Homonyms - Tie (As a Noun and Verb)

Tie

1.   (verb) – fasten

Ø     Tie your shoelaces before you trip over them.

Ø     Tanya likes to tie her hair back when she’s at work.

2.   (verb) – finish equal

Ø     I was delighted when John and I tied for the first time in the Mathematics quiz.

Ø     We tied with a team from the North in the football match.

3.   (noun) – a long, thin piece of material usually worn by men, and tied in a knot at the front.

Ø     My father always avoids wearing a tie if possible.

Ø     All male employees in this company are expected to wear a jacket and tie to work.

Homophones: Branch v Brunch

Branch (noun) 

1. one of the offices that form part of a big organization.

• Jessica is always so busy because she's a branch manager of a large bank.
• The company is planning to close several of its rural branches.
• I like banking with HSBC because they have two branches near where I live.

2. tree part.

• We are going to try and pluck the mangoes on the lower branches of the tree.

Brunch (noun) - a meal eaten in the late morning and combines both breakfast and lunch.

• My family and I love having brunch together on weekends.
• Since we woke up late this morning, we decided to skip breakfast and have brunch instead.

Verbal Idioms: Bring to Light

Meaning - Reveal, Disclose, To make sth known

Ø      Her research has brought to light new information about the singer’s life as a poor student.

Ø      The police investigation brought to light the extent of the corruption in   the company.

Homophones: Heal v Heel

Heal (verb) 

1.   to become well again (after a cut or injury)       

Ø      I can't wait for my wound to heal! It's been almost a week since I've been to the gym.

Ø      John had to rest for months before his torn muscle healed.

2.   used to refer to painful emotions or bad experiences.

Ø      It often takes a long time for a broken heart to heal.

   

Heel (noun) – the rounded part at the back of the foot.

Ø      Tim couldn’t walk properly initially because of a stone that was digging into his heel.

How to Write the Perfect ‘Thank You’ Email for Any Situation By Abigail Hess

1. After a networking meeting

Danny Rubin, email expert and author of "Wait, How Do I Write This Email?," says that the secret to the perfect thank you email after a networking meeting is to keep the conversation going.

Rubin writes, "Within 24 hours of your networking meeting, you need to send a thank you email. It's not enough to say 'Thanks so much' when you're in the room with the person."

One way you can increase the likelihood of your contact responding to your message is to recap what you learned from your conversation. "Show the person you value his/her advice. In fact, you find the person's wisdom so notable that you repeat it back."

Rubin explains that repeating a person's advice is "a major ego boost and an added incentive for the person to pass along your resume, meet up again or send networking emails on your behalf."

    2. After hosting an event

If you host an event, thanking your guests is the best way to keep in touch and take advantage of the social capital your event hopefully generated.

In this situation, Rubin suggests using the "wrinkle method." A "wrinkle" is a moment that caught people by surprise and made the event memorable. By including one of these special moments in your email, the "wrinkle method" allows you to develop a personal relationship before you "jump right into business."

*To read more about the 'wrinkle method', please go to https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/17/use-the-wrinkle-method-to-get-people-to-respond-to-your-emails.html.

     3. After an interview

Sending a follow-up email after an interview is a crucial step when applying for a job. The key with the follow-up message is to include something the person said in the conversation that stood out to you. That way, it proves you listened and makes the message stronger than a basic 'Thanks again!

Another way to make sure that your email improves your chances of landing the job is to read their website, brochures and pamphlets to get a sense of how they communicate and what they value. If a company repeatedly uses the word "synergy," use similar but more conversational words like "teamwork" and "collaboration."

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/22/3-ways-to-send-the-perfect-thank-you-email.html

How to Write the Perfect Cover Letter By Emily Moore

Cover letters are your opportunity to not only show that you have the background and knowledge needed to do the job well, but that you're also passionate, charismatic and well-informed. For many people, though, it's a daunting task. With so much information to convey, where do you get started?

1. Contact Info

Don't make recruiters dig through your cover letter to find your name and contact info — include it up top so they can easily reach out.

2. Greeting

Forget "To Whom It May Concern." If you can find it, address the recruiter/hiring manager by name.

