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The Brown House Ghoul – Halloween Reading/Tenses Exercise

Phil Williams — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 09:41:16 +0000

It’s October, which means it’s time for another Halloween-themed article!

This year, I’ve gone with a tenses/reading exercise again; you can enjoy this just for the reading practice, to see some Halloween English in use, or you can test yourself on the most appropriate tenses to complete the story.

The Brown House Ghoul – English Tenses Exercise

Complete the story by choosing the most appropriate tenses form for the verbs, in the spaces provided. The answers are given below.

They say that Brown House is haunted. It (1) __________ (to stand) on top of a tall hill at the edge of town. No one (2) __________ (to live) there for forty years. But last week, on Halloween, Timmy decided to go and see for himself.

Before going out, Timmy told his parents he (3) __________ (to go) trick or treating. He used a white sheet to dress up as a ghost. After going down the main street (where he did pick up some treats), he took a side street out of town. He quickly climbed the hill and observed the house.

Brown House (4) __________ (to look) very tall, with lots of broken windows and uneven turrets. The wind was blowing, so the trees nearby swayed against it. They (5) __________ (to make) scratching noises while he watched. Timmy was scared, but pretended not to be.

Timmy climbed over the small fence and found a window that had been boarded up long ago. Now, the boards were partly broken, so he could sneak in. He climbed through and found himself in a dark, dusty room with old furniture covered in cobwebs. There was a terrible smell of something rotten. Timmy (6) __________ (to think) maybe he should leave, as this was a bad idea, but before he could go a loud groan came from somewhere deep in the house. He jumped in fear.

When the groan came again, he paused and listened more carefully. (7) __________ (to be / it) just a pipe? He could not leave without more evidence of the supernatural.

Timmy continued through a chilly hallway to an open cellar doorway. He flinched at the sound of another groan, but continued. In the doorway, he looked down a tall flight of stairs which descended into darkness. Whatever was making the noise, it (8) __________ (to come) from down there.

He waited, to be sure it was quiet again, then trod down the stairs, cringing at the sound of the steps. He saw a flicker of light, deep in the cellar, and (9) __________ (to freeze). There was a figure, hunched over a fire, dark and knobbly. A ghoul!

“Ah!” Timmy cried in fear and the figure turned towards him. He saw a terrible gnarled face, old and warty, and he ran. He tripped over the steps but kept going. He charged through the house and threw himself through the boarded window. Outside, he sprinted towards the fence, and tried to jump it – but was stuck! His ghost outfit was caught and he couldn’t get free. He looked back and shrieked.

The big, creepy figure (10) __________ (to come) out of the house, very tall, very dark!

Timmy tore at his ghost costume, almost free, and fell off the fence with a bump. His knee hurt, so he was slow to get up, and suddenly a shadow swept over him. The ghoul was right there!

“Don’t eat me!” Timmy pleaded and the monster laughed. Not a mean laugh, nor monstrous. Timmy looked up again, uncertainly. The thing standing over him was not a monster but a man, he saw, wrapped in many layers of clothing. The person held out a hand, and in it was Timmy’s trick-or-treat bucket, which he (11) __________ (to drop). Timmy carefully took it back and the man smiled.

He understood then, that this person was merely living in the house, hidden, where no one went because they were scared it was haunted. But Timmy asked, quietly, “Why (12) __________ (you / to groan)? Are you hurt?”

The man shrugged and shook his head. “Just having a groan. (13) __________ (you / to tell) anyone I’m here?”

Timmy considered this. He (14) __________ (to brave) the haunted house and revealed its secret, but this man did not seem to be doing any harm. And it would be a better story if he told everyone there was a ghoul. He shook his head and held up his trick-or-treat bucket again, to offer a sweet. The man smiled and took a treat.

They still say that Brown House is haunted.

The Brown House Ghoul Answers

Below is the complete passage with the verbs in their correct forms. Some of these are flexible, but these are what I considered the most appropriate forms, considering the context and where verbs might be ongoing/interrupted.

They say that Brown House is haunted. It (1) stands on top of a tall hill at the edge of town. No one (2) has lived there for forty years. But last week, on Halloween, Timmy decided to go and see for himself.

Before going out, Timmy told his parents he (3) was going trick or treating. He used a white sheet to dress up as a ghost. After going down the main street (where he did pick up some treats), he took a side street out of town. He quickly climbed the hill and observed the house.

Brown House (4) looked very tall, with lots of broken windows and uneven turrets. The wind was blowing, so the trees nearby swayed against it. They (5) were making scratching noises while he watched. Timmy was scared, but pretended not to be.

Timmy climbed over the small fence and found a window that had been boarded up long ago. Now, the boards were partly broken, so he could sneak in. He climbed through and found himself in a dark, dusty room with old furniture covered in cobwebs. There was a terrible smell of something rotten. Timmy (6) thought maybe he should leave, as this was a bad idea, but before he could go a loud groan came from somewhere deep in the house. He jumped in fear.

When the groan came again, he paused and listened more carefully. (7) Was it just a pipe? He could not leave without more evidence of the supernatural.

He waited, to be sure it was quiet again, then trod down the stairs, cringing at the sound of the steps. He saw a flicker of light, deep in the cellar, and (9) froze. There was a figure, hunched over a fire, dark and knobbly. A ghoul!

The big, creepy figure (10) was coming out of the house, very tall, very dark!

Timmy tore at his ghost costume, almost free, and fell off the fence with a bump. His knee hurt, so he was slow to get up, and suddenly a shadow swept over him. The ghoul was right there!

“Don’t eat me!” Timmy pleaded and the monster laughed. Not a mean laugh, nor monstrous. Timmy looked up again, uncertainly. The thing standing over him was not a monster but a man, he saw, wrapped in many layers of clothing. The person held out a hand, and in it was Timmy’s trick-or-treat bucket, which he (11) had dropped. Timmy carefully took it back and the man smiled.

He understood then, that this person was merely living in the house, hidden, where no one went because they were scared it was haunted. But Timmy asked, quietly, “Why (12) were you groaning? Are you hurt?”

The man shrugged and shook his head. “Just having a groan. (13) Are you going to tell anyone I’m here?”

Timmy considered this. He (14) had braved the haunted house and revealed its secret, but this man did not seem to be doing any harm. And it would be a better story if he told everyone there was a ghoul. He shook his head and held up his trick-or-treat bucket again, to offer a sweet. The man smiled and took a treat.

They still say that Brown House is haunted.

As always let me know if you have any thoughts or questions!

Want to master the English tenses?

Learn all the rules with The English Tenses Practical Grammar Guide, and practise them with The English Tenses Exercise Book, which contains 160 exercises.

Visit the ELB Store Now

The post The Brown House Ghoul – Halloween Reading/Tenses Exercise appeared first on English Lessons Brighton.

Festive Christmas Language: a Mixed Tenses Exercise

Phil Williams — Tue, 12 Dec 2023 10:30:00 +0000

It’s that time of year again: Festive Season, meaning festive articles on ELB! Adding to my collection of seasonal Christmas articles which you can find here, today I’ve got another mixed tenses exercise.

As we did in October for Halloween, this exercise tests vocabulary from one of my lists: Christmas vocabulary for English learners. So, do have a look at that list too, and check in case the words here aren’t familiar!

This exercise combines and contrasts the different tenses, so it may prove tricky, but I’ve given explanations with the answers.

Festive Christmas Mixed Tenses Exercise

Complete the seasonal sentences below by filling in the gaps with the correct English tense form, using the verb in brackets. This is a wide selection of examples, testing all the main aspects of the English tenses, so we have the past, present and future listed below. This can lead to some flexibility but I’ve tried to provide sentences that make one answer most appropriate.

I __________ the crackers for the table, where would you like me to put them? (to get)
They wanted to hang fairy lights over the fireplace, but Reginald __________ it was too dangerous. (to say)
Carly says that all the elves __________ at the North Pole with Father Christmas. (to live)
Janey __________ until twelve for midnight mass this Christmas Eve. (to stay awake)
The children won’t go to bed because they __________ behind the sofa to try and spot Santa. (to wait)
Harold and Lisa opened their Secret Santa gifts to discover they __________ each other the same box of chocolates. (to buy)
This year, I am determined: I __________ all the mince pies. (to eat)
Our wrapping paper is missing, __________ it? (to see, you)
Fred __________ a snowman when he heard carol singers approaching. (to build)
Every year, we __________ as the three wise men and hand out gifts at the school fete. (to dress)
I __________ these gingerbread cookies fresh just this morning. (to cook)
They __________ ever since they kissed under the mistletoe last year. (to date)
All my cousins __________ for Christmas dinner, what will I cook! (to come)
No, I can’t go ice skating, I __________ our tree. (to decorate)

Answers

I have got the crackers for the table, where would you like me to put them? (now/with current meaning)
They wanted to hang fairy lights over the fireplace, but Reginald said it was too dangerous. (simple past, complete action)
Carly says that all the elves live at the North Pole with Father Christmas. (a timeless rule)
Janey will stay awake / is going to stay awake / is staying awake until twelve for midnight mass this Christmas Eve. (future plan; all three are effective here)
The children won’t go to bed because they are waiting behind the sofa to try and spot Santa. (true now)
Harold and Lisa opened their Secret Santa gifts to discover they had bought each other the same box of chocolates. (a past event completed before this described moment)
This year, I am determined: I will eat all the mince pies. (future insistence; ‘am going to eat’ is also possible, and ‘am eating’ could work but is less insistent)
Our wrapping paper is missing, have you seen it? (past action with present impact)
Fred was building a snowman when he heard carol singers approaching. (interrupted past action)
Every year, we dress as the three wise men and hand out gifts at the school fete. (timeless/regular rule)
I cooked these gingerbread cookies fresh just this morning. (simple action complete in the past; ‘just this morning’ gives an extra clue it already happened)
They have been dating ever since they kissed under the mistletoe last year. (ongoing, continuous action started in the past)
All my cousins are coming for Christmas dinner, what will I cook! (planned future event; ‘will come’ and ‘are going to come’ are also possible but sound less casual/decided)
No, I can’t go ice skating, I am decorating our tree. (ongoing present action)

That’s all for today, and for this year! Wishing you happy and restful holidays!

