English Punctuation: Usage of Comma

Commas are used for in the following situations:

Commas are used with lists.

Commas in English Grammar are a very common part English Punctuation. Commas are used to separate a list of nouns, including names), 2 or more adjectives , a list of independent clauses or any other kind of lists.

Rules For Using Commas With List

Commas are used when there are 2 or more nouns in a list (example: cats, dogs and mice).

It is common for "and" or "or" to separate the last 2 words in a list.

A comma is optional before the word "and" or "or".

Examples:

Tomorrow is going to be hot, sunny and dry.

I have to buy tomatoes, beans, peppers and a lot of onions.

Do you want to listen to rock music, Jazz or pop music?

Commas are used with addresses, dates and Titles.

Titles, Dates & Addresses

There are special puncation rules for date, names and addresses, Titles.

Rules for using commas with dates, names and addresses:

Dates - a comma is placed, between the day and the year, when the writing according to American English (Month, Day, Year - September 15, 2005.

Note: If the date is written the according to Europe (Day, Month, Year), then there is no comma.

Days and Dates - When writing the day and the date a comma is placed after the day, and follow the rules for dates (see above).

Example: Monday, July 15, 2008

Titles - A comma is place after a name followed by a title.

Example: John Brown, Ph.D.

Tim Lee, Jr.

Addresses - A comma is placed between a street and a town or city, State, and Country.

Example: 15 Fifth Avenue, Houston, England.

Commas are used with Independent and Dependent Clauses.

Independent clauses and dependent/Subordinate clauses made easy so everyone can understand!

Independent and Dependent /Subordinate Clauses

Independent Clauses	Dependent/Subordinate Clauses
A complete thought contains a subject and a predicate(object). is a complete sentence	not a complete thought contains a subject and a predicate(object). is not a complete sentence
Examples: I like to go to the store. We are going to the movies. The teachers at schools are really nice.	Examples: I like to go We are going The teacher at school

Commas are used with nonessential clauses.

Comma use with nonessential clauses, phrases and words

1. Clauses that are not sentences.

2. Clauses that provide extra information.

3. The sentence makes sense with out the nonessential clause.

Comma usage with nonessential clauses:

Commas are placed before the nonessential clause, and at the end of the nonessential clause.

Examples:

1. My English teacher, is really nice, is going to give me a letter for college.

2. The boy, that was playing in the street, that got hit by a car was my brother.

3. My neighbor, that lives on the 2nd floor, is going to take me to school tomorrow.

Commas are ued for introductry cluases, phrases and word/s.

Introductory clauses, phrases and words are:

1. Clauses, phrases or words that are not sentences.

2. Clauses, phrases or words that provide extra information.

3. The sentence makes sense with out the clause, phrase or words.

4. Clauses, phrases or words that come at the beginning of the sentence.

5. They are used as background information, extra information.

6. There can be more than one introductory clause, phrase or word in a sentences.

Commas are placed after the introductory clause, phase or words. If there is more than one introductory clause, phase or words a comma is placed after each introductory clause, phase or words.

Examples:

Wow, that was a great movie.

While I got dressed, The radio was playing a great song.

Excellent job, everyone did a really good job.

copy&paste from:

http://www.english-the-easy-way.com/Punctuation_English/Introductory_Clauses_Commas.htm

When To Use "THE"?

This is taken from; http://thestar.com.my/english

Your Questions Answered: By FADZILLAH AMIN

MICHAEL Swan’s grammar book says: Most names of buildings use “the”, but place-name + Cathedral, University, School — “the” is not used. e.g. Exeter Cathedral and NOT the Exeter Cathedral

How about for “Church” since “Cathedral” is almost similar to “Church”?

Like the famous St Anne’s Church in Bukit Mertajam, is it “the St Anne’s Church” or just “St Anne’s Church”?

For “University”, it’s Adelaide University (without “the”), but how about Universiti Sains Malaysia?

Does the above rule apply to “School” as well?

