WESLI
Home Courses Messages Games Chat Resources About Us FAQ Join
Sign Up Today Courses 1-7


Welcome to the "Information Station!"

Do you have a grammar question?  Want to find some magazines to read in English?  Need to know phrasal verbs and their meanings?  

The information station is the place to find answers.  Here is an alphabetical list of resources.  We will always be updating and adding to this list, but if you want some information that we don't have here, email us with your request and we will do our best to add it.  Finally, if you find a bad link in the list, please let us know at eschoolinfo@wesli.com !  Thanks for coming to the information station!

A  B  C  G  H  I  M  N  P  R  S  

A

Adverbs of Frequency

Adverbs of Frequency

Positive Adverbs

almost always nearly always
always normally
already occasionally
ever often
finally ordinarily
frequently periodically
generally probably
habitually regularly 
incessantly sometimes
just usually


Negative Adverbs

almost never never
hardly ever not ever
infrequently rarely
nearly never seldom

back to top

 

B



Books

Business English
Grammar
Listening & Speaking
Multi-cultural Issues
Pronunciation
Reading
Slang & Idioms
Vocabulary
Writing
Publishers' contact information


Business English

Business Words You Should Know: 1,500 Essential Words to Build the Vocabulary You Need for Business Today! Brian Tarcy
English for Business Communication - 2 cassettes (intermediate to high intermediate); Simon Sweeney; Cambridge
Business Communications - International Case Studies in English (high inter to adv); Drew Rodgers; Cambridge
New International Business English (low intermediate to intermediate); Leo Jones, Richard Alexander; Cambridge
Professional Presentations (high intermediate to advanced); Malcolm Goodale; Cambridge

English for Business Studies (high intermediate to advanced); Ian MacKenzie; Cambridge
English for International Negotiations—A Cross-Cultural Case Study Approach (adv); Drew Rodgers; Cambridge
Getting Ahead—A Communication Skills Course for Business English (beginning); Sarah Jones-Macziola; Cambridge
Further Ahead - A Communication Skills Course for Business English (intermediate); Sarah Jones-Macziola with Greg White; Cambridge

back to top

Grammar

English Grammar in Use, (beginning & intermediate books); Raymond Murphy
Basic English Grammar; Betty S. Azar
ESL Grammar Handbook; Allen Kent Dart
Grammar in Context Vol 1 - 3; Sandra N. Elbaum
Grammar Troublespots: An Editing Guide for ESL Students; Ann Raimes
Grammar Links 1- 3; Houghton Mifflin Company

back to top

Listening & Speaking

Active Listening Series; Marc Helgesen, Steven Brown, Dorolyn Smith; Cambridge
Learn to Listen Listen to Learn - Academic Listening and Note-Taking (high inter to adv); Roni S. Lebauer
Speaking Naturally - intermediate; Bruce Tillitt, Mary Newton Bruder; Cambridge
How to Survive in the USA - intermediate; Nancy Church, Anne Moss; Cambridge

Great Ideas - high intermediate; Leo Jones, Victoria Kimbrough; Cambridge
Talk It Up & Talk It Through & Talk It Over! (3 books); Joann Rishel Kozyrev; Houghton Mifflin Company
So to Speak 1 & 2 - Integrating Speaking, Listening, and Pronunciation; Megan Webster; Houghton Mifflin Company
Introductory Topics (intermediate); Solorzano, Frazier; Longman
Selected Topics ( high intermediate); Ellen Kisslinger; Longman
Contemporary Topics (advanced); Beglar, Murray; Longman

back to top

Multi-cultural Issues

Identities: Readings from Contemporary Culture (intermediate); Ann Raimes
Side-by-Side: A Multicultural Reader, 2nd ed. (high intermediate); Wiener, Bazerman
All of Us: A Multicultural Reading Skills Handbook, 3rd ed. (high intermediate); Wiener, Bazerman
Javier Arrives in the U.S. (beginning to intermediate); Nina Rosen/ Fredricka L. Stoller
Changing Generations (low intermediate); Nina Rosen/ Fredricka L. Stoller

A First Look at the USA (beginning); Milada Broudal
All About the USA (low intermediate); Milada Broudal, Peter Murphy
More About the USA (intermediate); Milada Broudal, Janet Millhomme
Our Own Stories (intermediate); Norine Dresser
Stories We Brought With Us (beginning); Carol Kasser, Ann Silverman

