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 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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News: ESL education is an asset to immigrants

Not only is English considered the international language, but knowing how to speak, write and understand it is an essential in English speaking countries. Tovin Lapan of the Las Vegas Sun recently wrote an article about immigrants in the U.S.A. who are seeking to improve their English skills for a very competitive job market. Often, employers in English speaking countries will turn away qualified applicants for jobs if they cannot speak English. You can read more about this here:

Adam Melchor did not have trouble finding work in construction when he first arrived in Las Vegas in 2005.

The 43-year-old Mexican immigrant, who was sponsored by relatives here, found abundant opportunities in the construction industry even though he could not speak a word of English.

“For the first couple of years it was easy to find work,” he said in Spanish. “Now, there is nothing.”

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2012/feb/01/jobs-scarce-immigrants-turn-esl-ged-classes/

What do you think of this? Are you interested in learning English as a second language? Do you wish to work in an English speaking environment? Follow this blog and join Kingston University USA on your path to ESL success! Kingston University USA has courses and tutoring programs for ESL learners of any ability level.

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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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