Common Sentence Patterns: Part 4

  English has many patterns. Learning and mastering these patterns can help you improve your writing and speaking skills. They can also help you do better on your next grammar test! Today, we explore a common verb pattern: the transitive verb pattern. This pattern is common in writing, speaking, and even on language tests, such as the Test of English as a Foreign Language, or TOEFL. To get you started thinking about transitive verbs, consider this stanza from  "Preface to a Twenty Volume Suicide Note," by the famous author Amiri Baraka. And now, each night I count the stars. And each night I get the same number. And when they will not come to be counted, I count the holes they leave. By the end of this story, you will understand one transitive verb pattern that Baraka uses in this stanza. What are transitive verbs? In a previous Everyday Grammar, we discussed intransitive verbs. One feature of intransitive verbs is that they do not require a complement. In other words, there does not need to be a noun phrase or adjective to the right of the verb in the sentence. Unlike intransitive verbs, transitive verbs take one or more complements. Complements, in this case, refer to nouns or noun phrases that are immediately to the right of the verb in the sentence.   There are several types of transitive verbs, but they all have one thing in common: a direct object. What is the direct object? In its most basic form, the direct object is the noun phrase that follows a transitive verb. A noun phrase is a noun and all the words and phrases that describe it. The basic transitive verb pattern is this:   Transitive verbs are often – but by no means always! – action words. One way to know if the noun phrase is a direct object is if it is the receiver of the action of the verb. For example,   You can tell that the softball is receiving the action, hit. However, the direct object does not always have to be the receiver of an action. Consider this sentence: My family enjoyed the concert In this sentence, it is hard to say that the direct object, the concert, is really receiving an action. So, this leads us to another way to think of the direct object. It is the answer to a what or whom question. Consider these examples: Dirty laundry covered (what?) the bedroom floor. We enjoyed (what?) the concert. The teacher helped (whom?) her student. Once again, asking the what or whom question will not work all of the time, but it can be a useful strategy to help you recognize the direct object. How do you know if a verb is transitive? So, if it can be difficult to find the direct object, how can you tell if a verb is transitive? There are two reliable ways to check: 1. You can change the sentence from active to passive voice One reliable way to test if a verb is transitive is to change it to the passive voice. Think back to the example sentence, Mary hit the softball. If you change it to the passive voice, the sentence would be, The softball was hit by Mary.     If you can change the sentence from active to passive voice, then the verb is probably transitive. You can read more about the passive voice in a previous Everyday Grammar story. 2. Think about the two noun phrases that surround the verb A second way to check if a verb is transitive is to think about the two noun phrases surrounding a verb. This strategy, say Robert Funk and Martha Kolln, two English grammar experts, is the best way to identify a transitive verb. Here is the basic idea: If the two noun phrases refer to different things, then you know the verb is transitive.* Think back to the sentence, Mary hit the softball.   The subject, Mary, refers to one thing, while the direct object, the softball, refers to a different thing. In technical terms, you could say the two noun phrases have different referents.                                    Contrast this to a pattern we discussed in a previous Everyday Grammar: the BE pattern. We gave an example sentence from Christina Aguilera's song. She sings "I am beautiful." In that sentence, the word beautiful, the subject complement, refers to the subject, "I." They refer to the same person - that is, they have the same referent.           In English, words that come after a verb often give information about the verb. Looking at what comes after a verb can really help you figure out the meaning of a verb, even if you do not know it.  What does this have to do with the poem? Now, think back to the stanza of Amiri Baraka's poem: And now, each night I count the stars. And each night I get the same number. And when they will not come to be counted, I count the holes they leave. You can see the transitive verb pattern clearly in this stanza. Consider the first line: And now, each night I count the stars. Baraka starts the line with adverbial information,** and then uses the basic transitive verb pattern:         How do you know the verb is transitive? Option #1 – Ask a what question You could try asking a what question: I count (what?) the stars.   Option #2 – Change the sentence from active to passive voice Or you could even change the sentence passive voice: I count the stars. The stars were counted by me. Option #3  - Ask what the noun phrases are referring to A third option is to ask yourself what the noun phrases around the subject refer to. You know it is transitive because the subject, "I," refers to a person, while the direct object, "the stars," refers to something different from a person. What about the second line? The second line, like the first line, uses a similar structure:     The remaining two lines in the stanza use structures that are more complex than the basic transitive verb pattern. However, you can still see that writers can use basic patterns to create beautiful poetry. To practice using transitive verb patterns, you can write a poem similar to Baraka's poem.   And now, each night I ________ ____________ And each night I ­­­­________  _________   Be sure to choose new transitive verbs and new noun phrases that act as the direct object.  Write your poems in the comments section or on our Facebook page. I'm Jill Robbins. I'm Jonathan Evans. And I'm John Russell.    John Russell wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. *There is an exception to this idea: sometimes the direct object is a reflexive pronoun or a reciprocal pronoun. "I love myself" is an example of that kind of sentence. In these cases, the noun phrases have the same referent. ** You can read more about Adverbial information in a previous Everyday Grammar story. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   complement - n. grammar : a word or group of words added to a sentence to make it complete direct object – n. grammar : a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase which indicates the person or thing that receives the action of a verb noun phrase – n. a group of words that acts like a noun in a sentence referent – n. the thing that is being referred to adverbial – n. of, relating to, or having the function of an adverb

