False friends for French

Here you can find a list of false between French and English.

Gender neutrality

"English Style Guide" released by the Commission is hereby available.  On pages 48 - 49 you can find the section on gender neutrality. 

Conversation Exchange

Here you can have access to the Conversation Exchange website.

Four sources for audio and video streams

Here you can have access to the NPR of the NYC region.  It could be useful if you want to improve your listening comprehension of American English.  You can listen to the live FM broadcast or go their show archives.  I personally like Radiolab, Selected Shorts and Fresh Air among the shows they air.

Here you can have access to the BBC website, which also airs on the WNYC in the mornings Brussels time.  It could be useful to improve your listening comprehension of British English.  They also have links under "Learning English", where you can find numerous tools for learners of English as a second language.

Here you can have access to the audio and video streams on The Economist website.  This again is a good source for improving British English listening comprehension. I recommend using "The Week Ahead", which is released after 5:00PM every Friday.

Here you can have access to TED, which is a good source for numerous talks on a very wide range of topics.  Most talks are given by Americans and Canadians, but there are also other speakers of different nationalities, including some British.

Tenses and key words

Here you can find many exercises on tenses.  I am also hereby making a list of all the tenses and key words available

Sample business letter

Miles Davis

Rue du Bebop 12

1000 Brussels

Tel: 02 217 7855

Email: davis@email.com

Brussels, 17^th of January 2013

Ms Jennifer Smith

Director of Human Resources

Joint Research Centre

Rue Guimard 10

1049 Brussels

RE: The project manager vacancy (reference no. 123)

Dear Ms Smith,

Having seen the project manager vacancy posted on your HR website, I would like to hereby apply for the position.

Currently, I work as a project manager assistant in DG Research and Innovation at the European Commission. During my three years here, I have had the opportunity to acquire extensive experience not only as a team leader but also as the Acting Project Manager working on nuclear fusion research support. In addition, I specialised in nuclear fusion as a biophysicist during my PhD studies, with a Dissertation on transgenetic mutations. Due to my deep fascination with the intricacies of this matter, I have always been keen on pursuing my professional endeavours within the same field. Moreover, I cherish working in a multicultural environment, since I see diversity of perspectives as an invaluable asset in approaching a given issue.

Even though working in DG Research has been a very rewarding experience concerning my professional and personal development, I am now ready for new challenges. Therefore, I am very enthusiastic about the prospect of joining your team, since you have an excellent track record in supporting nuclear fusion research. On a more personal note, I also share your views on making nuclear technology environmentally sustainable. Thus I am confident that my profile is a perfect match for the position, especially given the fact that you specialise in eliminating radiation exposure in France, where I did part of my research as a PhD candidate.

Should you want to meet me in person to discuss the details of my CV,  I would be happy to come in for an interview at a time suitable for you.

Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Looking forward to hearing from you at your soonest convenience,

Sincerely yours,

SIGNATURE

Miles Davis

Enc: CV

PechaKucha

Here you can have access to PechaKucha, which is an online tool for flowing presentations.

Prezi

Here is the link for Prezi, an online tool for presentations.  You will have to create an account if you want to use it.

More tips on PowerPoint presentations

Here you can find list of do's and dont's for PowerPoint presentations.

The dont's for PowerPoint

Here you can find Don McMillan's standup on the dont's of a PowerPoint presentation.

The 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint

Here you can find Guy Kawasaki's recommendations on the length (10 slides), duration (20 minutes) and font size (30 points) in a PowerPoint presentation.

Here you can find a stream of his pitch. ('Bozo' means 'fool'.)

Lists of three and the rule of three: two speeches

Here you can find the first part of Steve Jobs's iPhone product launch speech.  
  Here you can find Barack Obama's inauguration speech.
 
In both of them, please pay attention to the usage of the lists of three and the rule of 3s.

Here is a stream where the rule of 3s is explained among other useful tips on making presentations.

What and which

Here you can find a document with information on the use of 'what' and 'which'.

Plans

Here are the four different functions we can use to talk about plans:
1. I will/shall call you in 10 minutes. (spontaneous)
2. I am going to spend the evening at home. (premeditated in spoken English)
    I will/shall be spending the evening at home. (premeditated in written English with an action verb)
    I will be in New York during Easter.  (premeditated in written English with a state verb)
3. I am flying to New York at 8:00AM tomorrow. (premeditated and arranged with an action verb)
    I am in New York during Easter. (premeditated and arranged with a state verb)
4. My Flight departs at 8:00AM tomorrow. (time-tabled event)

Here are some links to some exercises on this topic: 
  http://www.englishgrammarsecrets.com/goingtoorwill/menu.php
  http://www.englishgrammarsecrets.com/presentformsforfuture/menu.php
  http://www.englishgrammarsecrets.com/willbedoing/menu.php

Journalistic titles

Here you can find a brief explanation on journalistic titles used in, e.g., newspaper headlines.  We, however, should not use this style for our titles in administrative writing.  How would you change the headlines provided as examples in the hot-linked document into administrative style titles?

