Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Saturday, March 31, 2012
ADVERS
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Saturday, March 3, 2012
VOCABULARY TEACHING
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
SPELLING RULES
Spelling Rule
Examples
Exceptions
To form the plural
of most nouns,
simply add -s
cat > cat s
dog > dogs
Surviving Old English plural
forms:
deer > deer ; sheep > sheep ;
ox > oxen; man > men;
woman > women; child >
children ; brother (in a
religious sense)
> brethren; foot > feet;
tooth > teeth.
Some compound nouns:
passer-by > passer s-by;
mother-in- law > mother s-in-
law.
Plural forms of not fully
naturalized foreign words:
chateau > chateau x ;
crisis > cris es ; formula >
formula e ; index > ind ices;
stimulus > stimuli
Plural forms of metric
abbreviations:
100 km (kilometres)
60 g (grams)
2.5 l (litres)
Note that with non-metric
measurements plural s is
optional: 60 lb or 60 lbs
To form the plural of nouns
ending in
s, sh, ss, z, x or ch,
add -es to facilitate
pronunciation
gas > gases
dish > dish es
boss > boss es
box > boxes
watch > watch es
To form the plural of nouns
ending in y preceded by a
consonant,
change the y to an i
and then add -es
lady > lad ies
baby > babies
strawberry > strawberr i es
laboratory > laboratori es
lay-by > lay-by s (BrE);
stand-by > stand-by s
Family names:
Mr. & Mrs. Brady > The
Bradys
To form the plural of
a number of long
established English nouns
ending in f or fe
(but not ff or ffe!)
change the f to a v
and then add -es
half > halv es
leaf > leav es
life > liv es
knife > kniv es
Most other nouns ending in f
or fe simply add -s as usual,
but there are some cases in
which the -ves plural
formation is optional:
belief > beliefs; chief >
chiefs ;
handkerchief >
handkerchiefs
(but note handkerchie ves is
an option in British English);
safe > safes
Caution is advised and, if in
doubt, consult a dictionary.
To form the plural of
imported nouns
ending in o and long
established in English, add -
es
cargo > cargo es
domino > domino es
echo > echo es
embargo > embargoes
hero > hero es
potato > potato es
tomato > tomatoes
tornado > tornadoes
torpedo > torpedoes
veto > vetoes
For less naturalized nouns
ending
in o , add -s only:
kilo > kilos ; piano > pianos ;
kimono > kimonos; radio >
radios
In a few cases the -es plural
formation is optional. When
in any doubt, consult your
dictionary!
archipelago > archipelago s/
archipelago es
fiasco > fiasco s /fiasco es
halo > halos /halo es
mango > mango s/mango es
Saturday, December 3, 2011
INFORMAL CONTRACTIONS
Informal Contractions
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.
Listed below are some
common informal
contractions, with example
sentences. Note that the
example sentences may be a
little artificial because when
we use a contraction we may
also use other contractions in
the same sentence, or even
drop some words
completely. For example:
What are you going to
do? >>
Whatcha going to do? >>
Whatcha gonna do?
or
Do you want a beer?
Do you wanna beer?
D'you wanna beer?
D'ya wanna beer?
Ya wanna beer?
Wanna beer?
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
I ain't sure.
You ain't my boss.
ain't = has not/have not
I ain't done it.
She ain't finished yet.
gimme = give me
Gimme your money.
Don't gimme that
rubbish.
Can you gimme a hand?
gonna = going to
Nothing's gonna change
my love for you.
I'm not gonna tell you.
What are you gonna do?
gotta = (have) got a
I've gotta gun.
I gotta gun.
She hasn't gotta penny.
Have you gotta car?
gotta = (have) got to
I've gotta go now.
I gotta go now.
We haven't gotta do that.
Have they gotta work?
kinda = kind of
She's kinda cute.
lemme = let me
Lemme go!
wanna = want to
I wanna go home.
wanna = want a
I wanna coffee.
whatcha = what are you
Whatcha going to do?
whatcha = what have you
Whatcha got there?
ya = you
Who saw ya?
Friday, November 25, 2011
INTERJECTIONS
Interjections:
Hi! That's an interjection. :-)
"Interjection" is a big name
for a little word. Interjections
are short exclamations like
Oh! , Um or Ah! They have no
real grammatical value but
we use them quite often,
usually more in speaking than
in writing. When interjections
are inserted into a sentence,
they have no grammatical
connection to the sentence.
