/// - _ Telling the Time _- ///

There are two common ways of telling the time.
1) Say the hour first and then the minutes. (Hour + Minutes)

• 6:25 - six twenty-five
• 8:05 - eight O-five
• 9:11 - nine eleven
• 2:34 - two thirty-four

2) Say the minutes first and then the hour.  (Minutes + PAST / TO + Hour)
For minutes 1-30 we use PAST after the minutes.
For minutes 31-59 we use TO after the minutes.

• 2:35 - twenty-five to three
• 11:20 - twenty past eleven
• 4:18 - eighteen past four
• 8:51 - nine to nine
• 2:59 - one to three

When it is 15 minutes past the hour we normally say: a quarter past

• 7:15 - a quarter past seven

When it is 15 minutes before the hour we normally say: a quarter to

• 12:45 - a quarter to one

When it is 30 minutes past the hour we normally say: half past

• 3:30 - half past three (but we can also say three-thirty)

O'clock

We use o'clock when there are NO minutes.

• 10:00 - ten o'clock
• 5:00 - five o'clock
• 1:00 - one o'clock

Sometimes it is written as 9 o'clock (the number + o'clock)

12:00

For 12:00 there are four expressions in English.
twelve o'clock
midday = noon
midnight

Asking for the Time

The common question forms we use to ask for the time right now are:
What time is it? or What is the time?
The common question forms we use to ask at what time a specific event will happen are:
What time...?
When...?

• What time does the flight to New York leave?
• When does the bus arrive from London?
• When does the concert begin?

Giving the Time

We use It is or It's to respond to the questions that ask for the time right now.

• It is half past five (5:30).
• It's ten to twelve (11:50)

We use the structure AT + time when giving the time of a specific event.

• The bus arrives at midday (12:00).
• The flight leaves at a quarter to two (1:45).
• The concert begins at ten o'clock. (10:00)

We can also use subject pronouns in these responses.

• It arrives at midday (12:00).
• It leaves at a quarter to two (1:45).
• It begins at ten o'clock. (10:00)

AM vs. PM

We don't normally use the 24-hour clock in English.
We use a.m. (am) for the morning and p.m. (pm) for the afternoon and night.
3am = Three o'clock in the morning.
3pm = Three o'clock in the afternoon.

( - The Weather in English - )

The Weather in English

In English, we usually use it is when we talk about the weather.
This is normally: It is + adjective OR It is + verb-ing
It is + adjective = A description of the weather

• It is sunny today.                     
• It’s hot and humid today.          
• It’sa nice day today.

We can also say:
It is a + adjective + day (or morning/afternoon/night)

• It’s a fine day.
• It’s a windy afternoon.

It is + verb-ing = This type of weather is happening now.

• It’s drizzling outside.
• It’s snowing.
• Take an umbrella, it’s raining.

You can also use it is in different tenses

• It was cold yesterday.
• It will be cloudy tomorrow.

When you are learning vocabulary about the weather, it is important to remember that some of the words have a noun form, a verb form and/or an adjective form. For example:

• Rain: (noun) The game was cancelled because of the rain.
• Rain: (verb) I think it is going to rain later.
• Rainy: (adjective) It’s a rainy day.

It pays to learn the different forms of each word and when they are used.
Nouns and Adjectives
Many times when we are talking about the weather, we can add the letter Y to the end of a noun to make it an adjective.

• rain (noun) - rainy (adjective)
• sun (noun) - sunny (adjective)
• wind (noun) - windy (adjective)
• cloud (noun) - cloudy (adjective)
• fog (noun) - foggy (adjective)     

Grammar – Compound Words with ‘Any’

“any” are used in negative sentences after the adverb “not” and in questions.

Negative Sentences
Not + any + body = not anybody
Not + any + one = not anyone
Not + any + thing = not anything
Not + any + where = not anywhere
“Not anybody” and “not anyone” have the same meaning and are used when we are talking about a person o people. “Not anything” refers to objects and “not anywhere” refers to a place.

Examples:
“There wasn’t anybody there who spoke Italian”
“I don’t have anyone to love”
“There isn’t anything I like”
“We won’t have anywhere to park”

Questions
So what are the combinations with “any” in questions?
Any + body = anybody…?
Any + one = anyone…?
Any + thing = anything…?
Any + where = anywhere…?

Examples:
“Do you know anybody in the States?”
“Does anyone want a cup of tea?”
“Do you want anything from the shop?”
“Is there a hospital anywhere near here?”

Other Compound Words
We also use “anybody”, ”anyone”, ”anything” and ”anywhere”  when who, where, what or when is not really relevant.

English vocabulary: words that are used differently across the US

Most students are aware that there are differences between British English, Australian English and American English; but did you know that American English also differs from state to state within the country itself?

Across the United States of America (USA), Americans use completely different words for the same items, along with different pronunciations. In this post we are going to look at some of the words that differ from region to region within the USA.

1. Pop/Soda – This is probably one of the biggest divides in the USA and I personally have noticed it many times. In the northeastern part and southwestern part of America (states such as New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, California, etc.) this carbonated beverage is called ‘soda.’

If you live in the northern part of America – Washington, Michigan, and all the way to Kansas – it is called ‘pop’.

