Thursday 10 May 2007

What a good website!

If you haven't already, please go and look at this website...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/

The 'Ask About English' section is particularly excellent!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

hi,Tim!

Could you tell me how to make the difference between "even though" and "although"? I think sometimes they have almost the same meanings.

Anonymous said...

Hi Ellie... Even though and although are synonyms so have the same meaning and can be used in the same in in a sentence.

* Even though it was expensive, he bought the car.
* Although the course was difficult, he passed with the highest marks.

They show a situation which is contrary to the main clause to express opposition.

There might be a slight difference in register, as 'even though'(with a strong stress on the 'even') indictates greater opposition.

"Even though I told him not to he still pressed the red button!"

Generally...

They have the same meaning!

Anonymous said...

Thanks a lot,Tim.

I have another question about reported verbs.
Could you remember the tense of the clause which follow reported verbs is usually changed when we studied reported verb? But when I talked to my hostmother, she corrected me. Here's the example.

(Dinner time,Student A has eanten)
Ellie: Hi,hostmother.Student A said he had eaten.
Hostmother:Student A said he has eaten.

I know it's probably because I used the reported clause while my hostmother used "quote" clause.Now I'm confused that what condition I should change the tense.Shouldn't I change the tense when I use reported verb in spoken English?

Tim Powell-Jones said...

Hi Ellie,

First of all, don't get confused by the phrase 'quote clause', it's just another name for reported speech...

Although most of the time you shift the tenses back in reported speech there are a couple of exceptions...

If we want to emphasise that a situation still exists or is still relevant at the time we are using reported speech, we can use a present or present perfect tense in the reported clause, e.g.:

We’re going to buy something to eat because Tom said he’s hungry.

Scientists claim that they have found a cure.

Hope that helps... Let me know if you need any more explanation.

Anonymous said...

Hi,Tim.

I heard someone was talking on mobile on the bus. At the end, she said "cha-cha,bye". What does it mean "cha-cha"?

and. If I'm asking something i want to know. for example,i went to service counter in bank to ask something about my account,how it works,ect. i said "HI,I want to know...". If there's someother way I can say more politly than just told what i "want"?

Tim Powell-Jones said...

'cha cha' could be ta ta which is very colloquial northern English meaning goodbye.

In regards to your other question...

Hi, I'd like to know... or could you tell me are both more polite ways of saying 'I want to know'. Using modals like would and could is a common way of making questions mor polite.

Anonymous said...

Chia Hung , your writing surprises me .....