Blog

Intrepid English has been providing top-class online English lessons since 2013 to students from all over the world. Following the success of EIEE 2018, we are delighted to offer this unique experience twice in 2019. In May and September this year, Intrepid English is offering six lucky English learners the opportunity to develop their language

12 Mar

The Edinburgh Intrepid English Experience 2019

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Intrepid English has been providing top-class online English lessons since 2013 to students from all over the world. Following the success of EIEE 2018, we are delighted to offer this unique experience twice in 2019. In May and September this year, Intrepid English is offering six lucky English learners the opportunity to develop their language

Did you know that Edinburgh is the world’s first UNESCO city of literature? Visitors to this city understand how it has attracted so many writers from all over the world. Whether it’s the Georgian buildings, the majestic scenery or the spiral towers, writers from the past and the present have come to Scotland to be inspired, expand their imaginations, explore their creativity and, most importantly, write.

14 Feb

5 Writers of Edinburgh You Might Not Know (Advanced)

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Grammar and Vocabulary, News, The Edinburgh Intrepid English Experience, Writing Skills

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Did you know that Edinburgh is the world’s first UNESCO city of literature? Visitors to this city understand how it has attracted so many writers from all over the world. Whether it’s the Georgian buildings, the majestic scenery or the spiral towers, writers from the past and the present have come to Scotland to be inspired, expand their imaginations, explore their creativity and, most importantly, write.

Vocabulary comprise (verb) - to include ode (noun) - a lyric poem, typically one in the form of an address to a particular subject critically acclaimed (phrase) – a piece of work that has received generally good reviews from a number of critics bagpipes (noun) – a traditional Scottish musical instrument Here in Scotland, the 25th

23 Jan

Burns Night

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Grammar and Vocabulary, News, The Edinburgh Intrepid English Experience

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Vocabulary comprise (verb) - to include ode (noun) - a lyric poem, typically one in the form of an address to a particular subject critically acclaimed (phrase) – a piece of work that has received generally good reviews from a number of critics bagpipes (noun) – a traditional Scottish musical instrument Here in Scotland, the 25th

Christmas is a time for eating, drinking and spending time with your family. All of this is true, but it’s also a time to sit and read. To snuggle up by the fire, to wrap yourself in a blanket, to smell the scent of the fresh pages, to hear the crack of the book and

06 Dec

10 Books to Read This Christmas

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Intrepid English Teachers, News, Writing Skills

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Christmas is a time for eating, drinking and spending time with your family. All of this is true, but it’s also a time to sit and read. To snuggle up by the fire, to wrap yourself in a blanket, to smell the scent of the fresh pages, to hear the crack of the book and

Then or than? Altogether or all together? Desert or dessert? Emigrate or immigrate? Job or work? English, just like any other language, has plenty of words that can confuse native and non-native speakers. There are words that are similar or the same in pronunciation. Others can be similar in spelling but mean different things. And

22 Nov

Commonly Confused English Words – Part 4

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Commonly Confused Words, Grammar and Vocabulary, Writing Skills

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Then or than? Altogether or all together? Desert or dessert? Emigrate or immigrate? Job or work? English, just like any other language, has plenty of words that can confuse native and non-native speakers. There are words that are similar or the same in pronunciation. Others can be similar in spelling but mean different things. And

A phrasal verb consists of a root verb (such as go, put or set) and an adverb or preposition (such as away, on or out). Phrasal verbs are idiomatic, which means that the phrasal verb has a different meaning to the individual words within the phrase. This blog explains the meanings of eight common phrasal verbs containing the

21 Nov

Phrasal Verbs with ‘CUT’

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Grammar and Vocabulary, Phrasal Verbs

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A phrasal verb consists of a root verb (such as go, put or set) and an adverb or preposition (such as away, on or out). Phrasal verbs are idiomatic, which means that the phrasal verb has a different meaning to the individual words within the phrase. This blog explains the meanings of eight common phrasal verbs containing the

