The Internet is such a splendid tool for communicating with people and finding out how people are doing things differently all over the world. I want The Learning English Video Project to really be a part of that.
Daniel Emmerson, Director
The Films
Insights from China (18 minutes) Watch | Comments "Never say die."
Based in the busy, cosmopolitan city of Shanghai, Daniel Emmerson's latest film Insights from China takes us inside the worlds of English language learning and teaching and the airline industry in China. "Insights from China" focuses largely on the staff and management of a Chinese airline company that has recently committed to learning English. Spring Airlines is the first low-cost airline in China. Determined to become a successful international airline, the company has insisted that all of its workers learn to speak fluent English. The CEO of Spring Airlines, Zhang Xiuzhi, has set the bar high. She began learning English "from scratch" 18 months prior to her interview for this film. Like the majority of other language learners, the main stumbling block for the CEO is finding enough time to study. Zhang takes English homework to bed at night and even studies in her car.
English nouns are often described as "countable" or "uncountable".
In this lesson we look at:
Countable Nouns
Countable nouns are easy to recognize. They are things that we can count. For example: "pen". We can count pens. We can have one, two, three or more pens. Here are some more countable nouns:
dog, cat, animal, man, person
bottle, box, litre
coin, note, dollar
cup, plate, fork
table, chair, suitcase, bag
Countable nouns can be singular or plural:
My dog is playing.
My dogs are hungry.
We can use the indefinite article a/an with countable nouns:
A dog is an animal.
When a countable noun is singular, we must use a word like a/the/my/this with it:
I want an orange. (not I want orange.)
Where is my bottle? (not Where is bottle?)
When a countable noun is plural, we can use it alone:
I like oranges.
Bottles can break.
We can use some and any with countable nouns:
I've got some dollars.
Have you got any pens?
We can use a few and many with countable nouns:
I've got a few dollars.
I haven't got many pens.
"People" is countable. "People" is the plural of "person". We can count people:
There is one person here.
There are three people here.
Uncountable Nouns
Uncountable nouns are substances, concepts etc that we cannot divide into separate elements. We cannot "count" them. For example, we cannot count "milk". We can count "bottles of milk" or "litres of milk", but we cannot count "milk" itself. Here are some more uncountable nouns:
music, art, love, happiness
advice, information, news
furniture, luggage
rice, sugar, butter, water
electricity, gas, power
money, currency
We usually treat uncountable nouns as singular. We use a singular verb. For example:
This news is very important.
Your luggage looks heavy.
We do not usually use the indefinite article a/an with uncountable nouns. We cannot say "an information" or "a music". But we can say a something of:
a piece of news
a bottle of water
a grain of rice
We can use some and any with uncountable nouns:
I've got some money.
Have you got any rice?
We can use a little and much with uncountable nouns:
I've got a little money.
I haven't got much rice.
Uncountable nouns are also called "mass nouns". Here are some more examples of countable and uncountable nouns. When you learn a new word, it's a good idea to learn whether it's countable or uncountable.
Interjections like er and um are also known as "hesitation devices". They are extremely common in English. People use them when they don't know what to say, or to indicate that they are thinking about what to say. You should learn to recognize them when you hear them and realize that they have no real meaning.
Interjection is a big name for a little word. Interjections are short exclamations like Oh!, Um or Ah! They have no real grammatical value but we use them quite often, usually more in speaking than in writing. When interjections are inserted into a sentence, they have no grammatical connection to the sentence. An interjection is sometimes followed by an exclamation mark (!) when written.
The table below shows some interjections with examples.
A subordinating conjunction joins a subordinate (dependent) clause to a main (independent) clause:
+
Look at this example:
main or independent clause
subordinate or dependent clause
Ram went swimming
although
it was raining.
subordinating conjunction
A subordinate or dependent clause "depends" on a main or independent clause. It cannot exist alone. Imagine that somebody says to you: "Hello! Although it was raining." What do you understand? Nothing! But a main or independent clause can exist alone. You will understand very well if somebody says to you: "Hello! Ram went swimming."
