Welcome to part 2 of our mini-series, "How to Instantly Sound Smarter!" Following on the success of good vs. well, let's tackle another common offender: less vs. fewer. For years, I blithely went through life thinking they were interchangeable. A big thanks to my brother for pointing out the error of my ways! Here's the trick in a nutshell: Fewer is for anything you CAN count. Less is for anything you CAN'T count. And voila! Correctly use less vs. fewer, and you will instantly sound smarter. - D...
May 07, 2020•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast I am SO excited about this podcast because it kicks off a little mini series called "5 Ways to Instantly Sound Smarter." In this series, I will teach you how to fix 5 of the most common grammatical mistakes that, for better or for worse, people get rather judgmental about. And don't worry — I'm not going to be like, "To fix this, go buy a copy of the MLA handbook and blah, blah, blah." No. I will teach you how to fix every issue within the length of the podcast, always doing my best to keep you ...
May 05, 2020•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast Episode 13 of the Vocabbett podcast shares an anthropomorphic, bovine-centric short story...which is merely SAT-speak for it's a story about a talking cow! It's nice and quick, but still packed with SAT words. I also share a little update about the Vocabbett membership. Namely, the founding member bonus is about to expire, so now is the time to join if you're on the fence! Get all the information at www.vocabbett.com. -- Love the Vocabbett podcast? Support it on Ko-Fi! www.ko-fi.com/vocabbett...
Apr 30, 2020•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Episode 12 of the Vocabbett podcast shares brilliant insults from television and literature. And when I say "brilliant," I mean that in both the British sense ("that's brilliant, darling!") and the literal sense, as in, they're full of SAT words! Let me be clear that just because I'm sharing these insults does NOT mean I think you should use them. Be kind at all times! -- Enjoying the Vocabbett podcast? Support it on Ko-Fi !...
Apr 28, 2020•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today's podcast deviates from my usual vocabulary-boosting stories to address the latest updates regarding COVID-19 and school closures — specifically, one big mistake I see people making! When we first learned about the closures, many of us thought they would last for two weeks. And because they've been expanding incrementally, many of us have continued with the same plan and mindset — even though circumstances have radically changed. In many states, students won't be returning at all before su...
Apr 23, 2020•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today's podcast shares an excellent vocabulary-boosting story about a modern girl named in honor of Boudicea, the ancient female warrior who took on the Roman empire. It's FILLED with SAT vocabulary words (I might even describe some of them as GRE words!). If you want to read along, simply become a Vocabbett member at www.vocabbett.com ! At the end of the podcast, I share a little bit more about the backstory, including my unconventional take on where ideas come from. It might surprise you to kn...
Apr 21, 2020•14 min•Transcript available on Metacast I know what you're thinking. "Umm...Mrs. Abbett, isn't EVERY song riddled with grammatical errors? Why, yes, they are. However, for this podcast I haven't focused on the obvious errors, ones so large they're basically just creative license. Instead, I've selected three songs with errors I ACTUALLY hear people make in the day-to-day. Can you guess which ones they are? -- Become a Vocabbett member today! -- P.S. Not interested in the membership, but want to see the podcast continue? Support it on ...
Apr 16, 2020•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast What is the BIG mistake that most courses make? I know, it's a rather loaded question. However, considering that courses are the foundation of our education system, it's certainly something worth exploring! But, never fear. If I present you with a problem, rest assured that I'll also present you with a solution — or the best one I can come up with, at any rate! Referenced in this episode: www.vocabbett.com...
Apr 14, 2020•14 min•Transcript available on Metacast In episode 7 of the Vocabbett podcast, we chat the Latin root "ambulare" before moving on to chapter one of my vocabulary-boosting novelette Death at the Villa Tarconti! Keep reading on Amazon when the podcast ends ! You'll want to pick up at chapter two!
Apr 09, 2020•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast In episode 6 of the Vocabbett podcast, I hint at some changes coming to Vocabbett before sharing a (vocabulary-boosting) story that pays homage to my favorite author, Elizabeth Peters! If you're a fan of Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody series, this podcast is a must-listen. And if you've never heard of her? You're welcome! You're going to love her books. You can read along with today's vocabulary-boosting short story at www.vocabbett.com/casting-call ! Also Referenced in This Podcast: Crocodile...
Apr 07, 2020•12 min•Transcript available on Metacast In episode 5 of The Vocabbett Podcast, we continue to sneakily improve our vocabulary through fun, unique stories. Today, the story revolves around a Shakespearean scholar who wakes up to find...she is the only one who has ever heard of William Shakespeare. What would you do in her shoes? Listen to the podcast to find out how it all shakes out! You can also read along at Vocabbett. Link below! 👇 https://www.vocabbett.com/post/shakespeare -- Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and leave it ...
Apr 02, 2020•13 min•Transcript available on Metacast In episode four of The Vocabbett Podcast, I share a behind-the-scenes look at what's going on at Vocabbett before diving in to the short story of the day: The Ghosts of Google Earth ! A lighthearted story imagining a cadre of ghosts panicked at the prospect of being photographed, you can read along at https://www.vocabbett.com/post/ghosts-of-google ! Other Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Ahead of Her Time: An SAT Vocabulary Novel by Erica Abbett Death at the Villa Tarconti: An SAT Vocabular...
Mar 31, 2020•12 min•Transcript available on Metacast Now that you know the secret superpower behind the Vocabbett method ( *cough!* stories! ), it's time to see it in action. In this podcast, I share a fun, vocabulary-boosting short story I wrote called "Hera and the Headmaster." Fans of Percy Jackson and Greek mythology are sure to enjoy it! The story imagines Hera, the notoriously vindictive goddess of marriage and motherhood, being called to her mortal son's school after he misbehaves. The story sneaks in 21 potential SAT words, and you can rea...
Mar 27, 2020•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Flashcards, study guides, computer programs...sometimes it seems like these are the only ways to memorize new words. But did you know that there are elite memory athletes? People who can memorize a shuffled deck of cards in less time than — I kid you not — it would take me just to look at them? How do they do it? Almost universally, they say they make up a story to remember the cards. Storytelling is a uniquely effective — and relatively painless — memorization tool. When combined with intention...
Mar 26, 2020•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Amid the school closures currently sweeping the nation as a result of COVID-19, many families are making difficult decisions about how to continue receiving a quality education. Never fear! The Vocabbett podcast is here to help you navigate these unprecedented times. Hosted by Erica Abbett — a former English and history teacher, the author of the young adult novel "Ahead of Her Time," and the founder of Vocabbett — episode number one shares a unique mindset trick that can help get us all in the ...
Mar 22, 2020•6 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast 
