steady (adjective) – stable and balanced steady (verb) – to make or keep something in place steadily (adverb) – in a way that is stable and balanced steadiness (noun) – being stable and balanced Garry Knight Examples: He used a tripod to hold the camera steady. Lucinda and Barry have been in a steady relationship since they met last summer. The… Continue reading Word to the Wise: steady
By Jacqueline Schaalje Look at the title of this article. Do you see a mistake there? Most of my students are surprised that everyone goes with does and not with do. They think it strange that everyone is not with a plural verb. Just remember, in English you say: Everyone has. Not: Everyone have. It could be that this… Continue reading Does Everyone Have Their Books Open? – Words that Take a Singular Verb
How to switch between nouns and verbs comfortably. By Jacqueline Schaalje Noun Vs. Verb In English there are lots of things you can say with either a noun, or a verb that means the same. I’m going to give you a bunch of examples that are used a lot in business English. Present (verb) –… Continue reading Can I Show You my Presentation – Can I Present You my Report?
____________ down – push even harder or become more dedicated to a goal. Choose the right answer: Press Push Duck Double scroll down for the answer scroll some more The right answer is: Kyle Watson Double Here are some examples of how you can use it:… Continue reading Instant Idiom: _____________ down
Suitable for Advanced/Expert ESL Learners. By Jacqueline Schaalje Thangaraj Kumaravel Read the following text and answer the questions. We are all aware of what creativity can produce, such as fictional stories or beautiful pieces of art, but this still leaves us wondering what creativity is and how it can be defined. Each person experiences creativity… Continue reading What is Creativity? Reading Comprehesion + Online Quiz
____________ someone like dirt – behave disrespectfully towards someone. Choose the right answer: Throw Treat Talk Regard scroll down for the answer scroll some more The right answer is: treat. (Treat means handle or behave to someone.) Here is an example of how you can use it:… Continue reading Instant Idiom: ___________ someone like dirt
Subject on request! By Jacqueline Schaalje Some readers have asked me what ought to actually is. I can understand that you don’t know what ought to means. It’s not used that much. In fact, you can speak perfect English without using ought to even once in your life. What’s more, many people say that Americans will… Continue reading Ought to – When and How to Use
tedious (adjective) – long, slow and boring tediously (adverb) – in a way that is long, slow and boring tediousness/tedium (noun) – being long, slow and boring Tim Rodenberg Examples: I liked the book, but the movie, lasting three and a half hours, was rather tedious. The young student wrote a tedious story about her trip, with lots… Continue reading Word to the Wise: tedious
Some examples of words that your teacher finds less important than you ®Mary-EwaS Many ESL students have a bunch of English words that they are sure they must learn. If I mention one of these words to them, the student gets all excited. A burning light comes into their eyes, as if they understand all… Continue reading The Difference between Come and Arrive and some other Word Pairs
stalwart (adjective) – loyal and strong stalwart (noun) – a loyal fan or follower Will Bakker Examples: It started raining. The stalwart parents who attended their children’s hockey game opened their umbrellas. A few stalwart cats were searching through the waste bins. None of his friends was surprised when his stalwart attitude finally earned him the glorious… Continue reading Word to the Wise: stalwart
English with a Smile 