A subordinating conjunction always comes at the beginning of a subordinate clause. It "introduces" a subordinate clause. However, a subordinate clause can sometimes come after and sometimes before a main clause. Thus, two structures are possible:
The short, simple conjunctions are called "coordinating conjunctions":
and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so
A coordinating conjunction joins parts of a sentence (for example words or independent clauses) that are grammatically equal or similar. A coordinating conjunction shows that the elements it joins are similar in importance and structure:
+
Look at these examples - the two elements that the coordinating conjunction joins are shown in square brackets [ ]:
I like [tea] and [coffee].
[Ram likes tea], but [Anthony likes coffee].
Coordinating conjunctions always come between the words or clauses that they join.
When a coordinating conjunction joins independent clauses, it is always correct to place a comma before the conjunction:
I want to work as an interpreter in the future, so I am studying Russian at university.
However, if the independent clauses are short and well-balanced, a comma is not really essential:
She is kind so she helps people.
When "and" is used with the last word of a list, a comma is optional:
He drinks beer, whisky, wine, and rum.
He drinks beer, whisky, wine and rum.
The 7 coordinating conjunctions are short, simple words. They have only two or three letters. There's an easy way to remember them - their initials spell:
A conjunction is a word that "joins". A conjunction joins two parts of a sentence.
Here are some example conjunctions:
Coordinating Conjunctions
Subordinating Conjunctions
and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so
although, because, since, unless
We can consider conjunctions from three aspects.
Form
Conjunctions have three basic forms:
Single Word for example: and, but, because, although
Compound (often ending with as or that) for example: provided that, as long as, in order that
Correlative (surrounding an adverb or adjective) for example: so...that
Function
Conjunctions have two basic functions or "jobs":
Coordinating conjunctions are used to join two parts of a sentence that are grammatically equal. The two parts may be single words or clauses, for example: - JackandJill went up the hill. - The water was warm,butI didn't go swimming.
Subordinating conjunctions are used to join a subordinate dependent clause to a main clause, for example: - I went swimmingalthoughit was cold.
Position
Coordinating conjunctions always come between the words or clauses that they join.
Subordinating conjunctions usually come at the beginning of the subordinate clause.
Should is an auxiliary verb, a modal auxiliary verb. We use should mainly to:
give advice or make recommendations
talk about obligation
talk about probability and expectation
express the conditional mood
replace a subjunctive structure
Structure of Should
subject + should + main verb
The main verb is always the bare infinitive (infinitive without "to").
subject
auxiliary verb
main verb
+
He
should
go.
-
He
should not
go.
shouldn't
?
Should
he
go?
Notice that:
Should is invariable. There is only one form of should.
The main verb is always the bare infinitive.
There is no short form for should. The negative should not can be shortened to shouldn't.
The main verb is always the bare infinitive. We cannot say: You should to go.
Use of Should
should: Giving advice, opinions
We often use should when offering advice or opinions (similar to ought to):
EC TIP: People often say "They should..." Usually, the "they" is anonymous and means the government, or the company, or somebody else - but not us!
You should see the new James Bond movie. It's great!
You should try to lose weight.
John should get a haircut.
He shouldn't smoke. And he should stop drinking too.
What should I wear?
They should make that illegal.
There should be a law against that.
People should worry more about global warming.
should: Obligation, duty, correctness
Another use of should (also similar to ought to) is to indicate a kind of obligation, duty or correctness, often when criticizing another person:
You should be wearing your seat belt. (obligation)
I should be at work now. (duty)
You shouldn't have said that to her. (correctness)
He should have been more careful.
Should you be driving so fast?
should: Probability, expectation
We use should to indicate that we think something is probable (we expect it to happen):
Are you ready? The train should be here soon.
$10 is enough. It shouldn't cost more than that.
Let's call Mary. She should have finished work by now.
should: Conditionals
We sometimes use should (instead of would) for the first person singular (I) and first person plural (we) of some conditionals:
If I lost my job I should have no money. (If he lost his job he would have no money.)
