After an intensive four days of inspection by the team from ISI, the Independent Schools Inspectorate, we were delighted to emerge with a fantastic overall grade ’1′, the highest possible grade.  ICE ‘Exceeded Expectations’ in the areas of Leadership & Management and Teaching & Curriculum and was described as ‘Outstanding’ in many areas.  We await the full report to pass on details.  Well done to all the ICE staff!

Hi guys,

Just back from my holidays- sorry I haven’t blogged for a while.

In today’s English class we’re going to look at some vocabulary mistakes that students make in my class all the time, so see if you can spot the errors, and then check your answers of course.

Here goes:

Common vocabulary problems- see if you can correct them.

1. I really love comedy films. They’re my favourite.
2. I quite like where I live. It’s a nice neighborhood.
3. I’m always stressful at my job- it’s too tough for me.
4. We often get angry and have discussions- I can’t take it anymore.
5. James doesn’t like waiting. He’s really unpatient.
6. My uncle ate so much food that he couldn’t eat any desert.
7. I always wanted to be a cooker when I was young.
8. New York is too touristic for me.
9. My father and I have a really strong relation.
10. Amy broke her leg yesterday so she’s out of work.
11. Tigers are a specie which is endangered.
12. You need to wash up your clothes before tomorrow.

And here are the answers:

1. I really love comedies. They’re my favourite.
2. I quite like where I live. It’s a nice neighbourhood.Without a u is American.
3. I’m always stressed at my job- it’s too tough for me.
4. We often get angry and have arguments- I can’t take it anymore. Arguments are aggressive-not discussions.
5. James doesn’t like waiting. He’s really impatient.
6. My uncle ate so much food that he couldn’t eat any dessert. Sahara desert.
7. I always wanted to be a cook when I was young.A cooker is an oven
8. New York is too touristy for me. Touristic doesn’t exist.
9. My father and I have a really strong relationship.
10. Amy broke her leg yesterday so she’s off work. Out of work is unemployed.
11. Tigers are a species which is endangered. Species is singular and plural.
12. You need to wash  your clothes before tomorrow. Wash up is for plates e.t.c.

How did you do? I’d say 8 out of 12 is pretty good for an upper-intermediate student.

Anyway, see you again soon.

As always, good luck with your English!

Click here to enrol in English courses in London.

Hi guys,

Just to follow up what we said about usually, used to, be used to, get used to.

See how you do. Correct the sentences below (if they need correcting).

1. I’m not used to getting up early.

2. I usually get cold because I work on a boat.

3. I haven’t got used to he be rude.

4. I don’t go to the gym but I used to.

5. We used to ate fish every Friday.

6. If he works hard, he’ll be used to the long hours.

7. I am used to high bus prices because I have lived here for a long time.

8. James has been used to his level of pay for a few years.

9. I didn’t use to be a lawyer.

10. I buy her flowers because she cooks for us usually at Christmas.

1. I’m not used to getting up early. Correct.

2. I usually get cold/am used to getting cold because I work on a boat.

3. I haven’t got used to his rudeness.

4. I don’t go to the gym but I used to. Correct.

5. We used to eat fish every Friday.

6. If he works hard, he’ll get used to the long hours.

7. I am used to high bus prices because I have lived here for a long time. Correct.

8. James has been used to his level of pay for a few years. Correct.

9. I didn’t use to be a lawyer.

10. I buy her flowers because she usually cooks for us  at Christmas.

Hi guys,

Welcome back to my English speakers’ blog. Today we’re going to have a quick look at the differences between used, used to, be used to, get used to and usually. Then after you’ve read the rules you’ll have time to practise some exercises and see if you can get them right.

So, here goes.

Used

Used is the past simple and past participle of the verb use. It is pronounced differently to used to, be used to and get used to, because it has a /z/ sound instead of a /s/ sound.  E.g.- I used the cricket bat to hit the annoying child.

Used to

Used to is used to talk about repeated actions or states in the past. Often it’s to talk about things that have finished. It’s followed by the infinitive without to. Also remember to take away the d if it’s a negative or a question.                                                                                              E.g.- George Bush used to be president of the U.S.A.                                                                                                                                        E.g.- I didn’t use to like her but I do now.

