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MakeSenseは英語編集作業、翻訳をする会社で北海道札幌を中心に活動しています。私たちは様々なタイプの翻訳（個人、医療、工業、ホテル観光産業、レストランのメニュー等あらゆるものに対応できます。１語7円または、最低コスト500円で素早く、正確です。
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Make Sense is a proofreading/translating company based in Sapporo, Hokkaido. We can translate a range of different things, including personal, business, medical, engineering, hotel English, restaurant menus, and anything else that may need translating or proofreading. ￥7 a word, or character, and a minimum charge of only ￥500. Quick and accurate. info@make-sense.net

If you want to learn English for any reason I can help you along the way.

Maybe you are travelling overseas and you want to be able to find your way around.

Maybe you need to study English for your job.

Perhaps you wish for your children to learn English.

You may just want to learn English for fun.

I have experience in teaching all ages and levels of English, in a wide range of settings.

Where can we study?

I can teach you at a Cafe/Tea Shop. Part of this deal is you buy the coffee/tea. 

If you have children you want to learn English I can teach at your home. I already have about six students doing this.

What will it cost you?

After your free trial lesson, my standard rate is ￥3500 for a one hour lesson. 

If we have the lesson in a cafe, the coffee is on you.

If I need to travel anywhere except between Zenibako and Sapporo Stations, I would need payment for transport.

Finally, if you cancel the lesson on the same day the fee still stands. If I cancel on the same day (which I have done once in three years) the next lesson is free.

I also take group lessons, and for that we can have a talk about a suitable price.

Shall we talk?

You can call me or message me on 080-4369-1774, or if you are a bit shy you can email me on matt@make-sense.net Call Akiko on 080-4163-3791 if you prefer 日本語

写真で英語の文法と単語うを習う # 9 - Sourdough starter

Welcome to the Make Sense blog. What we're going to do here is learn English vocab through photos, taken by myself in the beginning, or with submissions from you beautiful people out there.

I will explain the photo, then break down my explanation in English and Japanese. If you have any questions, please ask. I have also included the phonetics to help pronunciation.

Here we go....

This is my sourdough starter. Sourdough is a type of bread made without using yeast. Well it does use yeast, but not the kind you find in a shop.

This is how I made what you can see in the photo'

1.  First I boiled  a potato until it was cooked through.

2. Then I poured the water off into a seperate container, and mashed the potato.

3. After that, I poured the water back in, and added a teaspoon of sugar, a teaspoon of salt.

4. Finally, I covered it with a bit of natural cloth and let the fermentation begin.

Instead of using out of a packet, the sourdough starter is created with natural yeast.

Yeast is abundant in nature, found in the air, on one's hands, and in this case, in potatoes. 

In a couple of days I can use it to make a loaf of bread. 

単語

sourdough (/ˈsaʊədəʊ//), noun: leaven for making bread, consisting of fermenting dough, originally that left over from a previous baking.
日本語： サワードウ,  サワー種


yeast(/jiːst/), noun: a microscopic fungus consisting of single oval cells that reproduce by budding, and capable of converting sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide
 日本語：酵母

fermentation(/fəːmɛnˈteɪʃ(ə)n/), noun: the chemical breakdown of a substance by bacteria, yeasts, or other microorganisms, typically involving effervescence and the giving off of heat
 日本語： 発酵hi

abundant(/əˈbʌnd(ə)nt/), adjective: existing or available in large quantities; plentiful
日本語：豊か, 潤沢

文法 

Making lists

To make lists, it's good to use sequence markers, like First, next, then, after that, and finally.
It helps the instructions flow, and is easy for the reader to follow.
In 日本語, think まず、最初、そして、それから、and　最後

写真で英語の文法と単語うを習う # 8 - Goodbye winter

Welcome to the Make Sense blog. What we're going to do here is learn English vocab through photos, taken by myself in the beginning, or with submissions from you beautiful people out there.

I will explain the photo, then break down my explanation in English and Japanese. If you have any questions, please ask. I have also included the phonetics to help pronunciation.

Here we go....

