Welcome to Learning English, a daily 30-minute program from the Voice of America.

I'm Katie Weaver.

And I'm Mario Ritter Jr.

This program is designed for English learners, so we speak a little slower and we use words and phrases, especially written, for people learning English.

Coming up on the show, Ask a Teacher.

Andrew Smith answers a question from Anne in Vietnam, about four words

that help describe what group something belongs to. Then John Russell, Ashley Thompson,

and Anna Mateo bring us the Everyday Grammar Report.

Today, they have some grammar linked to Christmas.

And we close the program with an American story.

Shep O'Neill narrates the gift of the Majai, written by O'Henry.

Now, here is Andrew Smith.

Hello, this week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from Anne in Vietnam about four words that help describe what group something belongs to.

Dear teacher, what are the differences among species, kinds, types, and genres?

Which case is each word used for? Thank you, Anne.

I'm happy to answer this question, Anne.

We can use each of the words you ask about I'm happy to answer this question, Anne.

We can use each of the words you ask about to describe what category something belongs in.

A category is a group of things that share similar qualities.

For example, apples, bananas, and oranges all belong in the same category,

which is fruit. The words kind and type are synonyms. That means they each share the same meaning, and they have the most general meaning of the four words you ask about. A kind or a type is a group that shares things in common.

For example,

...