collins cobuild

Phrasal verbs: verb + adverb + preposition

Some phrasal verbs are a combination of the verb + adverb and verb + preposition phrasal verbs. All the parts of this type of phrasal verb come BEFORE the object. We are looking forward to our holiday. Don’t put up with it! You must look out for the warning signs. I’m so fed up with city life. Phrasal verbs with… Read More

Phrasal verbs: verb + preposition

Some verb + preposition phrasal verbs always have an object. This is because prepositions always have an object. He asked for his bill. She listened to him. They referred to our conversation. Some phrasal verbs with prepositions are: add to, agree with, approve of, ask for, believe in, care for, hope for, laugh at, look for, refer to,… 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

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

The lazy, hazy days of summer

During August – which in some luckier parts of Britain is finally producing seasonable weather – two ‘days’ encourage us to switch off, dial down and generally ease off on normal activities. National Lazy Day falls on 10 August, followed cold on… Read More

Using the Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary to Develop Vocabulary Building Skills

The Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary is more than a source for the definition of words, it is also a tool for improving vocabulary skills through understanding the many prefixes and suffixes used in English words. Both students of English as an additional language and those who have spoken English… Read More

What’s the difference between indoors and indoor?

This week we are looking at two words which may be confused by learners of English: indoors and indoor. indoors function playAudio(url) { new Audio(url).play(); } Indoors is an adverb. If you go indoors, you go into a building. It started to rain, so… Read More

What’s the difference between outdoors and outdoor?

This week we are looking at two words which may be confused by learners of English: outdoors and outdoor. outdoors function playAudio(url) { new Audio(url).play(); } Outdoors is an adverb. If something happens outdoors, it does not happen inside a building. He spent a… Read More

What’s the difference between late and lately?

This week we are looking at two words which may be confused by learners of English: late and lately. late function playAudio(url) { new Audio(url).play(); } Late can be an adjective or an adverb. If you are late for something, you arrive after the time… Read More