English learning thread

English learning thread

Njema kabisa said:
Thank you Mama Wawil. For sure my fellow English Learners if we will concentrate in this thread it help us to Improve our English Language. Special thanks for all teachers who correct us in this thread be blessed all.
I stand to be corrected with my English that used here. Thanks.
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Have a look on the red highlighted and consider my suggestions here under
1.concentrate on
2.it will help us
3.my English that I have used here/my English that has been used here
Also I am learning,mistake have I made ,correct me.
 
Open school said:
Sir Tokyo and Aqua when I start to re review this thread again, I have been able to see the wrongs that I was written back day, I think still I have not be fluent in english but I can see the changes.
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When I started to review this thread again(again can be removed because the word review carry the meaning of doing something for the second time or again),I have been able to see the wrongs that I wrote back in the days,I think I am not fluent in English but I can see changes.

"the wrongs that I was written back day" is not correct,review passive and active voices and past tenses.
 
I need to know the different between these two sentences below....

* I have say

" I have to say.

Then help me about the uses being and its closeness between it and be

NOTE:
It is not means I don't know exactly the meaning of being and be, no, I know but I don't know to connect them when I am writing at the time. Look example below....

* He is being......(what does this sentence mean in swahili?)

Madame mama wawili, sir Aqua and sir Tokyo 40 you are welcome to correct this post as well as helping.
 
Open school said:
I need to know the different between these two sentences below....

* I have say

" I have to say.

Then help me about the uses being and its closeness between it and be

NOTE:
It is not means I don't know exactly the meaning of being and be, no, I know but I don't know to connect them when I am writing at the time. Look example below....

* He is being......(what does this sentence mean in swahili?)

Madame mama wawili, sir Aqua and sir Tokyo 40 you are welcome to correct this post as well as helping.
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The correct sentence should be:

1. I have SAID it. (Say is grammatically incorrect).

Nimeshasema.

2. I have to say that you are very popular at our school.

Inabidi niseme kuwa (kusema ukweli) wewe ni maarufu sana (unapendwa) shuleni kwetu.


BEING is the present participle form of TO BE and indicates that an action or event is ongoing in the present.

He is being an idiot now. (his actions are making him an idiot - he's drunk and swearing at everybody)

Anakuwa mpu.mbavu sasa. (kalewa na anatukana ovyo watu).

He is being abnoxious.
Anakuwa na tabia mbaya (sasa).


TO BE is used for future actions.

He wants to be a doctor in the future.

TO BE also describe wishes and hypothetical situations.

1. I wish I could be there with you right now.

Natamani ningekuwa huko na wewe sasa hivi.

2. If I were you, I would be angry.

Ningekuwa wewe, ningekasirika/ningehamaki.
 
Tokyo40 said:
The correct sentence should be:

1. I have SAID it. (Say is grammatically incorrect).

Nimeshasema.

2. I have to say that you are very popular at our school.

Inabidi niseme kuwa (kusema ukweli) wewe ni maarufu sana (unapendwa) shuleni kwetu.


BEING is the present participle form of TO BE and indicates that an action or event is ongoing in the present.

He is being an idiot now. (his actions are making him an idiot - he's drunk and swearing at everybody)

Anakuwa mpumbavu sasa. (kalewa na anatukana ovyo watu).

He is being abnoxious.
Anakuwa na tabia mbaya (sasa).


TO BE is used for future actions.

He wants to be a doctor in the future.

TO BE also describe wishes and hypothetical situations.

1. I wish I could be there with you right now.

Natamani ningekuwa huko na wewe sasa hivi.

2. If I were you, I would be angry.

Ningekuwa wewe, ningekasirika/ningehamaki.
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From your clarified examples above, I have nothing to ask again about they. I now have aware about what you have described from my post above. Thank you sir.
 
Hi all! Of all the threads I have contributed, this one is by far the most interesting of all. Forgive me for being too hasty, as I have not had time or patience to go through all the posts on the thread. A few I have gone through, however, contain some useful tips and advice on how one can improve their English, all of which I agree with.

