. As we say on this side of the Pond, all power to your elbow! Edwy

This is a request for information about how EnglishForums operates. I joined about two months ago because I am interested in helping people for whom English is a foreign language. I do proofreading and editing professionally, and I will admit that

OK - that makes things much clearer! I would therefore suggest: I was awarded the XYZ Cup for the most creative original design. This award was open to ...

You need to find a good teacher, to read lots of well-written English, and to avoid using such "words" as "plz" and "thanx"! Also, keep writing messages to forums like this, and take good note of the replies you get back.

As a youngster, I imagined a "desert island" to be a small island in the middle of an ocean, covered almost entirely by sand dunes, with perhaps a few palm trees on it. I later came to realise that it means "deserted island", in other words devoid

All the suggestions made so far look to be particularly clumsy! What is the context here? Are these headings to go on a webpage, for example? Or are they to appear in a magazine article, or similar? If the latter, I would suggest something

You could use "pity" instead of "shame", which would avoid the possible double meaning of "shameful". Edwy

century was therefore the only one in history that apparently lasted for only 99 years! Edwy

- they may speak with an American accent but they sing with a British one! Edwy

year", then "So was I" is OK. 3. So do we - the rest are wrong Edwy