English practice: word families
First decide what job the missing word must do. Then choose the noun, verb, adjective, or adverb from the related word family that fits both the grammar and the meaning.
English for work and meetings
Practice expressions used to talk about work, projects and other people. Try each recording before opening the explanation.
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English prefixes: use word beginnings to predict meaning
Find the base word, notice the prefix, and then check the whole sentence. For example, re- often suggests doing something again, while un- often changes a word to its opposite or adds the idea of not.
English prepositions: choose natural words for relationships
Choose a preposition from the relationship in the sentence. Use at for a point, in for an enclosed space or longer period, on for a surface or day, by for a method or deadline, for for purpose or duration, and with for company or a tool.
English proverbs: meaning and context
A proverb gives a general observation or piece of advice in a fixed, memorable form. Treat it as one possible view, not as a rule that settles every situation. Use the surrounding conversation to work out what the speaker means.
English tag questions: check, invite, and soften a statement
Match the tag to the statement's auxiliary verb and subject. After a positive statement, use a negative tag: ‘The meeting starts at nine, doesn't it?’ After a negative statement, use a positive tag: ‘You aren't busy, are you?’
English vocabulary practice: useful words beginning with C
Learn each C word with a short meaning, a common phrase, and a complete example. Use calm for a peaceful state, careful for attention to possible problems, cancel for ending a plan, capable for having an ability, compare for examining differences or similarities, and complain for saying that something is wrong.
English vocabulary practice: useful words beginning with P
Learn a new P-word with one clear meaning and one natural phrase. Then make a sentence about a situation you know, so you can choose the word for its meaning instead of its first letter.
English vocabulary practice: useful words beginning with X, Y, and Z
Start with common, useful words and learn them in context. X-ray names a type of medical image, yearly means once every year, yearn means want something deeply, zero means none, and zoom can mean move very quickly or make an image look closer on a screen.
English words with meanings and example sentences
Check the whole sentence. Whether a word is a noun, verb or adjective gives a clue, but nearby words help you choose its meaning.
Fall behind and fall out: meanings and use
Fall behind means to stop keeping up with work, study, payments, or another person. Fall out usually means to argue and stop being friendly.
Formal and informal writing: choose the right tone
Choose your tone after you decide who will read the message and what you need from them. Use a suitable greeting and closing, make requests politely when the situation needs it, and avoid slang or very casual abbreviations in formal writing.
Fractions and percentages in English
Say one half, one third, two thirds, and three quarters for common fractions. Say a number plus percent for percentages. After of, match the verb to the thing being counted or measured.