Writing English can be very tricky. These pages will help improve your spelling and instruct you about the correct use of punctuation. they're / their / there
They're, spelled t-h-e-y-'-r-e, is the contracted or shortened form of they are. Example: They're going to knock down the building. Their, the possessive pronoun used to express that something belongs to a group of people is spelled t-h-e-i-r. Example: They're going to knock down their building. There, All other uses of there use the t-h-e-r-e spelling, and mean: in or at that place. Example: They're going to knock down their building over there by the river.

adding s to words ending in s, x, ch, z and sh.
advise & advice
advise & advice
apostrophe
capital letters
capital letters 2
capital letters 3
'cause
consonants
contractions
effect & affect
fs & ves plurals
ife plurals
its & it's
led & lead
licence
lose or loose?
plurals of words ending in 'o'.
possessive apostrophe
principal & principle
silent k
spelling ing
they're their there
to too
using apostrophes 2
weather & whether
where & we're
whose & who's
'y' plurals
your & you're

Many words in English are pronounced in different ways when they have different uses or meanings, but their spelling doesn't change, such as read and read. You can listen to the difference and practise your pronunciation of those words here. present (pronounced to rhyme with pleasant)
at this time; now Example: Our present situation is very good. a gift Example: He gave her a beautiful present. present (pronounced to rhyme with resent)
give, often in a formal way Example: I present you with this medal. show; display Example: You should be careful about how you present yourself.

a & an
advise & advice
advise & advice
advocate
appropriate
blessed
bow
bow 2
buffet
close
conduct
content
convert
convict
dance
defect
desert
elaborate
estimate
graduate
house
impact
live
lives
minute
orchid & orchard
permit
present
proceeds
produce
progress
pronouncing ch
pronouncing -ed
pronouncing ou
pronouncing s on the end of words
pronouncing the
record
silent g
sow
subject
suspect
tear
use
vowels
wind
wound

Irregular verbs do not have past tenses and past participles formed by adding –ed.
They are useful to learn.


The past tense is the verb form that shows something happened in the past. Example: I learned that some time ago. Irregular verbs have different past tenses. Example: I saw him yesterday. The past participle is used with forms of have (has, had) and forms of be (is, am, are, were, was). It’s usually the same as the past tense. Example: I have learned my lesson. But some irregular verbs have different past tenses and different past participles. Example: I have seen him around.

arise
awake
be
bear
beat
become
begin
bend
bet
bid
bind
bite
bleed
blow
break
breed
bring
broadcast
build
burn
burst
buy
cast
catch
choose
cling
clothe
come
cost
creep
cut
deal
dig
do
draw
dream
drink
drive
dwell
eat
fall
feed
feel
fight
find
flee
fling
fly
forbear
forbid
forget
forgive
forsake
freeze
get
give
go
grind
grow
hang
have
hear
hide
hit
hold
hurt
keep
kneel
know
lay
lead
lean
leap
learn
leave
lend
let
lie
light
lose
make
mean
meet
mow
overcome
partake
pay
prove
put
read
rid
ride
ring
rise
run
saw
say
see
seek
sell
send
set
sew
shake
shear
shed
shine
shoe
shoot
show
shrink
shut
sing
sink
sit
slay
sleep
slide
sling
slink
slit
smell
sow
speak
speed
spell
spend
spill
spin
spit
split
spread
spring
stand
steal
stick
sting
stink
strew
stride
strike
string
strive
swear
sweep
swell
swim
swing
take
teach
tear
tell
think
thrive
throw
thrust
tread
undergo
understand
undertake
wake
wear
weave
weep
wet
win
wind
wring
write

Verbs are sometimes combined with adverbs and prepositions to form a phrase that has a meaning that can’t be worked out from the individual meanings of each of the words.

Give Up
Give up combines the verb give with the preposition up to form a new verb with several meanings. Example: I had to give up trying to learn French. Or it can mean to resign. Example: You should give up that boring job.

back off
bail out
beat off
blow out
blow up
branch out
break away
break down
break in
break out
break up
break up 2
bring about
bring in
bring out
bring together
bring up
build up
bump into
burn off
buy into
call up
call upon
came about
carry on
carry out
carry over
cash in
catch on
catch out
catch up in
catch up with
check out
chill out
chip away at
clean out
clean up
close down
come about
come across
come along
come around / come round
come back
come by
come from
come in
come in 2
come off
come off 2
come on
come on 2
come out
come out 2
come round / come around
come through
come up
come up 2
come up to
come up with
cool down
cooped up
crack down
cut back
cut down
cut up
deal with
deck out
die out
dig up
draw on
draw up
dress up
drive off
drop out
drops off
drum up
end up
even out
fade away
fall apart
fall over
fall through
figure out
fill out
fill up
find out
finish up
fire it up
fish out
fit in
fix up
follow through
frown on/upon
gear up
get ahead
get at
get away
get by
get into
get off
get off 2
get off on
get on
get out
get out 2
get out of
get through
get through 2
get to
get together
get up
getting over
give away
give off
give up
go about
go ahead
go around
go around 2
go back
go off
go off 2
go on
go on 2
go out
go out 2
go over
go through
go through 2
go up
grow away from
grow into
grow on
grow out of
grow up
hand in
hand over
hand over to
hang around
hang on
hang out
head off
hear of
heat up
help out
hold up
hollow out
hop on
jot down
jut out
keep out
keep up
kept at
kick in
kick off
knock back
know about
lay out
lay up
leave behind
let off
letting up
light up
line up
live off
live on
look after
look back
look into
look up to
make out
make up
miss out
move on
open up
pack up
pass away
pass down
pass it off as
pass on
pass on 2
pass up
patch up
pay for
pay off
peg out
pick out
pick up
pick up 2
pile up
play out
play up
play up to
pop up
pull in
pull out
pull together
pull up
put across
put down
put down 2
put down to
put in
put in 2
put off
put on
put on 2
put out
put together
put up
put up with
ring up
roll in
roll on
round up
rule out
run into
run off
run on
run out
screen out
sell out
sell up
set about
set off
set out
set up
set up 2
settle down
settle in
shake up
shaping up
show off
shut down
sign up
single out
skirting around
slip out
slip through
slip up
snap up
snap up
sniff out
soak up
sort out
speak out
speeding up
spin out
spruce up
stack up
stamp out
stand back
stand by
stand for
stand out
stand up for
start off
start out
stave off
stay on
stir up
string up
sweep away
switch on
take in
take in 2
take off
take on
take out
take over
take to
take up
taken away
talk out of
team up
think of
throw away
throw in
throw into
throw out
throw up
tick over
tie up
top off
track down
try out
tuck in
tune up
turn around
turn away
turn down
turn in
turn into
turn on
turn out
turn out 2
turn over
turn over 2
turn to
turn up
usher in
wake up
wake up to
warm up
wash away
wash up
weed out
weigh up
wind down
wind up
wipe out
work on
work out
work up
write down