Real ESL

In my last post about writing a TOEFL essay, I talked about your introductory paragraph. Usually, people don’t have time for more than their thesis and two main points or reasons.

Today, I want to talk about the body of the essay - the main information section of the essay. In the body of the essay, you need at least two paragraphs. Each of these paragraphs explains one of your main points, using strong details. First, you repeat the main point in a new way and then you give a detail.

After the body, you have a conclusion. This final paragraph explains your main reasons in a new way and comes to a final conclusion. Therefore…

Let’s talk about the body of the essay. Let’s use gay marriage again since we’ve started with the introduction. Here is the introduction again:

Homosexuals should have the right to get married because sexual orientation is biologically predetermined in one’s genetic makeup and is not a choice. Therefore, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation should not be permitted any more than discrimination on the basis of race. Furthermore, people who are in love should be allowed to get married, regardless of sexual orientation, because the institution of marriage provides more financial and emotional stability for children and families.

After this introduction, in my second paragraph, after I restate how I think homosexuality is natural, I need to give details. First I’ll give a scientific study detail. I’ll talk about homosexuality in the animal world. In over 500 species in the animal world, a varying percentage of the animals are homosexual or bisexual. Maybe I’ll talk about bonobos, 100 percent of which are bisexual.

In my third paragraph, I’ll give a personal story of a family I know with two moms.

You may completely disagree with me. That’s okay. It’s the same when you write a TOEFL essay. It doesn’t matter if the marker agrees or disagrees. It matters if you gave your reasons and details to prove those reasons. So, for your details, you can use a description, a personal story, an example or a scientific study.

How do you know if you gave a detail? If you left a picture in the reader’s mind, you gave a detail. If not, it was just more explanation.

The big mistake a lot of students make is they repeat their reason or explain it, but they don’t give an actual detail.

You go for it. Write your opinion on any issue, give two reasons, and explain these reasons with details.

Kim

Going to yoga is a great way to make friends and meet Americans … especially if you live in a big city in America like Los Angeles. People who do yoga are learning to be more open and accepting with all kinds of people, so they also tend to be very warm (kind, welcoming) toward foreigners.

I did yoga in Korea and it really improved my Korean. You can do yoga in America and improve your English fast. Plus, you’ll get in great shape (to have a stronger, healthier body)! I know more than a few of my students have wanted to return to their countries not only more worldly (having knowledge of the world and more intellectual things), but also more beautiful than they left.

In Los Angeles, a great place to go is Golden Bridge Yoga (goldenbridgeyoga.com). It costs 16 dollars to go. Many places give you a free first time - ask if they have a free first class. Golden Bridge doesn’t, but many do. The teacher I recommend is Gurmukh. She’s a mentor to me (an advisor, someone you respect, someone who you want to be like). Watch the video and let me know how your yoga experience goes! (Let me know how ____ goes - Tell me what happens with ____.)

Transcript and Vocabulary Explanation:

Go to my website. I have everything there. I think it’s much more useful than writing the transcript on the actual video itself. You can focus on what I’m saying while you’re watching the video rather than reading below.

Okay so right now we’re going to talk about yoga. Yes, I’m going to yoga. And I wanted to tell you that if you are in America and you are having trouble meeting Americans, go to yoga! Now, you get a great workout (to exercise your body), but also afterwards….make sure you pick a place that has sort of a common talking area (a place where everyone can talk together).

I did this when I lived in Korea. I went to their kind of yoga which is called Dahn Hak. And afterwards you have tea and you talk to everyone. It really improved my Korean and it does the same thing in America (improves your English!).

Now one of my favorite places is called Golden Bridge Yoga. It’s amazing. It’s in Hollywood. I highly recommend it (I think you should go). They have this huge table where everyone sits and you can all chat (talk) and it’s really wonderful. Now, when you sit down to talk to everybody and you feel, “Nobody’s talking to me!” Well, you have to talk to them. You have to ask questions. That’s what you need to be really good at.

So if you come to yoga, you can ask, “What class did you do?” Because here there are sometimes a couple different classes going at the same time. And then you say, “Oh do you like that teacher? What do you think of her? Or him?” And then they explain. (You say…) “How long have you been doing yoga?” And then they talk,talk,talk. They think you’re amazing (and your English too!) because you’re asking all these questions and you’re interested in them. That’s what people want. They just want someone who cares. And then you become friends with them. You go to more classes. You hang out (you spend time together). And the friendship develops from there. Now, go for it. I believe in you (I think you can do it).

