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Tips and one point lessons with English In NY
Words about Employment Full Time - About 30 or more hours a week for most companies.
Part Time - Not a career for most and usually less than 30 hours a week.
Contract Worker - On a contract, a special assignment, an agreed fee.
Commission Only - Only getting paid when you make a sale, no compensation for effort or time. Very common in the U.S.
Overtime - working more than usual and getting paid extra, usually 1.5x times in the U.S.
Benefits - Except for full time workers most of all the other positions do NOT get any benefits. That means no special pay for vacations, no health insurance, no paid sick leave, or sick days. I just discovered this by serendipity This means without effort or plan I found of figured something out. See my blog post about this one.
What is an Epiphany ? - It's a "Eureka moment".
Thank you for that, but what is a - Eureka Moment ? Both of these are similar as they are moments when you say "got it". It is when you figure something out, discover a truth, or find triumph in some particular activity.
Please explain me - Does that sound okay to you ? - It's wrong.
You need to say : Please explain TO me. This little change will make you sound a lot BETTER.
In Fashion - In Style - and In Mode - How are they different ?
In fashion, and in style, are very similar, but (in) mode is different. Mode is more technical, like when programming a VCR, or other device you would say we have to change the mode, so mode is more like track, or function whereas fashion and style are very similar relating to taste or something popular at the time.
What vs. Which - When to use these which ?
This is a really common question, and not one that native speakers spend much time thinking about. Look at the examples : What book are you reading vs. Which book are you reading ? Okay the answer is : When you have no idea about any details you will say "what" however if you have some idea that the person is reading three books now then you would which one are you reading now ? Also, When there are a limited number of choices you will use which. Pain vs Hurt:
The meaning is similar but usage is different. For example : I AM hurt, but I HAVE a pain. In addition in common use, pain is a single sharp and distinct feeling; hurt is an injury. I got hurt when playing football. Now I still have pain in my leg. Or I wonder when this pain will go away NOT I wonder when this hurt will go away.
The expression to "Goof Up - Off and On" :
These three are completely used as expressions.
Goofed up : made a mistake - example - he good up his homework.
Goofed off : Failed to act or behave seriously, joked around, wasted time.
Goofed on : teased someone - the action of others teasing a victim. Listen vs Hear
I'm terribly sorry but I ......... what you said just now and I wonder if you could repeat it.
(a) wasn't listen to
(b) wasn't hearing
(c) didn't hear
(d) didn't hearing
Did you choose "C" - You could also have chosen Couldn't hear but that was not a choice. The point here is Listen is an ACTIVE action, you listen to a recording, whereas hearing can be very passive - you are not trying to do it, for example - Did you hear that noise ? You can also think of hearing as a physical and natural phenomenon. See vs Watch - Exactly the same as above - Watch is an ACTIVE action, you watch a tv show, whereas seeing can be very passive - you are not trying to do it, for example - Did you see that bird ? You can also think of seeing as a physical and natural phenomenon.
Reasons why English is so Hard - See these Very witty 21 points
These words are spelled the same but read differently, just like READ and Read. Read on...Here are some examples of more than 30 odd expressions: 1) The bandage was wound around the wound.
2) The farm was used to produce produce.
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish furniture. >>> Click here for the rest
Do the following to really get to know new words:
Earlier we learned about Bloom's Taxonomy - when you learn a new word try to do all of the following. If you can do all of these activities correctly you can be sure you really know the word. Below is an example: Example: WHIMSICAL - Knowledge Level: What is the definition of whimsical
- Comprehension Level: Explain the meaning of whimsical in your own words.
- Application Level: Use whimsical in a sentence.
- Analysis Level: How many words can you find in the whimsical?
- Synthesis Level: Create a short story about a whimsical character and a character who has none of the characteristics of whimsy. Be sure your characters displays the attributes of someone who is ‘whimsical’ and one who is not. Review your definition of whimsical.
