Merry Christmas!! 🎄⛄

Just a quick note to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas!! 💗😊

Happy Holidays! 🎄🎅🍸🍷⛄ 
Hope you all have a wonderful time!! 😁😏
See you all in the New Year!! 💖

CREEPY Idioms... HAPPY HALLOWE'EN!!

Happy Hallowe'en everyone!!

If you want to know more about what Hallowe'en is all about, check out my post from last year at https://xamoyela.blogspot.gr/2016/10/happy-halloween.html ! Yes, I've used the same pictures... 😋😋 but THIS year I wanted to share something different for Spooky - Creepy HALLOWE'EN!!!

This year I thought we could check out some Idioms that have to do with FEAR and ANXIETY... Have you heard them before? Do you use any of them?
Let's begin!!!

1. to be afraid of your own shadow
e.g. I've never seen anyone get scared so easily! He's afraid of his own shadow!
Clearly understood, we use this idiom when describing someone who is very nervous and gets scared easily.

2. to break out in a cold sweat
e.g. While being interviewed, I broke out in a cold sweat trying to think of good answers.
We use this to express anxiety. People usually sweat when they get anxious or nervous so 'to break out in a cold sweat' describes that exact moment.

3. to make your blood run cold
e.g. The loud noise that struck suddenly in the middle of the night made my blood run cold!
If something makes your blood run cold, it means it scares you and shocks you!!

4. Something gives you the heebie-jeebies
e.g. Walking through an empty parking-lot at night gives me the heebie-jeebies!!
When something makes you nervous and frightened, it gives you the heebie-jeebies!

5. to jump out of your skin
e.g. When the telephone rang, I nearly jumped out of my skin!
So, to jump out of your skin means that you're extremely scared or shocked!

6. to scare the living daylights out of you
Same as 'jump out of your skin', this idiom means to be extremely scared or shocked!
e.g. The loud bang scared the living daylights out of me!!

7. to be scared stiff
Again, this means to be extremely frightened, only THIS TIME you can't move!!
e.g. When she reached the top of the tower, she was scared stiff!

8. to get/have the jitters
e.g. Whenever I have to speak in public, I get the jitters.
This is a state of being frightened or nervous, especially before doing something, which causes you anxiety.

9. to wait with bated breath
e.g. They all waited with bated breath for the winners to be announced.
This idiom shows the anticipation for something which makes you excited and anxious at the same time.

10. to shake like a leaf
e.g. The little girl was so frightened she was shaking like a leaf.
This describes how someone trembles when scared, like how a leaf shakes in the wind. It also shows nervousness and anxiety.

So that's it for today!!! 😊
Have a wonderful and fun Hallowe'en and I hope no one scares the living daylights out of you!!! 😱😱
Beware!!! 😲😆

Words of the Day

It's time for WORDS OF THE DAY!!!

And today's words are:
opponent
opportunity
oppose
opposite

Let's begin!

Opponent (n) = a person who is against another person in a fight, game or argument.

e.g. His opponent in tonight's boxing match will be difficult to beat!
      Her opponent won the game 5-2.
      Our opponents in the school debate were very well prepared.

Opportunity (n) = a favorable set of circumstances or time to do something.

e.g. We may never get an opportunity like this again!
       Let's create an opportunity for more people to join in and make a difference.
       He had so many opportunities but threw them all away.

Oppose (v) = to express strong disapproval or disagreement.

e.g. We opposed the proposal to build a new shopping mall in the city.
       She opposed the plan to expand the business because of expenses.

Opposite (adj) = having a position on the other side of something/someone (1), when you face the speaker or a specific thing (2), something entirely different; contrary (3)

e.g. Mom and Dad sat at opposite ends of the table at dinner. (1)
       I asked the man opposite me if he could open the window. (2)
       I would give you a ride home, but we live in opposite directions! (3)

Also, when we first start learning adjectives, we often use opposites like good-bad, tall-short, big-small, etc. It's handy to know opposites especially when you need to rephrase something! For example, instead of saying "This is bad!" you could say "This isn't very good!"

Have a great day everyone! 😁😁

When times are tough... ask yourself these questions.

Hi everyone!

Have you been taking on the world or have you found yourself feeling blocked on your way to success?

I know that at times we all find ourselves in challenging situations which bring us down and cause us to lose our confidence. When that feeling of despair strikes, don't fret... just remind yourself of a couple of things and ask yourself some questions that will help you regain your confidence and your will to carry on.

