Jul 6, English Nouns

An noun is a word that names a person, a place or a thing.

Examples:
Sarah, lady, cat, New York, Canada, room, school, football, reading.

Example sentences:
People like to go to the beach.Emma passed the test.My parents are traveling to Japan next month.
The word "noun" comes from the Latin word nomen which means "name," and nouns are indeed how we name people, places and things.
An abstract noun is a noun that names an idea, not a physical thing. Love is an abstract noun.

Examples:
Hope, interest, peace, ability, success, knowledge, trouble.
A concrete noun is a noun that names a physical thing. House is a concrete noun.

Examples:
Boy, table, floor, coffee, beach, king, rain, children, professor.
A common noun is a noun that names a general thing, not a specific thing. Cat is a common noun.

Examples:
Boy, girl, city, country, company, planet, location, war.
A proper noun is a noun that indicates the specific name of a thing. It begins with a capital letter. Mabel (this cat's name) is a proper noun

Examples:
Robin, Alice, London, Sweden, Google, Earth, Eiffel Tower, Civil War.
(Compare these examples to ones in the "Common nouns" section to see the difference.)
A countable noun is a noun that indicates something you could actually count. Cup is a countable noun.

For example, you could count pigs: one pig, two pigs, three pigs...
However, you couldn't count water: one water, two water – no, it doesn't work...

A countable noun has both a singular and a plural form, and it can be used with the indefinite articles (a/an).

Examples:
Window, teacher, tree, lion, eye, cloud, pencil, heart, movie.

An uncountable noun is a noun that indicates something you cannot count. Water is an uncountable noun.

For example, you could count pigs: one pig, two pigs, three pigs...
However, you couldn't count water: one water, two water – no, it doesn't work...

An uncountable noun has only one form (no plural), and it cannot be used with the indefinite articles (a/an).

Examples:
Furniture, advice, mail, news, equipment, luggage, work, coffee, information.

Jul 6, English Pronouns – Types of Pronouns and Pronoun/Antecedent Agreement

A pronoun is a word that is used instead of a noun.

For example, you could say "Lisa is a nice girl."
Then you could replace the noun "Lisa" with the word "She" and get the following sentence:
"She is a nice girl."

"She" is a pronoun.

Examples:
I, he, it, we, them, us, mine, itself.

Example sentences:
He doesn't want go with them.Would they help us?His house is bigger than ours.Who is she?
The word "pronoun" comes from "pro" (in the meaning of "substitute") + "noun."

Personal Pronouns

Demonstrative Pronouns

Interrogative Pronouns

Possessive Pronouns

Relative Pronouns

Reflexive Pronouns

Intensive Pronouns

Indefinite Pronouns

Pronoun/Antecedent Agreement

Personal pronouns represent people or things. The personal pronouns are: I, you, he, she, it, we, they, me, him, her, us, them. Me is a personal pronoun.

"Demonstrative" means "showing, making something clear."

Demonstrative pronouns point to things. The demonstrative pronouns are: this, that, these, those.

Use "this" and "these" to talk about things that are near in space or in time. Use "that" and "those" to talk about things that are farther away in space or time.Example sentence:
This cannot go on.That was beautiful!He wanted those, but decided to compromise on these."Interrogative" means "used in questions."

Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions. The interrogative pronouns are: who, whom, which, what, whoever, whatever, etc.

Use "who" and "whom" to talk about people. Use "which" and "what" to talk about animals and things.Who?

What?

Example sentences:
Who is your father?Whom did you speak to?Which bag did you buy?What are my choices?"Possessive" means "showing ownership."

Possessive pronouns indicate that something belongs to somebody/something. The possessive pronouns are: my, your, his, her, its, our, their, mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs.

Example sentences:
I've lost my wallet.He married his girlfriend.This place is theirs.Is that cat yours?My car is slow. Hers is much faster."Relative" means "connected with something."

Relative pronouns are pronouns that link different parts of a sentence.
The relative pronouns are: who, whom, which, that, whoever, etc.

The cake that I got

Examples sentences:
The girl who called yesterday came to see you. The teacher whom you wrote has answered your questions.She lives in Kiev, which is the capital city of Ukraine.I really liked the book that you gave me."Reflexive" means "going back to itself."

