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AAE 121: 'there is a lot of...'
2008-01-28 20:00:00
Hello, Matt, I would like to ask you about one think. I´ve been to England and I think I've heard them say "there is a lot of dogs/students/people.." but now, studying English, I´m not sure that much.Is it correct to say 'there is or there are a lot of.. 'thank you for the answer. take care VandaHi VandaThe subject and verb must agree in number: both must be singular or both must be plural. Often the verb follows the subject (e.g. My children like playing football) but in sentences beginning with there is or there are, the subject follows the verb. Since there is not the subject, the verb agrees with what follows. In your examples the subject is 'a lot' which is singular. Therefore the correct answer is:There is a lot of.....However the usage "there are a lot..." is very common and because a language is defined by its popular usage, it is now often considered correctFor more information about making subjects and verbs agree, click here.Hope this ...

AAE Q120: 'could' vs 'could have'
2008-01-24 00:57:00
Hi Matt,What is the difference in meaning between the two sentences?: Ken´s aunt wanted him to drive her to the airport on Tuesday: He couldn´t have driven her to the airport because his car had been stolen.He couldn´t drive her to the airport because his car had been stolen.ThanksPavlaHi,The difference between the two sentences is a difference in the meaning of the modal verb 'could'.In the first sentence 'could' is used to express possibility (in the past): 'He couldn´t have driven her' means that it was not possible for him to drive her to the airport; it was impossible for him because the car had been stolen..In the second sentence 'could' is used to express ability (in the past):'He couldn´t drive her' means that he was unable to drive her to the airport; he no longer had the ability to drive her because the car had been stolen.Hope this helpsM

Phrase of the Day 179: 'to badger'
2008-01-21 20:50:00
"to badger someone"definition: to annoy a person incessantly/repetitively.example: 'I wish James would stop badgering me; I told him I would copy that CD for him when I have the chance'origin: This comes from the cruel "sport" of badger baiting. The unfortunate animal was placed in an upturned barrel and dogs were then released to drag it out. When the animals emerged the badger was separated from the hounds and then put back into the barrel to start all over again until the inevitable occurred.

AAE Q119: 1900s
2008-01-21 20:35:00
Hello,Would you kindly explain the exact meaning of 'in the 1900s'?.ThanksHiThe 1900s (the nineteen hundreds) means the decade (10 year period) from 1900 to 1909.Therefore 'in the 1900s' means the event happened at some point between 1900 and 1909.We can use similar expressions for every decade:1950s (nineteen fifties): from 1950 to 19591960s (nineteen sixties): from 1960 to 19691970s (nineteen seventies): from 1970 to 1979etc.Hope this helpsM

Phrase of the Day 178: 'soft spot for...'
2008-01-18 14:12:00
"to have a soft spot for someone/thing"definition: a tender or sentimental feeling, a liking, affectionexample: 'Callum really likes animals; he particularly has a soft spot for stray dogs'
More About: Spot , Soft

Phrase of the Day 177: 'cough up'
2008-01-15 14:56:00
"to cough up"definition: to give unwillinglyexample: "My father said that he would cough up the money I need to buy a computer"
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AAE Q118: 'until and til'
2008-01-15 14:30:00
Hello, Is there any difference when to use UNTIL, TILL and UP TO? Thank you for help.JirinaHi Jirina,Firstly 'until' and 'till' are basically the same word although 'till' is usually only used in spoken English.'Until' and 'till' express 'up to that time'. We use either the simple present or simple past with 'until' and 'till'.Don't bother saving me any supper - I shan't be home till late.We had to stay in the exam room until the end of the exam. We couldn't leave early even if we had finished.I had no umbrella so waited until the downpour was over before I left the shop.We don't need to be at the stadium until the first race is over so we don't need to leave home till eleven o' clock.Although they both express the idea of 'up to' a time, 'up to' cannot replace them in the sentences above. We cannot say:Don't bother saving me any supper - I shan't be home up to late.Hope this helpsM