3. Intro Paragraph

• Relevant anecdotes, quotes, fun facts, etc. are all good ways to make your opening line stand out.
• Make it clear that you know who the company is, what they do and what they care about.
• Mention a few roles, projects, experiences, traits or passions that make you the ideal candidate.
• If someone at the company has referred you, this is the place to name drop them.

4. Body Paragraph(s)

• Incorporate keywords directly from the job description.
• Whenever possible, include concrete metrics that illustrate the results you've achieved.

5. Closing Paragraph

Summarize, don't plagiarize. Reaffirm your interest, passion and qualifications from earlier in the letter, but don't make it sound redundant.

6. Additional

• Cover letters should be clean and easy to read — skip the intricate designs and crazy fonts for party invitations.
• Like a resume, keep the cover letter to one page. If necessary, hyperlink your portfolio, website, or samples of your work.
• Saving your cover letter as a PDF file will ensure the formatting won't change.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/12/how-to-write-the-perfect-cover-letter.html

Homophones - Week v Weak

Week (noun) - a period of seven days

• I'm looking forward to an exciting week of fun and excitement in London!
• My brother tries to go to the gym at least three times a week.

Weak (adj) - not strong 

• It's normal to feel weak when you are sick.
• Due to his weak leadership, the company is now bankrupt.
• John gave a weak excuse when asked why he was late. 
• How do you like/take your coffee - weak or strong? 

Homonyms - Plot (As a Noun and Verb)

Plot

1.   (noun) – the storyline of a book, film, play etc.

Ø     The movie had a very complicated plot.

2.   (noun) – a secret plan.

Ø     The police managed to uncover (= discover) the robbers’ plot to rob a house in this neighbourhood.

3.   (noun) – a piece of land.

Ø     There are a few plots of land for sale in this town.

Ø     The Smiths are looking to sell their plot of land for a lucrative profit (= a huge profit).

4.   (verb) – to make a secret plan.

Ø     We were shocked to hear that Sam was plotting to ruin the company.

Ø     There are many parties plotting to overthrow the government.

Words from The Same Family - Criticize v Criticism

Criticize (verb) - to express disapproval of somebody or something.

• The government is being severely criticized for failing to address the rising cost of living.
• If I criticize him, he'll ignore me.

Criticism (noun) - the act of disapproving of somebody or something.

• John was very sad when he heard his teacher's criticism of his artwork.
• The government is currently facing severe (= very serious) criticism for failing to address the rising cost of living.
• Her boss's criticism has made Julie realise her mistake.
• Not many people respond well to criticism.

Words from The Same Family - Died v Dead

Died (verb) - to stop living or existing.

• She died of/from cancer.
• My elderly neighbour, Mr Smith, died in his sleep (= while he was sleeping) last month.

Dead (adj) - not living anymore.

• I can't believe my grandmother's been dead for nearly 20 years now.
• He was dead by the time the ambulance arrived at his house.
• Sam spends a lot of time raking up dead leaves in the autumn.

8 Email Mistakes That Make You Look Dumb by Danny Rubin

In Danny Rubin's recent article titled, '8 Email Mistakes That Make You Look Dumb', I've noticed 3 very common mistakes people tend to make. 

1. Don't use the wrong name or company.

Sometimes, we need to send the same general email to several different people, but the emails go out one person at a time.

In those moments, be extra careful about the person's name and, if included, the person's company. Otherwise, it's awkward to send an email to someone but include the name of the person who received your previous email. Yikes.

Even if you use a mail merge, check yourself early and often.

2. Hold back from capitalizing the wrong words.

The biggest culprits: job titles and "important-sounding" words.

Job titles:

Incorrect: I'm a Marketing Coordinator at Acme Corporation.
Correct: I'm a marketing coordinator at Acme Corporation.

Explanation: Job titles are lowercase unless they come before your name (ex: Marketing Coordinator Jane Doe is…).

Important-sounding career words:

Incorrect: Common phrase in a resume objective statement — Experienced Team Leader with strong Organizational Skills and a Successful career in Management.

Correct: Experienced team leader with strong organizational skills and a successful career in management.

