The original title of this language tip was “Spelling (1)” but that is drier than a Maltese summer. On the other hand, “cc … mm; ll … nn” is more eye-catching so just let those eyes read on. ACCOMMODATION MILLENNIUM You know their meaning but please, watch out for the spelling of these two words. AsContinue reading “cc … mm; ll … nn”
Category Archives: Vocabulary
Adam Smith by D. D. Raphael
My promise to you: When I finish reading a book, I’ll share 3 words that I find interesting. Today’s words come from a slim volume about the philosopher and economist, Adam Smith. Here they are: INDUCEMENT – Those of you working in sales know that the more you sell, the more money you take homeContinue reading “Adam Smith by D. D. Raphael”
FORTNIGHT / DOZEN
Many of the students in my classes usually stay for 2 weeks. They can’t afford to stay longer because of family or work commitments. It is a surprise for them to discover that in English we have a word for a period of 14 days – a FORTNIGHT. Similarly, if you do something every 2Continue reading “FORTNIGHT / DOZEN”
LEMON
Here’s a photo of a LEMON: No, I haven’t been having an alcoholic lunch. What you’re seeing in the photo is a lemon, which also happens to be a motor scooter. Do I have your attention? So here’s the story. Some 2 years ago I bought a Piaggio Fly 125cc motor scooter with a lovely pearl whiteContinue reading “LEMON”
Ghana Must Go by Taiye Selasi
After one of the lessons today, a student asked me how he could improve his reading skills. My first response was, “Read”! OK, my answer didn’t stop after that one word. However, the simple act of picking up a book, magazine or even sourcing interesting on-line articles can help in so many ways, with theContinue reading “Ghana Must Go by Taiye Selasi”
AGNATE / ENATE
On a small island such as mine (Malta), a common conversational topic when meeting someone new is about family. This is because with only 400,000 people, it’s very easy to find a connection. A: I live in Xemxija. B: Really? My aunt’s from there too. A: Who is she? B: Carol. She’s an aunt onContinue reading “AGNATE / ENATE”
SHADE / SHADOW
It’s summertime so today’s temperature of 31°C is normal for this time of year. However, have you ever noticed that it usually feels hotter than what the weather report says? The reason for this is because temperature is measured in the SHADE, a place away from direct sunlight. Many of us prefer to stay underContinue reading “SHADE / SHADOW”
FITFUL
Here’s something that many of my students misunderstand – FITFUL. It’s easy to think it means “full of fitness”, hence a positive word. But be careful. Let me tell you what happened to me last night, when I drank over 1 litre of Pepsi in the few hours before going to bed. The result isContinue reading “FITFUL”
