Everyday Grammar - VOA Learning English Reviewing Your Birthday Message - February 25, 2025
7 snips
Feb 25, 2025 A lively review of a listener’s birthday message, focusing on natural date and age phrasing. Tips on clearer sentence order and choosing the right comparative word. Corrections for word choice like devise versus device and verb agreement are highlighted. The show reads the revised message aloud.
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Chapters
Transcript
Farhana's Birthday Date And Age
- Farhana described her birthday experience and exact date: My birthday was on last 23 March and this was my 27th birthday.
- Katie rewrote it as a present-tense date and offered the alternative I turned 27 this year to show a natural English phrasing.
State Birthdays In Present Tense
- Use present tense to state when your birthday is: My birthday is March 23rd.
- Use month-day order in American English and say I turned 27 this year to express age naturally.
Say No One And Use Plan Not Devise
- Start the sentence with no one (or nobody) rather than a prepositional phrase: No one wished me except my younger sister.
- Replace incorrect verb/noun forms like devise with plan or use plan devised if keeping devise.