Espresso English Podcast

184 - Sometimes, sometime, or some time?

Today I want to clear up some confusion around the words sometime, sometimes, and some time. Are they all the same? No! These words have different meanings and uses. Take today's lesson to find out how to use each one of them correctly. Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/sometimes-sometime-or-some-time/ Can you make your own example sentences with all three? It's important to put what you're learning into practice! My English courses can help you do that – many of them have quizzes and...

183 - Four English expressions that don't seem to make sense

Some informal and idiomatic expressions in English just don't seem to make sense. In today's lesson, I'll explain four phrases that my students have asked me about: nothing to sneeze at there'll be hell to pay to each his own a far cry from Don't try to translate or understand these phrases literally – that's a common mistake among language learners. If you try to understand it word by word, it won't make sense. Instead, you need to understand each phrase as a whole unit, with a particular meani...

182 - Three spelling/pronunciation changes that completely change the word

There are many English words that have similar spellings and pronunciations, and it's common for English learners to use the wrong one. Today I'm going to teach you three examples of how small differences can change the meaning of the word completely. We're going to practice these: college / collage / colleague message / massage course / curse Pay close attention to make sure you're saying and writing these words correctly! Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/three-spelling-pronunciatio...

181 - English vocabulary for a road trip

I've just gotten back from a road trip with my family, and I'm going to use this opportunity to teach you some vocabulary for driving and traveling by car. Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/english-vocabulary-for-a-road-trip/ To learn more vocabulary that's organized by topic, you can join my Vocabulary Builder Courses , which will teach you hundreds of useful words. Level 1 of the course covers topics like daily life, work & study, travel & entertainment, people & ideas, ...

180 - Six grammar mistakes you might be making

In today's lesson I'm going to show you six mistakes that real students of mine have made – and you might be making, too! The purpose of this lesson is not to make you feel bad about those mistakes, but instead to learn from them. Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/six-english-grammar-mistakes-you-might-be-making/ One problem with language learning is that if you make a fairly minor mistake that doesn't affect communication, native speakers often don't correct you because they understo...

179 - Eight English idioms from Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was a poet and playwright who lived in the 16th century. He is regarded as one of the greatest writers in the history of the English language. You might know him as the author of the famous "Romeo and Juliet." Many of the English idioms we use to this day were invented or popularized by Shakespeare – you'll learn eight of them in this lesson! Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/eight-english-idioms-from-shakespeare/ To learn more idioms, join my 300+ English Idioms C...

178 - How to pronounce recipe, receipt, debt, and debit

Today I want to teach you the correct way to say four words that I often hear students mispronouncing or confusing: recipe, receipt, debt, and debit. Listen and repeat to practice your pronunciation, so that you can be confident you're pronouncing these words correctly and not mixing them up! Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/how-to-pronounce-recipe-receipt-debt-debit/ A lot of English learners want to know the "rules" of English pronunciation, but unfortunately it's hard to teach any...

177 - 30 English collocations with TEST

Today we're going to take a closer look at the word TEST – specifically the collocations (common combinations of words) that are often used with "test." Learning collocations like these can make it easier for you to put together phrases and sentences in English. Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/english-collocations-with-the-word-test/ You can learn a lot more inside my e-book, which will teach you 1000 collocations in 10 minutes a day . It has short lessons and quizzes that you can e...

176 - Three casual conversational expressions

Have you noticed that when you listen to informal English conversations, you hear some expressions that you can't understand? Today I'm going to teach you three casual conversational expressions , what they mean, and how to use them: quite a bit might as well just my luck! Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/informal-english-quite-a-bit-might-as-well-just-my-luck/ To continue learning lots of informal English from conversations, check out my Everyday English Speaking Course Level 2. The...

175 - Careless or carefree?

In today's lesson I want to clarify the difference between the confusing words careless and carefree. It's easy to mix them up, but they have quite different meanings and connotations. Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/careless-or-carefree/ I hope this lesson has helped you understand the difference! For more explanations of confusing words, check out my e-book, 600+ Confusing English Words Explained. It will teach you the differences between similar – but different – words such as av...

174 - How to use the word "lack" correctly

Today I want to teach you how to use the word "lack" correctly. I've noticed some of my students making a little mistake with this word, so this lesson will help you learn which one to use – "lack" or "lack of." It's a very small detail, but it's important to learn so that your English grammar is correct. Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/english-grammar-lack-or-lack-of/ These little details of English grammar can be confusing! That's why I created the Advanced English Grammar Course ...

173 - How to pronounce OUGH in English

OUGH is pronounced at least 5 different ways in English! In today's lesson, I'm going to teach you how to pronounce OUGH in some common words and example sentences. Remember to practice your pronunciation by repeating after me – because the best way to improve your pronunciation is to practice it actively! Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/how-to-pronounce-ough-in-english/ How can you know which way to pronounce OUGH when you see a new word? Unfortunately, there's no way to know – you...

Daily English Phrases - A last resort, See the last of something

Daily English Phrases - It's an acquired taste, It grew on me

Daily English Phrases - Deep down, A deep dark secret

Daily English Phrases - None of your business, Mind your own business

Daily English Phrases - Have (got) what it takes

Daily English Phrases - Steer clear of something

Daily English Phrases - Get it over with, Get over it

Daily English Phrases - Have your heart set on something

Daily English Phrases - I couldn't care less, Who cares?

Daily English Phrases - Keep an eye on, Keep an eye out for

Daily English Phrases - Off the beaten path, In the middle of nowhere

Daily English Phrases - A game plan, Ahead of the game

Daily English Phrases - In over my head, Bite off more than you can chew

Daily English Phrases - Put your foot down, The last straw

Daily English Phrases - Play it by ear, Play it safe

Daily English Phrases - Out of the blue, Out of nowhere

Daily English Phrases - Look on the bright side, A blessing in disguise

Daily English Phrases - Get a head start, Get the ball rolling