It seems that the phrasal verb (to) weigh in is the current CNN and all round media favourite.
Sure thing, it´s a great phrasal verb but the media are using it as much as the man on the street uses get over or someone signing off a business email with look forward to.
to weigh in = to contribute your ideas or to state your position on a particular subject.
"allow me to weigh in, I believe everyone deserves a pay rise."
Oh and by the way:
get over = to recover from. "I just can´t get over losing her."
Look forward to = to anticipate, mostly with a positive response. "I look forward to meeting you."
Monday, 26 April 2010
Tuesday, 22 September 2009
The Future Continuous - Business overview
It is important for business personnel to understand the difference between a prediction and a planned action that is already in progress…. a decision that has already been made and will continue until completion at a time in the future.
1) A prediction:
“In 25 years time we’ll all be commuting by helicopter.”
Obviously it’s a prediction, the length of time10, 20, 50 years dictates this.
It’s worth noting that an average business plan is not forecasted beyond 3 or 5 years.
2) A planned action already in progress:
“This time next year we will be reducing our workforce by 30% to account for the downsizing of our company.”
Here we have a decision by company management who has already acted on this decision but it will not be complete until next year.
The million dollar question is: If you are a staff member of this company, wouldn’t you want to know if this was a prediction or an action in progress?
To understand the true nature of this language is vital for modern business transaction.
1) A prediction:
“In 25 years time we’ll all be commuting by helicopter.”
Obviously it’s a prediction, the length of time10, 20, 50 years dictates this.
It’s worth noting that an average business plan is not forecasted beyond 3 or 5 years.
2) A planned action already in progress:
“This time next year we will be reducing our workforce by 30% to account for the downsizing of our company.”
Here we have a decision by company management who has already acted on this decision but it will not be complete until next year.
The million dollar question is: If you are a staff member of this company, wouldn’t you want to know if this was a prediction or an action in progress?
To understand the true nature of this language is vital for modern business transaction.
Sunday, 16 August 2009
Brazil wants Maziar Bahari freed!
A break from English language grammar, a far more pressing subject requires our attention.
The Canadian / Iranian filmmaker, playwrite and NEWSWEEK correspondent is being held in a Tehran prison without trial.
Free Maziar Bahari : www.freemaziarbahari.org
Sign the petition and show some 21Century protest.
80% -20% rule
Apply the 80% - 20% business rule to your English language learning.
80% = the main business – your regular clients….. The really important stuff.
20% = secondary business – irregular clients…….. The less important stuff.
In language terms it can look like this:
80% - 20%
Direct Speaking - the Passive Voice
Understanding the Present Perfect - the Past Continuous
Verbs: Do/Make, Have, Take, Get - Might, May, Shall
Prepositions and Phrasal verbs - Conditional Thinking
The object here is get your 80% firmly under control and then sweep back and gather the other 20% at a convenient time.
No native speaker and in particular a native speaker in the business community would ever prioritize any of the above mentioned 20% grammar points at the expense of the all important 80% so I guess the question remains: why should you?
Available soon: gotalk-brasil´s ´go via business class´, the only way to travel!
80% = the main business – your regular clients….. The really important stuff.
20% = secondary business – irregular clients…….. The less important stuff.
In language terms it can look like this:
80% - 20%
Direct Speaking - the Passive Voice
Understanding the Present Perfect - the Past Continuous
Verbs: Do/Make, Have, Take, Get - Might, May, Shall
Prepositions and Phrasal verbs - Conditional Thinking
The object here is get your 80% firmly under control and then sweep back and gather the other 20% at a convenient time.
No native speaker and in particular a native speaker in the business community would ever prioritize any of the above mentioned 20% grammar points at the expense of the all important 80% so I guess the question remains: why should you?
Available soon: gotalk-brasil´s ´go via business class´, the only way to travel!
Monday, 11 May 2009
The Future..in the spoken form.
There are some people who argue that the English language future tense doesn´t have a form. There are many ways to express the future and all are basically correct. Much depends on the speaker´s reasoning.
I leave.......
I will leave...... at 10 o clock tomorrow night.
I´m going to leave ........
I´m leaving.......
There´s nothing wrong with the above. In saying this, modern English speakers have chosen 2 natural forms to express a future event and in someways their choice defies conservative teaching practices. The grammar book tells us one thing but we prefer to speak in another way.
1A. Going to: a planned intention for the future. The emphasis is on the speaker´s intention...not the fact.
(Going to) is used in informal speaking, it sounds natural to the ear.
I´m going to start exercising at the gym everyday...........(Hmm??? a noble intention.)
I´m going to Paris. ....(you may have purchased your tickets but your still going to.)
We´re going to the movies tonight....(that´s if the boss doesn´t ask me to work late.)
1B. Going to: Evidence that something might happen...it´s not factual!
