Buying Your First Guitar a Guide

Buying Your First Guitar a Guide The Guide to Buying your First Guitar ChaptersTips and Tricks to Choosing Your First GuitarKelsey’s Advice For Buying Your First Classical, Folk and Electric GuitarAll the Specifics That You Need to Know Before Buying Your First GuitarWhere to Buy Your Guitar: Store, Internet or Pre-owned?More Advice For Buying Your First Guitar!The Essential Accessories that You  Cannot ForgetCaring For Your GuitarBefore buying your first guitar and learning how to play it, it's necessary to keep in mind the different types of guitars.My name is Kelsey and I am a professional guitarist and guitar teacher.I will share my expertise to help you choose your first guitar.The perfect guitar that suits everyone does not exist. It is necessary to make your choice according to your musical style.Here are some recommendations and directions regarding your purchase.First, let’s talk about guitar sizes.Here are some things to consider when buying your first guitar.A neck too large or too long, a case too imposing, or an unsuitable guitar size c an be very problematic for both children and adults.Therefore, throughout this article, I will explain the different sizes and who they are best suited for. Then I will give some recommendations of different products and where to buy them to prepare you for your guitar lessons online or in person!Guitars for Children: Different Sizes According to their AgeBuying a guitar for a child is not always easy.How to buy a kid’s guitar?Guitar 1/4 - 110cm | 5-6 years oldThe 1/4 guitars are between the toy and the real musical instrument.With their small size, they are particularly suited for very young children.Guitar 1/2 - 125cm | 6-8 years oldThe 1/2 guitars are meant for children.Its sound is closer to a traditional guitar than the 1/4 guitar.Guitar 3/4 - 140cm | 8-10 years old3/4 guitars are the ultimate learning guitars. They are massively used for guitar lessons for children aged 8-10 years old. Their fretboard and body shape are both slightly smaller, but not enough to affect the sou nd too much.Guitar 4/4 - 150cm | 10 years and olderThe 4/4 guitar is the standard size guitar used by teenagers and adults. They provide more powerful and warm sounds than the smaller guitars. This information is very practical for acoustic guitars (classical or folk).On the other hand, I advise against buying an electric guitar until your child is of age to play on a standard size. Smaller size electric guitars are not usually well made, and any guitar player will notice that it is not the best guitar.  Kelsey’s Advice For Buying Your First Classical, Folk and Electric GuitarThe Classical Guitar: Some Buying RecommendationsSizes 1/4 and 1/2 for children 5 - 8 years oldFor children 5 - 10 years old, the price margin will be between $60 - $150.YAMAHA CGS102A - 1/2 and 1/4 Guitar$120The Yamaha brand is, in my eyes, the reference in terms of children’s guitars size 1/4 and 1/2. Yamaha is aimed towards children and allows them to start on a quality instrument for a little more than $100. The rosewood fingerboard and bridge illustrate Yamaha’s desire to offer an instrument with impeccable quality at an economic price.LYONS Classroom 1/4 Guitar$67This is a good compromise to start at a low price point and an early age! Indeed, this guitar is not on the same level as Yamaha’s standard, but it will still allow you to enjoy a good product for less than $100.Size 3/4 for children 8 - 10 years oldFor children 5 - 10 years old, the price margin will be between $60 - $150.YAMAHA CGS103A - 3/4 Guitar$130True to Yamaha’s reputation for quality, this 3/4 guitar offered at a very affordable price would be the perfect companion to a young musician of 8 - 10 years old.FENDER MC-1 - 3/4 Guitar$130Fender is a brand that I particularly like. Very famous in the middle price range, their guitars are of excellent value for their price. These instruments astutely combine playing comfort and a warm sound.Size 4/4 for children from 10 - 11 years old to teenagers and adultsUnl ike children under 10 years of age, for teenagers and adults, a guitar will cost between $150 - $200.CORT AC200-OP$194I want to talk to you about CORT because I greatly appreciate this brand. Cort manufactures guitars whose value for money is unrivaled in the market. The constant with these guitars: the sound is always clear and brilliant.YAMAHA - C40$140The Yamaha C40 classical guitar benefits from the quality and know-how of Yamaha in the manufacture of nylon string guitars. As I said before, nothing to add, Yamaha is a good product!FENDER - CN90$230In addition to being the most affordable nylon string guitar from Fender, the CN-90 resonates with fantastic classical elegance, while adding real value. The Folk Guitar: Some Buying RecommendationsSizes 1/4 and 1/2 for children 5 - 8 years oldStagg Folk Blue Burst$110It is quite rare to find folk guitars in sizes 1/4 and 1/2. The STAGG brand offers this product for a little more than $100.Size 3/4 for children 8 - 10 years oldYAMAHA - FOLK 3/4 JR1$135We return once more to the YAMAHA brand. Its 540mm short neck is easy to play, even for the smallest hands, while the small dimensions of the body guarantee an excellent hold. This is perfect for beginner guitar lessons.FENDER - MA 3/4 STEEL$140This is perfectly suited for music schools, students, and beginners who feel more comfortable with a guitar of smaller dimensions.  