Though, Thought, Tough, Through, Thorough - 5 Confusing English Words

Though, Thought, Tough, Through, Thorough - 5 Confusing English Words There are a few problems that seem to consistently come up in my English classes. One of these is confusion among the words Though, Thought, Tough, Through and Thorough.The problem usually comes up when we are reading a lesson together, and we come across one of the words. Students will often get to a word like tough and say the word thought or though.There are two reasons why these words are difficult. First of all, they look a lot alike. Youve basically got the letter t (and sometimes r), surrounding the letter combination ough in slightly different arrangements.Secondly, the letter combination ough makes a different sound depending on the word.Though sounds sort of like thow, thought sounds like thawt, tough sounds like tuff, through sounds like threw, and thorough sounds like therrow. It turns out that the letter combination ough is one of the most unpredictable in the English language, with 6 to 10 possible sounds they can make, depending on the dialect.Honestly, thinking about it makes me wonder how native  English speakers dont get confused by them. Especially though, tough and thought. They look almost exactly the same, but make completely different sounds!Yet somehow we never get them confused, without ever having to think about it.So what do you do if youre someone who is trying to learn English? Im not sure theres an easy way to fix this problem. Even my most advanced students make mistakes with these words.My suggestion for now is to be aware of the ough letter combination, and when you come across it, pay careful attention to the context. Luckily, each of these words have very different meanings, and its highly unlikely that the word tough can be substituted for the word thought in a sentence.Want to keep learning? Read our guides to English idioms or English phrasal verbs. ilias thanks Ric Thanks a lot, really helped me LOIEnglish Awesome! Karen Bartels You could add the word trough to your list. Lin Andre Nathan Soo, how can this article hel p me? Grammar nazis? LOIEnglish It isnt about the grammar but more the pronunciation. The pronunciation for these words is unique in each word and can cause a great deal of confusion if you mispronounce them using the wrong sounds. Guest Could you please show us an example? Duncan B See guys, English is tough language, BUT, it can be solved through tough thorough thought though Sorry LOIEnglish Ha! Very good. fargok Lovely. Adrián González If you said but, why would you use though later in the sentence? LOIEnglish Youre right that it isnt grammatically correct however though is often used at the end of speech as an afterthought, similar to .well. For example: I like the red shoes but not the black.though.they might work with the purple dress. Thiago Dos Santos Leite Awesome! I do too mainly when Im writing ?? Andika Maulana lieur aing ?? i dont feel so good

Stress and Standardized Tests Coping Strategies

Stress and Standardized Tests Coping Strategies ACT SAT Prep and College Admissions Blog Stress is something that everyone experiences; however, the triggers and manifestations of stress differ for everybody. As illustrated in the Yerkes-Dodson Human Performance Curve, a little stress can be good; it keeps us focused and motivated, and can positively impact performance. However, too much stress can be physically debilitating and can decrease productivity, performance, and cognitive function--a particular issue when engaged in a high cognitive activity, such as standardized tests. While effective time management, productive study habits, and strong organizational skills can help combat stress, there are also coping mechanisms that you can utilize to help mitigate stress. Here are nine coping mechanisms that you can take advantage of to help deal with ‘Test Stress’. Coping Mechanisms: Reduce your consumption of caffeinated beverages. Caffeine is a stimulant and will increase your level of stress rather than allay it. Try to reduce or avoid caffeinated beverages. Get the right amount of sleep. A lack of sleep can exacerbate stress levels. Make sure to get between 7-9 hours of sleep each night leading up to your test date. Get organized. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when you have a long list of items on your ‘To Do’ list. Prioritize your tasks and break them into smaller, manageable tasks. Relax. Stress is the body’s reaction to a stimulus that disturbs your mental or physical equilibrium. Try deep breathing exercises to help relax your body or short meditative exercises to help clear your mind. Stretching is also good for relieving muscle tension. Exercise. Often times, stress manifests itself as physical agitation. Going for a run or doing a few calisthenic exercises can help mitigate your stress levels and restore your body and mind to a more relaxed state. Distinguish between good and bad stress. Good stress can increase productivity and performance, while bad stress can slow you down and decrease productivity. Try utilizing some relaxation practices when your stress levels shift from manageable levels to overwhelming levels. Don’t stress about stress. Accept that stress is a normal feeling and that a little stress can be a good thing. Use it as a tool to focus on the task at hand. Create a checklist prior to exam day. Create a list of items you need to complete or bring with you to the exam ahead of time. Doing this prior to exam day allows you to organize yourself and prepare things, and prevents you from feeling scatterbrained the day of your exam. Keep a stress journal. Documenting your own stress patterns will help you become aware of situations and stimuli that trigger your stress levels. Being aware of what triggers your stress level can help you to develop better coping mechanisms. Other ‘Test Stress’ coping mechanisms I like to utilize include maintaining a healthy diet, avoiding cramming before a test, wearing comfortable clothing during an exam, and practicing visualization exercises wherein I imagine that I have aced the exam. Such strategies help me feel physically and emotionally prepared for an exam. I invite you to try out some of these coping mechanisms, and play around with them until you find one that works for you.

