Politeness Song

Present Continuous Tense

Present continuous expresses an activity that is in progress (is occurring, is happening) right now. The event is in progress at the time the speaker is saying the sentence.

Examples:

a.    Ann can’t come to the phone right now because she is taking a shower.

b.    It’s noon. I am eating lunch at the cafeteria right now.

The form of present continuous: S + am/is/are + V_ing

	PRESENT CONTINUOUS
STATEMENT	I am working.* {You-We-They} are working. {He-She-It} is working.
NEGATIVE	I am not working. {You-We-They} are not working.** {He-She-It} iss not working.
QUESTION	Am I working? Are {You-We-They} working? Is {He-She-It} working?

^*Contractions of pronouns with be: I’m,You’re, we’re, they’re. He’s, she’s, it’s.

^**Contractions of verbs with not: don’t, doesn’t, aren’t, isn’t. (Note: am and not are not contracted)

Simple Present Tense

Simple present is used for events or situations that exist always, usually, or habitually in the past, present, and future.

For example:

a.      Jean takes a shower every day.

b.      I usually go to school by motorcycle.

c.       The sun rises in the east.

d.      A square has four equal sides.

e.      The sky is blue.

The forms of simple present : S + V_{1 +}^s/_es

	SIMPLE PRESENT
STATEMENT	{I-You-We-They} work. {He-She-It} works.
NEGATIVE	{I-You-We-They} do not work.* {He-She-It} does not work.
QUESTION	Do {I-You-We-They} work? Does {He-She-It} work?

^*Contractions of pronouns with be: I’m,You’re, we’re, they’re. He’s, she’s, it’s.

Food and the Brain: Good Fats, Bad Fats

Omega-3 essential fatty acids have an important role in the mammalian nervous system.  They seem to be crucial for healthy neuronal structure and function.  And the healthy structure and function in our brains is what allows for healthy behavior.  Plenty of research has been conducted on the role of diets and behavior, particularly in children, with a lot of interest in the ever-controversial role of sugar.  But let’s turn our attention to fats, for a moment.

Essential fatty acids comprise parts of phospholipids and cholesterol esters, which are imperative in the structure and development of synaptic and dendritic cell membrane structures in the brain.  When lacking in essential fatty acids, such as omega-3s, our brain uses non-essential fatty acids to do its job instead.  Or, at least, it attempts to do its job… when we don’t feed our brains well, and the only fats we consume are bad fats, the brain resorts to using what is available.  And this leads to changes in membrane-bound receptors and certain neurotransmitters.  Which leads to psychological and behavioral changes.  Bad fats = bad news.

Researchers have noticed that the tremendous shift in the Western diet away from omega-3 essential fatty acids parallels the large rise in psychiatric disorders, including ADHD and depression.  For this reason, a wide array of studies have found that essential fatty acids might have a significant effect on the neurotransmission of serotonin and associated behavioral disorders.  Here is a cursory review of a few of these findings:

One study found that fatty acid plasma levels were lower in children with ADHD than other children of the same age and sex.  The same thing was found in studies of rats and monkeys with behavioral hyperactivity.  In other studies, children with dyspraxia, dyslexia, and ADHD showed behavioral improvement due to the addition of essential fatty acids in their diets.  Another study looked at violent male subjects with antisocial personality and found low omega-3 plasma concentrations.  This agrees with yet another study that found lower hostility and depression scores in those of hundreds of subjects who consume a diet high in fish.  A study of prison inmates found a significant reduction in aggressive and violent behaviors after supplementation with essential fatty acids.  The same result was found in another study of clinical populations of subjects suffering from various personality disorders.  The list goes on and on.

So how might essential fatty acids affect behavior?  Because they affect our physiology, and the physiology of our brains especially.  Physiological studies of lab animals (rats, pigs, etc.) found that diets deficient in essential fatty acids result in more serotonin receptors in the frontal cortex.  This might sound like a good thing, but actually, more of these types of serotonin receptors means less free-floating serotonin: a condition thought to contribute significantly to depression.  Other studies show that frontal cortex concentrations of serotonin, tryptophan, dopamine, homovanillic acid, and noradrenaline––stuff we want to have at healthy levels in our brains––are nearly doubled in animals supplemented with daily essential fatty acids compared to animals fed substandard diets.

In sum, a number of clinical disorders and behavioral problems have demonstrated an association with decreased levels of omega-3 fats.  Even more, correcting this deficiency by supplementation leads to clinical improvement, probably by way of the transmission of serotonin and other neurotransmitters.  Unfortunately, science is not ready to make a statement that good fats will calm a hyperactive child or make a depressed person happy.  But hey, they can’t hurt!

Information in part from “Essential fatty acids and their role in the treatment of impulsivity disorders,” Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids 71 (2004) 211-16.

Basic Greetings in English

There are many ways to say hello in English. Sometimes you say a quick hello as you are passing somebody. At other times a greeting leads to a conversation. Friends and family members greet each other in a casual way. Business greetings are more formal.

1.    Greetings in Passing

Tips:

-         Slow down to greet someone you know. You don’t have to stop what you are doing.

-         Say an appropriate form of hello.

-         Smile and wave.

Useful phrases: hello, hi, good morning, good afternoon, good evening, hey John, etc.

2.    Greetings before a Conversation

Tips:

-         Stand near a person and say hello.

-         Express happiness to see a person

-         Ask a question or begin a conversation

Useful phrases:

-         Nice to see you

-         Long time no see

-         What have you been up to?

-         How are things?

Example:

A: Hi Carol.

B: Hey, Jennifer. Good to see you.

A: You too. How’ve you been?

B: Busy, you?

A: pretty good. How’s your new job?

B: It’s okay. There’s a lot to learn. What’s new with you?

A: Not much. The kids are back at school.

3.    Greetings in The Classroom

Tips:

-         Say hello and exchange names

-         Engage in one line of small talk

Useful phrases:

-         I’m from...........

-         How do you like it here?

-         How long have you been here?

Example:

A: Hello. I’m Sasha.

B: Hi Sasha. I’m Brent.

A: Nice to meet you Brent. Where are you from?

B: Chicago, Illinois. And you?

A: I’m from Australia. I live in a small town near Sydney.

B: Australia. Wow. I’ve always wanted to go there. How long have you been in Canada?

A: I just arrived this week. It’s my first day of school.

B: Really? I think you’ll love Vancouver. It’s not too hot and not too cold.

4.    Greetings in Business

Tips:

-         Introduce yourself with name and title

-         Shake hands

-         Express happiness to meet the other person

-         Give or accept directions

Useful phrases:

-         Please have a seat

-         Thanks for agreeing to meet with me

-         He’ll be right with you

-         Can I offer you something to drink?

-         My pleasure

Example:

A: Hello. I’m Mia Corners.

B: Hi Mia. I’m David Sinclair, and this is my partner Gina Evans.

A: Nice to meet you Mr. Sinclair and Ms. Evans. Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today.

B: It’s our pleasure. And please, call us David and Gina. Can I take your coat?

A: Thank you.

B: No problem. Please take a seat and we’ll be right with you. I just have to make a quick phone call.