Phrase of the Day 176: 'Skeletons in the closet'
2008-01-10 12:15:00
"to have skeletons in the closet"definition: to have something to hide about ones past.example: Kennedy has more than a few skeletons in the closet.origin: Comes from the fairy tale of Blue Beard and his closet. He gave all the keys of the house to his wife when he left on business, forbidding her access to only one room, a closet at the end of a long corridor. She opened it, of course, and there she found the dead bodies of his previous wives.
More About: Closet

AAE 117: 'GB, UK, Britain, Anglia, or the UK'
2008-01-07 19:20:00
Hi,What's the difference between Great Britain ,United Kingdom, Britain, Anglia and England ?ThanksHiGreat Britain means the countries of England, Wales and Scotland considered as a unit. The term Great Britain is often used (incorrectly) instead of the UK. However, the UK and Great Britain are not equivalent since the UK is a state formed from the union of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Britain is a political and geographic term which can mean either the island of Great Britain or the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.England is the largest and most populous constituent country of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Anglia is the medieval and late Latin name for England and a name for the eastern part of England, more commonly known as East Anglia.Hope this helpsMatt

assure - ensure - insure
2008-01-07 01:29:00
assure - ensure - insureIf you assure someone that something is true or will happen, you tell them that it is definitely true or will happen, often in order to make them less worried. We often use such phrases as I can assure you or let me assure you in order to emphasise the truth of what we are saying:She hastened to assure me that the report contained no critical comment on my department's performance.Let me assure you / I can assure you that the children will be totally safe on this adventure holiday. No risks of any kind will be taken. Ensure is subtly different from assure and people often confuse the two. If you ensure that something happens, you make certain that it happens. A less formal equivalent of this verb in spoken English would be make sure:Ensure / Make sure that your working hours as well as your rate of pay are written into your contract.I tried to ensure that everybody wore their life jackets the whole time that we were on the sailing boats, but not everybody...

Phrase of the Day 175: 'So long!'
2008-01-04 16:13:00
"So long!"definition: goodbye (concluding remark at parting)example: 'So long, see you later.'origin: So-long came from the Arabic salaam and the Hebrew shalom.
More About: Long

Phrase of the Day 174: 'out like a light'
2008-01-02 19:48:00
"Out like a light"definition: fast asleep; suddenly unconscious.example: "After a 12-hour shift, nurse Trudy came home and she was out like a light in no time at all."origin: In the 20th century, when the wonders of electricity spread across the land, people could turn on and shut off lights with just a flick of a switch. By the middle of the century, "out like a light" was a way of saying that a person had fallen asleep very quickly.
More About: Light

Phrase of the Day 173: 'Brownie points'
2008-01-01 20:36:00
"to win/gain Brownie points"definition: To gain approval from another, usually a superior.example: 'Bringing home flowers is a good way to win brownie points with the wife.'origin: Brownies is a club for young girls, not yet old enough to be Girl Scouts or Girl Guides in England. Brownies are awarded bonus points for good behaviour and achievements.
More About: Points

Phrase of the Day 172: 'Strike while the iron is hot'
2008-01-01 20:31:00
"Strike while the iron is hot"definition: Act quickly while the opportunity is still available.example: 'If you want the job, you need to strike while the iron is hot.'origin: Blacksmiths working iron by hand heat the iron in a fire to red-hot making it malleable. The Smith removes the iron from the fire and shapes it with blows from a hammer. They need to work quickly before the iron cools. Once the iron is cool, it becomes brittle and the opportunity to hammer it into shape has passed.
More About: Iron

Phrase of the Day 171: 'at large'
2007-12-27 18:38:00
"to be at large"definition: An indication that a prisoner has escaped and is free.example: In the movie "Escape From Alcatraz," three prisoners managed to escape Alcatraz and were at large, never to be heard from again.origin: This phrase refers to a French phrase "prendre la large" meaning to stand out to sea so as to be free to move. "Large " also has another nautical meaning as in 'By and Large'.

Phrase of the Day 170: 'get the gist'
2007-12-26 19:56:00
"to get the gist" definition: to understand its basics, its fundamentals.example: "I didn't understand everything in the article, but I got the gist"origin: This phrase comes from the old French Gsir meaning to lie, itself having the meaning of something lying within something and being its basis.

