2018-11-30 Do You See What I See?
It was beautiful in Washington, DC, this morning! I could see the sun shining and hear birds singing. So, I decided to walk to work. As I walked down 6th…
2018-11-23 The Verbs Let, Allow and Permit
The verbs “let,” “allow” and “permit” are part of a group of verbs called “causatives.” These verbs express how one person or thing causes something else to happen. For instance,…
2018-11-16 How to Make a Complaint in English
Imagine that you are visiting friends or family in an English-speaking country. You need to have a few pieces of clothing professionally cleaned for a party. So you take them…
2018-11-09 The Road Signs of English
If you are driving a car, you will probably see many traffic or road signs. They provide information about how fast to go, which way to turn and whether a…
2018-11-02 Use Fewer Words but Say More
American comedian George Carlin is remembered for telling jokes about politics, religion and even the English language. He used humor to express his dislike of things such as misused words…
2018-10-26 What’s the Difference? ‘So’ and ‘So That’
If you asked even the most knowledgeable Americans, they probably could not tell you more than a few meanings for the word “so.” It is an everyday word that most…
2018-10-19 Four Adverbs: Just, Already, Still, Yet
Sometimes, the most common words in the English language can cause the most trouble. Today, we will talk about four adverbs that are often unclear to English learners. All four…
2018-10-12 How to Talk About Preferences
Imagine that you are at a restaurant for breakfast. You want something to drink, but you are not sure what. When the server walks over to your table, he says:…
2018-10-05 Old Grammar Rules You Can Break
Like many languages, English is constantly changing. And today it is changing faster than ever. Mobile phones, social media, increased travel and other things have connected the world more closely…
2018-09-28 Don’t Be Afraid of Contractions!
Many languages shorten words in everyday speech. In English, we shorten a lot of words. One way we do this is with contractions: two words joined with a special mark…
2018-09-21 Where Did You Learn English? Forming Questions, Part 3
Imagine you are meeting a group of English learners to practice your speaking skills. The group leader puts everyone into small practice groups. The people in your group begin to…
2018-09-14 Forming Questions, Part 2: Yes or No Questions
English can be a complex language to master. It has a lot of rules – and breaks many of them. No matter your level of English, forming questions can be…
2018-08-24 Mmm, That’s Good! Using Interjections
Oops! I spilled some coffee.Hmm… Let me think about it.Woohoo! That’s great news. Let’s celebrate. To the untrained ear, sounds like “oops” “hmm” and “woohoo” may seem like nonsense. But…
2018-08-17 Am I Being Watched? The Continuous Passive Form
In his popular 1980s song, American singer Rockwell sang the words, “I always feel like somebody’s watching me.” He doesn’t know who is watching him. And, I suppose that makes…
2018-08-10 Cheer Up! Phrasal Verbs and Emotions
When was the last time you experienced a wide range of emotions over something – from sadness to happiness, or even a sense of relief when a problem was solved?…