Which Pronoun is Correct: I or Me?

  On March 5,  Jazmine Hughes wrote in a New York Times blog, “Recently, at an IRL party — that is, a party that takes place ‘in real life,’ as opposed to where I generally live, which is on the Internet — a guest asked a friend and I how we met.” The sentence includes a common error I have been seeing and hearing more and more often lately. The error is using the subject pronoun “I” when the object pronoun “me” should be used. Even President Obama can be heard using “I” for the object of a sentence. At his first press conference, on November 7, 2008, he spoke about being invited to tour the White House. “Well, President Bush graciously invited Michelle and I to -- to meet with him and First Lady Laura Bush.” The rule for object pronouns English has eight subject pronouns: I, you, he, she, it, we, you and they. Subject pronouns show the actor in a sentence. For example, in the sentence “I speak English,” “I” is the actor.   English also has eight object pronouns: me, you, him, her, it, us, you and them. We use an object pronoun to show the receiver of the action in a sentence, as in “She gave the book to me.” In that sentence, “me” is the receiver. People often confuse subject pronouns and object pronouns in sentences with two receivers. Take the sentence “President Obama gave an award to my brother and me.” We can easily see the need for an object pronoun because of the preposition “to.” But some sentences do not have prepositions, as in “Obama asked my brother and me some questions.” The sentence still needs the object pronoun “me.” However, some people might want to say “Obama asked my brother and I some questions.” You know that sentence has a grammar error because “I” is not an object pronoun. Why people say “I” instead of “me” I think the confusion about “I” and “me” comes from instruction we get as children: to be polite. When we mention ourselves and another person in a sentence, we are told to put the other person first. For example, we might be reminded to say, “My brother and I went to the White House.” Saying “I and my brother went to the White House” is grammatically correct but would sound impolite, or rude. So, English speakers who are faced with two people in the object position in a sentence often grab for the phrase “someone and I.” They do not notice the phrase is grammatically incorrect. It just sounds more polite. Another theory about the “I” or “me” error comes from a 2009 New York Times article “The I’s Have It.” Writers Patricia T. O’Conner and Stewart Kellerman guess that people correct children who use “me” instead of “I” so much, the children grow up using “I” even when it is wrong. They explain the term for this linguistic phenomenon is “hypercorrection.”  Back to Ms. Hughes, her party and the New York Times blog. Her sentence should be re-written as “…a guest asked a friend and me how we met.” Shortly after I called the error to the newspaper's attention, the sentence was corrected in this way. A simple way to check for the correct pronoun in a case like this is mentally to eliminate the second person. Try saying in your head “A guest asked me how we met,” or, “A guest asked a friend how we met.” That simple check makes choosing the correct pronoun easier. Now you will always know the right pronoun to use – take it from me! I’m Jill Robbins. Dr. Jill Robbins wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   error - n. something that is not correct; a wrong action or statement; mistake instruction - n. the action or process of teaching : the act of instructing someone phenomenon - n. something (such as an interesting fact or event) that can be observed and studied and that typically is unusual or difficult to understand or explain fully hypercorrection – n. the mistaken use of a word form or pronunciation based on a false analogy with a correct or prestigious form​ Now it’s your turn. In the comments section, tell us about your own grammar gripes. What do people say in your language that bothers you? ​

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National Park Service Turns 100

The U.S. National Park Service is celebrating its 100th birthday.  America’s 28th President, Woodrow Wilson, formed the National Park Service on August 25, 1916 to “protect the wild and wonderful landscapes” in the United States. One hundred years later, the organization manages nearly 34 million hectares of land. The National Park Service oversees more than 400 parks, historic sites, monuments and other areas. The newest national park is in the northeast state of Maine. President Barack Obama created the park on Wednesday. (Click on the image to see a National Parks photo gallery.) It is called the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. A family that started a successful business making skin care products donated the land. The land is home to moose, black bears, coyotes, deer, bobcats, snowshoe hares, fisher cats, bald eagles and Canada lynx. Some national parks are well over 100 years old. Yellowstone National Park in the western United States was established in 1872 as the first national park in America. It was also the world’s first national park. I’m Dan Friedell. Dan Friedell wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. Will you visit a national park in the U.S. this year? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.   _______________________________________________________________   Words in This Story landscape – n. an area of land that has a particular quality or appearance manage – v. to have control of (something, such as a business, department, sports team, etc.)  

