second conditional examples
Intermediate
Jay

The second conditional in action – English grammar

We use the English second conditional to talk about imaginary, hypothetical or unreal possibilities. In this video we’ll show you how to form the second conditional and when to use it. We look at: First vs second conditional First and second conditionals are similar because they’re both about present and future possibilities. The difference is the second conditional is more imaginary. We use it to talk about unlikely or unreal possibilities. Second conditional examples You’ll

Read More »
quite in British and American English
Intermediate
Jay

The trickiest word in English – Quite!

Is the meaning of the adverb quite, very or completely? It looks like a small difference but it can lead to big misunderstandings. Sometimes quite means the same thing in British and American English, but sometimes it’s used differently. In this video we show you – how to use quite to mean completely – how to use not quite (meaning not completely) to criticize someone gently or say you disagree. – how quite can mean

Read More »
british english slang
Intermediate
Jay

British Slang Words Quiz

Play along with a British English slang quiz. Vicki (who is British) tests Jay (who is American) with 10 British English slang words and he does very well! You’ll learn 10 slang words and colloquial expressions including: bloke, meaning dude quid, not quids bog and bog roll a tad meaning a little knackered and clapped out skint meaning broke hard cheese meaning hard luck – often ironic peckish meaning a little hungry cheeky meaning disrespectful

Read More »
useful english adjectives
Intermediate
Jay

7 useful English adjectives

Learn some adjectives while you’re shopping with us in Philadelphia. We’ll show you 7 useful English adjectives in action and also some common adjective + preposition phrases. We look at: – the adjective chilly and how we use it to talk about the weather and relationships – major, meaning large and important – financial vs economic – tall vs high – vague meaning not detailed or clear And we also look at some adjective +

Read More »
Elementary
Jay

Your English Goals – Speaking Challenge 2019

This is your invitation to practice speaking English with us and appear in one of our videos! Make a short video where you’re speaking in English, and we’ll share it with the world. Here’s how it works: 1. You make a short video of yourself speaking – just a few sentences. Tell us who you are and your English goals. 2. You send the video to us, or send us a link where we can

Read More »
can't and not c*nt
Intermediate
Jay

2 tricky vowel sounds in British and American English – AH and UH

We made a video a while ago on how we say can and can’t in British and American English. You can see it here. It was very popular but many of you wrote saying you were worried about saying the right the vowel sound in the word can’t. If you get it wrong you could say can’t and not c*nt – so a rude word in English. Some of you said you say cannot instead.

Read More »
plate or dish prototype theory
Intermediate
Jay

Dish or plate? Prototype theory and English vocabulary

What’s the difference between a plate and a dish in English? In some languages there’s just one word. It’s not a simple answer because the meanings of words often overlap. In this English lesson we explain when we say dish or plate and look at the features of: – plates, dishes, cups, mugs and bowls – different kinds of games We show how the meanings of words can be fuzzy at the edges and it

Read More »
Intermediate
Jay

Vocabulary for talking about love – Happy Valentine’s Day!

Is it possible to fall in love in just one conversation? In this video we ask and answer 11 English questions that can lead to love and explore the vocabulary of love and relationships along the way. In this lesson you’ll learn vocabulary for talking about love and relationships including: – words for describing relationships: compatible, close, treasured – things lovers might do as they get closer such as: to impress, to be compatible, to

Read More »
sickness and illness vocabulary
Intermediate
Jay

Sickness and Illness Vocabulary in British and American English

Watch this English lesson to learn vocabulary for health and sickness. We’ll also show you how some words we use to talk about illness are different in British and American English. You’ll learn vocabulary for: – cold and flu symptoms like fever, sore throat and blocked or runny nose – germs and bugs – symptoms like feeling nauseous, having diarrhea and having constipation – different kinds of aches in English – different ways to say

Read More »
who or whom
Intermediate
Jay

Who and whom – when and how to use them

Learn the difference between who and whom in this English grammar lesson. Who is a subject pronoun and whom is an object pronoun. We’ll show you: – how who and whom work – a test to see if who or whom is correct – when it’s appropriate to use whom in formal writing – when it’s not appropriate to use whom (Whom can sound pompous) – how we use whom in constructions with prepositions We’ll

Read More »

Social Media