I've prepared a list of questions for you to ask yourself for this exact purpose. 😊 They are arranged in two groups:
The first group 'A' is about English and learning languages.
The second group 'B' is about yourself and your outlook on life.

A

• What is my motivation for learning English (or any other foreign language)?
• What do I hope to gain from learning and experiencing other languages and cultures?
• Have I experienced enough of other cultures?

Think about these questions and remind yourself why you began learning English (or any other foreign language) in the first place. 

Was it because you needed a qualification or certificate of knowledge?
Was it because you liked the language?
Was it because you have friends or family who speak it and wanted to learn more?

Now ask yourself more personal questions.

 B

• Who am I?
• Am I the person I want to be?
• How would I describe myself?
• What am I passionate about?
• What are the most important things in my life?
• What is my 'mission' in life?
• What opportunities am I looking for?
• What is stopping me from pursuing my greatest goals?
• What drives me?
• Where will I be in 5 years if I keep heading in the direction I am in?
• Are the people in my social circle a positive influence on my life?
• How can I make my life more meaningful, starting today?

Reflect on yourself. Don't be afraid to ask yourself these questions because you are asking yourself -no one will judge you or criticize you on your answers. YOU are the judge and the one that will steer yourself in the right direction (or simply put yourself back onto the right track).

There's nothing wrong with getting discouraged or having bad days. We all have them. As long as you don't give up. It's not easy to learn a new language or to start a new job or to move to a new city, but it gets easier when you find that you are able to overcome difficulties with a little effort and self-awareness. And don't be afraid to seek help. It is a way we grow and gain knowledge. Before the internet, we used encyclopedias and before colleges we passed on professional skills (trades) from one person to the other.

So the next time you find yourself having difficulty doing an exercise, re-read the grammar rules it involves or the vocabulary it includes. Take a five minute break and start over. Don't just give up and say it's too hard. The only way to success is hard work. And YOU CAN DO IT! 😆💪😁

A good way to keep yourself motivated is to find your 'mission' or to set a goal.

What's YOUR mission? What's YOUR goal? Is it to pass an exam? Is it to learn to communicate better? Is it to improve your grammar?

Whatever it is, I'm here to help.

If there is any area of English learning that you think I can offer assistance to you, please do not hesitate to let me know! 😀😊📚📝📧✅

Have a Fabulous Friday and a Wonderful Weekend!
Keep you head high and keep up the good work! 👍😁
Until next time!

Time to hit the books again!

Hi everyone!! September is here!!!!!!!!!! 😆😆😁😁

Hope you all had a fun summer (I know that it's STILL not over... just saying!) and that you're ready to get back into 'study-mode' and hit the books!! 😉📚📅⏰

I'm planning a new way of keeping up with this blog, so if there are any specific things you'd like to see here -concerning learning English as a foreign language- please feel free to let me know (either by commenting below or sending me an email). 👍😊 I will still be posting 'Words of the Day', 'Word Wars', Examples of exam practice (such as Writing), Exercises on Grammar and Vocabulary and Interesting articles for further reading and comprehension practice.

Today, I've got a couple of interesting words for you. These are not my images, they are borrowed from Useful Gen, a page on Facebook full of interesting facts. Go to: https://www.facebook.com/UsefulGen/posts/1761776954121150 for more!

Here they are!

 I don't think I'll EVER remember this word!!! 😜😜

 I LOVE this one!!!!! Interrobang!!!! 😆😆😝😝😄😄

 So now you know...

 I always forget this one...

😁😁😁😁😆😆😆😆😊😊😊😊👍👍👍👍🌞🌞🌞💗💗💗

Which one is your favorite??

Have a wonderful day and a fabulous September!!
😊😊

Word Lists - Drinks

Hello everybody!

How's your summer going? Hot? Spending time at the beach?
One thing's for sure... I bet you're drinking a lot of water! 😁🍶
Lots of drinks and juicy fruit keep us hydrated during the heat, so I thought since I've already posted a list of Fruit, I'd make a list of DRINKS! 👍😊😎

Here goes!! Let's see how many drinks I can think of!!!

