Expector Smith's Posts (219)

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I've noticed that some members here may be tired of the blogs about learning or teaching English. They think we should try to pay more attention to those blogs which are not directly related to English learning or teaching. 

Yes, MyEC is more than just a great place for learning or teaching English. 

First, it's a social network. We can mingle with other people from around the world. You can communicate with others by writing blogs, uploading photos, chatting, or joining in a discussion. Sure, you can also make friends here. In fact, there's more to explore. 

But MyEC is different from any other website, or rather it's unique. While you're expressing yourself in English here, you're actually learning or improving your English. Anyone who reads your blog may help to point out the mistakes in your writing. I mean 'English grammar or spelling errors' by 'mistakes', not 'a wrong opinion' - it's possible, though, they may disagree with you or even argue with you at the same time. 

Yes, MyEC has its own rules, which means you should abide by them whenever you publish a blog or chat with others. 

I may have failed to express myself clearly or correctly. Try to tell me what I've missed by leaving a comment here!

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You may have noticed that there are so many native English speakers here on MyEC and most of them may actually be native English teachers. 

I really enjoy reading their blogs and comments - I do appreciate all their great work here. I'm glad so many of them are trying to teach us English - I take my hat off to them!

Don't you think they are of great help? Do you think it's one of the attractions of MyEC, or can you think of a MyEC without native English speakers? And, which native speaker(s) here do you like most? Why?

If you were a native English speaker or teacher, would you like to take time or take trouble to help teach English here? What's the point?

Just imagine if this was a club of your first language or mother tongue, would you try to sign up here and read all the blogs by members who are not native speakers of your language? 

That might be food for thought. Let's talk about it!

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To put it simply, collocation means 'some words are often used/placed together', for example, 'make a mistake', 'make your bed', 'do the warshing up', etc. 

Some people may not agree that collocation should include idioms, fixed expressions or phrasal verbs, such as 'keep it up', 'here and there', 'shut up'. So, what's really a collocation is still arguable. 

It makes sense, however, to take the time to learn about collocation if you really want to sound natural. You say 'fast food' or 'heavy smoker' instead of 'quick food' or 'strong smoker'; you say 'Thanks a lot' or 'feel someone's pulse' rather than 'Thank you a lot' or 'touch someone's pulse'; you say 'You're interested in something', but you say 'You're proud of something' or 'You're worried about something'. 

Let's try to write a blog by focussing on a word's collocation - you could try to look the word up in a dictionary - pay attention to the collocation of it. 

Sample paragraph by Expector

Making a decision can be so hard. It's especially true when you're trying to make a big/major decision, which means you should be careful when your decision is final, or rather, when you need to make the final decision as to which way to go - you may regret a wrong decision. So it's not a good idea to make a snap decision, especially when you're facing a tough/hard/difficult decision, or when you're trying to reach/come to a decision on/about something important.  

So, you see I just practised using the collocation of the word 'decision'. Your turn now...

P.S.  Don't confuse 'collocation' with 'collection', 'allocation' or 'collaboration'. 

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Yes, you can see the profile pictures or avatars of our new members in the upper-left area of the MyEC main page. 

You may find there's no comment on the new member's page if you try to click on a new member's profile picture. That means nobody has visited their page, or at least, nobody has left a comment for them. 

Imagine you are one of the new members or newbies who just signed up to become a member of MyEC. You don't know where to start - you could be so confused. You don't know where to find all the useful things you need to learn or how to take the advantage of being a member of MyEC. You decide to come back another day. The next day, you sign in again, and to your surprise or delight, there's a comment on your page - somebody has just left a comment for you...

Don't you think it's a good idea to welcome a new member by leaving a comment on their page? Do you think it makes sense to help new members to know the ropes? Did anybody here greet you when you were a new member? How much did the welcome help you or encourage you? 

Yes, a simple 'Welcome to MyEC' will do - it's more desirable if you can take the time to leave more on their page. Who said 'MyEC is just such a great community', so let's try to show the new members how great this club is or can be. 

Oh, I'll go and click on a new member's profile picture in the 'Members' box. Hey guys, feel free to share you ideas about this:)

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Yes, 'gave you away' means 'showed something about you that was a secret'. 

Some members here on MyEC keep copying other's writing from the Internet instead of writing their own. They might have wanted to share what they thought was worth sharing, or they might have tried to fool us into believing the blog was written by themselves. 

But we're not allowed to do that -  not to copy a piece of writing from the Internet without the permission from the author. Don't plagiarize

I know it may be so hard for you to write something. You could try to start with something easy or short. You don't need to write something lengthy or complicated. A short paragraph will do.

