It’s interesting how many ways we can ask questions in English.
I wanted to explain a little in this podcast about the different ways do this. In fact I had to think about this a lot before I recorded the podcast – as a lot depends on the situation and who were are talking to.
Regarding asking people for things. In English we use the "conditional" form a lot. This is where the question sounds more polite.
For example:
"Could I have a cup of tea please?" sounds more polite that "Can I have a cup of tea please?"
The reason is that English people usually ( but not always of course) try to be polite and the word "could" means that the person who is being asked would feel that the person asking the question was not demanding a cup of tea – almost that the person being asked has a choice. Of course if you were in a café asking this question, it would seem a bit silly that they would not want to give you some tea – but this way of asking questions still stays in our language.
"I would like…" is similar
" Could I trouble you for….?" Is very polite and fomal
Between friends and family, it is less formal:
"Can you lend me a garden rake?" is perfectly acceptable.
"I want a…." is not normally used – as it sounds impolite. However as always, there are exceptions. " I want a holiday – I’ve been working too many hours" could be used as a statement. But, if you were to ask your boss for a holiday, you would say "Could I have next week off please? I want to go on holiday"
"Have you got some stamps?" is ok to use when asking for stamps in a Post Office
Also,
"Do you have some(any) stamps?" Would be the right question to see if the place selling stamps had any e.g. Newsagents
"Do you sell stamps?" would also be ok – if you were in a shop and wanted to see if they sold stamps
To add emphasis, we often say:
"I really would like…… do you have any? (or "could I have?)
"Do you mind if I take….?" A useful phrase in, say a Tourist Information office and they offer leaflets and you think that they are being offered for free – but you are not sure.
"Will you come to my party?" a direct question to a friend – which means that they should give you an answer "yes" or "no"
An alternative (and more polite) would be " Would you come to my party?" this means that the person being asked might say "no thanks – I have to visit my mother – thanks for asking me"
"Shall we go to the seaside for our holidays?" is more direct than "should we go to the seaside for our holidays?" and usually you would get a different response.
The first question would normally mean the person being asked would say "Yes, it sounds a good idea" or "No, I don’t want to go to the seaside this year"
The second question would normally mean the person being asked would say "Let me think about it, it might be worth doing" or " I’m not sure – whether I like the idea or not"
So, it is worth learning the different ways to ask for things in English and see what response you get. If you find that the question seems too direct – then try using:
Could I/you/we?
Should I/you/we?
Would I/you/we?
Might I/you/we?
Another very polite way is "is it ok if?" or "do you mind if?"
More direct ways or asking questions are
Can I/you/we?
Shall I/you/we?
Will I/you/we?
Don’t be worried about using these ways of asking if you need help or are in trouble or you need a direct "yes" or "no" answer.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Petite Marie
Francis Cabrel
Petite Marie
Petite Marie, je parle de toi
Little Marie, I speak of you
Parce qu'avec ta petite voix
Because with your little voice
Tes petites manies, tu as versé sur ma vie
Your little habits, tu have poured on my life
Des milliers de roses
Thousands of roses
Petite furie, je me bats pour toi
Little wild one, I fight for you
Pour que dans dix mille ans de ça
So that in 10,000 years from now
On se retrouve à l'abri, sous un ciel aussi joli
We’ll find ourselves a shelter, under a sky just as pretty
Que des milliers de roses
As 1000’s of roses
Je viens du ciel et les étoiles entre elles
I come from the sky and the stars only
Ne parlent que de toi
Speak of you
D'un musicien qui fait jouer ses mains
From a musician whose hands play
Sur un morceau de bois
On a piece of wood
De leur amour plus bleu que le ciel autour
Of their love more blue than the sky above
Petite Marie, je t'attends transi
Little Marie, I wait for you transfixed
Sous une tuile de ton toit
Under a tile of your roof
Le vent de la nuit froide me renvoie la ballade
The cold night wind brings me back the ballad
Que j'avais écrite pour toi
That I had written for you
Petite furie, tu dis que la vie
Little wild one, you say that life
C'est une bague à chaque doigt
Is a ring on each finger
Au soleil de Floride, moi mes poches sont vides
In the sunshine of Florida, my pockets are empty
Et mes yeux pleurent de froid
And my eyes cry from cold
Je viens du ciel et les étoiles entre elles
I come from the sky and the stars only
Ne parlent que de toi
Speak of you
D'un musicien qui fait jouer ses mains
From a musician whose hands play
Sur un morceau de bois
On a piece of wood
De leur amour plus bleu que le ciel autour
Of their love more blue than the sky above
Dans la pénombre de ta rue
In the shadow of your street
Petite Marie, m'entends-tu ?
