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A Great Pun- Being “Punny” in English

2023-01-29T18:13:38+01:00

What fun is a language without some good jokes? A pun is a joke that exploits the different possible meanings of a word or words and turns what you expect someone to say into a joke. I do think that one has to be quick-thinking and a little clever to come up with jokes in general, but a great pun has a reputation of being particularly stupid. Puns are also known as "Dad jokes," and they're one of my favorite kinds of jokes. Excuse the puns this week, and improve your fluency through humor! Did you hear about the guy [...]

A Great Pun- Being “Punny” in English2023-01-29T18:13:38+01:00

Scandinavian Loanwords in English – Easy English Blog

2023-01-29T18:09:38+01:00

Origin words are a lot of fun! We've talked about words from Yiddish, Latin, French, German, and Spanish here on the Bespeaking blog. Now is a good time to write about words that come from Scandinavia, or Scandinavian loanwords. Scandinavia didn't just give us the Vikings. It gave us all sorts of (many different) common words, as well! Here are just a few: Cog From the word: kugge (Swedish) Have you ever looked at a clock or wristwatch where you could see the gears (moving parts) inside? Those little toothed wheels are called cogs, and we get the word from [...]

Scandinavian Loanwords in English – Easy English Blog2023-01-29T18:09:38+01:00

English Comma: Some Basic Rules

2023-01-29T17:57:11+01:00

The rules for the English comma can seem confusing, difficult, and generally unpleasant for both native and non-native speakers. But it doesn't have to be! There are some basic English comma rules you can follow that makes the process a whole lot easier. Commas are one of the most common punctuation marks, so knowing how to use them is very important! The general rule I follow is this: The reader of your sentence should be able to understand it after reading it only one time. If the reader has to go back and re-read the sentence, then the sentence is [...]

English Comma: Some Basic Rules2023-01-29T17:57:11+01:00

Travel English: English Phrases to Use While Traveling

2023-01-29T17:54:55+01:00

It's that time of year again- that wonderful summer-time of year when people around the world go on vacation visiting new destinations. Since English tends to be the Lingua Franca internationally, it may very well come to pass that you need to use some travel English if you're on vacation in another country (although we still recommend learning at least a few sentences in the language of the country you're visiting). With vacation in mind, here are some travel English words and phrases that you may need when going on a trip this summer. Bon voyage! Catch a flight Are [...]

Travel English: English Phrases to Use While Traveling2023-01-29T17:54:55+01:00

Text Speak: Common English Abbreviations

2023-01-29T17:53:11+01:00

Text speak has changed a lot in the last decade (10 years) or two. I remember using it a lot when I was younger as a short cut when typing when I had my first MSN Messenger account. You could type something quickly if you only had a second to do so, and the person you were talking to understood your shortcut. For example, if while you were chatting online to a friend and the phone rang downstairs (remember when phones were connected to a wall in the kitchen only??) and you needed to run down to answer the phone, [...]

Text Speak: Common English Abbreviations2023-01-29T17:53:11+01:00

Weather Words in English-Easy English

2022-10-30T23:43:54+01:00

A good small talk starter is to talk about the weather so we are always looking for the right weather words. The weather affects our everyday life. Do you need to bring an umbrella today? Or can you wear shorts or a dress? It's all up to how hot or cold it is outside. If you're starting your English lessons, a good place to start is with conversation about the weather small talk. Read on for some weather words and phrases you might not know! Sweltering Sweltering is another word for ‘hot’. It's used when the weather is very, very [...]

Weather Words in English-Easy English2022-10-30T23:43:54+01:00

6 Less Common Idioms in English

2022-10-30T23:17:49+01:00

We've written a lot about common idioms on the Bespeaking blog, but it's because they're so ubiquitous (everywhere) in English! We use common idioms all the time so they're great to know as a student of the language. Here are even more English idioms you should know, even if they are a little less common:   A blessing in disguise Has something bad ever happened to you, but it turns out later that it was actually good? For example, you were fired from your job only to find, interview for, and get your dream job? Then you being fired would [...]

6 Less Common Idioms in English2022-10-30T23:17:49+01:00

Taboo Words in English

2022-10-30T23:09:36+01:00

Each language has words that are considered taboo, or shouldn't be said. English is no exception. Taboo words (“bad” word, swear words, profanity) fall into four different categories in English and also have different strengths of severity (how bad something is). As a student of English, we suggest being very careful when using these words, as it can be difficult to gauge (determine, decide, analyze) whether the taboo words are appropriate to the situation and how strong they are. While we don't recommend swearing in formal company, if your friends swear, it is a way that you can practice and [...]

Taboo Words in English2022-10-30T23:09:36+01:00

Formal English Business Email Language

2022-10-30T22:50:42+01:00

If you do business in English, chances are high that you're going to write an email at one point or another. Because we use a more formal tone with colleagues than we do with our friends, it's important to know how to address people properly in an email by using business email language. Below are some phrases you can use when writing an email in English at work or in professional business situations. To Whom It May Concern This phrase is used at the beginning of an email when you don't know whom you're addressing. If you need to write [...]

Formal English Business Email Language2022-10-30T22:50:42+01:00

Spanish Loan Words – Easy English Blog

2022-10-30T21:53:08+01:00

We've talked about all sorts (many kinds) of different languages that influence (affect, have impact on) English on the Bespeaking blog (such as German, Latin, Yiddish, and French), but since Spanish loan words are such a huge contributor (giver), we've decided to cover it (write about it) twice! Here are ten more Spanish loan words that you can use in your day-to-day life that come from Spanish. ¡Ándele! Ten-Gallon Hat Original: tan galán, meaning "so gallant" Believe it or not, the name for the famous ten-gallon cowboy hat does not have anything to do with their ability (if you can [...]

Spanish Loan Words – Easy English Blog2022-10-30T21:53:08+01:00

Small vs Short vs Tiny

2022-09-29T22:46:53+01:00

Welcome to the Easy English Blog! Last month we focused on the words big vs large vs tall. This month we'll explain their opposites: small vs short vs tiny. Small, short, and tiny are adjectives just like big, large, and tall. Each of these words means "not large," but we're here to explain the difference so you know when to use each! Small Small describes something below average in size (either in how big something is or if it is important). For example: Size- He has a small car. (The car is not big.) She has a small salary. (She is not [...]

Small vs Short vs Tiny2022-09-29T22:46:53+01:00

6 Common English Phrases We Say Wrong

2022-09-29T22:41:19+01:00

Believe it or not, even native English speakers get common English phrases wrong from time to time. It usually stems from something they learned incorrectly during childhood and they have carried the mistake through to adulthood. This happens quite frequently with common phrases that we hear so often that our mind finishes the phrase automatically and we don't pay attention to the details of exactly what is being said. Here are some common English phrases we say wrong - even native English speakers! Practice them yourself and maybe you'll be able to correct a native speaker someday... Play it by [...]

6 Common English Phrases We Say Wrong2022-09-29T22:41:19+01:00
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