Category Archives: Writing

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

Spelling Mistakes that Ruin your Writing

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

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

Mercy & Cancel Culture – Advanced Reading

Nick Cave is a is an Australian singer, songwriter, author, and screenwriter. On his website, The Red Hand Files, he answers questions from fans, any questions about anything. In this post, I’m featuring his eloquent response to the questions: What … Continue reading

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

Phrasal Verbs: 3 Easy Rules

There are just 3 things to know if you want to understand and remember Phrasal Verbs: 1. Phrasal Verbs are Vocabulary. 2. There are two types: a)Separable and b)Non-separable. 3. When they are Separable, the pronoun must always go in the middle. 1. Phrasal … Continue reading

Posted in Grammar, Intermediate (Level 4), Upper Intermediate (Level 5), Vocabulary, Writing | Tagged | 4 Comments

English Grammar Quiz

Hello English Students! The end of the year is fast approaching  and I wonder how you have all managed with your English studies. Are you happy with your progress? Perhaps it’s time to test your grammar skills? I am more … Continue reading

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

What is a Comma Splice?! 📝

Originally posted on English with Rachel :
Comma splices -what are they ? They sound like a good thing (the name reminds me of a delicious ice-cream🍦I loved as a kid) but they aren’t .They are punctuation mistakes often made by…

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

How to Describe an Experience … in 4 Easy Steps

How would you describe an experience? How would you start? Which experience would you like to recount: a new job, a meal at a restaurant, a party you went to? Imagine that you want to describe a recent holiday; where … Continue reading

Posted in IELTS, Intermediate (Level 4), Pre-Intermediate (Level 3), Upper Intermediate (Level 5), Writing | Tagged | Leave a comment