What is the difference between countable and uncountable nouns? Nouns can be countable or uncountable. Countable nouns are the name of separate objects, people, etc, which we can count; they have singular and plural forms. One book two books A man some men Uncountable nouns are nouns which we do not see

18 Oct

Countable and Uncountable Nouns

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Grammar and Vocabulary

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What is the difference between countable and uncountable nouns? Nouns can be countable or uncountable. Countable nouns are the name of separate objects, people, etc, which we can count; they have singular and plural forms. One book two books A man some men Uncountable nouns are nouns which we do not see

Book a free trial lesson today and talk about your learning goals with an experienced native English teacher. Say goodbye to boring English lessons; discuss incredible TED Talks, study market-leading textbooks, learn all about Britain, prepare for globally recognised exams, explore your favourite English books or improve your conversational English by talking about any topic that you find interesting. If you're not

16 Oct

Welcome to Intrepid English, Lida!

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Book a free trial lesson today and talk about your learning goals with an experienced native English teacher. Say goodbye to boring English lessons; discuss incredible TED Talks, study market-leading textbooks, learn all about Britain, prepare for globally recognised exams, explore your favourite English books or improve your conversational English by talking about any topic that you find interesting. If you're not

Writer’s block is a state of mind, not a state of being. Meaning, it can be conquered. It is only momentary. There are so many different kinds of writing; fiction, non-fiction, short stories, poetry and novels. Not to mention personal and academic essays. Professional writing such as CVs, cover letters, application forms... the list goes

17 Aug

5 Ways to Conquer Writer’s Block

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Business English Skills, Grammar and Vocabulary, Writing Skills

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Writer’s block is a state of mind, not a state of being. Meaning, it can be conquered. It is only momentary. There are so many different kinds of writing; fiction, non-fiction, short stories, poetry and novels. Not to mention personal and academic essays. Professional writing such as CVs, cover letters, application forms... the list goes

At Intrepid English, one of the most common questions we get asked by our students is, “what are the most effective and efficient ways to learn?” Everyone wants to find the fastest, easiest way to learn and remember vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. The reason this question is tricky to answer is that each student learns

01 Aug

Walk, Talk and Learn

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Grammar and Vocabulary, The Edinburgh Intrepid English Experience

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At Intrepid English, one of the most common questions we get asked by our students is, “what are the most effective and efficient ways to learn?” Everyone wants to find the fastest, easiest way to learn and remember vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. The reason this question is tricky to answer is that each student learns

Vocabulary: Crack (adj) very good or skilful. Crack (verb) find a solution to something; decipher or interpret. Cardinal rule (noun) a fundamental rule, upon which other matters hinge. Stickler (noun) a person who insists on a certain quality or type of behaviour. Utilizing (verb) make practical and effective use of something. Writing a cover letter

27 Jun

How to Crack the Cover Letter

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Business English Skills

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Vocabulary: Crack (adj) very good or skilful. Crack (verb) find a solution to something; decipher or interpret. Cardinal rule (noun) a fundamental rule, upon which other matters hinge. Stickler (noun) a person who insists on a certain quality or type of behaviour. Utilizing (verb) make practical and effective use of something. Writing a cover letter

Book a free trial lesson today and talk about your learning goals with an experienced native English teacher. Say goodbye to boring English lessons; discuss incredible TED Talks, study market-leading textbooks, learn all about Britain, prepare for globally recognised exams, explore your favourite English books or improve your conversational English by talking about any topic that you find interesting. If you're not

19 Apr

Welcome to Intrepid English, Thomas!

