LizAnn's Posts (15)

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How well do you know English prepositions? Read the ten sentences below and fill in the correct preposition.

Posted by LizAnn on August 30, 2010
1. The reception will be _____on________ Sunday _______at_________three_____in_______ the afternoon.2. She has been away ___on____business ___for_______two weeks.3. We now live ___at________ 663 Main Street _in_____Westfield.4. Please remember to be polite! When you are sitting _at_______the table for dinner,don't put your elbows ___on_______the table.5. The tax office is ____on_____________the fourth floor.6. Some of the most expensive stores ___in_______New York are _on____Fifth Avenue.7. Water consists _____of_________hydrogen and oxygen.8. Let's dispense _with_________all formalities and abstain__from______taking sides in this dispute.9. He never seems to be listening ____to___what people say to him.10. When people become desperate, they may resort _to_______violence.
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Spring in the North

Posted by LizAnn on April 2, 2010
Today was a great day! It finally has become warm once again after a very long winter.I have seen several birds that have returned after flying south for the winter. Their lovely songs are such a delight to hear. And flowers are beginning to bloom once again. Some of the first flowers to appear are the yellow daffodils and the many-colored tulips. And here, the farmers put their cows out; I must admit that I really enjoy eating the dairy products the cows produce... cheese, cream (for my coffee) and, of course, ice cream. I am so glad cows live here!I love living in a small rural village; so many people have to live in crowded polluted cities. I had my turn of living in cities and enjoyed it, but now enjoy a slower, cleaner, quieter and more nature-attuned life.How about you? Where do you live? Do you like it or would you like to live somewhere else?
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Looking Forward

Posted by LizAnn on February 6, 2010

Greetings to everybody!

A new year and a new decade is here! For many, the last decade was dismal and we look forward, with hope and promise, to a new decade of peace and understanding.

The New Year celebrations are now over in the USA, but the Chinese New Year celebrations will start soon all over the world. China is a big country and has a huge population, and many Chinese live around the world. In the USA, there is a big Chinese group living in New York, and in San Francisco (and in many other American and Canadian cities). Wherever I travel in the USA, I always find a Chinese restaurant! Even in remote, small little villages. It has been my experience that the Chinese are very hard working and ambitious for themselves and for their children. What do you think?

And I am looking forward to watching the Winter Olympics when they begin next week in Canada. I especially like to watch the skiing, the ski jumping and the ice skating. One has to be very coordinated and graceful to skate like a champion, and one has to be fearless to ski down a mountain at 80 miles an hour! Have you ever tried any of these winter sports? Since I live in a cold climate, I have tried most of these sports, but only go snowshoeing now. It is fun to put on a pair of snowshoes and go into the woods; if you are lucky you will see some animals, or at the very least, animal tracks. Today, outside, I saw

rabbit tracks and deer tracks; it must be hard for them to find food in the winter when the ground is covered with snow.

Do you have winter in your country? Do you like it? I hope that you have the opportunity to enjoy winter some time in your lives. It can be a very beautiful, magical time. And you always know that spring and summer will come...bringing flowers, green grass and opportunities to walk, swim, play games in warmer weather.

I will leave you with one of my favorite poems from one of my favorite poets.

DUST OF SNOW by Robert Frost

The way a crow

Shook down on me

The dust of snow

From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart

A change of mood

And saved some part

Of a day I had rued.

This is a simply written but eloquent poem. Did you know all the words?

Did you understand it? let me know

I hope that you all are looking forward to a happy, healthy and prosperous 2010!

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Christmas in the USA

Posted by LizAnn on December 28, 2009
Christmas is a very special holiday in the USA. It is especially meaningful for children. And I am sure you can understand why. Children receive presents; they have to behave really well so that Santa Claus will visit their home on Christmas Eve and leave them the very special present they want. When my children were very little, they would be so good for several months before Christmas, that it was wonderful. Our home was very peaceful and the children helped when asked and were polite almost all of the time!Of course, the tradition of giving and receiving gifts has gotten out of hand in the USA and people often shop frantically for gifts for friends and family. Many people complain that Christmas has become too commercial and the true meaning of Christmas has become lost.The reason for the season is the birth of Jesus Christ; he is believed, by Christians, to be our Savior and Lord. People attend church and listen to and sing very beautiful Christmas songs, called carols. Also, places of worship, stores, places of business and private homes are decorated with sparkling lights. The birthplace and tableau of the Christ child and his family are often portrayed. The glittering lights are especially welcome in December in the northern United States as it is dark and cold at this time of the year.All in all, Christmas is a magical time, especially for families and children. But most of all, it is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus and the hope that he brought with him for peace and love for all peoples in the world now and in the future.
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Using modal auxiliaries .......... how easy are they?

