Feedback for English Learners

July 15, 2026 teacherjulietaLeave a comment

Have you ever thought:

“My teacher doesn’t give me feedback.”

Many students think feedback only means:

✔️ and ❌ on their answers.
Written comments on their homework.
A grade at the end of a test.

Actually, feedback is much more than that.

What Is Feedback?

Feedback is any information that helps you learn and improve your English.

Feedback can happen:

Before an activity
During an activity
After an activity

If your teacher helps you improve your English, you are receiving feedback.

What Does Feedback Look Like?

Teachers give you feedback when they:

explain why an answer is correct or incorrect.
check the answers with the whole class.
correct your pronunciation.
teach useful vocabulary before an activity.
remind you about common grammar mistakes.
give you an example or a model answer.
ask questions such as “Why did you choose that answer?”
encourage you to try again instead of giving you the answer immediately.
give you a listening transcript after a listening activity.
write comments on your writing.
say things like “Good job” or “Excellent pronunciation.”

All of these help you improve.

They are all forms of feedback.

Feedback Can Happen Before You Make a Mistake

Many students think feedback only happens after they make a mistake.

This isn’t true.

Sometimes teachers give feedback before an activity to help students avoid mistakes.

For example:

“Remember to use the past tense.”
“Listen carefully to the final sound.”
“Don’t forget to use articles.”
“Here’s a model answer.”

This is feedback because it helps you succeed.

Feedback Is a Two-Way Conversation

Your teacher wants to help you.

But there is one important thing to remember:

Your teacher can’t read your mind.

If you stay quiet all the time, your teacher may not know:

what you understand.
what you don’t understand.
which grammar is difficult for you.
which words you don’t know.
which pronunciation you need help with.

Teachers can only give personal feedback when they can hear your English, see your work, and understand what you are thinking.

If you never speak, ask questions, or share your ideas, your teacher doesn’t know what help you need.

Two Students

Imagine these two students.

Student A

Keeps the camera and microphone off most of the time.
Rarely answers questions.
Never asks for help.
Finishes activities silently.
Doesn’t tell the teacher when something is confusing.

At the end of the course, Student A says:

“My teacher didn’t give me enough feedback.”

Student B

Participates in class.
Answers questions.
Asks for clarification.
Reads answers aloud.
Tries to speak, even when making mistakes.
Says, “Can you check my answer?”
Says, “Can you explain that again?”

At the end of the course, Student B says:

“My teacher gave me lots of feedback.”

What is the difference?

The teacher wanted to help both students.

But Student B gave the teacher many opportunities to provide feedback.

How Can You Receive More Feedback?

Don’t wait for your teacher to guess what you need.

You can:

ask questions.
explain your answers.
tell your teacher when something is difficult.
ask, “Can you check my answer?”
ask, “How can I improve?”
try to speak, even if you are not sure.

Remember:

Your mistakes help your teacher understand what you need to learn next.

A Challenge

During your next lesson, pay attention to the feedback you receive.

Count how many times your teacher:

checks answers.
corrects pronunciation.
explains grammar.
teaches new vocabulary.
gives an example.
asks you a question.
gives a hint.
praises your work.
corrects a mistake.

You may be surprised to discover that you receive feedback many times during a single lesson.

Before You Complete a Course Survey…

Take a moment to think about these questions:

Did my teacher explain my mistakes?
Did my teacher check the answers with the class?
Did my teacher give examples or model answers?
Did my teacher correct pronunciation?
Did my teacher teach vocabulary and grammar?
Did my teacher answer questions?
Did I ask for help when I needed it?
Did I participate enough for my teacher to give me personal feedback?

Remember

Feedback is not only ✔️ and ❌.

Feedback is anything that helps you improve your English.

The more you participate, the more opportunities your teacher has to help you.

So don’t be afraid to ask questions, make mistakes, and join the conversation.

Learning English is a partnership. Your teacher can’t read your mind, but together, you can make great progress

Feedback phrases

These are feedback phrases that students often hear in their ESL classes.

Let’s practice saying the phrases

Flip the card
Listen
Repeat the sentences

who, whose, whom

May 13, 2026 teacherjulietaLeave a comment

Have you ever wondered when to use who, whose, or whom?

