Happy English Podcast

This podcast, which I produce for you each week, is designed to help you improve your English. I’m sure that English learners who listen to the Happy English podcast can find something useful in each episode. Did you notice those relative clauses? 

In a nut shell, relative clauses are kind of like these little phrases that we add into our sentences to give us extra information about a noun. And they're really useful for like, adding detail and making your sentences more interesting.  

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I gotta tell you, I was pretty surprised when the boss paid for lunch today. I mean, he pays our salary each month, but he’s never treated us to lunch before. Of course, we were all pleasantly surprised when he took out his wallet and paid the check for us!

English vocabulary can be tricky sometimes, especially when it comes to prepositions. The verb pay is a good example of this. Pay is a simple word, but we can use it on its own, or we can use pay for, pay by, pay in, pay down, pay up and even pay back. 

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The Future is here! Have you seen what’s going on with AI, space travel, and robotics? When they start sending humans to go to Mars, I’m definitely gonna go. And who knows? Maybe I’ll meet a Martian.    

For today’s English lesson, let’s have a look at the difference between using be going to and will, and also the other ways we can talk about the future, like using the simple present tense, the present progressive tense, and modal verbs.

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Seeing that you like learning English here, I thought you may be interested in sounding more fluent and sophisticated. Today, we’ll look at 7 different ways to give a reason, aside from because, for you need to always expand your vocabulary.

Today's English lesson is all about helping you to explain yourself better. Like, when you want to say "why" something happened. Yeah, you could say “because,” but aren't you tired of just using because all the time? Today, let’s look at all those other ways you can use to explain a reason, so you can sound more fluent and really get your point across. 

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Have you been bugged out recently? Has anything weirded you out? Have you been creeped out by anything or anyone lately? Well, don’t freak out. Today’s lesson is all about Halloween phrasal verbs.

Today I’ve got some phrasal verbs that will help you talk about your feelings and reactions related to Halloween - this vocabulary is really useful for sounding more natural. 

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Have you ever been to a haunted house or Haunted Mansion in Disneyland? Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever seen a goblin or a skeleton? Today, let’s dive into the creepy and spooky!

Halloween is just around the corner, so what a perfect time to look at common vocabulary related to this strange and weird holiday. I have lots of treats, and no tricks for you in this English lesson. 

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Do you usually listen to music while you’re studying? Do you like to study during the day or in the evening? Do you study for a few hours at once or several times during the day?

When we talk about time and what happens with time, we can use during, for, in, and while.  A lot of English learners get tripped up on using these words, so let’s spend some time together today going through them.     

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So thanks to my stupid boss, I almost missed Jack’s party last Friday night. Luckily the party was still going on when I arrived and most of my friends were still there. Almost all of the food was gone though, so I mostly ate chips. 

Today, we're gonna tackle a trio of words that can be pretty tricky for a lot of English learners: almost, most, and mostly. 

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Do you like to leaf through a magazine when you’re waiting for a flight? Or maybe you’ve turned over a new leaf and started studying English more. Are you branching out into new interests? Well, unless I’m barking up the wrong tree, you’ve come to the right place today. 

For this English lesson podcast, it's all about idioms with tree and leaf

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Have you ever been writing something or maybe even just talking to someone and you find yourself stuck on a couple of super common words, because you’re not sure which one is actually the right one to use? I think that happens to us language learners from time to time. 

Well, today we’re gonna take a deep dive into one set of those words, just...and only. 

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These days, it seems like a lot of people all over the world speak English, doesn't it? And that means that there are ton of different English accents out there. Which is totally fine, you know? But if you are concerned about your English pronunciation, then stick around till the end of this podcast - I have a lot of ideas to help you out.

No matter which one you like to listen to and use, here are my top three tips for improving pronunciation and accent.

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I went to a jazz club last night. I’ve actually been to that club several times. I went there. I’ve been there. Interesting grammar patterns, don’t you think? 

Today, let's look at the difference between the simple past and present perfect tenses and with that info, how you can connect them to make your English conversations longer.

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Fall is here, and that means rainy days and wind, apples and nuts, and of course, leaves. . And we're diving into a whole bunch of them inspired by fall. Perfect timing, right? The leaves are changing. There's a chill in the air. We’re going to leaf through a bunch of idioms that have those fall items and see how we can use them in everyday conversational English. 

