楊官：

你好！
我是一名大專學生，很想提升英語能力，我現在的英語程度普通，高考英語僅僅及格。

我面對的英語困難主要有二：
1. TENSE
我總是分不清甚麼時候用甚麼TENSE，除了有些好明顯的提式字。

2. 句型
我最多可以用WHICH、WHO、THAT這幾個字做些較複習的句子，其餘就不會，有時看些英文讀物，那些句子有時可以只用逗號來連接，層次看起來高很多。

請問有甚麼書可助我解決以上困難呢？
我明白英語程度低會被人取笑，我有些經驗，所以「的」起心肝提高
程度。

謝謝！

CHRISTINE
5/5/04

Dear Christine,

Go to a book shop specializing in selling English and find a book or grammar which suits you. Ask the sales assistant for help. And try to read as much as you can. Good luck!

TLY

楊鐵樑先生：

我聽過"Street of London"一曲，其中一句歌詞是"Say for you that the sun don't shine"，可是有些版本卻是"doesn't shine"。那個才正確？"don't shine"是否特殊用法？

聽眾 Patrick 上

Dear Patrick,

In popular songs often wrong grammar and pronunciation appear. Don’t pay attention to these questions in popular songs.

TLY

Dear Mr. Yang,

I like your programme very much and hope that you could tell me how to say the Cantonese slang words“俾心機喇！加油呀！” in English in order to cheer somebody to victory.

Thank you very much.

Jeannie

To Jeannie

It is NOT usual to use these words in English. In English, you’d normally just call out the person’s name as the team’s name repeatedly.

TLY

Dear Mr. Yang:

May I ask what's the difference between "in deep water" and "in hot water"?? I read these two idioms from P.7[english corner] in SCMP Young Post on October 10.

Sam,

Gordon Jarrie's Idioms (published by Bloonsbury 1996) says -

1. in deep water – in difficult circumstances, or in a situation which one cannot easily get out of. Eg., He got into very deep water when he tried to criticize the way they ran their business.

2. in hot water – trouble. Eg., He is going to get us all into hot water if he does not watch his spending.

From Oxford Concise Dictionary:

1. “Hot Water” (colloquial): difficulty, trouble or disgrace
2. “Deep Water” is not listed.

There is very little difference between the two.