Uploaded February 2021 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Can one object in English be plural? Yes! Find out why, when, and how. Do we say “my jeans is tight” or “my jeans are tight”? “Where is my glasses?” or “Where are my glasses?”, “here is the scissors” or “here are the scissors”? Learn about these unusual words and correct these common mistakes made with plural nouns, which refer to one thing, but are actually plural! Master this important subject related to subject-verb agreement in English. After the lesson, take the quiz: engvid.com/learn-english-grammar-single-items-plural-nouns
Next, watch more of my grammar lessons about nouns:
English Grammar: Using THE with common and abstract nouns youtu.be/McQnOYChcGs
Grammar Tricks: Countable & Uncountable Nouns youtu.be/YsagocS1wGo
Can one object in English be plural? Yes! Find out why, when, and how. Do we say “my jeans is tight” or “my jeans are tight”? “Where is my glasses?” or “Where are my glasses?”, “here is the scissors” or “here are the scissors”? Learn about these unusual words and correct these common mistakes made with plural nouns, which refer to one thing, but are actually plural! Master this important subject related to subject-verb agreement in English. After the lesson, take the quiz: engvid.com/learn-english-grammar-single-items-plural-nouns
Next, watch more of my grammar lessons about nouns:
English Grammar: Using THE with common and abstract nouns youtu.be/McQnOYChcGs
Grammar Tricks: Countable & Uncountable Nouns youtu.be/YsagocS1wGo
![Improve Your English Pronunciation: FAMILY
Do people understand when you talk about family in English? Learn the right way to pronounce all the members of your family. I’ll show you how to avoid the most common pronunciation mistakes when saying parents, mother, father, brother, sister, uncle, nephew, niece, in-laws, and more. We often ask and answer questions about families, so make sure you’re speaking clearly in your everyday conversations. https://www.engvid.com/improve-your-english-pronunciation-family
More of my beginner pronunciation lessons:
https://youtu.be/JIIq4hA-6MQ
https://youtu.be/xo7J0O3ezrk
In this lesson:
0:00 How to pronounce family words in English
1:18 family
1:38 parents
2:31 mother, father, brother
4:37 sister
5:06 Mom, Dad, Mum, mummy, daddy
6:23 son
7:14 daughter
7:54 husband, wife
8:18 fiancé, fiancée
8:57 grandparents
9:36 child, children, kids
10:39 uncle, aunt
11:46 nephew, niece
12:42 cousin
13:55 mother-in-law, brother-in-law
15:42 stepfather
16:49 relatives
17:13 PRACTICE
Transcript:
In this lesson, were going to focus on something which is very dear to all our hearts, and that is our family. Were going to learn how to pronounce properly and correctly all the members of our family, or most of them in any case, alright? Because what Ive realized, having taught for over 30 years all kinds of students and clients from all over the world, that because of various language differences, many mistakes are often made in pronouncing these very basic words. And yet, these particular very basic words are very important to us, right? There are lots of times when were going to be talking about our own family members. There are lots of times when were going to ask others about their family members. So we really want to make sure that we get these particular words and their pronunciation as right and as close as possible, okay? So, bear with me, even if you think, Well, I know that. I know how to say things, you might be surprised, as a lot of my clients sometimes are, as we start to go through the basic pronunciation of family members, okay?
So, lets go through this. The very first word is the word family. Say it after me, family, okay? So wheres the stress, here? Fam, family, good.
Now, the next word I know is mispronounced by so many students from all over the world. The correct pronunciation of this word is parents, pare, just like a pair of pants, a pair of jeans, right? Just like this, a pair. Make sure that the first part of this word is pronounced like that. Think of two parents as a pair and say it like that, okay? The mistake is sometimes this is said as par, so dont do that, okay? Its sometimes said as pa, but we want to say what? Pare, parents, very good, okay? And wheres the stress? Here, parents. Now, these next four wor... Next three words are mispronounced very often for the same reason. They have the same issue in them, and thats the th. You see it here in the word mother, father, brother, okay? So the difficulty for various English learners is in this th, okay? So what you have to be careful of is not to say this like a d. This is not a d sound, its not like the letter d, no, okay? We want a different sound here. Its much softer, its the th sound. Hear it. Lets... Let me say it first so you can hear it, and then repeat it after me, okay? Mother, mother. So my tongue is coming out a little bit between my teeth when Im saying the th part. Mother, mother, okay? The stress is here, the beginning.
