Comics - TipTuesday#7

I do know how difficult is to start reading books in English, isn't? Especially if your level is basic. So, how about doing that with comics? I remember when I was a little girl and my father used to buy many comics in Portuguese for me. Thus, I took a liking to reading. :) :) 

It's worked perfectly for me in English, as well. 

I highly recommend it. 

asking for / giving an update

(images from here)

According to the Macmillan Dictionary, "update" is a verb that you use "to add the most recent information to something", "to tell someone the most recent news or information about something" or "to make something more modern".

Let´s try to use it ! 

1) If you need to ask someone for an update:

Can you give me an update on what´s happening with... ? 

Do you have any update on ...?

You can also use these follows sentences (without using "update"):

Ok, so what´s the  latest (on) ...?

Can you tell me what the status is on...?

Have you heard anything about...?

What´s going on with ...?

2) If you need to give an update :

Ok, here's what´s going on with ...

Ok, just to let you know what's going on ...

Let me bring you up to date on ...

So far that's all we know. 

Sources: PhraseMix , How to Say Anything in Portuguese

just x already x yet

source: Santino the English Teacher

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. :) 

Errand

image from here

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.

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)

"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 :).