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Intrepid English Teachers, News

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Book a free trial lesson today and talk about your learning goals with an experienced native English teacher. Say goodbye to boring English lessons; discuss incredible TED Talks, study market-leading textbooks, learn all about Britain, prepare for globally recognised exams, explore your favourite English books or improve your conversational English by talking about any topic that you find interesting. If you're not

Since the Edinburgh Intrepid English Experience was launched last month, we’ve been inundated with questions, comments and excitement from English learners who want to know more about this unforgettable experience. Thank you to everyone who has emailed us and sent us messages on Skype. It’s great to hear that you are looking forward to this

31 Mar

The Itinerary

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News, The Edinburgh Intrepid English Experience

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Since the Edinburgh Intrepid English Experience was launched last month, we’ve been inundated with questions, comments and excitement from English learners who want to know more about this unforgettable experience. Thank you to everyone who has emailed us and sent us messages on Skype. It’s great to hear that you are looking forward to this

Intrepid English has been providing top-class online English lessons since 2013 to students from all over the world. This year, we are delighted to announce that we have created a unique experience for English learners to develop their language skills while exploring the beautiful city of Edinburgh. For one week in September, six Intrepid English

01 Feb

The Edinburgh Intrepid English Experience

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News, The Edinburgh Intrepid English Experience

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Intrepid English has been providing top-class online English lessons since 2013 to students from all over the world. This year, we are delighted to announce that we have created a unique experience for English learners to develop their language skills while exploring the beautiful city of Edinburgh. For one week in September, six Intrepid English

Here at Intrepid English, we never forget how lucky we are to call Edinburgh 'home'. There's a wealth of culture, scenery, history around the city - if you're visiting for just a few days trying to choose what to fit in can be a challenge. Most tourists visiting Scotland's capital city will know to check

11 Dec

Top 5 Reasons to Visit Edinburgh

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Here at Intrepid English, we never forget how lucky we are to call Edinburgh 'home'. There's a wealth of culture, scenery, history around the city - if you're visiting for just a few days trying to choose what to fit in can be a challenge. Most tourists visiting Scotland's capital city will know to check

As the newest addition to Intrepid English, I asked the lovely Gemma to tell us a little bit about herself. Book a free trial lesson today and talk about your learning goals with an experienced native English teacher. Say goodbye to boring English lessons; discuss incredible TED Talks, study market-leading textbooks, learn all about Britain, prepare for globally recognised

08 Dec

Welcome to Intrepid English, Gemma!

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As the newest addition to Intrepid English, I asked the lovely Gemma to tell us a little bit about herself. Book a free trial lesson today and talk about your learning goals with an experienced native English teacher. Say goodbye to boring English lessons; discuss incredible TED Talks, study market-leading textbooks, learn all about Britain, prepare for globally recognised

I live in the beautiful city of Edinburgh. At this time of year, the population of Edinburgh doubles as hundreds of thousands of tourists come to sample the many wonderful events that take place in Scotland's capital city every summer. Whenever I take a walk through the historic city during the summer months, I notice

16 Jul

Prepositions for Giving Directions

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Grammar and Vocabulary, News, Prepositions

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I live in the beautiful city of Edinburgh. At this time of year, the population of Edinburgh doubles as hundreds of thousands of tourists come to sample the many wonderful events that take place in Scotland's capital city every summer. Whenever I take a walk through the historic city during the summer months, I notice

If you speak English at work, you have probably come across idioms on many occasions. Idioms are those little phrases that have a special meaning which is different to the meaning of the individual words in that phrase. They are very common among high-level English speakers and some are often used specifically in business situations.

01 Jul

Everyday Business Idioms – Part 2

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Business Idioms, Grammar and Vocabulary, Idioms

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If you speak English at work, you have probably come across idioms on many occasions. Idioms are those little phrases that have a special meaning which is different to the meaning of the individual words in that phrase. They are very common among high-level English speakers and some are often used specifically in business situations.

