English Explained Simply

I. THE ARTICLES A/AN   A and AN are used with countable singular nouns :  1) To introduce a thing or person being mentioned for the first time: - I bought a new car. - We saw a good movie yesterday. - She went to a concert last night. - I spoke to a woman two days ago. 2) With job titles: - She's a bank advisor at the city's main bank. - He is an engineer specializing in road and safety issues. - She became a legal expert in a law firm. However, you can omit the article when referring to a single function: He's a headmaster / He's headmaster of Oakland International High School . 3) To express a general statement: - A cat is smaller than a cheetah . - A toothpick is sharper than a fork tine . 4) In a distributive sense, to indicate prices, frequency or speed: - These avocados cost €1 each, or €4 a kilo. - Take one pain relief tablet two or three times a day. - I was driving at 30 miles per hour downtown. 5) After a preposition: - She took advantage of a loophole in th...

Dear learners, there are short expressions that allow you to express past, current and future habits that you often neglect, either because you do not know them or simply because you do not think of using them.  The goal of this post is to make you take them into consideration when talking about habits because they are useful for expressing things in a synthetic and precise way. I. USED TO + INFINITIVE VERB = PAST HABITS A) USE:   Refers to a habit that occurred in the past and is no longer in effect as we speak. We have given up this habit now. B) GRAMMATICAL FORMS: - In a question: did + subject + use to + infinitive verb (Did you get use to ride a bicycle?). - In a positive statement: subject + used to + infinitive verb (I used to ride a bicycle). - In a negative statement: subject + didn't + use to + infinitive verb (I didn't get use to ride a bicycle). II. BE USED TO + ING VERB = CURRENT HABITS A) USE: Refers to a habit that is still in effect as we speak. It means that w...

Can you tell these tenses apart?   My goal here is to compare the present, past, present perfect and past perfect tenses using a single example sentence. I imagine you're still having trouble distinguishing between these different tenses. How can you clearly distinguish them without falling into the trap? The first thing to do when you have sentences of different natures is to go back to their definitions. As you know, tenses apply to a specific period of time, depending on what you want to say. I'd like to illustrate this in a single sentence so you can see the differences between the sentences. The only sentence to use for my illustration is: working with IBM . I. SIMPLE PRESENT VS. PRESENT CONTINUOUS   - I regularly work with IBM on specific assignments = we use the simple present tense to talk about things that happen again and again, it focuses on repeated facts and events.  - I am currently working in my IBM office = in this situation, the action is taking place no...

Pitfalls to avoid when mastering English grammar   - At the moment means at the time of speaking (= at the present time, here and now, forthwith)   - In the moment means engaging fully in the present, regardless of what happened in the past and not thinking about what will happen in the future  - I'm experienced (= I have long standing knowledge about something)  not: I'm experimented . But you can say I experimented something or I experimented with somebody (= you tried something in an attempt to find out what it was like) - In a moment means in a short time, very soon - In point of fact, there's a marked difference between experience and experiment : experience focuses on someone's previous activity in an area or something that happens to us (= I gained valuable experience working in a team); whereas experiment focuses on something we do in order to see the results (= I would like to experiment with a new fragrance) - What are you doing that for? ...

Pitfalls to avoid when mastering English grammar   - To do long hours = to work long hours not: to make long hours - For example / For instance   not: by example   - On the phone   not:   at the phone - On the Internet / On the Web   not:   in the internet / in the Web - On television - On the radio not: at television - at the radio - I'm going back home  not: I'm going back to home   - I'm at home  not:   I'm at the home - She was right not: she had reason / she had right - The economic situation / The economic system not: the economical situation / The economical system - Economical = cheap / inexpensive / low-budget / low-cost; someone using no more of something than is necessary = he is economical with the truth - It's logical (= adjective) / it's judicious  - It's logic (= noun) / it's common sense - An electronic device not: an electronical device - An electric car not: an electrical car - I'm used to lear...

Pitfalls to avoid when mastering English grammar   - Such a problem not: a such problem - The young love sports = young people love sports not: young love sports - I feel like a drink not: I feel like to drink - France (in its entirety) not: the France ; but we can say: the France of my childhood (a specific period) - Everybody stretched out their legs not: everybody stretched out his legs - A two-hour lesson not: a two hour's lesson - Two-hour lesson not: two hours lessons - A 25-year-old not: a 25 years old - 25-year-olds not: 25 years olds - Everybody has their coat not: everybody has his coat - To this day there is no news = at this moment in time - I give no help to others and I get none = the structure is no … none - I don't give any help to others and I don't receive any =  the structure is don't … any  - It's time we took action = it's time to make a move - It's time (for us) to take action = it's time to make a move - If he were to ma...