We've written several articles explaining the differences between words and expressions like these. Now we've collected all of them in one convenient list.

If you have questions about a particular group of words — or if you want to review something you already learned — please select the articles best for you and study at your own pace.

What's the difference between ...

"Everyday" and "Every Day"

> Read the article

"Fast" and "Quick"

> Read the article

"Look," "See" and "Watch"

> Read the article

"For Sale" and "On Sale"

> Read the article

"Used To," "Be Used To" and "Get Used To"

> Read the article

"Besides" and "Except"

> Read the article

"Do" and "Make"

> Read the article

"Both," "Either" and "Neither"

> Read the article

"Have to" and "Need to"

> Read the article

"How Far" and "How Long"

> Read the article

"Say" and "Tell"

> Read the article

"Could You" and "Would You"

> Read the article

Wrap-up

We hope these articles help you to get a clear understanding of how these important English words and phrases are used every day.

Although these blog posts provide plenty of example sentences to study, trying them out in a real chat is the best way to practice. Have a conversation with our AI chatbot or book a lesson with an Engoo tutor and practice using them yourself!

The post What's the Difference Between These English Words? appeared first on Engoo Blog.

This time, we'll cover some different words and expressions you can use instead of "study." You'll surely have an opportunity to use each of them in your daily conversations.

What's the difference between "study" and "learn"?

If you are looking for alternatives for "study," "learn" may be one of the first words you think of. You are probably already familiar with it, but what makes it different than "study"? Let's see what the Oxford Learner's Dictionary has to say:

study [verb]

To spend time learning about a subject by reading, going to school, etc.

Oxford Learner's Dictionary

learn [verb]

To gain knowledge or skill by studying, from experience, from being taught, etc.

Oxford Learner's Dictionary

According to these definitions, "study" is more about the process of gaining knowledge, while "learn" refers to actually getting it — not the steps you take to get it. So don't forget: Just because you study something doesn't automatically mean that you learn it. For example:

• I studied a lot of Russian, but I never learned it.

Something else to remember is that the past tense of "learn" comes in two versions: "learned" and "learnt." The first is common in American English, while the second is mostly used in British English.

• I learned how to play this song on piano last week.

Other words for "study"

Prep

This is a casual, shortened form of the verb "prepare" or the noun "preparation."

• I'm prepping hard for the final exam.

It's also good to know the term "prep school." Prep schools are private schools that prepare students to enter a college or university.

• Is it possible to get into that university without going to a prep school first?

Read up on ~

Unlike the other terms on this list, which are more general, this expression refers to reading in order to gain knowledge about something specific.

• She spent the weekend reading up on famous historical people for her school project.

Brush up on ~

The verb "brush" is used to talk about cleaning or straightening something with, well, a brush (the noun version)! However, the phrasal verb "brush up on," means to improve or raise your skill level.

• Let's brush up on our Spanish before our trip to Mexico.

Learn the ropes

"Learning the ropes" is another way to say "learning how to do a task." It originally refers to sailors, who must learn to control the ropes that operate a ship's sails.

• The first week of training is all about learning the ropes and getting familiar with the process.

You can also "show someone the ropes," which means teaching them how to do something.

• John has been here a little longer than you, so he can show you the ropes.

Cram

The verb "cram" means to forcefully push something into a space. When you must study for a test or assignment that is coming soon, it is like you are trying to push a lot of information into your brain in a short amount of time. This expression is often used with "~ for a test/exam."

• She spent all night cramming for the exam the next morning.

Hit the books

This is a casual expression that means to begin studying seriously.

• I decided to stay home and hit the books instead of going out with my friends.

Self-taught

This is an adjective that refers to learning something by yourself, without help from an instructor.

• He is a self-taught artist.

Know something inside and out

We use this expression to say that someone knows everything about a particular subject.

• If you need help or recommendations, ask Billy; he knows this city inside and out!

There is another expression that is similar: "know something backwards and forwards." This, however, is mostly used to talk about things like movies or books that have been memorized; we don't use it to refer to learning new information.

• I watch this movie every summer, so I know it backwards and forwards.

Wrap-up

"Study" was probably one of the first English words you learned as a student. It's very useful, but there are many more ways of expressing the same idea. The more alternatives you know, the richer and more interesting your English conversations will become. So, study hard and learn them all!

The post 9 Alternative Expressions for "Study" appeared first on Engoo Blog.

• say the day of the month
• say the day of the week
• say the month
• say the year
• use prepositions with all of the above

How to Say the Day of the Month in English

When someone asks, "What's today's date?", they usually just want to know what day it is.

A

What's today's date? The 2nd?

B

Nope, it's the 3rd.

In fact, it's common for people to just say the date by itself.

• This assignment will be due on the 12th.
• We're meeting up on the 26th if you want to join?

Notice that the sentences above say "the 2nd" and "the 12th" – not "2" and "12." This is because, in English, we use ordinal numbers to say the dates.

Ordinal numbers are used to say the order of things, or something's position in a series. For example, the three people who finish a race the fastest are "first place," "second place" and "third place" – not "one place," "two place" and "three place." Similarly, the three days at the beginning of each month are the "first," the "second" and the "third" day of the month.

