English is a difficult language. It does not sound the way it looks. Learners are often frustrated trying to understand what others are saying and too self-conscious about their accents to speak. The good news for ESL students is that one tiny piece of information takes the mystery out of the spoken language: English is a stress-based language. What that means and how that impacts students is easy and fun to explore.

Learners are tragically misinformed about the significance of individual sounds in conversation. It is important to know that native speakers find accents charming and communication does not break down because of them. The seat of miscommunication in English is not in mispronounced letters, but in absent or misplaced word stress. If the boss called for a meeting on ‘VENS day’, everyone would show up the day after Tuesday, but if he said the meeting was on ‘vensDAY,’ no one would know when the meeting was, and they couldn’t guess. The truth is, native English speakers have tremendous latitude for accommodating sound variations, and do not rely on perfect pronunciation for understanding.

The Impact of Word Stress in ESL – Maria’s Story

Maria is Latino, plucky and gorgeous. Her warmth and charm transcend any language or cultural barriers. She moved to Canada from Central America many years ago with her husband and four small children. As is often the case, she was extremely isolated in her new country. Her children learned English in school and her husband learned it at work. Thirteen years after leaving El Salvador, she spoke no English and had no friends. Fortunately, Maria did understand that domestic violence is not tolerated in Canada. When she had finally had enough, she left her abusive husband and started a new life for herself and her children.

Maria rented an apartment, applied for social assistance, and enrolled in school. Her kind, effervescent personality was an asset to our ESL classroom. But one day she arrived sad and depressed. Everyone noticed. “What is the matter?” they wanted to know. Maria told a story every student could relate to. It was her eldest son’s sixteenth birthday and she wanted to take her family out to celebrate. She couldn’t afford to take everyone to dinner, so she took them out for breakfast. When it was her turn to order, the server asked what she wanted and she said, “Coffee an pekundaneesh.” The server asked her to repeat her order. Beginning to feel uncomfortable, Maria repeated, “Coffee an pekundaneesh.” The server turned on her heel and walked away, scoffing, “Why doncha speak English?”

Maria was devastated. The celebration was ruined. She told the class she was never going to a restaurant again. After we talked about her disappointment, we resumed our lesson on Word Stress. Maria learned that there is one and only one ‘stressed’ syllable in any word. She learned that the stressed syllables are higher, longer and louder than other syllables, and if the word stress is missing or in the wrong place, native speakers cannot understand what is being said no matter how perfectly the individual sounds are pronounced. At the end of the day Maria stood up and shouted, “PE can DA nish!” She understood the lesson – and the breakdown that happened in the restaurant the day before.

Monday morning Maria bounced into the classroom, her cheerful, energetic self again. Everyone noticed. How was your weekend? In her adorable Spanish accent, with her hand on her hip and her index finger wagging, Maria filled us in. “Yesta day, I go back to dat restrant, I see dat lady and I say to she – I want to PEcan Danish! An she bring me.”

The crowd went wild. When her classmates’ clapping and cheering died down, she made a graceful curtsy before taking her seat. I have only an inkling of the courage it took for her to go back and face that waitress, but her triumph over word stress and restaurants was a triumph for us all.

The Lesson: English is a Stress-based Language

Most languages are sound-based, where each letter represents a different sound and every syllable is equally important. When East Indians, Arabs or Asians speak, they sound like sewing machines to native English speakers. Native speakers can’t hear the ‘stress’ because there isn’t any (apart from the anxiety everyone feels about not being able to understand what is going on). Word stress works differently in Spanish, French and German than in English. “Ze frENCH have ze acCENT on ze deffeRENT syllaBLE” – again charming.

Word stress is so important in English that if the stress gets moved around, the word changes meaning.

PROduce is a noun meaning fruit and vegetables, and proDUCE is a verb that means to manufacture. CONtent is a noun for what is inside something and conTENT means happy.

There is virtually no indication how a word is going to sound from its spelling, but its context, or the words around it, can often give a clue.

Rule of Thumb

80% of two-syllable nouns have the stress on the first syllable.

TEAcher, STUdent, DOCtor, RUler, COffee, ANgel, PEOple, PAper, PENcil, SUgar, ORange…

Conversely, most two-syllable verbs have the stress on the second syllable.

enJOY, beLIEVE, surPRISE, deLAY, emPLOY, reLAX, conSERVE, emBRACE, suPPORT…

For words longer than two syllables, sorry, you are on your own.

HOspital, TRIangle, baNAna, poSItion, tangeRINE, engiNEER

Summary

The meaning in English is not in the production of individual sounds but in finding the correct syllable to pronounce higher, longer and louder than the rest of the word.

ESL students can stop worrying about their accents. Accents don’t prevent ESL students from being understood, and native English speakers find them charming.

LEARners must GEnerate EMphasis to be sucCESSfully underSTOOD.

A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) is universally recognized as the standard for project management methodologies and practices. Project managers routinely use the PMBOK® as a reference for accepted tools, knowledge, and processes in order to ensure the successful completion of a wide range of projects. The PMBOK is also the industry standard which candidates must study and possess a functional knowledge of when preparing for Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) certifications. Since its creation the PMBOK has undergone several revisions the most recent of which is the 4th edition. Although much of the content is the same as in the 3rd edition, there are some significant changes regarding clarity and improvement.

The 4th edition of the PMBOK reflects a focused effort to provide more clarity in various aspects of project management practices while reducing ambiguity and redundancy. There are several areas where this is evident. First, in order to remain consistent, all processes are now annotated in a verb-noun format (i.e. Define Activities, Develop Schedule, Plan Quality, Verify Scope, etc). In such a dynamic discipline as project management it is imperative to maintain as high a level of consistency and simplicity as possible. Adding to its simplicity, the 4th edition has also grouped corrective action, preventive action, defect repair, and requested changes under the heading “change request”. The purpose of this is to provide visibility of these change requests while allowing an easier understanding of the project management processes.

It is important for a project manager to have a comprehensive understanding of the processes involved with successful project management. In order to help with this the 4th edition of the PMBOK has focused more on clarifying process interactions. By more clearly explaining process inputs and outputs with aid from the PMBOK’s new data flow diagrams-which replaced process flow diagrams-and the relationships between these processes, the project manager will have a better understanding of how to use these tools to his or her benefit.

Another important clarification is the distinction between the project management plan and the various project documents the project manager may utilize in helping manage the project. An example of this is that previously a change log may have been mistakenly grouped into a project management plan. The PMBOK® now makes it clear that while change management is an important part of a project management plan, a change log is a project document and should not be included in a formal project plan.

