Lakeside Languages

E-Cards for Language Students

2012-02-13T22:15:00.000-08:00

One way of involving language students in authentic tasks is through e-cards. One e-card maker in particular, Jacquie Lawson, designs cards with written directions. In this way, the cards join greetings with a mini-lesson in English. All the cards can be previewed without cost, giving language learners and their tutors or teachers some authentic material for cultural experiences.

Visit the Jacquie Lawson website. You will see a vast selection of e-cards, including all the major American and British holidays, as well as special occasions such as graduations and birthdays. Select a card to preview. The card loads, with directions to give the card a full-screen view and a good volume.

The cards usually begin with a direction to click on a certain part of the card. This action opens the card. Some of the cards include further directions to click, while other cards play on their own.

A favorite card is the very first card that Jacquie designed for Christmas. On the left column of the webpage, click on Special Dates, and then Christmas/Winter. Scroll down to "Christmas Cottage." On the right hand side, click "Preview" to look at this card.

The card shows a snug cottage covered with snow, along with directions for the viewer to click on certain parts of the scene to begin the next action. There are lots of vocabulary words, and the language exercise includes the basic teaching of James Asher's Total Physical Response, involving action joined with words. Language learners enjoy looking at the cards and learning vocabulary.

These cards are nice ways for teachers to stay in touch with their students. For a fee of $12 a year, or $18 for two years, you can send as many cards as you like. The Jacquie Lawson website keeps track of which cards you send, of the email addresses and names of receivers, and lets you know when the card has been picked up. This saves a lot of bookkeeping and helps keep track of students and clients.

English Practice for Thanksgiving by Teresa Knudsen, Tuesday, November 22, 2011

2011-11-22T12:44:00.000-08:00

Hello!
I hope your day is going just great.
In two days, Thursday, November 24, 2011, Americans will be celebrating Thanksgiving Day.
Here are some activities and practices for language learners.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Primary Games: Thanksgiving Links

Thanksgiving Hangman

To Do the Do Verb

2011-11-04T12:40:00.000-07:00

To Do the Do Verb by Teresa Knudsen of Lakeside Languages.com on blogspot.com November 4, 2011

The "do" verb is another busy verb in the English language.

The infinitive is “to do.”

Do you want to conjugate the “do” verb?

Then you begin with the infinitive of the verb “to do.”

Take away “to” and you are left with “do.”

Academic and Business Grammar

If you are in school or business, then use this conjugation:

1. Simple Present Conjugation of the verb “do.”

Sentence	Sub-jects	“Be” Verb	Questions or Interrogatives
I do You do He does She does It does We do You do They do	I You She He It We You They	do do does does does do do do	Do I do_? Do you do_? Does she do_? Does he do_? Does it do_? Do we do_? Do you do_? Do they do_?
Subject and Verb “Have”	Pronouns as Subjects	Do often comes with an object. I do homework.	Helping verb “do” + subject and main verb “do/does.”

Study Strategies:

Do you have questions? Write them in the boxes above.

Then look in your English grammar books to find the answer.

Ask for help from friends, family, and teachers.

To Have the Have Verb

2011-11-04T12:29:00.000-07:00

To Have the Have Verb by Teresa Knudsen of Lakeside Languages.com on blogspot.com November 4, 2011

The "have" verb is a busy verb in the English language.

The infinitive is “to have.”

Do you want to conjugate the “have” verb?

Then you begin with the infinitive of the verb “to have.”

Take away “to” and you are left with “have.”

