Christmas Carols!

With Christmas just around the corner, I figured it would be a great come-back to post a couple of Christmas Carols!!

But first, what exactly does 'carol' mean?
Carol is both a noun and a verb!
As a noun it means 1. A song of praise or joy, especially for Christmas. and 2. An old round dance often accompanied by singing!!
As a verb it means 1. To sing in a loud, joyous manner and 2. To go from house to house singing Christmas songs. I think it was pretty obvious, no? :)

So, warm up those vocal chords with some hot cocoa and start caroling! :) :) :)

Below I've posted a couple of popular Christmas Carols:
We Wish you a Merry Christmas,
Jingle Bells,
Deck the Halls,
Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer
and Silent Night.
A great site for more carols (along with the music for each!) is http://www.the-north-pole.com/carols/index.htm

Merry Christmas Everyone and Happy Caroling! :) :)

We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

We wish you a Merry Christmas,
We wish you a Merry Christmas,
We wish you a Merry Christmas,
And a Happy New Year!

Good tidings to you, and all of your kin,
Good tidings for Christmas, and a Happy New Year!

We want some figgy pudding,
We want some figgy pudding,
We want some figgy pudding,
And a cup of good cheer!

Good tidings to you, and all of your kin,
Good tidings for Christmas, and a Happy New Year!

We won’t go until we get some,
We won’t go until we get some,
We won’t go until we get some,
So bring it out here!

We wish you a Merry Christmas,
We wish you a Merry Christmas,
We wish you a Merry Christmas,
And a Happy New Year!

Jingle Bells

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!
Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh. HEY!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!
Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh.

Dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh,
Over the fields we go, laughing all the way;
Bells on bob-tail ring, making spirits bright,
What fun it is to ride and sing a sleighing song tonight.

Oh,

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!
Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh; HEY!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!
Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh.

Deck the Halls

Deck the halls with boughs of holly;
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
'Tis the season to be jolly;
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Don we now our gay apparel;
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Troll the ancient Yule-tide carol;
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la.

See the blazing Yule before us.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Strike the harp and join the chorus.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Follow me in merry measure.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
While I tell of Yule-tide treasure.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

Fast away the old year passes.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Hail the new year, lads and lasses
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Sing we joyous, all together.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
heedless of the wind and weather.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer

had a very shiny nose,
And if you ever saw it,

you would even say it glows.
All of the other reindeer

used to laugh and call him names;
They never let poor Rudolph

join in any reindeer games.

Then one foggy Christmas Eve,

Santa came to say,
"Rudolph, with your nose so bright,
Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"

Then how the reindeer loved him,

as they shouted out with glee,
"Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, you'll go down in history!"

Silent Night

Silent night, Holy night,

All is calm, all is bright.

‘Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child,

Holy infant so tender and mild

Sleep in heavenly peace

Sleep in heavenly peace.

A/An and The - General statements

One very difficult and confusing issue (at times) is the proper use of the articles a/an and the.

According to what you want to say, the use of a/an and the differs.

Today I will write about using a/an and the when talking about General Statements.

With singular nouns we use a/an and the to make general statements.
A bear can be dangerous.                                       The bear is a dangerous animal.
Here, a bear and the bear mean all bears, bears in general. We usually use the in specific, formal and academic contexts. A/an with a singular noun is the informal.

e.g. A dishwasher can be very useful.              The fly is a common insect.
       A tower is a tall building.                                 Who invented the camera?

With plural nouns or uncountable nouns we use the for a specific meaning. Without the the meaning is a general statement.
e.g. Yachts are expensive to buy. (general statement)
       The yachts were bought by two brothers. (Two specific yachts)

       Bears are dangerous animals. (general statement)
       The bears searched for food in the forest. (specific bears)

       I always need money. (general statement)
       I paid the money I owed yesterday. (specific money)

       I love to listen to music in the morning! (general statement)
       He had the music on very loud and I couldn't concentrate! (specific music)

Special uses of the: We use the with musical instruments, means of transport, and with countryside, seaside, cinema, theatre and radio.
e.g. She plays the piano very well.                     
       He takes the train to work every day.
       We love going to the countryside in autumn.   
       They went to the seaside today!
       Do you enjoy going to the cinema/the theatre?       
       Let's listen to the radio!           