Additional clarification was made to the PMBOK® by more clearly differentiating what contents of the project charter and scope statement are required. Previously, these documents may have shared some commonalities as there was no clear distinction between required content. As projects progressively elaborate-or become more defined as they move forward-what is annotated in the charter will evolve and become evident in the project scope statement. This progressive elaboration is an important part of project management and the PMBOK has done well by making this consideration while defining more clear boundaries between these two documents.

Perhaps the most significant difference between the 3rd and 4th editions of the PMBOK is the addition, consolidation, and removal of several processes. The processes of Develop Preliminary Scope Statement (Project Integration Management Knowledge Area) and Plan Scope (Project Scope Management Knowledge Area) were removed in the 4th edition. Processes which were added include Collect Requirements (Project Scope Management Knowledge Area) and Identify Stakeholders (Project Communications Management Knowledge Area). Within the Project Procurement Management Knowledge Area the six processes were consolidated into four. These process revisions represent bold changes between the 3rd and 4th editions of the PMBOK. However, by renaming the processes in verb-noun format, removing those which were redundant or unnecessary, adding where needed, and consolidating others, the 4th edition of the PMBOK represents a significant improvement and another step in the right direction for project management.

Another improvement added to the 4th edition of the PMBOK is Appendix G which contains a list and discussion of interpersonal skills needed to successfully manage projects. While it is arguable whether or not these skills can be learned through training and practice or whether one is born more adept at these soft skills, it is clear that they are necessary in effectively managing projects and project teams. Their inclusion in the PMBOK is an improvement because they indicate areas in which project managers must maintain their focus while interacting with their project teams and stakeholders.

While the release of the 4th edition of the PMBOK was a step in the right direction for project management it was also part of a larger picture and not the only book of standards PMI released. Concurrently with the PMBOK fourth edition PMI released The Standard for Program Management 2nd Edition; The Standard for Portfolio Management 2nd Edition; and Organizational Project Management Maturity Model (OPM3) 2nd Edition. The release of these four standards represents an effort to relate methodologies between and among these various levels of project and program management in a clear, consistent, and comprehensive manner. These standards of basic project management, program and portfolio management, and organizational project management, along with consistent language, terminology, and practices provide an umbrella under which practitioners of the project management profession can operate with awareness, clarity, and confidence.

In addition to the professional content contained within the PMBOK there are some other characteristics of the book worthy of discussion. First, the book maintains its quality of being easy to read and understand. The fonts and graphics used in the book are clearly visible and the reader will find them easy to follow. Additionally, the data flow diagrams at the beginning of each knowledge area chapter are much easier to follow and understand than the 3rd edition’s process flow diagrams.

Another nice characteristic is the ability of the reader to take notes in the margins which provide very adequate space. One characteristic that should be improved is the soft cover of the PMBOK. With the cost of the book at $65.95 through PMI (or $49.50 for PMI members), a soft cover is hardly adequate to protect such an investment and valuable reference tool. Some simple internet research also found that the book can be purchased for $41.55 through Amazon.com with free shipping. This is certainly the most affordable price found online though, perhaps, it can be purchased secondhand or from a used book store for less.

One reason for the explosive growth of the project management profession is the degree to which the practices and methodologies have evolved. The revisions in the 4th edition of the PMBOK® represent the efforts made by its governing body, PMI, to remain proactive in a cycle of continuous development and improvement. The utility of effective project management has been realized throughout every industry and market segment. By including feedback from its practitioners in this improvement cycle the project management industry will continue to effectively evolve through its refinement of standards, tools, and practices.

Furniture is used as a mass noun to describe any movable object that is intended to support various types of human activities. These include sofas, chairs, tables and beds. All these objects support human activities like sleeping, sitting, etc. Thus the significance of furniture can obviously never be undermined. It has the ability to transform your entire standard of living in a very short span of time. Furniture also ends up using a majority of the space in your house. This in turn increases its significance and importance.

Tips for choosing appropriate furniture

The following tips must essentially be followed in order to complement your entire furniture shopping process.

• Always select furniture of appropriate color. This color must be in matching terms with your house in order to make a great match.

• Never purchase furniture that is not required essentially. This can only take away space and there will not be any returns.

• Select your furniture from the best stores and outlets. There are a lot of brands available in the market right not and all these brands are competing with each other. Thus it is up to you to make an informed and wise selection.

• Choose furniture that you feel will be comfortable and good for you in the long run. This will help you to get a good value for your money. As a customer this is the most important tip that must essentially be followed.

• Before going furniture shopping, you need to make enough space in your home in order to place that furniture in an appropriate location when it arrives. This essentially means planning in advance.

• Never fall for the looks of a furniture. Sometimes when an item looks very good, it does not offer the same standards of quality. This can decrease your value for money and will obviously make you unsatisfied.

The significance of furniture has increased over the period of time. This is because a majority of the people around the world are concentration on improving their standard of living by choosing appropriate furniture that not only look good but also offer high level of comfort. In the long run, it is only the comfort that matters. This comfort can be enjoyed by each and every one in the household. Thus it is essential to make a very informed decision in order to benefit from it. It is one of the important things to remember.

When you get dressed in the morning, do you put your shoes on first and then try to pull your socks on over them? Would you teach your child algebra when she had not yet mastered simple addition and subtraction?

The answer to these questions is, of course, no. Unless you are trying to make a bold sock-dirtying fashion statement or play a practical joke on your child, you would not do either of these things. For the same reason that you put your shoes on after your socks and that you teach your child addition and subtraction before algebra, diagramming is one of the best ways to learn grammar.

When you learn grammar by diagramming sentences, you are introduced to the simplest grammatical elements first (subjects and verbs), and gradually build to the more complex elements. Diagramming sentences follows a logical order (just like putting on your shoes does!), naturally building your grammar knowledge. It prepares us to tackle the concepts we’re ready for and leaves the more difficult ones until we are ready to tackle them.

This is good news because it means that we can all avoid the inescapable confusion that I found myself in when my teacher was teaching me gerunds while I still had a shaky understanding of nouns and verbs. (If you don’t know what gerunds are, it’s okay. I didn’t either. They are nouns masquerading as verbs-those tricky little devils!) It is very difficult to grasp the function of a gerund when you do not fully understand nouns and verbs. It’s like a painter trying to mix the color orange when he does not have yellow or red. Giving a painter this task could be so frustrating that he may never want to paint again. Giving a student this task could be so frustrating that she may never want to try again.

Diagramming’s necessary order of topic-mastery is not only beneficial to the student, but also to the teacher. As a teacher, sometimes it can be very daunting figuring out what to teach our students in the best order that will ensure their understanding. The nature of diagramming dictates the order in which you should teach topics and ensures that the student masters each concept before continuing to the next.

Oh, and did I mention that diagramming sentences is FUN? Seriously. After teaching grammar to a variety of grade levels, I am constantly amazed by both the excitement that the students radiate when they are diagramming and by their level of understanding and retention of concepts covered while diagramming.

