Do you have a SIDE GIG?

I saw this subway ad just this past week and decided to take a quick photo of it. (I do this now and then, and it's usually awkward when someone's sitting in front of the ad.) My wife and I keep a storage unit just one local subway stop away from our place in Brooklyn. I was just there today to get our air conditioner as the hot summer months are again upon us. I'm sure people along my route on 4th Avenue notice me carefully rolling the A/C one way when the temperatures begin to rise in the summer and the other way in the fall when temperatures start to drop. We also visit our storage unit before and after traveling to pick up and drop off luggage and bags and stuff.

• NOW AND THEN - sometimes, once in a while
• DROP - decrease

Forming negatives in English

How would you correct the sentences above that are wrong? Scroll down for the answers!

Forming negatives in English is not difficult. We just need to remember a couple of main rules.

1. We almost always use an auxiliary verb, also known as a helping verb. 
2. We form the negative by adding "NOT" to the auxiliary verb. 

There are a few other things to consider, but they are all related to the two main rules above. First, we need to realize that some affirmative sentences already have auxiliary verbs. These sentences are usually sentences with the verb "BE" or with MODALS.

1. He IS writing a letter.
2. We ARE going to the party.
3. He CAN speak Spanish.
4. They MIGHT fly to Madrid.

To form negative sentences with these verbs, simply add "NOT" after the auxiliary verb.

1. He IS NOT writing a letter.
2. We ARE NOT going to the party.
3. He CANNOT speak Spanish.
4. They MIGHT NOT fly to Madrid.

I'm back! :-)

After a year at another blogging platform, I decided to move back here to my old address. The other platform had more bells & whistles, but it also had a lot of issues. Even programmers, themselves, had to do quite a bit of troubleshooting. I thought it was such a waste of time, especially since I have no background in programming. After dealing with a few technical issues in one year, I finally got tired of being frustrated and decided to move back here so I can spend more time creating and posting useful content.

• BELLS & WHISTLES - cool features
• ISSUES - problems
• TROUBLESHOOTING - figuring out solutions

How do you TAKE A LOAD OFF?

I look forward to weekends because I get to TAKE A LOAD OFF and simply take it easy. I make it a point to take my time and move at a much slower pace. During the week, I TAKE A LOAD OFF by sitting down to a cup of tea between jobs or treating myself to a nice bowl of ramen (Japanese noodle soup), which is perfect on cold, wintry days. 

• GET TO - able to
• TAKE A LOAD OFF - take a break; relax
• TAKE IT EASY - relax; calm down
• MAKING IT A POINT - making sure
• TAKE MY TIME - not hurry; not be in a rush
• PACE - speed
• TREAT YOURSELF - give yourself something you like or enjoy