You are not alone! These relative pronouns can be confusing because they look very similar, but each one has a different function in a sentence.

This simple visual guide with clear explanations will help you understand the differences.

The diagram also shows the connection between subject pronouns, possessive adjectives, and object pronouns, so you can better understand patterns like he → his → him or they → their → them.

Use this material as extra practice after class, while studying at home, or anytime you need a quick grammar review. The explanations are written especially for ESL students, with simple language and practical examples to make learning easier and less stressful.

Practice 1

Practice 2

Make Complaints

November 26, 2025 teacherjulietaLeave a comment

We all have moments when something goes wrong. For example, a cold meal at a restaurant, a noisy hotel room, a delayed delivery. In English, it’s important to complain politely, not angrily. Here you will find useful expressions, examples, and a short practice activity.

1. When do we make complaints?

Here are common situations:

At a restaurant (the food is cold / wrong order)
In a hotel (room is dirty / too noisy)
In a store (item is broken / size is wrong)
With services (internet doesn’t work / package arrives late)

Complaints are usually made to solve a problem, not to argue.
So the language needs to be polite, clear, and calm.

Useful Phrases for Complaining

Function	Useful Phrases
Complaining	• I’m sorry, but there’s been a mistake with … • I’m afraid that there’s a problem with … • There seems to be a problem with … • Can I see your …, please? • I’d like to make a complaint.
Giving reasons for complaints	• The problem is … • The … doesn’t work. • The … is broken. • I’ve been waiting for …
Responding and offering solutions	• I’m very sorry about that. • Unfortunately, we can’t … • We’ll give you …
Asking for action	• I’d like to cancel the order / get a refund / speak to the manager, please. • I’d like you to (change it for a new one). • Please could you (bring the bill)?

Situation	Complaining	Giving Reason	Asking for Action
Cold food at a restaurant	I’m afraid that there’s a problem with my meal.	The food is cold.	Please could you heat it up?
Wrong order	I’m sorry, but there’s been a mistake with my order.	The problem is I ordered chicken, not fish.	I’d like you to change it for a new one.
Broken product (store)	There seems to be a problem with this.	The item is broken.	I’d like to get a refund, please.
Hotel room issues	I’d like to make a complaint.	The shower doesn’t work.	I’d like you to send someone to fix it.
Long waiting time	I’m afraid that there’s a problem with the service.	I’ve been waiting for 30 minutes.	Can I speak to the manager, please?
Incorrect bill	I’m sorry, but there’s been a mistake with the bill.	The problem is the price is wrong.	Please could you correct it?

Let’s Practice!

Practice 1

Speaking

Practice 1

Practice 2

Reported Questions

November 26, 2025 teacherjulietaLeave a comment

Sometimes we want to talk about a question someone asked us in the past.
To do that, we use reported questions.

This lesson will help you understand how to change direct questions into reported questions in a simple, clear way.

1. What is a reported question?

A reported question tells us what someone asked, but we don’t use the exact words.

Direct Question	Reported Question

“Where are you going?”, she asked.

She asked where I was going.

Look at the differences:
✔ no question mark
✔ no question word order
✔ the tense changes (are going → was going)

2. How to change a question into a reported question

Here are the three rules you need to know.

Rule 1: Remove do / does / did

Many questions use do, does, or did. When we report the question, these words disappear and we change the tense.

Direct:
“How do you make that?”

Reported:
He asked me how I made that.

make → made

Rule 2: Change the word order

If the question uses am / is / are / can / will, move the auxiliary verb after the subject.

Direct:
“Where are you going?”

Reported:
She asked me where I was going.

No question form.
It looks like a normal statement.

**Rule 3: Use ask somebody to for requests**

If someone asks us to do something, we use:
ask + somebody + to + verb

Direct:
“Could you give me an example?”

Reported:
She asked me to give her an example.

