Tuesday, 17 January 2017
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN "CAN" AND "BE ABLE TO"
Difference between can and be able to
Both can and be
able to can be used to talk about ability. In some cases they are
interchangeable.
Using can
Can is used in
the present tense. It is used to talk about our ability to do things.
Examples
·
I can swim.
·
She can speak English well.
·
I can swim across that stream.
Be able to is
also possible in these cases; however, it sounds a bit more formal here.
·
I am able to knit. (Less natural than ‘I can knit.’)
·
She is able to speak English well.
To talk
about our past ability, we use could. Was/were able to is
also possible.
Study the
examples given below.
·
She could read when she was three. OR She was
able to read when she was three.
Again, in
spoken English, we are less likely to use was able to.
As you can
see in all of these sentences, we were talking about general ability. Things
that we can or we could do at any time in the
present or in the past.
To talk
about things that we managed to do on specific occasions in the past, we cannot
use could. Instead, we use was/were able to. The
verb managed, succeeded (in…ing) are also possible in this
case.
·
I was able to get some really good bargains in the sale.
(NOT I could get some really good bargains in the sale.)
·
After climbing for several hours, we managed to get to the
top of the mountain. OR After climbing for several hours, we were able
to get to the top of the mountain. (NOT … we could get to the top of
the mountain.)
Both could and be
able to can be used to say that we were not capable of doing something
on a specific occasion.
·
In spite of climbing for hours, we couldn’t get to the top
of the mountain. OR In spite of climbing for hours, we weren’t
able to get to the top of the mountain.
FUENTES: www.englishgrammar.org -- www.off2class.com -- www.fluentland.com -- www.youtube.com/engvidenglish
Thursday, 12 January 2017
WHEN TO AVOID SAYING "SORRY"
A Cure for “I’m Sorry” Syndrome
ENCONTRADO EN: www.genial.guru
Did you ever notice that some people seem to be in a perpetual state of apology?
This type of communication typically comes from individuals who are in the habit of making excuses for their actions. They know that they have a commitment they haven’t met, and, instead of facing the music, they choose to say “I’m sorry” to skirt the issue.
“I’m sorry I didn’t show up on time.”
”I’m sorry I didn’t call.”
”I’m sorry I didn’t get that done.”
Think about how you feel when you hear this merry-go-round of excuses. During this ride, on the way up there is a feeling that the person has noticed their poor behavior and will make changes; the way down, however, quickly follows — when you realize no change is coming. This is a ride that no one wants to buy a ticket to get on!
Where does this behavior, come from? A look at our childhood offers us clues. As children we are taught to say “I’m sorry” whenever we have failed to meet the expectations of others.
“I’m sorry I didn’t clean my room.”
”I’m sorry I didn’t do my homework.”
”I’m sorry I wasn’t home on time.”
We are indoctrinated as children to pacify adults with apologies to get them off our backs. We quickly learn that “I’m sorry” ends the uncomfortable situation, making us free to move on to other things.
Because this behavior works, we carry it into adulthood. We then easily offer up an “I’m sorry” in any situation where the expectations of us are greater than our performance. We learn that by saying “I’m sorry” we can smooth out, or pacify, potential rough spots.
What is lacking when an “I’m sorry” is offered? The commitment to make a positive change. A better alternative to constantly saying “I’m sorry” is to replace those excuses with behaviors that will create positive outcomes:
Excuse Offered Alternative Behavior
: “I’m sorry I didn’t show up on time.” Choose to be punctual.
”I’m sorry I didn’t call.” Make the phone call. “I’m sorry I didn’t get that done.” Choose to do it.
Remember, the quality of our life is in direct proportion to the choices that we make and how we act on them. Part of building healthy self-esteem is to make promises that you will keep. When you over-promise and under-deliver, you are negatively affected: you suffer a feeling of low self-confidence and lack of control. Furthermore, the person on the receiving end of your excuse is left doubting your word and loses confidence in your ability to perform.
So when is it appropriate to say “I’m sorry?” For example, “I’m sorry I hurt your feelings. Next time I’ll think about what I’m going to say before I say it.” Although you have used the magic words “I’m sorry” you have acknowledged the negative affect your behavior has had on the other person. You’ve also indicated to that person your commitment to improve your behavior in the future.
Just think about what it would mean if everyone would live their life so they wouldn’t have to say “I’m sorry.” When we heard a promise, we could expect it to be delivered. And when we offered others our word, they could expect the same promise to be fulfilled.
Today, make a commitment to examine how and why you use “I’m sorry.” By doing so you will make the first step toward self-diagnosing and curing “I’m Sorry Syndrome.”
Author: Dr. Susanne Gaddis
The Communications Doctor
Sunday, 1 January 2017
Wednesday, 21 December 2016
Monday, 19 December 2016
PINK - GLITTER IN THE AIR (WITH LYRICS AND ONLINE EXERCISES)
A TRAVÉS DE: www.youtube.com/angeey95
CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO GO TO ONLINE EXERCISES ON THIS SONG:
Thursday, 15 December 2016
JOBS CROSSWORD
CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO GO TO THIS FUN JOBS CROSSWORD (EXTERNAL LINK):
ENCONTRADO EN: www.eslgamesplus.com
Wednesday, 14 December 2016
Friday, 9 December 2016
SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW - THE WIZARD OF OZ
A TRAVÉS DE: www.youtube.com/Movieclips
CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO GO TO PRINTABLE WORKSHEETS ON THIS SONG:
Thursday, 8 December 2016
WRITING A MAGAZINE ARTICLE: AN EXAMPLE AND SOME GENERAL TIPS
ENCONTRADO EN: learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org
CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW FOR ITS RELATED ONLINE EXERCISES:
OTHER GENERAL TIPS ON WRITING A MAGAZINE
ARTICLE (EXTENSION):
STEP 1: SELECT YOUR TOPIC.
