There’s a popular idiom in English: ‘A stitch in time saves nine.’ In other words, the best way to tackle a large task is to take small, consistent steps to complete it day by day. 𧔠It so happens that these days I am trying to complete a small cross-stitch design for a friend. It is […]
In the first part of this lesson (see previous post), we talked about small changes you can introduce in your writing that make a huge difference in how others read and understand it. After all your effort writing something, the last thing you want is for someone to skim or even ignore all you had
I am dedicating today’s lesson to three important points that I often find missing in work that I proofread. These three points might seem obvious or too minute to make a difference, but trust me, they will help to clarify your writing greatly. Clear writing is always the first step towards great writing. … đ
As I have mentioned in these short lessons before, I am convinced that one of the best ways to improve your standard of English is to memorise vocabulary in context. What better exercise then than to read some English poems, choose a few that you like, and learn them off by heart! I would like
Lesson #142: Improving Your English Expression By A Different Path Read More »
âđ ‘Marilla whisked into the kitchen, grievously disturbed, leaving a very much distracted little soul in the porch behind her. Presently Anne stepped out bareheaded into the chill autumn dusk; very determinedly and steadily she took her way down through the sere clover field over the log bridge and up through the spruce grove, lighted
Lesson #140 (Part 2): How To Correctly Identify And Position Adverbs Read More »
đș ‘Now, you mustnât cry any more, but come down with me and show me your flower garden. Miss Cuthbert tells me you have a little plot all your own. I want to see it, for Iâm very much interested in flowers.â – Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables (1908) [emphasis mine] Even if you are reading this
Lesson #140 (Part 1): How To Correctly Identify And Position Adverbs Read More »
Is it ‘its’ or ‘it’s’? If you have ever asked yourself that question, you are in the right place! Even if you are uncertain of the answer, know that by asking that question, you show more awareness of the possibility of making a mistake here than many people do – native English speakers included –
Part 2 of our lesson looking at the differences between ‘to lend’ and ‘to borrow’. âïž ‘to borrow‘: This verb means to take something from another person with their permission and consent, usually for a short period only. For example, we borrow books from the library – we don’t own them, neither does the library
As mentioned in our Mini-Lesson Monday this week, I would like to address some common mistakes that I sometimes see English language students making. One mistake I encountered in a few places was a tendency to mix up the verbs ‘lend’ and ‘borrow’. I met even advanced English speakers who tripped up on these two words.  There are
Comparative adjectives can also work for describing lesser amounts of something. Again, from Gaskell’s Mary Barton: đ ‘The friend whom they met was more handsome and less sensible-looking than the man I have just described; he seemed hearty and hopeful, and although his age was greater, yet there was far more of youth’s buoyancy in his appearance.’
Lesson #133: Common Mistakes Made With Comparative Adjectives (Part 2) Read More »
A common error made by English Learners is the INCORRECT DUPLICATION of comparative adjectives. This is partly due to a lack of complete comprehension of the distinctions between the primary types of comparative adjectives. To recap, comparative adjectives are variations of adjectives that describe a larger quantity of that particular thing. For example, the comparative of âgoodâ
Lesson #133: Common Mistakes Made With Comparative Adjectives (Part 1) Read More »
The last day of October, Halloween, or âAll Hallowâs Eveâ as it used to be called! I personally don’t like dark and spooky stories, so to end the month of October, I’m going to share with you something bright and cheerful: a picture of the sun shining on the birch trees at the bottom of
Lesson #131: All Hallow’s Eve Reflections On Autumn, With Scottish Poet James Thomson Read More »