This very, very, very small house is on a hill a stone's throw from my house. As you can see, the snow is melting away, leaving the brown, lifeless looking foliage behind. It looks brown and lifeless as it have been under snow for the last three months or so. I got back from New Zealand two weeks ago, and the snow has been melting more rapidly every day. I am always glad when spring comes around, as I haven't had a bbq for a long time, and I haven't been for a good run outside for just as long.

Unfortunately the window between being able to run outside to train, and the Toya Marathon in May is always too short, leaving me not fit enough to crack the four hour mark. 

単語

stone's throw (/stəʊnz/ /θrəʊ/), noun: a short distance
日本語：目と鼻の先



foliage (/ˈfəʊlɪɪdʒ/), noun: plant leaves collectively
 日本語：葉 (lots of them)

rapidly(/ˈrapɪdli/), adverb: very quickly; at a great rate
 日本語： 急速に

window (/ˈwɪndəʊ/), adjective:  an interval or opportunity for action
日本語：? could't find a decent one. Any suggestions?

crack (/krak/) noun: (a chance to attack or compete with someone/something)
日本語：切れる

文法 

has/hasn't, have/haven't = 現在完了形 = the present perfect tense

have been under　(現在完了形)

This is the present perfect. A situation which began in the past has continued, and still continues at the time of speaking.

The foliage found itself under snow at sometime in the past (around December) and has remained so through the period up to, and including now. (大切ポイント)

has been melting　(建材完了進行形)

This is the present perfect continuous. A continous action began in the past,  and has continued continuing until the present. (大切ポイント)

 haven't had a bbq (現在完了形　(ひてい)

This is the present perfect in the negative. A situation which didn't  began in the past hasn't continued, and still hasn't happened at the time of speaking.

 haven't been for a good run

(現在完了形　(ひてい)

 This is the present perfect in the negative. A situation which didn't  began in the past hasn't continued, and still hasn't happened at the time of speaking.

Have a look at Education First's take on present perfect here.

 

 

写真で英語の文法と単語うを習う # 7 - Open Hamburger

Welcome to the Make Sense blog. What we're going to do here is learn English vocab through photos, taken by myself in the beginning, or with submissions from you beautiful people out there.

I will explain the photo, then break down my explanation in English and Japanese. If you have any questions, please ask. I have also included the phonetics to help pronunciation.

Here we go....

 This is an open hamburger. It is like a normal hamburger, but the second bun is adjacent to the first bun, with all the insides proudly displayed. I don't really know what  it's about, except maybe that you can see all the ingredients. It was tip top too. Especially with that lovely beetroot. A lovely fried egg, onion, with wedges to complement it.

I eat hamburgers. I love hamburgers. I am not eating many hamburgers right now as I am training for a marathon. I try to run every day, but I am not running this morning as I don't have time. I will run tonight. I have a lot of time on Mondays at the moment, as I haven't started work at the local elementary school yet this year. I usually teach there every week, but I am not teaching there at the moment. Maybe I will start in two weeks time.

 

単語

adjacent(/əˈdʒeɪs(ə)nt/), adjective: next to or adjoining something else
日本語：隣接



proudly(/ˈpraʊdli/), adverb: in an imposing manner; splendidly
 日本語：得々

ingredient (/ɪnˈɡriːdɪənt/) , noun: any of the foods or substances that are combined to make a particular dish
 日本語： 食材, 成分

tip top (/tɪpˈtɒp/), adjective: of the very best class or quality; excellent
日本語：超一流

complement (/ˈkɒmplɪm(ə)nt//), noun:  a thing that contributes extra features to something else in such a way as to improve or emphasize its quality

日本語：補足
I'm not sure about this translation. To complement means like chocolate sauce complements icecream, or edamame complement beer. The two things both have x goodness, but when the x and x are added, they add to more than 2x.
 

文法 

現在形 and 現在進行形

You can see in the text the different forms of the verb: eat/eating, run/running, teach/teaching.

The last two lessons I did showed that the 現在形 showed a fact, or a habit; while the 現在進行形 shows that the verb is either happening right now, or around now. It has started, but not finished yet. (ずっと)

I am eat hamburgers. That is a 事実. Who doesn't everyone loves hamburgers.  
I am not eating a hamburger right now. I am sitting at my desk writing this blog post.

I run. I don't want to be fat. I have to run a marathon in a month. 事実です。 I run. Do you run? 
I am not running right now. I am sitting at my desk writing this blog post.