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Study: New Dengue Vaccine Could Cause Serious Illness

A new study shows a vaccine designed to prevent dengue fever could actually be making people sick. Dengue infects an estimated 400 million people worldwide each year. The virus spreads to human beings through the bite of an insect, the mosquito. Most people who get dengue suffer health problems like those resulting from a mild case of influenza, like a higher than normal body temperature. But the illness is more severe the second time a person gets it. In serious cases, it can cause bleeding inside the body and even death. About 25,000 people a year die from the infection. The drug Dengvaxia is so far the only vaccine approved for use against dengue. Several countries - including Brazil, Mexico, Costa Rica, Paraguay and the Philippines - have already approved use of the drug. But health officials are still trying to decide the best way to release the vaccine. Trials of Dengvaxia involved more than 30,000 people in 10 countries. Among young people, the drug was found to reduce infections by 60 percent, and hospitalizations by 80 percent. But over time, many of those vaccinated got seriously ill with dengue. Researchers from Britain and the United States studied the results of the tests. The researchers were from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Imperial College London and the University of Florida. They found that the vaccine acted as a first infection in people who had not had the virus before. The researchers reported their findings in the journal Science. The researchers say they are concerned that people who get infected a second time after the vaccine can get severely sick. This could explain why young children especially were getting ill. They had not lived long enough to get a first infection. Based on the findings, the World Health Organization is warning health care workers not to give the vaccine to anyone younger than nine. But data showed that people other than children were getting severe dengue cases if they had the vaccine, but were not infected before they received it. “What we suggest is … maybe having been exposed to dengue in the past is more important than age itself,” said Isabel Rodriguez-Barraquer of the Bloomberg school. The study found that the vaccine should not be a problem in countries with many cases of dengue. In such areas, Dengvaxia was found to reduce severe sickness and hospitalizations by 20 percent to 30 percent. But the researchers warned that in countries where only 10 percent of people have been infected with dengue, the vaccine needs to be carefully used. Ideally, Rodriguez-Barraquer said, people should be tested before getting vaccinated, to see if they have been infected in the past. The researchers are also looking forward to trial results from additional new dengue vaccines. I’m Bryan Lynn. Jessica Berman reported this story for VOA News. Bryan Lynn adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   mosquito – n. a small flying insect that bites the skin of people and can spread disease fever – n. high body temperature caused by illness trial – n. a test to see if something works and is safe data – n. information or facts about something exposed – adj. not protected from something harmful  

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U.S. Presidential Race Tightens