Diagramming sentences introduces grammatical elements in a natural, flowing manner that will keep students engaged and excited about learning. This is revolutionary because it means we can all learn with ease, retain what we have learned, and have fun doing it. Isn’t that something worth looking in to?

“Above all we have to go beyond words and images and concepts. No imaginative vision or conceptual framework is adequate to the great reality” – Bede Griffiths

Making a difference in search for unique classroom materials to be able to maneuver students’ language engagement is a highly appreciated pedagogic move. This is an upshot of teachers’ creativity through eyeing appropriate resources of incomparable features that elicit thought-provoking instructions to enrich learners’ linguistic level for operative macro skills. It is a fact that speaking, listening, reading and writing require increasing grammar knowledge to communicatively serve. At this juncture, the main concern of this idea is to manipulate popular titles in a way that grammar are stimulated while the lesson’s theme is created through students’ constructed responses linked to titles contexts. In the real world, these may emerge from literary, fiction and non-fiction of varied genre and forms such as novels, fables, short stories, essays, biographies, poems, news, editorials, films, music, paintings, books, among others where they serve as arts’ driving power, to motivate audience’s or readers’ discoveries. They are the promises of any composition that are expressed literally or figuratively nevertheless lead to the establishment of common thoughts. In addition, it is recommended that teachers give backgrounds of the titles when considering these inputs. Background knowledge as operationally used in this model refers to the process of introducing what is behind a specific work which means that provision of surrounding information regarding a particular work triggers contextual comprehension and accentuates thematic responses absorbed between the lines by learners dependent upon the degree on how a language teacher activates them for possible grammatically rewarding outputs. It is also recommended that the derivation of themes should emanate from the students’ inferential skills activated by teachers’ motivation.

The worth- designing tasks

Language teachers can possibly perform these tasks in accordance to institutional curriculum mandates by relating them to their organizations’ academic practices stipulated under English language programs’ contents, course outlines, syllabi, delivery plans, time frame, expected learning outcomes, and assessment procedures. By doing so, incorporating this concept may establish feasibility to instructive interplay.

To appreciate the pedagogical purposes of incorporating these materials in language instructions, here are some postulated lessons that are to be exemplified through sequence components: (a) the title as a springboard, (b) theme (c) focus, (d) objective/s (e) facilitation of responses (f) probable alluded thematic responses, (g) implications to language study, and (h) stimulated allied lessons.

Lesson (1) one

a. the title as a springboard- play, Faust by Christopher Marlowe

b. theme – the rise and fall of one’s power, the evils power can do to human beings

c. focus – modification of titles through descriptions

d. objective-

Construct a title by providing a descriptive adjective before the stated noun of a single -word titled play.

e. facilitation of responses

The teacher monitors responses. It is suggested that all answers are to be classified according to the classes of words as they are cited before emphasizing adjectives. The teacher can encourage two-word adjectives before the noun.

f. probable alluded thematic responses

“Poor Faust,” “One Famous Faust,” “Once Powerful Faust,” “The Mightiest Faust,” ” Mighty Faust,” “Doomed Faust,” “Strong Faust,” “Unfortunate Faust,” “Pitiful Faust,” “Old Wicked Faust,” “Unsatisfied Faust,” and “Power-hungry Faust.”

g. implications to language study

It elicits arriving at appropriate order or sequence of adjectives or location of adjectives before nouns.

h. Stimulated allied lesson

May serve as an opener for a succeeding lesson on prepositions of time and place where titles formulated such as, ” The Most Wicked Faust of the Century,” “The Mightiest Faust at Midnight,” and “Condemned Faust in a Fast-moving Time,” “Doomed Faust in a Strange Land,” among others.

Lesson (2) two

(a) the title as a springboard-poem, The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

(b) theme – there’s always an alternative to follow one’s dream/s.

(c) focus – vocabulary enrichment through rephrasing titles.

(d) objectives-

Rewrite the title through other words that mean the same. Apply figurative interpretations.

(e) facilitation of responses

Provide a background of the title.

Present the title for analysis to elicit responses.

The teacher uses guide questions.

Reemphasize the themes that may enable acceptable answers.

(f) probable alluded thematic responses

“The Overlooked Way,” “The Unheeded Road,” “The Path Untaken,” “The Forgotten Road,” “The Dreamer’s Road,” “The Road to Dreams,” and “The Hidden Way to Success.”

(g) implications to language study

Formed responses denote the subject of attaining dreams. It paves one’s ability to assign words to relate meanings by attaching suitable vocabularies as replacement while the main line’s idea is retained. It also caters to the understanding or literal and denotative meanings of statements or literal and figurative interpretations of lines.

(h) stimulated allied lessons

This title can further lead to the study of language points such as irregular verbs, prepositions, noun phrases, indefinite articles, and descriptive adjectives.

Lesson (3) three

(a) the title as a springboard- song, The Wind of Change from the Scorpion

(b) theme – unification among citizens of a country, removal of barriers, harmony

(c) focus – expansion of titles by using parts of speeches to form sentences

(d) objectives-

Expand the title by adding words from any classes to convey obtained meanings.

Manipulate content and functional words from the parts of speech.

(e) facilitation of responses

Provide a background of the title.

Show labeled model examples.

The wind of change (given phrase) means (verb) emergence (noun) of

(preposition) peace (noun)

(f) probable alluded thematic responses

“The wind of change in Germany has finally surfaced. The wind of change in Germany emerges today. The strong wind of change is the removal of barriers. The blowing wind of change is a sign of renewal. The unified wind of change in Germany brings peace and harmony. This is the moment for the wind of change to emerge”

(g) implications to language study

This activity tests learners’ knowledge on how to expand ideas through the placement of words into grammatically accepted positions or orders. It further supports one’s prior knowledge of the parts of speech leading their ability to analyze the distinctions between function and content words in statements. It provides learners’ chances to support their responses based from the functions of the words in completing sentences and offers how to classify or label words that compose sentences as fundamentals to grammar knowledge.

(h) stimulated allied lessons

Provides prospects to discover that elements of sentences such as subject, verb, and object are generated from parts of speech. It also fetches learners how to determine the differences between a phrase, dependent clause and a sentence.

Lesson (4) four

(a) the title as a springboard- novel, A Passage to India by E. M. Forster

(b) theme- societal interactions, cultural relations

(c) focus – construction of phrases to change meanings by other vocabularies and the introduction of other forms of prepositions forming phrases

(d) objectives-

Replace the original preposition into another to change the title’s meanings. State the titles in different forms. Use other forms of prepositions to add prepositional phrases.

(e) facilitation of responses

Brainstorm meanings on major words that are present in the title to be used in phrases and to introduce prepositions with distinctions through their tabulated functions. It is suggested that different kinds of prepositions are tabulated demonstrating varied functions for easy comprehension.

