Some of my students complain that American slang is incomprehensible to them and they are glad to learn British English, because “it’s easier to understand.” But other students have discovered that they were unable to understand anyone in London because they talked “slang.” Now the question is whether the problems were really caused by slang.… Continue reading Slang: Use It or Not?
As promised and due to popular request, I was going to explain you in a nutshell how to write a CV (or Resume as Americans say). There are a few sections you need to prepare. I recommend writing them in the order that I indicate here. Oh yeah, before we begin, keep this carefully in… Continue reading Crash Course in CV Writing
Eugene Kim 1 In order to improve your grammar in speaking, you need to listen very carefully how (English) people say a sentence. Try to make sentences that are like the ones that they said. 2 Listen to audio files, that you can easily find on the internet. Play them sentence by sentence. The files… Continue reading Tips for Speaking – Good Speaking is Good Listening
Do you say two percent or two percents? And do you say one and a half month, or months? Many students of mine read and say numbers in their native language, even when they’re reading an English text. It sounds really weird when the rest of your sentence is in English. There is no excuse… Continue reading Saying Numbers the Right Way
Think you’re pretty good with tenses? I thought I had mastered them, yet when I tried to do this quiz, I made two mistakes! And I wrote it myself… 😦 Oh, well, that shows you, doesn’t it? So just a little warning, this exercise is for advanced students of English. If tenses sound like… Continue reading If You Can Do This Mixed Tenses Quiz, You’re Pretty Good
By Miranda Carter Ordering at restaurants varies from country to country. There are many slight differences one should be aware of when traveling in order to avoid offending wait staff (= the waiters) or other patrons. For example, in America it is expected that tips be given at every dine-in restaurant. This is a very… Continue reading Common Terms and Phrases that are Used in Restaurants – Plus: What is Good Restaurant Etiquette?
I’ve written a few times about how important reading is, and there is a chance you’re thinking: I don’t care what Jacqueline writes about reading, but I’m still not going to read books. Me? Reading? It’s a joke. Why won’t you read books? You know that I think that reading books is the single best way… Continue reading The Best Books on Gaining Success, Negotiating Skills and Becoming a Great Communicator
For those of you who’ve been following me, I believe that reading a lot is the key to improving your English. Not just talking a lot. You need to learn new words and new ways to express yourself. I know there are some people who don’t like reading. This is weird to me, as I love… Continue reading Don’t Want to Read a Book? Read a Magazine instead
Last time we covered the difference between the prepositions “of” and “to.” Now a variation. The difference between “to” and “for” is that “for” is to be good to a person, an animal or a thing. When you use “for,” the action is especially for that person/animal/thing. “To” is to give or transfer something to another… Continue reading Always Be Good For Yourself and Be Good To Yourself – The Difference between To and For
Wicker Paradise You may ask why it is important to know what the function is of the different words in a sentence. Consider this: 1 It will help you understand sentences better. 2 You will make better sentences yourself. This is essential in order to be able to communicate with English-speaking people. If your sentences… Continue reading Boring… but Essential Grammar Parts of Speech – A Quick Guide How to Identify What is What in a Sentence
English with a Smile 