A LITTLE ENGLISH, EVERY DAY
Learn useful words, understand grammar and practise English for everyday life.
Free to explore. No account or download needed.
Try a search:pragmaticbreak the icepresent tense
MEANING
Able to express ideas and feelings clearly and persuasively, or describing speech or writing that does this.
IN A SENTENCEHer eloquent speech at the wedding made everyone smile.
Usage note: An eloquent speaker communicates effectively; the word does not simply mean someone who talks a lot.
Origin: From Latin eloquens, related to eloqui, meaning to speak out.
START RIGHT HERE
One question. A useful explanation.
Use the present simple to talk about a habit: something you do regularly.
“I practise English every day.”
Choose a sentence, check the explanation, then say a daily habit of your own.
A QUICK GRAMMAR CHECK
She practises English every day. With he, she or it, add -s to most verbs in the present simple.
Now make it yours: “I ___ every day.” Use a verb such as read, walk or practise.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Start with the basics, practise a conversation or build on what you know.
I’m new to English
Learn familiar words, sounds and simple sentences.
I want to speak more
Rehearse useful exchanges for everyday situations.
I know the basics
Explore sentence patterns and useful word combinations.
Not sure where to begin? Start with the basics. You can choose another path whenever you like.
BUILD YOUR WORD BANK
A calm, steady state of mind that you maintain when something difficult, disappointing or unexpected happens.
Meaning, examples & practice →Focused on what will work in a real situation, rather than only on ideas or ideal solutions.
Meaning, examples & practice →Someone or something reliable can be trusted to do what you expect, even when you need them often.
Meaning, examples & practice →Lacking initiative, strength of character, or effectiveness; weak and irresponsible.
Meaning, examples & practice →Excessively eager to please or obey; overly submissive and flattering.
Meaning, examples & practice →Impossible to stop, prevent, or persuade; relentless.
Meaning, examples & practice →PAUSE. RECALL. TRY IT.
Without looking back, explain eloquent in your own words. Then think of a sentence about your day.
A short recall check helps you practise using what you have just read.
YOUR SELF-CHECK
Able to express ideas and feelings clearly and persuasively, or describing speech or writing that does this.
Her eloquent speech at the wedding made everyone smile.
PLAY WITH YOUR ENGLISH
Build words, solve meaning clues or put a sentence together. Choose a skill and start playing.
6 games to explore
Build a word from letter tiles using a meaning clue.
Arrange letters
Play gameMatch a word with its meaning and learn from the feedback.
Choose a meaning
Play gameIdentify the base word and explore how a prefix changes its meaning.
Build words
Play gameLooking for a guided activity? Open daily practice →
UNDERSTAND THE PATTERN
Use a or an with singular countable nouns when introducing an unidentified member of a group. Choose a or an by the next spoken…
Explore this lesson →Conjunctions connect words, phrases or clauses. And, but and or coordinate; because and although introduce subordinate clauses; either…or and both…and work in pairs. Choose…
Explore this lesson →A typical finite clause has a subject and a tensed verb phrase. An independent clause can form a complete sentence; a subordinate clause is…
Explore this lesson →BEYOND THE LITERAL MEANING
EXPRESSION TO TRY
To use up your energy by staying active late at night and starting early again, leaving too little time for rest.
She’s been burning the candle at both ends to balance her job and night classes.Explore this idiom →
To deliberately ignore something.
The final problem in a series of problems.
To flow over an edge, or for an activity or effect to extend into another area.
ENGLISH OUT IN THE WORLD
Read both sides of a conversation, say a response aloud, then change the details to make it yours.
Practise asking about a menu, ordering a meal, and requesting the bill politely.
Practise the conversation →Practise ordering a drink, choosing its size, and asking for it to take away.
Practise the conversation →Practise booking a hotel room, checking what is included, and asking about check-in.
Practise the conversation →A LITTLE HELP WHILE YOU PRACTISE
Write a short paragraph and see its word and character counts.
Open the word counter →Play a word or phrase with your device’s English voice and practise saying it aloud.
Try pronunciation playback →Rewrite a sentence, compare your drafts and decide which version is clearer.
Open rewrite practice →KEEP EXPLORING
Pragmatic means focused on what works in practice. Learn what a pragmatic person is, compare pragmatic and idealistic, and try a short quiz.
Published
Read this article →Abate means become less intense or reduce something. Understand abated, abating and abates, with verb forms, sentence examples and a short practice quiz.
Published
Read this article →Watch the video, read the companion notes and try the word in your own sentence.
Open video lesson →All video lessons ↗An example of a simple practice routine.
KNOW WHAT TO DO NEXT
The app brings these together in a daily set. Read an explanation, answer the practice checks and try your own sentence.
Free in your browser. Completed lessons stay on this device and browser.
“English Skill Studio made my daily speaking practice fun and easy. Now I can confidently talk with clients from the US!”
— Sunayana Reddy
Read an explanation, try the practice and review the examples at your own pace.
About English Skill Studio →Suggest a correction →BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Start small. Choose a route, try an activity and come back when you’re ready.
Get help or suggest a correction →Open the beginner roadmap for letters, sounds and everyday words. You can explore the other paths at any time.
The website lessons, games, tools and learning app currently available here are free to use.
No account or download is needed to begin. Open the lessons on this website or use the learning app in your browser.
Complete the checks inside the learning app to save lesson completion in this browser on this device. Reading a website lesson or trying the homepage activity does not mark it complete in the app. Use the app’s Progress screen to download a backup.