Reflexive pronouns show that the action affects the person who performs the action. Reflexive pronouns end in "-self" (singular) or "-selves" (plural).

The reflexive pronouns are: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, themselves.

She hugs herself

  
Example sentences:
He cut himself while shaving.I sent myself to bed.He could hurt himself!We must help ourselves.She trusts herself."Intensive" means "giving force or emphasis."

An intensive pronoun is a pronoun used for emphasis. In other words, Intensive pronouns emphasis the subject of the sentence. They are written exactly the same way as the reflexive nouns, but their function is different.

I made it myself

Example sentences:
I myself baked the cake.The queen herself recommended this restaurant.Have you yourself been there?The project itself wasn't difficult.We will do it ourselves."Indefinite" means "not exact, not limited."

Indefinite pronouns are pronouns that do not refer to any specific person or thing.

Examples:
Anything, everybody, another, each, few, many, none, some.

Every girl is dancing

Example sentences:
Many have died during the war.Can anyone call her?Everybody wants to see you.Something can be done to help.An antecedent is a word (or a group of words) which a pronoun refers back to.

Examples:
(the antecedent is red and the pronoun is green)
She will buy some water and drink it.
Water is the antecedent of "it."
"It" is a pronoun and it refers back to "water." Diana left her book at school.
Diana is the antecedent of "her."
"Her" is a pronoun and it refers back to "Diana." Kevin and Laura are meeting their friends.
The phrase Kevin and Laura is the antecedent of "their."
"Their" is a pronoun and it refers back to "Kevin and Laura."
The word "antecedent" comes from Latin: ante (before) + cedere (to go).
Here we can see the great importance of pronouns. If we didn't have pronouns then these sentence would have to be written like this:
She will buy some water and drink the water. Diana left Diana's book at school. Kevin and Laura are meeting Kevin and Laura's friends.Read the following sentences and see if you can fully understand them:
They took it.
(Who took it? What did he or she take?) Ours is with them.
(What is with them? Who is they?) She bought hers.
(Who is she? What did she buy?)Do you see what happens?

If there are no antecedents it can be unclear what the speaker or writer is referring to.

Important note:
In many cases the antecedent can be fully clear even without directly mentioning it. In other words, the antecedent can be understood from context.

For example, let's say Jessica and Molly have an annoying neighbor. They always complain about him.

Then when Jessica says to Molly, "Do you know what he did this time?"

It will be fully clear to Molly who Jessica refers to.

A pronoun must agree with its antecedent in three ways:
Person (First person: I/we, second person: you, third person: he/she/it/they)

Correct: Bob did his homework.
Incorrect: Bob did your homework.

Number (singular/plural)

Correct: Bob did his homework.
Incorrect: Bob did their homework.

Gender (masculine/feminine)

Correct: Bob did his homework.
Incorrect: Bob did her homework.

Important note:
In some cases such sentences can be correct. You simply have to use your common sense.

For example, let's say that Bob did Susan's homework, and I am now talking to Susan.

In this case, I can definitely say, "Bob did your homework."
(And I refer to Susan's homework, not to Bob's homework. So in this case the antecedent is Susan, not Bob!)

Determining the correct pronoun to use is usually pretty straightforward.

Some cases, however, can seem more challenging.

Correct: Every boy will start his test.
Incorrect: Every boy will start their test.

Correct: The box of toys is in its place.
Incorrect: The box of toys is in their place.

Correct: Both lost their jobs.
Incorrect: Both lost his jobs.

Correct: Alice and Kate talked with their father.
Incorrect: Alice and Kate talked with her father.

Correct: The United States opened its borders.
Incorrect: The United States opened their borders.

Jul 9, Best English Lesson Plans

Every teacher wants to know how to write the best English lesson plans so here are some simple tips for you.

What do the best English lesson plans need?

