Root words: find the part that carries meaning
A root word is the part of a word that carries its main meaning. Prefixes and suffixes can change that meaning or change the word's job in a sentence.
Everyday listening
Start with short recordings, then work through longer phrases. Listen once for the situation and again for the words.
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Run on sentences: repair joined sentences
Repair a run-on sentence by making separate sentences, using a comma with a coordinating conjunction, using a semicolon between closely related clauses, or making one clause dependent. Do not use a comma alone to join two complete clauses.
SMS English: abbreviations, clarity, and when to use full words
Use short forms such as msg, mins, and btw in casual messages when the reader will understand them. Use complete words and a clear request for work, school, customer service, or a first message to someone you do not know well.
Say and tell in reported speech
Use say with the message: Maya said that the train was late. Use tell with a listener and the message: Maya told us that the train was late. Do not put the listener directly after say, and do not leave it out after tell when tell introduces a reported statement.
See, watch, hear, and listen: choose the right perception verb
Use see and hear for noticing through your eyes or ears. Use watch and listen to when you deliberately follow something. Say watch a match, but listen to a podcast: watch takes its object directly, while listen usually needs to.
Semi- and bi-: understand common meanings
Use semi- when a word means half, partly, or not fully. Bi- often means two, but read the complete word and make timing clear with a phrase such as every two weeks when needed.
Sentence fragments: find and repair incomplete sentences
A sentence fragment is an incomplete sentence. Check whether the words have a subject and a verb and whether they give a complete thought. Repair a fragment by joining it to a complete clause or by adding the missing words.
Separable phrasal verbs: place the object
With a separable phrasal verb, put a noun object after the particle or between the verb and particle. Put a pronoun object between them.
Shall and will: understand modern English usage
Use will for most future statements and questions. Use shall mainly with I or we for offers, suggestions, and questions such as Shall I open the window? and Shall we start?
Similes exercise 1: understand comparisons in context
A simile compares two unlike things, usually with like or as...as. Read the surrounding situation, then identify the shared quality instead of interpreting the words literally.
Similes exercise 2: choose natural figurative comparisons
Choose a simile by its intended meaning, then check whether English speakers commonly use that comparison.
Similes exercise: understand comparisons in context
A simile is a comparison that helps you imagine a quality. It commonly uses like or as. In The suitcase was as heavy as a rock, the suitcase is not a rock; the comparison suggests that it was very heavy.