SOME/ANY

SOME is used in a positive statement in order to show either:

1. The plural of something (for countable nouns) – I need some fresh towels.

or

2. A small quantity of something (for non-countable nouns) – Cathy has some toothpaste today.

ANY is used in a negative statement to show that something is nonexistent:

1. I don’t have any. (fresh towels)        In other words, I have zero fresh towels.

2. Yesterday she didn’t have any. (toothpaste)        Yesterday, she had zero toothpaste.

Notice how ANY is not followed by a noun, for the simple reason that the noun was already mentioned before and there is no need to repeat it.

A(AN)/ONE

A(AN) are used in a positive statement  to show that the speaker is referring to just one item:

1. He will buy an umbrella.

2. My friend is getting a teapot.

Remember that we use an when the next word starts with a vowal and a when the next word starts with a consonant for singular nouns.

ONE is used in a negative statement to show that the speaker is referring to just one item:

1. He doesn’t have one. (an umbrella)

2. She didn’t own one. (a teapot)

ONE replaces the noun here since it was already mentioned before.

English QUIZ

Fill in the blanks with the appropriate word SOME/ANY/A/AN/ONE:

1. I need to buy some plates. I don’t have _________.
2. Can I borrow a cup? I don’t have ____________.
3. You need some shampoo. You don’t have _________.
4. They can take an egg. They don’t have __________.
5. We need _________ sugar. We don’t have any.
6. Her mom would like to borrow ___ platter. She doesn’t have one.
7. Please give your brother ___ apple. He doesn’t have one.

ANSWERS

1. 1. any, 2. one, 3. any, 4. one, 5. some, 6. a, 7. an

If you have any questions or comments regarding us or our classes, please fill out our contact request form

The post Some/Any and A(An)/One in English appeared first on Adi's Language School.

A LOT

A lot can pretty much be used with any noun (and most verbs, too, for that matter), to express a large quantity:

You have a lot of patience.

We don’t have a lot of apples.

My friend talks a lot.

Note that when followed by a noun, the preposition of is necessary as well.

MANY/MUCH

Many and much, however, although they also express a large quantity, are used with different types of nouns. Many is used for countable nouns and much for uncountable nouns. If you don’t remember the difference between these two noun categories, please check the blog entry for Countable and Uncountable nouns in English.

My grandmother has many chickens.

Maria didn’t put much sugar in the cake.

IMPORTANT NOTE

You can choose between using much/many or a lot as you like, the only difference being that much/many are slightly more formal than a lot.

(A) FEW/(A) LITTLE

(A) few and (A) little are the opposites of many/much expressing a small quantity, and they are also used with different types of nouns. (A) few is used for countable nouns and (A) little for uncountable nouns. If you don’t remember the difference between these two noun categories, please check the blog entry for Countable and Uncountable nouns in English.

The school has (a) few students.

There is (a) little money left.

SO, what is the difference between a few and few, and a little and little?

Basically, when you say “He ate a few cookies”, you are focusing on the positive, meaning He did eat a small number of cookies.

When you say “He ate few cookies”, you are focusing on the negative, meaning He didn’t eat so many cookies at all, not as many as expected, etc.

The same goes for “I have a little respect for him”, which focuses on the positive and means I have some respect for him.

And “I have little respect for him”, which focuses on the negative and means I don’t have much respect for him at all.

QUIZ

Choose between much, many, a lot, few, little, a few, a little:

1. The teacher gives _______ of homework.
2. Your car has __________ miles on it. (large quantity)
3. I can give you _________ apples. (small quantity, positive)
4. My boss doesn’t have _________ time to waste. (large quantity)
5. She has _________ interest in outdoor activities. (small quantity, negative)
6. His mom will borrow __________ flour from us. (small quantity, positive)
7. This widow had ________ friends and many enemies. (small quantity, negative)

ANSWERS

1. a lot
2. many
3. a few
4. much
5. little
6. a little
7. few

If you have any questions or comments regarding us or our classes, please fill out our contact request form

The post Quantifiers in English – a lot, many, much, (a) few, (a) little appeared first on Adi's Language School.

Bring

You ask people to bring things to you and your location. Bring is used in relation to a destination:

“Bring some drinks to the party, please.”

“Bring your toothbrush to me.”

“Could she bring her shoes here?”