The U.S. Presidential election is getting closer. The latest average of major polls shows Democrat Hillary Clinton leading Republican Donald Trump by 3.3 percentage points, according to RealClearPolitics.com. On August 10, that same average of nine polls had Clinton up by 7.7 percentage points. A new poll Wednesday by CNN-ORC had Trump ahead by two points -- 45 percent to 43 percent -- among likely voters. 'Bounce' is Gone Larry Sabato is director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. He said “The tightening is natural. Sabato said it is because the “bounce” Clinton received in polls after the Democratic Party convention in July has gone. Sabato said Clinton still leads in most of the important swing states that will decide the presidential election. Swing states are states where both Democrats and Republicans have a good chance of winning. “There's no guarantee she (Clinton) will win, but the odds currently favor her,” Sabato said. In the United States, the candidate who wins the election is not always the one who receives the most votes. The Electoral College Decides The election is decided by the Electoral College. Each state has seats in the Electoral College. States with larger populations have more seats. Trump was very happy about the new CNN poll showing him leading among likely voters. Earlier CNN polls had him losing to Clinton. “Their big poll came out today that Trump is winning,” he said. “It’s good psychology. I know that for a fact, because people that didn’t call me yesterday, they are calling me today. So that’s the way life works, right?” A close race might increase the importance of two minor party presidential candidates -- Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson and Green Party Candidate Jill Stein. In the new CNN poll, 7 percent of likely voters support Johnson, 2 percent back Stein. These low numbers for Johnson and Stein are surprising because large numbers of voters say they doubt whether Trump or Clinton would have the ability to lead the country. Not Much Confidence A new 50-state Washington Post-SurveyMonkey poll showed these results: 55 percent of registered voters say a Clinton presidency would threaten the well-being of the United States. And 61 percent say a Trump presidency would threaten the nation’s well-being. Nate Silver heads the political website fivethirtyeight.com -- named for the number of voting seats in the Electoral College. He still thinks Clinton is leading, but he says he is less sure than before. The reason Silver is not sure is that so many voters -- about 20 percent – are telling pollsters that they are undecided or they will vote for a minor party candidate. Silver gives “Trump better odds of winning than most other” experts who use polls and other information to predict election results. But he said there is “also a significant chance of a Clinton landslide,” or win by a very large percentage. A close race could increase the importance of the four televised candidate debates. The three presidential debates will probably be for only Clinton and Trump without the minor candidates. The fourth, for the vice presidential candidates -- will probably be just for Republican Mike Pence and Democrat Tim Kaine. The first presidential debate takes place September 26. The election is November 8. Sabato, the University of Virginia expert, said it is possible a very good debate by one of the candidates, or a major mistake by a candidate might cause people to change their opinions. But usually, Sabato said, voters watch debates with their opinions already settled. I’m Bruce Alpert.   Jim Malone reported this story for VOA News. Bruce Alpert adapted the story, and did additional reporting for Learning English. Pete Heinlein 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   bounce -- v. an increase in support because of an event or development swing -- adj. a state that can support either Democratic or Republican parties odds -- n. chances of something happening psychology -- n. the science or study of the mind and behavior

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Somaliland Exports Animals for the Hajj

  The self-declared republic of Somaliland is exporting millions of sheep and goats to Saudi Arabia for use as sacrificial offerings. These offerings are very important for the millions of Muslims going to Mecca for religious reasons. Their trip, a religious requirement, is called the Hajj. Sixty percent of Somaliland's gross domestic product -- the value of all its goods and services -- come from livestock sales to the Middle East. So do 70 percent of its jobs. Mowlid Hassan Jama has worked at a livestock market in the Somaliland capital, Hargeisa, for 10 years. He says "I earn my livelihood from this livestock, and, secondly, I feel I am supporting the Islamic community in having a good Hajj festival." The animals, once sold in the markets, are taken by truck to the Red Sea port of Berbera. There, they wait in quarantine for weeks while they receive blood tests and vaccinations. In the past, accusations of disease among Somaliland livestock led Saudi Arabia to temporarily ban imports of its animals. Ali Mahamud Gulled is an expert on animal health. He says the Berbera quarantine holds over a million animals at the height of the Hajj. He says Somaliland takes the health of its livestock seriously. "It [exporting sick livestock] could result in a ban of our livestock, so we make sure that each and every animal leaving here is free of diseases." After the restrictions are lifted, sheep and goats are loaded onto ships, often at night when the air is cooler. A single ship can hold between 20,000 and 120,000 animals. Somaliland now faces competition from Sudan, Australia, and other countries that also export livestock to Saudi Arabia. Abdi Osman Haji is a researcher with the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization. He says Somaliland must modernize its industry to stay ahead. He adds that Somaliland needs to treat its animals better, too. "Animal welfare is not on the agenda here, and that has to be introduced. Also, animals, when they are being exported via ships and also trucks, they are not according to international standards." Even so, the export of animals from Somaliland to Saudi Arabia remains important for both countries. I’m John Russell. Jason Patinkin wrote this story for VOANews.com. John Russell adapted his report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   offering – n. something that is given to God or a god as a part of religious worship livestock – n.  farm animals (such as cows, horses, and pigs) that are kept, raised, and used by people quarantine – n. the situation of being kept away from others to prevent a disease from spreading

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Why Do People Join the US Military?

