Structure Summary

Would like / want / ask
I would like you to come to a party on Saturday
Object Clause (noun clause): you to come to a party on Saturday
Subject + verb + [object = (object pronoun + verb…

LOOKING BACK FROM A POINT IN THE FUTURE - FUTURE PERFECT

I have studied / I have been studying English for/since...
(from the past to the present)

Next September, I will have studied / been studying Eng…

These are the B2 time adverbs you should learn for the speaking and writing of the Cambridge FCE exam. Listen for them in the podcast, and decide which I am referring to in the dialogue section at th…

'Rather' and its uses

FORM/USE: 'RATHER THAN' + PHRASE
B1
Use a specialist book rather than the Internet. A book is more reliable.
Take the stairs rather than the lift. It’ll keep you fitter.

FORM: 'RATHE…

Stative verbs

Thoughts and opinions

believe
know
understand
suppose
think
(I would sit and think about her every day.)
(People used to think that smoking was good for you.)  

Emotions

love
I used to love watchi…

Emphasis is used with lots of auxiliary verbs:
- I MUST get to the shop before it closes.
- You SHOULD try and finish the painting today. I'm fed up with smelling paint all over the house.
- I do like y…

The Visitors

This is the full version of my story The Visitors recorded in October of last year. The level is B2, but my B1 students are also invited, of course! ;-) 

These are the comprehension questi…

Adjectives with hyphen at B1 level

good-looking (only with hyphen) - attractive (for people, often men)

well-known - a lot of people have heard of it and know it/him/her

old-fashioned (only with hyphen)…

Words and expressions for emphasis

- The reason is I like working with people, I have experience of looking after elderly people and I enjoy volunteering work. 

- The problem is I’m a little lazy, I am…

Future Forms in English

I'm not going to talk about future tense and predictions, but other uses of future tense.Going to and present continuous for future

Going to – plans and intentions that we have;

…

Now it's interesting that we use get as a verb of motion. Often, when it's difficult to actually move. Have you noticed that we say,

Would you like to get into my car.

Now, you go into your house, you …

Why my students say 'enter the classroom'

Where there is movement, there's a preposition, and a preposition is used in the same way we use preposition of place (where things are)

He ran across the str…

In today's story, I'll be looking at some B2-level phrasal verbs.

I explain 5 of the phrasal verbs below in the podcast: 1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10. You can listen to all ten of these phrasal verbs. They are i…

To write a successful story for the Cambridge PET exam (Preliminary English Test)

Here is some of the help and advice I talk about in the podcast. I will also read you a model story.You are always giv…

Strong B1 to B2-level story. Today, as I'm still on holiday, I'm offering you the complete version of the very popular story I published in September - A Window on Time. Read and listen to the compre…

Victims of Nature Complete Version (B1, B2)

This is the full version of the two story parts published last September. 

Comprehension questions

1) What reasons did Alberto's mother give Alberto for leavi…

B1 B2-level story with exra Christmas idioms included. I have re-written this story for my English students.

Ebenezer Scrooge visits his nephew for Christmas dinner and surprises Bob Cratchit with som…

"Scrooge jumped out of bed and rushed over to the window, opened it, and put his head out. There was no fog, no mist; it was a clear, bright, cheerful day...."

This is the last chapter of Charles' Dic…

Jonathon goes to the bank to claim his prize, but he comes away with something he didn't expect. 

B2 phrases to listen for. What is the context of each phrase?

1, get rid of - try to make disappear

2, b…

English podcast story for B1, B2 levels (intermediate - upper intermediate) - Jonathon Baxter has spent ten years walking around Britain, playing his harmonica to survive. Then he decides to return t…