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April 2025
May vs. Might: What’s the Difference? 🤔
Have you ever wondered when to use may and when to use might? These two little words can be confusing, but don’t worry! In this post, we’ll break it down in a simple and fun way. 🚀
May vs. Might: The Basics
Both may and might talk about possibility, but they have slight differences in meaning:
-
May = A stronger possibility
-
Might = A weaker possibility
For example:
-
I may go to the party tonight. (⭐ There’s a good chance I’ll go!)
-
I might go to the party tonight. (😷 Maybe, but I’m not sure.)
When to Use May
Use may when:
🔹 Something is likely to happen.
-
Example: She may get the job because she has great experience.
🔹 Asking for or giving permission.
-
Example: May I use your phone? (Formal request)
-
Example: You may leave early today. (Giving permission)
When to Use Might
Use might when:
🔹 Something is less certain.
-
Example: I might go to the gym later, but I haven’t decided yet.
🔹 Talking about past possibilities.
-
Example: He might have forgotten about our meeting. (A possibility in the past)
Should Have vs. Could Have: What’s the Difference? 🤔
When learning English, you might hear phrases like “should have” and “could have.” They sound similar, but they have different meanings! Let’s break them down in a simple and fun way. 🚀
What Does “Should Have” Mean? 🤷♂️
“Should have” is used when talking about something that was the right thing to do in the past, but didn’t happen.
👉 Structure: Should have + past participle
Examples:
-
I should have studied for the test. (But I didn’t, and now I regret it! 😩)
-
She should have called me. (But she didn’t.)
-
You should have worn a jacket. (It’s cold, and now you’re freezing! 🥶)
When to Use “Should Have”
-
Giving advice about the past 🗣️
-
Expressing regret 😢
-
Criticizing past actions 👀
What Does “Could Have” Mean? 🤔
“Could have” is used when talking about something that was possible in the past, but didn’t happen.
👉 Structure: Could have + past participle
Examples:
-
I could have won the race. (But I didn’t. 🏃♂️)
-
She could have been a doctor. (But she chose a different career.)
-
We could have gone to the beach. (But we stayed home. 🏖️)
When to Use “Could Have”
-
Talking about past possibilities 🎭
-
Showing missed opportunities 😕
-
Speculating about the past 🧐
Key Differences 🔑
Should Have:
-
Expresses regret or advice
-
Something ought to have happened but didn’t
-
Example: You should have apologized. 😞
Could Have:
-
Expresses possibility
-
Something was possible but didn’t happen
-
Example: You could have apologized, but you didn’t. 🤷♀️
Quick Trick to Remember 🎯
-
If you feel regret or want to give advice → Use should have.
-
If you are talking about a possibility that didn’t happen → Use could have.
Have you ever wondered if you should say “I went in the room” or “I went into the room”? 🤔 What about “She jumped on the bed” vs. “She jumped onto the bed”?
These little prepositions—in, into, on, onto—can be tricky! But don’t worry, we’re here to make them crystal clear with easy tips, fun examples, and common mistakes to avoid. Let’s dive right in! 💦
🧊 What’s the Difference Between In and Into?
In shows the position of something—it’s already inside something.
Into shows movement—something is going inside.
📌 Structure:
-
In = no movement → just the location.
-
Into = movement from outside to inside.
✅ Examples:
-
I’m in the room. (already inside)
-
She walked into the room. (movement)
-
The keys are in my bag.
-
I put the keys into my bag.
❌ Common Mistakes with In vs. Into:
-
❌ He went in the house.
✅ He went into the house. (He moved from outside to inside.) -
❌ I put the book in my backpack.
✅ I put the book into my backpack. (You’re moving it there.)
🔑 Quick Tip:
If the verb already shows movement (like go, run, put), use into!
🧱 What’s the Difference Between On and Onto?
On is used when something is already resting on a surface.
Onto is used when something moves to a surface.