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August 25, 2016

A look at the best news photos from around the world.

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News Words: Simulators

Learn why simulators are a good thing in this week's News Words.

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Thailand's Tourism Industry Works to Recover from Attacks

  Officials in Thailand are working to help the tourism industry in several provinces affected by deadly bombings earlier this month. Bombings in several southern provinces killed or wounded more than 30 people, including foreigners. Experts say more attacks could have a deeper effect on the industry, which is very important to the country’s economy. Economists at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce say the attacks may cause up to 365,000 fewer people to visit the provinces. And they estimate the areas could lose $170 million in revenue. Popular beach resort areas were targeted by the attacks. They include Hua Hin, where the Thai royal family has a vacation home. Lisa Onghang is the president of the Hua Hin Cha Am Tourism Association. She said the area is returning to normal after the shock of the bombings. She said there were “cancellations by some Thais, but not from abroad. From abroad they just see the situation. I have many emails from our clients who seem to understand,” she said. In addition to Hua Hin, attacks by people setting fires or exploding bombs took place in six provinces. Phuket, which had almost 30 million visitors in 2015, was among the affected areas.  Surat Thani, Phangna, Trang, Chumphon and Nakhon Si Thammarat also had attacks. The World Travel and Tourism Council says tourists spend $72 billion a year in Thailand. The industry directly or indirectly employs about five million people. That is more than 14 percent of all jobs in the country. Officials expect about 33 million people to visit Thailand this year. They say about 30 percent of them will come from China. In 2015, the bombing of a Hindu shrine in Bangkok killed 20 people and wounded 120. Many of those killed or hurt were from Asia. Thailand’s tourism revenues dropped 20 percent after the attack. The number of visitors to the country dropped sharply in the last three months of last year. The numbers have only begun to increase this year. Sukanya Jandoo is the general manager of a Bangkok hotel and a vice president of the Thai Hotels Association. He said fewer people cancelled their planned visits after this year’s attacks than did after the bombing in Bangkok in 2015. “I would admit that yes when that kind of thing happens they would have some cancellations. But I would say it was nowhere near the magnitude of the previous tragic event [in August 2015],” he said. Economist Somphob Manarangsan said the lack of information about the attacks and the attackers has caused people to fear more violence. “It depends on whether it’s going to happen again,” he said. “I think if it is only one incident and no more like that I don’t think it’s going to have a big impact [on] the Thai economy, particularly the business sector.” Analysts disagree about whether the attacks are linked to politics. The attacks happened soon after voters approved a new military-supported constitution. It is expected to increase the military’s influence in the next elected parliament. Other experts link the attacks to Muslim rebels in the provinces on the southern border with Malaysia. Peace talks between the rebels and the government have been moving very slowly. Pornthip Hirunkate is the vice president of the Tourism Council of Thailand. She said the industry has called on the government to increase security to prevent further attacks. “We have asked the government to take more precautions, especially security -- buildings, airports and hotels. There’s more measures for security. The concern is [if there] is a repeat. That’s why I think we all need…to be alert and prepared if anything happens,” Pornthip said. I’m Bryan Lynn. Correspondent Ron Corben reported this story from Bangkok. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the report for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story tourism – n. the business of providing hotels, restaurants, entertainment, etc., for people who are traveling revenue – n. money that is made by or paid to a business or an organization resort – n. a place where people go for vacations magnitude – n. the size, extent or importance of something particularly – adv. used to indicate someone or something that deserves special mention sector – n. an area of an economy; a part of an economy that includes certain kinds of jobs precaution – n. something that is done to prevent possible harm or trouble from happening in the future

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Driverless Cars to Carry Uber Passengers in Pittsburgh