We have two famous schools in Bukit Mertajam — do we use “the” for Jit Sin High School and BM High School? BM stands for the town Bukit Mertajam, so is there a difference?

– More Confused

A church doesn’t usually have a place name before it, but a saint’s name. If the name of the church begins with a saint’s name, as in St Anne’s Church in Bukit Mertajam, or St Mary’s Church in Kuala Lumpur, we don’t use “the” before it. But if the name of the church begins with “church of ...” as in The Church of St. Martin’s in the Fields in London or The Church of the Holy Cross in Avening, Gloucestershire, England, we put “the” before the name of the church.

Likewise, if a cathedral’s name begins not with a place name or a saint’s name, but with “cathedral of ...”, we put “the” before it, as in The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, Singapore or the Cathedral of The Isles in Millport, Scotland.

The official name of Adelaide University is actually The University of Adelaide.

(www.adelaide.edu.au/)

But Monash University does not have “the” before its name, presumably because Monash is the name of a person — Sir John Monash.

(www.monash.edu.au/about/overview/brief-history.html)

Universiti Sains Malaysia is a name in Bahasa Malaysia, and the rules about “the” in English don’t apply to its name.

Jit Sin High School should not have “the” before it. I don’t know if “Jit Sin” is a person’s name, but whether it is or not, the words are not English and there shouldn’t be “the” before the name of the school.

Finally, Bukit Mertajam High School should not have “the” before it, just like Penang Free School.

‘In school’ or ‘in the school’?

WHEN do we use “in church” and “in the church”, “in school” and “in the school”, “in class” and “in the class”?

– Ms Lee, Kedah



We use “in the church/school/class” when we are referring to a specific church, school or class, or one that has been mentioned before, e.g.

“There are a number of fine stained glass windows in the church, all erected in the first forty years of its life.” (referring to St Augustin’s Church, Bournemouth, UK)

(www.staugustins.org.uk/history.htm)

“This was the first time he set foot in the school his grandchildren were attending.”

“There are 30 children in the class she was assigned to teach.”

We use “in church” to mean attending a Christian religious service in a church, e.g.

“See you in church on Sunday!”

(www.ucb.co.uk/index.cfm?itemid=88&testdate=21+Nov+2008)

When a child is in his school building, either attending classes or taking part in school activities, he is said to be “in school”, e.g. “Ahmad has to be in school from 7.20am to 1.15pm.”

When children and their teacher are in a classroom during a lesson, they are said to be “in class”, e.g. “The teacher expects her pupils to pay full attention to her in class.”

Dead or death?

Someone asked me the other day what is the difference between Death and Dead?

Try to answer the questions below....

death is a noun, dead is an adjective

1. Samuel Goldwyn: "I don't think anyone should write their autobiography until after they're ...."


2. Woody Allen: "On the plus side, ... is one of the few things that can be done just as easily lying down."


3. Mark Twain: "The report of my ... was an exaggeration."


4.Nancy Reagan: "I believe that people would be alive today if there were a ... penalty."


5. Erma Bombeck: "Anybody who watches three games of football in a row should be declared brain ...."


6. Groucho Marx (1890-1977): "Either this man is ... or my watch has stopped."


7. George Santayana: "There is no cure for birth and ... save to enjoy the interval."


8. Woody Allen: "There are worse things in life than .... Have you ever spent an evening with an insurance salesman?"


9. Samuel Goldwyn: "If I could drop ... right now, I'd be the happiest man alive."





Answers:

1. dead
2. death
3. death
4. death
5. dead
6. dead
7. death
8. death
9. dead

It's On The Tip Of My Tongue

No....! I am not making an entry about my tongue... hahaaa...

It's on the tip of my tongue is an idiom.

Idioms?

An idiom is a phrase whose meaning cannot be made sense of from the literal definition, but refers instead to a figurative meaning that is known only through common use.


A Picture Paints a Thousand Words: A visual presentation is far more descriptive than words.

A Piece of Cake: A task that can be accomplished very easily

Drive someone up the wall: To irritate and/or annoy very much.

