Expector Smith's Posts (219)

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Yes, 'tip' means 'advice'. From now on, I'll try to give you some tips on English usage - every week or every month or whenever I feel like giving such a tip. 

The tips aren't really blog challenges, though you can write a blog on any tip I give you - sure, I'll try to correct you If you write such a blog. 

I hope you'll agree it's a good idea for me to give you such a tip often. You could also consult a dictionary or a native English teacher if you're not sure about any tip. 

The first tip I'll give you is: don't confuse 'replace' with 'substitute'. 

The verb 'replace' means 'to put someone or something in the place of someone or something else', for example, "We should replace the broken TV set with a new one."

However, the verb 'substitute' means 'to use someone or something instead of another person or thing', for example, "You could substitute a smartphone for the laptop."

By the way, 'in place of someone/something' or 'in someone's/something's place' means 'instead of someone/something', for instance, "They'll eat chicken in place of fish."

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Blog Challenge: it's and its

Are you familiar with the personal pronoun it? I hope so. Then, don't confuse it's with its

Yes, it's is a shortened form of 'it is' or  'it has' (a contraction), while its is the possesive of it

It may not be that easy to use them correctly, though - it's said that even native speakers confuse them. 

The possessive form of a noun has apostrope s ('s) added to it, e.g. Expector's, today's, but the possessive form of it is its (no apostrope).

Let's try to write a short paragraph or build a few sentences to make sure you don't confuse them. Here's a sample paragraph for you:

Sample Paragraph

It seems Expector tends to use contractions in his blogs - he'll use it's, there's or I'm instead of 'it is/has', 'there is' or 'I am'. Some people may argue that Expector should have used the full forms instead of the shortened ones, which means they don't think it's a good idea to use so many contractions in his writing. Expector, however, may try to make him sound natural or a little informal. Anyway, your blogs don't need to be that formal. Being too informal, on the other hand, isn't a good idea, either - you should know its limitations or you're spoiling an otherwise perfect blog, or rather, your blog could lose its charm or popularity. Nevertheless, I really enjoy reading Expector's blogs. 

Your Turn...

Note: Don't confuse contraction with construction - a contraction is the shortened form of a word or words, while construction is the building of things such as houses. 

By the way, Expector's can mean 'Expector is', for example, "Expector's a popular moderator of MyEC." - adding to the confusion:)

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Top Members This Month

Yes, I mean 'top members', not 'star members'. Just as you know, it's hard to choose the monthly star members, especially when we're trying to choose someone who's never been chosen as a star member. 

The thing is some of the star members may not have been aware they were star members because they didn't visit MyEC much - they were't really active members and other members didn't think they deserved it. That's to say,  some of the star members are controversial. 

Thankfully, the admin of MyEC has noticed the grumbles. So, here comes the 'TOP MEMBERS THIS MONTH'.

Did you notice the links at the top of MyEC's main page (just below the star members's pictures)? Top members will be chosen by the system (algorithmically) rather than by the recommendation of the admin or moderators or some other members who have helped to choose star members. 

Do you think it's a good idea to choose top members every month? If yes, then why do you think so? If not, what do you suggest the admin do?

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English Wins

Yes, the 2016 Rio Olympics are over. The United States and the United Kingdom, both of which speak English, have won the most gold medals. 

The US is almost always at the top of the Olympic medal counts - the Rio Olympics is no exception. To my surprise, the UK is number two on the list, not China or Russia or Germany. 

So, English wins - maybe because both of them speak English. Next time when you answer the question 'Why do you need to learn English?', you could say you want to excel at sport:))

Did you enjoy the Rio Olympics? What/who impressed you most? Did you pick up some sport(s) English?

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Yes, when you want to quote someone's words or thoughts, you can do it in two ways: 'direct speech' (quoting the exact words that were said) or 'reported speech' or 'indirect speech' (without quoting the exact words).

In reported speech, the tenses, pronouns and other words may be different from those in the original sentence, for example:

She said (to me), 'I love you.'

