September 29, 2012

Weekly Finds: September 29, 2012

A Man With Magnifying Glass by digitalart
Image courtesy of digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Every week, we’ll be sharing a list of posts, stories, news, or opinions that we've run across the Internet during the past week or two. We won't be discussing them in detail here, but we do encourage you to check them out as they could contain valuable ideas and insights for your IELTS exam.

If you're ready, here we go...

Remove This Word From Your Vocabulary

The author shares this valuable lesson: "The moment you convince yourself that something is impossible, you have already failed."

Conjunctions get no respect

Why are more people removing the glue that hold sentences together? Always keep in mind that transition words and phrases are essential to your success in the IELTS writing and speaking exam.

Subject verb agreement

Here are good reminders for us in avoiding subject-verb agreement errors.

“Instantly” vs. “instantaneously”

Is there a difference between “instantly” and “instantaneously”?

WHEN GRAMMAR AND PUNCTUATION MATTER (20 PHOTOS)

The author shares hilarious pictures to show the importance of correct punctuation and grammar.

15 Grammar Goofs to Avoid

The author believes that we "don’t have to be an English major to get a handle on grammar basics. More important, grammar doesn’t need to be overwhelming."

A Guide to Contractions vs. Possessives

A common error in writing is the confusion between contractions and possessive forms. Very often, writers will mix up “your” with “you’re”, “its” with “it’s”, and “whose” with “who’s”. Since these words pairs have identical pronunciations, it can be easy for English speakers to make mistakes when writing.

Six Reasons Why Grammar Matters, Even in the Digital Age

Many people will tell you that younger generations just don’t know how to communicate. They’ll say texting abbreviations and Twitter hashtags are so common, that grammar and spelling has lost its importance. The author argues otherwise.

Writing Mistakes You Didn't Know You Make

The author suggests some things to look for as we proofread our writing tasks.

Show Me Your Errors: Songs and Movies

Grammar Girl looks at the grammatical errors in songs, movies, and music lyrics. Which are the worst offenders?

3 Simple Ways To Help You Stay Motivated To Reach Your Goals

The author shares tips that can help you stay motivated and on track.

Verb Tenses: Present Perfect Simple vs. Present Perfect Progressive

This post takes a look at two closely related verb tenses in English: present perfect simple and present perfect progressive.

Internet Habits Then & Now: 2002 vs. 2012 [Infographic]

Check out this cool infographic. This could be helpful when you're practicing for your IELTS Academic Writing Task 1.

Phone call in a foreign language : Six Don'ts

Do you feel so nervous when you make a phone call in a foreign language that you make mistakes? This article lists six common ones you should avoid.

7 Common School Expressions in English

Learn 7 very common terms and expressions about school and studying.