點解although同but 唔可以擺同一句?

英文同中文唔一樣, 英文有分主句(main clause)  同埋副句(subordinate clause). 而每一句係只可以有一句主句.

所以老師成日講although 同but唔可以擺係同一句就係依個原因. 

Although I was sick today, I still go to school.

有Although 依部分就係副句(subordinate clause)

後面(I still go to school) 就係主句 (main clause).

副句係唔可以自己做一句完整句子, 所以而前都成日聽老師講就咁Because開頭都係錯就係依個原因.

Because I was sick. 就唔係一句完整句子啦. 所以以前考試係咪都會叫你加It is because..... 咁樣先可以叫做一句complete sentence. 

Conditional Sentence

If 嘅sentence 叫 conditional sentence, 分左 4 種 

Type 0. 當講緊事實
If (present tense), (present tense) 

If I mix yellow with blue, it turns green.

Type 1. 當係講緊一件好有可能發生嘅事
If (present tense), will + infinitive

If it rains tomorrow, I will cancel the picnic. 

Type 2. 當件事係好細機會發生/冇可能
If (past tense), would + infinitive 

If I were you, I would break up with him.

Type 3. 講緊過去/你後悔嘅事
If (past perfect tense), would have + past participle 

If I had not killed a man, I would have been free now.

當講一啲冇可能發生嘅野,  就一定要用type 2, 所以If I were you依啲幻想/假設性質就一定要用past tense.

"停車" 點講?

pull up 停車

Can you pull up in front of the stop?

pull over 向住某方向開始停

I pull over to the side of the road.

pull (something/someone) over 叫停/叫佢去方向停

The police pull my car over so as to give me a speeding ticket.

"take off" 點解?

Take off 嘅意思

1. take off something 除下 

It's too hot in here.

Just take off your coat.

2. airplane going up 起飛

The plane is expected to take off at 11:30. 

3. Sudden increase of success/ popularity (事業)起步/開始成功

Their business is taking off. They soon will start to make more money. 

4. (informal) leave 離開

He took off when he saw me.

5. not work/study for a period of time 請假/休息

I took last week off and now I have a lot to do.

香港人寫作常犯錯誤: Topic-comment Structure

因為中文嘅grammar係會將重點放係開頭, 母語係中文嘅人就會好容易比佢嘅第一語言影響左.

For elderly, they can enjoy a half-price discount.
睇落好似冇咩問題, 好多人想強調"elderly" 就會好似以上咁寫. 

"lack"幾時有"of"?

有好多人對於 lack 同lack of 會攪唔清, 而覺得後面有個 noun 前面加of 就無錯啦. 但英文係要變通, 唔係死記爛背架 !

lack (v.)
She lacks sympathy.

lacking (adj.)
There is something lacking in our classroom but I can't tell what it is.

lack (n.) of
The lack of rain in this town is going to cause a famine.

中譯英錯誤: Difficult

Difficult, Easy, Convenient 都係一啲容易中譯英會犯嘅錯, 依啲字係形容事, 唔係形容人. 

Relaxing 同relaxed有咩分別?

好多人都知道boring, bored嘅分別, 但其實relax個用法都係咁, 不過就更多人錯!

Relax 係最常見的錯誤詞性用法之一, 特別係Relaxed/Relaxing ~

動詞 ~ Relax

What Fred needed was a milkshake that can relax him.
Fred需要嘅係一杯奶昔讓佢放鬆

形容詞 ~ Relaxed / Relaxing

I feel more relaxed about my life than I used to.
我對我嘅生活比我從前感到放鬆

We spent three relaxing days at the beach.
我們在海邊過了三天悠哉放鬆的日子。

"-ed"係形容你/subject感覺到啲咩, "-ing" 形容事物/某樣野令人有咩感覺。
 He is very relaxed.
佢個人好放鬆

He is very relaxing.
佢令人好放鬆

"TRY" 不同用法

I try to go to school 同 I try going to school 聽起黎意思好似一樣?
其實Try跟to-infinitive 同gerund都係有唔同意思!

Go banana??

蕉除咗係一個食材, 其實英文都有D idioms 都會用到Banana呢個生果!

Top Banana 領袖, 主要人物 (Leader)
Go Banana 瘋狂, 玩瘋了 (Go Crazy)
Drive me banana 令我發瘋了 (drive me crazy)

Stop 係跟to 定 跟 -ing?

有D字無論係to-infinitive 定跟gerund(-ing) 個意思都唔會變 但係Stop係會有唔同意思

stop + gerund (verb+ -ing)

停止做

Please stop eating. 唔好再食野啦

stop + to infinitive (to + verb)
停一停, 去做

We should stop to eat. 我地停一停, 食左野先. 

"cut off" 有咩意思?

唔同phrasal verbs有唔同用法, 但其實同一個都有唔同意思

cut off

His leg got cut off.  切斷
My phone line got cut off because I forgot to pay the bill. 停止提供
I cut him off after we broke up. 斷絕聯絡

turn around

I hope the new director will turn around our failing business.扭轉局勢

We are heading the wrong direction. We need to turn around here. 調頭

Discuss VS discuss about

Discuss VS discuss about 

成日都會聽到人講discuss about, 但係discuss係唔會跟about, 而係直接跟object/clause

Discuss本身係transitive verb, 即係可以跟一個Direct object. 

We should discuss your salary. 

亦可以跟一個clause

We should discuss about how we should award our employee.

而且Discuss 本身就有talk about嘅意思, 再用就會重覆左.

當用到discuss嘅名詞, discussion, 就有機會用到about

We should have a discussion about your salary.