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World of Better Learning | Cambridge University Press

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Writing for fluency focuses on writing as a means of discovery - of finding one's opinions. In order to better prepare our learners for writing, we need to include time dedicated to writing for pleasure and exploration. In this article, Jade Blue shares some practical classroom activities to try with your learners to develop written fluency.

Some years ago, I was preparing a one-to-one student for an English language exam. We were discussing the format of the speaking and writing parts. Both parts required the candidate to give their views on various topics, and the student I was teaching was especially concerned about this element. She asked, "Where do I get the opinions from?".

What is writing for fluency?

The term 'fluency' comes from the Latin 'fluere', meaning 'to flow'. It describes the ability to express oneself easily and without undue hesitation. In language learning, fluency is often related to speaking but also applies to writing. As a teacher and researcher, I often take for granted my ability to write for pleasure, reflection, or as a process to explore ideas. However, I often encounter learners, like the student above, for whom writing in this way is unfamiliar. Frequently, writing lessons focus on genre and accuracy at the expense of fluency, so many learners struggle to produce ideas for content. As such, students often see writing as a chore rather than something pleasurable. In my classes, students indicate that a focus on how to write often acts as a barrier to thinking of what to write.

The novelist E.M. Forster famously said:

'How do I know what I think until I see what I say?'.

Writing for fluency focuses on writing as a means of discovery - of finding one's opinions. In order to better prepare our learners for writing, we need to include time dedicated to writing for pleasure and exploration. To give students practice extending their ideas in order to generate content. Here are some practical classroom activities to try with your learners:

Written conversations

In this activity, learners in pairs have a written 'conversation' about a topic. Mini whiteboards work well (but aren't essential) for this, and learners can 'discuss' their weekend or future plans, or a specific topic (perhaps as a warmer or lead into a lesson). A time limit is helpful, and students should keep the conversation going until you stop them. After the activity, students discuss what they found easy / challenging / interesting, to highlight the differences between speaking and writing. Inevitably, the conversation unfolds more slowly than spoken conversation. However, this allows learners more processing time to think of what they want to say (and how they want to say it).

The same activity can be adapted for more complex topics: groups of students answer a question on the board. In this version, learners respond to each other's comments, as in a conversation. One of the benefits of 'discussing' a topic in this way is that learners enjoy the feeling of anonymity involved, as well as the extra thinking time not afforded by face to face discussion.
Figure 1: Whiteboard Discussion. Jade Blue 2019.
Sentences to paragraphs

I learnt this activity in a workshop with Lindsay Clandfield some years ago. Its aim is to help learners extend their ideas in written content. I call it Sentences to Paragraphs, and it can be done on paper or computer screens.It works with various topics, but childhood toys is a good example. First, learners think about a toy they had as a child, and write 2 or 3 sentences about it. I usually give an example on the whiteboard.

When I was a child I had a Winnie-the-Pooh bear. It had a little red T-shirt on and it was my favourite toy.

Students swap their writing with a partner, either on paper or by sharing through digital platforms. Their partner then writes 3 questions underneath to elicit more information. Again, I usually model this on the whiteboard, inviting the class to propose questions.

Next, students rewrite their original text to include the answers to their partner's questions. It's important students aren't just adding sentences, but are integrating into their original text the additional information.

When I was a child my father gave me a Winnie-the-Pooh bear for my fifth birthday. It had a little red T-shirt on and I talked to it constantly and carried it with me wherever I went. It was my favourite toy, partly because it came from my Dad and partly because I was a big fan of Winnie-the-Pooh and didn't have any other toys like it.

The question writing and re-writing stages are then repeated 2 or 3 times so that students end up with more detailed and descriptive content. Once learners have practised the technique, they can apply the question stage to their own writing.

Music questions

In this activity, learners write an imagined description of a scene in response to a piece of instrumental music, supported by 5 question words to consider as they're writing:

Free writing

In a free writing activity, learners write what comes to mind without interrupting their thought process to edit their text for accuracy. Begin by explaining the activity and demonstrating it on the whiteboard. Ask someone to suggest a topic, and write whatever comes to mind as quickly as possible. Make a few mistakes as you go along! Modelling the activity in this way gives learners permission to not worry about their mistakes. Next, give the class a list of topics to choose from and set a time that they should keep writing for. Delay editing learners' writing until a later lesson as the focus here is on producing content. Some suggested topics:

One of the best gifts you've ever been given

An animal you liked

One of your favourite places

One of the nicest things someone has said to you

Someone in your life who taught you something important

As well as developing written fluency, these activities motivate students as they're personalised and learner-centred. In writing for fluency, continuity is crucial: learners need practice to progress. Regularly integrating written fluency activities into the classroom helps learners develop the skills to be independent, motivated writers, and gives them practice in generating and extending their own ideas.
For more ideas on how to use writing in your classroom, try reading World Poetry Day: poetry activities for young learners

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Writing For Fluency: Classroom Activities | World Of Better Learning

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Writing for fluency focuses on writing as a means of discovery - of finding one's opinions. In order to better prepare our learners for writing, we need to include time dedicated to writing for pleasure and exploration. In this article, Jade Blue shares some practical classroom activities to try with your learners to develop written fluency.

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You might be a whiz with the national curriculum, but how are you with your own curriculum vitae? Selling yourself on two sides of A4 doesn't come naturally, but writing up a good CV is a crucial skill to learn.

Forget fancy fonts, elaborate layouts, and online CV templates that require sophisticated software. The most important thing you should remember when writing your CV is that it should be clear and simple with a great structure. Below are some tips from some of our experts.
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Structuring your CV

Make sure your CV has a clear structure so that employers aren't having to flip the pages to find the info they need. Aim for no more than a two-page CV. Avoid essay style writing, instead try to be concise by summarising key points using punchy, dynamic language.

Never write `CV' at the top - everyone knows it's a CV - simply put your name in a slightly larger font than the rest of the document. After your name include your contact details, followed by a personal statement, your career details, education and finally your out of school interests and achievements.
WATCH: What to check on your application before you hit SEND
Design tips

Font sizes should be the same whether your CV is printed or emailed, with 12pt a good compromise. Stick to Times New Roman for printed CVs as it is easier to read, and a sans serif font like Arial for emailed CVs as this font reads better on screen.

Bold and italics should be used sparingly on a CV; bold for section headings and italics for job titles is a good way of breaking up the text and making it easier to read. Don't use bold to highlight key words.

Use of space is as important on your CV as it is in the classroom. Gaping holes with nothing going on will do you no favours, and nor will shoving everything on it. Balance the page so it doesn't look lopsided, use bullet points where appropriate and use headings to help the reader navigate through the page.

Above all, make sure you're consistent in bullet style, spacing, font size and design.

Use the right vocabulary

Throughout your CV, a good use of vocabulary will help take it from being an average one to an outstanding one.

The most common of these are action verbs (eg achieved, accomplished, managed, improved, developed) and positive adjectives (resourceful, versatile, innovative, positive, productive).

Personal statement

This short paragraph between your contact details and work experience is probably the most difficult part of a CV. It's also the first thing your employer will read so it's important to get right. This is the part of the CV that makes you sound human and allows you to demonstrate your qualities and motivations rather than just your experience. Take time to write this section well and make sure it flows seamlessly, but avoid clichés at all costs.

It needs to summarise three key things; where you are in your career, your key achievements to date and your personal qualities.

The best way to make this paragraph powerful is to make sure every word counts - don't waffle, definitely don't exaggerate, but do get to the point. Three or four sentences should be enough.
WATCH: What goes in your covering letter or personal statement
Career summary

For most people who have been teaching for a number of years, this can amount to a lot of information. It is best to use bullet points to break it up.

State the role, school and dates that you were in post, and give a brief summary of specific teaching responsibilities and achievements in each role.

Making each point achievement-focused will show your employer you had a positive impact and weren't just doing the bare minimum.

All good teachers show commitment to continuing professional development and employers definitely want to see evidence of this. So, ensure that you provide evidence of further personal or professional training and Inset days as well as your qualifications.

Out of school interests

Employers don't really want to know about your obsession with astrology or how much you love Manchester United. They would be curious, though, if you had a relevant interest such as a passion for green issues, or an interest in sport as these can be utilised in school. So think about whether it is worth mentioning your interests.

Most heads are looking for people who will be part of the larger community, and those who have had more than the school-to-university-to-school experience.

Explain your gaps

If you have gaps in your employment history, this will be flagged as a safeguarding concern. It is really important that any time out of employment is explained on your CV.

You don't need to go into great detail, a simple 'break from employment due to studying commitments' or 'time at home due to caring responsibilities' will suffice.

Final check

It goes without saying that any CV should be checked for errors in spelling, punctuation and other possible errors. So make sure you do a final check before you submit it. Ask a friend if they can read it through.

This also applies if you're sending your CV digitally, and you should also remember to name the file with your own name, such as "Jo_Bloggs_CV.doc", and never just "CV.doc".
With thanks to Grainne Hallahan, Tes Recruitment Editor, Fiona Salvage, The CV Centre , Protocol Education , and John Howson, Chairman of TeachVac.

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You might be a whiz with the national curriculum, but how are you with your own curriculum vitae? Selling yourself on two sides of A4 doesn't come naturally, but writing up a good CV is a crucial skill to learn. Forget fancy fonts, elaborate layouts, and online CV templates that require sophisticated software.

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Writing a good covering letter could make all the difference to your job application. With so many candidates to choose from, first impressions are really important, so it's crucial to get the covering letter right.

Education careers expert John Howson recommends beginning the letter with a powerful statement: "Job applicants need to provoke the reader's interest," he says. "However, what you leave out is just as important as what you put in, in order to keep the letter succinct and punchy."

"The competitive nature of the teaching profession means first impressions are imperative," says James Innes, managing director of The CV Centre. "Many applications may be judged solely on the strength of the covering letter."
WATCH: What to include in your covering letter
The length of the covering letter is normally specified in the job advertisement. However, if there is no limit set, your letter shouldn't be longer than two sides of A4 and should be easy to read. Use a standard font and break the main body into chunks so it can be skim-read.
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Get the formalities right

If your covering letter needs to be written and attached, rather than included in an online form, you need to get the formal stuff right.

Include your name and address on the right-hand side. On the left, put the date, name of recipient (if you're unsure, telephone the school and check the spelling) and the address of the school. It's better to be accused of being too formal rather than not formal enough, so begin with "Dear Mr/Ms...".

Start with a strong statement

Your covering letter should begin with a strong statement outlining why you want to apply for the job and why at this particular school. For example, if the school has won a number of awards in certain areas, you could mention this. Or, if you have the skills and experience to address some of the problems the school faces, then highlight them here.

It's important to open with something that will grab the reader's attention. Employers probably won't have time to read every word, so it's important you start strong.
WATCH: What are the 'must includes' for your covering letter?
Show you know the school

Having touched on some school specifics in your opening statement, now is your chance to really go to town. Show that you've done your research and you genuinely think you're a good fit for the role.

How does the school's vision align with your own? Look at the language the school uses in the job description and try to include a few buzzwords.

Pick out some CV highlights

Don't assume that your CV will automatically get read. Pull out some key achievements and link them to specific requirements in the job description.

As well as the career aspects, don't forget to highlight any volunteer work or personal interests that have relevance. This is your chance to show your well-rounded credentials and elevate yourself above the other applicants.

Go out on a high

If your potential employer has got to the bottom of your covering letter, you're in with a chance. Finish with something positive and upbeat. Let them know when you'll be available for interview (and for work), and that you look forward to hearing from them.

Before you hit 'send'

Make sure that you have carefully checked for spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. This is a common complaint from school HR departments, yet is easy to fix. It might be useful to have the opinion of someone who is already in the job role that you are applying for, so don't be afraid to ask a friend or colleague to read over your letter.

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Writing a good covering letter could make all the difference to your job application. With so many candidates to choose from, first impressions are really important, so it's crucial to get the covering letter right. Education careers expert John Howson recommends beginning the letter with a powerful statement: "Job applicants need to provoke the reader's interest," he says.

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This post is part of TED's "How to Be a Better Human" series, each of which contains a piece of helpful advice from people in the TED community; browse through all the posts here.
I have a question for you. Have you ever seen something and you wish you could have said something - but you didn't?

And I have a second question. Has something ever happened to you and you never said anything about it - but you should have?

I'm interested in this idea of action - of the difference between seeing, which is the passive act of observing, and the actual act of bearing witness.

Bearing witness means writing down something you have seen, something you have heard, something you have experienced. The most important part of bearing witness is writing it down; it's recording. Writing it down captures the memory. Writing it down acknowledges its existence.

One of the biggest examples we have in history of someone bearing witness is Anne Frank and her diary. She simply wrote down what was happening to her family and about her confinement and, in doing so, we have a very intimate record of this family during one of the worst periods of our world's history.

You too can use creative writing to bear witness, and I'm going to walk you through an exercise that I do with a lot of my college students, who are future engineers, technicians, plumbers - basically, they're not creative writers. We use these exercises to unsilence things we've been keeping silent. It's a way of unburdening ourselves. It's 3 simple steps.

Step 1: Brainstorm and write it down
I'll give you example of some of the things I would write down:
I give my students a prompt. The prompt is "The time when ..." and I want them to fill in that prompt with times they might have experienced something, heard something or seen something and they could have said something or intervened but they didn't. I have them write a list as quickly as possible.

the time when a few months after 9/11 and two boys dared themselves to touch me and they did

the time when my sister and I were walking in a city and a guy spat at us and called us terrorists

the time way back when I went to a very odd middle school and girls a couple of years older than me were often married to men nearly double their age

the time when a friend pulled a gun on me

the time when I went to a going-away luncheon for a coworker and a big boss questioned my lineage for 45 minutes

There are times when I have seen something and I haven't intervened. For example:

the time when I was on a train and I witnessed a father beating his toddler son and I didn't do anything

the many times when I've walked by someone who was homeless and in need and asking me for money and I walked around them and I did not acknowledge their humanity

The list could go on and on. Think of times when something might have happened sexually, times when you've been keeping things repressed, and times with our families. Because our families - we love them, but at the same time we don't talk about things. So we don't talk about the family member who has been using drugs or abusing alcohol; we don't talk about the family member who might have severe mental illness. We'll say something like, "Oh they've always been that way," and we hope that in not talking about it and not acknowledging it, we can act like it doesn't exist, that it will somehow fix itself.

Your goal is to write down at least 10 things, and once you have those 10 things, you've actually done part one, which is to bear witness. You have unsilenced something that you have been keeping silent.

Step 2: Narrow it down and focus

What I suggest is going back to your list of 10 and picking 3 things that are really tugging at you, three things that you feel strongly about. It doesn't have to be the most traumatic things but it's things that are like, "Ah, I have to write about this." I suggest you sit down at a table with a pen and paper - that's my preferred method for recording but you can also use a tablet, an iPad, a computer, just something that lets you write.

I suggest taking 30 minutes of uninterrupted time, meaning that you turn your phone off, put it on airplane mode, no email. If you have family or if you have children, give yourself 20 minutes or 5 minutes. The goal is just to give yourself time to write.

You're going to focus on 3 things - you're going to focus on the details, you're going to focus on the order of events, you're going to focus on how it made you feel. That last one is the most important part.

I'm going to walk you through how I do it. The first thing I feel very, very strongly about is that time when a couple of months after 9/11, these two boys dared themselves to touch me. I remember I was in a rural mall in North Carolina and I was just walking, minding my business.

I felt like people walking behind me were very, very close. I was like, "OK, that's kind of weird, let me walk a little bit faster." They walked a little bit faster too and I heard them going back and forth - "No, you do it" "You do it" "No, you do it." And then one of them pushes me and I almost fall to the ground.

I popped back up, expecting some type of apology and the weirdest thing was they did not run away. They actually stood right next to me and I remember there was a guy with blond hair and he had a bright red polo shirt and he was saying "Give me my money, I did it, man", and the guy with the brown hair who had a choppy haircut gave him a $5 bill. I remember it was crumpled, and so I'm like, "Am I still standing here? This thing just happened. What just happened?"

And it was so weird to be someone's dare and then also not exist at all. I remembered when I was younger and someone dared me to touch something nasty or disgusting. I felt like that nasty and disgusting thing.

A second thing I feel very, very strongly about is the time when a friend pulled a gun on me (I should say former friend). I remember there was a group of us outside, he had run up, and he had the stereotypical brown paper bag in his hand. I knew what it was. I'm a very mouthy person and I started going off. I was like, "What are you doing with that gun? You're not gonna shoot anyone. You're a coward. You don't even know how to use it."

I kept going on and on and on and he got angrier and angrier and angrier and he pulled the gun out and put it in my face. I remember every one of us got very, very quiet. I remember the tightness of his face. I remember the barrel of the gun and I felt like - and I'm pretty sure everyone around me who got quiet did too - felt like this is the moment I die.

The third thing I feel very, very strongly about is this going away luncheon and this big boss. I remember I was running late and I'm always late; it's just a thing that happens with me. The whole table was filled except for the seat next to him. I didn't know him well; I had seen him in the office. I didn't know why the seat was empty; I found out later on why. So I sat down at the table and before he even asked me my name, the first thing he said was "What's going on with all of this?" and he gestured at my head. I thought, "Do I have something on my face? What's happening?"

Then he asked me with two hands this time "What's going on with all of this?" And I realized he's talking about my hijab. In my head I said, "Oh, not today." But he's a big boss - he's like my boss's boss's boss. So for 45 minutes I put up with him asking me where I was from, where were my parents from, my grandparents. He asked me where I went to school, where I did my internships, he asked me who interviewed me for that job. And for 45 minutes, I tried to be very, very, very, very, very polite, trying to answer his questions.

But I remember I was making eyeball "Help!" signs at the people around the table, like "Someone say something, intervene". It was a rectangular table, so there were people on both sides of us and no one said anything, even people who might be in the position to do so, bosses. No one said anything. I remember I felt so alone. I remember I felt like I didn't deserve to be in his space. I remember I wanted to quit.

So these are my three things and you'll have your list of three things. Once you have these three things, you have the details, you have the order of events, you have how it made you feel, you're ready to actually use creative writing to bear witness.

Step 3: Pick one and tell your story

You don't have to write a memoir; you don't have to be a creative writer. I know sometimes storytelling can be daunting for some people but we are human, we are natural storytellers. If someone asks "How is your day going?", we have a beginning, a middle and an end. That is a narrative.

Our memory exists and subsists through the act of storytelling. You just have to find the form that works for you. You can write a letter to your younger self, you can write a story to your younger self, you can write a story to your five-year-old child, you can write a parody, a song, a song as parody. You can write a play, you can write a nursery rhyme, you can write it in the form of a Wikipedia article.

If it's one of those situations where you saw something and you didn't intervene, perhaps write it from that person's perspective. So if I go back to the boy on the train who I saw being beaten, What was it like to be in his shoes? What was it like to see all these people who watched it happen and did nothing? Or I could put myself in the position of someone who was homeless and just try to figure out how they got there in the first place. Perhaps it would help me change some of my actions, perhaps it will help me be more proactive about certain things.

