Imagine that you are interviewing for a job you really want. Most of the questions are in your native language, but the job will require you to use some English. So, the employer asks about your English skills. You might answer with the words, “I can speak English very well” or “I am able to speak English very well.” The two statements have the same meaning. Both "can" and "be able to" are used to express ability. In a spoken exchange, “can” is far more common while “be able to” sounds less natural. However, when we are talking about the past, the rules change a bit. Today, I will show you how to express past abilities with “could” “was (or) were able to” and another phrase you may have heard before — "managed to.” The first thing to know is that, in the past tense, we express general abilities and abilities at specific times in different ways. That is important, as you will soon see. General abilities Let's start with general abilities. These are skills or talents a person once had. In the past tense, English speakers almost always use “could.” Listen to a few examples. By the time he was four, Guillermo could read and write. In high school, she could beat anyone in a running race. I could mimic bird sounds when I was younger. Again, we are talking about general skills or talents – not about a specific occasion. Note that, in any of these examples, “was (or) were able to” is also possible but used less often. You could say, for example, “By the time he was four, Guillermo was able to read and write,” and it would be fine. It also might sound a little formal in spoken English. Specific occasions Now, let’s talk about specific occasions. Here is where the rules change a bit. When we are talking about a specific situation or when noting a specific achievement, we must use “was (or) were able to” or “managed to.” Their meanings are very close. We do not use “could.” Listen to some examples: We were able to get a really good price on the car. We managed to get a really good price on the car. I was able to persuade her to volunteer at the show. I managed to persuade her to volunteer at the show. Now let’s talk more about the meanings. “Was (or) were able to” and “managed to” both suggest effort. They mean someone succeeded in doing something that was a challenge or took a special effort. However, the phrase “managed to” puts a little more emphasis on how hard the challenge was or how much effort it took. Note that “managed to” is fairly common in spoken English. You will hear it used almost everywhere. Exception to the rule Now, let’s take a few minutes to quickly explore an exception to the rules we just discussed. Earlier, I told you that we use “could” for general abilities. But there are two kinds of verbs where we also use “could” for specific occasions. With sense verbs, such as “smell” and “taste,” and thought process verbs, such as “believe” “decide” and “understand,” we usually use “could” even when talking about specific occasions. Listen to two examples of what I mean: I walked past a market today and could smell the freshly baked bread. We couldn’t decide what to get for his birthday so we bought a gift card. Note that the second example uses the negative form -- “couldn’t.” Using the negatives So, now would be a good time to talk more about negative forms. The good news is that we can use “couldn’t,” “wasn’t (or) weren’t able to,” or “didn’t manage to” to express the same thing – inability on a specific occasion in the past. Listen to how these are used for the same statement. He studied for months but couldn’t pass the bar exam. He studied for months but wasn’t able to pass the bar exam. He studied for months but didn’t manage to pass the bar exam. All three sentences mean that a person was not capable of doing something on a specific occasion. Note also that sometimes, for the negative form of “managed to,” we say, “couldn’t manage to” instead of “didn’t manage to.” They mean the same thing: He studied for months but couldn’t manage to pass the bar exam. Well, that’s all for now. Luckily, I did manage to do something today: teach you how to talk about past abilities! I’m Alice Bryant. Alice Bryant wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story phrase – n. a group of two or more words that express an idea but do not usually form a complete sentence specific – adj. precise or exact mimic – v. to create the appearance or effect of (something) formal – adj. suitable for serious or official speech and writing achievement – n. something that has been done or achieved through effort challenge – n. something that is hard to do emphasis – n. special importance or attention given to something baked – adj. cooked in an oven using dry heat negative – adj. expressing denial or refusal bar – n. the test that a person must pass in order to be a lawyer
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/past-ability-could-was-able-to-managed-to/5139503.html
Thursday, 31 October 2019
Let's Learn English - Level 1 - Lesson 13
Students are going to learn how to make good guesses and talk about how often things happen. By the end of the lesson, they will be able to talk about the things they usually do.