This post will help you pronounce Y and R at the end of a word - RY. Watch and pass it on to everyone you know who speaks English as a Second Language! Have a great day!!
Kim

Transcript and Vocabulary Explanation:

I had a question from one of you. A fifty-year-old (Kim’s note – don’t write fifty-years-old …. When it’s an adjective, in front of a noun, you don’t make it plural) Russian woman has asked me to talk about “RY” when it’s at the end of a word. R. Y.

Now, Y is sometimes “ye” but when it’s at the end of a word, it makes a hard e sound “ee”. So, “RY” is “ree”. Now, how do you make that sound so it’s perfect?

Well, let’s talk about the R first. We’ve talked about R in the past. Just to remind you, you tighten your mouth and you tighten your tongue and you pull your tongue back a little bit. But you don’t touch the roof of your mouth. That’s a big mistake. It ends up making a muffled sound. Think of it more like a tiger – RRRR. Okay, you try it. RRRR. Do it with me. RRRR.

Now, we’re going to try Y when it’s at the end of the word. Reach your…. Stretch your mouth back and pull your tongue back just a little bit more. EEE. Everything is tight still.

So, it’s REEEE. Now you try that. REEEE. Okay, do you see my lips. It pulls back and the tongue pulls back too. Okay, we’re going to try some words where RY is at the end of the word. So, first of all:

Airy
Sorry
Wiry
Blurry
Marry

Okay, I’m exaggerating my mouth movement. Now let’s try it without exaggerating the mouth movement, but still basically doing to same thing.

Airy, Sorry, Wiry, Blurry, Marry

We’re going to try a few where that REEE sound is at the beginning of the word.

Really
Regent
Recent

(Kim’s Note: The sound is only the same at the beginning of the word if the stress is on the first syllable. If it’s on a later syllable, the eeee sound is shorter.)

Okay, so, REEEE, REEEE, REEEE.
And I’m Kim Purcell at RealESL.com.

In this video blog, I talk about the 3rd Street Farmer’s Market in the Fairfax District in LA. It’s a permanent farmers’ market - with a lot of prepared food and a few farmers’ stalls (kiosk, small area for selling things)- and a common tourist place. It’s right next to the Grove, which is a fun outdoor shopping mall with a fountain, live music and kids’ activities.

While talking about the market, I use the future real conditional.

When do you use the future real conditional?

-When something might happen in the future, but you’re not sure, you say, if it happens, ___ will happen.

How do you form the future real conditional?

If (subject) (present verb - usually simple present, also present perfect and present progressive), (subject) (future verb form - will, be going to, have to, need to, should) (base verb)

Watch the video for examples and check out (look at) the transcript and explanation below. Thanks for watching!

Kim

Transcript and Vocabulary Explanation

Behind me, you see a Brazilian food place and I’m at the Farmers’ Market, that’s at 3rd and Fairfax in LA.

And this is a fun place to come if you’re a tourist. And uh, some locals come here.

They have a few good places to eat - that Brazilian place is one.

And if you come here, you’ll have to check out my favorite breakfast place here at the farmers’ market. That is the crepe place right there.

This Mexican place right here is a pretty big hot spot (a popular spot). I’m not sure what the name is…oh, it’s called Loteria. That’s the name.

A lot of people like that. I think it’s pretty good, but it’s a little bit pricey (expensive), a little bit expensive.

If you’re coming here and you have a huge craving for pie (a strong desire for something, usually food), well, the famous, famous pie place is Dupar’s and here are the pies. Those are the pies. Right next to Dupar’s is Starbucks.

So, you can get your coffee. I feel like a salesperson for Starbucks. It’s terrible. There are many fantastic coffee places you can go to - but in my opinion, uh, it’s much better to find those in San Francisco. LA … it’s a bit spotty, hard to find a good place.

Here’s another place you should come to if you happen to come to this farmer’s market.

Here it is. Singapore’s Banana Leaf. It has some great food.
Kind of spicy (hot), which I love. And really yummy (delicious).

So, do you hear all that future real conditional that I’m using? If you come here, you will have to, or, you should, or, you have to…
Even though I’m not using future with (should), you never say, “You will should.” That’s wrong. “You will have to…” (It’s correct, but unnecessary.) You can just say ‘have to’ and that implies the future. (Kim’s note - ‘need to’ is the same.)

You never say, you will should.

You can just say ‘have to’ and that implies the future.

There’s a French market here, which is really good. They have really delicious feta cheese. I highly recommend that.

