Formal and Informal English 1. Three Levels: Formal, Neutral and Informal English Look at three sentences: Could I disturb you for a minute? All of these sentences have the same basic meaning: I want to talk to you and ask you about something. However, the tone is different. These three sentences show three levels of formality. The second sentence is neutral; it does not have a formal or an informal tone. The third sentence is informal; it shows that you and the person you are speaking to are familiar with each other, and you don’t need to make an effort to be polite or respectful. Actually, there are more than three levels of formality. Might I ask you something? These sentences are all formal. Why ‘probably’? So, there are many levels of formality. But when should you use these different levels of language? 2. In my experience, many English students use language which is too formal. Right? No, not always! Language which is too polite puts distance between you and the person you’re talking to. 3. For example: 4. 5. 6.
Cell Size and Scale Some cells are visible to the unaided eye The smallest objects that the unaided human eye can see are about 0.1 mm long. That means that under the right conditions, you might be able to see an amoeba proteus, a human egg, and a paramecium without using magnification. A magnifying glass can help you to see them more clearly, but they will still look tiny. Smaller cells are easily visible under a light microscope. To see anything smaller than 500 nm, you will need an electron microscope. Adenine The label on the nucleotide is not quite accurate. How can an X chromosome be nearly as big as the head of the sperm cell? No, this isn't a mistake. The X chromosome is shown here in a condensed state, as it would appear in a cell that's going through mitosis. A chromosome is made up of genetic material (one long piece of DNA) wrapped around structural support proteins (histones). Carbon The size of the carbon atom is based on its van der Waals radius.
Linking words exercise Fill in the blanks with appropriate linking words. Each question is followed by three suggested answers. Choose the most appropriate one. 1. 2. …………………, we are satisfied with your performance. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Answers 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Fill in the blanks with appropriate linking words. 1. 2. …………………, we are satisfied with your performance. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Answers 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
16 maps that Americans don't like to talk about | Vox If there was a single moment when the US became a global power, it was the war with Spain. The Spanish Empire had been crumbling for a century, and there was a ferocious debate within the US over whether America should replace it as a European-style imperial power, or if as a democracy the US should instead liberate peoples from imperialism. The debate centered on Cuba: pro-imperialists wanted to purchase or annex it from Spain (pre-1861, the plan was to turn it into a new slave state); anti-imperialists wanted to support Cuban independence. In 1898, Cuban activists launched a war of independence from Spain, and the US intervened on their side. Image credit: Anand Katakam
Invisible? Before reading Close your eyes and imagine. You are walking in the rain. You are on a quiet road. Next to you is a bus stop. The bus stop has a wooden bench. • Are you freezing, cold, cool, warm, hot or boiling? • Is it a light or dark? • What can you hear? • What can you smell? • How do you feel? Now read the story and do the quiz. Deep reading: test yourself and think As you read the story, take the chapter quizzes to test your knowledge, comprehension and memory. Chapter 1: On my way home 1. A. 2. A. 3. A. Think: Why do you think nobody is looking at the cat? Chapter 2: Good Girl 4. A. 5. A. 6. A. Why do you think Sarah only used bright colours on the phones? Chapter 3. 7. A. 8. A. 9. A. Think quick: Did you guess the narrator was a ghost? Think deep: Look closely at the final illustration. After reading Think about what is would be like to be a ghost. Reflect: Creative writing Now try and make these 6 things into a very short story or poem. Imagine you are waiting at a bus stop in the rain.
FCE (B2 First) Writing Exam - Write a Review - Video 1. How to Analyse Your FCE Writing Task Let’s look at a sample question: Book reviews wanted Have your read a book recently that you couldn’t put down? Write a review of the book. There are four steps to writing an effective answer. Your FCE writing is assessed on four points: ContentCommunicative achievementOrganisationLanguage Each area is worth up to five marks. First, let’s focus on content. Those aren’t my words—those are the words from the official mark scheme! Very simple: they mean you need to do everything the question asks you to do. Look at our sample question again. There are three things you need to include in this task; Do you know what they are? Number one: you need to write a review of a book. Number two: say why you liked it. Finally, say who you would recommend it to. Easy, right? One: make sure you cover everything fully. Now, you’ve identified the three things you need to include. 2. Planning is the most important step. The FCE writing test is one hour 20 minutes long. 3. 4.
English for biotech (vocabulary exercise/EFL) 4 Topic: English for the Biotechnology Industry 4 This exercise is for those who work in the biotech industry and/or would like to improve their knowledge of words and expressions relating to biotechnology. Although it's meant for ESL students, it'll be useful to anyone who wants to practice this specialized vocabulary. 1. OUR OTHER SITES:LearnEnglishFeelGood.com LearnEnglishFeelGood.ca (CANADIAN ENGLISH) EnglishForMyJob.com ESLResourceSite.com (WORKSHEETS) LearnSpanishFeelGood.com COOKIE & PRIVACY POLICY CONTACT US: info (at) businessenglishsite (dot) com (c) 2007-2025 BusinessEnglishSite.com (a division of LearnEnglishFeelGood.com).