So and Such – English Grammar To learn this English Grammar let’s look at the meaning of So and Such. SO means very; extremely or to some high degree or level. “Patricia is so nice. I really like talking to her.” SUCH is used to show a high level of importance. “Patricia is such a nice person. I really like …
Learn English FREE! (E-book with audio, newsletter + lots more!)
Learn English FREE The GOOD stuff My 32-page English e-book is yours FREE! Audio and practice exercises! Master these 5 common language basics. ① Learn to use Because and So – Clearly explain why you do something② Adjectives ending with ~ing and ~ed – Describe things or your feelings with confidence③ Use it looks and it looks like correctly – …
Reported speech English grammar (+ video!)
Reported speech English grammar Direct quote Kyle said, “I will be busy tonight.” Sharing information Kyle said he will be busy tonight. We use reported speech to share information that we heard from another person or information that we got from TV, newspaper, Internet etc. This English grammar is very common in English conversation. There are two ways to use …
How to use Over and Under as prefixes + Video (2020 update)
I’m sure you have heard the words OVER and UNDER before. In this blog post I’ll show you how they can be used as prefixes to change the meaning of other words you may already know! Do you know what a prefix is? A prefix is: a letter or group of letters added to the beginning of a word to …
How I spent QUARANTINE – English practice (helpful resources)
How I spent QUARANTINE – English practice How I spent QUARANTINE – helpful resources – Learn what I did with my free time, and improve your English! Being in quarantine means having lots of free time for many of us. Suddenly having lots of free time can make us bored, even stressed. If we look at the situation from a …
Natural English Listening QUARANTINE
This post contains audio for natural English listening practice. It talks about my quarantine here in Japan with lots of new vocabulary to learn. Below you will find an audio player so you can listen to the post and improve your English listening skills. Definitions for all the words from the story in bold blue text are also listed at …
See, Watch, and Look at (PDF) Learn these English verbs
The English verbs SEE, WATCH, and LOOK at can be confusing. I made this post with PDF to clearly explain this English grammar. These verbs have a similar meaning but we don’t use them the same way. There is a nuance in their meaning. nuance [noun] a very slight difference in meaning, sound, color or somebody’s feelings that is not …
How to use adjectives as nouns (A helpful guide)
How to use adjectives as nouns (A helpful guide) We often hear adjectives we recognize used as nouns in natural speech, and in the news. I thought it would be good if students had a simple guide to explain this grammar. I did some research and used my years of experience teaching English as a second language to make this …
Adjectives with the preposition OF (English grammar)
I love to teach prepositions! In this post I want to teach you some common examples of adjectives with the preposition OF. I wrote lots of natural examples using this grammar. Examples that native speakers use in natural conversation. Adjectives of feeling + OF Here are some adjectives of feeling that make us uncomfortable afraid of Jason is afraid of …
A slap on the wrist (English Idiom)
English idiom – A Slap on the Wrist In today’s English blog post I’ll explain the common English idiom A slap on the wrist. I’ll use some natural examples and we will discover the meaning together. This will make the expression easy to remember and simple to use in your own English conversations. Idioms are a group of words that …
Increase English vocabulary (Root word technique)
Increase English vocabulary In this post you will learn a simple technique to increase your English vocabulary. I will share with you a simple technique I use with my students here in Japan. This is also something I use to learn Japanese vocabulary. I’m sure it can help you understand and use English too. Let me share a real story …
Much or Many? English grammar (+Video)
Much or Many – Do you know how to use these words? In this post you will learn how with natural English examples. Read to the end and then watch my” MUCH Vs. MANY” video! In English we use the words MUCH and MANY to show there is a large amount of something. Much Much is used with uncountable nouns …
Affect and Effect – English vocabulary (W/Video)
Affect VS. Effect The English words Affect and Effect are easy to confuse. Their spelling is similar and their meanings both relate to change. It’s easy for me to see as a teacher why these words often get used incorrectly. They are different kinds of words, one is a verb and the other is a noun. They are used with …
English Adjectives Fact or Opinion? (PDF)
English Adjectives Fact or Opinion In English, we use adjectives to describe nouns. The adjective we use can be a FACT (red) or an OPINION (beautiful). A fact is – a thing that is known to be true, especially when it can be proved An opinion is – your feelings or thoughts about somebody/something, rather than a fact When we …
Hasn’t VS. Doesn’t Have (PDF download)
Hasn’t VS. Doesn’t have I was teaching a private lesson here in Japan. One of my students was describing a situation with a friend. She had a question about Hasn’t VS. Doesn’t Have English grammar: “He hasn’t any money.” Or “He doesn’t have any money.” Video at the end of this post! My student wanted to know which sentence is …
