What does “supposed to” mean? I heard it’s supposed to rain today. “Supposed to” is a great English expression that […]
English Knowledge Base
I love questions. Some have easy answers, but others take a little more time. This space is where I share the longer answers to your questions. Feel free to ask me something any time!
How to Keep Up with Fast English Speakers Many of my students study English for work. Very often, they tell […]
How to Use Comparatives We compare things all the time, which is good because we have lots of ways to […]
How to Handle Angry People at Work Did you know I make custom LINE stickers? Check them out! Dealing with […]
Why are the Marvel movies so popular and how do I watch them? Several of my students asked me how […]
Understanding Wordy Questions Sometimes native speakers ask very wordy questions. This happens a lot when we are nervous, uncertain, or […]
Starting Conversations I’m a total introvert. That does not mean I don’t like talking to people, but it does mean […]
Stop Playing Conversation Catch Sometimes, teachers say conversation is like playing catch because our ideas go back and forth like […]
Proofreading – Need proofreading services? We will check your writing for formatting, accuracy, word choice, style, and usage. Simple, safe.
What is a gauntlet? My students and I often discus articles related to their industries or general business topics. Often, […]
Suggestions, recommendations, and Proposals: What’s the difference? Similarities Suggestions, recommendations, and proposals are all used to share an idea. For […]
What’s the difference between end and finish? Finish and end both mean something stops. Finish typically means something is complete […]
What’s the difference between overtime and overwork? Overtime is a noun. It means extra time a person works. In casual […]
Valentine’s Day Idioms Valentine’s Day is the holiday of love. It’s an international holiday celebrated on February 14th in most […]
Native American Words in English English is a mishmash of words from all over the world with plenty of regional […]
Why are rabbits’ feet lucky? Lucky rabbits’ feet are popular around the world, but why are they lucky? Read the […]
On the bed and In bed Students often ask about the difference between “in bed” and “on the bed”. Fortunately, it’s […]
Farther and Further What’s the difference between farther and further and how do you use them? Many native speakers mix […]
Independence Day Idioms and Expressions Happy 4th of July! Independence Day is an American holiday to mark the signing of […]
Year’s Experience vs Years’ Experience Is it “year’s experience” or “years’ experience”? This is a simple grammar point that a LOT […]
Father’s Day Idioms Happy Father’s Day! As a very happy dad, you can imagine that Father’s Day is pretty special […]
How to use either. “Either” is pretty easy to use, but there are some special examples to look out for. […]
Every Day and Everyday What’s the difference between every day and everyday? These words are easy to mix up, especially […]
Whether, weather, and wether Whether, weather, and wether: what’s the difference? These words aren’t too hard, but they are easy […]
What is clickbait? Clickbait is a leading title, usually with an image. Online, these titles make people want to “click” […]
Mother’s Day Idioms A face only a mother could love. Happy Mother’s Day! There are lots of idioms in English […]
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test Instructions Read the story below at your level. Then, study the key words and phrases. […]
Silent K in English I like to say that spelling and pronunciation in English are a bit of an adventure. […]
Literally and Figuratively Figuratively Figurative expressions mean something special. The words and meaning don’t always match. “Spill the tea” means […]
How to write AM PM This drives me crazy. I look this up all the time, and always need to […]
North, South, East, and West I sometimes hear students mix up directions like “north of” or “in northern”. It’s an […]
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 Learning English vocabulary takes some work, but these ideas will make it a little easier. Try these […]
Meet, Meet with, Meet up with What is the difference between meet with, meet, and meet up with? This is […]
Alliteration Alliteration is when several words close together start with the same sound. Ex: Peter Parker is the sensational Spider-Man! […]
What to say on ST. Patrick’s Day! Having grown up in the States, St. Patrick’s Day is really special to […]
Find and Find Out One day, I was in the park, and I found something under a tree. It was […]
What’s the difference between “really” and “very”? Really / Very + adjectives Ex: The whipped cream on the pancakes was really tall.Ex: Unfortunately, […]
Believe vs Believe in “Believe” and “believe in” certainly look very similar, but they are used a bit differently. What […]
Later Later I often hear students make mistakes with this word, so here are some simple examples to help remember […]
Three basic English words even native speakers often get wrong. There are some words in English that look and sound […]
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 are shortened forms of words. Ex: Mister = Mr. Ex: Mistress = Mrs. Ex: Avenue […]
What are proper nouns and common nouns? Proper nouns are the names of special people, places, or things. Common nouns are the […]
Have you heard of kangaroo words? Kangaroo words contain their synonyms. For example, the word “chicken” contains the word “hen” which […]
Present Perfect vs Simple Past Present perfect and simple past are two patterns which learners often make mistakes with. Compare […]
How to use present perfect. Present Perfect is a great sentence pattern in English. It helps us talk about our […]
What’s the difference between wish and hope? I always need to double check the difference between hope and wish. Hopefully, […]
What’s the difference between by and until? Check out the examples below and then use these words in your own […]
Negative Agreement A: I don’t think John is really sick. B: Neither do I. How do you use “me neither”? […]
active and passive What’s the difference between “active” and “passive”? Check out the examples below and then use these styles […]
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 I’m not going to lie; semicolons are tough. They are the single most misunderstood punctuation mark […]
even though / even if What’s the difference between “even though” and “even if”? Check out the examples below and […]
Halloween Idioms Practice the idioms below and use them in your next conversations. They’re creepy and they’re spooky, mysterious, and […]
What’s the difference between “because” and “so”? Because + reason So + result Study the examples below, and then make […]
You and I Question: Which is correct, “you and me “or “you and I”? Answer: They both are! Study the examples […]
CH Sounds CH has three different sounds. “Ch” sounds like “tsh”, “k”, and “sh”.. Below is a partial list of […]
Disrupting Japan Instructions Read the story below at your level. Then, study the key words and phrases. Later, use them […]
Four Idioms 2 Instructions Read the idioms below. Do you understand the example sentences? Check the meaning and then use […]
How to Make Chili Instructions Read the story below at your level. Then, study the key words and phrases. Later, […]
Four Idioms Instructions Read the idioms below. Do you understand the example sentences? Check the meaning and then use them […]
Building Confidence Instructions Read the story below at your level. Then, study the key words and phrases. Later, use them […]
First – At First “First” and “at first” look similar but they are a little different. Keep reading to find […]
Job Perks Instructions Read the story below at your level. Then, study the key words and phrases. Later, use them […]
Raising Bilingual Kids Instructions Read the story below at your level. Then, study the key words and phrases. Later, use […]
Climbing the Walls Instructions Read the story below at your level. Then, study the key words and phrases. Later, use […]
Banned Books InstructionsRead the story below at your level. Then, study the key words and phrases. Later, use them in […]
Aches How many “aches” are there in English? Can you name them all? Keep reading to be sure you remember […]
Is it Lego or Legos? Should we say Lego or Legos? The answer might surprise you. It certainly surprised me. […]
Clam Diggers Instructions Read the story below at your level. Then, study the key words and phrases. Later, use them […]