:) :)
     

Some and Any

Some or Any?

Many are confused as to when to use some and when any.

Some and any go before a plural or uncountable noun.
e.g. On her desk there was a computer, some papers and some coffee.

Some has a positive meaning, but any means that there may be none. We normally use some in positive sentences and any in negative sentences or ones with a negative meaning.
e.g.
Positive:  I've got some information for you about Greece.
                 I need some money to buy groceries.  There is some on the table!
                 There were some great new jackets in the shop yesterday.

Negative: I haven't got any money. (I've got no money)
                 There aren't any apples in the bowl.
                 I never see any children in the park.
                 There's hardly any milk left. (There's almost no milk left)

BUT we can use any in a positive sentence with if:

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Please tell any callers that I'll be back at 12pm. (=if there are any callers)

Send any complaints to the manager. (=if there are any complaints)

Any is more usual in questions. The answer to the question is usually yes or no.
e.g. Have we got any orange juice?  Yes / No / I (don't) think so.
       Did you get any work done? Yes, I did / No, I didn't.
       Will there be any music at the event tonight? Yes / No / I don't know.

BUT we can use some to make the questions more positive, especially in offers and requests. When we use some, it means that we expect the answer to be YES!

Would you like some coffee? 

Could you help me make some cookies?

Can we get some chocolate on our way home?

YES! YES! YES!

Any questions?? :) :) :)

So and Such

Let's talk about so and such.

When do we use them and how do we use them?

First of all, we NEVER use so or such after a/an.

e.g.       a so big house       or       a such nice day.

Big mistake!

We use these patterns:
be + so  + adjective        and        such + a/an + adjective + noun

e.g. Their house was so big!         They have such a big house!
        The film is so funny!               It is such a funny film!

We can also use so and such with uncountable nouns or a plural noun. In the case of such we simply omit the article a/an since it's plural.

e.g. The food was so good!                           It was such good food!
       The people were so nice!                       They were such nice people!
       The students are so quiet!                     They are such quiet students!



 After a phrase with so or such we can add a clause:

Their house was so big that it took us an hour to go around it!
It was such a funny film that we couldn't stop laughing!
The food was so good (that) we booked a table for tomorrow!
They were such nice people (that) I bought them a 'thank-you' present!

:) :)


      
      

Active voice VS Passive voice

Dear xamoyela.blogspot,

Could you please tell me the grammatical definition of the active and passive voice? I know the difference, but how do you explain each of them?

Thanks,
Steve


Hi Steve!

I'm happy you know both voices and that you use them correctly.
Here are the grammatical terms of each:

Active Voice:  one of two voices in English; a direct form of expression where the subject performs the verb. E.g. “Many children play video games”.

Passive Voice: one of two voices in English; an indirect form of expression in which the subject receives the action. Eg. “Video games are played by many children”.

I hope this is what you were looking for!

If you need any further assistance, please contact me :)

A @ xamoyela

 

SAY what?

Dear xamoyela.blogspot,

What's the difference between 'say' and 'tell'? Apart from various fixed phrases like 'to tell a lie' are there any other important differences?

Thanks!
Anna


Hi Anna!

Yes, you are absolutely right that there are certain phrases that use 'say' and 'tell', but there is a very important difference in the way we use the two of them.

A simple way to remember the difference in their use is:

Remember -->    You say something
                      but
                You tell SOMEONE something

for example:

Fred said he was tired   -   Fred told Jenny that he was tired.
Antony says you got a new job!   -   Antony tells me that you got a new job!

Now this doesn't mean that when using 'say' we can't mention to whom we are speaking to. All you have to remember is to put 'to' before the person.

for example:

Fred said to Jenny that he was tired.
Antony said to me that you got a new job.

BUT this form is usually used with reported speech. Never will you see something like 'Dad says to mom to go to the garden', it would either be 'said to' or 'told'.
ALSO you would never see something like:
I'm saying to you that you're wrong!
          it should be
I'm telling you that you're wrong! 

