Scottの英会話相談室

Posted by: Mikeneko-Ai-Chan. 
Hi

This is my first email.

I just started teaching English at a small local college. I’m teaching English grammar, and in the textbook that I’m using, I came across a sentence “This is the first time I’ve been skiing.” I’ve never seen this kind of sentence in grammar book before. I would probably say “This is the first time for me to ski” instead. I might have heard native English speakers saying a sentence like the former one and never paid attention to it, I’m not sure. Can you please explain if the use of present perfect continuous like this is common?

It would be much appreciated if you could answer my quesiton. Thank you in advance.

 
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Posted by: Toshio. 
Hi Scott,

I would like to ask you a question from the Japan Times Weekly in the following link and sentence:

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/weekly/ed/ed20080412a2.htm

(in the last paragraph)
The LDP member says she doesn’t want freedom of expression and political activity curtailed.

What does the writer refer to by saying “political activity”, which should be curtailed, he says, as well as the “freedom of expression” (of the director of the film)? Does he refer to LDP member himself’s political activity by it?

Toshio

 
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Posted by: usa. 
Hello, Scott.

How have you been these days? I started to study for the TOEIC test though I’m still not good at using my free time effectively.

Recently I read a story about Lance Armstrong, who is a top cyclist and got over his cancer. And I’d like to ask for your help about the word “cancer”.

It seems that there are two following expressions:
(1)He has cancer.
(2)He has a cancer.
And I wonder why it is both countable and uncountable.
Would you tell me the difference between the two?

 
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Posted by: buylsh. 
Hi! nice to meet you~ The below sentence is part of AP radio news and I can guess in the context but it\’s a little difficult for me to get the meaning of \’cap\’ completely after I looked up in the dictionary.

As president, Jimmy Carter brokered the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, but in the 30 years since then, Carter’s worn out his welcome in Israel.
The cap was his recent book called Palestine: Peace, not Apartheid, charging that Israel’s using the tactics of the old racist South African regime in dealing with the Palestinians.
 
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Posted by: anonymity. 
Hi, I’d like to ask about vocabs. It may be a meticulous point, but could you tell me?

What’s the difference between ” start to do” and ” start …ing”?

For example….
When we arrived there, he started to run…..

or

When we arrived there, he started running….

Both of them are correct? No difference?

 
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Posted by: Toshio. 
Scott,

How are you doing? Well, I would like you to answer two of my questions from an article that appeared in the Japan Times in the following link and following sentences:

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20080406rp.html

1.(in the 8th paragraph from the bottom)
“Or do we just expect them to lie down and, if they are capable of doing it themselves, roll over.”

Do the phrases “lie down” and “roll over” mean to say “take it easy while they are physically or mentally ill” and “stand up on their own when recovered from the illness” respectively?

2. (in the 3rd paragraph from the bottom)
“It is not that Japanese people are afraid of the processes of change, it is that they have been so suppressed by the forces of reaction running this country’s institutions that they have forgotten how to instigate those processes.”

What does the “processes of change” mean?

Toshio

Toshio

 
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Posted by: Toshio. 
Hi Scott,

Pleae take a look at the following dialog:
Robert: I’ll hurry but I can’t promise.
Mom: But you might miss the bus if you wait too long.
Robert: You’re right, Mom. I’ll be down in ten minutes.

I think Mom should say “…if you won’t hurry…” instead of saying “…if you wait too long”.

Toshio
 
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Posted by: Toshio. 
Hi Scott,

I find some sentences as follows:
“I think my company will continue to do well in the future. It’s using very advanced technology.”

I think the sentences should be either of the two instead of the above as follows:
“…..future, it’s using very….” or “…in the future. It uses very….”

Toshio

 
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Posted by: Toshio. 
Hi Scott,

Following is a dialog in the film named “Mrs. Doubtfire”.
Mrs.Doubtfire: But if there’s love, dear, those are the ties that bind.

Can you say as “it is the tie that binds” instead of as “those are…” as “those” must refer to “love”?

Toshio
 
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Posted by: Toshio. 
Hi Scott,

Please take a look at the following sentence:
“Playing sports is also a good way to get injured, since a lot of sports are violent.”

Can you replce the above sentence by “You are also often than not to get injured when you play sports, since….”?

Toshio
 
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