Breaking the Ice: Business/Formal Emailing Intros

Sometimes it can be a bit tricky to start writing an email, especially when it is addressed to somebody whom we have never met before.  The first few sentences can sometimes even paralyze us.  Here are few examples to get you going!

Salutations:

• Unknown recipient:
• To Whom it May Concern
• Dear Sir or Madame
• To + title (Ex. To the Director of Human Resources)
• Recipients for whom you have a name:
• Dear Dr./Mr./Mrs./Ms./Miss + surname
• Note: Mrs. is used only for married women.  Ms. is used for married and single women.  Miss is used for single women.  However, Miss is very outdated and hardly used.  Ms. is used for business correspondence rather than Mrs., even if the woman is married. 

Openings (Breaking the Ice):

Established Contact:

• I hope this email finds you well.
• Thank you for your quick response/prompt reply.
• It was... a pleasure meeting you / great to finally meet you.
• It was great to finally touch base with you... the other day/last week/yesterday. 
• I greatly appreciate(d) your help in + gerund (Ex. sending, sharing, meeting, convening...)

Unknown Contact Given by Colleague or Friend:

•  I was given your name from an organization that...
• Your name was passed along to me by a colleague who knows you from...
• I happened to receive your name from ____________, the Vice President of SOS, while I was attending a conference in London. 

Unknown Contact:

• I'm writing you to learn more information about + gerund (Ex. acquiring, collaborating...)
• By chance, I became aquainted with your work/organization through a conference/workshop I attended. 
•  I am familiar with the work you have done in the area of + field (Ex. medicine, law, biology...)

Job Announcements:

• I'm writing this email to inquire about the position available as + title (Ex. Development Manager, Salesperson, Marketing Director...)
• I found an opportunity for employment via your website as + title (Ex. Web Developer, Associate Professor, Junior Copywriter...)
• I am writing to express my interest in the current opening as + title (Ex. Analyst, Researcher...)

I hope this helps--feel free to leave any questions or suggestions...

2012 Election Lingo Top 10 List

Today Americans will elect a new president, and for those of you who are closely following the news, here is a list of new vocabulary words you may not already know to help you understand American election parlance and politics.

n.=noun
adj.=adjective
v.=verb
adv.=adverb

1. swing state(n.): states in which there are many undecided voters, making it difficult for experts to predict whether a state will vote for the Democratic or Republican candidate.  For the 2012 election (according to the Washington Post), Ohio, Florida, Colorado, Virginia, New Hampshire and Iowa are swing states.
2. absentee ballot(n.): a mail-in ballot used by Americans living or working abroad including U.S. military personnel.
3. incumbent (n.):  the candidate running who is currently holding office.  In this election, Obama is the incumbent.
4. dark horse(n.): a term used in gambling to describe a competitor or candidate that suprisingly upsets the expected outcome.  We also use the term´underdog', which expresses the idea of a disadvantaged player. 
5. GOP(n.):  this acronym stands for Grand Old Party, or the Republican Party.  Curiously enough, it was founded by anti-slavery activists in the mid-1800.   
6. partisan(adj.):  this term simply means committed, belonging to or favoring one party or another. 
7. landslide(n.):  overwhelming victory, winning by a landslide means winning by a wide margin.
8. platform(n.):  this is used to describe the policies, objectives and beliefs that define the campaign of a candidate.  For example, Obama's platform includes universal healthcare, Romney's, lower taxes. 
9. straight vs. split ticket(n., adv.):  A straight ticket is voting strictly based on party affiliation--voting for either all Democrat, Republican or Independent runners--while a split ticket is a ballot with candidates from more than one party.  For example, voting for Romney and a Democratic senator would be a split ticket.
10. exit poll:  An exit poll is conducted right after voters have submitted their ballots.   

CONNECTORS: Developing Fluency

Developing vocabulary that enables us to connect our thoughts is fundamental in achieving fluency in English.  These words and expressions help us to articulate cause and effect, contrast; demonstrate exceptions, examples and time sequences; as well as introduce, emphasize, expand, summarize and conclude our arguments and points of view.  Here is a useful list of commonly used advanced-level connectors in English.  I've compiled shortlist of words with the intent of finding transition words that aren't commonly found in grammar books and that are often used in day to day (professional) speech.

Introduction

• In light of
• With regard to
• Concerning
• When it comes to

Cause-Effect/

• Therefore
• As a result
• Consequently
• In order to

Contrast

• However
• Whereas
• Conversely
• Despite the fact that
• On one hand....yet on the other hand...
• As opposed to (Note: When using a verb, use the gerund (-ing)...e.g. It's better to take the train, as opposed to flying.) 

Examples

• For instance
• Take a look at
• To illustrate
• In this case

 

Time Sequences

• First (second, third, fourth...) of all
• Meanwhile
• Subsequently (Note: This is the same as right after, soon after.)
• Previously
• Formerly
• For the time being
• In the long run
• Sooner or later (It will happen eventually...)

