English Level: B1 (Intermediate) / B2 (upper-intermediate)
Telling simple jokes in English is a fun and surprisingly effective way to improve your English speaking skills.
If you really want to take your English to another level, choose two of your favourites, memorise them and tell them to anyone who will listen 😉
Here are 5 simple jokes to get you started. Just one thing, it might be a good idea to only tell the last one to your friends and when nobody is eating, LOL!
Hey nature lovers! I’m so excited to finally share this with you!
Recently my good friend Alberto Alonso kindly invited me to join him for another episode of FYI Inglés. This time we chatted about the world of insects. What a fascinating and vast subject!
I had a high old time over the summer researching, dipping into a whole host of books, videos and podcasts. I learned so much and my mind was blown so many times I can’t tell you!
Aside from the contribution of bees as pollinators I had no idea how much bugs do to keep our amazing planet running.Listen to the episode to find out why these often misunderstood little creatures are so massively important.
Hope you enjoy it as much as we did putting it together! And if you do like it, please make sure to share and tell your friends and family to have a listen. Cheers!
The following exercise is very helpful in pinpointing gaps in knowledge, especially before an exam.
Change the following sentences to the present perfect (use the short form where possible)
1. We deal with a similar situation. 2. The tennis player undergoes knee surgery. 3. The hotel lies empty for twenty years. 4. We never beat this team. 5. They let us down again. 6. We draw up a list. 7. A new study shows that …. 8. The investigation leads to several arrests. 9. The footballer tears her Achilles tendon. 10. They dig up the road to lay the new cables. 11. The suspects flee. 12. He sticks with his exercise routine for six months. 13. She spills some coffee on her new notebook. 14. The director casts Karl in the lead role. 15. Your phone rings several times. 16. They tread on her plants. 17. They set a date for their wedding. 18. She strives to make a positive impactThe firefighters fight bravely. 19. They seek advice from several experts. 20. He swears under oath. 21. The firefighters fight bravely. 22. The river bursts its banks. 23. I sweep the floor. 24. We feed the dogs. 25. Her parents forbid her to go to the concert.
1. We’ve dealt with a similar situation. 2. The tennis player’s undergone knee surgery. 3. The hotel’s lain empty for twenty years. 4. We’ve never beaten this team. 5. They’ve let us down again. 6. We’ve drawn up a list. 7. A new study’s shown that …. 8. The investigation’s led to several arrests. 9. The footballer’s torn her Achilles tendon. 10. They’ve dug up the road to lay the new cables. 11. The suspects have fled. 12. He’s stuck with his exercise routine for six months. 13. She’s spilled/spilt some coffee on her new notebook. 14. The director’s cast Karl in the lead role. 15. Your phone’s rung several times. 16. They’ve trodden on her plants. 17. They’ve set a date for their wedding. 18. She’s strived/striven to make a positive impact 19. They’ve sought advice from several experts. 20. He’s sworn under oath. 21. The firefighters have fought bravely. 22. The river’s burst its banks. 23. I’ve swept the floor. 24. We’ve fed the dogs. 25. Her parents have forbidden her to go to the concert.
1. had better return 2. had better not arrive 3. had better pay 4. had better not wear 5. had better book 6. had better not miss 7. had better put on 8. had better call
Can you complete all these words which start with the letters CH-? Each line represents a letter.
1. Halloumi, cheddar and manchego are all kinds of ch_ _ _ _.
2. Even though the spring afternoons are warm it can get quite ch_ _ _ _ once the sun goes down.
3. Children under five can visit the museum free of ch_ _ _ _. They don’t have to pay.
4. To get in shape for the summer Stella set herself the ch_ _ _ _ _g_ of walking 3km a day for a month.
5. The sound of birds singing at dawn is called the dawn ch_r_ _.
6. Ch_ _ _m_ _ _ tea is one of the world’s favourite herbal teas. It is said to help with digestion and sleep.
7. I cut the pineapple into ch_ _ks and put some on the top of my pizza.
8. Ch_ _ _ l _ _n_ are lizards. They are well-known for their rotating eyes, their very long and lightning-fast tongues and their ability to change colour.
