This blog post is about my experience in learning English. I have
a private blog on one blogging site and I remember the first time I tried to
make a post on my blog using English. One reason I started blogging in
English is because I want to become a fluent speaker. It was difficult since
English is not my first language. I usually get confused particularly on how to
use the perfect tense. I always tend to put have or had before the verb because
it sounds good to my ears not knowing I am not using the tenses properly. I was
determined to improve my knowledge on perfect tenses so I started reading
articles and forums on the internet about those topics. I also reviewed my
lecture notes on our English subject in high school and I must say that those
readings helped me a lot. There are proper usages for each perfect tense. For
example, the past perfect tense expresses a past action before another past
action. The key word I use for this tense is past in the past so that it will be
easier for me to remember it. On the other hand, the present perfect tense and
the future perfect tense have different rules for their usage. The present perfect
tense cannot be used with specific time. Lastly, the future perfect tense is
used to express an action that will have been completed before a future action.
Learning English is easy if one studies every topic by heart. There is always
something around everyone that could help in learning English.
“This blog post is about my experience in learning English.” I think this sentence should be omitted because it is obvious that the blog should be about English usage and learning. Perhaps a more creative introduction would be more appropriate.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think I should have written a more creative introduction. Thank you Louie!
DeleteI like the way you use the keyword "past in the past" because it makes remembering the rules easier. I hope that there are other keywords that you know that can help students like us learn English.
ReplyDeleteYes, I hope next time I can give other keywords. Thank you Carlo!
DeleteThe latter part is quite messed up for me. Maybe you should have given some examples :) I agree that one should really learn every topic by heart.
ReplyDeleteYou are right, I should have given examples. Thank you for the suggestion Camille!
DeleteI agree with the "confused over using the right tenses thing"! Usually, I just stick to which sounds better whenever I get mixed up with tenses and grammar.
ReplyDeleteConsider rewriting some of your sentences using an active verb rather than a passive verb to sound more formal and convincing.
ReplyDeleteThank you Lyka! I would surely take your advice about using an active verb rather than a passive verb.
DeleteHey there! ☺ “I always tend to put have or had before the verb because it sounds good to my ears not knowing I am not using the tenses properly.” Shouldn’t “have” and “had” be inside quotation marks, and "not knowing I am not using" be "not knowing that I am not using"? You could have also used the word "unaware" instead of "not knowing". I’m also confused as to whether tense consistency is being upheld. It's either that or just me being really paranoid.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with your point. Differentiating the past from “the past that is past” is rather confusing. Did you know that even Americans who grow up speaking English have the worst grammar mistakes? They just make up for it with their accents! Sometimes how you say the sentence makes up for not knowing how and when to use the right tenses. Thank you for the quick lesson!
I also thought of using "unaware" instead. I wonder why I did not change it. Next time I will keep an eye to the words that should be placed inside quotation marks.
DeleteThank you Linelle!
The words "English" and "blog", for me, became redundant in the first part. However, I agree that you should help yourself to understand English more easily.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the comment Anna!
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ReplyDelete"One reason (Maybe you could insert "why" here) I started blogging in English is because I want to become a fluent speaker. "
ReplyDeleteI think it will become redundant if I will insert "why" after the word "reason". But I will consider you suggestion just to be sure. Thank you Marjorie!
DeleteI noticed that you used the same sentence construction over and over again. Try a different approach in writing your sentences, so that you can keep the reader's interest.
ReplyDeleteI will thank your advice about having different approach in my sentences. Thank you Lawrence!
DeleteThe word "Internet" should be capitalized. It is a proper noun.
ReplyDeleteI did not know that. Thank you Carlo!
DeleteThe proper usage of perfect tenses has always been my problem since then. I think you should have added examples to make your blog clearer and avoid confusion among the readers.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with Linelle. There should be a consistency in using verb tenses.
ReplyDelete"I always tend to put have or had before the verb because it sounds good to my ears not knowing I am not using the tenses properly." I can relate on this part. I also put have or had before the verb just because it sounds nice but I am unaware that sometimes the way I am using it is grammatically wrong.