This month, Intrepid English student, Tosh, came to Edinburgh to study English and explore the city. I had the great pleasure of showing him around and I thoroughly enjoyed teaching English whilst exploring Scotland's beautiful capital city. We managed to fit a lot into five days including a walk along the cobbled streets of the Royal

26 May

Tosh’s Visit to Edinburgh

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This month, Intrepid English student, Tosh, came to Edinburgh to study English and explore the city. I had the great pleasure of showing him around and I thoroughly enjoyed teaching English whilst exploring Scotland's beautiful capital city. We managed to fit a lot into five days including a walk along the cobbled streets of the Royal

Spring is the season for new life. Here at Intrepid English, we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of a bundle of joy in the form of my little niece who is due to be born this Easter week. In English, we have several idioms related to babies and children. Here are some of the most common baby idioms

15 Apr

Baby Idioms

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Grammar and Vocabulary, Idioms

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Spring is the season for new life. Here at Intrepid English, we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of a bundle of joy in the form of my little niece who is due to be born this Easter week. In English, we have several idioms related to babies and children. Here are some of the most common baby idioms

Assume or presume? Lose or loose? Lay or lie? The English language contains many words which can confuse learners and native speakers alike. It's common for a word to have several meanings or to be pronounced and spelled the same as others, that's why it's easy to make mistakes. This is the third instalment of the Commonly Confused English Words

08 Apr

Commonly Confused English Words – Part 3

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Commonly Confused Words, Grammar and Vocabulary

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Assume or presume? Lose or loose? Lay or lie? The English language contains many words which can confuse learners and native speakers alike. It's common for a word to have several meanings or to be pronounced and spelled the same as others, that's why it's easy to make mistakes. This is the third instalment of the Commonly Confused English Words

Music is an essential part of life. It influences our culture, our fashion and our language. There are too many music-related idioms in the English language to cover in one blog post, so here are five of the most common musical idioms. Try to use them all in your English conversations this week. 1. Music to my ears

31 Mar

Music Idioms

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Grammar and Vocabulary, Idioms

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Music is an essential part of life. It influences our culture, our fashion and our language. There are too many music-related idioms in the English language to cover in one blog post, so here are five of the most common musical idioms. Try to use them all in your English conversations this week. 1. Music to my ears

Phrasal verbs are the combination of a verb followed by a preposition and/or a particle. By combining these words together, a new meaning is created which is different to the meaning of the words individually. This blog explains the meanings of five common phrasal verbs containing the preposition under. 1. Come under This phrasal verb can be used to

25 Mar

Phrasal Verbs with UNDER

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Grammar and Vocabulary, Phrasal Verbs

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Phrasal verbs are the combination of a verb followed by a preposition and/or a particle. By combining these words together, a new meaning is created which is different to the meaning of the words individually. This blog explains the meanings of five common phrasal verbs containing the preposition under. 1. Come under This phrasal verb can be used to

Did you know that there are more than 25,000 idiomatic phrases in English? Idioms are used in everyday language to add fluency and description to a sentence. They can be difficult for English learners to understand because the meaning of the idiom often has nothing to do with the individual words within the idiom. For instance, when

05 Mar

Water Idioms

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Grammar and Vocabulary, Idioms

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Did you know that there are more than 25,000 idiomatic phrases in English? Idioms are used in everyday language to add fluency and description to a sentence. They can be difficult for English learners to understand because the meaning of the idiom often has nothing to do with the individual words within the idiom. For instance, when

How many times have you been listening to a colleague speaking English and heard a word or phrase which doesn't seem to fit into the conversation? If you would walk away from this conversation thinking "Why did Bob start talking about cats and dogs in the middle of our conversation?" Then, you will find this blog

24 Feb

Everyday Business Idioms

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Business Idioms, Grammar and Vocabulary, Idioms

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How many times have you been listening to a colleague speaking English and heard a word or phrase which doesn't seem to fit into the conversation? If you would walk away from this conversation thinking "Why did Bob start talking about cats and dogs in the middle of our conversation?" Then, you will find this blog

Have you heard the joke about the English teacher consoling his student? The student cried, "I'll never learn all of these homophones!" Comforting the student, the teacher replied, "Their, they're." Homophones are pairs or groups of words which are pronounced the same, but differ in meaning, origin or spelling. For example, there, their and they're. It's important to learn

