Eating food and meals
An apple at your desk or rice for lunch: describe meals with the present and past forms of the English verb for eating.
Read and practiseAdventure journal
English: Verbs and their patterns
English: Connect verb meanings to their forms and complements through original sentences and explained practice.
Adventure journal
English: Verbs and their patterns
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Sleeping and resting at night
A quiet room or a long train ride: describe where people sleep and talk about rest in the past.
Read and practiseWalking to places together
A trip to the market or a walk with a friend: describe journeys on foot and the people beside you.
Read and practiseRunning and past events
Across a field or toward a bus: describe running on foot and tell someone about a past run.
Read and practiseOpening doors and containers
A door, a bag or a jar can be opened: describe the action and make a polite request in English.
Read and practiseread: present, past and pronunciation
Practise read and reads in the present, and learn why the past read has the same spelling but a different sound.
Read and practiselisten: paying attention to sound
Use listen to before a person or sound, form listens and listened, and distinguish listening from hearing.
Read and practiseClosing doors and containers
Shut a door, box or bag: describe the action and ask someone politely to do it in English.
Read and practiseHelp: offering and receiving assistance
Use help with a person, a task or another verb, and practise asking for and describing assistance.
Read and practiseStarting an activity
A film starts at seven and people start an activity: describe when something begins in English.
Read and practiseNeed: necessities and actions
Use need and needs to express necessities, ask for help and describe an action that is necessary.
Read and practiseWait: people, events and actions
Use wait alone, wait for a person or event, and wait to do something in everyday situations.
Read and practiseLiving somewhere: home and past residence
Where do you live now, and where did you live before? Describe a home and a past residence in English.
Read and practiseLearn: knowledge and skills
Use learn, learns and learned to describe gaining knowledge or a skill and learning from an example.
Read and practiseWant: desires and actions
A cup of tea or a walk home: express a desire for a thing or an action and ask what someone wants.
Read and practiseEnjoyment and preferences with like
Warm bread or a favourite song: say what you enjoy and ask others about their preferences.
Read and practisePlaying games, sports and instruments
Chess after lunch or a tune on the guitar: describe games, sports and music with one useful verb.
Read and practiseWriting words and messages
A list before shopping or a card yesterday: describe writing now and in the past with the right forms.
Read and practiseAnswer: replying to questions
Respond to questions and people directly, answer a phone, and choose the past form in everyday situations.
Read and practiseArranging plans and events
A meeting, a phone call or a trip: talk about making the plans needed for an event or agreeing to do something.
Read and practiseBelieve: facts and confidence
A surprising story, a train time or someone’s ability: express what you accept as true and where you place your confidence.
Read and practisego: destinations and irregular forms
Use go and goes for regular journeys, went for a past journey, and go home without to.
Read and practiseBreaking and separating objects
A fallen cup, a damaged phone or a piece of bread: describe what breaks and how things separate into pieces.
Read and practisemake: creating and common phrases
Practise make, makes and made with a cake, a list and a decision, and distinguish do homework.
Read and practiseBrushing hair and teeth
Hair and teeth need different brushes: describe this daily action, name what is brushed and practise its forms.
Read and practiseteach: giving someone a skill
Use teach and teaches for instruction, taught for the past, and distinguish teaching from learning.
Read and practiseClimbing up and down
Stairs, hills and ladders offer everyday ways to describe moving upward or downward with care.
Read and practiseborrow: receive something temporarily
Use borrow when receiving something to return, contrast lend when giving it, and form borrowed for the past.
Read and practisemeet: introductions and appointments
Use meet and meets for encounters, met for the past, and distinguish meeting someone from knowing them.
Read and practiseCollecting things and fetching people
From shells on a beach to a parcel at a shop or a friend at a station, collect describes gathering or fetching.
Read and practiseGive: things and recipients
Use give, gives and gave to talk about passing something to someone, with two common word orders.
