Grammar

Alone or by oneself?

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In 1958, a self-described 42-year-old kid named Robert Paul Smith penned a little book titled How to Do Nothing with Nobody All Alone by Yourself (public library), a book of advice on how to make one’s own fun, supplied with nothing more than pencils, blades of grass, handkerchiefs, rubber bands, and broken umbrellas. These are things kids can do by themselves. There are no kits to build these things. There are no classes to learn these things, no teachers to teach them, they don’t need any help from their mother or their father or anybody.

With a wink — perhaps inadvertent — to the existential value of philosophy, Smith writes:

I understand some people get worried about kids who spend a lot of time all alone, by themselves. I do a little worrying about that, but I worry about something else even more; about kids who don’t know how to spend any time all alone, by themselves. It’s something you’re going to be doing a whole lot of, no matter what, for the rest of your lives. And I think it’s a good thing to do; you get to know yourself, and I think that’s the most important thing in the whole world.

Now, alone or by oneself?

That’s a really great question because alone and by oneself are very similar in meaning, but there is one key difference. So, let’s have a look at these words, what they mean, and how you can use them in everyday English. We’ll also look at the idiom, to go it alone.

Here are the example sentences. To get the details of this English lesson, you need to listen to this podcast. And make a careful note of his comments! 😉

  • I was home alone.
  • I was home by myself.
  • Jack lives alone in Brooklyn.
  • Jack lives by himself in Brooklyn.
  • Jenny will be by herself for the first time when she moves from her parent’s house to her new apartment.
  • Jenny will be living alone for the first time when she moves from her parent’s house to her new apartment.
  • I fixed my computer by myself.
  • I baked this cake by myself. Do you like it?
  • I heard that Tommy built a computer by himself. He’s so clever!
  • My friend Lauren is good at sewing, and she even made her wedding dress by herself.
  • None of my friends wanted to go to the concert so I’m going to go it alone.
  • When Jack’s wife told him that she didn’t want to go hiking in the mountains, he decided to go it alone.
  • If you don’t want to go on the safari with me, I’m going to go it alone.

Linking words: exercises

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Linking words, connecting words or conjunctions, connect words, phrases and clauses.

Take a look at my page on linking words, then try the quiz below!

1. I go to the gym to keep fit __ meet my friends.

  •  and
  •  or

2. At the gym I usually either lift weights __ use the treadmill.

  •  and
  •  or

3. My doctor told me I needed to lose weight __ I went on a diet.

  •  because
  •  so

4. __ there are no parks near my house, I decided to join the gym.

  •  As
  •  While

5. I like the gym __ the people there are friendly.

  •  because
  •  so

6. The gym is cheap __ it’s often crowded.

  •  but
  •  when

7. So I like to go in the morning __ there aren’t many people.

  •  when
  •  where

8. __ I go three times a week, I can get a discount.

  •  Although
  •  If

9. __ I only go three times a week, some people go five times a week.

  •  When
  •  While

10. __ I still eat the same amount, I’m losing weight.

  •  Although
  •  But

Okay! What about sharing your answers with me? 😉

Modal verbs

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Modal verbs help other verbs to express if something is likely to happen, or certain to have happened; whether or not something is possible, or whether or not we have the ability to do something; whether or not we have the permission to do something; and whether or not we have the obligation or requirement or need to do something.

All the auxiliary verbs except be, do and have are called modals. But unlike other auxiliary verbs, modals only exist in their helping form; they cannot act alone as the main verb in a sentence.

Thus they do not change their form (spelling) and have no infinitive or participle (past/present).

Notice that be, do, and have can also serve as ordinary verbs in a given sentence.

The modal verbs are: can, could, will, would, shall, should, must, ought, may, might. Below is a list showing them according to the idea meant to be expressed:

Now watch carefully this video and take notes.

Next click here for a quiz on modal verbs.

