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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...

Joanne
Sep 6, 20221 min read
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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...

Joanne
Apr 20, 20211 min read
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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...

Joanne
Apr 13, 20211 min read
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'I always do' vs 'I'm always doing'
These two phrases sound very similar, but unfortunately they cannot be used interchangeably since they have different meanings. Let's...

Joanne
Apr 7, 20211 min read
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How or what?
How does it look like? What does it look like? 'What does it look like' is the correct version of the question because we are asking for...

Joanne
Mar 30, 20211 min read
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Make or take a photograph?
I often hear people say that they have made a photograph of something, but a native speaker would say they had taken a photograph. We...

Joanne
Mar 22, 20211 min read
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Must or have to?
'Must' is a word that I often hear over used. My advice is to try and use it as little as possible. Instead, use 'have to'. Why is that?...

Joanne
Mar 15, 20211 min read
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Who or whom?
This can be a tricky question for many native speakers and is often used as part of a joke in comedy shows. I'm sure there was more than...

Joanne
Mar 12, 20212 min read
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7 examples of 'will' or 'going to'
These two phrases are easily confused, especially when they can sometimes be used interchangeably and yet at other times they cannot....

Joanne
Mar 9, 20212 min read
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Good vs well
Have you ever noticed that some English words, although they have the same meaning, cannot be used interchangeably in sentences? Good and...

Joanne
Mar 5, 20211 min read
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Since vs Until
Did you know that until and since mean two different things? They are both used as prepositions (tells you when something is happening in...

Joanne
Feb 9, 20212 min read
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How long have you...?
I'm sure we've all been in this situation: you are meeting someone for the first time and want to find out something more about them. It...

Joanne
Jan 29, 20211 min read
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"Both of these two"
I recently heard this expression and it struck me as a little odd. Do you know why? Both means two. "Both cats and dogs are pets." "Both...

Joanne
Jan 21, 20211 min read
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Me, Myself and I
I'm sure you've heard this expression before in movies and song lyrics, but what about him, himself and he or her, herself and she?...

Joanne
Jan 14, 20211 min read
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How long have you worked here?
I'm sure you've been asked that question before, but how did you reply? I have frequently heard the expression "I work here since 5...

Joanne
Dec 22, 20202 min read
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For or since?
These prepositions are used to indicate that an event, which is true now, has been taking place for a period of time. We have to be...

Joanne
Dec 16, 20201 min read
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Less than or fewer than?
Is there a difference? Yes. To understand when we use less than and when we use fewer than we need to take a step back and think about...

Joanne
Dec 14, 20202 min read
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Is there a difference between although and even though?
This is a question I was asked recently and it got me thinking. They both mean in spite of or despite a given situation something...

Joanne
Dec 9, 20202 min read
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Learn or teach?
When do you use learn and when do you use teach? This is a confusing piece of language usage and one that I often see and hear used...

Joanne
Dec 7, 20201 min read
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