Collocates with Summer
Collocates with summer
It's summer in Boston! ☀️😎🏖
Let's take a look at some of the words that are most common after summer. Remember, a collocate is a word that is often used with another word. Focusing on collocation is a very good way to learn common English phrases and expressions.
Here are some of the most common words after summer that we hope you find useful as you learn English!
If this was helpful, check out these other English collocates!
This, That, These, Those - Demonstratives
What are This, That ,These, and Those?
This, that, these, and those are called demonstratives.
Demonstratives are grammar words that we use to show if an object or idea is close to or far from the person speaking. You can say that we use demonstratives to demonstrate where things are and how many there are.
This and that are both singular demonstratives. These and those are both plural.
This hat is Jayne's.
That scarf is Ennio's
These sneakers are Santiago'sThose gloves are Maya's
This and these are used for things that are here, close to the speaker. That and those are used for things that are there, far from the speaker. Close and far here can mean physical distance or psychological distance.
This pen here is Jayne's
These keys I'm holding are Ennio's
That stapler over there is Santiago'sThose books on the table are Maya's
There are two ways that we use the determiners this, that, these, and those. We can use them as pronouns or as determiners.
Demonstrative Determiners
Demonstrative determiners come before a noun, as part of the noun phrase. Because they come before a noun, demonstrative determiners are sometimes inaccurately called demonstrative adjectives.
this fish
that squid
these clams
those crabs
Demonstrative determiners give us information about the quantity and location of nouns. If we say this apple, we know there is one apple, and it's right here. If someone says those apples, it usually means many apples, and they are over there, not close to the speaker.
This and that are both singular, meaning they only talk about one thing. This is for a thing that is close to us, and that is for a thing that is far away. These and those are both plural, used to talk about many things. These is for things that are close to us, and those is for things that are far away.
This, that, these, and those are all demonstratives: they demonstrate where things are and how many there are. In the examples above, they all come before nouns, which makes them determiners. But these same four words can also be used without nouns, acting as pronouns. In that case they are called demonstrative pronouns.
Demonstrative Pronouns
Today, we will take a look at another, similar way to use this, that, these, and those. We can also use these words without a noun after them. For example, we can say, "This is a hammer." Here, this doesn't go before the subject of the sentence; it is the subject of the sentence. It works takes the place a noun and represents the thing, the hammer. Words that stand in place of a noun are called pronouns. So in these sentences, this, that, these, and those are called demonstrative pronouns. See the graphic below for some more examples.
One more time, if they come directly before a noun, this, that, these, and those are called demonstrative determiners. If they replace a noun, acting as a subject or object, they are called demonstrative pronouns.
Notice that the meanings are the same for demonstrative determiners and demonstrative pronouns. This and that are both singular. These and those are both plural. This and these are both for things that are close. That and those are both for things that are over there.
Other free grammar resources
This That These Those - Demonstrative Determiners
Demonstrative determiners are this, that, these, and those. They come before a noun to indicate quantity and location.
What on earth is a demonstrative determiner!? Don't worry, it's not nearly as scary as it sounds, and this Ginseng English post will explain it!! Demonstrative determiners (which are sometimes inaccurately called demonstrative adjectives) are just the words this, that, these , and those.
This and that are both singular, meaning they only talk about one thing. This is for a thing that is close to us, and that is for a thing that is far away. These and those are both plural, used to talk about many things. These is for things that are close to us, and those is for things that are far away.
This, that, these, and those are all demonstratives: they demonstrate where things are and how many there are. In the examples above, they all come before nouns, which makes them determiners. But these same four words can also be used without nouns, acting as pronouns. In that case they are called demonstrative pronouns.
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More Free English Resources
Silent N Words
If you’re looking for explanations and examples of words with silent N, you’ve come to the right place. Charts, definitions, word lists, and the history of how silent N became silent.
A couple of weeks ago, we talked about some words with a silent B at the end. There is a similar pattern that can be tricky for students.
