Language

If I’d known how to use conditionals, I’d have passed the test. English conditionals are very useful to talk about things that might happen, things that you’d like to happen, and things that you wish had happened. Phil Stoneman guides you through the linguistics of ‘what if..?’

In the second of two pieces looking at writing letters in a more formal style we look at writing in Spanish. Writing in formal language is an important skill whether you’re dealing with a government bureaucracy or if making a request at work. Diana Mejía helps you through each step of writing a letter in Spanish.

Anecdotes can have a bad reputation – sometimes because they seem trivial. They are, however, an essential part of human interaction. With Phil Stoneman’s helpful anecdote tips you will never be at a loss for a dinner party story or a funny tale to break the ice.

Spanish prepositions are quite easy and have some very basic rules. However, this is not the case for English prepositions. As Oliver Pritchard explains, they’re easy to get wrong, but not hard to get right. So practise, practise and practise some more!

In this edition's Spanish language piece, we look at the word 'coger', what it means, where it's ok to be spoken, and how to use it without landing yourself in a sticky situation!

Are you OK? Do you need a helping hand? This month Phil Stoneman looks at how to form questions in English.

Visiting a foreign country is best enjoyed when we can communicate with the locals. Not only does this allow us to express basic needs and wants, it’s the gateway to understanding a culture and a country. Even if we can’t summon the energy to learn Spanish, a few basic sentences are key in order to get by.

What does it mean to be nea? Photo by Arjun Harindranath “¿Usted sí sabe qué es nea?” was...

In the first of two articles on letter writing, we look at writing in formal English. A difficult part of language learning is formality. It’s easy to chat with friends, but that’s not always an appropriate way to talk to everybody. Whether on email or snail mail, it’s important to be able to use formal language. Oliver Pritchard looks at some do’s and don’ts of formal communication.

If you think you already know your English adverbs from your adjectives, skip straight to the quiz – otherwise learn more about this handy language construct with Phil Stoneman’s guide.