By telling your story, you're keeping it alive so you don't have to do anything; you don't have to show anyone any of these steps. But even if you're telling it to yourself, you're saying this thing happened, this weird thing did happen. It's not in my head. It actually happened and by doing that maybe you'll take a little bit of power back that has been taken away.

The last thing I'm going to do is I'm going to tell you my story. The one I've picked is about this big boss and I picked that one because I feel like I'm not the only one who has been in a position where someone has been above me and been talked down to. I feel like all of us might have been in positions where we felt like we could not say anything because this person has our livelihood, our paychecks, our jobs in their hands and times we might have seen someone who has power talking down to someone and we should have or could have intervened.

By telling this story, I'm taking back a little bit of power that was taken away from me. I have changed the names, and it happened a decade ago. It doesn't have any happy ending, because it's just me writing down what happened that day.
At Lisa's Going Away Luncheon I want to ask my boss's boss's boss if he's stupid or just plain dumb after he takes one look at my hijab and asks me where I'm from in Southeast Asia. I tell him that it's New Jersey, actually, and he asks where are my parents from, and my grandparents and my great-grandparents and their parents and their parents' parents as if searching for some Other blood, as if searching for some reason why some Black Muslim girl from Newark wound up seated next to him at this restaurant of tablecloths and laminated menus. I want to say "Slavery, jerk," but I've got a car note and rent and insurances and insurances and insurances and credit cards and credit debt and a loan and a bad tooth and a penchant for sushi so I drop the jerk but keep the truth. Tell me, he says, "Why don't Sunnis and Shiites get along?" "Tell me," he says, "What's going on in Iraq?" "Tell me," he says, "What's up with Saudi and Syria and Iran?" "Tell me," he says, "Why do Muslims like bombs?" I want to shove an M1 up his behind and confetti that pasty flesh and that tailored suit. Instead I'm sipping my unsweetened iced tea looking around at the table, at the co-workers around me; none of whom, not one, looks back at me. Rather they do the most American things they can do: They praise their Lord. They stuff their faces And pretend they don't hear him. And pretend they don't see me. This post was adapted from a TEDxUCincinnati Talk. Watch it here:
This is how I use creative writing to bear witness.

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How writing about difficult experiences can help you take back your power

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We've all kept silent about painful things - whether they're things that happened to us or things we've seen happen to others. By writing about them, we can start to defuse ...

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According to Dictionary.com, a homophone is defined as a word pronounced the same as another but differing in meaning, whether spelled the same way or not, as in heir and air. Today's pair are ones I frequently find misapplied by my students as well as by some of my friends in their social media posts. Interestingly enough, these two words mean virtually the opposite of each other, and the only difference between them is a tiny space. What are they? A part and apart.

A part means literally that. Something is a part of (belongs to) something else. A dish is a part of a set of dishes. An athlete is a part of a team. A chapter is a part of a book. Those parts belong to the larger group. They are part of the collective. In this case the "a" is functioning as an article that points to the noun "part."

By contrast, apart means virtually the opposite. If something is apart from something else, it is pulled away from the other and separate from it. It is frequently encountered in the idiom stands apart. For example, a truly exceptional novel stands apart from its competition. It is special, separate, alone. Apart indicates distance. Houses can be spaced several feet or several miles apart. People can also grow apart, which indicates an emotional separation. The word apart hails from Latin and means to the side, which explains its meaning. Things that are apart are set to the side.

So as you can see, a part and apart are miles apart in meaning, but a little etymological search helps us understand why. As you teach your students, be sure they are able to understand and use these words correctly. Clearly, the difference between the two is vast. Using the word or phrase correctly may be just the thing that sets their writing apart from their peers'.

Jennifer Mauser has always loved reading and writing and received a B.A. in English from the University of Kansas in 1991. Once she and her husband had children, they decided to homeschool, and she put all her training to use in the home. In addition to homeschooling her children, Jennifer teaches IEW classes out of her home, coaches budding writers via email, and tutors students who struggle with dyslexia.

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According to Dictionary.com, a homophone is defined as a word pronounced the same as another but differing in meaning, whether spelled the same way or not, as in heir and air. Today's pair are ones I frequently find misapplied by my students as well as by some of my friends in their social media posts.

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An acrostic is a poem or other form of writing. In an acrostic, the first letter spells out a word or a message. Short assignment THANK YOU! Line 2: 4 syllables - describing the subject (adjectives) F U N When you're finished, write your poems on this padlet wall: un assignment

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Formação de Professores Raça/Etnia: Reflexões e Sugestões de Materiais de Ensino em Português e Inglês. [Teacher Education Race/Ethnicity: Reflections and Suggestions for Teaching Materials in Portuguese and English.] 2010 (2a. Ed.)

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"O Livro Formação de Professores Raça/Etnia: Reflexões e Sugestões de Materiais de Ensino em Português e Inglês, colabora com a efetivação da implementação do ensino de História e Cultura Afro-Brasileira e Africana em todas as instituições de

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Students benefit from examples-that's a pretty obvious fact of teaching. And in my experience, one of the most effective ways to teach writing is to use mentor texts. By looking at examples of good writing, especially when that writing is published work done by professional writers, students learn to aspire to create effective pieces of their own.

But for many students, the experience of reading to learn about writing is new and very different from what they have done in the past. This doesn't mean that they won't benefit from mentor texts, but it does mean that you'll have to show them what to do.

Taking it slow and building on what they know will help, especially the first few times. Scaffold as much as possible and try the tips below to make it a pleasant experience for everyone. Once your students are comfortable analyzing mentor texts, they'll be ready for my 14 questions for any mentor text.

Teaching With Mentor Texts

1. Give any vocabulary and definitions up front. Students who are not accustomed to reading challenging work are often frustrated by difficult vocabulary, giving up as soon as they come across an unfamiliar word. So spend a few minutes going over any words that they might find discouraging.

2. Read the piece out loud or give students time to read on their own in class. I know not all teachers believe that students should be read to, but in my experience, reading out loud to my most struggling learners helps them stay on task, especially when the reading is challenging. If you're not comfortable reading to them, give them time to read in class-assigning a challenging piece to be read alone at home will rarely result in a successful lesson.

3. Start off with questions that deal with the content. Students are usually accustomed to answering questions that deal with the main points of texts and how authors make those points with evidence or examples. Additionally, before students can examine how a writer has crafted a text, they'll need to understand what the text is saying. So give them questions about what the author says and how they make that point before moving on to the more challenging questions.

4. When you come back to the text to look at techniques, be as specific as possible, naming sentences or words whenever possible. Rather than leaving them to learn from the text on their own, point to the sentences that you want them to notice. Questions such as "When the writer says _____ in the first sentence, how does she make you want to read more?" are much more helpful for reluctant or struggling learners than questions like "How does the author grab the reader?" If you can, number the lines or paragraphs, quote specific words or phrases, and show students exactly where you want them to look. It's fine to task struggling learners with noticing sections of the text on their own, but give them at least a few questions that tell them exactly where to look.

5. Give multiple examples if you want students to try a technique. For example, if you want students to organize a personal essay by starting with an event and then going back in time to describe how they got there, give them an example of a big game and the season of practice, or a busted party and the series of bad decisions that led to it. If you want them to try adding figurative language to their descriptions, give them more than one example of how it might be worked into an essay. Just having a technique defined is not enough for many students.

6. Refer back to the mentor texts regularly, in teacher conferences or whole-class lessons or discussions. Don't assume that because students answered one set of questions on a technique they have internalized it and are ready to use it in their own writing. They might forget, or they might not realize that what they were being taught was something they could try out themselves. On the other hand, they might not have been ready for the lesson when it was taught, and they might be more prepared to try imitating a technique from the mentor text once they have started working on their own piece.

7. Let students see you trying the strategies as well. Students are much less likely to be intimidated about trying new techniques if they see you trying them first. It's even more important to show them that you might have to struggle to craft your writing. Letting them know that no one is just naturally good at writing goes a long way in encouraging them to take risks and stretch their writing muscles.

8. Keep in mind that this is likely a new experience for struggling learners. This kind of higher-level thinking doesn't come easily to many, so be patient and keep trying. You will see the benefits, and the lesson is worth the effort.

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Students benefit from examples-that's a pretty obvious fact of teaching. And in my experience, one of the most effective ways to teach writing is to use mentor texts. By looking at examples of good writing, especially when that writing is published work done by professional writers, students learn to aspire to create effective pieces of their own.

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A Cambridge English Language Assessment, departamento sem fins lucrativos da Universidade de Cambridge responsável por certificação em língua inglesa, disponibiliza uma ferramenta on-line gratuita que corrige redações em inglês de forma instantânea.

O Write&Improve analisa a redação dos usuários e retorna com uma avaliação sobre a gramática e o vocabulário. Você escolhe o tema, escreve seu texto no idioma e submete ao sistema que dá um feedback em segundos do que pode ser melhorado.

O exercício é interativo e é possível escolher entre elaborar a redação no nível iniciante (que conta com temas como e-mail de apresentação e descrição da vida cotidiana); intermediário (temáticas mais aprofundadas como reportar um problema de extravio de mala para a companhia aérea); ou ainda avançado (em que são exigidas construções mais complexas como uma carta de candidatura ou uma análise sobre um serviço).

Quando o texto estiver pronto, basta clicar no botão para enviar e em segundos o conteúdo aparece corrigido em uma tela ao lado, com uma avaliação geral e dicas sobre pronomes faltantes, palavras pouco usadas ou grafias e construções incorretas, por exemplo.

A partir disso, o usuário pode refazer sua redação e submeter à correção novamente. O progresso é acompanhado em um gráfico que contabiliza a quantidade de vezes que o conteúdo foi reescrito e sua evolução em termos de nível.

O desempenho do usuário segue os parâmetros internacionais do Quadro Comum Europeu de Referência para Línguas (CEFR), que categoriza o domínio em níveis que vão do A1, considerado básico, até o C2, correspondente à proficiência plena.

Construído com princípios de gamificação, ao evoluir na escrita, a pessoa recebe selos comemorativos que podem ser compartilhados com outros usuários dentro da plataforma. Para quem deseja ir além, é possível criar um login e senha e convidar outras pessoas para acompanhar o progresso do aprendizado.

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Ferramenta gratuita corrige redações em inglês na hora

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A Cambridge English Language Assessment, departamento sem fins lucrativos da Universidade de Cambridge responsável por certificação em língua inglesa, disponibiliza uma ferramenta on-line gratuita que corrige redações em inglês de forma instantânea. O Write&Improve analisa a redação dos usuários e retorna com uma avaliação sobre a gramática e o vocabulário.

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18 Digital Tools and Strategies That Support Students' Reading and Writing | KQED

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Marissa Broyles taught English and social studies to a class or sixth graders who needed extra support last year. She experimented with many of the tools Levesque has compiled and saw how her willingness to be flexible as a teacher made her students feel supported.

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The Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) equips teachers and teaching parents with methods and materials which will aid them in training their students to become confident and competent communicators and thinkers.

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Do you dread having to write your résumé or CV?

I'm dropping in right quick to show you something that could be really interesting if you need to write a résumé or a CV.

A few days ago, one of my students asked me a favour. She was considering applying for a job outside Spain and wanted me to "have a look" at her résumé.

The truth is that it's never easy to write this kind of document and even less if it needs to be written in a language that is not your own. So, a bit of help, guidance and a model to copy is always welcome.

is a free graphic-design tool website I have been using for about two years to create beautiful engaging posters for my class, but Canva collection of content types is continually growing and among other content types, they have recently introduced templates for résumés which are fully editable. Make sure you choose the free templates unless, of course, you don't mind paying a small fee. And remember you can change colours, fonts, insert text, images...etc. Below you can see a small tutorial I have created to help you get started.

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Write your CV or Resume with Free Editable Templates

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Do you dread having to write your résumé or CV? I'm dropping in right quick to show you something that could be really interesting if you need to write a résumé or a CV. A few days ago, one of my students asked me a favour.

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by Amber Rolfe
Writing a CV and making it stand out are often two different things...
Whether you've recently finished school or university, or you're just started searching for a new position, making your CV unique is essential if you want to get invited to an interview. Luckily, there are a few simple ways to do it.

We've already covered what a CV is and how to write a CV, but here are six of our top tips to help your CV stand out:

Your personal statement is the first thing an employer sees when they open your CV, meaning that getting it right is absolutely vital if you want them to read on.

Firstly, focus on covering who you are, what you can offer, and what your career goals are - referring back to the job description to help you identify the specific skills the employer is looking for.

Secondly, make it unique. Anyone can talk about what they can bring to the company using a variation of vague adjectives - but you want to stand out. This means placing an emphasis on your most impressive, interesting, and relevant skills and abilities.

The key? Use examples to back up your claims, but don't overdo it. Sum up the specific skills and experience that make you perfect for the position, but keep it as short and succinct as possible.

Aim for around 150 words (or four or five lines), and you'll be on the right track.
How to write a personal statement Personal statement: Dos and don'ts Personal statement examples
Job hunting is competitive.

That means that for every application you submit, you could be up against numerous other candidates who have a similar skill set.

Luckily, your USP can set you apart. Whether it's that you have your own blog, you've taken part in extracurricular activities or volunteer work, or you use social media to network with others in your field, it'll all help you to stand out from the crowd.

Of course, these things should be relevant to the job - and should emphasise your ability to carry out the role effectively.

For example, candidates who have a blog dedicated to their field of expertise should draw attention to their commercial awareness and extensive knowledge on their subject area - alongside any other impressive achievements (e.g. having your work published and displayed at an event).

You should also include links to portfolios, blogs, or anything else that not only demonstrates your skills, but also makes you unique.
Five CV skills employers look for in every jobseeker
OK, so we're not saying you should include one in every sentence - but we are saying that you should bear them in mind while writing your CV.

This is because many employers use keywords to search for candidates, often basing them around the job title they're hiring for, along with the requirements and duties involved with it. And if the recruiter uses an ATS, utilising keywords is even more important.

So to ensure you're ticking all the boxes, always check the job description and company website for specific words and phrases the employer might be looking for.

This could range from making the most of synonyms so you can cover a range of different job titles (e.g. Retail Assistant, Sales Advisor, etc.), to being industry specific with your terminology and expanding on any qualifications you may have.
Four ways to help recruiters find your CV ATS: What you need to know
It's easy to say you're good at something, but backing it up? That can be a bit trickier.

To make sure you're providing tangible examples for every skill you mention, always use the STAR model. Once you've identified the 'Situation', 'Task', 'Action' and 'Result', formulate this into a short key point, including how you achieved the result, and how your actions addressed the initial situation and task.

This will help you to communicate key points clearly and concisely within the job details section of your CV.

It'll also mean you're able to go beyond your past responsibilities, in order to cover results and achievements - which, let's face it, demonstrate what you're capable of more effectively.

For example, saying you 'worked on social media' doesn't really tell the employer much. But saying 'increased social media engagement by 20% through the implementation of a new strategy' is a much better way of quantifying your abilities.
What words should I use on my CV? Five lines that are killing your CV
Your CV is not a 'one size fits all' document.

This means that sending the same one every time won't be doing you any favours when it comes to impressing an employer.

Instead, you should alter your CV in line with the role you're applying for - using the job description, company information, and any other details you find from industry research as a guide.

Remember: a CV is all about selling yourself effectively, through emphasising your skills and experience. If the ones you list aren't relevant, the employer isn't going to be able to see how you match up.

Sure, it might take a bit more time, but it's better to send off five carefully tailored CVs, than submit hundreds that don't accurately represent your suitability.
What recruiters really want in your CV Eight myths about CVs
Let's face it, your CV won't stand out if you don't get the basics right.

So in addition to the above points, it's vital to write a CV that's clear, concise, and to-the-point (no more than two pages). And, to ensure common grammar mistakes or typos aren't holding you back, always read your CV thoroughly before submitting it.

Finally, make sure your CV layout is easy-to-navigate, with your personal details, personal statement, work experience, achievements, education, and hobbies listed in a logical order.

If you're struggling to get started, try our free CV template.
How to keep your CV short and sweet What not to do on your CV CV templates and tips Still searching for your perfect position? View all available jobs now

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Six ways to make your CV stand out from the crowd | reed.co.uk

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by Amber Rolfe Writing a CV and making it stand out are often two different things... Whether you've recently finished school or university, or you're just started searching for a new position, making your CV unique is essential if you want to get invited to an interview.

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Are you in the midst of moving through Unit 6 with your students? If so, check out Podcast 178. During it, Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker talk about ways to teach this building-block unit, which just so happens to be Andrew's personal favorite!

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Long writing activities are not very frequently done in class. I tend to think that my students are like me; I need the right kind of atmosphere. Writing requires time, silence and lots of inspiration. Ideally, at this time of the year, I would probably wish to be sitting next to a fireplace with the most perfect instagrammable snow falling outside my window while drinking a nice cup of coffee waiting for inspiration to strike. Unfortunately, there isn't any snow where I live so I'll have to make do with a bit of rain and some reddish trees. Note: you won't find "instagrammable" in the dictionary 🙂

Inspiration, the most important word when writing and something my students claim to lack. Inspiration won't come from your computer screen, but Internet can certainly help you a lot when struggling to find the right word.

These are some great sites that can help you make your writing stronger.
Photo by Tekke
1. Skell ( Sketch Engine for Language Learning)explores the English language in more than one billion words from news, scientific papers, Wikipedia articles, fiction books, web pages, and blogs.

Skell is easy to use.

Search for a word or a phrase.

Click on Examples to get the most presentable sentences containing this word.

Click on Word sketch to get a list of words which occur frequently together with the searched word.

Click on Similar words (not only synonyms) where you'll find words used in similar contexts visualized with a word cloud.

2.Netspeak is a really helpful site to help you write better. It helps you find the word or phrase you're looking for by suggesting common combinations organised by frequency.

You can find the word(s) you're looking for by typing signs as seen in the picture below.

Type ? in your query before, after or in the middle to find a missing word. Type ?? or ??? if you want to find two or three words.

Use dots (...) to find one, two, or more words at the same time.

Use square brackets to check which of two or more words is most common, or if none applies. For example: think [ of in ]

Use curly brackets to check in which order two or more words are commonly written { only for members }

To find the best synonym, use the hash sign in front of a word to check which of its synonyms are commonly written.

If you want to read some sample sentences, you only need to click the + sign

3. Just the word is a simple quick collocation finder you are going to love.

Enter the word or phrase you want to search

Click on "combinations" to see the most common words it collocates with and after each combination, you'll find its frequency in their corpus (about 80,000,000 words of the BNC).

In the right-hand frame, you'll find the part (s) of speech and the types of relation that the word is found in. For example, if you're looking for the right adjective to modify a noun you've chosen, click on the 'ADJ mod <word>' link.

