Learn American English Online Blog |
July 31, 2015 Have you taken the test(s) for the level that you are working on? The end of the month is when students do that. Here are some links: Blue Level Test #1 / Blue Level Test #2 Red Level Test #1 / Red Level Test #2 What do you do when you finish a level? Move to the next one! Blue Level Red Level Yellow Level Green Level Purple Level Orange Level The word of the day is "hot." There’s a new Think in English exercise: a man July 29, 2015 By completing the Blue Level Review and the Red Level Review, you will get an idea of how much you have learned and remembered from the lessons you completed. The word of the day is "grace." July 28, 2015 The word of the day is "guy." This is an important word for anyone who wants to speak informal, American English. Many of us use "guy" when talking to or about a man or a boy, but it’s not uncommon to hear this word used when talking to or about women and girls. Don’t confuse this word with the word "gay." That’s something completely different. July 27, 2105 If you like to eat dessert, you might like this story about nuns who make cheesecake. This video has captions so you can read as you listen. Just click on the video and then click on "cc" to turn on closed captioning.
The word of the day is "case." July 26, 2015 This week we come to the end of the lessons for the Blue and Red Levels. Make sure you check the schedules on the home page to see which lessons you have to complete. By the end of the week, Blue Level students go forward to the Red Level. Red Level students should advance to the Yellow Level. If you feel as though you didn’t really understand the lessons in the level that you worked on this month, then I recommend that you repeat all of the lessons in the level. Work on lessons slowly! The word of the day is "medal." July 25, 2015 The word of the day is "pull." Pay close attention to the pronunciation of this word because it sounds like other words such as "pool" and "pole." Today’s lesson for beginning level students in the Blue Level is on the verb "want." We use this verb when talking about desire. Students working in the Red Level examine opposite adjectives. Knowing a word’s opposite is a good way to develop vocabulary skills. Don’t forget to do the exercise. July 24, 2015 In Blue Level Lesson Twenty-four you’ll learn how to use the modal verb phrase "have to." This is very similar to "must" and you really have to learn how to use it if you are a beginning level student.
So, this is something that must be done. I could use "must," and say, I must go to the bank, but the word "must" sounds so strong. I’d rather use "have to." Red Level students learn to use "be used to" today. This is very different from yesterday’s lesson on "used to." When you are used to something, that means it becomes part of your routine. You might not like the activity or the situation, but you accept it.
When you experience physical or mental pain, you might be in agony. This is the word of the day.
This problem is creating a lot of agony for him. July 23, 2015 The word of the day is "whine." I sent out an exercise today for "used to." Did you get it? If not, make sure you sign up for emailed lessons and exercises on the home page. July 22, 2015 There’s a new word of the day quiz for July 2015. The word of the day for today is "victory." July 21, 2015 The word of the day is "ugly." July 20, 2015 Blue Level students learn about the days of the week today in Lesson Twenty in the Blue Level. Red Level students study reflexive pronouns in Lesson Twenty in the Red Level. The word of the day is "trace." July 19, 2015 Blue Level students go to Lesson Nineteen to learn the differences between count and noncount nouns. Students working in the Red Level learn about possessive pronouns. The word of the day is "sacrifice." July 18, 2015 Red Level students study gerunds today. A gerund is a word that ends in "ing" and serves as a type of noun in a sentence. Here are some examples:
In each of these sentences, a gerund begins the sentence and functions as the subject for the sentence. Note that gerunds are always singular, so they take a singular verb. Blue Level students learn the names of the months in English. How different are they from your first language? This is very basic English, but it’s also necessary to get right. The word of the day is "race." I wish a happy Eid to my Muslim students! July 17, 2015 The word of the day is "pie." July 16, 2015 The word of the day is "odd."
July 15, 2015 For those students who said they needed more help with possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns, here’s a new exercise for you to try: pronouns and possessive adjectives: subject pronouns: I, you, he, she, it, we, you, they Directions: Choose the correct pronoun or adjective for each sentence. Write your answers in your notebook. Example: Bob is a construction worker. He uses his his own tools at work. 1. Maria drove ______ children to the zoo. ______ all had a good time. 2. We bought _______ house twelve years ago. ______ was not too expensive. 3. I received a letter. The mail carrier delivered it to ______ in ______ mailbox. 4. The men were hurt. _______ went to the hospital where doctors treated _____ injures. Some of ______ needed to stay overnight. 5. _____’s a virtue to be honest. Honesty is ________ own reward. 6. You need to do _______ own work. 7. Your brother’s wife is your sister-in-law. ______ children are ______ nieces and nephews. 8. Someone gave this to me, but it isn’t _______. 9. The apples were too expensive, so we put _______ back on the shelf. 10. I think ______ broke ______ finger, so _____’m going to see ______ doctor. The word of the day is "nail." July 14, 2015 Here’s a new video that shows how to make a cherry pie. Remember, the main point behind a video like this one is so that students can learn new vocabulary or pronunciation. I don’t claim to be a master chef.
