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Those Darn Phrasal Verbs

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Just a second, let me extinguish my cigarette. Now, doesn't that just sound weird? Besides the fact that smoking is bad for you, isn't it nicer to say Just a second, let me put out my cigarette . Phrasal verbs form a large group, consisting of verb + preposition . Put out , bring up , and work on are all part of this group. They are used to replace other, more formal words or phrases. As noted, put out is to extinguish , bring up is to raise (as in a child or a topic), and give back is to return (as in a library book or some money).  So, how do we utilize these in the language? Well, let's divide the phrasal verbs into two sub-groups. Separable Phrasal Verbs. The first sub-group is the separable phrasal verb. This means the particle (the preposition) can be placed before or after the object. Look up the word in the dictionary. / Look the word up in the dictionary. Write down the word. / Write the word down. See how it can move? Ho...
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Vocabulary

“without grammar little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed.” -David Wilkins And without a doubt, vocabulary stands as one of the most important parts of learning a language; not only words, but variations of the same words. This means synonyms, antonyms, synonyms, word forms, word lists, word families, and so on. Let's look at some these words. Synonyms Webster's Dictionary : one of two or more words or expressions of the same language that have the same or nearly the same meaning in some or all senses. Synonyms are important when you speak or write because it adds variation and melody to language. Sure, you can use the same word again and again, but how boring is that? For example: The puppy had filthy paws and a dirty coat. In this sentence, filthy and dirty are synonyms; the use of these words adds variations to the sentence and makes it more interesting. As a side note (for you more advanced people), a synonym can also be a word...
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Complex Sentences - Quelle Surprise!

We have looked at compound sentences ; now to look at the makeup of a complex sentence . Complex Sentences A complex sentence is made up of one an independent clause with one or more dependent clauses. Dependent clauses start with connectors: as, since, because, although or perhaps with relative pronouns: who, which, that . After I had eaten dinner, I sat down and watched my favorite TV program. The students are studying because they have a test tomorrow. What you think is true is not what I know is true. There are of course three different kinds of dependent clauses which make up complex sentences: adverb, adjective, and noun clauses. Which, before I continue, brings me to this point: Do I need to know all the grammar behind the dependent clauses in order to recognize and use dependent clauses? Gasp! Many books go into a lot of detail about the three types of clauses, constructing sentences, dissecting sentences, and so on.  Ultimately, although it ...
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