When I started teaching, I found this tough. The aim is the ‘why’ of the lesson and without it you can plan nothing. Start at the aim and work back. For example if your aim is to provide speaking practice in a particular situation then make sure you give your students the grammar, vocabulary and background information they need before they can talk to each other. Tell your students what the aim is, and then they will stay focused too. It is also good to recap the aim at the end of the lesson so the students leave knowing what they have achieved. Keep the lessons relevant to the class. There is no point doing a lesson based on politics for a class of elementary school age kids, and a lesson about the current teen star won’t be of much interest to most adults! Find subjects the class will be interested in and base your lessons around these. If possible, get your students to choose the subjects themselves. Make sure you vary your tasks so your students don’t get bored. Try and include different activities for students with different learning styles. For example, some visual tasks (try using picture activities), some physical tasks (try getting your students to act things or move round the class), some audio tasks (music is great if you use it in the right way), and some old-fashioned reading and writing tasks. Even adults start to lose interest after about 30 minutes so keep each stage short. I don’t mean you need to write two lesson plans, but it’s a good idea to have some extra activities you can use if something doesn’t work, or if students finish too soon. If you did a reading activity and they finished too early, get them write comprehension questions for a partner, or give them dictation on part of the text. Having extra activities prepared means you don’t panic if you finish early and gives students extra practice. Don’t become a teaching machine. Put something of your own personality into your lessons. Your students will appreciate this. If you like music, write a lesson plan around a particular song. If you are a keen sports person then use that to create fun games and activities. Your enthusiasm for the subject will be clear and your students will also be enthusiastic about learning. Humor is also important in lessons and can be used at any level. Warm up activities are essential. If you exercise then you need to warm up first so your body can get the full benefit of your training. It’s the same with mental training. If you give your students challenging work to do before they have tuned into English, it may be too difficult for them and they will lose motivation. A 5 minute word game or a quick conversation with a partner is all you need. Try and keep it relevant to your lesson to maximize learning.

There are lots of things to think about but these tips will help you write the best English lesson plans possible.

Jul 2, Learn Spoken English

When you learn spoken English there is one very important thing you should keep in mind. Spoken English can actually be
quite different than written English!

Let's take a look at a few of these differences:
For example, when mentioning an unreal condition, you must use "were" instead of "was."

The following sentence is grammatically correct:
"If I were rich I would buy this ship."

In spoken English you could also hear the grammatically incorrect version:
"If I was rich I could buy this ship."

Here is a good example.

This is a sentence you could hear in an informal conversation:

"I was so beat I had hit the sack early."

First, let's clarify what this means:

Beat = an informal way to say "very tired."
Sack = an informal way to say "a bed."
Hit the sack = an informal way to say "went to bed."

Now, if we were to write this sentence,
we would probably phrase it quite differently:

"I was so exhausted I had to go to bed early."

And if you want to make this really pompous and literary:

"I was overpowered with fatigue and was obliged to retire early."

Overpowered = defeated by someone or something stronger.
Fatigue = extreme tiredness.
Obliged = forced to do something.
Retire = go to bed.

Some common examples:
"You" --> "ya"
(For example, "I'll see ya tomorrow." "Going to" --> "gonna"
(For example, "I'm gonna talk with him tomorrow.") "Want to" --> "wanna"
(For example, "Where do you wanna eat?") "Have to"/"Have got to" --> "gotta"
(For example, "We gotta go.") "Going" --> "goin' "
(For example, "I'm goin' home.) "Doing" --> "doin' "
("They are doin' it all wrong.") "What are you" --> "watcha"
(For example, "Whatcha doin'?")These contractions are unacceptable in written English.

In summary, spoken English is indeed quite different than written or formal English. And these are just some of the things you should keep in mind when you learn spoken English.

Jul 2, Free English Grammar Test for Download

In this section you will find a free English grammar test for download.

If you are a student you can use it to test yourself.

If you are a teacher you can use it to test and grade your students.

Tests serve as important tools to monitor progress and see which subjects need review.

The Really Learn English Grammar Test will help you do just that.

