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Shape Up Your English - by "waving a flag" and "a shot in the arm"

Today we are waving a flag for ‘Shape Up Your English’.

What is 'fake news'? We have heard that phrase a lot over the last four years.

News comes at us via Twitter, Facebook, radio, TV, and it can be overwhelming.

Fake news, and breaking news, is news that is deliberately made up and sent around to make us believe something.

'Fake news' is a false story that is politically motivated and made up to influence our views.

Even for a native English speaker, a story that is a hoax can severely mislead. It can be difficult to understand the truth of what is being said. Understanding figures of speech – metaphors and similes – can make a story impenetrable. Metaphors are used constantly to make a point.

Vaccines – at the moment - are trending. For obvious reasons. We notice that metaphors with railway stations and stopping trains are currently being used to explain the progress of the development of vaccines against Covid-19.

It seems that we are 'on the right track', 'making headway', but we are 'not at the end of the line yet'. Let’s hope we 'don’t go off the rails'.

Colloquial expressions can seem more relevant as the world waits for 'a real shot in the arm'.

Idioms take a bit of getting used to – so 'get your act together' and 'don’t miss the boat'.

We published a book to help learners of English with contemporary English as you will hear it spoken on the streets, in an office, outside your home, and in the news. It is called 'Shape Up Your English'. The book explains the elements of English grammar and usage, and will help guide you in your writing and comprehension.

If you need to 'separate the wood from the trees', ‘Shape Up Your English’ will help.

TPS: 234 x 165mm, 384 pages. With little illustrations and jokes to try to cheer you as you learn. We recommend 15 minutes a day 'bitesize' learning segments.

Here is a link: https://www.geddesandgrosset.com/store/product/2_word-power-series/163_shape-up-your-english---speak-and-write-more-fluent-english-and-avoid-common-mistakes/

Available from our Geddes and Grosset website and also available to order from a bookshop.

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