So and Such

We use so and such to make a statement stronger. Compare these sentences:

Im tired.
Im so tired!
Look at this table to find out how so and such are used.

so

such

Before an adjective or
adverb ( without a noun)

Before an adjective + singular countable noun

e.g. The General Hospital is

e.g. The General Hospital is such a clean place.
so clean.
Before much, many, few and Before a noun (without an adjective)
little
e.g. Nikki is such a baby!
e.g. There were so many
accidents
yesterday.
Before comparatives: so +
much/little

Before a / an
e.g. Last year she had such a terrible flu.

e.g. Im glad my mother is

feeling
so much better now.

So and such can be used with that, but that is often omitted in speech or
informal writing .
e.g. The coffee was so hot ( that ) I could not drink it before going out .
Harry Potter is such an interesting book (that) I cannot put it down.

So and Because
When and how do we use 'because'?
1. We use 'because' to express a reason for doing something. It can come in the
middle or at the beginning of a sentence, e.g.

I went to Sharm El-Sheikh last winter because I wanted to go scuba

diving.
Because I wanted to go scuba diving, I went to Sharm El-Sheikh last
winter.

2. We can use 'not' or 'but' before a 'because-clause', e.g.

He was shouting, not because he was angry, but because she can't hear
very well.

3. After a 'because-clause' we must use a subject and verb, but after 'because of' we
just use a noun, e.g.

He took a taxi because it was raining.

He took a taxi because of the rain.

When and how do we use 'so'?

1. We use 'so' to express the result of an action or event. It can only come in the
middle of a sentence, not at the beginning, e.g.

He failed the exam so now he has to repeat the course.

He felt sick so he didn't want anything to eat.

Still, Already, Yet

Still
Randa is still asleep.
Describes an action or state which started in the past and is still
happening or true in the present moment.
Used to emphasise that the action is continuing.
Used in present and past simple tenses.
Already
Ive already seen the film.
Describes an action or state in the past with an effect in the present.
Used to emphasise that something has happened before now.
Often used with the present perfect tense.
Yet
The postman hasnt come yet.
Describes an action or state in the past which hasnt happened, but is
expected to happen in the future.
Used to emphasise that something expected has not happened, therefore
used in questions and negatives.
Often used with the present perfect tense.
Position of still, yet, already
These words are adverbs. Adverbs can go in lots of positions, but these rules are
generally true.

 verb to be + still/already (e.g. I am still here)

already/still + other verbs (e.g. I still live here)
yet always comes at the end of the sentence

Tell and say

Tell and say have the same meaning, but they are used differently:

tell

a lie
the truth
the time
a joke/story
the difference between two things
someone what to do

Tell always needs a personal object in a sentence:

He told me a lie.
I told him to stop shouting

say

your name
sorry
a prayer
something
thank you/hello/goodbye
yes /no

Say doesnt need a personal object, but to + personal object can be added at the end of
necessary:
He said sorry (to me).
Compare these two sentences (which both mean the same):
He told me something.
He said something (to me).
We use say in direct speech:
He said, Hello.

The Verb Need

Need can be used as an ordinary verb (like sleep, work, live) or as a modal verb (like
can, must, will)

Need as an ordinary verb

When we use need as an ordinary verb its meaning is I dont have something I want
it , e.g.

Do we need anything from the shops?

Im tired. I need a rest.

You dont need a visa to go to France if youre from England.

When we use need as an ordinary verb we add s to the third person singular in the
simple present, e.g.

He needs some help with his homework

And we use the auxiliary verb do to form questions and negatives in the present simple,
e.g.

Do they need a lift to the station?

No, they dont. Theyre taking a taxi.

As an ordinary verb, need is regular so in the past simple it takes ed, e.g.

I really needed to speak to you yesterday but you werent in.

Need as a modal verb

In British English, need can also be used as a modal verb.
When we use need as a modal verb, its meaning is the same as have to, e.g.