And, your writing doesn't need to be perfect. Don't be afraid of making mistakes when you're writing - you're even expected to make some mistakes here and there in your writing because even native speakers make mistakes too. 

You may have thought, 'How could Expector know the blog wasn't written by me?'  Now you know the answer: It was the perfection that gave you away. Yes, the writing was too polished to be written by an English learner like you, or you can say 'It's too good to be true'. 

I hope our members will try to let me know if you notice a blog which is copied from the Internet. Try to google it or yahoo it when you're not so sure.

Yes, we encourage you to write your own blog; we appreciate the blogs written by you.

Note

The construction 'too...to...' has a negative meaning: 'so much...that...not possible', for example, you can say 'I'm too old to learn' or 'He's too young to marry her'. 

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The sky's the limit

Yes, it's an idiom, which means 'there is no limit to something'. 

You can use the idiom to say there is no limit to someone's success or achievement, for example, you can say 'The sky's the limit for anyone who really wants to excel at English'. 

The idiom can be so useful - it depends on how well you get it. You can also use it to say you can write whatever you want or talk about anything you like. 

However, that's not what I'm trying to say. What I mean is how much hard work we need to master English. 

We've been learning English for ages, but it seems we still aren't fluent in it. We just keep learning - reading, listening, writing or speaking. It seems the sky's the limit, even though we're beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel

Yes, it takes a lot of time and effort to master a foreign language, say, English. Keep learning and enjoy - it may be a matter of a lifetime. Never give up and good luck!

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Yes, Josef Essberger, the founder of both EC and MyEC,  just liked my blog post. That really made my day! What an honour - I do appreciate it!

I still remember it was Josef who invited me to MyEC -  I used to be active in the forums of EC.  Now, I've been so actively involved in MyEC, and really enjoyed being the blog mod(moderator). I'd also like to thank Tara, the former admin of MyEC, who thought I was such a keen learner of English, and recommended me for the blog mod. 

My English wouldn't have improved so much but for Josef and Tara - it's their encouragement that has helped me to keep it up! In fact, I can't imagine life without MyEC. I'll try to do my best to help make MyEC even more enjoyable. 

So you can see, even Expector was so grateful for just a click on the 'Like'. That's to say, maybe everybody here needs to be encouraged. So don't forget to click on the 'Like' after reading a blog - even better if you take time to add a comment on it. Let's help each other or encourage each other!

PS  You should have noticed the difference between 'EC' and 'MyEC':

EC for EnglishClub/www.englishclub.com

MyEC for MyEnglishClub/www.myenglishclub.com

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Yes, this structure can be used to talk about the possibility that something happened in the past. 

For example, you can say 'Expector may/might/could have missed my blog.' (You're not certain whether it was actually the case, though.)

'Could have' can also be used to say there was a possibility of something happening in the past, but it didn't happen. For example, 'I could have been killed.' (But in fact you weren't killed.)

It's such a useful structure - let's try to create a blog to practice it. 

Sample paragraph

I wonder if Expector has missed my blog. As the blog mod here, he's supposed to read and even leave a comment on the blogs. Besides, he commented on every blog I wrote. So he might have missed my blog, or he may have read the blog, but failed to leave a comment or click on the 'Like'. He might have decided he wouldn't bother to leave a comment on every blog - only on the blogs which he thought derserved one. I could have tried to let him know when I published the blog - he could/would have commented on it if I had done so. 

Bonus

I'll try to correct you if I spot a mistake in your blog - of course,  if you really want to be corrected:)

Your turn...

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Keep your head above water

Yes, it's an English idiom, which means 'manage to deal with responsibilities'. 

That's not what I'm trying to say, though. People here (where I live) use 'underwater' or 'dive' for those who keep reading or watching but don't bother to leave a comment or say something to show they're here/online.

They'll try to hide. Sometimes they failed to show up for weeks or longer. The thing is you can tell they are still online - you know they're watching. They must have had a good reason to do so - maybe they're just not in the mood for a comment or something they're trying to do. 

It's good they're still here. They're still keep an eye on us - still involved, if not really interested. I'd appreciate their company, even though they'd say nothing for weeks or even months. 

What I'm really trying to say is: try to surface from under the water for some fresh air - leave a comment, join in the discussion, publish a blog, etc.

Yes, you got it: Keep/get your head above water:)

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Did you ever wonder why someone failed to leave a comment on your blog? If your answer is yes, you're not alone. 

