Modals of Deduction — Must, Can’t & Might (B2)
Use must, can't and might to say how certain you are — without guessing wildly
Tag: B2
Collocations in English — Words That Go Together Naturally
💬 Why your English sometimes sounds "off": A student once told me she "did a mistake." She knew the vocabulary. She knew the grammar. But native speakers "make" mistakes — they don't "do" them. This…
Inferring Meaning from Context — A Reader’s Detective Guide
💬 The detective approach: I learned this skill when reading French — I didn't look up every unknown word. I asked: what must this word mean, given everything around it? I was right about 80%…
The Passive Voice — When the Action Matters More Than Who Did It
💬 The passive voice saved me once: After a mistake at the restaurant — a wrong order, an unhappy guest — I reported it to my manager. I said: "A mistake was made." Not "I…
The Third Conditional — The Grammar of ‘What If’ and Regret
Use the third conditional for hypothetical situations in the past — things that didn't happen, and imagining what would have been different.
How to Read Faster in English Without Missing the Meaning
💬 Reading as a non-native: In Australia, I had to read long contracts, lease agreements, and handbooks I hadn't asked for. Word by word was too slow. I had to learn to read like a…
English Idioms About Money — 8 You’ll Hear Every Week
💬 The idiom that got me the tip: A regular at the bar I worked at in Sydney once said: "You really know how to make every penny count." I understood it — barely. I…
Connected Speech — Why English Sounds So Fast (And How to Follow It)
💬 Why native speakers sound fast: When I arrived in Sydney, Australians didn't sound like my English teacher. They sounded like one long blur of sound. They weren't speaking faster — they were connecting words.…
How to Write a Formal Email in English — Structure and Phrases
💬 The email that cost me a meeting: Early in my career I wrote an email starting "Hey, just wanted to check in..." to the CEO of a hotel group I was trying to work…
Linking Words in English — Join Your Ideas Like a Pro
💬 The chain of ideas: When I first wrote essays in French, my teacher said: "Les idées sont là, mais elles ne se parlent pas." — The ideas are there, but they don't talk to…