Sunday 23 June 2013

How to master English effectively

Hello everyone ..Today I would like to share 6 ways to master English effectively. 

1) Listen to Englis
  Try to listen to as much English as you can. For example news reports. They are useful because the newsreaders speak slowly and clearly.

2) Get an English - speaking conversation buddy.
    Practicing your English with an English speaker. You will fell comfortable with them and able to hear the rhythm of native English speaker's language. You will improve your own pronunciation and pick up new vocab too.

3) Watch English language films and television.
    A great way to immerse yourself in English is to watch a film or television programme. Keep a pen and pencil and make  a note of any new words you learn.

4) Test yourself.
 There are many sites online where you can test your vocabulary or grammar. Practice makes perfect.

5) Read English.
    It really does not matter what you read , but try to do it regularly. You may prefer to read a newspaper or download the lyrics to your favourite songs. You also prefer to browse the internet for articles that interest you.

6) Make mistakes.
    Fear s the biggest obstacle you have to face when learning a language. If you make a mistake , people  tend to correct you gently and eventually they have to correct you less and less. Mistake are how we learn so write things down as you learn from your mistakes.






Tuesday 11 June 2013

How to make toast

Good morning everyone.. Time for breakfast .. Come on! Let's try to make toast.. Sound delicious ...


Steps

  1. 1
    Choose the kind of bread you wish to use. You can use just a regular white bread, or a specialty bread like rye, whole wheat, brown or french.

  2. 2
    Using a 'bread' knife, slice your bread to fit the toaster unless it is pre-sliced. Many brands do this.

  3. 3
    Carefully put your slices of bread into the bread slots of the toaster or rack of a toaster oven.

  4. 4
    Choose the setting depending on the type and thickness of the bread, and on how brown or crunchy you want it. If you are unsure, put on a low setting and if necessary after, repeat at a higher setting.

  5. 5
    Push down the toaster plunger to turn it on.

  6. 6
    Carefully remove the hot toast from the toaster after it pops up.

  7. 7
    Place the toast on a plate, remove your oven mitt and spread toast with butter, peanut butter, jam or whatever you prefer on one side.

  8. 8
    Slice in half, quarters, or leave whole.

How to Cook a Basic Omelette



Ingredients

  • 2 to 3 eggs
  • Dash of milk
  • Butter/Cooking Oil
  • Seasoning
  • Salt

EditSteps

  1. 1
    Crack open two eggs and put into a bowl or jug.

  2. 2
    Add a dash of milk.

  3. 3
    Whisk the mixture until the egg is completely mixed into the milk. Make sure there are no lumps in the mixture.

  4. 4
    Melt some butter into a frying pan or put some cooking oil into a frying pan and spread it around while heating on a medium setting (the setting doesn't really matter which is why this is a great recipe for new cooks).

  5. 5
    Pour the mixture of eggs and milk into the frying pan and leave for a few moments.

  6. 6
    After a minute or so use a spatula or fork to lift the edge of the omelette up to check the underside. If it is going brown flip the omelette to cook the other side, if it is yellow with no brown spots or areas then leave for a few moments more.

  7. 7
    Check the second side once it has also been cooked for a few moments and if it is brown or has brown areas then your done!

  8. 8
    Use a fork or spatula to lift onto a plate and then finish off as desired.

  9. 9
    Finished.




grammar notes

Comparative/superlative

Comparative is the name for the grammar used when comparing two things. The two basic ways to compare are using as .. as or than. Examples of each are shown below:
  • She's twice as old as her sister.
  • He's not as stupid as he looks!
  • I'm almost as good in maths as in science.
  • This book is not as exciting as the last one.
  • The cafeteria is not as crowded as usual.
  • Russian is not quite as difficult as Chinese.

  • This computer is better than that one.
  • She's stronger at chess than I am.
  • It's much colder today than it was yesterday.
  • Our car is bigger than your car.
  • This grammar topic is easier than most others.
  • I find science more difficult than mathematics.
  • Today's ESL lesson was more interesting than usual.

