The Little Thing Called Comma

A comma is a punctuation mark that we all know but not all of us can use correctly. Honestly speaking, I still get confused when and when not to use a comma. I don't forget using them, but I think I have a tendency to overuse them. I initially wanted to enumerate them here, but I decided to list useful links instead. 

I also found some funny photos online about the use of comma, so I'm putting them here. I do not own the photos. Credits to the owners. 

this is very helpful in remembering how to use a comma and period

see the difference? without a comma, it's an idiom which means, "it's raining hard".

There is what we call a SERIAL COMMA, but this is a CEREAL COMMA.

unless you really intend to eat your grandma, put a comma after "eat"

notice how a comma changes the meaning of a sentence

if you don't want to be scolded, you better learn how to use commas properly

Learning grammar can be really fun. I hope the cartoons above help you remember the importance of using a comma. 

Here are some links you can visit to learn more about the correct usage of comma:

       http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/607/02/

       http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/commas.htm

       http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/commas.asp

Have fun while learning!!!

Accept vs Except

Accept and except are just two of the many words in the English language that are sometimes confused even by native speakers. Although these two words sound similar, it is very important to learn how to use them appropriately.

Accept is a verb that means " hold as true, receive, admit, give a favorable reply".

• I cannot accept your explanation.
• Please accept my gift.
• She was accepted to medical school. 
• My brother did not accept my invitation.

Except when used as a preposition means "excluding".

• I like all vegetables except celery.

It is also used as a conjunction which means "other than".

• He doesn't visit his parents except to ask for help.

It is rarely used as a verb which means "to leave out, or exclude".

• Minors are excepted from the rules.

From the examples, it is clear that these two words mean different, they can even be opposites. The confusion must be due to their somewhat similar spelling and pronunciation. If you want to use a verb, it is most probably "accept" that you have to use. But if you mean "to exclude" use "except".

Source: Oxford Dictionary of English

How about answering this short quiz? Decide if  it's "accept or "except" that should be on the blank. For verbs, use the correct tense, too. You can post your answers in the comment box.

1. She's good at almost everything ______ dancing.

2. Her application was not ______.

3. Everyone in the class participated in the game ______ John.

4. I didn't have a choice but to _____ his proposal.

5. Jane could not _____ the job offer.

Tips to Enrich Your English Vocabulary

For ESL students, enriching vocabulary might be hard. A lot of my students tell me that their vocabulary is limited and they want to learn more words. So, what are the effective ways to enrich one's vocabulary? Well, there are a lot of ways, just choose one that works for you. Here are some that you might find helpful.

1. Right motivation. Everything starts from one's motivation to learn. Studying anything about English will be difficult if you don't have the right motivation. Study because you want to. If you like studying English, it follows that you enjoy it. When you enjoy doing  a certain task, it becomes easier, right? 

2. Read materials of different genres. If you are into business English, it doesn't mean that you'll only read business English materials. Read other books or articles. You need to be familiar with different words used in different situations. Besides, a business,man doesn't use business English ONLY in his conversations. For example, learn basic medical terms like, flu, asthma, allergy, antibiotic, etc.

3.Think in English. Sometimes, it's hard for an ESL student to answer right away in English because he thinks in his own language then translates his idea to English. If you train yourself to think in English, you can answer right away. You can train your brain to think in English even if you are walking on your way to work or school. For example, if you see a blue car parked outside your office building, think like this, "the car is blue" or "that is my friend's car". 

4. Play word games with friends. There are a lot of word games that can help you learn new words. Two of my favorites would be Text Twist and Scrabble. If you encounter unfamiliar words while playing these games, ask your friend or check your dictionary for the meaning of that word.

5. Practice using the words you learned. A great way to remember the words you learned is to use them whenever possible. It's not enough that you memorize words, you have to practice using them appropriately. Remember that one word can have different meanings depending on the context.

TRIVIA:  The English word that has the most number of definitions is the word SET.

How I Learned English

I've been working for RareJob, an online English school for three (3) years now and a lot of my students ask me how I learned English. It got me thinking. How did I really learn English?

Not that I can clearly remember but, I think English was introduced to me when I was around 2 years old. Most Filipino children learn how to say the parts of the body in English followed by counting in English, 1-10, at least. I also learned the English names of animals when I was around 3 or 4 years old.

In elementary school, I learned to read simple phrases like, "the cat", "a bed", and simple sentences like, "The cat is under the bed.". I learned basic grammar, learned to write simple essays and practiced reading stories until I was in sixth grade. I can't really say that I had enough speaking practice back in elementary. Aside from studying English as a subject, our Science and Mathematics books were also written in English which I think helped a lot in enhancing my vocabulary.

In high school, we continued studying grammar, had more writing and speaking practice. I joined the school's Speech Club. In that club, we recite declamation pieces like this. I am also into writing so I joined the school's newspaper as a contributor when I was in first year and luckily became the chief editor before graduating.Yay!! Writing in English is fun. Back in high school, I just enjoyed writing and didn't really worry so much about using extraordinary vocabularies and expressions.

Entering the university really tested my English skills. A country bumpkin, I was so nervous to talk with my classmates who grew up in the city. What's even surprising was that, they talked to me in English. I stammered a lot when I had conversations with them. Also, most of my subjects used English as a medium of instruction.  Slowly, I was able to adapt to my new environment. Got used to speaking in English and felt more comfortable using English in my conversations with friends and classmates.

In my opinion, reading English books helped me a lot to improve my English skills. Aside from my textbooks, I read novels, short stories, poems, and news.. all in English! I didn't watch so much TV shows in English, so I  am not very sure how I improved my listening skills. My passion for music must have helped. I love music and I listen to a lot of English songs.

Personally, I think being exposed to English at a young age is a factor for one to improve his fluency but that's not everything. I did not have enough chance to improve my speaking and listening skills when I was young, until high school. I would say determination is a bigger factor for you to improve your English skills.