Size 4/4 for children from 10 - 11 years old to teenagers and adultsAs far as adult folk guitars are concerned, the choices are much larger and more extensive. Here is a list of products that I recommend.  Between $100-200Between $200-300CORT - AD810EPIPHONE - EL-00 ProEPIPHONE - DR100IBANEZ - AEG1211-NTYAMAHA F335CORT - LUCE L100-OYAMAHA FG730S SUNBURSTYAMAHA - FG700STAKAMINE - GD10EPIPHONE - Hummingbird ProFENDER - CF60FENDER CD280SFENDER - CD140SIf you already have a specific brand or model of guitar that you want to buy, head on over to Guitar Center to find the guitar of your dreams!The Fe nder Sonoran has an atypical look that makes it an ideal guitar for beginners.This guitar is magnificent, it has a destroyed look and finishes, and an impeccable polish.This is an acoustic-electric folk guitar, which means it is equipped with a preamp for sound. I used this guitar when I first started and it is a real treat to begin with.The sleek maple neck on this electric guitar and its atypical look make it an ideal guitar to start guitar lessons.A major asset: its finishing is impeccable!The only downside: the bassThe Electric Guitar: Buying RecommendationsSizes 1/4 and 1/2 for children 5 - 8 years oldYou will find 1/4 and 1/2 guitars between $80 - $110.A reminder that at this age and with these dimensions, the guitars lean more towards the toy rather than the instrument.The sound quality is not yet a priority, hence the lower price.Size 3/4 for children 8 - 10 years oldFrom this age on, there is the Squier brand that offers guitar sets at very attractive prices, that is, less than $200. I do not recommend it. I have seen its shortcomings on several occasions with students. Inaccessible, unplayable, etc.First solution: Go with the Stagg brand which offers a finishing and sound that’s much less degraded than Squier’s.Impeccable quality should not be expected, but it works without problems and is in a reasonable price range, between $100 - $120.If you are looking for a guitar with a better range, IBANEZ offers 2 products:IBANEZ - GRGM21-BKNIBANEZ - GRGM21-WHSize 4/4 for adultsThe price of electric guitars for teens and adults can vary between $150 - $2000! It all depends on the style you decide to play. Each brand has its different series and styles of sound.The Fender guitar remains an essential reference in the field of electric guitars, in particular, the STRATOCASTER series. Adapted to many styles, this series is a real “Swiss Army knife” for guitar playing styles and all guitar lessons.You can also find very interesting products for less than $ 200:EPIPHONE - LES PAUL SPECIAL IIEPIPHONE - SG SPECIALIBANEZ GRX20ZCORT G110LAG - ARKANE66Feel free to follow these recommendations.I advise you, however, not to buy an electric guitar for your child until they are old enough to play on a standard size.Looking at buying your first guitar? We hope you find this helpful.Indeed, most of the time the models suited for younger children sound very bad. They are often unplayable and unreliable, with poor stability of tunings, poor acoustics, unreliable intonation, and wobbly guitar pickups.  All the Specifics That You Need to Know Before Buying Your First GuitarDreadnoughtJumboElectro-acoustic  Folk Dreadnought Guitars are the big guitars of cowboys with metal strings. It is the most versatile and popular type of folk guitar. Perfect for rhythm, it adapts well to fingerpicking and accompaniment. Its size, on the other hand, is quite a handicap for those small in stature and women.Jumbo Folk Guitars or more “classic” forms: it sounds p retty crystalline, with less bass than in a dreadnought. But playing it is more flexible; you can brush the chords or play with a pick. The size doesn't necessarily affect the playability.Folk Acoustic-Electric Guitar: you can also go with an acoustic-electric variant. Indeed, a classical or folk acoustic guitar is not equipped to be sounded loudly like an electric guitar. The acoustic-electric guitar is equipped with a preamp and a jack output.With or without microphones?Even if an acoustic guitar sounds without a microphone, it is necessary to amplify it when playing in a group of other loud instruments (electric guitar, piano, drums…)Therefore, some acoustic guitars are equipped with a microphone allowing them to connect directly with an amp (different from the amps for electric guitars).The microphone is different from that of the electric ones and is not seen: it is a sensor, integrated into the bridge.It is, therefore, a useful tool in the guitarist’s toolbox. Several opti ons are available to you when buying your guitar.Going to a specialized store to buy your guitarThese shops are the only places where, not only can you buy your guitar, but you can also test it before purchasing it. You can try it out and listen to the sound, etc.In addition to that, you could possibly get useful advice from a salesperson. At the very least, they may ask you questions that you have not yet asked yourself. And, more often than not, they will be guitar players who know their stuff - about guitar brands, guitar cases, types of electric guitar strings, a guitar amplifier, as well as anything else you might want to know about the body style.  