Espresso English Podcast

Do you know what it means to: drop someone a line get your wires crossed or beat around the bush? These are all examples of  idioms that we're going to learn today! Idioms and informal expressions like these are used frequently in movies, TV shows, and casual conversations. But a lot of English textbooks don't teach you these expressions! So you might be confused when you hear them in real life. T...

You already know a LOT of nouns in English, but did you know that there are  different types of nouns ? That's what we'll be learning today! Make sure to watch to the end of the lesson, because I'm going to clarify a very common confusion between categories of nouns that many English learners have. There's a lot more grammar to learn - and you can learn it easily in my  Basic and Intermediate Gram...

Today I want to help you fix a pronunciation problem that I hear in a LOT of students' English, and that is saying things like this: I  ask-ed  him to help me. We  pre-par-ed  for our trip. The mistake is with the verbs in the past, ending in -ED. The correct way to say them is: askt  (not ask-ed) pre-pard  (not pre-par-ed) It's a small mistake, but unfortunately it makes it obvious that someone's...

A lot of English learners are curious about the word  "shall." Is it the same thing as "will"? When exactly do we use it? I'll answer those questions in today's lesson. I hope this lesson has helped you understand when people sometimes use "shall" and what it means, as well as the alternatives which are becoming more and more common nowadays, especially in American English.   If you've got a quest...

Today I'm going to quickly clear up confusion between the words  wander and wonder. These are two  completely  different words, but sometimes English learners mix them up because of their similar spelling and pronunciation. For more simple and clear lessons about the differences between confusing words in English, get my e-book,   600+ Confusing English Words Explained! These are words that Englis...

Today we've got a really interesting question from a student: In English, do we say  "congratulations ON or FOR your anniversary"? Listen to the lesson to find out  :-) When you're learning English, it can be hard to feel like you've really mastered the grammar of the language. There are so many rules, so many exceptions, and the grammar might be very different from how it works in your native lan...

Today let's expand your vocabulary by  learning 20 different words for  lights  - from lamps to lighthouses to lightning (which you shouldn't get confused with lighting). As you learn each word, repeat it after me to practice your pronunciation. Do you ever have trouble remembering the English vocabulary words you learn? It's very common. In fact, lots of students write to me asking what to do abo...

English has some interesting expressions with the word "business" – and many of them AREN'T related to work. Today you'll learn 10 expressions with "business" : funny business [someone] means business [do something] like nobody's business make it your business [to do something] ... and more! If you are learning English for work, my Business English Course will teach you the phrases and vocabulary...

Mistakes are part of language learning... and part of life! Remember that with the word mistake, we always say: "I made a mistake" and never "I did a mistake." But what are some DIFFERENT phrases native English speakers use to admit mistakes and promise to resolve them ? That's what we'll learn in today's lesson. Inside my Everyday English Speaking Courses, you can learn phrases for lots of differ...

Compound words are made of two words together, forming a new word with a new meaning. For example: bathroom =  A room where you can take a bath mailbox  = A box in which you receive mail toothbrush  = A brush that you use on your teeth Let's improve your English vocabulary and practice your pronunciation with these  compound words around the house. How many of these things do you have in your home...

The pronunciation of many English words sounds different from the way they appear to be written. Some English words have "disappearing or dropped syllables" - reductions or eliminations of sounds in the middle of the word. One example is the word favorite - we don't pronounce it FAV-o-rit with three syllables. Instead, we say it more like FAV-rit - the "o" syllable disappears. In today's lesson, y...

⭐ Watch the video: https://www.espressoenglish.net/phrasal-verbs-challenge-day-5/ ✔️ Download the worksheet: https://www.espressoenglish.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Phrasal%20Verbs%20Challenge%20-%20Day%205%20Review%20Practice.pdf Today is the FINAL DAY of our phrasal verbs challenge. We've covered a lot this week, but there are still many more phrasal verbs to learn! You can do that inside my...

⭐ Watch the video: https://www.espressoenglish.net/phrasal-verbs-challenge-day-4/ ✔️ Download the worksheet: https://www.espressoenglish.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Phrasal%20Verbs%20Challenge%20-%20Day%204%20Review%20Practice.pdf Welcome to day 4 of our phrasal verbs challenge – we've been flying through these phrasal verbs, learning 10 a day, every day. I hope you're enjoying the quizzes; th...

