Daffodil International University
Faculty of Humanities and Social Science => English => Topic started by: Bhowmik on June 25, 2011, 02:17:37 PM
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EVERYDAY ENGLISH-1
Everyday we make a lot of mistakes. This is either because of your lack of knowledge or of your state of carelessness.
You should be discrete of what you are going to speak or write.
I have noticed that many of our students make mistake at the very beginning of their presentation,
or conversation as it usually begins with a wish. Like Good morning, Good evening, etc
To overcome this type of mistakes I believe that this site may be helpful.
Good morning, anytime after 6:00Am and before 12:00pm
Good afternoon, anytime after 12:00Pm but before 6:00Pm
Good evening, anytime after 6:00pm and before 12:00am
Good Night, anytime after 6:00pm to before 12:00Pm but to say good bye
Anytime after 12:00 but before 1:00am is known as midnight.
NOTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Good Night is quite different from Good Evening because it refers to Good Bye.
So, if you want to mean welcome any time at night, you should say Good Evening, but not Good night.
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Dear Bhowmik,
A really useful topic for students.
Can you add something on formal greetings ? Students must know them.
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Thank you.
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Thank you sir for your valuable post. I will get proper idea about this English.
Md. Mehedi Hassan (Real)
19th Batch
Dept. of English. DIU
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Dear Swapan,
Very helpful tips for students. I always inform my students about these as you know, they are least concern about these greetings.
Thank you.
Antara Basak
Lecturer
English Dept.
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oh. thank you sir. insallah next time i will not make any fault like before. thank you so much..
Masud Parvaj Mithu
19th Batch
English Department
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How should we start and end a conversation?
Here are a few simple phrases/sentences for greeting people in English.
1. Hi.
Hello.
2. Good morning./ Good afternoon./ Good evening.
Good Morning/ afternoon/ evening.
3. How are you?
How are you doing?
How ya doing? (Informal)
4. Fine. How about you?
5. Okay. Thanks.
You are welcome.
6. Excuse me/ Pardon me.
It's ok/ alright.
7. Good-Bye
Bye
Swapan Kumar Bhowmik
Lecturer, Dept. of English
Daffodil International University
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NTC's Dictionary of EVERYDAY AMERICAN ENGLISH EXPRESSION can be a good source
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Thank you, Apu.
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General Greetings
How are you?
How's it going?
How's it been?
How is everything?
How have you been?
How you been? (informal)
How's tricks? (informal)
What have you been up to?
What's up? (informal)
What's new? (informal)
What's going on?(informal)
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Greeting a person you haven't seen in a long time
I haven't seen you in years!
Long time no see! (informal)
I haven't seen you in an age!
I haven't seen you in a month of Sundays!
a month of sundays = a long time
Expressing surprise at meeting someone
What a surprise to meet you here?
Never thought I'd see you here!
Where have you been hiding yourself?
Have you been keeping busy?
Have you been keeping cool?
Shouldn't you be at work?
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If you forget the name of your seemingly known person, you might ask him or her in the following way:
I'm sorry; I have forgotten your name.
but not in this way:
What is your name?
If you are going to call someone and in the mean time he or she calls you.
You should say----------
I've been meaning to call you.
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Give some tips on telephone conversation as well. Its a big problem that some of the students do not know the courtesies relevant to telephone conversation
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Nahid Madam,
Thank you for your suggestion.
I will post a mock telephone conversation very soon.
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Thank you Bhowmik.
It would be of real benefit for the students.
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What a pleasant surprise, Swapan!
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Students should also given some guidance regarding formal and informal greetings
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Nahid Madam,
Thanks,
I do agree with you.
I will try to show the students the difference between formal and informal expressions.
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This is reall an important topic for the students.Thank you.
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Dear Mr. Moral,
Thank you for your commendable comment.
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Expressing how you have been or state of your health and happiness.
Fine
I'm fine
I'm cool (slang)
Keeping cool
Dandy (informal)
Fine and Dandy
Great
Happy as a clam
Okay
All right
No complaints
I have to complain about
Swapan Kumar Bhowmik
Lecturer, English, DIU
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nice post
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It is a great post. Thank you for your valuable post. I think we can solve our mistakes that we doing everyday.
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Thank you, sir ...
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sir very useful topic. thank you.
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To Lima Khan
Thank you for your feedback. Keep reading.
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Telling how you have been doing-----------POSITIVE EXPRESSION
Keeping busy.
Keeping myself busy.
Been Keeping myself busy.
Keeping out of trouble.
Been Keeping out of trouble.
