ESL Consulting Work

This article is intended to give you a sense of the type of curriculum and program consulting work that we at Ginseng have done in the past, and can do for you!

Our team of ESL and curriculum consultants all have advanced degrees in relevant fields (TESOL, applied linguistics, education, instructional design), as well as decades of experience planning, designing, implementing, and evaluating programs in a range of contexts. These contexts include K-12 schools, adult education/ESOL, post-secondary/higher education, English for specific purposes, intensive English language programs (IELPs).

Areas that we can help you with include:

  • Program design

  • Curriculum development

  • Assessment design and development

  • Grant writing/funding

  • Program evaluation

  • Reporting for funders and other stakeholders

Preparing a General ESL Curriculum for CEA Accreditation

Over the course of a 3-month contract, we helped a small independent language school to prepare their existing 5-level general English curriculum for accreditation with CEA. This work included improving the documentation of the existing curricular objectives, instruction, and assessments. It also included work to align and sequence the program progression. Finally, it included writing text for submission as part of the CEA self-study report.

Planning and Writing a Textbook Series for a Private Language School

Over the course of a 6-month contract, Ginseng developed a new coursebook series for a chain of private English language schools in North America. First, our team systematically evaluated the needs of the company, evaluated their current textbook series. We then planned a 6-level scope and sequence for the new series. We then designed and wrote the first book in this series, including all graphic design work. This project is ongoing.

Developing a Workforce ESOL Program

Members of our consulting team worked with a nonprofit community-based organization in New England to develop their first vocational/workplace ESOL program with two courses, one for restaurant workers and one for bus drivers. This project included work on grant-writing and reporting to funders and stakeholders.

Redesigning a Community ESOL Program with Life Skills Strands

Members of our team worked with a community-based organization to redesign their 6-level ESOL program to align with WIOA funding mandates. This complex project included the alignment of the existing curriculum to the College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS), the development of an authentic assessment tool (which integrated with a communications/accountability plan), and the integration of “life-wide skills” across the curriculum.

Simple Present vs. Present Perfect

The simple present and present perfect verb forms are both used to describe actions or states that are currently happening or have happened recently, but they have some key differences that are important to understand.

The simple present tense is used to describe actions or states that are currently true or that are generally true. For example:

I eat breakfast every morning. (This is a general statement that is always true.)

He plays soccer on the weekends. (This is a current action that is happening regularly.)

The present perfect tense, on the other hand, is used to describe actions or states that have recently happened or that started in the past and continue to the present. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb "have" or "has" and the past participle of the main verb. For example:

I have eaten breakfast already. (This action started in the past and is now complete.)

She has been living in New York for five years. (This state started in the past and continues to the present.)

One way to remember the difference between these two tenses is to think of the simple present as being used for "now" and the present perfect as being used for "recently." However, it's important to note that the present perfect can also be used to describe actions or states that started in the past and continue to the present, even if they are not necessarily recent.

Here are a few more examples of the simple present and present perfect tenses in action:

Simple present:

She speaks Spanish fluently.(This is a general statement that is always true.)

He works at a coffee shop. (This is a current action that is happening regularly.)

Present perfect:

I have visited Paris twice. (This action started in the past and is now complete.)

They have been married for ten years. (This state started in the past and continues to the present.)

In summary, the simple present is used to describe actions or states that are currently happening or that are generally true, while the present perfect is used to describe actions or states that have recently happened or that started in the past and continue to the present. Understanding the differences between these two tenses is essential for proper grammar and clear communication in English.

Studying English in Boston

History

Boston is a city with a lot of historical importance. Boston is a peninsula that has been inhabited for at least 2,000 years, originally by Native Americans, who called the land Shawmut. In the 1600s, English settlers arrived, and began calling the region New England (a name we still use today for the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island). Many famous Americans, such as Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, and Samuel Adams, studied in Boston.

Culture

Universities

Harvard University was the first university in the U.S. It is also one of the best and probably the most famous college in the country! But Boston is

Studying English in Philadelphia

If you are thinking of studying English in the United States of America, Philadelphia is a great city to consider. This article shares a number of benefits to studying in Philadelphia, as well as a list of places to study English in Philly.

