Click on the picture below to find out the meaning of the idiom PULL YOUR SOCKS UP.
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Happy Christmas! It’s that time of year again when many of us prepare to celebrate Christmas. Traditionally, for Christians, it is about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ approximately 2,000 years ago. However, Christmas has become an important time for celebrating with family and friends for both Christians and non-Christians. Let’s have a look at some of the ways we observe Christmas:
Figurines: The Infant Jesus with Mary, Joseph, and an Angel
For over 2,000 years, Christians have celebrated the arrival on earth of a very remarkable person: Jesus of Nazareth. We know a lot about Jesus because of widespread writings, not just from his followers, but also from well-known scribes of the time. Jesus was a historically real person. His teachings of love, compassion, forgiveness, and acceptance appealed to all kinds of people as well as his message of hope for a new life after we pass on from this one. He practised what he preached, being kind and non-judgmental. You could say that he was, and is, the perfect role model.
Christians attend Church on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. They listen to readings about the special night when Jesus was born, pray together and sing Christmas Hymns. (My favourite is ‘O! Holy Night.’) It’s a very happy occasion!
Giving presents, decorating Christmas trees and homes is also traditional for many. Children in particular love all this Christmas activity and get very excited at the thought of a visit from Santa.
Photo by Ann Danilina on Unsplash.com
Presents are opened on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day or at a party beforehand. Many workplaces have parties and some, like mine, organize a ‘Secret Santa’. We pick the name of a colleague out of a hat and buy a gift for that person. No-one knows who has provided their present. It’s lots of fun! Not everyone is a Christian but that doesn’t matter. It’s the ‘Spirit of Christmas’ that is important: a feeling of goodwill towards everyone.
In Australia, as in many western and European countries, this is an occasion for being with family, especially family whom we don’t see regularly. We get together and tend to eat and drink too much! It’s a busy time, when we acknowledge the importance of family.
Cristo Redentor, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
If you would like to join in the Christmas festivities and you don’t have a family or friends to celebrate Christmas with, I strongly recommend that you contact a Christian church nearby; for example, The Catholic Church, The Anglican Church, The Pentecostal Church, The Presbyterian Church, The Methodist Church, or The Salvation Army. They welcome everyone, provide a lovely Christmas dinner and a jolly experience and expect nothing from you. You don’t need to be a Christian. You don’t have to attend a church service and you just might make some friends! Alternatively, church services can be viewed online. Just open You Tube and search: ‘Christmas Mass’. It is streamed live on Christmas Day and on Christmas Eve.
Pavlova – a traditional Australian dessert
Australian Christmas is different to Christmas in the Northern Hemisphere where it is cold in December. Here, it is summer and while some households still enjoy roast turkey, hot vegetables, and hot Christmas pudding, many of us prefer cold meat, seafood and salads and cold or fruit-based desserts. Pavlova, cheesecake, and ice cream pudding are favourites.
Because it is very hot here, barbecues are very popular which means that cooking indoors is unnecessary. After lunch, the beach is popular for those fortunate enough to live near one or holiday at one. Summer in Australia is holiday season, especially for school children and their families, and Christmas lunch or dinner is often casual: delicious and special, but simple. The beach is calling!
The beach is calling! Many thanks to Britt Gaiser from unsplash.com for this photo.
If you would like to listen to some delightful Christmas Carols sung by Michael Bublé, click here. To hear a magnificent version I’ve recently discovered of a traditional Hymn , click here.
First, read How to Write a Sentence: #1
There are three types of sentences in English: SIMPLE, COMPOUND, & COMPLEX.
All sentences must contain a subject, a verb with tense, and they must have meaning.
You need to know which type of sentences you are writing, so that you can apply the appropriate rules. So, here we go …
♦ SIMPLE SENTENCES Simple Sentences have one subject and one main (complete) verb,
You are reading this blog.
Who is hugging that girl?
OR two subjects and one main verb,
The girl and the paper man love each other.
OR one subject and two main verbs,
She is hugging him and smiling. (Verbs: is hugging & is smiling)
OR two subjects and two main verbs.
The paper man and the girl are hugging each other and smiling.
Look at the following sentence. It is a Simple Sentence because it has one subject and one verb.
The beautiful tropical gardens across the road from my old school were destroyed in the earthquake last month.