Lets say the next one, same issue here with the th. Father, father, okay? Make sure youre saying it soft, like that th, th, not d, okay? Father, the stress is here.
The next one, brother, brother. So also, be careful of the o, dont say bro, thats different. Sometimes in slang, you say Hes my bro, thats different, okay? But if youre trying to say the full word, okay? This is my brother, okay? Brother. Wheres the stress? Here. Brother. Okay?
Lets say this one, here, whats the problem here? What happens is that some people dont say the i properly, they say it too long. But actually, this i is very short, so repeat after me, sister, Meet my sister. Okay? Sister. The stress is in the beginning, and the i is very short, not long.
Now, for mother and father, of course, we have many short words and sort of affectionate terms that we use. In North America, very often, we say mom, m-o-m, mom, dad. If youre saying dad, make sure to open your mouth. Dont say dad, say dad. Okay? Mom and dad. In other places, instead of mom, they sometimes say mum, m-u-m, quite popular in England. And then they have the version which children say, and sometimes adults also, mommy, daddy. Say those, mommy, daddy, or mummy, daddy. Okay? But usually, theyre said by children, but not necessarily always. Okay? Depends on the culture and the country. […] Improve Your English Pronunciation: FAMILY](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/q52T7aAMmtQ/mqdefault.jpg)


![Speak Like a Manager: 8 Easy Workplace Expressions
Ready to sound more professional? Whats the difference between a zero-sum game and a win-win situation? What about a lucky break and a tough break or an uphill battle and a piece of cake? Start speaking like a manager by understanding and using these eight English expressions, commonly used in the English workplace and in business communication.
NEXT, watch more videos in my SPEAK LIKE A MANAGER series:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUSxq7KoTsM&list=PLxSz4mPLHWDamTa4xW7tkb-roADpiT5Jf
Or for more EngVid Business English videos, go here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDMJVrVY3ME&list=PLs_glF4TIn5a_gCoap4RgS1pzj9DNyGtO
TRANSCRIPT
Hi. Im Rebecca from www.engvid.com, back with another Speak like a Manager lesson. Okay? So, in this particular lesson, were going to focus on eight expressions that are very commonly used in the workplace, in business, and so on. All right? And whats easy about them is that they are grouped... I have grouped them for you in pairs, so that one of them has a particular meaning and the other one kind of has the opposite meaning, and I hope that will make it a little bit easier for you to understand them and also to start using them. All right? So, lets get started. All right.
So, heres the first pair: a tough break or a lucky break. All right? So, what do these two expressions mean? So, first of all: a tough break... When we say break, we dont actually mean break. All right? Its like a chance; an opportunity, or a situation. So, when we say: tough... Tough means difficult. So this means something difficult or something bad that happened; and this, lucky means something good that happened. So: a tough break is something bad that happened, and a lucky break is something good that happened.
For example, lets say that someone you know lost their job. Okay? They didnt expect it, and it happened suddenly, and that was a tough break. Okay? That was something bad that happened; it seemed like. But then the person managed to get a better job in the first week, so that was a lucky break; something good that happened. All right? So, you see now that these are quite easy to use, these expressions, and you will hear them very often in the context of employment, in the context of clients, in the context of customers, and so on. Okay? All right. And in the context of life. Right? Okay.
So, lets go to the next pair: a win-win situation... Say it after me: a win-win situation or a zero-sum game. Say it after me: a zero-sum game. All right. So, here, also we have two opposite kind of situations. A win-win situation is where both sides come out ahead; both sides benefit; both sides can win. All right? Yes, this is possible. All right. And a zero-sum game is where only one side can win; and if one side wins, the other side is going to lose. All right?
So, for example, lets suppose there is a negotiation going on in a... In a company, in a large corporation between the management and labour. Okay? Labour is the... The people who work; the workforce. Okay? And theyre negotiating and theyre negotiating; and finally, they come to a compromise, they come to an agreement that both sides are happy. Its not easy; it doesnt happen easily, but it can happen. And if that happens and when that happens, you can describe that situation as a win-win situation, where both sides were happy. All right? In any kind of... Usually we use this when there is some kind of negotiation going on. All right?
