Your “prayers not answered” means your “expectations not fulfilled.” The TAO wisdom explains why: your attachments to careers, money, relationships, and success “make” but also “break” you by creating your flawed ego-self that demands your “expectations to be fulfilled.”

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Learn Some Slang Expressions

Learn Some Slang Expressions

Have not the faintest: have no idea at all.
e.g. I had not the faintest what he was talking about.

Darned sight more: a lot more.
e.g. "Do you think he should put more effort on this?" "A darned sight more!"

Have it in for someone: bear someone a grudge; be determined to punish someone.
e.g. All these years he has it in for you: you married his sweetheart.

Put one's shirt on: wager everything.
e.g. We have to put our shirt on this project; we've no other option.

Pooped: exhausted.
e.g. I was pooped after working for nine hours in the yard.

Hard put to it: in a very difficult situation.
e.g. I understand that when you are out of employment for so long, you are really very hard put to it.

Have a load on: be very drunk.
e.g. Your husband seemed to have a load on when he came home from work yesterday.

Alive and kicking: in good health.
"How is she doing?" "Very much alive and kicking."

Say-so: permission.
e.g. Do I have your say-so to launch the project?

See with half an eye: see easily.
e.g. The mistake is so obvious: you can see it with half an eye.

All at sea: confused.
e.g. "What do you think of the proposal?" "I'm all at sea; I'm completely clueless."

Jump on: blame or criticize strongly.
e.g. You jumped on him every time he opened his mouth.

Gift of the gab: ability to give effective speeches.
e.g. The new Mayor has the gift of the gab: people like listening to him.

Keep one's head above water: stay out of debt or a difficult situation.
e.g. In this economic environment, it is not easy to keep your head above water.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau

Thursday, December 3, 2020

They May Look Alike

Lean / Lien

Lean means incline or tilt; lien is a legal claim.

e.g. Stand up straight and don't lean against the wall.
e.g. There is a lien against your house if you don't pay its property tax.

Recourse / Resort


Recourse means an appeal to; resort means turn to for help.

e.g. We may have recourse to compulsion.
e.g. If there is no solution, we may have to resort to force.(as a verb)
e.g. We may have to open it with a knife as a last resort (as a noun).
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Indoor / Indoors

Indoor is an adjective; indoors is an adverb.

e.g. Basketball is often an indoor game.
e.g. It is raining; we'd better go indoors.

Smother / Smolder


Smother means cause difficulty in breathing; smolder means burn slowly.

e.g. For a while, we were smothered by the dense smoke.
e.g. The ashes at the fireplace were still smoldering.
e.g. For years, hatred smoldered in her heart.

Regardful /Regarding


Regardful means paying attention or showing respect for; regarding means concerning or relating to.

e.g She is regardful of all her customers.
e.g. Regarding this matter, I think you didn't get it right.

Infamous / Notorious


Infamous means evil or wicked; notorious means well known for something discreditable.

e.g. He was an infamous kidnapper.
e.g. Everybody knows that she is a notorious liar.


Emigrate / Immigrate

Emigrate means to move to a country; immigrate means to come to country.
e.g. Many people like to emigrate to the United States.
e.g. Those who immigrate from other countries must abide by the laws in this country.

Complacent / complaisant / compliant

Complacent means self-satisfied; complaisant means too eager to please; compliant means obeying or submissive
e.g. I was filled with a complacent satisfaction when I eventually completed the project.
e.g. You are too complaisant with your boss: you over flatter him.
e.g. Unlike the computer, people are not compliant, and neither are they predictable.

Eminent / Imminent

Eminent means important or outstanding; imminent means coming soon.
e.g. He is an eminent author whose books have been translated into multiple languages worldwide.
e.g. Look at the dark clouds above; I think a storm is imminent.

Overdo / Overdue

Overdo means do too much; overdue means past the deadline date.
e.g. This is good enough; don't overdo it!
e.g. The payment is now overdue

Wander / Wonder

Wander means to walk aimlessly; wonder means to consider or question some issue.
e.g. The hiker lost his direction and wandered in the forest for some hours.
e.g. I wondered if he would come to the birthday party. 

Born Borne

Born means to be brought into existence; borne means to be carried or tolerated.
e.g. Don't take me for a fool; I wasn't born yesterday!
e.g. The heavy burden of taking care of his family was borne by borne by him for many years.
e.g. All human sorrows can be well borne if you have faith in God. 


Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau

Better English for You

Tuesday, December 1, 2020

Do You Use These Colloquial Expressions?


No can do: I cannot do it..

e.g. "Can you do this now?" "No can do.”

Try as I may: I regret or fail to do something.

e.g. "Can you do something with this machine?" "Try as I may, I can't make it work."

Worst-case scenario: the worst consequence.

e.g.  A blizzard is coming. The worst-case scenario is that all public transport will be suspended.