The test is divided into five parts.
Each part tests a different skill and equals to 20 points. All four parts add up to 100 points.
(There are 100 questions in total, each question is worth 1 point.) This test is appropriate for students in the intermediate level. The answers to the question are included in the end of the test.Part A—Parts of Speech 1
(I) Pronouns / Verbs(II) Plural Nouns(III) A / An / The(IV) Comparative Adjectives
Part B—Parts of Speech 2
(I) Prepositions—Place(II) Prepositions—Time(III) Prepositions—Other(IV) Conjunctions
Part C—Verb Tenses 1
(I) Simple Present / Present Progressive(II) Simple Past / Past Progressive(III) Simple Past / Present Perfect(IV) Mixed Tenses
Part D—Verb Tenses 2
(I) Yes / No Questions(II) WH Questions(III) Tag Questions(IV) Negative Sentences
Part E—Sentence Structure
(I) Simple Sentences(II) Compound Sentences(III) Complex Sentences(IV) Mixed Sentences
You can download the test by right-clicking the link below and choosing "Save As":
Free English Grammar Test for Download

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Jul 8, English Adjectives – Types of Adjectives, determiners and the order of adjectives in a sentence

An adjective is a word that describes a person or thing.

Examples:
Big, pretty, expensive, green, round, French, loud, quick, fat.

Example sentences:
He has big blue eyes.The new car broke down.The old lady was talking in a quiet voice.
The word "adjective" comes from the Latin word jacere, which means "to throw."
Adjectives can be divided into several types:

Opinion
Nice, pretty, stupid, original, expensive, etc.

A sweet girl

Size
Big, small, large, tiny, enormous, little, etc. An enormous cupcake

Age
Young, old, new, ancient, antique, etc.

An antique car

Shape
Round, square, flat, straight, etc. A round coin

Color
Blue, red, white, black, dark, bright, yellowish, etc.

A red apple


Origin
Italian, British, Mexican, western, southern, etc. An Italian Pizza

Material
Metal, wooden, plastic, golden, etc. A wooden house

A determiner is a word that comes before a noun to show which person or thing you are talking about. 

Examples:
A, an, the, my, your, some, any, several, enough, any.

Example sentences:
I have a red hat.Please give me my bag.Some people decided to leave.She doesn't want any money.They watched several movies.Some people consider determiners to be a type of adjectives. What's special about determiners is that you usually can use only one determiner at a time.

Incorrect: He has the my ticket.
Correct: He has my ticket / He has the ticket.

Sometimes nouns function as adjectives. In other words, they come before another noun and describe it.

Examples:
Sports carOrange juiceTelevision stationCoffee shopBook coverA noun can have several adjectives describing it.

Examples:
"She bought a new red Italian table."
"He is a great, successful father."

There are certain rules on the correct order of these adjectives.

This is the order you should generally follow:

Determiner -> opinion -> size -> age -> shape -> color
-> origin -> material -> a word describing purpose/function

Examples:
A nice little coffee shop
(Determiner -> opinion -> size -> purpose/function word)
My huge new swimming pool
(Determiner -> size -> age -> purpose/function word)
Several Chinese plastic cups
(Determiner -> origin -> material)
The round yellow ball
(Determiner -> shape -> color)
Adjectives from the same type:
When you have several adjectives from the same type, you should separate them with commas or a conjunction (and, but).

Examples:
A cheap, good meal
A happy, smart man
The beautiful, original painting
My nice and sweet cat
An expensive but important trip

"Comparative" means "comparing something to something else."

Comparative adjective show which thing is better, worse, stronger, weaker, and so forth.

Examples:
Better, worse, bigger, smaller, nicer, fatter, thiner, more dangerous.

Example sentences:
She is a better student than her brothers.The test was worse than I've expected.You are stronger than me.He seems healthier.You are more beautiful than her."Superlative" means "of the highest degree."

Superlative adjectives show us which thing is the best, the strongest, and so forth.

Examples:
Best, worst, strongest, smallest, cheapest, most expensive.

Example sentences:
You are my best friend.This is the worst day of my life.Even the smallest donation helps.This is the most expensive restaurant I've ever heard of.

 

Jul 18, Building Your Business English Vocabulary

You've learned the basics, and what you really want to concentrate on now is your business English vocabulary.
If you are lucky enough to have a paid job where you are using your English, then you will start to learn some business vocabulary as you work. If you aren't this lucky, and can't get any unpaid work experience or an internship either, then you have to look at other ways to increase your business English vocabulary.

