English Language All Rules

1. Narration
Narration is of two types:

1) Direct speech – representing the exact words of the speaker. Ex- Ram said, ―I
am a good boy.‖
2) Indirect speech – Representing the exact words said by the speaker in your own
way. Ex – Ram said that he was a good boy.

Ram said, ―I am a good boy.‖ Here Ram said is the reporting verb and I am a good boy
is the reporting speech.

We usually notice many changes in the tense of the reporting speech while converting a
sentence of Direct Speech to Indirect Speech.

But sometimes we notice there is no change of tense while conversion. For example-

1) When the reporting verb is in present or future tense then there is no change in
the tense while converting Direct speech into indirect speech. Ex- Ram says/ will
say,‖I am a good boy.‖ In indirect speech: Ram says or will say that he is a good
boy.
2) When the reporting speech represents any universal truth or habitual action then
there is no change of tense. Ex- Ram said, ―The moon shines at night.‖ In
indirect speech: Ram said that the moon shines at night.

The changes that we notice while converting Direct into Indirect speech when the
reporting verb is in past tense.

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Simple present Simple past

Ex – verb/ verb+ s/es Past form of verb

Go/ goes went

Present continuous Past continuous

Is/ are/ am+ verb+ing Was/ were + verb+ing

Is going Was going

Present perfect Past perfect

Has/ have + PPV Had + PPV

Has gone Had gone

Present Perfect Continuous No change

Simple Past Past Perfect

Past form of Verb Had + PPV

Went Had gone

Past Continuous Past Perfect Continuous

Was/ were + verb+ing Had+ been + verb+ing

Was going Had been going

Can/ will/ shall/ Could/ would/ should

May Might

Some words get changed while conversion-

Words Converted words

Now Then

This That

Today That day

Yesterday The previous day

Come Go

Here There

These Those

Tomorrow The next day

Yesterday The day before

Days ago Days Before

Last week The week before

Next year The following years

Ago Before

Tonight That night

Now At the moment

Question Sentence is of two types-

1) Wh -question – WH word itself is used.

Ex- He said, ―Where are you going.‖ In indirect speech: He asked where I was
going.
2) Yes/ no – We use the word ―if/ whether.‖
Ex- He said, ―Whether I liked her?‖ In indirect speech: He asked whether/if I
liked her.

Imperative sentences:-

While reporting imperative sentences indirectly, observe the following rules-

1) The reporting verb ―say‖ etc. is changed into – order, request, warn, prohibit,
advice or propose etc.
Ex – The Queen said to the maid, ―Make my bed.‖ In Indirect speech – The
Queen ordered the maid to make her bed.

Exclamatory sentences:-

While reporting exclamatory sentences indirectly, observe the following rules-

1) Change the reporting verb ―say‖ into- exclaim, regret, scold, applaud, confess
etc. according to the feeling expressed in the sentence.
2) Change the exclamatory form into assertive form.
3) Omit all interjections and use the conjunction-that- to introduce the reported
speech.
Ex – Suresh said, ―Goodbye, my friends!‖ In Indirect speech- Suresh bade his
friends goodbye.
 2. Transformation of sentences

In this article, we are going to discuss Transformation of Sentences Affirmative to

Negative. We will cover Transformation of sentences in three parts –

1. Interchange of Affirmative and Negative Sentences,

2. Interchange of Assertive and Interrogative Sentences,
3. Interchange of Assertive and Exclamatory Sentences.
4. Interchange of Simple, Complex and Compound Sentences.

1. Interchange of Affirmative and Negative Sentences:

At first we have to remember that—

(I) A negative sentence must contain a negative word. Such negative words are –

No, not, never, nothing, none, nobody, no one, nowhere, neither, nor etc.

To turn an affirmative sentence into a negative sentence a negative word must be used.

Remember, ‗not‘ is used only with an auxiliary verb.

Like,

I do not go there. (Here ‗do‘ is an auxiliary verb).

He was not punished. (Here ‗was‘ is an auxiliary verb)

 (II) Both, the affirmative sentence and the negative one must be the same meaning
(sense).

Like,

Affirmative – They like her. [Turn into negative]

Negative – They do not like her. ❌

Negative – They do not dislike her. ❌

Only putting a negative word may change the sense of the statement. Here we have
used the opposite word of the main verb (like => dislike) thus keeping the meaning
unchanged.

Rules for Transformation of Affirmative to Negative Sentences:

Rule 1:

Use a Negative Word + Opposite Word of the Main Word:

With the help of the opposite of the main word of the sentence. The main word is
usually an adjective or a verb or an adverb.

E.g. –

Affirmative – I am doubtful. [Turn it into a negative sentence.]

Step 1:

We know that to turn an affirmative sentence into a negative sentence a negative word
must be used.

In this case, simply use a not after the be-verb (am).

Negative – I am not doubtful.

Up to this, the formation of the negative sentence is correct, but the transformation
is not, as I am doubtful and I am not doubtful have completely opposite meanings.

So, to keep the sense unchanged, —

Step 2:

Use the opposite word of doubtful.

The opposite meaning of doubtful is sure.

Negative – I am not sure.

(This is the right answer)

Other examples –

Affirmative – Fruits are good for health. (Main word – good)

Negative – Fruits are not bad for health. (Opposite of good is bad)

Affirmative – We have won the match. (Main word – won)

Negative – We have not lost the match. (Opposite of won is lost)

Affirmative – I love you. (Main word – love)

Negative – I do not hate you. (Opposite of love is hate)

Affirmative – She dislikes me. (Main word – dislikes)

Negative – She does not like me. (Opposite of dislike is like)

.Rule 2:

Make a negative sentence by putting a 'fail' + infinitive. (Infinitive = to + V1),

Here ‗fail‘ becomes the main verb while the main verb of the affirmative sentence is
used after a ‗to‘ in its base form (infinitive).

E.g. –

Affirmative – He made us laugh. [Turn into a negative sentence]

First,

Use ‗fail‘ as the main verb.

[Here the affirmative sentence is in past tense. So, we will use the past form
of 'fail'.]

Negative – He failed...

Then,

Use to + V1, where V1 is the main verb of the affirmative sentence.

[Here the main verb of the affirmative is 'make'.]

Negative – He failed to make...

Next,
Put the rest portion of the affirmative.

Negative – He failed to make us laugh.

But is it a negative sentence?

Of course not, there is no negative word in the sentence.

Final step:

Make the sentence negative by using a negative word.

In this case, we will use the negative form of the main verb ‗failed‘. The negative
of ‗failed‘ is ‗did not fail‘. Hence,

Negative – He did not fail to make us laugh.

Is the correct answer.

Other examples –

Affirmative – We go to school.

Negative – We do not fail to go to school.

Affirmative – She plays football.

Negative – She doesn‘t fail to play football.

Affirmative – keep quiet.

Negative – Don‘t fail to keep quiet.

Affirmative – Be honest.

Negative – Don‘t fail to be honest.

Rule 3:

Use "None but":

If an affirmative sentence starts contains the word ‗only‘ or ‗alone‘, then replace it
with ‗none but‘ to make the sentence negative.

E.g. –

Affirmative – Only a good administrator can control the situation.

Negative – None but a good administrator can control the situation.

Affirmative – Only the liberals support this law.

Negative – None but liberals support this law.

Affirmative – You alone will rescue the children.

Negative – None but you will rescue the children.

Affirmative – An educated man alone can change the society.

Negative – None but an educated man alone can change the society.

Rule 4:
Use "Nothing but":

If an affirmative sentence contains 'Only' and after that any object is mentioned,
replace 'only' with ―Nothing but‖ to make a negative sentence.

E.g. –

Affirmative – Only an ice-cream was in the kitchen.

Negative – Nothing but an ice-cream was in the kitchen.

Affirmative – He gave me only a hundred-rupee note.

Negative – He gave me nothing but a hundred-rupee note.

Affirmative – I play only football.

Negative – I play nothing but football.

Affirmative – He smokes only Havana*.

Negative – He smokes nothing but Havana.

*Havana is a cigar of premium quality that originated in Havana, Cuba.

Rule 5:
Use "Never...but":

If an affirmative sentence contains when or whenever, replace it with never...but.

How to use Never...but:

Affirmative Structure – Clause 1 + when/whenever + clause 2

E.g. –

Affirmative – I wear a mask whenever I go out.

Negative – I never wear a mask but I go

Or, another way to use when/whenever is-

Affirmative Structure – When/whenever + clause 1 + , + clause 2

E.g. –

Affirmative – Whenever I go out, I wear a mask.

Negative – I never go out but wear a mask.

Affirmative – I see you when you come here.

Negative – I never see you but you come here.

Affirmative – When the bell rings, we wake up

Negative – The bell never rings but we wake up.

Rule 6:

Use "No sooner...than".

If an affirmative statement contains ―As soon as‖, then replace it with no

sooner...than to make a negative sentence.

First, we have to understand the use of ―As soon as‖ and ―No sooner...than‖.

A sentence containing an ‗as soon as‘ usually has two clauses.

As in, "As soon as the teacher entered the class, the students stopped talking" , two
clauses are there –

One is – ―As soon as the teacher entered the class‖ and

The other is – ―the students stopped talking.‖

So, the structure of the sentence is –

As soon as + subject 1 + verb 1 + object 1 + subject 2 + verb 2 + object 2.

Transformation:

Affirmative – As soon as + subject 1 + verb 1 + object 1 + subject 2 + verb 2 + object

2.

Negative – No sooner + auxiliary verb** + subject 1 + verb 1 + object 1 + than + subject

2 + verb 2 + object 2.

**The In this case, auxiliary verbs may be –

Do/does (for present indefinite tense),

Did (for past tense),

Had (for past perfect tense).

Or to simplify,

Affirmative – As soon as + Clause 1 + clause 2.

Negative – No sooner + clause 1 + than + clause 2.

E.g. –
Affirmative – As soon as the teacher entered the class, the students stopped talking.

Negative – No sooner did the teacher enter the room, than the students stopped
talking.

Affirmative – As soon as I had seen you, you fled.

Negative – No sooner had I seen you than you fled.

Affirmative – As soon as reached the station, the train left.

Negative – No sooner did I reached the station than the train left.

Affirmative – As soon as John got out of the building, a robber snatched his bag.

Negative – No sooner did John get out of the building than a robber snatched his bag.

Rule 7:
Use ―Not only...but also‖:

If an affirmative sentence contains ―Both...and‖ replace it with ―Not only...but also‖ to

transform the affirmative into a negative sentence.

E.g. –

Affirmative – Both John and Jack are guilty.

Negative – Not only John but also Jack is guilty.

Affirmative – Both Rohit and Virat play well.

Negative – Not only Rohit but also Virat plays well.

Affirmative – I can play both guitar and sitar.

Negative – I can play not only guitar but also sitar.

Affirmative – Prantik is both tall and strong..

Negative – Prantik is not only tall but also strong.

Rule 8:

Use "so...that":

If an affirmative sentence contains a ‗too...to‘, then replace it with so...that (so +

adjective/adverb + that).

E.g. –

Affirmative – Jack is too proud to apologize.

Step 1:

Replace ‗too‘ with ‗so + adjective/adverb + that‘.

Negative – He is so proud that...

Step 2:

Now, change the infinitive (to + v1) to a negative clause.

[Here, the infinitive in the affirmative sentence is – to apologize. So, change ‗to
apologize‘ to a whole negative sentence(clause) which may have a structure i.e. – ...he
will not apologize.

Subject + auxiliary verb + not + main verb (apologize).

Negative – He is so proud that he will not apologize.

Remember – ‗Too‘ is not a negative word but it has a negative tone.

As, if I say, ―You are too good.‖ I mean ―You should not be that good.‖ Similarly,
by ―The flower is too beautiful.‖ I mean ―The flower would not have been that
beautiful.‖ Though the sentences are still affirmative.

For this reason, the affirmative sentences and the negative sentence are similar in
meaning. No opposite word is required here.

Other examples –

Affirmative – I am too weak to walk.

Negative – I am so weak that I cannot walk.

Affirmative – She was too busy to receive your call.

Negative – She was so busy that sue cannot receive your call.
Affirmative – Joe is too lazy to complete a task on time.

Negative – Joe is so lazy that he can‘t not complete a task on time.

Affirmative – The car is too large to fit into the garage.

Negative – The car is so large that it cannot fit into the garage.

Rule 9:

Use "too...to".

If an affirmative sentence contains so...that, replace it with too.

E.g. –

Affirmative – The floor is so hot that it will burn our feet. [Turn it into negative
sentence]

In this sentence, there are two clauses –

A. The floor is so hot, and

B. That it will burn our feet.

All right,

To turn it into a negative sentence, follow these steps:

Step 1:

Replace ‗so‘ with ‗too‘. (In clause A)

Negative – The floor is too hot...

Step 2:

Replace ‗that‘ with ‗to‘. And put a ‗not‘ before it.

Negative – The floor is too hot not to...

Step 3:

Put a verb in its base form after 'to'. Actually it is an infinitive (to + v1).
Here we have already put ‗to‘ in step 2. Now, only the V1 (base form of the main
verb) is left.

Now the question is- What is the main verb here?

Yes.

It is ‗burn‘. And the infinitive is – ‗to burn‘.

Negative – The floor is too hot not to burn our feet.

Other examples –

Affirmative – She is so smart that she can be cheated.

Negative – She is too smart not to be cheated.

Rule 10:

Use "Not more than"

If an affirmative sentence contains ―Only‖ + a number, replace that with ―Not more
than‖ + the number.

E.g. –
Affirmative – I took only one cup of tea.

Negative – I took not more than one cup of tea.

Affirmative – I got only 45% marks in the final year.

Negative – I got not more than 45% marks in the final year.

Affirmative – I bought only two tickets.

Negative – I bought not more than two tickets.

Affirmative – Did you write an essay of only hundred words?

Negative – Did you write an essay of not more than hundred words?

Rule 11:

Change the Degree of Comparison:

Another way to turn an affirmative sentence into a negative one is changing the degree
of comparison.
We know that sometimes, while changing the degree of comparison, a negative word
is used in the answer.

Like,

Positive – I am as strong as John. [Turn into a comparative degree.]

Comparative – John is not stronger than I.

So, here we find that, with the changing of degree, an affirmative sentence is changed
to a negative sentence.

If you are asked

Positive – I am as strong as John. [Turn into a negative sentence.]

Again the answer will be the same.

In these types of question, you need not be worry about the transformed sentence
structure, just change the degree of the sentence.

For this case, put the comparative degree of the sentence–

Comparative – John is not stronger than I.

It is that easy.

Some other examples:

Positive to Comparative:–

Positive – She is as poor as I am.

Comparative – I am not poorer than she.

Positive – She is as handsome as her sister.

Comparative – Her sister is not handsomer than she.

Positive – Her sister is as tall as she.

Comparative – She is not taller than her sister.

Comparative to Positive:–

Comparative – He is taller than I am.

Positive – I am not so tall as he is.

Comparative – Football is more popular than golf.

Positive – Golf is not so popular as football.

Comparative – He is better than I.

Positive – I am not so good as he.

Comparative – This tree is larger than that.

Positive – That tree is not so large as this.

Comparative – Football is more interesting than cricket.

Positive – Cricket is not so interesting as Football.

Comparative – He eats more than I.

Positive – I do not eat as much as he does.

Superlative to Positive:–

Superlative – The Bourg Khalifa is the tallest building in the world.

Positive – No other building is as tall as the Bourj Khalifa.

Superlative – Akhtar is the fastest bowler in the world.

Positive – No other bowler in the world is as fast as Akhtar.

Superlative – Bolt is the fastest runner.

Positive – No other runner is as fast as Bolt.

Superlative – I will be the happiest man one day.

Positive – No other man will be as happy as I will be.

3. Tense rules

Past simple tense Subject + V2 + Object

Past perfect tense Subject + had + V3 + Object

Past Continuous Tense Subject + was + V1 + ing + Object (Singular)

Subject + were + V1 + ing + Object (Plural)
Past Perfect Continuous Tense Subject + had been + V1 + ing + Object

Present Simple Tense Subject + V1 + s/es + Object (Singular) Subject

+ V1 + Object (Plural)
Present perfect Tense Subject + has + V3 + Object (Singular) Subject
+ have + V3 + Object (Plural)
Present Continuous Tense Subject + is/am/are + V1 + ing + object

Present perfect continuous Subject + has been + V1 + ing + Object

(Singular)Subject + have been + V1 + ing +
Object (Plural)
Future Simple tense Subject + will/shall + V1 + Object

Future Continuum Tense Subject + will be/shall be + ing + V1 + Object

 Future Prefect teen Subject + will have/shall have + V3 + Object

Future Perfect Continuous Subject + will have been + V1 + ing + Object

MODAL VERBS

Form
Modal verb + Verb (bare infinitive)
Modal verbs Usages Examples
Ability I can play the piano very well.
Permission Can I go now?
Possibility It can be a very good day tomorrow.
I can help you with this homework.
Offer Don’t worry!
Can Request Can you please pass me the salt?
I could play the piano well when I was
Ability in the past 9.
Polite permission Excuse me, could I come in?
A hailstorm could come here
Possibility tomorrow.
Polite offer No problem. I could give you a lift.
Could you please move to the next
Could Polite request slide?
Permission May I leave early?
Astronauts may discover life in other
May Possibility planets.
Polite permission Might I take you home?
I might visit him tomorrow if the
Might Possibility weather is nice.
Modal verbs Usages Examples
Obligation You must do homework.
He must be at the cinema now. He told
Must Certainty me about that yesterday.
Mustn't Prohibition You mustn’t play here. It’s dangerous.
The weather forecast predicts that
Prediction it’ll rain tonight.
Promise I’ll finish all the homework by Friday.
Spontaneous decision I’ll lend you some money.
Will Request/ demand Will you please give me that book?
My dad said that he would give me
Used as the past form of “will” some toys on my birthday.
Would you mind closing the door,
Would Polite request/ demand please?
This time tomorrow I shall be in
Prediction London.
Shall Offer/ suggestion Shall we discuss this further with him?
Advice You should see the doctor. It’s swollen.
The project should be done before
Prediction/ expectation May.
Should Polite suggestion Should I call her to say sorry?
You ought to say good bye to your
Obligation parents when you leave.
You ought to sleep early. You look
Ought to Advice really tired.
You needn’t give him any advice. He
Needn't Used to talk about something not necessary won’t listen.
Irregular verb
 Regular verbs are verbs formed by adding –ed to the end.
 Regular verbs
Bare infinitive Simple past Past participle
wash washed washed
walk walked walked
cook cooked cooked
 Unlikely, irregular verbs are verbs that do not form its simple past tense or
past participle by adding –ed to the bare infinitive.
 List of common irregular verbs
Bare infinitive Simple past Past participle
awake awoke/ awaked awaken
arise arose arisen
be was, were been
become became become
begin began begun
bite bit bitten
bet bet bet
break broke broken
build built built
bring brought brought
burn burnt/ burned burnt/ burned
buy bought bought
come came come
cut cut cut
cost cost cost
 Bare infinitive Simple past Past participle
choose chose chosen
cook cook cook
catch caught caught
do did done
do do do
deal dealt dealt
draw drew drawn
dream dreamt, dreamed dreamt, dreamed
drink drank drunk
drive drove driven
eat ate eaten
find found found
feel felt felt
feed fed fed
fly flew flown
forgive forgave forgiven
forget forgot forgotten
give gave given
grow grew grown
get got got/ gotten
go went gone
have had had
hit hit hit
hold held held
hear heard heard
 Bare infinitive Simple past Past participle
hurt hurt hurt
keep kept kept
know knew known
lay laid laid
lie lay lain
lead led led
learn learnt/ learned learnt/ learned
leave left left
lend lent lent
lose lost lost
let let let
meet met met
mean meant meant
make made made
pay paid paid
put put put
quit quit quit
read read read
ride rode ridden
run ran run
sit sat sat
see saw seen
say said said
shut shut shut
show showed showed/ shown
 Bare infinitive Simple past Past participle
shoot shot shot
sell sold sold
send sent sent
sing sang sung
sleep slept slept
smell smelt/ smelled smelt/ smelled
speak spoke spoken
spend spent spent
stand stood stood
swear swore sworn
swim swam swum
take took taken
tell told told
teach taught taught
think thought thought
throw threw thrown
understand understood understood
wake woke/ waked woke/ waked
wear wore worn
write wrote written
WH- questions (Question Words)

There are two main types of questions: Yes/No questions and WH- question.
WH-questions are questions starting with WH-words including: what, when,
where, who, whom, which, whose, why and how.
Question words are used to ask about specific qualities, times, places, people and
so on. Below is a list of question words and example sentences:

Question
Usages Examples
words
- What are you doing?
What Used to ask about things - What do you think about the movie?

- When will the meeting start?

When Used to ask about time - When are you leaving?

- Where’s my bag?
Where Used to ask about places - Where do you live?

- Who do you love the most in your family?

Who Used to ask about people - Who told you that story?

- Whom did you see in the morning? I saw Mr.

Used to ask about people Mark, my English teacher.
Whom - Whom was Jim talking to? He was talking to
(object of verb)
Jack, his new roommate.

- Which one do you choose? The left or right?

Which Used to ask about choices - Of all the drinks in the menu, which one would
you like?

- Whose pencil is this? Is it yours?

Whose Used to ask about possession - Whose books are these?

Used to ask about reasons/ - Why did it happen? I didn’t understand.

Why - Why is he crying?
causes
Question
Usages Examples
words
- How can you explain this problem? Please tell
Used to ask about manner/
How us.
process - How can you get here?

I. How to form WH-questions?

1. with an auxiliary
Wh-word + auxiliary + subject + main verb …?
 Auxiliary verbs are helping verbs (not main verbs).
 Common auxiliary verbs include be, do, have. Others are will, shall, would,
can, could, must, should, may, might, etc.

 What do you do for a living?

 Why should we read books?
 When is she coming?

2. without any auxiliary

(when WH-words replace subjects already)

Wh-word + main verb …?

 What happened to Peter?
 A bad accident happened to him today.
 Who won the game?
 Tio won the game.
 Who gave you this present?
 My cousin gave me this present.
II. Responding to WH-questions
1. What

 What is it?
 It‟s a table.
 What color is your dress?
 It‟s purple.
 What is your mom doing?
 She‟s cooking in the kitchen.
 What do you think about the party?
 Well. It‟s fun. I like the music best.
 What will happen if our team loses this time?
 We‟ll be out of the game.

2. When

 When will the train arrive?

 The train will arrive in 30 minutes.
 When does she get up?
 She gets up at 6 am.
 When did the party end?
 It ended before 8 pm.
 When are you going to visit James?
 I‟m going to see him tomorrow.

3. Where

 Where do you live?

 I live in Washington D.C.
 Where are you going?
 I‟m going to the zoo.
 Where‟s the coffee bar?
 It‟s between the supermarket and the cinema.
 Where did you leave my jacket?
 I left it in my bedroom.
 Where have you been?
 I‟ve been in the library reading books.

4. Who

 Who‟s this?
 She‟s my new roommate.
 Who wants to be a scientist in the future?
 My sister does. I don‟t.
 Who would you like to travel with?
 I would like to travel with my best friend, Kim.
 Who told you that secret?
 Jenny did. She told me everything.
 Who do you like the most in this class?
 I like Henry. He‟s so friendly.

5. Whom

 Whom should we talk to?

 We should talk to the principal. She‟s responsible for student issues.
 Whom did you see yesterday?
 I saw Kevin and his girlfriend.
 Whom would you like to interview?
 I would like to interview Mr.Patrick, the director.
 Whom do we have to contact?
 We have to contact the representative of that company.
 Whom did you meet in front of the building last week?
 That was Annie, my secretary.
 Whom do you know in this class?
 I only know Danny.
 Whom are you going to invite?
 I‟m going to invite all of my classmates
 With whom do you agree?
 I agree with Henry‟s team.

