Comments on: A Set of Riddles http://eslblogs.englishclub.com/teacherjoe/2009/04/08/a-set-of-riddles/ A place to share ideas about learning (^_^) Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:08:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Nucha http://eslblogs.englishclub.com/teacherjoe/2009/04/08/a-set-of-riddles/#comment-12777 Nucha Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:21:09 +0000 http://eslblogs.englishclub.com/teacherjoe/2009/04/08/a-set-of-riddles/#comment-12777 Hi Teacher Joe Yes, may be it's true as I try to visit there ,but can't . I hope I will see it one day when you allow .^_^ Anyway, thanks you for your reply that make me clear the thing . Sincerely, Nucha Hi Teacher Joe
Yes, may be it’s true as I try to visit there ,but can’t . I hope I will see it one day when you allow .^_^ Anyway, thanks you for your reply that make me clear the thing .

Sincerely,
Nucha

]]> By: teacherjoe http://eslblogs.englishclub.com/teacherjoe/2009/04/08/a-set-of-riddles/#comment-12756 teacherjoe Thu, 18 Jun 2009 01:44:32 +0000 http://eslblogs.englishclub.com/teacherjoe/2009/04/08/a-set-of-riddles/#comment-12756 Nucha, Of course you can always show the riddles to others. Nobody actually "owns" a riddle. In the future, I hope to have many more riddles, with explanations, on my new website, www.LaughandLearnEnglish.com, but that won't until the end of the year, I think... Nucha,

Of course you can always show the riddles to others. Nobody actually “owns” a riddle. In the future, I hope to have many more riddles, with explanations, on my new website, www.LaughandLearnEnglish.com, but that won’t until the end of the year, I think…

]]> By: Nucha http://eslblogs.englishclub.com/teacherjoe/2009/04/08/a-set-of-riddles/#comment-12680 Nucha Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:31:50 +0000 http://eslblogs.englishclub.com/teacherjoe/2009/04/08/a-set-of-riddles/#comment-12680 Dear teacherjoe : Really ,it's true . You know after I sent the message to aking you such a thing . I felt like forgeting about the grammar for a while and I asked myself why you asked like that ?. Because many things that we can use "the" without "a" before that everyone understand . Anyway, when you explained the thing to me again that made me realize about "the and a " more and more ,so thank you . And also the riddles , I get it now . Becuase a riddle is just one sentence . Thank you for making me clear . Do you mind if I show your some riddle and some jokes in my group is in MyEc ? sincerely , Nucha Dear teacherjoe :

Really ,it’s true . You know after I sent the message to aking you such a thing . I felt like forgeting about the grammar for a while and I asked myself why you asked like that ?. Because many things that we can use “the” without “a” before that everyone understand . Anyway, when you explained the thing to me again that made me realize about “the and a ” more and more ,so thank you .

And also the riddles , I get it now . Becuase a riddle is just one sentence . Thank you for making me clear . Do you mind if I show your some riddle and some jokes in my group is in MyEc ?

sincerely ,
Nucha

]]> By: teacherjoe http://eslblogs.englishclub.com/teacherjoe/2009/04/08/a-set-of-riddles/#comment-12643 teacherjoe Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:57:33 +0000 http://eslblogs.englishclub.com/teacherjoe/2009/04/08/a-set-of-riddles/#comment-12643 Hi Nucha, Good question about "the man" vs. "a man". Sometimes we use "the" in a situation where everyone knows there is just one thing. For example, we can say that someone went "to the airport" because most cities today have an airport. Or I can say "I have a rice cooker in the kitchen". There are many possible kinds and types of rice cookers, but I have only one kitchen in my apartment. (As do most people!) It is the same with "the man" in a riddle. There is only one man in this kind of riddle. We don't really have to know more about him, just as you don't have to know anything special about my kitchen. We just know there is one man, not many. I think part of the reason we do this in a riddle is because it is very short. In a story we would have time to start with "a man" first, then switch to "the man" later. But a riddle is just one sentence, so our listeners must simply understand that there is one man. Does this make sense? Joe Hi Nucha,

Good question about “the man” vs. “a man”. Sometimes we use “the” in a situation where everyone knows there is just one thing. For example, we can say that someone went “to the airport” because most cities today have an airport. Or I can say “I have a rice cooker in the kitchen”. There are many possible kinds and types of rice cookers, but I have only one kitchen in my apartment. (As do most people!) It is the same with “the man” in a riddle. There is only one man in this kind of riddle. We don’t really have to know more about him, just as you don’t have to know anything special about my kitchen. We just know there is one man, not many.

I think part of the reason we do this in a riddle is because it is very short. In a story we would have time to start with “a man” first, then switch to “the man” later. But a riddle is just one sentence, so our listeners must simply understand that there is one man.

Does this make sense?

Joe

]]> By: Nucha http://eslblogs.englishclub.com/teacherjoe/2009/04/08/a-set-of-riddles/#comment-12412 Nucha Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:00:41 +0000 http://eslblogs.englishclub.com/teacherjoe/2009/04/08/a-set-of-riddles/#comment-12412 Now I was wondering about the riddles teacher Joe . First of all , I read your riddles I didn’t get all ,so I didn’t have answer about it in my head . Then I read about answer’ Rosa then I felt get it a little more, but not clear. I understood more after you explained about it ,it’s clearly about meaning of riddles. Anyway , I have a question to ask you . Before we play the riddles what should we know about the man a little? As I am not sure if I play this riddle with friends then they can imagine about answer like that. And also the riddles used “the man”, “ not a man” that meant specific to the man that you said before ? in my opinion ,but if I am wrong , sorry about it . BTW, they are excellent I like it a lot and want to play with my friends. Sincerely , Nucha Now I was wondering about the riddles teacher Joe . First of all , I read your riddles I didn’t get all ,so I didn’t have answer about it in my head . Then I read about answer’ Rosa then I felt get it a little more, but not clear. I understood more after you explained about it ,it’s clearly about meaning of riddles.

