Today's question comes from a student who was watching a movie. In this movie, one character said to another, "Get lost," so the student is asking what this expression means in context. Today, I'll explain this phrase and also teach you some other informal expressions with the word "get," such as get a grip, get off my case, get bent out of shape, and more. That's just a small sampling of the many colorful informal expressions that we have in the English language using the word "get." In order t...
Jun 19, 2019•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today I have a special guest - his name is Ben, and he's an expert in IELTS test preparation. He'll share some top strategies for each section of the IELTS exam, so if you're preparing for the IELTS test - or if you've taken it before but you want to increase your score - listen carefully to this episode and put the tips into practice.
Jun 12, 2019•32 min•Ep 218•Transcript available on Metacast Today I'm going to teach you three pairs of confusing words that have the prefix IN-. In many words, IN- means the opposite or "not": independent = NOT dependent incorrect = NOT correct However, there are some exceptions that might be confusing, and you'll learn three of them in this lesson: invaluable, infamous, and inflammable. I hope this lesson has helped clarify the meanings of these confusing words. The English language has a lot of words that seem similar, but are actually different - and...
Jun 05, 2019•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Someone asked me if there's a difference between finish and finish up. The answer is no - there's no difference in meaning. Finish up is just more informal. But is this the case for every verb / phrasal verb? No! In today's lesson you'll learn the small differences between show and show off, follow and follow up, and several more verb and phrasal verb pairs. There are certainly a lot of little details to remember when it comes to phrasal verbs. That's why it's so important to learn phrasal verbs...
May 29, 2019•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast I’ve heard a lot of students' speaking samples in my courses, and today I’d like to address a few of the pronunciation mistakes that I’ve been correcting. First of all, don’t feel bad if you make a pronunciation mistake! It’s really easy to do this in English, especially because we have so many similar sounds and so many words that are pronounced differently from the way they’re written. So if you mess up a word – don’t be embarrassed, it’s not the end of the world. I can usually understand what...
May 22, 2019•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast If you watch TV and movies in English, you'll probably see a lot of new words and expressions that might not come up in your regular English study. Sometimes it’s hard to understand what certain phrases mean, so students write to me and ask for clarification. In today’s lesson, I’ll explain ten phrases from TV shows and movies that students have asked me about recently. If you ever come across a phrase that you can’t figure out, feel free to e-mail me and ask me what it means, and I’ll do my bes...
May 15, 2019•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today's lesson will teach you 33 collocations and expressions about decisions . Collocations are combinations of words that native English speakers use naturally. Learning these word combinations makes it easier to put together your ideas in English, so that you can express yourself better. You'll also learn some informal expressions, like "a tough call," "in a quandary," and "the lesser of two evils." Click on the lesson to learn! One major difficulty for English learners is often knowing how t...
May 08, 2019•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast Here's a free sample lesson from my NEW Current Events English Course! Today I'll teach you 20 words and expressions from a recent news article about social entrepreneurs who are changing the world. Original article: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/04/15/712653034/no-fake-drugs-more-jobs-for-youth-end-child-sexual-abuse-online-a-vision-for-203 After you watch the video, download the vocabulary exercise to review and practice what you learned. If you enjoyed this lesson and want to...
Apr 25, 2019•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast Join the course: https://www.espressoenglish.net/current-events-english-course One common suggestion given to English learners is to read or watch the news in English . This is a good idea, because you can learn how to talk about current events and relevant topics. But there’s one BIG problem – If you’re reading or watching the news and there are words or expressions you don’t know, this can make it hard or even impossible to understand everything else. You might miss the main points and lose tr...
Apr 23, 2019•3 min•Transcript available on Metacast I received a great question from a student: Is it possible to use ‘to’ followed by the ‘ing’ form? For example, “I'm looking forward to seeing you.” Normally we use to + the base form (ex. "I want to order pizza.") However, there are some specific words in English after which we use to + ING , and I'm going to tell you about them in today's lesson! English grammar can be quite difficult with all the rules and exceptions! You can learn, study, and practice inside my Advanced English Grammar Cours...
Apr 10, 2019•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast April 1 is an informal holiday known as April Fools' Day! People celebrate by playing jokes and trying to trick people in funny and harmless ways. You might be wondering about this word "fool" - how is it used in English ? I'll teach you all about it in today's lesson. Don't be fooled by confusing English words! There are a lot of them, and they can be very tricky to understand and use correctly. You can get clear explanations and examples inside my e-book, 600+ Confusing English Words Explained...
Apr 01, 2019•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Do you know what to say in English in case of an emergency? In the moment, you might panic and not be able to think of the words – so it’s good to learn and practice them beforehand. In today's lesson you'll learn how to talk about various medical emergencies, accidents, and other dangers. If you want to expand your vocabulary even more, join my Vocabulary Builder Courses to learn more than 1000 useful English words with pictures and examples. There's a discount when you buy Level 1 and Level 2 ...
Mar 27, 2019•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today I want to teach you about a tricky little grammar mistake that I see a lot of students making when using the verbs see, watch, and hear. You'll also learn how the sentence changes when we add the word "that." This was just one small grammar point... but there's a lot more grammar to learn! If you're looking for a detailed course to help you master English grammar, check out my Advanced English Grammar Course. It has 45 lessons with quizzes to help you review and practice - as well as the o...
Mar 20, 2019•4 min•Transcript available on Metacast Do you have a hard time finding the right phrase to use in your business letters and e-mails? Today you'll learn 30 phrases for business correspondence. If you want to speak English more confidently at work, join my Business English Course! You'll learn phrases for everyday professional situations, as well as lots of vocabulary for marketing, finance, entrepreneurship, and more. There are even several lessons on idioms that are often used in the business world....