I can suggest, however, to listen to an English radio channel, prefferably BBC English news which I find very useful. This will help you improve your listening skill as well as learn some new words and sentences. You might find it difficult to hear each word at the begining but I am sure you will be able to catch most words if not all in a very short period of time. As days go by try to reduce the volume or stay a bit farther from the radio while listening. This technique will improve your listening skill and be able to maintain your attention even when there are barriers such as some noise, frequency inteference during broadcast etc. Remember, in real situation there are always other people talking and some noise around you.

Mama wawili, your story reminds me of old good days when I was about twelve years old and decided with a friend to start speaking in English full time between ourselves regardless of our whereabout. I can confirm to you that the trick worked and it changed our lives forever.

I hope I have been of some help with my tips and story to all of you and my special thanks to Tokyo40 and all of those who have decided to dedicate their invaluable time to help others

I may not be as good as Tokyo40 and others gramatically but I hope I will be able to find some spare time and offer my assistance to whomever is interested in learning the language. May god bless us all!
 
shymollel said:
Napenda kujua kuongea kingereza kilichonyooka naomba ushirikiano wenu wadau, Yani nikimwona mtu anaongea vinzuri huwa natamani sana ingekuwa ndo mim,
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Umenichekesha sana. Kuna rafiki yangu mmoja ana msemo wake, "kama angeweza kulipia hela akalala usingizini akiamka akawa anazungumza English basi angelipia"
 
Hello quora! Today I have came with new need. Just today I wanna to understand the verb BELONG and how it used to complete the sentence.

Mr. Tokyo40 please, try to remind my recall about the uses of "HAVE BEEN" because when I am reading any kind of story which consist that verb I always compare it with past tense while I know that is perfect. Help me with Swahili as possible
 
Open school said:
Hello quora! Today I have came with new need. Just today I wanna to understand the verb BELONG and how it used to complete the sentence.

Mr. Tokyo40 please, try to remind my recall about the uses of "HAVE BEEN" because when I am reading any kind of story which consist that verb I always compare it with past tense while I know that is perfect. Help me with Swahili as possible
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Belong (verb)

1. To be in the right place or a suitable place:

This table belongs in the sitting room.
(it doesn't look good where it is right now. It should be moved to the sitting room. It is out of place)

These papers belong with the others.
(The papers have something in common with the papers kept in another place, perhaps they are test papers of grade 7 and they were mixed with test papers of grade 9).


2. To feel happy or comfortable in a situation:

After ten years in Tokyo, I finally feel as if I belong here. (I feel comfortable living in Tokyo as if I was born and raised here).

Although she's new to the school, we would like her to feel that she belongs. (we want her to feel comfortable working here, to enjoy her work, to feel appreciated).

I think these cups belong in the other cupboard. (the cups are in the wrong cupboard, they should be moved to the cupboard where they are usually kept/stored)

This is a gentleman's club - women don't belong here.
(Women are encouraged not to visit this establishment, they will spoil their fun and make them uncomfortable. A "gentleman's club" is a nice word to use instead of a "whore house" where ladies dance naked while men drink and tip them.

Other uses of BELONG:

I belong to you. (You are my only lover/partner). Here it's used as a phrasal verb. "You own my heart" = I love you.

Whose belongings are these? (Who is the owner of these things?)

This house belongs to Mr. Mkapa.
(He owns the house).

He belongs to the Rotary Club of Mwanza. (He is a member of the club).

All the credit to my quick recovery belongs to my dear wife. (thanks to her care and love, I recovered fast from my illness).

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

HAVE BEEN use:



[has/have + been + present participle]


You have been waiting here for two hours.

Umeshasubiri hapa kwa masaa mawili.

Have you been waiting here for two hours?

Je, ulikuwa unasubiri hapa kwa masaa mawili?


The present perfect is formed from the present tense of the verb have and the past participle of a verb:

The present perfect continuous is formed with have/has been and the -ing form of the verb:


We use the present perfect tense:

1. For something that started in the past and continues in the present:

They have been married for nearly fifty years. (Wapo katika ndoa, iliyofungwa huko nyuma, na ndoa yao inaendelea mpaka leo)


She has been living in Liverpool all her life. (Anaishi Liverpool maisha yake yote - anaishi huko).