Take

You take things to other people and locations. Take is used in relation to a starting point:

“I’m going to take some balloons to John’s house for his birthday party.” (I am thinking about the balloons being at my house – the starting point)

“Take your dog away from me.”

“Please take your bag there.” (the focus is on the implied starting point – here)

In the first and third examples, the starting point is not clearly expressed in the sentence, but understood from context.

IMPORTANT OBSERVATIONS

The similarity between Bring and Take is that they both describe the movement of something from one location to another.

The difference is that Bring describes the movement of something toward a specified location, whereas Take describes the movement of something away from a location. Another way to look at it is, you bring things here and take things there.

Many times both of these verbs can be used correctly in the same sentence, and the only thing that changes is your perspective:

Paul is bringing his cousin to the picnic.

Paul is taking his cousin to the picnic.

Both sentences are correct. In the first one, the focus is on the destination (the picnic), whereas in the second one it is on the implied starting point (Paul’s house or location).

QUIZ

1. He has ___ his car here.

If you have any questions or comments regarding us or our classes, please fill out our contact request form

The post Take vs. Bring in English appeared first on Adi's Language School.

TAKE generally means to CARRY/ MOVE from one place to another.

• Can you take the kids to school today? 
• Take an umbrella. It’s raining.
• Can you take my shirt to the dry-cleaner?
• Don’t forget to take your driving license with you.

GET usually means to RECEIVE/ OBTAIN.

• I got some flowers. (I received some flowers. Someone gave me some flowers)
• How much do you get for looking after Jane’s children?
• Did you get the tickets?
• I think you should get a new job.

Another difference is that TAKE implies that you may take something from another person who may give the object willingly or not so willingly. GET means that something was voluntarily given to you. For example:

My mom takes my phone when I don’t do my homework. (She takes my phone although I don’t want her to)

I always take some food from my friend’s lunch bag. (I take it because I want to, whether my friend lets me or not)

I get my phone after I do my homework. (My mom willingly gives me my phone after I do my homework)

I always get some food from my friend’s lunch bag. (My friend willingly lets me have some food from his/her lunch bag)

A third difference is that when you TAKE an object from someone, you choose or pick the object.  If you GET something from somebody, the choice is up to the giver. For example:

Do you have more of those scarves?  I will take the pink one.  (I choose the pink one)

I usually get nice presents for Christmas. (Someone else chooses my present, not me)

TAKE and GET also have an active and passive meaning, respectively:

I plan to take my girlfriend to the movie theatre on Friday.

You always get a ride from your mother.

The difference lies in the action taken by the speaker of the sentence and what is done to him/her. In the first sentence, the subject is involved in doing the action of taking someone somewhere. In the second sentence, the subject is not involved in the action as it is the other person, the mother, who is doing the actual action of driving the subject to a place.

QUIZ

Fill in the blanks with TAKE or GET:

1. They normally ______ good grades in school.
2. You _________ your medicine from the pharmacy close to your house.
3. Don’t just ____________ the candy, you need to ask if you can first.
4. I will ___________ the red car, this is my choice.
5. When she _______ a new job, she will be happier.
6. My sister ________ my clothes whenever she wants without my permission.

ANSWERS

1. get, 2. get, 3. take, 4. take, 5. gets, 6. takes

If you have any questions or comments regarding us or our classes, please fill out our contact request form

The post Take vs. Get in English appeared first on Adi's Language School.

Write the report until 5 pm.
Write the report by 5 pm. 

Write the report until 5 pm means “Start writing the report now, continue writing it until 5 pm, then stop writing it regardless of whether it is finished or not.”

Write the report by 5 pm means “Make sure that at 5 pm the report is written and finished”. This example makes more sense than the first one.

As a preposition of time by means on or before.
E.g. We will send you the documents by tomorrow.

• Use “by” when you refer to a deadline.

Until means up to a particular time.
E.g. We have until tomorrow to send out the documents.

• Use “until” when you refer to the period of time before a deadline.

By is used to describe an action or event that happens on or before a particular moment.
E.g. We expect to know the judgment by the end of June.

Until is used to describe a state or situation in the period of time up to a particular moment.
E.g. The court proceedings are expected to last until June.

You may think of until as referring to the moment a state or situation changes.
E.g. Comments on the draft may be submitted until March 2nd.

