Professional English with Harriet

08/09/2022

I am deeply saddened to hear the news of the sad passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

07/09/2022

Do you know this word?

06/07/2022

Very British indeed.

05/07/2022

This is a great page to follow if you want to improve your vocabulary.

05/06/2022

This word is very important in the UK!

10/05/2022

Garden International School has changed massively since I was there in the 70s. It's now a big school with modern facilities and lots of options. Things were a lot simpler for us but I have so many happy memories and the teachers were great, especially my English teachers, Mrs Gordon and Mrs Taylor. I also have school friends in Malaysia and all over the world which is fantastic!

Alumni Harriet Stack reflects on her time with us during the 1970s, sharing some very special memories and the beginning of some lifelong friendships at GIS. 🏫👭
Read more: https://bit.ly/GISAlumniHarriet

31/03/2022

18/03/2022

Gazumping and gazundering - what on earth are these strange words?

Believe it or not, these terms refer to certain practices in English property matters which, although unpleasant to experience, are not in fact illegal.

Gazumping is when the purchaser makes an offer on a property and the vendor (seller) accepts the offer, but then someone else makes a higher offer and the seller accepts that instead. The original offer-maker loses out. Nothing is legally binding until contracts are exchanged so either party is free to pull out (and indeed may have to for all sorts of reasons) but the practice is seen as 'not quite cricket' meaning it's not a nice thing to do.

Gazundering is rather like the opposite. This is when the buyer has made an offer that has been accepted by the vendor, but then decides to lower their offer just before contracts are exchanged. The vendor must then choose whether to pull out altogether and lose the sale or accept a lower price for their property. Again, perfectly legal but not very nice!

17/03/2022

This video made me laugh! We know that English pronunciation is not consistent, which can make it rather confusing, but what would English sound like if the pronunciation WERE consistent? Watch this video to find out!

Learn more about Aaron Alon's music, writing, and films at aaronalon.com.