Stop, Avoid, Prevent

And now to something a little different.

The use of STOP, AVOID, and PREVENT is often misunderstood by non-native speakers of English

Sentences like these are all too common;
  - We closed the doors to AVOID them from leaving. (STOP or PREVENT)
  - A rock was placed behind the wheel of the car to AVOID it from moving (STOP)

In Portuguese the most common words used are impedir, deter and evitar. Parar can be understood to mean STOP but is sometimes used to mean PREVENT (usually impedir) and vice versa, where impedir is used to mean STOP. Evitar seems to be translated more as AVOID when it might be better translated as PREVENT. As in English, a lot of these uses are inconsistent, depend a lot on context and DO lead to confusion.

The most obvious misuse is when the speaker wants to say STOP, but chooses AVOID instead.
Normally when correcting this I give the following example.

Flooding in low lying regions is common when there is a lot of rain.
   - To PREVENT flooding, it is essential to keep the drains clean and clear of blockages. A better drainage system is also recommended. (STOP, but meaning before the actual event, not during that event.)
   - To AVOID flooding, it is suggested that you take a different route, one where the roads are higher and less subject to flooding. (GO AROUND)

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AVOID is most often used to refer to the act of taking a different path, or course of action, because an obstacle is PREVENTING further progress, or we might even want to PREVENT further progress.
   - When we see an object on the road while driving, most often we steer the car away from the object to AVOID hitting it.
   - In the office, we sometimes get on an elevator so as to AVOID talking to someone we do not want to talk to.
   - In a meeting, we try to AVOID talking about difficult situations.

There is nothing in these sentences which would allow us to use anything except AVOID.

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We use PREVENT in the same way we use STOP. But there are many special cases where STOP just does not work.

Logic plays a hand here. When we know that something can be PREVENTED, its not always the case that it can be STOPPED.

Take HIV for example. We can take steps to PREVENT (reduce) the spread of the Virus, but we can not effectively STOP the spread. We take PREVENTATIVE measures, like using Condoms and practicing safe sex for example.

We use security measures to PREVENT crime. It does not always STOP crime, but it makes crime harder to commit.

We can STOP a car by applying the brakes (Not PREVENT).
We can STOP a fight by separating the people fighting.
We can PREVENT a fight (from starting), usually only before a fight can start.

A flood can be STOPPED if there are enough people and there is enough equipment to do so. That usually happens during the flood and means keeping the flood from spreading. Compare that to PREVENTING a flood (SEE above) and AVOIDING a flood (SEE above).

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While in these examples the differences can be made to seem clear, the dictionary definitions can lead to confusion.  In the OALD dictionary I use and recommend, I found the following definitions.
STOP means to no longer move, to not continue.
PREVENT means STOP.
AVOID means PREVENT.
Obviously, AVOID cannot mean to no longer move, nor not continue.

The examples in the dictionary go a long way, however, to try to qualify the simplified definitions and need to be read and understood to more fully understand the differences.

   - The accident could have been AVOIDED. Means that the accident only happened because steps were NOT taken to PREVENT such a possibility. The driver should have been driving more carefully. The pedestrian should have waited for the traffic lights to change.
   - The accident could have been PREVENTED. Warning signs should have been placed along the road.
   - They narrowly AVOIDED defeat - they were lucky not to lose, or They could not AVOID defeat - Defeat was inevitable.
   - The name was changed to AVOID confusion with another firm. (This gives a sense of PREVENT, except PREVENT has too strong a meaning to be used here.
   - The government took steps to PREVENT  a scandal. (To STOP)
   - We STOPPED for the night in Las Vegas.
   - The car STOPPED at the traffic lights.

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(There is a special problem associated with STOP)

In the sentence - I have STOPPED to talk to him, it is usually understood by non-native speakers to mean - I am no longer speaking to him.
It means in fact, that the speaker STOPPED doing something else so as to be able to speak to him. The correct expression is  -  I have STOPPED speaking to him.

