Using the imperative form

You can use the imperative form to give an order, to give a warning or advice, and (if you use "please") to make a request.

To make the imperative, use the infinitive of the verb without 'to':

"Come here!"
"Sit down!"

To make a negative imperative, put "do not" or "don't" before the verb:

"Don't go!"
"Do not walk on the grass."

The imperative can be used for all subjects (you, he, they and we), but you can also use "let's" before the verb if you are including yourself in the imperative:

"Let's stop now."
"Let's have some lunch."

The negative of "let's" is "let's not":

"Let's not argue!
"Let's not tell her about it."

Orders

Adults do not usually give each other orders, unless they are in a position of authority. The intonation of an order is important: each word is stressed, and the tone falls at the end of the sentence:

"Sit down now!" ('Sit', 'down' and 'now' are all stressed, and the tone falls on 'now'.)

However, adults can give orders to children and to animals:

Here are some orders you could give your pet dog:

"Come here!"
"Sit!"
"Heel!"
"Fetch!"

Warnings

You can use the imperative to warn someone of danger. All the words in the warning are stressed, but the last word has a higher tone than the first word:

"Watch out!"
"Look out!"
"Don't cross!"

Advice

When you give advice using the imperative, the words are stressed normally:

"Eat an apple - it's much better for you than a biscuit!"

"Don't tell him you're resigning now! Wait until Monday when he's in a better mood."

You can often read articles in magazines that give advice on a subject. Sometimes, this advice is presented as "Dos and don'ts".

For example:

Travelling long-distance

Do try to sleep well the night before
Do drink plenty of water
Do try to walk about the plane during the flight
Don't drink alcohol
Don't eat heavy meals
Don't wear restrictive clothing

Requests

You can also use the imperative to make a request, but you should use a polite word before the verb:

"Please take a seat."
"Please wait here."
"Please hold the line."
"Please don't smoke here."

In written English, you might also see "Kindly" used as a polite word:

"Kindly return the documents as soon as possible."
"Kindly forward this to the Sales and Marketing department."
"Kindly send me 2 copies of your brochure."

How to use "used to" in English

There's a big difference between used to live - to talk about past habits or states and is used to doing - to talk about something that you are now familiar with.

For example, a common mistake is "I am used to study."

Do you mean that you used to study, but you don't study any more, or do you mean that you know about studying?

Avoid making mistakes by remembering the verb pattern.

Used to + verb describes a past habit or state.

For example:

He used to smoke, but he doesn't now."

To be used to + verb with ing describes something that you are now familiar with.

For example, "Five years ago, I didn't know about the internet. Now I am used to working with it."

Changing the mood of a sentence (modals)

In English, you can show what you feel about a situation by using words such as may, will, would, might, can and could.

These words can change the meaning of a sentence and show that something is possible, necessary, uncertain, or intended.

"For example, "I'll go shopping tomorrow" shows that you intend to go tomorrow.

"I might go shopping tomorrow" shows that perhaps you will go tomorrow, but you don't know for sure.

When you use these words, remember:

* They are followed by the verb without to.

* You don't need an 's' for the third person singular: "He might come to the party." (Not "he mights come to the party".)

* You can make a question by putting the word before the person, not by using 'do' or 'have': "Could you help me?" (Not "do you could help me?")

* You can make a negative form by adding a form of not to the word:

can becomes can't


will becomes won't


might becomes might not (or mightn't)
may becomes may not


could becomes couldn't.

How possible something is
"The company might relocate next year."

"We may have to wait an hour for dinner in this restaurant."

"It can get very cold here in winter."

"We could all live to be 100 years old in theory."

How certain something is
"She'll get promoted next year."

"He won't agree to that idea."

"You must be our new neighbour."

"If you left now, you would get the train."

Offers and requests
"Shall I open the door for you?"

"I'll cook dinner, if you like."

"Could you help me?"

"Can you pass me the salt, please?"

