This entry is part 9 of 13 in the series Improving EnglishWe already looked at the basic rules about “the,” but there are a few things that are harder to understand. Let’s take a look at using articles with names. Proper names never use an article. (David, Brian, Santa Clause, Barack Obama, Xuxa) Proper titles […]
Tag Archives: English
English Quotes
This entry is part 7 of 11 in the series QuotesBill Cosby is a famous comedian in the United States, but he is also known for a variety of quotes and expressions. His television show, The Cosby Show, was one of the first to show a successful black family. The following quote by Mr. Cosby […]
Expressions (expressões) – Corner the Market
(English, like most other languages, is full of expressions that don’t really make sense when translated. This series will explore some of the different, popular expressions used in English to help any speaker improve their vocabulary.) There are many expressions which work well in business settings, so we will look at some over the […]
False Friends (Falsos Cognatos) – Anticipate/Antecipar
This entry is part 6 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.) Anticipate is a false friend that I personally use sometimes! I really like the word “antecipar” and try to use it the same […]
Time Changes
One of the hardest adjustments for me to make when I moved from the United States to Brazil was the difference in seasons. In the United States, December is Winter, so Christmas is cold and Santa Claus makes sense. In Brazil, December is Summer, so New Years is a beach holiday. Growing up, I always […]
Good and Well
This entry is part 8 of 13 in the series Improving EnglishThe English words good and well cause a great deal of confusion even for native speakers. Surprisingly, most Brazilian students quickly pick up on the difference, after learning what the difference actually is. So, let’s take a look at some examples with English to […]
Uncountable Nouns – Part IV
This entry is part 7 of 13 in the series Improving EnglishEnglish has a series of nouns called uncountable nouns or non-count nouns. Many of these are similar to Portuguese, but some of them are confusing. This short series of posts is going to look at the different types of uncountable nouns. Uncountable nouns are […]
English Quotes
This entry is part 6 of 11 in the series QuotesOscar Wilde was a famous playwriter and author, known for his humor and wit. One of his most famous quotes is inspiring, rather than humorous: We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. The “gutter” is “sarjeta” in […]
Phrasal Verbs – Turn Off
This entry is part 9 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 […]
Expressions (expressões) – Kill Two Birds with One Stone
This entry is part 8 of 10 in the series Expressions(English, like most other languages, is full of expressions that don’t really make sense when translated. This series will explore some of the different, popular expressions used in English to help any speaker improve their vocabulary.) The next few expressions are all going to deal […]