The majority of us here would enjoy the comments left by other members on our blogs. Sometimes you may have hoped to know a certain person's opinion about what you just wrote - you even thought the person was supposed to add a comment on it. You just kept waiting, but failed to see any comments by that person. Then you may have asked yourself, 'How could he/she have failed to leave a comment on my blog?' 

Below are some reasons why someone failed to leave a comment on your blog:

--They may have missed your blog.

--They noticed your blog, but failed to read it.

--They did read it, but somehow failed to leave or add a comment.

--They may have thought they were not so sure about what you wrote.

--They may not have been interested in what you were talking about. 

--They may have thought you were already an active member and didn't need to be encouraged by a comment.

--They may have decided not to comment on every blog. 

What could be other reasons someone failed to comment on your blog? Would that bother you? Or you just don't care, right?

P.S. You can use 'they' instead of 'he/she' - 'their' instead of 'his/her'.  But some people don't think the usage is correct. 

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Be creative or be careful

To put it simply, should we be creative or careful when we're learning or using a language? 

I assume 'be creative' means you don't need to abide by all the rules of a language completely. If it's right, do we need to learn all the rules? I wonder if it's possible for a learner to be creative when they're trying to learn or use a language. Or rather, do we need to learn how to walk before trying to run?

I may have failed to understand it 'be creative', jus as I failed to get it 'think in English'. But one thing is sure: being creative doesn't really mean making mistakes. No matter how creative you may be, the sentence you make should be at least grammatically correct if there's no way for you to sound natural. 

Some people, however, are so careful when they're using the language. They'll look up any word for the correct usage. They won't write or say it until they see or hear someone else do it. They're trying to be natural - to speak or write as a native speaker.

Do you think it's a good idea to be creative or be careful when you're trying to learn or use a language?

Your sentiments will be highly appreciated - go ahead!

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Did you ever wonder why some of the blogs were featured while others not? If so, you have a lot of company. 

When the blog is thought to be worth recommending

When the admin or blog mod thinks a blog is worth recommending or reading, the blog will be featured. Featured blogs are usually well written, interesting/fun, useful or helpful. 

Featured blogs don't have to be flawless or perfect

You may have found there were even mistakes (grammar, spelling, or other) in the featured blogs. It's quite possible, and we don't think there's such thing as flawless or perfect. Even native English teachers make mistakes, though.

Featured blogs are not always written by active members

Sometimes they're written by beginners or newbies. It's not uncommon that a newbie's first ever blog here was featured - it means they have just written only one blog, but the blog was featured. 

Your blog could have been missed and failed to be featured

Sorry, some of the blogs were missed. The admin or blog mod could have missed your blog or just failed to include your blog on the list of the featured blogs - they may have found your blog was worth recommending but just somehow forgotten to. 

Featured or not featured? - 'Big deal?' or 'Who cares?'. Yes, you got it! So, just keep writing or blogging. Have fun!

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Yes, this type of sentence is called 'cleft sentences' - a kind of emphasis. This structure can be used to emphasize almost any part of a sentence.

For example, if we want to give importance to one part of this sentence: Expector enjoyed reading Tara's weekly news. We can use the structure 'It is/was...that(who)...':

--It was Expector who enjoyed reading Tara's weekly news.

--It was Tara's weekly news that Expector enjoyed reading.

Let's try to write a blog post to practice the structure - it can be so challenging and fun.  And, I'll try to correct you if you really want to be corrected. 

A sample paragraph by Expector:

It was a few days ago that I joined Tara's weekly news group. I'm so delighted that so many members here have already joined us there. Some members said it was Tara who inspired them to join in the discussion, or rather, it's not the news itself that's really important - it's our influential Tara that/who truly counts. 

Your turn...

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Tara's Weekly News

Have you joined Tara's Weekly News group? Some of you may even have failed to notice it. 

Tara is no longer the admin here on MyEC, but is still the host of the Weekly News here. So the good news is you can still learn and improve your English by reading and listening to the news Tara rewrites and records. 

I know there are so many fans of Tara. Yes, I love her English too.

Some members here keep arguing that it can be so boring to keep learning the basic rules of English. They mean they need something that's happening or just happend around the world. They find it fun to discuss something new, or the news, instead of the rigid English grammar. 

Don't you think it's a good idea to learn or teach English here while knowing what just happened across the globe, and also knowing what others think of it? That's just what Tara's group is set up for. 

Let the world know what you think of the news and learn English with Tara. See you there!

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Yes, you can put it this way: Whose writing here do you enjoy the most?

I mean 'on MyEC' by 'here'. This is not exactly one of the questions offered by Lydy Anne in her writing challenge, but it's directly connected to them. 