The sentence has a lot of ‘extra stuff’, but when you take out this ‘extra stuff’, what is left?
The gardens were destroyed.
** Don’t be confused by long sentences with lots of adjectives, adverbs and prepositions. To understand the structure of a sentence, you need to find the verb first. Then, find the subject.
♦ COMPOUND SENTENCES Compound Sentences are formed when two or more Simple Sentences are joined (linked).
The gardens were destroyed and many houses were damaged.
The gardens were destroyed but my old school was not damaged.
The old school was not damaged so we are all relieved.
A Compound Sentence is composed of two or more sentences (independent clauses) which are joined by Co-ordinating Conjunctions. For a complete explanation of how Co-ordinating Conjunctions are used to make Compound Sentences, click here.
Click here for How to Write a Sentence: #3: COMPLEX SENTENCES
Click here for How to Write a Sentence: #1
We can use Present Simple Tense to talk about how we feel, what we believe in, and what we think about how we live in the 21st century.
We use Present Continuous Tense to explain or describe what is happening now or at this time in our lives.
The song Freedom (Fight For It) by rock singer Joy Villa, and rapper Flint Bedrock, is about what they think about free speech, freedom of religion and freedom of political beliefs.
According to Joy Villa “Freedom is worth fighting for. No matter the cost, if we aren’t all free, none are free.”
Joy Villa was recently interviewed by Rita Panahi on Sky News Australia. Rita agreed that “Critical thinking is essential; don’t form an opinion based on herd mentality. Think for yourself.” 
Click here for the Youtube video of the song. I have included the lyrics below with grammar corrections in brackets. Songwriters are not expected to be grammarians, but as this is an English website, I feel that I must provide corrections. Nonetheless, the lyrics convey very clear meanings. What do you think?
∗ By the way, I could not find the lyrics to this song on any of the usual platforms I check for song lyrics. I wonder why? I eventually found them on Joy Villa’s site.
| Present Simple Tense: Pink Present Continuous Tense: Bright Blue |
|
Song: Freedom (Fight For It)By Joy Villa and Flint Bedrock Flint: Joy: Propaganda Chorus Flint: Joy: Chorus x 2 When fake news Chorus x 2 ∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀∀ |
First, read English Words that are often Confused #1 & #2.
Today, I’m continuing with English Words that are often Confused: words starting with ‘D’. Take note of prepositions (about, to, on, etc.) which often collate with the confusing words. Using the correct preposition is as important as using the correct word.
This baby is totally dependent on his parents.
Let’s have a look at some confusing words:
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ defective – adjective: used to indicate a defect, flaw or damage
Your watch is defective. You should take it back to the shop and get a refund.
♦ deficient – adjective: used to indicate a shortage or lack, especially of something which is important or necessary
Unfortunately, many students exist on a nutritionally deficient diet.
In many countries, people can obtain a driving licence despite being deficient in common sense and knowledge of road laws.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
They denied that they were vampires.
♦ deny – verb: to state that something is untrue
Ambrogio and Selene denied that they were vampires.
♦ refute – verb: to prove that a statement is false
They were able to refute the charge of murder as they had been performing at the annual policemen’s ball at the time of the alleged vampire attack.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ dependant – noun: a person, usually a child, who depends on or needs someone for support or financial aid.
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have four dependants, aged from six months to six years.
♦ dependent – adjective: needing someone or something for support
Many adult children are still financially dependent on their parents.
Baby mammals are dependent on their mothers, often for years.
Note: To help you remember: the word ‘ant‘, which is in dependant, is also a noun.
* Dependant is British English spelling for the noun only. American English uses dependent for both the noun and adjective.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ desert – noun: an area in which very little vegetation, if any, can grow because of lack of rainfall.
The original meaning of the word desert is an abandoned or desolate area.
The Sahara Desert covers an area of about 3.5 million square miles.
♦ dessert – noun: a sweet pie, icecream, cake, fruit salad etc. served at the end of a meal.
‘My favourite dessert is Pavlova with
passionfruit. Yours?’
‘I love icecream with chocolate sauce, icecream with fruit, icecream with cake; in fact, I love any dessert which has icecream!’
Note: My way of remembering which word has two ‘s’ might be helpful for you: at school, I had a friend, Andrea, who always wanted two scoops of icecream for dessert!
