English Spring vocabulary (2021)

Spring has arrived! (This is a natural way to say “It’s now Spring!”) Now is the perfect time to learn some English Spring vocabulary/ In today’s blog post let’s practice some words we use when Spring arrives. *For my friends in Australia and Brazil (all of South America), Fall has arrived, not Spring, but we can still practice this vocabulary. …

Most or Almost? How to use this grammar (Video and Quiz)

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 …

10 Idioms with PIG (Learn FAST with pictures and examples)

1. Pig out(on something) – to eat too much of something at one time. 2. Eat like a pig – to eat a lot; to have a big appetite. 3. Make a pig of yourself – to eat a lot in a greedy or unpleasant way. 4. (A place) is a pigsty – a place is very dirty. 5. (be …

Learn English the FUN way – 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 …

Confusing English words – Famous or Popular? (Video and Quiz)

famous adjective – known about by many people Vincent Van Gogh is a famous artist from Holland. (Many people know who Vincent Van Gogh is.) popular adjective – liked or enjoyed by a large number of people Prince is a hugely popular singer. (A lot of people like Prince and enjoy his music.) In this post, I’ll explain the subtle difference, with …

English adjectives – Thick and Thin (8 ways to use them!)

Thick – adjective Thin – adjective thick – having a larger distance between opposite sides or surfaces than other similar objects or than normal thin – having a smaller distance between opposite sides or surfaces than other similar objects or than normal “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a thick book, it has more than 630 pages.” “A …

10 Phrasal verbs with OFF (Learn fast!) examples + video

In this post you will learn 10 Phrasal verbs with the preposition OFF. Audio and video for listening practice, and real examples in natural English. 10 Phrasal verbs with OFF Take clothes off – remove clothes “Hi welcome! Please take off your jacket and stay a while.” See someone off – take them to the airport, bus/train station etc. and …

Quickly learn 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… good luck/bad luck with some luck, with any luck, with a little luck to be in luck any luck? as luck would have it tough luck …

Learn the Passive Voice easily with 20 REAL examples (+video)

What is the passive voice in English grammar? Passive voice uses the verb to be (am, is, are, was, were) plus the past participle form of the verb in the main action Passive Voice Paul was bitten by a mosquito. Compare this with the Active Voice A mosquito bit Paul. There is a video at the end of this post …

How to Increase your English vocabulary with the suffix ~PROOF

Let’s learn how to use the English suffix PROOF today, we can use it to make new words and grow our vocabulary. When proof is used as a suffix with nouns it means – protected against or not damaged by bulletproof – (1) designed to resist the penetration of bullets(2) a plan or idea that has no errors, it is …

How to use English Prepositions + verbs with ~ing (2021 w/Video)

English Grammar – Learn to use English prepositions In this post you will learn to use English prepositions, listen to natural English that uses this grammar, and improve your own speaking confidence. Don’t forget to watch the video at the end of the post to improve your English listening skills. My Story One day I was practicing writing kanji before …

NOW THAT English Grammar (video update)

Now that In today’s post you will learn NOW THAT English grammar with easy to understand examples. This English grammar point came from a real lesson I had with a private student here in Japan. The Japanese Emperor has just changed. The title of Emperor was passed from father to his eldest son. My student and I were talking about …

How to use the 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 …

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.  …

Apply TO or Apply FOR? – Learn HERE (new QUIZ)

One of my students asked me the difference between  Apply TO and Apply FOR. It’s a good question so I thought I would write a post for my blog readers. I hope it’s helpful! 😀 *NEW quiz at the bottom of this post – Apply TO – a location or a school I applied to the University of Toronto. I …

Quickly Learn 5 ways to use the Preposition BY (audio/VIDEO)

How we travel Harrison goes to work by bicycle if the weather is nice. How something is made All the desserts in the restaurant are made by hand. BY mistake – BY accident –BY chance I grabbed my wife’s keys by mistake this morning. With the Passive Voice I was bitten by a mosquito last night. (was bitten is the …

Tired OF or Tired FROM? (Easy English Grammar + Audio)

Do you know the difference between Tired OF and Tired FROM? Tired of (something) had too much of something, or done something too much ~ to be bored with an activity, a thing or person Tired from (something)some activity you have done has made you tired Tired of “I ate at Burger King everyday this week. I am tired of hamburgers now, let’s …

How to use – English grammar Superlatives (Most, best, biggest)

