Here’s our tip for using news reports to increase your English vocabulary. You’ll improve your listening skills at the same time. You may have already used news websites to help improve your English. The problem with this is that news stories are mostly NOT designed for non-native speakers. They’re often long and the vocabulary is difficult. The reporter speaks too quickly or has... »
Do you ever have problems spelling words ending in -ly? If you do, you’re not alone. Adverbs such as definitely, probably, absolutely, likely, reasonably and hopefully often cause problems when it comes to spelling. We often ask ourselves the same questions: Is it -ly or -lly? Do we write -ely, or just -ly? Normally we just add -ly to an adjective to get the adverb: quick becomes quickly, da... »
Have you ever thought about doing an online learning course? Well, the chances are that if you’re a regular visitor to this site and do our grammar and vocabulary exercises, you already are an online learner. You may even be doing a longer, more formal e-learning course set by a university. In that case you’ll know about the challenges of learning at home and being on your own with jus... »
We all know that learning a foreign language takes time and can be hard work. What’s more, doing exercises and learning words all the time can get boring. And boredom leads to demotivation. One way of making studying a little easier and more fun is to create a learning plan. A learning plan will organise your studies and give you goals. If you achieve your goals you’ll then have motiva... »
What is the Cambridge First Certificate exam? The Cambridge First Certificate Exam (FCE) is a certificate organised by the University of Cambridge. It is aimed at upper-intermediate English learners who would like to prove their English proficiency. The certificate can be an excellent qualification to have, since it is recognised by thousands of universities, employers and governments worldwide. A... »
Reading in English is a great way for learners to improve their vocabulary. By reading we can: learn new words immediately see these new words in their correct context consolidate vocabulary that we have learned in the past. Many learners, though, approach reading in English in the wrong way. If your method is bad, reading in a foreign language can be hard and boring. And if a subject doesn’... »
Dictionaries play a big role when learning a new language. To help make your vocabulary learning as easy and effective as possible, I recommend you use two dictionaries: a bilingual dictionary (English to your language) and a monolingual dictionary (English-English). In the bilingual dictionary you’ll see translations. In the monolingual dictionary you will see definitions. Why both a biling... »
Correct spelling is not only about which letters we use in the word. We should also know when to begin a word with a capital letter. (This is called capitalisation.) Here are some examples of when we should and should not use capital letters in English. Use a capital letter for the first letter of the first word of a letter or email: Dear Mr Smith Thank you for your email and the information. When... »
British children learning to spell words containing ‘ie’ or ‘ei’ are traditionally taught a golden rule: Put ‘i’ before ‘e’ except after ‘c’. I am sure this rule has kept many people in good stead when confronting the problem of whether to spell a word –ie- or –ei-. But is this rule correct? Does it always help us? Yes, the ru... »
You need to learn Business English for your job. 'Where do I start?' you ask yourself. »