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| future verb forms: free grammar module | friday 11 april: status ok |
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ENGLAND, GB, OR THE UK?
GB is the abbreviation for Great Britain: the island made up of England, Scotland, and Wales. Scotland and Wales aren't in England. Scottish and Welsh people aren't English.
Ireland is the island made up of Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland. Southern Ireland is also called Eire.
The British Isles is the geographical name for the two islands of Great Britain and Ireland, and some smaller islands such as the Isle Of Man and the Isle Of Wight. The Isle Of Man is also called Mann.
UK is the abbreviation for United Kingdom. The UK is a political whole made up of the four countries England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and some small islands. The Isle Of Man is not part of the UK.
The main language spoken is British English, usually just called English. However, sometimes, to make it clear that it is not the English spoken in the US, Canada, Australia, South Africa, India, and other countries, it's called UK English.
If you were born in England, you're English by birth but British by nationality, and have a British passport. If you're an immigrant and have a British passport, you're British, not English.
My passport is titled The United Kingdom of Britain and Northern Ireland but, inside, says I am a British Citizen. The word Kingdom is used even when there's a queen.
JAPAN
On the television, someone was talking about Japan as if it was a small island somewhere near China.
Japan is an archipelago of 6,852 islands with a population of over 127 million, located in East Asia in the Pacific Ocean.
The characters that make up the name Japan mean sun origin, so Japan is sometimes referred to as the Land Of The Rising Sun.
Japan's four main islands are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. Tokyo, the capital, is on Honshu, the largest island.
Greater Tokyo, which includes several surrounding prefectures, is probably the largest metropolitan area in the world, with over 30 million residents.
20% of the world's earthquakes take place in Japan, which sits on the boundaries of at least three tectonic plates.
Schools and office workers regularly rehearse earthquake drills, and 'waiting for the big one' is part of the national psyche.
And, as over 70% of Japan is mountainous, nearly everyone lives in cities along a coastal strip that's vulnerable to tsunamis.
POP-UP WINDOWS
To learn more about a green word, hold your mouse over it and keep it still. You do not need to click it.
Pop-ups help you with meanings, pronunciations, examples, explanations, grammar, and interesting related facts.
As the pop-up window is top-right on your screen, it won't work on a small screen such as that on a mobile phone.
MEANING: ETHICAL
Ethics are the moral values held by an individual or a group. For example: I do not think it is ethical to hunt animals for pleasure.
CHANGING THE VOLUME
Click the speaker icon on the taskbar to see the pop-up playback volume control. To change the volume, move the marker up or down, with your mouse. To close the pop-up, click anywhere outside it.
Double-click the icon to see all the volume controls. Make sure they're not off, or set very low.
Does your taskbar show the correct time and date? If not, reset them in Control Panel.
MEANING: UNIQUE
Unique means: no identical others. Things are unique, or not unique. They can't be nearly unique, almost unique, or very unique.
Spoken: you need pick Emphasis: unique.
MEANING: STRATEGY
Strategy means: a long-term plan for success, usually in politics or business.
For example: The company strategy is to deliver internet services to schools.
Spoken: strong at the jee
And spoken: strategy.
MEANING: SOCIAL LIFE
Social life means: time spent with your family and friends away from work. For example: at home, in a cafe, or at a party.
Spoken: so shall full Emphasis: social.
MEANING: SKILL
A skill is something you do well, and is the result of natural ability, practice, learning, or training. For example: cooking, drawing, and typing.
Usually, a skill is something you have learnt, and a talent is something you find very easy. For example: My brother is a very skilled pilot and my sister is a very talented pianist.
Question: Are some people born with a talent?
PRONUNCIATION: BUSINESS
A business is an organisation that sells services or products to make money.
Pronounced: be is not miss
And spoken: Business
Spoken: bizniss, not biz i niss
MEANING: THE INTERNET
The internet is important for information, communication, business, education, and entertainment.
Businesses are changing their expensive office locations and traditional paper systems for a cyberspace identity, providing their information, sales, and support as flexible 24 7 52 net services.
English is the international business language, and most internet pages are written in English.
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS AND CONTRACTS
An engineering company in Gothenburg makes medical equipment. Although successful in Sweden, it also gets enquiries from clinics and hospitals all round the world.
Most phone calls and meetings are in English; designs are discussed in English; contracts are written in English; and English is spoken at medical conferences.
To compete and succeed in other countries, people in the company need to read, write, and speak English.
EDWARD ELGAR: 1857-1934
Elgar was self-taught, and began his career by teaching and writing music for local performances.
Inspired by the surrounding countryside, and supported by his wife, he was eventually recognised as one of the leading English Late Romantic composers.
The Enigma Variations is one of Elgar's most popular works. Each variation represents a close friend. This one, Nimrod, is about A J Jaeger.
OXFORD: ENGLAND
Oxford is on the river Thames, surrounded by fields, woods, streams, and villages.
It grew up around colleges, some dating from the 12th century, which now make up the university.
Oxford successfully combines the old and the new, and is a memorable place for a holiday.
I said that Oxford is on the river Thames. This means next to the river or on both sides, not on an island.
WATCH MY LIPS
To hear a coloured word spoken, hold your mouse over the word and keep it still. You do not need to click it.
If you can't hear anything, make sure that the volume is not off, or set very low. Double-click the speaker icon in the taskbar to see all the volume controls.
KEW GARDENS: ENGLAND
Kew Gardens includes tropical gardens, desert gardens, woodland gardens, water gardens, and glasshouses.
One glasshouse shows how plants developed over 3500 million years.
It's also a research centre, caring for the largest plant collection in the world.
SIMILAR WORDS: BUY, BY, AND BYE
The word buy is a form of the verb to buy, as in: Can we buy a new kitchen table?
Its forms are: buy, buys, buying, bought. There is no word spelled buyed.
Do not confuse it with the preposition by, as in: Meet me by the cinema.
Do not confuse it with 'bye, the short form of goodbye, as in: Say 'bye to your mum for me.
All three words sound the same.
SIMILAR WORDS: LICENCE AND LICENSE
The noun is spelled licence. A licence is a document that gives permission, as in: My new driving licence allows me to drive a bus.
The verb is spelled license, as in: Our company licenses timetable management software to schools.
Both words sound the same.
MEANING: CHEAPEST
The adjective cheap has three forms: cheap, cheaper, and cheapest.
Cheap means does not cost much. Cheaper means being more cheap. Cheapest means being the most cheap.
Most adjectives only have three forms, but some just have one. For example: important, more important, and most important.
There are no words spelled importanter and importantest.
CREDIT AND DEBIT CARDS
Cards issued by Barclays Bank: in common use in the UK.
A credit card allows you to pay for something now and pay the card issuer later.
A debit card takes the money from your bank straight away.
HYPHENS
Words are sometimes joined with a hyphen to make a new word. For example: ex-president, pop-ups, real-life.
The word email is short for electronic mail. When emails were new, the word was usually written as e-mail.
However, in often-used words with clear meanings, the hyphen-less forms gradually become the usual forms. So, e-mail is now written as email.
It's becoming increasingly common to join words with hyphens, to make a new adjective. For example: As a student, I had a lot of heat-and-eat meals.
CONTACT LEARNING ENGLISH
You can contact Learning English:
Cherry Heaven
West Holme Cottage
West Holme
BH20 6AQ
England
+44 1929 552063
mail@cherryheaven.co.uk
If you telephone, remember that the time here is London time, sometimes called GMT.
At mid-day in England, it is later in eastern countries and earlier in western countries.
KENSINGTON: ENGLAND
Kensington is in West London, near Chelsea, Notting Hill, Hyde Park, and Knightsbridge.
The Royal Albert Hall is home to the BBC Prom Concerts, the world's biggest musical festival.
For more culture, there's the V+A, the world's greatest museum of art and design, the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum, and the Commonwealth Institute.
MEANING: LANGUAGE
A language is a system that uses sounds, symbols, or signs, to express ideas. For example: the Thai language, Braille, Javascript computer programming language, and Scriabin's musical language.
Every language has ways of putting its elements together to express meaning.