These words end with the letters -MN, but you never pronounce that N. The last sound you hear is the /m/. Let's read a little more about -MN words!
| Word | IPA | PoS | Definition |
|---|---|---|---|
| damn | /dæm/ | v. | to condemn to hell |
| condemn | /kənˈdɛm/ | v. | to judge guilty |
| limn | /lɪm/ | v. | to draw or describe |
| hymn | /hɪm/ | n. | a religious song |
| column | /ˈkɒləm/ | n. | a decorative pillar |
| solemn | /ˈsɒləm/ | adj. | serious or earnest |
| autumn | /ˈɔːtəm/ | n. | the season after summer |
What do you notice about the pattern? Silent N is always at the end of a word. It is also always after the letter M. When you see -MN at the end of a word, you should assume that you only pronounce the MN. There aren't any common words beginning with silent N, unlike G, which can be silent at the beginning or end of a word.
Is -MN always silent?
You will sometimes see -MN- in the middle of words related to these silent N words.
Damnation is the noun form of damn, a hymnal is a book of hymns, and autumnal is the adjective form of autumn. In words like these, where the first letter after MN is a vowel, you usually pronounce the N. In autumnal, hymnal, and damnation, we pronounce the N.
But in some cases, the next sound after the MN is a consonant sound. For example, columns and solemnly. When the next sound after the MN is a consonant sound, we usually do not pronounce the N.
Why is N Silent Sometimes?
As The Independent nicely says it, "Silent Letters are the ghosts of pronunciations past." Older versions of these words had pronounced Ns.
Most of them come to English from Latin. For example autumn comes from the Latin autumnus and column comes from the Latin columna. In these words, the N was pronounced. If you try to say them, you'll see that pronouncing the N in autumnus is pretty easy. If you try to pronounce the N at the end of autumn, it's not so easy. This is because in autumnus, the N is followed by a vowel. It starts a new syllable.
When Latin words changed over a long time into English words, most of them lost their Latin suffixes, -a and -us and -ae and -i. When we dropped those last syllables, the MN became very difficult to pronounce, so we just stopped!
If you enjoyed this, check out some of our other English posts!
By the way, make sure to check out our other posts on English pronunciation, including Silent K, Silent B, Silent G and Silent L, and Deleted Syllables.
Silent N Words in English
Language Learning Quotes
Learning a new language isn’t always fun and easy. Sometimes, it can be exhausting, frustrating and even infuriating! Here are some inspirational quotes about learning a new language that will hopefully cheer you up and might even remind you of why you’re learning a new language in the first place!
Language Learning Quotes
Learning a new language isn’t always easy. Sometimes, it can be exhausting, frustrating and even infuriating! Here are some inspirational quotations about learning a new language that will hopefully cheer you up and might even remind you of why you’re learning a new language in the first place!
Benefits of Language Learning
Just a quick Ginseng English post to share this great quote from an article in Fast Company about three benefits of language learning:
"New languages give you opportunities to shift your perspective on the world."
Do you agree? How has learning English changed your perspective?
WRITE TO EXPRESS, NOT IMPRESS
With the strong emphasis on vocabulary in standardized tests, it is not a surprise that many students thing that good writing is about big words. It isn't. Big words can be nice, when used correctly, but never forget that the primary reason we write is to communicate, to express. Only add the big words if they enhance and clarify your meaning, not to impress people with your big vocabulary while learning English!
IS CODING MORE IMPORTANT THAN ENGLISH?
Apple CEO Tim Cook caused some controversy this week when he said that he believes learning coding is more important for students around the world than learning English. His exact words are below:
“If I were a French student and I were 10 years old, I think it would be more important to learn coding than English. I’m not telling people not to learn English—but this is a language that you can [use to] express yourself to 7 billion people in the world. I think coding should be required in every public school in the world.”
There were different responses to Cook's words. Some people agreed, and some think he is wrong. Fortune said, "Acquiring coding skills makes financial sense," because coding can help you get many high-paying jobs. But, as Quartz points out, "it’s very difficult to become a good or even decent programmer without working knowledge of English."
What do you think? Is coding the language of the future, or will English remain important?