English modal verbs – Can Could May Might
English modal verbs Learn all about English modal verbs in my post. Use the verbs Can, Could, May and Might like a native speaker. can We use the modal verb can to say that something is possible, allowed or somebody/something has the ability to do something. could 1) Could is sometimes used as the past tense of can. 2) We …
Should I use Each or Every? (English grammar)
My students often wonder – Should I use Each or Every? It’s a great question! I did some research and made this lesson to answer that question. Learn the grammar with lots of natural examples that you can use right away. Each and Every can sometimes have the same meaning.Each store in this mall is having a holiday sale.Every store …
Present perfect continuous – English Grammar PDF
The present perfect continuous (also known as the present perfect progressive) is have/has + been + the continuous tense of a verb. (Continuous tense is verb ~ing.) This verb tense has a connection to events happening now. The PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS is have/has + been + the continuous tense of a verb. We use it to talk about an activity …
6 English Phrasal verbs with CUT (17 examples)
English Phrasal verbs with CUT In this post I want to share 6 English phrasal verbs with CUT. Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries dot com lists 24 different uses for the verb CUT! ✂ LINK Many uses have a meaning that is easy to imagine, but some are not so common. I’ll explain the meaning and then help you understand it with lots …
What is Groundhog Day? (w/ English Audio)
What is Groundhog Day? In today’s post, I will explain this North American tradition, give you some history and tell you about a movie (that I love!) named for this special day. Plus learn the English expression “Same old, same old.” There is an audio track too at the end of this post so you can practice English listening. What …
Learn English from TV (A complete guide)
Learn English from TV shows You can learn a lot of English words and expressions from TV shows. In an earlier post, I showed you 4 key ways to improve your English. One of those keys is to improve your English listening. Watching English TV shows is a great way to do this. In this post you will get my …
Rats and Mice idioms (2020 The year of the Rat)
2020 is the year of the mouse / rat. In today’s post you will learn 10 rats and mice idioms. Poor as a church mouse As quiet as a mouse The best-laid plans of mice and men Play cat and mouse with (someone) When the cat’s away, the mice will play Mouse potato Rat race Smell a rat Like a …
Improve your English QUICKLY – 4 Keys (2020)
4 Simple Tips to Improve your English fast In this post I will teach you 4 keys to help you Improve your English quickly. You can apply these tips to your study right away! Learn full sentences and phrases Not just vocabulary lists and grammar rules. Listening practice is important necessary! Many students don’t spend enough time listening, some don’t …
FEW and A FEW (with 5 audio tracks + video)
It is easy to confuse “few” and “a few.” When you add a little “a,” it makes a big difference! I’ll explain using some natural English sentence examples to help you learn the difference. Please read the bullet points below. Few ① = not many“There are few people in this restaurant.” Few ② = can be used to show how …
Today Tomorrow The day after tomorrow (Easy English Grammar)
Learn how to use the words today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, yesterday and the day before yesterday like a native speaker. Also, increase your range of conversation topics with time by adding the preposition in and the adverb ago. It is Wednesday, Feb. 9th. Feb. 9th – today Feb. 10th – tomorrow Feb. 11th – the day after tomorrow …
Most or Almost English grammar (2020)
most [determiner, pronoun] – the largest in number or amount “7-11 has the most convenience stores in Tokyo.” most [adverb] – used to form the superlative of adjectives and adverbs of two or more syllables “She was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen.” almost [adverb] – nearly, not quite “I woke up late and almost missed the train …
Learn Present Perfect Tense (English Grammar)
The PRESENT PERFECT tense is have/has + the past participle form of a verb. I have just eaten lunch so I’m not hungry. We use it to describe new information or an action that is related to now. Erica’s contact lens has fallen out. Let’s help her find it.Erica has lost a contact. Let’s help her find it. – Erica …
Adjectives ed and ing + quiz (English Grammar)
Adjectives with ed and ing + simple QUIZ In today’s post, you will learn how to use English adjectives that end with ed and ing. You will also find a simple quiz at the end of the post. Adjectives are an important part of our communication. They let us give more detail to our conversations and help to make our …
Passive voice in English ~ Real examples (2020 update)
What is the passive voice in English grammar? If the subject of our sentence gets or receives something – something happens to the subject of our sentence – we can use the Passive Voice. Passive voice uses the verb to be (am, is, are, was, were) plus the past participle form of the verb in the main action. Example: Paul was bitten by a mosquito. Compare …
Learn English with famous quotes (10 quotes explained!)
