Monday, April 14, 2008

adjectives

An adjective modifies a noun. It describes the quality, state or action that a noun refers to.

ADJECTIVE RULES:

i) Adjectives can come before nouns: a new car

ii) Adjectives can come after verbs such as be, become, seem, look, etc.: that car looks fast

iii) They can be modified by adverbs: a very expensive car

A noun is a word used to refer to people, animals, objects, substances, states, events and feelings. Nouns can be a subject or an object of a verb, can be modified by an adjective and can take an article or determiner.

Nouns may be divided into two basic groups:

Countable Nouns have plural forms and Uncountable Nouns do not.

Verbs are one of the major grammatical groups, and all sentences must contain one. Verbs refer to an action (do, break, walk, etc.) or a state (be, like, own).

The verb tense shows the time of the action or state. Aspect shows whether the action or state is completed or not. Voice is used to show relationships between the action and the people affected by it. Mood shows the attitude of the speaker about the verb, whether it is a declaration or an order. Verbs can be affected by person and number to show agreement with the subject.

Most adverbs in English are formed by adding -ly to an Adjective. An adverb is a word that modifies the meaning of a Verb; an Adjective; another adverb; a Noun or Noun Phrase; Determiner; a Numeral; a Pronoun; or a Prepositional Phrase and can sometimes be used as a Complement of a Preposition.
ADVERB SPELLING NOTES

i) Adjectives ending -l still take -ly; careful-carefully.

ii) Adjectives ending -y change to -ily; lucky-luckily

iii) Adjectives ending -ble change to -bly; responsible-responsibly
ADVERB OF MANNER

Adverbs of manner modify a verb to describe the way the action is done.

EG: She did the work carefully.

('Carefully' modifies the verb to describe the way the work was done, as opposed to quickly, carelessly, etc..)
ADVERB OF PLACE or LOCATION

Adverbs of place show where the action is done.

EG: They live locally.
ADVERB OF TIME

Adverbs of time show when an action is done, or the duration or frequency.

EG: He did it yesterday. (When)

They are permanently busy. (Duration)

She never does it. (Frequency)
ADVERB OF DEGREE

Adverbs of degree increase or decrease the effect of the verb.

EG: I completely agree with you. (This increases the effect of the verb, whereas 'partially' would decrease it.)
ADVERBS MODIFYING ADJECTIVES

An adjective can be modified by an adverb, which precedes the adjective, except 'enough' which comes after.

EG: That's really good.

It was a terribly difficult time for all of us.

It wasn't good enough. ('Enough' comes after the adjective.)
ADVERBS MODIFYING ADVERBS

An adverb can modify another. As with adjectives, the adverb precedes the one it is modifying with 'enough' being the exception again.

EG: She did it really well.

He didn't come last night, funnily enough.
ADVERBS MODIFYING NOUNS

Adverbs can modify nouns to indicate time or place.

EG: The concert tomorrow

EG: The room upstairs
ADVERBS MODIFYING NOUN PHRASES

Some adverbs of degree can modify noun phrases.

EG: We had quite a good time.

They're such good friends.

Quite; rather; such; what (What a day!) can be used in this way.
ADVERBS MODIFYING DETERMINERS, NUMERALS & PRONOUNS

Adverbs such as almost; nearly; hardly; about, etc., can be used:

EG: Almost everybody came in the end.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

English Idioms ---"A"

