How or what?
Both are great words to use to show you are asking a question, but we need to be careful with the structure of that question. What does...
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Joanne
- Nov 20
- 2 min
5 examples of the past perfect in action
The past perfect is used to talk about events that took place in the past, but it is different to the past simple. The past simple is...
40
Joanne
- Nov 9
- 2 min
3 relative clauses - who, that and which
We use 'who' to talk about people. "The people who live in London." We use that and which to talk about things. "Did you drink the milk...
130
Joanne
- Nov 7
- 1 min
5 different ways to use by or beside
Is Granny sitting by the fire or beside the fire? She is actually doing both since in many cases by and beside can be used...
50
Joanne
- Oct 3
- 1 min
An hour or a hour?
We know the rule, if a word starts with a vowel: a. e, i, o or u we use an in front of it. If a word starts with a consonant, not a...
40
Joanne
- Sep 26
- 1 min
I have done or I did?
This blog post looks at when we use the present perfect (I have done) or the past simple (I did). It is raining and I cannot find my...
60
Joanne
- Sep 19
- 1 min
How many ways can you say dog?
When producing a piece of written work for college or a report for your boss it is good practice not to repeat the same word too many...
21
Joanne
- Sep 11
- 1 min
At, on or in? - Let's talk about places
In the previous blog post we looked at how at, in or on are used to talk about different time elements. This blog post looks at these...
20
Joanne
- Sep 4
- 1 min
At, on or in? - let's talk about time
Sometimes the smallest words in the English language are the most difficult to use. This is especially true when we think about at, on or...
80
Joanne
- Jan 31
- 1 min
Closing a business email in English - do's and don'ts
It may sound logical but the end of your email is the last impression that the reader will have of you as they reflect on what you have...
40
Joanne
- Nov 8, 2022
- 2 min
Writing a business email in English - the do's and don'ts for content
You've decided on the subject, and you've addressed the recipient with an appropriate greeting. Now you need to write what you want to...
50
Joanne
- Nov 2, 2022
- 3 min
Writing a business email in English - how to start, the do's and don'ts.
The subject of your email should be clear. Before the reader opens your mail they will want to know what it is about. The clearer you...
130
Joanne
- Oct 17, 2022
- 1 min
What is the most popular pub name in the UK?
The Red Lion Why do we call it 'the' Red Lion when only the name 'Red Lion' is written on the sign? That's because all hotels, pubs and...
20
Joanne
- Oct 5, 2022
- 1 min
How many times have you heard "the World Health Organisation" in the last couple of years?
I'm sure at least ten times a day during the height of the pandemic. Did you ever wonder why it was always called 'the' World Health...
70
Joanne
- Sep 27, 2022
- 1 min
The view from the Empire State building
Well known buildings and works of art all require us to use 'the' in front of their names: the Empire State Building the Mona Lisa the...
40
Joanne
- Sep 20, 2022
- 1 min
I read the newspaper
Have you ever noticed that all newspaper names start with the? The Washington Post The New York Times The Sunday Times The Guardian The...
30
Joanne
- Sep 13, 2022
- 1 min
Canary Islands or the Canary Islands?
How do I know which geographical features should have 'the' in front of them and which should not? Mountain ranges all start with 'the',...
80
Joanne
- Sep 6, 2022
- 1 min
Why do some countries start with 'the'?
Have you ever noticed how we refer to some countries as 'the [country name]' and others just as 'country name'? How do you know when to...
130
Joanne
- Apr 20, 2021
- 1 min
When...? or How long...?
When asks a question that is looking for a defined time in the past. Q: When did it start raining? A: It started raining at 10 o'clock...
50
Joanne
- Apr 13, 2021
- 1 min
I have been doing vs I have done
In other words, the present perfect continuous vs the present perfect simple. We use I have been doing when we are talking about an...
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