The word of the day is "mixture." This is a big day for adjectives on this website. An adjective is a word that provides information about a noun. Red Level student learn what adjectives are. Blue Level students study possessive adjectives.
July 13, 2015 Blue Level students learn about forming information questions today is Lesson Thirteen. Red Level students learn different ways to use the word "like." The word of the day is "lie." July 12, 2015 The word of the day is "karate."
July 11, 2015 Are you good at choosing the right preposition? In English, there are roughly 100 prepositions that you have to know. Choosing the correct preposition depends on the situation, the verb that comes before it, the noun that comes after it, or the choice of adjective. Beginning level students to advanced level students need a lot of practice with prepositions. Try the exercise below. If you need extra help beforehand, you can go to the prepositions page in the Blue Level or the prepositions section of the website. Directions: Choose the correct preposition for each sentence or question. Write your answers in your notebook. Example: She paid a lot _______ that coat. / Answer: for 1. Maria needs to go _______ the store. 2. How much did she pay ______ the apples. 3. My car is stuck _______ the highway. 4. That’s a very expensive hotel room because it’s _______ the water. 5. Do you drink coffee ________ or _______ sugar? 6. They don’t like that idea. They’re ________ it. 7. Tony is good ________ playing soccer. 8. This coupon is good _______ the end of the month. 9. Please don’t talk _______ the movie. 10. If you leave the house __________ an umbrella, you might get wet. Answers are in today’s email. If you haven’t signed up for email yet, you can do so here. The word of the day is "jacket." July 10, 2015 There’s a new reading exercise for the Yellow Level: Oscar and Angela are dating. The word of the day is "incredible." Which lesson are you working on today? Make sure you check the home page for your daily lesson. July 9, 2015 I thought this was an interesting video for those of you who are lucky enough to own a dishwasher. It includes subtitles in English:
Click here to learn about the verb "have" is you are studying in the Blue Level this month. Students studying in the Red Level learn the differences between the words "little" and "few." The word of the day is "hardware."
July 8, 2015 The word of the day is "gut." You can use this word to talk about your stomach, but you can also use it when talking about how brave a person is. It’s an interesting word. July 7, 2015 Blue Level students study the present tense today. This is extremely important for new students to master. We use the present tense for things that we do every day. Red Level students learn about the verb "do." The most important thing about this lesson is to realize that the verb "do" is both a main verb and a helping verb. When used as a main verb, "do" takes on some very unexpected meanings. The word of the day is "fine." July 6, 2015 When something happens eventually, it’s just a matter of time before the event occurs, or you have to wait awhile for something to happen. This is a popular adverb to use when talking about time. How often to you use the word "there" when talking about a person, a place, or a thing. Don’t forget how and when to use it. Red Level Lesson Six shows examples of object pronouns. July 5, 2015 The word of the day is "each." Blue Level students study the pronouns this, that, these, and those today in Blue Level Lesson Five. Red Level students learn how to form questions with the helping verb "do" in Red Level Lesson Five. July 4, 2015 Happy Independence Day! July 3, 2015 Blue Level students learn how to form questions with the verb "be" in Blue Level Lesson Three. Red Level students learn some of the differences between the helping verbs "do" and "did" in Red Level Lesson Three. Remember, whatever level you are working on, the day of the month matches the number of the lesson. Complete one lesson per day and you’ll finish the online program in just seven months! The word of the day is "crack." Did you receive your emailed exercise today? If not, click here to sign up. July 2, 2015 Students studying in the Red Level this month should download the Red Level Checklist in order to monitor progress through the lessons. Today’s lesson shows how to make the present tense negative with the helping verb "do" + "not."
The word of the day is "bang."
July 1, 2015 Today Blue Level students who began their lessons in June move forward to the Red Level. New students should start their lessons in the Blue Level. The word of the day is "age."
Checklists for this website:
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I recommend that you write the questions and the answers by hand–as always.
Bill knows karate.