One-Syllable Adjectives  Add ~est to the end of the adjective cheap – cheapest“There are 3 watches that I like. I will buy the cheapest one.” hot – hotter “August is the hottest month in Tokyo.” Two-Syllable Adjectives Ending in Y Add ~iest to the end of the adjective happy – happiest “Henry is the happiest person I have ever met. He …

Feb. 02 Groundhog Day (GREAT English listening practice)

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 the English suffix ~OUS – Increase your vocabulary (video too)

The English suffix -OUS Increase your vocabulary by learning the English suffix ~OUS. Turn nouns that you already know into adjectives by adding the suffix OUS to the end of the word. dangerous poisonous adventurous famous mountainous wondrous joyous miraculous Watch the video at the end of this post to review and improve your English listening skills. In July of …

FEW Or A FEW? Learn FAST (with Audio and Video)

It is easy to confuse these words. Should I use few or 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 …

How to use the English suffix -ISH (Increase vocabulary + video)

Increase your vocabulary Learn the English suffix -ISH The SUFFIX -ish can mean = it’s like, or has the quality of:foolish – like a fool / stylish – has good style / childish – like a child  For a country’s people or things:From Sweden – Swedish / From Britain – British / From Ireland – Irish -ish with other adjectives:My …

Learn How to use Either and Neither (video and QUIZ)

EITHER – adverb – Comes after negative phrases to say that a feeling or situation is similar to one already talked about  Mike can’t go and Spencer can’t either. EITHER – determiner/pronoun – one or the other of two; it does not matter which  You can park on either side of the street. (It doesn’t matter which side of the …

English Weather Vocabulary For Winter (and MORE!)

English Weather Vocabulary For Winter (And more!) – Learn 10 new words and phrases. Not just a list of words to memorize (that doesn’t work) but new vocabulary that’s part of a story. Learn the definitions and see the words used in a real conversation. You will also find an audio file at the bottom of this post to improve …

What’s The Difference Between An ATHLETE And PLAYER? (learn Here)

    Difference between an ATHLETE and a PLAYER The winter Olympics were in South Korea in 2018 and during the games, we heard the word athlete used a lot. The news talked about people competing from countries all over the world. One of my private students here in Japan asked me “What’s the difference between an athlete and a …

Easily Pronounce long English words (1 Simple trick + Video)

Do you have difficulty pronouncing LONG English words? Read my blog post and watch the video at the bottom of this page. Learn a simple way to help your pronunciation. Improve your pronunciation and improve your English understanding. One of my students was reading an English advertisement for fruit juice. The advertisement said the juice has no artificial colors or …

“Going to the Dentist” story (Great English listening practice)

Going to the Dentist New words from the story: Toothache DEFINITION Check-up DEFINITION Cavity DEFINITION Clench DEFINITION Listen to the story HERE 👀 Read the text below↓ James is at the dentist’s office today because he has a toothache on the right side of his mouth. He bought some medicine at the drug store, but the pain didn’t stop. His last dental check-up was …

Modal Verbs / Can-Could-May-Might-Must (Video + Quiz)

English modal verbs Learn all about English modal verbs in my post. Use the verbs Can, Could, May, Might and Must 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 …

Notify VS Notice – Easily confused English

NOTIFY vs NOTICE? Have you ever confused these verbs? Here is a simple breakdown to explain the basic difference. notify – verb – to formally or officially tell somebody about something notice – verb – to see or hear somebody/something; to become aware of somebody/something Notify VS Notice – Easily confused English Below is a story that will explain how …

Learn the difference between WEAR and PUT ON (Video)

Here is an easy way to think of the difference between WEAR and PUT ON. Wear is a condition, or it is something you do often. (to have something on your body as a piece of clothing, a decoration, etc.) “I am wearing a tie.” – This describes my situation now. (my condition) “I wear a tie to work.” – …

How to use HOW vs. WHAT (real examples + video)

English Grammar HOW vs. WHAT Learn the English Grammar HOW vs. WHAT in this post. Listen to English audio, watch the video, and use these words like a native speaker. Listening to natural sentences spoken by a native speaker. A link to the audio file on SoundCloud is also at the bottom of this post. This is a basic guide …

No and None English Grammar (Nobody/No-one – Nothing – Nowhere)