The Definite Article The

There is one definite article in English: the. The is the most common word in the English language.

We use the definite article the before nouns that refer to specific things, things that have already been mentioned, and things that are already known to the people in the discussion. The can be used before both singular or plural nouns and both countable and uncountable nouns.

Articles are a kind of determiner, a part of speech which we use before a noun. There are two types of article: definite articles and indefinite articles.

Indefinite Articles A/an

There are two indefinite articles in English: a and an. We use the indefinite articles a and an before nouns that refer to things that are new ideas, not already known, or that are not specific. We only use indefinite articles before singular, countable nouns.

Articles are a type of determiner, a part of speech which we use before a noun.

When to use Indefinite Articles

One very common situation when we use indefinite articles is when we are introducing a new idea that hasn’t been mentioned before. It is very common to use following there is. Here are a couple of examples:

There is a blue house on the corner of my street.

There is an umbrella in the closet.

I have an older brother.

We also use indefinite articles in situations where we don’t need a specific thing. Look at this example:

I need a glass of water.

The person speaking in the example above doesn’t need a specific glass of water. They are just thirsty, and any glass of water will be good. In situations like this, where we are not referring to a specific noun, we also use a or an.

The difference between A & An

The difference between a and an is based on the first sound of the next word. When the next sound is a consonant sound, we use a. When the next sound is a vowel sound, we use an. Here are some examples:

an apple

an egg

an ice cube

an onion

an umbrella

a bag

a dog

a girl

a house

a man

Note that some words are tricky because they may start with a letter that is a vowel, but with a sound that is a consonant. For example, the first letter in university and union is the vowel U, but the first sound is the consonant Y. Here are a few examples:

a European city

a euphemism

a union

a university

On the other hand, some words start an H, but the H is silent, so the first sound is a vowel. What matters is the sound, so we use an. Here are a few examples:

an hour

an herb

an honest mistake

An Historian or A Historian?

A weird example that frequently arises is the word historian. You may sometimes hear people say an historian. But is this correct? The short answer is probably not. The longer answer is it depends: If you speak with an accent that doesn’t pronounce the H in historian, then an historian is fine. But most accents today pronounce the H, and if you pronounce the H, you should probably say a historian!

The same rule applies for a historic event vs. an historic event and a hotel vs. an hotel. If you say the H, use a. If the H is silent in your accent, use an.

Using Semicolons Correctly

The semicolon is a punctuation mark that causes much too much stress for English learners and developing writers! This short article will explain the basics of correct semicolon usage in English!

What is a Semicolon?

First of all, let’s make sure we know what we’re talking about. A semicolon looks like a dot over a comma (;). Be careful not to confuse this with a colon, which is one dot over another dot (:). A semicolon is one of the punctuation marks in English, like a comma (,), period (.), exclamation point (!), and question mark (?). We use punctuation in writing to show the breaks between words, phrases, clauses, and sentences, and to help make meaning clearer.

How do you use a Semicolon in English?

Connecting Independent Clauses with Semicolons

Almost all the time, a semicolon is used to connect two independent clauses that are clearly connected to each other. Here are a few examples:

I'm not hungry; I had a huge breakfast.

I received a missed call during the meeting; I hope it wasn't anything important.

I'm a carpenter; my wife is a surgeon.

Let’s notice a few things about the examples above. First of all, the semicolon comes between two independent clauses. Remember, an independent clause is built around a subject and a verb, and it could stand by itself as a sentence. Second, there is no conjunction used to connect the clauses. We don’t use semicolons and conjunctions together. Third, the relationship between the two clauses is extremely clear. Often we connect clauses with conjunctions, and the conjunction helps us to see the relationship between two clauses. In cases where that relationship is completely obvious, we can use a semicolon instead of a conjunction. Last, notice that we don’t need a capital letter following a semicolon.

When is a Semicolon Necessary?

So, remember: a semicolon can connect two independent clauses, and an independent clause is a clause that can stand by itself as a complete sentence. If one independent clause doesn’t need to be connected to another sentence, that means a semicolon is basically never necessary; it’s a choice!