  Many countries require young men to serve in the armed forces. But in the United States, military service is voluntary. And joining the U.S. military is not an easy process. Staff Sergeant Terrelle Thomas joined the Air Force nine years ago. He now works as a military recruiter in Woodbridge, Virginia. His job is to get volunteers to join the U.S. armed forces. “At the time I was going to school, I was paying for, for school out of my pocket. And I was like 'Man, this is tough,' and I was staying home with my parents. I was like, ‘I don't know if I like this as much anymore.’ So I went in, talked to a recruiter. He was cool. He broke it down for me, and next thing you know, I'm in...” Benjamin Spahr volunteered for the military. He says other members of his family have served in the armed forces. “My mother was enlisted in the Air National Guard and my father was an officer in the Air Force. So I was accustomed to that lifestyle from a young age moving around...” The armed forces pays its members to attend school, both while they are on active duty and after they leave the military. But not everyone can join the armed forces. There are age limits and volunteers must be successful at mental and physical tests. They must also not be abusing alcohol or taking other drugs. Training for new recruits is difficult and intense. The recruits must be strong and in good health. An increasing number of women are joining the military. Madison Foote is one of them. “Its just the pushups I'm worried about. I'm not very good at pushups. But I think I can do everything else...” Some Americans volunteer for the armed forces, even when their parents object. The parents are worried about their children because the military deploys troops to many dangerous areas throughout the world. Oludare Ogunmadewa is a new recruit. He says not everyone in his family supports his decision to enlist in the military. “My parents are worried, my whole family is worried as well, but it’s a risk I feel is necessary for myself -- more for my children, to secure their future.” The United States ended forced enlistment in 1973, during the Vietnam War. Now, recruits voluntarily sign an agreement to stay in the military for three to six years, depending on their chosen job. Some volunteers choose to stay longer. Staff Sergeant Thomas says that is because they discover that serving in the military is unlike any other job they could have. “A lot of veterans that serve their 20, 30 years, the main thing that they talk to me about -- especially when they bring their, their children to the office -- is the camaraderie they establish with the people they met.” I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.   Odil Ruzaliyev reported this story for VOANews.com. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the report for Learning English. George Grow 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 recruiter – n. a person who finds suitable people and convinces them to join a company, an organization, the armed forces, etc. pocket – n. a usually small cloth bag that is sewn into a piece of clothing, a larger bag, etc., and that is open at the top or side so that you can put things into it break it down – informal expression explain accustomed – adj. familiar with something so that it seems normal or usual (+ to) lifestyle – n. a particular way of living; the way a person lives or a group of people live pushup – n. an exercise in which you lie on your stomach and raise and lower your body by straightening and bending your arms camaraderie – n. a feeling of good friendship among the people in a group

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1400 UTC Newscast for September 8, 2016

From Washington, this is VOA News. I’m Frances Alonzo reporting. President Barack Obama said Thursday that he made it clear to Southeast Asian leaders gathered in Laos that the United States will continue to stand with the people of the region. “With respect to maritime issues, we’ll continue to work to ensure that disputes are resolved peacefully, including in the South China Sea. The landmark arbitration ruling in July, which was binding, helped clarify maritime rights in the region…” President Obama has made re-balancing U.S. policy with a focus toward Southeast Asia a priority during his presidency. President Obama said his hope and expectation would be that his successor continues, once his term ends in January. He also pledged to continue pressuring the North Korean government, and also putting in place defensive measures to ensure the U.S. and its allies are protected. Afghan officials say they have repulsed a major Taliban assault on the provincial capital of central Uruzgan province and a "house-to-house" search has been launched to clear any remaining insurgents. Taliban insurgents had fought their way into the besieged city of Tarin Kot Thursday morning, which triggered fierce battles with Afghan security forces. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter Thursday said Washington is willing to cooperate with Moscow to end the Syrian conflict, but only if there is first a "true cessation" of hostilities. Ahead of an expected meeting in Geneva between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, Carter spoke to BBC radio and said there was "quite a long way to go" before a deal could be struck. This is VOA News.   We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

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News Words: Extinction

Learn the meaning of extinction with Anne and Jonathan.

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President Obama Speaks To the People of Laos

President Obama is the first sitting U.S. president to visit Laos. During his visit, he addressed the painful past relationship with the U.S. and his hope for its future. He also spoke to young people at a Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative town hall meeting.

