Idioms With Prepositions - At a Price

Meaning – for a lot of money, time, effort etc.

Ø     They can make your fairy tale wedding come true, but it will come at a price.

Ø     John may be a successful salesman, but his success came at a price. He hardly has time to sleep, eat or exercise.

Words from The Same Family - Lose v Loss

Lose (verb)

1.   to no longer have sth.

Ø     I’ve lost my parking ticket.

2.   to have sth or someone taken away.

Ø     At least 500 people will lose their jobs if the factory closes.

3.   to stop feeling a certain way.

Ø     I lost interest halfway through the movie.

4.  to have less of sth than before.

Ø     William is trying to lose some weight before Christmas.

Loss (noun)

1.   to no longer have sth or have less of sth.

Ø     Poor Tim suffered a gradual loss of memory as he grow older over the years.

Ø     Wendy’s sudden weight loss is a huge concern to her and her family.

2.   to refer to the death of someone.

Ø     Mr and Mrs Johnson never really got over the loss of their young son.

3.   a situation whereby a company spends more money than it makes.

Ø     Poor sales has led to a loss of millions of dollars at the  company. 

Verbal Idioms - Beat Someone To It.

Meaning – Be the first to do something.

Ø     I was hoping to be the first to wish my sister Happy Birthday, but my mother beat me to it.

Ø     John was so sure he’d be the first in the family to visit Europe, but his sister beat him to it.

Similes with Like - Take to Something Like a Duck to Water

Meaning – to get used to and enjoy something new immediately.

Ø     Cindy’s parents were relieved and delighted that she took to tennis like a duck to water.

Ø     Most children take to candy like a duck to water. David,  however, seems to prefer fruit.

Identical Pairs - Bit by Bit

Meaning – slowly, gradually

Ø     Jason came from a poor family. Fortunately, he managed to save up the money he needed for college bit by bit.

Ø     Mrs Williams’ son is relieved that she is improving bit by bit   after her leg operation.

Words from The Same Family - Selfish v Selfless

Selfish (adj) – used to refer to someone who only thinks of their own advantage.

Ø     It would selfish of you not to share any of the food with the other children.

Ø     It was very selfish of him to venture into this risky business without speaking to his family first.

Selfless (adj) – used to refer to someone who cares for other people’s needs and wants instead of their own.

Ø     Wendy is such a selfless person. She’s always trying to help  others.

Ø     John’s selfless devotion to duty has made him one of the most  respected teachers in the school.

Ø     Her countless selfless acts has earned her many friends. 

Similes with As - As Strong As A Horse

Meaning – to have great physical strength.

Ø     Despite being the youngest and smallest athlete on his team,  John is as strong as a horse.

Ø     Sam often fell sick when he was young. However, he’s as  strong as a horse now. In fact, he exercises regularly and  hardly falls sick.

Homonyms - Figure (As a Noun)

1.   (noun) – number

Ø     Sam is hoping to make a six-figure salary by the time he  turns 40.

Ø     Does this figure look like a three or an eight?

Ø     Many people suggested I become an accountant.  Unfortunately, I’m terrible with figures. So, I decided  against it.

2.   (noun) – shape

Ø     We could see two figures in the distance. One was tall and the other was short.

Ø     It’s amazing how Sarah got her figure back (= return to her usual shape) within three months of having her first child.

Idioms with Prepositions - At Hand

Meaning – near in time or position

Ø     We want to ensure that help is at hand (= easily available) for  all victims of domestic violence.

Ø     You should always finish the task at hand before moving on to  the next one.

Verbal Idioms - To Be Hard on Someone

Meaning – to treat someone severely or harshly

Ø     Many people thought Jim was being hard on his son for not finishing first place in the swimming competition.

Ø    Our basketball coach is being hard on us because he believes we aren’t putting in enough effort on the court.

Idiomatic, Identical Pairs - All in All

Meaning – after taking everything into consideration.

Ø     All in all, the organizers have done a great job organizing the Beauty Fair this year.

Ø     All in all, I'm proud to say that you’ve made huge progress in your work in the last three months.

Homonyms - Deal (As a Noun and Verb)

1.   (noun) – agreement

Ø     Sally was delighted she managed to get a good deal      (= paid a low price) on her new house.

Ø     Our company may lose this client if the deal is unsuccessful.

2.   (noun) – amount

Ø      Eric spends a great deal of his time travelling around the world every year.

Ø      A great deal of time and effort has gone into packing and transporting these items from China to Malaysia. 

3.   (verb) – to do business.

Ø    We only deal with companies that are willing and able to pay in cash.

Ø     William is only comfortable dealing with people he is familiar with.

Idiomatic Pairs of Nouns - Hook, Line and Sinker

Meaning – completely.

Ø     My dad didn’t think his friend would fall for his story, but he fell for it hook, line and sinker.

Ø     The con artist was so convincing that the crowd fell for the  scam hook, line and sinker.

Homonyms - Catch (As a Verb and Noun)

(verb)  

1.  to grab hold of someone or something

Ø     Our cheeky dog managed to run out of the house before any of us could catch it.

Ø     Sarah was very lucky Tim managed to catch her before she collapsed onto the floor.

2.  notice

Ø     James was furious when he caught his girlfriend going through his belongings.

