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Phrasal Verbs – Check Out

This entry is part 6 of 12 in the series Phrasal Verbs

This entry is part 6 of 12 in the series Phrasal Verbs(This is a series on Phrasal Verbs.  There are hundreds of phrasal verbs and many of them have no relation to the words that form them.  When you are learning a new phrasal verb, I recommend learning it as a completely new piece of vocabulary, instead […]

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Writing Tips – Contrast

This entry is part 3 of 4 in the series Business English

This entry is part 3 of 4 in the series Business EnglishWriting emails, memos, notes, reports, and other documents are essential aspects to the corporate world and business English. There are a lot of ways to improve writing in English, but one of the best ways is through improving conjunctions and other transition words. Conjunctions […]

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False Friends (Falsos Cognatos) – Advise/Aviso

This entry is part 4 of 6 in the series False Friends

This entry is part 4 of 6 in the series False Friends( False friends or false cognates are words that look the same in different languages, but which actually have different meanings.)   Today’s false friends actually have some similarity, but you cannot use  them as direct translations of one another. Both Advise and Avisar are verbs, and both […]

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Email Endings – Formal

This entry is part 2 of 4 in the series Business English

This entry is part 2 of 4 in the series Business EnglishMost Business English uses more formal communication, typically between a company and a client or between an employee and an English-speaking boss. When you need to use more formal endings in your emails, you have a variety of options. It is good to use […]

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Phrasal Verbs – Get Part III

This entry is part 5 of 12 in the series Phrasal Verbs

This entry is part 5 of 12 in the series Phrasal Verbs(This is a series on Phrasal Verbs.  There are hundreds of phrasal verbs and many of them have no relation to the words that form them.  When you are learning a new phrasal verb, I recommend learning it as a completely new piece of vocabulary, instead […]

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ESL Podcast Review – 6 Minute English

This entry is part 1 of 1 in the series Reviews

This entry is part 1 of 1 in the series ReviewsESL podcasts are a great way to practice English in your downtime. You can listen to them in the car, at the gym, on the subway or even during a quiet lunch. There are dozens of free podcasts for ESL, but there are also a […]

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Improving English

This entry is part 1 of 13 in the series Improving English

This entry is part 1 of 13 in the series Improving EnglishThere are many tricky words in the English language – words that often change in meaning, depending on the situation or context. “Pretty” is one of these words. Many ESL or EFL speakers incorrectly use this word to emphasize an adjective, substituting the word […]

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Email Endings – Informal

This entry is part 1 of 4 in the series Business English

This entry is part 1 of 4 in the series Business EnglishOne of my students recently asked me how to finish an email in an informal way. There are lots of email finishers that are appropriate in different situations. When I’m speaking informally, I use the following options, depending on the subject:   Thanks See […]

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Phrasal Verbs – Get Part II

This entry is part 4 of 12 in the series Phrasal Verbs

This entry is part 4 of 12 in the series Phrasal Verbs(This is a series on Phrasal Verbs.  There are hundreds of phrasal verbs and many of them have no relation to the words that form them.  When you are learning a new phrasal verb, I recommend learning it as a completely new piece of vocabulary, instead […]

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False Friends (Falsos Cognatos) – Push/Puxe

This entry is part 3 of 6 in the series False Friends

This entry is part 3 of 6 in the series False FriendsToday’s false friend is one that really messes with my mind sometimes. It is hard for English speakers learning Portuguese as well as Portuguese speakers learning English. The worst part is that it is something very common, yet that doesn’t make it any easier. […]

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