Today’s Word of the Day is: “people person” (id.) Translation: очень общительный, душа компании. Meaning: A person who enjoys or is particularly good at interacting with others. Example: Colleagues say she’s a good people person who can really motivate a team. Synonym: extrovert
Soviet logos is a project by Lithuanian designer Rokas Sutkaitis, who finds, carefully redraws and explains logos and trademarks hailing from behind the Iron curtain. The Instagram, which now has 10.7K followers, is a minimal collection of logos for various Soviet brands from all over the USSR, from confectionary to refrigerator exhibitions. It includes a…
Common English Writing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them. Mistake #2: Excessively Long Paragraphs While there is no set rule for the number of sentences a paragraph should contain, it is possible to have paragraphs that are too long. Excessively long paragraphs are one of the most common problems seen in writing. The problem can…
That Moment When Nouns Become Adjectives and Adjectives Become Nouns One more thing you should know about adjectives is that, sometimes, a word that is normally used as a noun can function as an adjective, depending on its placement. Example: Never try to pet someone’s guide dog without asking permission first. Guide is a noun. But in this…
Today’s Word of the Day is: “warranty” (n.) Translation: гарантия Meaning: A written promise made by a company to change or repair one of its products if it has a fault. Example: This warranty will cover all repairs at 100% cost for a period of 24 months from the date of purchase. Synonym: guarantee, assurance
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…
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…
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…
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
Sasha Ardabiev is a Moscow-based blogger whose Instagram account is dedicated to fashion looks under 3000 roubles (about $50). They are sourced exclusively from a French bargain supermarket chain Auchan. Ardabiev on his account @cheap_sasha creates fashion photo shoots mixing menswear and womenswear: from a minimalist Steve Jobs turtleneck to a trendy bucket hat and…