So the most important part of saying the date in English is remembering the ordinal numbers up to 31. This sounds difficult, but remember that the most common suffix for ordinal numbers is "-th." So you just need to remember seven exceptions:

• 1st: first
• 2nd: second
• 3rd: third
• 21st: twenty-first
• 22nd: twenty-second
• 23rd: twenty-third
• 31st: thirty-first

Keep in mind that in writing, English speakers often write dates without suffixes. This is normal in news articles, and we follow it in our Daily News lessons too:

However, when reading the dates aloud, make sure to read them as ordinal numbers whether or not the suffix is there. For example, "November 9" in the article above needs to be read "November ninth."

How to say the days of the week in English

Here are all the days of the week in English along with common abbreviations. Click on the links to hear their pronunciation.

People often use days of the week together with words like "next" or "last."

• Are you free for coffee next Monday?
• I was busy last Wednesday, so I couldn't come.
• I have a doctor's appointment this coming Friday.
• This assignment is due the Thursday after next.

The day of the week is sometimes also mentioned alongside the date.

• Are you free on Tuesday, the 11th?
• Friday, the 13th is considered an unlucky day.

Notice that the day of the week is before the date. Remember, "Friday, the 13th" refers to "Friday, the 13th day of the month." If you say the date first (e.g. "the 13th Friday"), it would sound like you're talking about the last of 13 Fridays!

English speakers also often say the days of the week in their plural form. This means "every week on that day."

• I go jogging on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
• He gets off work early on Fridays.

How to say the months in English

Here are the months of the year along with common abbreviations. Click on the links to hear them pronounced.

Months are often mentioned together with phrases like "early," "mid-," "late" or "sometime."

• We don't know exactly when Shakespeare was born, but we know his birthday is in late April.
• Our company will release a new product sometime in November.
• Japan's cherry blossom season usually starts mid-March.

When speaking, there are two standard ways to refer to a month and a day together.

There are also two standard ways to write dates: the American way and the British way.

As you can see, writing the date only in numbers can cause a lot of confusion! "7/12" means "December 7th" in the UK and much of Europe, but it means "July 12th" in the US and much of East Asia. So if you're writing to people around the world, it's best to write out the full name of the month.

Also, keep in mind that the date in the British format is not read the way it's written. "7th December" is not pronounced "seventh December." Instead, it's read "the seventh of December." Try to remember this!

Finally, it's becoming more and more common to write the date using plain numbers instead of ordinal numbers. So don't be surprised if you see people write "7 December" or "December 7."

How to say years in English

In English, the year always comes at the end of the date.

• The final exam was held on Tuesday, December 17th, 2019.
• The final exam was held on Tuesday, 17 December, 2019.

There are two ways to read years after 2000. We can read them as normal numbers ("two thousand (and) nineteen"), or as two separate numbers ("twenty nineteen").

• Krishna graduated in 2020. ["twenty twenty" or "two thousand (and) twenty"]
• The 2024 Olympics were held in Paris. ["twenty twenty-four" or "two thousand (and) twenty-four"]

Years before 2000 are only read as two separate numbers.

• An important battle in English history happened in 1066. ["ten sixty-six"]
• My grandfather died in 1962. ["nineteen sixty-two"]

Years like 2000 or 1200, which have two or three zeroes, are read like any other number. English speakers often include the phrase "the year."

• Henry I became King of England in the year 1100. ["eleven hundred"]
• Our son was born in 2000. ["two thousand"]
• In the year 3000, we may all be living on Mars. ["three thousand"]

Some years have a zero in their third digit, for example, 2008, 1903, 1302, etc. The zero is read "oh."

• A huge economic crisis started in 2008. ["twenty oh-eight" or "two thousand (and) eight"]
• The airplane was invented in 1903. ["nineteen oh-three"]

And if you don't know the exact year something happened, just mention the century.

• Shakespeare was born in the middle of the 16th century.
• Shakespeare was born in the mid 1500s. ["fifteen hundreds"]

Or you can mention the decade.

• Shakespeare was born in the 1560s. ["fifteen sixties"]
• A lot of internet companies were founded in the early 2000s. ["two thousands"]
• This style of clothing was popular in the 1980s. ["nineteen eighties"]

The 1980s can also be referred to as "the eighties." Other decades in the 20th century are often referred to this way.

• Elvis Presley was a famous singer in the fifties. [= 1950s]
• My grandparents met in the seventies. [= 1970s]

Prepositions

Finally, remember that prepositions are often used when talking about time. "In" is used for a period of time, like a month, year, decade or century.

• Spring starts in March.
• The famous technology company Apple was founded in 1976.

"On" is used with points in time like dates and days of the week.

• This article was published on the 10th.
• Where were you on Wednesday?

Just keep in mind that English speakers often omit "on" when they mention a date along with the day of the week and/or month.

• Are you free (on) Tuesday, the 11th?
• The article was published (on) November 10th.
• Harry Potter was born (on) 31 July 1980.

Wrap-up

Even though it is basic, knowing how to say and write dates can be a little confusing because of how many different ways they can be expressed.