She said that she loved me

Right, it can be so challenging for a learner to use a report structure correctly, but the good news is that you may not need to learn all the complicated rules about reported speech. 

Note that in reported questions, the subject of the question comes before the verb, just as it does in affirmative sentences - 'question marks' are not used. for example:

He asked, 'Why do we need a blog challenge?'

He asked me why we needed a blog challenge. 

Sample Paragraph

Expector would ask, 'Do you think it's a good idea to take a blog challenge?' As for me, I think it's a good idea - I really enjoyed his blog challenges. I still remember that Expector once said we should help each other or learn from one another. I wonder if other members asked why they needed to join us in a blog challenge. While most of the members may have enjoyed Expector's blog challenges, some may not think it's a good idea. 

You turn... (I'll correct you if you really want to be correctly in public - I won't correct you if I fail to see the 'correction' tag.)

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Yes, you're quite right, the two words (besides and except) are often confused - 'besides' means 'in addition to' or 'as well as', while 'except' means 'not including'. 

Be careful, don't confuse 'besides' with 'beside' - the latter means 'next to' or 'at the side of'.

Right, I should have mentioned 'apart from', which can be used with either meaning (including or excluding). I'd add 'other than', which means 'not including' or 'without' (= 'except'). 

Sometimes you use 'except for' instead of 'except', for example, 'All the members have joined in the discussion except (for) him.'

So, let's try to write a short paragraph or blog by using the confusing words mentioned above: besides, except (for). Sure, you bet, I'll try to correct you if you really want to be corrected - don't forget to include the tag 'correction'. 

Sample paragraph:

All (of) the members enjoyed Expector's blog challenges except (for) a few newbies who didn't have any idea how to join in the fun. Besides Expector's blog challenge, we used to have Tara's writing challenge. In fact, apart from Expector or Tara, some of the advanced members are encouraged to come up with such a challenge. Sometimes we did nothing except take part in a challenge. We really enjoyed the tasks except when a challenge was boring or dull. Besides, a challenge can be so useful for honing our English writing skills. 

Now, it's your turn. Have fun!

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It can be so frustrating if you can't use MyEC - for some members, no day is complete without visiting MyEC. 

Sometimes MyEC does encounter technical problems or you're having some other connection problems, which will make it so hard for you to read or write blogs or comments on MyEC. 

What if that's the case? Apart from reporting the problem to MyEC tech team, What would you do? 

I'd visit other websites instead while hoping MyEC is accessible again. I'd even try to watch a TV drama in English. Or I'd just turn off the computer and reach for an English book. 

So, that's why I suggest you make good use of MyEC while it's working perfectly by reading and writing more - strike while the iron is hot!

It seems MyEC is working fine again, so why not write a blog or comment right now? 

'strike while the iron is hot' = 'do something immediately because now is a particularly good time to do it'

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Discourse markers? Unfamiliar to you, right? In fact, you use discourse markers more often than you may think. 

A discourse marker is a word or phrase that is used to connect or organize what you say or write, for example, 'so', 'OK', 'right' and 'by the way/incidentally' are often used as discourse markers. Some people might call them 'linking words' or 'linking adverbials', though. 

You may be familiar with the following discourse markers: as far as...is concerned, on the other hand, however, similarly, even so, on the contrary, at least, now, to begin/start with, besides, in general, except for, for instance, then, I mean, I think/I guess, you know, frankly/honestly, look, no doubt, actually, in conclusion, and so on. 

So, it makes sense to learn about discourse markers. You could write a blog by using some discourse markers or join us in the challenge by adding a comment on this topic. 

Sample paragraph by Expector

First(ly), I think it's time we had one more blog challenge. No doubt you'll find it fun yet challenging. Second(ly), some members have already suggested we (should) talk about discourse markers, while some may not think it's a good idea to use so many discourse markers in a paragraph.  Sure, don't over-use them. Moreover, it's just a blog/writing challenge for us to learn more about the useful 'markers'. In addition, I kind of think I may have failed to 'hit the nail on the head'. Anyway, what really counts is we've got another opportunity to write. 