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Even though I ain’t gonna tell you a deep history of English slang,  let’s talk about a word that’s both loved and hated: ain’t!

Over the years this powerful little word has been embraced in pop songs, TV shows and movies. Love it or hate it, ain’t has definitely made its mark on the English language! For today’s podcast lesson, let’s check out how we use ain’t in everyday, conversational English.

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For some weird reason, the coffee shop was closed this morning. I looked inside, but I couldn’t see anybody. I mean, I could see nothing in there. Well, actually, I didn’t see nobody. There was a mouse running around.

Today, we're gonna be tackling something that's a little different. Get ready to come with me and explore the world of double negatives. Double negatives. Yeah. You heard that right. These are tricky little grammar gremlins that you’ve seen in movies and heard in music. 

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Stop, try, remember, and forget. These four verbs can give you a headache because when they are followed by gerund (ING) or an infinitive (TO VERB) the meaning changes, like I stopped doing in vs I stopped to do it. Let me help you with those today.

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It just turned fall a few days ago, and that got me thinking about fall vocabulary. And, because it’s been a few weeks since we’ve looked at phrasal verbs on the podcast, today we’re going to dive into some phrasal verbs using the word fall. These are super useful and common in everyday English, so if you’re looking to sound more natural, you’ll definitely want to stick around until the end. So, let’s get into it! I’ve got six phrasal verbs to cover today, and I’ll give you some examples and tips on how to use them in your daily conversations.

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In everyday English conversations, we often use short phrases to express agreement or shared feelings. Three common phrases are "me too," "me neither," and "me either." While "me too" is usually easy to use, "me neither" and "me either" can be confusing for a lot of English learners. 

This lesson will help you understand how to use these phrases correctly and confidently. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to understand the differences between "me too," "me neither," and "me either" and use these phrases correctly in daily conversations.

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Check this out. I’ve lived here for 10 years. I’ve been living here for 10 years. A lot of English learners get stuck on the difference between those two types of sentences. Or, I’ve worked here for a long time. I’ve been working here for a long time. Let’s get those unstuck for you!

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Did you ever wish you could add a little more excitement and interest to your English conversations? Maybe you’d like to add some color and excitement to you English writing, especially when it comes to storytelling? Today, let’s take a deep dive into how the past perfect tense might just be the right spice for your next English dish.

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I went to Central Park yesterday. Of course, it wasn’t my first time to go there. I have been to Central Park many times before. 

Recently, a lot of my students and followers have asked me about the difference between sentences like, I lived there and I have lived there. You may have heard these grammar patterns are called the simple past and present perfect. Well, if these have caused you confusion, you’ve landed on the right podcast English lesson. Today, I’m going to help clear this up for you. We’ll start off simple, talking about the simple past and then move on to the present perfect.

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While I was writing this lesson, I was thinking about the early days of my teaching career in Sendai, Japan. While living there, I had the chance to visit a lot of interesting places. While it was different from my life back home in New York, living there was quite an adventure.

While is an interesting word in English, because it can be use as a noun, a conjunction, and an adverb. While you may think you know many of these uses, hopefully there is something new you can find in this podcast English lesson. 

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I went over my notes today and after reading over everything I found out that we haven't run through any phrasal verbs here in a while. Have we fallen behind, or is it just that I’ve been mixing things up. 

Phrasal verbs are a huge part of English, especially spoken English and today, I have a set of ten phrasal verbs that you can use to talk about education - learning and studying. Before we dive in, let’s listen to a conversation between two high school teachers who are talking in the teacher’s office at the end of the school day.

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I have to be honest, I do need a vacation. Wait, what? Did you notice that? I said, I do need a vacation. Do, need. Two verbs one after another. Do we need to talk about this! 

Are you tired of using very and really for emphasis? For today’s podcast English lesson, I’m going to help you  take your English up to the next level, by using do and other verb patterns to express emphasis. 

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I hope you don’t mind if I bend your ear a little bit today. This past week, I’ve been up to my ears in new ideas for English lessons, and today’s podcast English lesson is going to be something that I hope won’t go in one ear and out the other. 

Ears! Today, we’re going to look at six idioms that have to do with how you listen to something.  

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In the last podcast episode, I showed you some idioms using the verb get. Well after that I was thinking and just the word get, all by itself has more that 10 different meanings and uses. Let's check it out!

