How to Structure French Sentences for Beginners

How to Structure French Sentences for Beginners How To Build French Sentences ChaptersThe Simple Declarative SentenceNegative SentencesAdding Adjectives, Adverbial PhrasesDependent and relative clausesThe French Interrogative SentenceThe French Conditional SentenceConfessions of a Language Learner: Learning with a TutorSpeaking French is more than just learning vocabulary words from flash cards. Words are just the atoms, the building blocks of a language. They have to be put into context, strung together to form a sentence that is imparted with meaning.And grammar rules don’t just govern how to decline a verb, or what gender a French word is. They also regulate in what order you are going to put the words in a sentence. Your French classes will teach you a lot about how to conjugate a verb, have your nouns and adjectives agree and what words and phrases will help you find the bathroom. What they might not teach you (but should) is sentence structure.How are sentences put together in French? Does one use the dative, nominative, accusative and interrogative ca ses the same way as in English?Setting aside that pesky grammatical gender agreement required to speak French properly, where and how do adjectives and adverbial phrases fit in a properly constructed sentence?As an overview of these topics, Superprof presents this chart, one that you might consider printing and clipping and carrying with you to your French lessons or your French tutoring sessions.Native speakers of French experience the same conundrum: if they are already speaking correctly, why do they have to analyse their speech?Grammar rules are the blueprints upon which language is built; its role obvious only upon learning a second language.Going back to the earlier analogy, that words are a language's building blocks, we can put grammar in that context by assigning it the role of mortar holding the blocks together.Just as mortar may combine different ingredients, so, from one language to the next, grammar may involve different constructions to make sentences.The most common t ype of sentence in English and in French is the  declarative sentence;  a simple expression stating a fact:Il fait beau.   It (the weather) is nice.Catherine est une adolescente. Catherine is a teenager.  J'ai faim! I am hungry!Ma mère est danseuse. My mother is a dancer.  Il écoute la musique. He listens to music.  As in English, the declarative form in French is the core around which more complicated sentences can be built.Basic as (French) bread, the declarative sentence is the simplest form of expression Source: Pixabay Credit: Free-PhotosBasic French sentences with nounsWhen you learn a language, you start with basic sentences with the most common word order.In French, this is SVO - Subject + Verb + Object. As for most Romance languages - and, indeed, English - the subject (who is doing the action?) generally comes at the beginning of the sentence.There follows the verb, and then the direct object (what is he/she doing?). The sentences above are all examples of the SVO constr uct.We now expand on that basic sentence structure by adding an  indirect object (for/to/with whom is he doing it?):Subject + Verb + Direct Object + Indirect ObjectMarie donne le livre à sa maîtresse.  Marie gives the book to her teacher.Jean rend le cartable à son frère. Jean gives his brother his rucksack back.Suzanne apporte les pommes  Ã  la cuisine. Suzanne brings the apples to the kitchen.Lucie retourne les livres  Ã  la bibliotheque. Lucy returns the books to the library.  Remi mange son dîner  Ã  table. Remi eats dinner at the table.  In each of these examples, the subject is doing something with the direct object for, to or with the indirect object.Until now, we've only shown sample sentences using action verbs: somebody or something doing something. What about sentences that use a compound verb?In French as in English, compound verbs consist of an auxiliary verb and a participle verb form, either in past or present tense.In English these 'helper' verbs are to be, to h ave and to do. In French, only the first two, être and avoir, are used in compound structures with being  Ãªtre used less frequently.Nevertheless, the structure remains the same: the verb that indicates what is happening stays in second place:Le roi avait pardonné le mousquetaire. The king had pardoned the musketeer.J'ai fini la vaisselle. I have finished the dishes.  Les parents ont gaté ces enfants! The parents have spoiled these children!Le maitre avait donné des devoirs. The teacher had given homework.  Mon copain est arrivé hier soir. My mate arrived yesterday evening.  The only time a direct object might come after an indirect object is if there is additional information attached to it, such as a relative clause:Jean rend à son frère le cartable qu’il lui avait prêté. Jean gives his brother back the rucksack he had lent him.Ma soeur montre  Ã  ma mére les dessins que j'avais peint. My sister shows my mother the drawings I painted.  Mon collegue dit  Ã  nôtre patro n que je suis fainéante!  My colleague tells our boss that I am lazy!Benoit lit  Ã  sa copine des pôemes qu'il trouve romantique.   Benoit reads to his girlfriend poems he finds romantic.Gabriel donne  Ã  sa soeur les bonbons qu'il avait promi. Gabriel gave to his sister the sweets he had promised.  Naturally, you could structure the sentence in such a way that the direct object comes before the indirect:Gabriel a donné les bonbons qu'il avait promi a  sa soeur. Gabriel gave the sweets he had promised to his sister.  However, that makes the sentence meaning ambiguous: He promised the candies to his sister, but who exactly did he give them to?French being an exceedingly precise language, it is always best to follow the proper sentence structure in order to convey your intended meaning.It might take a bit of practice, but your language skills will be all the richer for it!Who exactly did Gabriel give the sweets to? Said correctly in French, we would know! Source: Pixabay Credit: Sk yradarWord order with pronounsAs in many other languages, French words are put into a different order if some or all of them are pronouns.Let’s take the sentence:Marie montre son dessin à sa maman. Marie shows her drawing to her mum.Subject pronouns stay at the beginning of the sentence:Elle montre son dessin à sa maman. She shows her drawing to her mum.  