Speak and Write English with Philip
What are Food Idioms Food idioms are phrases or expressions that typically presents a figurative, non-literal meaning attached to the phrase; but some phrases become figurative idioms while retaining the literal meaning of the phrase. Categorized as formulaic language, an…
What are Transport Idioms Transport idioms are phrases or expressions that typically presents a figurative, non-literal meaning attached to the phrase; but some phrases become figurative idioms while retaining the literal meaning of the phrase. Categorized as formulaic language, an…
What are Musical Idioms Musical idioms are phrases or expressions that typically presents a figurative, non-literal meaning attached to the phrase; but some phrases become figurative idioms while retaining the literal meaning of the phrase. Categorized as formulaic language, an…
Ingredients needed for your sponge cake 4 free-range eggs 225g/8oz caster sugar, plus a little extra for dusting the finished cake 225g/8oz self-raising flour 2 tsp baking powder 225g/8oz butter at room temperature, plus a little extra to grease the tins Time needed: 30 minutes.…
Skypeclass English FAQs At Skypeclass, we want you to enjoy your classes with ease. Below are some of the English FAQs that some of our students have asked in the past. We have included the answers. Nonetheless, if at any…
How to cook an Omelette in a few minutes 7 easy steps to cook your perfect omelette Take an English Level test - FREE Step 1 Gather the ingredients: 3 eggs 1 knob of butter Flavouring - such as grated…
About the English Level Test Our English Level Test is comprehensive and free. The questions we use are chosen randomly from the question bank; where we have 400 questions. We give a score / mark at the end of the…
All right and alright All right is an adjective or adverb. Test your English Level All right as an adjective We use all right as an adjective after verbs such as be, feel, seem or look, but not before a noun (predicative adjective). It means ‘well’, ‘OK’, ‘satisfactory’: A:…
What’s in the CAE (Cambridge Advanced English) speaking paper? Take an English Level test The Cambridge C1 Advanced Speaking test has four parts and you take it together with another candidate. There are two examiners. One of the examiners conducts…
Visit us on YouTube Geography Vocabulary Geography is the study of the systems and processes involved in the world's weather, mountains, seas, lakes, etc. and of the ways in which countries and people organize life within an area Example: We're studying…
Do you want to take the Cambridge CAE Exam? Watch this Tutorial Video that shows you exactly what you need to do and how. Visit us on YouTube What does Cambridge English: Advanced involve? Cambridge English: Advanced is at Level…
Here is some vocabulary to describe different types of film and some people connected with the cinema. Practice these and other Phrases with your online English Teacher at skypeclass.com Types of film, using the word 'film': A horror film: A film that scares you…
BBC 6 minute English - Laughing could kill you Podcast download Transcript download Book your next skype English Class In a competition for control between laughter and breathing and speaking, laughter always wins, says a neuroscientist. Neil and Tim discuss the…
Do you need to upgrade your phone? Transcript Download Download MP3 recording Book your next Skype English Class Many people are holding onto their old phones longer – instead of rushing out to buy the latest model of phone. What…
Take a Free English Level Test with us Grammar Imperatives are verbs used to give orders, commands, warning or instructions, and (if you use "please") to make a request. It is one of the three moods of an English verb (indicative, imperative and subjunctive).…
Drones have become commonplace in the skies above our heads. In certain cases they have been dangerous, but there are many new uses for them that are bringing us benefits too. From delivering parcels to saving lives, drones are taking…
Mor Phrasal Verbs connected with the letter S As you know, native speakers of English tend to use a lot of phrasal verbs (sometimes called prepositional, multi-word verb, verbs) in everyday spoken English. In fact, this is quite frustrating for…
Practice environment vocabulary with Philip your skypeclass Teacher. Words connected with 'environment': Watch a Video documentary about Recycling the environment the natural world, including the air, water and land in or on which people, animals and plants live We need…
Here is some vocabulary to describe some of the different stages of a relationship. Practice your love vocabulary with Philip your Skype Class Teacher. MP3 Download about marriage and relationships from the BBC. Visit us on YouTube Chat up - starting a relationship …
Valentines Day - Read the story Listen to Audio It's that time of the year when couples show their love for each other by sending cards, flowers and chocolates. But Valentine's Day is not only about public displays of affection: in recent…
