Practice
English exercises: choose what to practice
Not sure which English exercises to do? Pick one error pattern and work on it.
You sit down to study and need a place to start. Pick one error you often make, then choose practice for that error.
Try what you have learned
Listen to a recording, type what you hear, and check your answer.
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English exercises ING-glish-EK-ser-sy-ziz
Hear the soft sh sound link smoothly to the first beat of English exercises.
English practice: review and self-check
A review works best when it asks you to retrieve English, not when you only reread a page. A small self-check can show which point is ready to use and which point needs another look.
Open lessonEnglish practice: useful verb-noun collocations
Before the meeting, Maya took notes, made a decision, and gave her team an update. The nouns are ordinary, but English speakers usually pair each one with a particular verb.
Open lessonEnglish practice: word families
The manager gave a clear explanation. She explained the change clearly. The main idea is similar, but the words do different jobs.
Open lessonEnglish practice: workplace English
Could you send the revised figures by three o’clock? A short, clear request helps a colleague know exactly what to do and when to do it.
Open lessonEnglish practice: zero and first conditionals
First, decide whether the result is usual or future. Then choose the verb forms that match that meaning.
Open lessonEnglish vocabulary practice: useful words beginning with A
A short word list can become useful when you know the job each word does. These A words help you talk about choices, money, rules, feelings, and careful attention.
Open lessonEnglish vocabulary practice: useful words beginning with B
A balance can be an amount of money, a benefit is an advantage, and blame means saying that someone caused a problem. The first letter links these words, but their jobs and meanings are different.
Open lessonEnglish vocabulary practice: useful words beginning with C
A new word becomes useful when you can recognize it, say it, and put it into a situation you know. This set of C words appears in plans, work, travel, and ordinary conversations.
Open lessonEnglish vocabulary practice: useful words beginning with D
A deadline can make you decide quickly. The result may depend on the information you have, how you describe the problem, and whether you develop a workable plan.
Open lessonEnglish vocabulary practice: useful words beginning with E
Words that begin with the same letter can be useful for review, but a letter is not enough to tell you how to use them. Put each word in a situation. Then notice the noun, verb, or idea that helps it make sense.
Open lessonEnglish vocabulary practice: useful words beginning with F
A word list can look simple until you need one of the words in a message or conversation. These six F words have different jobs. Read the whole sentence to see which meaning fits.
Open lessonEnglish vocabulary practice: useful words beginning with G
Words that begin with the same letter can still do very different jobs. A gradual change takes time, a genuine answer is honest, and a quick glance lasts only a moment. Learn each word with a situation that makes its meaning clear.
Open lessonEnglish vocabulary practice: useful words beginning with H
A familiar first letter does not make a word easy to use. The words in this lesson appear in daily conversations, messages, and workplace plans, but each one has a different job in a sentence.
Open lessonEnglish vocabulary practice: useful words beginning with I
A new word becomes more useful when you can connect it to a familiar situation. These six I words appear in instructions, plans, messages, and everyday conversations.
Open lessonEnglish vocabulary practice: useful words beginning with J
A job can be new, a journey can be long, and a group can be easy to join. The surrounding words show which J word you need.
Open lessonEnglish vocabulary practice: useful words beginning with K
Words that begin with the same letter can do very different jobs. Keep is usually a verb, keen is an adjective, key can be a noun or an adjective, kind is often an adjective, and knowledge is a noun.
Open lessonEnglish vocabulary practice: useful words beginning with L
A label on a box, a loan from a friend, and a shop near home can all give you a reason to use an L word. The first letter is a useful memory hook, but the situation tells you which word fits.
Open lessonEnglish vocabulary practice: useful words beginning with M
A short email can ask you to manage a task, mention a detail, measure a space, follow a method, or correct a mistake. These five M words appear in practical situations, but each does a different job.
Open lessonEnglish vocabulary practice: useful words beginning with N
A station can be nearby, but a narrow street may still take time to walk through. Small details like these help you choose a word that says exactly what you mean.