4. Words to Use is a nice neat site, which unlike a thesaurus groups theme-related words by parts of speech. Each theme, from "animals" to "vehicles" is divided by parts of the speech- adjectives, nouns, verbs, types of..., phrases, etc.

Are you looking for adjectives that collocate with "movies"? The site lists over 200 adjectives listed in alphabetical order.

Do you want to use a negative word that collocates with "friends"? Or maybe a verb frequently used to refer to friendship? Then, you might want to give this site a try!

There are some very good thesauruses /θɪˈsɔːrʌɪ/ online, but this one is my favourite.

But, what is a thesaurus and what is the difference between a dictionary and a thesaurus?

A "thesaurus" /θɪˈsɔːrəs/ is a reference work that lists words grouped together according to similarity of meaning (containing synonyms and sometimes antonyms ), in contrast to a dictionary, which provides definitions for words, and generally lists them in alphabetical order. The main purpose of such reference works is to help the user "to find the word, or words, by which an idea may be most fitly and aptly expressed. (source Wikipedia). Unlike a dictionary, a thesaurus does not give you the meaning or the pronunciation of a word.

6. Pro Writing Aid is a fantastic free site that will help you with the final stage of the writing process. This is a tool you want to use after you have written something, to improve it.

Paste the text you want to edit by pressing Ctrl+V. There is a maximum of 3,000 words.

Press the 'Analyze' button. A window will appear while the analysis is being run.

Once the analysis is complete the processing window will disappear and the summary screen for your analysis will be displayed. This will give you an overview of any issues and suggestions found in your writing.

You might want to have a look at this post "Six Wonderful Sites to Help you Write, Speak and Sound Better " I published last year.

Thanks for reading! 🙂

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Six Amazing Websites that Make Your Writing Stronger

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Long writing activities are not very frequently done in class. I tend to think that my students are like me; I need the right kind of atmosphere. Writing requires time, silence and lots of inspiration.

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The secret to a successful essay doesn't just lie in the clever things you talk about and the way you structure your points.

Linking Words and Phrases in English - Video

Overview of an Essay

A. Useful Phrases for Proficiency Essays
Developing the argument

The first aspect to point out is that...

Let us start by considering the facts.

The novel portrays, deals with, revolves around...

Central to the novel is...

The character of xxx embodies/ epitomizes...

The other side of the argument Conclusion

The arguments we have presented... suggest that.../ prove that.../ would indicate that...

From these arguments one must.../ could.../ might... conclude that...

All of this points to the conclusion that...

To conclude, ...

Ordering elements

Firstly,.../ Secondly,.../ Finally,... (note the comma after all these introductory words.)

As a final point, ...

On the one hand, .... on the other hand, ...

If on the one hand it can be said that... the same is not true for...

The first argument suggests that... whilst the second suggests that...

There are at least xxx points to highlight.

Adding elements

Furthermore, one should not forget that...

In addition to...

Moreover...

It is important to add that...

Accepting other points of view

Nevertheless, one should accept that...

However, we also agree that...

Personal opinion

We/I personally believe that...

Our/My own point of view is that...

It is my contention that...

I am convinced that ...

My own opinion is ...

Others' opinions

According to some critics...

believe that

say that

suggest that

are convinced that

point out that

emphasise that

contend that

go as far as to say that

argue for this

Introducing examples Introducing facts

It is... true that.../ clear that.../ noticeable that...

One should note here that...

Saying what you think is true Certainty Doubt

All the same, it is possible that...

It is difficult to believe that...

Accepting other points to certain degree Emphasising particular points Moderating, agreeing, disagreeing

By and large...

Perhaps we should also point out the fact that...

It would be unfair not to mention that fact that...

One must admit that...

We cannot ignore the fact that...

One cannot possibly accept the fact that...

Consequences

From these facts, one may conclude that...

That is why, in our opinion, ...

Which seems to confirm the idea that...

Thus,.../ Therefore,...

Comparison
B. Phrases For Balanced Arguments
Introduction

It is often said that...

It is undeniable that...

It is a well-known fact that...

One of the most striking features of this text is...

Thesis

The first thing that needs to be said is...

First of all, let us try to analyse...

One argument in support of...

We must distinguish carefully between...

The second reason for...

An important aspect of the text is...

It is worth stating at this point that...

Antithesis Conclusion

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100+ Useful Words and Phrases to Write a Great Essay

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The secret to a successful essay doesn't just lie in the clever things you talk about and the way you structure your points. Developing the argument The first aspect to point out is that... Let us start by considering the facts. The novel portrays, deals with, revolves around...

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There are eight parts of speech in the English language: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection...

There are eight parts of speech in the English language: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection...

The part of speech indicates how the word functions in meaning as well as grammatically within the sentence. An individual word can function as more than one part of speech when used in different circumstances. Understanding parts of speech is essential for determining the correct definition of a word when using the dictionary.

"Parts of Speech" Poem

What's Your Reaction?

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There are eight parts of speech in the English language: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection...

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Simple tips for writing essays in English: these steps will guide you through the essay writing process...

Despite the fact that, as Shakespeare said, "the pen is mightier than the sword, " the pen itself is not enough to make an effective writer. In fact, though we may all like to think of ourselves as the next Shakespeare, inspiration alone is not the key to effective essay writing. You see, the conventions of English essays are more formulaic than you might think - and, in many ways, it can be as simple as counting to five.

Every one of us is able to write a perfect essay when we have enough time, but there comes a time you are required to write an essay quickly. This can be overwhelming at times but with the right planning and management of time, it is surely achievable.

This can be done whether it is in the examination room or it is because of a tight deadline that is imposed by the instructor that is unbeatable or due to a very busy schedule that made you do the essay in the last minute and any other reason. However, it is possible to deliver a great essay even when time is not on your side, and in this article, we will show you how to write a great essay quickly.

Writing Essays in English

Tips for Writing Essay

Start writing early - the earlier the better. Starting cuts down on anxiety, beats procrastination, and gives you time to develop your ideas.

Keep the essay question in mind. Don't lose track of the question or task. Keep a copy in front of you as you draft and edit and work out your argument.

Don't try to write an essay from beginning to end (especially not in a single sitting). Begin with what you are ready to write - a plan, a few sentences or bullet points. Start with the body and work paragraph by paragraph.

Write the introduction and conclusion after the body.Once you know what your essay is about, then write the introduction and conclusion.

Use 'signpost' words in your writing. Transition signals can help the reader follow the order and flow of your ideas.

Integrate your evidence carefully.Introduce quotations and paraphrases with introductory phrases.

Revise your first draft extensively. Make sure the entire essay flows and that the paragraphs are in a logical order.

Put the essay aside for a few days.This allows you to consider your essay and edit it with a fresh eye.

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How to Write a Great Essay Quickly! - ESL Buzz

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Simple tips for writing essays in English: these steps will guide you through the essay writing process... Despite the fact that, as Shakespeare said, "the pen is mightier than the sword, " the pen itself is not enough to make an effective writer.

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"Learn English" provides daily lessons, tips and resources to help adults learn and practice English.

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Formal English is mainly used in writing. This style is academic in tone and is commonly used in academic textbooks, most university essays, business letters...

In the case of speaking, formal English is usually only used for official or serious occasions, e.g., to formally welcome guests at a university graduation ceremony.

Formal English uses more complex vocabulary than everyday speech. For example, it uses many "bigger" words that aren't normally used in conversation. Examples are multi-syllable words like compensate, ascend and interrogate. It also prefers one-part verbs (e.g., establish) instead of simpler, phrasal verbs (e.g., set up). Slang and colloquial vocabulary are avoided.

When formal English is used in writing, sentences tend to be long and complex, and grammar rules are followed strictly. It tends to be impersonal (or neutral), often using impersonal pronouns like it and passive verbs. Contracted and abbreviated forms of words are usually avoided.

Rules of Formal Writing

There are certain things that can be done in spoken English or in written English in newspapers, magazines, or lecture notes or web pages which are not appropriate for formal writing.

Formal English follow rules of grammar very strictly. Sentences tend to be longer and more complex. The vocabulary tends to be elevated, using big words and avoiding colloquial or slang vocabulary. It avoids split infinitives and prepositions at the end of sentences.

In formal English you have to be aware of the followings:

Don't start a sentence with 'And', 'Also', 'But', 'So', 'Or', 'Even so'. Instead use 'In addition', 'However', 'Hence', 'Consequently', 'Alternatively', 'Nevertheless'.

Don't start a sentence with 'Therefore'. Instead write, for example, 'We therefore...'.

Don't start a sentence with 'Then' or 'Now' unless it is a command.

Don't use 'don't', or any other shortened negative such as 'isn't', 'hasn't', 'wasn't', etc. Use 'does not', 'is not', etc. instead.

Don't use '!' or '&' or '/'. It is also very unusual to see '?' in a paper. Don't put questions in a paper unless you really know what you are doing.

Don't use e.g. or i.e. or etc.

When referring to the number of countable objects, use words rather than figures when the amount is less than twenty. E.g. Don't write "we used 3 methods'' - instead write "we used three methods''.

Don't use 'OK'. Use 'acceptably', 'permissible', 'satisfactory', etc instead.

Don't use 'got'. Instead use 'obtained'.

If you can, try to use the passive voice for some of the time when describing your results. Using 'we' in every sentence is a bit boring.

List things properly using 'and' between the last two items. E.g. Don't do 'we used three methods A, B, C.' Instead you should write either 'we used three methods: A, B, and C.' or 'we used three methods, namely, A, B, and C.'

You cannot have a paragraph that is just one sentence.

Tips for Vocabulary for Academic Essays...

Use a more formal one-word verb if it sounds more appropriate than its phrasal verb equivalent.

Avoid using a personal or conversational style. Therefore, try not to use words like I, me, my, you, we, us and our. Though these words are widely used in informal writing and in spoken English, they're generally thought to be too personal and too casual for formal, academic writing.

Avoid words or phrases used mainly in normal conversation as they're usually not suitable for use in academic writing. Dictionaries often identify these words with the label "informal." In your essay, use a more formal equivalent. Here are some examples:

Avoid "kids", use "children", Avoid "a lot of", use "much, many"

Never use colloquial English or slang. Colloquial English is a type of informal English, and it includes words such as gonna or wanna, and phrases such as ain't nothin' and dead as a doornail. Dictionaries usually mark colloquial words and phrases with a label like "colloq." Because colloquial English and slang are usually spoken rather than written, they'll make your academic writing sound too conversational and so less credible.

Although it's usual to contract words in spoken and informal written English (e.g., can't, won't, shouldn't and hasn't), it's better to avoid using any contractions in your academic essay.

Avoid abbreviating words in academic writing. Don't say yrs, e.g. (which stands for the original Latin exempli gratia and means "for example") or i.e. (which stands for the original Latin id est and means "that is"). Instead, write the words in full using their English equivalents (years, for example and that is).

Notes

It's usually easy to decide if a word is informal or formal. Informal words are those common, ordinary and familiar words that people use every day, whereas formal words tend to be the more "serious" and less frequently used words. Often, formal words are longer than informal words. Single-word verbs are also usually more formal than their phrasal verb equivalents.

For instance, saying something is enormous is formal, but saying it's whopping is informal. Phrases like on the one hand or as indicated above are formal, but phrases like by the way or that reminds me are informal. Note that some informal words are more formal than other informal words. The informal verb understand, for example, is more formal than the informal verb get. However, both are less formal than the formal verb comprehend.

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Helpful Tips and Rules for Formal Writing in English - ESL Buzz

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Formal English is mainly used in writing. This style is academic in tone and is commonly used in academic textbooks, most university essays, business letters... In the case of speaking, formal English is usually only used for official or serious occasions, e.g., to formally welcome guests at a university graduation ceremony.

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Rewriting the rules of language learning: Translanguaging

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Translanguaging is an important tool for expanding rather than restricting multilingualism and cultural identity, while still delivering excellent EAL education.

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Flashcards. Finding New Ways to Say Something.

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Is there anything more important than punctuation? Providing us with stops, pauses, exclamations, questions, and even social media savvy, punctuation marks have been breaking up and clarifying our language for quite some time. Spend a few moments taking our quiz and learn which punctuation mark best captures your personality!

The opinions and other information contained in OxfordWords blog posts and comments do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of Oxford University Press.

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Which punctuation mark are you? - OxfordWords blog

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Is there anything more important than punctuation? Providing us with stops, pauses, exclamations, questions, and even social media savvy, punctuation marks have been breaking up and clarifying our language for quite some time. Spend a few moments taking our quiz and learn which punctuation mark best captures your personality!

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On a recent program, we told you about some English words borrowed from African languages. Today, we will tell you about words English has borrowed from the Arab world.

Arabic words entered the English language through a number of ways.

In the early 8th century, Arab fighters invaded and took control of the Iberian Peninsula, or what is modern day Spain and Portugal. These forces were known as the Moors. During their occupation, their language spread throughout the area, and entered Latin, the language spoken by the locals.

Over the next several centuries, Christian-led forces took control of the Iberian Peninsula. However, by this time, the language spoken there had been forever influenced by the Arabic language.

Many of these words have survived. As Latin began to influence English, some of the Arabic words were passed on. To this day, many words commonly used in English have Arabic roots.
Algebra
Algebra is a widely used system in mathematics. It uses symbols, instead of numbers, to solve problems. Algebra is also one of the oldest forms of mathematics. Some of the earliest notes with algebraic formulas were found in Egypt and what is now Iraq.

The word "algebra" itself comes from the Arabic word al jebr, which means a "reunion of broken parts." This term was first used by a Baghdad mathematician, Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi. He used it in the name of his book Kitab al-jabr w'al-Muqabala, which means "Rule of Reintegration and Reduction."

The word algebra entered the English language sometime in the 15th century. Word historians believe it probably came from Arab medical workers in Spain. At first, the English word meant "bone-setting," likely from a medical process of setting broken bones.
Alcohol
The English word alcohol comes from the Arabic word al kohl. Al is the definite article in Arabic, acting much like the word the in English. The original meaning of kohl was a powder, or fine particles, that was added as makeup around the eyes.

It is not clear how this word came to mean a drink. But a common belief is that this happened after the word alcohol entered the English language. The term was once used for the powder produced from sublimation of natural minerals. The meaning was later changed to refer to when substances were purified to create ethanol, a kind of alcohol that can be drunk.

Alcohol is now the most common English word for the colorless, but often powerful liquid in some drinks.
Coffee
There are several stories about how coffee, another drink, was discovered. The most famous is that coffee beans were discovered in the Oromo area of Ethiopia. However, another country, Yemen, was the first to export the drink widely. The Arabic language is widely spoken in Yemen. The Arabic word for coffee was qahwah, which originally meant "wine."

Long ago, traders sold coffee beans throughout the Middle East, and later to Turkey, where it was called kahveh. Coffee eventually came to Europe, arriving in Italy, where it was called caffe. By 1650, the drink had arrived in England. By then, the name had changed to the sound it has today, coffee.
Lemon
Some food names also have Arabic roots, such as a common fruit: the lemon. Like many Arabic words in English, the word became part of Latin and other romance languages before finally entering English.

There are several stories about the origins of lemons. Some experts say they came from India, while others have said it was closer to China. Some records show that Arab traders eventually brought lemons from India to the Middle East. In Arabic, they were called laimun.

The fruit later found its way to Spain, and then spread across Europe. The word entered the French language, and was called limon.

Yet the meaning has always been the same: a " pale yellow citrus fruit."

In modern use, the English word lemon sometimes suggests difficulty. The word is often used in the expression: "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade." This means that you should always be hopeful and move forward, even during difficult times.
Numbers
Many people do not realize it, but the Arabic language influenced the numbering system used in most English-speaking countries. It is called the Arabic Numeral System, or the Hindu-Arabic Numeral System.

There are several stories about where the numbers started. But most say the numeral system was first developed in India in the 6 th or 7 th century. There is evidence that the earliest form of some numbers may have come from Persia. They were later brought into the Arabic language through Baghdad. The final form of the numbers is likely a combination of symbols originating from Hindu and Arabic. ​

​Many experts say it was the mathematician Al-Khwarizmi who was responsible for spreading the Hindu-Arabic numeral system throughout the Middle East, and later to Europe.

Gerbert of Aurillac has been credited with bringing Arabic numerals to Europe after he visited the Iberian Peninsula while under Moorish rule. He later became head of the Roman Catholic Church and was known as Pope Sylvester II.

By the 15th century, the Hindu-Arabic numeral system replaced the Roman numeral system that had been used in Europe.

I'm Phil Dierking. And I'm Alice Bryant.
This story was written by Phil Dierking for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Can you think of any other English words that originated from Arabic? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.
Quiz
Now, test your understanding by taking this short quiz.
Words in This Story

definite article - n.the word the used in English to refer to a person or thing that is identified or specified​

pale - adj. light in color​

symbol - n.an action, object, event, etc., that expresses or represents a particular idea or quality - often + of

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On a recent program, we told you about some English words borrowed from African languages. Today, we will tell you about words English has borrowed from the Arab world. Arabic words entered the English language through a number of ways.

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For those of you who've been following my occasional series about homophonous affixes (or, to put it another way, word-endings and -beginnings that sound the same when spoken!), you should now know your and be proficient in .There are plenty more similar-sounding affixes, though, so I thought it was high time to disentangle another set: the pair of suffixes -ance and -ence, and the related pairs -ant/-ent and -ancy/- ency.

These endings are much used in word-formation and cause no amount of spelling confusion, as is evident from many examples in today's English. For example, the Oxford English Corpus (OEC) shows that independent is misspelled as independant 737 times. Although this only represents 0.3% of the total occurrences of the word, what is significant is that this error appears in many newspapers (such as The Guardian) and specialist journals (e.g. American Zoologist), which have been edited and proofread. It may be comforting to learn that journalists, editors, and other professional writers are just as prone to these mistakes as ordinary mortals, but correct spelling does matter if you're writing for public consumption: misspellings are distracting or tend to make people irritated, and so the thrust of what you're saying is diminished or gets lost completely.

Lack of stress leads to spelling mess...

Why do people get these endings confused? To be fair, anyone could be forgiven for not knowing which one to choose: when you hear them spoken aloud, they usually sound indistinguishable. This is because, in most English words, these endings are pronounced as unstressed syllables (try saying independent, and you'll hear that the stress is on -pen-, not -dent).

The vowel sound we make when we say the unstressed endings -ance/-ence, -ant/-ent, and -ancy/-ency as part of longer words is /ə/, a centralized, neutral vowel technically known as a schwa; the sound used in the first syllable of ago, rather than /a/ (as in cat) or /e/ (as in bed).

The good news is that, although you should always check any spellings in a dictionary if you're not sure, there are a few simple rules which you can apply to this set of words to make choosing the correct suffix easier.

-ance or -ence?

These endings are used to make nouns, meaning either: a quality or state (e.g. ignorance is the state of being ignorant about something) or an action (e.g. emergence is the action of emerging from somewhere).