6. Which

 Which shirt do you like?

 I like the one with the big yellow star on it.
 Which color do you choose?
 I choose red.
 Which part do you like the most in this story?
 I love the 2nd part when the prince came and proposed to the princess.
 Which is the longest river in the world?
 That‟s the Nile.
 Which one is yours?
 Mine is the biggest one.

7. Whose

 Whose jacket is this?

 It‟s my mom‟s.
 Whose birthday is today?
 It‟s Jenny‟s.
 Whose pencil is on the floor?
 That‟s mine.
 Whose team is better?
 Will‟s team is much better.
8. Why

 Why don‟t we visit him now?

 It‟s a good idea.
 Why did you leave so early?
 Because I didn‟t enjoy the party.
 Why do you think that he loves you?
 Because he‟s given me lots of chocolate on Valentine‟s day.
 Why do people celebrate Thanksgiving?
 Because it‟s a special day.
 Why can‟t I go to the cinema now?
 Because you haven‟t done your homework.
 Why are you so late?
 Sorry, teacher. I missed the bus.

9. How

 How‟s the weather?

 It‟s sunny and hot.
 How do you feel?
 I feel much better now.
 How did you know him?
 We were old friends.
 How‟s your new job?
 It‟s interesting. I enjoy it.
 How often do you go to the movie theater?
 I sometimes go there. I‟m quite busy.
 How far is it from your house to school?
 Not too far. I walk to school every day.
 How much did it cost?
 It cost $4.
 How many people are there in your class?
 There are 30 of them.
 How come you lost the game?
 I couldn‟t answer the first question well enough.

Adverbs of Frequency
 Adverbs of frequency is used to say how often we do things or how often
things happen.
 They stand before main verbs and after TOBE.
 He always wakes up late.
 He is always a good student.
Adverbs of
Frequency frequency Examples
100% Always My dad always takes good care of my family.
80% Usually I usually go to the park after school.
60% Often My cat often play with her baby in the garden.
30-50% Sometimes I am sometimes late for school.
10% Seldom/ rarely Jane rarely waters the plants. She’s lazy.
5% Hardly He hardly calls me. He doesn’t love me.
0% Never I never clean my room. I hate cleaning.

Question tags
 Are questions at the end of the statement
 Used in spoken language
 Used for confirming information or asking for someone‟s agreement or
disagreement
 Form: Question tag = Auxiliary + Subject
A POSITIVE STATEMENT, A NEGATIVE QUESTION TAG?
A POSITIVE STATEMENT A NEGATIVE QUESTION TAG
You are (a doctor) aren’t you?
She is (a doctor) isn’t she?
They were (doctors) weren’t they?
She was (a doctor) wasn’t she?

You run (very fast) don’t you?

He runs (very fast) doesn’t he?
They ran (very fast) didn’t they?

You have (finished the homework) haven’t you?

She has (finished the homework) hasn’t she?
They had (finished the homework) hadn’t they?

He can (swim well) can’t he?

She could (swim well) couldn’t she?
They will (come early) won’t they?
They would (come early) wouldn’t they?
They must (come early) mustn’t they?
They should (come early) shouldn’t they?
 He‟s 6 years old, isn‟t he?
 You‟re reading, aren‟t you?
 They‟ve just had breakfast, haven‟t they?
A NEGATIVE STATEMENT, A POSITIVE QUESTION TAG?
A NEGATIVE STATEMENT A POSITIVE QUESTION TAG
A NEGATIVE STATEMENT A POSITIVE QUESTION TAG
You aren’t (a doctor) are you?
She isn’t (a doctor) is she?
They weren’t (doctors) were they?
She wasn’t (a doctor) was she?

You don’t run (very fast) do you?

He doesn’t run (very fast) does he?
They didn’t run (very fast) did they?

You haven’t (finished the homework) have you?

She hasn’t (finished the homework) has she?
They hadn’t (finished the homework) had they?

He can’t (swim well) can he?

She couldn’t (swim well) could she?
They won’t (come early) will they?
They wouldn’t (come early) would they?
They mustn’t (come early) must they?
They shouldn’t (come early) should they?
 You haven‟t answers all the questions in the test, have you?
 Kelly didn‟t help you, did she?
 Tom couldn‟t pass the exam, could he?
Exceptions:
Pay attention to the following question tags. They don‟t follow any rules.

Statements Question tags Examples

Statements Question tags Examples
I am … aren’t I? I am too loud, aren’t I?
Let’s … shall we? Let’s go to the beach, shall we?
Statements without subjects
Ex: - Open the door, will you?
- Open the door. - Listen, will you?
- Don’t come any closer. will you? - Don’t come any closer, will you?
Positive statements with negative
senses - She can hardly understand what I have
Ex: experienced, can she?
- She can hardly understand what I - George could hardly speak any English
have experienced. words, could he?
- Nobody remembered to turn off the Positive - Nobody remembered to turn off the
light. question tags light, did they?
Intonation
Depending on the speaker‟s purposes, intonations for question tags are different.

He should review the whole lessons, shouldn’t he?

Intonation falling, voice goes down rising, voice goes up
You’re sure about the information. You You’re not sure about the information.
Meanings want to confirm. You want to check.

Reflexive Pronouns
Form
Reflexive pronouns end with –self (singular) or –selves (plural)

Subject pronouns Reflexive pronouns

I Myself
 Subject pronouns Reflexive pronouns
He Himself
She Herself
It Itself
You Yourself/ yourselves
We Ourselves
They Themselves

Usages

 Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and object refer to the same
thing or person.
 My dad accidentally cut himself with a knife. He‟s so careless.
 I can help myself. Don‟t worry.
 She gave herself a present for her birthday.
 Reflexive pronouns are used to emphasize.
 I myself feel really sorry for what happened to him.
 They themselves have broken the vase. I‟m sure.
 She did the homework herself. No one helped her.

Conditionals
Conditional type Usages Forms Examples
IF MAIN
CLAUSE CLAUSE
- If you heat ice, it
melts.
Used to talk about the - If it rains, everything
general truths/ things Present gets wet.
Zero conditional that are always true simple Present simple - Your heart beats
 Conditional type Usages Forms Examples
faster if you’re worried.

-If I win the game, I’ll

get some prizes.
- She’ll get bad score if
she doesn’t study hard.
Used to talk about - If the weather is nice
tomorrow, we’ll go
real or possible Present WILL + Verb-
camping.
First conditional situations simple bare
-If I met him yesterday,
I would tell him the
truth.
- I would pass the exam
if I studied hard.
Used to talk about - If Sally drove more
carefully, she wouldn’t
unreal or impossible Past WOULD +
have any accident.
Second conditional situations at present simple Verb-bare
-If Jane had known the
truth, she would have
been very shocked.
- I would have won the
competition if I had
tried harder.
- If I had finished
Used to talk about WOULD homework earlier, I
would have gone to the
unreal or impossible Past HAVE + Past
movies.
Third conditional situations in the past perfect participle
Possessive Adjectives and Possessive
Pronouns
 Similarities and differences between possessive adjectives and possessive
pronouns
Possessive adjectives Possessive pronouns
Similarities used to show ownership

 Can’t stand alone  Stand alone

 Stand before nouns  Replace nouns
Differences My T-shirt is blue. His T-shirt is red while mine is blue.
List of possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns

Subject
pronouns Object pronouns Adjective pronouns (AP) Possessive pronouns (PP)
I Me My Mine
You You Your Yours
He Him His His
She Her Her Hers
It It Its Its
We Us Our Ours
They Them Their Theirs
 This is my pen. It‟s mine.
 my: AP; mine: PP
 This is his car. It‟s his.
 his (1): AP; his (2): PP
 These are our books. They‟re ours.
 our: AP, ours: PP
 This is her bike. Hers is read and mine is purple.
 her: AP; hers: PP, mine: PP

This, that, these, those

This, that, these, those as pronouns

 We use “this” (singular) and “these” (plural) to talk about something near us.
 This is my favorite T-shirt.
 These are my favorite T-shirts.
 This is a cat.
 These are my cats.
 We use “that” (singular) and “those” (plural) to talk about something far from
us.
 That is my phone.
 Those are my phones.
 That is my brother.
 Those are my brothers.
This, that, these, those as determiners
A determiner is a word (such as the, some, my, this, that, these, those, etc.) that
comes before a noun.
 We use “this” and “that” with singular and uncountable nouns.
 Please give this pencil to John.
 This music makes me happy.
 I‟ll buy that book.
 That beef is so raw.
 We use “these” and “those” with plural nouns.
 These performances are amazing.
 Have a look at these sentences.
 I love those beautiful memories.
 Don‟t touch those plants. They‟re dangerous.

Article
Indefinite article (a/ an)

 Indefinite articles refer to a general thing instead of a particular one.

 “A” and “an” go with singular nouns.
 “An” precedes a noun beginning with a vowel (A, E, I, O ,U)
 (an apple, an elephant, an ice cream, an orange, an umbrella)
 Please give me a pen; any pen will do.
 Please hand me a notebook; any notebook will do.
 I saw a man riding a horse.
Definite article (the)

 Definite article refers to a particular thing, instead of a general thing. Hearers

know exactly which one we‟re talking about.
 “The” precedes singular, plural and uncountable nouns.
 There are many pens on the table. Please give me the red one.
 There is a garden behind my house. The garden is very beautiful.
 My mom gave me a postcard. The postcard she gave me is red.

Preposition of Time and Place in

English (with Example Sentences)
A preposition is a word (such as in, from, to, at, on, etc.) which is used before a
noun or pronoun to show place, position, time or method.
 Prepositions of time: in, on, at, etc.
 Preposition of time refers to the time.
Preposition Usages Examples
The event happened in the 20th century.
She was the only writer born in the 19th century.
Centuries
I’m going to France in the winter.
He likes going to the beach in the summer.
Seasons
He was born in 1990.
This house was built in 2000.
Years
We’ll take the test in June.
They are going to get married in December.
Months
He usually has a snack in the afternoon.
I get up at 6 am in the morning.
In Parts of day
My mom always goes shopping on Mondays.
He doesn’t go to school on Sundays.
Days
Her birthday is on the first of May.
He’s leaving on the fifth of October.
Dates
I wish to get a doll on my birthday.
Jim gave his girlfriend a rose on Valentine’s day.
On Particular days
My grandpa goes to bed at 9 pm.
My wife starts working at 8am.
Clock time
at night, at noon, at lunchtime, at sunset
Don’t stay up late at night.
At Short and precise times See you at lunchtime.
Prepositions of place: in, on, at, behind,
above, in front of, under,...
 Preposition of place refers to the position and direction.
Preposition Usages Examples
The baby has
gone. She isn’t in
the room.
He’s working in
New York now.
Nina is an
American. She
was born in
America.
Room, town, country
There’s a doll in
the car.
I’m in the
taxi now. I’ll get
there in 5
minutes.
Car, taxi
Who’s this sexy
lady in the
picture?
What can you
see in the picture?
Picture
I saw this writer in
the book Harry
Potter.
There are lots of
lively
illustrations in the
book.
In Book
Preposition Usages Examples
Which is the
longest river in the
world?
Have a look at 3
best countries in
the world. What
do you think?
The World
My house is on
Jackson street.
The kids are
playing on the
street.
Streets
He lives on this
island.
There are not
many people
living on that
island.
Islands
My teacher put the
books on the
table.
Please put your
shoes on the floor.
Surfaces: The picture on the
table, floor, wall wall is fantastic.
Max is the tall boy
standing on the
right.
Human heart is on
the left side.
On A certain side (left, right)
Preposition Usages Examples
We’re on the bus.
Please switch your
phone into
airplane mode if
you’re on a plane.
Public transports
I saw her
yesterday on TV.
There have been
lots of
advertisements on
radio these days.
TV, radio
My grandpa goes
to bed at 9 pm.
My wife starts
working at 8am.
For events
at night, at noon,
at lunchtime, at
sunset
Don’t stay up late
at night.
See you at
Meaning “next to” lunchtime.
I am at school,
while my parents
are at work.
Jim is watching
movie at the
cinema.
At Somewhere typical
There is a big
Behind At/ toward the back of something/ someone box behind the
Preposition Usages Examples
car.
Can you see the
street behind the
building?

The rabbit is in
front of the tree.
The girl is
standing in front
of the mirror.
In front of The opposite of behind
The ball is under
the tree.
There are some
flowers under the
Under Below the surface of something/ covered by something chair.
The plane is
flying above the
tree.
Please turn on the
projector above
To a higher level than something/ someone (opposite with
your head.
Above below)
The duck is
swimming across
the lake.
The boy helped
his grandma
walk across the
Across From one side to the other side of something crowded street.
Throw the
trash into the
Into To a position in/ inside something dustbin please.
 Preposition Usages Examples
I can’t go into the
water since it’s
too cold.

Reported speech
 Reported speech is used when you want to tell someone else what a person
said before.
 The tense in reported speech is one tense back in time from the tense in direct
speech.

I/ you/ we/ they He/ she/ it/ James

 Present simple Ex: “I go shopping every  Past simple Ex: My mom said (that) she went
Friday”, my mom said. shopping every Friday.

 Present continuous Ex: “We are watching  Past continuous Ex: They told me (that) they
TV”, they told me. were watching TV.

 Present perfect Ex: “I have lived here for  Past perfect Ex: David said (that) he had lived
10 years”, David said. there for 10 years.

 Past simple Ex: “I was at school  Past perfect Ex: My sister said (that) she had
yesterday”, my sister said. been at school the day before.

 Past continuous Ex: “We were cooking  Past perfect continuous Ex: They told me (that)
when she came”, they told me. they had been cooking when he had come.

 Past perfect Ex: “I had had a car accident”,  Past perfect Ex: Marry told me (that) she had
Marry told me. had a car accident.

 Present perfect continuous Ex: “I have  Past perfect continuous Ex: Jim said (that) he had
been explaining to her for hours”, Jim said. been explaining to her for hours.

 Simple future with WILL Ex: “I will travel  WOULD + bare infinitive Ex: My cousin told me
I/ you/ we/ they He/ she/ it/ James
to Asia next year”, my cousin told me. (that) she would travel to Asia the following year.

 Simple future with BE GOING TO Ex: “I am  WAS/ WERE GOING TO + Bare infinitive Ex: Sarah
going to write a story”, Sarah said. said (that) she was going to write a story.

 Future continuous Ex: “I will be coming  WOULD BE verb-ING Ex: Michael told me (that)
back in an hour”, Michael told me. he would be coming back in an hour.

 modal verb MAY Ex: “I may see you in the  MIGHT/ COULD Ex: Jane said (that) she might
afternoon”, Jane said. see me in the afternoon.

 modal verb MIGHT

Ex: “Jim might visit me tomorrow”, my  MIGHT Ex: My sister said (that) Jim might visit
sister said. her the following day.

 modal verb MUST Ex: “You must make  MUST/ HAD TO Ex: She said (that) I had to make
your final decision by 20th May”, she said. my final decision by 20th May.

 modal verb SHALL Ex: “We shall need your  WOULD/ SHOULD Ex: They told me (that) they
help”, they told me. would need my help.

 modal verb CAN Ex: “You can wait for me  COULD Ex: My boss said (that) I could wait for
in the office”, my boss said. him in the office.

 modal verb COULD Ex: “We could finish  COULD Ex: My husband told me (that) we could
everything soon”, My husband told me. finish everything soon.

 modal verb SHOULD Ex: “You should go to  SHOULD Ex: My mom said (that) I should go to
bed early”, my mom said. bed early.

 modal verb WOULD Ex: “I would teach  WOULD Ex: My mom said (that) she would teach
you how to make cookies”, my mom said. me how to make cookies.

 modal verb NEED Ex: “You need to drink  NEED Ex: My doctor told me (that) I need to
more water a day”, my doctor told me. drink more water a day.
Place, time words and demonstratives

Direct speech Reported speech

Today That day
Yesterday The day before
Tomorrow The next day/ the following day
… days ago … days before
Last week The week before
Next week The following week
Time Now Then
Place Here There
This That
Demonstratives These Those

Reported questions

 There are two types of questions: WH-question and Yes/No question.

 In reported speech, the word orders change.
 In WH-question, the WH-words (what, where, why, how, etc.) remains the
same.
...ASK ME + WH-WORDS
 In Yes/ No question, the auxiliary is deleted. We use if/ whether instead.
... ASK ME + IF/ WHETHER
Direct speech Reported speech
“Where do you go?” She asked. She asked me where I went.
“What have you done?” He asked. He asked me what I had done.
WH-questions “Why are you crying?” She asked. She asked me why I was crying.
“Are you going shopping?” Jenny Jenny asked me if/ whether I was going
asked. shopping?
Yes/ No questions “Have you ever been to London?” He asked me if/ whether I had ever been
 Direct speech Reported speech
He asked. to London.
“Can you help me with this Tom asked me if/ whether I could help
homework?” Tom asked. him with that homework.

Reported commands/ requests

...ASK ME + (NOT) TO DO SOMETHING
Direct speech Reported speech
“Go away.” She said. She asked me to go away.
“Don’t come any closer.” He said. He asked me not to come any closer.
“Jack, wait for a second.” He said. He asked Jack to wait for a second.

Passive voice
Difference between active and passive voice:

 Active voice: describe the subject doing the action

 Passive voice: used when the focus is on the action. The one doing the action is
not important.

 Active: Marry cleaned the classroom.

 Passive: The classroom was cleaned (by Marry).
Forms Examples
Subject + Tobe + Verb – past
Positive participle A rose is sent to her every day.
Subject + Tobe + NOT + Verb – past Tom wasn’t invited to the party. Tom
Negative participle was so sad.
Tobe + Subject + Verb – past
Question participle? Will it be done tomorrow?
Passive voice with tenses
Verb – past
Subject Tobe (conjugated) participle
Present simple Subject Am/ is/ are Verb – pp
The room is cleaned every two days.
Present continuous Subject Am/ is/ are + being Verb – pp
The room is being cleaned now.
Present perfect Subject Have/ has + been Verb – pp
The room has been cleaned since Monday.
Past simple Subject Was/ were Verb – pp
The room was cleaned yesterday.
Present perfect Subject Was/ were + being Verb – pp
The room was being cleaned this time last week.
Past continuous Subject Was/ were + being Verb – pp
The room was being cleaned this time last week.
Past perfect Subject Had been Verb – pp
The room had been cleaned before he came.
Past continuous Subject Was/ were + being Verb – pp
The room was being cleaned this time last week.
Simple future (WILL) Subject Will be Verb – pp
The room will be cleaned tomorrow.
Am/ is/ are + going
Simple future (BE GOING TO) Subject to + BE Verb – pp
The room is going to be cleaned on Monday.
Future continuous Subject Will be being Verb – pp
The room will be being cleaned at 7 pm tonight.
 Verb – past
Subject Tobe (conjugated) participle
Future perfect Subject Will have been Verb – pp
The room will have been cleaned before midnight.
Modal verbs:
Can/ could/ may/ might/ should/ must/ …
Subject Modal + be Verb – pp
The room must be cleaned by Friday.

Subject/ Verb Inversion

Inversion means putting verb before subject.

Usages

 Question formation
 Normal sentence: I understood the lessons.

 Inversion: Did you understand the lessons?

 Normal sentence: You like shopping.
 Inversion: Do you like shopping?
 Negative adverbs
Never Never have I been in such an embarrassing situation before.
Seldom Seldom does he calls me.
Hardly Hardly could I believe that he was a thief.
Rarely Rarely can she eat such delicious food.
 Adverbs phrases
Not only … but also Not only did he write the book but he also designed the cover.
No sooner … than No sooner had he arrived home than it rained.
Only when Only when he needs me does he calls me.
 Here and there
Here Here comes the teacher!
There There stood a statue.
 Conditional sentences
 Normal sentence: If he had informed me earlier, I would have helped him.
 Inversion: Had he informed me earlier, I would have helped him.
 Normal sentence: If she had left sooner, she wouldn’t have got wet in the
rain.
 Inversion: Had she left sooner, she wouldn’t have got wet in the rain.
 Structure: “So + Adj … that”
 Normal sentence: Jim was so kind that everybody loved him.
 Inversion: So kind was Jim that everybody loved him.
 Normal sentence: The cartoon was so funny that all the kids laughed.
 Inversion: So funny was the cartoon that all the kids laughed.

Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

– List and Example Sentences
One-syllable adjectives
Adjectives Comparative forms Superlative forms
A A-ER A-EST
tall taller tallest
short shorter shortest
fast faster fastest
slow slower slowest
Adjectives Comparative forms Superlative forms
big bigger biggest
small smaller smallest
strong stronger strongest
weak weaker weakest
old older oldest
young younger youngest
 Harry is tall, but Jane is taller, and Jack is the tallest in class.
 I am strong, but my brother is stronger, and my dad is the strongest in my
family.
 Kyo is faster than Jane, but Jane is stronger (than Kyo).
The biggest mistake in my life is to tell him my secret.
One-syllable adjectives ending with –e
Adjectives Comparative forms Superlative forms
A A-ER A-EST
large larger largest
wide wider widest
wise wiser wisest
 Whale is the largest animal I‟ve ever seen.
 Although Henry is the youngest child in the family, he‟s the wiser than his
two elder (older) brothers.
Adjectives with two or more syllables
Adjectives Comparative forms Superlative forms
A A-ER A-EST
modern more modern most modern
beautiful more beautiful most beautiful
expensive more expensive most expensive
Adjectives Comparative forms Superlative forms
interesting more interesting most interesting
delicious more delicious most delicious
important more important most important
handsome more handsome most handsome
attractive more attractive most attractive
 Jenny is attractive, but Wendy is even more attractive.
 Harry Potter is the most interesting book I‟ve read.
 Liam is the most handsome boy in my class.
Two-syllable adjectives ending with –y
Adjectives Comparative forms Superlative forms
A A-ER A-EST
happy happier happiest
lucky luckier luckiest
friendly friendlier friendliest
sexy sexier sexiest
heavy heavier heaviest
pretty prettier prettiest
noisy noisier noisiest
messy messier messiest
early earlier earliest
busy busier busiest
angry angrier angriest
 The earliest sign of pregnancy is food aversion.
 People have become busier and busier recently.
 The happiest moment in my life was when he said he loved me.
Two-syllable adjectives ending with –er, -ow and -le
Adjectives Comparative forms Superlative forms
clever cleverer cleverest
narrow narrower narrowest
shallow shallower shallowest
gentle gentler gentlest
simple simpler simplest
 The cleverest girl in my team is Nina.
 The streets are narrower here than in my city.
 These fish were found in the shallowest river.
*Exceptions
Adjectives Comparative forms Superlative forms
good better best
bad worse worst
little less least
much/ many more most
far farther/ further farthest/ furthest
 This is the worst movie I‟ve seen.
 I am less charming than her.
 John‟s been better than he used to be.

Conjunction: and, but, so, because

 A conjunction is a word used to connect other words, phrases and clauses
together.
 Common conjunctions: and, but, or, because, so
 And: also, in addition to. “And” is used when the statements are similar.
 He‟s 10 and she‟s 12.
 My mom and dad are teachers.
 Tim usually practices the piano and plays football at weekend.
 But: however, despite this. “But” is used to connect two opposite ideas.
 I love ice cream, but he loves apples.
 It‟s sunny and hot, but I like it.
 She‟s 40 years old, but she looks much younger than her real age.
 Or is used to express choices.
 Do you like playing football or badminton?
 Would you like tea or juice?
 Who‟s taller? Michael or Tom?
 So is used to link between cause/ reason and results
 He‟s hungry so he gets some food.
 The weather isn‟t very nice so we don‟t go camping.
 He lost the key so he couldn‟t get into his room.
 Because is used to give reasons.
 She doesn‟t go to school because she‟s sick.
 Because it rains, I wear a raincoat.
 Kate was happy because she won the competition.