9. There are lots of lovely cafés and restaurants in the town. You are really spoilt for ch_ _c_.
10. Karl is trying to learn five languages all at the same time but he is really struggling. I think he has bitten off more than he can ch_ _.
There are lots more vocabulary exercises and other resources here on my website for learning or teaching English, so please have a look around!
Which of these sentences are grammatically incorrect? Correct the mistakes.There may be more than one mistake in a sentence. Scroll down for the answers.
1. I have a seventy-page report to read this weekend.
2. Someone told you, didn’t he?
3. Naomi isn’t Canadian and either am I.
4. It didn’t take me long to get used to wear contact lenses.
5. Can you tell me what is the problem?
6. “Were there any emails for me?” – “No, any at all.”
7. It was the best film I’d never seen.
8. We ought to have told her the truth.
Remember, dear English learner – it is okay to make mistakes. Your English doesn’t have to be faultless.
Mistakes are an essential part of the language-learning process – we make progress by learning from them.
However, to communicate effectively (and to pass official exams!), you do need a certain level of accuracy. I hope these short exercises, which focus on the most common errors, will help you in this regard.
4. It didn’t take me long to get used to wearing contact lenses.
5. Can you tell me what the problem is?
6. “Were there any emails for me?” – “No, none at all.”
7. It was the best film I’d ever seen.
8. ✔️
MY BEST GRAMMAR TIP!
When looking up grammar explanations I REALLY recommend doing it in your own language rather than in English. It will save you a lot of time and energy – it is a lot less effort for your brain if you read explanations that are written in your native language.
I know that traditionally English grammar is explained in English but there is no rule that you have to do it that way.
Try it and let me know. I bet you will find the process a lot smoother and quicker in the long run, especially when it comes to more complicated grammatical areas.
Here are just some of the free Grammar Exercises you will find here on Recipes for English.
It can really help you improve your pronunciation if you know the phonetic symbols and the sounds they represent. You don’t need to worry about learning to write them just to recognise them.
Can you decipher these 10 tennis-related words?
Check out the Main Quick Pronunciation Exercises page with the full list of exercises and links to useful pronunciation pages.
SPEAKING SKILLS: CONVERSATION QUESTIONS
Click on a topic for a list of conversation questions you can use in class or a language exchange.
First of all, I just want to say that I feel that this is one of those grammar points that is often neglected in the classroom.
However, if you want to speak good English, you need to know the future continuous tense (or future progressive). This tense appears regularly in English. Therefore, it’s worth investing a wee bit of your time to learning how and when to use it.
Thankfully it’s pretty simple to construct – you don’t have to worry about conjugating it for each person. You are using ‘will be’ or ‘won’t be’ whether it’s first person singular, third person plural or whatever.
Subject + WILL+ BE +verb-ING
Positive: I will be having lunch outside. / I‘ll be having lunch outside.
Negative: You will not be having lunch outside. / You won’t be having…
Question: Will you be having lunch outside?
Scroll down to the bottom for a top study tip!
Grammar Explanation
1. We use the future continuous to express an action in progress at a certain time in the future. It is very often used with phrases like ‘this time tomorrow’ or ‘this time next week’
However, the actual time isn’t always expressed but it is implied.
This time tomorrow we’ll be flying to Japan.
I hope your operation goes well. I’ll be thinking of you.
2. Another use of the future continuous is to talk about things we believe could be happening now.
Don’t phone her right now. She’ll be having lunch.
“Where’s Josh?” – “I think I saw him in the conference room. He’ll be getting his presentation ready.”
3. It is also used as a more polite or indirect way to ask about plans.
Will you be joining us for dinner tomorrow?
(At a hotel) How will you be paying, sir?
Let’s practice, shall we?
Exercise
Add the correct form of the future continuous and scroll down for the answers.
