Business Idioms in America

My latest ESL text. Availabe in October 2012

Essay with 15 mistakes

Below is the essay with the 15 mistakes corrected - everyone missed interest/internet in paragraph two, line 4.

Internet Piracy - With Mistakes Corrected

It happens every second of every day all over the world. One click and that new song—the one you didn't pay for—is on your iPod. You may think it’s legal. After all, downloading music is fast and easy, right? Think again. It goes without saying that downloading music off the web without paying for it is a cime. (4)

I know. I know. Some will argue that “It’s my democratic right to download music without paying for it." Nonsense. The internet might have started out with the intention of being a democracy but believe me, those days are long gone. The internet these days is about two things: information and money. Big money. One of the biggest money makers on the web is music, and music is protected by law. If you download U2’s latest album, let’s say, and you don’t pay for it, then you are breaking the copyright law that says U2 owns that music. It is their property and you just stole it. If you want to listen to U2, you’ve got to buy it, no ifs, ands or buts. (5)

Also, the artist has a legal right to get paid for his or her work no matter how or where it is downloaded. How would you like it if somebody were stealing your music? This is exactly what Napster was doing. Napster was the first peer-to-peer music sharing site. Musicians, however, took Napster to court for not paying royalties, money owed each time a song was downloaded via Napster. Napster argued that it was just helping friends share music. The courts disagreed. Napster paid a big fine and is now a pay site. (2)

Moreover, illegally downloading music off the web is not a privacy issue. If you break the law by illegally downloading music, you are a criminal. I’m sorry, but you can't have it both ways. You can’t break the law and hide behind the privacy issue. The law is clear. Criminals have no right to privacy. Period. (2)

It bears repeating that downloading music without paying for it is a crime no matter what anyone says about “the freedom of cyberspace.” Just because downloading music is fast and easy doesn’t mean you have the right to steal it. (2)

What is an idiom?

Below is a sample from the book I am writing - Business Idioms in America

Okay, so what is an idiom?

                                

An idiom is a comparison. Let me explain. Look at the following examples.

                        1. Jack is as hungry as a wolf.       

                        2. Jack eats like a wolf.

                        3. Hey, wolfman! How are you? Long time, no see!

                        4. Jack's an animal. The guy's crazy.

In examples 1 and 2, I am comparing Jack to a wolf. A wolf is a wild animal and when hungry, watch out! When I say, "Jack is as hungry as a wolf," I am speaking (writing) figuratively. Is my friend Jack a real (literal) wolf? No. Instead, I am figuratively (idiomatically) comparing him to a wolf to create a picture in your mind. As you can see, an idiom is a comparison that paints a figurative (descriptive) picture using words.                                                                                                         

In examples 3 and 4, I am still idiomatically comparing Jack to an animal. However, I am not using the comparatives "like" or "as." This kind of idiomatic comparison (not using like or as) is called an indirect comparison or a metaphor (met-ah-for). A metaphor is an implied (suggested) comparison. Notice how in examples 1 and 2, I do use "like" and "as." This kind of idiomatic comparison is called a direct comparison or a simile (sim-ah-lee).

Remember: An idiom is either a metaphor or a simile.

è How do you know if what you are reading, saying or hearing is an idiom or not? Look for the comparison. If there is a comparison (a simile or a metaphor), then it is an idiom. If there is no comparison (no simile or metaphor), it is not an idiom. If it sounds like an idiom, but there is no comparison, it is probably a common expression, a prepositional phrase, a phrasal verb, or slang.

And that, in a nutshell, is the skinny on idioms. It's time to get the show on the road.

Bruce Stirling

Practice Tests for the TOEFL iBT

My new TOEFL book > available at fine book stores August 2012

My book reviewed by a Happy test-taker!

July 17, 2012

Helped me get a high score! 

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i love this book! it helped me score 28/30 for both writing and speaking. it will give you tips on how to answer better. i used the OPDUL=C especially on the speaking section. and it made me answer the questions easier and faster since i have a guide on how i should answer it. i made sure i have an intro, at least 2 examples with details and a conclusion. it's also very helpful when you're trying to map out the conversation and/or lectures. i also liked how they showed samples on how you can improve the paragraphs on the writing section. i find it hard to write about the part where there's a lecture and a reading combined, and the techniques the book gave plus sample paragraphs helped me get thru it! i wasn't able to use most of the techniques, but i made sure i used the OPDUL=C and i am so satisfied with my scores! 

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Rhetorical Strategies You Must Know for TOEFL

A carpenter uses a hammer to build a house. A painter uses a brush to paint a portrait. Speakers and writers use rhetorical strategies to develop, support and analyze fact-based and opinion-based arguments. What is the TOEFL iBT? It's all arguments. Why all arguments? Because argument development and analysis is the foundation of the English-speaking educational system. That means to get a high TOEFL iBT score you must know basic argument development. Start to learn about argument development by learning these basic eight rhetorical strategies. You will use these eight rhetorical strategies for all four sections of the TOEFL iBT.

1. NARRATION: (Chronology)        

She got up at seven. After that she had breakfast, then caught the nine o’clock train downtown.

2. DESCRIPTION: (Person or Place)

His room was tiny, his faded green plant dying, his desk cluttered with empty cups and late assignments.

                                        

3. ILLUSTRATION: (Giving Examples)

Google is just one of many search engines.

                                        

4. COMPARE/CONTRAST: (Similarities/Differences)

Mary tried the apple pie and decided the cherry pie was sweeter.

  

5. CAUSE/EFFECT: (Action + Result)

Bill studied hard and passed the exam.

6. CLASSIFICATION: (Dividing into groups)

  

There are three kinds of wine: red, white, and rose.

7. DEFINITION: (Dictionary Style)

  

A good student does his homework.

8. PROCESS: (Putting Steps in Order)

  

Writing consists of three steps: prewriting, writing, and revising.

Remember: To get high TOEFL score, you must know these eight rhetorical strategies. Rhetorical strategies are tools speakers and writers use to support and develop fact-based and opinion-based arguments. What is the TOEFL iBT? All fact-based and opinion-based arguments.

The Pro

Cause...

and effect...

© Bruce Stirling 2011