I have STOPPED to smoke - Should be I have STOPPED smoking.
I have STOPPED to drink - Should be I have STOPPED drinking. (usually Alcohol)

Let`s STOP to eat means of course, Let`s STOP driving or working to begin eating.

I hope that this goes some way to explaining when and how you should use STOP, AVOID and PREVENT.

Double translations - False friends - Part 3

Part 2 of some of the things that confuse Portuguese across the languages

Esquecer - left forgotten
Parentes - Parents family
Emprestar - lend
Tomar emprestado - borrow

Take - tomar

Levar - get

Avoid vs Prevent

Double translations - False friends - Part 2

Part 2 of some of the things that confuse Portuguese speakers across the languages

Esquecer - left forgotten

It isn't usual for English speakers to say, I forgot something AT A PLACE. When we use a PLACE reference, we wish to say WHERE we were when we forgot something.

It is more correct to say either, I LEFT something at a PLACE or I forgot something WHEN I was at a PLACE.

I forgot something at home MEANS I forgot something When I was at home. We don;t necessarily mean that the forgotten thing was at home.

(Note. This is a mistake some English speakers make, and it tends to lead to all types of confusion)

Frank Sinatra said it best, I LEFT my heart in San Fransisco.

Parentes - Kin, Relatives

Pais - Parents

Familiar - Family

The first time I heard this I was really confused when someone told me they had 10 Parents living in Sao Paulo.

In English, a Parent can only be your Mother or Father. We have Grandparents and Stepparents which fulfill similar roles. Parents are not our Uncles and Aunts, nor our Nieces, nephews or cousins. These we refer to as Family or Relatives. Your Mothers large family of 6 brothers and 5 sisters are all your relatives. Their extended families are often reffered to as Distant relatives.

For older generations we begin with Grandparent, then their parents are referred to, by us, as Great grandfather (Mother etc) and Great, Great, Great for each generation that preceeds theirs.

In Brazil it isn;t uncommon for us to hear a relatively young woman saying she is a greatgrandmother. She means that here Granddaughter(or son) has had a child.

While on this subject let;s look at another awkward set of family terms.

The term STEP as in Step Mother, Step Father or Step children, refers to the Mother or Father or Children who are not yours by blood but through remarriage when two families become united under one family.. 

This is not to be confused with FOSTER (Mother, Father, Children) which is part of a social program designed to provide, usually temporarily, a family environment for mostly children, when their own environment is compromissed.

Brazil has a strong religious trait to it which means that it is not uncommon for families to invite friends to be their children;s GOD PARENTS. They are referred to as GOD MOTHERS and GOD FATHERS to their GOD CHILDREN (GOD DAUGHTER or GOD SON)

Filhos - Sons, Children

While the translation is correct, the words Filhos is also used to mean children. This leans to a lot of confusion. In questions like, Do you have any Sons (already a strange first question). When you answer, Yes, 2 sons and a Daughter. The normal understanding would be, Oh, so you have 3 sons.

After some time the speaker begins to understand the term children and can relate to that concept when the children are young.

Then they talk to a much older person and revert to How many sons do you have.

The concept of Child - crianca, is for young and small members of your Family

In English, a child is a small and young human, but your children are your off-spring as well. Your children are born and remain YOUR children, even when they grow up. They will always be YOUR children, not simply children. How many Children do you have. I have 2 sons who are both married and a daughter who is teaching at Univeristy.

Compromisso - Commitment

Compromise does NOT mean Commit. To compromise means to find a middle ground in negotiations. You reach a compromise when you agree to less than you requested, understanding that the other party has also done the same. Commonly called a win - win solution.

Indicar - Recommend, Nominate

I have seen the two films that were INDICATED for the Oscar - IS WRONG. I have seen the two films that were NOMINATED for the Oscar is how this is said.

The new Manager was  INDICATED by a friend of mine - IS WRONG. The new manager was RECOMMENDED by a friend of mine is the way you should say this.