Here are some more examples:

1. I can do it by 3 pm.
             Now   → do it and finish it →  3 pm (it will be finished)
2. I can do it until 3 pm.
             Now   →       do it       →  3 pm (I’ll stop even if I haven’t finished)
3. I can’t do it by 3 pm.
             Now   → do it / not do it →  3 pm (either way it won’t be finished)
4. I can’t do it until 3 pm.
             Now   →  can’t do it  →  3 pm (I’ll start)

QUIZ

Fill in the sentences with by or until:

1. I need to do the laundry ______ 7pm.
2. They have ______ March 3rd to move out of their apartment.
3. We can play ________ he comes home.
4. My friends are supposed to come _______ next week.

ANSWERS

1. by
2. until
3. until
4. by

If you have any questions or comments regarding us or our classes, please fill out our contact request form

The post By vs. Until in English appeared first on Adi's Language School.

First, let’s look at them separately:

Through

In North America, through means up to and including (a particular point in an ordered sequence), (from …) to … inclusive.

“They will be in town from March 1st through April 8th”

“The exhibition is open Friday through Sunday”

To/Until

These two sentences mean the same thing:

“We lived in Haiti from 2000 to 2009.”

“We lived in Haiti from 2000 until 2009.”

They both refer to a period of time that began at some point in the year 2000 (we don’t know exactly what point) and ended in the year 2009 (again, we don’t know at exactly what point in that year).

Some native speakers of English report that “from 2000 to 2009” sounds slightly more natural to them than “from 2000 until 2009,” so it might be a better choice if you are trying to choose between the two forms. However, both forms are correct and acceptable – there is no wrong choice.

Now, let’s look at the differences between them:

Through vs. To/Until

If you say “We lived in Haiti from 2000 through 2009,” this is different. “Through 2009” means until the end of that year. Therefore, “from 2000 through 2009” refers to a time period that began sometime in the year 2000 and lasted until the very end of 2009.

Take a look at these sentences:

I work here from 9 to 5.
I work here from 9 until/till 5.
I work here from 9 through 5.

The last one is not common because it’s a little ambiguous. Through generally means until the end of, which is not the intended meaning here. For example, if you were to say, “I’ll be working at this company through May,” it would mean until the end of May.

How about these sentences:

I work here from Monday to Friday.
I work here Monday through Friday. (note that “from” is absent here)
I work here from Monday until/till Friday.

“Monday to Friday” is very common. Until/till may signify you’re leaving work for some reason on Friday. For example, if you say, “I’ll be in Paris till Friday,” you’d be marking a departure date.

Sometimes through and until can be used together as in the following example:

“I struggle through until payday.” Through here means continuing in time toward completion of (a process or period).

Until marks a time limit that is not included in the activity we are talking about. In other words, “I struggle the whole time before payday, on payday I don’t struggle any longer”.

QUIZ

Fill in with the correct preposition:

1. The museum can be visited Tuesday __________ Sunday.
2. The Post Office is open from 8am __________ 5pm.
3. I ate ____________ my lunch break.
4. I am free from 3pm ___________ 5pm.

ANSWERS

1. through; 2. to or until/till; 3. through; 4. to or until/till

If you have any questions or comments regarding us or our classes, please fill out our contact request form

The post Through vs. To/Until in English appeared first on Adi's Language School.

These words are sometimes synonyms and therefore interchangeable but not always.

Here are the main uses of both words:

ONLY
Can be an adjective, and adverb and a conjunction.

These are some examples of ‘only’ as an adverb meaning “not more than“:

I was only five when I started playing the guitar.
I only expect you to listen to what I have to say.
It’s only an idea.

When ‘only’ is used as an adverb is can be replaced by ‘just’:
Mozart was just five when he started composing. etc.

If ‘only’ is used as an adjective it means that there is only one of its kind and it cannot be replaced by ‘just’:

This is the only picture I have of my grandfather.
Only you can understand me.
I think it is an advantage to be an only child.

‘Only’ can also be used as a conjunction instead of ‘but’:

We both live in the same city only I live closer to the sea.
He’s got a great sense of humor only he drinks too much.

In this case, it can be replaced by ‘just’, but not in the same position in the sentence. For example:

We both live in the same city, I just live closer to the sea.
He’s got a great sense of humor, he just drinks too much.

