Are you having problems with listening, speaking, reading, or writing?

Question

To improve your English effectively, what are the most common difficulties you encounter when studying? Are you having problems with listening, speaking, reading, or writing?

Edited by stickman hook 1 day ago

Answer 1

Hello, Colby,

My name is Ashly, and I am a professional writer and English literature tutor. I have a bachelor's degree in English, technical communication, and human resource development. I would love to answer your questions and help you with these very common problems!

To improve your English effectively, what are the most common difficulties you encounter when studying? Are you having problems with listening, speaking, reading, or writing?

One of the most common difficulties that my non-native English-speaking students struggle with is parallel structure and tenses. For example, the words has and had can be used interchangeably depending on the desired time frame of the sentence/story. Has means current, and had means in the past. Let's use the words in a sentence:

Colby had a book in his hands. - At one point he did.

Colby has a book in his hands. - He does right now.

Practicing the use of proper tenses can greatly improve your ability to understand spoken English and help you write more clearly. Likewise, learning the importance and proper placement of verbs, adverbs, and adjectives can be very helpful. Here's an example sentence:

Colby slowly walked to the library and picked up a big book.

Slowly: adverb

Walked/picked up: verb

Big: adjective

Lastly, never be ashamed to turn to children's activities to help you learn! Sometimes, the simple and easy explanations they provide are just what you need to get started!

English is a very hard language to learn, but you've got this!

Best,

Ashly