Women are usually encouraged to have children as early in life as possible. Yet a new study suggests that older mothers are more likely to raise happier and well-adjusted children.
Connectors are used to combine ideas in writing – and thus ensure that ideas within sentences and paragraphs are elegantly connected – for the benefit of the reader. They help the reader to progress from one idea to the next idea. Thus, they help to build up coherent relationships within the text.
SIMILARITY
likewise similarly correspondingly by the same token in the same way
He failed the test in the same way he did before.
She was late and I similarly was delayed.
Public transportation is accessible in this country; likewise, its hospitals are also user-friendly.
CONTRAST
On the other hand in contrast however nevertheless
Dan worked hard. On the other hand/In contrast/ However, Ken hardly did any work at all.
Greg is an optimist. In contrast/However/, Billy is a pessimist.
She studied diligently for several months. Nevertheless/However, she failed.
RESULT
Therefore thus consequently as a result hence
He passed his exams. Therefore/Thus/Hence/Consequently, he had some good news to tell his parents.
Professor Barry is an outstanding scientist. Hence, he is highly respected.
He has been studying hard for a long time. Thus, he has made a lot of progress.
The demand has increased sharply and as a result the prices are higher now.
ADDITION AND LISTING
In addition moreover furthermore also besides additionally
First/first of all/firstly/to begin with secondly thirdly
Tom plays football. Moreover/ Besides/ Also, he runs a restaurant.
Mary writes short stories, inaddition, she writes articles for a newspaper.
Living in a big city offers good job opportunities. Also, it provides good educational opportunities.
Owning a car has some advantages. First (First of all/Firstly/ To begin with), it gives you comfort. Secondly, it saves you a lot of time. Thirdly, it gives you great freedom of movement.
TIME
at first afterwards later then in the meantime meanwhile
I read the morning papers for a while. Afterwards, I took a shower.
First pick up the receiver and then insert a coin into the coin-box.
At first, I had great difficulty with grammar Later, however , I was able to overcome these difficulties by studying hard.
The party is Tuesday, but in the meantime I have to shop and prepare the food.
They’ll be here soon. Meanwhile, let’s have coffee.
EXEMPLIFICATION
for instance for example to illustrate
Women generally live longer than men. For instance, in the United States life expectancy for women is 75, while it is 73 for men.
Earthquakes can be highly destructive. To illustrate, the earthquake which occurred in Japan in 1939 devastated the whole town, killing more than 35,000 people.
PARTICULARIZATION
in particular particularly specifically
Shopping in small markets is quite advantageous. In particular, one can find specialty items that larger stores do not contain.
We still needed to arrange several details for the trip. Specifically, we had to make plane and train reservations as well as decide on the final itinerary.
EXPLANATION
that is namely in other words that is
The brochure dealt with travelling in Morocco. That is/In other words/ Namely, it discussed transportation, currency, and language.
The machinery was not impaired; that is, it wasn’t damaged.
Good readers should be able to read between the lines; that is, they should be able to make inferences (=to draw conclusions) about information that is conveyed indirectly or given only partially.
There is only one topic to discuss, namely, the question of discipline.
EMPHASIS
in fact indeed as a matter of fact actually
He is quite wealthy. In fact, he is one of the richest men in Turkey.
I like reading. As a matter of fact, it is my favorite pastime.
Mural is a highly talented musician. Indeed, he has an extraordinary gift for music.
10.REFUTATION
on the contrary
She is not ugly. On the contrary, she is a good-looking girl.
I don’t hate classical music. On the contrary, I’m very fond of it.
12. REFORMULATION
in other words to put it in a different way, put differently
He is a conservative. In other words, he favors the preservation of old institutions in their original form.
Is there a cheaper solution? In other words, can you make a cheaper device?
13. CORRECTION
rather to be more precise
He is enjoying himself. Rather, he seems to be enjoying himself.
This system must be improved. Rather, it must be thoroughly changed.
Her name is not Margeret. Rather, it is Margot.
14. TRANSITION
as for as to with regard to with respect to
as regards regarding as far as X is concerned
Both Patrick and Owen are my friends. Patrick studies law at Ankara University. As for Owen, he studies mechanical engineering at METU.
As far ascomfortis concerned, a car is definitely much better than a bicycle. On the other hand, with respect to convenience, it is difficult to say the same thing.
15. NEGATIVE CONDITION
or else otherwise
I must leave now, or else I’ll be late.
You must study hard. Otherwise, you may fail.
16. SUMMATION/CONCLUSION
in summary in brief in short in conclusion to be brief to sum up all in all
This is our most disastrous and embarrassing defeat ever; in short, it is a fiasco.
