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by Liz Walter
Today’s post and my next one look at words and phrases for talking about how much things cost – a common topic of conversation! This first one looks at words for things with high prices.
Continue reading “It costs a fortune: talking about high prices”
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by Liz Walter
My last post looked at three very common non-standard uses of grammar in English. It is important to be aware of them but also to be clear that they are not suitable in situations where formal English is required, and certainly not in English exams. Today I look at some more common non-standard grammar forms.
Continue reading “I would of done it: understanding non-standard grammar forms (2)”
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by Liz Walter
One of the best ways to learn a language is to go to a country where it is spoken, or to interact with speakers of the language in other ways. However, you are likely to come across some non-standard grammar. Some of these forms are very common, so it is useful to be aware of them. However, they are not considered correct, especially in formal contexts, and you will lose marks if you use them in exams. This post and my next one will look at a few such grammar points.
Continue reading “We was hungry: understanding non-standard grammar forms (1)”
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by Liz Walter
Most of us know someone who often gets into trouble because they don’t stop to consider the consequences of their behaviour. This post is about ways of describing these people and their actions.
Continue reading “Reckless and impulsive: words for acting without enough thought”
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by Liz Walter
In my last post, I looked at how to say someone’s age using the number of years they have been alive. Today’s post covers some other ways of talking about how old a person is, particularly looking at different life stages.
Continue reading “Toddlers, tweens and pensioners: more words for talking about age”
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by Liz Walter
We often have to talk about the age of people and things, but this is an area where learners often make errors. This post will explain how to talk about age and how to avoid common errors. Continue reading “A young man of twenty: talking about age”
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by Liz Walter
Today’s post looks at phrases for talking about what the future holds. In particular, it will cover vocabulary relating to how much – if at all – we can control what happens to us.
Continue reading “It’s written in the stars: talking about things that might happen in the future”
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by Liz Walter
The covid pandemic and the continued rise of social media have both caused fundamental changes in the way we communicate and spend time with one another. Because of this, we often need to specify whether we are talking about being in the same physical place as someone or whether we are interacting online, for example to take part in work meetings, family chats or even romantic relationships. Today’s post looks at some words and phrases we use to make that distinction.
Continue reading “In real life or the virtual world: ways of being present”
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by Liz Walter
We all have times when we need to reassure someone, perhaps because they have done something they regret, because they are worried about something they have to do in the future or because they are experiencing something that is causing them anxiety.
Continue reading “Nobody blames you: phrases for offering reassurance”
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by Liz Walter
Today’s post is about ways of talking about someone’s intelligence. Interestingly, there are some subtle differences in the way British and American speakers use what are probably the two most common synonyms for intelligent: clever and smart.
Continue reading “Wise, brainy, or astute: words for describing intelligent people”