Permission
"Can I open the window, please?"

"You may now look at your exam papers." (This is formal.)

Ability
"I can cook, but I can't drive."

"I couldn't speak French very well when I was at school."

Using should, must and need
These words help you to talk about rules, obligation and advice.

Should
We use should to give advice.

"If you want to learn English, you should practise as much as possible."

We can also use should to talk about what we expect to happen.

"He should be here by now - he left over an hour ago."

The negative of should is shouldn't.

"You shouldn't eat so much chocolate - it's bad for you."

Must
We use must to talk about obligation.

"I must call my grandmother today - it's her birthday."

If you want to say the opposite - that there is no obligation to do something, use don't have to or don't need to.

"You don't have to wash the car - I'll do it."

"You don't need to put the rubbish out - I've already done it."

We can also use must to talk about what we think is logically certain.

"You must be tired after all that travelling."

If you want to say that something is logically impossible, use can't.

"Who's that at the door? It can't be the postman - he's already been."

Mustn't means that it is not allowed to do something.

"You mustn't feed animals in the zoo - it's not allowed."

Should have done
Look at this example dialogue:

"You know… my car was broken into yesterday."

"How terrible. What did you do?"

"Oh, nothing."

"You should have called the police."

We use the pattern should have done to talk about what we think would have been the best thing to do. However, the past event we are talking about cannot be changed. So the pattern after should is have done - not should do.

In the example dialogue, the person didn't contact the police yesterday (in the past), so you can't change the situation. You can only say what action would have been the best in this situation.


Note
When you use this construction, be careful not to say should had done

English idioms using "cold"

We use the idea of "cold" in many idioms, to refer to weather, to people, and to relationships. Here are some of the more common idioms and phrases.

Weather and temperature
ice cold / freezing cold / stone cold = very cold: "This tea is stone cold!"

a cold snap / a cold spell = cold weather: "We're in for a cold snap this weekend."

People
cold-hearted = not be a warm person: "She is so cold-hearted, ignoring her boyfriend like that!"

cold-blooded killer / kill someone in cold blood = have no mercy for your victim: "He was killed in cold blood."

cold fish = a "cold" person: "The new manager is a bit of a cold fish. I don't know what to make of him."

Lack of enthusiasm or emotion
get cold feet = when you suddenly don't feel brave enough for something: "We wanted to go on holiday to Egypt, then my husband got cold feet about flying."

blow hot and cold = not be able to decide something: "I don't know about moving house. I'm blowing hot and cold about it."

in the cold light of day = when you can think clearly about something: "In the cold light of day, the ghost stories didn't seem so scary."

cold facts = plain facts: "Just give me the cold facts!"

leave someone cold = not be interested in something / someone: "I'm afraid that watching football on TV just leaves me cold."

throw cold water on something = destroy other people's enthusiasm about something: "We thought we had some really good ideas, but then she threw cold water on them."

Relationships
leave someone out in the cold = not include someone: "While the others were playing cards, she was left out in the cold."

come in from the cold = be accepted into a group: "He's finally come in from the cold."

give someone the cold shoulder = ignore someone: "After the party,he was given the cold shoulder."

Cold War = the state of unfriendliness between the USA and the USSR after World War II: "We're studying the Cold War in history".

Others
be out cold = be unconscious: "After a bottle of whisky he was out cold."

go cold turkey = to go through withdrawal symptoms from drugs: "The only way to get off drugs is by going cold turkey."

cold call = call someone you don't know to sell them something: "Cold-calling isn't always an effective sales technique."

cold comfort = a small piece of good news which doesn't make much difference to a bad situation: "Sales reductions of 50% are cold comfort if you don't have any money to go shopping!"

get / catch a cold = become ill with a cold: "I caught a cold last week."

Better English speaking skills

Improving your English speaking skills will help you communicate more easily and effectively. But how do you become a more confident English speaker?

