Afraid and Fear

Afraid

Afraid and fear

In an informal style, be afraid is more common than fear.

• Don’t be afraid. (NOT Don’t fear)
• Are you afraid of the dark?

I’m afraid = I’m sorry

I’m afraid (that) often means ‘ I’m sorry to tell you (that)’. It is used to introduce apologetic refusals and bad news.

• I’m afraid (that) I can’t help you.
• I’m afraid that there’s been an accident.

Afraid is not used before a noun

• Hamid is afraid
• Hamid is a frightened man. ( NOT … an afraid man.)

Across, Over and Through

On the other side (line) : across and over

Across and over can both be used to mean ‘on the other side of a line, river, bridge, road etc.’

• His village is just across/over the border.
• See if you can jump across/over the stream.

High things: over preferred

We prefer over to say ‘on/to the other side of something high’

• Why are you climbing over the wall? (NOT …across the wall?)

On flat areas; in water: across preferred

We usually prefer across to say ‘on/to the other side of a flat area or surface’, or to talk about movement in water.

• He walked across the field. (NOT … over the field)
• Let’s swim across the river. (NOT … over the river)

But over is sometimes used in British English if there is no idea of arriving at the other side.

• We often walk over the fields in the evening.

Across and through

The difference between across and through is like the difference between on and in. through, unlike across, is used for a movement in a three dimensional space, with things on all sides.

Compare:

• We walked across the desert. (We were on the desert.)
• I walked through the wood. (I was in the wood.)
• We drove across the field.

* We drove through several towns.

Farther and further

Farther and further

Distance

We use both farther and further to talk about distance. There is no difference of meaning.

• England is farther/further away than Finland.

Additional

We can use further (but not farther) to mean ‘additional’, ‘extra’, ‘more advanced’.

• For further information, see the notice board. ( NOT For farther information)

Lay and lie

Lay and lie

There are three similar verbs that can be confused: lay (regular except for spelling), lie (irregular), and lie (regular).

Lay

Lay is a regular verb except for its spelling. Its forms are:

Infinitive: (to) lay

-ing form: laying

Past: laid

Past participle: laid

Lay means:

i. Place something in a certain position or on a surface.

• Lay the book on the table.
• He laid his hand on my shoulder.

ii. Cause somebody or something to be in a certain state.

• Sprinkle water to lay the dust.
• Lay somebody under an obligation.

iii. Bet money on something.

• I’ll lay you Tk. 500 that she won’t come.

iv. (of birds, insects etc.) produce eggs.

• The cuckoo lays its eggs in other bird’s nests.

Lie (irregular)

The forms of the irregular verb lie are:

Infinitive: (to) lie

-ing form: lying

Past: lay

Past participle: lain

Lie means:

Be down, be/become horizontal. It has no object.

• Don’t lie in bed all day. (NOT don’t lay in …)
• I lay down and closed my eyes. (NOT I laid down…)

Lie (regular)

The regular verb (lie) means: say things that are not true.

• You lied to me when you said you loved me.

Big, large and great

Concrete nouns: bit and large

Big and large are used mostly with concrete nouns(the names of things you can see, touch etc.). Big is most common in an informal style.

• Get your big feet off my flowers.
• It was a large house, situated near the river.

Abstract nouns: great

Great is used mostly with abstract nouns(things you can’t see, touch etc.).

• You’ve made a great mistake.
• I have great respect for her ideas.

Big with countable abstract nouns:

Big can be used with countable abstract nouns in an informal style. Large is not normally used with abstract nouns.

• You’ve made a big mistake. (NOT a large mistake…)

Big is not used with uncountable abstract nouns (except in a few fixed expressions like big business, big trouble).

• His work shows great intelligence. (NOT … big intelligence)

Uncountable concrete nouns

With uncountable concrete nouns, none of these three words is usual.

• You have got a lot of luggage! (NOT … big/large/great luggage.)

Less and fewer

Less and fewer

The difference

Less is the comparative of little (used especially before uncountable nouns). Fewer is the comparative of few (used before countable plural nouns).

Compare:

• I earn less money than a postman.
• I’ve got fewer problems than I used to have.

Less is quite common before plural nouns, as well as uncountables, especially in an informal style.

• I’ve got less problems than I used to have.

Less/fewer with of and without of

Less of and fewer of are used before determiners (like the, my or this) and pronouns.

• I’d like to spend less of my time answering letters.
• At the college reunions, there are fewer of us each year.

Before nouns without determiners, of is not used.

• If you want to lose weight, eat less food. (NOT …less of food)
• Fewer people make their own bread these days. (NOT Fewer of people …)

In the end and at the end

In the end

In the end suggests that something happens after a lot of changes, problems or uncertainty.

• We made eight different plans for our holiday, but in the end we went to Cox’s Bazar again.
• I left in the middle of the film. Did they get married in the end?

At the end

At the end simply refers to position at the end of something. There is no sense of waiting or delay.

A declarative sentence has a full stoop at the end

Afraid and fear

Afraid

Afraid and fear

In an informal style, be afraid is more common than fear.

• Don’t be afraid. (NOT Don’t fear)
• Are you afraid of the dark?

I’m afraid = I’m sorry

I’m afraid (that) often means ‘ I’m sorry to tell you (that)’. It is used to introduce apologetic refusals and bad news.

• I’m afraid (that) I can’t help you.
• I’m afraid that there’s been an accident.

Afraid is not used before a noun

• Hamid is afraid
• Hamid is a frightened man. ( NOT … an afraid man.)

Well and good

Well and good can have similar meanings, but in this case well is an adverb, while good is an adjective.