We should be grateful if you could send us your latest catalogue.
This is not a very important distinction. (More about the use of shall/will and should/would.)
should: (If I were you I should...)
We often use the conditional structure "If I were you I should..." to give advice.
If I were you, I should complain to the manager.
If I were you I shouldn't worry about it.
I shouldn't say anything if I were you.
Note that we can omit "If I were you..." and just say:
I should complain to the manager.
I shouldn't worry about it.
I shouldn't say anything.
In these cases, the phrase "I should" really means something like "you should".
should: Pseudo subjunctive
We often use a special verb form called the subjunctive when talking about events that somebody wants to happen, hopes will happen or imagines happening, for example:
The president insists that the prime minister attend the meeting.
However, this is much more common in American English. British English speakers would probably convey the same idea using should:
The president insists that the prime minister should attend the meeting.
Here are some more examples:
Subjunctive typically American English
Using should typically British English
The president is insisting that pollution be reduced.
The president is insisting that pollution should be reduced.
The manager recommended that Mary join the company.
The manager recommended that Mary should join the company.
It is essential that we decide today.
It is essential that we should decide today.
It was necessary that everyone arrive on time.
It was necessary that everyone should arrive on time.
should: Why should..? | How should..?
If we don't understand (or agree with) something, we may use "Why should..?":
Why should it be illegal to commit suicide? It's your life.
"Why should..?" and "How should..?" can also indicate anger or irritation:
People may sometimes tell you that there is no difference between shall and will, or even that today nobody uses shall (except in offers such as "Shall I call a taxi?"). This is not really true. The difference between shall and will is often hidden by the fact that we usually contract them in speaking with 'll. But the difference does exist.
The truth is that there are two conjugations for the verb will:
1st Conjugation (objective, simple statement of fact)
Person
Verb
Example
Contraction
Singular
I
shall
I shall be in London tomorrow.
I'll
you
will
You will see a large building on the left.
You'll
he, she, it
will
He will be wearing blue.
He'll
Plural
we
shall
We shall not be there when you arrive.
We shan't
you
will
You will find his office on the 7th floor.
You'll
they
will
They will arrive late.
They'll
2nd Conjugation (subjective, strong assertion, promise or command)
Person
Verb
Example
Contraction
Singular
I
will
I will do everything possible to help.
I'll
you
shall
You shall be sorry for this.
You'll
he, she, it
shall
It shall be done.
It'll
Plural
we
will
We will not interfere.
We won't
you
shall
You shall do as you're told.
You'll
they
shall
They shall give one month's notice.
They'll
It is true that this difference is not universally recognized. However, let those who make assertions such as "People in the USA never use 'shall'" peruse a good US English dictionary, or many US legal documents which often contain phrases such as:
Each party shall give one month's notice in writing in the event of termination.
Note that exactly the same rule applies in the case of should and would. It is perfectly normal, and somewhat more elegant, to write, for example:
I should be grateful if you would kindly send me your latest catalogue.
We use must not to say that something is not permitted or allowed, for example:
Passengers must not talk to the driver.
Structure of Must not
Must is an auxiliary verb. It is followed by a main verb. The structure for must not is:
subject + must not + main verb
The main verb is the base verb (infinitive without "to").
Must not is often contracted to mustn't.
Look at these examples:
subject
auxiliary must + not
main verb
I
mustn't
forget
my keys.
You
mustn't
disturb
him.
Students
must not
be
late.
NB: like all auxiliary verbs, must CANNOT be followed by "to". So, we say:
You mustn't arrive late. (not You mustn't to arrive late.)
