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.


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ESL Lesson: Symbols w/ Pictures

Symbols can be figures in writing and typing, but they can also be everyday objects. Remember, symbols are things that stand for, represent* or signify* something else. Sometimes symbols represent situations, ideas, places such as countries or people among other things. Here are some examples of symbols in everyday life. Perhaps you have seen some of these symbols.

Apple

The apple is a fruit that is often a symbol for a teacher, school or a classroom, because students often give apples to their teachers as a gesture* of gratitude* in some places.

Flag

A flag is a piece of cloth that is a symbol. A flag can represent a nation, country, state, province, territory, city, team or organization. Here is a flag flown on a pole. This flag represents Sweden.

Animals

The swan is a bird considered to be very graceful and lovely. It is often used as a symbol of gracefulness. 

The owl is a nocturnal* bird that is often called wise due to an old legend about the owl warning other birds of the danger of birdlime.* The owl is a symbol of wisdom.

The butterfly is an insect known for transforming from a caterpillar to a beautiful flying creature. It is a symbol of beauty and transformation or change.

Ring

This is a ring. Rings are a symbol for unions, membership and weddings.

Clock

This is a clock. Clocks are a symbol for time.

Rose

This is a rose. Roses are flowers and a symbol for love and passion.

Fireworks

These lights and explosions in the sky are called fireworks. Fireworks are a symbol of celebration, New Year's and Chinese New Year's. 

Pumpkin

This is a pumpkin. A pumpkin is a large, tough orange fruit. The pumpkin is a symbol for autumn (or Fall)in much of the world as well as Halloween.

This is just a sample of the many symbols seen in every day life. What are some symbol you see in your life?

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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*Vocabulary Terms:
Represent (rep-ree-sent): To stand in the place of; to act the part of another thing.
Signify (sig-na-fi): To be a sign or symbol of something. It can also mean to make important.
Gesture (jest-ur): A sign or signal of feelings through action or the movement of hands.
Gratitude (grat-it-tude): The feeling of appreciating (liking or be glad about something)
Nocturnal (nok-turn-ul): An animal that is awake during the night instead of the day.
Birdlime (bird-lym): A natural substance that traps and threatens birds in the wild.

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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