Of course, there are a number of courses, books, computer programs or even apps you can buy. There are websites you can visit. All of these will help you.

If you are looking for something to buy, try to find something that has exercises you can do, not simply a list of words. You will learn much more by reading or listening, then doing something, than you will by just reading or listening.

You need to activate any new vocabulary before you remember it fully. If you do learn new words, try and use them as soon as you can. Even if you only write them in a sentence in your notebook, that will help you. Simply a list of words with a translation in a vocabulary notebook is not the best way to learn any new words or phrases.

Something else you can to do improve your business vocabulary, is to read business websites, newspapers and magazines. The Wall Street Journal is good for articles about finance and the economy, and The Financial Times in the UK is similar.

Magazines such as Business Week or the Economist have useful articles for higher level speakers. Both of these magazines also have very useful websites.

Try and watch business news on TV or on the web. News broadcasts are not often easy to understand, but the more you watch or listen to them, the easier it will become. You will start to hear and recognize new words, and will be able to look them up in a dictionary to find out what they mean.

If you are in an English speaking country and your English is a good enough level, you may want to enroll in a basic business studies course. This will give you a lot of vocabulary, targeted reading, and the opportunity to practice some practical business tasks in English. You will also be able to meet other English speakers, which is always helpful.

If you are not in an English speaking country, then you could try and find a correspondence course in business studies. You won't get the interactive parts of classes you can attend, but it will still be helpful. If that isn't possible either, then a business studies textbook may be useful.

Of course it can be possible to enroll on a specialized business English course, and if you really want to improve your business English vocabulary then this is certainly something worth considering.

Jul 22, English Grammar Tips

I chose these English grammar tips based on the written questions I get from teachers and students around the world.

The following points are a summary of the most common mistakes I see, and the way to correct them.

They are, however, by no means, a summary of ALL the English grammar mistakes.

That list, I believe, is endless :)

So let's start with the English grammar tips:

Capitalization is the act of making specific letters capital.
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z
Here are three common cases where you should capitalize:

A) Capitalize the first word of a complete sentence.
Correct: He plays football. Incorrect: he plays football.B) Capitalize a proper noun.
Correct: Let's call Jane. Incorrect: Let's call jane.C) Capitalize titles.

There are several rules on how to do it correctly.

Briefly speaking, you should always capitalize the first and last word of the title.

Capitalize also the verbs, nouns, pronouns, adjectives and adverbs.

All the other words (such as a, an, the, and, or, but, in, on, of, to) should not be capitalized.

Here are some examples:
Correct: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott Incorrect: Little women by Louisa May Alcott
Correct: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll Incorrect: Alice's Adventures In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll  Correct: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas Incorrect: the Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre DumasIn English, there are several ways to end a sentence.

These are:

A) Period ( . )

It indicates the end of the statement.
Correct: They went home. Incorrect: They went home Incorrect: They went home . Incorrect: They went home..There should be only ONE period, there should be no spaces BEFORE it, and a single space after it.

B) Question mark ( ? )

It indicates a question.
Correct: Are you hungry? Incorrect: Are you hungry ? Incorrect: Are you hungry.? Incorrect: Are you hungry????????????????
C) An exclamation point ( ! )

It indicates strong feelings or high volume (shouting).
Correct: Wow! We won! Incorrect: Wow ! We won ! Incorrect: Wow!. We won!. Incorrect: Wow!!!!!! We won!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
D) Ellipsis ( ... )

It indicates an intentional omission of words, a pause in speech, an unfinished thought, or that the end of the sentence leads to silence.

Examples:
I's says "... and you must return the documents signed by the end of the month"
(Words were omitted before the beginning of the quote) Hmm... That's a good question.
(A pause in speech) I can't believe he could have...
(An unfinished thought) I guess it's too late now...
(End of the sentence leads into silence.)The ellipsis is probably one of the most overused punctuation marks. Take a look at the following sentence. It is definitively an incorrect example:

She entered the room... The room was big... Everybody was working........

The verb BE is one of the most important and common verbs in the English language. However, it does not need to be in every single sentence.