Questions: Would random musical notes interest and please you? Does book I yesterday that read mean anything?
EXPLANATION: HYPHENS
Words are sometimes joined with a hyphen to make an adjective, a word that describes a noun.
Here, the words world and wide are joined to describe the noun communication.
Other examples are: an on-line database, a quick-release lock, a stop-start economy, and home-cooked food.
However, in popular adjectives with clear meanings, the hyphen-less forms gradually become the normal forms. So, world-wide is now usually written as worldwide.
UK AND US ENGLISH
In the UK, films are shown in cinemas. In the US, films are called movies and cinemas are often called theatres.
In the UK, both words are used. For example: Film On Four and The Late Movie are television programmes.
Sometimes, we say we're going to the pictures, instead of the cinema or the movies. For example: Shall we go to the pictures this evening?
VIDEO, FILMS, AND MOVIES
The meaning of the word video depends on the context. Years ago, video meant relating to vision. There were no video cameras or video cassettes.
Now, from television, we record programmes on video tape cassettes, a hard disk, DVDs, or USB memory.
Most films are released on video, we take video cameras on holiday, we play video games on computers, and we video things tonight to look at tomorrow. In the last example, video is being used like a verb: it's something we do.
In Latin, audio, video, disco means I hear, I see, I learn.
MEANING: SENTENCE
A sentence is a group of words which has a meaning and expresses a complete idea: a statement, a question, or a command. For example: Do young chimpanzees ever think about their parents?
Question: My hungry dog. Is this a sentence or a phrase?
ABBREVIATIONS
An abbreviation is a short form of a word or group of words. Abbreviations are used a lot in spoken English and informal writing. The word don't is short for do not.
For example: I don't want to go Coventry next Saturday.
Pronounced: dim note want And spoken: don't,
The apostrophe replaces the missing letter, or letters, as in the word isn't, short for is not.
However, in some popular abbreviations, such as bus, short for autobus, we don't write 'bus.
MEANING: FUTURE
The future is time that has not started. Take care with your future: the rest of your life will be spent there.
MEANING: MEDIA
The media means all types of communication. For example: newspapers, magazines, the internet, adverts, radio, television, and theatre.
It's usually used in this plural form rather than the singular form medium.
EXPLANATION: HYPHENS
Words are sometimes joined with a hyphen to make an adjective, a word that describes a noun.
For example: an on-line database, a quick-release lock, a stop-start economy, home-cooked food.
However, in popular adjectives with clear meanings, the hyphen-less forms gradually become the usual forms. So, world-wide is now written as worldwide.
SIMILAR WORDS: YOUR AND YOU'RE
An abbreviation is a short form of a word or a small group of words: you're is short for you are.
Do not confuse it with your, which is possessive, as in: I like your sister. Both words sound the same.
The apostrophe replaces the missing letter, or letters, as in isn't, short for is not.
However, in some popular words, such as phone, short for telephone, we don't use it.
EXPLANATION: HYPHENS
Words are sometimes joined with a hyphen to make an adjective, a word that describes a noun.
For example: a quick-release door lock, an on-line database, a stop-start economy.
Words are only joined in this way when they are used as a new adjective. For example: I like on-line shopping..
Sometimes, on line does not act as an adjective, so does not have a hyphen, as in: on time, on paper, on television.
Generally, hyphens are being used less, if the meaning is clear, so online may become the adjective.
ABBREVIATION: IT'S
An abbreviation, or contraction, is a short form of a word or a small group of words. For example: it's is short for it is.
Do not confuse it with its, which is possessive, as in: My cat ate its food. Both words sound the same.
Abbreviations use apostrophes to replace missing letters, so is not is shortened to isn't.
You might think that shall not needs two apostrophes, as in sha'n't, but modern English just uses one, as in shan't.
Some popular abbreviations don't use an apostrophe. For example: autobus used to be shortened to 'bus but now it's just bus.
MEANING: GRAMMAR
The grammar of a language is the ways that its elements are changed, combined, and put into a sequence to express meaning.
Question: Does am I Madrid to going mean anything?
MEANING: PHRASE
A phrase is a small group of words that has a meaning, but does not express a complete idea. For example: near the river, four broken windows, and move slowly away.
It's pronounced: from stays
In English, about 4000 words have ph pronounced as f. For example: alphabet, dolphin, graph, pharmacy, and photo.
Question: I like cake. Is this a phrase or a sentence?
MEANING: TOPIC
A topic is a subject that can be talked about or written about.
The topic Why I Like Cycling could be talked about, or made the subject of a text.
REAL PEOPLE: E-MALES AND E-FEMALES
Many of the people you read about in Learning English are real. The stories about them are from their lives, and are told by natural English speakers.
Martin designs transport control systems, Serena is a translator, David is a technical manager, Kristin teaches at a university, Lucy is a fashion model, Kenny is a television presenter, Greg is a single parent, and Rebecca works as a conference organiser.
LONDON: ENGLAND
By 1750, London was the cultural, economic, educational, and political centre of the nation. About one tenth of the population of the UK lived there, as it does today.
When you fly into London, you can usually see many of its historic buildings and landmarks, and the river Thames with its famous bridges.
MEANING: SEQUENCE
A sequence is things arranged one after another. For example: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
When we put things into a special sequence, we often say we are putting them in order. For example, in alphabetical order: apple, bread, cheese, duck, eggs, and fish.
Question: Put June, March, May, April, and July in order.
Did you realise that there's more than one sequence? For example: time, alphabetical, the numbers of letters in the words, or the numbers of days in the months.
THE BAMPTON MIDI CHORALE
The chorale is well known for its skilful interpretations, and sings everything with optimism, courage, and luck.
It says on their concert programmes: Always be happy: never B flat, never B sharp, always B natural.
In the UK, a programme is a list or timetable of events, and a program is a set of instructions for a computer. In the US, the spelling program is used for both.
GEORGE FRIEDERICH HANDEL: 1685-1759
Handel was born in Germany, but became an English citizen. Although he was successful for thirty years, he got into debt, and became ill and depressed.
When he was asked to write a new work, he stayed at home for three weeks and composed The Messiah.
FEW, LESS, MANY, AND MUCH
Generally, few and many are used for things you can count and less and much for things you can't. For example:
I've had too many days off work this year, but fewer than last year.
I have too much sugar in my tea, although less than my boyfriend.
However, English isn't a language with rules and there are some things that can be counted in one context but not in another.
This is explained in the Support module called Quantity And Measurement.
CELTIC OR CELTIC?
Celtic, the name of a group of Indo-European languages, is spoken as: cat well ticket.
Celtic, the name of the Scots football club, is spoken as: sell ticket.
MEANING: DISPERSED
To disperse means to separate and spread in different directions over a large area. For example: Many plant seeds are dispersed on the wind.
MEANING: ALTERNATIVELY
To alternate means to change two things regularly, one for the other. For example: Day alternates with night.
An alternative is a possible choice between two things. For example: Call me at 9:30 or, alternatively, 12:15.
An option is a possible choice from two or more things. For example: We could meet for lunch on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Friday. These are not alternatives.
MEANING: SYLLABLE
A syllable is part of a word which is pronounced as a unit and contains a single vowel sound.
For example: never, railway, discount, and terminal.
MEANING: HOWEVER
However is used when we say something that contrasts with something we have just said.
For example: I usually enjoy Indian food. However, the meal last night was very disappointing.
MEANING: LAUGHTER
Laughter is an expression of fun shown by noise and body movements.
Pronounced: leg car for master
And spoken: Laughter.
MEANING: LEGAL
Legal means having values set by law. For example: It is legal to use cameras to catch drivers going too fast.
RICHMOND: ENGLAND
Richmond is on the River Thames, near London. In 1637, King Charles I enclosed land to make Richmond Park a royal hunting park. There was local opposition so, to win back support, he allowed public access.
It's now one of the largest deer parks in the country, and is a protected National Nature Reserve.
GREENWICH MEAN TIME: GMT
Greenwich is about six kilometres east of London, and is the home of the Royal Observatory.
Before 1884, almost every town in the world used its own local time, and there were no conventions about how time should be measured in different places.
