Don't forget "the"...

I want to share this photo that was taken last week. Can you identify what's wrong in it?

The statement "Avril, welcome to Philippines" sounds awkward, isn't it? An article seems to be missing between the words to and Philippines. 
The is a definite article. It is used to refer to specific nouns, unlike a/an. According to my source, the should not be used before the names of most countries or territories (such as China, Japan, Korea). However, it is used before the names of the countries like: the Dominican Republic, the Netherlands, the United States, and the Philippines.Therefore, the statement above should be written as "Avril, welcome to the Philippines."

Reference: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/540/01/

So near, yet so far

Less than two months from now, I'll be leaving the walls of our campus. Hopefully. 

On April 21 this year, it will be my Graduation Day - the culmination of the four years of sleepless nights and struggles which really pushed me to my limits, and really tested me how far I would go to turn my dreams into reality. But somehow, as that day slowly makes its way to existence, I feel that I'm about to reach my breaking point. I know it's stupid to give up, now that there's just little time to bear the exhausting demands of acads and org. I can't help but feel some sort of jitters, like the brides-to-be before their wedding day. My family's expecting too much now, they're even starting to plan a grad party for me, and it makes me nervous. .very nervous. What if things won't happen according to plan? What if I fail just at the last minute? What if I won't make it? I am afraid of disappointing either my family or myself. Graduation day seems so near, yet so far.

I'm trying my best not to think of those things, to lessen the pressure that I'm feeling. 

I will study harder, like I have never did before. I will push myself even farther, like I have never did before. I will do whatever it takes to get that diploma on the 21st day of April. I will graduate. .on time. I will make it. I just have to believe in myself and in what I can achieve. 

- Mikko I. Ong (08-07976)

That Akward Moment When You Read Posts on 9gag

Why not take a break and have fun? Go to www.9gag.com and laugh your face off. The posts on this site are hilarious. I doubt you could resist correcting the grammatical errors on almost every post. Even if you leave this site, your job is not done.

Do-Re-Mi

When I want to refresh myself after an exam, I sometimes watch a movie. This afternoon, I traveled back in time. I want to share this link with you. It is a video clip from the movie Sound of Music. I always sing this song, whatever my mood is. I'm also overwhelmed by the fact that I still had the opportunity to watch this, even if it's an old film. Hope you'll sing too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEodUg43Zpo&feature=fvsr

It's Such A Relief

Early this morning we had our second long exam, and hopefully we could all pass the exam. The questions were very tricky. I had a hard time on several items that seemed so easy, yet it confuses me. There were some items that were easy, but I do not want to be complacent with my answers, so I still analyzed the items. I hope I could pass the exam.

Let us all thank God for guiding us earlier. Without Him, it would not be possible for all of us to answer the items in our exam. :)

FLAMMABLE

Back in high school, I was in the car with my brother and my mom and we passed by a gas station. I read aloud the words written on a signage, one that is like the image on top, and I said aloud, "FLAME-able area, no smoking within 50 ft."

My brother gave me an "are -you-serious?" look and said, "it's FLAM-able, not FLAME-able". From that day on, I never forgot how to pronounce Flammable correctly and when someone mispronounces it, I do my best to correct them in the nicest way possible.

Check out other common mispronounced words and phrases at http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/mispronounced_words.html .

Fragments and Run-ons

I want to share this link about fragments and run-ons. I actually made it as my basis when we had our assignment. It covers the basic of a sentence, fragments and run-ons. It can also help you find them. Hope it can help you.

http://writingcenter.unc.edu/resources/handouts-demos/citation/fragments-and-run-ons