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Vocabulary

Talking about diet

Talking about diet

'Diet' refers to the food you eat, and can also mean an attempt to reduce your weight by eating fewer calories a day. Collocations: a balanced diet (a diet consisting of a variety of different types of food that have enough of the nutrients necessary for good health)....

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Using idioms in IELTS

Using idioms in IELTS

What are idioms? English idioms are expressions that have a meaning of their own, and where understanding all of the individual words doesn't necessarily mean you will understand an idiom. For example, the idiom 'a can of worms' actually has nothing to do with cans or...

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Different types of jobs in English

Different types of jobs in English

Different types of jobs in English. On this page, we will look at different types of jobs. How many of these jobs you know? Health: Doctor, nurse, dentist (teeth), veterinarian [also called vet] (animal doctor) Shopping: salesperson, sales assistant, shopkeeper People...

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Different types of journalism in English

Different types of journalism in English. On this page, we will look at the different types of journalism that you can find around the world. This page continues on from the information presented on the news in Level B1, so if you haven't seen that lesson yet, we...

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Vocabulary for talking about the news at Level B1

Vocabulary for talking about the news at Level B1. Let's look at some of the vocabulary we use to talk about the news. Types of news: current affairs (also called 'current events') politics weather traffic entertainment local/national/international news People...

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Tips for better spelling in English

Tips for better spelling in English

Tips for better spelling in English. Improving your spelling can be difficult these days. Modern technology, although very useful, has made poor spelling increasingly common even among native speakers - autocorrect on phones and computers has often corrected our...

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English vocabulary for movies

English vocabulary for movies

In this lesson, we will look at the different types of movie in English. There are hundreds of different genres (types) of movie (as you've probably seen on Netflix!), but in this lesson we will look at the main genres and some of the more advanced vocabulary used...

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Strong adjectives and intensifiers

On this page, we will look at strong adjectives and intensifiers. At a basic level, we use words like very, really or extremely can be used to make adjectives stronger. These are called intensifiers. Let's start by looking at a table: Basic adjective That's an...

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20 most useful idioms about agreeing and disagreeing

On this page, we will look at the 20 most useful idioms about agreeing and disagreeing. As you may know, there are thousands of different idioms in English, but many of them are no longer used in common English conversations. Our focus in the section of our English...

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IN CONTRAST or ON THE OTHER HAND?

Two linking phrases that are often confused are 'In contrast' and 'On the other hand'. Compare examples A and B. A. Tourism often has a positive impact on less wealthy countries. On the other hand, this can damage local culture. B. New Zealand has a good reputation...

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CEFR Level B2 list 2 vocabulary exercises

Before you take the practice test below, make sure you have looked through CEFR Level B2 vocabulary list 2. See how many you can complete! The first 2 letters of each word are given - all you need to do is decide which word best suits the context .   1. In some areas...

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SAY or TELL?

Say and tell are similar in that they both mean to talk or give information to someone verbally. However, there are differences in sentence construction and exact meaning. Can you see the difference between these two sentences? John told me you were sick last week....

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PHRASAL VERBS: ‘Put’

Phrasal verbs are made when we use a main verb with another word (or words) to change the meaning of the main verb. There are lots of different phrasal verbs with 'put'. We'll cover some of the most useful ones in this lesson. Note: Remember, as for all phrasal verbs,...

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100 words for CEFR Level C1 list 2

These 100 words for CEFR Level C1 list 2 are designed to help you improve your general English skills, but also to help you prepare for formal English test like IELTS and PTE. Tips for using these vocabulary lists: look carefully through the list to make sure you know...

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English on the internet

NOTE: This lesson contains language that some may find offensive. Read on at your own discretion. Facebook, Twitter, emails - a lot of English conversations happen online these days, and there is a new set of language being developed to make typing and texting faster....

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Commonly mispelled words in English

English spelling can be very difficult, even for native speakers. Many English words cannot be spelt phonetically (phonetically means the way they sound). For example, phonetically the word enough should be spelt 'enuff'! Listed below are some of the most commonly...

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SPEAK or TALK?

COMMONLY CONFUSED WORDS: SPEAK or TALK Speak and talk are 'say' words. However, there are some differences in when and how we use speak or talk. Read the tips below about when to use speak or talk then try the practice exercises. Rule 1:  'speak' (not talk) is used on...

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CEFR Level C1 list 4 vocabulary exercises

Before you take the practice test below, make sure you have looked through CEFR Level C1 vocabulary list 1. See how many you can complete! The first 2 letters of each word are given - all you need to do is decide which word best suits the context .   1. Many poorer...

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CEFR Level C1 list 3 vocabulary exercises

Before you take the practice test below, make sure you have looked through CEFR Level C1 vocabulary list 3. See how many you can complete! The first 2 letters of each word are given - all you need to do is decide which word best suits the context .   1. The...

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CEFR Level C1 list 2 vocabulary exercises

Before you take the practice test below, make sure you have looked through CEFR Level C1 vocabulary list 2. See how many you can complete! The first 2 letters of each word are given - all you need to do is decide which word best suits the context . 1. It is important...

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CEFR Level C1 list 1 vocabulary exercises

Before you take the practice test below, make sure you have looked through CEFR Level C1 vocabulary list 1. See how many you can complete! The first 2 letters of each word are given - all you need to do is decide which word best suits the context .   1. In many...

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CEFR Level C2 list 2 vocabulary exercises

Before you take the practice test below, make sure you have looked through CEFR Level C2 vocabulary list 2. See how many you can complete! The first 2 letters of each word are given - all you need to do is decide which word best suits the context .   1. Many...

