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
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 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: 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
It takes about 20 minutes to drive from Oxford to a village called Little Wittenham. It’s a popular place for walking because you get great views from the top of the nearby hills (Round Hill and Castle Hill). The hills, which are usually known as the Clumps, have wild flowers on their slopes and beech trees at their tops. You can see birds such as skylarks, buzzards and red kites.
From the top of Round Hill you can see the river Thames as it meanders by the pretty village of Dorchester (you can see Dorchester Abbey in the photo). If you have time, it’s a good place to have a picnic before walking down the hills and exploring the woods below.
In Little Wittenham there is an organisation called Earth Trust which seeks to encourage sustainable living. At the moment Earth Trust has 1,200 acres of woodland, research plantation, meadow, wetland and farmland.
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 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
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
To be honest I can’t be sure because I’ve never met him but I have an idea why. Old English was a Germanic language that was influenced by the Old Norse language of the Vikings and then by the Norman French that came with William the Conqueror’s invasion of 1066. Continue reading
Grammar: punctuation
Intermediate level (B2)
Commas, colons, full stops … It’s probably true to say that less punctuation is used today than in the past but this doesn’t mean punctuation isn’t needed. Punctuation is really important when it can change the meaning of a sentence. I found this example in Wikipedia: 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
April 23rd is St George’s Day. It is thought to be Shakespeare’s birthday too, as well as the date of his death. St George is believed to have been born in what is now Turkey. Continue reading
In east London 30 cash machines are giving customers the choice of having instructions in Cockney, a working class dialect of English. Continue reading
Intermediate level (B2)
‘Get’ is used all the time in everyday spoken English. You can get an email or get drunk or get married. Continue reading