Linkers

The first and second parts of the documents on linkers are hereby available.  You can also find the key for the exercises here.  As you do the exercises, please remember the following three types of linkers we have identified:

• Linkers that connect two parts of the same sentence as in the following example: We only have one week off for Easter, so we will be staying in Brussels.
• Linkers that connect two separate sentences as in the following four examples, which are different ways of saying the same thing:

1. We only have one week off for Easter.  Therefore, we will be staying in Brussels.
2. We only have one week off for Easter; therefore, we will be staying in Brussels.
3. We only have one week off for Easter.  We will, therefore, be staying in Brussels.
4. We only have one week off for Easter; we will, therefore, be staying in Brussels.

• Linkers that are covered under both the first and second types as in the four following examples:

1. Besides giving his friend a lift after work, he helped her with her grocery shopping.
2. He helped his friend with her grocery shopping, besides giving her a lift after work.
3. I am afraid I am not allowed to help you with that question.  Besides, I do not know the answer myself.
4. I am afraid I am not allowed to help you with that question; besides, I do not know the answer myself.

Note that the meaning of the word 'besides'  in the first two examples is different from its meaning in the last two examples.

In all these examples, please pay special attention to the punctuation.

Order of adjectives

Here you can find some information and exercises on the order of adjectives along with the key to the exercises.

Prefixes

Here you can find some information and exercises on prefixes.

Semicolon, colon and lists

In Sections  2.5 - 2.10 of the English Style Guide published by the Directorate-General for Translation, you can find the rules on the use of colon and semicolon with the appropriate hyperlinks for other relevant issues, such as lists.

You can hereby find more information on the use of colon and semicolon as well as providing lists as it is presented in the Interinstitutional Style Guide.

Here you can find a document on the use of semicolon and colon, including the use of the latter to introduce lists.  The first rule on the use of colon in this document is at odds with what is said in the Commission's "English Style Guide" and  the "Interinstitutional Style Guide".

Here you can find a quiz on the use of colon and semicolon with the key and explanations.  In the explanation for the answer to question 21, you can find the capitalization rule in sentences after colon.

Quotations and sources

Commission English Style Guide
In Section 9 (entitled "Footnotes, citations and references") of the English Style Guide published by the Directorate-General for Translation you can find the information and relevant links on providing sources in your documents.  Sections 14, 15 and 17 of the Guide can also be useful if you need to refer to an official EU document as your source.  Subsection 2.3 provides you with information on the use of quotation marks when you provide quotations.

Interinstitutional Style Guide
You can also refer to the relevant sections and subsections of the Interinstitutional Style Guide,  especially 5.5.4 entitled "Bibliographies" and 8 entitled "Footnotes and their references". Subsection 5.10 entitled "Quotations" provides you with the official house rules for quotations, especially in reference to the use of quotation marks and ellipses.

MLA style list of works cited
Here you can find a short overview for how to provide different types of sources in your list of works cited in the MLA style from the Seventh Edition of MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. At the bottom of the page there is a link for some of the other styles. Here you can find a more in-dept coverage of the same issue from the Sixth Edition of MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers.  You will have to download the document to see its content, since it is a sizable file.
Please pay attention to the fact that the references to digital sources are different in the Sixth and Seventh Editions of MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. I recommend using the Seventh Edition in this regard.

Alternative citation styles
1) In-text citation  
Here you can find information on citing sources in the text as it is presented in the Sixth Edition of MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers.
2) Footnote and endnote citation
Here you can find information on citing sources in footnotes or endnotes as it is presented in the Sixth Edition of MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers.
3) Author-date citation and references  
Here you can find information on the author-date system, which is mostly used in the APA style, as it is presented in the Sixth Edition of MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers.
4) Numbered citations and works cited  
Here you can find information on the number system, which is used in positive sciences,  as it is presented in the Sixth Edition of MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers.
5) Other styles
Here is a list of other styles that can be used as it provided in the Sixth Edition of MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers.

