Phrasal Verbs Collection 2

USING STILL, YET OR ALREADY 

► still means something is continuing usually later than expected :
- are you still asleep ? it's 3 pm

► already means something has happened sooner than expected :
- Nadinde has already left , she didn't want to wait for you .

► still and already go in the middle of the sentence , with one- word verb, they go before the main verb , but after be . with milti-word verbs, they go after the first auxiliary verb:

- i still find this map confusing . i'm already lost !!
- i've already been seen by the doctor, i'm still feeling ill.

► if there is a negative verb , it goes after still but before already :
- i still haven't seen that film, i hope you haven't already seen it .

► yet means we expect something to happen , it is used with question and negative , and goes at the end of a sentence :
- he hasn't waken up yet .

USING MAY INSTEAD OF MIGHT IN A SUBORDINATE CLAUSE 

 

don't say : last sunday Ailsa told me that she may come .
say : last sunday Ailsa told me that she might come .

► may changes to might in subordinate clauses , when the verb in the main clause is in the past simple tense .

► NOTE : the conjunction THAT is never preceded by a comma .

 

PHRASAL VERBS 

 

-EMPTY OUT: to be vacated by people 
The concert hall emptied out as soon as the concert was over.

-EVEN OUT: to make something measure the same as something else 
Max has trouble evening out his sideburns since one ear is lower than the other.

-FIND OUT: to learn or discover 
Mary was mad when she found out that she was adopted.

 

IDIOM OF THE DAY 

 

► Fishy = strange and suspicious

- When the security guard saw a light in the store after closing hours, it seemed to him that there were sometihgn fishy going on. He called the central office and explained to his superior that he thought something strange and suspicious was occuring.

 

VERB ING OR ED

BORING OR BORED 

-we use adjectives ending in ED to show how we feel about something:
eg: i'm interested in geology , i'm disappointed with my exam results.
- we use adjectives ending in ING to describe the thing which make us feel this way :
eg: geology is interesting ,my exam results are disappointing .

► FUN OR FUNNY 

- we use FUN to describe something we enjoy doing :
eg:Ice-skating is fun 
- we use FUNNY to describe something which meke us laugh, like a joke:
eg:John's very funny , he should be a comedian ?

► NERVOUS OR IRRITABLE 

- we feel NERVOUS when we are worried about something we are going to do ( e.g:do on a plane, make a speech,start a new job)
eg: he's nervous , he's about to do an exam .
- we feel IRRITABLE when we get annoyed or angry easly :
eg: she's very irritable in the morning .

 

exercise : Choose the correct word 
1- i was (disappointin/disappointed ) in the movie . i had expected it to be better .
2- are you ( interesting/ intereted) in soccer? 
3- the soccer game was quite (exciting/excited) . i had a great time.
4- it's sometimes ( embarrassing/ embassed) when you have to ask people for money .
5- Do you get ( embarrassing / embarrassed) easily?
6-i had never expected to get the job. I was really ( amazing/amazed) when it was offeredto me.
7-She has learned really fast.She had made (astonidhing/astonished) progress.
8- I did't find the situation funny.I was not (amusing/amused)
9-It was a really (terrifying/terrified) experience.Everybody was (shockin/shocked).
10- Why do you always look so ( boring/bored)? is your life really so (boring/bored) .
11- He never says anything (interesting/interesed) .

 

 

THE CONTINUOUS FORM OF THE TENSE MISUSED .

 

don't say : i'm understanding the lesson now.
say : i understand the lesson now .

► As a rule, verbs denoting a state rather than an act have no continuous forms like : understand, know, believe, like, love, belong, prefer, consist, mean, hear, see ...etc 

 

 

HOW DO I USE PRESENT TENSES TO TALK ABOUT THE FUTURE ?

 

► several different future forms are possible, but in general we most commonly use the present continuous to talk about an arrangement :
- i'm taking my exam tomorrow .

► we use WILL for instant reactions, predictions and promises:
- that's the doorbell ?? i'll get it .

► compare :

- i'll porbably stay in tomorrow night ( i've got no arranged plans)
- i'm playing squash tomorrow night ( i've already arranged it )

► we use the present simple for future timetabled events .
- compare :

- the plans leaves at 8 am ( timetabled event )
- i'm leaving the house at 5.30 am ( personel arrangement )

USING MUST OR OUGHT TO TO EXPRESS A PAST OBLIGATION 

 

don't say: you ought to come yesterday .
say : you ought to have come yesterday .
or : you should have come yesterday .

► don't use MUST and OUGHT TO as past tenses, to express a past duty ( which wasn't done) use the perfect infinitive without to after OUGHT TO or SHOULD or expressions such as HAD TO , WAS OBLIGED TO .

 

USEFUL AMERICAN IDIOMS

► push the boat out = spend more than usual

► small talk = polite conversation about unimportant things

► hit it off = like each other

► see comment for reading the short story :)

► i went to a big party last night , the hosts were celebrating something so they'd decided to push the boat out , there was a really good band , fantastic food and lots of drink, i chatted to a few people for the first hour, just the usual smal talk . then i met this great guy . we got talking and we really hit it off , i'm seeing him tomorrow.

ADJECTIVES: POSITION AFTER AS/HOW/SO/TOO

► Normally adjectives go after the article a/an:
e.g: a beautiful voice.

- but after as, how, too, so ans that/this meaning so, adjectives go before a/an:
- this structure is common in a formal style:
" as/how/so/too/this/that + adjective + a/an + noun"

e.g: i have as good a voice like you.
e.g: how good a pianist is he?
e.g: it was so warm a day that i could hardly work.
e.g: she is too polite a person to refuse .
e.g: i couldn't afford that big a car.

- the structure is not possible without a/an
e.g : i like your country.- it's so beautiful.( not : i like your so beautiful country)
e.g: those girls are too kind to refuse ( not: they are too kind girls to refuse).