Vocabulary Expansion

Postado por O Peixe Babel


10 Words for Writing - Part I



1. Article: A piece of nonfiction that appears in a periodical or on a Web site. (It also refers to a section of an official piece of writing).
2. Brief: Nowadays it refers to a legal summary – hence briefcase.
3. Chronicle: This term refers to an account of a succession of historical events.
4. Composition: It refers to the assemblage of sentences that constitute a written effort, either in general or in the specific reference to a scholastic exercise.
5. Dissertation: A scholarly writing that examines or debates an assertion.
6. Documentation: This term implies information provided to support or authenticate other writing, and is used especially in computing and in academic research.
7. Essay: Scholastic assignment of a written opinion presented for the audience’s approval.
8. Guide: This word refers to publications that inform readers about how to do something or where to visit. It may be extended to guidebook.
9. Memorandum: This word and it abbreviation, memo, refer to an official note.
10. Paper: This meaning describes a scholarly written presentation.

Adapted from  DailyWritingTips

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Writing Tips

Postado por O Peixe Babel


Linking Words




Liking words help you to connect ideas and sentences. They might be used for:

1. Giving Examples: for example / for instance / namely
2. Adding Information: and / in addition / as well as / besides / moreover / futhermore
3. Summarising: in short / to conclude / to summarize / in a nutshell
4. Sequencing Ideas: firstly / secondly / first of all / lastly / the following
5. Giving a Reason: because / due to / owing to / since / as
6. Showing Consequence: so / then / consequently / therefore / as a result
7. Contrasting Ideas: but / however / although / even though* / nevertheless / despite / whereas

*For a better understanding on the use of Although and Even though, read our post of Feb 14.

Adapted from  English At Home

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Grammar Awareness

Postado por O Peixe Babel


Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal Verbs are verbs that consist of two, or sometimes three, words. The first word is a verb and it is followed by an adverb (break down) or a preposition (eat into) or both (come down with). These words are sometimes called Particles.


Grammar of Phrasal Verbs


Phrasal Verbs can be Transitive (they take an object) or Intransitive (they have no object). Some Phrasal Verbs can be used in both ways:

For heaven’s sake shut her up. (transitive)
He told me to shut up. (intransitive)

Intransitive Phrasal Verbs: the two parts of the verbs cannot be separated by any other word. You can say:


             Shall we eat out tonight?
but not Shall we eat tonight out?

Transitive Phrasal Verbs: with some phrasal verbs, the object can go either between the verb and the particle or after the particle.

She tore the letter up.
She tore up the letter.

*When the object is a long phrase, it usually comes after the particle:

She tore up all the letters he’d sent her.

*When the object is a pronoun (for example it standing for the letter), it must always go between the verb and the particle:

She read the letter and then tore it up.


Adapted from Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

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Useful Expressions

Postado por O Peixe Babel

10 Idioms About Talking – Part I


1. Diarrhea of the mouth: excessive talking

2. Like talking to a brick wall: said of trying unsuccessfully to persuade or reason with someone

3. Shoot the breeze: to chat

4. Speak the same language: to be in agreement

5. Spit it out: to speak about something one is reluctant to discuss – often used as an imperative

6. Talk around: to avoid (a subject)

7. Talk dirty: to try to stimulate someone sexually by speaking provocatively

8. Talk (one’s) ear off: to talk to someone excessively

9. Talk in riddles: to speak obscurely or with hints

10. Talk (something) up: to promote something to draw attention to it

Adapted from DailyWritingTips

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Useful Expressions

Postado por O Peixe Babel

10 Expressions about Hands – Part 1




1. To bite the hand that feeds you: to be hostile to someone who has been kind to you.

2. To give a hand: to help, though it also refers to applauding by clapping one's hands.

3. To hand in something: to deliver it.

4. To have blood on one's hands: to be culpable for an act.

5. To have your hands full: to be busy.

6. To know something like the back of one's hand: to know it thoroughly.

7. To say that something is on hand: to indicate that it is available.

8. On the other hand: a synonym for however or by contrast.

9. Something that gets out of hand: to go out of control.

10. Put your hands up: a command by law enforcement personnel directing someone to raise their hands so that they are in clear view and not likely to reach for a weapon.

Adapted from DailyWritingTips

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Grammar Awareness

Postado por O Peixe Babel

The Possessive Case (’s)



The Possessive Case is used to show ownership. The possessive pattern (’s) is generally used when indicates a relation of ownership or association with a person, rather than a thing. There are, as ever, exceptions to this rule.