Want to master the English tenses?

Learn all the rules with The English Tenses Practical Grammar Guide, and practise them with The English Tenses Exercise Book, which contains 160 exercises.

Visit the ELB Store Now

The post Festive Christmas Language: a Mixed Tenses Exercise appeared first on English Lessons Brighton.

Creepy Halloween Mixed Tense Exercise

Phil Williams — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 09:30:00 +0000

It’s October, so Halloween is coming and it’s Spooky Season, which we are a fan of here on ELB. I’ve got lots of seasonal articles on the website, and you can find all my Halloween features here. Today I’m going to share a new mixed tenses exercise using Halloween-themed language, so we can combine a bit of vocabulary and grammar! You might particularly want to look at the nasty nouns and abysmal adjectives lists for reference.

This is quite a tricky exercise, combining and contrasting the different tenses, but I’ve given explanations with the answers.

Spooky Halloween Mixed Tenses Exercise

Complete the creepy sentences below by filling in the gaps with the correct English tense form, using the verb in brackets. I went for a broad range, testing all the main aspects of the English tenses, so we have the past, present and future listed below. This can lead to some flexibility but I’ve tried to provide sentences that make one answer most appropriate. (Note some sentences have additional words in brackets to indicate negatives or question forms.)

I did not sleep well because a wolf __________ at the moon. (to howl)
Sandy always __________ that there is a bogeyman under her bed. (to worry)
We __________ a pumpkin into a jack-o’-lantern next week. (to carve)
She had a dreadful feeling that she __________ to lock the cellar door. (to forget)
Tony __________ a poltergeist has been moving his furniture every night. (to suspect)
The witch __________ in that eerie shed for almost sixteen years now. (to live)
When she saw her own name on a gravestone, Janice __________. (to faint)
I __________ in vampires, but that man looks like one. (to believe / not)
The children found a grisly corpse while they __________ in the park. (to play)
Many bizarre things __________ at the lake recently. (to happen)
Rupert shrieked when the clock __________ on the floor. (to fall)
The police __________ the otherworldly goo tomorrow morning. (to investigate)
Hilary and Erin are not coming to the party because they __________ two nights in a haunted house for charity. (to spend)
Can you close the curtains? The moonlight __________ an unnerving shadow on the wall. (to cast)
My biggest fear is that zombies __________ my home. (to attack)
Denny opened the door, thinking the pizza __________. It hadn’t. (to arrive)
She said she __________ afraid of spiders, but she gave a bloodcurdling scream when the tarantula appeared. (to be / not)
Wendy keeps waking me up; she __________ nightmares about fairies again. (to have)
Please take this box outside. Whatever you do, __________ inside. (to look / not)
I don’t remember inviting that creepy tall man. __________ him before? (to see / you)

Answers

I did not sleep well because a wolf was howling at the moon. (continuously)
Sandy always worries that there is a bogeyman under her bed. (a general rule)
We are going to carve / will carve a pumpkin into a jack-o’-lantern next week. (a future determination; “are carving” could also work as a scheduled plan)
She had a dreadful feeling that she had forgotten to lock the cellar door. (a past action that happened before the feeling)
Tony suspects a poltergeist has been moving his furniture every night. (a current feeling)
The witch has been living in that eerie shed for almost sixteen years now. (an ongoing state with a start point in the past; “has lived” can also work but the continuous is more appropriate for a duration)
When she saw her own name on a gravestone, Janice fainted. (simple past action)
I don’t / do not believe in vampires, but that man looks like one. (simple present belief)
The children found a grisly corpse while they were playing in the park. (interrupted continuous past action)
Many bizarre things have happened / have been happening at the lake recently. (ongoing current events which started in the past)
Rupert shrieked when the clock fell on the floor. (simple complete past)
The police will investigate / are going to investigate the otherworldly goo tomorrow morning. (future determined action)
Hilary and Erin are not coming to the party because they are spending two nights in a haunted house for charity. (ongoing present action)
Can you close the curtains? The moonlight is casting an unnerving shadow on the wall. (ongoing present action)
My biggest fear is that zombies will attack my home. (future/imagined fear)
Denny opened the door, thinking the pizza had arrived. It hadn’t. (past event complete before he “opened” the door)
She said she wasn’t / was not afraid of spiders, but she gave a bloodcurdling scream when the tarantula appeared. (reported past speech)
Wendy keeps waking me up; she is having nightmares about fairies again. (ongoing current action)
Please take this box outside. Whatever you do, do not look (present rule)
I don’t remember inviting that creepy tall man. Have you seen him before? (past experience with present impact)

Want to master the English tenses?

Learn all the rules with The English Tenses Practical Grammar Guide, and practise them with The English Tenses Exercise Book, which contains 160 exercises.

Visit the ELB Store Now

The post Creepy Halloween Mixed Tense Exercise appeared first on English Lessons Brighton.

Celebrating 10 Years of English Lessons Brighton

Phil Williams — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 11:00:00 +0000

It’s my tremendous honour to share that this February marks 10 years of articles on this website, and it’s still going as strong as ever. In celebration, I invite you to join me in looking back at the site’s history, some its achievements, and the content that has made it so popular (with a Top 10 Most Popular Articles list to follow!).

But first, thank you to all the very many readers who have encouraged me to keep going over such a long period! I couldn’t keep it up without you.

As a bonus, for the whole month of February all the ELB eBooks are 50% off in the store!

A Brief History of English Lessons Brighton

I created this website in 2012 to begin promoting local tutoring services in Brighton. Yet it’s 10 years ago, February 2023, that marks the point where I started sharing articles. I was answering questions for my students that I couldn’t find discussed elsewhere online, so I decided to share my own findings here – and the site took off.

At first, I was writing at least one article a week, which helped the site get picked up on search engines, and though I eventually slowed down, I have consistently released at least one new article and newsletter every month ever since.

The result, so far, is 259 published articles on the site, all of which you can find through various links on the Learn Online page.

Somehow, in the early days, it was my English tenses timeline that really started to get noticed. This would later help encourage the idea for The English Tenses Practical Grammar Guide, though I ultimately felt the timeline itself was flawed, and it doesn’t actually feature in the book!

It wasn’t long before I started producing books to accompany the website, and I owe a lot to the support and feedback I received from learners and teachers who had visited ELB and agreed to read samples (alongside, it must be said, the support and feedback received from my wonderful wife). The site never really sold many books itself (that was a whole other journey, which you can read about here), but it gave me invaluable support in the creation of those books. There are now 4 out, 3 of which have been Amazon Bestsellers.

Over the years, ELB continued to receive plenty of visits from search engines and people sharing the links, or from teachers sharing material with students. It far outdid two other websites I made at the time, one for creative writing and one for commercial writing, with the result that though I closed those sites some years ago, this one is still going.

The website now feels like a bit of an unlikely relic from internet’s past, though, as a personal site designed to share my own ideas about English quirks, not a commercial project (I’ve got ads for my own books up, but this site is not responsible for many sales, and I’ve never entertained third-party advertiser requests!).

10 years ago, your internet searches might have brought up any number of personal sites like this, but now it feels hard to spot any, with search engines flooded by commercial content. With that in mind, I feel it’s a minor miracle ELB is still drawing in large numbers of visitors after 10 years, and I hope it will continue to do so, for as long as it can…

ELB in Numbers

As I’ve already mentioned, this website has been going for 10 years with 259 articles currently published. Across those articles, we have about 1675 comments posted (including some hot debates about language usage) and thousands of subscribers to the blog and newsletter.

Going just by WordPress’s statistics, which may be somewhat inaccurate, we have had over 6 million page views. The most views in a day was 4,471 (about a year ago), and on average I have seen some 2,000 – 3,500 views every day for a good part of those 10 years. It’s declined over the past couple of years, and perhaps peaked around 2019.

Though book sales have been rather peripheral to the site itself, we’re at about 40,000 copies of ELB books sold worldwide; Word Order in English Sentences has sold over 15,000 copies and The English Tenses Practical Grammar Guide over 10,000, with Advanced Writing Skills for Students of English likely to cross 10,000 sales this year! All 3 books have been Kindle bestsellers in various categories, and at one point Word Order was one of the bestselling grammar eBooks on Amazon for over a year!

But the real meat of the site is in the articles themselves, which are daily reaching thousands of people all over the world. So what exactly are they all here for?

What are the 10 Most Popular Articles?

The most popular articles on the site often surprise me, because I usually just post what’s on my mind and don’t set out to do something the search engines will like. I’ve written some bumper articles that I hoped would get seen more, such as my complete word order guide and my growing phrasal verbs guide and list, but these aren’t typically the ones that people find.

That said, my guide to different language varieties has proved very popular, but has not been around long enough to compete with some of the articles below. And an honorary mention to the article on ‘this week’ vs ‘that week’, which just missed the Top 10 but is has by far produced the fiercest debating in the comments!

