Friday, March 20, 2020

What to Do When Words Appear Twice in a Row

What to Do When Words Appear Twice in a Row What to Do When Words Appear Twice in a Row What to Do When Words Appear Twice in a Row By Mark Nichol Using a word twice in a row isn’t always a no-no, but there’s always a more elegant way to revise a sentence in which you might initially be inclined to repeat a word immediately. When words collide, try these approaches: 1. â€Å"What you do do is your own business.† Even if this sentence is intended as a counterpoint to a â€Å"what you don’t do† proposition, the emphatic first do is superfluous (â€Å"What you do is your own business†). If you must retain the repetition, introduce a separating phrase: â€Å"What you do decide to do is your own business.† 2. â€Å"They had had many arguments.† Replace the second had with a prepositional phrase (â€Å"They had gotten into many arguments†) or a more specific verb (â€Å"They had endured many arguments†), or introduce more vivid imagery into a revision (â€Å"They had verbally sparred many times†). 3. â€Å"I showed her her message.† Replace one pronoun preferably, both of the pronouns with a noun (â€Å"I showed my sister the woman’s message†). This isn’t a problem with him, because two forms of the pronoun would appear (â€Å"I showed him his message†), though, again, if him and his refer to different men, it might be better to specify, in place of one pronoun or the other, one of the men in question. 4. â€Å"He came in in disarray.† Replace the prepositional phrase with a simple verb (â€Å"She entered in disarray†). 5. â€Å"She gives in in every case.† Simply recast the final phrase (â€Å"She gives in every time†) or flip the phrase to the front (â€Å"In every case, she gives in†). 6. â€Å"What it is is a travesty.† â€Å"What it is† is always an unnecessarily verbose way to start a sentence. Start with the subject (â€Å"It’s a travesty†). 7. â€Å"I placed the card I had written on on the desk.† Recast the prepositional phrase â€Å"written on† with on at its head (â€Å"I placed the card on which I had written the note on the desk†). But first confirm that the modifying phrase involving written is necessary at all. 8. â€Å"We realize that that will not be satisfactory.† Replace the second that with a noun (â€Å"We realize that the proposal will not be satisfactory†). 9. â€Å"We will discuss this this evening.† Replace the first this with a pronoun (â€Å"We will discuss it this evening†) or a noun (â€Å"We will discuss the matter this evening†). 10. â€Å"Is there someone I can talk to to resolve the issue?† Employ a participial phrase in place in the infinitive phrase â€Å"to resolve† (â€Å"Is there someone I can talk to about resolving the issue?†) or amplify the second to by replacing it with the phrase â€Å"in order to† (â€Å"Is there someone I can talk to in order to resolve the issue?†). Occasionally, an immediate repetition of a word, separated from the first instance by punctuation, is appropriate for emphatic effect (â€Å"I have come here from far, far away†). At other times, even though punctuation separates the repetition, a recast would improve the sentence. For example, â€Å"Even though I was there, there didn’t seem to be anything for me to do† might be revised to â€Å"Even though I was there, I didn’t seem to be of any use† or â€Å"Despite my presence, there didn’t seem to be anything for me to do.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Idioms About Talking5 Brainstorming Strategies for Writers20 Ways to Cry

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Useful Hacks for Improving Your Life

Useful Hacks for Improving Your Life How to Stay Alert and Energetic for The Rest of Your Life? To have a constant supply of energy and feel a rush of power is not nonsense, and not a miracle, but a real or even normal state for a person. Anyone can achieve anything if they manage to overcome laziness and push away the potential obstacles to its productivity. By the way, productivity directly depends on the energy reserve of a person. And productivity, as we know, is almost the most important for each of us, and thanks to it we learn, work, achieve goals and conquer peaks. The problem is that each new day we notice is an increase in inactivity and indifference among people. Well, if the growing egoism in people because of the development of technology can still be forgiven, then indifference to one's own health is already frightening and even pissing. People are stuck in the comfort zone and are ready to sit in one position for the rest of their days. And how can those people believe that a constant surge of wakefulness exists? In this article, we try to inform that you constantly saving and accumulating energy is possible when following several simple rules. If you want to boost your energy level, then the provided information is for you. I Want to Become More Energetic: What Have I Do? The first and most important question that you must ask yourself: what am I doing all day? Perhaps, at first it will be difficult for you to get an answer, but in the course of self-examination you will understand that very often your time is simply wasted on unnecessary things, and by itself, the energy is also exhausted. So, you can determine what kind of person you are. There is one very interesting typology, according to which there are a jelly-filled human and a human hacker. Let’s review them both and maybe you'll learn if you belong to any of these categories. 1. A jelly-fish human is someone who usually refuses any physical activity, though understands its value and benefit. Jelly-fish humans have little energy, are afraid of changes, unpredictable situations, and risks. This results in disorders, illnesses such as a heart disease, obesity, dementia, or depression. 2. A hacker is a person who is constantly improving his or her life by taking challenges, searching adventures and gaining vital experience. Hackers have a sufficient amount of energy and generally a better health condition. Analyze your lifestyle, the level of physical and mental activity, potential sources of stress, and determine which category you belong to. Be honest with yourself, because your health and life depend on it. Valuable Tips for Boosting Energy 1. Exercise. The most helpful tip here is to exercise every day. Despite boosting energy and improving metabolism, this will help raise your mood and increase productivity for the whole day ahead. If you practice exercising at least 30 minutes a day, you will soon become a healthier person. 2. Run. Running is one of the most beneficial physical activities. It helps with blood circulating, losing weight, and recovery of nerve cells. 3. Sleep a lot. Sleep is a condition in which the brain actively works, helping the body to restore strength and energy spent for the day. So, in order to be active and stay awake for long - sleep at least 7-8 hours a day. 4. Improve your posture. Watch your posture and constantly improve it to avoid problems with the spine and nervous system. Believe me, good posture is the way to perfect health. 5. Drink more water. Water is necessary for every living organism to support its vital functions. Drinking enough water means giving your body a clear energy to perform any tasks. 6. Stand while working. A sedentary lifestyle, as well as a sedentary posture at work, negatively affects your physical and mental health. Therefore, try to stand while you work or so some exercises. 7. Stop worrying. Each of us has lots of problems that make us worry or panic. If you continue worrying about anything, you will lose energy faster and want to sleep. Practice meditation and a positive thinking. 8. Use smart drugs and vitamins. The last ways to boost energy are the so-called â€Å"smart drugs† and vitamins. Such supplements like Aniracetam and Piracetam help enhance memory, working performance and activity, and vitamin B-12 are great for getting an immediate energy boost and improve cognitive functions.