Learning English

What’s the difference between your and you’re?

Your and you’re are homophones that are often confused by learners and native speakers of English alike. Here is a short guide to help understand the difference between them. your Your is a possessive determiner. You use your to show that something belongs or relates to the person or people that you are… Read More

Using semicolons

The semicolon is used to mark a break between two main clauses when there is a balance or a contrast between the clauses. Compare: The engine roared into life. The propellers began to turn. The plane taxied down the runway ready for takeoff. with: The engine roared into life; the propellers… Read More

Using bullet points

Using bullet points in a non-fiction text is a clear way to organize information you wish to present. The types of text that are suitable for bullet points are lists, notes, instructions, and information texts. To use bullet points correctly, there needs to be a piece of introductory text, ending… Read More

The 8 parts of speech in English

VERBS A verb tells us about an action or a state of being. Ordinary verbs are called main verbs. For example: come, go, think, want, escape, believe. A main verb is sometimes called a ‘doing word’. A special group of verbs are called auxiliary verbs. These can be put together with main verbs to… Read More

Months and Dates

In order to talk confidently about your plans in English, it’s useful to know some essential phrases that relate to months and dates. The months of the year in English are: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December. Read More

Formation of past and present tense of English verbs

The present tense of a regular verb is the same as the base form of the verb, except that an -s is added to the verb when it has a noun or he, she, or it as a subject. This form is called the 3rd person singular form. I live in the country. He likes his job. The window looks… Read More

Simple tenses

Simple tenses show moments in time, timeless states, and habitual or repetitive actions. The simple tenses consist of a single word.  There is a present simple tense: I like I live you like you live he likes he lives  I like my steak rare. It tastes good. Julie keeps a diary. Rob usually walks to school. There is also a past simple tense: I liked I lived you liked you lived he liked he lived  He liked to walk to the… Read More

Mass Nouns

Mass nouns are nouns that refer to a substance that can be divided or measured but not counted, e.g. sugar, water. They do not usually have an indefinite article in front. Meat is usually more expensive than cheese. Sugar is quite cheap. Mass nouns only take a plural in special cases, for example, when they refer… Read More

How to use ‘Used to’

The verb used to is a ‘marginal’ modal verb. Unlike the other modal verbs, it is only found in the past tense. Therefore, when it is used with do to make negatives and questions, the form of the auxiliary verb is always did.  Used to is used as follows:  to describe an activity or a state that… Read More