Tag: video

Heart of Gold Revisited

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Here’s a classic song for you using last week’s Idiom of the Week. As you listen, fill in the blanks with the words you hear. When you’re finished, click on “Continue reading” to check your answers.

“Heart Of Gold”
Neil Young

I want to ___1___
I want to give
I’ve been a ___2___ for a heart of gold
It’s these expressions
I never give
That keep me searching for a heart of gold
And I’m getting old
Keep me searching for a heart of gold
And I’m getting old

I’ve been to ___3___
I’ve been to Redwood
I crossed the ___4___ for a heart of gold
I’ve been in my mind,
It’s such a fine ___5___
That keeps me searching for a heart of gold
And I’m getting old
Keeps me searching for a heart of gold
And I’m getting old

Keep me searching for a heart of gold
You keep me searching and I’m growing old
Keep me searching for a heart of gold
I’ve been a ___6___ for a heart of gold

Click on “Continue reading” to check your answers:

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Much vs. Many vs. A Lot of

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Time for more grammar. This time we’re going to look at the words much, many, and a lot of.

The key to knowing when to use these words is remembering your count and non-count nouns. To review count and noun-count nouns, click here.

Basically, you use “many” with plural count nouns. For example: many people, many apples, many problems, many friends. You can use “many” in statements and questions, affirmative or negative.

“Much,” on the other hand, is used with non-count nouns. For example: much money, much homework, much coffee, much trouble. But we only use “much” in questions and negative statements. For example: “I don’t have much money. How much money do you have?” We do not say “I have much money.”

In this case, we say “I have a lot of money.” “A lot of” can be used with count or non-count nouns – it doesn’t matter! It can also be used in questions and statements, negative or affirmative. But if we begin the question with “how,” then we have to use either “much” or “many.” We can’t say “How a lot of money do you have?’

Watch this video for some extra practice, then take the quiz to test your knowledge:

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Simple Present Vs. Present Progressive

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Ready for more grammar? Good.

This time we’re going to look at simple present tense and present progressive (also called present continuous) tense.

We use simple present tense when we talk about something we usually do or always do or never do or sometimes do. For example:

I live in Brooklyn.

She always does her homework.

They don’t drink alcohol.

We use present progressive tense to describe something we’re doing right now, at this very moment. For example:

I’m using the computer right now.

She’s talking on the phone.

He isn’t sleeping. He’s watching TV.

But be careful – there are some verbs that we rarely or never use in the present progressive tense. These verbs describe a feeling or a way of thinking. For example:

I understand the situation.   (Not “I’m understanding the situation.”)

They believe what you say.   (Not “They’re believing what you say.”)

He wants a new bike.   (Not “He’s wanting a new bike.”)

Now watch these two videos. The first one is a clear explanation of the grammar, and the second one is a rather strange demonstration of the grammar.

After you finish watching, take the quiz to test your knowledge – and then you can write some sentences in simple present tense or present progressive tense (or both) by leaving a comment!

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Thank Your Lucky Stars Revisited

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Here’s a song using last week’s Idiom of the Week. As you listen, fill in the blanks with the words you hear. When you’re finished, click on “Continue reading” to check your answers!

“I Thank My Lucky Stars”

Eddy Arnold

I thank my lucky stars for every day I spend with you
I thank my lucky stars because I found a girl so ____1____
Many times I see other girls I might have had
Watch them when they fall in ____2____, watch it turn out bad

So when I count my blessings, honey, you’re my number ____3____
And when I count my heartaches, thanks to you they number ____4____
So if I seem a little bit too much in love, it’s true
And I thank my lucky stars because I found a girl like you

I thank my lucky stars for every day I spend with you
I thank my lucky stars because I found a girl so ____5____
Many times I see other girls I might have had
Watch them when they ____6____ in love, watch it turn out bad

So when I count my blessings, honey, you’re my number ____7____
And when I count my heartaches, thanks to you they number ____8____
So if I seem a little bit too much in love, it’s true
And I thank my lucky stars because I found a girl like you

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Happy New Year’s

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Here’s an old song that many sing for New Year’s. It’s called “Auld Lang Syne” – it’s Scottish English for “old long since,” or “long long ago,” “days gone by,” or “old times.”

The song was originally written as a poem by Robert Burns in 1788, and it was later put to music. Here are the lyrics:

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days of auld lang syne!

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne.
We’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

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