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

BOARD GAME

Passive Voice (present and past)

November 14, 2025 teacherjulietaLeave a comment

💡 What is the Passive Voice?

We use the passive voice when the action is more important than who does it.

➡️ The focus is on the object (the thing that receives the action), not on the subject (the person who does it).

🔹 Compare:

Active	Passive
The chef cooks the meal.	The meal is cooked by the chef.
Someone cleaned the classroom.	The classroom was cleaned.

👉 In the active voice, the subject (“the chef”) does the action.
👉 In the passive voice, the subject (“the meal”) receives the action.

🔹 How to Form the Passive

🧱 Structure

Passive = be (am / is / are / was / were) + past participle (V3)

Tense	Structure	Example
Present simple	am / is / are + past participle	The house is cleaned every day.
Past simple	was / were + past participle	The house was cleaned yesterday.

Past Participle

🔹 1. Present Simple Passive

We use it to talk about things that happen regularly or are generally true.

Structure	Example	Meaning
am / is / are + past participle	English is spoken in many countries.	(People speak English in many countries.)
are made	Cars are made in Japan.	(Factories make cars in Japan.)

🧠 Tip:
Use the present passive to describe facts, routines, or processes.

🔹 2. Past Simple Passive

We use it to talk about completed actions in the past, when we don’t know or don’t want to say who did the action.

Structure	Example	Meaning
was / were + past participle	The phone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell.	(He invented it in the past.)
were built	These houses were built in 1990.	(Someone built them, but we don’t say who.)

🧠 Tip:
Use the past passive to talk about inventions, discoveries, or historical facts.

🔹 3. Who Did the Action? (Using “by”)

If you want to say who did the action, use by + person.

Example	Meaning
This photo was taken by my friend.	My friend took this photo.
The book was written by J.K. Rowling.	J.K. Rowling wrote the book.

You can also omit “by” when it’s not important:

The window was broken. (We don’t know who did it.)

🧠 Summary Table

Tense	Structure	Example	Use
Present Simple Passive	am / is / are + past participle	The room is cleaned every day.	Routine / fact
Past Simple Passive	was / were + past participle	The room was cleaned yesterday.	Past action
“by” phrase (optional)	be + past participle + by + person	The movie was directed by Nolan.	Who did it

Lets Practice

Practice 1

Practice 2

Speaking

🧭 Modal Verbs: Obligation and Necessity

November 13, 2025 teacherjulietaLeave a comment

💡 What Are “Obligation” and “Necessity”?

We use modal verbs like must, have to, need to, and their negatives to talk about things that are necessary or not necessary. For example, rules, duties, or responsibilities.
We can also use them to talk about permission in the present or past.

🔹 1. Obligation in the Present

We use must, have to, and need to when something is necessary or important to do.

Structure	Example	Meaning
must + base verb	I must finish this project today.	Strong personal obligation
have to + base verb	I have to work on Saturday.	External rule or schedule
need to + base verb	You need to wear a helmet.	It’s necessary or required

🧠 Tip:

must = personal obligation (you feel it)
have to = external obligation (someone else decides it)

I must study more. (I want to)
I have to study more. (My teacher said so)

🔹 2. NO Necessity in the Present

We use don’t have to or don’t need to when something is not necessary.

Structure	Example	Meaning
don’t have to + base verb	You don’t have to come if you’re busy.	It’s optional
don’t need to + base verb	She doesn’t need to wear a uniform.	It’s not required

🧠 Note:
They mean the same, but don’t have to is more common in everyday English.

🔹 3. Prohibition (Something Is Not Allowed)

We use mustn’t (must not) to talk about rules or strong advice — when something is not allowed.

Structure	Example	Meaning
mustn’t + base verb	You mustn’t park here.	It’s forbidden
be not allowed to + base form	You are not allowed to park here.	No permission

🧠 Tip:
❌ Don’t confuse mustn’t (not allowed) with don’t have to (not necessary).

You mustn’t smoke here. → It’s against the rules.
You don’t have to smoke. → It’s your choice.

