View an example
Scribbr not only specializes in proofreading and editing texts in English , but also in several other languages . This way, we help out students from all over the world.
As a global academic writing proofreading service, we work with professional editors – all native speakers – who edit in the following languages :
This way, you can also have your academic writing proofread and edited in your second language!
Please note that we do not offer Finnish proofreading, but students can still upload English papers on scribbr.fi .
Yes, regardless of the deadline you choose, our editors can proofread your document during weekends and holidays.
Example: If you select the 12-hour service on Saturday, you will receive your edited document back within 12 hours on Sunday.
The footnotes are not automatically included in the word count.
If you want the language errors in your footnotes to be corrected by the editor, you can indicate this in step 3 of the upload process . The words in the footnotes are then automatically added to the total word count.
To keep our prices competitive, we do not offer a free trial edit. However, if your document is longer than 30,000 words, we are happy to provide you with a sample edit of 2,000 words to ensure you are satisfied with the editor’s editing style.
Rest assured, our customers are very satisfied with our proofreading services. We’re proud that they have rated us with an excellent 4.6 on Trustpilot. In the unlikely event that you have a less positive experience, we’ll solve that with our 100% happiness guarantee !
After your thesis has been edited , you will receive an email with a link to download the edited document.
The editor has made changes to your document using ‘ Track Changes ’ in Word. This means that you only have to accept or ignore the changes that are made in the text one by one.
It is also possible to accept all changes at once. However, we strongly advise you not to do so for the following reasons:
We have written a manual in which we explain step by step how ‘Track Changes’ works.
Check out an example
Our editors are very experienced and will do their utmost to correct all errors in your thesis .
However, with our current rates, an editor can only check your thesis once. This may cause an editor to overlook an error. We can therefore not guarantee that your thesis is 100% error free after you have had your thesis edited.
The editor uses ‘Track Changes’ in Word when editing your thesis.
Don’t know how this works? Then read the following guide in which we explain step by step how ‘Track Changes’ works.
No, we do not provide you with a clean copy. You will always receive a file edited with tracked changes .
We do this for two main reasons:
All Scribbr editors are language experts with interests in different subject areas.
You can indicate your field of study when you upload your document . We’ll make sure that the editor who proofreads your work is familiar with your discipline and its specialist vocabulary.
These are the fields of study you can choose from, and examples of the main subjects in each field:
Editors don’t have to be experts in the content of your paper, but they do know how to present it in the best way possible! Our goal is to improve your writing and give you feedback on the readability, structure, logic, and clarity of your text. We know from experience that the most effective editors are specialists in language and academic writing.
We’ve carefully selected and trained all of our editors to proofread theses and other academic documents. Once they’re qualified, we continue to carefully monitor their work to make sure we always deliver the highest quality .
Automatic essay rating software for practice.
The GRE analytical writing is a small but important component of the test that troubles many international test takers. We’ve had several candidates asking us:
Well, there are a few paid options offered by some test prep companies. But not much out there that’s free and a close approximation of the real deal. So we created this free essay grader for GRE essays.
Conceptualized and developed by Sameer Kamat , the software uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) principles and our understanding of how AWA essays are evaluated. We know it’s far from perfect, since no automated essay grader can accurately do (yet) what the trained human brain can. And it’s definitely not the equivalent of a free ScoreItNow report, if that’s what you wanted.
But we hope it’s better than having no feedback at all on your practice AWA essays during the GRE preparation journey.
There is no software to download. You can use our free online GRE essay immediately. All you need to do is:
Here’s a brief introduction to the various sub-topics that our online essay evaluator covers:
Organization: This checks the attributes related to the building blocks of GRE essays i.e. attributes related to the words, sentences and paragraphs in the AWA essay.
Readability: This tests (using industry standard metrics) how easy it is for the reader to grasp what you have written. Try to maintain a balance between the over-simplistic and the hard-to-comprehend approach.
Coherence: This goes into the nuances of natural language processing and evaluates how you have connected the building blocks using the appropriate English language constructs.
If you get a perfect score on the GRE’s Issue Essay (a 6), it can really boost your graduate school admissions chances! The best schools want good Verbal and Quantitative scores, but also students who are clear, competent writers. Lots of students have excellent transcripts and are good at taking tests – but not everyone can demonstrate impressive writing skills! Here are 7 tips to take your Issue essay to that perfect 6.
[ RELATED: What is a good GRE score? ]
Practice makes perfect! You can study for the GRE online by looking up the AWA prompts and practicing writing several of them within the 30-minute guideline. The only way to get comfortable with the time constraints is to practice them, so set up test-like conditions and get to work. If you’re a good writer, you might be tempted to take the GRE essay portion without practicing. That’s not a great idea–the issue essay is a different kind of essay than you’ve probably had to write in school, and you might miss the mark if you don’t practice. On the issue essay you’re not writing literary criticism or rhetorical analysis, but rather something more akin to a very direct, concise email to a very busy boss or professor. Get used to the idea that the issue essay isn’t about how well you make things flow or how pretty it sounds; it’s about how clearly you can get information across.
You don’t have time to argue both sides of an issue on the GRE issue essay . Even if you don’t believe in the side you choose, you’ll only have time to argue one side effectively. If you take a middle-of-the-road approach you won’t sound as confident or clear. Remember, according to ETS, the “readers are evaluating the skill with which you address the specific instructions and articulate and develop an argument to support your evaluation of the issue.” Which side you choose to defend is less important than how you defend it!
Don’t be general! Hypothetical arguments are easily refuted. The easy counter to any “what-if” argument is to challenge that the hypothetical scenario would ever actually happen. Instead, use specific examples: Mitt Romney, the War of 1812, Keynesian economic theory, an anecdote about your Uncle Ralph the compulsive gambler, etc. are all concrete examples you can use to drive home a point.
You can choose examples from a wide range of subjects, including personal experience, pop culture, history, sports, literature, current events, politics, etc. But, don’t let your examples take over the essay. For instance, if you’re using a historical example, be careful that you don’t let the bulk of your essay become a summary of that event or a history paper equivalent. Your whole goal on the issue essay is to prove a point, so only use an example if it’s going to back up your argument.
In general, you should avoid writing in first person on the issue essay. Saying things like “I believe” or “in my opinion” adds unnecessary words since the reader already knows that the issue essay is written from your perspective. First-person pronouns should ONLY appear in a body paragraph if you are using personal experience as an example. Never use “I” in your introductory or concluding paragraphs.
Being direct doesn’t leave any room for miscommunication or misinterpretation. Part of the reason this is so important is because while one of your graders is human, the other is a computer. If you’ve ever talked to your GPS or Siri, you’ve probably experienced some miscommunication from time to time. Avoid this on the GRE issue essay by making strong, declarative statements.
Many GRE students wonder what to do in their conclusion. Try introducing the opposing viewpoint, showing that you recognize that in fact some people do not support your position. Then refute their argument in 1-2 sentences, and reinforce the validity of your own thesis.
The GRE testmaker, Educational Testing Service (ETS) reports a single score rounded up to the nearest half-point. This score makes up the essay portion of your overall GRE score .
You can read more from ETS on specific score level breakdowns here .
Call 1-800-KAP-TEST or email [email protected]
MCAT Test Prep
LSAT Test Prep
GRE Test Prep
GMAT Test Prep
SAT Test Prep
ACT Test Prep
DAT Test Prep
NCLEX Test Prep
USMLE Test Prep
NCLEX Locations
GRE Locations
SAT Locations
LSAT Locations
MCAT Locations
GMAT Locations
Kaplan Test Prep Contact Us Partner Solutions Work for Kaplan Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy CA Privacy Policy Trademark Directory
The content in this post applies in 2024 to the new, shorter GRE!
