10 idioms for communication & miscommunication
Do you know what it means to: drop someone a line get your wires crossed or beat around the bush? These are all examples of idioms that we’re going to learn today! Idioms and informal expressions like these are used frequently in movies, TV shows, and casual conversations. But a lot of English textbooks don't teach you these expressions! So you might be confused when you hear them in real life. That's why I created the 300+ English Idioms Course - to teach you the most common idiomatic expressions! After you learn the idioms, there are quizzes and writing exercises to help you review and practice the expressions.
8 Juni 20226min
10 types of nouns in English
You already know a LOT of nouns in English, but did you know that there are different types of nouns? That’s what we’ll be learning today! Make sure to watch to the end of the lesson, because I’m going to clarify a very common confusion between categories of nouns that many English learners have. There's a lot more grammar to learn - and you can learn it easily in my Basic and Intermediate Grammar E-Books! They have 70+ step-by-step lessons and quizzes teaching you grammar in about 10 minutes a day, so that you can be confident you’re saying and writing things correctly.
25 Maj 20227min
How to pronounce -ED perfectly every time
Today I want to help you fix a pronunciation problem that I hear in a LOT of students’ English, and that is saying things like this: I ask-ed him to help me. We pre-par-ed for our trip. The mistake is with the verbs in the past, ending in -ED. The correct way to say them is: askt (not ask-ed) pre-pard (not pre-par-ed) It’s a small mistake, but unfortunately it makes it obvious that someone’s not a native English speaker. I’ll explain some simple rules to help you pronounce the -ED ending correctly every time, and we’ll practice together! If you want to improve your pronunciation fast in the next 30 days, then I’d like to invite you into my American English Pronunciation Course. We’ll go through every sound in the English language and help you speak more clearly, so that you can be confident that other people will understand you!
18 Maj 20226min
When do we use "shall" in English?
A lot of English learners are curious about the word “shall.” Is it the same thing as “will”? When exactly do we use it? I’ll answer those questions in today’s lesson. I hope this lesson has helped you understand when people sometimes use “shall” and what it means, as well as the alternatives which are becoming more and more common nowadays, especially in American English. If you’ve got a question about a word or a phrase, please let me know, because I love getting ideas from students about tips and lessons to create in the future. And if you want to take your English to the next level, check out my courses and e-books because they can help you improve your speaking, understand better when listening, expand your vocabulary, and so much more!
11 Maj 20224min
How to say & use WONDER and WANDER
Today I'm going to quickly clear up confusion between the words wander and wonder. These are two completely different words, but sometimes English learners mix them up because of their similar spelling and pronunciation. For more simple and clear lessons about the differences between confusing words in English, get my e-book, 600+ Confusing English Words Explained! These are words that English learners often ask me about, or often make mistakes with – and when you read this e-book, you can avoid those mistakes and use these words correctly.
27 Apr 20223min
Congratulations ON, FOR, TO...?
Today we’ve got a really interesting question from a student: In English, do we say “congratulations ON or FOR your anniversary”? Listen to the lesson to find out :-) When you’re learning English, it can be hard to feel like you’ve really mastered the grammar of the language. There are so many rules, so many exceptions, and the grammar might be very different from how it works in your native language. At Espresso English we’ve got something to help you at every level: Our Basic & Intermediate Grammar E-Books will give you a strong foundation. Our Advanced Grammar Course will really help you reach a high level. So if you’re confused by grammar, if you hate grammar, or if you just want to make sure your grammar is good and you’re not making mistakes all over the place, check out our basic, intermediate, and advanced grammar lessons!
20 Apr 20225min
20 vocabulary words for LIGHTS
Today let's expand your vocabulary by learning 20 different words for lights - from lamps to lighthouses to lightning (which you shouldn't get confused with lighting). As you learn each word, repeat it after me to practice your pronunciation. Do you ever have trouble remembering the English vocabulary words you learn? It's very common. In fact, lots of students write to me asking what to do about this problem. I have several tips, but one important thing to think about is how you originally learn the word. Is it from a word list, textbook, or dictionary? Well, that's a good start... but your memory will be even more powerful if there's an image - a picture - associated with the new word. That's how we learn vocabulary as children. We don't yet know how to read, but we learn to associate new words with the objects we see. That's why there are lots of pictures and illustrations in my Vocabulary Builder Courses! Each level of the course will teach you more than 1,000 useful words in a simple, efficient way.
13 Apr 20225min
10 expressions with the word BUSINESS
English has some interesting expressions with the word “business” – and many of them AREN'T related to work. Today you'll learn 10 expressions with "business": funny business [someone] means business [do something] like nobody's business make it your business [to do something] ... and more! If you are learning English for work, my Business English Course will teach you the phrases and vocabulary you need. You'll learn what to say in interviews, meetings, negotiations, phone calls, presentations, networking events, and more. You'll also expand your vocabulary in the areas of management, finance, marketing, human resources, entrepreneurship, and many other topics. 👉 Learn more inside the Business English Course: https://www.espressoenglish.net/business-english-course/
30 Mars 20226min