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I first got my feet wet in the podcast world in 2014. In those days, everything was new to me, and it took a while for me to get my act together. Thankfully, I got my ducks in a row, and nowadays, I actually need to get my fix of doing this.

As you can see, get is an interesting word in English because there are tons of idioms that use this versatile verb. For today’s English lesson we’re gonna look at things you can get - seven get idioms.

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Would you like to learn something interesting today? I knew you would say yes! It would seem that you're pretty interested in improving your English. Well, I would love to help. 

According to the dictionary, would is the past tense of will, which is the future, but talking about the future in the past is just one part of today’s podcast English lesson, where we’re gonna look at ten different ways we use would, in everyday English.

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It’s the end of August, and you know what that means, right? It’s back to school season here in the US. The school schedule, and education in general is handled by each state, but basically the school year starts around the beginning of September. Today, let’s check out some back to school idioms.

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One of the things that I like about being self-employed is that I’m in the driver’s seat. Being independent like that and not having a boss is one of the driving forces behind my motivation to do this job. In the driver’s seat, the driving force.

For today’s podcast English lesson, we’re going to talk about something that plays a huge role in the daily lives of Americans: Driving. Let’s take a look at the importance of driving in American culture and the unique tradition of road trips. After that, we’ll go over some idioms and vocabulary to related to driving. 

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Thanks for joining me for today’s podcast English lesson. Did you know that this podcast was started in 2014? On top of that, My company, Happy English was established in 2010. Those to facts have been presented to you using the passive voice, and that’s the focus of our lesson today.  

For this podcast English lesson, let’s look at what the passive voice is, how to form it, and when to use it. We’ll also go over some examples to help you understand this concept better. 

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They say that New York City is a melting pot, and if you’ve been here before, you certainly know how true that is. As you walk down the streets and avenues here, you can see people from all over the world, hear many different languages, and even smell a wonderful tapestry of international foods. This is all thanks to immigration. 

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I've been working all month long to bring you variety of podcasts to learn English and American culture. All along, I had an idea that these would be helpful and all in all, I think I was right. Thanks a lot for being all ears when it comes to my lessons. 

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Today we’re going to look at the topic of job culture in America. I’ll show you how these concepts shape the daily lives of American workers, and then we’ll go over some useful vocabulary words that will help you talk about work culture in your own conversations. 

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I started my own company, Happy English in 2010, but it wasn’t until several years later that it dawned on me that both of my grandfathers were also entrepreneurs. As immigrants, their families came to America seeking the prosperity and upward mobility that came along with the American dream. I think that’s where I get my ambition and perseverance. 

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I was off work yesterday, so I decided to go off the grid and spend a quiet day at a little park which is totally off the beaten path. Well, I was way off the mark because as soon as I sat down, there were tons of mosquitoes flying around. 

In this podcast English lesson, I’m going to show you 8 phrases that use be off. 

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Right off the bat, I want to let you know that I’m not exactly a big sports fan. I hope my saying that wasn’t a curveball, but maybe for some of you, that came out of left field. Well, today we’re gonna talk about baseball, and I really hope I can hit a home run with this lesson. 

By the end of this podcast, you'll know how to use five American idioms that come from baseball.

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The other day we looked at the iconic hot dog, and how can we not discuss fast food without mentioning the hamburger, a staple of American cuisine. This totally customizable food is a crowd pleaser everywhere. 

The iconic hamburger has become a symbol of American cuisine all over the states and around the world. With its juicy beef patty and a wide variety of toppings, the hamburger is a staple at backyard barbecues, fast-food joints, and diners across the United States.

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The other day, someone asked me what’s a classic American food. The beloved hotdog is the first thing that comes to mind. Whether you get one from a street vendor with mustard, or grill one at home with your favorite toppings, the hot dog is the quintessential American food.  

In episode 734, we looked at summers in the USA. And if there is one food that reminds me of summer it’s a hot dog. Hot dogs go with summer like peanut butter goes with jelly. And I think it’s safe to say that the hot dog is one of the most classic foods in the United States, especially during summer. Whether you're at a baseball game, a family barbecue, or a 4th of July picnic, you're likely to find hot dogs being served. This simple yet satisfying food has a rich history and a beloved place in American culture.

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Do you like to have fun in the sun? Would you rather take a road trip, or laze around the house? Maybe you’re one of those people who likes to hit the beach and soak up the sun. 

