Imagine this: You have been studying a subject for quite some time, and you think that you have a fair knowledge about it, but how can you be sure about that? The answer is simple, put yourself and your knowledge to test. This way you can gauge how much you really know and how much you need to improve!

Does the idea of taking a test give you the jitters? Worry not, tests do not necessarily have to be difficult and intimidating, tests are a great way of learning and putting your knowledge to use. We have been writing blogs over blogs, giving you useful tips on learning and improving your English skills - spoken, written, as well as reading. Now, let us see how much you have learnt. Here is a simple test for all of you:

A. Following is a list of words (nouns) and you need to answer the pronoun that will fit with it.
1. __ whistle

a. An

b. A

2. __ yew tree

a. A

b. An

3. __ wonder

a. A

b. An

4. __ hospital

a. A

b. An

5. __ honor's degree

a. A

b. An

So, are you done solving this test? Simple, wasn't it! However, using 'a' and 'an' confuses many. Hopefully, you got them right. Here are the answers (what did you think, we will not provide the answers? However, if you are reading this before you have solved the test above, go back now!)

1. A whistle

2. A yew tree

3. A wonder

4. A hospital

5. An honors degree

Congratulations to all those who got it right, while for those who did not – do not lose heart, keep practicing and improving your English skills.

That was pretty easy, fit for beginners. However, with so many blogs dedicated to teaching English to our fans, here is another test:

B. We have already explored the topic of homophones. These are words that sound the same way but their meanings and spellings are different. Write-right, see-sea, etc. are some examples of homophones. Today we will learn how to use three such homophones – their, there, they're. Each sentence mentioned below will have a word missing, and you have to fit in one of the three – their, there, they're – as applicable.

1. They've forgotten ______ books.

2. ______ are several mistakes in this article.

3. I have met them before but I do not know ______ names.

4. From the look of ______ faces, they are not very happy.

5. They cannot decide. They cannot make up ______ minds.

Did you get all of these right? Here are the answers, match them with yours.

1. Their

2. There

3. Their

4. Their

5. Their

That was fun, right? And you thought tests were boring and difficult! We shall keep giving you such other (not so simple, necessarily) tests, just to keep you on your toes. Till then keep practicing and improving!



If you are still struggling and trying to get your grip on the English language, here is an important tip for you. There are a number of online programs like eAge tutor, which help you in understanding and improving your spoken English. These programs help you learn grammar as well as learn business English.

Do you search for words when you meet somebody? Are you confused on how to greet somebody? Don't worry, most us us who speak English as a second language are not very familiar with the greeting ways. Obviously, a 'Hello, how are you?' is a standard way to greet somebody, let's look at some other common ways to greet someone, based on the different situations.

Basic: Lesson 1

When you meet a person for the first time.

"Hi, myself is Sachin. It's nice to meet you."

An ideal response to this could be,

"It's a great pleasure to meet you, Sachin. I'm Rohan."

If the person does not respond in a similar fashion, you can ask his/her name.

What is your name?

If you were unable to hear the name, you can ask the person to repeat himself by saying, "Excuse me", "Pardon me".

The next most common question you would be asked, in such a situation is:

"What do you do Sachin?"

"I am working as a Sales executive in a bank."

"I am a teacher."

Basic: Lesson 2

When you meet a person you know.

"Hi Nancy, how are you? Or how have you been?"

"Hi Thomson, long time, what have you been up to?"

"Such a pleasure to see you. How have you been?"



An informal way to greet a friend

"Where have you been hiding?"

"It's been ages, how have you been?"

"What a surprise. It's a long time, how have you been?"

When you bump into somebody in a restaurant.

"Hey, how are you? Do you come to this eatery often?"

A typical response to this could be:

"This is one of my favorite restaurants, I come here quite often."

"I don't come on a regular basis, but I have been here once or twice."

While a good greeting sets the flow of a good conversation, it is equally important to pay attention to other aspects of greeting. For instance, your facial expression, smile, a firm handshake, confidence, etc.

If you are meeting somebody for the first time, for a professional purpose, make sure you wear a warm smile. Introduce yourself, giving away your full name, a welcome note, maintain an eye contact and make a firm handshake.

"Hi, I am Sophie Thomson from XYZ, it's nice to meet you."

Suppose you are meeting with a group of new people. Now, how would you go about it. Walk with confidence and proactively introduce yourself to everybody in the room. This is a better way than to wait for somebody to introduce you. Your confidence will shine at such moments.

Practice is the key to master the art of greeting, with these basics by your side, in no time you can be a charmer.

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