Proverbs and Sayings - Familiarity Breeds Contempt

Meaning : We tend to lose respect for, appreciation of, or interest in someone we have known for a long time

Amy: I fail to understand why some couples are constantly fighting. Aren’t relationships all about compromise?

Ben: Well, it’s like the saying goes, familiarity breeds contempt. This is why some couples opt (= choose) to spend some time apart from each other every now and then.

Homonyms - Match

·         The roads are fairly empty tonight as many people are holed up at home or at the bar watching the football match.

·         I’m so glad the new bedsheet matches the curtains and furniture in the room.

·         John was no match for Peter (=John was less powerful or effective compared to Peter). It’s no wonder Peter won the game in straight sets.

·         She took out a box of matches and lit the birthday candles.

Grammar - Possessive Adjectives and Possessive Pronouns

Compiled from Grammar Builder Book 3

The rules are:

1. A possessive adjective always goes together with a noun. A possessive pronoun replaces a possessive adjective and its noun.
• That is my car. That car is mine.
• Those are my books.
• These books are ours and those are theirs.

Compiled from Grammar Builder Book 3

2. One can’t be used after a possessive adjective.
• This bag is her one.            (WRONG)
• This bag is hers.                 (RIGHT)         

3. A possessive pronoun is used so that we don’t want to repeat a noun.
• Her shoes are like your shoes.     (WRONG)
• Her shoes are like yours.             (RIGHT)

4. Do not use an apostrophe (‘) with a possessive adjective or a possessive pronoun.
• This is her’s dog.                         (WRONG)
• This is her dog.                           (RIGHT)
• This dog is her’s.                         (WRONG)
• This dog is hers.                          (RIGHT)

Compiled from Grammar Builder Book 3

Homonyms - Incense (As a Verb and Noun)

1.  a substance that is burnt, especially as part of a religious ceremony

·         We could smell the incense burning as we entered the temple.

2.  very angry

·         Linda was incensed when she found out that she had overpaid for the taxi ride to the airport.

Proverbs and Sayings - Every Dog Has His/Its Day

Meaning - Everyone will have their time of success, wealth, happiness etc.

• Starting your own business is never easy. The stakes (= risks) are high and the hours are long. However, I honestly believe that if you persevere, you’ll eventually succeed. After all, every dog has its day.

Grammar - Redundancy

Compiled from Grammar Builder Book 4

The rules are:

1. A word or phrase is redundant (unnecessary) and should be removed from a sentence when its meaning is part of another word or phrase in the sentence.

• We dashed out of the burning building. (NOT dashed quickly….)
• The little boy screamed in pain. (NOT screamed loudly)

2. When there are two words or phrases of similar meaning in a sentence, one of them can be removed as it is redundant.
• Without saying a word, he silently slipped out of the house.                                                                  (WRONG)
• Without saying a word, he slipped out of the house. (CORRECT)   

·         He silently slipped out of the house.                      (CORRECT)

Compiled from Grammar Builder Book 4

Phrasal Verbs - Carry (Carried Away V Carry Off V Carry On V Carry Out)

Carried away – to lose control of one’s emotions, eg. due to excitement or over-enthusiasm  

• Diana got carried away at the basketball match and screamed when her team lost the match.
• There was too much food at the party last night. James obviously got carried away while shopping.

Carry off - to succeed in doing something difficult

• Although Rachael was nervous about speaking in front of hundreds of people for the first time, I thought she carried it off very well.

Carry on

1.              continue doing something

• Don’t worry about me. Just carry on with what you’re doing.

2.  to complain or fuss noisily about something

·         The teachers are carrying on about having to work extra hours without overtime pay again.

3.    to behave in a foolish or disruptive manner

• It was dreadful to see Alan carry on like that. He could have been so successful had he not succumbed to alcohol.

Carry out

1.              to do or complete something

• Nathan is carrying out a research on the sudden rise in obesity amongst Asians.
• The doctors are carrying out tests to find out what’s wrong with her.
• It is hoped that the union will not carry out their threat to go on strike for the next three days.

2.              to follow (instructions)

• Please don’t be upset. I’m merely carrying out my orders/instructions.