REMEMBER TO BE CONSISTENT BY USING ONLY THE STYLE YOU CHOOSE!

Gerund vs. infinitive

Numerous exercises on gerund vs. infinitive along with their key are hereby made available for you to have access at your convenience.  


You can also find the list of verbs used with gerund and/or infinitive here.

 Here you can find more information and exercises on the same topic.

Relative, -ed and -ing clauses

Here you can find some exercises on relative, -ed and -ing clauses along with the key.

Poverty trap

Here are two articles on the topic from The Guardian:

- Escaping the poverty trap

- How 28 poor countries escaped the poverty trap

Is climate change a myth?

Here is you can have access to a webpage comprising the ten myths of climate change.

Here you can find short piece from the Scientific American on the topic.

Sample synthesis summary

Here you can find two articles which you can synthesize in a summary report. Please send me your one-page double-spaced summary by Monday, 14th of July.

The U-bend of life
Why, beyond middle age, people get happier as they get older

According to many recent social, medical and economic studies, people should not dread ageing, as life is not a long slow decline but rather a U-bend.

After a cheerful adulthood and a depressing mid-life crisis, luckily things do not go downhill further. Although old age means losing treasures such as vitality, mental sharpness and looks, what is surprising is that the elderly finally find what they spend their lives pursuing, namely happiness.

Unconvinced by the conventional direct relationship between money and well-being, some economists have established a new branch of economics based on the new concept of Gross National Happiness (GNH), which policy makers have been increasingly taking into account.

Statisticians have been trying to find the answer to the perennial question of what makes people happy. Surveys have been conducted to measure two sides of this issue, i.e., global well-being and hedonic or emotional well-being. Moreover, the following four main factors have emerged from the collected data: gender, personality, external circumstances and age.

The U-bend was noticed in the early 1990s, and if turned upside down, it becomes an arc, peaking at the age of 46, when people are the most depressed.

Researchers believe that the U-bend must be the result of internal changes, not external circumstances. Older people have fewer rows and come up with better solutions to conflicts; they are better at controlling their emotions and at accepting misfortunes; they are also less prone to anger, and come to accept their strengths and weaknesses.

The U-bend also shows us that old people are healthier, as happier people are less likely to catch viruses and recover from illnesses more quickly. Thus, the cheerfulness of the old helps counteract their crumbliness and loss of productivity due to declining cognitive skills—a point worth remembering as the world is trying to work out how to deal with an ageing workforce.

Money really can buy you happiness with some qualifications
 
It is widely believed that money cannot buy happiness, and that growth-oriented free-market economies have got it wrong. Many recent studies have shown only a loose correlation between money and happiness when measured over time or across countries. The “Easterlin paradox” suggests that well-being depends not on absolute, but on relative income. For, people feel miserable not because they are poor, but because they are at the bottom of the particular pile in which they find themselves.

As data on the effect of income on well-being is now available almost everywhere in the world, the huge variation in life satisfaction across countries is becoming increasingly evident. Although developed countries score up to eight and developing countries as low as three out of ten, cultural factors are also at work, such as the ones prevailing over the surprisingly gloomy Portuguese in the Western World. Another example is the case of Hong Kong and Denmark, which have similar incomes per person, but respectively score 5.5 and eight on the ten-point scale. Along the same lines, the saddest place in the world relative to its income per person is Bulgaria.

Conditionals

Here you can find some information and exercises on conditionals.
Here you can find information and exercises on the same topic along with the key for the exercises. (Source: English Grammar in Use. Intermediate by Raymond Murphy)
Here you can find more mixed exercises on conditionals as well as other linking words that can be used in conditionals. There are also some exercises on expressing wishes.

Minutes

Here is a document on writing minutes. 

 

Here you can find an example for minutes.  Source: Market Leader Upper Intermediate Business English Course Book by David Cotton, et al.

Articles

Here you can find the document on articles along with the key for the exercises.

Prepositions

Basic prepositions:
Here you can find some exercises on basic prepositions.  The key to the exercises is hereby made available. (Source: English Grammar in Use: Intermediate by Raymond Murphy)

Noun, adjective and verb + preposition:
Here you can find some exercises on nouns, adjectives and verbs which are used with certain prepositions.  The key for the exercises are also hereby made available. (Source: English Grammar in Use: Intermediate by Raymond Murphy). Here is a list of words with prepositions.

Phrasal verbs:
Here you can find some exercises on phrasal verbs.  The key to the exercises is hereby made available. (Source: English Grammar in Use: Intermediate by Raymond Murphy)

You can hereby find a link for more online exercises on the topics above.