Practise where you can, when you can. Any practice is good - whether you speak to someone who is a native English speaker or not.

It's important to build your confidence. If possible, use simple English sentence structure that you know is correct, so that you can concentrate on getting your message across.

Try to experiment with the English you know. Use words and phrases you know in new situations. Native English speakers are more likely to correct you if you use the wrong word than if you use the wrong grammar. Experimenting with vocabulary is a really good way of getting feedback.

Try to respond to what people say to you. You can often get clues to what people think by looking at their body language. Respond to them in a natural way.

Try NOT to translate into and from your own language. This takes too much time and will make you more hesitant.

If you forget a word, do what native English speakers do all the time, and say things that 'fill' the conversation. This is better than keeping completely silent. Try using um, or er, if you forget the word.

Don't speak too fast! It's important to use a natural rhythm when speaking English, but if you speak too fast it will be difficult for people to understand you.

Try to relax when you speak - you'll find your mouth does most of the pronunciation work for you. When you speak English at normal speed, you'll discover that many of the pronunciation skills, such as linking between words, will happen automatically.

Remember, when speaking English…
Try to become less hesitant and more confident.

Don't be shy to speak - the more you do it, the more confident you'll become.

Remember to be polite - use "please" and "thank you" if you ask someone to do something for you

How to say what's important

Sometimes you need to say how important things are to you. These are all common ways of telling someone what your priorities are.

In a job interview

"The most important thing for me is that the job is challenging."

"What's really important to me is being able to learn something new."

"The most crucial thing for me is to be valued by my colleagues."

"The most vital thing is knowing that I am doing a good job."

"What really motivates me is learning about new ways of doing something."

"I'm extremely interested in learning more about the market."

"In terms of priorities, I am most interested in getting results. In addition, I would like to develop my marketing skills."

"As far as my priorities go, getting results is the most important."

"At the top of my list of priorities is feeling appreciated."

"The least important thing is salary."

How to express shock in English

It is sometimes difficult to say how you feel in unexpected situations, such as natural disasters, especially when you feel sad. Here's a list of some common expressions to help you express shock and disbelief.


Shock

I was shocked to hear…
The news came as a complete shock.
We're all in complete shock.
Everyone's reeling from the shock of…
It happened out of the blue.
Who could have predicted it?
I (just) can't get over ….
We were completely taken aback by…
I was just stunned by…

Disbelief

I just can't believe…
It's unbelievable.
I / You just can't imagine…
Words can't describe… (how I feel about / the terrible devastation etc)
There's no way it could have happened.

Saying how bad something is

It's so awful.
It's terrible / What terrible news.
It's a tragedy.
It's a catastrophe (pronounced "ca - tas - tra - fee" with the stress on "-tas")
This is the worst thing that could have happened.

Making requests

When you ask someone to do something for you, or ask if you can do something, it's important to sound polite. Here are some of the common ways that you can do this.


Asking someone to do something for you
"Could you open the door for me, please?"

"Would you mind opening the door for me, please?"

"Can you open the door for me, please?'

Speaking tip: could and can are followed by the verb without to. Would you mind is followed by the verb and -ing.

Asking if you can do something
"Can I use your computer, please?"

"Could I borrow some money from you, please?"

"Do you mind if I turn up the heating?"

"Would you mind if I turned up the heating?"

Speaking tip: Could is more polite that can.

Do you mind if…" is followed by the verb in the present tense, but would you mind if… is followed by the verb in the past tense.

When you're using these two sentences, don't use please. It's already polite enough

Rephrasing

Sometimes we say things that other people don't understand, or we give the wrong impression.

This is an example conversation where one person says something that the other person thinks is strange.

LUIZ: "English is a very easy language to learn."

IRENE: "What do you mean?"

LUIZ: "Well, what I meant to say was that it is easy if you practise every day."

IRENE: "Oh, right."