Read and practiseCounting things and numbers
Apples in a basket or steps to a door: find a total and say numbers between a starting point and an end.
Read and practiseAsk: questions and requests
Use ask to pose a question, request something or ask someone to do an action.
Read and practiseCrying and its reasons
Tears can express sadness or joy: describe crying and explain why it happens using simple English.
Read and practiseUnderstand: meaning and clarification
Use understand, understands and understood to talk about meaning and ask for clearer speech.
Read and practiseDancing to music with a partner
A slow song or a party with a partner: describe moving to music and inviting someone to dance.
Read and practiseSend: messages and deliveries
Use send, sends and sent for messages or deliveries, and name the recipient in two common ways.
Read and practiseDrawing pictures
A pencil, a page and an idea: talk about making pictures and choose the present, past and participle forms.
Read and practiseBring: movement toward a shared place
Use bring, brings and brought to describe taking someone or something toward the relevant person or destination.
Read and practiseDropping an object
A loose grip can send an object to the floor: describe what falls and form the regular past correctly.
Read and practisePay: people, bills and purchases
Use pay, pays and paid with a person, a bill or something bought, and describe payment methods.
Read and practiseChoose: options and decisions
Use choose, chooses and chose to select from options or decide to do something.
Read and practiseEnjoy: pleasure in activities
Pleasure in a hobby or a quiet moment can be expressed with a noun or an activity form after this verb.
Read and practiseBuy: purchases and past forms
Use buy, buys and bought to describe purchases and distinguish buying an item from paying for it.
Read and practiseFeeding people and animals
A hungry cat or a baby with a spoon: describe giving food to someone and use the irregular past form.
Read and practiseFind: discovering people and things
Use find, finds and found to describe discovering a person, place or object, including after a search.
Read and practiseFilling containers with things
Water in a bottle or rice in a bowl: describe putting a substance into a container until it is full.
Read and practiseDrink: liquids and past actions
Use drink, drinks and drank to describe consuming liquids and ask for permission to drink.
Read and practiseFollowing people, routes and instructions
A guide across a bridge or directions on a box: describe going after someone, taking a route or obeying instructions.
Read and practiseRepair: fixing damaged things
Use repair to explain what someone fixes, ask for help and describe completed or ongoing work.
Read and practiseGrowing plants and raising crops
Plants get bigger and people raise crops: explore the present, past and participle forms of this useful verb.
Read and practiseOffer: give or offer to help
Use offer to suggest giving something, volunteer to do something, and describe a service provided.
Read and practiseJoining a group or activity
A chess club, a shared lunch or a game: express becoming part of a group or taking part with someone.
Read and practiseInvite: asking someone to join
Use invite to ask people to join an event or activity, naming the person and destination or action.
Read and practiseDecide: making a choice
Use decide to discuss choices, intentions and conclusions with to-infinitives or question words.
Read and practiseKeeping things and continuing actions
A ticket to save or a book to carry on reading: distinguish retaining an object from continuing an activity.
Read and practiseArrive: reaching a destination
Use arrive to talk about reaching a place or receiving a delivery, with useful destination phrases.
Read and practiseKnock: door signals and replies
A knock at the door can announce a visitor; practise describing the sound and responding to it.
Read and practisePrepare: getting something ready
Use prepare to make a thing ready and prepare for to get ready for an event or future task.
Read and practiseLaughing at things and with people
A funny picture or a shared joke can make people laugh; describe both situations and use the right preposition.
Read and practiseShare: using or giving together
Use share to talk about using something with others, dividing it or giving information to someone.
Read and practiseThank: expressing gratitude
Use thank to name the person you appreciate and the action or thing you appreciate.
Read and practiseLosing objects and games
A missing key or a game without a win: describe both with the verb lose and its past form.
Read and practisePractice: repeat to improve
Use practice to describe repeating a skill and name an activity with an -ing form.
Read and practiseMissing people, buses and events
A friend far away or a bus already gone: express absence and missed opportunities in English.