Larger Than Life - Folk Heroes of the United States (beginning to intermediate); Penny Cameron
Unusual Stories from Many Lands (intermediate to advanced); Ario Jansen
Distant Thunder (advanced); Janis G. Scalone
Contemporary Social Issues (high intermediate); Sarabel Kass Cohen



Multicultural Issues websites:

Culture Quest: Sample the delicious cuisines, play the games, see the museums full of arts, crafts and history, hear the folktales and learn about the holidays and festivals of many of the world’s cultures. www.ipl.org/youth/cquest

Japan Journal of Multilingualism and Multiculturalism: The Journal of the Special Interest Group for bilingual education and research of the Japan Association for Language Teaching. www.kagawa-ja.acojo

Multicultural Holidays: An Interactive Exhibit—includes Chinese New Year, Christmas, Hannukah, and Kwanzaa
www.curry.edschool.virginia.edu

Multicultural Homepage - lots of information on the following topics: geography, history, arts, weather, recipes, tourist information and more.
www.pasture.ecn.purdue.edu

Multiculturalpedia - dedicated in enhancing awareness towards cultural diversity and fulfilling human desire for mutual understanding. 
www.nettaputa.ne.ja/~Tokyo3/e/

NativeWeb - A cyber-community for Earth’s indigenous peoples. Highly recommended!
www.nativeweb.org/

Overseas Chinese Net - This is a one-stop information page for the Asian culture. 
www.overseas-chinese.net/

Web of Culture - Outstanding resource that seeks to educate and entertain you on the topic of cross-cultural communications. Highly recommended! www.webofculture.com/

back to top


Pronunciation

Pronunciation Pairs (high beginning to low intermediate); Ann Baker, Sharon Goldstein; Cambridge
Targeting Pronunciation - The Intonation, Rhythm, and Sounds of American English; Sue Miller; Houghton Mifflin Company
Pronunciation Plus - Practice Through Interaction (low intermediate to intermediate); Martin Hewings—Sharon Godstein; Cambridge
Clear Speech—Pronunciation and Listening Comprehension in North America English (Intermediate to high intermediate); Judy B. Gilbert; Cambridge

back to top

Reading

Genuine Articles (intermediate); Catherine Walter; Cambridge
Reading Matters 1 & 2- An Interactive Approach to Reading (beginning); Mary Lee Wholey; Houghton Mifflin Company
Reading Together - A Reading/Activities Text (low intermediate to intermediate); Karl Krahnke; Cambridge
Making Connection - An Interactive Approach to Academic Reading (high inter./low adv); Kenneth J. Pakenham
True Stories in the News (series from beginning to intermediate); Sandra Heyer; Longman
For Your Information 1, 2, 3 , and 4 (high beginning to low advanced); Blanchard, Root; Longman

back to top


Slang & Idioms

21st Century Dictionary of Slang; Bantom Doubleday
Idioms for Everyday Use; NTC
Street Talk 1, 2, & 3; Optima Book
Essential Idioms in English; Prentice Hall
The Big Picture: Idioms as Metaphors; Kevin King; Houghton Mifflin Company

All Clear (series) ; Helen kalkstein Fragiadakis; Heinle & Heinle
Attitudes Through Idioms (intermediate); Adams, Kuder; Heinle & Heinle
Getting the Picture - Everyday Listening and Speaking with Idioms ( intermediate); Herzfeld-Pipkin; Heinle & Heinle
Against All Odds - Speaking Naturally with Idioms (high intermediate to advanced); Marie Eichler; Heinle & Heinle
Everyday Idioms (intermediate to high intermediate); Feare; Longman
Take It Easy—American idioms (high intermediate to advanced); McPartland-Fairman; Longman

back to top

Vocabulary

504 Absolutely Essential Words; Barron’s
Vocabulary in Use; Stuart Redman with Ellen Shaw; Cambridge
Walk, Amble, Stroll - Vocabulary Building Through Domains (high beginning/inter); Holisky—Trump—Trechter ; Heinle & Heinle
Developing Vocabulary Skills (advanced); Dennis Keen; Heinle & Heinle
American Vocabulary Builder - Books 1 and 2 (beginning to intermediate); Bernard Seal; Longman
What’s in a Word? (intermediate); Eckstut, Sorensen; Longman

back to top

Writing

From Writing to Composing (beginning); Beverly Ingram; Cambridge
Effective Writing (high intermediate); Jean Withrow; Cambridge
Write to Be Read (advanced); William R. Smalzer; Cambridge
Great Paragraphs - Introduction to Writing Paragraphs (beginning); Folse,  Muchmore-Vokoun,  Vestri Solomon; Houghton Mifflin Company
Great Essays - An Introduction to Writing Essays (intermediate to high intermediate); Folse,  Muchmore-Vokoun,  Vestri Solomon; Houghton Mifflin Company

