ECA (英語基礎表現) I (Super A): andとbutの使う

Hello!

How are you? Today we'll look at how to use and or but in sentences. 

How to use and 
We use and to connect short sentences when we have two or more of the same, similar, or continuing (続いて) conditions. 

例えば：The mountains are high. They are cold. 
             The mountains are high and cold. 

例えば：Many people in the past had hard lives. They had little money. 
例えば：Many people in the past had hard lives and little money.  
例えば：
How to use but
We use but to connect short sentences when we have two or more different, or contrasting (対比的) conditions.  

例えば：August days in Tokyo are so hot. The nighttimes can be much nicer. 
             August days in Tokyo are so hot, but the nighttimes can be much nicer.

例えば：I really want to go snowboarding this winter with my friends. I have no money.
例えば：I really want to go snowboarding this winter with my friends, but I have no money.

How to use and with but
We can use and with but in longer sentences where we have a gathering of same or similar conditions with a different or contrasting condition, or conditions. 

例えば：My university life is new. It is busy. I am making a lot of friends. 
例えば：My university life is new and busy, but I am making a lot of friends. 

例えば：The river is cold. It is deep when the winter snow melts. It is perfect for fishing. 
例えば：The river is cold and deep when the winter snow melts, but is perfect for fishing. 

Activity
Work with a partner or a group. Use and or but, or and with but, in the following sentences:

1. I went on a date. I had a great time. 

2. My class schedule is so busy. I have homework in every class. 

3. I try hard to do my math homework. I fall asleep every time.

4. He enjoyed his piece of chocolate cake. He felt sick later.

5. Yoshiyuki likes surfing in summer. He goes to the Shonan area whenever he can.

6. Misaki doesn’t like math. So does Haruka. They both enjoy English.

7. Yuko is taking a writing class. Her friend Mina is one of her classmates. The teacher makes them sit at separate desks in the classroom.

8. He was tired. He went to bed early. She stayed up late. She was sleepy in the morning. 

Have fun! 

Image: Personal photograph. All rights reserved.

ECA (英語基礎表現) I (P): 現在進行形

Hello!

How are you? Today let's look at the present progressive tense (現在進行形).

Look at the picture above. We see what the man is doing - he's walking.

Activity (活動):
Look at these pictures - with a partner or a group, can you write a sentence about what the people in the pictures are doing?

He is _____________________________________________.

She is _____________________________________________.

The man at the top is 

________________________________________. 

The woman at the bottom is 
______________________________________. 

See you next time!

Images: Top - personal photograph. All rights reserved.

Other images photographed from handouts from copyrighted material. All rights reserved to the copyright holders. No copyright infringement intended. Images taken and uploaded strictly for classroom use only. 

週6 - ECA (Speaking) I (C, W, & A): 過去について：Hokkaido summer

Hello to all my Jido, Ningenfukushi, and Obei speaking students,

How are you? Today I will tell you about a trip I took to Hokkaido two years ago. 

First, we went to Sapporo. 

We walked around Sapporo. This was me in front of the old Sapporo City Hall (元札幌市役所).

We went to Hokkaido University. This was me. The sign says "Boys be ambitious" (ボイズ・ビ・アンビシャス). 

We took the train to Otaru. The man with the hat and backpack is my father-in-law (義理お父さん). We walked around many places in Otaru!  

This is my wife. We were so hungry! She wanted to eat everything. We ate a lot of great food in Otaru. 

We drank some great beer in Otaru. This was a big glass!

We went back to Sapporo and walked around more. My wife got very hot and we sat down. We were tired, but happy!

Activity
Let's draw some pictures of a holiday you had or a special place you went to. Then, let's talk about it with each other in class. 

See you next class!

特別ポスト: a, an とtheの使うこと

Hello to all my students,

Image "Back To School Text On Back Head" courtesy of koratmember/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Here's a special post for all of you about how to use a, an, and the. Knowing how to use these words is very important!

Using 'a' or 'an'

We use a or an with any noun. (aとかan は何でも名詞を使う。)

1.  'a'

例えば：Here is a textbook. 

textbook     textbook     textbook

textbook     textbook     textbook

(何でもテキスト。)

I like to study in a coffee shop.

coffee shop     coffee shop

coffee shop     coffee shop

(なんでもコーヒーショップ。)

Mark is a boy in our class.

Keiko         Takeshi        Mark                   

Maria          Taro           Anne

Maria is a girl in our class.

She writes in a yellow notebook in English class.

We eat our lunch in a large cafeteria.

2. 'an'

*We use an with nouns that begin with vowel sounds, and nouns with silent “h.” (anは名詞の母音とサイレント”h”が始める 。)

例えば：I eat an apple every day with lunch.

(何でもリンゴ。) 

I like to have an egg on toast with coffee for breakfast.

(何でも卵 。)

He has an idea about what to cook for dinner.

(…)

She’s wearing an orange dress today.

There’s an umbrella on the floor next to Keiko’s bag.

Our class will start in an hour.

Using 'the'

We use the with specific or particular nouns. (the は特定の名詞を使う。)

例えば：Here is the English textbook.

history textbook     Japanese textbook    

English textbook    science textbook

Starbucks is the coffee shop I like.

Doutor     St. Marc     Tully’s     Starbucks

Keiko is the girl in the first row.     

                     1^st row: 

Keiko         Takeshi        Mark     

                    2^nd row:  

Maria           Taro            Anne

Taro is the boy in the second row.

Russia is the largest country in the world.

Russia: 17,098,242 km²

Canada: 9,984,670 km²

U.S.: 9,826,675 km²

China: 9,596,961 km²

(…)

Mr. Suzuki is the teacher for our history class. 

Keiko, Maria and Anne are the girls in our Japanese class. 

The English class is down the hall next to the computer room. 

I hope this will help you to remember how to use a, an, and the in speaking and writing. 

See you again!