QUICK INTRODUCTION TO IPA
The International Phonetic Alphabet is a system of phonetic notation that assigns a unique symbol to each sound that we can find in a language. Its symbols are applicable to any language, that is, if two different languages feature the same sound, the exact same symbol is going to be used to transcribe it. Let’s see an example: Quick introduction to IPA
QUESTION TAGS EXPLAINED IN FULL
What are question tags exactly? Question tags are small tags inserted at the ends of affirmative statements. The statements can either be negative or affirmative but the question tags always follow the procedure; negative after affirmative and vice versa, so if the statement is negative, the question tag must be positive and if the statement is positive then the question tag must be negative. Question tags explained in full
‘I TOLD TO HIM’ OR ‘I TOLD HIM’? ‘EXPLAIN ME’ OR ‘EXPLAIN TO ME’? WHICH VERBS TAKE THE PREPOSITION AND WHICH ONES DO NOT?
Ever wondered why we say ‘explain to me what happened’ and NOT ‘explain me what happened’? The reason is that certain verbs of communication whose object is indirect always take the preposition ‘to’ or ‘for’ before the indirect object, regardless of the indirect object’s position in the sentence. Let’s look at some examples of verbs that always take, no matter what, ‘to’ or ‘for’ before their indirect object. ‘I told to him’ or ‘I told him’? ‘Explain me’ or ‘explain to me’? Which verbs take the preposition and which ones do not?
WHY HAVING “AN ACCENT” IS NOT A BAD THING
One thing I’ve noticed virtually all language learners want to achieve, as soon as they can, is getting rid of their accent. That is the specific phonetic features of their speech that are a dead giveaway of the speaker’s first language. And when it comes to native accents, most learners seem to have made their choice – whether their preference leans towards the old prestige, fancier British accent, or the modern, Hollywood reminiscent and snappier American accent. Because let’s be honest, nobody really thinks of beautiful New Zealand as their first choice (anyone?). why having an a is not a bad thing
COMPLETE RULE SET AND INSIDER’S GUIDE TO ‘GET’
Ever wondered why natives always use the word ‘get’? Never been able to decode the word? Well, here in this article we have a complete insider’s guide to GET, detailing the rules and the reasons as to why we use this strange word for nearly everything. ‘Get’ A complete set of rules
THE DIRECT METHOD IS THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN
It was three years back when I landed my first job in an English academy in Madrid, Spain. I was young, inexperienced, very nervous and had absolutely no idea how on earth I was going to actually go about teaching my classes. Ever since arriving in Spain, I, alongside all the other native English speaking expats that arrive here to try their hand at teaching, are ready and eager to get themselves inside the classroom to commence teaching. The direct method is the only game in town
DIFFERENCES IN SPELLING BETWEEN AMERICAN AND BRITISH ENGLISH
In this list, I’ll outline the rules as to the main differences between British and American spelling. Rules with examples will be shown in an easy fashion so that you can easily distinguish between American and British spelling/orthography. It should also be noted that, although absolutely not obligatory, it pays to be consistent in your spelling, either following one or the other (American or British spelling), but not both at the same time. The examples below are only a very small portion and do not include ALL the words.