Escrever - Subscribe, Enrol

Emprestar - lend
Tomar emprestado - borrow

Take - tomar

Levar - get

Avoid vs Prevent

Senses and exactly how we feel.

Can you feel that?

In English, a question like this is easy to understand because the idea of FEELING something is related to anything outside the range of, SMELL, TASTE, SEE, HEAR.

Did you FEEL that bump? Did you FEEL that cold breeze? How do you FEEL? Do you FEEL happy, well etc?

Portuguese, on the other hand, uses SENTIR - FEEL for everything as in the above, plus; Do you FEEL that smell? Do you FEEL that taste? And Do you FEEL that noise?
In fact, when using Portuguese it actually seems to make sense, and this is where it leads to problems in English.

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Firstly with smell
Can you SMELL that? What is that horrible smell? I do not like the smell of that. I like the smell of your perfume. What is it? Can I SMELL it again?

FEEL relates to touch, so in this context if I ask, Can I FEEL your perfume? There is a great deal of confusion. How can you FEEL a smell? Most often there is no physical presence that can be determined through TOUCH. It is only your sense of SMELL that can really distinguish among so many different scents around us.

So too with TASTE
You have just made a delicious cake and you ask, How does it FEEL to you? In English, our automatic response is related to texture, consistency. It FEELS soft but dry. So you ask, But what about the flavour? (This was really what the first question was related to.) Oh it is delicious, so tasty. It TASTES as if you used real oranges (NOT - It FEELS as if you used real oranges.

Then there is SOUND
This is the new album by Pink Floyd. How does it FEEL to you?

It FEELS heavy. But do you like it? What about the quality? (How does it SOUND to you is the best question to ask here.)
That Radio FM station SOUNDS out of tune (Not FEELS out of tune.)
Of course, when it comes to SOUND, we experience the physical feeling that comes from powerful sound systems. This is something I FELT when accompanying a Sound truck in Salvador Bahia. I could FEEL the SOUND shaking my body. Sounds can affect your emotions so, in this case; How does that SOUND FEEL actually makes sense, but is specific to the emotional feeling, not the sense of hearing.
What was that noise? Did you FEEL that? is WRONG. Did you HEAR that? is the CORRECT way of using the sense of hearing.

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Putting it all together results in a few other things to remember.
Firstly, the differences between certain VERBS when performing an act and describing the result.

LISTEN TO that! What did you HEAR? is the clearest yet hardest part of English usage.
The physical act, the action you have to perform, is the LISTENING. You are not LISTENING TO me is a common problem among people in all types of situations.
If you are not LISTENING, you are not going to HEAR what was intended.
We always use HEAR to describe what the result of LISTENING was.
I was LISTENING TO the radio and I HEARD the announcer say it was going to rain today.
Please note that LISTEN should always use TO, as in, LISTEN TO the music, LISTEN TO that Engine.

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LOOK AT that! What do you SEE? This is quite similar to LISTEN and HEAR.
LOOK is the action and SEE is the result.
LOOK should always use AT, as in, LOOK AT that car, LOOK AT that flower.
There is though another form of LOOK that we use for LOOKING AT things in movement, WATCH.
WATCHING TV can be fun and also very boring. We WATCH films and Sports on TV. We WATCH football games at Football Stadiums.
Usually after WATCHING an event, we describe what we SAW.
Did you SEE the last goal in that football game last night? No. I was WATCHING the game, but I didn't SEE the goal because I fell asleep.
Come and LOOK AT my TV, means you want someone to SEE your new TV.
Come and WATCH my TV, means that you want someone to see something playing on your TV.

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The other SENSES are easier.
SMELL that! What do you SMELL?
TASTE that! What do you TASTE?
FEEL That! What do you FEEL?

Good luck with this. I would be happy to add Portuguese equivalents if anybody wants to take the time to document them for me.

the difference between comparative and superlative forms

English has a number of ways of describing things. More importantly

Prepositions again - IN, AT & ON

Hi people.