Your turn...

'hit the nail on the head' = 'say something that is exactly right' 

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Mobile phone MyEC

I'm writing on my mobile phone/cell phone - I'm on vacation and away from my computer.
This is the first time I've written a blog on my cellphone. I hope this blog looks natural on your computer.
It can be so challenging to write a blog on your mobile - unless you're familiar with texting in English on a cellphone.
You're writing on a smaller screen you're unfamiliar with - without the supporting software installed on your computer. And, the Internet connection may not be as good.
It seems the mobile version of MyEC is reader- or user-friendly, though, especially the Desktop View. You could try to write one on your mobile and see if it works for you. Tell us why you think it's a good or bad idea to write blogs on a mobile phone.

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Yes, we encourage you to help (to) correct each other. I hope you'll agree it's worth it!

When you try to correct each other/one another, you should make sure you really know the ropes. Leave what you aren't sure about uncorrected, for example, if you're not sure about 'part of something', then don't assume the sentence 'Making mistakes is part of learning' is incorrect. 

I suggest you look it up in a dictionary if you're not sure about a collocation, a word or an idiom. Your English improves while you're trying to help correct others - 'To teach is the best way to learn.'

Be aware of the differences between 'British English/BrE' and 'American English/AmE', for example, the word 'practice' can be used as a verb in AmE while you should use 'practise' instead in BrE. You can say 'I suggest she be grateful' in AmE, but you usually say 'I suggest she should be grateful' in BrE. 

If you doubt whether the correction is correct, you could ask someone to explain it to you - I recommend our  'Grammar Help Desk'. Or, you could try to find the answer yourself by searching for it on the Internet or looking it up in a dictionary. 

Be careful, some members may feel so frustrated or even offended when corrected. So, try to make it easy for others to accept your help. 

Keep in mind: sometimes the sentence is grammatically correct but not natural or not appropriate or unacceptable in formal English; sometimes they don't correct all the mistakes in your writing - there may be mistakes in every sentence you made; sometimes they don't explain why they have made the correction.

By the way (incidentally), you may have noticed that I've been trying to write in a 'colloquial' way - however, it may not be a good idea to use 'it'll' instead of 'it will'! 

'the ropes' = 'all the things someone needs to know to do a job'

'colloquial' = 'used in infromal conversation rather than in formal writing'

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I bet nobody is really happy to be corrected, even though they know it's helpful in improving their English. 

Sure, I'm no exception - it can be so frustrating when I know somebody has corrected me. I've been learning English since I was little, and I'm the blog moderator of MyEC, a well-known English learning and teaching website. Can you imagine how frustrated or disappointed I was when I knew I was still making mistakes?

"No, no - I'm supposed to speak fluent English and my English writing should be flawless/perfect. How could I..."

"Hey, hey, wait up, Expector! Calm down!" 

Yes, you get it - what I'm trying to say is that we should keep in mind making mistakes is part of learning, no matter how fluent your English may be. Even native English speakers can't avoid making mistakes, let alone a non-native learner. 

English is harder to learn than you thought - a tricky language, indeed. Maybe you need to learn it at the very beginning of your life - even better if you can learn it in an English speaking country!

So, admit you're not perfect, and welcome corrections if you really want to improve your English. You should know it doesn't mean there aren't any mistakes if nobody corrects you!And, you're still an advanced learner even though somebody else corrected you. 

You're welcome to correct Expector (me) - be you an advanced learner or native English speaker/teacher!

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Yes, it's an idiom which means 'have a secret idea or plan that you intend to use later' or 'have a surprise plan or solution (to a problem)'.

You may have something good or bad in your sleeve, for example, you may try to cheat by having a card hidden in your sleeve:)  I hope you have something great for a puzzling problem or a situation, though. 