Using Semicolons in Lists

We also sometimes use semicolons in lists and series. In most situations, we use commas between items in a list, like this:

We have cherries, pineapples, and oranges.

But when your list has commas inside the items, this can get really confusing:

We've got cherries, which have pits, pineapples, which don't, and oranges, which may have some small seeds.

In the example above, the number of commas can make it difficult to understand the series. This is a situation where we might use semicolons to separate the items in the list:

We've got cherries, which have pits; pineapples, which don't; and oranges, which may have some small seeds.

Using semicolons in addition to the commas required by the relative clauses with which helps to create a hierarchy in the sentence, making it easier to see the structure of the series.

We may also use semicolons in lists with bullets or numbers, like this:

Following our strategic plan, we intend to take the following actions:
- form a search committee;
- draft, publish, and distribute a job description;
- interview all qualified candidates; and
- make a hiring decision in collaboration with the board of directors.

What is the Common European Framework (CEFR)?

A1? B2? What is the CEFR?

A chart of CEFR levels with very brief summaries.

You may have noticed that many of our blog posts and English classes have strange combinations of letters and numbers on them: B1, C2, A1. These codes can tell you some important information about the level of the class or blog post. They come from a European system called the Common European Framework for Reference (CEFR).

Although the CEFR is “European,” it is used in many countries around the world to talk about language proficiency. Because the CEFR is international, it’s very helpful for language learners and language teachers to talk about levels. There are six levels in the CEFR: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2. If you’re familiar with the idea of English language standards, the CEFR is similar.

The CEFR doesn't describe language in terms of number of vocabulary words or grammar structures. The CEFR focuses on what students can do with the language. For example, students at level B1 can give descriptions on a variety of familiar subjects related to their interests. C1 students can give clear, well-structured descriptions of complex subjects. That's why the CEFR can be used for any language, not just English. Learning your CEFR level can be really helpful to you as an English student!

Soon Ginseng will have a placement test that will help you learn your CEFR level, so watch for that!

CEFR Levels Table

Here is a table with each level in the Common European Framework, along with a description of students at each level.

Common European Framework of Reference for Language (CEFR) Levels
Level Name Frequency
C2 Mastery Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Can summarise information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation. Can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations.
C1 Effective Operational Control Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognise implicit meaning. Can express him/herself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. Can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes. Can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organisational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices.
B2 Vantage Can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in his/her field of specialisation. Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain for either party. Can produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.
B1 Threshold Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. Can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an area where the language is spoken. Can produce simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest. Can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes & ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.
A2 Waystage Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment). Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters. Can describe in simple terms aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and matters in areas of immediate need.
A1 Breakthrough Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type. Can introduce him/herself and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows and things he/she has. Can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.

You can read more about the CEFR at the website of the Council of Europe, which developed the framework between 1989 and 1996. There was also a major update to the CEFR in 2020.

How Long Does it Take to Move to the next CEFR Level?

Many students want to know how long it takes to change from one CEFR level to the next. There is no simple answer to this question, and some of the most important factors that affect how quickly you can learn English are individual factors. But there is some valuable research from Cambridge University that we can point to and make some general statements about how long learners of English tend to stay at each CEFR level. You can see this illustrated in the table below.

Estimated Time at Each CEFR Level
Level Total Hours Hours From Previous Level
C2 1,030-1,450 It takes about 300-400 hours to reach C2 from C1.
C1 730-1,050 It takes about 200-300 hours to reach C1 from B2.
B2 530-750 It takes about 180-260 hours to reach B2 from B2.
B1 350-490 It takes about 160-240 hours to reach B1 from A2.
A2 190-250 It takes about 100-150 hours to reach A2 from A1.
A1 90-100 It takes about 90-100 hours to reach A1.

Note that the hours each CEFR level in the table above are “Guided Learning Hours”: a combination of classroom study with a teacher, plus guided self-study.

Future Perfect Continuous Tense

The future perfect continuous is an English verb form used to describe an action that starts in the future and continue up to another time or action in the future. This can be a time or date, or it can be another action. Often a duration is specified for the verb in the future perfect continuous. This verb form alone does not specify if the action will continue after that point.