Little Marie, do you hear me ?
Je n'attends plus que toi pour partir...
I’m only waiting for you to be able to leave
Dans la pénombre de ta rue
In the shadow of your street
Petite Marie, m'entends-tu ?
Little Marie, can you hear me ?
Je n'attends plus que toi pour partir...
I’m only waiting for you to be able to leave
Je viens du ciel et les étoiles entre elles
I come from the sky and the stars
Ne parlent que de toi
Only speak of you
D'un musicien qui fait jouer ses mains
From a musician whose hands play
Sur un morceau de bois
On a piece of wood
De leur amour plus bleu que le ciel autour
Of their love more blue that the sky above
Words and music - Francis Cabrel
English translation: Alan Palmer
Petite Marie
Petite Marie, je parle de toi
Little Marie, I speak of you
Parce qu'avec ta petite voix
Because with your little voice
Tes petites manies, tu as versé sur ma vie
Your little habits, tu have poured on my life
Des milliers de roses
Thousands of roses
Petite furie, je me bats pour toi
Little wild one, I fight for you
Pour que dans dix mille ans de ça
So that in 10,000 years from now
On se retrouve à l'abri, sous un ciel aussi joli
We’ll find ourselves a shelter, under a sky just as pretty
Que des milliers de roses
As 1000’s of roses
Je viens du ciel et les étoiles entre elles
I come from the sky and the stars only
Ne parlent que de toi
Speak of you
D'un musicien qui fait jouer ses mains
From a musician whose hands play
Sur un morceau de bois
On a piece of wood
De leur amour plus bleu que le ciel autour
Of their love more blue than the sky above
Petite Marie, je t'attends transi
Little Marie, I wait for you transfixed
Sous une tuile de ton toit
Under a tile of your roof
Le vent de la nuit froide me renvoie la ballade
The cold night wind brings me back the ballad
Que j'avais écrite pour toi
That I had written for you
Petite furie, tu dis que la vie
Little wild one, you say that life
C'est une bague à chaque doigt
Is a ring on each finger
Au soleil de Floride, moi mes poches sont vides
In the sunshine of Florida, my pockets are empty
Et mes yeux pleurent de froid
And my eyes cry from cold
Je viens du ciel et les étoiles entre elles
I come from the sky and the stars only
Ne parlent que de toi
Speak of you
D'un musicien qui fait jouer ses mains
From a musician whose hands play
Sur un morceau de bois
On a piece of wood
De leur amour plus bleu que le ciel autour
Of their love more blue than the sky above
Dans la pénombre de ta rue
In the shadow of your street
Petite Marie, m'entends-tu ?
Little Marie, do you hear me ?
Je n'attends plus que toi pour partir...
I’m only waiting for you to be able to leave
Dans la pénombre de ta rue
In the shadow of your street
Petite Marie, m'entends-tu ?
Little Marie, can you hear me ?
Je n'attends plus que toi pour partir...