Next: a zero-sum game, right? So, here we said only one side can win. So, for example, if three law firms are trying to get the contract to work with a large corporation but only one is going to be awarded the contract or given the contract, then thats a zero-sum game. So, when one wins, the other is going to lose or the others are going to lose. All right. So, thats a zero-sum game or a win-win situation.
Lets just practice pronouncing this first pair, repeat it after me: a tough break. I know it says t-o-u-g-h, but its not pronounced like that. English is not always phonetic, all right? It doesnt sound the way it looks, so repeat it after me: a tough break. Its like: t-u-f-f. All right? It sounds like that. Or: a lucky break. Say it after me: a lucky break. Good. All right.
Now lets go to these two: a long shot or a safe bet. So, a long shot describes the situation in which there is very little chance of success, and a safe bet is a situation in which there is a very high chance of success. This one, low chance of success; and this one, a high chance of success. All right? […] Speak Like a Manager: 8 Easy Workplace Expressions](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/rsZ4yP_Kif8/mqdefault.jpg)


![How to say your email correctly in English + more
Find out how to give, ask for, and talk about email and email addresses. It is because this topic seems so simple, that many people don’t bother to learn specifically how to talk about email in English. As a result, millions of people worldwide are making mistakes when giving this key information. How do you say @ in English? Speak like a global professional by learning the vocabulary and symbols of email, so clients, colleagues, and friends understand you easily – the first time. I’ll also show you how to spell your name and address using the NATO Phonetic Alphabet. This lesson is a must for greater international success in personal, cultural, academic, and professional situations. Make sure you understood everything by taking the quiz at https://www.engvid.com/how-to-say-your-email-correctly/
TRANSCRIPT
Hi. Im Rebecca from engVid. In the next few minutes you will find out if you are giving your email address properly in English, because in English we have certain terminology that we use when we describe an email address. All right? So, in this lesson youll find out if youre doing that properly.
Now, unfortunately, lots and lots of people around the world are not doing this properly because theyre following the conventions in their country. Okay? And sometimes theyre borrowing words from other languages, and so on, to give that. So, after this lesson, you will know exactly how to give your email address, how to ask somebody for their email address, and also some of the terminology that we use when were talking about email. All right? So, lets get started.
So, first of all, this word email is a new word. Right? So theres still a bit of disagreement around the world, even in the English-speaking world, about exactly how to use some of the detailed aspects of it. For example: Do we write email just like that? Email or do we write e-mail? Okay? There are all kinds of little arguments about how to do that, but let me tell you in general some of the things that most people are following so you will always be correct.
So, first of all, email is used... The word email is used as a noun, a verb, and an adjective in English, generally speaking. Okay? Maybe some companies have a different policy, but Im going to tell you generally what most people are doing today and how its being used. So, for example, as a noun, we could say: I sent you an email. All right? Thats a noun. Or as a verb: Ill email you. Now, some more formal companies frown upon that; they dont like using email as a verb. But again, most people when theyre just speaking are using it that way. Next, as an adjective: He has two email addresses. All right? So, here, email is being used as an adjective, so it can be used all three ways. All right?
Next, we can use... Another controversial subject. We can use email in a singular format or plural. All right? And there are a lot of arguments about how exactly we can do that; but again, Im going to tell you what most people are doing today. This email is from Fred. Okay? One email. Now, some people say that we shouldnt say that and you should say: This email message is from Fred. So, again, check if your company has any special rules regarding email communication and email terminology. Okay? They might, and in that case, of course, follow that so that you keep your job. All right? But otherwise, in general, follow what I am telling you and you will be fine.
Next, plural: These emails just arrived. Okay? So, again, this idea of putting the s is also something that people are arguing about, but most of the time people are saying emails when theyre talking about more than one email message. Okay? All right.
Now, something else that you need to be able to do... excuse me one second. All right. Is when you give your email address to someone, you need to be able to know how to spell your name and your email address, especially if you have an unusual name to someone who is a native-English speaker. All right? So, you have to be able to spell it in a very clear way. Lets suppose youre on a phone line and the phone line is really bad; people cant hear you very well. And even if they can hear you, they just dont recognize that name-okay?-or that word that youre saying, so you need to reference it in some way so that people dont make mistakes.
