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Confusing Words in English and How to Use Them Correctly

Confusing words that sound the same? Do you keep using ‘through’ instead of ‘threw’, and mixing your ‘too’, ‘to’, and ‘two’? Have no fear – Ginger’s spelling book is here!
Ginger’s spelling book contains a broad collection of the most frequent word-pairs that people tend to confuse. Browse it by clicking on a specific letter to see how to remember which word is witch…or…which!
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‘a little’ and ‘little’ & ‘a few’ and ‘few’

We use ‘a/an’ with several quantifiers:
• a little
• a few
• a lot (of)

We also use ‘no article’ with several:
• little
• few
• lots (of)

In many situations, we can choose to use ‘a little’ or ‘little’ (when using an
uncountable noun) or ‘a few’ or ‘few’ (when using a plural countable noun). They
have slightly different meanings. (‘A lot’ and ‘lots’ aren’t like this. ‘A lot’ means the
same as ‘lots’).

When we say ‘a little’ or ‘a few’ we mean a small amount, but it’s enough:
• John: Let’s go out tonight.
• Lucy: Okay. I have a little money, enough for the cinema at least.

On the other hand, ‘little’ or ‘few’ usually give us a different impression. These also
mean a small amount, but this time the amount is almost nothing. If the noun is
something that we want (like money or friends) then using ‘little’ or ‘few’ means that
we don’t have enough:
• John: Let’s go out tonight.
• Lucy: Sorry, I have little money. I really can’t afford to go out.

Of course, if we use ‘few’ or ‘little’ with a noun that we don’t want, then the sentence
can have a positive meaning. It’s good to have nearly no problems, for example:
• There have been few problems with the new system, thankfully!
• Luckily, there is little crime in my town.
• I’m so pleased that I have few arguments with my family.
• It’s great that there’s been very little bad weather this month.

Get the book “A and The Explained” > http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/a-and-the-explained.html

 

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English Verb Tenses

Do you know about the verb tenses? What’s the difference between the present perfect and the past simple? Are you sure? How about the past perfect? 
 
Many students have problems with verb tenses. But they aren’t really very difficult, I promise. Here you’ll find really clear examples and explanations, so you can easily review all the English tenses – firstly how to make them (the ‘form’), secondly, how to use them (the ‘use’)
Click to learn more about the tenses below:
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15 Ways to Be Happier in 2015

New year. Happier me.

I’ve never been a huge fan of the resolution list craze and I don’t believe in holding off on pursuing goals that can be accomplished before the first of the year. That may be the overachiever in me talking. I’m all about personal development, but getting in better shape, eating healthier and spending more time with family can all start now depending on how bad you really want it right?

So for the purpose of this list, I’ll focus on what it all comes down to anyway — being happy. Starting new routines, kicking old habits and living the way we really want is largely based on our desire to genuinely be the happiest person we know. Who doesn’t want to be that person?!

Before we raise our champagne flutes and toast to the beginning of the New Year, here are 15 ways we can be happier when it’s time to greet 2015.

Cues the “Auld Lang Syne.”

1. Slow down and enjoy the little moments.

Stop being too busy to taste the flavors in your food, to hear yourself think, to watch the sunset or to listen to the words of your favorite song.

2. Say no to time-wasters and space-fillers.

Your days are valuable and should only involve valuable things and people. You can’t be everywhere at once and you can’t be everything to everybody. Choose what and who is deserving of your time and let the rest fall by the wayside.

3. Be more honest and open with yourself.

What do you really want to do with your life? Is the current path you’re on something you’re passionate about or are you doing it because society’s roadmap told you so? Stop getting in more debt attending a grad school program that does not align with your passion.

4. Take more risks.

Seriously. Get out there and get messy. Make mistakes and fail a few times. Fail again after that. Let the challenges help build your character because the success that follows will be worth it.

5. Assess your circle of friends.

Are you constantly giving and listening to other’s drama and not receiving anything in return? Do the people you lean on really support and uplift you? Do you genuinely feel like they have your best interest at heart? Remember, the five people you spend time with the most are a telling sign of who you are.

6. Realize the past can’t be changed.

Like ever. Stop reliving what could have been or obsessing over how the situation may have played out differently if you would have gotten one more word in or reacted better. It didn’t work out for a reason. Take the lesson from it and find comfort in knowing that what’s meant for you will come in due time.

7. Find the time to help someone in need.

Lend a listening ear or a firm shoulder to lean on. You never know when the person doing the needing will end up being you.

8. Stop making excuses for not living out your dream.

If others can do it, so can you. A few years from now, you’ll be upset with yourself for all the time you wasted and find yourself stuck dwelling on what could have been.

9. Be happy for others.

Being jealous or fake happy is draining. Genuinely be happy for other’s success because you’ll want them to be happy for you when you share your good news.

10. Give what you’d like to receive.

If you’re seeking compassion, show it to others. What goes around, always comes back around.

11. Leave expectations at the door.

People grow, change and make mistakes. Some people will help you while others will attempt to bring you down. Don’t expect too much from anyone either way. The only person’s actions and mind you can control is your own.

12. Validate yourself.

Don’t worry about what others think or don’t think of you. What weight does their opinion carry anyway? Think highly of yourself and give yourself permission to be great.

13. Stop settling.

Being single is better than being unhappy and working 80 hours a week doing something you love is better than working eight hours a week doing something you hate.

14. Respect your own privacy.

Keep some things to yourself. Not everyone needs to know every detail about your relationship or what’s going on at your job, even if they are family and friends. Savor certain moments despite the burning desire to show and prove.