Read and practiseMean: express or refer to
Use mean to ask what a word expresses or clarify what a person intended to refer to.
Read and practiseDescribe: say what something is like
Use describe to give details about a person, place or situation and name the listener.
Read and practiseMoving things, yourself and home
A chair changes places or a family changes homes: describe movement and relocation in English.
Read and practiseReturn: go back or give back
Use return to describe going back to a place or giving an object back to a person or place.
Read and practisePassing objects and places
A request at the table and a journey past a building show two everyday meanings of this useful verb.
Read and practiseWear: have clothes on
Use wear for clothing or glasses on the body and practice its irregular past forms.
Read and practisePack: put things into a bag
Use pack to describe putting belongings into a bag or preparing a suitcase for travel.
Read and practiseCut: divide with a sharp tool
Use cut to describe dividing food or paper and name the tool or resulting pieces.
Read and practiseChoosing and gathering with one verb
A choice from a list and fruit gathered from a tree show two everyday uses of this English verb.
Read and practiseWash: clean with water
Learn wash for cleaning hands, clothes and objects, with washes, washed and washing.
Read and practiseCarry: move while holding
Learn carry for moving objects or people while supporting them, with carries and carried.
Read and practisePulling and pushing objects
A door handle and a moving cart show how drawing something toward you differs from pushing it away.
Read and practiseDrive: control a vehicle
Use drive for controlling a vehicle or travelling by car, and learn drove and driven.
Read and practiseRide: bicycle, horse or passenger
Use ride for a bicycle or horse and for travelling as a passenger; learn rode and ridden.
Read and practiseRest after work or exercise
A short break after a shift or a swim can help you recover. Describe resting and say how long it lasts.
Read and practiseSell: exchange goods for money
Use sell to describe the seller, buyer and price, and learn the irregular past sold.
Read and practiseCost: the price of something
Use cost to state or ask a price, and learn that the past form is also cost.
Read and practiseCook: prepare food with heat
Use cook for a person preparing food or food being heated, and identify who receives a meal.
Read and practiseSaving money and files
Set money aside for a future purchase or store a digital file with this useful everyday verb.
Read and practiseRepeat: say or do again
Use repeat to request words again or describe doing an action another time.
Read and practiseSpell: give the letters of a word
Use spell to ask for or give the letters of a word in their correct order.
Read and practiseShouting to someone or for help
A loud voice can reach a person across the street or call for help in an emergency.
Read and practiseChange: become or make different
Use change for something becoming different or someone making it different.
Read and practiseFeel: experience a state
Use feel with adjectives to describe a physical or emotional state and learn felt.
Read and practiseClean: remove dirt
Learn the verb clean for removing dirt, its regular past cleaned and useful object patterns.
Read and practiseEnter: go into a place
Use enter for going into a room or building, with a direct object or a phrase naming the route.
Read and practiseSigning a form or document
A signature on a form shows where you have written your name to confirm a document.
Read and practisePush: apply pressure to move
Use push for applying pressure, compare it with pull and learn that pushing does not guarantee movement.
Read and practiseHold: support or keep in position
Use hold for keeping something in your hands or in a position, and learn its irregular past held.
Read and practiseLeave: depart from a place
Use leave for departing, with or without a named place, and learn the irregular past left.
Read and practiseSitting in a place
A seat by the window or a place on the floor helps you describe where someone is seated.
Read and practiseSpeak: use a language or talk
Use speak for a language, a person or a topic, and learn the irregular forms spoke and spoken.
Read and practiseSay: put words into speech
Use say for words and greetings, ask for repetition and learn the irregular past said.
Read and practiseVisit: go to see a person or place
Use visit with a person or place, describe an occasion and form the regular past visited.
Read and practiseHear: perceive a sound
Use hear for noticing sound, contrast it with listening and learn the irregular past heard.
Read and practiseSmiling at people and for photos
A friendly expression can greet a neighbour or make a photograph warmer; describe both moments in English.
