As a quantifier, ‘too much’ means ‘an excess of’ needing a noun group; it simply denotes overfull, and will only quantify volumes (i.e. too much coffee, too much rain) whereas ‘much too’ is a secondary modifier, of an adjective or adverb and it means strong by a large margin;...
When we talk about comparisons, we normally use the expressions ‘the same…as’ and ‘the same…that’. Both expressions mean almost the same – very alike in appearance, behaviour, traits, characteristics, etc., as someone or something else. If something is happening the same as something else, the two things are happening...
We use still and Yet as adverbs to talk about things that have (or haven’t) happened over time. Though their meanings and uses are obvious, there are many situations in which they are used interchangeably to convey a similar idea: She says she doesn't like her boss, still/ yet she won't stop working for...
Be supposed to meaning ‘to be expected to’ or ‘to be required to’ is a common phrase that functions the same way as a modal verb does. The modal verbs also known as auxiliary or helping verbs express ability, possibility, permission, or obligation: ‘I have to be home before midnight or my father will be mad...
We use ‘could’, ‘was/were able to’ and ‘manage to’ (the past form) to talk about ability in the past: ‘she could finish the exam faster than anyone else’; ‘he wasn't able to answer the police officer’s queries’; ‘he managed to finish the work on time’, etc. We use was/were able to (= had the ability to) and managed to (= succeeded in doing something difficult) when we talk about achieving something...
The word able means ‘having the ability to perform a given task.’ Usually, we use the adjective ‘able’ with infinitive ‘to’ to mean having the power, skill, means, or opportunity to do something: ‘he’s an able mechanic’; ‘she was able to swim at the age of six’; ‘he would...
Sure means to be confident that you know something or that something is true or correct. Sure is an adjective and it modifies nouns or pronouns. Surely means to express a degree of certainty. Surely is an adverb and it modifies verbs, adjectives, or adverbs: It is a sure thing, it is surely...
Many people wrongly believe that till is an abbreviation of until and say it should not be used. Traditionally, till is the older and original form, coming from Old Norse til into northern Old English. The form until is a later compound of Old Norse und (meaning as far...
The expressions such as consist (of), comprise (be comprised of), composed of, constitute, make up (be made up of), include, etc. describe the relationship of parts to the whole, or whole to parts. We sometimes use them interchangeably but not in all cases. Let’s look at the usages of...
Ending a sentence with a preposition has long been frowned upon by traditional readers and is still considered grammatically incorrect. However, it’s not technically an error. It’s perfectly OK to end a sentence with a preposition such as with, for, of, and to in the English language. ‘Where did...