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ disinterested – adjective: impartial, unbiased
To describe a person as disinterested is to provide a great deal of information about that person. It means that he or she is not simply unbiased, but also is not motivated or influenced by selfish interests or personal gain.
It is a growing concern that so many court judges 
hold strong political views which may affect their sentencing. All judges should be disinterested in every case in their courtroom.
♦ uninterested – adjective: not interested
My husband enjoys watching football, cricket, and golf on television, and would love me to join him but I am totally uninterested.
Note: It is not surprising that disinterested is often confused with uninterested when the media, as well as some modern dictionaries, increasingly use them both to mean not interested. Languages change and evolve, and English is no different. However, my concern is that if disinterested ends up meaning not interested simply because people don’t know the difference, we will lose a concise, meaningful English word. Forever.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
We drank a toast to our future together.
♦ drank: verb – past tense of the verb ‘to drink’
We drank a toast to our future together.
♦ drunk: verb – past participle of the verb ‘to drink’ – used with auxiliary verbs have, has, and had
Have you ever drunk Cava? It’s a luscious sparkling wine made in Spain.
Who has drunk too much on New Year’s Eve? Not me. Never!
When I arrived at the office Christmas party, I was dismayed to learn that the new employees had drunk all the champagne!
♦ drunk: adjective
We drank a lot of champagne at our wedding but we didn’t get drunk. No-one wants to see a drunk bride!
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
** If you would like to receive all my future posts explaining confusing words, as well as other helpful English information, just click on ‘Follow’.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
There are three necessary parts to a sentence: SUBJECT (noun or pronoun) & VERB (finite) & the sentence must also have MEANING.
SUBJECT: There are several ways to make a subject, but for now, let’s look at the following:
♦ A subject can be one word; eg, sharks. Sharks kill. (Yes, this is a sentence. It has a subject, a finite verb, and meaning.)
♦ A subject can be a phrase; eg, Sharks in Australia kill.
♦ A subject can be a noun clause; eg, Whatever sharks do scares people.
The third sentence above has an object ‘people’. The verb ‘to scare’ must have an object. You need to know which verbs must have a direct object (transitive verbs), which verbs must not have a direct object (intransitive verbs), and which verbs have different rules. This sentence needs the object or the meaning is not clear.
♦ A subject can be a pronoun; eg, They are terrifying. They look dangerous.
The verbs in the two above sentences are followed by complements, not objects, because they are link (copular) verbs. Also, ‘terrifying’ and ‘dangerous’ can’t be objects because they are adjectives in these sentences.
This shark looks dangerous. It is terrifying! http://www.whalewatchsa.com-800 × 534-
VERB: Every sentence must have a verb with tense (tense = time: present, past, future). English verbs have very few forms. (forms = different spellings)
+ Present Simple Tense positive – Sharks kill. It kills.
– Present Simple Tense negative – Sharks don’t kill whales. A shark does not kill jellyfish.
? Present Simple Tense question – Do sharks kill dolphins? Does that shark kill people?
+ Past Simple Tense positive – A shark killed the tourist.
– Past Simple Tense negative – The shark did not kill the tourist’s friend.
? Past Simple Tense question – Did the shark kill the lifesaver?
As you can see, in the positive sentences just three words: ‘kill’, ‘kills’, and ‘killed’, are complete (finite) verbs. They don’t need any help to show the tense (present or past). However, when you write a negative sentence or a question, you need a ‘helper’ (auxiliary) verb to show the tense: ‘do’ or ‘does’ for Present Simple Tense; ‘did’ for Past Simple Tense.
∗ This is the rule for ALL VERBS in English (except the verb ‘to be’). You cannot write:
Sharks not kill whales.
A shark not kill jellyfish.
The shark not killed the tourist’s friend.
The shark kill the lifesaver?
∗ The auxiliary verb ‘helps’ with the ‘tense’ and the ‘person’.
♦ ‘Do‘ is used with I, you, we, and they in Present Simple Tense, while
♦ ‘does’ is used with he, she, and it.
♦ ‘Did’ is used with I, you, we, they, he she, and it (all persons) in Past Simple Tense.
∗ All other tenses must use auxiliaries + participles (or base infinitives) to form a complete verb. For example, the following ‘sentence’ has no tense because ‘studying’ (continuous participle)has no tense. So it is not a sentence.
♦ The students studying a lot of grammar.