Relative clause
 Relative clause helps define or give us extra/ additional information about
things or people we‟re talking about.
 Relative clause starts with relative pronouns (who, which, that, whose, whom)
or relative adverbs (where, when, why).
Relative pronouns/
adverbs Meanings
who Refer to people
which Refer to things or animals
that Refer to people, animals or things (can replace which or who,
Relative pronouns/
adverbs Meanings
informal)
whose Refer to possession
whom Refer to a people, used instead of who if who is the object.
where Refer to places
when Refer to time
why Refer to reasons

Pattern

RELATIVE CLAUSE
Pattern 1 RELATIVE PRONOUN/ ADVERB + SUBJECT + VERB
The present which he gave me was just amazing.
That memorable moment was the time when he kissed me for the first time.
Examples Jack sent me a job offer that I couldn’t decline.
Pattern 2 RELATIVE PRONOUN AS SUBJECT + VERB
The girl who is standing next to John is my younger sister.
Venus flytrap is a plant which traps insects.
Examples Henry is a man who is very kind and friendly.
There are two types of relative clause: defining and non-defining relative
clause.

1. Defining relative clauses

 Defining relative clauses add detail about a particular noun that is defined.
They give essential/ important information about the people, things being
referred to.
 Without defining relative clause, the meanings would not remain the same.
 Venus flytrap is a plant which traps insects.
 This was the evidence which greatly affected the case.
 I am going to show you a video which was made by the most famous
American film director.
Note:
 The pronouns who, which can be replaced by that in spoken language.
 We don‟t use comma in defining relative clauses.
 Venus flytrap is a plant which (that) traps insects.
 Venus flytrap is a plant, which traps insects.
 This was the evidence which (that) greatly affected the case.
 This was the evidence, which (that) greatly affected the case.
2. Non-defining relative clauses
 Non-defining relative clauses give extra/ non-essential information about
people or things. It does not affect the meanings of the whole sentence.
 Without defining relative clause, the meanings would remain the same.
 Mr. David, who is an inspiring teacher, won the Global teacher prize 2018.
 I‟ve just come back from England, which is a very beautiful country.
My two puppies, which were only 6 days old, are taken care of very carefully.
Note:
 We don‟t use that for non-defining relative clause.
 We always use comma in non-defining relative clauses.
 Mr. David, who is an inspiring teacher, won the Global teacher prize 2018.
 Mr. David that is an inspiring teacher, won the Global teacher prize 2018.
 I‟ve just come back from England, which is a very beautiful country.
 I‟ve just come back from England which is a very beautiful country.
Structure: too …to …
 “Too” is an adverb.
 used before an adjective or another adverb
 meaning: “more than enough”

 TOO + ADJECTIVE/ ADVERB

 It’s too hot here.
 She’s too tall.
 She’s driving too fast.
 The turtle was moving too slowly.
 TOO + ADJECTIVE/ ADVERB + TO –INFINITIVE

 It’s too hard to finish the project by Friday.

 She’s too short to reach the shelf.
 She draws too terribly to win the first prize.
 The teacher is reading too quickly for me to catch up with.

Enough
“Enough” can be used as a determiner, a pronoun or an adverb.

"Enough” as a determiner
 used before plural or uncountable nouns to mean “sufficient” or “as many or
as much as expected”
 ENOUGH + NOUN

 My little sister didn‟t have enough money to buy that toy.

 You didn‟t drink enough water today. You look so tired.
 She hasn‟t prepared enough apples for the kids.
 Don‟t ask me about this. I‟ve had enough problems.

“Enough” as a pronoun
 used alone (without a noun) to mean “as many or as much as expected”
 Three pieces should be enough.
 Don‟t give me any more books. I‟ve read enough.
"Enough” as an adverb
 Used after an adjective or another adverb to mean “to the necessary degree”
 ENOUGH + ADJECTIVE
 ENOUGH + ADVERB

 This chair isn‟t comfortable enough for me to sit on.

 He‟s good enough to win the competition.
 He has come early enough to get a good seat.
 The cat is running fast enough to catch the mouse.
Structure: such … that …
 “Such” is used as a determiner.
SUCH + ADJ + NOUN
 He‟s such an intelligent boy!
 Jim and Sue are such a perfect couple.
SUCH + A/AN + ADJ + SINGULAR NOUN + THAT
 It is used to express a cause and effect.

 It was such a great day that I couldn‟t forget.

 Jill is such a kind girl that everybody loves her.
 This island is such a wonderful place that it attracts thousands of tourists every
year.
SUCH + PLURAL/ UNCOUNTABLE NOUN + THAT
 It is used to express a cause and effect.

 He has such interesting books that everybody wants to borrow.

 This restaurant has such delicious food that it‟s always crowded with people.
Countable and uncountable noun
Defining whether a word is countable or uncountable helps choose suitable
article (a/an) and verb forms (singular or plural).

Countable nouns
 refer to things that we can count
 have singular or plural forms. Singular form can be preceded by determiner
a/an, while the plural form may be used with some
Singular countable nouns Plural countable nouns
a lamp some/ two lamps
a laptop some/ three laptops
a pear some/ five pears
a cat some/ two cats
a school some/ four schools
an apple some/ nine apples
an elephant some/ ten elephants
an umbrella some/ two umbrellas
 There are ten apples on the table. Some apples are red, while others are green.
 This is an apple. It‟s red.
 Yesterday my mom gave me a new laptop for my birthday. Now I have two
laptops.

Uncountable nouns
 refer to things that we cannot count
 always have singular form and take singular verb
Food and drinks Daily life things Feelings
wine housework love
water homework beauty
juice equipment humor
milk garbage (rubbish) help
lemonade trash assistance
meat dust advice
Food and drinks Daily life things Feelings
tea dirt information
coffee rain knowledge
pork time
beef air
sugar baggage (luggage)
salt evidence
cheese
oil
rice
butter
chicken
honey
fruit
bread
 Would you like to order some drinks?/ Yes. Please give me some orange juice.
 Peter, don‟t be lazy. You have a lot of homework to do today.
 Please give me some help. I don‟t know how to solve this Math problem.

Vocabulary you need to know about uncountable

nouns
A glass of water A jar of olives
A cup of tea A bowl of sugar
A bottle of orange juice A slice of meat
A can of coke/ beer A kilo of rice
A carton of milk A bag of money
A glass of water A jar of olives
A loaf of bread A piece of cake
A bar of chocolate
* Note:
List of quantifiers that can be used with countable and uncountable nouns

Quantifiers Countable nouns Uncountable nouns

some, any some, any some, any
much, many many much
lots of, a lot of lots of, a lot of lots of, a lot of
a little, a few a few a little
a number of, an amount of a number of an amount of
 She needed a large amount of money in order to run her own business.
 How much time do you need to finish this exercise?
 How many students are there in your class?
 Would you like any water?
Structure: it’s time to …./ it’s (high) time
…
 It’s time to + Verb-bare

 Meaning: something should be done at the present time

 It‟s time to go to bed. It‟s 10 pm.
 It‟s time to change the rules.
 It‟s time to go home.
 It‟s time to raise your voice.
 It’s (high) time + subject + Verb (past simple)

 Meaning: something should be done, and that‟s a bit late.

 It‟s high time you went to bed.
 It‟s time you came to see us. We haven‟t met each other for so long.
 It‟s time you started thinking about running your own business.
Structure: it’s time to …./ it’s (high) time
…
 It’s time to + Verb-bare

 Meaning: something should be done at the present time

 It‟s time to go to bed. It‟s 10 pm.
 It‟s time to change the rules.
 It‟s time to go home.
 It‟s time to raise your voice.
 It’s (high) time + subject + Verb (past simple)

 Meaning: something should be done, and that‟s a bit late.

 It‟s high time you went to bed.
 It‟s time you came to see us. We haven‟t met each other for so long.
 It‟s time you started thinking about running your own business.
Do or make
Do
 “Do” is used to talk about jobs, work or tasks. No physical objects are
produced.
 Expressions with “do”

Housework Work/ study General things

do the shopping do the project do my best

do the dishes do homework do a favor

Housework Work/ study General things

do the laundry do the assignment do harm

do the cooking do the task do good

do the washing up do business

do the ironing do a job

do the gardening do the work

do the cleaning do an exercise

do a report

do the painting

do a drawing

do a course

do an activity

Make
 “Make” is used to talk about producing, constructing or creating something
new.
 Expressions with “make”

Food Plan Money Communication

make food make a plan make money make friends

make breakfast make a list make a profit make love

make lunch make a change make a loss make a phone call

make dinner make an effort make an apology

make tea/ coffee make a guess make a complaint

make noodles make a mistake make a comment

make a cake make progress make a suggestion

make a sandwich make a decision make a prediction

make salad make a promise

make soup make an excuse

make an agreement
Food Plan Money Communication

make an appointment

So, too, either, neither

 “So” and “too” are used in positive sentences to show agreement.

SO +
AUXILIARY
+ SUBJECT
POSITIVE Auxiliary (do/
SENTENCE, does/ have/
should/…)
TOO

Person A Person B Person B

I love
I love football. football, too. So do I.

I can
Jack can swim. swim, too. So can I.

I have done
Hana and Jim have done their tasks. my tasks, too. So have I.

 “Either” and “neither” are used in negative sentence to show

agreement.(NEITHER = NOT EITHER)
 NEITHER +
AUXILIARY
+ SUBJECT
NEGATIVE
Auxiliary (do/
does/ have/
SENTENCE,
should/…)
EITHER.

Person A Person B Person B

I don’t (love
I don’t love football. football), either. Neither do I.

I can’t
Jack can’t swim. (swim), either. Neither can I.

I haven’t (done
Hana and Jim haven’t done their my Neither have
tasks. tasks), either. I.

Structure: It’s no good/ use + V-ING, …

 It’s no good/ use + V-ING
 It’s pointless/ useless/ hopeless/ a waste of time + Verb-ING
 There’s no use/ point + Verb-ING

 Used to say that an action will not get an expected outcome

It’s no good/ use + Verb-ING
 It‟s no good/ use looking for it here. You lost it 2 weeks ago.
 It‟s no good/ use asking her for help. She will never care.
 It‟s no good/ use talking to him. He won‟t listen.
It's pointless/ useless/ hopeless/ a waste of time + Verb-ING
 It‟s pointless repairing that car. It‟s time for a new car.
 It‟s useless crying. You‟d better figure out the solutions.
 It‟s just a waste of time contacting Jane. She‟s lost her phone.
There’s no use/ point + Verb-ING
 There‟s no use/ point writing to her. She will not reply.
 There‟s no use/ point advising her. She‟s such a stubborn girl.
 There‟s no use/ point shouting here. No one will listen.
Form

I/ you/ we/ they He/ she/ it/ James

I/ you/ we/ they + bare infinitive He/ she/ it/ James + Verb – s/ es
Positive We go to bed early. She goes to bed early.
I/ you/ we/ they + do not + bare He/ she/ it/ James + does not + bare
infinitive infinitive
Do not = don’t Does not = doesn’t
Negative They don’t go to bed early. James doesn’t go to bed early.
Do + I/ you/ we/ they + Does + he/ she/ it/ James +
bare infinitive? bare infinitive?
Question Do they go to bed early? Does she go to bed early?

Usages

 To talk about general truths

 The Sun rises in the East
 To give instructions or directions
 Don‟t open that box. Throw it away.
 To talk about something that is fixed in the future
 The bus leaves at 8 pm. Hurry up!
Signal words:
Always, usually, often, sometimes, seldom, never, every day, every week, every
month, every year, on Sundays, after school, before school

Correlative conjunctions: either or,

neither nor, not only … but also,
both…and
Note: In all examples below, A and B are the same parts of speech.
 A: verb => B: verb
 A: noun => B: noun
 A: adjective => B: adjective
 NEITHER A NOR B: used in negative sense. The verb agrees with the noun
that is closer to it.
 Neither Kelly nor Sarah likes swimming.
 His car is neither big nor small.
 My grandpa neither likes nor cares about the technology.
 EITHER A OR B: The verb agrees with the noun that is closer to it.
 Either you or Jenny has to ask my permission for going out.
 Either John or his parents are going to the meeting tomorrow.
 I don’t like either badminton or tennis?
 NOT ONLY A BUT ALSO B: The verb agrees with the noun that is closer to
it.
 Not only Tom but also Harry has got 10 on the test.
 I not only work hard but also play hard.
 She is interested in not only Math but also Science.
 BOTH A AND B: verbs always take the plural forms.
 Both Jim and Ann are coming to the party tomorrow.
 Both Jack and his brother have passed the exam.
 He can speak both English and Spanish.
Structure: so …that
 “So” is an adverb.
 used before an adjective or another adverb
 meaning: “very, to such a great degree”
 SO + ADJECTIVE/ ADVERB

 The chicken was so delicious.

 Those pictures are so beautiful.
 He‟s done it so well.
 The baby is moving so slowly.
 SO + ADJECTIVE/ ADVERB + THAT + CLAUSE

So … that: show cause and effect.

 James was so tired that he couldn‟t finish the test on time.

 (James was too tired to finish the test on time.)
 Nina was so sleepy that she couldn‟t concentrate on the lessons.
 (Nina was too sleepy to concentrate on the lessons.)
 The man ran so slowly that he didn‟t win the race.
 (The man ran too slowly to win the race.)
 He speaks so loud that the baby can‟t sleep.
 (He speaks too loud for the baby to sleep.)
Structure: find it/ something + adj + to
do something, …
 FIND IT/ SOMETHING + ADJ + TO DO SOMETHING

 used to express a particular opinion or feeling you have about something

 I find this book very interesting to read.
 I find it hard to pass the English exam.
 I found it difficult to approach that famous girl.
 FIND SOMETHING/ SOMEONE + ADJ/ NOUN

 used to say that you‟ve discovered something after you‟ve experienced it

 I found this sofa very comfortable.
 I find this exercise very difficult.
 We found teacher Mark a friendly person.
Quantifier: some and any, much and
many,…
Some and any
Some Any

 used when we don’t know the amount

 used with both countable and uncountable nouns

 Please give me some apples.

 I don’t have any free paper to share.
Similarities

 Used in positive sentences

 She’s earned some money by working  Used in negative sentences

as a waitress. and questions
 Used in questions when offering/
 She doesn’t eat any fish. She
requesting
hates fish.
Differences  Would you like some coffee?  Is there any milk in the fridge?

Much and many

Much Many

 Used to show an amount of something

Similarities  Used with a noun or without a noun
 Much Many

 Used in all positive, negative sentences and questions

 She has many stories to tell us.

 There are not enough bananas left. Don’t take so many.
 How many people are there in your family?
 Drinking too much alcohol will harm your health.
 How much does it cost?

 Used with singular

uncountable nouns  Used with plural (countable) nouns

 I don’t have much money.  Many journalists are here today.

 You should drink much  There are many rules we have to follow
water. in class.
 Hurry up! We don’t  I need to buy many things to prepare for
have much time left. the birthday party.
Differences

A lot of and lots of

"A lot of" and "lots of" are used similarly.

 Used in informal styles

 Used with both plural countable or singular uncountable nouns
 Used in all positive, negative sentences and questions
 I bought a lot of/ lots of presents for him.
 My little hamster eats a lot of/ lots of cheese.
 Harry didn‟t know a lot of/ lots of English words.
 My baby sister drinks a lot of/ lots of milk every day.
 Have you answered a lot of/ lots of questions?
Few, a few and little, a little
 A few, a little mean some.
 Few, little (without article “a”) mean not as much/ many as expected or not
enough. They have negative meanings.
 Few, a few: used with countable plural nouns.
 Little, a little: used with uncountable nouns.
Few and a few Explanation

 Meaning: some, a small number

 The noun goes after “a few” is people:
There are a few people attending the countable, plural noun.
meeting.

 Meaning: not many as expected/ almost none.

 The noun goes after “few” is people:
There are very few people attending the countable, plural noun.
meeting.
Little and a little Explanation

 Meaning: some, a small amount

 The noun goes after “a little” is attention:
The kids pay a little attention to the uncountable noun.
lessons.

 Meaning: not much/ almost none

 The noun goes after “little” is attention:
The kids pay very little attention to the uncountable noun.
lessons.

More examples
 He has a few friends. He‟s not a sociable person.
 He has few friends. He‟s a lonely person.
 I have a little money. I can buy a small toy with this amount.
 I have little money. It isn‟t enough to buy anything.

PHRASAL VERBS
13 Common Phrasal Verbs with “Come”
– Meanings and Example Sentences
(Audio)
Come up
to be mentioned or discussed; to arrive; to be ready soon; to approach someone;
to stand next to someone

Our issue came up in the meeting last week.

“Is dinner ready?” “Coming up!”
He came up to me and kissed me on the cheek.

Come up with
to find a new idea; to produce something

Finally, we came up with the solution that each of us will pay half of the
monthly bills.
I‟ve come up with an idea for Mom‟s birthday present.
How could you come up with such a large amount of money?

Come across (to come upon)

to find someone/something by chance

I came across a book that I was looking for.

He came across a recruitment ad when he was reading the newspaper this
afternoon.
They came across many challenges before winning the final competition.
Come round/around
to happen again; to become conscious again

Time flies. Christmas will soon come round.

I‟ve been waiting for him to come round.
My grandpa has finally come round after three years in a coma.
Come about
to happen

How did the coincidence come about?

My confused feelings for him have come about since he texted another girl.
Our break-up came about in a way that I could never imagine.
Come along
to go somewhere with someone; to make progress

Just go ahead. I‟ll come along.

Your writing skills have come along so far.
Although he joined the class quite late, he came along very well.
Come out
to appear; to reveal the truth

The sun comes out after a dark night.

He has decided to come out to his parents.
Don‟t worry about the scandal. The truth will come out soon.
Come back
to go back to a place; to happen again

My puppy has finally come back after three days.

All of my old memories came back after I watched this short video.
The next day, he came back to me and said “sorry.”
Come over
to visit someone‟s house for a short time, (emotions) to affect someone strongly

Would you like to come over for lunch?

Whenever I see that baby-pink dress, the feelings of missing my daughter
just come over me.
Sorry, I‟ve got to go. My parents just came over from England.
Come through
to overcome a difficult or dangerous situation and become better; to arrive by
telephone or radio or after some official procedure

The city has come through after the terrible earthquake.

The message has finally come through.
After the two-hour discussion, the contest results came through.
Come apart
to be separated into pieces

Our new dryer has come apart. I‟ll return it to the store.
Jack‟s car came apart in the car crash.
Don‟t sit on that chair. It will soon come apart.
Come before
to take higher priority than others; to be brought to a discussion or for
consideration

Wendy is such a selfish girl. Her needs always come before anything else.
That case will come before the court soon.
My dad is such a great man. His family has always come before his career.

15 Common Phrasal Verbs with “Take”

– Meanings and Example Sentences
(Audio)
Take off
the opposite of “to put on”; the act of removing clothing or jewelry. If an aircraft, bird, or
insect takes off, it leaves the ground and begins to fly.

I always take off my watch before I wash my hands.

Remember to take off your raincoat when you enter the room.
Hurry up! The plane will take off in 20 minutes.
Take out
to bring something out; to remove something from its place; to take someone to a place
like a cinema or a restaurant and usually pay for them; to take someone on a date

I will take you out for dinner tomorrow.

I need to get this tooth taken out.
Remember to take out the trash.
Take place
to happen or occur. When something takes place, it happens, especially in a controlled or
organized way.

The event will take place tomorrow night.

The wedding took place at the Secret Garden Restaurant.
Our vacation will take place in June.
Take over
to transfer control; to take control of something

The new owner will take over the business soon.

Can you take over my responsibilities?
He will take over control of this company.

Take after someone

to look or act like someone in your family

You take after your mom.

I don’t want to take after my sister at all. I want to be myself.
You should take after your dad, who is a generous man.

Take away
to remove something; to subtract something; to buy food or drink at a restaurant and
bring it somewhere to eat

The teacher took away the boy’s comic while he was reading it during math class.
I’d like to order some burgers to take away, please.
He has taken away my heart and soul. I love him.
Take apart
to separate something into small pieces

The hairdryer stopped working. I’ll take it apart and see what is wrong.
Kevin is curious about everything. He loves taking apart things to learn how they work.
This laptop is broken. I need to take it apart and check.
Take on
to take someone on: to employ someone to do a job; to take something on: to accept a job
or a responsibility

Currently, our company isn’t ready to take on any new employees.

That was a weighty responsibility that he took on.
Why did you take on such a challenging task?
Take up
to start a new habit or hobby; to start a new job or accept a new position

I’ve recently taken up gardening

Harry will take up his new position tomorrow.
You really need to take up yoga. It keeps you in shape.
Take up on
to accept an offer from someone; to ask someone to explain something because you don’t
agree with them or you think it is wrong

You need to take her up on what she said to you yesterday. I think something is wrong.
That’s quite an interesting offer. I’ll take you up on it.
He offered to assist me with the new project and I took him up on it.
Take up with
to have a close relationship with someone, especially someone unsavory and
untrustworthy; to be busy doing or thinking about something

I can’t understand why David took up with that old woman.

Don’t take up with him. He’s a criminal.
Janes was completely taken up with concern for her newborn baby.
Take down
to remove something from a high position; to separate something into pieces; to write
down a piece of information or a statement

Can you help me take that picture down from the shelf, please?
The scaffolding was taken down for repairs
You need to take down some important information while listening.
Take against
to begin to dislike someone or something for no good reason

Jenny took against her best friend, Tom, because he could afford a new house.
Don’t take against this three-year-old boy just because he has no father.
I don’t understand why she has taken against me.
Take aside
to take someone away from other people so that you can talk with that person

My dad took me aside from my friends and informed me that I had passed the entrance
exam to university.
I was taken aside by Tim.
I was so angry about being taken aside by my boyfriend.
Take through
to explain something in detail

Can you please take me through this report?

Read it first and I‟ll take you through it.
He has taken everybody through his thesis.
12 Common Phrasal Verbs with “Turn”
– Meanings and Example Sentences
(Audio)
Turn (something) on
to start a machine; to make someone excited or sexually aroused. If someone or
something turns you on, they attract you and make you feel sexually excited.

I always turn on the lights at night.

Please help me turn on the computer.
He is turned on when his wife wears sexy clothing.
Turn off
the opposite of “turn on”; to stop a machine; to make someone feel uninterested,
especially sexually.

Please turn off the music!

Remember to turn off the lights before you go home.
She is turned off by his behavior.
Turn down
to not accept an offer or request

I am so sad that she turned down my proposal.

Jack turned down the promotion.
How could you turn down this invitation?
Turn over
to change position so that the top part faces downward; to give someone the authority and
responsibility to do something

Turn your paper over when the timer starts.

He turned the baby over so that he would find it easier to sleep.
He turned over the project to me.
Turn around
to change position or direction so that it faces the opposite direction; to start being
successful after having been unsuccessful for a long time; to develop in a significantly
better way

Turn around and close your eyes. The game will start right away.
He has spent years turning around the company’s performance.
The tutor has turned around my English score.
Turn away
to turn your face so that you aren’t looking at someone or something; to not allow
someone to enter an area

That’s a horror scene. My little girl has to turn away.

They were turned away due to the strike.
Please turn away the kids. The fire is burning inside.
Turn into
to change one thing into another

If you put water into the fridge, it turns into ice.

My well-prepared presentation turned into a disaster.
Within three months, that little kid turned from a good student into a problem child.
Turn against
to stop liking or being friendly to someone or something

They used to be best friends. They’ve been turned against each other for a while.
People in the town turned against the government’s new policies.
I apologized to him but it seemed that he had still turned against me.
Turn in
to go to bed; to take someone to the police or report a crime to the police; to submit a
piece of work
It’s about time you turned in!
He turned himself in at the police station.
I’ll turn in my assignment soon.
Turn up
to turn a button or a switch to increase the amount of sound, heat, or light produced by a
piece of equipment; to find or discover something by chance

Please don’t turn up the radio. I’m reading.