1. Have a great birthday. I’m sorry we can’t be there but we __________ of you. (think)
2. This time tomorrow George __________ his driving test.(take)
3. You can have the computer this afternoon if you like. I __________ it. (not / use)
4. The team’s plane _________ in Barcelona right about now. (land)
5. “What __________ this time next year, Lizzy?” (you / do)
– “I hope I __________ and __________ in Canada.” (live; work)
6. I wouldn’t ring Sean right now. He __________ poker and you know how he hates to be interrupted. (play)
7. Karen has just called me. She __________ us for lunch tomorrow as she has to go to Milan. (not / join)
8. __________ your parents when you’re in Istanbul? (you / visit)
ANSWERS
1. ‘ll be thinking
2. will be taking
3. won’t be using
4. will be landing
5. will you be doing / ‘ll be living and working (there’s no need to repeat “I’ll be”)
6. ‘ll be playing
7. won’t be joining
8. will you be visiting
Study Tip
I don’t recommend trying to memorise ‘formulas’ for tense structures, for instance – Subject + WILL + BE + verb-ING.
Instead I prefer to memorise a useful short simple sentence which uses a structure, like the examples above. Then all you have to do is make little changes, such as the final verb in the case of the future continuous.
In my experience as a language learner, the brain finds it much easier to remember an example sentence than the formula. This works especially well with tricky structures like the conditionals. ………………………………………………………………………
There are heaps more free resources here on my website for learning or teaching English, so please have a look around! My content is mostly aimed at a B1 / B2 level of English.
And if you would be so kind, tell a friend or colleague who is also learning English to check it out. It would be a huge help in growing this website. I would really appreciate it. My content is mostly aimed at a B1 / B2 level of English.
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Which of these sentences are grammatically incorrect? Correct the mistakes.There may be more than one mistake in a sentence. Scroll down for the answers.
1. I don’t know the people which live next door.
2. Do you want that I phone you later?
3. I’ve no idea why it happened.
4. You can’t wear that jacket at the interview. It’s not enough smart.
5. I can’t remember what she said!
6. Do you know Gordon? He’s a good friend of us.
7. We enjoyed our walk on the beach in spite the cold.
Reflexive pronouns – On my/your own vs. by myself / yourself, etc Exercise 1
Reflexive vs Reciprocal pronouns (myself, yourself, etc / each other) Exercise 1
ANSWERS
1. I don’t know the people WHO live next door. (or: THAT)
2. Do you WANT ME TO PHONE you later?
3. ✅
4. You can’t wear that jacket at the interview. It’s not SMART ENOUGH.
5. ✅
6. Do you know Gordon? He’s a good friend of OURS.
7. We enjoyed our walk on the beach IN SPITE OF the cold.
Remember, dear English learner – it is okay to make mistakes. Mistakes are an essential part of the language-learning process, but we need to learn from them!
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@150phrasalverbs: – learn and review 150 really common multi-word verbs
SUPPORT ME and my website – it doesn’t cost a thing!
If you enjoy my quizzes, I would love it if you could Like and Retweet and Share with your friends, family and colleagues.
This only takes a millisecond and boosts my visibility on social media, meaning more people can find my content.
Or even better, tell them to follow me and to visit my website! 😺 And…..in addition to @EnglishSmarts I have two other accounts on Twitter, which is a great platform for practising writing English. Come and say hello!
@150phrasalverbs: – learn and review 150 really common multi-word verbs
2. Hey! Someone has been using my computer, __________?
3. We seldom eat out nowadays, __________?
4. I’m such a fool, __________?
5. Everyone likes Italian food, __________?
6. Don’t watch too much TV, __________?
7. Nobody was expecting her to win, __________?
8. This is ridiculous, __________?
9. There’s no point carrying on, __________?
10. He barely speaks English, __________?
11. That was a stupid thing to do, __________?
12. Clean this mess up right now, __________?
13. You’ve never liked her boyfriend, __________?
14. Hi! Lovely day, __________?
Answers
1. isn’t it 2. haven’t they 3. do we 4. aren’t I 5. don’t they 6. will you 7. were they 8. isn’t it 9. is there 10. does he 11. wasn’t it 12. will you 13. have you 14. isn’t it
😻 Hey there! If you enjoy my vocabulary quizzes I would be SO grateful if you could share them on social media and with other English learners, or tell others to come and visit my website.