- Evaluation Level: Which of the two characters you developed would you prefer to have as a friend. ( NOTE) This may be a reach. Applying Bloom’s taxonomy is easier on content with a larger conceptual scope. I have tried to use each level but it may be that providing a few choices for students that reach beyond the knowledge and comprehension level would be helpful.
--------------------------------------------------------------- Do you know the difference between toggle and sort ? These are common computer application usage words especially common when using spreadsheets and databases. Toggle simply means to go back and forth between to two styles. Think on and then off, or style “A” and then style “B”.
Sort is like toggle except it is used to put things in a specific order. For example, imagine you have a group of names but in no particular order, you could use sort to put them in alphabetical order – that would be sorting. Once sorted you could then toggle them by going back and forth with the list starting with “A and going to “Z” and then from “Z” to “A”. So said in another way, sorting puts things an order you want, and toggle flips a style back and forth.
--------------------------------------------------------------- Why is it often better to respond to questions with a full answer as opposed to a one word answer ? The reason is to let the questioner know you actually heard and understood the entire question.
Look at the example: Did you buy milk today ? yes, or yes I did.
Now, look at this one : Did you the milk, eggs and bread today ? Yes, or yes I did.
But then when unpacking the groceries it was observed that there was no bread, so in this case your answer would now be wrong. That’s why you should say something like “yes, I bought milk and eggs but I couldn’t get the bread”, or “I forgot the bread” etc….
So when it makes sense you should use full answers to give a complete picture or to show the listener you got the question. This is especially so for more complex questions.
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INFERRING – Do you know what the word infer means ? Click here for the dictionary answer and to see related words - BUT FIRST try the exercise and see if you can guess the meaning.
Do this exercise: What mental picture do you have of a person if you read this ad, but see no picture ?
Here’s the ad:
I look like when I was a baby except instead of being a grape I am now a raisin. Well, most little babies have little or no hair, and they also DON’T have teeth yet, also their skin is very fluffy and plump – like a thick juicy grape. Now think of a raisin or prune, they are dry and shriveled with lots of wrinkles.
So now that you have this information what can you INFER - what is the ad really saying ? Answer – the ad is saying the person is – hairless, toothless and very wrinkled. In other words they are probably quite old, and also probably poor (because of the fact that they couldn’t get new replacement teeth). ---------------------------------------------------------------
Have you ever heard of Bloom's Taxonomy ?
Blooms Taxonomy identifies six levels of cognitive thinking. At the basic level, there's knowledge and comprehension. At the higher level, there's evaluation, synthesis, analysis, and application. Since critical thinking happens at the higher level, it is a key component of standardized tests, and an important life skill.
Lower Order Thinking Skills Comprehension: The ability to explain, describe, interpret, discuss, differentiate, restate.
Knowledge: The ability to define, describe, tell, identify, list, name.
Higher Order Thinking Skills:
Evaluation: The ability to assess, compare, criticize, justify, resolve, conclude.
Synthesize: The ability to combine, create, invent, plan, formulate, negotiate.
Analysis: The ability to analyze, connect, infer, compare, contrast, prioritize.
Application: The ability to apply, classify, solve, demonstrate, experiment, determine.
--------------------------------------------------------------- Can understand the difference between the two below phrases ? They are VERY DIFFERENT in meaning and there is just one tiny little letter "a"
1) All of this has given us little direction
2) All of this has given us a little direction What is the difference between these two questions ?
Answer:
The first one means we are confused and the information we have has not helped us.
The second means that we actually have been helped a little and we are in better shape then before.
Just one little "a" and everything changed. --------------------------------------------------------------- Here's an easy one but important - Than vs. Then
Than is used to COMPARE:
Jack is fatter than Joe.
That store is nicer than the other one.
Then is used regarding TIME and PROGRESSION:
First you have to do this then you do that.
After we finished touring Italy we then took a cruise to Greece. --------------------------------------------------------------- Next Page >>>
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