Don’t wait for him. He’ll never turn up.
Turn up your voice. I can’t hear you.
Turn upside down
to make a place untidy while you‟re looking for something; to cause a lot of
changes in a bad way

My mom turned our house upside down but she couldn‟t find our pet cat.
The police turned the whole apartment upside down looking for a clue.
Our life turned upside down when my dad passed away.

7 Common Phrasal Verbs with “Work” –

Meanings and Example Sentences
(Audio)
Work on
To work on someone – to try to persuade or influence someone
To work on something – to spend time working to produce or improve something
You have two weeks to work on your project.
He spent two years working on his novel.
I know it’s hard to work on my dad but I’ll try.
Work out
to exercise to keep your body in shape; to develop in a successful way; to find a solution
to something

I work out every day.

My new strategies didn’t work out.
We need to work out how we are going to rescue him.
Work up
to develop a particular feeling with some effort
She tried to work up her courage to join the beauty pageant.
We need to work up his enthusiasm for going on this trip
How can I work up my energy for such a boring job?
Work through
to deal with something step by step, especially when it takes time and effort

Don’t worry about this large pile of documents. We’ll work through it together.
The fact that I had to work through my illnesses alone was terrible.
Having worked through all their problems together, they got married last summer.
Work to
to follow a plan or schedule

I am used to working to tight deadlines.

We need to work to the budget.
Work off
to get rid of a strong feeling by engaging in physical activity

You really need a long walk to work off your nervousness before the test.
The psychologist helped me work off my stress.
I usually work off my negative feelings by working out.
Work against
to cause disadvantages or contribute to a negative result for someone

Her negative attitude toward marriage works against her family‟s happiness.
Your inexperience will work against you during the next job recruitment.
I‟ve never liked Jenny‟s emotional immaturity, which will soon work
against her in everything she does.
10 Common Phrasal Verbs with “Pick” –
Meanings and Example Sentences
(Audio)
Pick up
to lift and hold something; to get someone or something; to clean or organize after
someone has made a mess; to resume something after a break

I have to pick up my sister from school.

Help me pick up the trash!
We will pick up our conversation after lunch.
Pick out
If you pick out someone or something, you choose them from among a group of people
or things, or recognize something or someone in a group.

We need to pick out an outfit for the birthday party.

Help me pick out the prettiest flowers for the event.
It took me 30 minutes to pick out the book that I like.
Pick at
to eat only a small amount of food because you are not hungry

The woman sat down and picked at her food in a bored fashion.
Don’t pick at your breakfast, Mike. Finish it quickly.
Annie picked at a small dish but she wasn’t really hungry.
Pick on
to choose someone or something; to repeatedly treat someone unfairly or unkindly

Why do they always pick on me for hard tasks?

The boy got picked on by the other boys because of his disability.
He used to be picked on by his stepfather.
Pick off
to shoot someone or something one by one by aiming at them carefully from a distance

The boys were picking off each other in a game.

They were about to pick off the birds in the bush.
The hunter picked off the rabbits one by one.
Pick up on
to talk again about something that others have mentioned; to notice something

I’d like to pick up on the second point that you mentioned.

He failed to pick up on his teacher’s questions.
They’re best friends. They can pick up on each other’s bad moods.
Pick apart
to find flaws in something by careful examination

He picked apart my argument.

Be prepared or your speech will be picked apart.
Henry was picking apart his opponent’s argument.
Pick over
to carefully examine and choose the one you want

I need to pick over the appropriate clothes for the party tonight.
There are many options. You have to pick them over.
Tom is picking over his favorite ice cream.
Pick through
to search carefully to find something

Mary was picking through the ruins to look for her old family photo.
He‟s such a messy boy. He picks through his pile of clothes every day to find
his favorite socks.
I spent the whole morning picking through this pile of books, searching for my
diary.

20 Common Phrasal Verbs with “Get” –

Meanings and Example Sentences
(Audio)
Get up
to rise from a bed or chair. When someone who is sitting or lying down gets up,
they rise to a standing position; to wake up after sleeping and get out of bed

I always get up very early in the morning.

You have been sleeping for 15 hours; you need to get up now!
It‟s hard to get up for school when the weather is so cold.
Get over
to overcome a problem or difficulty; to recover from something bad; to start
feeling happy or good again after something bad has happened to you.

Try to get over your anxiety.

She finally got over the divorce and started dating again.
It can take weeks to get over an illness like that.
Get on with (someone)
to have a good relationship with someone

He seemed to get on well with his roommate.

She‟s such an unfriendly girl. It‟s hard to get on with her.
It took John months to get on with his new co-worker.
Get rid of (someone/something)
to become free from someone or something; to throw something away

Finally, he decided to get rid of his ex-girlfriend.

How can I get rid of this terrible headache?
I need to get rid of some old clothes.
Get out of (doing something)
to avoid doing something; to escape from an unpleasant situation

Get out of this room. It‟s burning.

Getting out of this relationship seemed hard to me.
She tried to get out of doing household chores.
Get through to (someone)
to make someone understand and believe something

I managed to get my messages through to him.

It‟s a new idea. It‟s not easy to get through to the managers.
Nancy failed to get her action plan through to the vice principal.
Get away
to escape a person or a place; to go on holiday

I‟ve been trying to get away from the office since before 6 p.m.
Are you trying to get away from me?
I‟m going to get away for a few days.
Get together
to spend time together

Let‟s get together this weekend.

We need to get together for the new project.
Our family usually gets together on New Year‟s Eve.
Get back at (someone)
to do something bad to someone because they‟ve done something bad to you

Tim was determined to get back at his neighbor.

I‟ll get back at him because he has hurt me so badly.
No one could prevent Sue from getting back at her step-mother for her
mistreatment.
Get across
to succeed in communicating your message
It took him a while to get his message across.
I found it hard to get across how much I love her.
You need to practice how to get your message across in English.
Get back with
to have a sexual or romantic relationship with someone with whom you had a
previous relationship

Are you trying to get back with him?

Don‟t get back with her. She‟s such an arrogant woman.
Getting back with him seemed impossible.
Get back to
to communicate with someone at a later time because you were busy earlier

I‟ll get back to you later.

Remember to get back to him tomorrow. He‟s been waiting for you the whole
morning.
I‟ll get back to work soon.
Get behind (with something)
to fail to do something as quickly as required

We were getting behind in our work.

Jenny got behind on the payments for her apartment.
She‟s such a slow learner. She‟s always getting behind on her work.
Get down
to make someone sad or depressed

His story really got me down.

Don‟t let her know the truth. It will get her down.
When my work gets me down, I go traveling.
Get in on
to take part in something

He can‟t wait to get in on the party tonight.

It‟s a pity you couldn‟t get in on the New Year festival.
Would you like to get in on our discussion tomorrow?

Get on
to get into a bus, train, taxi, or plane; to be successful in your career
My dad got on the plane at 8 a.m.
Tom is getting on the bus to school.
I believe that he‟ll get on in the teaching field.

Get off
to leave a bus, train, taxi or train; to tell someone to stop touching another one or
something

He got off the train and left the station quickly.

Get your dirty hands off me!
Can you please get your shoes off my bed?

Get through
to complete a task

How did you get through your English test?

Getting through this challenge is not easy.
Can you please help me get through this assignment?

Get round
to persuade someone to do what you want by doing nice things for them

We‟d better get round Mom before asking her for some money.
He tried to get round her dad for taking her to the prom.
It‟s not easy to get round the boss.
Get onto
to contact or communicate with

We need to get onto the lawyer

He got onto the police in order to report the crime.
It took us a while to get onto this topic.

10 Common Phrasal Verbs with “Put” –

Meanings and Example Sentences
(Audio)
Put away
to return (something) to the correct or proper place. If you put something away,
you put it into the place where it is normally kept when it is not being used.

You never put away your toys.

Put away your money! I won‟t accept money from you.
The teacher asked the students to put away their phones during the lecture.
Put out
to make something stop burning (fire, candle, cigarette); to switch off a light

It‟s late at night; put out the lights and go to sleep.

Remember to put out the candle before you leave.
Put out your cigarette before entering the building.
Put off
to delay doing something, especially because you do not want to do it; to wait
until the last minute to do something

I always put off my homework until the last minute.

It‟s a bad habit to put off work until the last minute.
I can‟t put off going to the dentist any longer.
Put on
the act of wearing clothing or jewelry; to start or host an event

I put on my jacket before I go outside.

The singer will put on a show this weekend.
Remember to put on your necklace before going to the wedding.
Put aside
to save time or money so that you can use it later; to stop thinking or worrying
about something

Let‟s put some money aside for our retirement.

Why don‟t we put aside our concerns and start doing it now?
Every day, Laura puts aside $1 to buy a birthday present for her mom.
Put back
to return something to the place where it belongs; to delay a planned event

Can you please put the remote control back after you use it?
I‟m afraid that we have to put the trip back until next week.
We will need to put the meeting back in case we can‟t contact him.
Put in
to install a piece of equipment or furniture; to elect someone; to invest your time
or effort

They‟ve put in a lot of time and effort to complete the project.

We had a new air-conditioner put in yesterday.
No one put in for him.
Put across
to successfully communicate ideas and thoughts to someone

He was struggling to put his ideas across in the debate.

Jenny tried to put her messages across through her body language.
He put his viewpoints across well and won the competition.
Put forth/forward
to suggest a plan or person

His new plan has been put forth.

He put forth a proposal for the marketing plan for the next three months.
Thinking that he suited the position, Mark put himself forward as a
candidate.
Put up with
to accept someone or something that is unpleasant

Her dad has put up with her disrespect for years.

I don‟t understand how he can put up with his wife.
I can‟t stand him anymore. I can‟t put up with the messes he makes every day.
13 Common Phrasal Verbs with “Look”
– Meanings and Example Sentences
(Audio)
Look at
to turn your eyes on something; to stare at something

The first time she wore a dress, he looked at her for at least 15 minutes.
Everybody likes to look at beautiful things.
I like to look at oil paintings.
Look for
to find someone or something; to search for something
 Please help me look for the car key!
Remember to look for the green light when you pass the streets.
Don‟t look for me after work today because I have to go home early.
Look up
to search for the meaning; to research; to find information by looking in a
directory, dictionary, book or list

She looks up a word in the dictionary when she doesn‟t understand it.
People often look up information on Google.
Please look up a nice restaurant for tomorrow‟s meeting.
Look out/to watch out (for)
to be careful or cautious; used to warn someone to be careful, especially when
they are likely to have an accident

Look out! A car is coming.

Watch out for snakes when you‟re in the forest.
Small children should always watch out for strangers offering candy.
Look over/to go over/to read over/to check over
to review something and make sure it has no errors

Look over your exam before you turn it in.

The teacher will go over the lessons with you tomorrow.
I will go over the details of the job with you later.
Look up to
to follow someone as your role model. If you look up to someone, especially
someone older than you are, you respect and admire them.

I have always looked up to my older sister.

My younger brother looks up to me.
Teenagers nowadays always look up to their idols.
Look ahead
to think about what is likely to happen in the future; to predict

You really need to look ahead at what might happen and have a plan to deal
with it.
She never looks ahead.
If you had looked ahead, the terrible mistake would never have happened.
Look down on
to think that you are better or more important than someone else
Don‟t look down on him. He‟s very good at technology.
Do you look down on me just because I didn‟t go to college?
She looks down on everyone who isn‟t as rich as she is.
Look forward to
to be excited about what is going to happen

I really look forward to hearing from you.

My little sister was looking forward to her first field trip.
He isn‟t really looking forward to married life.
Look in on (someone/something)
to visit someone for a short time

I‟ll look in on Helen tomorrow to see if she needs any help.

You don‟t need to look in on me every day. I‟m not a baby.
Can you look in on my puppy while we‟re on holiday?
Look to
to expect to get help or advice from someone

They‟re looking to the consultant for advice.

Helen isn‟t good at math. She always looks to her elder brother for guidance.
Don‟t look to John. He will never help.
Look through
to read something quickly; to pretend that you do not recognize someone

Can you look through the meeting minutes and let me know your opinion?
Sorry, I didn‟t have time to read your CV carefully. I just looked through it.
He looked through me as if I were a stranger.
Look upon/on someone/something as
someone/something
to consider someone/something as someone/something

They look on me as a troublemaker.

John and Cathy looked on him as their son.
I look upon this town as my second home.
 11 Common Phrasal Verbs with “Stand”
– Meanings and Example Sentences
(Audio)
Stand for
to represent; to be a symbol for or sign of

LOL stands for “laugh out loud.”

YOLO stands for “you only live once.”
The color red stands for love and passion.
Stand up
similar to “to get up”; to rise from a bed or a chair and be on your feet

Stop sitting there! Stand up and walk with me.

He started to stand up as he spoke.
Stand up when I call your name.
Stand out
to look different from the crowd; to appear more special than other people

His red hair makes him stand out from the crowd.
Don’t try to stand out in a bad way.
She always stands out because she’s so pretty.
Stand down
to leave your job or position; to let someone else take your place

My dad stood down as chairman after three years.

I know he’s going to stand down. It’s time he took a rest.
He was forced to stand down.
Stand by
to be ready to do something; to not prevent something bad from happening when you
should

I’ll be standing by in five minutes.

Let’s do something to stop our bankruptcy. Don’t just stand by.
How can you stand by while your dad is struggling with his cancer?
Stand up to
to not be damaged or harmed by something
How dare you stand up to me?
He managed to stand up to the collapse.
They’re going to stand up to their boss.
Stand back
to move backward

Stand back from the fight if you don’t want to get hurt.
Please stand back. I’ll show it on the screen.
Stand back from that man. He’s dangerous.
Stand up for
to defend someone or something that is being criticized

Don’t just be quiet. Stand up for your rights.

Stand up for yourself, now or never.
No one stood up for her except her old boss.
Stand over
to stand near someone and watch them

I don’t like him standing over me all the time.

My boss always stands over me while I’m working.
Please stand over the window and let me know if any guests are coming.
Stand in
to do the job that someone does; to replace someone

Don’t worry, I’ll stand in for you. Enjoy your trip.

Can you please ask Tim to stand in for me while I’m away?
Mike prepared the lessons so that he could stand in for Josh in case he was late again.
Stand against
to oppose someone or something

They‟ve been standing against the government for years.

You may lose your job if you stand against him.
He dared to stand against his opponent in the meeting.

20 Common Phrasal Verbs with “Go” –

Meanings and Example Sentences
(Audio)
Go on/to keep on
to continue doing something

Please go on with your conversation.

Keep on pursuing what you like.
I will call the police if he keeps on bothering me.
Go about
to start to do something or to do something as usual

I don‟t know how to go about it. Can you just show me?
He was such a talented CEO. He could go about his business in such a terrible
financial crisis.
We need to discuss how to go about solving these problems in the monthly
meeting.
Go along
to continue; to visit or attend a party or event; to travel with someone else

We discussed all the company terms and conditions as we went along.

I might go along to the party if I finish work soon.
I‟ll go along with you to every corner of the globe.
Go away
to leave a place or a person; to leave your home for a period of time

My family usually goes away during winter break.

I asked him to go away but he still bothered me all the time.
I‟m going to go away this summer.
Go for
to like something; to choose something; to go somewhere to get something; to
attack someone

I think I‟ll go for the red team.

She doesn‟t really go for country music.
I‟m going to go for some cheese.
Go over
to check something carefully; to move toward someone or something

Can I go over to Harry‟s house to do homework with him?

I spent an hour going over the contract before signing.
I saw Kim when I had gone over to Texas.
Go across
to cross a river, a bridge, or the ocean

How can we go across this river?

It took me five hours to go across the lake on a sailboat.
Go across the bridge. The post office is on the right.
Go after
to try to get something; to follow someone

I‟d gone after him for several hours and realized that he‟d had an affair.
The police officers have gone after the trace for days but haven‟t found the
murderer yet.
That‟s a good opportunity. Go after that job.
Go against
to disagree with or oppose someone/something

He wasn‟t a good leader. Everybody on the team went against him.

How dare you go against your parents‟ wishes?
You may lose your job if you go against your boss.
Go ahead
to arrive before someone; said to someone when you give them permission to do
something; to continue

Go ahead! You‟re almost there.

“Linda, may I have a word with you?” “Sure, go ahead.”
Just go ahead. I‟m listening.
Go along with
to agree with someone/something

We didn‟t go along with each other in this matter.

I need to persuade my dad to go along with me.
I don‟t go along with his views about the solutions.
Go back on
to not keep your promise; to change your mind

Having thought carefully about the issue, he went back on his decision.
She never keeps her promise. She always goes back on what she has said.
It‟s likely that he will go back on his word.
Go before
to happen at an earlier time; to be presented for discussion

My application has just gone before others.

Henry went before me and prepared everything for the presentation.
The case will go before the court tomorrow.
Go down
to move down to a lower place; to decrease; to be worse

The sun has gone down very early today.

My health has gone down recently.
The cost of living has gone down.
Go under
to sink below the surface; to be unsuccessful and stop operating

Their ship has gone under quickly. There‟s no chance that everybody will
survive.
His business is facing the risk of going under.
I‟m afraid that if she doesn‟t help, our company will go under.

Go into
to start a job; to have a crash; to examine something carefully

He has finally decided to go into teaching.

As the little boy was learning how to ride a bike, he went into a tree.
I‟ll need two days to go into your proposal. I‟ll get back to you later.

Go off
to explode; to leave a place; to suddenly make a loud noise; to stop working; to
not like someone/something any more

My alarm goes off at 6 a.m. every day.

The gun suddenly went off while he was fixing it.
The power has gone off due to the fire.

Go off with
to leave your spouse or partner and start a relationship with someone else; to
take away

I can‟t go off with my wife‟s best friend.

I hate him. He has gone off with my student.
That strange man has gone off with my iPhone.

Go through
to examine something carefully; to be officially accepted

The new law hasn‟t gone through yet.

I‟ll go through your weekly report before the meeting.
Having gone through around 11 books, I finally found my favorite.
Go through with
to do something that you have planned, especially when it‟s unpleasant

It‟s hard to believe that he went through with the divorce.

In spite of her parents‟ efforts to discourage him, he was determined to go
through with the wedding.
If you go through with it, we‟re done.

10 Common Phrasal Verbs with “Make”

– Meanings and Example Sentences
(Audio)
Make for
to move toward a place; to help make something happen

He finished his last words and made for the door.

Playing games doesn‟t make for a good job.
My careful consideration made for great decisions.
Make up
to invent a story or excuse; to put on make-up; to become friends again

Sorry, that was the story that I made up.

She usually spends an hour making herself up before parties.
That‟s my fault. I‟ll make it up to her.
Make up for
to do something to correct your faults

Her diligence makes up for her inexperience.

Nothing can make up for what he has done to my family.
I bought a present to make up for being late.
Make over
to legally make someone the owner of something; to change the appearance of
someone or something

This house was made over to his son.

My grandparents made their properties over to my dad.
Can you make over these old jeans?
Make out
to successfully deal with something; to touch someone in a sexual way or to have
sex with someone; to understand someone‟s characters

He can never make me out.

He struggled to make out with his new business.
He made out with his best friend last night.
Make of
to understand someone or the meaning of something

I‟m confused about what to make of her statement.

He‟s so cold. I don‟t know what to make of him.
What do you make of her speech?
Make off
to escape

The murderers made off before the police arrived.

He‟s so cold. I don‟t know what to make of him.
The kids broke my window and made off afterward.
Make out of
to create something from another thing; to interpret someone or something

They made this dog out of cartons.

They made this dog out of cartons.
What do you make out of this message?
This robot is made out of plastic and wood.
Make way
to move aside so that someone or something can pass; to make room for
something

Trees were cut down to make way for tall buildings.

They all stepped back to make way for the celebrities.
Make way, please. The ambulance is coming through.
Make toward
to move toward someone or something

He hasn‟t fully recovered from the operation. He couldn‟t even make

toward the bathroom.
She quickly made toward the gate and disappeared in the dark.
We‟d better make toward the shore.

10 Common Phrasal Verbs with “Give” –

Meanings and Example Sentences
(Audio)
Give away
to give someone something that you no longer need; to reveal a secret to someone

You can‟t give away this book. That was Grandpa‟s present for your fifth
birthday.
I hate Wendy because she gave away my secret.
What will happen if he gives away our plan?
Give up
to stop doing something

He gave up smoking three years ago.

Don‟t give up. You‟re almost there.
I promised my wife that I would give up staying out late.
Give out
to stop working; to make known to people; to give something to a group of people

My batteries gave out.

They were giving out flyers to the passengers.
The news was given out by the reporter.
Give over
to stop doing something because it‟s annoying

That‟s annoying. Give over your screaming.

Give over, Mark. I don‟t want to listen to it anymore.
I guess the rain will soon give over.
Give in
to accept that you cannot win; to hand in

There‟s no point in persuading him. He will never give in.

The police will not give in to the criminals.
Today is the deadline to give in your assignment.
Give off
to produce something such as heat, light, or a smell

Vehicles give off a large amount of smoke every day.

This air-conditioner has been broken. It has given off lots of heat.
This plant gave off a terrible smell.
Give back
to return something to its owner

Can you please give this comic back to John?

Please give it back after you use it.
Give it back. It‟s not yours.
Give it up for
to ask someone to cheer and applaud

Everybody, give it up for James Smith.

Let‟s give it up for this film star.
We gave it up for Linda when she showed up on stage.
Give onto
to have a view of or passage to something

The window gives onto the garden.

The bedroom gives onto the balcony.
The doors give onto the football pitch.
Give up on
to stop hoping or believing that someone will change

I gave up on her.
Although I know that he isn‟t loyal, I just can‟t give up on him.
Please don‟t give up on me. I‟ll do my best this time.
 Other common phrasal verbs –
Meanings and Example Sentences
(Audio)
Try on
to put on a piece of clothing to see how it looks and whether it fits

Try on this dress to see if it fits you.

I need to try on these shoes before I buy them.
She‟s in the fitting room trying on some clothing.
Think over
to consider a problem or decision carefully. If you think something over, you
consider it carefully before making a decision.

I need to think over the job offer.

Please think over your decision to marry him.
Always think it over before you speak.
Sit down
to move from a standing position to a sitting position

You can sit down at the last table.

She likes to sit down next to him.
Sit down on the bed and rest a while.
Dress up
to wear nice clothing; to wear formal clothing for an event or to wear a special
costume

It‟s important to dress up professionally for an interview.

I will dress up as Cinderella for tomorrow‟s Halloween party.
She always dresses up like a princess for school.
Tire out
to make someone feel very tired. If something tires you out, it makes you
exhausted.

Tired out: to feel weary, exhausted; to feel drained from stress or overworking
Every time I look after her kids, they tire me out.
All that exercise really tired me out.
He looks so tired out after taking a 5-hour-long exam.
Hang up
to end a phone call; if you hang up, or you hang up the phone, you end a phone
call. If you hang up on someone to whom you are speaking on the phone, you end
the phone call suddenly and unexpectedly; to put clothing on a hook or hanger

My mom always hangs up my clothing for me.

The women hung up their coats and sat down.
She hung up on him because she was mad.
Count on/to depend on
to rely on someone; to wait for someone to help you or take care of a situation

I can always count on you to cheer me up.

I can‟t count on him to help me because he is very irresponsible.
Don‟t depend on other people‟s money; always be financially independent.
Point out
to show an idea; to let people know about an error or mistake; to show a different
perspective

Thank you for pointing out my mistakes.

You need to point out what he did wrong.
Don‟t ever point out someone‟s mistakes in public.
Figure out
to understand or solve something. If you figure out a solution to a problem or the
reason for something, you solve it or understand it.

He spent five hours figuring out how to operate this machine.

