Collocations are groups of two or more words that generally go together.
In English, we say:
I'm going to make a cup of tea.
He's doing nothing at the moment.
I’m having a good day!
Make tea, do nothing and have a good day are examples of collocations.
There is often confusion over the words ‘passed’ and ‘past’.
The word 'passed' is the past simple of the verb pass or the past participle of the verb:
She passed the exam with distinction. Pass = to be successful in a test
The secretary passed the message to me. Pass = hand over (give)
We'd passed the shop 5 times before we saw it. Pass = to move past
Here is a brief explanation of how 'whatever', 'whenever', 'wherever', 'whichever' and 'whoever' are used:
Whatever = anything or everything; regardless of what, (many things can happen but):
Whatever you do, don’t forget to buy the drinks for dinner tonight.
Ignore David, whatever he says. He's just a joker.
Whenever = every time; at any time; when is not important:
Whenever I plan a barbeque it rains.
Peter interrupts me whenever I speak.
The structures be used to and get used to are used to talk about being accustomed to something or getting accustomed to something. Get used to talks about the process. Be used to talks about the result.
When Giovanni moved to London from Italy it took him long to get used to the cold. For Ivan, who moved from Moscow to London, the cold was not a problem because he was used to it.
Many learners of English find it difficult to know when to use 'of' and when to use 'from' in English. This is probably because in their languages the same preposition is used for both.
'of' for possession
We use 's for living things, groups and institutions. For inanimate objects we use 'of'
's – Tom's cat.
Of – The title of the film – the name of the game.
So and neither are used to show agreement or disagreement with a statement made by another person or concerning another person.
So is used to agree with a statement which is affirmative.
John: 'I like pizza.'
Peter: 'So do I.'
Here are some examples. Notice that if an auxiliary verb is used in the statement it matches in the agreeing reply.
It is common for learners of English to confuse 'there', 'their' and 'they're' especially since they all have the same sound when being pronounced. Here is an explanation of each one:
'There' has the opposite meaning of 'here'. It is used to mean 'not a place close to' the speaker.
Have you seen mu glasses?
Yes, over 'there', on the table.
I'm driving to work. I'll call you when I get 'there'.
Already is used to talk about something that has happened earlier than expected or earlier than it might/should have happened.
Don't forget you need to send an e-mail to Chris.
Thanks for reminding me but I’ve already sent it.
Still is used to refer to a situation that is continuing.
For, during and while are used in time expressions.
For is a time expression followed by a length of time – for an hour.
I have been waiting for an hour.
Sarah is going to Spain for ten days.
Henry lived in France for five years.
The difference in meaning between remember and remind can sometimes cause confusion.
Remember means to have a memory, to keep a memory. In other words it means 'not to forget'.
Do you remember the name of the book? Yes, but I don't remember the author's name. – ( I do not have the memory)
Remember to feed the cat. (don’t forget)