Alcoholic drinks
Non-alcoholic drinks

Non-alcoholic drinks:
Water
Sparkling water / Still water
Tonic water
Soda water
Lemonade
Ginger Ale
Soft drinks - Fizzy drinks (like Coca-Cola, 7up, Fanta, etc.)
Energy drinks - Sports drinks (like Red Bull)
Juices

Fruit juice (Orange, Apple, Grapefruit, Pineapple) - Vegetable juice (like Tomato or Carrot)
Smoothies 
Tea
Iced-tea
Coffee
Iced-coffee (Freddos)
Cordial 
Milk
Milkshakes
Hot Chocolate

Alcoholic drinks:
Beer - Lager - Ale
Cider
Wine
Sparkling wine
Champagne
Cocktails (like Mojitos, Margaritas, Martinis, Cosmopolitans, Daiquiris, etc.)

Spirits (Vodka, Rum, Gin, Tequila, Whiskey, etc.)
Alco-pops (like Bacardi Breezers, Gordon Space, Smirnoff Ice)
Sangria
Punch
Liqueurs (like Brandy, Limoncello, etc.)
Aperitifs (like Ouzo, Sake, etc.)


Altogether I've got over 30 different drinks here. Can you think of any more?

Have a great summer... and keep hydrated!! 😎😆💜

CHEERS!! 😁😁

WORD WARS X2!

It's been a while since the last WORD WARS, so today I've got TWO battles for you!! 😉😄

Dying vs Dyeing

The word dying comes from the verb die.
To die = to stop living / to stop operating
e.g. 1. They came to see their dying great grandmother for the last time.
       2. He cursed at his dying battery and threw his mobile phone across the room in anger.

whereas

The word dyeing comes from the verb dye.
To dye = to color, by using liquid color (we usually dye fabrics, wool or hair)
e.g. 1. She is dyeing her hair today.
       2. They were dyeing all their shirts green.

and

Decent vs Descent

Decent (adj) = proper, acceptable, fair
e.g. 1. He's a decent person. You can trust him.
       2. They gave him a decent trial. It could have been worse.

whereas

Descent (n) = coming or going down (1) / origins, ancestry (2)
e.g. 1. The airplane has started its descent. We will be landing soon. (1)
       2. The pilot is of Irish descent, which is why he keeps going back to Ireland. (2)

Another difference between decent and descent is the intonation.
Decent is pronounced DE-cent, whereas Descent is pronounced de-SCENT.


Have a super FRIDAY and a wonderful WEEKEND! 😁😎😊

Writing: Essay B1

Happy Friday everybody!!

How are you feeling today? Have you had a good week? 💪😅😎😊🌞

Today I'm going to talk about Essay writing at B1 Level.
One type of essays is writing about a problem and suggesting ways of solving it. This can be on any given topic. (Education, Behavior, Environment, Sports, etc.)

How do we plan our writing? Simple:

First: Introduce and describe the problem
Second: Suggest solutions and expected results
Third: Sum up and express opinion

Doesn't that sound simple? Let's look at an example. 😀

Task: Cities are becoming more and more polluted. There is garbage in the streets and graffiti on many buildings. People don't want to come to city centres because of this, so many shops and restaurants are going out of business.
Write an essay about pollution in your town or city. Describe the problems and suggest ways of solving them.

People used to enjoy spending time in our city centre, shopping and eating at restaurants and enjoying themselves. However, nowadays you don't see many people around anymore. Instead, the streets are full of litter and dirt and tasteless graffiti is on several buildings ruining the image of the city. It's no wonder that people don't want to be in the centre anymore! 

The good news is that there are ways to better this situation. Firstly, more garbage bins can be put in the streets. This way, people won't have any reason to litter the streets and make them dirty. Also, recycling bins could also be placed in parks for plastic bottles and cups. In addition, it would be a good idea to organize special 'clean-up' days, where volunteers can help clean up some of the rubbish. This could get the community involved in keeping our city clean and promoting a more respectful attitude towards the environment. 
Finally, I think that graffiti artists should be punished for destroying property, unless they can create tasteful art that is suitable for the area. Graffiti doesn't need to be a part of pollution, it can be art!

To sum up, the problem with pollution in our city centre is great, but if we all work together I am sure that it can be kept tidy and become an attractive place for people to spend their free time enjoyably.

😊That's a wrap! So, be sure to use expressions like it's no wonder and phrases like enjoy spending and get involved in and passive voice like be surrounded and be punished.
Show your range of vocabulary (tasteless/tasteful, community, promoting, respectful attitude, destroying property, attractive etc.) and be sure to follow the task and write what is asked from you.
Be sure to use words like: Firstly, Secondly, In addition, Also, However, Moreover, Finally, To sum up.

You can do it! Now it's YOUR turn! Start practicing!