Explanation: We don't capitalize non-specific career words no matter how important they seem ("Successful"). If you attend the Acme Team Leader Training Seminar, then the words are uppercase because they're a proper name.

3. Easy on the acronyms and jargon.

Let's say you're a researcher for a pharmaceutical company and work in a division called RDT. You use the expression "RDT" 25 times a day, and to you the acronym obviously means "Research and Development Team."

To anyone outside of your team — possibly at the same company — RDT means…well, nothing.

Every time you include an acronym in an email — or resume, cover letter and presentation — you must follow one basic rule: provide the full name of the acronym on first reference.

To view the full article, please go to:

http://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/12/8-email-mistakes-that-make-you-look-dumb.html

8 Punctuation Mistakes That Make You Look Dumb By Danny Rubin

1. Run-on sentences

The first punctuation mistake on our list occurs when there's no punctuation at all because the sentence keeps going when the writer should add a period but instead continues on and there's no end to the line and the reader is worn out but there's no period in sight so when does it all end?

Rewritten:

The first punctuation mistake on our list occurs when there's no punctuation at all. The sentence keeps going when the writer should add a period. Otherwise, the reader is worn out, but there's no period in sight. When does it all end?

Read your sentence aloud. Does it feel like you go on too long? If so, add a period or two to break up different thoughts/ideas.

2. Way too many commas

A sentence with too many commas, makes our writing hard to process, because we include unnatural stops in the flow of a thought, and it's frustrating, for the reader.

Wasn't that last sentence annoying?

There's no easy answer for reducing comma usage. The best course of action is to read your work aloud and look for places where a comma causes an unnecessary pause.

3. Double exclamation points

Double exclamations have no place in a work email. I make no apologies for that rule.

There's a difference between energetic and overkill, and it happens somewhere between ! and !!

If you're on G chat or talking to a friend through Gmail, go nuts!!!

But when it comes to work, the double exclamation is double trouble. You need people to feel comfortable using you or your firm. If you drop !! everywhere, it could be seen as a red flag.

4. Ugly hyphens

I think there's a clean way to use hyphens and an ugly way. The unsightly approach? Something like:

Lesson 1- Introductions

The hyphen right up against the "1" looks sloppy.

In my opinion, there are two ways to improve "Lesson 1- Introductions."

1. "Lesson 1 – Introductions"

2. "Lesson 1: Introductions"

Option #1 is a dash with space on either side.

Option #2 is a colon. Both choices look better than "Lesson 1-" because they're more orderly.

Whenever you need to separate words for emphasis (ex: in a bulleted list or main title), look out for the misplaced hyphen and make the correction.

5. Emojis

You need a strong relationship with a business associate before you start including smiley faces, "prayer hands" and whatever else.

For email introductions and other business correspondence, emojis are a no-go.

6. ALL CAPS

Emails in all caps FEEL LIKE THE WRITER IS SCREAMING AT YOU. Unclick caps lock, start over and write sentences with normal capitalization.

7. The contraction "y'all"

As in, a hybrid of "you" and "all." For example, "Great seeing y'all at the conference!"

Why no "y'all"? It's too casual and colloquial. Avoid it and go with something like, "Great seeing your team at the conference."

8. Two spaces after a period

Writing emails or other online content calls for one space after a period. Two spaces over and over throughout a blog post or website content will drive readers crazy. I mean, crazy.

One space and you're done. Every time.

www.cnbc.com/2017/06/13/8-punctuation-mistakes-that-make-you-look-dumb.html

Selamat Hari Raya to All Muslim Readers!

Here's wishing all Muslim readers Selamat Hari Raya! May you have a joyous and blessed celebration with your family and friends!

Warm regards.

May 

Homonyms - Lean (As a Verb and Adjective)

1. (verb) - to cause to slope in one direction or to move the upper part of the body in a particular direction.                                                    - Mike leaned forward to listen more closely to what Kelly had to say.        - The neighbour's mango tree seems to be leaning over to our side.           
2. (adj) - not fat.                                                                                        - After months of dieting and exercising, Ken looks lean and fit.                - Jake's lean physique allows him the freedom to wear almost anything.                                 
3. (adj) - efficient.                                                                                    - It seems management is trying to keep the company as lean as            possible by reducing wastage and laying off employees.                                                                  

Confusing and Misused Words - Forth v Fourth

Forth (adverb)

out or away (from one place) or (from a aprticular point) in time forward

Ø     Mary tried to calm her crying baby by rocking it back and forth.

