How can i improve my English?

[Fadsaugdavid]

Hello everybody!

I'm David, I'm 15 and I have a question!

Well, i have relatives in Canada and they want to visite me this summer!
But there is a big problem! - Because my English is not that good and they don't speak german.

So, what can I do to improve my English?
I read english books, i watch movies in English (The Simpsons), ... .

What else can I do to improve my English?


If anyone has an idea, please tell me!



PS: I understand almost everything but i have problems talking English, I always try translating everything literally.

[Duckduck (Contributor)]

Hello everybody!

I'm David, I'm 15 and I have a question!

Well, I have relatives in Canada and they want to visite me this summer!
But there is a big problem! - Because my English is not that good and they don't speak German.

So, what can I do to improve my English?
I read English books, I watch movies in English (The Simpsons), ... .

What else can I do to improve my English?


If anyone has an idea, please tell me!



PS: I understand almost everything but I have problems talking in English, I always try translating everything literally.

Hi David and welcome!

To be honest - and now comes a compliment - I can't really see your problem. How long did it take you to write your post? Your English is excellent for one so young! (Or did your English teacher write it for you? ) As far as I can see you hardly make any grammatical mistakes and therefore: go on watching films (The Simpsons and maybe some others...) Listen carefully and try to remember certain phrases. Try to think in English and, when you are alone, preferably, speak English to yourself. I mean try to explain something in English or describe something, ask questions etc. And when you realise that you can't seem to express your thoughts in English or are uncertain: ask us and we will try to help you!
All in all the very best way to improve your English is coming in summer: speaking to natives! They will certainly understand you and you can ask them to correct the big mistakes - should there be any - if you like. Their visit will do your English a world of good, I'm sure. Just don't be too shy to speak and ask!

Best of luck
Duckduck

[Fadsaugdavid]

Thanks for you compliment!
And yes, I wrote it myself. And I didn't take me long.

But I still have grammatical problems.
Such as: "Were or would be" or "Infinitiv und Gerundium", ...


And thanks for you encouragements!

David

[Keswick (Contributor)]

Hi David,

there are brilliant explanations and exercises on the website. Have you taken a look?

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/

[Fadsaugdavid]

yes i have!

but i can't find anything about "were or would be"

and i never argue that there are no explanations. i just said "But I still have grammatical problems"

[Duckduck (Contributor)]

Yes, I have!

But I can't find anything about "were or would be"

and I never argued that there were no explanations. I just said "But I still have grammatical problems."

Hey David!!!!
Everything OK with your eyes? I answered your question concerning "were" and "would be", didn't I? Or are you not satisfied with the answer?
Peeeeace!!!!!!

Duckduck

[Fadsaugdavid]

No, No, No!

I your answere was pretty clear und understandable.

But I have one more question.
I wrote "and i never argue that there are no explanations" why did you correct it to "and I never argued that there were no explanations"?

I wanted to say "Ích habe nie behaupted, dass da keine Erklärungen sind" or is this wrong!

David

[Duckduck (Contributor)]

No, No, No!

I think your answere was pretty clear und understandable.

But I have one more question.
I wrote "and I never argue that there are no explanations" why did you correct it to "and I never argued that there were no explanations"?

I wanted to say "Ích habe nie behauptet, dass da keine Erklärungen sind" or is this wrong!

David

Hi David,
Alles ist gut!

Ich hielt Deinen Satz für eine Antwort auf Keswicks Frage.
Du hast geschrieben, dass Du ausdrücken wolltest: "Ich habe nie behauptet..."
Die im Deutschen von Dir verwendete Zeit ist das Perfekt, im Deutschen auch völlig in Ordnung. Da sich die Handlung "nie behaupten" aber in der Vergangenheit abgespielt hat, nimmt der Engländer hier welche Zeit?....Richtig, das Präteritum.
Wenn der Einleitungssatz zu einer indirekten Rede in einer Zeitform der Vergangenheitsgruppe steht, tritt die Zeitform in der indirekten Rede um eine Stufe zurück, aus Präsens wird Präteritum.
Also: "I never argued that there were no explanations."

