List of prepositions of time plus examples

AT 

We use AT with times: at 5 o’clock - at 11.45 - at midnight - at lunchtime    

We use AT in these expressions: at night - at Christmas - at the moment / at present - at the same time - at weekends - at the age of...

ON

We use ON with dates and days: on 12 March - on Friday(s) - on Friday morning(s), on Sunday afternoon(s) - on Saturday night(s), on Christmas Day (but at Christmas)

IN 

We use in for longer periods of time: in April - in 1986 - in winter - in the 19th century - in the 1970s - in the morning(s) / in the afternoon(s) / in the evening(s)

In + period of time = a time in the future, e.g. Jack will be back in a week.

In + how long it takes to do something, e.g. I learned to drive in four weeks.

DURING

We use during + noun to say when something happens: during the film - during our holiday - during the night, e.g.I fell asleep during the film.

FOR

We use for + a period of time: for six years - for two hours - for a week, e.g. I’ve lived in this house for six years. They have been watching TV for two hours.

SINCE

We use since + a period of time: since April - since 1992 - since 8 o’ clock, e.g. It has been raining since one o’ clock. They’ve known each other since they were at school.

Click here to test yourself
Here are more prepositions used in English 

Improve listening for FCE exam

Here's a link to the FCE listening part 4.

Listen to the recording and choose the correct answer. In order to check if your answers are correct just submit the form and results will be shown on the page.

Good luck!

How to improve your English listening skills?

Why do you might experience problems while listening to English speakers?

There are number of reasons that might affect your listening comprehension, one of the significant causes is the variety of English accents and dialects which you might not be exposed to in the classroom environment. If you learn only from books or listen to one teacher, then it might be awkward when listening to the natural way of speaking of an Englishman or American.

Secondly, English is the language in which the phonetics do not always coincide with the spelling and vice versa. It’s a gigantic problem especially for those who are not used to listening to the ‘live’ language. Very often you may not recognize the words you hear and already know simply because the pronunciation is different (e.g. vehicle, choir or even comfortable).

The third issue that affects your understanding of spoken English language is when the speaker’s pace is relatively quick. While listening to an English conversation or even a monologue it seems as if statements merge into one another. As a consequence you are unable to distinguish the beginning and the end of the sentence so you lose meaning, and finally give up and ‘switch off’.  Improve your listening by doing the activity. 

Step 1 – Listen to different accents!

Most learners know the difference between the British and American pronunciation. In fact, diversity is infinitely greater. And it’s not just about adding English of other nationalities (such as the Irish and Australian). The point is that the language of hooligan from Liverpool is a completely different than the language of the news on BBC. The language of an immigrant from Mexico, Arizona, has very little in common with the language of a trader in New York. You should not assume that there is one level of English, which enables us to understand everything. Accept the diversity and listen to the English language in various versions.  Listen to the variety of English accents here

Step 2- Listen to different types of spoken texts

Not only there are varieties of accents and styles of speaking, but also the situations in which you speak. Make no mistake, that listening to rhythm of the voice on BBC news is similar to the one when ordering a pint in a pub. That is why it is extremely important to listen to the formal and informal English. It’s all the same language in all its diversity. Your goal is to be prepared for that. Question is where and how?

One of the most brilliant places to learn English listening comprehension is a service Elllo. It publishes various audio and video combined with exercises on vocabulary and listening comprehension.

An excellent source of spoken English are called podcasts, video style short essay or interview.You may come across some real gems prepared for learners of English.It is not only language training but also cultural – this record is a true show of English humor.

Step 3- English Break into pieces!

This advice applies to problems understanding English vocabulary rather its pronunciation. Well, a lot of it will be easier to see what constitutes a sentence or a question if we are aware of its smallest components and some of the processes that take place between them.

Many people are not aware that certain words often merge into one in English due to the linking of different sounds, informal speech or even fast pace. Another problem lies in the fact that we simply do not know a large number of words and can not grasp the meaning of the whole. There is always a way.

- Lyricstraining.com website is based on a simple principle – it automatically removes chosen words from a lyric, and then your task is to fill in the missing words while watching a video on YouTube. The biggest advantage is the easy navigation between levels of difficulty, contractors and foreign languages.

- Dictations can help in many ways. The English Club Dictations come in three different levels. Try the short dictations first and then work your way up. You can listen to the dictations as many times as you need to. It is a great way to improve not only your listening skills but also your spelling and vocabulary.

These methods and materials are guideline, the real challenge is to work out your own workshop to help you improve. If you already have a well-sharpened tools for learning the progress and the results are very rewarding.

How to Remember New Words when Learning English?

Two steps will help you remember new words and add them to your vocabulary: practising and building. To become comfortable with the new word, practise using the word in your writing, in your speaking, and in your everyday thoughts. Thinking about new words helps you to remember them. Just memorizing lists of words is not very effective. In order for a word to really become a part of your vocabulary, you have to see it used or hear it used in several different word out and pronounce it to yourself.The following guidelines will help you remember new words:ways over a period of time. When you come across a new word you should ask yourself, “Have I seen this word before, have I heard someone use this word before?” 