So, from the 10 years of the website, going by the WordPress stats, here’s a countdown of the Top 10 most viewed articles (click the titles to see the articles themselves):

10. 8 Grammar Rules for Writing Headlines

This was a hugely popular article for a while, from the very early days, but it’s not getting so much notice now: one that looks at some really tricky quirks of grammar!

9. Time Clauses

Likewise this proved popular for a long time, adapted first from a chapter of The English Tenses Practical Grammar Guide. It was removed and later replaced in the book itself, but has been here on the site since the book came out!

8. “There Is A Lot” vs “There Are A Lot”

A very specific comparison that leans into more complicated ideas of plurals and the way we speak!

7. Do we say “on foot” or “by foot”?

Another comparison, much less controversial than the above, but something a lot of people wonder about…

6. How to Use Suffixes to Create Nouns

A more technical article, this one gets into vocabulary-building through grammar, which clearly people liked.

5. “At the end” vs “In the End”

The most popular of our comparisons articles, this one works not just to answer specific phrasing, but to discuss preposition use in general.

4. The English Tenses Timeline

The (in)famous timeline as mentioned above, part of what sparked everything! It seems dated now, but continues to draw in visitors. I’ve been quoted on this image for various websites and even in academic papers, and all, I should note, with a minor error (the image should say “I have gone to school”!).

3. Saying Large Numbers in English

Another from the very early days, this has long been one of the most popular articles on the site, which is curious considering it’s also one of very few pieces where I’ve discussed speaking skills or pronunciation. It’s generated lots of discussion over the years!

2. How to Write Dates in English and American

Coming in second place, with almost twice as many views as third place, is another numerical-themed article, surveying and comparing date conventions.

1. Future Tenses Exercise

And at number one, with a whooping 650,000 views, for reasons that I have no idea, my most popular article on this website is a really rather simple and innocuous future tenses exercise! It has been with us for almost the whole 10 years of the website, and still people are checking it out.

So, those are the ones the numbers lay out, but there’s plenty more to explore. There’s all sorts themed for Halloween and Christmas, reading and writing exercises and plenty more. You can delve deeper into them all here. Do you have a favourite article? Let me know.

All that remains is to thank you again for joining me, and here’s hoping for another 10 strong years. If you’d like to help me keep the site going, continue sharing it to your friends and fellow students or teachers, and consider supporting the site through buying or promoting the books, or even considering our Patreon subscription.

And don’t forget the store promo while it lasts!

Learn More with ELB Books!

For more English-learning material, check out the ELB store, where we've got a range of bestselling books to improve your grammar and skills.

Visit the ELB Store Now

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Spooky Relative Clauses: A Halloween Exercise

Phil Williams — Tue, 11 Oct 2022 10:30:00 +0000

It’s October which means it’s Spooky Season, and time for another themed article. Today, we’re going to practice relative clauses with a Halloween theme.

For a quick introduction, relative clauses are clauses that add additional detail to nouns. They are connected by relative pronouns such as who, which, that, whose and whom. They can also be connected by relative adverbs such as where, when, why and how.

Halloween Relative Clauses Exercise

The task today is to combine these creepy sentences by using relative clauses. There may be various options to do this, particularly as it’s often possible to reverse the sentences depending on which subject you wish to use. As a little writing tip, creepy sentences work well with sinister nouns at the front or surprising/shocking information at the end!

For example:

Q. The house was haunted. It sat on the top of a dark hill.
A. The house which sat on the top of a dark hill was haunted.

Exercise

Some wolves lived on the mountain. The wolves howled at the moon.
A cat whispered in Latin. He was scared by it.
Something is hiding under the bed. It is making strange noises.
The witches are flying away on broomsticks. They stole our sweets.
Some strangers have faces covered by masks. Beware of opening the door to them.
It’s not safe to walk through the park. They found the old tomb there.
The man escaped the party before the police arrived. He had no face.
We were startled by a church bell. It rang at three in the morning.
The town was covered in mist. Our car broke down there.
We stayed in a vampire’s castle. The vampire was actually very friendly.
I wasn’t sure why the man owned a chainsaw. He lived in the basement.
Our ghosts appear every full moon. They always sing the same lullaby.
We’d better not touch that box. It is marked “Don’t Open”.
A clown kept appearing by the side of the road. No one could identify it.
She was hiding behind a gravestone. It started to move.

ELB Phrasal Verbs Master List: Grammar, Definitions and Examples for 400+ Verbs

Phil Williams — Thu, 15 Oct 2020 09:30:54 +0000

Welcome to ELB phrasal master guide. This article explains the purpose and grammar of phrasal verbs, and describes how they fit into sentences (as adapted from the book Word Order In English Sentences).

It also provides a list of phrasal verbs with definitions and examples, separated alphabetically by core verbs. It currently contains over 400 phrasal verbs to learn, which I will update to a total of over 700 (with comparative categories and exercises to follow). Some root verbs have links with separate pages going into more detail.

What are phrasal verbs?
How to learn phrasal verbs
How phrasal verbs fit in a sentence
Phrasal Verbs Master List
Phrasal Verbs Beginning with A
Phrasal Verbs Beginning with B
Phrasal Verbs Beginning with C
Phrasal Verbs Beginning with D
Phrasal Verbs Beginning with E
Phrasal Verbs Beginning with F
Phrasal Verbs Beginning with G
Phrasal Verbs Beginning with H
Phrasal Verbs Beginning with J
Phrasal Verbs Beginning with K

What Are Phrasal Verbs?

Phrasal verbs are multi-verb words that form a single meaning, acting as one grammatical unit. They combine a core verb with a particle, which typically looks like a preposition but actually serves as part of the verb phrase.

turn (verb) + up (particle) = turn up – to arrive, usually without planning
I turned up at the party at 8 pm.

Combined, the verb and the particle (or particles) create a specific meaning different to the original verb. Phrasal verb meanings are often quite nuanced, and may be difficult to guess, hence the need for master lists such as the one below, demonstrating different meanings.

How to Learn Phrasal Verbs

Because they have to be learnt individually, it is hard to master phrasal verbs, but this directory covers many of the major ones. There are many lists like this out there, and many books on the subject, so I’m merely giving this my own spin. As well as growing this list to over 700 verbs and definitions, I intend to add more examples of the phrasal verbs in longer, prose exercises, as the best way to study them is by seeing them in practical use.

You can learn phrasal verbs by using lists such as this to build your vocabulary, but it is probably best to take one core verb or topic of phrasal verbs at a time and focus on that, rather than trying to lots of very different verbs at once. It’s also worth looking out for phrasal verbs in everyday use, such as in online articles or newspapers, or in spoken English on TV and in film. Make a note of such verbs and refer back to a list like this for a definition – then try to use it yourself!

How Phrasal Verbs Fit in a Sentence

As phrasal verbs are formed from more than one word, they often interact with objects in different ways to regular verbs. Phrasal verbs and verbs connected to sentences with prepositions and adverbs usually use similar word order, and you might not see the difference in some sentences. For example:

I turned off the television. (off as a particle of turn off, to disable)
I fell off my chair. (off as a preposition showing a direction)

However, phrasal verb particles move with different grammatical rules to prepositions or adverbs. Prepositions typically come at the beginning of a noun phrase, to connect the noun to another idea. With objects this usually means the preposition directly follows the verb, but a phrasal verb particle can have two positions, either before or after the object:

Bill turned on the light.
Bill turned the light on.

Phrasal verbs without an object should usually be kept together, with the particle directly following the verb.

Try to keep up.
Try to keep up with the rest of the class. (NOT Try to keep with the rest of the class up.)

When a phrasal verb has an object, the particle can often go either before or after the object.

She gave back the expensive gift.
She gave the expensive gift back.

When the object is a pronoun, however, the particle MUST go after the object.

She gave it back. (NOT She gave back it.)
We looked it up. (NOT We looked up it.)

Generally, if the object contains more than one word, the particle comes before the object. This is more a matter of style, to be clear.

The boy kept up his high marks. (NOT The boy kept his high marks up.)

If the verb and object are followed by a prepositional phrase, it is also best to put the particle before the object, so you do not stack prepositions. Again, this is not a strict grammar rule, but it make sentences clearer.

She picked up her pen in the classroom. (NOT She picked her pen up in the classroom.)

Some phrasal verbs have more than one additional word, usually an adverb particle and a preposition, for example, to get on with (to get along, to continue or to dedicate time to). These multi-word phrasal verbs should not be separated, even with pronouns.

Rupert got on with the report.
Rupert got on with
We will look out for your sister in Chicago.
We will look out for her in Chicago.

Phrasal Verbs Master List

Below is a master list of phrasal verbs with definitions and examples, divided alphabetically. There are currently over 140 examples of phrasal verbs, which I will eventually expand to a list of over 700. Click to expand each heading into a table. The examples use a variety of general English, academic English and business English to give a range of styles.