So it is true that you must be careful when using 'say'. 'Tell' is easier since it is ALWAYS followed by a person.

I will post about the differences between say and tell again in the future, but for now I hope this helps!

All the best,
A@xamoYELA :)

Listen VS Hear

Dear XamoYELA!

Aren't the words 'listen' and 'hear' the same thing? What's the difference?

Thanks,

Tom


Hi Tom!

Yes, both listen and hear mean that we understand 'noise' or 'sound', but there is a difference.

LISTEN means to pay attention to something or someone (or concentrate on).

e.g. I'm listening to you. (I am paying attention to what you are saying)

HEAR means to notice a sound.

e.g. I heard a loud thump! Something must have fallen down outside! (I noticed a sound.)

So, let's look at these sentences and clarify the difference a bit more:

 1. I listen to music.  (I concentrate on the sounds.)

 2. I hear the wind-chimes. (I am able to notice the sound)

This difference is the reason why we call the task of 'listening' when learning a foreign language 'Listening', because we pay attention to understand and concentrate on what we hear from the recording.

This difference is also why we call people who are hard of hearing 'hard of hearing', because it is difficult for them to notice sounds.

I hope I helped! :)

A @ xamoYELA

ANNOUNCEMENT

ANNOUNCEMENT

For the next 3 weeks Q and A Mondays will be held on Tuesdays!!

Stay tuned!

A @ xamoYELA! :)

affect VS effect

Dear xamoyela,
I'm having a hard time understanding the difference in the words 'affect' and 'effect'. Is there a difference?

Thanks!
Sam


Hi Sam!

These two word are very commonly confused! Even native speakers make mistakes when using them, which is why many believe that 'affect' is a verb and 'effect' is a noun. They are both verbs AND nouns!

Affect means "to influence" or "to produce an effect in." (See how 'effect' here is a noun?)

Effect means "consequence" or "that which is produced by (sth)." 

e.g.

The new law has affected us all.

The effect of the new law has made us all reconsider many things.

I do suppose you could use each differently (affect as a verb and effect as a noun) so it is easier to keep separate, but in the end, it shouldn't confuse you if you should see them used otherwise.

e.g.

The affect of the speech was shown in the way the audience reacted.

The new Director of Studies is bound to effect changes in the curriculum.

In the first case, affect means an observed or expressed response and in the second case, effect means to carry out.

I hope I've clarified the differences a little bit for you.

:)

A @ xamoyela

Inversions

Dear A @ xamoyela,

What is Inversion and what do we use it for?

Thanks,

Maria F.

Hi Maria F!

Well, we can use inversion after certain words and expressions for emphasis.

Inversion is formed by using an auxiliary verb + subject and is usually used in formal English.

For example,

Rarely do we see this much sunshine in winter.

Never have I heard such an interesting speech.

Not only did he lose all his money, but his car was stolen as well.

In the first case, instead of simply saying: ‘We rarely see this much sunshine in winter’ we use inversion and give emphasis to the word rarely by beginning with it.  

Rarely do we see this much sunshine in winter.

The same goes for the second sentence. We want to emphasize that I’ve NEVER heard something so interesting.

In the third instance we’re giving notice that there are more than one part that needs emphasis, so by starting with ‘Not only…’ the audience expects a two-part sentence.

Inversion is also possible after a complete clause beginning with only/after/by/when/if/not until.

For example

Not until John had spoken to her did he understand how she felt.

Only after they sell their house will they be able to move on.

Hope that helps!

Happy English and keep up the good work! :)

A

Idioms

Hi xamoyela blogspot!

I have 2 questions. I don't understand what these idioms mean:

1. to be 'against the clock'
2. to do something 'at the drop of a hat'

Thanks,
John T.


Hi John T.!

Those are great idioms!

Well, to be against the clock means that you are fighting with time... you don't have much time, so you have to rush, to be in a hurry.

e.g. He was heavily against the clock, but he managed to get all his work done in time.

Now, 'to do something at the drop of a hat', is a very nice visual idiom. How quickly does a hat fall off your head (if wind is blowing or if you give it a little tap)? 

