Read the NEWS In English 🌐 Advanced Vocabulary and Grammar from the Wall Street Journal

Today you're going to read a newspaper  article with me to help you learn grammar,  

vocabulary and even pronunciation very  naturally. And this newspaper article is  

probably one of the most common newspapers  around the world and that's the Wall Street  

Journal. Welcome back to JForrestEnglish  training. Of course, I'm Jennifer and this  

is your place to become fluent, confident  English speaker. Now let's get started.  

Hello, and welcome to our article. Let me read  the title for you. Most metaverse users don't  

even make it a month, WSJ reports. Now we're  talking about the metaverse. The metaverse. And  

you might recognize this avatar, this cartoon.  This looks like Mark Zuckerberg, doesn't it?  

The founder of Facebook. Well, Mark Zuckerberg  created the metaverse, which is a virtual reality  

universe. I have never used Metaverse, have  you? But that's what we're talking about in this  

article. So Metaverse is the name of the virtual  reality world that Mark Zuckerberg has created.  

And WSJ. I'll just point out that this  stands for The Wall Street Journal,  

Wall Street Journal. Since it's the most common  most popular newspaper in the world. We use an  

acronym. An acronym is when you take a word,  and you shorten it by just using each first  

letter of that word. So you already know and  hopefully use some common acronyms. For example,  

FYI, what does this stand for? For your  information? So we take f y i, another one.  

What does this stand for? As soon as possible? So  it's important to understand how to use acronyms.  

Now let's continue with our article. Inside the  horizon worlds platform, meta is struggling to  

keep users engaged with glitchy features and empty  worlds. Meta is the company that owns Facebook,  

and the company that owns metaverse. Remember  Metaverse is the virtual real virtual reality  

world created by Mark Zuckerberg and  Mark Zuckerberg created the company Mehta  

and her horizon worlds platform. I'm assuming this  is the platform where the metaverse is hosted.  

Let's look at this glitchy This is a  great adjective to add to your vocabulary,  

especially when we're talking about technology.  

Now glitchy This is an adjective. And we use  this when something doesn't work properly.  

So something doesn't work properly. Or you  could say it doesn't work, as it should.  

So let's say you have an app that is supposed  to organize your photos for you. But the app  

doesn't organize them properly. It doesn't put the  correct dates together. It doesn't put the correct  

users together whenever you go on the app. You  open it and then it shuts down and it causes  

your whole phone to freeze and restart. It's  not working properly. It's not working as it  

should. Then you could say this app this app  is glitchy, glitchy. So as an adjective here,  

you could say something and then you use a verb  to be and then you use our adjective glitchy. Now  

of course you need to conjugate your verb so you  could say these features are glitchy and you would  

conjugate your verb. Notice the pronunciation,  glitchy, glitchy, glitchy, a great adjectives  

specific for technology. Let's continue on  with a $400 price tag to access the platform  

via the quest to headset. The Metaverse isn't  yet assessable to the casual user. Those who do  

get a chance to try the Tech experience baffling  branded content, persistent bugs and empty world  

with no user interactions. All right, we have  another great adjective here. baffling, baffling.  

Again, this is an adjective and we know it's  an adjective, because it's describing are now  

they experience content. What type of content  baffling content. In this case we actually have  

two adjectives because branded is functioning  as an adjective. Branded simply means that you  

see the company's brand when you're on  the app. So you're on the app and you  

might see the metal logo, the Facebook logo  or on the bottom it says Metaverse powered  

by Metaverse and maybe you see that brand a  lot. So that's branded content. Now baffling,  

this is another word for confusing confusing  is a great, great adjective to have confusing.  

Now you could also again use it with  the verb to be and say, I am baffled  

by the content. So here this is in the passive  form, and it's in the passive form because the  

subject is receiving the action. I'm baffled  if it were the active form you could say the  

content baffles me. The content baffles me.  So here we're using it as a verb to baffle.  

To baffle and then we commonly  used to baffle someone.  

And remember, it's the same as confused so  the content confuses me. I'm confused by the  

content. Now we also as you saw can use it  as an adjective, and you can say the content  

is confused. Oh, is baffling, baffling.  So notice our different forms adjective,  

and then we have it as an active verb and our  passive verb of course in the passive form you  

need the verb to be so you can say she is baffled  by the content. And if it were in the past,  

you could say she was baffled by the  content. So definitely add this word  

to your vocabulary and get comfortable  with the different ways you can use it.  

