Opportunities to Learn

These wonderful little “question-ettes” are a great way to make your English sound more native-like, as well as being a very useful tool.
So, if you need a quick way to ask a question, or you’re just tired of always adding “really?” or “no?” or “right?” at the end of sentences, start using question tags!

A common problem for English learners is spelling. Oh, let’s be honest, whoever designed English spelling needs to be _____ (I’ll let you fill in the blank with your idea for the best punishment). Despite all the horrible spellings, there are usually rules to most words—we just have a LOT of rules with their nuances (and exceptions).

These are probably among the most misused false friends, undoubtedly due to their incredible similarity with their Spanish counterparts. However, they have no relation at all!

Actual and Actually are used to present factual information, usually after another person has said something wrong. It’s a great way to politely correct someone. It’s similar in meaning to “real(ly).

Smoking is often considered a nasty habit, and those who want to quit have several ways to give up the habit. Some try to slowly reduce, perhaps with the help of patches or gum. Others turn to electronic cigarettes. A few even do acupuncture or hypnosis. But often the quickest, cheapest, and most dramatic way to give up smoking is to quit cold turkey.

Verb Tenses: Choose the right one

1.March is always / has always been my favorite month.
2.A lot of very interesting things happened / have happened in this 31-day period.
3.Back in 44BC, Julius Caesar has said / said his famous last words: “Et tu, Brute?”
4.In 440AD, St. Patrick died and gave / has given the Irish an excuse to drink.
5.And in 1983, I born / was born.

This expression is useful for those times when we feel that as soon as one bad thing happens to us, many others follow. It’s as if all the bad things happened at once.

First, I tripped over my shoelaces and fell. I was fine, but right then the big boss came in and tripped over me! He didn’t fall down, but he spilled his coffee all over my immediate boss, who was coming over to schedule my quarterly review! When it rains, it pours!

I hope you never need to use this expression!

While success and suceso both do ultimately derive from the Latin word successus, their meanings have changed over the millennia.

In English, success is the noun used to describe situations in which some goal has been achieved, or a person has obtained great wealth, respect, awards, etc. Its verb is to succeed, and its adjective is successful.

Success can come with a heavy price.

Despite having an amazing voice, Eva Cassidy was not successful until after she died.

Can you order the words to make sentences? Go! beach drive house hours It our six takes to to. at did last movie night on see showed the they you 5:00 Channel Six? adores and dolls his Jenny loves Michael toy cars, her. a and are cats few hospital horse recovering veterinary there a at […]

Choose the best option.

Kerry is my next-door neighbor. She live / lives by herself but has many cat / cats. Sometimes, she and I go out with several of our mutual friend / friends, who run / runs a pizza parlor downtown. I’ve heard some people think / thinks she’s lonely, living with all that cat / those cats, but I know she has / have such a busy social life / lives that she doesn’t have time for a boyfriend / some boyfriends. She works with a couple of good friend / friends of hers in a shop in the mall, and makes a lot of money / a lots of money.

Can you correct these sentences?

Jeff and Veronica met two years ago, and they love themselves a lot.
They want to get married the next summer.
But I think they shouldn’t ever get married.
I like Veronica, but I don’t think he’s right for Jeff.