Foreign words in English: 12 everyday examples
English has borrowed many everyday words from other languages. Café, piano, kindergarten, tsunami, algebra, and shampoo are familiar English words with word histories outside English.
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Formal and informal writing: choose the right tone
Choose your tone after you decide who will read the message and what you need from them. Use a suitable greeting and closing, make requests politely when the situation needs it, and avoid slang or very casual abbreviations in formal writing.
Forming adverbs from adjectives: spelling and sentence position
To form many adverbs, add -ly to an adjective: careful becomes carefully. With an adjective ending in consonant plus y, change y to i and add -ly: happy becomes happily. Check the sentence too: an adjective describes a noun, while an adverb often tells how an action happens.
Fractions and percentages in English
Say one half, one third, two thirds, and three quarters for common fractions. Say a number plus percent for percentages. After of, match the verb to the thing being counted or measured.
Future continuous: actions in progress at a future time
Use will be plus an -ing verb for an action that will be happening at a future time. For example, This time next week, we will be staying near the coast.
Gerunds in English: form and common patterns
Use a gerund when an -ing form names an activity or follows a word that requires that pattern. Prepositions take gerunds, and several common verbs do too.
Giving reasons and examples
Use because, since, or so to connect an idea with its reason. Use for example, for instance, such as, or including when you want to show a case that supports your point.
Group discussion tips: join, respond, and build on ideas
Listen for a pause, enter with a phrase linked to the current point, say how you respond, then add one reason, example, or question that helps the group continue.
Group discussion tips: speak clearly and work with others
To do well in a group discussion, listen first, enter with a polite phrase, state one clear idea with a reason, and connect your response to the group.
Gut feeling: meaning and use in English
Use gut feeling for a personal sense or impression that you cannot fully explain. Say I have a gut feeling that the train will be late, or My gut feeling is that we should wait. The phrase is informal and does not mean that you have proof.
Had better: give strong advice
Use had better plus a base verb when you give strong advice or a warning: You'd better lock the door. Use had better not plus a base verb when you advise against an action: You'd better not miss the last bus. The expression usually refers to now or the future, not the past.
Head over heels: meaning and use in English
Use head over heels when someone is strongly in love: 'Maya is head over heels for her new partner.' The phrase is figurative, so it does not describe a physical fall. It is informal and usually appears in personal conversation, stories, or light writing.