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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…