Any idea why you use words like: and, also, too, next, besides, first (second, etc.), further, furthermore, in addition, in the first place and moreover? The above words are conjunctions. You use them to introduce to your reader that you’re going to add more information. You can use most of these words at different places… Continue reading Besides, I’m telling you – Writing Practice: Conjunctions of Addition
In this article we’ll talk about who, which and whose. These are called relative pronouns. (Just so you know.) The public is the only critic whose opinion is worth anything at all. – Mark Twain When to Use Who You use “who” to refer (talk about) a person. Example: The man who is driving that old… Continue reading Relative pronouns: Who, Which, and Whose
A brief explanation of the phonetic alphabet and how to use it. Any idea what this is? It’s a phonetic key. If you have an English dictionary, particularly if it’s an English-English dictionary, you will find this phonetic key always somewhere in the first or last pages. You use the key to find the pronunciation… Continue reading The E in Dress – How You Can Always Know How to Pronounce a Word
When you go to a restaurant or a shop, it doesn’t sound good if you say: I want this and that. Children talk like that. The polite way to ask for things is with “I’d like.” The “’d” stands for “would.” If you would like something, it means you want something. You could say: I’d… Continue reading What Would You Like? – Sentences and Questions with Would Like
A while ago I discussed essay writing. You can catch up here. Now we’re going to look at paragraphs. Paragraphs are mini-essays, if you like. They tell about one subject, and the what and why of that subject. The paragraph isn’t or should not be a random bunch of sentences about that subject. It should… Continue reading Tips for Better Writing – Finding Topic Sentences
In a few weeks I will be starting to teach at a college for the rest of the school year. I do this a few hours once or twice a week, so I have plenty of time left to teach my other students and to do some writing. One of the subjects that I teach… Continue reading How to Survive a Presentation
Something that many people find difficult, even yours truly at times. When is an event historic and when historical? Is a person whose head blows up when he nibbles some peanuts allergic or allergical? Read and find out. Most adjectives are with –al at the end, and don’t end in –ic. When you see a… Continue reading Economical Than Most – Adjectives With or Without Ending in –al
(Read this section only if you need to pass some kind of academic English exam. If you’re learning English for work or fun, you don’t need this.) Although – I know there are some weird people who think grammar is fun. (-: Adverbs are words that describe a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.… Continue reading Adverbial Phrases and Clauses
Irregular verbs aren’t nice. They aren’t fun. They’re used way too much and they always surprise you, because they’re always different. Just when you thought that you discovered the rule for one verb, like sing, sang, sung, another common verb goes: sit, sat, sat. Just when you had figured out that forms like bought, thought,… Continue reading Irregular Verbs – Some More Practice
It may be a cliché, but it’s true: in order to be a better speaker, you first need to be a better listener. That is why I tell my students who come to me for fluency lessons to listen to audio files, watch movies, and read books. I do this because in many cases I… Continue reading Become a Better Speaker – Listen to Lectures on TED Talks
English with a Smile 