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Vocabulary

Why do we say 'Murphy's Law'?

Average: 3.1 (16 votes)

Murphy’s law?

This so-called ‘law’ says that ‘Anything that can go wrong will go wrong’.

The ‘Murphy’ in the expression is commonly believed to be a certain Captain Edward A. Murphy, who was an American aerospace engineer back in 1949.

Why do we say 'Salt of the earth'?

Average: 3.2 (25 votes)

salt of the earth

Being described by someone as ‘the salt of the earth’ is quite a compliment...it means that you are a person of great worth and reliability. The expression is Biblical in origin (Matthew 5:13), and it is believed that the use of ‘salt’ in the expression is a reference to the value of salt, which was supposedly quite a valued commodity back then!

The 7 Wonders of the World

Average: 3.9 (27 votes)

There are so many amazing places to see in the world and some day, I would love to visit the seven man made wonders. In this lesson, I have removed some key vocabulary from the text. All you need to do is complete the gaps. When you’re finished, please tell me two things.
Lesson by Caroline

1. What sight do you think should be made a ‘wonder’?
2. Which of these wonders is your favourite?

Verb Tense Practice

Average: 3.4 (33 votes)

Take a look at the irregular verb blow.

Blow is the present simple tense

Blew is the past simple tense

Blown is the past participle

Blowing is the progressive form.

Sports Idioms

Average: 3.3 (19 votes)

Lots of idiomatic expressions come from things people say to each other in sports. For example in fishing,'to get off the hook' means literally, for the fish to escape! These phrases have been adapted and, as idioms, can be used in a variety of circumstances. In each of these sentences, can you decide which idiom is needed?
Caroline Devane

Photography Tips

Average: 2.9 (12 votes)

Our students travel to new countries, discover new cultures and come back with some amazing memories and thousands of photos! Here are some tips to make sure you take the best photos you possibly can.

I have removed some important vocabulary from the text. All you need to do is choose which word goes in which gap.
Lesson by Caroline

Elementary to Pre-Intermediate – Opposite Adjectives

Average: 3.6 (9 votes)

Many adjectives have perfect opposites. For example: hot and cold.

Choose the opposite of the following words:
By Amanda Pooley, EC Cape Town English School

Modal Verbs Practice

Average: 2 (332 votes)

Accessories Word Scramble

Average: 1.3 (142 votes)

I love accessories and in winter I get to wear even more of them! I have about 5 winter htas, one of which has a little face like an animal.

I need to buy some new vseglo because I’ve lost mine. I should probably get some of those ttminse they make for children, which you can attach to your coat by a string so you don’t lose them.

Phrasal verbs with 'Turn'

Average: 3.3 (19 votes)

Here’s another lesson that gives you an opportunity to revise/learn some phrasal verbs.

Remember, changing the preposition can completely change the meaning of the verb, so we need to know which preposition to add to a verb to create the correct meaning.

Here’s a test to see how well you remember the meaning of these phrasal verbs that use ‘turn’. Which phrasal verb belongs in each sentence? Good luck!
By Caroline Devane