Vocabulary learning for exams and essays
You'll need to use the right vocabulary to get a good mark in an English essay or exam. In many cases, examiners also want to see some variety in the words that you use, which means you'll need a relatively large "active" vocabulary. Here are some ways that you can prepare before an exam or…
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Speaking about rules and regulations
Here are some useful ways to talk about general obligations. Using must You can use "must" to talk about what's obligatory or compulsory. Remember: must is a modal verb, and is followed by the infinitive without "to": "You must leave by 8pm." You don't need to add 's' for third person singular: "He must leave…
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How to reduce mistakes when you write English
Here are five tips for reducing mistakes when you write. These tips are especially useful if you need to write emails or short messages for work, or if you're preparing for an external exam such as the PET (Cambridge) exam. 1. Keep it simple Write in short, clear sentences. Limit your sentences to one idea…
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Talking about practical jokes in English
Yesterday was April Fool's Day – a day when people play practical jokes on each other. These practical jokes can be simple (telling someone a small lie and hoping they will believe it) or more elaborate (involving lots of planning, for example). Newspapers such as the Guardian often run a spoof story (a story that…
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English grammar review: Present Simple or Present Continuous?
We use the Present Simple to talk about things that are factual, permanent, or routine. For example: London lies on the Thames. (factual) I live in Italy. (permanent) I go to work by car. (routine) When we talk about our routines, we can also add an adverb of frequency to say how often we do…
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When you don't know the right word
Sometimes we forget the right word, or we realise as we're speaking that we don't know the word we need. This can often happen in the PET Speaking test, where you're under pressure and don't have a lot of time to think. In these situations, there are three things you can do to prevent you…
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Using 'just'
1. We can use "just" to refer to something which happened only a few minutes before. To do this, use the present perfect tense: The postman has just been. I've just phoned the school. "Just" goes before the auxiliary and the main verb. You can also use "already" here, although "already" doesn't give the idea…
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Avoid the biggest native speaker mistakes
Native speakers of English don't always write English correctly and there are some mistakes you'll see again and again. Here are some of the most common mistakes English speakers make when they write – and most of them are caused by mistakes in punctuation. 1. It's – its "It's" is the abbreviated form of "it…
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Describing people tactfully
You can use a wide range of vocabulary to describe how people look. This page has lots of useful words and expressions in context. But be careful. People can be sensitive about their body shape or age and some words might cause offense. Three words to avoid are fat, thin and old. Using "a bit"…
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English Vocabulary: Expressions related to pay
Here are some common expressions related to "pay". pay raise / rise = when you get more money in your job. The difference between "raise" and "rise" is that "raise" implies that you needed to negotiate for it, while "rise" means that the increase was somehow automatic. back pay = when you are paid for…
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