Keys for Writers: A Brief Handbook; Ann Raimes; Houghton Mifflin Company
Grassroots: The Writer’s Workbook (beginning); Fawcett,  Sandberg; Houghton Mifflin Company
New Directions - An Integrated Approach to Reading, Writing, and Critical Thinking; Peter S. Gardner; Cambridge
A Writer’s Workbook –An Interactive Writing Text (advanced); Trudy Smoke; Cambridge
Developing Composition Skills (intermediate); Mary K. Ruetten; Heinle & Heinle
Refining Composition Skills (high intermediate to advanced); Smalley,  Ruetter; Heinle & Heinle
Weaving It Together (4 books: beginning to high intermediate); Milada Broukal; Heinle & Heinle

back to top


Publishers

Delta: www.delta-systems.com
Heinle & Heinle:  www.heinle.com
Houghton Mifflin Company:  www.hmco.com
Longman books can be ordered at toll-free number 1.800.922.0579

back to top


C

Comparatives & Superlatives

Comparatives & Superlatives

Basic Form

Comparative Form

Superlative Form

adjective/adverb
with one syllable
add  -er taller add the +  -est  the tallest
adjective with 2 syllables
ending in -y
change y to i;
add -er 
funnier change y to i;
add the + -est 
the funniest
adjective with 2 syllables
not ending in -y
more more common the most the most common
adjective with 3
or more syllables
more more beautiful the most the most beautiful
adverb ending
in -ly
more more slowly the most the most slowly

back to top

 

G

Gerunds & Infinitives

Gerunds & Infinitives

Verb + Gerund
consider My husband is considering finding another job.
discuss We discussed getting a new car.
enjoy  I enjoy reading on my porch.
finish Mary finished doing her homework at midnight.
keep  Keep running. Don't stop.
keep on  Keep on running. Don't stop.
mind  Would you mind closing the door?
postpone I postponed visiting the dentist.
put off  I put off going to the dentist.
quit  John quit drinking alcohol.
stop*  It stopped snowing a few minutes ago.
talk about We talked about getting a new car.
think about  My husband is thinking about finding another job.
*The object following stop is a gerund, not an infinite. It's incorrect to say: "It stopped to rain." However, stop can be followed by an infinite of purpose: in order to. For example: While I was running down the street, I dropped my bag. I stopped to pick it up = I stopped running in order to pick it up.
 
Verb + Infinitive
agree I have agreed to pay him the money.
appear All the children appear to be in the classroom.
(can't) afford I can't afford to buy a new car.
(can't) wait I can't wait to graduate from university.
decide We decided to go to Colorado on vacation.
hope She hopes to get a new cell phone.
expect I expect to hear from him soon.
forget Don't forget to feed the cat.
intend We intend to meet at 6:00.
need He needs to see the doctor.
offer They offered to buy my house.
plan They had planned to attend the wedding.
pretend They are pretending to be ghosts.
promise She promised to go to the movie with me.
refuse I refuse to wear that shirt.
seem It seems to be cloudy today.
try I tried to persuade him.
want I wanted to visit my friend.
would like Sally would like to meet you.
would love Jan would love to travel with you.
 
Verb + Gerund or Infinitive (with no difference in meaning)
begin We began to take the test at 2:00.
We began taking the test at 2:00.
can't stand I can't stand to be hot.
I can't stand being hot.
continue It continued to rain.
It continued raining.
hate Antonio hates to drive.
Antonio hates driving.
like We like to sing songs.
We like singing songs.
love They love to eat sushi.
They love eating sushi.
start Suzanne has started to study English.
Suzanne has started to study English.
back to top

 

H

Holidays

Holidays
Since there are many holidays celebrated throughout the world, it would be almost impossible to have them all here. We decided to start with the holidays that are celebrated here in the United States. If you have a suggestion for a holiday, please write to one of our message boards, such as “culture & customs.” We would love to add festivals and holidays that are celebrated in your country.

Valentine’s Day
February 14
It’s a day that honors love and lovers. Friends, sweethearts, parents, and nearly everybody else sends cards, chocolates, or roses to show their appreciation and love!

