ESL Lesson: Even More Contractions

Here are even more examples of contractions:


Gonna


Gonna is a slang term and very informal contraction for the words going to. There is no apostrophe in this slang word. Consider the following sentences.
I am going to the store to buy new ink cartridges for the printer.
I'm gonna go to the store to buy new ink cartridges for the printer.




I've/They've/We've

I've/They've/We've are all contractions of pronouns and the word have. The letters "ha" are replaced with an apostrophe(') and the space between the words is eliminated. Consider the following sentences.
I have had a headache all morning.
I've had a headache all morning. 


They have a large budget to work with this year.
They've got a large budget to work with this year.


We have enjoyed spending time with you.
We've enjoyed spending time with you.


I'll/He'll/She'll/We'll/They'll

I'll/He'll/She'll/We'll/They'll are all contractions of pronouns and the word will. The "i" in "will" is replaced by an apostrophe ('), and the space between the two words is eliminated. Consider these following sentences.
I will be back tomorrow morning.
I'll be back tomorrow morning.


He will write a letter in reply to Mr. Jones.
He'll write a letter in reply to Mr. Jones.


She will interview the job applicants this afternoon.
She'll interview the job applicants this afternoon.


We will take a break from work in fifteen minutes.
We'll take a break from work in fifteen minutes.


They will take a flight to London next Thursday to attend the international conference. 
They'll take a flight to London next Thursday to attend the international conference. 




Shouldn't


Shouldn't is a contraction of the words should and not. The "o" in "not" is replaced by an apostrophe ('), and the space between the two words is eliminated. Consider these following sentences.

You should not interrupt others as they speak, because it is considered rude behavior.
You shouldn't interrupt others as they speak, because it is considered rude behavior.

I hope these explanations help you understand the concept of contractions better.


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 Adjectives

This blog entry is all about possessive adjectives. What are possessive adjectives? They are a type of adjective that describe nouns by showing that they possess something. Here are the seven different possessive adjectives:

My

My is a possessive adjective that describes that something belongs to the speaker/writer or the pronoun “I.”

Examples:

I looked at her and said, “My book is on the table next to yours.”

My uncle is visiting me next week.

She said, “I cannot drive today, because my car is being repaired.”

Your

Your is a possessive adjective that describes that something belongs to the pronoun “you.” Remember that “you” can be either singular or plural.

Examples:

Your pet parrot is so pretty and talkative.

I told the students, “The cleanliness of the classroom is your responsibility.”

We are throwing you a party with cake for your birthday tomorrow!

We are throwing you a party with cake for your birthday tomorrow!

His

His is a possessive adjective that describes that something belongs to a male noun.

Examples:

His shirt was dirty after he fell down in the mud at the park today.

I visited his house to welcome him to the neighborhood.

He shared some apples he picked from his apple tree.

Her

Her is a possessive adjective that describes that something belongs to a female noun.

Examples:

She looked very similar to her mother.

Laura purchased new boots for her upcoming hiking trip.

Ling printed off copies of her business proposal to share with her co-workers.

Its

Its is a possessive adjective that describes that something belongs to things, animals, places, ideas, events or the pronoun it.

Examples:

The rabbit scratches its ears with its hind legs.

The house is white but its porch is dark brown.

The ethical life is its own reward.

Our

Our is a possessive adjective that describes that something belongs to the pronoun we or a group that includes the speaker/writer.

Examples:

My sister told me, “Our parents’ wedding anniversary is next week.”

The coach told his team, “Our fate is in our hands!”

Our responsibilities are shared at times.

Their

Their is a possessive adjective that describes that something belongs to a group, multiple persons, animals or things, or the pronoun they.

Examples:

The wolf cubs played in their den.

The children shared and played with their toys.

The businessmen shined their shoes before going into the meeting.

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. 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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Zoovy Spotlights Marketplace Optimization at Online Marketing Summit 2012

This article is from Market Watch The Wall Street Journal 

ONLINE MARKETING SUMMIT, Booth #223 -- This week at the Online Marketing Summit (OMS) 2012 in San Diego, Zoovy will be demonstrating its e-commerce software and promoting a concept called "marketplace optimization." The leader in success driven e-commerce software for online businesses, Zoovy has coined the term marketplace optimization as a collection of techniques that help online retailers improve their ranking on marketplaces to boost sales volume and increase company revenue.

Tapping into its years of experience with over 800 merchants and more than 5,000 stores on its platform, Zoovy has developed marketplace optimization to address a specific market need. In short, sellers that implement a marketplace optimization strategy will be able to identify and improve signal performance to receive preference and therefore increase exposure while on a marketplace.