 

Emphasis

• Above all
• Without a doubt
• Undeniably
• Unquestionably
• Particularly
• Primarily
• Most importantly/significantly
• By all means

 

Expansion

• Furthermore
• In addition to this
• ....not to mention...
• As a matter of fact
• Equally important
• Similarly

 

Summary

• By and large
• All in all
• To sum up
• On the whole
• In brief
• For the most part

 

Conclusion

• In the end
• Ultimately
• In any case
• To sum up

Quick Tip: Using FOR/SINCE in the Present Perfect

Yet another common challenge for English learners is how to correctly use for and since in the present perfect.  Take a look at these common mistakes for beginning students:

       We have been traveling around the United States since one month.
       We have been traveling around the United States for one month.

        She hasn't taken a vacation since a long time.
        She hasn't taken a vacation for a long time.

SINCE when?  FOR how long?

If you don't know whether to use for or since, ask yourself...

for HOW LONG?
...two days
...five minutes
...a thousand years
...a long time
...a second
...the rest of my life
...a couple weeks

For is used to express the duration of time. 

since WHEN?
...last Tuesday/month/year/weekend
...November 25
...1980
...3:00 pm

We can also use a dependent clause (subject+verb) after since:
...we got married
...I moved to New York
...he quit his job

or a gerund
...graduating highschool
...buying our new house
...writing my first book

Since is used to express a specific point in time. 

Using the Past Tense with Since

Note that when using since, we sometimes use a combination of the present perfect in the independent (or main) clause and the past in the dependent clause.  Take a look at these examples:

        They haven't seen their grandmother since the family went on vacation last year. 
                 present perfect                                                      past

        Since I moved to Lisbon, I haven't eaten pancakes.
                    past                         present perfect

We can also use the gerund in the dependent clause, which gives the sentence a more general time frame and doesn't overtly identify the subject:

        Since having a baby, she has lost weight quickly.
                  gerund                   present perfect

        We haven't seen them since visiting last Christmas.
               present perfect               gerund

If you have any questions, just post below...I hope these tips help you! 

WhoM do you love? ...WHO vs. WHOM

Have you ever wondered why we say "Who do you love rather than "Whom do you love?" or why Twitter copywriters chose "Who to Follow" rather than "Whom to Follow"?  For English learners, these inconsistencies can be a bit confusing, and even native English speakers disagree on the appropriate usage of who vs. whom. 

Grammar

Put simply, who is used with the subjective (or nominative) case, while whom is used with the objective case.  As you know, the subject causes an action, and the object receives the action:

        Subjective:    I, You, He, She, It, We, They, Who
        Objective:    me, you, him, her, it, us, them, whom

When we use who and whom correctly, it clarifies and emphasizes which case we are addressing:

subjective:  Who gave you the contact?  He gave me the contact.
objective:    Whom did you give the contact to?  I gave the contact to him.

subjective:  Who called this morning?  She called this morning.
objective:    Whom did you call?  I called her.

subjective:  Who saw them at the beach?  I saw them at the beach.
objective:    Whom did you see at the beach?  I saw them at the beach.


Tip:  Notice how 'who' (one actor) is followed by a verb while 'whom' requires the auxiliaries do/did (because there are two actors).

Whom/Whom do you love?

As you can see, who refers to the subjective case (I, you, he, she, it, we, they) while whom refers to the objective case (me, you, him, her, it, us, them).  Now take a look at the examples from the beginning of this post:

objective:     Who Whom do you love?  I love him. 
objective:     Who Whom to follow?  Follow me! 

This is the grammatically correct way to use who and whom, however nobody says "Whom do you love?" and everybody clicks on "Who to Follow".  These days, whom is seen by some people as overly formal, uptight or stuffy, while others still use whom in spoken English, but generally speaking whom occurs more often in written English than in spoken.  Whether one chooses to use whom or not, understanding English grammar is fundamental to speaking well. 

In my opinion case markers, such as who and whom, enrich languages, adding specificity, clarity and at the same time, complexity to the expression of English. Old English was a much more complex language with far more cases, determiners and even pronouns. It's important to preserve these complexities in the English language, as it has become more watered down by the Internet, more mainstream as the world's international business language, all of which makes it one of the world's easiest languages to learn.

SHADE or SHADOW? ...What's the difference?

Note this common mistake:

Let's walk in the shadow...it's too hot in the sun!
Let's walk in the shade...it's too hot in the sun!


There is frequent confusion between shade and shadow.  Shade is used to describe the general areas blocked by sunlight, whereas shadow is used to describe specific objects or people blocking sunlight.  
In the photograph below, you can see the shadows of three pedestrians strolling by in the sun next to the shade of a building. 

shade vs. shadow

1.  shade (n.), : describes any place where sunlight is blocked

• After walking for hours through the city on a hot and humid summer day, we found a place to rest in the shade.
• There's nothing like sitting on the cool grass in the shade of a cherry tree.

     shady (adj.)

• Let's find a shady spot to park the car, otherwise it may overheat later.

