'Words' Category
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Sep122009
Confused?
Though you may already know that lay is correct in both of the following sentences:
Everyday I lay my towel in the shade on the beach.
Yesterday I lay down in the shade on the beach.You might not be aware that the following sentences are the equivalents after the tenses have been adjusted:
Yesterday I laid [...]
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Jul102009
Test Your Cambridge Advanced Exam Vocab!
Jerome Flynn – Actor Turned Singer
After a variety of jobs, Jerome Flynn became (1) …….. successful with fellow Robson Green in the TV series Soldier, Soldier, and then when they (2) …….. up as singers in 1995, they had three number one hits. ‘It was a whirlwind, fantasy time,’ says Jerome. ‘We made the records [...] -
Jun212009
What does “caught red handed” mean?
[owad date="2009-07-22"]
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Jun212009
Collocations Anyone?
I recently and literally (in web-speak anyway) “stumbled upon” a great blog whose focus is introducing and explaining common English collocations. For those who may not know exactly what a collocation is and why anyone would want to devote an entire blog to the concept, just read what today’s knowledge gatekeepers and crafters over at [...]
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Jun212009
Unilearning & Word Sift: Favorite New Web2.0 Learning Tools
Unilearning is a site focused on academic writing but it uses rollover effects and interactive activities to convey differences in such things as formal/informal, personal/authoritative language, coherence, logic, and even note taking skills! Check it out now!
Now onto a great tool from Stanford University for vocabulary development: Word Sift!For those of you wanting to improve [...]
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Jun162009
Air Quote: Slang Expession of the Day
In conversation, the dual flexing of the index and middle finger of both hands, to signify the presence of scare quotes. Used ad nauseam by ‘pretentious’ and ostensibly ‘intelligent’ university students, to advertise their ’superior morals’ and ‘erudition’.
Using air quotes in this example is, like, so ‘post-modern’.
Air Quote: from Urban Dictionary
In conversation, the dual flexing [...] -
Jun152009
Vocabulary Quizz for Josh’s Level 7 Language Use
Take the vocab quiz now! You must type your first and last name. Two questions use the same word but in two different forms, for example in one question, you need the base verb form of the word and in the other you need the noun form. Good Luck!
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Jun102009
Polluted-ly?
In class yesterday, I distributed various lists of words categorized according to their syntactical function: verb, noun, adjective, and adverb. Each pair of students had a list of only one category and I asked them to construct a table to fill in the word forms for the other three categories if, indeed, such a form [...]
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Jun102009
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Jun092009
Word of the Day: Nerve-racking
[nurv-rak-ing]
–adjective
1. Definition: extremely irritating, annoying, or trying: a nerve-racking day; a nerve-racking noise.From Roget’s 21st Century Thesaurus
2. Definition: distressing
Synonyms: aggravating, annoying, disquieting, disturbing, exasperating, irksome, irritating, maddening, stressful, taxing, tense, trying, upsetting
3.Main Entry: harrowing-adj
Definition: dangerous, frightening
Synonyms: agonizing, alarming, chilling, distressing, disturbing, excruciating, heart-rending, heartbreaking, nerve-racking, painful, racking,soaring, tearing, terrifying, tormenting, torturing, torturous, [...]