For me, the guitar shop or guitar store is an ideal solution for making the purchase.Buying a guitar on the InternetThe Internet is a great place to quickly purchase a guitar. Keep in mind that you lose the benefit of trying it out in the store, as previously discussed. If you don't know the type of guitar that you want then maybe i t is not the best option.However, it remains a solution for those who cannot go to a store.Finding a pre-owned guitarBuying a used guitar allows for the possibility of paying a lower price than at the store or on the Internet and also negotiating with the seller.Another advantage is, with a little luck, you can meet with the seller and try out the guitar. This is a very positive point for seasoned guitarists, but I do not think that it’s good for a first purchase.More Advice For Buying Your First Guitar!Beware of beginner sets and low prices. Oftentimes these are not very advantageous. Being a beginner is not an excuse to buy a bad quality guitar. Specialized sellers will be able to advise you on the purchase of your first guitar. In short, to start playing the guitar, it is better to choose a classical or folk guitar. How to make the right choice? Follow the advice of your music teacher, but don’t forget to ask the right questions, whether for you or your child. You now know ab out different models to help guide you in your selection and you know the main characteristics of each guitar.It is important to recall the main advantages and disadvantages of the classical guitar and the folk guitar. The right choice is a personal decision.The Classical GuitarIn general, many teachers ask beginners, especially children, to start with this type of instrument. The reasons are simple:They are available in all sizesThe strings are evenly spaced so that finger placement is easier. But this can also be disadvantageous for working the bars… we can’t have everything!The frets are largeThe strings are flexible, which is more suited for children’s sensitive fingersThe price is attractive. Children grow up fast and it is true that you will have to buy several guitars as they grow bigger…that cost must be taken into account!On the other hand, the classical guitar cannot play all styles of music, but it still offers beautiful possibilities. Don’t you want to try flam enco?The Folk GuitarIf you are not afraid of hurting your fingers, you will certainly be drawn to the folk guitar. Yes, with its steel or bronze strings, the tips of your fingers will get callouses!However, once this detail is taken into consideration, the folk guitar does not lack assets:With a neck that is longer and narrower than the classical guitar, you will be able to work the bars and climb the treble more easilyYou will also be able to play various styles, including blues, folk, and even country… Yee-haw!By learning on a folk guitar, you can more easily switch to the electric guitar later on.In any case, think especially of your comfort when learning to play the guitar. Not to mention the sound, which remains a notable difference between these two types of acoustic guitars. The classical guitar will have a soft and warm sound, while the folk guitar will have a more metallic and crystalline sound. Choosing a guitar is also a matter of personal taste.The Essential Accessorie s that You  Cannot ForgetGuitar accessories? Yes, it’s not enough to just buy a guitar, you also have to think about the necessary accessories to help you play at your best! We do not alway think about that when we start…You don’t want to find yourself helpless with an untuned guitar, right? Or worse: a string-less guitar!Find out when and how to buy your next set of guitar strings  - and whether you need steel strings or nylon strings, Ernie Ball Slinky or Elixir.And say goodbye to back pain and bad posture with well-chosen accessories…So take a trip to your favorite music store and invest in all the tools that will be useful to you. No, I don’t push you to buy. You will see that these tips prove to be very helpful!Find out also how to choose the right strings for your guitar...The CaseCall it what you want - a gig bag or a guitar case - but you are going to need something to cover your musical instrument. Sometimes, these come in a beginner guitar pack, but not always.Th is is absolutely the first thing that you need to get with your first guitar. Otherwise, how are you going to get it to your friend's house for a jam session? How are you going to even get it out of the shop?The pickIt’s essential for strumming the strings, are you already perplexed by all of the options?There are all different sorts to choose from, how to decide?There are plastic, wood, metal and even glass picks. Each has its characteristics, but to start it’s better to choose a plastic pick since it’s easier to handle.On the other hand, for just a few cents you can have several