Read and practiseFinish: complete an activity
Use finish for completing work or an activity ending, including finish followed by an -ing form.
Read and practiseWatch: observe over time
Use watch for paying visual attention over time, including moving events and programmes on a screen.
Read and practiseLook: direct your eyes or describe appearance
Learn look at for directing attention and look with an adjective to describe an appearance.
Read and practiseStanding in a place
An upright position beside a gate or near a counter helps describe where someone stands.
Read and practiseSwimming in different places
A pool, a river or the sea gives you a setting for describing movement through water.
Read and practiseTravelling to places by different means
A train to the coast or a boat to an island lets you describe a journey and how it is made.
Read and practiseAchieving a goal through effort
A target reached after hard work is an achievement: express goals and results with this useful English verb.
Read and practiseConsider: possibilities and judgments
Use consider with a possibility or an -ing action, and describe a judgment about a person or thing.
Read and practiseAdmitting a fact or action
A mistake acknowledged honestly: express facts and actions someone accepts as true with this English verb.
Read and practiseGiving guidance with advise
A doctor’s recommendation or a warning against a choice: express both kinds of guidance in English.
Read and practiseSuggest: offering ideas and actions
Use suggest with a noun, an -ing action or a that-clause when offering an idea.
Read and practiseAfford: money, time and choices
A bicycle within your budget or a day you can spare: express whether a purchase or action is possible.
Read and practiseAnnouncing news and decisions
A public result, a new plan or a change of hours: describe how information reaches an audience.
Read and practiseExplain: making meaning clear
Use explain with a thing, a recipient introduced by to or a clause giving a reason.
Read and practiseApologizing to someone
A late arrival or a mistake can call for an apology: identify the person and the reason in English.
Read and practiseApplying for work or study
A job, a course or a place at college: describe what you request and which organization receives it.
Read and practiseCompare: similarities and differences
Use compare to examine options, results or prices and connect the things being compared.
Read and practiseArguing with people or giving reasons
A disagreement over a route or reasons for a claim: distinguish two ways of describing an argument.
Read and practiseAttending an event or class
A meeting, course or concert can bring people together: describe being present using the English verb for attendance.
Read and practiseMention: refer to something briefly
Use mention to refer to a person or topic and say who heard or read the information.
Read and practiseBehaving in different situations
At a party or on a train, people can act calmly, politely or badly: describe their behavior in English.
Read and practiseHolding someone responsible
A missed delivery or a setback can lead to blame: describe who is held responsible and what caused a problem.
Read and practiseConfirm: make arrangements certain
Use confirm to make an arrangement definite or state that information is correct.
Read and practiseCelebrating an occasion together
A birthday, a victory or a new job can bring people together: describe an occasion and how you mark it.
Read and practiseCharging a price for a service
A price for a repair or a fee for delivery: express what a business asks someone to pay.
Read and practiseNotice: becoming aware
Use notice to say that you became aware of a detail, change or situation.
Read and practiseExpressing a complaint
A noisy room or a delayed service can prompt a complaint: say whom you tell and what the problem is.
Read and practiseLinking devices and ideas
A cable or a shared theme can create a link: describe connections between devices and ideas in English.
Read and practiseStore: keep things for later
Use store to describe keeping objects in a place for future use and say where they are kept.
Read and practiseDescribing what something contains
A jar, report or recipe may hold different things: describe its contents with this useful English verb.
Read and practisePersuading someone to believe or act
Evidence and explanations can change a person’s mind: express belief and persuaded action with a versatile English verb.
Read and practisePour: make liquid flow
Use pour to describe moving liquid from a container and name its destination.
Read and practiseDelivering goods and meals
A parcel or a hot meal needs to reach its recipient: describe who takes it to the destination in English.
Read and practiseFold: bend into layers
Use fold for paper, fabric and folding furniture, including the expression fold in half.
Read and practiseDepending on people and conditions
Weather, help or available time can determine an outcome: express reliance and conditions with the right preposition.