Phrasal Verbs Beginning with A

act	act on / act upon	Take action based on received information.	Henry acted on the reports of coming rain and bought a new umbrella.
			The police immediately acted upon the call about a robbery.
	act out	Perform with actions and gestures.	The children acted out a miniature production of Shakespeare.
	act out	Express negative emotions through action.	Clive was overtired, and acted out by throwing his cake on the floor.
	act up	Behave badly or strangely.	My son is acting up today, I think he ate too much sugar.
add	add on	Calculate in addition to an existing sum.	Remember to add on a tip when you pay the restaurant bill.
	add up	Make a total, usually for sums.	When I added up all the prices, the pile of clothes cost too much.
	add up	Make sense.	They said he was the murderer, but the evidence didn’t add up.
agree	agree with	Affect positively; usually used with “not” to show a bad consequence.	The long plane ride did not agree with me, I feel awfully ill.
aim	aim at	Target, literally for weapons or figuratively for an audience.	This book is aimed at intermediate learners.
allow	allow for	Consider as part of a plan.	Always allow for delays when travelling by train.
angle	angle for	Try to achieve through indirect means.	Lisa was angling for a promotion by bringing her boss cookies each morning.
answer	answer back	Respond negatively, usually to a figure of authority.	When they told her to go to bed, the child answered back with a terrible word.
	answer for	Guarantee / vouch for.	I’ll answer for Jim, he’s a wonderful plumber.
	answer for	Be held responsible for.	Someone will answer for the theft of my sandwich.
	answer to	Be accountable to / justify.	Erica disliked working in the family business because she always had to answer to her mother.
	answer to	Respond to particular name.	My dog is named Rex, but he also answers to Pup.
argue	argue down (1)	Defeat someone in an argument, debate or discussion.	She successfully argued down her political opponent.
	argue down (2)	Negotiate a lower price.	Ron argued down the salesman from £150 to £100.
ask	ask about / ask after	Ask how someone is, usually relating to health and life circumstances.	I saw Wendy at the weekend, she asked about you.
	ask around	Ask different people for either help or information.	I’m not sure which teachers drive to work so I’ll ask around.
	ask in	Invite someone inside, usually to a place of residence.	I would ask you in but my apartment is a mess.
	ask out	Invite someone on a date, or generally to become romantically involved.	Drew asked her out to dinner at the most expensive restaurant in town.
	ask over / ask round	Invite, usually to an owned or hosted location.	We’ll ask everyone over to watch a movie at our house this Friday.
auction	auction off	Sell something in an auction.	He auctioned off his model train collection, hoping to get the best price from collectors.

Phrasal Verbs Beginning with B

back	back away / back off / back up	Go backwards / retreat.	The chef backed off once the cooker started to make a hissing sound.
	back down	Give up a position in a conflict, usually relating to an argument.	Carl was trying to convince them the car was blue, but he backed down when he saw the photos.
	back into (1)	Reverse into a space, usually when parking a vehicle.	She hates backing into her driveway because the entrance is so tight.
	back into (2)	Hit something when moving backwards, usually relating to a vehicle.	He backed into a bollard and dented the car.
	back out / back out of [something]	Abandon an agreed arrangement.	The investors backed out when they discovered the hotel was infested with rats.
			Herman backed out of the deal because he ran out of money.
	back up (1)	Support, either in a situation where a position is uncertain or to face an opposing force.	The numbers backed up his claims that the red shoes were most popular.
			Jimmy wasn’t tough, but his brothers always backed him up when he got in trouble.
	back up (2)	Make a copy / secure data.	Our company backs up our most important files on the Cloud every day.
	back up (3)	Create a blockage.	I wanted to drive through town, but Main Street was all backed up with traffic.
bargain	bargain down	Negotiate a lower price.	We bargained down the merchant and got the scarf for half the price.
bash	bash [something] about	Assault physically.	He got so angry with his computer that he bashed the monitor about.
	bash in	Break, damage or injure by physical force.	The fireman bashed in the door to rescue the cat.
	bash out	Produce something quickly, without much preparation (particularly writing).	She bashed out a letter quickly, to get it in the afternoon post.
be	be above	Be superior to, either in behaviour or rank.	I dislike Roger, but I am above arguing with him.
	be after	Try to get / find.	Tim has been after a new car for months, but they are all too expensive.
	be along	Arrive.	The train should be along soon.
	be away	Be somewhere else, such as on holiday.	Jane is away in France until next week.
	be cut out for	Be suitable, have the necessary qualities.	Ian was not cut out for working as an acrobat.
	be cut up	Be upset.	We were very cut up about our daughter losing the chess tournament.
	be down	Be unhappy.	Julia has been down since she lost her cat.
	be fed up	Be frustrated.	The cyclist was fed up with the rain.
	be in for	Be able to expect something, usually negative.	The polls suggest the President is in for a tough election.
	be on about	Talk about, usually implying unfocused or repetitive discussion.	I wasn’t sure what the news reporters were on about.
	be on to	Realise/discover truth.	Now he had proof she never went to the swimming pool, he was on to her.
	be out for	Pursue or seek, particularly for selfish reasons.	William was out for revenge since the children broke his window.
	be taken aback	Be surprised or shocked.	I was very taken aback when I saw my expensive phone bill.
	be taken with	Like something.	Chloe was taken with the new boy in class.
	be there for	Be available for, particularly for support in times of need.	Her cousins were always there for her when she needed them.
	be up	Be out of bed.	It’s 10am and my wife is still not up.
bear	bear down on	Move towards, usually with intimidating force.	The exit was close, but the security guards were bearing down on him.
	bear on	Affect / influence.	The name of the manufacturer bears importantly on her opinion of phones.
	bear out	Confirm the truth of something.	His growing belly bears out Isla’s theory that Fred is not really on a diet.
	bear up under	Endure pressure / deal with difficult situation.	Will my porch bear up under this snow?
	bear with	Be patient.	Waiting times are longer than usual, please bear with us.
beat	beat down	Strong downward force, often refers to sunshine or a fight.	With the sun beating down, they needed more water.
	beat off	Resist/defeat competition, often used literally for a fight.	She beat off three attackers with her bare hands.
	beat out	Narrowly win in competition.	Ed beat out five runners approaching the finishing line at the same time.
	beat up	Attack violently.	The boys beat up the janitor and stole his mop.
	beat [oneself] up	Feel bad/guilty about something.	It wasn’t your fault, don’t beat yourself up about it.
bend	bend down	Lower the upper half of your body.	I dropped my pen, can you bend down and get it?
believe	believe in	Feel confident in something / someone.	Tobi believes in fairies.
big	big up	Exaggerate importance.	The report bigs up the role Jim played in the campaign.
	bite off	Tear a part of something with teeth.	Rina bit off a piece of the chocolate bar.
black	black out	Loose consciousness / awareness.	I blacked out after drinking too many beers – I can’t remember anything!
blast	blast off	Leave the ground with force, usually for a spaceship or rocket.	The shuttled blasted off into space at 9 am.
block	block in	Obstruct by putting an object in the way of another, usually used for vehicles.	Mr Jonson could not leave his driveway because a parked car had blocked him in.
	block off	Obstruct a possible route of movement.	The neighbours blocked off their road for a street party.
blow	blow away (1)	Impress very much.	I was blown away by how good her book was.
	blow away (2)	Disperse by power of air.	The wind blew our umbrella away.
	blow away (3)	Kill, usually by gunfire or explosive.	The gangsters blew away their rivals in a hail of bullet.
	blow down / blow over (1)	Knock down by wind.	Our fence was blown down in the storm.
	blow in	Arrive suddenly / unexpectedly.	Aunt Dora blew in on the bus last night and hasn’t stopped nagging us since.
	blow off	Fail to keep an appointment.	Ulrich blew off his morning meetings to spend more time with his children.
	blow out	Extinguish by blowing.	The girl blew out all the candles on her birthday cake.
	blow over (2)	Pass naturally/with time.	The political climate seems bad right now but I’m sure it will blow over.
	blow up (1)	Enlarge (usually an image).	We blew up a picture of her face to cover the whole wall.
	blow up (2)	Explode.	After I shook my beer can too hard it blew up in my hand.
	blow [something] up (3)	Cause to explode.	They blew up the dam to divert the river through the valley.
	blow [something] up (4)	Inflate.	The man blew up the bouncy castle in only ten minutes.
boil	boil up	Increase a negative emotion.	My frustration boiled up the longer I spent on the phone.
	boil down to	Summarise a reason / explanation.	Her decision boils down to whether or not to move to New York.
bone	bone up on	Intensive / rapid study of a specific topic.	The whole class will be boning up on grammar for tomorrow’s test.
book	book in	Check in at a hotel.	Nina booked into the best hotel in town.
break	break away	Separate from something.	The younger students broke away to start their own project.
	break down (1)	Stop functioning properly/develop a fault, for an object.	Robert’s van broke down halfway to Edinburgh.
	break down (2)	Suffer mental collapse, for a person.	Harriet broke down and cried when she heard the news.
	break [something] down (3)	Divide into smaller parts.	It’s a complicated plan, so let me break it down for you.
	break in (1) / break into (1)	To enter a place illegally, often by force.	The thieves broke into the safe and stole the jewels.
	break [something] in (2)	Wear or use a new object enough to make it feel comfortable.	It took Sandy three weeks to break in her new boots.
	break into (2)	Successfully enter a difficult area of activity (particularly professional).	Alvin finally broke into the theatre with a leading role in 39 Steps.
	break into (3)	Start something suddenly/unexpectedly.	The girls were so happy they broke into song.
	break even	Neither gain nor lose.	After some wins and losses, we actually broke even at the casino.
	break off (1)	Remove a part of something with force.	Kiera pulled the door too hard and broke off the hinges.
	break off (2)	End something abruptly (also used for ending relationships).	The teacher broke off his lecture as soon as the bell rang.
	break out	Escape from a place or situation.	Four men broke out of the prison last night.
	break through	Get through a barrier or a surface by force (literal or figurative).	The squirrel broke through the screen and stole all the nuts.
	break up (1)	Split up a fight.	Ralph broke up the fight by spraying the boys with a hose.
	break up (2)	End a relationship.	Lola broke up with Dennis because he never cooked dinner.
	break up (3)	Separate into smaller parts.	There was only one cookie, so Mum broke it up and gave everyone a piece.
bring	bring about	Cause to happen.	The protests brought about a lot of discussion in Parliament.
	bring back (1)	Cause a recollection.	The smell of hot chocolate always brings back memories of my trip to Belgium.
	bring back (2)	Return something borrowed or absent for a time (literally for an object but also for abstract ideas like fashion).	Oliver finally brought back my scissors, which I gave him last year.
	bring down (1)	Reduce, particularly for prices.	The computer shop have brought down all their prices for Christmas.
	bring down (2)	Cause something to stop functioning, including systems, governments or creatures (e.g. through injury/death).	The women’s stirke brought down the whole company.
	bring [someone] down (3)	Make sad/miserable.	Losing her favourite pen has really brought Erin down.
	bring forward	Do sooner than planned.	I’m bringing forward my plans to go away to avoid the school holidays.
	bring over / bring round	Deliver something casually (including people).	Don’t panic, Jenni is bringing over more wine soon.
	bring out	Reveal something (usually from another location, but also for qualities and emotions).	The team brought out a new striker for the second half of the match.
	bring up (1)	Introduce a topic for discussion.	He was reluctant to bring it up, but had to ask about her strange new haircut.
	bring up (2)	Elevate something to a higher level.	Hiring Billy has brought up the standard of our whole workforce.
	bring [someone] up (3)	Raise (for a child).	We brought up our son to always speak politely.
brush	brush off (1)	Remove something with a sweeping motion, usually by hand.	She brushed the dust off her skirt.
	brush off (2)	Ignore / pay little regard to.	I tried to speak to the manager but his assistant brushed me off.
	brush up	Review / renew a skill or knowledge that hasn’t been used recently.	Catrina brushed up on her Japanese before travelling to Tokyo.
build	build in / build into	Add a part to something during the creative process.	Samsung builds excellent cameras into their phones.
	build up	Encourage an exaggerated or particularly enthusiastic impression of something.	I can’t wait to see the Grand Canyon, everyone builds it up so much!
	build up to	Gradually introduce something.	The orchestra got more and more dramatic as they built up to the finale.
bump	bump into	Meet by accident or unexpectedly.	Wendy randomly bumped into Bill outside the shop this morning.
burn	burn down	Destory with fire, usually something that can be reduced in height.	The crazy teenagers burnt down the school shed.
	burn out (1)	Run out of fuel for a fire.	The candle burnt out just after they entered the cellar.
	burn out (2)	Completely run out of energy / enthusiasm.	Vivian studied so hard she burnt out just before the exams.
	burn up	Destroy with fire, usually something that can be completely reduced by fire.	To make sure no one discovered them, the pirates burnt up all their treasure maps.
burst	burst out	Suddenly say or do something.	She burst out laughing when she saw Gary’s new earring.
butt	butt in	Interrupt abruptly.	Mike is so rude, he always butts in while others are talking.

