4 Formula for Easiest way to memorize English Tenses

Most students are 'allergic' when they hear the word: TENSES. It is because the teaching of Tenses is too complicated. Why do students confuse about using the tenses in their English? It is because they don't understand what they are talking about.

What is TENSE?

TENSE = TIME

So, it talks about the TIME of the action.

As in Indonesia, the basic rule of making a sentence is:

Subject + Predicate

And tenses rules the Predicate. So we will talk about the Predicate only, not the Subject nor the Object/Complement.

I'm sure that your teacher will said that there are 16 TENSES in English.

During my English teaching experience (junior and senior high), I found the 4 basic rules to learn about the TENSES.

Remember: we only talk about the Predicate position, and it is applicable for Active Form only..

1.       Verb 1/2

V1 = Present Simple

V2 = Past Simple

For example :

V1 : He goes to school every day

V2 : He went to school yesterday

2.       be 1/2 + Ving

be1 + Ving = Present Continuous

be2 + Ving = Past Continuous

For example :

be1 + Ving : I am watching a drama now

be2 + Ving : She was studying in her room at 8 pm yeterday

3.       have 1/2 + V3

have1 + V3 = Present Perfect

have2 + V3 = Past Perfect

For example :

have1 + V3 : You have cleaned that car for 3 hours

have2 + V3 : They had gone before you came

4.       modal 1/2 + Vbase

modal1 + Vbase = Future Simple

modal2 + Vbase = Past Future

for example :

modal1 + Vbase : She will visit us next week

modal 2 + Vbase : We could go to the cinema

It's absolutely right, for students the frightening thing in English learning is TENSES. Initially, they always think that to master tenses they have to memorize the formula like they do this as mathematical formula. They will be afraid in the beginning and bored in the middle of teaching. This makes an opinion that mastering English is difficult because of the boring tenses. The students must know that Tenses is not 'To Be Memorized' but 'To Be Understood'.

How job interview questions must be answered?

Are you ready for that all-important job interview? I’m sure that if you’re reading this you must be thinking about applying for a job abroad or in an international corporation. Most interviews are designed not only to check if you’re fit for the job, but also examine your command of spoken English.

Q1: Tell me about yourself.

Talk about what you’ve done to prepare yourself for the position and use a recent example to back it up. Ideally, you should go on for about 2-3 minutes and then ask if they would like to hear some more details. If they do, keep using examples to prove how your background and experience were useful in real-life business situations.

A sample answer is as given below:

My name is Lubis Muzaki. My friend called me Lubis. Lubis is my name, but not surname as like as batak tribe. I’m graduated bachelor of mathematics education. I am now programmer in Aratec Indonesia, Inc, South Jakarta. I am from Banyuwangi and then wander to Jakarta. I live in Jakarta since November 2013 ago.

Q2: What are your weakness?

1.            Straightforward

2.            Impatient

3.            Sensitive

4.            More talkactive

5.            Trust people very quickly

6.            I can’t say no when someone ask for help

7.            Gets nervous when talk to strangers

8.            To speak lie is difficult for me

9.            I am a bit lazy about which I am not interested

For example :

 I can’t say no when someone ask for help. I was spending a lot of time and energy for other people and not spending nearly as much time for myself. It was frustrating especially since I brought it upon myself. I slowly realized if I wanted personal time, I needed to learn to say “no”.

Q3:  What are your strengths?

Prepare a list of your proficiencies and choose three or four that are the most relevant to the job you are applying for. Concentrate on discussing your main strengths. Avoid popular clichés, such as:

I am a good team player…

I am a good negotiator…

I work very hard…

Focus on your more dynamic skills, such as:

I learn quickly.

I have a strong determination to succeed.

I have a positive attitude.

I can relate to people and achieve a common goal.

I make friends easily.

Remember that you may very likely be asked to give examples of the above, so be prepared.

Q4: What are your career goals and where do you see yourself five years from now?

The key here is to focus on your achievable objectives and what you are doing to reach those objectives.

Sample Answer: “Within 5 years, I would like to become the very best mechanic your company has on staff. I want to work toward becoming the expert that others rely on. Hopefully, this will allow me to take on greater responsibilities with the company if the opportunity arises. I am also working towards additional certifications in the field to enhance my career potential.”

Q5: What experience do you have in this field?

