One of the best resources for this (besides a good monolingual dictionary) is Using English.com.  Using English has an excellent phrasal verb dictionary (also an idioms dictionary) as well as a forum where you can ask for extra information or just check that you are using them correctly. Try and notice patterns with certain particles (the prepositions or adverbs that make up the phrasal verb) and how they change the meaning of the base verb on...

Sometimes it’s difficult to really understand the exact sense of a word without seeing it in context.  For example, the words chance, opportunity and possibility.  They all have quite similar meanings but they all have particular situations in which they can be used.  If you visit the British National Corpus and type the words into the search box separately, the corpus will show you 50 examples of that particular word or phrase from a range of...

Have you ever looked up a word in the dictionary and then had to look up three or four more words in order to understand the definition?  This is why these publishers have written learners’ dictionaries.  • Macmillan • Cambridge • Oxford • Longman • All of the definitions are carefully written using clear, simple language so they can be easily understood by people whose first language isn’t English.  Each dictionary has a unique style with...

Sometimes an exercise book just isn’t enough and you really want to know the details.  This is when you need a grammar reference.  Practical English Usage and Cambridge Grammar of English are two of the best.

Raymond Murphy’s Grammar in Use Intermediate is one of the most comprehensive books around of grammar rules and exercises.  Every student should have this.  There is also Advanced Grammar in Use, and while it is very complete I think it is appropriate for an extremely high level (Cambridge Proficiency Exam).  A good exercise book in between these two is Cambridge Grammar for CAE and Proficiency.

The Purdue OWL (Online Writing Laboratory) is a huge reference to improve your writing.  They have a large section of grammar and punctuation rules for native speakers for your most difficult grammar questions. About.com has a lot of resources although it may be difficult to find what you are looking for if you don’t know the correct terminology.  Use your textbook or another grammar reference to identify what you are looking for and then...