However, unless you need to match the format of your company, you can simply choose one or two ways and stick with them. But if you ever get confused, just come back to this article to refresh your memory! 📆

The post How to Correctly Say the Date in English [Updated] appeared first on Engoo Blog.

To help you make the right choice for your situation, this article will introduce several phrases separated into five different categories. So whether you're texting, writing a Valentine's Day card or telling someone in person, you'll find something to help you express your feelings to the special person in your life. 

(But if you want, you can also just skip to the samples at the end!)

1. Tell them you love them

There's nothing wrong with saying "I love you." It's short and sweet. However, if you want something different, here are some ideas:

“I fall in love with you again every day.”

This means that your feelings of love are new and refreshed each day you're with your partner. Here are some similar expressions: 

• “I fall more deeply in love with you every day.”
• “I fall in love with you every single day.”

You'll find this classic expression of love in many songs, from Frank Sinatra to Ed Sheeran.

“I adore you.”

"Adore" means to love deeply. Some people find this phrase sweeter and more special than simply "I love you."

“I heart you.”

"I heart you" is a less serious way to express love. You can find this one in pop songs.

As you can probably guess, the popularity of texting and emojis ("I ❤️ You") created this cute alternative to “I love you.”

2. Tell them how much they mean to you

Here are some simple and effective ways to tell someone how much they mean to you. 

“You mean the world to me.”

The world is a big place, so if someone "means the world" to you, that means they are very important in your life. Here are some similar alternatives:

• "You mean everything to me."
• "You're my everything."
• “When you’re with me, I have everything that I need.”

“I’m so lucky to have you in my life.”

It's natural to feel lucky when you meet someone truly special, and it’s nice to tell them that. If you want more options, you can use "thankful" or "grateful" instead of "lucky." For example:

• "I'm so thankful you came into my life."
• "You don’t know how grateful I am to have you in my life."
• "You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me."

3. Tell them why you love them

A nice way to express your love is by telling your partner what you love about them. 

“I love your eyes.”

You can replace "eyes" with basically anything you love about your partner: their smile, their sense of humor, etc.

You can also be creative and use phrases like these:

• "I love the sound of your laughter.”
• "I love the way you look at me."
• "I love the gentle way you hold my hand."

“I love how you are so caring.”

There's probably a lot of things you like about your partner's personality. Tell them about these things by using the structures "I love how you are so ..." or "I love how ... you are." For example:

• "I love how you are always so cheerful, even on bad days."
• "I love how beautiful you look even when you’re doing the simplest things."
• "I love how supportive you are."

4. Tell them how they make you feel

When you're with someone you love, life in general seems better, doesn’t it? Here’s how you can express those feelings to your partner.

“I love being with you.”

You most likely enjoy spending time with your partner. Here are some ways to say that.

• "I love being with you."
• "I love spending time with you."
• "I enjoy every moment we're together."

“You always make me feel special.”

You can tell your partner how they make you feel with phrases like this. For variety, here are some more examples: 

• "You make me feel alive."
• "You make me feel warm and fuzzy inside."*
• "I feel loved when I'm with you."
• "When I'm with you, I feel safe."
• "I've never felt so comfortable with anyone."

*"Warm and fuzzy" is a very casual expression describing a very positive and comfortable feeling.

“You make me feel like a million bucks.”

You can add color to your words with some comparisons. "Feeling like a million bucks" means feeling great. Here are some other examples:

• "When I'm with you, I feel like I'm in a dream."
• "When I'm with you, I feel like I'm floating on clouds."
• "When I'm with you, I feel like I could do anything."

5. Show Appreciation

When you're with the right person, they usually have a positive effect on you. So here are some phrases to help you express your thanks!

“My life is so much better with you by my side.”

Phrases like this tell your partner how much they’ve made your life better. Here are some other possibilities:

• “Everything’s better with you by my side.”
• “You have brought so much joy to my life.”

“You make me a better person.”

If you feel like your partner has helped you grow into a better person, this is the phrase for you. Here are some related phrases:

• “You bring out my better side.”
• “You really know how to bring out the best in me.”
• “I love the way I am when I’m with you.”

“Thanks for always being there for me.”

Finally, don't forget about saying a simple "thanks" for all the little things your partner does for you.

• "Thanks for making me laugh when I'm down."
• "Thanks for always listening to me rant."

Bonus: Be funny

Don’t forget that you can always use humor to lighten up your message if you think your partner might like that. Here are some ideas to get you started.

“Thanks for being my partner-in-crime.”

Two people are "partners in crime" when they break the law together. However, this term is more often used in humorous ways.

So even if you don't actually commit a crime with your significant other, you can lovingly refer to them this way.

“You’re just like bacon — you make everything better!”

You can switch out “bacon” for something else that you like, like in the examples below.

• "You're like hot chocolate — sweet and always warming me up."
• "You're just like my favorite song — I can listen to you all day."

“You’re the peanut butter to my jelly.”

This is a fun way to say that the two of you are a perfect match. There are many versions of this saying:

• "You're the butter to my bread."
• "You're the maple syrup to my pancakes."

