Coordinate Conjunction & Parallel Contruction

1. Coordinate Conjunction
Co-ordinate conjunctions join similar words, phrases or clauses to each other (i.e., to join an adjective to an adjective or a noun to a noun).  The most common co-ordinate conjunctions are: and, but, or, for, nor, so and yet.
The conjunctions and, but and or are the most common by far.

Examples:
The waiters served sandwiches and cakes. (joins two nouns)
He is a small but aggressive dog. (joins two adjectives)
The manager or his secretary will be with you in a moment. (joins two nouns)
He typed the letter quickly but accurately. (joins two adverbs)

In the examples above, the conjunctions all join words.  As a general rule, when a conjunction joins two words, there is no need to precede it with a comma.  However, when it joins two clauses, it is usual to place a comma before the conjunction.

Examples:
The applicant must be able to sing and dance. (no comma)
The applicant must be able to sing, and she must be able to dance. (joins two clauses - comma required)
 
Interactive example:

Pat and I slept, but Julie stayed awake the whole way.

Referensi : in here

2. Parallel Construction
Parallel construction means using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance. This can happen at the word, phrase, or clause level. The usual way to join parallel construction is with the use of coordinating conjunctions such as "and" or "or."

Words and Phrases

With the -ing form (gerund) of words:

Parallel:

Mary likes hiking, swimming, and bicycling.

With infinitive phrases:

Parallel:

Mary likes to hike, to swim, and to ride a bicycle.
OR
Mary likes to hike, swim, and ride a bicycle.

(Note: You can use "to" before all the verbs in a sentence or only before the first one.)

Referensi : In here

Becoming Fluent in Speaking and Writing

The most important thing you must bear in mind is that reading and listening are inputs whereas speaking and writing are outputs. In other words, if you want to improve your speaking and writing skills you should first master the skills of reading and listening. There are some ways that you can do so, which I will try to summarize.

1) Reading
Read as much as you can. But your reading must be active. It means that you must think about the structure, unfamiliar words etc as you read. There is no need that you stick to some complicated grammar structures or try to understand all the unfamiliar words you come across, but the fact that you see them for the first time and recognize them whenever you see them for example in other passages or books is enough. It would be better to prepare yourself a notebook so you can write down the important words or structures in it. To begin reading, I recommend the Penguin Readers books. They are classified by level of difficulty.
 
2) Listening
As for listening, there are two options:
Aside from reading, you can listen every day for about 30 minutes.
You can only concentrate on your reading and become skillful at your reading, then you can catch up on your listening.
I myself prefer the latter because when you are skillful and native-like at reading, your listening skill grows automatically. Since you have lots of inputs in your mind, you can easily guess what the speaker is going to say. This never means that you should not practice listening.
For listening I recommend cartoons or some movies that are specially made for children. Their languages are easy and do not contain complicated phrases or slang terms. Or if you are good at listening you can listen to VOA or BBC programs broadcasted every day. Again the thing to remember is being active in listening and preferably taking some notes.
If you follow these pieces of advice, your speaking and writing will improve automatically, and you can be sure that with a little effort they will become perfect.

Referensi : in here

Learn English the Fun Way

Who says learning English is no fun? The language is not to blame. Maybe you have not encountered the tips to a fun learning. Here are some tips we got for you on how to create joyful learning experiences in improving in your English language skill:

· Study English Every Day
Its important to study English every day. Small but persistent steps always work best. However, don't exaggerate! Study for thirty minutes every day instead of two hours once a week. Short, steady practice is much better for learning than long periods on an irregular basis. This habit of studying English every day will help keep English in your brain fresh.

· Study English Using Different Methods to Learn
Don't just use one way to study English. Rather, try using a variety of methods which will help all the parts of your brain (multiple intelligences) help you. For example, if you are learning new vocabulary, create a word map, describe a picture, make a list and revise it in your relax times, type out the words five times and let it settle in your memory. All of these methods together help to reinforce your learning in the most refreshingly delightful way.

· Study English by Finding some Friends
There is nothing like having a few friends to study English together. You can practice exercises together, have conversations together in English or watch an film in English with no subtitles and, as you study and practice through the language together, help each other out and enhance others understanding. Improve your skill while killing the time. Its great, have a try!

· Study English by Choosing Topics that Interest You
One of the most important things to do is to study English using topics that you like. This will help motivate you because you will also be learning about a topic you find interesting while you study English as the medium.

Referensi : in here

You Are My Everything

You are my everything

My heart and soul

I thought I had dug my grave

But you pulled me out of that hole

When I am lost in the dark

You are my shinning light

You chase away the darkness

That haunts my dreams at night

You are my strength

That carries me to another tomorrow

You are my hope

That replaced my everlasting sorrow

You are my healer

That healed all my scars

You are my angel

Sent from the brightest of stars

When I thought there was nothing more

And my life was at an end

You came into my life

And my heart you did mend

You are my joy

That filled my empty heart

You made my life whole

When it was torn apart

When I found you

I was free from all torment

You are my angel

That was heaven sent

You mean so much to me

You are the only one I adore

You are my everything

I could ask for nothing more

by Magnus

Refrensi : In Here