Verbs

Grammar for Business English (1)

VERBS MADE EASY (1): TRANSITIVE OR INTRANSITIVE


What is an intransitive verb? According to most dictionaries, intransitive verbs are verbs that are not followed by something or someone.


An example: Old habits die hard. (‘Die’ is intransitive as it is not followed by something or someone. (‘Hard’ is not something or someone, right?)


But the BIG question is: why?

1. Why is an intransitive verb not followed by something?

2. Or why is an transitive verb followed by something?

3. In other words, why is there a difference between transitive verbs and intransitive verbs?

To answer this big question, we have to talk about sentence structures (if you like, syntax). Most learners of English have recited the sentence structure of SVO, in which:

S=subject V=verb O=object

Yet they do not recognise that there is a special relationship between ‘S’ and ‘O’.

An example: Efficiency makes a happy life.

‘Efficiency’ is the subject and ‘a happy life’ is the object.

The special relationship is ‘Efficiency’ is much much much bigger than ‘a happy life’ (You may add more much). In other words, ‘efficiency’ is the reason why ‘a happy life’ is possible.


To make it easier, read the formula:

‘Efficiency’ > ‘a happy life’

S > O

However, if there is no such a relationship (between S & O), you have to use an intransitive verb with a preposition.

An example: I’ll wait for you.

The relationship between ‘I’ and ‘you’ is not one of ‘subject’ and ‘object’. To show such a relationship, a preposition is needed.






The following table may make you feel good about what we have been talking about:

Relationship between  S & O	Choice of verbs	Choice of verbs
S > O	Transitive
S is not > O		Intransitive (+ prepositions)

Give Me Five

Grammar of Spoken English (3): Give me five VS Give five

If you watch TV or movies to learn spoken English, you must have come across the following:
Give me five.

However, there was time I heard someone say ‘Give five.’ Is it correct? Are there any differences between Give five and Give me five.


In terms of meaning, there is not much difference between the two. That is, when someone says Give five or Give me five, you will do the same action, right?

                                      So, once again, if Give five correct?

                           Absolutely …...... not!

Why? When you read grammar books, they will tell you the verb ‘Give’ takes two nouns (a person + a thing), but they do Not tell you why.

Well, bad news and good news. The bad news is nobody knows why, which is why grammar books do not explain it. It may due to the fact that people who speak English as a first language have been doing it since long long ago, and it is so natural that nobody cares to ask why.

The good news is: you can be playful about verbs. That is, you may group transitive verbs (verbs followed by nouns) into two types:

Type A: Slim Verbs

Type B: Fat Verbs

Slim verbs are verbs (such as ‘take’ or ‘like’) that are followed by one noun only.

	Verb followed by a noun	Noun / Pronoun
	Take	it
I	like	it

Well, imagine verbs are just like people. If you eat a hot dog a day, I guess you will be slim, right? So, they are called Slim Verbs because they take only one noun (one hot dog).

On the contrary, ‘give’ eats two hot dogs a day that it is a Fat Verb. So we have:

Fat Verb	1st Hotdog	2nd Hotdog
Give	me	five
Give	me	a break
Buy	me	a drink
Show	me	the way

American Slang & Office English (1) 

American slang is cool, right?  If you can use it in your office, you are even cooler.  

However, there is a question for you:

How do you know you use cool slang correctly?

Correctly?  Am I kidding?  No.  When you use slang, there is grammar to follow too.  

What do I mean?  Read the following example:

What (the hell) is that?

Somehow you have to put ‘the hell’ in the correct position, right?  If you say:

What is that, the hell?   

We’ll get lost.  Even worse, some of your coworkers may laugh at you.  (So, believe it or not, speaking slang at office is about grammar too.)

It is not cool being laughed at by others, right?   

---

So the question is:

How to speak cool slang coolly?

Before you know how to do it, read the following cool American slang that can be used at office:

1. a slave driver
2. a hit
3. Mickey Mouse (as an adjective)
4. on spec
             5. out of the loop

You will know what they mean very soon. But the bigger question is:

When you learn some cool slang, how are you going to make it your own English?

That is, when you watch movies and learn slang and check out the meanings, but you may not be sure how to use it.  By ‘use it’, I mean use it correctly so that you will be cool and your coworkers will admire you, not laugh at you.


As you may have already read my another post (http://mind-learning.blogspot.hk/2013/01/english-verbs-baby-verbs-3.html), you may just take a NAP (a small rest).  

Yes, ‘take a NAP’ to speak cool English at your office.  How?

If you may remember, N stands for nouns, A for adjectives, and P for prepositions.

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So now, you can go back to the five slang and group them into N, A, or P.

USING SLANG at office: THE N WAY

The first two ones, a slave driver and a hit, are nouns.  

So, you may use the first one (a slave driver) to complain about your boss.  

How to do it?  Read the following dialogue.


1. A slave driver: A dialogue

Your friend: What is your boss like?
      You: He is a slave driver.

Your friend: What?
      You: He is such a slave driver that he makes us work day and night.

In other words, you work as a slave and your boss just keeps pushing you.

A piece of cake, right?  
But you can add a twist to this ‘N’ way (He is a slave driver.

What is it?
Just move the noun (a slave driver) to the beginning (of the sentence).

A slave driver he is!

What does it mean?

It means he is really really really a slave driver. (You can add more ‘really’ if you like.)


