PRACTICAL ENGLISH

Look after (Phrasal Verb) Meaning :  1. If you look after someone, you do what is necessary to keep them healthy, safe, or in good condition. 2. If you look after something, you are responsible for it and deal with it or make sure it is all right, especially because it is your job to do so. Example sentences: "I've asked my husband to look after our children while I'm away." "We'll help you look after your finances." "People don't look after other people's property in the same way as they look after their own." "I love looking after the children." Example Dialogue A: Are you free this Saturday? B: Not really. Why? A: I would like to invite you over for dinner. B: I'm sorry but my parents will be away this weekend so I have to stay home and look after my siblings. Other similar sentences: "Please keep an eye on your younger sister while I'm cooking dinner." "I watched over her to make sure s...

Meaning Of Idiom ‘Run Into’ ( Phrasal Verb ) The idiom and phrasal verb  run into  is a difficult one because it has several different meanings.  Meaning 1:  To meet someone or find them unexpectedly, by chance. (i.e.  to run into someone) Examples Of Use “You won’t believe who I ran into the park this morning. Mr. Williams, our old English teacher!” “I’m glad I ran into you. I was hoping you could come over for dinner tomorrow.” Meaning 2:  To encounter something, such as a difficulty, usually expenses or debt. Examples Of Use “Until he ran into trouble with the law, Franklin was a successful businessman.” “We’ve run into some unexpected expenses this quarter which will affect the employee bonuses.” Meaning 3.  Collide with something. Examples Of Use “I saw a guy downtown. He was so busy on his phone that he ran into a post.” “When I was young, I  ran into  a glass door and broke my nose.” Meaning 4:  (Of an amount, e.g. money) to...

"Back in the day"  refers to a time in the past, especially a period of time that the speaker remembers fondly; some unspecified time ago.  Example: “ Back in the day , we got all our music on vinyl records.” Although back in the day is usually used to express nostalgia about when the speaker was younger, and also to complain about the present, it can be used in a more practical sense to simply refer to a time in the past in which a particular thing was different. It can also refer to a time in the distant past, even before the speaker was born, although the idiom ‘ in the old days ’ is more likely to be appropriate. Examples Sentences “ Back in the day , we didn’t spend all our time staring at phones. We actually talked to each other.” “Saturday Night Live was much funnier back in the day . I don’t know why I keep watching it.” “He was a great actor back in the day . Nowadays he just keeps playing the same character with the same ridiculous accent.” “Did you really compete...

  "I couldn’t agree more." You can say this if you completely  agree  with something that someone has  said . This expression just means you strongly agree with someone's opinion. This is the highest level of agreeing with someone because they can't agree more than they do. It is straightforward and very common. Example Sentences "Bob says it's the government's fault, and  I couldn't agree more ." “ I couldn’t agree more.  That was a really silly movie.” " I couldn’t agree with you more  about the need to hire extra staff." Example Dialogues A:   "I really don't like shopping around the holidays." B:   " I couldn't agree more . It's always so busy." A: "Things have got to change." B: " I couldn't agree more. We've got to do something." A: "Regardless of what your political views are, we need more understanding and respect when we talk about politics."  B: "I...

"How come?"  is a short form of  “how did it come about that.”  The dictionary also says the expression is usually found in the United States and is used in  casual  speech.  People have been using  " how come?"  to mean  "why?"  since at least the mid-19th century. It's a common question in information spoken English. Meaning: “How come?” is “used to ask why something has happened or is true.”  We say "how come?" to ask why a particular situation exists. "How come?" expresses surprise by a situation Example sentences: "How come you got an  invitation  and not me?" "How come you’re not at  work   today ?" "How come you failed the exam?" "How come you got sick?" EXAMPLE DIALOGUE Andy: Do you want to go to the cinema? Belle: No. Andy: How come? Belle: I'm tired. In this context, "how come?" simply means "why?" Andy: Let's grab some pizza! Belle: I'm not...

If I were you  ... is used when giving  ADVICE  about what you would do in the same situation as the other person. You imagine yourself in their position or situation and what you would do or how you would react. " If I were you , I would study more." " If I were you , I would stop doing that." " If I were you , I would go to the doctor." You can also change the order of the sentence "I would study more if I were you ." "I would be more careful if I were you ." "I wouldn't do that if I were you ." Note: Notice how the comma is not necessary with this word order. Why do you use  IF I WERE  and not  IF I WAS? The reason we use WERE instead of WAS is because the sentence is in the SUBJUNCTIVE mood which means not a fact or it's used for hypothetical situations. This is a condition which is contrary to fact or reality (the fact is, I am NOT you). EXAMPLE DIALOGUES A: I'm really having a hard time with my job. It gives...