No and None – What’s the difference? The determiner NO means ~ not one; not any; not a – NO is used with a noun “The sign says no dogs allowed.” (Not one dog/not any dog is allowed here. The noun dogs follows the determiner NO.) The pronoun NONE means ~ not one of a group of people or things; …

Walked Or Took A Walk? (Here is the answer w/VIDEO)

I took a walk VS. I walked Noun vs. Verb WALK noun a journey on foot, usually for pleasure or exercise “My wife and I always go for a walk after dinner if the weather is nice.” WALK verb to move or go somewhere by putting one foot in front of the other on the ground, but without running “I …

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 …

Verbs with prepositions TO and AT – Easy Grammar (Video+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 …

Verb and Noun Pairs – Easy Pronunciation guide (audio+PDF)

In this post you will find 36 English verb and noun pairs with example audio. Listen to natural examples with real audio! Learn to make the correct sound for verb and noun pairs that have the same spelling but different pronunciation. Over 70 natural example sentences! Verb or Noun? – Grammar Example #1 conductnoun – CONduct – a person’s behavior …

Good AT or Good WITH? Confusing English (VIDEO)

Do you need to say Good at or Good with in your sentence? Which is correct? Read this post and learn how to use these natural English expressions. (Watch the video version of this post for English listening practice.) Good at is most often followed by a verb “Greg is good at fixing cars.” Good with will be followed by …

Today Tomorrow The Day After Tomorrow (Easy Grammar, Video + PDF)

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. Feb. 7th – The Day Before Yesterday Feb. 8th – Yesterday Feb. 9th – Today Feb. 10th – Tomorrow Feb. …

Use CHOICE and CHOOSE correctly (Learn fast with Audio)

choice noun an act of choosing between two or more possibilities; something that you can choose Our agency helps people make more informed career choices.I wonder if I made the right choice. choose verb to decide which thing or person you want out of the ones that are available You choose – I can’t decide.You can choose how much garlic …

Learn and use 50 Common Phrasal Verbs (video + free PDF)

You will learn 50 English phrasal verbs in this post. Each phrasal verb has an example sentence to help you understand the meaning. The example sentences will give you the chance to use these expressions naturally in your own conversations. The 50 English phrasal verbs you will learn in this post: look after look around look forward to  put aside …

What’s the difference between GET and TAKE (a complete guide)

GET and TAKE – What’s the difference? Version 1.0 get verb – receive/obtain – I got a call from Gary this morning. (I received a call from Gary this morning. This is passive, I just received the call.) take verb – accept/receive – I took the call in my office. (I accepted/received the call in my office. This is more …

How to use Affect and Effect – English vocabulary (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 …

How to use Hasn’t / Doesn’t Have (PDF download + video)

He doesn’t have or has? I have seen people asking similar questions online. Questions like “Should I use “He doesn’t have or has?” Using auxiliary (helper) verbs in their negative forms can be difficult. Look at the table below. Have/Has – main verb If HAVE/HAS is the main verb in your sentence, you need to use the negative form of …

How to use Present Perfect Continuous grammar (Video + 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 …

Much or Many? Easy English grammar (with Video)

Much Much is used with uncountable nouns like smoke, water, money “There is too much smoke in this restaurant.” Many Many is used with plural countable nouns like cars, sunglasses, people “There are too many cars on the road.” Watch the video at the end of this posy to review this grammar and improve your English listening skills. Much or …

RAISE and RISE Transitive/Intransitive verbs (QUIZ + video) 2021

Read the post, learn the grammar, and watch the video at the bottom of this page to improve your English listening skills. *NEW quiz – also at the end of this post! RAISE is a Transitive verb – a verb used with a direct object “Raise your hand if you know the answer.” – your hand is the object of …

A slap on the wrist – English Idiom (w/ Video)

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. Be sure to watch the video and …

How to use the suffix EN (Increase vocabulary + VIDEO)

How to use the suffix ENA quick guide suffix EN – nouns to verbs If you suffer from lower back pain you should do exercises that strengthen your core muscles. [The noun strength becomes the verb strengthen] suffix EN – adjectives to verbs The new skylight really brightens the room. [The adjective bright becomes the verb brighten] suffix EN – …

Quickly Improve English Pronunciation – To BE Contractions (+ Video)

A contraction is the process of becoming smaller. In English, a contraction is when two or more words combine into one smaller word. The contractions for the verb TO BE are often used in English conversation and in this post you will learn the correct pronunciation with audio and video. (You can find the video at the bottom of this …