📌 Structure:
-
On = position or location (no movement).
-
Onto = movement toward a surface.
✅ Examples:
-
The phone is on the table.
-
He placed the phone onto the table.
-
The cat is on the roof.
-
The cat jumped onto the roof.
❌ Common Mistakes with On vs. Onto:
-
❌ She climbed on the ladder.
✅ She climbed onto the ladder. (She moved there.) -
❌ He jumped on the sofa.
✅ He jumped onto the sofa. (It’s a movement.)
🔑 Quick Tip:
Use onto when you’re describing movement from one place to a surface.
🎯 More Examples to Make It Clear
Let’s look at some quick examples with both preposition pairs:
In vs. Into
-
They’re already in the car.
-
They got into the car and started driving.
On vs. Onto
-
The painting is on the wall.
-
He hung the painting onto the wall.
🤓 Common Verbs That Often Go with Into or Onto
Verbs + Into:
-
go into
-
jump into
-
fall into
-
run into
-
throw into
Verbs + Onto:
-
climb onto
-
jump onto
-
step onto
-
move onto
-
get onto
✅ Example Sentences:
-
The kids jumped into the pool. 💦
-
The bird flew onto the branch. 🐦
🚫 Don’t Get Confused!
Sometimes in and into or on and onto can be used in informal speech interchangeably, especially in American English. But for correct grammar, especially in writing and exams, it’s good to know the difference! 🎓
🌟 Advanced Tip: When Both Work!
Sometimes, both options are grammatically correct, but they give different meanings.
🔄 Example:
-
He put the plate on the table. (Focus: the location)
-
He dropped the plate onto the table. (Focus: the action/movement)
🎯 Choose the preposition based on what you want to emphasize—location or movement!
🧠 Summary: Key Differences at a Glance
In vs. Into:
-
In = already inside
-
Into = movement inside
On vs. Onto:
-
On = already on a surface
-
Onto = movement to a surface
✅ Final Thoughts
Learning the difference between in vs. into and on vs. onto can help you speak and write English more clearly and confidently! 💪 Keep practicing with your own sentences and soon, it’ll feel natural.
Do you want more fun grammar tips like this one? 😄
👉 Check out this article on prepositions of time to boost your grammar even more!
💬 Let’s Chat!
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Share your own examples in the comments!
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And don’t forget to follow English with Nimafar on Telegram for daily English boosts! 🚀
I said next week lol (:
March 2025
Understanding past tenses in English can be tricky, but don’t worry! Today, we’ll break down the Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous tenses in a simple and engaging way. Let’s dive in! 🚀
🔹 What is the Past Perfect?
The Past Perfect is used to describe an action that was completed before another action or time in the past. It helps to show the sequence of events. 🕰️
🕵️♂️ Structure:
✅ Subject + had + past participle (V3)
📝 Examples:
-
I had finished my homework before my friend arrived. ✅📖
-
She had already left when I called her. 📞
-
By the time we got to the cinema, the movie had started. 🎬
⏳ Common Time Expressions:
-
Before
-
After
-
By the time
-
Already, just, yet
🛑 Common Mistakes:
❌ I had went to Paris before 2020. → ✅ I had gone to Paris before 2020. ❌ She had saw that movie before. → ✅ She had seen that movie before.
🔹 What is the Past Perfect Continuous?
The Past Perfect Continuous is used to talk about an action that was happening over a period of time before another action or time in the past. ⏳
🕵️♂️ Structure:
✅ Subject + had been + verb (-ing)
📝 Examples:
-
I had been studying for hours before I took the exam. 📚✍️
-
She had been waiting for a taxi for 30 minutes before one arrived. 🚕
-
They had been living in New York for five years before moving to London. 🏙️
⏳ Common Time Expressions:
-
For + duration (for two hours, for three years)
-
Since + point in time (since Monday, since 2010)
-
Before, until
🛑 Common Mistakes:
❌ I had been study for three hours. → ✅ I had been studying for three hours. ❌ She had been waited since morning. → ✅ She had been waiting since morning.