  You're supposed to + (verb) 'You're' is a contraction of the words 'you are.' When using 'You're' with the words 'supposed to' you are making a suggestion that something you strongly believe ought to happen. If  you are  supposed  to  do something, it means that you'd better do it. If  you're  supposed  to  go to your grandma's house for dinner, then your grandmother expects you. Something that's required is  supposed , and something that's assumed to be true — even if it's really not — is also  supposed .  DIALOGUE A:  I'm sorry, I'm late. B:  What happened?  You're supposed to  be here at ten. A:  There was too much traffic. I can't help it. Here are some examples: " You're supposed to  keep that secret." " You're supposed to  let me know when you leave." " You're supposed to  stop when at a red light." " You're supposed to  return the money you owe...

“ Do you mind …?” This is a very common question in English conversation  and there are two ways to use it. 1. Asking someone to do something for you First of all, you can use  Do you mind + verb-ing when you want to ask someone to do something for you. In this case,  Do you mind  means  Do you have any problem…  (or)  Does it bother you to… Example sentences: Do you mind  closing  the window? Do you mind   smoking  somewhere else? 2. Asking permission On the other hand, when  you  want to do the action you can do it this way: Do you mind me  closing  the window? Do you mind  me smoking here? You can also use  Do you mind if  + sentence. Do you mind if  I  close  the window? Do you mind if  I  smoke  here?

  take ( something)   out on  ( someone/something) Meaning: To take something out on someone means  to treat someone badly when you are  angry  or  upset , even though it's not their  fault. Explanation: This phrase is used when someone punishes or mistreats another person or something as a means of expressing or venting their negative emotion, such as anger or aggression. When someone takes their frustrations or anger out on you, just don't take it personally to avoid feeling bad for their behavior that has nothing to do with you. "I know you're mad at Dad, but don't  take it   out on  me!" In this case, we can say that the boy on the right is mad at his dad probably because he wasn't allowed to play for not doing his homework but he expresses his anger to his brother who was allowed to play. "I get that you're upset with the slow internet, but why are you taking it out on that poor computer?  What did it ever do to you?" ...

Could Have Could have means that  something was possible in the past, but it did not happen. If you want to talk about possibility for the past, you can use the expression ' could have'. "You could have bought the cheaper jacket, it looked great on you." We also use  could have  to say that we were  capable of doing something but we didn’t . "You could have slept early last night but you didn't listen to me. Now, you're running late for work." Could have  is often used with a tone  of criticism . "You could have just been honest with me." It is also used for speculations about things that didn’t happen. "Are you out of your mind?! You could have crashed into that wall!" More Example Sentences: "You could have been killed." "You  could have  completed your task sooner." "You  could have  done better on your exam." "You  could have  told me the truth. " One of the biggest differences betw...

I'm having a hard time  + (verb-ing) By stating you are having a hard time you are letting someone know you are having difficulty with something. This could be something physical or mental and something that could be overcome with effort. DIALOGUE A: I see you are still doing your Math homework. B: I'm having a hard time solving the problems in Activity 3. A: Do you need some help? B: Not really. I can figure it out. Thanks. A: Alright! Just let me know if you need any help. Here are some example sentences: " I'm having a hard time writing. " " I'm having a hard time understanding you. " " I'm having a hard time answering your question. " " I'm having a hard time downloading videos to my computer. " " I'm having a hard time agreeing to the terms. " With the addition of an adverb (a word that describes a verb), you can express in more detail just how difficult something is for you. Here are some examples...

This is an interesting topic because there are actually two different ways to use 'used to' in English, and they have different purposes.  1. I used to + (verb) First, we can say, “I used to” when talking about things that we did frequently in the past but we don’t do today. Example: " I used to take piano lessons when I was a child." Explanation :   This sentence means you took piano lessons in the past. But nowadays you don’t take piano lessons, so, you can say, “ I used to take piano lessons.” Here are some examples:  " I used to have long hair, but today I have short hair." "I used to have a pet but not anymore." "I used to work in the office before the pandemic." 2. I'm used to + (verb-ing) Here, you are using 'I'm used to' to inform someone that you are familiar or comfortable with a particular issue, topic or task being discussed. Example: "I don't live with anyone so  I'm used to  eating alone....