Sometimes, in French, it is much more convenient to describe an object in a sentence by using a pronoun.Consider the sentence above: She shows her drawing to her mum. How can that sentence be made less cumbersome?Elle lui montre son dessin. - 'lui' takes the place of 'maman' even though, generally, 'lui' represents a male. Elle le montre à sa maman. - 'le' takes the place of the picture. In this sentence, the gender matches; dessin is masculine. Elle le lui montre. - here, you have a combination of the two representations above, with 'le' meaning 'dessin' and 'lui' in for 'maman'.Let us now suppose you are that dear mum, telli ng a jealous mother about how your daughter creates artwork for you. You would say:Son dessin? Elle me le montre! Her drawing? She shows it to me!Because of its first person singular designation, “me” ranks higher than “le” - a mere article. Therefore, you would place 'me' before 'le' in such sentences.Object pronouns come BEFORE the verb but AFTER the subject. In what order they come depends on the pronoun:Subject + 'me', 'te', 'se', 'nous', 'vous' + 'le', 'la', 'les' + 'lui', 'leur' + (adverbial pronoun “y”) + 'en' + Verb.Examples:Elle nous les montre. She shows them to us. Note that 'montre' agrees with 'elle' - third person singular.You might also phrase it as a question:Elle vous les montre? Does she show them to you? Either way, the order listed above remains.'En' is an indefinite plural pronoun that, in this sentence's case, represents the drawings. 'en' is always placed just before the verb:Elle montre des dessins à sa maman. - Elle lui en montre. She shows some drawings to her mum. She shows her them.Learn more about French grammar rules.Negative SentencesThe French negative words are: ne…pas and ne…point (the latter is archaic or regional).“Ne” comes immediately after the subject. “Pas” comes immediately after the verb.Marie ne montre pas son dessin à sa maman. Marie does not show her drawing to her mum.  Marie ne le montre pas à sa maman. Marie doesn't show it to her mum.Marie ne lui montre pas son dessin. Marie doesn't show her her drawing.Marie ne le lui montre pas. Marie doesn't show her it.French sentence structure in the negative. Photo credit: biphop on Visual huntNegation is pretty straightforward in French, however you should be aware of using 'any' properly.The equivalent of the English “no” or “not…any” is “ne…aucun”:Marie ne montre aucun dessin à sa mère. Marie doesn’t show any drawing to her mother. Or: Marie shows no drawings to her mother.Adding Adjectives, Adverbial PhrasesAdverbs and a dverbial phrasesThe adverbial phrase or complément circonstanciel can come at the beginning, the end or the middle of the sentence. They are emphasised if they are put at the beginning or the end; it is more colloquial to only put single-word adverbs in the middle.Such phrases may denote a time:Marie lui montrera son dessin demain. Marie will show him/her her drawing tomorrow.  Demain, Marie lui montrera son dessin. Tomorrow, Marie will show him/her her drawing.Marie lui montrera demain son dessin. Marie will show him/her tomorrow her drawingOr a place:Marie lui montrera son dessin à l’école. Marie will show her drawing at school.  Ã€ l’école, Marie lui montrera son dessin. At school, Marie will show her drawing.However, if you are using a complément circonstanciel construction to denote a place where an activity has happened, you cannot put that location in the middle of the sentence:Marie lui montrera à l’école son dessin. Marie will show him/her at school her drawing .  You'll note that, as we do not know who the 'lui' in question is, it might represent a male or a female - hence both pronouns.    Adverbial pronounsThe adverbial pronoun “y” (directional) comes after most other pronouns but before the plural pronoun “en”. It is generally used to denote a progressive action, or one that is about to take place. However,  'y' can only be used if the listener knows what the speaker is talking about:Marie va à l’école. Marie goes to school. If the listener knows where Marie is headed, the speaker could say: Marie y va - Marie is going.Another example: Nous irons au bois. We go to the forest. Contrast that with the much simpler: Nous y allons. We're going - the usage is contingent on it being known where we are going!Caution! You should never say:Marie y va  Ã  l'école or Nous y allons au bois  - it suggests the listener both knows and doesn't know the destination.Find French lessons that may interest you here.How would you say Marie and P aul go to school in French? Source: Pixabay Credit: Mohamad HassanAdjectives and their placement in the sentence.Unlike in English, Adjectives  are generally placed right after the noun:Whereas an English speaker would say: 'the red balloon', in French, the proper order is: 'le ballon rouge'. Here are some more examples:The hungry lion = le lion affamé.The sleepy child = l'enfant somnolent(e).The playful cat = le chat (la chatte) ludique.A good book = un bon livre.Do you know of the BAGS group? It denotes constructions wherein the adjective comes before the noun:Beauty: Un joli ballon. A pretty balloon.  More: Une jolie femme (a pretty woman), une belle chanson (a pretty song)Age: Un vieux ballon. An old balloon. More: Un viel homme (an old man), une vieille bicyclette (an old bicycle)Goodness: Un méchant ballon. A mean balloon. More: un bon vin (a good wine), une bonne amie (a good friend).Size: Un grand ballon. A big balloon.  More: Un petit ballon (a small balloon), une petite fille (a small girl).Adjectives used with verbs expressing a state come after the verb:Le ballon est vert.  The balloon is green.Le ballon semble petit.  The balloon seems small.Le ballon deviendra grand.  The balloon will become big.  Note that adjectives should always agree with the noun they are qualifying in gender and number.La chatte deviendra grande. The (female) cat will become big.  La fille semble petite. The girl seems small.  La voiture est verte. The car is green.  