Mar 13, 2019•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Are you wondering about the differences between clean, wash, clean up, and wash up ? I'll teach you how to use them in today's lesson... along with a few slang meanings you might not know yet. The English language has a ton of words that appear to be similar, but are actually different in meaning and use. I wrote an e-book explaining the differences between lots of words that my students often confuse. After you read my 600+ Confusing English Words Explained E-Book , you'll have a clear understa...
Mar 06, 2019•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the month of February I'm going to do a special series of “phrase of the day” videos - so I'll take a phrase I've heard recently on TV or in daily life and teach it to you here. Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don't miss any phrases!
Feb 27, 2019•13 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the month of February I'm going to do a special series of “phrase of the day” videos - so I'll take a phrase I've heard recently on TV or in daily life and teach it to you here. Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don't miss any phrases!
Feb 20, 2019•12 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the month of February I'm going to do a special series of “phrase of the day” videos - so I'll take a phrase I've heard recently on TV or in daily life and teach it to you here. Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don't miss any phrases!
Feb 13, 2019•11 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the month of February I'm going to do a special series of “phrase of the day” videos - so I'll take a phrase I've heard recently on TV or in daily life and teach it to you here. Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don't miss any phrases!
Feb 06, 2019•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sometimes you might get discouraged when studying English. Becoming fluent takes a really long time and lots of effort and practice, so it's easy to lose your motivation. Today I want to share some motivational quotes with you and show you how these sayings relate to your English learning. I hope this lesson will help you feel more optimistic about your English studies! My goal here at Espresso English is to help you build up your English skills, one lesson at a time! One of the best ways to lea...
Jan 30, 2019•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast We have a saying in English that "the devil is in the details" - this means that you need to be careful, because the small parts of a situation/task can cause major problems or difficulties. Sometimes this is the case for learning pronunciation - a tiny difference in a sound can change the word completely. In today's lesson, I'm going to help you practice 10 words that students often mispronounce , resulting in a totally different word. When it comes to pronunciation, the only way to improve is ...
Jan 23, 2019•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast Many of us have hopes and plans for what we would like to accomplish in the new year! Today I'll teach you 50 common collocations with these words. Collocations are combinations of words that are frequently used together. Studying common collocations is a great way to help you form better sentences that sound more natural in English. Wow, that was a lot of collocations! Do you want to keep learning - and practice, too? Check out my e-book 1000 Collocations in 10 Minutes a Day . Each lesson will ...
Jan 16, 2019•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast This is one of my FAVORITE lessons of the year :-) Did you know that the dictionary is updated all the time? The publishers add words that have come to be used frequently in the media and in everyday life. Let's learn some of the new English words added in 2018. There were 12 words in this lesson... but the English language has more than 170,000 words in total. How are you supposed to learn so many? My Vocabulary Builder Courses will teach you USEFUL English words in a clear and effective way. T...
Jan 09, 2019•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's December 31st - we're at the tail end of the year! (= the very last part) In today's lesson, you'll learn 8 English idioms with the word end. Remember, don't try to translate these idioms literally word by word - if you do, they might not make sense. Instead, learn each one as a whole expression. We're about to start a new year... wouldn't you like to learn some new expressions in English? You can learn 300 Idioms in 30 Days in my course! In 2018 I updated the course with new videos :-) I r...
Dec 31, 2018•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast Phrasal verbs are very common in everyday spoken English - and many students ask me about the definitions of phrasal verbs they've heard in conversations, TV shows, or movies. Today I'm going to explain five phrasal verbs that you might not know yet: square away, step up, space out, blow over, and swear off. If you come across (encounter) a phrasal verb that you can't understand, please e-mail me and I'll explain it in a future lesson. Do you want to see how native English speakers use phrasal v...
Dec 19, 2018•4 min•Transcript available on Metacast I've noticed a pronunciation mistake that many students make when they say words like "succeed" and "successful." There are actually 3 different ways to pronounce CC in English! Today we're going to practice saying 26 words with CC. Listen and try to repeat after me. Listening and repeating - like you did in today's lesson - is one of the best ways to improve your pronunciation! With time and practice, your pronunciation will get closer to a native English speaker's. I've created two courses to ...
Dec 12, 2018•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today you can test your knowledge of 10 common business English terms . This quiz only taught you 10 words and expressions... but you can learn hundreds more words and phrases inside my Business English Course! The course will teach you practical English for work. You'll learn day-to-day vocabulary for interacting with clients and co-workers, as well as specific words in the areas of management, marketing, finance, and much more. You can try a free sample lesson here , and register for the cours...
Dec 05, 2018•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast We recently had the holiday of Thanksgiving in the United States. Most people celebrate it with their families, but there's a growing tradition of also celebrating "Friendsgiving" - and that's the topic of this week's lesson. Click here to learn 15 vocabulary words/expressions from the article! I hope you've enjoyed my series of English in the news videos in November! If you want to learn more from me, consider joining one of my courses . I've created courses to help you improve all your skills ...
Nov 28, 2018•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today’s article is about social media and mental health. This one is written in a more casual style, so it has some informal expressions we can learn. I’m going to teach you 15 words and expressions from this news article. I know many of you enjoy listening to my voice as I teach you English - and that's great! But do you have difficulty understanding other English speakers, who may speak faster or with a different accent? It's important to improve your listening comprehension so that you can un...
Nov 21, 2018•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast You might have seen a video on social media about a bear cub (that's a baby bear) trying very hard to scale (climb) a snow-covered mountain and eventually succeeding. A lot of people liked that video... but today's article talks about a potential problem with it. In this lesson I'm going to teach you 24 vocabulary words that are important in understanding the text. Do you want more practice reading and understanding articles in English? My new Reading Course will help you improve your comprehens...
Nov 14, 2018•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