The very first posts seemed to look too much at prepositions so I felt it was necessary to take a different road for a while. Now it seems that there is still a great need to keep reviewing some specific concepts.

When I start a student's first class(es) I usually focus on the problems associated with these three main PREPOSITIONS - IN - AT - ON as positional forms.

Why, you might ask. Well, it seems that this is where I might be able to instil an understanding of English as being not another challenge, but as being another essential tool towards a better understanding of our global community and a way towards better communication.
This said, the most I can hope for is to plant the seeds that one day may germinate into a better feeling for the language as well as an appreciation of how a better knowledge of this language will probably result in a better understanding of their own language.

To this end, let's proceed.
When learning to speak Portuguese I often had difficulties getting used to the genders of objects, something we don't have in English. I realized after a long, long time that these Portuguese speakers had had these genders drilled into them right from an early age and what seemed so difficult to me, was as simple and natural as so many of our prepositions are to us.

How do we make this sense of prepositions as vivid to learners of the language as they appear to us?

I try to create a similar KEYWORD of association for each of these prepositions.

For IN I suggest - INSIDE - This one word places all objects INSIDE their related environment.
While a book might be ON the table, the same book IN the table suggests that the table has a special kind of compartment for the book to be placed INSIDE it, very much as we had as children with our school desks where the top lifted up so we could place the material we had INSIDE.

For ON I suggest - SURFACE - Again we have a very visual clue to ON especially when we think of the sea. A boat or ship should float ON the SURFACE of the sea. The book ON the table is also placed ON a SURFACE as are chairs and tables placed ON a floor.

For AT I suggest - EXACT - While I am focusing on positional uses of these prepositions, AT as a time preposition very accurately shows the exactness of its use when we specify the EXACT time of an event. I will meet you AT 12 o'clock means 12 o'clock exactly.
In much the same way we state an EXACT position when we use AT to describe the position.
I will meet you AT the shopping center (Where exactly, can be seen below). I will meet you AT the bar.

IN Sao Paulo, we have a very famous building called the Gazeta building. All I know about the Gazeta building, is that it is ON (SURFACE) Paulista avenue, a very famous street IN Sao Paulo. If I knew the EXACT number of the address of this building I could say that it is located AT XXX Paulista avenue.

For the individual describing their residential address, there is the simplest form - I live ON Residential street. More exactly, I live AT XXX Residential street. For businesses, it is exactly the same deal.

IN the above AT example, I mentioned meeting someone AT the Shopping center. We refer to places using the AT preposition to be as EXACT as possible IN our references. AT the library, AT the Airport, AT home, AT work etc. With the other prepositions IN & ON, we can drill that location down to something more specific. AT the shopping center, we are already providing an EXACT reference where we might agree to meet AT the North or South entrance. If we agree to meet IN the Shopping Center there is always going to be a need to state where exactly AT is. I will meet you AT Starbucks IN the Shopping Center. OR, I will meet you AT Starbucks ON the first floor of the shopping center.

Testing this - AT the Shopping Center is EXACT. AT Starbucks is EXACT. IN the Shopping Center is INSIDE. ON the first floor is a SURFACE.

We cannot meet ON the Shopping Center unless it has been designed for people to stand ON TOP of it. We cannot meet IN an Airport if we consider that an Airport consists of not only buildings but also Runways and other facilities. We can meet AT the Coffee shop IN the Airport Terminal.
We must be able to see the crazy, ridiculous aspect of using the wrong preposition in all situations. We must be able to sense what is IN - INSIDE, ON - SURFACE & AT - EXACT to begin to come to terms with this demon referred to as prepositions.

Double translations - False friends - Part 1

I mentioned in a previous post that English has a great range of vocabulary, words that have been added over the centuries, borrowed from most of the world's languages both old and new.