Use of Must not
Must not expresses prohibition - something that is not permitted, not allowed. The prohibition can be subjective (the speaker's opinion) or objective (a real law or rule). Look at these examples:
I mustn't eat so much sugar. (subjective)
You mustn't watch so much television. (subjective)
Students must not leave bicycles here. (objective)
Policemen must not drink on duty. (objective)
We can use must not to talk about the present or the future:
Visitors must not smoke. (present)
I mustn't forget Tara's birthday. (future)
We cannot use must not to talk about the past. We use other structures to talk about the past, for example:
We often use must to say that something is essential or necessary, for example:
I must go.
Structure of Must
Must is a modal auxiliary verb. It is followed by a main verb. The structure is:
subject + must + main verb
The main verb is the base verb (infinitive without "to").
Look at these examples:
Like all auxiliary verbs, must CANNOT be followed by to. So, we say:
I must go now. (not *I must to go now.)
subject
auxiliary must
main verb
I
must
go
home.
You
must
visit
us.
We
must
stop
now.
Use of Must
In general, must expresses personal obligation. Must expresses what the speaker thinks is necessary. Must is subjective. Look at these examples:
It is sometimes possible to use must for real obligation, for example a rule or a law. But generally we use have to for this.
I must stop smoking.
You must visit us soon.
He must work harder.
In each of the above cases, the "obligation" is the opinion or idea of the person speaking. In fact, it is not a real obligation. It is not imposed from outside.
We can use must to talk about the present or the future. Look at these examples:
I must go now. (present)
I must call my mother tomorrow. (future)
We cannot use must to talk about the past. We use have to to talk about the past.
We often use have to to say that something is obligatory, for example:
Children have to go to school.
Structure of Have to
Have to is often grouped with modal auxiliary verbs for convenience, but in fact it is not a modal verb. It is not even an auxiliary verb. In the have to structure, "have" is a main verb. The structure is:
subject + auxiliary verb + have + infinitive (with to)
Look at these examples in the simple tense:
subject
auxiliary verb
main verb have
infinitive (with to)
+
She
has
to work.
-
I
do not
have
to see
the doctor.
?
Did
you
have
to go
to school?
Use of Have to
In general, have to expresses impersonal obligation. The subject of have to is obliged or forced to act by a separate, external power (for example, the Law or school rules). Have to is objective. Look at these examples:
In France, you have to drive on the right.
In England, most schoolchildren have to wear a uniform.
John has to wear a tie at work.
In each of the above cases, the obligation is not the subject's opinion or idea. The obligation is imposed from outside.
We can use have to in all tenses, and also with modal auxiliaries. We conjugate it just like any other main verb. Here are some examples:
Can and could are modal auxiliary verbs. Be able to is NOT an auxiliary verb (it uses the verb be as a main verb). We include be able to here for convenience.
In this lesson we look at these three verbs, followed by a quiz to check your understanding:
Can
Can is an auxiliary verb, a modal auxiliary verb. We use can to:
talk about possibility and ability
make requests
ask for or give permission
Structure of Can
subject + can + main verb
The main verb is always the bare infinitive (infinitive without "to").
subject
auxiliary verb
main verb
+
I
can
play
tennis.
-
He
cannot
play
tennis.
can't
?
Can
you
play
tennis?
Notice that:
Can is invariable. There is only one form of can.
The main verb is always the bare infinitive.
The main verb is always the bare infinitive (infinitive without "to"). We cannot say:
Use of Can
can: Possibility and Ability
We use can to talk about what is possible, what we are able or free to do:
She can drive a car.
John can speak Spanish.
I cannot hear you. (I can't hear you.)
Can you hear me?
Normally, we use can for the present. But it is possible to use can when we make present decisions about future ability.
Can you help me with my homework? (present)
Sorry. I'm busy today. But I can help you tomorrow. (future)
can: Requests and Orders
We often use can in a question to ask somebody to do something. This is not a real question - we do not really want to know if the person is able to do something, we want them to do it! The use of can in this way is informal (mainly between friends and family):
Can you make a cup of coffee, please.
Can you put the TV on.
Can you come here a minute.
Can you be quiet!
can: Permission
We sometimes use can to ask or give permission for something:
Can I smoke in this room?
You can't smoke here, but you can smoke in the garden.