Synonyms - Conceal

Conceal – bury, camouflage, cloak, cover, disguise, hide, mask, obscure, screen, veil

·        He was charged for concealing (=hiding) evidence of the crime from police.

·        I tried to conceal (= mask/hide/disguise) my surprise when James told me his age.

·        The tiger likes to conceal (= camouflage) itself among tall grasses while lying in wait for its prey.

Grammar - Adjectives of Comparison

Compiled from Grammar Builder Book 3

The rules are:

1. Comparative adjectives are used to compare two nouns. Superlative adjectives are used to compare more than two nouns.
• John’s shoes are bigger than Paul’s. (comparative)
• Sam’s shoes are the biggest of the three. (superlative)
• Mrs Lim is more cheerful than her husband. (comparative)
• Their daughter is the most cheerful person in the family. (superlative)

2. a. For one-syllable adjectives and certain two-syllable adjectives, ‘er’ and ‘est’ endings are used for their comparative and superlative forms.
• This house is bigger than the one we saw yesterday.
• The house we saw down the street is the biggest one among the three.
• Sally is cleverer than me.
• Your friend, Matt is the cleverest among us.

b.      For certain two-syllable adjectives, adjectives of three or more syllables, and adjectives ending in ‘ful’, more and most are used for their comparative and superlative forms.

·         Peter is more nervous than me about our final exams.

·         Kelly is the most nervous among us about our final exams.

Compiled from Grammar Builder Book 3

   3.     To show that two people or things are equal in comparison, use as....as with the adjective in between. Not can be used before as….as instead of comparative adjectives to show the two people or things are unequal in comparison.

·         Zack is as tall as Jack. (=They are the same height)

·         James is not as tall as Zack. (=Zack is taller than James)

4. Comparative adjectives are also used to compare changes in the subject of the sentence through time.

·         Your younger brother (subject) is more talkative now than before.

·         He (subject) is more famous now than five years ago.

Homophones- Hoard V Horde

Hoard - to collect large amounts of something and keep it in a safe place

• When rumours of food shortage started circulating on the internet, people started hoarding food in case supplies ran out.

Horde – used for large groups of people

• People arrived in hordes for Body Shop’s annual sales this morning.
• A horde of tourists arrived in a coach yesterday and bought most of our discounted products.

Homonyms - Counter (As a Noun and a Verb)

1.    a type of table in a shop, bank, restaurant etc at which people are served.

·         There was nobody behind the counter (noun) when I walked into the convenience store. I waited nearly five minutes to be served.

2.    a flat surface in the kitchen used to prepare food.

·         We stacked all the dirty plates and bowls on the kitchen counter (noun) before Kelly put them into the dish washer.

3.    fight

·         The government tried in vain to counter (verb) the false claims of an impending water shortage.

Phrasal Verbs - Bottle

Bottle up (feelings and emotions) – to keep feelings and emotions to oneself and not express them openly.

• It is very unhealthy to keep your feelings and emotions bottled up inside. People who suffer in silence often don’t realize the benefits of confiding in family and friends.

Homophones - Grease V Greece

Grease (noun) – an oily or fatty substance

• The plates were covered with grease.
• Apply some grease on the hinges and the door will stop creaking.  

To grease sth (verb) – to put grease on it

• Grease the hinges and the door will stop creaking.

Greece – a country in Europe

• Greece’s economy has been in trouble for the past few years, but it’s slowly getting better.

Grammar - Articles With Countable and Uncountable Nouns

Compiled from Grammar Builder Book 3

The rules are:

1. A / an + countable nouns
• Frank doesn’t take sugar in his coffee.
• My uncle buys silver as a form of investment.

Compiled from Grammar Builder Book 3

2. Below are examples of how A / an are used in sentences with uncountable nouns:

1. a / an + countable noun + of + uncountable noun
• We found a bag of old clothes in the garage.
2. a / an + uncountable noun used as an adjective + countable noun
• We always advise our customers to use a plastic spoon with honey.

3. The is only used with uncountable nouns when the listener or reader already knows what we are referring to. The is not used with the uncountable nouns when we are talking in general.

·         Money can buy almost anything. (general statement)

·         The money in my pouch is missing.

·         Traffic is much heavier during the morning rush hour. (general statement)

·         The traffic along Melbourne Road is very heavy today.