You can visit the link just above for the full, illustrated explanation, but here is the quick summary:

A) The verb BE is used to show different states of being.

Existence:
There is a cow in the room.

Occurrence:
The party is on Friday night.

Location:
He is home.

Identity:
I am Bob.

Quality:
They are clever.

B) The verb BE is used as an auxiliary verb (helping verb) in the progressive tenses:
We are having lunch.

C) It is used to express the passive voice:
They were hit by a car.

Where shouldn't you use the verb BE?

A) Don't use the verb BE if you already have a main verb in the sentence, unless it's a progressive/passive sentence (where BE is an auxiliary verb).
Correct: I am a girl. Correct: I met a girl. Incorrect: I am met a girl.
Correct: I am reading a book. Incorrect: I am read books.
Correct: I was given an apple. Correct: I gave her an apple. Incorrect: I was gave an apple.
These were some of the main things I personally encounter. I hope you find these English grammar tips useful.

Jul 8, English Adverbs

An adverb is a word that describes or gives more information about a verb, an adjective, another adverb, or even an entire sentence.
Where? Home. ("I went home.")

When? Yesterday. ("We met yesterday.")

How? Slowly. ("The turtle moves slowly.")

How often? Sometimes. ("Sometimes it stops responding.")

How long? Temporally. (She stays with us temporally.")

How likely? Surely. (Our team will surely win!")

To what degree? Very. ("She was very pleased.")

An adverb can describe a verb:
She runs quickly.

An adverb can describe an adjective:
She is so beautiful.

An adverb can describe another adverb:
She smokes very rarely.

An adverb can describe an entire sentence:
Naturally, you don't have to come.

The word "adverb" comes for the Latin ad- (in addition) and verbum (word).

Examples:
Quick + ly = quickly
Strange + ly = strangely
Dead + ly = deadly
Sudden + ly = suddenly
Clever + ly = cleverly
Brave + ly = bravely
Real + ly = really

When an adjective ends with "y" replace the "y" with an "i":
Heavy + ly = heavi + ly = heavily
Happy + ly = happi + ly = happily

When the adjective ends with an "e" drop the "e":
True + ly = tru + ly = truly
However, there are many adverbs that do not end in "-ly":
Fast, very, hard, home, just, too, well, never, sometimes, and so forth.

Adverbs of degree, adverbs of manner, adverbs of place,
adverbs of time, adverbs of frequency, adverbs of duration,
adverbs of probability, comparative adverbs and superlative adverbs.
Adverbs of degree show us the strength or degree of the action or state.

They answer the following questions:
How much? To what degree?

Examples:
Very, highly, totally, perfectly, partially, almost.

He answered perfectly.

Example sentences:
He is very concerned with you.You are totally right.We almost made it to the train.Adverbs of manner show us the way the action is done. They answer the following question:
How?

Examples:
Well, badly, nicely, slowly, loudly, quietly, happily, sadly, secretly, weakly.

They run happily.

Example sentences:
He handled the situation well.She listened secretly to their conversation.The children ran happily to their father.Adverbs of place show us the location of the action or state. They answer the following question:
Where?

Examples:
Home, here, there, outside, inside, away, around, anywhere, abroad, up, down, out.

He is home.

Example sentences:
We are here.He went home.We found him outside.She looked up. Adverbs of time show us the time of the action or state. They answer the following question:
When?

Examples:
Now, soon, later, yesterday, tomorrow, early, before, lately, recently.

They are having dinner now.

Example sentence:
Let's talk now.I will do it later.He promised to write back soon.What are you doing tomorrow?We haven't met before. Adverbs of frequency show us the frequency of the action or state. They answer the following question:
How often?

Examples:
Always, never, sometimes, often, rarely, usually, occasionally.

I will never do that!

Example sentences:
I always brush my teeth after a meal.We often meet and chat.He is usually here on time. Adverbs of duration show us the length of the action or state.
They answer the following question:
For how long?

Examples:
Forever, constantly, temporarily, briefly.

He will forever be her little boy.

Example sentence:
He works there temporarily.We spoke briefly.I will be forever grateful.Adverbs of probability show us the chances for the action or state to happen. They answer the following question:
How likely?

