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Grammar Point

Think past when talking about the past. We cannot talk about the past and use present verbs. If you do, you could, implicitly, give the wrong notion of time traveling or that you are a doppelganger.

- Use the simple past tense when talking about past events. This is more of a requirement when you include time expressions that refer to the past like, yesterday, last night, two hours ago, last year, etc.

E.g.
1. I went to bed late last night.
2. They went on a trip last summer.
3. She did her homework after last night's Episode of, "Merlin".
4. Yesterday, we ended the holiday with a great movie by Spielberg.
5. I was sick last week.

Vocabulary

Do not, under any circumstances, say STUFFS.

Stuffs (with the -s, especially if the subject is singular) can be used if it is a verb in the sentence. However, if used as a noun, you cannot add -s to it. It is what they call non-count noun, just like water, feedback, homework (or work), information, milk, etc.

It is, therefore, very strange to say, "I have a lot of stuffs in my bag". Instead, you say, "I have a lot of stuff (noun) in my bag".

You may say, "She stuffs (verb) her bag with everything she thinks she needs for camping".

Add-ons
Other Non-count sample sentences:

1. Thank you for all the feedback! (not feedbacks)

2. She is doing her homework for all five subjects.

3. How much information do you need?

Practice

A number of things have to be done first before I can start thinking about what stuff I need to bring for the trip. Either my brother or my buddies are drafting the itinerary, so I could finish all the office work in time for the vacation. I am just glad that I am traveling with the cream of the crop, so I have nothing to worry about. I only hope I get my supervisor's feedback on Friday, before 7pm, so I could have enough time to get to the bus terminal.

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What do you do?

Grammar Point

The Simple Present Tense

- This is commonly confused with the present continuous (verb-ing). We use the simple present tense to state a fact, opinion, anything that happens regulary and timetables or schedule.

1. Running is a good form of exercise. (opnion)

2. Rice gives you the carbohydrates you need for tasks that require a lot of your energy. (fact)

3. I always have breakfast before I go to work. (regular activity)

4. The train departs at 5am. (timetable)

5. The movie starts at 7pm. (timetable)

6. I manage the maintenance department of the company. (fact; answering "What do you do")

7. Work starts at 8am. (schedule)

Vocabulary

Cream of the crop

- This means the best among all.

- Sadly, this is sometimes pronounced wrong. People either end up making a fool of themselves or insulting the one they are supposed to praise.

- It's cream of the crop, I repeat CROP, and not, crap. There is a big difference between the two,. and if you have no idea what, you could try putting your internet connection to good use. Then again, if you want to be sarcastic...

E.g.

He is the cream of the crop in his class.

Add-ons

What do you do?

- This question should never be answered by any of the following or their derivatives:

1. I am fine. Thank you. And you?

2. What do you do?

3. I am just hanging around.

4. I am doing my homework.

What do you do is a question that pertains to your job, occupation, or profession. The right way to answer it, therefore, is to say something like, "I am an engineer", "I work for that company as a consultant", "I write books".

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Boredom

Grammar point

Be careful with subject-verb agreement. It is a pretty basic rule in English that if the subject is singular, your verb must be singular. Forget your name, but never this rule.

Examples:

1. One of the many reasons she dislikes movies is the idea that it is nothing real.

Note: When using the phrase one of the as the subject, the verb is always a singular verb.

2. The grapes she bought last week do not have seeds.

Vocabulary

Boring vs. Bored

- They are not the same. (It's really weird listening to people say, "Naboboring ako". Why would anyone flaunt he is boring?)

Bored is used to describe how one feels.

Boring is used to describe something or someone that can make you feel bored.

Hence,

I am bored with your stories.

This is a boring movie.

Add-ons

1. Will and decisions made just now.

- We use will when expressing decisions that you have just made.

E.g.

This is a boring book. I will never read anything from this author again.

2. We never say, Everything are or Everything do. We say, Everything is or Everything does. (It's the same with everyone, everybody, every)

E.g.

Everything is not what it seems.

Practice

One of the many reasons I read books is that it's never boring. You see, I easily get bored, so I read a lot of them. Every book is an escape from the daily stress. However, my friends think I need to find a new hobby, so I will try running this weekend.

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To know about my travels, click here.