Composite sentences with future tenses

Here you can find many exercises on future tenses.  I am also hereby making a list of all the tenses and key words available. You can do exercises 18 - 28, which deal with future tenses. Remember: we do not use 'will' in the part of these sentences with the linking word.

State vs. action verbs

Here is  a document where you can find information and exercises on state vs. action verbs, along with key for the  exercises. (Source: English Grammar in Use: Intermediate by Raymond Murphy)

Here is a link for a webpage where you can find some  exercises on the same topic.   

Here you can find the list of verbs we have looked at. (Source: LONGMAN Advanced Learners’ Grammar by Mark Foley &  Diane Hall)

Position of adverbs

Here are the main rules and exceptions on the position of adverbs in sentences:


First rule: if there is only one verb in the sentence, the adverb comes before the verb as in the following example: He usually comes to work on time.

Exception to the first rule: if the only verb in the sentence is 'to be', the adverb comes after the verb as in the following example:  He is usually on time.



Second rule: If there is more than one verb in the sentence, the adverb comes after the first verb as in the following example: He has already arrived at work.

First exception to the second rule: if the first verb in the sentence is an auxiliary verb with 'to', i.e., have to, need to, ought to and used to, the adverb comes before the first verb as in the following example: He usually has to start working by 9:30 AM.

Second exception to the second rule: if the first verb in the sentence is a contracted negation, the adverbs 'probably', 'possibly' and 'certainly' come before the first verb as in the following example: He probably won't come to work on time.

These being the main rules and exceptions, there is more to this topic.  You can find more information on this webpage, which also provides you with some exercises.Here is another document with exercises on the same topic.  You can find the key for the exercises here.

TAFTA

Here are the links to the two articles on TAFTA to be read for our session on 11th of July:

Financial Times

The New York Times

Sample listening summary

Here is the link for a presentation  by Hans Rosling on population growth.

Summary of Hans Rosling’s Presentation on Global Population at TED in June 2010

In the '60s, the world population consisted of 3 billion people. One third of this population lived in the industrialised world with healthy, educated and rich inhabitants aspiring for luxury goods, such as cars. The other 2 billion living in the developing world had low comfort, little education, rudimentary health care and limited fulfillment of basic needs. 

Since the '60s world population has grown by 4 billion to reach 7 billion. However, the rate of increase has not been the same in these two worlds. The industrialised world has progressed with its inhabitants raising their aspirations and consumption; the size of its population, nonetheless, remained stable. Consequently, the rise in population has mostly occurred in the developing world; the evolution there has varied as follows: 

-        The first billion have reached the level of the developed countries in the '60s;

-        Another 3 billion now belong to the category of what is called “emerging economies”, with increased consumption approaching the level of developed countries;

-        The remaining 2 billion still belong to the developing world.

The distance separating the richest from the poorest has thus increased, but more importantly, the number of those in between has risen. Another aspect is that the emerging world has been catching up with the western world, with smaller families and increased child survival. Nevertheless, the poorest 2 billion still have big families and low child survival.

What can the world look like in 2050? On one side, with the right kind of investments, emerging economies can adopt the behaviour of developed countries, such that the former’s population does not rise significantly. On the other side, the developing world will probably double from 2 to 4 billion; it is only with better child survival that its population can level off. Given the forecast(ed) rise in population, it will be necessary to have green technology and consumption. Last but not least, the old West's role will be to serve as the foundation of this new world.

Subjunctive

A webpage on the use of subjunctive is hereby made available.

Here you can find more information with exercises on the subjunctive and unreal uses past forms.  Here is the key for the exercises. 

Sample email

Dear Ms Smith,
 
Knowing that your entry into service at the European Commission is approaching, I would like to hereby extend you a warm welcome to our Unit, and provide you with some practical information.
 
As agreed during your job interview, you will be in charge of the follow-up of inter-service consultations. This position involves regular interaction and coordination with the other services of our DG as well as with other DGs. You will be working closely with Ms Black in our Unit, as inter-service consultation follow-up is a shared responsibility. Under my supervision, Ms Black will be explaining to you the various procedures, so that you can become acquainted with our working methods as soon as possible. As an attachment, I am resending your job description, in case you need it for a quick reference.
 
You should have been already informed that you will be attending a two-day training course organised by DG HR, i.e., the Directorate-General for Human Resources and Security, before taking up your duties in our Unit. This very useful course should provide you with additional information regarding the functioning of the European Commission, its working environment, and the rights and duties of its employees. During the course, you will have the opportunity to get your badge ready; all the relevant information will be provided by the trainers.
 