Get used to

Get used to is used to describe the action of becoming accustomed to something that is unusual or perhaps bad. It means to become comfortable with something that is strange, or might be strange. It is followed by a noun (including gerunds) or a noun phrase.                E.g. – I’m getting used to the short English winter nights.                                                 E.g.- I haven’t got used to life without my husband.

Be used to

Be used to is to describe the state after you have got used to something. It’s similar to getting married and being married. One is an action and the other is a state. Again we use the phrase with a noun, gerund or noun phrase.                                                                                  E.g.- I’m used to his bad behaviour. I find it funny.

Usually

Usually is used differently to the others. It refers to how often something happens, not if you feel comfortable doing it.                                                                                                                      E.g.- I usually take my credit card when I go to the supermarket.

Ok guys. That’s it for today. There will be a test in my next test so hopefully will see you then.

Good luck with your English!

Click here to enrol for English courses in London.

Hi again guys! So I’m going through a period where I’m just giving quizzes all the time.

Here’s one on the good old U.S.A

See if you can do them and then you’ll get the answers and the results of course.

Hope you did ok!

See you next time.

Enrol here for English courses in London.

Hey guys,

So I thought that because we did a quiz on London and Britain, we could do one on Australia and New Zealand.
Hope you do well. Try to remember the answers of course!

How did you do? I reckon if you got 9 or ten you did well.

Click here to enrol for English lessons in London.

Hi guys,

Hope you all had a great weekend. It’s been true English weather recently. It will definitely be nice for the Olympics of course.

So here’s the London quiz that I wanted to give you. Hope you like it.

See how you do.

Well done guys. I’m sure you got them all right.

Good luck with your English!

Click here to enrol for English courses in London.

Hi guys,

Hope all you tourists enjoyed the Queen’s jubilee. I said that I’d give you students a quiz on London and I will, but first here is a quiz on Britain.

So there you are. Hope you did ok.

Click here to enrol for English courses in London

Hi guys!

We’re going to do another fun London culture quiz. Answer the questions and see how many you get right:

London quiz questions.

1. In which big park in London can you find speaker’s corner?

2. What do London buses, postboxes and some phoneboxes have in common?

3. What is the name of Shakespeare’s theatre?

4. What are Stanstead, Luton and Gatwick?

5. When is the Union Jack flag flown at Buckingham Palace?

6.  What is Harrods?

7. How much do you have to pay to get into most London museums?

8. What is the West end?

9. Which famous communist is buried in Highbury cemetery?

10. What kind of music is Ronnie Scott’s famous for?

11. What is the most expensive area of London on the monopoly board?

12. What is the name of the football stadium that the English national team uses?

13. Where in London is the Royal observatory?

14. What happens at Wimbledon every summer?

15. What is the name of the magazine/website that people use to see what entertainment/shopping e.t.c. they can find in London?

Answers: How well did you do?

1.  Hyde Park. People go there to talk about politics.

2. They are all red, although the red phoneboxes aren’t really that common anymore.

3. The Globe.

4. Airports.

5. When the Queen is not in the palace. If she is there the Royal standard is shown.

6. A famous department store in Knightsbridge.

7. Nothing! They are nearly all free.

8. It is an area near Charing Cross that has a lot of theatres, with their play and musicals.

9. Karl Marx.

10. Jazz.

11. Mayfair. And it’s the most expensive in real life too.

12. Wembley.

13. Greenwich.

14. A global tennis competition.

15. Time out.

Ok guys. How was that? Hope you did well. If not at least you probably learnt something.

Anyway, there is final quiz coming soon, this time on the history of London.

Good luck with your English!

Click here for English courses in London.

Hi guys!

This week I thought it might be nice to do a few quizzes on London, so today we’re going to do the first one on places in London.

So, here goes… See how many you can get right.

Places in London: Questions.

1. In which area of London can you find the Royal Botanical Gardens?

2. What is the name of the famous lane that serves a lot of Bangladeshi and Indian food, next to Aldgate East tube station?