Good Samaritan: Someone who helps others when they are in need, with no discussion for compensation, and no thought of a reward.


What's her name again? It's on the tip of my tongue.

If you are trying to remember something and cannot quite remember it, it is "on the tip of your tongue".

for more examples, pls visit this site:
http://www.idiomsite.com/

It's Not Always Black and White

Let’s take a brief look at just some of the references to colour in English:

Red
Red (Communism or Socialism).
Red faced (Embarrassed).
In the red (Owing money).
A red rag to a bull (Something which makes a person angry).
Caught-red handed (Caught in the act of doing something wrong).
Red herring (Something that takes attention away from the main subject or event).
Redskins (A slightly derogatory term for native American “Indians”).
Red tape (Bureaucracy and officialdom).
Red letter day (A day to remember an important event).
Paint the town red (Go out and have fun).

Blue

Feeling blue (Depressed).
The Blues (Music reflecting human hardship, poverty and broken-down relationships).
Blue movie/joke (Sexually explicit movie/joke).
Blue sky thinking (Open to new ideas and suggestions).
Blue-blooded (Royal or aristocratic).
True blue (Loyal, faithful, staunch).
Once in a blue moon (Very seldom).
Out of the blue (Unexpected).
Blue collar (Working-class person).

Green

Greenhorn (Naïve, inexperienced person).
Green belt (The undeveloped area surrounding a city).
Greenhouse gases (Pollutants and emissions which are causing an atmospheric temperature rise).
Green-fingered (Skilled at gardening).
Give the green light (Give approval).

Brown

Brown nose (A “yes man”, a boot licker, a sycophant).
Browned off (Annoyed).

Pink (Yeah I know...this is not pink.. )

In the pink (A now unused and old-fashioned term for being in good health).

Yellow

Yellow (Cowardly).
Yellow skin (A slightly derogatory term for an East Asian person, usually Chinese).

Orange

Orange (A supporter of the Orange Lodge, or Protestantism).

Grey

A grey day (Cloudy or wet weather).
A grey area (Not clear, not legally defined).
Grey matter (Referring to one’s intelligence).

Black

Black Power (A power struggle against white supremacy).
Black eye (A bruised eye).
Black tie (Formal dress, in evening wear).
Black magic (Evil magic).
Black market (Illegal trading).
Black Maria (A vehicle for transporting prisoners).
A black day (A bad day, a financial loss).
The Black Death (Disease in Mediaeval times spread by rats, similar to the bubonic plague).
Black-hearted (Mean-spirited, cruel and unmerciful).
Pitch black/Jet black (Very black in colour).
Blackmail (To procure money, or favours, by means of intimidation and threatening to expose a secret).
Blackout (No electricity, no lights, a loss of consciousness).
Black sheep of the family (Someone who does not meet the expectations or standards of the rest of the family).
Black and blue (Badly bruised).

White

White elephant (Something expensive yet unused).
White lie (A slight untruth told to avoid trouble).
White collar (Management or office personnel, professional middle class).
White magic (Magic used for good purposes).


There we have it, a rainbow of English expressions which can delight or disgust, amuse or annoy. So if you show your “true colours” and let others see how good your language skills can be, I’m sure you’ll bring colour to future conversations or successfully pass an English exam with “flying colours”.


Vance Carson currently teaches in Libya and has previously taught English at SMAPK, Kajang.

copy&paste from here

Idiom

Idiomania

By OH TEIK THEAM

(The Star)

CHOOSE the idiom whose meaning is given in the brackets:

1. In the 1965 movie The Sound of Music, Julie Andrews plays Maria, a spirited governess who (is kind and compassionate).

(a) is soft in the head (b) has a heart of stone (c) has a heart of gold

2. After Captain von Trapp has introduced his seven children to her, Maria (eases nervousness) by asking the children to say their names again and their ages.