Third-Person Singular – A Helpful Guide With Pictures/Video

Third-person singular English grammarThe pronouns – he, she, it + any name, position or relation that describes one single person or thing is a third-person singular subject. Examples of third-person singular subjects He studies English. Ken studies English. Ken’s boss studies English. My sister studies English. I was working on a verb grammar course last week. While I was writing …

You can’t miss it – English expression (w/images & video)

You can’t miss it! REMEMEBER to watch the short video at the bottom of this post to improve your listening and pronunciation. It’s a great way to review the lesson too! 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 …

How to use Double negatives (English grammar +PDF)

English grammar – Double negatives In this post you will learn the English grammar for Double negatives, and how to use them in natural English conversation. Keep reading and don’t forget to sign up and get your free PDF to Increase your English vocabulary. Learn 40 Words with NEGATIVE prefixes that you can use in your own conversation. This post …

Autumn Or Fall? Names Of The 4 Seasons (English Vocabulary)

English vocabulary – Autumn or Fall? 4 seasons name origins Now it’s Fall in the Northern half of the world. (Late September until Dec.) Sorry, I mean it’s Autumn now. Wait, which one is correct? Did you ever wonder why this season has 2 names in English, Autumn and Fall? I had the same question. I did some research and …

How to use THERE and IT (Learn the grammar w/video)

English grammar THERE and IT Definitions from Oxford Learners’ Dictionaries dot com.THEREIT Read below for a more detailed explanation after you watch the video Use the post and the video to refresh the grammar and improve your English listening skills. There (adverb) In everyday English, we use the adverb there with the verb to be to say that something exists. (there …

Correctly use UNLESS – AS LONG AS (learn quickly w/Audio)

In today’s blog post learn how to use the conjunction unless and the expression as long as in natural conversation. Use this English grammar like a pro! Unless In today’s post, I will teach you how to use the conjunction UNLESS in natural English conversation. Do you remember what a conjunction is in English grammar? A conjunction is:a word that …

There IS or There ARE – Which do I need? (PDF download)

The chart below is a quick guide to help you decide if you need to use There IS or There ARE. Keep reading the post for more details and lots of natural examples.  We use There is with singular nouns. (Just 1 thing) “There is a new shopping mall on Main street.” *Shopping mall is a singular noun. (1 mall) …

Past and Past Participle of READ (PDF + Video) Easy Grammar

READ (verb) Infinitive to read [pronunciation] TO REED“I like to read crime novels.” Present tense read [pronunciation] REED“We read history books at school.” Present tense third-person singular reads [pronunciation] REEDS“He reads history books at school.” Past tense read [pronunciation] RED“I read 6 books last summer.” Past participle read [pronunciation] RED“They have read all the books in the library.” Quickly learn …

Master 3 English Adverbs – Yet Still Already (+video)

A basic guide YET – if something hasn’t happened but you expect it to happen The new cafe on Front Street is very popular. I haven’t been there yet. STILL – if something has started but not finished Do you still live at the same address? ALREADY (1) – if something happened before now  We got there early but Mike …

Learn How to use LEND and BORROW (with Video)

Learn to use the English verbs “Lend” and “Borrow” correctly in natural conversation. This post also contains a video. Watch it to review the lesson and improve your English listening skills. Lend and Borrow borrow [verb] to take and use something that belongs to somebody else, and return it to them at a later time “Can I borrow $10.00?” = …

Making Suggestions Easily in English Conversation (with Video)

Learn to easily make suggestions in English conversations. Use these natural expressions to sound like a native speaker. Common examples of phrases you can use to make suggestions How about/What about (used with a verb in its gerund form) How about ordering a pizza for dinner? What about getting Indian? Shall we… /Why don’t we… /Let’s… (used with the infinitive …

Improve English Listening “Diet Advice” (Video + PDF)

ESL Listening + Vocabulary PDFDieting: Old Advice, New Again What is the best way to improve your English quickly? Hard work + great study tools. The hard work is up to you, but my ESL listening vocabulary with PDF blog post is just what you need! I’m a native English speaker with many years of teaching experience who loves building …

Easily Learn 3 English Expressions “In case” with AUDIO

Recently I was asked about the English expression just in case and I thought it would make a good blog post. Today we will look at 3 natural English expressions that use in case. English Expressions – (Just) In case… Please look at the following example: “I don’t think it will rain today but I will take my umbrella with …

