Learning English

Reflexive pronouns and reciprocal pronouns are related to each other. Think of a mirror. Who do you see when you look in the mirror? You see yourself, of course. You

  Demonstrative pronouns point out or demonstrate something specific in a sentence. They can point out a thing or a time. We know that a pronoun takes the place of

  Interrogative pronouns are pronouns that ask questions. A pronoun takes the place of a noun. An interrogative pronoun takes the place of the unknown information the question asks about.

  Indefinite pronouns take the place of a noun, just like other pronouns. However, they do not refer to any specific thing. For example, we can say,”Miguel works in a

Either and neither are common English words. We use them to show choice, equality and agreement. We frequently use either in negative sentences to express agreement, and neither in affirmative

Here and there are adverbs that show place. We use here to refer to something close by. There shows us that something is at a distance. We also use there

The imperative is the form of the verb we use to give directions, instructions, suggestions, or advice. We also use it to give direct orders. The imperative is easy to

Gerunds and infinitives look like verbs, but they are used in sentences as nouns. A gerund is the “ing” form of the verb. An infinitive is the word “to” plus

Tag questions are mini-questions that follow a short, simple statement. They turn the statement into a question. We use tag questions when we think we already know the answer. We

Prefixes and suffixes are not words. They are groups of letters added to words. They change the meanings of words. We add prefixes to the beginning of a word to

Contractions are shortcuts. When we use them in English we are joining two words together. Then, they become one word. This is not the same as a compound word. In

Sometimes we need to compare people, places, or things. When we compare two people, places, or things, we use the comparative. When we compare three or more, we use the

The definite article in English is the word the. The indefinite article is a or an. We use an before a word beginning with a vowel sound, and a at

Prepositions can sometimes be confusing for students learning English. They do not translate exactly from language to language. Sometimes one preposition is correct in one language, but a different one

 Adverbs and expressions of frequency tell how often you do something. In this posting I talk about common adverbs and expressions of frequency. I also tell you where to place

We use the passive voice more often in English than in many other languages. This voice changes the focus of the sentence. In the active voice, the sentence focuses on

Modals are special verbs in English. They behave a little bit differently than most English verbs. For one thing, they don’t take an “s” in the third person singular form.

Double negatives are common in many languages, but they are not appropriate in English. A double negative is a sentence that contains a negative verb and a negative word, such

English has two kinds of nouns, count and non-count nouns. It is important to understand the difference between them. This is because some quantity words go with count nouns and

Last posting we talked about the present perfect tense. In this posting we continue talking about the present perfect. Today I review how to form the present perfect and how

The present perfect tense in English is a past tense. However, it is different than the simple past. It is a past tense, but it connects with the present. Today

  Cognates are words in two more more languages with similar spellings and pronunciations. They also have similar meanings. Some languages, such as French and Spanish, are closely related. These

  Asking questions correctly can sometimes be confusing in English. You may wonder if you are putting the words in the correct order. Today I talk about two types of

English speakers connect their sounds by linking words. This makes their spoken English different from their written English. For example,  read the sentence, “Do you want a cup of coffee?”

Phrasal verbs in English are verbs that consist of two or sometimes three words, such as check in or come up with. These expressions always begin with a verb, but

  Every language has idioms. You have them in your native language, but you may not realize when you are using an idiom. When you hear one in English, however,

  Most of our postings are about speaking. Sometimes, however, you may need to write in English. Maybe you need to write a note to your boss or co-worker. Perhaps

  Subject-verb agreement is usually easy in English. However, it is sometimes a little confusing for people learning English. Today I talk about how to make sure your subject and

The past tense in English for regular verbs is easy to form. You probably already know that you usually add “ed” to the base form of the verb. But you

  Learning English can sometimes be confusing because English has two present tenses, the simple present tense and the present progressive (which is the “ing” in English”). Most English learners

Do you enjoy watching TV? Have you ever wondered if your TV could help your English. The answer is,” Yes.” Today I talk about how to learn English through TV.

Does English pronunciation sometimes give you trouble? Do you ever wonder how to pronounce certain common sounds? Today I go over 5 English sounds that can be tricky to pronounce.

If you ever think “How can I improve my English?”, then you must read this post. Today I’m going to show you how to improve your English in 7 easy