One key way of knowing which ending to choose is to be aware of the words that these nouns are formed from. Some are made from verbs (e.g. performance from perform) and some are from adjectives (for example intelligence from intelligent).

-ance

If the word is formed from a verb that ends in -y, -ure, or -ear, then the ending of the noun will be spelled -ance, for example:

If the noun is related to a verb which ends in -ate, then the ending is likely to be -ance, for instance:

A further tip is that, if the stem of the word (the part before the ending) ends in a 'hard' c (pronounced like the c in cab) or a 'hard' g (pronounced like the g in get), then the ending will be spelled -ance. For example: significance; elegance.

As for the other nouns which end in -ance, there are no hard-and-fast rules, so you may find it helpful to memorize them. Here's a handy list of the most common:

-ence

If the word is formed from a verb ending in -ere, then the ending will be spelled -ence. For example:

So, you may ask, why is perseverance (from persevere) spelled -ance? Sorry, it's simply an exception to this rule...

Does the related verb end in a stressed -er syllable? If yes, then -ence is the correct ending, as in:

Note that, although the verb differ is stressed on the first syllable rather than the final -er, difference is still spelled with -ence at the end.

If the word contains the syllables -cid-, -fid-, -sid-, or -vid- immediately before the ending, the correct suffix is -ence. For instance:

If the stem of the word ends in a soft c (pronounced like the c in cell) or a soft g (pronounced like the g in gin), then the ending will be -ence. For example:

The eagle-eyed amongst you will have spotted vengeance in in the -ance list - yes, although it's pronounced with a soft g, it's an exception to this rule.

Again, some words don't follow these rules (or the 'rules' have several exceptions, so can be rather difficult to learn). Here's a list of some common nouns ending in -ence:

-ancy or -ency?

These endings are used to form nouns which refer to a quality or state: for instance, infancy is the state of being an infant and fluency is the quality of being fluent.

Reassuringly, -ancy and -ency behave very much like -ance and -ence, which means that similar spelling tips are applicable. For example:

Nouns made from verbs ending in -ate have the spelling -ancy, e.g. hesitancy (from hesitate) or vacancy (from vacate).

Nouns with a soft c or g before the ending are spelled -ency, e.g. agency; emergency; urgency; complacency; decency.

Here are some of the most common nouns ending in -ancy:

And these are the most common ones that end with -ency:

-ant or -ent?

The suffix pair -ant and -ent are used:

to form adjectives referring to a quality or state, such as arrogant, fragrant, convenient, different.

to form nouns which refer to an agent (someone or something which does something). For example, an accountant is a person who prepares financial accounts, and a resident is a person who resides somewhere.

Again, similar rules apply to these words as to words ending in -ance/-ence, or -ancy/-ency. For example:

Words which derive from verbs ending in -y take the -ant suffix, e.g. defy->defiant; occupy->occupant.

If the word is related to a verb which ends in -ate, then the ending is -ant, e.g. deviate->deviant; hesitate->hesitant; tolerate->tolerant.

If the word is related to a verb ending in -ere, the ending is -ent: cohere->coherent; adhere->adherent.

The 'hard c/g' and 'soft c/g' rules also apply. So -ant is used as the suffix following the hard sounds (e.g. extravagant, communicant) and -ent for the soft sounds (e.g. intelligent, recent).

Here are some of the most common nouns and adjectives ending in -ant:

These are some of the most frequent words ending in -ent:

Dependent/dependant and pendant/pendent

These two pairs of words can end in -ant or -ent. They occur as both nouns and adjectives and the spelling depends on their part of speech.

Starting with dependent/dependant: in British English, the noun always used to be spelled dependant, but the variant noun spelling dependent is now acceptable too. In US English, the standard noun spelling is dependent. The adjective is always spelled dependent, however, in both varieties of English. ( Independent, however, is always spelled with the -ent suffix, whether it's used as an adjective or a noun.) To summarize:

The situation regarding pendant/pendent is a little less complex. You can use the spelling pendant for both the noun ( she wore a silver pendant) and the adjective (pendant catkins), but the spelling pendent is never used for the noun: it's just an adjective (pendent catkins).

One final tip: because the same rules apply to each pair of endings, once you know how one word in the set is spelled, then you can be sure that the related words are spelled the same way. For instance, if you know that competence is spelled with the -ence suffix, then it follows that the endings of the related adjective competent and the noun competency also take the appropriate -e- spellings. I'm sure you'll agree, it's nice that one part of this suffix confusion is consistant - sorry, wait, I mean consistent.

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Is it -ance or -ence? - OxfordWords blog

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For those of you who've been following my occasional series about homophonous affixes (or, to put it another way, word-endings and -beginnings that sound the same when spoken!), you should now know your and be proficient in .There are plenty more similar-sounding affixes, though, so I thought it was high time to disentangle another set: the pair of suffixes -ance and -ence, and the related pairs -ant/-ent and -ancy/- ency.

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Useful linking words and phrases that can be used at the start of new paragraphs.

1. Adding information

Uasge: To add to what has been previously stated
Linking Words:

Additionally / an additional

Furthermore

Also

Too

As well as that

Along with

Besides

In addition

Moreover

In addition to this

Apart from this

Examples:

Additionally, the bus service will run on Sundays, every two hours.

He said he had not discussed the matter with her. Furthermore, he had not even contacted her.

We are unable to repair this watch. Also, this is the fourth time this has happened.

I love wearing earrings. I design and make them too.

We went to the park today. As well as that, we did some shopping.

Along with parties and parliaments, elections have lost their charm.

I can't afford to go to the concert. Besides, I don't really like classical music.

You haven't paid the rent yet. In addition, you owe me money.

The report is badly presented. Moreover, it contains inaccuracies.

John's grades are terrible because he has been so lazy these days. In addition to this, his relationship to his parents got worse.

Apart from this paragraph, the report contains a number of sensible initiatives.

2. Contrasting ideas

Usage: To show how things are different
Linking words:

Unlike

Nevertheless

On the other hand

Nonetheless

Despite / in spite of

In contrast (to)

Alternatively

Conversely

Even so

Differing from

Contrary to

Examples:

Unlike most systems, this one is very easy to install.

There is little chance that we will succeed in changing the law. Nevertheless, it is important that we try.

Laptops are convenient; O n the other hand, they can be expensive.

The problems are not serious. Nonetheless, we shall need to tackle them soon.

Despite/ In spite of the rain, I went for a walk.

In contrast to the diligent bee, the butterfly flies hither and yon with no apparent purpose.

The agency will make travel arrangements for you. Alternatively, you can organize your own transport.

Northern European countries had a great summer. On the contrary/conversely, Southern Europe had poor weather.

Even so, many old friends were shocked at the announcement.

Differing from his white colleagues, he preferred instructing his scholars to the ambition of acquiring personal renown.

The situation in Ireland is quite contrary to this principle.

3. Emphasizing a point

Usage: To put forward a point or idea more forcefully

Linking words:

Undoubtedly

Indeed

Obviously

Particularly / in particular

Especially

Clearly

Importantly

Absolutely

Definitely

Without a doubt

Never

It should be noted

Unquestionably

Above all

Positively

Examples:

Undoubtedly, the story itself is one of the main attractions.

I don't mind at all. Indeed, I would be delighted to help.

Obviously, we don't want to spend too much money.

I love silver earrings, in particular ones from Mexico

The car is quite small, especially if you have children.

Clearly, this will cost a lot more than we realized.

More importantly, can he be trusted?

He's an absolutely brilliant cook.

I definitely remember sending the letter.

We still believe we can win this series without a doubt.

I'm neve r surprised at what I do.

It should be noted thatif you have something to note, then note it

Unquestionably, teaching has been a paramount part of his career.

Above all, this forest is designed for wear and tear.

This is positively the worst thing that I can even imagine.

4. Giving examples

Usage: To provide examples

Linking words:

For example/ For instance

Such as

Including

Namely

In this case

Proof of this

Like

Examples:

There are many interesting places to visit in the city, for example/ for instance, the botanical garden or the art museum.

I prefer to wear casual clothes, such as jeans and a sweatshirt.

Including Christmas Day and Boxing Day, I've got a week off work.

We need to concentrate on our target audience, namely women aged between 20 and 30.

I think I would have made a difference in this case.

This building are a living proof of this existence, so we must preserve it.

I also make other jewellery like rings and bracelets.

5. Sequencing ideas

Usage: To indicate the order of what is being said
Linking words:

First/ firstly (Second/ secondly, Third/ thirdly, Finally)

At this time

Following

Previously

Before

Subsequently

Above all

Lastly and most importantly

Last but not least

First and foremost

Examples:

Firstly, I prefer the train because I can see the landscape.

At this time, the young man leapt into the air and flew off towards sunset.

They arrived on Monday evening and we got there the following day.

I had visited them three days previously.

Your name is before mine on the list.

Subsequently, new guidelines were issued to all employees.

Above all, keep in touch.

Lastly, and most importantly, you should be optimistic.

Last but not least, I find I seriously cannot relate to women.

We will continue to focus on our players first and foremost.

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Useful Words and Phrases to Use as Sentence Starters to Write Better Essays - ESL Buzz

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Useful linking words and phrases that can be used at the start of new paragraphs. Uasge: To add to what has been previously stated Linking Words: Additionally / an additional Furthermore Also Too As well as that Along with Besides In addition Moreover In addition to this Apart from this Examples: Additionally , the bus service will run on Sundays, every two hours.

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Top 100+ Most Common Mistakes Made by English Learners - ESL Buzz

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What is an error in English? The concept of language mistakes is a fuzzy one...

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Delaying an important but arduous task in favour of a more pleasurable less urgent one? Surely everybody has been guilty of doing that at some point, and, as you probably know, there's a great word for it - procrastinate. Apparently people have been procrastinating since the late 16 th century, when the verb first came into English via the Latin prōcrāstināre, literally meaning 'to put off till the next day'.

Since it's US Tax Day tomorrow - a day that presumably very few people are looking forward to - we felt inspired to delve into the Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) to find some interesting synonyms for procrastinate. So why not put off doing your income taxes for a moment and having a look at the different words we have come up with?

dally

Dally appeared surprisingly early according to recent findings - the OED currently dates it to the 14 th century. From the Old French dalier meaning 'to converse, chat, pass one's time in light social converse', the sense 'to put off or defer by trifling' is first attested in 1574.

jauk

Jauk is a Scottish word of unknown origin. It might be related to jank, which perhaps comes from Swedish and Norwegian dialect janka 'to totter, go slowly, hesitate'.

perendinate

Coming from post-classical Latin perendinare, this rare verb means 'to defer until the day after tomorrow'. Another meaning is 'to stay at a university college, especially for an extended period of time'.

sojourn

This verb is of French origin and also has the meaning 'to make a temporary stay in a place'. The OED cites William Langland's 'The vision of William concerning Piers Plowman' as the first evidence for the word. Sojourn is also frequently used in its noun form, meaning 'a temporary stay'.

superannuate

Its current meaning 'retire (someone) with a pension' seems to have first emerged in the mid-19 th century. An earlier sense that is now both rare and obsolete, however, is 'to put off for a time', which is first found in the 17 th century.

The opinions and other information contained in OxfordWords blog posts and comments do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of Oxford University Press.

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5 historical synonyms for procrastinate - OxfordWords blog

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Delaying an important but arduous task in favour of a more pleasurable less urgent one? Surely everybody has been guilty of doing that at some point, and, as you probably know, there's a great word for it - procrastinate. Apparently people have been procrastinating since the late 16th century, when the verb first came into ...

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Writing an academic essay means fashioning a coherent set of ideas into an argument.

Highlight key words.

Use the dictionary to check the meaning of any unfamiliar words.

Identify the task words that indicate what needs to be done, eg "discuss", "explain", "compare".

Identify the topic words that indicate the particular subject of the essay, eg the character of "Juliet" in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, the "causes" of World War 1.

Identify any limiting words that restrict the discussion to a particular area, eg in "Chapters 1-3", during the "nineteenth century".

Be selective: use sources which are relevant and accessible.

Write notes in your own words.

Write down quotations that may be particularly useful, but ensure the source of these quotes is acknowledged if they're used.

Take note of sources so they can be provided in footnotes and the bibliography.

Jot down any relevant points.

Make note of any relevant evidence or quotes that come to mind.

Use a mind map to help stimulate lateral thinking.

The thesis should be a statement that strongly expresses the overall response to the question.

Avoid a thesis that's too simplistic - show thought has been put into some of the complexities behind the question.

The thesis is the backbone of the essay - it will be stated in the introduction. It also needs to be referred to several times in the essay before restating it and demonstrating how it has been proven in the conclusion.

Order ideas in a logical sequence.

Make sure every point in the plan is relevant to the question.

After the plan has been written it should be clear where the essay is going.

Open up the discussion.

Introduce the thesis.

Indicate how the questions will be answered.

Name any texts to be discussed, if appropriate.

Engage the reader.

Ensure each point is given a new paragraph.

Use words or phrases at the start of each paragraph that will indicate to the reader how it relates to the previous paragraph, eg, "however", "in addition", "nevertheless", "moreover".

Start each paragraph with a topic sentence that clearly links the paragraph to the rest of the essay, eg "A striking example of Gary Crew's use of light and darkness imagery to suggest notions of knowledge and ignorance occurs in the scene on the jetty".

Provide supporting evidence for each point that you make.

Revisit the thesis, and express it in different ways if possible, to emphasise how the question is being addressed.

Summarise the main ideas.

Demonstrate how you have proven your thesis.

Finish with an interesting or thought-provoking, but relevant, comment.

Check for spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Delete any sections that are not particularly relevant.

Change vocabulary to improve expression.

Seek feedback from peers or a teacher before writing the final copy.

Add any footnotes or bibliography if required.

Present a clean, neat copy.

Source: schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au

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Step-By-Step Guide to Essay Writing - ESL Buzz

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Writing an academic essay means fashioning a coherent set of ideas into an argument. Highlight key words. Use the dictionary to check the meaning of any unfamiliar words. Identify the task words that indicate what needs to be done, eg "discuss", "explain", "compare".

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50+ Plain-Language Substitutions for Wordy Phrases - ESL Buzz

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Plain language is writing designed to ensure the reader understands as quickly, easily, and completely as possible.

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"Neither a borrower nor a lender be" may have been good advice for Laertes in Shakespeare's , but it isn't practical for a language. English is both an avid borrower ( ballet, schmooze, wok) and a generous lender: consider German das Baby, French le week-end, and Japanese aisu kuriimu ('ice cream'-try saying it out loud). Occasionally, these two processes are combined in a relatively rare class of loanword: a reborrowing, or what we might call a "boomerang word." These are loanwords which are altered through naturalization in a foreign language and subsequently borrowed back into their language of origin, like a student coming home from a year abroad with a new wardrobe and an affected accent.

From karaoke to anime: boomerang words from Japan

In recent decades, we have seen several such boomerang words from Japan. Reborrowings from Japanese are facilitated by a tendency towards clipping of loanwords, so that they take on a new form while retaining enough flavor of the original to be readily taken up again by English speakers. Another factor is the popularity of certain aspects of contemporary Japanese popular culture in the English-speaking world, which provides the impetus to borrow back these terms. The most famous Japanese boomerang word is probably anime, used in English to refer to Japanese animation, but in Japan to mean animation generally. The word animation was borrowed into Japanese by 1959 (as anim ē shon) and then came back into English in its altered form starting in about 1985. Similarly, cosplay, referring to the pastime of dressing up in costume, comes from Japanese kosupure, which dates back to 1982 in Japanese, where it was formed as an abbreviation of an earlier Japanicization of English costume play. Even karaoke is a hybrid reborrowing: the first element, kara,'empty', is Japanese, but the second ōke, is short for ōkesutora, from English orchestra.

Why mohair isn't made from the hair of a 'mo'

A few centuries earlier, we can see the boomerang phenomenon taking place between English and French. Moire, a type of silk fabric treated so that it has a rippled appearance, was originally made with mohair, and the term for the fabric is a French alteration of that English word. Moire is attested in French from 1639; the first English evidence comes from Samuel Pepys, who used the word in his diary just over twenty years later, when he "bought some greene watered Moyre for a morning wastecoate." [Incidentally, if you've ever wondered what sort of animal a 'mo' is, you may be interested in the history of the word mohair itself: it comes originally from Arabic muḵayyar (literally 'choice, select'), with the change in ending coming from association with the English word hair.] Another fashion-related reborrowing from this period is redingote. We don't see them much these days outside of costume dramas, but this word for a once-popular style of men's or women's coat also took the round trip from English to French and back. The French word, dating to the early 18th century, is a corruption of English riding coat.

In all of the examples above, the English word has changed its meaning as well as its form in being borrowed back into English. After all, why would we reborrow a word which didn't fill a new lexical role? However, there is a recent counterexample to this general rule: craic. The Irish English use of the word crack, meaning 'amusement, enjoyable social activity,' is recorded in the Oxford English Dictionary from at least 1966. It isn't attested in the Irish language until a few years later, spelled craic. Shortly thereafter, in 1972, we see the first example of the form craic in English:

1972 Irish Independent 8 July 18 Traditional musicians, singers and dancers gathered for the 'craic'...during Flea Nua '72.

The adoption of the Irish spelling underscores that this is an Irish usage, and makes the distinction in meaning clear, whereas crack has a wide variety of senses, some of which could result in confusing or (in the case of the sense 'crack cocaine') disastrous misunderstandings. Evidence on the Oxford English Corpus suggests the craic spelling now dominates in English usage for the 'amusement' meaning.

The back-and-forth pattern of these boomerang etymologies is a reminder that the biographies of words are as complex as the history which gives them birth. The main etymon of a word is rarely the whole story, and even relatively recent additions to our lexicon often have hidden depths.

The opinions and other information contained in OxfordWords blog posts and comments do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of Oxford University Press.

Author

Katherine Connor Martin is Head of Content Creation at Oxford Dictionaries, and is based in the US

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Boomerang vocabulary: words that return to their origins - OxfordWords blog

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"Neither a borrower nor a lender be" may have been good advice for Laertes in Shakespeare's Hamlet, but it isn't practical for a language. English is both an avid borrower (ballet, schmooze, wok) and a generous lender: consider German das Baby, French le week-end, and Japanese aisu kuriimu ('ice cream'-try saying it out loud).

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Of course, not everyone spells these words wrong - but lots of people do! Let's take a look at a few words that are always putting our spelling to the test. From sneaky silent letters to devious double letters, English sure doesn't make spelling easy.

Breaking everyone's favourite spelling rule - 'i' before 'e' except after 'c' - the word weird is, well, weird.

The easiest way to remember the two double letter pairings in accommodate is to remember that this word 'accommodates' a lot of letters.

The lurking 'd' in handkerchief can be remembered by thinking about the fact that these squares of nose-blowing cloth fit in one's hand. Don't get confused by the shortened hanky! (Nor should you try adding a 'd' in there: handky is far from correct.)