Grüße von
Duckduck

Bitte achte auf Deine Rechtschreibung, OK?

[Fadsaugdavid]

Ok, I get it now.

Thanks again!

[Fadsaugdavid]

Hello everybody!

I'm David, I'm 15 and I have a question!

Well, I have relatives in Canada and they want to visite me this summer!
But there is a big problem! - Because my English is not that good and they don't speak German.

So, what can I do to improve my English?
I read English books, I watch movies in English (The Simpsons), ... .

What else can I do to improve my English?


If anyone has an idea, please tell me!



PS: I understand almost everything but I have problems talking in English, I always try translating everything literally.

Hi David and welcome!

To be honest - and now comes a compliment - I can't really see your problem. How long did it take you to write your post? Your English is excellent for one so young! (Or did your English teacher write it for you? ) As far as I can see you hardly make any grammatical mistakes and therefore: go on watching films (The Simpsons and maybe some others...) Listen carefully and try to remember certain phrases. Try to think in English and, when you are alone, preferably, speak English to yourself. I mean try to explain something in English or describe something, ask questions etc. And when you realise that you can't seem to express your thoughts in English or are uncertain: ask us and we will try to help you!
All in all the very best way to improve your English is coming in summer: speaking to natives! They will certainly understand you and you can ask them to correct the big mistakes - should there be any - if you like. Their visit will do your English a world of good, I'm sure. Just don't be too shy to speak and ask!

Best of luck
Duckduck

@Duckduck

Hi Duckduck!

I have just read your posting again and found a phrase that I don't understand.

You wrote "try to explain" but isn't it (wie übersetz am "müsste es nicht heißen"?) "try explaining"?

David

[Duckduck (Contributor)]

Hi David,

sehr lobenswert, sich so ein post noch mal wieder anzuschauen. Und es ist auch eine gute Frage.
Nun ist es ja so, dass hinter bestimmten Worten ein gerund stehen muss und hinter anderen ein infinitive, aber hinter manchen kann auch entweder das eine oder das andere stehen. "try" gehört zu diesen Worten.

Schau mal hier: http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/grammar/g ... eutung.htm

Liebe Grüße
Duckduck

[Fadsaugdavid]

Hi Duckduck!

gerund and infinitive !

That are the difficulties I mentioned some posting above!

It's not easy to learn all those words which say if it's gerund or infinitive.
And it's even more difficult not to mix them up!

But I do my best and I learn from mistakes!

David

[andy55]

My big problem is the following: If I read Englisch I understand a lot, or mostly of them, but if I try to translate a German text into the English language this is my major problem

[Keswick (Contributor)]

My big problem is the following: If I read English I understand a lot, or most of it, but trying to translate a German text into the English language is a major problem.

What is the problem? Is it the sentence structure? Or the vocabulary?

[andy55]

Proper, the vocabulary

My English course takes place every Wednesday. And the next day we get our exerices. In my view the exercises are too difficault and they can not help me realy to improve my English.
Why do I say that? For example: The challenge was: What is a Biom, talking about the Vulcanic eruption in Island, and so on. I did not want to study Biology.
I think this help me not further. We are not talking about the Everyday English.
A few weeks ago I met at a workshop other colleagues.
And the teacher simulated the oral exam. And what was the outcome?

The students from the second semester did not passed the exam or the got a bad mark.

Two weeks ago we are talking about the Sharia Law. Did you remember? I transleted the following German sentence as follows: Die Geschichte handelt vom Sharia Gesetz. My translation ran as follows: The story deals with the Sharia Law.

My teacher said only: absolutely wrong, "deals" is not good.
And this gets on my nerves and it makes my desperate. I spend so much time in my study and what is the outcome?