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Did you learn English last year?

Ariannita reviews English from beginner to advanced and native-speaker levels through quick multiple-choice questions. Practise high-value patterns such as “did you go,” “by bus,” “look forward to meeting,” and “hold your horses,” and learn where informal American slang like bucks and ain’t may—or may not—fit.

Read the full lesson summary

Ariannita reviews English through a multi-part quiz that combines grammar, everyday expressions, and vocabulary. The questions practise present-tense agreement, prepositions for cities, articles, past-tense questions, “was” and “were,” gerunds as subjects, transportation with “by,” the expression “go home,” and the pattern “married to.” Later items review the present perfect, asking whether a task is complete, “look forward to” followed by an -ing form, “good at,” and past-tense verbs. The format gives learners a chance to choose an answer and hear a brief explanation.

The video also includes casual vocabulary and expressions such as “bucks,” “dude,” “hold your horses,” and “ain’t.” These differ in register: “bucks” and “dude” are informal, “hold your horses” is an idiom meaning to wait or slow down, and “ain’t” is nonstandard or highly informal in many contexts. Learners should notice who is speaking and the situation before using slang or an informal form. Some forms appear in songs, film, and conversation even when they are not preferred in formal writing.

The quiz uses examples from U.S. English and is a review activity rather than a complete grammar reference. Grammar explanations are simplified for the lesson; usage can depend on meaning and context, and learners may encounter other accepted varieties. For example, article choice depends on pronunciation and meaning, not simply the first written letter. Learners should treat the quiz explanations as starting points and consult a fuller reference when a distinction matters.

For practice, learners can pause before each answer, explain why they chose it, and then make a new example using the target pattern. A partner can ask a follow-up question about the sentence. They can also sort the informal expressions by context—conversation with a friend, a text message, or formal writing. The goal is noticing patterns and choosing language that fits the situation, not memorizing isolated answers.

S2.1
Ariannita la GringaAmerican English13:18

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Transcript

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Select an expression for its meaning · 0:00

Setting up a four-level English review

Hey everyone! It's Ariannita la Gringa and as we wrap up an amazing 2024, I'm eager to see how much your English has grown this year. And what better way to find out than with a fun English test? I'll present you with a series of questions and you'll have 5 seconds to answer each one. If you need more time, feel free to pause the video. We'll cover four different levels: beginner, intermediate, advanced, and native, with five questions in each level. Let's get started! I'm going to start with the first five sentences from the beginner level.

Try it: Notice one useful detail about setting up a four-level english review.

Phrase cheat sheet

All phrases at a glance

Review each expression, hear it, save it, or jump to where it appears in the video.

20 phrases

Showing 20 of 20 phrases

lives in Cincinnati

Practising present tense and city prepositions · expression

Use the present-tense form lives with a singular third-person subject, and in with a city name.

Tone and use: Standard grammar pattern for describing someone’s residence. Say where one person lives: “She lives in Cincinnati.”

May not fit: With I, you, we, or they, use live; for a specific point or address, at may be appropriate.

Example“My brother lives in Cincinnati.”

doesn’t like coffee

Practising present tense and city prepositions · expression

A present-simple negative for a singular third-person subject; doesn’t is followed by the base verb like.

Tone and use: Neutral everyday grammar. Describe a current preference or regular dislike.

May not fit: Do not add -s to the main verb after doesn’t: say doesn’t like, not doesn’t likes.

Example“My sister doesn’t like coffee.”

an apple

Choosing articles, past-tense questions, and was or were · expression

Use an before a word that begins with a vowel sound; the sound, not just the first letter, determines a versus an.

Tone and use: Standard article choice. Introduce one nonspecific item whose next sound is a vowel sound.

May not fit: For a specific apple already known to the listener, use the; some words beginning with a vowel letter take a, as in a university.

Example“I packed an apple for the train.”

did you go to college

Choosing articles, past-tense questions, and was or were · expression

A past-tense question formed with did plus the base form go.

Tone and use: Neutral question about a completed past experience. Ask whether someone attended college in the past.

May not fit: Do not put go in the past form after did; the auxiliary already marks past time.

Example“Did you go to college in your hometown?”

was born in 2001

Choosing articles, past-tense questions, and was or were · expression

The passive expression was born states someone’s birth in the past; in introduces the year.

Tone and use: Standard biographical phrasing. Say the year or place someone was born.

May not fit: Use were born with you, we, or they; do not say “I borned.”

Example“My cousin was born in 2001.”

drinking water is good

Choosing articles, past-tense questions, and was or were · expression

A gerund phrase can act as the subject of a sentence; drinking names the activity and takes -ing.

Tone and use: Neutral grammar pattern; widely useful in advice and general statements. Make a general statement about an activity: “Walking is relaxing.”

May not fit: For an action happening right now, use the progressive form, such as “I’m drinking water.”

Example“Drinking water during a long flight is a good idea.”

by bus

Using gerunds as sentence subjects · expression

Use by plus a mode of transport to describe how someone travels.

Tone and use: Standard travel collocation. Say how you commute or get from place to place: by bus, by train, by car.