Now, there is one way that you can use and you can learn, if you wish, its called the NATO Phonetic Alphabet. Okay? That is a system that is in place-its used all over the world by many organizations-and its a system that gives a code. All right? So, for example: A is Alpha, B - Bravo, C - Charlie, D - Delta. Okay? So, sometimes... Also airlines use this and so on, armies use this, aviation... In the aviation world they use this system so that way... They have to be very precise, right? So they can be very sure that theyre not just saying B because maybe when you said B, I heard P. […] How to say your email correctly in English + more](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/sa1nmpQOLAQ/mqdefault.jpg)
![AT, ON, or IN? The Triangle Method for Prepositions of Place
No more mistakes! Learn this simple trick to use “at”, “on”, and “in” correctly in English. Master common prepositions of place with the Triangle Method, to speak and write more fluently at work, in school, on exams, or in daily life. Then, move on to master prepositions of time with my other video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G01SFcou6P4&list=PLxSz4mPLHWDZgp8e6i0oyXOOrTAAaj0O7&index=16
Take the quiz here: https://www.engvid.com/at-on-in-triangle-method-prepositions-place
TRANSCRIPT
Hi. Im Rebecca from www.engvid.com. In this important lesson Im going to show you how to use three very common prepositions correctly in English, and they are: at, on, and in. Now, you might have seen an earlier lesson of mine where I talked about at, on, and in when it had to do with time, and we used something called the triangle method. But here, also, were going to use this triangle method to learn at, on, and in, but were going to refer to places. Okay? To place; not time, but place. So, lets see how it works.
So, here we have the triangle, and you can see at at the top, on in the middle, and in at the bottom. Okay? So what does that mean? So, here we want to show that at is used when were talking about very specific places. Okay? For example, when were talking about the name of a restaurant: at Starbucks, at McDonalds, and so on. Or when were giving a specific address: at 25 Main Street. Okay? So, you have the number; not only the street, not only the city, but the specific number of the building and the street - at 25 Main Street. Or we say a specific place, like: at JFK Airport. And even if its not with a name, it could just say: at the airport, at the office. Right? At the library, at the supermarket. You see that its very specific, and thats why we use at; in those very specific situations. All right? Got that?
Now lets look at the second one. So, the second one is on. on we use for a little bit more than a very specific place; its a little bit wider. For example, we see here on a street, or a highway, or a floor. Okay? So, we see: on Main Street, on Route 66, on the 6th floor. Okay? So: Somebody lives on Main Street., I drive to work on Route 66., I work on the 6th floor. Okay? So we see that its a little bit wider than that specific place. Little bit wider tends to often be horizontal kind of places. Okay?
Next we come to in. So, this is for everything more. Okay? So, in is used for large areas. For example, we say: in Los Angeles. Well, lets look first at what the categories are. So, large areas, such as a city, a state, a country, a continent, or just a large area. For example, we could say: He lives in Los Angeles., She lives in California., They live in the US., in North America, in the world. Okay?
So, what do we see here? That in is the broadest; its the widest. Okay? And then on is a little bit less, and at is very specific. Okay? So, have you got that? Lets find out when we do a little quiz where were going to practice using these very common prepositions: at, on, and in. Okay? Because we use these all the time; we use them in writing, we use them in speaking - and if you have a mistake in this then youre going to have lots of mistakes. So, lets get it right and lets practice with a little quiz.
Okay, so before we get started, let me just tell you that there are two ways that you could do this with me. One is if youd like a little more time to think about the answer, then just pause the video, and you can see all of the exercises. So, stop it, write down the answers, think about it, and then you can follow me as I go through it. Or if you feel you can do it right away, then join me right now. Okay? Lets get started.
So, again, your options are what? at for something very specific, on for something a little bit wider, and in for the largest areas of all. Okay? All right. So, lets begin.
Number one:
Tokyo.
What do we say there? Okay? Yes. It should be in Tokyo. Okay? Why? Because Tokyo is a city, and its a large place, so we said that for large places we use in. All right?
Next:
Hill Road. Hill Road. I live Hill Road.