An imperative phrase,always begins with the verb. Photo credit: biphop on Visual HuntDon’t forget to do the grammar exercises in your French grammar textbooks and from your online French course to help you learn all about French sentence structure, learn French expressions and how to conjugate French verbs.Confessions of a Language Learner: Learning with a TutorLet us again reflect on how we learned our native tongue: by speaking it. That being the case, wouldn't it make sense that language classes would fo cus on spoken language rather than language mechanics?All while acknowledging that grammar is indeed essential to language, must we inevitably conclude that lessons in grammar are a vital component of language lessons?It seems to be a universal practice that language classes will devote a substantial portion of their time to teaching grammar, placing less emphasis on speaking and listening skills.I can say that with some veracity. Having been a language learner for all of my life - aren't we all? - and currently embroiled in picking up a new tongue, I feel frustration at grammatical exercises in the classroom that do seemingly little to improve my speaking ability.I could rail about it, complain to my teacher or school leader... or I could do something about it.Grateful as I am of my teacher's efforts at imparting declensions, cases and other grammatical particulars - and having no desire to detract her, I have engaged a tutor for the express purpose of practicing my speaking skills .This gives me the best of both worlds.I have a teacher, in a formal setting, imparting all of the nuts and bolts that makes this language I'm learning so very challenging.I also have a conversation partner who is a native speaker of this language, whose focus is exclusively on my pronunciation and my ability to understand what he says.Whereas in class, I get very little talking time; with my online tutor, I get to talk as much as I want - indeed, I am encouraged to talk ever more!If you are reading this, then you too must be a language learner. As such, you might consider the solution I hit upon to acquire the most language capability in the fastest manner possible.A language tutor will tailor his/her lessons to your needs and abilities, all while driving you to improve steadily. Also, s/he will give you a substantial boost in confidence - something that sometimes gets left out for all of the busy-ness in class.Why not contact a Superprof French tutor to help you, the way my tutor helps me?

A Day in the Life at Harvard University

A Day in the Life at Harvard University The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences as well. Nat is a 2011 graduate of Harvard University with a Bachelors degree in Social Studies. He is a New York City tutor specializing in SAT prep tutoring, GRE prep tutoring, French tutoring, and more. See what he had to say about his alma mater: VT: Describe the campus setting and transportation options.How urban or safe is the campus?Are there buses or do you need a car/bike? Nat: The campus is in the heart of downtown Cambridge, and comes with all the perks and risks that that implies. All of the Boston metropolitan area is easily accessible with public transportation, and all the various things you might need to buy can be attained at shops that are easily walked to. There are, of course, crimes, but it never felt unsafe to me. VT:How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Nat: It varies, of course. There are a handful of professors who dont seem very interested in connecting with students, but they are the exception. Nearly everyone seems to take pleasure in speaking with engaged students, and will meet with you often, and sometimes in social contexts as well. VT: How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Nat: The rooms are huge and the cafeteria food is well above average. The school does its best to facilitate social gatherings, but most people spend time with their friends or their clubs separately. The only real impediment to a social life is the amount of work. VT: Which majors/programs are best represented and supported?What did you study and why? Did the university do a good job supporting your particular area of study? Nat: No particular program seems more supported than another, and all have more than adequate funding. I was part of an Interdisciplinary Honors major in which I studied Philosophy, History, and Economics. The department was funded well enough for me to get money for research. VT: How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Nat: I did not spend my freshman year at Harvard, so I cant speak to that. Greek life barely exists and is not particularly relevant on campus. VT: How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services?Do many reputable companies recruit on campus? Nat: The Career Center is helpful for those looking for careers in finance, law, and industry, but its less helpful for those looking to do something more off the beaten path. However, if youre looking for a connection with a famous company, its the place to be. VT: How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Are they over-crowded, easily available, spacious? Nat: There isnt a student union, nor do most dormitories have lounges, but the libraries are plentiful, spacious, and open late. Some are even open 24 hours. There are also college-run cafes and dining halls where many students work. VT: Describe the surrounding town. What kinds of outside establishments / things to do are there that make it fun, boring, or somewhere in between?To what extent do students go to the downtown area of the city versus staying near campus? Nat: Its in an upscale part of the city. There are bookstores, cafes, movie theaters, concert venues, and lots of restaurants. Boston is easily accessible, as are many points in New England for those feeling adventurous. Most students, however, find few reasons to leave campus. VT: How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Nat: The college part of the university consists of around 6,500 students. Lecture courses could be very large, but most courses are very small and rely on student involvement. VT: Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Nat: My junior year, I took a seminar with an Economics professor in which we read fundamental texts from history, economics, philosophy, anthropology, and sociology. Each one in some way examined how the present world came to look the way it does. The class was eye-opening and changed the way I see the world. What more can you want from a class than that? Check out Nats tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