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5147177.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5147177.html
Let's Learn English - Level 1 - Lesson 12
Today we will learn how to talk about people in our families.
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5147119.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5147119.html
Let's Learn English - Level 1 - Lesson 11
Today, we will learn to use numbers to talk about more than one thing. We call this form the plural.
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5147097.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5147097.html
Let's Learn English - Level 1 - Lesson 10
Tell students that in today’s lesson, they will learn to use images to help give and understand directions. Say, “An image is a kind of picture.”
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5147083.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5147083.html
Let's Learn English - Level 1 - Lesson 9
Today, we will learn to talk about the weather. We will also learn to use short answers, and agree or disagree.
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5147070.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5147070.html
Let's Learn English - Level 1 - Lesson 8
Today we will learn about times of the day. By the end of the lesson, you will be able to ask and answer questions about regular activities.
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5147061.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5147061.html
Let's Learn English - Level 1 - Lesson 7
In this lesson, students learn how to ask questions to learn more about what people are doing.
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5147030.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5147030.html
Why's it called 'mother tongue'?
We discuss the complicated relationship between language and gender.
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07s9bgn
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07s9bgn
Why's it called 'mother tongue'?
Sam and Georgina discuss the complicated relationship between language and gender.
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07slv7k
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07slv7k
Wednesday, 30 October 2019
Let's Learn English - Level 1 - Lesson 6
When we learn new information, we can’t always understand it all. Sometimes, we can only understand or remember a small part. When this happens, we can ask a question to get more information.
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5146055.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5146055.html
Let's Learn English - Level 1 - Lesson 5
“Today we will learn about naming places, such as rooms in a house. We will also learn how to ask where to find places.”
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5145964.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5145964.html
Let's Learn English - Level 1 - Lesson 4
Today you will learn how to say that you have something. You will also learn to say that another person has or does NOT have something.
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5145790.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5145790.html
Let's Learn English - Level 1 - Lesson 3
Explain to students that when we call someone we know, that person does not always answer the telephone. Sometimes another person answers the phone.
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5145769.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5145769.html
Let's Learn English - Level 1 - Lesson 2
”When we meet new friends, we learn about them by asking questions. Ask students to tell you the questions they already know in English or in their native language for when they meet a new person. For example, they may ask, “What is your name?” or “Where are you from?”
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5145694.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5145694.html
Anecdata
New Entry: 'Anecdata' has just been added to the Slang area of UsingEnglish.com. This entry is only available in our members' area.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/members/idioms/view.php?entry_id=27369
The 100 most useful socialising phrases
New Entry: 'The 100 most useful socialising phrases' has just been added to the Articles area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/articles/100-most-useful-socialising-phrases.html
Tuesday, 29 October 2019
How-to Guide: Let's Learn English - Level 1
This guide is for learners and teachers who are using Let’s Learn English - Level 1. This guide explains how to use lesson videos, activities, quizzes and worksheets to teach or learn listening, speaking, vocabulary and writing.
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5144437.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5144437.html
Let's Learn English - Level 1 - Lesson 1
Anna is moving to a new city, Washington, D.C. She will learn many new things about the city, and you will learn with her. In the first lesson, she is meeting her new neighbors.
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5144417.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5144417.html
Ghosting
Is someone ignoring all of your calls and messages? Maybe you are being ghosted!
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07sbn6n
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07sbn6n
Monday, 28 October 2019
Get a grip on yourself
New Entry: 'Get a grip on yourself' has just been added to the Idioms area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/get+a+grip+on+yourself.html
Skeevy
New Entry: 'Skeevy' has just been added to the Slang area of UsingEnglish.com. This entry is only available in our members' area.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/members/idioms/view.php?entry_id=27363
Big dippers
New Entry: 'Big dippers' has just been added to the Cockney Rhyming Slang area of UsingEnglish.com. This entry is only available in our members' area.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/members/idioms/view.php?entry_id=27368
In the grip
New Entry: 'In the grip' has just been added to the Idioms area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/in+the+grip.html
Loosen your grip
New Entry: 'Loosen your grip' has just been added to the Idioms area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/loosen+your+grip.html
The majority of people ____ against the idea.
