Recursio
English Guides
Clear, self-contained guides to English grammar and vocabulary — with real examples, the mistakes learners actually make, and a quick exercise.
Grammar
- A2
-ed vs -ing Adjectives: bored or boring?
Bored or boring? -ed adjectives say how you feel; -ing adjectives say what causes the feeling. Learn the difference with clear examples.
Read the guide → - A2
A, An, The: English Articles Explained
When to use a, an, the — or no article at all. The rules for English articles with clear examples, the mistakes learners make most, and a quick exercise.
Read the guide → - B1
Adjective Order in English
Why is it 'a nice big old wooden table'? Learn the usual order of adjectives in English — opinion, size, age, shape, color, origin, material, purpose.
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Adverbs of Frequency: always, usually, never
How often? Learn always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely and never — and the word order rule: before the main verb, but after am, is and are.
Read the guide → - B1
Can, Could, May, Might: Talking About Possibility
How to talk about possibility in English with can, could, may and might — degrees of certainty, present and past forms, common mistakes, and a quick exercise.
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Comparatives and Superlatives
How to compare in English: -er and more for comparatives, the -est and most for superlatives, irregular forms, the common mistakes, and a quick exercise.
Read the guide → - B1
Conditionals: Zero, First, Second, Third
The four English conditionals explained simply — zero, first, second, and third — with the form, real examples, common mistakes, and a quick exercise.
Read the guide → - A2
Countable and Uncountable Nouns
What countable and uncountable nouns are, how they change a/an, some, much and many, the words that trip learners up, and a quick exercise to test yourself.
Read the guide → - B1
Dependent Prepositions: interested in, depend on, good at
Interested in, good at, depend on — many English verbs and adjectives take a fixed preposition. Learn the common pairs and what follows them.
Read the guide → - B2
Gerunds and Infinitives: -ing or to + verb
When to use the -ing form and when to use to + verb in English — the verbs that take each, the ones that change meaning, common mistakes, and a quick exercise.
Read the guide → - A2
How to Make Questions in English
How to make questions in English: use an auxiliary and invert. Yes/no and wh- questions, do/does/did, and subject questions — with examples.
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Irregular Verbs: The Ones You Actually Need
English irregular verbs made manageable: learn all three forms together, group verbs by pattern, and see where each form is used — with a quick exercise.
Read the guide → - B1
Must, Have to, Should: Obligation in English
How to talk about obligation in English: must, have to, should, and mustn't vs don't have to — what each means and the mistakes learners make.
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Past Simple vs Past Continuous
Past simple or past continuous? Past simple is a finished action; past continuous is an action in progress — see how they combine and when to use each.
Read the guide → - A2
Possessives: 's, s' and of
My brother's car or the car of my brother? Learn when English uses 's, when it uses of, and where the apostrophe goes with plurals.
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Prepositions of Time: At, In, On
When to use at, in and on for time in English — clock times, months, days and dates — with a simple rule, the exceptions, common mistakes, and a quick exercise.
Read the guide → - B1
Present Perfect Continuous
I've been waiting for an hour. Learn have/has been + -ing: how long something has continued, recent activity with a visible result, and how it differs.
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Present Perfect vs Past Simple
When to use the present perfect and when to use the past simple — the difference explained with clear examples, common mistakes, and a quick exercise.
Read the guide → - A2
Present Simple vs Present Continuous
When to use the present simple and when to use the present continuous — routines vs right now, the verbs that don't take -ing, common mistakes, and an exercise.
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Question Tags: isn't it?, don't you?, right?
Question tags made simple: repeat the auxiliary and flip the polarity — positive statement, negative tag; negative statement, positive tag.
Read the guide → - B1
Relative Clauses: Who, Which, That
How relative clauses work in English: who, which, that, where and whose, defining vs non-defining, when to drop the pronoun, and the mistakes to avoid.
Read the guide → - B1
Reported Speech (Indirect Speech)
How to report what someone said in English: the tense backshift, pronoun and time changes, reported questions, and say vs tell — with examples and an exercise.
Read the guide → - A2
Since vs For with the Present Perfect
Since or for? Learn the difference in seconds — since marks a point in time, for marks a length of time — with examples, common mistakes, and a quick exercise.
Read the guide → - B1
So vs Such
So or such? Use so + adjective (so cold) and such + a noun phrase (such a cold day). Includes so much/so many and the so…that pattern.
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Some, Any, Much, Many, A Lot Of
Some or any? Much or many? Pick the right quantifier by asking two things: countable or uncountable, and positive, negative, or question.
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The Passive Voice in English
How the English passive works: be + past participle, when to use it, how to add the agent with by, the tenses, common mistakes, and a quick exercise.
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There is / There are
There is or there are? Use there is with singular and uncountable nouns, there are with plurals. Negatives, questions, and common mistakes explained.
