By Jacqueline Schaalje Native speakers use lots of modals throughout their speech, but non-natives often find this rather difficult. So let’s practise a bit more. This week I happened to receive an email in which one reader asked me about modals, and a student of mine asked me to go over some modals with him.… Continue reading Modals: May and Might
By Jacqueline Schaalje Pull open the champagne bottles and pop the balloons! I’ve published the story book that I told you about (two of the stories were in last week’s newsletter). You can download the book for free, starting tomorrow 30 July. But please take notice of two things: 1) The price won’t stay $0.00… Continue reading Summer Stories – Book is Ready for Free Download
draw a ___________ – don’t remember or have no information/ideas. Choose the right answer: blank page white pencil scroll down for the answer scroll some more The right answer is: bigbrand blank. (blank means without information, empty.) Here are some examples of how you can use draw… Continue reading Instant Idiom: draw a ____________
pip-squeak/ pipsqueak (noun) – small or unimportant (a pip is the seed of an apple or other fruit, and squeak is the sound that mice make. I don’t know where the word pipsqueak comes from, but it sounds funny, doesn’t it?) pixydust Pipsqueak yourself Here are some examples of how you can use it: Do… Continue reading Word to the Wise: pip-squeak
By Jacqueline Schaalje So what have you done so far? Your boss can ask you this when she wants to know where you are in a project. Or you can ask yourself: What have I done so far? So far means until now, up till this point. So far implies that you are in the… Continue reading So Far… And Some Business English about Cash Flow and other boring stuff
prevail (noun) – to happen most often, to be stronger prevalent (adjective) – happening often prevalence (noun) – the quality of happening a lot prevalently (adverb) – happening often Here are some examples of how you can use it: A merry mood prevailed in the first act of the play. The home team prevails in the… Continue reading Word to the Wise: prevail
tenor (noun) – general meaning or direction (tenor can also mean a male singing voice) Andy Rennie Here are some examples of how you can use it: The tenor of his messages was that we should be more responsible. What was the tenor of the negotiations? The other side seems ready to close the agreement, but… Continue reading Word to the Wise: tenor
By Jacqueline Schaalje Aristotel This subject is on request. With table talk we usually mean the conversation that is spoken while people at the table eat their dinner, breakfast or lunch. But in this article I won’t go into that, but instead give some instructions for what you say when you’d like some more bread,… Continue reading Table Talk: English phrases to make you a good dinner guest
It’s not the Same as If… By Jacqueline Schaalje This subject is on request. If you’re a beginning learner of English, this subject is probably going to be too advanced for you. When Do You Use Whether? Whether is a kind of if, but you use it in specific situations. The situation has to be… Continue reading How to Use Whether (And Some Words about If)
mien (noun) [sounds exactly like the word mean] – someone’s looks and/or their expression Nguyen Hung Vu Here are some examples of how you can use it: Does Van Gogh look mad in his self-portraits? No, in fact he has quite a noble mien. A gentleman with an impressive mien stepped onto the podium. I don’t… Continue reading Word to the Wise: mien
English with a Smile 