Healthy Shopping On A Budget

Healthy Shopping On A Budget Photo Via: Pixabay.com 1. Plan Your Meals in Advance The first and most important element of healthy shopping on a budget is to plan all of your meals in advance, from breakfast to dinner. Basically, when you’re doing some healthy shopping, it’s easy to get side-tracked in the store and grab items that look good. To help you stay on track and develop a plan of attack before you even go into the store, make sure you plan out every meal in advance so you know exactly what you need and can limit the tempting foods that you keep around the apartment. 2. Create a Shopping List (And Stick To It) Once you’ve created a meal plan for the week, create a shopping list that adheres to that meal plan. This should be a pretty general list, but give you a good idea of what foods you are going to need when you go to the store. Again, once you have your list fully planned, it’s still easy to grab items as you see them in the store. Avoid doing this! These impulse buys are rarely healthy, and they’ll cost you more money than you need to be spending. Stick to the list you created and you’ll be just fine! 3. Look for Sales Once you have your list and you’re in the store, check the shelves for the items that are on sale. If you put “oatmeal” on your list, for example, avoid grabbing the name brand product just because it’s what you’re used to getting. Instead, browse the selection available and look for similar products that are on sale, as this is a great way to save money in the long run. While there may only be a few cents of a difference, these cents do add up in the end, so pick up the sale items when you can! 4. Use Coupons Target perhaps makes this the easiest with their Cartwheel app. All you need to do is input or scan the item to see if there are any coupons available for that item. You can do this throughout your shopping trip as you are adding items to your cart to save coupons that you can use at checkout. Again, these are going to add up to some cost savings that are really free money, so while they may take a little time and effort to grab, they are well worth the time and effort in the long run. 5. Read the Ingredients One of the biggest mistakes that individuals make when shopping for healthy items is not reading the list of ingredients for the item that they’re choosing. Let’s go back to the oatmeal example; if you choose an alternative you’re unfamiliar with, but it’s on sale, you still may want to read the ingredients list to see if the brand has more or less sugar or undesirable ingredients that will defeat the purpose of your healthy eating initiative. It happens more often than you would guess, so read the labels before tossing another item into your cart! 6. Set a Budget Last, but definitely not least, you need to set a budget for yourself before you even go to the store. Walmart has an app in which you can add grocery items to your cart to determine what your total cost would be. This is a great method for planning your shopping trip, as it gives you an idea of how much your food will cost before you even go into the store, allowing you to alter the list as needed to achieve your desired budget. While you’ll want to give yourself a little wiggle room here, since prices do vary, this is a great starting point and will help you better stick to your budget. Shopping healthy doesn’t have to be expensive, at least not as expensive as it’s made out to be. When it comes down to it, healthy shopping on a budget is possible, you just need to know where to look, how to plan and what to get. So ditch the ramen and easy mac and start choosing healthy eating options that you’ll actually enjoy more than anything else! With the above six tips in mind, you’ll be a healthy shopping professional in no time!