Phrasal Verbs Beginning with C

call	call around	Call a number of different places, usually by phone.	I called around town to ask which pet shops were open.
	call back	Call again (by phone).	Jerry rang while you were out and said she will call back later.
	call in (1)	Request someone come to help.	The pipe’s leaking, call in a plumber!
	call in (2)	Visit casually, usually for a short time.	Lola quickly called in on Mary to borrow her camera.
	call in (3)	Demand repayment of a debt.	Julia called in a favour from the mayor to avoid paying a parking fine.
	call off	Cancel a planned event.	The festival was called off because of the rain.
	call up	Phone.	Sam called up his parents to give them the good news.
calm	calm down	Become emotionally calmer.	Freda was so angry, it took her hours to calm down.
cancel	cancel out	Create a balance (in contrast to something).	Our boss’s generosity cancels out his bad temper.
cap	cap off	Finish or complete, often with some decisive action.	The Eagles capped off the game with a brilliant field goal.
care	care for	Like, often used with a negative.	Penny never cared for blueberries.
carry	carried away	Take an emotion or action to an extreme.	He was enjoying painting so much he got carried away and didn’t notice the time.
	carry forward	Progress something.	The project leader carried forward what they had learnt to the new assignment.
	carry off	Succeed or win.	Hillary carried off the first prize for fencing
	carry on	Continue.	Despite the noise outside, Wesley carried on reading like nothing had happened.
	carry out (1)	Move something from one place to another by lifting.	This box is very heavy, can you help me carry it out to my car?
	carry out (2)	Complete a task.	He carried out many dangerous missions for the special forces.
	carry over	Assign something to be completed later (usually in business).	Four items had to be carried over to the next meeting.
catch	catch on	Start to understand or become able (usually after not immediately understanding).	It was a difficult dance but she quickly caught on.
	catch up	Reach something that is ahead of you.	The runner was so far ahead, no one could catch up to him.
	catch up with	Get up to date with someone (or something, e.g. a TV show).	I hadn’t seen Rita in years, so we caught up over a coffee.
cheat	cheat on	Be emotionally or physically unfaithful to someone.	Erin’s husband cheated on her with his colleague.
check	check in	Officially register at a hotel or for a flight (usually upon arrival).	We’ll go up to our room right after we check in.
	check into	Investigate.	Clive hired a new accountant to check into the discrepencies in the financial records.
	check out	Officially register as leaving a hotel or other establishment.	It’s hotel policy that you must check out by 11am.
	check [something] out	Investigate in detail (formally) or observe something (informally).	Check out that Ferrari in the driveway!
cheer	cheer up	Become or make happier.	Teri bought ice cream to help cheer Ben up.
chicken	chicken out	Avoid doing something from fear.	Ian chickened out of trying to get into the club.
chip	chip in	Contribute towards something (usually as a group).	Everyone chipped in for Carl’s retirement gift.
chop	chop up	Cut something into small pieces with a sharp tool.	The chef chopped up all the carrots for the stew.
clean	clean out	Thoroughly clean or empty an interior space.	It took us two hours to clean out the attic.
	clean up	Clean or tidy.	We need to clean up this broken glass before Mum gets home!
clear	clear out	Completely remove things from a place.	Nina cleared out the garage so she could fit in the new van.
	clear up	Resolve a problem or misunderstanding.	They cleared up by the confusion by hiring a translator.
clog	clog up	Block flow, for instance with a stoppage in a pipe.	The sink overflowed because the drain was clogged up by hair.
close	close down	Permanently close a business or service.	Our favourite restaurant closed down after the rat incident.
	close off	Block access to somewhere.	Police closed off the street after the explosion.
come	come about	When something happens.	The revolution came about because the rich people would not share.
	come across (1)	How something seems/is perceived by others.	Michael came across very knowledgable with his facts about penguins.
	come across (2)	Find or discover.	I came across an old Roman coin whilst digging in the garden.
	come apart	When something breaks or separates into pieces (literal or figurative).	The bike came apart because the bolts were not tight enough.
	come back	Return to a location.	He’s been upset since he came back from the war.
	come down	Move to a lower position, or from north to south.	Chris’s cat won’t come down from the tree.
	come down to	When a situation leads to a defining outcome.	The contest came down to whether or not Hugh could score 40 points with one dart.
	come down with	Become symptomatic of an illness.	I’ve got a sore throat, I may be coming down with the flu.
	come forward	Volunteer to do something or give information.	When the police asked for witnesses, four people came forward.
	come in	Enter somewhere.	Bob came into the room and gasped at the mess.
	come off	Be removed from something previously attached to.	I can’t boil the kettle because the plug came off.
	come on	Appear on television or other broadcast media.	I have to hurry home, my show comes on at 9pm!
	come out	Leave somewhere.	When Mr Jones came out of the barbers, he looked like a new man.
	come over	Visit casually.	Do you want to come over for a cup of tea?
	come through	Arrival of something expected or anticipated.	The email finally came through just before midnight.
	come up	Appearance or occurrence of something, usually unexpected.	He couldn’t get to the meeting because something came up at home.
	come up with	Find a solution, have a new idea or produce something new.	Erika will come up with a new design for the website soon.
con	con into	Persuade someone to do something through deception.	My friends conned me into going to the mall by saying there would be free ice cream.
	con out of	Persuade someone to give something up through deception.	The salesman conned us out of £50 for fake boots.
cool	cool down	Lose temperature / calm emotionally.	Leave the pans to cool off before you pour water on them.
	cool off	Lose temperature / calm emotionally.	After losing the big account, Tim needed some time to cool off before going back to work.
count	count on	Rely on.	We’re counting on Ryan to bring balloons to the party.
	count up	Count all parts of something.	She counted up all the students and realised there were not enough books.
cover	cover up	Conceal, usually by using something else.	They covered up the stain with a cloth.
crack	crack down	Take heavy action against wrongdoing.	The librarians are cracking down on eating in the library.
cross	cross off	Cancel something from a list.	Fiona worked all morning, crossing off all her chores.
	cross over	Move from one side to another.	Though he disagreed at first, Evan crossed over to Eva’s thinking after she explained.
cut	cut back (1)	Spend less money.	The Robertsons cut back their spending to save up for a holiday.
	cut down / cut back (2)	Do less or consume less of something.	You need to cut down your coffee consumption, it’s making you stressed.
	cut off (1)	Completely remove or separate a part of something by cutting it.	George cut off his shirt sleeves to make a vest.
	cut off (2)	Break communications.	We were talking on the phone but got cut off by the storm.
	cut out	Remove something from within something else by cutting.	I cut out a discount coupon from a magazine.
	cut up	Cut something into many pieces.	She cut up a newspaper so she could use it to pad the hamster cage.