Plenty of students want to improve their GRE analytical writing skills, and the only real way to do so is writing, and writing a lot.
But there is a catch-22 here: how do you improve your writing if you aren’t a good writer? How can you identify places to improve if you don’t know what needs improvement? How can you identify an error if you commit the error? These are all valid concerns, but trust me, you just need to start writing.
But we won’t send you out to sea without a life vest. We now have an essay rubric that breaks down the four aspects of writing that count towards your score—Quality of Ideas, Organization, Writing Style, and Grammar and Usage.
If you don’t know what those are now, you will soon. Each column represents one aspect of writing and each row represents a level from 0 to 6. Each cell of the rubric describes a specific aspect of writing at a specific level.
Download the Magoosh Essay Rubric (you can also download the printable PDF by clicking the image below) and get started!
After completing the essay, you’ll need to check the four aspects of your writing. Even better, ask a friend to look over the essay and provide you a score. Give each aspect of your essay a score ranging from zero to six.
Total all four scores and find the average. Now you have a sense of your writing score. Round scores up as follows: Round a score of 4.25 to 4.5 and a score of 3.75 to 4.
Of course evaluating your own writing will be hard if you don’t know what to look for, but this is a perfect time to improve and practice. Taking a break between writing your essay and evaluating it will help to give you a more objective eye. Also, reading the essay aloud will help you to hear errors.
You can also access Magoosh’s Expert AI Tutor to grade your AW essays and get actionable feedback to improve your score with a Magoosh Premium Plan .
This category evaluates the “meat” of your essay – the ideas that form your main argument. On the GRE you will be asked to evaluate and respond to an issue. You aren’t being judged on your expertise of the subject matter, but on your ability to make a sustained, well thought out argument. You’re showing your ability to deal with nuance and complexity while also articulating your own view of the issue.
Giving your essay a grade of 3.0 in this category would mean that it has only built a vague or partial argument about the issue. You’d only have a few examples or examples that are too simple or typical. An essay that’s achieving a 5.0 in this category would have developed much stronger examples and lines of reasoning. The quality of the examples would strengthen the overall argument. These are some things to ask yourself when grading this component of your essay:
Organization is one of the most important parts of any piece of writing – some would say the most important part. An essay can have a great argument and examples, but if it’s poorly organized the reader will never find them. The key to taking your reader on a journey, and convincing them of your point, is building your writing logically step-by-step.
An essay that does this just ok, meaning a 3.0 score, would have some organization, but it would be poor. It wouldn’t make sense to the reader how ideas are connecting, or building on each other. And evidence wouldn’t match the ideas it is meant to support. A good essay, a 5.0, would feature a solid organization that builds progressively from idea to idea. Ask yourself these questions to evaluate this part of your essay:
We’ve talked about your ideas and how you organize them, now it’s time to discuss how you express those ideas. Writing style is actually pretty simple – it’s just evaluating how well your sentences flow. Are you choosing the right words? Is there variation in your vocabulary and sentence structure to make your writing easy and pleasing to read?
A 3.0 essay will have sentences that have repeating structure. Think back-to-back sentences that start with the same words. Sentences will repeatedly be too long and wordy. And the essay will feature multiple instances of words being chosen imprecisely. A 5.0 essay on the other hand will have a clear sense of personal style. Sentences will show variety and a good command of vocabulary will be displayed. Here are questions to guide your evaluation of this section:
Finally, your essay needs to be grammatically correct. This can be challenging for test takers as most of us are used to writing with some form of grammar check. Make sure to really pay attention to this aspect of your writing as you practice.You want to make sure words are spelled correctly, the rules of grammar are followed, and that you are using correct punctuation.
A middle-of-the-road 3.0 essay will feature some major flaws and many more minor flaws. You’ll see a two point improvement by showing a strong control of the rules of grammar in mechanics and usage, even with a few minor flaws. Here are your questions to guide you through this final section:
All the information that you see in our rubric is based on information published by ETS. If you need sample essays at different score levels or want to read more about the AWA and how it is graded, I highly recommend reading through An Introduction to the Analytical Writing Section of the GRE .
This is a long document and contains a lot of detail. If you want to see the different scoring level descriptions used to create our rubric, here they are:
I recommend taking the time to become familiar with the difference between a “3” essay and a “4” essay. To truly become a better self-grader, or to even become a better grader for someone else, you need to become more familiar with the particular grading requirements of ETS.
Grading your AW essay is not just useful for predicting your test day score. Critically, It’s an essential component of learning how to write better. When you receive feedback and act on it, you are building your writing muscles. This is an essential part of the test prep journey and critical for the work you’ll do in graduate school. Use this rubric to grade your own essay and see where you need to improve. Or get a Magoosh Premium Plan today to access our AI Expert Tutor that will grade your essay and give pointers on how to improve your score.
Note: Some students might wonder why the rubric is for the GRE and GMAT. Both test evaluate essays in the same way, so the rubric will work for either test.
At UC Santa Cruz, Kevin Rocci began a decade of teaching and tutoring with the Stevenson College Junior Fellow and Writing Assistance programs . He has worked with adults and kids, tutoring the GRE, GMAT, and SAT at Kaplan and teaching English as a Second Language in the JET Programme and at the Intercultural Institute of California . At Magoosh, he expanded beyond teaching, building and managing teams, like Student Help and Content. When he’s not Magooshing, you can find him spinning his toddler in circles. Connect with him on LinkedIn or Twitter .
View all posts
Please leave any questions or suggestions in the comments, we try our best to respond within a few days! Your email address will not be published.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Thanks for the rubric, Kevin! I think at my current level, I can manage a 5 on the GRE. Trying to push it further to maybe hit that 5.5 (hopefully 6) mark!
Good luck, and keep up the hard work!
Tiny typo, where “their” should be “there:”
“Writing Style:
Are there a mix of short sentences and long sentences? Are their a variety of sentence structures—simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex?”
AHHH! Thanks for letting me know. I’ve fixed it. 🙂
Can you please share a website or link where I could find a pool of AWA topics to practice?
Thanks, Ishani
You don’t need to look anywhere except at the official website! 🙂 https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/analytical_writing/argument/pool and https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/analytical_writing/issue/pool are your resources.
I need to know Is there any website where it can evaluate my essays on issue and argument tasks?
Hi Praveen,
Yes, I would check out this blog post that will help you with this!
i want to know that from where i can get lots of samples of Issue and Argument essay. And another thing that i’d like to ask that after finishing Magoosh GRE vocabulary flashcards apps from where i should continue to learn words. However, is reading Manhattan GRE books good for both verbal and quantitative section?
Hello! Thank you for a very thorough explanation on GRE AWA scoring and tips!
Just wanted to point out that the link to “An Introduction to the Analytical Writing Section of the GRE” doesn’t work properly; although can be found easily on ETS website 🙂
Glad to hear that the post helps! 😀
And thank you for letting us know about that link not working. I changed the URL, so it should work now! 😀
Dear Chris, Please could you tell me as to how can we get our essays graded.
Hi Shashi! 😀
If you’d like to get your essays graded (but not by us), this post will help with that:
How to Get Your AWA Practice Essays Graded
Hope that helps! 😀
I’d love to download the pdf, but the links don’t seem to be working…?
Hi Cornelia, Can you give it a try again? I just tried it and it worked for me. I am using a Chrome browser on a Mac. Let me know if you are still having trouble. 😀
I have consistently scored 4.0 in the AW section in the past three tests. I want to improve my score and would like to score between 4.5 to 5.0. To let you know haven’t got help from anyone beside Princeton’s GRE practice material or/and GRE AW instructions.
Do you have any special program to assist me?
