“Um”, “uh”, “mm” and the use of filler sounds and words Posted by Gabriele on Jul 5, 2012
In my last post (on July 3rd) I included a video from You Tube with a women talking about making a cake. In that video the woman used the sound “um” many times. What is this “um”? It is technically called a filler word or filler sound, which is an expression of hesitation or pause…
The Fourth of July Posted by Gabriele on Jul 4, 2012
Tomorrow is the celebration of America’s independence. This holiday is commonly called “The Fourth of July,” but the holiday is officially known as Independence Day. This is the day that American’s commemorate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, which was the United State’s first major step in severing ties with Great Britain. Americans…
May, Might and Can Posted by heather on Jul 4, 2012
May and might – who knew that two words could create so much confusion when it comes to learning the English language. Yet, these two words do just that. So what is the difference between may and might? Well, not too much actually. may = suggests that it is possible that the action will occur…
Pet Commands Posted by Gabriele on Jul 2, 2012
Sit. Stay. Good dog. In English dogs are often referred to as “man’s best friend.” It is very common for families in the United States (and Western culture in general) to have a pet dog. A pet is a domestic or tamed animal that lives with people. Pet dogs in the United States often live…
The Tooth Fairy Posted by Gabriele on Jul 1, 2012
In my last post, on Friday, I wrote a post about going to the dentist and some dental related vocabulary. One of the vocabulary words I introduced was “the tooth fairy.” Today I thought I would tell you a little more about this cultural figure. The tooth fairy is a fairy* who is believed to…
A Trip to the Dentist Posted by Gabriele on Jun 29, 2012
When was the last time you went to the dentist? Is it time for another visit? Here is some information about dentistry and important dentist related vocabulary you might need if you plan to visit a dentist in the English speaking world. First of all, dentistry is the branch of medicine that focuses on…
Foreign Words in English (Part V) Posted by Gabriele on Jun 28, 2012
In this post I am going to introduce you to 10 more words that have been borrowed from other languages and incorporated into English. In the process of borrowing a word from another language sometimes the meaning changes slightly from its meaning in the original language. This is the case with some of the words…