Making Better Word Choices - 4 Examples

Writers face many decisions when working on a project. Choosing the correct word for a certain situation is one choice that writers often either struggle with or make an incorrect choice. This article will give some basic guidance to writers on four of the more common word choices that authors face.

Choosing the wrong words can have a poor effect on your writing and on you. Whether you are writing a cover letter for a job, a business proposal, or an application essay for graduate school using words poorly can result in negative feedback. One could find entire books regarding word choices for writers, this article will touch on some fundamental, but important ways to choose the correct word for your situation.

Our starting point will be the use of "There are" or "There is" to begin sentences. Consider this; the word "there" indicates "not here" (in other words, some other place). Now look at the sentence below and think about what the meaning is and what might be intended.

There are four dogs playing with a ball.

If the writer meant that four dogs are over there and they are playing with a ball, then this would be technically correct. If the intention was merely that four dogs are playing with a ball, here, there, or anywhere, then the sentence could be worded better. The following sentence would show better wording on the writer's part.

Four dogs are playing with a ball.

The next two words that writers often confuse are "which" and "that." If the goal of your writing is to describe something and you have used commas to separate the phrase from the rest of the sentence you want to use "which." When a writer wants a word to define and the reference is restricted then you want to use "that." The first sentence below shows the correct use of "that" and the second sentence shows correct use of "which."

The Yodo is the river that runs through Osaka.

The Yodo, which is a major waterway, runs though Osaka.

Our next word choice is between "while" and "although." Another way of thinking about the word "although" is to look at its meaning, as found on Merriam-Webster Online dictionary the meaning is, "in spite of the fact that : even though."(1) The definition of "while" indicates a relation to time, such as during a period when something else is happening. Two correctly worded sentences are below.

Although he is not tall, he is a good basketball player.

While he listened to the radio, he finished his homework.

A writer's choice between "since" and "because" also involves the possibility of a reference to time. Many people use "since" when they really mean "because," this is rarely a correct use of the word "since." When choosing a word to suggest "from a definite past time until now"(1) use "since." If you are not referring to time, "because" should be the word you choose. Try using "because," if your sentence does not make sense then you probably want to use "since." In the examples below the two incorrect sentences do not sound correct, while the correct sentences actually sound better.

Incorrect: He had few friends since he was too annoying.

Correct: He had few friends because he was too annoying.

Incorrect: He has not ridden a bicycle because 1990.

Correct: He has not ridden a bicycle since 1990.

Whether you are writing an essay for school or you are writing a speech for your CEO, choose your words carefully because what people hear or read from you can make a big difference in their opinion about you and your intelligence. For anyone writing, regardless of topic, length, or purpose, ask for assistance if you need it, not doing so can have serious repercussions on your reputation.

Quick Tips On How to Draw a Realistic Face

There are many artists who struggle with drawing a face and having it actually look like the person you are drawing. These tips should help you to achieve a more realistic outcome and have your drawings come to life.

The first tip is probably the most important. When you are drawing, draw from a good source or reference. For instance make sure that your photo is a really high quality. Make sure that the photo is big and clear, and not a lot of different lighting sources. Choose a subject that is interesting to you. If you want, a good idea is to draw something of one of the masters, like Beugereau. If what you are drawing doesn't hold an interest for you, you won't do as good a job on it, you'll have less patience, lose interest and never finish. But again, make sure that your reference is high quality because if it's not, you'll end up with garbage.

Next, begin your drawing with your outline. Different artists use different methods for this. Also, time is a consideration, so whether you use a grid method or do it by eye, make sure you are accurate. Of course, the grid is going to be more accurate but time or environment may not allow for this method. Also, as you gain more experience you may go by the eye more often as well. Block in and remember that you don't want to add in the fine details yet. Don't get caught up in working on an eye and all of the lighting and shapes of the eye at this point. Avoid finer detail till later.

Then you can start to divide the light from the shadows, hitting the core shadow outline hard making a distinct value difference between light and shadow.

Then go over it with a towel or cotton balls. Never let your skin come in contact with the paper because your sin is made of oil and it will cause great ugliness to appear on your drawing! Instead use a piece of paper under your drawing hand to help you avoid this. Some artists use gloves made for drawing as well. Try and hit the shadow hard and then after you have gone over with a towel erase out some highlights and make the core shadow darker.

You can start darkening shadows make sure that you are using your referenc to figure out where these are exactly. You may have to do this several times till you establish the value you are after.

