Abate (verb) To abate something is to reduce its degree, severity or intensity. Present: abate / abates Past: abated Past participle: abated Gerund or –ing form: abating Example sentences Her sarcastic remarks didn’t abate his enthusiasm. They abated all mention of his name from the records. (= They omitted his name.) The minister promised to …
Abash (verb) Present: abash / abashed Past: abashed Past participle: abashed Gerund or –ing form: abashing To abash someone is to make them feel embarrassed or confused. Her remarks were harsh enough to abash even her parents. She abashed herself with her foolish remarks. In his attempt to show off his knowledge, he abashed himself. …
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. …
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. The present continuous is used to talk about an action or situation that is going on at the moment of speaking. We make the …
Present Continuous Tense Exercise | Beginner Level Read More »
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 …
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. …
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. …
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 …
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 …
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 …