I want to figure out how to solve the Rubik‟s Cube.
I couldn‟t figure out what the teacher was talking about.
Wake up
to rise from sleeping or unconsciousness

Wake up! Rise and shine!

She usually wakes up at 6 am every day.
Don‟t wake him up. It‟s still early.

Hurry up
to be as quick as possible
Hurry up and get dressed! We are late for class.
Tell the kids to hurry up and take a bath!
Hurry up and finish eating so we can go shopping.
Lie down
the opposite of “to get up”; to move into a position in which your body is flat,
usually to sleep or rest

I like to lie down on the grass at the park.

Lie down on the sofa and rest for a while.
She lies down on her favorite chair to read a book.
Talk over
to fail to do something as quickly as required

We were getting behind in our work.

Jenny got behind on the payments for her apartment.
She‟s such a slow learner. She‟s always getting behind on her work.
Break down
broken; a machine that suddenly stops working; to divide into parts to be
analyzed

My car broke down this morning, so I couldn‟t go to work.

Let me break down the summary of the documents and make it clear for you.
The ship broke down, so everybody is stuck on the island.
Cross out
to draw a line through a mistake when you are writing

If you made a mistake in your writing, just cross it out.

She crossed out his name on the board.
Cross out the incorrect answers and write the correct ones next to them.

Come across/to run across

to encounter; to meet or find somebody/something by chance

I came across a book that I was looking for.

He came across a recruitment ad when he was reading the newspaper this
afternoon.
They came across many challenges before winning the final competition.

Stay up
to be awake

I will stay up until midnight to finish my homework.

Why are you staying up so late?
Don‟t stay up too late; it‟s not good for your health.

Rely on (upon)
to depend on someone or something

I can always rely on my brother to help me with math.

Don‟t rely on me because I can‟t help you.
Try not to rely too much on the calculator.

Show up
to appear; to be somewhere

Will you show up at work tomorrow?

Vincent hasn‟t shown up for school over the past few weeks.
I want him to show up at my birthday party.
Find out
to search for the truth; to learn by studying; to seek information about
something. We often use this phrase to gain knowledge of something, or to obtain
knowledge about someone‟s activities, especially dishonest ones.

I want to find out the truth.

You need to find out who took your money.
The investigators want to find out the thief‟s true identity.
Drop out of
to quit

Lilly dropped out of school when she was 16.

There are billionaires who dropped out of high school.
My mom would never let me drop out of the competition.
Drop by/in
to stop by; to make a quick visit

I‟m just dropping by to say hi.

Drop by and have lunch with me.
I might drop by her house today.
Believe in
to have faith in something; to trust someone

Do you believe in fairy tales?

I believe in love.
You must always believe in yourself.
Cheer up
to try to be happy; to do something funny to make someone happy

I want to cheer her up.

It‟s nice to cheer up someone when they‟re sad.
She likes to cheer up people.
Fade away
when something becomes blurry; when memories become unclear

Memories will eventually fade away.

The ink on the paper will fade away after a year.
I don‟t want our memories to fade away.
Sell out
to sell all of something so that nothing remains

This product is sold out.

All the supply is sold out today.
I want to sell out all my properties and move away.
Save up
to put money aside; to not spend money

I need to save up for a trip.

He is saving up to buy a house.
Parents always save up for their kids.
Check out
to pay for services before leaving; to look at something

Remember to check out and leave a tip before you leave.

Let‟s go check out the new fashion stores.
Do you want to check out the food at that restaurant?
Show off
to be pretentious about one‟s status or abilities
He likes to show off his dancing skills.
She always shows off her luxurious lifestyle.
Truly intelligent people never show off.
Work out
to train the body by physical exercise; to develop in a successful way; to find the
answer to something

We should work out to keep fit and stay healthy.

That method didn‟t work out.
It‟s time to work out the solutions to that problem.
Call off
to cancel something

Please, can I call off the deal?

They‟ve called off the meeting.
The football match was called off because of the heavy rain.
Mess up
to spoil something or do something badly; to make something dirty or untidy

She messed up her hair after the fight.

The fact that you messed up really affects the whole project.
Don‟t mess things up. You have to pay back for what you‟ve done to me.
Narrow down
to reduce the number of possibilities or choices

We‟ve narrowed down the topic to make it easier for the presenters.
The list of candidates was narrowed down yesterday.
After the meeting, we‟d like to narrow down the target market.
Rip off
to cheat somebody by making them pay too much, by selling them something of
poor quality, etc.

Local car drivers are ripping off the tourists.

He‟s been ripped off by the flower seller.
Be careful; you may get ripped off.
Lay off
to stop using or doing something; to end someone‟s employment, especially
temporarily
You should lay off smoking for health reasons.
Many workers have been laid off.
She has to lay off the medication for another health check.
Follow up
to add to something you have just done by doing something else

The lawyer must follow up on this case.

They‟ve had serious complaints from customers, but they never followed up on
them.
Following up the presentation, I have a question related to your business
strategy.
Rule out
to state that something is not possible or that somebody/something is not
suitable

His suggestion has been ruled out, as it isn‟t applicable.

The possibility that the woman had been kidnapped was ruled out.
The doctor has ruled out the possibility that he has cancer.

English
Expressions
Greetings in English – Greeting words
and expressions to say Hello
How do you say Hello in English? Besides some simple greeting words such as
“Hello” or “Hi”, there are many different ways to say hello to someone in English.
Here are some common greeting expressions that you can use when you meet
someone.

General greetings (Formal)

Hello
Good morning/ Good afternoon/ Good evening
How are you?
How are you doing?
Nice to meet you
It‟s nice to meet you
I‟m pleased to meet you.
It‟s a pleasure to meet you.
I‟m glad to see you.
How do you do?
General greetings (Informal)
Hi
Hey
What‟s up?
How‟s it going?
How have you been?
What‟s new?
What‟s going on?
How are things?
How‟s your day?
How‟s your day going?
Good to see you.
Greeting someone you haven’t seen for a long time.
Long time no see.
It‟s been a while.
It‟s been a long time.
It‟s been such a long time.
It‟s been too long.
I‟m so happy to see you again.
Wow, it‟s so good to see you again!
What have you been up to?
Useful responses when greeting people
I‟m doing very well, thank you. And you?
I‟m fine, thank you.
Great, thanks. How are you?
Not bad. You?
Couldn‟t be better? How about you?
Wonderful, thank you.

How to say goodbye in English

How do you say goodbye? Do you know that there are many different ways to say
goodbye in English? Discover some common Goodbye phrases and expressions as
below.

Different ways to say goodbye in English.

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Goodbye
Bye
Bye for now!
See you!
See you soon!
See you later!
Talk to you later!
Catch up with you later.
I hope to see you soon.
See you next time.
I‟m looking forward to seeing you soon.
It was nice meeting you.
It‟s been really nice knowing you.
It has been a pleasure, we‟ll speak soon.
It was really great to see you, catch you later.
All the best, bye.
Take care!
Stay in touch.
I‟m really going to miss you.
How to say sorry in English
There are many different ways to say sorry in English. Discover some of the most
common phrases and expressions to express your apologies as below.

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Apologies Expressions
I‟m sorry…
I‟m so sorry…
I‟m very sorry…
I‟m terribly sorry…
Sorry, I didn‟t mean to do that.
Sorry about that.
Can you forgive me?
I apologize for…
Please forgive me.
I owe you an apology.
You can blame me for this.
How should I apologize to you?
I beg your pardon.
Sorry, it‟s my fault.
Sorry for keeping you waiting.
Sorry, I‟m late!
To accept an apology, you can use these sentences and expressions:
That‟s all right!
Don‟t worry about it.
Forget it!
No problem.
Never mind. It doesn‟t really matter.
No big thing.
It‟s not your fault.
Please don‟t blame yourself.
Think nothing of it.
Self Introduction – Different ways to
introduce “myself” (and others) in
English
There are many different ways to introduce yourself and other people in English.
Here are some common phrases and expressions often used:

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Introducing yourself
Hello. My name is …
Hi. I‟m …
Nice to meet you. I‟m …
Pleased to meet you. I‟m …
It‟s a pleasure to see you. I‟m…
May I introduce myself? I‟m…
How do you do? My name is…
Let me introduce myself. I‟m …
I‟d like to introduce myself. I‟m …
Introducing others:
John, I’d like to introduce you to Mary.
John, please meet Mary.
John, I’d like you to meet Mary.
John, have you met Mary?
John, let me introduce you to Mary.
John, this is Mary. Mary, this is John.
Useful responses when introducing yourself or other people:
Nice to meet you.
I‟m pleased to meet you.
It‟s a pleasure to meet you.
Glad to meet you.
How do you do?

Thank You Phrases and Expressions in

English
Do you know how to say “thank you” in English? Besides some simple
expressions such as “Thank you” or “Thanks”, there are many different ways to
say thank you in English as well.
Below are some useful thank you phrases to show your gratitude and
appreciation to someone for something they have done for you.

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Express thanks and gratitude:

Thank you.
Thanks.
Thank you very much.
Thanks a lot!
Many thanks.
Sincerely thanks.
Thank you so much!
Thanks a million for your help.
I really appreciate your help.
You are so kind.
I don‟t know how to express my thanks.
There are no words to show my appreciation!
What you‟ve done means a lot to me.
That‟s so kind of you.
You‟ve made my day.
I owe you a great deal
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything.
How can I ever possibly thank you?
Useful Responses:
You‟re welcome!
It was my pleasure.
My pleasure.
Don‟t mention it.
Forget it.
No big deal.
It‟s was nothing.
Think nothing of it.
I‟m glad that I can help you.
Talking About Time
Here are some common sentences and expressions you can use when talking
about time in English:
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What time is it?

What‟s the time?
Could you tell me the time?
Do you know what time it is?
How long have you been waiting?
Do you have free time this afternoon?
What time can we meet?
What should we do to kill time?
It‟s ten o‟clock.
It‟s midnight.
It‟s 6 A.M now.
See you at 8 P.M.
I can‟t tell you exactly what time we will arrive.
It‟s too late now.
My watch is stopped.
My watch is slow.
Don‟t waste your time doing nothing.
I didn‟t think it was so late.
We have plenty of time.
Give me a little more time.
It‟s time to leave.
It‟s almost time to go home.
Time went by so fast.
The supermarket opens at 9 a.m.
The class starts at 8 in the morning.

Do you speak English?

Below are some useful sentences you can use when talking about English:
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Can you speak English?
How long have you been learning English?
Could you speak up a little, please?
Could you please say that again?
Could you please repeat that?
Would you mind spelling that for me?
How do you pronounce this word?
What do you mean by this?
I‟m sorry, what do you mean?
What is this thing called in English?
How many languages can you speak?
I speak a little English.
I can speak English very well.
Your English is excellent.
I wish I could speak English fluently like you.
Please speak slowly.
Please repeat what you said.
I‟m afraid to speak English.
Sorry, my English is not quite good.
How often do you speak English?
I can read English very well, but I can‟t speak.
I would like to improve my English speaking.
You have good pronunciation.

Giving Compliments in English

Here are some common phrases and expressions you can you use for giving and
receiving compliments in English:
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Giving Compliments:
Good job!
Well done!
Fantastic!
Perfect!
That‟s great!
Nice work!
Excellent!
That‟s really remarkable.
Good grades!
What a nice dress!
You look great.
This dish is delicious.
You look very good in that suit.
This tie looks nice on you.
You have a nice voice.
You look very handsome.
I like your haircut.
What a beautiful house!
What a nice apartment!
I really must express my admiration for your speech.
Receiving compliments:
How kind of you to say so.
It‟s nice of you to say so.
It‟s very kind of you to say that.
Really? I‟m not sure about that, actually.
Thank you.
Thanks a lot.
I‟m glad you like it.
It was nothing really.
I‟m delighted to hear that.
Thanks for your compliment.

Making Complaints in English – How to

Complain in English
Here are some common phrases and expressions you can use to make a
complaint in English:
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Making a complaint
I‟m sorry to say this but…
I hate to tell you but…
I‟m angry about…
I have a complaint to make…
There seems to be a problem with…
I‟m afraid there is a slight problem with…
Sorry to bother you but…
I‟m not satisfied with…
Wouldn‟t be a good idea to…
There appears to be something wrong with…
I was expecting… but…
Sorry to bother you but…
I want to complain about…
I‟m afraid I‟ve got a complaint about…
I have to make a complaint about…
I don‟t understand why…
Excuse me but there is a problem…
Would you mind…?
Accepting a complaint
I‟m so sorry, but this will never happen again.
I‟m sorry, we promise never to make the same mistake again.
I can‟t tell you how sorry I am.
I wish I never happened.
Rejecting a complaint
Sorry, there is nothing we can do about it.
Sorry but it‟s not our fault.
I‟m afraid there isn‟t much we can do about it.

Expressing Likes and Dislikes in English

If you want to express Likes and Dislikes in English, you can use these common
phrases and expressions:
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Expressing Likes:
I like…
I love…
I enjoy…
I adore…
I „m crazy about…
I‟m mad about…
I‟m keen on…

Examples:
I like dogs.
I love cooking.
I enjoy playing football.
I’m crazy about pizza.
I’m fond of rock music.
Do you like tennis? Yes, I do.

Expressing dislikes:
I don‟t like…
I dislike…
I hate…
I can‟t bear…
I can‟t stand…

Examples:
I don’t like him.
I can’t stand these people.
I can’t stand this smell.
I don’t like washing dishes.
I hate going to the dentist.

Expressing Certainty and Uncertainty in

English
If you are sure or not sure about something, you can use below phrases and
expressions to express your Certainty/Uncertainty.
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Asking for Certainty:

Are you sure?
Are you sure about it?
Are you certain about it?
Do you think it is true?
Do you think so?
How sure are you?
Expressing Certainty:
Yes, I am certain.
I‟m a hundred percent certain …
I‟m absolutely sure.
I have no doubt about it.
I‟m sure about it.
I don‟t think there can be any doubt about ….
Of course.
I‟m positive.
I‟m quite sure about it.
I‟m no doubt about it.
I‟m absolutely certain that…
Expressing Uncertainty:
I‟m not sure about it.
I doubt it.
I‟m not really sure about…
I don‟t know for sure…
It‟s very unlikely.
I have my own doubts.
I don‟t think so.
I don‟t believe this is true.
There‟s some doubt in my mind that …
I‟m not a hundred percent sure.
I don‟t know yet.

Making Invitations in English –

Different Ways To Invite Someone
Here are some common expressions you can use when making or responding to
invitations in English.
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Making invitations:
Do you feel like going for a walk?
Do you want to go to the movies tonight?
Would you like to play cards?
Would you like a cup of coffee?
What about a cup of tea?
I would like you to have lunch with us tomorrow.
Would you be interested in going to the movies tonight?
Why don’t you have lunch with me tomorrow?
How about joining me for a walk?
I invite you to have breakfast with me tomorrow morning.
Accepting an Invitation:
Thank you for your kind invitation.
I‟d love to, thanks.
I‟ll be glad to do so.
Thanks, I‟d like that very much.
That‟s a great idea.
Thanks for inviting me to dinner.
It‟s very nice of you.
Many thanks for your kind invitation. I‟ll join you.
Sure. Thank you.
With pleasure!
Refusing an Invitation:
I‟m sorry to refuse your invitation.
I can‟t, sorry. I have to work.
Thanks for your invitation but I‟m busy now.
I’m afraid I won’t be able to come.
I’m afraid I am busy tomorrow.
Sorry, I’d love to but I have an appointment.
I really don‟t think I can, sorry.
That‟s very kind of you, but I can‟t accept your invitation.

Making Requests in English

You can use below phrases and expressions when asking someone to do
something for you.
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Making requests:
Will/Would/Can/Could you please…
Do you mind…?
Do you think you could…?
Do you think it would be possible to…?
Would it be possible for you to…?
Would there be any possibility of…
Would you be kind enough to…?
Would you mind…?
Can/could you… for me, please?
Could you possibly…
I‟d appreciate it if you could…
Can/Could I ask you to…?
You couldn‟t… could you?

Examples:
Can you give me the book?
Could you please take off your raincoat?
Could you please take me to the dentist?
Would you mind opening the window for me, please?
Would you be kind enough to repair my computer?
Do you think you could take me to the supermarket?
Could I ask you to take me home?
Can you tell me what happened?
Would you come to my birthday party?
Would it be possible for you to come here at 8 A.M?
Accepting Requests:
Sure, I‟d be glad to…
I‟d be happy to …
Sure. Just a moment.
No problem.
Of course
Certainly.
All right.
Refusing Requests:
I‟m sorry, I can‟t.
I‟m sorry, but …
I‟d loved to, but …
Sorry to say that …
It sounds great, but …

Making Offers in English

If you want to offer something or to do something for another person in English,
you can use below phrases and expressions:
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Making Offers:
Can I…?
Shall I…?
Would you like me to…(do something)?
Would you like…(something)?
Do you want me to…(do something)?
Do you want…(something)?
Let me…(do something)
I can…If you‟d like
I‟d be happy to…(do something)
May I offer you… (something)?
I will…If you‟d like

Examples:
Would you like something to drink?
Would you like me to open the door?
Can I help you?
Can I give you a hand?
Let me help you.
Would you like me to answer the phone?
Do you want some more tea?
Do you want me to turn down the TV?
I’d happy to take you to the airport.
May I offer you a cup of coffee.
Accepting Offers:
Yes, please.
Yes, I‟d love to.
Yes. That would be great.
Yes please, that would be lovely.
Yes, If you wouldn‟t mind.
That‟s very kind of you.
That sounds nice.
Thank you. I‟d like to.
Refusing Offers:
No, thanks.
It‟s Ok. I can do it myself.
Thank you for your kindness but I can do it myself.
Don‟t worry. I can do it.

Making Suggestions and Giving Advice

in English
Here are some common phrases and expressions you can use when making
suggestions and giving advice in English:
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Making suggestions and giving advice:
You should try to learn English everyday.
I think you should go home early.
Why don’t you join an English club?
You’d better wake up early.
Let’s have dinner together.
What about having a cup of coffee with me?
How about going to the cinema?
Don’t you think it would be a good idea to have a picnic this Sunday.
If I were you, I’d call her.
I suggest that you take a nap.
You may want to try on this T-shirt.
Perhaps you could take an umbrella with you.
I strongly advise you to do more work out.
I recommend that you get some rest.
It’s better for you to sleep a little more.

Accepting Suggestions:
Thanks, I‟ll do it.
It sounds good.
That sounds like a good idea.
Thanks. It‟s a good suggestion.
I think you‟re right.
Why didn‟t I think of that?

Refusing suggestions:
No, I‟d rather not.
I don‟t think so.
I don‟t feel like it.
No, I don‟t this it‟s a good idea.
What a bad idea!

Expressing Sympathy in English

Below are some common phrases and expressions you can use to show your
sympathy to other people.
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Expressing sympathy:
That‟s too bad.
That‟s so sad.
I‟m sorry. What bad luck!
I hope things get better soon.
It would be OK soon.
I hope you feel better soon.
What a pity!
Oh, that‟s terrible.
Be patient, it would be better soon.
I can‟t tell you how sorry I am.
Oh, I am sorry to hear that .
I know how it feels.
I take my sympathy to you.
You must be very upset about it.
I sympathize with your condition.
Responding:
It‟s very kind of you.
Thank you very much.
It would be Ok, thanks.
Thanks for your sympathy.
Asking for Information in English
If you need to ask someone for information, you can use some common English
phrases and expressions as below.
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Asking for Information:

Could you tell me how to get to the bus station?
Do you know that old man?
Do you know how much is this car costs?
Do you happen to know where to buy an umbrella?
Can you tell me what the time is?
I’d like to know your name.
I’d like to know what you think about this idea.
I wonder if you could tell me why the meeting was canceled?
Do you have any idea how to use this machine?
Could you find out where she lives?
I’m looking for a book about gardening.

Guessing
Here are some common English expressions you can use when guessing.
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It looks like you‟re new here.

It looks like you don‟t know what happened.
Perhaps she knows the answer.
I’d say it‟s over 9 A.M now.
If I had to take a guess, I’d say he‟s 40.
Maybe he wants to quit his job.
Maybe it‟s going to rain.
Chances are you‟re doing it wrong
He could be right about it.
I guess you are over 30 years old.
It’s difficult to say, but I think this is the best English course.
I’m not really sure, but I think this is the last morning train.

Demanding Explanations in English.

Below are some common phrases and expressions you can use for demanding
explanations in English.
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Can you explain why you were so late?

How come it has taken you so long to reply to my email?
I don’t understand why you never finished the work on time.
Can you tell me why you didn‟t attend the meeting this morning?
Why is it that you didn‟t tell the truth?
Do you expect me to believe you did this by yourself?

Hope and Desires

There are many ways to express your hope and desires, below are some common
English phrases and expressions you can use:
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I hope to see you soon.

Let’s hope he will get better soon.
I believe things will get better.
Hopefully, it‟ll be sunny tomorrow.
I keep hoping that she will win the show.
I wish it would stop raining.
If we’re lucky, we‟ll arrive there on time.
With any luck, she will go home early tonight.
I would like to buy a new car.
I want to be a doctor.
What I really want is to have an apartment.

Asking for Opinions

Sometimes you need to ask for someone‟s opinions about something. You can use
some common phrases and expressions for asking opinions as below.
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What do you think about this problem?

What do you think of my new house?
Do you have any thoughts on that?
How do you feel about that?
What is your opinion?
Do you have any idea?
Do you have any opinion on this matter?
What’s your view?
Please tell me your opinion on this subject.
What is your opinion about that?
Can you give me your thoughts on the report?
What are your feelings about his behavior?
I’d like to hear your views on this matter.

Giving Opinions
If you need to express your opinions about someone or something, then here are
some common ways to do that.
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Expressing opinions:
I think we need to buy a house.
In my opinion, this is the best website for learning Spoken English.
I don’t think we should get a new car.
Personally, I think you‟re right.
From my point of view, she is the best student in the class.
As far as I’m concerned, this T-shirt doesn‟t suit you.
My personal view is that he is a liar.
In my point of view, this is the most beautiful island on earth.
It seems to me that we get lost.
To my mind, it‟s the right thing to do.
I personally believe we‟re in the right way.
Agreeing with an opinion:
This is absolutely right.
I couldn‟t agree more.
I completely agree with you.
I agree with this opinion.
Disagreeing with an opinion:
I don‟t agree with you.
I think you‟re wrong.
I don‟t think so.
I‟m afraid I can‟t agree with you.

Making an Appointment in English

If you want to make an appointment as well as cancel an appointment, then here
are some common phrases and expressions you can use:
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Making Appointment:
Can we meet on the 14th?
Can we meet next Friday?
Are you available on the 14th?
Are you free next week?
Let’s meet this evening.
When can I talk to you?
Can I meet you tomorrow afternoon?
How about tomorrow afternoon?
Is next Monday convenient for you?
Do you have any time available this week?
When would be a good time to meet you?
Would today evening be all right?
Can you give me an appointment on Sunday?
Accepting an appointment:
Sure. I‟ll come.
Yes, Sunday is fine.
Friday would be perfect.
I‟ll be there at that time.
Canceling/rejecting an appointment:
Sorry. I have another appointment at that time.
I‟m sorry. I can‟t come.
I‟m afraid I can‟t on the 14th.
I’m sorry, I won’t be able to make it on Sunday.
Sorry. I don‟t think I can make it.

Talking about Fear and Anxiety in

English
Here are some useful phrases and expressions you can you when talking about
your fear and anxiety.
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Are you afraid of the dark?

I’m afraid of being alone at night.
I’m scared of snakes.
I’m frightened of spiders.
I am terrified.
I get scared very easily.
I was terrified when I heard the noise outside.
I’m worried about her health.
Useful Responses:
Don‟t be afraid.
It‟s not a big deal.
It is nothing.
There is nothing to be afraid of.
Take is easy.
Calm down.

