Grammar Guide: Infinitives

Camping is a favorite summer activity, especially for residents in Utah. Utah has some of the finest camping grounds nestled in the beautiful mountain valleys. Camping is especially popular in Utah because although the weather during the day is hot, the night brings cool, refreshing temperatures. Nomen Global students are lucky enough to experience camping in Utah--tonight! They will set up near the majestic Bridal Veil Falls to enjoy hiking, playing games, singing by the campfire, and exploring nature.

Infinitives

We have already discussed gerunds and participles; today we will focus on infinitives. Similar to gerunds (verbs that act as nouns) and participles (verbs that act as adjectives), infinitives are verbs that act as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. Infinitives are formed with the word to + simple form of the verb. The word to can be used as a preposition, so be careful that you use a verb form after it.

Nouns

Infinitives used as nouns can act as the subject, the direct object, or a predicate nominative.

• To start a fire at sunset seemed like a good idea.
• Everyone wanted to go hiking in the morning.
• The best part of camping is to be with friends.

Adjectives

Infinitives used as adjectives describe other nouns.

• Sarah did not have the strength to hike up to Bridal Veil Falls.
• Jamie did not bring any flashlight to use at night.

Adverbs

Infinitive used as adverbs usually express purpose.

• To set up a tent properly, you should read the instructions.
• Jake brought lots of food to the campsite to avoid being too hungry.

If you are interested in learning more about Nomen Global and the classes we teach, contact us on our website or on our Facebook page.

Student Spotlight: Massiel Alejandra Parra Munoz

Massiel Parra is originally from Chile (which she says is the best country in the world!). She has been studying at Nomen Global for five months and will continue to study here until September. Massiel has advanced through a couple of levels at Nomen Global, and we are impressed with her success!

Massiel chose to study English because she knows that it is important, even in South America; many good jobs require English proficiency. In addition Massiel hopes to study at a university in the United States. Massiel is happy with her experience learning English at Nomen Global. She feels that she learns new things everyday and she enjoys meeting new and friendly people.

Although Massiel has already accomplished a lot, she is most proud that she came to the United States on her own to make her dreams come true. She plans to apply to universities in the United States after she finishes studying at Nomen Global. Other goals include speaking English perfectly, being a professional, and having her own family. Good luck, Massiel!

In her free time, Massiel enjoys going to the pool, playing volleyball, or hanging out with friends. She also loves eating lasagna, her favorite Italian food. The most important thing to Massiel, however, is her family, her friends, and her studies. She always strives to feel that she is progressing as a person.

Camping Near Bridal Veil Falls

Have you hiked to Bridal Veil Falls this summer yet? Well, this weekend is your chance to not only hike to this beautiful waterfall but also to explore nature in Provo Canyon. We are going camping this Friday to start our vacation off to a great start!

Camping is an extremely popular past time in the United States, especially in the summer. Summer in Utah is very hot during the day, but it gets cold at night. The camp grounds in Provo Canyon are perfect: They sit next to Provo River and many have hiking trails to explore during the day. Campfires are popular at night because they are warm and they cast a beautiful glow on the things around you.

Take a look at some of these pictures that we took at the campout last year.

If you want to go camping with us this weekend, don't forget to contact Spencer! We will meet at Nomen Global at 4 p.m. Bring your friends, own camping gear, food, and $2.

Don't miss it! For more information about this activity or other activities at Nomen Global, 'like' us on Facebook!

Grammar Guide: Participles

We are focusing on the USA this block at Nomen Global. As we end the month of June and enter July, many Americans reflect on the beginning of our country. The 4th of July is the holiday that commemorates the independence of the United States from Britain. On this day, many Americans take a day off work, watch a patriotic parade, and barbecue outside. Fortunately for Nomen Global students, Nomen Global offers a week-long vacation for the students to experience the different festivals around the city, state, and country.

Participles

Continuing our discussion of verbals (including gerunds and infinitives), we will address participles today. Participles are, again, verbs that are used as adjectives. Participial adjectives take the form of either the present participle (the -ing form) or the past participle (regular -ed ending or irregular form). 

Present Participle

The -ing form of the verb can be used to describe nouns that perform that action.