You could write a short paragraph by using the idiom - it can be fun if you really get the picture. Here's a sample paragraph for you:

I'm waiting for Expector's monthly blog challenge. It's time for him to come up with one or he should have published one for us to write a challenge blog, but somehow he's failed to do so this month. He may have something up his sleeve - are you ready for a surprise? 

So, you see, you don't need to write something lengthy - a short paragraph will do. Don't forget to add the 'correction' tag if you really want to be corrected in public - some people may feel so embarrassed or even offended when they're corrected. 

Your turn...

'get the picture' = 'understand something' 

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It's all Greek to me

Yes, you got it - it means 'it's too difficult for me to understand'. Hey, don't get me wrong - it's not that 'what you wrote is all Greek to me':)

In fact, I'm trying to learn more about medical terminology (medicine English) - a mouthful! Some of the terms are just too long or too difficult to pronounce - they are driving me up the wall

Some of the words are just Greek while some are derived from Latin. It can be so hard to memorize them - unless you've got an amazing or insanely good memory!

Do you think it's hard to understand what your doctor said about you or your family? Any tips on memorizing complex words? Do you want to learn about medical terminology even though you're not a healthcare professional?

(a bit of ) a mouthful = a long word/phrase that's difficult to say

drive/send somebody up the wall = make somebody very annoyed; drive somebody crazy 

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Grammar Help Desk

Did you read Josef's  'MyEC Recommended Features' for this month? I hope so - if you've just checked your email. 

Don't miss the 'Englishclub Grammar' recommended by Josef.  I'd recommend 'Grammar Help Desk', where you can ask any question related to English grammar, and Alan, a native English teacher, will help answer it. 

You may find the 'desk' useful, especially when you're unsure about a sentence you wrote or written by others. Or, when somebody just corrected you, and you doubt whether the correction is right. 

Doesn't it sound like a great place for a correction? Why not try it? 

Incidentally, let's welcome our star members for June - you can see their profile pictures at the top of the main page. Hats off to them and congratulations!

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While most of us think it's helpful to be corrected, some people might not think so. 

You may think it's embarrassing to be corrected in public - you may feel frustrated or disappointed or even offended. 

Making mistakes is part of learning, though. It's hard to imagine you'll be fluent in English without making any mistakes. So, chances are you'll make some mistakes in your writing. That is to say, the mistakes are always there whether somebody corrects you or not. So, why pretend your English writing is already flawless?

Don't try to bury your head in the sand or don't fool yourself - accept it. It's not that you'll lose face - you'll learn from the corrections. We should appreciate the corrections other members made for us. We even encourage you to invite others to correct you. 

The thing is, however, other members may have failed to correct you - they may have read your blog, but somehow failed to make any corrections for you; they may not have been so interested in what you just wrote; they may not have had so much time to correct all the mistakes or they may have thought the mistakes were just minor ones or typos. 

Don't be afraid of making mistakes or being corrected in public - I don't assume your English writing is already good enough if you don't publish any blogs here.

Anyway, I'll make mistakes, too, so I'd appreciate it if any of you tried to correct me or even if you corrected me incorrectly:)) 

'lose face' - to become less respectable because you have been defeated 

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'Any' can be very tricky to use.  It's not uncommon for a learner to make mistakes when using the word 'any'. First, I'd like to give you some sentences for you to get the picture:

Have you got any books to read?

I haven't got any (books).

I haven't got any help, either. 

Are you feeling any better now?

Any book will do - I just want something to read. 

If any of them want(s) to join in the discussion, just let me know. 

Is it any good/use crying over spilt milk?

So, you can see, 'any' is usually used in questions and negatives. Yes, it's normally used in front of plural or uncountable nouns to talk about a quantity or number without being precise. 'Any' can also be used with a singular noun in an affirmtive sentence to emphasize that 'it doesn't matter which'. 

You could write one or two paragraphs by using the word 'any' as much as possible.