I teach. 事実です。I am a teacher, so I teach. Obviously. 
I am teaching right now. (ずっと). I am sitting at my desk, writing this post, teaching you the difference between 現在形 and 現在進行形。

Pop over to the nice folk at Language on Schools for a more indepth explanation. 

 

写真で英語の文法と単語うを習う #6 - (ミニ）Plum blossom time

Welcome to the Make Sense blog. What we're going to do here is learn English vocab through photos, taken by myself in the beginning, or with submissions from you beautiful people out there.

I will explain the photo, then break down my explanation in English and Japanese. If you have any questions, please ask. I have also included the phonetics to help pronunciation.

Here we go....

This is a branch that broke off our plum tree during the winter. There was a lot of snow, or maybe Akiko just pruned it. I'm not sure.
Anyhow, the branch was put in water, and is now starting to bloom. The flowers are peeking out of their buds, and the branch is becoming prettier day by day.
It is lovely at this time of year. The snow is melting, the weather is getting warmer.
I have been walking more, and I can run on the road. Recently I have been running road more, and using the treadmill in the gym less. I am training for the Lake Toya Marathon which is on May 20th.
Another sign of the summer arriving is that Akiko has been planning the layout of the vegetable garden which I was talking about yesterday.

単語

branch(/brɑːn(t)ʃ/), noun: a part of a tree which grows out from the trunk or from a bough
日本語：枝
If you think of a company like a bank, you have the head office and the branch offices. The branch offices spread out over the city/country like a tree.

　
prune(/pruːn/), verb: cut away (a branch or stem) from a tree, shrub, etc.
 日本語：刈る, 切り落とす

peek(/piːk/), verb: protrude slightly so as to be just visible
 日本語：覗く

treadmill(/ˈtrɛdmɪl/) , noun: a device used for exercise, consisting of a continuous moving belt on which to walk or run.
 日本語： 踏み車
Work can be said to be like a treadmill, especially if the job is unexciting. Everyday, walking to stay in the same place, and never getting anywhere.

sign(/sʌɪn/), noun: an object, quality, or event whose presence or occurrence indicates the probable presence or occurrence of something else
日本語：兆候

layout (/ˈleɪaʊt/), noun:  the plan or design or arrangement of something laid out (on paper)

日本語：コリアンダー、 パクチー
 

文法 

進行形 - Continous form

If the verb has -ing on the end, it is probably in the continuous. It may be a gerund, but that is for another day. You have to look at the words around it to know. More on that later.

What the continuous does is indicate that a verb happens over a time. It can be right now 
(現在進行形), maybe not right at this moment, but around now (現在進行形), it may be talking about something that will be happening at a future time (未来 進行形), or something that was happening at a point in time in the past (過去進行形）.
Just remember, it has an -ing at the end, and it indicates ずっと at some point in time.
 From the text:

 Anyhow, the branch was put in water, and is now starting to bloom.
(The branch has started to bloom. It hasn't really bloomed completely, so it is still starting (ずっと)

The flowers are peeking out of their buds, and the branch is becoming prettier day by day.
The flowers started peeking out day or so ago. They aren't completely out, so they are still peeking. It's still a ずっと action.
Each day the branch is prettier. It started to become prettier a few days ago, but is still to reach 100% prettier, so it is still becoming （ずっと）prettier. 
 
 Akiko has been planning the layout of the vegetable garden.
Akiko has started to plan the layout of the vegetable garden. She isn't doing it right now, she's watching tv. But the planning action has started, and is not yet finished = ずっと = continous.

Pop over to the nice folk at English Language Centres for a more indepth explanation. 

写真で英語の文法と単語うを習う #5 - My vege garden

Welcome to the Make Sense blog. What we're going to do here is learn English vocab through photos, taken by myself in the beginning, or with submissions from you beautiful people out there.

I will explain the photo, then break down my explanation in English and Japanese. If you have any questions, please ask. I have also included the phonetics to help pronunciation.

Here we go....