Learn English with famous quotes Learn English with these 10 famous quotes! Meaning, vocabulary and grammar explained. “The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion.” ~ Paulo Coelho “You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist.” ~ Indira Gandhi “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” ~ Aesop “The supreme art of war …
Learn the English preposition FOR (w/Video)
wait for something Carl’s waiting for his friend, he should be here soon. look for something I can’t find my earring! Can you help me look for it? for can show purpose Are you learning English for pleasure or for work? for can show a cause She gave me a bag for my birthday. we use for to receive something …
Verbs with prepositions TO + AT (English Grammar) PDF
Learn how to use verbs with prepositions in this post. The prepositions TO and AT are used with some common English verbs. Read lots of natural examples and download a free PDF guide so you can practice this grammar anytime. The PDF download link is at the bottom of this post! Verbs with TO go to Let’s go to the …
Have To or Must? Easy Grammar + Quiz and Infographic
Several of my English students have asked me “Should I use HAVE TO or MUST?” Learn how with this Easy Grammar guide. This post has a practice QUIZ, an easy to follow Infographic, and lots of natural must and have to examples! Have to and must are both used to show that something is necessary, but there are some differences. …
Improve English listening skills AUDIO
We all want to improve our English listening. Improving your English listening skills is very important for ESL students, it can also be fun. In today’s blog, you will get access to my best posts with podcasts, embedded audio and videos. This collection is full of natural English spoken by a native speaker. Use these to take your English to …
20 English expressions with LUCK
In this post you will learn some English expressions with LUCK and more than 20 different ways to use them in natural conversation! If you want to learn English, you’re IN LUCK! Keep reading… To begin, let’s review the meaning for the word luck. ・luck (click the word for the definition link)Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries dot com lists 2 uses for …
Articles A, An and The – English basics
In this blog post you will learn how to correctly use the English articles A, An and The. Lots of example sentences and 4 custom infographics to help you remember this grammar. English basics – Articles A, An and The There are 26 letters in the English alphabet. 5 of those letters are vowels. A, E, I, O, and U. …
English prepositions IN, AT, ON
In this post you will learn how to correctly use the English prepositions IN, AT, and ON for time and place. 8 custom infographics and LOTS of real examples! Dave can’t find his smartphone. – Maybe the phone is in my bedroom? English prepositions with placeIN = inside We use IN with rooms Jessica is in the living room. I’ve …
Easy English grammar (ESL connection Method)
In this post you will learn how to easily remember English grammar rules using my ESL Connection Method. This is a useful tool that has really helped me in my own language study, and of course it has also helped my English students too. I’ve been teaching English as a second language since 2006. One question I have been asked …
Do you know the difference between HOPE and WISH? (Learn here!)
The difference between HOPE and WISH Do you know the difference between HOPE and WISH? These two words can be easy to confuse for non-native speakers, but don’t worry, I’m here to help you! My post will explain with lots of natural examples. Clear definitions are good. Natural examples that you can really use are great! HOPE hope verb – …
You can’t miss it – English expression (with video!)
You can’t miss it! The English expression You Can’t Miss It. There are lots of common English expressions. Today let me show you one that I used 2 days ago when I gave someone directions to a new cafe. Please look at the following conversation: A: “Why don’t we meet at the new coffee shop that opened on Sunday? It’s …