Sample paragraph (by Expector)

Have you ever joined in any writing or blog challenges? If you haven't joined in any, then it's time you did so. Any wrting challenge can be so fun, and any of you is/are encouraged to join in or initiate a blog challenge like this. You'll never be excluded from any such challenges. Moreover, there's the bonus that any member here could help correct any mistake(s) in your blog. You can join us any time. Any questions? 

Your turn...

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Evangelina has just published a writing challenge. The reason she did so may be due to the encouraging comments on her previous blog in which she asked if we were ready for or welcome a writing challenge. 

While it seems most of the members think it helpful to take part in a writing challenge, some members may be doubtful about it. They may try to ask this question: what's a writing challenge really for or what's the point?

Tara, the former admin, used to encourage us to write more with her monthly writing challenge. Most of us enjoyed her challenges. She tried to correct us, which is beneficial for improving our English. 

I've tried to help keep it up with my blog challenges. That means you don't have to be an admin like Tara to come up with a writing or blog challenge. That is to say, any member here is encouraged to publish such a challenge for others to practice. 

A writing challenge is supposed to encourage you to write more. You need more writing practice to hone your writing skills. And, you may be corrected if there are any mistakes in your writing and you really want to be corrected - a native speaker or advanced member may help make the corrections. 

Sometimes you just run out of ideas or topics for a blog. That's when a writing challenge may help. 

The topic of a writing challenge is usually something fun, useful or tricky to learn, for example grammar. You'll learn more by joining us for the challenges or discussions. 

What do you say? 

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I've just bought a book on English grammar to celebrate World Book Day

I enjoy reading books on English grammar and have bought scores of such books. I even thought I had enough and the bookstore seemed no longer attractive - I used to be a regular visitor there. 

The fact that I've got enough grammar books, however, doesn't mean I don't need to learn more grammar. I know there's still confusion, or rather, I know there's still something I don't really know about the grammar. 

I just finished reading the book and learned a lot - the book has helped clarify some of the confusion. Now I feel more confident in my ability to write something in English.

So, you might be just one more book away from feeling so good. Always try to read one more book - don't give up! 

Good luck!

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The key is to be readable

Yes, 'to be readable' means 'to be enjoyable and easy to read'. 

I can tell that you do have a great idea or topic or something fun to share with us. You even managed to write a blog about it, but only to find that other members don't seem to be so interested in it. You're so frustrating and wonder what's wrong with your blog. 

If that's true for you, you're not alone in feeling that. It's not easy for a learner to write something readable, even though they may have a wide vocabulary and know all the basic grammar rules. 

You're encouraged to show your large vocabulary, but it's not a good idea to use so many rarely-used words in your blog, which may damage the readability. Something too long or lengthy isn't a good idea, either. A long blog can be so daunting for other members - you should know they read your blog because you really have a fun topic or just because they care, not because there aren't plenty of things to read. 

Keep that in mind and try to shorthen your paragraph or blog - don't spoil an otherwise excellent blog. Yes, the key is to be readable. 

Good luck!

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Yes, I mean 'determiners' by 'articles'. A/an is called 'indefinite article', while 'the' is called 'definite article'. 

Articles can be so tricky to use, though. Sometimes you need to put an indefinite article before a noun or noun group, while sometimes you should use a definite article instead, or don't use anything, which is callled 'zero article'.  

You say 'the Great Wall', 'the BBC', 'the University of London' but 'Hyde Park', 'CNN', 'Beijing University'. 'In prison' and 'in a prison' don't mean the same. You can go to somewhere by car, but you say 'you can drive a /the car'. Here's the link to where you can learn more about articles. 

Your Task

Try to write a blog with the articles in mind. Let's see how well you can use them. A short paragraph will do, though you can write something longer. 

Sample paragraph by Expector

I can't imagine life without MyEC, which means I'd be so unhappy or my life would be so boring if I couldn't visit MyEC. I'm so pleased that I'm a volunteer mod (moderator) of MyEC - I really enjoy the job. It's true  that I'm a busy doctor in a hospital, but that doesn't mean I can't take time to learn English here.

Your turn! 

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