The Most Important Profession
Ridley Scott—the film director most well known for Blade Runner—just made a powerful statement about teaching at the The British Academy Film Awards after being awarded a BAFTA fellowship.
Scott says, "It's extraordinary what an enthusiastic teacher can do, drawing the student out, igniting independence, and encouraging a design of your own future, rather than waiting for something to happen. Teaching is the most important of all professions. Sort that out and social problems will get sorted out."
We couldn't agree more (but maybe we're biased!). What do you think?
THE QUIRKS AND BENEFITS OF RAISING BILINGUAL CHILDREN
In an article from The Economist, Lane Green discusses the strategies, challenges, and rewards that he and his Danish-speaking wife observe while raising their two children in a bilingual home. His son makes some cute errors, applying the grammar of Danish to English vocabulary, resulting in phrases like "Come heredown."
This interaction between two languages is called language transfer and many English learners do the same. Spanish and Portuguese speakers will often say to their teacher, "I have a doubt," when the more natural English phrase would be "I have a question." Chinese speakers will often use back as a verb, as they can in Chinese, creating sentences like "I back my home."
In the Economist article, Green mentions misguided teachers and doctors who warn parents to only speak the majority language with their children. This is based on the false idea that bilingualism can somehow harm children. The fact that children are learning two vocabularies simultaneously means that they might make errors (like "heredown") that their monolingual peers do not. But this is a temporary delay.
The research in fact supports the Greens' intuition, that bilingualism has many cognitive benefits. These include "enhanced attention control," “enhanced perceptual attentiveness,” and better spatial reasoning, among many others.
In the second half of the article, Green discusses some fascinating research on the development of bilingual children's minds. Read the whole article at the Economist!
TWAIN ON LETTER WRITING
This Mark Twain quote is one of our favorites as a Ginseng English teacher:
“I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.”
The phrasing is counterintuitive: we are inclined to think longer equals more time. But that's where the true insight of the quotation lies. Writing is deceptive in its simplicity, and anything but linear. Being concise requires more effort in the form of editing and organizing thoughts than simply pouring your thoughts out onto the page.
More Free English Resources
Silent B Words
If you’re looking for explanations and examples of words in English with silent B, you’ve come to the right place. Charts, definitions, word lists, and the history of how silent B became silent.
One of the most frustrating and interesting things about English is the crazy pronunciation. Silent letters can be particularly difficult. They are there. You can see them. But you don't hear them!
There are two situations in which B is silent. Silent B at the end of words is one common pattern. If you see -MB at the end of a word, usually you do not pronounce the B. The other common silent B pattern is -BT.
Examples of Silent B Words
Here is a word list with 17 examples of silent B words:
| Silent B Word List | |||
| Word | IPA | PoS | Definition |
|---|---|---|---|
| bomb | /bɒm/ | n. | a machine that explodes |
| comb | /kəʊm/ | n. | a device for making hair neat |
| dumb | /dʌm/ | adj. | not smart |
| lamb | /læm/ | n. | a young sheep |
| climb | /klaɪm/ | v. | to go up |
| tomb | /tuːm/ | n. | a building for dead bodies |
| thumb | /θʌm/ | n. | finger on the side of the hand |
| crumb | /krʌm/ | n. | a small piece of food |
| limb | /lɪm/ | n. | an arm or leg |
| numb | /nʌm/ | adj. | not feeling |
| plumber | /ˈplʌmər/ | n. | someone who fixed pipes |
| womb | /wuːm/ | n. | the uterus |
| debt | /dɛt/ | n. | owing money |
| doubt | /daʊt/ | n. | uncertainty |
| subtle | /ˈsʌtəl/ | adj. | delicate; not obvious |
| jamb | /dʒam/ | n. | the side of a doorway |
Notice that the silent B doesn't tell us anything about the vowel in the word. The vowel sounds can be very different, for example in bomb, comb, and tomb.
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Why is B Silent Sometimes?
In the past, the B in these words was not silent. Over time, pronunciation changes. For example, bomb comes from the Italian bomba, in which the second B is pronounced, and climb was climban in Old English. By about 1300 C.E., the B had become silent.
