You may know about brushing your hair with a brush or that you brush the dirt off a seat before you sit down, but do you know these other brush words?
A brief encounter with something notable or unpleasant is a brush with. It's used for situations in which you experience or nearly experience something.
Being interviewed by a local TV station was my only brush with fame.
If for example you nearly die, you have a brush with death.
In a state, particularly in British English, is used informally for a couple of situations.
When someone becomes nervous or upset, they are in a state:
Nervous: She gets herself into a real state worrying about her exams.
Upset: James has been in a terrible state since his girlfriend broke up with him.
State is also used casually to describe something that is messy, untidy or chaotic.
Un is a prefix meaning not. It's used to give opposite and negative meanings to adjectives, adverbs and nouns.
Root word: Able.
Meaning: To not be able to do something.
Example: She's unable to attend tomorrow's meeting.
Root word: Aware.
Meaning: To not know something.
Example: I was unaware the plans had changed.
Root word: Beat.
They say that reading is good for you, but did you know that it can also _1_ your life?
The Drinkable Book is a new _2_ that is both a water filter and an instruction manual for how and why to clean drinking water.
In developing countries, access to clean water is _3_. According to the World Health Organization, more than 3.4 million people _4_ each year from water, sanitation, and hygiene related causes. Nearly 100% of deaths occur in the developing world.
Two news articles caught my eye (attracted my attention) today:
Washington Post Headline
Why accepting the Iran nuclear deal is a no-brainer
The Guardian Headline
Harry Kewell says joining Watford to coach their Under-21s 'was a no-brainer'
When something requires little or no thought, it is a no-brainer. It's an easy decision or choice to make.
No-brainer is a noun, the plural form is no-brainers.
Other types of nouns are proper nouns (or real nouns).
Real nouns start with a capital letter: Spain, Brad, and Pizza Hut.
What are proper adjectives?
This is the same with adjectives.
Most adjectives are common adjectives: slow, modern, red, and exciting.
Proper adjectives start with a capital letter: Spanish, Martian, and Russian.
Proper adjectives are usually derived (formed) from proper nouns.
Spain = Spanish
Mars = Martian
Below are ten sentences. Each sentence has one mistake. Only choose one option per sentence.
Use the comments area to explain what the mistakes are, why they are mistakes and what the correct sentence should be!
Which question is the most difficult? We think number nine!
A minimal pair or close pair consists of two words with sounds that are very similar but have different meanings.
For example, rot and lot may sound similar, especially to some non-native English speakers.
Below are ten other examples of minimal pairs, in the each sentence choose the correct word. Try saying the words out aloud, do you notice how similar they sound?
The eight parts of speech are:
Play, run, taste, push
Car, flower, bottle, map
I, ours, her, they, it
quickly, never, today, away
American, green, tall, modern
During, in, under, with
And, but, or, yet
We make friends when we become friendly with new people.
She made friends easily at her new school.
We became friends after meeting at a party.
When you hit it off with someone you have a good friendly relationship. It is used to describe meeting someone for the first time.
We hit it off straight away.
I went on a date with Frank's brother last night but we didn't hit it off. I don't think we will go out again.