1. to be caught with your HAND in the cookie jar (to be caught stealing or doing something else dishonest) 2. to have egg on your FACE (look foolish because of something you did or said) 3. to wait on someone hand and FOOT (to tend to someone’s every need. Often used ironically) 4. to rack your BRAIN (to try very hard to remember something or to come up with an idea)
😻 Hey there! If you enjoy my vocabulary quizzes I would be SO grateful if you could share them on social media and with other English learners, or tell others to come and visit my website.
Despite my best efforts, I am struggling to get my English content and my website seen these days with all the competition out there. By sharing them other students or teachers can find my free resources.
Moreover, it helps keep me motivated to creating more resources for you! Sharing is caring! 💚🐝
What is the missing word? The same word fits all 3 gaps. Scroll down for the answer 😊👇🏼
🐝💚 If you enjoy my vocabulary quizzes I would be so grateful if you could share them on social media and with other English learners.
Despite my efforts, I am struggling to get my English content and my website seen these days with all the competition out there. By sharing them other students or teachers can find my free resources.
Moreover, it helps keep me motivated to creating more resources for you! Sharing is caring! 💚🐝
Each giraffe has a unique a) ____________ of spots just like humans have distinct fingerprints.
The second part of their scientific name ‘giraffa camelopardalis’ originated from their b) ____________ to a camel crossed with a leopard.
Just the neck of a giraffe is taller than most humans at about 2m. In order for the blood to be pumped all the way up to the c) ____________ , the giraffe has very high blood pressure, double that of humans.
Giraffes can comfortably walk at 15km/h and when they run they can reach speeds of up to 55km/h.
Giraffes have a rather curious way of walking: both legs on one side of the body move forward together and then the legs on the other side. This is a d) ____________ shared by cats and camels.
Since they are such large animals giraffes need a lot of fuel so they spend most of the day eating. They eat around 30kg of food a day – acacia leaves, e) ____________, fruits and flowers.
Like cows they are ruminants – their stomach has four compartments. They chew their food, f) ____________ it and then they regurgitate it (= bring the food back up into the mouth) to chew it again.
Giraffes produce a sticky g) ____________ which helps protect them from any thorns they might swallow when eating.
Despite their size, giraffes only need to drink water every few days which is fortunate as drinking from a watering hole is quite tricky because they have to h) ____________ out their front legs so that they can reach down to the water. Giraffes are also able to get water from the vegetation they eat.
Not only do giraffes have extremely long necks and legs but they also have a seriously long tongue – around 50cm. Their tongue is prehensile which means it is able to dexterously i) ____________ leaves and buds and pull them off.
Giraffes get by on very little sleep, just a couple of hours a day. They tend to sleep standing up as lying down makes them very vulnerable to j) ____________. They take short naps, sometimes lasting only 5 minutes!
Giraffes have a gestation period of about 15 months and they give birth standing up. The k) ____________ are already around 1.8m tall and are able to stand within an hour of being born!
Not known for being aggressive creatures they can defend themselves, however, with an extremely powerful kick which can be l) ____________.
B) Idioms with NECK
Underline the correct word to complete the expression.
Sorry, I can’t meet you for a coffee, I’m down / up to my neck in housework as we have guests coming to stay tonight.
I need to buy a better pillow. It’s too high and I have a crack / crick in my neck every morning.
Can you pick your toys up off the floor please! I’m going to break / stick my neck one of these days.
I’m going to be in your neck of thehoods / woods this weekend. Do you fancy meeting up for lunch?
I’m not going to the party if Jeff is going to be there. That guy is a pain / sore in the neck.
Answers
A) a) pattern b) resemblance c) brain d) trait e) twigs f) swallow g) saliva h) spread i) grasp j) predators k) calves l) lethal
B) 1) up to my neck (with a huge amount) 2) a crick in my neck (a stiff or painful neck) 3) break my neck (=hurt myself badly) 4) in your neck of the woods (in your area, where you live/work) 5) a pain in the neck (= really annoying)
What is the missing word? The same word fits all 3 gaps. Scroll down for the answer 😊👇🏼
🐝💚 If you enjoy my vocabulary quizzes I would be so grateful if you could share them on social media and with other English learners.
Despite my efforts, I am struggling to get my English content and my website seen these days with all the competition out there. By sharing them other students or teachers can find my free resources.