Open lessonEnglish vocabulary practice: useful words beginning with P
A short group of words can do a lot of work when you know where each one fits. Patient, polite, practical, prepare, prevent, and progress are useful in messages, conversations, and everyday plans.
Open lessonEnglish vocabulary practice: useful words beginning with Q
The platform was quiet, but a long queue had formed by the ticket machine. One letter can begin many useful words, and the rest of the sentence shows which one you need.
Open lessonEnglish vocabulary practice: useful words beginning with R
You receive a message, reduce a cost, refuse an offer, repair a fault, make a request, and wait for a result. These six R words help you describe everyday actions and outcomes clearly.
Open lessonEnglish vocabulary practice: useful words beginning with S
The schedule says the workshop starts at ten, but the room is not suitable for a group of thirty. These familiar S words help you describe plans, choices, and practical problems.
Open lessonEnglish vocabulary practice: useful words beginning with T
A word list is easier to remember when each word solves a small communication problem. These T words can help you discuss plans, problems, short-term situations, and changes around you.
Open lesson
The short answer
Pick exercises for one clear error, such as spelling or a group noun. Then write a few answers that use the same rule.
I'm doing English exercises to practice dropping the silent e.
Why it works: Choose practice for one rule you want to use more easily.
3 more examples
-
At the library study desk
She’s coming home after her spelling exercises.
Coming has one m after you drop the e in come.
Not this:She’s
comminghome after her spelling exercises. What changes: An extra m makes a spelling error. -
In a morning meeting room
The police are waiting outside the building.
Police is plural, so use are.
Not this:The
police iswaiting outside the building. What changes: Police is plural, so is does not fit. -
In the shared office space
They're putting their books over there on the desk.
Check each lookalike word by its job in the sentence.
Not this:
Theirputting there books over they're on the desk. What changes: The wrong lookalike word makes the sentence hard to read.
Quick check
What is a useful way to start English practice today?
Answer: Pick one specific error pattern to fix.
Show the answer
Answer: Pick one specific error pattern to fix.
Start with one error you often make. Then choose practice for that error.
Read the full guide
Try the listening exerciseStart with the error you see most often. Then choose a short exercise that uses that same rule.
Spot the spelling changes
The problem: I know a spelling rule but still write double letters in the wrong words, such as comming.
When you add -ing to many verbs ending in e, drop the e: write becomes writing. Keep the e in a few words, such as see and dye.
-
Not this:
I'm comming to the office now.Say: I'm coming to the office now.
Come ends in e, so drop e before -ing. Do not add a second m.
-
Not this:
We planed the project yesterday.Say: We planned the project yesterday.
Plan has one short vowel before n, so double n before -ed.
Your turn
Which sentence has the correct verb spelling?
Answer: She's coming to the meeting today.
Show the answer
Answer: She's coming to the meeting today.
Coming has one m: drop e, then add -ing.
Match verbs with group nouns
The problem: I am not sure if a group noun needs a singular or plural verb.
Use a singular verb when you think of a group as one unit. You can say my family is big when you mean the whole family.
-
Not this:
The police is checking the car.Say: The police are checking the car.
Police is plural, so it needs are.
Your turn
Choose the correct sentence for the noun police.
Answer: The police are helping the drivers.
Show the answer
Answer: The police are helping the drivers.
Police is plural. In this sentence, use are.
Separate words that look alike
The problem: I mix up their, there, and they’re in writing.
Before you send an email, match each word to its job. Use they’re for they are, their for belonging, and there for a place.
Its has no apostrophe when it means belonging to it.
The dog wagged its tail.
It’s means it is or it has.
It's a sunny day.
Your turn
Which sentence uses the correct spelling for place?
Answer: Put the box over there by the window.
Show the answer
Answer: Put the box over there by the window.
There names a place. Their means belonging to them. They’re means they are.
Pick your daily exercise focus
The problem: I do not know which exercise will help with the error I keep making.