3. What is the name of London’s biggest cinema, located on the south bank?

4. What is the name of London’s largest religious building?

5. What impressive academic building can be found next to King’s cross st. Pancras?

6. Which form of transport has recently grown in popularity, thanks to the personal recommendation of the mayor?

7. What art form is the Barbican centre famous for?

8. What do The Ritz, The Dorchester and The Hilton all have in common?

9. What important event is taking place near Stratford this year?

10. Who is the Mayor of London?

11. Which sport can be seen at the Lords’ ground in near st. John’s tube?

12. What is the name of the famous West Indian carnival that happens in west London every August?

13. This year is the diamond jubilee. How many years has the Queen been the monarch?

14. What is the most famous landmark in Trafalgar square?

15. What is the V and A?

Ok. Now it’s time to see how you did!

Answers:

1. Kew, near Richmond, south-west London.

2. Brick Lane.

3.The Imax.

4. St. Paul’s Cathedral.

5. The British Library.

6.Bicycles, and some can be rented. These are called Boris bikes.

7. Music.

8. They are all famous London hotels.

9. The London Olympics.

10.Boris Johnson.

11. Cricket. Lords’ is said to be the home of cricket.

12. The Notting Hill Carnival.

13. 60. She became queen in 1952.

14. Nelson’s column.

15. The Victoria and Albert museum.

Hope you did ok. Come back tomorrow for some more questions about London.

Good luck with your English!

Click here to enrol for English courses in London.

Hi guys. So we recently looked at some of the rules for articles.  Now it’s time to put them into practice.

Which of these are correct?

Questions

Hi guys! Today we’re going to look at some rules with the/a.

I’ll give you the rules then soon I’ll give you a quiz which you can take.

Let’s see how you do.

1. Geographical things

No the with:

countries, except republics, kingdoms and plurals (like the U.S.A)

continents

islands

mountains

lakes

towns, cities, e.t.c.

the with:

oceans

rivers

deserts

mountain ranges

groups of islands

waterfalls

Remember:the north of Brazil but northern brazil

2. Names of places

No the with:

streets, roads, avenues, e.t.c.

squares, parks,

universities, airports, cathedrals, castles, palaces, but The Royal Palace

the with:

hotels, restaurants, pubs,

theatres, cinemas,

museums, art galleries,

many other famous buildings e.g.- The Eiffel Tower

The Taj Mahal

But when the building is named after somebody and has –s or –s’: Lloyds’ banks

Andrew’s restaurant

3. nouns+ numbers don’t need the e.g. page 26

street 34

4. Always the same.

5. Always the internet.

6. On the radio, but on television.   the television = the television set

7. the (or another determiner like my, that, e.t.c.) before superlatives e.g. the biggest

8. the (or another determiner) before ordinal numbers e.g. the first

the twenty-first

9. No a/the before meals except when there is an adjective

e.g.-  I’m having breakfast. I had a fantastic breakfast.

10. Organizations often have the e.g. the BBC, the world bank

But brand names or businesses don’t have the e.g. IBM

Microsoft

Ok, guys. The quiz will follow.

See you soon, and good luck with your English.

Click here to enrol in English courses in London.

Hi guys,

So last time we looked at the phrases in the end, at the end , finally, at last and after all.

Here are some sentences with these English phrases that people often do badly. Can you correct the wrong ones?

Questions:

1. At last! I thought you’d never turn up.
2. We waited for 5 hours for the rain to stop. At the end, we decided to go home.
3. Boil the water, put the teabag in the mug, stir and after all put the milk in.
4. He’s taken his test 5 times and hasn’t passed yet. I hope he finally manages it this time.
5. By the way, we’ll discuss it after the questions, in the end of the meeting.
6. She’s been sailing for a very long time, and she will at last finish this time tomorrow.
7. I wasn’t sure which course to take but finally I enrolled for the history lessons.
8. At the end of the holidays, the kids have to buy new uniforms.
9. You need to take the medicine. At the end, you have a very serious illness.
10. If you stop being so loud, we’ll give you some sweets in the end of the trip

Answers:

1. At last! I thought you’d never turn up.Correct.
2. We waited for 5 hours for the rain to stop. In the end, we decided to go home.
3. Boil the water, put the teabag in the mug, stir and finally put the milk in.
4. He’s taken his test 5 times and hasn’t passed yet. I hope he finally manages it this time.Correct.
5. By the way, we’ll discuss it after the questions, at the end of the meeting.
6. She’s been sailing for a very long time, and she will finally finish this time tomorrow.
7. I wasn’t sure which course to take but in the end I enrolled for the history lessons.
8. At the end of the holidays, the kids have to buy new uniforms.Correct.
9. You need to take the medicine. After all, you have a very serious illness.
10. If you stop being so loud, we’ll give you some sweets at the end of the trip.