Today we're gonna dive into a fun and vibrant topic: Summertime in the USA! In this English lesson podcast, I’m gonna show you some common words and phrases  that you can use to talk about summer activities in English. These words will help you describe how people enjoy their leisure time and make the most of the summer season. 

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I told my coworker Bob that there was a new pizza shop down the street and he said that since the internet was down now, he was down with going there. He was a little down because the boss was down on his idea to change the website, and I figured going out would cheer him up. After all, pizza is a happy food, isn’t it! 

As you’ve probably noticed in your study of phrasal verbs, one phrasal verb can have a number of different uses and meanings. Be down is no exception and today, we are going to look at 6 different ways that we use be down. 

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There’s nothing better than a summer barbecue. You can pig out on burgers and hot dogs, even make a total pig of your self and everyone there is as happy as a pig in mud. One of my friends asked me when I was going to stop eating meat. When? Well, when pigs fly, that’s when! 

In the last few episodes of the Happy English podcast, I talked about hot and heat idioms. After all, it is the middle of the summer now. And summer brings us to barbecues and picnics - two kinds of events where you can enjoy good food and nice company outside in the park or by the beach. And thinking about that reminded me of this set of pig idioms. 

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I wasn't really sure what I was going to talk about here on the podcast but then, I decided to do this. This lesson is going to be nothing but expressions using, but. And, but for a short conversation it's just going to be me doing the talking, as you know, I am but your humble English teacher.

I couldn’t do anything this morning but think about how to teach you these five ways to use but. In fact, I couldn't come up with anything but the following conversation.

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Last week, I took the heat for an English lesson with hot idioms. But trust me when I say that when the heat is on, I’m ready for it. I may even catch heat for this lesson...who knows!  
It was close to the 40 degree mark this past week in New York and all of that heat inspired me to help you with these heat idioms. There are 8 of them all together, so let’s dive in.

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I know that this may be a hot potato but have you been in the hot seat recently? Or perhaps you have been hot under the collar because some hot head got you all hot and bothered.  trust me I'm not full of hot air when I say this. 

I love helping you learn idioms because they make your English conversation sound much more natural and interesting.  for today's English lesson we're going to look at six idioms that contain the word hot. 

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When I found out that the company picnic was off, I drove off from the park and went to the library to study. Since I was off today, I thought I could make good use of my time. Plus, I was a little off yesterday and couldn't focus on studying.

Off is one of those interesting words in English that has a number of meanings and uses, just like what I mentioned at the beginning of this episode. So don’t turn this off, because today I’m going to show you 7 ways we use off. 

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I went through a rough time when I had to go through with a speech last week. Of course, before I went on stage, I went through a couple of cups of coffee while going through the notes for the speech. That’s a lot to go through!
Have you ever gone through a tunnel with your car? Or maybe a train you were on went through a tunnel. Well, when you go through a tunnel, you start at one end come out the other end. It’s a process of moving from one point to the other. Think about that as you listen to this lesson on using go through. 
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I am gonna go to the store in order to buy milk. I am gonna go to the store to buy milk. I am gonna go to the store and  buy milk. I am gonna go and buy milk. I’m gonna go buy milk. 

Go is a pretty basic verb in English, and I guess because it’s so basic, there are a lot of different
phrases with go and different ways to use go. Today let’s look at some of the common ones. 

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I finally got around to cleaning out that garage. Let me tell you something, that is not a job I look forward to doing at all. I guess I'm more used to messing it up. Yeah I definitely can admit to doing that. 
You'll notice in all four cases, there's a there's a verb followed by TO followed by a gerund,  you know the ING.  But wait Michael, to should be followed by a base verb!  Yes, that's true, but there are cases where TO is followed by a GERUND and that's what we're going to look at today. 

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I guess you know that NYC is known as the Big Apple. But did you know that the Big Apple is known for it’s pizza? As well, the City is known for being the city that never sleeps.   

I know that prepositions can be tricky and sometimes we can pair a word with a few different prepositions. Crazy, isn’t it! Today, we are going to look at the word known, which can be paired with 5 different prepositions and phrases with prepositions. Let’s dive in!

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Don’t listen to this podcast unless you like learning English. Yeah, as long as you are a fan of learning English, I am sure you will enjoy this episode, that is provided you find this kind if thing interesting. 