🔥 Key Differences: Past Perfect vs. Past Perfect Continuous
-
Focus:
-
Past Perfect focuses on the completion of an action before another past event.
-
Past Perfect Continuous focuses on the duration of an action before another past event.
-
-
Structure:
-
Past Perfect: had + past participle (V3).
-
Past Perfect Continuous: had been + verb (-ing).
-
-
Usage:
-
Use Past Perfect when emphasizing that something was completed before another event.
-
Use Past Perfect Continuous when emphasizing how long something was happening before another past event.
-
-
Examples:
-
When I arrived at the party, Tom had already left. 🏠 (Focus: completion)
-
When I arrived at the party, Tom had been dancing for two hours. 💃 (Focus: duration)
-
🚀 Final Thoughts
Mastering Past Perfect vs. Past Perfect Continuous will help you tell past stories more clearly and naturally! Keep practicing and using these tenses in your conversations. 💬✨
👉 Want more grammar tips? Join my Telegram channel📲
Talking about the future in English can be confusing, but don’t worry! Today, we’ll break down Future Simple and Future Perfect in a fun and easy way. Let’s dive in! 🏊♂️
🔹 What is the Future Simple?
The Future Simple is used to talk about actions that will happen in the future. It’s great for decisions, predictions, promises, and offers. 💡
🕵️♂️ Structure:
✅ Subject + will + base verb (V1)
📝 Examples:
-
I will call you tomorrow. 📞
-
She will visit Paris next summer. ✈️
-
They will help us with the project. 🤝
⏳ Common Uses:
-
Predictions: It will rain tomorrow. ☔
-
Promises: I will always love you. ❤️
-
Spontaneous Decisions: I’m hungry. I will order a pizza. 🍕
-
Offers: I will carry your bag for you. 🎒
🛑 Common Mistakes:
❌ I will to go to the party. → ✅ I will go to the party.
❌ She will plays football. → ✅ She will play football.
🔹 What is the Future Perfect?
The Future Perfect is used to describe an action that will be completed before a certain time in the future. It helps to show the sequence of events. ⏳
🕵️♂️ Structure:
✅ Subject + will have + past participle (V3)
📝 Examples:
-
By 10 PM, I will have finished my homework. 📖
-
She will have left before you arrive. 🚪
-
By next year, they will have built a new school. 🏫
⏳ Common Time Expressions:
-
By + specific time (By Monday, by 2025)
-
Before + another future action (Before he arrives, before you call)
-
By the time (By the time you wake up, I will have left.)
🛑 Common Mistakes:
❌ I will have finish my work by 5 PM. → ✅ I will have finished my work by 5 PM.
❌ She will have arrives before you. → ✅ She will have arrived before you.
🔥 Key Differences: Future Simple vs. Future Perfect
-
Focus:
-
Future Simple talks about general future actions.
-
Future Perfect talks about completed actions before a future time.
-
-
Structure:
-
Future Simple: will + V1.
-
Future Perfect: will have + V3.
-
-
Usage:
-
Use Future Simple for predictions, promises, offers, and decisions.
-
Use Future Perfect for actions completed before a future point.
-
-
Examples:
-
Future Simple: I will start a new job next month.
-
Future Perfect: By next month, I will have started my new job.
-
🚀 Final Thoughts
Mastering Future Simple vs. Future Perfect will help you speak about the future with confidence! Keep practicing and try using these tenses in your conversations. 💬✨
👉 Want more grammar tips? Join my Telegram channel! 📲
Future Perfect Continuous Vs. Future Continuous: What’s the Difference?
Understanding future tenses in English can be tricky, but don’t worry! Today, we’ll break down the Future Continuous and Future Perfect Continuous tenses in a simple and engaging way. 🚀 Let’s dive in!