15. Live in your own purpose.

Don’t follow the crowds. Trying to emulate others deters you from that special path you were meant to take. Be inspired from their journey and put that energy into who you were meant to become.

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Christmas traditions from around the world

Click on any one of the floating icons at the top of the page and enter into a world of information about the meaning of Christmas Traditions and Customs as well as how varies countries celebrate Christmas.
HAVE FUN!!!!!

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Using WHOM properly

WHO and WHOM are two very commonly confused words.  To be honest, most native speakers don’t even know how to use them properly 😀   I think this is a great info/comic explaining the proper usage of WHOM (and WHO).  > http://theoatmeal.com/comics/who_vs_whom  Enjoy and laugh a little!

 

 

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Greetings

There are different ways to greet people:

Greeting means welcoming someone with particular words or a particular action.

When meeting people formally for the first time, we greet by shaking hands and saying “How do you do?” or “Pleased to meet you.”

“How do you do?” isn’t really a question, it just means “Hello”.

When young people meet informally they sometimes greet and say “Give me five!” and slap their hands together (high five).

Generally we do not greet by shaking hands with people we know well. We greet by just saying ‘hi’ or ‘hello’

Here are some expressions you can use to greet people.

Greeting

  • greetingHi, hello.
  • Good morning, good afternoon, good evening.
  • How are you?
  • How are you doing?
  • How do you do?

Responding to greeting

  • Hi, hello.
  • Good morning/Good afternoon/Good evening.
  • I’m fine thank you (thanks)/Okey! Thank you (thanks)/Can’t complain/Not bad.
  • How about you?/And you?
  • How do you do?

Things to remember about greeting:

When you greet someone and say:

“How do you do?“

this isn’t really a question, it just means “Hello”.

 

My English Pages

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Do you know your colloquial pairs?

Many of my IELTS students make a point of studying their idioms and phrasal verbs, mostly as it’s a clear cut way to show fluency and develop a more natural and advanced way of speaking English. However, there is something else which can also help here. This is the use of colloquial pairs. You will surely all now about ‘pros and cons’  from learning how to speak about advantages and disadvantages, and this is indeed a colloquial pair, however what about others?

What is a colloquial pair? Well these are pairs of words that have a special significance, such as idioms or slang. You must take care not to put them in the wrong order however, as while these pairs may be understood in a reversed order, they will sound incorrect to a native speaker.

  • prim and proper
  • to and fro
  • odds and ends
  • hard and fast
  • tooth and nail
  • pros and cons
  • by and large
  • down and out
  • length and breadth
  • safe and sound

So, can I give you some examples? Well, I’m very ‘prim and proper’ about my colloquialpairs so I must make sure I use them correctly! I believe that ‘by and large’ these are phrases which are essential to add to your vocabulary if you want to speak like a native, and there is nothing we can do to change that! I’m afraid these rules are set ‘hard and fast’ and we can’t make any exceptions.

Why not look the other pairs up online and see if you can use them?

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Contact Rachel today > http://www.italki.com/teacher/1394345

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Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a very American holiday. It is also called Thanksgiving Day. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November every year. It used to be a religious holiday to give thanks to God. There are two versions of the origins of this holiday. One is thanks for the early settlers arriving in America safely. On December the 4th, 1619, a group of English pioneers arrived at a place called Berkeley Hundred, in Virginia. The group made a promise that the day of their arrival should be a “day of thanksgiving” to God. The second version is the thanks given to Native Americans for teaching the pilgrims how to catch eels and grow corn in Plymouth, Massachusetts. In 1941, President Roosevelt made Thanksgiving a federal holiday.

The main event of any Thanksgiving is the Thanksgiving dinner. It is traditional to have baked or roasted turkey. This is usually accompanied with mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, fall vegetables, cranberry sauce, and gravy. Pumpkin pie is the most commonly eaten dessert. The Thanksgiving holiday weekend is one of the busiest times of the year for traveling. It is a four-day or five-day weekend vacation for most schools and colleges, and many businesses and government workers get three or four days off. Thanksgiving is also the unofficial signal for Christmas preparations to begin. Once Thanksgiving finishes, stores fill their shelves with Christmas goods. It is also a bad time to be a turkey.

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What are Pronouns?

Pronouns are words which replace a noun: I, me, she, we, they, who, that, yours, his, her,etc.
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Pronouns should only be used if the name of the person (or group of people), place (or places), or thing (or things) has been previously mentioned in the paragraph. If it’s not clear which thing the pronoun is modifying, the reader can get quite confused.
 
Uses of Pronouns
We use pronouns so we don’t have to repeat the noun; it makes it sound a little better when we’re talking about one subject for several sentences.
  • When Michael first started Michael’s new job, Michael was a little apprehensive. After all, Michael had just finished Michael’s post-secondary education, and Michael suddenly felt Michael hadn’t learned anything about the real world.
  • When Michael first started his new job, he was a little apprehensive. After all, he had just finished his post-secondary education, and he suddenly felt he hadn’t learned anything about the real world.
You can see how the use of pronouns makes the paragraph sound less repetitive. Notice, though, that Michael’s name has to be mentioned at the beginning of the paragraph; otherwise, we wouldn’t know which man was being discussed.
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Pronouns can be subjects or objects, or show possession.
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Pronouns can also be used to name something unknown or unspecified: someone, something, anyone, anything, etc.
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Someone is up to something here; I just know it.
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