tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56102452926284156532024-03-05T08:13:14.952-08:00VOA Learning EnglishRead and listen to English language lessons from VOA Learning English through daily news, education, technology, society and other topics in America and in the worldNhan Daohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06918106607830357134noreply@blogger.comBlogger399125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5610245292628415653.post-53023924768572251372019-03-25T16:29:00.000-07:002019-04-08T16:30:54.757-07:00The Sounds of Grammar with Betty Azar
(Download MP3, Mirror) For VOA Learning English, this is Everyday Grammar.
Today we have a special guest host. Betty Azar is the most successful writer of grammar textbooks in the world. Generations of English learners will recognize her best-selling book Understanding and Using English Grammar. The famous blue grammar book, now in its fourth edition, is in use at language schools across theNhan Daohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00707264357972246058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5610245292628415653.post-69947929270715791922019-03-24T16:17:00.000-07:002019-04-08T16:25:25.447-07:00Are Causatives Making You Crazy?
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This week's Everyday Grammar looks at the grammatical forms called causatives. Basically, causatives express how one actor causes another actor to do something. You know the meaning of make as in "I made a cake." But in the sentence, "My boss made me work late," make has a causative meaning. In other words, my boss forcedme to work late.
What are causatives?
A Nhan Daohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00707264357972246058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5610245292628415653.post-32030478280150556272019-03-23T07:00:00.000-07:002019-03-23T07:00:04.142-07:00Everyday Grammar: Beating Problems with Adverbs
(Download MP3, Mirror) For VOA Learning English, this is Everyday Grammar.
This week, we’re going to talk about some common problems with adverbs. Basically, adverbs are words that describe verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. For example, "I ran quickly to the store." The adverb quickly describes the verb run.
What is an adverb?
If a word is not easy to classify as a noun, verb, or Nhan Daohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00707264357972246058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5610245292628415653.post-28246550745465665172019-03-22T07:00:00.000-07:002019-03-22T07:00:24.911-07:00Words Come and Go in English
(Download MP3, Mirror)For VOA Learning English, this is Everyday Grammar. This week’s Everyday Grammar is by a guest author, David Sullivan. He is Assistant Managing Editor at The Philadelphia Inquirer, and Vice President of the American Copy Editors Society.
Part of the reason that English has grown as a world language is that it adjusts easily to change. Unlike some other languages, Nhan Daohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00707264357972246058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5610245292628415653.post-60396366016387495642019-03-21T07:00:00.000-07:002019-03-21T07:00:10.574-07:00Everyday Grammar: When Passive Is Better than Active
(Download MP3, Mirror)This Everyday Grammar is all about the passive voice. The passive is a verb form in which the subject receives the action of the verb. For example, "I was born on a Saturday."
Most sentences in English follow the subject-verb-object pattern known as the active voice. For example, "I love you." In this example the subject is "I," the verb is "love" and the object is "youNhan Daohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00707264357972246058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5610245292628415653.post-26051688202579354782019-03-20T07:00:00.000-07:002019-03-20T16:30:47.202-07:00Everyday Grammar: Advanced Conditionals
(Download MP3, Mirror)This week, we are going to talk about the past unreal conditional. Past unreal conditionals are often used to express wishes about the past. They often show regret, or sad feelings about something that happened in the past. Here's an example:
If I had studied, I would have passed the test.
In this example, there is an implied wish that the speaker had studied.
A Nhan Daohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00707264357972246058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5610245292628415653.post-84085296631145538842019-03-19T07:00:00.000-07:002019-03-19T07:00:04.785-07:00Everyday Grammar: Introducing Conditionals
(Download MP3, Mirror)In this week's episode of Everyday Grammar, we are going to talk about conditionals. We use conditionals to show that something is true only when something else is true. Conditionals offer endless possibilities for creative and imaginative expression.
Present real conditional
The present real conditional is the most basic kind of conditional. Basically, when A happens,Nhan Daohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00707264357972246058noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5610245292628415653.post-83337452148868811672019-03-18T07:00:00.000-07:002019-03-18T16:03:11.034-07:00Problems with Pronouns and Gender
(Download MP3, Mirror) When I was on the train yesterday, I heard someone say this: “Someone left their bag on the train.”
Can you find anything wrong with the sentence?
If you looked in a traditional English grammar book, you would learn that the sentence should be, “Someone left his bag on the train.” The rule is to use the singular pronoun “he” when the gender of a person is not known.