I’m only waiting for you to be able to leave
Je viens du ciel et les étoiles entre elles
I come from the sky and the stars
Ne parlent que de toi
Only speak of you
D'un musicien qui fait jouer ses mains
From a musician whose hands play
Sur un morceau de bois
On a piece of wood
De leur amour plus bleu que le ciel autour
Of their love more blue that the sky above
Words and music - Francis Cabrel
English translation: Alan Palmer
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Runaway/Vanina
As I walk along I wonder a-what went wrong
With our love , a love that was so strong
And as I still walk on, I think of the things we've done
Together , a-while our hearts were young
I'm a-walkin' in the rain
Tears are fallin' and I feel the pain
Wishin' you were here by me
To end this misery
And I wonder
I wa-wa-wa-wa-wonder
Why
Ah-why-why-why-why-why she ran away
And I wonder where she will stay
My little runaway , run-run-run-run-runaway
Loin de toi je me demande
Pouquoi ma vie ressemble
A une terre brûlée
Mais quand l'amour prend ses distances
Un seul être vous manque
Et tout est dépeuplé
Vanina rappelle-toi
Que je ne suis rien sans toi
Vanina si tu m'oublies
Je serais pour la vie
Seul au monde
Oh ! Mon... mon... mon...monde
Toi, toi…… si loin de toi
Et le monde
N'existe pas
Si tu es loin de moi, loin loin loin loin de moi
Original version by Del Shannon
French version by Dave
This version by me!
With our love , a love that was so strong
And as I still walk on, I think of the things we've done
Together , a-while our hearts were young
I'm a-walkin' in the rain
Tears are fallin' and I feel the pain
Wishin' you were here by me
To end this misery
And I wonder
I wa-wa-wa-wa-wonder
Why
Ah-why-why-why-why-why she ran away
And I wonder where she will stay
My little runaway , run-run-run-run-runaway
Loin de toi je me demande
Pouquoi ma vie ressemble
A une terre brûlée
Mais quand l'amour prend ses distances
Un seul être vous manque
Et tout est dépeuplé
Vanina rappelle-toi
Que je ne suis rien sans toi
Vanina si tu m'oublies
Je serais pour la vie
Seul au monde
Oh ! Mon... mon... mon...monde
Toi, toi…… si loin de toi
Et le monde
N'existe pas
Si tu es loin de moi, loin loin loin loin de moi
Original version by Del Shannon
French version by Dave
This version by me!
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Alan's Weekend Words 17th June
Hello everyone
Thanks for all your feedback on my podcasts – I really appreciate it.
Today I want to talk some more about the way we speak in normal conversation as opposed to the language you read in text books or in English language classes.
Obviously I can only talk about my own experience in England,
When people speak quickly, it happens that some words become harder to distinguish and this can be difficult for English language learners I think.
For instance, If I asked a friend of mine, “would you like to go to the cinema?” it can often become “would yer like t’go to the cimema?” You can hear that the word “you” becomes more like “yer” and “to” becomes more like the letter “t”
This can be considered lazy speaking, but between friends, with work colleagues etc it is just easier and doesn’t mean that we are lazy.
Another example is “Do you want to?” which often becomes “do yer wanna?”
Here is a list I have made of some common phrases that can often be shortened.
I have got to go – I’ve gotta go
When I come back – when I’m back
What time is it? = what’s the time? (what time do you make it?)
I need to put some fuel in my car – I need to fill up (my car)
Do you sell sandwiches? Have you any sandwiches (sarnies)
Do you have a pen I can borrow please? Have you a pen please?
Could you pass me the salt please – could I have the salt please?
Did you take any good photographs when you were on holiday? did you take any good pictures(photos) on your holidays?
I’m trying to show you examples of where we use alternative sentences to those that would normally be taught in English classes.
I’m also trying to avoid (as much as I can) using examples of dialect – because some dialects in England shorten words as a feature of the dialect.
I’ll give you an example: Do you have a pen I can borrow please – often becomes Have you got a pen please? and in my dialect, I could say “d’y’ave a pen please?”
So I’m not trying to show you dialects in this podcast – I’m simply discussing how we choose different sentences sometimes – because they seem less formal, friendlier, easier to say – for quite a number of reasons. Often it may be simply because of habit. Do y’want a coffee? is much more common to ask as a question to a friend or member of the family than “would you like a cup of coffee?”
This type of “everyday speech” is, I think, what can make it more difficult for English learners to understand when listening to spoken English – it is quite often not like the written standard forms.
