I’m the dopest female that you’ve heard thus far.

Grammar

And I’ll blind you with the science that the others have yet to find,
so come along and I’ll lead you the right way.
Just clap your hands to the words I say.

Yet is an adverb that means an expected action or event has not happened. We normally use yet with negative statements and questions.

• He hasn’t woken up yet.
• I haven’t started my homework yet.
• Did you call your brother yet?

Still is an adverb that means something has not finished. Something started in the past and it continues, perhaps to our surprise.

• It has been raining for  three hours, and it is still raining.
• He is still upset over the fight.
• Are you still hungry? I can make you another sandwich.

In most cases, yet is used in negative statements and questions. When yet is used in affirmative statements, it has the same meaning as still. This usage is considered to be formal.

Subject + has/have + yet + infinitive. 

• I have yet to hear from my brother. I am still waiting for my brother to call me.
• The scientists have yet to find a cure. They are still searching for one.
• He has yet to prove to be an effective leader. He is still gaining the trust of his team.

Writing Task

A common expression in English is The best has yet to come. Do you think this is true in some situations? Does the future always have something better for us? Please write your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.

The post Grammar with MC Lyte: When ‘yet’ means ‘still’ appeared first on ESL Hip Hop.

Brooklyn, New York City, where they paint murals of Biggie.
In cash we trust because it’s ghetto fabulous. Life look pretty.

Grammar: Infinitives of Purpose

One, two, three.
Mos Def and Talib Kweli.
We came to rock it on to the tip-top.
Best alliance in hip-hop. Y-O!
I said one, two, three.
It’s kind of dangerous to be an MC.
They shot 2Pac and Biggie.
Too much violence in hip-hop. Y-O!

An infinitive is the simple form of the verb, and it usually goes with to. For example:

• to eat
• to sleep
• to see

There are complex rules and many uses of infinitives, but we often use them to explain a person’s purpose, or why he or she does something. Consider these examples:

He’s going to San Francisco to learn English.

• What is he doing? He’s going.
  
• Where is he going? He’s going to San Francisco.
• Why is he going to San Francisco? To learn English. He’s going to San Francisco to learn English.

She’s leaving her apartment to meet her friend.

• What is she doing? She’s leaving.
• What is she leaving? She’s leaving her apartment.
• Why is she leaving her apartment? To meet her friend. She’s leaving her apartment to meet her friend.

Formal Writing and Describing Other People

To sound more formal and academic, you can also use in order (not) or so as (not) with the infinitive.

• He’s going to San Francisco in order to earn English.
• She’s leaving her apartment so as to meet her friend.

If you want to describe a purpose for another person, you can use for with the infinitive.

• I hid the key to my apartment under the flowers for you to get in. 
  
• My father left his car for me to wash.
• She left the package for the intern to deliver.

Writing Task

Nearly 2 billion people are learning English right now. They all have different reasons for learning English. Why are you studying English? Please tell us in the comments below!

The post Infinitives of Purpose with Black Star appeared first on ESL Hip Hop.

If you were worried about where
I been or who I saw or
What club I went to with my homies
Baby, don’t worry. You know that you got me

Grammar: Introduction to Relative Clauses

First of all, what is a relative clause? Relative clauses (sometimes called adjective clauses) occur after nouns. They give more information about the noun. For example:

• The girl is pretty. She is dancing with your brother. The girl who is dancing with you brother is pretty.
• Let’s watch the scary movie. The scary movie was made in France. Let’s watch the scary movie that was made in France. 
• We invited people to the party. Most of them did not arrive to the party. Most of the people that were invited to the party did not arrive.

All relative clauses begin with a pronoun such as:

• who – refers to people; can refer to subject or object.
  • She is the teacher who helped my brother.
  • The man who is swimming in the lake is my best friend.
  • She is the girl who I saw at the concert last night. (Refers to object and is informal)
• whom – refers to people; very formal; people only
  • He is the man whom we met at the party last night.
  • She is the girl whom I saw at the concert last night.
  • They are the people with whom we had a fight.
• that – refers to people or things
  • He is the man that looks like Tom Cruise.
  • I am reading a book that all students should read.
  • The Roots are a hip-hop group that deserves more recognition and respect.
• which – refers to only things
  • Can you show me the sentences which are difficult to translate?
  • Is this the car which you want to buy?