An interjection is sometimes
followed by an exclamation
mark (!) when written.
Here are some interjections
with examples:
interjection
meaning
example
ah
expressing pleasure
"Ah, that feels good."
expressing realization
"Ah, now I understand."
expressing resignation
"Ah well, it can't be heped."
expressing surprise
"Ah! I've won!"
alas
expressing grief or pity
"Alas, she's dead now."
dear
expressing pity
"Oh dear! Does it hurt?"
expressing surprise
"Dear me! That's a surprise!"
eh
asking for repetition
"It's hot today." "Eh?" "I said
it's hot today."
expressing enquiry
"What do you think of that,
eh?"
expressing surprise
"Eh! Really?"
inviting agreement
"Let's go, eh?"
er
expressing hesitation
"Lima is the capital
of...er...Peru ."
hello, hullo
expressing greeting
"Hello John. How are you
today?"
expressing surprise
"Hello! My car's gone!"
hey
calling attention
"Hey! look at that!"
expressing surprise, joy etc
"Hey! What a good idea!"
hi
expressing greeting
"Hi! What's new?"
hmm
expressing hesitation, doubt
or disagreement
"Hmm. I'm not so sure."
oh, o
expressing surprise
"Oh! You're here!"
expressing pain
"Oh! I've got a toothache."
expressing pleading
"Oh, please say 'yes'!"
ouch
expressing pain
"Ouch! That hurts!"
uh
expressing hesitation
"Uh...I don't know the
answer to that."
uh-huh
expressing agreement
"Shall we go?" "Uh-huh."
um, umm
expressing hesitation
"85 divided by 5 is...um. ..17."
well
expressing surprise
"Well I never!"
introducing a remark
"Well, what did he say?"
Monday, November 14, 2011
EACH,EVERY
Each, Every
Each and every have similar
but not always identical
meanings.
Each = every one separately
Every = each, all
Sometimes, each and every
have the same meaning:
Prices go up each year.
Prices go up every year.
But often they are not exactly
the same.
Each expresses the idea of
'one by one'. It emphasizes
individuality.
Every is half-way between
each and all. It sees things or
people as singular, but in a
group or in general.
Consider the following:
Every artist is sensitive.
Each artist sees things
differently.
Every soldier saluted as
the President arrived.
The President gave each
soldier a medal.
Each can be used in front of
the verb:
The soldiers each
received a medal.
Each can be followed by 'of':
The President spoke to
each of the soldiers.
He gave a medal to each
of them.
Every cannot be used for 2
things. For 2 things, each can
be used:
He was carrying a
suitcase in each hand.
Every is used to say how
often something happens:
There is a plane to
Bangkok every day.
The bus leaves every
hour.
Verbs with each and every
are always conjugated in the
singular.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
EXPRESSIONS WITH THE WORD CAT
Cats are the most popular
pets among Americans. So it
is not surprising that there are
many expressions about cats.
Some cats like to catch small
birds, like canaries. If
someone looks very proud or
satisfied with himself, we say
he looks like the cat that
ate the canary .
Sometimes, a cat likes to play
with a small animal it catches.
So if you play cat and
mouse with someone,you
change between different
kinds of behavior when
dealing with another person.
For example, a child might
offer something sweet to her
little brother and then take it
away when he reaches for it.
A cat will often catch a small
animal and present it to its
owner. The saying that looks
like something the cat
dragged in describes
something in bad condition.
Two old and funny
expressions describe
something that is the best or
finest. Americans might say
that something is the cat's
meow and the cat's
pajamas.
Children might call a child who
is easily frightened a fraidy
cat or a scaredy cat . A
copycat is someone who acts
just like someone else or
copies another person's work.
A fat cat is a person with a
lot of money.
You may have known that cats
spend most of their time
sleeping. Sometimes people
sleep for a short time during
the day. This is called a cat
nap.
If you tell about something
that was supposed to be a
secret, we say you let the cat
out of the bag. If you are not
able to speak or answer a
question someone might ask
if the cat has got your
tongue.
Have you ever watched
children in a classroom when
their teacher leaves for a few
minutes? When the cat's
away, the mice will play
means people sometimes
misbehave when there is no
supervision.
You may have heard this
expression: curiosity killed
the cat.This means being too
concerned about things that
are not your business might
cause problems.
