English is such a confusing language! Often there is more than one way to pronounce a single letter or group of letters. In this video, you’ll learn 25 words where the letters ch together are pronounced “sh”. Most of these words were taken from French! These words need to be memorized. There is no “rule” […]
Author: Melanie
English Grammar: How to Use Present Simple to Talk about Future Events
The present simple can be used to talk about talk about scheduled future events. These are events that happen according to a schedule or timetable. They are usually scheduled by someone else and they are usually public events. Tomorrow is Friday. I fly to Paris next week. The plane departs at 8 p.m. The train to Ottawa leaves at 11:30 a.m. When do you leave for NYC? […]
English Study Tip: How to Practice Listening!
You have been studying English for a long time. You have a good knowledge of English grammar and you know lots of words. You can read things in English and you can communicate well in writing. You have trouble understanding what people are saying, however, and it’s impossible for you to watch English movies or […]
English Pronunciation: An Introduction to the IPA
The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is a set of symbols that represent all the sounds in a language. All the sounds that make up American English pronunciation can be represented by symbols. I strongly believe that all English learners should learn the IPA. I use the IPA in many of my pronunciation video lessons and in the […]
How to Improve Your English Pronunciation
“How can I improve my English pronunciation?” This is one of the most common questions that English learners ask me. First, let’s be clear about what pronunciation means. It’s the way that you say a word. You make sounds with your voice that English speakers recognize as a word or sentence. Good pronunciation is essential […]
English Grammar: Adverbs of Frequency
Adverbs are very important words in English! They are one of the 8 parts of English speech. However, there are many different types of adverbs. It’s often difficult to remember where to put adverbs in a sentence. In this grammar article, you’ll learn specifically about adverbs of frequency and how to use them in a […]
The Ten Best Tips to Get a High Score on the TOEFL iBT!
(This lesson was updated in March 2017.) The TOEFL is one of the most difficult tests you will ever take in your life! You need to study hard to get a high score on the TOEFL. Here is a list of ten things that will help you get the highest score possible on the TOEFL […]
English Grammar: When NOT to Use “the”! (definite article)
For many English learners, articles are one of the most difficult things to remember! Articles are confusing because it’s not always necessary to use an article in English. This lesson is about when NOT to use the definite article the. Sometimes it’s easier to remember when NOT to use something instead of trying to memorize when […]
English Vocabulary: Play, Do, or Go? Verbs Used To Talk About Sports
There are three verbs you can use to talk about sports in English: play — do — go 1. Use PLAY for team sports or sports played with a ball: football baseball basketball rugby tennis hockey volleyball cricket soccer badminton golf I love to play badminton. I played basketball when I was in high school. […]
when-to-use-have-got-english-grammar-lesson
English Grammar: When to Use “Have Got” November 27, 2009 by Melanie Is have got acceptable English grammar? When can you use have or have got in English? In this post, I answer these questions and more! I explain when you can use have or have got, the correct form of have got (hint: “Does […]