What noun does the relative clause refer to? Is that noun the subject of the clause? If yes, then: Noun + who/that/which/where/what + verb 

What noun does the relative clause refer to? Is that noun the object of the clause? If yes, then: Noun + who/whom/that/which/where/what + subject + verb

Reduced Relative Clauses

Somebody told me that this planet was small.
We used to live in the same building on the same floor
and never met before
until I’m overseas on tour
and peeped this Ethiopian queen from Philly
taking classes abroad.

In a reduced relative clause, a particple verb (~ing verb or past participle) is used instead of the pronoun and full verb. In other words, omit the relative pronoun (who/whom/what/which) and auxiliary verb.

• The man who is swimming in the lake is my friend. The man swimming in the lake is my friend.
• I peeped this Ethiopian queen from Philly who was taking classes abroad. I peeped this Ethiopian queen from Philly taking classes abroad.
• Most of the people that were invited to the party didn’t come. Most of the people invited to the party didn’t come.

Reduced relative clauses work really well with passive voice, present progressive and past progressive verb tenses.

The post Reduced Relative Clauses with The Roots appeared first on ESL Hip Hop.

Love is blind, and it will take over your mind.
What you think is love is truly not.
You need to elevate and find.

Grammar: Reported Speech

She told me she would leave you. I admit it. She did.

Telling me to mind my business.
Said that it was her life and stay the fuck out of it.

See, I laid down beside her in the hospital bed.
And about two hours later, doctors said she was dead.

When we report people’s ideas and speech and use their exact words, this is called direct speech. This grammar uses the exact words of the speaker, and it is usually marked with quotation marks.

• He said, “I don’t want to work here anymore.”
• She told me, “He is a great guy, but I’m not ready for a relationship.”

It is also possible to report somebody’s speech and ideas with our own words, especially if we are reporting in another place and at a different time. This grammar is called reported or indirect speech, and it requires a change in pronouns, verb tenses and time/location words. For example:

• He said, “I don’t want to work here anymore.”
  He said he didn’t want to work there anymore.
• She told me, “He is a great guy, but I’m not ready for a relationship.”
  She told me he was a great guy, but she wasn’t ready for a relationship.
• She said, “I will leave Mark.”
  She said she would leave Mark.
• She said, “It is my life!”
  She said that it was her life!

Verb Tense Change in Reported Speech

If the reporting verb is in the past (said, told, thought, knew, found out, asked, realized), then you must change the verb tense.

• will — would
  • I said, “Bring an umbrella because it will rain.”
  • I said bring an umbrella because it would rain.
• simple present — simple past
  • He said, “I need help!”
  • He said he needed help.
• present progressive — past progressive
  • She said, “I am learning English now.”
  • She said she was learning English now.
• present perfect — past perfect
  • He said, “The hotel staff have been so helpful.”
  • He said the hotel staff had been so helpful.
• simple past — past perfect
  • She said, “My father studied chemistry.”
  • She said her father had studied chemistry.
• can — could
  • He said, “I can’t pass the TOEFL. It’s too hard!”
  • He said he couldn’t pass the TOEFL because it was too hard.
• past perfect / would / could — no change in verb tense
  • I said, “I couldn’t go to the meeting last week.”
  • I said I couldn’t go to the meeting.

If the reporting verb is in the present, future or present perfect, then you do not have to change the verb tense.

Vocabulary

• fall for somebody (in. phrasal verb) – to be attracted to somebody and deeply in love with them. How can you fall for such a lazy man? He doesn’t even work full time!
• be on call (idiom) – to be available for work, especially for emergencies. My father is a doctor, and he’s always on call. Sometimes he has to leave dinner unexpectedly to perform surgery.
• take over (in. phrasal verb) – to have control over something. Do you think love can take over the world?
• not give a crap / shit / fuck / damn (slang) – to not care about something. I don’t give a damn how old your grandmother is! She’s a rude lady.
• have the nerve (idiom) – behaving in a way that other people find rude or offensive. I can’t believe he has the nerve to bring his new girlfriend to the party after breaking up with you last week.
• figure out (sep. phrasal verb) – to think about and solve a problem. I can’t figure out how to fix my computer. Can you help me?

Writing Task

Do you think love is blind? If you were in love with somebody, would you stay in the relationship no matter what? Why do some men and women stay in harmful or abusive relationships? If you found out that your friend was in a bad relationship, what advice would you give your friend? Please write your ideas in the comments below!

The post Reported Speech and Vocabulary with Eve appeared first on ESL Hip Hop.

I met this girl when I was ten years old.
And what I loved most, she had so much soul.
She was old school when I was just a shorty.
Never knew throughout my life she would be there for me.

