Most people start learning English at school – but even after years of study they still aren’t fluent. Why is this? Is there a better method to become fluent? Most of what you learn in typical English lessons doesn’t help you with fluency. It can help with passing exams and tests, but there are other… Read More
There are four stages of learning English – and each one is an important stage in the journey. Where are you on your English journey? Do you feel that you are at the beginning, where you only use certain, “sure” phrases or vocabulary? Or are you in a learning stage, where you’re happy to experiment,… Read More
We say “used to doing something” with the verb “to be” or “to get” when we want to talk about things that are familiar to us. You can use these forms when you want to talk about the process of adapting to something new – life in a new country, your experiences in a new… Read More
Many phrasal verbs can become nouns. For example, you can “start up” a company (phrasal verb) or work in a “start-up” (phrasal noun) – a small company. When a phrasal verb becomes a phrasal noun, sometimes the verb comes first, like “start-up”; and sometimes the preposition comes first, such as “outbreak”. To show that it’s… Read More
When someone offers you something (like an invitation to a party, or more food, or even a great “deal” in a shop, you might want to say “no”. There are many ways to refuse an offer in English, but you must be polite! You can say “No thank you” but there are more advanced ways… Read More
Colds are more common in the winter months, and they’re very “contagious” – if people around you have a cold, you’ll probably get it as well. So how can you talk about having a cold in English? Check out the useful vocabulary to talk about cold symptoms; plus the different types of cold and flu.… Read More
How are you going to celebrate the New Year? If you’re going to a party on 31 December, check out this list of ten phasal verbs for the New Year. They’re all common in spoken English, so when you use them, you’ll sound more like a native speaker. There are also notes on how to… Read More
Is someone important in your life learning English? Do you want to get them a good Christmas present? I’ve got seven ideas for you – a “Christmas gift list” for people learning English. You could also buy yourself one of these presents! (There’s an affiliate link to Amazon on these images and links. This means… Read More
Learning a language is one of the most rewarding things you can do. But it can also be a frustrating process. So if you’re feeling demotivated and unhappy, get positive again with these five top tips for learning English. They’ll help you make the most of your time so you get the best results quickly.… Read More
The next time you see an English advert, look at the language. You’ll find lots of marketing verbs and other “strong” vocabulary. These words attract a customer’s attention because they are strong and persuasive. Here are some typical English marketing verbs and other words. You can also use them when you want to strengthen what… Read More
