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How to Write a Haiku: Tips and Examples (From Dictionary.com)

Writing poetry
can be as simple as just
crafting a haiku

Many find the poetic form intimidating, but haiku is a great starting point for learning to both read and write poetry. As you can see from our short introductory haiku, these poems are short and to-the-point. In this article, you will learn about the haiku form, how to write your own haiku, and get inspiration from some examples of this kind of poetry, both traditional and modern.

“First and Final Word” Poetry & Lyrics Challenge

Every poem starts somewhere but yours starts and ends in the same place! April is National Poetry Month and Dictionary.com is inviting everyone to express themselves with an original short poem in which the first and last word are exactly the same. Let your poem wander, wonder, and unfold, but make sure it returns to where it began.

You may check Limericks, Couplets and Haikus

• What are the Different Types of Sonnets? A Guide to Famous 14 Line Forms
• How to Write a Haiku: Tips and Examples
• Prove your Poetic Prowess with this Quiz on Poetry Terms

Give it a try! Good Luck!

Types of People

Useful Phrases

National Poetry Month

 

This April we celebrate the 30th Anniversary of National Poetry Month!
Launched by the Academy of American Poets in April 1996, National Poetry Month has grown into the world’s largest literary celebration. It is a special occasion to honor the vital role poets play in our culture and to invite readers of all ages to engage with poetry in classrooms, libraries, bookstores, and communities worldwide.

You may check Limericks, Couplets and Haikus

The Tell-tale Heart: Part 1 | Onestopenglish

This crime story introduces us to the storyteller, who describes how he patiently waited for the right moment to kill. In this lesson, the students will: briefly discuss the topic of murder; listen to a short extract in order to find out why the storyteller decides to commit murder; study the meaning of some key vocabulary; listen extensively for gist; examine the author’s use of assonance and onomatopoeia; predict the ending. The Tell-tale Heart: Part 1 | Onestopenglish

EL PAÍS (News in English)

Donald Trump’s mixed messages on Iran

Dear readers,

With all eyes on the Middle East, we looked at the mixed messages Donald Trump has given over the conflict: from declaring Iran has no navy to announcing that the U.S. had destroyed its naval forces.

In other news, we spoke to Cubans who have been deported from the U.S. to Mexico. "We’re all old, what are we going to do here?” asked Lázaro Ballesteros, who spent 47 of his 53 years in Miami.

We also took a look at the Obamas' multi-million dollar media portfolio and examined the prized pieces of the Gunzburg collection set to go under the hammer this month.

We hope you enjoy this selection of stories from EL PAÍS USA Edition.

You can also read:

• Iran’s Strait of Hormuz toll: Modern piracy contrary to international law
• In Spain, a request to move Picasso’s famous ‘Guernica’ to the Basque Country sparks national row
• The Moon: The new stage for the space race between the United States and China
• How the loneliness of working from home can affect mental health: ‘The pajamas mentality is dangerous’
• Juan Verde: ‘The next president of the United States will be a Democrat and an unknown’
• The debate over Trump’s mental health: ‘Malignant narcissist ’ or ‘superhuman president’?

C2 Step into the Global Teachers’ Festival Collection 2026 (By MACMILLAN EDUCATION)

This space brings together all session recordings, presentations, and daily giveaways from the ten days of the festival. 

C1 Nature Idioms and Phrases

100 Nature Idioms & Phrases

if + should / if + will / if + would

If + should

We can use if with should to refer to events which might happen by chance or by accident:

If you should bump into Carol, can you tell her I’m looking for her? (If by chance you bump into Carol.)

If the government should ever find itself in this situation again, it is to be hoped it would act more quickly.

Conditional clauses with will or would

Will and would can be used in conditional clauses, either with the meaning of ‘being willing to do something’, or to refer to later results:

If Clare will meet us at the airport, it will save us a lot of time. (if Clare is willing to meet us)

If you would all stop shouting, I will try and explain the situation!

If it will make you happy, I’ll stay at home tonight. (If it is true that you will be happy as a result, I’ll stay at home tonight.)