       *Note: Shady is also a slang word for suspicious, untrustworthy or dishonest. (a shady character, a shady neighborhood, a shady bar, etc.)

other usages: lampshade, window shade, shades of (a color)

2.  shadow (n.):  silhouette, the specific shape/outline of an object or person cast by the sun

• Looking down from the balcony, we could see the shadows of the people walking by cast on the pavement.
• He's so timid, that he's afraid of his own shadow!

      *Note: Five o'clock shadow is the term used to describe the stubble (super short facial hair) a man gets by the end of the day.

other idioms: beyond a shadow of a doubt

Is IRREGARDLESS a word?

No, it is not.

Despite the fact that the so-called word 'irregardless' has found its way into daily usage in English and is listed in numerous online dictionaries, it is not, in fact, a word.

'Irregardless' has a negative prefix (ir-) and a negative suffix (-less), effectively cancelling out one another and resulting in the same meaning as its root, regard (to esteem or value).  'Irregardless' is not a word; it's a double negative.  And although you may hear native English speakers use it, or you may come across it in an online news article or dictionary, it is not correct.

The correct word to use is regardless, which means no matter what, despite, not taking into account certain conditions or qualities, as in the following news headlines:

• Regardless of age, take the adventure
• Michael Phelps: Star Will Stay Face of US Swimming Regardless of London Results

• It will see ads placed into users news feeds regardless of whether they have 'liked' the firm

Fun or Funny?

Note this common mistake:

We had a funny time on our vacation
We had a fun time on our vacation. 

There is frequent confusion between fun and funny.  Take a look at the differences between these commonly used words:

fun vs. funny

+Funny (adj.) can describe a person or thing that is:

1. comical (haha...!)

I think George Carlin is the funniest American comedian.

2. different

My Japanese students think it's funny how Americans sometimes eat standing up.
3.  strange

Your bathing suit smells funny...did you forget to dry it?

4. interesting
It's funny how time flies, isn't it?

+Fun: describes an event, person or thing that is enjoyable and exciting.  It can be a noun or an adjective:

1.   (noun)

We always have fun when we go surfing. (event)  
2. (adjective)
 I enjoy spending time with my sister-in-law because she's so much fun. (person)
 Barcelona is a fun city, especially during the summer months.  (thing)

Pronunciation: SH vs. CH *This post is great for PORTUGUESE speakers*

The Differences between SH (ʃ) and CH (tʃ)

These two sounds are easily confused, and as you can see above, the phonetic symbols share the same sound (ʃ) except CH has an additional 't' sound (tʃ).  Here are the differences simplified:

SH (ʃ)

• Long, continuous sound
• Tongue barely touches the roof of mouth
• Mouth is slightly closed
• Think: "Shhhh...the baby is sleeping."

CH (tʃ)

• Short, burst of air
• Tongue touches roof of mouth
• Mouth opens quickly
• Think: "Achooo!"..."Bless you." 

Pronunciation Pairs: The following words have the exact same pronunciation except for the SH (ʃ) and CH (tʃ) sounds. 

1. cash--catch
2. chin--shin
3. share--chair
4. She's--cheese
5. sheep--cheap
6. shin--chin
7. ship--chip
8. shock--chalk
9. shoe--chew
10. shopping--chopping
11. washing--watching
12. wish--which

Other Pronunciations of CH:

The English language absorbed words from French that have a ch spelling but are pronounced as SH (ʃ)  Here is some examples:

• brochure
• chagrin
• chalet
• champagne
• chauffeur
• chauvinist
• chef
• Chicago
• machine
• Michigan
• mustache

Click here for a new blog post with even more words and their meanings. 

There are also words in English with a ch spelling that are pronounced like a (k), such as the following:

• character
• charisma
• chaos
• chemical
• chemistry
• chlorine
• Christ
• Christmas

American $$$$ Idioms: 6 Expressions Related to Money

Try to guess the meaning of the following American $$$$ idioms, then check the answers are at the end.

FYI: quarter=25₵, dime=10₵, nickel=5₵, penny=1₵

1.  Starbucks and CVS pharmacies are a dime a dozen in downtown Washington, DC.  There seems to be one on every other block and sometimes even across the street from each other.  It's rare to find a "Mom and Pop" (local, non-corporate) coffee shop.

2.  My friend exchanged a grand in cash before traveling abroad.

3. Nothing particularly special happened today--I went to work, had lunch with my colleagues and went home at 5:00.  I guess it's another day another dime (or dollar).

4.  There is no way I'm going to buy that two-bit piece of IKEA furniture!  I need something that will last for at least 5 years. 

5.  High level executives have assistants who complete their requests at the drop of a dime.

6.  Cell phone contracts are the worst...companies nickel and dime you with service fees and taxes.

1. dime a dozen (adj.): something common, easily found everywhere, not in shortage, ubiquitous,
2. grand (n.): $1,000
3. another day another dime: the usual routine, another day of working and making money
4. two-bit (adj.): very cheap, low quality, worth almost nothing (this term comes from a coin once used in the United States valued at about 25 cents)
5. drop of a dime (adv.): to do something immediately, right away without any question
6. nickel and dime(v.): to charge somebody extra for various fees, expenses, costs

6 (American) Idioms in SILVER

Contexts such as stories, songs, photos, drawings, colors, news headlines, music or whatever captures our interest and imagination make learning easy and help us retain new information.  The following silver idioms are explained in context:

1.  silver lining: the positive side of a negative situation

"Every cloud has a silver lining" is a famous metaphor to express the idea that every negative circumstance or situation has a positive angle. 