This is a very rare verb form. Less than .1% of English verbs are in the future perfect continuous. Do not use this verb tense unless you are absolutely certain that it is necessary.

Note that continuous and progressive are just different words for this same thing, so some people call this tense the future perfect progressive.

Keep reading to learn the rules and reasons for using and forming the future perfect continuous, including loads of charts and examples!

Using the Future Perfect Continuous

Perfect continuous verbs are used to describe an action that has been in progress before another action or point in time, often with a duration specified. With the future perfect continuous, that time is in the future. This can be a time or date (next summer, Saturday at 5, in 2050) or it can be another action in the future.

Chart for Future Perfect Continuous Tense In English

Future Perfect Continuous Tense

Here are some example sentences:

By the time I finish my Ph.D., I will have been studying for over 20 years!

Monday is my work anniversary. I'm going to have been working here for a decade!

In these examples, the perfect continuous action (will have been studying, going to have been working) is presented with a duration (over 20 years, a decade) and another action (I finish) or point in time in the future (Monday).

Form

Formula with Will

To form the future perfect continuous, we use the future perfect form of the helping verb be—will have been or going to have been—and the continuous form of the main verb. No matter what the subject is, the verb form is

subject + will have been + VERBing

Conjugation

Here are conjugation tables showing the verb work in the future perfect continuous with will.

Future Perfect Continuous Tense Verb Conjugation with Will
Singular Plural
1st person I  will have been working. we  will have been working.
2nd person you  will have been working. you  will have been working.
3rd person he  will have been working. they  will have been working.
she  will have been working.
it  will have been working.

Formula with Going to

Because forming the future tenses with going to is more complex and wordy, we almost never form the future perfect continuous with going to. In the rare situation that we might use it, the form is

subject + am/is/are + going to have been + VERBing

Conjugation

Here is a conjugation table:

Future Perfect Continuous Tense Verb Conjugation with Will
Singular Plural
1st person I  am going to have been working. we  are going to have been working.
2nd person you  are going to have been working. you  are going to have been working.
3rd person he  is going to have been working. they  are going to have been working.
she  is going to have been working.
it  is going to have been working.

Other Forms

Questions

In the future perfect continuous, you have more than one helping verb. To make a question, move the subject after the first helping verb, will, but before the second helping verb, have. Again, please keep in mind that these forms are extremely rare, and these examples sound very unnatural in English; we share them only to help students understand the patterns of the language.

At what point will you have been acting for 20 years?

When will they have been playing this game for too long?

Negative Sentences

You can form a negative by inserting not between the first helping verb will and the second helping verb have. For example:

In January, we will not have been living in California for 20 years.

But notice that the negative form is ambiguous. It is unclear which part of the sentence we are negating. Are we living someplace other than California? Has it just not been 20 years yet? This is a good reason to avoid making negative sentences in the future perfect continuous.

The Passive Voice

If for some reason you need to make a passive sentence in the future perfect continuous, use be in the future perfect continuous (will have been being) and then the perfect form of the main verb. As you can see in the following example, this is awkward and confusing

Next year the house will have been being renovated for 5 years.

We do not recommend making future perfect continuous passive sentences.

CHECK OUT THESE OTHER FREE GRAMMAR RESOURCES:

 

Most Common English Verb Tenses

English Verb Form Frequency

We spend a lot of time in English class studying all the different verb tenses. I can't tell you how many times my students have asked me, "How often do we really use the future perfect progressive?" My answer is usually that it is very rare, but it's meaningful, and it can be helpful to understanding how the past perfect progressive works as well. But that really is a good question:

How often do we use each verb tense in English?

This is an important question because there are 12 different verb tenses in English, and you want to study strategically, learning the most valuable ones!

Let's start by saying that there is no one answer. As you may know, the English we use for speaking is different from the English we use in writing. There are many different situations to be speaking or writing in, and in each of those situations we would see different verb frequencies. Even from person to person, our individual speaking style might lead one person to use, for example, the present tense more often than another person. We can, however, observe some useful patterns.