Phrasal Verbs Beginning with D

decide	decide upon	Choose, select.	Bob wanted all the shoes, but eventually decided upon the orange ones.
die	die away	Gradually decline (particularly with sounds).	The sound of the bell died away as we got further from it.
	die back	When a plant appears to die for the winter, but the roots remain alive.	The foliage died back around December but was thick again by April.
	die down	Decrease or become quieter.	The shouts died down later in the day as the protesters got more tired.
	die for	Greatly desire.	Do you have any beer? I’m dying for a drink.
	die off	Become extinct.	The red squirrels of England died off after the grey squirrels arrived.
	die out	Become extinct or disappear.	The dinosaurs died out billions of years ago.
dig	dig in	Begin eating, with enthusiasm.	After the hike, everyone dug in to their sandwiches.
	dig into	Reach into something (physically) or investigate for detail (figuratively).	He dug into his pocket for some loose change.
deal	deal with	Resolve a problem (often used with a threat of punishment, when referring to people).	Rob promised to deal with the squeaky door.
do	do away with	Dispose of, abolish (or kill, when referring to people).	We’re doing away with alcohol this month.
	do over (1)	Start again, with an aim to improve.	Andi’s essay was such a mess she decided to do it over from the start.
	do over (2)	Attack / beat severely.	The Carlito’s did over Young Bobby outside the butcher’s shop.
	do with	Use or place something somewhere, usually in questions or negatives.	What you done with my pen?
	do without	Cope without relying on something.	I could do without this much tea every day.
doze	doze off	Fall asleep, usually unintentionally.	The play was so boring, he kept dozing off.
dress	dress down (1)	Wear informal clothes.	She usually wears suits to work, but today she was dressed down in jeans.
	dress down (2)	Verbally reprimand.	The chef dressed down his assistant for adding too much pepper to the sauce.
	dress up	Wear a costume or clothing for a special occasion.	The children were dressed up as fairies for Halloween.
drop	drop in / drop by / drop over	Visit casually, usually without making plans.	Vince dropped by to check on Daisy because she wasn’t answering the phone.
	drop off (1)	Gradually decline.	Sales for sandals dropped off after summer.
	drop off (2)	Deliver.	They dropped off my new computer yesterday.
	drop out	Quit a course or leave school without qualifying.	Charlie dropped out of university after his first year to work in a bookshop.
dry	dry off	Dry something, usually quickly.	Rona spilt water on her skirt but dried it off quickly with a cloth.
	dry out	Dry the interior of something.	I’m drying out my boots because they have a hole in them.
	dry up (1)	When all moisture evaporates or disappears.	There’s been so little rain this year, the river is drying up.
	dry up (2)	Dry items washed in a kitchen.	If I wash the dishes, will you dry up?

Phrasal Verbs Beginning with E

eat	eat out	Have food away from home.	We’re going to eat out somewhere fancy for my birthday.
empty	empty out	Remove everything from somewhere.	Harry emptied out the garage to make space for his new car.
end	end up	How something results, planned or unplanned.	Jess didn’t have enough money for the bus so she ended up walking home.

Phrasal Verbs Beginning with F

fall	fall apart	When something breaks, either into parts or completely.	The model airplane fell apart when she tried to move it.
	fall behind	Move relatively slower / lose ground on someone or something.	I didn’t do my homework often enough, and fell behind the rest of the class.
	fall down	Fall to the ground.	The house fell down because the foundations weren’t strong enough.
	fall for (1)	Be intensely attracted to someone or something.	Leanne fell for the new office manager from the first second she saw him.
	fall for (2)	Be tricked into believing something.	Be careful not to fall for the latest email scam.
	fall off	Drop to a lower level (unplanned).	Her picture fell off the wall and the frame broke.
	fall out	Fall from or through something.	I almost fell out the window while trying to wave at Ian.
	fall over	Fall from upright to the ground.	The jogger tripped on a log and fell over.
	fall through	When things do not go as planned, particularly when a deal is not completed.	The big merger fell through at the last minute when the CEO disappeared.
fawn	fawn over	Excessively praise, flatter or pay attention to.	Tyler clearly likes Jessica, he’s been fawning over her all weekend.
feed	feed off	Eat something as part of a diet.	Snakes often feed off live rodents.
	feed on	Give as a food (usually regularly).	They feed the birds on organic seed.
	feed up	Give as a restorative food (or with a purpose to gain weight).	After two months in the desert, they needed to feed the travellers up.
feel	feel up	Touch sexually, grope.	It’s horrible when men try to feel up women they do not know.
	feel up to	Have the right energy or mood for something.	Victor didn’t feel up to going to the pub after his run.
fight	fight back	Defend against an attack or competition.	The Rovers played poorly in the first half, but fought back in the second half of the game.
figure	figure on	Predict or plan for something.	I’ve got an umbrella because I figured on this rain.
	figure out	Solve, realise or otherwise resolve a problem or confusion.	It took ten minutes to figure out where we were on the map.
fill	fill in / out	Add information to a document or form.	The receptionist asked us to fill out all our personal details before seeing the consultant.
	fill up	Fill completely.	I’ll fill up the petrol tank before we drive to your aunt’s.
find	find out	Discover something.	Earl only found out about the birthday surprise by mistake.
fix	fix up (1)	Make plans or arrangements on someone else’s behalf.	We thought Trish and Neil would get along so we fixed them up on a date.
	fix up (2)	Repair or restore.	My cousin fixes up old cars and sells them.
flip	flip out	Snap / lose control emotionally.	When Dad sees the broken window he’s going to flip out!
float	float around	Drift without a particular location or destination.	Some suspicious men have been floating around outside the office.
follow	follow up	Take further action on something, often to learn more information.	Howard followed up on the seminar by emailing to thank everyone for coming.
fool	fool around (1)	Spend time doing trivial / silly things.	Kendra would do much better in her exams if she stopped fooling around playing computer games.
	fool around (2)	Be unfaithful, romantically.	Mrs Peterson never forgave her husband for fooling around on her.
freak	freak out	Snap / lose control emotionally, usually irrationally.	If someone doesn’t give me a coffee soon I’m going to freak out!

Phrasal Verbs Beginning with G

get	get across	Make understandable, communicate or explain.	They struggled to get across how serious climate change was.
	get ahead	Progress, particularly in a professional environment.	It takes a lot of hard work to get ahead in the legal profession.
	get ahead of	Advance before something.	He drove extra fast to get ahead of the bus.
	get along (1)	Have a good relationship.	I always get along with children.
	get along (2)	Leave.	We must get along soon or we will miss the last train home.
	get around to	Do something that has been previously delayed.	This weekend, can you finally get around to cleaning the car?
	get away	Escape.	Once we broke the locks, we got away from the prison by stealing a boat.
	get away with	Do something (usually not allowed) without consequences.	Mary got away with not doing her homework by giving the teacher chocolate.
	get back	Return.	You must tell me about your holiday when you get back.
	get [something] back	Retrieve something.	She was using my pen all day before I got it back.
	get back at	Get revenge.	Ricky got back at his sister by stealing the last bit of cake.
	get back to	Communicate at a later time, usually to add information or return a call.	I’m not sure of the figures right now, but I’ll get back to you with them in an hour.
	get behind (1)	Progress relatively slower, usually in work or education.	He’s getting behind the other students because he keeps skipping class.
	get behind (2)	Support.	Now that’s an ice cream flavour I can really get behind!
	get by	Pass / move around.	It was difficult to get by slow traffic on the narrow road.
	get down	Move to a lower level, or otherwise leave a raised surface.	What are you doing on the table? Get down at once!
	get in	Arrive or enter somewhere.	Let me know when Mr Jones gets into the office, please.
	get in touch	Contact, usually after some time without communication.	Kylie needed to get in touch with her long lost aunt about the missing jewels.
	get off	Leave a form of transport (except for a car).	Make sure you get off the train in Chicester.
	get off on	Take pleasure from something.	Pablo really gets off on winning chess tournaments.
	get on	Move your body onto a specific part.	We get on our knees to pray.
	get out	Leave or escape (including a car).	When I get out of this job, I’m going for a long holiday.
	get out of	Receive something positive from.	She got a lot of experience out of working at the bank.
	get over	Move over the top of an object, to the other side.	They used the step to get over the fence.
	get over with	Complete something (usually unwelcome) that needs to be finished.	The kitchen needs a lot of cleaning, let’s just get it over with.
	get through	Accurately communicate an idea.	Mr Fredricks somehow got through to even the most difficult students.
	get to	Arrive, or help someone else travel, somewhere.	Tina got to the shop early to change the display before opening time.
	get together	Met / socialise.	I can’t wait to get together with all my friends over Christmas.
	get up (1)	Rise from bed / sleeping.	Joey gets up at 6am every morning.
	get up (2)	Move to a higher level.	To find the Complaints deparment, you need to somehow get up to the 23rd Floor.
give	give away	Give for free.	Our neighbours are giving away all their furniture because they are moving to France.
	give [something] back	Return something to its owner.	I must remember to give back the pot we borrowed from Felicia.
	give in	Surrender.	After hours of nagging, Jamie’s dad gave in and let her watch TV.
	give out	Distribute.	The charity gave out care packages to everyone whose house was flooded.
	give up	Stop before completing a task, usually because it is difficult or problematic.	She gave up studying Japanese to learn Mandarin instead.
go	go about	Make efforts to do something.	He is going about writing this report with a very positive attitude.
	go after	Pursue a goal, usually with strong determination.	Lulu is going after her dream of playing piano professionally.
	go ahead	Proceed with something previously uncertain.	The bridge did not look safe, but we decided to go ahead and cross it.
	go along with	Accept an opinion or other idea.	We went along with their plan to install solar panels in every house.
	go around (1)	Follow a circular route.	Dina and Lou went around the park six times whilst chatting.
	go around (2)	Avoid an obstacle.	There’s a rock in the road, go around it!
	go away	Leave a place (or person).	Sasha is going away for the summer.
	go back	Return to a location.	The Knutsons go back to Switzerland every November.
	go back on	Fail to fulfil a promise or agreement.	The government went back on their promise of free school meals because it was expensive.
	go beyond	Do or be more than is expected.	Our software proposal went beyond the specifications they asked for.
	go by	Pass something, usually at a speed.	I didn’t even see the motorbike go by.
	go down	Move to a lower position / level.	Stock prices have been going down all week because of the investigation.
	go for	Pursue a goal, usually with strong determination.	Nina is going for first prize in the pie competition, no matter what.
	go in / into	Enter.	The doctor is waiting in his office, please go in.
	go in for (1)	Enter for a specific reason.	She went in for her injection.
	go in for (2)	Like or otherwise tolerate (usually used in the negative).	I don’t often go in for horror films.
	go off (1)	Leave, usually abruptly / without announcement.	He wasn’t enjoying the party so he went off without telling anyone.
	go off (2)	Spoil / go bad, usually for food.	The fridge stinks, I think something has gone off!
	go on (1)	Take place, usually for a longer event.	The street party went on all night.
	go on (2)	Continue, usually when communicating something.	She forgot what she was saying, but they were all waiting for her to go on.
	go on about	Talk about, often used to suggest it is boring or repetitive.	I hate talking to Roland; he always goes on about trains, trains, trains.
	go out	Leave an interior location, often to mean leave home for an evening.	Let’s go out to the club tonight!
	go over	Review / check.	Anna went over her essay six times before she was happy to submit it.
	go through with	Do something you previously committed to (often something difficult or reluctant).	Are you actually going through with your idea to run sixteen marathons?
	go up	Move to a higher position or level.	I want to go up the Eiffel Tower when we visit Paris.
	go up to	Approach.	Go up to the front desk and give them your name.
	go with	Accompany.	We went with our daughter to the fun fair.
	go without	Make do without something expected.	Cinthia is going without alcohol this January for charity.
goof	goof around / off	Spend time doing trivial / silly things.	You should be working instead of goofing around on your phone.
grow	grow apart	Gradually become less friendly/familiar.	When Alicia moved to another city, we really grew apart.
	grow back	Regrow.	Mrs White is growing back the potato plant that the dogs dug up.
	grow out of	Become too big or mature for something.	Our son keeps growing out of his new clothes.
	grow up	Become an adult / more mature.	Billy wants to be a doctor when he grows up.