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Too vs Enough
Too or enough? Too means more than you want; enough means as much as you need. Learn the word order: too + adjective, adjective + enough.
Read the guide → - B2
Used to, Be Used to, Would
Three look-alikes explained: used to for past habits, be used to for familiarity, and would for repeated past actions — with examples and an exercise.
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Will vs Going to: Talking About the Future
Will or going to? Learn the difference for decisions, plans, and predictions — with clear examples, the mistakes learners make, and a quick exercise.
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Vocabulary
- B1
20 Commonly Confused English Words
Affect or effect? Its or it's? Clear up common English word pairs and triples learners mix up, with simple tricks to remember each one, plus a quick exercise.
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30 Common English Idioms (and What They Mean)
30 common English idioms grouped by theme, with plain meanings and examples — how to use them naturally and the mistakes to avoid.
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30 Essential Phrasal Verbs for Beginners
The 30 most useful English phrasal verbs for beginners, grouped by everyday theme, with meanings, example sentences, common mistakes, and a quick exercise.
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Asking for and Giving Directions in English
Lost? Learn how to ask the way politely, understand the answer, and give directions yourself — go straight, turn left, across from, it's a five-minute walk.
Read the guide → - A2
At the Doctor's: English for Health & Illness
English for the doctor's office: make an appointment, describe your symptoms, understand the doctor, and get your prescription — with common mistakes.
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At the Restaurant: Ordering in English
Restaurant English step by step: book a table, read the menu, order politely, ask about dishes, and pay — with the phrases servers actually use.
Read the guide → - B1
Common English Collocations
Collocations are words that naturally go together. Learn the most common ones with make, do, take, have and get — plus the mistakes to avoid.
Read the guide → - A2
Describing People: Appearance & Personality
Describe people in English: height, build, hair and age, plus personality words — and the key difference between What's she like? and What does she look like?
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Essential Travel English Phrases
The English phrases you actually need to travel: airport, hotel, directions, eating out and emergencies — ready to use, with the mistakes to avoid.
Read the guide → - B1
False Friends: English Words That Trick You
False friends look like a word in your language but mean something else in English. Learn the common traps, why they happen, and how to beat them.
Read the guide → - A2
How to Build Your English Vocabulary
A practical system for growing your English vocabulary: choose the right words, learn them in chunks, and make them stick with review — plus mistakes to avoid.
Read the guide → - A2
How to Remember New English Words
Why you forget new vocabulary — and seven evidence-informed ways to make English words stick, from spaced repetition to learning words in context.
Read the guide → - B1
Job Interview English: Questions & Answers
Ready-to-use English phrases for a job interview: how to introduce yourself, talk about strengths and weaknesses, ask questions, and close well.
Read the guide → - B1
Linking Words and Connectors in English
The English linking words that join your ideas: addition, contrast, cause and effect, sequence — with how to punctuate them and the mistakes to avoid.
Read the guide → - A2
Make vs Do: What's the Difference?
Make or do? Learn the difference with simple rules, the most common collocations, the mistakes learners make, and a quick exercise to test yourself.
Read the guide → - A2
Making Plans & Invitations in English
Making plans in English: invite someone, suggest a time, accept or decline politely, and confirm — including How about + -ing and Are you free on…?
Read the guide → - B1
Money & Banking English
Talk about money in English: bank accounts and cards, paying bills, saving and borrowing, plus everyday phrases like I'm broke and I can't afford it.
Read the guide → - A2
Phone Calls & Texting in English
Phone English made simple: answer a call, ask for someone, take a message, handle a bad line, and text naturally — with the phrases people really use.
Read the guide → - A2
Say, Tell, Speak, Talk: Which One?
Say, tell, speak, or talk? Learn the difference with simple rules, the fixed phrases for each, the mistakes learners make, and a quick exercise.
Read the guide → - A2
Shopping in English: Stores, Prices & Paying
Shopping in English: ask about prices and sizes, try things on, pay, and handle returns — with the phrases you'll actually hear in a store.
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Small Talk in English: Phrases to Start a Conversation
Small talk in English made easy: friendly openers, safe topics, follow-up phrases, and polite ways to end a conversation — with mistakes to avoid.
Read the guide → - A2
Talking About the Weather in English
Weather English beyond hot and cold: freezing, pouring, chilly, humid — plus how to ask, how to react, and why the weather is small-talk fuel.
Read the guide → - B1
Useful Phrases for Professional Emails
Ready-to-use English phrases for professional emails: openings, requests, attachments, closings, and how to sound polite and clear — with mistakes to avoid.
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Skills
- A1
English Pronunciation: A Beginner's Guide
A friendly guide to English pronunciation for beginners: word stress, the schwa, tricky sounds and silent letters — why spelling lies, and how to sound clearer.
Read the guide → - A2
How to Improve Your English Speaking
Why speaking feels hard — and seven practical ways to speak more fluently, from learning chunks to talking to yourself, plus the mistakes that hold you back.
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