LinguistIQ

I am pleased to announce that the LinguistIQ S.I.G. is launching a competition to find the author of the best story told in exactly 50 words – that is, excluding the title. Here is an example:
  

                                                   Angel.
There was a young girl who decided to take a photo of an angel she could see. She lined up the shot, then ‘click’ went the camera; but straight away the girl felt a strange tingling sensation, the angel disappeared, and all that remained in the room was her mirror.

I hope you will be inspired to write. The best entries will be published in the next WIN ONE on 11/11/11. You have from 18th May 2011 until 18th July to submit entries to me, Graham Powell, the WIN ONE editor.

Here are a couple of rules in English that non mother-tongue users may benefit from in order to improve their English language usage.

1) the adverb ‘also’ is positioned prior to the main verb in sentences, except for when using the verb ‘to be’. ‘Also’ goes after the verb to be.

Examples:

I also agree with what you are saying.

I can also write this in Italian.

What you are saying is also correct.

2) Another useful rule, which is easy to remember and apply but is often mis-used, is this one: after a preposition, a verb is used in the ‘-ing form’, for example:

I’m thinking of going to Australia next year.

I’m interested in playing tennis but I’m not very good at volleying.

I hope these rules help,

Graham Powell

The LinguistIQ Society is a Special Interest Society, a production of the World Intelligence Network, created to host all language-related threads, discussions, articles and links, suggested and submitted by individuals of high intelligence capacities. Supervisor of this thread is Graham Powell, the WIN ONE magazine editor and co-supervisor of the WIN Public Relations Committee.

High IQ societies members may submit their linguistic works to the supervisor of this thread, who will be solely responsible for the consideration for their publication.