Follow me!

Hey, don't laugh! I'm not gonna ask you to follow me! ;) Actually, today I would like to introduce EC members to follow me! ;)

Actually, Follow me was a series of television programs produced by the BBC in the late 1970s as a crash course in the English language. It was popular in many overseas countries as a first introduction to English. Some of you might be already familiar with it. But the ones, who aren't familiar with it, would find this introduction very useful I believe.

This series is fun to watch. You'd enjoy watching it in the same way as you enjoy watching TV dramas or any other TV shows. And the most important thing is that you'd learn English while having fun. Isn't that really great?! Moreover, the whole series is there on Youtube, so you'd be able to watch it as many times as you want and that, too is free of any charges! 

This series offers episodes in 4 levels.

1. Follow me - Beginner 

Even if you are an intermediate or advanced learner, you'd still find Beginner level useful because it'd help you a lot with pronunciation. It has 30 parts in total. This is the very first video of beginner level.

2. Follow me - Elementary

This level also has 30 parts. Below is the first video from elementary level. Watch it and see how wonderful it is.

3. Follow me - Intermediate

This one again offers 30 parts. Watch out the first video here and rest are available on youtube.

4. Follow me - Advanced

Last but not the least is the advanced level which also consists of 30 parts. Here's the first video.

I sincerely hope that all MyEC members would find this series useful.

Thanks a million for stopping by my blog, friends.

Happy learning! :)

Thanks to Anele for corrections!

(Please note that I'm not the author of this review. I read it on another website and I'm posting it here because I enjoyed reading it a lot).................

Save your time: here's the entirety of Twilight in 20 dialogue snippets & a wiggedy-wack intermission.

First 200 pages:
 Bella: "I like you, Edward!"
 Edward: "You shouldn't! I'm dangerous!"
 Bella: "I like you, Edward!"
  Edward: "But I'm dangerous!"

Next 50 pages:
Edward: "I'm a vampire!"
 Bella: "I like you, Edward!"
Edward: "But I'm a vampire! I'm dangerous!"
 Bella: "I like you, Edward!"

Next 100 pages:
 Bella: "I like you, Edward!"
Edward: "You smell good, Bella. I'm dangerous!"
Bella: "I like you, Edward!"
Edward: "Damn, you smell good."
Bella: "I like you, Edward!"
Edward:  "Also, I glow in sunlight."

Next 50 pages:
A. VAMPIRE. BASEBALL. GAME.
(I wish I was kidding)

Last 100 pages:
Bella: "Help me, Edward! I'm being chased!"
Edward: "I'll save you!"
Bella: "Help me, Edward! I'm scared!"
Edward: "I'll save you!"
Bella: "Oh, Edward!"
Edward: "You smell good." 

Hello all,

first of all happy new year to everyone!

Today, I would like to share a nice youtube channel -CCProse's channel with all those who are interested in reading books. Although it has same books that you may find along with audios on other websites like Wikisource.org, I like it because it's a little bit more appealing to eyes. :-)

So if you are one who is interested in reading books and at the same time want to improve your pronunciation, you most probably would like to give it a try!

Here are a few sample videos(only first video from a series of videos for a book).....

1. Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery......

2. Round the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne

3. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin

4. A book of Nonsense by Edward Lear

5. The wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

6. The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

And this is the list of rest of the video books....