Read and practiseDeserving a response or reward
Hard work, kindness or a mistake can call for a response: say what someone has earned through an action.
Read and practiseHang: attach or be suspended
Use hang for placing objects so they are supported at the top, and learn the past hung.
Read and practiseFinding a place, fact or possibility
A hidden beach or an unexpected fact can be a discovery: describe finding something previously unknown in English.
Read and practiseLift: raise or move by raising
Use lift to raise objects or people, and distinguish lifting from carrying a load.
Read and practiseEncouraging someone to act
A coach or a friend can give someone confidence to take action; explore the English pattern for encouragement.
Read and practiseExpecting events and actions
An anticipated arrival or a likely outcome: express what you think will happen using three English patterns.
Read and practiseForget: fail to remember
Use forget for information or an intended action and learn the forms forgot and forgotten.
Read and practiseExperiencing events and feelings
A storm, a delay or a sudden feeling: describe what happens to people and places with this English verb.
Read and practiseRemember: recall information
Use remember to talk about names, facts and places you keep in mind or recall.
Read and practiseFailing an exam or an attempt
An unsuccessful exam or an unfinished action: describe what someone did not manage to do using this English verb.
Read and practiseRefuse: say no to an offer or action
Use refuse with an offer or invitation and refuse to do for an action, without assuming a reason.
Read and practiseImagining an activity
A future home, an unusual job or a walk at night: describe the activities you picture in your mind.
Read and practiseCall: telephone or name
Use call for telephoning a person and for the name by which someone or something is known.
Read and practiseImproving skills and situations
A skill, the weather or a service can get better, and people can make something better through their actions.
Read and practiseWhat a whole includes
Prices, lists and groups can contain different parts: describe what is present and what has been added.
Read and practiseDescribing an increase in amount
A rising price or a larger budget: describe a change in amount and say how much someone adds.
Read and practiseInfluencing a person or outcome
A teacher, a price or the weather can shape a decision or result; express that effect with a useful verb.
Read and practiseInsist: demands and claims
A firm request, a determined action or a disputed fact: express what someone insists on or insists is true.
Read and practiseManaging a challenge or task
A difficult door, a busy project or a missing resource: describe succeeding, handling a responsibility and coping without something.
Read and practisePreventing an event or action
A barrier against an unwanted event: describe what stops an action or keeps something from happening.
Read and practiseGiving your word
A promise of help or a commitment to act: express what you give your word to do and whom you promise it to.
Read and practiseKeeping someone or something safe
A coat against rain or a password for files: describe how a person or object is kept safe from harm.
Read and practiseBecoming aware of a fact
A closed shop or a sudden insight: describe the moment you become aware of a fact, with both common spellings.
Read and practiseRecognizing someone or something
A familiar face or an old photograph: express how you identify someone or something you have encountered before.
Read and practiseRecommending a choice
A favorite museum or a useful activity: suggest a good choice and explain what you would advise someone to do.
Read and practiseMaking an amount smaller
A lower price or less waste: describe a decrease and specify the amount by which something becomes smaller.
Read and practiseHelping someone remember
A note about an appointment or a request to lock a door: help someone recall a fact or remember an action.
Read and practiseReplacing an old item
A worn tire or a broken lamp can be exchanged for a new one: describe what takes its place.
Read and practiseSupporting people and ideas
A friend facing exams, a community project or a claim backed by evidence: express different kinds of support.
Read and practiseAccomplishing a goal or task
A demanding project, a shared goal or a day’s work: describe what someone succeeded in completing.
Read and practiseAcknowledging facts and contributions
A delayed project, a difficult truth or a colleague’s help can all call for an explicit acknowledgment.
Read and practiseAvoid: staying away or preventing
Use avoid with a noun or an -ing form to discuss staying away and preventing unwanted actions.
Read and practiseAdjust: changes and adaptation
A small change to a setting or a gradual adaptation to a situation can both be expressed with this versatile verb.