Never say ‘none’. If you’re applying for a job in a field totally unknown to you, think of any experience you’ve gained in learning new skills. Try to look for similarities between your previous jobs and the prospect one and come up with some examples of how you adjusted to the new situation, for example:

I’ve never worked in cosmetics before, but in my previous job I’ve learned a lot about sales and marketing and I’m confident I’ll be quick to learn the ropes of your industry very quickly.

Q6 : What kind of salary do you need?

A question that can catch anyone off guard. Unless you have done some research and know precisely what your expectations are,try to avoid being the first to put the figure on the table. The best way to do this is by stating that your salary expectancy depends on the amount of responsibilities you’d have to take on. Do not have a specific amount in mind and do not be afraid to ask for more than the average industry wage. It is much better to provide your interviewer with a wide range rather than a specific sum,

For example:

I’ve asked around and I know that a marketing manager doing a similar job in Berlin earns about EUR 3700 a month. Given that my job would also require organising three training seminars a month, I’d expect my salary to range between EUR 4000 and EUR 4500.

Sample Answer: “I’m sure that your company offers a fair, competitive salary for someone with my education / training, skills and experience. I am also willing to negotiate for the right position.”

Sample Answer: “I will need more information about the job and the responsibilities before we can discuss salary, but it would be great if you could give me an idea of the salary range you have budgeted for this position.”

The 10 Secrets to Speaking English

1. Self-Esteem

The most important aspect of speaking is having good self-esteem. Self-esteem is how a person feels about himself. This includes “self-talk”, how a person thinks or what a person says to himself. What a person feels determines what he thinks, and what he thinks determines what he says and how he says it. A person who feels good about himself will say good things and speak well. A person who feels bad about himself will think negative thoughts and not have self-confidence. Then fear will cause a person to not speak. When most Chinese people are asked how their English is, or if they are told their English is very good, they immediately respond by saying, “Oh, my English is very poor. I have no chance to practice.” A student of English should not say this to himself or to others. A person who says it often enough will begin to believe it and soon will be paralyzed and unable to speak. Students will begin to forget what they know since the right brain cannot speak or use the knowledge stored in the left brain. A person learning to speak English must put the Chinese custom of modesty (saving face) aside. When complimented, the correct response is “Thank you.” When asked, “How is your English?” or criticized, a good answer is “I love to speak English,” or “My English is improving,” or “I am working very hard to improve my English.” These positive statements will reinforce positive thoughts and good feelings. With increased confidence a person will overcome fear and speak more freely. The mind is the most fantastic computer in the universe. Saying or thinking negative thoughts will short circuit the mind or give it deadly viruses.

2. Teaching Others

It is a known fact that the teacher learns more than the student. One receives more when one gives. When a person only receives, he becomes crippled and soon dies. First of all, a person who teaches someone else to speak English forgets his inhibitions and concentrates on helping. This is a key process in learning. The teacher actually receives more than he gives. The teacher becomes better at speaking when he gives others instructions and encouragement. Secondly, the person who speaks is forced to utilize all the skills of speaking well. The brain is forced to remember what is stored in the left brain, transfer it to the right side, translate it from Chinese into English, and then verbalize it. A teacher must speak to teach. The teacher hears himself speak and recognizes needs and self corrects while teaching, correcting and encouraging the student(s). It’s a great method and a self-motivating process. For thousands of years, this method has been a powerful secret to learning. Remember that teaching others stimulates improvement.

3. Singing Songs

Singing songs has magic that no other exercise can duplicate. A person who sings English songs over and over again will automatically memorize words and phrases. When someone says, “Let’s sing ‘Jingle Bells’ or ‘Happy Birthday’, immediately a person begins to sing the song exactly right without even thinking about it. There is no hesitation, no translation, no confusion. Also, singing allows for the practice of saying words and, at the same time, practices pronunciation because singers verbalize each word more slowly and exactly with the music. That’s what music does for a person who wants to speak English. Good songs with good words are a great aid to speaking fluently. It is amazing how quickly singing helps a person to speak. Finally, the Chinese language has many tones and in a way the language is sung. When songs are sung in English, the brain can quickly connect the thoughts and meaning with sound.