(Note that we also use could, may, might for permission. The use of can for permission is informal.)
Could
Could is an auxiliary verb, a modal auxiliary verb. We use could to:
talk about past possibility or ability
make requests
Structure of Could
subject + could + main verb
The main verb is always the bare infinitive (infinitive without "to").
subject
auxiliary verb
main verb
+
My grandmother
could
swim.
-
She
could not
walk.
couldn't
?
Could
your grandmother
swim?
Notice that:
Could is invariable. There is only one form of could.
The main verb is always the bare infinitive.
The main verb is always the bare infinitive. We cannot say:
Use of Could
could: Past Possibility or Ability
We use could to talk about what was possible in the past, what we were able or free to do:
I could swim when I was 5 years old.
My grandmother could speak seven languages.
When we arrived home, we could not open the door. (...couldn't open the door.)
Could you understand what he was saying?
We use could (positive) and couldn't (negative) for general ability in the past. But when we talk about one special occasion in the past, we use be able to (positive) and couldn't (negative). Look at these examples:
Past
General
Specific Occasion
+
My grandmother could speak Spanish.
A man fell into the river yesterday. The police were able to save him.
-
My grandmother couldn't speak Spanish.
A man fell into the river yesterday. The police couldn't save him.
could: Requests
We often use could in a question to ask somebody to do something. The use of could in this way is fairly polite (formal):
Could you tell me where the bank is, please?
Could you send me a catalogue, please?
Be able to
Although we look at be able to here, it is not a modal verb. It is simply the verb be plus an adjective (able) followed by the infinitive. We look at be able to here because we sometimes use it instead of can and could.
We use be able to:
to talk about ability
Structure of Be able to
The structure of be able to is:
subject + be + able + infinitive
subject
be main verb
able adjective
infinitive
+
I
am
able
to drive.
-
She
is not
able
to drive.
isn't
?
Are
you
able
to drive?
Notice that be able to is possible in all tenses, for example:
I was able to drive...
I will be able to drive...
I have been able to drive...
Notice too that be able to has an infinitive form:
I would like to be able to speak Chinese.
Use of Be able to
Be able to is not a modal auxiliary verb. We include it here for convenience, because it is often used like "can" and "could", which are modal auxiliary verbs.
be able to: ability
We use be able to to express ability. "Able" is an adjective meaning: having the power, skill or means to do something. If we say "I am able to swim", it is like saying "I can swim". We sometimes use "be able to" instead of "can" or "could" for ability. "Be able to" is possible in all tenses - but "can" is possible only in the present and "could" is possible only in the past for ability. In addition, "can" and "could" have no infinitive form. So we use "be able to" when we want to use other tenses or the infinitive. Look at these examples:
I have been able to swim since I was five. (present perfect)
You will be able to speak perfect English very soon. (future simple)
I would like to be able to fly an airplane. (infinitive)
Modal auxiliary verbs may sound difficult but in fact they're easy. They are invariable (no conjugation). And the main verb is always the "bare infinitive" (the infinitive without "to").
Can, Could, Be able to | Quiz Can and could are modal auxiliary verbs. Be able to is NOT an auxiliary verb (it uses the verb be as a main verb). We include be able to here for convenience.
Have to, Must, Must not/Mustn't | Quiz Must is a modal auxiliary verb. Have to is NOT an auxiliary verb (it uses the verb have as a main verb). We include have to here for convenience.
Shall versus Will | Should versus Would People may sometimes tell you that there is no difference between shall and will, or even that today nobody uses shall (except in offers such as "Shall I call a taxi?"). They say the same thing about should, but it's not really true.
Would | Quiz Would is an auxiliary verb, a modal auxiliary verb. We use would mainly to talk about the past, talk about the future in the past and express the conditional mood.
Should | Quiz Should is an auxiliary verb, a modal auxiliary verb. We use should mainly to give advice or make recommendations, talk about obligation or talk about probability and expectation.
Insights from China (18 minutes)