This is our vege garden. It looks pretty desolate at the moment, but that is because it is the end of a long, cold winter. You can still see some snow in the background of the photo.
All the rows in the garden run from left to right, but on the left hand side, there is one row running perpindicular to the others. That's where my aspargus is planted. It has been in there for three years, so this year may be the year we can start eating them.
This summer may be good, or it may be bad for gardening. No-one knows. What will we plant? We will plant potatoes, beetroot, onions, kumura, and coriander. We might plant corn, and we may plant pumpkin. We haven't decided yet.

単語

vege (/ˈvɛdʒi/), noun: a vegetable
Google Translate says this is New Zealand English, but I'm pretty sure it's just a word shortened.
日本語：野菜

　
desolate (/ˈdɛs(ə)lət/), adjective: (of a place) uninhabited and giving an impression of bleak emptiness.
日本語：寂しい, 荒涼, 蕭寥 

run (/rʌn/), verb: extend or cause to extend in a particular direction
日本語：沿う (not sure about this translation.)

perpindicular (/ˌpəːp(ə)nˈdɪkjʊlə) , adjective: at an angle of 90° to a given line, plane, or surface or to the ground.
日本語： 直角

kumura (/ˈkuːmərə), noun: a convolvulaceous twining plant, Ipomoea batatas , of tropical America, cultivated in the tropics for its edible fleshy  yellow root
日本語：さつま芋

coriander (/ˌkɒrɪˈandə/), noun: an aromatic Mediterranean plant of the parsley family, the leaves and seeds of which are used as culinary herb

日本語：コリアンダー、 パクチー
 

文法 

may vs might

May is used to talk about what is possible (可能), a fact (事実), or something that may be a fact (事実かも).
Have a look at these:

He may buy a new car.
We may go to Hawaii for a business trip. 
I may have a cigar this evening.

These things may happen. They may not happen. But by using 'may', you are saying there is a pretty decent chance of it happening.

I might buy a new car if I get a new job.
I might have retired already if I have of invested in Apple.
I might go to the baseball if I have time. 

These things are imagined either in the future or the past. They also depend on something else happening.  They are less likely to happen than things which 'may ' happen.

Final point - mightはmayの過去形です。

I may have a beer with the boys tonight. (未来形）
I might have had a beer tonight if I hadn't had to work overtime. (過去形)

 

 

写真で英語の文法と単語うを習う #4 - Garage house rollercoaster

Welcome to the Make Sense blog. What we're going to do here is learn English vocab through photos, taken by myself in the beginning, or with submissions from you beautiful people out there.

I will explain the photo, then break down my explanation in English and Japanese. If you have any questions, please ask. I have also included the phonetics to help pronunciation. I also explain it via Youtube.

This house is in Wellington, New Zealand. The house owners park their cars at the bottom of the hill. The house sits on top of the hill. They park their cars, then ride the railcar to the top of the hill.
It seems to be very inconvenient. The wind often blows a gale in Wellington, and when I was there it was raining too. The view looks out over Wellington Harbour, and is very beautiful I think.
If I lived there, I would always remember to do all my shopping, and I would try not to forget anything. I wouldn't need to worry about unwanted visitors. I guess every cloud has a silver lining.

単語

hill (/hɪl/), noun: a naturally raised area of land, not as high or craggy as a mountain
日本語：丘
In Japan, many mountains would actually be called hills overseas.

railcar (/ˈreɪlkɑː/), noun:
a powered railway passenger vehicle designed to operate singly or as part of a multiple unit
日本語：電動車 
The railcar in the picture is very hard to describe. Railcar is the best word I could think of.

gale(/ɡeɪl/), noun: a very strong wind
日本語：暴風

every cloud has a silver lining, proverb: every difficult or sad situation has a comforting or more hopeful aspect, even though this may not be immediately apparent
日本語：すべての雲は銀の裏地を持っています

文法 
現在形 - present simple

The present simple is used for two main things. The first is when you are talking fact. Something that is always true(事実）. The second is talking about some which happens repeatedly, time and time again.（習慣）

The house owners park their cars at the bottom of the hill (習慣)
The house sits on top of the hill. (事実)

They park their cars, then ride the railcar to the top of the hill. (習慣、習慣)
The wind often blows a gale in Wellington. (習慣)
The view looks out over Wellington Harbour, and is very beautiful I think. （事実)
If I lived there, I would always remember to do all my shopping (習慣)