Let me ask you something - have you ever noticed how often people say get in English?  I mean seriously - we get tired, we get pizza, we get better, we get going, we get caught in the rain, and we get used to the cold. Well, some of us.  Get is one of the most flexible and common verbs in English - and native speakers use it all the time in conversation. So today, let’s get into it… and take a look at five of the most useful ways we use get in natural, everyday English.Join my Podcast Learner's

Hey, let me ask you a question - have you ever made a decision… and then later thought, “Oh man, I shouldn’t have done that”? Or maybe you’ve thought, “If only I had done it differently.” Yeah. That, my friend, is regret - and we all feel it sometimes. Regret is one of those universal emotions - something everyone experiences. And in English, we’ve got a few really natural and emotional ways to talk about it. So today, I’ll show you how to use phrases like “I should have,” “I wish I had,” and “If

With Halloween right around the corner, I thought it’d be fun to do a little Halloween-themed English. So for the next three weeks, we’re going to dive into some spooky vocabulary, creepy idioms, and even take a look at how Halloween is celebrated in the U.S. Let’s kick it off today with something super useful - Halloween vocabulary!  Now, you might be thinking, “Michael, I’m not a fan of horror movies.” That’s totally fine!  But you know what? These words aren’t just for Halloween. Native speakers

Did you know? Eating healthy foods can make you healthy, but I heard that drinking certain wines with cheeses can make you happy. Foods? Wines? Cheeses?You know, English is a strange language sometimes. Like, words that are usually uncountable suddenly show up with an “s” on the end. Like…foods, cheeses, and wines? Wait a minute — aren’t those uncountable nouns? Well… yes! But also… no. Let me show you how it works — and why it actually makes a lot of sense once you understand the pattern.Join my

They didn’t even say thank you.  Not “they didn’t say thank you.” They didn’t even say thank you. So… what’s the deal with even in negative sentences?In Episode 880, we looked at how to use even in general - like for comparisons and emphasis. But today, we’re going to zoom in on something more specific… and honestly, something really common - using even in negative sentences.Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English

Hey, let me ask you a question - You’ve studied English grammar, haven’t you?  And you’ve probably heard tag questions or negative questions before, right? Well, isn’t this going to be an interesting lesson for you!It's a nice day, isn't it? That's a Tag Question, and today, I’ll show you how these work - and how you can use them to sound more like a native speaker. Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons:

Unless you have something else to do right now, You should listen to this whole podcast episode. And as long as you’re listening, why not take notes...In case you want to use the phrases from this lesson in your daily English. These three little phrases - unless, as long as, and in case - all help us talk about situations that might happen. But they each have a different nuance, and getting them right can make your English sound much more natural. Let's dive in!Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group

You know what? I’ve got a question for you. Or… should I say, I have a question for you? Hmm. Which one sounds better? Or… are they both OK?  For many English learners, “have got” can be a little confusing. I mean, we’ve got “I have a dog,” and “I’ve got a dog”… and both are correct? What’s going on here? Well today, we’re going to break it all down — grammar, style, and real-world usage — so you’ll know exactly how and when to use “have” and “have got.” Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here:

Fall is right around the corner. Soon there will be a nip in the air as you look at the harvest moon, while sipping your pumpkin spice latte. When the season changes, so does the way we talk. So today, before Indian Summer comes, let’s dive into some seasonal vocabulary and phrases that’ll help you talk about fall just like a native speaker.Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons:

Let me say right now, this ain’t gonna be your average English lesson. And even considering that I’ve been teaching English for over 30 years, I ain’t got no problem sharing this information with you. What I’m trying to say is, would you mind if I break some grammar rules today?In this lesson, I want to show you how native speakers break grammar rules — and why that’s actually a part of sounding more natural when you speak.Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here:

I came up with this podcast yesterday. I even wrote some of it in the car. And even though I touched on this topic in a podcast like 10 years ago, this lesson is ever better. Have you ever heard someone say something like, “It’s even colder today than yesterday,” or “He even brought his cat to the party,” and thought… what’s going on with that little word even? It’s just four letters, but even does a lot of work in English. Native speakers use it all the time — in comparisons, for contrast, for

I saw one of my old students the other day. I was like, how’s it going, and he goes, I finally found a new job. And I go, that’s awesome. And he was like, I finally got a job using English. And I was like, that’s really fabulous!Have you ever gotten stuck trying to figure out when to use say and when to use tell? These words seem really similar, but they’re used in different ways. So today, let’s break it down, nice and easy, with some everyday examples. And then, I’m gonna show you two other, more

Hey! I see you’re right on time for this lesson. Take your time, get comfortable. I’m not gonna kill too much time here because as you know, time flies!So today, I’m going to cover six of the most common time expressions: kill time, run out of time, take your time, right on time, about time, and time flies. Then, I’ll also tell you about some proverbs with “time” and the funny little paradox that goes along with them. You’re gonna want to listen all the way through to learn about that.Join my

Would you mind checking out this English lesson? Maybe you could try using some of the phrase here in your conversations this week? Do you think you could even tell a friend about this podcast? That would be great!In everyday conversation, we often like to soften our requests — we make them indirect. It feels more polite, more friendly, and honestly, it just sounds more natural.So today, I want to show you some of these indirect phrases that we use all the time. Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group

I’m glad you’re still studying English. I’m gonna guess that you have already heard my last podcast about linking sounds. What did you say? Not yet? You’re not going to do that anymore, are you?Today, I want to talk about four small — but powerful — words that can totally change the feeling of your sentence. I’m talking about Already, Still, Yet, and AnymoreMy AI English Tutor is hereJoin my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/transcriptVisit my website for over

Lemme tell you something. An outdoor concert is a great way to have a blast and get into the grove. That’s where a lot of people enjoy the vibe and have a great time. Ah, live music in the summer. Nothing beats it!Today, we’re diving into one of the best parts of American summer culture — music and festivals. There’s just something about summer in the U.S. that makes people want to be outside, especially with good food, good friends… and good music.  My AI English Tutor is hereJoin my Podcast

I used to drink a lot of coffee all day, but these days, I tend to just have a cup or two in the morning, so I’m drinking less coffee. Sure, it was hard to get used to, but now that I’m used to it, it’s all good!Today, we’re check out something that looks simple… but I’ve seen it trip up a lot of English learners. I’m talking about used to, be used to, and get used to. Yeah, they all kinda look the same — but they mean totally different things My AI English Tutor is hereJoin my Podcast Learner's

Somebody asked me the other day how many phrasal verbs there are in English. That’s a tough question. So I said, beats me. And then she said, but you’re an English teacher. I dunno. I have no clue. How many phrasal verbs are there? Who knows!Native English speakers have a lot of ways to say at they don’t know. Today, I want to share some fun and natural ways to say “I don’t know” — the way native speakers really talk.Use my free AI English TutorJoin my Podcast Learner's Study Group here:

Sentence stress. It’s not the kind of stress, that keeps you up at night. And in fact, it’s not anything bad at all. It’s an essential part of English!And when I say sentence stress, I’m not talking about being stressed out about learning grammar. I’m talking about how we say certain words louder, longer, or more clearly — and how that changes the feeling, and sometimes even the meaning, of what we’re saying.Use m free AI English Tutor HEREJoin my Podcast Learner's Study Group here:

Someone recently asked me if teaching English was a side hustle. Really? I hustle, that's for sure, but this is my only job. And I got my foot in the door in 1994 in Japan. Wow time flies!Today, we have another episode in our summer series about American culture. It’s Week 7, and today we’re talking about something that’s kind of a rite of passage in the U.S.—summer jobs.My AI English Tutor is HEREJoin my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/transcriptVisit my website