Taking a load off (#idiom)

Taking a load off

Monday is President’s Day, a holiday in the U.S., so we’re getting a three-day weekend, which means I finally get to TAKE A LOAD OFF. It’s been so busy at work lately that I’m making it a point to take it easy this weekend. Sure, I still have a list of things to do, but… Read more »

Christmas 2015

It’s Christmas!

We’re having an unseasonably warm Christmas here in New York City. It’s strange, but no one’s complaining. Most of us are enjoying it, especially as we know the brutal wintry weather will eventually return. I, myself, have been busy lately, so Christmas this year means slowing down, taking it easy, and getting plenty of rest…. Read more »

Pasta dish for English vocabulary lesson

It’s Thanksgiving!

It’s Thanksgiving once again! I wish you all a day of fun, great food, quality time with family and friends, and plenty of things to be grateful for. If you are celebrating Thanksgiving, you will most likely pig out on a huge meal with some fantastic desserts. You will probably have seconds. You will be… Read more »

Image of autumn leaves for English lesson on the future perfect

Reviewing the Future Perfect

. We’re halfway through November. The autumn leaves have fallen, and winter is fast approaching. The year 2015 is almost over, and we just have a month or so before the new year begins. Do you have anything that you want to accomplish by the end of the year? Are you working on a task… Read more »

cute pumpkin photos for Halloween post

Is Halloween becoming less scary? :-|

Halloween has always been a spooky holiday where people put up creepy decorations and wear scary costumes. When you think of Halloween, you think skeletons & vampires & haunted houses & witches flying in the dark. People get pumpkins and carve Jack ‘o lanterns that are supposed to give passersby chills, right? SPOOKY, CREEPY –… Read more »

photo of lunch for #vocabulary lesson

Calling in sick & feeling under the weather

I’ve been home feeling under the weather the past two days. I think I caught my cold early last week when I started sniffling off and on. I must say I did a pretty good job keeping it at bay until Sunday, when it suddenly got worse and my nose started to run nonstop. šŸ˜… Read more »

image of the simple present and the present progressive from a grammar booklet

Have you mastered the English present tenses?

The Simple Present and the Present Progressive/ContinuousĀ are the first two tenses that you learn when you first start studying English. Because of this, many students who have been studying English for a long time don’t want to practice them anymore because they think these tenses are too easy. Unfortunately, even advanced students can have a… Read more »

photos for English lesson on the slang phrase "the skinny"

Here’s the skinny on “the skinny”!

You probably already know that the word “skinny” also means “thin,” which is the opposite of “fat.” A person who doesn’t need to lose weight and who probably needs to gain weight is skinny, right? However, did you also know that the phrase “the skinny” is slang for “information” about some topic? That’s right! This… Read more »

photo to teach English vocabulary

Are you a night owl or an early bird?

People are usually either a night owl or an early bird. If you love to stay up until the wee hours of the morning, you are definitely a night owl. On the other hand, if you prefer to hit the sack early and get up early the next day, you can call yourself an early… Read more »

PB&J photo for an English vocabulary blog post

Becoming FOND OF blueberry jam

I usually make a PB&J to take to work every day–or my wife does it for me. šŸ™‚ Recently, we decided to try blueberry instead of my usual raspberry, but I quickly realized I wasn’t too fond of the flavor. šŸ˜ I like blueberry in pies and cakes, but it just didn’t go with peanut… Read more »

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Latest
  • Diagram lesson on the difference between the PRESENT PERFECT and the PAST PERFECT

    Present Perfect vs. Past perfect

    If you haven’t checked out our lessons on the present perfect orĀ the present perfect progressive, as well as the past perfect orĀ the past perfect progressive, go there first to BRUSH UPĀ (review) on these tenses. For this lesson, we’re going to CONTRAST (show the differences between) the present and past perfect tenses to clarify them even… Read more »

  • fun, more fun, the most fun

    Consider this sentence: Sue is such a fun person to be with, but I think Jim is more fun than Sue. However, I think Ted is the most fun. We don’t say “funner than” or “the funnest” although these are apparently slowly becoming acceptable. This is because English is a living language and continuous to… Read more »

  • Chip in

    To chip in means to contribute to some cause or project. You can chip in $5 for an office party or chip in to get a coworker a birthday present. You can chip in with your talents, skills, or expertise; you can also chip in with your opinions during a discussion. In addition, when you… Read more »

  • graphic for the PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE lesson

    Present perfect progressive

    Like the present perfect, the present perfect progressive connects the past with the present. However, the progressive tense focuses more on the action or activity of the main verb, while the present perfect presents the sentence more as a fact. In addition, the present perfect progressive is almost always used with for (to convey duration),… Read more »

  • Clutter

    I’ve been thinking about clutter a lot lately. I don’t like it, but I see it quite a bit these days. Clutter the noun is synonymous to a mess and is pretty much any disorganized collection of things especially if they’re strewn across a space or an area. As a verb, to clutter means to… Read more »

  • graphic for the PRESENT PERFECT TENSE

    the present perfect

        The present perfect has a couple of uses, and if you understand the ways it is used, remember them, and practice, you’re on your way to mastering this tense. First, you should know the structure. The present perfect uses “have” or “has” as an auxiliary verb and the past participle as a main… Read more »

  • Getting the hang of a new schedule

    I’m on my third week on a new schedule and I’m still getting the hang of it. I still teach until 10 at night. However, instead of starting at noon, I now start at 10 a.m., which makes for a long day and means I have to go to bed as soon as I get… Read more »

  • Looking for a needle in a haystack

    Needle & button in Midtown Manhattan If you’re in New York City, you’ll find this enormous (huge) needle and button leaning against an information booth in Midtown Manhattan. I walk by this sculpture in the city’s Garment district everyday and have often thought of the expression “like looking for a needle in a haystack.” (Yes, I… Read more »

  • off the beaten path

    I took this photo from an ad by Aruba (the country) on the subway. The ad LURES (invite; entice) subway riders to the island’s clear Caribbean waters and white sand. I wonder how many COMMUTERS (people traveling from home to work/school) actually booked tickets to Aruba after seeing this ad. I remember wanting to go, myself, as… Read more »

  • the past perfect progressive

    First, be sure to review our small lesson on the past perfect. Once you understand how to use the past perfect, the past perfect progressive shouldn’t be too difficult. Like the past perfect, the past perfect progressive occurs before the past tense. The progressiveĀ or “ing” form means that we’re focusing on an activity that was… Read more »