Written English uses many abbreviations. Often these are used in business emails, notes and memos. This list will help you understand English abbreviations.

My name is Matthew Radich. Often my students call me "Mr. Matthew". To an English speaker, this is strange*. Why? It's because using a person's first name is very casual, but using "Mr." is very formal. It's a strange mix of polite and casual. It is like being called 「なべ様」 if your name is 渡辺.

In informal English (spoken and written), it is sometimes possible to drop the subject from your sentence. Generally speaking, you can only do this if both of these two things are true:

1. the word you drop is a pronoun; and
2. it is the first word in the sentence.

Compare these two sentences:

1. I went for a drink with a friend from work; and
2. Went for a drink with a friend from work.

Links and transitions are like bridges and signs that connect your ideas. They help people reading or listening to your words follow your thoughts. To communicate well, you must link your ideas in a logical way. These are some phrases to help you link your ideas better when you speak and write.