Answering a question with ‘yes’ or ‘no’ may sometimes be considered impolite; It might give the impression that the person answering is not really interested in replying.
Here are some examples of short answers. We usually repeat the words that come first in the verb phrase.
Lesson by Tristan, teacher at EC Malta. Learn English in Malta
There are many ways of making requests and asking for permission in English. Consider these situations:
When we use ‘reported speech’ we are reporting something said or thought in the past, which is why we usually use the past tense:
Last night he told us that he was leaving for America next winter.
In some situations the present tense is used
When we want to report what many people say.
Everyone says the decision to fire Martin was a bad one.
When we are not sure if what we are reporting is true.
They tell me you’ve decided to leave for America.
When we want to tell someone what someone else said we can do this in two ways:
‘Will you marry me?’ Chris asked Sandra.
‘I am moving to Boston.’ Peter said.
Look at the context of each sentence and choose the correct definition. Good luck!
Get along/get on have a good relationship.
Take after resemble someone in your family.
Fall out argue with someone and never speak to him/her again.
Run in the family a genetic characteristic that’s common in a family.
Look at the context of each sentence and choose the correct definition. Good luck!
Flirt with try to make someone interested.
Get along/on have a good relationship.
Ask out ask someone to be your boyfriend or girlfriend.
Fall for fall in love.
Hit it off immediately have a good relationship.
The short questions we put at the end of sentences are called question tags. They are normally used when speaking. There are many different question tags but the main idea is fairly straight forward.
Usually if the sentence is positive then the question tag is negative and if it is negative then the question tag is positive.
This month’s cartoon is based on the popular phrase or expression ‘a stone’s throw’.
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid substances, or matter, that make up the Earth. e.g. rocks and stones.
Here are some adjectives and the prepositions we use with them. There is no real system and so the only way to learn them is to treat them as a 'fixed combination' and record them as you meet them when you read or listen. There are many adjective preposition combinations which are not show here.
I'm good at learning languages but bad at maths.
He's terrible at expressing his ideas.