Top Electronics To Put On Your Holiday Wish List

Top Electronics To Put On Your Holiday Wish List Photo Via: http://www.androidguys.com If you don’t have one of these bad boys already, this is definitely something you will want to put on your list. It comes with a six, seven or eight inch display in high definition, as well as Wi-Fi and from eight to 32 GB of storage. The bigger the display and the more GB of storage you ask for, the more expensive the gift becomes, but the average price is about $229. So if you frequently use e-books for class, or just love to read in general, this is absolutely an item you’ll want on your wish list. 2. Nest Learning Thermostat: Photo Via: http://i.ytimg.com While this idea isn’t as fun as some of the others, there really isn’t anything as cool, or as practical. If you live with roommates and no one can ever seem to agree on a temperature for the apartment, this is the perfect gift for you. The Nest Learning Thermostat is the ultimate money saver: it will remember the temperature you like and program itself, and while you’re away, it will turn itself off to save energy. At about $250, this product practically pays for itself. Plus, you can’t really put a price on never fighting over the thermostat again, am I right? 3. GoPro Hero3+: Photo Via: http://www9.pcmag.com For those of you that love to take pictures, and are also always up for adventure, this is one of those items you have to have. The GoPro Hero3+ is a GoPro camera that you can put on your dashboard, helmet and really anything else you could think of and get a beautiful picture every time. While this is on the more expensive end at about $400, this is the perfect item to put on your wish list if you have always wanted a GoPro camera but have never had one. 4. Portable Power Bank and Car Jump Starter: Photo Via: http://ecx.images-amazon.com For any of you with a car, this is an item you didn’t even know you wanted until right now. This is basically a portable, external battery that has charging adapters for any electronics you may need to charge, i.e. laptops or cellphones. However, that’s not all this item does: it also has jumper cables in case you ever need to jump start your car. Plus, it’s portable, so it fits right into your glove box, backpack or purse. This item is about $100 on Amazon, and it’s yet another practical item that any car owner should have. 5. Fire TV Stick: Photo Via: http://fm.cnbc.com For those of you like me that have an obsession with cinema and television, this is something you will want to ask for this holiday season. The Fire TV Stick is a streaming media HDMI stick that plugs into your TV. It has Netflix, Amazon Prime Instant Video, music, games, etc. It prides itself on having voice searching that “actually works” and being extremely easy to use. All you do is plug it in to your TV, connect to the internet and enjoy hundreds of options of movies, TV shows, games, etc. The Fire TV Stick is about $40 on Amazon. 6. NETGEAR N300 Wi-Fi Router with External Antennas: Photo Via: http://i.ebayimg.com Living at school comes with its hardships, including terrible internet connection. While you’re at school, you want to be able to connect to your Wi-Fi without trouble, especially for classes with online assignments. Well, no longer will you want to throw your router out the window. The NETGEAR N300 Wi-Fi Router provides Wi-Fi for medium-sized homes, which makes it perfect for apartment living. Plus, setup is supposed to be extremely easy, even for those that aren’t tech-savvy. The product runs about $25 on Amazon. 7. The Fitbit Flex: Photo Via: http://static0.fitbit.com By now you have undoubtedly heard of the Fitbit. You wear it on your wrist and it tracks the amount you walk, the calories you burn and how long you are active during the day. As a college student walking to classes everyday, it would be interesting to know just how far you walk and how many calories you burn. Plus, it tracks your sleep schedule to let you know how often you wake up in the night. And it even has an alarm built in that will wake you up, but no one else. This is perfect for roommates that have early classes and don’t want to wake their roommates up with their phone alarm. The Fitbit runs about $100 on Amazon. So no need to keep racking your brain for anything big you might be missing; this electronics list should have you covered for the holiday season. Happy Holidays!

