AGHLAS haga fee el donya...ON the beach

ya helllllllooooooo. Back from a 'too' short a holiday. I could have easily added an extra year!

I was in Matrouh...gameela as always....sitting ON the beach. ON the beach...
Not IN the beach. Because prepositions aghlas haga fee el donya! Why? Because there are no rules. So no rules, but you can memorize then practice:

PREPOSITIONS OF TIME:

ON/ days and full dates I'm home on Friday. I'm home on March 13, 2007.
IN/ years - months - seasons-
unspecific time I'm home in 2007. I'm home in December.
I'm home in winter.
I'm home in half an hour.

AT/ specific time I'm home at 5:00.

Other uses:

I'll see you in the morning.
I'll see you in the afternoon.
I'll see you in the evening.
I'll see you at noon.


I'll see you at dawn. (el fagr)
I'll see you at sunset. (el maghrib)
I'll see you at night.

I'll see you on the weekend.



PREPOSTIONS OF PLACE:

AT/ used for point. At the corner (3al nasya).
At the door (3al bab).
At the bus stop (3and mahatit el bus).

IN/ used for enclosed spaces. In a box.
In London.
In a building.
In the car.

ON/ used for surface. On the wall.
On the counter.
On the floor.
On the page.


STANDARD USES:

at home - at work - at school - at university - at the club (or in lou inta fa3lan gowa el nadee)

in the car - in the sky - in a row (fee saf) - in the news - in a helicopter - in the water

on television - on the radio - on a ship - on a plane - on a bicycle - on a chair - on time

La, la, la...prepositions are fa3lan a grand headache. It comes by practice. wa yimkin...ba oul YIMKIN, I will add a part 2 for prepostions.
Bas mish now akeed...fa'watounee min el agaza!!


http://http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/blgrquiz_prep3.htm

http://http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/blgrquiz_prep1.htm

Weekend SLANG.....!!!

hiiiiiiii....ready for some weekend slang? Tayeb...khodo ba'a... and don't cheat!!

1. There were plenty of girls at the party, but she's the one who caught my eye.
2. I really hope I get accepted into this program. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
3. I had a lousy day at work today!
4. She only married him coz he's loaded.
5 & 6. I can't make heads or tails out of what you're saying?
Why? Are you thick headed? My point is very clear.
7. I'm not sure what I'm going to do tomorrow. I'll play it by ear.
8. We will never see eye to eye on this situation.
9. That guy really ticks me off!
10. I don't give a damn about her opinion!

ANSWERS

1. Something or someone that attracts your attention.
2. When you wish or waiting for something good to happen.
3. Really bad
4. Very rich
5. Confused. (heads or tails literarly means malak wala kitaba).
6. Stupid (mokh tikheen)
7. When you have no definate plans, momken te'oul play it by ear. (el nas ili be til3ab musical instruments but they don't read el nota...they play by ear...this is where the expression comes from).
8. agree
9. gets me angry.
10. care (don't give a damn = don't care).

YA ISHTA, YA BEDA, YA 3ASAL

El sha3b el Masree yemoutu fee el akl...hata wa howa be 3a kis in the street, be fakar fee batnu...ya ishta, ya 3asal inta!...ehhhhhh.

But now, you have to know some types of food and how to order in a restaurant.

Assasan there are just a couple of ways to order:

I'd like to have.....
I'll have....

the first way is preferable or just more polite.

I'd like to have eh ba'a?..hat oul eh? I'd like to have min da!! wala a oulak..kalimhom bara franco/arab zay hena...I'd like to have mahshee please.

Depending on where you are eating, most restaurants serve several courses.

They usually start with the apetizer or starter. (fath shaheya). Like:
salad (salata)
soup (shorbah)

Then the main course or main dish. Like:
meat (lahma)
chicken (ferakh)
fish (samak)

Then you end with dessert (el halw, ya halwa intee). Like:
fruit (fakha)
pudding (hagat zay el mehalibeya)
cake (tortah)
pie (like a tarte...no3 min el fakha gowa 3ageena like apple pie)

You also have beverages (el shorb) Like:
soda (aborad zay hena..totlob el haga bil ism..you want Pepsi..say Pepsi..you want 7-UP ...say 7-UP)
tea (shay)
coffee (ahwa)
juice (3aseer...say the fruit name first...apple juice, orange juice, tomato juice. Hat oul orange min gheir el juice..hay geelak an orange..bortana!