I need to go to the dentist soon. This means I have to go to the dentist soon.
You neednt tell Jane. She already knows. This means you dont have to tell Jane.

You can say neednt or dont need to. There is no difference in meaning in the
present tense.
But in the past there is a slight difference in meaning between neednt have and
didnt need to, e.g.

He needn't have gone to work today. The office was closed. This means it was not
necessary for him to go, but he did anyway.
He didnt need to go to work today. The office was closed. This means it was not
necessary for him to go, but its not certain if he actually went or not

Prepositions of time and saying dates

Prepositions can be a confusing and frustrating part of language learning. Individual
prepositions may have more uses than in a learners first language, they may also be used
in different ways. As a result of this, it can be helpful to break up the study of
prepositions into manageable areas of focus, such as those connected with time.

Prepositions of time
at, in and on are all common prepositions for talking about time.

at comes before

a time e.g. The bus leaves at 4.15. / I often get up at half-past seven.
(Note: This use of at includes meal times e.g. I saw him at lunchtime.)
the weekend e.g. They play football together at the weekend. / Did you do
anything nice at the weekend?

a public holiday e.g. I see my family at New Year. / What are you doing at Eid?

in comes before

a part of a day e.g. The library closes in the evening. He usually walks his dog in
the morning.
(Note: This doesnt include night. With night use at e.g. There are lots of events
you can go to at night.)
a long period of time ( - weeks, months, seasons, years, decades, centuries). e.g.
They moved here in December. / He was very popular in the 1990s.

on comes before

a specific day or date e.g. Ill give you a ring on Monday. / He was born on 4 July
1970.
part of a specific day e.g. Ill see you on Wednesday afternoon. / Theyre going out
together on Saturday night.
Common time expressions with every, last, next and this do not need a
preposition.
e.g. I go swimming every Sunday. (NOT I go swimming on every Sunday.)
They started the business last April. (NOT They started the business in last April.)
Ill see you again next Tuesday. (NOT Ill see you again on next Tuesday.)

Saying dates
Learners can have difficulty with dates as there is a big difference between their
written and spoken forms.
Written form

Spoken form

1997

nineteen ninety-seven

2000

two thousand

2004

two thousand and four

18.4.07 or 18/04/07 or
18(th) April (20)07 or
April 18(th) (20)07

the eighteenth of April, two thousand and

seven
or
April the eighteenth, two thousand and
seven

To , with and on

When you learn English, its important to learn words that go together. For example, we normally
say
listen to' someone or something. Today we will look at to', 'with' and 'on'
Sometimes there are no words

We say meet someone, not meet with someone (Meet with is used to talk about having
problems)
Sometimes there are many possibilities
talk to somebody: One person is talking, the other is listening
talk with somebody: Two people (or more) are talking AND listening
Sometimes there is only one possibility
fall in love is always followed by 'with'. We can not fall in love to someone
That is because in English we believe that falling in love in something that you cant do alone.
There must be somebody else, even if they dont love you.
We do other things 'with' people:
'to go out with' someone
'to have a relationship with' someone
'to agree or disagree with' someone
to be angry with someone (not 'to')
'to break up with' someone (to stop loving)
'to be honest or dishonest' with someone
But we use 'to' with some verbs:
'get engaged to' someone (not 'with')
'get married to' someone (not 'with')

'be faithful or unfaithful to' someone

'be fair or unfair to' someone

And we use 'on' with other verbs:

'to agree or disagree on' something
'to cheat on' someone (to have an affair)
marriage)

'to pick on' someone (to be a bully)

'to walk out on' someone (to leave a

We hope this helps. Remember, when you learn new words, look for other words that can go with
them!

Too, Enough, Very

What does it mean?

Where does it go?

What other words can

you use with it?

too

We use this word to say

that there is a surplus of
something, i.e. more than
we want.

Before adjectives and

adverbs.

Too much + uncountable

noun.

He speaks too quickly.