2. A hit: upon finishing presenting your proposal, your coworker says to you:

Your presentation was a hit.  

What does it mean?
 

I guess you have heard of hit songs and hit rates, right?  So a hit means something that is successful, something that is loved by others.   

So, if your proposal is a hit, it is a very good one.  

(You will get to slang 3 to 5 at the next post.)

Picture source:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/whatleydude/5132954852/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lifementalhealthpics/8385422957/sizes/s/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/76029035@N02/6829440395/in/photostream

Posted 2 weeks ago by Mind English

  

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English Verbs: Baby Verbs (1)

When you speak English, are you afraid that you may speak it with wrong grammar?

When you chat with a new co-worker, will you say something like:

                                   Where are you come from? {wrong, absolutely wrong}


There is an easy way to make you speak English with confidence.  You can find it in chapter two of the following book:

FeelGoodGrammar:

How to Make Sentences

in Business English

In the book, we try to make things easy and make you feel good.  How?
We divide English sentences into two groups, yes, two types of sentences only.

They are:

1. Sentences with Baby Verbs

2. Sentences with Non-Baby Verbs


What are Baby Verbs and Non-Baby Verbs?


Read the following preview of chapter 2 and you’ll know what we are talking about.

FEELGOOD GRAMMAR

Chapter 2 Two Types of Sentences ONLY (1): Baby Verbs

Believe it or not!  This chapter is about babies. You’ll see how babies can help you move your (Business) English to another level, of course, a higher one.

But you have to change something.  You have to change your way of thinking about babies.  What is it?

Babies suck.

What do I mean?  ‘Suck’ is American slang.  It means that something or somebody is really, really bad (a video on 'suck').

So, in this chapter, you’ll learn that a baby doesn’t suck.  Baby Verbs are powerful, so powerful that they help you to:

a. express your anger to your coworker
b. defend and summarize  your points
c. challenge others
d. make an offer (when negotiating)
e. get a lower price (when negotiating)

But before you move to another level, you have to know one thing: how to tell a Baby Verb from a Non-Baby Verb.   

A. Two Types of Sentences ONLY?

Before you get started, a piece of good news for you.  There are only two types of sentences in English.  Yes, you are right, only two.

Two only?  Yes, when you focus on verbs, the center of sentences, there are only two types of sentences only.

What are they?

Sentences with Baby Verbs

Sentences with Non-Baby Verbs

So in other words, if you have a deep understanding of what the two verbs are, you can speak and write (business) English with confidence.

And, you can also write a long sentence like the following (with confidence):

The starting point for any good discussion is a shared understanding of the aim of a company.  

Well, before you get more confident, before you feel better about yourself, you have to know the differences between Baby and Non-Baby Verbs.  So, are you ready, baby?

Well, in the following, you will have to make a decision.   What decision is it?

What do you think?

The decision to make is:

Are the following sentences correct?

1. Where are you from?   
2. Where do you come from?
3. Where are you come from?

Ans: Only 1 & 2 are correct.

    3 is absolutely wrong.

        (Where are you come from? Wrong!!!!)

Why?  In sentence 1, the verb is ‘are’, and it is a Baby Verb.

Where are you from?

                                                                                                                    
However, in sentence 2, the verb is ‘come’ and it is a Non-Baby Verb (‘do’ is a helping verb, turning the sentence into a question).

Where do you come from?

Yet, you find both a Baby and a Non-Baby Verbs in sentence 3.  

In English sentences, you either use a Baby Verb or a Non-Baby Verb.   They usually don’t go together in a sentence.

Where are you come from?   [WRONG]

Baby Verb	Non-Baby Verb
are	come

So the rule, the rule of babies, is:

Baby Verbs VS Non-Baby Verbs

For easy memory, either you are a baby or you are not a baby.  You can’t be both, can you?


Common examples in the two groups of verbs are:

 Baby Verbs:

be / is / am / are / was / were / being/ been

Non-Baby Verbs
 work / discuss / suggest /

think / decide / guess / develop

       

Typical mistake: I am fully agree with you. (WRONG)

You may apply the rule to the following sentence.

Situation	At a meeting
Aim	To agree with somebody

I am fully agree with you.  

The sentence is absolutely, definitely, totally wrong.   ‘Am’ is a Baby Verb while ‘agree’ is  a Non-Baby.  So when applying the rule that you are either baby or non-baby,you have two ways.  


a. With a Baby Verb (am)

     I am totally with you.

b. With a Non-Baby Verb (agree)

I fully agree with you.    

So next time, when you agree with Mr Right, either be a Baby or a Non-Baby.  


Further examples (for agreeing) are:

Baby Verbs	Non-Baby Verbs
That is (That’s) not a bad idea.	I can’t agree with you more. (Yes, it means you agree with Mr Right.)
I am (I’m) fond of the idea of building a new team.	You can say that again.

                   (Part I of English Verbs: Baby Verbs (1) is done.)








Other Baby-Verb Sentences to Make  in the coming blogs include:

Situation	Aim	Sample Sentence
At a meeting	To defend your points To challenge others To summarize decisions	This is for the benefit of (our company). Why is the report important (to our company)? The decision is to cut cost.
Negotiating	To make an offer To get a lower price	The offer is firm (for 7 working days). There is a big difference between (your prices) and (those of other competitors).
Casual Talk	To express your opinions	The interviewee appeared (disorganized) and (confused).
Talking to coworkers	To express your anger	Is that the best (you could make)?