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Joanne
Sep 4, 20231 min read
At, on or in? - let's talk about time
Sometimes the smallest words in the English language are the most difficult to use. This is especially true when we think about at, on or...
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Joanne
Oct 17, 20221 min read
What is the most popular pub name in the UK?
The Red Lion Why do we call it 'the' Red Lion when only the name 'Red Lion' is written on the sign? That's because all hotels, pubs and...
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Joanne
Oct 5, 20221 min read
How many times have you heard "the World Health Organisation" in the last couple of years?
I'm sure at least ten times a day during the height of the pandemic. Did you ever wonder why it was always called 'the' World Health...
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Joanne
Sep 27, 20221 min read
The view from the Empire State building
Well known buildings and works of art all require us to use 'the' in front of their names: the Empire State Building the Mona Lisa the...
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Joanne
Sep 20, 20221 min read
I read the newspaper
Have you ever noticed that all newspaper names start with the? The Washington Post The New York Times The Sunday Times The Guardian The...
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Joanne
Sep 13, 20221 min read
Canary Islands or the Canary Islands?
How do I know which geographical features should have 'the' in front of them and which should not? Mountain ranges all start with 'the',...
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Joanne
Sep 6, 20221 min read
Why do some countries start with 'the'?
Have you ever noticed how we refer to some countries as 'the [country name]' and others just as 'country name'? How do you know when to...
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Joanne
Apr 20, 20211 min read
When...? or How long...?
When asks a question that is looking for a defined time in the past. Q: When did it start raining? A: It started raining at 10 o'clock...
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Joanne
Apr 13, 20211 min read
I have been doing vs I have done
In other words, the present perfect continuous vs the present perfect simple. We use I have been doing when we are talking about an...
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Joanne
Apr 7, 20211 min read
'I always do' vs 'I'm always doing'
These two phrases sound very similar, but unfortunately they cannot be used interchangeably since they have different meanings. Let's...
231 views0 comments
Joanne
Mar 30, 20211 min read
How or what?
How does it look like? What does it look like? 'What does it look like' is the correct version of the question because we are asking for...
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Joanne
Mar 22, 20211 min read
Make or take a photograph?
I often hear people say that they have made a photograph of something, but a native speaker would say they had taken a photograph. We...
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Joanne
Mar 15, 20211 min read
Must or have to?
'Must' is a word that I often hear over used. My advice is to try and use it as little as possible. Instead, use 'have to'. Why is that?...
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Joanne
Mar 12, 20212 min read
Who or whom?
This can be a tricky question for many native speakers and is often used as part of a joke in comedy shows. I'm sure there was more than...
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Joanne
Mar 9, 20212 min read
7 examples of 'will' or 'going to'
These two phrases are easily confused, especially when they can sometimes be used interchangeably and yet at other times they cannot....
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Joanne
Mar 5, 20211 min read
Good vs well
Have you ever noticed that some English words, although they have the same meaning, cannot be used interchangeably in sentences? Good and...
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Joanne
Feb 9, 20212 min read
Since vs Until
Did you know that until and since mean two different things? They are both used as prepositions (tells you when something is happening in...
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Joanne
Jan 29, 20211 min read
How long have you...?
I'm sure we've all been in this situation: you are meeting someone for the first time and want to find out something more about them. It...
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Joanne
Jan 21, 20211 min read
"Both of these two"
I recently heard this expression and it struck me as a little odd. Do you know why? Both means two. "Both cats and dogs are pets." "Both...
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Joanne
Jan 14, 20211 min read
Me, Myself and I
I'm sure you've heard this expression before in movies and song lyrics, but what about him, himself and he or her, herself and she?...
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