By Bryony Stevens Last time we discussed British accents. Now I’d like to tell you a few more interesting bits about American and Irish accents. Yes, these two have some things in common! Continue reading to find out why. Understanding how these accents work can help you understand what goes into performing them. If you… Continue reading Understanding American and Irish accents and What They Have in Common
Gregg O’Connell A quick overview of the differences between these two basic tenses. Present Simple: Use this tense for habits and permanent things. Habits = things that people do regularly. Permanent things = things that are always the same. Examples: Tom washes his hair twice a week. I am a teacher. Her parents live in… Continue reading How to Choose between Present Simple and Present Continuous (Progressive)
Listen to the song and fill in the missing words: There Is A Light That Never Goes Out The Smiths Take me out tonight Where there’s music and there’s people And they’re young and _______ Driving in your car I never never want to go home Because I haven’t got one ____________ Take me out… Continue reading Gap Song: The Smiths
This American poet lived from 1883 to 1983. He was also a doctor and delivered 2,000 babies during his career. Because he was busy in his medical practice during the day, he wrote at night. Over the weekends he met with artist friends. His poetry is modern, but the form and vocabulary are easy to… Continue reading Two Poems by William Carlos Williams
Here is a nice little exercise for you. You should fill in the connectors “and,” “but,” and the relative pronouns “who,” “which” or “that.” Sounds easier than it is, but hopefully you’ll manage with this explanation: And – add new information to your sentence. But – add a contrast to your sentence. A contrast is something… Continue reading Using Connectors and Relative Pronouns: Who, Which, That, And and But
By Bryony Stevens Accents can be a funny thing to understand, as there are so many that exist. One of the most prominent languages and accents is British English. It covers most of the U.K.’s primary language selection, spanning across several more countries, such as South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Although the language may… Continue reading Understanding British English Accents
By Miranda Carter Homonyms are common throughout the English language. They are words that sound the same but have different meanings (and, sometimes, different spellings). Their, they’re, and there are often mixed up, even by native English speakers when they’re writing fast or they aren’t thinking too much. Using the wrong form of the word… Continue reading Their, They’re, and There (and Your and You’re)
As you probably know, you can use present progressive for situations that are happening now. Example: What am I doing now? I am writing an article. What are you doing right now? You are reading this article. You can also use present progressive when you’re not talking about this moment exactly, but about a certain… Continue reading Present Progressive (or Continuous) for Situations that Are in Progress
This week a student asked me: “Is it really necessary to say ‘I believe you’re right,’ or: ‘I feel this and that.?’ It sounds childish.” Well, you don’t have to use these expressions, but they’re certainly not childish. It just makes it clear that what you’re saying is an opinion and not a fact. I… Continue reading Some Ways to Express Your Opinions
By Sasha Crowe There are lots and lots of famous English poets that have used animals for inspiration. There are also lots and lots of animals that have served as inspiration, from the chicken to the lion, and more. Here, we will take a look at only three of the many famous English poets that… Continue reading Animals in Famous English Poetry
English with a Smile 