British musician David Gray uses this idiom in his song "Silver Lining" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpESwMFyB8w:

Take this silver lining
Keep it in your own sweet head
Shine it when the night is burning red
Shine it in the twilight
Shine it on the cold cold ground
Shine it till these walls come
Tumbling down

2.  (to be) born with a silver spoon in (one's) mouth: a person who comes from a wealthy family/upbringing, somebody who hasn't worked hard for all they have, spoiled.
Note: "one's" is possessive (my, your, his, her, our, their)

Here's a quote from President Obama on the campaign trail:
"I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth. Michelle wasn't, either," the president said to a crowd of 400 students at Lorain County Community College in Elyria, Ohio. “But somebody gave us a chance. Just like these folks up here are looking for a chance.”

3.  the silver screen: the big screen at a movie theater
Note: This popular, Hollywood term comes from the 1920´s when movie house projection screens were painted with a metallic finish, allowing black and white films to reflect more light. 

Here are some recent headlines:
"Gothamites psyched for Batman's silver screen return."
"'Star Trek: The Next Generation' hits the silver screen for one night only."
"Godzilla returning to the silver screen - again."

‎

4.  silver anniversary: celebration of 25 years

Unsurprisingly gifts made of silver are given for this anniversary, among other options...See headline below:

"Wife gives husband a precious gift for silver wedding anniversary - one of her kidneys
 It wasn't a difficult decision, says devoted wife."

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2176067/Wife-gives-husband-precious-gift-silver-wedding-anniversary--kidneys.html#ixzz21k0bwFjZ

5.  silver fox: an attractive gentleman who has silver, grayish hair. 

Actor George Clooney is considered by many to be a silver fox.

6.  silver bullet: a cure-all, easy, instant and effective solution

This idiom made its way into the English language through various fairy tales in which a silver bullet was the only ammunition that could kill werewolves, witches and villains.  Today it's often referenced in advertising campaign (Coors Light beer, the "Silver Bullet") or product names.

"Whether it is losing weight, getting rich or managing government IT, it seems we can’t resist the lure of a silver bullet. The magic pill. The easy answer."
--Washington Technology

MODAL VERBS: English really IS so easy...

Have you ever heard of a MODAL verb?  Check out this list and I'm sure you'll know if not recognize all of the following words:

• can
• could
• will
• would
• may
• might
• shall (outdated and not frequently used other than the expression "Shall we?")
• should
• must

Modal verbs express the "gray area" of language, that is to say, when there is a condition, hypothesis, uncertainty, obligation or when the outcome of a situation is unknown. 

• "I would go to Las Vegas if I had more money."(condition)
• "If everyone had health insurance, the healthcare system would function more effectively. (hypothesis)
• "She may leave early, although it depends on the weather."(uncertainty)
• "I should write a follow up thank you email after the interview." (obligation)

Modal verbs also express ability, permission, polite requests, rules and advice.  Modal verbs give us a way to speak indirect, polite English.

• "He can speak Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, French and a little Japanese." (ability)
• "Can I use the restroom?" (permission)
• "Could you please pass the salt?"  "Give me the salt." (polite request)   
• "You should learn how to speak more languages because it will make you a better candidate in the job market."  (advice)
• "You must not smoke within 300 feet of the entrance of this building." (rule)

...SO, WHY is English so easy?

English is easy because modal verbs (just like regular past tense verbs) do not have conjugations (changes) for singular or plural voices, unlike many other languages in which verbs change with each subject pronoun.  Modal verbs have no conjugation whatsoever; neither the modal verb nor the simple verb changes, as you can see in the following model:

subject pronoun                    +modal                                              +simple verb

(I/You/He/She/It/We/They)     (CAN/ COULD/ WILL/ WOULD...)    ( GO/ DO/ BE/LIKE...) 

As you can see, the modal and simple verbs do not change with the subject pronoun:

Ex.  I will go.  He will go.  They will go.
       Should she pay?  Should I pay?  Should they pay?
       You must not say a word!  She must not say a word!  We must not say a word!

Practicing modal verbs is easy because you never have to conjugate the verb.  Use this to your advantage when speaking English!

The Most Commonly Mispronounced VOWEL Sound

There are 5 vowels in the English language, yet there are 14 vowel sounds, 13 of which can be found in American English. Without a doubt, the most commonly mispronounced vowel sound is 'ɪ' (as in ship), and students usually replace it with 'i:' (as in sheep), which results in miscommunication such as the following:

• Where do you live?
• I leave next weekend.
• No, WHERE do you LIVE...?
• Oh!  I live in a student apartment downtown.

