still, yet, already

A. Still

An hour ago it was raining.
The rain hasn't stopped
It is still raining now.

still = something is the same as before:

• I had a lot to eat but I'm still hungry. (= I was hungry before and I'm hungry now)


• 'Did you sell your car?'   'No, I've still got it.'


• 'Do you still live in Barcelona?'   'No, I live in Madrid now'

B yet

Twenty minutes ago they were waiting for Bill.
They are still waiting for Bill.
Bill hasn't come yet.

yet = until now:

We use yet in negative sentences (He hasn't come yet.) and in questions (Has he come yet?).
Yet is usually at the end of a sentence:

• A: Where's Diane?
  B: She isn't here yet. (= she will be here but until now she hasn't come)

• A: What are you doing this evening?
  B: I don't know yet. (= I will know later but I don't know at the moment)

• A: Are you ready to go yet?
  B: Not yet. Wait a moment. (= I will be ready but I'm not ready at the moment)

• A: Have you finished with the newspaper yet?
  B: No, I'm still reading it.

Compare yet and still:

• She hasn't gone yet. = She's still here, (not 'She is yet here')


• I haven't finished eating yet. = I'm still eating.

C already = earlier than expected:

• 'What time is John arriving?'    'He's already here.' (= earlier than we expected)


• 'I'm going to tell you what happened.'   'That's not necessary. 1 already know'


• Ann doesn't want to go to the cinema. She has already seen the film.

Talking: Say, Tell, Ask, Speak, Talk, Answer, Reply

Say (say/said/said)

We use say when we report someone's words.

• She said 'This is horrible!'


• He said that he wanted a drink.

We use say when we ask about language.

• a: How do you say 'book' in Spanish? b: 'Libro'.

We say hello / goodbye   please / thank you /Happy Birthday / Merry Christmas / Happy New Year / Congratulations

Tell (tell/told/told)

Tell is usually followed immediately by a person. Say is not followed immediately by a person.

• He told me his name. [not He said me his name.]

We use tell when we want to know how to get to a place.

• Can you tell me where the bus station is, please? [not Can you say me ...?]

We use tell with other wh- words too (when, how, why, where), e.g. you can tell someone how to do something, where something is, why something happened.

• He told me how to send a fax.


• Tell me when you want to have dinner.


• You can tell someone the time / a story / a joke / your name / address / telephone number.

Ask

Ask is used for questions.

• My sister asked me where I was going, (or My sister asked (me) 'Where are you going?')

• a: Can I ask you a question? b: Yes.


• a: What day of the week were you born? b: Thursday.

You can ask someone the way / the time / a question.

Ask somebody to do something and ask someone for something.

• I asked him to turn off his radio, (or I said 'Please turn off your radio.'


• She asked for the bill, (or She said 'Can I have the bill please?')

Speak/talk/answer/reply

Do you speak Japanese?   [not Do you -talk Japanese?]

I like talking to you. (having a conversation with you)

Can you answer the telephone / the door, please?
(pick up the phone / open the door to see who it is)

I wrote a letter to him but he did not reply.
(for letters/faxes/e-mails) (he did not send me a letter

should and would

There are really three different verbs

1. Should

This verb (I should/ you should/ he should etc) is used to talk about obligation, and in some other ways.

2. Would

This verb (I would/ you would/ he would etc) can be used to talk about past habits, and to make polite request

3. Should/ Would

This verb - the conditional auxiliary - has the following forms:

I should/ would
you would
he/she/it would
we should/would
they would

somebody-anybody, something-anything

The difference between somebody and anybody, someone and anything,

small and little

Small is used just to talk about size. It is opposite of large

• Could I have a small brandy, please.


• You're too small to be a policeman.

The adjective little is used to talk about
size + emotion

If we call something little, we usually have some sort of feeling about it-
we like it, or we dislike it, or it makes us laugh, or we think it is sweet.

• Poor little thing- come here and let me look after you.


• What's he like? Oh, he's a funny little man.


• What's that nasty little boy doing in our garden?


• They've bought a pretty little house in the country.

Little is not usually used after a verb.

road and street

1. A street is a road with houses on either side.
We use street for roads in towns, but not for country roads.

• Cars can park on both sides of our street.

Road is used for both town and country.

• Cars can park on both sides of our road.


• There's a narrow winding road from our village to the next one.
  (not... a narrow winding street...)

2. Note that, in street names, we stress the word Road, but the word before Street.

• Marylebone ' Road


• 'Oxford Street.

look (at), watch and see

1. See is the ordinary word to say something 'comes to our eyes'

• Suddenly I saw something strange. Can you see me?


• Did you see the article about the strike in today's paper?

See in not used in progressive tenses with this meaning.
When we want to say that we see something at the moment of speaking, we often use can see.

• I can see an plane. (NOT I am seeing....)

2. We use look (at) to talk about concentrating, paying attention, trying to see as well as possible.

Compare

• I looked at the photo, but I didn't see anybody I knew.


• Do you see the man in the raincoat? Yes .
  Look again. Good heaves! It's Moriaty!

We use look when there is no object, and look at before an object.

Compare

• Look! (NOT look at)


• Look at me! (NOT look me)

for, since, from , ago and before

1. For, since and from 'point forwards' in time
Ago and before 'point backwards' in time.

2. We use for to say how long something lasts

for + period of time

• I once studied the guitar for three years


• That house has been empty for six weeks


• We go away for three weeks every summer.


• My boss will be in Italy for the next ten days.

When we talk about a period of time up to the present, we use for with the present perfect tense (have+ past participle)

• I've known her for a long time (NOT I know her...)

A present progressive with for often refers to the future.

• How long are you staying for? (=Until when)

We can leave out for with How long....?

• How long are you staying?


• How long have you been waiting?

3. From and since give the starting point of an action or state: they say when something begins or began.

from/ since + starting point

• I'll be here from three o'clock onwards.


• I word  from nine to five.


• From now on. I'm going to go running every day.


• From his earliest childhood he loved music


• I've been waiting since ten o'clock.


• I've known her since January.

Since gives the starting point of actions and states that continue up to the present; from gives the starting point of other actions and states

4. For and since can both be used with the present perfect (have + past participle). They are not the same

for+ period

• I've known her for three days.


• I've been here for a month.


• I've had my car for ages.

since + starting point

• I've known her since Tuesday.


• I've been here since July.


• I've had my car since 1980

begin - start

1. There is not usually any difference between begin and start

• I started/began teaching when I was twenty- two


• If John doesn't come soon,, let's start/began without him

We prefer start when we talk about an activity that happens regularly, with "stops and starts"

• It's starting to rain.


• What time do you start teaching tomorrow morning.

We prefer begin when we talk about long, slow activities, and when we are using a more formal styles

• Very slowly, I began to realize that there was something wrong


• We will begin the meeting with a message from the President

2. Start (not begin) is used to mean:

a. Start a jorney

• I think we ought to start at six, while the roads are empty

b. start working (for machines)

• The car won't start

c. make (machines) start

• How do you start the washing machine?

List S

sceptic or septic?	A SCEPTIC is one who is inclined to doubt or question accepted truths. SEPTIC is an adjective meaning ‘infected by bacteria’ (a SEPTIC wound). It also describes the drainage system in country areas which uses bacteria to aid decomposition (SEPTIC drainage, a SEPTIC tank).
seasonable or seasonal?	SEASONABLE = normal for the time of year (SEASONABLE weather) SEASONAL = happening at a particular season (SEASONAL employment)
shall or will?	The simple future tense uses ‘shall’ with I and we and ‘will’ with the other pronouns: I shall drive you (singular) will drive he/she/it will drive we shall drive you (plural) will drive they will drive By reversing ‘shall’ and ‘will’ you introduce a note of determination. Iwilldrive you shall drive he/she/it shall drive we will drive you shall drive they shall drive This distinction is lost in the contraction: I’ll drive. However, in speech, the tone of voice will indicate which is intended.
shining or shinning?	shine + ing = shining shin + ing = shinning
should or would?	‘Should’ and ‘would’ follow the pattern of ‘shall’ and ‘will’. Ishouldwork(ifIhadthechoice) you (singular) would work he/she/it would work we should work you (plural) would work they would work The correct construction often needed in aformalletteris: I SHOULD be grateful if you WOULD send me . . . In the sense of ‘ought to’, use ‘should’ in all cases: IknowI SHOULD apologise. You SHOULD write to your parents. She SHOULD understand if you explain. He SHOULD understand. We SHOULD repair the shed. You all SHOULD work harder. They SHOULD resign.
silicon or silicone?	SILICON = element used in electronics industry (SILICON chip) SILICONE = compound containing silicon and used in lubricants and polishes and in cosmetic surgery (SILICONE implants)
singeing or singing?	singe + ing = singeing sing + ing = singing
siting or sitting?	site + ing = siting sit + ing = sitting
sniping or snipping?	snipe + ing = sniping snip + ing = snipping
social or sociable?	SOCIAL = related to society. a SOCIAL worker,a SOCIAL problem, SOCIAL policy, SOCIAL housing SOCIABLE = friendly avery SOCIABLE person These two words are quite distinct in meaning even though they may be used with the same noun: a SOCIAL evening = an evening organised for the purpose of recreation a SOCIABLE evening = a friendly evening where everyone mixed well With any luck the social evening was also a sociable one!
some times or sometimes?	Use the exemplar sentences as a guide: There are SOME TIMES when I want to leave college. (= some occasions) SOMETIMES Iwanttoleavecollege. (=occasionally)
stationary or stationery?	STATIONARY = standing still (a STATIONARY car) STATIONERY = notepaper and envelopes
stimulant or stimulus?	Both words are related to ‘stimulate’ but there is a difference in meaning: A STIMULANT is a temporary energiser ike drink or drugs. A STIMULUS is something that motivates like competition).
strategem or strategy?	STRATEGEM = a plot, scheme, sometimes a trick, which will outwit an opponent or overcome a difficulty STRATEGY = the overall plan for conducting a war or achieving a major objective
strategy or tactics?	STRATEGY =theoverallplanorpolicy for achieving an objective TACTICS = the procedures necessary to carry out the strategic policy
swinging or swingeing?	swing + ing = swinging swinge + ing = swingeing