"Having a marketplace presence is only the first step for online merchants who want to be successful," said Brian Horakh, founder and CEO of Zoovy. "Facing stiff competition, many sellers struggle with how to increase their visibility on marketplaces, finding it can be difficult to distinguish themselves from other sellers who offer the same products. At OMS, we will share real customer case studies that demonstrate how merchants have skyrocketed to the highest ranking seller position once a consumer decides on a product."

According to Horakh, consumers will rely less and less on search engines like Google to hunt for products. Instead, they will opt to go directly to their favorite marketplace to identify and purchase products. As an online retailer in today's ever-changing marketplace, it's not only important but critical to have a presence on the biggest marketplaces like Amazon, Buy.com, etc. Once on a marketplace, it's imperative to have a plan in place to maximize products' visibility.

Toynk is one such online retailer that has followed the tenets of Zoovy's marketplace optimization. Toynk is a toy and costume retailer that wanted to expand their marketplace presence. According to Dave Madoch, director of web development, Toynk, "The key to marketplace success is to figure out how to get your products to rank higher than your competition. The techniques that comprise marketplace optimization greatly help to achieve that goal."

Now in its seventh year, OMS is an education-focused global conference and summit that brings together leading minds in the online marketing industry. The event is one of the largest educational conferences of its kind, including best practice sessions, personalized advice, interactive labs, peer networking events and more. More than 1,500 marketing professionals, from managers to CMOs, are expected to attend.

At OMS 2012, Booth #223, Zoovy representatives will be on hand throughout the week to answer questions about online marketing trends in the e-commerce space as well as discuss the strategy behind marketplace optimization. For more information about Zoovy, please visit www.zoovy.com .

About Zoovy Inc. Zoovy is the leader in success driven e-commerce software and provides e-commerce tools and services for online businesses. With a multi-channel sales strategy, businesses reach more customers and drive more sales by integrating with multiple online marketplaces such as Amazon.com, Buy.com, eBay, and many other top comparison shopping services. Zoovy automates product management, listing, sales, inventory, shipping and accounting processes, offering complete online storefronts and auction management tools for small merchants to large wholesaler/retailers.

About Online Marketing Summit Online Marketing Summit (OMS) offers an educational environment that facilitates incredible learning, networking and collaboration opportunities amongst marketers, executives and digital professionals. OMS is singularly committed to its mission to educate marketers on the emerging best practices of online marketing through a professional development conference and exhibition. More than 12,000 marketers have learned, collaborated and networked at OMS events over the years. 

ESL Practice: The Basics of English Words

Here are some pictures that can help demonstrate some of the fundamentals of English. You will see the pictures, followed by a sentence that describe them, and then we will explain to you what category each word fits in English.

"She is using the computer at her desk."

She is a pronoun  in this sentence.

Using is a verb in this sentence.

Computer is a noun  in this sentence.

At is a preposition  in this sentence.

Desk is a noun  in this sentence.

"Ling is drinking coffee while listening to her co-worker."

Ling is a proper noun in this sentence.

Is is a verb in this sentence.

Drinking is a verb in this sentence.

Coffee is a noun in this sentence.

While is a conjunction in this sentence.

Listening is a verb in this sentence.

To is a preposition in this sentence.

Co-worker is a noun in this sentence.

"The workers discuss business ethics in the office."

Workers is a noun in this sentence.

Discuss is a verb in this sentence.

Business ethics is a noun  in this sentence.

In is a preposition in this sentence.

Office is a noun in this sentence.

"Ling answers the telephone call and she listens to her boss' instructions."

Ling is a proper noun in this sentence.

Answers is a verb in this sentence.

Telephone call is a noun in this sentence.

And is a conjuction in this sentence.

She is a pronoun in this sentence.

Listens is a verb in this sentence.

To is a preposition in this sentence.

Instructions is a noun in this sentence.

"Michelle is typing an email to send on her computer."

Michelle is a proper noun in this sentence.

Is is a verb in this sentence.

Typing is a verb in this sentence.

Email is a noun in this sentence.

To is a preposition in this sentence.

Send is a verb in this sentence.

On is a preposition in this sentence.

Computer is a noun in this sentence.

I hope these examples show ESL learners how English vocabulary, grammar and sentence structure works in practice. Can you form different sentences that describe the actions and images in these pictures? Do you have any questions? What are some things you wish to learn about the English language and how to write, speak and understand it? Stay tuned for more blog entries on advice and opportunities to learn through Kingston University USA.

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