Anyway , I have a question to ask you .
Before we play the riddles what should we know about the man a little? As I am not sure if I play this riddle with friends then they can imagine about answer like that. And also the riddles used “the man”, “ not a man” that meant specific to the man that you said before ? in my opinion ,but if I am wrong , sorry about it .

BTW, they are excellent I like it a lot and want to play with my friends.

Sincerely ,
Nucha

]]> By: anshika http://eslblogs.englishclub.com/teacherjoe/2009/04/08/a-set-of-riddles/#comment-11741 anshika Sun, 31 May 2009 12:57:49 +0000 http://eslblogs.englishclub.com/teacherjoe/2009/04/08/a-set-of-riddles/#comment-11741 hello sir... I would love to join that discussion group. i'l be needing your help from time to time. I hope you get a new job soon.. ALL THE BEST Thank you sir hello sir…

I would love to join that discussion group.
i’l be needing your help from time to time.
I hope you get a new job soon..

ALL THE BEST

Thank you sir

]]> By: teacherjoe http://eslblogs.englishclub.com/teacherjoe/2009/04/08/a-set-of-riddles/#comment-11443 teacherjoe Thu, 28 May 2009 02:02:59 +0000 http://eslblogs.englishclub.com/teacherjoe/2009/04/08/a-set-of-riddles/#comment-11443 Hi Anshika, Welcome to my blog. I'm not very active these days (busy looking for a new job) but I hope my past posts are still useful to some newcomers. If you're interested in learning how to speak English fluently, I've put together a discussion group where students can help each other. I hope to announce live lessons there in the future - when my life gets more settled! Hi Anshika,

Welcome to my blog. I’m not very active these days (busy looking for a new job) but I hope my past posts are still useful to some newcomers.

If you’re interested in learning how to speak English fluently,
I’ve put together a discussion group where students can help each other. I hope to announce live lessons there in the future - when my life gets more settled!

]]> By: anshika http://eslblogs.englishclub.com/teacherjoe/2009/04/08/a-set-of-riddles/#comment-10775 anshika Sat, 16 May 2009 17:11:42 +0000 http://eslblogs.englishclub.com/teacherjoe/2009/04/08/a-set-of-riddles/#comment-10775 i saw all ur videos and i was able to say "moses supposes......to be" after learning it by heart. i am from India, age 19, and student of economics and i am not fluent in English. have been trying for years to bring that confidence to speak engish fluently. i forget words when i talk. ur website is helping me alot through your website i got to know that the way i was learning was wrong. Thank you sir i saw all ur videos
and i was able to say “moses supposes……to be”
after learning it by heart.

i am from India, age 19, and student of economics
and i am not fluent in English.

have been trying for years to bring that confidence to
speak engish fluently.
i forget words when i talk.
ur website is helping me alot

through your website i got to know that the way i was
learning was wrong.

Thank you sir

]]> By: anshika http://eslblogs.englishclub.com/teacherjoe/2009/04/08/a-set-of-riddles/#comment-10774 anshika Sat, 16 May 2009 16:58:31 +0000 http://eslblogs.englishclub.com/teacherjoe/2009/04/08/a-set-of-riddles/#comment-10774 hello...sir i only knew the answer of the last question... i.e. to save time hello…sir

i only knew the answer of the last question…
i.e. to save time

]]> By: teacherjoe http://eslblogs.englishclub.com/teacherjoe/2009/04/08/a-set-of-riddles/#comment-8832 teacherjoe Sun, 12 Apr 2009 13:55:08 +0000 http://eslblogs.englishclub.com/teacherjoe/2009/04/08/a-set-of-riddles/#comment-8832 Okay, Rosa loses 10 points for "cheating" but gains 10 points for being honest about it! The first two riddles rely on different word usage. "A waterfall" is a noun. (It's a river that falls down a long way.) In this riddle, though, only "water" is a noun and "fall" is used as a verb. In the second riddle, "butterfly" is a noun (a beautiful, colored insect that can fly) but this man wants to see "butter" (noun) "fly" (verb". The third riddle plays on the meaning of an idiom. We sometimes say "time flies like an arrow". It does not literally mean that time can fly, it means that time seems to move very fast. However, in this riddle, the man really wants to see time physically fly! The fourth riddles plays on the way "save" can be used either with time or with money. If we save time normally, we simply do something faster than usual. But in this riddle, the man is trying to "save time" using the method that is usually used for saving money. Got it? Don't be shy about asking questions if you're not absolutely sure about the meaning! Okay, Rosa loses 10 points for “cheating” but gains 10 points for being honest about it!

The first two riddles rely on different word usage. “A waterfall” is a noun. (It’s a river that falls down a long way.) In this riddle, though, only “water” is a noun and “fall” is used as a verb. In the second riddle, “butterfly” is a noun (a beautiful, colored insect that can fly) but this man wants to see “butter” (noun) “fly” (verb”.

The third riddle plays on the meaning of an idiom. We sometimes say “time flies like an arrow”. It does not literally mean that time can fly, it means that time seems to move very fast. However, in this riddle, the man really wants to see time physically fly!

The fourth riddles plays on the way “save” can be used either with time or with money. If we save time normally, we simply do something faster than usual. But in this riddle, the man is trying to “save time” using the method that is usually used for saving money.

Got it? Don’t be shy about asking questions if you’re not absolutely sure about the meaning!

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