There is too much

pollution in Cairo.

The shirt is too small for

me. It doesnt fit.

Before nouns (with much

or many).
There are too many cars
In Cairo.

Too many + countable

plural noun.
There are too many people
In Cairo.
After adjectives and
adverbs we can use a to +
infinitive.

enough

We use this word to say

that there is the right
amount of something, not
less or more than we want.

After adjectives and

adverbs.

Its too hot to go out today.

After adjectives and
adverbs we can use a to +
infinitive.

Shes old enough to get married.

Shes old enough to get married.
There is enough time.
I dont need any more.

Before nouns.

We can use enough by

itself at the end of a phrase.

Ive got enough money.

Are you warm enough?
very

We use this word to make

Before adjectives and
We use very in a fixed
the meaning of another word adverbs.
expression.
stronger.
He speaks very quickly.
Thank you very much.
The film was very good.
(But I can understand him
It was great.
this is not a problem because We can use very + much or
we dont use too)
many before a noun, usually in
the negative.
I dont have very much time.

Used to
Form

Meaning

Used To

A regular action or a state that happened or

was true in the past but not the present.

In affirmative sentences:
I used to smoke.
subject pronoun + used to + infinitive
In negatives and questions:
subject pronoun + didnt + use to +
infinitive
did + subject pronoun + use to +
infinitive

This sentence means that I regularly smoked in

the past, but I dont smoke now.
I used to be a student.
This sentence means that I was a student in the
past, but I am no longer a student now.

Note that the pronunciation of used

to and use to is the same: /just/
Be Used To

Describes a state (not an action use the verb

be).

In affirmative sentences:
Subject pronoun + am/is/are + used to
+ noun
+ v-ing

I am used to the traffic in Cairo.

I am used to driving in Cairo.
This sentence means that in the past I had lots
of problems dealing with this difficult
situation, but that now it isnt a problem (I still
dont like it, but I can deal with it).

Get Used To

An action or state which describes a change.

In affirmative sentences:

Im getting used to single life.

Im getting used to living alone.

Subject pronoun + get + used to +

noun / v-ing
Get used to is usually used in the
continuous because it refers to a
process

This sentence means that my attitude to living

alone is changing; it was very negative but it is
now becoming more positive.
However, I cant yet say I am used to living
alone. I still have some problems with it.

Zero in English
Zero is not the only way that we can say nothing when we are talking about
numbers in English.
Here are some of the ways we say zero and when we say them:
How we say it When we say it
zero
temperatures
US telephone number
nil

Example
-50 C - 5 degrees below zero
623 0340 six two three zero three four zero

Sports (except tennis)

Liverpool won 2 0 (two nil)

nought / naught Before decimal points

0.34 nought point three four

oh

2.034 two point oh three four

After decimal points

Bus or room numbers

Youre in Room 302

Years

1906 nineteen oh six

In phone numbers

623 0340 - six two three oh three four oh

Bank account numbers 4012045 four oh one two oh four five

love

Tennis scores

40 0 forty love

Zilch
zip

Informal / slang

I was paid zip / zilch for all the extra work I did.

Here is the meaning of the other words :

A dozen this means 12
A grand - this means 1000
A ton this means 100
A monkey this means 500 pounds
An egg we dont use this word for a number in English

While or Whereas

Generally, use 'while' to introduce a time clause when talking about things that
happen simultaneously. In this sense, it is similar to 'as' and 'when'. All of these
conjunctions can serve to introduce a longer background situation which started
before the shorter action, e.g.:

I completed the crossword as I was talking on the phone.

I remembered that I had a letter to post when I was walking past the post box.
While I was reading the newspaper, my wife was ironing my shirts.

'While' is particularly useful if we are discussing long actions and wish to draw
attention to the duration of the activities, e.g.:

I'll prepare breakfast while you're having a shower.

While I was recovering in hospital, my friend was enjoying a holiday in Cyprus.