😎😄

Word Lists - Fruit!

Now that the weather is HOT it's time to eat more FRUIT! 😅🍉🍓🍒😋

How many names of fruit do you know??

Here's my FRUIT List!

apple
pear
orange
tangerine
lemon
lime
grapefruit
grapes
avocado
plum
kiwi fruit
mango
passion fruit
papaya
melon
watermelon
peach
nectarine
apricot
banana
pineapple
pomegranate
fig
prickly pear
strawberry
cherry
raspberry
blueberry
cranberry
lychee

There you have it! My list of 30 different fruit! Do you know them all? Have you got any to add?

Have a great day and a fantastic summer! 😁🌞🌅

Formal Letters B1

Formal Letter writing!

Following my previous Writing post, let's jump right into Formal Writing!
Here are two B1 Formal Writing tasks, with my model answers.

Again, always read the task carefully and count your words at the end. Make necessary changes and remember: Formal letters require Formal language.
For example, instead of 'want' use 'require',
instead of 'I'm writing about...' say 'I am writing in regards to...',
at the end, always use the phrase
'I look forward to hearing from you.' (or instead of 'hearing' use any other suitable verb in -ing, according to the content of your letter.)
AND, use more passive voice structures! See examples below.

REMINDER: When we don't know the name of the recipient, we write:
Dear Sir / Madam, and end with Yours faithfully, (and your full name)
whereas
when we know the name of the recipient, e.g. Mr. Green, we write:
Dear Mr. Green, and end with Yours sincerely, (and your full name)

Here are the two writing tasks. 😀😀

Task 1

You have just spent a weekend staying at the Grand Hotel in Adelaide. When you get home you find that you have left a bag at the hotel.

Write a letter to the manager of the hotel. In your letter

• say where you think you left the bag
• explain why it is so important
• tell the manager what you want him/her to do

Model answer:

Dear Sir / Madam,

I recently spent a weekend at the Grand Hotel in Adelaide and am writing in regards to a bag that was left behind. Unfortunately, I only realized that the bag was missing when I got home.

I stayed in room 212 on the nights of Saturday May 20^th and Sunday May 21^st and if I remember correctly I think the bag was left at the foot of the bed. I would much appreciate your assistance in locating my bag as it contains two gifts that I had bought for my children. The gifts are items my children are anxiously waiting for.

Would it be possible for you to contact me as soon as possible to inform me whether the bag has been found? If so, I would appreciate if a courier service could be arranged to send it to me. My telephone number is 012-345-6789.

I look forward to hearing from you on this urgent matter.

Yours faithfully,

Max Peters

Task Two

You live in a room in college which you share with another student. You find it very difficult to work there because he or she always has friends visiting. They have parties in the room and sometimes borrow your things without asking you.

Write a letter to Mrs. Peters, the Accommodation Officer at the college and ask for a new room next term You would prefer a single room. Explain your reasons.

Begin your letter Dear Mrs. Peters,

Model answer:

Dear Mrs. Peters,

I am writing to you in regards to the room I share on Star Campus with my fellow student George Glass. I am afraid I need to request a new room, as soon as possible, preferably a single.

Although George is a nice young man, he always seems to have friends visiting and he is constantly arranging parties in our room. The noise, the number of people and the duration of these parties have been affecting my ability to keep up with my studies. Also, George has been quite rude to me, not only because of his bad behaviour, but also because he borrows my things without even asking. He does not consider my feelings and is clearly not interested in doing well in college as much as I am.

In view of this situation, I would like to be moved to a single room where I can concentrate on my studies without any interruptions. If this can not be done immediately, then next term will be fine.

Thank you for your assistance.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Colin Brooks

Both tasks are a little over 150 words. They weren't that hard, were they?? 😉😊 

Now it's  your turn!! 😎😎😁😁📧📧

Informal Letter B1

Hello everyone!

As promised, I have prepared my first Writing post WITH a model answer for you.  😁

I've decided to start at level B1, which is Upper Intermediate. This level of writing is usually expected from exams like the IELTS General examination (Task 1) and it's good preparation for developing skills to conquer more advanced informal letter writing for the B2 level (where more complex vocabulary is needed).

Let's begin!😊

Always make sure you read the task carefully and that you do exactly what is expected from you.
Read the task below.

Your English friend is coming to visit you for a month. She/he likes running and asks you whether she/he could go running in your town. Write an e-mail and inform her/him about the following:

• where you can go running in your town
• would you go running with her/him and why
• what sports you like and why
• what other sports your town offers (e.g. swimming, tennis, etc.)