Choose a topic that interests you enough to focus on it for at least a week or two. If your topic is broad, narrow it. Instead of writing about how to decorate your home, try covering how to decorate your home in country style on a shoestring budget. That’s more specific and, as such, easier to tackle.
Choose a topic that interests you enough to focus on it for at least a week or two. If your topic is broad, narrow it. Instead of writing about how to decorate your home, try covering how to decorate your home in country style on a shoestring budget. That’s more specific and, as such, easier to tackle.
Then write a rough, rough draft, including
everything you can think of. Stay loose, avoid getting analytical, and enjoy
the process of sharing what you know. When you’re done, you’ll have the bare
bones of an article that only you could write. Then put it aside for a while.
STEP 2: ADDRESS YOUR AUDIENCE’S NEEDS.
Now, come back to your piece. Switch gears and imagine you’re the reader of this article. Pick three words to describe the audience you want to address (e.g., professionals, single men). As this reader, what questions would you like answered? You might not know the answers yet, but list the questions anyway; you’ll find answers in the next step.
Now, come back to your piece. Switch gears and imagine you’re the reader of this article. Pick three words to describe the audience you want to address (e.g., professionals, single men). As this reader, what questions would you like answered? You might not know the answers yet, but list the questions anyway; you’ll find answers in the next step.
STEP 3: RESEARCH.
Research will ground your article in fact. Good details to include with your how-to are:
Research will ground your article in fact. Good details to include with your how-to are:
- Statistics
- Quotes by well-known
people
- Definitions
- Anecdotes (short, illustrative stories about yourself or someone else)
- Quotes and examples from people like the reader or from popular books
on the subject
- References to other media (film, television, radio)
- Helpful tools, resources or products (if many, consider creating a
sidebar)
- References to local venues or events (if for a regional/local
publication).
Collect everything you have gathered and put it in a folder, an electronic document, a notebook or whatever you like. Don’t forget to keep track of sources in case you are later asked by an editor to verify them. You may want to sift through your research at a separate sitting from gathering it. Or just go ahead and sprinkle your research in right when you find it. It’s a lot like cooking—play around until you feel you have it “just right.”
STEP 4: TIGHTEN YOUR DRAFT.
Keeping your audience in mind, write a tighter draft incorporating the new supporting information you’ve collected. Sometimes what you’ve learned in Steps 2 and 3 may compel you to start over with a completely fresh draft. Or you may just want to revise what you have as you proceed, retaining a nice conversational tone by directly addressing your audience.
Keeping your audience in mind, write a tighter draft incorporating the new supporting information you’ve collected. Sometimes what you’ve learned in Steps 2 and 3 may compel you to start over with a completely fresh draft. Or you may just want to revise what you have as you proceed, retaining a nice conversational tone by directly addressing your audience.
This time when you read your draft, ask
yourself: Is it working? Is it too general, too lightweight, uninteresting,
unclear or choppy? If so, comb some of your favorite publications for how-to
articles. What techniques are those writers using that you might employ?
STEP 5: MAKE IT SPECIFIC.
Double-check to see that you’ve included every pertinent step in the process. How-to articles have to be thorough. You want your reader to walk away knowing exactly how to make that Thanksgiving dinner on a shoestring budget, execute that rugby tackle or locate great accommodations.
Double-check to see that you’ve included every pertinent step in the process. How-to articles have to be thorough. You want your reader to walk away knowing exactly how to make that Thanksgiving dinner on a shoestring budget, execute that rugby tackle or locate great accommodations.
If your narrative goes on and on, or off in too
many directions, break it down into key points indicated with subheads (as in
this article). Synthesizing complicated information and breaking it down into
steps is especially crucial for online writing, and is also a trend in print.
STEP 6: READ, REVISE, REPEAT.
Read the draft of your how-to article out loud to a supportive friend. Then, ask her a series of questions: Does she now understand the process? Are there any steps missing? Is there anything else she would like to know about the subject? Could she do the task herself? With your friend’s suggestions in mind, use your best judgment in deciding what changes, if any, need to be made.
Read the draft of your how-to article out loud to a supportive friend. Then, ask her a series of questions: Does she now understand the process? Are there any steps missing? Is there anything else she would like to know about the subject? Could she do the task herself? With your friend’s suggestions in mind, use your best judgment in deciding what changes, if any, need to be made.
Here’s a quick list to help you catch errors or
omissions:
- Did you adequately describe the ingredients/supplies needed in order
for the reader to complete the task?
- Did you include all the important steps?
- Is the order logical?
- Did you use words that indicate sequence: first, next, then?
- Did you warn readers of possible pitfalls?
Rewrite, read aloud, rewrite, read aloud, rewrite, find a proofreader and, only when you’re satisfied you’ve written an effective how-to article, submit your piece to an appropriate publication with a short cover letter.
ENCONTRADO EN: www.writersdigest.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)