Pizza, Pasta, Parole

The ninth of February marks World Pizza Day. A day to celebrate that quintessentially Neapolitan dish which has become, er, quintessentially everywhere, but perhaps particularly in the US, where it sometimes morphs into ‘pizza pie’, and in the UK, where it’s become part of our cosmopolitan – some might say… Read More

Learning Italian: Wining and dining

If you want to sample Italian cuisine, be it at a local trattoria, a fancy restaurant or a vinoteca (a wine bar), learning some key phrases in Italian will give you the confidence to chat to the waiter and prepare you for the kind of things they could ask you. Read More

French word of the week: net

This series of weekly blogs takes a closer look at words from our French dictionaries. The word we're focusing on this week is the French adjective 'net'. Read More

Saying what you have to do

To tell someone that it is very important that you do something, use I have to … or I need to … I have to call my mother. I really have to finish this piece of work today. You don’t have to work till eight o’clock every evening. I need… Read More

Agreeing and disagreeing

Agreeing To agree to do something or give someone something, use Yes or OK. To make yes more polite or enthusiastic, add of course. ‘Will you come with me?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Could you help me with my bags?’ ‘Yes, of course.’ ‘Can I have an ice cream, Dad?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Can you… Read More