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  Sometimes we add "do" before the main verb of the sentence. This is called the Emphatic do, and it is very common in spoken English when we want to add emphasis to affirmative sentences. "I did follow the instructions to the letter.” This example suggests th...

FANBOYS: We can remember the most common conjunctions with the mnemonic  For And Nor But Or Yet So   Conjunctions usually connect two phrases, so we normally find them in the middle of the sentence. However, we can sometimes start a sentence with a conjunct...

  The inversion comes in the second clause.“They didn't fix the bugs, nor did they try.” Inversions can be used with conditionals : replace if with the auxiliary or modal verb in formal situations. “Had I known the deadline was next week, I would have spent m...

word meaning Replicate To reproduce or make an exact copy of something. Snippet  A small region of re-usable source code, machine code, or text. Brief extracts of text or speech, often a quotable passage. Lambda A set of signs that are used to id...

The modal verb OUGHT TO is similar to should. We use it for formal and serious things: professional suggestions or advice, for example. “The urgency of the situation ought to have been considered earlier.” Ought to and should are usually interchangeable. Ought...

Work related word meaning Get the best of both worlds A situation in which you can enjoy the advantages of two very different things at the same time. No matter the case Whatever, whichever, anyway, regardless. The recipient of the email. The pe...

Polite Requests Adverbs add a level of formality which means our requests are serious and formal, but always polite. “Would you kindly explain why my operating system is not compatible?” Kindly lets me make a polite request, but also suggests that there is s...

  We form the imperative by using the infinitive form of the verb without "to". “Switch off your computer every day before leaving the office.”   We can form a negative imperative with don’t or do not. “Do not leave your computer switched on at the end of the ...

The future perfect simple actions that will finish before a certain point in the future. “By tomorrow, we will have completed the reconfigurations.” We often use passive structures for the future perfect simple. The report will have been started when you ret...

  TO BE ON THE POINT OF DOING SOMETHING is a common phrase commonly used in the past tense followed by a verb in the gerund form. “We were on the point of signing off on the design when more adjustments were suggested.” The phrasal verb signing off, meaning to...

introduction English has three main tenses, past, present and future.  twelve tenses in total. We can divide them into four categories: Simple tenses, Continuous tenses, Perfect tenses and Perfect Continuous tenses. Here are some formulas.  Simple Tenses Pr...

Past perfect simple We use the Past Perfect Tense to make it clear that one event happened before another, both of them happening in the past.  HAD / HADN’T + PAST PARTICIPLE We explained that we had thought about a comprehensive procedure on how to address ...

When we give instructions and orders in a formal setting, or when we express opinions or make suggestions, we sometimes need to soften what we say in order to be less direct and to sound polite. Direct orders usually use the imperative form; Do this!, for exam...

We can use the future continuous with reference to actions in progress at a specific time in the future. For example, we use it when we imagine things we might be doing on an upcoming holiday, but we can also use it more specifically for things that are more d...

When we use GOING TO for future events, it usually means that there is a connection to the present. It can be used to talk about predictions based on present evidence, or it can be used to talk about plans or intentions.   subject + BE + going to + infinitive....

  Modal Verbs of Ability The modal verbs of ability are CAN & COULD. When we talk about general ability, we mean things we have learned to do, or things we can do. We have the ability to do them, sometimes because we have been taught or trained in a professio...

we use Be Able To in a similar way to can or could. However, there are some important differences to remember. For example, because it is not possible to use can in the future tenses, we use Be Able To instead. Let’s look at two examples.   Can you finish the ...

If you have studied the Passive Voice before, you will remember that it is used when the object receiving the action is more important than the agent performing the action. The object and the subject change places in the sentence like this:   Active:We upgrade...