Saturday, April 30, 2016

EVEN THOUGH / EVEN IF


Even though 

Even though is used to express a fact, something that is real or true.
Even though means 'despite/in spite of' the fact'.
It is more emphatic than 'though' or although'.
  • Even though John is rich, he lives in a small house.
    (John is rich, but despite having money he lives in a small house.)
  • Even though she likes animals, Mary doesn't want a dog.
    (In spite of the fact that she likes animals, Mary doesn't want a dog.)
  • Even though the building was damaged, business went on as usual.
    (The building was damaged, but despite that business went on as usual.)
  • Even though I washed it several times, I couldn't get rid of the stain.
    (I couldn't get rid of the stain despite washing it several times.)


Even if

Even if is used in a supposition or hypothesis.
It refers to an imaginary or unreal situation
  • Even if Caroline earned a big salary, she would not buy a fast car.
    (Caroline doesn't like fast cars. It is not because of the price that she won't buy one.)
  • Even if I had time and money, I still wouldn't go on a cruise.
    (It's not because I have no time or no money that I won't go on a cruise.
    I have other reasons for not going.)
  • I wouldn't wear that dress even if I got it for free!
    (Imagine getting that dress for nothing. I still wouldn't wear it!)

Friday, April 29, 2016

collective and compound nouns in English

Collective Nouns 
Collective nouns are names for a group of individuals or a number of animals, places, things,
objects, concepts or ideas, for example: 
herd of elephants, a range of mountains, a gang of thieves, a pack of cards, a board of directors.

Words like army, audience, band, committee, crew, crowd, flock, herd, hive, public, staff, team 
are examples of collective nouns.

These nouns take a singular verb when we think of the group as an entity :
  • The audience was enthusiastic.
  • Our team is definitely the best.
  • The jury is deliberating.
We can use a plural verb if we think of them as members of a  group acting individually :
  • The crew are all wearing their new uniform.
Compound nouns

Compound nouns (or compound words) result from the merging of two words. These are 
very common in English and new combinations are invented almost every day.

Compound nouns normally consist of two or three parts, for example washing machine.
The second part (machine) identifies the object or person.
The first part (washing) tells us what sort of object or person it is, or what its purpose is. 

The parts that compose a compound noun can be, for example :
  • two nouns (notebook, toothbrush, motorcycle)
  • an adjective and a noun (greenhouse, blackboard, software)
  • a noun and a verb (rainfall, sunshine, haircut)
  • a verb and an adverb (drawback, takeover)
  • an adverb and a verb (outbreak, overthrow, input)
  • the gerund form of a verb (-ing) with a noun (washing machine, swimming pool)
Compound nouns are either written as :
  • separate words (ex: orange juice, real estate, post office, car park),
  • words linked by a hyphen (mother-in-law, washing-up, check-in)
  • or one word (notebook, classroom, football, bedroom, toothpaste).
It should be noted that compound nouns often have a meaning that is different from the two
separate words. For example: 

- a greenhouse (compound noun) is a place where we grow plants.
- a green house (adjective and noun) is simply a house painted green. 

Sunday, April 24, 2016

NOUNS

Countable nouns 

Countable nouns are individual objects, people, places and things that can be counted. 
For example, books, houses, Americans, cats, dogs, cars, etc.
A countable noun can be singular (a book) or plural (two books)
The singular form of a verb is used with a singular countable noun : the apple is red
The plural form of a verb is used with a plural countable noun : the apples are red.

Uncountable nouns

Uncountable or mass nouns are substances, concepts, information, materials, etc. 
which are not individual objects and cannot be counted. They have no plural form.