Posted by LizAnn on October 19, 2009
Here are some modals:should, shouldn't,ought to, had better, had better not,have to, have got to, not have to ,must, must notI will list two stories. Think about what you would say to this person andinclude as many of the modals listed above as possible.1. Joe and Sarah are eighteen years old. They go to university full time. Their parentsare paying for their education. Joe and Sarah met only two months ago, and they fell in love. Jake wants to get married before the end of the year. Sarah wants to wait until they have both finished their education....four years away. Joe doesn't want to wait that long, and Sarah loves him desperately. She thinks maybe she should change her mind and marry Joe sooner because love conquers all.2. Erika is recovering from the flu. She is at work today. She works for a big company. It is her first day back to work and she feels a little dizzy and sick to her stomach. She also tires very quickly.What do you think these people should do in these situations? Give us your ideas.Use the above listed modals expressing advice, possiblity and necessityGOOD LUCK!
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How You Spent Your Summer

Posted by LizAnn on August 23, 2009
Hi everybody,This will be a writing exercise. I will write to you about how I spent my summer and then I would like you to tell me what you did this summer? Of course, my summer was spent in the northern hemisphere; if you are in South America, Australia or lots of other places, it would not be summer. But, for now, let's write about vacation (or a break from work or school).For the last couple of months, I have been staying at a small lake in mid-Michigan, USA. Michigan is surrounded by several Great Lakes, but we did not stay on one of them. Anyway, it has been a rainy and cool summer and we haven't been able to enjoy boating or swimming very much. However, we have enjoyed feeding the birds; there are many different ones that you don't see at all in cities. Also, we have seen many deer; just this morning I saw a doe with two of her babies, two beautiful little fawns. And on our walk around the lake today, we saw bear tracks! I am just very glad that I did not see a bear!And one of my very favorite things is lilstening to the loons. They have a very distinctive call that is eerie and would scare you if you didn't k now what it was. However, they are pretty birds that really like to catch fish from the lake.So, how did you spend your summer? Did you travel? Did you visit different countries or cities? If you write to me in the best English that you can, I will correct it and re-send it to you.Good Luck!
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TRAVELING with Idioms

Posted by LizAnn on May 5, 2009
I will post a conversation, using idioms.Please write what the idioms mean.The Idioms are in UPPER CASE.I will put in the correct answers on Thursday, May 7th.Susan: I'm ABOUT TO leave for Chendu with stops in Cairo and Tel Aviv.George: Well, if you're HEADED FOR central China, why IN THE WORLD are you goingBY WAY OF Cairo and Tel Aviv?Susan: I need to know what is happening in both places, and I have to be thereON THE GROUND. Besides that, I have to MEND FENCES in both places because oursales reps there STEPPED ON SOME TOES last month. I didn't realize I would have toKEEP TABS ON those two.George: I think you should fire them!Susan: We'll see.Good luck!
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The Body and What it Does

Posted by LizAnn on April 8, 2009
Hey all you students of English,I have a little questionnaire for you; it concerns your body.Match the words on the right with a part of the body to form a common English expression.1. blow ........................... your knees2. nod ........................... your nose3. comb ............................ your nails4. fold ............................ your head5. bend ............................ your arms6. shake ............................ your hair7. bite ............................ handsWhat do the following actions often mean? (there may be many possible answers)1. People often smile when2. They laugh when3. They often breathe quickly after4. They blow their noses when5. They shake their head when6. And nod their head when7. They yawn whenAnswer the quiz the best that you can and I will post the answers by Friday, April 10thlizann, the English teacher
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Money

Posted by LizAnn on March 27, 2009
Let's talk about money.What is the money in your country called? What do you pay to live in an apartment?Do many people live in houses? What do they pay for a house?Do people drive cars? Are cars expensive?Please answer these questions so we can learn about living in your country.Then, I have an assignment for you. How quickly can you answer the questions below?Write down the answers to all of them in ONE minute and then go back and check.I will give you the answers in two days.1. Is the currency in the U.S. called dollars and cents?2. Is a quarter worth more than fifty cents?3. If you lend something to someone, do they borrow it?4. If you waste mney, do you use it well??5. Does "cost of living" mean the same as "standard of living?"6. If someone tells you a hotel is reasonable, is it very expensive?Good Luck! Lizann, English teacher
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The City and the Country

Posted by LizAnn on March 23, 2009
Here is another assignment for you to practice your English. In the USA, many people live in big cities; some people live in smaller cities and some people live in towns or villages, they live in "the country."I will give you some vocabulary words about each and ask you to add what words you think apply to the city or the country.City: noisy, crowded, __________, _________, ____________Country: quiet, peaceful, fresh air, __________, __________, ___________.Where would you rather live, the city or the country? Why? Give me three reasons.1.2.3.
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Practice Conversation in English.....what would you say?

