compliment nouns or verbs in between different “thoughts” within a sentence. Words such as beneath, under, to, from, for, on, at, with, in and until are used as preposition to give necessary information to make a sentence make sense. Consider the following incorrect sentence:

The man sits the table.

Without a preposition, there is not enough information to make sense of the verb (“sits”) that is right next to the object (“the table”). Consider the preposition “at” being added to the sentence:

The man sits at the table.

This is correct. It makes the sentence far more understandable.

These six categories are just the most common of types of words, but they are the necessary tools to begin to master the English language. See if you can use this information to express your own ideas in English sentences. If you are interested in receiving help for school projects that are in the English language or you simply want to improve on your English skills, contact Kingston University USA. We hope to hear from you and will post more blog posts in the near future. 

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