English Grammar Lesson & Mp3 Podcast: Want Vs. Want to & Need Vs Need to

I want to eat something yummy

I want to eat something yummy

Want and need have a similar grammatical pattern. Let’s have a look at these today. Listen to the lesson as you read along:

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We use want + noun, like this:

  • I want pizza for lunch.
  • Jack said he wants pepperoni pizza.
  • The students wanted the university lateness policy changed, so they met with the dean.
  • I wanted a new hat, so I went to the mall

We use want + to VERB. In a past sentence, the pattern is wanted + to VERB. like this:

  • I want to have pizza for lunch.
  • Jack said he wants to eat pepperoni pizza.
  • The students said they wanted to see they the lateness policy of the university changed.
  • I wanted to buy a new hat, so I went to the mall

In a similar way, we use need + noun, like this:

  • I need a new computer. This one is broken.
  • Jack said he needs time to repair the broken server.
  • The students needed flexibility in the lateness policy, so they met with the dean.
  • I needed a new hat, so I went to the mall.

We use need + to VERB. In a past sentence, the pattern is needed + to VERB, like this:

  • I need to get a new computer. This one is broken.
  • Jack said he needs to have more time to repair the broken server.
  • The students said the university needed to have flexibility in the lateness policy.
  • I needed to pick up a new hat, so I went to the mall.

What do you want to have for dinner tonight? Do you need to buy anything today? Leave a comment here and let me know.



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One Point English Preposition Lesson: Injure and Hurt

She was almost injured!

She was almost injured!

Injure and hurt are both verbs, but the way we use them is a little different. Let’s have a look today at how we use these words.

be + injure is used without an object, and generally used in the passive voice. You can use

+ be injured or [body part] + be injured:

  • My leg was injured in the accident.
  • Jack was injured when he slipped on the ice.

Note that be injured does not take a direct object:

  • Jack was injured his arm when he slipped on the ice.

Injure as an active verb does take a direct object and follows the basic grammar pattern, S + injure + O, like this:

  • I injured my leg in the accident.
  • Jack injured his arm in the accident.

Hurt is generally used as an active verb which takes a direct object and follows the basic grammar pattern, S + hurt + O. Hurt is also an irregular verb, so the three forms are hurt, hurt, & hurt.

  • I hurt my leg in the accident.
  • Jack hurt his arm in the accident.

We can also use be hurt in the passive voice, like be injured. You can use

+ be hurt or [body part] + be hurt:

  • My leg was hurt in the accident.
  • Jack was hurt when he slipped on the ice.

Generally, the meaning of hurt is less serious that the meaning of injure. If you injure yourself or are injured, you will probably need medical attention or First Aid. If you are hurt, you may be uncomfortable, but not in need of First Aid.

Do you know another way to use injure and hurt? Leave a comment here and let me know!



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One Point English Lesson: Get to + Verb

When you have the chance to do something, and often something that you have wanted to do, you can use get to + verb:

  • I got to see some of my friends in Tokyo last October.
  • Jack said he got to eat delicious food all over Spain.
  • The train shouldn’t be crowded now. I’m sure we will get to sit down.
  • They were only in NYC for five days, but they got to see many things.

It’s also possible to use hope + get to when talking about the future

  • I hope I get to see some of my friends in Tokyo next week.
  • Jack said he hopes he gets to eat delicious food all over Spain on his next trip there.
  • The train shouldn’t be crowded now. I hope we get to sit down.

Do you know another way to use get to + verb? Leave a comment here and let me know!



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One Point English Lesson: Using Could

I couldn’t swim well when I was a kid...

I couldn’t swim well when I was a kid…

Last week we had a look at how to use can. Today, let’s look at could. This word can be confusing because it has a few different uses and meanings, so let’s see how it’s used.

Could is used as the past of can in a negative sentence meaning ability.

  • I couldn’t swim well when I was a kid.
  • Jack couldn’t find his wallet this morning.
  • Because of the heavy traffic, we couldn’t catch the flight.

However….when we talk about ability in a positive sentence in the past, we prefer to use was able to.

  • I was able to find the jacket I was looking for.
  • We were able to get on the next flight.
  • Finally, Jack was able to find his wallet…it was in the washing machine!

Could is used to indicate possibility.

  • They could be right. This dirt road looks a little unsafe.
  • I would go if I could afford it.
  • If Jack wasn’t busy he could help us with this project.

Could is used in making polite requests:

  • Could I use the phone?
  • Could we have some more coffee?

Could is used to indicate annoyance because of something that has not been done. The if condition is often unstated.

  • They could have told me that they were coming late!
  • We cold have gotten a free dessert!

Could is used to indicate a strong inclination to do something

  • He irritates me so much that I could scream.
  • This shelf was not installed properly. I think it could easily fall.

Do you know any other ways to use could? If so, leave me a message here.



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