~ A ~

A bit much: If something is excessive or annoying, it is a bit much.
A chain is no stronger than its weakest link: This means that processes, organisations, etc, are vulnerable because the weakest person or part can always damage or break them.
A day late and a dollar short: (USA) If something is a day late and a dollar short, it is too little, too late.
A fool and his money are soon parted: This idiom means that people who aren't careful with their money spend it quickly. 'A fool and his money are easily parted' is an alternative form of the idiom.
A fool at 40 is a fool forever: If someone hasn't matured by the time they reach forty, they never will.
A hitch in your giddy-up: If you have a hitch in your giddy-up, you're not feeling well. ('A hitch in your gittie-up' is also used.)
A lick and a promise: If you give something a lick and a promise, you do it hurriedly, most often incompletely, intending to return to it later.
A little bird told me: If someone doesn't want to say where they got some information from, they can say that a little bird told them.
A little learning is a dangerous thing: A small amount of knowledge can cause people to think they are more expert than they really are.eg. he said he'd done a course on home electrics, but when he tried to mend my table lamp, he fused all the lights! I think a little learning is a dangerous thing
A lost ball in the high weeds: A lost ball in the high weeds is someone who does not know what they are doing, where they are or how to do something.
A OK: If things are A OK, they are absolutely fine.
A penny for your thoughts: This idiom is used as a way of asking someone what they are thinking about.
A penny saved is a penny earned: This means that we shouldn't spend or waste money, but try to save it.
A picture is worth a thousand words: A picture can often get a message across much better than the best verbal description.
A poor man's something: Something or someone that can be compared to something or someone else, but is not as good is a poor man's version; a writer who uses lots of puns but isn't very funny would be a poor man's Oscar Wilde.
A pretty penny: If something costs a pretty penny, it is very expensive.
A problem shared is a problem halved: If you talk about your problems, it will make you feel better.
A rising tide lifts all boats: This idiom, coined by John F Kennedy, describes the idea that when an economy is performing well, all people will benefit from it.
A rolling stone gathers no moss: People say this to mean that that a go-getter type person is more successful than a person not doing any thing.
A slice off a cut loaf is never missed: Used colloquially to describe having sexual intercourse with someone who is not a virgin, especially when they are in a relationship. The analogy refers to a loaf of bread; it is not readily apparent, once the end has been removed, exactly how many slices have been taken.('You never miss a slice from a cut loaf' is also used.)
A steal: If something is a steal, it costs much less than it is really worth.
A still tongue keeps a wise head: Wise people don't talk much.
A watched pot never boils: Some things work out in their own time, so being impatient and constantly checking will just make things seem longer.
A1: If something is A1, it is the very best or finest.
Abide by a decision: If you abide by a decision, you accept it and comply with it, even though you might disagree with it.
Abject lesson: (India) An abject lesson serves as a warning to others. (In some varieties of English 'object lesson' is used.)
About as useful as a chocolate teapot: Someone or something that is of no practical use is about as useful as a chocolate teapot.
About face: If someone changes their mind completely, this is an about face. It can be used when companies, governments, etc, change their position on an issue.
Above board: If things are done above board, they are carried out in a legal and proper manner.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder: This idiom means that when people are apart, their love grows stronger.
Accident waiting to happen: If something is an accident waiting to happen, there's definitely going to be an accident or it's bound to go wrong. ('Disaster waiting to happen' is also used.)
Ace in the hole: An ace in the hole is something other people are not aware of that can be used to your advantage when the time is right.
Ace up your sleeve: If you have an ace up your sleeve, you have something that will give you an advantage that other people don't know about.
Achilles' heel: A person's weak spot is their Achilles' heel.
Acid test: An acid test is something that proves whether something is good, effective, etc, or not.
Across the board: If something applies to everybody, it applies across the board.
Across the ditch: (NZ) This idiom means on the other side of the Tasman Sea, used to refer to Australia or New Zealand depending on the speaker's location.
Across the pond: (UK) This idiom means on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, used to refer to the US or the UK depending on the speaker's location.
Act of God: An act of God is something like an earthquake or floods that human beings cannot prevent or control.
Act of war: An act of war is a action that is either intended to start a war or that is interpreted as being sufficient cause for a war.
Actions speak louder than words: This idiom means that what people actually do is more important than what they say- people can promise things but then fail to deliver.
Adam's apple: The Adam's apple is a bulge in the throat, mostly seen in men.
Add fuel to the fire: If people add fuel to the fire, they make a bad situation worse.
Add insult to injury: When people add insult to injury, they make a bad situation even worse.
After your own heart: A person after your own heart thinks the same way as you.
Against the clock: If you do something against the clock, you are rushed and have very little time to do it.
Against the grain: If doing something goes against the grain, you're unwilling to do it because it contradicts what you believe in, but you have no real choice.
Age before beauty: When this idiom is used, it is a way of allowing an older person to do something first, though often in a slightly sarcastic way.
Agony aunt: An agony aunt is a newspaper columnist who gives advice to people having problems, especially personal ones.
Ahead of the pack: If you are ahead of the pack, you have made more progress than your rivals.
Ahead of time: If something happens ahead of time, it happens early or before the set time.
Albatross around your neck: An albatross around, or round, your neck is a problem resulting from something you did that stops you from being successful.
Alike as two peas: If people or things are as alike as two peas, they are identical.
Alive and kicking: If something is active and doing well, it is alive and kicking. (It can be used for people too.)
All along: If you have known or suspected something all along, then you have felt this from the beginning.
All and sundry: This idiom is a way of emphasising 'all', like saying 'each and every one'.
All bark and no bite: When someone talks tough but really isn't, they are all bark and no bite.
All bark and no bite: Someone who talks a lot, but does nothing to back up their words-- like a dog that barks at strangers, but won't actually bite.
All bets are off: (USA) If all bets are off, then agreements that have been made no longer apply.
All dressed up and nowhere to go: You're prepared for something that isn't going to happen.
All ears: If someone says they're all ears, they are very interested in hearing about something.
All eyes on me: If all eyes are on someone, then everyone is paying attention to them.
All fingers and thumbs: If you're all fingers and thumbs, you are too excited or clumsy to do something properly that requires manual dexterity. 'All thumbs' is an alternative form of the idiom.
All hat, no cattle: (USA) When someone talks big, but cannot back it up, they are all hat, no cattle.('Big hat, no cattle' is also used.)
All heart: Someone who is all heart is very kind and generous.
All hell broke loose: When all hell breaks loose, there is chaos, confusion and trouble.
All in a day's work: If something is all in a day's work, it is nothing special.
All in your head: If something is all in your head, you have imagined it and it is not real.
All mod cons: If something has all mod cons, it has all the best and most desirable features. It is an abbreviation of 'modern convenience' that was used in house adverts.
All mouth and trousers: (UK) Someone who's all mouth and trousers talks or boasts a lot but doesn't deliver. 'All mouth and no trousers' is also used, though this is a corruption of the original.
All my eye and Peggy Martin: (UK) An idiom that appears to have gone out of use but was prevalent in the English north Midlands of Staffordshire, Cheshire and Derbyshire from at least the turn of the 20th century until the early 1950s or so. The idiom's meaning is literally something said or written that is unbelievable, rumor, over embellished, the result of malicious village gossip etc.
All of the above: This idiom can be used to mean everything that has been said or written, especially all the choices or possibilities.
All over bar the shouting: When something is all over bar the shouting, the outcome is absolutely certain.('All over but the shouting' is also used.)
All over the map: (USA) If something like a discussion is all over the map, it doesn't stick to the main topic and goes off on tangents.
All over the place: If something is completely disorganised or confused, it is all over the place.
All over the shop: If something is completely disorganised or confused, it is all over the shop.
All over the show: If something is all over the show, it's in a complete mess.An alternative to 'All over the shop'.
All roads lead to Rome: This means that there can be many different ways of doing something.