4. Talking to the TV & Radio

There are English speaking television and radio channels. Watching and listening to them is important, but talking to them is even more important. This may seem strange to family and friends, but it is almost as effective as having a native speaker present. Listening is a great way to learn, but speaking back and asking questions benefits the mind and speaking mechanism as if a real person were there. True, the TV and radio will not answer questions nor pause for comments. Nevertheless, a person’s listening skills will improve and his ability to ask good questions and give good answers will also improve. This is a good method. This method will require concentration since people habitually just “listen” to the radio and TV. Listening is good, but speaking is better. It makes all the difference.

5. Reading Aloud and Reading A Lot

Good teachers always emphasize the value of extensive reading. It’s through reading many stories and books that one absorbs the culture, meaning, and beauty of a language. So the student must Read! Read! Read! But in addition to just reading, students should read out loud. Little children learn to speak by listening to their mothers read to them. Mothers learn to read and speak better by reading and speaking to their children. Together, both the reader and listener learn to tell stories, adding drama and emphasis to words and expressions. It’s important to read to others whenever possible. If there is no one to read to, students can read to themselves. It’s important to read aloud a lot!

6. Calling Others on the Telephone

This is one of the most common and most helpful methods of improving spoken English. First, language students must identify others who are willing to speak to them in English on the telephone. These can be friends, classmates, workmates or family members. Students can either make surprise calls or make appointments to speak with a number of people every day. At first, conversations may only last a few minutes, but with practice, time spent speaking will increase. The value comes in developing the ability to hear and understand the other unseen person. Repeating parts of the conversation and asking the other person to repeat parts of the conversation might prove useful. Soon the ear will become accustomed and the speech will also improve allowing both parties to better understand each other. This can be a fun and very useful practice that exercises the brain, ears and tongue.

7. Group Participation

A student in a formal English class at a school, university, or training company must participate. It is vital to ask questions, offer opinions and actively contribute to the class’s speaking activities. It’s only the active participant whose mind and mouth work together to speak and improve speaking. The left brain of a passive spectator will record what is seen and heard while the right brain weakens and speaking difficulty increases. Also, a person cannot participate unless he attends. Active, dedicated members of a class practice many of the skills necessary to increase verbal speech.

8. Interpreting for Others

Interpreting is one of the strongest methods of exercising the whole brain to improve speaking ability. Interpreters must draw on their left brain reserves while exercising their right brain skills. It is similar to teaching others, but even more powerful because the person interpreting must hear in Chinese, mentally understand and translate information in the mind, then almost instantly verbalizes these ideas correctly in English. The more advanced the English speaking ability, the better the interpretation. It is important to begin very early to interpret, not waiting for proficiency in speaking. Interpreting is not translating written documents which are mostly a left-brain skill.

9. Memorizing New Words and Phrases

In order to progress in learning to speak English, new words must be added to the vocabulary. Always having a small list of words and using them in every day conversation is vital to mastery. Speaking new words in sentences will bring ownership. Doing this faithfully over a period of a few years will build a vocabulary as large as most native English speakers. More effective than just adding new words is adding entire sentences. Great progress comes when quotes and phrases are not just memorized but used in daily speech. The key is to Speak! Speak! Speak!

10. Read, Write, and Memorize Poetry

“Words do not convey meaning, they call it forth.” David O McKay. Like music, poetry enlightens the soul while it exercises the mind in rhythm and vivid imagery. By reading, writing and memorizing poetry, a person is exercising one of the highest forms of spoken English. It energizes both the left and right brain while it conditions thinking and trains the tongue.

5 Speaking Rules you need to know

1. Don't study grammar too much

This rule might sound strange to many ESL students, but it is one of the most important rules. If you want to pass examinations, then study grammar. However, if you want to become fluent in English, then you should try to learn English without studying the grammar.

Studying grammar will only slow you down and confuse you. You will think about the rules when creating sentences instead of naturally saying a sentence like a native. Remember that only a small fraction of English speakers know more than 20% of all the grammar rules. Many ESL students know more grammar than native speakers. I can confidently say this with experience. I am a native English speaker, majored in English Literature, and have been teaching English for more than 10 years. However, many of my students know more details about English grammar than I do. I can easily look up the definition and apply it, but I don't know it off the top of my head.

I often ask my native English friends some grammar questions, and only a few of them know the correct answer. However, they are fluent in English and can read, speak, listen, and communicate effectively.

