Abase A word a day Abase (verb) Present: abase / abases Past simple: abased Past participle: abased Gerund or ing form: abasing To abase yourself is to behave in a way that degrades or humiliates you. He doesn t mind abasing himself before his superior officers. The exasperated mother asked her son to change his surname, then go and abase himself. She was a self-respecting woman. Still she often showed an inclination to abase herself. He was not a good boss. He always made his employees abase themselves before him. Synonyms: humiliate, belittle, demean, lower, humble, degrade, disparage, debase, cheapen, reduce Idioms with similar meanings: lick someone s boots, suck up to someone He was never popular with his staff because he wanted them to lick his boots. (= He wanted them to act with extreme servility.) She wanted to get a raise so she sucked up to her boss. Present continuous tense exercise beginner level Beginner level English students often find it difficult to use the correct form of be (is, am, are) when writing sentences in the present continuous tense. This exercise is for them. Exercise: Present continuous tense Please wait while the activity loads. If this activity does not load, try refreshing your browser. Also, this page requires javascript. Please visit using a browser with javascript enabled. If loading fails, click here to try again Complete the following sentences using appropriate present continuous tense forms. Start Congratulations - you have completed Exercise: Present continuous tense. You scored %%SCORE%% out of %%TOTAL%%. Your performance has been rated as %%RATING%% Your answers are highlighted below.
Idiomatic expressions with heels Here is a list of idiomatic expressions using the word heels. At someone s heels When you are at someone s heels, you are just behind them. The mother pushed her way through the crowd, her kids at her heels. Bring / call someone to heel To bring or call someone to heel is to make them do what you want them to do. She is a demanding wife. She brings her husband to heel. (Hard / hot / close) on the heels of This expression is used to refer to something that happens immediately after something else. It can also be used to talk about someone who follows close behind. News reporters arrived hot on the heels of the police. (= News reporters arrived immediately after the police arrived.) She announced her resignation hard on the heels of the election of the new President. (= As soon as the new President was elected, she elected her resignation.) Take to your heels To take to your heels is to run away from someone. This expression is mainly used in a literary style. The thieves took to their heels as soon as they saw the police coming. To turn on your heel / spin on your heel To turn on your heel is to turn quickly. She turned on her heel and went back to the room. Under someone s heel When you are under someone s heel, you are under their complete control. He is under his wife s heel.
Cool your heels To cool your heels is to have to wait for somebody. I spent hours cooling my heels in the park but she didn t come. Idioms about cats Here is a list of idiomatic expressions using the word cat. Be the cat s whiskers When you are the cat s whiskers, you are better than anybody else. Ever since he asked her out on a date, she thinks she is the cat s whiskers. She thought she was the cat s whiskers in her lovely blue gown. Has the cat got your tongue? This expression is used when someone does not say anything when you expect them to. Has the cat got your tongue? Why didn t you say anything when he called you names? Cat got your tongue? You are unusually silent today. Let the cat out of the bag To let the cat out of the bag is to reveal a secret unintentionally. I didn t want anyone to know about our trip to Bangkok, but my girlfriend let the cat out of the bag by stupidly tweeting about it. Like the cat that got the cream When you look like the cat that got the cream, you look very pleased. You look like the cat that got the cream. What s the matter? When Susie came home yesterday she was grinning like the cat that got the cream, but she didn t say what the matter was. Look like something the cat dragged / brought in If somebody looks like something the cat dragged in, they look very untidy. You aren t going out like that you look like something the cat dragged in.
Not have a cat in hell s chance To have no chance at all He hasn t a cat in hell s chance of winning the election. She doesn t have a cat in hell s chance of getting that job. Set the cat among the pigeons To set the cat among the pigeons is to cause trouble. The minister s remarks about abortion and premarital sex set the cat among the pigeons. When the cat s away, the mice will play Used to suggest that people will do whatever they want when someone in authority is not there. I don t think we can leave the kids alone. When the cat is away Tenses in subordinate clauses Sometimes there is a difference between the time expressed in the main clause and the time expressed in the subordinate clause. This can cause a great deal of confusion for ESL students. Many of them may also have difficulty using infinitives and participles correctly. The rules given below will help students understand tense sequences better. Overview When the verb in the main clause is in the past or past perfect tense, the verb in the subordinate clause must be in the past or past perfect tense. There are a few exceptions to this rule, but we will discuss them later. Study the examples given below. She said that she would go. (NOT She said that she will go.) He asked if I was interested in the offer. (NOT He asked if I am interested in the offer.) The phone rang while I was having a bath. (NOT The phone rang while I am having a bath.) When the verb is not in the past tense When the verb in the main clause is in neither the past tense nor the past perfect tense, the verb in subordinate clause can be in any tense that expresses the meaning accurately.
