Lesson 9/15

Review- some

Informal- used before any noun to show that it isn't important what the exact name is:

• Some kid threw a rock at me.

• We're watching some movie that my husband wants to watch.

Formal- used before plural numbers to show that they are not exact:

• Some 2,000 people were killed in the attack.

NOT

• Some terrorist attacked the State House.

 Review exercise 48.4 

No, none of, not any, nothing, etc.

No, none of, etc is used for emphasis in negative sentences:

• There isn't any food.

• There's no food!

• There isn't anyone to help me.

• There's no one to help me!

Used at the beginning of a clause instead of any, anything etc.

• No help could be found. (not "Not any help could be found")

Used right after and, but, or that instead of any, anything etc.

• We checked the office, and no one was there. (not "and not anyone was there")

• It seems to me that nothing can be done.

• I liked the dinner but nobody else did.

Not a

Used in the beginning of a sentence or after and, but, or that in more

formal writing

• Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. (no animals were moving)

• He slammed the breaks and not a moment too soon. (just in time)

Complete Exercise 49.1

All (of)

We sometimes use all after the noun it refers to:

• Americans all talk too loud.

• We all think your new boyfriend is rude.

We usually put all after the verb be or after the first helping verb if

there is one

• They are all going on vacation.

• We could all meet up after class.

For negatives use not all of

• Not all of the students handed in their homework. (some students did not

hand in their homework)

Complete Exercise 51.1

Program Director: Take 2, cue Howard.

Beale: I don't have to tell you things are bad. Everybody knows things are bad. It's a depression. Everybody's out of work or scared of losing their job. The dollar buys a nickel's worth; banks are going bust; shopkeepers keep a gun under the counter; punks are running wild in the street, and there's nobody anywhere who seems to know what to do, and there's no end to it.

We know the air is unfit to breathe and our food is unfit to eat. And we sit watching our TVs while some local newscaster tells us that today we had fifteen homicides and sixty-three violent crimes, as if that's the way it's supposed to be!

We all know things are bad -- worse than bad -- they're crazy.

It's like everything everywhere is going crazy, so we don't go out any more. We sit in the house, and slowly the world we're living in is getting smaller, and all we say is, "Please, at least leave us alone in our living rooms. Let me have my toaster and my TV and my steel-belted radials, and I won't say anything. Just leave us alone."

Well, I'm not going to leave you alone.

I want you to get mad!

I don't want you to protest. I don't want you to riot. I don't want you to write to your Congressman, because I wouldn't know what to tell you to write. I don't know what to do about the depression and the inflation and the Russians and the crime in the street.

All I know is that first, you've got to get mad.

You've gotta say, "I'm a human being, goddammit! My life has value!"

So, I want you to get up now. I want all of you to get up out of your chairs. I want you to get up right now and go to the window, open it, and stick your head out and yell,

"I'm as mad as hell,

and I'm not going to take this anymore!!"

All and whole

Before singular nouns we usually use the whole, not all the

• He slept through the whole lesson.

• The whole city is out of Clorox wipes.

• HOWEVER we can say all day, all weekend, all month, all summer

Before plural nouns we can use all of or the whole, but the

meaning is different

• All of the states shut down because of the virus. (every state shut down)

• Whole states are still shut down because of the virus. (not every state is

shut down, but some states shut down completely)

Complete Exercise 51.2 

Proficient

public speaking and cadence

Some favs: Alan Watts, Terrence McKenna, Chris Hedges, Jordan Peterson

fast slow up down

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5C2gihnEkE

https://producer.musicradiocreative.com/radio-script-ideas/

https://www.gutenberg.org/

http://americanbookreview.org/100BestLines.asp

Great Orators

 

Lesson 9/9

 

http://144.122.235.170/ckfinder/userfiles/files/Advanced%20Grammar%20in%20Use%202nd%20Edition.pdf

https://edit.pdfzorro.com/pdf2_HQ.php?upload=159963073867915&tokenKey=undefined&uploadUserId=Du%20bist%20nicht%20eingeloggt!

https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/stative-verbs.html

EXILE by Taylor Swift

I can ________ you standin', honey
With his arms around your body
Laughin' but the joke's not funny at all
And it took you five whole minutes
To pack us up and leave me with it
Holdin' all this _________ out here in the hall

I ________ I've seen this film before
And I didn't ________ the ending
You're not my homeland anymore
So what am I defendin' now?
You were my town
Now I'm in exile seein' you out
I think I've seen this film before

Hoo, hoo-ooh
Hoo, hoo-ooh
Hoo, hoo-ooh

I can _______ you starin', honey
Like he's just your understudy
_________ you'd get your knuckles bloody for me
Second, third, and hundredth chances
Balancin' on breaking branches
Those eyes add ________ to injury