models of different thickness (and also with a different rigidity). Let’s not forget what all guitarists will tell you: the pick is the accessory that is lost the most often. It is better to have a few on hand, to avoid spending an hour searching everywhere for it.The capodasterDon't forget essential accessories like the capo!If there is a necessary accessory it is the capodaster, or “capo” for the insiders. This bar that blocks the strings has two uses:It changes the pitch of the instrument to continue playing with the strings you know. This allows you to play faster without changing the position of your fingers.It avoids difficult positioning of fingers when bars and chords are not mastered.How to choose?There are two main variants. The classic capodaster that requires the use of both hands to be installed, and the spring capodaster that can be placed with one hand thanks to the spring system.What other accessories might you need?The tuner and the metronomeIt’s not always easy when you begin to tune your instrument by ear. Therefore, it is very useful to invest in a tuner, especially since it’s not very expensive. You can find one starting at $10. With a tuner, you will be able to make sure that the notes you play are correct.It’s also important to correctly follow the rhythm of the song. At first, you may not be able to keep track of the pace with your foot while playing properly. So let the metronome do this job for you and focus on the placement of your fingers. The metronome’s price is similar to the tuner: starting at $15.If you don’t like having too many objects, there are models that combine the tuner and metronome functions, in the $20 range.The footrest and strapCan’t find a good position to comfortably play the guitar?!It's important to adopt good posture when learning how to play!If your back is hurting from playing the guitar, it’s no wonder if you don’t have a footrest. You can always use a stack of books, a shoe box or any object that you have on hand, but the best thing to use is a footrest. In the price range of $10, it allows you to raise your foot to maintain the correct position without tiring yourself.To play standing (and even sitting), think of the guitar strap. When standing, the strap allows you to hold the guitar. When seated, it helps you secure the instrument.Caring For Your GuitarYou are now perfectly eq uipped. Before you leave, I can’t resist giving you a few last tips to take care of your new guitar. Admit that it would be a shame to ruin it…Rest assured, it is not complicated to take care of a guitar and knowing when to change the strings, just adopt some simple, but essential habits.The guitar’s enemy is the moisture in the air, otherwise known as humidity. Indeed, it should not be forgotten that guitars are made out of wood! One would tend to say that you must be wary of humidity, and while this is true, contrarily the main risk for an instrument is dryness. A guitar that retains moisture will swell, but regain its initial shape afterward. On the other hand, if it dries out too much, the wood shrinks and this is when problems appear: cracks, paint peeling off, etc…To avoid this, store your guitar in its case or cover and never leave it in direct light (especially sunlight), too close to a radiator or excessive heat source.Avoid leaving your first guitar on the beach, i n the sand and in the sun!The strings tend to oxidize. I’m not talking about the classical nylon guitar string, but those of the folk guitar. Metallic strings are also sensitive and not to be neglected. They tend to oxidize with sweaty fingers. To avoid this:Wash your hands before playingAfter playing, clean the strings and under the strings with a soft clothWhen you change the strings, take this time to clean the tuning pegs, on the neck and each fret (metal bars). If the wood is not varnished, dust and deposit risk inlaying the wood. For a gentle cleaning, you will need a soft cloth that’s slightly wet with hot water and a few drops of dishwashing soap. Rub gently to remove dirt encrusted along the frets. Also, think about oiling the key to protect it.In your favorite music store, you will find many products specifically designed for the maintenance of your guitar. Fast Fret is one of the most famous. As a cleaner and lubricant, it protects the strings and key, helping them st ay clean and shiny longer. This prevents the sound quality of your guitar from deteriorating. It’s easy to apply, but you must remember to use the product regularly.Finally, the varnish of the body can be attacked under the effect of perspiration. Also, remember to clean it regularly with a soft cloth.Now that you have the essential information, it’s time to buy your first guitar. The first guitar also usually goes along with guitar lessons. Find a guitar teacher here on SuperPROFAnd one day you could end up playing the guitar onstage… who knows?To get you started, why not consider taking private lessons.  Searching for guitar lessons London  produces the most results on Superprof but there is a lot more choice if you're willing to learn online.If you've chosen a bass guitar, then you might want to opt for bass guitar lessons.