New Entry: 'The majority of people ____ against the idea.' has just been added to the Language Polls area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/poll/1223.html
Business English- Positive and Negative Vocabulary Storytelling Game
New Entry: 'Business English- Positive and Negative Vocabulary Storytelling Game' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/teachers/lesson-plans/view-business-english-positive-and-negative-vocabulary-storytelling-game/
Skeeve out
New Entry: 'Skeeve out' has just been added to the Phrasal Verbs area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/reference/phrasal-verbs/skeeve.html#Skeeve-out
Sunday, 27 October 2019
How to teach making and responding to invitations
New Entry: 'How to teach making and responding to invitations' has just been added to the Articles area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/articles/how-to-teach-making-responding-to-invitations.html
Saturday, 26 October 2019
English Kids’ Songs: Easy Videos for Beginners #39 - Pail Jail Blues
Learn English with EnglishClass101.com! This series is an easy way to improve your child’s English level and discover new music at the same time. Learn the song’s key words and phrases, then add it to your playlist to master it 100%. By listening over and over, [...]
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/english-kids-songs-easy-videos-for-beginners-39-pail-jail-blues/
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/english-kids-songs-easy-videos-for-beginners-39-pail-jail-blues/
Friday, 25 October 2019
Thursday, 24 October 2019
Subject-Verb Agreement and the News
Imagine you are reading or listening to an American news story. Perhaps it is a health and lifestyle story. Diabetes is a serious, chronic disease on the rise around the world... Over time, diabetes can damage the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and nerves. Some of the nouns might seem like they could be plural. But they are not. For example, why does the story say “diabetes is...”? Today, we will explore that very question. Specifically, we will explore subject-verb agreement in the news. Subject-verb agreement Subject-verb agreement means that a sentence’s subject and verb agree in number. Here is an example: My friends like to travel. The subject, my friends, is plural. Therefore, the verb is plural as well. If the sentence were about one friend, it would be different: My friend likes to travel. This is the basic idea of subject-verb agreement. However, when you are reading or listening to English language news, you might hear some strange cases of subject-verb agreement. The news, in fact, is full of strange cases of subject-verb agreement, as we will see. Unusual kinds of subject verb agreement English speakers often make nouns plural when they add an –s to the end of the word. For example, cat becomes cats; dog becomes dogs; house becomes houses. But English speakers do not always consider nouns that end in –s to be plural. In fact, we gave you an example just a short time ago: The news, in fact, is full of strange cases of subject-verb agreement. English speakers use news with a singular verb. Countries/organizations Some common terms in the news might seem to have unusual subject-verb agreement. You might find these terms in stories about international politics, for example. These terms are often proper nouns. Although they have an –s ending, they are singular. Here is one such example: The Philippines has become the second country to voice displeasure over the film “Abominable.” Here, the speaker uses a singular verb structure - has become. English speakers also use a singular verb with another country: The United States. So, you might read a news story that says, “The United States is going to increase tariffs on certain goods” or “The Philippines is planning to export more products next year.” When English speakers refer to the Philippines or the United States with a pronoun, they use “it” - a singular pronoun. Some organizations also take singular verbs. The United Nations is probably the most famous example. Illnesses with – s on the end Health and lifestyle stories also have confusing cases of subject-verb agreement. Many common illnesses take singular verbs. Diabetes is one example we already noted earlier. Diabetes is a serious, chronic disease on the rise around the world... Over time, diabetes can damage the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and nerves. Measles is another example: Measles makes people very sick, and it is especially dangerous for young children. It can lead to other health problems such as pneumonia or encephalitis. You might also read about rabies, rickets, shingles and mumps. All of those illnesses usually take singular verbs. Closing thoughts The next time you are reading the news, pay close attention to subject-verb agreement. Ask yourself the following question: Does the sentence have normal subject-verb agreement? If not, what might explain the sentence’s unusual subject-verb agreement? Asking yourself these kinds of questions will help you learn patterns. By learning these patterns, you can improve your reading and writing skills. I'm Jill Robbins. And I’m John Russell. John Russell wrote this story for Learning English. Mario Ritter Jr. was the editor. _________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story chronic – adj. medical : continuing or occurring again and again for a long time displeasure -- n. a feeling of unhappiness or annoyance tariff – n. a tax on goods coming into or leaving a country product – n. something that is made or grown to be sold or used illness – n. a specific condition that prevents your body or mind from working normally : a sickness or disease pneumonia – n. medical : a serious disease that affects the lungs and makes it difficult to breathe encephalitis – n. inflammation of the brain pattern – n. the regular and repeated way in which something happens or is done We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/subject-verb-agreement-and-the-news/5137616.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/subject-verb-agreement-and-the-news/5137616.html
Is it a good idea to have a tattoo?
