My lesson "E"

We help each other a lot. Terry and Mark looked at each other angrily.

You use each other to show that each member of a group does something to or for the other members.

They read each other's essays.

You can use the possessive form each other's before a noun.

They smiled at one another.

In more formal English, some people use one another instead of each other. There is no difference between the two phrases.

Losing weight is not easy. This is much easier than it sounds.

If something is easy, it is not difficult. The comparative and superlative forms of easy are easier and easiest.

It is easy to use this software. The museum was easy to find.

You can say that it is easy to do something, or that something is easy to do.

Most students found jobs easily at the end of their course. The data can be processed more easily with this program.

The adverb form of easy is easily. The comparative and superlative forms of easily are more easily and most easily.

I can't play tennis and I can't play golf either.

When one negative statement follows another, you can put either at the end of the second one.

I was expecting you either today or tomorrow. Either she goes or I go.

You use either and or when you want to say that there are only two possibilities to choose from. You put either in front of the first possibility and or in front of the second one.

I switched on the electric fire.

You use electric in front of nouns to talk about particular machines that use electricity.

electrical appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines.

You use electrical when you are talking generally about machines or sustems that use electricity. For example, you talk about electrical equipment and electrical appliances.

He is an electrical engineer.

You also use electrical to talk about people or organizations that work with electricity.

If you don't like this, try something else. I saw Susan at the park. -Did you see anybody else?

You use else after words such as domeone, somewhere, or anything to talk about another person, place, or thing.

What else did you get for your birthday? Who else was there? Where else did you go last summer?

You can use else after words such as when, where and what. For example, if you ask "What else did you read?, you are asking what other things somebody read, besides the things that they already mentioned.

They immigrated to Israel.

If you immigrate to a country, you go to live in that country permanently.

The company employs several immigrants.

People who immigrate are called immigrants.

The government is changing immigration laws.

The act of immigrating is called immigration

His parents emigrated from Canada in 1954.

If you emigrate, you leave your own country and go to live permanently in another country.

People who emigrate are called emigrants. The act of emigrating is called emigration.

These words are less frequent than immigrant and immigration.

Many people migrated to Jakarta to look for work.

When people migrate, they move to another place for a short period of time in order to find work.

... migrants looking for a place to live. In South America there are three million migrant workers.

People who migrate are called migrants or migrant workers.

The meeting ended. He wanted to end their friendship.

When something ends, it stops. When you end something, you cause it to stop.

They ended up back at the house again. We missed our train, and we ended up taking a taxi.

In conversation, you use end up to say what happens to someone at the end of a series of events. You can say that someone ends up in a place, that they end up with something, or that they end up doing something. Don't use end up in formal writing.

I enjoyed the holiday.

If you enjoy something, you like it.

I've enjoyed myself very much.

If you have had a pleasant experience, you can say that you enjoyed yourself.

Enjoy yourself on Wednesday.

People often say Enjoy yourself to someone who is going to an occasion such as a party.

I enjoy going for long walks.

You can say that someone enjoys doing something.

There are enough bedrooms for the family. We don't have enough money.

You use enough in front of a noun to say that there is as much of something as you need. You can use enough in front of countable and uncountable nouns.

Is the soup hot enough for you? The student isn't trying hard enough.

You use enough after an adjective or adverb to say that something is acceptable.

She is old enough to work.

If you want to say that someone has as much of a quality as they need in order to do something, you add a to-infinitive after enough.

They aren't doing enough.

Enough can be used on its own as a pronoun.

He was an excellent pianist. Irene was equally brilliant.

You use equally in front of an adjective to say that a person or thing has as much of a quality as someone or something else.

He was just as shocked as I was.

Don't use equally in front of as when you are comparing things. Say "He is as tall as his brother".

kitchen equipment. tractors and other farm equipment.

Equipment consists of all the tools and machines you need for a particular activity.

Even Anthony enjoyed it. Rob still seemed happy, even after the bad news.

You use even to show that what you are saying is surprising. You put even in front of the surprising part of your statement.

You don't even like him very much. I couldn't even see the road.

You can put even in front of nouns, verbs and prepositions. Hwever, even goes after an auxiliary verb, not in front of it.

Our car is big, but theirs is even bigger.

You can use even in front of a comparative in order to make it stronger.

Even if you disagree with her, you should listen to her ideas.

You use even if to say that a particular fact does not change anything.

She wasn't embarrased, even though she had made a mistake.

Even though means although.

Eventually they got to the hospital. I found Victoria Avenue eventually.

When something happens after a lot od delays or problems, you can say that it eventually happens.

Perhaps he'll call later.

Don't use eventually when you mean that something might be true. Use possibly or perhaps.

When John finally arrived, he said he'd lost his way.

Don't confuse eventually with finally. You say that something finally happens after you have been waiting for it for a long time.

Combine the flour and the cheese, and finally, add the milk.

You can also use finally to introduce a final point, ask a final question, or mention a final item.

I don't think I'll ever trust people again. Have you ever played football? I'm happier than I've ever been.

Ever is used in negatives sentences, questions, and compairisons. It means at any time in the past or at any time in the future.

Have you had your lunch yet?

Don't use ever in questions to ask whether an expected event has happened.

I've always been happy here.

Don't use ever in positive sentences to say that there was never a time when something was not true.

She still lives in London.

Don't use ever to say that something is continuing to happen.

She spoke to every person at the party. I agree with every word Peter says.

You use every in front of a singular noun to show that you are talking about all the members of a group.

They met every week. There is a staff meeting every Monday.

You also use every with expressions of time such as day and afternoon, in order to show how often something happens.

Every child needs love. All children like to play.

You can often use every or all with the same meaning. For example, "Every room has a view of the sea" means the same as "All rooms have a view of the sea".

He goes running every day. I was busy all day.

Every and all do not have the same meaning when they are used with expressions of time. For example, if you do something every morning, you do it regularly each morning. If you do something all morning, you spend the whole of one morning doing it.

The everyday problems of living in the city. Computers are a central part of everyday life.

An evryday event is ordinary and not unusual. Everyday life means ordinary events that happen to people in general.

Shanti asked the same question every day.

Every day has a different meaning. If something happens every day, it happens regularly each day.

We searched evrywhere.

If you say that something happens everywhere, you mean that it happens in all parts of a place.

Every place we go, people ask us the same questions.

In informal American English, every place is often used instead of everywhere.

I was told the exam was difficult. All candidates have to take an English language test.

An exam or a test is a series of questions that you answer to show how much you know about a subject. Exam is a less formal but very common word for examination.

Exam and test are very similar.

For important, formal situations it is more common to use exam. For more informal situations, for instance in a school class, it is more common to use test.

She hasn't taken her driving test yet.

A test is also a series of actions that you do to show how well you are able to do something.

Many children want to take these exams. Students must sit an entrance exam. We did another test.

You say that people take, sit or do an exam or a test.

Larry passed his university exams when he was sixteen. I passed my driving test in Holland.

If someone is successful in an exam or a test, you say that they pass it.

He failed the written paper. I think I've failed the test.

If someone is unsuccessful in an exam or a test, you say that they fail it.

This building is a fine example of traditional architecture.

An example is something that shows what other things in a group are like. You say that one thing is an example of another thing.

Could you give me an example? Let me give you an example of the sort of thing that happens.

When someone mentions an example, you say that they are giving an example.

Japan, for example, has two languages.

When you mention an example of something, you often say for example.

All the boys except Peter started to laugh. There's nobody that I really trust, except him.

You use except to show that you are not including a particular thing, person, or group in your statement. You usually use except in front of a noun or a pronoun.

The room was empty, except for a television.

You can use except for in the same way.

I'm much better now, except that I still have a headache. I don't know anything about Judith except what her mother told me.

You can use except in front of a clause beginning with when, while, where, what, or that.

What languages do you know besides Arabic and English?

Don't confuse except with besides or unless. Besides means "in addition to".

I won't speak to you unless you apologize.

You use unless to say what will happen if another thing does not happen.

He was so excited he couldn't sleep. Hundreds of excited children were waiting for us.

If someone is very happy about an enjoyable or special event that is going to take place, you say that they are excited.

I'm very excited about playing football again.

You say that someone is excited about something, or excited about doing something.

The film is exciting, and also very scary. It isn't a very exciting idea.

Don't confuse excited with exciting. An exciting book or film is full of action, and an exciting idea or situation makes you feel very enthusiastic.

Excuse

Excuse can be a noun or a verb. When it is a verb, it is pronounced to excuse. When it is a noun, it is pronounced an excuse.

They are trying to find excuses for their failure.

An excuse is a reason that you give in order to explain why you did something or did not do something.

I made an excuse and left the meeting early.

You say that someone makes an excuse.

Please excuse my bad handwriting.

If you excuse someone for doing something wrong, you are not angry with them.

Excuse me, but are you Mr Hess?

You can use "Excuse me" asa away of politely apologizing. For example, you can say Excuse me when you are interrupting someone, when you want to get their attention, or when you want to get past them.

She apologized for being so mean to Rudolph.

You use apologize to talk about the act of saying sorry, if you want to tell someone that you are unhappy or ashamed about something you have done that has hurt them, you say "I'm sorry" or I apologize.

It is clear that a serious problem exists. They walked through my bedroom as if I didn't exist.

If something exists, it is actually present in the world.

How can we exist out here?

You also use exist to say that someone manages to live with very little food or money.

People were existing on a hundred grams of bread a day.

When exist has this meaning, it can be used in the progressive.

He expects to lose his job. We expect that they will win.

If you expect that something will happen, or if you expect something to happen, you believe that it will happen.

I expect they've gone.

If you expect that something is true, you believe that it is probably true.

Will Joe be here at Christmas? - I expect so.

If someone asks if something is true, you can say I expect so.

They were expecting Wendy and the children. We are expecting rain.

If you are expecting someone, you believe that they will arrive soon. If you are expecting something, you believe that it will happen soon.

He sat on the bench and waited for Jill.

Don't confuse expect with wait for. If you are waiting for someone or something, you are staying in the same place and not doing things until they arrive.

This is very expensive equipment. This magazine was more expensive than the others.

If something is expensive, it costs a lot of money.

The price is much too high. Consumers are paying higher prices for these products.

Don't say that the price of something is expensive. Say that it is high.

Do you have any teaching experience?

If you have experience of something, you have seen it, done it, or felt it.

Moving house can be a difficult experience.

An experience is something important that happens to you.

I had a strange experience last night.

You say that someone has an experience.

Laboratory experimemts show that Vitamin D may slow cancer growth.

Don't use experience to talk about a scientific test that someone does in order to discover or prove something. The word you use is experiment.

We decided to conduct an experiment.

You usually say that someone conducts an experiment.

He explained the law in simple language.

If you explain something, you give details about it so that people can understand it.

We explained everything to the police. Let me explain to you about Jackie.

You say that you explain something to someone.

I explained that I was trying to write a book.

You use explain followed by that to say that someone tells someone else the reason for something.

A bomb exploded in the capital yesterday.

When a bomb explodes, it burst loudly and with great force, often causing a lot of damage.

He exploded the bomb in his bag.

You can say that someone explodes a bomb.

He wanted to blow the place up.

If someone destroys a building with a bomb, you say that they blow it up.