Latest Articles from ELB
What are Kelp Forests? – Reading Exercise
Below is a reading exercise that is both informative and challenging. There are mixed mistakes included in this text; find these mistakes to test your understanding of English (while also learning about kelp!). The text, which gives a brief introduction to kelp...
Spot the Mistakes 2 – A Short History of Piers
One of the things Brighton is most famous for, and a common sight in any great English seaside resort, is piers. Following on from my brief tale of Walking on the Beach, then, the subject of piers is a good topic for our next spot the mistake reading exercise. Again,...
What’s the difference between insure, ensure and assure?
Insure, ensure and assure are easily confused words as they both look and sound similar – and have rather closely connected meanings. They do have distinct differences, however. Consider the following example sentences: We would like to insure our boat for £10,000. I...
Walking on the Beach – Spot the Mistakes 1 (Tenses)
An excellent way to test your understanding and boost confidence in learning English is to approach a full text and see if you can spot the mistakes. This is especially challenging if you don’t know where the mistakes are – as to decide if a sentence is incorrect, you...
10 More Inspiring Quotes About the Importance of Learning
Following the excellent response to my collection of inspiring quotes about learning from last month, I’ve collected another round-up of famous quotes on the topic. Read on for another round of encouragement from wise thinkers, past and present! Anyone who stops...
More On Mixed Tenses – A Comparison Exercise
The following quiz was originally posted on Goodreads – it’s a quick exercise to test understanding of different tense forms. The questions are based on the 12 basic English tense forms. Complete the following sentences using the appropriate tense form. In the given...
10 Inspiring Quotes about the Importance of Learning
A lot of wise and inspiring things have been said about the importance of learning. I’ve collected some of the ideas that have most appealed to me recently, which I hope will resonate with you, too. These quotes are a great way to encourage the right thinking about...
What English tenses exercises would YOU like to see?
Since I published The English Tenses Practical Grammar Guide, I have been working on an exercise book to accompany it, 101 English Tenses Exercises. Containing no less than 101 exercises to really drill all the rules of the tenses. I need your help, though - my...
Negative Simple Questions – A Mixed Tenses Exercise
Following on from the quick exercises for negative simple statements, this exercise will test understanding of negative simple question forms. Negative simple questions are formed by placing do, did or will before the subject and not after the subject, or by forming a...