Examples:
Certainly, maybe, probably, possibly, surely.

He is probably in trouble.

Example sentences:
She will certainly forget about it.Maybe we'll come after all.It will probably not work.Surely you are not serious! "Comparative" means "comparing something to something else."

Comparative adverbs show us which action or state is better, worse, stronger, weaker, and so forth.

Examples:
more, less, better, worse, faster, slower, farther, closer.

She writes faster than most people.

Example sentences:
Maggie works out more seriously than Donna.She eats less than her friends.You are better than this.We couldn't go slower even if we wanted to.Let's get closer."Superlative" means "of the highest degree."

Superlative adverbs show us which action or state is the best, the strongest, and so forth.

Examples:
Best, most, least, worst, strongest, fastest, slowest.

They like each other best.

Example sentences:
He knows best.It was the most boring experience.He shouted the strongest so he won.He ran the slowest so he lost

Jul 17, The Most Useful Everyday Phrases in English

Traditional English language textbooks and courses will do a great job of introducing you to vocabulary and grammar, but they don't always teach you the important everyday phrases in English. When students visit an English-speaking country, they can sometimes be confused by some of these phrases.

Sometimes the problems are because pronunciation is different in spoken English, and sometimes the problems are because English speakers use idioms that cannot be translated literally into another language.

When you are learning everyday phrases, it is important to learn if they are formal, informal or slang. Here are some examples:

"How are you?" is a little formal.

People will often say the more informal:
"How're you doing?"
"How's it going?"
or "How's everything?"

They all mean pretty much the same thing really; the speaker wants to know if you're OK.

You might also hear "What's happening?" or "What's up?"

These questions are asking you about your activities now – "What are you doing?"

"Thank you."

Of course that's fine, but people will usually say "Thanks." You may also hear "Cheers," or "Ta" (especially in British English).

"Gonna," "wanna," "coulda," "shoulda," "woulda," etc.

Sometimes you will come across these in spoken English.

They are shortened forms of "going to," "want to," "could have," "should have" and "would have."

They can cause a lot of confusion among learners so listen out for them. Again, they are very informal.

"Have a nice day!"

I love this phrase. It's a kind of nice, happy way of saying goodbye to someone and is often used if you don't know someone very well.

You will also hear the more informal expressions, "see ya!" (see you), "take care," "later," and "bye bye" as often as "Goodbye."

"Cool" is probably the most used word in the English language.

If you can start using this naturally in your English speech you know you are making progress towards sounding like a native English speaker!

Obviously these are all pretty general phrases and words but there are many more that are used in particular situations.
The most important thing is to listen. Listen to conversations between other people, listen to dialogue in movies, listen to radio talk shows. etc.
Put yourself a target for each movie/radio talk show you watch or listen to.

For example:
Put a target of learning one or two new useful phrases on the next English speaking movie you watch.  Then, during the movie, remind yourself to put attention on the speech of the characters.  Spot a phrase that is commonly used in the movie, and is also new to you. Write it down.  Clarify fully what it means. Use it a few times in sentences of your own. And try to include it in your following English writing/speaking. Learn some new phrases on the next movie!
This can be a great way to learn new phrases because you catch them in  "real" life situations. You get to see and note down how it is used. This can be very helpful.

If you hear a phrase and you aren't sure if it is formal, informal, or slang, the best thing to do is either to ask someone you trust, or check in a good dictionary. Many good dictionaries will tell you how formal a word or expression is.

If the word is a swear word, the dictionary should tell you. It may have the abbreviation vulg (for "vulgar") next to the definition. You certainly don't want to start using swear words in a formal situation, so it's good to be careful!

There are so many useful everyday phrases in English that no single article will be able to help you with all of them, so just listen and practice when you can.

Jul 11, How to Help Your Students Learn to Read English

If you want to help your students learn to read English you need to give them some guidelines, and some interesting materials to read. Here are some suggestions to keep your reading lessons fresh and useful. The first thing you need to do is find interesting texts. No students want to read if they have boring texts. If you can find real news stories or magazine articles then that is much better but make sure the vocabulary and grammar isn’t too difficult. You can also use excerpts from books or scripts, or song lyrics, depending on the level of the group.