For example :
  • Substances :    milk, cream, sugar, bread, flour, water, wine
  • Concepts : hope, peace, beauty, entertainment, freedom
  • Feelings and qualities :      anger, joy, honesty, pride
  • Activities :  homework, sleep, surveillance
Uncountable or mass nouns are :
  • used with no indefinite article (a/an) :   Drink water if you are thirsty. (not: a water)
  • take a singular verb. : Water is safe to drink in this area.
To talk about a certain quantity, we use :
some/ a piece of/ a drop of/ a glass of/ a slice of, etc. 
  • some milk / a drop of milk
  • a piece of cheese/cake/pizza
  • a slice of bread
  • a glass of water
  • a piece of advice/information/news/luggage
  • a news item

Saturday, April 23, 2016

UK - US DIFFERENCES

British and American spelling and vocabulary differ in many areas. 
British English tends to keep the spelling of words absorbed from other languages
(e.g. French), whereas American English often adapts the spelling of words to sound 
as they are actually spoken.
There are also many cases where different words or terms are used to refer to the same thing. 
Below you find examples of differences in spelling and vocabulary.

BritainAmerica
  

-our / -or


Many words end in -our in Britain, and in -or in America.
colourcolor
favourfavor
honourhonor
neighbourneighbor
  

-tre / ter


Words ending in -tre in Britain end in -ter in America, for example :
centrecenter
litreliter
metremeter
theatretheater
  

Doubling of letters


In Britain, the 'l' is doubled in an unstressed syllable :
travellingtraveling
marvellousmarvelous
  

Different spelling

analogueanalog
cataloguecatalog
chequecheck
dialoguedialog
defencedefense
jewelleryjewelry
kerbcurb
ploughplow
programmeprogram
pyjamaspajamas
specialityspecialty
tyre (for a wheel)tire
  

Different words

aubergineeggplant
autumnfall
billcheck
bintrash can
biscuit(s)cookie(s)
bonnet (of a car)hood
boot (of a car)trunk
car parkparking lot
cotcrib
chemist'sdrugstore
chipsFrench fries
city centredowntown
crisps (potato crisps)chips (potato chips)
cinemamovie theater
courgettezucchini
CVresume
draughts (board game)checkers
dustbingarbage can
filmmovie
flatapartment
footballsoccer
full stop (punctuation)period
gardenyard
grill (verb)broil
handbagpurse/pocketbook
holidayvacation
letter boxmail box
liftelevator
lorrytruck
luggagebaggage
mathsmath
mobile phonecell phone
motorwayfreeway/highway
off-licenceliquor store
nappydiaper
pavementsidewalk
petrolgas/gasoline
pocket moneyallowance
postmail
postcodezip code
primary schoolelementary school
queueline
queueline
return (ticket)round trip (ticket)
rubbereraser
rubbishgarbage
secondary schoolhigh school
single (ticket)one-way (ticket)
solicitorlawyer
starter (meal)appetizer
sweetscandy
tapfaucet
timetableschedule
tincan
torchflashlight
tramstreetcar/cable car
trainerssneakers
trouserspants
tyretire
queueline
undergroundsubway
vestundershirt
waistcoatvest
wardrobecloset
  

Saturday, April 16, 2016

AT - ON - IN

When to use the prepositions aton and in can sometimes be confusing.
Below are some examples to help you.
AT  -  ON  -  IN
Examples of use :
Space/LocationTimeOther

ATDavid is waiting at the bank.At 9 o'clockAnne is good at English.
I saw Mary at work, at home,
at the party, etc.
At the age of 80.Look at that car!
We landed at the airport.At dawn.The golfer aimed at the flag.
At a specific address:
(at10 Downing St.)
At nightLaugh at a joke.

ONThe bank is on Oxford street.On December 25th.On television./ On the radio.
The offices are on 5th Avenue.On the day we arranged.On the phone. 
The book is on the desk.On Sunday.On the computer.
Don't walk on the grass.On my birthday.On holiday(s)/on sale/on fire

INHe lives in New York.In 2012.She writes in English.
She works in advertising.In a minute, a month, a year, the future, the past.He is in good humour.
The children are in the garden.In the morning, the afternoon, the evening.They are in danger.
The desk is in the office.In winter, spring, summer, autumn.We are in good health.


Example:
Harry and Sally met each other at a barbecue while they were on holidays. They live in the same town so they arranged to meet again at the cinemaat 7 o'clock on the following Saturday. The cinema is on main street in the town centre. Later in the evening they had dinner in an Italian restauranton the square.

