'How come' is used a lot in conversation and friendlier styles of writing: - "I decided not to take that job." - "Really? How come?" - "How come you aren't going out tonight?" - "I won't be able to come tomorrow, sorry." - "Oh no, how come?" - "So how come he got the job and not me?" As you might be able to guess, how come is used to ask why or how something … [Read more...] about “So How Come You Have Two Cars?” – English Expression
Grammar
Pick Up With The Present Perfect – “When Leandro Meets Sonia”
Today a story for English learners - suitable for Upper Intermediate (B2+) level. There's a word bank at the bottom of the article with some discussion of some of the grammar and vocabulary. Enjoy! Leandro couldn't believe his eyes. A beautiful young woman, exactly his type, had walked into the store. "She's so gorgeous. I just have to talk to her," he said to … [Read more...] about Pick Up With The Present Perfect – “When Leandro Meets Sonia”
Using ‘SO’ In Conversation – Part 2 [‘SO MANY’]
You'll improve your spoken English fluency if you become more aware of collocations in English. For example, last week we looked at the word 'so', in particular examples with so+much: "I've got so much work to do." "I've had so much pasta tonight." "I've got so much to do today." If you see so much as a separate unit of lexis or vocabulary, it'll help you avoid some … [Read more...] about Using ‘SO’ In Conversation – Part 2 [‘SO MANY’]
‘If’ And ‘Will’ *Can* Go Together
You've probably read in some English coursebooks that the words if and will can't be used together in a sentence. However, as you'll see today, that's not true! First up, what the coursebooks mean is that if and will can't be used together in some specific situations. For example, when you're forming a regular conditional sentence, perhaps to talk about something that the … [Read more...] about ‘If’ And ‘Will’ *Can* Go Together
Using “So” In Conversation – Part 1 [So Much]
Sometimes you can improve your English simply by having a deeper understanding of words you already know, as well as learning which other words they frequently go with. Take the word so. As a native speaker of English, I can grab a pen and write a list of tons of collocations which feature so: so + good | hard | exciting | tired | boring | many Another option to find … [Read more...] about Using “So” In Conversation – Part 1 [So Much]
The Grammar Of “I Wish I Were Rich” – The Subjunctive Mood
Jack comes home from work and looks at his small flat which he rents in Melbourne. "It's not bad," he thinks to himself, "But I wish I were rich. Then I could just go and buy my own place by the sea!" It's quite possible you learnt the grammar of making a present wish as follows: "I wish I were rich" -> 'WISH' + PAST SIMPLE But then you probably also got a bit … [Read more...] about The Grammar Of “I Wish I Were Rich” – The Subjunctive Mood
“The” – Phrases & Patterns That Go With The Definite Article
Articles are a common problem for many learners, especially from Slavic countries such as the Czech Republic. I'm sometimes surprised that even students in proficiency-level (C2) classes commonly miss out on 'a' or 'an' as well as 'the', 'some' and 'any' when they speak. … [Read more...] about “The” – Phrases & Patterns That Go With The Definite Article
Britney Spears & The Phrase “Are You Loving It..?”
What's new this week? Well, we know that American singer Britney Spears was sporting a new hairstyle at a concert in Las Vegas, according to The Huffington Post. … [Read more...] about Britney Spears & The Phrase “Are You Loving It..?”
The ‘Present Continuous’ – Phrases & Use In Everyday Conversation
How can you use the verb form that many English coursebooks call the 'present continuous' or 'present progressive' (ie be + base verb+ing)? The (be) + base+ing form is used where the speaker sees the event that they're talking about to be: for a temporary or limited period of time in progress at the time of speaking but where this action is not seen as a point in … [Read more...] about The ‘Present Continuous’ – Phrases & Use In Everyday Conversation