What would you say, there? Which of these? Okay, good: I live on Hill Road. Okay? So, we said at is the specific one; on is for things like also the horizontal kind of places like roads, and streets, and rivers. Okay? The places like that; the floor that you live on. Okay? We say on, on Hill Road.
Number three:
Brazil. She lives Brazil.
What would you choose for that one? She lives-yes-in Brazil. Okay? Again, Brazil is very wide. Right? Its a big place, so we want the widest option, which is in. All right? in Brazil. in for cities, countries-remember?-continents, large areas of land, or also in the world. All right? […] AT, ON, or IN? The Triangle Method for Prepositions of Place](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tIuUgJMjrQ0/mqdefault.jpg)
![Do you make these mistakes in English?
Want to improve your English easily and quickly? In this video, I explain the most common mistakes made by English learners. Over 150 of these mistakes are included in my new course, Correct Your English Errors in 10 Minutes a Day: https://10.bexenglish.com . It helps you make small changes to achieve BIG results. Common mistakes include: verb tenses, confused words, subject-verb agreement, adjectives, adverbs, word forms, expressions, and more. The secret is to learn a little each day, and to review often. Whether you join my course or build your own learning program, this video will help you upgrade your English. Interested in my easy, daily program to advance your English? Click here: https://10.bexenglish.com
TRANSCRIPT
Hi. Im Rebecca from www.engvid.com. In the past 30 years, Ive worked with thousands of students from all over the world to help them improve their English communication skills. In the past year, Ive been researching the most important errors and the most common errors made by English learners. And what Ive done is Ive put all of this information together into a course. Its called: Correct Your English Errors in 10 Minutes a Day. Im very excited to tell you about this course, because I really think its an easy, quick, fast way for you to improve your English and take it to a higher level. All right?
But first what I want to do is tell you: What are the points you have to keep in mind when you are trying to improve your English? What do you need to know about correcting your errors? So, let me share a little bit of my results from my research so it can help you. Okay? And then we will look at specific types of errors, and do a little quiz to see where you stand. Okay? Lets get started.
So, first, when youre correcting your English, really, you can do two things. Right? When youre improving your English, you can do two things; you can learn whats right or correct whats wrong. Now were talking about this area where we correct whats wrong. So, in order to correct whats wrong, what do you need to do? First, you need to know whats wrong. So, when I get an essay or I get an email to correct, whats the problem? Its not that the person was trying to make mistakes. They werent trying to make mistakes; theyre trying to do their best. Right? Thats what you do. Every time you write or every time you speak, but you didnt know that something was wrong. So, first you have to know whats wrong.
Then you have to understand why its wrong. Why is it this word and not that word? Why is it this verb tense and not that verb tense? And so on and so forth. Okay? Then you have to learn how to fix it. Okay? Is it a spelling change? It is a punctuation error? What kind of mistake is it? Thats what were going to be looking at - the types of mistakes. Because once you understand and correct a type of mistake, you will correct lots of mistakes all at once. Okay? And thats what I want you to do; to make quick progress, fast progress. Okay.
Then what you need to do, which many students do, is to practice it immediately. So, for example, if I teach you something in this lesson or in any one of my engVid lessons, after you watch it, what you need to do is to practice something with that immediately. Thats why we usually have a quiz-right?-so that you can go there right away, do some more practice to put that information really into your head; and not just to put it passively there, but to use it. Right? To use whatever youve learned in a practical way.
So, you need to practice it immediately, but sometimes thats where students stop. They practice it right away, and then they dont touch it after that, and they think: I did it. I know it, but not quite. So, whats also very, very important in terms of our brain, in terms of how we learn, in terms of how we remember is this point, here: That you need to review it frequently. Review anything that you learn often; otherwise, its not going to stay with you. So, for example, in my course, what we have are we have daily quizzes, we have weekly tests, we have monthly reviews with the same material. Okay? So that after a while, you say: Of course I know that. I know how... The difference between its and its. I know the difference between affect and effect. Thats not a problem, because youve reviewed it. If you dont review it, then its going to drop away. Okay? So this is an essential part of brain-based learning, of very smart learning. Not just hard learning, but smart learning.
