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Blog »Vocabulary

A street is a road with houses on either side. We use street for roads in towns, but not for country roads.

  • Cars can park on both sides of our street

 
Roads used for both town and country.

  • Cars can park on both sides of our road
  • There's a narrow winding road from our village to the next one. (NOT . . . a narrow winding street . . .).

Note that, in street names, we stress the word Road, but the word before Street.

  • Marylebone' Road.    
  • 'Oxford Street.

 

Vera, 332 days ago 0
1
Explain
Blog »Vocabulary

After explain, we use to before an indirect object.

  • I explained my problem to her (NOT / explained her my problem.)
  • Can you explain (to me) how to get to your house? (NOT Can you explain me . . .?)

 

Vera, 362 days ago 0
2
Blog »Grammar

A past tense does not always have a past meaning. In some kinds of sentence we use verbs like I had, you went or I was wondering to talk about the present or future.

After if.

  • If I had the money now I'd buy a car.
  • If you caught the ten o'clock train tomorrow you could be in Edinburgh by supper-time.

Vera, 367 days ago 0
2
Blog »Vocabulary

Long is most common in questions and negative sentences, and after too and so.

  • How long did you wait?    
  • I didn 't play for long.
  • The concert was too long.

In affirmative sentences, we usually use a long time.

  • I waited (for) a long time (I waited long is possible, but not usual.)
  • It takes a long time to get to her house.

Much, many and far are also more common in questions and negative sentences.

Vera, 369 days ago 0
1
Way
Blog »Vocabulary

We often use way ( = method) in expressions without a preposition.

  • You're doing it (in) the wrong way
  • You put in the cassette this way
  • Do it any way you like.

In relative structures, we often use the way that . . .

  • I don't like the way (that) you 're doing it.

After way, we can use an infinitive structure or of . . . -ing. There is no important difference between the two structures.

  • There's no way to prove Iof proving that he was stealing.
  • Don't confuse in the way and on the way.

If something is in the way, it stops you getting where you want to go.

  • Please don't stand in the kitchen door — you're in the way.
  • On the way means 'during the journey' or 'coming'.
  • We'll have lunch on the way. Spring is on the way
Vera, 376 days ago 0
0
Blog »Vocabulary

A play is a piece of literature written for the theatre or television.

  • Julius Caesar is one of Shakespeare's early plays.

A game is, for example, chess, football, or bridge.

  • Chess is a very slow game. (NOT . . . a very slow play.)

Verbs: people act in plays or films, and play games.

  • My daughter is acting in her school play. 
  • Have you ever played rugby football?

 

  game, play
Vera, 382 days ago 0
4
Enough
Blog »Grammar

Enough comes after adjectives (without nouns) and adverbs.
adjective/adverb + enough

  • Is it warm enough for you? (NOT . . . enough warm . . .)
  • You're not driving fast enough

Enough comes before nouns.
enough (+ adjective) + noun

  • Have you got enough milk? (NOT . .. enough of milk.)
  • There isn 't enough blue paint left.

We use enough of before pronouns and determiners (for example the, my, this).
enough of + pronoun We didn't buy enough of them
enough of + determiner (+ adjective) + noun

  • The exam was bad. I couldn't answer enough of the questions.
  • Have we got enough of those new potatoes?

We can use an infinitive structure after enough.
... enough... + infinitive

  • She's old enough to do what she wants.
  • I haven't got enough money to buy a car.

.. . enough... + for+ object + infinitive

  • It's late enough for us to stop work.

 

Vera, 383 days ago 0
0
Blog »Grammar

We do not use the present progressive to talk about 'general time'. For this, we use the simple present. Compare:

  • My sister's living at home for the moment, (around now) You live in North London, don't you? (general time)
  • Why is that girl standing on the table? Chetford Castle stands on a hill outside the town.
  • The leaves are going brown.
  • I go to the mountains about twice a year.

We often use the present progressive to talk about the future.

  • What are you doing tomorrow evening?

Some verbs are not used in progressive forms.

  • I like this wine. (NOT I'm liking . . .)

Verbs that refer to physical feelings (for example feel, hurt, ache) can be used in the simple present or present progressive without much difference of meaning.

  • How do you feel? OR How are you feeling?
  • My head aches OR My head is aching
Vera, 388 days ago 0
1
The same
Blog »Grammar

We always use the before same.

  • Give me the same again, please. (NOT Give mo seme again, please.)
  • I want the same shirt as my friend's. (NOT / want a same shirt like my friend.)

We use the same as before a noun or pronoun.

  • Her hair's the same colour as her mother's. (NOT . . .  the same colour like her mother's.)
  • We use the same that before a clause.
  • That's the same man that asked me for money yesterday.

 

  same
Vera, 403 days ago 0
1
Blog »Grammar

We can use musno say that we are sure about something (because it is logically necessary).

  • If A is bigger than B, and В is bigger than C, then A must be bigger than С
  • Mary keeps crying. She must have some problem.
  • There's the doorbell. It must be Roger.
  • 'I'm in love.' 'That must be nice.'

Vera, 407 days ago 0
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