The 5 Most Commonly used English Verb Tenses

If you are looking for a quick answer, here it is:

5 Most Common English Verb Tenses
# Tense Frequency
1 Simple Present 57.51%
2 Simple Past 19.7%
3 Simple Future 8.5%
4 Present Perfect 6.0%
5 Present Continuous 5.1%

Some quick insights from the top 5:

  • The simple present accounts for more than half of the verbs used in English speech

  • The 5 most commonly used verb tenses total up to over 95% of usage

  • The simple tenses are the top three verb tenses

For a more in-depth analysis, read on!

The Source Material

For this post, we looked at an interesting research study by Krámský (1969). We have also updated this article to include findings from Alzuhairy (2016). Krámský took several different samples of three different styles (or registers) of English—novels, plays, and specialized (academic and technical) texts. He analyzed 20,000-word samples from each text, counting each form of each verb, and sharing all his data.

The results are complex, and grouped in ways that might not be too helpful, but I have tried to regroup them and show them in charts that are more useful for language teachers and learners.

Before we look at some of those patterns, I want to include a caveat, or warning. When compared to all the language in the world, Krámský's sample is actually very, very small. Ideally, we would get this information from a larger base of language called a corpus, like the Corpus of Contemporary American English. Unfortunately, information of this kind is currently difficult (if not impossible) to get from most corpora. Still, the general proportions and patterns that Krámský found should be fairly accurate. The one other warning is that the texts Krámský used as samples of spoken (or colloquial) English are actually plays, written to sound like spoken English. It is very possible that examples of actual spoken English would be different from the language found in the plays.

Ok, now let's get to the fun stuff!

Verb Tense Frequency

First, I've broken each text type down by verb tense: past, present, and future:

As you can see, there are some big differences between different text types. Spoken English is mostly in the present tense (68.9%), but fiction is mostly past tense (57.6%). Specialized texts overwhelmingly use the present tense (87.1%).

This makes a lot of sense. In fiction, we generally tell stories that take place before: first this happened, then that happened, then that happened. When we speak, though, we talk a lot more about what we think and feel and like, what we do, who people are, our experiences and all of these things are expressed in the present tense. In specialized texts, we are often writing about things that are generally true, and here again, we use the present tense a lot.

The future tense is less used in all text types: 9% in speech, 2% in fiction, and 4% in specialized texts.

This table breaks down each tense by frequency in all three text types:

5 Most Common English Verb Tenses
Tense Speech Frequency Specialized
Present 68.9% 40.3% 87.1%
Past 22.4% 57.6%% 8.7%
Future 8.7% 2.1% 4.3%

Verb Aspect Frequency

The tenses are easy enough—past, present, future—but the really tricky thing about learning English verbs is the four aspects: simple, progressive, perfect, and perfect progressive. Thankfully, there isn't as much difference between the different styles of English when it comes to aspect. Take a look:

The charts look generally the same. In every style of English, the simple aspect—simple present, simple past, and simple future—makes up over 85% of verbs that we use. The lesser-used aspects all fall in the same order: after simple, it's perfect, then progressive, then perfect progressive gets a tiny little sliver of use. Biber and Reppen (2002) confirm this pattern, observing that the simple aspect is “more than 20 times as common as progressive in conversation.” (p. 204, cited in Alzuhairy (2016).

Alzuhairy (2016) studied academic texts in particular. The same general pattern applies, but simple present only accounts for about 50% of verbs in Alzuhairy’s findings.

Most Used Tenses and Aspects

5 verb forms make up 96% of all verbs in spoken English.

I think this may be one of the most useful insights from Krámský's work for teachers and students. Although there are 12 tense/aspect combinations in English, 5 of these cover around 96% of spoken English.

Notice that the simple present alone accounts for 57% of verbs. Next is the simple past (19.7%), then simple future (8.5%), followed by present perfect (6.0%) and then present progressive (5.1%). If you want to know which verb tenses to learn first, these five will definitely give you the most bang for your buck!

The remaining 7 tense/aspect combinations are each under 1.5% of spoken English verbs. Of course, it is valuable to learn all the combinations, but if you want to prioritize the most useful verb tenses, this should be helpful.

