An Artificer describes a: liar, clever person, artificial person, skilled artisan.

Aspic: meat gelatin, prejudiced name for Hispanic, viewpoint, part of the whole

Assonance: opposite meaning, dissonance, sounds alike, confidence

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Alright, all right

Alright, all right – "Alright" is nonstandard; use “all right.” Like "okay," "all right" is an informal word; substitute "fine" or "acceptable" in formal writing.


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Ain't

Ain't – "Ain’t" is always wrong, whether it is used to mean "to be" or "to have." The use of “ain’t I?” is nonstandard. “Amn’t I?” is also nonstandard English; “aren’t I?” is standard English. Despite the use of “ain’t I?” and “amn’t I?” in some dialects, “the correct standard singular form is the plural form aren’t: I’m right, aren’t I?”
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STOLID

stolid = stol"id

1. Having or revealing little emotion or sensibility

Synonyms:

impassive

Usage Examples:

A silent stolid creature who took it all as a matter of course-Virginia Woolf

Her face showed nothing but stolid indifference


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Business English Basics

Here are some phrases you can use in Business Meetings and Presentations.

1. Getting someone's Attention.

May I have a word?
Excuse me for Interrupting.
Can I come in here?

2.Giving Opinion.

I'm positive that.............
I feel that.................
In my opinion.................
The way i see things..............
If you ask me .................I tend to think that......................

3.  Asking opinion.

Do you think that..............................?
Mr. ABC can we get your input ?
How do you feel about..............?
What do you feel about ...................?

4.Commenting

That's interesting.

I never thought about it that way before
I get your point.
I see what you mean.

5.Agreeing

I totally agree with you.

Exactly!
Good point!
That's just the way I feel.
I have to agree with ...

6.Disagreeing

Unfortunately, I see it differently.

Up to a point I agree with you, but...
I'm afraid, I can't agree

7.Giving advice and making suggestions

Let's...

We should ...
Why don't we ...
How/What about ....
I suggest/recommend that ...............

8. Clarifying.

Let me spell it out...

Have I made that clear?
Do you see what I'm getting at?
Let me put it another way..
I'd just like to repeat that....

9. Requesting information

Please, could you...

I'd like you to...
Would you mind...
I wonder if you could...

10. Asking for repetition


I'm afraid I didn't quite catch that. Could you repeat what you just said?

I missed that. Could you say it again please?
Could you run that past me again?

11.Asking for clarification


I don't quite follow you.
What exactly do you mean?
Could you explain to me how that's going to work?
I can't see what you're getting at. Could we have some more details, please?

12. Commenting

That's interesting.
I never thought about it that way before
I get your point.
I see what you mean.

13. Agreeing

I totally agree with you.
Exactly!
Good point!
That's just the way I feel.
I have to agree with ...

14. Disagreeing

Unfortunately, I see it differently.
Up to a point I agree with you, but...
I'm afraid, I can't agree

15. Giving advice and making suggestions

Let's...
We should ...
Why don't we ...
How/What about ....
I suggest/recommend that ...

16. Clarifying

Let me spell it out...
Have I made that clear?
Do you see what I'm getting at?
Let me put it another way..
I'd just like to repeat that....

17. Requesting information

Please, could you...
I'd like you to...
Would you mind...
I wonder if you could...

18.Asking for repetition

I'm afraid I didn't quite catch that. Could you repeat what you just said?
I missed that. Could you say it again please?
Could you run that past me again?

19. Asking for clarification

I don't quite follow you.
What exactly do you mean?
Could you explain to me how that's going to work?
I can't see what you're getting at. Could we have some more details, please?

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How to Improve Vocabulary

We all know the power that words can have. That's why improving your vocabulary is so very important. If you are just wanting to learn more vocabulary words or if you are learning English as a second language there are some easy ways to improve your vocabulary.

 
 
1. 
   
   
   
   Step 1
   One of the best ways to improve your vocabulary is to read. By reading a variety of books, magazines, and newspaper articles you can improve your vocabulary tremendously. Not only are you learning new words but you are also learning how to use them appropriately in a sentence. So challenge yourself to read more! Try to read for at least 30 minutes every day. In a very short period of time you will see an improvement in your vocabulary.
   
2. 
   
   
   
   Step 2
   A fun way to improve your vocabulary is to play word games. Playing scrabble and doing crossword puzzles are great ways to boost your vocabulary. Now you can even play word games online. There are many games online like scrabble and text twist that allow you to compete with other players. Who knew learning vocabulary words could be so fun!
   
3. 
   
   
   
   Step 3
   The internet offers you many resources in your quest for improving your vocabulary. There are many sites that offer you a word of the day. You can have a daily email sent to you with a new word each morning. It will provide the word, the definition and an example sentence. Just google a word a day and you will have many options to choose from.
   

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How to Learn English Spelling

 Learning to spell in English can be simple and frustrating at the same time. There are certain rules in the English language that dictate how most words should be spelled. The problem is that not all words follow the rules. Also, the rules vary according to the type of English being used --- American English or "Commonwealth" English (the type used in England and most of the former English colonies, such as India). Learning to spell English words requires one to know both the standard spelling rules as well as the most common exceptions. Always, a good dictionary can be invaluable when learning how to spell (and use) English words.

Instructions

1. 
   
   Step 1
   For words that use the diphthongs "ie" or "ei," remember "I" before "E" except after "C." That is one of the more commonly known rules of the English spelling, and is demonstrated by words such as "achieve," "siege," "believe," "receive," and "receipt." The word "seize" is an exception to the rule.
   
2. 
   
   Step 2
   Learn which words have silent letters. Words with a silent "e" at the end of the word are easier to figure out. Words such "fine," "home" or "lame" are easy to recognize, as the silent "e" at the end indicates that the first vowel is pronounced with its long sound. More difficult are words that have silent letters in other places in the word. For example, words such as "psychology" (silent "p") or align (silent "g") both have letters that are not vocalized when the words are spoken.
   
3. 
   
   Step 3
   Memorize the order of consonants when they are grouped together. Sometimes it can be easy to put consonants that are in a cluster in the wrong order. For example, the letter "n" goes before the letter "m" in words such as "enmity" and "environment."
   
4. 
   
   Step 4
   To make nouns plural, the regular rule is to add "s" to the end ("cats," "cars," "buildings"). For nouns that end in "y," add "ies" -- for example, the word "baby" becomes "babies" and the word "family" becomes "families" when made plural. Some Latin words that are fairly common in English can be made plural according to Latin rules or English rules, depending on preference -- for example, "medium" is almost always made plural with the Latin form "media," but "forum" is often made plural with the English "forums" (rather than the Latin "fora").
   
5. 
   
   Step 5
   Remember that there are many words that sound alike but are not spelled the same. Those words are called homonyms. For example, the word "right" sounds just like the word "write," although the meanings and spellings are different. Likewise, the word "dear" sounds like the word "deer," although they are spelled differently as well. Many people confuse the spelling of the similar sounding words "to," "two," and "too."
   
6. 
   
   Step 6
   Be careful when writing colloquialisms and contractions that are common in spoken English. For example, somebody might say "I should've checked the dictionary," but be quoted as saying "I should of checked the dictionary" (the "of" being used instead of the contraction for "have," "'ve"). Also, some two-word phrases take on different meanings depending on whether the words are connected or separated: For example, "round up" is a verb, while "roundup" is a noun

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