AAE Q116: 'used to'
2007-12-26 19:46:00
Hi,When is the tense : "I used to study" used?Explain it pleaseMahmoudHi,'Used to'It refers to past habits and states. If we say that somebody used to do something, we mean that some time ago he was in the habit of doing this, but he no longer does it now. Here are some examples:'I used to smoke 30 cigarettes a day, but I gave up when I became convinced that smoking causes cancer.''I didn't use to like cricket, but now I'm getting interested in it.''Didn't he use to be vegetarian?' 'Yes, he did, but he started eating meat last winter and now he's a real carnivore.'Hope this helpsM

Christmas in the United Kingdom
2007-12-26 19:29:00
The English Christmas celebrations include the beautiful Christmas music, decorated Christmas Trees and hang up evergreen branches. The English gift giver is called Father Christmas and he wears a long red or green robe, and leaves presents in stockings on Christmas Eve. However, the gifts are not usually opened until the following afternoon.Christmas in England began in AD 596, when St Augustine landed on her shores with monks who wanted to bring Christianity to the Anglo Saxons. Father Christmas delivers them during the night before Christmas. The Children leave an empty stocking or pillowcase hanging at the end of the bed. In the morning they hope it will be full of presents.In England the day after Christmas is called Boxing Day because boys used to go round collecting money in clay boxes. When the boxes were full, they broke them open. In England Christmas dinner was usually eaten at Midday on December 25, during daylight.In England the traditional Christmas dinner is roast tur...
More About: Kingdom , United Kingdom , United , The United Kingdom

AAE Q115: 'pair of'
2007-12-17 15:58:00
Hi,A question about grammar: A pair of jeans means there is only one piece. A pair of jumpers, there are two pieces. Right?Hi,First of all you are correct."A pair of" is one of the interesting little excentricities in English.Most pairs are clearly two separate things. But a few "pairs" are single units.With a little imagination, however, you may notice that these "single pairs" consisit of two, usually identical halves:a pair of trousers/pants/jeans (note: each pair "consists of" two legs )a pair of shortsa pair of pajamasa pair of suspendersa pair of glasses/sunglassesa pair of scissorsa pair of tweezersa pair of pliersHope this helpsM
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Phrase of the Day 169: 'a diamond in the rough'
2007-12-17 15:49:00
"a diamond in the rough"definition: Someone who is basically good hearted but lacking social graces and respect for the law. This term is often used to describe people on the edge of the criminal fraternity who, while they may not commit serious crimes themselves, probably know people who do.origin: The phrase is clearly a metaphor for the original unpolished state of diamond gemstones, especially those that have the potential to become high quality jewels. It is more commonly expressed in the form 'rough diamond'. The first recorded use in print is in John Fletcher's A Wife for a Month, 1624:"She is very honest, and will be as hard to cut as a rough diamond."
More About: Diamond

Phrase of the Day 168: 'spin a yarn'
2007-12-10 22:38:00
"to spin a yarn"definition: to tell a tale/story.example: "Are you spinning me a yarn?...or are you telling me the truth?"origin: In the old days, women used to spin yarn on spinning wheels. They frequently did this in groups and, to pass the time, they often told each other stories. In time the words came to mean the production of the stories themselves.
More About: Spin , Yarn

AAE Q114: 'hard as nails'
2007-12-09 01:10:00
Hi,Where does the idiom,"hard as nails" come from?Hi,"as hard as nails"definition: Callous; unsympathetic; unsentimental.example:'The lawyer was as hard as nails. He felt no pity for anyone.'origin: When this idiom was coined nails were made of iron and quite large. Short lengths of iron are hard to bend.M
More About: Hard , Nails

