Hi everybody, this is Misterduncan in England. How are you today? Are you OK? I hope so! Are you happy? I hope so! Welcome to another Q and A session, where you ask the questions and hopefully I can answer them. Once again I have a selection of your e-mails to read out, so let's get on with our first question for today.
What are the differences between 'think of' and 'think about'? This question comes from Mohammed in Saudi Arabia. In this type of sentence, generally the differences between 'about' and 'of' are almost the same. Thinking of and about are often used as a way of showing past intention. 'I was thinking of calling you.' 'I thought about calling you.' Through an action… 'When it rains, I always think of you.' 'I always think about you when it rains.'
When asking a question that requires an opinion, then the rules are slightly different. We normally use 'think of' when asking about an object or thing. 'What do you think of my new car?' 'What do you think of the food?' 'What do you think of my new song?' We tend to use 'think about' when asking for an opinion concerning an event or action. 'What do you think about the price of oil?' 'What do you think about the recession?' 'What do you think about climate change?' Thank you Mohammed for your question and please stay happy!
Why don't you write any books about your lessons? This question come from Hoang Hai Long, aged 10, from Vietnam. This is a question that has been asked quite a few time in the past. Of course I would love to publish some printed material to go with my lessons, but the problem is that putting any sort of textbook together costs money and sadly at this time I do not have the resources to do it. In other words, I don't have the money! However it is something I would consider doing in the future. So, who knows? Maybe one day you could find a Misterduncan English textbook on your school library shelf.
Could you please explain how and why we use 'to be' in sentences? This question comes from Petika in Hungary. When we say 'to be' what we are actually saying is to exist or live at. 'A hot sunny beach is the place to be.' 'Come to my party tonight, it's the only place to be.' 'The world of English is a fun and exciting place to be.' Of course 'to be' can also express something you wish for. To express something you are aiming for in your life, an event that will happen. You want to be… It will be… You want it to be. It is often used as a copular (Verb) word. 'I want to be a famous actor.' 'I want to be a millionaire.' 'I want to be your boyfriend.' Thank you Petika for your question and good luck with your plans for working abroad. I wish you - all the best!
How long does it take to make each video lesson and what software do you use? This question comes from Luiz Aquino in Brazil. The average time it takes to make one of my lessons is around three weeks. This includes the time it takes to prepare and write the script. The filming can take up to five days to complete. Of course the most difficult part is putting it all together. We call this the editing process. I use many types of editing software to create my videos including… Premier, Camtasia, Pinnacle, and Coral. Thank you for your question Luiz and for your interest in my videomaking techniques.
Before I leave you today, I would like to say a special hello to… Refugio in Mexico, Paula in Argentina, Marian in Spain, Niccolo in Italy, and Alfredo, who is also in Argentina, and your daughter, who you say now wants to learn English thanks to my videos. Well that is very nice to hear.
A big hello to all of you! That is all from me for today. Keeps sending in your e-mails and who knows? I could be answering your question next time. Look out for that e-mail address, it will be popping up very soon. This is Misterduncan in England saying thank you for asking me and… ta-ta for now!