That has always been my problem. Thank you for the suggestion and comment Andrea!
Delete“I have a private blog on one blogging site,” sounds redundant. I do not think that “on one blogging site” is necessary on this particular sentence. I also noticed that you had miswritten “key word”, when it should be a compound word.
ReplyDeleteI think there is a redundancy with the word "English" in the first few sentences.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I agree with John Louie. Try to start your paragraph with a more appealing and unusually great introduction. Second, "I have a private blog on one blogging site", I think the words "on one blogging site" in this sentence are unnecessary because obviously one writes his/her blogs on blog hosting websites. Next, just like what others have said, the part where you discussed the proper usages for each perfect tense is quite unclear because you just explained when to use a particular tense. It would be easier to understand and remember their proper usages with examples. Another, in my opinion, you used the same sentence structure throughout the paragraph making your post a monotonous one. You may use active verbs to make your sentences different and to avoid redundancy.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to your entry because I also have difficulty and confusion in using perfect tenses. It is great that you chose this topic because it is one of the most commonly confused lessons in learning English. :)
I appreciate all your suggestions Yona. I will take note of those. Thank you!
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ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, you focused too much in your introduction. You did not cite any examples which can help us understand it clearer and you hurriedly ended your topic without further elaboration.
ReplyDeleteYou are right. I should have not focused too much in my introduction. Thank you for the comment Jessica!
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ReplyDeleteHi Leilani! First of all, I want to say that your blog post is a bit boring to me. You have to catch the reader's attention. I would suggest to think of a more interesting and livelier title. I would also want to point out that your post would be better if you chopped it down in paragraphs. It would be easier for the reader to understand what you are trying to say if your thoughts are more organized.
ReplyDeleteYour use of key words is a big help. It made it easier to understand the perfect tenses. However, you wrote "The key word I use for this tense is past in the past so that it will be easier for me to remember it.", I think "past in the past" should be written inside quotation marks because it is your own term, you have your own meaning for it.
Thank you for all your suggestions Pauline!
DeleteI will try to be more creative in my writing next time. Thank you Pauline!
DeleteI totally agree with what Luna said. Even in books, some authors are unaware that they are using the perfect tenses in the wrong way.
ReplyDeleteIf possible, try not to use the pronoun "I" always at the start of each sentences. It becomes redundant.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking for a catchier introduction. Maybe you can start it with some of your errors in using perfect tenses but that is just my opinion. It's a good thing that you shared your experience in learning English to the group.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with this sentence "Learning English is easy if one studies every topic by heart" since English is harder to use when one doesn't master the basics.
ReplyDelete"I have a private blog on one blogging site"- this line sounds redundant and you should have written a more catchy introduction.
ReplyDeleteHaving a catchier title and dividing the whole entry into a few paragraphs would have made this post a more exciting read. I have also noticed a few redundancies at the beginning. Another thing that caught my attention was that "internet" wasn't capitalized. The Internet is an example of internet (the combination of inter, which means between, and networking).
ReplyDeleteSince you are writing a blog online, it is better to express it using simple not too complex sentence, to make it understandable. You may use the sentence "There is always something that could help in learning English." rather than "There is always something around everyone that could help in learning English." to make it shorter and simpler.
ReplyDelete"One reason I started blogging in English is because I want to become a fluent speaker." That sentence is a little vague, I understand what you meant but it may confuse people who are not so familiar with English, so you have to be consistent with your subject. When you wrote “I want to be a fluent speaker” it became general that you are not referring to English alone anymore. So I suggest that you write it as, "One reason I started blogging in English is because I want to be fluent in speaking the language." I reconstructed your sentence like that to avoid redundancy on the word “English”.
Good evening! I just noticed that you should also use proper usage of in and on. Glad that you are aware of your weaknesses, and you are willing to learn from your mistakes. This is one of the factors that will help you improve the writing skills you have. More powers. God bless.
ReplyDeleteAs an addition, putting illustrations according to the guideline number 2 will make your article catchy.
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