Rephrasing expressions

"What I meant to say was…"

"Let me rephrase that…"

"Let me put this another way…"

"Perhaps I'm not making myself clear…"

Back to the beginning
If you're explaining something, and you realise that the other person doesn't understand, you can use the following phrases:

"If we go back to the beginning…"

"The basic idea is…"

"One way of looking at it is…"

"Another way of looking at it is…"

If you forget the English word
If you forget the word you want to use, you can say:

"I can't find the word I'm looking for…"

"I'm not sure that this is the right word, but…"

"What I want to say is…"

Speaking Tip

Don't be afraid to repeat what you're saying, especially if you can do it in a slightly different way

Rephrasing

Sometimes we say things that other people don't understand, or we give the wrong impression.

This is an example conversation where one person says something that the other person thinks is strange.

LUIZ: "English is a very easy language to learn."

IRENE: "What do you mean?"

LUIZ: "Well, what I meant to say was that it is easy if you practise every day."

IRENE: "Oh, right."

Rephrasing expressions

"What I meant to say was…"

"Let me rephrase that…"

"Let me put this another way…"

"Perhaps I'm not making myself clear…"

Back to the beginning
If you're explaining something, and you realise that the other person doesn't understand, you can use the following phrases:

"If we go back to the beginning…"

"The basic idea is…"

"One way of looking at it is…"

"Another way of looking at it is…"

If you forget the English word
If you forget the word you want to use, you can say:

"I can't find the word I'm looking for…"

"I'm not sure that this is the right word, but…"

"What I want to say is…"

Speaking Tip

Don't be afraid to repeat what you're saying, especially if you can do it in a slightly different way

Talking about probability in English

There are many ways of saying that something will probably or possibly happen.


Probable

bound to = certain: "They are bound to succeed!"

sure to = certain: "He is sure to win the championship."

likely to = probable: "We are likely to win the contract."

definite = sure: "He's a definite frontrunner for the job!"

probable: "It's probable that we will be on holiday around then."

likely: "An election is likely next year."

will definitely happen: "There will definitely be a storm later."

will probably happen: "They will probably take on more staff."

Possible

may: "We may be able to help you."

might: "There might be a holiday next month - I'm not sure."

could: "There could be a bug in the system."

… is possible: "Do you think he will resign?" "Yes, that's possible."

… is unlikely: "It's unlikely that she will move."

will possibly: "She'll possibly tell us tomorrow."

probably won't: "They probably won't hear until next week."

definitely won't: "I definitely won't go to the party."

… is highly unlikely: "It's highly unlikely that the company will expand."

Note: Be careful of the word order.
"Definitely" and "probably" come after "will" (in positive sentences) and before "won't" in negative sentences.

Variations

You can add words to alter the strength of probability:

highly likely / unlikely (= very likely / unlikely)

quite likely / probable / possible (= more likely, probable or possible)

could possibly / probably


most definitely won't (= even more unlikely)

Making predictions

When we want to say what we think will happen in the future in English, we can either use will followed by the verb without to, or going to followed by the verb.

"What do you think will happen next year?"

"Next week is going to be very busy, I think."

"There won't be a rise in house prices next year."

"He isn't going to win the election."

Because we also use will to talk about intentions and strong decisions, we often use going to to sound less emotional.

"He won't help us" can mean that he has decided not to help us. But "He isn't going to help us" doesn't have this negative implication. It sounds more like a prediction and a simple, non-emotional fact- perhaps he isn't able to help us.

Predictions based on what you know now

We can make predictions based on what we can see now. To do this, we use going to and the verb (not will).

For example:

"Watch out! You're going to hit that car in front."

"It's going to be a lovely day today - not a cloud in the sky."

Making offers

English speakers make offers all the time in conversation.

They say things like:
Can I… ?
Shall I… ?
Would you like me to… ?

Using these common English phrases - and being able to accept and reject offers - will make you sound polite and helpful.

"Can I help you?"

"Shall I open the window for you?"