If your home is very small,
you might say there is not
enough room to swing a
cat. But you probably should
not try this at home!
If you ever had cats as pets,
you know it is difficult to train
them or to get them to do
something. Cats are not like
sheep or cows that can be
moved in a group. So we say
a difficult or impossible job is
like herding cats.
We leave you with a song
from the musical play, "Cats."
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
PANAGRAMS:
Panagrams are sentences
or phrases that use every
letter in the alphebet at
least once. Check for
yourself!
Brick quiz whangs jumpy veldt
fox!
Quick wafting zephyrs vex
bold Jim.
The five boxing wizards jump
quickly.
B, C, F, G, H, I, J, K, M, O, P,
Q, U, V, W, X, Y, and Z are
letters.
Jackdaws love my sphinx of
black quartz.
The five boxing wizards
jumped quickly.
Five big quacking zephyrs jolt
my wax bed.
Hick Jed wins quiz for extra
blimp voyage.
Sympathizing would fix
Quaker objectives.
Mix Zapf with Veljovic and get
quirky Beziers.
Brawny gods just flocked up
to quiz and vex him.
Jim just quit and packed extra
bags for Liz Owen.
Turgid saxophones blew over
Mick's jazzy quaff.
Dumpy kibitzer jingles as
exchequer overflows.
Puzzled women bequeath
jerks very exotic gifts.
Playing jazz vibe chords
quickly excites my wife.
A boy, Max, felt quick during
his hazy weaving jumps.
A large fawn jumped quickly
over white zinc boxes.
Viewing quizzical abstracts
mixed up hefty jocks.
Five wine experts jokingly
quizzed sample Chablis.
William Jex quickly caught five
dozen Republicans.
The vixen jumped quickly on
her foe barking with zeal.
Harry, jogging quickly, axed
zen monks with beef vapor.
Five or six big jet planes
zoomed quickly by the tower.
Six big devils from Japan
quickly forgot how to waltz.
Big July earthquakes confound
zany experimental vow.
Exquisite farm wench gives
body jolt to prize stinker.
My grandfather picks up
quartz and valuable onyx
jewels.
Six crazy kings vowed to
abolish my quite pitiful jousts.
Jack amazed a few girls by
dropping the antique onyx
vase!
We have just quoted on nine
dozen boxes of gray lamp
wicks.
Jay visited back home and
gazed upon a brown fox and
quail.
May Jo equal the fine record
by solving six puzzles a week?
Fred specialized in the job of
making very quaint wax toys.
Freight to me sixty dozen
quart jars and twelve black
pans.
Jeb quickly drove a few extra
miles on the glazed
pavement.
Grumpy wizards make toxic
brew for the evil Queen and
Jack.
Verily the dark ex-Jew quit
Zionism, preferring the
cabala.
The job of waxing linoleum
frequently peeves chintzy
kids.
West quickly gave Bert
handsome prizes for six juicy
plums.
Just keep examining every low
bid quoted for zinc etchings.
A quick movement of the
enemy will jeopardize six
gunboats.
All questions asked by five
watch experts amazed the
judge.
EXPRESSIONS ABOUT BIRDS:
Today we explain some
expressions about birds. For
example, if something is for
the birds , it is worthless or
not very interesting. Someone
who eats like a bird eats
very little. And a birds-eye
view is a general look at an
area from above.
Did you know that if you tell a
young person about the birds
and the bees you are
explaining about sex and
birth? Have you ever observed
that birds of a feather flock
together? In other words,
people who are similar
become friends or do things
together. Here is some good
advice: a bird in the hand is
worth two in the bush . This
means you should not risk
losing something you have by
trying to get more of
something you do not have.
Sometimes I can do two
things by performing only one
action. This is called killing
two birds with one stone .
But I would never really kill
any birds. I love all kinds of
animals. This is a real feather
in my cap. It is something to
be proud of.
Most of the people I work
with are early birds. They
believe that the early bird
catches the worm. They think
that a person who gets up
early in the morning for work
has the best chance of
success. Everyone in my
office works hard, but some
people have had their wings
clipped . Their jobs have been
limited. This is because the
office is organized by pecking
order . People with more
years and experience are
given more responsibility.
Some bird expressions are
about crows, chickens and
ducks. For example, when I
am driving, I always travel as
the crow flies. I go the most
direct way. Anyone who eats
crow has to admit a mistake
or defeat.
