If you sign up for something, you are registering or subscribing to a service or an activity. You give your name and details so you can be part of a program. You are on an official list of participants or clients.
1. The best way to follow my blog is to sign up via email. That way when you register your email address, you will receive a daily email reminder with the link to the post.
2. Most cities have volunteer programs that you can sign up for. You can participate in programs to help the terminally ill, old age people, orphans, animal shelters etc.
3. If you’d like to start a new hobby, you can sign up for dance class, language classes, mixed martial arts, art classes, cooking courses, guitar classes, drumming… or whatever else you’re interested in.
I am curious. Is it then possible to use the expression both with for and with, as seen in the last example about CS? In which cases can we say "sign up with"? Thank you!
ReplyDeleteMargarita
Hi Margarita,
ReplyDeleteGenerally you sign up for SOMETHING and sign up with SOMEONE (including an organization).
I don't think there are any hard and fast rules, except to look at the literal meaning of the preposition. Here's another way to look at it: Generally "for" would mean that you are going to receive something. "With" would mean that you are going to participate with someone or an organization or group. Once again, this is not a rule. Generally we sign up "with" social media sites such as Facebook, Orkut, CS, Twitter etc... perhaps because you are participating or collaborating. Generally if you sign up for something, you may be expecting to receive something, like a class or a newsletter. In the case of a volunteer program you can sign up "for" it because it's a program (and we generally sign up for any kind of program) or we could sign up "with" a volunteer program because clearly we are going to participate and give of our time. It would be more accurate to say, for example to sign up with the Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, etc... it's flexible in that case. I would say that you could sign up with CS or sign up for a CS account. I hope this helps.
Thanks, first of all, for taking your time and for your great and easy explanation. Not everyone has such a knack for creating explanations and definitions. I see how hard and time-consuming it might be to make up some examples/situations with new words as I was studying German as a foreign language at the university some time ago. Sometimes I really hated that kind of tasks, bit in practice there is no better way to learn these new words and to turn it to the active vocabulary:)
ReplyDeleteYour project helping me a lot by improving my colloquial English. I stop by your blog every day and already recognize some of your expressions when watching some American shows (like in my favorite - Friends;).
I'm looking forward for watching your TV-videos, I'll try to be patient:) Thanks again and sorry for a long post.
Margarita
Hi Margarita,
ReplyDeleteIt's a pleasure to help you out with any questions you have. I really enjoy preparing the material... it takes time - but I use it in my conversation classes as a supplement (I teach private classes from home). I'm glad that you stop by my blog regularly :) .Feel free to write as much or as little as you want anytime. Happy Learning!
Hi Frank!
ReplyDeleteI insist...your blog is awesome!!! I visit it everyday and I enjoy it very much. I have no time to take conversation classes these days so it's a nice way to improve my English.
Thanks!!
Eliana from Argentina
I'm glad you're learning tons Eliana,
ReplyDeleteSigue adelante!