Laurie Neilson

Special thanks to Declan Nicholls who dubbed the voices in this Pixar video for the comedy film, Monster's Inc. In this English tip, we will learn about imperatives. Imperatives tell someone what to do. They're often a command given by someone in authority, like the character Mike in this Pixar clip. Mike takes Sulley to see his new car. The car has features (like the automatic seat adjustment) that Sulley experiments with and figures out how to operate. Mike has trouble operating the seat belt, which results in a funny problem. Let's look closely at the dialogue. Imperatives No peeking. This one means Sulley should keep his eyes closed and not look until instructed. Come on. Get in, get in. Say "come on" when you want someone to follow your lead. Follow this by telling what to do next. The next example combines a question with an imperative for stronger emphasis when Mike says: Will you cut it out?! Mike is actually demanding that Sul...

Learn prepositions of place with Dr Seuss Listen to a You Tube song and read the words of Dr Seuss in the video below. The famous story, Green Eggs and Ham, entertains children while they learn word sounds and patterns. Let’s find out how Green Eggs and Ham can also teach important sentence structure. Watch the video here:  Seussical the Musical . Prepositions of Place With / On / In  With: when two things have connection or can be paired together. For instance, a coat lined with fur; a table with a chair. On: often used when something is above, over or sitting atop something else. For instance, the lamp is on the table, the pen is on the notebook. It's also for methods of transportation. In: Being inside of something or something is all around you. For instance, there are clouds in the sky; the nest is in the tree. Notice each set of words and the prepositions:  With a goat , On a  boat. In the  rain. With a  goat. ...

Practical Tips: How are you feeling today?   There are many ways to answer that question as it relates to your current  mood.  For example, you can be happy, sad, worried, and bummed. Standard feeling words such as happy, sad and lonely are easy to remember. But English uses a variety of words that add more ways to express emotion. Such as blue, down, upbeat, bummed out, and wiped out. These last two are collocations, or words that are put together often in 2- or 3-word phrases. See these examples: Feeling Sentence Meaning I’m feeling blue . I’m a little down today.  You look upbeat , did you get good news? I’m bummed ou t because I didn’t get the job. After that 10K run I’m really wiped out .  When you’re sad, not happy. A depressed mood, mentally low. Looking excited and showing positive energy.   Disappointed about something you wanted. Extreme physical tiredness. Now r...

¡Adelante! English      A few basics for language learning Practice. The time needed to learn a language depends on the person and opportunities to speak the language outside of the classroom. Some people learn quicker than others perhaps because they have more practice time with other students. They try out the phrases and vocabulary together and correct each other. Exposure. Being surrounded by native speakers of a second language forces someone to acquire the language quicker because of the need to be understood. Although a powerful motivator, going to a foreign country to learn the language often isn’t practical. But you can immerse yourself through books, newspapers, social media, on-line articles, and movies with subtitles.   Personality.  S ome people just learn fast. I’m amazed when I hear someone say they learned English from watching movies or singing along with songs on the radio. I admire them because they pick it up without additona...