IT ENGLISH 2

1.1.2 Video Summary

The subjunctive mood is used when:

 we want to express a wish or preference, or give advice and make suggestions.

 the situations are UNREAL.
 we are speaking as if we controlled the situation.

“If it were my decision, I would go with a different approach.”

Remember:

Were – NOT was

“If I were, you were, he/she/it were” etc.

Request, insist, recommend, demand, prefer

these verbs can be used like this:

“I insist she reconsider the reconfiguration process.”

“I demand he take my suggestion seriously.”

There is no third person singular S.

Reconsider – NOT reconsiders

Take – NOT takes

2.1.2 Video Summary

The present continuous can be used for future arrangements in
both positive and negative.

This tense can emphasise the decision, in this case not to do something.

“We’re not having the support training course, as we’re still short on numbers.”
Going to is similar, but often emphasises the intention to do something or not to do
something.

“We’re not going to run a training course just because two people think it’s
necessary. Let’s at least plan it thoroughly and then find some more participants.”

The difference is very small. Many speakers use these interchangeably.

The basic difference is that:

 After a decision has been made, you say you’re not doing it.
 If you express spontaneously that you have no intention of doing it, you say you
are not going to do it

Glossary
If you say that you cannot get a word in edgeways, you are
complaining that you do not have the opportunity to speak because
someone else is talking so much. He spent all the time talking and
they could not get a word in edgeways.

"on our end" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it
when referring to someone's responsibility, action, or duty that is
within their control. For example: "We have done our part on our end,
so now it's up to them to handle the rest.". exact ( 60 ) Some on our
end; some on the users' end. AS FAR AS WE ARE CONCERNED

2.3.2 Video Summary

Sometimes it's better not to use the imperative when making polite
requests or when more formality is necessary.

The imperative is very direct.

“Delay the modifications!”

This is an order and is said with authority or because the speaker and the listener
are very close, and formality is not necessary.

Polite requests show more respect and formality.

“Could you please delay the modifications?”

This uses both could and please, and is asked as a question rather than given as an
order.

Modal verbs are very important when we are making polite requests. Using can, could,
or would and adding please will make anything sound more polite.

To add more politeness, we can even use conditional sentences.

“It would be much appreciated if you could delay the modifications.”

A second-conditional sentence is far more polite than the imperative.

Complete Tip
Tip
List of expandable sections. Select each button to expand the content.

Being rude and being direct are not always the same thing.

In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell describes six different levels of directness.
Different cultures like to be more or less direct, but as you can see, being direct does
not always mean being rude.

Imagine you are a customer support agent, and you need a customer to grant you
remote access. There are six ways that you can request this, from very direct to very
indirect.

Tip
List of expandable sections. Select each button to expand the content.

Emails usually begin with one of the following:

Dear Dr. Hokusai, – very formal

Dear Jan, – formal

Hi Mindy, – informal

Hey Thomas! – very informal

In formal emails, we add an introduction:

The purpose of writing to you is to...

I am writing to...

This email is to notify you that...

Before ending, we often add a final sentence:

Thank you in advance for...

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need any further assistance.

Have a great day! – informal

And we end with:

Best regards,
Bill

Kind regards,
Jennifer

3.1.2 Video Summary

THEY can be used when:

 we don’t know the gender

 the gender is not necessary

“One player said they were disappointed with the game’s location changes.”

– This player’s gender is irrelevant. The focus is their disappointment.

We can use THEY when we know it doesn’t refer to multiple people, but just one
person whose gender is not important or necessary.
IT is disrespectful for a person, as IT is usually used for objects or non-human
animals.

If we don’t know whether we are talking about he/him or she/her, or if it isn't important,
then use THEY

3.3.2 Video Summary

Using YET as an adverb adds emphasis to our sentences

This is used when we sound surprised or frustrated.

“Yet another network error!”

“Yet more diagnostic problems.”

 These situations are frustrating.

 Adding YET means that these are common problems.
 There is more emphasis with the use of another or more, adding to the sense of
frustration.

Sometimes we use YET for positive, surprising things. It all depends on the
context.

“They’re offering us yet more assistance.”

We can use YET with superlative adjectives.