Congrats on your score of 4.0! That’s admirable and something to be proud of! 😀
If you are looking to push your score to the 5.0 level, you’ll most likely need to work on creating more sophisticated responses and eliminating errors from your writing. You’ll need to do this with lots and lots of practice! 😀 I recommend that you work through the AWA prompts listed on the ETS website. Here are the links:
https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/analytical_writing/issue/pool https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/analytical_writing/argument/pool
You should spend time learning these prompts and writing essays for these prompts since they might appear on the test. Outline your ideas, work on examples, and practice writing balanced responses to each prompt. From there, you can use this post to evaluate your writing and look for ways to improve. 😀
I hope this helps!
Happy Studying!
Hi Kevin! Thanks for the great tips. Above, you mentioned the Hemmingway App. Do you recommend purchasing this product to help improve my writing for the AWA? The product is $6.99.
I am glad you liked the post! 😀 You probably don’t need to purchase the app. You can use the web version to help you evaluate the writing. But if you think it is a great app and you really like it, you could purchase the desktop version to support the people who built it. 😀
Thanks in advance for your help.
Question: do we have to worry about the difference between the Issue Task questions that ask about “field of inquiry” vs “field of endeavor”? I’m unclear as to what the difference between these are, but I’m wondering whether I should even worry about what the differences are. I appreciate your input.
Hi Clare! Happy to help! 🙂 The difference between those terms are very small. I would not worry too much about the language. Both refer to similar activities—either asking questions or trying to reach a goal. Usually, though, asking the questions, inquiring, is meant to reach some goal. So the difference is slight, and ultimately, won’t affect the essay you write. 😀 I hope that helps.
I took the GRE and met the requirements for the program at my school for verbal and quantitative, but I needed 4 on the writing and I only got a 3.5. I figured the writing part would be the easiest, so I barely prepared for it! The second time I took it I just focused on studying for the writing part. I went through and read the entire pool of questions on the ETS website and timed myself and practiced writing different essays. I was so upset when I got my score back and it was even worse than the first time, I got a 3! Now I’m freaking out. Any advice?
Hi Jane! Thanks for reading! 😀
I am sorry to hear that you are still struggling with the writing section. That’s frustrating, especially if you went through the whole pool of essays! That’s a lot of work you put in. Without seeing your essay, I have to make some assumptions about why you are falling in the 3 range. Either you are not writing enough and not coming up with enough detail, or you are committing a lot stylistic and grammatical errors, or you are not organizing and completing your essay. Does any of this sound like your essays that you wrote on the test?
I think the best thing to do would be to look at the sample essays that ETS provides and study the difference between a 3 essay and a 4, 5, and 6, essay. This will give you a sense of what you need to do in your own writing to boost your scores. Here are links to the sample essays from ETS:
List of AWA Issue Sample Responses LIst of AWA Argument Sample Responses
I hope that this helps! 😀 Happy studying!
Thank you for this wonderful post. I have a question: Does a major difference in the Issue grading and the Argument grading affect the overall score in any way? I find the Argument essay easier and easy to score a 4/5, the issue is not always easy and expecting a 2/3 on average. Is the overall score always the average of the two, irrespective of the score difference?
Happy to help! I am glad to hear that you enjoyed this post. 🙂
According to ETS, your writing score is the average of the scores for your two essays. This is what they say: “The scores given for the two tasks are then averaged for a final reported score.” So two readers graders will read and grade each essay, and then the scores are averaged to give you a Writing Score. 🙂
Does that make sense? Let me know if I can be more clear. 🙂
Thank you. I’d like to incorporate more writing into my daily GRE schedule. Any thoughts on how to do that constructively?
Hi Dan, happy to help! 🙂
First, I definitely recommend working through the Issue and Argument Essay prompts on the ETS website. These are all the possible prompts that you will see on the test, so the more familiar you are with them, the more prepared you will be for the essay part of the test.
–https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/analytical_writing/issue/pool –https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/analytical_writing/argument/pool
With those in hand, the best way to practice is just start writing. The more timed writing you do, the better your essay will be and the more that you’ll be able to write on test day.
I know that writing an entire essay everyday might be too much to take on, so I recommend simplifying it. I would suggest two times a week writing a complete argument and issue essay, but the rest of the time, shorten your time limit and only write part of the essay. For example, set a timer for 10 minutes and try to brainstorm and then write 2 strong body paragraphs of an issue essay. Or set a timer for 5 minutes and try to outline an essay and write the introduction. In this way, you become familiar with the different prompts and practice timed writing without committing to a full essay.
Lastly, I recommend looking at some of our other articles on the AWA section. There are sample essays and other great tips and strategies that I am sure you will find useful. 🙂
–https://magoosh.com/gre/category/writing/
I hope that his helps! Let me know how it goes. 🙂
Messages and replies, applicant notifications, global notifications.
| ||
It is currently 10 Jul 2024, 02:32 |
Check out our 1-min tour.
Question Bank Heaven
Prep Club for GRE Tests Forum
Important Topics
Best Free Sessions & Special Deals
Powerful Following of Forums & Best Discussions
Real Experts' Replies
GRE Timer Try it to see & save your answers
Tags That explain clearly the type of Math questions
Join discussion quickly. Leave Quick Reply
Long discussion? Find Best Reply in seconds
How to Write Math Formulas
Provide Official Answer
Add Tags That explain more
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. we have subscribed you to daily prep questions via email..
Customized for You
Track Your Progress
Practice Pays
Hello guest.
It appears that you are browsing the Prep Club for GRE forum unregistered!
Registration gives you:.
Take 2 tests from Prep Club for GRE. All are free for Prep Club for GRE members.
Download thousands of study notes, question collections. All are free!
Hi greprepclubber.
Thank you for using the timer! We noticed you are actually not timing your practice. Click the START button first next time you use the timer. There are many benefits to timing your practice , including:
We’ll give you an estimate of your score
We’ll provide personalized question recommendations
Your score will improve and your results will be more realistic
Request expert reply.
What would this essay be out of 6.
| ||
Here are updates for you: --> --> --> --> LATEST POSTS |
] |
Powered by © phpBB Group | Emoji artwork provided by |
Copyright © 2022 Prep Club for GRE
GRE® is a registered trademark of the Education Testing Services® (ETS ®). Prep Club for GRE website has not been reviewed or endorsed by ETS
The post is bookmarked successfully
Interested in Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) ?
Easy to find your School in School Discussion Forum
Notifications about deadlines
Personalized MBA Timeline
Unlock detailed applicant statistics
Forgot your password?
By Danish Sinha October 3, 2015 in GRE/GMAT/etc
In order to become well-rounded individuals, all college students should be required to take courses in which they read poetry, novels, mythology, and other types of imaginative literature. Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the recommendation and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, describe specific circumstances in which adopting the recommendation would or would not be advantageous and explain how these examples shape your position.
Students will become a well-rounded individual by learning other creative courses which they are interested in. Courses like poetry, novels, mythology, and imaginative literature may not interest all the students. Therefore, it will become a burden on those students.
Literature may make you a well-rounded individual. During the time when they are pursuing their major courses, this may become a burden for them as they have to spend extra time learning literature courses. Some students may also be pursuing tough courses and adding mythology, which is nowhere related to their course may just create stress for them. Students must be given the option to pursue the courses of their choice and not flooding them with literature. This may also help those students who want to learn courses they enjoy and are interested in.This student may also not have any interest in literature like courses but other creative subjects like dancing, painting etc. Adding compulsory courses may even not allow them to take courses of their choice.
For students, it would also be a waste of money, as they have to pay fees for these extra credits. The student may not enjoy poetry and thereby just a burden for their semester. Adding extra courses on poetry, mythology; may also increase the semester length which would delay their step in their profession career. Some students may be interested to gain knowledge from literature courses but for those who are very serious for they major courses will have to pay the extra toll. Therefore, Colleges should focus on the demand of the students and not add extra literature courses.
