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The English language has a lot of interesting expressions when it comes to talking about animals in groups, some of which are more well known than others.
For example, when we speak about insects or certain types of fish, we use the word "the swarm," but cows and other grazing animals wander in "herds."
Finally, the swarm gets the better of the bear.
Caption 18, America's National Parks Yosemite
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Herd animals rely on safety in numbers.
Caption 48, BBC Planet Wild: Alien Animals
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For fish, you'll also hear "school" rather than "swarm." We say "a pod of whales" and "a pack of wolves."
Just last week, some surfers beat a hasty retreat to dry land after having a close encounter with a pod of killer whales off of Vancouver Island.
Captions 6-7, ABC News: Killer Sharks vs. Killer Whales
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The bear is stronger, but the wolves have the benefit of the pack.
Caption 5, Nature & Wildlife: Search for the Ghost Bear
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Interestingly, when birds fly together, they fly in a "flock." But when it comes to nesting, the chicks are called a "brood."
High up in the sky, a flock of birds were flying by.
Caption 30, Fairy Tales The Ugly Duckling - Part 2
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The mother duck wanted to comfort the Ugly Duckling, but she was much too busy taking care of the rest of her brood.
Captions 46-47, Story Hour: The Story of The Ugly Duckling
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Penguins and various burrowing animals are referred to as a "colony."
After his short excursion to the marmot colony, the male deer heads back to the lower areas of the park.
Captions 3-4, America's National Parks: Yosemite
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Further Learning
There are dozens of even odder words that are used to describe groups of animals, and not all of them appear on Yabla English. For example, you can say "a pride of lions," "a troop of monkeys," "a murder of crows," or "a parliament of owls."
A suffix is a group of letters that is added to the end of a root word to create a new word. Unless like prefixes, suffixes often change the word's grammatical function.
For example, "kind," "gentle," and "clever" are all adjectives that can be transformed into nouns with the suffix "-ness," which turns adjectives into abstract states. "Darkness" is the state of being dark.
More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness.
Caption 23, Charlie Chaplin: Final Speech from The Great Dictator
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Should you need a light in darkness to help you find your way.
Caption 43, Air New Zealand: An Unexpected Briefing
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Other suffixes that are used to create nouns are "-ist," "-tion," "-ion," "-ance," "-ence," "-ation," "-ment," "-ity," "-dom," and "-ship."
And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on.
Captions 58-60, Steve Jobs: Stanford Commencement Address
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Suffixes that are used to create verbs include "-fy," "-ate," "-en," and "-ize." For example, the verb "clarify" means "to make clear."
We need to be clearer about this and clarify the decision-making process for everybody.
Caption 31, Business English: Decision Making in International Companies
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I like using acidic ingredients to brighten up heavy, rich, creamy dishes.
Caption 42, Rainbow Plant Life; 10 Tiny Changes to Improve Your Cooking
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Pizza is a popular item and numerous restaurant chains specialize in pizza.
Captions 18-19, Slow News with Sigrid Pizza: the dollar slice
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There are many suffixes that are found at the end of adjectives, such as "-ful" (which implies "full of") and "-less" ("without").
But, there are numerous more hopeful answers.
Caption 16, TED-Ed Questions: No One Knows the Answers to
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You've probably had those moments of despair, where you think it's just hopeless.
Captions 34-35, Living the Change: Official Documentary Trailer
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Other adjective-forming suffixes you will commonly see include "-able" / "-ible," "-al" / "-ial," "-ious" / "-ous," "-ive," "-en," "-ic," "-ical", and "-ish." Here, you can see adjectives meaning the following: like a poem, consisting of facts, made of wood, and possible to do.
Doesn't sound quite as poetic, does it?
Caption 7, TED-Ed: The Science of Attraction
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They need to make sure the information is true, factual.
Caption 24, Spotlight: Information
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Gee, do they still make wooden Christmas trees?
Caption 6, A Charlie Brown Christmas Christmas Tree
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The verb is "to do." The adjective is "doable."
Caption 36, The Alphabet The Letter L - Part 1
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Further Learning
To review the adverb-forming suffix "-ly", you can read this lesson. Otherwise, you'll find many suffixes to study on Yabla English.
A prefix is a group of letters added to the beginning of a word to modify its meaning. The original word may be recognizable, which is the case in the following examples:
"Unhappy" means "not happy."
Caption 20, The Alphabet: The Letter U
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The prefix "inter-" means "between" or "among," so "international" refers to being between different nations. "Neo-" means "new," while "proto-" means "first" or "original."
It was four men from Jamaica who made international headlines.
Caption 5, 16x9 - Cool Runnings: Truth Behind Original Jamaican Bobsled Team
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The palace was rebuilt in a neo-Gothic style.