The silence 'c' in indict (and related words indictment, indictable, etc.) baffles lots of people, both in its spelling and its pronunciation.

Though many are tempted, there is no 'a' in cemetery. You might contrast the word with graveyard, which has two 'a's.

The first step is to avoid confusing conscience - a person's moral sense of right and wrong (noun) - and conscious - aware and responding to one's surroundings (adjective). Once you clear that hurdle, you need to make sure that 'science' makes an appearance in your spelling.

This notorious word boasts only a single vowel - and 'y', at that! - plus a couple of 'h's running amok. The related word rhyme is only slightly easier.

Even though playwrights do write, the 'wright' in this word actually refers to a builder, as in similar words like shipwright. You can remember this by thinking of a playwright as someone who 'builds' a theatre experience.

This word unequivocally demonstrates that language has a sense of humour. Why else make the word embarrass embarrassingly difficult to spell?

The incorrect spelling of millennium with only a single 'n' is very common, possibly because similar words, such as millenarian and millenary, follow this single 'n' pattern. When you're talking about the 'millennial' generation, take to care to keep that second 'n' in there.

Given the world's fascination with ancient Egypt, you'd think that the word for their rulers wouldn't present such a problem, but the sneaky 'ao' in the second syllable is a tricky one.

Both liaison and liaise boast that tricky triple vowel, a gift from French.

The -sce ending in convalesce is a spelling difficulty that crops in several English words that have a Latin origin, including acquiesce, coalesce, and incandesce.

Derived from the Latin word supersedere, this word is frequently misspelled as supercede thanks to the influence of words like accede and intercede.

Ecstasy may turn to despair when you realize that you've assumed that the 'c' at the start of ecstasy makes a later reappearance.

The Caribbean tropics may seem slightly less alluring once you realize how much trouble you have spelling this name.

While harass may have two different pronunciations, it doesn't have two r's!

Although maintenance often implies the maintaining of something, the word does not have maintain in it.

Even though the verb form of this word is pronounce, the noun - pronunciation - does not have that 'o' in the middle. Before writing the word out, you might try saying both pronunciation and pronounce out loud and hear the difference yourself.

Although the pronunciation without the 'c' sound is considered acceptable, the spelling still requires that the 'c' be present. (The same goes for Ant arc tica.)

Make sure that you double both the 'c' and the 'r' when you use the past tense of occur! Many verbs ending in a single 'r' will take a double 'r' in the past tense, such as recur, blur, and refer.

Another double-letter kerfuffle, recommend might seem as though it deserves a second 'c', but the word only has one.

This word is one of many examples of -ibles and -ables that may easily be confused. Check out ' Words ending in -able or -ible ' for help on figuring these out.
Photo credit: Mark Clifton, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

The opinions and other information contained in OxfordWords blog posts and comments do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of Oxford University Press.

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23 difficult words to spell - OxfordWords blog

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Of course, not everyone spells these words wrong - but lots of people do! Let's take a look at a few words that are always putting our spelling to the test. From sneaky silent letters to devious double letters, English sure doesn't make spelling easy.

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Like an extended family with some unsuspected relations, sometimes you come across words which have very different modern-day meanings but unexpectedly share an etymological element in their background.

salad / salary

Salad and salary obviously have a lot of letters in common, but which other word unites the two? Perhaps surprisingly, it's salt - or, rather, the closely related Latin sal. The origins of salary originally denoted a Roman soldier's allowance to buy salt (which was valuable, but essential at the time), while salad vegetables were often seasoned with salty dressings in Roman times.

aviation / auspicious

If you've got a fear of flying, there may be some sort of comfort in the shared etymology of aviation and auspicious. Both ultimately derive from Latin avis, 'bird'. It's not too difficult to see the link between the flight of birds and aviation ('the flying or operating of aircraft'), but auspicious is potentially more obscure. Auspicious now means 'conducive to success; favourable', but comes from the Latin auspex, 'observer of birds', from avis + specere, 'to look at', as an auspex in Ancient Rome was one who took omens from the flight of birds.

mortify / mortgage

The Latin mors, 'death', is at the root of these seemingly unrelated words. This origin can still more or less be seen in mortify, though its current sense 'cause (someone) to feel very embarrassed' has softened the late Middle English 'put to death'. Many may feel their mortgage to be deadly, and the etymology agrees: French mort, 'dead' (a derivative of mors) + gage, 'pledge'. Here, the 'death' refers to the pledge 'dying' when the obligation (payment) is fulfilled or the property is seized.

arugula / rocket

This salad vegetable is called rocket in Britain and arugula in North America, but etymologists from both countries can at least find a common starting point. Both ultimately come from the Latin eruca, 'down-stemmed plant', though rocket takes a circuitous route including Italian ruchetta and French roquette. The more explosive rocket (firework), contrarily, comes from the Italian rocchetta, diminutive of rocca, 'distaff (for spinning)' (because of its shape).

hysteria / hysterectomy

The spelling of these words clearly has significant crossover, though their current meanings are very different. While hysteria is 'exaggerated or uncontrollable emotion or excitement', a hysterectomy is a surgical removal of the womb. The Greek hystera means 'womb', so the origins of hysterectomy are fairly clear (-ectomy comes from the Greek for 'excision'). As for hysteria, it was once believed that this condition only affected women, and was caused by suffering in the womb.

disaster / astral

Astral means 'related to or resembling the stars' and disaster is 'a sudden accident or a natural catastrophe': what could they have in common? It isn't surprising that astral comes from the Latin astrum, 'star' (ultimately from Greek), but the link between astrum and disaster is less obvious. All becomes clear when you learn that disaster comes ultimately from the Italian disastro, 'ill-starred event' (the prefix dis- denoting things falling apart as in disorder), from the belief that stars governed fate.

corridor / occur

If you're ever told not to run in a corridor, you can bring out the smart rejoinder that corridor actually means 'running place', coming from the Italian correre 'to run', a descendant of Latin currere, with the same sense. In English it was originally a military term denoting a strip of land along the outer edge of a ditch, protected by a parapet. The Latin word also underlies the English word occur, from the Latin occurrrere, 'go to meet, present itself', from ob- 'against' and currere.

metaphor / paraphernalia

Why do both metaphor and paraphernalia have the Greek pherein, 'to bring, bear, carry' lurking in their etymology? You have to look a little closer at the words. A metaphor ( meta = 'with') carries extra meaning with it, transferring meaning from one sphere to another; metaphor is aptly itself a metaphor. Paraphernalia, on the other hand, now means 'miscellaneous articles' but was originally the property owned by a married woman besides her dowry. Para is 'distinct from' and pherna is 'dowry' which, in turn, comes from pherein ϕέρειν, 'to bring, bear, carry', for what a woman brought to marriage.

The opinions and other information contained in OxfordWords blog posts and comments do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of Oxford University Press.

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Unlikely couples: 8 pairs of words you didn't know shared an etymology - OxfordWords blog

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Like an extended family with some unsuspected relations, sometimes you come across words which have very different modern-day meanings but unexpectedly share an etymological element in their background. Salad and salary obviously have a lot of letters in common, but which other word unites the two?

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Do you want to speak perfect English? Then you need to know all the English grammar rules...

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Who write business letters? business "" business business "" consumer job applicant "" company citizen "" government official employee "" employee staff member "" staff member Why write business letters?
I. How to write a business letter?

II. Some common errors in business writing that you should notice
1. Colloquialism
Use of informal phrases in business writing is a major error.
Ex: 2. Dated
Writing Dated on is incorrect but is used commonly.
Ex:

Thank you for writing the letter dated on 17-March-2010.(Incorrect)

Thank you for writing the letter dated 17-March-2010. (correct)

3. Over and More Than
The word over is used for describing a physical position.
Ex:
The bridge led over the pond.
Wrong usage:
Over 50 males participated in the race.
Correction:
More than 50 males participated in the race.
4. Wordy Expressions
Using wordy expressions when a small one can do, is another common mistake
Ex:
Due to the fact that she was attending the meeting...

Or
5. Possessive form and contractions
The possessive form of it is often mixed with its contraction.

Its -> possessive form of it

It 's -> contraction for it is
Ex:
When is our next meeting.Please confirm date. ( v )

When is our next meeting. Please confirm it's date.( x )

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How to Write an Effective Business Letter in English - ESL Buzz

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Definition: Business letters are formal paper communications between, to or from businesses Business letters are sometimes called "snail-mail" (in contrast to email which is faster). Business letters includes: Letter, Memo, Fax, Email Who write business letters? Letters are written from a person/group, known as the sender to a person/group, known in business as the recipient....

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Useful tips for letter writing or, to be more precise, phrases which you may need when writing formal letters.
Linking Words and Phrases - Video
Writing Formal Letters

Starting

We are writing you with reference to (the above order).

With reference to your advertisement/letter of 10 March......

We are pleased to have your inquiry of 25 of July....

We acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated 12 April .....

With reference to your letter inquiring about...

With reference to our telephone conversation yesterday (about...),...

We wish to remind you that.....

I am writing this letter to request the cancellation of........

I am writing this letter to complain in the strongest terms about the poor service that I have received from your company.

Action

Please advise us as soon as the.......

Please open a .............in favour of (name of the company)..........

Payment can be made on any basis acceptable to you.

Could you please supply us with information about the company's standing.

We have been informed (by one of our clients) that..........

We regret to inform you, (however,) that....

Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience caused.

We must insist on...

Please note that the closing date/deadline for the ......... is 30 September, so will you please complete the attached forms and return them as soon as possible.

Any information you supply will be treated confidentially.

May we remind you that your statement is still outstanding.

Will you kindly balance your account promptly.

We are puzzled to have had no remittance from you.

You already have an overdraft of....

Please give the matter your immediate attention.

We will be left with no alternative but to (take legal action)... unless payment is received within the next seven days.

Our circumstances do not allow us to wait/to go on waiting any longer.

Please look into the matter.

We were dissatisfied to find that....

We shall have to terminate the contract.

On examination we have found...

We greatly appreciated your patience in this matter.

Enclosures and Attachment

We would be grateful if you could forward/send any further information (you may have) about.... (products and terms of payment/this case)

We will be pleased to supply any further information you require.

We are sending the herewith the......

We look forward to doing business to our mutual advantage.

We would like to make a decision on this as soon as possible.

In the meantime, we suggest that you call the .........

We hope to meet your requirements.

Please send us by return the terms and conditions on ..............

For purposes of quick contact a reply by telephone would be appreciated.

We look forward to the opportunity of being at your service.

Could you please let us know in your earliest convenience whether the above terms and conditions are acceptable for you.

We hope that the matter will be settled to our mutual satisfaction.

We very much hope that you will be able to.....

I would be grateful if you could spare me a few minutes.

As our demand/request/issue is very urgent, a quick answer would be appreciated.

Would you (also forward details of charges).......... at your earliest convenience?

I should/would be pleased if you could send me .......

We trust/hope you will find this condition acceptable.

If there is any other information you need, please do not hesitate to contact us at the above e-mail address.

Thanking you in advance.

I would be most grateful if you would reply as soon as possible so that this matter can be resolved to everyone's satisfaction.

Please find enclosed....

I am enclosing.......

Please find attached....

Useful Words and Phrases for Writing Formal Letters.

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Useful Words and Phrases for Writing Formal Letters in English - ESLBuzz Learning English

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Useful tips for letter writing or, to be more precise, phrases which you may need when writing formal letters. Linking Words and Phrases - Video We are writing you with reference to (the above order). With reference to your advertisement/letter of 10 March...... We are pleased to have your inquiry of 25 of July....

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Informal contractions are short forms of other words that people use when speaking casually. They are not exactly slang, but they are a little like slang...

Informal contractions are short forms of other words that people use when speaking casually.
They are not exactly slang, but they are a little like slang.

For example, "gonna" is a short form of "going to". If you say "going to" very fast, without
carefully pronouncing each word, it can sound like "gonna".

Please remember that these are informal contractions. That means that we do not use them in
"correct" speech, and we almost never use them in writing. (If you see them in writing, for
example in a comic strip, that is because the written words represent the spoken words or
dialogue.) We normally use them only when speaking fast and casually, for example with
friends. Some people never use them, even in informal speech.

It is probably true to say that informal contractions are more common in American English.
Also note that, unlike normal contractions, we do not usually use apostrophes (') with informal
contractions when written.

For example:

or

These informal contractions are not "correct" English. Do not use them in a written exam, for
example, except in appropriate situations.

ain't = am not/are not/is not
You ain't my boss. I ain't done it. She ain't finished yet.

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Do You Want to Speak English Faster? - ESL Buzz

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Informal contractions are short forms of other words that people use when speaking casually. They are not exactly slang, but they are a little like slang... Informal contractions are short forms of other words that people use when speaking casually.They are not exactly slang, but they are a little like slang.

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Usage: To add to what has been previously stated
Linking Words: Examples:
Summarizing

Usage: To sump up what has been previously stated

Linking words:
Examples:

To summarize, this is a clever approach to a common problem.

The food was good and we loved the music. Altogether it was a great evening.

His novels belong to a great but vanished age. They are, in short, old-fashioned.

To sum up, there are three main ways of tackling the problem...

In summary, this was a disappointing performance.

Briefly, our team is now one of the best in the world.

To conclude, I want to wish you all a very happy holiday season.

Giving Examples

Usage: To provide examples
Linking words: Examples:

There are many interesting places to visit in the city, for example/ for instance, the botanical garden or the art museum.

I prefer to wear casual clothes, such as jeans and a sweatshirt.

Including Christmas Day and Boxing Day, I've got a week off work.

We need to concentrate on our target audience, namely women aged between 20 and 30.

I think I would have made a difference in this case.

This building are a living proof of this existence, so we must preserve it.

I also make other jewellery like rings and bracelets.

Emphasizing a Point

Usage: To put forward a point or idea more forcefully
Linking words:

Undoubtedly

Indeed

Obviously

Particularly / in particular

Especially

Clearly

Importantly

Absolutely

Definitely

Without a doubt

Never

It should be noted

Unquestionably

Above all

Positively

Examples:
Sequencing Ideas

Usage: To indicate the order of what is being said
Linking words:

First/ firstly (Second/ secondly, Third/ thirdly, Finally)

At this time

Following

Previously

Before

Subsequently

Above all

Lastly and most importantly

Last but not least

First and foremost

Examples:

At this time, the young man leapt into the air and flew off towards sunset.

They arrived on Monday evening and we got there the following day.

I had visited them three days previously.

Your name is before mine on the list.

Subsequently, new guidelines were issued to all employees.

Lastly, and most importantly, you should be optimistic.

Last but not least, I find I seriously cannot relate to women.

We will continue to focus on our players first and foremost.

Comparing Ideas

Usage: To show how things are similar
Linking words: Examples:
Contrasting Ideas

Usage: To show how things are different
Linking words:

Unlike

Nevertheless

On the other hand

Nonetheless

Despite / in spite of

In contrast (to)

Alternatively

Conversely

Even so

Differing from

Contrary to

Examples:

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Useful Linking Words and Phrases to Use in Your Essays - ESLBUZZ

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Linking words and phrases are used to show relationships between ideas. They can be used to join two or more sentences or clauses.

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The sad truth is that a lot of smart, educated people have never been taught how to punctuate, so they aren't always confident about how to use punctuation marks. How about you?

The following extracts from Stephen Spector's book, The Quotable Guide to Punctuation, include quotations from a variety of great writers, celebrities, and famous historical figures that exemplify good punctuation so that readers can learn from context.

Comma

If you've ever watched the sitcom Modern Family, you know that one of the main characters, Phil, can be a loveable klutz. In one episode, he gets jealous when his wife laughs at another man's jokes, and he blurts out:
Only I can take her to bed and make her laugh!
Phil realizes that came out wrong, though: it seems to say that his wife laughs at him in bed. So he revises it by adding a comma before the word and (and since he's speaking, he actually says the word 'comma'):
Only I can take my wife to bed, comma, and make her laugh!
Modern Family, ABC TV, 'Me? Jealous?' Feb. 8, 2012
Phil knows that a comma before and creates a pause that can suggest you're expressing two distinct thoughts. In this case it shows that going to bed with his wife and making her laugh are two different things.
'Tis not you; 'tis me.
nytimes.com, Apr. 21, 2016
Apostrophe
Cheer up-the worst is yet to come.
Mark Twain, letter to his wife, Apr. 19, 1894
Apostrophes are a favorite source of stress. George Bernard Shaw despised them. He called apostrophes 'uncouth bacilli' and refused to use many of them in his play Pygmalion. Its dialogue included 'That aint proper writing,' 'Wont you sit down,' and 'Who said I didnt?' (He did use the spellings he'll and it's though, probably to avoid confusion with hell and its.)

Dash

Shaw didn't have much respect for dashes either: he called them 'the great refuge of those who are too lazy to punctuate'.
In high school, I was the class comedian as opposed to the class clown. The difference is, the class clown is the guy who drops his pants at the football game; the class comedian is the guy who talked him into it.
Billy Crystal, quoted in huffingtonpost.com, Mar. 14, 2013
A more generous way to say that is a dash can stand in for any of several punctuation marks, functioning just as they do, though with more force and emphasis. That makes the dash the most versatile punctuation mark.
Muhammad Ali, talk at Harvard, June 4, 1975. This is sometimes called the shortest poem ever written
Edgar Allan Poe cherished the dash. He wrote in 1848 that writers must be 'mortified and vexed' by the way that printers were removing dashes from authors' manuscripts and replacing them with semicolons or commas. That, said Poe, was an overreaction to the Romantic poets' excessive use of dashes twenty years earlier.

Semicolon
Learn more about punctuating effectively and confidently with Stephen Spector's The Quotable Guide to Punctuation.
The semicolon is sort of a weird hybrid of a period and a comma. Like a period, it can create a firm stop between clauses that can stand as complete sentences. But like a comma, it joins those clauses to each other in a way that keeps the reader moving ahead in the sentence. The semicolon even looks like a period placed over a comma.

Exclamation point

Exclamation points have been with us in their modern form for over 600 years, but several writers and commentators have warned that using them is more than a failure of style - it's also a sign of bad taste, and maybe even poor character. 'An exclamation point is like laughing at your own joke,' said F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Elmore Leonard, the great crime novelist and screenwriter, concluded that one of the main rules of good writing is that you're allowed no more than two or three exclamation points for each 100,000 words of prose. Those of you who use lots of exclamation points in your digital messages may find this hard to believe, but for a long time, typewriters didn't even have a key for that mark. If people insisted on using one, they'd have to type a period, a backspace, and an apostrophe.

The opinions and other information contained in OxfordWords blog posts and comments do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of Oxford University Press.

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Me? Whee! The Quotable Guide to Punctuation - OxfordWords blog

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The sad truth is that a lot of smart, educated people have never been taught how to punctuate, so they aren't always confident about how to use punctuation marks. How about you?

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Do you want to speak perfect English? Then you need to know all the English grammar rules...