We’ve talk about using IF to talk about a condition a few times before, right? Well, have you ever wondered if there are other words you can us to talk about a condition? If so then you are in the right place. By the end of this podcast English lesson, you’ll be able to use unless, should, as long as, and provided to talk about conditions. Let’s get the ball rolling.

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Do you like to stay in bed late on the weekends? What time are you usually at work until? Have you ever been on a farm or in the mountains. Oh...maybe you see where this conversation is going, huh?  
Last week, in  Episode 721, we talked about using at and in to talk about location. Today, I’d like to get into how we use in, at, and on in some set phrases, also to talk about location. Let’s get the ball rolling.

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Are you home or at home? In the office or at the office. Are you listening to this podcast at your house or in your house. Those tricky English prepositions always cause trouble - until today. 

Among the various aspects of learning English, prepositions seem to cause more problems than anything else. In particular, a lot of listeners to the podcast have told me that understanding when to use in and when to use at to talk about location tends to be confusing. Well, today I’m going to help you out with exactly that.
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I advise you listen to this whole podcast. I know that I have suggested this before, and I often recommend listening to podcasts as a way of improving your English. Well, I today I would like to propose you grab a pen and a notebook, and listen up!

When you have advice that you want another person to consider, there are 4 verbs you can use. These are advise, propose, recommend, and suggest. Interestingly, these verbs can be used with three different grammar patterns, which is what we’re going to look at today. By the end of this podcast English lesson, you’ll be able to use all four verbs in all three grammar patterns with ease. Let’s dive in.

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Do yourself a favor. Stop studying English. Yeah I said that. Me, your humble English teacher. In this podcast English lesson, I’m going to explain why I suggest you stop studying English and what you can do instead to practice and improve your English. 

Today I want you to rethink what you do in English. I want you to move from the “I study English” to the “I use English” mindset. Let’s jump in!

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Even though I was up with the chickens this morning, because of a train delay I got to the office just in the nick of time. I’m using the trains for the time being, but in the meantime, I’m looking for an apartment closer to the office. 

For this English lesson, let’s take a look at 6 phrases that you can use to talk about time. These are common phrases that you can use in your everyday spoken and written English.  Let’s dive in!

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As you may already know, I’m a huge music lover. But as for sports, frankly, I couldn’t care less. For all I care, all the local teams could lose and it wouldn’t bother me! Would you care to know why?

The verb care is an interesting word in English because it has a number of uses as well as idioms that are common in everyday English conversation. 

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Have you ever heard of Louis Armstrong? Did you ever listen to jazz? Among all jazz musicians, Louis Armstrong has probably the most unique voice ever. I’m sure if you listen to his music, you’ll be ever so happy! 

The adverb ever means at any time, and that could mean at any time in the past or in the future. For today’s English lesson, let’s look at all the different ways we use this versatile little word.

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I'm not trying to let the cat out of the bag, but I have to tell you, I am dog tired.  I'm going to guess that you're going to want to know why, but keep in mind curiosity killed the cat. Yup, today is all about cats and dogs.

For today's English lesson let's have a look at idioms that deal with cats and dogs. I really love helping you learn idioms because they do tend to make your English conversation and writing more colorful and more natural sounding. 

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When I was younger I could play the piano a lot better than I can now. You know? I'm glad I was able to tell you that. Knowing modal verbs like can and be able to is not only important for your everyday English conversation, but using this grammar correctly will give you an edge in English exams like IELTS, TOEFL, and TOEIC. 
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Day in and day out, I try to come up with topics to talk about here on the Happy English podcast. Most of my ideas come from questions or problems my students have. At the end of the day, it’s always best to keep trying new things. In this day and age, I think most people are interested in learning something. That’s plain as day, no? Today, let’s look as 10 idioms and expressions that relate to time and day.
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Wouldn't it be nice if we could learn another language quickly and easily? Oh, don’t worry, this isn’t a commercial, just an intro to this lesson. Isn’t that why you’re here? Negative questions are questions that begin with the negative forms of the be verb and other auxiliary verbs. Like their cousins, tag questions, negative questions are often used to check what we think is true. Let’s go!

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I’m sure you have a lot on your plate, so thanks a lot for checking out my podcast. Today I have something special for everyone working in an international environment. I’m not saying that I have the silver bullet, but I think this episode is going to be a game changer for you. For today’s English lesson, let’s have a look at 8 phrases that you can use in the workplace and in your daily English conversations.