We don’t know if the students ARE studying, WERE studying, HAVE BEEN studying, or WILL BE studying, etc. We need the auxiliary verbs to help us, to tell us ‘when‘.
∗ AUXILIARY VERB + PARTICIPLE (S) = ONE COMPLETE VERB.
OR
∗ AUXILIARY VERB + BASE INFINITIVE + PARTICIPLE (S) = ONE COMPLETE VERB.
For example:
♦ The students have been studying a lot of grammar.
♦ The students were studying a lot of grammar.
♦ The students will be studying a lot of grammar.
The same combination of auxiliary + (base infinitive) + participle(s) is used for positive sentences (above), negative sentences, and questions (below):
♦ The students have not been studying a lot of grammar.
♦ Have the students been studying a lot of grammar?
♦ The students were not studying a lot of grammar.
♦ Were the students studying a lot of grammar?
♦ The students will not be studying a lot of grammar.
♦ Will the students be studying a lot of grammar?
AUXILIARY VERBS follow a very logical pattern:
| TENSE | AUXILIARY VERB(infinitive) | AUXILIARY VERB(infinitive) | AUXILIARY VERB |
| Continuous (Base verb + ING) | TO BE | ||
| Perfect | TO HAVE | ||
| Future | WILL | ||
| Continuous & Future | TO BE | WILL | |
| Continuous & Perfect | TO BE | TO HAVE | |
| Perfect & Future | TO HAVE | WILL | |
| Continuous & Perfect & Future | TO BE | TO HAVE | WILL |
For a visual guide to all the forms of the 12 tenses, check out my book Understanding English Verbs available from Amazon.
There are three types of sentences in English: SIMPLE, COMPOUND, & COMPLEX.
You need to know which type of sentences you are writing, so that you can apply the appropriate rules.
I will explain these rules in my next post How to Write a Sentence: #2. If you would like to receive an email when I write more posts, just fill out the Subscription Form below.
I have previously recommended the fascinating books written by author JC Ryan, not only for those studying English as a second language, but also native English speakers who enjoy a spellbinding mystery or thriller. Well, now there is a short video to whet your appetite!
Is there a better way to improve your knowledge and usage of English than reading fiction by a master storyteller? I don’t think so! Check out this short video promotion of JC Ryan’s thriller THE FULCRUM.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
First, read English Words that are often Confused #1
Today, I’m continuing with English Words that are often Confused: words starting with ‘C’. I couldn’t find any common confusing words starting with ‘B’, so let’s move on to ‘C’. Take note of prepositions (about, to, on, etc.) which often collate with the confusing words. Using the correct preposition is as important as using the correct word.
This wine is a perfect complement to your fabulous lunch!
Let’s have a look at some confusing words:
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ complement – noun: something which completes
This wine is a perfect complement 
to the meal.
Your new blue bag is an ideal complement to your outfit.
♦ complement – verb: to complete
This wine complements the meal perfectly.
Your new blue bag complements your outfit beautifully.
♦ compliment – noun: an expression of praise or admiration
Irina received a lot of compliments about her wonderful cooking.
♦ compliment – verb: to pay a compliment
We also complimented her on her excellent choice of wine.
Note: To help you remember – the spelling of complement is closer to the spelling of complete.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ comprise & consist – verbs with the same meaning; however, you should not use ‘of’ after ‘comprise’
Our aerobics class comprises nine talented, enthusiastic members.
Our aerobics class consists of nine talented, enthusiastic members.
♦ comprised – adjective used with ‘of’
Our aerobics class is comprised of nine talented, enthusiastic members. (verb: is)
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ confidant – noun: a person, often a close friend, family member or trusted colleague with whom private matters or problems are discussed
We all need a confidant; someone we can trust with our secrets.
“…. Children need guidance.
They need a parent to help and guide them. They also need a friend. They need a confidant.”
‘Donny Osmond’
♦ confident – adjective
I feel more confident about my abilities after doing the course.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ contemptible – adjective: not deserving respect, worthy of contempt and strong dislike, usually describes actions
Stealing from a homeless person is a contemptible action.
♦ contemptuous – adjective: shows contempt, disapproval, lack of respect, usually describes people and their feelings or attitudes
People become contemptuous of politicians who are more interested in power than looking after their electorate.
