by Heather Chetwynd | Feb 17, 2022 | Culture and Values
A former student of mine got a job in northern Quebec years ago. The weather is pretty harsh there and, being quick witted, he wrote the following few paragraphs with common weather idioms. I felt it was so well written and the idioms used so naturally, I decided to...
by Heather Chetwynd | Sep 27, 2021 | Language Training
Most cities have their landmarks. In Toronto, we have one that was sold after the death of its owner, Ed Mirvish. A poor immigrant to Toronto in the 1920s, he built a discount store in 1948 that catered to immigrants and the working class, delighting passersby with...
by Heather Chetwynd | Dec 23, 2013 | Accent Modification
In writing, we often mark phrasing with punctuation. In speech, we mark phrasing with intonation and pausing. If it is not done correctly, you might be misunderstood! Take a look at the following examples: WHAT IS IT? Let’s eat Grandma… OR… Let’s eat, Grandma....
by Heather Chetwynd | Jul 22, 2011 | Voice to Word Post - Other
I received this recently in one of those anonymous emails that get passed around. Some words seem pretty much the same until you change the context! People say there is no difference between COMPLETE & FINISHED. But there is. When you marry the right one, you are...