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American English pronunciation is interesting. A lot of English learners tell me that Americans talk to quickly. But I would say it’s more the style of speaking than the speed. One interesting feature of spoken American English is the fact that We. Do. Not. Like. To. Stop. After. Each. Word. In. A. Sentence. Quite often, the end of one word links with the beginning of the next word. For this English lesson, we’re going look at one particular sound that happens when one word ends with a vowel sound, and the next word begins with a vowel sound.

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For this English lesson, We’re going to look at nine different ways that we use the verb have. Have is one of those interesting words in English that has multiple meanings and uses, as well as a number of different grammar patterns. By the way, have is an irregular verb, and the three parts are have, had, and had. Let’s get the ball rolling!

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For this English lesson, I'm going to show you a couple of different types of questions that you can ask when you want to check that the information you have is right. Basically, these are tag questions and negative questions. By the end of this lesson you'll understand how these questions are used in everyday, conversational English.

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Guess what! This lesson is all about conversational phrases in American English. And maybe you’re wondering…can I find a lesson like this in a book? Not exactly. “How come?,”you may ask. How come indeed. Let’s check it out.
For this English lesson, I’m going to show you how to sound more American, by using words and phrases that will make your English conversations sound, well, less like a text book. By the end of this lesson, you be able to use and understand this English. Let’s dive in.

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Have you ever seen the movie, Good Morning Vietnam with Robin Williams? In that movie, an army base had William’s character work as a radio dj, and his personality had everyone on the base laughing. Except of course his supervisors, who wanted to have him transferred. Have someone do something, have someone doing something, and have someone done. By the end of this podcast, you’ll have learned six different ways to use have in the causative.

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Thanks again for spending time with the Happy English podcast. I remember the time I first started doing this in 2014. I was killing time on social medial when I first knew about podcasts. Those were interesting times! Time? Times? Let’s discuss!

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Let me ask you something. Would you rather pay train fare or a highway toll? Do you think the admission charge at the movie theater is reasonable? In your country, what percentage of a doctor's fee do patients usually need to pay? In this podcast English lesson you're going to learn the difference between six different types of things you can pay.

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Learning idioms can make your English conversations sound more natural and today, we’re going to look at five idioms you might use in your English conversations at the beginning of the year. By the end of this podcast, you’ll learn these idioms and the history behind how we started saying them!

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Merry Christmas 2023. For today’s podcast, I’ve gotten together an amazing group of English learners from all over the world to bring to you a very special reading of A Visit From St. Nicholas, the iconic Christmas poem written by Clement Clarke Moore in 1837.

In no particular order, thanks to Rémi (France), Naoko (Japan), Peter (Russia), Andrea (Germany), Konomi (Japan), Fabri (Italy), Tammy (Hong Kong), Sumiko (Japan), Elena (Italy) Noriko (Japan), Nancy (Guadalupe)

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For today's English lesson we're going to take a look at five idioms which are things that you can hit: Hit the ceiling, hit the hay / sack, hit the jackpot, hit the sauce, and hit the town
By the end of this lesson you're going to not only learn these idioms but you also have an idea as to where they came from.

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Are you determined to do anything, come hell or high water? Are you able to keep your head above water these days? Is there anything you want to try and test the waters? Has anyone told you a story that couldn’t hold water? By the end of this podcast English lesson, you’ll learn five water idioms and also how they came to be.

Have a topic you'd like me to cover here? Send me a message and let me know!

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Have you ever felt like a fish out of water? Maybe you’ve been in hot water recently, or in deep water with your boss. Do you feel like your relationship with the boss is like oil and water, or is that more like water off a duck’s back. Let’s discuss.

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After you arrive in New York, you can probably arrive at your hotel within an hour. Since you’ll be arriving with luggage, I’d suggest taking a taxi. When you arrive by taxi, the hotel will have a special entrance just for you. Let’s discuss.

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I suppose you’re listening to this podcast in order to learn something about English. I also suppose you’ll be taking notes. Why? Well, suppose you want to remember these English points. You’re supposed to do that, you know! Let’s discuss.

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In this podcast English lesson, I'm speaking with author and English teacher, Gregory Diehl. Gregory has a new book out called <em>Our Global Lingua Franca: An Educator's Guide to Spreading English Where EFL Doesn't Work</em> which explores the cultural and economic importance of spreading English as a universal language. Gregory has taught in more than a dozen countries and observed the persistent flaws that prevent the majority of learners from developing even conversational English fluency, let alone true fluency.