Do you have a tattoo? We discuss body art and teach you some vocabulary.
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07rxqtj
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07rxqtj
Tuesday, 22 October 2019
New broom sweeps clean
New Entry: 'New broom sweeps clean' has just been added to the Idioms area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/new+broom+sweeps+clean.html
Bronoun
New Entry: 'Bronoun' has just been added to the Slang area of UsingEnglish.com. This entry is only available in our members' area.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/members/idioms/view.php?entry_id=27360
Phrasal Verbs Dice Game
New Entry: 'Phrasal Verbs Dice Game' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/teachers/lesson-plans/view-phrasal-verbs-dice-game/
Slow TV
Learn about the TV trend that urges you to relax, slow down and chill out.
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07rpqsb
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07rpqsb
Monday, 21 October 2019
Sunday, 20 October 2019
Saturday, 19 October 2019
English Kids’ Songs: Easy Videos for Beginners #38 - Yes Yak
Learn English with EnglishClass101.com! This series is an easy way to improve your child’s English level and discover new music at the same time. Learn the song’s key words and phrases, then add it to your playlist to master it 100%. By listening over and over, [...]
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/english-kids-songs-easy-videos-for-beginners-38-yes-yak/
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/english-kids-songs-easy-videos-for-beginners-38-yes-yak/
How to teach small talk
New Entry: 'How to teach small talk' has just been added to the Articles area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/articles/how-to-teach-small-talk.html
Friday, 18 October 2019
Thursday, 17 October 2019
Subject – Verb Agreement
Have you ever noticed something strange about sentences involving prices or distances? Do you ever wonder why Americans use expressions like “$50 is too much!” or “Ten miles is really far”? In today’s Everyday Grammar, we will explore unusual cases of what we call subject-verb agreement. We will look at sentences in which English speakers use plural nouns and noun phrases with singular verbs. These nouns and noun phrases often involve things such as time, money, distance or mathematics. Let’s begin with a few definitions. Definitions The term subject-verb agreement means that the subject and the verb agree in number. So a singular noun takes a singular verb. Here is an example: Joe works at a restaurant. The subject, Joe, is singular. That explains why we use the word works, the singular form of the verb. If the subject were plural, the verb would be different, as in: Joe and Tom work at a restaurant. Joe and Tom are two people. That is why we use work, the plural form of the verb. This is the basic idea of subject-verb agreement. However, English speakers do not always use singular nouns with singular verbs, as we will see. #1 Time, money, distance When the subject of a sentence involves time, money or distance, English speakers do not use subject-verb agreement in the way that you might expect. Here is an example. Imagine you hear these two statements: One dollar is too much! Five dollars is too much! In the first sentence, the subject is one dollar. One dollar is singular. The verb be is also singular. In the second sentence, the subject is five dollars. Five dollars is plural. But you might also notice that the verb be is singular. This unusual pattern demonstrates what we said earlier: expressions of time, money and distance often take a singular verb. Popular culture offers many examples of this usage. Here is one: The American rock group Modest Mouse has a song called “A Life of Arctic Sounds.” The words go like this: 800 miles is a long drive inside a car 900 miles is a long long long long ways in a car And 1000 miles is a LONG DRIVE INSIDE A CAR!!!!!!! Even as the number of miles increase in the song, the main verb, be, stays singular. #2 Math When the subject of a sentence involves math, it also often takes a singular verb. Many children, when learning the multiplication tables, memorize the following words: Five times five is 25. And when learning addition, boys and girls repeat the following words: Two plus two equals four. In both cases, the expression about math takes a singular verb – in our examples, the words is and equals, respectively. Popular culture has examples of math