Homonyms - Band

1.   (noun) – musicians

Ø     Bars that hire good bands almost always attract a decent crowd.

Ø     The Jackson 5 was by far one of the most popular bands   in the 70s.

Ø     Justin Timberlake made his name in the 90s boy band,  Nsync, before launching a highly successful solo career.

2.   (noun) – strip

Ø     What happened to all rubber bands I saw on the table this morning?

Ø    That wrist band Ben is wearing monitors his heart rate as he is jogging.

3.   (noun) – group

Ø     Despite being out of politics for more than a decade (= 10 years), he still has a large band of supporters.

Phrasal Verbs - Break (Break down v Break in v Break off v Break out v Break through v Break up)

Break down – to stop functioning

Ø     My car broke down this morning. So, I had to take the bus to work.

Break in (to) – to enter a building by force

Ø     A burglar broke into our house while we were away and stole all the jewellery and electronic items.

Break off

1.  to stop speaking suddenly

Ø     Ms Johnson broke off in the middle of a sentence and stared at the group of noisy children seated at the back of the class.

2.  to end sth

Ø     We were shocked to learn that Zack and Rachael have broken off their engagement.

Break out – to escape from a place

Ø     Despite the heavy security, two prisoners managed to break out of prison last night.

Break through – to achieve or discover sth new

Ø     A few scientists have claimed to be on the verge of (= very close to) a break through in a cure for lung cancer.

Break up – to end a relationship

Ø     Jake and Christina may have broken up, but they’re still good friends.

Similes with Like - Spend Money Like Water

Meaning – spend a lot of money frequently and quickly

Ø     I’m shocked at how some young adults can spend money like water without worrying if they can repay their debts.

Ø     If John continues to spend money like water, his entire  inheritance will be gone in less than 5 years!

Similes With As - As Dry as a Bone

Meaning – very dry

Ø     During summer, the grass gets as dry as a bone. It’s no surprise that people worry about fires.

Ø     It seems Matt has not watered the plants in days. The soil is as dry as a bone.

Homophones - Male v Mail

Male  – man or boy

1.   (adj)

Ø     What percentage of the adult male population in Britain has been unemployed for more than 6 months?

Ø     Engineering is still a very much male dominated industry in  many countries.

Ø     Many of the male students in this college are very active in  sport.

2.   (noun)

Ø     Among the bodies discovered in the abandoned house are three unidentified Australian males.

Mail (noun) – letters/packages

Ø     My new bag arrived in yesterday’s mail.

Ø     Some of the strangest things get sent through the mail.

Ø     The company contacted Sam by mail.

Idioms with Prepositions - At Face Value

Meaning – what something appears to be from appearance.

Ø     You can’t take everything Randy says at face value. He’s constantly exaggerating.

Ø     I took the job offer at face value as I didn’t think that they would try and trick me.

Happy Diwali!

D: Dazzling lights

I: Immense joy

W: Windfall

A: Abundance

L: Lavish festivities

I: Illustrious life

Here’s wishing all my Hindu readers a Happy Diwali! May you have a blessed and joyous celebration with your family and friends! I’ll be back with more writing tips tomorrow:)

Cheers

May 

Phrasal Verbs - Bounce Back

Meaning – recover from a great difficulty

Ø      We were amazed that it took Mike a mere 6 years to bounce back from  bankruptcy and make millions of dollars.

Ø      Despite a poor start, Nick managed to bounce back and win the tennis  match in four sets. 

Similes with Like - Look Like a Drowned Rat

Meaning – to be extremely wet, especially after getting caught in heavy rain

Ø     Poor Eric walked in through the door looking like a drowned rat! Apparently, he got caught in the thunderstorm on the way home from work.

Ø     Despite looking like a drowned rat, Matt was surprisingly chirpy (= happy) and friendly this morning.