Prepositions cause a lot of problems for learners of English. It’s not always obvious which preposition you should use in an expression – and very often the preposition you’d use in your language is NOT the same in English. So in this blog post, I’ve divided some common English phrases with “in” into categories to […]
English Expressions With In Read More »
Do you always use “very” or “a little” with adjectives? If you do, you’re missing an opportunity to speak more natural English. In fact, native speakers have a huge range of adverbs of degree – both informal and formal – to use in different situations. Some of these can be used with lots of adjectives,
English Adverbs Of Degree – Add Interest To Your Adjectives Read More »
Often, we use the word “mad” not to mean mentally ill, but when we think something (or someone) is a little unbalanced. We also use it to comment on things that we don’t understand or which seem illogical to us. “Mad” is often used informally and in spoken English. barking (barking mad) Dogs bark at
English Phrases With Mad Read More »
Have you noticed how many adjectives end in -y? It’s really natural for native English speakers to turn a word into an adjective just by adding a ‘y’ to the end – particulary in spoken and informal English. In this way, you can make what you say more descriptive and vivid. Here are a couple
Natural English Adjectives Read More »
English is full of little phrases that you hear a lot when people speak- but, these phrases aren’t usually taught in textbooks. Here are a few with “Half”. When you use them, you’ll sound more natural and more like a native speaker. half-way there If you are “half-way there” it means that you are on
English Phrases With Half Read More »
Many years ago, I was on holiday with my family at a campsite in Devon when a young guy offered me (what sounded like) a “kruggi”. Don’t be alarmed! It’s what happens when there are two kids but only one bicycle. One kid sits on the saddle of the bike, and the other gets in
How to Learn English Vocabulary Read More »
One way to improve your English is to learn English idioms – and then use them. Idioms add interest to what you say or write, and they make you sound more like a native speaker. Take, for example, the idiom “water baby”. This is someone (often a child) who loves being in the water. When
How to Learn English Idioms Read More »
It can be very frustrating when you don’t understand native speakers – especially if you’ve been studying English for a while. When you get into a conversation and need to keep asking someone to repeat or slow down, it can feel demoralising! Here are three tips that can help. 1. Be patient Give yourself some
How to Understand Native Speakers Read More »
English speakers value politeness over almost everything else. You can speak the most perfect English, but if you appear rude, other people won’t want to talk to you. Politeness helps us to deal with other people easily and smoothly. It helps us get on with strangers in a crowded place (like in the underground) and
Why It’s So Important To Be Polite When You Speak English Read More »
Many English learners worry about making a mistake with the sounds in a word. But it’s more important to get the stress of a word right. Word stress is when you make one syllable in the word louder, longer and at a higher pitch than the other syllables in a word. Word stress helps gives
English Pronunciation – Get Word Stress Right Read More »