The examples given below demonstrate the correct relationship of tenses between clauses. When the tense in the main clause is in the simple present tense When the main clause is in the simple present tense, the subordinate clause can be in any tense. 1. Use present tenses in the subordinate clause to talk about an action that occurs at the same time. Susie always arrives just when I start work. The telephone always rings when I am having a bath. 2. Use a past tense in the subordinate clause to refer to an earlier action. I know that I made a mistake. I know he was a dangerous criminal. I know exactly what you meant. They believe that she was a German spy. 3. Use a present perfect tense in the subordinate clause to talk about an action that occurred at an indefinite point of time in the past. I believe that I have made the right choice. She suspects that they have left the country. 4. Use a future tense in the subordinate clause, to refer to an action that is yet to take place in the future. The committee says that it will oppose the proposal. It is unlikely that he will win. When the verb in the main clause is in the simple past tense 1. Use a simple past in the subordinate clause to talk about another action completed in the past. He tidied the lounge while I cooked lunch. I didn t get the job because I lacked the required skills. The Greek believed that the sun went round the earth. 2. Use a past perfect tense in the subordinate clause to refer to an earlier action. She realized that she had made a mistake. She told me that she had received the parcel. 3. Use a present tense in the subordinate clause to state a general truth. A past tense is also possible. Magellan proved that the earth is / was round. The teacher said that honesty is / was the best policy. He proved that the earth goes / went round the sun.
When the verb in the main clause is in the present perfect tense 1. Use simple past verb forms in subordinate clauses instead of present perfect tenses. I have usually liked the people I worked with. Where have you been since I last saw you? I haven t seen her since she moved to New York. 2. The present perfect tense is also possible in a few cases. I have usually liked the people I have worked with. When the verb in the main clause is in the past perfect tense Use simple past in the subordinate clause. She had left before I arrived. The crowd had turned violent before the police arrived. When the verb in the main clause is in the future tense 1. Use present tenses in the subordinate clauses to refer to the future. I will write to you when I have time. (NOT I will write to you when I will have time.) We will stay here until the plane takes off. I won t be surprised if she doesn t recognize him Even as, even though, even if and even so The expressions even as, even so, even if and even though have very different meanings. Even as Even as means at the same time as. This expression is used to suggest that something is happening exactly when somebody is doing or saying something else. Even as the old man lay dying, his children and grandchildren argued over his property. Even as the ministers were negotiating a ceasefire agreement, troops kept themselves busy killing innocent civilians across the border. Here the two activities occur at the same time.
Even if Even if is used to suggest that one situation will remain the same although something else may change. Even if I become a billionaire, I will always remain a socialist. (My financial situation may change, but I my ideologies won t.) Even if she invites me, I will not go. I will go even if he forbids me. I will not permit this even if they kill me. As you can see, even if refers to the future. Here we are talking about situations that may happen in the future. Even though Even though is similar to though and although. It just happens to be more emphatic. Even though I had a headache, I enjoyed the film. (= Though / although I had a headache, I enjoyed the film.) Even though I didn t understand a word, I kept smiling. Even though can refer to the past. It can also refer to the present. Even though she works hard, she does not earn enough money to support her family. Even so Even so means however. It is used to introduce a statement that might surprise the reader. She is quite beautiful. Even so, I don t like her. She comes across as an arrogant woman. Even so, you can t help liking her. Crashes are rare, but, even so, passengers should wear seat belts. So that, in order that, in order to, so as to Both so that and in order that are used to talk about purpose. So that is much more common and less formal than in order that. Note that we use auxiliary verbs (can, may, will etc.) in the clause following so that / in order that. I am leaving early so that I can catch the morning flight. I am putting the meat in the oven, so that it will be ready by the time they return.
