#1 – “You can count on me!” This means “You can depend on me” – I can be trusted to be responsible and get the work done, or do what I say I will do. Note that in English we say count on and depend Read More …
Category: Work
How To Talk About Sensitive Topics
“Don’t talk about religion or politics.” Everyone has heard this classic advice about making conversation in English. These subjects are very delicate. But sometimes, in a small talk conversation, sensitive subjects come up, like terrorism, bad news, politics, religion, or Read More …
English Phrases For Meetings
Let’s begin with a few vocabulary words. The verbs typically used with “meeting” are “have” and “hold”: We’re going to have another department meeting on Friday. Let’s hold a meeting to discuss the policy changes. You can also use “schedule,” “arrange” or “organize” to Read More …
How To Improve Your Reading Speed
Reading can also be time-consuming if your speed is not as fast as you’d like it to be. An average reading speed can range from 200 to 350 words per minute, but that rate can vary depending on the material Read More …
10 Words to Avoid in Formal Writing
Purists may tell you that many of the words in the list below aren’t “really” words at all, but that’s misleading at best. A few of the words are simply misspellings, and the rest often appear in people’s everyday speech Read More …
Why ‘Small Talk’ Is Important in Any Language
The ability to make ‘small talk’ is highly valued. In fact, many English students are more interested in making effective small talk than knowing correct grammar structures – and rightly so! Small talk gets friendships started and ‘breaks the ice’ Read More …
Unprofessional Words to Avoid in Writing
You know that swear words and texting abbreviations (LOL) should not appear in your school reports, of course. But there are other types of unprofessional words that can sabotage your work when writing a research paper or resume. Many should Read More …
10 Tips for Writing Business Emails
Despite the popularity of texting and social media, email remains the most common form of written communication in the business world—and the most commonly abused. Too often email messages snap, growl, and bark—as if being concise meant that you had Read More …
10 Quick Tips to Improve Your Writing
Whether we’re composing a blog or a business letter, an email or an essay, our usual goal is to respond clearly and directly to the needs and interests of our readers. These 10 tips should help us sharpen our writing Read More …
51 Euphemisms for ‘You’re Fired’
A euphemism is a seemingly nice or polite way of expressing a harsh or unpleasant truth. In the Oxford Dictionary of Euphemisms (2007), R.W. Holder observes that euphemism is often “the language of evasion, hypocrisy, prudery, and deceit.” To test Read More …