Nhan Daohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00707264357972246058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5610245292628415653.post-29596973239549704902019-03-17T17:18:00.002-07:002019-03-17T17:21:18.952-07:00Everyday Grammar: Gerunds and Infinitives
(Download MP3, Mirror) Welcome to another episode of Everyday Grammar on VOA Learning English.
English learners have difficulty with gerunds and infinitives. A gerund is the –ingform of a verb that functions the same as a noun. For example, “Running is fun.” In this sentence, “running” is the gerund. It acts just like a noun.
The infinitive form of a verb appears either as the basic form (Nhan Daohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00707264357972246058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5610245292628415653.post-11223350851082320812019-03-11T16:11:00.004-07:002019-03-11T16:11:53.701-07:00Riding Shotgun: Not As Dangerous As It Sounds
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And now Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English!
The term Wild West describes life in what is now the western United States way back in the 1800s. Life there was often unpredictable and even, well, wild!
Native Americans already controlled land that white settlers wanted to occupy. So it could be a very dangerous place – for everyone! Many people carried Nhan Daohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00707264357972246058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5610245292628415653.post-50859127694661596562019-01-12T18:21:00.000-08:002019-01-18T18:24:06.542-08:00Only the Best Are on the 'Cutting Edge'
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Now, the VOA Learning English program Words and Their Stories.
For today’s program, we go into the kitchen!
There is a good chance you do not go one day without using a knife. It is an important tool when cooking, and without it, you could not make many dishes.
This brings to mind a story – a true story.
Years ago, a friend and I were making dinner together at my Nhan Daohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00707264357972246058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5610245292628415653.post-14276082727772908342019-01-05T17:58:00.000-08:002019-01-18T18:10:45.020-08:00The Language of Sneakers
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Now, from VOA Learning English, this is Words and Their Stories.
American English, like all languages, has countless colorful words and expressions. We call some slang. It is not always easy to explain the history of slang expressions. Some seem to develop out of nowhere. Some do not last very long or become dated very quickly.
Other expressions, however, live on forNhan Daohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00707264357972246058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5610245292628415653.post-79475898408701115652017-08-24T18:05:00.000-07:002017-08-27T18:12:57.378-07:00Seeing an Eclipse Is Good! Being Eclipsed Is Not
(Download MP3, Mirror) Hello and welcome to Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English.
On this program we explore the origin and usage of common expressions in American English. We always give examples or dialogues using the expressions. Sometimes we even use the words in a short story. All of these can, hopefully, teach you how to best use the expressions.
For today's word we turn Nhan Daohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00707264357972246058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5610245292628415653.post-2130693376493566592017-08-13T17:59:00.000-07:002017-08-27T18:03:57.917-07:00When Do We 'Eat Crow?'
(Download MP3, Mirror) Now, the VOA Learning English program Words and Their Stories. On this show, we explore the origins and usage of expressions we use in every day American English.
Okay, nobody likes to be wrong. But when it turns out that we are, in fact, wrong, the best thing to do is admit it.
For some reason, in American English when we need to admit that we are wrong, we usually Nhan Daohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00707264357972246058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5610245292628415653.post-87762030189529120902017-08-12T17:48:00.000-07:002017-08-27T17:56:27.624-07:00Your 'Dirty Laundry' Has Nothing to Do With Clothes
(Download MP3, Mirror) Now, from VOA Learning English, it's time for Words and Their Stories.
On this program you can learn English expressions that Americans use in conversation.
Today we are going to talk about the fabric we wear on our bodies. In other words, our clothes, right?
Well, yes and no. The word “clothes” is only part of a much larger story. American English has many more Nhan Daohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00707264357972246058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5610245292628415653.post-26553752188380811812017-08-11T05:30:00.000-07:002017-08-14T18:25:41.338-07:00Learn How 'To Keep Something at Bay'
(Download MP3, Mirror) Now, it's time for Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English.
On this program, we explore everyday expressions that we use in conversation. Americans often use the first saying we will talk about today. But many people likely do not know where it comes from.
To keep something at bay means being unable to move closer while attacking or moving toward someone or Nhan Daohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00707264357972246058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5610245292628415653.post-947283146679249642017-08-10T17:13:00.000-07:002017-08-14T17:21:49.392-07:00Why Is 'Colonel' Pronounced 'Ker'nel?'
(Download MP3, Mirror) Welcome to Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.
On this program we explore the origin and history of American expressions and teach you how to use them.
