Learning Italian: Writing emails and letters

There will likely be times when you need to send an email or letter in Italian, whether it’s contacting the hotel you are staying at, drafting an email to a work colleague, or sending a letter to a friend. This blog gives you some useful phrases to use to do… Read More

French word of the week: régler

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 verb 'régler'. Read More

Reported speech

When you use reported speech, the words put into the reported clause do not exactly match the words spoken. ‘I’ll leave at 8.30 on Friday.’ à She says that she will leave at 8.30 on Friday. ‘I’m looking forward to seeing you.’ à She says she’s looking forward to seeing us. Pronouns and possessive… Read More

Spanish words of the week: peso or pesa?

We look at another pair of Spanish nouns whose meanings differ depending on whether they are masculine or feminine; 'peso' and 'pesa'. Read More

French word of the week: vers

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 word 'vers'. Read More

Indirect speech

Indirect speech or reported speech reports something that was said, but does not use the actual words that the speaker uttered. Lynn asked whether Pippa had been to the new shopping mall. Pippa replied that she hadn’t, but she had heard that there were some really cool shops there. Reported speech always has two clauses. The words… Read More

Formula One™ and the vocabulary of motor racing

This year is a major one for Formula One racing. There’ll be more Grand Prix (GP) races than ever before – twenty-four in twenty-one countries – including the final of the series in Abu Dhabi this December. In the British Grand Prix on the legendary Silverstone circuit in… Read More

Spanish words of the week: cubierta or cubierto?

Continuing with our pairs of Spanish nouns whose meanings can be completely different depending on whether they are masculine or feminine, we move on to 'cubierto' and 'cubierta'. Read More

Direct speech

Direct speech gives the actual words that a speaker has used. It is common in novels and other writing where the actual words of a speaker are quoted. The reporting verb may come before the words that were actually spoken, or after them, or at a natural pause inside the reported sentence. Read More