The answer is: immediately. So if you do something at the drop of a hat, it means you do, whatever that may be, in an instant, immediately... straight away.

e.g. Mary: "Lisa, would you go out with George Clooney if he ever asked you?"

        Lisa: "George Clooney? I would! At the drop of a hat!"

Hope that helps! 

A:)

New Feature! New Label!

Hello eager English learners!

I am happy to announce a new feature on this blog, which is a Q and A section!

Yes, that's right! It's in your hands to get those lingering questions about English answered!! 

Questions may be about grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, culture -just about anything!

I will post the Question and Answer of one question every Monday and all Q and A's will be available for reference under the Q and A label.

So, let's get started!

E-mail questions to My Question (please state: Q and A in your e-mail subject title!) by clicking on the link 'My Question'.

On your left! Part Two

So, I left you with four sentences and what the word 'left' means in each case.
Let's see them again.

1. Is there any coffee left?
2. My car is the second one on the left.
3. They left the country last week.
4. He supports a left-wing party.


In the 1st sentence, the word left means remaining or not used / taken. So in this case the person asking the question is wondering if there is any coffee for them to drink.

In the 2nd sentence, the word left is the opposite of right. So here, the car in question is on the left side, not the right side.

In the 3rd sentence, the word left is the past tense of the verb leave. So if we would ask: "When did they leave the country?" the answer would be: "They left the country last week."

And finally, in the 4th sentence, the word left means socialist. Here, it is matched with the word wing and refers to politics. Here the word party means a political group.
Left-wing politics ranges from centre-left to far-left. The term centre-left describes a position within the political mainstream, whereas far-left refers to positions more radical often associated with communism.

I hope you enjoyed this post!
:)

On your left! Part One

What do Julia Roberts, Bruce Willis, Angelina Jolie, Whoopi Goldberg, Michaelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, H.G. Wells, Paul McCartney, Larry Bird, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama have in common?

They are all left-handed!

Have you ever thought about what items are designed with right-handed people in mind?
For example, scissors, pc mouse, kitchen aids?

Did you know that there is an International Left-Hander's Day? It's on August 13th!

Read the sentences below and decide what the word 'left' means in each case.

1. Is there any coffee left?
2. My car is the second one on the left.
3. They left the country last week.
4. He supports a left-wing party.

Answers and more info will be posted later on in 'On your left! Part Two'

HIDDEN COUNTRIES (answers)

Sorry I haven't been posting much, but I will soon be back to speed!

Did you enjoy the guessing / hangman-like game with the names of countries?

Did you find them all?

Which ones got you stuck? (if any)

Here are the answers!
1. FRANCE
2. GERMANY
3. ENGLAND
4. ARGENTINA
5. CAMEROON
6. SPAIN
7. ITALY
8. TURKEY
9. FINLAND
10. HUNGARY
11. SINGAPORE
12. SCOTLAND
13. DENMARK
14. IRELAND
15. NORWAY
16. GREECE
17. JAPAN
18. CHINA

:) :)

Do you know these countries?

HIDDEN COUNTRIES

Fill in the missing letters of the 18 countries listed below. On the line next to the country,

write the part of speech of the word formed from the given bold letters.

1.       _  R A N  _  _                        __________________________

2.       G E R M  _  _  _                   __________________________

3.       _  _  L A N D                        __________________________

4.       _  _  G E N T _  _  _            __________________________

5.       C A M E  _  _  _  _               __________________________

6.       _  P A I N                              __________________________

7.       I T  _  _  _                              __________________________

8.       _  _  _  K E Y                       __________________________

9.       F I N  _  _  _  _                      __________________________

10.     H U N G _  _  _                     __________________________

11.     _  _  _  G A P  _  _  _          __________________________

12.     _  C O T _  _  _  _                __________________________

13.    D E N _  _  _  _                      __________________________

                                                                

14.     I R E  _  _  _  _                     __________________________

15.     _  O R _  _  _                       __________________________

16.     _  R E _  _  _                       __________________________

17.     _  A P _  _                             __________________________

18.     C _  I  _  _                             __________________________

Answers will be posted tomorrow!! :) :)