I've really enjoyed Tara's writing here, should it be her writing challenges, comments or messages. Yes, you got it: my type:) 

Tara is a native English teacher, writer or novelist. Her writing is so readable, or you can call it 'plain English' - not exactly means 'simple', even though she does tend to use those words which are easy to understand instead of those which are rarely used or so hard. 

Tara's writing is full of encouragement, inspiration or kindness, or whatever you call it. Yes, it's very helpful or beneficial. She did make corrections for our members, but she think making mistakes is part of the learning. We all appreciate the corrections she made for us, and have learned so much from them. 

For me, no visit to MyEC is complete without reading her latest writing. I never missed a single blog or comment by her. And, to her credit, I should owe my improvements in English to her. 

Thank you Tara for all you've done here for us!

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It's not always so easy to choose one word from a vocabulary of 1 million. But we have to choose one for 2016 - another emoji won't do any more. 

I could have chosen the word 'change', but Tara has chosen it for the new year. I have to choose another one instead. My choice is this word: challenge. Yes, it was 'challenge' not 'change' that I chose.  

In the new year 2016, I may work in another hospital instead - far away from where I live now. I'll still save lives in hospital but in a totally different setting - work on another team, not the same team I'm so familiar with. It can be such a challenge for me - away from my family, to acclimatize myself to a new workplace, new boss and colleagues, and so on. 

We're not sure what'll happen in the upcoming year, but one thing is sure that there'll still be wars or conflicts around the world. Some of them may have to leave their comforts of home, and face the challenges and uncertainty. 

As time goes by, our world and our thoughts or vision may have to change accordingly, no matter how unwilling you may be. 'Change' could mean 'challenge', though. 

Here on MyEC, we'll have to take challenges, too. Our admin Tara will leave and we'll have to embrace a new admin. Maybe the familiar format of MyEC will change, too - not the old reader-friendly one. Besides, we'll still have writing or blog challenges. 

That's why I chose 'challenge' to represent the coming year 2016.  Fingers crossed! 

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Tara is leaving

Yes, our administrator Tara is going to leave MyEC. She's got a new job, a full-time position, and she just announced the change in her new writing challenge. I'm so confused, too - it's the 'challenge' or the 'change' that we need to take. 

She was so sorry to leave MyEC, to leave all of you, but the word 'change' is the one she chose for the new year 2016. 

Maybe you can't believe it or you don't think it's true, but it's the 'change' that you have to accept at the moment, no matter how surprising the news may sound. It must be so hard for her to say goodbye after 12 years at EnglishClub

You may feel lost or feel so sad just as I do. In fact, you have reason to feel that way. We've learned so much from her. I never missed one blog or comment by her, not to mention all the nice messages she sent me. Yes, you can say that again - MyEC wouldn't have been the same without her. 

Let's pay tribute to her at the moment she's about to leave. Let's say thank you, thank you, Tara, our mentor for all the help and inspiration she's given us.  Let's wish her a great success in her new job, new future which does sound just like such a great opportunity. Let's hope everything will be going very well for her and her family. 

Take care, Tara! We'll miss you...

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Imagine you just seated yourself in the airport - waiting for boarding.  That's when you found yourself shaking your legs while seated watching, talking or listening. I just invented this word 'legshakin' for the movement of your legs. I know there's a Chinese word for such leg movement. What do you call it in English? Or can you invent a word yourself for the leg movement?

legshakin ∣noun∣ /legʃeikiŋ/

Example sentence: Legshakin can be so annoying or distracting, but can also be so beneficial for preventing thromboembolism in the leg, especially when you need to be seated for a long time. 

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I used to enjoy buying books and subscribing to magazines - you bet most of them are about English learning. Not until recently, however, did I realize that I shouldn't keep buying such books or magazines any more.

I need to find time to reread some of the articles because I know I may have rushed things when there were so many articles to read.

Yes, it can be so boring to reread the articles which are not new or fresh. I tried to pick up an old magazine (published a couple of years ago) the other day, and tried to read some of the articles, but guess what? I found myself reading them as they were newly published. I learned a lot from rereading the old articles. 

Anyway, I read them to learn English - not to mention they are so well written and still interesting. 

What? New Year's resolutions? Oh, yes, for me, it's the whole box of English magazines I just picked out. Does it sound like a great resolution for a new year?

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suddencognition ∣noun∣/sʌdnkɔg’niʃən/

You use this word to describe a case: when you suddenly realize something after you have tried to get it for a long time. For example, you've learned English since you were little, but not until recently did you begin to know how to use English 'tenses' correctly. Another example: when you suddenly realized what life you really need to live. 

Example sentence: It's wonderful to have the feeling of suddencognition

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