3 Important Tips When Translating French to English

3 Important Tips When Translating French to English Megan L. Translating French to English is a common way to study the language and improve your skills. Tutor  Nadia B.  shares three big tips so you dont get lost in translation Are you learning French and need to translate some of your French homework into English? Or perhaps you want to translate a  French text just to be sure that you have understood the meaning? Translation is a useful tool for improving comprehension and fluency, so read on for three important tips for translating French to English. These tips will ensure you translate  quickly and accurately  on your first try! 1. Dont translate idiomatic expressions literally. There are many French expressions that shouldnt be taken  literally when translating French to English. The literal translation wont reflect the meaning of the expression. If you come across an expression that, when translated literally makes no sense in context, youve probably found an idiomatic expression. Here are some examples of French idiomatic expressions and how they can be translated into English: une bouche dincendie fire hydrant (Since  bouche means mouth in English, a mouth of fire isnt a correct translation!) une bonne fourchette a hearty eater (or, literally, a good fork, but that lacks meaning to English speakers!) faire le pont to make a long weekend (literally, to make a bridge, but it refers to the French habit of taking a four-day break by adding Friday or Monday to the weekend plus the mid-week day that a holiday falls on) To improve your skills when translating French to English, try to learn as many idiomatic expressions as possible. If youre listening to a French speaker and you dont understand an expression they use, inquire as to the meaning so you can continue to build your knowledge base. Over time, this will make French translation easier and more rapid as you draw on the knowledge you already possess. 2. Use online forums and dictionaries to get help when needed. When translating French to English, sometimes you can get stuck with certain expressions or usages. If you just cant figure out how to appropriately translate something, forums like WordReference  offer valuable help from native French speakers and highly knowledgeable second-language French speakers. There is a huge archive of threads covering a wide range of topics in French, so you can type in a phrase or word to learn more details about it. After all, when possible it is always in your best interest to use human translation for the most accurate understanding. Online French dictionaries are another excellent resource. A well-respected one is Larousse. Here,  you can access a French-English dictionary, as well as a French monolingual dictionary, in which you can find words and definitions all in French. The monolingual dictionary can be an especially great way to increase your knowledge and your proficiency in French as you research your translation query. 3. Use cognates, but watch out for false cognates. Cognates are a great help when trying to increase fluency in a language and translate quickly. Here is a short list of French-English cognates: immense immense amusant amusing, fun la page the page la musique the music la tomate the tomato le candidat the candidate lhôpital the hospital The only thing to remember with cognates is that there can also be faux amis  (false cognates). These tricky  French  words sound like a word in English but are not equal in meaning. Here are some French false cognates to watch out for: actuellement currently (not actually) attendre to wait (not to attend) assister to attend (not to assist) bras arms (not bra) blessé injured (not blessed) une librarie bookshop (not library) un raisin grape (not raisin) If you follow these three tips, you should be translating with confidence in no time! The more attention you pay to the details and work on increasing your vocabulary and knowledge of idiomatic expressions, the more you will find that your translations are accurate and thorough. Want to learn more about translating French to English? Taking French lessons with a private tutor is a great way to increase your proficiency in the language, because you can receive individualized instruction that best  fits your needs. Find your French teacher today! Post Author: Nadia B. Nadia B. teaches Italian  and piano in New York, NY, as well as through online lessons. She speaks Italian, English, and French and received her degree in Music Performance from New York University.  Learn more about Nadia here! Photo by  decar66 Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher

Multiplying mixed numbers

Multiplying mixed numbers Different arithmetic operations such as multiplication can be used to solve fractions. Fractions are numbers which have numerator and the denominator of the p/q form. The denominator is not equal to zero. There are different types of fraction such as proper, improper and mixed fraction. The mixed number is a combination of a whole number and proper fraction. The fraction which has numerator greater than the denominator is the improper fraction. A mixed number can be changed into improper fraction and vice versa. Example 1: What is the answer when the mixed fractions 2 x 1 are multiplied? Solution: Given are two mixed fractions 2 and 1 . Change the mixed number into improper fractions: This gives 2 = (2 x 4 + 3)/4 = (8 + 3)/4 = 11/4. Then, 1 = (1 x 4 + 1)/4 = (4 + 1)/4 = 5/4. Multiplying the fractions gives 11/4 x 5/4 = 55/16. Converting 55/16 to a mixed fraction gives 3 7/16. Hence, the answer is 3 7/16. Question: Multiple choice question (Pick the correct option.) What is answer for multiplying 6/5 x 2 ? a) 1 b) 3 c) 2/3 d) None of these. Correct answer: option b. Given are two fractions 6/5 and 2 . Change the mixed fraction into improper fractions: This gives 2 = (2 x 2 + 1)/2 = (4 + 1)/2 = 5/2. Multiplying the fractions gives 6/5 x 5/2 = 6/2 = 3. Hence, the answer is 3.