Some other examples:
Hello! it’s very nice to see you, please come in – “Hi, come on in!”
Well, I am really tired so I should go to bed – “I’m off to bed - I’m tired”
Did you enjoy that TV programme that was shown yesterday evening? Did you like that programme on telly yesterday evening?
Hopefully, you’ll be able to hear and read these differences and it may give you more understanding of why English may seem more complex – when in fact, it is often being made simpler to make it easier and quicker to have a conversation between friends and family.
See you next time
Bye!
Thanks for all your feedback on my podcasts – I really appreciate it.
Today I want to talk some more about the way we speak in normal conversation as opposed to the language you read in text books or in English language classes.
Obviously I can only talk about my own experience in England,
When people speak quickly, it happens that some words become harder to distinguish and this can be difficult for English language learners I think.
For instance, If I asked a friend of mine, “would you like to go to the cinema?” it can often become “would yer like t’go to the cimema?” You can hear that the word “you” becomes more like “yer” and “to” becomes more like the letter “t”
This can be considered lazy speaking, but between friends, with work colleagues etc it is just easier and doesn’t mean that we are lazy.
Another example is “Do you want to?” which often becomes “do yer wanna?”
Here is a list I have made of some common phrases that can often be shortened.
I have got to go – I’ve gotta go
When I come back – when I’m back
What time is it? = what’s the time? (what time do you make it?)
I need to put some fuel in my car – I need to fill up (my car)
Do you sell sandwiches? Have you any sandwiches (sarnies)
Do you have a pen I can borrow please? Have you a pen please?
Could you pass me the salt please – could I have the salt please?
Did you take any good photographs when you were on holiday? did you take any good pictures(photos) on your holidays?
I’m trying to show you examples of where we use alternative sentences to those that would normally be taught in English classes.
I’m also trying to avoid (as much as I can) using examples of dialect – because some dialects in England shorten words as a feature of the dialect.
I’ll give you an example: Do you have a pen I can borrow please – often becomes Have you got a pen please? and in my dialect, I could say “d’y’ave a pen please?”
So I’m not trying to show you dialects in this podcast – I’m simply discussing how we choose different sentences sometimes – because they seem less formal, friendlier, easier to say – for quite a number of reasons. Often it may be simply because of habit. Do y’want a coffee? is much more common to ask as a question to a friend or member of the family than “would you like a cup of coffee?”
This type of “everyday speech” is, I think, what can make it more difficult for English learners to understand when listening to spoken English – it is quite often not like the written standard forms.
Some other examples:
Hello! it’s very nice to see you, please come in – “Hi, come on in!”
Well, I am really tired so I should go to bed – “I’m off to bed - I’m tired”
Did you enjoy that TV programme that was shown yesterday evening? Did you like that programme on telly yesterday evening?
Hopefully, you’ll be able to hear and read these differences and it may give you more understanding of why English may seem more complex – when in fact, it is often being made simpler to make it easier and quicker to have a conversation between friends and family.
See you next time
Bye!
Thursday, June 07, 2007
My trip to Germany (Kassel)
Hello everyone,
Today I’d like to tell you about my trip to Germany. Last week I went with my wife and son to Kassel, which is a city in the centre of Germany in the Hessen region. We were taking part in an exchange group visit with the "Pendle-Kassel Community Exchange". This was a great opportunity to visit the town once more, meet with our friends from the German side of the group and to stay with these families in the city.
The Pendle-Kassel community exchange has been in existence for 26 years and my wife is the chairperson on the English side. Pendle is my home region which comprises of 3 towns. Together, these towns make up the same number of people as those who live in the city of Kassel – around 150,000 people.
The idea of the exchange is quite simple. Each year a group of exchange group members will travel to either Germany or to England. This year it was our turn to visit Kassel. Each group has about 50 members. This year 32 members of the group travelled by aeroplane (Air Berlin) from Manchester to Kassel. We stayed with "host families" (called Gastgeber in German) who were all so kind as to welcome us into their homes to stay as guests for 7 nights.