  To many people, it is still just a dream to use a driverless car. But this dream is now becoming a reality for people in the American state of Pennsylvania. The ride-sharing service Uber will start using self-driving cars in a few weeks to carry passengers around the city of Pittsburgh. Many companies – including Google, Apple and the big U.S. carmakers - are currently testing driverless vehicles. But this is the first time the American public will actually get to use them. Free rides for Uber testers The ride service will start out with Ford Fusions equipped with self-driving technology. People using Uber will request the cars through their smartphones. Rides in the self-driving vehicles will be free while the system is tested in Pittsburgh. Each car will have a driver in front, as a safety measure, to take control of the vehicle if needed. Nidhi Kalra is an information scientist with the not-for-profit RAND Corporation. She says Uber’s driverless service will be important for the development of the technology. It will also give many people the chance to experience self-driving cars for the first time. “It is exciting for the American public to be able to see up close what this technology looks and feels like. From a technical perspective, I think the advantage that Uber will have now is to understand how users interact with the autonomous vehicle technology that they are developing.” Uber Chief Executive Officer Travis Kalanick said the project is an important step forward. But he added that a lot of work is needed in the development of autonomous vehicles. “We're catching up fast, but we need to get to No. 1 quick,” he told the Associated Press. “We've got to be laser-focused on getting this to market, because it's not a side project for us. This is everything.” Uber teams up with Volvo Uber also announced a $300 million deal with an automobile manufacturer, Volvo, to cooperate on self-driving technology and supply vehicles. In the future, Volvo vehicles will be part of the driverless fleet in Pittsburgh. Kalra believes driverless cars will be used by car-sharing services in other cities in the coming years.   “By 2020, I would expect that somewhere in the country – and maybe multiple places in the country – a public user is able to call an autonomous vehicle to take them from point A to point B.” But she said companies like Uber and its main competitor, Lyft, will have to consider several issues before expanding. These include laws regulating self-driving technology, population, climate and terrain – the shape and condition of the land.   As for the users, Kalra said they are likely to accept autonomous driving technology very fast.      “If the technology is demonstrably safe, and it behaves in a way that they expect drivers to behave, then I think people will get comfortable very quickly - because it offers so many other benefits.” Major U.S. automakers are hoping the public will quickly embrace the technology. Self-driving cars to affect sales model Ford recently announced plans to have a fully driverless vehicle on the road by 2021. At first, the car – which will have no steering wheel or pedal controls – will be sold to car-sharing services like Uber and Lyft. Later, it will go on sale to everyone. Kalra thinks the increasing development of self-driving vehicles and popularity of ride-sharing services means many people in the future will not want or need to own a car.  “And so that’s the other trend. Is that it’s suggesting that Detroit automakers are looking at a slightly different business model - where they are selling you the ability to get around, rather than just sell you a car. And that’s a really new way of thinking about mobility in the American transportation system.” I’m Bryan Lynn. Bryan Lynn reported this story for VOA Learning English. Additional information came from the Associated Press. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Would you ride in a driverless car? Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story advantage – n. something good that can help you succeed autonomous – adj. independent, existing separately from other things fleet – n. a group of vehicles owned and controlled by one organization terrain – n. a particular type of land demonstrably – adj. able to be proven or shown embrace – v. to accept a new idea or way of doing something pedal – n. a control on a piece of equipment that you push with your foot  

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Video Calling Services Compared