Ramadan
Depending on the Muslim calendar—can be celebrated in November, December, January, or February. Beginning celebration depends on the stages of the moon.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Moslem calendar. It is during this month that Moslems fast during the daylight hours. It lasts the entire month. It’s also a time of worship and contemplation, a time where family and community ties are strengthened.

Mardi Gras
It’s a traditional holiday celebrated in New Orleans and other cities in the southern part of the United States. There are lots of parades, dancing, music and great food!

Martin Luther King Day
Celebrated on the 3rd Monday in January. Most states in the U.S celebrate King’s birthday. Most schools honor Dr. King and his message of change through nonviolence.

Easter
Depending on the calendar, it can be celebrated in March or April. This is a Christian holiday. Christians throughout the world celebrate the resurrection of Christ. 

Independence Day
Independence Day commemorates the birthday of the United States. July 4th 1776 marks US independence from England with the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Halloween
Celebrated on October 31st. It’s a harvest festival with a spooky, creepy tone to it! People dress up in scary costumes and go “trick or treating” in their neighborhoods. Pumpkins are carved into scary faces and placed on doorsteps.

Dia de los Muertos—Day of the Dead
Celebrated on November 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Mexico’s Day of the Dead celebrations are at least 3,000 years old! People decorate their homes with altars honoring their loved ones who have passed away. They prepare their loved ones’ favorite foods, drinks and objects and place them on the altar. 

Thanksgiving
Celebrated on the 3rd Thursday of November. It’s a time to offer thanks and to gather with family and friends. The traditional foods are turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie.

Christmas
Celebrated on December 25th. It’s a celebration of the birth of Christ. It’s a time of family gathering and holiday feasts. Family members and friends exchange gifts, eat together and sing Christmas carols.

back to top

 

I

Irregular Plural Nouns
Irregular Verbs

Irregular Plural Nouns

  Nouns ending in "f" or "fe"
  life = lives leaf = leaves
  knife = knives loaf = loaves
  calf = calves self = selves
  half = halves shelf = shelves
  hoof = hooves wolf = wolves
 
  Singular nouns that don't change in the plural 
  sheep = sheep deer = deer
  moose = moose fish = fish
  series = series means = means
  species = species Chinese = Chinese
  Japanese = Japanese Swiss = Swiss
 
  Nouns without a singular form
  scissors shorts
  clothes tongs
  pants eyeglasses
  binoculars pajamas
 
Nouns borrowed from Greek & Latin
analysis = analyses basis = bases
hypothesis = hypotheses parenthesis = parentheses
thesis = theses crisis = crises
alumnus = alumni radius = radii
syllabus = syllabi medium = media
memorandum = memoranda curriculum = curricula
phenomenon = phenomena index = indices

back to top

 

Irregular Verbs

Simple Form Past Tense  Past Participle Simple Form Past Tense  Past Participle
arise arose arisen lay laid laid
awake awoke awoken lead led led
be  was / were been leave left left
beat beat beaten lend lent lent
become  became become let let let
begin  began begun light lighted/lit lighted/lit
bend bent bent lose lost lost
bet bet bet make made made
bite  bit bitten mean meant meant
bleed bled bled meet met met
blow blew blown pay paid paid
break broke broken prove proved proved/proven
bring brought brought put put put
build built built quit quit quit
burn burned / burnt burned / burnt read read read
buy  bought bought ride rode ridden
catch caught caught ring rang rung
choose chose chosen rise rose risen
come came come run ran run
cost cost cost say said said
creep crept crept see saw seen
cut cut cut seek sought sought
dig dug dug sell sold sold
dive dived / dove dived  send sent sent
do did done set set set
draw drew drawn sew sewed sewed/sewn
dream dreamed/dreamt dreamed/dreamt shake shook shaken
drink drank drunk shave shaved shaved/shaven
drive drove driven shine shone shone
eat ate eaten shoot shot shot
fall fell fallen show showed shown
feed fed fed shrink shrank/shrunk shrunk/shrunken
feel felt felt shut shut shut
fight fought fought sing sang sung
find found found sit sat sat
fit fit fit sleep slept slept
fly flew flown slide slid slid
forbid forbade forbidden speak spoke spoken
forget forgot forgotten speed sped sped
forgive forgave forgiven spend spent spent
freeze froze  frozen spread spread spread
get got gotten stand stood stood
give gave given steal stole stolen
go went gone sting stung stung
grow grew grown swear swore sworn
hang hung hung swim swam swum
have had had take took taken
hear heard heard teach taught taught
hide hid hidden tell told told
hit hit hit think thought thought
hold held held throw threw thrown
hurt hurt hurt understand understood understood
keep kept kept wear wore worn
know knew known write wrote written

back to top

M 

Magazines

Magazines

All these magazines can be found at the Wellington Public Library, www.wellingtonsquare.com/Library.htm