A Book of Nonsense | A Christmas Carol | A Princess of Mars | A Tale of Two Cities | A Visit From Saint Nicholas | Alice's Adventures in Wonderland | An Alphabet of Celebrities | Animal Children | Anne of Avonlea | Anne of Green Gables | Anne of the Island | Around the World in 80 Days | Babbitt | Baseball ABC | Candide | Death and Burial of Poor Cock Robin | Denslow's Mother Goose | Dracula | Emma | Fun and Nonsense | Gulliver's Travels | Jane Eyre | King Winter | Lord Jim | Moby Dick | My Man Jeeves | Persuasion | Sense and Sensibility | Tess of the d'Urbervilles | The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn | The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes | The Adventures of Tom Sawyer | The Art of War | The Awakening | The Call of the Wild | The Circus Procession | The Communist Manifesto | The Declaration of Independence | The Gettysburg Address | The House of Mirth | The Hunchback of Notre Dame | The Invisible Man | The Jungle Book | The Last of the Mohicans | The Last of the Plainsmen | The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe | The Lost World | The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes | The Metamorphosis | The Picture of Dorian Gray | The Red Badge of Courage | The Return of Sherlock Holmes | The Rocket Book | The Secret Sharer | The Slant Book | The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde | The Tale of Peter Rabbit | The Wind in the Willows | The Wonderful Wizard of Oz | Through the Looking-Glass | Treasure Island | Uncle Tom's Cabin | Walden | Wuthering Heights

Thanks for stopping by! And happy reading!

1. Boisterous :- Adjective

Definition:- noisy, energetic and rough

Definition:-  to open a computer file (= a collection of information stored on a computer) in order to look at or change information in it

**************************************************************************

Access Road :- Noun [C] (ALSO access route)

Defintion:-

*a road leading from or to a particular place

-self-access material 

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Access Course :- Noun [C] UK

Definition:-  a set of classes which people take so they can get a qualification which can be used to get into university or college

-She didn't have any formal qualifications but took an access course to get into university.

***************************************************************************

Access Provider:-  Noun [C] (also ISP)

Defintion:-  a company that allows you to use the Internet and use email, and gives you space on the Internet to put your documents

-the UK's largest internet access provider

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

3. Blunder :- Noun [C]

  Defintion:-  a big mistake, usually caused by not taking care or thinking 

Blunder :- Verb (mistake)

Definition:- [I] to make a big mistake, usually because of not taking care or thinking

-Police blundered by not releasing more details about the case to focus public interest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Blundering :- Adjective [before noun]

-You blundering idiot! What do you think you're doing?

***************************************************************************

Blunder :- Verb (move)

 Definition :- [I usually + adverb or preposition] to move in an awkward way

-I could hear him blundering around in the darkness.

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NOTE :- All definitions are from Cambridge Dictionaries Online.

1. Abandon :- Verb (LEAVE) [T]

Definition : to leave a place, thing or person forever

-The match was abandoned at half-time because of the poor weather conditions.

Abandoned :- Adjective

Abandonment :- Noun

************************************************************

Abandon :- Noun LITERARY

Definition :- with (gay/wild) abandon --in a completely uncontrolled way

-We danced with wild abandon.

*************************************************************

Abandon yourself to something :- Phrasal Verb [R]

Definition : to allow yourself to be controlled completely by a feeling or a way of living

-He abandoned himself to his emotions.

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

2.

Barren :- Adjective

Definition :-

*unable to produce plants or fruit

-We drove through a barren, rocky landscape.

*LITERARY unable to have babies

*not productive

-She became very depressed during the barren years when she was unable to paint.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Barrenness :- Noun [U]

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__________________________________________________________________________________

3. Deluge :- Noun [C] 

Definition :- a very large amount of rain or water

-This little stream can become a deluge when it rains heavily.

a deluge of something -- a lot of something

-The newspaper received a deluge of complaints/letters/phone calls about the article.

*******************************************************************

Deluge :- Verb [T usually passive]

Definition :- to cover something with a lot of water

NOTE :- All definitions are from Cambridge Dictionaries Online.

1. Civic :- Adjective(before noun)

of a town or city or the people who live in it

3. Abundant :- Adjective FORMAL

more than enough

NOTE :- All definitions are from Cambridge Dictionaries Online.

1. Adapt :- Verb (Change)  

[T] to change something to suit different conditions or uses

-Both trees are well adapted to London's dry climate and dirty air. 

Adapt :- Verb (Become Familiar) 

[I] to become familiar with a new situation

2. Adhere :- Verb [I] Formal

to stick firmly

-A smooth, dry surface helps the tiles adhere to the wall. 

Adhere to something :- Phrasal Verb

to continue to obey a rule or have a belief

-She adhered to her principles/ideals throughout her life.