All set: If you're all set, you are ready for something.
All sixes: If something is all sixes, it doesn't matter how it's done; it's the same as 'six of one and half a dozen of the other'.
All skin and bone: If a person is very underweight, they are all skin and bone, or bones.
All square: If something is all square, nobody has an advantage or is ahead of the others.
All talk and no trousers: (UK) Someone who is all talk and no trousers, talks about doing big, important things, but doesn't take any action.
All that glitters is not gold: This means that appearances can be deceptive and things that look or sound valuable can be worthless. ('All that glistens is not gold' is an alternative.)
All the rage: If something's all the rage, it is very popular or fashionable at the moment.
All the tea in China: If someone won't do something for all the tea in China, they won't do it no matter how much money they are offered.
All your eggs in one basket: If you put all your eggs in one basket, you risk everything at once, instead of trying to spread the risk. (This is often used as a negative imperative- 'Don't put all your eggs in one basket'. 'Have your eggs in one basket' is also used.)
All's fair in love and war: This idiom is used to say that where there is conflict, people can be expected to behave in a more vicious way.
All's well that ends well: If the end result is good, then everything is good.
All-singing, all-dancing: If something's all-singing, all-dancing, it is the latest version with the most up-to-date features.
Alter ego: An alter ego is a very close and intimate friend. It is a Latin phrase that literally means 'other self'.
Always a bridesmaid, never a bride: If someone is always a bridesmaid, never a bride, they never manage to fulfill their ambition- they get close, but never manage the recognition, etc, they crave.
Ambulance chaser: A lawyer who encourages people who have been in accidents or become ill to sue for compensation is an ambulance chaser.
Amen: Some use 'Amen' or 'Amen to that' as a way of agreeing with something that has just been said.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away: Eating healthy food keeps you healthy.
An old flame: An old flame is a person that somebody has had an emotional, usually passionate, relationship with, who is still looked on fondly and with affection.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure: This expression means that is is better to try to avoid problems in the first place, rather than trying to fix them once they arise.
And all that jazz: This idiom means that everything related or similar is included.
Angry as a bear: If someone is as angry as a bear, they are very angry.('Angry as a bear with a sore foot' is also used.)
Angry as a bull: If someone is as angry as a bull, they are very angry.
Answers on a postcard: This idiom can be used to suggest that the answer to something is very obvious or that the person would really like to hear what people think.
Ants in your pants: If someone has ants in their pants, they are agitated or excited about something and can't keep still.
Any port in a storm: This means that in an emergency any solution will do, even one that would normally be unacceptable.
Any Tom, Dick or Harry: If something could be done by any Tom, Dick or Harry, it could be done by absolutely anyone.
Apple of your eye: Something or, more often, someone that is very special to you is the 'apple of your' eye.
Apron strings: A man who is tied to a woman's apron strings is excessively dependent on her, especially when it is his mother's apron strings.
Argue the toss: (UK) If you argue the toss, you refuse to accept a decision and argue about it.
Arm and a leg: If something costs an arm and a leg, it is very expensive.
Armchair critic: An armchair critic is someone who offers advice but never shows that they could actually do any better.
Armed to the teeth: If people are armed to the teeth, they have lots of weapons.
Around the clock: If something is open around the clock, it is open 24 hours a day. For example, an airport is open around the clock.
Arrow in the quiver: An arrow in the quiver is a strategy or option that could be used to achieve your objective.
As a rule: If you do something as a rule, then you usually do it.
As cold as ice: This idiom can be used to describe a person who does not show any emotion.
As cold as stone: If something is as cold as stone, it is very cold. If a person is as cold as stone, they are unemotional.
As cool as a cucumber: If someone is as cool as a cucumber, they don't get worried by anything.
As good as new: If something has been used but is still in extremely good condition, it is as good as new.
As mad as a hatter: This simile means that someone is crazy or behaves very strangely. In the past many people who made hats went insane because they had a lot of contact with mercury.
As much use as a chocolate fire-guard: A fire-guard is used in front of a fireplace for safety. A chocolate fire-guard is of no use. An alternative to 'As much use as a chocolate teapot'.
As much use as a chocolate teapot: Something that is as much use as a chocolate teapot is not useful at all.
As much use as a handbrake on a canoe: This idiom is used to describe someone or something as worthless or pointless.
As neat as a new pin: This idiom means tidy and clean.
As one man: If people do something as one man, then they do it at exactly the same time or in complete agreement.
As the actress said to the bishop: (UK) This idiom is used to highlight a sexual reference, deliberate or accidental.
As the crow flies: This idiom is used to describe the shortest possible distance between two places.
As you sow, so shall you reap: This means that if you do bad things to people, bad things will happen to you, or good things if you do good things.
Asleep at the switch: If someone is asleep at the switch, they are not doing their job or taking their responsibilities very carefully. 'Asleep at the wheel' is an alternative.
Asleep at the wheel: If someone is asleep at the wheel, they are not doing their job or taking their responsibilities very carefully. 'Asleep at the switch' is an alternative.
At a drop of a dime: (USA) If someone will do something at the drop of a dime, they will do it instantly, without hesitation.
At a loose end: (UK) If you are at a loose end, you have spare time but don't know what to do with it.
At a snail's pace: If something moves at a snail's pace, it moves very slowly.
At arm's length: (India) If something is at arm's length, it is very close to you.
At arm's length: Keep somebody at arm's length means not allowing somebody to be become to friendly with you or close to you.
At cross purposes: When people are at cross purposes, they misunderstand each other or have different or opposing objectives.
At daggers drawn: If people are at daggers drawn, they are very angry and close to violence.
At death's door: If someone looks as if they are at death's door, they look seriously unwell and might actually be dying.
At each other's throats: If people are at each other's throats, they are fighting, arguing or competing ruthlessly.
At full tilt: If something is at full tilt, it is going or happening as fast or as hard as possible.
At large: If a criminal is at large, they have not been found or caught.
At loggerheads: If people are at loggerheads, they are arguing and can't agree on anything.
At loose ends: (USA) If you are at a loose end, you have spare time but don't know what to do with it.
At odds: If you are at odds with someone, you cannot agree with them and argue.
At sea: If things are at sea, or all at sea, they are disorganized and chaotic.
At the bottom of the totem pole: (USA) If someone is at the bottom of the totem pole, they are unimportant. Opposite is at the top of the totem pole.
At the coalface: If you work at the coalface, you deal with the real problems and issues, rather than sitting in a office discussing things in a detached way.
At the drop of a hat: If you would do something at the drop of a hat, you'd do it immediately.
At the end of the day: This is used to mean 'in conclusion' or 'when all is said and done'.
At the end of your rope: (USA) If you are at the end of your rope, you are at the limit of your patience or endurance.
At the end of your tether: (UK) If you are at the end of your tether, you are at the limit of your patience or endurance.
At the fore: In a leading position
At the top of my lungs: If you shout at the top of your lungs, you shout as loudly as you possibly can.
At the top of the list: If something is at the top of the list, it is of highest priority, most important, most urgent, or the next in one's line of attention.
At the top of your voice: If you talk, shout or sing at the top of your voice, you do it as loudly as you can.
At your wit's end: If you're at your wit's end, you really don't know what you should do about something, no matter how hard you think about it.
At your wits' end: If you are at your wits' end, you have no idea what to do next and are very frustrated.
Average Joe: An average Joe is an ordinary person without anything exceptional about them.
Avowed intent: If someone makes a solemn or serious promise publicly to attempt to reach a certain goal, this is their avowed intent.
Away with the fairies: If someone is away with the fairies, they don't face reality and have unrealistic expectations of life.
Awe inspiring: Something or someone that is awe inspiring amazes people in a slightly frightening but positive way.
AWOL: AWOL stands for "Absent Without Leave", or "Absent Without Official Leave". Orignially a military term, it is used when someone has gone missing without telling anyone or asking for permission.
Axe to grind: If you have an axe to grind with someone or about something, you have a grievance, a resentment and you want to get revenge or sort it out. In American English, it is 'ax'.