If you come to this farmer’s market, you really need to go to the Grove too. It’s fantastic for shopping in general.

A lot of people know about the Beverly Center here in LA. I think it’s terrible compared to the Grove. It’s so - you know, I’m not really an indoor person. I love outdoor places. Outdoor shopping places, if I have to go shopping, are the best. (*** notice the switched order - this sentence is the same as saying, “If I have to go shopping, outdoor shopping places are the best. - this is present real conditional because I’m not talking about the future, I’m talking about a repeated, regular thing that sometimes happens.)

You notice when I’m talking about the future, after ‘if’ I use the present.

This is one of the biggest mistakes.

People say, “If you will come here…” That’s wrong. After if, use the simple present.

In the next clause, after your comma, you can use will + the base verb.

Think about something that might or might not happen in the future and practice your if clauses.

Oh, and one more thing…If you want a transcript of this, go to my website.

That’s it. (That’s all, that’s the end.)

Okay, so, you may or may not agree that gay marriage is a good thing. Even here in California, which is a hippie (person from the 60’s or who follows the 60’s way of thinking - free love, sandals, long hair…) liberal-land (a place where many people have liberal/socialist/left-leaning beliefs), only around 50 percent of the people support it. So, let’s talk about the opinion essay on the TOEFL.

If this were a TOEFL question, it would be, “Do you believe homosexuals should have the right to get married? Give reasons and details.”

Now, you need to come up with your thesis - People who are gay should not be allowed to get married with one another because… (or) Homosexuals should have the right to get married because…

Common mistake - starting with “I believe…” or “I think…” or “In my opinion.” That’s a boring beginning and any thesis statement is your opinion, so you are adding unnecessary words. A better beginning is a hook, but that’s an added flourish and unnecessary if you are short on time.

Now, after your thesis statement, think of your two main reasons. In my case, I support gay marriage and I have many reasons, but I’ll pick two.

The first:
Sexual orientation is biologically predetermined in one’s genetic makeup and is not a choice. Therefore, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation should not be permitted any more than discrimination on the basis of race.

The second:
People who are in love should be allowed to get married, regardless of sexual orientation, because the institution of marriage provides more financial and emotional stability for children and families.

Okay, so now I’ve got the very basic parts of my opening paragraph, a thesis and two specific reasons. If you put them together, your first paragraph will look like this:

Homosexuals should have the right to get married because sexual orientation is biologically predetermined in one’s genetic makeup and is not a choice. Therefore, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation should not be permitted any more than discrimination on the basis of race. Furthermore, people who are in love should be allowed to get married, regardless of sexual orientation, because the institution of marriage provides more financial and emotional stability for children and families.

Now, for the hook… that comes at the beginning and pulls the reader in (makes the reader start reading). If you can’t think of one immediately, forget it. A quote or a saying is the easiest hook. You can also do a one line story. The quote doesn’t have to be from someone famous. It could be from your grandpa. So, you can make it up (create it).

For my essay, I might use a Martin Luther King quote. He talked a lot about love and hatred. There are many quotes to choose from, but I like this one…Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. So, if I put this at the front of my opening paragraph, I’d have to explain:

Martin Luther King said: “Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it.” Any restriction put on a particular group of people is due to fear and hatred, so if we make love our guiding principle, we must, as a society, allow gay marriage.

From this point, I’d continue with, “Homosexuals should have…”

Maybe you don’t have a quote or saying in your head. Make one up….

“I love him, I love him with my heart and soul. I want to be with him forever. I want to be with him when he wins the Pulizer Prize. I want to be with him at his death bed. He is my soul mate.” These are the words of my gay neighbor who wanted to marry his life partner.

Or skip the hook all together (to skip something all together means to not do it).

Now, you write an opening paragraph on this topic. In my next written post, I’ll talk about how to develop your two main reasons in the body of the essay.

Kim

In this blog post, I talk about gay marriage being allowed in California. I use quite a few IF clauses to give you some more examples. One thing I want you to remember is that after IF, you need a subject and a present verb, usually simple present, but sometimes it can be present progressive - am/is ___ing. Give me some examples of your own real if clauses in the comments.

Transcript and Vocabulary/Grammar Explanation

I just went to the park with my children, to West Hollywood Park, and behind me, you see a wedding altar.

That’s because here in West Hollywood, there are going to be a bunch of (a lot of) marriages.

And not the ordinary kind of marriages, but gay marriages.

Because here in California, females can marry females and males can marry males.

And that, to me, is the best thing.

I am so happy that this has gone through.