"Would you like another coffee?"

"Would you like me to answer the phone?"

"I'll do the photocopying, if you like."

Shall, can and will are followed by the verb without to.

Shall is more formal than can. Would you like… is followed either by a noun, or by the verb with to.

Responding to offers
These English dialogues show you ways to accept or reject offers made to you.

"Can I help you?"
"Yes please. I'd like to know what time the train leaves."

"Can I help you?"
"No thanks, I'm just looking." (In a shop.)

"Shall I open the window for you?"
"Yes please. That would be very kind of you."

"Would you like another coffee?"
"No thanks." Or, "No thank you."

"Would you like another coffee?"
"Yes please, that would be lovely." Or, "Yes please, I'd love one."

"Would you like me to answer the phone?"
"If you wouldn't mind." Or, "If you could."
(Don't answer "Yes, I would", as this sounds like you expect someone to do it for you.)

"I'll do the photocopying, if you like."
"It's OK, I can do it." Or, "Don't worry, I'll do it.

"Or, "Thank you, that would be great."

English speaking tip
With a little practice, you'll find it easy to use these English expressions. They'll help you sound both natural and confident.

Making appointments

Useful phrases for making and changing appointments.


Asking to meet
"Are you available on the 17th?"

"Can we meet on the 16th?"

"How does the 3rd sound to you?"

"Are you free next week?"

"Would Friday suit you?"

"Is next Tuesday convenient for you?"

"What about sometime next week?"

Agreeing on a date
"Yes, Thursday is fine."
"Thursday suits me."
"Thursday would be perfect."

Suggesting a different date
"I'm afraid I can't on the 3rd. What about the 6th?"

"I'm sorry, I won't be able to make it on Monday. Could we meet on Tuesday instead?"

"Ah, Wednesday is going to be a little difficult. I'd much prefer Friday, if that's alright with you."

"I really don't think I can on the 17th. Can we meet up on the 19th?"

Setting a time
"What sort of time would suit you?"

"Is 3pm a good time for you?"

"If possible, I'd like to meet in the morning."

"How does 2pm sound to you?"

Changing the arrangement
"You know we were going to meet next Friday? Well, I'm very sorry, but something urgent has come up."

"I'm afraid that I'm not going to be able to meet you after all. Can we fix another time?"

"Something has just cropped up and I won't be able to meet you this afternoon. Can we make another time?"

Making invitations

How to make and accept invitations in English.

"What are you doing next Saturday? We're having some people over for a meal. Would you like to come?"

"Are you free next Thursday?"

"Are you doing anything next weekend?"

"Would you be interested in coming to the cinema with me tonight?"

"How do you fancy going out for a meal at the weekend?"

Accepting

"Would you like to…"

"I'd love to, thanks."

"That's very kind of you, thanks."

"That sounds lovely, thanks."

Do you fancy coming to the cinema tonight?

"What a great idea, thanks."

Declining
"Would you like to come over for dinner on Saturday?"

"That's very kind of you, but actually I'm doing something else on Saturday."

"Well, I'd love to, but I'm already going out to the cinema."

"I'm really sorry, but I've got something else on."

"I really don't think I can - I'm supposed to be doing something else."

Speaking Tip
It's important to be polite when you decline an invitation. We normally give a reason why we can't do something and either apologise, or use words like "actually" or "really".

Asking for directions

Here is some useful vocabulary for asking directions in English.

Asking for directions
"How do I get to your office?"

"Can you tell me the best way of getting to your office?"

"What's the quickest way of getting to your office?"

"Where are you exactly?"

Getting information
"Will you be coming by car or by train?"

"It's much easier if you take the train."

"Which hotel are you staying at?"

General information in English
"We're not far from…" or "We're quite close to…"

"It's about a mile / kilometre / two blocks from…"

"We're opposite / next to / in front of / across the road from / round the corner from the supermarket."