2. Drinking fountain/water fountain – In the US you will come across these in stores or schools. In the western states, the phrase used is ‘drinking fountain’ but in the middle and eastern states, they are referred to as ‘water fountains.’ Some cities even call them ‘bubblers’.

3. Sneakers/tennis shoes – The shoes that you wear on your feet for running, biking or walking are called ‘sneakers’ or ‘tennis shoes.’ Most of the United States calls these shoes ‘tennis shoes.’ However, the northwestern part of the USA (such as New York, Pennsylvania, etc.) refers to them as ‘sneakers’.

4. Highway/freeway – This is another interesting divide among Americans. The west coast, states like California, Washington and part of Nevada, calls this kind of road a ‘freeway’. However, the rest of the country calls it a ‘highway.’

Travel English: key words for the airport

The airport is a place that you will eventually find yourself at if you haven’t already. Depending on where you’re going or coming from, English will be a must.
Let’s face it, with your holiday or business trip about to begin or come to an end, you will want to avoid any hassle or miscommunication. So let’s talk about some important words which will come in useful at the airport.

Before you leave your house for the airport, be sure to print out your confirmation number. A confirmation number is a personalized number given to you when you purchase your plane ticket. The check-in counter will surely ask for this along with your passport. Once they check you in, you will receive your boarding pass. This is your official ticket to get on the plane.

After you check-in your luggage and receive your boarding pass, you will be asked to move through security. Now, it’s time to find your plane. Your plane will be waiting for you at your specified departure gate. 

Your departure gate is on your boarding pass. It’s usually a number and a letter. This is the place where you show your ticket and board the plane. Don’t get there too late or they will close the gate. Unfortunately, I am speaking from experience.

After you board your plane and find your seat you will be asked to store your carry-on luggage in the overhead bins. This refers to the smaller bag that you have taken with you onto the plane. Now it’s time to sit back and relax, or if you’re me, fall asleep.

Once you land, you need to find your luggage at the baggage claim area. The baggage carousel is the long moving circle that has many bags on it. Check the bag tags to be sure you pick up the correct one.

Now, armed with the right vocabulary, you’re ready to embark on any trip with no worries at all!

How to write the perfect Valentine’s card

               The most romantic date in the calendar is just around the corner. A day when lovers everywhere celebrate their love by doing something special for one another. If you’re not in a relationship then it’s the perfect day to let the person you’ve been endlessly dreaming about know exactly how you feel about them. Whether you’re in a relationship or not, and whether you want to remain a secret admirer or not, a Valentine’s card is a wonderful way to let someone know just how much they mean to you.

But – Valentine’s cards can be hard to write – even for those who speak perfect English! Expressing our true feelings in words can be difficult – we don’t want to embarrass ourselves and we don’t want to say anything we don’t mean. We want to sound romantic but we don’t want to sound too clichéd.

These simple tips will help you to write a Valentine’s card that’s really from the heart.

Inspiration

Words come easily when we are inspired and there are plenty of ways to inspire words of love.

Companionship

Think about how you feel when you’re with the person. Do they make you happy? Smile? Feel warm? Secure? Write down the words and feelings that come to you when you think about being with them.

Longing

Think about how you feel when you and the person are apart. Do you feel sad? Bored? Alone? Do you daydream about them all the time? Everybody loves to be missed! And the words you think of here will help you express just how much you miss the other person, letting them know just how much more fun your life is with them in it.

Daydream

Think about the future. An important part of romantic love is daydreaming about the future together. It makes the relationship stronger – and it’s fun to share each other’s dreams! Your dream home, moving away from the city, having children, cats, dogs, where you would love to travel to – letting them know you’re looking forward to a future with them will make them feel so happy and secure.

Reminisce

Think about the past. Shared memories are very strong and wonderfully romantic. Think about the happiest times you’ve spent together and the words and places that are special only to the two of you and use these to inspire your message.

Humour

Everyone loves to laugh – laughter is what bonds us together. Share something in your message that you know your special someone will find funny – a funny word or joke that you share.

Sorry

A Valentine’s card is also a great place to apologise for any mistakes you think you might have made. Admitting your mistakes shows that you really care about the other person’s feelings. Don’t detail every little mistake, or drag this out, just mention something that you think you could have handled better and that you’re grateful that the other person was so understanding about it. You can even use humour here, by apologising for a very tiny mistake – like forgetting to record their favourite TV show.

Borrowed words

If you really are struggling then here’s a word that will help you out: ‘quotation’. Look to your favourite poets and writers and quote some of their romantic lines. Love is universal and many love poems contain words and details that mean a lot to all of us, not just to the writer. It doesn’t have to be a love poem or a novel – think about your favourite romantic movie moments or song lyrics and use these to express how you feel.

Don’t be afraid – be honest

Whether your English is grade A or not, it’s the feeling that counts. If someone loves you, they won’t care in the slightest about spelling errors or grammatical mistakes. Love transcends the written word and whoever is lucky enough to receive your card will feel special just for having received it in the first place.

So don’t worry about trying to be the next Shakespeare, the important thing is to be honest. The fact you have made the effort simply to express how you feel to someone will always make them smile.

- See more at: http://www.englishtown.com/blog/valentines-english-write-perfect-valentines-card/#sthash.P8WzSMAI.dpuf