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 to 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.

Subject-verb agreement

Here is a document with a quiz on subject-verb agreement.

Composite nouns and possessives

Here you can find some information on composite nouns and possessives with exercises, as well as the key for the exercises. I am hereby also making another document on the same topics with exercises, as well as the key for the exercises.

Cambridge Dictionary

Here is the link for the online Cambridge Dictionary with the US and UK pronunciations of words.

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.

Gender Neutrality

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

Modal verbs

Here you can find some information and exercises on modal verbs along with the key for the exercises. (Source: English Grammar in Use. Intermediate by Raymond Murphy)

Here you can find more exercises on modal verbs.

Sample summary

The Summary of the Article Entitled "The U-bend of life" Published in the December 18th, 2010 Issue of The Economist

The main topic of the article is happiness; the concept of happiness, its drivers, and why the trend of happiness over age is U-shaped, i.e. why people’s state of happiness tends to decline until middle age, and then, improves for the remainder of their lives. The article mostly draws on the findings of the socio-economic studies conducted due to the increasingly widespread interest in the issue. Along these lines  a new branch of economics has started to measure happiness in order to use it as an alternative to money, which is the discipline’s conventional measure. The need for alternative measures of well-being and their relevance for policy evaluation have also caught the attention of politicians.

Studies suggest that the four main drivers of happiness seem to be gender, personality, external circumstances and age. Women tend to be happier than men, and neurotic people tend to be unhappy, whereas the opposite holds for extroverts. Furthermore, circumstances in people’s lives play a role, as, for instance, recent research shows that people in rich countries are happier than the inhabitants of poor ones. This discovery differs from Richard Easterlin’s observations in the 1970s, which  suggested only a weak correlation between money and happiness across countries; the discrepancy is probably due to the current availability of better data. Nevertheless, factors other than income – probably cultural ones – still seem to affect the degree of satisfaction across countries.

The U-shaped trend showing the strong link between age and happiness can be seen all over the world, although the age happiness bottoms out at varies across countries. Even more intriguing is the fact that this relationship is not a reflection of external circumstances, such as money and children, but the result of people’s internal changes. One such possible cause may be the elderly's recognition that they are closer to death, which makes them better at living for the present; similarly, the sober acceptance of their strengths and weaknesses leads to learning to be satisfied with what they have.

Finally, it is mentioned that happiness has favourable consequences on health and productivity. Given that not only happiness and health but also happiness and productivity are positively correlated, the elderly’s brighter state of mind should help them counteract the negative effects of their poorer physical condition and deteriorating cognitive skills. In conclusion, ageing – from the points of view of both the individual and the society as a whole – should not  be seen only as a burden.

Latin terms, phrases, abbreviations and acronyms

You can find a list of Latin terms, phrases abbreviations and acronyms that can be used in English here.

PS: The abbreviation for the Latin phrase et alii is 'et al.' with a dot at the end.  Here is a general rule for the use of the dot in abbreviations:  If the last letter of the word being abbreviated is not the same as the last letter of the abbreviation, you need the dot.  What are the abbreviations for 'professor', 'doctor', 'mister' and 'abbreviation'?

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, unless it is a press release.  How would you change the headlines provided as examples in the hot-linked document into administrative style titles?

Articles

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

Training day: Are we clear?

Here is a training-day invitation email, in case you have not received it.  Thank you Bruno!

Dear Colleagues,

Do you sometimes find Commission documents hard to understand? Have you ever felt you weren’t getting your message across clearly? Have you ever fallen asleep at a conference? If so, you are not alone!

Be sure to come to our ground-breaking one-day event on clear communication - 'Are we clear?' - covering clear writing, speaking and thinking.

 






Who should attend?  All staff of the Commission

Why?  We often struggle to explain what we want and what we do (both to external and internal stakeholders)

What is there for you?  You can attend conferences and workshops, watch videos of great speeches, and discover many learning tools (some online) that we can use daily to improve our communication – some examples:

• Writing - Colleagues from DGT  will give individual tuition on editing texts (you can bring your own!)
• Thinking - Workshops on mind-mapping    
• Speaking  - Tips on how to make a good presentation
  

Do I need to attend the entire day? No , you can come and go during the day for the part of the program that interests you (having registered in Syslog beforehand)

So look out for the posters and notices. Don’t forget to apply via Syslog Web Training <http://www.cc.cec/di/syslog_formation/catalogue/catalogue.cfm> for the talks or workshops that tickle your fancy!  Search for 'Are we clear' or go to 7.1 Conferences.  First come, first served! (Closing date 13 November)

If you want to know more about our day, go to the 'Are we clear?' <http://myintracomm.ec.europa.eu/HR_ADMIN/EN/TRAINING/CLEAR-COMMUNICATION-DAY/Pages/index.aspx> webpage.

And if you are not able to come to GUIM, you will be able to follow the conferences taking place in room 0/1 via  webstreaming. The link will be published on the 'Are we clear?' webpage on 14 November.

The 'Are we clear?' team:
Diane de Blaye
Loredana Vullo
Ana Yturriaga

Relative, -ed and -ing clauses

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

Subjunctive

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

Summary Exercise

Here you can find the text to be read for a double-spaced summary of maximum 1.5 pages. As you will see, there is a short piece entitled "The poor, the rich and Bulgaria", which is inserted into the longer acticle; try to incorporate it into the summary of the long one. Just in case you have problems downloading and/or printing out the document, I will be sending it to you as an email attachment. Please email me your summary as an attached Word document before our next session on 26th of October.

Linking words

The first and second parts of the documents on linking words 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 linking words we have identified:

• Linking words 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.
• Linking words 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.

• Linking words 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.

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.

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.

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 at 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

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 )

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)

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) 

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.

Interinstitutional and Commission 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".

DGT edit helpline

Here you can reach DGT editorial helpline, which is supposed to provide you with "rapid linguistic advice on request".  Thank you Bruno!