Which and that refer to a subject we have already introduced. That provides essential information, specifying what makes the subject unique. Which adds non-essential detail. If we remove this, the sentence still makes sense. E.g. The cat that lives next door loves eating fish, which is a rare treat. Continue reading
There, their and they’re all sound the same. What’s the difference? There shows location (over there, I’m there for you) or introduces a subject (there are too many cars). Their indicates possession or connection (their house is huge). They’re is the short form of ‘they are’ (they’re always happy). Continue reading
Effect is a noun that means ‘result, consequence of change’ – e.g. cause and effect. Affect is a verb that means ‘influence, make a difference to’ – e.g. The accident affected her health. We confuse the spellings of these words because their pronunciation and meanings are very close. Simple rule: Effect (End result) vs. Affect (Action). Continue reading
In this study guide, you will learn about different types of nouns, with examples of how to use them in a sentence. Check out the exercises at the end to test your understanding! You can also download this guide as a free pdf to use offline. Continue reading
Modal verbs in English can be confusing! In this guide, we’ll explain what they are, why and how we use them correctly, and give you examples to improve your understanding. Mastering modals like should, would, may and might will help you express yourself clearly in the English. Don’t forget to download the pdf so you can study more at home! Continue reading
Conditionals (or ‘if clauses’) show us how one situation depends on another happening. If it rains, you will get wet. They give us the cause and the possible result. There are 4 types of conditionals in English. These can be used to talk about the past, present and future – what might have happened, always happens or could happen later as a result of something else. Continue reading
Most lists of similes online and in textbooks contain outdated expressions. In response, we’ve compiled this list of 50 popular similes to show you examples that are still commonly used in modern English today. For each simile, we have given its meaning and an example. Check out the quiz at the end to test your knowledge! Continue reading
A proverb is a short, well-known saying that contains advice. Native speakers often use proverbs to express a bigger idea in a shorter sentence or phrase. English proverbs can teach you a lot about British mentality, culture and history. These colourful expressions are useful if you are improving your English beyond Intermediate level. In this guide, we’ll teach your 56 of the most popular proverbs still used today! Continue reading
Do you ever struggle when making a phone call in English? Don’t worry, you are not alone! Many people feel nervous about taking and making phone calls in English. Even advanced English speakers can have trouble when speaking English on the phone. Let’s take a look at some great phrases to improve your confidence and telephone manner! Continue reading
Prefixes are added at the beginning of words to change their meaning: dis-trust, im-mature, counter-productive. Suffixes are added at the end of words to change their form: wonder-ful, improve-ment, adapt-able. Understanding how to use prefixes and suffixes will help you expand your vocabulary! Continue reading
Personality adjectives describe the positive and negative aspects of someone’s personality. Words like generous, enthusiastic, meticulous and outgoing are positive adjectives. Words like indecisive, tactless, fussy and grumpy are negative adjectives. Continue reading
Adjectives are describing words that give more information about nouns. They can tell us about the size, colour, shape or number of something, as well as our opinion of it. Continue reading
“False friends” are words that look the same in two languages but have different meanings. English and Spanish have many words in common (e.g. from Latin). Some of these words have changed their meanings over time to create false cognates. Continue reading
Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives or other adverbs. The 5 main types of adverbs can give us more information about frequency, manner, degree, place and time. In this study guide, you will learn all about the different types of adverbs with examples of how to use them in a sentence. Check out the exercises at the end to test your understanding! Continue reading
Adverbs of time tell us when something happens. These adverbs can describe how often, how long or when something takes place. Now, today, daily, early and soon are all adverbs of time. In this study guide, you will learn about these adverbs through real examples. Don’t forget to check out the exercises at the end to test your understanding! Continue reading
Adverbs of place tell us where something happens. This group includes adverbs of direction such as up and south, adverbs of movement and direction like upwards and forwards, and adverbs of location such as outside and behind. In this study guide, we will walk you through a range of adverbs of place with examples of how to use each of them. Let’s learn! Continue reading
Reporting verbs are used when you want to tell someone about another conversation. We also call this reported speech or indirect speech. Two examples of reporting verbs are say and tell. There are many others and these have different meanings and grammar structures. In this study guide, we’ll look at examples of these verbs and show you how to use them correctly. We’ll also look at reporting verbs to improve your academic writing. Let’s go! Continue reading
In this study guide, we will walk you through a range of adverbs of manner with examples of how to use each of them in a sentence. Don’t forget to check out the exercises at the end to test your understanding! You can also download this guide as a free pdf to use offline. Ready? Let’s dive in! Continue reading
