Last week I said to someone, “that’s a good rule of thumb.”
But it was clear they weren’t sure what I meant.
Let me explain.
Back in the day, people used their thumbs to estimate an inch.
In Spanish, the word for inch is pulgada, and it comes from pulgar, which means thumb.
Both words come from the Latin pollex, meaning thumb or big toe.
So the rule of thumb was a practical thumb-based measurement.
These shortcuts are called heuristics - quick rough guides to help you.
They can apply to language learning:
Learn the more common 100 words first
Memorise key phrases not just words
Listen to English for at least 10 minutes a day
Simple strategies that help you make progress without being perfect.
Just like using your thumb to measure an inch.
I challenge you to come up with your own rule of thumb regarding your English.
Something approximate that will help you make progress.
Because progress beats perfection.
Until next week.
Have you ever used your thumb to measure an inch?
This week’s 3 tips:
SOMETHING TO AVOID 🫣
🤦🏻♀️ “I didn’t do nothing”
You might hear this in a film or on a show, but it’s grammatically incorrect.
Remember, no double negatives in English! Keep the auxiliary verb in the negative and remember to change “nothing” to “anything.”
✅ “I didn’t do anything”
So always make sure you have only one negative. Usually we keep the auxiliary verb in the negative. But, alternatively you could say:
I did nothing.
SOMETHING TO SOUND CONFIDENT 🧐
👔 Business expressions
“Slip through your fingers” or “Slip through the cracks”
To lose an opportunity, resource, or advantage, usually because of a lack of attention, action, or timing. It refers to something valuable slipping away or being missed before it could be captured or retained.
Despite months of negotiations, the deal with the investor slipped through their fingers when they failed to address a crucial contract detail in time
Click below to read an article on the subject 👇
SOMETHING TO WATCH 👀
Keep learning,
The Crystal Clear English Team
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