The Most Popular Botanical Garden on Instagram

Moscow State University’s botanical garden, called Aptekarskiy Ogorod (which means “apothecary garden” in Russian) runs an Instagram account with the most followers among botanical gardens in the world. Founded in 1706 by Peter the Great, it is also the oldest botanical garden in Russia, and was initially meant to grow medicinal plants. Since the 19th…

Business Communication Tip

Common English Writing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them Mistake #1: Switching Tenses Unnecessarily One of the most common problems seen in English writing is unnecessary switching between past, present and future tenses. Changing between verb tenses within a sentence can make it difficult for the reader to follow a piece of writing and should…

Grammar Tip

Reflexive and Intensive Pronouns Reflexive pronouns end in -self or -selves: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves. Use a reflexive pronoun when both the subject and object of a verb refer to the same person or thing. Example: I found myself sandwiched between passengers on the subway. Intensive pronouns  look the same as reflexive pronouns, but their…

to enhance (v.)

Today’s Word of the Day is: “to enhance” (v.) Translation: улучшать, усиливать Meaning: to improve the quality, amount, or strength of something. Example: Winning that award greatly enhanced her reputation. Synonym: improve