🔹 4. Obligation and Necessity in the Past

We can’t use must for the past. Instead, we use had to or needed to.

Structure	Example	Meaning
had to + base verb	I had to finish my homework last night.	It was necessary in the past
needed to + base verb	We needed to buy tickets early.	It was necessary

For the negative, we use didn’t have to or didn’t need to (something was not necessary).

We didn’t have to go to school yesterday.
She didn’t need to call — I was already there.

🔹 5. Permission (Present and Past)

We can use be allowed to or could to talk about permission.

Time	Structure	Example	Meaning
Present	am / is / are allowed to/can	Students are allowed to use phones at break. Students can use their phones at break.	It’s permitted now
Past	was / were allowed to	We were allowed to stay up late.	It was permitted
Past (general ability)	could	When I was a child, I could go out alone.	I had permission

🔍 Summary Table

Meaning	Present	Past
Obligation	must / have to / need to	had to / needed to
Not necessary	don’t have to / don’t need to	didn’t have to / didn’t need to
Prohibition	mustn’t	—
Permission	am / is / are allowed to/ can	was / were allowed to / could

Modals of Obligation and Possibility

Let’s Practice

Practice 1

Practice 2

Practice 3

Correct the grammar mistakes

Speaking

🕐 Past Continuous

November 13, 2025 teacherjulietaLeave a comment

💡 What Is the Past Continuous?

We use the past continuous to describe actions that were in progress at a specific time in the past.
It helps us talk about what was happening around a moment, or when another action interrupted it.

🔹 FORM

We make the past continuous with was / were + verb-ing.

Subject	was / were	Verb + -ing	Example
I / he / she / it	was	verb + -ing	I was watching TV.
you / we / they	were	verb + -ing	They were studying English.

🧠 Tip: Add -ing to the base verb.
✅ play → playing
✅ write → writing
✅ dance → dancing

🔹 USE 1: Action in Progress in the Past

We use the past continuous for something that was happening at a specific time in the past.

I was working abroad in 2016.
We were visiting friends last night.

🕓 The action was not finished at that moment, it was continuing.

🔹 USE 2: Interrupted Action

We often use the past continuous and past simple together.

🧩 The past continuous = longer action (in progress)
🧩 The past simple = shorter action (interrupted it)

Past Continuous (long)	+ when +	Past Simple (short)
I was cooking dinner	when	my friend called.
They were watching TV	when	the phone rang.

🧠 Tip: Use when before the short action (past simple).

🔹 USE 3: Two Actions Happening at the Same Time

We use while when two long actions were happening at the same time in the past.

while + Past Continuous	,	Past Continuous
We were studying	while	our parents were watching TV.
She was cooking	while	he was cleaning the kitchen.

🧠 Tip:
Use while to show parallel actions, both were in progress at the same time.

Example: While I was reading, my sister was listening to music.

🔹 USE 4: When vs. While

Word	Used before	Example
when	past simple (short action)	I was driving when it started to rain.
while	past continuous (long action)	She was singing while I was playing the guitar.

🧩 Compare: Past Simple vs. Past Continuous

Meaning	Past Simple	Past Continuous
Completed action	I watched TV yesterday.	—
Action in progress (background)	—	I was watching TV when the phone rang.
Two simultaneous actions	—	I was reading while she was cooking.

Past Continuous is also known as Past Progressive

Past Continuous = Past Progressive

Let’s Practice!

Practice 1

Practice 2

Practice 3

Speaking

Practice 1

Practice 2

Linking Ideas: Because, So, and To

November 12, 2025November 14, 2025 teacherjulieta1 Comment

We often need to explain reasons and results in English.
Let’s learn how to use because, so, and to to connect ideas clearly.

1. BECAUSE — to give a reason

We use because to explain why something happens.
It connects a result and a reason in one sentence.

Structure	Example
result + because + reason	I stayed home because I was tired.
result + because + subject + verb	She’s happy because she passed her exam.

🧠 Tip:
Use because to answer “Why?”

