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Vocabulary

Shopping English

Average: 4.1 (23 votes)

Some people go abroad because they love shopping and want to do it in a new place. From haggling in local markets to maxing out your credit card in designer boutiques, there are plenty of options.

Take a look at this conversation between a customer and a shop assistant. Can you guess which words are needed to complete the conversation?

Conversation: In the shop

Shop Assistant: Can I _1_ you?

Rose Idioms

Average: 2 (210 votes)

Roses are plants that have large beautiful flowers. They are popular with gardeners and are traditionally given by romantics on Valentine's Day!

Here are three common idioms that use this plant.

No bed of roses

When a situation is no bed of roses, it is difficult or unpleasant.

"Having to share a bedroom with his younger brother was no bed of roses."

"She soon found out that working as a flight attendant was not always a bed of roses."

David Beckham Preposition Quiz

Average: 4.4 (34 votes)

You don't have to be a football fan to try today's lesson. Read this short David Beckham biography and decide which words have been taken out. Most of the missing words are prepositions.

David Beckham is _1_ English footballer who currently plays in France _2_ Paris Saint-Germain.

Business English Vocabulary

Average: 4.9 (17 votes)

It's becoming more and more common for students to learn Business English to improve their career opportunities both at home and abroad in English speaking countries.

A 2012 survey of non-native English speakers found that although 92% recognised that English communication was important for success in their work, only 7% felt they had the necessary English level they need.

Work Vocabulary

Average: 4.1 (67 votes)

If you could have any job in the world, what would you like to be? What makes a job a 'good job'?

Read through this short text about work and see if you can guess which words have been left out.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Average: 3.9 (18 votes)

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on 17th March each year. St. Patrick's Day is an Irish holiday celebrated all around the planet to _1_ the patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick. He is said to have _2_ on March 17 around the year 493.

Idiom of the Day: Eat like a horse

Average: 1.8 (189 votes)

If I told you my brother eats like a horse, what would you think?

Would you think that he ate horse food, that he had a big appetite or that he was a horse?

Eats like a horse is an idiom. When someone eats like a horse, they always eat a lot of food.

"Although he eats like a horse, he never gets fat."

Dead or Died?

Average: 3.7 (101 votes)

Another look at a couple of words that English learners often confuse. Do you know the difference in use between dead and died?

Dead

Dead is an adjective. It means no longer alive. For example:

There's a dead mouse in the garden.

My grandfather has been dead for ten years.

The pet fish I bought my daughter last week is already dead.

Lose or Loose?

Average: 3.9 (26 votes)

We see these two words misspelled ALL the time especially on Twitter and Facebook.

Let's take a look at the correct use of these words.

Lose

Lose: is a present tense verb. It has two meanings:

i) To have lost something. You no longer know where it is:

"Don't lose your bag. Be careful where you put it."

ii) To be defeated:

"I always lose when I play tennis against my brother."

Lost

The past form of both meanings is lost.

"I lost my bag!"

IELTS Practice - 'Global Temperatures'

Average: 4 (63 votes)

Being able to understand long written texts is an important skill if you want to take an IELTS course or any type of English language proficiency test. Carefully read through this article and answer the 8 related questions. Let us know if you have any questions about what you read.