Category: English language arts

  • Use of ‘get’

    ,

    You get anything when someone gives it to you, you obtain it by your own efforts, someone brings it to you or you buy it. Why not use get instead of take, obtain, bring or buy? It sounds nicer, let’s try:I got a gift from her this morning. (Instead of She gave me a gift…

  • Time expressions

    ,

    Units of time Smaller units of time combine together to make larger units: 60 seconds together make a minute. 60 minutes together make an hour. 24 hours together make a day. A week has seven days. 30 days is a month. 12 months make a year. 10 years make a decade. 10 decades or a…

  • Telling the date

    , ,

    Names of the days of the week Here is how you say (and write) the days of the week. [Brackets below enclose written abbreviations of the words. A written abbreviation is spoken as the full form of the word.] Saturday (Sat.) /ˈsæt.ə.deɪ, ˈsæt.ə.di/ Sunday (Sun.) /ˈsʌn.deɪ, ˈsʌn.di/ Monday (Mon.) /ˈmʌn.deɪ, ˈmʌn.di/ Tuesday (Tue. or Tues.) /ˈtjuːz.deɪ, ˈtjuːz.di/ Wednesday (Wed.) /ˈwenz.deɪ, ˈwenz.di/ Thursday (Thur.…

  • Asking and telling the time

    ,

    Asking the time You can ask the time in any of the following ways: ~ What’s the time? ~ What time is it? ~ What time is it now? ~ Do you know what time it is? ~ Could you tell me the time, please? ~ Excuse me, what’s the time? ~ Excuse me, what…

  • Using a dictionary

    What is a dictionary? When to consult a dictionary? How to consult a dictionary? Various reasons for consulting a dictionary What is a dictionary? A dictionary is a book, an application, or a website that lists words of a language in alphabetical order and gives their meanings in the same or a different language. The…

  • Watching movies for listening practice

    If you watch movies for listening practice, here are some tips for you. Decide your level and select a movie that fits you best, for example: Beginner: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) Intermediate: Grown Ups (2010). The movie adds to your vocabulary some slangs also. Advanced: No Country for Old Men (2007). The movie is in West…

  • Spoken and written language symbols

    Contents The text you can read from books is in written form. The symbols used for the written language are called letters. A set of letters of a certain language is called an alphabet. English has the following alphabet: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P…