Lazem ta3raf el akl ma3moul ezay wa inta bethib eh....zay el mashwee, el mohamar...etc...

Grilled (mashwee)
Fried (mohamar)
steamed (bil bokhar)
baked (fe el forn)
raw (naiy)
spicy or hot (ha'r'a)

Taba3an you have to know the names of some basic types of food. Bas iba'a ablounee lou fakreen ha3od aktib kol anwa3 el akl!! but I can add you different links for practice.

But you have to know some basic sentences:

Waiter please! (lama 3ayez tindah el sofragee)
Could I have the check please? (el hisab) (momken bill badal check)
Side order or side dish (tab'a ganibee)

For complaints (shakawaee)

The chicken is under-cooked. (naya)
The meat is over-cooked. (mestewee zeyada).
The soup is cold. (el akl barid or here, el shorbah bardah).
The food is too salty. (el akl memalah zeyada).
The table cloth is stained. (el mafrash mish nideef or meba'3).
The knife is blunt, can I have a sharper one please? (el sikeena mish hamya, momken wahda tanya..sharper...hamya aktar).

Yala kefaya keda wa Bon Appetite!

http://http://www.eslflow.com/foodrestaurantlessonplans.html

http://http://iteslj.org/Lessons/Vorland-4units/day3.html

http://http://canadian-living-english.freeservers.com/restaurant/restaurant.htm

Can wa Should wa Must....wa el haloma dee kolaha

helllllooooooo.

Look at these sentences and let's see what are the differences in meaning:

1. You can quit smoking.
2. You should quit smoking.
3. You ought to quit smoking.
4. You must quit smoking
5. You have to quit smoking.
6. You might quit smoking.

Which one or ones are suggestion?
Which ones are strong suggestion?
Which ones are necessary?
Which are for ability?


1. Can is for capability...(maqdera). I can quit (if I want to). I can drive (if I have a car) I can visit you (if I have the time).....

2. Should is for suggestion (iqtirah). You should quit smoking (because it's unhealthy). You should take a jacket (because it's cold).

3. Ought to is for strong suggestion. You ought to take an umbrella with you because it might rain. (It's a suggestion....you don't have to take the umbrella).

4. Must and have to. Used for neccesaity (daroureya). I must finish my homework = I have to finish my homework.

5. Might is for possibility. (yimkin). I might quit smoking if you help me to.

But look at this sentence and say what it means:

The lights are on, the window is open and his car is parked. He must be at home.
It means that bedam el nour menawar wa el shoubak maftouh wa 3arabeyetu markouna...yiba'a AKEED howa fee el house.

Compare these two sentences:

You must read the newspaper now.
Must you read the newspaper now?

eh el fark? taba3an fee the obvious difference in wahda statment wa el tanya so'al (question).

The statement is straight forward...lazem ti'ra el newspaper delwaty.
In the question, it means lazem ti'ra delwaty? (ya3nee bil logha el 3am...HABAKIT tir'a delwaty!)

And these two sentences:

Could you drive me downtown?
Would you drive me downtown?

Could (the past of can and a more polite way of requesting) if the person has the capability (3andu el car? 3andu el waqt?)

Would (the past of will) if the person has the willingness (el ista3dad...3andu already el car, wa 3andu el waqt...but does he have the willingness?)




It's sometimes a bit confusing how to use these modal verbs because it depends on what you want to say and to the degree of certainty.....
But at least learn that the structure is:

can or should or must + base verb:

I can take you to dinner.
He should take you to dinner.
We must take you to dinner.

ought to and have to are already in infinitive:
I ought to take you to dinner.
They have to take you to dinner.

Practice Link:
http://http://www.englishpage.com/modals/interactivemodal1.htm

For more explination and practice:
http://http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/grammar/archive/modal_verbs01.html