-The translator has obviously adhered very strictly to the original text.

3. Agony :- Noun [C or U]

extreme physical or mental pain or suffering

-We've both suffered agonies of guilt over what happened. 

Agony Aunt :- Noun [C usually singular] UK 

a person, usually a woman, who publicly gives advice to people with personal problems, especially in a regular magazine or newspaper article

Agony Column :- Noun [C usually singular] UK

the part of a magazine or newspaper where letters from readers about their personal problems are printed, together with advice about how to deal with them

pile on the agony :- UK informal

to enjoy emphasizing how bad a situation is

-Okay, I'll give you some money - just stop piling on the agony. 

NOTE :- All definitions are from Cambridge Dictionaries Online.

Here's a great news for Harry Potter and J. K. Rowling fans. J. K. Rowling has launched a new website called POTTERMORE.com.

Website's page holds two owls' picture against a red back ground. But you'd have to wait till June 23rd to know what it's actually about. I'm feeling a little curious. How about you?

Note: Pictures are from website and I do not own them.

Hello everybody, how are you doing?

SURPRISE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you know, today I want to write a FUNNY blog!!

   What a wonderful idea I've got! Do you agree with me?

But there is a problem!

And I'm so sad because of that.

Do you know, what is my problem? My problem is that I want to write a funny and wonderful blog but my mind is completely blank. I've nothing to write about. It is very difficult to write something funny in such kind of situation. Isn't it?  

I'm sure you would have been cursing me by now for wasting your precious time. Look friends, I'm absolutely serious for writing a funny blog, believe me. It isn't a joke, not at all. Hey, wait a minute, wait a minute, is it possible for a person to write a funny blog while being damn serious? What do you think? Is it really possible?

Hmm............. let's think about it for a while...

You see, thinking isn't an easy job, especially for the people like you and me. ^_*

So let's kick out this "thinking idea". So what shall I do now? Any idea? How about stealing some jokes from a website and publishing them under my own name, who would know about that. There are millions or perhaps billions of websites out there, it wouldn't be easy for anybody to find out the original source of "my" writing. Or is it? But what if I would be able to write a wonderful thing on my own tomorrow(may be I would be as famous as Jane Austin or J. K. Rowling. Hey don't laugh, day dreaming isn't a sin), somebody who thinks like I'm thinking at this very moment would steal it and would publish it under their own name. How would I feel then? I would simply want to kill that person. Wouldn't I? So it is better to say NO to piracy to secure my own future.

Okay, so that idea is gone too. What should I do now? Oh God, my blog looks so boring! By the way, shall I change its name from a "funny blog" to a "serious blog"? But who'd read it then?

Why I'm always short of ideas? Still nothing funny is coming to my mind. Hey keep patience and don't yawn, I'm still trying to think of a funny thing! Look, how hard I'm trying to make you laugh(that's why I tell you every now and then that I'm a GREAT and KIND person ^_* ).

Okay, leave the "funny blog" thing aside for a while, till I get the idea what to write about.

Why shouldn't you learn something about English while I'm thinking about an idea?

So here is something great to learn for! (By the way, it is for beginners just like me.)

 "For neutral singular words like "somebody", if we may be referring to
either male or female, we use the pronouns "they, their, etc." and the
reflexive "themselves" or even the singular "themself", though this last
one is considered by some people to be incorrect!" 

So now we have a learned a new thing too, but dear friends I'm still short of any ideas.

Okay, I've got an idea. I'm going to think about a funny idea. Till then will you kindly check my blog for any mistakes? Any correction will be HIGHLY APPRECIATED.Thanks in advance for your kind help.

Thank you so much for reading my boring blog! 

Please note that all images are from Google Images. I do not own them.

Hi everybody, ice-cream is everyone's favorite. Agree with me? I know, you all will agree with me.

OK, ummm....... hey, what's your favorite ice-cream flavor?

Below are some of the most popular ice-cream flavors. Which one is your favorite?