Read and practiseAssessing a situation or risk
A damaged bridge or an uncertain forecast calls for careful judgment: describe how people evaluate evidence and risk.
Read and practiseAssuming without proof
An unchecked belief can guide a decision, but it is not the same as a known fact: express that distinction clearly.
Read and practiseAttempting a difficult task
A steep route or a demanding repair may be tried without succeeding: describe the effort and its intended action.
Read and practiseAgree: opinions and arrangements
Use agree with a person, agree to an action or proposal, and agree on an arrangement.
Read and practiseAttributing a cause or a work
A delay linked to rain or a painting linked to its maker: identify a cause or creator with this English verb.
Read and practiseAnticipating events and difficulties
A delay, a busy clinic or a dry summer: describe what you expect and how you prepare for a possible situation.
Read and practiseInterpreting meaning in context
A silence, a survey result or a symbol can have more than one meaning; explain how you understand it in context.
Read and practiseRespond: answer or react
Use respond to describe an answer or reaction and introduce what prompted it with to.
Read and practiseMaking a point clearer
A deadline, an instruction or an unclear question may need a more precise explanation. Ask for one or offer it politely.
Read and practiseCompensating for loss or disadvantage
A damaged table or a lack of space can call for compensation: describe payment for harm and ways to offset a disadvantage.
Read and practiseReaching a judgment from evidence
Footprints, survey results or other evidence can lead to a judgment: express what you infer and where the information came from.
Read and practiseMeasure: finding or stating size
Use measure to find a size or amount and to state an object’s dimensions.
Read and practiseConducting an organized activity
Research, interviews and investigations: describe carrying out a planned activity in a formal or professional setting.
Read and practiseContributing to a shared effort
Ideas, time and resources can all support a shared project; describe what someone gives and the result it helps achieve.
Read and practiseCoping with difficult situations
Unexpected demands and change can be hard to manage. Describe how people or systems deal with difficulties.
Read and practiseDemonstrating a method or a claim
A practical demonstration or convincing evidence can show how something works or whether a claim is true.
Read and practiseDistinguish: recognizing differences
A sound, a label or a scent can reveal a difference: describe how you tell things apart or recognize something with difficulty.
Read and practiseEliminate: removing a possibility or problem
A faulty cable, an unwanted delay or a possible risk: express removing something completely or ruling it out.
Read and practiseEmphasizing a point or issue
A key concern can stand out in a speech or report: express the importance given to a point and introduce what the speaker stresses.
Read and practiseEstablish: create or confirm
A new organisation, a clear rule or a proven fact: express how something is set up or determined by evidence.
Read and practiseEvaluating value and effectiveness
A proposal, a treatment or a project can be judged against evidence and criteria to decide how well it works.
Read and practiseIdentifying people and causes
A photograph, a faulty roof or a delayed train: describe how someone recognizes a person or determines the cause of a problem.
Read and practiseJustifying an action with reasons
A difficult decision can be defended with evidence: explain when an action or expense is reasonable.
Read and practiseMaintaining a condition or a claim
Equipment needs care, a pace needs to stay steady, and a claim may face objections: explore the meanings of maintain.
Read and practiseNegotiating an agreement
A contract, a price or a deadline can be settled through discussion between people with different needs.
Read and practiseOvercoming difficulties
Fear, delays and other obstacles can be defeated: describe how people succeed despite a difficulty and choose the right verb form.
Read and practisePreserving things for the future
Old maps, local customs and food can be protected from loss or decay: express preservation in English.
Read and practiseWhen something is required
A task may need resources, while a rule may make an action compulsory. Express both kinds of necessity clearly.
Read and practiseResolving a dispute or problem
A disagreement, a complaint or a technical problem can be brought to an end through discussion or action.
Read and practiseSeeking help and opportunities
A request for advice, a search for information or an attempt to reach a goal can all call for this formal verb.
Read and practise