Phrase of the Day 158: 'cut to the chase'
2007-10-29 23:45:00
"Cut to the chase"definition: Get to the point.example: 'This story is dragging on. Cut to the chase and tell me about the relevant issues.'origin: "Chase " refers to the obligatory scene that is the exciting climax of many action films. Someone watching an action movie with a slow build up, might be wishing the movie would literally "cut to the chase".
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Halloween: 31st October
2007-10-29 23:33:00
The History of Halloween Halloween is an ancient festival, which has its roots in the Celtic festival of Samhain (Sah-ween), this was when the Celts (the ancient inhabitants of Great Britain) celebrated their New Year and the day they believed that the souls of those who had died that year progressed to the underworld. It was said to be a night when ghosts, demons and witches roamed the earth and people tried to placate them with offerings of nuts and berries.Nowadays these offerings are more likely to be the Mars Bars and Snickers (formerly Marathons) given out to children trick or treating, but it remains a day when we can acknowledge our fears and celebrate forces we do not understand. Today in the UK it is celebrated on All Hallows Eve, the night of October 31, the last night of October which was originally the eve of Samhain.Trick or TreatMany of today's Halloween traditions are associated with America, however they originated in Celtic history. For example the custom of 'tric...
More About: Allo

AAE Q104: 'in case' vs 'if'
2007-10-29 23:25:00
Hi,Can you give me a typical example for using ´in case´ and if´?LibbyHi,In caseWe use in case to talk about taking precautions, doing something because something else might happen:During the drought, keep the bath filled with water - just in case it is needed.I've bought some candles in case there are more electricity cuts.In case I forget, remind me to check the tyre pressure before we load up the car.In case or if?When we use in case we are mostly describing future possible situations. When we use if we are talking about conditions that apply.Compare the following and note the differences in meaning. I'll fill up the car with petrol in case you need to go to Brighton. ( = I'll fill up now, because you might need it later.)I'll fill up the car with petrol if you need to go to Brighton. ( = Let me know if you need to go to Brighton and then I'll fill up with petrol.)Take the mobile phone with you in case the car breaks down. If the car breaks down, give me a ring.In c...
More About: Case

AAE 103: 'at mine'
2007-10-28 23:20:00
Hi,I´d like to ask you a question. I want to say "at my house (place where I live)", "come to my house". Can I use "at mine", "to mine"? For example: "He spent 2 weeks at mine." and "Come to mine." Is that correct? I´m not sure. I just know the phrases "at Jane´s" ,"at my sister´s home" etc. Thank you.Have a nice day:)KatkaHi,Yes you can. It is very common in English.M
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Phrase of the Day 157: 'drink like a fish'
2007-10-24 23:06:00
"to drink like a fish"definition: to drink heavily, especially of alcoholic drink.origin: clearly an allusion to fishes' close association with water and their open-mouthed taking in of water to obtain oxygen. The phrase is known since 1640 and appears in Fletcher and Shirley's The night-walker, or the little theife, from that date: "Give me the bottle, I can drink like a Fish now, like an Elephant."'Drink like an elephant' didn't catch on.

AAE 102: advise + gerund/infinitve
2007-10-22 19:28:00
Hi, I'd like to ask you a question. In my English grammar book is stated that after the verb ADVISE follows gerund or object and infinitive. But another book states that the verb ADVISE can be followed only by TO+Infinitive of verb. Which possibility is correct? ThXHi,After the verb advise there are two possible structures:Gerund: verb + -ing: They advise walking to town. Infinitive: verb + person + to-infinitive: They advise us to walk to town.Other verbs which follow this pattern are below: allow They do not allow smoking here. They do not allow us to smoke here. encourage They encourage doing the test. They encourage us to do the test. permit They do not permit smoking here. They do not permit us to smoke here.Hope this helpsMatt

Phrase of the Day 156: 'down the hatch'
2007-10-22 13:43:00
"Down the hatch!"definition: Drink or eat.example: "Enough talk, let's put some food down the hatch."origin: Here's a drinking expression that seems to have its origins in sea freight, where cargoes are lowered into the hatch for transport below deck. The freight appears to be consumed by the ship.
More About: The Hat

Phrase of the Day 155: 'egg on'
2007-10-18 00:23:00
"to egg on" definition: to encourage someone to continue doing something that is, perhaps, a little dubious.example: 'Little Johnny egged on his classmates to make faces at the teacher behind her back.'origin: "Egg" derives from the old English eggian which means "to spur" or "to incite".