❓ Why did you stay home?
💬 I stayed home because I was tired.

2. SO — to show a result

We use so to talk about what happened as a result of something.

Structure	Example
reason + so + result	It was cold, so we stayed inside.
subject + verb + so + subject + verb	I was hungry, so I made a sandwich.

🧠 Tip:
Use so to answer “What happened?”

❓ It was raining. What did you do?
💬 It was raining, so we stayed home.

3. TO — to talk about purpose (why we do something)

We use to + base verb to say why someone does something — their goal or purpose.

Structure	Example
verb + to + base verb	I went to the shop to buy some bread.
verb + to + base verb	She’s studying English to travel abroad.

🧠 Tip:
Use to when the second action shows the reason for the first.

❓ Why did you go to the shop?
💬 I went to the shop to buy milk.

🧠 Summary Table

Connector	Meaning	Structure	Example
because	gives a reason	result + because + reason	I’m late because I missed the bus.
so	shows a result	reason + so + result	It’s raining, so take an umbrella.
to	shows purpose	verb + to + base verb	I work hard to save money.

Let’s Practice

Practice 1

Practice 2

Practice 3

Speaking

Practice 1

🎯 Expressing Purpose

November 12, 2025November 12, 2025 teacherjulietaLeave a comment

We often want to say why we do something, our goal or reason.
There are several ways to express purpose in English.
Let’s learn and compare them!

1. TO + Base Form

We use to + base verb to show purpose, the reason for an action.

Structure	Example	Meaning
verb + to + base verb	I study hard to pass the exam.	I study for this reason.
verb + to + base verb	She went to the gym to get stronger.	She went there with a goal.

🧠 Tip: Use this for short, direct purposes.

I’m calling to ask a question.
He moved to Canada to find a job.

2. IN ORDER TO + Base Form

We use in order to when we want to sound more formal or emphasize the purpose.
It means the same as to, but it’s a bit stronger.

Structure	Example	Meaning
verb + in order to + base verb	She left early in order to catch the train.	She left early so she could catch it.
verb + in order not to + base verb	He spoke quietly in order not to wake the baby.	He didn’t want to wake the baby.

🧠 Tip: Use in order to in writing or formal speech.

I’m taking this course in order to improve my skills.

3. SO (THAT) + Subject + Modal + Verb

We use so (that) to explain the purpose of an action, especially when there is a different subject.
It’s often followed by can / could / will / would / may / might / should.

Structure	Example	Meaning
so (that) + subject + modal + verb	I’m studying so (that) I can pass my exam.	My goal is to pass.
so (that) + subject + modal + verb	She left early so that she could catch the bus.	She left early to catch it.

🧠 Tip:
You can say so that or just so in informal English.

4. FOR + Gerund (-ing)

We use for + -ing to say the general use or purpose of something.
It answers “What is this used for?”

Structure	Example	Meaning
for + verb-ing	This brush is for painting.	The brush is used to paint.
for + verb-ing	These shoes are for running.	They’re made for that.

🧠 Tip:
Don’t say ❌ for to — just for + -ing.

I use this blog for learning English.

5. FOR + Noun

We also use for + noun to show purpose, especially with things.

Structure	Example	Meaning
for + noun	This medicine is for headaches.	You take it when you have a headache.
for + noun	The bag is for my laptop.	The bag’s purpose is to carry it.

🧠 Tip:
Use for + noun when you’re not using a verb.

This room is for meetings.
These lessons are for students.

🧠 Summary Table

Structure	Use / Meaning	Example
to + base verb	general purpose	She studies to learn English.
in order to + base verb	formal / emphasized purpose	He left early in order to catch the train.
so (that) + subject + modal + verb	purpose with the same or different subject	I’m saving money so that I can travel.
for + verb-ing	the use of an object or activity	This knife is for cutting bread.
for + noun	general purpose of something	This cream is for dry skin.

Linking Ideas: Because, So, and To

Let’s Practice!

Practice 1

Practice 2

Speaking

Practice 1