The English Irregular Verb List

Base Form	Past Simple	Past Participle	3rd Person Singular	Present Participle / Gerund
Abide	Abode/Abided	Abode/Abided/Abidden	Abides	Abiding
Alight	Alit/Alighted	Alit/Alighted	Alights	Alighting
Arise	Arose	Arisen	Arises	Arising
Awake	Awoke	Awoken	Awakes	Awaking
Be	Was/Were	Been	Is	Being
Bear	Bore	Born/Borne	Bears	Bearing
Beat	Beat	Beaten	Beats	Beating
Become	Became	Become	Becomes	Becoming
Begin	Began	Begun	Begins	Beginning
Behold	Beheld	Beheld	Beholds	Beholding
Bend	Bent	Bent	Bends	Bending
Bet	Bet	Bet	Bets	Betting
Bid	Bade	Bidden	Bids	Bidding
Bid	Bid	Bid	Bids	Bidding
Bind	Bound	Bound	Binds	Binding
Bite	Bit	Bitten	Bites	Biting
Bleed	Bled	Bled	Bleeds	Bleeding
Blow	Blew	Blown	Blows	Blowing
Break	Broke	Broken	Breaks	Breaking
Breed	Bred	Bred	Breeds	Breeding
Bring	Brought	Brought	Brings	Bringing
Broadcast	Broadcast/Broadcasted	Broadcast/Broadcasted	Broadcasts	Broadcasting
Build	Built	Built	Builds	Building
Burn	Burnt/Burned	Burnt/Burned	Burns	Burning
Burst	Burst	Burst	Bursts	Bursting
Bust	Bust	Bust	Busts	Busting
Buy	Bought	Bought	Buys	Buying
Cast	Cast	Cast	Casts	Casting
Catch	Caught	Caught	Catches	Catching
Choose	Chose	Chosen	Chooses	Choosing
Clap	Clapped/Clapt	Clapped/Clapt	Claps	Clapping
Cling	Clung	Clung	Clings	Clinging
Clothe	Clad/Clothed	Clad/Clothed	Clothes	Clothing
Come	Came	Come	Comes	Coming
Cost	Cost	Cost	Costs	Costing
Creep	Crept	Crept	Creeps	Creeping
Cut	Cut	Cut	Cuts	Cutting
Dare	Dared/Durst	Dared	Dares	Daring
Deal	Dealt	Dealt	Deals	Dealing
Dig	Dug	Dug	Digs	Digging
Dive	Dived/Dove	Dived	Dives	Diving
Do	Did	Done	Does	Doing
Draw	Drew	Drawn	Draws	Drawing
Dream	Dreamt/Dreamed	Dreamt/Dreamed	Dreams	Dreaming
Drink	Drank	Drunk	Drinks	Drinking
Drive	Drove	Driven	Drives	Driving
Dwell	Dwelt	Dwelt	Dwells	Dwelling
Eat	Ate	Eaten	Eats	Eating
Fall	Fell	Fallen	Falls	Falling
Feed	Fed	Fed	Feeds	Feeding
Feel	Felt	Felt	Feels	Feeling
Fight	Fought	Fought	Fights	Fighting
Find	Found	Found	Finds	Finding
Fit	Fit/Fitted	Fit/Fitted	Fits	Fitting
Flee	Fled	Fled	Flees	Fleeing
Fling	Flung	Flung	Flings	Flinging
Fly	Flew	Flown	Flies	Flying
Forbid	Forbade/Forbad	Forbidden	Forbids	Forbidding
Forecast	Forecast/Forecasted	Forecast/Forecasted	Forecasts	Forecasting
Foresee	Foresaw	Foreseen	Foresees	Foreseeing
Foretell	Foretold	Foretold	Foretells	Foretelling
Forget	Forgot	Forgotten	Forgets	Foregetting
Forgive	Forgave	Forgiven	Forgives	Forgiving
Forsake	Forsook	Forsaken	Forsakes	Forsaking
Freeze	Froze	Frozen	Freezes	Freezing
Frostbite	Frostbit	Frostbitten	Frostbites	Frostbiting
Get	Got	Got/Gotten	Gets	Getting
Give	Gave	Given	Gives	Giving
Go	Went	Gone/Been	Goes	Going
Grind	Ground	Ground	Grinds	Grinding
Grow	Grew	Grown	Grows	Growing
Handwrite	Handwrote	Handwritten	Handwrites	Handwriting
Hang	Hung/Hanged	Hung/Hanged	Hangs	Hanging
Have	Had	Had	Has	Having
Hear	Heard	Heard	Hears	Hearing
Hide	Hid	Hidden	Hides	Hiding
Hit	Hit	Hit	Hits	Hitting
Hold	Held	Held	Holds	Holding
Hurt	Hurt	Hurt	Hurts	Hurting
Inlay	Inlaid	Inlaid	Inlays	Inlaying
Input	Input/Inputted	Input/Inputted	Inputs	Inputting
Interlay	Interlaid	Interlaid	Interlays	Interlaying
Keep	Kept	Kept	Keeps	Keeping
Kneel	Knelt/Kneeled	Knelt/Kneeled	Kneels	Kneeling
Knit	Knit/Knitted	Knit/Knitted	Knits	Knitting
Know	Knew	Known	Knows	Knowing
Lay	Laid	Laid	Lays	laying
Lead	Led	Led	Leads	Leading
Lean	Leant/Leaned	Leant/Leaned	Leans	Leaning
Leap	Leapt/Leaped	Leapt/Leaped	Leaps	Leaping
Learn	Learnt/Learned	Learnt/Learned	Learns	Learning
Leave	Left	Left	Leaves	Leaving
Lend	Lent	Lent	Lends	Lending
Let	Let	Let	Lets	Letting
Lie	Lay	Lain	Lies	Lying
Light	Lit	Lit	Lights	Lighting
Lose	Lost	Lost	Loses	Losing
Make	Made	Made	Makes	Making
Mean	Meant	Meant	Means	Meaning
Meet	Met	Met	Meets	Meeting
Melt	Melted	Molten/Melted	Melts	Melting
Mislead	Misled	Misled	Misleads	Misleading
Mistake	Mistook	Mistaken	Mistake	Mistaking
Misunderstand	Misunderstood	Misunderstood	Misunderstands	Misunderstanding
Miswed	Miswed/Miswedded	Miswed/Miswedded	Misweds	Miswedding
Mow	Mowed	Mown	Mows	Mowing
Overdraw	Overdrew	Overdrawn	Overdraws	Overdrawing
Overhear	Overheard	Overheard	Overhears	Overhearing
Overtake	Overtook	Overtaken	Overtakes	Overtaking
Pay	Paid	Paid	Pays	Paying
Preset	Preset	Preset	Presets	Presetting
Prove	Proved	Proven/Proved	Proves	Proving
Put	Put	Put	Puts	Putting
Quit	Quit	Quit	Quits	Quitting
Re-prove	Re-proved	Re-proven/Re-proved	Re-proves	Re-proving
Read	Read	Read	Reads	Reading
Rid	Rid/Ridded	Rid/Ridded	Rids	Ridding
Ride	Rode	Ridden	Rides	Riding
Ring	Rang	Rung	Rings	Ringing
Rise	Rose	Risen	Rises	Rising
Rive	Rived	Riven/Rived	Rives	Riving
Run	Ran	Run	Runs	Running
Saw	Sawed	Sawn/Sawed	Saws	Sawing
Say	Said	Said	Says	Saying
See	Saw	Seen	Sees	Seeing
Seek	Sought	Sought	Seeks	Seeking
Sell	Sold	Sold	Sells	Selling
Send	Sent	Sent	Sends	Sending
Set	Set	Set	Sets	Setting
Sew	Sewed	Sewn/Sewed	Sews	Sewing
Shake	Shook	Shaken	Shakes	Shaking
Shave	Shaved	Shaven/Shaved	Shaves	Shaving
Shear	Shore/Sheared	Shorn/Sheared	Shears	Shearing
Shed	Shed	Shed	Sheds	Shedding
Shine	Shone	Shone	Shines	Shining
Shoe	Shod	Shod	Shoes	Shoeing
Shoot	Shot	Shot	Shoots	Shooting
Show	Showed	Shown	Shows	Showing
Shrink	Shrank	Shrunk	Shrinks	Shrinking
Shut	Shut	Shut	Shuts	Shutting
Sing	Sang	Sung	Sings	Singing
Sink	Sank	Sunk	Sinks	Sinking
Sit	Sat	Sat	Sits	Sitting
Slay	Slew	Slain	Slays	Slaying
Sleep	Slept	Slept	Sleeps	Sleeping
Slide	Slid	Slid/Slidden	Slides	Sliding
Sling	Slung	Slung	Slings	Slinging
Slink	Slunk	Slunk	Slinks	Slinking
Slit	Slit	Slit	Slits	Slitting
Smell	Smelt/Smelled	Smelt/Smelled	Smells	Smelling
Sneak	Sneaked/Snuck	Sneaked/Snuck	Sneaks	Sneaking
Soothsay	Soothsaid	Soothsaid	Soothsays	Soothsaying
Sow	Sowed	Sown	Sows	Sowing
Speak	Spoke	Spoken	Speaks	Speaking
Speed	Sped/Speeded	Sped/Speeded	Speeds	Speeding
Spell	Spelt/Spelled	Spelt/Spelled	Spells	Spelling
Spend	Spent	Spent	Spends	Spending
Spill	Spilt/Spilled	Spilt/Spilled	Spills	Spilling
Spin	Span/Spun	Spun	Spins	Spinning
Spit	Spat/Spit	Spat/Spit	Spits	Spitting
Split	Split	Split	Splits	Splitting
Spoil	Spoilt/Spoiled	Spoilt/Spoiled	Spoils	Spoiling
Spread	Spread	Spread	Spreads	Spreading
Spring	Sprang	Sprung	Springs	Springing
Stand	Stood	Stood	Stands	Standing
Steal	Stole	Stolen	Steals	Stealing
Stick	Stuck	Stuck	Sticks	Sticking
Sting	Stung	Stung	Stings	Stinging
Stink	Stank	Stunk	Stinks	Stinking
Stride	Strode/Strided	Stridden	Strides	Striding
Strike	Struck	Struck/Stricken	Strikes	Striking
String	Strung	Strung	Strings	Stringing
Strip	Stript/Stripped	Stript/Stripped	Strips	Stripping
Strive	Strove	Striven	Strives	Striving
Sublet	Sublet	Sublet	Sublets	Subletting
Sunburn	Sunburned/Sunburnt	Sunburned/Sunburnt	Sunburns	Sunburning
Swear	Swore	Sworn	Swears	Swearing
Sweat	Sweat/Sweated	Sweat/Sweated	Sweats	Sweating
Sweep	Swept/Sweeped	Swept/Sweeped	Sweeps	Sweeping
Swell	Swelled	Swollen	Swells	Swelling
Swim	Swam	Swum	Swims	Swimming
Swing	Swung	Swung	Swings	Swinging
Take	Took	Taken	Takes	Taking
Teach	Taught	Taught	Teaches	Teaching
Tear	Tore	Torn	Tears	Tearing
Tell	Told	Told	Tells	Telling
Think	Thought	Thought	Thinks	Thinking
Thrive	Throve/Thrived	Thriven/Thrived	Thrives	Thriving
Throw	Threw	Thrown	Throws	Throwing
Thrust	Thrust	Thrust	Thrusts	Thrusting
Tread	Trod	Trodden	Treads	Treading
Undergo	Underwent	Undergone	Undergoes	Undergoing
Understand	Understood	Understood	Understands	Understanding
Undertake	Undertook	Undertaken	Undertakes	Undertaking
Upset	Upset	Upset	Upsets	Upsetting
Vex	Vext/Vexed	Vext/Vexed	Vexes	Vexing
Wake	Woke	Woken	Wakes	Waking
Wear	Wore	Worn	Wears	Wearing
Weave	Wove	Woven	Weaves	Weaving
Wed	Wed/Wedded	Wed/Wedded	Weds	Wedding
Weep	Wept	Wept	Weeps	Weeping
Wend	Wended/Went	Wended/Went	Wends	Wending
Wet	Wet/Wetted	Wet/Wetted	Wets	Wetting
Win	Won	Won	Wins	Winning
Wind	Wound	Wound	Winds	Winding
Withdraw	Withdrew	Withdrawn	Withdraws	Withdrawing
Withhold	Withheld	Withheld	Withholds	Withholding
Withstand	Withstood	Withstood	Withstands	Withstanding
Wring	Wrung	Wrung	Wrings	Wringing
Write	Wrote	Written	Writes	Writing
Zinc	Zinced/Zincked	Zinced/Zincked	Zincs	Zincking