The system lacked originality, efficiency and ingenuity. In conclusion, it was a complete failure.
Watch the video below about a doctor and how his heartbreak helped him become better at his profession. Share some of your experiences related to sympathizing and empathizing.
Discussion Questions:
1. At the beginning of the video, the doctor said that his heart had a “giant hole in it.” What did he mean by this? What happened to him? 2. How did the doctor describe his loneliness? 3. Why did the doctor say that the hospital is great place to be in when a person is in pain? What kind of pain was he talking about? 4. How did the doctor describe his experience working at a children’s hospital? 5. How do past experiences in life help us in the present?
Reading and literature brings about many benefits, especially in children. In Bologna, Italy, a book fair for children is featuring something different and very timely.
Take a look at the video below then express your thoughts.
1. What is the point of this unique book fair in Bologna? 2. What are other ways we can educate children about migrants and the Syrian war? 3. Are book fairs a popular idea in your country? Have you been to one? 4. What are your preferences in books? Reading materials? 5. What are the advantages of children being exposed to reading books at an early age?
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The Present Continuous or Present Progressive is formed from the present tense of the verb be and the present participle (-ing form) of a verb.
be verb + -ing
Uses
Below are other uses of present continuous. Typically, we use the present continuous to talk about the present.
Firstly, present progressive is used for something that is happening at the moment of speaking:
Please be quiet. The baby is sleeping. I‘m just leaving work. I’ll be home in an hour.
Moreover, present progressive is used for something which is happening before and after a given time:
At nine o’clock we are usually watching our favourite TV program. When I get home, my mom is making dinner in the kitchen.
In addition, we can also use present continous for something which we think is temporary:
John is at university. He’s studying Management. I’m working in London for the next two months.
Additionally, it is used for something which is new and contrasts with a previous: state:
These days most people are using email instead of writing letters. What sort of clothes are teenagers wearing nowadays? What sort of music are they listening to?
Another use of present continuous tense is to show that something is changing, growing, or developing:
The children are growing quickly. The climate is changing rapidly. Your English is improving.
Lastly, present progressive is used for something which happens again and again:
It’s always raining in London. They are always arguing. Philip is funny. He’s always telling jokes.
Note: We normally use alwayswith this use.
Present Continuous Exercise
Answer this exercise on present continuous tense.
1. In my country, many people ______ Spanish.
a. are speaking
b. speak
c. is speaking
2. Some old traditions _____ very fast.
a. disappear
b. are disappearing
c. have disappeared
3. You can’t play with the baby now; she _____ a nap.
a. takes
b. is taking
c. has take
4. Please be quiet, I ______. You know I _____ the paper in the mornings.
a. reads … am reading
b. read … read
c. am reading … read
5. What time _____ ?
a. does the first class start
b. is the first class starting
c. the first class start
6. I ______ a coat because it’s unusually cold today.
a. am wearing
b. wear
c. wears
7. I finished listening to the podcast you recommended. Now I _____ another one.
a. listen to
b. am listening to
c. listens to
8. What _____ this afternoon?
a. are you doing
b. do
c. you are doing
9. Nobody _____ she will marry him.
a. is thinking
b. thinks
c. think
10. You look like you are having fun. What _______ ?
Undoubtedly, the proper use of gerunds and infinitives is a common conundrum among English learners. In this lesson, learn when to use gerunds and infinitives.
How to Form a Gerund
A gerund is a noun made from a verb added with “-ing.” On the other hand, a negative gerund is formed by adding “not.”
main verb + -ing
She enjoys working.
not + main verb + -ing
The best thing for your health is not drinking.
Uses of a Gerund
You can use a gerund as the subject, the direct object, the subject complement, the object complement, the object of a preposition, and object of a possessive.
Gerund as subject
Reading increases your knowledge.
Gerund as direct object
I enjoy reading.
Gerund as subject complement
My favorite hobby is reading.
Gerund as object complement
I heard my mother crying in her room.
Gerund as object of a preposition
She is focused on improving her English skills.
Gerund as object of a possessive
Stop with your whining already!
How to Form an Infinitive
Infinitives are the “to” form of the verb. Moreover, to form the negative infinitive, add “not”.
to + main verb
She appears to have an allergy to shellfish.
not + to + main verb
She decided not to tell the team about the issue.
Uses of an Infinitive
You can also use an infinitive as the subject, the direct object, subject complement, an adjective, or an adverb.
Infinitive as subject
To learn is important.
Infinitive as direct object
He wants to learn.
Infinitive as subject complement
The most important thing is to learn.
Infinitive as an adjective
They didn’t make the decision to go.
Infinitive as an adverb
She took the yoga class to try to relieve herself from stress.