Grammar: Perfect Modal Verbs

I might’ve failed to mention that this chick was creative.
Once the man got to her, he altered her native.

English has several modal verbs, including: can, could, will, would, may, might, must, and should. We normally use modal verbs to describe the present and future, but we can also use it for past actions and situations. To use modal verbs in the past:

Subject + modal + have + past participle.

Subject + modal + have + not + past participle.

Modal + subject + have + past participle?

Meaning of Perfect Modals

The meaning of Perfect Modals is sometimes different than present or future modal verbs.

•  I could have gone with my friends to Europe if I had saved more money. We would have had a great time!
  • Use could have / would have for unrealistic past possibilities.
  • This grammar is called the third conditional.
• My friend has been in school for a very long time. I don’t know if she will graduate in the summer, but she will have certainly graduated by December.
  • Use will have to discuss an expected completed action in the future.
  • This grammar is also called the future perfect.
• You might have seen me in the streets, but you don’t know me. You may have met my friends, but you still don’t know me!
  • Use may have / might have for realistic past possibilities.
• I feel so sick right now! I shouldn’t have eaten that smelly sushi! We should have gone to the pizza restuarant.
  • Use should have to express regrets.
• The diamond ring is beautiful! It must have cost you a fortune!
  • Use must have to make logical deductions.
  • Unlike might have / might have, use must have if you are 100% certain about a situation based on facts, evidence or logic.
• I can have gone with my friends to Europe.
  • The verb can is not possible. Use could have instead.

Pronunciation and Writing

In spoken and written English, people often contract the modal and the verb have. Here are some common contractions

• could have = could’ve = /kʊdəv/
• would have = would’ve = /wʊdəv/
• should have = should’ve = /ʃʊdəv/
• must have = must’ve = /məstəv/
• might have = /maɪtəv/
  • Most people don’t write might’ve
  • In the song, T.I. pronounces it like /maɪtə/
• may have = /meɪəv/
  • Most people don’t write may’ve
• will have = will’ve  = /wɪləv/
  • will’ve is not possible

The post Learn Grammar with Common appeared first on ESL Hip Hop.

“Just What I Am” is the lead single from his third studio album Indicud. The song, produced by Cudi himself, features a guest appearance from his longtime friend, frequent collaborator and fellow Cleveland rapper King Chip (taken verbatim from Wikipedia).

Let me tell you about my month y’all. Endless shopping. I had a ball.
I had to ball for therapy. My shrink don’t think that helps at all

Grammar: Adjective + Infinitive

It’s scary to have a kid walk this Earth.

Infinitives are simple forms of verbs, and they usually occur with to: to walk, to eat, to study, etc. There are many rules about using infinitives in English. This lesson will not cover all of the rules because it is simply an introduction.

Infinitives are often used after adjectives, especially ones relating to reactions, feelings and emotions.

Subject + BE Verb + Adjective + Infinitive

• I’m happy to meet you. 
• He was surprised to see his old friends at the party.
• She’s ready to go home.
• I’m so excited to be here!

In addition to adjectives relation to feelings and emotions, other adjectives are used with infinitives: right, wrong, stupid, careful, lucky, likely.

Vocabulary

• turn down (phrasal verb) – to reduce the noise, temperature, etc, with a piece of equipment. Can you turn down the music? It’s very loud, and I can’t sleep with it blasting in your room!
  
• get by (phrasal verb) – manage to live or do something with the money, knowledge and equipment you have. It’s hard to get by on such a small salary. I really hope I get a bonus from work.
• have a ball (idiom) – to enjoy yourself  a lot. We had a ball at the party! It was a lot of fun.
• When it rains, it pours (idiom) – an expression or saying… when one  bad thing happens to you, many bad things will also happen. I lost my wife, my car and my dog in the same week. When it rains, it pours!

Discussion Questions

When you have problems in your life, how do you relieve the stress? Many people turn to drugs and alcohol to feel better. Why do you think people use drugs and alcohol to solve their problems? Do you think more therapists and psychologists should be available to help the distressed? Please write your comments below!

The post Learn English Grammar: Infinitives with Kid Cudi appeared first on ESL Hip Hop.

In “You Don’t Know Me”, T.I. explains that he is successful because of hard work and talent, and he is upset when people claim responsibility for his success.

