When do I use capital letters?

The rules for using capital letters are different between languages, so here you have the rules for English!

Would you like to practise a little bit? Try this exercise on capital letters. If you want something a bit more difficult, try this exercise to revise the rules for capitalization!

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Problems with commas? Not me!

Hi there!

Today I'm going to post a video that you're absolutely going to love!! And I'm sure it will help you a lot with your commas!

I'll summarize it for you and then you can watch it at the end of the entry :)

So... there are three characters!

The tiny conjunctions are small, and they connect clauses, words and phrases. Because they are so small, they often need the help of a comma, but not always. They are easy to remember with the word FANBOYS!

The mighty subordinants are the heavy-weight champions of sentences! They connect two unequal things, dependent and independent clauses:

Commonly used subordinants are:

They are very strong, so if the sentences are equally distributed on both arms, they don't need help. In other words, if the subordinate is in the middle of the sentence, commas are not needed.

Bartheleme loves to sing even though he never sings in front of others.

However, if the subordinate is at the beginning, we need a comma to help!

Even though Bartheleme loves to sing, he never sing in front of others

Tiny conjunctions are not so strong, so they can ask for help when they connect sentences:

However, the comma is not needed when they connect two phrases (molecular biology or interpretive dance):

Watch the video now (activate the subtitles if you need to) and learn the whole story!

If you want to know more about commas, don't miss these previous entries:

• 8 rules for using commas

• When should you not use a comma: correcting a run-on sentence

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There is life outside wordreference!

This is not the first time I've written about dictionaries other than bilingual ones (using monolingual and collocations dictionaries). Today I'm going to focus specifically on collocations dictionaries, since they have an enormous potential, especially in levels B2 and C1.

A collocations dictionary is a dictionary that tells you which words work together (collocate). For example, do we say aware of something or aware about something?

Do you spend money on or in something?

Which verbs can I use with favour?

More than that, it can help us to improve our writing by providing us with plenty of synonyms. How can I say that something has a lot of potential?

Rather than buying one, I recommend you to use the Oxford Collocations Dictionary Online, available at www.ozdic.com. Enter the website and practise a little bit. Can you improve the following sentences?

Practise with a collocations dictionary.pdf by AnaBueno_LearnEnglish

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Let's try mini sagas!

You'll probably think that writing compositions is one of the most boring parts of language learning... Sitting down in front of a blank paper not knowing what to write about or how best to do it... Even in our own language it is difficult to be a good writer!

But why don't we change the rules of the game?

Writing can also be an exciting, entertaining and funny activity! And it's even better if you do it in groups! In a previous entry (how to improve writing skills) I gave you a few ideas to give writing a different twist, and also to train your brain in generating ideas.

Today I give you another possibility... MINI SAGAS!

A mini saga is a short story consisting of exactly 50 words, not including the title. It must tell a story and have a beginning, middle and end (normally with a twist!). Here you have three examples!

(Taken from New English File Upper-Intermediate)

Apart from being very creative, mini sagas also help you to look for synonyms, expand sentences, reduce others, to obtain exactly 50 words. Playing with language that way is very useful for your English :) And you have fun at the same time!

If you are a teacher, check this lesson plan to work with mini sagas in your classrooms!

So... do you dare to write one? If you need some tips, you can check how to write a mini saga.

I hope to see some in the comments below :)

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When should you not use a comma: correcting a run-on sentence

Hi there!

A couple of days ago I published an entry about rules for using commas. Today we're going to focus on the opposite: when should you not use a comma! More specifically, we're going to focus on run on sentences, which appear over and over again in your compositions. (You have some practice at the end of the entry).

A run on sentence (or run together sentence) is composed of two separate sentences punctuated as if they were only one. Normally, run-on sentences happen because you have in mind two closely related ideas and write them down quickly, with only a comma in between. For example,

Everyone felt happy, it was the first warm day of the year.

Mike forgot the matches, I forgot the salt.

She likes quiz programs, he likes Westerns.

Since you are concentrating on the meaning, you do not stop to notice that you have written two complete sentences which must be appropriately separated...!

