Category Archives: Advanced (Level 6+)

How to Describe a Painting using ‘Wh…?’ questions

Posted on December 3, 2025 by mhardy3222

‘The family of Darius before Alexander’ by Paolo Veronese 1565-1570 ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦  Greetings English learners! How would … Continue reading →

Posted in Advanced (Level 6+), Cambridge, Grammar, IELTS, Intermediate (Level 4), Listening, Pre-Intermediate (Level 3), Upper Intermediate (Level 5) | Leave a comment

A song with (mostly) Present Tenses

Posted on November 13, 2025 by mhardy3222

Have you heard the latest song by RAYE – Where is my husband? I just love it! It’s fun, clever, and addictive. Watch the Official Music Video on YouTube. The subtitles are very helpful especially for English learners. Rachel, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Advanced (Level 6+), Grammar, Intermediate (Level 4), Listening, Songs, Upper Intermediate (Level 5) | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Sensational, Skilful Semicolons!

Posted on November 3, 2025 by mhardy3222

What the ….. !!    Not another SEMICOLON !! What is a  Semicolon? Let’s have a look. ; a) Spiderman is my favourite Super Hero; he’s my favourite person! b) Spiderman is my favourite Super Hero; actually, I still really like Superman.   What … Continue reading →

Posted in Advanced (Level 6+), Cambridge, Grammar, IELTS, Intermediate (Level 4), TOEFL, TOEIC, Upper Intermediate (Level 5), Writing | 1 Comment

Silent English Letters

Posted on October 25, 2025 by mhardy3222

Greetings English Learners! It’s time for some silliness! The English Language does seem to have an unfair number of silent letters. How can you remember them all? Well, it takes time and familiarity, and a generous dose of humour helps! … Continue reading →

Posted in Advanced (Level 6+), Cambridge, ESL Teachers, IELTS, Intermediate (Level 4), Listening, Pre-Intermediate (Level 3), Pronunciation Videos, Speaking & Pronunciation, Upper Intermediate (Level 5), Vocabulary | 2 Comments

Advanced Reading – Improve your English & your Knowledge!

Posted on August 6, 2025 by mhardy3222

Is it possible to become a successful English writer when English is your second language?                  Imagine being taught English at school but not hearing it spoken outside of  the classroom. This is an … Continue reading →

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

The Crocodile and The Monkey : a Poem by Vikram Seth

Posted on June 30, 2025 by mhardy3222

Greetings English Students! It’s Story Time! Who doesn’t love a great story? Today, I’m going to share a fabulous story with you: The Crocodile and The Monkey by Vikram Seth. It may look like a children’s story, but it has … Continue reading →

Posted in Advanced (Level 6+), Cambridge, Listening, Reading, Speaking & Pronunciation, Upper Intermediate (Level 5), Videos, Vocabulary | Tagged , | Leave a comment

How AI Can Help You Learn English Faster and Smarter

Posted on April 22, 2025 by mhardy3222

Since starting this blog in 2013, I’ve been passionate about helping learners of English around the world—especially those learning it as a second or third language. One of my favourite methods is using songs to teach grammar, and many of … Continue reading →

Posted in Advanced (Level 6+), Cambridge, Elementary (Level 2), ESL Teachers, Grammar, Intermediate (Level 4), Pre-Intermediate (Level 3), Writing | Tagged | 1 Comment

Spelling Mistakes that Ruin your Writing

Posted on March 6, 2025 by mhardy3222

English spelling is not easy for anyone learning English as a second language. It may surprise you to learn that many native English speakers are not good at spelling in their native language. They know that spelling is very important … Continue reading →

Posted in Advanced (Level 6+), IELTS, Intermediate (Level 4), Pre-Intermediate (Level 3), Upper Intermediate (Level 5), Writing | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Christmas 2024

Posted on December 21, 2024 by mhardy3222

Greetings Dear Students! It’s the Festive Season now for many of you: end-of-year party time; the beginning of summer holidays for the southern hemisphere; and Christmas celebrations and festivities.   As requested last Christmas, this year I am including some Christmas … Continue reading →

Posted in Advanced (Level 6+), Beginner (Level 1), Elementary (Level 2), ESL Teachers, Intermediate (Level 4), Pre-Intermediate (Level 3), Upper Intermediate (Level 5) | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Improve Fluency with Understatement

Posted on May 25, 2024 by mhardy3222

Greetings English learners! Today, I am looking at how you can improve your fluency with a simple technique and you can start today. Yes, today! Ready? Let’s start. Have a look at the painting below. What do you think? Do … Continue reading →

Posted in Advanced (Level 6+), Cambridge, Speaking & Pronunciation, Upper Intermediate (Level 5) | Tagged , | 2 Comments