Do you want to be able to recite the definition of a causative verb, or do you want to be able to speak English fluently?

2. Learn and study phrases

Many students learn vocabulary and try to put many words together to create a proper sentence. It amazes me how many words some of my students know, but they cannot create a proper sentence. The reason is because they didn't study phrases. When children learn a language, they learn both words and phrases together. Likewise, you need to study and learn phrases.

If you know 1000 words, you might not be able to say one correct sentence. But if you know 1 phrase, you can make hundreds of correct sentences. If you know 100 phrases, you will be surprised at how many correct sentences you will be able to say. Finally, when you know only a 1000 phrases, you will be almost a fluent English speaker.

The English Speaking Basics section is a great example of making numerous sentences with a single phrase. So don't spend hours and hours learning many different words. Use that time to study phrases instead and you will be closer to English fluency.

Don't translate

When you want to create an English sentence, do not translate the words from your Mother tongue. The order of words is probably completely different and you will be both slow and incorrect by doing this. Instead, learn phrases and sentences so you don't have to think about the words you are saying. It should be automatic.

Another problem with translating is that you will be trying to incorporate grammar rules that you have learned. Translating and thinking about the grammar to create English sentences is incorrect and should be avoided.

3. Reading and Listening is NOT enough. Practice Speaking what you hear!

Reading, listening, and speaking are the most important aspects of any language. The same is true for English. However, speaking is the only requirement to be fluent. It is normal for babies and children to learn speaking first, become fluent, then start reading, then writing. So the natural order is listening, speaking, reading, then writing.

First Problem

Isn't it strange that schools across the world teach reading first, then writing, then listening, and finally speaking? Although it is different, the main reason is because when you learn a second language, you need to read material to understand and learn it. So even though the natural order is listening, speaking, reading, then writing, the order for ESL students is reading, listening, speaking, then writing.

Second Problem

The reason many people can read and listen is because that's all they practice. But in order to speak English fluently, you need to practice speaking. Don't stop at the listening portion, and when you study, don't just listen. Speak out loud the material you are listening to and practice what you hear. Practice speaking out loud until your mouth and brain can do it without any effort. By doing so, you will be able to speak English fluently.

4. Submerge yourself

Being able to speak a language is not related to how smart you are. Anyone can learn how to speak any language. This is a proven fact by everyone in the world. Everyone can speak at least one language. Whether you are intelligent, or lacking some brain power, you are able to speak one language.

This was achieved by being around that language at all times. In your country, you hear and speak your language constantly. You will notice that many people who are good English speakers are the ones who studied in an English speaking school. They can speak English not because they went to an English speaking school, but because they had an environment where they can be around English speaking people constantly.

There are also some people who study abroad and learn very little. That is because they went to an English speaking school, but found friends from their own country and didn't practice English.

You don't have to go anywhere to become a fluent English speaker. You only need to surround yourself with English. You can do this by making rules with your existing friends that you will only speak English. You can also carry around an iPod and constantly listen to English sentences. As you can see, you can achieve results by changing what your surroundings are. Submerge yourself in English and you will learn several times faster.

5. Study correct material

A common phrase that is incorrect is, "Practice makes perfect." This is far from the truth. Practice only makes what you are practicing permanent. If you practice the incorrect sentence, you will have perfected saying the sentence incorrectly. Therefore, it is important that you study material that is commonly used by most people.

Another problem I see is that many students study the news. However, the language they speak is more formal and the content they use is more political and not used in regular life. It is important to understand what they are saying, but this is more of an advanced lesson that should be studied after learning the fundamental basics of English.

Studying English with a friend who is not a native English speaker is both good and bad. You should be aware of the pros and cons of speaking with a non native speaking friend. Practicing with a non native person will give you practice. You can also motivate each other and point out basic mistakes. But you might pick up bad habits from one another if you are not sure about what are correct and incorrect sentences. So use these practice times as a time period to practice the correct material you studied. Not to learn how to say a sentence.

In short, study English material that you can trust, that is commonly used, and that is correct.

7 Tips for speaking English Fluently

1. Always Study and Review Phrases, Not Individual Words

Never study a single, individual word. Never. When you find a new word, always write down The Phrase it is in. Always.

When you review, always review all of the phrase,.. not the word.

Collect phrases.

Your speaking and grammar will improve 4-5 times faster. Always write the

complete phrase.