Some people also use this with famous characters in movies and TV shows. For example, “You’re the Ross to my Rachel” is a reference to the TV show, Friends.

Related article: More Than 'Friends': Recommended TV for English Learners 

Sample Messages

Here are some sample messages using the phrases above. Remember, if you ever need anyone to check your writing, our tutors are here to help you 24/7!

Text messages

#1

Thanks for making me feel loved and special, today and every day. Can't wait to see you tonight! xoxo

#2

Morning, gorgeous! Just wanted to remind you that you're like hot chocolate — always warming me up and making me feel like home.

Card messages

#1

Dearest [partner's name],

Thanks for always being there for me, hugging me when I'm down, and putting up with me when I'm stressed out. No matter what mood I'm in, you always have a way of making me feel like a million bucks.

But you haven't just made me a happier person. You've also made me a better one — gentler, calmer and more tolerant.

Every day, I wake up feeling so lucky that you're in my life!

All my love,

[Name]

#2

Hi Pumpkin,

I don't usually say things like this, but I wanted to let you know how much I love being your partner-in-crime.

I enjoy every moment we spend together, whether we're baking or jogging or just watching TV.

Even when the cookies we bake don't turn out great, or it starts raining halfway through a run, I feel grateful for the happy adventure my life has become since you appeared.

Love,

[Name]

Related article: 7 Alternatives for "Love" to Use on Valentine's Day 

The post How to Say "I Love You" in English and Actually Mean It [Updated] appeared first on Engoo Blog.

For example, if you use it to explain to a coworker why you can’t take their call or attend a meeting, it can sound rude and even a bit unprofessional.

If you want a safer option, listed below are 10 English expressions that will communicate the same idea in a much better way.

I’m tied up.

Think of each task you need to work on as a rope. Each time you take on a new task, another rope is tied around you until you’re all “tied up” and not free to work on anything else.

• I’m all tied up with this project. Try asking Janet for help.
• Sorry I was unable to return your call today. I was tied up in meetings all day.

I’m preoccupied.

Imagine someone knocking on your office door while you’re having a meeting. Or imagine getting a call while you’re driving to work. In either case, you can say you're “preoccupied” because you are already (“pre-”) occupied (busy doing something).

• Sorry, I’m a little preoccupied at the moment. Can I call you back later?
• No worries about the late reply. I understand you’re preoccupied with more urgent matters at the moment.

I have a lot on my plate.

If your plate is full, there’s no room for you to put more food on it. In terms of work (and even daily life), this means you can’t accept any more tasks.

• I’d love to help, but I’ve got a lot on my plate right now.
• That’s a nice idea, but our team already has so much on our plate, I don’t think we’ll be able to work on it until at least next year.

I don't have the bandwidth.

“Bandwidth” is a technical term that has become a popular way to talk about the time and energy needed for work. However, it's mostly used in negative sentences.

• I wish I could take care of this now, but I don't have the bandwidth at the moment. Sorry!
• I don't have the bandwidth to handle that right now. You could try asking me about it again next month.

I’m juggling a lot right now.

“Juggling” takes a lot of energy and focus to do right. After all, you don't want to make a mistake and drop anything! This idea also applies to handling a lot of tasks at the same time.

• I’d love to help, but I’m juggling two jobs while also taking care of my newborn son. Sorry!
• I can make some time for lessons with my tutor even though I'm juggling a lot of stuff at the moment.

I’m spread (pretty) thin.

If you only have a little butter to spread on a piece of toast, it will become a very thin layer of butter. So if you’re “spread thin,” it means you’re spreading your limited time and energy among a lot of tasks.

• I’m afraid I can’t take on another commitment this semester. I’ve already spread myself too thin with two part-time jobs and extra classes.
• I realize that your team's resources are spread thin at the moment, but please do keep this initiative in mind.

Related article: Essential English Vocabulary for Cooking

I'm up to my ears. 

Think of a pile of work documents that is stacked from the floor all the way up to your ears! 

• It feels like I’m always up to my ears in paperwork. I need a break!
• We’ll be up to our ears in work before the holiday season.

You can use this expression for many situations. For example, you can be up to your ears in laundry (if you haven’t washed your clothes in a while) or debt (if there is a lot of money you need to pay off). 

I’m buried in work.

Imagine you’re buried in piles and piles of work and you can’t escape.

• Two of our team members are out sick, so we’re really buried in work this week.
• There’s no way I can take a vacation right now. I’m buried in deadlines.

People also say “I’m drowning (in work)” or “I’m snowed under (with work).”

I’m swamped.

It’s easy to get stuck in a swamp — or even sink into one! Similarly, if you’re “swamped” with work, it's like you have so much that you cannot move.

• We’re launching our marketing campaign this week, so I'm really swamped. But starting on Sunday, I'll be quite free.
• It’s my first day back at work, so I’m swamped. Can I get back to you on this next week?

Things are really hectic.

“Hectic” means that there are a lot of things going on that are difficult to organize or control.

• My schedule is quite hectic these days, but let’s catch up next time you’re here.
• I realize things are really hectic for you this time of year, but I must remind you that your payments are weeks overdue.

