There’s a new video for the verb "be" as it is used as a helping verb.

The word of the day is "riot." Riots occur infrequently (not very often) in the United States, but when they do occur, they’re very ugly.

riot

What happened to cause them to riot?

Several students have asked that the Blue Level chat room be reinstated on the website. I’ll try it for a little while to see how things go. If, however, there are problems, I’ll simply remove it.

The word of the day is "rough."

Yesterday a major American city was looted. Stores and businesses were burned, and there was a loss of control over people who rioted in the streets. This came as a result of an incident in which a man died while in police custody.

Looting is very bad. It represents some of the worst behavior of which human beings are capable. I feel sorry for the people of Baltimore.

The word of the day is "loot."

The word of the day is "sure."

If you aren’t sure about something related to the study of English, click here to ask your teacher a question and I will try to answer it.

Here’s a new conversation exercise: Simple, personal questions

The word of the day is "wave." There are many words that rhyme with it.

wave He’s riding a wave.

The word of the day is "far." This word is used to describe distance, but it’s also used to describe situations.

The word of the day is "earth."

Here the audio for today’s emailed lesson and exercise:

 

The word "terrible" is a popular adjective used to describe things and situations that are bad.

workerYuck! This coffee is terrible.

When something is at the top or on top, it’s at or near its highest point:

  • Paris is one of the top cities in the world for attracting tourists.
  • The top performers were recognized for their achievements at an awards ceremony.
  • Painting the house is at the top of my list of things to do this summer.

The word of the day is "top."

mountains  The mountain top has snow on it because it’s so cold at that elevation — even in the summer!

There’s a new Word of the Day quiz for April 2015.

The word of the day for today is "relief." When you feel "relief," you are happy that something has finished or is fixed.

graduate He felt a tremendous amount of relief after graduating from college.

The exercise included in today’s emailed lesson is here.

Listen to your teacher read the answers to the exercise:

 

The word of the day is "quote."

 

There are a few different kinds of pots that you should learn about. This is very basic vocabulary, but you might learn something new. You never know. The word of the day is "pot."

gold What is this?

This went out in the form of an email today:

Directions: Choose has or have and the past participle to complete each sentence. The word “never” makes each sentence negative.

1. He _______ never _______ a tornado up close. (see)

2. Our trees _______ never _______ much fruit. (produce)

3. They _______ never ________ problems with their car. (have)

4. This watch ______ never ________ properly. (work)

5. Our children _______ never _______ to Disneyworld. (be)

6. I _______ never _______ raw fish. (eat)

7. The police _______ never ________ to our house. (come)

8. Bob ______ never _______ a chainsaw. (use)

9. The men _______ never ________ that kind of work before.(do)

10. Maria _______ never ________ an English class. (take)

The answers are below.

Today is the deadline for mailing in your taxes if you live in the United States. As long as you get it into a mailbox before midnight, it won’t be late.

The word of the day is "often." This is an adverb that helps to describe frequency.

1. has….seen;2. have….produced;3. have….had;4. has….worked;5. have….been;6. have….eaten;7. have….come (The word “police” is plural.);8. has….used;9. have….done;10. has….taken

 

The word of the day is "next." This word is used when talking about a sequence or order. It’s also a part of the preposition "next to." Use "next to" when something is by or near something else.

sign

The sign is next to the road.

The sign is near the road.

It’s by the side of the road.

The word of the day is "most." This word is frequently used when making comparisons or when describing amounts. I was surprised to learn last weekend that most of my beginning level students were having some trouble with this word. The word "most" is similar to–but not the same as–other words such as "many" and "much."

iris

This is the most beautiful flower in the garden.

It has the most wonderful fragrance.

____________________________________

I think it’s important for you to learn English if you decide to move to the United States. Of course, you may continue speaking and using your first language, but if you want to get ahead, get a job, get a place to live, etc., everything is so much easier with a solid knowledge of English. That’s one of the reasons why I made this website. Immigrants who live here in the U.S. may come to the website at any time and improve their English language skills.

For people who have lived in the United States legally for the past five years, American citizenship becomes a possibility. If you want to become a U.S. citizen, there’s a test that you have to pass. To prepare for that test, click here.

The word "lame" is a popular choice when describing an unsatisfying situation. It’s especially popular among young people.

The word of the day is "kiss." This word can be used as a either a noun or a verb:

kiss

  • He kissed her hand. (verb)
  • He gave her hand a kiss. (noun)

Did you receive today’s emailed lessons and exercises? No?

Sign up here. It’s free! You may unsubscribe at any time. Also, there are no passwords or usernames for this website. It’s always available to you 24/7, even if you don’t subscribe or donate.

There’s a new reading exercise for the Red Level: Alex delivers pizza.

There’s also a new YouTube video for the modal verb phrase will have to:

 

The word of the day is "in." This is a very simple word, but there are hundreds of different ways to use it. Remember, one of the most important things you can do when learning English is to learn how the small words work.

Ball in glove The ball is in his glove.

The word of the day is "hear." This word is used to describe the act of receiving sound or information.

He hears something. man trying to hear something

The word of the day is "grain." If you live in the midwest like I do, the countryside is full of fields of grain–mostly corn and wheat.

grain Most of the bread eaten in the U.S. is made from wheat grain. This is what wheat looks like.

The word of the day is "farm." About five to six percent of Americans own farms or have some kind of business that is directly related to farming. It’s a good way to make a living, but it’s hard work and the days are long.

farmThis is a farm.

There’s a new Listening Lab exercise for the present continuous tense, passive voice.

The word of the day is "empty."

empty

He’s sitting in an empty apartment.

A student asked me to make "deliver" the word of the day, so here it is: deliver. A person who delivers something, brings it from one location to another. This is an important line of work in the United States. We rely on delivery people to bring packages, boxes, shipments, food, etc. directly to our homes and offices.

delivering a pizza

Make sure you tip the delivery guy when he brings you your pizza.

The word of the day is "calm." Large bodies of water such as lakes, rivers, and oceans may have a calming effect on people who visit them or live nearby. How would you like to live near the River Seine? I took this picture when visiting Paris last year:

the river seine The River Seine

There’s a new Listening Lab exercise for modal verbs: Exercise #48.

If you work at a restaurant or a hotel here in the United States, you have to learn what a brunch is. A brunch is often served buffet style (but not always) in the late morning. It’s a combination breakfast and lunch. That’s where the word "brunch" comes from.

Is there a meal similar to brunch in the country where you are from?

orange juice  a croissant and some orange juice

The word of the day is "aid." This is very similar to the word "help."

first aidA first aid kit contains items necessary in a medical emergency.

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