Silent B Words in English
Learning English
5 Myths About Learning English
Learning English on Instagram
Learning English on Twitter
Best Blogs about Learning English
2018 Best Blogs to Learn English
2017 Best Blogs to Learn English
Can You Learn English with Duolingo?
Studying English Abroad
Choosing Where to Study Abroad
Chunking
Chunking
I just stumbled across an article from The Economist and had to share this quote about one of the most important strategies for achieving fluency in language learning: chunking. Chunking is thinking about and studying the language in common phrases, instead of single words.
A common example is good morning . We don't have to learn the word good and then the word morning and put them together: we simply learn it as a phrase, and we can say it quickly, without thinking much.
This can be applied deliberately to other phrases, too though. Here are some common phrases you might want to study as chunks:
on the other hand
contrary to popular belief
the thing about that is
http://www.economist.com/blogs/prospero/2015/10/johnson-language-pedagogy
more free english resources:
International Roosters!
Check out the sounds that roosters make in different languages around the world!
international roosters
Have you ever wondered what sounds animals make in different languages around the world? Check out this Ginseng English post about the different sounds a rooster makes in different languages!
In English, a rooster says cock-a-doodle-doo.
In Portuguese it says cocoricó.
In Chinese, roosters say wo-wo-wo.
In German they say kikeriki.
In Korean it's kkokkiyo.
Arabic-speaking roosters say SiyaaH.
And in Spanish, roosters say quiquiriquí.
more free english resources
Gerunds
Need to know what a gerund is? You've come to the right place!
gerunds in English
There are three common functions for -ing verbs:
participial adjectives
gerunds.
Let’s look at gerunds in a little more detail about gerunds.
We like to think a verb is a verb, and an adjective is an adjective, and a noun is a noun right? That would make sense. But by now you probably know that English doesn't always make sense!
Form vs. Function
Words can have both a form and a function. For a simple example, think about the word dog. A noun, right? But what about in the sentence Pablo bought some dog food? Here dog is describing the type of food. It works like an adjective. The form is a noun, but the function is an adjective.
So...What exactly is a gerund?
A gerund has the form of an -ing verb, but it functions is like a noun. That is, it does things that a noun usually does. What do nouns usually do? Often they work as subjects, direct objects, or objects of prepositions in sentences. And gerunds can do the same.
Take a look at these examples:
Rowing is hard work!
Clara loves sewing.
I'm thinking about going on vacation.
In the first sentence, rowing is the subject. In the second, sewing is the direct object of love. And in the third, going is the object of the preposition about . Notice that, even though the form of thinking looks like a gerund, it is not. It is a present progressive (or present continuous) verb.
So, one more time: a gerund is a verb ending in -ing that works like a noun, as a subject or object in a sentence.
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Ginseng Impact
Ginseng English commits 1 in every 10 class seats to those in need, completely free. They get the same classes as everyone else. We donate textbooks and materials to these students. By 2020, we want to increase that to 50% of students. We call this Ginseng Impact.
ginseng impact
So, you know Ginseng English gives you some of the best content out there for learning English, and you've probably heard that we have online English classes on the way.
But I want to share something you might not have heard about Ginseng. Ginseng is a social enterprise. When you register for English classes at Ginseng, you aren't just paying for excellent classes with happy, well-paid teachers; you're helping someone else to learn. The cost of your classes helps to support others who can't afford to pay for English but desperately need it.
In the United States, every single state has long waiting lists for free English classes. New immigrants often have to wait years to get into classes. For these immigrants, English isn't just a luxury; it's a survival tool. Likewise, in many other countries, English is an opportunity to escape from poverty, but there often aren't enough resources to reach all those in need.
That's why Ginseng English commits 1 in every 10 class seats to those in need, completely free. They get the same classes as everyone else. We donate textbooks and materials to these students. By 2020, we want to increase that to 50% of students. We call this Ginseng Impact.
Is Duolingo a Good Way to Become Fluent In English?
Duolingo is huge, counting over 170 Million users around the world. You can study over 20 different languages on Duolingo, but over 50% of users are studying English.
