by Phil Williams | Dec 3, 2013 | Definitions, Grammar
There are 12 basic tenses in the English language. These are the most common grammatical forms for expressing time in English. It can help to view the different time expressions on one timeline, so I have created a diagram to compare all the English tenses, below....
by Phil Williams | Nov 19, 2013 | Grammar, Writing skills
Reading newspaper articles is an excellent way for foreign learners to build vocabulary and practice comprehension using real material. It can expose you to different topics, and a variety of language that is rare in spoken English. However, newspaper writing is...
by Phil Williams | Nov 12, 2013 | Exercises, Grammar
Verbs, doing words, tell us what the subject is doing. This usually takes the form of an action, though it can also be a state or an event. Actions show things happening: The man ran. States show what condition the subject is in (which can also demonstrate an event):...
by Phil Williams | Nov 5, 2013 | Exercises, Grammar, Prepositions
Choosing between prepositions can be confusing, especially as the same words can follow different rules for different uses. My previous articles explaining the differences between at, in and on for time and place and the differences between since, for and ago for time...
by Phil Williams | Oct 29, 2013 | General English, Words, Writing skills
Writing emails is now more common than ever, with people sending dozens of emails a day – while in the past people might have sent letters very rarely. With traditional letters, formal greetings and farewells were common in English because writing a letter was...