Telling how you have been doing-----------NEUTRAL EXPRESSION
Same as always
Same as usual
Just muddling through
so so (informal)
Telling how you have been doing-----------NEGATIVE EXPRESSION
Not Good
Not so good
Not too good
None too good
Not well
Not very well
Not so well
Not too well
Not so/too hot
Not great
Not so Great
Not too great
Could be better
Crummy (slang)
I' ve been under the weather.
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Introducing Someone to Someone Else
I would like to meet Mr. William.
John, This is Mr. William
Hello,
Nice to meet you
Good to meet you
Glad to meet you
Very nice to meet you
Nice meeting you
What a pleasure to meet you
I'm happy to meet you.
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Nice job. Keep it up...............
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Dear Bhoumik
You are stepping on with an excellent effort. Hope students are being facilitated.
Antara
Lecturer
Dept of English
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Miss Basak,
Thanks
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Asking how someone is.............
How are you?
How's your family?
How's the family?
How are you doing?
How are you doing today?
How you doing? (informal)
Are you doing ok?
How are you feeling?
Are you feeling ok?
Are you feeling good?
Are you feeling better today?
How have been?
Swapan Kumar Bhowmik
Lecturer
English
DIU
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Nice post for the students. Thanks for sharing sir.
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Excellent post sir....keep it up.
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Thank you sir for this important post... :)
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Mr. Tonmoy, Thanks for your feedback.
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Dear Saiful and Narayan Sir,
Thanks for reading it. Please tell your students to follow this link.
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Carry on...students are having great help from these.
Tank you.
Antara Basak
Lecturer
Dept. of English
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Subject and Verb Agreement
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The subject and verb must agree in number: both must be singular, or both must be plural. Problems occur in the present tense because one must add an -s or -es at the end of the verb when the subjects or the entity performing the action is a singular third person: he, she, it, or words for which these pronouns could substitute.
Notice the difference between singular and plural forms in the following examples:
Singular Plural
The student sings. (He or she sings) Your children sing. (They sing)
The bird does migrate. (It does) Those birds do migrate. (They do)
In order to find out if your subject and verb agree, you need to be able to identify the subject of your sentence. Here are some helpful hints that will help you to decipher where your subject is and where it is not.
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Where is my subject?
• Most likely, your verb will agree with the first noun to the left of the verb:
The Supreme Court judge decides the appropriate penalty.
Subject: judge Verb: decides
The committee members were satisfied with the resolution.
Subject: members Verb: were
• Occasionally, a sentence has the subject after the verb instead of before it. This strategy is often used for poetic effect.
Over the ripples glides a small canoe.
Subject: a small canoe Verb: glides
There was a well-known writer at the meeting.
Subject: a well-known writer Verb: was
• You will not find the subject in a modifying phrase (MP), a phrase that starts with a preposition, a gerund, or a relative pronoun and that modifies the meaning of the noun or subject under discussion.
The group of students is going on a field trip.
Subject: the group MP: of students Verb: is
The survey covering seven colleges reveals a growth in enrollment.
Subject: the survey MP: covering seven colleges Verb: reveals
The speaker whom you saw at the lecture is one of the state senators from Minnesota.
Subject: the speaker MP: whom you saw at the lecture Verb: is
• If subjects are joined by and, they are considered plural.
The quarterback and the coach are having a conference.
Subject: the quarterback and the coach Verb: are having
• If subjects are joined by or or nor, the verb should agree with the closer subject.
Either the actors or the director is at fault.
Subjects: actors, director Verb: is
Either the director or the actors are at fault.
Subjects: director, actors Verb: are
• The relative pronouns (who, whom, which, and that) are either singular or plural, depending on the words they refer to.
The sales manager is a good researcher who spends a great amount of time surfing the Web for information.
Subject: the sales manager Verbs: is, spends
Sales managers are good researchers who spend a great amount of time surfing the Web for information.
Subject: sales managers Verbs: are, spend
• Indefinite pronouns (someone, somebody, each, either one, everyone, or anyone) are considered singular and need singular verbs although they convey plural meaning.
Anyone who wants to pursue higher education has to pass entrance exams.
Subject: anyone Verbs: wants, has
Everyone on the committee is welcome to express his/her ideas.
Subject: everyone Verb: is
• A few nouns can be either plural or singular, depending on whether they mean a group or separate individuals. These words are rarely used as plurals in modern writing.
The jury is sequestered.
Subject: jury Verb: is
The jury are having an argument.
Subject: jury Verb: are having
• A few subjects look plural but are really singular or vice versa.
The news of the discovery is spreading.
Subject: news Verb: is
The mass media have publicized the facts.
Subject: mass media Verb: have publicized
The data amaze everyone.
Subject: data Verb: amaze
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Swapan Kumar Bhowmik
Lecturer, English, DIU