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Some and Any

Some / any

The words some and any are used for countable and uncountable nouns. In general, we could say that some means a few / a little and any means none in negative clauses or a few / a little in questions.

Positive Clauses

In positive clauses, we usually use some.

Example:: I have bought some bread.; I have bought some apples.

Negative Clauses

In negative clauses, we use any. Note, however, that any alone is not a negative - it must be not ... any

Example:: I have not bought any bread.; I have not bought any apples.

Questions

In questions, we usually use any.

Example:: Have you bought any bread?; Have you bought any apples?

Compound Words with some / any

Some / any can also be part of compound words such as:

something / anything
someone / anyone
somewhere / anywhere

Note that some / any have to be used with a noun while compound words with some / any can stand on their own.

Example:: I have bought some bread.; I have bought something.

However, some and any need not stand directly before the noun. Sometimes, the noun appears somewhere before some or any and is not repeated. So if you are not sure whether to use some or something for example, check if there is a noun in the sentence that you can place after some.

Example:: I do not have to buy bread. Rachel has already bought some [bread].

Exceptions

Positive Clauses with Any

We usually use some in positive clauses. But after never, without, hardly, we use any.

Example:: We never go anywhere.; She did her homework without any help.; There’s hardly anyone here.

Also in if clause, we usually use any.

