Fun, Relax & Easy English - Free

30/06/2014

Active Voice

Subject + be + Verb3 + by + Object + modifier

• Active : He meets them everyday.
• Passive : They are met by him everyday.
• Active : She waters this plant every two days.
• Passive : This plant is watered by her every two days.

26/03/2014

Praising Someone of Something

Expressions for praising someone or something.
> That's great.
> You are splendid.
> You deserve your success.
> I'm proud of you.
> He does his best.
> That's very good.
> That's excellent.
> That's much better.
> Perfect marvelous.
> You are doing very well.
> It's fine.
> We were very impressed.

The responses to the praise.
> Really?
> Thanks.
> It is very kind of you to say so.
> Oh! I wouldn't say that.

24/02/2014

LIKE vs AS

LIKE or AS ????????

LIKE
Preposition: to mean SIMILAR TO, but not REALLY that. E.g.: She looked LIKE a princess (she is not really a princess). He eats LIKE a pig (he is not really a pig).

AS:
-Preposition: to say what something REALLY IS or WAS. E.g.: When I was young I worked AS a bus driver (I actually was a bus driver).
- As + subject + verb. Ex. Do AS I showed you (NOT ‘like I showed you’!!)

Other expressions: as I said, as we expected, as you know.

18/02/2014

FUTURE FORMS:

WILL:
-To express a future decision or intention made AT THE MOMENT OF SPEAKING. E.g.: ‘It’s Mary’s birthday.’ ‘Is it? I’ll buy her flowers.’
-To express routines that you don’t have to decide on. Tomorrow I will wake up, I will have lunch. You don’t have to ‘plan’ these routines activities.

To be + GOING TO + infinitive
- To express a future decision or plan made BEFORE THE MOMENT OF SPEAKING. E.g.: I am going to make pasta for dinner (I decided this morning and bought the necessary ingredients.)
- When we can see or feel that something is certain to happen in the future. E.g.: Look at Cindy’s big belly!! She is going to have a baby!

Present continuous (TO BE + Verb ING)
- To express a planned future arrangement. E.g.: We are traveling to the beach on Saturday.
- With the verbs COME and GO. E.g.: My friend is coming for dinner. / We are going to the movies tonight.

NOTE: The present continuous used for the FUTURE always brings an expression of time in the future (tomorrow/ next weekend…)

18/02/2014

What are "MODAL AUXILIARY VERBS"? (For Rati Pandey)

The verbs can, could, will, would, should, may, might, must, ought and shall are verbs which 'help' other verbs to express a meaning: it is important to realize that these "modal verbs" have no meaning by themselves. A modal verb such as 'would' has several varying functions; it can be used, for example, to help verbs express ideas about the past, the present and the future. It is therefore wrong to simply believe that "would is the past of will": it is many other things.

A few basic grammatical rules applying to modal verbs:

1. Modal verbs are NEVER used with other auxiliary verbs such as do, does, did etc. The negative is formed simply by adding "not" after the verb; questions are formed by inversion of the verb and subject:

- You should not do that.
- Could you pick me up when I've finished?

2. Modal verbs NEVER change form: you can never add an "-s" or "-ed"

3. Modal verbs are NEVER followed by to, with the exception of ought to.

What meanings do modals give to other verbs?
The meanings are usually connected with ideas of DOUBT, CERTAINTY, POSSIBILITY and PROBABILITY, OBLIGATION and PERMISSION (or lack of these). You will see that they are not used to talk about things that definitely exist, or events that definitely happened. These meanings are sometimes divided into two groups:
- DEGREES OF CERTAINTY: certainty; probability; possibility; impossibility
- OBLIGATION/FREEDOM TO ACT: permission, lack of permission; ability; obligation.

18/02/2014

Verb patterns: Sometimes we follow one verb with a second one. For example, I want to play tennis. The first verb is want, the second is play. Another example, I enjoy playing tennis. The first verb is enjoy, the second is play. However, this time we don't say 'to play', we say 'playing'. This is what we call the gerund form of a verb, playing, starting.

Verb + to + infinitive, 'I want to play' - is a very common verb pattern, as it is the verb + gerund pattern: 'I enjoy playing'. But there are some things that you need to look out for.

Some verbs can only be followed by to + infinitive, for example the verb to want, "I want to play tennis."

Some verbs can only be followed by the gerund, for example the verb to enjoy. "I enjoy playing tennis."

Some verbs can be followed by both with no difference in meaning. Some verbs can be followed by both and there is a difference in meaning.

The verb 'start’ can be followed by both with no difference in meaning. You can say 'start to do' and 'start doing', for example "Last year I started learning Chinese" or, "Last year I started to learn Chinese." Both are correct and both have the same meaning.

The verb 'stop' can be followed by to + infinitive or the gerund but with this verb there is a difference in meaning. Let's look at an example: "He stopped to have lunch" and "He stopped having lunch" are very different in meaning.

He stopped having lunch means he did not continue to eat his lunch. He finished eating. "He stopped having lunch because a friend was on the telephone."

"He stopped to have lunch" means he finished one thing in order to then have lunch. Look at this example: "After playing football for two hours he stopped to have lunch." First he was playing football. Then he stopped that. Why? In order to have lunch

13/02/2014

Relative Pronouns

Relative Pronouns

There are five relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which, that*

WHO (subject) and WHOM (object) are generally only for people. WHOSE is for possession. WHICH is for things. In non-defining relative clauses, THAT is used for things.

In defining relative clauses (clauses that are essential to the sentence and do not simply add extra information) THAT can be used for things and people.

NOTE: Relative pronouns can refer to singular or plural, and there is no difference between male and female.

• The person who called me last night is my friend
• The girl whose parents have arrived can go home
• The car, which is a taxi, is red.

13/02/2014

Past Continuous Tense

13/02/2014

MAKING INVITATIONS

I'd be glad to accept your INVITATION.

Making Invitations
> Will you join...
> Would you come with...
> Would you come to...
> Would you like to...
> I wonder if you'd like to...
> I'd like to invite you to...

Receiving the Invitations
> I'd love to.
> I won't say no.
> I'd be delighted to.
> That sounds a nice idea.
> I'd be happy to accept.
> Yes. I'd like to very much.

Declining the Invitations
> I'd love to but...
> I'd like to but...
> Sorry I can't.
> I don't think I can.
> Thanks anyway but...