Search


Alex
Sep 12, 20237 min read
Affect vs. Effect: What's the Difference? (Audio Lesson Included)
Recommended level: Advanced Quick Reference In most cases, affect is used as a verb and effect is used as a noun. (Ex: "The decision...
4 comments


Alex
Aug 12, 20235 min read
Despite vs. In Spite of: Is There a Difference? (Audio Reading Included)
Recommended level: Advanced "Is it 'in spite of' or 'despite of'?" Quick Reference Despite and in spite of are most commonly used in...
6 comments

Alex
Apr 21, 20234 min read
The Difference between "Person," "Persons," "People," and "Peoples" (AUDIO Reading & GIFs Included)
Recommended level: Intermediate Quick reference "Person" is a singular noun. It refers to one human being. "People" is the plural of...
11 comments

Alex
Mar 20, 20238 min read
WHO and WHOM: Facts, Rules, and Uses
Recommended level: Advanced Related resource: https://www.engvid.com/who-or-whom/ Quick Reference "Who" and "whom" are used as question...
2 comments

Alex
Jan 30, 20235 min read
Compliment vs. Complement: What's the Difference? (Audio Reading Included)
Recommended level: Intermediate Is it "My compliments to the chef" or "My complements to the chef"? Quick Reference Compliment and...
4 comments

Alex
Nov 23, 20227 min read
Comma splices in English writing: What they are and how to fix them (and when they're okay)
If you didn't learn how to use commas in school, or if English isn't your first language, it's understandable that you might not know...
1 comment

Alex
Jul 18, 20221 min read
NEW BOOK confirmed for August 15th, 2022!
Finally! I am happy to announce that the latest addition to the Practical English series, 300 Practical English Words and Phrases, will...
7 comments


Alex
Jun 1, 20224 min read
Improve your writing: What are participle phrases? (with practice exercises)
Can you write this sentence in a shorter way? There were several people who were arguing about gas prices. If you said "There were...
4 comments

Alex
May 24, 20225 min read
English punctuation: How to use semicolons
Good punctuation is fundamental to good writing. Many of us take commas, periods, question marks, and exclamation marks for granted. We...
0 comments

Alex
May 18, 20224 min read
English writing: The subtle difference between "but" and "yet" (coordinating conjunctions)
If you look online for the difference between but and yet, you are likely to find one or both of these statements: As coordinating...
2 comments


Alex
Jul 27, 20211 min read
Video: 6 Tips for Improving Your Creative Writing
Writing fiction can be an excellent way to help you strengthen the clarity of your ideas. In my latest video, I provide six tips to help...
0 comments


Alex
Jul 20, 20213 min read
Should You Study American AND British English? (audio and video included)
English has many regional varieties, but the two most common that new English learners ask about are British and American English. In...
1 comment


Alex
Jun 30, 20213 min read
What's the Difference Between Fluency and Proficiency? (audio included)
Learning a language is a step-by-step process, but the road is not always straight. In fact, it has hundreds of paths that separate and...
5 comments


Alex
May 3, 20216 min read
5 Advanced English Writing Techniques
Have you ever wondered what the difference is between advanced writing and regular writing? If so, this blog post is for you. We will...
2 comments