Mistakes to avoid😫 I always suggest to my students that they hang out with English native speakers as this is a fast way to improve their English. I did the same thing when I lived in Japan and my Japanese improved quickly. However, native speakers make mistakes and these can be learnt by accident. So,Continue reading “English mistakes native speakers make 🤦🏻♀️”
Author Archives: rachelkimschultz
Phrasal verbs- part two 🥳
More phrasal verbs! In a previous post, I went over some information about phrasal verbs (you can check it out here Phrasal Verbs – friends or foes) , but some questions have come up from some of my students so I came up with the idea of writing another post on phrasal verbs. First –Continue reading “Phrasal verbs- part two 🥳”
Connecting words (of contrast) 🔁
Conjunctions and transitions Connecting words are very important so you can make more than just simple sentences in English. This is not only important for improving your spoken English, but it is also important to use these words and use them correctly when writing, especially if you are preparing to take an English test likeContinue reading “Connecting words (of contrast) 🔁”
Any or no ? Double negatives? 🤷🏻♀️
Do we use any or no for negative sentences? My students often ask me when to use any or no and ask what the problem is with double negatives, so let’s look at some examples and explanations. Take a look at the following sentences: These instructions don’t make any sense to me. ✅ ( correctContinue reading “Any or no ? Double negatives? 🤷🏻♀️”
Apostrophes to show possession 🤔
This is something I am asked about by native English speakers so I know it’s a tricky topic for many people😓 Have a look at the following sentences: The student’s teacher is from Australia. The students’ teacher is from Australia. Are both of these sentences correct ? Do they have the same meaning ? TheyContinue reading “Apostrophes to show possession 🤔”
Collocations 🥳
Collocations are a must to learn! They are a natural part of the English language and very important to know so you can speak and write correctly and also so you can sound natural in English. They are often tested in English language proficiency exams like TOEIC and the Cambridge tests. Collocations are just wordsContinue reading “Collocations 🥳”
Comma splices 📝
How not to use commas Comma splices -what are they ? They sound like a good thing (the name reminds me of a delicious ice-cream🍦I loved as a kid) but they aren’t .They are punctuation mistakes often made by English native speakers and non native speakers alike. Yes, native speakers make this mistake too! Let’sContinue reading “Comma splices 📝”
Phrasal verbs- friends or foes ?
Why phrasal verbs are friends 😊 First of all, what are they? They are verbs with a preposition and / or an adverb added to them which changes the meaning of the original verb when it is by itself. While many students feel they are a bit difficult to learn, English native speakers use themContinue reading “Phrasal verbs- friends or foes ?”
Is grammar really important to learn?📝
This is a question that has been debated by linguists over many years. When it comes to learning a second language, is it necessary to learn grammar? When we learn our mother tongue, did our parents sit us down as toddlers and teach us the grammar rules of our language? Of course not. So theContinue reading “Is grammar really important to learn?📝”
English with Rachel 