Comments

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  alhagag August 9, 2011 22:29

  thanks Tanya for these quintessential explanations but i'm still waiting for you answer the rest of the question.

  i wish your day is  great 

  

     
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  Tanya August 8, 2011 11:38

  Hi, Yara! The phrase "Welcome back home" is correct, no doubt. But it is usually said in the different situation. For example, if somebody who lives together with me (a member of my family) or, at least in the same with me city, returns from  a journey, I will say this phrase. We also use it in EC to greet people who were out for some time (because we were and are in). So, in the situation you described such an expression doesn't sound correct.  It sounds a little funny. The word "welcome" is usually said by a person who is on the top of the situation: a host, a person who answers to your question, who does you a favor, etc. If you told that to your friend, you shouldn't feel embarrassed, that's OK. However, you should have said something different like:

  "Enjoy your return" or

  "Pleasant return" or something like that. I usually use the first phrase.

  Have I answered to your question?
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  Deema August 6, 2011 17:59

  I've been registered at last!!!
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  Tanya August 2, 2011 11:44

  Dear Alhgag! I will explain you a few words. I will start with the second point

  grip, grab and grasp

  All these words are verbs. They are synonyms and describe the same action: to seize and hold firmly. Honestly, I don't feel the great difference but there is some. Each of these verbs emphasizes the particular part of the action.

  To grip means to take and keep a firm hold or to grasp tightly:

  His knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel.

  To grab means to seize suddenly and roughly:

  She grabbed him by the shirt collar.

  To grasp is more universal, so to say. It means to seize and to hold firmly:

  He grasped the bottle and and took a greedy shot.

  As a matter of fact to seize is one more synonym of this row. It means to take hold o suddenly and forcibly.

   

  I will also try to explain point 4:

  Scour, search, seek, and look for

  They are all verbs and synonyms, too.

  To look for is mostly used in our everyday life:

  She is looking for a place to sit in the shade.

  I usually look for my reading glasses.

  To seek describes an attempt to find something or someone:

  A homeless child was hopelessly seeking for a shelter.

  My student is seeking for some English speaking pen pals.

  To search emphasizes thoroughness of the process (we usually use it speaking about information):

  She will be searching the truth for long.

  
  

  To scour means to search something in order to locate (mostly used when we speak about crimes, detectives but not necessarily) :

  The police was scouring the woods for the missing child.

  The police patrols scoured the streets, all that night.

  He spent half an hour scouring the newspaper for any mention of the fire.

  That is all for today. I will explain more in a few days, OK?

  

   

   

  
  
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  Tanya August 2, 2011 10:27

  Hi, Alhgag! I am fine and hope you are doing well. What a great picture of a white tiger! Panther cubs are great, too.

  Well, now I will answer to your question about a predicate.

  A predicate  is always the second part of any sentence. It is a verb in the personal form. Such a form means that a verb is used in one of 24 English tenses. Here are a few examples:

  It is rainy today. (The Simple Present Tense)

  I am writing a comment now. (Present Progressive)

  I have been to the grocery today. (Present Perfect)

  I talked to my friend yesterday. (Past Simple) and so on.

  You see, English grammar is mostly grammar of a verb. We say that a verb is the king of English grammar and that is the truth. It is the most "flexible" part of speech. Well, to make my explanations clearer I have to make some statements.

  There are two groups of term: the parts of speech and the parts of the sentence.

  I think you know the parts of speech because you often use those terms: nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, etc.

  The parts of the sentence are:

  a parenthesis

  a subject

  a predicate

  an indirect object

  a direct object

  a modifier of an action

  a modifier of a place

  a modifier of time.

  It is so called "the standard word order" and we can chance it only according to the strict rules.

  I have already told you about a subject, a predicate, an object (Americans usually call it "complement") and about a modifier of an action if it is an adverb. If you have other questions about the parts of a sentence or the word order, I will gladly answer to them.

  Unfortunately, today I haven't got enough spare time  to answer to all your questions about that vocabulary but I'll try to answer some in the next comment.

   
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  alhagag August 1, 2011 22:25

  hi, Tanya how do you feel? i have question about words may you give me the difference between them ?