1. Vanilla 

2. Chocolate 

3. Butter Pecan

4. Strawberry

5. Neapolitan

6. Chocolate chip

7. French Vanilla

8. Cookies and Cream

9. Vanilla fudge ripple

10. Praline Pecan

11. Cherry

12. Chocolate almond

13. Coffee

14. Rocky Road

15. Chocolate Marshmallow

And have you ever tried any of those weird flavors of ice cream? If yes, do you like them?

Some of the weird flavors are;

FISH ice cream

SALAD ice cream

OCTOPUS ice cream

POTATO ice creamCHICKEN ice cream

Well, there are many of them. I think, list is getting too long. If you've ever tried any of weird flavors, whether it is listed here or not, share it with us!! ^_^

Mona Lisa is a portrait painted by Leonardo da Vinci in Florence, Italy during 16th century. The painting is currently owned by government of France and is on display at a museum in Paris, France. 

Mona Lisa is considered as the most famous painting in the history of arts and it is widely recognized around the world.

Her true identity has not been successfully disclosed yet. There are many opinions about her. Some experts even believe that Mona Lisa is actually its owner Leonardo da Vinci himself. However, majority of experts believe that painting depicts a lady named Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a Florentine merchant. But her exact identity is still unclear.

Many people worldwide are fascinated by the painting and consider it as a masterpiece. Mona Lisa's smile is a source of inspiration for many.

I know this painting since my early childhood and I've literally seen it a thousand times. It is very well known every where in the world. However, personally I've never found her smile attractive (or whatever you call it - beautiful, inspiring, mysterious, or enigmatic). I always wonder why people are so mad about her smile? What is the reason? How people could see a mystery behind her smile? But I've never found an answer to my questions.

So today, I would like to ask you people;

1. Are you a fan of Mona Lisa? If yes, why?

2. Do you find her smile attractive/cute/beautiful/enigmatic ? If yes, why?

3. Do you think there is a mystery behind her smile? If yes, why?

Please Note : If you're a fan of Mona Lisa, please don't be offended by my post. It 's my very personal opinion (and I think everybody has right to think about things as they want). The reason behind publishing this post is that I'm very curious to know about other people's opinions. And I respect all people's opinions so don't hesitate to respond to my questions.

Thank you so much for taking your time to read my blog. Thanks in advance for your valuable(yes, they are very valuable for me) comments!

What is the first conditional?

The first conditional is a structure used for talking about possibilities in the present or in the future. 

Conditional type 1 sentences refer to the future. An action in the future will only happen if a certain condition is fulfilled by that time. We don't know for sure whether the condition actually will be fulfilled or not, but condition seems rather realistic - so we think it is likely to happen.    

Type 1 conditional = if + present + future

1. FORM :

In a first conditional sentence, the tense in the if clause is the simple present, and the tense in the main clause is the simple future.

'IF' CLAUSE (CONDITION)             'MAIN' CLAUSE (RESULT)

if + simple present                         simple future

If it rains,                                                     you will get wet.

If you don't hurry,                                        you will miss the train.

If I find her address,                                   I will send her an invitation. 

If I have the money,                                      I will buy this car.

If it's sunny,                                                 we'll go to the park.

If you cook dinner,                                       I'll wash the dishes.

If you drop that glass,                                  it will break.

If I have time,                                               I'll finish that letter.

Please Note : The main clause can also be at the beginning of the sentence. In this case, don't use a comma.

Example : I will send her an invitation if I find her address.  (please note that "no" comma is used in this sentence.)

Some more examples : Nobody will notice if you make a mistake.

                                 What will you do if you miss the plane.

Please also note : Main clause and/or if clause might be negative.

Example : If I don't see him this afternoon, I will phone him in the evening.

Among other variations the structure (if + present + present) is also possible. It is used when the results are habitual or automatic.

Example : If a commodity is short, supply prices tend to rise.

FUNCTION :

In these sentences, the time is the present or future and the situation is real. They refer to a possible condition and its probable result. They are based on facts, and they are used to make statements about the real world, and about particular situations. We often use such sentences to give warnings :

If you don't leave, I'll call the police.