GMT is now used as the reference time for international time. At mid-day in England, it is later in eastern countries and earlier in western countries.
Question: As you can see in the diagram, all the time-zone lines go north to the North Pole. So, what time is it there?
EXPLANATION: HYPHENS
Words are sometimes joined with a hyphen to make a new word. For example: ex-president, pop-ups, real-life. The word email is short for the two words electronic mail. When emails were new, it usually written as e-mail.
However, in often-used words with clear meanings, the hyphen-less forms gradually become the usual forms. So, e-mail is now written as email.
DIVERSION
The word mankind, or just man, is sometimes used instead of humans. It means the animal group called humans.
It is usual to say, for example: Man is a social animal, not men are social animals.
Although man is singular, in this context it's collective, and means men and women.
But times are changing. Mankind, like other one-sex words in English, is about men, and we could use humankind, or just humans, which includes women.
DIVERSION
The living world is divided into two groups: animals and plants.
Animals are divided into more groups. For example: birds, fish, humans, and insects.
Plants are divided into more groups. For example: algae, grasses, flowers, and trees.
Most people think that spiders are part of the group called insects. However, spiders have eight legs, not six, and belong to a group called arachnids.
Mushrooms don't have green leaves so aren't like plants but they're not animals? However, genetic studies have shown that fungi are more closely related to animals than to plants. You might like to read more about them.
EXPLANATION
In English, a thing usually means an object. However, it can also mean event or activity. It is not used to mean person.
An event is something that happens. For example: the door opens, visitors arrive, or a football match begins.
An activity is something you do, usually as a sequence of connected actions. For example: drinking tea, having a meeting, kissing, or tidying your desk.
MEANING: VERB
Verbs tell us that a state existed in the past, exists in the present, or will exist in the future.
Or that an activity, or an event, happened in the past, happens in the present, or will happen in the future.
The infinitive form of a verb is its basic form from which all other forms are made. For example: to be, to shop, to see, to want, to need, to buy, to have, to give, and to enjoy.
Question: Are be, fun, soft, talk, think, and ran all verbs?
MEANING: MODAL AUXILIARY VERB
An auxiliary verb is a helper verb used to add to the time-meaning of a main verb. For example: I am thinking about my daughter.
Mode means the way that something is done, the way it works, its style, or its fashion.
A modal auxiliary verb is a helper verb used to change the context-meaning of a main verb. For example: All the restaurant staff must remain on duty until midnight.
MEANING: PAST
The past is the time that started. States started to exist. Actions, activities, and events, began. Some finished.
It is the time period before the present, and the time place we lived in.
For example: Dinosaurs lived and died in the distant past.
Do not confuse it with passed, as in: I passed your house this morning. Both words sound the same.
MEANING: PRESENT
The present is the time at this moment. States exist now. Actions, activities, and events are happening now.
It is the time period between the past and the future, and the time place we live in.
For example: The present is the only time we can live in.
In English, we can express the present in two ways: the exact moment now, and the general time we live in. For example: 11:15, a time point, and today, a time period.
Do not confuse it with present, as in: My brother gave me a birthday present.
MEANING: FUTURE
The future is the time that will start. States will start to exist. Actions, activities, and events will begin.
It is the time period after the present, and the time place we will live in.
For example: We will go to South America next February.
DIVERSION
Is our idea about time passing correct? Unfortunately, the true nature of time is a complex and difficult subject. Is it the fire that eats us?
However, a simple believable explanation makes it easy for us to express how time seems to affect and control our lives.
THE BAMPTON MIDI ORCHESTRA
The orchestra is well known for its unusual interpretations, and plays everything with optimism, courage, and luck.
It says on their concert programmes: Always be happy: never B flat, never B sharp, always B natural.
In the UK, a programme is a list or timetable of events, and a program is a set of instructions for a computer. In the US, the spelling program is used for both.
DIVERSION
Sometimes, we need to believe that the future is certain. However, having breakfast tomorrow is mostly certain, but the weather next weekend is mostly uncertain. Really, because they are both in the future, we don't know for sure.
So remember that when we say that things are certain we mean that we expect them to happen. But they might not.
ADVANCED
By reducing language to the level of popular television, we will gradually lose the fine variations in meaning that make English so expressive.
So, the future of English will depend on people like you.
MEANING: INFORMAL
Informal means relaxed and friendly, without using social rules.
You usually speak informally to your family, friends, and work colleagues.
You usually write informally in emails, in letters to your children, and in your diary.
You usually dress informally at home, in the garden, and on holiday.
ABBREVIATION: THERE'S
An abbreviation, or contraction, is a short form of a word or a small group of words: there's is short for there is.
Theirs is possessive. For example: The black BMW in the car park is theirs. It belongs to them.
Don't confuse them, as both words sound the same.
The apostrophe replaces the missing letter, or letters, as in isn't, short for is not. In some popular words, such as bus, short for autobus, we have stopped using the apostrophe and don't write 'bus.
It's pronouced: apple lost tropical fee
And spoken: apostrophe
Although most people use the word abbreviation, the word contraction is correct. To contract means to make shorter.
UK AND US ENGLISH
In the UK, a holiday is a break from studies or work, usually spent relaxing. In the US, a holiday is called a vacation.
DIVERSION
Perhaps a butterfly can start a cyclone. True or not, this is a colourful way of saying that even a small low-energy event can have a powerful and unpredictable effect.
EXPLANATION
Everything takes time to happen, however little. English is not a computer language, with an exact grammar. It has evolved so that we can express things in our lives, in an easy way without describing every detail.
So, when we say that something happens in an instant, we don't usually mean a time period so short that it can't be measured.
ADVANCED
A Swedish friend, learning English, often uses the simple present in this way. For example: On Saturday, I go to Gothenburg, I eat something, I shop for some tools, and I meet Danny.
A more natural way to say it would be: On Saturday, I am going to Gothenburg to have something to eat, buy some tools, and meet Danny.
MEANING: AUXILIARY VERBS
An auxiliary verb is a helper verb used to add meaning to a main verb. Here are some examples:
I am playing football for our school this mornng. Note: the main verb is playing
I do like the way you make banana pancakes. Note: the main verb is like
We can walk to the hotel in about two minutes. Note: the main verb is walk
They have given me two tickets for The Nutcracker ballet on December 17th. Note: the main verb is given
ABBREVIATION: O'CLOCK
An abbreviation is a short form of a word or a small group of words: o'clock is short for of the clock.
Usually, o'clock is only used for whole hours. For example: ten o'clock, not ten thirty o'clock. We just say ten thirty.
EXPLANATION: PHRASAL VERBS
The verb to give can be combined with up to make a new verb, to give up.
This new verb, a small group of connected words, is like a phrase and is called a Phrasal Verb.
However, it has a meaning which can't be understood from the separate meanings of give and up.
It means to stop doing something, as in: I want to give up drinking so much coffee.
Look at the Use Of English module called Phrasal Verbs.
EXPLANATION: IRREGULAR VERBS
Most verbs are regular. Their forms follow a simple pattern. For example, for the verb to talk: talk, talks, talking, and talked.
Irregular verbs do not follow this pattern. For example, for the verb to break: break, breaks, breaking, broke, and broken.
Look at the Support module called Irregular Verbs.
MEANING: NOUN
A noun is a naming word. For example: factory, runway, Thomas, uniform, Venezuela, and window.
Names of people and places are called proper nouns. They begin with a capital letter. For example: Argentina, Barbie, China, Jacko, Madrid, and Neptune.
Names of things are called common nouns. They do not begin with a capital letter, and can be singular or plural. For example: ants, decision, garages, idea, and months.
Normally, we write Toyota. However, sometimes we use all capitals as in the Toyota logo in the photo.
Question: Are best, choose, gift, speech, and car all nouns?
MEANING: ADJECTIVE
An adjective describes a noun or pronoun. It tells you more about something or someone. For example: a pink dress, she is tired, and a long day.
The thing it describes does not have to be real. It can be a thought, a feeling, or an idea.
There's a Grammar module called Adjectives and Adverbs.
Question: Are big, loud, quickly, and soft all adjectives?