WARNING SIGNAL

The second sentence of a run-together often begins with one of the following words: then, there, now, he, she, it, we, they. When you spot one of these "warning signals" in the middle of a sentence, check it carefully. There is a good chance that it is a run-together!!

First she told us how to get there, then she drew a map.

Jack didn't lie, he just exaggerated.

Don't wear the orange coat, it clashes with your dress.

CORRECTING RUN-TOGETHER SENTENCES

There is more than one way to correct a run-together sentence. You decide which one to use!

1. Divide the run-together using a full stop:

First she told us how to get there, then she drew a map.

First she told us how to get there. Then, she drew a map.

2. Use a semicolon (;) instead of a comma:

We had to leave Fluffy at home, Grandma doesn't like cats.

We had to leave Fluffy at home; Grandma doesn't like cats.

3. Insert a connector like and, but or because after the comma, depending on how the sentences are related:

The living-room is beige, the bedroom is green.

The living is beige, and the bedroom is green.

Last summer I did nothing, this summer I'm going to camp.

Last summer I did nothing, but this summer I'm going to camp.

Ben wore his sunglasses to school, his regular glasses were broken.

Ben wore his sunglasses to school, because his regular glasses were broken.

PRACTICE

Now it's time for you to practice! Click to take a quiz on run-on sentences!

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8 rules for using commas

We all know that punctuation is not easy, and we very often have trouble when writing our compositions. Today we're going to focus on 8 rules for using commas that I hope will help you!

Read the rules and the examples below carefully, and check them again when you write your next composition. If you do this regularly, little by little these rules will become automatic and you won't need to look back at them! :)

(Adapted from www.eslbasics.com)

RULE #1:

Use commas to separate words or phrases in a series of three or more.

I need to pick up bananas, tuna, bread, and ice cream from the grocery store today.

RULE #2:

Use a comma to separate independent clauses when they are joined by and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet. You do not need to use a comma if both independent clauses are short.

We agreed to come with Sarah, but we told her that we would need to leave early.

RULE #3:

Use commas when the relative clause is non-defining, that is, when it gives extra, unnecessary information.

Mr. Perryman, who enjoys playing golf, decided to retire in Florida.

The boy who lives next door to us is in the fourth grade.

RULE #4:

Use commas after introductory phrases and clauses that come before the main clause. If the introductory phrase has less than three words, the comma is optional.

When the clock struck midnight, the carriage turned back into a pumpkin.
After you leave school, make sure to pick up the mail.
Next Saturday we will be getting married.

RULE #5:

Use commas before and after "interrupting words" such as however and therefore.

I would, therefore, like to continue this conversation at another time.

RULE #6:

Use a comma after introductory adverbs.

Fortunately, Samir had remembered to back up his files.
Unsurprisingly, Raul passed the class with flying colours.

RULE #7:

Use commas when directly addressing a person (vocative).

Have you, Millie, considered going to college?
What do you think that means, Doctor?

RULE #8:

Use a comma before question tags.

You're a senior in college, aren't you?


I hope you have found this entry useful! Now make sure you also check the entry When should you not use a comma: correcting a run-on sentence. Little by little we'll become punctuation experts! :)

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How to improve writing skills!

If you want to improve your writing skills, try one of these fun writing activities! They might seem a bit crazy but they do work!!

Taken from ESL Basics

1. Write a story that is made up of 26 sentences, where each sentence begins with a different letter of the alphabet. The first sentence will start with “A”, the second sentence will start with “B”, and so on.
2. Practice using the common suffix “-ion” by writing a paragraph that includes at least 15 words that end in “-ion”.
3. Write a sentence that contains no nouns.
4. Write a sentence that contains four nouns, three verbs, two adjectives, and one adverb.
5. Write a sentence in which each word only has one vowel in it.
6. Write a sentence that contains every letter of the alphabet at least once.
7. Write the longest sentence that you can – without using the letter “e”.
8. Write a paragraph about your most valued possession, using as many possessive pronouns as possible (my, mine, your, yours, his, her, hers, its, our, ours, their, and theirs).
9. Write a dialogue between two people with as many questions as possible.
10. Write down the lyrics of one of your favorite songs. Then use formal English formatting and language to transform those lyrics into a business letter.

Choose one/some of these activities and leave us a comment with your experience! :)

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