(a) steps on the juice (b) breaks new/fresh ground (c) breaks the ice

3. Maria and the children (have an excellent and friendly relationship).

(a) keep open house (b) get on/along like a house on fire (c) bring the house down

4. Maria loves the children (deeply).

(a) at heart (b) with all her heart (and soul) (c) in good heart

5. The guests at the party are (dressed in their finest and most formal clothes).

(a) dressed (up) to the nines (b) dressed (up) to kill (c) in their shirtsleeves

6. Maria and the Captain dance (close together).

(a) neck and neck (b) on their toes (c) cheek by jowl

7. Before Maria can finish her dance with the Captain, she suddenly (becomes red in the face).

(a) changes colour (b) shows her (true) colours (c) feels off colour

8. Maria must have (made her feelings apparent), for the Baroness tells her that she (Maria) is in love with the Captain.

(a) held her nose in the air (b) worn her heart on her sleeve (c) turned the other cheek

9. Confused by the whole situation, Maria goes back to the abbey, but she eventually has (a change in her feelings) and returns to the mansion.

(a) a one-track mind (b) a change of heart (c) a swollen/swelled head

10. The nuns at the abbey help Maria and her new family (elude the soldiers).

(a) teach the soldiers a painful lesson (b) wipe the smile/grin off the soldiers’ faces (c) give the soldiers the slip

Answers

1.c

2.c

3.b

4.b

5.a

6.c

7.a

8.b

9.b

10. c

English Language Preparatory Class

Yesterday I had ELP 1000 class for the last time this semester. Thought of bringing back my old tradition of snapping class photos on the final day of class.

I started taking photos of my students on the final day of class since I started working here, but somehow for the past 2 years it stopped...


Spot the difference.... (clue: left side)

Syida is saying something to the boys... something like this maybe? "Come on guys... let's take a picture with me".... hehehhe...

Syida n the boys. From left; Farhan (Bob), Muhd. Fikri (Mufik), Azzim, Mahzan, Azwan, Helmey n Ruzaini (Jai)

Standing; Adzammia, Azmil, Azzim, Ruzaini, Izman, Fithri, Fikri, Faris n Farhan

Squatting; Hafiz, Azwan, Mahzan n Helmey

Goofing around.... Azwan n Bob

The girls.... from left; Hidayu, Izzati, Amalina, Syida, Husna, Amira, Hidayah n Syikin

wwooppss... there's another student in grey???? hehe...



To all of my ELP 1000 students, I really hope to see you next semester doing your diploma program.... all the best.... God bless...

This Is Why We Need To Improve Our English

English Grammar Made Easy: How To Use Who and Whom

http://www.public.asu.edu/~gelderen/314text/images/whom.gif

the following explanation is taken from here

The Rule.
Use the he/him method to decide which word is correct. he = who, him = whom

Examples:
Who/Whom wrote the letter?

He wrote the letter. Therefore, who is correct.

For who/whom should I vote?Should I vote for him? Therefore, whom is correct.

We all know who/whom pulled that prank.

This sentence contains two clauses: We all know and who/whom pulled that prank.

We are interested in the second clause because it contains the who/whom. He pulled that prank. Therefore, who is correct.

(Are you starting to sound like a hooting owl yet?) hahahaaa....

We want to know on who/whom the prank was pulled.

This sentence contains two clauses: We want to know and the prank was pulled on who/whom. Again, we are interested in the second clause because it contains the who/whom. The prank was pulled on him.

Therefore, whom is correct.

Oxymorons

This is an article taken from Wednesday, October 1, 2008 thestaronline



Are oxymorons moronic?


By JOHN EVANS


WHAT is an oxymoron? It is a figure of speech in which two contradictory words are brought together intentionally to create a paradox, usually for emphasis or effect. The word comes from Greek, and literally means “pointedly foolish”.