Not all of the shadows are going to be dark. Never forget where your light sources are coming from. This is extremely important. Look for where the shadows are falling in direct relation to where the light source is coming from.

Do You Really Know Your Skin Type

You’re born with it in pristine condition and are taught by your parents how to take care of it as you grow up. You lament over it throughout adolescence; carefully tending to each and every blemish, hell-bent on preventing another breakout. You obsess over your skin, but do you really ‘know’ it? I mean, can you say for sure what ‘type’ skin you have?

Just like every other part of your body, know the condition of your skin is the first step toward keeping it healthy and looking its best. Basically, there are four common skin types, normal, oily, dry and combination. Dermatologists identify other skin types such as acne prone or sensitive as well.

Knowing your skin type puts you in the right direction, and with this knowledge you can make educated buying decisions when it comes time to shop for facial products. However, just because you are able to label your skin type as dry or oily, is not a guarantee that the products you buy will alleviate your skin problems or be the best for your complexion.

Why is it that the expensive beauty cream you purchased at the mall does not do for your skin what the ads say that it should? First of all, the advertisement is a general statement, meant for the general population. Your skin is not general, and is never the same from one season to another, or even from one week the next. Everyone goes through hormonal and environmental changes as they go through life. Women experience problems with their complexion due to menstruation and various other hormonal conditions. Your diet and lifestyle can also affect how your skin responds and its appearance.

Because your complexion is an ever changing, constantly turning over organ, the product that worked great last month may cause irritation or simply no longer work as well as it once did. If your skin suddenly experiences an increase in oils, then using your intensive moisture cream may not be the best idea. Dermatologists suggest checking your skin for type changes every few months and adjusting your products accordingly.

To determine your true skin type, make sure that you do the following a few hours after washing your face, when it’s showing its true nature. Press a piece of tissue on different areas of your face. If oil appears on the tissue then your skin type if oily. A good idea is to do this test when you have not worn makeup or moisturizer on your face. If, after pressing the tissue on your skin, you see no oil, then you have dry skin. Consequently, if you see oil in some areas, and none in others, then naturally you have combination skin.

Now that you have determined your skin type, you can use this information to notice the changes that will ultimately occur in your complexion and make proper adjustments in care, decreasing your number of ‘bad complexion’ days.

What Type Of Investor Should You Be?

Getting started in the business of investing is much easier than it used to be. No longer is the field restricted to the wealthy or large financial institutions. More and more these days mums, dads, students and even children are trying their hand at what used to be the exclusive playground of the haves.

However before delving into what is a very exciting world you should assess what type of investor you actually want to be. In the thirty years that I have been investing I have seen people who haven’t answered this question come and go and lately I’ve seen it happen with alarming frequency.

Think about it for a second…. have you really thought about what you need to do to start creating wealth for you and your family. If not you need to seriously consider what type of investment style would be best for your position.

Types of investors

The buy and holders of the community put their money into shares that they feel are good value and hold them for expanses of anywhere between 1 and 50 years. This investment style is most suited to people who are long term orientated by nature, not looking for a quick profit and have an eye for good companies. The most famous proponent of such an approach is the world’s second richest man, so you could say that it isn’t such a bad style.

Day trading is the complete opposite of the above approach and involves individuals who buy and sell shares in a very short period generally intra day. If you have a lot of time and are prepared to watch market movements very closely then this approach may be for you.

The next thing you need to look at is what sort of analysis you want to conduct on the shares that you are considering. Generally there are two schools of thought one being fundamental and the other technical. You will always find people pushing one or the other but really you should look to try and incorporate a blend of the two.

Fundamentalists tend to look at company profits, management direction, future plans/growth prospects etc.

While those with a technical background look at charts employing various techniques, ratios, indicators and trends in order to identify which shares they want to look at further.

You should realise that relying wholly on one or the other is not the wisest thing to do. For example a chart that has all the indications that a share is going to be a good choice for the future is useless if the company is going to file for bankruptcy so as I mentioned earlier a blend of the two should be considered.

When you are deciding what type of investor who want to be one of the most important considerations is your risk threshold, or in other words how much you are willing to loose. This again will have an impact on the investment style that you choose and will also have a relationship to the level of returns that you may be seeking.

Investors come in many forms, there is no right or wrong way and different things work for different people. It is vital that you decide which method best suits you and that you stick to this method.

