Latest Articles from ELB
How the present simple can show repeated activities
Though the present simple is mostly used to show timeless actions or events, it does have different, less general uses. It can, for instance, show temporary states or be used in storytelling. As such, it is sometimes misunderstood to say it describes the time...
5 tips for mastering the English language
Mastering a language is not just about memorising details and repeating words you have studied. How you learn is also very important – and what you do with the information you learn can make all the difference in mastering English and forgetting everything! Here are 5...
How to use the Future Simple for Planned and Unplanned Events
With the many different forms for making the future simple (will, going to, present simple and present continuous), specific uses of the tense may help demonstrate which form is best to use. One area that the different forms can have an impact on meaning is when...
5 points to show why grammar is worth learning
To perfect any language, English or otherwise, you need to know the rules. Rules can seem boring, and structure can seem rigid - so grammar can get a bad name. Don't think this way, though. Grammar can be engaging, even exciting – as long as you remember why it is...
Using the present simple for storytelling and commentary
Though the present simple’s main use is for general rules, and grammatically represents timeless facts, native speakers often use it in an colloquial setting for storytelling. This can be to recount a past event, a film or book plot, or for running commentaries, as...
Honeymoon period!
After a fantastic wedding weekend (I am now incredibly happily married), I’ll take this opportunity to explore a little extra wedding vocabulary – the expression honeymoon period (though it has slightly negative connotations). And I’ll put the expression to use,...
Wedding vocabulary list
As mentioned in my free eBook post, I am getting married this weekend. In fact, tomorrow (and on Saturday). So for today (and I’ll put this here in lieu of a Twitter vocab blast tomorrow), I’ll round off this week’s blog with a brief wedding vocabulary list. Here’s...
The English Tenses Grammar eBook – Free this weekend!
I’m happy to announce this weekend I’m getting married – and to help others share in the joy of my important weekend, I’m running a special offer via the Kindle store – for this fantastic wedding weekend, The English Tenses Practical Grammar Guide eBook will be...
How to use the past perfect to build narratives
Following on from my article about using the past perfect to demonstrate sequences, let’s look at how it can build an effective narrative. The past perfect can help create atmosphere, feeding new information into a narrative at more flexible times. The past perfect is...