English Explained Simply

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 I. USED TO + INFINITIVE VERB = PAST HABITS A) USE:   Refers to a habit that occurred in the past and is no longer in effect as we speak.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...

Dear learners, why is it essential to develop a plan for any written or oral presentation ?  This question is worth asking because, believe it or not, I still receive papers to mark under my responsibility as a teacher without any plan. In this article, I'll explain why it's absolutely essential to make a plan.       I always tell learners that I have had the honor of teaching over the years how fundamental it is to systematically develop a plan during a written or oral presentation. And it's not subject to negotiation, which means any type of presentation without a plan is doomed to a poor grade.              Let me just get into the nitty-gritty of why and how you should design your presentations of all kinds with a well-organized plan. Developing a plan is very important because it: 1) IMPROVES CLARITY AND CONSISTENCY - A plan helps you, the learner, avoid rambling or going off topic by moving your ideas forward reasonably....

FOREWORD: In order to achieve a good overall grade in English, you should study the text below in conjunction with other previously published articles, including the oral articles contained in this blog, to which you should add linking words and starter phrases also appearing in this blog. Just learn a few phrases from each section of the documents described above and any other documents you deem useful in this blog. I am not asking you to learn a whole bunch of posts because it may seem indigestible to you. It only takes a few, hammered out regularly to stand out during your oral or written tests and thus obtain a good grade. I) GENERAL COMMENTS / NEUTRAL COMMENTS A) ON THE TEXTS 1- Each of these texts presents a unique perspective on the subject, providing a comprehensive view. 2- It's interesting to note how the tone and approach differ between the texts, even though they all address similar themes. 3- The authors make convincing arguments, particularly in the way they support...

I. UNDERSTAND A TEXT - Read the entire text once to grasp the general meaning. Reread it to make sure you understand it and grasp the gist of it, even the smallest details.   - Identify the type of text : argumentative , explanatory , narrative , report . What is the author's objective? Is she or he trying to inform, persuade, or entertain?   - Identify the purpose of the text to focus your attention on the main points.  - Start by examining the title, subheadings, introduction and conclusion. These elements often provide key indicators of the main ideas in the text.  - Ask yourself:  what is the text about? What is the main argument or theme? What are the supporting points? What evidence or examples are essential (but not excessive)?  - Write the main thesis in one sentence . Present three to five arguments directly related to the thesis. - Ignore details such as anecdotes,  minor examples, and long quotes unless they are essential. - H...

I) CONSIDER THE QUESTION CAREFULLY - Read the question carefully and identify exactly what is being asked, e.g. main idea , detail , inference , vocabulary meaning , tone . - Pay attention to the keywords in the question which is an effective way to get the right answer. II) BROWSE THE OPTIONS BEFORE READING IN DETAIL - Quickly review the suggested answers. - This prepares your brain to locate relevant information in the text. III) LOCATE EVIDENCE IN THE TEXT - Go back to the passage and find the part that relates to the question. - Underline or mentally note the exact sentence or phrase that provides the clue. IV) MATCH, DON'T ASSUME - The correct answer must be supported by the text, not by outside knowledge or assumptions . - If an option generally seems true but is not listed in the text, it is a trap. V) USE ELIMINATION - Cross out answers that contain extreme words like always , never , only , unless the text clearly confirms it. - Go beyond what the text says and misinter...

1) ESTABLISHING A CONNECTION As regards … =  With regard to … / In regard to … / Concerning … / Regarding … / In line with … / In relation to … / Relating to … / In parallel with … / In sync with … 2) TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING MORE By the way, … = While we're on the subject, … / While on the subject, … / In passing, … / On another note, … / Speaking of somebody, … / Speaking of something, … / One could also note, … / By way of explanation, … / As it happens, … / In related manner, … / It might also be noted, … / Funnily enough, … / As an aside, … / Another thing, … / Speaking of which, … 3) REMEMBERING A SITUATION AND TAKING IT INTO ACCOUNT    Consider the situation, … = Take into account the current situation, … / Take into consideration … / Think about … / Consider the current circumstances, … / In view of the current state, … / According to the current affairs, … / Make allowances for the current situation, … / Take into account the current state of things … / In the lig...

I) GENERAL PRESENTATION OF THE TEXT 1- T alk about the text's references: The text is an extract from ... / The text is a passage from ... / This article was published in the magazine ... / This is an article from ... and dates from ... 2- Talk about the general presentation of the text: The text consists of a paragraph with a header and photos / The style is direct / The style is indirect. 3- I dentify the key ideas in the text: List these ideas in their entirety, highlighting what they imply and how they connect to the themes related to the section's topics: The text aims to raise awareness of business relationships / The text is in the form of a monologue / The text is in the form of a dialogue / The text is presented in the form of advice given to readers. Organize these ideas: Around a coherent plan that will group the ideas into 2 or 3 parts maximum.  II) INDICATE YOUR TEXT PLAN Next, make a plan to organize your ideas as follows: The introduction is the privileged par...