11 but A Powerful Story You Need to Know - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / An Untold Story of 9/11 but A Powerful Story You Need to Know - Introvert Whisperer An Untold Story of 9/11 but A Powerful Story You Need to Know Dorothy September 9, 2015 Adaptability, Problem-Solving One response An Untold Story of 9/11 but A Powerful Story You Need to Know This week we are at the 14-year mark of when the 9/11 tragedy took place.  It’s hard to believe the years have gone so fast. In the minutes, hours and days after that tragedy, we were saturated with countless stories of heart breaking loss and powerful acts of heroism.  Perhaps the biggest story of that day was not told until now.  I urge you to watch this video that tells you about the water evacuation of a half million people from the island New York City sits on.  Never in the history of man has a bigger evacuation taken place much less done in 9 hours. I share this with tears in my eyes.  It’s emotional and reminds me that people are capable of great and noble acts. Let me know your thoughts. Do you know what your next career step is?  Many people don’t. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook on how to construct your Career SMART Goals â€" that will help you put together your actions and keep you accountable. Get your copy now and start your action plan today! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

5 Tips for Writing Your First Resume

5 Tips for Writing Your First Resume Searching for your first post-college job can be both exhilarating and intimidating. One key to getting your foot in the door is to understand what it takes to compose an effective resume. Most resumes follow a set structure and include information such as an objective, level of education, and work experience. The challenge comes when deciphering how to organize this information and understanding how much detail to include. Before hitting the job market, ensure your resume sets you up for success. Here are tips for writing your first resume: Tips for the resume objective The objective section of a resume is an introduction that briefly explains who you are and what position youre seeking. It appears at the top of your resume, below your name and contact information. Your objective should reflect your goals for the specific job youre pursuing. For example: To obtain employment as assistant to the CEO at [company name], leveraging my strong organizational skills and my education in the field of business management. Keep your objective brief and make sure it says something valuable. An objective thats too generic wont set you apart from other applicants. Try to use words that reflect the companys job posting whenever possible. An alternative is to include a summary section, which is an elevator pitch of sortsa similar statement that sums up what you offer as a job candidate. [RELATED: 4 Tactics for Landing Your Dream Job] Tips for the resume education section In this section, its important to be honest and straightforward. If you have multiple degrees, list the most recent or advanced first. You dont need to list your high school diploma if you have completed a college degree. Include the following information: School name and location Years attended, including the month and year of graduation Your degree Aside from the basics, you can include your college GPA if you finished in good academic standing (generally a 3.0 or higher), and if you deem it relevant information for a potential employer to know. Some fields will be interested in this number, while others may not be. Research your particular career and look at the job posting to see if GPA is applicable. Tips for the resume work history section One common mistake is thinking you need to include every job youve ever had on your resume. As a recent college graduate, you may have some positions in your work history that are more relevant than others. You may have been a lifeguard for three summers in high school, for example, but that experience is likely less important than the summer you spent as an intern in your desired field. Use your space wisely and highlight only your relevant experience. For each position, list the employer and the dates you worked there, followed by a few brief points summarizing your most important achievements in that role. Focus on areas where you accomplished something measurable; this will give the hiring manager a better idea of what you can contribute. Also, list these points in order of what may be most applicable to the job youre applying to. For instance, if youre sending in your resume for a social media manager position, list tasks relevant to that first in your bulleted list and all others after. [RELATED: How to Continue Learning After College] Tips for the resume skills summary This is where you can highlight skills that set you apartwhether they are hard skills, such as computer programming, or soft skills, like strong leadership or communication. Be as specific as possible, but dont oversell or exaggerate. You can include technical skills, such as knowledge of specific software or equipment, and also list experience with foreign languages. However, this is not a place for purely personal hobbies or interests, unless they directly relate to the position youre seeking. Tips for awards, honors, and other relevant resume information This last section is optional to include in your resume. If youve received awards or honors during college that are relevant to your field, include the name of the award and the year received. Additionally, you may choose to include relevant coursework you completed in college. Limit this, though, to just a few courses that specifically illustrate why you possess the background for this job listing. You may also consider mentioning a capstone or senior project if its relevant to the job. Lastly, if you held leadership roles while in school that are applicable to this position, you may include the titles and years as well. [RELATED: 4 Lessons Recent Graduates Should Carry From College] When putting together your post-college resume, dont forget to proofread. Also, research resumes in your particular field, in case theres any other information specific to your profession that must be included. Limit your resume to one page, focusing only on important information that will help you stand out from other applicants. Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.

