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English Test Blog
Expert guides, exam updates, and study strategies to help you improve your English and get certified. Browse hundreds of articles on vocabulary, grammar, idioms and CEFR levels (A1–C2), with new guides added regularly.
Cancelled or Canceled: Which Spelling Is Correct?
Cancelled or canceled? Both are right. Learn which one is British, which is American, the double L rule behind it and what to write in an English exam.
Rhetorical Questions: Meaning, Examples and How to Use Them
A rhetorical question is asked for effect, not for an answer. Learn the meaning, see 25 examples and find out how to use one in a talk or an essay.
What Do AM and PM Stand For? Meaning and Correct Use
AM means before midday and PM means after midday. Learn what the letters stand for, whether 12 AM is midnight or noon and how to write times correctly.
The Oxford Comma: What It Is and When to Use It
What is the Oxford comma? It is the comma before "and" in a list. See examples where it changes the meaning and learn when you should use it in your writing.
Empathy vs Sympathy: What Is the Difference?
Empathy means feeling with someone. Sympathy means feeling sorry for them. See clear examples, useful phrases and a quick check to test yourself.
![How to Follow a Conversation When People Speak Fast [2026]](https://rezfmmcmqlkqgwmyymkh.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-covers/pexels-7972521.webp)
How to Follow a Conversation When People Speak Fast [2026]
You know the words. You have read them, written them, maybe used them yourself. Then two people start talking at normal speed and it turns into a wall of sound.
![How to Find the Main Idea of an English Text [2026]](https://rezfmmcmqlkqgwmyymkh.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-covers/pexels-1741230.webp)
How to Find the Main Idea of an English Text [2026]
A reliable method for finding the main idea of an English text, with a worked example, the three places writers hide it, and the traps that catch B1 readers.
English for Engineers: Technical Vocabulary
A language guide for engineers working in English: technical vocabulary, describing processes and specifications, and clear communication in reports and teams.
![English for Teachers: Classroom Language That Works [2026]](https://rezfmmcmqlkqgwmyymkh.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-covers/pexels-8500353.webp)
English for Teachers: Classroom Language That Works [2026]
A language guide for teachers working in English: clear classroom instructions, questioning, feedback and praise, and managing a class with confidence.
English for Nurses: Vocabulary and Clear Communication
- Observations: temperature, pulse, blood pressure, breathing, oxygen levels. - Patient states: comfortable, in pain, drowsy, confused, breathless, nauseous.
![Intonation in English: The Music of the Language [2026]](https://rezfmmcmqlkqgwmyymkh.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-covers/pexels-4145196.webp)
Intonation in English: The Music of the Language [2026]
How intonation works in English: the main rising and falling patterns for questions, statements, lists and tags, and how tone carries attitude and meaning.
Sentence Stress in English: The Rhythm of Natural Speech
How sentence stress works in English: why content words are stressed and function words are weak, how this creates rhythm, and how it can change meaning.
English for Doctors: Vocabulary and Patient Talk
Medical English is vast, but a doctor working in a new language usually needs to shore up a few areas first.
![Word Stress in English: Rules, Patterns and the Schwa [2026]](https://rezfmmcmqlkqgwmyymkh.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-covers/pexels-4143791.webp)
Word Stress in English: Rules, Patterns and the Schwa [2026]
How word stress works in English: why one syllable is stronger, the noun and verb stress shift, and how unstressed syllables reduce to the schwa.
![Diphthongs in English: All 8 Explained with Examples [2026]](https://rezfmmcmqlkqgwmyymkh.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-covers/pexels-4144294.webp)
Diphthongs in English: All 8 Explained with Examples [2026]
The 8 diphthongs of English shown with their IPA symbols and example words, with a clear explanation of how a diphthong glides from one sound to another.
![Silent Letters in English: The Full Guide by Letter [2026]](https://rezfmmcmqlkqgwmyymkh.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-covers/pexels-265076.webp)
Silent Letters in English: The Full Guide by Letter [2026]
A guide to silent letters in English, grouped letter by letter with clear examples, so you stop pronouncing the letters that should stay silent.
![How to Describe a Picture in English: A Simple Method [2026]](https://rezfmmcmqlkqgwmyymkh.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-covers/pexels-1264210.webp)
How to Describe a Picture in English: A Simple Method [2026]
A clear method for describing a picture in English, with the language for overview, position, actions and speculation, useful for exams and everyday practice.
How to Give a Presentation in English
The language for giving a clear presentation in English: how to open, signpost between sections, refer to visuals, conclude and handle questions, with phrases.
![How to Write an Informal Email in English [2026]](https://rezfmmcmqlkqgwmyymkh.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-covers/pexels-4560083.webp)
How to Write an Informal Email in English [2026]
How to write a natural informal email in English: the right greetings, openings, tone and sign-offs, with a full example and the phrases to use and avoid.
![English for Business Meetings: Phrases That Work [2026]](https://rezfmmcmqlkqgwmyymkh.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-covers/pexels-1181304.webp)
English for Business Meetings: Phrases That Work [2026]
The phrases for taking part in business meetings in English: opening, giving opinions, agreeing and disagreeing politely, interrupting, and summarising.
![English for Phone Calls: The Phrases You Need [2026]](https://rezfmmcmqlkqgwmyymkh.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-covers/pexels-6693666.webp)
English for Phone Calls: The Phrases You Need [2026]
Phone calls are one of the hardest everyday tasks in a second language, because you lose the speaker's face and rely entirely on sound.
![How to Improve Your English Grammar: A Practical Plan [2026]](https://rezfmmcmqlkqgwmyymkh.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-covers/pexels-4145153.webp)
How to Improve Your English Grammar: A Practical Plan [2026]
A practical, realistic plan for improving your English grammar, from noticing patterns in real use to targeted practice and checking your progress.
18 British Proverbs and Sayings, and Where They Come From
Eighteen proverbs and sayings that are distinctly British, each with a plain meaning, a natural example and a note on the history or region it comes from.
How to Make Suggestions in English
The natural phrases for making suggestions in English, from casual to formal, with examples and the small grammar points that make each one sound right.
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