Usually writings should be 150-200 words, so make sure you edit your work and be within the word limit. This is a letter (e-mail) to a friend, so it should be fun and easy.

It's pretty straight-forward, isn't it?

Here's the model I've written:

Dear Julie,

I'm so excited that you're coming to visit! I can't wait to see you! We're going to have so much fun! You asked me whether you could go running in my town and I'm happy to say that YES you can!!

We've got three lovely parks in our town, all with special paths for running and jogging! You're going to love running here! The best thing is that one of the town's parks is just two blocks away from my house! I walk through it often and sometimes even have lunch there! All the parks have benches and picnic tables and the big park, in the centre of town, has a small lake, too!

You know I'm no good at running, so I don't know if I'll be joining you there! The only sports I can play are volleyball and ping-pong because not much running is involved! Volleyball is more of a team sport and I like being part of a team. I used to play more when I was in school. I also like playing ping-pong, which isn't much of a team game, but it's still great fun!

Our town has got many sporting facilities, like courts for basketball and tennis and there's even a public swimming pool!

Let me know if you need anything and don't forget to bring your camera!

See you soon,

Amy xx

This letter is a little over 200 words. It wasn't that difficult, was it? It's informal and friendly and all the points have been mentioned. Little bits of extra information have been added to show interest and grammatical+vocabulary range. It's not a very complex letter, but it's to the point.

Now it's your turn. 

Seriously.

If you'd like to practice and don't have someone to look over your work, I'm here to assist you! I'd love to see your letters in the comments and I'd be happy to give you feedback. If you don't want to post your letter in the comments, you could always e-mail it to me using the Contact Me! form on the left. 😄👍

My next writing post will be a B1 level letter again, but a formal one. 

And each post after that will follow the same strategy and level up as I go. 

Stay tuned! The levels will reach up to C2! (Proficiency level)

Have a wonderful Wednesday! 😎😎

Writing Letters. Formal and Informal

Hello there, English Learners!

Today I wanted to review the Writing task of LETTERS.
There are two categories: Formal and Informal.

There are many different types of Formal letters, but the main ones we practice when learning English as a foreign language are usually four:
1. Letter of application (usually for a course at a college or for a job)
2. Transactional letters (these are letters of complaint or letters requesting certain information. They are called 'transactional' because they require ACTION to be taken by the recipient!)
3. Letter of reference (usually a character reference for a friend or colleague or to nominate someone for something)
4. Letter to the authorities or press (usually to express personal opinion of something public, like a new law or an event that creates controversy)

The FIRST thing you need to know and ALWAYS remember is how to begin your letter and how to end it! 😁
If you know the name of the recipient, for example Mr. Jones, always begin with
Dear Mr. Jones,
and always end with Yours sincerely (or Sincerely yours), and your name.

If you don't know the name of the recipient then always begin with
Dear Sir or Madam,
and always end with Yours faithfully (or Faithfully yours), and your name.

The SECOND thing you must remember is to use full forms of contractions, which means using I am instead of I'm and are not instead of aren't, etc. It's amazing how easily you can forget and use these contractions when you're writing! Also, try to limit the use of phrasal verbs. Be careful!

The THIRD thing you should remember is that in formal letters it is better to be indirect with your reader, meaning that you should use the passive voice when addressing actions. Also, try to use more advanced vocabulary.
For example, instead of writing:
I would like a refund and I would like a free replacement of my purchase.
write:
A refund and complimentary replacement of the product in question would be very much appreciated.
See how formal the re-written sentence sounds? 😎 Replacing 'free' with 'complimentary' makes a lot of difference and changing 'my purchase' to 'the product in question' makes the object more neutral.

Informal letters are basically letters to friends and relatives and nowadays they can also be in the form of e-mails.
These letters, to me, are the easiest because you can use idioms and phrasal verbs. The hardest part here is proving your good level of English without sounding too formal!!
For example, when you end your letter, use
Love, Lots of Love, See you soon, etc. and avoid Kind Regards, or Best Wishes, which are more formal.
😎

That's all for now! 😆
I hope I've given you all a nice little reminder on beginnings and endings when writing letters and I will be posting more on Writing soon.
Are there any types of letter that you find harder to write than others? Let me know!
I will post Writing Tasks with modal answers for your reference, so check back soon!