(f) probable alluded thematic responses

British’s passage to India, British’s path to India, England’s passage to India, British visit to India, British return to India, the way to India, the route to India

a passage in India, a passage for India, a passage across India, and a passage next to India, the road between India and England, and a connection between England and India

(g) implications to language study

Students explore vocabularies by replacing the major words. Other than that, varied prepositions that form prepositional phrases are integrated to offer different meanings. It demonstrates that this type of phrase can be manipulated to complete statements in the normal or inverted forms when embedded in sentences, and the attainment of varied prepositions with different functions.

(h) stimulated Allied lessons

The initial answers from the first lesson provide further kinds of phrases which may lead to the formulation of gerund, participial, and infinitive phrases. For example, breaking passage to India by the British, colonized passage to India, broken passage to India, to cross the road to India, getting back to India, remembering the past by going to India, emancipating a passage to India, inviting passage to India, amazing British’s passage to India, British-established passage to India, welcome passage to India, and connecting the British to India from Britain.

Lesson (5) five

(a) the title as a springboard-poem, Stopping by the Woods in a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost

(b) theme – man’s responsibilities and achievement before death

(c) focus -words and collocations, phrases and sentence’s interplay through perceived senses, and created images for composition writing

(d) objectives –

Enumerate words that are associated to what you feel, see and hear for vocabulary development. Come up with an interpretation through the brainstormed words applied in composition.

(e) facilitation of responses

Elicit by formulated guide questions on senses. Classify responses. A semantic web or a tree diagram can aid in the lesson.

(f) probable alluded thematic responses

snow-covered trees, changing seasons, cold, chilling, falling snows, flakes, snowy, forest, weather, darkness, black, winter, after autumn, snow-covered leaves, silence, season, last stage, silence, ticking time, moving time, dying and death, plan goals, man’s journey, memorable accomplishment, after the season, cherished dreams, awareness, feel, thought, imagine, dream, seems, love, inspired, dismayed, and awakened, among others.

(g) implications to language study

The poem’s tittle, is expected to provide possible words and collocations, phrases to form sentences to express ideas. It also generates state verbs through the senses. Increase students’ abilities to visualize. This may be of significance to writing composition activities where learners brainstorm ideas out of the theme which are express literally but are to be written and interpreted figuratively. This type of an academic exercise can encourage students to utilize prior language knowledge for synthesis of ideas.

(h) stimulated allied lessons

The title can be a lesson’s springboard as well as a motivational element to incorporate focuses such as infinitives and future tenses. It can also be a key to cover gerund and gerund phrases.

Lesson (6) six

(a) the title as a springboard- short story, A cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe

(b) theme – revenge being a wild justice, friendship gone wild

(c) focus -understanding ideas through symbolism and substituting symbolical words in a title

(d) objectives –

Analyze the words and create ideas through symbolism from the passage.

(e) facilitation of responses

Elicit responses through analogy illustration.

Wine – forgetting problems – forgetfulness

Wine – feeling happy- euphoria

No wine – -feeling alone – sadness

(a) probable alluded thematic responses

“A coffin for Fortunato,” “The death of Fortunato,” ” The End of Fortunato,” “Fortunato’s doom,” ” The Wine’s Deadly Invitation,” “Vice Turns Death,” “When Obsession Goes Death,” Wine Becomes His End,” “From forgetfulness to Death,” “Lost in a Bottle” Burying a Wines’ Connoisseur of Wine,” and “Wine’s Deadly Kiss”

(g) implications to language study

As a result of providing the background, students’ thoughts may lead to an interpretation that the cask is a casket while amontillado is wine. Cask may mean barrel and an amontillado is a type of wine and that Fortunato is the wine and the cask represents his bloody doom. This type of lesson drives the interpretative skills of learners in analyzing ideas through symbolism. Literary knowledge may be refurbished when this type of activity is approached.

(h) stimulated allied lessons

It is also possible to link a lesson regarding the functions of conjunctions introduced by connectives such as because, since, for, for the reason that, among other conjunctions for reasoning creating sentence constructions aside from substituting symbols into words. Also, it may lead to higher forms of literary elements and devices which are beneficial in the study of literature.

Lesson (7) seven

(a) the title as a chosen springboard-Novel, As I lay Dying by William Faulkner

(b) theme- parental neglect, life in the absence of education, ignorance

(c) focus – uses of conjunctions in opening a clause and how these clause may form complex sentences

(d) objectives-

Identify the conjunction that introduces a clause and be able to add an independent to form a sentence. Write sentences into inverted or normal forms. Determine the use of “as,” and substitute, “as” with another conjunction to retain similar meaning.

(e) facilitation of responses

Give the background of the novel and a situation to trigger responses.

Let us say that you were the dying mother, what would you feel?

What do you remember? What do you see among your children? What do you realize? What do you expect to happen to your children?

(f) probable alluded thematic responses

The word “as” is used as a conjunction.

As I lay dying, I pity my children. As I lay dying, the painful past came back to me. As I lay dying, my heart ached for them. As I lay dying, I was so regretful. As I lay dying. I remembered the kind of childhood I gave them. As I lay dying, I saw extreme ignorance from my children. I saw my children’s weaknesses as I lay dying. I learned to value children’s education as I lay dying. I realized that poverty is not a hindrance to education as I lay dying. I was worried of my children’s future as I lay dying.

Other responses incorporating conjunctions similar to the use of the conjunction, as:

While I lay dying, I accepted that I can’t go back to the past. I was very sorry for what happened to my children, while I lay dying. I was reminded of the past while I lay dying. While I lay dying, I prayed to God for my children’s life. I asked the God to forgive me while I lay dying. While I lay dying, I saw my helpless husband.

(g) implications to language study

Students identify the difference between a dependent clause, simple sentence, and a complex sentence and that these group of words can be in two different forms.

(h) stimulated allied lessons

The types and functions of conjunctions of time represented by the word, “as” may lead to the emergence the functions of after, before, since, when, whenever, while, and until. It also may further arrive to the discussions of the types of sentences according to structures which are simple, compound, complex and compound-complex.

Lesson (8) eight

(a) the title as a chosen springboard- TV movie, While Justice Sleeps by Lifetime TV Network

(b) theme

(c) focus – difference between a sentence and a dependent clause and the functions of conjunctions of time

(d) objectives-

Use conjunctions of time to denote dependent clause. Use a conjunction to construct a dependent clause. Combine a dependent clause and an independent clause to formulate a compound complex sentence. Identify the difference between independent and independent clause.

(e) facilitation of responses

Provide the TV show’s background.

Present a clause and a sentence for comparison and contrast.

While justice sleeps- a dependent clause introduced by a conjunction.

I fought back while justice sleeps – sentence composed of an independent clause and a dependent clause.