How to Balance Work and Grad School

How to Balance Work and Grad School Congratulations on your decision to attend grad school! According to the Census Bureau, just 9.3% of American adults over 25 have earned a masters degree. Pursuing a masters degree is no easy task, but it is an endeavor that can yield a number of benefits. Grad school allows you to explore your academic passions on a deeper level, participate in cutting-edge research projects, make valuable contacts in your field, and strengthen your employment prospects. Some graduate students choose to work and study at the same time, while others do so out of necessity. In any case, a proper balance between both responsibilities is indispensable and can be achieved through the following advice. Heres how to balance work and grad school: Balance work and grad school by communicating with your supervisor To balance the demands of academia and work simultaneously, you must first and foremost learn how to manage your time. Grad school is quite different from your undergraduate years, so although you may have held a job while you worked toward your bachelors degree, your experience juggling both this time may present unexpected challenges. As you work toward your masters degree, your work schedule should remain fairly predictable. You should have a clear idea each week of which days and times you will have off; this way, you know exactly when and for how long you will be able to work on class assignments. Your boss should absolutely be aware of your plans to attend grad school, so talk to them as soon as possible to avoid scheduling disasters. If it is impossible for you to have a consistent schedule given the nature of your job, you should at least aim to keep your number of work hours steady. Open communication with supervisors is key to maintaining a healthy balance between work and school. [RELATED: What I Wish I Knew Before Starting Business School] Balance work and grad school by taking your study materials to work Work and grad school are two enormous responsibilities on their own. When you also consider all the other chores and errands you must tend to in a week, you may find yourself feeling overwhelmed. It is for this reason that you must make the most of your downtime at work. During breaks, for instance, may be a great time to get ahead on class readings, studying, and other assignments. Take portable study materials to work, such as lightweight textbooks and flash cards, that you can easily look at in your free time. Since using your cell phone may be frowned on at work, it may be best to bring printouts, rather than electronic copies, of texts. [RELATED: How Students Can Improve Their Research Skills] Balance work and grad school by making some social sacrifices To maintain your job and your grad school average, you may need to make some social sacrifices. This implies that you might have to decline invitations to friendly gatherings at times. If it is Friday evening and you have a big project due on Monday, it may be wise to stay at home and work on your project rather than go out with your friends. You should not, however, give up your social life completely because of a demanding schedule. Seeing friends and interacting with others is not only enjoyable, it is essential to our emotional well-being. So, stay in contact with those you care about. Just make sure social outings do not interfere with work or study time. [RELATED: How Do Undergraduate and Graduate Theses Differ?] With effective time management skills, balancing work and grad school is a quite feasible task. Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.