I think I've seen this film before
And I didn't like the ending
I'm not your ____________ anymore
So who am I ____________ now?
You were my crown
Now I'm in exile seein' you out
I think I've seen this film before
So I'm leavin' out the side door

So step right out
There is no amount
Of cryin' I can do for you

All this time
We always ________ a very thin line
You didn't even hear me out (You didn't even hear me out)
You never gave a __________ sign (I gave so many signs)

All this time
I never __________ to read your mind (Never learned to read my mind)
I couldn't turn things around (You never _________ _______ ________)
'Cause you never gave a _________ sign (I gave so many signs)
So many signs
So many signs (You didn't even see the signs)

In the chat section describe what is happening in this Mr. Bean episode...

PROFICIENT

TOEFL

Pahrump Friends

 

Embellishing Sentences

Ho ho.... no

A lot of people ask me, hey Eric, what's a noun clause?

Clause: combination of words that must contain a subject and verb.

Often it is a dependent clause.

Can be used with conjunctions:

(that) which who whom

whose that if whether

when where how why

who/m when what where which-ever

Only some of these can be both conjunction that starts the clause and the subject. 

Subject: which - who - what

In the interest of further your pop culture references, let's play a Celebrity Guessing Game!

noun clause has 4 uses 

(subject - verb - compliment/conjunction - object)

as the subject of sentence

What she wore to the party really turned some heads.

Whoever wants to know should ask me.

(you) please ask mom what we are having for dinner.

Do you know if she is coming?

Steve isn't what is general considered the most ethical.

using object + preposition

Sarah should not be held responsible for what her brother does.

It's more of a question of whom she said it to than why she said it.

That she might be right is what frightens me.

Noun Clauses are everywhere in Movies, TV shows, and Music!

Try to Find the Noun Clause in Kelly Clarkson's Stronger...

Lyrics:

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger Stand a little taller Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone What doesn't kill you makes a fighter Footsteps even lighter Doesn't mean I'm over cause you're gone

A lot of people ask me, hey Eric, what about a noun phrase?

 A phrase is a collection of words that may have nouns or verbals, but it does not have a subject doing a verb.

We sometimes add information about a person or thing referred to in one noun phrase by talking about the same person or thing in a different way in a following noun phrase:

-  A hooded cobra, one of the world's most dangerous snakes, has escaped from Dudley Zoo.

-  Dr. Alex Parr, director of the State Museum, is to become the government's art advisor.

In writing, the items are usually separated by a comma. And I'm not talking about Culture Club...

In speech the items are usually separated by a pause or other intonation break. Afterall, we don't want to be sounding like John Moschitta...

However when a second action acts like a defining relative clause, when it is usually a name, there is usually no punctuation in writing or intonation break in speech.

-  My friend Mia has moved to Sweden. (rather than... My friend, Mia, has moved to Sweden)

-  The current champion is expected to survive her first-round match with the Italian Silvia Farina. (rather than... The current champion is expected to survive her first-round match with the Italian, Silvia Farina.)

We can add information to a noun phrase with a conjunction such as and or or:

-  Kurt Svensson, her teacher and well known concert pianist, thinks that she is a great talent.

( = her teacher is also a well-known pianist)

-  Phonetics or the study of speech sounds is a common component on courses in teaching English as a foreign language.

The adverb namely and the phrase that is are used to add details about a noun phrase:

-  This side effect of the treatment, namely weight gain, is counteracted with other drugs.

-  The main cause of global warming, that is the burning of fossil fuels, is to be the focus of negotiations at the international conference.

We can also add information to a noun phrase using a participle clause beginning with an -ing, -ed, or being + ing verb form. These are often similar to defining relative clauses.

SIDE NOTE: defining vs. non-defining:

The Canadian people who come from Alberta sure do say 'eh' and 'sorry' a lot.

The Canadian people, who come from Alberta, sure do say 'eh' and 'sorry' a lot. 

-  The people living next door come from Italy. (or the people who are living next door...)

-  The weapon used in the murder has now been found. (or the weapon that has been used...)

The prisoners being released being released are all women (or the prisoners who are being released...)

Note that -ing participle clauses correspond to defining relative clauses with an active verb, while -ed and being + -ed clauses correspond to defining relative clauses with a passive verb.

SIDE NOTE: active vs. passive:

subject does the verbing, object gets verbed.

ex. The dog chases the cat.

-  We also use a to-infinitive clause, as in:

-  Have you brought a book to read?

-  My decision to resign from the company was made after a great deal of thought.

- I thought that the management's offer, to increase staff holidays, was a good one.