Note: In each of the example sentences above, the comparative form of the adjective is shown. See the foot of this page for information about the comparison of adverbs.
When comparing with as .. as, the adjective does not change. When comparing with than, however, some changes are necessary, depending on the number of syllables the adjective has:
1-syllable adjectives: add -er to the adjective
  • My sister is much taller than me.†
  • It's colder today than it was yesterday.

Note: If the word ends: consonant-vowel-consonant, then the last consonant is usually doubled in the comparative. Examples: big-bigger, fat-fatter, hot-hotter.
2-syllable adjectives ending in -y: change the -y to -ier
  • She's looking happier today.
  • This grammar topic is easier than the last one.
  • Why is everyone else luckier than me? †

Beware: Do not confuse adjectives and adverbs. 2-syllable adverbs ending in -y must be compared with the word more. Example: I drive more quickly (quicklier) than my brother.
Other 2-syllable adjectives: use more with the unchanged adjective
  • The shops are always more crowded just before Christmas.
  • Is there anything more boring than reading about grammar?
  • My sister is more careful with her writing than I am with mine.

Note: The comparative of some shorter 2-syllable adjectives can be formed with -er. Examples: simple-simpler, clever-cleverer, narrow-narrower. To be sure which comparative method to use, you will need to consult a good dictionary.
Adjectives with 3 or more syllables: use more with the unchanged adjective
  • Russian grammar is more difficult than English grammar.
  • My sister is much more intelligent than me.†
  • I find maths lessons more enjoyable than science lessons.
  • The older you get, the more irritating you become.


In the superlative you talk about one thing only and how it is the best, worst, etc. You do not compare two things. The following guidelines apply to the superlative:
1-syllable adjectives: add -est to the adjective (plus the)
  • My sister is the tallest in our family.
  • Yesterday was the coldest day of the year so far.

Note: If the word ends: consonant-vowel-consonant, then the last consonant is usually doubled in the superlative. Examples: big-biggest, fat-fattest, hot-hottest.
2-syllable adjectives ending in -y: change the -y to -iest (plus the)
  • The richest people are not always the happiest.
  • Which do you think is the easiest language to learn?
  • She's the luckiest person I know.

Beware: Do not confuse adjectives and adverbs. 2-syllable adverbs ending in -y form their superlative with the words the most. Example: Of all the people I know my father drives the most quickly (quickliest).
Other 2-syllable adjectives: use the most with the unchanged adjective
  • The most boring thing about ESL class is doing grammar exercises.
  • My sister is the most careful person I know.

Note: The superlative of some shorter 2-syllable adjectives can be formed with -er. Examples: simple-simplest, clever-cleverest, narrow-narrowest. To be sure which superlative method to use, you will need to consult a good dictionary.
Adjectives with 3 or more syllables: use the most with the unchanged adjective
  • Some people think that Russian is the most difficult language.
  • Albert Einstein was the most intelligent person in history.
  • My most enjoyable class is English.
  • You are the most irritating person I have ever met!

Following are two common irregular comaparative/superlative forms:

  • good-better-the best
  • bad-worse-the worst


The following guidelines apply to the comparative/superlative of mostadverbs:
1-syllable adverbs: add -er/-est
  • I can run faster than you. / I can run the fastest in my class.
  • She works harder than me.† / She works the hardest of all students.

Other adverbs: use more / the most*
  • She ran more quickly than me.† / Of all the students she ran the most quickly.

* In informal English it is common to hear the adjectival comparative/superlative form of two-syllable adverbs. For example: She ran quicker than me.† | She ran the quickest.
† Many educated English speakers prefer to use the nominative plus a verb rather than the accusative in such comparative sentences, especially in formal situations. They say, for example, My sister is taller than I am. or She ran more quickly than I did.The alternative, omitting the verb as in the following examples, is considered to be even more formal and is avoided by most British English speakers: My sister is taller than I. orShe ran more quickly than I.
Do a quiz on the comparative | superlative.

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