8/19/2014

Audio book - TipTuesday#6





Do you like pets? 

Do you want to learn English while listening to something 
about them? 

You can get the audio book Animal Madness from Laurel Braitman on audible.com/asap , for free. \o/ \o/ \o/ 

Take a look at this video bellow, where she talks more about it. :) 


8/18/2014

Errand


I don´t know why, but I really like this word. Maybe because, sometimes, I use an expression in Portuguese ("estava numa correria, estou numa correria danada) and one day I wanted to say the same in English. However, how could I say that ? I've tried to explain it to my tutor and she said: " ahhhhh.... you mean ´I was running a lot of errands' " Bingo!! :) :) 

"Errand", according to 
Merriam-Webster : "a short trip taken to attend to some business often for another" ;
Macmillan, : "a small job that involves going to collect or deliver something". 
Dictionary.com : " a short and quick trip to accomplish a specific purpose, as to buy something, deliver a package, or convey a message, often for someone else."

You can use "errand" in other contexts. Check it out on the links above!! ;) 

Ways to use "errand" :  "I have to run (some) errands." // "He runs errands after school." // "I have to run an errand." // " I've got to run (a few) errands."


To illustrate it, take a look at this website "Busy Home Solutions". They offer "errand services", such as : check on seniors at home; vehicle maintenance; wait for a repairman – cable, phone etc; run miscellaneous errands; water/plant care; gift buying; travel arrangements to appointments.




8/06/2014

Overusing - "interesting"



I don´t know why but I've been overusing the word "interesting".

Actually, I always try to use gap fillers in my conversations. And "interesting" is one of them. However, it´s good to vary them, don´t you agree? :) :) :) 

Thus, my tutor has suggested similar words that I might say, whenever "interesting" comes up to my mind. ;) hehe

It´s important to point it out: the follow words are synonyms, but they may have different meanings. It depends on the context, ok? 

Intriguing, fascinating, illuminating, thought-provoking, profound, inspiring, provocative, engaging, beguiling, captivating, stirring, gripping, compelling, riveting, engrossing, amusing, entrancing, unusual. 

Besides these ones, how about studying other "interesting" examples of gap fillers? 


Tell me. //Tell me something. // Don't tell me.//  Wow!// If you say so…// You mean to say? 
//Do you mean to say? // Do you know what I mean?// Well! // You see! // You know...// I know. // I see. // Oh! I see. // You mean...? Say.// Believe me. // Come on. // Not at all //
Never // No way // Not a chance // Definitely // Oh! Sure // Anyway // Meanwhile // So what! 

For more examples, clique here! (source)




8/05/2014

"Taking a break" guide - TipTuesday#5



Let's take this opportunity to learn a bit more about imperatives?

Imperative (according to Macmillan Dictionary) is a "form of a verb expresses an order to do something".

The sentence structure is : verb + object / compliment

When do we use the imperative form? 

Giving instructions; giving orders; offering something and, as we are doing today, giving advice or suggestions :).