Author Archives: mhardy3222

English Inversion #1: Why? When? How?

One of the first things you learn when you start learning English is the word order in sentences. The subject comes before the verb:  SUBJECT                           VERB you                                        learn … Continue reading

Posted in Advanced (Level 6+), Cambridge, Grammar, IELTS, Upper Intermediate (Level 5) | Leave a comment

Relative Clauses #11: Advanced non-defining Relative Clauses

First, read the earlier posts on Relative Clauses, especially #3 and #6. Advanced non-defining Relative Clauses are not as difficult as their name suggests. There are only two Relative Clause Pronouns used, whom & which, and the Relative Clause is usually … Continue reading

Posted in Advanced (Level 6+), Cambridge, Grammar, IELTS, Relative Clauses, Upper Intermediate (Level 5), Writing | 1 Comment

Gerunds & Infinitives – What is the difference?

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) | 2 Comments

Difficult Pronunciation & How to Remember It – Part 1

Photo by Mimi Thian, Unsplash Greetings English Learners! This will be my last Post for this year and I have decided to focus on common English words that many of you find difficult to pronounce. My students can usually pronounce … Continue reading

Posted in Elementary (Level 2), Intermediate (Level 4), Pre-Intermediate (Level 3), Speaking & Pronunciation, Vocabulary | 5 Comments

Do you know how to talk about Social Media and the Internet in English ?

Here’s another post from Vocabulary in Chunks that I hope you’ll enjoy. Listening to videos like these is easy English practice. I know that studying a language can be hard work so you need to find a way to enjoy … Continue reading

Posted in Elementary (Level 2), Intermediate (Level 4), Listening, Pre-Intermediate (Level 3), Vocabulary | 7 Comments

Present Perfect Tense – Part 1

FORM  (have / has + past participle) Look at these sentences: Leo’s English improved when he started a course at Langports English College. His English is improving. His English has improved since he started at Langports. The first sentence gives … Continue reading

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

A song with Collocations and Idioms

The English language is full of collocations and idioms. By collocations, I mean words that naturally go together like ‘high hopes‘, ‘heavy rain‘, and ‘make friends‘. We don’t say ‘tall hopes’, ‘huge rain‘ or ‘produce friends‘.  Idioms are expressions whose … Continue reading

Posted in Advanced (Level 6+), Intermediate (Level 4), Listening, Songs, Upper Intermediate (Level 5), Vocabulary, Writing | Tagged , | 6 Comments

5 Weak Words to Avoid & What to Use Instead

Weak words are commonly used in everyday English speech. Perhaps we are a little lazy. Perhaps we know that we convey meaning using our tone of voice. No doubt, you have similar common words in your language which are used … Continue reading

Posted in Advanced (Level 6+), Cambridge, IELTS, Intermediate (Level 4), Pre-Intermediate (Level 3), Upper Intermediate (Level 5), Writing | 1 Comment

Advanced Reading & Writing ∼ Learn from the Best Writers!

Greetings English Learners. It’s not always easy to find good examples of English writing to show you. Actually, ‘good’ is not good enough! I want ‘brilliant’ examples, and you shall have them! Of course, there are numerous excellent authors around … Continue reading

Posted in Advanced (Level 6+), Cambridge, Reading, Writing | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Improve Your English Listening with a Jolly Song!

Hello English Learners! It’s time for some English Listening! Well, it’s always time for listening. If you enjoy what you are listening to, learning a language is more fun, and more productive. Don’t you agree? Songs are a fantastic learning … Continue reading

Posted in Elementary (Level 2), Intermediate (Level 4), Listening, Pre-Intermediate (Level 3), Reading, Songs, TOEFL, TOEIC, Upper Intermediate (Level 5) | Leave a comment