English Help Online's Blog

Today I’d like to write about a common adjective, “slow”. This is another example of a word that has other meanings that many people don’t know about. Of course, the main meaning is for a thing or a person to take a long time to move, but I’d like to go over its other meanings today.

1. for a period of time to not be very active. For example:

I had a slow day today. I just read a book and cleaned up my apartment.

I’m worried that the years after my retirement will be really slow.

2. for a company or store to not have many customers. For example:

Business has been very slow recently. We have to find a way to attract more customers.

It’s a slow night at the bar tonight because it’s a Tuesday. It will get busier on Friday and Saturday nights.

3. for a clock or watch to be behind the real time. For example:

Is it really 4:00 now or is that clock slow?

My watch is a little slow. Can you tell me what time it is?

4. for a person to have trouble understanding something which is easier for other people. For example:

My brother is a little slow when it comes to math.

The students in this class aren’t stupid. They’re just slower than the other students in the school.

English Help Online is now offering people the chance to take email lessons. The format of the lessons is the same as for my blog, and I focus on business English and daily conversation. If you or anyone you know needs to improve business English writing skills or simply wants to learn more natural expressions for daily conversation, my email lessons are the most convenient and least expensive way to do that! I can send free samples to anyone who is interested!

If you’d like to learn more about this, please go to my website.  The link for that site is:

http://www.englishhelponline.net

If you choose the full package you will receive sixteen lessons a month (four lessons a week) by email, writing assignments with full corrections and a voice recording of each lesson!

If anyone has any questions, please let me know.

Yesterday I wasn’t able to write a blog entry. I’m afraid I’m getting quite busy these days and I won’t be able to write my blog as often as I have been.

Anyway, the blog entry for today is the adjective “dull”. This word has three meanings in English:

1. to be boring. For example:

The party last night was really dull. I wish I hadn’t gone.

My husband has become really dull recently. He never wants to go out and do anything anymore.

2. to not be sharp. For example:

This pencil is really dull. Do you have a pencil sharpener I can borrow?

My kitchen knives are so dull. I need to get them sharpened.

3. to not be shiny or bright. For example:

My kitchen floor is really dull right now. I need to polish it.

The colors in this painting used to be bright, but they have faded over the years. Now, as you can see, the colors are quite dull.

Some people think the word “dull” means “dumb” or “stupid”, but it doesn’t. Also, please note that this word can mean “boring”, but it doesn’t mean “bored”.

English Help Online is offering people the chance to take email lessons. The format of the lessons is the same as for my blog, and I focus on business English and daily conversation. If you or anyone you know needs to improve business English writing skills or simply wants to learn more natural expressions for daily conversation, my email lessons are the most convenient and least expensive way to do that! I can send free samples to anyone who is interested!

If you’d like to learn more about this, please go to my website.  The link for that site is:

http://www.englishhelponline.net

If you choose the full package you will receive sixteen lessons a month (four lessons a week) by email, writing assignments with full corrections and a voice recording of each lesson!

If anyone has any questions, please let me know.

Today’s adjective is “appetizing” and is used to describe food. However, we don’t use it to talk about the way food tastes. In that case, we would say “delicious”, “good”, “excellent”, etc. We use the word “appetizing” to say that a certain food looks, smells or seems delicious before we eat it. For example:

Look at the pizza at the table next to us. It looks really appetizing so I’d like to order the same thing.

My friend described this amazing recipe for lemon chicken that she made last night. It sounded really appetizing, so I got the recipe from her and I’m going to make it this weekend.

Durians don’t smell very appetizing, but they taste really good.

A: Here try some of this. It’s really good.

B: Well, frankly, it doesn’t look so appetizing. I don’t think I’d like it.

So, as you can see from my examples, we can use “appetizing” in both positive and negative sentences. Please remember that we can’t use this word after a person has eaten something; it’s only about the perception they have of the food before they eat it.

English Help Online is offering people the chance to take email lessons. The format of the lessons is the same as for my blog, and I focus on business English and daily conversation. If you or anyone you know needs to improve business English writing skills or simply wants to learn more natural expressions for daily conversation, my email lessons are the most convenient and least expensive way to do that! I can send free samples to anyone who is interested!

If you’d like to learn more about this, please go to my website.  The link for that site is:

http://www.englishhelponline.net

If you choose the full package you will receive sixteen lessons a month (four lessons a week) by email, writing assignments with full corrections and a voice recording of each lesson!

If anyone has any questions, please let me know.

Today’s adjective is “compassionate”, and it is used to describe a person who has a lot of sympathy for another person in a bad situation and then does something to help them. For example:

Mother Theresa was one of the most compassionate people in the world because she helped extremely poor people in India.

My aunt is a very compassionate woman. She volunteers to give food and blankets to homeless people.

