In this post, you will learn five idioms that Americans use to praise someone for a job well done. Idioms are a type of figurative language where the words put together lose their literal meaning. The problem is that when we study English at school, we learn the literal meaning of words. And when we […]
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, […]
Speak English: The power of simple words
“When the rubber meets the road” and other idioms
I’ve heard from some nonnative speakers that they are reluctant to use idioms at work as they think that such phrases are unprofessional. But the truth is that Americans use them everywhere, so don’t be afraid. Of course, if you are not sure if the situation is appropriate, you can always stay more on the formal […]
“To run out of steam” and other idioms
“You nailed it” and other idioms
A while ago I heard a nonnative speaker complaining that he had totally misunderstood his boss because of a phrase the latter had used. The situation was the following: the nonnative speaker presented something at work and after the presentation he asked his boss for feedback. “You killed it,” his boss said. The presenter was […]
The power of simple words
Almost native: the power of an adverb
Slogans with mistakes?
If correct grammar is so important, then why are some of the largest companies in the world choosing to have slogans with mistakes? Is it because it’s catchy? Or do they have to send their very expensive advertising agents to grammar school? 😅 There are certain situations where a message is more powerful when it’s […]