#3d Basic English Grammar - The Simple Past Tense

Re: AS SUCH/ AND SUCH
I can only comment on how we use SUCH in the U.S.
1) as such = in the literal sense
> There's no fee as such, but guests are asked to make a donation.
2) and such = similar things
> That cafe offers sandwiches and such. (In spoken English, Americans would say: "sandwiches and stuff" or "sandwiches and other things")
3) such as = for example
> The cafe offers light snacks such as salads, sandwiches, and pastries.

Re: The Indian accent.
I can't comment at length since I've only worked with a few Indian speakers. I think vowel sounds are difficult for many. Word stress patterns can also be difficult to master.

In "to do" the second word is stressed. TO is reduced to t' or "tuh".

In "property" the first syllable is stressed. The T is not aspirated as it is in "Tom". It's a falpped T, almost like a D.

Re: CALL
I think Russian speakers have a harder time with the consonant sounds /r, h, w/ as well as "th". The short "i" and long "e" also catch my ear when some Russian speakers pronounce them. I haven't noticed difficulty with vowels + L. In my lesson on L and R, I address L in the final position. Have you watched that one?

Hello! My sincere apologies to you and hundreds of others who are waiting for a reply via e-mail. It's true I give priority to the public comments since they are public and must be regularly monitored especially for profanity, spam, etc.

Let's see if I can start answering your questions. SEE BELOW.

Interesting. Thank you for explaining that. I'm honored by the title.

i mean her name, not his/her. sorry... ya...

oh thankyou "Mbak Jenni", you have helped me so much. for now, i will call you with Mbak Jenni. why? "Mbak" is Indonesian and means "Ms." becouse in Indonesia if we talk to a person, who older than us, we are not allowed just to say his/her name but it is a must to put "Mbak" in front of proper name- especially in Java island.

Hey Jennifer,
as adviced from your videos, I've sent you an email a few month ago, with a few grammar related questions. I haven't heared back from you since, so I will try to ask here my next q's
O.K., I've noticed a lot of Russians have a hard time saying the work "call", I mean it sounds pretty weird.
Indians, from India seem to have some difficulty with "to do", " property".
Britons, use "as such" and "and such" in ways never heard from other Engl. language speakers.
Would you clarify these?

CORRECTIONS:
I'm at the intermediate level now, and I keep trying to master English. I want to get a higher TOEFL score to get a good job. Besides learning English grammar here, I can practice my listening skills (OR: improve my listening proficiency. I have a lot of trouble with listening especially with English spoken by natives, so I'll keep watching you to learn. Sorry if my English grammar isn't very good.
(You're doing well. Keep up the practice for greater accuracy in expression.)

I haven't been offering private instruction. The focus of my work online has been making videos for the general public. I may start offering online classes in the future, but it's too soon to say when exactly.

Let me offer some corrections for you to study. SEE BELOW.

i am in intermediate level now and keep trying to mastering english so that i can improve my english comprehensive. i want to improve my TOEFL score to get a good job. beside i can learn english grammar here, i can practice my listening proficiency, becouse i've a lot of trouble with listening especially spoken by native. so i'll keep to wacthing you to learn english. sorry if my senglish isn't good in grammar.

hi jennifer, i am indonesian and still learning english. i'd like to say thankyou becouse you've helped me to learn english eventhought we don't meet in person, but i am really helped by you. could you help me to learn english? i hope you don't mind.

Thank you Jennifer for your detailed answer! Sometimes I think that certain sounds can be produced only by native speakers:) However I keep practicing and watching your videos. Thank you!

Yummy lunch :) Jennifer, could you think about the teaching of Perfect Tenses in near future? Greetings for you :)

Quick tips:

The /t/ in BUTTON is made by cutting off the sound in your throat. If you can say "uh-oh", then you know how to make a glottal stop. BUTTON then sounds like "buh-in". Get it?

The /t/ in LITTLE is most similar to a /d/. It may help to say LITTLE like "liddle". Some argue that this T is a "flap" (like a trill); other say it's a "tap" (a touching of the tongue). In the end, you just need to be understood, so it's fine to say LITTLE with the clear, crisp "t".