Happy English Podcast

I finally got around to cleaning out that garage. Let me tell you something, that is not a job I look forward to doing at all. I guess I'm more used to messing it up. Yeah I definitely can admit to doing that.  You'll notice in all four cases, there's a there's a verb followed by TO followed by a gerund,  you know the ING.  But wait Michael, to should be followed by a base verb!  Yes, that's true,...

I guess you know that NYC is known as the Big Apple. But did you know that the Big Apple is known for it’s pizza? As well, the City is known for being the city that never sleeps.    I know that prepositions can be tricky and sometimes we can pair a word with a few different prepositions. Crazy, isn’t it! Today, we are going to look at the word known, which can be paired with 5 different prepositio...

Don’t listen to this podcast unless you like learning English. Yeah, as long as you are a fan of learning English, I am sure you will enjoy this episode, that is provided you find this kind if thing interesting.  We’ve talk about using IF to talk about a condition a few times before, right? Well, have you ever wondered if there are other words you can us to talk about a condition? If so then you a...

Do you like to stay in bed late on the weekends? What time are you usually at work until? Have you ever been on a farm or in the mountains. Oh...maybe you see where this conversation is going, huh?   Last week, in  Episode 721, we talked about using at and in to talk about location. Today, I’d like to get into how we use in, at, and on in some set phrases, also to talk about location. Let’s get th...

Are you home or at home? In the office or at the office. Are you listening to this podcast at your house or in your house. Those tricky English prepositions always cause trouble - until today.  Among the various aspects of learning English, prepositions seem to cause more problems than anything else. In particular, a lot of listeners to the podcast have told me that understanding when to use in an...

I advise you listen to this whole podcast. I know that I have suggested this before, and I often recommend listening to podcasts as a way of improving your English. Well, I today I would like to propose you grab a pen and a notebook, and listen up! When you have advice that you want another person to consider, there are 4 verbs you can use. These are advise, propose, recommend, and suggest. Intere...

Do yourself a favor. Stop studying English. Yeah I said that. Me, your humble English teacher. In this podcast English lesson, I’m going to explain why I suggest you stop studying English and what you can do instead to practice and improve your English.  Today I want you to rethink what you do in English. I want you to move from the “I study English” to the “I use English” mindset. Let’s jump in!...

Even though I was up with the chickens this morning, because of a train delay I got to the office just in the nick of time. I’m using the trains for the time being, but in the meantime, I’m looking for an apartment closer to the office.  For this English lesson, let’s take a look at 6 phrases that you can use to talk about time. These are common phrases that you can use in your everyday spoken and...

As you may already know, I’m a huge music lover. But as for sports, frankly, I couldn’t care less. For all I care, all the local teams could lose and it wouldn’t bother me! Would you care to know why? The verb care is an interesting word in English because it has a number of uses as well as idioms that are common in everyday English conversation.  Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https:...

Have you ever heard of Louis Armstrong? Did you ever listen to jazz? Among all jazz musicians, Louis Armstrong has probably the most unique voice ever. I’m sure if you listen to his music, you’ll be ever so happy!  The adverb ever means at any time, and that could mean at any time in the past or in the future. For today’s English lesson, let’s look at all the different ways we use this versatile l...

I'm not trying to let the cat out of the bag, but I have to tell you, I am dog tired.  I'm going to guess that you're going to want to know why, but keep in mind curiosity killed the cat. Yup, today is all about cats and dogs. For today's English lesson let's have a look at idioms that deal with cats and dogs. I really love helping you learn idioms because they do tend to make your English convers...

When I was younger I could play the piano a lot better than I can now. You know? I'm glad I was able to tell you that. Knowing modal verbs like can and be able to is not only important for your everyday English conversation, but using this grammar correctly will give you an edge in English exams like IELTS, TOEFL, and TOEIC.  Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish...

Day in and day out, I try to come up with topics to talk about here on the Happy English podcast. Most of my ideas come from questions or problems my students have. At the end of the day, it’s always best to keep trying new things. In this day and age, I think most people are interested in learning something. That’s plain as day, no? Today, let’s look as 10 idioms and expressions that relate to ti...

Wouldn't it be nice if we could learn another language quickly and easily? Oh, don’t worry, this isn’t a commercial, just an intro to this lesson. Isn’t that why you’re here? Negative questions are questions that begin with the negative forms of the be verb and other auxiliary verbs. Like their cousins, tag questions, negative questions are often used to check what we think is true. Let’s go! Join...

I’m sure you have a lot on your plate, so thanks a lot for checking out my podcast. Today I have something special for everyone working in an international environment. I’m not saying that I have the silver bullet, but I think this episode is going to be a game changer for you. For today’s English lesson, let’s have a look at 8 phrases that you can use in the workplace and in your daily English co...

American English pronunciation is interesting. A lot of English learners tell me that Americans talk to quickly. But I would say it’s more the style of speaking than the speed. One interesting feature of spoken American English is the fact that We. Do. Not. Like. To. Stop. After. Each. Word. In. A. Sentence. Quite often, the end of one word links with the beginning of the next word. For this Engli...

For this English lesson, We’re going to look at nine different ways that we use the verb have. Have is one of those interesting words in English that has multiple meanings and uses, as well as a number of different grammar patterns. By the way, have is an irregular verb, and the three parts are have, had, and had. Let’s get the ball rolling! Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://lear...

For this English lesson, I'm going to show you a couple of different types of questions that you can ask when you want to check that the information you have is right. Basically, these are tag questions and negative questions. By the end of this lesson you'll understand how these questions are used in everyday, conversational English. Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhap...

Guess what! This lesson is all about conversational phrases in American English. And maybe you’re wondering…can I find a lesson like this in a book? Not exactly. “How come?,”you may ask. How come indeed. Let’s check it out. For this English lesson, I’m going to show you how to sound more American, by using words and phrases that will make your English conversations sound, well, less like a text bo...

Have you ever seen the movie, Good Morning Vietnam with Robin Williams? In that movie, an army base had William’s character work as a radio dj, and his personality had everyone on the base laughing. Except of course his supervisors, who wanted to have him transferred. Have someone do something, have someone doing something, and have someone done. By the end of this podcast, you’ll have learned six...

Thanks again for spending time with the Happy English podcast. I remember the time I first started doing this in 2014. I was killing time on social medial when I first knew about podcasts. Those were interesting times! Time? Times? Let’s discuss! Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/transcript Visit my website: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/ The Happy Engli...

Let me ask you something. Would you rather pay train fare or a highway toll? Do you think the admission charge at the movie theater is reasonable? In your country, what percentage of a doctor's fee do patients usually need to pay? In this podcast English lesson you're going to learn the difference between six different types of things you can pay. Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https:...

Learning idioms can make your English conversations sound more natural and today, we’re going to look at five idioms you might use in your English conversations at the beginning of the year. By the end of this podcast, you’ll learn these idioms and the history behind how we started saying them! Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/transcript Visit my website...

Merry Christmas 2023. For today’s podcast, I’ve gotten together an amazing group of English learners from all over the world to bring to you a very special reading of A Visit From St. Nicholas, the iconic Christmas poem written by Clement Clarke Moore in 1837. In no particular order, thanks to Rémi (France), Naoko (Japan), Peter (Russia), Andrea (Germany), Konomi (Japan), Fabri (Italy), Tammy (Hon...

For today's English lesson we're going to take a look at five idioms which are things that you can hit: Hit the ceiling, hit the hay / sack, hit the jackpot, hit the sauce, and hit the town By the end of this lesson you're going to not only learn these idioms but you also have an idea as to where they came from. Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/transcrip...