The Story of Nadège, who cut corners at work Nadège, eager to impress her boss with a quick turnaround, cut corners while preparing the financial report. Rushing through calculations and overlooking details, she submitted it ahead of schedule. However, her haste led to errors. When the discrepancies were discovered during a crucial meeting, her credibility… Continue reading Do you cut corners?
Catégorie : Intermediate
Talk about the past, present, and future
Actions verbs you should know! Here is a table of 12 action verbs that describe everyday activities: VERB PAST (Simple) PRESENTCONTINUOUS FUTURE(Simple) I am ____he/she is ___you/we/they are ___ teach taught teaching will teach learn learned learning will learn talk talked talking will talk listen listened listening will listen eat ate eating will eat drink… Continue reading Talk about the past, present, and future
Do you do things “by the book”?
Are you someone who likes to do things by the book? Or are you more of a rebel, occasionally breaking the rules and doing things your own way? If you haven’t already guessed, doing something “by the book” is an English idiom that means doing it exactly as the rules or instructions tell you to.… Continue reading Do you do things “by the book”?
In a nutshell, it’s a useful idiom
Have you ever heard the idiom “in a nutshell”? Can you guess what it means? Here are three sentences in which its used appropriately: In a nutshell, William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” is about unrequited love. I won’t tell you the whole story, but in a nutshell, I ended up getting fired. His master’s thesis, in… Continue reading In a nutshell, it’s a useful idiom
The Difference between “Lose” and “Loose”
Some English words are tricky, especially when they sound alike but have different meanings and spellings. Two such words are “lose” and “loose.” Let’s break down their differences to help you use them correctly every time. “Lose” (pronounced “looz”) is a verb, meaning to be deprived of something or to fail to win. For example:… Continue reading The Difference between “Lose” and “Loose”
“Less” or “Fewer”
Let’s look at a grammar point that many people – including native English speakers – often get wrong. And that is when to use the word “less” versus when to use the word “fewer”. The answer depends on whether the noun we’re referring to is countable or not. Less If the noun we’re describing cannot… Continue reading “Less” or “Fewer”
Stop Overusing “Nice”
Today, let’s look at the pitfall that many learners of English (as well as native English speakers) stumble upon— and that’s the overreliance on the word “nice.” Sometimes “nice” is the perfect word for what we mean to say. Often, however, beginners use it inappropriately, and people proficient in English overuse it, leading to bland,… Continue reading Stop Overusing “Nice”