18 Feb

Homophones You Need to Know

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Grammar and Vocabulary, Pronunciation

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Have you heard the joke about the English teacher consoling his student? The student cried, "I'll never learn all of these homophones!" Comforting the student, the teacher replied, "Their, they're." Homophones are pairs or groups of words which are pronounced the same, but differ in meaning, origin or spelling. For example, there, their and they're. It's important to learn

Your or you're? Proceed or precede? Stationary or stationery? The English language contains many words which can confuse learners and native speakers alike. It's common for a word to have several meanings or to be pronounced and spelled the same as others, that's why it's easy to make mistakes. This is the second instalment of the Commonly

11 Feb

More Commonly Confused English Words

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Commonly Confused Words, Grammar and Vocabulary

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Your or you're? Proceed or precede? Stationary or stationery? The English language contains many words which can confuse learners and native speakers alike. It's common for a word to have several meanings or to be pronounced and spelled the same as others, that's why it's easy to make mistakes. This is the second instalment of the Commonly

Phrasal verbs are the combination of a verb followed by a preposition and/or a particle. By combining these words together, a new meaning is created which is different to the meaning of the words individually. For example, the verb run + the preposition up = run up. By adding another preposition, another phrasal verb is created with a new

04 Feb

Phrasal Verbs with UP

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Grammar and Vocabulary, Phrasal Verbs

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Phrasal verbs are the combination of a verb followed by a preposition and/or a particle. By combining these words together, a new meaning is created which is different to the meaning of the words individually. For example, the verb run + the preposition up = run up. By adding another preposition, another phrasal verb is created with a new

The English language contains many words which can cause confusion for learners. It's common for a word to have several meanings or to be pronounced and spelled the same as other words. For example, homophones are words that sound like other words but have a different spelling and a different meaning. Homonyms are pairs of words which

22 Jan

Are you using these English words incorrectly?

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Commonly Confused Words, Grammar and Vocabulary

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The English language contains many words which can cause confusion for learners. It's common for a word to have several meanings or to be pronounced and spelled the same as other words. For example, homophones are words that sound like other words but have a different spelling and a different meaning. Homonyms are pairs of words which

Learning English used to mean sitting in a classroom at the same time every week, feeling a little self-conscious and wondering if your questions will seem silly to the other students. Times have certainly changed as more and more people choose to study English online, either as part of a group or one-to-one with a native English teacher. Here are 8 reasons

14 Jan

Why should I try learning English online?

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Learning English used to mean sitting in a classroom at the same time every week, feeling a little self-conscious and wondering if your questions will seem silly to the other students. Times have certainly changed as more and more people choose to study English online, either as part of a group or one-to-one with a native English teacher. Here are 8 reasons

Some sections of the EIKEN tests have changed this summer. Starting from the first administration of the 2016 EIKEN tests in June, changes have been made to the writing sections and the scoring criteria have also been adjusted. Students preparing to take the EIKEN tests will know the importance of getting to know the structure

11 Jul

Changes to EIKEN Tests – Summer 2016

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Some sections of the EIKEN tests have changed this summer. Starting from the first administration of the 2016 EIKEN tests in June, changes have been made to the writing sections and the scoring criteria have also been adjusted. Students preparing to take the EIKEN tests will know the importance of getting to know the structure

Adjectives usually appear before the noun or pronoun that they are modifying. When this is the case there is an order in which the different categories of adjective are placed in the sentence. This order is as follows: Below are some examples of this word order. opinion size age shape colour origin material purpose (noun)

29 Feb

Adjectives: Word order

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Adjectives usually appear before the noun or pronoun that they are modifying. When this is the case there is an order in which the different categories of adjective are placed in the sentence. This order is as follows: Below are some examples of this word order. opinion size age shape colour origin material purpose (noun)

English learners are often required to pass standardised exams in order to be accepted onto a university course in which English is used or to get a promotion at work. Two of the most popular exams taken by learners of English today are the IELTS and TOEIC exams. All of these exams are designed

13 Nov

Should I take the IELTS or the TOEIC exam?