What is the Future Continuous? ⏳
The Future Continuous is used to describe an action that will be happening at a specific time in the future. It focuses on the ongoing nature of the action.
Structure:
✅ Subject + will be + verb (-ing)
Examples:
-
This time tomorrow, I will be traveling to Paris. ✈️
-
She will be studying at 8 PM tonight. 📚
-
They will be playing football when we arrive. ⚽
Common Time Expressions:
-
This time tomorrow
-
At 5 PM next Monday
-
In a few hours
-
When/While + another future action
Common Mistakes: ❌
-
❌ I will be goes to the gym.
✅ I will be going to the gym. -
❌ She will studying at 9 AM.
✅ She will be studying at 9 AM.
What is the Future Perfect Continuous? ⏳🔄
The Future Perfect Continuous is used to show that an action will have been happening for a period of time before another event in the future. It emphasizes duration.
Structure:
✅ Subject + will have been + verb (-ing)
Examples:
-
By next year, I will have been living in London for five years. 🌍
-
In December, she will have been working at this company for a decade. 💼
-
By 8 PM, they will have been waiting for two hours. ⏳
Common Time Expressions:
-
By + specific time (By 2030, By next week)
-
For + duration (For five years, For two hours)
-
Before + another action (Before you arrive, Before she finishes)
Common Mistakes: ❌
-
❌ He will have be working here for 10 years.
✅ He will have been working here for 10 years. -
❌ They will have been waits for hours.
✅ They will have been waiting for hours.
Key Differences: Future Continuous vs. Future Perfect Continuous 🔍
1. Focus:
-
Future Continuous focuses on an action that will be in progress at a specific time. ⏳
-
Future Perfect Continuous focuses on how long an action will have been happening before a future point. ⏳🔄
2. Structure:
-
Future Continuous: will be + verb (-ing)
-
Future Perfect Continuous: will have been + verb (-ing)
3. Usage:
✅ Use Future Continuous when emphasizing an ongoing action at a specific time. ✅ Use Future Perfect Continuous when emphasizing the duration of an action before another future moment.
Examples:
-
At 10 AM tomorrow, I will be running in the park. (Ongoing action) 🏃♂️
-
By 10 AM, I will have been running for an hour. (Emphasizing duration) 🕐
Final Thoughts 🎯
Mastering the Future Continuous vs. Future Perfect Continuous will help you talk about future actions with confidence! 💪 Keep practicing and using these tenses in your conversations.
✨ Want more grammar tips? Join my Telegram channel for daily English lessons! 🚀
Mastering Articles in English: A, An, The, and No Article Explained!
Using articles in English can be confusing, but don’t worry! Today, we’ll break down A, An, The, and No Article in a simple and engaging way. Let’s dive in! 🚀
What Are Articles?
Articles are small but powerful words that help define nouns. In English, we have three types of articles:
-
Indefinite Articles: a, an
-
Definite Article: the
-
No Article: Sometimes, no article is needed!
Now, let’s explore each type with easy explanations and examples. 😊
Indefinite Articles: A & An
We use a and an when talking about general or unspecified nouns.
When to Use ‘A’
Use a before words that start with a consonant sound.
✅ Examples:
-
I saw a dog in the park.
-
She is reading a book.
-
He bought a university degree online. (‘University’ starts with a ‘y’ sound, which is a consonant sound!)
When to Use ‘An’
Use an before words that start with a vowel sound.
✅ Examples:
-
I ate an apple for breakfast.
-
He is an honest man. (‘Honest’ starts with an ‘h’ but sounds like a vowel!)
-
She wants an MBA. (‘MBA’ starts with ‘M’, but sounds like ‘em’, a vowel sound!)
🚨 Common Mistakes: ❌ I saw an university. → ✅ I saw a university. ❌ He is a honest man. → ✅ He is an honest man.
Definite Article: The
We use the when talking about specific or known nouns.
When to Use ‘The’
Use the when both the speaker and listener know exactly what is being referred to.