Gerunds and Infinitives
Both gerunds and infinitives can be used as the subject or the complement of a sentence. However, as subjects or complements, gerunds usually sound more like normal, spoken English, whereas infinitives sound more abstract.
On the other hand, infinitives emphasize the possibility or potential for something and sound more philosophical. Moreover, if this sounds confusing, just remember that 90% of the time, you will use a gerund as the subject or complement of a sentence. Hence, in the following sentences, gerunds sound more natural and would be more common in everyday English.
As Subject or Complement
Learning is important. normal subject
To learn is important. abstract subject – less common
The most important thing is learning. normal complement
The most important thing is to learn. abstract complement – less common
As the object
It is more difficult to choose between a gerund or an infinitive. In such situations, both are not normally interchangeable. Usually, the main verb in the sentence determines whether you use a gerund or an infinitive.
He enjoysdancing. “Enjoy” requires a gerund.
He wantsto dance. “Want” requires an infinitive.
Some verbs are followed by gerunds as objects.
She suggestedgoing to a museum.
Ellen imagines swimming in the pool.
Verbs followed by gerunds: avoid, consider, recommend, postpone, etc.
Note that some verbs are followed by infinitives.
She wantsto travel abroad.
Ben needsto talk about his problems.
After the verbs agree, ask, decide, intend, fail, etc., an infinitive follows.
Additionally, some verbs are usually followed by a gerund. However, they can also be followed by a noun + infinitive. In this case, using a noun + infinitive will usually change who is performing the action.
I advisedtaking the train. in general
I advisedhimto take the train. He will take the train.
After a preposition
Gerunds are used after prepositions. Most commonly, these are “verb + preposition” combinations.
They admitted tocommitting the crime.
My husband made up forforgetting our anniversary.
He is thinking aboutstudying abroad.
Remember that there are many “adjective + preposition” combinations and “noun + preposition” combinations in English as well. These are also followed by gerunds.
Simon is scared offlying. adjective + preposition
Nelly is anxious abouttaking the examination. adjective + preposition
Her interest inbecoming a professional figure skater was well known. noun + preposition
Mark’s story aboutgoing inside a cave was really exciting. noun + preposition
Gerunds and Infinitives Exercise
Answer this exercise on gerunds and infinitives.
1. I don’t want _____ out tonight.
a. to eat
b. eating
c. eat
2. They avoided _____ him know about the surprise party.
a. to let
b. letting
c. let
3. She would like ______ on a vacation with him.
a. to go
b. going
c. go
4. The children enjoy _____ in the pool in summer.
a. to swim
b. swimming
c. swim
5. He kept ______ the boss questions during the meeting.
a. to ask
b. asking
c. ask
6. I considered ______ in Spain.
a. to live
b. living
c. live
7. Unfortunately, our family can’t afford _____ a house this year.
Use the Simple Past to express the idea that an action started and finished at a specific time in the past. Sometimes, the speaker may not actually mention the specific time, but they do have one specific time in mind.
Examples:
I played soccer last Saturday.
I didn’t meet my friends last weekend.
Last year, I didn’t visit my relatives in Australia.
Did you have dinner last night?
I cleaned my room yesterday.
USE 2 : A Series of Completed Actions
We use the Simple Past to list a series of completed actions in the past. These actions happen 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and so on.
Examples:
I left work,met my friends, and ate at a nice restaurant.
He arrived from the airport at 9:00, checked into the hotel at 10:00, and met the others at 11:00.
Did you addflour, pour in the milk, and then add the eggs?
USE 3: Duration in Past
The Simple Past can be used with a duration which starts and stops in the past. A duration is a longer action often indicated by expressions such as: for two years, for five minutes, all day, all year, etc.
Examples:
I lived in Australia for two years.
Sandra studied Japanese for three years.
They did not dance at the party all night.
We talked on the phone for thirty minutes.
A: How long did you wait for her? B: I waitedfor thirty minutes.
USE 4: Habits in the Past
The Simple Past can also be used to describe a habit which stopped in the past. It can have the same meaning as “used to.” To make it clear that we are talking about a habit, we often add expressions such as: always, often, usually, never, when I was a child, when I was younger, etc.
Examples:
I learned the piano when I was a child.
He didn’t play soccer.
Didyou play a musical instrument when you were a kid?
She workedat a restaurant after school.
They never went to parties, they always stayed home.
USE 5: Past Facts or Generalizations
The Simple Past can also be used to describe past facts or generalizations which are no longer true. As in USE 4 above, this use of the Simple Past is quite similar to the expression “used to.”
Examples:
I didn’t like vegetables before.
She was shy as a child, but now she is very outgoing.
Did you live in Madrid when you were a child?
People paid much more to use the Internet in the past.