Agriculture - voice of the people on the land - the most popular farming magazine in the US. Find out about farming practices in the U.S., markets, news, weather, technology, machinery and crops. www.agriculture.com

American Motorcyclist - find out about great places to ride in the U.S., plus news from the American Motorcyclist Association. www.ama-cycle.org

American Woodworker - leading woodworking magazine that features complete how-to information which details cutting lists, the best tool buying advice, and innovative woodworking techniques. www.americanwoodworker.com

Atlantic Monthly - excellent collection of articles; from politics to science to art. www.theatlantic.com

Better Homes & Gardens -  a magazine for the homemaker. Contains lots of great tips from gardening to house plans. You’ll also find decoration ideas, plant guides and landscaping ideas. www.bhg.com

Business 2.0 - find out the latest news about ebusiness, marketing, technology, investing and much more. Definitely, a magazine for the businessperson! www.business2.com

Car & Driver - car and driving lovers, this is the magazine for you! This magazine contains buyers guide for new and used cars as well as reviews, that is, road tests that tell which cars you should buy or stay away from!! www.caranddriver.com

Cats - great magazine for the cat lover! Find out the latest news from breeders around the world, plus read cat stories. www.catsmag.com

Computer World - excellent magazine. It contains information about the latest computer technology as well as interesting articles such as “ Managing the Virus Threat.” www.computerworld.com

Cooking Light - learn how to cook delicious and yet light, nutritious meals. Recipes from around the world! www.cookinglight.com

Country Living - learn about gardening tips, decoration, plus find out where the best flea markets, craft fairs, antiques shows are across the country! www.countryliving.com

Discover - lots of science in this magazine. Explore articles about Mars, Dinosaurs and human cloning. www.discover.com

Dog & Kennel - a magazine for dog lovers! Excellent articles on care, health, as well as news from top breeders around the country and world! www.dogandkennel.com

Ecompany - the magazine for web businesses. Contains a lot of information and articles on business in the Internet. www.atlasreaderservices.com

Fine Cooking - great magazine containing lots of delicious, healthy food recipes, interesting articles, food science information, kitchen equipment and techniques. If you love food and eating, you’ll love this magazine! www.taunton.com/finecooking

Fine Gardening - the most popular gardening magazine in the U.S. It contains lots of gardening tips, design ideas as well as articles about gardening and people who love gardening. www.taunton.com/finegardening

Fine Homebuilding - excellent magazine for the homeowner and homebuilder. It contains tips on design, techniques, materials, tools and books.
www.taunton.com/finehomebuilding

Fine Woodworking - popular magazine. It contains lots of information about building beautiful furniture. Tips on design, techniques, tools, materials and books. www.taunton.com/finewoodworking

Fortune - one of the leading magazines with business-related topics! www.fortune.com

Glamour - a celebrities magazine. Find out the latest news from Hollywood! Plus, interesting articles about sex, beauty, health and much more! www.glamour.com 

Golf Magazine - find out about the latest in the world of golf! Tours, articles and much more! www.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/golfonline

Good Housekeeping - one of the most popular magazines in the U.S. concerning women in general. There are articles about women & work, women & sex, women & family, plus articles on women’s health, recipes and much more! www.goodhousekeeping.com

Harvard Business Review - magazine for the educator, the entrepreneur, the manager and the trainer. Lots of articles on business! www.hbsp.harvard.edu/products/hbr/index.html 

Hotwired - a magazine about animation. Cool news from the world of animation!  www.hotwired.lycos.com

McCalls - a women’s magazine that started as a pamphlet in 1876 with the name The Queen, the illustrated Magazine of Fashion. It continues today with lots of interesting articles concerning women’s health, work life, family life and much more! http://netat.com/OS/bf/enews/mccallsmagazine.htm

Money - information about markets, stocks, funds, retirement, planning, real estate and autos, and much more. www.moneymag.com

National Geographic - the most popular science/adventure/travel magazine in the U.S. There are lots of interesting articles on a variety of topics! www.nationalgeographic.com

Newsweek - one of the most popular news magazine in the U.S. www.msnbc.com/news/NW-front_Front.asp

