This episode introduces three idioms that use the word straw. Listen to the examples to hear how to use them. Please send me a message if you would like a copy of the audio script.

Idiom Corner

Straw

I want to talk to you about two very often confused words advice and advise. 
Advice. 
- Advice is a noun, an uncountable noun.It is spelled a-d-v-i-c-e. The ‘c’ sounds like an ‘s’. Advice. It is used to mean a suggestion about what you should do. 
Advise
- 
Advise is spelled a-d-v-i-s-e, and is a verb. The ‘s’ sounds like a ‘z’. Advise. It means to suggest what should be done, to recommend or to give information to someone. 
The main difference between advice and advise is the grammar.  So obviously, you can't use a noun in the place of a verb or a verb in the place of a noun. So if you know which is which and which pronunciation goes with which, you will never get it wrong. But a big problem is with advice being uncountable. So many times I hear, can I give you an advice? No no… it to give me a piece of advice or some advice - depending on whether you mean something singular or plural.
In theory it is very simple to understand, but if you don’t pay attention to learning the rules it can make a  big difference to you getting it right or wrong in Business English.
Every day, I hear so many advanced speakers who use these words wrong. So have a look, learn it, fix it, never get it wrong again. That's it today. Bye.


All Ways Business

Advice or Advise

We all like to plan ahead and sometimes, especially at work, we have TO WORK TO DEADLINES. 
Deadlines can often seem DAUNTING and stressful, particularly if you have lots of work to complete and the deadline is j JUST AROUND THE CORNER. 
However, not all deadlines are bad! 
At work, deadlines give us a goal to aim for and can push us to achieve far more than we might expect. 
Remember to set yourself daily, weekly and monthly OBJECTIVES to achieve, and perhaps use a smartphone app to track your progress. 
You can then use this information next time you meet with your boss to show how productive you are. You never know, it might also help with a promotion or pay rise! 
While personal plans such as meeting a friend for drinks or playing tennis next weekend involve deadlines, these arrangements are more flexible, so you needn’t be OVERLY worried about the time.  
However, remember that you don’t want to be late for your appointments and keep your friends waiting, so think about what you need to do BEFOREHAND and give yourself enough time to achieve it successfully, with just a little extra time added JUST IN CASE.
Take your next vacation for instance. What do you need to plan? 
Tickets, a hotel reservation, or a taxi to the airport. 
Someone to look after your pets or houseplants while you are away. 
Don’t leave all your planning to THE LAST MINUTE. After all, it’s never too early to plan ahead! 

Making Plans

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR DREAM JOB - Stay away from a specific job. You cannot win. If you say the job you are trying to get, you strain credibility. If you say another job is it, you plant the suspicion that you will be dissatisfied with this position if hired. The best is to stay genetic and say something like: A job where I love the work, like the people, can contribute and can't wait to get to work. / WHAT KIND OF PERSON WOULD YOU REFUSE TO WORK WITH? - Do not be trivial. It would take disloyalty to the organisation, violence or lawbreaking to get you to object. Minor objections will label you as a whiner. / TELL ME ABOUT A PROBLEM YOU HAD WITH A
SUPERVISOR, TEAM LEADER, MANAGER, OR BOSS - The biggest trap of all. This is a test to see if you will speak ill of your boss. If you fall for it and tell about a problem with a former boss, you may well below the interview right there. Stay positive and develop a poor memory about any
trouble you might have had.

3 Interview Questions (4)

TELL ME ABOUT A SUGGESTION YOU HAVE MADE - Have a good one ready. Be sure and use a suggestion that was accepted and was then considered successful. One related to the type of work applied for is a real plus. / WHAT IRRITATES YOU ABOUT CO-WORKERS? - This is a trap question. Think real hard but fail to come up with anything that irritates you. A short statement that you seem to get along with folks is great. / WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST STRENGTH? - Numerous answers are good, just stay positive. A few good examples: Your ability to prioritise, your problem-solving skills, your ability to work under pressure, your ability to focus on projects, your professional expertise, your leadership skills, and your positive attitude.

3 Interview Questions (3)

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO IMPROVE YOUR KNOWLEDGE IN THE LAST YEAR? - Try to include improvement activities that relate to the job. A wide variety of activities can be mentioned as positive self-improvement. Have some good ones handy to mention.
ARE YOU A TEAM PLAYER? - You are, of course, a team player. Be sure to have examples ready. Specifics that show you often perform for the good of the team rather than for yourself are good evidence of your team attitude. Do not brag, just say it in a matter-of-fact tone. This is a key point.
WHAT IS YOUR PHILOSOPHY TOWARDS WORK? - The interviewer is not looking for a long or complicated answer here. Do you have strong feelings that the job gets done? Yes. That's the type of answer that works best here. Short and positive, showing a benefit to the organisation.

3 Interview Questions (2)

WHY DID YOU LEAVE YOUR LAST JOB? - Stay positive regardless of the circumstances. Never refer to a major problem with management and never speak ill of supervisors, co-workers or the
organisation. If you do, you will be the one looking bad. Keep smiling and talk about leaving for a positive reason such as an opportunity, a chance to do something special or other forward-looking reasons. 
DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF SUCCESSFUL? - You should always answer yes and briefly explain why. A good explanation is that you have set goals, and you have met some and are on track to achieve the others.
WHAT DO CO-WORKERS SAY ABOUT YOU? - Be prepared with a quote or two from co-workers. Either a specific statement or a paraphrase will work.

3 Interview Questions (1)

(the) latter - referring to the second of 2 things mentioned / later - to express time, a time after now.

Latter or later

Enquire - to find out about something (like an EVENT!)
Inquire - an INVESTIGATION!