Academic and Business Grammar

If you are in school or business, then use this conjugation:

1. Simple Present Conjugation of the verb “have.”

Sentence	Subjects	“Have” Verb	Questions or Interrogatives
I have You have He has She has It has We have You have They have	I You She He It We You They	have have has has has have have have	Have I? Do I have_? Have you? Do you have_? Has she? Does she have_? Has he? Does he have_? Has it? Does it have_? Have we? Do we have_? Have you? Do you have_? Have they? Do they have_?
Subject and Verb “Have”	Pro-nouns as Subjects	Have often comes with an object. I have a dog. I have to study.	Verb “have” + subject =British English. (British English "have" is like the "be" verb, and doesn't use a helping verb to make questions or interrogatives. Helping verb “do” + subject and “have/has” = American English

Study Strategies:

Do you have questions? Write them in the boxes above.

Then look in your English grammar books to find the answer.

Ask for help from friends, family, and teachers

History of the “Be” Verb by Teresa Knudsen at Lakeside Languages.com November 1, 2011

2011-11-01T14:34:00.000-07:00

History of the “Be” Verb by Teresa Knudsen. Lakeside Languages.com November 1, 2011

In the past, the “be” verb was easy to learn.

People in the past used the simple form of “be.”

If you are a pirate, it is easy to conjugate the verb “be.”

In Pirates of the Caribbean, many pirates use “be.”

Pirate One: “I be a pirate.”

Pirate Two: “Be you a pirate?”

1. Simple Present Pirate Conjugation of the verb “be.”

Sentence	Subjects	“Be” Verb	Questions or Interrogatives
I be You be He be She be It be We be You be They be	I You She He It We You They	be a pirate. be a pirate. be a pirate be a pirate. be a pirate. be pirates. be pirates. be pirates.	Be I a pirate? Be you a pirate? Be she a pirate? Be he a pirate? Be it a pirate? Be we pirates? Be you pirates? Be they pirates?
Subject and Verb “Be”	Pronouns as Subjects	The Subject Complement is “pirate.”	Verb + Subject and Subject Complement

As you can see, the pirate conjugation be much simpler.

To Be the Be Verb

2011-11-01T14:06:00.000-07:00

To Be the Be Verb by Teresa Knudsen of Lakeside Languages.com on blogspot.com November 1, 2011

The "be" verb is the busiest verb in the English language.

The infinitive is “to be.”

Do you want to conjugate the “be” verb?

Then you begin with the infinitive of the verb “to be.”

Then, you take away “to.” You are left with “be.”

Academic and Business Grammar

If you are in school or business, then use this conjugation:

1. Simple Present Conjugation of the verb “Be.”

Sentence	Subjects	“Be” Verb	Questions or Interrogatives
I am You are He is She is It is We are You are They are	I You She He It We You They	am are is Is Is are are are	Am I? Are you? Is she? Is he? Is it? Are we? Are you? Are they?
Subject and Verb “Be”	Pronouns as Subjects	Be can have a subject complement I am a teacher. Or not: I am.	Be Verb + Subject = a Question, which is also known as an Interrogative.

Study Strategies:

Do you have questions? Write them in the boxes above.

Then look in your English grammar books to find the answer.

Ask for help from friends, family, and teachers.

List other ways to find the answer to your questions.

Passive Voice Introduction

2011-10-28T00:18:00.000-07:00

Passive Voice
Learn passive voice by looking at cups for coffee, tea, and hot chocolate.

Here are some cups for coffee, tea, and hot chocolate.
There are four cups.
There are four countries where people made the cups.

Begin by practicing the active voice

People in Ireland made the orange and purple cup.

People in India made the rose cup.

People in Thailand made the farm cup.

People in Bavaria made the light blue flowered cup.

All these sentences have an active subject.
Let's practice them again:

People in Ireland made the orange and purple cup.
People in India made the rose cup.
People in Thailand made the farm cup.
People in Bavaria made the blue flowered cup.

People in Ireland made the orange and purple cup. (Active).

The orange and purple cup was made by people in Ireland. (Passive voice).
The orange and purple cup was made in Ireland.
(Stative passive).

People in India made the rose cup.

The rose cup was made by people in India. (Passive voice).
The rose cup was made in India. (Stative passive).

People in Thailand made the farm cup.