And then you need to know whats important. So, lets say you get back your essay and there are twenty corrections. So, are they all equally important? No. Some are critical. If you make some mistakes, you can get very low marks on your IELTS or TOEFL, you could lose a job possibility… […] Do you make these mistakes in English?](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tknu8sOeLqc/mqdefault.jpg)

![SPEAK ENGLISH POWERFULLY: Just Add ONE Word! | Free English Course
By adding just ONE word to your English sentences, you can sound more fluent, natural, and confident. Learn how to add *“do”, “does”,* or *“did”* to your sentences in this lesson. We’ll practice using these magic words in professional, academic, and social contexts. You’ll see how one small change can help you connect more effectively and sincerely with others in English – today and always! https://www.engvid.com/speak-english-powerfully-just-add-one-word/
Watch the next video in this series: https://youtu.be/KSCZqpnC6q8
Check out my course, Correct Your English Errors in 10 Minutes a Day: https://10.bexenglish.com
In this lesson:
0:00 Add ONE WORD to speak more powerfully
4:49 Full Examples
7:27 Practice with me
Transcript:
Hi, and welcome to our series on Speaking English Powerfully. Today, youll learn how adding just one word can change how you sound instantly. Youll see how this one word can make you sound more fluid, more natural, and more confident in English. Alright? Are you ready to learn what those words are? One word at a time, here we go. Okay.
So, the words were speaking about here are do, does, or did. Okay? We only use one at a time. Now, these are not new words for you. These are words that youre familiar with. You know do and does from the present tense, but you know it in terms of asking a question or in a negative form, or if youre just answering or giving a short answer, like Yes, I do. Okay? Like that. But here, were going to learn how to use these words in positive, affirmative sentences. Why? Because theyre going to add more emphasis and oomph to what were saying. The same with the word did in the past tense. Youre used to using the word did for questions, for negatives, and for short answers, but now youre going to see how to use this word did to emphasize something, to put more focus on what youre saying. And usually, we are using this technique to clarify something, to make it more clear, or to correct something that someone said, or to contrast it, to show the difference between what they said and what you think and what youre trying to express. Okay?
So, let me give you some examples so you understand exactly how it works, and Im sure youll also hear the difference. All right? So, here we go. Lets say someone gives you an idea, and they say... And you say... They say, Okay, this is my idea, and you say, I like your idea. Or you could say, I do like your idea. See the difference? Which one is stronger? I do like your idea versus I like your idea? The first one sounded weak, even if its true. The second one makes it sound more true and more sincere. It can also be that the person said, Well, heres my idea, but I dont know if youre going to like it, you might not like it. And you say... And if you say, I do like your idea, youre saying, No, thats not true that I dont like it. I do like it. Youre emphasizing it; youre putting more focus on it. Okay? So its stronger and very clear for the person to understand. Then that persons going to be really happy. Yeah, really? You like my idea? Wow. Theyre going to be thrilled. Okay? All right. Next.
So, this was, of course, in present, in the present tense. The next one is also a present tense affirmative sentence. So, lets say something happened, and your friend had an argument with his girlfriend, and hes feeling really sad, and then... And youre trying to make your friend feel better, and you said, No, come on. Dont worry. She cares about you. And hes feeling really bad because he forgot her birthday or something, and he said... And so you could say, She does care about you. Its not true she doesnt care about you. She does care about you. She just needs a little time to get over the fact that you forgot her birthday. Okay? Something like that. But when we say, She does care about you, youre emphasizing it. Okay? Youre clarifying it. And youre correcting, perhaps, what the other person thought, and its a little more powerful way to express yourself. So you can see that you could use this in a business context, can use this in a personal context. Okay? Now lets look at did. Okay? Did, thats now going to be in the past. So somebody says, Oh, you didnt send us the files. And you say, We sent the files. Nothing wrong with that, but its just basic. To make it stronger, what could you say? We did send the files. Havent you received them yet? We did send them. Youre emphasizing it. Okay? So, again, do, does, and did are those magic words that you could add to positive sentences to make them stronger and more intentional and with more energy. Okay?
Now, lets look at some more examples of how these simple words can make positive sentences sound even more powerful. Okay? So, the first three are from the professional world. For example, I do appreciate your feedback. […] SPEAK ENGLISH POWERFULLY: Just Add ONE Word! | Free English Course](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/u-eYRIyCQwc/mqdefault.jpg)