Elaborate conjunctions of time with respective functions while, as, when – illustrate through these conjunctions

(f) probable alluded thematic responses

The dependent clauses

while justice sleeps, when justice sleeps, as Justice sleeps, while the law ignores, when the law doesn’t solve my problem, as the law was too slow

the complex sentences in normal and in inverted forms

While justice sleeps, she fought back. When Justice sleeps, she felt it is hopeless to fight back. As justice sleeps, I prepared myself. I shot the accused while justice sleeps. While justice sleeps, he celebrated. When justice sleeps, I cried for my daughter. As justice sleeps, my daughter revealed the truth. When justice sleeps, I confronted the accused.

(g) implications to language studies

Examples further push the discussions of the functions of time conjunctions. Triggers the need of independent and dependent sentences in the formation of a complex sentence. Identification of a simple sentence, a dependent clause and a sentence and the relevant role of time conjunctions, subject and verbs are associated in the discussions.

(h) stimulated allied lessons

The sentences according to structures are the closest grammar structures are most likely to be the next lessons. It can also trigger the varied kinds of conjunctions and their respective functions in the constructions of sentences. Cause and effect and comparison and contrast are probable directed discussions.

Lesson (9) nine

(a) the title as a springboard- a novel, Count of Monte Cristo, a novel by Alexandre Dumas

(c) theme- trials before triumphs

(d) focus – the distinction of a noun phrase and their connections to other phrase to form sentences.

(e) objectives-

Identify the elements of the noun phrase and use it to form grammatically correct sentences by adding verbs and objects.

(f) facilitation of responses

Provide a background of the novel.

Present the title and its composition to show its being a phrase.

The Count of Monte Cristo

the (determiner- definite article) + count (noun) + of (Preposition) + Monte Cristo (object of the preposition)

Present how this phrase may turn into a grammatically correct sentence and discuss on the importance of verbs among other connected words.

a phrase + verb = sentences

The count of Monte Cristo (phrase) + came. (verb)

The count of Monte Cristo came to town (additional words)

Sentences conversion to elaborate

The count of Monte Cristo came. The count of Monte Cristo came to town.

(g) probable alluded thematic responses

Adding verbs

The count of Monte Cristo was back stabbed. The count of Monte Cristo was imprisoned. The count of Monte Cristo suffered. The count of Monte Cristo learned. The count of Monte Cristo escaped.

Adding object

The count of Monte Cristo found friends. The count of Monte Cristo found gold. The count of Monte Cristo built a beautiful house. The count of Monte Cristo met old friends. The count of Monte Cristo invited the rich people. The count of Monte Cristo vowed revenge. The count of Monte Cristo met his son.

Adding additional words after verbs

The count of Monte Cristo is so secretive. The count of Monte Cristo is very rich. The count of Monte Cristo became popular. The count of Monte Cristo met people who made him suffer. The count of Monte Cristo was reunited with his family. The count of Monte Cristo is Mondego.

(h) implications to language study

The difference between noun phrase and with other phrases combining the two phrases is not a sentence without the presence of a verb. The students will learn to combine the phrases together with the presence of a verb forms a sentence. Identifying ideas bring the completion of sentences.

(i) stimulated allied lessons

Word order such as subject and verbs and verbs and objects, the introduction of sentence patterns, the use of noun phrases in sentences, past tense forms of verbs, are triggered here.

Lesson (10) ten

(a) the title as a springboard- nonfiction, The Fundamentals of Biology by Wiley Editorial

(b) theme – science of life

(c) focus – vocabulary and definition of terms.

(d) objectives-

Use simple definition expressions to provide meanings to the vocabularies. Define vocabularies in simple words. Exemplify to connect every introduced word to explain an idea. Define words to show comprehension I and be able to use them sentences.

(e) facilitation of responses

Combine zoology and botany to provide a background of biology.

The major words that enables brainstorming – fundamentals and biology

Connecting words related with fundamentals. All introduced words should be exemplified.

Giving two branches of biology to start with schema creation.

Create a schema to brainstorm the words and break them into smaller topics.

Introduce simple definition expressions such as refer/s, mean/s, is and are.

(f) probable alluded thematic responses

fundamentals

Fundamentals are basics.

Importance means fundamentals.

Fundamentals refer to essentials.

Basics of biology means fundamentals of biology.

Fundamentals of biology refers to the importance of biology.

Biology and related words

Bio means life.

Logus/logy means study.

Biology is a field of study about life.

Biology is the science of life.

Biology has two branches.

Branches are divisions.

Zoology and botany are divisions of biology.

Biology consists of zoology and botany.

Biology refers to the study of plants and animals.

Animals and plants are living things.

Biology is the study of living things.

Biology is a study about animals and plants.

Zoology is a branch of biology.

Botany is a branch of biology.

Zoology refers to the study of animals.

Botany means to the study of plants.

Life is consist of plants and animals.

Animals is for zoology while plant is for botany

Zoology and botany are important parts of biology.

Studying flowers is biology.

Camels are studies in biology.

Flowers are learned in botany.

Camels are learned in zoology.

(g) implications to language study

Vocabulary development is garnered in this activity. Words are brainstormed giving the idea that biology is a subject containing two fields of studies. A practical strategy of defining the terms in their own words is through basic definition expressions such as is, are/refer/s to, mean/s. It is also through examples that meaning comprehensions are achieved, and exemplifying every academic terminology involve enables easy understanding and formulation of definitions.

(h) stimulated Allied lessons

The possible answers according to students’ level of comprehension may introduce vocabulary development through hyponyms, co-hyponyms, and hypernyms. Also, words are classified where they should belong to be understood. For instance, words like chemistry, biology, and physics are classified under sciences and each elements will be further classified till it reaches the smallest element to show the relationships of every introduced science vocabulary. This additionally can be linked to writing expositions by definitions, exemplifications, comparison and contrast and even classification or partition.

Lesson (11) eleven

(a) title as a springboard-country song, Everything that Glitters is Not Gold performed by Dan Seals.

(b) theme- the value of needing someone, no man stands alone forever.

(c) focus – indefinite pronouns’ functions and rules in sentence constructions.

(d) objectives-

Construct sentences by using indefinite pronouns. Apply subject- verb agreement in sentences. Identify the use of every indefinite pronoun.

(e) facilitation of responses

Provide a background of the title.

Introduce the types of indefinite pronouns.

no one everyone something someone everything

Analyze together the title.

“Everything that Glitters is not Gold”

Everything (indefinite pronoun) glitters (verb).

Show what rule do everything and glitters have.

Exemplify subject -verb agreement.

(f) probable alluded thematic responses

No one lives with popularity forever.

Nothing is permanent in this world.

Everyone should make life meaningful.

Somebody is always waiting for her.