Have a great day and Happy June!! 😄😁👍😎😊

Word Lists - Words of Summer!

Hi there! Here's a new feature I'm starting today called WORD LISTS!

A way to help you keep track of the vocabulary you learn is by using Word Lists.
Create a notebook of Word Lists, grouping words into categories and themes and adding more as you go!

Today I'm going to make a Word List with Words of Summer! I'm going to list the words alphabetically... but this isn't necessary. It's up to you on how you list your words!

Words of Summer

A
adventure
air-conditioning
airplane
airport
apricots
August

B
balcony
bathing suit
beach
beach-ball
beach bag
beach mat
beach towel
beer
bee-sting
bikini
birds
blue skies
boats
breeze
bugs

C
camping
caravan
carefree
cherries
coast
cocktails
concerts
cool
cooler
cruise

D
damp
dip
diving
dock
drinking
dusk
dusty

E
eager
early
eating
embark
entertain
escape
exotic

F
fan
flip-flops
flowers
fish
fresh
fruit
fun

G
garden
gaze
goggles
grapes
grass

H
hat
hammock
harbour
heat
holiday
hot
hotel
humidity

I
ice
ice cubes
ice-cream
ice-cream cone
ice-lollies
insects
island
itchy

J
jet-ski
jug
juice
July

K
kip
kite

L 
lawn
lay
lazy
light
linen
lizards
lounging

M
marina
marine
melon
melt
mosquitoes
moths

N
naps
nature
nude

O
ocean
open-air theatre
outdoors
outings
outside

P
paddle
palm-trees
park
party
peaches
pebbles
people
picnics
pineapples
plants
play
pool
popsicle
port

Q
quest
queue
quiche

R
racket
radiation
rays
reading
recliner
relax
resort
retreat
roof garden
row-boat
rowing

S
sand
sand-castle
sandals
sailing
sea
shade
sherbet
ship
shore
shorts
slushies
smoothies
strapless
straw
straw-hat
straw umbrella
summer
sun
sunbathe
sun-block
sunburn
sun-cream
sundae
sunflowers
sun-glasses
sun-hat
sunlight
sunny
sun-ray
sun-roof
sunscreen
sunshine
sunstroke
sun-tan
sunset
surfing
swimming
swimming pool
swimsuit
swimming trunks

T
tan
tank-top
tanning lotion
thermos
thermometer
tide
tour
tourists
towel
travel
trips
tropical
T-shirt

U
UV rays
umbrella
underwater

V
vacation
vegetables
vineyard
visit
voyage

W
warm
water
water-bottle
watermelon
water-park
water-ski
waves
weather
wet-suit
wind
wind-surfing

X

Y
yacht
yard
yellow
yoghurt

Z
zap
zest
zonked

So there you have it! You can use this list as a first draft and build it up by adding words of your own!
As you can see, I couldn't think of any that began with X and only two beginning with K.

Good luck and, above all, have fun making your Word Lists! 😁😁😎😎

Words of the Day!

Hello and Happy Friday!!! 😎

And since it's Friday, I've got three 'Fri-' words of the day!!! 😁😁

Here they are:

1. Frippery
2. Frisk
3. Frivolous

Frippery (n) = unnecessary showy ornament, especially on clothing.

e.g.  The frippery of her jacket made a bad impression on everyone at the meeting.


Frisk (v) = to pat someone down (pass hands over someone) in search for hidden weapons, drugs etc.

e.g. Everyone was frisked before leaving the airport.

Frivolous (adj) = not sensible or serious (for people) / silly or wasteful (for activities or things)

e.g. At 35, he's still rather frivolous with his money.
      After filing a frivolous lawsuit, his peers no longer trusted the young lawyer's judgement.



Have a great Friday and an even better weekend! 😄😄😊😊

Happy Easter!

We're getting closer and closer to Easter! 

Happy Easter!!! 😁

Do you know how Easter Traditions came about?

Why do we dye eggs? Why are there rabbit and chick decorations and chocolates? Why is lamb usually eaten on Easter Sunday?

Well... I stumbled upon a wonderful Easter site https://www.whyeaster.com/customs/ that is packed with information about Easter!! Check it out and I'll go ahead and answer the questions above!! 😊

First of all, Easter is a deeply religious holiday which celebrates the day Jesus arose from the dead after the Crucifixion. Easter traditions differ in many countries, but many are the same. To find out about a specific country, you'll have to do some targeted research! 😆 

1. Why do we dye eggs red?

One tradition regarding dyeing Easter eggs red is related to Mary Magdalene, the first person to see Jesus after the Resurrection. It is said that she was holding a plain egg in the presence of an emperor, proclaiming the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. When the emperor said that "Jesus’ rising from the dead was as likely as that egg turning red" the egg in her hands turned bright red!!