Why didn’t you give any money to that charity? It’s to help sick children in this city. You should be more compassionate!

A: Who’s the most compassionate person you know?

B: It’s my friend, Nancy. She’s always giving money to charity.

It’s important to note that if we describe a person as “compassionate” they must take action and do something to try to help people. It’s not enough to simply feel sympathy for people.

Also, please note that in my last example, the person replied by talking about a person in his/her life. When someone asks us about a person that we know, it has to be a person that we personally know. We don’t talk about famous people in these situations.

In addition, please note that because this is an adjective that ends with -ate, the pronunciation of the last syllable is /it/. Therefore, we pronounce this word /kum PASH shun it/.

English Help Online is offering people the chance to take email lessons. The format of the lessons is the same as for my blog, and I focus on business English and daily conversation. If you or anyone you know needs to improve business English writing skills or simply wants to learn more natural expressions for daily conversation, my email lessons are the most convenient and least expensive way to do that! I can send free samples to anyone who is interested!

If you’d like to learn more about this, please go to my website.  The link for that site is:

http://www.englishhelponline.net

If you choose the full package you will receive sixteen lessons a month (four lessons a week) by email, writing assignments with full corrections and a voice recording of each lesson!

If anyone has any questions, please let me know.

It’s Wednesday, so that means it’s adjective day! Today’s adjective is the word “atrocious”, and it is used to describe something that is really, really bad. For example:

The dialogue in that movie was atrocious! Who wrote the script for that?

My sister is an atrocious cook! Everything she makes tastes horrible!

Did you see the dress that Kim was wearing the other day? It was purple  and red with a strange picture of a flower on it. It was just atrocious!

The service at that restaurant was atrocious the last time I went there! I’ll never go back again!

My brother is an atrocious driver! I’m scared every time he gets behind the wheel of a car!

Generally, we don’t use this word to describe people except when describing their role at doing something (cook, driver, etc). It’s more common to use “atrocious” to describe things or situations.

The pronunciation of this word is /at TRO shus/.

English Help Online is offering people the chance to take email lessons. The format of the lessons is the same as for my blog, and I focus on business English and daily conversation. If you or anyone you know needs to improve business English writing skills or simply wants to learn more natural expressions for daily conversation, my email lessons are the most convenient and least expensive way to do that! I can send free samples to anyone who is interested!

If you’d like to learn more about this, please go to my website.  The link for that site is:

http://www.englishhelponline.net

If you choose the full package you will receive sixteen lessons a month (four lessons a week) by email, writing assignments with full corrections and a voice recording of each lesson!

If anyone has any questions, please let me know.

Last week, I wrote about the adjective “uptight”, so this week I’d like to write about its opposite “laid-back”. This word is used to describe a person who is very relaxed and flexible about things like rules. For example:

I was late for work this morning, but my boss is really laid-back so he didn’t care.

My parents are really laid-back when it comes to the guys I date. I had a boyfriend once who had many tattoos, but it didn’t bother them.

I used to be really uptight when I was younger, but now I’m much more laid-back. I’ve learned not to take life so seriously.

A: Who’s more laid-back – your mother or your father?

B: My dad is way more laid-back than my mom! She used to scold me all the time, but he almost never did.

The word “laid-back” is a little bit casual. If you want a slightly more formal word, you can use “relaxed”.

English Help Online is offering people the chance to take email lessons. The format of the lessons is the same as for my blog, and I focus on business English and daily conversation. If you or anyone you know needs to improve business English writing skills or simply wants to learn more natural expressions for daily conversation, my email lessons are the most convenient and least expensive way to do that! I can send free samples to anyone who is interested!

If you’d like to learn more about this, please go to my website.  The link for that site is:

http://www.englishhelponline.net

If you choose the full package you will receive sixteen lessons a month (four lessons a week) by email, writing assignments with full corrections and a voice recording of each lesson!

If anyone has any questions, please let me know.

This week’s adjective is “uptight”, and native English speakers use this word to describe a person who is not flexible at all especially when it comes to following rules. These people are usually very serious and have no sense of humor. For example:

My new boss is so uptight about the dress code. He makes all the men wear a jacket and tie even in the summer!

A: We can’t leave until 6:00, and it’s only 5:57!

B: Don’t be so uptight! It’s only three minutes!

My parents have gotten really uptight since they retired. They used to be really fun and open-minded, but now they seem to disapprove of everything I do.

We have a new supervisor coming in, and I’ve heard he’s really uptight! I’m not looking forward to working with him!

Obviously this word is very negative, so we don’t usually use it to describe ourselves. Also, we don’t usually say it directly to another person. Therefore, it’s very rude to say “You are so uptight.” to another person; however, sometimes we say “Don’t be so uptight!” as in my second example. Please note that you should only say this to close friends but never to someone of higher status than you.