Reading Speed and Reading Comprehension

Speed Reading: Top 10 Ways to Improve Reading Speed and Reading Comprehension

10. Skim Before Your Read - Speed read for main ideas in nonfiction works and textbooks. Scan the table of contents and first and last sentences of each paragraph. You'll improve your reading speed and comprehension if you understand a book's main ideas first. After you've skimmed the material, return to the beginning and read every line with improved reading speed and comprehension.

9. Prioritize Reading Materials - Categorize your reading into "important," "moderately important," and "least important" piles. Then tackle your reading, one pile at a time, in its order of importance. You'll improve your reading speed and comprehension by getting to the most important material first while your mind is sharp and clear.

8. Select the Proper Environment - Avoid reading important or difficult material in bed. Read at a desk instead.

7. Read Early in the Day - Improve your reading speed, comprehension, and concentration by reading during your "mental prime time." For most people this means reading in the morning, not in the evening. Wake up early to take advantage of reading early in the day.

6. Turn Headings into Questions - For textbooks and other reference materials, turn chapter headings and subheadings into questions. Scan the text to find the answers to your questions. Your reading speed improves by doing this, and you stay focused on the material.

5. Avoid Using a Highlighter When Studying - Highlighting, although a commonly used technique, actually reduces comprehension and reading speed. People who highlight end up reading the material twice. Follow tip number 6 instead.

4. Preview Before You Read - Take a few minutes to preview a chapter before reading it. You'll get a sense of what's interesting and relevant. More important, you'll get a sense of the overall structure of the chapter. This results in improved reading speed and comprehension.

3. Be Flexible with Your Reading Speed - Certain reading material must be read slowly and carefully: legal contracts and mathematical texts. Other materials can be read at much faster speeds: newspapers, novels, and magazines. Adjust your reading speed to the type of reading material and your reading purpose.

2. Read Correspondence Only Once - After you complete your reading of each piece, make a decision about what to do with it before moving on to the next one. By doing this, you avoid the need to read the same correspondence a second time in the future.

1. Enroll in a Speed Reading Class - Check the credentials of the speed reading instructor before enrolling in a speed reading class. If you are in New York, New Jersey or Connecticut, I'd love to see you in one of my speed reading classes!

U.K National Lottery Information and Reference Guide

The United Kingdom's National Lotto is the biggest lottery game in the United Kingdom and is presently controlled by the Camelot Group. Camelot was allotted the permit to head the United Kingdom lotto back when it was established in '94. The National Lotto is governed by The National Lottery Commission and its primary role is to guarantee that gamblers are handled fairly; that the United Kingdom's concerns about the Lotto are cared for; and that the operator stays motivated to increase the benefits and level of excitement that the Lottery gives the country.

Late in '02, to curb the surge of decreasing revenue, the United Kingdom National Lottery decided to usher in a few changes. Consequently, the primary bet was branded Lotto. Entirely all of the prize revenue won on all the games provided by the United Kingdom National Lottery is not only tax free but is also paid out in full to winners. The monies yielded by all of the National Lottery's games are paid in the following fashion.

For every pound made on the National Lottery games, fifty pence is added to the treasure pot, 28 pence goes to charitable organizations that the United Kingdom authorities pick out, twelve pence is given to the British Government in the form of tax and five pence is brought to the Lotto merchants as a commission. Participating in the United Kingdom National Lottery games requires a minimum age of at least sixteen years and resident status in either the Isle of Man or the United Kingdom.

The United Kingdom's National Lotto has many different kinds of games to choose from. It's very easy to play in the United Kingdom National Lotto also and tickets start at one Euro. A player just has to select six numbers ranging from one to forty-nine and also one bonus number is chosen. Each player needs to either choose their own set of numbers merely by filling out the form in the lottery outlet, or they can choose the lottery retailers system that generates the numbers for them automatically.

In order to win the cash prize, players must get at a minimum three numbers of their total six that match the drawing. If a player matches more than three numbers, they will win even more money. If you are one of the lucky few who match five numbers, you will be given another chance to win on the bonus number you selected also. Matching five in additional to the bonus number yields the biggest cash prize possible aside from matching all six of the numbers plus the bonus. The chance of this encounter actually happening is about one in fourteen million.