In order to avoid exchanges like this, check out my tips below for pronouncing the tricky 'ɪ' sound.  Remember that the pronunciation learning process is not just speaking--it is also listening.  Being able to hear and recognize each distinct sound is the first step.  Once your ear can distinguish 'ɪ' from 'i:', then you can learn how to articulate each sound properly by imitating or mimicking the sound. 


PRONUNCIATION TIPS: 'ɪ' vs. 'i:'

i: (as in sheep)

• This is a LONG sound. 
• This sound is articulated in the FRONT of the mouth.
• The mouth is ALMOST CLOSED.
• The tongue touches the top of the mouth.

ɪ (as in ship)

• This is a SHORT sound.
• The sound is articulated in the MIDDLE of the mouth.
• The mouth is SLIGHTLY OPEN.
• The tongue pushes downward slightly.

Okay, enough of the descriptions!  Try these pronunciation pairs for practice:

eat/it
he's/his
seat/sit
leap/lip
feet/fit
feel/fill
heel/hill
leave/live
wheel/will
steal/still

12 Essential (American) Business Idioms in CONTEXT

1. across the board: everywhere, everyone
“Yahoo layoffs will be "across the board," a source briefed on new Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson's cost-cutting plans tells us.”



2. ball park figure: rough estimate
“Going on the available evidence from our own solar system - and there's no obvious reason to assume it is unusual - you might plump for a ratio of 1:8. That would give you a ballpark figure of some 800 billion planets in the Milky Way, and something like 100 billion times that for the entire Universe.”
*ball park=baseball stadium (American idiom)



3. best bang for the buck: best value for the money
“But its affordability and convenience (it ranks No. 7 on the home price index, and No. 10 for travel time to work) and the fact that it's set to bounce back in three years, according to Moody's, gets you more bang for the buck than you might expect from a Florida metro.”
buck=$1 (American idiom)

4. budget squeeze/crunch: budget cuts
“We are experiencing a severe budget squeeze, and there’s really no way for us to continue,” Irvine said.  Two classes already have been cut from the upcoming fall schedule, and officials are considering five other courses for elimination in spring 2013, Irvine said.”

5. bean counter: accountant (somewhat pejorative…be careful!)
“Ghanaian goes from bean counter to money magician Keli Gadzekpo--Ghana's Keli Gadzekpo was part of the duo that set up Databank, one of West Africa's most successful financial enterprises, in 1990.”

6. crunch numbers/run the numbers: calculate
“When she crunched the numbers, she found that the business's profits were actually much lower than the company had said.”

7. face value: actual value
“Going through the StubHub marketplace with the seller, the IBTimes learned that the average ticket price for a sold ticket is $3,450, which is about triple the face value of $800 -- $1,200 per ticket.”

8. in the long run: in the long-term future
“INVESTMENT VIEW: IN THE LONG RUN, STOCK-PICKERS ARE NOT ALL THAT GOOD.”

9. kickback: bribe
“The state attorney general has charged him with setting up a system of kickbacks to gain influence with pension fund executives.”

10. take a nosedive: sharply decrease, suddenly drop
“Sales of celebrity memoirs take a nosedive.”

11. sweetheart deal: mutually beneficial agreement between friends at expense of others, sometimes illegal
“'SWEETHEART DEALS' COULD COST U.S. COMPANIES $80 BILLION A YEAR. "SWEETHEARTING," LIKE "FORGETTING" TO CHARGE A PAL OR COMPING DRINKS, HURTS BIG TIME, STUDY FINDS.”
*comping=comes from the word complimentary, meaning free or “on the house”

12. write-off: expenses related to business that reduce taxable income, decreased value of an asset
“A home business offers plenty of tax write-offs that you wouldn't get in any other location.”

(American) Idioms in BLUE

1.  once in a blue moon:  seldom, not very often

• Once in a blue moon, I drive up Highway 1 until Carmel and take photographs along the way. 

*When there are two full moons in one month, the second full moon is referred to as a blue moon, which occurs only twice a year. 

2. to have the blues, feeling blue: to feel sad, lonely, lovesick, depressed

•  Everyday, everyday I have the blues / Ooh everyday, everyday I have the blues / When you see me worryin' baby, yeah it's you I hate to lose / Whoa nobody loves me, nobody seems to care / Whoa nobody loves me, nobody seems to care / Well worries and trouble darling, babe you know I've had my share  ~B.B.King (Click here for song)

3.  black and blue: bruised

• The poor guy's knees were black and blue after his first day of snowboarding.

4.  blue blood: of royal ancestry

• Once the Brahn family arrived to the United States, they thought changing their surname to vonWaldenburg would make them appear as blue bloods rather than simple immigrants. 

5.  blue-collar: worker who performs manual labor, normally receives hourly pay

• Flint, Michigan is famous for its blue-collar working class that was once employed by General Motors.

6.  out of the blue: unexpectedly, suddenly, (also, out of nowhere)

• Out of the blue, it started pouring rain while we were driving to the beach.