MEANING: IDIOM
An idiom is a group of words, accepted by popular use, which has a meaning that is not related to its exact meaning. For example: We get on like a house on fire.
This means that we get on well, and enjoy being with each other.
The phrasal verb to get on is explained in the Use Of English module called Using The Verb To Get.
MEANING: STATE
The state of something or someone is an expression of condition or existence. It stays the same unless something or someone changes it.
For example: After the divorce, Simon was in a bad state for weeks, but his friends supported him and he gradually felt better.
The State of Texas is the name of the area. It is not about the way Texas is, although, after a cyclone, you could say that Texas was in a terrible state.
MEANING: CASUAL
Casual means relaxed and friendly, without using social rules.
You usually speak casually to your family, friends, and work colleagues.
Casual conversation is often called chat. You usually wear Casual clothes at home. Casual relationships are not regular or serious.
SIMILAR WORDS: AROUND AND ROUND
To walk around the town means to walk from one place to another to another, often with no plan. For example:
In Prague, we walked around the city centre all day. We looked at the shops, crossed the bridges, had lunch by the river, went to the park, and took lots of photos.
The A351 road goes round Wareham means that the A351 road is on the edge of the town but doesn't go through it.
This type of road is called a bypass, because it passes by. For example: the Wareham Bypass.
SPELLING: LEARNED OR LEARNT
Most verbs have a regular past form that ends in ed. For example: cook:cooked, paint:painted, and wish:wished.
However, in English, there are lots of irregular verbs which have different past forms. For example: hide:hid, feel:felt, make:made, and sing:sang.
There's no rule for this: you just have to learn them.
Although most UK English speakers usually say dreamt and learnt, most US English speakers usually say dreamed and learned.
THE DATA PROTECTION ACT 1998
The 1998 Data Protection Act became law in March 2000, replacing, and building on, the 1984 act.
Personal data must be collected fairly and lawfully, and can only be kept for a time appropriate for the intended purpose. It is your legal right to be able to check that your data is accurate.
Personal data must be reasonably protected from loss, theft, corruption, and unauthorised or unlawful access.
MEANING: RULE
A rule is an instruction about necessary arrangement or behaviour. For example: sports have rules, we drive on the left-hand side of the road, and we start names of people with a capital letter.
However, in many areas of life and art, rules are broken, and the person who breaks the rule always has a reason or an excuse
UK AND US ENGLISH
In the UK, we write radio programme, concert programme, and a programme of events.
In the US, they write program, although both spellings sound the same.
However, in the UK and the US, we both write computer program.
EXPLANATION
Adjectives often follow a pattern, as in: long, longer, and longest. Long means has length. Longer means has more length. Longest means has the most length.
Easier means more easy. But there isn't a rule, and easier is not spelled easyer and easiest is not spelled easyest.
And remember to say: good, better, and best.
There are no words spelled gooder and goodest.
MEANING: LEXICON
A lexicon is the words that make up the vocabulary of a language.
At the age of 11, children know around 13,000 words, but only use about 1,000 regularly.
At the age of 16, they know around 60,000 and, at 20, around 100,000, but only use about 5,000.
A typical dictionary has 70,000 entries, but the number of words in reference books totals more than a 1,000,000.
MEANING: PREPOSITION
A preposition is a word, or sometimes several words, used before a noun or a pronoun to connect it to other words.
Generally, prepositions work in three contexts: position, movement, and time. For example: We met at a party. I swam to the island. I will call you before seven thirty.
It's important to understand that prepositions always have objects. For example: party, island, and seven thirty.
Look at the Grammar module called Prepositions.
MEANING: CONTEXT
A context is the surrounding facts, ideas, actions, feelings, and thoughts that give something its full meaning.
English is a context-based language, and the words we use depend on the context.
MEANING: CONCEPT
A concept is an idea. For example: democracy, healthcare, and freedom.
A concept car is a design for the future. When, or if, it's ever made, it usually looks more normal.
MEANING: PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES: UN AND LESS
A prefix is added before a word. Adding un means not, so unread means not read.
It can be used before many adjectives and adverbs. For example: unnecessary, unimportant, unsure, uncertainly, unhelpfully, unusually.
A suffix is added after a word. Adding less means with no, so painless means with no pain. It can be used after many nouns to make adjectives. For example: thoughtless, hopeless, pointless, shapeless.
Prefixes and suffixes are explained in the Support module called Spelling.
EXPLANATION: HYPHENS
Words are sometimes joined with a hyphen to make an adjective, a word that describes a noun.
The words every and day can be joined with a hyphen to make a new adjective every-day as in: An every-day pair of shoes.
Other examples are: an on-line database, a quick-release lock, a stop-start economy, and home-cooked food.
However, in popular adjectives with clear meanings, the hyphen-less forms gradually become the normal forms. So, every-day is now usually written as everyday.
PRONUNCIATION: READ OR READ?
The simple present forms of the verb to read, as in You read very well and He reads very well, are pronounced reed and reeds.
The continuous present form, as in I am reading about my family history, is pronounced reeding.
The simple past form, as in She read your letter yesterday, is pronounced red.
When written, the same sentence can describe the present or the past, as in I read a book every day. When spoken, the meaning depends on the pronunciation: reed or red.
MEANING: VERSION
A version is a copy of something, but not an exact copy. For example: when computer software or a mobile phone is improved, it's often called the new version.
MEANING: EVENT
An event is something that happens. For example: the door opens, visitors arrive, or a football match begins.
Events can happen quickly or slowly. An explosion and a rock concert are both events.
The Millennium celebration, as the year 1999 became 2000, was an event. Many people thought that the Millennium ended on 31 December 2000, not 1999. What do you think?
MEANING: ACTIVITY
An activity is something you do, usually as a sequence of connected actions. For example: swimming, making tea, washing your hair, and tidying your desk.
Outdoor Activities is the general name for things such as camping, climbing, cycling, and jogging.
MEANING: SUMMARISE
To summarise means to make a short version of written or spoken information. For example: I wrote a summary of the report about organic food prices.
The short version is called a summary. Writing summaries isn't easy because you need to include the main points but still make them interesting.
DIVERSION
Sometimes we say one thing but mean the opposite. For example, at a wedding, Mrs Wooley is wearing a large colourful hat, covered in flowers. Mrs Cotton, who is about the same age, says What an interesting hat, because she likes it.
Ms Cotton, who is sixteen, says What an interesting hat. But she pauses before hat, and changes the intonation to make it sound like a question. She thinks the hat is a fashion mistake, and no one could possibly like it.
MEANING: PHILOSOPHY
Philosophy is about the understanding of the nature and significance of beliefs, and the testing of concepts by finding rational explanations.
It's pronounced: fill boss off tea
And spoken: philosophy
In English, about 4000 words have ph pronounced as f. For example: alphabet, dolphin, graph, pharmacy, and photo.
MEANING: INTONATION
Intonation is the rise and fall of pitch and volume as we speak. It gives language a melody.
DIVERSION
In the UK, the sound that a cat makes is written meow. Spoken with good intonation, it does sound like a cat.
In many other languages, the word also begins with a letter m. For example: meu, miau, miauw, mjau, and myau.
We get frequent visits from a cat that lives in one of the nearby houses. Every meow it makes sounds nearly the same.
As meow seems to be the only language element, or word, it must be very unlikely that cats can use it as part of a descriptive language.
SPELLING: PRONUNCIATION
The word pronunciation is spelled with the letter u. The word pronounce is spelled, and pronounced, differently.
DIVERSION
Many of you will be familiar with one example of hearing and reading text at the same time.
Company presentations are often on a big screen. When the text appears, the speaker usually reads it aloud.
This is not a good way to communicate. The audience reads faster than the speaker speaks, finishes reading quickly, and begins to think about something different.
PASSWORD HELP: UNLOCK LEARNING ENGLISH
Type your password in the box, then click the blue button under the box.
You must click the button. The password will not work if you press the ENTER key.
Be very careful: password PASS4567XX is not the same as password pass4567xx.
DIVERSION
The export manager, who spoke very little English, received a large order from a company in England for 320 surgical tweezers to be sent ASAP.