Pipe dreamSomething impossible or unrealistic

e.g. The Mayor said that building another highway would be a pipe dream in the current economic environment.

Not budging / Not giving an inch / Sticking to my gunsBeing firm.

e.g. "We're not going to cancel the charges. We're not budging."
e.g. Despite the protests, the government would not give an inch.
e.g.  "I'm not moving out. That's out of the question. I'm sticking to my guns."

See to it right awayTake care of a complaint or problem.

e.g. "The tap is leaking." "Yes, I'll see to it right away."

Call for an apologyDemand an apology.

e.g. Your reckless behavior calls for an apology.

In a nutshellIn summary

e.g. "We're having serious financial and relationship problems." "In a nutshell, you want to divorce your wife?"

No can do: I cannot do it..

e.g. "Can you do this now?" "No can do.”

Beats me: I don't know; I've no idea.

e.g. "Do you know how this works?" "Bets me."

Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau

Saturday, September 26, 2020

Expressions to Improve Your Daily Conversation

Learning a language takes time and effort, especially if it is not your first language. Even if it is your mother tongue, you still need time and effort to master it because almost every language has its own slang and colloquial expressions, and the English language is no exception.

Language is forever changing. What is currently acceptable or popular may be replaced by something else in years to come, and the use of slang is a strong testament to that. Slang is just an alternative way of saying something. It is sometimes hard to identify what is slang and what is not. Slang and colloquial expressions are often acceptable in informal writing because they are used in communication in movies, newspapers, radio, television, and other mass media The more you learn, the more you will know when to use or not to use them in your formal writing. No matter what, knowing these common everyday expressions is a plus for all ESL learners.

e.g. Come on, make it snappy (i.e. be quick)


e.g. The performance is only so-so. (i.e. okay, but not too good)


e.g. Well, one day you'll tumble to that theory. (i.e. understand suddenly)


e.g. Now is the zero hour. (i.e. time to begin)


e.g. I say, you look poorly today. What's up? (i.e. look unwell)


e.g. Don't give me the small beer. Just tell me what happened. (i.e. unimportant details)



Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau

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Monday, August 3, 2020

Correct Use of Pronouns

Incorrect Pronouns

According to a Stanford University Study, using the wrong words is common in English writing, particularly in ESL learners.


So, be careful with your choice of words. Let’s take a look at the use of pronouns.

Possessive pronouns are: mine, yours, ours, his, hers.

This book is mine. = This is my book.

This pen is yours. = This is your pen.

This chair is ours. = This is our chair.

This car is his. = This is his car.

This hat is hers. = This is her hat.

This is its origin. = This is the origin of it.


APOSTROPHES are added to nouns to show possession.


e.g. The manager’s assistant (singular); the managers’ assistant (plural).


APOSTROPHES are added to pronouns to show contraction.


e.g. It’s = it is; they’re = they are; we’re = we are; he’s = he is; she’s = she is.



Pay attention to the difference between the subject pronoun and the object pronoun.


e.g. He and I took part in the competition. (not me)


e.g. It was who won the medal. (not me)


e.g. Please discuss this between him and me. (not between he and I)


e.g. You will have to ride with him and me. (not with he and I)


Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau



Saturday, August 1, 2020

Paragraph Writing

Any piece of writing -- whether it is exposition (defining or explaining), description, narration (telling a story), or persuasion (arguing) -- is composed of paragraphs. To write well, you must have relevant ideas that are well presented in your paragraphs. 

How do you write an effective paragraph if you have all the ideas?

You begin your paragraph by identifying the topic. You can achieve this objective using several different approaches: 

  • Direct approach -- saying directly what the paragraph is all about -- e.g. "Racial discrimination is a social problem in the United States." 
  • Indirect approach -- "Iron is essential for life. It is required to transport oxygen in the blood, as well as to burn food and body fat. Iron deficiency has long been a health concern in the medical field. But, recently, scientists discovered that too much iron could cause cancer and heat diseases."
  • Limiting-the-subject approach -- limiting and specifying the topic -- e.g. "Fasting is the most effective way to permanent weight loss," 
  • Catching-attention approach -- arousing the curiosity of the reader -- e.g. "Do you want to lose weight without losing your mind?"

Do not make the opening too long or too short. If it too long, the reader seems to know what you are going to say and may not want to continue reading; if it is too short, the reader may not be able to digest what is about to be discussed.

An effective paragraph should be adequately developed. That means you need to give your point of view, and this can be expressed as:a personal tone: e.g. the use of I, me, and my, or as an impersonal tone, that is, keeping your own views well below the surface. Wherever possible, give examples or facts to support your point of view, followed by a logical deduction or conclusion.

Vary the length of your paragraphs. Make some paragraphs longer, and some shorter, but never too long.

To write an effective paragraph, you must practice writing as much as possible. The more you write, the more you know how to write, and the better you will write.

Stephen Lau
Read my book Effective Writing Made Simple. Click here for more. 

