Vocabulary related to jobs and employment Here’s a list of must-know business English vocabulary related to work and employment. You can test yourself on these words in a short exercise at the bottom of the page. job-hunting to look for a job; seek employment I’ve been job-hunting for three months, without success. It’s important to remain optimistic and positive when job-hunting. field of w... »
What does ”get rid of” mean? Get rid of is an informal expression. It means ”take action to stop owning an unwanted thing”. We can use get rid of something and get rid of someone as a synonym of several verbs and in many different contexts. ”Get rid of” as a synonym Here are some of the verbs we can replace with get rid of. (Don’t forget that get rid of is... »
There is vs. it is This is a quick A2-level exercise for you to test yourself on how we use there is and it is. Here’s a short summary of the basics, in case you need a quick reminder: There is, there are / there was, there were We use there when we speak about something for the first time, to say that it exists. There’s a new restaurant next to our offices. It looks great. (there̵... »
“Let that sink in” The idiom “let that sink in” is used to encourage someone to take the time to think about and understand something that has been said. The idea is that by thinking about a fact more deeply, the thought or idea sinks into someone’s mind (enters slowly) and hopefully stays. Examples You might say to your football teammates, “We’ve lost the... »
Three past modal verbs: could have, should have, must have Here’s a quick exercise to test you on how we use the modal verbs could, should and must in the past, i.e.: could have, should have and must have. Here’s a short summary of their usage, in case you need a quick reminder: must have a deduction about the past which you’re sure about could have 1. a deduction about the past which ... »
Keen on, keen, and keen to are all used to express a strong desire or interest in something. However, they are slightly different in terms of their usage and nuance. Be keen on something Be keen on is used to express a strong interest in someone or something, or to say we like something (such as an activity or type of food): I’m really keen on learning Spanish. = I’m very interested in... »
“Start going” or “start to go”? The verbs start and begin can be followed by an infinitive or –ing form, usually without a difference in meaning. For example, you can say I started to work or I started working to mean the same thing. Similarly, they began to cook and they began cooking also have the same meaning. Beware of the continuous form! After the continuous (pr... »
Pain, ache, hurt: differences Let’s take a look at these confusing words for English learners. pain (as a noun) Pain is a sensation that is often described as unpleasant or uncomfortable. It can be caused by various things, such as an injury or illness. Pain can be acute, meaning it comes on suddenly and is more intense, or it can be chronic, meaning it persists over a longer period of time.... »
What is a phrasal verb? A phrasal verb is a verb that is made up of a base verb and one or two particles, such as off, up, or on. These particles change the meaning of the base verb in various ways. Phrasal verbs are an important part of the English language and are commonly used by native speakers. Phrasal verbs with ”put” There are many phrasal verbs with put. Let’s look at fiv... »
Adding -ish to the end of a word makes it more vague, less exact. When we add -ish, we are being informal. Here are some of the ways we use –ish. Using -ish with a time Using –ish with a time makes that time more approximate. So, ‘4ish’ means ‘about four o’clock’. I’ll come to your place at 4ish. I’ll be there at 2ish. Adding -ish to numbers We... »