Keep in mind that you can’t say “I’m hectic.” “Hectic” describes a schedule, your life and things in your life. It can also describe periods of time (“It’s been a hectic day” or “This week has been hectic”). However, it is not used to describe people.

Wrap-up

Even if you have very little time for new tasks, you can still let others know in a polite way. The phrases we’ve introduced here may seem quite casual, but they are all common in professional situations. However, it is still a good idea to be careful using them with your boss or others with a higher position than your own.

Once you can use these phrases well, the following article will help you learn ways to simply say “No” in informal situations: "No way, José!" Other Ways to Say "No"

The post 10 Ways to Say You’re Busy Without Being Rude [Updated] appeared first on Engoo Blog.

In honor of this achievement, we worked together with the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation to hold a special campaign; for every 10,000 lessons booked using Daily News, we donated funds to build a classroom in the Philippines.

With the enthusiasm of our students and tutors, we successfully reached and surpassed 50,000 lessons, which allowed us to donate enough money to build five classrooms. We are very grateful to everyone who helped to make this possible!

It's been several months since our campaign wrapped up, and many of you may be wondering about the progress we've made since then. So we'd like to take this time to share with you the progress of the classroom construction in the Philippines.

Progress so far

More than two years ago, a very large typhoon hit the Philippines, causing a large amount of damage to Palawan and many other islands. The disaster destroyed several schools and left many students without a place to learn.

Among those affected was New Cuyo Elementary School. However, through our donation campaign, the school has now been rebuilt from the ground up!

Here is how it looks after completing construction:

We hope it will be an inspiring place for the local children to learn!

Of course, New Cuyo is only one of the five schools we are working to improve. Although the other classrooms are still under construction, we are seeing great progress at each of the sites.

Below are images of construction taking place at Nicanor Zabala Elementary School.

As of now, construction is almost complete and they will be ready to welcome students soon.

Next is Aliudin Pontongan Integrated School, where the floor is already finished and construction of the walls is happening now. These walls will allow each grade level to have its own room, allowing more students to attend at one time.

At Upper Paya Elementary School, building materials have arrived and preparation for construction is almost complete.

Finally, Isla Berde Butawanan Elementary School is currently organizing transportation and plans to purchase construction materials this week.

Stay tuned!

We are happy to see that the construction of each classroom is progressing well, and we look forward to seeing all of them complete and ready to receive excited students.

It is your help and enthusiasm for this campaign that has made this project possible, and we would like to thank you again for your passionate assistance. We will continue to provide updates on the construction status on our social media channels, so be sure to follow us to stay up to date!

• Engoo on Facebook
• Engoo on Instagram
• Engoo on YouTube

The post Daily News 10k Campaign Progress Report appeared first on Engoo Blog.

To make things easier, we’ve made a list of the best 15 textbooks that will actually help you become fluent in English. And if you’re looking for something budget friendly (i.e., free), jump down to the bottom!

Textbooks With a Focus on Speaking

The first four are good English textbooks designed specifically to get you speaking.

Practice Makes Perfect: English Conversation

Published by McGraw-Hill, Practice Makes Perfect was written for intermediate students trying to improve their English conversation skills. Each chapter starts with a real-life dialogue, followed by conversation tips, expressions commonly used in American English and practice exercises. 

One advantage of this book is that it comes with recorded dialogues that can be accessed online and in its mobile app, so unlike many other options, you don’t need a CD player.

Nice Talking With You

Nice Talking With You is a Cambridge series that is designed to get beginners speaking from day one. Each lesson has learners working on conversation questions and strategies, which they then apply to the listening and speaking exercises.

Level 1 is designed for false beginners (those who have studied English before but don’t speak it) and Level 2 is for elementary and pre-intermediate students. 

Let’s Talk

Also published by Cambridge, Let’s Talk is a course that helps students become fluent in American English through a variety of communication activities, while still covering grammar, vocabulary, listening and other aspects of the language. 

This series consists of Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3.

Collins Easy Learning English

Collins Easy Learning English is a series of books produced by the company behind Collins English Dictionary. The series includes two books on conversation: English Conversation Book 1 for beginners and English Conversation Book 2 for intermediate students.

Each book has 14 units that feature how English is used in different everyday situations. There’s also some business English for beginners.

Textbooks That Start Conversations

If you just want to dive into the world of conversation and don’t need exercises or explanations, the books in this section are for you.

Discussions A-Z

Discussions A-Z is a series from Cambridge that is filled with engaging discussion activities. The intermediate and advanced books both have 26 units, each focusing on a different topic.

Compelling Conversations 

Compelling Conversations: Questions and Quotations on Timeless Topics is a book designed to encourage meaningful conversations among advanced learners. Each of the 45 chapters provides thought-provoking questions and quotations along with a list of relevant vocabulary words.

1000 Conversation Questions

Published in 2016, 1000 Conversation Questions is exactly that: 1,000 questions — no more, no less. These questions are divided into 100 topics that come up in conversation, such as aging, cleanliness, family values and more.

If you like this book, you may find another one by the same author helpful too: 500 Grammar-Based Conversation Questions. Published in 2014, this book introduces the most commonly-taught grammar patterns, followed by questions that let students practice them in conversation.