Now let's talk about my
sister. She is not very young.
She is no spring chicken. She
will work any job for chicken
feed -- a small amount of
money. She is easily
frightened. For example, she
is too chicken-livered to
walk down a dark street alone
at night. Often she will
chicken out – she will not go
out alone at night.
My sister was an ugly
duckling. She looked strange
when she was a child, but she
grew up to be a beautiful
woman. Sometimes she
thinks too much about having
something in the future
before she really has it. She
counts her chickens before
they are hatched.
Sometimes her chickens
come home to roost. That
means her actions or words
cause trouble for her.
However, my sister does not
worry about what people say
about her. Criticism falls off
her like water off a duck's
back .
Politicians are sometimes
considered lame ducks after
losing an election. They have
little time left in office and
not much power. Congress
holds a lame duck session
after an election. Important
laws are not passed during
this period.
Friday, October 14, 2011
EXPRESSIONS MADE WITH THE WORD "EASY"
Every people has its own way
of saying things, its own
special expressions. Some of
these expressions are easy to
understand. The words create
a picture in your mind.
"As easy as falling off a log" is
one such expression. It
describes a job that does not
take much effort.
If you ever tried to walk on a
fallen tree log, you
understand what the
expression means. It is easier
to fall off the log than to stay
on it.
The expression is often used
today. For example, you might
hear a student say to her
friend that her spelling test
was "as easy as falling off a
log."
There are several other
expressions that mean the
same thing. And their meaning
is as easy to understand as
"falling off a log." One is,
"easy as pie". Nothing is
easier than eating a piece of
sweet, juicy pie. Unless it is a
"piece of cake."
"Piece of cake" is another
expression that means
something is extremely easy
to do. A friend might tell you
that his new job was a "piece
of cake."
Another expression is "as
easy as shooting fish in a
barrel."
It is hard to imagine why
anyone would want to shoot
fish in a barrel. But, clearly,
fish in a barrel would be
much easier to shoot than
fish in a stream. In fact, it
would be as easy as "falling
off a log".
Sometimes, things that come
to us easily, also leave us just
as easily. In fact, there is an
expression – "easy come,
easy go" – that recognizes
this. You may win a lot of
money in a lottery, then
spend it all in a few days.
Easy come, easy go.
When life itself is easy, when
you have no cares or
problems, you are on "Easy
Street." Everyone wants to
live on that imaginary street.
Another "easy" expression is
to "go easy on a person". It
means to treat a person
kindly or gently, especially in a
situation where you might be
expected to be angry with
him. A wife might urge her
husband to "go easy on" their
son, because the boy did not
mean to wreck the car.
If it is necessary to borrow
some money to fix the car,
you should look for a friend
who is an "easy touch". An
"easy touch" or a "soft touch"
is someone who is kind and
helpful. He would easily agree
to lend you the money.
And one last expression, one
that means do not worry or
work too hard. Try to keep
away from difficult situations.
"Take it easy" until we meet
again.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
EXPRESSIONS MADE WITH THE WORD "HOT"
Every language has its own
special words and
expressions. And a story can
be told about each of them.
Hot is a simple, easily-
understood word. So are
most of the expressions
made with the word hot. But
not always, as we shall see.
The words hot potato, for
example, give you no idea at
all to the meaning of the
expression, hot potato.
The potato is a popular
vegetable in the United
States. Many people like
baked potatoes, cooked in an
oven or fire. Imagine trying to
carry a hot, baked potato in
your hand. It would be
difficult, even painful, to do
so.
Now we are getting close to
the meaning of hot potato.
Some publicly-disputed issues
are highly emotional. The
issues must be treated
carefully, or they will be
difficult and painful if an
elected official has to deal
with them. As difficult and
painful as holding a hot
potato.
One such hot potato is taxes.
Calling for higher taxes can
mean defeat for a politician.
And yet, if taxes are not
raised, some very popular
government programs could
be cut. And that also can
make a politician very
unpopular. So the questions
must be dealt with
carefully...the same way you
would handle any other hot
potato.
Another expression is not so
hot. If you ask someone how
she feels, she may answer:
"not so hot." What she means
is she does not feel well.
Not so hot also is a way of
saying that you do not really
like something. You may tell a
friend that the new play you
saw last night is not so hot.
That means you did not
consider it a success.
