Self improvement – Page 2 – Improve your English

Practical ways for self improvement

Posted on 22 Jun 202130 Jun 2021 by rashaadwan

Are you someone who enjoys learning new things? Do you always strive for self-improvement, no matter what it takes?There is always something we can improve about ourselves. Because human potential is boundless, no point of no growth is imaginable.We can always improve when we believe we are good.

Get up early

Many people believe that getting up early increases productivity and improves quality of life.You’ll have time to devote to self-improvement before the rest of the world wakes up if you get up early. You’ll gain more time in your day, enjoy the morning calm, and soak in the early-morning sunlight, which will assist your brain adjust to active mode.

Get out of Your Comfort zone

Hard work and sweat are required for true growth. We can’t progress if we’re too comfy; we’ll become stagnant.

Determine where your comfort zone boundaries are and how you might begin to venture outside of them gradually Go on a hike on a track you’ve never been on, cook a dish you’ve never tried, or say yes when a friend invites you out when you’d ordinarily say no.

Avoid Negative People

There will always be negative individuals wherever we go. If you feel they are dragging you down, don’t spend too much time with them.

Stop Watching TV

Many TV shows and commercials are designed to distract you rather than empower or educate you. This time would be better spent with close friends, doing something you enjoy, or exercising.

Start a 30-Day Challenge

Make a goal for yourself and give yourself 30 days to attain it. Your goal could be to establish a new pastime or stick with a new habit.30 days is exactly enough time to strategize, prepare, implement, evaluate, and achieve your goal.

Learn From People Who Inspire You

Consider persons you admire and who inspire you. As you discover how to develop yourself, these people mirror particular attributes you desire to have for yourself.What attributes do you admire in them that you wish you possessed? How do you go about acquiring these qualities?

Focus on your To-Do list

Starting the day with a list of chores to perform will help you stay on track. Days when you don’t do this, on the other hand, might be hectic and unproductive. Because you haven’t made a plan to tackle each issue, you may forget about some of them or run out of time.

Grammar, Languages, Learning, Reading, Self improvement, Vocabulary

Compound words and their meanings

Posted on 26 Mar 20215 Jul 2021 by rashaadwan

English has a number of words that make the language confusing for those who are just learning the language. They include homophones, homonyms, compound words, and word pairs which look and sound similar but have different meanings.

Compound words which can be one word or two can be especially confusing. Here we will look at four of these confusing word pairs; everyday vs every day, anytime vs any time, awhile vs a while, sometime vs some time, and someday vs some day.

Anytime vs Any time

This compound word is an example of how the English language has changed. A few decades ago, the accepted standard was to always write “any time” as two words. A few scholars still consider using the compound version to be lazy writing.

Anytime [any time]

is an adverb which means whenever.In almost all cases the two word version and the compound version mean the same thing and can be used interchangeably.

For example:–

I am available anytime if you’d like me to help with your move

I am available any time if you’d like me to help with your move.

“Any time” [or anytime]

can also serve as a conjunction.

– Anytime we had the chance we would go for a swim.

– Any time we had the chance we would go for a swim.

There are a few instances where any time should be two words.

When the phrase is used with a preposition like “at” two words should be used.

– I will gladly help at any time of the day or night.When you are referring to an amount of time the two word version is used.

– Do you have any time to review my test today?.

Everyday vs Every day

Like many compound words, “everyday” and “every day” are typically more confusing in spoken English than in written English since most speakers do not parse the words correctly.

Everyday

– This is an adjective; which means “mundane”, “typical”, “ordinary”, or “standard”. The phrase “everyday routine” refers to a normal, ordinary day where nothing unusual occurred. As the English language becomes even less formal, you will occasionally hear people use the word as a noun, sort of a shorthand version of “everyday chores.”

Every day

– When written as two words it means “each day”, “every” is an adjective for “day.” One easy way of checking your usage is the replace the work “every” with the word “each” and checking that your sentence still makes sense. For example, “each day routine” is not correct whereas “each day I drink a glass of milk” does.

Someday vs Some day

Someday

– This compound word is an adverb and means “at an indefinite time in the future.”