Colleges and Universities should focus on getting the students ready for their major field. They can add optional courses for students, noting theses courses don't become a burden on them.
Share on other sites.
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Already have an account? Sign in here.
This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
Across southeast Texas, residents and officials are assessing the damage and beginning the recovery process.
Millions of Texans are heading into a third summer day without power after Hurricane Beryl wreaked havoc through several counties — including the state’s most populous one — and temperatures rose dangerously into the 90s. The heat index is projected to push past 100 degrees in some areas, compounding the risk for an already battered and worn-out area.
Power companies have deployed thousands of workers to restore power while state and local officials navigate residents’ frustrations at what’s becoming routine in Texas: massive power outages after winter storms, thunderstorms, tornadoes or hurricanes.
Millions of texans still lack power as temperatures climb.
Updated: 10 hours ago
As of 6:22 p.m. Tuesday, 1.9 million electricity customers concentrated in the southeastern corner of the state that bore the brunt of Beryl’s fierce winds still didn’t have electricity. Power companies and elected officials said it could be days before everyone has electricity again, meaning people without air conditioning would have to figure out how to cope with the heat.
“The power system is a life saving critical infrastructure — it’s the difference between life and death,” said Costa Samaras, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. “The era of nobody could have foreseen these conditions is over.”
Utility officials and state leaders have said it will likely take days to get everyone’s electricity back on — and temperatures are projected to rise steadily over the next week, National Weather Service Meteorologist Ryan Knapp said.
Temperatures in the 80s and 90s can create unsafe conditions for high-risk individuals, especially in a home with no power, and finding ways to keep cool will be paramount, he said.
“The upper 80s can obviously heat the inside of the home pretty quickly,” Knapp said.
— Pooja Salhotra, Jess Huff, Emily Foxhall and Kayla Gao
Hurricane Beryl, which brought fierce winds and heavy rains to a large portion of southeastern Texas, has killed at least nine people, according to state and local authorities.
In Harris County, two people waiting out the storm in their homes were killed in separate instances when trees fell on their residences. An Atascocita Fire Department spokesperson said that in the first instance, two people were in a residence when a tree fell, killing one and injuring the other. The second instance saw a 74-year-old grandmother die after a tree fell on her bedroom, according to Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced another person, a city of Houston employee, died from drowning in a flooded underpass on July 8. Acting Houston Police Department Chief Larry Satterwhite identified the man in a social media post as 54-year-old HPD information security officer Russell Richardson.
Updated: July 9, 2024
Harris County also reported two deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning during Beryl, Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd said in a July 9 news conference. Kidd said that during the power outages, people run generators in unsafe places — like in a garage or near windows — allowing carbon monoxide to pool indoors. This can lead to asphyxiation.
In Montgomery County, two died inside a tent in a wooded area, according to a news release from the county’s emergency management office. No additional details surrounding their death were available. A third person, a man in his 40s, died in Montgomery County after a tree fell on him while he was on his tractor, the news release said.
In Galveston County, John Florence, an investigator with the county's Medical Examiner confirmed that 71 year-old Judith Greet died at Crystal Beach, a community in the Bolivar Peninsula. Greet was on oxygen for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a lung disease that blocks airflow and makes it difficult to breathe. When the hurricane knocked out power in her RV home, Greet’s oxygen machine ran out of battery and she died.
The Houston Chronicle reported that a tenth person died in a house fire caused by lightning. Houston fire officials told The Texas Tribune that the cause is under investigation.
— Pooja Salhotra, Stephen Simpson, Dante Motley and Alejandra Martinez
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said President Joe Biden approved a Federal Emergency Disaster Declaration to aid Texans in the recovery from Hurricane Beryl. Following a phone call with Biden Tuesday, Patrick stated that he requested FEMA assistance to cover costs for debris removal and emergency protective measures.
“We are appreciative that the federal government will step in and they will pick up most of the cost as we go through recovery of the storm,” Patrick said at a Tuesday press briefing.
Updated: 9 hours ago
Once the declaration is finalized and issued, the state’s homeowners and business will be able to access loans and grants to help with Beryl-related recovery costs. FEMA’s public assistance program is divided into categories. Part A covers the costs of debris removal, while part B covers emergency protective measures like medical care, transportation and evacuation. Patrick said the federal government would be covering “most of the cost” associated with storm recovery.
The declaration includes 121 impacted counties, Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd said. Those counties include Brazoria, Galveston and Harris.
Kidd urged residents to adhere to local government regulations if they start doing their own debris cleanup.
Debris will need to be separated into three categories. Vegetative debris includes leaves and plants; construction and demolition debris includes building materials; appliances and white goods are another category.
“Please don’t put it all into one pile,” Kidd said. “It only slows the recovery process.”
On Monday, Biden spoke with Houston Mayor John Whitmire and said his administration is committed to supporting Texas, a White House spokesperson said.
“The U.S. Coast Guard and FEMA are on the ground and stand ready to support local response efforts,” the spokesperson said. “They will remain with the people of Texas every step of the way.”
–Alejandra Martinez and Pooja Salhotra
Hurricane Beryl plowed through the Houston region Monday and, according to local meteorologist Matt Lanza, keeping up hurricane strength until it got halfway across town. Only in the afternoon would the winds die down completely, allowing people to emerge to follow a routine many know well: assess the damage, check on others, clean up and wait for the power to return.
The storm jolted people awake as its winds roared, blowing at 90 miles per hour, pushing tree branches at windows and ripping shingles from rooftops. Ten to 15 inches of rain pounded homes, according to Houston Mayor John Whitmire.
July 9, 2024
The wind sounded to 31-year-old Elizabeth Alvarez in Houston like someone screaming. The mother of six woke up at 4 a.m., scared, and didn’t go back to sleep. She thought her window might break. She lost power and — hour by hour — more Houstonians did too, their air conditioning and refrigerated food going along with it.
Later, Alvarez would drag her pet birds in their cages onto her porch to feel the cooler air, while neighbors grilled corn and pork and others kicked a soccer ball. She would clutch a handheld, battery-powered fan, that was turned off to save for when she needed it.
Across the region, fences toppled. Awnings ripped from restaurants. Signs soared away from businesses. Traffic lights twisted askew. A local television station lost power and went off the air. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said on The Weather Channel, “Really, Houston is getting the brunt of the wind and the rain.”
The pops of transformers echoed. Entire trees crashed down.
And the damage pushed on from there, as Beryl uprooted trees and downed power lines into southeast Texas. In Liberty, a beloved pecan tree outside the historic courthouse was uprooted early on Monday, according to Bluebonnet News . The tree served as a meeting place for generations of residents.
“The rebuild is going to be significant. There was real damage. But the good news is for Houston, this ain’t our first rodeo,” U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz said at a Monday evening press conference.
— Emily Foxhall
When electrical power is knocked out after a hurricane, carbon monoxide poisoning from improperly used gas-powered generators is especially dangerous. The odorless, colorless gas is called an “invisible killer.” Early symptoms can include headache, dizziness, weakness and nausea, similar to the flu. To stay safe, experts recommend never connecting a generator directly to your home’s wiring, ensuring it's properly grounded, and always operate it outdoors away from windows and vents.
— Alejandra Martinez
Stay away from flood waters and damaged power lines. Don’t enter damaged buildings. Take photos and document damages to your home or property. Residents are also encouraged to document their storm damages and losses through a state-run online survey to help state officials understand the extent of the damages.
Organizations like the American Red Cross, Salvation Army and local volunteer organizations can help you find food, shelter and supplies, as well as even assist you with clean-up efforts.