Moreover, it helps keep me motivated to creating more resources for you! Sharing is caring! 💚🐝
Bees are fascinating creatures and hugely important pollinators. Next time you nibble on an almond or bite into an apple, you might want to say a quiet thank you to these industrious little marvels of nature. Bees are one of nature’s finest examples of teamwork.
There are around 20,000 a) ____________ of bee in the world but only eight are honey bees.
The queen bee’s sole job is to b) ____________ and c) ____________ eggs. She can produce as many as 1,500 to 2,000 eggs a day.
The worker bees are female and make up most of the colony. They have many d) ____________, such as keeping the hive clean, feeding the young and the queen, e) ____________ pollen and nectar from flowering plants, and they help to make honey.
Worker bees have another duty: to guard the hive or colony from f) ____________ like wasps, bears or g) ____________. They position themselves at the entrance, a bit like bouncers!
The drones are the male bees – their life is a little more leisurely – they have one h) ____________ role and that is to breed with a queen.
Only the female bees, the workers and the queen, are armed with a stinger.
When the hive gets too hot, the worker bees bring water and they’ll use their wings as i) ____________ to cool things down.
Once a bee has finished foraging (=collecting food) it takes a direct route back to the colony, hence the expression ‘to make a beeline’.
In her lifetime a honey bee will only make about a twelfth of a j) ____________ of honey.
It’s k) ____________ that just to make half a kilo of honey, bees have to visit around two million flowers, totalling about 90,000 air miles!
Now, go look online and find another interesting piece of trivia about bees and share it with your fellow students or a friend or study buddy (or you can tell me on my EnglishSmarts Twitter).
Oh no! These idioms have got mixed up! Can you BEE a dear 😜, and put the words in italics in the right place?
1. As soon as we asked for volunteers to help clean up after the party, everyone made a buzz for the door.
2. Alice has a bee in her beeline about cars driving too fast down her street. She keeps phoning the council about it but she says they haven’t done a thing about it.
3. That guy at the bar was really annoying me. I told him to beeswax off.
4. “Sam says you kissed someone at the party. Who was it? Come on, tell me!” – “No, it’s none of your bonnet.”
If you still need convincing that bees are amazing and intelligent creatures, check out this cool video where bees perfect their ball skills and then teach other bees how to do it! Bees are the bee’s knees, LOL!
ANSWERS
A)
a) species b) mate c) lay d) duties e) gathering f) intruders g) raccoons h) key i) fans j) teaspoon k) estimated
B)
1. As soon as we asked for volunteers to help clean up after the party, everyone made a beeline (=went directly) for the door.
2. Alice has a bee in her bonnet (= she’s obsessed) about cars driving too fast down her street. She keeps phoning the council about it but she says they haven’t done a thing about it.
3. That guy at the bar was really annoying me. I told him to buzz off (= go away (impolite))
4. “Sam says you kissed someone at the party. Who was it? Come on, tell me!” – “No, it’s none of your beeswax.” (= it’s none of your business, it’s not your concern (impolite))
💚💜💛 If you enjoy my vocabulary quizzes I would be so grateful if you could share them on social media and with other English learners.
Despite my efforts, I am struggling to get my English content seen these days with all the competition out there. By sharing them other students or teachers can find my free resources.
Moreover, it helps keep me motivated to creating more resources for you! Sharing is caring! 💚💜💛
Fill in the gaps. All the words begin with the letters MA– and an extra letter has also been given.
1. Jack lives in Los Angeles ma_ _ _ y. (= mostly)
2. Cats and humans are ma_ _ _ l _, whereas snakes and crocodiles are reptiles.
3. Wearing a seatbelt is ma_ d _ _ _ _ _. It’s the law.
4. Thank you so much for all your help. I don’t know how I would have ma_ _ g _ _ without you.
5. It’s ma_ _ _ l _ _ _ _ what technology can do these days. (=amazing)
B.Idioms: Parts of the body
Choose the correct word to complete the idiom.