Friday, April 15, 2016

ANTONYMS or OPPOSITES

damage (v)repair (v)If you damage anything you will have to repair it.
dangerous (a)safe (a)Be careful. The building is in a very dangerous area.
Don' worry.  We live in a safe part of the city.
dark (a)light (a)What colour is your car? It's dark/light blue.
depart (v)arrive (v)The train departs at 10.15 am and arrives at 2 pm
despair (v)hope (v)There is no work here.  Tom despairs of finding a job.
Andy has graduated and hopes to find a job soon.
different (a)similar (a)All the houses are different.  None of them are similar.
The houses are all similar to each other. They are alike.
difficult (a)easy (a)The English test was quite difficult/easy.
early (a)late (a)Jack had to leave at 6 am so he had an early breakfast.
I didn't have to work so I had a late breakfast.
false (a)true (a)Some details were false but the main story was true.
fat (a)thinThe shopkeeper is overweight.  He's quite fat.
His wife is the opposite. She's very thin.
find (v)lose (v)You try to find something when you lose it.
follow (v)lead (v)The teacher leads the group and the children followher.
forbid (v)allow (v)Food is allowed but smoking is forbidden.
forget (v)remember (v)I'm losing my memory. I often forget things.
I've got a good memory. I remember names easily.
freeze (v)melt (v)You freeze food in the freezer.
Ice-cream will melt in the sun.
full (a)empty (a)This bottle of milk is empty. The one in the fridge isfull.
gentle (a)violent (a)They walked along the beach enjoying the gentlebreeze.
violent storm broke out in the evening.
good (a)bad (a)José got good results in English. He is very pleased.
Pedro is a bad student.  He must work harder.
happy (a)sad (a)Jimmy was sad leaving New York, but he was happy
to see his family again.
hard (a)soft (a)He slept in a hard bed but the pillow was soft.
hardworking (a)lazy (a)Joe works well. His colleagues say he is hardworking.Mike does as little as possible. He's lazy.
heavy (a)light (a)My suitcase is very heavy.  I can't lift it.
My suitcase is very light. I can carry it.
hope (v)despair (a)Andy has graduated and hopes to find a job soon.
There is no work here.  Tom despairs of finding a job.
hotcoldBe careful! The plate is very hot.
We need to heat the soup because it's cold.
intelligent (a)stupid (a)Intelligent people understand quickly.
Stupid people are slow to understand things.
interesting (a)boring (a)Tom found the conference quite interesting.
Alex left before the end because he found it boring.
long (a)short (a)The bride wore a long dress.
Her mother's dress was short .
married (a)single (a)My sister is married but my brother is still single.
modern (a)traditional (a)Her dress was modern but the ceremony wastraditional.
negative (a)affirmative (a)I'm disappointed. I received a negative reply.
I got the job! The reply was affirmative.
new  (a)old (a)The television set is old.  We're going to buy a newone.
noisy (a)quiet (a)The boys are too noisy.  Tell them to be quiet!
polite (a)impolite (a)The children are impolite.  They should learn to bepolite.
poor (a)rich (a)Rich people can buy what they want.
Poor people have to be careful with their money.
proper (a)improper (a)For the interview wear a proper dress, not jeans!
The boy was punished for behaving in an improperway.
quiet (a) noisy (a) We live in a quiet area.  It's not noisy at all.
remember (v)forget (v)I've got a good memory. I remember names easily.
I'm losing my memory. I often forget things.
right (a)wrong (a)We took the right road and arrived on time.
The others went the wrong way and got lost.
safe (a)dangerous (a)The children can play here.  It's a safe place.
Don't play near the road.  It's too dangerous.
short (a)long (a)The bride wore a long dress but her mother wore ashort one.
shout (v)whisper (v)The policeman shouted a warning.
People whisper at the cinema so as not to disturb others.
similar (a)different (a)The houses are all similar to each other. They are alike.
All the houses are different. None of them are similar.
simple (a)complicated (a)The terms of the agreement were simple and clear.
Some legal terms can be complicated and difficult to understand.
single (a)married (a)My brother is still single but my sister is married.
small (a)big (a)This bag is too small.  We need a big bag to go shopping.
soft (a)hard (a)She likes a soft pillow but prefers a hard mattress.
traditional (a)modern (a)The ceremony was traditional but her dress wasmodern.
true (a)false (a)The story was true but some of the details were false.
wellunwell / illMy grandfather is in good health.  He's well.
My grandmother has the 'flu. She's unwell at the moment.
whisper (v)shout (v)People whisper at the cinema so as not to disturb others.
The policeman shouted a warning.
wrong (a)right (a)He didn't understand me because I used the wrongword.
I used a dictionary to find the right word.

