Learn an English word or sentence a day.

aina_shaira

i want to get more vocubalary to improve my essay

Salehasz

very good topic for everyone exspecially myself:hatdown:..pls keep it up :pompom:
i'll love to learn english & i will not give up to improve it:pompom:

apg

tictactoe,

"i confuse between "done" and "did"" should be "I am confused ..."

In Bahasa Melayu it would be" Saya confuse..." but when you translate it in English you must add the "am".

Just like when you wrote, "I thinking about" , it should be "I am thinking about" or " I was  thinking about". The difference to use am or was is when you are thinking about something right this minute or remembering what you thought about sometime back. ( Hope you are not getting more confused now)

'Did"

Remember this song
" I did my best but I guess my best wasn't good enough.."  (It's the past)

"Done" is usually used after have, has, should be, would be, etc.

Eg. "I have done by best but I guess my best wasn't good enough"

In BM, it would be" Saya TELAH melakukan..."

It is WRONG to say " I have did my best"

Others examples of using "did"

I did it! ( usually when you have done something)
I did what my mother told me to do. ( You TELAH melakukan apa yang your mother told you to do)
I did not like her when we first met. Now that I know her  better, I am beginning to love her.

Using "done"

He has done it again or he did it again. (Both correct but notice the word "has"  )

A correct way to ask a question, " Have you done your homework?"

"Have you do your homework?" or Have you did your homework?' - WRONG


imat wrote,

"I ALWAYS CONFUSE THE USAGE OF WILL AND SHALL. "

The right sentence should be "I am always confused ..."

I agree with ecam about using "will" and "shall" and also about reading to improve your English.

I usually use "I will" and not "I shall"

I am sure you guys have heard this song, "We will, we will rock you" or heard this phrase " We shall meet again" . Both are correct.

Your homework for today.

1. Rewrite the excerpt below on a piece of paper.
2. Get a dictionary.
3. Look up for the meaning of each word that you do not understand. (what is pilgrims? What's a ditch?)
4. Study the sentences.

(From theStar online)

11 pilgrims killed

BADLY DAMAGED: Eleven pilgrims to the annual St Anne抯 Feast were killed when the chartered bus they were in rolled over twice at the 160.8 kilometre of the North-South Expressway near Nibong Tebal before landing upside down in a ditch.

Note;
(pilgrim - for 1 person, since there are 11 an "s" is added)

If it is unlike you to speak English in a full sentence, try this tomorrow morning. "Good morning. Have you taken your breakfast?"
(The normal greeting " Dah makan? or "Dah minum?"  )

rose_liz

i would like to try the homework, may i?

Originally posted by apg at 31-7-2006 08:53 PM
BADLY DAMAGED: Eleven pilgrims to the annual St Anne抯 Feast were killed when the chartered bus they were in rolled over twice at the 160.8 kilometre of the North-South Expressway near Nibong Tebal before landing upside down in a ditch.

Meaning
pilgrim: a person who travels to a holy place for religous reasons, eg to show respect for a particular saint.

ditch: a long narrow channel dug at edge of a field, road, etc to hold or carry away water.

apg, although it is only a sentence, it gives many information. how is it to build a sentence like that without doing sturucture mistakes?

imat

Originally posted by apg at 31-7-2006 08:53 PM
tictactoe,

"i confuse between "done" and "did"" should be "I am confused ..."

In Bahasa Melayu it would be" Saya confuse..." but when you tra ...

thank you apg. the conclusion is shall and will can be used in any situation for I, you and we right?

esbestos

have u all taken your lunch??i am feel very hungry because i have not take my breakfast this morning.I think i want to eat Nasi Beriyani at Mamak Restaurant near my office after this..Anybody want to join me?? (correct or not??)

apg

i am feel very hungry  - WROng

I am feeling very hungry or I am very hungry or I feel very hungry or I am hungry

i have not take my breakfast  - WRONG

I HAVE not TAKEN  my breakfast

at Mamak Restaurant - incomplete

at THE mamak restaurant

-----------------------------------------

After the word "to" use only the present tense

I want to EAT
He is willing to TRY again
They do not want to GO
The moderator is going to DELETE this thread

It's a different thing when you you use "to" followed by a "be"

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has called on the Malays TO REFRAIN from wallowing in self-pity and take advantage of the opportunities TO PROGRESS iinstead.

Indulging in self-pity, subjecting oneself TO GRIEF and isolating oneself from development would only cause the Malays TO BE LEFT out, the Prime Minister said.

Same goes with verb after will, shall, can

esbestos

Thanks apg ... i'll learn from the mistakes

apg

Comparison ( adjective and comparative) - when you want to make comparison between two things, places or people.

eg.
tall - tallER
fast - fastER
slow - slowER
cheap -cheaper

He is tall but I am tallER.
The cost of living in Ipoh is lowER than in Kuala Lumpur.
My house is bigger than yours.