Never again study a single word. Never write a single word in your notebook,

Learn Phrases Only.Phrases are GROUPS of words that naturally go together.

2.        Don't Study Grammar

Stop studying grammar.

Stop studying grammar.  

Right now. Stop. Put away your grammar books and textbooks. Grammar rules  teach you to think about English, you want to speak automatically-- without  thinking!

So Rule 2 is: Don't Study Grammar!

3.        The Most Important Rule-- Listen First

What is the rule that Humberto found? Simple. The rule is listening.

Listening, listening, listening.

You must listen to UNDERSTANDABLE English. You must listen to English EVERYDAY. Don't read textbooks. Listen to English.

Its simple. That is the key to your English success. Stop reading textbooks.

Start listening everyday.

**Learn With Your Ears, Not Your Eyes

In most schools, you learn English with your eyes. You read textbooks. You  study grammar rules.

Spend most of your study time listening- that is the key to great speaking.

4.        Slow, Deep Learning Is Best

The secret to speaking easily is to learn every word & phrase DEEPLY. Its not enough to know a definition. Its not enough to remember for a test.

You must put the word deep into your brain.

To speak English easily, you must repeat each lesson many times.

You must learn English deeply.

Learn deeply, speak easily.

Learn deeply, speak easily.

How do you learn deeply? Easy-- just repeat all lessons or listening many times. For example, if you have an audio book, listen to the first chapter 30 times before you go to the second chapter. You could listen to the first chapter 3 times each day, for 10 days.

5.        Use Point Of View Mini-Stories

I call these stories "Point Of View Mini-Stories". They are the most powerful  way to learn and use English grammar automatically.

Use Point of View Stories for Automatic Grammar

Use Point of View Stories for Automatic Grammar

You must learn grammar by listening to real English. The best way is to listen to the same story... told in different times (points of view): Past, Perfect, Present, Future.

How do you do this? Easy! Find a story or article in the present tense.  Then ask your native speaker tutor to write it again in the Past, with Perfect  tenses, and in the Future. Finally, ask him to read and record these stories  for you.

Then you can listen to stories with many different kinds of grammar. You  don't need to know the grammar rules. Just listen to the Point of View stories and you will improve grammar automatically!

6.        Only Use Real English Lessons & Materials

You learn real English if you want to understand native speakers and speak easily. Use real magazines, audio articles, TV shows, movies, radio talk shows, and audio books.

Learn Real English, Not Textbook English

Learn Real English, Not Textbook English

To learn real English, you must listen to English that native speakers listen to. You must watch what they watch. You must read what they read.

Listen only to real English

Listen only to real English

Listen only to real English

How do you learn Real English? It's easy. Stop using textbooks. Instead, listen only to real English movies, TV shows, audio books, audio articles, stories, and talk radio shows. Use real English materials.

7.       Listen and Answer, not Listen and Repeat

Use Listen & Answer Mini-Story Lessons

Use Listen & Answer Mini-Story Lessons

In each Mini-Story Lesson, a speaker tells a short simple story. He also asks  a lot of easy questions. Every time you hear a question, you pause and  answer it.

You learn to answer questions quickly-- without thinking. Your English  becomes automatic.

How can you use Listen & Answer Stories? Easy! Find a native speaker tutor.  Ask him to use this method: Ask him to tell a story... and to constantly ask  you easy questions about it. This will teach you to think quickly in English!

You can also find Listen & Answer lessons. They will teach you to think quickly in English.

How to keep our English ability well?

1. Listening Western Film (with English speech of course) without subtitle.

2. Find friends from another country. The easiest way

3. be active in some "english" forum.

4. Read Online comic in english language. It will help you improve ur English

5. Another tips is go find some books in English (You can google some and it'll gave you free sample or even a free book) read it in front of your recorder (you can use your phone for that) and save it. after that, play your recording sound, and see if there's any pronunciation's mistake. do it regularly and you'll be surprised in another month how your English doing (it also can improve your vocabulary and pronunciation!)

6. you can find a lot of sites to practice speaking English, like Verbling (verbling.com, it's a paid one, you can have lessons there) or How do you do? (howdoyou.do, this one is free, but does not have lessons) - and I'd recommend using such sites to stay in touch with the language and practice it if you can't find a speaking partner.