2017-12-29 Learn 10 Separable Phrasal Verbs
Welcome back to Everyday Grammar from VOA Learning English. Today we return to a very common verb form in English – phrasal verbs. You will find one phrasal verb in…
2017-12-22 Grammar and Christmas
Many Americans experience surprise (or disappointment) when they wake up on Christmas Day. They might be surprised or disappointed by a family member’s actions. They might be happy or unhappy…
2017-12-08 Contronyms Are ‘Literally’ The Best
The American television series “Seinfeld” was famous for its unusual and often strange conversations. These conversations often took place in a diner – a kind of small, informal restaurant. In…
2017-12-01 Short Sentences in Books, Movies, and Speech
Ernest Hemingway was a famous American writer. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. One of his most famous books, The Sun Also Rises, ends with the following…
2017-11-24 Thanksgiving and English Verbs
Every year around the Thanksgiving holiday, a strange ceremony happens in Washington, DC. The president stands outside the White House, gives a brief speech and then officially pardons a turkey.…
2017-11-17 James Bond Can Teach You About English Grammar
In the 1964 action film Goldfinger, actor Sean Connery plays the British secret agent James Bond. Bond, also called agent 007, is well-known for his drink of choice — a…
2017-11-03 Verbs and Gerunds in Speech and Fiction Writing
The American rock group Journey released the song “Don’t Stop Believin'” in 1981. This song, still popular in karaoke music bars, can help you learn about English grammar. Let’s listen…
2017-10-27 Verbs and Infinitives in Everyday Speech
The 1977 movie Star Wars is an American classic, with many memorable lines and characters. At one point in the film, the character C-3PO says the following words: “We seem…
2017-10-20 The Word “That” in Everyday American English
The 1994 crime film “Pulp Fiction” tells the story of a gunman, played by Samuel L. Jackson. In the film, the gunman is growing tired of his life of crime.…
2017-10-13 The Many Reasons for the Word ‘The’
The 1995 film Dead Man has a strange opening scene. Actor Johnny Depp is sitting on a train. A man sits down across from Depp’s character, and speaks to him:…
2017-10-06 Good and Nice: Common Adjectives with Many Uses
The 2014 film Whiplash tells the story of a young man who wants to be a great jazz musician. He has a music director who often says cruel things to…
2017-09-29 Popular Culture and Academic Writing
Popular culture can teach you about English grammar. You might be surprised to know that music and films can show you how to use difficult grammatical structures. How so? Consider…
2017-09-22 Are You Afraid of Adjectives and Prepositions?
The 2007 film No Country for Old Men tells the story of a lawman in West Texas. Actor Tommy Lee Jones played the part of the lawman. If you saw…
2017-09-15 How to Show That You Are Not Sure
In the 1998 film “Saving Private Ryan,” actor Tom Hanks plays the part of Captain Miller. The fictional Captain Miller was an English teacher before becoming a soldier and fighting…
2017-09-08 Common Transition Words
In 1963, President John Kennedy gave a famous speech at American University. In the speech, Kennedy said the following lines: “Our problems are manmade; therefore, they can be solved by…