✔ no “could”
✔ use to + verb

3. Reported Questions – Quick Table

Type	Direct Question	Reported Question	What changes?
Wh- + do/does/did	“How do you make that?”	He asked how I made that.	Remove do. Change tense.
Wh- + be/auxiliary	“Where are you going?”	She asked where I was going.	Change word order.
Yes/No question	“Do you like it?”	He asked if I liked it.	Use if/whether. Remove do.
Request	“Could you help me?”	She asked me *to help* her.	Use ask somebody to.

Let’s Practice!

Practice 1

Practice 2

Speaking

Practice 1

Transform the direct questions into reported questions

Reported Speech (Grammar review)

November 24, 2025 teacherjulietaLeave a comment

We use reported speech when we want to tell someone what another person said, without using their exact words.

Direct speech: “I’m tired,” she said.
Reported speech: She said she was tired.

Instead of repeating the original sentence word-for-word, we shift the grammar to fit the new context.

Reported speech helps you:

tell stories
explain conversations
share news
sound more natural in English

You will use it all the time in real life.

Direct speech

“I’m tired,” she said.
→ You repeat the exact words.

Reported speech

She said she was tired.
→ You change the sentence to report the idea.

We usually change:

pronouns
verbs (the tense)
time words

Don’t worry—here are the basic steps!

Pronoun Changes

We change the pronouns depending on who is speaking.

Direct: “I like this class.”
Reported: He said he liked the class.

Direct: “We are hungry.”
Reported: They said they were hungry.

3. Verb Changes (Backshift)

In reported speech, the verb usually moves one step back in time.

Direct Speech	Reported Speech
“I am tired.”	She said she was tired.
“We are studying.”	They said they were studying.
“I went home.”	He said he had gone home.

Backshift of Tenses – Reported Speech (Intermediate Level)

Direct Speech	Reported Speech (Backshift)	Example
Present Simple	Past Simple	“I work here.” → He said he worked there.
Present Continuous	Past Continuous	“I’m studying.” → She said she was studying.
Present Perfect	Past Perfect	“I have finished.” → He said he had finished.
Past Simple	Past Perfect	“I went home.” → He said he had gone home.
Will	Would	“I *will* call you.” → She said she would call me.
Can	Could	“I can help.” → He said he could help.
May	Might	“I may be late.” → She said she *might* be late.
Must	Had to (usually)	“I *must* leave.” → He said he had to leave.
Shall	Should / would (rare in modern English)	“I shall return.” → He said he would return.

(At B1, this is the main rule to remember. There are more verb tenses and some exceptions that you will learn later)

4. Time Word Changes

Some time words also change:

Direct	Reported
today	that day
tomorrow	the next day
yesterday	the day before
now	then

Let’s Practice!

Practice 1

Practice 2

Speaking

Practice 1

Practice 2

Say, Tell, Speak & Talk

November 23, 2025 teacherjulietaLeave a comment

Easy guide for Reported Speech

These three verbs can be confusing, but the rules are actually simple.

1. SAY

**Use say + words / sentence**

We use say when we only report the words.

She said she was tired.
He said he didn’t understand.

❌ We cannot use say + a person.
(Not: She said me…)

✔️ Use say to + person

She said to me that she was tired.

2. TELL

**Use tell + a person**

We use tell when we say who we are talking to.

She told me she was tired.
They told us they were not ready.
My friend told her the news.

✔️ Always: tell + someone + something

3. SPEAK

**Use speak to talk about languages or formal communication**

We don’t usually use speak to report exact words.

She speaks French.
He spoke to the class yesterday.

🌟 Not for reported speech:
❌ She spoke she was tired. (incorrect)

4. TALK

**Use talk for general conversations**

We use talk when two or more people have a conversation.

We talked about our weekend.
She talked to her teacher after class.
They talked about the exam.

➡️ talk to / talk with / talk about
All are common in everyday English.

❌ Not usually used to report exact words:
She talked she was tired. (incorrect)

5. Quick Summary

Verb	Use	Example
say	the message (no person)	She said she was late.
say to	person + message	She said to me that she was late.
tell	always needs a person	She told me she was late.
speak	languages / formal talk	She speaks French.
talk	general conversation	They talked about the test.

Let’s practice!