  Last week, Google launched Duo, a new video calling app. It was first announced in May this year. Duo means “two.” As its name suggests, Duo allows two callers to connect on an Android or iOS device. Duo is easy to use and does not require knowing someone else’s user name. Video calls can be placed simply with phone numbers. But Duo does require users to download an app. And it enters a crowded field of video calling services, including Skype, FaceTime, Messenger and Hangouts. Choosing a service Choosing a video calling service can be difficult because the services have different features. The key is learning what features are important for what situations. Some people use more than one video calling service. For example, they may use one service with friends and another for business. Fortunately, all these services are free, so users can try them without spending any money. Here are some things to consider when choosing a service: 1) Adding an app Many of these services do not work unless you download a separate app for them. If your friends don't already have a video calling app, they may be unwilling or unable to download a new one. 2) Signing up for an account Similarly, if you don't want to sign up for a new account to use a video chat service, you may want one that works without needing a new account. For example, FaceTime is built into Mac computers, iPhones and iPads. No additional app is necessary. And because many people already are on Facebook, they can use Messenger for video calls without downloading a new app. 3) Voice calls Some services also offer voice calls. For example, FaceTime, Messenger and Skype allow users to make voice as well as video calls. Skype offers voice calls to other Skype accounts for free and to phone numbers for a fee. FaceTime lets users call iPhone phone numbers around the world for free. 4) Platforms The more platforms a video calling service can work on the better. Duo, Skype, Messenger and Hangouts all offer apps across platforms. They can be used on both Android and iOS devices, such as iPhone and iPad. FaceTime is for Apple devices only –including Mac, iPhone and iPad. 5) Computer Many video calling services can be used on computers as well as on mobile devices. FaceTime, Messenger, Skype and Hangouts all let users make video calls using a computer, phone and tablet. Users do need to have a video camera on their computers to use these services. Duo is not available for computers. 6) Ease of use Duo and FaceTime are the easiest services to use. Calls can easily be answered, and users can switch between the front and rear cameras on a phone. 7) Connecting with others Connecting with others should be simple. Skype users must know a friend's user name before placing a video call on Skype. But Duo and FaceTime users need only a friend's phone number to place a video call. Messenger lets users make video calls to their Facebook friends. And Hangouts users can place calls with their friends’ Gmail addresses or on Google Plus. 8) Multiple users Some video calling services let users have group chats with multiple people joining the call at the same time. Hangouts, Skype and Messenger let users add multiple people to the call. Duo and FaceTime allow users to connect only two callers. 9) Screen sharing Screen sharing allows users to display their computer screens in the video call instead of the image from the camera. This feature is useful to demonstrate something or to get help solving a computer issue. Hangouts and Skype allow screen sharing. Comparing services This chart sets out the different features for each service. (Double click or tap on the chart for a larger view.)       Duo Duo is available as an app on: Duo for Android or Duo for iOS Duo has a feature called Knock Knock that shows video from the caller before the user answers the call. Knock Knock works only on iOS when the Duo app is open. The app will also lower the quality of the video if the Internet signal strength is weak. This video shows how Duo works.   Because Duo is new this month, users will probably have to ask friends to add the app in order to connect with the service. FaceTime FaceTime lets users of Apple products connect via video and voice calls. The service is easy to use and available on iPhone, iPad and Mac computers. Users can connect with others using cell phone numbers or email addresses. Skype Skype is Microsoft's video chat service. Users can also make voice calls on Skype. Skype calls can be made using a computer or mobile device. People then use screen sharing to see each other’s screens during a video call. Up to 25 people can be added to a group Skype call. Skype also offers voice messages and other features. Messenger Facebook's video calling service, Messenger, is available on computers in chat using Chrome, Firefox and Opera browsers, but not on Safari. It also works on mobile devices in the Messenger app. Users click on the camera icon to begin a video chat with a Facebook friend. In April, Messenger was updated to allow group chats. Hangouts Google's other video calling service is Hangouts, which is available on computers and mobile devices using the Hangouts app. Users can add multiple people to the video chat and share their computer screens. I'm Jill Robbins. Carolyn Nicander Mohr wrote this report for VOA Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. Do you use a video calling service? Which features are most important to you? Which services are your favorites? Share your thoughts in the Comments Section below or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   download -  v.  to move or copy (a file, program, etc.) from a usually larger computer system to another computer or device platform - n.  a program or set of programs that controls the way a computer works and runs other programs browser - n. a computer program that is used to find and look at information on the Internet

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Zika Could Affect Adult Brains, Says New Study

  New research suggests the Zika virus may damage some cells in adult brains. Until now, scientists mainly worried about Zika’s effects on the brains of babies whose mothers were infected with the virus during pregnancy. The Rockefeller University and La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology carried out the new research. The findings were published last week in the Cell Stem Cell journal. The research suggests the Zika virus could infect some kinds of adult cells. These cells are considered important to learning and memory. “This is the first study looking at the effect of Zika infection on the adult brain,” says Joseph Gleeson. He is a professor at Rockefeller University and head of the Laboratory of Pediatric Brain Disease. Gleeson says, “Based on our findings, getting infected with Zika as an adult may not be as innocuous as people think.” By innocuous, Gleeson means not seeming to have a harmful effect. In their study, the researchers examined cells in mice. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, the Zika virus is spread mostly by a bite from an infected mosquito. Zika can be passed from a pregnant woman to her fetus, the CDC said. It said infection during pregnancy can cause certain birth defects. Gleeson, the Rockefeller University professor, says most adults seem able to overcome the harmful effects of Zika. But, he said people with compromised immune systems could face problems. An immune system protects a person from disease and infection. The major worry, Gleeson says, is that Zika could affect long-term memory in some adults. However, he adds that “a lot more research” is needed. Sujan Shresta is a professor at the La Jolla Institute of Allergy and Immunology. She notes that most adults infected with Zika do not show any health problems. Shresta said the effects on adult brain cells may not be as clear as the effects on babies infected with the Zika virus. Shresta said, thanks to the new research, health officials now know “what to look for.” I’m Bruce Alpert. Kevin Enochs reported this story for VOANews.com. Bruce Alpert adapted the story for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page. ___________________________________________________________ Words in This Story mice –n. a very small animal that has a pointed nose and a long, thin tail certain – adj. used to refer to a quality that is noticed but that is difficult to explain or describe birth defects – n. a disability or medical problem that a baby is born with compromised – adj. damaged or weakened

