What's the difference between OVERWORK and OVERTIME?
By Matthew, September 24 2022
It's very easy to confuse the words overtime and overwork. Find out the difference, and see examples of each one in context.
Japanese English
The danger of false friends
By James, January 31 2021
False friends are words from different languages that seem similar but are, in fact, not. The French president Emmanuel Macron made a famous mistake in 2017.
What's the difference between "IN an hour" and "an hour LATER"?
By The English Farm, September 19 2020
A lot of people misuse in and later. Are you one of them?
"Okay" and "It’s okay" are opposites
By The English Farm, February 29 2020
Okay usually means yes, sure. But when you say, "It's okay", the meaning changes significantly.
Do you misuse the word GLOBAL? Probably!
By Matthew, February 15 2020
In Japan, "global" is a buzz word that people like to use. Students want to be more "global". They want to work on the "global stage" for a "global company". In English, maybe you should choose a different word.
The secret to pronouncing words that end in -ATE
By The English Farm, October 04 2017
Sometimes the reason we say words wrong is because we don't know the right rules. There are actually two ways to pronounce "-ate" words: /-eit/ (as in "eight" or "ate") and /-it/. To know the correct pronunciation, you have to know the function.
Why saying YOU HAD BETTER can sound scary
By The English Farm, July 12 2017
I've often heard non-native English speakers say something like, "You had better do it." But to a native English speaker, this sounds like a threat! If "better" is a positive word, why does "you had better" seem scary?
Saying “could enjoy” is almost never correct
By The English Farm, May 08 2017
Have you ever said something like this?
A: How was your weekend?
B: It was fine. I could enjoy a relaxing time.
How to use the words MENU and SCHEDULE
By Matthew, May 15 2016
Do you think you might say something like this: "My favourite menu is miso ramen." What about when you are busy. Would you say something like this? "I have a schedule at 2 p.m."
Don't say MAN TO MAN!
By Matthew, August 17 2014
All languages borrow words from other languages. The Japanese language uses a lot of phrases and words from English and other languages. Many times they are changed in their meaning or usage. That means that when you use these words in English, you should be careful.