Latest Articles from ELB
My Advice on Getting Started Teaching Abroad
I've answered a few emails recently from potential teachers asking for advice on how to get into TEFL teaching, or teaching abroad in general, so it's time I shared some of my thoughts. I started teaching English as a foreign language, as many teachers do, because I...
Using commas to add extra information to sentences
I recently shared an extract from Advanced Writing Skills covering how we use commas to separate clauses (which you can read here). Another useful function of commas in complex, or even just slightly more complicated sentences, is when we use commas around additional...
Using commas to separate clauses
The following lesson is an adapted extract from the book, Advanced Writing Skills for Students of English. I've decided to share it here as I've had a few questions relating to punctuation and sentence structure lately, and this gives a useful introduction to how...
The Elements of Eloquence by Mark Forsyth (Book Review)
Here's something for anyone who really wants to go beyond the basics of English. Having recently released Advanced Writing Skills for Students of English, I've had a few readers share comments that while they see the value in a clear and simple writing approach they...
“There is a lot of” vs “There are a lot of”
Do we say “There is a lot…” or “There are a lot of…”? This question was put to me recently by a student who noted that “lot” is the first noun after a verb. In theory, the verb should be singular with “a lot of”, because it is a singular “lot”. Comparing “There are a...
Advanced Writing Skills is available now, with a limited time offer
It's finally here - Advanced Writing Skills for Students of English has hit the (electronic) shelves! After an intense month of final updates, with massive thanks due to my excellent beta reading team, the final book is now available in eBook and paperback format from...
Simple States or Passive Voice?
I recently had a question through this website but the return email didn't work, so I've posted my answer in the hope that the reader sees it! It relates to spotting the difference between the past simple and the passive voice - specifically, how we can use different...
A new look for ELB Books
Spring has finally arrived in the UK (sort of), and it seems like high-time I had a spring clean for the English Lessons Brighton books and website. As the time's come for me to edit the final version of my upcoming book, Advanced Writing Skills for Students of...
How to use hyphens in English
A hyphen is this short punctuation mark: - . Not to be confused with longer dashes, which have different uses. Hyphens are used in English for two specific purposes - hard hyphens join words together, while soft hyphens divide words. The uses of hyphens can depend on...