A hot shot is a person --
often a young person -- who
thinks he can do anything. At
least he wants to try. He is
very sure he can succeed. But
often he fails. The expression
was born in the military
forces. A hot shot was a
soldier who fired without
aiming carefully.
Hot is a word that is often
used to talk about anger.
A person who becomes angry
easily is called a hothead. An
angry person's neck often
becomes red. We say he is
hot under the collar . You
could say that your friend is
no hothead. But he got hot
under the collar when
someone took his radio.
In nineteen sixty-three, hot
line appeared as a new
expression.
The hot line was a direct
communications link between
the leaders of the Soviet
Union and the United States.
The hot line had an important
purpose: to prevent
accidental war between the
two competitors during the
period known as the Cold
War. The American president
and the Soviet leader were
able to communicate directly
and immediately on the hot
line. This helped prevent any
conflict during an international
crisis.
Monday, October 10, 2011
WORDS AND THEIR STORIES:COLD
effect on how our minds and
our bodies work. Maybe that
is why there are so many
expressions that use the word
cold.
For centuries, the body's
blood has been linked closely
with the emotions. People
who show no human
emotions or feelings, for
example, are said to be cold-
blooded . Cold-blooded
people act in cruel ways. They
may do brutal things to
others, and not by accident.
For example, a newspaper
says the police are searching
for a cold-blooded killer. The
killer murdered someone, not
in self-defense, or because he
was reacting to anger or fear.
He seemed to kill for no
reason, and with no emotion,
as if taking someone's life
meant nothing.
Cold can affect other parts of
the body. The feet, for
example. Heavy socks can
warm your feet, if your feet
are really cold. But there is an
expression -- to get cold feet
-- that has nothing to do with
cold or your feet.
The expression means being
afraid to do something you
had decided to do. For
example, you agree to be
president of an organization.
But then you learn that all the
other officers have resigned.
All the work of the
organization will be your
responsibility. You are likely
to get cold feet about being
president when you
understand the situation.
Cold can also affect your
shoulder.
You give someone the cold
shoulder when you refuse to
speak to them. You treat
them in a distant, cold way.
The expression probably
comes from the physical act
of turning your back toward
someone, instead of speaking
to him face-to-face. You may
give a cold shoulder to a
friend who has not kept a
promise he made to you. Or,
to someone who has lied
about you to others.
A cold fish is not a fish. It is a
person. But it is a person who
is unfriendly, unemotional and
shows no love or warmth. A
cold fish does not offer much
of himself to anyone.
Someone who is a cold fish
could be cold-hearted . A
cold-hearted person is
someone who has no
sympathy. Several popular
songs in recent years were
about cold-hearted men or
cold-hearted women who,
without feeling, broke the
hearts of their lovers.
Out in the cold is an
expression often heard. It
means not getting something
that everybody else got. A
person might say that
everybody but him got a pay
raise, that he was left out in
the cold. And it is not a
pleasant place to be.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Plurals and Nationalities
Why do we say Italians , but
we say Vietnamese, not
Vietnameses
The Russians are here.*
The Koreans are here.
The Americans are here
The Italians are here.
The New Zealanders are
here.
The Pakistanis are here.
The Chinese are here.*
The Japanese are here.
The British are here.
The Swiss are here.
The French are here.
The Portuguese are here.
It's mostly phonetic. That is,
it depends on the final sound
of the word.
Words ending in
-an, -ian, -er, -i
require an "s" in the plural
Words ending in
-ese, -ish, -iss, -ch
do not change
Languages (no article)
Russian is easy.
Korean is easy.
Italian is easy.
Chinese is easy.
Japanese is easy.
French is easy.
Generalizations**
Russians are friendly
Koreans are friendly.
New Zealanders are friendly.
The Chinese are friendly.
Chinese people are friendly.
The Japanese are friendly.
Japanese people are friendly.
The French are friendly.
Frenchmen are friendly.
*If you are talking about a
specific group (of Russians,
etc.) , the article the must be
used.
Most of the Italians (in this
class) are female.
Most of the Japanese (in the
restaurant) are from Kyoto.
**If you are talking generally,
no article or preposition is
needed.