In written English, often in newspapers, -ing and -ed clauses are also used instead of non-defining relative clauses. These are usually written between commas or dashes (-)

- The men, wearing anoraks and hats, made off with the Volvo.

So who stole the car?

Probably not these folks...

ASSIGNMENT: rewrite the sentences in this sentence combining exercise with some of what you've learned.

https://styleacademy.byu.edu/exercises/sentence-combining/

MOTOWN

THE SOUND THAT CHANGED AMERICA

As an irresistible force of social and cultural change, Berry Gordy’s legendary Motown made its mark not just on the music industry, but society at large, with a sound that has become one of the most significant musical accomplishments and stunning success stories of the 20th century. 

Diana Ross & the Supremes

Smokey Robinson & the Miracles

Stevie Wonder

the Temptations

the Four Tops

Marvin Gaye

Michael Jackson & the Jackson 5

the Marvelettes

Martha Reeves and the Vandellas

Gladys Knight & the Pips

Lionel Richie & the Commodores

Teena Marie

their music communicated and brought together a racially divided country and segregated society, around the world, touching all people of all ages and races.

No other record company in history has exerted such an enormous influence on both the style and substance of popular music and culture. With more than 180 No. 1 hit songs worldwide and counting, that influence is still being felt today, from pop to hip-hop. Motown recently celebrated the 60th anniversary of the company’s founding.

Motown, of course, stands for more than just the historic music. The label and its remarkable legacy is a reflection of the hard work of dedicated individuals overcoming incredible obstacles to achieve great success. Over a half-century ago, on January 12, 1959, to be exact, a young African-American songwriter named Berry Gordy founded his company with a loan of $800 from his family, marking the birth of the “Motown Records Corporation.” Because Detroit had long been known as the “Motor City,” Gordy, in tribute to what he felt was the down-home quality of the warm, soulful people he grew up around, used “town” in place of “city,” which gave him the contraction “Motor Town” and the perfect name for his company and new label—Motown.

A man of vision, drive, talent and determination, Berry Gordy was also a producer, innovative entrepreneur, and teacher. The phenomenal success of Motown Records is a tribute to all that he embodies and all the talent that he brought out in others. Under his leadership, and through determination and support of the Motown family of artists, Gordy forged new grounds for minorities and made the “Motown Sound” a worldwide phenomenon beloved by millions to this day.

Berry Gordy believed in turning negatives into positives. He always learned from all his experiences and applied them to his business. The tedious time he spent working on the assembly line at Detroit’s Lincoln-Mercury automobile plant he put to good use: “Every day I watched how a bare metal frame, rolling down the line would come off the other end, a spanking brand new car. What a great idea! Maybe, I could do the same thing with my music. Create a place where a kid off the street could walk in one door, an unknown, go through a process, and come out another door, a star.” That little thought that came to him while running up and down that assembly line became a reality we now know as “Motown.”

From his experience at Lincoln-Mercury, he also set up a system at Motown called Quality Control, in order to ensure only top product would be released. Meetings were held on Friday mornings where producers would submit their product to be voted on. All were free to express their honest opinions. Gordy said these meetings were one of the key elements of the company’s overall growth and success. The competition was fierce––and so was the love. It was survival of the fittest. The artists flourished in that process, as well as the songwriter/producers like Holland-Dozier-Holland, Norman Whitfield, Ashford and Simpson and Smokey Robinson. They were all as distinctive as the artists they produced.

When Motown was housed in its famed Hitsville U.S.A. offices at 2648 West Grand Boulevard in Detroit, it was not just a location; history would be made there. In fact, Berry Gordy created a 24-hour hit-making and artist development factory, nurturing the artistic talent of the singers, writers, producers, as well as corporate executives.

Today, Motown is not only the greatest pop music hit factory ever heard, but an institution, a state of mind, a way of life, a style, the “Sound of Young America.” The distinctive, upbeat and uplifting music brought together pop and soul, white and black, old and young, like never before and continues to this day. Regardless of race or social background, teenage girls admired Diana Ross and teenage boys pretended to be Smokey Robinson. Motown became the heartbeat of American pop music. With multi-platinum artists ranging from the Miracles, Temptations, Four Tops and Supremes to Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Jackson 5, the House That Gordy Built had and has no rival.

Motown defined the term “crossover” not only on record and stage, but also behind the scenes. After breaking down barriers and having pop radio embrace Motown artists, Berry Gordy set his sights on television, movies. He booked his artists on popular shows such as American Bandstand and The Ed Sullivan Show. After captivating national audiences with repeat performances on these shows, The Supremes were the first R&B act to play the country’s most prestigious night club, New York’s Copacabana, which paved the way for other R&B acts into the top cabaret circuits around the world.

