Fun or Funny - confusing words

Germlish: How was your evening? It was funny.

funny = lustig, witzig, komisch - man hat den ganzen Abend nur gelacht. Ein Film z.B. kann funny sein, aber nicht ein ganzer Abend!)



What you want to say: How was your evening? It was fun i.e. I enjoyed it.

fun = spaß, lustig, wir haben Spaß gehabt)

Prepositions of Place: IN, AT, ON

Prepositions of Place: IN, ON, AT

IN

Use 'in' with spaces:

• in a room / in a building/ in a department
• in a garden / in a park

Use 'in' with bodies of water:

• in the water
• in the sea
• in a river

Use 'in' with lines:

• in a row / in a line
• in a queue

AT

Use 'at' with places and events

• at the bus-stop
• at the door
• at the cinema
• at the end of the street
• at a birthday party/ wedding/ concert

Use 'at' with places on a page:

• at the top of the page
• at the bottom of the page

Use 'at' in groups of people:

• at the back of the class
• at the front of the class

ON

Use 'on' with surfaces:

• on the ceiling / on the wall / on the floor
• on the table

Prepositons of time: IN, AT, ON

Prepositions of time

IN

Use 'in' with months and years and periods of time:

• in January
• in 2009
• in the 80s

Use 'in' with a period of time in the future:

• in a few weeks
• in a couple of days

AT

Use 'at' with precise time:

• at six o'clock
• at 10.30
• at two p.m.

ON

Use 'on' with days of the week:

• on Monday
• on Fridays

Use 'on' with specific calendar days:

• on Christmas day
• on October 22nd

* on the weekend = American English (AE) ------- at the weekend = British English (BE)

English Grammar Tenses - The Past and The Present Perfect

Tenses

English Grammar

The Past

When something is finished or over, you say it in the past tense e.g. I finished my training last year.

1. I ________ my studies two years ago.

2. I ________ up this morning at 6.00 am.

3. There _______ a big party last weekend.

Some signal words:

yesterday, ago, in 2008, last week

The Present Perfect

The present perfect simple expresses an action that is still going on or that stopped recently, but has an influence on the present. It puts emphasis on the result.

• puts emphasis on the result

Example: She has written five letters.

• action that is still going on

Example: I have worked here since 2008.

• action that stopped recently

Example: She has cooked dinner.

• finished action that has an influence on the present

Example: I have lost my key.

• action that has taken place once, never or several times before the moment of speaking – talking about an experience

Example: I have never been to Australia.

Some signal words:

• already, ever, just, never, not yet, so far, till now, up to now

Correct the sentences

1. How long have you worked at BI?

2. I have finished my training last year.

3. I work here since 5 years.

4. We have worked in this dept. for 1 year.

5. I worked at Bayer years ago.

For and Since

For = a length/duration of time Since = a point in time

1. _______ 4 years

2. ______ yesterday

3. _______ 1 year now

4. _______ 6 months

5. _______ 5 years already

6. _______ last week

Seit = For and Since: Review

Just a little review


Germlish = Since 7 years.


Use:

Since a point in time Ex: yesterday, last week, 2005, etc.

For duration (length) of time. Ex: 1 day, 2 years, etc.


What you want to say: For 7 years.

What are "Imbissvaeter" ?

When a non-German citizen has a child and want the child to be a German citizen, "fast-food fathers" say they are a child's father in exchange for money so that the child can be a German citizen.

Imbissvaeter = fast-food fathers

The word dad is often used by sons and daughters when talking to their father (dad).

Daddy is usually used by small/little children (kids).

Child - children :: son(s) or daughter(s)
Kid - kids = umgangsprachlich (colloquial)


Immigration - Einwanderung

Immigrant - Einwanderer/in

Citizenship - Staatsbürgerschaft/Staatsangehörigkeit

Citizen - Staatsbürger/Staatsangehöriger

To fire & layoff = Entlassen and Quit = Kuendigen

What is the difference between layoff, fire and quit? The result is exactly the same: You do not have your job any longer.

Simple definition:

1. layoff = there is no more work or money to pay for the work. It is not the employee's fault.
layoff, laidoff, laidoff

Example: They were laidoff because of the company they were working at had to close down.