Making Promises in English

When you need to make a promise in English, you can use these common phrases
and expressions:
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Making promises:
I promise that I will finish the job on time.
I promise you that that‟s the truth.
I swear I will never leave you.
I swear I won‟t let you down.
I assure you that I will return the book tomorrow morning.
I assure you that I will be there on time.
Believe me, I won‟t make you disappointed.
Trust me, I can do it.
Useful Responses:
Thank you.
I believe you.
All right. Keep your promise.
I hope you will keep your words.
Just let the time answer it.

Admitting Mistakes in English

When you make a mistake and you want to admit it, then here are some common
phrases and expressions you can use:
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Admitting mistakes:
I have to admit that I was wrong.
I admit what I’ve done is wrong.
I shouldn‟t be like this.
Sorry. I know this was my fault.
I’m fully responsible for this matter.
I have made a mistake.
It‟s my mistakes. Forgive me.
Yes, I take the blame.
I was the one to blame.
I‟m sorry. I shouldn‟t have done that.
I never intended it that way.
Useful responses:
Don‟t mention it.
Let it go.
That‟s fine.
Just take it easy.
Don‟t do it again.
Forget it. It doesn‟t matter.
That would be okay.
Don‟t worry about it.
It‟s okay

Expressing Preferences in English

There are many ways to talk about your preferences in English. You can use some
common phrases and expressions below to express your preferences:
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Questions about preferences:

Which do you prefer, football or volleyball?
Which do you like better, tea or coffee?
Do you prefer hot coffee or ice coffee?
Would you prefer to go for a walk or see a movie?
Would you rather have dinner with me?
Expressing Preferences:
I prefer tea to coffee.
I’d prefer to have some water.
I like tea better than coffee.
I prefer reading books.
I prefer jogging to running.
I’d prefer living in a city to living in the country.
I would rather go home.
I’d rather stay at home than go out.
I’d rather take a nap than go for a walk.
I’d rather play football than golf.
 Expressing Cause and Effect in English
We often use some words and expressions such as because, since, due to, as,
thanks to, therefore, so to talk about cause and effect.
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I help you because I like you.

I study hard because I want to pass the exam.
We have to go home since we have no idea where to go next.
You need to hurry up since it‟s very late now.
I can‟t go out as it‟s raining.
I can‟t run fast as I‟m too fat.
I love you, so I will do everything to make you happy.
I didn‟t eat anything, so I‟m very hungry now.
We had to cancel the picnic because of bad weather.
I did it because of you.
The flight was canceled due to the storm.
I came home late due to the traffic jam.
He didn‟t work hard. As a result, he was fired.
I was busy this evening. Therefore, I couldn‟t come to your party.
Thanks to his hard work, he got a raise.

Talking About Feelings in English

To ask someone about their feelings or express your feelings, you can use
following English phrases and expressions:
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Asking about Feelings:

How are you feeling?
Are you Ok?
Is everything alright?
What‟s wrong?
What‟s the matter?
Do you want to talk about it?
Expressing Feelings:
I‟m very happy right now.
I don‟t think I can be any happier right now.
I feel a little sad.
It‟s been a difficult day.
He made her very angry.
I „ve been in a bad mood all day.
I‟m mad at his behavior.
I feel very depressed today.
You seem a little blue today.
I‟ve got a headache and I feel terrible.

Making and Answering A Phone Call in

English
Here are some useful phrases and expressions for making and answering a phone
call:
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Can I speak to John, please?

I’d like to speak to John.
I‟ll put you through. Hold the line, please.
I‟ll connect you now.
I‟m sorry, he‟s on another call
I‟m sorry, he‟s not available at the moment.
Please call back later.
Could you ask him to call me?
Would you like to leave a message?
Who‟s speaking?
Who‟s calling, please?
Could I ask who‟s calling?
Can I have your name, please?
Who am I talking to?
It’s Mary speaking.
Is it convenient to talk at the moment?
Sorry, you must have the wrong number.
Sorry. I think you‟ve dialed the wrong number.
Hang on for a moment.
I‟m about to run out of credit.
What number can I reach you at?
Who do you want to talk to?
Hold the line, please.
I‟ve got a very weak signal.
Can you hear me OK?
Could you please speak up?
Sorry. I didn‟t catch that. Could you say it again, please?

Making Friends in English

Below are some common sentences and expressions you can use when you meet
new people and you want to make friends with them.
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It‟s nice to meet you.

What‟s your name?
I‟m John.
I‟m sorry, I didn‟t catch your name.
Where are you from?
I‟m from the U.S.
What brings you here?
I‟m on holiday.
What‟s your phone number?
Could I take your phone number?
May I have your address?
Are you on Facebook?
Who do you live with?
I live on my own.
I live with my friends.
How old are you?
I‟m 30.
When‟s your birthday?
It‟s 16th June.
Asking and Giving Directions in English
Here are some useful phrases and expressions you can use to ask people when
you need to go somewhere or you are lost.
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Asking directions
Excuse me, do you know where the bookstore is?
How can I get to the train station from here?
Excuse me, could you tell me how to get to the bus station?
Can you show me the way to the post office?
Excuse me, where is the hospital?
Can you show me on the map?
What’s the best way to get to the airport?
What’s the fastest way to the airport?
How far is it to the stadium from here?
What street is this?
Is this the way to the police station?
Is there a supermarket near here?
Can you give me directions to the gas station?

Talking About Jobs and Occupations

Here are some common sentences and expressions you can use when talking
about jobs and occupations in English:
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What do you do?

What do you do for a living?
I‟ve got a part-time job.
Where do you work?
I work from home.
I work in a factory.
What is your occupation?
I work as a doctor.
I‟m looking for a job.
I‟m a teacher.
I‟m not working at the moment.
I‟m unemployed.
I do the paperwork.
I have my own business.
Do like your job?

Expressions for Agreeing and

Disagreeing in English
Here are some common phrases and expressions you can use to express your
agreement or disagreement in English.
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Agreeing:
I completely agree.
You‟re absolutely right.
I agree with you entirely.
I totally agree with you.
I couldn‟t agree more.
Exactly.
Absolutely!
You‟re right.
Me too!
I agree.
I see exactly what you mean!
That‟s exactly what I think.
There is no doubt about it.
Partly agreeing:
I agree up to a point, but …
That‟s partly true, but …
That may be true, but…
I see your point, but …
I guess so, but…
That seems obvious, but…
I‟m not so sure about that.
Disagreeing:
I don‟t agree!
I don‟t agree with you.
I totally disagree!
I‟m sorry, but I disagree.
Absolutely not!
I‟m afraid I can‟t agree with you.
That‟s not right!
That‟s not always true.
I don‟t think so.
No, that‟s not true.
No way!
Checking for Understanding and Asking
for Clarification in English
Here are some common phrases and expressions you can use to express your lack
of understanding and ask for clarification in English.
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Checking for Understanding:

Do you understand?
Are you following me?
Do you understand what I mean?
Do you understand what I‟m saying?
Any questions?
Got it?
Expressing lack of understanding:
I don‟t get it.
Sorry, I didn‟t get your point.
What do you mean?
I‟m not sure I got your point.
I beg your pardon, but I don‟t quite understand.
I don‟t quite follow you.
I‟m sorry. I don‟t understand what you mean.
Sorry, I didn‟t quite hear what you said.
Asking for clarification:
Could you clarify that, please?
Could you explain that, please?
What do you mean by that?
Could you say that again, please?
Could you repeat, please?
Could you put it differently, please?
Clarifying:
Sorry, let me explain…
Let me clarify it for you…
To put it differently…
Let me put it in another way…
Showing Understanding:
I see.
I understand.
I got it.
Ok, I got what you mean.
I understand what you mean.

Expressing Regret in English

Below are some useful expressions and structures to use when you want to express your
regret about something that you did or did not do.

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I wish/If only + Past perfect

I wish I had come to your party!
I wish I had worked harder.
If only I hadn’t eaten so much.
If only I had driven more carefully.
I should have (not) + Past Participle
I should have come to your party.
I should have worked harder.
I shouldn’t have eaten so much.
I should have driven more carefully.
I regret +Noun/V-ing
I regret not coming to your party.
I regret not working harder.
I regret eating so much.
I regret leaving you alone.
I regret the things I didn’t do when I had the chance.

Congratulations and Best Wishes in

English
Here are some common phrases and expressions you can use to express
congratulations and best wishes in English.
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Expressing Congratulations:
Congratulations!
Great!
Well done!
Please accept my warmest congratulations…
Let me offer you my congratulations.
I‟d like to congratulate you on …
Let me congratulate you on. ..
Congratulations on your promotion!
Congratulations on your graduation!
Congratulations! You deserve it!
That was excellent. Congratulations!
Good wishes:
Best wishes!
Best wishes on your new job!
Best of luck!
Good luck to you!
All the best…
Wish you a happy married life.
Useful Responses:
Thanks.
Thanks so much.
Thanks a million.
Thanks a lot.
Thank you for your kindness.
It‟s very kind of you.
It‟s very nice of you.
Thanks for your support.
Thanks for your kind words.

Expressing Obligation in English

Here are some common expressions you can use for expressing Obligation in
English.
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Asking whether you or others have an obligation to do or not:

Do I have to do it now?
Do I need to leave her a message?
Must I accept the request?
I don’t have to attend the meeting, do I?
Do you have to get to the office so early?
Are you expected to finish the job by tomorrow?
Must you work so hard?
Is it necessary for me to go with them?
Expressing obligation:
I must tell them the true.
I must do everything I can to help you.
I have to send the report today.
I have to be there by tomorrow.
I have to go now.
I’ll have to pick her up from the airport.
It is necessary that you follow this guideline.
I can’t refuse to do that.
I can’t avoid it.
It is my responsibility to clear the table.
It’s my duty to do it.
I have no other choice.

Expressing Indifference in English

If you have no interest or concern about something, you can use below phrases
and expressions to express your indifference:
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Who cares!
I don‟t care!
I don‟t mind.
I don‟t mind whatever you do.
It makes no difference to me.
Do what you like. I don‟t care.
It doesn‟t matter to me.
So what?
It‟s all the same to me.
Why should I care?
It‟s your decision.
I wouldn‟t mind.
Do as you like.
Whatever you want.
You can say whatever you like.
I couldn‟t care less.

Interrupting People in English

In a conversation, sometimes you need to interrupt another person who is
speaking to disagree with their point or to ask for clarification. Below are some
useful phrases and expressions for interrupting people politely in English.
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Excuse me for interrupting, but…

Sorry for interrupting but….
May I interrupt for a minute?
May I say something here?
Can I stop you there for a moment?
Just a moment, I‟d like to….
Sorry, Could I just mention that…
I don‟t mean to intrude, but . . .
May I have a word?
Excuse me, but…
Do you mind if I interrupt you?
Sorry, I didn‟t catch that, is it possible to repeat the last point?
While that is an important point, it‟s also important to add…
If you don‟t mind, I‟d like to mention something.
Sorry to butt in, but may I just ask…
Before we move on to the next point, may I add…?
Before you move on, I‟d like to say something.
Do you mind if I jump in here?
If I could just come in here. I think….
Can I just add something here?

Talking About Health and Illness in

English
Here are some common sentences and expressions that you can use when talking
about health and illness.
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Asking about health:

What‟s the problem?
What are your symptoms?
How are you feeling today?
Are you feeling any better?
Do you have any allergies?
How long have you been feeling like this?
Do you have any medicine to take?
Talking about general illness:
I‟ve got a slight headache.
I‟ve got a sore throat.
I have a high blood pressure.
I have pain in my back.
I‟m in a lot of pain.
My head is spinning.
I‟m having difficulty breathing.
I have a stomach ache.
I‟m not sleeping very well at the moment.
I‟m not feeling very well.

Expressing Ability in English

You can you Can/Could, Be able to for expressing ability in English. Here are
some examples:
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Asking about ability:

Can you lift this table?
Can you speak English?
Can you help me?
Can you play the piano?
Will you able to come to my birthday party this weekend?
Are you able to go out with me tonight?
Expressing ability:
I can speak 5 languages.
I can swim 2 kilometers.
I can’t help you.
I won’t be able to come to your birthday party.
I will be able to see you next week.
When I finish this course, I will be able to find a good job.
When I was a child I could play football very well.
I was not able to visit him yesterday.

Giving Good News in English

Here are some useful phrases and expressions for giving good news in English.
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Giving good news:

I‟ve got some good news for you…
I‟ve got a bit of good news for you…
I‟m really pleased to tell you…
I‟m really happy to inform you that…
I have some amazing news for you…
Are you ready for this? I‟ve got some great news for you….
I‟m so excited to tell you that …
Responding to good news:
I‟m so glad to hear that!
That‟s great!
Sounds great!
That‟s wonderful!
Incredible!
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing.
Really? Are you serious?
I can‟t believe that!

Giving Bad News in English

In case you have to give bad news to someone, you can use the following English
phrases and expressions:
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Giving bad news:

I‟m afraid I‟ve got some bad news for you…
I‟m so sorry but…
I‟m sorry to have to tell you that …
I know this isn‟t what you want to hear but…
I‟m afraid to inform you of …
It is my unfortunate duty to tell you that …
I really feel bad to have to say this, but …
I really don‟t know how to say it, but …
Responding to bad news:
I‟m sorry to hear that…
You must be feeling terrible …
That‟s awful!
Too bad!
Poor you!
Please, accept my deepest sympathy.
Anytime you need to talk, just call me …
If there‟s anything I can do, just let me know…

Expressing Disapointment in English

Here are some useful phrases and expressions you can use to show your
disappointment:
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That‟s too bad.

How disappointing!
That‟s so disappointing!
Oh no, what a shame!
It‟s a great shame.
It‟s a little bit disappointing, isn‟t it!
It didn‟t live up to my expectations.
What a pity!
What a letdown!
What a bummer!
That‟s a nuisance!
I thought you could do better.
I‟ve never been so disappointed in my life.
It wasn‟t as good as I thought it would be.

Asking and Giving Instructions in

English
Here are some useful phrases and expressions you can use for asking and giving
instructions in English:
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Asking for Instructions:

How do I…?
Can you show me how to…?
Do you know how to…?
How do I go about…?
What do you suggest?
What is the first step?
What is the best way to…?
Giving instructions:
First, you…
Then, you…
Next, you…
Lastly, you…
Starting out:
The first thing you do is…
Before you begin, (you should…)
The best place to begin is…
I would start by…
Continuing:
After that,
The next step is to…
The next thing you do is…
Once you‟ve done that, then…
When you finish that, then…
Finishing:
The last step is…
The last thing you do is…
In the end,…
When you‟ve finished,…
When you‟ve completed all the steps,…

Expressing Prohibition in English

Here are some common phrases and expressions for expressing prohibition in
English:
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It is forbidden to…
You are not allowed to …
You are not permitted to…
It is prohibited to …
You must not …
You are not to…
You can‟t…
Examples:
You are not allowed to smoke in this area.
It is forbidden to swim here.
You are not to feed the animals.
It is prohibited to walk on the grass.
You must not tell anyone about it.
You must not leave the window open.
You are not permitted to be late.

Expressing Shock in English

Here are some common expressions and phrases for expressing shock in English:
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I was shocked to hear…

We‟re all in complete shock.
Who could have predicted it?
I was stunned by…
The news came as a complete shock.
That‟s the last thing I expected.
You‟re kidding!
I‟d never have guessed.
Oh, my god! Really?

Blaming and Accusing in English

Here are some common phrases to express blaming and accusing in English.

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Expressions of Blaming Someone:

It‟s your fault.
 It‟s your mistake.
I can‟t believe that you did it.
How could you do such a thing?
Are you out of your mind?
What on earth were you thinking?
I think you are the one to blame.
I think you are the one who could have done it.
Expressions of Accusing Someone:
It must have been you who did it.
I think you‟re the only person who could have done it.
You must be doing something wrong.
Accepting blaming and accusing:
I‟m sorry. It‟s my fault.
I‟m sorry for the things I‟ve done.
I‟m really sorry. I didn‟t mean to.
Sorry for my fault.
It‟s my responsibility. I‟m sorry.
You‟re right! It‟s my fault. I‟m sorry.
Refusing blaming and accusing:
It‟s not true.
It‟s not my fault.
I‟m not the one to blame.
I didn‟t do it.
You‟re wrong. It wasn‟t me.