101 Conversations in English

If you want to study real-life conversations to improve your ability to communicate with locals, then 101 Conversations is the series for you. Both 101 Conversations in Simple English and 101 Conversations in Intermediate English tell a story through 101 short dialogues set in London.

Textbooks That Teach Vocabulary

To have a conversation, you need vocabulary. The textbooks below don’t just teach any words; they teach the words and expressions that you’ll definitely hear and use in conversation!

Conversational American English: The Illustrated Guide to Everyday Expressions of American English

McGraw-Hill’s Conversational American English teaches 3000 American English expressions through illustrations. It also covers 350 common themes in everyday conversation, from politely leaving an event to asking someone for their name again.

Speak English Like An American

Speak English Like An American teaches over 300 commonly-used American English idioms and uses stories to show learners when and how to use them. You can try out a chapter for free in the online course.

If you find this book helpful, you can check out the sequel, More Speak English Like An American, or other books by the same author: Speak English Around Town and Speak Business English Like An American. 

Each of these books comes with an app you can download to listen to the audio recordings.

Shortcut to English Collocations

If you enjoy learning idioms, then you might like this book as well: Shortcut to English Collocations (sample included). Published in 2017, this book introduces 2000 of the most common collocations.

Collocations are words that are often used together. For example:

• “take a shower” (instead of “do a shower”) 
• “make friends” (instead of “get friends”)
• “come to an end” (instead of “reach an end”)

Knowing collocations makes you more fluent, as they allow you to speak in chunks instead of individual words. So check out Shortcut to English Collocations if you want to give your fluency a boost.

Oxford Word Skills

While Oxford Word Skills doesn’t directly help with fluency, we think it deserved to be mentioned, as it is one of the most highly-recommended vocabulary-learning resources available.

The three books each contain 2000 words that have been carefully selected for usefulness in real-life conversations. Students who find these books helpful can also check out the two additional ones on idioms and phrasal verbs. 

The books also come with free activities that you can use to check your mastery of the words.

Other Textbooks

Finally, if you want a more comprehensive learning experience, here are some textbooks that teach all four skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking) but still have strong speaking exercises.

American English File

American English File (sample included) is another series that takes learners from A1 to C1 level in American English. In addition to teaching vocabulary and grammar, each chapter has plenty of speaking exercises and pronunciation tips to get students speaking confidently.

Cutting Edge

Cutting Edge (sample included) is a British English textbook series that has students practice new vocabulary and grammar in context. Each lesson guides students toward achieving a particular communication goal.

New Total English

New Total English (sample included) is a textbook series which helps students develop all four language skills from A1 to C1. The books use plenty of authentic texts and photographs which will bring students out of a classroom and into the real world. 

Wrap-up 

At Engoo, we’ve helped thousands of students become fluent in English with our own English “textbook.” Our lesson materials are completely free and open to the public, so anyone can use them whether they are a student with us or not.

• Our Conversation lessons will prepare you to talk about things like your favorite celebrities, countries you’d like to visit, and how often you exercise.
• Our Daily News lessons will get you talking about all sorts of topics, from health and tech to travel and environmental issues.

While our materials are great for self-study, you’ll learn much more by studying them with one of our tutors. So sign up for a lesson today and give it a try!

The post Focus on Fluency: Top 15 Textbooks To Help You Speak English appeared first on Engoo Blog.

To help English learners write the best birthday wishes they can, we’ve put together the following list of suggestions, separated into message types. Feel free to write them on your next birthday card or simply use them as inspiration!

Type 1: Wish them a nice day

The point of birthday greetings is to wish someone a nice day. Of course, you can say, “I hope you have a nice day” or simply “Have a nice day.” But why choose these when there are more interesting options? Try one of the phrases below instead:

Wishing you the best birthday ever!

This message is simple and direct.

Hope it’s a good one!

English speakers often say this along with the standard birthday greeting: “Happy birthday! Hope it’s a good one!”

This means “I hope it’s a good birthday.” Notice that the "I" has been omitted from this phrase. This gives the greeting a more casual and friendly feeling.

Hope you enjoy your special day.

It's common to refer to occasions like birthdays and anniversaries as "special days." This can help you avoid repeating the same word multiple times in the same message.

I hope all your birthday wishes come true!

This phrase comes from the custom of making wishes on birthdays. This is a good phrase to use with kids, but it can still be fun to send to adult friends.

Type 2: Wish them a good future

The only thing better than wishing someone a good day is wishing them a good year! Here are some great options to try:

Wishing you an amazing year ahead!

I hope you have an amazing year!

Wishing you many happy, healthy years to come.

You can customize your birthday message by replacing “happy” and “healthy” with other positive adjectives, such as “successful,” “fun-filled,” or “exciting” — whatever you think your friend will like.

Wishing you an amazing day and a wonderful year ahead!

Don’t forget that you can also wish people a great day and year at the same time, as you can see above.

Wishing you all the best on your birthday!

When you wish someone “all the best,” you are hoping that all the best things happen to them. 

Type 3: When you forgot to wish someone a happy birthday

Unfortunately, we don't always remember to send a birthday greeting on someone's actual birthday. In these cases, what can we say? Here are some options:

Hope you had a wonderful birthday!