• The flying eagle landed near the American flag.
• The patriotic parade featured the city's marching band.
• Fighting for independence, the early American citizens did not give up hope.

Notice that in each of these sentences, the participial adjective describes a noun. The noun that it describes actually performs the action expressed in the participle. The eagle flies. The band marches. The early American citizens fight for independence.

Past Participle

The past participle (the regular -ed ending or irregular form) of the verb can be used to describe nouns that receive that action.

• Students interested in history love Independence Day.
• The excited boys cheered as the parade marched by.
• Loved by their families, the soldiers in the American Revolutionary War left for battle.

Notice that in each of these sentences, the participial adjective describes a noun. The noun that it describes receives the action expressed in the participle. The students are interested. The boys are excited. The soldiers are loved by their families.

Dangling Participles

When writing, be careful that the participial phrases actually modify the intended noun. Many writers make the mistake of placing the participial phrase away from the noun it modifies. You should always place the participle next to the noun it modifies.

Incorrect:

• Relieved that the war was over, the United States was independent.
• Cheering loudly, the parade marched past the excited boys.

Better: 

• Relieved that the war was over, the citizens of the United States celebrated independence.
• Cheering loudly, the excited boys watched the parade march down the street.

Learn more about participles and other grammar principles at Nomen Global!

Student Spotlight: Akif Hamza Hashim

Akif Hamza Hashim is from Saudi Arabia. Akif started his adventure at Nomen Global just a few weeks ago and plans to study for two semesters. He hopes to become even more proficient in English than he already is. So far, Akif loves the teachers and the activities at the school; they are helping him improve his English.

After Akif finishes studying English, he will attend a university in the United States. He plans to have a great job when he returns to Saudi Arabia. However, the most important goal that Akif is working on right now is finishing his education.

In his free time, Akif enjoys watching movies and walking around town. He loves Arabian food (yum!) and his family.

Meet Akif and other dedicated students like him at Nomen Global!

Sports Innovation

Because the theme of this block is "Sports," we took class outside and invented some of our own! We love popular sports like soccer and basketball, we wanted to play something new. Groups of students were given equipment and asked to write rules for an original sport. After we wrote new rules for our sport, we presented and played them! We had a great time on a great day. Take a look at some of the pictures that we took last week.

To learn more about Nomen Global and the activities we offer, visit our website or 'like' us on Facebook.

Student Spotlight: Liset Fuentelba

Liset Fuentealba S. is from Antofagasta, Chile. Although she has been at Nomen Global for only a few weeks, she plans to study English here for a year. She is studying English simply because she loves it, but she loves all languages in general.

Liset has enjoyed her experience at Nomen Global so far. She appreciates that the teachers are qualified with proper education. Liset is proud that she was able to come to the United States without any problems. After she finishes studying English, she will study to be a professional interpreter. What a great career! Good luck, Liset!

In her free time, Liset enjoys relaxing and, yes, studying English! (She says English is her hobby!) Her favorite food is lasagna and she loves her family.

Meet Liset and other fun students like her at Nomen Global!

Seven Peaks Party

This weekend, Nomen Global students met together at the local water park, Seven Peaks. The park hosted a huge party, complete with music, a movie, and tons of water activities! Seven Peaks was voted Best Water Park in Utah. In addition to a huge wave pool, Seven Peaks offers dozens of slides, a floating river, hot tubs, and activity pools for children and adults.

We hope you enjoyed a fun weekend at one of the most popular destinations in our backyard! To learn more about the activities we offer, visit our website or 'like' us on Facebook!

Grammar Guide: Gerunds

Sports are a big part of every culture. Here in the United States, baseball is considered an American past time. This block at Nomen Global, we are learning about the different sports that are popular in the United States and around the world. Many American children start playing a sport as early as 3 or 4 years old! Some continue playing through college; others find new hobbies. No matter who you are, sports are generally a big part of life, whether it be playing them, watching them, or hearing about them.