⭐ Watch the video: https://www.espressoenglish.net/phrasal-verbs-challenge-day-3 ✔️ Download the worksheet: https://www.espressoenglish.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Phrasal%20Verbs%20Challenge%20-%20Day%203%20Review%20Practice.pdf It's day 3 of our phrasal verbs challenge and today we'll learn 10 more interesting phrasal verbs through a quiz where you'll have to guess what each one means. Do yo...

⭐ Watch the video: https://www.espressoenglish.net/phrasal-verbs-challenge-day-2 ✔️ Download the worksheet: https://www.espressoenglish.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Phrasal%20Verbs%20Challenge%20-%20Day%202%20Review%20Practice.pdf Welcome to day 2 of our phrasal verbs challenge, where we're learning 50 phrasal verbs in 5 days by looking at them in context. As a reminder, these lessons are quiz-...

⭐ Watch the video: https://www.espressoenglish.net/phrasal-verbs-challenge-day-1 ✔️ Download the worksheet: https://www.espressoenglish.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Phrasal%20Verbs%20Challenge%20-%20Day%201%20Review%20Practice.pdf Today is the first day of our phrasal verb challenge! Over the next 5 days, we're going to learn 50 phrasal verbs through quiz-based lessons. Here's how it works: I'l...

Intransitive phrasal verbs examples: https://www.espressoenglish.net/intransitive-phrasal-verbs-in-english/ Separable phrasal verbs examples: https://www.espressoenglish.net/separable-phrasal-verbs-in-english/ Inseparable phrasal verbs examples: https://www.espressoenglish.net/inseparable-phrasal-verbs-in-english/  ✔️ Read the lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/phrasal-verbs-in-english/...

Next week we're doing a FREE "Phrasal Verbs Challenge" – and you're invited! Phrasal verbs are combinations of verbs + prepositions like  take off, set apart, crack up,  and  break out  - they are very common in English, and they have meanings that aren't always easy to know. In the 5-day "Phrasal Verbs Challenge" you'll learn 50 phrasal verbs fast through fun, quiz-based lessons. The challenge wi...

In today's lesson we're going to practice our pronunciation and learn when to use the words proof and prove, belief and believe. These pairs of words are different by only one sound. Their meanings are closely related, but their grammar is different. If you want to take it to the next level, try to use each one of these words in your own sentence. And make sure to check out my American English Pro...

When a person asks you a question in English, it's hard to give a quick  answer . How can you reply to questions faster? One way is to learn some of the typical responses to common questions - and in today's lesson you'll learn  100   answers  to common English questions!   If you want to improve your English speaking ability for situations in daily life, join my  Everyday English Speaking Course....

⭐ 600+ Confusing Words Explained E-Book: https://www.espressoenglish.net/600-confusing-english-words-explained ✔️ Read the lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/confusing-words-in-english-wish-and-hope/ Today I'm going to explain the difference between wish and hope and how to use these words correctly in English – with lots of examples. I hope you put this into practice so that you rememb...

You know that "right" and "wrong" are the same as "correct" and "incorrect" respectively. These words are also used in a lot of informal expressions and idioms in English -  let's learn 10 of them! One of the hardest things about learning English is not being sure if what you're saying and writing is right or wrong... And one of the great things about many  Espresso English courses  is that they i...

Today we have a great question from a student who asked about the difference between the words lifetime, lifelong, and lifespan. These words all seem to refer to the time period of someone's life, but we use them in different ways in English. You might have a lot of questions like this one, about the difference between English words that seem very similar or even identical – and you'll find a lot...

Hello and happy  2022 ! It's a great time to make plans for the goals you want to achieve in the new year :-) Do you have a  plan  for improving your  English  this year? If you DON'T have a  plan ...  you won't know what to study you won't feel like you're making progress you'll lose motivation But if you DO have a  plan  for your  English   learning ... it's easier to study consistently you'll k...

Have you ever missed your flight? (Remember that in English we say "I missed my flight" and not "I lost my flight") Today we'll learn some phrases you can use to talk about bad travel experiences and problems that can happen on a trip. I hope you don't experience any of these things if you have a trip in the near future… but if you do, now you know some English expressions for describing them. Whe...