Outside Magazine - the magazine for the active traveler! There are articles about the environment, bodywork, adventure and travel. Find out about the latest on gear for all sports. www.ousidemag.com

PC Magazine - popular computer magazine. Find out about the latest information on desktops, digital cameras, printers, scanners, all hardware, all software, and Internet/Networking. www.pcmag.com

PC World - excellent computer magazine. There are lots of articles on computer technology, channels, downloads and thousands of products. www.pcworld.com

People - very popular magazine about Hollywood stars. You’ll know everything that happens in Beverly Hills! Lots of gossip! http://people.aol.com/people/

Popular Science - science & technology magazine. Plus: electronics, computers and software, automotive and home technology. www.popsci.com

Pro Football Weekly - the largest coverage you can get on Pro Football—find out the latest about the NFL! www.profootballweekly.com

Runner’s World - popular magazine about running. Lots of tips on workouts, nutrition, and health. Excellent magazine for the avid runner! www.runnersworld.com

Science Magazine - popular science magazine. Lots of interesting articles about genome landmarks, ecology, evolution and much more. www.sciencemag.org

Smithsonian - magazine from the Smithsonian institute. The magazine covers science, adventurous journeys, art, music and much more! There’s also a kid’s Smithsonian magazine! www.smithsonianmag.si.edu

Sports Illustrated - the most popular sports magazine in the U.S. Features articles and news from all sports. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com  For women: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/siwomen For kids: www.sikids.com

Time - popular news magazine in the U.S. www.time.com

US News - popular news magazine in the U.S. www.usnews.com 

back to top

 

N

Newspapers & News Sources
Non-count Nouns
Non-progressive Verbs

Newspapers & News Sources

London Times www.thetimes.co.uk or www.sunday-times.co.uk
The Chicago Tribune www.chicagotribune.com
The Guardian www.guardian.co.uk
The Los Angeles Times www.latimes.com

The New York Times www.nytimes.com
USA Today www.washingtonpost.com 
The Washington Post www.washingtonpost.com 
The Boston Globe www.globe.com 


Other news links:
Internet Public Library: www.ipl.org/reading/news/
Top 100 Newspapers: www.interest.com/top100.html
Newspaper Links: www.newspaperlinks.com
Primetime Newspapers: www.primetimenewspapers.com
Newspapers Online: www.online-newspaper-resources.com
World’s Community Newspaper: www.kazor.com

back to top

 

Non-count Nouns

Abstract    Material / Matter  General Terms Subjects Sport / Rec
advice  air  business architecture baseball
age blood equipment art basketball
beauty bread  fruit chemistry camping
energy butter furniture economics dancing
fun chalk jewelry engineering  football
happiness cheese luggage english golf
help coffee machinery geology hiking
honesty electricity mail grammar  hockey
information  fog money  history  hunting
kindness fish news literature opera
knowledge gold scenery mathematics sailing
laughter hair slang physics softball
liberty ice stationery science swimming
life iron traffic  technology traveling
play  juice vegetarian  vocabulary volleyball
strength meat weather    
trouble milk      
truth oxygen      
wisdom paper      
  rain      
  rice      
  smoke      
  snow      
  sugar      

 back to top

 

Non-progressive Verbs (also called stative verbs)
be know possess think
believe like remember understand
being love see want
forget need seem wish
hate own smell
have prefer taste

back to top

 

P

Phrasal Verbs
Prepositions
Punctuation

Phrasal Verbs

Separable
Phrasal Verbs 

Meaning

Non-separable
Phrasal Verbs 

Meaning

ask out  ask someone to go on a date call on ask to speak in class
call back return a telephone call drop in (on) visit without calling first
call off cancel fool around (with) have fun with
call up  make a telephone call get along (with) have a good relationship 
calm down relax get back (from)  return from somewhere
cheer up become happy get in enter
clean up clean get off leave
cross out draw a line through get on  enter
do over do again get out of exit
figure out find a solution get over recover
fill out  complete get through (with) finish
fill up fill go over review
give back return something grow up  become an adult
give up quit keep on continue
hand in submit look into  investigate
hand out distribute look for search for
hang up place on hook look like resemble
leave out omit look out beware
look up  search for  look up (to) respect
make up  invent a story make out  succeed
pay back return money to someone pass out  faint
pick up collect put up with tolerate
put away  put in its usual place run across find accidentally
put back return something to its place run into meet accidentally
put down stop holding run out of finish a supply
put off  postpone show up  appear
put on to dress oneself take after  resemble
put out extinguish take off  leave
start over  begin again talk back to answer rudely
shut off  stop a machine or light wait on serve
take off remove watch out (for)  be careful (of)
take out put something outside
tear down  destroy something
tear off  detach
tear up rip into small pieces
throw out discard
try on put on clothing to see if it fits
turn down  lower the volume
turn off stop the power
turn on start power
turn up  raise the volume
wake up finish sleeping
write down  write a note on paper

back to top

 

