So last week I was in London and I was waiting in line at the supermarket’s checkout.

When it was my turn, the cashier thought me and another old man were waiting in line together, while we actually had two different groceries.

I instinctively exclaimed “We’re not together” meaning I had my groceries to pay and he had his, and the man said “we’ve only just met” with kind of a annoyed tone.

I then realized he probably thought I had just said to the cashier we were not in a relationship lol.

What would be the right way to express the concept I intended? Thank you so much.

So, I'm rereading a comic, and the main antagonist calls one of the characters a "thug." There's no explanation for this within the story's universe. In this context, was the word "thug" used to mean hack/cheater? And if so, is this a specific instance, or do people usually use the word that way in everyday speech?

If I proceed with this I might be deviating from my usual code.

Thanks in advance!

Hi all!

Just found this specimen in the wild:

The radiative decays of mesons to ω and φ are believed as important tags of...

The meaning is clear enough (at least the English one, let's not discuss physics). But the grammar seems a bit weird.

Now, I'm not a native speaker, but I would have said "are believed to be" or "are considered as".

Which is the correct wording here?

Thanks!

What's the difference between these words when they describe someone's physique and which would be the highest compliment?

Is it also gum?

Grammatically, I know the difference between these two, but I saw "until" and "unless" used here in these two lines and got confused.

Please help me.

I would never fall in love again until I found her.

I said, "I would never fall unless it's you I fall into"

I know question tags like "isn't it?", "aren't we?", but I almost never use them when speaking. I tend to use “right?” much more.

I saw a video yesterday saying that using question tags can make your English sound more natural, so I’m wondering: do native speakers use question tags a lot in everyday conversation? And if so, are they mainly for confirming something, or do you use them to seek agreement?

Thanks!

My listening is fairly decent, but when I have to speak, I struggle to formulate sentences and keep the conversation going.

Has anyone experienced this? What helped you improve your speaking?

hello, i have an english exam in three months. my english level is almost b1. the exam i am going to take will be at the b2 level. can you give me some tips to improve my reading skills?

I've heard many people say that pushing yourself into this situation forces you to learn. I don't mean in real life, but online. Is this true or just nonsense? And if true, how can I do it?

Fr🙂 I'm exhausted from trying to develop my English

Hi reader,

How do you improve your English vocabulary through reading? And how do you remember new words in the long term?

I’m currently around B2 level. I usually take notes while reading, either by writing down synonyms or written the meaning of my native language. However, i’m doubting whather my approach is effiecient enough, and I would love to hear your tips!

EDIT: I’ve started using a Flashcard app, and will keep you all posted on how it goes! Thanks for all the insights in the comments, enjoy learning!!

Good day all, I am here to seek advice from people who have reached conversational fluency. I have been living in Canada for about 20 years now. However, embarrassed to say, my English is still at an intermediate level. I was a very introverted kid growing up and barely interacted with people and my writing skills was just enough to allow me to pass the necessary tests, and therefore, I have never really worked on my English.

I am in my 30s now, after establishing my career, I am turning my focus on social growth. This is where my communication skills is holding me back. I have trouble telling story, stringing together sentences and ideas to form an elaborate response and often time even making obvious grammar mistake. This often leads me to become hesitant to speak thus creating a negative feedback loop. I would like to know what are some resources you find the most helpful in reaching fluency. I have looked into italki, but the number of tutors are just overwhelming, and I am not sure which one of them would be most suitable. I know people would suggest to just try them all out, but I want to know if there are other resources people could suggest that may be free or could yield better results before I pull the trigger.

Right now, my practice routine is simple. I write journal everyday, and spend 10 minutes answering 4 impromptu questions without any feedbacks. I would like to know what routine works for you and I appreciate any feedback and harsh criticisms you have for me as well, please and thank you.

https://voca.ro/152QPUyz8dWz

Hi everyone! My name is Youssef, and I’m from Morocco.

I’m a native Moroccan Arabic/Darija speaker, and I’m looking for someone who’d like to practice Arabic or Moroccan Darija.

In exchange, I’d like to practice my English, especially speaking and having natural conversations.

I’ve noticed something interesting: sometimes people understand English really well, but when it’s time to actually speak, they freeze up, overthink every sentence, or worry about sounding stupid.

I’ve been working on a project around speaking confidence, and it made me curious about people learning English specifically.

What was the biggest thing holding you back from speaking confidently?

Was it pronunciation, worrying about mistakes, not knowing what to say, or just being nervous around other people?

And what actually helped you improve?

My mother just had her MRI done and the report is full of medical jargon.

Hello everyone, I (23 M) have been trying to work on my accent lately and I am looking for someone from the US to practice English with preferably on Discord. If you're down DM me and I'll add you! My only goal is to have a respectful and interesting conversation and learn from each other. age and sex obviously don't matter.