Answers

How to use 'a', 'an', and 'the' in English

English articles ("a", "an", and "the") come before nouns. They help to communicate which thing you're talking about, similar to words like "this", "my", and "all". And they're confusing to a lot of English learners. 

Articles are really, really hard!

If your native language doesn't use...

How do you use "suggest" correctly?

OK, I have to admit that no PhraseMix readers have directly asked me about this. But it's a common problem that I've noticed in a lot of emails and conversations with English learners: a lot of people use the word "suggest" incorrectly. So here's how you should use it.

The thing to remember is...

What's the difference between 'clean away', 'clean up', 'clean out', etc.?

Before I explain the differences between "clean up", "clean out", etc. here's a warning: if you don't already know these phrases, it's a bad idea to learn them all at the same time. Read this blog post to find out why.

If you already know these expressions and you'd like to figure out exactly how...

What's the difference between "in time" and "on time"?

The phrases "in time" and "on time" are very similar in meaning, but English speakers use them in slightly different situations.

On time

Doing something "on time" means meeting an appointment, or meeting a time that has been set by someone. For example:

I...

How do I build my English-speaking confidence?

Speaking a foreign language can be really intimidating. You know that you're probably making mistakes. You're worried that you might say something offensive and make people angry. It's stressful!

It's hard to make yourself speak when you don't feel confident, but to get better at speaking...