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…

to cope (v.)

Today’s Word of the Day is: “to cope” (v.) Transcription: [kəʊp] Russian Translation: справляться Definition: to deal successfully with a difficult situation Example: How do you cope with stress? Synonyms: to manage, to get by

Business Communication Skills Tip

What You Should Do When You Feel Unappreciated at Work We spend too much valuable time at work, so it is important to feel engaged and valued. Here are some things you can do when you feel unappreciated (недооценённый) at work:   1. Check out your perceptions (суждения, представления)– find someone who knows your work…

Moscow, St.Petersburg Named Russia’s Most Polluted Cities

Moscow’s air had the highest NO2 levels out of 15 ranked Russian cities, Greenpeace Russia has said. Greenpeace Russia has named Moscow and St. Petersburg the most polluted cities in the country with the highest concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a toxic particle released from diesel fumes (дымление дизеля). St. Petersburg and the Siberian mining…

Generosity (n.)

Today’s Word of the Day is: “generosity” (n.) Transcription: [ˌdʒenəˈrɒsəti] Russian Translation: щедрость, великодушие Definition: the quality of being generous, kind; willingness to give or share; unselfishness Example: Generosity is one of his best characteristics. Synonyms: kindness, unselfishness

Five Things to do at VDNKh

It’s basically a gigantic Soviet theme park where you can easily spend the whole day. 1. Get active– hire a bicycle or a kick scooter—there are dozens of places to rent them around the park. In the summer, you can take a wakeboard lesson, navigate a rope park or, for fans of intellectual sports, play…

Business Communication Skills Tip

The Dos and Don’ts of Business Email Etiquette Do Proofread Check and recheck for spelling and grammatical errors. These errors make you seem unprofessional and will reduce the likelihood (вероятность) that the email will be taken seriously. Email software comes with many professional tools such as spell check—use them. Don’t Forget the Conversation Closer By…

Grammar Tip

There’s a Name for Words That We Repeat Often Words we always use even though they add no meaning or value to a sentence are called crutch words (cлова-паразиты). For example, in the sentence “Then I was like, OMG, then like, he went there, and like…” it is pretty obvious that “like” is the crutch…

Vendor (n.)

Today’s Word of the Day is: “vendor” (n.) Transcription: [ˈven.dər] Russian Translation: продавец, поставщик; торговец Definition: a person or company that sells goods or services; a person who sells food or goods on the street Example: Street vendors sell hot dogs outside the museum. Synonyms: seller, retailer

Business Communication Skills Tip

The Dos and Don’ts of Business Email Etiquette Don’t Be Negative It’s inappropriate to email negative comments. An email in all uppercase letters connotes (означать) anger in an email. These antagonistic messages cause awkwardness long after the email has been sent and received. If you must relay (отправлять) bad news via email, use objective words…