1. When you do an online class, make sure you have everything you need at _____ (= nearby) so you don’t have to get up. (chest, finger, hand)
2. I’m sorry I bit your _____ off earlier. I was a bit stressed about my job interview. (hand, head, heart)
3. Julian decided to set up his own business because he was tired of working his _____ to the bone for someone else for so little pay. (fingers, shoulders, teeth)
4. We caught the train by the _____ of our teeth. If we’d arrived a minute later we would have missed it. (hair, gum, skin)
C. Practical English
Choose the right response.
1. “I can’t make the party on Friday night. I have to work the whole weekend.” – “__________”
a) Oh, poor you!
b) Oh, what pity!
2. “Somebody’s just rung the doorbell. Can you answer it?” – “__________”
a) Yes, I go.
b) Yes, I’ll go.
3. “There you go. I’ve fixed your computer.” – “__________”
It can really help you improve your pronunciation if you know the phonetic symbols and the sounds they represent. You don’t need to worry about learning to write them just to recognise them.
If you do some of my Quick Pronunciation Exercises, you’ll pick them up in no time, plus you’ll see that you gain a better awareness about how words are pronounced. This will not only improve your pronunciation but your listening skills too. If you don’t know how a particular word is pronounced then it is very likely then that when you hear it, you don’t recognise it.
Remember too that it’s not just about the sounds that make up the word but also which syllable is stressed. The stress is on the syllable after the apostrophe (‘).
Can you ‘decipher’ these 10 words related to Work?
There are lots more resources here for studying and teaching English as a foreign language so why don’t you take a look around! Click on the Menu at the top of the screen.
Approximate level: A2, B1 English learners Complete the sentences with a question tag.
The weather’s gorgeous, ___?
You’ve met my brother, _____?
He didn’t say anything, ___?
It’s too expensive, _____?
She’ll help you, _____?
They were interested in buying the house, _____?
He doesn’t listen, _____?
He’s already gone to work, _____?
She doesn’t have a car, _____?
We can talk about this later, _____?
We have to go now, _____?
The kittens are so cute, _____?
She couldn’t come to the party, _____?
Your birthday’s next week, _____?
We weren’t surprised, _____?
She’s never been to Rio before, _____?
He looked very annoyed, _____?
We can’t park here, _____?
It’s going to rain later, _____?
You’ll stay for dinner, _____?
I’m not late, _____?
Answers
1. isn’t it 2. haven’t you 3. did he 4. isn’t it 5. won’t she 6. weren’t they 7. does he 8. hasn’t he 9. does she 10. can’t we 11. don’t we 12. aren’t they 13. could she 14. isn’t it 15. were we 16. has she 17. didn’t he 18. can we 19. isn’t it 20. won’t you 21. am I
Add the gerund or infinitive form (with or without “to”) of the verb in brackets.
Beatrice offered __________ (carry) my suitcase.
“Do you mind __________ (babysit) Leo for a few hours? I really need __________ (get) some rest.”
Kevin is tired of __________ (sit) in traffic jams every morning.
We decided __________ (adopt) a dog from an animal shelter.
As it was rush hour we avoided __________ (take) the bus and we chose __________ (walk) instead.
Max has spent hours and hours __________ (study) in the library. He really deserves__________ (pass) his history exam
In museums you are generally not allowed __________ (touch) anything.
Most of us dislike people __________ (interrupt) us.
Unfortunately we can’t afford __________ (live) in the city.
I wonder if Paul will let me __________ (borrow) his brand new motorbike.
__________ (eat) less meat is better for the environment, many scientists say.
Ian prefers __________ (hike) in the mountains to __________ (relax) on the beach.
Luckily I managed __________ (get) a doctor’s appointment at short notice.
It was worth __________ (pay) a little extra to get a room with a sea view.
Let’s try and persuade Cris __________ (come) on holiday with us.
“The secret of __________ (get ahead) is getting started.” – Mark Twain.
Answers
1. to carry 2. babysitting; to get 3. sitting 4. to adopt 5. taking; to walk 6. studying; to pass 7. to touch 8. interrupting 9. to live 10. borrow 11. Eating 12. hiking; relaxing 13. to get 14. paying 15. to come 16. getting ahead
Would you like to practise VERB PATTERNS some more?