If we add YET, it is like so far, until now or up to this point.

“That was the fastest sprint yet.”

“That was the most effective solution yet.”

YET allows us to be emphatic. We can be negative or positive.

4.1.2 Video Summary
Some phrasal verbs are transitive

Pick up and figure out are what we call transitive phrasal verbs. This means that
they need an object.

So, you can pick up something, or you can pick something up. You can separate the
phrasal verb with the object.

If you don’t know what to do, you can figure it out. If we are using it as the object, then it
must go between figure and out. The same with pick and up.

Separating the parts of the transitive phrasal verb is only usually done with very few
words, otherwise it sounds strange and it can be difficult to maintain the connection
between the verb and the preposition.

"I can't figure the problem out."

"I can't figure the problem we were trying to solve yesterday out."

5.1.2 Video Summary

WHILE and WHEREAS

The conjunctions WHILE and WHEREAS are used

 to talk about contrast and to make comparisons

Whereas and while usually go in the middle of the sentence, but can go at the start.
We use them for contrast.

“A cloud and a grid are more wide-scale, whereas a cluster is usually LAN based.”

While is a little different because it can also be used when talking about
time or simultaneous events.

“She continued working on the updates while attending the Zoom meeting.”

Whereas would not work in this sentence as it is only for contrast.

Whereas and while are similarly used for contrast, but only while can be used for
time.

Always can mean

 on every occasion
 very frequently
 forever
 constantly

Always is an adverb of frequency. We sometimes use it to talk

about chance or possibility.

“There is always the chance that system vulnerabilities can be exploited.”

Always is used to talk about possible solutions, sometimes with can or could.

“We could always rely on the front end server for more scalability.”

Always can be used with as, when we want to say something is typical.

“As always, we’re having problems with the failover process.”

Always generally means 100% of the time. A possibility, chance or option always
exists, with 100% frequency.

In some cases, the frequency may not be 100%, but very close.

We can use modal verbs and words

like THOUGHT, PERHAPS or WONDER, to construct polite phrases.

A typical question like, Can you help me? can be changed so it is more politely
phrased.

“I thought perhaps you could help me.”

“I wondered if you might help me.”

I was wondering you might help me

I was wondering you could help me….

“I hoped you would consider helping me.”

Wondering, perhaps, thought, if, might, or could all suggest possibility.

They all fit into politely phrased sentences when we need to be less direct.

Even if and even though look similar, but the difference is important

Even if:

 is like "whether or not". It means that doing something beforehand may not make a
difference to the end result.

“Even if they had extended our deadline, we might not have been able to complete
the necessary changes.”

– It’s possible that the extra time would not have made a difference. There
was no guarantee.

Even though:

 is like "despite the fact that". It means that something in the past had no impact on
the result.

“Even though they extended our deadline, we weren’t able to complete the
necessary changes.”

Even if is used for hypothetical situations and works like a conditional sentence.

Even though is used for past situations but not for the future, as it only shows there
is no impact on the result.

7.1.1 Conditionals
There are four conditionals in the English language, and they are called:
  Conditional Zero
 Conditional 1
 Conditional 2
 Conditional 3

Every conditional is made up of two parts, a condition and a result.

The conditionals are used to talk about events which might be possible, and we use
different conditionals depending on if we are talking about specific events, or general
ideas, or wishes, dreams or desires.

Conditional Zero
“If I want a hot meal, I cook pasta.”

We use Conditional Zero to talk about:

 general ideas
 facts
 rules

In this example, I am not talking about a specific hot meal, but hot meals in general.
This conditional is not related to any specific time. It could be the past, the present or
the future. It’s not important.

The rules for Conditional Zero are:

 If clause = simple present

 Result clause = simple present

Conditional 1
“If I want a hot meal, I will cook pasta.”

Now I am talking about a specific hot meal, probably the one I will have tonight.

We use Conditional Zero to talk about: specific events.

The rules for Conditional 1 are:

 If clause = simple present

 Result clause = simple future

Conditionals 1, 2, and 3 together

Conditional 2

Let’s use an example:

It’s Saturday morning, and you switch on the TV. The news report says that tonight’s
lottery will be €100m, the highest ever! As the report describes various possible ways
you could spend the money, you look at the footage of people drinking martinis on
yachts, flying in private jets and walking through the front door of their new house on
Malibu beach, and you start to imagine some of the things you might do with the money.

