English vocabulary includes the words, phrases, and expressions used to communicate ideas clearly and accurately. Building vocabulary helps you understand meanings, choose suitable words, and express yourself more naturally in speaking and writing.
Explore lessons on phrasal verbs, collocations, idioms, descriptive words, commonly confused words, expressions, alternatives, and themed word lists. Each section provides clear meanings, practical examples, and useful guidance for using vocabulary in context.
A noun + preposition collocation is a familiar combination in which a noun is followed by a particular preposition. Common examples include reason for, solution to, increase in, and effect on. The preposition connects the noun to another part of…
Use fewer when comparing the number of individual things and less when comparing an amount or degree. Compare: The revised timetable includes fewer evening services. The revised timetable leaves passengers with less time to make their connections. Services are separate…
Lay means to put or place someone or something somewhere. Lie means to recline, rest, or remain in a particular position. Compare: Please lay the architectural drawings flat on the table. The original drawings lie in a locked cabinet. In…
AM and PM are used with the 12-hour clock to show which half of the day a time belongs to. AM refers to times before midday, while PM refers to times after midday. Most times are straightforward. The confusing part…
Etc. is short for et cetera and is used to show that a list could continue with other similar items. We bought notebooks, pens, folders, etc. The abbreviation is useful when the examples already make the rest of the group…
E.g. and i.e. are both Latin abbreviations, but they do different jobs. Use e.g. to introduce one or more examples. Use i.e. to clarify, define, or restate exactly what you mean. That difference can change the meaning of a sentence.…
You do not always need to say I don’t understand when something is unclear. If you know what the problem is, you can ask for exactly what you need: help, repetition, a slower explanation, an example, more detail, or confirmation.…
You do not need complicated vocabulary to sound polite in English. Often, a small change in wording can make a request, correction, refusal, or interruption sound more considerate. The best phrase depends on the situation, your relationship with the other…
Knowing I think, I agree, and I disagree is enough to get started, but real conversations often need more nuance. You may want to sound certain, soften your opinion, agree only partly, or disagree without sounding too direct. The key…
You may go over a report, go through a difficult period, or go ahead with a plan. Each expression begins with go, but the added particle or preposition changes its meaning and grammar pattern. Unlike many phrasal verbs with put,…
You may come across an old photograph, come up with a solution, or come down with a cold. Each expression begins with come, but the following particle or preposition creates a different meaning and grammar pattern. Some phrasal verbs with…
You may put away your clothes, put forward a proposal, or put up with a delay. Each expression begins with put, but the added particle or preposition changes both its meaning and grammar pattern. Many two-word phrasal verbs with put…