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English learners are often required to pass standardised exams in order to be accepted onto a university course in which English is used or to get a promotion at work. Two of the most popular exams taken by learners of English today are the IELTS and TOEIC exams. All of these exams are designed

Intrepid English celebrates its 2nd birthday in October! To celebrate, we are offering 1 free lesson for every friend you introduce to Intrepid English. Terms and conditions If you would like to know more about this offer, have any questions regarding English lessons from Intrepid English or would like to arrange a

30 Sep

Receive a free lesson when you refer a friend

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Intrepid English celebrates its 2nd birthday in October! To celebrate, we are offering 1 free lesson for every friend you introduce to Intrepid English. Terms and conditions If you would like to know more about this offer, have any questions regarding English lessons from Intrepid English or would like to arrange a

One of the reasons that commas are confusing for English learners is that there are four different types of commas: The listing comma, the joining comma, the gapping comma, and bracketing commas. The listing comma The listing comma is used instead of the words and/or within a list of three or more words, phrases or complete sentences. In each of

29 Sep

Commas

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One of the reasons that commas are confusing for English learners is that there are four different types of commas: The listing comma, the joining comma, the gapping comma, and bracketing commas. The listing comma The listing comma is used instead of the words and/or within a list of three or more words, phrases or complete sentences. In each of

Compound adjectives are composed of more than one word. They have the same role in a sentence as one-word adjectives. This can sometimes be confusing for learners of English because those words don’t have to be adjectives but can be a combination of different kinds of words. Examples include: Mary had light-brown hair. (adjective-adjective) He has a part-time job

14 Aug

Compound Adjectives

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Compound adjectives are composed of more than one word. They have the same role in a sentence as one-word adjectives. This can sometimes be confusing for learners of English because those words don’t have to be adjectives but can be a combination of different kinds of words. Examples include: Mary had light-brown hair. (adjective-adjective) He has a part-time job

A question I am asked often is “When should I use a capital letter in English?” Well, it’s not as difficult as you might think. Here are ten tips to help you to remember. 1. In British English we follow the colon with a capital letter if the clause following the colon is

29 Jun

Capitalisation

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A question I am asked often is “When should I use a capital letter in English?” Well, it’s not as difficult as you might think. Here are ten tips to help you to remember. 1. In British English we follow the colon with a capital letter if the clause following the colon is

I have been asked many times about the difference between adjectives ending in -ed and -ing. Many students find these two categories of adjectives difficult to master. The rules are relatively simple, all you need is a little practice. The best way to remember when to use adjectives ending in -ed or -ing is to think about what

22 May

Adjectives ending in -ed and -ing

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I have been asked many times about the difference between adjectives ending in -ed and -ing. Many students find these two categories of adjectives difficult to master. The rules are relatively simple, all you need is a little practice. The best way to remember when to use adjectives ending in -ed or -ing is to think about what

I received the following question from an intrepid English student this week: “What are relative clauses, when do I use them and what is the difference between which and that?” A relative clause is a clause containing the pronouns who, which, that or whom. They can be split into two categories: Defining – these modify or define the subject

19 Apr

Relative clauses

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I received the following question from an intrepid English student this week: “What are relative clauses, when do I use them and what is the difference between which and that?” A relative clause is a clause containing the pronouns who, which, that or whom. They can be split into two categories: Defining – these modify or define the subject

Hello and welcome to the new Intrepid English website. What do you think of it? I’d love to hear your feedback on the new look. For those of you who are new to Intrepid English, let me introduce myself. My name is Lorraine and I started Intrepid English back in 2013. Since then, I have

20 Mar

Welcome to The New Website

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Hello and welcome to the new Intrepid English website. What do you think of it? I’d love to hear your feedback on the new look. For those of you who are new to Intrepid English, let me introduce myself. My name is Lorraine and I started Intrepid English back in 2013. Since then, I have