So that we don’t abuse their hospitality (in other words, so we don’t take too much of the families’ time) each day of the week we take part in activities or excursions. Some of our hosts will organise these activities or act as guides on the excursions. This way, it allows our hosts to still go to work or do things that they need to do and also gives us (the visitors) chance to see more of Germany and German life.
The exchange started in 1981 between a school in Pendle and a school in Kassel. At that time, it was just school children and teachers that took part in the exchange. Later, the exchange group opened up a welcome to parents and their friends. Now it is open to anyone who is interested – of any age. In reality, this means all ages from quite young children with their parents through to quite elderly people. I like this aspect, because it allows different age groups to do things together and this is quite a rare thing in my country these days. Where there are young children visiting, these children will stay with a parent, although when the children are a little older, they may stay with a family on their own.
It is also an opportunity to develop language skills (for those who wish to) and to discover more about German way of life, peoples’ interests and hobbies, food and drink and well as to see some of the sights.
Each day in Kassel is an opportunity to get to know our hosts better and make friends at the same time. For those visiting for the first time, the first few hours after arrival are be the most difficult. Even though it may seem daunting, it always seems to work our well and soon the new people make become friends. Even language difficulties are not such a problem because those who take part do so volutarily and they will try hard to make sure that visitors are comfortable and feel at home.
A lot of communication can be done by guesswork and even by gesturing and language difficulties never seem to hold back people from enjoying themselves. Of course, quite a number of the German people speak some English and this helps the English people enormously. Some English visitors speak German as I do, and of course this offers many opportunities to experience another language in a "real-life" situation and a chance to learn and share language.
The visit then becomes almost like an activity holiday. Each visitor is free to take part in the organised activities – such as an organised walk, a visit to a museum or a visit to town for shopping.
The programme this year was very well organised. We had a couple of free days with the families to decide what we could do together and then each of the other days, there were excursions by "Reisebus" (which is a tour bus) to visit interesting places.
The excursions took us to: Eisenach and Wartburg (in the former East Germany where Martin Luther translated the Bible)
Wiesbaden near Frankfurt – to visit the regional parliament building and go shopping in the town.
Willingen in Sauerland where we visited a church that is now a restaurant and had a trip on a chair lift used for skiers in winter.
We also visited the famous "Herkules" monument and park just outside Kassel which has some marvellous "wasserspiel" or water games twice per week. http://www.wilhelmshoehe.de/home.htm
We also had the chance to look around Kassel. I particularly enjoyed a visit to a Flohmarkt (garage sale or flea market)
One thing that must be said is that good friends can be made during this visits. Me and my wife stayed with a very nice family for the first time in 2001 and since then, we have visited a further 3 times with this year’s visit making it our fourth visit
On the Thursday morning we visited the "Rathaus" (City Hall) for a chance to present the mayor with a small gift.
On the Saturday evening everyone met at the school hall for a party night. This was a great chance for everyone to discuss how well the week had gone, and to thank all those who had worked hard to prepare the excursions and also it was an opportunity for giving presents. Later in the evening there were some music, dancing, food and drink for all.
The final day (Sunday) gave people chance to say their individual thanks and to get their suitcases packed and then later in the day we were off back to the airport (Paderborn) for the flight back to Manchester.
Of course, before we left, we invited the German members of the Exchange group to come over to England next year and to spend a week in our region. This is planned to take place in May 2008 and my wife and I will be happy to welcome our friends once more to stay with us.
This exchange is a great way to make friends and understand people from other countries and long may in continue!
Today I’d like to tell you about my trip to Germany. Last week I went with my wife and son to Kassel, which is a city in the centre of Germany in the Hessen region. We were taking part in an exchange group visit with the "Pendle-Kassel Community Exchange". This was a great opportunity to visit the town once more, meet with our friends from the German side of the group and to stay with these families in the city.
