A: Great movie! Like it?
1. B: Don’t know. __ bite ‘n talk about it?
2. A: __ to?
B: The all-night diner on 11th?
A: Empire?
B: Mm.
.
A: It was good food for 2 AM!
B: Yup! A: When’s the subway close?
3. B: __? It doesn’t.
A: Oh!
B: Welcome to NYC
*Close
*Where
*Really
*Grab a
Answers:
1. Grab a (bite)
2. Where (to)
3. Close(?) (The subway)
From Twitter
1. Anne: What’s __?
Carl: It’s the 7th.
2. Anne: And __?
Carl: Huh, Anne–?
3. Anne: __?
Carl: It’s Friday. You’d better get some rest.
Anne: I know; I’m just tired.
Carl: Yeah, I just kind of said that. Take a nap.
*What day is it
*what’s the day
*the date
Answers And Explanation
1. the date is how we ask the day number on the calendar.
2. what’s the day is how we ask the day of the week after asking the date.
3. What day is it? Is how we can ask the day the first time–or in this case–after “what’s the day,” how we clarify.
From Twitter:
A. What’s your birth date?
B. Why do you say it that way?
A. Huh?
B. You talk like a government clerk.
A. How should I say it?
B. Good. Say: ”when’s your birthday?”
A. OK, but I thought…
B. Forget what you thought; just say: _
* When’s your birthday
* What’s your birth date
The Answer is as it was instructed by speaker B: When’s your birthday?
The Explanation is: There is no reason for it except that we speak the way we do. To invent a reason (for people who think language is all rules), let’s pretend one is the casual way and one is the formal way (but the real reason is, we just talk that way).
Advice: If you want to learn a language
and use the language naturally,
you have to take a break from the grammar
and use the language, see the language (read!)
and watch native, live productions of the language
(or meet and talk to NATIVE SPEAKERS sincerely, first (because you actually have something in common and want to be friends–not because you need English lessons),
and stop saying ”I’m shy”;
shyness helps no one and is not honorable or helpful–it’s just a social dysfunction);
Use the real language in real situations
in real life with real people.
That is how you properly learn how real people use
the real language
in real places.
From Twitter
Taking Pictures: Much or Many & Lots/Usually or Usual
“Fill in” the spaces with the right words:
I take _ pictures whenever I travel; it’s a _ thing for me.
Choose:
*many
*almost
*usual
*much
*once a while
Answers & Explanation
The answers are underlined:
I take many pictures whenever I travel; it’s a usual thing for me.
Many is used with countable things and persons and other animals.
Usual is used with things, too (usually is used with actions.)
Come to class at Shinjuku English Institute for more examples and a barrel of fun.
From Twitter:
1. A. _ animal do ya think is _ smartest?
2. B. _ Blue whale.
3. A. _ whale?
B. It’s been here millions of years.
A. ?
4. B. It’s the largest mammal, with _ brain _ size of _ car.
A. That makes it smartest?
B. Its behavior, brain size…. It’s likely; we just can’t talk.
*the
*a
*what
Information: Blue whales are actually the largest known beings to have lived on the planet. A Blue Whale can grow to 90 feet long and is larger than the largest dinosaurs. Pink whales cannot. In fact, Blue whales do not allow pin whales to join in any Blue whale games. No, that’s not true; I’m just kidding. They do. I mean there is no such thing as a pink whale (unless of course a blue whale goes to a costume party or something. No. I’m joking. There are no costume parties for whales. They keep a strict dress code. A Blue can weigh as much as 130 tons. Imagine maintaining that diet!
Answers And Explanation:
1. what; self-explanatory: ‘what’ is the question word for things in question.
2. the
3. the
4. the, the, the
The is article is necessary to use in discussions of an object or abstract thing in general terms.
Your mom married a house?
A. What do your parents do–if I may ask?
B. Sure. My dad’s a juggler and comedian, and my mom is a housewife.
A. “…”
B. What: why so confused?
A. Your mom married a house?
B. Huh?
A. You said she’s a housewife.
B. Yeah.
A. No, no, no. She’s a __
Choose:
*midwife
*home-wife
*homemaker
Answer And Explanation
The answer is ‘homemaker‘, because we like to be more polite to people making a home. Saying house-husband or house-wife sounds demeaning.
From Twitter
A. Was your dad in the service?
B. Yes–in __ navy.
A. And yours?
B. __ army.
A. Where was he stationed?
B. Alaska. My uncle was in two branches: __ Navy in world war II and the army in during the Korean war.
A. Really?
B. Yeah, but he bailed before Vietnam.
* a
* that
*the
Answers And Explanation
The answer in both cases is ‘the,’ because this is the way we talk: a special, common thing–known to everyone, such as the branches of the military, take the definite article ‘the,’ for that special quality and because of their being so common, but most importantly because they are singular countable entities.
From Twitter:
(1.) Can you __ this with me and make sure it’s good? I would like the
(2.) instructor to be impressed when he __ it.
* see
* look
* look over
* look for
* go over
* looks over
* inspect
Answers and Explanations:
1. go over means to review, proof or proof-read.
2. looks over (third-person-singular-present form, which is needed here) means to check, but from the position of a person who knows better, like an advisor, coach, instructor, a teacher, a boss or some other a superior.
From Twitter:
A. Trumper: What’s wrong w/ defying subpoenas?
B. Patriot: Huh?
A: Self-defense is a right!
B: So, ya go to Congress and do it!
A: If not guilty, why go?
B: That’s not his decision. And defying Congress is illegal.
A subpoena is:
*a court order to appear
*a ticket
*a penalty
Answer: “a court order to appear”
Explanation:
a subpoena is a letter from the state, federal court-or from the Congress (the House of Representatives in the USA–(one of the three co-equal branches of the US government) informing a citizen that s/he must appear in (come to) court or Congress to answer questions at a hearing or face criminal charges in a trial.
Following this order is not an option and when someone violates it (doesn’t appear or come to the court or Congress) s/he is “in contempt” of court or Congress; this is especially serious (bad) if it is the behavior of federal employees such as the President or his staff, because it signifies (shows) that s/he or they feel they are above the law; in this case, the law that gives equal power to the three branches of government.
This is particularly serious when considering that the whole point of the American democracy and it’s republic is to share power-meaning to prevent power from being consolidated (concentrated) in one man or body, such as in a king or his staff.
So when the Trump administration began defying (disobeying) the law and not honoring (respecting and following) subpoenas from the Congress, it meant that the power in Washington was shifting to the President and his staff, meaning that the peoples’ power in the Congress and Senate was being disrespected and thus that the president was above the law; this is how democracy begins to crumble.
A: Where do you want me to put the cookies, mom?
B: Not in your stomach–til after dinner.
A: So–where?
1. B: Put ’em __ the fridge.
2. A: Not __ the cabinet with the snacks?
3. B: No, __ the fridge, so your little brother doesn’t eat them now.
A: Okay Ma.
a. on
b. on top of
c. in
d. at
Answers And Explanation:
1. b., on top of – more specific than on and refers to the very top of something.
2. c., in – We don’t usually keep cookies in the refrigerator (AKA “fridge”)
3. b., on top of – Mother is repeating herself.