It is also believed that the color red symbolizes the blood that Jesus shed for the salvation of the world.

Nowadays, Easter eggs are dyed in many colors and are decorated in many ways and for many years Easter was known in Western Europe as Egg Sunday, because eating eggs on that day was one of its joys because of Lent.

2. Rabbits, bunnies, lambs, chicks and chocolates

Rabbits, bunnies and lambs are often associated with Easter because most babies of the animals are born in Spring around Easter time. Chicks represent life and rebirth. 

Chocolate comes from the tradition of the Easter Bunny, which gives chocolates, usually in the shape of eggs, to children on the morning of Easter Sunday or hidden in the house or garden. Tradition has it that for children to receive the special Easter eggs, they had to make special baskets so that the Easter Bunny had a place to leave them!

In some countries, egg hunts take place over Easter. Eggs are hidden around a house or garden and children have to find them. 

Chocolate has become a usual sacrifice for many during Lent, so it is a great joy to indulge in chocolate on Easter Sunday!

3. Why do we eat lamb on Easter Sunday?

The Lamb is a symbol of Jesus in the Bible as He was called 'the Lamb of God' and lamb is a traditional meal on Easter Sunday because Jesus' last supper was the Passover meal. So we eat lamb because it symbolizes Jesus' sacrifice to humanity.

I wish you all a Happy Easter and an enjoyable and rejuvenating holiday!

😊😊💖💖🌼🌼🐣🐣🐇🐇

Discreet vs Discrete

Word Wars Wednesday!!

Today's word wars is between discreet and discrete.
So, what's the difference?

I've seen people write discrete when they really mean discreet and here's my chance to clarify the two adjectives once and for all!

So, both words are adjectives, BUT they mean different things.

discreet (adj) = keeping a secret or showing good judgement in what you say or do / not being too obvious.

e.g. She's a very discreet person. She behaves diplomatically and she can keep a secret. I think she'll be perfect for the job!

whereas discrete (adj) = separate / distinct

e.g. You are talking about two very discrete qualities, which we have to research more. We need to be sure about how they will affect the project before we approve it.

I hope I've cleared these two up for everyone!!
Have a wonderful Wednesday! 😁😎⭐

Words of the Day!

Good Morning!!

Words of the Day is here!!
And our words of the day are:

espionage
espresso
esquire
establish

So what do these words mean??

espionage (n) = the practice of spying

e.g. He has been charged with espionage so please stay away from him.

espresso (n) = coffee brewed by forcing steam through finely ground darkly roasted coffee beans.

e.g. I think I'll have an espresso. I prefer it to filter coffee.

esquire (n) = a man of the English gentry ranking next below a knight; a polite title added after a man's surname (instead of using Mr.), usually written on envelopes as 'Esq.'.

e.g. His name is Matthew Surrey Esq. 

establish (v) = to make firm or stable; found; to set up; to gain acceptance or recognition

e.g. Their business was established in 1901.


Have a great day!
😁😁

Majority vs Minority

Hi Everyone!!!

Our words of the day today are Majority and Minority.

What do they mean?

This is not a case of Word Wars. This is an introductory post of a new part of my blog!! VIDEOS!!! Just like having Articles, now we will also have Videos (from YouTube) on various subjects, in English, for you to watch and learn.

I hope you enjoy it!

For the First Video, I've chosen one about being in the Majority or basically how we think we are in the majority when in reality we are in the minority.
But before you watch the video, what does majority and minority mean?

Majority (n) = the greater part or number; most.

for example: The majority of people watch TV rather than listen to the radio.

Minority (n) = smaller part or number.

for example: Only a minority of Greek families do not have a car.

So the two are opposites.

Here's the video!

Have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend!
:) :)

Words of the Day!

Happy March, everyone!!

Here's another 'WORDS OF THE DAY'!!! It's been a while! 😜 

Let's get started...
Our words for today are:

oscillate
ostensible
ostler

Hard ones, eh?