As a newcomer in Brussels, you might also be interested in receiving information on matters such as accommodation and public transport. Please note that the orientation leaders in DG HR will be handing out an information package during the training course, and that a legal advisor will be at your disposal to check the leases you might be considering before you sign a contract. If you need to search for an apartment, the best place to start is the immoweb website (http://www.immoweb.be/). There is also plenty of short-term accommodation available in Brussels, especially in the Schuman area close to the European Institutions. You can find all the necessary information about public transport in Brussels at http://www.stib.be/.
 
I would also like to hereby invite you to take up your duties in our Unit on Wednesday, 16th of March, i.e., after the completion of the training course mentioned above.  I propose starting the day with a meeting in my office at 9.30 am.  Afterwards, I will be introducing you to the members of the team you will be working in. Moreover, you will need to make an appointment to see Mr Miller (tel: +32(0)2/291 7811) in the afternoon of the same day.  I suggest making the appointment at least three days in advance, since he is usually very busy.  He is the HR focal point in our DG, and thus he will be your interlocutor for all contract related issues .
 
As you probably remember from your interview, our office is located at rue de la Science, 15, close to rue Belliard. With your badge, you can come up directly to our Unit, which is located on the 7th floor; I am in office 123.
 
Looking forward to meeting you in person,
 
With kind regards,

 Iris Wellington

Exercises with audio: meetings

Here are three audio files for the exercises that are hereby made available:

Audio 1 for exercises no. 1 and 2 on the first page

Audio 2 for exercises 3 and 4 on the first page

Audio 3 for the last exercise on the second page

Signposting and survival tactics

Here you can find a four-page document with exercises on signposting and some survival tactics, which could come in handy during a negotiation. (Source: Presenting in English by Mark Powell)

Opinions, agreeing and disagreeing

Here you can find some phrases which can be used to express your opinions, agreements and disagreements along with some exercises.

Useful phrases and expressions for meetings

Here are the links for some lists of useful phrases and expressions we have covered so far:

- Agreements, disagreements and interruptions
- Opening and setting the agenda
- Moderating

BBC on meetings

Here you can have access to the BBC website on meetings, where they have useful expressions and/or phrases contextualized in short dialogues available as audio streams with transcripts.

Greetings and closers

Here is a list of greetings you can use in your formal emails depending on the recipient:

• Anonymous singular:

1. Dear Sir/Madam
2. Dear Madam/Sir
3. Dear Sir or Madam
4. Dear Madam or Sir

• Anonymous plural:

1. Dear Sirs/Ladies
2. Dear Ladies/Sirs
3. Dear Sirs and/or Ladies
4. Dear Ladies and/or Sirs

• With a given male name: Dear Mr Smith

• With a given female name:

1.  Dear Ms Smith (civil status irrelevant or unknown)
2.  Dear Mrs Smith (married)
3.  Dear Miss Smith (single and younger than fifty)

• With given names to a group of less than three people (male):  Dear Messrs Smith and Jones

• With given names to a group of less than three people (female):

1. Dear Mses Smith and Jones (civil statuses unknown, irrelevant or different)
2. Dear Mesdames Smith and Jones (both of them married)
3. Dear Misses Smith and Jones (both of them single and younger than fifty)

• With given names to a group of less than three people (mixed gender and not related to each other by marriage or blood): 

1. Dear Messrs Smith and Jones, and Ms Presley 
2. Dear Ms Presley, and Messrs Smith and Jones

• With a given name to a couple who use the same last name:

1. Dear Mr and Mrs Smith 
2. Dear Mrs and Mr Smith 

• With given names to a group of more than three people (mixed gender):

1. Dear Sirs/Ladies
2. Dear Ladies/Sirs
3. Dear Sirs and Ladies
4. Dear Ladies and Sirs

• With given names to a group of more than three people (all male): Dear Sirs

• With given names to a group of more than three people (all female): Dear Ladies 

• With a given first and last name and the gender is not clear:  Dear Alex Smith

Here is a list of closers which apply to all formal emails regardless of their content:

• With kind regards
• Kind regards
• Regards

You can hereby find a document on how to address various VIPs in different contexts.

Style guides

Here you can find the Interinstitutional style guide. 

"English Style Guide" released by the Commission can be accessed  here.

How to Write Clearly

Here you can find the Commission guide entitled "How to Write Clearly".