North, South, East, and West
North, South, East, West I sometimes hear students mix up directions like “north of” or “in northern”. It’s an easy
Affect vs Effect
Affect vs Effect What’s the difference between affect and effect? English learners and native speakers alike get these words mixed
Five English Vocabulary Tips
Five English Vocabulary Tips Learning English vocabulary takes some work, but these ideas will make it a little easier. Try these
Meet, Meet with, Meet up with
Meet with / Meet / Meet up with This is a simple pattern I often hear people make mistakes with.
alliteration
Alliteration Alliteration is when several words close together start with the same sound. Ex: Peter Parker is the sensational Spider-Man!
St. Patrick’s Day
Saint Patrick’s Day Having grown up in the States, St. Patrick’s Day is really special to me. Every year, my
Find vs Find Out
Find vs Find Out One day, I was in the park, and I found something under a tree. It was
Really vs Very
Really vs Very What’s the difference between, “really” and “very”? Really / Very + adjectivesEx: The whipped cream on the pancakes was really
Believe vs Believe In
Believe vs Believe in What’s the difference between, “believe” and “believe in”? Believe:to think something is true / factualEx: I
Three Common Spelling Mistakes in English
Three Common Spelling Mistakes (that native speakers make) My dictionary is definitely one of my best friends. Sadly, autocorrect is
Valentine’s Day Idioms
Valentine’s Day Idioms Valentine’s Day is the holiday of love. It’s an international holiday celebrated on February 14th in most
Quotation Marks
Quotation Marks Quotation marks have several simple uses, and a lot of specific rules. Try learning the general rules first, and focus
Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Initialisms
Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Initialisms Abbreviations are shortened forms of words. Ex: Mister = Mr. Ex: Mistress = Mrs. Ex: Avenue = Ave.Ex: Apartment
Proper Nouns vs Common Nouns
Proper Nouns vs Common Nouns Proper nouns are the names of special people, places, or things. Common nouns are the names of
Kangaroo Words
Kangaroo Words Kangaroo words contain their synonyms. For example, the word “chicken” contains the word “hen” which means the same thing!
Present Perfect vs Simple Past
Present Perfect vs Simple Past Present perfect and simple past are two patterns which learners often make mistakes with. Compare
Present Perfect
Present Perfect: a Long List of Examples Present Perfect is a great sentence pattern in English. It helps us talk
Wish vs Hope
hope vs wish What’s the difference between “hope” and “wish”? Check out the examples below and then use these words
By vs Until
by vs until What’s the difference between “by” and “until”? Check out the examples below and then use these words in
Negative Agreement
Negative Agreement A: I don’t think John is really sick. B: Neither do I. How do you use “me neither”?
Active vs Passive
active and passive What’s the difference between “active” and “passive”? Check out the examples below and then use these styles
Thanksgiving Idioms
Thanksgiving Idioms Thanksgiving is a traditional American holiday that celebrates family and the harvest. It’s celebrated on the third Thursday
How To Use Semicolons
How to use Semicolons I’m not going to lie; semicolons are tough. They are the single most misunderstood punctuation mark