– Someday I will invest in a new mobile phone but the old one will be ok until I do so.

Some day

– Some day is an adjective, some, and a noun, day. Some means “unknown” or “unspecified”.

When paired with day it means a single day that is unknown.– The term paper is due some day in May.

Learning, learning, Reading, Self improvement

Most effective online learning tips

Posted on 11 Mar 202127 Sep 2021 by rashaadwan

Choose the best time and place to learn

Choosing when to learn and study is very important in terms of maximizing your energy and learning more efficiently. We all have different energy levels over the course of the day, and some of us prefer to do certain activities at certain points in the day, being able to strike a balance between your energy and alertness levels while also considering the time of day is crucial when it comes to learning and studying and even doing other things, another factor that can come into play aside from time is location.

The atmosphere around you can contribute greatly to the quality of your studying and learning time.

Taking notes

How good your notes are will determine how useful studying them later will be. A sign of good note-taking is when the notes are written or seen in such a way that you know the sequence of information that was brought up revolving around them.

Some other strategies to consider that can help you out are the following:

If you’re in a class that’s given assigned reading, read through it before the next class. Do the same with your previous notes.

Keep your notes from each subject together. Have notebooks for every class or topic you’re deeply exploring. This way, you avoid confusing them or mixing up information while reviewing them.

Always write down the main points of the topic so you can get a brief but solid overview of the subject.

Study in groups

discussing topics with other people around you is another way that you can help improve your learning. This online learning tip is a touch different from the previous tip because it’s more of a collaborative approach to understanding something.

Avoid distraction

Sometimes, distraction comes from outside sources that are beyond our control. However, there are also several other things that are internal that can be distracting.

These are things like our cell phones or having various tabs on your computer up while you’re reading or studying something else. We don’t often think about those as distractions, but they can and will pull us away from learning. So you need to Turn off your cell phone, Close down tabs or even blocking access to certain sites during a period of time.

Using a learning strategy that works for you

There are four methods for us to learn:

learning through sight.
learning through hearing.
learning through reading and writing.
learning through action.

We often have a mix of each one of these things. However, there is definitely one style of learning that each of us prefers over the other if we can get away with it. Knowing which type of learner you are most dominant in can help you devise strategies and techniques around your studying habits whenever possible. Of course, you can still use the other methods loosely or may have to rely on them more in certain circumstances.

Languages, learning, Self improvement, Speaking, Vocabulary

Important phrases for a job interview

Posted on 7 Mar 20215 Jul 2021 by rashaadwan

In job interviews you have to be convincing , and to show why you want this job also why you deserve it . So you need to speak confidently and to have good expressions to convince your interviewer about your personality, strengths, experience and why you want the job .

– phrases to describe your personality :

Trustworthy: someone who you can rely on.

Proactive: someone who takes steps to complete tasks without supervision.

Committed: a person who is loyal to a project or person.

– phrases to describe your strengths :

Speak foreign languages.

Communicate well.

The ability to multitask.

Perform to a deadline.

Solve problems.

– phrases to describe your experience :

I studied at the University of ……………….

I have five years’ experience as a waitress/in retail/as a teacher

I worked for ………..as a lawyer.

I worked in …….. for seven years and was promoted to manager in my second year.
I can say my top 3 skills are: ……………….,…………. and……………….. .

– phrases to describe your goals for the future and why you want this job:

I feel my skills set is a perfect fit for your team and I can contribute by…

I believe your company is an important player in its industry

I’m looking to further my skills as a barista/in hospitality, as a childcare worker/in early childhood education

I’d love to work here because I ………….. .

– phrases to thank the interviewer at the end :

I want you to know that I am very thankful for this.

It was a pleasure meeting you .

before I leave I want to thank you for the opportunity.

thank you very much for your time . I’ll be waiting for your call .

Grammar, Languages, learning, Self improvement, Vocabulary

Your best guide for the verb tenses

Posted on 3 Mar 20215 Jul 2021 by rashaadwan

There are 12 main tenses in the English language, the result of the following combination of tenses and aspects:

Present
Past
Future
Present perfect
Past perfect
Future perfect
Present progressive
Past progressive
Future progressive
Present perfect progressive
Past perfect progressive
Future perfect progressive

The Simple Verb Tenses

To begin, let’s take a closer look at the simple present, past, and future verb tenses.

