Past Simple — My Journey Here
After didn't, ALWAYS use the base verb — never the past form. "I didn't go" not "I didn't went." This is the most common mistake at A2.
Tag: B1
The Silent Student — Managing Mixed-Ability Classes
1. A strong student finishes the task in 2 minutes. What next? Give an extension: 'Now do the same with a different example', 'Can you think of an exception?', 'Explain it to your partner.'
Songs in Class — Why They Actually Work
1. What is the 'affective filter'? Krashen's term for the emotional barrier that blocks input when learners feel anxious or unsafe. Music lowers it.
Grit and Grammar — Why You Will Hit a Wall
1. What is a language plateau? A stage where progress feels invisible but consolidation is still happening in the brain.
The Story Behind the Story — Narrative in Teaching
1. She ___ (read) when the phone ___ (ring). was reading / rang — past continuous for background, past simple for the interruption
Make or Do? The Eternal Grammar Question
2. Can you ___ me a favour? do (do someone a favour — fixed phrase)
Listening to What’s Not Said — Attitude and Tone
1. 'That was... interesting.' (said slowly, flatly) What does the speaker really mean? Probably not positive — 'interesting' used as a polite substitute for 'strange' or 'I didn't like it'.
The Sommelier Test — Vocabulary in Context
1. The news left a ___ taste in my mouth. (bitter/sweet) bitter (unpleasant feeling, like a bitter drink)
The Waiter’s Guide to Small Talk
1. What topics should you AVOID in small talk with strangers? Politics, religion, money, personal health problems, relationship issues.
Teach, Teaching, Taught — Word Families
2. Noun: success → Adjective: ___ → Adverb: ___ successful → successfully