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Punctuation is the art of clarifying how a group of words falls together into contractions, clauses, and sentences. Unfortunately, it is not at all clear how some punctuation marks should be used! Let's take a look at several popular, though confusing, punctuation marks. Even if you think you've got the topic all sewn up, it's worth having another look.

1. Possessive apostrophes

The possessive apostrophe is a tricky one, hanging around the ends of words, but in several different ways. So how exactly should we be using it?

Let's start simple. For a singular noun, such as dog, you add an apostrophe plus s to the end: The dog's collar was covered in mud.

For a plural noun, such as elephants, you add an apostrophe to the end: The elephants' parade was troubled by rain.

For a plural noun that doesn't end with s, you add an apostrophe plus s to the end: The children's party went on as planned.

The place it gets tricky is with personal names, such as Charles and Ulysses, which already end in an s sound. In those cases, you generally add an apostrophe plus s if you naturally pronounce an extra s when you say the word out loud: Charles's new tie is fantastic. If you don't pronounce an extra s when you say the word, then leave it out: Ulysses' presentation is set for Monday.

Have more questions about apostrophes and when to use them? Check out this full rundown.

2. Semicolons

The central task of the semicolon is to mark a break that is stronger than a comma but not as final as a period or full stop. That sounds easy enough, but it can be hard to tell when you should be linking two clauses with a semicolon rather than simply separating them into two sentences.

Typically, you want to use a semicolon when two main clauses balance each other and are too closely linked to be made into separate sentences, as in these two examples:
The road runs through a beautiful Erik did not give me your keys; he gave me mine. wooded valley; the railway line follows it.
You can also use a semicolon to mark a stronger division in a sentence that already has commas: The study showed the following: 76% of surveyed firms monitor employee Web-surfing activities, with 65% blocking access to unauthorized Internet locations; over one-third of the firms monitor employee computer keystrokes; half reported storing and reviewing employee emails; 57% monitor employee telephone conduct, including the inappropriate use of voicemail.

3. Colons

The best way to differentiate the colon from the semicolon is that where the semicolon provides a strong division in a sentence, the colon provides a sense of forward motion.

There are three main uses of the colon:

1. Between two main clauses in cases where the second clause explains or follows from the first, e.g. That is the secret to winning the game: have some patience.

2. Introducing a list, e.g. The film was criticized for several reasons: a weak script, stiff acting, and poor special effects.

3. Before a quotation, and sometimes direction speech, e.g. The poster read: 'Show is on 4 April'.

For more examples, check out this full rundown on the colon.

4. Ellipses

This 'dot dot dot' piece of punctuation is written with three dots, no more and no less, and is typically accompanied by a space on either side. Some style guides also call for a space between each ellipsis point. The ellipsis can be used for a few different purposes.

One common use is to represent excised or omitted text, especially in quoted passages, as in The journal entry said, 'He used to ... go to the movies with us', where the ellipsis might be 'watch television and' in the original journal entry. Another use of ellipsis is to create ironic or dramatic effect, as in Do you mean that ... you ate the ice cream? The ellipsis is also sometimes used to represent a continuation of a list, as in We danced the salsa, tango, rumba, the Twist ...

However, in recent years, people have started using the ellipsis in email and informal written communication to signify general pauses and hesitations, rather than pauses intended to create specific dramatic effect. For instance, it is easy to imagine the following email or text message: Well ... I don't know ... do you still want to watch the game?

This use of ellipses is frowned upon in formal settings; these pauses can be indicated otherwise with different punctuation. Rewritten in a more formal manner, the above sentence might read: Well, I don't know. Do you still want to watch the game?

5. Hyphens

The principal purpose of the hyphen is linking words and parts of words. This means that it appears in a wide variety of situations, linking all types of words. Rather than pick out all of the possible appearances of the hyphen in everyday writing, we will focus on one that people frequently get wrong: compound adjectives.

Compound adjectives are made up of a noun + an adjective, a noun + a participle, or an adjective + a participle. Many compound adjectives should be hyphenated. Some hyphenated examples are: user-generated, carbon-neutral, accident-prone, and good-looking.

Compound adjectives get tricky once a phrase or the word well gets involved. In these cases, up-to-date and well-known, for instance, you should use a hyphen when the compound comes before the noun ( up-to-date security system and well-known chiropractor), but not when the compound comes after ( this software is up to date and this chimpanzee is well known). Similarly, centuries should be hyphenated when used as adjectives ( She is one of the best twentieth-century writers) but not when used as a noun ( These paintings date from the seventeenth century).

For more on the hyphen, check out this full breakdown

6. Dashes

The hyphen's slightly longer cousin, the dash is another popular punctuation mark that not everyone is sure how to use.

In formal writing, the dash is used to mark off information or ideas that are not essential to an understanding of the rest of the sentence. For example, you might see: Once I have a free afternoon - I've been quite busy - I will meet you for lunch.

However, it has become quite common to see the dash used in sentences in the place of other punctuation marks, as in: It depends when you would like to visit - I'm home for all of October. (You might alternately use a semicolon in that instance.)

Even though dashes are common in informal writing, such as personal emails or blogs, it's best to use them sparingly when writing formally.

Other punctuation questions? Check out this punctuation page.

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6 punctuation marks you might be using incorrectly - OxfordWords blog

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Punctuation is the art of clarifying how a group of words falls together into contractions, clauses, and sentences. Unfortunately, it is not at all clear how some punctuation marks should be used! Let's take a look at several popular, though confusing, punctuation marks.

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B1 Grammar: Intensifiers - so, such, too, enough.

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The following grammar notes show the difference uses (and word order) of so, such, too and enough. ... It was so hot that the sun was shining.

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"Learn English" provides daily lessons, tips and resources to help adults learn and practice English.

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Let's discuss some common English grammar mistakes for ESL learners, and how to overcome them...

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These experiences teaching ultimately led her to the work she currently does, guiding teams of educators in an inquiry process to identify specific, granular gaps in students' ability to write. Peg Tyre documented one school's inquiry and implementation process at New Dorp High School in her article " The Writing Revolution," published in The Atlantic. Despite initially pushing back, Tyre writes that through inquiry teachers began to see that their students didn't understand things like how the conjunctions "but, because and so" work in sentences, and these gaps were preventing them from expressing complexity in writing.

"I think what's most counter-cultural, and not really in the knowledge base, is how to develop students at the level of the sentence and all the ramifications that has in terms of thinking and content," Scharff Panero said. She has recently published a paper titled "Progressive mastery through deliberate practice: A promising approach for improving writing" in the journal Improving Schools about the New Dorp approach and how it compares to commonly held beliefs about writing instruction, as well as the existing literature on how to teach writing.

"There's a belief that you immerse kids in it and they kind of figure it out," Scharff Panero said. And some kids can, especially if they grow up in a language-rich environment without any of the common barriers found in public school classrooms, like learning English as a second language, special needs, trauma and poverty. The idea is that models of good writing naturally transfer to students as they regularly practice their own writing, but sometimes students don't pick up on crucial ideas that end up inhibiting them as they advance in school.

Indeed, many students in the public education system aren't "catching" what they need to know about writing -- the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress writing test found almost 75 percent of eighth- and 12th-graders in the U.S. wrote below grade level and only 3 percent of U.S. students, across all demographics, wrote at an "advanced" level.

"Some people can make it, but how do we learn more about how we can teach it better, so everyone does better?" Scharff Panero asked.

The strategies New Dorp teachers used to fill gaps in students' understanding came from Judith Hochman's book Teaching Basic Writing Skills, and they seem simplistic. To the average high school teacher, spending a semester on sentence-level exercises that are heavily scaffolded seems easy and boring. But Scharff Panero said that when teachers try taking instruction back to basics using what she calls "progressive mastery," they see big improvements in the quality of both thinking and writing, and that students can meet high school expectations when teachers slow down to show them how to write well.

The New Dorp turnaround inspired New York City to require the approach at the 30 lowest-performing high schools in the district, called Renewal Schools. Some of these schools are now beginning to see a shift, but only after some difficult discussions with staff.

"It was very much an attitude that we went in; we taught it; the kids didn't pay attention; they didn't study; and they should have learned it," said Dan Scanlon, principal of John Adams High School. "A lot of people felt they were being blamed for their kids not learning something."

Scanlon said it was difficult for his staff to acknowledge that pointing fingers at students wasn't going to improve performance. Instead, the staff had to accept the reality of where their students were at and try something new and different for most high school teachers. Because John Adams has been a low-achieving school for a long time and has been designated a Renewal School, teachers ultimately had no choice. The whole staff got trained in the writing strategies, called Writing is Thinking through Strategic Inquiry (WITsi), and learned how to apply them to their content areas.

"We have better teacher practice because of their implementation of WIT and that has improved performance on Regents exams," said Joanna Cohen, a vice-principal at John Adams. School administrators chose to implement writing across the curriculum because they began to see that many of the gaps in writing knowledge also pointed to fundamental abilities to express relationships. Using "so" correctly in a sentence, for example, indicates causality, an idea that's just as important in math and science as it is in more writing-intensive disciplines like social studies and English.
HOW PROGRESSIVE MASTERY WORKS
The WIT activities are not a set curriculum meant to be used exactly the same way by every teacher. Instead, Scharff Panero explained that teachers are trained in the strategies and then use their own discretion to introduce different approaches, according to their instructional goals. For the program to work well, it's important for teachers to be able to pick out and focus on writing structures that indicate a way of thinking, no matter the discipline. For example, distinguishing general ideas from specific statements is a crucial skill that comes up when students write paragraphs that include a topic sentence, along with supporting sentences that back up the topic sentence.

When the idea of distinguishing general from specific is the focus of the lesson, the teacher can approach it in a different way. For example, in the Hochman Method used at New Dorp and studied by Scharff Panero, teachers started by giving students a paragraph and asking them to pick out the general statement, the topic sentence and specific statements, the supporting detail. Starting with the model before asking students to write their own topic sentences helped reinforce the bigger idea of the difference between general and specific.

The idea behind progressive mastery is to protect students from what confuses them until they have mastered each individual component. With that in mind, the freshman high school students Scharff Panero studied focused on the level of the sentence, as well as note-taking strategies, for a whole semester. They looked at examples, identified different kinds of sentences and the details within them, filled in word stems, learned to expand sentences and how to combine them.

Many of these activities are "closed" in that they have a right or a wrong answer that indicates both how well students understand the writing structure, as well as the content involved. Scharff Panero is aware that many educators believe writing in this didactic way inhibits creativity and free expression, but she says students need to understand the rules of writing before they can break them. And, she pushes back against the idea that this approach is dumbing down expectations, arguing that short, sentence-level exercises can contain a lot of rigor and show deep thought.

"My feeling is that if you believe, as I do, that they're missing foundational skills, then if all you do is increase the rigor without closing the skill gap, then you'll just make the divide bigger," she said. Asking students to read longer and more challenging texts, and to write longer essays without first showing them in concrete ways how to build up to that level, defeats the purpose in her mind.

After mastering sentences, teachers move on to how to build a paragraph. They teach students how to write quick outlines using a specific note-taking strategy that can then provide an easy guide for writing. Many of these ideas are familiar to English teachers, but the difference with the progressive mastery or WIT strategies is how teachers break down each aspect of writing. Many high school teachers haven't been taught to teach this way, and while they know how to write themselves, they may not be thinking clearly about the scaffolded steps required to accurately summarize or build on an idea. As simple as they sound, these writing strategies are meant to fill in those gaps.
JOHN ADAMS HIGH SCHOOL
It was frustrating, but John Adams teachers had to face the reality that their kids needed them to step back and explicitly teach things like how to effectively use conjunctions in a sentence. While it's natural that the English department expected to be reading and analyzing literature, its teachers soon realized that if they didn't help their students master writing, they'd never get there.

"We weren't really sure how well it was going to work because we thought it was really low level for high school," said Loribeth Libretta, an English teacher at John Adams. She's been using the WIT strategies for five years now and has seen the difference it has made for students. She remembers one shy freshman boy who lacked confidence and most writing skills. Now, he's a junior in her class and she says it's a joy to read his well-developed paragraphs that flow together and express high-level thinking. He's also become much more confident as a learner.

"Ideally they should have learned this in elementary and junior high school," said Lauren Salamone, who teaches sophomores Global History. "That's your automatic reaction, but it's not the reality."

There's a lot of writing on the New York Regents Global History exam, which requires students to answer several document-based questions as well as two essays covering a lot of content. Salamone didn't resist the writing strategies because she could see early on that her students didn't have the skills to write at the level required of them. And, to her surprise, her students were grateful to learn the code to good writing.

"They just kind of naturally grabbed on," Salamone said. "They didn't really question at all. If anything they found the benefit in it."

As a science teacher, Jennifer McHugh was skeptical of the schoolwide writing strategy. She didn't see why she should use valuable class time to teach writing when students wouldn't need that information to pass the Regents test in her class. But, she complied with the program because she had to, and has come around to how the writing strategies improved her students' scientific thinking as well.

Asking students to use "but, because and so" about the science they are learning has given students new tools and perspectives to discuss what they know. And, McHugh has found that the writing exercises help her see where students have gaps in their knowledge. For example, if a student uses "but" incorrectly in a sentence, it's likely he or she doesn't understand the relationship between the two things yet.

"It helps with their critical thinking skills because they're thinking from multiple perspectives," McHugh said. She's seen her students grow over the year and they earned better Regents scores as well.

What started out as a writing program has become a way to scaffold content and improve teacher performance at John Adams. Teachers are consistently asked to dive into the data in their classrooms and try to understand where the gaps are and how they can be filled. The inquiry that staff did to find the gaps and develop strategies to fill them is ongoing. This work is pushing them to think more critically about how they teach as well.

Scharff Panero believes education researchers need to do more explicit studies on best practices to teach writing, and sees her paper as a starting point for that work. Research has already shown that improving writing also improves thinking, content knowledge and speaking skills. She's not convinced the WIT strategies that she helped develop for New York City's Renewal Schools are the only way to see pronounced growth in students' writing abilities. It could just be that identifying and actively trying to fill gaps in writing, no matter how it's done, is enough.

She's also skeptical that a software program could find and remediate weaknesses in writing. The processes she has witnessed are very human-based, requiring a teacher's expertise. Principal Scanlon also thought it might be hard for a computer program to yield the same results. He pointed out that software can give a teacher a lot of data, but how he or she uses that data is much more important. He believes that requiring teacher teams to do cycles of inquiry into their students' skills, while providing them with support and ideas for closing gaps, serves the important purpose of helping teachers grow, too.

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Is It Time To Go Back To Basics With Writing Instruction? | MindShift | KQED News

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These experiences teaching ultimately led her to the work she currently does, guiding teams of educators in an inquiry process to identify specific, granular gaps in students' ability to write. Peg Tyre documented one school's inquiry and implementation process at New Dorp High School in her article " The Writing Revolution," published in The Atlantic.

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Usage: To add to what has been previously stated
Linking Words: Examples:
Summarizing

Usage: To sump up what has been previously stated

Linking words:
Examples:

To summarize, this is a clever approach to a common problem.

The food was good and we loved the music. Altogether it was a great evening.

His novels belong to a great but vanished age. They are, in short, old-fashioned.

To sum up, there are three main ways of tackling the problem...

In summary, this was a disappointing performance.

Briefly, our team is now one of the best in the world.

To conclude, I want to wish you all a very happy holiday season.

Giving Examples

Usage: To provide examples
Linking words: Examples:

There are many interesting places to visit in the city, for example/ for instance, the botanical garden or the art museum.

I prefer to wear casual clothes, such as jeans and a sweatshirt.

Including Christmas Day and Boxing Day, I've got a week off work.

We need to concentrate on our target audience, namely women aged between 20 and 30.

I think I would have made a difference in this case.

This building are a living proof of this existence, so we must preserve it.

I also make other jewellery like rings and bracelets.

Emphasizing a Point

Usage: To put forward a point or idea more forcefully
Linking words:

Undoubtedly

Indeed

Obviously

Particularly / in particular

Especially

Clearly

Importantly

Absolutely

Definitely

Without a doubt

Never

It should be noted

Unquestionably

Above all

Positively

Examples:
Sequencing Ideas

Usage: To indicate the order of what is being said
Linking words:

First/ firstly (Second/ secondly, Third/ thirdly, Finally)

At this time

Following

Previously

Before

Subsequently

Above all

Lastly and most importantly

Last but not least

First and foremost

Examples:

At this time, the young man leapt into the air and flew off towards sunset.

They arrived on Monday evening and we got there the following day.

I had visited them three days previously.

Your name is before mine on the list.

Subsequently, new guidelines were issued to all employees.

Lastly, and most importantly, you should be optimistic.

Last but not least, I find I seriously cannot relate to women.

We will continue to focus on our players first and foremost.

Comparing Ideas

Usage: To show how things are similar
Linking words: Examples:
Contrasting Ideas

Usage: To show how things are different
Linking words:

Unlike

Nevertheless

On the other hand

Nonetheless

Despite / in spite of

In contrast (to)

Alternatively

Conversely

Even so

Differing from

Contrary to

Examples:

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Useful Linking Words and Phrases to Use in Your Essays - ESLBUZZ

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Linking words and phrases are used to show relationships between ideas. They can be used to join two or more sentences or clauses.

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1. Collins - https://www.collinsdictionary.com/

Online Dictionary and Thesaurus from Collins with over 1 million words: Definitions, synonyms, pronunciations, translations, origin and examples.

2. Macmillan - http://www.macmillandictionary.com/

The perfect free online English dictionary - a one-stop reference for English speakers around the world. The free online thesaurus is fully integrated into dictionary entries and shows useful sets of synonyms and related words.

3. OneLook - https://www.onelook.com/

OneLook is a dictionary and translation metasearch engine. OneLook searches more than one thousand online dictionaries at the time of this writing in order to find whatever definition that you're looking for; in addition, you can use OneLook to to find translations of a particular word in other languages.

4. Wiktionary - https://www.wiktionary.org/

Collaborative project to produce a free-content multilingual dictionary. It aims to describe all words of all languages using definitions and descriptions in English. Wiktionary has grown beyond a standard dictionary and now includes a thesaurus, a rhyme guide, phrase books, language statistics and extensive appendices.

5. Google Dictionary - https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/google-dictionary-by-goog/mgijmajocgfcbeboacabfgobmjgjcoja?hl=en

Google Dictionary has a lot of different languages with features like voice pronunciation, definitions, example sentences, related phrases, related phrases and more.

6. Dictionary.com - http://www.dictionary.com/

Dictionary.com is the world's leading online source for English definitions, synonyms, word origins, audio pronunciations, example sentences, slang phrases, idioms, word games, legal and medical terms, Word of the Day and more. For over 20 years, Dictionary.com has been helping millions of people improve their use of the English language with its free digital services.

7. The Free Dictionary - http://www.thefreedictionary.com/

Comprehensivefree online dictionary, thesaurus, and encyclopedia with synonyms, definitions, idioms, abbreviations, and medical, financial. TheFreeDictionary.com now allows you to create your own personal homepage by adding and removing, dragging and dropping, and "using or losing" existing content windows. In addition, you can add your own bookmarks, weather information, horoscope, and RSS feeds from anywhere on the web.