Many students ask, is Duolingo a good way to become fluent in English. The answer is not so simple. There are positive and negative aspects to the popular language-learning app.
Duolingo is a popular language learning app. Duolingo is huge, counting over 170 Million users around the world. You can study over 20 different languages on Duolingo, but over 50% of users are studying English.
Many students ask, Is Duolingo a good way to become fluent in English? The answer is not so simple. There are positive and negative aspects to the popular language-learning app.
Check out this article if you are looking for information on the Duolingo English Test
The Good
Let's start with the pros:
Price - Although they recently introduced a membership plan, you can still use the app completely for free. This is obviously a big benefit, because there are not many options for learning English for free.
Convenience - For convenience, Duolingo is hard to beat. It’s in your pocket on your phone and ready to go whenever you are. On the train or before bed, it’s right there.
Gamification - Duolingo uses what is called gamification (game + ification = making something into a game). It’s like playing a video game. You’re getting points and earning badges. It’s fun and some people believe this helps to motivate you to keep studying English.
Personalization - I think this is one of the biggest strengths of Duolingo. It knows you, and it knows your English level. As blogger Malingual says, “[Duolingo] knows exactly what I can and can't do because it constantly asks me.” This is called adaptive language learning. Another type of personalization is self-paced learning. With Duolingo, you don’t need to worry that the class will go too fast or too slow. You control how fast you go and how much you study.
Science - There is also some strong brain science behind Duolingo. They seem to take research seriously. One example is the app's use of spaced repetition. If you want to remember new English vocabulary, trying to remember them again and again, with more time in between each recall is a scientifically proven method for remembering. Duolingo uses this kind of science to make your studying more effective.
So these are some good things about Duolingo, but the app isn’t perfect, and some of the following points make me think that the app is not the best way to learn English for most students.
The Not So Good:
The Method - Duolingo is based on the grammar-translation method of learning language. Most experts today agree that grammar-translation is not the best way to learn a language. It certainly isn’t bad, but there are better ways.
Lack of Interaction - Most current theories of how we learn English put some emphasis on communication and interaction. With Duolingo, it’s just you and your phone. You have no classmates, no conversations, no group activities. Most experts agree that these are important elements to learning English. This is especially important if you want to become fluent. English fluency comes from speaking, not from translating sentences. If you want to become fluent, you have to speak!
No Teacher - Everyone is different, but most students like the ability to ask a question to the teacher when they don’t understand. Duolingo has some help options along the way, but it’s not the same as having a person to talk to.
Persistence - Persistence with apps like Duolingo tends to be quite low. This is bad, because learning a new language happens over a long period of time. That means you need a lot of persistence, or else you are wasting your time.
Duolingo founder Luis Von Ahn says the users who persist are the ones that make Duolingo part of their daily routine. Users who “binge — spending hours on the site, cramming in French or German or Chinese language lessons — tend to disappear fast.”
Inauthenticity - As one blogger says, “Duolingo is horribly inauthentic. You'll quickly find yourself getting sick of 'red apples'.” You are almost always looking at sentences made up only to teach you language. This is definitely useful sometimes. I make similar sentences when teaching my students basic English grammar rules. But in a class, we make sure to mix in some authentic English.
The vocabulary you find in Duolingo is also very different from the most common words in English, because it depends on theme-based units about food and animals. That means the language you are learning is often incredibly useful.
Conclusions
Duolingo is fun. And with it you can definitely learn some useful things about English, like vocabulary and common grammar structures.
But Duolingo will probably not help you to become fluent in a language. It isn’t good for people who aren't highly self-motivated.. It’s good for an app. It might be a good way to get extra practice at home or learn basic grammar, but by itself it’s certainly not the best way to learn a new language.
Review of Participles
Remember:
Participles (or participial adjectives) are verbs with -ED and -ING endings that can work like adjectives, describing people and things.
-ED participles (past participles) usually describe how we feel, as in, "I feel exhausted."
-ING participles (present participles) usually describe things that make us feel that way, as in, "That hike was exhausting."
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Anatomy of an Email - Greeting
The punctuation you use at the end of an email greeting is important!
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