If thirty million is up for grabs one week and no one wins, that will be added to the next weeks pot. This is one of the main reasons why you see jackpots so high many times. Prize money may not be won for weeks at a time and the money grows bigger and bigger. This happens on a regular basis and for the player it raises the level of excitement at the thought of winning. The lottery operator only allows for three consecutive weeks with no winners for prizes to roll over to the next week.

Health Reference Guide For Important Minerals

A health reference guide for important minerals can be useful for those looking for ways to improve the mineral content of their bodies. These health reference guides for important minerals can thus help make people healthier and feel younger.

A health reference guide for important minerals was designed to help informed people about the mineral content that should be present in their bodies, which also touch certain aspects of their health. It is intended for general nutritional information and educational purposes. It does not intend to prescribe, treat, cure or diagnose any particular medical problem. Aside from this, it does not intend to promote any particular product.

General Idea of Health Reference Guides for Minerals

Minerals are important. Vitamins cannot be assimilated without minerals. Though the body can make a few vitamins, it cannot make a single mineral. Different quantities of minerals constitute the tissues and internal fluids. Minerals make up the:

-Bones
-Teeth
-soft tissue
-muscle
-blood
-nerve cells

This means minerals are all essential to a person’s overall mental and physical well-being.

MINERALS serve as catalysts for many genetic reactions within the body. These include:

•muscle responses
•transmission of message through the nervous system and the
•utilization of nutrients in food.

BORON

It is a trace mineral needed in small amounts by the body. Boron assists in the proper absorption of:

•calcium
•magnesium and
•vitamin D

The following are the advantages given by boron:

-It maintains strong bones and controls osteoporosis, especially in older people.
-It controls the loss of minerals through urination.
-It plays an important task in joint health. It helps those with rheumatoid arthritis.
-It raises up estrogen levels that could prevent bone loss
-It is required for proper growth of muscles
-It develops brain function and promotes mental alertness
-It plays a key role in how the body uses energy from fats and sugars.

CALCIUM

The importance:

-It builds strong bones and teeth.
-It treats and prevents osteoporosis.
-It is important in the maintenance of regular heartbeat and transmission of nerve impulses.
-It lowers cholesterol levels and helps control cardiovascular diseases.
-It is an effective treatment for PMS.

It is recommended for:

•attention deficit disorders
•migraine
•headaches and
•periodontal disease

-It reduces the risk of colon cancer. It neutralizes the toxic effects of cancer promoting fats.
-It reduces the formation of polyps.
-It lowers blood pressure.
-It prevents leg cramps.
-It maintains bone density and strength
-It helps prevent insomnia and anxiety.

A deficiency in calcium may result in:

•aching joints
•brittle nails
•eczema
•elevated blood cholesterol
•heart palpitation
•high blood pressure
•insomnia
•muscle cramps
•nervousness
•numbness in the arms and legs
•rheumatoid arthritis
•rickets and
•tooth decay.

What can reduce the calcium levels of your body?

-high protein diet
-caffeine
-carbonated beverages
-alcohol and
-antacids

Calcium Carbonate is an exceptional form of calcium and most commonly found in food supplements.

Characteristics:

-It is refined and purified
-It contains no toxic metals like lead and aluminum.
-It is a little harder to absorb in people with low stomach acid. It should be taken with meal to improve absorption.

Calcium Citrate is Calcium Carbonate with Citrate Acid.
Calcium Aspartate is Calcium Carbonate with Aspartic Acid.
Calcium Lactate is Calcium Carbonate with Lactic Acid.
Calcium Citrate, Calcium Aspartate and Calcium Citrate are easily absorbed in spite of the output of stomach acid.

Symptoms of calcium deficiency may result in the following:

-arm and leg muscles spasms
-softening of bones
-back and leg cramps
-brittle bones
-rickets
-poor growth
-osteoporosis
-tooth decay
-depression

CHROMIUM

Characteristics:

-It involves the metabolism of glucose and is essential in the breakdown of cholesterol, fats, and proteins.
-It maintains stable blood sugar levels through proper insulin utilization.

It is important to maintain normal levels of blood sugar. High levels can cause damaging effects on the cells lining the arteries. It can cause circulation problems that may cause clogged arteries.

-It will reduce blood sugar and insulin levels in people with full blown type 2 diabetes.
-It helps prevent sugar cravings and sudden drops in energy.
-It promotes a healthy circulatory system.
-It can prevent anxiety and fatigue

It is used extensively by athletes and dieters. It promotes fat loss and increases lean muscle tissue.