You say to yourself:

“If I won the lottery, I would buy an island.”

This is an example of Conditional 2. We use this conditional for wishes, dreams, and
desires. The sentence “If I won the lottery, I would buy an island” cannot come true,
because you don’t have a lottery ticket. You cannot win the lottery, no matter how much
you want to.

We also use Conditional 2 for general events, not specific ones. Even though your
thoughts were triggered by tonight’s lottery competition, you are thinking about lottery
competitions in general.

The rules for Conditional 2 are:

 If clause = simple past tense

 Result clause = would/could/might + base verb

Conditional 1

However, after watching the news, and after 30 minutes of dreaming about all the
wonderful things you could do with €100m, you decide to do something about it. You go
to the shop, and you buy a ticket. You are now in the game, you have a chance of
winning. Tonight could be your lucky night!

Now you say to yourself:

“If I win the lottery, I will buy an island.”

This is an example of Conditional 1.

We use this conditional when we are talking about specific events.

In this example, you are talking about tonight’s lottery competition, not lottery
competitions in general.
The rules for Conditional 1 are:

 If clause = simple present tense

 Result clause = simple future tense

So, you dreamed with Conditional 2 (“If I won the lottery, I would buy an island”), and
you made that dream a possibility with Conditional 1 (“If I win the lottery, I will buy
an island”).

Conditional 3

Now it’s Saturday night. You are sitting in front of the TV, on the edge of the seat. Your
hands are holding the lottery ticket tightly, trembling in excitement. You have already
named the island in honor of yourself, and you are trying to decide who should buy a
plane or a helicopter to fly to your island. The presenter starts to call the numbers, and
you hold your breath...

...and they are not your numbers.

You can’t believe it; you didn’t win!

As the shock slowly fades, you begin to think about the dreams you had, which now
cannot come true.

You say to yourself:

“If I had won the lottery, I would have bought an island.”

This is an example of Conditional 3. We use this conditional:

 when we are talking about things in the past that did not happen.

In this example, “If I had won the lottery, I would have bought an island”, you did not win
the lottery, so you did not buy an island.

The rules for Conditional 3 are:

 If clause = past perfect

 Result clause = would/could/might + present perfect

Let’s review the four conditionals with some more examples.

Conditional 0 examples

“If the doorbell rings, the dog barks.”

“If the weather is nice, the children play outside.”

These are examples of general events, things which happen regularly. We are not
talking about a specific time the dog barks, or a specific time the children play outside.

Conditional 1 examples

“If he takes the train, he will arrive in five hours.”

“If he takes the bus, he will arrive in 8 hours.”

In these examples, we are talking about a specific journey. He has to travel today, and
he must decide whether to take the train or the bus.

Conditional 2 examples

“If we walked to the supermarket, we would save petrol.”

“If she didn’t need to work, she would travel all the time.”

Here, we are talking about general ideas. If we walked to the supermarket, we would
save petrol. We are not saying we should do this now, but it’s just an idea to think
about.

And “If she didn’t need to work, she would travel all the time.” This is a wish. She
doesn’t want to work, because she wants to travel, but she is not planning to quit work.
She is dreaming.

Conditional 3 examples

“If I had gone to Rome, I would have seen the Pope.”

“If he hadn’t insulted his boss, his boss wouldn’t have fired him.”

Here, I didn’t go to Rome, and I didn’t see the Pope. He did insult his boss, and his boss
fired him.

Complete 7.1.2 Second Conditional

Hypothesis and Speculation
7.1.2 Second Conditional Hypothesis and
Speculation
We often imagine alternative versions of a situation. We like
to hypothesize or speculate. The second conditional form can be a very useful tool.

Let’s remind ourselves of how to form the second conditional, then we can look at some
examples.

The basic form is IF + PAST SIMPLE, …..WOULD/COULD/MIGHT + INFINITIVE.

Just like the zero, first, or third conditional forms, the second conditional has two
clauses. These are called the IF/CONDITION clause and the MAIN/RESULT clause.