I think it´s going to rain......( the dark clouds might pass over and it might not rain.)
2A. Will expresses certainty and factual information...we´re interested in the facts.
Their plane will arrive at 9.30pm.
There won´t (will not) be another train after midnight.
Q? "What will you do now?" Ans....."I´ll catch a taxi and go home."
2B. In it´s most modern form, English speakers prefer to use will in the following way.
The telephone rings....Ring, ring, ring. The response: "It´s my phone, I´ll get it!"
Someone knocks at the door....knock, knock. The resonse: "I´ll answer it."
Friends arrive to go out......"Are you ready?" The response: "I´ll just get my jacket."
Will is used to react to an event or a comment at the moment of speaking...it´s an immediate impression.
There are other minor grammar aspects to both going to and will but stay on focus with the more important uses as I´ve explained above.
What will you do when you finish university? = tell me the facts.
What are going to do when you finish university? = tell me your plans.
ring...ring........I´ll get it!" ( very important to understand the use)
ring.. ring.........I´m going to get it! (it might not be incorrect but it sounds lazy and a little strange.)
Please contact me should you require further explanation.
I leave.......
I will leave...... at 10 o clock tomorrow night.
I´m going to leave ........
I´m leaving.......
There´s nothing wrong with the above. In saying this, modern English speakers have chosen 2 natural forms to express a future event and in someways their choice defies conservative teaching practices. The grammar book tells us one thing but we prefer to speak in another way.
1A. Going to: a planned intention for the future. The emphasis is on the speaker´s intention...not the fact.
(Going to) is used in informal speaking, it sounds natural to the ear.
I´m going to start exercising at the gym everyday...........(Hmm??? a noble intention.)
I´m going to Paris. ....(you may have purchased your tickets but your still going to.)
We´re going to the movies tonight....(that´s if the boss doesn´t ask me to work late.)
1B. Going to: Evidence that something might happen...it´s not factual!
I think it´s going to rain......( the dark clouds might pass over and it might not rain.)
2A. Will expresses certainty and factual information...we´re interested in the facts.
Their plane will arrive at 9.30pm.
There won´t (will not) be another train after midnight.
Q? "What will you do now?" Ans....."I´ll catch a taxi and go home."
2B. In it´s most modern form, English speakers prefer to use will in the following way.
The telephone rings....Ring, ring, ring. The response: "It´s my phone, I´ll get it!"
Someone knocks at the door....knock, knock. The resonse: "I´ll answer it."
Friends arrive to go out......"Are you ready?" The response: "I´ll just get my jacket."
Will is used to react to an event or a comment at the moment of speaking...it´s an immediate impression.
There are other minor grammar aspects to both going to and will but stay on focus with the more important uses as I´ve explained above.
What will you do when you finish university? = tell me the facts.
What are going to do when you finish university? = tell me your plans.
ring...ring........I´ll get it!" ( very important to understand the use)
ring.. ring.........I´m going to get it! (it might not be incorrect but it sounds lazy and a little strange.)
Please contact me should you require further explanation.
Sunday, 8 February 2009
All or Everything?
There are no hard-fast rules when it comes to understanding and then choosing to use the words everything and all.
Modern English speakers prefer to use everything for things and everyone / everybody when we refer to people. E.g.
Everything in the news report is true.
Tell everyone that we are closing the office early today.
Everybody agrees with me.
All is a stand alone without needing a noun to follow. Think of the word all when you want to convey the only thing. E.g, as in example 1.
All I want for Christmas is a Mercedes Benz.
That will be all; thanks for coming in for the interview.
Is this all that matters in life?
Please pass this tip / dica to anyone that you know who is interested in bettering their English language learning.
Visit my blog: http://gotalk-brasil.blogspot.com/
My best to all.
Modern English speakers prefer to use everything for things and everyone / everybody when we refer to people. E.g.
Everything in the news report is true.
Tell everyone that we are closing the office early today.
Everybody agrees with me.
All is a stand alone without needing a noun to follow. Think of the word all when you want to convey the only thing. E.g, as in example 1.
All I want for Christmas is a Mercedes Benz.
That will be all; thanks for coming in for the interview.
Is this all that matters in life?
Please pass this tip / dica to anyone that you know who is interested in bettering their English language learning.
Visit my blog: http://gotalk-brasil.blogspot.com/
My best to all.
Saturday, 6 December 2008
Christmas greetings and phrasal verbs
Merry Christmas to all.....
Speaker A....." I'm struggling to resolve whether it would be more beneficial to reduce my alcohol consumption or to discontinue the habit entirely."
Speaker B....." so, what you're saying is that you're trying to decide whether to cut down or give up drinking."
The importance of phrasal verbs should not be underestimated. The key to a better understanding is a solid grounding in prepositions and a basic acceptance as to just how natural they are in contemporary English expression.
Have a great one in 2009!
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