need to vs need

I was teaching a lesson the other day and a student said:

I need help my Mom. 

What they meant to say was:

I need to help my Mom.

So today let's look at the difference between need & need to. 

Need

This means that you require something. In Japanese, いる (要る). 

I need more free time.

Do you need a ride?

Do you need any help?

Need to

This is a bit different, need to means that you must do something. 

My Mom said I need to help my brother with his homework.

What do you need to do today?

I need to go to work.

Another more casual way of saying need to is have to:

I have to go to work today.

I have to catch my train = I need to catch my train.

Have a great weekend,

Phil

Supposedly vs. Apparently

Today we'll be looking at two very similar words that have slightly different usages: 

supposedly & apparently.

Supposedly

This is used when you want to express doubt. 

Supposedly, he'll be here at 6PM. (I don't think he will)

She'll supposedly finish work on time. (I doubt it)

Albert: Did Abe cancel the tax increase?

Taka: Supposedly...

Albert: What do you mean?

Taka: Well, supposedly the tax increase isn't going to happen but I think he'll try to push it through eventually.

Apparently

This is a bit more neutral than supposedly. It's used to quote or repeat something you've heard. As such, it's also often going to express elements of doubt, surprise or uncertainty: I don't know for sure but I've heard...

Apparently, a new bar's going to open in Kyoto soon.

She's apparently not going to do that movie as she hates the director.

Dan: Do you know what happened between Mark & Mindy?

Felicia: Apparently, Mindy caught Mark cheating on her!

Dan: What? No way, Mark's not that kind of guy.

Felicia: It's true, Tammy told me Mindy saw him with another woman.


These days they're both terms are usually used at the start of sentences. It sounds much more natural.

Any questions? If so, please comment.

Have a nice week,

Phil

So much for that idea~!

So much for X

Today we're looking at a set phrase that we use to declare that we tried something or we were going to do something but now we've given up, usually due to circumstances beyond our control.

Fred: Did you hear it's going to rain this weekend?

Henry: So much for going camping. 

(due to the rain we need to give up on our plan to go camping)

Fred: Yeah, that sucks. Why don't we go see a movie instead?

-----------

Peter: Ok, turn it on and let's see if it works.

(pow! the computer sparks and gives off smoke)

John: Ouch! Turn it off, so much for that idea. We'll have to try something else.

So as you can see when something can't happen or doesn't work you can announce that you are giving up on X and ready to move on to a new option.

Sara: How're things with Paula?

Gareth: We broke up, she was cheating on me. So much for that relationship.

Sara: I'm sorry to hear that. I think Jenny likes you though.

Gareth: Really? She's cute, can I have her number?

Have a nice week,

Phil

How do you like being a dentist?

Hi everyone, today's post will look at a useful phrase you can use when talking about someone's job.

How do you like being X?

This is a question you can use when discussing someone's current state such as their job, being a father/mother/grandfather/uncle, in a band, etc.

When you answer you usually use one of two structures: one for positive feelings and one for negative ones.

It's negative adjective. I have to (do something unpleasant).

or

It's positive adjective. I get to (do something pleasant).

In the negative structure, you are forced to do something and so you don't enjoy your situation.

In the positive structure, you are permitted to do something and so you like your situation.

Let's look at some examples:

A: How do you like being married?

B: It's great. I get to be with the love of my life.

-------


A: How do you like being a factory worker?

B: It's so boring. I have to do the same thing all day everyday.

-------

A: How do you like being a doctor.

B: It's tough but rewarding. I get to save lives.

------

A: How do you like being on the basketball team?

B: It's fun. I get to spend a lot of time with my friends.

------

A: How do you like being a freelancer?

B: It's hard. I always have to look for new clients.


Any questions? Have a nice weekend,

Phil

He's not a team player

Wow, it's been a long time since I posted a new English Tip. Sorry about that, I'll try to post more regularly.

Today I'll look at 3 idioms:

To Be a Team Player

This means that you support your team and help them, you do your fair share of the work and work well as part of the group.

Bill's a real team player, he's always helping out people in the office.

If you're a team player, you'll do great as part of our company.

A glory hog

This is someone who selfishly wants to keep all the glory to themselves. 

I think LeBron James is a glory hog he always acts like he was the only person responsible for his team winning.

When I was in college, I was a glory hog who always had to be in the spotlight.

A show off

This is someone who likes to display his/her things or his/her skills to demonstrate that they are better than others. It can also be used as a phrasal verb.

Stop being such a show off, I know you're great at skateboarding but if you're not careful you'll hurt yourself.

Terry's always showing off his new Rolex these days.

Any questions? Here's a little dialogue using all three:


Al: Why'd David get fired?

Tom: He wasn't a team player. He was a glory hog always trying to steal the credit for other people's work

Al: Really? What a jerk! I knew he was a show off who liked to brag about all his expensive things but I didn't realize he was that bad.

Money is no object~!

Continuing the money theme from my last post I thought of this expression while in class today:

Money is no object!

Now unfortunately, I've never been in a position to say this but I've heard it in movies & TV shows often enough. It simply means that "I don't care about the cost" or "I will pay whatever price you like" or "Spare no expense". Basically, it's used to tell a shopkeeper that you want the best and don't care about the price. You can find thefreedictionary.com's definition here.

I just won the lottery, give me your best bottle of champagne! Money is no object.

After my uncle got promoted he started spending like money was no object, eventually he went bankrupt!

Here's a great video of a talk where Alan Watts a British philosopher asks the question:

What would you do if money was no object?




Have a great weekend!

Phil

Put your money where your mouth is~!

Today we'll look at a few idioms linked to gambling. If you are very sure about something you could say:

I'd put money on it.

This means that you believe it so much that you are willing to bet money that you're right. It is generally used in the following grammar structure:

X would put money on Y

And since you are telling people about your high degree of certainty X is usually I.

I'd put money on it raining tomorrow.

I'd put money on Tom getting the promotion.

You might talk about other people but this isn't so common:

She'd put money on him proposing on their anniversary next week.

In this case it is a form of reported speech, you are telling someone that she told you he is sure he will propose on their anniversary.

Another, more dramatic way, to express a high degree of certainty that something is true/will happen is to say:

I'd stake my life on it

You often hear this in casual English and it is in a ton of movies where gangsters catch someone and want them to talk:

Gangster: Where's the money?

John: I don't know~!

Gangster: (breaks a finger) Where's the MONEY?

John: Tom might have it...

Gangster: MIGHT? (pushes on the broken finger)

John: He has it, he has it. I'd stake my life on it.

Gangster: You just did.

In this case you are literally saying "I'd bet my life on it" so if you are wrong they'll kill you!

The last idiom we'll look at is one where two people are arguing and someone says"

Put your money where your mouth is!

This means that you talk tough like you are right or can do something but prove it - make a bet and show me I'm wrong.

Al: I can sink 3 basketballs in 1 minute from half-court.

Bill: What? No way!

Al: I can, I do it all the time.

Bill: Put your money where your mouth is, 20$ says you can't.

Al: You're on, let's go to the basketball court and I'll show you how it's done.

So Al said he could do something, Bill didn't believe him and bet him 20$ he can't. They made a bet and now they will go find out who is right.

Have a nice weekend guys,

Phil