English Help Online is offering people the chance to take email lessons. The format of the lessons is the same as for my blog, and I focus on business English and daily conversation. If you or anyone you know needs to improve business English writing skills or simply wants to learn more natural expressions for daily conversation, my email lessons are the most convenient and least expensive way to do that! I can send free samples to anyone who is interested!

If you’d like to learn more about this, please go to my website.  The link for that site is:

http://www.englishhelponline.net

If you choose the full package you will receive sixteen lessons a month (four lessons a week) by email, writing assignments with full corrections and a voice recording of each lesson!

If anyone has any questions, please let me know.

Last week, one of my students asked me about the adjective “desperate”, so I thought it would make a good blog entry for today. We use this word to talk about a person’s feeling when they choose something they normally wouldn’t choose. They do this because they feel they have no other choice. For example:

I didn’t want to take this job, but I was desperate! There were no other jobs available.

I know this apartment isn’t good, but we were desperate. There are so few apartments available in this city right now.

I made a mistake when I started dating Laura. I didn’t love her but I was desperate for a girlfriend, so when she asked me out, I said yes.

I’m so bored right now! I’m desperate for something to do. I’ll even help you clean the house, and I hate cleaning!

We can also use this word to talk about something that a person really, really wants. For example:

I’m desperate for a really good meal in a nice restaurant! It’s been such a long time since I’ve done that.

My friend is desperate to get married and start a family. It’s what she has always wanted.

I’m desperate to find out what happens on that TV show! It’s so interesting right now!

As I mentioned a little while ago in my blog about the adjective “affectionate”, all adjectives ending in -ate are pronounced /it/. Therefore, the pronunciation of this word is /DES prit/; it only has two syllables.

English Help Online is offering people the chance to take email lessons. The format of the lessons is the same as for my blog, and I focus on business English and daily conversation. If you or anyone you know needs to improve business English writing skills or simply wants to learn more natural expressions for daily conversation, my email lessons are the most convenient and least expensive way to do that! I can send free samples to anyone who is interested!

If you’d like to learn more about this, please go to my website.  The link for that site is:

http://www.englishhelponline.net

If you choose the full package you will receive sixteen lessons a month (four lessons a week) by email, writing assignments with full corrections and a voice recording of each lesson!

If anyone has any questions, please let me know.

Today’s adjective is the word “agile”, and it is used to describe a person or an animal that can physically move quickly and easily. For example:

My children are very agile. They can get up and down off the jungle gym at the park so easily.

My neighbor was trying to catch a stray cat that’s in our area, but cats are very agile; it’s very difficult to catch them.

I’m not as agile as I used to be. Lately, it’s become very difficult for me to run. I guess I’m getting old.

If you’re going to join the army, you have to be quite agile.

As I mentioned before, this word is about physical movement; it’s not about people’s minds or how well they think.

English Help Online is offering people the chance to take email lessons. The format of the lessons is the same as for my blog, and I focus on business English and daily conversation. If you or anyone you know needs to improve business English writing skills or simply wants to learn more natural expressions for daily conversation, my email lessons are the most convenient and least expensive way to do that! I can send free samples to anyone who is interested!

If you’d like to learn more about this, please go to my website.  The link for that site is:

http://www.englishhelponline.net

If you choose the full package you will receive sixteen lessons a month (four lessons a week) by email, writing assignments with full corrections and a voice recording of each lesson!

If anyone has any questions, please let me know.

Today’s adjective is “affectionate”, and it is used to describe a person who shows their love for another person through physical touch or with their words. For example:

I love to hug my friends, so I’m a very affectionate person.

Were your parents very affectionate with you when you were a child?

My husband isn’t very affectionate, especially in public. He won’t even hold my hand when we’re out.

My parents are still very affectionate with each other. Even after 30 years together, they still say I love you to each other.

Generally speaking, Japanese people are not as affectionate as European people, but I have a Japanese friend who’s very affectionate.

Please be careful with the pronunciation of this word. As I’ve mentioned before, all English adjectives ending in -ate have the pronunciation of /it/. Therefore, this word is pronounced /af FEK shun it/. If you’re not sure, you can check it with The Free Dictionary. There is a pronunciation icon for every word with both British and American pronunciation. The link for that site is on my blog.

English Help Online is offering people the chance to take email lessons. The format of the lessons is the same as for my blog, and I focus on business English and daily conversation. If you or anyone you know needs to improve business English writing skills or simply wants to learn more natural expressions for daily conversation, my email lessons are the most convenient and least expensive way to do that! I can send free samples to anyone who is interested!

If you’d like to learn more about this, please go to my website.  The link for that site is:

http://www.englishhelponline.net

If you choose the full package you will receive sixteen lessons a month (four lessons a week) by email, writing assignments with full corrections and a voice recording of each lesson!

If anyone has any questions, please let me know.