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September 7, 2016

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

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‘Girls Who Code’ Opens Door for Women in Tech Jobs

  Over the past 25 years, women have made a lot of progress in getting jobs that have traditionally been held by men. But computer science is one area that has seen a drop in female workers during that time. Research suggests the percentage of computing jobs filled by women has fallen from 36 percent to 25 percent since 1991. America’s computing industry is experiencing fast growth. It is estimated that nearly 4.5 million jobs will be created in computing over the next 10 years. One group trying to make it easier for women to get these jobs is Girls Who Code, a not-for-profit group based in New York. The group partners with technology companies to get girls interested in computers at a young age. The free services are for students with little or no coding experience. More than 10,000 high school girls have attended Girls Who Code summer camps and after-school programs since 2012. Coding for the summer One of them is Nidhi Allani. She is now beginning her final year in high school. Allani says she got the chance to study a lot of different programming languages over the summer. “We were able to create different computer games and that was really cool because it was a very immediate result. Once you created it, you saw a result and that was very gratifying.” Girls Who Code partners with BSA/The Software Alliance in the Washington, D.C. area. That is where Allani signed up to learn coding. Along with a small team, she created a website called PoliTeens. The site provides a platform for young people to share their opinions about political issues.  Allani said the program not only helped her learn computers, but also gave her life skills.  “I definitely have become more confident as a person and in my skills and computer science especially.” Another student, Annie Gomez, said she was not sure what to expect when she began the program. “I wasn't really saying I'm going into the technology field. But my mind has completely changed for the better. I found that I have a passion for robotics and coding. I just feel full of great ideas.” High school student Phoebe Suh and her team also created their own website through the BSA/Girls Who Code partnership. She describes the website as a “first-of-its-kind, online database of local crisis resources" in the Washington area. Filling the coding pipeline Organizers say the next step is for students to take their computer knowledge and skills into college. After that, it hopefully gives them a new career. Tina Furuki is with BSA. “We're hoping that with Girls Who Code, we will be able to help fill that pipeline and close the gender gap in computing.” I’m Bryan Lynn. June Soh reported this story for VOA News. Bryan Lynn adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Why do you think more girls are not interested in computing jobs? Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   code – v. to write a set of instructions for a computer gratifying – adj. something pleasing or satisfying passion – n. a strong belief in something database – n. information stored in a computer in an organized structure pipeline – n. a series of goods or information prepared in advance  

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Paralympic Games Begin in Brazil

This is What’s Trending Today… Rio de Janeiro is home for the next 11 days to thousands of athletes competing in the 2016 Paralympic Games. The Paralympics are an international sporting event for athletes with physical or intellectual impairments.  The 4,300 athletes come from more than 160 countries. As the opening ceremony took place Wednesday night, organizers were dealing with budget concerns. They blame slow ticket and sponsorship sales.   The president of the International Paralympic Committee told the Associated Press, “This is the worst situation that we’ve ever found ourselves in at the Paralympic movement.” Organizers are hoping to sell more than 2 million tickets to the sporting events. A total of 2.5 million tickets are available. In Britain, Prince Harry is helping them reach that goal. He provided a personal donation to the #FilltheSeats movement. It is seeking to raise ticket money so that 10,000 Brazilian children can attend the Games. #FilltheSeats was started by Greg Nugent, who served as a marketing director for the London 2012 Games.   Nugent told The Canadian Press in August, “the idea that the seats in Rio might be empty saddened me, so instead of moaning, I thought we should try and do something about it.” The #FilltheSeats movement announced earlier this week that it had raised a little more than $200,000. That is about two-thirds of its goal amount of $300,000. Prince Harry and the #FilltheSeats movement trended on social media. One Twitter user called Prince Harry’s act inspiring. Another tweeted, “If we didn’t like Prince Harry enough already…” In 2014, Prince Harry established the Invictus Games, a competition for wounded British service members.    Earlier this week, he tweeted good luck to all the Invictus athletes getting ready for the Rio Paralympic Games.    ​ And that's What's Trending Today.    Caty Weaver wrote this report for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. Share your thoughts in the Comments Section or post a message on Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   intellectual - adj. of or relating to the ability to think in a logical way impairment - n. of or relating to the ability to think in a logical way moan - v. to express unhappiness about something; to complain

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