Orca Welfare and Safety Act Its Time To End The Cruelty

Orca Welfare and Safety Act It's Time To End The Cruelty image via gifts.worldwildlife.org It’s crazy to think that everything you love about something can be based on a lie. You know what they say: the more you tell a lie, the more you start to believe it yourself. SeaWorld used to be one of my favorite parks to visit. Watching the trainers do mind boggling tricks with the orcas made me want to be a trainer too. I wanted to have that special bond with the animals and know that I was doing some good by taking care of them. But SeaWorld is built on a fragile bubble of lies, and it was only a matter of time before something came along and burst it for the world to see. That something was Blackfish. If you haven’t seen the documentary Blackfish, you need to get on your Netflix account ASAP because it is definitely worth watching. The truth is ugly, and what Blackfish exposed about SeaWorld made people fight back. Blackfish has inspired the making of a new bill, the Orca Welfare and Safety Act, which to SeaWorld’s dismay, is backed up by many. The bill was introduced by State Assembly member Richard Bloom, Dâ€"Santa Monica, and if it passes, it will make it “illegal to hold in captivity, or use, a wild-caught or captive-bred orca for performance or entertainment purposes.” David Kirby, Professional Journalist and author of Death at SeaWorld, said in this article that the bill would also ban “artificial insemination of captive killer whales in California and block the import of orcas or orca semen from other states.” image via thebroccolibulletin.wordpress.com The documentary is making people realize how cruel it is to hold these animals captive in tiny pens for their whole lives. They aren’t meant to perform little circus tricks for our amusement; they are meant to swim miles and miles in the ocean and be free. I mean, how would you like to be ripped away from your family and then stuck in a tiny bathtub your whole life? Bloom said “There is  no justification for the continued captive display of orcas for entertainment purposes.” That’s the thing about the truth: you can’t un-hear it, no matter how much you wish you could. Luke Siller, a second year biotechnology student at Palomar College, said “the whales at SeaWorld live in non-natural conditions such as being held in a cramped dark tank until needed or even stripped of some of their teeth to protect the trainers.” So then we have to wonder, why did it take a documentary to make us see what we all knew was wrong? Michael, an analyst for the Department of Defense, said “SeaWorld was established as a haven for injured or displaced animals, reminiscent of a rehabilitation center (Conservation).” Like many others, I always assumed that all of the animals were rescued, so I was able to reason in my head that they were only in captivity because they weren’t fit to go back to the wild and they were having a great life performing and feeling better. But that is the façade, and exactly why this captivity of the animals has been going on for so long. As long as we can hold on to the lie, why question it? According to SeaWorld’s company spokesman, Fred Jacobs, SeaWorld has “assisted whales many times, including killer whales,” when they were lost or stranded. But as Kirby mentions in this article, “in at least three cases, SeaWorld seemed more interested in sending these orcas into a life of  captivity to entertain tourists, rather than releasing them back into the ocean.” That’s the problem. SeaWorld could keep us as pawns in their spiel because we never saw the aftermath to what they were doing. We just heard that they were helping the animals, and we felt good paying the overpriced park tickets and parking fees because we knew that it was all going back to the animals. image via www.pinterest.com So now that people are fighting back, what will this mean for the whales that are currently at SeaWorld? When I first saw Blackfish, I was pissed, and like many others, wanted the whales to be released immediately. People think that if the bill passes that all the whales will be set free, and this is sadly not the case. Seven of the ten whales currently at SeaWorld in San Diego were born in captivity and therefore would not be able to survive in the open sea. The best alternative for these whales would be a sea pen sanctuary that people would be allowed to visit, but no tricks would be performed. According to this article by Kirby, “As for the three wild-caught orcas, it could be that only one, Corky, is a viable candidate for releaseâ€"and even then, only after an intensive period of rehabilitation, in which she would need to relearn how to catch fish.” Corky is the main potential candidate because she still might remember her pod, which whales need to be in to survive. “The ‘Free Corky’ page  at Whale and Dolphin Conservation reads, ‘She visibly shook and vocalized poignantly when a tape recording of her familys calls were played to her in 1993,’” Kirby said. But what about the others? Would sea pens be the answer? “Realistically, the answer to the problem is to stop the breeding program and ensure that the animals are taken care of until the end of their lives,”  Michael said. So it could be argued that if SeaWorld were to agree to certain terms of agreement, that maybe it would be okay for them to keep the whales they have, but not capture or breed any more. image via niagaraadl.com Even though some people may fail to see it, these animals have feelings, a sense of self, are intelligent, and deserve to be treated as such. Cruelty ends now. Are you in?