Here’s our first example.

If we delayed the library integration, we could focus on fixing bugs reported by

customers.

We are offering a suggestion, thinking of alternative courses of action. In this next

example, we are speculating.

If you gave it more consideration, you might change your mind. I think we should delay.

We don’t have to use IF in the conditional clause. There are various options which
express the same meaning as IF, and they can make conditional sentences more
interesting. Here are some of the typical
alternatives: UNLESS, SUPPOSING, PROVIDED THAT, OTHERWISE.

They told us we could run into trouble unless we spent more time now trying to
understand the dependencies.

We are using unless to mean if we didn’t spend.

Supposing we integrated with the new library now, would that be a mistake?

Supposing functions as if.

Provided that we deal with the delays in the interim, we might be okay.

Provided that works the same as if, but also suggests a stronger condition, like saying
as long as we deal with the delays, then it's okay.

Here is one more example.

We should consider a timeframe for dealing with delays, otherwise we could fall
behind.
In this sentence, we are saying if we don’t consider a timeframe, we could fall behind.
Using otherwise allows us to change the sentence without losing the idea of IF.

You can make your conditional sentences more interesting, provided that you try some
alternatives to IF.

Complete 7.1.3 Conditionals / Only If

Inversion
7.1.3 Conditionals / Only If Inversion
Conditional sentences can be used for possible, hypothetical,
or imaginary situations and their consequences, and they are very common in
everyday conversation.

We usually think of the IF element of our sentences as the condition.

We often say that IF somebody helps us to do something, then our work will be made
easier, and perhaps it will be completed faster or more efficiently. We might say that we
will not do something unless something else is done first (on the condition that, etc.).

If you help me, we will be able to run the backup sooner.

Or

If you helped me, we would be able to run the backup sooner.

Or perhaps after the fact, when we had to finish without any help, we could say:

If you had helped me, we could have run the backup sooner.

If we want to make things more formal, or add emphasis to the condition we are
expressing, which can also make it more restrictive, we can use inversion and
add ONLY, to form an inverted conditional sentence.

Only if you provide the team with additional support will we be able to provide
comprehensive service to our customers.

Here we are adding ONLY IF, then we are inverting the subject WE and modal
verb WILL. The IF clause contains the stronger, more restrictive condition that adds a
more formal register to the sentence. Although they are less typical in everyday
conversational English, in business, when more formality and seriousness may be
necessary, an ONLY IF inverted conditional can be very effective.

Only if you managed to meet the deadline would we agree to renew the contract.
Only if we updated the software would we be able to continue.

Only if we practise conditional inversion will we be able to use it correctly.

7.2.1 Prepositions
Prepositions are usually small but very powerful words that do a lot, and can often be
difficult to learn. We use them to make connections, or to indicate a relationship
between nouns or other parts of our sentences. Here are some prepositions you will
probably know.

IN, ON & AT.

IN, ON & AT are what we call prepositions of place. We use them to talk about a
place where something or someone is located.

So we might say that the files are stored ON a hard drive, or that we can open
something IN Microsoft Edge. When we use these prepositions, we are showing where
something is located or where something happens.

We could also say that the mistake occurred AT the implementation stage. This also
tells us when it happened, as IN, ON & AT are also used as prepositions of time, just
like when we say IN summer, ON Wednesday, AT tomorrow’s meeting.

The biggest problem with prepositions is remembering which one to use. The rules are
not always clear and sometimes the repetition of phrases is the only way to remember
the correct uses.

Of course, IN, ON & AT are just the beginning. Here are some different prepositions.

My desktop and android device are connected through the same router.

We are using through to mean by way of; to say how the connection is made.

It is important to react to a network failure alarm promptly.

When we react, we respond. We show the result or consequence of something. We are

approaching or reaching a particular condition. We react to something.
In English we have dependent prepositions. These are prepositions which always go
after certain verbs, nouns, or adjectives. Sometimes there is no logical connection, and
they can also be difficult to learn. Here are some examples.

You need to listen to all the instructions carefully.

When we pay attention to a specific sound or a person speaking, we listen to it or them.

