Confused by the difference between affect and effect? Affect is a verb. It means to influence.Effect is a noun. It means the result. Compare these two examples: Stress can negatively affect your sleep.Lack of sleep is a negative effect of stress. Now you try it: How much you exercise can have an _ ( affect […]

What’s in Your Boat? Take Responsibility to Learn English Here’s a story: You get a job fishing. Your boss gives you a boat and a net. Now you’re on the ocean and you notice a hole in your boat–you’re sinking! There are materials and tools to fix the hole, a lifejacket, and even a flare […]

Stop + gerund is NOT the same as stop + infinitive Look at these examples. Do they have the same meaning? I stopped drinking soda. (I quit drinking soda. I no longer drink it.) I stopped to drink soda. (I stopped what I was doing in order to have a drink of soda.) Do you […]

Let’s practice! 1. One of the impacts of COVID-19 has been the _______ ( normalization / normality ) of working from home. 2. We eagerly await a return of pre-pandemic _______ ( normalization / normality ). ANSWER KEY: 1. normalization; 2. normality

There are ways to repeat some information without really repeating yourself. One way to avoid repeating information is by using neither or not either. How do we do it? Read these two sentences: Tom doesn’t eat meat. Susan doesn’t eat meat. Too much repetition, right? Look at these sentences: Tom doesn’t eat meat. Neither does […]

Happy Spring!!! Let’s learn a few idioms with flowers.