Category Archives: Pre-Intermediate (Level 3)

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

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

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

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?

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

* 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

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’

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

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!

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

How to Follow a Process / Instructions

Here in Australia, it will soon be summer. On the Gold Coast, where I live, it’s like summer most of the year! However, for many of you, winter is fast approaching so I thought you might enjoy a short video … Continue reading

Posted in Elementary (Level 2), Intermediate (Level 4), Pre-Intermediate (Level 3), Reading, Vocabulary | Tagged , , | 1 Comment