Present

The simple present tense indicates actions that are habitual or generally true.

I like sushi.
The weather in Texas is hot.
When we visit Bologna, we walk under miles of porticos.

In particular, notice the use of the simple present when stating a habitual action. It would sound incorrect to say, “I eat pasta,” in response to the question, “What are you doing right now?” Instead, you would use the progressive tense: “I am eating pasta.”

You do use the simple present to describe a routine action, though.

He paints portraits.
I eat fresh strawberries in the summer.
The dogs bark whenever she takes a conference call.

You also use the simple present with stative verbs , which indicate possession, senses, emotions, or states of being.

I love that new song.
That shirt belongs to me.
She thinks spinach is delicious.

Past

The simple past tense indicates an action that is already complete. To form the past tense of a regular verb in English, you add the suffix “ed.” Sadly, for ESL speakers, there are a number of irregular verbs that do not follow this rule, such as felt, came, and thought.

I donated to the food drive yesterday.
He felt nauseous after riding the roller coaster.
Thousands of Chinese immigrants came to the United States in the nineteenth century.

Future

The simple future tense indicates an action or state of being that will take place in the future. You form it by adding auxiliary words (such as “will,” “shall,” or “am going to”) to the main verb.

I am going to love my trip to Hawaii.
The principal shall make the announcement tomorrow.
He’ll bring a casserole to the potluck if you don’t have enough food.

The Progressive Verb Tenses To describe actions that are ongoing in the past, present, or future, you apply the progressive aspect to each of the three simple tenses. The three progressive tenses can be formed by adding the correct form of the auxiliary verb “to be” to verbs ending in “ing.”

The Progressive Verb Tenses

To describe actions that are ongoing in the past, present, or future, you apply the progressive aspect to each of the three simple tenses.

Present Progressive

The present progressive tense describes an ongoing action that is happening right now. The action began in the past and will continue into the future.

She’s filing the divorce papers.
I’m checking my social media accounts.
The neighbor’s dog is barking loudly and enthusiastically.

Past Progressive

The past progressive tense indicates an action that was ongoing in the past. It began at some point and may continue after a second action has taken place.

She was talking to her friend when their biology class ended.
I was watering my plants when three cop cars sped down the street.
They were driving up the coast when it began snowing so hard they could barely see.

Future Progressive

The future progressive tense indicates an ongoing action that will take place in relation to some future event.

I will be coming home for the holidays.
She’ll be heading out the door the minute she wins the lottery.
We will be singing the same song, undoubtedly, when our daughter graduates from college.

The Perfect Verb Tenses

The perfect verb tense describes an action or state of being that is finished or already completed. You form each of the three perfect tenses by adding the correct form of the auxiliary verb “to have” to the past participle of the verb. Perfect tenses can be used with dynamic or stative verbs.

Present Perfect

The present perfect tense indicates an accomplishment, experience, or action that occurred over an indefinite period of time. The action may have ended sometime before the present moment or may still be happening. The present perfect and the simple past are sometimes used interchangeably in the English language. In fact, the difference between them boils down to context.

I have been horseback riding.
The train has been delayed until future notice.
The English language has been transformed several times since the Anglo-Saxon invasion.

Past Perfect

The past perfect tense indicates that a past action was completed before another action took place.

Gwen had invested in the company just before it went bankrupt.
We had argued for peace, but the opposition decided to wage war.
I had fixed the drywall cracks before the mud storm shifted the home’s foundation again.

Future Perfect

The future perfect verb tense indicates an action that will have been completed in some future time.

The dogs will have been fed before we arrive home.
She will have been exhausted by playing with her nieces and nephews.
By the time we see their light, stars will have been already alive for billions of years.

The Perfect Progressive Verb Tenses

The perfect progressive tense describes an action that occurred in the past and is ongoing in relation to some past, present, or future point in time. While the perfect tense indicates a completed action, the three perfect progressive tenses describe continuous action.

Present Perfect Progressive

The present perfect progressive tense describes an action that began in the past and is still ongoing in the present.

