It never rains but it pours

It never rains but it pours - used to say that as soon as one thing goes wrong, a lot of other things go wrong as well

to man up

to man up = to be brave or to take responsibility for the consequences of your actions

Advice vs Advise

Today I'd like to present two confusing words in the English language: advice and advise. The first one is spelt with "c" (advice) and is an uncountable. It means an opinion you give someone about what they should do. Examples:
There's lots of advice in the book on baby care.
Could you give me some advice about buying a home?
If I were you, I'd get some legal advice.
I want to ask your advice about where to stay.
I followed my father's advice and sold the car.
Take my advice and study something practical.
Let me give you a piece of advice. Wear a blue suit to the interview.

However, the word spelt with "s" (advise) is a verb and it refers to an activity where you tell someone what you think they should do, especially when you know more than they do about something. Examples:
She needed someone to advise her.
'Make sure that you keep the documents in a safe place,' Otley advised him.
advise somebody to do something
Evans advised him to leave London.
You are strongly advised to take out medical insurance when visiting China.
Experts advise that sunscreen be reapplied every one to two hours.

Make

Now it's time for make.

make an appointment
make a bed
make a cake
make a change
make a choice
make coffee
make a comment
make a decision
make breakfast / dinner / supper
make a difference
make an effort
make an exception
make an excuse
make a film
make a fool of yourself
make a fortune
make friends with
make headway
make a list
make a living
make love
make a mess
make a mistake
make money
make a noise
make a phone call
make plans
make profit
make progress
make a promise
make sense
make a speech
make a suggestion
make a phone call

Do

Throughout my teaching career I have noticed my students struggling with the verbs do and make. Therefore I have decided to make their life easier and I have compiled a list of expressions that should go with do and make. Let's begin with do.

do your best
do business
do the cooking
do a course
do a crossword
do damage
do an exam
do an exercise
do sb a favour
do good
do your hair
do harm
do homework
do housework
do the ironing
do your job
do the laundry
do your nails
do the paperwork
do the shopping
do the washing
do the washing-up

A heart-to-heart

A heart-to-heart is a serious conversation between two people in which they talk honestly about their feelings.

Example:
Why don't you have a heart-to-heart with him and sort out your problems?

Teach vs Learn

Many of my students often mix the two verbs up: to learn and to teach. To make thinks clear, have a look at the following explanation and examples.

learn – learnt / learned - learnt / learned - to gain knowledge of a subject or skill, by experience, by studying it, e.g.
What's the best way to learn a language?
I learnt to drive when I was 17.
Hector spent the winter learning how to cope with his blindness.

teach – taught – taught - to give lessons in a school, college, or university, or to help someone learn about something by giving them information, e.g.
Neil teaches at the Guildhall School of Music in London.
He taught geography at the local secondary school.
We were never taught anything about other religions.

TEST YOURSELF
1. The teacher's task is to help the pupil …........
2. I …...... a lot from my father.
3. Miss Himes …..... the youngest class, the four and five- year-olds.
4. Kids can have fun and …..... about music at the same time.
5. I'm …........ English to Italian students.
6. It took us several hours to …........ all the dance moves to the girls.
7. I prefer …...... the older children.
8. Youngsters must …....... what is dangerous and what is not to be feared.
9. The student will …....... from experience about the importance of planning.
10. I …....... 18- to 21-year olds.
11. Before you sail, you need to …....... about basic boat controls.
12. Grandpa …...... me a new card trick.