Example:: If there is anything to do, just call me.

Questions with Some

We usually use any in questions. But if we expect or want the other to answer ‚yes‘, we use some.

Example:: Have you got any brothers and sisters?
→ some people have brothers or sisters, others don't - we cannot expect the answer to be ‚yes‘; Would you like some biscuits?
→ we offer something and want to encourage the other to say ‚ja‘

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Apostrophes

When do we use Apostrophes?

There are two basic uses of the apostrophe in English:

1 - To show that letters or numbers are missing.

In contractions, we use an apostrophe to indicate that a letter is missing:

Isn't = is not
'72 = 1972

2 - To show possession

If something belongs to a person or thing, we use an apostrophe to show ownership:

Jane's house is in a nice area. (The house belongs to Jane)

We put the apostrophe after the letter s in a plural:

The girls' mother collected them from school. (There were two or more girls)

NB: With irregular plurals, we put the apostrophe before the letter s:

The children's teacher was very popular.

The apostrophe with plurals

We very rarely use the apostrophe to show plurals and only under special circumstances:

Some people use them with acronyms (words made from the first letters of a phrase, like CD for Compact Disc)- CD's. Others do not use the apostrophe here.
Numbers- Some people write the 1990's and others write the 1990s.
To make a letter plural- mind your p's and q's (an expression meaning 'mind your manners')

Other than these circumstances, the apostrophe should not be used in plurals unless they are showing possession.

70 ways to improve your English

1. Start your own English language blog. Even for people who don't have to write in English, writing can be a great way of properly learning the kind of vocabulary you need to describe your own life and interests, and of thinking about how to stop making grammar mistakes. The problem most people have is that they don't know what to write about. One traditional way to make sure you write every day in English is to write an English diary (journal), and a more up to date way of doing this is to write a blog. Popular topics include your language learning experience, your experience studying abroad, your local area, your language, or translations of your local news into English.

2. Write a news diary. Another daily writing task that can work for people who would be bored by writing about their own routines in a diary is to write about the news that you read and listen to everyday. If you include your predictions for how you think the story will develop (e.g. "I think Hillary will become president"), this can give you a good reason to read old entries another time, at which time you can also correct and mistakes you have made and generally improve what you have written.

3. Sign up for a regular English tip. Some websites offer a weekly or even daily short English lesson sent to your email account. If your mobile phone has an e-mail address, it is also possible to have the tips sent to your phone to read on the way to work or school. Please note, however, that such services are not usually graded very well to the levels of different students, and they should be used as a little added extra or revision in your English studies rather than as a replacement for something you or your teacher have chosen more carefully as what you need to learn.

4. Listen to MP3s. Although buying music on the internet is becoming more popular in many countries, not so many people know that you can download speech radio such as audio books (an actor reading out a novel) and speech radio. Not only is this better practice for your English than listening to English music, from sources like Scientific American, BBC and Australia's ABC Radio it is also free.

5. Listen to English music. Even listening to music while doing something else can help a little for things like getting used to the natural rhythm and tone of English speech, although the more time and attention you give to a song the more you will learn from listening to it again in the future.

6. Read the lyrics to a song. Although just listening to a song in English can be a good way of really learning the words of the chorus in an easily memorable way, if you want to really get something out of listening to English music you will need to take some time to read the lyrics of the song with a dictionary. If the lyrics are not given in the CD booklet, you may be able to find them on the internet, but please note that some lyrics sites deliberately put a few errors into their lyrics for copyright reasons. Once you have read and understood the lyrics, if you then listen and read at the same time, this can be a good way of understanding how sounds change in fast, natural, informal speech.

7. Sing karaoke in English. The next stage after understanding and memorising a song is obviously to sing it. Although some words have their pronunciation changed completely to fit in with a song, most of the words have the same sounds and stressed syllables as in normal speech. Remembering which words rhyme at the end of each line can also be a good way of starting to learn English pronunciation.

8. Write a film, music, hotel or book review. Another motivating and easy way to make yourself write in English is to write a review for a site such as Amazon or Internet Movie Database. Many non-native speakers write reviews on sites like this, and if you have some special understanding of the book, music or film due to your first language or knowing the artist personally, that would be very interesting for the English speakers who read and write reviews on the site.

9. Only search in English. Switching your search engine to the English language version of msn, yahoo, Google etc. can not only be a good way of practising fast reading for specific information in English, but could also give you a wider choice of sites to choose from and give you an idea of what foreigners are writing about your country and area.

10. Read a book you've already read or seen the movie of in your own language. Although most language learners under Advanced level would probably learn more from reading a graded reader or something from the internet than they would from reading an original book written for English speakers, for some people reading something like Harry Potter in the original can be a great motivator to improve their English. To make this easier for you and make sure that it motivates you rather than just making your tired, try reading a book that you already know the story of. This not only makes it easier to understand and guess vocabulary, but you are also more likely to remember the language in it. If you have not read the book before, reading a plot summary from the internet can also help in the same way.

11. Read a translation into English. Another way of making sure books are easier to understand is to choose a book that was originally translated into English, preferably from your own language. Even if you haven't read the book in your own language, you will find the English is written in a slightly simplified way that is more similar to how your own language is written than a book originally written in English would be.

12. Skip the first ten pages. If you have given up with a book in English or are reading it very slowly, try skimming through the first ten pages or skipping them completely. The start of most books tend to be mainly description and are therefore full of difficult vocabulary and don't have a clear story line yet to help you understand what is happening and to motivate you to turn the next page. If the book is still too difficult even after the introductionary part is finished, it is probably time to give that book up for now and try it again after you have read some easier things.

13. Read a book with lots of dialogue. Opening up books before you buy one and flicking through them to find one with lots of direct dialogue in it has several advantages. If there is less text on the page due to all the speech marks etc, this can make it easier to read and easier to write translations on. Dialogue is also much easier to understand than descriptive parts of a book, and is much more like the language you will want to learn in order to be able to speak English.

14. Read English language comics. Even more than books with lots of dialogue, comics can be easy to understand and full of idiomatic language as it is actually spoken. There can be difficulties with slang, difficult to understand jokes and/ or dialogue written how people speak rather than with normal spellings, so try to choose which comic carefully. Usually, serious or adventure comics are easier to understand than funny ones.

15. Read English language entertainment guides. Nowadays most big cities in the world have an English language magazine and/ or online guide to the movies, plays, exhibitions that are on in the city that week. Reading this in English is not only good value, but it could also guide you to places that English speakers are interested in and where you might hear some English spoken around you.

16. Read English language magazines. Like books, if you can read two versions of the same magazine (Newsweek in your language and in English, for example), that could make understanding it much easier.

