you did. So I'm here to answer them for you. So if you are ready, let's do this.

Welcome to Q&A with Tom. Now I asked you guys on Facebook and on Instagram to ask me any

questions you had about English and I got so many responses. So today we're looking

at, well I'm going to look at some of the questions and hopefully give you an answer

so you can understand English better. So, alright, if you are ready let's have a look

at question number one.

We are starting with a grammar question on Instagram. This comes from kirilova_irina_inst

and she asks how often in a real conversation do you use the present perfect continuous

and the past perfect continuous? Great question, so let's do a real quick review of the present

perfect continuous and the past perfect continuous.

The present perfect continuous, the form is have or has plus been plus the verb in the

ing form. And we use it to talk about actions that started in the past and continue or are

unfinished now. For example 'I've been working here for ten years.' So that started in the

past and it's still true now, it's still continuing now. Let's look at two examples to contrast

the present perfect continuous and the present perfect. 'I've watched the new series of Game

of Thrones'. Now in that sentence that suggests that I've completed it that I finished the

new series. Whereas contrasting that with the present perfect continuous 'I've been

watching the new series of Game of Thrones.' There it suggests that I haven't finished,

that maybe there are a few episodes I need to watch. So we are focusing on the action

there. So that's maybe one time that we're going to use the present perfect continuous

is to focus on the action rather than the result. We can also use it for temporary situations.

So for example 'I usually live on my own but I've been staying with my sister for the last

two weeks.' So it's a temporary situation, I'll go back to living on my own but just

for a short time I've been living with my sister. So temporary situations also really

good with the present perfect continuous. Another functional way to use the present

perfect continuous is to talk about reasons for present results. So for example, I have

my chocolate here but most of it has gone and I could say 'Who's been eating my chocolate?'

Ok, and I can see that there is still some chocolate there, this is present situation

but in the past someone has eaten my chocolate. Now I could say 'Who ate my chocolate?' that's

fine but I could also say 'Who's been eating my chocolate?' both are absolutely fine. Also

you might say another example 'I'm really tired' and the reason 'because I've been walking

around London all day' so 'I'm really tired right now and the reason, because I've been

walking around London all day.' So again you've got a present situation, a present result

and the reason, we are using the present perfect continuous, because I've been walking around

London all day. So that's another really nice functional way to use the present perfect

continuous. The past perfect continuous, the form is had plus been plus the verb in the

ing form. And again we are talking about actions that happened in the past and continue to

a point in the past. So this is all past actions, they are all completed actions. And this is

really important, you'll probably use the past perfect continuous in a narrative, in

a story. For example I might tell you about trying to meet a friend and I could say 'I'd

been waiting for my friend for hours and then finally she called and said that she had an

accident.' So the focus there is on the length of time that I was waiting. Often we use it

with another past tense so I'd been waiting for my friend for hours and then she finally

called. Could be the past, using the past simple tense. The past perfect continuous

tense is a really useful tense in narratives and that's when you are most likely to use

it. Now I think both theses tenses need more time to learn and to look at together so perhaps

if you guys would like me to do a separate video looking at the present perfect continuous

and the past perfect continuous then let me know in the comments below. I hope that was

useful for you Irina, that certainly with the present perfect continuous we use it very

functionally a lot and with the pst perfect continuous again in stories in narratives

yeah we use it.So, I hope that helps, let me know in the comments below.

From Facebook Nguyen Dinh Bac asks 'What's the difference between each and every?' Fantastic

question. Ok, now they are both very similar in meaning however each refers to an individual

thing or object or person whereas every can refer to a group of things or people. For

example 'Each English learner is different.' 'Every English learner is different' So there

both are grammatically correct. The difference just being how we view the subject there.

So each English learner, I'm thinking about individual one whereas every English learner

I'm grouping them together as a group of English learners. So both perfectly grammatically

correct it's just how we look at the situation. How we perceive it to be. Now both each and

every we use with singular nouns, ok that's a really important rule. Now the difference

between the two comes when we are talking about two objects. Now if we have two objects

then we are going to use each for example 'I've got a bag in each hand.' Now I've only

got two hands in the world, only two of them so I would use each because it's two. So I've

got a bag in each hand. I couldn't say I've got a bag in every hand, that would be a bit

strange. Maybe I would have five hands, ten hands who knows. If we have three or more

objects then we can use every or each so for example 'Every country I've been to I've loved'

or 'Each country I've been to I've loved' both are grammatically fine because we are

looking at three or more objects. Nguyen I hope that helps, I hope that makes sense,

thank you for your question.

I got two questions from you guys about British versus American English. Happy_ukhti said

'what's the difference between British and American English?' Great question, now there

are many differences between the two now just first of all I've done three videos about

British and American English to help you guys understand which words to use which grammar

to use which pronunciation to use. I've linked them just above. Now the main things are vocabulary,

there's a lot of difference between British vocabulary and American vocabulary. Now recently

I showed you guys how to do the pronunciation of certain television shows and we talked

about the vocabulary of series or season. Now series is British English meaning a collection

of episodes and season is an American English word to say a collection of episodes and now

people here certainly in London and Britain, we're saying season or some people are anyway.