Ø     The group of friends set forth on their Asian tour in early August.

Ø     Luke met with an accident while drinking and driving a few months ago. From that day forth, he never drank again.

Fourth – an ordinal number (4^th).

Ø     Daniel was delighted that he finished fourth in the marathon.

Ø     Sally’s house is the fourth one before the junction.

Idiomatic Pairs of Nouns - A Hue and Cry

Meaning – a general protest of public anger or disapproval.

Ø     The introduction of the goods and service tax (GST) last year caused a great hue and cry.

Ø     There was a hue and cry when the government recently removed subsidies for essential items like sugar and oil. 

Words From the Same Family - Please v Pleasing

Please

1.     (exclamation) - used to make a polite request.

Ø     Could I have a glass of water, please?

Ø     Please remember to close all the windows and lock all the doors before you leave.

2.     (verb) – to make someone happy or satisfied.

Ø     Poor Sarah only got married to please her family.

Ø     Sam is such a sweet boy. He’s always so eager to please.

Pleasing (adj) – to give a feeling of satisfaction or enjoyment.

Ø     The music in the background is so pleasing to the ear (= to listen to).

Ø     It was pleasing to know that the customers were satisfied with the food.

Homophones - Letter v Latter

Letter (noun) – a written message, usually sent by post.

Ø     Due to the long holiday, it took nearly a week before I received the letter from the bank.

Ø     Now that we can easily email each other, hardly anyone ever writes letters anymore.

Ø     Upon receiving my grandaunt’s letter, my grandmother immediately opened it and read it out loud to the rest of the family.

Latter (adj) – the second of two names, things or groups previously mentioned.

Ø     I had to choose between making more money and taking a holiday, and I chose the latter.

Words From The Same Family - Time v Timely

Time (noun) - seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years.

• Time flies (= passes quickly) when you're having fun.
• Paula likes sitting at cafes to pass the time.
• We'd save a lot of time if we took the train. 
• I worked as a part time waitress for a short period of time when I was in college.

Timely (adj) - sth happening at the best possible moment.

• The strengthening of the Ringgit (RM) not only provided a timely boost to the company's stagnant (= not moving) profits, but also made travelling abroad more affordable for the rest of us.
• Tom's timely reminder saved me a lot of time and unnecessary stress. 

Homonyms - Wind (As a Noun and Verb)

Wind

1.  (noun) – a current of air

Ø     It’s best to stay indoors today as the forecast warned of winds up to 70 miles per hour today.

Ø     David ran like the wind (= very fast) when the dogs started chasing after him.

Ø     The wind is slowly starting to pick up (= get stronger). Hopefully, we can fly the kite soon.

2.  (verb) – to turn or make something turn.

Ø     Wendy wound (= past simple of wind) the window down the minute she got into the car.

Ø     The clock still failed to work even after John had wound it up.

Words from The Same Family - Different v Difference

Different (adj) – not the same.

Ø     Jason is different now that he’s started working.

Ø     Kelly is completely/very different from her twin sister, Kate. Kelly’s sociable but Kate’s shy.

Ø     Every word in the English dictionary has at least two different meanings.

Difference (noun) – not the same.

Ø     What’s the difference between a leopard and a cheetah?

Ø     There’s not much difference in taste between these two brands.

Phrasal Verbs - Blow Sth Up

1.   fill with air

Ø     The kids would happily agree to help you blow up these balloons if it means they don’t have to study.

2.   to print a photograph or picture in a larger size

Ø     Mom wants to blow up/enlarge some of the photos and have them framed up.

Idiomatic Pairs of Nouns - By Leaps and Bounds

Meaning – very quickly, very much.

Ø      Mr Chong’s English has improved by leaps and bounds ever since he hired an English tutor.

Ø      That company is growing by leaps and bounds. I won’t be surprised if they open another office very soon.