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. What is a phrasal verb? In English, a phrasal verb is a combination (mixture) of two or three words to …
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 (Free 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 (+Video)
Watch the video to prereview this grammar and improve your English listening skills. Much or Many – Do you know how to use these words? In this post, you will learn these words with lots of natural English examples. Read to the end! In English, we use the words MUCH and MANY to show there is a large amount of something. …
How to use RAISE and RISE (Transitive/Intransitive verbs + video)
Raise Vs. Rise Many of my private English students are confused by the words RAISE and RISE. Words that have a similar sound or meaning, but are used with different grammar. I often confuse similar words in Japanese too! (My own second language.) As a teacher, my job is to explain these words in a clear way that is easy …
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 …