Phrase of the day: would’ve thought
Last Wednesday evening, I took a train from Preston back home to London. As we were nearing Euston station, I
Read more.27th February 2015
Chunk of the day: the bottom line (revisited)
As with single words, we should look for opportunities to revise or recycle chunks. When we do so, it’s good
Read more.23rd February 2015
Chunk of the day: the bottom line
In class yesterday, we looked at some vocabulary for describing different roles and duties people have at work. Students then
Read more.20th February 2015
Phrase of the day: It’s not as though
I had two conversations last night which featured this chunk. The first one was with a friend who was moaning
Read more.12th February 2015
Chunk of the day: Where’s the best place to …?
This weekend sees the big match in north London between Arsenal and Tottenham. Among discussions about who has the best
Read more.4th February 2015
Word of the day: pop
One of the best things about adopting a more lexical view of language is that you start to appreciate more
Read more.30th January 2015
Phrase of the day: What’s not to like?
We’ve often said that what strikes us most about the many incredibly competent non-natives we meet in our field is
Read more.25th January 2015
Phrase of the day: nothing if not
Listening to a Radio 4 review programme the other day, I was struck by the description of quirky Icelandic singer
Read more.23rd January 2015
Phrase of the day: saying it is one thing; meaning it is another.
Jon Wright is the author of the wonderful Idioms Organiser, for our money perhaps the best self-study book on idioms
Read more.20th January 2015
Phrase of the day: What’re you doing later?
Lots of very common chunks don’t get taught early enough in many course because they are seen as somehow being
Read more.14th January 2015