The farm cup was made by people in Thailand. (Passive)
The farm cup was made in Thailand. (Stative passive)

People in Bavaria made the blue flowered cup.

The blue flowered cup was made by people in Bavaira. (Passive)
The blue flowered cup was made in Bavaria.
(Stative passive)

Let's practice them again.
The orange and purple cup was made in Ireland.
The rose cup was made in India.
The farm cup was made in Thailand.
The blue flowered cup was made in Bavaria.

Here's another way to check the information.
Look at the bottom of the cup.
The orange and purple cup was made in Ireland.

The rose cup was made in India.

The farm cup was made in Thailand.

The blue flowered cup was made in Bavaria.

Coffee, Tea, and English

2011-10-25T12:37:00.000-07:00

For examples of the Simple Present

http://editing4onlinewriters.blogspot.com/

Reference for Six Senses

2011-10-25T11:46:00.000-07:00

There are six senses:
Sight
Sound
Taste
Touch
Smell
Feeling or Intuition (The Sixth Sense)

Exercise:
Watch the first 20 minutes of The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl.
There are seven characters in the beginning:
Max
Shark Boy
Lava Girl
Max's teacher Mr. Electricidad
Linus, who bullies Max
Marissa, who wants to be Max's friend.
Max's dad
Max's mom

What do you or the characters see?

What do you or the characters hear?

What do the characters taste?

What do the characters touch?

What do the characters smell?

How do the characters feel?

Reference for Twelve English Verb Tenses

2011-10-25T11:23:00.000-07:00

English Verb Tenses
Helpful for Language Arts, ESL, Art, Math, Science, Business, Communications
For writing, grammar, reading, speaking, conversation, and listening.

Reference for Twelve English Verb Tenses

1. Simple Present
2. Simple Past
3. Simple Future
4. Present Progressive
5. Past Progressive
6. Future Progressive
7. Present Progressive
8. Past Progressive
9. Future Progressive
10 Present Perfect Progressive
11. Past Perfect Progressive
12. Future Perfect Progressive

Samples of the 12 verb tenses, conjugated with the infinitive of the verb "to run."
1. Simple Present
I run.
You run.
She runs.
He runs.
It runs.
We run.
You run.
They run.

2. Simple Past
I ran.
You ran.
He ran.
She ran.
It ran.
We ran.
You ran.
They ran.

3. Simple Future
I will run.
You will run.
She will run.
He will run.
We will run.
You will run.
They will run.

4. Present Progressive
I am running.
You are running.
He is running.
She is running.
It is running.
We are running.
You are running.
They are running.

5. Past Progressive
I was running.
You were running.
She was running.
He was running.
It was running.
We were running.
You were running.
They were running.

6. Future Progressive
I will be running.
You will be running.
He will be running.
She will be running.
It will be running.
We will be running.
You will be running.
They will be running.

7. Present Perfect
I have run.
You have run.
She has run.
He has run.
It has run.
We have run.
You have run.
They have run.

8. Past Perfect
I had run.
You had run.
He had run.
She had run.
It had run.
We had run.
You had run.
They had run.

9. Future Perfect
I will have run.
You will have run.
She will have run.
He will have run.
It will have run.
We will have run.
You will have run.
They will have run.

10 Present Perfect Progressive
I have been running.
You have been running.
He has been running.
She has been running.
It has been running.
We have been running.
You have been running.
They have been running.

11. Past Perfect Progressive
I had been running.
You had been running.
She had been running.
He had been running.
It had been running.
We had been running.
You had been running.
They had been running.

12. Future Perfect Progressive
I will have been running.
You will have been running.
He will have been running.
She will have been running.
It will have been running.
We will have been running.
You will have been running.
They will have been running.

Do you want extra help?
Go to Lakeside Languages for tutoring or classes.
Terry Boyden, aka Terry Knudsen, aka Teresa Knudsen
can help with questions and writing.