English Topics and Tips
Grammar Lesson: a lot of / lots of
A lot of / lots of mean the same, and are the informal versions of much and many.
They can be used:
1. with uncountable nouns to represent the idea of much
2. with countable nouns to represent the idea of many
“I’m going to eat a lot of Easter eggs this weekend!” (many)
“We have lots of time to help Jane move house.” (much)
Phrasal verbs with GET
get by = survive
My husband is not working, so we have to get by on a small budget.
get over (something/someone) = feel better after some time
It takes a long time to get over your first love.
get ahead = improve / be more successful
James is working hard to get ahead in his career.
get away with (something) = not to get in trouble
Vocabulary lesson: (sic)
Have you ever seen (sic) or [sic] after a quotation in a news article, on Twitter, etc?
sic is the Latin word for thus/such.
It is used after a quotation to tell the reader that “this is really how it appears in the original quote/statement.”
It is generally used show a grammar mistake, misspelling, incorrect fact, or strange spelling of a name.
Speaking development
Many of you struggle with your speaking skills.
Practice, Practice, practice!This is the best way to become more confident and fluent.
Always remember that the person you are speaking to WANTS/NEEDS to understand you.
Make yourself more comfortable by telling the listener that you are learning English. The person will instantly become more patient…and even help you!
Grammar lesson - uncountable nouns we make plural
A student asked me a very good question about uncountable nouns such as FOOD, OIL, and PROTEIN.
She asked why we sometimes make them plural by adding ’s’.
To refresh your memory, countable nouns are things we can count…3 dogs, 2 years, 100 hours.
Uncountable nouns are things we cannot count such as milk, paint, or time. We quantify/measure them instead - a glass of milk, a can of paint, a lot of time.
Vocabulary lesson: 20s, 50s, 90s…the decades
When we are talking about decades (10 years) and what happened in them (fashion, lifestyle, politics, etc) we refer to them as the 30s, 60s, 80s…
You will notice that we leave out the first part of the date - (19)20s, (19)70s.
“My parents grew up in the 50s when it was still safe for children to play in the street.”
“The music from the 80s is the best!”
Vocabulary lesson: compliment v. complement
These words sound the same and are spelled almost the same, but they have a very different meaning.
compliment (n) - nice things said about someone or something
A: “I really like your new haircut.”
B: “Thanks for the compliment.”
B: “Thanks for the compliment.”
“You should compliment Tom on winning the award. He worked very hard.”
complement (n) - something or someone who combines well with another person or thing.
English Titles (Mrs, Miss…) - when to use them?
The titles Mr., Ms., Miss, and Mrs. can be difficult for English learners. Here is an explanation:
(mister) Mr. = married or single man
(missus) Mrs. = married woman
Miss = unmarried woman
Ms. = (pronounced /mɪz/) used for a woman when you do not know if she is married. Can also be used for a divorced woman.
Slang for crime
slammer (n) = jail/prison
“Jose is in the slammer for 2 years for lying to the police.”
5-finger discount (n) = shoplifting
“Rob had to do community service for a 5-finger discount.”
to get busted (v) = arrested/caught
“My brother got busted for speeding…again! He never learns!
junkie (n) = a person addicted to drugs
“Can you believe Carol became a junkie? She was so successful at university.”
Vocabulary lesson - loan v. borrow
Is there a between between loan and borrow? Yes, a big difference! Look at these sentences:
Lisa: “James, can I borrow your dictionary?”
James: “Of course, I am happy to loan it to you.”
James: “Of course, I am happy to loan it to you.”
In sentence 1, does Lisa have a dictionary? No.
Does she need to use a dictionary? Yes.
Who owns the dictionary? James.
Does she need to use a dictionary? Yes.
Who owns the dictionary? James.
In sentence 1, Lisa is doing the action - borrowing. Lisa will take the dictionary.
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Recent Posts
- Grammar Lesson: a lot of / lots of
- Phrasal verbs with GET
- Vocabulary lesson: (sic)
- Speaking development
- Grammar lesson - uncountable nouns we make plural
- Vocabulary lesson: 20s, 50s, 90s…the decades
- Vocabulary lesson: compliment v. complement
- English Titles (Mrs, Miss…) - when to use them?
- Slang for crime
- Vocabulary lesson - loan v. borrow
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