and subject-verb agreement. In the following song, American singer Kelly Clarkson criticizes a man. She sings the following: And I may not be Einstein But I know dumb plus dumb equals you Dumb plus dumb equals you Closing thoughts The next time you are listening to someone speaking American English, try to find examples of subject-verb agreement. Ask yourself the following: When does the person use normal subject-verb agreement? When do they not use normal subject-verb agreement? Asking yourselves these kinds of questions will help you learn patterns in English. I'm John Russell. John Russell wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story plural – adj. involving two or more phrase – n. a group of two or more words that express a single idea but do not usually form a complete sentence singular – adj. grammar: showing no more than one thing pattern – n. a repeated design or plan multiplication table – n. a list showing the products of two numbers (such as 1 through 12) indie – adj. not connected with or created by a major producer of music or movies; short for the word independent dumb – adj. lacking in intelligence; stupid We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/subject-verb-agreement-/5127843.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/subject-verb-agreement-/5127843.html
Is it OK to work for free?
Rob and Sam discuss internships and teach you related vocabulary.
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07r9k2b
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07r9k2b
Wednesday, 16 October 2019
Feelings- Drawing Games
New Entry: 'Feelings- Drawing Games' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/teachers/lesson-plans/view-feelings-drawing-games/
Tuesday, 15 October 2019
Tiger mother
Trying to help your kids succeed in life? These mothers have a strong idea of what to do!
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07r2kyq
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07r2kyq
Monday, 14 October 2019
Sunday, 13 October 2019
English Kids’ Songs: Easy Videos for Beginners #37 - Six in the Box
Learn English with EnglishClass101.com! This series is an easy way to improve your child’s English level and discover new music at the same time. Learn the song’s key words and phrases, then add it to your playlist to master it 100%. By listening over and over, [...]
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/english-kids-songs-easy-videos-for-beginners-37-six-in-the-box/
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/english-kids-songs-easy-videos-for-beginners-37-six-in-the-box/
Business English- Good and Bad Body Language Roleplay Game
New Entry: 'Business English- Good and Bad Body Language Roleplay Game' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/teachers/lesson-plans/view-business-english-good-and-bad-body-language-roleplay-game/
Thursday, 10 October 2019
How to Say 'I'm Not Surprised'
Do you ever hear a story and think to yourself, "I knew that" or "it's not surprising to me?" This week on Everyday Grammar, we will look at different ways to say that you are not surprised when you hear what someone says or does. One way to express this is by saying "it is no wonder." The word wonder is often used in English to express a feeling of unpredictability or uncertainty. On a recent episode of Ask a Teacher, we explained how to use wonder in a question. When using the expression “it is no wonder,” you are saying you really have no questions at all about this event. On a sunny day, for example, you might look outside the window and say, "It's no wonder that the park is crowded. The weather is beautiful!" Listen to the American singer James Swanberg telling about his relationship with a friend. This song says he's not surprised that they are together. It's No Wonder It's No Wonder We're Together Oh Cuz There's No One I Like Better It's No Wonder We're United Our next expression is “of course.” You can hear this saying every day when someone reacts to a statement that is almost always true. A: Ahmed stayed late last night to help with our project. B: Of course. He's very generous with his time. Another expression that you will hear when somebody is not surprised is "it figures." If you just look at the word "figure," you might imagine this has something to do with mathematics and adding up numbers. But in fact, the person who says "it figures" is putting together ideas and recognizing that their thoughts about those ideas are correct. The Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette tells about an incident like this in her hit song “Ironic.’ It's a free ride when you've already paid It's the good advice that you just didn't take And who would've thought—it figures! The singer is telling us that she thinks - or figures - that bad things will always happen to her. Another expression used when someone is not surprised is "what do you expect?" 1: Those kids across the street are so loud. 2: What do you expect? They're celebrating their graduation. Finally, let's look at how people use the word typical. It is often used when you are unhappy or dissatisfied with something that has happened. 1: The bus is late, so I can't make it to the meeting on time. 2: Typical! You should take the train. It's more dependable. Differences between these expressions Now, let’s review what we discussed today. The first two expressions, "it's no wonder" and "of course," can be used for an approving or positive reaction to an event. But the second two expressions, "it figures" and "typical," usually show more of negative, or not so nice, reaction. Listen for these expressions the next time you are watching an American television show or movie. Try to use them when you are speaking English, and your listeners will know that you are not surprised. I'm John Russell. Jill Robbins wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story park – n. a piece of public land in or near a city that is kept free of houses and other buildings and can be used for pleasure and exercise of course – used to show that what is being said is very obvious or already generally known generous – adj. providing more than the amount that is needed or normal : abundant or ample typical – adj. happening in the usual way; normal for a person, thing, or group : average or usual review – v. to study or look at (something) again positive – adj. : thinking about the good qualities of someone or something : thinking that a good result will happen : hopeful or optimistic We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/how-to-say-i-m-not-surprised-/5117391.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/how-to-say-i-m-not-surprised-/5117391.html
The 100 most useful social English phrases
New Entry: 'The 100 most useful social English phrases' has just been added to the Articles area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/articles/100-most-useful-social-english-phrases.html
Can you spot a lie?
Rob and Sam talk about the telltale signs and teach you some vocabulary. Honestly.
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07qndkp
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07qndkp
Tuesday, 8 October 2019
Monday, 7 October 2019
English Kids’ Songs: Easy Videos for Beginners #36 - Mrs. Pet Vet
Learn English with EnglishClass101.com! This series is an easy way to improve your child’s English level and discover new music at the same time. Learn the song’s key words and phrases, then add it to your playlist to master it 100%. By listening over and over, [...]
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/english-kids-songs-easy-videos-for-beginners-36-mrs-pet-vet/
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/english-kids-songs-easy-videos-for-beginners-36-mrs-pet-vet/
Flip someone the bird
New Entry: 'Flip someone the bird' has just been added to the Idioms area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/flip+someone+the+bird.html
Finger and thumb
New Entry: 'Finger and thumb' has just been added to the Cockney Rhyming Slang area of UsingEnglish.com. This entry is only available in our members' area.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/members/idioms/view.php?entry_id=27358
On the rack
New Entry: 'On the rack' has just been added to the Idioms area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/on+the+rack.html
Aptis Speaking Part Three- Longer Phrases
New Entry: 'Aptis Speaking Part Three- Longer Phrases' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/teachers/lesson-plans/view-aptis-speaking-part-three-longer-phrases/
Saturday, 5 October 2019
Friday, 4 October 2019
Survival Phrases #50 - Expressing Symptoms in English
Learn English travel phrases with EnglishClass101.com! A little English can go such a long way! Whether you’re traveling, visiting, or sightseeing, EnglishClass101.com has all the essential travel phrases just for you! In this lesson, we cover a high frequency English phrase sure to be of use on your trip, travels or vacation to the USA. You [...]
