Tell on = The phrase ‘tell on’ in the context of the statement means ‘to have an effect that can be clearly seen, especially a bad effect’; to begin to show a negative effect that something is having on one:
She's lately been under a lot of stress and it...
Whose = Whose is the possessive form of both who and which. We use whose to refer to “animate antecedent.” “Animate” conveys living people and animals (but not plants):
Hot Dog whose dislike of Reggie Mantle is no secret to anyone is now coming to terms with him. √
Here “Hot Dog”...
Wonder about = If we wonder about something, we intend to do it in the future, either because we are interested in it and we want to know more about it, or because we are worried or suspicious about it:
I wonder about her attitude. She didn't even raise a...
In formal English we use a clause with there being to introduce a reason for something. There being basically denotes something like ‘because there is’:
There being no evidence against him, Frank is unlikely to be convicted. (= Because there is no evidence against him...)
There being no compelling documentary evidence...
I’m good = According to Cambridge Dictionary, ‘good’ means ‘healthy or well’: She didn't go to the concert because she wasn't feeling too good. "How's your father?" "He's good, thanks." So, ‘I'm good’ is an informal way to give a general reply when someone greets you: "How are you?"...
The adverbials hardly, scarcely, barely and no sooner are often used to emphasise that one event quickly followed another. If hardly, scarcely, barely and no sooner are in the initial position, the subject and auxiliary are inverted. We usually use the past perfect tense for the verb describing the...
Have to and have got to mean almost the same and imply ‘to be obliged or find it necessary to do the specified thing.’ Have got to is more common in informal situations. Have (got) to comes before the main verb and it is often contracted in speaking:
I have...
Generally we use both ‘it is I’ and ‘it’s me’ to introduce ourselves. The only difference is that ‘it’s me’ is more common and casual whereas ‘it is I’ is just formal, and will sound outdated. We are hearing ‘it’s me’ more often in our day-to-day conversations. Some people...
When two subjects are contrasted in a sentence, the verb agrees with the affirmative subject:
He, not I, am responsible for this terrible mess. ✗
He, not I, is responsible for this terrible mess. √
She, not you, always complain about the stench coming from the drains. ✗
She, not you, always complains...
Begin and start both refer to the beginning of an action which is going to be performed. Begin is an irregular verb (Present begin, Past began & Participle begun) whereas start is regular and has its past and participle started.
Most etymologists and grammar books suggest that begin and start...