Practice 1

Practice 2

Speaking

Practice 1

Third Conditional

November 20, 2025 teacherjulietaLeave a comment

For lower levels

1. What is the Third Conditional?

We use the third conditional to talk about imaginary past situations.

Imaginary past situations are things that did NOT happen, but we imagine a different result.

👉 We use it to express regret, relief, or “what could have happened.”

2. Form

Part	Structure	Example
If-clause	if + had + past participle	if he had studied
Result clause	would have + past participle	he would have passed

Grammar structure:

If + had + past participle, would have + past participle.

*had + past participle = past perfect

Positive Forms

What happened (real past)	Imaginary result (third conditional)
She didn’t set an alarm, so she woke up late.	→ If she had set* an alarm, she would have woken up on time.*
They didn’t bring a map, so they got lost.	→ If they had brought* a map, they wouldn’t have gotten lost.*
I didn’t study, so I didn’t pass the test.	→ If I had studied, I would have passed* the test.*

Negative Forms

If-clause (negative)

If she hadn’t forgotten her keys…

Result clause (negative)

…she wouldn’t have been late.

What happened (real past)	Third Conditional (Negative)
She forgot her wallet, so she went back home.	If she hadn’t forgotten her wallet, she wouldn’t have gone back home.
They arrived late, so they lost their seats.	If they hadn’t arrived late, they wouldn’t have lost their seats.
I didn’t save my work, so I lost my project.	If I hadn’t forgotten to save my file, I wouldn’t have lost my project.

Let’s Practice!

Practice 1

Practice 2

Speaking

Practice 1

Spin the wheel.

Complete the sentences

Practice 2

Answer the questions

Practice 3

Flip a card.

Read the situation.

Make a sentence using the third conditional.

Passive voice (B1 verb tenses)

November 19, 2025 teacherjulietaLeave a comment

Learning the passive voice help us focus on the action and the result, rather than on who performs the action. In many real-world situations. For example, in news, formal writing, academic reports, and instructions, the doer of the action is unknown, unimportant, or obvious. That’s where the passive becomes essential.

This lesson reviews the form and use of the passive in all main verb tenses included at B1 level.

1. Why We Use the Passive Voice

We use the passive when:

The doer is unknown:
My wallet was stolen.
The doer is not important:
These phones are made in Korea.
The result is more important than the person:
The meeting has been cancelled.
The sentence sounds more formal or objective:
The survey will be analysed next week.

2. How to Form the Passive

The structure is always:

BE + Past Participle (V3)

The verb BE changes according to the tense.
The past participle stays the same.

3. Passive voice (different verb tenses)

Tense	Form	Example

Present Simple

am / is / are + past participle

English is spoken in many countries.

Past Simple

was / were + past participle

The window was broken last night.

Present Continuous

am / is / are being + past participle

The room is being cleaned right now.

Past Continuous

was / were being + past participle

The documents were being printed when the machine stopped.

Present Perfect

has / have been + past participle

The emails have been sent.

Future with “will”

will be + past participle

Dinner will be served at 7 pm.

Be Going To (future plans)

am / is / are going to be + past participle

A new road is going to be built.

Modal Verbs (can, must, should, etc.)

modal + be + past participle

This form must be completed.

4. When to Include the Agent (by + person)

We add by + agent only when the doer is important or surprising:

The painting was created by a ten-year-old.
The project will be reviewed by the CEO.

In most cases, we omit the agent.

🧠 Quick Comparison: Active vs Passive

Active	Passive
People speak Spanish here.	Spanish is spoken here.
Someone stole my phone.	My phone was stolen.
They will announce the winner tomorrow.	The winner will be announced tomorrow.
They are repairing the road.	The road is being repaired.

Passive Voice (present and past)

Let’s practice

Practice 1

Practice 2

Speaking

Practice 1

Make Excuses

November 18, 2025 teacherjulietaLeave a comment

In everyday life, we sometimes arrive late, forget to do something, or make a small mistake. When this happens, we need to give a clear and polite excuse.
Making excuses helps people understand what happened and why.

This lesson will help you learn useful English expressions to explain situations politely and naturally. 😊

What Does “Make an Excuse” Mean?

