How do you compare one thing to another in English? What if you want to explain how something is better than all the rest? In English, this is pretty easy to do. We call a word which compares the properties of two things “the comparative”. If we want to talk about how something is the best of all, we call that “the superlative”.
Nowadays, with auto-correct and easier typing, you see a lot less “R”s and a lot more “are”s. English texting has come a long way. While you may still see some acronyms, you can text by writing grammatically complete and accurate sentences. Apps like Google’s Gboard simplify this.
Use English resources like podcasts, movies, books, and even yourself to practice your English speaking skills. Sometimes, you are your best speaking partner. You are always interested in what you have to say and will always listen. Many places give you easy access to stuff you can use for speaking.
Work on Your Idioms is a fantastic book for the English learner who wants to know more about English idioms. It is a clearly written and well presented book which introduces idioms and allows readers to practice them.
Practical English Usage by Michael Swan is the best modern example I have seen of this kind of book. The book is split into two sections; one covers common English grammar points and the other covers English vocabulary. Explanations are clear, easy to understand, and written with learners in mind.
The best grammar books are no-frills showcases of English grammar with plenty of exercises to complete. They let you know about a tool and practice it without needless discussion most learners aren’t interested in. Your grammar book should show you a tool, how to use it, then set you to practicing.
The Handbook of the IPA is a great resource book for the study of the International Phonetic Alphabet. Readers get a comprehensive explanation of how it works and complete profiles for 29 different languages. A must have for anyone looking to learn IPA.
The IPA is the greatest tool you can use to improve your English pronunciation. The IP Association has created an alphabet for all the sounds possible in language. This means you can use it to learn a direct route straight to proper pronunciation; You can use the IPA to say any English word!
The main difference between the two is:
Quotation marks are used to report speech.
An apostrophe is used for making contractions and possession.
It’s not likely you’ll mix them up, but keep in mind, apostrophes appear alone and quotation marks appear in twos!
Learning English doesn’t have to be a daily 4-hour study grind. If you only learn one new word every day, in a year you will have learned 365 new words. Think about if you learned 5; in 5 years you’d know 9125 with only 5 new words a day! Learn in steps to keep your learning stress free and fun.
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