IDIOMS
1. A Penny Saved Is A Penny Earned: Saving money is as valuable as earning money.
Example sentence: "I always try to save a portion of my salary. After all, a
penny saved is a penny earned."
2. Beyond One's Means: Spending more money than one can afford. Example
sentence: "Buying a luxury car is beyond my means right now. I need to save up
before considering it."
3. Someone's Bread And Butter: One's main source of income or livelihood. Example
sentence: "Her job as a freelance writer is her bread and butter. It provides her
with a stable income."
4. Cut One's Losses: To stop investing time, money, or effort into something that
is not successful and move on. Example sentence: "The business venture was not
profitable, so they decided to cut their losses and close it down."
5. Down-And-Out: Describing someone who is in a very difficult or desperate
situation, often financially. Example sentence: "After losing his job and being
unable to pay rent, he found himself down-and-out and homeless."
6. Dutch Treat/Go Dutch: To split the cost of something, typically a meal or an
outing, equally among the participants. Example sentence: "Let's go out for
dinner and go Dutch, so everyone pays for their own meal."
7. Money Talks: The power or influence of money in decision-making or getting
things done. Example sentence: "In the business world, money talks. Having
sufficient funds can open doors to opportunities."
8. Bring Home The Bacon: To earn a living or provide financial support for one's
family. Example sentence: "After graduating, he knew he had to find a job to
bring home the bacon and support himself."
9. At All Costs: To do everything possible to achieve or prevent something,
regardless of the effort or sacrifice required. Example sentence: "She was
determined to succeed at all costs, even if it meant working day and night."
10. To Earn A Living: To make enough money to support oneself or one's family.
Example sentence: "He worked as a carpenter to earn a living and support his
children."
11. Money Doesn't Grow On Trees: Money is not easily obtained and should be
spent wisely. Example sentence: "You can't just buy everything you want.
Remember, money doesn't grow on trees."
12. Pour Money Down The Drain: To waste money on something without any
benefit or return. Example sentence: "Investing in that business turned
out to be a mistake. We ended up pouring money down the drain."
13. Born With A Silver Spoon In Your Mouth: To be born into a wealthy or
privileged family. Example sentence: "She has never experienced financial
struggles. She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth."
14. Love At First Sight: Instant romantic attraction felt upon first seeing
someone. Example sentence: "When they met for the first time, it was
love at first sight, and they've been together ever since."
15. Match Made In Heaven: A perfect or ideal combination, particularly in a
romantic relationship. Example sentence: "They have similar interests,
values, and a deep connection. They truly are a match made in heaven."
16. To Have A Crush On Someone: To have strong romantic feelings or
infatuation for someone. Example sentence: "Ever since she joined the
team, he has had a crush on her and can't stop thinking about her."
17. To Love With All Your Heart And Soul: To love someone deeply and
passionately. Example sentence: "She loves her children with all her heart
and soul. They mean everything to her."
18. To Wear Your Heart On Your Sleeve: To openly display or express one's
emotions or feelings. Example sentence: "He's a very emotional person who
wears his heart on his sleeve. You always know how he feels."
19. To Fall Head Over Heels In Love: To fall deeply and madly in love with
someone. Example sentence: "From the moment they met, they fell head
over heels in love and couldn't imagine being apart."
20. To Tie The Knot: To get married or enter into a marital union.
Example sentence: "After years of dating, they finally decided to tie the
knot and start their life together."
21. To Be The Apple Of My Eye: To be someone's cherished or favorite
person. Example sentence: "My daughter is the apple of my eye. I love
her more than words can express."
22. On Cloud Nine: To be extremely happy or elated. Example sentence:
"After receiving the job offer, she was on cloud nine. It was a dream come
true."
23. To Make Your Day: To do something that brings joy or happiness to
someone. Example sentence: "Thank you for the beautiful flowers. They
really made my day."
24. Not The End Of The World: Not a catastrophic or irreversible
situation; not the most significant problem. Example sentence: "Don't
worry if you didn't get the job. It's not the end of the world. There will
be other opportunities."
25. Feeling Blue/To Have The Blues: To feel sad or depressed. Example
sentence: "She's been feeling blue ever since her best friend moved away."
26. Face Like A Wet Weekend: A gloomy or unhappy facial expression.
Example sentence: "He always has a face like a wet weekend. I wonder
what's bothering him."
27. Get A (Real) Kick Out Of Something: To find great enjoyment or
amusement in something. Example sentence: "He gets a real kick out of
playing practical jokes on his friends."
28. On Top Of The World: Feeling extremely happy, proud, or
successful. Example sentence: "After winning the award, she felt on top of
the world and celebrated with her loved ones."
29. In Seventh Heaven: In a state of extreme happiness or bliss.
Example sentence: "When they announced her promotion, she was in
seventh heaven."
30. Over The Moon: To be extremely delighted or thrilled about
something. Example sentence: "When he heard the good news, he was over
the moon and couldn't stop smiling."
31. Having A Whale Of A Time: To have a great or enjoyable time. Example
sentence: "We went on vacation to the beach and had a whale of a time
swimming, sunbathing, and exploring."
32. Let One's Hair Down: To relax, unwind, or behave more freely.
Example sentence: "After a long week of work, she likes to let her hair
down and have a fun night out with friends."
33. Ill At Ease: Feeling uncomfortable, anxious, or uneasy. Example
sentence: "He felt ill at ease during the job interview and struggled to
answer the questions confidently."
34. Breathe One's Last: To die or pass away. Example sentence: "After
battling a long illness, he finally breathed his last peacefully, surrounded by
loved ones."
35. Catch A Cold: To become ill with a common cold. Example sentence:
"She caught a cold after being exposed to the virus at work."
36. Fall Ill: To become sick or unwell. Example sentence: "He fell ill and
had to take a few days off from work to recover."
37. At Death's Door: In a critical condition or close to dying. Example
sentence: "After the accident, he was rushed to the hospital and was at
death's door for several days."
38. Nothing But Skin And Bones: Very thin or emaciated, with little
flesh or muscle. Example sentence: "After months of illness, she became
nothing but skin and bones."
39. Safe And Sound: Unharmed or in a secure and protected state.
Example sentence: "They arrived home safe and sound after a long
journey."
40. Get A Black Eye: To have a bruised or swollen eye due to injury or
being hit. Example sentence: "He got a black eye after accidentally walking
into a door."
41. Recharge One's Batteries: To rest and rejuvenate in order to regain energy
and vitality. Example sentence: "Taking a vacation allows me to recharge
my batteries and come back refreshed."
42. Under The Weather: Feeling slightly unwell or not in the best
physical condition. Example sentence: "I won't be able to come to the
party tonight; I'm feeling a bit under the weather."
43. You Are What You Eat: Your health and well-being are influenced
by the food you consume. Example sentence: "She believes in the saying
'you are what you eat' and follows a balanced and nutritious diet."
44. As Pale As A Ghost: Having a very pale or white complexion, often
due to fear, shock, or illness. Example sentence: "When he saw the
accident, he turned as pale as a ghost."
45. Off The Beaten Track: Away from the usual tourist routes or
mainstream locations. Example sentence: "They decided to explore the
countryside and visit off the beaten track destinations."
46. To Make Your Way Back: To return or find one's path back to a
place. Example sentence: "After getting lost in the city, he had to use a
map to make his way back to the hotel."
47. Hustle And Bustle: The busy, noisy, and energetic activity of a
crowded place. Example sentence: "I enjoy visiting big cities with their
hustle and bustle, but sometimes it's nice to escape to quieter
surroundings."
48. To Live Out Of A Suitcase: To constantly travel or not have a
permanent home, relying on a suitcase for belongings. Example sentence:
"As a traveling salesperson, he lives out of a suitcase and rarely stays in
one place for long."
49. Travel Broadens The Mind: Traveling and experiencing different
cultures and places helps to expand one's horizons and perspective.
Example sentence: "She believes that travel broadens the mind and
encourages personal growth."
50. Hit The Road: To start a journey or embark on a trip. Example
sentence: "We packed our bags and hit the road early in the morning for
our weekend getaway."
51. Break The Journey: To make a stop or take a break during a long trip.
Example sentence: "The road trip was exhausting, so we decided to break
the journey and spend the night in a hotel."
52. Have/Get/Give Someone Itchy Feet: To have a strong desire or
restlessness to travel or explore new places. Example sentence: "Seeing all
those travel photos online gives me itchy feet. I can't wait to plan my
next adventure."
53. A Thirst For Adventure: A strong desire or enthusiasm for exciting
and daring experiences. Example sentence: "He has always had a thirst for
adventure, constantly seeking new challenges and thrilling activities."
54. Get Your Feet Under The Table: To become settled and comfortable
in a new place or situation. Example sentence: "After a few weeks at the
new job, she started to get her feet under the table and feel more at
ease."
55. Go The Extra Mile: To make additional effort or go beyond what is
expected or required. Example sentence: "If you want to succeed in this
competitive industry, you have to be willing to go the extra mile."
56. Put Your Feet Up: To relax and rest, often by reclining with one's
feet elevated. Example sentence: "After a long day at work, she likes to
put her feet up and unwind with a good book."
57. Be In Someone's Good (Or Bad) Books: To be in someone's favor or
good graces, or the opposite. Example sentence: "She's been in her boss's
good books lately, receiving praise and recognition for her hard work."
58. Give Someone The Sack: To dismiss or fire someone from their job.
Example sentence: "Due to ongoing performance issues, the company
decided to give him the sack."
59. To Call It A Day: To stop working or cease an activity for the
remainder of the day. Example sentence: "We've been working on this
project for hours. Let's call it a day and continue fresh tomorrow."
60. Work Like A Dog: To work extremely hard or tirelessly. Example
sentence: "She's been working like a dog to meet the deadline for the
project."
61. All In A Day's Work: Something routine or expected as part of one's job
or responsibilities. Example sentence: "Dealing with difficult customers is
all in a day's work for customer service representatives."
62. Work Your Fingers To The Bone: To work extremely hard or exert
oneself physically or mentally. Example sentence: "As a single parent, she
works her fingers to the bone to provide for her children."
63. Lend Your Money, Lose Your Friend: Loaning money to a friend can
strain or ruin the friendship. Example sentence: "I learned the hard way
that lending your money can sometimes result in losing your friend."
64. A Friend In Need Is A Friend Indeed: A true friend is someone who
offers support and assistance during difficult times. Example sentence:
"When I was going through a tough period, she stood by me and helped
me out. A friend in need is a friend indeed."
65. To See Eye To Eye With Someone: To have the same opinion,
perspective, or agreement as someone. Example sentence: "Although they
 have different backgrounds, they see eye to eye on most issues and work
well together."
66. To Get On Like A House On Fire: To have a very friendly and
harmonious relationship with someone. Example sentence: "They met at
the party and instantly hit it off. They get on like a house on fire."
67. To Know Someone Inside Out: To be extremely familiar with
someone, including their strengths, weaknesses, and personality traits.
Example sentence: "After being married for 20 years, she knows her
husband inside out and can anticipate his every move."
68. To Speak The Same Language: To understand each other well and
have similar perspectives or views. Example sentence: "When it comes to
business decisions, they speak the same language and can quickly come to
agreements."
69. Beyond Your Wildest Dreams: Exceeding even the most imaginative
or optimistic expectations. Example sentence: "Her book became a
bestseller, achieving success beyond her wildest dreams."
70. Daydream About Someone Or Something: To fantasize or have
pleasant thoughts about someone or something while awake. Example
sentence: "She often daydreams about traveling to exotic destinations and
exploring new cultures."
71. In (One's) Dreams: Something that is unlikely or unrealistic to happen.
Example sentence: "He thinks he can become a professional athlete, but in
his dreams."
72. A Dream Come True: Something longed for or desired that has
finally happened or been achieved. Example sentence: "Winning the lottery
was a dream come true for him."
73. To Keep Someone‘s Feet On The Ground: To remind someone to
stay humble or realistic. Example sentence: "Despite his success, his friends
and family always keep his feet on the ground."
74. To Bring Someone Back Down To Earth: To make someone face
reality or come to terms with a less ideal situation. Example sentence:
"The criticism brought him back down to earth and made him reassess his
performance."
75. Broken Dreams: Hopes or aspirations that have been shattered or
unfulfilled. Example sentence: "She had to let go of her broken dreams
and find new paths to pursue."
76. Nine-To-Five Job: A regular job or working schedule that typically
runs from 9 AM to 5 PM. Example sentence: "He decided to leave his
nine-to-five job and start his own business."
77. At The Eleventh Hour: At the last possible moment or just before
a deadline. Example sentence: "He completed the assignment at the
eleventh hour, staying up all night to finish it."
78. Like Clockwork: Happening in a regular and predictable manner, often
with precision. Example sentence: "The train arrived at the platform like
clockwork, departing exactly on schedule."
79. Time Flies: The perception that time passes quickly, especially when
engaged in enjoyable activities. Example sentence: "We were having so
much fun that time flew by, and suddenly it was midnight."
80. Better Late Than Never: It's better to do something late than not
at all. Example sentence: "She finally apologized for her mistake, saying,
'Better late than never.'"
81. In The Long Run: Considering the overall or long-term effects or
outcomes. Example sentence: "Investing in education may seem expensive
now, but it pays off in the long run."
82. Beat The Clock: To accomplish something within a limited time
frame or before a deadline. Example sentence: "She managed to beat the
clock and submit her assignment just minutes before the deadline."
83. Make Up For Lost Time: To compensate for a period of inactivity
or delay by working harder or more efficiently. Example sentence: "After
being on vacation, he needed to make up for lost time and complete his
tasks quickly."
84. Take It Or Leave It: To accept or reject something as offered
without negotiation or compromise. Example sentence: "The seller offered
a fixed price for the item, saying, 'Take it or leave it.'"
85. Sit On The Fence: To remain neutral or undecided in a situation,
not taking a side or making a decision. Example sentence: "He's sitting on
the fence and hasn't voiced his opinion on the matter."
86. To Take A Back Seat: To assume a less prominent or active role in
a situation. Example sentence: "After retiring, he decided to take a back
seat and let younger colleagues take the lead."
87. A Bird In The Hand Is Worth Two In The Bush: It is better to hold
onto something you have than to risk losing it by pursuing something else.
Example sentence: "He declined a new job offer because he believed a bird
in the hand is worth two in the bush."
88. My Way Or The Highway: An expression indicating that there is no
room for negotiation or alternative options. Example sentence: "She
always wants things done her way. It's her way or the highway."
89. Weigh The Pros And Cons: To consider and evaluate the advantages
and disadvantages of a decision or situation. Example sentence: "Before
making a final decision, it's important to weigh the pros and cons."
90. To Sleep On It: To delay making a decision until the following day,
after having time to think and reflect. Example sentence: "I'm not sure
about this offer. I'll sleep on it and give you my answer tomorrow."
91. Know Someone Like The Back Of Your Hand: To be extremely familiar
with someone or something, knowing all the details. Example sentence:
"After years of friendship, she knows him like the back of her hand."
92. As Easy As Pie/A Piece Of Cake: Something that is very easy or
simple to do. Example sentence: "Cooking this recipe is as easy as pie.
You'll have no trouble making it."
93. Take It Easy: To relax, slow down, or not exert oneself too much.
Example sentence: "After a hectic week, she decided to take it easy and
spend the weekend resting."
94. To Get The Ball Rolling: To start or initiate a process or activity.
Example sentence: "Let's have a meeting to get the ball rolling on this
project."
95. Twenty-Four/Seven (24/7): Continuously, without interruption, or
available at all times. Example sentence: "Their customer support hotline
is open 24/7, so you can reach them anytime."
96. Once And For All: To settle or resolve something conclusively,
putting an end to it. Example sentence: "Let's address this issue once and
for all and find a permanent solution."
97. To Make The Best Of: To adapt to a situation and make the most
positive outcome or experience possible. Example sentence: "Even though
the weather is bad, let's make the best of our time together."
98. Day In And Day Out (Day After Day, For Longer Periods Of Time,
Year In And Year Out, Year After Year): Consistently or repeatedly over
a long period of time. Example sentence: "He works day in and day out to
support his family."
99. To Keep One's Word: To fulfill or honor a promise or commitment.
Example sentence: "He's known for always keeping his word. You can trust
him."
100. To Give (Someone) A Hand: To help or assist someone. Example
sentence: "When he saw her struggling with the heavy boxes, he offered
to give her a hand."
101. To Be In (Someone's) Shoes: To imagine oneself in someone else's
situation or circumstances. Example sentence: "Before passing judgment,
try to put yourself in his shoes and understand his perspective."
102. None Of Your Business: Something that is private or not concerning
or relevant to someone. Example sentence: "I don't think it's necessary for
you to know my personal finances. It's none of your business."
103. To Make A Mountain Out Of A Molehill: To exaggerate or overreact
to a minor or insignificant issue. Example sentence: "He's making a
mountain out of a molehill by getting so upset over a small mistake."
104. To Cry Over Spilt Milk: To be upset or regretful about something
that has already happened and cannot be changed. Example sentence:
"There's no point crying over spilt milk. We need to focus on finding a
solution now."
105. To Have Butterflies In Your Stomach: To feel nervous or anxious,
often due to anticipation or excitement. Example sentence: "Before going
on stage, she always has butterflies in her stomach."
106. To Be In Hot Water: To be in trouble or facing a difficult situation.
Example sentence: "He's in hot water with his boss after missing an
important deadline."
107. To Break The Ice: To initiate or start a conversation or interaction,
especially in a social setting. Example sentence: "To break the ice at the
party, he told a funny joke that got everyone laughing."
108. To Steal Someone's Thunder: To take attention or credit away from
someone's achievements or success. Example sentence: "She was excited to
share her good news, but her colleague stole her thunder by announcing
something even bigger."
109. To Throw In The Towel: To give up or quit, usually in a challenging
or difficult situation. Example sentence: "After struggling for years, he
decided to throw in the towel and pursue a different career path."
110. To Have A Skeleton In The Closet: To have a secret or embarrassing
past that one wants to keep hidden. Example sentence: "He's a respected
politician, but rumors suggest he may have a skeleton in the closet."
111. To Get Cold Feet: To suddenly become hesitant or nervous about
going through with something, often before a significant event. Example
sentence: "On the day of the wedding, she got cold feet and had second
thoughts about getting married."
112. To Break A Leg: A theatrical expression used to wish someone good
luck before a performance or event. Example sentence: "Before stepping on
stage, the actors wished each other 'break a leg.'"
113. To Let The Cat Out Of The Bag: To reveal a secret or information
that was meant to be kept hidden. Example sentence: "I accidentally let
the cat out of the bag and told her about the surprise party."
114. To Hit The Nail On The Head: To say or do something that is
precisely correct or accurate. Example sentence: "He hit the nail on the
head with his analysis of the situation."
115. To Burn The Midnight Oil: To work or study late into the night.
Example sentence: "He has a big exam tomorrow, so he'll be burning the
midnight oil to prepare."
116. To Keep A Straight Face: To maintain a serious or neutral facial
expression, especially when tempted to smile or laugh. Example sentence:
"Despite the funny joke, he managed to keep a straight face during the
business meeting."
117. To Go Down The Rabbit Hole: To become obsessed or engrossed in a
confusing or complex situation or topic. Example sentence: "After
researching the conspiracy theories, she went down the rabbit hole and
couldn't stop reading about them."
118. To Drive Someone Up The Wall: To annoy or irritate someone
significantly. Example sentence: "Her constant tapping of the pen drives
me up the wall during meetings."
119. To Give Someone The Benefit Of The Doubt: To believe or trust
someone's explanation or excuse, even if there are doubts or suspicions.
Example sentence: "Although I have my doubts, I'll give him the benefit of
the doubt and assume he's telling the truth."
120. To Put All Your Eggs In One Basket: To risk everything by relying
solely on one plan or opportunity. Example sentence: "Investing all your
money in one stock is risky. Don't put all your eggs in one basket."
121. To Bite The Bullet: To face a difficult or unpleasant situation with
courage and determination. Example sentence: "He knew the surgery would
be painful, but he had to bite the bullet for the sake of his health."
122. To Throw Someone Under The Bus: To betray or sacrifice someone
for personal gain or to avoid blame or punishment. Example sentence: "He
threw his colleague under the bus to save himself from getting in trouble
with the boss."
123. To Have Your Cake And Eat It Too: To want or expect to have the
benefits or advantages of two conflicting things. Example sentence: "You
can't have your cake and eat it too. You have to make a choice between
the two options."
124. To Be On Thin Ice: To be in a risky or precarious situation, often
with potential consequences. Example sentence: "After being warned
multiple times, he's on thin ice with his supervisor. Any more mistakes
could cost him his job."
125. To Burn Bridges: To damage or destroy relationships or connections,
often irreversibly. Example sentence: "By speaking rudely to the client, he
burned bridges and lost a valuable business opportunity."
126. To Take A Rain Check: To politely decline an invitation or offer,
with the intention of accepting it at a later time. Example sentence: "I
can't go to the concert tonight, but can I take a rain check and join you
next time?"
127. To Keep Up With The Joneses: To strive to maintain the same
social or material status as others, often through excessive spending or
emulation. Example sentence: "They bought a luxurious car just to keep up
with the Joneses in their neighborhood."
128. To Cut Corners: To take shortcuts or do something in an inferior or
less thorough manner to save time or money. Example sentence: "They
cut corners during the construction process, leading to structural issues in
the building."
129. To Hit The Jackpot: To achieve great success, often unexpectedly or
by luck. Example sentence: "He hit the jackpot when he won the lottery
and became an instant millionaire."
130. To Have The Last Laugh: To ultimately succeed or get revenge,
especially after being initially mocked or underestimated. Example sentence:
"Despite all the criticism, she had the last laugh when her business became
highly profitable."
131. To Get Out Of Hand: To become uncontrollable or excessively
chaotic. Example sentence: "The party got out of hand when uninvited
guests started causing trouble."
132. To Let Sleeping Dogs Lie: To avoid stirring up old conflicts or
reopening past issues. Example sentence: "They decided not to bring up
the topic again and let sleeping dogs lie."
133. To Play It By Ear: To handle a situation spontaneously or without a
definite plan, adapting as it unfolds. Example sentence: "We don't have a
strict itinerary for the trip; we'll play it by ear and see what we feel like
doing."
134. To Shake A Leg: To hurry up or move quickly. Example sentence:
"We're running late; let's shake a leg and get to the appointment on
time."
135. To Steal The Show: To attract the most attention or receive the
most praise during a performance or event. Example sentence: "The young
singer's captivating performance stole the show at the talent
competition."
136. To Stick Out Like A Sore Thumb: To be noticeably different or
stand out in a negative or conspicuous way. Example sentence: "In her
casual attire, she stuck out like a sore thumb among the formally dressed
attendees."
137. To Turn A Blind Eye: To ignore or pretend not to notice
something, often intentionally. Example sentence: "The teacher turned a
blind eye to the students cheating during the exam."
138. To Weather The Storm: To endure or overcome a difficult or
challenging situation. Example sentence: "Despite the setbacks, the
company managed to weather the storm and emerge stronger."
139. To Burn The Candle At Both Ends: To overexert oneself by working
or partying excessively, often leading to exhaustion. Example sentence:
"She's been burning the candle at both ends with her job and social life,
and it's taking a toll on her health."
140. To Have A Chip On Your Shoulder: To be easily offended or
harboring a grudge or resentment. Example sentence: "He always has a
chip on his shoulder, ready to confront anyone who disagrees with him."
141. To Have A Sweet Tooth: To have a strong liking or preference for
sweet foods. Example sentence: "She has a sweet tooth and can't resist
indulging in desserts."
142. To Take The Bull By The Horns: To confront a difficult or
challenging situation directly and assertively. Example sentence: "Instead of
 avoiding the problem, she decided to take the bull by the horns and
address it head-on."
143. To Be On Cloud Nine: To be extremely happy or elated. Example
sentence: "After receiving the job offer, she was on cloud nine for days."
144. To Let The Cat Out Of The Bag: To unintentionally reveal a secret
or surprise. Example sentence: "He accidentally let the cat out of the bag
by mentioning the surprise birthday party."
145. To Make Hay While The Sun Shines: To make the most of an
opportunity or favorable circumstances while they last. Example sentence:
"The team worked diligently to make hay while the sun shines and
complete the project ahead of schedule."
146. To Bite The Dust: To fail or be defeated, often in a dramatic or
definitive manner. Example sentence: "After struggling for years, the
company finally bit the dust and went bankrupt."
147. To Be In The Same Boat: To be in the same situation or facing the
same difficulties as others. Example sentence: "We're all experiencing
financial challenges; we're in the same boat."
148. To Have Your Hands Full: To be extremely busy or occupied with
many tasks or responsibilities. Example sentence: "As a single parent, she
has her hands full juggling work, household chores, and taking care of her
children."
149. To Turn Over A New Leaf: To start afresh or make a positive
change in one's behavior or habits. Example sentence: "After his recovery,
he decided to turn over a new leaf and live a healthier lifestyle."
150. To Cut To The Chase: To get to the main point or essential
information without wasting time on unnecessary details. Example
sentence: "Let's skip the small talk and cut to the chase. What's the
purpose of this meeting?"
151. To Give Someone The Cold Shoulder: To deliberately ignore or be
unfriendly towards someone. Example sentence: "After their argument, she
gave him the cold shoulder and refused to speak to him."
152. To Keep Your Chin Up: To remain optimistic and persevere in the
face of adversity. Example sentence: "Even though things are tough right
now, keep your chin up and believe in yourself."
153. To Spill The Beans: To reveal a secret or confidential information
unintentionally or deliberately. Example sentence: "She accidentally spilled
the beans about the surprise party to the birthday girl."
154. To Have A Green Thumb: To have a natural talent or skill in
gardening or growing plants. Example sentence: "Her garden is always
flourishing; she definitely has a green thumb."
155. To Take The Plunge: To make a significant or daring decision or
commitment. Example sentence: "After years of dating, they finally
decided to take the plunge and get married."
156. To Break The Ice: To relieve tension or awkwardness in a social
situation by initiating conversation or activities. Example sentence: "He
told a joke to break the ice and lighten the mood at the party."
157. To Go The Whole Nine Yards: To put in maximum effort or do
something to the fullest extent. Example sentence: "She went the whole
nine yards to prepare an elaborate dinner for her guests."
158. To Keep Your Head Above Water: To manage to cope with a
difficult or challenging situation. Example sentence: "With all the
responsibilities, she struggles to keep her head above water."
159. To Kill Two Birds With One Stone: To accomplish two things
simultaneously or with a single action. Example sentence: "By working out
during her lunch break, she kills two birds with one stone—exercising and
saving time."
160. To Let Sleeping Dogs Lie: To avoid interfering with a situation or
reopening past conflicts or issues. Example sentence: "They decided to let
sleeping dogs lie and not bring up the disagreement again."
161. To Read Between The Lines: To understand or find a hidden
meaning or message that is not explicitly stated. Example sentence: "Her
text message seemed casual, but I could read between the lines and sense
her disappointment."
162. To Break A Leg: An expression used to wish someone good luck,
particularly before a performance. Example sentence: "Before going on
stage, the director told the actors, 'Break a leg!'"
163. To Bite Off More Than You Can Chew: To take on more tasks or
responsibilities than one can handle. Example sentence: "She volunteered
for three projects simultaneously and ended up biting off more than she
could chew."
164. To Hit The Nail On The Head: To precisely or accurately identify or
describe something. Example sentence: "He hit the nail on the head with
his analysis of the situation."
165. To Catch Someone Red-Handed: To catch someone in the act of
doing something wrong or illegal. Example sentence: "The security cameras
caught him red-handed stealing from the store."
166. To Put Your Foot In Your Mouth: To say or do something
embarrassing or tactless. Example sentence: "He put his foot in his mouth
when he unintentionally insulted his boss."
167. To Get Off The Hook: To avoid punishment or responsibility for
something. Example sentence: "He got off the hook for his mistake when
his colleague took the blame."
168. To Face The Music: To accept the consequences of one's actions,
often in a difficult or uncomfortable situation. Example sentence: "After
being caught cheating, he had to face the music and accept the disciplinary
actions."
169. To Make Ends Meet: To have enough money to cover basic expenses
or make a living. Example sentence: "With her low-paying job, she
struggles to make ends meet."
170. To Go Back To The Drawing Board: To start over or reevaluate a
plan or idea because the current one is not working. Example sentence:
"The project failed, so they had to go back to the drawing board and
come up with a new strategy."
171. To Cut The Mustard: To meet expectations or perform
satisfactorily. Example sentence: "She proved that she can cut the
mustard by successfully completing the challenging task."
172. To Have Your Cake And Eat It Too: To desire or expect to have
the benefits or advantages of two conflicting things. Example sentence:
"You can't party every night and expect to excel at work. You can't have
your cake and eat it too."
173. To Play Devil's Advocate: To argue against a prevailing opinion or
viewpoint for the sake of generating discussion or considering alternative
perspectives. Example sentence: "Although I agree with the majority, I'll
play devil's advocate and present a different viewpoint."
174. To Rain On Someone's Parade: To spoil or ruin someone's plans or
mood. Example sentence: "She was excited about her promotion, but her
coworker's negative comments rained on her parade."
175. To Dance To Someone's Tune: To do what someone else wants or to
be under someone else's control or influence. Example sentence: "He always
dances to his boss's tune, following instructions without question."
176. To Leave No Stone Unturned: To make every effort or search
thoroughly in order to find or achieve something. Example sentence: "They
left no stone unturned in their investigation, searching every possible
lead."
177. To Hit Below The Belt: To act unfairly or inappropriately, often by
attacking someone's weak points or using underhanded tactics. Example
sentence: "Bringing up her personal issues during an argument was hitting
below the belt."
178. To Steal The Show: To attract the most attention or admiration,
often by outshining others. Example sentence: "Her energetic dance
performance stole the show at the talent competition."
179. To Play It Cool: To remain calm and composed, especially in a
challenging or tense situation. Example sentence: "Even though he was
nervous, he tried to play it cool during the job interview."
180. To Cry Over Spilt Milk: To express regret or sadness over something
that has already happened and cannot be changed. Example sentence:
"There's no use crying over spilt milk. Let's focus on finding a solution
instead."
181. To Keep Your Eyes Peeled: To stay alert and watchful, often in
order to notice something important or significant. Example sentence:
"Keep your eyes peeled for any suspicious activity in the area."
182. To Be On Cloud Nine: To be extremely happy or euphoric. Example
sentence: "After receiving the award, she was on cloud nine for days."
183. To Cut To The Chase: To get straight to the point or focus on the
most important aspect. Example sentence: "Let's cut to the chase and
discuss the key issues without further delay."
184. To Hit The Jackpot: To achieve a great success or outcome, often
unexpectedly or through luck. Example sentence: "She hit the jackpot
when her business idea became wildly popular."
185. To Take The Bull By The Horns: To confront a difficult or
challenging situation directly and assertively. Example sentence: "Rather
than avoiding the issue, she decided to take the bull by the horns and
address it."
186. To Have A Sweet Tooth: To have a strong liking or preference for
sweet foods. Example sentence: "She has a sweet tooth and can't resist
indulging in desserts."
187. To Be In The Same Boat: To be in the same situation or facing the
same difficulties as others. Example sentence: "We're all struggling
financially; we're in the same boat."
188. To Keep Your Head Above Water: To manage to cope with a
difficult or challenging situation. Example sentence: "With all the
responsibilities, it's a constant struggle to keep her head above water."
189. To Break New Ground: To do something innovative or pioneering,
often by exploring uncharted territory. Example sentence: "Their research
team broke new ground in the field of renewable energy."
190. To Burn Bridges: To damage or destroy relationships or connections,
often irreversibly. Example sentence: "By betraying her colleagues, she
burned bridges and lost their trust."
191. To Fish Out Of Water: To feel uncomfortable or out of place in a
new or unfamiliar environment. Example sentence: "Growing up in a small
 town, she felt like a fish out of water when she moved to the bustling
city."
192. To Let Sleeping Dogs Lie: To avoid stirring up old conflicts or
reopening past issues. Example sentence: "It's best to let sleeping dogs lie
and not bring up their previous argument."
193. To Go The Extra Mile: To put in additional effort or go beyond
what is expected or required. Example sentence: "She always goes the
extra mile to ensure customer satisfaction."
194. To Have A Green Thumb: To have a natural talent or skill in
gardening or growing plants. Example sentence: "Her garden flourishes
because she has a green thumb."
195. To Bite The Bullet: To face a difficult or unpleasant situation with
courage and determination. Example sentence: "He had to bite the bullet
and confess his mistake to his boss."
196. To Be In Hot Water: To be in trouble or facing a difficult situation.
Example sentence: "After losing the company's important documents, he
found himself in hot water with his supervisor."
197. To Have Your Head In The Clouds: To be daydreaming or not paying
attention to reality. Example sentence: "She often has her head in the
clouds and forgets to complete her tasks."
198. To Kill Two Birds With One Stone: To accomplish two things
simultaneously or with a single action. Example sentence: "By going to the
grocery store on her way home, she killed two birds with one stone."
199. To Make Waves: To cause a disruption or create a significant
impact, often by challenging the status quo. Example sentence: "His
unconventional ideas made waves in the industry and sparked a debate.