Visit us on YouTube Here is some vocabulary related to dentistry and teeth. Watch this old dental advertising video. Practice your dental vocabulary with Philip your skypeclass Teacher People who work in dentistry a dentist a person whose job is…
Visit us on YouTube Describing Temperament - When Tim says 'I'm all calm and controlled on the surface' he's describing his temperament. Temperament is the part of your character that affects your feelings and moods and the way you behave.…
English Suffixes Take an English Level Test Words like excitement, performance and difference have suffixes that turn verbs and adjectives into nouns. Listen to Finn and Catherine talk about the suffixes -ment, -ence and -ance in this 6 Minute Vocabulary.…
Idioms use language metaphorically rather than literally. When Tim told Khalid there was 'no point crying over spilt milk' he was making a joke because he was using the idiom metaphorically and literally. Usually we only use idioms metaphorically. This idiom means 'don't get upset about…
Complaining in English Listen to BBC Podcast Dan and Alice talk about complaining in English, and how British people may be getting better at it. This week's question: According to the Wall Street Journal, what was the cause of most…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
Bitcoin: digital crypto-currency Podcast Download Here It’s something that makes the world go round, but it doesn’t really exist. In fact, if we all stopped believing in it, it would have no use at all! It is, of course, money.…
How to greet someone in English There are all sorts of different ways to greet people. Today, we learn some of the most popular and useful expressions for greeting friends or other people in relaxed situations. Remember you can practice…
BBC 6 Minute English Podcast Download Is Man Flue Real For a while now, the expression 'man flu' has been controversial. Many men say their illness is real, while many women say they are just being weak. But why is it…
English advice on when to use the following English terms. Remember! you can always practice this grammar tip with Philip your Skypeclass English Teacher Someone, anyone, no one, everyone Someone, anyone, no one, everyone mean the same as somebody, anybody,…
Present Forms We can use the present simple to talk about habits (things that we do regularly), facts (things that are always true) or states (facts that are true for a long time). We can use the present continuous to talk about an activity that's happening now, (or around now) or…
Here are some pairs of verbs you might sometimes find confusing. See and watch, hear and listen to: In these pairs of verbs it's important to know if we are intentionally doing something or if it is just happening without us trying to do anything. We…
English Podcast - Should schoolchildren have jobs ? For some, it's a way of learning valuable lessons about with world of work and earning a bit of money; for others it's a distraction from the important business of education. Schoolchildren…
Types of Hotels Take an English Level Test budget hotel economical or cheap hotel that is usually part of a chain (or group) of hotels; one that's cheaper than a business hotel or a 5-star hotel The flights were so…
Below you will find a selection of important vocabulary connected with kichen equipemnt and tools in English. Utensils and Equipment a knife a basic, hand-held tool for cutting food a peeler a hand-held tool specially designed for removing the skin…
Linking Words and Phrases Linking words and phrases are used to show a relationships between ideas. They can be used to join 2 or more sentences or clauses (a clause is a group of words which contains a subject and a…
Meaning: slap in the face. A sharp rebuke or rebuff, as in Being criticized in front of my staff was a real slap in the face, or We thought it quite a slap in the face when they returned our…
Pedestrianisation Norwich was the first city in the UK to ban cars from parts of the city centre. Planners wanted to protect pedestrians from cars and to reduce pollution in its old and narrow streets. That was 50 years ago.…
Visit us on YouTube We can use these words with or without 'Christmas' before them: A lot of Christmas vocabulary can be used with or without the word ‘Christmas’ in front of it. For example we can talk about ‘Christmas…
Conjunctions We can join two sentences or clauses together using conjunctions (or linking words). We can use conjunctions to add ideas together, contrast them, show the order that things happened in or show the reason why things happened. Conjunctions -…
Coffee - How different are cafes of the 21st century from the very first coffee houses? Cafes have become free wifi hotspots. Has the internet replaced the lively debate and intellectual discussions that used to be their main feature in…
Sugar - Today's Podcast Do you really know how much of the sweet stuff you eat? Neil and Rob talk about sugar and teach you some tempting new vocabulary. Download the BBC MP3 Podcast This week's question - Do we…