JUST
Used to mean ‘a short time ago’ or ‘recently’. In this case ‘just’ cannot be replaced by ‘only’:

He has just arrived.
I’ve just spoken to Harry about the proposals.

Used to mean ‘exactly‘ In this case ‘just’ can also not be replaced by ‘only’:

This is just (exactly) what I wanted to do.

IMPORTANT NOTE

When you use “just,” the word order makes a difference in meaning:

• I just ate two pieces of pizza. ( = I recently ate two pieces of pizza)
• I ate just two pieces of pizza ( = I ate only two pieces, not 3 or 4 or 5)

QUIZ

Decide if these sentences can take just – only – just or only:

1. He’s ___ walked out of the office.

ANSWERS

1. just

2. just or only

3. just

4. just or only

5. just or only

6. just

7. just or only

8. just

9. only

10. just or only

If you have any questions or comments regarding us or our classes, please fill out our contact request form

The post JUST and ONLY in English appeared first on Adi's Language School.

To Get can be used in a number of patterns and has a number of meanings. Below are the most common:

TO GET + DIRECT OBJECT = TO OBTAIN, TO RECEIVE, TO BUY

• I got my passport last week. (to obtain)
• She got her driving license last week. (to obtain)
• They got permission to live in Switzerland. (to obtain)
• I got a letter from my friend in Nigeria. (to receive)
• He gets $1,000 a year from his father. (to receive)
• She got a new coat from Zappaloni in Rome. (to buy)
• We got a new television for the sitting room. (to buy)

TO GET + PLACE EXPRESSION = REACH, ARRIVE AT A PLACE

• How are you getting home tonight?
• We got to London around 6 p.m.
• What time will we get there?
• When did you get back from New York?

TO GET + ADJECTIVE = BECOME, SHOW A CHANGE OF STATE

• I am getting old.
• It’s getting hotter.
• By the time they reached the house they were getting hungry.
• I’m getting tired of all this nonsense.
• My mother’s getting old and needs looking after.
• It gets dark very early in the winter.
• Don’t touch the stove until is gets cool.

OTHER MEANINGS of GET:

Contract an illness
She got a cold on the flight back from Australia.

Fetch/Pick up
I have to get the children from school at half past three.

Persuade
We couldn’t get her to come to the cinema with us.

Pay someone else to do something
I need to get my eyes tested.

Start
We got talking when we were at Heathrow, waiting for a plane that had been delayed.

Have an opportunity
It’s a real shame that we never get to have a quiet evening at home together.

Travel by train/bus/taxi
Shall we get a taxi to the airport, or shall we take the train?

Make something/someone move
I need to get this desk into the other room. Can you help me?

Answer a call
There’s someone at the door. Can you get it?

Hit and harm
Look at my arm! A wasp got me!

Draw attention to something
Get this! The capital of California is Sacramento, not Los Angeles or San Francisco.

To do

A – I need to take out the trash.

B – Don’t worry, I’ll get it!

Pay back, take vengeance on or get even

We’ll get them!
That’ll get him good!
This time I got him.
Just wait until I get you!

TO GET + PREPOSITION/ADVERB = PHRASAL VERBS WITH VARIOUS MEANINGS

OTHER EXPRESSIONS WITH GET

• Do you get it means do you understand.
  Do you get what the teacher was explaining in class?
• He’s getting dinner tonight means he’s preparing the meal.
  You can relax. It’s my turn to get dinner tonight.
• I’ll get the bill means I’ll pay.
  Put your wallet away! I’ll get the bill.
• That really gets me! means that irritates me.
  It really gets me when my sister shows up late.
• To get rid of something means to throw it away.
  I’m going to get rid of all these old newspapers.
• To get out of bed on the wrong side means to be in a bad mood.
  He got out of the wrong side of the bed this morning and he’s been horrible all day.
• To get your own back means to have your revenge or punish someone.
  She’s getting her own back for all those rude things you said at the party last night.