Who Are The Famous Female Painters

Who Are The Famous Female Painters Behind the Brush: Women Artists ChaptersArtemisia GentileschiMary CassattFrida KahloGeorgia O’KeeffeHelen FrankenthalerWhen one thinks of famous artworks, it is generally those from â€" or inspired by the Italian Renaissance that come to mind.To wit, two of the most famous paintings in the world, The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa, which were both painted by the same artist: Leonardo da Vinci.Going through the art movements: expressionism â€" The Scream, painted by Edvard Munch. Impressionism: that one has to go to Vincent van Gogh, even though Claude Monet ‘fathered’ the movement.Picasso and his cubism; Matisse, who brought on Fauvism. Dali, whose name is synonymous with surrealism... do you notice a trend, here?Where are all of the women???It is true that, save for the last 100 years or so, women have mostly been relegated to the sidelines where painting is concerned.In fact, until a little over 100 years ago, women were not allowed to attend art school. If they were admitted, they were barred from any life painting involving a nude male â€" the classic artistic exercise.Women were barred from all of the artists’ hangouts â€" the bistros and the pubs that their male counterparts frequented to discuss painting techniques and talk about upcoming exhibitions.In spite of these restrictions, there have been a few female artists who have made their mark on art history.We’ve chosen only five... five remarkable women, some who have struggled against all odds for their art.Superprof now presents women who pioneered new ways of expressing themselves on canvas, who made heritage central to their art and who wielded a brush long before anyone thought to officially ban women from painting.Thank goodness that never happened! FernandoPainting Teacher 5.00 (8) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EmmaPainting Teacher 5.00 (5) £75/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors DavidPainting Teacher 4.75 (4) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NatashaPainting Teacher 5.00 (7) £37/ h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors StefaniaPainting Teacher 5.00 (4) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SakinaPainting Teacher 5.00 (1) £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LorrenPainting Teacher 5.00 (2) £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Off2themoonholliePainting Teacher £8/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsArtemisia Gentileschi Artemisia excelled at depicting strong female figures Source: Wikipedia Credit: Artemisia GentileschiIt might seem that we’re drawing on chronology to inform the order in which we present each remarkable female artist but we were actually going for how much they struggled...And, if you want to talk about struggles, this painter had a few bags full!Born in Rome in 1593, little Artemisia had an early introduction to painting because her father, Orazio, was himself a painter.Her mother died when she was just 12 years old, so she and her brothers spent a lot of time in their father’s workshop. Naturally, Dad gave them all lessons in painting but, to his surprise, it was his daughter who far outshone her siblings.The Italian Renaissance era had passed; Italy was now wholly steeped into the Baroque era and Caravaggio-influenced paintings were all the rage. Artemisia was more than happy to oblige.Her trademark was biblical scenes, specifically those involving strong female protagonists. Some of her works depicting such scenes include:Judith Slaying HolofernesJudith and her MaidservantPenitent MagdaleneSusannah and the EldersCleopatraArtemisia was known as one of the few artists of the day who could paint a credible female figure â€" whether nude, draped or fully clothed, a talent she demonstrated more than once, including in her self-portrait.Furthermore, her command of colour, of light and of shadow makes Artemisia's work some of the most visually appealing of all the baroque painters.Mary CassattFast-forward about 250 years, to a small town outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to witness the arrival of one Mary, into a large, well-to-do family.Mary’s mother was instrumental in developing her artistic sensibilities; she believed that a good education entailed acquaintanceship with the arts, with travel and with exploring beyond one’s immediate surroundings.Had she not bustled her children to the major European capitals and seen to their education in art, ther e is a chance that Mary might have been thoroughly conventional: well-married, a mother in her own right...Mary never wanted to marry and she didn’t want children. She wanted to paint.Her mother may have been secretly delighted but her father was furious! He refused to support her in her folly; she nevertheless enrolled at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.She was barred from working with male models. She endured instruction that was far more patronising than what her male classmates were subjected to and, while there were other girls in her classes, they were not contemplating a career in art.Painting was considered a great social skill; often, girls were encouraged to develop any talent at art that they might have.But Mary wanted to be taken seriously. That’s why she set off for Paris, only to encounter the same discrimination. Luckily she formed close friendships with other impressionist painters, and with Edgar Degas.Mary’s attitude about life could be summed up as ‘paint or die’. For our next artist, the opposite might have been true. Frida cheerfully embraced her Mestizo heritage and reflected it in her work Image by Marta Matyjas from PixabayYou might say that Frida Kahlo was born into the art world the day of that fateful bus accident.Georgia O’KeeffeSmall in stature and unlikely to make waves: those eight words might suffice to describe this pioneering modernist painter but they do not indicate how determined she was to create art and the lengths she went to do so.Born in a farmhouse in Wisconsin, one may think that a girl who milks cows would be the least likely person to create stirring art â€" and that would have been true, except for the fact that her mother firmly believing in providing her children with a well-rounded education.So it came to be that Georgia and her two sisters would spend one afternoon per week with the local artist. By the time she was 10 years old, her feet were irrevocably set on the path of painting.She really didn’t care if she was destined for landscape painting, still life pai nting or forced to execute cave paintings!Georgia met her share of tragedy throughout her long career in painting and sculpture â€" when she could no longer see to paint, she took up that second means of artistic expression.Several times, her frail constitution betrayed her: first with typhoid fever and then with measles, later during the influenza pandemic of 1918. And then, a cruel betrayal by a faithless husband...All of these setbacks added depth to every depiction Georgia turned her hand to.  