8. Cambridge Dictionary Online - http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/

Popular dictionary and thesaurus for learners of English. Meanings and definitions of words with pronunciations and translations. The online version is made up of four dictionaries: the Cambridge Dictionary of American English, the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary, the Cambridge International Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs and the Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms.

9. NetLingo - http://www.netlingo.com/

NetLingo explains thousands of terms that define our life online, including the largest list of chat acronyms.

10. Urban Dictionary - http://www.urbandictionary.com/

Slang online dictionary. If that's what you need to learn, this is one of the online dictionaries you'll benefit most from.

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1. Collins - https://www.collinsdictionary.com/ Online Dictionary and Thesaurus from Collins with over 1 million words: Definitions, synonyms, pronunciations, translations, origin and examples. 2. Macmillan - http://www.macmillandictionary.com/ The perfect free online English dictionary - a one-stop reference for English speakers around the world.

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Whenever we write something - be it a novel, research report, formal letter, or email - there comes a point when we feel that we have included all of the information that we want. It can be very tempting, at this point, to press 'send' or submit the document. However, taking the time to copyedit what you have written can make all the difference, ensuring that your meaning is not misinterpreted and that you have removed any embarrassing mistakes. The six points outlined below will help you ensure that your writing reads as smoothly as possible.

1. Consistency, consistency, consistency!

Whether your writing is a fictional novel or an academic paper, it is important that you are consistent throughout the document with regard to spelling, capitalization, and the terminology that you use. The easiest way to do this is to make what editors call a 'style sheet'. If you are writing a document for a publication or institution, some of the 'style' decisions may be predetermined, but otherwise they are your choice. Examples of things that you would want to record on a style sheet are listed below:

Which terms are you going to use to describe things (e.g. if a medical study refers to 'patients' at the start, it should do so throughout and not start using 'cases', 'participants', or 'subjects' later on)?

Which words or terms are you going to hyphenate (e.g. cooperate/coordinate or co-operate/co-ordinate)?

Are you using UK 'ise', UK 'ize', or US English?

Which words are you going to capitalize (e.g. the Committee or the committee)?

How will headings and subheadings look (e.g. in normal case or with every word having the first letter capitalized, main headings in bold and subheadings in italics etc.)?

Are you going to have punctuation at the ends of entries in bulleted lists?

Write down decisions that you make at the start of the writing process and add to them as you go along. Once you have made a style decision, stick to it!

2. Never completely trust your spellchecker

Always read through your work one last time, even after you have run the spellchecker function. As useful as they are, spellcheckers will not pick up words that are missing (such as 'not') or that are spelled correctly but should not be there. Examples of the latter include: their/there, in/it, that/then/than, causal/casual. Spellcheckers are also unable to cope with many academic terms, especially in scientific writing.

3. Abbreviations

Define any abbreviations where they are first used in the document: for example Oxford English Dictionary ( OED). After this point, you should use the abbreviation for the relevant word/phrase throughout the rest of the document. An exception to this rule, if you are writing an academic paper, is that some abbreviations are so well known that it is assumed that all readers will know what it means (e.g. DNA).

4. Numbers

As a general rule, numbers up to and including ten should be written as words, with numbers after that written as numerals (e.g. 'The three heroes each drank 13 pints'). However, abbreviations of measurement should always be given as numerals (e.g. 7 cm), and the abbreviation is always singular. Large round numbers can be written as a mixture of words and numerals (e.g. 6 million, rather than 6,000,000) or entirely in words (e.g. six million), but you should make a style decision on this to ensure consistency throughout your document. In formal texts, sentences should never begin with a numeral (e.g. 'In a survey, 19 respondents said that...' is correct and '19 survey respondents said that...' is wrong).

5. Is it suitable for its audience?

Check that the style of language being used is appropriate for the intended readers. For example, avoid using a friendly and chatty style if you are writing a company report, and ensure that informal documents don't sound too dry and academic. Also make sure that the knowledge expected of the readers is appropriate. This is particularly important if your work may be read by children.

6. Take care with catchphrases

The use of popular catchphrases or terms can help to liven up formal writing and inject a bit of humour. However, always take care to ensure that they have been used correctly, particularly if you are not writing in your native language. Getting such phrases wrong can sound a lot worse than not including them in the first place. For example, 'I am trying to save your face' sounds strange and should instead be 'I am trying to help you save face'. Another example, '... these results show that the procedure is a risky business...', would be better written as '... these results show that there are risks associated with the procedure...' in an academic paper.

The opinions and other information contained in OxfordWords blog posts and comments do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of Oxford University Press.

Guest Blogger

Claire Beveridge is a freelance editor who specialises in the medical and life sciences. She has previously worked for Oxford University Press, Cancer Research UK, and the University of Oxford. Find out more on her website.

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6 simple rules for copyediting your own work - OxfordWords blog

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Whenever we write something - be it a novel, research report, formal letter, or email - there comes a point when we feel that we have included all of the information that we want. It can be very tempting, at this point, to press 'send' or submit the document.

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Powerful Verbs That Will Make Your Resume Awesome

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Resume Action Words. Use the list below to help you get started thinking about action words to use on ... what you do and why you do it well.

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"Change your language and you change your thoughts." -Karl Albrecht

Academic language is a meta-language that helps learners acquire the 50,000 words they are expected to have internalized by the end of high school and includes everything from illustration and chart literacy to speaking, grammar and genres within fields.

Think of academic language as the verbal clothing that we don in classrooms and other formal contexts to demonstrate cognition within cultures and to signal college readiness. There are two major kinds: instructional language ("What textual clues support your analysis?") and language of the discipline (examples include alliteration in language arts, axiom in math, class struggle in social studies, and atom in science). No student comes to school adept in academic discourse-thus, thoughtful instruction is required.

Where to Start

It would be a mistake to think that academic language is a garbage pail category involving any word, depending on the context. Banana daiquiri is a term that most first graders cannot define, but it is not an example of academic language. Nor do Tier 1 words such as and or house fit the category, although these basic words are important to teach English-language learners (ELLs).

If you are new to incorporating academic language into your lessons, a good place to begin is with Tier 2, high-frequency, general instruction words (such as paraphrase, summarize, predict, and justify) that learners need to know to complete an activity but that are not a lesson's primary learning objective. These words are critical to students' successful processing of academic tasks and appear in the Common Core State Standards and on standardized tests.

Academic language requires that students move away from social language, with its more simplistic grammar and Anglo-Saxon vocabulary ( body, chew, mellow), to sophisticated grammar with Greek and Latin words ( aesthetics, ctenophora, heuristic). However, do not ban informal communication from the classroom, because this relaxed discourse is critical for social bonding, cooperative learning, literature interpretation, and information processing. Students should be taught to look at and through both registers. "Think in terms of uncovering the subject-that is, making the ways of using language and the ways of thinking in the subject explicit to your students," writes Pauline Gibbons, the author of three books in the field of English language education.

8 Specific Strategies

1. Encourage students to read diverse texts: Reading and then thinking and talking about different genres is a robust sequence for learning academic language.

2. Introduce summary frames: Summarizing is a simple and fail-safe approach to academic language activities. Students read a section of text to themselves before verbally summarizing the passage to a partner. Alternatively, learners can complete sentence frames, or guides for summarization. Some examples:

If the main idea of the paragraph is problem/solution, use the frame: "_____ wanted _____ but ______ so ______."

If the main idea of the paragraph is cause/effect, use the frame: "_____ happens because ______."

3. Help students translate from academic to social language (and back): Model how to say something in a more academic way or how to paraphrase academic texts into more conversational language. Provide students with a difficult expository passage, like the inventor's paradox, and have teams reinterpret the text using everyday language.

4. Have students complete scripts of academic routines: Some discourse routines seem obvious to adults, but are more complex than NASA for young learners unless you provide scaffolding, like these speech examples:

"The topic of my presentation is ______."

"In the first part, I give a few basic definitions. In the next section, I will explain ______. In part three, I am going to show ______."

5. Dynamically introduce academic vocabulary: Repeated encounters with a word in various authentic contexts can help students internalize the definition. They also benefit when teachers make their first encounters with vocabulary sticky. Use the word in a funny or personal story.

6. Help students diagram similarities and differences: When students generate a list of similarities and differences between words and complete a Venn diagram, like this one comparing and contrasting moths and butterflies, they are working with one of Robert Marzano's high-yield instructional strategies.

7. Have students write with a transition handout: Formal academic writing challenges students of all ages. Before students write, give them a handout of transitions. Model where transitions fit, and describe how they help the reader.

8. Teach key words for understanding standardized test prompts: Kechia Williams teaches 10 terms that help students understand prompts and ace standardized tests.

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8 Strategies for Teaching Academic Language | Edutopia

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Academic language is a meta-language that helps learners acquire the 50,000 words that they are expected to have internalized by the end of high school and includes everything from illustration and chart literacy to speaking, grammar and genres within fields. No student comes to school adept in academic discourse -- thus, thoughtful instruction is required.

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What's the difference between affect and effect?

We know that a lot of people get confused about the difference between affect and effect - so we've put together a handy infographic to help you out. You can even print it out and stick it above your desk for quick reference. All the essentials are here, but for further examples and a more detailed look at affect versus effect. If you're feeling confident, you can also test yourself with our affect or effect quiz.

Click on the image below to see a larger version or view a pdf here.

The opinions and other information contained in OxfordWords blog posts and comments do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of Oxford University Press.

Related posts

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Affect or effect: a visual guide | OxfordWords blog

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We know that a lot of people get confused about the difference between affect and effect - so we've put together a handy infographic to help you out. You can even print it out and stick it above your desk for quick reference.

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Abbreviations and acronyms are used a lot in chat conversations and text messages...

Texting abbreviations and chat acronyms are used as a way to speed up conversations, get points across quickly and type less when you're in a rush. With hundreds of millions of people texting regularly, Internet abbreviations or chat acronyms are commonly used wherever people get online - including IMing, SMSing, cell phones, Blackberries, PDAs, Web sites, games, newsgroup postings, in chat rooms, on blogs, or on social media.

Learn Texting Abbreviations & Chat Acronyms Through Pictures

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How to Use Texting Abbreviations and Chat Acronyms - ESL Buzz

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Abbreviations and acronyms are used a lot in chat conversations and text messages... Texting abbreviations and chat acronyms are used as a way to speed up conversations, get points across quickly and type less when you're in a rush.

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Let's discuss some common English grammar mistakes for ESL learners, and how to overcome them...

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How are you? I hope you are in the pink of health.

Thank you for your interesting letter.

I received your letter yesterday/ a few days ago.

What a surprise! It's really good to hear from you.

How is everyone in the family? Well, I hope.

I am really glad to hear from you.

How are you? I am sorry I couldn't write earlier.

This letter will probably come as a surprise to you.

What a pleasant surprise it was hear from you after such a long time.

* Extending Invitations:

Would you like to join me on a trip to Pantai Remis?

How about coming over to my place next weekend?

I would like to invite you to my brother's wedding that will take place on the 16th of August.

My friends and I are planning to go camping during the holidays. Why don't you come along?

If you have not made any plans for the holidays, perhaps you would like to join us on a trip to Cameron Highlands.

Responding to Invitations/ Accepting Invitations:

I'd be glad to join you and your friends on the trip.

I'd love to come over to your house.

Thank you for your invitation. I'd be glad to come to your birthday party.

Of course I would love to attend your brother's weeding. Thank you for inviting me.

Declining Invitations:

Thanks for your invitation. However, I am sorry I will have to turn it down as I have already promise my father that I'd join him on a fishing trip.

Although I'd love to join you, I am sorry to say that I will not be able to make it.

I am sorry to inform you that I will not be able to attend your sister's wedding.

To express Appreciation/ Gratitude:

Thank you for your advice.

It was really thoughtful of you to help us in our time of need.

How kind of you to think about us!

I truly appreciate your kindness.

To express thanking (thank you letter):

Thank you so much for ...

I want to thank you for ...

I want to express my gratitude ...

I am grateful for ...

I deeply appreciate ...

I feel touched that you ...

Your gesture was extremely ...

Your gift was incredibly ...

Your thoughtfulness was truly ...

To express Places of Interest:

You may like to drop by ...

You may like to stop at ...

You may like to visit ...

You may be amazed by ...

You may be fascinated by ...

You may be interested in ...

It may interest you to know that ...

It may surprise you to discover that ...

Keeping in Touch:

How long has it been since ...

It has been ages since ...

I cannot believe we have not heard from each other since ...

I am sure you would be surprised to know that ...

You may be interested to know that ...

Can you recall the time when ...

Do you remember when ...

Closing remarks:

That will be all for now. I shall write again when I have the time.

Please convey my warmest regards to your family.

Best wishes to you and your family.

Please give my love to Grandma.

Good luck in your coming examination.

Do write soon.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Do write again when you have the time.

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How to Write Informal Letters in English (with Examples) - ESL Buzz

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How are you? I hope you are in the pink of health. Thank you for your interesting letter. I received your letter yesterday/ a few days ago. What a surprise! It's really good to hear from you. How is everyone in the family? Well, I hope. I am really glad to hear from you.

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Unless means if not. We use unless in conditional sentences instead of if not.

You can jump to any section of this lesson:

How to use UNLESS

Unless is similar in meaning to if not and can be used instead of if not in certain types of conditional sentences. Like if, unless is followed by a present tense, a past tense, or a past perfect tense.

For example:

You will damage your health unless you stop smoking. (You will damage your health if you do not stop smoking.)

Unless she had permission from her parents, she wouldn't travel alone. ( If she had permission from her parents, she would travel alone.)

Unless you had suggested it, I wouldn't have phoned him. ( If you hadn't suggested it, I wouldn't have phoned him.)

What will you do if they don't help you? ( NOT: What will you do unless they help you?)

Unless we leave now, we can be late. ( NOT: Unless we will leave now, can be late.)

Unless + Past Participle

Unless can be used with a past participle in a reduced clause, when you choose to omit the subject words and the auxiliary verbs within the brackets in the examples below:
Do not attend a bullfight unless (you are) prepared to see blood, often great quantities of it. Substances have no tendency to expand unless (they are) heated.
However, this often makes the language produced sound rather formal and in spoken English we would normally retain subject words and auxiliary verbs.

How to use UNLESS - Video.

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How to Use UNLESS in English | Grammar Lesson | 7 E S L

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Unless means if not. We use unless in conditional sentences instead of if not. You can jump to any section of this lesson: Unless is similar in meaning to if not and can be used instead of if not in certain types of conditional sentences.

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Examples:

We had a meeting today so as to discuss next year's programme.

He did all he could for her not to worry.

I moved to France so that I could improve my French.

Everyone did their best in order to finish the work.

Reason:
Examples:

Since you don't believe me, I won't give evidence.

Because of his lack of training he had difficulties finding a job.

He gave him his jacket out of pity.

On account of the weather we didn't go for a walk.

Billy was punished for lying to his teacher.

Owing to the snow,the planes couldn't take off.

As you are a foreigner you can't express your opinions on the situation in the area.

Seeing that you aren't interested I' ll do it by myself.

Result:
Examples:

He missed the early train, as a result he was too late for the job interview.

The result of his trial, therefore, could hardly have been other than a foregone conclusion.

If he locked the door, Kitty is trapped inside.

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Examples: We had a meeting today so as to discuss next year's programme. He did all he could for her not to worry. I moved to France so that I could improve my French. Everyone did their best in order to finish the work. Reason: Examples: Since you don't believe me, I won't give evidence.

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Linking words are very important for written and spoken English. Linking words or phrases help ... assignment by linking one statement to another.

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I'm not a native speaker. I work in English, write, read and watch TV in English. In short, I breathe English. But I'm not a native and I'm not ashamed to admit that sometimes, especially when correcting written work, I have this feeling that a collocation is just not right but I cannot I come up with the correct one straight away.

Has it ever happened to you?

I could rely on my instinct, I could certainly do it, but sometimes I just can't without making sure I'm doing the right thing. Problem is that a dictionary would be no help here as we are dealing with more complex issues. We are not talking about grammar or vocabulary meanings, we are dealing with how words collocate with some words, but not with others and this is just something that if you are not a native, you will have a hard time deciding whether it is correct or a bad translation from your native language. The problem, of course, is that to your non-native ears it might sound perfect.

For example, let's take this simple sentence
Global warming is produced by...
Does it sound Ok to you?

For a Spanish speaker, this sounds just right. But is it a natural collocation in English?

Doesn't Global warming is caused by ... sounds better?

When I am in doubt, I have a bunch of useful websites I use, but my favourite for this kind of problem is Please check my post Six amazing Websites that Make your Writing Stronger to read about this "bunch" I was referring to.

So, when I am not sure if "xxxx " is correct, this is what I do.

What else can you do on Netspeak?Among other things:

1. If you have forgotten a specific word, type ? Ex: ? for granted

2. If you need to find many words, type ... Ex ...granted

3. If you are not sure about two words or want to compare them [] Ex It sounds [good well.

Blog de Cristina is also on facebook. Click here to follow us

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I'm not a native speaker. I work in English, write, read and watch TV in English. In short, I breathe English.

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World of Better Learning | Cambridge University Press

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Published 12 February 2018

Ever thought about using Instagram in the language classroom? Laura Sigsworth suggests a fun collage photo project for your students to try. Get students to share their creations on Instagram with the #cambridgeculturecollage hashtag - we can't wait to see their entries!

If you're a teacher of teenagers, you'll know they love taking photos and sharing them with their friends. You'll probably also be familiar with the photo sharing platform Instagram, which has 700 million active users. According to user information for 2017, 17% of teens say that Instagram is THE most important social media site. So why not harness this constant photo snapping and sharing in a class project?

The activity

1) Show students the Instagram collage above. Ask them to work in pairs or groups to guess things about the student who made it, and to then write some simple sentences about their guesses, e.g. I think they like dogs. You can use these questions as prompts:

Where are they from?

What do they like?

What else can you guess about them?

2) Now reveal the description from the student who made the photo collage:

3) Next, ask students to create their own photo collage to share their identity and culture with other students around the world on Instagram. Get them to plan their collage using a mind map:

Students can take photos or use photos they have already taken.

Share your collage on Instagram

4) Now ask the students to upload their photos to Instagram (either in class or as homework) with the following instructions:

Open the Instagram app and select the upload icon.

To the right of the upload screen, select the 'layout' icon (second icon below). This is a separate app that works with Instagram, and allows you to create a photo collage.

Alternatively, try the 'multiple' feature icon in Instagram (third icon above) which lets you create a carousel of photos to scroll through.

Write a description underneath the photos you have chosen, explaining how they represent you as a person and where you are from.

Use this hashtag #cambridgeculturecollage in the description and tag @cambridgeupelt so that we in Cambridge and other students around the world can see your collage creations!

