Where the streets have no name?! (Don’t let this happen to you!)

Hello sweetie, how is this Monday treating you? I hope it’s going swimmingly! I just wanted to take a moment to thank you all for the reactions I got from last week’s newsletter. So many of you emailed me personally and really touched me with your comments. Remember, if you don’t get a chance to use English actively, send me an email and I will mail you back! I’m really happy to hear from all of you. Sharing is caring, and when it comes to English, use it or lose it!

FREE MASTERCLASS 
Last week I was having a great phone conversation with someone who spoke English with ease and eloquence. He asked me to send him a signed copy of Rock Your English!, and when I asked him to spell his address, he…couldn’t. He said “F…r….i…oh wait…e….oh…maybe a…..wait….um….”. He was so embarrassed! Do you want to be known as “The Great Guy Who Does Not Know Where He Lives?” I don’t think so. I so want you to spell (and do everything else) with ease and confidence in English. That’s why I made you this special free Masterclass on English Pronunciation.  You’ll learn all the difficult words, the most common mistakes people make, and how to use the alphabet correctly. All my tips and tricks, for free! Get yours here!

Your questions – answered! 

“Hey, Buffi, thanks for your great newsletter! I was wondering if you could tell me the difference between ‘I was working’ and ‘I worked’? Is there even a difference?? Thanks!” – G, via email.

Thanks so much for asking, sweet G! Yes, there is a difference. “I worked” (the Past Simple tense) is used for situations that are finished or completed. It’s often used with time words that show us that the situation is over – for example “yesterday”, “last week” or “in March”. However, “I was working” (the Past Continuous or Past Progressive tense) is used for something that you were in the middle of doing during a specific moment in the past.  For example, “I was working so hard on my English homework that I didn’t hear the phone ring when you called!”, or “I was working in the garden when the doorbell rang.” In both of these situations, you were in the middle of doing something when something else stopped you or interrupted you. You were not finished with your activity. I hope this clears it up for you – now try to put both forms into a sentence of your own! Mail it to me and I’ll mail you back!

Thanks so much for letting me slip into your mailbox today. If you do one thing this week in English, download my free Masterclass. And then get out there and tell everyone where you live!

Wit lof from your English coach,

Buffi x