Giving directions in English
"Come off the motorway / highway at Junction / Exit 12."

"It's signposted 'Manchester'."

"Follow the signs to …"

"There's a one-way system in the centre of town."

"Take the 'A12' to 'Chelmsford'."

"Go straight on / left / right at the lights / at the roundabout /at the junction of … and …"

"Go past the supermarket."

"You'll come to / see …"

"It's the first turning on the right after the bank."

Use landmarks to help
"You'll see a large sign / roundabout."

"On your left you'll see an industrial centre / a hospital / the police station."

"Just after the level crossing / shopping centre (or mall)."

"Go past the petrol station / the garage."

Final tips
If you're giving directions over the phone, remember to speak slowly to allow the other person to write things down.

Check that the other person has understood.

If you're speaking face-to-face with someone, use your hands to show left, right, or straight on.

Use "please" when you ask someone to give you directions. It's polite, and will normally get you what you want!

Speaking about hopes in English

There are a number of expressions you can use to show your hopes and preferences.

Hopes
I'm hoping for (noun) ("I'm hoping for a new cell phone.")

I'm hoping to get… ("I'm hoping to get a new phone.")

I would like…

I really want… (Using "want" can be impolite unless you are talking to a close friend or family member.)

Something I've always wanted is…

I'd be delighted / over the moon if… ("I'd be delighted if you gave me a new watch.")

What I'd like more than anything else is…

On my Christmas wish list is…

Preferences
I'd rather have (noun) ("I'd rather have tickets to the opera.")

I'd rather you (simple past) ("I'd rather you saved your money.")

I'd prefer (noun) ("I'd prefer some money for the new house.")

I'd prefer it if you (simple past) ("I'd prefer it if you gave some money to charity.")

….. would be more suitable / would be better

If I had a choice, I would go for…

If it's all the same to you, …. ("If it's all the same to you, I'd like some book tokens.")

Suggestions in English

The following English words and
expressions are all used to make suggestions and give advice to people.

should

"You should try to practise English."
"You shouldn't translate too much."

Why don't you

"Why don't you join an English club?"

ought to

"You ought to read more."

If I were you, I'd…

"If I were you, I'd watch more television."

*All these expressions are followed by a verb, without to. For example: "He should visit the Eiffel Tower." (Not "he should to visit the Eiffel Tower.")

suggest and recommend

Either use a verb + ing
"I suggest visiting the Eiffel Tower." (We should all go.)

OR use that + a verb without to
"I suggest that you visit the Eiffel Tower." (I'm not going.)

OR use a noun
"I recommend the lasagne." (It's a very good dish to choose in this restaurant.)

advise

"I advise you to buy a good dictionary."

advice

Advice is an uncountable noun. This means that we can't say an advice. Instead, we say some advice or a piece of advice.

"Let me give you some advice."

"She gave me a very useful piece of advice: to buy a good dictionary."

Speaking tip
Many people don't like getting advice if they haven't asked for it! To avoid giving the wrong impression, you can try some of these expressions:

"You could always…"

"Have you considered…"

"Perhaps we could…"

"Do you think it's a good idea to…"

An English Pronouncing Dictionary with Instant Sound

An English Pronouncing Dictionary with Instant Sound



h o w j s a y . c o m

www.howjsay.com

Thank you

Thank you
For showing me how to be strong, when I wanted to give up.
Thank you
For showing me how to listen, when all I wanted was to scream.
Thank you
For showing me the right way, when I did not see the path.
Thank you
For showing me how to give, when all I wanted was to receive.
Thank you
For showing me how to believe in myself, even when no one else did.
Thank you
For showing me how to be a good mother, for without you by my side, to guide, to give, to love, I would not know any of these things.
These two words
Cannot be bought and placed in a box with a bow on top.
These two words
Can only be expressed.
Thank you
For your love, your tenderness, your understanding, your friendship, but most of all, thank you for being my mother.
I love you!