Author Archives: mhardy3222

A Song with ‘going to’ (gonna) for Future Predictions based on Evidence & ‘had better’ for Warnings

Posted on August 28, 2021 by mhardy3222

Today, I’m focusing on the  song, Street Boy, by Rodriguez to highlight the use of ‘going to’ for future predictions: predictions based on evidence. Click on the picture for the video. Rodriguez has an amazing voice and you will hear … Continue reading →

Posted in Grammar, Intermediate (Level 4), Listening, Pre-Intermediate (Level 3), Songs, Upper Intermediate (Level 5), Vocabulary | Tagged | Leave a comment

A Song with Second Conditional & Present Tenses

Posted on July 19, 2021 by mhardy3222

We often use the Second Conditional to talk about how we would like things to change (our life, other people, the world). Sometimes, we are not satisfied with a current situation and imagine how it could/would improve, if … ‘If … Continue reading →

Posted in Advanced (Level 6+), Cambridge, Grammar, IELTS, Intermediate (Level 4), Listening, Pre-Intermediate (Level 3), Songs, Upper Intermediate (Level 5), Videos | Tagged , | 1 Comment

English Idioms in Pictures #10

Posted on June 30, 2021 by mhardy3222

Click on the picture below to find out the meaning of the idiom HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE. Once on the site, you can click on Follow at the bottom of the page to receive more pictures and explanations of … Continue reading →

Posted in Elementary (Level 2), Intermediate (Level 4), Pre-Intermediate (Level 3), Vocabulary | 2 Comments

Gerunds & Infinitives – What is the difference?

Posted on May 30, 2021 by mhardy3222

GERUNDS Gerunds are usually nouns but they are different from other nouns because they are made from verbs. ∗ Changing verbs into other forms: nouns or adjectives, for example, is common in many languages. Think about how your language changes … Continue reading →

Posted in Grammar, Intermediate (Level 4), Pre-Intermediate (Level 3), TOEIC, Upper Intermediate (Level 5) | 1 Comment

A Song with Past Simple Tense & Past Continuous Tense

Posted on May 6, 2021 by mhardy3222

* First, let’s look at the form (conjugation / spelling) of English verbs. They follow very simple patterns. English verb forms are much easier than many European languages like Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, and German. The Turkish language also has many … Continue reading →

Posted in Intermediate (Level 4), Listening, Pre-Intermediate (Level 3), Songs | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Defining Relative Clauses: #6

Posted on April 3, 2021 by mhardy3222

For Grammar Rules about Defining Relative Clauses see my post  September 22, 2013.                                                                                                                         RIHANNA  sings a song with Eminem called ‘Monster’. There are  Defining Relative Clauses in the chorus. Have a look: Chorus 1. I’m friends with the monster that’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Grammar, IELTS, Intermediate (Level 4), Pre-Intermediate (Level 3), Relative Clauses, Songs, TOEFL, TOEIC | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Words to use instead of ‘When’

Posted on February 15, 2021 by mhardy3222

Here’s a lesson, with a delightful song, to help you remember some words and expressions you can use instead of ‘when’. They are highlighted below in green and blue. I’m not going to even mention the G word (shhh! … … Continue reading →

Posted in Elementary (Level 2), Intermediate (Level 4), Listening, Pre-Intermediate (Level 3), Songs, Vocabulary | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

20 English Idioms of Courage

Posted on December 30, 2020 by mhardy3222

On New Year’s Eve, many of us make New Year Resolutions in an effort to improve ourselves or make a positive change.  Maybe you want to exercise more, lose weight, or just get more organised. Not so easy! It takes … Continue reading →

Posted in Advanced (Level 6+), Intermediate (Level 4), Pre-Intermediate (Level 3), Reading, Upper Intermediate (Level 5), Vocabulary | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Happy Christmas!

Posted on December 23, 2020 by mhardy3222

Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, a unique individual who was the perfect role model, practising compassion, tolerance, and forgiveness. While many are not interested in the religious aspect of Christmas, it’s fair to say that the … Continue reading →

Posted in Advanced (Level 6+), Beginner (Level 1), Elementary (Level 2), Intermediate (Level 4), Listening, Pre-Intermediate (Level 3), Songs, Upper Intermediate (Level 5), Videos | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Advanced Reading & Listening: Our World Today

Posted on December 17, 2020 by mhardy3222

Today, I have two reading texts and two short videos, all timely and thought-provoking. All are outstanding and varied examples of the use of English language. ♦ The first reading is a fact-based text which defines, and provides examples of, … Continue reading →

Posted in Advanced (Level 6+), Cambridge, Listening, Reading, Speaking & Pronunciation | 3 Comments