If you don't drop the gun, I'll shoot!

Note : We can use modals to express the degree of certainty of the result :

If you drop that glass, it might break. (note the usage of modal "might" in the sentence)

I may finish that letter if I have time. (note the usage of modal "may in the sentence)

Thanks a lot for reading my blog! ^_^

If you're interested, here is my blog about the second conditional. ^_^

Dear EC friends,

As you all know that a super earthquake of record-breaking 8.9 magnitude on Richter Scale has hit off the Japan triggering a devastating tsunami that has caused many casualties and extensive damage in north-eastern Japan.

The quake sparked fire in many buildings in Tokyo killing many people.

And there have been powerful after-shocks. After-shocks may hit the area for several months because of the very high magnitude of quake on Richter scale.

So I appeal everybody to offer their condolences to Japanese people on such a great loss of many lives caused by a massive earth-quake and tsunami which is said to be the most powerful in last 140 years.

It has been said that this earth quake was bigger in magnitude on Richter Scale than the one which hit the Japan in 1923 and wiped away the capital city of Tokyo completely.

Latest news says that a ship carrying about 100 people has been swept away by tsunami. There is no news from people who were on ship. May God protect them.

******************************

Perhaps they are not

stars in the sky,

but rather openings

in heaven where the

love of our lost ones

pours through

and shines down

to let us know they are happy.

Thinking of you

In this time of loss!

Please accept our sincere condolences in this time of sorrow!

Hello friends, How are you doing? I hope that all of you must be doing very well. ^_^

Today, I've come up with a very strange problem. I've been facing this problem since I've joined MyEC or more accurately I'm facing it since I've started to write in English. I want to know that am I the only one who's facing this problem or some of you also have experienced this annoying problem, If yes then may be some of you know how to tackle it. ^_^

So here's my problem :

On certain days (I would like to call such a day "a bad English day" like a "a bad hair day" because on these bad English days, my English writing annoys me in the very same way as on certain days bad hair annoy us) while commenting on some blogs or writing a message for a friend of mine, I suddenly realize that I can't write even a single sentence correctly. I feel like I don't know any grammar, any vocabulary. I literally erase and re-write sentences millions of times but still can't write a satisfactory comment. On the other days I don't feel any such thing and write anything I want to write in a single go(that doesn't mean that on such days my English is flawless; however, I don't feel any such feeling  while writing).

Whenever I come across/go through a bad English day, I feel very annoyed, helpless and disappointed. Some times I just want to give up my English learning.

So tell me friends, do you also experience a bad English day while learning just like me? Or I'm the only weird creature here? If yes, does anyone knows its solution?

Please tell me, I'm waiting for your replies! ^_^

Learn tough Vocabulary words of SAT GRE or ACT using VocabAhead's  groundbreaking system for free. There are over 1000 difficult vocabulary words explained using Videos. Take Quizzes, create your own lists or share and import lists from others.

VocabAhead - Vocabulary Videos !

Below is a sample video!

Hello my MyEC friends,

I'm reading the book "Daddy Long Legs" by Jean Webster. In the first chapter of the book

"Blue Wednesday", there is a sentence :

"She could not picture the daily routine of those other human beings who carried on their lives undiscommoded by orphans."

I searched for the meaning of the word "UNDISCOMMODED" everywhere, but I couldn't find it anywhere.

If any of you knows its meaning, please tell me. I'll be very thankful to you.

Thanks a million in advance! ^_^

Hello friends, have you heard the latest news (or the latest media hype)?

The latest news (or the media hype) is that now suddenly your zodiac sign has changed!  According to astronomer Parke Kunkle, this all has happened due to a change in the alignment of Earth. Now we have 13 instead of 12 zodiac signs.

The new 13th sign is named as Ophiuchus (the Serpent Bearer or Snake Holder or Serpentarius). Ophiuchus is  not a new sign in fact. It has been around for ages.

Not only the number of zodiac signs has changed but zodiac dates have also been changed.