Saturday, April 9, 2016

ANTONYMS or OPPOSITES

What is an antonym?

An antonym is a word that is opposite in meaning to another word.
For example, ‘cold’ is the antonym of ‘hot’.
The list of antonyms below, with an example of use,
will help English learners improve their vocabulary.(a) = adjective   (prep) = preposition   (v) = verb

Word

Antonym

Example

above (prep)below (prep)The cups are on the shelf above the sink.
The washing-up liquid is below the sink.
absent (a)present (a)Arthur is not here today.  He's absent.
The teacher will be present at the graduation ceremony.
accept (v)refuse (v)The customer accepts/refuses the conditions.
accidental (a)intentional (a)He didn't intend to break the window.  It was accidental.
He wanted to break the window.  It was intentional.
add (v)subtract (v)An amount of tax must be added to the bill.
A mistaken amount was substracted from the bill.
admit (v)deny (v)Bobby said he stole the ball. He admitted it.
Sam said he didn't steal the ball. He denied it.
affirmative (a)negative (a)I got the job! The reply was affirmative.
I'm disappointed. I received a negative reply.
after (prep)before (prep)My guitar lesson is after lunch, at 2 pm.
The tennis match is before lunch, at 11 am.
alive (a)dead (a)The man was alive/dead when the doctor arrived.
allow (v)forbid (v)Food is allowed but smoking is forbidden.
approximately(a)exactly (a)The journey will take approximately an hour.
The journey will take exactly 48 minutes and 30 seconds.
arrive (v)depart (v)The train departs at 10.15 am and arrives at 2 pm.
attack (v)defend (v)Enemy forces attacked the harbour.
Our troups defended it.
awake (a)asleep (a)I can hear noise. The baby is awake.
There is no noise.  The baby is still asleep.
bad (a)good (a)Pedro is a bad student.  He must work harder.
José got good results in English. He is very pleased.
beautiful (a)ugly (a)The actress is very beautiful.
The wound left an ugly scar on the man's face.
before (prep)after (prep)The tennis match is before lunch, at 11 am.
My guitar lesson is after lunch, at 2 pm.
begin (v)end (v)The film begins at 7 pm and ends at 8.30 pm.
below (prep)above (prep)The bookshelves are above the television.
The dvds are below it.
big (a)small (a)My boss drives a big car but my car is small.
bitter (a)sweet (a)We had a choice between sweet tea or bitter wine.
brave (a)cowardly (a)You were very brave to defend the group.
cowardly person runs away when faced with danger.
cheap (a)expensive (a)This shop sells cheap/expensive clothes.
clean (a)dirty (a)When our parents returned the house was clean/dirty.
cold (a)hot (a)We need to heat the soup because it's cold.
Be careful! The plate is very hot.
come (v)go (v)Visitors to the museum come and go all day
complicated (a)simple (a)Some legal terms can be complicated and difficult to understand.
The terms of the agreement were simple and clear.
cool (a)warm (a)In autumn you should bring clothes for cool weather.
In spring the weather is often warm.
correct (a)incorrect (a)His answer was correct/incorrect.
cowardly (a)brave (a)You were very brave to defend the group.
It was cowardly of you to run away.
curly (a)straight (a)Her hair is curly/straight.