Finding interesting texts for beginners can be more difficult. You need to reinforce the vocabulary they know rather than give them too many new words, which means it is difficult for them to understand the text. Of course you can use children’s picture books, but if you are teaching teenagers or adults these often won't be appropriate. And even kids' books can use a lot of new words. One option if you have a very low level class is to use the English Short Stories for Complete Beginners. This will help them read but won't give them complicated vocabulary.

Teaching your students to use dictionaries is important at every level. Either a bi-lingual dictionary or a picture dictionary for lower levels, or a single language dictionary for advanced students. Encourage them to look up words they don't know, and not guess them. If a student looks up a word, they are more likely to remember it, and you can be sure they understand the meaning.

In class, reading can become a little boring. You can make your reading lessons livelier by trying some of the following techniques. Most of them can be adapted to suit any level.

Put a short reading passage on a wall somewhere. Students are in pairs, one goes to the text, remembers a section of it, goes to their partner and repeats it. The seated partner writes exactly what their ‘running' partner says. Check for spelling and punctuation at the end.
Each pair of students has two connected texts. Each reads and then gives their partner a summary of their text.
Instead of you giving the students the comprehension questions, get them to write their own.
Ask questions to see how much the students remember.
Cut the text up in sections. Place them around the class. Students work in small groups to find a complete set and put them in order.
Ask them to find an example of a certain grammar point or a synonym for another word. They raise their hand when they find it.

If you want your students to learn to read English then the most important thing they can do is practice. That isn't something you can force them to do. Make them aware of where they can get appropriate reading material and you will be giving them the best help you can.

Jul 17, How to Learn English Fast

Many students want to know how to learn English fast, but I have to disappoint them with my answer.

There is no foolproof way to learn English fast. Besides, if you learn something fast, you very often forget it.

Consider actors who are in a series that is filmed over a short space of time. They are very good at learning their lines quickly for one episode. By the time they record the next episode, they have forgotten the first set of lines. Learning a language can be a little like that.

If you learn too quickly without practicing what you have learned, it is easily forgotten.

There are different methods of language learning, and some may work better for you than others. If you want to know how to learn English fast, you would be better to think about how to learn English effectively.

Firstly, there is self-study. This is where you use a book which will teach you the grammar and vocabulary you need to know. Some books also come with CDs or DVDs to give you listening or interactive practice. Self-study is also possible using computer software or the internet.

What are the benefits and problems of self-study?

You have to be very self-disciplined. You need to set aside time for study when you won't be distracted. You may also find that it is difficult to stay motivated if you are studying alone.

Practice is also a problem if you are not studying with other people, so maybe you can find people online who can practice with you.

But the biggest downside, in my opinion, is when you can't ask your questions. In other words, it's always good to have someone (a teacher, an expert) to consult with.

A benefit of self-study is that you can take as much time as you like and you don't have to keep pace with a class.

It's usually more affordable, too.

Secondly, you can join a local class. This has the advantage of helping you stay motivated and gives you the opportunity to practice. It can be expensive though, and you will have to do things at the same pace as the rest of the class.

Research local courses and try to speak to teachers and students before you choose a class. 

Thirdly, you can find a tutor to help you with your English progress. A good tutor will give you all the attention you need and guide you through a step-by-step program built specifically for your needs.

Studying with a tutor can be great. However, hourly rates tend to be expensive. So the number of hours you study with them may be too little to make significant progress fast. To achieve that, make sure you also work and practice on your own.

Fourthly, you can study in an English speaking country. This is often very expensive, but it is the best way to learn. Do some research and find a school that is right for your needs.

They have different strengths and weaknesses.

You will find if you take this option that your speaking and listening skills will increase much faster. This is particularly true if you live with a host family, and try to be involved in life there.

In many schools you will have the opportunity to take classes in a group or individually, so the program can really be made to fit your needs.

Whichever learning method you choose, practice is the key to learning English effectively. Read and listen to English as much as you can. Speak to people at every opportunity.

Don't worry about how to learn English fast, just concentrate on finding the methods to help you learn English in the way that suits you.