I’m a big supporter of gay marriage. And I think it’s wonderful.

Now, I’m going to use a few real conditional clauses for a little bit of practice for all of you.

If you want to get married and you are gay, you can come to California and get married legally.

If you want to do it this weekend, you can come to the West Hollywood Park because they have a lot of altars set up (put up).

If you are thinking about getting married, you’ll have to head to California before November because there might be a situation where all (gay) marriages are declared unconstitutional (not allowed under the state’s main legal document - the constitution).

So, now’s the time to do it if that’s what you want to do.

The IF Clauses or Conditional clauses are really tough (hard, difficult). So, we’re going to start out with the basics.

First, I’ll talk to you about the present real conditional. This is when you are talking about a real situation in the present that is not necessarily going to happen, but it might happen. So, you form it by writing:

If +subject+present …, subject +present.

For example:

If you feel hungry at night, you shouldn’t eat a big meal.
If a mosquito is flying around my room at night, I have to get up and kill it.

Watch and enjoy!

Transcript and Vocabulary explanation are coming later today!
….Actually, I’ll have to wait until tomorrow. It seems that YouTube is having some problems.

Have you ever had a shitty (terrible, bad) day when nothing really bad happened, but you were in a bad mood (you are not happy, not feeling joyful)? Sometimes you’re just having a bad day. That’s life. I hope today is not one of those days for you. I hope it’s a fabulous day. However, if you woke up on the wrong side of the bed (woke up grumpy/in a bad mood), how do you explain how you feel? Watch the video and check out the transcript below. (look at)

Transcript and Vocabulary Explanation

Today I’m having the worst day. So, I’m going to give you some vocabulary connected to having a completely shitty day (I had a shitty day = I had a terrible day).

Well, it started out (It began) first thing (in the very beginning of s.t.) this morning. I felt like crap (I felt terrible/bad). I got out of bed.

And you know, how your whole body aches (hurts)?

Probably because I’d been woken up all night long, for various reasons.

And then you know, I was having a bad hair day (My hair looked terrible). It was one of those ugly days where you look in the mirror and you go (you say), oh, okay.

My mouth hurt because I have a cold sore (a sore on your mouth that’s a type of herpes, but we never say herpes because most people connect that with the BAD kind of herpes, genital herpes, and believe me, it’s very different!!).

And uh, let’s see - what else? (let me think, I’m trying to think of more)

You don’t want to hear all my complaints (my problems).

Basically, I was in a pissy mood (in a grumpy mood, in a bad mood) and I felt like shit (I felt terrible).

The day pretty much continued that way until I decided, hey, I’m not going to be like this all day long because, you know, that sucks (that’s bad, that’s not good) to be like this all day. So, I decided to go to the beach.

And I have to say, the beach idea was a very good one.

Because I rented a bicycle and I took my kids and they went in this back carriage thing (Kim’s note - if you don’t know the exact word for something, you can describe it by saying a/this ____ thing … in this case, I don’t think it’s called a carriage, but it’s like a carriage that’s pulled by a bike, a carriage is usually something you sit in that has wheels and a horse pulls you).

And we had a really good time.

It ended up that (In the end of the experience…** we use this to say something unexpected or a change from what had come before) the day wasn’t so bad.

Of course, now I have a big long drive ahead of me. Not long. But in LA, all drives are long.

And I’m feeling pretty beat. That means tired.

I’m ready to go home, get ready for bed and hit the sack (go to bed, put your head on the pillow).

You want to sound like a real native English speaker, so you start using “hafta” instead of “have to” and “wanna” instead of “want to” and “gonna” instead of “going to”, but people look at you strangely. Why???

There are a few reasons.

1. You are overemphasizing (making it too strong when you talk) hafta, wanna or gonna. These words should be deemphasized (made weaker when you talk) because they are not information words. Make the main action verb or noun stronger in your sentence. We reduce (make them shorter, less important) them because they are not important words.

2. You are trying to speak too quickly. Slow down. It’s better to draw out (to slow down, to stretch out) your words. Don’t enunciate (make each sound very clear) or slow down for non-information words like “is”, “a”, “the”, “he”, “will” - all of these words are not information words. But many of our words are. For those ones, don’t rush it (don’t go too fast). If you trying to sound American (or Canadian to a lesser extent), you need to remember that we are lazy with our speech. We mumble more than British people. We slur our words (to make no movement with the mouth when talking so that the words are unclear - usually happens when people are drunk).