For over an hour he looked everywhere for an international delivery company, finding APX, DHL, TNT, UPS, and a lot more. But he couldn't find ASAP.
In English, ASAP means As Soon As Possible.
ASAP is called an acronym. An acronym for several words is generally made from the first letters of each of the words. You say it as a new word, and often write it in capitals to show that it is not a normal word. Other examples are: NATO, UNICEF, laser, and radar.
COUNTING: HOW MANY?
A few means more than one but not many, probably less than five. A couple means two. Several means more than two but not many, probably less than five. A lot means many but depends on the context.
Quantities are explained in the Support module called Quantity And Measurement.
EXPLANATION: THE VERB TO SPEAK
Most verbs are regular. Their forms follow a simple pattern. For example, for the verb to talk: talk, talks, talking, and talked.
Irregular verbs do not follow this pattern. For example, for the verb to speak: speak, speaks, speaking, spoke, and spoken.
There is no word spelled speaked.
MEANING: WORD
A word is the smallest unit of speech or writing that has a meaning. For example: a, by, cup, do, event, and fish.
A book with all the words that a language uses, and their meanings, is called a dictionary.
The ancient Greeks thought that words must have natural meanings because of their sound. This idea was abandoned when they realised that they couldn't naturally understand any other languages.
The theory now is that words have very mixed origins and have meanings through use and agreement.
If you and your friends started to use a new word zigger, it might become popular and end up in a dictionary.
SIMILAR WORDS: THEIR, THERE, AND THEY'RE
Their means belongs to them. For example: My parents said we can stay at their house.
There means position. For example: Wait there, next to the door.
They're is the short form of they are. For example: They're staying at the Minerva Hotel.
Don't confuse them, as all three words sound the same and are pronounced the hair.
EXPLANATION
The letters ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ are called the upper case letters, named after the case, or box, used in the printing industry to store them. Most people call them capitals.
The letters abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz are called the lower case letters, named after the case, or box, used in the printing industry to store them. Children often call them little letters.
In maths, science, and engineering, the single numbers 0123456789 are called digits.
MEANING: FULL STOP
A full stop is the small dot at the end of a sentence, and it represents a pause, usually at the end of a sentence.
In US English, it's called a period. In internet addresses, it's called a dot.
Used with numbers, in mathematics it's called point and in finance and banking it's sometimes called spot.
MEANING: NEUTER
Neuter means neither male nor female. A male domestic cat is often neutered, by removing some of its sexual parts, to prevent it fathering kittens.
ADJECTIVE, NOUN, AND VERB FORMS
English nouns generally have two forms, singular and plural, although some have only one. For example: book and books, day and days, sheep, and fish.
Verbs generally have four forms, although some have five. For example: talk, talks, talking, and talked, and write, writes, writing, written, and wrote.
Adjectives have one form. For example: long, interesting, new, difficult. Because they have only one form, you will never say: the longs roads.
HAMLET BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
In the play Hamlet, the sentence To be or not to be? is followed by That is the question.
Shakespeare uses two very simple short sentences to express a complex idea.
Hamlet is questioning himself. Question forms are a very important part of language.
SIMILAR WORDS: PRACTICE AND PRACTISE
Practice is the noun. For example: I'm Italian, and I run a dental practice in West London. A dental business.
To practise is the verb. For example: I need to practise my English, because not one of my patients speaks Italian.
Both words sound the same.
GIOACCHINO ROSSINI: 1792-1868
Rossini thought that William Tell was the best of his 38 operas so, at the age of 37, he stopped writing opera for the remaining 39 years of his life, and became a gourmand, an excellent chef, and a famous host.
It includes expressive music, interesting orchestrations, spectacular ballets, and elaborate processions.
SIMILAR WORDS: COMPARE AND CONTRAST
To compare people or things means to see how similar they are. To contrast means to see how different they are.
MEANING: MEMORABLE
Memorable means able to create a memory. Although it's made by joining the two words memory and able, it's not spelled memoryable.
MEANING: ENOUGH
Enough means as much as is needed, no more and no less.
Pronounced: eat nut off Emphasis: enough
EDVARD GRIEG: 1843-1907
Edvard Grieg was a Norwegian composer and pianist, best known now for his A minor Piano Concerto. However, much of his life was a struggle, and he was desperately unhappy at school, regularly suffering torment and abuse from his fellow students.
Traditional Norwegian music became an important part of his own compositions.
EXPLANATION
The adjective long has three forms: long, longer, and longest.
Long means having length. Longer means having more length. Longest means having the most length.
This pattern is good for most adjectives, but there are exceptions.
Remember to say: important, more important, and most important.
There are no words spelled importanter and importantest.
MEANING: FACT
A fact is an item of information that is correct and which can be proved to be true. For example: Menorca is one of a group of islands in the Mediterranean.
Some facts are harder to be sure about. For example: are the left-to-right lines in the photo horizontal and parallel?
And some facts might seem true to one person but not to another. For example: It's too hot on the beach, The apple wasn't very sweet, and Vanessa is the kindest person.
MEANING: PARTICIPLE
A participle is a word made from a verb and used as a verb. For example: did, folded, made, playing.
Some can be used as adjectives. For example: We bought four painted chairs for our kitchen.
SAMUEL BARBER: 1910-1981
This was originally the second movement of a string quartet, written in 1936. Arranged for string orchestra, it became his most popular work.
It's been used in a number of films, and is the unofficial American anthem of mourning.
INFINITIVE
The infinitive form of a verb is its basic form from which all other forms are made.
For example: to be, to shop, to see, to want, to need, to buy, to have, to give, and to enjoy.
Infinitives are not used with the personal pronouns: I, you, he, she, it, we and they. So don't say: We to live in Rome.
ADVANCED
If we think of a new regular verb to gimp, we know that the four forms will be gimp, gimps, gimping, and gimped.
So, saying that you are in the middle of gimping and can't open the door, would immediately sound OK.
If it was irregular, the four forms might be: gimp, gimps, gimping, and gomped or gompt.
TOMASO ALBINONI: 1671-1751
The adagio is based on a fragment found in a Dresden library by Remo Giazotto. He reconstructed it in 1945, using the surviving bass line and six bars of melody, and adding an organ.
Albinoni was rediscovered largely because of this piece.
UK AND US ENGLISH
In the UK, some verbs end in ise. For example: maximise, organise, realise, and recognise.
In the US, nearly all of these words are spelled with ize. For example: maximize, organize, realize, and recognize.
EXPLANATION: TO WAKE UP
The verb to wake means to stop sleeping. For example: I usually wake the kids around 7:00.
The verb to wake up means to stop sleeping. For example: I never wake up feeling tired.
The verb to awake also means to stop sleeping, but is used less often. For example: I was awake most of last night.
To wake up is a phrasal verb. These are explained in the Use Of English module called Phrasal Verbs.
MEANING: PREFIXES: UN AND DIS
A prefix is added before a word. Adding un means not, so uninterested means not interested For example: Television quiz programmes are so uninteresting.
It can be used before many adjectives and adverbs. For example: unnecessary, unimportant, uncertainly, unusually, unhelpfully, and unsure.
Do not confuse it with disinterested which means having no opinion either way. For example: Everyone at the meeting was disinterested in regional agricultural subsidies.
Most people don't know that there's a difference, so usually use uninterested.
EXPLANATION: STARTING A SENTENCE WITH AND
Some grammar books still say that it is wrong to begin a sentence with and.
However, it can add emphasis, improve the spoken melody, or be part of your personal written style.
EXPLANATION: EXPRESSING THE FUTURE
The auxiliary verb will. For example: I will go to the new Monet exhibition next week.
The auxiliary verb shall. For example: I shall take my car back to the garage on Wednesday.
The auxiliary verb phrase am going to. For example: I am going to download a newer internet browser tomorrow.
Also: It is going to be expensive to change all the desks.
Also: Are you going to give money to that cancer charity?
EXPLANATION: VOWELS AND CONONANTS
The alphabet has five vowels aeiou and twenty-one consonants, bcdfghjklmnpqrstvwxyz.