I have been watching Netflix all morning.
They have been trying to build their new desk.
The lawyers have been eager to get the testimony of a key witness.

Past Perfect Progressive

The past perfect progressive tense describes an action that was ongoing in the past but stopped before the present time, often because of another action.

They had been working until the pizza arrived.
I had been shopping for Christmas presents until I exceeded my credit limit.
She had been daydreaming about visiting Italy for so long that it felt strange to actually be there.

Future Perfect Progressive

The future perfect progressive tense indicates an action in the future that will be ongoing and may continue past the time of another event, though the second future event often implies the cessation of the event that is ongoing.

I will have been working for ten hours by the time I go to bed.
The legal team will have been compiling research even if the parties agree to settle.
She will have been eating meat for 40 years if she decides to become a vegetarian in the New Year.

Grammar, Languages, learning, Reading, Self improvement, Writing

Kinds of noun

Posted on 1 Mar 20215 Jul 2021 by rashaadwan

What is noun

A noun is a part of speech that names a person, place, thing, idea, action or quality.

Kinds of nouns

Common noun

Nonspecific people, places, things or ideas.

Man, city, relegion etc…….

Proper noun

Specific people, places, things etc……

Albert Einstein, London etc……

Abstract noun

Something that you can not perceive with your five senses.

Belief, bride, happiness etc…..

Concrete noun

Something that you can perceive with your five senses.

Apple, llion, eyes, flower…….

Countable noun

Something that can be counted, like pencils, trees, cars etc……….

Uncountable noun

Something that can not be counted, like snow, rice, water, food etc……….

Compound noun

Made up of two or more words, like sunflower, textbook, snowball, etc…..

Collective noun

Refer to a group of things as one whole.

Bunch, audience, flock, group

Singular noun

Refer to one thing, person or idea.

Cat, ship, hero etc……

Plural noun

Refer to more than one thing, person or idea.

Dogs, cats, ships etc…….

Grammar, Languages, Learning, Self improvement, Writing

Figures of speech

Posted on 15 Feb 202119 Sep 2021 by rashaadwan

What is the figure of speech

A figure of speech is a word or phrase that is used in a non-literal way to create an effect. This effect used in the deliberate arrangement of words to achieve something poetic, or imagery as in the use of language to suggest a visual picture or make an idea more vivid.

Types of figures of speech

Simile

A simile is a type of figurative language which is used to compare one thing against another. Similes compare the likeness of two things and often feature the words “like” or “as”. For example, as strong as a lion.

Metaphor

A metaphor is a phrase describing something, as something is not in reality. It is used to compare two things symbolically, or to describe something as something it is not. For example, love is a battlefield.

Personification

Personification is a type of figurative language. It is used to give an item or an object a sense of being alive. The speaker will talk to the object as if it understands. For example, why are you so heavy, suitcase?.

Symbolism

Symbolism is another form of figurative language which is used to express an abstract idea using an item or words. For example, we had to put out a red alert.

Idiom

An idiom is a phrase which bears no literal meaning to the situation, it is describing but it implies the fact or story behind it. For example, there is a silver lining in every cloud.

Irony

It is used when a statement made is directly contradictory to the reality. It is also used to convey a style of sarcasm. For example, I posted on Facebook about how bad Facebook is.

Paradox

Paradox is a word which contradicts itself. For example, deep down Adam is really shallow.

Pun

Pun is a figure of speech, it uses a word to give a different sense to the sentence and add a double meaning. For example, An egg for breakfast is not east to beat.

Grammar, Languages, Learning, Reading, Self improvement, Speaking, Vocabulary, Writing

Types of sentences

Posted on 12 Feb 20215 Jul 2021 by rashaadwan

A sentence is the largest unit of any language. In English, it begins with a capital letter and ends with a full-stop, or a question mark, or an exclamation mark.

The sentence is generally defined as a word or a group of words that expresses a thorough idea by giving a statement/order, or asking a question, or exclaiming.

Types of sentence

A simple sentence

It expresses a single idea in a single clause.