7.  blue in the face: out of breath, lack of oxygen

• You can keep talking until you are blue in the face, but I will never buy a solar powered flashlight. 

8.  out of the blue and into the black: from bad to worse

• My my, hey hey / Rock and roll is here to stay / It's better to burn out / Than to fade away / My my, hey hey. / Out of the blue and into the black / They give you this, but you pay for that / And once you're gone, you can never come back / When you're out of the blue and into the black. / The king is gone but he's not forgotten... ~Neil Young (Click here for song)

10 Examples of how STRESS can change the meaning or part of speech of a word

It is crucial to know where to place the appropriate stress or intonation of many words in English, as the meaning of a word or its part of speech can change.

Pay close attention to which syllables (the first or second) carry the stress and what part of speech each word is (verb or noun).  Do you notice any pattern in these two syllable words?  Well, as you can see in these examples, if the stress is on the first syllable, it is a noun, and if the stress is on the second syllable, it is a verb. 

1.       Conduct

a.       conDUCT (v.):  We will conduct business as usual on Friday despite the federal holiday.

b.      CONduct (n.):  The conduct of the secret service personnel in Columbia was unacceptable.

2.       Conflict

a.       conFLICT (v.):  I am afraid that our meeting will conflict with the arrival of our partners, so we will have to reschedule. 

b.      CONflict (n.):  Peace negotiations have not led to any resolution of the conflict.    

3.       Decrease

a.       deCREASE (v.):  Birth rates around the world have decreased in the last several decaedes.

b.      DEcrease (n.):  The decrease we have seen in sales is a result of the nation's economy slowing down.

4.       Increase

a.       inCREASE: (v.)  As the baby boomer generation grows old, the demand for nurses has increased, along with the demand for health care.

b.      INcrease: (n.)  The dramatic increase in China's exports worries many politicians and business men alike.

5.       Object

a.       obJECT (v.): Surprisingly, the citizens did not object to the increase in taxes.

b.      OBject (n.): We saw dozens of tiny glass objects in the store arranged neatly in a row.

6.       Permit

a.       perMIT (v.): The law permits drivers to make a right turn on a red traffic light.

b.      PERmit (n.): Teenagers who work on family farms in the United States can acquire a special driving permit that allows them to operate vehicles at 13 years of age.

7.       Present

a.       preSENT (v.): We will present our findings to the committee next week.

b.      PREsent (n.): In our family we exchange presents on Christmas Eve. 

8.       Project

a.       proJECT (v.): Economists project that the employment rates will rise by June.

b.      PROject (n.): Our nonprofit organization has recently submitted a proposal to acquire a development project in Angola.

9.       Record

a.       reCORD (v.): The detectives recorded incriminating conversations with a simple wire tap.

b.      REcord (n.): The physician's office has converted all hard copy records to digital files.

10.   Recall

a.       reCALL (v.): I cannot recall the final numbers right now, so I'll call you right back.

b.      REcall (n.): Management has announced a recall of all meat products due to the E.coli outbreak. 

5 False Cognates in Portuguese

In case you haven't yet seen these 5 false cognates (or false friends), they are:

Português / English

1.  educado / educated =  polite, well raised, well mannered graduated from high school, college, university etc. 
Ex.  He was educated at the University of San  Diego California and currently teaches in the Language and Literature department. 

2.  esquisito / exquisite = strange, odd, weird, unique, beautiful, refined
Ex. The Italian restaurant in Del Mar has an exquisite view from the terrace overlooking the Pacific ocean.

3.  livraria / library = library, bookstore
Ex.  We did not manage to find the grammar book at the library, so we ended up going to a bookstore.

4.  novela / novel = soap opera, fiction, prose, narrative, book
Ex.  Old Man and the Sea was the last novel Hemingway wrote.

5. smoking / smoking= tuxedo, smoking (a cigarette, pipe, etc.)
Ex.  That man with the long beard sitting in the corner of the room, wearing a tuxedo, smoking a pipe is my uncle.

If you can think of any others leave a message below.  Thanks!

Common Uses and (American) Idioms with the Ubiquitous Verb 'GET'

The word get is the 96th most ubiquitous (commonly occuring) word in the English language, so it's important to know its multiple uses and meanings. In general get is used to describe:

1. to receive (I got an A on my test.), (I got the job!!)
2. to obtain (I need to get that book from the other room.), (Let's get something to eat after class.)
3. to change (I can tell she's getting angry because her tone of voice is getting louder and louder.)  (Whenever they go to Mexico, they get drunk.)
4. to move (We need to get there quickly!) (We need to get the children to safety.) (You won't get very far in life with a negative attitude.)