New Zodiac Signs and Dates are as given below:

1# Capricorn
January 20- to February 16

2# Aquarius
February 16 to March 11

3# Pisces
March 11 to April 18

4# Aries
April 18 to May 13

5# Taurus
May 13 to June 21.

6# Gemini
June 21 to July 20

7# Cancer
July 20 to August 10

8# Leo
August 10 to September 16

9# Virgo
September 16 to October 30

10# Libra
October 30 to November 23

11# Scorpio
November 23 to November 29

12# Ophiuchus
November 29 to December 17

13# Sagittarius
December 17 to January 20

Friends,

I know that not all people believe in astrology and zodiac signs. I myself don't believe in them.

But lets keep aside beliefs for a while and have some fun.

***Tell us, has your sign changed or not?

***Is there anybody whose new sign is OPHIUCHUS? If yes, how do you feel about that?

What is the second conditional?

The second conditional is a structure used for talking about unreal situations in the present or in the future. That is the reason why sometimes it's also called as the present unreal conditional.

We use it to talk about a situation that is not real or is unlikely to occur and the imaginary consequences that follow such an unreal situation.

The structure of a second conditional sentence :-

A second conditional sentence consists of two clauses;

1. an if clause

2. a main clause

if + past................. would + infinitive (base form of verb)

For example;

I might say, if I had  a million dollars, I would buy a new car.

If the if clause comes first(as in the example above), a comma is usually used. However; if the if clause comes second, there is no need for a comma. For example; I would buy a new car if I had a million dollars.

We use different verb forms in each part(clause) of a second conditional sentence;

if clause = if + subject + simple verb form*

main clause = subject + would + verb

 *Note that this "simple past" form is slightly different from usual in the case of the verb BE. Whatever the subject, the verb form is "WERE" , not "WAS".

For example; If I were rich, I'd buy a new car.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

My EC friends, now we are going to have some fun!!!!!!!!!!!!

Enjoy this lovely song by The Barenaked Ladies, and practice your second conditional at the same time........... ^_^

If I had a million dollars
I'd build a tree fort in our yard
If I had million dollars
You could help, it wouldn't be that hard
If I had million dollars
Maybe we could put like a little tiny fridge in there somewhere
You know, we could just go up there and hang out
Like open the fridge and stuff
There would already be laid out foods for us
Like little pre-wrapped sausages and things

mmm, They have pre-wrapped sausages but
they don't have pre-wrapped bacon
Well, can you blame 'em
Uh, yeah

If I had a million dollars
If I had a million dollars
Well, I'd buy you a fur coat
But not a real fur coat that's cruel
And if I had a million dollars
If I had a million dollars
Well, I'd buy you an exotic pet
Yep, like a llama or an emu
And if I had a million dollars
If I had a million dollars
Well, I'd buy you John Merrick's remains
Ooh, all them crazy elephant bones
And If I had a million dollars I'd buy your love

If I had a million dollars
We wouldn't have to walk to the store
and If I had a million dollars
Now, we'd take a limousine 'cause it costs more
If I had a million dollars
We wouldn't have to eat Kraft Dinner
But we would eat Kraft Dinner
Of course we would, we’d just eat more
And buy really expensive ketchups with it
That’s right, all the fanciest ke... dijon ketchups!
Mmmmmm, Mmmm-Hmmm

If I had a million dollars
If I had a million dollars
Well, I'd buy you a green dress
But not a real green dress, that's cruel
And if I had a million dollars
If I had a million dollars
Well, I'd buy you some art
A Picasso or a Garfunkel
If I had a million dollars
If I had a million dollars
Well, I'd buy you a monkey
Haven't you always wanted a monkey

If I had a million dollars
I’d buy your love

If I had a million dollars, If I had a million dollars
If I had a million dollars, If I had a million dollars
If I had a million dollars
I'd be rich

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Don't worry friends, if you didn't like the above song! Here's a lovely conversation video to enjoy  and practice your second conditional! ^_^

Thanks a lot for reading the blog!

If you could travel places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional. With whom would it be?