Prepositions

about before despite of  to
above  behind down  off  towards
across  below  during  on  under
after  beneath  for  out  until
against  beside  from  over  up
along  besides  in  since  upon
among  between  into  through  with
around  beyond  like  throughout  within
at  by  near  till  without

back to top

Punctuation

, comma
. period ( full stop)
__  dash
asterisk
hyphen
! exclamation mark
sharp
ampersand (meaning “and”)
( ) parenthesis
ellipsis points
slash (forward slash)
colon
; semi-colon
question mark
__  underline
[ ]  brackets
“ ” quotation marks
backslash


R

Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive Pronouns

myself  I saw myself in the mirror.
yourself You (singular) saw yourself.
herself  She saw herself.
himself He sees himself in the mirror.
itself The dog saw itself in the puddle.
ourselves We saw ourselves.
yourselves You (plural) saw yourselves.
themselves They saw themselves.

back to top

 

S

Simple Present Third Person Spelling Chart
Slang
Spelling with -ing & -ed

Simple Present 3rd Person Spelling Chart

For most verbs, add an -s
rub - rubs
ride - rides
smile - smiles
dream - dreams
run- runs
wear - wears
drive - drives
see - sees

write - writes
drink - drinks
snow - snows
laugh - laughs

For verbs ending in -sh, - ch, -ss, -x, add -es
push - pushes
crush - crushes
catch - catches
teach - teaches
press - presses

kiss - kisses
fix - fixes
fax - faxes

For verbs ending in consonant + y, change to "i" and add -es
cry - cries
try - tries
study - studies

For verbs ending in vowel + y, add -s
buy - buys
pay - pays
say - says

Irregular forms
have - has
go - goes
do - does

back to top

 

Slang
Here are some slang expressions, their meanings and an example of each.

Airhead: stupid person.
“Sam is acting like an airhead tonight.”

Armpit: dirty, unappealing place.
“The school bathroom is an absolute armpit!”

Awesome: great and impressive.
“My English classes on WESLI online are truly awesome.”

Ball: a fun time.
“My sister had a ball in her music class last night.”

Bang (1): a very powerful thing.
“Six Flags America is really a bang!”

Bang (2): a powerful effect.
“Mexican tequila has a bang!”

Cool: excellent, superb.
“WESLI online is totally cool!”

Cheesy: cheap, outmoded.
“These are very cheesy clothes you’re wearing!”

Catch some rays: get some sunshine.
“Hey, let’s go to the lake and catch some rays.”

Dicey: risky, unpredictable.
“Walking late at night in any big city in the world is quite dicey.”

Dirt: extremely bad person.
“My sister’s boyfriend was dirt.”

Dorky: strange, peculiar.
“Stop acting so dorky or else you’ll never get a boyfriend!”

Evil: excellent.
“The movie was really evil!”

Eyepopper: something or someone visibly astounding.
“Look at that guy, he’s truly an eyepopper!”

Eyeball: to stare long and hard at someone or something.
“The teacher eyeballed the student.”

Fab: fabulous.
“WESLI online is really fab.”

Flaky: unpredictable.
“I have a really flaky friend.”

Flick: movie.
“Have you watched that flick with Benicio del Toro.”

Get it: to understand something.
“I just don’t get it…”

Goof: a silly person.
“Stop being such a goof!”

Goof-off: someone who wastes time and isn’t serious.
“There are lots of goof-offs in my high school.”

Hairy: difficult, dangerous.
“That hike was really hairy.”

Hip: sensible, informed.
“My boyfriend tries hard to be hip.”

Humungous: really big.
“American restaurant portions are humungous!”

Icky: unpleasant.
“That food we ate was really icky.”

In: fashionable.
“Rollerblading is really in now.”

Ivories: teeth.
“Julia Roberts has awesome ivories.”

Jamming, to be: going well.
“WESLI online is really jamming.”

Jerk: annoying person, stupid.
“Are you going out with that jerk???”