There's one exception: in words such as pretty or sky, the consonant y is used, and pronounced, like a vowel.
When we make a vowel sound, the outward air flow is unbroken by the lips, teeth, or tongue. When we make a consonant sound, the outward air flow is partially or completely broken.
MEANING: ALLITERATION
Alliteration means the use of the same letter or sound in a sequence of words. For example: On Friday, Freddie and Fiona had fresh fruit.
EXPLANATION: THE ALPHABET
The word alphabet is made from alpha and beta, the first two letters of the Greek alphabet.
It's pronounced: pal offer bet
And emphasised: alphabet
In English, about 4000 words have ph pronounced as f. For example: alphabet, dolphin, graph, pharmacy, and photo.
EXPLANATION: ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS
An abbreviation for several words is generally made from the first letters of each of the words. You say each of the letters, usually emphasising the last one.
For example: European Union is often shortened to EU, and pronounced: meet you.
An acronym for several words is generally made from the first letters of each of the words. You say it as a new word, and usually write it in capitals to show that it is not a normal word.
For example: The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is usually shortened to NATO, and pronounced: name toes.
EXPLANATION: ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS
An abbreviation for several words is generally made from the first letters of each of the words. You say each of the letters, usually emphasising the last one.
For example: European Union is often shortened to EU, and pronounced: meet you.
An acronym for several words is generally made from the first letters of each of the words. You say it as a new word, and usually write it in capitals to show that it is not a normal word.
For example: The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is usually shortened to NATO, and pronounced: name toes.
EXPLANATION: NUMERALS
It is often said that we use Arabic Numerals. However, if you look at an Arabic car number-plate you will not be able to recognise any of the numbers.
Hindu numbers were adopted by Arab mathematicians. A refined system, and the concept of zero, spread through Europe.
Roman numerals were generally very difficult to work with. Try multiplying CCLXIX by MDXXVII.
MEANING: ADVERB
An adverb describes a verb. It tells you more about how a state exists or an activity happens. For example: to live happily, to listen carefully, to swim often.
There's a Grammar module called Adjectives and Adverbs.
Question: Are loud, quickly, tiny, and never all adverbs?
MEANING: INFINITIVE
The infinitive form of a verb is its basic form from which all other forms are made. For example: to be, to shop, to see, to want, to need, to buy, to have, to give, to enjoy.
Infinitives are not used with the personal pronouns: I, you, he, she, it, we and they. So don't say: We to live in Rome.
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH: 1685-1750
Many musical experts say that JS Bach must be the greatest composer in the history of western music.
He combined melodic invention, harmonic richness, and complex technical structures, to express the fullness of human feelings.
WAREHAM: ENGLAND
Wareham is a small market town in Dorset, England, quite near the coast.
The surrounding countryside includes winding rivers, green farmland, dramatic cliffs, pretty cottages, historic buildings, sandy beaches, rocky coves, open heathland, panoramic views, peaceful villages, and lively seaside resorts.
Learning English will help you improve your personal, social, and business English, and express your thoughts, feelings, and ideas, using a natural style and a modern vocabulary.
| FUTURE VERB FORMS | GYP, MY DOG, CANNOT THINK ABOUT NEXT SUNDAY |
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Humans are different from other animals. One important difference is that we can think about time: the past, the present, and the future.
We can think about the past, remember it and learn from it. Things completely in the past started in the past, existed in the past or happened in the past, and ended in the past.
We can think about the present, live now and experience it. Things completely in the present start now, exist now or are happening now, or end now.
We can think about the future, imagine it and make plans for it. Things completely in the future start in the future, exist in the future or happen in the future, and end in the future.
These ideas are useful, but not exact. Things don't exist or happen at a time-point, but exist or happen for a time-period, however short. In language, when a time-point becomes a time-period depends on the context, not a definition or a rule.
For example, if I say It's ten o'clock now, by the time I've said those words it's a few seconds after ten o'clock. Fortunately, in everyday life, this sort of accuracy isn't important. And my watch might be wrong!
| LISTENING PRACTICE |
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I asked Natalie to talk about the future, so that you can hear someone speaking English. To play or pause the player, use the controls. Listen to it several times, and then say it yourself.
| FUTURE VERB FORMS | TAKE A CLOSER LOOK |
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In many languages, the names of things, called nouns, have different forms, made by changing the word ending. Generally, the word ending shows if the noun is male, female, neuter, singular, plural, definite, indefinite, or has some other quality. For example, in Spanish: chica, chicas, chico, chicos.
Often, the adjective that describes the noun has a similar word ending, but the verb that relates to the noun has a different word ending. Words, with their endings, are combined using rules, and the final sentence is only grammatically correct if the endings agree. For example, in Spanish:
Una pequeña cerveza, por favor. means: A small beer, please.
To make things even more difficult, future verb forms are often similar to present verb forms, but have different spellings, usually at the end of the word. However, some verbs have over fifty past, present, and future endings, so there's a lot to remember.
In English, most verbs have four endings, for example: talk, talks, talking, and talked. So, to express every type of past, present, and future, we use verb combinations.
To express the future, the main verb is combined with one of the auxiliary verbs will or shall, or with a form of the auxiliary verb phrase to be going to.
Note: Shall is not the same as should and will is not the same as would. Unlike most verbs, there are no forms of shall called shalls, shalling, or shalled. The words wills, willing, and willed have meanings, but aren't related to will.
Note: The word going is pronounced as two separate words, go and ing. The two vowels don't make a new sound, as in noise.
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will |  |
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| I |  |
shall | |
visit Tuscany soon. |
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am going to |  |
Although this seems simple, we use them in very specific ways.
| MY VISIT TO TUSCANY | SOON? |
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As an introduction to the idea of the future, let's talk about my visit to Tuscany. Remember, things completely in the future start in the future, exist in the future or happen in the future, and end in the future.
I will visit Tuscany soon seems certain. I expect it to happen. It's definite. It's a fact.
I shall visit Tuscany soon is important to me. I want to go. It's part of my personal future.
I am going to visit Tuscany soon is something I have already planned to do. I intend to do it.
It's important to understand that we often talk about the future as if it's near. However, in many sentences, the nearness of the future depends on the context, and there may be no expressed time when something will start.
| LISTENING PRACTICE |
I asked Natalie to repeat some of this so that you can hear someone speaking English. To play or pause the player, use the controls. Listen to it several times, and then say it yourself.
| THE TIME MAP | THE HISTORY OF TIME |
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Time is a useful concept. It lets us organise things, in sequence, in our minds. We remember being children in the past, we exist now, in the present, and we enjoy planning for our future.
We experience time in two similar ways:
In the first, time stays still, and we move through time from the past to the future, visiting the past, present, and future as time places.
In the second, we stay still, and time moves through us and around us from the future to the past, visiting the present as a time place called now.
The Learning English Time Map combines these two ideas with our original concept of the three main time zones, the past, present, and future:
The open shape on the left represents the past, the centre circle represents the present, and the open shape on the right represents the future.
They overlap because, in English, we can express things that exist or happen in more than one main time zone. The overlap on the left represents the Relative Past and the overlap on the right represents the Relative Future. These are explained in the Grammar modules called Past Verb Forms and Future Verb Forms.
English is written from left to right, so the written and completed past is on the left, and the unwritten and unknown future is on the right.
The Time Map shows where verbs work in time, when we express existence, actions, activities, and events. Why not draw it on paper, to help you remember?
| THE FUTURE | AN ELECTRIC STORM ON TERRAX: THE YEAR 2180 |
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Most people enjoy thinking about the future and making plans. But, at any time, something may happen that will change the life you have now, and change your future.
Your company strategy, your dream of a new home, and your holiday plan, are only possible futures, but they give your life extra meaning and help change you into the person you will be. In the future.
In an earlier module, we said that we can talk about the present in two different ways. One is the exact moment, now, called a time point. The other is the general period, the one we live in, called a time period. The future also has time points and time periods, so let's look at them and show them on the Time Map:
The bus to the beach will leave at 10:15. Note: a future time point and a fact
If we miss the bus, we'll be walking for an hour. Note: a future time period and an activity
Usually, time points and facts are expressed using a simple verb form, and time periods and activities are expressed using a continuous verb form.