Hii sentensi ni sawa na:

She has lived in Liverpool all her life.

It has been raining for hours.
(Mvua ilianza kunyesha kwa muda na inaendelea kunyesha mpaka sasa).

2. For something we have done several times in the past and continue to do:


I have been watching that programme every week. (Nimekuwa naangalia kipindi kile katika TV kila wiki. Nimekiangalia mara nyingi na naendelea kukiangalia).

Other uses:

We use the present perfect of be when someone has gone to a place and returned:

A: Where have you been?
B: I’ve just been out to the supermarket.

A: Have you ever been to San Francisco?
B: No, but I’ve been to Los Angeles.

But when someone has not returned we use have/has gone:

A: Where is Maria? I haven’t seen her for weeks.
B: She's gone to Paris for a week. She’ll be back tomorrow.
 
Tokyo40 said:
Belong (verb)

1. To be in the right place or a suitable place:

This table belongs in the sitting room.
(it doesn't look good where it is right now. It should be moved to the sitting room. It is out of place)

These papers belong with the others.
(The papers have something in common with the papers kept in another place, perhaps they are test papers of grade 7 and they were mixed with test papers of grade 9).


2. To feel happy or comfortable in a situation:

After ten years in Tokyo, I finally feel as if I belong here. (I feel comfortable living in Tokyo as if I was born and raised here).

Although she's new to the school, we would like her to feel that she belongs. (we want her to feel comfortable working here, to enjoy her work, to feel appreciated).

I think these cups belong in the other cupboard. (the cups are in the wrong cupboard, they should be moved to the cupboard where they are usually kept/stored)

This is a gentleman's club - women don't belong here.
(Women are encouraged not to visit this establishment, they will spoil their fun and make them uncomfortable. A "gentleman's club" is a nice word to use instead of a "whore house" where ladies dance naked while men drink and tip them.

Other uses of BELONG:

I belong to you. (You are my only lover/partner). Here it's used as a phrasal verb. "You own my heart" = I love you.

Whose belongings are these? (Who is the owner of these things?)

This house belongs to Mr. Mkapa.
(He owns the house).

He belongs to the Rotary Club of Mwanza. (He is a member of the club).

All the credit to my quick recovery belongs to my dear wife. (thanks to her care and love, I recovered fast from my illness).

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

HAVE BEEN use:



[has/have + been + present participle]


You have been waiting here for two hours.

Umeshasubiri hapa kwa masaa mawili.

Have you been waiting here for two hours?

Je, ulikuwa unasubiri hapa kwa masaa mawili?


The present perfect is formed from the present tense of the verb have and the past participle of a verb:

The present perfect continuous is formed with have/has been and the -ing form of the verb:


We use the present perfect tense:

1. For something that started in the past and continues in the present:

They have been married for nearly fifty years. (Wapo katika ndoa, iliyofungwa huko nyuma, na ndoa yao inaendelea mpaka leo)


She has been living in Liverpool all her life. (Anaishi Liverpool maisha yake yote - anaishi huko).

Hii sentensi ni sawa na:

She has lived in Liverpool all her life.

It has been raining for hours.
(Mvua ilianza kunyesha kwa muda na inaendelea kunyesha mpaka sasa).

2. For something we have done several times in the past and continue to do:


I have been watching that programme every week. (Nimekuwa naangalia kipindi kile katika TV kila wiki. Nimekiangalia mara nyingi na naendelea kukiangalia).

Other uses:

We use the present perfect of be when someone has gone to a place and returned:

A: Where have you been?
B: I’ve just been out to the supermarket.

A: Have you ever been to San Francisco?
B: No, but I’ve been to Los Angeles.

But when someone has not returned we use have/has gone:

A: Where is Maria? I haven’t seen her for weeks.
B: She's gone to Paris for a week. She’ll be back tomorrow.
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Let me do practise this help, but when was you teach us grammatical uses at back days, I remember the uses of have and has as you tought us, you said, "have" used to describe first person singular and plural, whether(both)singular and plural while "has" expresses third person singular and plural but I have get complicatio when I see the sentence describes third person(he, she, it & they)by using have and not has as grammar directs. That complication is like will and shall, means sometimes will presents first person against the grammar wants, I believe that is not wrong but there somethings I don't know deeply, so help me.

