Look at the views of Moscow that are not normally deemed worth photographing. While many of the popular Instagram accounts devoted to brutalist aesthetics are all about perfectly smooth concrete and geometric lines, @uglymoscow celebrates the city’s visual chaos and peeks into the ugly corners of the city’s suburbs and sleeping districts. Whether it’s a building…
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
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…
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…
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 #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…
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…
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
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: “diverse” (adj.) Translation: Разнообразный Meaning: Including many different types of people or things. Example: The restaurant has a diverse menu that includes entrees from all over the world. Synonym: varied, different