Friday, July 24, 2020

Misuse of the Semi-Colon

Misuse of the Semi-Colon

The Semicolon is one of the punctuation marks frequently misused in writing.

A semicolon is used between a dependent clause and an independent clause.

e.g. Although he was very tired; he did not want to go to bed. (incorrect)

e.g. Although he was very tiredhe did not want to got to bed. (a comma should be used instead)

A semicolon is used to introduce a list.

e.g. The box was filled with everything but booksclothing, snacks, hammers and tools. (incorrect)

e.g. The box was filled with everything but booksclothing, snacks, hammers and tools. (a colon should be used instead)

A semicolon is not used between an introductory phrase and the rest of the sentence.

e.g. Her hands tremblingshe managed to pour the toxic liquid into the tube. (incorrect)

e.g. Her hands tremblingshe managed to pour the toxic liquid into the tube (a comma should be used instead)

Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau

Saturday, July 18, 2020

Learn Some American Idioms

Act one’s age: behave maturely
e.g. Stop behaving like a teenager! Act your age.

Call someone on the carpet: scold or reprimand
e.g. If you late for work one more time, the manager will call you on the carpet.

Full of crap: talking nonsense all the time
e.g. I don’t like your friend; he’s full of crap.

Lead someone astray: cause someone to do something wrong or illegal
e.g. If you are always in the company of lawbreakers, you  may be easily be led astray.

Pass the hat: collect money for
e.g. He is always passing the hat for something.

No can do: impossible
e.g. He asked me for more money. I told him no can do.

Bag your face: shut up!
e.g. You and your loud mouth! Go and bag your face!

One’s days are numbered: about to die or to be dismissed
e.g. The manager doesn’t like her.  I would say her days are numbered.

Occur to someone: come to mind
e.g. It never occurred to me that I would fail my driving test.

Live beyond one’s means: spend more than one can earn
e.g. You are in debt because you are living beyond your means.

Pain in the neck: annoyance
e.g. You are pain in the neck, always complaining about this and that.

Over the hump: overcome the most difficult part
e.g. We are now over the hump; the rest may not be that difficult.

Pay the piper: receive the punishment due
e.g. You just can’t keep on spending without paying the piper.

Ball of fire: an energetic and enthusiastic person
e.g. We all want his presence; he is a ball of fire.

Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau

Better English for You

Friday, July 17, 2020

Prepositional Words and Phrases


Touch up: repair.


e.g. Can you touch up the scratches on the car?

e.g. This chair needs some touch-up.


Make up: invent; apply cosmetics; become reconciled.


e.g. He had to make up an excuse explaining why he was so late.

e.g. She made up beautifully before she put on the fancy dress.

e.g. After the heated argument, the man and his wife made up.


Run against: compete


e.g. I am going to run against him in the coming mayor election.


Die away: disappear.


e.g. The noise died away and it was silent.


Hand over: yield control of.


e.g. The manager has handed over the human resources section to the assistant manager.


Call off: cancel


e.g. Due to the bad weather, the meeting was called off.


Check out: leave; pay bills.

e.g. We are going to check out the hotel at noon.

Check up on: investigate.

e.g. The account will check up on the sum of money unaccounted for

Walk over: go to where someone is.


e.g.  I have something to give to you. Can you walk over?


Back down: retreat from a position in an argument.

e.g. Knowing that he did not have a valid point, he backed down.

e.g. We cannot back out of the contract; we are legally obligated to do what we are supposed to do.

Back up: support

e.g. Are you going to back me up if I decide to go ahead with the project?

Dally over something: waste time doing something.

e.g. Don't dally over your food. Just eat it!

Dally with: flirt with someone.

e.g. Don't dally with that girl; she has no interest in you.

Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Learn Some Slang

Learn some English slang. Slang is highly ephemeral: it changes from one generation to another. Slang terms come into existence for various reasons, some obvious, some inexplicable, but most of them are delightfully direct and to the point. The use of slang adds spice to speech and writing.

in low water: short of money
e.g. In this economic time, many people are living in low water.

stunner: an attractive person or object
e.g. This necklace is a stunner on you.

flap one's mouth: talk too much
e.g. Shut up and don't flap your mouth!

off the nail: drunk
e.g. Every time I come home, I find him off the nail with a bottle in his hand.

ditch: abandon
e.g. He's not a trustworthy person: he's going to ditch you before long.

flattened out: broke; having no money
e.g. I tell you what: I'm flattened out!

something out of a bottle: an impracticable idea
e.g. Is your suggestion something out of a bottle?

stuffed shirt: an arrogant person
e.g. He's nothing but a stuffed shirt; nobody likes him.

do oneself proud: indulge in unusual and satisfying extravagance
e.g. Now that he has inherited the family fortune, he's going do himself proud.

fat lot: extremely little
Did you win a lot at the casino? Fat lot!


LEARN SLANG AND COLLOQUIAL EXPRESSIONS



Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau