Thursday, October 14, 2010

REAL English? What have I been speaking?

Please help me learn English!

There are often questions in the classroom or by the teachers about certain English phrases or words, and I don't always know the answer!  Also, sometimes the teachers use English from the grammar books that sound strange to me.  Please help me with the following sentences.

Teacher wrote: To speak English is difficult.  It is difficult (for me) to speak English.   Is this actually correct grammar?
I thought: Speaking English is difficult.  It is difficult (for me) to speak English.

Teacher asked: "I am happy you know it."  Is this correct?
I said: "It sounds strange.  I would probably say "I am happy to hear that you know it, or I am glad to hear it, or I am happy that you know your ABCs, or something."  What do you think?

Teacher said: Do you know how to go to the store?
I thought: Do you know how to get to the store?  Could either be correct?

Lana

2 comments:

  1. Was the teacher Japanese or American? I agree
    with what you thought, however, I'm basing that
    on what sounds right to me, not that it's correct.

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  2. I am the only foreigner at the school, so the teacher was Japanese.
    Sometimes they say or teach things that sound off to me, but they're teaching them from grammar books so I can't be sure if it's correct, or it the grammar book is incorrect. Sometimes they do make mistakes though, because people are not perfect. It's a challenge to try to figure out when to let mistakes slide, when to confront them in class, or when to confront them after class. Sometimes they're not mistakes, and I'm just not familiar with the way to say something.
    Thank you for your input.
    Lana

    ReplyDelete