Active and Passive Voice

The passive voice is another of those constructions that challenges students and leads to the question, how useful is this? Well, again, Krámský's work gives us some idea how useful they are. Here is a breakdown of active and passive constructions in the three registers: 

The vast majority of verbs in English are in the active voice.

It is not surprising that the vast majority of verbs are active. The most important takeaways that I see are these: 97.5% of verbs in spoken English are active, but the passive voice is much more common in specialized and academic texts, in which only 82.2% of sentences are active.

Complete Table of Most Used Verb Tenses in English

Most Common English Verb Tenses
# Tense Frequency
1 Simple Present 57.51%
2 Simple Past 19.7%
3 Simple Future 8.5%
4 Present Perfect 6.0%
5 Present Continuous 5.1%
6 Past Continuous 1.4%
7 Past Perfect 1.2%
8 Present Perfect Continuous 0.7%
9 Future Perfect 0.2%
10 Future Continuous >0.1%
11 Past Perfect Continuous >0.1%
12 Future Perfect Continuous >0.1%

More free grammar resources:

Featured
Future Perfect Continuous Tense Verb Table
Future Perfect Continuous Tense
IMG_5312.PNG
Most Common English Verb Tenses
Apostrophe -s can be a Contraction of has or is
Contractions with Two Meanings
Sensory Verbs of Sight.jpeg
Sensory Verbs in English

English Verb Tense Test

How advanced is your English grammar knowledge? The Ginseng English Verb Tense Test is an assessment that tests your knowledge of all 12 English verb forms (3 verb tenses and all 4 aspects). The test and access to results are completely free!

There Is and There Are

Using There Is and There Are

In English, we use the phrases there is and there are to talk about things around us. We use there is to say that something exists, or that something is in a specific place. Here are some examples:

There is a dog.

There is a new house on my street.

There are two blue houses on my street.

There is a Chinese restaurant near my house.

There are many great cafes in my city.

There is milk in the refrigerator.

There are two women at the door.

Singular and Plural

The difference between there is and there are is simple. There is is for singular nouns (only one). There are is for plural nouns (more than one). Here are some more examples:

There is a ball.

There are two balls.

The pattern is simple. There is with singular things. There are with plural things. But one thing is a little different. In most situations, the noun is before the verb:

The cat is gray.

The dogs are white.

But with there is and there are, the noun comes after the verb is or are:
There is a gray cat.
Thete are two white dogs.

There is a gray cat.

There are two white dogs.

Negative Statements with There is and there are

To make a negative sentence with there is and there are, we can use not or no. All of these sentences are correct:

There is not any milk.

There is no milk.

There are not any eggs.

There are no eggs.

Contractions

Contractions are words that combine two words together into a new word, usually with an apostrophe. We very frequently combine there and is into the contraction there’s. Study at these examples:

There's milk in the fridge.

There's a good cafe on the corner.

There's a man at the door.

It is also possible to combine there and are into the contraction there’re, but this very informal and much less common than there’s.

Questions

To form a question with there is or there are, we usually just change the order of the words to is there and are there:

Is there a hospital near here?

Are there any eggs in the fridge?

We can also add question words before is there and are there:

Why is there a man at the door?

Where is there a bathroom I can use?

Contractions with Two Meanings

Lots of contractions!

Contractions are two words put together in a shorter form. We use lots of contractions in English: isn't (is not) doesn't (does not), didn't (did not), can't (cannot), won't (will not). I'm (I am), you're (you are), we're (we are). There are tons of them!

Confusing contractions

Apostrophe -s

But let's (let us!) talk about some tricky contractions. Contractions with apostrophe -s ('s) and apostrophe -d ('d) are difficult because they have two meanings. Think about it: what does he's mean? Look at these two sentences:

He's studying English.

He's visited England.

In the first sentence, he's means he is. In the second sentence, he's means he has. When we see 's it can mean either has or is. 

Apostrophe -d

I'd been working for hours.

I'd like a glass of champagne.

Apostrophe -s can be a Contraction of has or is
 

Sensory Verbs in English

Verbs related to the five senses can be really difficult in English. This post covers all five senses, including active and passive sensory verbs, complete with charts and examples!