Also I have remember someone in this thread asked you about the sentence which has double had(had had)for example, I had had ...., he had had...... What that sentence does mean?(describe with Swahili example please).

Thank you sir.
 
Open school said:
Let me do practise this help, but when was you teach us grammatical uses at back days, I remember the uses of have and has as you tought us, you said, "have" used to describe first person singular and plural, whether(both)singular and plural while "has" expresses third person singular and plural but I have get complicatio when I see the sentence describes third person(he, she, it & they)by using have and not has as grammar directs. That complication is like will and shall, means sometimes will presents first person against the grammar wants, I believe that is not wrong but there somethings I don't know deeply, so help me.

Also I have remember someone in this thread asked you about the sentence which has double had(had had)for example, I had had ...., he had had...... What that sentence does mean?(describe with Swahili example please).

Thank you sir.
Click to expand...

Open School,

In order for you to learn and understand the English grammar, you have to master the 12 tenses first. Once you understand them, you will understand the grammar better since you will learn the grammar systematically.

I have posted all the 12 tenses here and I suggest that you learn it thoroughly to see the big picture.

Here are few examples of the use of HAVE and HAS for you. But again, please study the 12 tenses to get a better idea of their usage in different circumstances (present, past, future).

Here are some points to remember when using HAVE and HAS.

They can both be used to show possession and are important in making the 'perfect tenses'.

HAD is the past tense of both HAS and HAVE.

HAVE

Have is used with some pronouns and plural nouns:

I have a great English teacher.
You have toothpaste on your chin.
We have a meeting at 12.
Nurses have a difficult job.

HAS

Has is used with the third person singular. For example:

She has a great personality.
He has a new haircut.
The washing machine has a leak in it.
It has a hole near the door.

Contractions:

I have = I've
you have = you've
we have = we've
they have = They've
he has = he's
it has = it's

Negative contractions:

has not = hasn't
have not = haven't
had not = hadn't

HAVE and HAS in questions:

Have you been to Australia?
Has Andrew left yet?
Who has my pen?
Has anyone seen my mobile phone?

HAVE GOT and HAVE

Both 'have got' and 'have' mean the same thing. There is no difference.

I have got a car . = I have a car.

You have got a message. = You have a message.

She has got no time to sleep. = She has no time to sleep.

HAVE and HAS verb tenses:

'have/has'' is an important verb in making the 'perfect tense':

Present Perfect:

She has lived here for a long time.
We have seen this TV show before.
I have cut my finger.

Past Perfect:

I had already decided not to go before he asked me.

They had finished the race before it started raining.

She had already left when he arrived.

Modal verbs: HAVE TO:

'have to' is used to mean that something is necessary.

It is used in the following way in affirmative sentences:

subject + modal (have to / has to) + verb.

I have to wash my car today.
He has to write a report.
I had to go to the bank yesterday.

HAVE TO in negative sentences:

In negatives, to show that something is not necessary, we follow this rule:

subject + doesn't / don't / didn't have to + verb.

We don't have to work tomorrow.

She doesn't have to wear a uniform to school.

I didn't have to make my bed when I was young.


Use of HAD in Past Perfect.

Form : HAD + Past Participle

We use the Past Perfect to show that something started in the past and continued up until another action in the past.

Tunatumia Past Perfect kwa ajili ya kuzungumzia kitu kilichoanza wakati uliopita na kinaendelea kwenye wakati uliopita mpaka kitu kingine kikatokea kwenye wakati huo huo uliopita.

Example:

We had had that car for ten years before it broke down.

Tulikuwa na gari (- PAST- tulitumia kwa miaka 10- PAST- , hapa lazima utumie HAD siyo HAVE, kwa kuwa ipo katika form ya past perfect ( had + past participle .

Past Participle ya HAVE ni HAD, ndiyo maana unatumia HAD HAD, na sentensi unazungumzia mambo yaliyopita, hayapo sasa hivi.