Her trademark flowers seemed to hold the secrets of the ages while her still lifes demanded that you investigate their hidden depths.Georgia created art because she felt there was nothing else she was meant to do.Even when she took up other work â€" teaching or, once, in Chicago, as a commercial artist, Georgia's hands would become stained by the nature of her work again and again. This early work of Georgia'earned her a spot at the Student League's summer camp Source: Wikipedia Credit Georgia O'KeeffeHelen FrankenthalerHelen is not renown for extraordinary suffering she might have endured; what puts her on the list of top American artists is her unusual painting technique.She was relatively young when she came face to face with a major work by another American artist named Jackson Pollock, whose ‘action painting’ involved laying a large canvas on the floor and assaulting it with slashes, splashes and drizzles of paint.She wanted to 'enter his world, learn its language and get to know the people' â€" that’s what she saw in his paintings titled Autumn Rhythm and Lavender Mist.The more she learned about his style of painting, the more it crystallized her philosophy of creating art:A really good picture looks as if it’s happened at once â€" Helen FrankenthalerEmulating Pollock, she too placed a large, unprimed canvas on her studio floor. However, before ap plying the first speck of paint, she experimented with paint and turpentine, trying to find the optimal ratio of thinner to colour.Once she found that perfect balance, she poured the mixture on the canvas, allowing it to soak into the fibres.Diluting the paint with the slightly oily turpentine gave a pleasing halo to the poured mixture; it also made the colour a bit more delicate and, because her canvases were unprimed â€" same as Pollock’s, the colour soaked in, in effect dyeing the fabric’s fibres.Helen named this painting technique ‘soak-stain’ and went on to try it on other media.Considering the contributions these remarkable women made to the history of art, it is a wonder that they are not more widely known or celebrated.It is rather sad to note that, except for Frida and perhaps Mary, these and other female painters’ accomplishments are really just so much background noise. An excellent way to illustrate that point is by invoking Elaine de Kooning.Of course, everyon e knows who Willem de Kooning is; he is the Dutch-American abstract expressionist painter.Less renowned is his wife, Elaine, a figurative expressionist painter of the post-WWII era. She had exhibited almost continuously since her first solo show in 1952 and, even though she died in 1989, her work is still being shown in select exhibitions.Visiting the Museum of Modern Art or the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, art connoisseurs may be surprised to find some of her canvasses hanging there...Which is a telling statement on the esteem for female artists, still today.

Are you ready for the fall 2012 SAT and ACT

Are you ready for the fall 2012 SAT and ACT The new school year is upon us, and here at AJ Tutoring were gearing up for the fall!  Now is the time to start thinking about your students fall testing plan.  Registration is open for September and October tests, and AJ tutors are filling up already.The ACT is coming up on September 8th!  The ACT will be offered on  September 8  and  October 27, 2012.    Registration is now open for the ACT, and the deadline for registering for the September 8 test is coming up on August 17!  You can register your student for either test on the  ACTs website.AJ Tutoring offers one-on-one tutoring for the ACT.  For those students who have completed our SAT program, we have an efficient and cost-effective ACT hybrid program.  Students enrolled in the hybrid program only need 3 or 4 sessions to be fully prepared for the test.If your student hasnt completed our SAT program or would like to focus on the ACT only, AJ Tutoring also offers a comprehensive 8 or 9 session  ACT program.The SAT is happeni ng on October 6thThe SAT will be offered on  October 6  and  November 3, 2012.  Registration is open for the SAT, and the deadline for registering for the October 6 test is September 7.  You can register your student for the SAT on the College Boards website.AJ Tutoring offers both personalized one-on-one tutoring and group classes for the SAT.  The full  one-on-one SAT program  takes most students 9 sessions to complete.  AJ Tutorings  group SAT classes, held at our Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and San Jose offices, are a cost-effective, collaborative way to review for the SAT.We would be happy to work with you to create the optimal testing plan for your student.  For more information about AJ Tutorings programs or to speak with one of our directors, please call  (650) 331-3251  or email info@ajtutoring.com.Best wishes for a successful start to the 2012-2013 school year!

Making Suggestions in English - How about...

Making Suggestions in English - How about... What shall we do at the weekend? You would like to suggest a plan  but dont think you have the necessary vocabulary to express yourself? Or perhaps you have to reject someones suggestion but dont know how to do it in a polite way?Dont worry, with our common phrases for accepting, rejecting and making suggestions in English youll be able to express yourself comfortably. Phrases for Making Suggestions in English Why dont we . go to a music festival? We could go to the theatre. How about . going to the cinema? Let’s go to the film theatre and afterwards we can try that new Italian restaurant. Lets call James and ask him what he thinks about it. Shall we . invite Sam to the party? Do you fancy going out tonight? Would you like to go out tonight? What about going for a walk? We might as well stay at home. Phrases for Accepting Suggestions in English Yes, that sounds like a great idea. Yes, thats not a bad idea. Brilliant! Count me in too. Making and Accepting Suggestions in English - Infographic Enjoyed this infographic? Here’s what you can do next: Phrases for Rejecting Suggestions in English I am not sure about that, I don’t like Italian food. It’s too fattening. Let’s go to an Indian restaurant instead. Im not keen on that idea, I’d rather buy a takeaway to eat at home. No, I dont think so. Let’s go to the cinema instead of the theatre. It’s not so expensive. No, Id rather not talk about it with others. Im sorry, I really dont feel like it. I have a cold and would prefer to stay at home. Making Suggestions - Dialogue Now lets  take a look at the two dialogues below. Get a feel how phrases  are used, review them and try to  practice making suggestions in English.Louise, Mark and Steve are planning their summer holidays together.LOUISE:  Where shall we go on holiday this summer?MARK:  How about visiting Madrid?STEVE:  No, I am not keen on that idea, it will be too hot in the city in August. I’d rather go to the beach or the countryside.LOUISE:  My cousin owns a house near the beach which he rents out. Let’s go there instead.MARK:  That’s a great idea, Louise.STEVE:  Count me in too. Can I bring my sister Debbie along too?LOUISE:  Yes, there are five bedrooms so there will be plenty of room and we can share costs.

