If you want to sample German food and drink, be it at a more traditional Gasthaus (inn/pub), a fancy restaurant, a Café (good for coffee and cake/snacks) or a Bar, learning some key phrases in German will give you the confidence to chat to the waiter and prepare you for… Read More

To show that you are pleased that something good has happened to someone, use Congratulations! If you want to congratulate someone with regard to something particular, use the preposition ‘on’. You passed your exam? Congratulations! Congratulations on your new job! Congratulations on the birth of your baby son! Congrats is… Read More

If you’re planning to take a trip to an Italian city, there is no doubt that you’ll want to do some sightseeing. Knowing just a few phrases such as asking where you can go, what you can do there and how much it will cost, will make your life much… Read More

When asking for something from someone, use please. Two kilos of oranges, please. Could you give these to Anders, please? Please could I borrow this chair? To say that you would like something that someone has offered you, use Yes, please. ‘Would you like some more coffee?’ ‘Yes, please.’ ‘Can… Read More

The 1st of March is St David’s Day, named for the patron saint of Wales. David (or Dewi in Welsh) was a 6th-century bishop from South-West Wales who was renowned as a preacher and founder of monasteries in ancient Britain and Brittany. Today, St David’s Day is a celebration of… Read More

We're continuing our new series of French conversation blogs with a look at some of the common courtesies essential for polite communication. Read More

A simple way to show that you are surprised by what someone has said is to use Really? ‘Zareb is leaving?’ ‘Really? Why?’ ‘I don’t think it’s a very good school.’ ‘Really? I was very impressed by it.’ ‘I’m terrible at maths.’ ‘Really? I can’t believe that!’ A stronger way… Read More

The most common way to show that you are sad for someone when something bad has happened is to use I’m (so) sorry. or I’m sorry to hear … Diana told me about your brother’s accident. I’m so sorry. I heard that Charlie had lost his job, Sara. I’m sorry. Read More

Gill Francis (she later used the spelling Jyl) was one of the pioneering team who worked on the Collins Cobuild English Dictionary (CCED), published in 1995, and led a small team that compiled the Grammar Pattern series published in 1996 and 1998. In this she was… Read More