Here it is guys, English Learning Secret number 7.
CONDITION YOURSELF
A lot of misunderstandings happen because many students have not ‘conditioned’ themselves to listen out for the negative words in English. Words like “not”, “can’t” and “but”.
These words on their own can completely change the meaning of a sentence, and if you have not taught yourself to listen out for them, then you can make some very big mistakes. Let’s look at a very simple example.
“I can come to class but my brother’s car is broken”
This sentence means that you CANNOT come to class, but when spoken quickly it sounds like you CAN come to class AND your brother’s car is broken.
So you need to teach yourself to listen out for the negative words. To do this you should take the time to listen to English TV shows, radio programmes and movies. A good way to teach yourself is through videos or DVD’s that have English subtitles and listen to these, paying particular attention to the written words on the screen.
What you need to do is to ‘program’ your brain to listen out for the negative words. This is easier than you think. Every time you hear “not”, “Can’t”, “but” or “Isn’t”, highlight it in your mind and remember that a negative word has just been said or is about to be said.
Also remember the words “but” and “however” always come after a positive sentence to make it negative.
“I like driving but not in foreign countries”
Means, I like to drive. I do not like to drive in a foreign country.
So, start conditioning yourself today and avoid any embarrassing misunderstandings 