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I think that learning another language is not just about grammar and vocabulary. How about you? Oh, and that reminds me. I wanted to let you know what today’s lesson is all about. And by the way, I’m sure you’re going to find this useful.

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Had I known this English point was a pain in the neck for a lot of English learners, I would have covered it before. Can you imagine? How I missed this is beyond me!

Sometimes the word order of a sentence is changed. In particular, we sometimes reverse the order of the subject and verb. And this is called, inversion. For today’s English lesson, lets look at five situations where this happens.

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You know? The three things you need to do to boost and keep your confidence in English are:
1. Keep a positive attitude about English.
2. Practice using English every day
3. Read more. Let’s discuss.

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Talking the IELTS exam? If so, you need to hook up with Jessic from IELTS Energy. So lucky to have her on the podcast today. She's got some tips and ideas to help you reach your dream score on the IELTS exam.

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Have you spilled your guts recently? Have you seen or heard about anything which made your boil or left you scared stiff? Well, before those bad dreams come back to haunt you, let’s discuss. This English lesson is all about Spooky Idioms!

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This is my chat with Kyra Sage from LanguageHack.co. We talk about learning and hacking languages, plus you can hear all about how Kyra got into teaching English, as well as her own language learning journey

Kyra Sage online: https://www.languagehack.co
Kyra's Book: Explore the Outdoors: Photorealistic ABCs for Kids


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When it comes to having a slice, probably the most important thing people consider is the crust. That’s right the crust - not to thick, but not so thin that you can’t pick up a slice with one hand. For New Yorker’s it’s got to be just right. Let’s discuss.

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I’ve recently moved my office into a different room and it has more than enough room for all of my stuff. Now I can do my work with enough space. My new desk has a space for my computer and several spaces where I can put other equipment. Yeah, this room has enough room.

Let's build your vocabulary

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If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me about conditional sentences, I’d be a millionaire. Do you have questions like that? Well, if I were you, I’d listen carefully to this podcast episode. Basically, there are four different patterns you need to remember, and that’s what we are going to look at today.

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I have something for you to learn. There is nothing else more important than this podcast. Ok, maybe that’s not something smart to say, but anything else may not work. What?
In this English lesson, let's look at 5 different grammar patterns you can use with something, anything, and nothing. Oh yeah, and these patterns also work well with someone, anyone, and noone too!

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I saw a magician last night. He was amazing. In fact, he was amazing the audience from the moment he stepped on to the stage. What an amazing magician.
In this English lesson podcast, let's look at 3 ways we use ING Adjectives, also known as present participle adjectives.

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I came late today because I had forgotten my train ticket at home. So I went back home and by the time I got there, it had started raining. What a morning. If I had known it was going to rain, I would have stayed home. Let’s discuss.

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Language has input and output. Input is reading and listening. Output is speaking and writing. All together, these are known as the 4 skills of English. The 4 skills you need to work on in order to improve your English. Let’s discuss.


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Don’t you dare tell anyone about this lesson. Wait, on second thought, I dare you to do it. How dare you not tell people about this podcast. Dare…that’s an interesting word in English. Let's study together.

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This is a pen. You probably learned a sentence like that back in the day, right? Well, the be verb, you know, am, is are, and the verb do can be confusing sometimes, especially in a negative sentence. Let's study together

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If you visit New York, let me know and I’ll take you out for a pizza. Did that take you by surprise? I hope you take me up on that. And please…trust me when I say that I won’t take you for a ride.

Idioms can add color and richness to your English, and today I have a set of idioms that use the verb take and various prepositions. These are commonly used phrases in English conversations that you can use with your friends, family, and in the workplace. Let’s check them out.

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Have you recently taken up a sport or do you get worn out just thinking about playing sports. Or maybe, you like to cheer on professional athletes when they do sports. Have these questions warmed you up for this lesson?
Learning phrasal verbs can make your English conversations sound more natural and give you an edge on those pesky English exams like TOEIC, TOFEL and IELTS. For today's podcast English lesson, we're going to look at phrasal verbs that you can use to talk about sports.

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Are you usually on board with your boss or have you thought about jumping ship? Are you the kind of person who likes to rock the boat or make waves? If so I hope you're not in deep water. These are nautical idioms that you can use in your everyday English conversations in the workplace and with your friends and family.

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