May 30, 2024
Government and community resources may be available to help with recovery. Disaster declarations from the governor and president may free up federal funds for recovery assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency . People cannot receive disaster aid and insurance assistance for the same damages, so insured Texans should file claims through their existing policies before applying for FEMA assistance.
— Maria Probert Hermosillo and Pooja Salhotra
After downing trees and power lines across the Greater Houston area, Hurricane Beryl has been downgraded to a Tropical Storm, meaning wind speeds have lowered below 75 miles per hour.
Maximum sustained winds have decreased to about 60 miles per hour, a 1 p.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center. Beryl is headed northeastward at about 14 miles per hour and is expected to increase in speed as it continues to move through East Texas, where some local officials asked residents to shelter in place.
The National Weather Service out of Shreveport is tracking three confirmed tornadoes on radar, two in Texas and the third in Louisiana. The first is south of Joaquin, which is north of Lufkin and near the Louisiana border, the second is north of Timpson, which is also near the border.
Forecasters urged Texans to use caution amid downed power lines and warned that improper generator use can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.
On the Texas coastline, a storm surge warning is still in effect north of San Luis Pass to Sabine Pass, an area that includes Galveston Bay. The tropical storm warning was discontinued from Port O’Conner to San Luis Pass.
The Coastal Bend, including areas like Corpus Christi, was spared from the brunt of the storm.
— Pooja Salhotra and Jess Huff
High winds have made their way north from the Texas coast into East Texas and counties have begun to ask residents to shelter in place as a way to keep emergency vehicles off the roads as well.
The storm kept up its momentum as a Category 1 hurricane all the way to Interstate 10, surprising meteorologist Matt Lanza at Space City Weather.
“The widespread wind gusts of 75 to 85 mph so far inland was really unnerving,” he wrote in an updated blog post.
Residents of San Jacinto, Liberty, Hardin and Tyler counties have been encouraged to shelter in place, especially to stay off the roads in an effort to also keep emergency vehicles off the road.
News outlets and emergency management teams throughout the region have reported downed power lines and trees throughout the region.
The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch until 10 p.m. Monday for counties between Montgomery and Texarkana counties, as well as Northwest and North Central Louisiana and Southern Arkansas. A wind advisory is in effect until Tuesday morning.
— Jess Huff
In Polk County, which is home to the Lake Livingston Dam, the storm began to peak around 11 a.m. with the worst of it located over the dam, according to Polk County Emergency Management. High winds are still top of mind, even as Beryl has been downgraded to a tropical storm.
The dam, which recently reported potential failures, was releasing 21,175 cubic feet of water per second as of 11 a.m. and the lake level is at 130.93 feet above sea level.
This is significantly less than the several hundred thousand cubic feet of water released in April, when storms required several hundred thousand cubic feet of water per second to be released for multiple days in a row.
The Trinity River Authority, in conjunction with the Federal Aviation Authority, initiated a temporary flight restriction over the dam as the authority also began construction to mitigate potential failures early Monday.
Downed tree limbs and power lines, flooded streets, and power outages have Houston officials pleading with residents to stay home.
Houston mayor John Whitmire held a news conference Monday detailing the dire situation the city finds itself in as it took the brunt of Hurricane Beryl.
“We are dealing with a very serious amount of water. Around 10 inches of rain across the city and 90-mile-per-hour winds and hurricane conditions,” Whitmire said. “Please, Houstonians, shelter in place. We are in emergency and rescue mode.”
Whitmire said over 700,000 Houston electricity customers are currently without power, and the region’s two major airports are not open. However, city officials should better understand the situation now that the storm is moving away.
“We are experiencing the dirty side of a dirty storm,” Whitmire said.
The storm's sustained winds were still at 70 miles per hour as it moved from the Gulf Coast into the Houston area. The National Hurricane Center said that up to 10 inches of rain could fall in some places — and some isolated areas of the state may receive 15 inches. Some areas of Houston have already received nearly 10 inches of rainfall, according to data from the Harris County Flood Control District. On Monday morning, local officials in the Houston area said the storm had downed trees and caused street flooding. At least two people died when trees fell onto their residences.
In Rosenberg, a city 35 miles southwest of Houston, a downed tree hit a high water rescue vehicle returning from a rescue, police said on X . Officials there also urged residents to stay off roadways.
Houston Fire Department Chief Samuel Pena underscored the strain on resources due to the high demand for high-water rescues and live wire calls. These are currently the primary service requests, consuming a significant portion of their resources, and they have already helped eight people in high-water rescues.
“Earlier today, we saw a video of a high-water rescue , and you can see how resource-intensive those call types are. We can’t keep using those resources. Please be cautious and heed the warnings,” Pena said.
— Stephen Simpson, Pooja Salhotra and Emily Foxhall
Some refineries along the Texas coast have shut down due to Hurricane Beryl and are self-reporting instances of “unintentional” emissions.
In one instance, Freeport LNG, a large natural gas terminal on the coast of Brazoria County, reported releases of over 8,000 pounds of unplanned air pollution on Sunday. Pollutants included ethylene , a chemical with a faint sweet and musky odor, that can cause headache, dizziness, fatigue, and lightheadedness if people are exposed to it in large amounts overtime.
In their report to the state, the company wrote the facility was proactively shutting down before the hurricane winds caused power outages.
“[The shutdown] resulted in a subsequent unavoidable venting,” the report said.
Flaring, a process for burning unwanted gas to relieve pressure or clear pipes, usually happens before or during extreme weather events, said Luke Metzger, executive director of the nonprofit Environment Texas.
The Marathon Galveston Bay Refinery in Texas City, along the Houston Ship Channel, tweeted the facility was flaring Monday morning due to a brief power disruption during the storm. No report has been submitted to the state yet.
Metzger said Beryl’s pollution events are low compared to Hurricane Harvey’s 8.3 million pounds of air pollution reported to the state, but suspects more facilities will submit reports after the storm’s passing.
“I was surprised looking at the pollution reports that there has been relatively little pollution reported,” Metzger said. “That’s either good news because the storm had less of an impact [on refineries] or facilities [operators] have learned their lesson.”
Hurricane Beryl made landfall near Matagorda around 4 a.m. Monday as a Category 1 Hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm strengthened through Sunday evening and had maximum sustained winds of 80 miles per hour when it came ashore. A 5 a.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center warned about life-threatening storm surge and inland flooding Monday.
Hundreds of thousands of Texans are without power , including many in coastline counties such as Brazoria and Matagorda, according to PowerOutage.us. The full scope of the storm's damage is not yet clear — and it could cause more Monday as it moves northeast through the state.
The hurricane center said the coast was experiencing life-threatening storm surge. It also warned of flash floods throughout the southeastern portion of the state as the storm continues moving inland, bringing five to 10 inches of rain to some areas — or up to 15 inches in some isolated places.
Category 1 storms primarily damage unanchored mobile homes, shrubbery and trees. They can also do extensive damage to electricity lines and cause power outages that last several days.
— Pooja Salhotra
Disclosure: CenterPoint Energy has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here .
Maria Probert Hermosillo , Berenice Garcia and Emily Foxhall contributed to this report.
Independent Texas reporting needs your support. The Texas Tribune delivers fact-based journalism for Texans, by Texans — and our community of members, the readers who donate, make our work possible. Help us bring you and millions of others in-depth news and information. Will you support our nonprofit newsroom with a donation of any amount?
Become a member. Join today.
Choose an amount or learn more about membership .
General assignment reporter.
@PoojaSalhotra
Mental health reporter.
@Steve55Simpson
Environmental reporter.
@alereports
@JessHuff16
Rio grande valley reporter.