You might have seen me in the streets, but you don’t know me.
When you holler when you speak, remember, you don’t know me.
Save all the hating and the popping. You don’t know me.
Quit telling people you my partner. You don’t know me.
Don’t be a group. Keep it moving. You don’t know me.

Grammar: Perfect Modal Verbs

You might have seen me in the streets, but you don’t know me.

English has several modal verbs, including: can, could, will, would, may, might, must, and should. We normally use modal verbs to describe the present and future, but we can also use it for past actions and situations. To use modal verbs in the past:

Subject + modal + have + past participle.

Subject + modal + have + not + past participle.

Modal + subject + have + past participle?

Meaning of Perfect Modals

The meaning of Perfect Modals is sometimes different than present or future modal verbs.

•  I could have gone with my friends to Europe if I had saved more money. We would have had a great time!
  • Use could have / would have for unrealistic past possibilities.
  • This grammar is called the third conditional.
• My friend has been in school for a very long time. I don’t know if she will graduate in the summer, but she will have certainly graduated by December.
  • Use will have to discuss an expected completed action in the future.
  • This grammar is also called the future perfect.
• You might have seen me in the streets, but you don’t know me. You may have met my friends, but you still don’t know me!
  • Use may have / might have for realistic past possibilities. 
• I feel so sick right now! I shouldn’t have eaten that smelly sushi! We should have gone to the pizza restuarant.
  • Use should have to express regrets.
• The diamond ring is beautiful! It must have cost you a fortune!
  • Use must have to make logical deductions.
  • Unlike might have / might have, use must have if you are 100% certain about a situation based on facts, evidence or logic.
• I can have gone with my friends to Europe.
  • The verb can is not possible. Use could have instead.

Pronunciation and Writing

In spoken and written English, people often contract the modal and the verb have. Here are some common contractions

• could have = could’ve = /kʊdəv/
  
• would have = would’ve = /wʊdəv/
• should have = should’ve = /ʃʊdəv/
• must have = must’ve = /məstəv/
• might have = /maɪtəv/
  • Most people don’t write might’ve
  • In the song, T.I. pronounces it like /maɪtə/
• may have = /meɪəv/
  • Most people don’t write may’ve
• will have = will’ve  = /wɪləv/
  • will’ve is not possible

Discussion Questions

What is success? In your opinion, who is a successful person? Do successful people have a lot of money and a big house? Why are people attracted to success? Do you think people become jealous and insecure over the success of another person? Please write your comments below!

The post Learn English Grammar: Perfect Modals with T.I. appeared first on ESL Hip Hop.

I see no changes. All I see is racist faces
Misplaced hate makes disgrace to races
We under. I wonder what it takes to make this
One better place. Let’s erase the wasted
Take the evil out the people. They‘ll be acting right
Cause both black and white are smoking crack tonight

Grammar: Future Progressive

The future progressive (also called the future continuous) has several meanings:

• a future action that is in progress
• a future action that is interrupted
• 2 or more future actions that are happening at the same time

Using Will

Subject + will be + ~ing verb

Subject + will not be + ~ing verb

Subject + won’t be + ~ing verb

Will + subject + be + ~ing verb?

Using Be Going To

Subject + am/is/are + going to be + ~ing verb.

Subject + am/is/are + not going to be + ~ing verb

Am/Is/Are + subject + going to be + ~ing verb?

Example Sentences

• I will be driving to the concert tomorrow afternoon. I will start in the morning and continue driving until the evening. 
  
• She will be studying all day tomorrow, so we should visit her after she takes her test.
• He is going to be waiting for her at the airport. Her flight arrives at 7pm, but he will start waiting at 6:30 pm.
• I will meet you at the restaurant. Where will you be sitting? 
  
• She is very sick, so she won’t be traveling with us to the conference. 
  
• Wish me luck tomorrow. I am going to be giving presentations all day.

Idiom from the Hook: ‘The Way It Is’

The track’s hook samples “The Way It Is” by Bruce Hornsby and the Range.

That’s just the way it is
Things’ll never be the same
That’s just the way it is
Aww yeah

• That’s just the way it is. (idiom) – That’s the normal way of things. That is fate.
  • That’s just the way it goes. 
  • That’s just how it goes. 

Run-D.M.C. is another classic hip-hop group. They also use this idiom in their song “It’s Like That”

It’s like that, and that’s the way it is.

Discussion Questions

What will you be doing tomorrow at 9pm? Will you be working or studying? Will you be relaxing or watching TV? Please write your comments below!

The post Future Progressive with 2Pac appeared first on ESL Hip Hop.