Common English Expressions For Online Tutoring

Tutorials are fast becoming a lucrative way to make a living, especially as online courses become the norm for non-native English speakers who want to learn the language. And a huge part of becoming skilled in English is knowing its various nuances and idioms. Let’s look at some common expressions in the language, why we say them, and when.

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Cut me some slack
This expression doesn’t literally mean to give another a new pair of pants. Its origin refers to the opposite of “taut,” meaning to offer more room for movement. The expression simply means to permit someone to do something that is not usually allowed.

A piece of cake
Both native and non-native students of English should know that this term originated in the 1870s, when cakes were common giveaways in competitions. The premise here is that cakes are easy to make. In time, the expression began to connote something easy to accomplish.

A fresh pair of eyes
An idiom that means bringing in another person to examine something. The idea is to gain a new perspective or a less-biased one on something that a person close to the project might overlook or take for granted.

Beat around the bush
This idiom, which means to avoid giving a direct or definite answer or explanation, comes from hunting. During the medieval times, men are hired by hunters to just beat areas surrounding bushes to lure out game that may be hiding in them.

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Educator and school administrator Chris Bugbee left public education this year to establish the CT Homeschool Center. For similar reads on homeschooling, visit this blog.

The Value Of Developing Good Grammar

Good education largely hinges upon one’s command of the language. In a big way, correct grammar is seen in career fields and industries as a manifestation of proper schooling. Before studying another, you have to have mastery of your own.

How many times have you seen a grammar-conscious friend, relative, or even a non-native speaker frowning upon a simple misspelled word? A not-so-surprising number of job applications are not entertained by managers and HR officers due to a perceived carelessness with grammar.

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Most Americans and other native English speakers have issues with spoken versus written English. One can’t underestimate how words look on the page and what they mean. For example, “loose” and “lose” or “it’s” and “its” have different meanings and connotations when jotted down. And the phrase “would have” is not to be contracted as “would of” just because that’s how one hears it.

The variations in expressions and pronunciations can themselves be overwhelming, too. Someone from Britain will pronounce “water” very differently from someone in California. Yet whatever the twang is, what’s ultimately important is not to justify bad grammar as part of the evolution of language. Consciously altering word usage is different from simply failing to spell it right.

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In the end, good grammar lends itself to big but important words like respect, professionalism, and learnedness. After all, one should always mean what they say. And write.

Educator and school administrator Chris Bugbee left public education to create the CT Homeschool Center. The center offer six- to eight-week courses in all subject areas to meet the needs of homeschooled students. For similar reads, visit this blog.