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 …