Copywriter Portfolio

  What are Fleas? Fleas are small parasites that need to live on a host to survive. Although they are often found on pets you might not realise that fleas are a common problem across the UK even in homes where there are no pets as they can live on other animals such as rodents or rabbits. Fleas are usually found in soft furnishings such as carpets and in dark areas such as underneath beds.     Signs of Fleas If there are fleas in your home or business then there are often a few tell-tale signs that they are there and even one of these could indicate that you have an infestation.     l  Flea droppings - these are small and black and often have the appearance of fine grit. Flea droppings can be found on your pet’s coat or on any surface in your home. l  Fleas spotted on your pets or around your house. As fleas do not have wings they cannot fly, instead, they jump, and this is an easy way to tell if it is in fact a flea that you have found. l  Flea b...

  What are Mice? Mice are small rodents that can be a big problem if they are given the chance.  Mice can chew through wires, cupboard doors, floorboards, and can be a serious threat to your health as they carry diseases such as Salmonella.  If there is a way into your home then they will find it as they can squeeze through tiny gaps - sometimes even in cavity walls.   Signs of Mice Mice can often remain unnoticed until there is a big infestation, but there are several warning signs that can help you detect them.  It’s also a good idea to check the areas that mice like to frequent for signs of rodent activity - such as in garden sheds, lofts, airing cupboards, utility rooms, and behind appliances such as cookers and washers.   l  Mouse droppings - these are very small and are usually black. l  Nests - often made from shredded paper or material. l  Sounds of movement or scratching during the night - usually from inside walls or under floorboar...

  It is important that we always use the right words in the right place so that the reader or listener understands what is being said and in what context, and one of the most important things is to use the correct possessive adjective so that your sentences make sense.   What are Possessive Adjectives? Words that are used to show possession or ownership of something are called possessive adjectives.  They are the words his, her, my, your, their, whose, our, and its.  A possessive adjective will always come before the noun or pronoun that it is relating to.   A possessive adjective never changes - it never needs an “s” on the end, no matter whether the noun after it is plural or singular.  However, it should be noted that “its” is a possessive adjective, while “it’s” is not.  “It’s” is the contraction for “it is” and should not be used as a possessive adjective.   Examples I like your  dress.   Her  dog has chased my  cat. In th...

  It can sometimes be hard to grasp the meaning of all the different types of words and just how and when to use them correctly, and gerunds are often one of the harder ones to grasp the meaning of and can be quite confusing at first, but they’re actually pretty simple once you understand them.   What is a Gerund? In a nutshell, a gerund is a word that ends with “-ing”.  The word used is initially a verb, but the addition of the “-ing” on the end turns it into a gerund, and this word is then used like a noun.   The gerund can take on a number of roles  - it can be the subject of the sentence, the direct object, the object of a preposition, or a subject complement.   Examples Running  is fun. (Here the gerund is the subject  of the sentence and it is formed from the verb “run”.)   Flying  is scary. (The gerund is the subject  in this sentence, formed from the verb “fly”.)   Playing  tennis is great. (Here, the gerund playin...

  Nouns are words that we use all the time without even thinking about it and they are part of our everyday life that we take for granted.  All nouns fall into one of two groups - they are either proper nouns or they are common nouns - and it is essential, especially when reading and writing, to use them correctly.     What is a Proper Noun? A proper noun is a name that is specific to something - like a place name or a person’s name - and not just a generic name.  Proper nouns always have a capital letter no matter where they are in a sentence, which helps to distinguish them from common nouns.     How to use Proper Nouns Proper nouns should be used they are giving a specific name for a person, place or item and they should always have a capital letter, no matter where in the sentence they are.   For example - His name is John.   She was reading To Kill A Mockingbird.   They both went to West Park High School.   The royal family liv...

