December 1, 2012

Weekly Finds: December 1, 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...

GRAMMAR


Individual discount rates and future reference in English

The author shares his thoughts on future time references.

4 Grammar Podcasts To Improve Your Language Usage

The author shares grammar and language podcasts he constantly listens to.

Grammar battle is unwinnable, but the fight goes on: James Gill

Interesting article about the use of "who" vs. "whom."

OMG! How NOT to write business web content

Guest Author Gini Dietrich of Spin Sucks discusses how poor spelling, grammar, and texting jargon are detrimental to both business and Web writing, however social.

Sentence Structure Chart: Positive, Negative and Questions in all 13 English Tenses

This sentence structure chart provides an overview of the thirteen present, past and future tenses including the continuous and perfect forms.

Participles & Participial Phrases

Learn how to correctly use them.

7 Ways Twitter Sharpens Your Writing

If you want a great tool, try Twitter for writers. This post will show you exactly how to user Twitter to sharpen your writing.

How to Use the Preposition On

The preposition 'on' has many uses in English. This post summarizes the uses of 'on' as a preposition and provides examples for each type of use.

Restrictive or Not—When Do Clauses Need Commas?

Learn to use commas correctly with restrictive or essential clauses. Non-essential and non-restrictive phrases and clauses typically get the commas.

English Lesson Prepositions with Time: On Time or In Time

Do you usually arrive at school or your office on time, in time, or just in time?

After, Before, When: Key Time Expressions used in Adverb Clauses

The time expressions after, before and when are used in adverb clauses to indicate when something occurs. This guide provides explanation of tense usage and context with numerous examples for in-class or self-study use.

Use Adverbs to Create Music for Your Readers' Ears

Sometimes the adverb is useful if only for its sound.

PUNCTUATION


7 Movie-Title Mistakes

Check out some movie titles with grammar and punctuation errors.

SELF-IMPROVEMENT


Creating Success

The author argues why simply visualizing success is not enough.

SPEAKING


Bill Clinton: Now, Listen to This!

Bill Clinton rocked the Democratic National Convention by explaining the country’s situation in a direct and conversational way. A look at The Atlantic Wire’s transcript of his speech shows how he drew his audience in.

How to tame your fears of public speaking

If you're one of those who get nervous when speaking, look at some strategies to help you manage your fears.

VOCABULARY


Exploring the Character of a Bad Word

The author gets to dissect a vulgarity in a linguistic way.

“Quash” vs. “squash”

The author answers this question: "Any comments on 'quash' vs. 'squash'? I rarely hear anyone use the former. The latter sounds gauche to me, even absurd, in a sentence like 'My boss squashed the rumor.' I would, however, accept 'The landlady squashed the roomer.'"

Origin of the Word Upset

In sports and in politics, an upset is to defeat a seemingly better opponent. The author discusses its usage and origin.

Can we please stop crowdsourcing the English language?

Does anyone know what all this oojamaflip that's been zhooshing up the Collins Dictionary actually means?

20 Synonyms for “Shortage”

There’s no shortage of synonyms for shortage, and though many of the terms are close in meaning, the variety of connotations is sufficient to merit this list.

Crowdsourcing the lexicon

Words have the meanings they do because people use them with those meanings.

GRAND SLAM

Where did it come from?

Using Context Clues for Word Studies

This tip provides a sample lesson and a chart that can be used to teach students how to use context to understand an unknown word.

10 Most Beautiful French Words And Stories Behind Them

Take a look at the list.