@berenice__g
Climate reporter.
Learn about The Texas Tribune’s policies , including our partnership with The Trust Project to increase transparency in news.
Economy Environment State government Hurricanes
Welcome to the Money blog, your place for personal finance and consumer news and tips. Leave a comment or your Money Problem/consumer dispute (don't forget to leave a contact number/email) in the box below.
Wednesday 10 July 2024 11:03, UK
The quality of customer service is deteriorating across the UK's biggest companies, according to a new report.
A survey of 60,000 people about 275 major firms found satisfaction levels were at their lowest since 2010.
Customers reported a decline in complaints handling, as well as worse customer experience and a more negative view of company ethics, the Institute of Customer Service found.
"The current outlook isn't where we need it to be, despite our research showing that higher levels of customer satisfaction correlate with financial stability and growth," said Jo Causon, chief executive of the Institute of Customer Service.
"Business leaders need to understand the evolving needs and expectations of their customers, developing their organisations' approach accordingly to unlock the sustainable growth the economy needs."
The ICS's Customer Satisfaction Index rates satisfaction on a scale out of 100, with the overall score across all 275 companies standing at 75.8, a drop of 0.8 points on a year ago and 2.6 points below its high of 78.4 in July 2022.
Utility providers were the worst offenders, with a satisfaction rating of 69.8 out of 100 - though it was the only industry to see a slight uptick (0.3 points).
Digging into the data further, and water companies - plagued by sewage spills and rising bills - were the most disappointing among utilities, dropping to 69.5 points.
Tourism, leisure, retail, banks, automotives, insurance, public services and transport industries all saw a decline.
Satisfaction fell fastest over the last year in the telecommunications and media sector, down 2.1 points to 73.3/100.
On the other end of the scale, Timpson, Nationwide and John Lewis scored highest among individual companies - between 85 and 86 points.
Taylor Swift, Elon Musk and Martin Lewis are among celebrities whose identities are commonly misused by scammers, data suggests.
Martin Lewis's face and name have been used to steal £20m over the last two years, MoneySavingExpert found after analysing Action Fraud figures.
Some £500,000 was reported lost to one scam featuring Mr Lewis.
"It's likely that the criminals pumping out these scam ads effectively use their own in-house dark web digital marketing teams, researching which celebrities and advert types get the best click through rates, and honing the way they work to be able to attract more victims," said Mr Lewis.
"If it's an ad with me in, it's always a scam, as I don't do adverts."
The King, Jeremy Clarkson and Rishi Sunak have also been used by scammers.
MoneySavingExpert asked Action Fraud to supply the data based on a list of celebrities it had created after asking people on social media who they had seen in scam ads.
"Topping this list is about the worst compliment I've ever had," said Mr Lewis.
Below are the top 10 high-profile figures whose identities have been misused, with the percentage of total mentions in scams:
Ticket scams are rife as criminals seek to cash in on the popularity of Swift's Era's tour.
Fans have lost out on an estimated £1m since UK tickets for her tour went on sale last July, according to data published by Lloyds Bank.
Mentions of cryptocurrency, investing, retirement planning and promises to get rich quick are also particular warning signs to look out for in scam ads, MoneySavingExpert warned.
Every Wednesday we ask Michelin chefs to pick their favourite Cheap Eats where they live and when they cook at home. This week we speak to Benjamin Ferra Y Castell from one-starred Pavyllon in London.
Hi Benjamin, can you tell us your favourite places in London where you can get a meal for two for less than £40?
1. Saint George Cafe
This is a French bakery offering delicious sandwiches made with high-quality products. Their bread is made by a French baker with a specially selected flour.
The pastries are also amazing - using high-quality butter and the chocolate used in the pain au chocolate makes it one of my best sweet treats in the city. On top of all of this, their coffee is some of the best in London.
2. Tachbrook Street Market in Pimlico
This market is really affordable and convenient and away from the hustle and bustle of Victoria Station.
I used to go with my wife who loves spicy food, especially to a Thai food stand on the left part of the market which is a must-try.
If you come back often enough as I do, they sometimes give a nice discount!
Authentic Thai food made with love, available for less than £10 for a substantial portion.
3. Bar Italia in Soho
Offers great Italian coffee with authentic products from different regions of Italy.
You can try different sandwiches and they have an excellent burrata. They serve real coffee, how it should be made.
What is your "go-to" cheap eat to cook at home when you have a night in?
I would suggest a nice vegetable appetiser, something fresh and flavourful which is cheap and tasty as long as it's seasonal.
At home, when the first heirloom tomatoes come into season, I slice them and season with olive oil, fresh herbs and some anchovies on top - seasoning generously is a must!
Try to buy smart, local and according to the season - that's one of my favourite tips.
I also recommend a nice pasta when cooking at home, using a brand called Rummo (note from Money team: their range is available from Ocado for around £2), served alongside delicious seafood.
Go early to Billingsgate fish market, to buy quality seafood direct from fisherman. It's also usually cheaper and always fresher. Plus, you can negotiate a bit!
We've spoken to lots of top chefs and bloggers - check out their cheap eats from around the country here...
By James Sillars , business news reporter
A stronger open for the FTSE 100 today after financial and energy stocks dragged yesterday.
The index was 0.3% up at 8,161 following the 0.7% hit of the previous session.
Part of that decline was a double-edged sword as it was linked to lower oil prices.
In better news for drivers, Brent crude touched $84 a barrel and was a further 0.7% down as some market concerns over tight supplies eased.
Chinese economic data was also seen as pouring cold water on prospects for higher demand in the world's second-biggest economy.
Weaker profit estimates from BP also led the market down.
Companies reporting on their progress today included JD Wetherspoon.
The pub giant reported a 5.8% rise in comparable sales over the 10 weeks to 7 July.
It was likely aided by Euro 2024 and in spite of unseasonably wet weather, which has been blamed for hitting consumer spending more widely.
Its shares were 0.1% down in response.
The performance likely reflected the fact that the sales growth figure was lower than the 11% rise achieved in the same period last year.
Wetherspoons also highlighted cost pressures from wages and some products.
By Emily Mee, Money reporter
If TikTok is anything to go by, many of us are seeking that Sabrina Carpenter bronzed look this summer (me included).
But without a pop star's team of make-up artists and the bank account to boot, how can the rest of us get that perfect glow?
We've asked four beauty experts to give us their top affordable dupes for high-end products. Here's what they said (before one of them reveals the product you should never skimp on)...
Suzanne Baum , freelance beauty editor
For Suzanne, affordable make-up brand e.l.f. can't be beaten for its dupes: "Super affordable, long-lasting and provides a perfect finish for a summer glow."
These are her picks from the brand...
e.l.f. Bronzing Drops, £12
It's a dupe for... Drunk Elephant's D-Bronzi drops, £34
"A nourishing tinted serum for a sun-kissed glow," she says.
Just add one to three drops to your moisturiser, face oil or body cream.
e.l.f. Halo Glow Liquid Filter, £15
It's a dupe for... Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter, at £39
"A multi-purpose, liquid glow booster that gives your complexion a soft-focus social filter effect IRL," says Suzanne.
Wear on its own for sheer coverage, under foundation as a luminous base, as a highlighter or mixed with foundation for a dewy glow.
e.l.f. Power Grip Primer, £10
It's a dupe for... Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer, £35
"A gel-based, hydrating face primer that smooths skin while gripping your make-up," Suzanne says.
e.l.f. Halo Glow Contour Beauty Wand, £9
It's a dupe for... Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand, £30
"A liquid contour wand with a cushion-tip applicator for a naturally sculpted complexion," the beauty expert says.