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CEFR Level C2 list 1 vocabulary exercises

Before you take the practice test below, make sure you have looked through CEFR Level C2 vocabulary list 1. See how many you can complete! The first 2 letters of each word are given - all you need to do is decide which word best suits the context .   1. In the 1920s,...

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The different types of learning and learner

In many traditional, conservative learning environments, the most common way to study is to gather groups of students in a room with a teacher or lecturer speaking about a particular subject. There are, however, alternative ways to study that have proven to be...

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Talking about Christmas and new year

A short post today to help with conversations you may have over the Christmas and new year period. Look out for the words in BLUE - tap or click them to see a definition! Tip 1: Using 'Happy' and 'Merry' In English, we only use 'Merry' when talking about Christmas -...

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20 most useful idioms about driving

On this page, we will look at the 20 most useful idioms about driving. Although some of the idioms below use words related to driving or cars, that's not necessarily what they mean! As you may know, there are thousands of different idioms in English, but many of them...

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Describing negative emotions

Describing negative emotions (talking about how you or other people feel) is a useful skill in English. However, there is a lot of different vocabulary that needs to be learned. Read the sentences below and see if you know the words in bold.  Match each word with a...

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PHRASAL VERBS: ‘Up’ and ‘Down’

There are hundreds, if not thousands of phrasal verbs (verb+preposition) in English that include the prepositions ‘up’ and ‘down’. Try the following two-part exercise to learn ways to include some of these types of phrasal verbs into your next conversation! Exercise...

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Talking about the movies in English

In this lesson you will learn how to talk about going to the movies. NOTE: 'movies' is American English - in British English, they are called 'films'. Asking about the movie you want to see Here are some phrases you can use to ask about a movie you want to see: What...

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Talking about hobbies and interests

Talking about hobbies and interests in English is a very common topic. What do you do in your free time? Leisure activities are the things you can do when you have free time, like reading a book or listening to music. In this lesson we will look at: verb + gerund...

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PHRASAL VERBS: ‘Take’

Phrasal verbs are made when we use a main verb with another word (or words) to change the meaning of the main verb. There are lots of different phrasal verbs with 'take'. We'll cover some of the most useful ones in this lesson. Note: Remember, as for all phrasal...

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PHRASAL VERBS: ‘Get’

Phrasal verbs are made when we use a main verb with another word (or words) to change the meaning of the main verb. There are lots of different phrasal verbs with 'get'. We'll cover some of the most useful ones in this lesson. Note: Remember, as for all phrasal verbs,...

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PHRASAL VERBS: ‘Get’ – EXERCISES

Complete the phrasal verbs with 'get' exercises below by choosing the correct answer (a), (b) or (c) to test your knowledge of phrasal verbs. Example: Jane is  ___________ food poisoning and will be back at work soon. (a) getting over      (b) got over      (c)...

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PHRASAL VERBS: ‘Go’ – EXERCISES

Complete the phrasal verbs with 'go' exercises below by choosing the correct answer (a), (b) or (c) to test your knowledge of phrasal verbs. Example: Sorry for the interruption. Please  ___________ with your report. (a) going on      (b) went on     (c) go on 1. They...

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PHRASAL VERBS: ‘Go’

Phrasal verbs are made when we use a main verb with another word (or words) to change the meaning of the main verb. There are lots of different phrasal verbs with 'go'. We'll cover some of the most useful ones in this lesson. Note: Remember, as for all phrasal verbs,...

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Top 10 tips for learning vocabulary

Tip 1: Don’t try to learn too many new words at once Making long lists of words is often not a very successful technique. Words and definitions can become mixed and confused. Focus on only 10 new words at one time, practicing and using them as much as possible. When...

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Understanding reviews in English

In this lesson, we will look at some of the indirect language commonly used when reviewing something (for example, Google reviews or TripAdvisor). It’s very good practice to read and understand reviews in English as you will often get a lot of unfamiliar vocabulary....

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PHRASAL VERBS: ‘Read’ and ‘Write’ – EXERCISES

Complete the phrasal verbs with 'read and write' exercises below by choosing the correct answer (a), (b) or (c) to test your knowledge of phrasal verbs. Example: I love reading musicians' autobiographies. It's so interesting reading ___________ their lives. (a) about...

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PHRASAL VERBS: ‘Read’ and ‘Write’

Phrasal verbs are made when we use a main verb with another word (or words) to change the meaning of the main verb. As they are considered informal, phrasal verbs should not be used in the writing test (with the exception of informal Task 1 letters for the General...

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LISTEN or HEAR?

Although they have similar meanings, there are significant differences that you need to know! Listen / Hear We 'listen' to something when we focus on it and pay attention to it. We 'hear' something that comes into our ears. It is not necessarily deliberate or...

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Types of communication / communicator

The following vocabulary is useful for understanding and discussing types of communication / communicator Types of spoken communication A discussion - when two or more people discuss a specific matter. It is often a formal situation where topics are discussed, often...

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Solutions to environmental problems

The following vocabulary is useful for understanding and discussing solutions to environmental problems. Addressing environmental problems Recycling - converting waste into something that is reusable Conservation - to keep something safe / protected; preventing damage...

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TOPIC VOCABULARY: The environment

Other words for environment Habitat - the natural home of an animal or plant The natural world - used when talking about nature Ecology - the relationship between animals and plants to their natural environment Dwelling - place where animals or plants live...

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