[Kerin]

I identify so much with what you’ve said. I am able to adapt to situations and make decisions when there is something important to do or for work. However, I struggle with personal things. For example, I’d like to do more exercise and create daily habits where I exercise even just for 10 minutes a day. But I am not strict enough with myself and after a few days, I don’t do it.

I am going to learn though! I believe we can change our habits with positive thinking and some effort.

Quick note: I think THE most difficult …

[Kerin]

Good!

Here you need it too : until I lived in Scotland for some months when I was 25

[Kerin]

I guess most people are unaware of this until they actually spend some time in the UK. I’m glad you are fond of the Scottish accent. I would like to take some credit from that! )

You make an interesting point too, that accent is associated with cultural stereotypes (some nice vocabulary there – dwell on, cunning, stingy etc. Well done)

Children can be mean – but i guess they learn it form adults! I hear that word a lot, especially in the north …

Anyway, I am happy you are not bothered about your accent anymore – I am sure i would never understand the difference between bène and béne

Notes:

– Here it sounds more natural to use ‘would’ – in the meantime Scottish people WOULD make fun of Asian people living there…

(Were used to needs the ING form after it, and the meaning is slightly different.)

– Please review the past simple. This is a quick reference: https://www.ef.com/wwen/english-resources/english-grammar/present-perfect-vs-simple-past/

Once you’ve done that, can you tell me which verbs you would change in your post?

[Kerin]

I haven’t been so aware of accent snobbery in Italy either. Although now that I think about it, maybe I have heard people in the north mimic southern accents in a disparaging way…

I am sorry to hear that you were picked on for your ‘pisano’ accent – what a nasty thing. Do you find that your accent slips back when you go home? I know that I do it! It’s not a conscious decision, it just kind of happens!

You won’t agree with me, but you know I love hearing accents when people speak English and you have a lovely English ‘voice’. We will work on pronunciation with the aim of sounding natural and confident 💪

(only 1 note – taked (the piss) = took)

[Kerin]

What a beautiful thing that your job is also your hobby. Perhaps as we get older, the changes to our lifestyle are less and less – as we become more comfortable with who we are and what we like and dislike … I feel the same about spending quality time with friends and loved ones.

Some notes:

> When I think my last 10 years = When I think about/of my last 10 years

> But I am more focus on = But I am more focused on

> Now a days = nowadays

[Kerin]

Nice!

Notes:

1. A few years ago, I quit my job as an employee in a large company and branched out into a new activity as a consultant in the pharmaceutical market. (see this reference: https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/branch-out)

2. Make this native-level and use a phrasal verb! During the same period, I discovered the pleasure of lazing around

3. to put on weight

4-6 was brilliant! A little story that made me smile!

[Kerin]

Exactly. I think if we had read this when it was first written, we may have thought it was far-fetched. But in reality, much of what he predicted has come true.

I hope too that human activity will remain fundamental. I actually googled ‘will lawyers become obsolete’ after reading this article the first time, because i couldn’t imagine it. However, after reading several articles I realised it is a possibility. Maybe (and hopefully!) not in our lifetime!

Lastly, your concluding thoughts are very similar to what Chiara mentioned – I think you’ll find this forum interesting> https://hub.englishdigitalacademy.com/forums/topic/exponential-age/

Notes: this is a wonderfully discerning piece Sonia. You’ve used some rich vocabulary and your connectors are top! Excellent work.

Some feedback:
– Your first sentence is very long. To make it more natural you could break it up with some commas and divide it in two. Something like this:
Considering that the author wrote this article almost 4 years ago, I believe that his predictions were not, and are not, so far from what has happened and is happening in the reality. Especially if we are talking about software, electric cars or online digital courses.

– this new technologies = these

– with regards regulation = with regards to

Exponential Age

[Kerin]

Very insightful Sonia. I am similar in a way to you, I think. I adapt to change very well (if I think of how many times I’ve changed city and my job … I just get on with things) but at the same time, I am not so quick in changing my habits or views. You can take me out of a place, but all my thoughts come with me!

Note:
– I think to be a little slow internally – When you want to say “Credo di essere….” to sound more natural in English, change the construction: I think I am …
– proof is uncountable in this context; so I need a lot of proof (it is countable when we use it to talk about printing or mathematics)

[Kerin]

Thank you Sonia, that means a lot! It is a shame that you haven’t got that much opportunity to practise. I am working on setting up speaking partners so that might be something interesting for you.

[Kerin]

Good job Sonia! Some very nice vocabulary in here and written very fluently.

This was an interesting read and it made me smile quite a bit! (Especially because I know you very well and it’s very hard for me to imagine the ‘nonna’ side of you!)
It sounds like you have discovered how to be mindful – live more in the present and enjoy the more simple things in life. I think that’s a pretty nice change that comes with ageing!

Some quick corrections:

-10 years ago I was 35 years old and, if I think at about that time, I can see myself like a young lady in her 20ies! 20s

– My life wasn’t so changed > either use an adjective (e.g My life wasn’t so different) or change tense (My life hadn’t changed so much …)

– I used to > I was used to +ing

– … during my 37th summer that I decided to have become old! > needs the past simple: I decided to become old!

– working very hardly – hard

– we went living together > we moved in together

Thanks for sharing! Let me know if you have any questions 🙂
Kx

[Kerin]

Well done Sonia! I see you have studied 🙂

Two little corrections:

> Scenario 6 – PREPOSITION
So, you’re saying that Mark acted very badly towards Jemma and that at in her place you would dump him right away!

> Scenario 8 – PHRASAL VERB
So, just to recap, you will pick Jenny first and then me around 9, is that correct?
– either: pick up Jenny
-or: pick Jenny up

[Kerin]

Excellent 🙂

[Kerin]

Hi Chiara, thank you for your insights. I think you make a really good point that the author presumes that these changes will automatically be positive without considering the more complex issues of human nature and our history. I personally find it overwhelming how fast technology is changing and I don’t think we have yet understood the implications of it. (I wasn’t feeling so well over the weekend, so I binge-watched Homeland season 7!!! I think it is a brilliant show but the point is, it is so relevant to what we are experiencing right now. It looks at the impact of fake news and how technology is being used in a kind of cyber-warfare … anyway this article makes me think about all of that too!)

Just a quick note:
> you need the article here: …the Exponential Age is real.

[Kerin]

This is a good question:

to PUT effort into something.
or
to PUT effort into DOING something – so you use the gerund.

HOWEVER!!!

MAKE an effort TO DO something (Infinitive) when you mean you tried really hard.

ps. did you check the comments on your other post too? Just ask if you have any questions 🙂

[Kerin]

I imagined so!