So there is a kind of American English comes into British English and some of the words

we use, some of the words we don't but that's one example of British English using some

American English vocabulary. So vocabulary is one big thing, pronunciation is obviously

a huge one. There are many differences I can't even begin to start with them now but the

'r' sound car in American English is a much stronger sound than in British English. Again

if you guys would like a separate video about British English and American English pronunciation

differences then tell me in the comments below, I would love to make one for you. Grammar

as well, there's obviously a lot of difference, not a lot of difference but there are differences

in British English grammar and American English grammar. I've talked about that before so

if you check out my videos I made three of them. Watch them, see if you can learn new

things from that and then also let me know in the comments below if you'd like me to

make another video about British and American English.

AtyB on Instagram asked me 'When will you come to HK again?' so Hong Kong 'or may I

meet you in the near future?' So great question Aty. Yeah, for those of you who don't know

I used to live in Hong Kong for about three and a half years. I lived in Argentina as

well and in Spain. I would love to go back to Hong Kong, if not for a short trip who

knows but yes. There are certainly plans at some point in the near future to make it to

Hong Kong so of course I will tell you guys if I do come to Hong Kong or to Asia or anywhere

for that matter. And yes, if you come to London please let me know. I do try to meet up with

Eat Sleep Dreamers, I love it. I feel a great connection with you guys especially when I

meet you. I met Natalie, when Natalie came to London we went for a coffee. I put the

picture up on my Facebook page so yeah please let me know if you are coming to London let

me know. And if I have time I would love to meet you for a coffee or a drink or a chat

or whatever it might be. So let me know.

I'm also planning a meet up at some point really soon to get some Eat Sleep Dreamers

together just to hang out to meet each other share stories things like that. So listen

in keep your ears, get your ears ready, keep your eyes peeled, that's the phrase we use,

keep your eye peeled. Look out! You know and I'll let you guys know as soon as I decide

when the meet up will be, I'll tell you.

Nina Nona on Facebook asks 'What is an Oxford comma?' Now usually i don't look at writing

so much on Eat Sleep Dream English but we'll have a look at it today. So the Oxford comma

is the last comma in a list of three or more things and it goes just before and or or.

Now it's optional, you don't have to use it, some style guides or writing guides would

prefer you to use it but it's an optional thing. So let's look t an example. Ok, so

'I bought a suit, a tie and some new shoes'. Now there you can use it with the Oxford comma,

so the comma just going before and or you can use it without. Both are absolutely fine,

it's your choice. It's up to you. If you are writing for an exam or maybe for a newspaper

or publication then you should find out whether to use it or not but if you are just writing

for yourself then you can choose. The only I would say is be consistent, either use it

all the time or don't use it at all, it's up to you.

On Instagram anita.sk asks 'Have lunch' or 'have a lunch' - which one is correct? Great

question. So most of the time, almost all the time have lunch is great, ok? We use it

just to talk very generally so 'What time do you have lunch?' or 'I have lunch at one

o'clock.' So that's probably the one you'll use most of the time. When you have a formal

plan for lunch maybe it's a business lunch or a lunch to celebrate a friend's birthday,

something like that, then you might say a lunch. So 'i have a lunch tomorrow' means

that i have a formal plan tomorrow for lunch. Or if you are going through your diary with

a friend and you are saying 'sorry i can't meet on Friday, I have a lunch planned.' So

for formal situations with a formal planned lunch that's when you might say have a lunch

but generally speaking have lunch works really well most of the time.

On Facebook Phan Hoang asks 'Hi Tom, I am from Asia, on the holidays and special lunar

new year, we usually visit relatives and neighbours. Do you do that? Do you know your neighbours?

What do you do on holiday?

Great question yeah, during the holiday period like Christmas Easter things like that yeah

absolutely I spend it with my family. We visit each other and that's a really important time.

It's a great opportunity to meet up with your friends, well your family and spend some really

good quality time with them. Do I know my neighbours? Yeah I know my neighbours. I've

travelled around quite a lot so I haven't always been in one place for a long time so

maybe I don't know my neighbours as well as someone who has lived in the same place for

years and years and years but yeah I know my neighbours and lots of my friends live

very close to me so that's fantastic.

What do i do on holiday? I mean, any number of things. usually i try and find some sunshine

that;s because I live in England and we don't always have sunshine so that's always a nice

thing. I love eating, when I go on holiday I love to eat the local food, trying new things.

Recently i went to Spain and I ate the local food there. It was incredible, I love it.

When I lived in Hong Kong I visited lots of different countries in Asia like Vietnam,

Thailand and Indonesia again trying the local food so I think food is a really important

part of holidays and travelling for me.

Guys if you have any more questions for me please let me know in the comments below and

I'll make another Q&A with Tom video later. And you can ask your questions and I'll answer

them for you. I'm here to help you, I'm here to help you learn English as best I can. So

yeh just let me know in the comments below. If you have any questions about grammar, vocabulary

pronunciation whatever it is. If there any videos i can make you also please let me know

and I'll try and make them. I've got a couple of very exciting announcements coming soon.

I can't quite tell you yet but look out in the next couple of days, weeks some really

exciting things happening at Eat Sleep Dream English and I want you guys to be a part of

that. Thank you so much for hanging out with me today guys, this is Tom the English Hipster

and you know what time it is. It's time to take your English to the next level.