How to use Might – Should – Would Have (Easy Grammar)

For some of my private and company students in Japan, might have/should have English grammar can be confusing. Let me share a lesson I made to help explain these phrases, and I also added the expression would have. I hope this post is helpful for you and be sure to leave a comment below before you go! Video at the …

Talk using real English (Easy AUDIO Pt. 3)

Let’s talk using real English! In this blog post we will answer the following questions: What is a tourist attraction? What does the phrasal verb “light up” mean? How are waterfalls used to generate (make) electricity? Audio A If we want to talk using real English we need to have a real story to talk about. We can practice today …

Learn English easily with a story (Canada trip Pt.2)

In today’s post, we will learn more English with part 2 of my Canada trip story. We’ll start by learning some vocabulary to describe the place we live or a place we visit. Audio A (If you haven’t read part 1 yet, click HERE!) New English vocabulary from the story Urban vs rural (city vs countryside) Urban is an adjective …

Learn English with a story with great AUDIO (Pt.1)

Audio Intro In August 2017 I visited my family in Canada for 3 weeks. (I live in Tokyo now) I wrote 3 stories about my trip as a way to teach my newsletter subscribers, they could use my story to learn some natural English. In 2019 made these 3 stories into 3 blog posts so my blog readers can learn …

Learn the difference between HOPE and WISH (Improve vocabulary)

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 – …

How to use Although-Though-Even Though (Video+PDF)

Review this lesson and improve your English listening skills by watching the video that supports this lesson. You find the video link at the end of this post. Download a free PDF version of this lesson also at the bottom of this post. Although, Though, and Even though are used to join and contrast two ideas Although – not very …

Have or Have got? Easy English Grammar (50+ examples!)

HAVE and HAVE GOT mean the same thing when you are talking about owning something, holding something or relationships. He has $20 in his wallet. He has got $20 in his wallet. *Remember the verb HAVE changes to HAS for the third person singular.He has / She has / It has We use the auxiliary verb DO to make a …

So and Such – English Grammar (video + free PDF download)

So and Such – English Grammar To learn this English Grammar let’s look at the meaning of So and Such. At the bottom of this post, you can download a FREE 14-page PDF of this blog post. Study anytime, online, or offline. SO means very; extremely or to some high degree or level. “Patricia is so nice. I really like …

Learn REAL English (custom PDFs, coupons + more)

More English.Better English. New and updated English blog posts, VIDEOs, custom PDFs, and more… And it’s FREE Get 5 awesome English PDFs right away to get you started. See, Watch, and Look at PDFEnglish Adjectives Fact or Opinion? PDF Hasn’t VS. Doesn’t Have PDFPresent Perfect Continuous PDFVerbs with prepositions TO + AT PDF  *Each PDF supports an English blog post, use …

Reported speech English grammar (Learn quickly with 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 (2021 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. Watch the video at the end of this post and improve your English listening skills. 🠝Over – prefix = excessively or too much overweight …

How I spent QUARANTINE – English practice (10 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 …

Improve English listening today (Native audio – QUARANTINE)

This post contains audio to Improve English listening. 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 the …

See, Watch, and Look at (PDF +video) 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 + video)

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 …

How to use 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 …

Quickly Learn vocabulary – Root words with prefixes and suffixes (Video+PDF)

Increase your English vocabulary with this simple technique. I use this technique with my private students here in Japan. Increase English vocabulary with Prefixes and Suffixes In this post you will learn an easy way to increase your English vocabulary. We will add prefixes and suffixes to words we may already know to make new words. I call this the …

How to use English Adjectives – Fact or Opinion? (PDF + video)

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 …

Each or Every – Easily make the right choice every time (w/Video)

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. Find a video at the bottom of this post to review the grammar and improve your English listening skills. …

Quickly Learn 6 Phrasal Verbs with CUT (17 easy to understand 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 …

Learn English from TV – A complete guide (4 Tips)

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 …

How to Improve your English QUICKLY – 4 Keys (Video)

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 …

How to use the 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 …

How to use English preposition FOR (Learn fast 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 …

Improve your English listening skills FAST – Real 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 …

Master English Articles – A, An and The (Learn with video)

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. NEW – Video version of this post – Watch it at the end of this post! English basics – Articles A, An and The There are 26 letters …

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 …