Practical English Usage

Question 1

**on **and about

Answer 1

we use **about **to talk about ordunary, more general kinds of communication. (ex: a book for children about Africa and its people.)

**on **suggests that a book, lecture, talk etc. is serious or academic, suitable for specialists. (ex: a textbook on African history)

Question 2

not about to

Answer 2

unwilling to

(ex: I’m not about to pay 100 dollars for that dress)

Question 3

see above/over

Answer 3

in a book or a paper, **see above **means “look at something written before”;

**see over **means “look on the next page”.

Question 4

**agree **and accept

Answer 4

before an infinitive, we usually use agree, not accept.

(ex: I **agreed **to meet him here.

– more normal than I accepted…)

Question 5

the adverb over

Answer 5

the adverb over has a wider meaning than the preposition over.

You can not say “Let’s swim over the river to the church”, but you can say “Let’s swim over to the church”.

Question 6

**across **and through

Answer 6

the difference between *across *and through i like the difference between *on *and *in. *

through, unlike across, is used for a movement in a three-dimentional space, with things on all sides.

ex: – we walked **across **the ice. (we were on the ice)

– we walked **through **the wood. (we were **in **the wood)

Question 7

adjectives: order before nouns (COMP)

Answer 7

color, origin, material and purpose.

a red Spanish leather riding boot.

Question 8

adjectives: order before nouns

(judgements and attitudes)

Answer 8

adjectives which express judgements or attitudes usually come before all others.

ex: a lovelly, long, cool drink.
exemples: lovely, definite, pure, absolute, extreme, pectect, wonderful, silly …

Question 9

adjectives: position (as/how/so/too)

Answer 9

normally adjectives go after the article *a/an. *(a beautiful voice.)

but after **as, how, so, too **and **this/that **menaing so, adjectives go before a/an.

as/how/so/too/this/that + adjective + a/an + noun

I have **as good a voice as **you.

**How good a pianist **is he?

It was **so warm a day **that I could not work.

She is **too polite a pearson **to refuse.

I couldn’t affort that big a car.

Obs: the structure is not possible without a/an. – I like your country; it’s so beautiful. (NOT: I like your so beautiful country.)

Question 10

adverbs (ordem)

Answer 10

verb + adverb (She sang badly.)

adverb + adjective (It’s terribly cold today.)

adverb + past participle (This stake is very badly cooked.)

adverb + adverb (He was **madly **in love with her.)

Question 11

**after **not used alone

Answer 11

**After **is not normally used alone as an adverb.

Instead, we use other expressions like afterwards, **then **or after thar.

Ex: I’m going to do my homework, and **afterwards **I’m going to study medicine. (NOT: … and after, I’m going …)

Question 12

**age **(preposition)

Answer 12

**at **is common before age.

Ex: He could read **at **the age of three.

Question 13

**all **and everything

Answer 13

All **can mean everything, but usually only in the structure **all + relative clause ****(all that…)

**All that I have **is yours.

**Everything **is yours. (NOT: **All **is yours.)

Question 14

**all **and every

Answer 14

**Every **is used with a sungular noun. To give the same meaning, **all **is used with a plural noun.

**Every child **needs love. (NOT: All child needs love.)

**All children **need love.