200. Turn over a new leaf"

Meaning: To make a fresh start or change one's behavior for the better.
Example: After years of procrastination, Jack decided to turn over a new
leaf and started working diligently on his goals.
 Phrase List
1. Are you sure…?
 Meaning: Asking for confirmation or questioning someone's certainty.
 Dialogue: Person A: Are you sure this is the right way? Person B:
Yes, I'm sure. I've been here before.
2. Are you used to?
 Meaning: Inquiring about someone's level of familiarity or comfort
with a particular situation.
 Dialogue: Person A: How are you finding the new job? Person B: It's
going well. I'm getting used to the routine.
3. As far as…
 Meaning: Indicating the extent or limit of something.
 Dialogue: Person A: As far as I know, the meeting is scheduled for
tomorrow. Person B: That's correct.
4. As far as… (is) (am) (are) concerned,…
 Meaning: Expressing one's opinion or perspective on a specific matter.
 Dialogue: Person A: As far as I'm concerned, we should focus on
improving customer service. Person B: I agree with you.
5. Be careful with…
 Meaning: Advising someone to exercise caution or pay attention to a
particular thing.
 Dialogue: Person A: Be careful with that glass. It's fragile. Person B:
Thanks for the warning.
6. But this doesn‘t mean that…
 Meaning: Clarifying or emphasizing a point that may be
misunderstood.
 Dialogue: Person A: She didn't win the competition, but this doesn't
mean that she's not talented. Person B: Exactly, it was just a tough
competition.
7. By the way…
 Meaning: Introducing a topic or adding information in a casual
manner.
 Dialogue: Person A: I'm going to the grocery store. By the way, do
you need anything? Person B: Actually, I need some milk, thanks for
asking.
8. Compared to…
 Meaning: Highlighting similarities or differences between two things or
situations.
 Dialogue: Person A: This restaurant is expensive compared to the one
next door. Person B: Yes, but the quality of the food is much
better here.
9. Did you use to…
 Meaning: Asking about a past habit or action that no longer occurs.
 Dialogue: Person A: Did you use to play the piano when you were
younger? Person B: Yes, I used to take lessons, but I stopped.
10. Don't ever…
 Meaning: Strongly advising against a specific action.
 Dialogue: Person A: Don't ever underestimate the importance of hard
work. Person B: I'll keep that in mind.
11. Do you agree…?
 Meaning: Seeking agreement or confirmation on a particular topic.
 Dialogue: Person A: Do you agree that we should invest in renewable
energy? Person B: Absolutely, it's crucial for a sustainable future.
12. Do you carry this in…?
 Meaning: Asking if a particular item is available in a specific location.
 Dialogue: Person A: Excuse me, do you carry this brand of shampoo
in your store? Person B: Yes, it's located in the personal care aisle.
13. Do you have… available?
 Meaning: Inquiring about the availability of a certain item or service.
 Dialogue: Person A: Do you have any tables available for dinner
tonight? Person B: Yes, we have a few tables left. Would you like to
make a reservation?
14. Do you mind…?
 Meaning: Politely asking for permission or inquiring about someone's
willingness to do something.
 Dialogue: Person A: Do you mind if I borrow your pen for a
moment? Person B: No problem, go ahead.
15. Do you feel like…?
 Meaning: Asking someone's desire or inclination to do something.
 Dialogue: Person A: Do you feel like going for a walk in the park?
Person B: That sounds nice. I'd love to.
16. Shouldn't we…?
 Meaning: Suggesting an action or questioning whether it should be
taken.
 Dialogue: Person A: Shouldn't we start preparing for the
presentation? Person B: Yes, you're right. Let's get started.
17. Have you ever…?
 Meaning: Asking if someone has had a particular experience in the
past.
 Dialogue: Person A: Have you ever travelled to Japan? Person B: No,
I haven't, but it's on my bucket list.
18. Not…until…
 Meaning: Expressing that something did not happen or will not
happen until a specific time.
 Dialogue: Person A: Did you watch the movie? Person B: No, I
haven't seen it yet. I'm planning to watch it tonight.
19. He is as… as…
 Meaning: Comparing two things or people as equal in a certain quality
or characteristic.
 Dialogue: Person A: John is as tall as his brother. Person B: Yes,
they both have the same height.
20. He is either…or…
 Meaning: Presenting two options or possibilities.
 Dialogue: Person A: Is he coming to the party? Person B: I'm not
sure. He is either busy with work or out of town.
21. He is so… that…
 Meaning: Describing an extreme or intense characteristic or behaviour
of someone.
 Dialogue: Person A: He is so dedicated to his job that he often
works late into the night. Person B: That's impressive.
22. He is not only… but also…
 Meaning: Emphasizing two qualities or characteristics of someone or
something.
 Dialogue: Person A: He is not only intelligent but also very kind.
Person B: Yes, he has a great combination of qualities.
23. Help yourself to…
 Meaning: Offering someone to freely take or use something.
 Dialogue: Person A: Help yourself to some cookies. Person B: Thank
you, they look delicious.
24. How about…?
 Meaning: Making a suggestion or proposing an idea.
 Dialogue: Person A: How about going out for dinner tonight? Person
B: That sounds good. Where do you suggest we go?
25. How come…?
 Meaning: Asking for an explanation or reason.
 Dialogue: Person A: I can't find my keys. How come they're not in
their usual place? Person B: Maybe you misplaced them.
26. How dare you…!
 Meaning: Expressing strong disapproval or indignation towards
someone's action.
 Dialogue: Person A: You lied to me! How dare you? Person B: I'm
sorry, it was a mistake.
27. How do you like…?
 Meaning: Asking for someone's opinion or impression of something.
 Dialogue: Person A: How do you like the new restaurant in town?
Person B: I love it. The food is delicious, and the ambiance is great.
28. How long does it take…?
 Meaning: Inquiring about the duration of time required for a
particular action or process.
 Dialogue: Person A: How long does it take to drive to the airport
from here? Person B: It usually takes about 30 minutes, depending
on the traffic.
29. How often…?
 Meaning: Asking about the frequency or regularity of an action.
 Dialogue: Person A: How often do you go to the gym? Person B: I
try to go three times a week.
30. I bet…
 Meaning: Expressing confidence or making a guess about something.
 Dialogue: Person A: I bet you can't solve this puzzle. Person B:
Challenge accepted. I'm confident I can solve it.
31. I can hardly believe that…
 Meaning: Expressing disbelief or astonishment.
 Dialogue: Person A: I won the lottery! I can hardly believe that I'm
now a millionaire. Person B: That's incredible! Congratulations.
32. I can't help…
 Meaning: Expressing inability to resist or control a particular action
or feeling.
 Dialogue: Person A: The movie was so funny. I couldn't help laughing
throughout. Person B: It must have been really entertaining.
33. I can't say…
 Meaning: Indicating uncertainty or lack of knowledge about a
particular subject.
 Dialogue: Person A: Do you know where John is? Person B: I can't
say for sure. I haven't seen him today.
34. I cannot wait to…
 Meaning: Expressing excitement or eagerness for a future event or
action.
 Dialogue: Person A: The concert is next week. I cannot wait to see
my favourite band perform. Person B: It's going to be an amazing
experience.
35. I dare say…
 Meaning: Expressing an opinion or belief with confidence.
 Dialogue: Person A: The movie was one of the best I've seen. Person
B: I dare say it will win several awards.
36. I'd like you to…
 Meaning: Making a polite request or expressing a desire for someone
to do something.
 Dialogue: Person A: I'd like you to proofread this document for me,
please. Person B: Sure, I'll be happy to help.
37. I'd hate for you to…
 Meaning: Expressing concern or a desire to prevent someone from
experiencing something negative.
 Dialogue: Person A: I'm thinking of quitting my job. Person B: I'd
hate for you to make a hasty decision. Let's talk about it more.
38. If it hadn't been for…
 Meaning: Indicating that something would not have happened or a
situation would have been different if not for a particular factor or
event.
 Dialogue: Person A: If it hadn't been for your help, I wouldn't have
been able to finish the project on time. Person B: I'm glad I could
assist you.
39. If there is one thing that… me, it's…
 Meaning: Expressing a strong dislike or annoyance towards a specific
thing or situation.
 Dialogue: Person A: If there is one thing that bothers me, it's
people who are always late. Person B: I agree, punctuality is
important.
40. I have no idea…
 Meaning: Expressing a lack of knowledge or understanding about
something.
 Dialogue: Person A: Do you know where the nearest gas station is?
Person B: I have no idea. We might need to ask someone for
directions.
41. I have got to…
 Meaning: Expressing a strong determination or obligation to do
something.
 Dialogue: Person A: I have got to finish this report before the
deadline. Person B: I understand. Focus and get it done.
42. … as… as possible
 Meaning: Emphasizing the need or desire to do something to the
maximum extent or without delay.
 Dialogue: Person A: We need to complete this project as quickly as
possible. Person B: I agree, let's allocate more resources to expedite
the process.
43. I'll let you know…
 Meaning: Promising to provide information or update someone at a
later time.
 Dialogue: Person A: Are the tickets available yet? Person B: They're
not available at the moment, but I'll let you know as soon as they
are.
44. I'd be grateful…
 Meaning: Expressing appreciation in advance for someone's assistance
or consideration.
 Dialogue: Person A: Could you proofread my essay for me? Person B:
Sure, I'd be grateful for your help.
45. I'm afraid…
 Meaning: Indicating regret or delivering bad news.
 Dialogue: Person A: Can you lend me some money? Person B: I'm
afraid I can't. I'm currently tight on finances.
46. I'm calling to…
 Meaning: Stating the purpose of a phone call.
 Dialogue: Person A: Hello, this is John calling. I'm calling to confirm
our meeting tomorrow. Person B: Hi, John. Yes, the meeting is still
scheduled.
47. I'm looking forward to…
 Meaning: Expressing anticipation or excitement about a future event
or activity.
 Dialogue: Person A: Are you excited about the vacation? Person B:
Yes, I'm looking forward to relaxing on the beach and exploring new
places.
48. I'm not really happy with…
 Meaning: Expressing dissatisfaction or disappointment with something.
 Dialogue: Person A: How do you like the new design? Person B:
Honestly, I'm not really happy with it. I think it needs some
revisions.
49. I'm thinking about…
 Meaning: Mentioning a topic or situation that one is considering or
contemplating.
 Dialogue: Person A: What are you thinking about? You seem deep in
thought. Person B: I'm thinking about my future career path.
50. I really go for…
 Meaning: Expressing a strong preference or attraction towards
something.
 Dialogue: Person A: What kind of music do you really go for? Person
B: I really go for jazz. I find it soothing and relaxing.
51. It is… that…
 Meaning: Emphasizing a particular quality or characteristic of a
person or thing.
 Dialogue: Person A: It is essential that we prioritize our customers'
satisfaction. Person B: I completely agree. It should be our top
priority.
52. It's too bad that…
 Meaning: Expressing regret or disappointment about a situation.
 Dialogue: Person A: The concert got cancelled due to bad weather.
Person B: Oh, it's too bad. I was really looking forward to it.
53. It's my fault for…
 Meaning: Taking responsibility or admitting one's mistake.
 Dialogue: Person A: The project didn't go as planned. Person B: I
take full responsibility. It's my fault for not managing it properly.
54. It's not that… but…
 Meaning: Clarifying or negating a previous statement while providing
an alternative perspective.
 Dialogue: Person A: I'm not saying she's dishonest, but she does have
a tendency to exaggerate. Person B: I see what you mean. She may
have a vivid imagination.
55. It's on the tip of my tongue.
 Meaning: Indicating that someone is struggling to recall or remember
something.
 Dialogue: Person A: What's the name of that movie we watched last
week? It's on the tip of my tongue. Person B: I can't remember
either. Let's try to think about it.
56. It's said that…
 Meaning: Referring to common knowledge or a widely known
statement or belief.
 Dialogue: Person A: It's said that laughter is the best medicine.
Person B: That's true. Laughter can have a positive impact on our
well-being.
57. It's up to…
 Meaning: Indicating that a decision or action depends on someone or
that they have the authority or responsibility to make a choice.
 Dialogue: Person A: What should we do about the budget cuts?
Person B: It's up to the management team to decide on the best
course of action.
58. It's your turn…
 Meaning: Indicating that someone's chance or opportunity has arrived
to do or say something.
 Dialogue: Person A: It's your turn to present your findings. Person
B: Thank you. I'll begin my presentation now.
59. It may surprise you, but…
 Meaning: Indicating that the following information may be unexpected
or contrary to what is commonly believed.
 Dialogue: Person A: It may surprise you, but I used to be a
professional athlete. Person B: Really? I had no idea. That's
impressive.
60. I have been…
 Meaning: Describing a continuous or on-going action or state that
started in the past and continues to the present.
 Dialogue: Person A: How long have you been studying French? Person
B: I have been studying French for three years.
61. I've had enough of…
 Meaning: Expressing frustration or dissatisfaction with a particular
situation or behaviour.
 Dialogue: Person A: I've had enough of his constant complaining.
Person B: I understand. It can be really draining.
62. I wonder if…?
 Meaning: Expressing curiosity or posing a question about a possibility
or hypothetical situation.
 Dialogue: Person A: I wonder if it will rain tomorrow. Person B: We'll
have to check the weather forecast.
63. I would rather… than…
 Meaning: Expressing a preference for one option over another.
 Dialogue: Person A: Would you like to go hiking or swimming? Person
B: I would rather go hiking. I enjoy being in nature.
64. No matter what…
 Meaning: Indicating determination or commitment to a course of
action regardless of obstacles or challenges.
 Dialogue: Person A: I will support you no matter what decision you
make. Person B: Thank you for being so understanding.
65. No wonder…
 Meaning: Expressing understanding or agreement based on a logical or
expected outcome.
 Dialogue: Person A: She's been practicing every day for hours. She's
an excellent pianist. Person B: No wonder she plays so well.
66. Now that I (come to) think about it,…
 Meaning: Expressing a sudden realization or change in perspective
after reconsidering something.
 Dialogue: Person A: I don't think I can attend the meeting
tomorrow. Person B: Now that I come to think about it, we can
reschedule it for next week.
67. Once you…
 Meaning: Giving advice or suggesting that a particular action will lead
to a specific outcome.
 Dialogue: Person A: How can I improve my writing skills? Person B:
Once you start writing regularly, you'll notice a significant
improvement.
68. … only to find…
 Meaning: Expressing disappointment or frustration after an
expectation or effort is followed by an undesirable outcome.
 Dialogue: Person A: I studied all night for the test, only to find out
it got postponed. Person B: That's frustrating. But at least you're
prepared for when it does happen.
69. On one hand…on the other hand…
 Meaning: Presenting two contrasting or opposing views or factors.
 Dialogue: Person A: On one hand, I want to go to the party, but on
the other hand, I need to study for my exams. Person B: It's a
tough decision. Consider your priorities.
70. See that…
 Meaning: Drawing someone's attention to something or pointing out
a particular object or detail.
 Dialogue: Person A: See that beautiful sunset? Person B: Yes, it's
absolutely breath-taking.
71. Speaking of…
 Meaning: Introducing a related topic or transitioning to a relevant
subject.
 Dialogue: Person A: Speaking of vacations, have you decided where
you want to go this year? Person B: Actually, I'm considering a
beach destination.
72. Thanks to…
 Meaning: Acknowledging that something positive has occurred due to
a particular person or factor.
 Dialogue: Person A: Thanks to your help, we were able to finish the
project on time. Person B: I'm glad I could contribute. It was a team
effort.
73. Thank you for…
 Meaning: Expressing gratitude or appreciation for something someone
has done.
 Dialogue: Person A: Thank you for your support during this
challenging time. Person B: You're welcome. I'm here for you.
74. The first thing I'm going to do when… is…
 Meaning: Expressing excitement or anticipation for a specific action
or plan in the future.
 Dialogue: Person A: What are you going to do when you graduate?
Person B: The first thing I'm going to do is take a long vacation.
75. The more…the more…
 Meaning: Describing a proportional relationship where an increase or
decrease in one thing corresponds to a corresponding increase or
decrease in another.
 Dialogue: Person A: The more you practice, the better you'll get at
playing the guitar. Person B: That makes sense. I'll dedicate more
time to practicing.
76. There is nothing as…as…
 Meaning: Expressing that a particular thing or experience is
incomparable or of the highest degree.
 Dialogue: Person A: There is nothing as refreshing as a swim in the
ocean on a hot summer day. Person B: I agree. It's pure bliss.
77. There is nothing I like better than…
 Meaning: Expressing a strong preference or enjoyment for a particular
thing or activity.
 Dialogue: Person A: What's your favourite hobby? Person B: There is
nothing I like better than reading. It's my escape.
78. We'd be better off without…
 Meaning: Suggesting that a situation or person is causing more harm
than good and would be best to be removed or avoided.
 Dialogue: Person A: Our team would be better off without his
negative attitude. Person B: I agree. It's impacting our morale.
79. We'd better…
 Meaning: Expressing the need or urgency to do something in order to
avoid negative consequences.
 Dialogue: Person A: The deadline is approaching. We'd better start
working on the project. Person B: Absolutely, let's get started right
away.
80. We may as well…
 Meaning: Suggesting that since a particular course of action or
situation is unavoidable, it is better to accept it and make the most
of it.
 Dialogue: Person A: The flight got delayed, and we have a long
layover. We may as well explore the city during that time. Person B:
That's a good idea. Let's make the most of the situation.
81. What becomes of…?
 Meaning: Asking about the outcome or fate of a particular person or
thing.
 Dialogue: Person A: I wonder what becomes of old childhood friends.
Person B: Some may drift apart, while others may remain lifelong
friends.
82. What can I do for…?
 Meaning: Offering assistance or help to someone.
 Dialogue: Person A: I'm feeling overwhelmed with work. Person B:
What can I do for you? Maybe I can help lighten the load.
83. What do you mean by…?
 Meaning: Seeking clarification or further explanation about someone's
statement or intention.
 Dialogue: Person A: I can't attend the meeting. Person B: What do
you mean by that? Is there a scheduling conflict?
84. …what-do-you-call-it (what·cha·ma·call·it)
 Meaning: Referring to an object or concept whose name one cannot
recall or is unsure about.
 Dialogue: Person A: Could you pass me the, uh, what-do-you-call-it?
The remote control. Person B: Sure, here it is.
85. What do you say…?
 Meaning: Inviting someone's opinion, agreement, or consent.
 Dialogue: Person A: The weather is nice today. What do you say we
go for a picnic? Person B: That sounds wonderful. I'm in.
86. What… for…
 Meaning: Asking about the purpose or reason for a particular action
or thing.
 Dialogue: Person A: What are you studying biology for? Person B: I'm
studying biology because I'm interested in understanding living
organisms.
87. What if…?
 Meaning: Posing a hypothetical question or considering a possible
scenario.
 Dialogue: Person A: What if we miss our flight? Person B: Let's hope
that doesn't happen, but if it does, we'll have to make alternative
arrangements.
88. What I'm trying to say is…
 Meaning: Clarifying or restating a point to ensure understanding or
emphasize the main idea.
 Dialogue: Person A: The project needs to be completed on time, and
quality should not be compromised. What I'm trying to say is that
we can't rush through it. Person B: I understand. We need to find
the right balance.
89. What's the matter with…?
 Meaning: Asking about a problem or issue concerning a particular
person or thing.
 Dialogue: Person A: What's the matter with your car? It's making
strange noises. Person B: I'm not sure. I need to get it checked by a
mechanic.
90. What would you do if…?
 Meaning: Presenting a hypothetical situation and seeking someone's
response or course of action.
 Dialogue: Person A: What would you do if you won the lottery?
Person B: If I won the lottery, I would pay off my debts, travel,
and invest for the future.
91. What's the use of…?
 Meaning: Expressing scepticism or questioning the purpose or benefit
of something.
 Dialogue: Person A: I've been studying for hours, but I can't seem to
remember anything. What's the use of all this effort? Person B:
Don't give up. It will pay off in the long run.
92. What's your favourite…?
 Meaning: Inquiring about someone's preference or choice for a
particular thing.
 Dialogue: Person A: What's your favourite movie genre? Person B:
My favourite movie genre is science fiction. I love the futuristic
elements and imaginative storytelling.
93. Where can I…?
 Meaning: Asking for directions or information about the location of a
particular place or service.
 Dialogue: Person A: Excuse me, where can I find the nearest post
office? Person B: There's one just around the corner. I can give you
directions if you'd like.
94. Where there is… there is…
 Meaning: Expressing a cause-and-effect relationship or the presence of
one thing indicating the presence of another.
 Dialogue: Person A: Where there is smoke, there is fire. Person B:
That's true. It suggests that there's usually some truth to rumours
or suspicions.
95. Whether or not…
 Meaning: Indicating that something is dependent on a specific
condition or circumstance.
 Dialogue: Person A: Whether or not we go to the party depends on
the weather. Person B: Let's check the forecast before making a
decision.
96. Why not…?
 Meaning: Suggesting an action or possibility without any particular
reason against it.
 Dialogue: Person A: Should I try this new dish? Person B: Why not?
It's always good to explore new flavours.
97. Would you care for …?
 Meaning: Offering someone a choice or option in a polite manner.
 Dialogue: Person A: Would you care for some tea or coffee? Person
B: I'll have a cup of tea, please.
98. You are not to…
 Meaning: Giving a command or instruction, often indicating that a
particular action is prohibited.
 Dialogue: Person A: You are not to leave this room without
permission. Person B: Understood. I'll stay here until further notice.
99. You can never… too…
 Meaning: Emphasizing the importance or benefits of a particular
quality, action, or attribute.
 Dialogue: Person A: You can never be too prepared for an exam.
Person B: Absolutely. I'll make sure to study thoroughly.
100. You only have to…in order to…
 Meaning: Expressing that achieving a desired outcome or goal requires
a particular action or effort.
 Dialogue: Person A: I want to improve my writing skills. What should
I do? Person B: You only have to practice consistently in order to
see progress.