This is simply “Hope you have a wonderful birthday” in the past tense. You can put some of the previous phrases in past tense for the same effect. For example:

• Hope you enjoyed your special day!
• Hope it was a good one!

Happy Belated Birthday!

“Happy belated birthday” is a popular English phrase for wishing someone a late birthday. For example:

• “Happy belated birthday! Hope you had a wonderful day!”
• “Happy belated birthday! Hope you ate lots of cake!”

Wish I could have been there to celebrate with you!

If your friend threw a birthday party and you couldn’t go, this is a great message to send.

On the other hand, if you cannot attend a party that has not happened yet, you can say, “Wish I could be there to celebrate with you!”

Wrap-up

We hope this has given you plenty of inspiration to write the best birthday message ever! Although all of the options we've listed here are great choices, if you're not sure if what you've written sounds quite right, talk to a tutor. They can check what you've written or give you ideas for messages for a specific situation. 

And if you need help with other kinds of greetings, take a look at some of our related articles: 

How to Congratulate Someone In English and Actually Mean It

How to Say "I Love You" in English and Actually Mean It

13 Popular Phrases of Encouragement

The post How to Wish Someone the Best Birthday Ever [Updated] appeared first on Engoo Blog.

This time, we'll introduce 13 idioms that are all about foods that come from milk. We'll also provide example sentences to give you an idea of how they are used by native speakers. Let's start! 

Idioms related to butter

Butter someone up

"Buttering someone up" means complimenting them dishonestly in order to get approval, positive attention or some other benefit. It comes from the act of spreading butter on something to make it taste better, similar to making someone more positive toward you by telling them things they want to hear.

• She buttered up her father by complimenting his sweater before asking him for some money.

As smooth as butter

This expression means that a task or situation is moving forward without any problems. It's often used to describe something that is done easily or that appears to be done easily.

• She performed every move in her dance routine as smooth as butter.

Butter wouldn't melt in (one's) mouth

This phrase is used to talk about someone who seems innocent even though they may not actually be. The idea is that despite their appearance, inside they are cold — too cold to melt butter. Be careful around these people!

• Sarah acted innocent, but when nobody was looking, she stole money from the charity box. Butter wouldn't melt in her mouth.

Idioms related to milk

Milk something for all it's worth

This expression means getting the maximum benefit or advantage from a situation. It comes from the idea of getting all the milk from a cow until there is none left. This has a slightly negative nuance.

• The influencer milked her popularity for all it was worth, agreeing to promote products with many different companies.

Cry over spilled milk

"Crying over spilled milk" means feeling sorry about past events or mistakes that cannot be changed. It's usually used in the negative sense: "Don't cry over spilled milk." In other words, look forward, not behind!

• I accidentally deleted an important file, but there's no point in crying over spilled milk. Instead, I'll focus on finding a solution and recovering the data.

Related article: 20 Short English Quotes for Quick Motivation

Milking a duck

We've talked about milking cows, but how about ducks?

You can't get milk from a duck, of course, so this idiom means trying to do something impossible or pointless. Trying to milk a duck is just wasting your time.

• Trying to convince him to lend you money is like trying to milk a duck.

Full of the milk of human kindness

This phrase means that someone has a generous heart and is very kind and compassionate toward others.

• Despite dealing with his own problems, John always finds time to help others in need; he is truly full of the milk of human kindness.

Idioms related to cheese

Cheesy

When talking about food, "cheesy" means "full of cheese." Simple, right? However, when used figuratively, it means that something is silly or not stylish. 

• That movie was so cheesy, with the bad story and unoriginal dialogue. What a waste of money!

Related article: Adjectives That Can Describe Both Taste and Personality

The big cheese

"The big cheese" is an informal way to refer to an important or influential person, often the leader of an organization or group.

• Jeff is the big cheese in our department. He makes all of the major decisions.

Cheese someone off

This phrase means to annoy or irritate someone. Its origin is not known, but it is thought to be based on the phrase "to be cheesed," which means to be angry or upset.

• She's always late and it really cheeses me off.

Idioms related to cream

Cream of the crop

Something that is the "cream of the crop" is the best in a group or category. It comes from the idea that cream, the thickest part of milk that eventually rises to the top, represents the highest quality.

• Out of all the applicants, Joan was the cream of the crop because of her impressive qualifications and experience.

Peaches and cream

"Peaches and cream" describes something smooth and ideal. It is often used when referring to someone's skin.

• Her skin is perfect, like peaches and cream.

Like the cat that got the cream

This phrase means to be arrogant or very pleased with oneself about something. It comes from the behavior of a cat after it gets a treat, such as cream.

• After winning the lottery, Kevin walked around with a big smile, looking like the cat that got the cream.

Wrap-up

Surprisingly, dairy products appear in English quite often! If you listen carefully, you will find that the expressions we've introduced here are common in daily conversations.

Once you've learned these terms, continue your study of surprising English usage with this article: 11 Animal Names You Can Use to Describe People

The post "Cream of the Crop": 13 English Idioms Related to Dairy Products appeared first on Engoo Blog.