> Download the student culture collage worksheet
See what other students have posted

This is a great class project that gives students to opportunity to learn more about students around the world, and best of all, you can keep coming back to it throughout the term, or even the school year!

See the latest student entries here:

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Class project: Instagram culture collage

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Published 12 February 2018 Ever thought about using Instagram in the language classroom? Laura Sigsworth suggests a fun collage photo project for your students to try. Get students to share their creations on Instagram with the #cambridgeculturecollage hashtag - we can't wait to see their entries!

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Useful linking words and phrases that can be used at the start of new paragraphs.

1. Adding information

Uasge: To add to what has been previously stated
Linking Words:

Additionally / an additional

Furthermore

Also

Too

As well as that

Along with

Besides

In addition

Moreover

In addition to this

Apart from this

Examples:

Additionally, the bus service will run on Sundays, every two hours.

He said he had not discussed the matter with her. Furthermore, he had not even contacted her.

We are unable to repair this watch. Also, this is the fourth time this has happened.

I love wearing earrings. I design and make them too.

We went to the park today. As well as that, we did some shopping.

Along with parties and parliaments, elections have lost their charm.

I can't afford to go to the concert. Besides, I don't really like classical music.

You haven't paid the rent yet. In addition, you owe me money.

The report is badly presented. Moreover, it contains inaccuracies.

John's grades are terrible because he has been so lazy these days. In addition to this, his relationship to his parents got worse.

Apart from this paragraph, the report contains a number of sensible initiatives.

2. Contrasting ideas

Usage: To show how things are different
Linking words:

Unlike

Nevertheless

On the other hand

Nonetheless

Despite / in spite of

In contrast (to)

Alternatively

Conversely

Even so

Differing from

Contrary to

Examples:

Unlike most systems, this one is very easy to install.

There is little chance that we will succeed in changing the law. Nevertheless, it is important that we try.

Laptops are convenient; O n the other hand, they can be expensive.

The problems are not serious. Nonetheless, we shall need to tackle them soon.

Despite/ In spite of the rain, I went for a walk.

In contrast to the diligent bee, the butterfly flies hither and yon with no apparent purpose.

The agency will make travel arrangements for you. Alternatively, you can organize your own transport.

Northern European countries had a great summer. On the contrary/conversely, Southern Europe had poor weather.

Even so, many old friends were shocked at the announcement.

Differing from his white colleagues, he preferred instructing his scholars to the ambition of acquiring personal renown.

The situation in Ireland is quite contrary to this principle.

3. Emphasizing a point

Usage: To put forward a point or idea more forcefully

Linking words:

Undoubtedly

Indeed

Obviously

Particularly / in particular

Especially

Clearly

Importantly

Absolutely

Definitely

Without a doubt

Never

It should be noted

Unquestionably

Above all

Positively

Examples:

Undoubtedly, the story itself is one of the main attractions.

I don't mind at all. Indeed, I would be delighted to help.

Obviously, we don't want to spend too much money.

I love silver earrings, in particular ones from Mexico

The car is quite small, especially if you have children.

Clearly, this will cost a lot more than we realized.

More importantly, can he be trusted?

He's an absolutely brilliant cook.

I definitely remember sending the letter.

We still believe we can win this series without a doubt.

I'm neve r surprised at what I do.

It should be noted thatif you have something to note, then note it

Unquestionably, teaching has been a paramount part of his career.

Above all, this forest is designed for wear and tear.

This is positively the worst thing that I can even imagine.

4. Giving examples

Usage: To provide examples

Linking words:

For example/ For instance

Such as

Including

Namely

In this case

Proof of this

Like

Examples:

There are many interesting places to visit in the city, for example/ for instance, the botanical garden or the art museum.

I prefer to wear casual clothes, such as jeans and a sweatshirt.

Including Christmas Day and Boxing Day, I've got a week off work.

We need to concentrate on our target audience, namely women aged between 20 and 30.

I think I would have made a difference in this case.

This building are a living proof of this existence, so we must preserve it.

I also make other jewellery like rings and bracelets.

5. Sequencing ideas

Usage: To indicate the order of what is being said
Linking words:

First/ firstly (Second/ secondly, Third/ thirdly, Finally)

At this time

Following

Previously

Before

Subsequently

Above all

Lastly and most importantly

Last but not least

First and foremost

Examples:

Firstly, I prefer the train because I can see the landscape.

At this time, the young man leapt into the air and flew off towards sunset.

They arrived on Monday evening and we got there the following day.

I had visited them three days previously.

Your name is before mine on the list.

Subsequently, new guidelines were issued to all employees.

Above all, keep in touch.

Lastly, and most importantly, you should be optimistic.

Last but not least, I find I seriously cannot relate to women.

We will continue to focus on our players first and foremost.

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Useful Words and Phrases to Use as Sentence Starters to Write Better Essays - ESL Buzz

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Useful linking words and phrases that can be used at the start of new paragraphs. Uasge: To add to what has been previously stated Linking Words: Additionally / an additional Furthermore Also Too As well as that Along with Besides In addition Moreover In addition to this Apart from this Examples: Additionally , the bus service will run on Sundays, every two hours.

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Have you ever mixed up your idioms and come out with something slightly... odd? Maybe you meant to comment on the relative trustworthiness of an acquaintance, but instead of saying 'I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him' - i.e. not even a little - you crossed this with 'I wouldn't touch him with a bargepole', and ended up telling the world at large that you 'wouldn't trust him with a bargepole'. An altogether different kettle of worms.

But while your newly coined expression may technically be incorrect, it still manages to get your point across; if you don't trust him even a little, why would you trust him with bargepole?

This phenomenon of mixing idioms has a name and it's called a malaphor.

The word malaphor is a blend of malapropism, meaning the mistaken use of a word in place of a similar-sounding one (and named for Sheridan's infamous Mrs Malaprop), and metaphor, a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.

And it's a word that is on our radar, which means while it does not currently boast a definition in any of our dictionaries, our industrious team of lexicographers are tracking the word's usage in anticipation of the moment that it meets our entry page requirements.

Have a gander at some of our favourite malaphors below - can you work out which idioms and well-known phrases they've muddled up? - and share your favourites with us in the comment section.

Does the bear wear a silly hat?

Don't judge a book before it's hatched!

Every cloud has a silver spoon in its mouth

It's not rocket surgery!

You can't teach a leopard new spots

That train has left the frying pan

Until the cows come home to roost

Until the pigs freeze over!

It'll be a walk in the cake...

We'll burn that bridge when we come to it

You've opened your can of worms - now lie in it!

The opinions and other information contained in OxfordWords blog posts and comments do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of Oxford University Press.

Guest Blogger

Livi is a graduate illustrator from the University of Edinburgh. She can make a bee look twee, a fox look feminist, gives life to the humdrum, and is partial to a pun. For more work or to get in touch, head to her Facebook and Instagram.

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What is a malaphor? It's not rocket surgery! - OxfordWords blog

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Have you ever mixed up your idioms and come out with something slightly... odd? Maybe you meant to comment on the relative trustworthiness of an acquaintance, but instead of saying 'I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him' - i.e.

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Below is the list of the difference between formal and informal language in English.
Formal vs. Informal Expressions in English - Video
A. Formal and Informal English Words/Phrases

Actually, there are no specific definitions about formal and informal words/phrase because it is absolutely back to the definition of differences between formal and informal English that has been explained before.

Examples of Formal & Informal Expressions

Here are examples of formal and informal words/phrases in sentences based on the places and situations:

B. Formal and Informal English Sentences

After describing about the differences between formal and informal words/phrases now we will see the differences between formal and informal English sentences.

C. Summary of Differences between Formal and Informal English

Finally, after we see a lot of explanations about formal and informal English, to conclude it let us see on the summary below:
Difference Between Formal and Informal Language - Image.

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What is the Difference Between Formal and Informal Language? - ESLBuzz Learning English

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Below is the list of the difference between formal and informal language in English. Formal vs. Informal Expressions in English - Video Actually, there are no specific definitions about formal and informal words/phrase because it is absolutely back to the definition of differences between formal and informal English that has been explained before.

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In English there are a number of conventions that should be used when writing a formal or business letter. Furthermore, you try to write as simply and as clearly as possible, and not to make the letter longer than necessary. Remember not to use informal language like contractions.

The heading consists of your address and the date.

1. Addresses:

(The return address should be written in the top right-hand corner of the letter.)

The Address of the person you are writing to

(The inside address should be written on the left, starting below your address.)

Different people put the date on different sides of the page. You can write this on the right or the left on the line after the address you are writing to. Write the month as a word.

Salutation or greeting:

(If you do not know the name of the person you are writing to, use this. It is always advisable to try to find out a name.)

(If you know the name, use the title (Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms, Dr, ...) and the surname only. If you are writing to a woman and do not know if she uses Mrs or Miss, you can use Ms, which is for married and single women.)

Skip one line after the salutation and begin typing the body of the formal letter. This is the main part of the letter. Keep in mind the rules outlined above regarding brevity and coherence. It is best to use short, clear, logical paragraphs to state your business.
Ending a letter:
(If you do not know the name of the person, end the letter this way.)

(If you know the name of the person, end the letter this way.)

(Sign your name, then print it underneath the signature. If you think the person you are writing to might not know whether you are male of female, put you title in brackets after your name.)

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How to Write a Formal Letter in English - ESL Buzz

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In English there are a number of conventions that should be used when writing a formal or business letter. Furthermore, you try to write as simply and as clearly as possible, and not to make the letter longer than necessary. Remember not to use informal language like contractions.

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DailyOM - Heal Yourself with Writing by Catherine Ann Jones

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Both/Either/Neither Both in English indicates two out of a group of two. Either indicates one out ... Neither indicates zero out of a group of two.

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Words that connect words, phrases, or clauses are called connectives. The primary connectives are: 1. ... (hence, when, whence, where, why, etc.)

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Many words in the English language are commonly misused because they sound similar, yet they have different spelling and meaning (homonyms)...

Other words may not sound alike, yet might still be confusing.
1. Affect, Effect
Affect is a verb meaning " influence, shape" and effect is a noun meaning " result, outcome." Effect can be used as a verb only when it means to bring about or cause something to happen.
2. Accept, Except
Accept is a verb that means to receive; except is a preposition that means excluding.
3. Ensure, Insure, & Assure
Ensure means to make something certain; insure means to guarantee something against monetary loss, or protect against risk; assure means to state in a convincing manner.
4. There, Their, They're
There refers to a place that indicates where something is located and can be used as a pronoun that introduces a sentence. Their is a plural possessive pronoun. They're is a contraction of they are.

Please leave your dripping umbrella over there. (location)

There is no room for argument here. (introduces a sentence)

The students had to turn in their proposals on Wednesday. (possessive)

They're meeting in the boardroom.

5. Council, Counsel
A council is group of people that assembles for discussion; counsel means advice or guidance.
6. Compliment, Complement
Compliment means a statement of praise; complement means to go well with or perfect something else.
7. Allusion, Illusion
Allusion is an indirectly made reference. Illusion is a misconception or false impression.
8. Principle, Principal
Principle means rule or standard. Principal refers to a person who holds a high position or plays an important role; it also an adjective that means chief or leading.

9. Elicit, Illicit
Elicit means to bring out, draw out, or evoke. Illicit means illegal.
10. It's, Its
Its is a possessive pronoun that indicates ownership or possession; it's is a contraction of it is or it has. Note: The use of contractions needs to be avoided in formal writing.
11. Emigrant, Immigrant
An emigrant is one who leaves one's native country to settle in another; an immigrant is one who enters and settles in a new country.
12. That, Which
That usually introduces as essential phrase that is not set off by commas; which introduces a non-essential phrase that is set off by commas.
13. Comprise, Compose
The whole comprises (or includes) the parts; and the parts compose (or make up) the whole.
14. Lie, Lay
Lie means to recline or rest on a surface; its principal parts are lie, lay, lain. Lay means to put or place; its principal parts are lay and laid.

...

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Misused Words: Common Writing Mistakes in English - ESL Buzz

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Many words in the English language are commonly misused because they sound similar, yet they have different spelling and meaning (homonyms)... Other words may not sound alike, yet might still be confusing. 1. Affect, Effect Affect is a verb meaning " influence, shape" and effect is a noun meaning " result, outcome."

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Linking words help you to connect ideas and sentences when you speak or write English...

Using linking or transition words that signpost your arguments can help to clarify your views and show the reader what to expect from certain paragraphs or sentences. These words give structure to the whole, helping you to organise your ideas and assist the reader in understanding them.

Below is a handy list of words that are both useful and appropriate to academic language:

Other linking words to give an example or an illustration:

In this case,

In another case

Take the case of

To illustrate

As an

Illustration

To take another example

Namely

That is

As shown by

As illustrated by

As expressed by

...

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Linking Words for Essays: How to Link Those Paragraphs - ESL Buzz

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Linking words help you to connect ideas and sentences when you speak or write English... Using linking or transition words that signpost your arguments can help to clarify your views and show the reader what to expect from certain paragraphs or sentences.

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Develop your planning, organising, writing and editing skills, to write more effective and efficient emails. Join the British Council's online course.

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The good news is that teachers can show their students how to take better notes. Even better, good note-taking activities are themselves learning processes that can help students think metacognitively about their own studying, and can improve their retention of course material. A virtuous cycle!

Six Powerful Note-Taking Strategies

1. Organize the blank page. Many studies have attempted to determine how students should engage with their notes after class. One of them found that the best use of class notes was to create original summaries of those notes. The next best was to create original questions about the material that had just been covered.

Here's a great way to guide your students to do that: Have them draw a line down each sheet of paper they'll use, making two columns. One column should be one-third of the width of the paper, and the other should be two-thirds. Tell students to take notes in the wider column, leaving the narrow column blank.

After class is over, students should use the blank column to create questions or summaries about the material and use the questions and summaries to quiz themselves on the lecture notes.

Questions should be at higher levels on Bloom's taxonomy. Students should aim for questions that are not merely factual-they need questions that apply the material they're learning (e.g., How could I use Dr. Rich's article to improve my understanding?) or integrate the material with something they learned from another source (e.g., How is metacognition similar to critical thinking?).

2. Putting in time is important. You can't make them do this, but strongly encourage students to set aside dedicated study time to review notes, reread summaries, and answer the questions they created about their notes.

3. Pen beats computer. According to a study by Pam Mueller and Daniel Oppenheimer, the act of taking notes in longhand involves deeper processing than doing so on a laptop or tablet. Typing on a device tends to be mere transcription, while longhand involves summarizing and interpreting.

4. Make use of the margins. When students have comments or questions about the material as it's being taught, they should write them on the edges of the paper, so that they don't clog students' working memory. This allows your students to focus on the content more fully.

5. Rereading is essential. When students reread their notes and the textbook, they should add additional comments about how those two sources can be integrated. For example, when the textbook discusses a term, they can write a few words in the margin about the example you used during class. When the notes provide a description of a concept, they can write a new note about a point in the textbook that illustrates that concept. This practice requires them to think about course concepts at a deeper level, which should lead to easier recall and better understanding.

In general, the more your students study to understand the concepts and overall message of your course material, the more likely it is that they'll perform well on exams. In a study by William Balch, two sections of the same college course were approaching an exam. In one section, the professor informed the students that they'd be receiving a multiple-choice exam. In the other, the students were told that they'd be taking a short answer/essay exam. In the end, all students were given a multiple-choice exam, and the ones who thought they'd need to write long answers outperformed those who prepared for a multiple-choice exam.

Studying for long-form questions presumably encouraged that group to understand and process information at a higher, more conceptual level, while preparing for multiple-choice led the other group to memorize facts and terms. Since the students who studied at that higher level understood the material for its meaning, they were able to decipher the answers to questions that required recall.

6. Use abbreviations for speed. Have students brainstorm or find abbreviations they can use for recurring words so they won't need as much time to write them down when taking notes-for example, "b/c" instead of "because" or "chem" instead of either "chemistry" or "chemical." They can save a lot of time this way, allowing them to capture more of the content as it is delivered.

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6 Strategies for Taking High-Quality Notes

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The good news is that teachers can show their students how to take better notes. Even better, good note-taking activities are themselves learning processes that can help students think metacognitively about their own studying, and can improve their retention of course material. A virtuous cycle! 1. Organize the blank page.

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Editor's Note: A version of this post first appeared on Techie Teacher and Character Coach.

"But Miss Parrish, I can't think of anything to write!"

Haven't we all heard similar lines in our classrooms? We see hesitant writers sit with pencils in their hands and paper on their desks, almost as if they've been handicapped by the task we have set for them.

How is it that some students have so much to say when talking, but when a pencil is put into their hand they suddenly hesitate, struggle, and have nothing to say? How can we help these hesitant writers eliminate the barrier that suddenly appears when they're asked to write?

The answer is to have them produce ideas without writing at all. That's right, the way to get hesitant writers to produce as much writing as they do talking is to have them do exactly that -- talk.

Strategies That Work
1. Student Talks, Teacher Writes

Have your student stand up while you sit at the desk.

Pick up the student's pencil and say, "You talk, I'll write."

This usually catches students off-guard -- it takes them a moment to realize this is a real option.

2. Audio Record It & Then Transcribe It

Identify a way your students can record themselves speaking their essay rather than writing it. This could be a tape recorder, a digital audio recorder, a computer with a microphone, or an audio recording feature on a phone.

Hand the recording device to your student and say, "Step out in the hall and recite your essay using this."

They can then play the recording back and write down their words.

3. Audio Transcribe It

Pick an app or tool that transcribes speaking as text. Some options: PaperPort Notes, Dragon NaturallySpeaking, Dictation Pro, VoiceTranslator, or the text-to-speech tools that are built into many smartphones. Try one of these on your phone, tablet, or computer.

Tell your students, "Go ahead -- speak your paper."

After speaking, the students can email themselves the transcribed text and work on the draft from there.

Communication Before Craft

The sooner students (and teachers) see that writing has nothing to do with a pencil, a piece of paper, or a keyboard, and is simply communicating, the sooner they will start making incredible progress. Barriers will come down. The hesitation of putting the pencil on the paper to write will go away. In my view, writing is simply communicating through pencil marks rather than through speech.

Our concern is not whether a student communicates through a pencil and pen, keyboard, chalkboard, audio transcription device, or other means. Our real hope and goal is for individuals to capture their high-quality thoughts and convey them effectively to others. The strategies here break down the barriers between a student's mind and their audience. These strategies free up thinkers to express their thoughts without the hesitation that makes some students' minds go blank as they pick up that pen or pencil.

How have you helped students write without putting pen to paper (or pixel to page)?

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3 Strategies to Fire Up Hesitant Writers

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Editor's Note: A version of this post first appeared on Techie Teacher and Character Coach. "But Miss Parrish, I can't think of anything to write!" Haven't we all heard similar lines in our classrooms? We see hesitant writers sit with pencils in their hands and paper on their desks, almost as if they've been handicapped by the task we have set for them.