2. fire = the employee did something wrong (bad).
fire, fired, fired

Example: He was fired/sacked/terminated for stealing office supplies.

to be terminated
to be sacked

3. quit = the employee's choice to leave the company
quit, quit, quit

Example = Markus quit his job so he could travel around the world.

A few good tips for telephoning

Telephoning in English

A few useful tips for making telephone calls in English.

Spelling

When you need to spell your name or take the name of your caller.

How vowels are pronounced

'a' as in 'may'
'e' as in 'email' or 'he'
'i' as in 'I' or 'eye'
'o' as in 'no'
'u' as in 'you'

and Consonants
'g' is pronounced like the 'j' in 'jeans'
'j' is pronounced as in 'DJ' or 'Jane'
'w' is pronounced 'double you'
'x' is pronounced 'ex'
'y' is pronounced 'why'
'z' is pronounced 'zee' (American English) or 'zed' (rhymes with 'bed' in British English)

Tip: Keep a note of how you say these letters by your telephone.

Giving numbers

Here's a phone number: 0175 157 0236

How to say it:
"Oh-one-seven-five, one-five-seven, oh-two-three-six

OR

"Zero-one-seven-five, one-five-seven, zero-two-three-six

Tip: Say it slowly, clearly and one number at a time

Circa or Approximately/About

Germlish = I live circa 10 Km from Ulm.

Use approximately (approx.) or about.


What you want to say: I live approx./about 10 Km from Ulm.

Email and letter closings

E-Mail : Schluss

Für weitere Auskünfte stehe ich Ihnen gerne zur Verfügung.	If you need any additional assistance, please contact me.	Formell, sehr höflich
Bitte lassen Sie uns wissen, falls wir Ihnen weiter behilflich sein können.	If we can be of any further assistance, please let us know.	Formell, sehr höflich
Vielen Dank im Voraus...	Thanking you in advance…	Formell, sehr höflich
Für weitere Informationen stehe ich Ihnen gerne zur Verfügung.	Should you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.	Formell, sehr höflich
Ich wäre Ihnen äußerst dankbar, wenn Sie diese Angelegenheit so schnell wie möglich prüfen könnten.	I would be most grateful if you would look into this matter as soon as possible.	Formell, sehr höflich
Bitte antworten Sie uns umgehend, da…	Please reply as soon as possible because…	Formell, höflich
Für weitere Informationen stehe ich Ihnen gerne zur Verfügung.	If you require any further information, feel free to contact me.	Formell, höflich
Ich freue mich auf die Zusammenarbeit.	I look forward to the possibility of working together.	Formell, höflich
Vielen Dank für Ihre Hilfe in dieser Angelegenheit.	Thank you for your help in this matter.	Formell, höflich
Ich freue mich darauf, diesen Sachverhalt mit Ihnen zu besprechen.	I look forward to discussing this with you.	Formell, direkt
Falls Sie weitere Informationen benötigen...	If you require more information ...	Formell, direkt
Wir schätzen Sie als Kunde.	We appreciate your business.	Formell, direkt
Bitte kontaktieren Sie mich. Meine Telefonnummer ist...	Please contact me - my direct telephone number is…	Formell, sehr direkt
Ich würde mich freuen, bald von Ihnen zu hören.	I look forward to hearing from you soon.	Weniger formell, höflich
Mit freundlichen Grüßen,	Yours sincerely,	Formell, Name des Empfängers unbekannt
Mit freundlichen Grüßen,	Yours sincerely/Kind regards,	Formell, sehr gebräuchlich, Empfänger unbekannt
Hochachtungsvoll, Ihr(e)	Respectfully yours,	Formell, nicht sehr gebräuchlich, Name des Empfängers bekannt
Herzliche Grüße,	Kind/Best regards,	Informell, Geschäftspartner duzen sich
Grüße,	Regards,	Informell, Geschäftspartner arbeiten häufig zusammen

Back to business. Sommer ist vorbei. Summer is over.

Let's start off the end of summer with a little bit of the New Hampshire seashore I visited on my vacation.



False Friends - Sea = das Meer Lake = der See
Ocean = das Meer