English Steps
  • Home
  • Courses
    • Online English
    • Intensive English
    • Business English
    • Exam English
    • Working English
    • Private Homestay
    • Activities Course
  • Information
    • Lessons
    • Accommodation
    • Activities
    • The Teachers
    • Leeds
    • Online Test
    • Our Students
    • Private Lessons
    • Blog
    • Free Resources
  • Prices
  • Contact

Phrasal Verb Jokes

31/1/2019

2 Comments

 
Picture

How to tell a Joke - in English!

Phrasal verbs often have two meanings - one literal, and one metaphorical. These two meanings can be used together to make great jokes, and hopefully help you remember some phrasal verbs!

Students on our Intensive English Courses go to watch live comedy every Tuesday night, accompanied by a teacher of English to help them understand the jokes.

Learn these definitions, and then try our jokes at the end of the page. Remember to tell them to a native English speaker next time you see one!
​
1) 'to fall out'
  • to fall out of something = to fall from one place to another, example: to fall out of a tree
  • to fall out with somebody = to have an argument with somebody, example: he fell out with his wife

2) 'to let someone/something down'
  • to let something down = to lower something, example: he let the bags down on a chain
  • to let somebody down = to disappoint, or fail to support someone, example: she let her teacher down

3) 'to pick something up'
  • to take something in your hands and lift it from another surface, example: he picked his phone up from the table
  • to learn something naturally without much effort, example: she picked up English in no time at all

4) 'to put something out'
  • to move something from inside to outside, example: could you put these logs out?
  • to extinguish something, example: he put out his cigarette 

5) 'to drop off'
  • to fall from something, example: the pen dropped off the table
  • to go to sleep, example: as soon as I sat down, I dropped off
​
2 Comments

3000 Most Used Words In English - Free Download

31/1/2019

4 Comments

 
Picture
How many words do you need to know to be fluent in English?

The truth is, no-one really knows, but what we can say is that 3000 words make up about 95% of normal conversation.

These need to be the right 3000 words though - which
 is why we want to share our spreadsheet with you, for free.

The file below is a compilation of 3000 of the most used words in spoken English, and graded from beginner (CEFR level A1) to proficient (CEFR level C2). 

3000 Most Used Words - Google Spreadsheet
3000_most_used_words_Excel Spreadsheet.csv.csv
File Size: 106 kb
File Type: csv
Download File

You can also check how much vocabulary you already know by taking this fantastic test in association with the University of Wellington.
4 Comments

5 Books to improve your English

16/1/2019

1 Comment

 

Have you ever read a book in English? For many students this might feel impossible, but below we look at the best books for improving your English via reading:
​

1. Parallel Text Short Stories

Picture
One page is written in your native language, and the opposite page is written in English. These are fantastic books if you don't want to be checking your dictionary every 2 seconds while you read!

Search for 'parallel text' on amazon for lots of options. I personally recommend this one.
​

2. Graded Readers

Picture
These are popular books that have been rewritten to make them accessible for different English levels, so you can observe your progress as you start at beginner and continue until you reach advanced level.

Search on amazon for 'graded reader'. In particular I like the Penguin Readers like this one about the life of Gandhi. 
​

3 & 4. Books Written In Simple English

Picture
Some books are written in easy-to-read English because of the author's style, or the character of the storyteller. Our students recommend:

​The Perks of Being a Wallflower. A fantastic short novel, about a young teenager growing up, the problems that he faces and how he, eventually, overcomes them. You may have also seen the film.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. This novel follows the story of a young boy who has Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism. The story is told from the perspective of the child and is very logical and easy to follow, as well as helping the reader to understand more about autism.
​

5. The Power of Habit

Picture
Why we do what we do and how to change - The Power of Habit is a very useful book to read if you want to make reading in English a new habit that you do every day! Award-winning New York Times reporter Charles Duhigg discusses scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist & how they can be changed.
​

Why Read?

Reading in English is a great way to improve your vocabulary and get used to different sentence structures. It can also really help in ‘Use of English’ exam sections when you’re not sure which answer is correct. If you’ve read a lot, you will have a ‘gut feeling’ which option is right, sometimes without knowing why.

Do you have any more suggestions? Email me at [email protected] or add a comment below!
1 Comment

    English Courses

    Picture
    Find out more about our Immersion Courses:

    Intensive English
    Business English
    ​
    Working English
    Exam English
    ​Skype

    Blog Categories

    All
    Reading
    Vocabulary

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.