3. You are trying to sound like a rapper (singer who raps music, makes rap music, sings with a talking voice), but it’s the wrong situation. First of all, you are not a rapper. So, don’t try to be a rapper. Secondly, you’re probably in a classroom or at a party, trying to meet someone for the first time. In this situation, we speak more formally and use fewer reductions.

One big mistake - using hafta, gonna, wanna, gotta in writing! Don’t do it.

Check out the video!

Transcript and Vocabulary

Today we’re going to talk about hafta, wanna and gonna.

Now a lot of you guys - ooh - Here is an LA moment (something you only see in LA). Oh my gosh. It’s a car chase. Look. Check it out. Wooo. Okay it’s not a car chase. It just looked like one. This guy wasn’t pulling over (to move your car to the side of the road).

By the way, in America, you’ve got to (gotta!) pull over to the right. Don’t just stop there like an idiot. Pull over to the right and let the guy go by.

Okay, so, moving along now (great expression to use after you’ve been interrupted in a meeting/class/leadership situation because it can be funny but make the point that you want to return to what you were talking about)… I’m going to (gonna!) talk to you about hafta, wanna, gonna.

The big problem (mistake) that ESL learners make is that they overemphasize it.

I HAFTA go

Nobody does that. We say it really fast. And it’s minimized - the information word - Go - is strong.

I have to (hafta) go to the bank.

Do you see that? It’s really fast. That’s why it’s reduced (made shorter in speech). It’s not reduced to be cool or anything like that. We’re just speaking quickly and it makes it shorter, that’s all. So, if you can’t speak quickly, don’t do it.

And also, don’t just try to speak quickly and make your voice go - da,da,da,da,da,da. (no emphasis)

If you can’t speak quickly, don’t do it. Speak slowly. It’s no problem. Just enunciate your words and people will understand you just fine.

Now, I’m going to give you some examples. Right now, I really have to (hafta) get my hair cut. I’ll show you - a great place right there is Rudy’s Barbershop. They have a great one at the Standard Hotel if you’re in town and you need to get your hair cut.

I don’t want to get it cut (to ask a hairdresser to cut your hair) now because I’m with my one year old. And that’s not very fun. I like to go when I have no kids and I can just relax.

However, I am going to go (I spoke slower here, so I didn’t reduce!!) to Fred Segal, which is just down the street here.

All the fancy (really nice) kind of stores on Melrose are on the west part and the kind of funky, trendy, (newest fashions) some inexpensive (less money) ones are on the east side from Fairfax, or actually east from Crescent Heights, and west from Crescent Heights, you find the expensive ones.

You give it a try. (try it)

Remember you’re not a rap star, unless you are. And you don’t want to sound like one. Unless you’re singing a rap song.

Don’t worry if a lot of lyrics say ‘hafta, wanna, gonna’. That’s because it’s music. It’s like a poem. You don’t use poetry in the boardroom.

You need to learn science vocabulary for life and the TOEFL. Nowadays, people often discuss science and technology in regular conversation, so make sure you learn the basics, especially about the human body and computers.

Here’s a little test for you with very basic vocabulary:

1. What is a belly button?
2. Where is a man’s Adam’s apple?
3. What organs do you use to breathe?
4. Where is your ankle?
5. What is the word for the inside of the hand?
6. What do you call this symbol (@) in an email?
7. What do you call the part of the computer keyboard that puts a space between words?

Now, here are the answers:

1. the navel or the place where the umbilical cord is cut.
2. on the neck to describe the round area which moves when you swallow
3. the lungs
4. between the foot and the leg, on both sides
5. the palm
6. at
7. space bar

Now check out the video for how to learn more advanced science vocabulary!

Transcript and Vocabulary Explanation

Today I’m at California’s Science Center at the BodyWorlds exhibition. I’m going to talk to you today about learning science vocabulary.

This is really important in today’s world … or if your work involves science or technology.

So, how do you learn it?

I highly recommend going to a science or natural history museum.

It’s much more interesting than reading from a book. And you’ll remember it much better too.

Here, if you live in Los Angeles, you can go to the BodyWorlds exhibit. I highly recommend it. It’s amazing. (I think you should go there.)

Because you get to see both the inside of the body and the outside.

You really get an appreciation of the beauty of the human form and just how we are all so alike. (the same)

Once you take off this skin, everyone around the world, we’re just all human beings and we’re all the same. That’s really important to remember, I think.

So, I’d love you to go to my site, if you’re not already there, at realESL.com and fill out a comment. Tell me what you learned at a science museum of some kind and what you think about how we’re all the same inside.