bankable (adjective) – can be turned into money bankability (noun) – the ability to turn into money Here are some examples of how you can use it: When Van Gogh painted his paintings, none of them were bankable. That has since changed. Some bankable ideas for new products were raised during the brainstorm session. The singer… Continue reading Word to the Wise: bankable
By Jacqueline Schaalje Dominic Alves All this parts of speech stuff is on request. Now we’ll talk about the adjective. Adjectives are words that describe a noun. Learn here what nouns are. So if nouns are things, people, feelings, animals or something else you can see, feel or touch, then adjectives say something about them.… Continue reading The Mystery of the Little Boxes – Parts of Speech: the Adjective
By Jacqueline Schaalje When are we doing something? Will Keightley This lesson is on request. Parts of speech is the name for the different functions that words can have in a sentence. For example, book can be a thing (noun) or an action (to book a room; book is a verb). But if we take… Continue reading When Are We Doing Something? – Parts of Speech: the Verb
Splitting ____________ – argue over tiny details/be too precise about little things Choose the right answer: hairs hair nail nails scroll down for the answer scroll some more The right answer is: Zechariah Judy hairs. (This expression comes from the idea that hairs are too thin to… Continue reading Instant Idiom: splitting ___________
By Jacqueline Schaalje Wrote Many of my students who come to me to practise their speaking tell me their problem is not with professional presentations. They are an ace explaining their job in professional language. They know all the jargon, the special words that are used in their field. Where is their problem? They’re afraid… Continue reading Lots of Tips for Small Talk
bifurcation (noun) – a split into two parts bifurcate (verb) – to split into two parts bifurcated or bifurcate (adjective) – split into two parts Here are some examples of how you can use it: You need to keep to the right when you come to the bifurcation in the road. The windpipe bifurcates into the two lungs. The train… Continue reading Word to the Wise: bifurcation
knot (noun) [pronounce not] – a tie (of material or people) knot (verb) – to tie into a knot knotty (adjective) – complicated David Merrett Here are some examples of how you can use it: These garbage bags have drawstrings that you can tie with a knot to close them. The cat’s hairball (= the stuff they throw… Continue reading Word to the Wise: knot
By Jacqueline Schaalje Illustrations by Akau Anyieth Now some more about have in the meaning of have someone do something for you. If you’ve read the article about have, you know that this sentence: “I have my gardener take care of my garden,” means that the gardener is doing my garden because I asked him to.… Continue reading Get Someone to Do Something for You
gullible (adjective) – naïve, believes things easily gullibility (noun) – naiveté gullibly (adverb) – naively Jirka Matousek Here are some examples of how you can use it: Gullible tourists thought they were buying thousands-year-old antiquities, but in fact they were mass-produced at a factory. Aren’t you ashamed taking advantage of a young gullible teenager? I was… Continue reading Word to the Wise: gullible
By Jacqueline Schaalje Fly Flew – Katmary A student of mine asked me for a list of common verbs, with their past forms, because he keeps getting confused. Here is the list that I made for him. You could find this useful too. Common verbs that are regular: Present Past Talk Talked Walk Walked Work… Continue reading Word List of Common Verbs – Present and Past Forms
English with a Smile 