✅ Examples:
-
The sun is shining brightly. (There is only one sun!)
-
She went to the doctor yesterday. (A specific doctor!)
-
I read the book you recommended. (A particular book!)
Unique Cases for ‘The’
-
Geographical places: the United States, the Eiffel Tower, the Pacific Ocean
-
Superlatives: the best movie, the highest mountain
-
Musical instruments: She plays the guitar.
-
Families: The Smiths are coming over.
🚨 Common Mistakes: ❌ She went to a school where I studied. → ✅ She went to the school where I studied. (A specific school!)
No Article: When Not to Use One
Sometimes, no article is needed! We omit articles in certain cases.
When to Skip the Article
-
General Plural Nouns: ✅ Dogs are loyal animals. (Not ‘The dogs’ unless referring to specific ones!)
-
Languages & Subjects: ✅ I am learning Spanish. (Not ‘The Spanish’ unless talking about people!)
-
Meals: ✅ We had dinner at 8 PM. (Not ‘The dinner’ unless it’s a specific one!)
-
Sports & Games: ✅ He plays soccer. (Not ‘The soccer’!)
-
Countries (most cases): ✅ She is from France. (But we say ‘The United Kingdom’!)
🚨 Common Mistakes: ❌ I love the basketball. → ✅ I love basketball. ❌ She speaks the French. → ✅ She speaks French.
Quick Summary 🎯
-
Use ‘a’ or ‘an’ for general things (a cat, an orange).
-
Use ‘the’ for specific things (the cat on the sofa, the orange you gave me).
-
No article for general ideas, languages, meals, sports, and some countries.
Mastering articles will boost your fluency and make your English sound more natural! 🌟
Final Thoughts & Call to Action 📢
Articles are small but essential for clear communication. Keep practicing and try using articles in your own sentences! Want more grammar tips?
🔹 Join my Telegram channel for daily lessons! [Insert Link] 🔹 Check out other grammar guides on my website: [Insert Link] 🔹 Leave a comment below with your own article examples! 😊
February 2025
Feb 7, 2025
The Present Perfect tense is used to describe actions that happened at an unspecified time in the past or actions that started in the past and continue into the present. It often focuses on the result of an action rather than the specific time it occurred. ✅
Examples of Present Perfect:
-
I have visited Paris three times.
-
She has just finished her homework.
-
They have lived in this city for ten years.
On the other hand, the Present Simple tense is used for habits, general truths, and repeated actions. It describes things that happen regularly or facts that don’t change. 🕰️
Examples of Present Simple:
-
I visit my grandparents every Sunday.
-
She studies English at school.
-
Water boils at 100°C.
🔑 Key Differences:
-
Present Perfect is used for actions with an unknown or unfinished time. (e.g., “I have read this book before.”) 📚
-
Present Simple is used for routines and facts. (e.g., “I read books every night.”) 🌙
-
Present Perfect connects the past and present, often using words like ever, never, just, already, yet, for, and since. (e.g., “She has lived here since 2010.”)
-
Present Simple is used for things that are always true. (e.g., “The sun rises in the east.”) 🌞
🛑 Note: Some verbs (e.g., know, love, believe, own) are not usually used in continuous tenses, so they commonly appear in Present Simple or Present Perfect instead. (e.g., “I have known him for years.” ✅ Not: “I am knowing him for years.” ❌)
By understanding these differences, you’ll be able to use both tenses correctly in conversation and writing. Keep practicing! 💡
Feb 14, 2025
The Present Simple tense is used to describe habits, general truths, and repeated actions. It tells us about things that happen regularly or facts that don’t change. ✅
Examples of Present Simple:
-
I play soccer every weekend. ⚽
-
She works at a bank. 🏦
-
The sun rises in the east. 🌞
On the other hand, the Past Simple tense is used to talk about actions that happened at a specific time in the past. It describes completed events and does not connect to the present. ⏳
Examples of Past Simple:
-
I played soccer last Saturday. ⚽
-
She worked at a bank in 2020. 🏦
-
The sun rose at 6 AM yesterday. 🌅
🔑 Key Differences:
-
Present Simple is used for routines and facts. (e.g., “I eat breakfast every morning.”) 🍽️
-
Past Simple is used for completed past actions. (e.g., “I ate breakfast at 8 AM.”) ⏰
-
Present Simple often includes time expressions like always, usually, every day, and sometimes. (e.g., “She always arrives on time.”)
-
Past Simple often includes time expressions like yesterday, last week, in 2010, and a few days ago. (e.g., “She arrived on time yesterday.”)
🛑 Common Mistakes:
-
❌ “I go to the park yesterday.” → ✅ “I went to the park yesterday.”
-
❌ “She watches TV last night.” → ✅ “She watched TV last night.”
By mastering these differences, you’ll improve your English fluency and avoid common errors. Keep practicing! 💡
Feb 21, 2025
The Past Simple tense is used for actions that happened and finished at a specific time in the past. It tells us about completed events. ✅
The Past Continuous tense is used to describe ongoing actions in the past. It often sets the scene for another action or event. 📽️
🕰️ Examples of Past Simple:
🔹 I watched a movie last night. 🎬
🔹 She visited Paris in 2022. 🗼
🔹 They played soccer on Saturday. ⚽
🔄 Examples of Past Continuous:
🔹 I was watching a movie when the phone rang. 📞
🔹 She was visiting Paris while I was studying. ✈️
🔹 They were playing soccer when it started to rain. 🌧️
🔑 Key Differences:
✅ Past Simple = A finished action (e.g., “I ate dinner at 7 PM.”) 🍽️
✅ Past Continuous = An ongoing past action (e.g., “I was eating dinner when the doorbell rang.”) 🚪
🚀 Common Time Expressions:
🔹 Past Simple: yesterday, last week, in 2010, an hour ago
🔹 Past Continuous: while, when, as
🛑 Common Mistakes:
❌ “I was go to the store.” → ✅ “I was going to the store.”
❌ “She was watched TV.” → ✅ “She was watching TV.”
By understanding these tenses, you can describe past events clearly and accurately! Keep practicing! 💡
Feb 28, 2025
👋 When talking about the past in English, we often use Past Simple and Past Perfect, but they serve different purposes! Understanding these tenses will help you describe past events clearly and accurately. Let’s break it down! 🔍✨
🔹 What is the Past Simple?
The Past Simple is used for completed actions that happened at a specific time in the past. ✅
🕰️ Examples:
-
I finished my homework last night. 📖
-
She traveled to Japan in 2020. ✈️
-
They watched a movie yesterday. 🎬
⏳ Common Time Expressions:
-
yesterday, last week, in 2015, two days ago
-
when, then, after
🛑 Common Mistakes:
❌ I was go to the store. → ✅ I went to the store. ❌ She buyed a car last year. → ✅ She bought a car last year.
🔹 What is the Past Perfect?
The Past Perfect is used for actions that happened before another past action. It helps us show the sequence of events. 🔄
🕰️ Examples:
-
I had finished my homework before my friend arrived. ✅
-
She had already left when I called. 📞
-
They had eaten dinner before watching the movie. 🍽️🎬
⏳ Common Time Expressions:
-
before, after, by the time, already, just
🛑 Common Mistakes:
❌ I had saw the movie before he arrived. → ✅ I had seen the movie before he arrived. ❌ She had went to Paris before 2022. → ✅ She had gone to Paris before 2022.
🔑 Key Differences: Past Simple vs. Past Perfect
Past Simple is used for actions that happened at a specific time in the past. For example, “I ate lunch at 1 PM.” It focuses on a completed action.
Past Perfect, on the other hand, is used when talking about an action that happened before another past event. For example, “I had eaten lunch before 1 PM.” This emphasizes the earlier action.