If you’re a bit confused about number 6, at last has a similar meaning to finally, but it’s more dramatic, more informal and usually goes at the beginning of the phrase.

That’s all for today.

Keep studying and good luck with your English!

Enrol here for English courses in London.

Hi guys!

Another helpful English blog (I hope).

Today we’re going to look at some very important aspects of English language learning which I feel everyone should bear in mind when they take a course. As a teacher, I often find that students make unnecessary mistakes based on not learning basic skills. Often, I teach upper-intermediate students who don’t know how to pronounce –ed, which is something that you should learn at pre-intermediate level. Also, people often don’t learn their irregular verbs, even basic ones.

What I’m trying to say is that the classroom is for practising skills, error correction and learning things which you can’t get from a book.

Let’s take the example of verb tenses. Learning how to use English verb tenses can be difficult. Very difficult. It takes a lot of practice, a lot of input from the teacher, and a lot of patience. On the other hand, learning the form of a verb is easy and you should do it outside the classroom. A sportsman would say that you need to control the controllables.

So, if you’re a student between pr-intermediate to advanced, here is a list of things which you should concentrate on outside of the classroom.

1. Phonetics. Do you know phonemes? You should, because if you ever look up a word in a dictionary then it will give you the pronunciation of the word in phonetics. There are lots of resources online, or I recommend the text book English File. It does  a very good explanation. Learn them, then use them.
2. Pronunciation of –ed and –es. I did a blog on this earlier so perhaps you could look at that. They are the biggest pronunciation problem that people have.
3. Verb forms. Do you know how to form the present continuous? What about the future continuous passive?
4. Irregular verbs- past simple and past participles. There is a list in most English text books. Also online. Watch pronunciation.
5. Basic collocations. Examples- I am afraid of, it depends on, listen to. Very important.
6. Basic verb patterns. These overlap with the collocations. Examples- Decide + inf (with to), enjoy + gerund. Again, very important.
7. Writing. You should do writing frequently, ideally every day. I sometimes get my students to write in class, but in general teachers shouldn’t need to force you to do it. Writing in English is the best thing you can do for you language learning needs.
8. Review your work. It’s easy to remember what you did yesterday. It’s not so easy to remember what you did 2 weeks ago. For every hour you spend in class, you should spend an hour reviewing what you have learnt.
9. Buy a good grammar book and use it. I recommend the blue book by Murphy which is called Use of English for intermediate to advanced learners. There is also a green book for very advance learners. You can buy them  at most school receptions, or on Amazon.
10. Learn 10 new words of vocabulary and keep a notebook of your work.

Ok, I hope that helps. That’s all for today folks!

Good luck with your English!

You can enrol here  for English courses in London.

Hi again guys,

So today of course we’re going to look again at English verb patterns- today we’re going to make them a little bit trickier.

Fill in the gaps with a word, 2 words or a phrase.

Questions

1. I recommend ________(go) to the ballet.
2. We were persuaded ________(employ) the young man, despite his age.
3. Teachers don’t usually allow their students________(use) dictionaries.
4. I’m dreaming ________ a white Christmas.
5. They suggested __________(I go) to see the tutor.
6. I think you should apologise__________(shout) at him.
7. Criminals who reoffend should be punished __________(put) in jail.
8. He made me _______(go out) in to the rain.
9. They accused the girl ____________( take) the biscuits without asking.
10. They should be discouraged _________( smoke).
11. I’ll always remember ________(look) at that beautiful landscape.
12. He apologises. He regrets ________(hurt) you.
13. I _________(see) him pick up the book and rip it up.
14. They aren’t very used to _______(get up) so early.
15. They appeared ________(be) enjoying themselves.
16. They saw them __________(dance) for a bit.
17. He begged ___________( be allowed) in to they party but they refused.