How to take your italki tutoring to the next level

How to take your italki tutoring to the next level Chris Broholm runs a great blog called Actual Fluency. Its his way to research language learning but most importantly it is a way to tell the world that ANYONE CAN LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE. Hes currently taking the italki 2015 New Years Language Challenge to learn Russian and shared this great post that will help anyone taking the challenge or learning a new language. Original post here. In this post I’ll share a few ways you can take your iTalki tutoring to the next level, as well as give you an update on my Russian mission and iTalki New Year’s challenge. I’m currently 2.5 hours into my iTalki New Year’s Challenge to complete 20 hours of language tutoring in just 45 days. You can still join the challenge, but be quick as registration ends January 31st. The iTalki New Year’s challenge is going strong, and I’m really enjoying getting daily lessons. In today’s post I thought I’d give you an idea how my tutoring experience has evolved and also share some of the things I have found to be working really great. I’ll also share an actual recording from a recent session. You can hear me struggle, stumble and pause as I desperately try to speak Russian. In the second section of the post I will answer some questions that was written to me using the contact page. If you have any question about language learning, you are more than welcome to do the same! What’s changed in my tutoring Lenght of sessions A lot has changed in my tutoring since I began in autumn last year. First I discovered that 60 minute lessons were simply too long. After just 40 minutes my brain would begin to feel ready to explode, after having frantically searched every available cell for Russian words. By 50 minutes I could hardly say a thing, and by 60 minutes I was fried. I’m sure this is different from person to person, but after I switched to half-sessions twice as often I feel way better. 30 minutes seems like a perfect length for me but also for the kind of discussion I usually have with my teacher. Speed of the language After my extended break from Russian studies over the Christmas period I told my tutor that my goals for the iTalki Challenge would be to speak better and also be able to understand radio and television. I also asked if we could speed up the language a bit. Up until now she had been speaking very slowly, which was fantastic when I just started, but as I grew stronger in the language it was time to let go of the crutches! Now she speaks a lot faster. Nowhere near native-like speed, but a lot faster than last year. I can only recommend that you re-evaluate your goals with your tutor on a frequent basis. Also make sure to let him/her know if you have specific goals, so he/she can plan the sessions. A clearer  goal My tutoring sessions last year were great, don’t get me wrong. But they lacked the direction I was looking for, simply because I hadn’t told my tutor exactly what I wanted. I was being lazy and simply left it to her to plan each lesson. Since  I stepped up and asked my tutor to focus on the spoken language we’ve started working with Russian tv-shows. And man, is it challenging. They speak SO fast! The first show she had me watch, I literally struggled to understand 1 in 10 words. It’s getting better now with more and more exposure, but most importantly is that we work based on the episodes. She gives me questions for a section of an episode  and because this is my chosen goal, I work much harder to prepare for each session. Looking up words and preparing sentences. I didn’t do this last year. Often we don’t quite cover the questions because we often go off on tangents related to culture and other normal conversation topics. This makes me extremely confident that I’m on the right path towards conversational fluency. Listen to me in action! Here’s a brand-new tutoring session I had with my tutor this week. We were discussing this episode:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrR7xZlKNzQ Reader questions about tutoring These came in recently from a user, submitted via the contact page. You are always welcome to send me a message as well! I read every one of them. Do you recommend your tutor? My tutor Anastasia is fantastic. She has endless amounts of patience and has a lot of experience in tutoring on iTalki. You can count on her to prepare interesting materials before every lesson, and she always replied to my questions over Skype outside of lessons as well. She’s also great at adapting the lessons for my needs, as I explained above. On top of all her fee is very reasonable. What do you look for, when choosing a tutor on iTalki? The best indicator for me would be the user reviews tied to the teacher profile. Go in there and see the scores and also if students left actual text reviews. Although iTalki gives the students the option to leave a written review at the end of a session, most are too lazy to do it. So if you see good reviews across the board, it usually means the teacher is doing well. Experience with other languages, amount of lessons he/she has taught as well as diplomas are other indicators to look for when making your decision. Ultimately though it comes down to trial and error. Just because Anastasia works great for me, doesn’t mean that she is the best fit for you. iTalki offers you 3 trial lessons, which are discounted lessons so you can try out different tutors before you hire one for real. How often (and for how long) do you think one should take lessons there? As often as possible! Depending on your budget, schedule and goals in the language. I would just go for as many as that combination allows. My feeling is that you should aim to get at the VERY least a lesson per fortnight, but the more the better. You can’t take too many lessons. But I believe there is definitely a correlation between the quality of tutoring related to how far apart the lessons are, meaning that the longer you wait in between lessons, the more likely it is that you have forgotten things that you could have potentially refreshed, had you had a tutoring session earlier. Also by having more frequent lessons your general language learning is more focused, and you are more motivated because you are working towards a tangiable, upcoming goal. That’s it! 2.5 hours down, 17.5 hours to go! I hope you enjoyed my post on tutoring.  