Possessive nouns
The possessive (or “genitive”) case of regular singular nouns is formed by adding –‘s (an apostrophe followed by an s). Examples: Jim’s (as in Jim’s foot) Mum’s (as in Mum’s car) horse’s (as in...
Category: Parts of speech
What does “cheesed off” mean?
“Cheesed off” is an idiom and phrasal verb. If I say that I’m cheesed off, I mean that I’m annoyed, disappointed or bored – or maybe all three! Some examples: I’m cheesed off with...
Order of adjectives
When there are two or more adjectives in front of a noun they are placed in a particular order. Most native English speakers wouldn’t be able to tell you this order but they would...
“To care for” or “to care about”?
“To care for” and “to care about” are both prepositional verbs. The meanings are similar but slightly different. If I say I care for someone, I might mean that: I have feelings towards them....
Buck your ideas up!
When you tell someone to buck their ideas up, you’re telling them to do something better, to try harder, to be more energetic, or to hurry. “To buck your ideas up” is a phrasal...
Parts of Speech
In English, words are classified according to nine types. These types are called “parts of speech”. The nine parts of speech are: Nouns naming words Examples: Ivan; bird; London; president, car, computer, wind Verbs...
Comparative and superlative adjectives
Comparative and superlative adjectives. The comparative form of an adjective is used to compare two items, The superlative form is used to compare three or more items. There are three degrees of comparatives and...
Conditionals
Conditionals are concerned with what happens when something else happens. They usually have two clauses: a main clause and a subordinate ‘if’ clause. There are four main types of conditionals. They are known as:...
Phrasal verbs
A phrasal verb consists of a verb and a preposition and/or adverb. They are used together to create a new meaning which is often very different from that of the original verb. Some phrasal...
To have a run-in
“To have a run-in” (with someone or something) is to have a disagreement, row, confrontation or argument with them. Examples: She had a run-in with her neighbour about the noise from her television. I’m...