Modals verbs are an extensive area of English grammar. Learners are usually introduced to them all at once, and they should certainly start checking each one, but most of all, they should notice the context, to feel which modal is necessary to express the idea. A lot of times, there will be more than one possibility. Don’t worry! This comes with time, exposure, practice and consistent correction. 😉

Stay safe

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A couple of days ago, at the time of the novel Coronavirus outbreak in Brazil, we learned the vocabulary we need to talk about this disease that became a pandemic.

So, by now, I think I can safely assume that you know everything about the Coronavirus, and you know how important it is to…

And…

In the above sentences the form of the verbs are in the imperative. The imperative expresses an order.

For example, in the order ‘come here’, ‘come’ is in the imperative.

Now use these sentences to keep you and the people around you safe! 😉

How old are you?

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Idade pode ser um assunto presente em rodas de conversa, principalmente entre pessoas que se conhecem, mas nem tanto assim. Então surge a pergunta:

How old are you? (Quantos anos você tem?)
How old is Robert? (Quantos anos o Robert tem?)

Seguem algumas dicas básicas para falar sua idade com desenvoltura e graça em uma conversa em inglês.

To be

Em inglês, você não tem idade. Você é a sua idade. O verbo ser em inglês é o to be. Portanto, use-o  para expressar quantos anos você tem. A própria frase How old are you? contém o verbo to be.

How old ARE you?

I’m 34 years old. (Eu tenho 34 anos de idade).
He is 27. (Ele tem 27 anos.)
She’s just 5 years old. (Ela só tem 5 anos de idade.)

Note que é possível subtrair o years old e dizer que a pessoa é apenas os anos que tem. Então:

She is 14. (Ela tem quatorze.)

Então cuidado: se você usar a palavra years com referência à idade, lembre-se de usar o old junto. Ou seja, não diga apenas: I’m 16 years. O certo é I’m 16 years old ou apenas I’m 16.

O to be sempre é o verbo para falar de idade. Há situações em que você precisa mudar o tempo verbal para expressar outra ideia, mas o verbo auxiliar continua o mesmo. Veja:

How old were you when you graduated? (Quantos você tinha quando se formou?)
How old will you be when you retire? (Quantos anos você terá ao se aposentar?)

At

No Brasil, ao tentarmos dizer que fizemos alguma coisa, dizemos que fizemos COM determinada idade. Assim: Pulei de paraquedas com 18 anos.

Entretanto, regra básica: português e inglês são diferentes. Você provavelmente erra quando faz traduções diretas. E é o caso aqui. No inglês, você não usa with (com), mas at.

O correto, nesse caso, é:

I parachuted at 18. (Pulei de paraquedas aos 18 anos.)
At 34, I will get my best physique. (Aos 34, terei a minha melhor forma física.)
He is going to be an incredible professional at 28. (Ele será um incrível profissional aos 28 anos.)

Turn

No português, temos o famoso “fazer”. Fazer anos: Eu farei 28 anos no mês que vem.

Porém, em inglês, você não faz anos. Você vira. Você se transforma naquela idade. Ou então, de forma figurativa, seu calendário vira para a idade que está para chegar. Faz sentido? Talvez não para nós, mas para o falante de inglês…

Então, a frase acima será assim:

I’m turning 28 next month.

O melhor tempo verbal a empregar para o futuro, ao usar turn, é o futuro com o to be no presente + –ing.

He is turning 60 in 3 days. (Ele vai fazer 60 em 3 dias.)

Para falar de eventos que ocorrerão num futuro mais distante, é melhor usar o future continuous (will + be + -ing):

She will be turning 40 in 2025. (Ela irá fazer 40 anos em 2025.)

Usando idade como adjetivo ou substantivo

Em inglês, falar a idade pode se tornar um adjetivo ou um substantivo. Veja:

Adjetivo

This 7-year-old kid goes to school alone. (Esta criança de 7 anos vai para a escola sozinha.)

Note que o plural, em year, nesse caso de uso como adjetivo, desaparece. É 7-year-old. E também são usados os hifens. Isso é uma regra, não esqueça.

Substantivo

Já como substantivo, ocorre a flexão de número.

Some 3-year-olds are spoiled. (Algumas crianças de três anos de idade são mimadas.)

Look carefully at this question…

Got it? 😉