We have to use to after listen. There is an object, and we are listening to the
instructions. We cannot say listen the instructions without to. This is a dependent
preposition.

They seem incapable of reacting promptly.

We are capable or incapable of doing something. In this example, of is a dependent

preposition. We can’t say the sentence without it.

Complete 7.2.2 Due To

7.2.2 Due To
We can use DUE TO to mean because of something.

System data loss was due to employees not following backup policies correctly.

System data loss occurred because employees did not follow backup policies
correctly. Due to as a preposition connects the system data loss to the reason why it
happened.

In some situations, we may need to make it clear that something happened for more
than one reason. If we want to do this, we can use adverbs to modify our sentences.

The system data loss was partly due to employees not following backup policies
correctly.

In this example, we are using partly due to to show that this is not the only reason for
the system data loss. One variation on this is due in part. So we could say it was due
in part to employees not following backup policies correctly.

We can also modify our sentences in other ways. If we want to show that this is the
most important reason, then we can say it is largely due to.

The system data loss was largely due to employees not following backup policies
correctly.

We sometimes use due to at the start of a sentence, often on official notices or signs.
Due to employees not following backup policies correctly, system data loss occurred.

This sentence now sounds more formal. To make it even more formal, we could
use due to the fact that.

Due to the fact that employees have not followed backup policies correctly, system
data loss has occurred.

Due to is normally used with the verb to be, as in was partly due to or was largely due
to.

Complete 7.2.3 Phrasal Verbs

7.2.3 Phrasal Verbs
When we study phrasal verbs, we often notice that the second word, the particle or
preposition, usually gives us more information about the meaning. We may understand
the verb literally, but the preposition makes the phrasal verb more idiomatic.

Let’s take a look at a simple example.

We all know the verb LISTEN. Easy, right? Ok, but how about if we add the word IN to
it?

Listen In: what does it mean?

It prevents someone from listening in on the voice call.

To listen in on something is used to mean that we listen to a conversation when we are

not supposed to, and when the people involved in the conversation do not know we
are listening. This can sometimes involve a recording being made in secret.

Obviously, we are not part of the conversation because we are only listening. But, we
use IN because we are intruding. We are entering a private space without the
knowledge of the speakers. We are secretly inside their conversation, LISTENING IN.

Let’s take a look at another example.

Here is a verb: PLUG. What happens if we add INTO?

If the phone network cable is plugged directly into the end user’s computer, there is a
potential risk.

When we connect using a plug, we plug a cable into a socket, or we connect various
devices using different cables.
So remember, it is always important with phrasal verbs to pay attention to what the
second word is telling us. The verb is important, but the preposition will usually tell us
more information. We listen IN to be involved, to intrude. We plug INTO something to
be connected, to be part of something.

Phrasal verbs are a challenge. With practice, you can pick up some new ones.

7.3.1 Gerunds
What are they and how do we use them?

A gerund is a verb form which functions as a noun and has the suffix -ing. We use
them after certain verbs, after prepositions, and as the subject of a sentence.

You’re probably thinking, certain verbs? How does that work? The truth
is, gerunds are usually a struggle to learn, but it’s not impossible. Here are the most
common verbs and some examples.

ENJOY – FANCY – DISCUSS – DISLIKE – FINISH – MIND – SUGGEST –

RECOMMEND – KEEP – AVOID

Would you mind thinking about the authentication system outage?

We have to avoid affecting multiple people in the company.

I recommend making certain more than once before you continue.

In the examples, we can see mind thinking, avoid affecting, and recommend
making. The gerund with the -ing form follows the verb in each case.

We also said after prepositions. Let’s think about this.

When a verb follows a preposition, the verb has to be a gerund, taking the -ing form.

I only noticed the problem after checking the account verification link.

In this example, our gerund is checking, with -ing, because it follows our
preposition after.

We were able to succeed by focusing more on customer needs.

In this example, our gerund is focusing, with -ing, because it follows our
preposition by.

Now let’s look at subjects.

Focusing more on customer needs has helped us to be more successful.

The verb focus works as the subject of the sentence, so it has to be

a gerund, focusing, with -ing.

Thinking more about the authentication system outage should be a priority right now.

The verb think works as the subject, so it has to be a gerund, thinking, with -ing.