Everything in this world is just temporary.

Nobody lives alone forever.

Everyone needs someone to cling on.

Each one has one life to live.

No one is perfect.

Someone exchanged her life with fame.

Nobody is rewarded by neglect.

Someone raises a daughter alone.

Someone needs someone to be happy.

If someone loves us, we have to answer back.

If nobody cares, there are others who will.

Someone makes him happy; his daughter.

Everyone needs each other.

Something makes someone to forget love ones.

Somebody leaves her husband and family.

(g) implications to language studies

Establishes a rule that this type of pronouns follow singular form of the verb and that indefinite pronouns do not refer to a specific person, place, or thing such as everybody, everywhere, everything, someone, somebody, somewhere, something, anyone, anybody, anywhere, anything, none, no one, nobody, nowhere, and nothing.

(h) stimulated allied lessons

Indefinite pronouns may lead or relate lessons regarding other types of pronouns. It may also connect to the lessons on nouns by substitutions. For example, someone may be represented by the husband, the daughter or the wife if we use similar springboard for context in sentence formulation. Someone is waiting for her. Someone is the husband and her is the wife. Someone may be further represented by her daughter. We can also reverse by rewording the sentence just to apply substitution differently. Somebody left him. To substitute noun, somebody here is the wife and him is the husband. Again, this lesson brings to the study of object pronouns such as him, her, them, and so on, which will surely refer to subject pronouns.

Lesson (12) twelve

(a) title as a springboard-film, I Know What You Did Last Summer by Mandalay Entertainment

(c) theme- intimidation out of a secret, paranoia as a form of fear, guilt

(d) focus – the State verbs or verbs that describe a state instead of action.

(e) objectives-

Determine the difference between state and action verbs. Use these verbs in sentences. State the verbs in negative or positive sentences. Restate the sentences into questions.

(f) facilitation of responses

Provide the background of the film.

Differentiate state verbs with the action verbs. Include be verbs as state verbs.

drove, write (action verbs) know, feel (state verbs) is, was, were, are, am (state verbs)

Introduce some of the state verbs in positive or negative forms and in different tenses.

didn’t know-don’t know-doesn’t know- didn’t see- see- saw- felt- think – remembered

Some state verbs

believe, promise, remember, imagine, forget, see, hear, know, agree, realize, like, want

Frame guide questions that lead to the formation of sentences using state verbs in the point of view of the group and in the point of view of the avenging father.

(g) Probable alluded thematic responses

Combined sentences in negative and positive forms in the point of view of the group (friends).

The boy’s father always remembers what we did.

We should know who saw us.

He hated what we did last summer.

The fishermen didn’t like what we did.

We don’t know who saw us last summer.

The men knew what we did last summer.

You should be afraid of what you did last summer.

We realized that what they did last summer was terribly wrong.

We believe what we did last summer is wrong.

Combined sentences in negative and positive forms in the point of view of the fisherman.

I know what you did last summer.

I hated what you did.

I can’t forget what they did.

I was there last summer.

I saw when you ran over my kid last summer.

I can’t forgive your deeds.

Combined sentences in negative and positive forms as answers with corresponding questions.

He was there. Was he there?

He wasn’t there. Wasn’t he there?

He saw what we did. Did he see what we did?

You were there last summer. Where you there last summer?

He vowed vengeance for that. Did he vow vengeance for that?

Someone didn’t forget that. Didn’t someone forget that?

He didn’t see what happened. Didn’t he saw what happened?

(h) implications to language study

Permits opportunity to determine the difference between action and state verbs. Formulate sentences in negative and positive forms. Use modals to change the forms of sentences. Convert present verbs to past forms. Formulate positive or negative sentences into questions, and manipulate pronouns through two points of view.

(i) stimulated allied lessons

It can link to grammar points such as active and passive voice of sentence transformations basically involving subjects and verbs orders. This can be used to launch a lesson on propositions of place, parts of a prepositional phrase, and creations of prepositional phrases.

Perceived advantages of famous titles

Here are some possible perceived reasons that may support the use of titles as catalysts in the process. Titles can elicit language learning since they are evidently composed of structures that easily introduce linguistic points through its background contents. In addition to literary connections, the prior knowledge or background information behind the titles prepares and guides the students’ ideas to be articulated. Furthermore, the examples they construct generate thematic instructions since they have the tendency to link responses to the context known. Also, they link learners to the real world and enable them to travel back into time adding awareness especially if these works’ emergence synchronizes with their ages. When title’s background is shared, it stimulates students’ curiosity for inquiry. It encourages readership among learners. They are driven to read lines from introduced titles adding to their knowledge. Likewise, the material’s features dictate strategy. In teaching, it is the characteristics and contents of the materials that shape the instructive techniques, it is not the strategy that is decided first, but rather procurement of appropriate materials is the priority which naturally directs the method. Moreover, it motivates learners if not to neutralize their boredom by immersion to varied genre. Similarly, when we weigh and consider them to maneuver our language lessons, they lead to numerous language focuses. Equally, titles have linguistic and literary features demonstrating that grammar structures are learned with literary elements. Finally, the approaches that they create for learners provide both entertainment and comprehension. With this introduced concept, we understand that some uncultivated things can be unexpectedly useful.

Knowing when, where, how many, and/or why to place commas in text can be the most persnickety task involved with precise writing, editing, and proofreading work.

There are numerous style guides that can help with comma placement; however, most of them agree on a few common-sense basics.

Rules for Comma Use

1. Use commas before coordinating conjunctions (and, but, for, not, or, so, etc.) joining independent clauses unless they can be easily understood:

• Yes: Mike jumped up and down, and put the ball through the hoop.

• No: Susan sings and Sally dances.

2. Use commas to separate words, phrases, and clauses in a sentence:

• Jim ate beans, onions, and tortillas.

• John tore down the old house, drafted new design plans, and built a new house.

• During the holiday season, thousands of people take time away from work.

3. Use commas between coordinate adjectives (adjectives that separately modify the same noun):

• Matt ate the juicy, red apple.

• Sarah walked down the long, empty hallway.

4. Use commas to set off a parenthetical comments (an “aside”) if it is brief and closely related to the rest of the sentence:

• The elves, for example, are the happiest of the toy-making lot.

• Santa Clause, to be sure, is also a very happy individual this time of year.

5. Use commas to set off non-restrictive (unessential) appositives:

• Yes: Mark Twain, the American author, was famous for his sarcasm.

• No: The American author Mark Twain was famous for his sarcasm.

6. Use commas to set off non-restrictive clauses beginning with Who, Whom, Whose, Which, and That:

• Yes: Aliens, who do not follow our laws, make their own rules.

(As in, no aliens follow our laws.)

• No: Aliens who do not follow our laws make their own rules.