The Pendle-Kassel community exchange has been in existence for 26 years and my wife is the chairperson on the English side. Pendle is my home region which comprises of 3 towns. Together, these towns make up the same number of people as those who live in the city of Kassel – around 150,000 people.
The idea of the exchange is quite simple. Each year a group of exchange group members will travel to either Germany or to England. This year it was our turn to visit Kassel. Each group has about 50 members. This year 32 members of the group travelled by aeroplane (Air Berlin) from Manchester to Kassel. We stayed with "host families" (called Gastgeber in German) who were all so kind as to welcome us into their homes to stay as guests for 7 nights.
So that we don’t abuse their hospitality (in other words, so we don’t take too much of the families’ time) each day of the week we take part in activities or excursions. Some of our hosts will organise these activities or act as guides on the excursions. This way, it allows our hosts to still go to work or do things that they need to do and also gives us (the visitors) chance to see more of Germany and German life.
The exchange started in 1981 between a school in Pendle and a school in Kassel. At that time, it was just school children and teachers that took part in the exchange. Later, the exchange group opened up a welcome to parents and their friends. Now it is open to anyone who is interested – of any age. In reality, this means all ages from quite young children with their parents through to quite elderly people. I like this aspect, because it allows different age groups to do things together and this is quite a rare thing in my country these days. Where there are young children visiting, these children will stay with a parent, although when the children are a little older, they may stay with a family on their own.
It is also an opportunity to develop language skills (for those who wish to) and to discover more about German way of life, peoples’ interests and hobbies, food and drink and well as to see some of the sights.
Each day in Kassel is an opportunity to get to know our hosts better and make friends at the same time. For those visiting for the first time, the first few hours after arrival are be the most difficult. Even though it may seem daunting, it always seems to work our well and soon the new people make become friends. Even language difficulties are not such a problem because those who take part do so volutarily and they will try hard to make sure that visitors are comfortable and feel at home.
A lot of communication can be done by guesswork and even by gesturing and language difficulties never seem to hold back people from enjoying themselves. Of course, quite a number of the German people speak some English and this helps the English people enormously. Some English visitors speak German as I do, and of course this offers many opportunities to experience another language in a "real-life" situation and a chance to learn and share language.
The visit then becomes almost like an activity holiday. Each visitor is free to take part in the organised activities – such as an organised walk, a visit to a museum or a visit to town for shopping.
The programme this year was very well organised. We had a couple of free days with the families to decide what we could do together and then each of the other days, there were excursions by "Reisebus" (which is a tour bus) to visit interesting places.
The excursions took us to: Eisenach and Wartburg (in the former East Germany where Martin Luther translated the Bible)
Wiesbaden near Frankfurt – to visit the regional parliament building and go shopping in the town.
Willingen in Sauerland where we visited a church that is now a restaurant and had a trip on a chair lift used for skiers in winter.
We also visited the famous "Herkules" monument and park just outside Kassel which has some marvellous "wasserspiel" or water games twice per week. http://www.wilhelmshoehe.de/home.htm
We also had the chance to look around Kassel. I particularly enjoyed a visit to a Flohmarkt (garage sale or flea market)
One thing that must be said is that good friends can be made during this visits. Me and my wife stayed with a very nice family for the first time in 2001 and since then, we have visited a further 3 times with this year’s visit making it our fourth visit
On the Thursday morning we visited the "Rathaus" (City Hall) for a chance to present the mayor with a small gift.
On the Saturday evening everyone met at the school hall for a party night. This was a great chance for everyone to discuss how well the week had gone, and to thank all those who had worked hard to prepare the excursions and also it was an opportunity for giving presents. Later in the evening there were some music, dancing, food and drink for all.
The final day (Sunday) gave people chance to say their individual thanks and to get their suitcases packed and then later in the day we were off back to the airport (Paderborn) for the flight back to Manchester.
Of course, before we left, we invited the German members of the Exchange group to come over to England next year and to spend a week in our region. This is planned to take place in May 2008 and my wife and I will be happy to welcome our friends once more to stay with us.
This exchange is a great way to make friends and understand people from other countries and long may in continue!
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