Phrasal Verbs Beginning with H

hand	hand back	Return something to someone.	When you had some water, hand the bottle back to me.
	hand down	Give something to a new owner.	Erin handed down all her old dresses to her younger sister.
	hand in	Give something to a person of authority.	The class handed in their test papers to the teacher.
	hand out	Distribute something for free.	The company are handing out free pencils to help people remember their name.
	hand over	Give something, usually when requested by authority.	After seeing the mess, Mum made me hand over my crayons.
hang	hang around	Spend time somewhere, casually.	I will hang around the office after work in case you need me.
	hang on (1)	Wait, usually as a command.	Hang on a moment while I tie my shoes!
	hang on (2)	Hold something for support or comfort	The stairs are slippy, so hang on to that railing.
	hang on (3)	Keep, often for longer than is usually expected.	I needed to return my new shoes after one month; fortunately, I hung on to the receipt.
	hang out	Hang something, usually to dry.	Bob spent twenty minutes hanging out sheets in the garden.
	hang up	Hang something on a hook or similar fixing.	We hung up our pictures on nails in the hall.
have	have on	Wear clothing or cosmetics.	What colour t-shirt does he have on?
head	head back	Return to a location.	It was getting dark, so the children decided to head back home.
	head for	When a situation becomes more likely.	Dulwich FC had played well all season, and were heading for promotion to the next league.
	head toward	Move to a particular destination.	The couple headed toward the lights of downtown for their night out.
hear	hear about	Learn news about something, usually casually.	Have you heard about the new appartments they’re building in town?
	hear of	Know about something.	No one had heard of Eric until he did a film with Brad Pitt.
heat	heat up	Increase the warmth of something.	Ryan heated up leftover casserole for dinner.
help	help out	Assist with something.	Can you help out at the soup kitchen this Friday?
hit	hit on (1)	Have an idea.	Isaac Netwon hit on the idea of gravity while under an apple tree.
	hit on (2)	Flirt.	Cameron was terrible at hitting on girls, so he just read books.
hold	hold against	Bear something against someone.	Don’t hold his extra weight against him, Bobby can run very fast.
	hold back	Resist doing something or showing emotion.	I want you to tell me what you really think of my art, don’t hold back.
	hold off (1)	Resist or stop an attack.	Winston held off the wild dogs with a stick while Emma called for help.
	hold off (2)	Delay.	Janice has been holding off on checking for her exam results.
	hold on	Wait.	If you hold on for ten minutes, Mr Roberts will see you after his meeting.
	hold onto	Hold, usually firmly, with hands.	Lana held onto the strange suitcase until the man came back to collect it.
	hold out	Extend your hand or an object.	Silvia held out her hand to greet the Prime Minister.
	hold up	Raise something.	Alan please hold up your poster so the whole class can see it.
hook	hook up (1)	Connect devices together.	The technician hooked up my monitor to the wrong computer.
	hook up (2)	Meet someone, casually or romantically.	Gary hooked up with David during the Paris conference.
hunt	hunt out	Search until you find something.	Praya spent an hour hunting out the report in the archives.
	hurry up	Rush.	The train is coming, hurry up or you will miss it!

Phrasal Verbs Beginning with J

jack	jack up	Increase or raise.	Shops are jacking up the price of chocolate before Easter.
jam	jam on	Apply forcefully.	I had to jam on the brakes to avoid a hitting a deer.
jaw	jaw away	Talk aimlessly, usually at length.	Jill and Fred enjoyed jawing away all afternoon in the garden.
jazz	jazz up	Enhance to make more interesting or attractive.	He jazzed up with Toyota with bright yellow hubcaps.
jump	jump around	Move erratically.	The children had too much sugar and were jumping around all afternoon.
	jump at	Accept with enthusiasm.	Marie jumped at the chance to play basketball for her office.
	jump in	Join in with something.	We’ve need an extra player, do you want to jump in?
	jump off	Leave an elevated position.	Liam jumped off the highest diving board.
	jump on (1)	Board something.	She was in such a rush that she jumped on the wrong bus.
	jump on (2)	Attack, usually verbally.	The teacher really jumped on Eli for being late.
	jump out (1)	Alight a vehicle.	If we park by the shop, can you jump out and get me some chocolate?
	jump out (2)	Stand out.	My sister’s artwork really stood out at the show, it was so colourful.
	jump to	Start something with enthusiasm.	The twins were so keen to watch TV, they jumped straight to completing their chores.
	jump up	Move to a higher position.	Our hockey team has jumped up to the next division.

Phrasal Verbs Beginning with K

keep	keep around	Keep something nearby.	I always keep a pen around in case I have any good ideas.
	keep at	Persevere.	It was a tough course, but the students kept at it.
	keep away	Remain at a distance.	Uncle Wendall should be kept away from the drinks cabinet.
	keep back	Stay away.	We were careful to keep back while the man juggled knives.
	keep down	Maintain a low volume or height.	Mrs Hillary asked Kyle to keep his music down while she made a call.
	keep from	Resist or prevent doing something.	The snow kept us from getting home early.
	keep off	Avoid touching something.	The children were instructed to keep their hands off the fresh cookies.
	keep on	Continue.	Vinnie kept on trying to open the stubborn jar of pickles for hours.
	keep to	Maintain a position, stance, schedule or promise.	We will meet two times a week, if everyone keeps to the schedule.
	keep up (1)	Continue consistently.	These results are excellent – keep up the good work!
	keep up (2)	Match speed or other rate of progression.	I just can’t keep up with Joey at school; he completes his exercises so quickly.
key	key to	Plan to suit particular people or situations.	The cowboy party was keyed to a younger crowd.
kick	kick about	Discuss or otherwise casually test.	Let’s kick about a few ideas for the new project.
	kick back	Illegally pay extra money within a deal.	The politican got in trouble for kicking back money to his family.
	kick in	When something influential starts to take effect, usually drugs.	Simon had a headache for an hour before the aspirin kicked in.
	kick out	Expel.	Brenda was kicked out of the book club because she never read.
knock	knock off (1)	Finish a job, usually ending a workday.	The doctor knocked off early on Friday.
	knock off (2)	Make something fall off an elevated position.	Marty got in trouble for knocking the vase off the table with his ball.
	knock out	Strike hard enough to make unconcious.	The boxer won the fight by knocking out his opponent.
	knock over	Make something fall over.	The dog knocked over my wine glass.

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The post ELB Phrasal Verbs Master List: Grammar, Definitions and Examples for 400+ Verbs appeared first on English Lessons Brighton.

