Cambridge Exams: Key Sentence Transformation Videos

I just wanted to let everybody know that there are now two Key Sentence Transformation videos available on YouTube.

The first one is a general overview of how Key Sentence Transformation works.
The second one focuses specifically on how to do Key Sentence Transformation with one-word verbs and phrasal verbs (and vice-versa.)

I'll be working on more videos this summer, especially the Key Sentence Transformation videos.

EDUCATED or POLITE - What's the difference?

One set of false friends that causes a lot of confusion in English is the difference between an EDUCATED person and a POLITE person. This is important to understand because even though we use them to describe people, they don't mean the same thing - and this video explains why.

I should have done this one last week...

Unfortunately, I didn't think about doing a video on this until Monday, when I started seeing all the pictures of everyone at Carnaval. I hope that you had a great time at Carnaval, and I hope that this pair of words - custom or costume? - doesn't give you trouble.

I apologize for being a little slow with the videos this week - it's been busy. There will be more to come!

AGREE or CONFORM - What's the difference?

Today's video will be useful for those of you who are studying business English: it describes the difference between AGREE and CONFORM, two verbs that people sometimes get mixed up when they're talking about legal documents.

ATTEND or ASSIST? The video explanation is here!

Well, it's been a grey, rainy day here in Ottawa: 8ºC, just like in Madrid, and our snow is almost all gone. I wasn't in the mood to get outside and do much today, so I've started work on a new series of videos.

Today's installment describes the difference between ASSIST and ATTEND. Be careful with this pair - this is the kind of question that Cambridge LOVES to put on exams like the First and the Proficiency.

ECONOMIC or ECONOMICAL - What's the difference?

I've just posted another vocabulary video: today's topic is the difference between ECONOMIC and ECONOMICAL.

Both of them are adjectives that talk about money, but we use them in different contexts.

Today's Grammar/Vocabulary Video: LIKE versus AS

You know, it's funny -- of all the things that people ask about in class, I think that the difference between LIKE and AS is the easiest to explain -- but no one seems to do it! So here's a Doceri video explaining the difference between the two words.

If you're a current STOP SPANGLISH student, send me an e-mail and I'll send you an exercise to help you practice this.

SAY and TELL - What's the difference?

The latest Doceri video is up - What's the difference between SAY and TELL?

I should mention that this video covers the basic, general differences. I'll make a more detailed video to go with the First Certificate/Escuela Oficial class work.

Money and mouths....

So....today's collocation is "to put your money where your mouth is:" to support what you say by doing something practical; to show by your actions that you really mean something.

I just picked up the DELE Superior C2 book at FNAC. I'm not surprised that I don't know a lot of the vocabulary in it, but I'm very happy that I have six or seven months to prepare for the exam.

The big day comes at the beginning of November. After all the hell I put you guys through, now is your chance to laugh at me. :)

Vocabulary notes - "TRUST"

Just a quick note about "TRUST": Generally, TRUST is something you do, not something you have:

I trust this car. (NOT: *I don't have trust of this car.)

The Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary gives us some useful notes on how to use this word:

You can trust a person, but not a thing or system. You can trust somebody's judgement or advice, but not their support. You can depend on someone's support, but not their judgement or advice.