Grammar: List of irregular verbs

Grammar: a list of irregular verbs in groups
All levels

Most irregular verbs are used a lot in English so they are important verbs to learn. In this list they are grouped, for example, by spelling or pronunciation. This should make them easier to remember. Continue reading

Vocabulary: Shakespeare’s 450th birthday

ShakespeareVocabulary and culture: 10 useful expressions from Shakespeare
Advanced level (C1-C2)

This week we celebrate Shakespeare’s 450th birthday (historians disagree about the exact day) with 10 Shakespearean sayings or sayings that Shakespeare made better known. Continue reading

Pronunciation: English sounds

Pronunciation: English sounds
All levels

If you want to hear the individual sounds of English, you can use Adrian Underhill’s interactive phonemic chart. Just click on the symbol to hear the sound and an example word.  http://www.macmillanenglish.com/phonemic-chart/. There is also a great free app http://www.soundspronapp.com/  Continue reading

Pronunciation: Silent ‘e’

Pronunciation: silent ‘e’
Elementary to Intermediate (A1-B1)

English pronunciation has changed over hundreds of years. Today you will often see a silent letter ‘e’ at the end of words. This ‘e’ often shows that the vowel sound in the syllable before it is long. Continue reading

Grammar: Predictions – looking into the future

Grammar: predictions
Pre-intermediate to upper intermediate level (A1-B2)

Michio Kaku is a well-known American physicist. He has just published a book called ‘The Future of the Mind’. In his book he writes about how people we will be able to record clear images of your thoughts and even your dreams! Continue reading

Reading: choosing the right book to read

Reading: book level test (graded readers)
All levels

Reading is very important if you want to improve your English quickly. It shows you hundreds of examples of good grammar. It also teaches you a lot of vocabulary and expressions. Seeing the same words again and again will help you remember the words you learnt in the past. However, you need to find reading of the right level for you.   Continue reading

Pronunciation: Hesitating to sound natural (2)

Pronunciation and speaking: hesitating
Lower intermediate to advanced level English (B1-C1) 

Speaking continuously is quite difficult, even for native speakers. Almost all speakers of English need to pause frequently. Hesitating gives you more time to think and choose the right words. Continue reading

Useful websites: Dictionaries, exams (IELTS & Cambridge), business

Your dictionaryHere are some useful websites if you are looking for a dictionary. There is also a really useful website for seeing how words are used in a sentence and an interesting website which helps you understand phrases. There are also websites about English exams, business articles in English and a link to a reading level test. Continue reading

Speaking and writing: Giving a presentation

Speaking and writing: giving a presentation
Intermediate to higher level (B1-C1) 

Have you ever listened to a presentation and thought: ‘Why are they just reading what’s on the slide?’? Not only can this quickly send the listener to sleep but it’s also a waste of a great opportunity. Here are some tips for giving a presentation: Continue reading

Speaking and grammar: How to make an offer

Speaking: making an offer
Intermediate to higher level (B1-C2)

You can make an offer in English in many different ways. Here are some examples:

  • ‘Would you like a cup of tea?’ or more informally just ‘Like a cup of tea?’
  • ‘Do you fancy a cup of tea?’ or just ‘Fancy a cup of tea?’
  • ‘Do you want a cup of tea’ or just ‘Want a cup of tea?

Continue reading

Reading: Margaret Thatcher

Reading
Very advanced level (C2)

Yesterday Margaret Thatcher died. Some people were sad but others celebrated her death by opening bottles of Champagne and dancing in the street. However most would probably agree that she was one of the most formidable politicians of the 20th century who changed the economic and political face of Britain. Continue reading

Pronunciation: Stressing and unstressing

Pronunciation: not stressing syllables
All levels

Effective English pronunciation is often about deciding which part of a word is important and which part or parts are not important. If a syllable is not important, we often change the standard vowel sound to something more relaxed. You should try to learn how to do this.  Continue reading

Reading: British weather

Reading
Elementary to Intermediate (A2-B2)

Britain doesn’t have the best reputation for weather. In some ways this is unfair because people sometimes think London is frequently foggy when in fact London is very rarely like this. Of course 70 years ago people burned a lot of coal to keep themselves warm and this produced some terrible smogs in the big cities. Continue reading

Reading and video: Special double-decker bus

Reading and video: exercising double-decker bus
Intermediate level (B1-B2)

A Czech artist has taken a classic British double-decker bus and made it do press-ups (you can also say ‘push-ups’) in time for the Olympics! Using hydraulics, huge red arms can lift up the bus. Continue reading

Reading: What did the Olympic opening ceremony mean to you?

Reading: London Olympics
Advanced level (C1-C2)

If you were one of the hundreds of millions watching the opening ceremony of the Olympics, I wonder what you made of it. Most British people I spoke to found something that impressed them but of course if you watched it on TV you could only see what was broadcast and imagine the atmosphere. Continue reading

Reading: Tour de force

Reading
Advanced (C1-C2)

I first noticed Bradley Wiggins about 10 years ago. His long sideburns and mod haircut made him stand out from the crowd. His look was so unusual you might have thought he was a computer geek, a trainspotter or a statistics-obsessed anorak. His name didn’t help either. When he spoke he was also different: he had an attitude. Continue reading