Persistent This is a great adjective as  well. When something is persistent. It  

means it lasts a long time it lasts longer  than you want or longer than you expect.  

So they're saying the bugs in a technology  world and technology vocabulary, bugs are  

problems. So again, you can say there are a lot  of bugs with the software. There are a lot of  

problems with the software. We generally use  this specifically with technology vocabulary,  

so persistent bugs. This means  bugs that last a long time,  

longer than expected needed or wanted. So  persistent bugs, that's a great adjective as well.  

Let's start our next paragraph. Even  employees appear not to enjoy the platform,  

saying there is a quality problem. Last month, in  response to user complaints, meta put the horizon  

platform into lockdown pausing the rollout of  new features. While it works to improve the user  

experience of existing elements in the virtual  reality world. The Wall Street Journal reported.  

So remember here we have our acronym,  which was W S. J. You just take the  

first letter from each word, the Wall  Street Journal, the WSJ, report it  

now, everyone knows what lockdown is because  of course we all experienced that. So you know,  

when you put the platform into lockdown, you're  basically freezing it you're not allowing  

anything new to happen. You're keeping it in a  static state. This is a great expression here,  

though rollout of the rollout of this means the  introduction of new features. So introduction  

so for example, we can say the company  is rolling out new features. This month.  

Our phrasal verb roll out this simply means  introduce the company is introducing new  

features. Now because this is our verb you can  conjugate this in different subjects of course,  

or in different conjugations in different time  references. So, right now we have this in the  

Present Continuous because it's taking place  right now this month or in the near future,  

depending on the context. But if it's already  completed, you could say the company rolled  

out new features. Now what do I need to do with  this this month? Last month, last month, because  

it's in the past simple, so I can't use this  month, if I view this month as a future action  

the company rolled out new features last month,  technically I could say this month. If for  

example, right now it is the 15th for example,  but the features were introduced on the fifth.  

Now that is in the past, but it's still this  month, this month. So you can say this month  

with a past simple as long as you're talking about  a time period that is complete that in the past.  

All right, so roll out. That's a great business  vocabulary. We generally use this with companies,  

but you could use it for example with the  government, you could say the government  

plans to roll out its new tax credit.  

Next year, for example. So I want to show  you our phrasal verb in a different sentence  

structure here. It's in the infinitive plan to  roll out its new tax credit. We need it without  

the apostrophe because it's possessive. If you  have it with the apostrophe, it's it is which  

is grammatically incorrect. It's new tax credit  next year. So again, this simply means introduce  

let's continue on. Internal statistics WSJ  reported indicate that only 9% of world's built  

by users are ever visited by at least 50 people.  While most never received any visit at all.  

Indicates is a more formal way of saying set.  Internal statistics said that, so indicate that  

now here we have it in the present simple form.  Of course, you could put it in the past indicated  

because it's a verb. So instead of saying said,  you can use indicate that's a more formal word.  

Another more formal choice that's great for  your academic or business vocabulary could be  

state, internal statistics state that indicate  that state that those are both more formal ways  

of simply saying say only 9% of world's built  by users are ever visited by at least 50 people.  

So here at least, this is taking our  number and saying 50 is the minimum  

at least 50 There could be more than 50 but  there isn't less than 50. So you might say  

we need to finish at least  50% of the project today.  

So you're this means a minimum of 50% It's great  if you finish 55% 60% 70% or even 100%. That's  

okay, but if you've finished 40% That's not okay,  because you need at least 50% a minimum of 50%.  

Less concern continue on internal documents  show Mehta has fallen far short of its goals  

for regular monthly users. The company  initially had set a goal of 500,000  

monthly users by the end of 2022, but has changed  that figure to 280,000. The document shows the  

documents show the platform has less than 200,000  current users. All right, so notice our numbers.  

I know sometimes students have difficulty with  numbers. Your best thing to do is go into a  

numbers based article, something with a  lot of statistics and just practice those  

numbers 500 And then three zeros represent  1000 500,000. Now we don't add an S to the  

number because the S is here. The plural  is on users. So I do not say 500 1000s  

1000s with an S at the end. I don't say that  you say 500,000 users so our plural is on users  

280,000 Now you do not need to say and  you do not need to say 280,000 No 280,000  

And again, no US 200,000 Again, are as is here.  

