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Notes from the desk.

Short, practical reads on the English that trips people up. No fluff — each one is a single idea you can use today.

How to learn

Seven notes on method rather than rules — what to do with the fifteen minutes, and what the fifteen minutes are actually buying.

methodHow long does it take to learn English?There is a published answer — roughly 200 guided hours per CEFR level, and the gaps widen.read · 3 min methodHow to think in EnglishTranslating in your head is a stage, not a failure. Start with nouns, not sentences.read · 3 min methodA fifteen-minute daily routineFive minutes reviewing, five reading, five producing — and why the order matters.read · 3 min vocabBuilding a vocabulary that actually sticksMet in a sentence, used the same day, seen again before it fades.read · 3 min methodThe quiet power of reading aloudThe only speaking practice that needs nobody else in the room.read · 2 min vocabEnglish proverbs, and what they actually meanFixed sentences you cannot rearrange — which is what makes them a trap.read · 3 min methodSeven short quotes to practise withA complete, natural sentence short enough to own by the end of the day.read · 3 min

Grammar notes

grammarWhen to use the Present PerfectThe present perfect connects the past to now. Use it for experiences, recent news, and unfinished time.read · 3 min grammarA vs An: the sound, not the letterThe choice between a and an depends on the sound that follows — not the spelling.read · 2 min vocab5 phrasal verbs you’ll hear every dayFive high-frequency phrasal verbs, with the meaning and a natural example for each.read · 3 min grammarSince vs For: a 30-second ruleUse since with a point in time and for with a length of time.read · 2 min vocabMake or Do? A simple splitUse make for creating and producing; use do for tasks and activities.read · 2 min grammarMuch, Many, A lot ofMany counts; much measures; a lot of works for both.read · 2 min grammarSay vs TellTell needs a person; say usually does not.read · 2 min pronStress can change meaningMove the stress and a word can switch from noun to verb.read · 2 min grammarGerund or Infinitive?Some verbs are followed by -ing, others by to + verb. Here are the patterns.read · 3 min grammarin, on, at — time & placeA clean ladder from big to small makes these three prepositions easy.read · 3 min grammarPresent Perfect vs Past SimpleFinished time takes the past simple; unfinished or unspecified time takes the present perfect.read · 3 min