Things in the future will start in the future. A seed will grow into a tree, and humans will visit the stars. Some things will happen at a time point and others will happen over a time period. However, when a point becomes long enough to be called a period depends on the context, not a definition or a rule.
| EXPRESSING THE FUTURE | THE FUTURE FORMs |
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There are eleven basic future forms. They're grouped for easy learning, as you'll see later, but don't try to remember them right now: most English speakers use them without knowing what they're called.
certain future
necessary future
voluntary future
signalled future
personal future
determined future
suggested future
planned future
expected future
scheduled future
arranged future
| THE WORD WILL | A CERTAIN, NECESSARY, OR VOLUNTARY FUTURE |
When we express these futures in English, we use the word will as an auxiliary verb before the main verb.
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certain future | |||
| will | |
necessary future | ||
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voluntary future |
Let's look at how we do this:
| THE WORD WILL | A CERTAIN FUTURE |
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When we say that something is certain, we expect it to happen. It's definite. It's a fact. Here are some examples:
I will ask my secretary to book a room at the Lanesborough Hotel. Note: in conversation, we usually say I'll
The meeting will start at 10:15 and end at 11:30. Note: you don't need to say will end
A complete back-up system will be expensive. Note: back-up is an adjective which describes the noun system
Next year, we will open our third factory in China. Note: in conversation, we usually say we'll
Negative and question examples are:
I won't go to that restaurant again. Note: won't is the short form of will not
The window won't close properly.
Will we have time to stop for lunch?
In spoken English, the word will is emphasised slightly if we feel strongly about something and want to make it very clear. Because the full word will needs to be emphasised, we don't use the short forms, such as I'll. Here are some examples:
I will complete the report by Friday, so stop asking.
It will be difficult, but we have a good team working on a solution.
They will not work on Saturday and Sunday. Note: or emphasise not
Although will can express certainty, in real life we can't control everything. In the following examples, how much certainty depends on what you know about the person, the thing, or the context:
Trust me. I will be there at 9:00. Note:people who say this are often late
It will take two weeks to fit solar panels on the roof. Note: probably three or four weeks
There will be no television unless you do your homework. Note: parents say this to their children
| THE WORD WILL | A NECESSARY FUTURE |
When we say that something is necessary, it's needed so that something else can happen. Something or someone depends on it. Here are some examples:
I will work this evening to change our Google Adwords campaign.
He will ask for permission, so we can take photographs of the helicopter.
They will pay you to water their garden when they go on holiday.
| THE WORD WILL | A VOLUNTARY FUTURE |
When we say that something is voluntary, we want to do it and are usually happy to do it. However, although it may be a good intention, we may change our mind and not do it. Here are some examples:
I will do my best to finish the painting by the end of next week.
She will help my sister to choose a wedding dress.
We will be happy to look after your children on Sunday.
| THE WORD WILL | CHECK YOUR PROGRESS: STAY ON THE RIGHT TRACK |
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Which future form describes the following example. Read our comments on your choice, even if you were right.
My husband will meet us at Oxford station. is this: a voluntary future, a necessary future, or a certain future
To check your answer, click the Made In England label:
Certain Future is correct because it's a factual statement and I'm as certain as I can be. Voluntary Future is not correct because my husband may not want to meet us, although I think he will be there. Necessary Future is not correct because he isn't needed: we could take a taxi instead.
| THE SHORT FORM 'LL | SIGNALLING THE FUTURE: THERE'LL PROBABLY BE A JAM ON THE MOTORWAY |
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Often, we signal the future, rather than express and emphasise certainity, particularly in conversation or informal writing. It uses the short form 'll to indicate something in the future, but without the more specific qualities of the full words will and shall.
I'll see you later.
I'll be 40 next birthday, but it's just a number.
You'll find the sugar on the second shelf in the brown bag.
She'll take at least two hours to get ready.
It'll be so nice to have a few days at home.
We'll pick up Sheridan and James on the way.
You'll find your theatre tickets in the blue envelope.
They'll be so pleased to see their grandchildren again.
In question forms, you can't use 'll, as you can see in the two following examples:
Will you change your car this year?
Will your wife ever wear that green swimsuit?
| THE WORD WILL: NOTE 1 |
The phrase will not is often shortened to won't, particularly in conversation and informal writing. There is no word spelled willn't.
| THE WORD WILL: NOTE 2 |
Sometimes, the word will is unnecessary because other words show that something is in the future. For example: after, before, expect, hope, if, unless, until, want, when, and wish.
Call me after seven o'clock.
I usually arrive before the guests and make some coffee.
I don't expect anyone at work to remember my birthday.
I hope to be fit for Saturday's match against Bampton Rovers.
Turn off the light if the children are asleep.
I can phone you on Wednesday, unless you prefer an email.
I want a new computer.
When Kiara arrives, let's have a drink to celebrate our success.
If you wish for something, be careful.
Because those words include the idea of the future, it is wrong to say, for example: I will hope or When Kiara will arrive.
| THE WORD SHALL | A PERSONAL, DETERMINED, OR SUGGESTED FUTURE |
When we express these futures in English, we use the word shall as an auxiliary verb before the main verb. Shall is only used with I and we. It's about personal futures.
|
personal future | |||
| shall | |
determined future | ||
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suggested future |
Let's look at how we do this:
| THE WORD SHALL | A PERSONAL FUTURE |
When we say something is personal, we mean that it's important to us and that we probably don't need or want to ask for anyone's opinion or permission. For example: I shall buy flowers for my mother.
| THE WORD SHALL | A DETERMINED FUTURE |
When we say we are determined, we mean that we won't let anyone or anything stop us. For example: I shall have another beer. When the word shall is emphasised it means that I'm determined to have another beer, even if I fall over.
| THE WORD SHALL | A SUGGESTED FUTURE |
When we say something is a suggestion, we mean that we are offering to do something and have every intention of doing it. It's a question form which checks that the offer is OK. For example: Shall I pay for dinner tonight? It's usually understood to be a genuine offer to pay for dinner rather than a reluctant sense of duty.
| THE WORD SHALL: NOTE 1 |
The phrase shall not is often shortened to shan't, particularly in conversation or informal writing. There is no word spelled shalln't and shall is not related to should.
| THE WORD SHALL | CHECK YOUR PROGRESS: STAY ON THE RIGHT TRACK |
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Which future form describes the following example. Read our comments on your choice, even if you were right.
Shall I print 100 letters? is this: a personal future, a determined future, or a suggested future
To check your answer, click the Made In England label:
Suggested Future is correct because it's an offer to do something. Personal Future is not correct because it's not very important to me whether I make any copies or not. Determined Future is not correct because it's not something I feel I must do.
| THE VERB PHRASE TO BE GOING TO | A PLANNED OR EXPECTED FUTURE |
When we express these futures in English, we use forms of the phrase to be going to as an auxiliary verb phrase before the main verb.
|
planned future | |||
| to be going to | ||||
|
expected future |
When expressing the future in these ways, the verb phrase to be going to is used in its present forms. Let's look at how we do this:
| person | full form | short form |
| first singular | I am going to | I'm going to |
| second singular | You are going to | You're going to |
| third singular | He is going to | He's going to |
| third singular | She is going to | She's going to |
| third singular | It is going to | It's going to |
| first plural | We are going to | We're going to |
| second plural | You are going to | You're going to |
| third plural | They are going to | They're going to |
Whilst learning about verbs, you'll often hear or read phrases such as the first person singular or the second person plural. It's important to understand what first, second, and third mean in this context.
The first person means me, or us. The second person means you; you singular or you plural. And the third person means the others; other people or other things.
| THE VERB PHRASE TO BE GOING TO | PLANNED FUTURE |
A future plan is something that you have planned for, either in your mind or in a real practical way. But it hasn't started yet. It's something you intend to do. Here are some examples:
I am going to build my own house.
He's going to invite my family for dinner next Friday.
We're going to apply for a business bank loan.
