Posts tagged grammar
One-Point English Lesson: Enough & More
Oct 19th
Enough and more can both be used as determiners before a noun, but they have different meanings.
More means sufficient and comes before a noun. You can use more before a plural noun or a non-countable noun:
- We have more pens in the closet if you need them.
- I think we are going to need more wine glasses for the party.
- I didn’t finish my report yet. I need more time.
- He likes his coffee light, so can you put a little more milk in the cup?
When we use more in negative sentences and questions, we often use any more:
- We don’t have any more pens, so I will go to the stationary shop to get some.
- Do you have any more wine glasses we can borrow for the party?
- I didn’t have any more time to finish the exam, so my grade was terrible.
- Please don’t add any more salt to the soup. It already has salt in it.
Enough means additional and comes before a noun. You can also use more before a plural noun or a non-countable noun:
- We have enough pens in the closet if you need them.
- I think we are going to need more wine glasses for the party.
- I didn’t finish my report yet. I need more time.
- He likes his coffee light, so can you put a little more milk in the cup?
Enough can also be used in negative sentences and questions:
- We don’t have enough pens, so I will go to the stationary shop to get some.
- Jane said we don’t have enough wine glasses for the party.
- I didn’t have enough time to finish my report, so I have to work overtime.
- There isn’t enough milk in my coffee, so can you put a little more milk in the cup?
Did you have enough time to finish your work today, or did you work overtime?
If you know anyone who has trouble with this English language point, why not help them out! Just share this lesson with them.
Thanks for studying today!
One-Point English Lesson: Using Since to Talk About Time
Oct 18th
When you want to connect the past to the present, you can use since when you talk about a specific point in past time. We use since after a clause that uses the present perfect tense. The verb in the since clause uses the simple past. The structure is since + S + V:
- Jack has played the guitar since he was in elementary school.
- Yuki said she has lived in New York since she graduated university.
- She has helped me so much since I first met her.
Of course, you can also use since + day, date, or other time phrase:
- Jack has played the guitar since 1987.
- Yuki said she has lived in New York since last year.
- Tom has worked in the bank since March.
Did you know I have been writing lessons her since 2010?
If you know anyone who has trouble with this English language point, why not help them out! Just share this lesson with them.
Thanks for studying today!
English Lesson: Habitual Actions & The Future
Oct 15th
When you want to talk about specific actions or activities in the future, you can use after + the simple present verb in the future clause and be going to + verb to describe the activity. We use this grammar to talk about activities that have been planned at a certain point in time in the future.
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After I get home from work, I am going to make dinner.
In this example, the certain point in time is [After I get home from work] and the planned activity is [am going to make dinner].
Here are some more examples:
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After Joe finishes lunch, he is going to start working on the report.
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After we leave the meeting, we are going to return to the office.
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After I watch this TV program, I’m going to take a shower.
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After Jane sees Jack, she is going to give him his birthday present.
You also use after when you talk about habitual actions. You can use after + the simple present verb in the time clause and the simple present verb to describe the activity. We use this grammar to talk about habitual activities that generally happen at a certain point in time.
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After I get home from work, I make dinner.
In this example, the certain point in time is [After I get home from work] and the habitual activity is [make dinner].
Here are some more examples:
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After Joe finishes lunch, he works on the daily report.
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After we leave the house, we walk to the subway station.
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After I watch TV at night, I take a shower.
What do you usually do when you get home from school or work?
If you know anyone who has trouble with using before and after in future time clauses, why not help them out! Just share this lesson with them.
Thanks for studying today!