(As in, not all aliens make their own rules; only those who do not follow our laws!)

7. Use commas to set off non-restrictive adverbial phrases and clauses:

• Yes: The movie takes place in the mountains, where it is often cold.

(The focus is on the mountains, not the temperature; that’s just an aside.)

• No: The movie takes place in the mountain areas where it is cold.

(The focus is specifically on the mountain areas where it is cold.)

8. Use commas after a long introductory phrase or clause:

• After many years of enduring endless hardship, Mary threw in the towel.

• Although he ate everything on his plate, he was still hungry.

9. Use commas to set off alternative or contrasting phrases:

• It is Juan, not Marco, who wanted to go swimming.

10. Use commas in a date whose order is month, day, and year:

• Mrs. Clause was born on December 25, 1805, and still lives at the North Pole.

If you still need some help with often-confounding commas, you can seek out specific help from these often-used style guides:

• The Chicago Manual of Style

• MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers

• Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association

• The CSE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers

One last tip-if in doubt, read it out loud! You can often “hear” where a comma belongs!

Easy Spanish to English Phrase Translation

Learning Spanish to English phrase translation can be easy and certainly it’s practical. No doubt, you’ve noticed how the Spanish language is becoming more popular around the world and particularly in the United States. This trend is obvious at school, in the office, in the media, and everywhere else.

This article focuses on Spanish to English phrase translation to help you out with phrases that you may hear or read, but you don’t know what they mean. Some phrases include the phonetic pronunciation for easier learning.

You can create sentences with enough knowledge of the words you may need for certain situations such as: asking for directions, at airports or hotels, or shopping for clothes. In order to form a sentence you only need a subject and a predicate; a subject can be as simple as a noun or pronoun, however a predicate can only be a verb.

Spanish to English Phrase Translation Examples

Asking For Directions:

¡Oiga por favor!
[oy-ga por fa-vor]
‘Excuse me.’

¿Dónde está…?
[don-de es-ta…]
‘Where is…?

¿Cómo se va a…?
[ko-mo se va a…]
‘How to I get to…?’

¿Puede indicarme en el mapa?
[pwe-de in-di-kar-me en el ma-pa]
‘Can you show me on the map?’

Estamos buscando…
[es-ta-mos bus-kan-do… ]
‘We’re looking for…’

At The Airport

Al aeropuerto, por favor
[al ay-ro-pwer-to por fa-vor]
‘To the airport please’

¿Como se va al centro?
[ko-mo se va al then-tro]
‘How do I get into town?’

¿Cuál es la puerta del vuelo para…?

[kwal es la pwer-ta del vwe-lo pa-ra… ]

‘Which gate is it for the flight to…?’

At Hotels

¿Tiene una habitacion para esta noche?
[tye-ne u-na a-bi-ta-thyon es-ta no-che]
‘Do you have a room for tonight?’

¿Cuánto cuesta por noche?’
[kwan-to kwes-ta por no-che]
‘How much is it per night?’

Quiero una habitacion con tres camas
[kye-ro u-na a-bi-ta-thyon kon tres ka-mas]
‘I want a room with three beds’

Nos vamos mañana
[nos va-mos ma-nya-na]
‘We’re leaving tomorrow’

¿Me hace la factura, por favor?
[me a-the la fak-tu-ra por fa-vor]
‘Please prepare the bill’

Shopping for Clothes

¿Vende…?
[ven-de… ]
‘Do you sell

¿Puedo probarme esto?
[pwe-do pro-bar-me es-ro]
‘Can I try this on?’

¿Tiene una talla menor?
[tye-ne u-na ta-lya me-nor]
‘Do you have a smaller size?’

Me llevo esto
[me lye-vo es-to]
‘I’ll take this one’

Note: Remember to use either the masculine ending, o, if you´re a man, or the feminine ending, a, if you´re a woman. i.e. Americano, or Americana. You apply the same principle to most adjectives. Also, make sure to use the proper accents (´ ) because they´re are very important in Spanish. If you leave out the accents, it will change the meaning of the words you´re trying to use. Any syllable with an accent is emphasized in a word.

Sounds are the fundamentals of any language you may want to learn. The Spanish alphabet has 30 letters that produce more than 30 sounds. On the other hand, you can use Spanish prepositions the same way as you would use them in English to form phrases.

Benefits of Spanish to English Phrase Translation

Studying a foreign language, particularly a Spanish to English phrase translation, is not complicated. Improving your Spanish skills can bring you many benefits. Due to the increasing Hispanic market in the United States, learning Spanish can give you more job options when listing a second language on your résumé.

Learning Spanish to English phrase translation is a good start!

Integrity – Noun; Steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code; the state of being unimpaired; soundness; the quality or condition of being whole or undivided; completeness.

The date is January 16, 2009. The day after US Airways Flight 1549 pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger of Danville, CA, maneuvered his crowded passenger jet over New York City and ditched it in the Hudson River – successfully. All 155 passengers and crew are safe and miraculously escaped major injury – just bumps and bruises really. National media is abuzz with reports and first-hand interviews with passengers, now all safe, warm and dry, along with their rescuers and safety experts describing the ordeal. NBC dubbed the accident “Miracle on the Hudson”.

Pause now. Think about your values as if you had to list and describe them. What are your core values? If you are like most individuals and organizations Integrity shows up on your list of values. But what does it mean, this word, ‘integrity’ (perhaps the ultimate virtue)? What does it mean to you? How does your value for integrity show up for others daily? How is it you developed your integrity? How might you further develop this quality? Why does it matter?

For most of us, integrity means something like “doing what you say you will do”, or “how you act when no one is looking”. These are good tests of integrity, but don not really explain how one develops integrity. Structural integrity for a building is defined as “uncompromised ability to safely resist the required loads”. Structural integrity of a person could be defined as “uncompromised ability to appropriately resist challenges to virtue”. How do we develop this steadfast adherence to a strict moral code, this ‘sound’ response to difficult circumstances?

Like most things we do well, integrity comes from practice. In fact, the proper manner with which to refer to the quality of integrity as a human value would be “to practice integrity”. A person speaks and acts with integrity out of practice. Integrity is the result of preparation and choice, when one has lived long enough to have recognized one’s own innate capacity to act on whim, caprice or selfishness rather than deeply-held principle. Integrity comes from training and increases with the quality, length and adherence to the intent of that training. Integrity follows solid neural pathways, developed over time, that stimulate certain attitudes and habits, which produce seemingly instinctual right actions. But these actions are not based on animal instinct; right actions result from human desire and practice.

My favorite value-based definition of leadership is “authentic self-expression that adds value through relationships”. This includes relationships to both people and events. When self-expression begins to consistently add value over time, through every human encounter, through every decision and through every split-second reaction to events, then you have integrity.