17. Take a one week intensive course. Although you cannot expect to come out of a very short course speaking much better English than when you started it, if you continue studying a little over the following weeks and months, the knowledge you gained then will gradually come out and mean that your level of speaking, listening etc. are better than they would have been if you hadn't taken that course. This positive effect can still be true up to a year later.

18. Follow your intensive course up with an extensive course. The more time you can spend studying English the better, but studying periodic intensive courses with a few hours of study a week in between is probably better value for money than any other system as it gives your brain time to subconsciously learn and start using the new language you have learnt before you introduce the next new "chunk" of language.

19. Supplement your group class with a one to one class. Another good way to combine two different kinds of classes is to study both in a group class and one to one. Having a one to one teacher, even if just a couple of times a month, will mean that you can be taught exactly the language that you need, that you will have more time to speak, and that you can have as much error correction as you like.

20. Supplement your one to one class with a group class. The benefits of having a group class are often less clear to students, but they include the fact that you will learn to deal with several people speaking at once, have a chance to practice skills such as interrupting people, and will hear a range of different viewpoints and topics.

21. Teach your children or friends some English. Recent research has shown that elder children tend to be a couple of IQ points above their younger siblings, and the most likely reason is that explaining things to their little brothers and sisters gives them an intellectual boost. In the same way, teaching someone lower level than you the English you already know is a great way of permanently fixing that knowledge in your own brain.

22. Ask your company to start English lessons. Even if you don't need to speak English at work, English lessons can be a fun and reasonably priced way for your company to spend their training budget in a popular way.

23. Have English radio on in the background while you are doing your housework. Even if you are not listening carefully, it will help you get a feel for natural English rhythm and intonation.

24. Play English language learning games on your Nintendo DS. Although such games can have quite random language and are unlikely to improve your ability to speak English on their own, the next time you hear or read the same language elsewhere it will be really fixed in your brain by the fact you have played a game with it in already. It is also a nice way of taking a break from your other English studies while also doing some English. To make sure it really is a break and to avoid wasting time learning language from the game that is not much used in daily life, don't bother writing down any new language you see in the game, but just try to learn it from playing the game again.

25. Say or think what you are doing in English as you do your daily tasks. As you are doing your chores, try creating sentences describing what you are doing, e.g. ‘I am unscrewing the ketchup bottle cap'. This gets you used to thinking in English without translating, and can be a good way of seeing what simple vocabulary that is around you everyday you don't know. yet

26. Watch English language films with English subtitles. For people who can't understand a film without subtitles but find themselves not listening at all when reading subtitles in their own language, this should be the way of watching a film that you should aim for. If it is too difficult to watch the whole film this way, try watching the (usually important) first 10 or 15 minutes of the film with subtitles in your own language, switch to English subtitles after that, and only switch back to subtitles in your own language if you get totally lost following the story of the film.

27. Watch films in your language with English subtitles. If you are finding English films with English subtitles too difficult or you can't find English films with English subtitles in your local video shop, this is a good second best option. Looking for local films with English subtitles can also sometimes be a good sign of quality, as it means the producers of the film are expecting it to be popular internationally as well.

28. Watch English films with subtitles in your language. Again, this is not as good practice as English language films with English subtitles, but is more relaxing, can be easier to find suitable DVDs for, and is also possible with VHS.

29. Watch the same film or TV episode over and over again. This can not only save you money on DVDs, but will mean that you can really learn the language without having to study it. Some comedies can also get funnier the more you watch them, especially if you watch them with no subtitles and so understand a little more each time you watch it.

30. Be realistic about your level. One thing that holds many language learners back is actually trying too hard and tackling something that their brain is not ready for yet. Checking your level with a level check test on the internet, by taking an English language test (FCE, CAE, IELTS, TOEIC, TOEFL etc.), or by taking a free trial level check and/ or lesson in a language school will help you find out what your level is and so choose suitable self-study materials.

31. Be realistic about your reading level. Most researchers agree that people learn most when reading something they understand almost all of. If there are one or two words per page that you have never seen before, that is about the right level. If there are three or more on every page, you should switch to something easier and come back later.

32. Read graded readers (= easy readers). These are books that are especially written for language learners like you, e.g. Penguin Readers. Although it can be difficult to find something as interesting as things written in newspapers or on the internet, in terms of learning the language only people who need to read for their work or an exam usually gain more from reading things written for graded readers. Graded readers of classic books like Charles Dickens also have the benefit of giving you a lot of knowledge about the literature, and culture more generally, of English speaking countries in a short time.

33. Read the whole thing with no help. Although using a dictionary has been shown to help with both short term and long term learning of vocabulary, the fact that using it slows reading down can stop some people reading in English at all. Reading a whole book quickly through just for pleasure from time to time will help you remember how fun reading in another language can be.

34. Read and learn everything. At the opposite extreme, it can be hard work but very satisfying to get to the end of a book knowing that you have learnt every word in it. See other tips on this page to make sure it is a book that is easy enough to do this with and to ensure that the vocabulary you learn is useful.

35. Watching English children's films or TV programmes. Although some of the vocabulary you can learn from things made for children can be a bit strange (lots of animal names and maybe animal noises, including baby names for things), the fact that not only the language but the structure of the story is simplified can make it an easy and motivating thing to watch. Like good language learning materials, the same language is also often repeated to make it memorable, and the use of catchy songs etc. can increase this positive effect on your memory.

36. Read English children's books. This is very similar to watching English children's movies, but with the added advantage of there being more illustrations than adult books, which both helps you to understand the story and makes the page brighter and more motivating to read.

37. Keep a list of language to learn, e.g. a vocab list. Even if you don't often find time to go though your vocab list and it keeps on building up, just the act of choosing which words you need to learn and writing them down on a special list can help you learn them.

38. Go through your vocab list several times every day. If ticking off words on a vocabulary list on the train to work is inconvenient or embarrassing for you, you can keep your list of words to learn as an entry in your electronic dictionary, as a mobile phone to do list or as a text file in your MP3 player (e.g. iPod). Although the time spent transferring the information between different formats like these may seem wasted, in fact any time you spend using the vocabulary like this will help you learn it.

39. Convert your vocab list to English only. One way to stop yourself translating and therefore increase your speed of comprehension and production is to learn all your vocabulary without the use of your own first language. Ways you can write a vocab list in only English include with synonyms (words with the same meaning, e.g. "tall" and "high"); with opposites ("high" and "low"); with pronunciation factors such as number of syllables (the number of beats, e.g. three for "de- ci- sion") and the word stress (the syllable that is pronounced louder and longer, e.g. the second syllable in "baNAna"); and gapped sentences (e.g. "I am not _________________ in science fiction" for the word "interested").

