In this post I’ll discuss different phases that I’ve noticed English learners go through when they start speaking English. They are based on my personal experience and observation. So, if you are learning English, but feel stuck and shy away from speaking with native speakers, this read is for you. Understanding where you are in […]
Mistakes in English – theory vs. real life
In this post I will discuss several English rules that you might have learned but native speakers don’t always follow. Keep in mind, though, that I will be talking about speakers in the US, and it might be different in other countries. In this post you will learn what kind of mistakes Americans make when […]
How soon should you start speaking in English?
Build negative sentences with Yet or Still
In this post, I’m going to share with you a sentence structure that can be quite confusing to many English learners. It is confusing because it can create a negative sentence without using any negative words like not or don’t or can’t or won’t. Not even a negative prefix. By the way, talking about negatives, […]
Are you fluent in English?
Confusing double negatives in English
Ok, let’s talk about double negatives. You have probably heard that double negatives in English are not grammatically correct. A double negative is when you use two negative words in a phrase or a sentence. For example, ✘ “I don’t like nothing” is grammatically incorrect. The correct way to say this sentence in English is […]
Common mistakes some English learners make
Do you ever make mistakes in English that stem from translating from your native language? As a nonnative speaker myself, I know that some minor errors are hard to notice until someone points them out to you. If you make some of the mistakes I’m going to share, don’t get frustrated. I know it takes […]
Enjoy the experience, don’t dwell on the goal
English modals: must not vs. don’t have to
I recently saw someone saying “teachers don’t have to make mistakes” while he meant “teachers must not make mistakes.” Although I don’t agree with this statement, I’d like to clarify the difference between must not and don’t have to. Must is one of the modals in the English language. The word “modal” comes from the […]