Past structures In sentences about the past, we use could or would. In British English, should is sometimes used instead of would. She spent an extra week in the city so that she could visit all interesting places. Doctors removed the tumor in order that cancer wouldn t spread to other parts. I called her so that we could talk. His birthday was on Friday but we held the party on Sunday in order that everybody would be free to attend. Sometimes we use present tenses after so that / in order that to refer to the future. Tell her everything so that she knows the truth. OR Tell her everything so that she will know the truth. Send the money now itself so that she receives / will receive it by evening. The same ideas can be expressed using in order to. The doctors removed the tumor in order to prevent cancer from spreading to other parts. I called her in order to talk. (Very formal) She spent an extra week in the city in order to visit all interesting places. Instead of so that, we can use so as to. Compare: We are starting early so that we don t miss the flight. OR We are starting early so as not to miss the flight. I had an afternoon nap so that I wouldn t fall asleep during the meeting. I had an afternoon nap in order not to fall asleep during the meeting. We wear warm clothes during winter so that / in order that we don t get cold. We wear warm clothes during winter in order not to get cold. We wear warm clothes during winter so as not to get cold. In an informal style, that is often omitted from so that. I called her so that we could have a chat. OR I called her so we could have a chat. Adjectives ending in -ly A large number of adverbs have ly endings. Common examples are: kindly, cleverly, eagerly,
pleasantly, unexpectedly, remarkably etc. Most of these adverbs are formed from adjectives. kind -> kindly pleasant -> pleasantly eager -> eagerly nice -> nicely perfect -> perfectly However, there are some exceptions. A few words ending in ly are adjectives. At least a handful of words ending in ly are nouns. Family is a well-known example. It is a collective noun. My family live in different parts of India. Note that we use a plural verb here because we are talking about the different members of the family. We would use a singular verb if we were referring to family as a single unit. Note that in American English, collective nouns are almost always treated as singular nouns. My family lives in different parts of India. (US) Family can also be used as an adjective. Example: a family vacation The word elderly can be an adjective or a collective noun. An elderly woman took me to the manager s cabin. The phrase the elderly refers to all elderly people. In this case it acts as a collective noun. We need to take care of the elderly. The word bodily is an adjective. It is formed from the noun body. We are not aware of many of our bodily functions. Bodily can also be used as an adverb. As an adverb it means forcibly or forcefully. He pulled her out bodily. (= He pulled her out forcibly.) The word early which is formed from the noun ear, has nothing to do with the faculty of hearing. It can be an adjective or adverb. An early bird catches the worm. (Here the bird early acts as an adjective modifying the noun bird.) I want to leave early today. (Here the word early acts as an adverb modifying the verb leave.) First, firstly, second, secondly etc. Many writers use the expressions firstly, secondly, lastly etc. However, they are unnecessary
because you can express the same meanings with first, second, last etc. The words first / firstly, second / secondly etc., are used to show the structure of what we are saying. First, I want to discuss something with you. (More natural than Firstly, I want to discuss something with you.) Another example is given below. There are many reasons why I don t want to go out with you. First, I am a little busy at the moment. Second, you can t drive well. And third, my fiancé won t like it. Note that instead of first, you can use the phrase to start with. Talking about your plans and making arrangements Talking about your plans Use I am going to to tell your friends and colleagues about your plans. I am going to ask her out. I am going to invite him to my party. I am going to meet her tomorrow. I am going to find a good job. I am going to resign from my job. To ask someone about their plans, use Are you going to? Are you going to accept that offer? Are you going to invite them to your party? Are you going to discuss this with him? Are you going to spend the weekend at home? Making arrangements To make an arrangement with a friend or colleague, use We can We can meet outside the café. We can hire a taxi.
We can meet tomorrow. We can have lunch at a restaurant. Use I ll to talk about an arrangement you like. I will meet you outside the theatre. I will meet you at 8 pm. I will meet you outside the cinema. I will call you when I am ready. To ask if somebody is happy with an arrangement, use Is OK? Is Monday OK? Is it OK to bring my daughter? Is a burger OK? Saying what you have to do To say what you have to do, use I have to I have to make a call. I have to leave early today. I have to pick him up from the airport. I have to finish this assignment by evening. I have to be there by six o clock. I have to meet John tomorrow. I have to find a solution to this problem. I have to get my eyes tested. I have to buy some clothes. To ask what someone has to do, use Do you have to? Do you have to go now? Do you have to be there before 8 o clock? Do we have to book early? Use I must to say what you have to do in a strong way. I must get that tooth extracted. I must stop smoking. I must finish this report today. I must send the payment tomorrow. I must develop healthy eating habits.
Vocabulary Exercise 1 This exercise tests your command over English vocabulary. Vocabulary Exercise Please wait while the activity loads. If this activity does not load, try refreshing your browser. Also, this page requires javascript. Please visit using a browser with javascript enabled. If loading fails, click here to try again Complete the following sentences. Start Congratulations - you have completed Vocabulary Exercise. You scored %%SCORE%% out of %%TOTAL%%. Your performance has been rated as %%RATING%% Your answers are highlighted below.