Christine hat mich heute auf so einen typisch deutschen Fehler hingewiesen, den ich ständig mache!  

Im Englischen verwendet man ja das ‘Simple Past’ für abgeschlossene Handlungen in der Vergangenheit.  

Wir Deutschen dagegen rutschen da total oft ins ‘Present Perfect’ ab, selbst wenn die Aktion komplett abgeschlossen ist.

Christine hat als Beispiel gesagt, man würde nicht sagen: “I have broken my arm a year ago” (Ich habe mir den Arm vor einem Jahr gebrochen), sondern einfach nur: “I broke my arm a year ago.”

Gut. Ich habe es verstanden. Ich weiß es. Trotzdem erwische ich mich ständig dabei, wie ich solche Sätze falsch baue.  

Zum Beispiel habe ich neulich zu einer Klientin gesagt: “Sorry, I have forgotten to phone you last week” (Es tut mir leid, dass ich vergessen habe, dich letzte Woche anzurufen), anstatt einfach nur “Sorry, I forgot to phone you last week.”

Jetzt wo Christine mir den Unterschied so klar erklärt hat, werde ich auf jeden Fall bewusster darauf achten.  

Vielleicht sollte ich mir sogar ein paar Notizzettel mit ‘Simple Past’ drauf an den Schreibtisch kleben!

Das mache ich direkt. 

Greta

P.S.: Franz hat heute nach unserem gemeinsamen Training mit Christine Witze auf Englisch erzählt.  Also da verstehe ich mittlerweile immer mehr! 🙂

Do you ever catch yourself saying “hoover” when you actually mean to vacuum-clean? 🤔

Or reaching for ‘Domestos‘ instead of plain bleach?

It happens more than we realise!

Brands sneak into our everyday language, becoming part of our vocabulary.

You need a plaster? Do you ask for a Band-Aid?

Thirsty for a fizzy drink? You might merely ask for a Coke.

It’s interesting how brand names take over the actual product names without us noticing, isn’t it?

They’re everywhere!

So, while you’re ‘hoovering’ or grabbing ‘Domestos’, take a sec to think about the sneaky power of branding!

What other brand names have become part of your daily talk? 😄

Do your emails sound more like history books than modern-day messages?

Phrases like “I should be very grateful” and “as per our regulations” might’ve sounded cool… in the past.

But your emails deserve a 21st-century makeover!  

Let’s toss out those dusty phrases you learned in school and use a little more up-to-date language.

Let’s see how! 

Rather than this …	Try this …
As per our agreement	As we agreed
I apologise for any inconvenience	Sorry for any trouble
At your earliest convenience	As soon as possible / When you get a chance
Pleased find attached	I’m attaching / I’ve attached
Thank you for your cooperation	Thanks for your help
I’m writing to inform you that …	I wanted to let you know that …
Kindly send me	Please send me
It has come to my attention that …	I’ve noticed that …
Pleased be advised that …	Just a quick note to let you know …
I should be grateful …	Please …

Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Let me know if you need more details. I’d love to help.

Ah, sometimes I really miss British food!

It’s been a while since I visited (it’s been too long!), and I can’t help but think about those special British treats.

On the top of my list:

Chips with Daddies Sauce: Do you know how delicious those chips taste with the sweet and spicy Daddies sauce? It brings back memories of how good and comforting each bite was.

Warm Crumpets: Just thinking about biting into a warm, buttery crumpet, feeling it crumble and melt in my mouth, takes me back to some of the best afternoons.

Scones with Clotted Cream: Those yummy crumbly pastries with strawberry jam and thick, delicious clotted cream. The perfect accompaniment to a cup of hot tea (with milk). A real treat for your taste buds!

Rowntrees Fruit Gums: Those irresistibly chewy and fruity gums in 5 different flavours. Even if they weren’t the best for my teeth!

Well, now that my passport’s been renewed, I can finally enjoy these delicious tastes again!

So, what are your favourite British foods?️

Have you ever noticed that our American friends sometimes leave out prepositions in their sentences?

For example, in America, it’s common to say, “I will write you” when talking about sending someone a letter. 

Now, in British English, we might wonder, “What kind of letter?” A love letter? A shopping list?

Why? Because in Britain, we would usually say, “I will write to you.” The little word “to” tells us who will receive the letter, making it a bit clearer.

So, next time you find yourself confused by a simplified sentence, remember—it’s not a mistake, it’s just a different style of English!

This is just one example of how American and British English can differ slightly. 

Language is a fascinating world. And learning these small differences makes it even more interesting! 

What’s your favourite example of a difference between British and American English? 

You won’t believe this April Fools’ prank!

On April Fools’ Day 1957, the BBC news in Britain played a prank that left everyone scratching their heads!

Image you’re sitting on the couch, watching the news, and suddenly, there’s a story about Switzerland having a HUGE harvest of spaghetti! 🇨🇭

Look at the Panorama report here. 

Farmers are happy, picking long strands of pasta from trees and drying them in the sun. 

Sounds cool, right? But guess what? It was all fake!

The BBC was just having some fun on April Fools’ Day. 

People even called them asking how to grow their own spaghetti trees! 

Can you believe it? 

This prank reminds us that simple jokes are often the best.

And it shows that even serious news shows can bring a smile to our faces.

So watch out today. 

If you see something crazy on the news, don’t believe it right away! It might be someone pulling your leg.