2018-12-08 Must and Have To
Today we will answer a question about two misunderstood modal verbs. Modal verbs are helping verbs. They help us express things like necessity, permission, ability and possibility. For example, “I…
2018-12-01 The Preposition ‘By’
If you can write or speak even just a little English, you have surely used prepositions — words like “to,” “in,” “on,” “at” and “by.” A preposition is a word…
2018-11-24 Well or Good
Here at VOA, I am a teacher. But outside of work, I am a language learner, too. Having studied three languages, I know that sometimes the simplest words can be…
2018-11-17 Between and Among
Prepositions can be tricky in any language, including English. And English has a lot of them. But, do not worry! Ask a Teacher is here to make things easier. Today’s…
2018-11-10 Sentence or Statement?
Many VOA Learning English stories and programs use the words “sentence” and “statement.” But what exactly does each word mean? Are there differences between the two? This week, our question…
2018-11-03 Like or Alike?
Have you ever wanted to talk about similarities between people or things but were unsure what words to use? Today’s question comes from Nagim of Israel. Question: Hello from Israel.…
2018-10-27 Foot or Feet?
The English word “foot” has more than one meaning. In the United States, one meaning is a unit of measurement equal to 12 inches, or .3 meters. We use feet…
2018-10-20 Study or Learn?
English language learners use the verbs “study” and “learn” all the time. Yet, they often are unsure which to choose in a situation. Our subject today comes from Salah of…
2018-10-13 Dead as a Doornail
Believe it or not, the English language has about 25,000 idiomatic expressions. And some of the oldest ones have very interesting histories. Today our question involves an expression from early…
2018-10-06 Asking Someone About Their Job
Have you ever wanted to ask someone in English about the kind of work they do but were unsure how? Many cultures have ways of doing this. Today on Ask…
2018-09-29 By the Way vs. Mind You
English phrases can be difficult to remember since the meaning of each individual word may not give any clue as to a phrase’s meaning. In today’s Ask a Teacher, Inna…
2018-09-22 Raise or Rise
Have you ever been confused by the verbs “raise” and “rise”? Both words mean “to move upward.” They also sound similar. But we don’t use them in the same way.…
2018-09-15 Foods We Count…or Don’t
You probably know a lot of food words, such as bread, apple and rice. But knowing which foods are countable and which are not can be tricky. In today’s Ask…
2018-09-08 Look, Appear and Seem
Welcome to Ask a Teacher – a new program where readers ask questions and teachers answer them. Have you noticed that English is full of words that have similar meanings?…
2018-09-01 ‘I’ or ‘Me’?
Welcome to Ask a Teacher – a new program where readers ask questions and teachers answer them. Some of the first words English students learn are “I” and “me.” But…