The main rules are:

  1. For a singular noun, use ’s:
The girl’s mother.
The world’s highest tower.
Brazilian’s climate.


  1. For a plural noun which does not end in -s, use ’s:
Children’s right.
The men’s room.
An old people’s home.


  1. For a plural noun which ends in -s, use s’:
My parents’ car.
Your brothers’ ideas.
His classmates’ books.


  1. You sometimes just add an apostrophe to names ending in -s, especially with singular literary or classical names:
Dickens’ novels.
Socrates’ works.
Keats’ poetry.


We often pronounce a possessive ’s even when it is not written /siz/.


  1. An apostrophe ’s can be added to first names ending in -s:
Cris’s motorcycle.
Carlos’s computer.
Marcos’s Iphone.


  1. If the thing possessed belongs to more than one person, we add the ’s only to the last one:
Paul and Mary’s daughter.
Bob and Brad’s toys.
Rick and Susan’s apartment.


  1. However, if each person has their own object, we add the ’s to each one:
Mark’s and Sharon’s cell phones. (each one of them has a cell phone)
Greg’s and Carol’s bicycles.
They're Dennis's and Carlos's mugs.

Adapted from Gems of Wisdom

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Spelling Rules

Postado por O Peixe Babel

American English vs British English – Part I



AE = American English
BE = British English

-ae (encyclopaedia, mediaeval)
AE usually deletes the a from the diphthong ae (encyclopedia, medieval), however, it is retained in such words as aesthetic.

-ed (fitted, forecasted, knitted)
AE usually drops the past-tense ending in these words (fit, forecast, knit).

-ed [irregular] (lighted, strived)
AE prefers forms such as lit and strove.

-ement (acknowledgement, arguement, judgement)
AE omits the first e from the suffix (acknowledgment, argument, judgment)

-ence (defence, licence, offence)
AE spells these words with an s in place of a c (defense, license, offense).

-ise/-yse (analyse, criticise, memorise, realise)
AE favors -ize/-yze endings (analyze, criticize, memorize, realize).

 -l (enrol, fulfil, skilful)
AE doubles the l that is not part of -ful/ful- (enroll, fulfill, skillful)

-lled/-lling (cancelled/cancelling, levelled/levelling, travelled/travelling)
AE omits one l in this form (canceled/canceling, leveled/leveling, traveled/traveling)

-mme (diagramme, programme, telegramme)
AE omits the second m and the e at the end of these words (diagram, program, telegram)

-ogue (analogue, catalogue, dialogue, epilogue)
AE omits the diphthong ue (analog, catalog, dialog, epilog), though the full form is preferred for all its analogues.

-our (colour, favour, honour, labour)
AE omits the u in most words with -our (color, favor, honor, labor)

-oeuvre (manoeuvre)
AE simplifies this ending to -euver (maneuver).

-que (banque, checque)
AE replaces the -que by -k (bank, check).

-re (centre, litre, metre, theatre)
In AE, the letters in the -re ending are reversed (center, liter, meter, theater).

-st (amidst, amongst)
In AE, amid and among are preferred.

-t (dreamt, leapt, learnt)
AE replaces -t with -ed (dreamed, leaped, learned)

-wards (backwards, inwards, upwards)
AE omits the -s (backward, inward, upward)

Adapted from DailyWritingTips

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Useful Phrases

Postado por O Peixe Babel

Telephoning


Calling Someone


Hello, can I speak to John?
Is Emile there please?
Can you put me through to Mr Adams please?

Answering the Phone


Hello, who’s calling please?
Jane speaking. How can I help you?
This is Mark. Who’s calling?

Transferring a Call


Hold the line please.
Hang on a minute.
Jill, there’s a call for you! [informal]
Martin, you’re wanted on the telephone. [informal]

The Person is not In


She’s not here at the moment. Can you ring back later?
I’ll phone back later.
Can I leave a message?
Can I take a message?

Problems with the Line


I’ve got the wrong number.
Could you speak up a little, the line’s terrible.
We seem to have got a crossed line. Shall I ring you back?
I’m sorry, we seem to have been cut off.
Could you re-connect me please?

Adapted from Word Routes - Cambridge

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Grammar Awareness

Postado por O Peixe Babel

The Gerund – Part I



WHEN TO USE IT:


*AS THE SUBJECT: Swimming is a good exercise.