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/survival-phrases-50-explaining-allergies/
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/survival-phrases-50-explaining-allergies/
I ____ them do it.
New Entry: 'I ____ them do it.' has just been added to the Language Polls area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/poll/1222.html
Thursday, 3 October 2019
The Progressive: Activities and Places
Imagine you want to talk about what someone is doing. Perhaps you want to add information about where that action is happening. This week on Everyday Grammar, we will explore how English speakers use progressive verbs with expressions of place. Here are two examples. You might hear someone say, “He is working outside.” Or the person could say, “He is outside working.” Sentences like these will be the subject of our report today. But first, let us begin with a few definitions. Definitions Progressive verbs show that an action is in progress during a certain period of time. Progressive verbs are sometimes called continuous verbs. The form of the progressive is be + -ing. This is known as the present participle. If you want to learn more about progressive verbs, you can find a report about them on our website. Expressions of place are words or groups of words that show where something is happening. Examples include phrases or terms with the words “in,” “on,” or “at” – such as “in her office,” “at the book store,” and so on. Expressions of place can sometimes move in a sentence, and even come in between progressive verbs, as we will find. Examples Imagine the following situation. You are watching a television show about an American family. Perhaps the actors say the following lines: 1: What is Dad doing? 2: He is sleeping upstairs. Now imagine the exchange is a little different, as in: 1: Where is Dad? 2: He is upstairs sleeping. You might notice that the second speaker used the exact same words in both examples, but the words were in a different order. You heard, “He is sleeping upstairs” and “He is upstairs sleeping.” In other words, the expression of place comes between the auxiliary verb “be,” and the –ing form. In our examples, the word upstairs comes between is and sleeping. Now, let’s consider a more difficult example. Imagine you hear the actors in the same fictional television show say the following: 1: What was Dad doing when you came home? 2: He was working on a project in the garage. Now consider the following: 1: Where was Dad when you came home? 2: He was in the garage working on a project. Once again, you might notice that the speaker changed the order of the words. The expression of place in the garage came between the words was and working. Small Difference You might be asking yourself if there is a difference in meaning in the two sentences. The basic meaning is the same. However, there is a small difference in the focus. So, if we examine our earlier example: 1: What was Dad doing when you came home? 2: He was working on a project in the garage. The focus of both the question and the answer is on what the Dad was doing. The other example went like this: 1: Where was Dad when you came home? 2 : He was in the garage working on a project. The focus of both the question and the answer is on where Dad is. If this subject seems like it might be difficult, do not fear. To begin with, you can try to find examples that you hear in movies or television shows. Ask yourself if the expression of place comes after the progressive verb, or between the auxiliary verb “be” and the –ing form. This idea will help you understand sentences that might at first seem strange to you. But these sentences can become clearer if you find the progressive verb and expression of place. That’s all for now. Next week at 10 a.m., we will be in this production studio recording a new Everyday Grammar. I’m Alice Bryant. And I’m John Russell. John Russell wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story upstairs – adv. on or to a higher floor of a building auxiliary – adj. providing additional support or help fictional – adj. make-believe; not real garage – n. a building or part of a building in which a car or other vehicle is kept basic – adj. simple; required by everyone or everything focus –n. a subject that is being discussed or studied : the subject on which people's attention is focused — usually singular studio – n. a room where an artist works a.m. – abbreviation before high noon; the first 12 hours of the day We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/the-progressive-activities-and-places/5109273.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/the-progressive-activities-and-places/5109273.html
Are you good at complaining?
Sam and Rob hope you don't complain about the vocabulary they're going to teach you!
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07pt31k
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07pt31k
Wednesday, 2 October 2019
Tuesday, 1 October 2019
The 100 best small talk questions
New Entry: 'The 100 best small talk questions' has just been added to the Articles area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/articles/100-best-small-talk-questions.html
Buyer's remorse
Have you ever regretted an expensive purchase? This is the phrase for you!
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07ppsdg
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07ppsdg
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