English Preposition Lesson: Using OF

A happy bottle of wine!

A happy bottle of wine!

Yesterday we looked at the preposition around. For today’s English lesson, I want to show you how to use the preposition of. There are a number of grammar patterns that we have when we use of, so let’s get started!

#1. We use of when we want to show the connection or relationship between two nouns:

  • Jack is a friend of mine.
  • I saw a picture of Times Square in an old textbook.
  • The day of your birth is called your birthday.

#2. We use of when we want to talk about an artist or musician and their collective work:

  • You can see the complete works of Picasso at MOMA this month.
  • I love the paintings of Salvador Dali.
  • This CD set contains the complete works of Mozart.

#3. We also use of when we want to show the connection between one part and an entire thing:

  • I had a slice of pizza for lunch.
  • Do you want a piece of cake?
  • Jack used the last slice of bread.

#4. In a similar way, we use of when we use quantifiers, such as containers or groups of food:

  • We bought a bottle of wine for the party.
  • Jack drinks a liter of milk every day.
  • The supermarket has a bunch of grapes for just $0.69!

#5. We use of when we talk about measurement:

  • This handle can extend to a length of 30 inches.
  • The recipe calls for one cup of sugar and two cups of cocoa.
  • I think two pounds of pork should be enough.

#6. We use of to talk about directions or locations near a certain point or place:

  • There is a big drawer at the bottom of the oven.
  • You can find many old buildings on the lower east side of Manhattan.
  • The entrance to this building is on 40th Street, just to the left of the bank.

#7 We use type of / kind of / sort of + noun to describe a category:

  • A smartphone is a type of computer.
  • Japanese nabe is a kind of soup.
  • Pink Floyd plays sort of experimental music.

#8. We use made of / built of, etc to show the type of material used in making something:

  • This building is built of iron and steel.
  • Many items we have at home are made of plastic.

There are a lot more combinations of verbs + of, including phrasal verbs, in English. Do you know any others? If you do, let me know. In the meantime, how about trying to use some of these patterns? Write a sentence or two in the comment box below!



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English Preposition Lesson: Using Around

I walked around the Library

I walked around the Library

Today I am going to show you how we use around, which is both adverb and a preposition. I am sure you will find learning this English Grammar helpful, especially if you are preparing for the TOEIC or TOEFL exam.

We use around to mean approximately:

  • There are around thirty English Language schools in New York City.
  • Jack is tall. He’s around 190cm.

We use around to mean near:

  • There are a lot of restaurants around my office.
  • You can see many interesting people around Times Square.

We use around with the meaning of encircle or surround something:

  • The hotel is build around a swimming pool.
  • We sat around the table during the meeting.

We use around with the meaning of moving in a circle or toward the other side of (like a corner):

  • The man walked around the corner.
  • The kids ran around the tree.

We use around to talk about moving to many different places in one area of a city, office, shop, etc:

  • We walked around Chinatown for three hours on Saturday.
  • Let’s look around the museum.

We use turn around to talk about changing the direction or movement in an opposite direction:

  • The road was closed so I had to turn the car around and go a different way.
  • Everyone turned around when we heard the loud noise in the office.

We use be around to mean exist in a location:

  • I’ll be around until 3:00, then I have to leave the office.
  • That café has been around since 1970.

I think I’ve covered most of the common ways to use around. If you know another way to use around, let me know. In the meantime, how about trying to use some of these patterns? Write a sentence or two in the comment box below!



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Creative Writing English Lesson

Have a look at this cartoon. What do you think the man will say next? Write your comment below:

20130609-141854.jpg

English Grammar Lesson: Using Feel

He feels so soft!

He feels so soft!

Yesterday, we I showed you the different ways to use seem. Today, I want to help you with another verb that can be tricky to use: feel.  I’d like to show you how we can use this verb in everyday English. There are several grammar patterns using feel, so let’s have a look at them.

First, we use feel + adjective to describe mental or physical states:

  • I feel hot. Can you please turn on the air conditioner?
  • Jack said he feels sick, so he is going to leave the office early.
  • This pillow feels soft! I love it!

We also use feel + like + noun to describe mental or physical states:

  • I didn’t sleep well last night. I feel like a zombie today.
  • This pillow feels like a brick. I want a softer one.

In a similar way, we can use also use feel + like + subject + verb:

  • I didn’t sleep well last night. I feel like I am a zombie today.
  • This pillow feels like it is a brick. I want a softer one.

It is also possible to use feel + as if & feel + as though with the same meaning:

  • I didn’t sleep well last night. I feel as though I am a zombie today.
  • This pillow feels as if it is a brick. I want a softer one.

We can also use feel like to mean want. After feel like you can use a gerund or noun:

  • I feel like eating ice cream.
  • We were talking about lunch and Jack said he feels like pizza. How about you?

We use feel + noun to talk about a physical perception or the sense of touch:

  • I felt something on my leg and it was a spider! Yuck!
  • Jack felt her forehead and realized she has a fever.

Well, I think I’ve covered everything. If you know another way to use feel, let me know. In the meantime, how about trying to use some of these patterns? Write a sentence or two in the comment box below!



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Thanks for studying today!