by Phil Williams | Sep 9, 2014 | Exercises, Grammar, Reading Exercise, Writing skills
As the many uses of the different aspects of English can make choosing between the different tenses confusing, it may help to look at specific narrative texts or sections of English dialogue and analyse why the writer or speaker chooses different tenses. To help...
by Phil Williams | Jul 16, 2014 | Definitions, Grammar, Writing skills
Simple sentences are formed in English containing an independent clause that forms a grammatically complete action, event or idea. A simple sentence should have a complete noun and verb relationship with any necessary additional information. To make writing more...
by Phil Williams | May 8, 2014 | Writing skills
Formal, or polite, sentences often use the passive voice because it sounds more impersonal and neutral. Active sentences, on the other hand, can seem personal, or direct, which can sound too casual or too aggressive. Consider the following active sentences, and how...
by Phil Williams | Apr 15, 2014 | Writing skills
This exercise will test your use of the tips offered in the previous lesson, Writing Informative Email Subject Lines. Below, I have given you 9 possible email summaries, explaining the contents of a complete email. These become increasingly complicated. For each email...
by Phil Williams | Apr 9, 2014 | Writing skills
Informative email subject lines must be short and descriptive. It is a challenge to be noticed in someone’s inbox, so make sure your business and information emails get straight to the point and highlight important information, without being dramatic or appearing like...
by Phil Williams | Apr 2, 2014 | General English, Writing skills
Calendar dates can be written in a wide variety of ways in English, and the choice often depends on formal or informal writing, personal style and whether you are writing British or American English. Whatever the format, in British English, dates are usually written...