• Episode #104: Sticks and Stones
    Mar 31 2025

    "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me". Maybe- but what about a word that has ten different meanings, like stick?
    In Episode #104, Tim focuses first on the different parts of trees (because why not?), and then on the many meanings of the word stick, as a noun, verb and adjective. Listen to learn all ten meanings so you can express yourself and understand others in more detail.

    The image is a photo from Wikipedia made by Hp. Baumeler. The image has been cropped to fit a square frame. The original image can be found here:
    File:Kameldornbaum Sossusvlei.jpg - Wikimedia Commons


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    16 mins
  • Episode #103: Every Type of Verb
    Mar 23 2025

    Stative verbs. Irregular verbs. Modal verbs. Semi-modal verbs. Auxiliary verbs... and so on. In Episode 103, Tim explains these verb types (and many more) and how to use them. If you want to understand just one verb type or all of them, Episode 103 is the best place to start.


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    27 mins
  • Episode #102: The Chewing Gum Accent
    Mar 17 2025

    THE CHEWING GUM ACCENT
    You understand your English teacher in the classroom, and maybe the BBC. But what about English spoken by native speakers in the real world, or in movies and on TV? That's a lot more difficult- in those situations, native speakers speak more quickly. But HOW are they able to speak so quickly? The answer is- they change the pronunciation of words and phrases so that they are easier to say. Sounds change, mix and even disappear. It's not magic- it's rules.
    In Episode 102, Tim returns to the topic of these real world pronunciations, called CHEWING GUM pronunciation, and gives you the basics needed to understand them, and future episodes on the same topic.
    More episodes on chewing gum pronunciation:
    Episode 7: The Chewing Gum Accent
    Episode 18: More Chewing Gum, Please!

    Cover image taken from Wikipedia. The original image has been cropped to fit a square frame.


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    21 mins
  • Episode #101: NGSL 1811-1820 + Word Histories
    Mar 9 2025

    In Episode 101, Tim does the hard work for you, diving into 10 words with 24 meanings from the NGSL, a list of the 2800 most used words in formal and written English- words that make you sound smarter. And for the first time, Tim combines two favorite topics: the NGSL and etymologies, sharing the histories of 3 NGSL words. Learning etymologies helps you make connections between words and remember them better. Plus- it's a lot of fun!
    Earlier episodes in the series:
    Episode 2: The NGSL- 2800 Words For Better English.
    Episode 11: NGSL 1331-1340. 10 Words, 27 Meanings.
    Episode 62: NGSL 1341-1350.
    Episode 73: NGSL 1511-1520.
    Episode 84: NGSL 1011-105.
    Episode 99: NGSL 1801-1810


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    25 mins
  • Episode #100: Words With the Root SKR
    Mar 3 2025

    In Episode #100, Tim takes a deep look into a favorite topic- prehistoric roots or word parts that can be found in modern English words. In this week's episode, Tim focuses on the Indo-European root SKR, which can be found in over a dozen English words. Listen to Episode 100 to learn the meaning of the root SKR, and the fascinating connections between the words with this root.


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    23 mins
  • Episode #99: NGSL 1801-1810
    Feb 24 2025

    Most words have more than one meaning or function, and exploring them is really fun! That's what Tim does in this episode- explore ALL the important meanings of 10 words from the NGSL, 1801-1810. Learning the more advanced meanings of these words will help you to understand and communicate in depth and detail- which is what the goal is right?
    Earlier episodes in the series:
    Episode 2: The NGSL- 2800 Words For Better English.
    Episode 11: NGSL 1331-1340. 10 Words, 27 Meanings.
    Episode 62: NGSL 1341-1350.
    Episode 73: NGSL 1511-1520.
    Episode 84: NGSL 1011-105.

    Photo credit: Rope Climb


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    20 mins
  • Episode #98: Verbs With OUT
    Feb 17 2025

    Let's keep learning small things that bring big results! The star of this week's episode is a small, powerful and easy to understand prefix that you can add to many different action verbs. Just attach the prefix OUT-, and most of the time you get a new verb with an expressive meaning, like OUTFOX or OUTRUN. Add color and interest to your speech by listening to this week's episode for intermediate to advanced students of English!


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    19 mins
  • Episode #97: Small Words, Big Power
    Feb 10 2025

    Did you know that the 100 most used words in English- words like GET, BE, and LIKE (and also articles) are 50 percent of all words in text and speech? This means that you need to know these 100 words- and know them WELL, with several meanings of each word.
    In Episode 97, Tim focuses on the meanings of one very common word from the top 100. Listen to find out which word, and learn this word so you understand it in depth and detail!


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    22 mins