QUIZ

I. Decide how ‘get’ is meant in the following sentences.

1. I got three As last semester. – be striken by / become / score
2. Peter has gotten serious about his studies. – arrive / cause / become
3. They got their father to buy them a new horse. – bring / acquire / cause
4. We got three books for our new library. – experience / cause / receive
5. Jane got the flu from her students last week. – arrive / experience / contract
6. Could you get me the paper? – receive / fetch / take vengeance
7. I got spooked by all the talk of revolution. – experience / fetch / become
8. I got some excellent advice on the new job. – bring / receive / cause
9. She promised to get him some day for all his bad behavior. – pay back / fetch / acquire
10. John Handersohn got 32 points and 12 rebounds during the game last night. – become / score / arrive

II. Choose the synonyms of the verbs in brackets using GET:

1. Dr Mason has another ten patients to _____________________________ (see) before ten.
2. Dr Mason uses a bicycle to _____________________________ (go from one place to another) in HurstGreen.
3. Mary took a long time to _____________________________ (recover from) the shock.
4. Don’t start dinner until your mother _____________________________ (returns).
5. Have you _____________________________ (understood)?
6. Lucy will not _____________________________(be accepted at) Cambridge with those marks.
7. Two prisoners _____________________________ (escaped) during the fire.
8. Doreene _____________________________ (rises) at dawn every day.
9. I couldn’t _____________________________ (persuade) Franck to come along.
10. What time did you _____________________________ (arrive at) Peter’s place?

ANSWERS

I.

1. score
2. become
3. cause
4. receive
5. contract
6. fetch
7. experience
8. receive
9. pay back
10. score

II.

1. get to
2. get about
3. get over
4. gets back
5. gotten it
6. get into
7. got away
8. gets up
9. get
10. get to

If you have any questions or comments regarding us or our classes, please fill out our contact request form

The post The Meanings of “GET” in English appeared first on Adi's Language School.

Many languages have a one-to-one spelling-pronunciation relationship, but the English language has no such thing! This is why English pronunciation can be difficult for students to master.

On top of the 26 vowel sounds and many tricky consonant sounds, students also need to learn the pronunciation of endings that change according to the last sound of a word.

The past tense ending -ed, for example, is pronounced as /t/, /d/, or /ɪd/ depending on the last letter of the verb. Luckily there are easy rules (listed below) for language learners to follow!

Rule 1

-ed becomes /t/ following voiceless consonants

Voiceless (also called soft or unvoiced) consonants refer to sounds that don’t make your vocal cords vibrate. If you put your hand to your throat when you pronounce these sounds, you won’t feel a vibration. These sounds are all soft like a whisper.

Voiceless consonants in English include: /f/, /k/, /p/, /s/, /ʃ/ (also written as /sh/, as in the first sound in “shirt”), /tʃ/ (also written as /ch/, as in the first sound in “cheese”), and /θ/ (also written as /th/, as in the first sound in “thanks”).

When a base verb ends in these sounds, the -ed ending is pronounced with the voiceless sound /t/. The reason for this is that it is natural (i.e., easier to pronounce) for a voiceless sound to follow another voiceless sound.

Rule 2

-ed becomes /d/ following voiced sounds

Voiced (also called loud) consonants and vowels refer to sounds that make your vocal cords vibrate. If you put your hand to your throat when you pronounce these sounds, you will feel a vibration. These sounds are all loud—you can hear the noise they make.

Voiced consonants in English include: /b/, /dʒ/ (as in the first sound in “jump”), /ʒ/ (also written as /zh/, as in the final sound in “beige”), /g/, /j/ (also written as /y/, as in the first sound in “yes”), /l/, /m/, /n/, /ŋ/ (the “ing” sound), /ð/ (also written as /th/, as in the first sound in “there”), /r/, /v/, /w/, /z/, and any vowel sound.

When a base verb ends in these sounds, the -ed ending is pronounced with the voiced sound /d/. The reason for this is that it is natural (i.e., easier to pronounce) for a voiced sound to follow another voiced sound.

Rule 3

-ed becomes /ɪd/ following t or d

When a base verb ends in the letters t or d, the -ed ending is pronounced with the syllable /ɪd/ (also written as /əd/ or /ed/—the same vowel sound as the word “it”).

The reason we add a whole extra syllable, including a vowel sound, is because it would be impossible to say two /t/ or two /d/ sounds together without a vowel in between. Imagine trying to say “wantt” instead of “wanted” or “needd” instead of “needed”!

If you have any questions or comments regarding us or our classes, please fill out our contact request form

The post Pronunciation of Regular Past Tense in English appeared first on Adi's Language School.

The post Numbers Pronunciation in English appeared first on Adi's Language School.