VIP Class Notes (Nicholas)[W/S]

Review and correct speaking sections closely next  class.

Write about your experience learning how to swim.

Write about something we talked about today.

Are you a competitive person?

Speaking Rules

Don’t need CAN
Don’t need COULD

e.g. I can do it.
e.g. I could do it yesterday.
e.g. I was drunk I couldn’t open the door.
e.g. I am drunk and I can’t open the door.

If + Then

What do they usually do? = Present tense

Here’s what I like + Here’s why I like it + Here’s how it makes me feel

Tell a personal story

usually do – present

stories – past

Writing Rules

Don’t start a sentence with AND, or BUT, or BECAUSE.

Vocabulary

submit – 提交 – to hand in, or to give to someone
e.g. I have to submit a book proposal to my publisher tomorrow morning.
e.g. I haven’t started it really. I have just been thinking about it.
e.g. I submitted the proposal yesterday.
e.g. Do your students have to submit their work to you?
e.g. How many submissions do they have to give you?

trophy – 奖杯
e.g We made a trophy for our ping pong games.

competitive – 竞争
e.g. I played basketball competitively since I was a young kid.
e.g. I was competing at a very young age.
e.g. I love to compete in basketball.
e.g. My mother always told me: Nicholas you are too competitive, you make the games not fun for other children.

Original

Yes ,I think people can do two things at the same time especially when they after the work.

People in offices need to pay most attentions to their work,they should not be distracted ,but when people finish their work they have lots of choices about what to do and also they can do two things at the same time.For example,some people listening to the radios or musics when they driving car or bike come back to home .Some people doing sport meanwhile listening to the english for studying.And some people do some hand-making works when they watch movies …

In conclusion,I think it is ok for people to do two things at the same time.People relax themselves and also save some time for them to do the other important things.

Corrected

Yes ,I think people can do two things at the same time, especially after they have finished their work / after work is over / they finished their work.

People in offices need to pay most of their attention to their work, they should not be distracted ,but when people finish their work they have lots of choices about what to do / what they can do so they can do two things at the same time / do two things at once.For example,some people like to listen / listen to the radio or music when they are driving their car or bike to come back home .Some people play sports while they listen to english for studying. Some people do hand–crafts when they watch movies …

In conclusion,I think it is OK / acceptable / fine for people to do two things at the same time.People can relax and also save time to do other important things.

Do you think it’s important for children to take part in sporting activities?

Yes, I think it’s important for children to take part in sporting activities because it is good for their growth / development. First the children in our country / my country have lots of homework to do nowadays conjunction  they have no time to relax their mind, so if they can take part in some sports it’s better for them.  It is better for their body and when they play sports – maybe it will help them to have some new ideas / be more creative and the sports can make them stronger, I think lots of parents in my country know about this, so they don’t refuse them to play sports.

Corrected

Yes, I think it’s important for children to take part in sporting activities because it is good for their growth / development. First the children in our country / my country have lots of homework to do nowadays so  they have no time to relax their minds, so if they can take part in some sports it will better for them.  It is better for their body and when they play sports – maybe it will help them to have some new ideas / [be more creative] and the sports can make them stronger, I think lots of parents in my country know about this, so they don’t keep them / hold them back from playing sports. 

Do children in your country have enough time to play sports?

Maybe a majority of children in my country have enough time to play sports; some other children have no time to play sports or do some housework. Because the children must to pass the examinations, some sports are one part of the examination so they must to play some sports everyday before their examination.

Corrected

Maybe a majority of children in my country have enough time to play sports; some other children have no time to play sports or do some housework. Because the children must to pass the examinations, some sports are one part of the examination so they must to play some sports everyday before their examination.

What is the most popular sport in your country?

I think ping pong is the most popular sport in my country. I don’t know why, but when I was a student I also liked this sport and I could play ping pong very well. After every class we would have a 10 minute break and I would go down fast to have a desk for ping pong – play with my friend, she also played ping pong very well.

Do you think it’s better for children to play sport just for fun or to compete seriously?

I think it’s better for children to play sports just for fun because maybe the sports they played (good because it is specific ) for them is just for relax and they can make friends with the other players, and this sport perhaps can be one interesting for children. I think the happy is more important for them when they are just a child / children.

Grammar

meanwhile = two different sentences
while = one, same sentence
It is evening in Shanghai. Meanwhile, it is morning in America.
It is evening in Shanghai while it is morning in America.

growth /grow / growing up
e.g. When /While I was growing up I like basketball. (over time)
e.g. I grew up in New York.
e.g. My mother was very concerned with my physical growth so she fed me healthy food.
e.g. My mother was very concerned with my mental growth so she made me go to school.

I do things well.
Things are good.

I used to go to school.
I would go to school. (What you usually did)
I would went to school.

interesting (adj) vs. interest (noun)
to have an interest in
e.g. Learning English is my interest.
e.g. I have an interest in learning English.
e.g. I think learning English is very interesting.
e.g. Oh, Margaret is so interesting! Her class is so interesting
e.g. That’s an interesting painting!
e.g. Painting is my interest!

refuse = I said no
She asked me for money, I refused.

to disallow / to keep from = you are not allowed to do, you cannot do it because your parents said so
e.g. I was kept from my father.
e.g. I was disallowed from seeing my father.