How Much, How Many

Hello, everybody!
Hoje a explicação é sobre How Much/How Many.Parece difícil, mas a explicação e a aplicação é simples, vamos lá:

How much é usado para todos os singulares e contáveis, incluindo líquidos sem seus containeres. Ex.:

• How much wine do we need for tonight?
• How much bread do we have for the breakfast?
• How much cheese is there in the fridge?
• How much milk are you going to buy?
• How much money do you have?
• How much ham would you like?
• How much chocolate would you like?
• How much lettuce is there?

How many é usado para todos os plurais e contáveis. Ex.:

• How many oranges do we need?
• How many cartons of orange juice are there?
• How many bottles of wine do we have?
• How many cartons of milk are there?
• How many eggs are there in the fridge?
• How many apples do you need?
• How many bars of chocolate would you like?
• How many heads of lettuce are there?

Lembrando que contáveis são tudo o que você pode contar: an apple, a pear, an egg, a carrot, a tomato...

Incontáveis são o que não é possível contar, como  cheese, ham, salami (a piece, a pound / two, three pieces/ two, three pounds...), sugar, money... e outros. 

Para atividades extras, acesse How Much/ How Many 1, How Much/ How Many 2, How Much/ How Many 3, How Much / How Many 4, e How Much/ How Many 5. 

How to Make Your Writing Really Beautiful - Part 2

Já publicada a parte 1 de How to Make Your Writing Really Beautiful, segue aqui a continuação. Esse post havia sido publicado há 5 anos atrás, mas eu o revisei e estou republicando-o, por isso manterei a explicação no idioma original. Dúvidas, deixem comentários.

This time, I'll show you some conjunctions that are used to express a "but" relation.

At any rate > whatever happens or even something you say that you are going to say something more exactly

• Well, I won't go home by bus, at any rate.
• I'm not sure if they liked my project. At any rate, some of them went out from room without I could finish it. 

However > Adverb. It means despite this

• I'm thinking about taking a Philosophy course. However, Astronomy looks fascinating.
• He bought a new video game, however, he's thinking about saving money to buy the Playstation 4.

On the other hand > It used when you are comparing two different facts or two opposite ways of thinking

• I'd like to stay at home because it's comfortable, but on the other hand I'd like to go out with my friends tonight. What should I do?
• I like my job, but on the other hand I need another one which pays more.

Although > Conjunction. Despite the fact that, or but

• I decided to leave home for work earlier, although the weather is really bad.
• Although I have spent most part of my money on a new blouse, I saved something to have dinner with my friend tonight.

And there are other conjunctions such as: actually, anyhow, as a matter of fact, even so,, even though, in spite of this/that, nevertheless, on the contrary.
Next step, I'll show you more words to emphasize the best writing. I hope to have helped you all.

English Central Videos

So, to start with, ops, para começar, quero indicar à todos os estudantes deste idioma maravilhoso, o site English Central. Há milhares de videos, em que é possível praticar audio (listening), speaking, pronunciation, e vocabulário. É um site bastante dinâmico, basta apenas ter um bom headphone com microfone.

No English Central há videos para 3 níveis: fácil, média dificuldade e alta dificuldade. É uma excelente ferramenta, tanto para os que estão aprendendo até mesmo para professores, nós que falamos o idioma, mas vivemos no Brasil, e a prática e treino devem ser constantes.

Present Perfect Simple

imagem extraída de basico2eoi.blogspot.com.br

Olá, todos. Hoje eu trago um pouco da dúvida que muitos tem, sobre o Present Perfect Simple. Na verdade, o uso dele é simples. Os americanos usam esse tempo todo o tempo!
O Present Perfect Simple serve para expressar uma ação que terminou recentemente, ou uma ação passada que tem resultado no presente. 
Seguem vários exemplos:

The form of the Present Perfect Simple:

Subject + have/has (auxiliary verb in the present simple) + the verb in the past participle + complement.

I have always wanted to buy that house.

Other uses of the Present Perfect Simple:
- puts emphasis on the result
Ex.: Karen has washed the car. (the car is still clean, you can see it)

- an action that is still going on
Ex.: Jimmy has not finished his homework yet. (unfortunately, you can see his task unsfinished)

- an action that stopped recently
Ex.: Ellen has cooked dinner. (note, also, that you don't use time expressions, such as "yesterday", "ago", "last...")

- finished action that has an influence on the present
Ex.: I have lost my car keys.

- an action that has taken place once, never or several times before the moment of speaking
Ex.: I have never been to Norway.

Signal Words of Present Perfect
already, ever, just, never, not yet, so far, till now, up to now. Click on this link and practice a little bit more with these signal words.

Aqui seguem mais alguns links para praticarem online:

Activity link 1;
Activity link 2;
Activity link 3 (hard);
Activity link 4 (hard): 
Activity link 5;
and (many) activity link 6.

Espero tê-los ajudado, pois todos esses links contém ótimos exercícios para praticar!
Hope to have helped you all, because all these links are full of activities ready to activate your learning process!

Pet Peeves

Produzi meu primeiro podcast, I'm so proud! É muito simples, mas o tema é Pet Peeves. O que é isso?
Pet Peeves são coisas que te irritam, como pessoas que ouvem música perto de você, sem seus fones de ouvido, que falam alto, quem usa muito perfume, quem tem o (mau) hábito de estar sempre atrasado e por aí vai. Aqui tem um podcast de mim falando o que acho sobre o assunto.

How to Write Beautifully - part 1

Como eu gosto muito mesmo de escrever, e quando fazia o curso do idioma, eu escrevia mais do que o professor pedia, resolvi deixar umas dicas ótimas aqui. Deixarei a explicação em inglês, pois acredito ser mais dinâmico para aprender.