So, the after-certain-verbs problem means practising a lot, speaking as much as

you can to build fluency and trying to remember. Also, learning from mistakes.

Complete 7.3.2 Gerunds as Objects

7.3.2 Gerunds as Objects
The gerund -ing form of a verb can be used in various ways. Let’s focus more
specifically on gerunds which are used as objects.

First, let’s look at something we call an adverbial prepositional phrase. This is when
a gerund is used as the object of a preposition and it describes one action that
modifies another action. This construction usually answers a question like why, how, or
where? etc.

I’m using a library that seems to have a race condition, so the project has been
temporarily stopped by the system freezing up.

In this sentence, we have our preposition by and its object freezing in the gerund -
ing form. This adverbial phrase tells us what has happened, and answers the question:
why has the project stopped?

Let’s take a look at verb objects. Here is another example.

Moving between different levels results in crashing. We have received a lot of

complaints from players.

In this example, we can see that the system crashes when players move between
levels. The sentence actually contains two gerunds. The first one moving, is
the subject of the sentence, but the second one crashing, is the object of the phrasal
verb results in.
Of course, we can also make negative gerunds if necessary. We only have to
put not in front of the -ing form. Here is an example.

I look forward to my system not crashing once they have fixed the problem of changing
levels.

In this sentence, we have not crashing as the negative gerund, plus we can
see changing which functions as another gerund, following the preposition of.

Basically, gerunds are everywhere. In fact, you might even get a little tired
of seeing them.

7.4.1 Transitive Verbs

When a verb takes a direct object, we call it a transitive verb, and the action of this
verb is done to someone or something.

Some verbs, because of variations in definition, use or context, can also

be intransitive, when they don’t have a direct object.

Let’s look at a verb and think about some transitive examples.

Let’s use FINISH.

Using a dynamically typed language means you might be able to finish the task faster.

In this sentence, we are using FINISH as a transitive verb because the task is
the direct object of that verb. We finish something, we finish the task.

Now let’s try LET.

Many people share the opinion that we should let the compiler help ensure that the
interfaces do not break.

In this sentence, we are using LET as a transitive verb because the compiler is
the direct object of the verb. We let someone do something, we let the compiler help
ensure that the interfaces do not break.

Here’s another example. The verb is REVISIT.

Let’s revisit the style-based rules once we know what we are dealing with.

In this sentence, we are using REVIST as a transitive verb because the style-based
rules are the direct object of the verb. We revisit something or someone – we revisit
the style-based rules.

Sometimes, when we think about verbs, we might feel that something has to receive
the action. So, if we use our three examples, FINISH, LET, and REVISIT, we might
think finish what?, let what? or revisit what? What is the direct object? What receives
the action?

Complete 7.4.2 Fixed Expressions

Omitting the Subject
7.4.2 Fixed Expressions Omitting the
Subject
We sometimes use fixed expressions where we can omit the subject. Some good
examples of this are fixed expressions with IF.

Let’s take a closer look at IF and see how this is possible.

You should report this issue as soon as you encounter it, if possible.

In this fixed expression, it is not necessary to say if it is possible or if that is

possible. Instead we omit the subject and the verb BE (in this case it is) and just
say if possible.

We can do exactly the same thing with another fixed expression, if necessary.

Please go ahead and report the issue to us, if necessary.

We don’t need to say if it is necessary. The subject and be are omitted, leaving us
with just the fixed expression, if necessary.

Here are two examples using IF SO and IF NOT.

Are you following backup policies? If so, data loss prevention should be easier.

In this example, if so works in the same way as saying if you are, if that is the
case or if that is true.

Note: The phrase is if so, not if yes.

We omit the subject and be because they are not necessary in order to understand the
sentence.

Are you using the incident report form provided? If not, please do so in future.

In a similar way to our previous example, this sentence does not need the full phrase in
order to ensure understanding. If you are not becomes if not with the omission of
the subject and be.

You could try using these fixed expressions, if possible, and practise using the omission
of the subject and BE.

Complete 7.4.3 Whether or Not

7.4.3 Whether or Not
We use WHETHER or NOT to say that it doesn’t really matter which of two
possibilities is true or correct, or that it’s not important if something exists or not.

Whether or not you agree is not relevant at this point. We need to admit the mistake
and correct it.

In this sentence, we can hear that the speaker hears the other person’s opinion, but
says that it has no impact on what has to happen next. They have an obligation to
correct the mistake, whether or not they agree on who is responsible.

We sometimes put WHETHER or NOT at the start of the sentence, as in our previous
example, or after another phrase. Here’s another example.

It really makes no difference whether or not you like the idea. These are the
instructions we have been given, and we have to proceed.

In this sentence we hear that the speakers have no choice. They have an obligation to
follow the orders they have been given, whether they like them or not. We can also
split the phrase:

It really makes no difference whether you like the idea or not. These are the
instructions we have been given, and we have to proceed.

In some scenarios, when the outcome of the situation is undetermined, the speaker
can omit the or not part of the sentence.

Here’s another example.

I don’t know whether to report this customer’s comments, or just see how it goes next
time we have to speak.

In this example, we can see that there are alternative options. The speaker does not
have only one option or an obligation to comply. It is like saying, I don’t know if I
should do this, or if I should do something else.

Our level of support should never change, whether it be an everyday, straightforward

customer interaction, or something more interesting and complex.

Again, we can see a choice between options, so the or not part of the clause is not
necessary.

Whether you use whether or not is up to you.

Complete 7.4.4 Word Formation

7.4.4 Word Formation
When we talk about word formation, we are usually referring to how a word
is formed when it has to change from one word type to another. Let’s use formation as
our first example.

If we begin with the verb FORM, we can then change from the verb to the noun by
using what we call a suffix. A very common suffix which we use to form nouns is -tion,
in this case to form a noun which is the result of a verb.
Therefore, form becomes formation.

Let’s try another example.

What’s the real difference between acceptance tests and functional tests?

In this question, we can see the noun acceptance and the adjective functional. First of
all, let’s look at acceptance.

We can start with the verb ACCEPT, then we can change it to a noun with the suffix -
ance to make ACCEPTANCE.

We can start with the verb FUNCTION (which is also a noun) and then add the suffix -
al to make FUNCTIONAL, the adjective.

Another useful tool we can use is a prefix. A prefix is added to the start of a word to
change its form. We often use them to change between positive and negative forms.

Let’s continue with the same words, accept and function.

If we accept something, we can say it is acceptable. But, if we choose not to accept
something, it could be because it is unacceptable. We add the prefix -un to make
a negative adjective.

If something functions, we can say it is functional. But if it doesn’t work, it could be

because of a malfunction. We are using the prefix -mal to make a negative noun. If
something works in many ways, we can say it is multifunctional. We are using the
prefix -multi as well as the suffix -al to make a positive adjective.

There are many prefixes and suffixes in English. They are multipurpose.

Complete 7.4.5 Idioms

7.4.5 Idioms
Idioms are informal expressions which are not meant literally, and they represent a
figurative meaning attached to a phrase.

How can we use them? Try to remember not to use too many at one time, as it can
sound false. Let’s take a look at some examples.

Our first idiom is: There’s nothing to it.

I have to say, the customer support agent who helped me was great. She solved the
problem in no time, explaining how to update our company settings, which finally meant
the meeting went ahead. There was nothing to it.

This is a long example, but we can see from the context that there’s nothing to
it means that it was easy. The process of solving the problem was simple and the
speaker was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was. People often use this idiom and
drop the first word. When they are asked if they can do something, they reply, nothing
to it.

Now let’s look at another idiom: Do more harm than good.

To be honest, I wasn’t that convinced that he actually knew what he was doing. I just
thought that allowing a remote session might end up doing more harm than good. I
prefer to find my own solution.

This speaker had a difficult time trying to solve the problem and didn’t trust the customer
service agent to conduct a remote session properly, thinking he would do more harm
than good. Instead of solving the problem, he might create even more damage, making
the situation worse.
It’s typical in business to use the word counterproductive, meaning something that
works against productivity, making the situation more difficult or time-consuming,
perhaps losing money in the process: doing more harm than good.

So, two simple idioms; one to be used when something is easy, one when something is
difficult or damaging.