40. Cross out and delete. Crossing out or deleting words, sentences or whole pages that you have learnt can be a great motivator, and save your list of things to learn becoming too big to handle.

41. Throw everything away and start again. One of the things that can put most people off learning is a stack of half finished books or a huge list vocabulary waiting to be learnt. Simply getting rid of all that and starting again with something new from zero can be a great motivator and get your studies underway again.

42. Label things in your house or office with post-its. The easiest vocabulary to learn is the vocabulary of things you see and use everyday. If you can write the names of things around you on slips of paper and stick them on the real thing, this is a great way of learning useful vocabulary. If you can leave them there over the following days and weeks, this is a very easy way of revising the vocabulary until it is properly learnt.

43. Label a drawing. For people who can't put labels on real things, the next best option is to take a photo of a real place in your life like your office, print it out, and then draw lines to all of the things you can see in the picture and label them in English with the help of a dictionary. You can do the same thing with places you pass through everyday like the station. Because you will see the same thing again and again, it should be easy to really learn the words for those things.

44. Keep a diary in English. This is a popular method of making sure you use English everyday for people who don't often speak English and can't think of things to write about. The fact that you are writing about real things that have happened to you means that any words you look up in the dictionary will be vocabulary that is useful for you and easy to learn.

45. Online chat. The closest thing to speaking for people who don't have the chance to speak English is online chat, as you have to think and respond quickly, and the language is short and informal just like speech.

46. Listen to the radio news in English. You can make this easier by reading the news in English first, or even just by reading or listening to the news in your own language.

47. Read an English language newspaper. Freebie newspapers like "Metro" in London are usually the easiest to understand, followed by mid-brow titles like "The Daily Express" or "The Daily Mail" in English. Popular newspapers like "The Sun" are more difficult because of the idiomatic, slangy use of language and the number of jokes in the headlines and articles.

48. Write fiction in English, e.g. short stories. For people who find writing a diary about things that happen to them everyday boring, the best thing is to let your imagination go and write about whatever comes into your head. The advantage of this is that if you can't think of how to say something in English, you can just change the story to something that is easier to explain. Perhaps the easiest way to start writing fiction in English is with a diary, changing any details you like to make it more interesting and adding more and more fantasy as the weeks go on.

49. English language exercise videos. This is quite similar to how babies learn, by listening, watching and copying. It is also good for your health!

50. Learn a famous speech or poem in English by heart. Although you may never hear or get the chance to say exactly that line, having one memorable example of an English grammatical form in your head can make it much easier to learn other examples of the same grammar as you hear them. It is also something you can practice over and over without being as boring as grammatical drills.

51. Get tipsy (= a little drunk) before speaking English. This can not only improve your fluency while you are drinking, but can also improve your confidence in future days and weeks by showing you that you can communicate what you want to say.

52. Use a dictionary while you are watching a movie. Films often have the same words many times, so if you look up important words the first or second time you hear them, you should have learnt them by the end of the film. It is easier to use a dictionary if you watch with English subtitles.

53. Learn and use the phonemic script. Although there are many sounds in English, there are even more spellings. By learning the phonemic script and writing vocabulary down with it, you can both add another stage to your vocabulary learning that should help you learn it more thoroughly, and improve your pronunciation. It can also make things easier for you by stopping you trying to pronounce different spellings of the same pronunciation different ways.

54. Learn some spelling rules. Many people think that English spelling is random, but in fact most words follow some kind of rule, e.g. the "magic E" that changes the pronunciation of "mad" and "made".

55. Record your own voice. For people who don't have much or any correction of pronunciation from a teacher, recording yourself and listening back makes it easier to hear whether you are really making the English sounds that you are trying to or not.

56. Use computer pronunciation analysis. Although most programmes that claim to tell you when you are pronouncing correctly or not don't actually do that, listening many times and seeing how your voice changes as you try to match the sounds and waveform given by a pronunciation CD ROM can be good practice and more motivating than just recording your own voice.

57. Learn as many words as you can of one category, e.g. animal words. Learning similar words together can both expand your overall vocabulary and make them easier to learn by forming links between the words in your brain.

58. Take holidays abroad. This is not only a good opportunity to speak English in situations where you really have to make yourself understood in order to live, but it is also a good motivator to study English seriously in the weeks and months before your trip. If possible, also try to use English even when you could use your own language, e.g. when you pick a guided tour of a museum or historic place or when you book a flight on the internet, and try to avoid package tours.

59. Draw pictures of the words you want to learn. Especially if you are artistic, this can be a better way of learning vocabulary than writing translations or example sentences.

60. Find a foreign boyfriend or girlfriend. No tips on how to do this here, but everyone agrees that getting or even just looking for a date in English can be a great motivator to improve your language skills.

61. Arrange a conversation exchange. Swapping lessons and conversation with someone who wants to learn your language can be a good alternative for those who aren't looking for romance, or can sometimes lead onto dating for those who are!

62. Sign up for an English language exam. Even if you don't need to take an exam and don't want to or can't take a special course to study for it, paying to take an exam like TOEFL, TOEIC, IELTS or FCE can really motivate you take your English studies seriously.

63. Model your accent on one particular actor. e.g. try to speak like Robert De Niro. Students who say they want to sound more like a native speaker have the problem that native speakers don't sound all that much like each other. Choosing one model can make the task of improving your pronunciation more clear, and is quite fun. Doing an impression of that person also makes a good party trick.

64. Use an English-English dictionary. Trying to use a bilingual dictionary less and switching to a monolingual one can help you to stop translating in you head when you are speaking or listening, and other useful English vocabulary can come up while you are using the dictionary.

65. Occasionally talk to or e-mail your friends in English. Many people find this a bit false or embarrassing, but if you think of it as a study club and set a particular time and/ or place, it is no different from studying maths together.

66. Go to an English or Irish pub. As well as having a menu in English and being a good way of finding out something about the culture of English speaking countries, you might also find there are free English language listings magazines, English language sports on the TV and/ or foreign people you can speak to.

67. Buy a speaking electronic dictionary. Although most electronic dictionaries are not as good as paper ones for the amount of information they give you about each word, some of them have the very useful function of saying the word with the correct pronunciation.

68. Learn your electronic dictionary vocabulary list. Most electronic dictionaries also have a button which you can push to see the last 30 or more words you looked up. By deleting words you decide are useless or you have already learnt from this list, you can use it as a "to do list" of words to learn that you can look at several times a day in the train etc.

69. Switch operating system to English. Changing the operating language of your mobile phone, video recorder etc. to English can be an easy way of making sure you use the language everyday.

70. Set goals. Deciding how many hours you want to study, how many words you want to learn or what score you want to get in a test are all good ways of making sure you do extra study.

LEARN TO LOVE ENGLISH...