English grammar

:?

Dear teacher,

Please can you help me with a few questions. We are doing a course on English teaching to second language students, and I'm stuck on a few of the questions.

A.
1. Write in simple terms, as if explaining to a learner of English, how you would make the mistake in the following sentences clear:

"I'd like some informations about your courses."

(I can see that "informations" should be "information" but I'm not sure how to explain this in simple English.

2. "Have you got any money? Yes. I've been to the bank yesterday."
(I see that "I've been" is incorrect" but again I don't know how to explain the mistake.

3. "Is John ill? He's lost a lot of weight? Yes, he is rather slender these days, isn't he?"
I think "slender" is incorrect, but technically it means the same as "thin" although you probably wouldn't use it in this sentence. Or perhaps "isn't he" is wrong???

B.
Imagine that you are teaching a multilingual group of 12 learners at beginner level. What problems might they have in understanding these sentences; pronouncing theml and outline ideas on how you would teach these expressions.

Thank you so much!

Leigh-Anne (Annie)

[MikeNewYork]

Originally Posted by Annie Mae

:?

Dear teacher,

Please can you help me with a few questions. We are doing a course on English teaching to second language students, and I'm stuck on a few of the questions.

A.
1. Write in simple terms, as if explaining to a learner of English, how you would make the mistake in the following sentences clear:

"I'd like some informations about your courses."

(I can see that "informations" should be "information" but I'm not sure how to explain this in simple English.

"Information" is almost always a non-countable noun. We don't say one information, two informations, etc. We use words such as some, much, any, etc. Non-countable nouns do not take the plural form.

2. "Have you got any money? Yes. I've been to the bank yesterday."
(I see that "I've been" is incorrect" but again I don't know how to explain the mistake.

We do not use the present perfect tense to refer to a specific time period in the past. It does not fit with the word "yesterday". We would use the simple past with "yesterday". I went to the bank yesterday.

3. "Is John ill? He's lost a lot of weight? Yes, he is rather slender these days, isn't he?"
I think "slender" is incorrect, but technically it means the same as "thin" although you probably wouldn't use it in this sentence. Or perhaps "isn't he" is wrong???

On could use "slender" there, but that word has a positive connotation. It would fit the context better as "thin", "emaciated", "underweight", etc.

B.
Imagine that you are teaching a multilingual group of 12 learners at beginner level. What problems might they have in understanding these sentences; pronouncing them and outline ideas on how you would teach these expressions.

I'll leave that part for you. :wink:

[Tdol]

'Slender' is also rarely used for males, isn't it?

Originally Posted by tdol

'Slender' is also rarely used for males, isn't it?

Do you prefer slim or lean for males?

[MikeNewYork]

Originally Posted by tdol

'Slender' is also rarely used for males, isn't it?

Slender is used for males, sometimes. :wink:

[RonBee]

Slender or lean are seen as positive. Thin is more likely to be seen as negative.

:)

Originally Posted by RonBee

Slender or lean are seen as positive. Thin is more likely to be seen as negative.

:)

I wouldn't mind being called skinny myself.

[Tdol]

Originally Posted by MikeNewYork

Slender is used for males, sometimes. :wink:

Sure: He's got a slender chance.

Originally Posted by tdol

Sure: He's got a slender chance.

Slender gives me the idea of a delicate build, but this is all very relative. I'd never call a man beautiful, but some people do.

[RonBee]

Originally Posted by Susie Smith

I wouldn't mind being called skinny myself.

I think skinny is more or less neutral in its connotations. Also, in the expression "You can't be too thin or too rich" the word thin definitely has positive connotations.

:wink: