Steer clear: meaning and usage

“Steer clear” is one of these expressions when it’s hard to get the meaning simply by guessing. I think I first encountered it in the Friends TV Series and didn’t get the meaning even out of the context. It was in the scene when Ross advises Rachel “not to look too terrific” at her meeting […]

Out of line: meaning and usage

The expression “out of line” can be used in its literal meaning when someone or something is not in line. For instance, one of those books on the shelf is out of line with the others. As an idiom “out of line” has two main meanings: inappropriate or different from what is expected. Merriam Webster […]

Scared VS Be Scared: What’s the Difference

1. When you are scared that means you are afraid of someone or something. The word ‘scared’ is an adjective. So you need the verb ‘be’ to use it as a verb. He is scared of spiders. You can also say ‘He’s afraid of spiders’. 2. When you scare someone that means you make someone […]

A Common Mistake English Students Make With Verbs+ED

As we know in the past tense regular verbs end with ED: work-worked dance-danced Although sometimes it’s not clear how to pronounce this suffix.   Many students tend to pronounce -ED as ‘eed’ or ‘eet’. So, ‘worked’ sounds like ‘workeet’.  In reality, it’s pronounced as ‘ɪd’ only after T or D.  ‘guided’ – /gaɪdɪd/ ‘knitted’ /nɪtɪd/   […]

“Bored” vs “Boring”: What’s the Difference

“Bored” and “boring” are both adjectives that describe something that is not interesting or exciting. But they are used differently.  ? If you watched a movie that wasn’t interesting, you can call it ‘boring’.  ? If you want to describe how you feel about it you can say that you ‘were bored’ or ‘got bored’ […]

‘Hurry’ vs ‘In a Hurry’ and Their Synonyms

If you mix ‘hurry’ and ‘in a hurry’ you’ll find this post helpful. 1. ‘Hurry’ as a verb ‘Hurry’ is a verb that means ‘to do things more quickly than normal’ or ‘make someone do this’. You hurry when you don’t want to be late. If someone hurries, they may forget something. In the past […]

“I agree” vs “I’m agree”: Which One Is Correct

Using “I’m agree” instead of “I agree” is a common mistake among my Elementary and Intermediate students. I decided to write this post to clarify the usage of the verb ‘agree’. 1. “I agree” I agree is the correct usage of the verb ‘agree’ in Present Simple Tense. Agree is a verb that means to […]

Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Press ESC to cancel.

Back To Top