There are exceptions like

good - better
bad - worse
far- further

He is good but I am better.
Her health condition is getting worse.

Superlative is used when a person, place or thing is superior than the rest.

good - better-BEST
tall-taller-TALLEST
rich-richer-RICHEST
big-bigger-BIGGEST

Eg.

Bill Gates is the RICHEST man in the world
Mount Everest is the HIGHEST peak in the world.
She is the SWEETEST girl I've ever met.
My mother is the BEST cook.

aabu

affect & effect.

I'm confuse with the usage lately.
anybody can explain where & how to use...

Thanks

apg

affect:
- a verb
- an influence or a change  on a person's feelings or emotions ( sesuatu yang mengubah, memberi kesan atau mempengaruhi perasaan atau emosi)
- to produce an effect upon something.

eg.
1. Your opinion will not affect my decision. ( mengubah)
2.The increase in the petrol price is going to affect the consumers terribly. (memberi kesan)
3. Tsunami affected countries face severe  shortage of food.

effect:
- a noun
- a result or a change produced by an action or a cause (impak, kesan daripada, akibat)  

eg.
1. The common side effect  of taking dangerous drugs includes hallucination.
2."Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish." - John Quincy Adams

apg

Usage of "an"

use with vowel sounds usually represented by letters starting with  a,e, i, o, u

eg. animal, easy, indian, owl, urge

The word "hour" does not start with the letters above. You  pronoune it as "our". In this case you should use an "an". (You do not pronounce that word as "hawa" )

Eg. I waited for her for an hour.

An "a" is used before  the word European though it starts with an E. (pronounciation - You-rope-pean)

She works in a European company.

aabu

TQ...........

imat

Originally posted by apg at 3-8-2006 10:28 PM
affect:
- a verb
- an influence or a change  on a person's feelings or emotions ( sesuatu yang mengubah, memberi kesan atau mempengaruhi perasaan atau emosi)
- to produce an effect upon somethi ...

good xplanation.... tq

apg

Word  with different meanings

corn - maize (jagung)

corn - hardened skin on the foot especially the toe and usually painful

Halilintar

wahh...very useful! takde tambahan lagi?

apg

Pronouns

I, Me, Myself, My, Mine

I - when you speak or write about yourself (You guys already know this right)
Note: "My friend and I" should be used instead of "My friend and me" or "I and my friend".

Me - also when you speak, write or talk about yourself.
1. When he asked me to marry him, I agreed.
2. Excuse me.
3. Give it to me.
4. Hello, it's me, apg.

Myself - when you say something that refers back to yourself.
1. I don't understand myself sometimes.
2. I accidentally cut myself with a paper cutter.
3. I myself can't read what I have written.
4. I did not enjoy myself at the concert.

You can also use of "myself" to talk about "aloneness" or being alone. (keseorangan or bersendirian)
1. I did it all by myself.
2. I sat by myself in my bedroom pondering about my life.

You can also use myself to describe your present state
I havent' been myself since my father died." (tidak lagi seperti dulu or seperti biasa)

My - something or someone that belongs or relates to you.
1. Where's my bag?
2. My hands are cold.
3. My wife has forgotten my birthday.
4. I never break my promise.

My is also used as an exclaimation to express an emotion eg. "My Goodness!". "My, what a body!"

Mine - Belonging to ME
Note: "My one" is WRONG
1. The boy is mine.
2. He's a friend of mine.
3. The book is not yours. It's mine.

ME, MYSELF AND I
By: Beyonce Knowles

ME,  MYSELF and I
That's all I got in the end
That's what I found out
And it ain't no need to cry
I took a vow that from now on
I'm gonna be MY own best friend

ME MYSELF and I
I know that I will never disappoint MYSELF
All the ladies if you feel ME
Help ME sing it now
Ya, you hurt ME
But I learned a lot along the way
After all the rain
You'll see the sun come out again
I know that I will never disappoint MYSELF

aabu

up ........

UnicornBerapi

quite an interesting thread but stop at a sudden. should continue this thread. anybody willing to? really appreciate. - correct me if i am wrong.

sayang_mulut

based on bahasa pasar la.. nothing is wrong with the sentence ekceli .. incomplete sentence here and there only la, u could 've used 'kata pengganti diri' ( izzit?, sorry i am no expert about the terms in english grammar like kata nahu bla bla )..  for example, WE, I, HE, SHE..

and more thing, just curious ...

the frist sentence

..quite an interesting thread...

i dunno what's wrong with the grammar but it doesnt sound rite.... cus the use of AN.. i dun think we need AN for that sentence la... i dunno as i said i am no expert ...

ape kate yang lain?