Answers

1. I recommend __going___to the ballet.
2. We were persuaded ___to employ_____ the young man, despite his age.
3. Teachers don’t usually allow their students___to use_____dictionaries.
4. I’m dreaming ___of____ a white Christmas.
5. They suggested ____I went______to see the tutor.
6. I think you should apologise____for shouting______ at him.
7. Criminals who reoffend should be punished ___by  being put___ in jail.
8. He made me _go out___in to the rain.
9. They accused the girl ____of taking____ the biscuits without asking.
10. They should be discouraged _from smoking____.
11. I’ll always remember __looking __ at that beautiful landscape.
12. He apologises. He regrets _hurting___ you.
13. I __saw____ him pick up the book and rip it up.
14. They aren’t very used to _getting up__ so early.
15. They appeared __to be___ enjoying themselves.
16. They saw them ___dancing___ for a bit.
17. He begged __to be allowed___ in to their party but they refused.

Well done! Most of these verbs just need to be learnt. No pain no gain.

See you soon and good luck with your English.

Click here to enrol in English courses in London.

Hi guys!

Today we’re going to look at English verb patterns. We’re going to do simple ones today, then tomorrow things will be a bit more difficult. Remember, the thing about verb patterns is that you have to learn them, sometimes there is no logic to them.

Let’s see if you can do these. The questions are below, and then the answers of course. Fill in the gaps with whatever words or phrases you think are best. Some gaps will need nothing in them.

Questions

1. We spent a lot of money _______ food last week.
2. Don’t shout at me!! I spent 5 hours________(wash the dishes) last week.
3. My boyfriend makes me ________(clean) his underwear.
4. They need to tell _______ him the truth.
5. It took me five hours _________(convince) them to go bunjee-jumping.
6. We ________ (go) a walk in the park.
7. I’d love _________(buy) a houseboat but I just can’t afford it.
8. If you want _______ (repair) the car you need _______(buy) a new wheel.
9. My mum won’t let me _________(go out) and play.
10. I can’t stand ________ (sleep) outside
11. You should try _________ (do) it on your own.
12. They told the politician _________________(not be) happy.
13. He said he was speaking _________ us ________ the problem of punctuality.
14. Don’t fall in love_________ people who are much younger than you are.
15. You should share it_________ your sister.
16. It’s difficult __________(pick up) a language if you don’t speak it.
17. I’m trying to give up __________(break up) with people over the phone.
18. You should _______________(learn)  keep your mouth shut when you’re eating.

Answers

1. We spent a lot of money ___on____ food last week.
2. Don’t shout at me!! I spent 5 hours___washing_____(wash) the dishes last week.
3. My boyfriend makes me __clean______(clean) his underwear.
4. They need to tell _______ him the truth.
5. It took me five hours ____to convince_____(convince) them to go bunjee-jumping.
6. We ____went for_______ (go) a walk in the park.
7. I’d love ___to buy______(buy) a houseboat but I just can’t afford it.
8. If you want ___to repair____ (repair) the car you need __to buy___(buy) a new wheel.
9. My mum won’t let me ___go out______(go out) and play.
10. I can’t stand __sleeping__ (sleep) outside.
11. You should try ___to do______ (do) it on your own.
12. They told the politician ____that they weren’t happy______(not be) happy.
13. He said he was speaking ___to______ us __about____ the problem of punctuality.
14. Don’t fall in love__with__ people who are much younger than you are.
15. You should share it__with___ your sister.
16. It’s difficult __to pick up___(pick up) a language if you don’t speak it.
17. I’m trying to give up _breaking up___(break up) with people over the phone.
18. You should ___learn to____________(learn) keep your mouth shut when you’re eating.

Ok guys. I hope that went ok. See you tomorrow!

Click here to enrol for English courses in London.

Hi guys!

So earlier this week we talked about verbs that used prepositions as compliments. Today we’re going to talk about phrasal verbs.
Can you choose the preposition that goes with the verb ?
1. The plane will take _______ at 9.00 p.m.
2. Most people put _____ their clothes before they have breakfast.
3. She is having an affair with her boss and cheating ________ her husband.
4. I was so humiliated. They were laughing ________ me.
5. Turn back, drive _______ the roundabout and turn right.
6. They went out for 2 years but they broke _______ last January.
7. The army attacked and push the enemy _________
8. If you learn English, watch TV and you will pick _____ the language.
9. Watch ________! Fire!
10. The footballer dropped _______ of the match.
11. Turn _______ the music. It’s not loud enough.
12. I’m too hot. I think I’m going to take _______ my jacket.
13. Stand ______ when I come in the room!!
14. I ate something bad and threw ______ as a result.
15. Give _______ fast food if you want to be healthy.
16. People usually kneel ______ on the floor when they pray.
17. Jonny will come _______ to play when he’s ready.
18. Before you write the essay, you need to find _______ all the facts.
19. The bomb blew ______ during rush hour.
20. I think that idea is really great. It really stands ______.

