How does Laura spend her money?

Laura and Clint are having a conversation about how she spends her money. She is not sure how she is spending her money, and that is why Clint is helping her to make a list of her daily expenses.

Laura	I don’t know where all my money goes.
Clint	Do you have a budget?
Laura	No, I don’t.
Clint	Well, … Have you ever tried to figure out where you spend money?
Laura	Umm, no!
Clint	OK. Get a piece of paper. Let’s go through your day.
Laura	Let’s see. The first thing I do in the morning is to stop at the coffee shop. I buy a cup of coffee and a doughnut there.
Clint	All right. How much do you spend there?
Laura	About $4.
Clint	And how do you get to work? You only live about a mile from work, right?
Laura	Well, I usually don’t get on time to work, so I take the bus. That’s about $2.
Clint	Then, what about lunch?
Laura	I buy my lunch in the cafeteria. It’s about $8 for a sandwich and iced tea.
Clint	Do you spend any more money for food?
Laura	Hmm! Just a soda from the vending machine. That’s a dollar.
Clint	Do you walk home?
Laura	No, I’m too tired. I pay another two dollars for the bus. Oh, and when I get off the bus, I stop and buy a lottery ticket on my way home. That’s a dollar.
Clint	Well, it’s easy to see where all your money goes.

As soon as you are finished reading this conversation, go back to class and answer the questions with your peers.

233: Active vs. Passive Voice

Active vs. Passive Voice

Some students are not sure how to transform active sentences into passive voice sentences. 

Here you have a lot of examples in all kinds of verb tenses.

Download a PDF of this information from the YourDictionary.Com webpage.

232: Anyone / No one & Any one / None

Anyone / No one & Any one / None 

The confusion with "anyone and any one" and "none and no one" could be blamed on the way they sound.

These long but explanatory infographic will help you understand how they are used.

231: Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive Pronouns

Do you understand what a reflexive pronoun is in English? Are you certain of how to use them correctly?

Here you have a nice infographic that summarizes what they are and how to use them.

230: Whether of If?

Whether of If?

What's the difference between "whether" and "if?" The following infographic will help you understand the main difference between both of them.

229: Collocations with GET

Collocations with GET

Keep in mind that get is the most versatile verb in English because depending on what word comes after it, it changes meaning. It's difficult to say how many collocations there are with get, but the following is a good way to remember some of its most common ones.

1. Do you always get along with all partners in a classroom?
2- Do you usually get over an ear infection quickly or slowly?

Can you guess the meaning of all expressions here? See the examples provided in the chart. And in case you don't understand any of them, ask your teacher next time you go to class.

228: Verbs Followed by Gerunds

Verbs Followed by Gerunds

The following information can help you understand and remember these verbs that only take gerunds after them.

Which of these two sentences is correct?
a) I don't mind going to the movies on weekdays.
b) I don't mind to go to the movies on weekdays.

Read the chart and find out what the right answer is.

227: Tea Idioms

Tea Idioms

British people enjoy drinking tea at various times of the day. And they also have idioms connected to this drink.

Do you know the meaning of "it's not my cup of tea," or "I wouldn't do it for all the tea in China," or "it's useless as a chocolate teapot?" 

If you have no idea, watch the following video.

226: Weird Plurals

Weird Plurals

What's the plural form for Chinese? And how about the plural form for cactus in English? The same?

Is bacteria plural or singular? How about trout or sheep? Are they singular forms or plural forms?

Well, let's find out!

225: Prepositions: Location, Time & Movement

Prepositions: Location, Time & Movement

It's time to review how you use prepositions of location, time, and movement in English.

The chart includes some prepositions you may not know yet. So ask you teacher for clarification and examples.

224: "Such" and "So:" How to Use?

"Such" and "So:" How to Use?

Students sometimes have trouble understanding the difference between these two words.

How can you use them correctly? Read the following infographic and pay close attention to the rules. And if you are still unclear about them, discuss the rules with your teacher in class.

223: Difference between CAN and COULD

Difference between CAN and COULD

The following infographic explains quite well what the difference between "can" and "could" is. 

Study it carefully so you can see how they are used to formulate requests, to express politeness and possibility, to sound theoretical, to express ability, to ask for permission, etc.

222: What's the Difference? SEE / LOOK / WATCH

What's the Difference? SEE / LOOK / WATCH

At the beginning the verbs "see," "look," and "watch" seem to have similar meanings, but not. They are related but they have different uses in English.

Take a look!

221: A Dog's Tale

A Dog's Tale
"Money will buy you a pretty good dog, but it won't buy the wag of his tail."

This is what we call proverbs or sayings. The following podcast, or audio, explains to you what the expression means.

This is a great exercise to test your understanding.


Taken from Audio Boom at https://audioboom.com/boos/3517794-a-dog-s-tale?playlist_direction=reversed

220: Beard Style Guide

Beard Style Guide

For sure all of us know what a beard is, but do you know all the types of beards that there are?

Study the chart below and see -if you are a man or if you know someone with a beard- the kind he has.

219: More about Suffixes

More about Suffixes

To continue developing your understanding of suffixes, here you have a detailed chart with suffixes for adjectives, nouns, and more.

218; Well Blow Me Down!

Well Blow Me Down!



How good are you at understanding jokes in English? There are many good ones in connection to idioms and other colloquial language.

Enjoy this podcast. It is quite good!

Taken from https://audioboom.com/boos/3525851-well-blow-me-down#collapseOne

217: Ways of Measuring in English

Ways of Measuring in English

All languages have different ways of measuring products such as bread or paper. Many of these particular collocations are unique in each language and we must learn them to sound properly in English.

In Spanish you may say "una mano de bananos," but English employs a different expression: "a bunch of bananas."

Read the following information and learn more expressions.

216: What's the Difference?: Present Perfect vs. Present Perfect Progressive

What's the Difference?: Present Perfect vs. Present Perfect Progressive

Sometimes the present perfect and the present perfect progressive can be used in the very same contexts. But there are two ways in which they really differ. Do you know what these differences are?

If you don't know what those differences are, read the following information to find out.

215: How are you feeling today?

How are you feeling today?

Are you feeling exhausted at this very moment? Or perhaps you feel just relaxed? Well, during the day we experience changes in our mood and feelings, and for this reason here you have a nice list of words that can help your describe how you are feeling.

If there is any word you don't understand, ask your teacher for clarification.