Guides
Practical, method-based guides for building vocabulary and reading skills.
How to Improve Your Vocabulary: A Practical Method
A concrete, step-by-step method for building vocabulary through reading, targeted lookup, and spaced review.
7 min read
How to Use Context Clues to Figure Out Unfamiliar Words
A practical guide to spotting definition, contrast, example, and cause-effect clues that reveal a word’s meaning.
7 min read
How to Ask for Help Without Sounding Demanding
Learn the difference between direct, casual, polite and professional requests in English, can vs. could vs. would, please placement, tone, urgency, and what to say to friends, coworkers, managers and customer service.
7 min read
How to Disagree Without Starting an Argument
Learn natural ways to disagree without sounding rude. Explore polite disagreement phrases for everyday conversations, relationships, work, meetings and difficult discussions.
11 min read
How to Tell If a Word Sounds Rude, Polite, or Neutral
Cheap, inexpensive and affordable can describe the same price and still say different things. A practical guide to connotation: how tone, context and word choice make you sound rude, polite or neutral.
13 min read