  We use words every single day - when we read, when we write, and when we speak - and we often use them without even really thinking about it.  However, there are actually many different types of words and they all have an important part to play in our everyday life.  Descriptive adjectives have a particularly important role to play as they aid our imagination and enrich our reading.     What are Descriptive Adjectives? Descriptive adjectives are the words that are used to describe a noun or a pronoun.  They are the most frequently used adjective and are used to describe the features or qualities of the noun or pronoun.  Nouns (and pronouns) are words that are used to identify a person, place, or thing and descriptive adjectives can be used to describe things such as the size, sound, taste, smell, texture, or colour of the noun.  They add detail to the sentence and provide information about the person or place that they are describing.  Sent...

  There are many millions of words and phrases that we use in our everyday life, but have you ever stopped to consider where some of them came from and just how we ended using them?  What about ad hoc?  Did you know that it’s actually Latin?     What does Ad Hoc mean? Ad hoc is a phrase that means something that is used for a special purpose and has been formed for immediate use, without any prior planning.  In other words, it means a solution that has been formed for a specific task that wouldn’t be used for anything other than that one purpose.   Origin of Ad Hoc Ad hoc is a Latin phrase that means “to this”.  In English, it generally means “for this specific purpose” and “as it happens”.   The phrase was first known to be used as an adverb in 1639 and as an adjective in 1879.  It was initially used in mainly legal documents before it became more widespread in the late 1800’s.  Around that time it also began to be used in a scient...

  We use words every day to describe places, people, or situations, and although we use various different words and phrases to convey our meanings, there is nothing quite so descriptive or imaginative as figurative language.   What is Figurative Language? Words and phrases that go further than their literal meaning in order to explain something or to convey the point that the speaker or writer is trying to make are known as figurative language and it is often used for a particularly dramatic effect.  Figurative language is often used in stories to make them more interesting and dramatic for the reader.   There are a number of different types of figurative language and they are all used differently.  However, there are five main types and they are:   l  Simile Similies frequently use the words “like” and “as” and is used to compare two things that you wouldn’t usually associate together.  For example -   Tom was as strong as an ox.   Fear...

  Cardinal numbers are an essential part of everyday life and many people will use them all the time without even knowing that they are doing so.   Cardinal numbers are numbers that are only used for counting and are usually called counting numbers.  Cardinals are the numbers that are used to determine how many of something there is or the quantity.  If you want to know how many of something there is then you have to count them, and that is where the cardinal numbers come in.   The lowest cardinal number is one.  Zero is not a cardinal number as to count how many  of something you have, you have to have something in the first place, but every number up from there is a cardinal.  However, fractions and decimals are not cardinal numbers as they are not whole numbers, they only represent a part of a group or set.   Cardinal numbers are numbers that are on their own, digits such as one (1), two (2), three (3), four (4), five (5), six (6), seven (...

  What are Moles? Moles are small animals that spend the majority of their lives underground digging tunnels and looking for worms.  While their constant burrowing can cause serious problems in gardens, they are a much bigger problem for farmers as the soil they dig up gets into crops and frequently spoils them and the stones that moles push up can damage machinery.  Not only that, but the huge swathes of underground tunnels that they create can seriously compromise the ground above if they collapse and also risk injuring livestock if they stood in it.   Signs of Moles The most obvious sign of a mole is the presence of molehills - mounds of fresh soil that the mole has excavated from its tunnel, but there are a couple of other signs that you have a mole around.   l  Uneven ground, usually going from one molehill to another. l  Disturbed plants and roots - caused by mole activity underneath them   How to Remove Moles There are a few things that you...

  There would be few sights more unusual to see than a white orangutan, or perhaps a white elephant because you just wouldn’t expect to see them in that colour.  But these animals are the rare phenomenon that are known as being albino animals.  In fact, they are so unusual that there are many tales in folklore of these strange white animals being omens of good luck and fertility.   What are Albino Animals Albino animals are the opposite of melanistic animals, which are black, and are animals that have either produced too little melanin or none at all.  Melanin is the pigment that affects the skin, hair, and eyes.  The lack of melanin produces an animal that has a white coat and pink skin and eyes.  Often, albino animals appear to be pink because of the pink skin underneath the white hair.  The pink colour, particularly in the eyes is from the blood vessels that are showing as they are close to the surface of the skin.   Types of Albino Animal...