IELTS Videos The following videos show exactly what is expected of you in the IELTS speaking test Video One – Band score 8.5 Video Two – Band score 6   The IELTS speaking test is the number one test for students who want to study or work in the UK. The format of the test is in 3 parts as detailed … Read more

English articles A/an and the English articles – Today we are exploring how to use these 3 types of articles in English.  Remember you can always practice these articles with Philip your skypeclass Teacher. You might like to visit the Cambridge English for further info. A/an and the: meaning A/an and the are articles. They are a type of determiner and they go before a noun. A/an before a … Read more

Podcast Robots The Rise of Machines Download MP3 recording here Download PDF Script here Practice new words with your Skypeclass English Teacher Are robots and artificial intelligence taking over from humans? Dan and Neil discuss the rise of the machines An American company has said its ambition is to achieve an AI that can beat humans at any intellectual task. … Read more

Phrasal verbs, or multi-word verbs, are verbs that are combined with one or two particles (a preposition or adverb), for example, ‘up’ or ‘down’, to make verbs with new meanings. Visit the BBC for more info on Phrasal Verbs. These new meanings are usually non-literal. For example, to pick means to select or choose (she picked him for her team), but to pick on someone means to … Read more

Indirect questions Take an English Level Test There are two main ways of asking questions – directly and indirectly. Both have the same meaning but we use indirect questions when we want to be more polite, more formal or less confrontational. We can ask a direct question – Where is Brighton Pier? Or to be more formal or polite, we can ask an indirect question – I wonder if you could tell … Read more

Visit us on YouTube Water is one of the most important substances on earth. All plants and animals must have water to survive. … Apart from drinking it to survive, people have many other uses for water. Learn new words below to help you understand more about water and practice new words with your skypeclass Teacher Philip. The National Geographic has a great article about our … Read more

Can Could – We use can, could and may to ask for permission. We use can and may, but not could, to give permission. May is less common: Compare. asking for permission. formal/polite? giving permission. formal/polite? Can I ask you a question? informal. Yes, you can. Yes, you may. Yes, you could. informal. Could I use your phone? Practice can or could with … Read more

English Tenses English Tenses -The tense of a verb tells you when a person did something or when something existed or happened. In English, there are three main tenses: the present, the past, and the future. You can practice the following tenses with your skypeclass Teacher. The present The present tense (e.g. I am, she works, we swim, they believe) is also called the present simple or simple present. It’s … Read more

Ethical Coffee Listen to podcast Would you pay more for coffee if you knew it was doing some good? Dan and Catherine discuss the pros and cons of ethically produced coffee. It’s one of the most popular drinks on the planet and something many people have for breakfast. Coffee is a widely exported product. However, how much of that money … Read more