Throughout the trial, it was obvious that the criminal was contemptuous of the police as well as his victims.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ continuous – adjective: non-stop, without interruption
When my mobile phone is fully charged, I have continuous charge for eight hours.
♦ continuously – adverb
When Lucy phones me, she talks continuously; it’s impossible to get a word in!
♦ continual – adjective: happening regularly, often repeated
Last night, I was kept awake by the continual barking of my neighbour’s dog. Every time I thought that it had stopped, it started barking again.
♦ continually – adverb,
I feel sorry for that dog. It is continually left at home alone.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ credible – adjective: believable, trustworthy
The police decided that the witnesses’ statements were credible.
We must have transparency in all our business dealings if we are to remain credible.
A: That street performer does a credible job as the Mad Hatter. He looks just like Johnny Depp, doesn’t he?
B: His appearance is credible, but can he act?
Ashleigh Barty wins The 2019 French Open Tennis Championship.
♦ creditable – adjective: bringing or deserving credit or praise.
Winning The French Open is a highly creditable achievement.
The Independent Candidate won a creditable 20% of the vote.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
** If you would like to receive all my future posts explaining confusing words, as well as other helpful English information, just click on ‘Follow’.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Have you heard the song, Old Town Road, by Billy Ray Cyrus and Lil Nas X? It’s a mix of American Country and Hip Hop style.
While native English speakers are generally used to country-style lyrics, they can be quite confusing for English learners. I’ve noticed that my English students really enjoy this song so it would be helpful if they could understand the lyrics! Also, there are a lot of grammatical mistakes, which is not unusual in song lyrics, so I will correct them. After all, as an English learner, your English will improve even when you are listening to a song full of grammar mistakes and crazy lyrics!
Click here to see the official music video. Click here for the video with lyrics.
I don’t know exactly what they are singing about but I can explain the words and phrases. However, I have no idea what ‘lean all in my bladder’ means! If you would like to read opinions on the song meaning, click here.
| Original Lyrics Song: OLD TOWN ROAD Yeah, I’m gonna take my horse to the old town road I’m gonna ride ’til I can’t no more I’m gonna take my horse to the old town road I’m gonna ride ’til I can’t no more I got the horses in the back Horse tack is attached Hat is matte black Got the boots that’s black to match Ridin’ on a horse, ha You can whip your Porsche I been in the valley You ain’t been up off that porch, now Can’t nobody tell me nothin’ You can’t tell me nothin’ Can’t nobody tell me nothin’ You can’t tell me nothin’ Ridin’ on a tractor Lean all in my bladder Cheated on my baby You can go and ask her My life is a movie Bull ridin’ and boobies Cowboy hat from Gucci Wrangler on my booty Can’t nobody tell me nothin’ You can’t tell me nothin’ Can’t nobody tell me nothin’ You can’t tell me nothin’ Yeah, I’m gonna take my horse to the old town road I’m gonna ride ’til I can’t no more I’m gonna take my horse to the old town road I’m gonna ride ’til I can’t no more I got the … Lyrics licensed & provided by LyricFind Lyrics © UniversalMusic Publishing Group Written by: Atticus Ross, Kiowa Roukema, Montero Lamar Hill,Trent Reznor | Corrected Lyrics Song: OLD TOWN ROAD Yeah, I’m going to take my horse to the old town road. I’m going to ride ’til I can’t ride any more. I’m going to take my horse to the old town road. I’m going to ride ’til I can’t ride any more. I’ve got the horses in the back. The horse equipment is on the horses. My hat is black. I’ve got black boots to match my hat. I’m ridin’ on a horse. Ha. You can whip your Porsche. I’ve been in the valley. You haven’t been up off that porch, now. Nobody can tell me anything. You can’t tell me anything. Nobody can tell me anything. You can’t tell me anything. I’m riding on a tractor, Lean all in my bladder, I cheated on my girlfriend; You can go and ask her. My life is a movie: Bull-riding and women, Cowboy hat from Gucci, Wrangler on my booty. Nobody can tell me anything. You can’t tell me anything. Nobody can tell me anything. You can’t tell me anything. Yeah, I’m going to take my horse to the old town road. I’m going to ride ’til I can’t ride any more. I’m going to take my horse to the old town road. I’m going to ride ’til I can’t ride any more. I’ve got the … |
I have written two posts recently on Spelling Mistakes that Ruin your Writing. They are a small number of mistakes which are easily fixed as soon as you understand the grammar. Don’t worry! The grammar is basic and easily understood.