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For People Too Busy to Garden, FarmBot Can Help

Growing your own vegetables is not easy if you are too busy to garden. Now, a California startup company is taking human hands out of gardening: introducing the FarmBot.

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Olympic Rewind: How Did Athletes Featured by VOA Perform in Rio?

  VOA Learning English featured a number of athletes who were to compete in the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. During the closing ceremony Sunday night, Rio’s mayor passed the Olympic flag to the city of Tokyo, Japan. In the highlight of the night, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived at the Maracanã stadium dressed as the famous video game character Super Mario. Japan will host the next Summer Olympics in 2020. But, it is worth looking back to find out how some of the athletes we wrote about in VOA Learning English performed in Rio. We wrote about refugee athletes from South Sudan who trained at the Tegla Loroupe center in Kenya. Rose Nathike Lokonyen competed in the 800-meter race in Rio de Janeiro. She did not run fast enough to advance out of the preliminary round.  VOA Learning English also wrote about some of the Taekwondo athletes from Ivory Coast. There were 50 athletes from the continent of Africa competing in sports like Taekwondo and Judo. Three of them were from Ivory Coast. Ruth Gbagbi was in her second Olympics. She competed in the 67-kilogram division. Gbagbi won her first match against an athlete from Egypt, 4-3. Then, she lost to an athlete from France, 5-4. That meant she could still win a bronze medal if she won two more matches. And she did. Gbagbi defeated an athlete from Azerbaijan 7-1 to win a bronze medal. But that was just the beginning of the celebration for Ivory Coast. Gbagbi’s teammate Cheick Cisse won the gold medal in the men’s 80 kilogram division. It was the first-ever gold medal for Ivory Coast. Ivory Coast only had one Olympic medal before this year. Cisse defeated an athlete from Great Britain 8-6 to win the gold. Learning English also looked at American distance runner Alexi Pappas. She competed at the Olympics for Greece. She trained for the games while making a movie about life in Eugene, Oregon. Pappas ran in the women’s 10,000 meter race. She finished 17th out of almost 40 runners. But she will always be able to say she was on the track during a world record. Almaz Ayana of Ethiopia finished the race in 29 minutes 17.45 seconds to break the world record by almost 14 seconds. VOA Learning English wrote about three runners from Kenya who attended universities in the U.S. When they were finished with school, they wanted to become American citizens. The fastest way to citizenship, they learned, was to join the U.S. Army, so that is what they did.  Paul Chelimo, Shadrack Kipchirchir and Leonard Korir are on active duty in the Army, but they are also part of a special program for top athletes. Chelimo qualified for the 5,000-meter race and Kipchirchir and Korir were in the 10,000 meter race. Korir finished 14th and Kipchirchir finished 19th. But in the 5,000-meters, Chelimo won the silver medal. Chelimo finished less than one second behind Mo Farah of Great Britain. At first, Chelimo thought he had won the silver medal. But then he was told that he was disqualified. Officials said he went out of bounds at one point in the race. But after studying video, judges from the International Association of Athletics Federations awarded Chelimo the silver medal. I’m Dan Friedell. Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. Are you impressed with how this athletes did in Rio? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.   _______________________________________________________________   Words in This Story feature – n. a special story or section in a newspaper or magazine preliminary round – n. a stage of a sports competition in which each player or team plays against an opponent and the winner is allowed to continue to the next stage taekwondo – n. a style of fighting that originated in Korea and that uses kicks and punches but no weapons judo – n. a sport developed in Japan in which opponents attempt to throw or wrestle each other to the ground medal – n. to have the skills that are required or do the things that are required to become a member of a team or to be allowed in a competition qualify – v. to have the skills that are required or do the things that are required to become a member of a team or to be allowed in a competition out of bounds – adj. outside the area in which a game is played

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August 24, 2016

A look at the best news photos from around the world.

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