Apply to your hairline, temples, sides of your nose, hollows of your cheeks and jawline, then blend with a brush.
e.l.f. Camo Liquid Blush, £7
It's a dupe for.... Rare Beauty Soft Pink Liquid Blush, £24
"A long-lasting liquid blush that delivers a high pigment pop of colour to cheeks with a dewy finish," says Suzanne.
e.l.f. Glow Reviver Lip Oil, £8
It's a dupe for... Dior Lip Glow Oil, £32
"An ultra-glossy tinted lip oil that nourishes, hydrates and enhances your lips' natural colour," Suzanne says.
Joyce Connor , make-up artist
For Joyce, she'll often go for the high-end brands over dupes - but there was one product that she thought was even better than the original.
Here are her picks...
Revolution Pro CC Perfecting Skin Enhancer, £10
It's a dupe for... IT Cosmetics CC+ Nude Glow, £37
The IT Cosmetics product is Joyce's go-to, but she says the Revolution version makes for a "very good" dupe.
She says it gives a "nice glow without being shiny, because in the summer we don't want to be caked in make-up".
It is worth noting that the IT Cosmetics version includes SPF 40, whereas the Revolution one does not.
Apply before foundation for an added glow.
Boots Glow Essence Serum, £5
It's a dupe for... Glossier Future Dew Facial Oil Serum Hybrid, £30
There's quite a difference in price here, and Joyce says the Boots version gives a "nice sheen" under your foundation.
However, she notes the Glossier product has a more golden tint.
Massage two to three drops onto your skin before moisturising.
Avon Radiance Ritual Touch Of Gold Body Oil, £5
It's a dupe for... Sol De Janeiro GlowMotions Glow Body Oil, £35
For added glow, massage into the skin and do not rinse - or you can use it as a bath oil.
NYX Professional Makeup Fat Oil Lip Drip Lip Gloss, £7.99
It's a dupe for... Dior Addict Lip Glow Oil, £32
"To be honest, I prefer the Fat Oil to the Dior one," says Joyce, picking it out as her favourite dupe.
"It lasted longer on my lips. I didn't have to top it up as quickly. I like the sheen of it. The colour was lovely," she raves.
Sue Moxley , beauty expert
Sue believes you don't have to spend a fortune to get quality products - and she's a fan of "good old" Revlon and L'Oreal.
Revolution Fix and Glow Setting Spray, £8.99
It's a dupe for... Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter, £39
Okay, this isn't a direct dupe as it's a setting spray rather than a foundation. But Sue says if you pair this with your favourite foundation, it should give you that "wonderful flawless glow" similar to Flawless Filter.
She recommends spraying it about 10 inches from your face all over and allowing it to dry for a few minutes.
NYX Bare With Me Blur Tint Foundation, £9.99
It's a dupe for... Jones Road What the Foundation, £42
A good alternative to the trending Jones Road foundation is NYX's Bare With Me, which Sue says "smoothes pores but looks really light and natural".
"Apply with a make-up brush all over your face for a professional finish," she says.
Lacura Luminous Filter Foundation, £5
It's a dupe for... Clinique Even Better SPF15 Foundation, £34.50
TikTok went wild for this Aldi dupe, which Sue says is an alternative to the "high end glossy foundations".
"It's such a bargain - it's definitely up there," she says.
She recommends applying all over with a sponge, pressing rather than rubbing into the skin.
Rimmel Natural Bronzer, £6.99
It's a dupe for... Iconic London Kissed By the Sun Bronzer, £25
Sue says this is a light bronzer that "glides on easily with a blusher brush".
Swirl it on the hollows of your cheeks, up to your temples, down underneath your jawline and on the bridge of your nose.
So, how much difference is there between the dupes and the high-end products?
You might be wondering just how noticeable the difference is if you go for the cheaper alternative.
It's a difficult question to answer as it can vary from product to product - and not all the experts we spoke to were in total agreement.
Sue Moxley says a lot of the lower end budget brands use similar ingredients to their more expensive counterparts.
"You can get better packaging or the quality of the packaging is better, but it's also the brand name that is putting the prices up," she says.
The high-end brands do put extra ingredients in, she says, but "they don't warrant the amount of difference in price".
"It's still lovely to go and buy a Chanel lipstick or something and have it in your bag and it makes you feel wonderful. You get it out and it's gorgeous packaging and you put it on in the restaurant," she says.
"It does make you feel good, but I do believe that there are products out there that are equivalent in quality and ingredients wise."
But Joyce Connor says the high-end brands are often worth it - although she does say you can "mix and match".
More expensive brands rarely sell single-ingredient products, she says, and this can make a difference in terms of what you're getting.
For example, she says an own-brand hyaluronic acid cream will often have that single ingredient but a similar product from a high-end brand will likely include peptides and ceramides - all providing extra value.
One item not to skimp on
Joyce says if you're going to spend money on anything, it should be your moisturiser so you can get a perfect base for your make-up.
"There are plenty of dupes out there that that are going to be effective as long as you are moisturising," she says.
Her pick is the Goldfaden MD Vital Boost Even Skintone Daily Moisturiser - but at £60 for 50ml, that might be a bit much for some.
EE has launched a subscription service designed to protect users from nuisance calls and scams.
Called Scam Guard, the system will use AI to spot likely spam calls and alert users to them.
It will also notify the owner if their personal information has been found on the dark web, and offer tips on how to secure any in-danger accounts.
Anti-virus and malware protection for two devices and tools for stronger password creation can be included as well.
The mobile operator is offering the service to pay-monthly phone customers, starting from £1 a month.
EE, which is part of the BT Group, said it hoped the system would eliminate the stress of cybersecurity and educate users on the subject.
It comes after government research published earlier this year showed 40% of crime committed across the UK was fraud-based, and almost all phone users experienced nuisance calls on a regular basis.
"We have always prioritised the protection of our customers and our investment in Scam Guard is something we are all incredibly proud of," said Helen Burrows, policy director for BT.
"This is something we take seriously, and while we already block an impressive number of scams, there is always more that we can do. Scam Guard covers all bases, so customers can feel safer on our network."
Aldi will open 10 new stores across the UK this summer.
The German supermarket chain has already opened stores in Skelmersdale in Lancashire, Newport in Wales, Castle Gresley in Derbyshire, Goole in Yorkshire and High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire this year.
And it is now set to open sites in Waltham Cross in Hertfordshire, and Olney Park in Milton Keynes, in the next month.
Towns such as Aberdare in Wales, Broughty Ferry in Dundee and Leytonstone in London are also set to open new stores.
In total, the UK's fourth-largest supermarket is on track to open 35 new stores this year, with each creating around 40 new jobs on average.
The openings form part of Aldi's long-term target of 1,500 stores in the UK.
Jonathan Neale, real estate managing director at Aldi UK, said the store wanted to "ensure that high quality yet affordable food is available to everyone" and that was why the chain would "expand across the UK".
Where will the new branches be opening?
Over half a million pensioners are still paying off their mortgages, research shows.
In its survey of 2,000 people over 50, the financial services firm SunLife found that retired mortgage holders still owed more than £30,000 on average.
Data found that of the 68% that were homeowners, 23% were still paying off their mortgage.
And while 87% of those with outstanding mortgages were still working, the research showed that 13% of those still paying off their mortgages were retired.
This means that of all retirees in the UK, 7% - the equivalent of just over 500,000 older people - may still be paying monthly mortgage payments.
On average, these retired mortgage holders still owe £33,627.
The data follows a recent Bank of England report which revealed nearly half of all mortgages issued in the last three months of 2023 were for 30 years or longer.
Last month, worried homeowners told the Money team they would have to work longer and later in life to pay their mortgages.
You can read more here ...
Crisis-hit Thames Water has warned its cash remains on track to run dry by the end of May next year due to a lack of new investment, forcing it to prepare a plan for its lenders.
