A student asked, “What are some synonyms for surprised?” Here are 10 other words you could use! Other words for SURPRISED Instead of saying I was surprised, you could say “I was…” amazed astounded astonished awestruck blown away dumbfounded flabbergasted shocked stunned stupefied taken aback Some of these tend to be used more for good surprises – like amazed and awestruck – and others for bad surprises, like shocked and taken aback. Many can be used for both. Keep reading for some examples of how to use these “surprised” synonyms! When you join my Complete Program, you’ll be astonished at The ..read more

In previous lessons, you’ve learned how to do reported speech and reported questions/commands – now here are some verbs you can use to do the reporting! Pay special attention to the grammatical structure of how each one is used, and make sure to avoid the common errors. Common Reporting Verbs say + (that) Using the word “that” is optional after “say”: Bob said he was happy. Bob said that he was happy. Avoid this common error: Bob said me that he was happy. tell + someone + (that) After the word “tell,” we must always have a person: Jane told me she had worked late. The ..read more

You’re probably pronouncing these words wrong – yes, even you, native English speakers! Today I’m going to teach you the right way to say 20 English words that are commonly mispronounced – so you can say them confidently. Because this lesson focuses on pronunciation, I’m not going to explain the definitions – but if you download the free lesson guide PDF, each word has its definition and an example sentence. Download lesson PDF OK, are you ready? Make sure to practice with me by repeating these words out loud using the correct pronunciation. How to pronounce ESPRESSO Say espresso, not The post ..read more

Your DEFINATELY spelling these words wrong! Today you’ll learn words that most people misspell. In fact, two of them are in that sentence! 1. The word definitely does NOT have an “A.” Some people even write “defiantly” which is a completely different word. But it’s definitely, not definately. 2. And the other mistake is your, y-o-u-r. In the title of the video it should be you’re, which is short for “you are.” The version spelled y-o-u-r is for possession – your house, your dog, your backpack. Learn more about your vs. you’re. Download lesson PDF 3. 4. Our next word The post 100 Commonly Missp ..read more

Download 30+ ask the teacher lessons Grammar e-books Today’s student question is, “Can we say ‘less tall’ for the opposite of taller?” The answer is no, we don’t use “less” with one-syllable adjectives. We would only use “less” with the same adjectives that use “more” in comparisons – more/less expensive, more/less interesting, more/less comfortable. With “tall” we could say “not as tall as” – I’m not as tall as my brother. Or simply use the opposite comparative adjective – “shorter” – I’m shorter than my brother. Hope that helps! Click here to download lots more “ask the teacher” lessons like ..read more

Do you want to learn 100 phrasal verbs in the next 15 minutes? Get ready, because that’s exactly what we’re going to do! We’re going to go through them fast, so there’s no way you’ll remember them all just by taking this lesson once. That’s why you should definitely download the free PDF guide so you can review them again and again – and a little bonus, the free PDF also has quizzes to help you practice these 100 phrasal verbs! Phrasal verbs with BREAK break in / break into: enter a building illegally with force. This is what robbers do, The post 100 Phrasal Verbs in 15 Minutes appeared f ..read more

Download 30+ ask the teacher lessons Everyday English Speaking Course Wishful thinking: Meaning Our question of the day is from a student who asked what the expression “wishful thinking” means. Wishful thinking is when there’s something you hope or want to happen… but the reality is that it probably won’t; it’s actually very unlikely. Wishful thinking is TOO optimistic and not realistic. You’re thinking about something that’s very nice to imagine, but it’s not actually practical in real life. Wishful thinking: Examples Let me give you a couple examples of wishful thinking: Someone who doesn’t ..read more

 Download 30+ ask the teacher lessons Phrasal Verbs in Conversation Course What does it mean to “call someone out”? That’s our question of the day! If you call someone out, it means you bring attention to the person’s bad behavior. This could be by talking about it publicly, or by confronting the person directly and talking specifically about what they’re doing wrong. A couple of examples: If a famous religious leader says one thing but does something different, the media might call him out on his hypocrisy by publishing an article drawing attention to it. If one of your The post “Call someon ..read more

Download 30+ ask the teacher lessons 600+ Confusing English Words Explained Today’s student question: What’s the difference between light up, lighten up, and enlighten? These have some meanings you might not expect. Light up can mean for a light to turn on, or to make an area brighter – the Christmas decorations are lighting up the whole house. But we also say a person lights up when they suddenly become excited and cheerful. People often light up when they start talking about a topic they’re very interested in. Lighten up is an informal expression meaning to take things less seriously. The po ..read more

Today we’re going to learn phrasal verbs with RUN – run around, run for, run off, run on, and many more. Because these phrasal verbs are all so similar, it’s essential to test yourself by taking a quiz to see if you remember the difference – Download the lesson PDF + quiz to try it! run after To chase or pursue I ran after the bus, but it didn’t stop for me. Image source run around 1. To run around an area When I was a kid, I used to run around the neighborhood with my friends. 2. To be The post Phrasal Verbs with RUN appeared first on Espresso English ..read more