Compare:

• He teaches very well. (NOT very good)
• I like that teacher. He is good. (NOT He is well)
• She speaks English well. (NOT speaks English good)

Note that adverbs cannot usually go between the verb and the object.

Soon and early

Soon

Soon usually relates to the time when one is talking or writing – it means ‘short time after now’

• Get well soon. ( NOT Get well early)

Soon can also relate to the time one is talking or writing about – it can mean ‘a short time after then’.

• The work was hard, but she soon got used to it.

Early

The adverb early means ‘near the beginning of the time-period that we are talking or thinking about’.

It does not usually mean ‘ a short time after now’.

• We usually take our holidays early in the year. ( NOT … soon in the year.)
• I usually get up early. ( NOT I usually get up soon)

Sometimes early means ‘before the expected time.

• The plane arrives ten minutes early.

Early can also be used as an adjective (e.g. an early train). The adjective early can sometimes have the same meaning as soon.

• Best wishes for an early recovery.

Note the common use of be early/late to mean ‘arrive early/late’.

• That woman is never early/late.

A watch is fast or slow, not early or late.

• My watch is five minutes fast/slow.

Confusing Singular and Plural

Singular and plural

1. Distributive plural

In descriptions of repeated single events, singular and plural nouns are both possible. When no details are given plural nouns are more normal.

· I often get headaches. (NOT I often get a headache)

When details of the time or situation are given, nouns are often singular.

· I often get a headache when I have been working on the computer.

2. Miscellaneous points

Most of the uncountable nouns are singular with no plural forms. Singular verbs are used with these nouns.

· Your hair is very pretty. (NOT Your hairs are …)

· My baggage has been sent to Greece by mistake. (NOT My baggages have …)

3. Plurals with no singular forms

Some nouns are always considered plural. They cannot be singular.

· Many cattle are suffering from a disease called BSE. (NOT Much cattle is …)

· Your jeans are too tight. (NOT Your jeans is …)

· My glasses are on my nose.

In order to speak of them as singular, we use a pair of.

· The plants are in the drawer.

· A pair of pants is in drawer.

· These scissors are dull.

· This pair of scissors is dull.

Use of- Used to

Used to is used in a sentence to say when you did something.

· Paul used to learn English Grammar. He doesn’t learn English Grammar now.

Used to do and am used to doing. The meanings of the sentences differ.

· I used to do karate but I stopped. I am used to doing karate every day.

Use of- May and Might

May or might

With the words “may or might”, you can use either in a sentence. Both will make sense.

· She may travel to Australia. She might travel to Australia.

For a sentence in English Grammar with a past tense word, such as “knew”, might (not may) is the only word that can be used.

· If I knew her better, I might ask her to my party. (not “may ask her”)

Present continuous for future

Tense - Present continuous (I am going)

I am going has a future meaning. It also means you have decided to do something in the future.

I have decided I am going to examples include:

· I am going to school on Thursday.

· I am going to have breakfast tomorrow.

When you decide to do something, you use the words I am going.

Use of- How long..? When..? For and Since

How long..? When..? For and Since.

When is used to say the time you start something. How long says the time you have been doing something for.

Compare When? (+past simple) and How long? (+present perfect):

· When did she begin reading War and Peace?

· She started reading War and Peace three days ago. = how long

· How long has she been learning English Grammar?

· She has been learning English Grammar for two days/since Monday.

When saying how long we have been doing something, we use for and since.

For is used when saying how long it takes to do something (two days, seven weeks etc.).

Since is used when saying a period starts (8 o’clock, Monday).

Somebody did something + I saw this = I saw somebody do something

When somebody is doing or has done something you see or saw it.

· I saw Adam get on his bike and ride away.

With this sentence structure, the use of get and ride help make the sentence clear. (we do not use the word ‘to’ with the infinitive word ‘get’).

With this sentence we use the word to with the infinitive ‘go’:

• We saw her go through the front door. (not ‘to go’)

With the passive (‘she was seen’) ‘to go’ is used:

• She was seen to go through the front door.

Use of- would rather

Would rather and Would rather not

· Do you want to go swimming? I would rather go shopping.

· Do you want to go swimming? I would rather not thank you.

· Can I go home by myself? I would rather you came home with us. (Came used as past tense, but sentence meaning is for the present tense)

Will we tell her the bad news? I would rather she did not know. (Did not used as past tense, but sentence meaning is for the present tense)

Is Supposed to be, Am or Are Supposed to be and Not Supposed to

Supposed to be has different meanings. It can be used as a recommendation. For example:

· That new movie is out now. I hear it is supposed to be great.

Supposed to be can also be used when something should happen; e.g. something has been planned, expected or arranged.

· It is almost 6 o’clock and I am supposed to be seeing my mother at 6.30p.m.

· Are you supposed to be meeting your friends at the mall today?

Not supposed to means you should not do something, you are not allowed or it is advisable not to do something.

That water is only for washing clothes with. You are not supposed to drink it.

If I had known(for past) and If I knew(for future)

If I had known and If I knew

If I had known is used when you talk about something that happened in the past.

· If I had known you were at the party I would have gone too. (past)

· If I knew you were sick I would come and visit you. (future)

· If I had known I would be so tired I would not have watched television for so long last night. (past)

If I knew that car had never been in an accident I would buy it. (future)

If I did(for past) and If I do(for future)

If I did and If I do

If I did is used for something that happened in the past.

· If I did anything to hurt you yesterday, I am sorry.

If I do is used for something that will happen in the future.

· If I do my work correctly, I will get a reward.