In spoken English, it's very common to use short forms. The full forms are usually used to emphasise the intention.
| THE VERB PHRASE TO BE GOING TO | EXPECTED FUTURE |
An expected future is something that you expect to happen. It's something that, as far as you know, will not be stopped by anything else. Here are some examples:
It's going to rain. Those clouds are getting darker and darker.
She's going to regret marrying in such a rush.
They are going to be late if they leave at 8:00.
In spoken English, it's very common to use short forms. The full forms are usually used to emphasise the expectation.
| RELATIVE FUTURES | SCHEDULED OR ARRANGED |
The Time Map shows the three basic time zones and the general future, with time moving from right to left, from the future to the past.
The open shape on the left represents the past, the centre circle represents the present, and the open shape on the right represents the future.
They overlap because, in English, we can express things that exist or happen in more than one main time zone. The overlap on the right represents the Relative Future. But what is it?.
| RELATIVE FUTURES | SCHEDULED FUTURE |
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The scheduled future is used for timetables, itineries, diaries, to-do lists, and whenever we write down things to do in the future. Let's listen to Martin on the phone to his wife:
| Martin: | Looking at my diary, I see that I fly to Amsterdam on Monday evening, and meet Pieter van Hooch on Tuesday morning. In the afternoon, I travel by train to Maastricht and stay there for two days. I have three meetings on the last day and fly back to Stansted in the evening. |
In this context, a simple present verb form I fly expresses a future schedule. Using the present to express a scheduled or arranged future is the only time the present expresses the future.
To English people, the story sounds like a formal, uninteresting, sequence of facts: a scheduled future that someone else has probably organised and Martin must follow.
| RELATIVE FUTURES | ARRANGED FUTURE |
 |
Sometimes a future event is arranged, fixed in time, and seems certain. For example, when we book a plane flight, arrangements we make now fix events or activities in the future. Let's listen to Martina on the phone to her husband:
| Martina: | I booked my flight last week, and I am flying to New York next month. I agreed to see Harry Cray in New York so we are meeting next Wednesday in the Plaza. My boss asked me to bring back some country music CDs, so I am shopping in downtown New York before I fly back. |
In this context, a present continuous verb form I am flying expresses a future arrangement. Using the present to express an arranged or scheduled future is the only time the present expresses the future.
To English people, the story sounds like a personal, interesting, sequence of events or activities: an arranged future that Martina has probably organised and wants to follow.
| FUTURE VERB FORMS | KEY EXAMPLES: PLAYING THE BARBER VIOLIN CONCERTO |
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As usual, key examples use the Bampton Midi Orchestra to show how words, phrases, and sentences are used in everyday English.
They will play at the World Peace Concert in Amsterdam.
That example uses the auxiliary verb will to make a certain future. It's definite. It's a fact. Although, something unexpected might happen to stop it.
Our manager says we shall not visit Venezuela next year.
That example uses the auxiliary verb shall as a determined future. Our manager does not want us to go, and feels strongly about his decision. Although, he may change his mind.
The orchestra is going to make a new recording of the Barber violin concerto.
That example uses the auxiliary verb phrase is going to as a planned future. It's arranged. It's an intention. Although, something unexpected may happen to change the plan.
| TAKE A BREAK |
 |
Learning English includes music, usually played by the Bampton Midi Orchestra, to interest, educate, and entertain you. So why not take a break and listen to Catrina Makin, a pianist with the Bampton Midi Orchestra playing part of the Piano Octo No 5 by the English composer, Angela Vennal. She's ready to start, so just click the player:
Angela Vennel has written twelve short pieces for piano which express the exitement and stress of modern city life. Her music is often called futuristic and has been used in several visionary films about possible futures.
| STORY TIME: LOOKING FORWARD | CLEARWATER: FLORIDA |
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Story Time is about typical modern living: things that you hear about during conversation, on the radio, on television, or at the cinema. Generally, the style is informal, so it's ideal for talking to people that you know well.
If there are any coloured words in the text, make sure that you understand what they mean and why they are used. You might need to use a dictionary.
It's important to read this text aloud. And it's good practice to record yourself, then listen to the recording later. This helps you to speak confidently, listen carefully, connect ideas, and understand and enjoy the whole text.
If you're learning with family, friends, in a class, or at work, remember to join in, although it's not important for you to have a strong opinion. Try to express your own ideas clearly, but listen carefully when you disagree and be ready to change your own views. Be aware of the difference between facts and feelings.
It's very important to understand that a discussion doesn't need to end with everyone agreeing and making one statement or decision, and it shouldn't become an argument. There might have to be compromise or you might just have to let go of something you felt was important. But was it?
| Andy: | Polly, I won a travel competition last month and I'm going to Florida at the weekend. |
| Polly: | You lucky thing! I wish I could come with you. |
| Andy: | Well, why don't you? I've got two tickets, and Mark's off work ill. |
| Polly: | Unfortunately, I can't. I'm starting a new project and my boss is sending me round Britain to meet the area managers. Next Monday I'm in Birmingham. Then I take a train to Leeds. After that I visit the Liverpool office. |
| Andy: | I'll think of you when I'm on the beach! |
Notice that, in this dialogue, Andy has one arranged future and Polly has three scheduled futures.
What is the difference between these two examples:
I am going to Paris next week. Note: an arranged future
I am going to go to Paris next week. Note: a planned future
| THE FUTURE | CHECK YOUR PROGRESS: STAY ON THE RIGHT TRACK |
|
In conversation, it's important to understand things as soon as your hear them. Look at the following sentences and choose the one that you think is not in the future. Try to make a quick decision.
I will call you next Wednesday to remind you.
I shall eat pizza because it's quick and easy.
I am going to tell you a secret.
I was hoping to meet you next week.
To check your answer, click the Made In England label:
The fourth one is correct because the hoping was in the past.
The telephone call will happen on Wednesday, so is a Certain Future. I shall eat pizza is a Personal Future. The secret has not yet been told but is a Planned Future.
| TAKE CARE | AVOID A LANGUAGE MISTAKE |
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How you use the auxiliary verbs will and shall, and the auxiliary verb phrase to be going to, is a good test of your English. Here are some clear examples for you, with explanations:
Note: In modern spoken English, will is used most of the time, even when shall would be correct. However, by reducing language to the level of popular television, we will gradually lose the fine variations in meaning that make English so expressive.
I won't get married again. Note: the certain future
I will stay to hear the end of the lecture. Note: the necessary future
Will you come to the cinema with me? Note: the voluntary future
I'll see you next Saturday. Note: the signalled future, and a general thing to say
I shall start work on my project tomorrow. Note: the personal future
I shall not work late again today. Note: the determined future
Shall I phone for a taxi? Note: the suggested future
Are you going to visit me in hospital? Note: the planned future
It's going to take longer by train. Note: the expected future
Won't is a short form of will not. The apostrophe replaces the missing letter, although three other letters have been changed or are missing. There is no short form spelled willn't.
Shan't is a short form of shall not. The apostrophe replaces the missing letter, although two other letters are also missing. There is no short form spelled shalln't.
The word will has other meanings which you should look up in a dictionary. But here are a few examples:
I must remember to send Will a birthday card. Note: Will is short for the male name William
She didn't leave a will. Note: a will is a document about what happens to someone's things when they die
| USING THE WORD FUTURE |
Although you've been learning about the different ways of expressing things in the future, here are some typical uses of the word future taken from everyday conversation:
Are you optimistic about the future? means: will it be good?
Let's see what the future holds. Note: let's is the short form of let us
We'll have to be more careful in future. Note: we'll is the short form of we will
The film Back To The Future was on televsion last night.
In the future, technology and biology will merge. means: join together to become one
The future is where you will spend the rest of your life. Note: more formal than you'll
Your future may depend on learning English.
It's a very futuristic design. means: like the future
In future, please lock the door. don't say: in the future
| WHAT WAS THIS MODULE ABOUT? |
Here is a short reminder of the main things that were in this module. Try to remember them, or write them down, before you click the Made In England label:
The word will expresses a certain future.
The word shall expresses a personal future.
The phrase to be going to expresses a planned future.
| WHERE NEXT? |
Get a password.