The country's biggest water company, which serves almost a quarter of the population, previously said it had £2.4bn of liquidity as of the end of March.
The company said on Tuesday that the sum had fallen to £1.8bn by the end of June.
Cash-strapped Thames Water has been struggling to secure fresh funds from existing shareholders after they withdrew promised investment of £500m amid a funding row with the industry regulator.
Read more from our business news reporter James Sillars below...
The UK's largest hotel brand has had to change its marketing after a complaint to the advertising regulator - removing claims which said buying early means getting the best price.
The complaint against Premier Inn was "informally resolved" by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), meaning the hotel chain agreed to amend the communication and details of the issue were not made public.
No formal ruling was published but the ASA told Sky News a complaint had challenged Premier Inn's claim that booking early gave the best deals on the basis the statement was misleading and could not be substantiated.
The ad in question said: "Book early to secure your choice of hotel and dates for the best price!"
Read more from our business news reporter Sarah Taafe-Maguire here...
Card spending fell last month for the first time in more than three years, according to Barclays.
It's the first time there's been a drop in card spending values since February 2021, the bank's June data showed.
The figures cover nearly 40% of the nation's credit and debit card transactions and combine it with consumer research.
It's due to a combination of prices rising less than before, as inflation weakened, and wet weather dampening clothes, pub and garden centre sales early in the month.
Read more...
Dyson has revealed plans for 1,000 job losses in the UK.
The manufacturer of innovative vacuum cleaners and other products said the cuts, which amount to more than a quarter of its UK workforce, followed a review of its global workforce needs.
It is understood that the redundancies are not linked to the general election as the process had begun beforehand.
The company's founder Sir James Dyson had previously been critical of the Conservative government 's approach to economic growth and science.
Follow this breaking story here ...
Be the first to get Breaking News
Install the Sky News app for free
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
PaperRater proofreads and rates your essays & papers. It picks out grammar & spelling errors, detects plagiarism and grades your writing. It includes resources on grammar, writing, spelling & more.
PaperRater's online essay checker is built for easy access and straightforward use. Get quick results and reports to turn in assignments and essays on time. 2. Advanced Checks. Experience in-depth analysis and detect even the most subtle errors with PaperRater's comprehensive essay checker and grader. 3.
Proofread on 100+ language issues; Specialized in academic texts; Corrections directly in your essay; Upload my essay Your writing stays private. Correct your entire essay in 5 minutes. Proofread my document. Why this is the best free essay checker Tested most accurate. In the test ...
Our essay checker and corrector will help you spot the usual writing errors—misplaced commas, "their" instead of "there," incomplete sentences, and so on. But there's so much more to good writing, and many free writing tools don't quite get you there. These are a few examples of next-level mistakes that you can root out with assistance ...
The editing tool analyzes your text and highlights a variety of key writing issues, such as overused words, incohesive sentence structures, punctuation issues, repeated phrases, and inconsistencies. You don't need to drown your essay in words just to meet the word count. ProWritingAid's essay checker will help to make your words more effective.
Check your grammar in seconds. Slick Write is a powerful, free application that makes it easy to check your writing for grammar errors, potential stylistic mistakes, and other features of interest. Whether you're a blogger, novelist, SEO professional, or student writing an essay for school, Slick Write can help take your writing to the next level.
Thankfully, the EasyBib Plus plagiarism tool provides all-in-one support to cover all your bases. Our premium essay checker is convenient, easy to use, and includes access to a grammar and spell checker, plus a plagiarism checker. With a single scan, you'll receive personalized feedback to help identify potentially missing citations and help ...
Fix mistakes that slip under your radar. Fix problems with commonly confused words, like affect vs. effect, which vs. that and who vs. that. Catch words that sound similar but aren't, like their vs. they're, your vs. you're. Check your punctuation to avoid errors with dashes and hyphens, commas, apostrophes, and more.
You can use our free online GRE essay immediately. All you need to do is: Type or paste your GRE essay in the box below. [Wait for the text box to load. If it's taking too long, refresh the page.] Click on the 'Check' button. Your essay grade along with the breakup across 3 dimensions (Structure, Readability and Coherence) will be displayed.
Don't waffle. You don't have time to argue both sides of an issue on the GRE issue essay. Even if you don't believe in the side you choose, you'll only have time to argue one side effectively. If you take a middle-of-the-road approach you won't sound as confident or clear. Remember, according to ETS, the "readers are evaluating the ...
Rate my Issue Essay . Anyone feel like rating my issue essay? I try to take 30 minutes every day to write an issue essay on one of the prompts that I find particularly tricky. "Scandals are useful because they focus our attention on problems in ways that no speaker or reformer ever could.
Please rate my issue essay . I am very nervous and lacking in confidence when it comes to essays. This is the reason why I have not yet set a date for my GRE. I have been consistently scoring around 325 on my practice tests. This essay took me about 50 min. The biggest issues I am facing are coming up with relevant examples and the hook for the ...
Rate my issue essay . Essay Feedback . I wrote an issue essay for first time. Would be really grateful if someone rates it and tell me where to improve. Prompt: In most professions and academic fields, imagination is more important than knowledge.
Give each aspect of your essay a score ranging from zero to six. Total all four scores and find the average. Now you have a sense of your writing score. Round scores up as follows: Round a score of 4.25 to 4.5 and a score of 3.75 to 4. Of course evaluating your own writing will be hard if you don't know what to look for, but this is a perfect ...
Free Online Plagiarism Checker. Paste the text of your paper or essay into the editor below (or upload a file) and select the "Get Report" button to immediately check your paper for plagiarism. Upload File. By uploading, your document will be auto-corrected by our grammar checker and will be shared on our. Student Brands websites.
Rate my Issue Essay . This is my first Issue essay. I want to know where I start, how much I will get, and where I can improve. Thanks. ===== Claim: Colleges and universities should specify all required courses and eliminate elective courses in order to provide clear guidance for students. ...
Kindly rate my issue essay 23 Aug 2016, 15:38 Thanks anyone who kindly rate this issue. Claim: Colleges and universities should specify all required courses and eliminate elective courses in order to provide clear guidance for students. Reason: College students—like people in general—prefer to follow directions rather than make their own ...
Re: Please rate my issue essay out of 6 27 Dec 2021, 23:30 You put your efforts I can see but that need more improvement for that I will suggest you utilize an essay writing service which is the most ideal way to further develop your own academic composing abilities and to improve at college.
Rate my Issue Essay Rate my Issue Essay. By Danish Sinha October 3, 2015 in GRE/GMAT/etc. Share More sharing options... Followers 1. Recommended Posts. Danish Sinha. Posted October 3, 2015. Danish Sinha. Members; 3 Location: India; Application Season: 2016 Fall; Program ...
Issue Essay, please rate my essay and state your opinions. Thanks in advance. Essay Feedback . Formal education tends to restrain our minds and spirits rather than set them free. Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing ...
As of 6:22 p.m. Tuesday, 1.9 million electricity customers concentrated in the southeastern corner of the state that bore the brunt of Beryl's fierce winds still didn't have electricity.
Yes, Labour has committed to addressing this issue. ... At present, those saving into pensions receive tax relief on contributions at their marginal (highest) rate of income tax - 20%, 40% or 45 ...
If anyone has the time to review this issue essay I wrote, I would greatly appreciate it!! PROMPT Formal education tends to restrain our minds and spirits rather than set them free. Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take.
Rate my issue essay (out of 6) Claim: The best way to understand the character of a society is to examine the character of the men and women that the society chooses as its heroes or its role models. Reason: Heroes and role models reveal a society's highest ideals. A society is a culmination of demographics that co-exists under a common ...