Learn American English Online Blog

At the end of the month, many of my students take a test or more than one test to determine if they should move forward to the next level. You can find the test for this website on this page.

The word of the day is "warn."

Do you know how to form the past perfect continuous tense? Here’s a new quiz for the Yellow Level.

The word of the day is "vital."

New video: 35 words that begin with the letter U:

 

The word of the day is "uncertain."

Today’s lesson is on the verb "want" in the present tense:

 

The word of the day is "tangle."

Today’s Blue Level lesson is on the use of "have to." We use "have to" when talking about responsibilities and obligations.

This is one of many videos on my YouTube channel that shows how "have to" can be used:

 

The word of the day is "shelf."

The word of the day is "ceiling."

This week begins with lessons about using numbers. This is the sort of thing on which students can easily make small mistakes.

Here’s a video on numbers:

 

The word of the day is "relieve."

The word of the day is "piece." This is a good word to use when talking about food and the parts of a thing, but there are many other ways to use "piece."

Understanding the differences between count nouns and noncount nouns will have a big impact on your ability to use English grammar correctly. You can learn about count and noncount nouns in Blue Level Lesson Nineteen.

The word of the day is "snooze."

A person who tries to outdo himself or others tries to perform at an increasingly high level. This is usually a good thing, but sometimes the word "outdo" is used with a touch of sarcasm which would express something negative. The word of the day is "outdo."

There’s a new Word of the Day quiz for Winter 2018.

Today we celebrate the life of Martin Luther King Jr. with a national holiday. You can learn more about this civil rights leader by clicking here.

The word of the day is "moral."

The word of the day is "large."

I’m so sorry we have a president who does not know how to be presidential.

Here’s a new prepositions quiz for students who like to practice their use of these little confusing words.

This video provides examples of the many different ways that questions can be formed with the word "how."

 

Today’s lesson for new students is on the verb "have." It’s important to know that "have" is used as a main verb and as a helping verb. You’ll learn how to use "have" as a helping verb when you reach the Yellow Level.

The word of the day is "hang." This is an irregular verb, and it’s very common, so you really should learn how to use it.

The word of the day is "gossip." A person who gossips spreads information about a person. The information might be true or false, but it’s generally impolite to gossip.

New students learn how to form and use the present tense in today’s Blue Level lesson. We use the present tense to talk about things that happen every day.

Knowing what a noun or a pronoun is is extremely important when you study English. Nouns and pronouns are used as subjects in sentences. They must match the verb in a sentence.

  • The dogs are in the backyard.

The word "dogs" is the subject. It’s plural. The verb "be" matches the subject, but it changes to "are" because it’s plural. Look at these next sentences:

  • The dog is in the backyard.
  • It is in the backyard.

In these sentences, the subject is singular (dog and it) and the verb is singular (is).

Matching subjects and verbs properly is referred to as subject-verb agreement.

To make a question with the verb "be," put it in front of the subject in the question. Pay attention to whether the subject is singular or plural. Raise your voice a little at the end of the question:

  • Are you in school right now?
  • Is the water hot?
  • Am I early?
  • Is the apple fresh?
  • Are those houses for sale?

In the present tense, the verb "be" takes three different forms: am, is, and are.

The word of the day is "crook."

New students go to Lesson Two in the Blue Level. In this lesson, students learn how to make the verb "be" negative.

Also, complete this reading exercise.

And this listening exercise.

The word of the day is "slide."

Students who are new the website and ready to begin learning English from the very beginning need to do a few things today:

1. Download and print the Blue Level Checklist for lessons and other assignments. As lessons are completed, students can keep track of their progress using the checklist.

2. Buy or find an empty notebook used for learning English on this website. Whenever students see this picture…

hand writing

…they should consider writing answers to questions or write down any sort of useful vocabulary in their notebooks. Writing is not something that students typically do when they study online, but I think it’s one of the best way for you to remember the things that you have learned.

3. Go to Lesson One in the Blue Level. Complete the lesson. On each of the days that follow, complete the lesson(s) that match the level(s) on which you are studying. Some students complete more than one level per month. That’s okay, but try to complete the lessons in sequence. Complete all of the quizzes and exercises. You can also visit the dictation section to work on listening and writing skills. Write the answers in your notebook.

4. Visit the other areas of the website. You can work on listening skills, pronunciation, reading, or learn about idioms. There are almost 4000 pages of material on this website, so you can keep yourself busy!

Each course level on this website has a checklist. Print out and keep the checklist next to your computer, tablet, or phone and use it to track your progress as you move through the lessons:

PRINT:

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