Aspire to have integrity: practice discerning what is right, saying that you will do right, how and why you will do right, and doing so whether or not someone else is paying attention.

You can bet there are at least 154 people in this world who are thankful for the value Chesley Sullenberger has added through their brief relationships. What do “Sully” Sullenberger and Flight 1549 have to do with integrity? Sullenberger is reportedly an U.S. Air Force Academy grad who flew F-4 fighter planes in the 1970s while in the Air Force. He started flying commercial jets in the 1980s. “He is about performing that airplane to the exact precision to which it is made,” says the wife of her hero-husband. In addition to working for US Airways, he runs a safety consulting firm focused on the psychology of keeping airline crews functioning in the face of crisis. He has been an investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board. I understand he is also certified to fly gliders – skills that surely helped land an Airbus A320 with both engines on fire in a controlled descent on a nearly frozen river rather than in the middle of a neighborhood of one of the world’s most densely populated cities.

Instinct didn’t take over for Sullenberger as he steered his jet toward those icy Hudson waters, practice kicked in – the practice of integrity. This is a man who decided earlier in life that safety and human lives were important enough to him that he would dedicate himself to preserving those ends. He trained, he studied, he learned day after day, year after year with those ends in mind. What once began as a pilot’s tenuous first flight, over the course of 40 years of practice became unconscious competence – the right attitudes, habits, decisions, actions and demeanor to save lives in a crisis.

Reflections to inspire personal growth in Integrity (with your learning partner)

How would your life be different if you were to practice integrity with greater intent and consistency? What can you do daily to increase your integrity? What is your personal code of ethics; what must you change to demonstrate them more fully? Find an accountability partner or hire a coach to help you practice integrity and take these actions:

• Integrity is the glue that binds your other virtues. What are your other core values? Why these?
• How do these values, together, define who you are, how you think and act, and how you are viewed by others?
• What words and behaviors do other people observe of you daily that demonstrate your values?
• What purpose would you have your life lead toward that you are willing to practice day after day, year after year, to be prepared for the chance event that may provide the ultimate test of your Integrity?
• What specific attitudes, habits and behaviors must you practice consistently to become the person of Integrity you aspire to be?
• Describe an experience or event when you were at your personal best and demonstrated Integrity.
• Describe a current situation in your life that, in your heart, you could apply the same level of Integrity as you did in your example above.
• Make plans to touch base with your learning partner in the next month about how you each are practicing Integrity. Hold each other accountable.

hodgepodge – noun: a heterogeneous mixture: JUMBLE (a hodgepodge of styles)

I know, a very funny word, but not at all funny when it comes to your golf equipment. This is the main problem that leads to variances in lengths, flexes and golf grips in your golf bag.

After ten plus years of custom fitting thousands of golfers for new golf clubs or tweaking the golf clubs they already own, I have come the conclusion that these three most common issues or combination of these problems are preventing most golfers from playing their best golf. I will explain each in more detail and also give you the solution.

Golf Club Lengths:

Golf club lengths are meant to be congruent with each other from the driver down to the pitching wedge. Meaning, all these clubs are meant to feel the same, so that you can simply swing them all with the same feeling of swing weight or balance from the grip down to the head. When one or more clubs are too long or too short, making the set incongruent, you lose the consistent feel throughout the set. This is the most common way to get your golf club set into hodgepodge mode.

Note – the gap/approach wedge, sand wedge and lob wedge(s) can be and usually have a little bit heavier swing weight feel to them.

(Bonus Information – Putters are / can be any swing weight / feel that is the most comfortable and most importantly work for you.)

Golf Shaft Flexes:

This is where so many people get into a lot of trouble! Because all the different golf club manufacturers use various shafts, (not to mention have their own specification for each individual flex per product or model) there is no set standard in the industry to match apples-to-apples. To be blunt – it is all a crap shoot and even the biggest brands in golf do not pay attention to this in their product lines. Most brands that have the same model name on the driver, fairway woods, hybrids and even their matching iron sets all have completely different specifications from top to bottom! Talk about hodgepodge!

Golf Grips:

You would think this one would be common sense to any fellow golfer, but this is ironically almost always overlooked and just taken for granted? Bottom line – if all your golf grips do not match ie: brand, model and grip size (outside diameter) you are losing the consistency throughout your golf club set and thus creating a hodgepodge effect.

The Hodgepodge Solution – What to do now?

While this is not rocket science, you do need to figure out what you have in your golf bag to ensure that any kind of hodgepodge has not set in.

First, line up all your golf clubs flush against a wall from driver down through your wedges and look for any major length differences between them. Make note of any inconsistencies and write them down on paper.

Second, inspect all the shafts and look for different flex indication on the shafts ie: stiff (S), regular (R)

or senior (A). These all need to match for best results. Make note of any inconsistencies and write them down on paper.

Third, If the 2 steps above checkout okay, now look over all your grips. If they are not all the same you need to have them re-gripped to match as soon as possible and your set should be good to go.

Finally, if steps one and two have issues, these need to be resolved first by going to a certified golf club technician that knows what he is doing. These are three very simple things for him to detect and either fix or let you know “how off they really are”, so you know where you stand.

It could be as simple as a little cut here, an addition of weight there, a new set of golf grips or a few re-shafts. Worst case or maybe the best case scenario, you need to get a new set of golf clubs custom built just for you that match from top to bottom right out of the gate. This may be the best choice especially if your golf clubs are getting outdated.

Many affiliate marketers continue to look for a push button money making system where all they have to do is push a button and extract cash from their computer. Well, the truth of the matter is, there really is no push button money system that magically extracts money from the internet. Every online money making system requires work, not just a push of a button. However, this article will reveal 5 hidden secrets to successful affiliate marketing. Keep in mind however; marketing is a verb, not a noun.

You Need A Website

Sure you can make money without a website. However, if you are going to make affiliate revenues online then you simply need a marketing platform to run off of. Otherwise known as, a website.

Craft Promotions That Are Unique

Put together promotions that are unlike any other promotions. Having a fantastic promotion can make you thousands more than a mediocre promotion. Besides, it takes as much time to write a bad promotion as it does a good promotion. So why bother writing a poor promotion?

Join A Reputable Affiliate Network

At first you’ll want to join one of the top two or three affiliate networks. The reason is, they pay well and you don’t have to worry about tracking your sales and collecting your money. They have software that does that for you, so it’s one less thing to worry about.

Plan Ahead

Keep in mind that affiliate marketing is about selling. If you want to be on top, then you need to plan accordingly. Make sure you have several backup plans in the event your initial plan does not work out.

Customer Retention

Once you have a customer, make sure you institute a customer retention plan. This is nothing more than a marketing strategy where at least once a month you contact your customer and give them some useful information. Stay on top of your customer’s mind and help them buy more and buy more often.