It is very common when Brazilians begin  to learn English, that they take their own vocabulary and use a single word in English as being the equivalent when in actual fact there are two or more words that can have similar or very different meanings. Examples include Leave and Let, Then and So.
On other occasions, the Portuguese word seems so similar to AN English word that this word is mistakenly chosen to represent the same meaning, but in fact has very little to do with the meaning implied in Portuguese. Examples include Actual, Sympathetic among others.

I will now list a few of the more common Portuguese words and their English equivalents.

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Fazer - DO/MAKE
I looked at the differences between DO and MAKE in a previous post.
Essentially, DO refers to performing an action and MAKE to constructing something. Please see my January post for a fuller description of the two. I DO recommend in that post that because of the frequent misuse of these two that more appropriate verbs be found instead.

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Então - THEN/SO
For Brazilians, THEN is often the preferred translation and it is the least accurate.
THEN always refers to a sequence of events.

The company started investing in small businesses. THEN it invested in startups where it THEN began a process of restructuring.
I went to the Supermarket, THEN I went to get my hair cut.

SO, on the other hand, refers to a conclusion.

It was raining, SO I took a taxi.

SO in place of because.

We took a taxi SO we wouldn't get wet. (We took a taxi because we didn't want to get wet.) 
As can be seen here, SO means easier structures than because.

If ever in doubt, stick to SO. Never use THEN unless you wish to refer to a real sequence of events.

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Deixar - LEAVE/LET
For Brazilians, LET is often the preferred translation here.
LET means to permit or give permission in most cases.

LEAVE means to not stay as in "We need to LEAVE now."
LEAVE also means remain. "We need to LEAVE the passenger AT the airport." "They have to LEAVE enough money to buy the tickets."
SO, you CANNOT LET someone AT the Airport. But you can TAKE someone TO the Airport and LEAVE them there.

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Para - TO/FOR
For Brazilians, TO is the preferred translation and once again it is almost always wrong. TO as a preposition must ONLY be used with VERBS that indicate a movement as in; Drive, Take, Walk, Give, Send, Reply etc.
TO is part of the infinitive structure in sentences like, "I need TO drink, TO study." etc.
In these sentences TO is the infinitive and preposition, "I need TO talk TO James TO ask him TO give the book TO Mary."

FOR is a REASON or ON BEHALF OF/IN PLACE OF

I bought this gift FOR you. This answers the question WHY.
LET me do that FOR you. In your place.
What is this FOR?

I have already given a more detailed explanation of the differences between TO and FOR in a past post.

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Nervoso - ANGRY/UPSET
Nervoso is ALWAYS believed to be Nervous. IT IS NOT.
Nervous is the way we get when we begin to do something we are not familiar with, especially when other people are watching. Actors get very nervous just before getting on stage. We are usually very nervous during a Job interview.
Nervoso is always used when referring to getting ANGRY or UPSET.

(NB; While nervoso is described here to mean angry, there is another word in Portuguese - bravo, which I have been told is more appropriate, however, it seems that bravo and nervoso are interchangeable and result in exactly the same mistaken translation.)

I was so ANGRY when the man crashed into my car. I was so UPSET with my boss when he made me stay late on my birthday.

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Atual - CURRENT
Atual is often thought to mean ACTUAL.
ACTUAL means real or refers to something that exists.

This is the ACTUAL pen used to sign the Constitution. The ACTUAL time of the meeting is 10 o'clock not 9 o'clock. REAL can be used in place of ACTUAL but CURRENT can not.

CURRENT refers to now, at this time. We talk about CURRENT events, events occurring now.

The CURRENT exchange rate is 2.707889. The CURRENT report refers only to this quarter. The REAL report was released last week, but it does not have the CURRENT figures.

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Simpático / Simpática - FRIENDLY/KIND
If someone is SYMPATHETIC, the usual translation, then the person is willing to listen and console a person who needs to talk about their problems.

When Simpático is used it is usually used to mean someone who is FRIENDLY and quite often KIND.

A person who is nice to get on with isn't always SYMPATHETIC but can be FRIENDLY, simpático.

There are so many other examples that I am sure to include them in future posts