*AFTER PREPOSITION: We were thinking of buying a new apartment.

*CAN BE PRECEDED BY THE POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVE: I mind your smoking here.

*AFTER CERTAIN VERBS (enjoy, appreciate, mind, quit, stop, avoid etc): We avoid talking to her.

*AFTER CERTAIN EXPRESSIONS (can’t help, can’t stand, be worth, it’s no use, it’s no good, it’s useless, there’s no etc): It’s useless talking to him about it.

*PASSIVE INFINITIVE: The kid needs punishing (to be punished).


Further uses of The Gerund will be analysed in the near future.

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Spelling Rules

Postado por O Peixe Babel


Capitalization


In English, we use capital letter with names of months, days of the week and festivals:

  • Her birthday is in April.
  • Her classes are on Saturday.
  • Christmas is on December 25.
Other words that are capitalized in English are names of countries and cities, names of nationalities and languages, the pronoun I, the first word of a sentence, the main words in titles, and the people’s names:

  • Candy and Sandy live in Los Angeles.
  • My grandmother was from Kenya.
  • Do you speak Chinese, Eliza?
  • He’s wearing the sweater I gave him.
  • Mr. and Mrs. Sanchez are coming over for dinner on Thursday night.
  • Do you ever watch “Friend?”
  • You know, I’ve never seen the movie “The Godfather.”
  • Two of my students are Brazilian.
Adapted from Parlo

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    Useful Phrases

    Postado por O Peixe Babel

    Apologizing

     

    I’m sorry…
    I’m terribly sorry…
    Sorry…
    I apologize for…
    My sincere apologies for…
    Please accept my/our apologies for…

    Accepting an apology

     

    That’s all right.
    That’s okay.
    That’s quite all right.
    It doesn’t matter.
    Don’t worry about it.
    Never mind.

    Adapted from Word Routes - Cambridge

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    Writing Tips

    Postado por O Peixe Babel

    Although / Even though / Though


    You can use these words to show contrast between two clauses or sentences. You can use although, even though and though at the beginning of a sentence or clause that has a verb.

    “Although / Even though / Though everyone played well, we lost the game”.
    “We lost the game, although / even though / though everyone played well”.

    *Even though sounds more emphatic than although.

    Although and though can also mean ‘but’.

    “Everyone played well, although we still lost the game”.
    “Everyone played well. We still lost the game though.”

    Though may come at the end of the sentence and is used more in spoken English than in written.

    Adapted from Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

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    Lexical Appropriateness

    Postado por O Peixe Babel

    Customer vs. Client

    A customer is simply a recipient of products or services in exchange for money. Even though the relationship to the provider might be long lasting, the sense is of discrete exchanges. By contrast, a client is engaged in a more qualitative relationship in which the provider generally applies professional skills to offer often intangible commodities such as legal services, insurance policies, and the like.

    Another distinction is that a customer is more likely to visit a retail establishment, whereas a client may more easily receive services without being physically present at the place of business.

    Because of the greater perceived value associated with provision of professional services, businesses not normally classified as providers of such have taken to referring to their customers as clients.

    Adapted from DailyWritingTips

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    Writing Tips

    Postado por O Peixe Babel

    Whether or If?

    If – implies probability / condition
    Whether – indicates a choice between alternatives

    “I’ll only stay if you offer me more money” involves a condition, not a choice and therefore if is correct. But, “He seemed undecided whether to go or stay” conveys two alternatives, so whether is better.

    Further examples:
    “You would know what was going on if you had listened.”
    “Mike didn’t know whether James would arrive on Friday or Saturday.”

    Note: When the sense of whether is “regardless of the possible alternatives”, include the phrase “or not”.
    “Call him if you are going to arrive on Friday.”
    “Call him whether or not you are going to arrive on Friday.”

    Adapted from DailyWritingTips

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    Useful Phrases

    Postado por O Peixe Babel

     

    Opening a Conversation


    Excuse me, …
    Could I have a word with you?
    Can I speak to you for a moment?
    There’s something I wanted to talk to you about.
    Do you have a minute?
    Sorry to bother you, but …

    Closing a Conversation


    So, …
    Well, anyway, …
    Well, that’s it.
    So, there we are.
    That was all I wanted to say.
    Well, that’s that then.
    Let’s leave it at that, shall we?
    Adapted from Word Routes - Cambridge

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