For more information on the topic I highly suggest Benny Lewis’ extensive article on it here: How to find the right teacher for online language lessons. How is your iTalki challenge going? Let me know in the comments below! How to take your italki tutoring to the next level Chris Broholm runs a great blog called Actual Fluency. Its his way to research language learning but most importantly it is a way to tell the world that ANYONE CAN LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE. Hes currently taking the italki 2015 New Years Language Challenge to learn Russian and shared this great post that will help anyone taking the challenge or learning a new language. Original post here. In this post I’ll share a few ways you can take your iTalki tutoring to the next level, as well as give you an update on my Russian mission and iTalki New Year’s challenge. I’m currently 2.5 hours into my iTalki New Year’s Challenge to complete 20 hours of language tutoring in just 45 days. You can still join the challenge, but be quick as registration ends January 31st. The iTalki New Year’s challenge is going strong, and I’m really enjoying getting daily lessons. In today’s post I thought I’d give you an idea how my tutoring experience has evolved and also share some of the things I have found to be working really great. I’ll also share an actual recording from a recent session. You can hear me struggle, stumble and pause as I desperately try to speak Russian. In the second section of the post I will answer some questions that was written to me using the contact page. If you have any question about language learning, you are more than welcome to do the same! What’s changed in my tutoring Lenght of sessions A lot has changed in my tutoring since I began in autumn last year. First I discovered that 60 minute lessons were simply too long. After just 40 minutes my brain would begin to feel ready to explode, after having frantically searched every available cell for Russian words. By 50 minutes I could hardly say a thing, and by 60 minutes I was fried. I’m sure this is different from person to person, but after I switched to half-sessions twice as often I feel way better. 30 minutes seems like a perfect length for me but also for the kind of discussion I usually have with my teacher. Speed of the language After my extended break from Russian studies over the Christmas period I told my tutor that my goals for the iTalki Challenge would be to speak better and also be able to understand radio and television. I also asked if we could speed up the language a bit. Up until now she had been speaking very slowly, which was fantastic when I just started, but as I grew stronger in the language it was time to let go of the crutches! Now she speaks a lot faster. Nowhere near native-like speed, but a lot faster than last year. I can only recommend that you re-evaluate your goals with your tutor on a frequent basis. Also make sure to let him/her know if you have specific goals, so he/she can plan the sessions. A clearer  goal My tutoring sessions last year were great, don’t get me wrong. But they lacked the direction I was looking for, simply because I hadn’t told my tutor exactly what I wanted. I was being lazy and simply left it to her to plan each lesson. Since  I stepped up and asked my tutor to focus on the spoken language we’ve started working with Russian tv-shows. And man, is it challenging. They speak SO fast! The first show she had me watch, I literally struggled to understand 1 in 10 words. It’s getting better now with more and more exposure, but most importantly is that we work based on the episodes. She gives me questions for a section of an episode  and because this is my chosen goal, I work much harder to prepare for each session. Looking up words and preparing sentences. I didn’t do this last year. Often we don’t quite cover the questions because we often go off on tangents related to culture and other normal conversation topics. This makes me extremely confident that I’m on the right path towards conversational fluency. Listen to me in action! Here’s a brand-new tutoring session I had with my tutor this week. We were discussing this episode:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrR7xZlKNzQ Reader questions about tutoring These came in recently from a user, submitted via the contact page. You are always welcome to send me a message as well! I read every one of them. Do you recommend your tutor? My tutor Anastasia is fantastic. She has endless amounts of patience and has a lot of experience in tutoring on iTalki. You can count on her to prepare interesting materials before every lesson, and she always replied to my questions over Skype outside of lessons as well. She’s also great at adapting the lessons for my needs, as I explained above. On top of all her fee is very reasonable. What do you look for, when choosing a tutor on iTalki? The best indicator for me would be the user reviews tied to the teacher profile. Go in there and see the scores and also if students left actual text reviews. Although iTalki gives the students the option to leave a written review at the end of a session, most are too lazy to do it. So if you see good reviews across the board, it usually means the teacher is doing well. Experience with other languages, amount of lessons he/she has taught as well as diplomas are other indicators to look for when making your decision. Ultimately though it comes down to trial and error. Just because Anastasia works great for me, doesn’t mean that she is the best fit for you. iTalki offers you 3 trial lessons, which are discounted lessons so you can try out different tutors before you hire one for real. How often (and for how long) do you think one should take lessons there? As often as possible! Depending on your budget, schedule and goals in the language. I would just go for as many as that combination allows. My feeling is that you should aim to get at the VERY least a lesson per fortnight, but the more the better. You can’t take too many lessons. But I believe there is definitely a correlation between the quality of tutoring related to how far apart the lessons are, meaning that the longer you wait in between lessons, the more likely it is that you have forgotten things that you could have potentially refreshed, had you had a tutoring session earlier. Also by having more frequent lessons your general language learning is more focused, and you are more motivated because you are working towards a tangiable, upcoming goal. That’s it! 2.5 hours down, 17.5 hours to go! I hope you enjoyed my post on tutoring.  For more information on the topic I highly suggest Benny Lewis’ extensive article on it here: How to find the right teacher for online language lessons. How is your iTalki challenge going? Let me know in the comments below!