English Comparatives Video with Exercises

English Comparatives Video with Exercises In English, we use comparatives to talk about the differences and similarities between two things. They are an important part of English, but students tend to make a lot of small mistakes with them. Here are some common mistakes English learners have:Brazil is more bigger than Spain.Clowns are more funner than mimes.New York is more small than São Paulo.*Note that fun and funny are more fun and funnier in their comparative forms. Also good, better and bad, worse are two other irregular comparatives.Here are some examples of sentences that use comparatives correctly:Clowns are  funnier than mimes.Brazil is bigger than Spain.Learning English is more interesting than going to the dentist.Do you know why we use more in the last comparative? Why does funnychange to funnier in the first sentence? Watch the video below, then see if you can do the exercises.Change the word in parentheses to a comparative. You can write your answers in comments and we will respond.1. New York is ____ (big) t han Chicago.2. Florida is _____(sunny) than Montana.3. Soccer is _____ (interesting) than baseball.4. The Higgs Boson is ___ (tiny) than a proton.5.  Is English _____ (hard) to learn than Spanish?6. Mandarin is _____ (difficult) to learn than Portuguese.7. China is _____ (populated) than India.8. My cat is _____(fat) than yours.9. Your dog is ____(skinny) than mine.10. Learning English is ____(easy) thank you think. Felipe Brito 1. New York is bigger   (big) than Chicago.2. Florida is sunnier (sunny) than Montana.3. Soccer is more intersting (interesting) than baseball.4. The Higgs Boson is tinier (tiny) than a proton.5.  Is English harder (hard) to learn than Spanish?6. Mandarin is more difficult (difficult) to learn than Portuguese.7. China is more populated (populated) than India.8. My cat is fater (fat) than yours.9. Your dog is skinnier (skinny) than mine.10. Learning English is easier (easy) thank you think. I like very much this classes U are fantastic ! This teacher is m ore intelligent than my Englishs teacher Success and a lot of money XD Bye !   Olga  i think cat is fatter not fater) LOIEnglish Nice work Olga! You are correct. We double the consonant when the word is one vowel + one consonant. Although, there are some exceptions:i.g. low lower LOIEnglish Felipe,  Olga is correct. Fat changes to fatter. You need to double the consonant when adding er at the end for comparatives when the word is one vowel + one consonant.  i.g. big -b-i(vowel)-g(consonant) biggerThank you for watching our videos. Check out the video on word order and possessives.

How can I evaluate achievement in a Business English course

How can I evaluate achievement in a Business English course Businesses use a variety of effective advertising strategies. They can take the form of audiovisual media like videos and radio ads and print media like posters, brochures, business cards, and flyers. Business glossary and card game Flyers can be single-sheet promotional tools that list products, descriptions, and prices. Flyers are simple yet compelling ways of helping businesses to announce sales and specials to their target audience. What makes flyers so enduring? Well, flyers are among the most versatile and flexible printed marketing materials. They get your customers attention by neatly summarizing whats on sale. Flyers are instantly recognizable. Everybody knows what they are for and how they work. Furthermore, flyers make effective posters pinned to bulletin boards, stapled to phone poles, or taped to the inside of elevators. The development of flyers is cost-effective, and they are cheap to print in bulk. Flyers can be handed out on a street corner, junk-mailed, or stacked neatly on a counter for customers to pick up and take home with them. They are recyclable and compostable. Colour is optional but preferred, and now to save on ink and paper, flyers can be emailed in PDF format. Like it or not, flyers are everywhere, and they are here to stay. Picture by User:Ld. [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)] Instructions Follow the ten steps below to prepare for an integrated writing and speaking evaluation. By the end, youll have a sales pitch with flawless grammar and pronunciation, and youll have a beautiful product brochure to share with customers. Step 1: Create a free account on VirtualWritingTutor.com (VWT) Step 2: Using the VWT’s essay outliner and the essay Heavenly Bananas, create a prioritized list essay outline. Heavenly BananasDownload Step 3: Print out the outline you created for the essay Heavenly Bananas and show it to your teacher. Step 4: Create a list of products your (imaginary) company sells. Step 5: Create a prioritized list essay outline pitching the products you listed. Be sure to include prices and an example of the unreal past conditional. If + had + past participle +, + would have + past participle.Past unreal conditional Step 6: Create a flyer using the Microsoft Word DOCX Flyer template. Virtual Writing Tutor flyer templateDownload Flyer template for Business English students Heres how to place your own product images into the flyer template. How to add images to the flyer template Step 7: Write a prioritized list essay using the products on your flyer. Check it for errors using the virtual Writing Tutor grammar checker. Step 8: Generate an MP3 using the VWT Text-to-Speech. The Virtual Writing Tutor can generate an MP3 to download of any text. Step 9: Rehearse and memorize your prioritized list sales-pitch