With s : Most Americans
speak English. Not: Most of
Americans
No s: Most Vietnamese live in
Asia. Not: Most of
Vietnamese
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
PREFIX MEANINGS
prefix
meaning
example
a-
not, not affected by
amoral
ante-
before
antecedent
anti-
against
anti-pollution
arch-
chief
arch-rival
auto-
self
autobiography
bi-
two
bipartisan
bio-
(from biology)
biodiversity
circum-
around
circumference
co-
joint, together
co-worker
contra-
opposite
contradiction
counter-
against
counteract
crypto-u
hidden
crypto-fascist
de-
making the opposite of
demystify
demi-
half
demigod
di-
two
dialogue
dis-
making the opposite of
disagree
du-/duo-
two
duologue
eco-
(from ecology)
eco-tourism
Euro-
(from European)
Eurodollar
ex-
former
ex-husband
out of
extract
fore-
in the front of, ahead of
forerunner
hyper-
very big
hypermarket
in-
not, opposite of
inexact
in, into
insert
inter-
between
inter-state
intra-
inside
intravenous
mal-
bad(ly)
maladministration
mega-
very large
megastar
mid-
middle
midlife
midi-
medium-sized
midi-length
mini-
small
minimarket
mis-
wrong, false
misadventure
mono-
one
monogamy
multi-
many
multi-layered
neo-
new
neolithic
non-
not, opposite of
non-partisan
out-
beyond
outreach
over-
too much
overreach
para-
ancillary
paramedic
beyond
paranormal
poly-
many
polymath
post-
after
post-election
pre-
before
pre-election
pro-
for
pro-gun
deputy
proconsul
pseudo-
false
pseudo-intellectual
re-
again
rerun
back
reverse
retro-
backwards
retrograde
self-
self
self-sufficient
semi-
half
semi-serious
sub-
below
sub-zero
super-
more than, special
superhuman
supra-
above
suprasensuous
sur-
more than, beyond
surreal
tele-
at a distance
television
trans-
across
trans-Siberian
tri-
three
tripartite
ultra-
beyond
ultraviolet
very much indeed
ultra-careful
un-
not, opposite of
unnecessary
reversal, cancellation
untie
under-
below, less than
underachieve
uni-
one
unitary
vice-
deputy
vice-chancellor
Saturday, August 27, 2011
TIPS TO LEARN VOCABULARY:
We recommend five things
for learning English
vocabulary:
1. Context and Exposure
See or hear the vocabulary
used in context
Sample contexts: reading
material, audio, video,
conversation
Sometimes you can guess
meaning from the situation.
What type of word is it
(noun, verb, adjective)?
Look at the words around it.
Try to read or listen to as
much English as possible
Choose from a variety of
sources
2. Pictures and associations
Sometimes seeing groups of
related words can help
See our picture dictionary.
3. Understand Word Parts
(prefixes, suffixes, roots)
See our word parts lists here.
4. Recognize collocations
(words that go together)
Some words are commonly
used with other words
See our lists of collocations:
with verbs, with prepositions.
5. Consider connotations and
multiple meanings of words
Some words carry special or
emotional meanings
Example: house vs. home
Some words can have many
different meanings
Example: play, set, run
Sunday, August 21, 2011
IMPORTANCE OF SPELLING:
Spelling over the last few
years has been the subject of
a commonly mailed piece of
Internet “wisdom.” And I
quote:
Aoccdrnig to rscheearch by
the Lngiusiitc Dptanmeret at
Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it
deosn't mttaer in waht oredr
the ltteers in a wrod are, the
olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht
the frist and lsat ltteer be at
the rghit pclae. The rset can
be a total mses and you can
sitll raed it wouthit porbelm.
Tihs is bcuseae the huamn
mnid deos not raed ervey
lteter by istlef, but the wrod
as a wlohe.
Translation: According to
research by the Linguistic
Department at Cambridge
University, it doesn’t matter
in what order the letters in a
word are, the only important
thing is that the first and last
letter be at the right place.
The rest can be a total mess
and you can still read it
without a problem. This is
because the human mind
does not read every letter by
itself, but the word as a
whole.
This paragraph has been
widely circulated on the
Internet since 2003, and it is
still referred to, either as a
point of interest or to defend
inconsistent (poor) spelling,
or choosing not to teach it. Is
it because it rings of the truth
that it makes scholars and
educators cringe? Hardly.
Among other things, there
was no such research, and
the words in the passage
don’t follow the rule of “only
the first and last words
matter.” It’s a myth. It is
fluent readers who can figure
out this highly predictable text
– and the path to fluent
reading includes a firm
foundation in the sounds
represented by letters and
their spelling .