Jock: someone good at sports.
“Thomas is such a jock!”

Kick back: relax and enjoy.
“I just want to keep back this weekend.”

Killer: something exceptional or great.
“That car is a killer!”

Knockout: beautiful woman; handsome man.
“Jason’s girlfriend is a knockout!”

Laid back: relaxed, calm.
“Mary is a very laid back teaching style.”

Lame: incompetent.
“He’s the most lame person I have ever met.”

Luck out: to be lucky or fortunate.
“I lucked out on that bike accident!”

Max, to the: maximum.
“John is happy to the max.”

Megabucks: a large amount of money.
“There are people that make megabucks in Las Vegas.”

Munch out: to eat quickly.
“We’re munching out this pizza.”

Neat: cool, great.
“WESLI online is really neat.”
Nuke 
(1): nuclear weapon. “There are too many nukes in the world.”
(2): destroy, delete. “I’m sorry, I accidentally nuked your girlfriend’s phone message.”
(3): cook something in the microwave oven. “Could you nuke this chicken in the microwave for me, please?”

Peanuts: very little money
“This skirt is nice but it cost peanuts!”

Pig out: eat too much.
“I’m pigging out on this ice cream!”

Poop out: get tired and quit.
“After walking six hours around Six Flags America I just pooped out.”

Quick and dirty: done fast, but not well.
“That essay was done quick and dirty!”

Riot: something or someone very funny.
“My brother is a riot!”

Rip off (1): stealing.
“My bike was ripped off last night.”

Rip off (2): fraud.
“The price of that car is a rip off!”

Scarf: to eat.
“I can scarf a whole large pizza by myself.”

Scum: a despicable person.
“Stop seeing that scum of a man, Kate!”

Shoot some hoops: play basketball.
“Hey, let’s shoot some hoops this weekend!”

Totally: really, completely.
“Jennifer is totally awesome!”

Turn-off: something that repulses a person.
“Bad breath is a turn-off for me.”

Turkey: failure, flop.
“WESLI online isn’t a turkey!”

Uptight: nervous, anxious.
“She’s a little uptight about driving at night.”

Wasted: killed.
“There are many young people being wasted because of drugs.”

Whitebread: plain, boring.
“Small towns are too whitebread for me!”

Wheels: car, motorcycle.
“If you live in the suburbs in the U.S, you’ve got to have wheels!”

Zip (1): nothing.
“I know zip about computers!”

Zip (2): energy, vigor.
“Coffee gives me a nice zip in the morning.”

back to top

 

Spelling with -ing and -ed 
Verb ends in: Double the consonant? Simple Form -ing -ed
-e
No smile
hope
smiling 
hoping
*drop the -e
smiled
hoped
2 consonants No learn
help
learning
helping
learned
helped
2 vowels + 1 consonant No rain
heat
raining
heating
rained
heated
1 vowel + 1 consonant Yes:  for one syllable verbs stop
plan
stopping
planning
stopped
planned
No:  for two syllable verbs when the first syllable is stressed visit
offer
visiting
offering
visited
offered
Yes:  for two syllables verbs when the second syllable is stressed prefer
admit
preferring
admitting
preferred
admitted
vowel + y:  just add -ing or -ed No play
enjoy
playing
enjoying
played
enjoyed
consonant + y: keep the -y for -ing form, change to -i for the -ed form No worry
study
worrying
studying
worried
studied
-ie   die
tie
dying
tying
*change -ie to -y add -ing
died
tied
*add -d
Exceptions:  do not double w or x: snow, snowing, snowed; fix, fixing, fixed.

back to top

 

T

Tongue Twisters

Tongue Twisters

A tongue twister is a sequence of words that is difficult to pronounce quickly and correctly. Even native speakers find tongue twisters difficult to say!!
Try them yourself!!

  • She sells sea-shells on the sea-shore.
  • A proper copper coffee pot.
  • Around the rugged rocks the ragged rascals ran.
  • Three gray geese in green fields grazing.
  • Pink lorry, yellow lorry.
  • Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper.
  • Mixed biscuits, mixed biscuits.
  • Long legged ladies last longer.
  • Red leather, yellow leather, red leather, yellow leather.
  • Did Peter Piper pick a peck of pickled pepper?
    If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper,
    Where’s the peck of pickled pepper Peter Piper pick?

back to top


© Copyright 2001- WESLI

Wisconsin English Second Language Institute
19 North Pinckney Street
Madison, Wisconsin 53703 USA
eschool@wesli.com