1. The plane will take _______ at 9.00 p.m.
2. Most people put _____ their clothes before they have breakfast.
3. She is having an affair with her boss and cheating ________ her husband.
4. I was so humiliated. They were laughing ________ me.
5. Turn back, drive _______ the roundabout and turn right.
6. They went out for 2 years but they broke _______ last January.
7. The army attacked and push the enemy _________
8. If you learn English, watch TV and you will pick _____ the language.
9. Watch ________! Fire!
10. The footballer dropped _______ of the match.
11. Turn _______ the music. It’s not loud enough.
12. I’m too hot. I think I’m going to take _______ my jacket.
13. Stand ______ when I come in the room!!
14. I ate something bad and threw ______ as a result.
15. Give _______ fast food if you want to be healthy.
16. People usually kneel ______ on the floor when they pray.
17. Jonny will come _______ to play when he’s ready.
18. Before you write the essay, you need to find _______ all the facts.
19. The bomb blew ______ during rush hour.
20. I think that idea is really great. It really stands ______.

Hi guys!

Most students love English error corrections, and so do I, so today I’m going to give you some sentences to fill in, with answers of course.
We’re going to look at prepositions that collocate with verbs.

Before we start, just a quick note about verbs and prepositions. There is a difference between verbs that have complementary prepositions and phrasal verbs: Many verbs are followed by propositions that you need to put between the verb and the object- E.g.You have to listen to this cd. On the other hand, there are also many verbs that use a preposition/adverb to change the meaning. These are phrasal verbs. E.g. Compare- He cheated (at golf). with He cheated on his wife. Two very different meanings. That’s the difference between normal verbs and phrasal verbs.

Anyway, now you can try these. Fill in the gap with a preposition (or nothing).

Questions

1. You’ll have to wait_______ the bus.
2. I’m thinking ______ the problem.
3. Have you seen Tom? I’m looking ______ him.
4. It’s a good idea to try ______ buy books on the internet. They’re cheaper.
5. Put ______ the music.
6. They gave the book_____ their friend.
7. We paid ______ the landlord the rent and we left.
8. Look ______ that. It’s amazing.
9. We need to get______ the train at the next stop.
10. We went ________ the room when we heard a strange noise.
11. Many people in this country believe______ democracy.
12. If you want to succeed, you need______work harder.
13. When you learn English, you have _____ practise the language every day.
14. I’m thinking ______ doing a course in English.
15. He said he wanted to borrow some money_______ you.
16. They robbed him _______ his dignity.
17. I enjoy _______ swimming.
18. He lent his phone ______ the guy who wanted to phone the police.
19. Ask _______ the manager if they complain.
20 You should apply_______ a visa if you want to stay.

Answers

1. You’ll have to wait for the bus.
2. I’m thinking about the problem.
3. Have you seen Tom? I’m looking for him.
4. It’s a good idea to try to buy books on the internet. They’re cheaper.
5. Put on the music.
6. They gave the book to their friend.
7. We paid the landlord the rent and we left.
8. Look at that. It’s amazing.
9. We need to get off the train at the next stop.
10. We went to the room when we heard a strange noise.
11. Many people in this country believe in democracy.
12. If you want to succeed, you need to work harder.
13. When you learn English, you have to practise the language every day.
14. I’m thinking of doing a course in English.
15. He said he wanted to borrow some money from you.
16. They robbed him of his dignity.
17. I enjoy swimming.
18. He lent his phone to the guy who wanted to phone the police.
19. Ask for the manager if they complain.
20 You should apply for a visa if you want to stay.

Great stuff. This kind of thing is really good for learning grammar.

Good luck with your English!

Enrol here for English courses in London.

Hi guys!