A useful way to remember this is: Past Perfect is ‘the past of the past.’ If you have two past events, the first one goes in Past Perfect and the second one in Past Simple.
Example: 👉 When I arrived at the party, Tom had already left. 🏠 (First action: Tom had left → Past Perfect) (Second action: I arrived → Past Simple)
🚀 Final Thoughts
Mastering Past Simple vs. Past Perfect will make your English sound more natural and clear! Keep practicing and using these tenses in real conversations. 💬✨
👉 Want more grammar tips? Join my Telegram channel (Click on Telegram)
January 2025
The present simple tense is used to describe habits, routines, facts, and general truths. It talks about actions that are regular or permanent.
Examples of present simple:
- I eat breakfast every morning.
- She works at a bank.
- The sun rises in the east.
The present continuous tense, on the other hand, is used to describe actions happening right now or around the current moment. It also describes temporary situations.
Examples of present continuous:
- I am eating breakfast right now.
- She is working on a new project.
- They are staying at a hotel this week.
Key Differences:
- Present Simple is for things that happen regularly or as general facts.
- (e.g., “He studies English every day.”)
- Present Continuous is for actions happening at the moment or temporary situations.
- (e.g., “He is studying English right now.”)
Note: Some verbs don’t typically appear in the continuous form (e.g., like, love, know, believe), because they describe states, not actions.
The past continuous tense is used to describe actions that were happening at a specific moment in the past. It often shows that an action was ongoing or in progress when another action occurred.
Examples of past continuous:
- I was eating dinner when the phone rang.
- They were watching a movie at 9 PM last night.
- She was studying all afternoon.
The present continuous tense, on the other hand, describes actions that are happening right now or around the current moment. It also indicates temporary situations or planned future events.
Examples of present continuous:
- I am eating lunch right now.
- They are working on a new project this week.
- She is studying for her exams.
Key Differences:
- Past Continuous is for actions that were in progress at a particular moment in the past. (e.g., “I was reading a book when the lights went out.”)
- Present Continuous is for actions happening at the moment or for temporary situations. (e.g., “I am reading a book right now.”)
Note: Some actions are more commonly used in the simple form rather than continuous, especially when they describe general truths or states of being.
April 2024
Some verbs are transitive, means they do need an object while others don’t need object so they are called intransitive.
We cannot make passive sentences with intransitive verbs because there is no object to focus on.
Some transitive verbs:
- Eat (e.g. “I ate the sandwich.”)
- Write (e.g. “She wrote a letter.”)
- Throw (e.g. “He threw the ball.”)
- Read (e.g. “We read the book.”)
- Cook (e.g. “She cooked dinner.”)
Some intransitive verbs:
- Walk (e.g. “He walked to the store.”)
- Laugh (e.g. “She laughed at the joke.”)
- Sleep (e.g. “They slept on the couch.”)
- Cry (e.g. “He cried after the movie.”)
- Run (e.g. “She ran in the marathon.”)
- Swim (e.g. “He swims every day.”)
Note: The verb “run”, if we mean as “launching”, “managing” etc… then it is transitive.
She runs multiple companies. => Multiple companies are run by her.
You can use this “formula” to find the object. If you find any, the verb is transitive; otherwise, it is intransitive.
What + do/does/did + [Subject] + [Verb] ? The answer would be the object
You can watch my YouTube video about Transitive and Intransitive verbs for FREE (Click here)
February 2024
What’s the difference between in time & on time?
Let’s imagine the following situation:
You’re in Tehran and you’re going to go to Isfahan by train (cities in Iran), Your train leaves the station at 6 PM.
1) You arrive at 5:50 PM. You say: I arrived in time.
2) You arrive at almost 6 PM (Like 5:59 PM) and the train is about to leave. You say: I arrived on time.
