When you’re learning a new language, you will make mistakes. Obviously, you make a lot of mistakes when you first start learning, but even advanced learners still make mistakes. But not all mistakes are important. In fact, some mistakes are helpful. Read on to find out which mistakes you should be concerned about, and which mistakes you don’t need to worry about. Important Mistakes ‘Fossilised’ / Uncorrected mistakes If you make the same mistake again and again, it becomes like a fossil. It becomes part of your English and it can be quite hard to correct. Sometimes these mistakes happen beca ..read more

English articles can be really difficult in English. Even if your first language has articles, the rules for English are often different. How do you choose when to use a/an, the, or zero (no) article? In the video training below, I share some simple rules for choosing articles, so that you can feel more confident when you speak or write English. In the video find out: – when to use a/an, the, zero article – one simple rule for using “the” (not using “the” is one of the most common mistakes) – an interesting rule about “institutions” This video is part of my new training course “The 10 Steps ..read more

How do you know if a verb is followed by the infinitive or by the gerund? For example is it “He admitted to make the mistake” or “He admitted making the mistake”? Do you have to remember each verb separately, or is there an easier way? In this new video, I share a way to remember verbs by groups of meaning. This method will help you to save time AND feel more confident when you speak. In the video find out: – which groups of verbs are followed by the infinitive – which groups of verbs are followed by the gerund – which groups of verbs can be followed by the infinitive or the gerund (with a ..read more

We use reflexive pronouns (myself / yourself / himself / herself / itself / ourselves / yourselves / themselves) when the subject and the object of a verb are the same. For example, “She taught herself a few words of French”, or “Do yourself a favour and apply for the job early”. Read on to find out how they’re used – including a very common spoken English use. Examples of Reflexive Pronouns In English 1. We use reflexive pronouns with verbs in English – when the subject and object of a verb are the same Here are some examples: enjoy: “We enjoyed ourselves at the party.” hurt “He hurt himse ..read more

The ‘problem’ with English grammar isn’t that it’s very complex or difficult – at least, compared to some other languages. The problem is that there are always lots of little rules – and many, many exceptions. So how do you deal with this problem? You have two choices: – study a grammar textbook, memorise the rules, then try to remember them when you’re speaking – focus on general guidelines (or simple rules) that ensure you’ll be accurate Here are five simple rules for accurate English grammar that will help you feel more confident when you speak. Only one determiner at a time ‘Determiners ..read more

There are lots of ways to talk about the future in English, so which one do you choose? Many times you can use more than one way – and you’ll still be grammatically correct. But there are some changes in meaning and focus. Read on to get a clever hack to know when to use “going to” or the Present Continuous tense to talk about the future! Will / Going To / Present Continuous As you probably know, we use “will” generally in spontaneous or unplanned situations. For example, “I’m cold – I think I’ll put the heating on”. We use it also for predictions. For example: “Who do you think will win the ..read more

What stops you from getting an advanced English grammar? Sometimes, it can be a major area of grammar, like conditionals or tenses. But sometimes, it can be a smaller thing, which is more easily fixed. Here are three grammar problems that are common at advanced level, but which you can correct so that you speak more accurately. Adjectives and Compound Adjectives Adjectives do not “agree” with nouns, so there are no feminine / masculine / or singular / plural differences. The only exception to this rule is for adjectives of French origin. For example, a man might be blond (have blonde hair) w ..read more

If you’ve ever heard British English speakers say something that you know is wrong, it could be because they’re using non-standard English grammar. This is the grammar that people use when they speak – but which is considered to be incorrect. Sometimes it comes from a regional dialect, and sometimes it happens because grammar rules are also confusing for British English speakers! For example, you’ll often hear double negatives and incorrect past endings. You’ll typically hear (rather than read) non-standard English. Here are some examples. Double negatives Many languages have double negative ..read more

When you speak English, you generally have two choices: to focus on your grammar, or to focus on being fluent. If you focus too much on accuracy, the disadvantage is that you might hesitate, or only try very simple sentences so that you avoid mistakes. If you focus too much on fluency, the disadvantage is that your sentences might be so incorrect that other people can’t understand you. But there is a “third way” – and that is to use “spoken” English grammar. This is the particular grammar of spoken English – the grammar “rules” we use in conversations, rather than in writing. Here are thre ..read more

One problem with English grammar is that the rules are complicated. Often, there are exceptions, which makes the rule confusing. Or there are so many different things to remember, that you aren’t sure if you’re using the correct grammar. This can make you hesitate when you speak. But, in some cases, you can ignore grammar rules! Here are three rules you can break, so that you can speak more confidently and fluently. 1. The “One Tense Back” Rule (Reported Speech) In some situations it can be helpful to go one tense back so that other people know the sequence of “who said what and when”, but ..read more