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
Grammar: adjectives after verbs
Elementary to advanced level English (A2-C2)
You will know sentences like ‘She is happy.’ but there are other verbs that can have adjectives following them eg ‘They look afraid.’. Continue reading
Vocabulary: ‘mind’ as a verb
Lower to higher level English (A2-C1)
‘Mind’ can be a verb and is often used in conversation. It is an important verb to understand and use correctly. It has several meanings. Continue reading
Writing: email guidance
Elementary to advanced level English (A2-C1)
Writing emails to good friends isn’t usually a problem but how should you write more formal emails? Continue reading
Vocabulary: nouns
Intermediate to advanced level English (B1-C2)
‘Mind’ as a noun is in a lot of expressions. Continue reading
Facts about English
Intermediate to higher level English (B1-C2)
To mark the start of 2014, here are some facts to know about English. Continue reading
Vocabulary: expressions that rhyme
Advanced level English (C1-C2)
There are an interesting group of words and expressions that usually have two elements that rhyme. I recommend you listen out for them and try to develop a feel for how they are used. Here are a few:
Wishy-washy (adj) Continue reading
Speaking: conversation
Intermediate to higher level English (B1-C2)
Having a conversation is unpredictable. Many things can happen that stop your saying what you want to say. Here are a few ways to help you return to your subject or story. Continue reading
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
Pronunciation rule: stressing syllables
Lower to higher level (A1-C1)
English does not have pronunciation rules for everything but there are some rules about syllable stress that can help you. Continue reading
Adjectives
Intermediate to higher level (B1-C1)
We have a lot of words in English to say that something is different or not normal in some way. Continue reading
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:
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
Reading: scones
Intermediate to higher level (B1-C2)
Scones are a fun tea-time British treat.
You can make them in about 30 minutes
and eat with jam and cream.
My recipe (personally tested!) will make about 6 scones.
Punctuation
Intermediate to advanced (B1-C1)
If you want to have really clear writing don’t forget to use hyphens (-). In English we can use them to show more clearly what we are trying to communicate. Continue reading
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
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
Grammar: conditionals
Intermediate to advanced level (B1-C1)
In English there are many kinds of conditional combinations. All the sentences below are grammatically correct. Continue reading
Speaking: Business dialogue
Intermediate to advanced (B2-C2)
Imagine you have just come out of a business meeting where a close colleague (Harry) was very impressive. You decide to tell him what you think. Here is a possible English dialogue: Continue reading
Intermediate to higher level (B1-C1)
There has been an interesting range of England managers over the years. Now, during the Euros we have Roy Hodgson. He wasn’t everyone’s first choice and he certainly doesn’t have the media-friendly personality of say a Mourinho but he is regarded as reliable, genuine and all-round nice bloke. We shall see in the coming days if his qualities are enough to get the England team through to the final stages of the competition. Continue reading
Reading: Politics
Upper intermediate to advanced (B2-C2)
She is certainly well-known, or at least her image is. Her face is on stamps and the UK currency but most of the time she is only seen at royal visits or ceremonies. At the opening of Parliament the Queen reads a speech but this is written by the government. At Christmas she reads a message to the country but this is very formal and usually just a summary of some of the things that have happened in the year. Continue reading
Pronunciation: syllable stress
Pre-intermediate to advanced level (A2-C2)
The highest mountain in Britain is Ben Nevis in Scotland. However I think the real mountains are in the language! Some students speak English with a flat accent but this makes their pronunciation very difficult to understand. Continue reading
Pronunciation and listening: Word linking
Intermediate and higher level (B1-C2)
In normal conversation it is common for many words to be linked together. This can make listening to English a little difficult at the beginning. You can learn how to link words together. Practising linking English words will improve your listening and speaking. Continue reading
IELTS: Writing
Yesterday I was grading some IELTS writing (academic module second task, 250 words). Here are some tips to help you with this question in the exam. Continue reading
Vocabulary
Upper intermediate to advanced level (B2/C1/C2)
In English many words have a special relationship with other words. For example verbs and nouns:
suggest an alternative
realise an ambition
make a change
pay one’s way
resolve a situation
live one’s dream Continue reading
Advanced level (C1/C2)
If someone has misunderstood you, you can give them more information to make clear who you are talking about: Continue reading
Advanced level (C1/C2)
Useful informal phrases are in bold. I hope your morning was better than this one: Continue reading
Vocabulary: adverbs in a police story
Advanced level (C1)
Read the story and try to guess the meaning of the adverbs (in bold). Check with a dictionary to see if you are right. Continue reading