Examples :

Joe drank coffee
Joe drank coffee with Tom
Joe drank coffee in the afternoon with Tom
Joe and Tom drank coffee

A compound sentence

It contains two ideas connected with a co-ordinator (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)

Examples :

Joe drank coffee, and Tom played the guitar
Adam drank water, but he was still thirsty

A complex sentence

It contains two ideas connected by a subordinator (because, since, after, Although, or a relative pronoun such as that, which or who)

Examples :

Joe drank the tea that he bought in Chinatown.
Although Adam drank water, he was still thirsty

A compound – complex sentence

It hhas the elements of the complex and the compound sentence.

Examples :

Joe drank the tea that he bought in Chinatown, but Tom played the guitar

Languages, Learning, Listening, Reading, Self improvement, Speaking, Vocabulary, Writing

TOEFL vs IELTS

Posted on 8 Feb 20215 Jul 2021 by rashaadwan

What is the IELTS?

IELTS is an abbreviation for International English Language Testing System. The test is available in two formats: ‘IELTS Academic’, for those planning to study at a higher education level abroad; and ‘IELTS General Training’, which focuses on social skills and workplace contexts.

What is the TOEFL?

TOEFL is an acronym for Test of English as a Foreign Language. It is an English proficiency test, developed by an American company, ETS, to measure an individual’s reading, speaking, writing, and listening proficiency in American English. TOEFL scores are a requirement for over 900 universities and other institutions in more than 130 countries. There are two methods of taking this test; it can be taken as a Paper-Based Test (TOEFL PBT) or an Internet-Based Test (TOEFL IBT) which is more popular.

These tests are standardized and this simply means that the scores are consistent all over the world . Both of them will test you on four main language skills and that is listening, speaking, reading and writing .

What is the difference between Toefl and ielts?

The major difference between these two tests is in speaking. While in TOEFL you have to talk to a computer, the IELTS requires you to talk to a real person. Many people find talking to a computer very strange and that is why they prefer the IELTS test.

Which test requires more preparation?

While both IELTS and TOEFL require basic preparation at least , many takers felt that to prepare for TOEFL was harder. But that varies with each individual. The difference in the test patterns may give rise to tasks that need more preparation.

Grammar, Languages, Learning, Reading, Self improvement, Speaking, Vocabulary, Writing

Most common adjectives in English

Posted on 6 Feb 20215 Jul 2021 by rashaadwan

What is an adjective?

It’s a word that modifying the meaning of a noun or the pronoun .

Types of adjectives :

Descriptive adjectives : New, old, big, little, fast, slow…

Possessive : my, his, our, your, their, her,his,hers, mine, its, theirs, ours…

Quantitative : first, second, third, few, all…

Interrogative: which, what, whose…

Demostrative : This, That, these, those…

Distributive : each, every, either, neither…

Some rules for the use of adjectives :

When adjectives appear after the noun or pronoun, they will be preceded by a verb, often (but not always) an auxiliary verb such as ‘are’ or ‘is’.

Adjectives can be used in multiple forms (The tough, long and ultimately boring paper was one I needed to pass), they can appear before or after the noun or pronoun they are describing.

Examples of adjectives :

Adjective Before the Noun :

Old woman.
Red coat.
Cheerful man.

Adjective After the Noun :

Sofei was old.
It looks red.
He seems cheerful.

Adjective Immediately After the Noun :

someone interesting.
those present.
something evil.

Nouns Used as Adjectives

Many words that are usually nouns can function as adjectives.

For example:

autumn colours
boat race
computer shop
Devon cream

Participles Used as Adjectives : Formed from a verb , a participle is a word that can be used as an adjective.

For example :

While the spoken word can travel faster, you can’t take it home in your hand.
Always be wary of any helpful item that weighs less than its operating manual.

Infinitives Used as Adjectives : An infinitive verb (e.g., “to run,” “to jump”) can also function as an adjective.

For example :

Progress is man’s ability to complicate simplicity.
No human creature can give orders to love.

The order of adjectives :

Quantity or number
Quality or opinion
Size
Age
Shape
Color
Proper adjective (often nationality, other place of origin, or material)
Purpose or qualifier

Examples :

My sister adopted a beautiful big white dog.
The house is green and red.
An amazing new American movie.