Most students love English error corrections, and so do I, so today I’m going to give you some sentences to fill in, with answers of course.
We’re going to look at prepositions that collocate with verbs.

Before we start, just a quick note about verbs and prepositions. There is a difference between verbs that have complementary prepositions and phrasal verbs: Many verbs are followed by propositions that you need to put between the verb and the object- E.g.You have to listen to this cd. On the other hand, there are also many verbs that use a preposition/adverb to change the meaning. These are phrasal verbs. E.g. Compare- He cheated (at golf). with He cheated on his wife. Two very different meanings. That’s the difference between normal verbs and phrasal verbs.

Anyway, now you can try these. Fill in the gap with a preposition (or nothing).

Questions

1. You’ll have to wait_______ the bus.
2. I’m thinking ______ the problem.
3. Have you seen Tom? I’m looking ______ him.
4. It’s a good idea to try ______ buy books on the internet. They’re cheaper.
5. Put ______ the music.
6. They gave the book_____ their friend.
7. We paid ______ the landlord the rent and we left.
8. Look ______ that. It’s amazing.
9. We need to get______ the train at the next stop.
10. We went ________ the room when we heard a strange noise.
11. Many people in this country believe______ democracy.
12. If you want to succeed, you need______work harder.
13. When you learn English, you have _____ practise the language every day.
14. I’m thinking ______ doing a course in English.
15. He said he wanted to borrow some money_______ you.
16. They robbed him _______ his dignity.
17. I enjoy _______ swimming.
18. He lent his phone ______ the guy who wanted to phone the police.
19. Ask _______ the manager if they complain.
20 You should apply_______ a visa if you want to stay.

Answers

1. You’ll have to wait for the bus.
2. I’m thinking about the problem.
3. Have you seen Tom? I’m looking for him.
4. It’s a good idea to try to buy books on the internet. They’re cheaper.
5. Put on the music.
6. They gave the book to their friend.
7. We paid the landlord the rent and we left.
8. Look at that. It’s amazing.
9. We need to get off the train at the next stop.
10. We went to the room when we heard a strange noise.
11. Many people in this country believe in democracy.
12. If you want to succeed, you need to work harder.
13. When you learn English, you have to practise the language every day.
14. I’m thinking of doing a course in English.
15. He said he wanted to borrow some money from you.
16. They robbed him of his dignity.
17. I enjoy swimming.
18. He lent his phone to the guy who wanted to phone the police.
19. Ask for the manager if they complain.
20 You should apply for a visa if you want to stay.

Great stuff. This kind of thing is really good for learning grammar.

Good luck with your English!

Enrol here for English courses in London.

Hey guys. Now it’s time for the second part of the English speaking culture quiz.

Questions:

Round 4 – Geography

1. Which city is considered Manchester’s biggest rival because of proximity?
2. What is the capital of  Australia?
3. Which state is Las Vegas in?
4. Name five American states beginning with M.
5. Where do the Tamils live?
6. Where is the Boomerang coast?

Round 5 – Music and art

1. Who wrote ‘The planets’?
2. How many people were in ‘Queen’?
3. Who was the guitarist for The Rolling Stones?
4. Name the 5 Spice girls.
5. Name one of the two most famous classical painters
6. What’s the name of the famous British street artist with a display near the school?

Round 6 – Politics

1. Which British politician is famous for saying ‘There is no such thing as society.’?
2. Who lives in 11 Downing street?
3. What was apartheid?
4. Which British politican said he’d end boom and bust economics?
5. What countries are in the UK?
6. Where is the Scottish Parliament based?

Answers: How did you do?

Round 4

1. Liverpool
2. Canberra
3. Nevada
4. Mississipii, Maine, Missouri, Montana, Michigan, Minnesota
5. Sri Lanka
6. Australia

Round 5

1. Holst
2. 4
3. Keith Richards
4. Victoria, Emma, Mel B, Mel C, Geri
5. Turner, Constable
6. Banksy

Round 6

1. Margaret Thatcher
2. The Chancellor of the Exchequer
3. The segregation of different races in South Africa before 1994
4. Gordon Brown
5. England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
6. Edinburgh

There’s some good information here. You can make everybody bored next time you’re at the pub.

Good luck with your English!

Enrol here for English courses in London.