Posted by LizAnn on March 22, 2009
I will give examples of situations. What would you (say) or write in these situations?I.1. Your friend turns 21 tomorrow.Possible Answers: Congratulations! Hey! Happy Birthday!2. Your friend is going to take a driving test next week.Possible answer: Good Luck!3. You know that you will see your friend again in a few hours.Possible answers: See you later. See you soon.4. He/she has just sneezed.Polite to say: God Bless You!II.1. You are in a meeting. Someone comes in and says that you have an urgent telephone call. What do you say as you leave?Comment: Excuse me, this won't take long.2. Someone said something to you,but you didn't hear all of it.Excuse me? Could you please repeat?3. Another friend tells you he is going for a job interview tomorrow.Good luck! You'll knock "em dead!4. You met a new business client for the first time an hour ago, and you are both leaving.It was nice meeting you.Please write what you would say and I will let you know if it is correct or acceptable.It is important to know greetings, farewells and special expressions.Talk to you later, Lizann, English teacher
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Business Problems

Posted by LizAnn on March 16, 2009
All of my friends and people I know, and many I don't know, are very unhappy with the situation that the bankers have caused here in the USA. They make TOO much money to begin with and, even when they caused massive bank failures, they continue to draw excessive salaries and bonuses. I really think there will be a revolution inour country if these corrupt bankers are not reined in.I, for one, am very happy that we elected President Obama and hope that the people that he appoints will ease the financial strain on our economy. We elected him by a very big margin and want to see him succeed, especially for our country! Is a bad ecomonic climate affecting your country? Are you happy with the way politicians are proceeding to take care of problems?Try answering some questions like: Why? How? When???lizann
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Good Place to Live

Posted by LizAnn on March 10, 2009
Where do you live? Do you like it? Would you rather live in a big city orin a quiet place in the country?Here are my thoughts. I have lived lots of places, both in the USA and in Europe.I like the excitement of going to a big city, for all the things that a city offers.There can be wonderful museums and excellent restaurants. New York City is nearwhere I live now and it is a great place to visit. There is a very large Chinatown withgreat stores and tasty ethnic restuarants. And the museums have so much to offer.You can appreciate art from throughout history, both very old and modern. Andif you like theater, you can always see a play on Broadway. Unfortunately, it hasbecome quite expensive to see a play, but it really is worth it once in a while.And it is easy to get around in New York; they have excellent bus service and an efficientsubway system.Do you live in a big city? Tell us about it.lizann
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Work, Marriage, Duties, etc.

Posted by LizAnn on March 5, 2009
Do lots of women work in your country? Are they able to get a good education, and thus a good professional job? If they work, do men/husbands share the work at home?In the USA now, over 50% of women work outside the home. Men in this generation help at home; for instance, my son-in-law is an excellent cook. I have even told him to think about starting a restaurant! Woo! Woo! I would go there all the time.And here in the USA, men help taking care of the children, but they don't do much ofthe cleaning. That seems to fall on the woman......that is not good, especially if she has worked a long day and is probably tired.Are there women in government positions in your country? Hillary Clinton came close to winning the nomination to run for President here, but Barack Obama got the nomination. And then, happily, he won!!! Good news for our country. It appears that he and Michelle are equal partners in their marriage......that now seems to be the norm in the USA for their generation.What about your country???
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Speaking English is Easy??? Who Says that? How?

Posted by LizAnn on March 3, 2009
Do you want to speak English well? Do you already read and write English? Are you able to practice your English with a native speaker? Here are some ideas to help you and to understand modern American culture as well. First you have to answer the questions I asked you above, then we can get started from there.I will give you some subjects to discuss and you must write what you think would be a good dialogue. When I figure out how to talk on this program, when we can chat in English and see just how good your dialogue is. Later on, we can discuss what subjects that are important to you......It is alot of fun when you can chat with people in another language; it has always seemed like "magic" to me even when you can converse in a very basic conversation.good luck on your dialogue.......I look forward to hearing from each and every one of you.
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