It could be said that oxymorons reflect the complexities and ironies of life itself and of things not being quite what they seem. Oxymorons may be employed for humorous or polemical purposes too: couplings such as “honest politician”, “business ethics” and “military intelligence” have been considered as oxymoronic, either seriously or in jest.
Writers might try to spice up their prose with oxymoronic phrases such as “deafening silence”, “silent scream”, “beautiful noise” (once the title of a hit single by the American singer Neil Diamond) or “savage beauty”, but it is extremely hard to come up with an original oxymoron as opposed to a hackneyed or clichéd one. “Concrete jungle” is a cliché par excellence, and yet it still manages to pack a punch despite rampant overuse.
Other everyday oxymorons include:
“open secret”,
“working holiday”,
“smart casual”,
“a definite maybe”,
“open prison”,
“stop-go” (policy),
“glorious defeat”,
“bloodless coup” (or revolution),
“love-hate relationship”,
“bittersweet memories”,
“cold comfort”,
“lonely city”,
“poor little rich girl” (or boy),
“black comedy”,
“earthly paradise”,
“wise fool”,
“living legend”,
“living hell/death/nightmare”,
“big baby” (when the “baby” is not an infant),
“found missing”,
“pretty ugly”,
“terribly kind”,
“frightfully/awfully nice”,
“small crowd”,
“plastic glass”, and
“accidentally on purpose”.
George W. Bush has been described as a “dry drunk”, and the Rolling Stones have been compared (perhaps with admiration as much as with denigration) to “walking corpses”.
It is not always clear whether an expression deserves to be called an oxymoron or not. “Neighbour from hell” could be considered oxymoronic if one accepts that neighbours are supposed to be friendly. After all, the adjective “neighbourly” implies a friendly and helpful disposition.
Similarly, “gentle giant” could be considered an oxymoron if one accepts that in the realm of fiction at any rate, giants are usually intimidating.
Oxymoronic idioms include “baptism of fire”, “dripping with jewellery”, “turn a blind eye (to something)”, “being cruel to be kind”, “iron hand/ fist in a velvet glove”, and “method in someone’s madness”.
An oxymoron which is mentioned with depressing regularity in the media is “friendly fire”. This expression refers to weapon fire coming from one’s own side that causes accidental injury or death to one’s own forces. No doubt the person who coined this oxymoron-cum-euphemism was full of good intentions, but the fact remains that to be shot or bombed whether by friend or foe is an equally “unfriendly” experience ...
Oxymorons are not limited to the English language. That famous Japanese word “karaoke” literally means “empty orchestra” and the French expression “idiot savant” could be translated as “knowledgeable idiot”, and refers to a person with learning difficulties who performs brilliantly at some specialised intellectual task, such as giving the day of the week for any calendar date past or present.
Again, the full name for a piano is “pianoforte” which is derived from Italian and literally means “soft and loud”.
Oxymorons are being coined all the time, and one could be forgiven for assuming that they are a 20th-century linguistic phenomenon. Not so. Oxymoronic phrases were especially cultivated in 16th century literature. In Act One of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Romeo jests about the nature of love by using a rapid-fire series of oxymorons in a single speech.
Why then, O brawling love, O loving hate,
O anything of nothing first create!
O heavy lightness, serious vanity,
Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms!
Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health,
Still-waking sleep that is not what it is!

English Grammar Made Easy: Did and Bought

What did I bought?

That is wrong my dear...

You should have said...

What did I buy?






came across this in one of the blogs I've read.... let's improve our English together ok.... :)


.

English 101 : Which and What

Found yourself confused when to use which and what??



Maybe this might help you...

We ask which? when there is a limited choice.

For example

Which size do you want? Small, Medium or Large?

We ask what? when there is a wide choice.

For example

What is your shoe size?

Be Careful or Carefull??

This entry is an excerpt from The Star - Mind Our English

THIS photo was taken at one of the cages at Wild Life Park in Langkawi, Kedah.

The word “careful” has been spelt wrongly with an extra ‘l’. In fact, this notice with the wrong spelling was displayed at most of the cages.

For the sake of the park and the fact that it is one of the many tourist attraction places in Langkawi, let us hope the people concerned will rectify the mistake and learn from it.

– Teh Chong Boo, Penang