1. Happy

When you want to say "very happy," you can instead say "overjoyed" (which means "filled with joy") or "ecstatic" (which means "very happy and excited").

• He was very happy overjoyed when he found out he was having a baby girl.
• I'm very happy ecstatic about starting my new job.

Here's a paragraph from a news report that uses this word. A mother is very happy about her daughter climbing to the top of a tall rock called "El Capitan."

Selah's mother, Joy Schneiter, said she was worried that her daughter would get too tired to make it to the top. "But by day four I knew they would finish. I'm just really proud and ecstatic," she said.

"10-Year-Old May Be Youngest to Climb El Capitan" | Engoo Daily News

You can also use "delighted" or "thrilled." Although "thriller" is used to describe certain kinds of scary movies, the adjective "thrilled" has a very positive nuance.

• We'd be very happy delighted if you joined us for dinner.
• I'm very happy thrilled to be traveling to Europe this summer.

2. Sad

When you want to say "very sad," you can say "depressed" (which means "very unhappy"), "heartbroken" (which means "filled with sadness"), or "devastated" ("very sad and shocked") instead.

• She became very sad depressed after losing her job.
• We were very sad devastated when we heard that our friend had been swept away by the floods.
• He was very sad heartbroken when his wife left him.

In the paragraph below, the owner of the oldest pub in England uses the word "heartbroken" to describe how he feels when he needs to shut down the pub.

"I am heartbroken," he wrote. "This pub has been so much more than just a business to me, and I feel honored to have played even a small part in its history."

"Britain's Oldest Pub Closes After More than 1,000 Years" | Engoo Daily News

Other alternatives include "miserable" and  simply "down."

• The cold and rainy weather this time of year always makes me feel very sad miserable.
• Jake's been very sad really down lately. Let's do something to cheer him up.

3. Angry

Another way to say "very angry" is "furious."

• We were very angry furious when we realized he had been lying to us the whole time.
• My mom was very angry furious at me for skipping school.

Here's a paragraph from a news report which uses this word. In 2016, a gorilla called "Harambe" was shot and killed at an American zoo, and a lot of people were very angry about it.

Critics are furious about the killing of Harambe. 

"Killing of Gorilla at US Zoo Causes Uproar" | Engoo Daily News

4. Tired

Instead of saying "very tired," you can say "exhausted." This means "out of energy."

• The whole team felt very tired exhausted after the tournament.
• I'm recovering from the flu and still feel very tired exhausted.

Here is a paragraph that uses "exhausted" instead of "very tired" to talk about burnout.

If you feel exhausted all the time, are less interested in things or people you care about, and you're finding it harder and harder to do your job, then you might be burned out.

"How to Recover from Burnout" | Engoo Daily News

Even more alternatives are "worn out," which describes something that has been used until it is no longer any good, and "drained," which means "empty."

• After a long international flight, I'm very tired worn out and just want to rest.
• The three-hour lecture left all of the students feeling very tired drained and ready for a break.

5. Cold

Another way to say "very cold" is "freezing." This means that something is so cold that it seems to be turning into ice.

• It's very cold freezing in here. Can we close the window?
• It's very cold freezing outside. Make sure to put on a coat.

Here is a paragraph from a news report on people in Russia who swim in very cold water.

Ice swimmers in Russia call themselves "walruses." They cut holes through the ice to swim in the freezing water of rivers or lakes.

"Young Russians Become Ice Swimming 'Walruses'" | Engoo Daily News

Related article: Brr! English Expressions for Describing Winter Weather

6. Small

Instead of saying "very small," you can say "tiny."

• Malta is a very small tiny island in the Mediterranean Sea.
• I live in a very small tiny apartment.

Here is a paragraph from a news report that describes microplastics (very small pieces of plastic) with the word "tiny."

Microplastics have been found in human blood for the first time, causing scientists to worry that the tiny plastic particles could travel around the body and damage organs.

"Microplastics Found in Human Blood for the First Time" | Engoo Daily News

7. Big

When you want to say "very big," you can say "huge."

• India is a very big huge country. If I travel there, I'd want to stay for at least a month.
• The couple spent a very big huge amount of money on their wedding.

Here is a paragraph from a news article that talks about a very big kite that could help make ships more eco-friendly.

A company in France has found a new way to help ships cross the ocean while reducing their greenhouse gas emissions: a huge kite.

"This Huge Kite Pulls Ships Across the Ocean" | Engoo Daily News

You can also use "massive" as a similar alternative.

• The news advised everyone to stay indoors due to a very big massive storm approaching fast.

Your turn!

The best way to learn vocabulary is to use it. For example, try applying the vocabulary words we introduced today to your life.

• Do you feel "exhausted" from your job?
• Do you live in a city with a "huge" population?
• When was the last time you were "furious" or "overjoyed" about something?

Learning adjectives like the ones introduced in this article is a great way to improve your English with words that you can start using right away in many everyday situations.

Once you've mastered these words, use a thesaurus to search for others, and your vocabulary will expand even further!

The post Still Saying "Very"? Use These Adjectives Instead [Updated] appeared first on Engoo Blog.