The following idiomatic expressions are commonly used with get:

• to get it:  Don't you get it? = Don't you understand?
• to get over something: I haven't gotten over my cold yet. = I haven't recovered from my cold yet.
• to get over oneself:  Get over yourself! = Stop being so self centered/conceited.
• to get something across:  I couldn't get the message across effectively because nobody had read the materials I passed out. =  I couldn't communicate effectively because nobody had read the materials I passed out.
• to get along with somebody:  I really get along with my mother-in-law. = I have a good relationship with my mother-in-law.
• to get a lot out of something:  She got a lot out of the seminar. =  The seminar was beneficial for her. 
• to get together with somebody:  Do you want to get together this weekend? =  Do you want to go out this weekend?
• to get by:  The family didn't know how they would get by after the father lost his job. = The family didn't know how they would make enough money after the father lost his job.
• to get away with:  He got away with murder.  =  He was never punished for murder.
• to get around to it:  I'll get around to it later. = I'll do it later. 

Out of curiosity, what in the world is an ONOMATOPOEIA?

design by Tatiana Jacobson

An onomatopoeia is a word that sounds like the word it describes, for example: boom! crash! whoosh! snap! woof-woof!! oops! tap, buzz...  This word found its way into English from the Greek words 'onoma', 'onomat' (name), 'poiein' (to make), and 'oeia' (word-making).  Here are some other fun ones:

• We enjoyed the crackling of the fire as we sat around the campfire in the  forest and stared at the stars.
• I couldn't sleep last night as the faucet went drip, drip, drip.
• Pardon me, I couldn't hear what you said...you were mumbling.  Could you say that again, please?
• Without any manners and in a rush, he slurped up every last bit of his spaghetti with the most obnoxious sounds! 
• The kids splashed around in the pool until the entire patio was soaked. 

It is especially funny, yet unsurprising, how languages all of the world interpret the same sound, as in the sound a cat makes:

• Arabic: muwá
• Chinese: meu-meu
• English: meow
• French: miaou
• Japanese: nya
• Portuguese: miau
• Turkish: miyav

(American) Idioms in RED

All too often, students waste time learning idioms that are outdated and hardly no longer used, so here are 5 idioms that are still regularly used in American English.  Remember that when learning new vocabulary, there is a better chance of retaining information if there is a theme that connects the new words.  Here you have red idioms:

adj.=adjective
adv.=adverb
n.=noun
v.=verb

1.  in the red (adv.): negative bank account balance
"My bank account balance has been in the red ever since we went to Las Vegas!"
2.  seeing red (v.): to become violently, uncontrollably angry
"He has a violent temper, and believe me, when he gets mad, he sees red."
3.  paint the town red (v.): to party all night, to enjoy oneself excessively
"We're not staying home again on a Saturday night.  Let's get out of the house and paint the town red!"
4.  red tape (n.): bureaucratic paperwork, government administrative procedures
"Whenever I renew my passport, I also have to deal with the red tape--forms, birth certificates, social security cards...and unresponsive government workers."
5.  to catch somebody red handed (v.): to catch somebody the moment they are committing a crime
"The murderer was caught red handed after the police found him with the victim's blood on the knife he was still clenching.  (to clench (v.) is to hold tightly)
6.  red light district (n.): The most famous red light district is in Amsterdam where prostitution is legal. 

Note: Did you notice connections in the red idioms?  I'm sure you did, and that is the theme of blood (anger, murder, passion) as seen in 'seeing red', 'paint the town red', 'red light district' and 'red handed'.  While nobody knows precisely where 'paint the town red' originated, some claim that the expression started when a bloody riot occurred in England in the mid 1800's that left the town's buildings red with blood. 

California Slang Shortlist

For those of you interested in informal English, spoken rather than written English, here is a shortlist of slang used everyday in California.  Note: The bold below indicates a stress.

adj.=adjective
adv.=adverb
n.=noun
v.=verb

    1.  lame (adj.) : boring, stupid, uninteresting

• Our camping trip turned out to be really lame because it rained the entire time.

    2.  swell, break (n.): surfing place or spot, group of waves

• My favorite break during the summer is in Del Mar.
• That swell was huge yesterday!

    3.  mellow (adj.):  relaxed, calm,

• My dog won't bite you--she's super mellow. 

    4.  sketchy (adj.): dubious, suspicious, weird

• I don't ever go to that neighborhood at night because it gets really sketchy.

   5.  awesome (adj.): great, wonderful, incredible

• The weather in California is awesome all year round. 

   6.  gnarly (adj.): crazy, unbelievable, amazing (Note: Gnarly can be good or bad.)

• There was a gnarly car accident yesterday at the cliffs. (bad)
• The waves here were totally gnarly yesterday after the tsunami hit Hawaii. (good or crazy)

   7.  dude, man (n.): guy (or more rarely, girl), used mostly between men

• Dude!  I can't believe you haven't seen that movie...
• Hey man, what have you been up to lately?

  8.  stoked (adj.): happy, excited 

• I'm so stoked--I just found out that I passed the bar exam!!!

  9.  totally (adv.):  absolutely, completely, or it can be used to answer yes

• + I'm totally into this new website that I found online--it has all sorts of information about traveling in Costa Rica.  Have you seen it?  (Note: to be into something means to really be interested in something).      
• + Totally!  I was the one who showed it to you!  Remember?  

10.  whatever (adv.):  It doesn't matter to me; Either way is fine for me; I don't care.