I was reading some texts and I notice something that makes any writing beautiful: conjunctions. Personally  I love them. They enhance your writing and speaking. Let's take a look at some of them. Try to use some of these conjunctions when you write something next time.

To show an "and" relation, there are the following words and examples:

Furthermore > Adverb. It means in addition, more importantly >>
I suggest we spend these holidays in that hostel, furthermore they're cheaper than hotels.
Jimmy prefers going to the shopping mall, furthermore he can buy some clothes there.

Indeed > Adverb. Really or certainly, often used to emphasize something, and used to express that something is correct >>
Is she your sister? Oh, yes, she is indeed.
This is a very nice bracelet, indeed.

By the way > Used to introduce a new subject for consideration or to give further information>>
I'm sure that Bob will study hard, by the way, he's been taking some extra classes since last week.
I bought that digital camera last week, by the way, where is it? I can't remember where I put it.

Moreover > Adverb. It used to add information, also and more importantly >>
The whole text is badly written. Moreover, it's full of errors. It has to be written again.
I needed to buy milk. Moreover, it was necessary to buy coffee and some sugar.

And there are other conjunctions such as: additionally, again, along with this/that, also, as a matter of fact, besides, finally, what is more, as well as this, in addition, in fact, in other words, likewise, for instance/example.

Hope to have helped you!

A Musical Way to Teach Comparatives

Olá, novamente! Durante uma maravilhosa conferência que participei, no mês passado, assisti a dois workshops do professor Carlos Gontow; You Can Speak English e From Singing to Speaking. Deem uma olhada no twitter @carlosgontow, e conheçam o Dicas de Inglês  para mais informações. Tenho certeza de que curtirão bastante.

Eu sempre usei inglês nas minhas aulas, mas ele mostrou uma forma mais divertida e didática de fazer isso. Aqui está um exemplo com  Anything You Can I Can Do Better (clique para ouvir a música numa janela a parte, mas também ao final da letra tem o clip). Achei muito legal essa forma de ensinar os comparativos. Gosto muito quando nós, professores, apesar da nossa experiência, poder aprender a fazer a mesma coisa, mas de uma forma diferente e divertida.

Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better) 

Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better)

Anything you can do, I can do better.

I can do anything better than you.

No, you can't.

Yes, I can. No, you can't.

Yes, I can. No, you can't.

Yes, I can, yes, I can!

Anything you can be I can be greater.

Sooner or later, I'm greater than you.

No, you're not. Yes, I am.

No, you're not. Yes, I am.

No, you're NOT!. Yes, I am.

Yes, I am!

I can shoot a partridge

With a single cartridge.

I can get a sparrow

With a bow and arrow.

I can live on bread and cheese.

And only on that?

Yes.

So can a rat!

Any note you can reach

I can go higher.

I can sing anything

Higher than you.

No, you can't. (High)

Yes, I can. (Higher) No, you can't. (Higher) (4 x)

Yes, I CAN! (Highest) - aqui um superlativo

Anything you can buy I can buy cheaper.

I can buy anything cheaper than you.

Fifty cents?

Forty cents! Thirty cents?

Twenty cents! No, you can't!

Yes, I can, Yes, I can!

Anything you can say

I can say softer.

I can say anything

Softer than you.

No, you can't. (Softly)

Yes, I can. (Softer) No, you can't. (Softer) (2 x)

Yes, I can. (Softer)

YES, I CAN! (Full volume)

I can drink my liquor

Faster than a flicker.

I can drink it quicker

And get even sicker!

I can open any safe.

Without bein' caught?

Sure.

That's what I thought--

you crook!

Any note you can hold

I can hold longer.

I can hold any note

Longer than you.

No, you can't.

Yes, I can No, you can't.

Yes, I can No, you can't.

Yes, I can

Yes, I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I No, you C-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-N'T--

CA-A-A-A-N! (Cough, cough!)

Yes, you ca-a-a-an!

Anything you can wear I can wear better.

In what you wear I'd look better than you.

In my coat?

In your vest! In my shoes?

In your hat! No, you can't!

Yes, I can

Yes, I CAN!

Anything you say I can say faster.

I can say anything faster than you.

No, you can't. (Fast)

Yes, I can. (Faster) No, you can't. (Faster)

Yes, I can. (Faster) No, you can't. (Faster)

Yes I can! (Fastest) - aqui temos um superlativo

I can jump a hurdle, I can wear a girdle.

I can knit a sweater, I can fill it better!

I can do most anything!

Can you bake a pie? No.

Neither can I.

Anything you can sing

I can sing sweeter, I can sing anything

Sweeter than you.

No, you can't. (Sweetly)

Yes, I can. (Sweeter) No, you can't. (Sweeter) (3 x)

Yes, I can. (Sweeter) No, you can't, can't, can't (sweeter)

Yes, I can, can, can (Sugary)

Yes, I can! No, you can't!

A New Beginning

Após 5 anos, o Neon English passa a se chamar Get Into English, ou seja, envolva-se com o inglês. Outra mudança, além de título, domínio e layout, é que o blog passa a ser, parte em português e parte em inglês.

Todas as matérias até então publicadas, serão revisadas, algumas deletadas, haverão novos links e outros tópicos, e isso será gradual, pois ainda levarei meses até revisar todo o conteúdo.

Então, caros alunos e estudantes, não esqueçam que inglês é envolvimento, dedicação, prática, além de que existe inúmeras ferramentas que tornam o aprendizado super interessante.

So, that's all for now and get into English!!!