You have ten minutes before your shift. Pick one topic for this study time. One clear task helps you see the rule and use it.
| The error you see | A useful exercise | A short task |
|---|---|---|
| Double letters in verbs | Spelling quiz | Write five -ing forms |
| Team: is or are | Group noun drill | Match nouns to is or are |
| There, their, or they’re | Lookalike word check | Match place, belonging, or they are |
Your turn
You often write comming instead of coming. What should you practice today?
Answer: Silent e spelling rules with -ing endings.
Show the answer
Answer: Silent e spelling rules with -ing endings.
Coming has one m. Practice silent e and -ing forms.
Before you go
Question 1 of 2
Fill in the blank. Use the correct -ing form of write.
Answer: She's writing a detailed email to her manager right now.
Show the answer
Answer: writing
Write becomes writing: drop e, then add -ing.
Remember this
Pick one pattern. Practice it, then write a sentence with it.
Listen first
Listen and write
Listen, type what you hear, then choose Check my answer. Use a hint when you get stuck.
0 of 3 done
Listening 1 of 3
Listen, then type what you hear. Replay as often as you need.
0:00
Read the transcript
Our team's planning a special dinner for Friday night.
Plan doubles its final n before adding the -ing ending.
Listening 2 of 3
Listen, then type what you hear. Replay as often as you need.
0:00
Read the transcript
I'm writing a long letter to my family today.
Write drops its silent e before adding the -ing ending.
Try a longer clip. Listen once, then replay the part you missed.
Listening 3 of 3
Listen, then type what you hear. Replay as often as you need.
0:00
Read the transcript
Our teacher's explaining a new spelling rule to the class. We're writing down each word carefully so we don't make any errors.
Drop the silent e from write before you add -ing.
Practice complete
You listened closely.
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Test yourself
Listen to a new clip and write what you hear. You can replay it, but hints stay off and the transcript opens after you check your answer.
0 of 4 done
Listening 1 of 4
Listen, then type what you hear. Replay as often as you need.
Watching city traffic
0:00
Read the transcript
The police aren't stopping drivers on the busy street.
Police is always a plural noun and takes a plural verb.
Listening 2 of 4
Listen, then type what you hear. Replay as often as you need.
Arriving at a workshop
0:00
Read the transcript
They're leaving their bags over there by the door.
Use they're for they are, their for bags, and there for location.
Listening 3 of 4
Listen, then type what you hear. Replay as often as you need.
In a busy corporate department
0:00
Read the transcript
My staff's working on the final project report this week. They're checking every paragraph together before they send it to the manager.
Staff is a group noun here. They’re refers to the people.
Listening 4 of 4
Listen, then type the missing words. The rest of the text is already there.
Organizing weekly study tasks at home
0:00
Read the transcript
I'm setting up my weekly study routine this morning. My family's helping me organize the grammar cards on the kitchen table. We're picking three quick spelling quizzes and two noun drills for each day. It's easy to stay motivated when you follow a clear study plan every afternoon. Our small group's ready to start practice right after lunch.
Group nouns take singular verbs when viewed as a single team or unit.
Practice complete
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Save my progressQuestions about "English exercises: choose what to practice"
How should I choose English exercises?
Start with one error you often make. Choose a short exercise that uses that same rule, then write a few answers of your own. This helps you see what to practice next.
I often write there for their, so I will practice that word pair today.
Why does write become writing?
Many verbs ending in e drop the e before -ing. Write becomes writing. Some forms keep e, so check a learner’s dictionary when you are unsure.
She is writing a note for her teacher.
When do I double the last letter before -ed or -ing?
Some short verbs with one vowel and one last consonant double that consonant before a vowel suffix: plan becomes planned. In longer verbs, this happens when the last beat is strong, as in preferred. Visit becomes visited, with one t.
We planned the trip last night.
Does a group noun take is or are?
It depends on the meaning and the variety of English. Use a singular verb when you mean the group as one unit. In British English, a plural verb can refer to the members.
The team is ready for the match.
What is the difference between there, their, and they’re?
There points to a place. Their means belonging to them. They’re is short for they are. Read the sentence with they are when you are not sure about they’re.
Their bags are over there because they’re leaving soon.
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