May not fit: With a specific vehicle, use on the bus or in the car: “I left my bag on the bus.”

Example“We went to the museum by bus.”

go home

Describing transportation with by and on · expression

Use home without to when it means the destination of movement.

Tone and use: Standard everyday phrase. Say someone is going to their own home: “I’m going home.”

May not fit: Use to the home when referring to a specific building or institution, not home as a destination adverb.

Example“I’m tired, so I’m going home.”

married to a doctor

Choosing married to and talking about recent events · expression

The standard preposition after married is to when naming a spouse.

Tone and use: Neutral relationship language. Say who someone is married to.

May not fit: Do not use married with a doctor for the spouse; with can describe being accompanied, not marital status.

Example“She’s married to a doctor who works nearby.”

I just had dinner

Choosing married to and talking about recent events · expression

Had is the simple past of have; with just, it says the meal finished very recently.

Tone and use: Natural conversational way to report a recent meal. Explain that you finished dinner a short time ago.

May not fit: In some varieties, the present perfect “I’ve just had dinner” is also common; match the variety and context.

Example“Thanks, but I just had dinner.”

have had many trips this year

Forming the present perfect · expression

Present perfect: have plus the past participle had, linking earlier trips to the current period this year.

Tone and use: Standard; often used for experience within a time period that is still open. Talk about experiences so far in a period that continues into the present.

May not fit: With a finished time such as last year, use simple past: “I had many trips last year.”

Example“We have had several delays this month.”

have you finished your homework

Asking whether something is complete · expression

Present perfect question asking whether a task is complete now; simple past “Did you finish?” is also correct in many contexts.

Tone and use: Neutral; often emphasizes the task’s current relevance or result. Check whether a task is complete, especially when the result matters now.

May not fit: For a specific finished past time, use simple past: “Did you finish it yesterday?”

Example“Have you finished your homework yet?”

look forward to meeting you

Using look forward to with a gerund · expression

A polite expression of anticipation; to here is a preposition, so it is followed by a noun or gerund, meeting.

Tone and use: Warm and polite; common in messages and introductions. Close a professional or friendly message before an expected meeting.

May not fit: Do not use the infinitive “to meet” after this expression; say look forward to meeting.

Example“I look forward to meeting you at the conference.”

good at English

Using look forward to with a gerund · expression

Use good at to name a skill or activity someone does well.

Tone and use: Neutral and common ability language. Describe a strength: good at languages, cooking, or solving problems.

May not fit: For a subject studied in school, good at is common; good in may refer to performance within a particular situation or role.

Example“He’s good at explaining complicated ideas.”

barked loudly at the mailman

Talking about ability and past-tense descriptions · expression

Loudly modifies the verb bark; at identifies the person or thing the barking is directed toward.

Tone and use: Neutral descriptive grammar. Describe an action and its direction or target.

May not fit: Use to if the verb means communicating or speaking toward someone; barking at someone is not the same as talking to them.

Example“The dog barked loudly at the delivery driver.”

five bucks

Recognizing casual money slang · cultural reference

Informal U.S. slang for five dollars; one buck means one dollar.

Tone and use: Casual and common in conversation; not usually used in formal financial writing. Talk informally about small prices or amounts of U.S. money.

May not fit: Use dollars in formal, financial, or international contexts where the currency should be explicit.

Example“The food truck sells lemonade for five bucks.”

talk to you later

Recognizing casual money slang · expression

A casual sign-off suggesting you expect to speak with the person again later; often abbreviated TTYL in texts.

Tone and use: Friendly and informal. End a chat or call when you expect to reconnect.

May not fit: If you do not expect to speak again, a simple goodbye is clearer.

Example“I have to run—talk to you later.”

dude

Understanding a texting abbreviation · cultural reference

Informal American English for a man or guy; it can also be used as a casual form of address.

Tone and use: Very informal; its friendliness depends on the relationship and delivery. Recognize the word in casual conversation, films, and popular culture.

May not fit: In professional or formal contexts, use the person’s name or an appropriate title.

Example“That dude helped us find the right platform.”

hold your horses

Understanding a texting abbreviation · idiom

Wait, slow down, or be patient before acting.

Tone and use: Informal and often playful, though it can sound impatient when said sharply. Ask someone to pause before moving ahead.

May not fit: For a respectful workplace request, say “Could we pause for a moment?” instead.

Example“Hold your horses—we haven’t checked the train times yet.”

ain’t

Understanding the idiom hold your horses · cultural reference

A widely recognized informal nonstandard contraction that can stand for forms such as am not, isn’t, aren’t, or haven’t, depending on dialect and sentence.

Tone and use: Common in speech, music, and dialogue; strongly informal and treated as nonstandard in many edited contexts. Understand it in casual speech, lyrics, or a character’s voice; use it only when the variety and setting make it appropriate.

May not fit: Avoid it in formal academic or professional writing unless directly quoting or discussing the form.

Example“In casual dialogue, “I ain’t got time” means “I don’t have time.””

Knowledge check

Practice the phrases you heard

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Use it in a sentence · “did you go to college”

You are asking a friend about a past experience. Which question is grammatically correct?