Main types of verb in English

Most verbs describe an action such as walking, running, or reading. These are called verbs of action. Action verbs can be expressed in all the tenses. John is running for the train. Sophie has just bought a new camera. She is putting on an exhibition of her artwork. Robbie has read the book already. When we need a verb to describe a new activity,… Read More

Learning French: asking permission

May we have your attention for a moment? This month's Learning French blog is all about asking for permission and how you might respond. Read More

Festive Traditions

Christmas is coming … Ah! British Christmas. So cosy, so nostalgic. What’s not to love about this time of year? Christmas cards and carols and Christmas trees and cake and plum pudding and turkey and cranberry sauce and mulled wine and kissing under the mistletoe and Boxing Day walks. And… Read More

Spanish words of the week: cuadro or cuadra?

Our task today is to square up to two more similar-looking Spanish nouns and to identify the commonest uses of each: these are cuadro (masculine) and cuadra (feminine). Read More

French word of the week: falloir

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 'falloir'. Read More

Spanish words of the week: tallo or talla?

Time to get the measure of two more superficially similar Spanish nouns and uncover their different uses: these are tallo (masculine) and talla (feminine). Read More

French word of the week: soupçon

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 noun 'soupçon'. Read More

Spanish words of the week: plata or plato?

Another week, another opportunity to buff up our knowledge of two similar-looking Spanish nouns with different meanings. This week it’s the turn of 'plata' and 'plato'. Read More

French word of the week: paraître

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 'paraître'. Read More