Tulinunua gari, tuliliendesha miaka 10, ( kitu kikatokea ) na likaharibika.
 
Tokyo40 said:
Open School,

In order for you to learn and understand the English grammar, you have to master the 12 tenses first. Once you understand them, you will understand the grammar better since you will learn the grammar systematically.

I have posted all the 12 tenses here and I suggest that you learn it thoroughly to see the big picture.

Here are few examples of the use of HAVE and HAS for you. But again, please study the 12 tenses to get a better idea of their usage in different circumstances (present, past, future).

Here are some points to remember when using HAVE and HAS.

They can both be used to show possession and are important in making the 'perfect tenses'.

HAD is the past tense of both HAS and HAVE.

HAVE

Have is used with some pronouns and plural nouns:

I have a great English teacher.
You have toothpaste on your chin.
We have a meeting at 12.
Nurses have a difficult job.

HAS

Has is used with the third person singular. For example:

She has a great personality.
He has a new haircut.
The washing machine has a leak in it.
It has a hole near the door.

Contractions:

I have = I've
you have = you've
we have = we've
they have = They've
he has = he's
it has = it's

Negative contractions:

has not = hasn't
have not = haven't
had not = hadn't

HAVE and HAS in questions:

Have you been to Australia?
Has Andrew left yet?
Who has my pen?
Has anyone seen my mobile phone?

HAVE GOT and HAVE

Both 'have got' and 'have' mean the same thing. There is no difference.

I have got a car . = I have a car.

You have got a message. = You have a message.

She has got no time to sleep. = She has no time to sleep.

HAVE and HAS verb tenses:

'have/has'' is an important verb in making the 'perfect tense':

Present Perfect:

She has lived here for a long time.
We have seen this TV show before.
I have cut my finger.

Past Perfect:

I had already decided not to go before he asked me.

They had finished the race before it started raining.

She had already left when he arrived.

Modal verbs: HAVE TO:

'have to' is used to mean that something is necessary.

It is used in the following way in affirmative sentences:

subject + modal (have to / has to) + verb.

I have to wash my car today.
He has to write a report.
I had to go to the bank yesterday.

HAVE TO in negative sentences:

In negatives, to show that something is not necessary, we follow this rule:

subject + doesn't / don't / didn't have to + verb.

We don't have to work tomorrow.

She doesn't have to wear a uniform to school.

I didn't have to make my bed when I was young.


Use of HAD in Past Perfect.

Form : HAD + Past Participle

We use the Past Perfect to show that something started in the past and continued up until another action in the past.

Tunatumia Past Perfect kwa ajili ya kuzungumzia kitu kilichoanza wakati uliopita na kinaendelea kwenye wakati uliopita mpaka kitu kingine kikatokea kwenye wakati huo huo uliopita.

Example:

We had had that car for ten years before it broke down.

Tulikuwa na gari (- PAST- tulitumia kwa miaka 10- PAST- , hapa lazima utumie HAD siyo HAVE, kwa kuwa ipo katika form ya past perfect ( had + past participle .

Past Participle ya HAVE ni HAD, ndiyo maana unatumia HAD HAD, na sentensi unazungumzia mambo yaliyopita, hayapo sasa hivi.

Tulinunua gari, tuliliendesha miaka 10, ( kitu kikatokea ) na likaharibika.
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Sir Tokyo40 I have get something new every times, so don't give up to remind me when I am in wrong opposite. I promise you to review again the 12 tenses as your advice.

Last few days back I asked you about the different between "I have... and I have to.... " I tried to compare and differentiate they as you been explained but I got nothing. If you see I ask the something which not new it means I don't know in Swahili or your explanation was too complex to me. Let me explain you in swahili...

* I have say you are a good teacher(Ninasema wewe ni mwalimu mwema)

* I have to say you are a good teacher(Imenibidi niseme wewe ni mwalimu mwema)

Mkuu Tokyo40 nilitaka kujua tafsiri nyingine ya "I have to .. " ukiacha hiyo ya inabidi.

Don't be bored, Sir, there is no ignorant who learns simply.
 
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