• +Do you want to go to cook at home or go out?
• +Whatever.  You choose...I worked all day today, so anything is fine with me.

15 Phrasal Verbs You Should Know (if you don't already...)

Phrasal verbs consist of a verb + particle (usually a preposition, sometimes an adverb), that together have a certain meaning.  For example: 

1.  The little mouse ran into the wall.  (The mouse went inside the wall.)
2.  She ran into her cousin at the movies.  (She saw her cousin by chance.  It wasn't planned.)

As you can see, the first sentence is a literal or exact translation, whereas the second sentence is a phrasal verb because it has a figurative meaning.  Phrasal verbs are difficult to learn because there are so many of them, and the meaning is not so obvious some of the time. 

Below is a sample list of phrasal verbs for all levels that everybody should know.  Please post any questions you may have! 

Beginning:
1.  put on: dress oneself in clothing or accessories (...hats, sunglasses)

• Before we go to the beach, I need to put on my bathing suit.

2.  take off: undress oneself

• When he goes to church, he takes off his hat.

3.  wake up: stop sleeping

• The alarm wakes me up every day, but I always hit the snooze button.

4.  get up:  get out of bed

• Although the alarm wakes me up at 7:00 am, I don't usually get up until 7:20.

5.  check in/out:  register at a hotel upon arrival/departure

• We checked in to the hotel late at night and then checked out early this morning.

Intermediate:
6.  figure out:  solve a problem or understand something

• I was at work until 8:00 pm trying to figure out a solution to the problems our clients are having.

7.  check out: look

• Wow!  Check out the stars...you can see so many in the desert.

8.  get along with:  have a good relationship with somebody

• Unlike most people, he really gets along with his mother-in-law.

9.  pass out:  go to sleep or lose consciousness

• I was so tired from working all day that when I got home, I didn't even have dinner.  I just passed out on my couch and didn't wake up until the next day!

10.  work out:  lift weights and/or exercise

• He works out at the gym in the morning and trains with the team in the afternoon. 

Advanced:
11.  catch up with: talk to somebody about what has happened since you last saw them

• I have to catch up with my mother because we haven't talked in a long time.

12.  come down with:  to get sick

• After traveling for 18 hours, I came down with the flu the next day.

13.  end up:  finally be or do something

• We didn't know what to do Saturday night, so we just ended up watching a movie at home.

14.  put up with:  tolerate

• I can't put up with your lies anymore.  

15.  stick with:  continue to do something

• If you want to lose weight, you have to stick with your diet, continually following it.

Have you ever heard of an ACRONYM?

I'm sure you already know many acronyms in English, but maybe you have never heard of the term acronym before.  The word itself is a combination of the Greek words akro (tip or end) and nym (name or word).  Therefore an acronym is a type of word that uses only the first letter to create a new word; for example, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), The United States of America (USA), as soon as possible (ASAP), (and of course!...) English as a Second Language (ESL).

Acronyms are used in both formal and informal English.  They are used as much in Washington, DC, with the innumerable government agencies and organizations, as they are used in online chats and text messages.  The following short lists include both formal and informal acronyms most commonly used in English that will prove to be useful additions to your vocabulary!  There are many more acronyms than those listed below, so share them if you have them!

*Grammar Tip:  Whenever using an acronym in a formal document, always spell out words and follow with the acronym in parentheses.  After you have spelled out the acronym once, from that moment on, you can use just the acronym.  For example:   The Department of Energy (DoE) has undergone transformations since President Obama took office in 2008.  The DoE is responsible for...

CHAT/TEXTS

• NP: No Problem
• LOL: Laughing Out Loud
• GF/BF: Girl/Boyfriend
• BRB: Be Right Back
• BTW:  By The Way
• IDK:  I Don't Know
• KIT: Keep In Touch
• TTYL:  Talk To You Later
• SMS:  Short Message Service
• NOYB:  None of Your Business

ORGANIZATIONS/ GOVERNMENT

• DoJ:  Department of Justice
• DoD:  Department of Defense
• ED:  Department of Education
• CIA:  Central Intelligence Agency
• NRA:  National Rifle Association
• NAACP:  National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
• AARP:  American Association of Retired Persons
• NAFTA:  North American Free Trade Agreement
• DMV:  Department of Motor Vehicles
• AA:  Alcoholics Anonymous
• AAA:  Triple A (towing service)
• YMCA: Youn Men's Christian Association

OTHERS...

• OJ:  Orange Juice
• PJ'S:  Pajamas
• FYI:  For Your Information
• KISS: Keep It Simple Stupid!
• AKA:  Otherwise Known As
• DOB:  Date of Birth
• SSN:  Social Security Number
• PT/FT/OT:  Part/Full/Overtime 
• OTC:  Over the Counter (You can buy OTC at the pharmacy without a doctor's prescription.)
• DOA:  Dead on Arrival  (This is in the Friend's theme song...)
• BA/BS:  Bachelor's of Art/Science
• MA/MS:  Master's of Art/Science
• MBA/MPA:  Master's of Business/Public Administration