Let's look at this to fall short. To  fall short. This is a great expression  

we set a big goal, but we fell short. Now  notice here in the article they see set a  

goal. So with goal, the verb you use is set. We  don't really say I made a goal. I made a goal to  

reach 500,000 users the best choice for  the verb is I set a goal I set a goal.  

So we sent a big goal, but we fell short.  What does this mean? This means you did not  

reach your goal. So when you fall short, you  don't achieve your objective to fall short.  

To fall short. You don't reach your objective.  Whatever your objective is, it could be to get  

a specific mark on the IELTS or it could be to  get a promotion next year or to read a certain  

number of books this month. But if you don't reach  your objective you can say well, I fell short.  

Now notice here, they have an adverb, or they fell  far short. So this is just saying, how short did  

you fall? How far away were you from accomplishing  the goal? So let's say the goal is here.  

And they were way way way back there. You  could say they fell are short, but maybe  

if they were close right here, you wouldn't use  the word far because they were somewhat close.  

So for this one, I would say you don't need to  use it. It isn't that commonly used, but the  

expression is to fall short. And notice is here  what verb isn't conjugated with metta has fallen  

short, has fallen short. It's the present perfect.  So we have I fell short that's in the past. I've  

fallen short. That's in the present. Continue  present perfect. And this is the past simple.  

Let's continue on. Most users generally  don't return to the app after the first  

month. Well more than half of quest two headsets  are out of views within six months WSJ recorded.  

So here within six months, this is saying six  months or less or less, so it could be five 5.543  

but not seven or more, or even not 6.5 or more.  So six months or less, so your boss might say  

we need to roll out the new feature with n  

two weeks. So it could be one and a half weeks,  one week, three days, but it can't be two and a  

half weeks. So it can be less than two weeks  but it cannot be more than if you say within  

in light of the low user retention feature  glitches and high costs of access. Insider  

previously reported some investors have  raised questions about metas 15 billion  

investment in reality labs, the business  segment responsible for the metaverse.  

This is a great expression here in light of  and then you have something now when we use  

this it means you're considering the something so  there's something here is the low user retention  

is another way of saying because of that's  how you can think of it and the most simplest  

context because of the low user retention when  we consider when we acknowledge because of it's  

a more formal way and it's a great expression TO  HAVE TO YOUR more formal vocabulary, your business  

vocabulary or your academic vocabulary. You can  say in light of the weather. We canceled our trip  

and you probably recognize this this  you probably recognize this more with  

because because of the weather we canceled  our trip. Now this is a more every day.  

Contacts. So I would likely use because of  in light of sounds a little too formal. So  

what I would do is probably change this to a  more professional context and say, in light of  

the recession, we postponed the rollouts so the  rollout is the introduction of the new features.  

Currently, it's unclear where the metaverse fit  in the Investment Framework WSJ reported, Derr,  

all of a sound Joe, lead product manager for  horizon and the metaverse platform wrote in  

a memo, we are overdue for a reassessment  of how we invest and allocate resources.  

Let's look at this we are overdue. The sentence  structure is to be overdue or and then something  

this means that this something is taking longer  than you expect it this something should have  

happened sooner. So they're saying if  they're overdue, for a reassessment,  

it means we should have reassessed earlier.  reassessing is taking too long. So you might say  

our company is overdue for  a new marketing proposal.  

So this marketing proposal should have been  introduced or rolled out sooner. It's taking too  

long. So that's another great business expression.  Now, you can use this in a more everyday context,  

because you might say the my assignment is  overdue, which means that your assignment  

is late. That's basically what it means to be  late. It means that you should have submitted  

that assignment sooner. You should have submitted  it sooner. It's late. My assignment is overdue.  

This paper is overdue. It's late, you should have  submitted it sooner. So a very useful expression.  

So that's the end of our article. Now you know a  little bit more about Mark Zuckerberg Metaverse,  

and are you going to use the metaverse? Have  you used the metaverse? You can share that  

in the comments below. And I hope you enjoyed  this article. Awesome job with this article.  

You will learn a lot of grammar, vocabulary  and pronunciation very naturally. And I hope  

you enjoyed learning about the metaverse  as well. Now making sure you take your  

favorite new expression from this article and  leave some example sentences in the comments  

below to get lots of practice. And if you found  this video helpful, please hit the like button,  

share with your friends and of course subscribe.  And before you go make sure you head on over  

to my website JForrestEnglish.com and download  your free speaking Guide. In this guide I share  

six tips on how to speak English fluently and  confidently. And until next time Happy studying.