Ø     This beautiful painting caught my attention just as I  was about to leave the gallery.

3.  travel

Ø     Sarah always catches the 8am bus to work.

Ø     Randy is rushing to catch the last train home.

4.  become sick or infected

Ø     Sam was really annoyed that he caught the cold just as he was about to go on holiday.

Ø     A lot of children at school recently caught measles.

5.  be in time

Ø     We got home in time to catch the men’s Wimbledon   finals.

(noun)

1.  a hidden disadvantage

Ø     The job offer sounds too good to be true. What’s the catch?

2.  the amount of fish caught

Ø     The fishermen were delighted with their catch that day.

3.  used to refer to a person being considered as a suitable partner or spouse

Ø     Kelly’s new boyfriend’s a good catch. It’s no wonder she’s all smiles (= to look happy) lately.

Words from The Same Family - Belief v Believe

Belief (noun)

1.  the feeling of being certain that something exists or holds true.

Ø      His battle against leukemia has only strengthened his belief in God.

Ø      Recent events have shaken the public’s belief in (= caused the public to have doubts about) politicians.

2.  something that one believes.

Ø     Despite being a multicultural country, all religious and political            beliefs are respected equally in Malaysia.

Ø     Her strong belief in hard work has enabled her to become a successful entrepreneur.

Believe (verb) – to think that something is true, real or correct.

Ø      Strangely, none of our relatives believed us when we told them we were planning to start our own business.

Ø      I believe Sarah’s travelling alone this time.

Similes with Like - Spread Like Wildfire

Meaning – to travel with great speed (for news or rumours)

Ø      News of the CEOs death spread like wildfire through the company. In fact, everyone was talking about it over lunch.

Ø      Rumours of more lay-offs within the company spread like wildfire. It’s no wonder everyone looked so nervous and worried.

Verbal Idioms - (To) Break Even

Meaning – to make neither a profit nor a loss in a business.

Ø     After paying rent, the company barely broke even.

Ø     I hope our company can break even by the time we enter our third year of operation.

Homonyms - Cost (As a Noun and Verb)

1.   (noun) – money spent

Ø     Most families in the cities require two salaries to cover the cost of (= pay for) raising a family.

Ø     Many people are struggling with the rising cost of  (= increasing price of) healthcare.

2.   (verb) – money

Ø     It costs a lot to own a property in Melbourne.

Ø     This trip will cost me at least $2000.

3.   (verb) – destroy

Ø     His affair cost him his marriage and children.

Ø     Drinking and driving nearly cost Alex his life.

Idiomatic Pairs of Adjectives - Through Thick and Thin

Meaning – through good times and bad times

Ø     William is one of my closest and oldest friends. He’s stuck by me through thick and thin.

Ø     Despite having only known each other for a few years, Kent and Randy have stuck by each other through thick and thin. In fact, they have become almost inseparable. 

Details of September 2016 Mini Writing Workshop

Dear readers, 

I'm delighted and excited to announce that I'll be conducting my very first mini writing workshop this month! Details are as follows:

Date: 25^th Sept 2016 (Sunday)

Time: 9.30am – 1pm

Venue: Switch Flipper

            50-3A, Block E, Jln PJU 1/3B,

                Sunway Mas Commercial Centre,

                47301

                PJ

           

What is covered:

1.     Present Simple.

2.     Present Continuous.

3.     Adjectives of Comparison.

4.     Adjectives with ‘ed’ and ‘-ing’ Endings.

Bonus:

1. Catch digital marketing trainer and the guest speaker of the day, Fabian Khaw, on How to Succeed at Social Media Marketing in 2016.
2. 1 complimentary consultation session on email writing.

Normal Rate: RM 118/pax.

Early Bird Rate: RM 98/pax.

Group Rate: RM 168 for 2 pax.

TERMS & CONDITIONS:

• Maximum 15 students per session. First come, first serve basis.
• Register by 16^th September 2016 for early bird rate.
• Closing date for registration: 19^th September 2016.
• Seats will be reserved for paid participants only.

PAYMENT ACCOUNT DETAILS:

Name: Naik Siang May

Account No: 7015 903411

Bank: CIMB

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PAID PARTICIPANTS:

Kindly email the following to maynaik23@gmail.com:

1. a copy of the payment slip.
2. participant(s) full name(s).
3. participant(s) contact number.

For further inquiries, please contact May at:

Tel: 018 3867939.

Email: maynaik23@gmail.com.  

Hope to see you there!

May

Homonyms - Spoil (As a Verb and Noun)

1.   (verb) – destroy

Ø      Sam has decided not to let the bad news spoil his morning and went for a jog in the park instead.

Ø      You’ll spoil your appetite for dinner if you have a snack now.

2.   (verb) – to treat someone too well, especially by being generous

Ø     I sometimes spoil myself by having ice-cream for dessert.

Ø     Brenda spoils herself by shopping for bags when she feels  miserable.

3.   (verb) – to allow a child to do or have anything that it wants to.

Ø      Despite being in his 30s, Frank still sulks like a spoilt child when he doesn’t get what he wants.

4.   (noun) – profits

Ø      In the past, the spoils of victory/war included mounds of treasure and land.