The following guidelines will help you remember new words:

1. Practise writing the word and its definition often. 
2. Practise saying the word. Use the pronunciation key in your dictionary to learn the correct pronunciation. 
3. Try to learn the word and its meaning the first time you see it. 
4. Make vocabulary flip cards from index cards. Write the word on one side and the meaning on the other. 
5. Make up a sentence you can understand using the word correctly. 
6. Vary the word: try to make it plural, to change the tense, to add -ly. 
7. Practise the word in conversation, being sure to pronounce it correctly. 
8. Use the word in writing assignments as often as possible. 
9. Repeat the word many times in your mind. 
10. Study a few words each day for several days to firmly learn them. Don’t overload yourself with too long a word list. 
11. Notice the words used by teachers, public speakers, people on TV, etc. If they know these words, why don’t you? 

Article taken from www.ctl.au.edu 

Lets meet-up and Speak English

Last meeting in the Fox

If you're trying to improve your speaking skills and you don't have plans this coming Wednesday evening (03/07/2013), why don't pop up to The Fox Pub to have a chat and maybe a pint with like-minded people AND at the same time improve your English oral skills. Socialising is always fun :) We're meeting at 8pm on 03/07/2013 at: 413 Green Lanes, London N13 4JD Look forward to seeing you soon. TELC UK Find us on Facebook

How to improve your speaking for IELTS? 

The IELTS Speaking Module is designed to allow you to demonstrate your oral skills in a variety of situations. These situations are similar to those  in an English-speaking environment where you will be expected to speak in front of your colleagues in tutorials and to discuss various issues.

In the course of the interview you will be expected to:
-  answer the examiner’s questions fully.
-  speak at some length on a particular topic.
- express and justify your opinions on a range of topics.

Helpful tips for Part 1 IELTS Speaking Module

• The examiners want you to show the best of your speaking skills and the test is designed to give you every opportunity to speak, but examiners can only rate what they hear from  you. So make sure you speak up and use the time as effectively as possible.

• If the examiner asks you a question which can be answered by ‘Yes’ or ‘No’, try to give some extra information to extend your answer.  Yes/No questions in English are often an invitation to say more.

• Make sure you answer the question you are asked. Do not come to the interview with a learned talk.

Helpful tips for Part 2 IELTS Speaking Module

•In Part 2, try to make your talk as interesting as possible. You have a minute to prepare what you are going to say and you can make some notes. Write down some key words or ideas only. Do not write out everything you are going to say.

• Look carefully at the prompt card below:

---

A city you have visited

Describe a city you have visited which has impressed you. You should say:          

• where it is situated
• why you visited it
• what you liked about it

---

 Think of a city which impressed you.

• Think of 2 or 3 things you really remember about the city. Try to interest the examiner in what you say.

 Helpful tips for Part 3 IELTS Speaking Module

• Look at the follow-up discussion ideas for Part 3. See how they are broadly linked to the topic of Part 2.

A city you have visited
• advantages of living in a big city
• negative aspects of crowded cities
• architectural design
• paying for the sen-ices
• transport

• Make a few notes in response to each of the prompts given here. The discussion could take any of these directions.

• Try to think of at least five other interesting ideas linked to this topic. Remember! You can take the discussion in a direction of your choice, if it is appropriately linked.

• Don’t be afraid to take the initiative in Part 3 of the speaking test. This is your chance to show your fluency, your ability to give and support an opinion and your range of grammatical forms and vocabulary.

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How to improve your ability to speak English through picture description

Are you worried about making mistakes, fearful of criticism or maybe you have nothing to say? Becoming fluent and boosting your confidence are the two main factors that learners find difficult to overcome when using English language orally.

Pictures are a great way of improving your ability to speak English. You can use photos in order to perfect your pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar and general performance in various situations. Gazing at the picture and thinking about it is not actually an ideal way to enrich your speaking skills. No-one has ever learned how to dance by looking at the dancers. Remember that practice makes perfect, so use your voice to discuss or describe the photo you are looking at (e.g. what is happening in it, what objects are present in the image).

There are various ways on how to approach each picture in order to practice speaking, here are some useful tips:

Describing a picture

This activity is appropriate for every type of a photo. While describing an image, learners focus on its content, in particular the new vocabulary concerning a particular topic. You can describe a picture on your own or with a partner, discuss the quantity of the objects, appearance and background etc (practise here). 

Monologues

When discussing a picture try to talk from the position of the person displayed in it. Particularly present the thoughts on a specific topic, you can also restrict your monologue by given time.

Dialogues

When given a picture of the environment where the dialogue takes place ( a town, dining room, a portrait of a person, etc) act as one of the objects in the photo. You get the best results if you do this activity in pairs, when you react mutually and spontaneously on your partner’s utterance. However, when doing it on your own, will give you more pronunciation practice ( intonation, modulating your voice in order to distinguish two or more characters).

Role play

Similarly to dialogues, you are given a more specific task to act a particular person, in a given situation.

Seeking and giving information

You seek information on subjects for which you have some basic vocabulary. For instance, you need to get some information from the partner by asking questions in order to guess the name of an unknown subject, place or person.

Story telling

Pictures develop your imagination. In order to exploit the pictures more, get disorganised pictures and put them into right order first. Then narrate the story according to the pictures. For example, the stories can refer to a historical event, which you are aware of, and have to retell it, or make up own stories.

Picture differences*

The task is to compare two pictures and find differences between them. Conversely, you can seek for things which the pictures have in common

Find out more about improving your speaking skills here:

Learn English through pictures

Speaking in pairs and groups

Speak through pictures

Speaking matters: Pairwork

* Find the difference activities

  www.telcuk.com