Orange County Tutoring Tips 4 Ways to Come Back From a Bad Grade

Orange County Tutoring Tips 4 Ways to Come Back From a Bad Grade Tips From an Orange County Tutor: 4 Ways to Come Back From a Bad Grade It happens to every good student: a bad grade. In some cases, a student was tired or feeling under the weather on test day, in other instances they just didnt study very much, but bad grades can happen to any student. The most important thing is that students learn from their mistakes or the situation and figure out how to avoid a bad grade in the future. They shouldnt get too down on themselves, but they shouldnt ignore the situation either. Whether this is a students first bad grade ever or if its starting to become a pattern, there are a few things they can do to come back from a bad grade our private Orange County tutors are here to help. 1. Analyze the assignment One thing a student can do is take a look at the assignment or test they did poorly on and do some self-analysis. Students should not obsess over a bad grade but rather just figure out what went wrong. Did they study the wrong chapter? Did they miss a certain type of problem over and over again? The important thing is to focus on problem identification so that it can be fixed in the future. If the issue wasnt so much with the particular assignment but rather with the student’s study habits, they should take a look at what they might be able to improve so they can do well going forward. 2. Talk to the teacher One of the most beneficial things students can do is talk to the teacher about why they got a bad grade. If it was a multiple choice test, then the answers are right there in front of them, but if it was something like an essay, something more subjective, the student should ask the teacher what they might do to improve. They can ask for an example of an assignment or ask for some tips on how they can study more efficiently. An open line of communication with a teacher is essential for any student who wants to improve their GPA. 3. Get extra help if necessary If a student is getting several bad grades in a particular class or if their study habits need improvement, students should consider getting extra help in the form of a one-on-one tutor. Private tutors are a great help because they can figure out where the student went wrong and addressed the problem based on that student’s learning style while going at their own pace. Working with a private Orange County tutor in the home also helps take off some of the pressure that occurs in the classroom environment. 4. Make changes Once a student has identified any issues with difficult concepts or study habits, its time to implement some changes. They might need a quieter environment to study in, or they might need the motivation of a study group. They may need to work with a one-on-one tutor a couple of hours a week, or they may need to ask their teacher for extra help. Its important for students to remember that positive change will happen over time but it doesnt necessarily happen overnight. Students should apply themselves on a regular basis and remember to look at the big picture. Its also really helpful if students receive encouragement from parents and tutors who can help keep their self-esteem high while theyre working on getting a great GPA. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write.

NJ Student Prep - Tutoring for English Khan Exam

NJ Student Prep - Tutoring for English Khan ExamTo help NJ students preparing for the English Khan exam, New Jersey for English Khan Academy offers tutoring services. In a world where scores are measured in multiple choices, it is no surprise that there are many opportunities for students to take tests. Each school has their own requirements, but all offer test prep classes in order to help students prepare for their annual exams.English Khan Academy provides tutoring in the language of instruction in order to help NJ students prepare for the English Khan exam. The service includes multiple choice tests, essay writing assignments, and reading comprehension exercises. Each step of the test preparation process can be customized to meet the needs of the student.The English Khan Academy service is designed to help NJ students plan ahead for the Test Preparation Boot Camp. The tutoring service allows students to log on to the internet to create their own personalized study guide to assist them in preparing for the English Khan exam. This customized study guide helps students understand the material by reviewing the material they have already studied. Students can review the material in order to prepare for the next section, or even examine the material in order to reinforce what they have learned.By choosing the most appropriate test prep program for NJ students, students can evaluate the tutoring program they have chosen to help them prepare for the English Khan exam. Not only can students use the English Khan Academy study guide to help them prepare for the English Khan exam, but also study books, textbooks, audio books, and CD's. All materials can be used in conjunction with the study guide to further prepare for the test.The tutoring service provides tutoring for NJ students preparing for the English Khan exam by planning study sessions with the student and their parents. The parent will be in the room with the student during the session and the teacher can obse rve the session to help the student practice.In order to use the tutoring services available from New Jersey's for English Khan Academy, students will need to have their NJ student ID's. Parents are also advised to have their NJ student ID with them when they call to make appointments for the tutoring sessions. If the parent has questions regarding the available tests or methods of studying, they should ask about this with the student.The New Jersey's for English Khan Academy tutoring service is designed to help NJ students prepare for the English Khan exam. The service includes multiple choice tests, essay writing assignments, and reading comprehension exercises.