When we use in time, it means some minutes (like 5 or 10) before something starts, like a movie in the movies, a train at a train station, an interview in a company, etc. On the other hand, when we say on time, it means exactly or nearly at the time it starts. Like your train is about to leave, the doors are closing and you jump into the train, some situations like that.
Also, there are some time expressions like just in time, in good time, etc. You can watch one of my YouTube videos about “7 Time Expressions” Click to watch
See you next week 
Most of you know about the passive voice. We use it when the focus is on the object of our active sentence. You know, we can use (By + someone) to talk about the person who does the action. But, sometimes it is obvious! Imagine you have crossed a red light and a police officer has fined you for it. After some hours you see one of your friends, he asks how you are doing and you tell him what happened to you earlier. You say: I was fined for crossing a red light by a police officer. Isn’t that sentence a bit weird? I mean, who else can fine drivers for crossing a red light? A doctor? A mechanic? A teacher? Nope! Just a police officer can find someone for crossing a red light. So, it is meaningless if you say “I was fined for crossing a red light by a police officer. Of course, your sentence is grammatically correct, but you have said something which was pretty obvious.
However, sometimes it is NOT obvious. Imagine your car has broken down. You took it to an auto shop and a mechanic fixed it. In this case, if you are telling a friend about your car and if you don’t mention the “Auto Shop”, they might think someone else like your father, brother, or even yourself fixed it.
That would be a good tip for a better speaking skill. You can speak better and more fluently by omitting not-important information in your sentences.
Now let me ask you something:
Please leave a comment and tell me what the subject of this sentence is:
My car was fixed by a mechanic.
There are 3 ways to talk about your plans and goals in the future. We can use “will”, “be going to“, and “present continuous“. The meanings vary and they are not the same. Of course, there are others ways to talk about a plan in the future, but here are the 3 main ones. We will learn this topic through a scenario. Imagine that you have set “learning Farsi” as one of your goals in 2024. If you say:
-I will learn Farsi: It means you want to learn Farsi but there are no actual plans or schedules for it. It is more like a thought and it hasn’t yet been planned. But, you may plan it later.
-I am going to learn Farsi: You have some plans and you are determined to learn it. We can say that you want to search on the internet about some good YouTube channels, or websites to find good Farsi teachers. You want to reschedule your time, so you can put some for learning Farsi. Or you want to learn it after you finish this semester, etc. The point is you haven’t yet started learning Farsi.
-I am learning Farsi: This means not only have you scheduled and planned for it, but you have also prepared yourself for it. For example, you have found a good Farsi teacher and you have paid the tuition, or you have bought some books to learn Farsi or you have installed some applications to help you learn Farsi. Also, we can understand the following concept too: You are in the middle of learning Farsi. Not only have you planned, bought some books and paid the teacher, but you have also participated at least one class already. So, you are in the middle of learning Farsi. (One of the reasons we use present continuous is when we are in the middle of doing something.) Both concepts are close to each other.
Now, you tell me, what are your plans in 2024? Leave a comment below.
You can also watch my YouTube video about Future Plans. (Click here)
See you next week.
We use “didn’t need” to talk about the reason we didn’t do it (i.e. It was unnecessary, so we didn’t do it.) On the other hand, we use “needn’t have” to talk about unnecessary actions which were taken anyway. (i.e. It was unnecessary, but we did it anyway.)
A. We had enough fuel. We didn’t need to stop at the gas station.
B. We had enough fuel. We needn’t have stopped at the gas station.
In A, the reason they didn’t stop is that they had enough fuel. But in B, even though they had enough fuel, they stopped at the gas station anyway, which was unnecessary.
More examples:
1. We bought pizza so that we didn’t need to cook a meal.
2. You needn’t have cooked so much food. We’ve already eaten a lot of food.
3. Jack needn’t have bought a new Supra. I was planning to give one to him as a birthday gift.
4. David needn’t have studied so hard, the subject is too easy.
5. We didn’t need to ask the waiter for the menu, it was buffet style.
See you next week.
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