As an English learning, I often get many very friendly and helpful English lessons from some native English speaker friends. Mr. Neil James is just one of them. I feel that his English lesson is very professional and helpful, so, I would like to publish the first one here and hope you enjoy it. Also you are welcomed to publish your English lessons here to help the others and also improve yourself. Do you enjoy this idea?

--Shirley
Oct 16, 2005


Hi, Shirley,

I have some comments on your examples of English sentences. They could be changed a little for easier reading.

High oil price is threatening world economy's development.

**better**

The high price of oil is threatening the world's economic development.

A common problem with learning English is leaving out articles in sentences. The sentences are usually understandable without them but they do not flow properly when they are read.

China will perhaps pay additional 10 billion USD for the high oil price（this year）.

**better**

The high price of oil will perhaps cost China an additional
10 Billion USD this year.

The use of the article "an" before additional makes the sentence much easier to read. I have also rearranged the sentence a bit and eliminated the brackets around "this year".

Too high gasoline price is affecting people’ normal lives.

**better**

The rising price of gasoline is affecting the normal lives of people.

Again the use of the article "the" makes the sentence easy to read. I changed "too high" to "rising" again for readability.

I have taken the liberty of offering my version of your recent poem based on your translation of the words

A morning rain wetted the dust everywhere,
The inn and willows became more green and fresh.
Wish you drink another a cup of wine,
there will not be an old friend as soon as you go
out of the west of the Yang Guan.

This is my version

The morning rain dampens down the dust,
The inn and willow seems more fresh and green,
Please drink another cup of wine.
I will miss my old friend as you journey west of
Yang Guan.

I think this fits the mood of the original poem.

--Jim