Gerunds

We introduced verbals briefly last week; today our topic will focus on gerunds. Gerunds are -ing verbs used as nouns. That means we can use an -ing verb as the subject, direct object, indirect object, object of a preposition, or predicate nominative. In addition, some verbs in English are followed only by gerunds. Here is a list with examples:

deny                 risk                    delay                              consider

can't help          keep                  give up                           be fond of

finish                 quit                    put off                            practice

postpone           tolerate             suggest                            stop (quit)

regret                enjoy                 keep (on)                       dislike

admit                 avoid                 recall                              mind

miss                  detest                 appreciate                       recommend

get/be through get/be tired of get/be accustomed to get/be used to

Subject

• Watching football in the fall is my husband's favorite activity.
• Practicing soccer 4 hours a day is very tiring!
• Eating hotdogs and drinking Coke while watching a game is popular at the local baseball stadium. 

Direct Object

• I love playing volleyball on the beach!
• The league does not tolerate cheating in any sport.
• After I moved to the United States, I missed playing with my old basketball team.

Indirect Object

• Eric gave playing football his full attention.

Object of a Preposition

• Sarah knows nothing about watching sports.

Predicate Nominative

• Moussa's favorite hobby is playing soccer.

Learn more about gerunds and other grammar subjects at Nomen Global. Visit our website or 'like' us on Facebook!

Student Spotlight: Hussein Abdullah-al-otaibi

Hussein Abdullah-al-otaibi is one of our newest students from Saudi Arabia. Hussein is studying English for the first time and has been here for just a few weeks, but has already started improving his English! He hopes to improve enough so that he can enter a university in the future. Hussein loves the teachers at Nomen Global. It can be difficult to study a language for the first time, but he says that the teachers are always helpful and patient.

Hussein has plans to complete a bachelor's degree of public administration. In addition to earning a bachelor's degree, Hussein wants to earn a salary that is right for him in the future. He wants to have a great job and a nice house. Good luck, Hussein! In his free time, Hussein enjoys hanging out with his friends that he's met at Nomen Global, and his favorite food is chicken with rice.

Meet Hussein and other devoted students like him at Nomen Global!

Summer Hiking: Stewart Falls

Even though the sun was not shining, we had a refreshing hike to Stewart Falls last week. The trail was surrounded by beautiful greenery and lush trees; it was perfect for an early summer day! The hike was not difficult, but it was certainly rewarding. The waterfall at the end of the trail is over 200 feet tall. Some of the students even decided to test the water! It was cold! At the end of the day, we will all remember the beauty we saw at Stewart Falls. 

Take a look at some of the pictures we took from our outdoor adventure!

Upcoming Events
Seven Peaks Pool Party
Join us for the huge party that Seven Peaks puts on every summer! It costs only $5 for girls, but $8 for boys (lucky girls!). We will meet at Seven Peaks this Friday night at 9 p.m.

For more information about Nomen Global and the activities we offer, visit our website or our Facebook page.

Grammar Guide: Verbals

We have had a great time during Summer Block 3 with the theme of music. We sang karaoke, wrote about how music inspires us, and enjoyed learning about popular music in the United States. Although, what is popular in one country might not be popular in another country. We have learned that different cultures enjoy different types of music. What type of music does your country listen to the most?

Verbals
Gerunds, infinitives, and participles are all examples of verbals. A verbal is essentially a verb being used as a different part of speech. For example, run can be used to describe an action. "I run 3 miles everyday." Run can also be used to describe an activity. "Running is my favorite hobby." In the first sentence, run is used as a verb, but in the second sentence running is used as a noun.

Gerunds
Gerunds are verbs that are used as nouns. Gerunds can be used as the subject, direct object, indirect object, predicate nominative, or the object of a preposition.

• Playing guitar is my favorite hobby. (subject)
• I enjoy singing karaoke. (direct object)
• Harry doesn't know anything about reading music. (object of a preposition)

Participles

Participles are verbs used as adjectives. Participles describe nouns. A present participle has the -ing form, and a past participle is either the -ed form or the irregular past participle form.

• Playing the guitar, Spencer made the audience feel excited!
• His guitar is made of wood.
• Sally was fascinated by the playing piano.

Infinitives

Infinitives are verbs used as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. Infinitives always have to + the simple form.

• I learned to play the guitar when I was a child. (direct object)
• I have a song to write for my class. (adjective)
• Ezra is learning the piano to impress his girlfriend. (adverb)

Learn more about verbals and other aspects of grammar at Nomen Global! 'Like' us on Facebook to learn more about the school.