Culture

Phil Williams — Wed, 08 Apr 2020 14:33:18 +0000

Culture

This page is dedicated to reading material exploring culture across the English-speaking world. These are various articles concerning literature, holidays, histories and more, to give insights into English-speaking culture and language influences. Most of these readings include comprehension or grammar exercises.

If you have any cultural issues you would like covered in future, please get in touch. And please do share this page to help others find these articles.

Different Genres of Fiction to Read

About the Writer Shirley Jackson

Analysing Creative Writing: The Haunting of Hill House

Halloween: Language Origins and Exercises

About the Playwright Joe Orton

Why English Speakers Celebrate St Patrick's Day

Different Types of Language Varieties

Vocabulary for Christmas

Dickens' Christmas Carol: Impact on the English Language

Dickens' Christmas Carol: Reading Exercise

Vocabulary for Weddings

What Does Honeymoon Mean?

What is May Day?

Brighton Festival & Fringe: Reading Practice

A History of Piers

Moby Dick: Advanced Reading

What are Kelp Forests?

Why We Call Degrees Bachelors or Masters

Advice on Teaching Abroad

The post Culture appeared first on English Lessons Brighton.

Parts of Speech

Phil Williams — Wed, 08 Apr 2020 11:43:06 +0000

Parts of Speech

The parts of speech in English are word types based on their function. Looking at an individual word, we can say what it’s purpose is and give it a name, such as nouns, verbs and prepositions. This is a way to study English at a fundamental level, where we look at how individual word meanings and how they work. The articles here discuss some general rules for the parts of speech as well as some specific issues, grouped under the following headings:

Nouns
Verbs
Describing Words (Adjectives & Adverbs)
Determiners
Pronouns
Prepositions
Prefixes & Suffixes
Conjunctions & Bridging Words

Click the subjects to go straight to each section. Note that for the next level of seeing how these parts of speech fit together, you’ll find lessons on phrases, clauses and sentence structure in the Grammar archive.

If you have any questions you would like covered in future, please do get in touch, and remember that for more detailed content check out the ELB books. And do share this page to help others find these articles.

Nouns

Nouns for Shapes

Nouns for Halloween

Noun Complements: What Follows a Noun?

Compound Nouns: Singular or Plural?

Countable and Uncountable Nouns: Exercise

Should "no" Be Followed by Singular or Plural?

Word Order for Compound Nouns

Uncountable Plural Nouns: Police

Using Prefixes & Suffices to Create Nouns

Group Nouns and Plurals

What are Homonyms, Heteronyms and Heterographs?

What are countable and uncountable nouns?

Verbs

21 Verbs for Speaking

21 Verbs for Movement

Let, Get, Make & Have

Using "to do" to Add Emphasis

Present Participles in Mixed Tenses

Different Uses of 'being'

ELB Phrasal Verbs Master List

Understanding Verb / Noun Agreement

'Accept', 'Expect' and 'Except'

Phrasal Verbs Exercise: Christmas Treasure

Kate Skates: Phrasal Verbs Exercise

How phrasal verbs can form compound nouns

What are imperative verbs?

Describing Words (Adjectives & Adverbs)

A Brief Guide to Adjectives & Adverbs

Adjectives for Halloween

Adverbs to Add Atmosphere

Adjective Word Order

From, Out of & Among

For, Since & Ago

How to Use "even"

Uses of "even" Exercise

"In General" or "Generally"?

"In Particular" or "Particularly"?

Ready, Willing & Able

Starting Sentences with Only After, If & When

'Anymore' or 'Any more'?

When, If & Expressing Future Time

Determiners

All About Articles and Determiners

Articles and Periods of Time

How to Use 'this' & 'next'

How to Use Fewer & Less

'Few' or 'A Few' ?

Pronouns

All the Different Cases of Pronouns

It's vs Its

Reflexive Pronouns Uses & Exercise

Gendered Pronouns for Animals and Objects

Prepositions

Prepositions and Sentence Structure

Mixed Prepositional Phrases Exercise

Mixed Prepositions Exercise

At, In & On for Time and Place

'At the End' or 'In the End' ?

Agree 'with', 'on', 'to' or 'about'

'On Foot' or 'By Foot'?

How to Use 'to be of help'

Since, After & For

'Bird of Prey' and 'Noun of Noun' Constructions

How to Use 'on display' & 'in a display'

Prefixes & Suffixes

Prefixes Explained - with Exercise

The Power of -Y: a common suffix

Understanding Prefixes with 'sub'

Using Prefixes & Suffices to Create Nouns

Conjunctions & Bridging Words

Different Types of Conjunctions Explained

How to Use Bridging Words Effectively

Comma splices and independent clauses

The post Parts of Speech appeared first on English Lessons Brighton.

Language Skills

Phil Williams — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 10:34:22 +0000

Language Skills

To master English, there are variety of skills that you can focus on separately and in combination, including speaking, listening, reading and writing. In combination with these core skills, I’ve also grouped in some specific areas of English here such as vocabulary and business English. The articles and exercises on this page are designed to help develop understanding and use of English in practical circumstances.

As a writer myself, you’ll find there is a particular focus on writing here, with the majority of articles under that category. Writing is the area where our language has to be most accurate, so it is a good skill to develop if you wish to perfect your technical English.

Writing Skills
Reading Skills
Speaking Skills
Listening Skills
Vocabulary
Business English (including writing emails)
General Language Learning

Click the subjects to go straight to each section.

If you have any questions you would like covered in future, please do get in touch, and remember that for more detailed content check out the ELB books. And please do share this page to help others find these articles.

Writing Skills

How to Write an Article

How to Add Emphasis in Writing

How to Write Passive Formal Sentences

2 Exercises for Rewriting Sentences

Tips for Writing Exam Success

How to Write Polite Questions and Requests

8 Grammar Rules for Writing Headlines

How to Use Sentence Structure to Rewrite Sentences

The Elements of Eloquence (Book Review)

Why Simple Writing is Effective

How to Use the Past Perfect for Sequences

How to Use the Past Perfect for Narratives

How to Write Dates in British and American English

How to Use Hyphens Correctly

How to use commas: a comprehensive guide

Writing Exercise: An Investment Letter

When to use advanced vocab in writing

Writing Exercise: Letter of Complaint

Using Commas with Lists (and the serial comma)

How to Use Commas to Separate Clauses

How to Use Commas with Adverbials

Reading Skills

Walking on the Beach: Spot the Mistakes 1

A History of Piers: Spot the Mistakes 2

Halloween Horror: Reading Practice

What are Kelp Forests? (Exercise)

Moby Dick: Advanced Reading Exercise

The Christmas Mess: Mixed Tenses Reading

Felix & The Umbrella: Mixed Tenses Reading

Dickens' Christmas Carol: Reading Practice

Brighton Festival & Fringe: Reading Practice

Comparing Past Tenses in Narratives 1

Comparing Past Tenses in Narratives 2

Different Genres of Fiction to Read

Creative writing Analysis: The Haunting of Hill House

Advanced Reading Exercise: MR James

Advanced Reading Exercise: Novel Opening 1

Advanced Reading Exercise: Novel Opening 2

Speaking Skills

The Schwa: Unpronounced Vowels in English

How to Say Large Numbers in English

How to Pronounce Question Word Contractions

How to Pronounce 'ed' Endings

Pronouncing 'ed' Endings: Exercise

How to Say the Letters of the Alphabet

Listening Skills

Recognising Contractions in Spoken English

6 Minute English Listening Practice

5 YouTube Channels for Learning English

11 Films for Practising Accents

Vocabulary

21 Different Verbs of Motion

21 Different Verbs for Speech

The Big ELB Business Vocabulary List

Phrasal Verbs Master List

Phrasal Verbs Exercise: Christmas Treasure

Phrasal Verbs with "to do"

Adjectives for Halloween

Halloween Vocabulary Exercise

Nasty Nouns for Halloween

When should you use advanced vocabulary?

How to Describe Shapes in English

How to Correctly Label Centuries

Ultimate Christmas Vocabulary List

Ultimate Wedding Vocabulary List

Popular Idioms and Sayings Exercise 1

Popular Idioms and Sayings Exercise 3

Business English

How to Write Informative Email Subjects

Writing Email Greetings and Farewells

Correct Date Formats in Business English

4 Quick Tips for Writing Cover Letters

General Language Learning

10 Inspiring Quotes on Learning

10 More Inspiring Quotes on Learning

5 Tips for Mastering English Language

7 Quick Tips to Improve Language Skills

2 Examples of Problems with Dictionaries

When do rules matter in English?

The post Language Skills appeared first on English Lessons Brighton.

Grammar

Phil Williams — Mon, 30 Mar 2020 14:56:39 +0000

Grammar

In the early days, my main focus on ELB was studying grammar – answering questions for advanced students such as:

How does grammar work?
Why do we need grammar?
When can we bend the rules?

The answer is very often “it depends”, so I’ve put together a wide variety of articles and exercises that cover both specific and general points of English language. I’ve roughly categorised the site’s existing content into the following areas, though there may be some overlap, and there is likely to be more articles on the site that haven’t made this list.

The English Tenses: Past Tenses – Present Tenses – Future Tenses – Mixed Tenses
Questions
Verbs & Verb Forms
Word Order and Sentence Structure
Contractions
Other Topics

Click the subjects to go straight to each section.

If you have any questions you would like covered in future, please do get in touch, and remember that for some much more detailed content about grammar check out the ELB books. And please do share this page to help others find these articles.