Parallel structure: keep lists and comparisons balanced
When words or phrases are linked, give them the same grammatical shape. Match noun with noun, verb form with verb form, phrase with phrase, or clause with clause.
English for work and meetings
Practice expressions used to talk about work, projects and other people. Try each recording before opening the explanation.
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Paraphrasing: express the same idea differently
Read for the main idea first. Then change the sentence structure, choose suitable wording, or combine both. Compare your version with the original and check that the people, action, time, degree, and relationship still match.
Partially proficient: understand this formal description
Partially proficient means having some of the required ability or knowledge, while falling short of the full standard for proficient. It is often an indirect, formal way to say that further development is needed.
Perception meaning: how someone understands something
Perception means the way a person notices, understands, or forms an impression of something.
Present perfect continuous exercise: duration and recent activity
Use the present perfect continuous to show an activity continuing up to now, or a recent activity whose result matters now. Choose have with I, you, we, and they; choose has with he, she, it, and singular nouns.
Procurement meaning: buying for an organization
Procurement means the organized process of obtaining goods or services, usually for a company, public body, or other organization.
Put a sock in it: meaning, tone, and alternatives
Put a sock in it means 'be quiet' or 'stop talking.' It is a blunt, informal expression, so use a direct but polite alternative when you do not know how the other person will take it.
Read between the lines: meaning and use in English
Use read between the lines when the words suggest an unstated message: From her short reply, I read between the lines that she needed more time. It means infer a possible meaning from clues, not find hidden printed words. Ask a direct question when the consequence of guessing is important.
Reconciliation: meanings and examples
Reconciliation means restoring a friendly relationship after conflict, making ideas consistent, or checking records so that their totals agree.
Reference words: avoid repetition clearly
Name the person, thing, or idea first. Then use a pronoun, demonstrative, or relative word only when one earlier meaning is the obvious match. Repeat the noun when two possible matches would make the reference unclear.
Register and formality in English
Choose your register by asking who will receive the message, what you need from them, and how formal the setting is. Use informal English with people you know well, neutral English for most everyday work and service messages, and formal English when distance, authority, or a serious purpose calls for it.
Sanguine: meaning, tone, and examples in English
Sanguine usually means hopeful and confident about the future. Use it when someone expects a good result but does not claim to know the result for certain.