Today, I’m starting a much longer list of common mistakes. These are words that native speakers use incorrectly. This is the first of several posts on English Words that are often Confused. I hope you find my explanations helpful.
I will list the confusing words in alphabetical order. Today, I’m dealing with ‘A’. If you would like to receive all my future posts explaining confusing words, just click on ‘Follow’.
Looking at baby animals, especially baby elephants, usually has a positive effect on people.
Let’s have a look at some confusing words:
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ advice – noun
Do you think this is good advice?
My advice is to look at the spelling. The word ‘advice’ contains the word ‘ice’ which is also a noun.
We often need advice from an expert.
We sometimes receive the best advice when we least expect it.
♦ advise – verb
Did your parents advise you to save your money?
Who advises the football coach?
I advise you to keep reading.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ affect – verb (used with object: this means that the subject affects something or someone)
In France, the extremely cold winter of 2018-2019 affected many vineyards
Do you believe that your thinking affects your actions? 
♦ effect – noun
Looking at baby animals, especially baby elephants, usually has a positive effect on people.
Were you impressed with the special effects used in the movie Avatar?
Note: ‘Effect’can also be used as a verb but take care. While ‘affect’ means ‘to change’, ‘effect’ means ‘to bring about/cause’ a change. It is usually used in formal speaking and writing. I advise consulting a dictionary if you wish to use ‘effect’ as a verb.
The President hopes to effect new laws to deal with drug trafficking.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Do you agree with Satya Nani that a little progress each day adds up to big results?
♦ agree with someone
I agree with – Satya Nani that “A little progress each day adds up to big results”.
♦ agree to something, usually a plan or scheme.
I should never have agreed to look after his stupid dog!
♦ agree on a choice or result with other people
Sheldon and Amy agreed to get married but they couldn’t agree on when or where, nor could they agree on whom to invite to their wedding.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ alternate – verb meaning to change first one, then the other; repeatedly and regularly
LETHARGY
Many of us alternate between motivation and lethargy.
♦ alternate – adjective
I do shopping and housework on alternate weekends.
♦ alternative – noun which indicates a choice
There are many alternatives for when we are overcome with lethargy. We could follow Satya Nani’s advice and try to make a little progress each day.
♦ alternative – adjective
There are several alternative courses of action for when we lack motivation. There is no shortage of advice online.
People who want to escape the demands of modern life are often attracted to alternative lifestyles.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ among – preposition which links more than two
Is your favourite book among these?
I love wandering among the bookshelves in libraries.
Reading takes me to another world where I’m always among friends.
♦between – preposition which links two only
Can you see Errol the Peril? It’s between two blue books.
Between you and me, I don’t think children read enough books nowadays.
Note: Among and between must be followed by a plural noun or singular nouns which can be replaced by a plural pronoun.
Reading takes me to another world where I’m always among friends. (among them)
Can you see Errol the Peril? It’s between two blue books. (between them)
Between you and me, I don’t think children read enough books nowadays. (between us)
Incorrect: I love wandering among each bookshelf in libraries. ‘Each bookshelf’ is a single unit so I cannot wander among one thing.
Incorrect: There is a famous quote between each chapter. Again, ‘each chapter’ is a single unit, so a quote cannot be between one thing.
Correct: There is a famous quote between the chapters. (between 1 & 2, 2 & 3, 3 & 4 etc.)
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ anticipate – verb meaning ‘to be aware of something that has not yet happened, or believe will happen, and (perhaps) to take appropriate action’
I recently booked into a highly recommended health retreat. Happily, they anticipated my every need.
A good public speaker anticipates the mood and bias of the audience.
Guess what? We’re expecting twins!
♦ expect – verb, to think or assume or predict that something might or should happen
We expect everyone to arrive before the soccer match starts.
Your employer naturally expects you to start work on time.
“We should not expect something for nothing—but we all do and call it Hope” (Edgar W. Howe).
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♦ approve – to give permission for, accept
At last, after six months, the council approved our plans to renovate our house.
Your application for a Blue Card has been approved.
♦ approve of – to view positively
Juliet knew that her family would never approve of Romeo.
It was much more difficult in Shakespeare’s time for people to get married without the approval of their parents.
Juliet knew that her family would never approve of Romeo.
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