Let's see what they mean!!

oscillate (v) = to cause something to move repeatedly and regularly from one position to another and back again.

e.g. A pendulum oscillates.

ostensible (adj) = apparent; a stated reason which may not be true.

e.g. The ostensible reason for his illness was being in the cold without a jacket, but everyone knew that it was because he went swimming in the freezing lake.

ostler (n) = stableman; person looking after horses at an inn.


Have a wonderful day and a great month!
Happy March!

Word Wars!! X 3!!!

Hi everyone!!!

It's been a while since our last Word Wars so today I've got 3 groups of words for you!!

1. Callous vs Callus

2. Childish vs Childlike

3. Continual vs Continuous

Do you know the differences??

1. Callous vs Callus

Callous = (adj) someone who is cruel and insensitive, not caring about how other people feel.

e.g. Even though he's a nice guy, he can be so callous sometimes.

Callus = (n) a hard patch of skin or tissue on the body.

e.g.  She developed a callus on the side of her foot from wearing shoes that didn't fit her properly.


2. Childish vs Childlike

Childish = (adj) when someone behaves immaturely, like a child.
This adjective is used when describing someone negatively.

e.g. I can't believe how childish he is! He's 30 years old... Is he ever going to act his age??
      The two brothers fought childishly over the last piece of cake.

Childlike = (adj) when someone has an innocent sense of wonder and enthusiasm about the world.
This adjective is used when describing the innocence of someone, a kind of behaviour one would expect from a child.

e.g.  My grandfather would be so childlike when we spent time in nature.
       The two parents are always so childlike when it comes to buying toys for their kids.


3. Continual vs Continuous

Continual = (adj) something that is frequently repeated, happening with short breaks.

e.g. The continual tapping coming from the other room didn't allow us to concentrate on the test.
       The teacher was bombarded with continual questions throughout the lesson.

Continuous = (adj) something that keeps going on and on, without interruption.

e.g. The continuous buzzing sound from the machine gave me a headache.
       The continuous strong winds kept them awake all night.


I hope I've cleared these up for you!
Let me know if there are any other groups of words you struggle with.

Have a great day!
:)

English Proverbs

What are English Proverbs?

According to Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary: A proverb is a short, well-known saying that states a general truth or gives advice, eg. Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

How many do you know? Do you have a favorite?
Here are some of my favorite English Proverbs: :) :)

Actions speak louder than words.

All good things come to those who wait.

A bad workman blames his tools.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Beggars can't be choosers.

Believe nothing of what you hear and only half of what you see.

Better safe than sorry.

Better late than never.

When the blind lead the blind, both fall in the ditch.

Children and fools tell the truth.

Every cloud has a silver lining.

It's no use crying over spilt milk.

When in doubt, do nowt.

There's an exception to every rule.

There's no such thing as a free lunch.

All that glitters isn't gold.

God sends meat, but the Devil sends cooks.

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

Great minds think alike.

Hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

If you lie down with dogs, you'll get up with fleas.

Love is blind.

The more you get, the more you want.

Never is a long time.

No news is good news.

Out of sight, out of mind.

Practice makes perfect.

Prevention is better than cure.

Seek and ye shall find.

A shoemaker's son always goes barefoot.

It you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.

Still waters run deep.

Three can keep a secret, if two of them are dead.

It takes two to tango.

Two wrongs don't make a right.

Where there's a will, there's a way.

You win some, you lose some.

All's well that ends well.


:) :) Have a super duper day! :) :)

Body Parts... what's that called?

Hey there English learners! I hope you're all doing well!

Here's an image I work with to label some body parts:

Do you know them all??

Let's go ahead and list them...
1. palm (the inside of your hand)
2. wrist
3. eyebrow
4. neck
5. forehead
6. eye-lid
7. cheek
8. chin
9. shoulder
10. thumb (don't forget that the 'b' is silent!)
11. toe
12. elbow
13. chest
14. waist
15. thigh
16. knee
17. ankle
Did you know them all? Which didn't you know?
Which do you find most difficult to remember?
In my experience it's 'thigh'. Also, many confuse 'wrist' and 'waist'.

Practice makes perfect! 

Happy Australia Day!

It's Australia Day today!

Australia Day marks the day that the First Fleet of British Ships arrived at Port Jackson in New South Wales in Australia in 1788. The Flag of Great Britain was raised by Captain Arthur Phillip.

Australia Day is celebrated annually on the 26th of January and if it falls on a weekend it is celebrated on the Monday that follows. It is a public holiday and many formal celebrations take place around the nation.

For more information, please visit: http://www.officeholidays.com/countries/australia/australia_day.php

Have a great day!