To make an excuse means to give a reason for something you didn’t do or for something that went wrong.

Sometimes excuses are real.
Sometimes they are not.
But in English, we often use excuses to explain situations politely.

Examples:

“I made an excuse for being late.”
“She always makes excuses for not finishing her homework.”

Making excuses is useful in daily life, at school, at work, and with friends.

Here’s a table of useful phrases to help you get started:

Useful Phrases Table

Making Excuses	Apologising	Accepting / Rejecting Excuses
Well, you see…	I’m really sorry… 😔	OK / Never mind. I understand. 😊
I meant to, but…	It was very stupid of me. 😣	These things happen. 🤷
I had to…	I won’t do it again, I promise! 🤞	That’s no excuse. ❌

You can combine these sentence starters with a reason.

For example if you are late you can make the following excuses:

Starter Phrase	Reason (Complete the sentence)

Well, you see…

…the traffic was terrible. 🚗💨

I meant to, but…

…I overslept. 😴

I had to…

…help my sister before leaving. 👧

I had to…

…go back home to get something. 🏠

Conversation 1 — Being Late

A: You’re late again!
B: Well, you see… the bus was really slow today.
A: You should leave earlier.
B: I know. I meant to, but I couldn’t find my keys.

Conversation 2 — Forgetting Something

A: Did you bring the book I lent you?
B: I meant to, but I left it on my desk at home.
A: You always forget things!
B: I know… I’ll bring it tomorrow.

Let’s Practice

Practice 1

Practice 2

Speaking

Practice 1

Practice 2

Non-Definining Relative Clauses

November 17, 2025May 12, 2026 teacherjulietaLeave a comment

Non-defining relative clauses help us add extra information about a person, place, or thing.
This information is not essential to understand the sentence. The clause contains an additional, interesting detail.

👉 We always use commas with non-defining relative clauses.
👉 We NEVER use “that” in non-defining clauses.

What Is a Non-Defining Relative Clause?

A non-defining relative clause:

gives extra information
is separated with commas
uses relative pronouns like who, which, where, when, whose
can be removed and the sentence still makes sense

How to Form Non-Defining Relative Clauses

Non-defining relative clauses give extra information about a person, place, or thing.
This information is not essential to understand the main idea.
We always use commas to separate the extra information.

1. Structure

Main clause, relative pronoun + extra information, rest of the sentence.

2. Common Relative Pronouns (for Non-Defining Clauses)

Relative Pronoun	Used For	Example
who	people	My English teacher, who is from Canada, is very friendly.
which	things / animals	The book, which I finished yesterday, was fantastic.
where	places	Vancouver, where my cousins live, is beautiful.
when	times	2010, when I finished high school, was an important year for me.
whose	possession	Anna, whose car broke down, arrived late.

📝 Important:

Always add a comma before and after the clause (unless it ends the sentence).

Don’t use “that” in non-defining clauses.

3. Comma Rules

Put a comma before and after the non-defining relative clause
(unless it’s at the end of the sentence; then you only need one comma).

4. Key Points for Low-Level Learners

You can remove the extra information and the sentence still makes sense.
The verb form inside the clause follows normal grammar rules.
Do not use these clauses to identify someone/something.
(Those are defining clauses.)

Examples:

My brother, who lives in Mexico, is visiting next month.
(extra info: he lives in Mexico)
The Eiffel Tower, which is in Paris, is very popular.
(extra info: its location)
September, when the weather is mild, is my favorite month.
(extra info: weather in September)
Chichén Itzá, where millions of tourists go each year, is amazing.
(extra info: visitors)

🧠 Compare: Defining vs. Non-Defining

Type	Purpose	Example	Commas?	Use “that”?
Defining	Necessary information	The man who works here is kind. The man that works here is kind.	❌ No	✔ Yes
Non-defining	Extra information	My uncle Bob, who works here, is kind.	✔ Yes	❌ No

Defining Relative Clauses

Let’s Practice

Practice 1

https://wordwall.net/play/59455/198/330

Practice 2

https://wordwall.net/play/5321/134/938

Speaking

Practice 1

https://wordwall.net/play/34506/750/995