  1- accuracy, subtlety, precision, meticulous

  2- grip, grab and grasp

  3-neutralize, paralyze, handicap, incapacitate and disable

  4-Scour, search, seek, and look for

  have a great day!

  
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  alhagag August 1, 2011 22:08

  hi, Tanya it's marvelous to hear for you again well done for these astounding explanation but i still have simple trouble about predicate i don't understand this word and nice picture.

  well done Tanya!

   
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  Tanya August 1, 2011 12:57

  Dear Alhgag! It is always pleasant for me to answer to your questions looking at the great pictures you post here!

  Well, I will try to explain about a subject and an object.

  A subject is a main person in a sentence. It is the first word in most of sentences :

  I am fine.

  He is late.

  That guy is my brother.

  A subject can be a noun, noun phrase ( a group of words containing a noun), personal (I, he, she....) or demonstrative (this, that, these, those)  pronoun, infinitive or gerund:

  The book is on the table (noun)

  5 miles is not far (noun phrase)

  He is a manager (personal pronoun)

  That is far away (demonstrative pronoun)

  To eat much is not healthy (infinitive)

  Smoking is harmful (gerund).

  So, if a subject is a personal pronoun it should be in the subject form (I, he, she, it, we, you, they). A subject and a predicate must be in any sentence.

   

  An object is a part of a sentence that usually follows a predicate.

  He wrote me a letter ("he" is a subject, "me" is an indirect object, "a letter" is a direct object).

  Both objects can be expressed by  the parts of speech  we use as a subject. If we use a personal pronoun as an object, it should be in the object form (me, him, her, it, us, you, them):

  I talked to him yesterday ("I" is a subject, "him" is an indirect object)

   

  Your question was about the special construction. Let's analyze it:

   

  It was not me who told you about that.

  Here "it" is a subject, "was not" is a predicate,"me" is an object of the main clause. "Who told you about that" is an auxiliary clause where "who" is a subject, "told" is a predicate, "you" and "about that" are indirect objects.

  To summarize my explanations I should say the phrase I have alredy said:

  So, if you use a personal pronoun as a subject (and only in this case), it must be in the subject form, i.e., "I". If you use it as an object, it must be in the object form, i.e., "me" and it is the same about all other personal pronouns.

  Is it clear now? You know, you may always ask again.

  Have a nice day and don't stop learning!

  

  

  https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2382422376?profile=original
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  alhagag July 31, 2011 16:53

  hi, Tanya don't worry the most important thing is you're good health thanks for a great explanation every thing is clear otherwise subject and object indeed it's not plain.

  
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  Tanya July 31, 2011 5:51

  Dear Alhgag! I am sorry for not answering earlier. I was away for a few days. Well, let me answer to your questons.

  1. If we mean grammar, animals are of the neutral gender. So, any animal is 'it". But, on the other hand, there are male and female individuals not to say that many people love animals and don't want to speak about them as about inanimate objects. So, when we speak about our pets, we always "animate" them. For example:

  - Is it a male or female cat?

  - My cat is a male.

  - What is his name?

  When we speak about wild animals, we use the neutral gender if we mean the species in general. For example:

  A bear is a strong animal. It is stronger than many others.

  But when we want to say something special about males or females, we use he or she:

  A cat is a good mother. She takes good care of her cubs until they reach puberty.

  However, if we speak about some animals in general and we want to "animate" them, we always use "he" like in your example.

  2. "It is me who....". As you can see, "me" is an object in this construction. That is why it is used in the object form. The personal pronouns have two forms: subject and object ones. So, if you use a personal pronoun as a subject (and only in this case), it will be in the subject form, i.e., "I". Otherwise, it will be in the object form, i.e., "me". Please, compare:

  I want to do that. (Subject)

  Do you want me to do that? (Object)

  3. The word "own" can be a verb or an adjective.

  I own this house (a verb).

  This house is my own (an adjective)

  The meaning is the same: this house is my property.

  "Own" means something personal. It may be property like in my examples or some personal characteristics like in yours.  So, there is no principle difference between your sentences about a wolf. The first example is better because it emphases the difference between a wolf's and its prey's weights.

  4. Your last sentence is incorrect. It should be "on its own".Well, it is an idiom that means "alone"

  Have I answered to your questions? It it clear? You know, you may ask again.