GEOS New York – Free English Lesson – One Point English Lesson Blog

I like to listen to music. All kinds of music actually, but especially jazz and rock. I also like to go to a classical concert sometimes. I love to hear the sound of violins and cellos live.

Listen carefully…..can you hear it? I have the window open, and I can hear the birds singing. Wait. Now I hear some noise, like construction work is going on. It’s so loud now, I can’t hear my CD. I guess if I put my headphones on, I can listen to my music in peace.

Today we are going to look at two words that are sometimes confusing – “hear” and “listen.” What’s the difference? Well, we usually use “hear” when we talk about what your ears do and “listen” when we talk about what your mind does.

Use “hear” when you want to talk about the physical sense your ears are in charge of. You are not trying to catch the sound, but sound reaches your ears. Here are some examples:

I hear a dog barking.  This means the sound of a dog barking is coming into my ears.

On a summer evening, you can hear the sound of the crickets chirping. This means the sound of the crickets will come to you ears, even if you do not try to receive it.

Use “listen” when you want to talk about trying to catch a sound. You listen to something with the intent to hear it.

I listen to music when I wake up. This means that I deliberately turn on my CD player because I desire to hear the music.

 You need to listen to your teacher. This means you should give attention to what your teacher is speaking.

So, when you pay attention and use your intention, you listen to something. When sound comes to you without your paying attention, you hear it.

Thanks for reading!

“What do you wish for?” she asked….                    

GEOS New York One Point English Lesson Blog

I wish she didn’t ask me that! Just kidding… I mean, we all have dreams and hopes for ourselves. For today’s lesson, we will learn how to express our wishes. When we wish for something, it is generally something we wish to have or do in the future. However, in English, we will use the word “wish” + past tense verb .  Here are a few examples…

• I wish I lived  in New York.
• My sister wishes she worked  on a cruise ship.
• Dont you wish you were  rich!

So you see how that works? Even though we are not talking about the past, we need to use the past tense verb with “wish.” I wish I had known that before!

How about you try it? Here are some sentences. Write a response to each one, using the pattern we just talked about above.

1. My apartment is too small. (Example: I wish my apartment was bigger)
2. I am single.
3. I don’t have enough money to buy that boat.
4. I can’t play baseball very well.
5. I am too busy at work.
6. The subway in New York is really hot in the summer.
7. My teacher gives me a lot of homework everyday.

Now, why don’t you practice more by writing about what you wish for in your life?  Please feel free to email us you answers, or leave comments here on the blog. Remember, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for future lessons, please let us know. Until next time, have fun studying!