(Level B1+)

I look forward to hearing from you is a golden expression used in both written and spoken English.

Level B2+

Who is the graffitist/provocateur/collective known as Banksy?

Who cares? In fact, I wish the plague upon those so-called reporters who want to unmask Banksy.

Let’s just say he’s probably from Bristol in the UK and has been linked with the cult music group/collective Massive Attack. The latter is definitely cool.

Level A2+

Some French speakers who speak English as a second or third language have adopted a robotic style of English

If I ask a student: How are you? I know 90% will respond with this robotic reply: Fine and you?
Robotic or automatic answers lack warmth and charm.

Level B1+

Giving an opinion can be quite easy. However, when we give our opinion, we must be careful that we do not sound too cold or insensitive. And we often also need to give more subtle and nuanced replies.

We can partially agree or agree to some extent, and totally agree and completely disagree

Level A2+

The verbs say and tell are very similar, but say is more about expressing something, and tell is more about informing or instructing someone.

Mary: Where’s John. He said he was coming to the party.

Peter: That’s funny, he told me he had an important meeting. He said he wouldn’t be here until 9pm.

Level B1+

On the one hand… and on the other hand, is used to contrast two opinions about a subject; one usually positive and one usually negative. We use our hands to reinforce our spoken language.

Level B2+

The titles given to women can be quite confusing and challenging to non-native speakers and native speakers.
Men have it easy. They are the entitled sex. Addressing a woman is a little more complicated.

Level C1+

Are you a culture vulture? A gender bender? A bit lardy-dardy? Do you like a bit of rumpy pumpy?

The English language is not only rich in content but also a lot of fun.

There is plenty of humour, with expressions such as nitwit, namby-pamby and lovey-dovey.

Level B1 +

How well do you know your English prepositions?

Here’s a little game for you.

Level B2+

“Both optimists and pessimists contribute to society,” wrote George Bernard Shaw. “The optimist invents the aeroplane, the pessimist the parachute.”

Are you a glass half-full person or a glass half-empty person?

Level B2+

Idioms are fun, but dangerous for speakers of English as a foreign language.

They are descriptive and poetic, but unfortunately the literal and dictionary meanings of the words have little to do with the idioms’ meanings.

Level B2+

There is nothing like a little murder and crime to take you mind off a pandemic.

And no-one does it better than the queen of crime and murder, Agatha Christie, who died 44 years ago.

Her books are said to rank third in the most published works, behind the Bible and Shakespeare.