Note that if the subject is the same in both clauses, a participial construction may
be used, particularly in written English, e.g.:

She completed her first novel while working for the local newspaper.

Use either 'while' or 'whereas' to link two ideas that contrast with - but do not
contradict each other, e.g.:

I prefer fish, while my friend always chooses meat dishes when we go out to eat.
Some married couples argue all the time, whereas others never do.

Note that whilst we would use 'while' or 'whereas' within sentences to contrast
two ideas, across sentences we would need to use 'however' or 'on the other hand'.
Compare the following:

In the UK the hottest month of the year is usually July, whereas in southern Europe the
hottest period is usually in August.
In the UK the hottest month of the year is usually July. On the other hand, in southern
Europe the hottest period is usually in August.
Glossary:
simultaneously (adv.)
draw attention (exp.)
duration (n.)
contrast (v.)
contradict (v.)

Will and Going to

Structure

Meaning

Example

Will + infinitive

Facts

Next year Ill be 35 years old.

(negative wont)

Prediction based on opinion I think hell win.

Conditionals

Be + going to +
infinitive

Plans *

If it rains tomorrow, Ill stay in.

Im going to study law at university.

Prediction based on present Youre driving really badly. Youre

evidence
going to have an accident.
* The present continuous is also used for plans, but usually plans in the short term that
includes a time expression.
Im playing tennis on Saturday at 3pm.

Wish

Wish + infinitive

We can use wish to mean want. Wish is very formal if used this way.

I wish to see the manager, please.

We can also use wish with an object + infinitive:

Do you wish to have your meal outside, madam?

Wish + that

Wish can be used here to mean regret. In informal language we can omit the
that:

I wish that things were like before.

I wish things were like before.
Wish would

This is a very commonly used form. Would is used as a soft meaning of will.

I really wish you would go home. (Why wont you go home)

I wish you would stop smoking. (Why wont you stop smoking?)

Using wish + past simple gives the same meaning as wish would:

I really wish you went home. (Why wont you go home?)

I wish you stopped smoking. (Why wont you stop smoking?)

Wish or Hope

Wish:
We use wish when we express the hope that someone will be happy, lucky, successful,
etc. in the future,

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Remember it's Sarah's birthday tomorrow. Don't forget to wish her a happy
birthday.

They wished me all the best in my new job.

I wish you good health and happiness.

2. We also use wish to express regret about or criticism of a situation, e.g.

I wish you were here. (I miss you because you're not here = regret)
He wished he hadn't said that. (He knows it was wrong to say that = regret)

I wish you'd be quiet for two minutes! (I'm tired of your noise = criticism)

I wish my teachers hadn't been so strict. (I didn't like their attitude = criticism)

Notice that if you wish something about the present time, the second verb is in the
Simple Past tense, but if you wish something about the past, the second verb is often
in the Past Perfect (had + past participle).
3. Generally, wish (to) is a more formal way of saying want (to), e.g.

They were very much in love and wished to get married as soon as possible.
I don't wish to see him ever again,' she wrote.

He could do most of his work from home, if he wished.

Wish is followed by the preposition to when we use it in a relative clause with who, e.g.

People who wish (or People wishing) to attend the end of year party should buy
tickets in advance.

Hope:
Generally, hope means you want something to be true and you believe that is possible.
1. We often use hope with the second verb in the present tense to talk about the future,
e.g.

I hope they get here on time.

I hope she has a good birthday party tomorrow.

To make a negative sentence, we don't change hope but we make the second verb
negative, e.g.

I hope she doesn't fail the test.

I hope they're not late.

2. We can use hope in short answers without another verb, by adding so or not, e.g.

"Do you think he knows?" "I hope not."

"Will you get the job?" "I hope so."

3. We can also use hope with the second verb in the infinitive, e.g. to spend, to have.
This way, you believe quite strongly that something will happen in the future, e.g.

We hope to sign the contract next week.

He hopes to travel after finishing university.