We sometimes stress the will or would, especially if we doubt that the result will be the one mentioned:

If it really would save the planet, I’d stop using my car tomorrow. (If it really is true that the planet would be saved as a result, I would stop using my car, but I doubt it is true.)

Conditionals in speaking

In speaking, we often use if-clauses without main clauses, especially when asking people politely to do things. If is usually followed by will, would, can or could when it is used to be polite:

[Shop assistant to customer]

If you would just sign here, please. (a more polite way of saying Just sign here, please.)

[A is writing something for B and having difficulty]

A: If I could have a better pen …

B: Here, use this one.

A: Thanks.

(from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/conditionals-if) 

Nature Sounds Vocabulary C1-C2

Weather Vocabulary

Vocabulary 

for 

Weather

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Thank you for being part of this learning community and for trusting this space to support your English journey. Your dedication and consistency are what make this possible.

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Eleven years to reach 500,000; five and a half years to reach 1,000,000 and just thirteen months to reach  1,500,000 ... When shall we reach 2,000,000? 

Euphemism

Advanced Adverbs

Moving in the Water

How to Describe Nature in English | 1 Hour C1 Advanced English Listening & Speaking Practice

Are you Tired after Holidays?

More ways of saying TIRED

200+ Linking Words

Check them HERE.

I have no Money!

Murcia Today (News from here)

Spain tells Trump to mind his own business after US investigates Noelia euthanasia case

Clocks go forward in Spain but energy savings remain minimal

A hidden corner of Murcia has made National Geographic's list of Spain's most beautiful places

Semana Santa in Spain: How do the Spanish celebrate Easter?

Murcia crowned Spain's laziest region as a third of residents admit to doing no exercise

EL PAÍS (News in English)

To the Moon and the abyss

Dear readers,

With the Artemis 2 mission now underway, our columnist Boris Muñoz reflects on the fact that in the world we live in, creation and destruction often go hand in hand. And what is striking is that the same nation, under Donald Trump, is capable of producing two such contradictory feats simultaneously.

Despite the bad news coming out of the Gulf, the U.S. president is getting support from unexpected places. In the Canadian province of Alberta, a small but vocal separatist movement is working to drum up support to become the 51st state of America.

On the subject of Iran, Larry Fink, the CEO of BlackRock, told EL PAÍS in a lengthy interview that if the war stretches out for more than a year, the world will enter a recession. But he seemed confident that a solution will be found and that the markets will remain strong.

We also spoke with Eliades Ochoa, one of the members of the legendary Buena Vista Social Club, who at nearly 80 years of age is still performing the traditional Cuban music that he helped popularize across the globe.

We hope you enjoy this selection of stories from EL PAÍS USA Edition.

You can also read:

• The threat of the ‘Komsomolets’: A Soviet nuclear submarine has been leaking radiation from the seabed for four decades
• Easter processions in Spain in pictures: from Seville to Zamora to Málaga
• Richard Hatchett, epidemiologist: ‘The risk of a pandemic is greater today than it was in 2019’
• The ‘Narco-Architect’ who designed tunnels to bring hashish from Morocco into Spain
• NASA’s Lori Glaze: ‘Artemis 2 is a test flight. Many critical systems will be tested for the first time’
• A healthy pregnancy doesn’t depend solely on the woman: why the father’s health is crucial for child development
• Psychoanalyst Stephen Grosz: ‘Some people find unhappiness more comfortable than surrendering to love’

Self-Care Verbs

Wish, If Only and Others

Javi (EOI English Teacher) wishes to share with us a clear and brief presenta-tion. 

If only you watched it... 

It's high time you clicked here.

Walk

HEALTH Matters

Health Matters

You can find some useful vocabulary below:

Health & Medicine Phrases

Health Vocabulary

Symptoms and Diagnosis of Medical Problems

How to Write Good

April Fools' Day – the language of jokes and tricks

Read this interesting article about April Fool's Day on Cambridge Dictionary About Words Blog.

Do read the comments after the post!

The Differences Between British English and American English

There are some key differences in how English functions in the United States versus the United Kingdom. Let’s take a quick look at some fun and noteworthy examples of how English vocabulary, slang, spelling, and pronunciation can vary depending on your location.