Motown was the first African-American-owned record label to reach widespread national acclaim. Motown broke down racial prejudice by becoming the most successful independent record company in history and the most successful African-American-owned business in America.

After Gordy purchased that first Detroit property, he converted the garage into a small recording studio and the kitchen into the control room. The company’s first signing was the Miracles, led by Smokey Robinson, and its first release was Marv Johnson’s “Come to Me,” January 21, 1959. But its first major hit was Barrett Strong’s “Money (That’s What I Want),” a song co-written by Gordy himself, which reached #2 on Billboard’s R&B chart in 1960. A year later, the Miracles would score the company’s first million seller with “Shop Around.” That same year, teen girl group the Marvelettes landed the company’s first pop No. 1, “Please Mr. Postman,” while the label signed two young groups, the Supremes and the Temptations. Within three years, those two groups would lead Motown into the mainstream, when the Supremes launched an unprecedented string of five consecutive No. 1 hits, starting with “Where Did Our Love Go,” while the Temptations released the eternal Motown classic, “My Girl.”

In 1968 the company had five records out of the Top 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart and accomplished another unprecedented feat by seizing the top three spots for a full month.

In the late 80’s and 90’s all of Motown’s major artists were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Upon his own induction in 1988, Motown’s founder was given the following tribute: “Gordy endeavored to reach across the racial divide with music that could touch all people, regardless of the color of their skin.

“Under his tutelage, Motown became a model of black capitalism, pride and self-expression and a repository for some of the greatest talent ever assembled at one company… Motown’s stable of singers, songwriters, producers and musicians took the concept of simple, catchy pop songs to a whole new level of sophistication and, thanks to the music’s roots in gospel and blues, visceral intensity… After Motown, Black popular music would never again be dismissed as a minority taste… Aesthetically no less than commercially, Motown’s achievements will likely remain unrivaled and unstoppable.”

Today, the label is part of the Universal Music Group, with its classic recorded music catalog managed by Universal Music Enterprises (UMe). The timeless songs from Motown between 1959 and 1985 are represented by EMI Music Publishing.

from https://www.motownmuseum.org/story/motown/

The perfect escape - Wiola

The perfect escape.

Sometimes we all need to close some doors in our lives. Just to be free and happy again. Thank God that when this time came into my life I wasn't alone and had someone who needed to run away as much I did.

One meeting for coffee and together with Patty, we had a plan. Little crazy, actually there not even a plan, just purchased in 15 minutes plane tickets. Stockholm!!! - our dreamed destination that with previous circumstances seemed to be unreachable.

The tickets were bought soon enough to find some place to sleep and things we want to see but the rule was only one. To make some recognition but to let ourselves to take whatever each day in Stockholm will offer.

Then it happened. One night in an underground hostel, two nights on a ship (the one above), and the last night in a pricey hotel to celebrate our freedom. The rest? Who would know?

Oh and I forgot to mention that during this trip I had a birthday. Till this time the best one in my life. But about it a little later..

When we came to Stockholm right away we felt like we are in our home. Why? Maybe it was the fact of similar architecture to Cracow, Wroclaw, or Prague we knew very well. Or maybe it was just the fact that we escaped in a second from our problems and concerns. It seemed to be too good to be true that the first step in a foreign country changed already so much.

The first night we went to the old town - Gamla Stan. How beautiful is there I can't even describe. The time somehow stooped and the night was sooooo long that we saw even more than we wished. Going back to our hostel at 4 am showed us the nightlife in the city, the kindness of people for lost girls (yep it happened during the first night.), and many interesting conversations with drunk people going back to their homes or hotels after the existing party nigh. Well, we weren't completely sober too so maybe that's why those conversations were so interesting...

But the day that changed everything and made me feel really free was the day of my birthday. Might sound cliche but really it was then. One of the funniest days of my life. Full of new experiences, beautiful views, and crazy unplanned birthday party in October Fest tent. I would never imagined that in Stockholm I would stand on a table in the middle of crowded Fest tent to hear how all the people sing Happy Birthday to me in three languages: English, Swedish, and Polish. Can you imagine? My own language used just for me, by the foreign band in Sweden, because somehow the singer used to have a Polish girlfriend that taught him just this one birthday song. Later on, we stayed there till 6 am talking with the Fest crew about everything even though no one supposed to be there after 11 pm.

 

That was our last night in Stockholm and we had to pack for the flight back before 7 am to get on the airport on time. How stupid it was staying in the City so long knowing about early flight? We didn't care. We just took everything that the moment offered for us.

Carpe Diem people!

The rest I will write maybe in the future. But it was just the small piece of my experience...