Tinycards
Tinycards is a flash card app from the people who make Duolingo. You can use Tinycards to learn and practice new English vocabulary. It is available on their website, and there is an app for iPhone/iPad and Android.
You can practice with many sets of words. Search for ESL, and they will give you many choices.
For example – Parts of the Body, Winter Vocabulary, and Clothes
If you create a free Tinycards account, you can make your own set of words (‘deck’) to learn and practice.
5 Ways to Improve Your English
This is from the Ask Jackie YouTube Channel, where there are many more English-learning videos, especially for Brazilians.
— Thanks to Eliane for suggesting this article. —
There, Their, or They’re?
These groups of words sound the same, or similar to each other. It can be confusing to know which one to use when you write. Examples:
- I’m going to Boston.
- I’m hungry and she is too.
- There is too much snow.
- I have two daughters.
- She bought some groceries and then she went home.
- My car is older than your car.
- Plum Island is a pretty place and I’m going there tomorrow.
- They’re very excited kids.
- Their car is in front of my car.
- Can I use your phone?
- You’re my best friend.
- They were at the beach yesterday.
- We’re happy that you can come to visit us.
- Where are you going?
There are many more commonly confused words.
— Thanks to Pat for suggesting this article —
Feelings / Emotions
Here is a video that describes several feelings, or “emotions” – from the website Learn English Have Fun.
After you watch the video to listen to the pronunciation of the words, you can read more about the meaning of these emotions on their website.
Prepositions of Place and Movement
Here’s a video that shows the meaning of many prepositions (in, on, at, between, etc.) and also some that involve movement (toward, through, etc.)
You’re Welcome
Pronouncing the Past Tense of Regular Verbs
Last week there was an article about Regular Verbs and Their Spelling. The main spelling rule is that the past tense of all regular verbs ends with -ed.
However, the -ed ending is pronounced differently in different words…
worked – sounds like workt (just one syllable)
cleaned – sounds like cleand (just one syllable)
started – sounds like startid (2 syllables)
How do you know which sound to use?
Feel your throat while you say a sound.
For some sounds (‘voiced’ sounds like n, d, and m) you will feel vibration (
). For other sounds (‘unvoiced’ sounds like t, k, and p) you will not feel vibration.
Now feel your throat while you pronounce a regular verb (like work, clean, start) and notice the last sound of the word (work, clean, start)
- If the last sound was unvoiced (as in work), pronounce the -ed sound as a t
worked > /workt/; stopped > /stopt/ - If the last sound was voiced (as in clean), pronounce the -ed as a d
cleaned > /cleand/; called > /calld/ - But – if the last sound was a t or d sound, pronounce the -ed as id (which adds a syllable)
started > /startid/; loaded > /loadid/
Study to Get Your High School Degree
Take free reading, writing, and math classes – to prepare for your high school equivalency test (HiSET)
To register, come to the Fuller Middle School – 31 Flagg Drive in Framingham – at 6:30 to 8:00 PM on Wednesday, August 21st
Classes meet every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from 6:30 to 9:30 PM
Classes offered by Framingham Adult ESL Plus (508-626-4282)
FAESL on Facebook
Note: This is registration for HiSET(GED) and Citizenship classes only – NO English classes.