Today we focus more on history than usage. We are going to answer an age-old question that may have been keeping you awake at night. Well, perhaps not. But it’s still an interesting word story!
The Nhan Daohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00707264357972246058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5610245292628415653.post-77682443618843087932017-08-09T18:22:00.001-07:002017-08-09T18:22:12.245-07:00US City Bans Texting while Walking
(Download MP3, Mirror) Parents usually teach their children how to cross the street safely, by looking both ways for cars. But do they also teach them to put away their cell phones?
The city of Honolulu, Hawaii wants everyone to learn that lesson.
Texting while crossing the street will soon be banned in the city. Beginning on October 24, you could be fined from $15 to $99 if you step into aNhan Daohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00707264357972246058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5610245292628415653.post-34175741025161768572017-08-08T05:00:00.000-07:002017-08-10T18:08:11.324-07:00Google Fires Engineer Who Wrote Anti-Diversity Memo
(Download MP3, Mirror) Google has dismissed a male engineer who suggested that biological differences prevent women from progressing the same as men in the technology industry.
The engineer, James Damore, wrote his opinion in a memo he sent last week. The document – which also criticized Google’s diversity efforts – was later published online.
Damore confirmed his dismissal in an email to Nhan Daohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00707264357972246058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5610245292628415653.post-23534459048039231872017-08-07T05:00:00.000-07:002017-08-10T18:19:32.030-07:00The World's Highest Village is Running Out of Water
(Download MP3, Mirror) The highest village in the world is running out of water.
Komik sits at 4,587 meters high in the Spiti Valley of India. It can only be reached during the summer by small roads winding around the Himalaya mountains.
During the winter, temperatures can drop to 30 degrees Celsius below zero. The village is also cut off from the rest of India for six months of the year Nhan Daohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00707264357972246058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5610245292628415653.post-38301464155900508112017-08-06T06:00:00.000-07:002017-08-10T18:25:33.900-07:00More US High Schools Adopt Later Start Times
(Download MP3, Mirror) Like many American high school students, Josh Leong used to eat breakfast while it was still dark outside.
But that changed when his high school, McLean, in the American state of Virginia, changed to a later start time two years ago.
Proponents of late start times
The issue of school start times has become increasingly important in recent years. A growing number of Nhan Daohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00707264357972246058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5610245292628415653.post-9436672082572236272017-08-02T07:30:00.000-07:002017-08-06T18:58:23.707-07:00Getting to Know the Verb 'Get'
(Download MP3, Mirror) From VOA Learning English, this is Everyday Grammar.
So, Alice, what did you do last night?
Well, I was at home, getting ready to go to the movies. I was getting my shoes on when I got a feeling that something strange was going to happen.
I've gotten those feelings, too.
Then, I left the house, and got a cab, and got to the movies as fast as I could.
Did you get Nhan Daohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00707264357972246058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5610245292628415653.post-22555939951145955802017-08-01T07:39:00.000-07:002017-08-03T07:47:05.858-07:00Hijab Gets More Acceptance from Business
(Download MP3, Mirror) The hijab is one of the most recognized symbols of Islamic culture.
The hijab is a head covering for women to wear in public.
Advertisers, technology companies and fashion designers are gaining interest in the hijab. It is becoming more popular among athletes as well.
Recently, Apple announced 12-new emoji characters it plans to make available later this year. One ofNhan Daohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00707264357972246058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5610245292628415653.post-2035199974111450782017-07-31T07:26:00.000-07:002017-08-03T07:32:52.558-07:00As Diabetes Increases, a Vegetable Could Help
(Download MP3, Mirror) From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.
Diabetes is a serious, chronic disease on the rise around the world. And, not everyone can take the medication that treats it. However, researchers have discovered that a compound found in a common vegetable might help treat diabetes.
In 2016 the World Health Organization published its Global ReportNhan Daohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00707264357972246058noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5610245292628415653.post-56547327008602965952017-07-30T07:10:00.000-07:002017-08-03T07:23:22.461-07:00First American Woman Climbs K2
(Download MP3, Mirror) Vanessa O’Brien has become the first American woman to reach the top of the world’s second highest mountain known as K2. The mountain reaches 8,611 meters above sea level.
O’Brien is a 52-year-old former banker from New York. She led a 12-member team of international climbers. She placed the United States flag on K2’s top - or summit - on July 28.
K2 is on Pakistan’s Nhan Daohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00707264357972246058noreply@blogger.com0