You can find a document on subject-verb agreement with exercises here. The key for the exercises is available here.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Subject-Verb agreement
Friday, August 26, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Make, do, get and have
Here you can find some information and exercises on the use of the verbs 'make', 'do', 'get' and 'have'.
Emails
Below you can find the links to your emails, which we have already looked at.
Livia, Krisztina, Irina, Francoise, Katerina, Marie, Erika, Brigitte, Maria, Sandra1 & 2, Pauline, Pascale, Lisa, Sabrina and Paola.
Here is a sample email on the same topic:
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 explain 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 training, 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 transportation. Please note that the orientation leaders at DG HR will be handing out an information package during the training, 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 transportation in Brussels at http://www.stib.be/.
I would also like to hereby invite you take up your duties in our Unit on Wednesday, 16th of March, i.e., after the completion of the training mentioned above. I propose starting the day with a meeting in my office at 9.30 am. Afterwards, I will introduce 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 offices are 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
Livia, Krisztina, Irina, Francoise, Katerina, Marie, Erika, Brigitte, Maria, Sandra1 & 2, Pauline, Pascale, Lisa, Sabrina and Paola.
Here is a sample email on the same topic:
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 explain 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 training, 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 transportation. Please note that the orientation leaders at DG HR will be handing out an information package during the training, 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 transportation in Brussels at http://www.stib.be/.
I would also like to hereby invite you take up your duties in our Unit on Wednesday, 16th of March, i.e., after the completion of the training mentioned above. I propose starting the day with a meeting in my office at 9.30 am. Afterwards, I will introduce 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 offices are 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
Friday, August 19, 2011
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.
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.
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.
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.
Center and centre
I am sorry for confusing you about the difference between the words 'center' and 'centre' today, for it is just a question of American vs. British spelling respectively.
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