essay. Step 10: Upload your essay outline, essay, and flyer to labodanglais the day before your presentation. Evaluations Present your prioritized list sales pitch brochure at your scheduled presentation time. Refer to your one-page outline during your presentation if you wish. However, students who deliver their presentations without referring to their outlines will score better than those who do. More workplace-related lessons The evaluation described above is being used at Montmorency College in conjunction with Actively Engaged on the Job. Designed primarily for B-block beginners who need lots of fluency practice, On the Job has proven to be a versatile course book for multi-level groups. Its packed with interactive activities that keep absenteeism prone students coming week after week. Actively Engaged on the Job The 100B level textbook is structured around a series of grammar lessons laid out in the usual order, starting with prepositions and the present tenses, moving through past tenses to conditionals, and ending with modals and future tenses. The big difference is the way this book contextualizes the grammar practice through weekly writing assignments. Students work in groups to imagine a fictional company. Each student is responsible for writing about the goings on at the company from the perspective of one of the employees there. Each week, they write a section of the story incorporating the grammar and the vocabulary from the lesson. They submit their writing on Labodanglais.com and anonymously peer review two classmates stories. In this way, grammar practice is communicative and contextualized. Additional vocabulary and grammar practice activities are available on Labodanglais.com in the form of fill-in the blank and error-find-and-correct exercises. Again, the emphasis is on meaningful context that lead to productive use. Find out how you can use Actively Engaged on the Job with your students by contacting BokomaruPublications@gmail.com . Find out how you can use Actively Engaged on the Job with Business English Students: bokomaruPublications@gmail.com Actively Engaged Online For intermediate levels, perhaps you would like to help students to learn professional writing through a blogging project. After all, every business has a blog, and every business is looking for new employees who have the digital literacy to communicate in the new economy. If you are interested in giving such a course, Actively Engaged Online can help. It has everything you need to get students writing introductions, glossaries, career summary blog posts, screencasts, listicles, and hypertext narratives. Written for people who have never blogged before or who have never taught blogging before, it is one of the easiest and most satisfying courses for students and teachers. Instead of writing a hypertext narrative with the Virtual Writing Tutors Hypertext Narrative Creator, perhaps you would prefer to teach students to write cover letters. If so, try the Virtual Writing Tutors new cover letter checker. There is a blog post explaining how to use the formative cover letter evaluation system to help students write the most complete and effective cover letter ever. Please follow and like us:

ALOHA Parent Testimonial - Matawan, NJ - ALOHA Mind Math

ALOHA Parent Testimonial - Matawan, NJ Parent Testimonial Following is an ALOHA Parent Testimonial Spring 2014. We surveyed some of our students and their parents about the programs we offer at ALOHA and this is one of the testimonials we received. Arnav Khode Parents Ruta Rajesh Khode Matawan, New Jersey Rakesh Armanani, owner Our son, Arnav Khode is in 5th grade and 10 years old. Arnav is diagnosed with the Autism Spectrum. Although high functioning, he had many issues such as, unable to stay in one place, traveling, echolalia, poor hand-to-eye coordination, lack of class participation, always needed a prompt and assistance to remain on target. He often got frustrated when he learned any new concept, it was very overwhelming for him. We started him on the Junior Math Program a few years ago when he was in 3rd grade. It was our experiment to expose him to a different learning experience, as well as, give him the opportunity to learn and interact with typical peers. With the help of the ALOHA program and teachers, he right away felt welcomed and began to respond to the program. He showed tremendous improvement in focus, sitting in place and being on target, with independence and few prompts. His ?ne motor skills have dramatically improved. His math skills are super accurate, he became aware of competitive oral sums along with his peers and began participating in the class. The small group of 1:7 teacher-to-student ratio, really bene?ted him as he got personal attention which allowed him to gradually reach out and interact with his typical peers. This was a very important milestone for us, as we wanted Arnav to be able to learn, express, socialize and interact. The biggest surprise about Arnav was revealed to us when he learned to use exceptional visual skills with the help of Mind Math, and by doing so, he broke his own barriers of frustration. He developed self con?dence in personality and stability in body language. He acceptsnew facts and complicated challenges and is able to ?gure out the outcome independently. ALOHA greatly in?uenced Arnav. And being his parents it gave us something we never believed Arnav would achieve. It brought us tremendous joy to see him blossom. Above all it brought hope and faith. We sincerely thank TEAM ALOHA for giving us a wonderful experience.