Caption 45, London: City Sights
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We need some sort of 3D prototype.
Caption 29, Apple Advertising: The Underdogs
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In this sentence, "hyper-" means "extra" or "extreme," and "pan" means "all."
Many millions of years ago, a race of hyperintelligent, pandimensional beings...
Caption 2, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Answer to Life, Universe and Everything
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You may also encounter words with roots that you don't recognize. Here, the prefix "omni-" means "all" and "vore" comes from the Latin word "vorare," which relates to eating or devouring. The prefix "dys" means "bad" or "abnormal," and "lexia" comes from the Greek word for "word."
Like all bears, the glacier bears are also omnivores.
Caption 60, Nature & Wildlife: Search for the Ghost Bear
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If dyslexia takes over, you are lost in the middle of the ocean.
Caption 24, Movie Trailers: True Spirit
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You may be wondering why some prefixes are followed by a hyphen and others aren't. Generally, a hyphen is used before proper nouns or terms (like "Gothic" above), numbers, or abbreviations. It is also used when the prefix ends with the same vowel that is at the beginning of the main word. Certain prefixes, such as "ex-," "self-," "all-," and "quasi-," are always hyphenated.
Further Learning
From "anti-" to "super-," you'll find many prefixes on Yabla English.
Cleaning: there's simply no way around it. In every living situation, there are regular tasks that need to be done, and these are called "chores." "Tidying up" and "cleaning up" refer to both putting items back where they belong and some light cleaning.
We would use it to clean up any messes that inevitably happen on a set.
Caption 49, Abiventures: Papers
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Julia is very clean and sometimes I don't tidy up my stuff right away.
Captions 44-45, The Apartment: Problems
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They have to do the household chores.
Caption 17, The Flintstones: Wacky Inventions
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Here are some typical household chores that you should know:
Oh, and I have to make my bed.
Caption 18, Sigrid: My to-do list
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You can gather leaves and yard debris, just like when you sweep with a broom.
Captions 47-48, Sigrid: Think Fast!
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I am offering to do the dishes.
Caption 27, Parts of Speech: Modal Verbs
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They don't want to have to do the dishes or laundry.
Caption 27, Sigrid: Sisters
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In fact, I really need to vacuum the rug.
Caption 11, The Alphabet: The Letter V
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I have so much ironing to do, it's gonna take me all day.
Captions 37-38, Sigrid: My to-do list
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Tommy, come take out the garbage. -In a minute, Mom.
Caption 1, Bon Jovi: It's My Life
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Further Learning
Watch Sigrid's full video about her to-do list on Yabla English. You can also look up the verbs "to mop," "to polish," and "to dust."
The indefinite articles "a" and "an" are used for singular countable nouns—like "a tree" or "an apple." While we say "the sun" because there is only one, we use indefinite articles when talking about something that is neither specific nor unique, and particularly when we mention it for the first time.
Look, if you want, we can go and get a tree this weekend.
Caption 38, Falling For Christmas: Full Movie
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And I pre-slice an apple by my bed.
Caption 102, Food Diaries: Everything Kylie Jenner Eats in a Day
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The simple explanation is that "a" is used for nouns that begin with a consonant and "an" is for those that begin with a vowel. But this actually relates to the sound the word begins with, not the word's spelling! In the words "hour" and "honor," the "h" is silent, whereas "university" begins with a "y" sound. This is what determines the appropriate article.
You could just drop by the shop in about an hour.
Caption 54, Falling For Christmas: Full Movie
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Well, it's such an honor to be here. I'm so honored.
Caption 14, The White House: Jimmy Fallon at the White House
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Technically, a university is generally a school that offers an undergraduate and a graduate program.
Captions 38-39, Ask An American: COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY, and HIGH SCHOOL in the U.S.
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It's important to note that if there is an adjective before a noun, this is what determines whether "a" or "an" is used. You can see below that even though "idea," "ability," and "honor" all start with a vowel sound, the preceding adjective begins with a consonant sound, which requires "a." The opposite is the case in "an interesting history."
Jim, if you ask me, and you haven't, I think this is a terrible idea.
Caption 34, DeForest Kelley: Dr McCoy Star Trek
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English has shown a unique ability to absorb, evolve, invade, and, if we're honest, steal.
Captions 4-5, The History of English Global English
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Uh, so, Mr. President, it was a great honor being with you.
Caption 44, Global News: Barack Obama and Donald Trump meet at White House
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This is Tranquille River, and it has an interesting history.
Captions 38-39, Merve: Outdoor in Canada
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Further Learning
You'll find many, many examples of "a" and "an" used on Yabla English.
Many people travel during the holiday season, and although train travel is common in the UK and air travel often necessary in the US, a lot of people drive to see their loved ones. Let's look at vocabulary related to cars and driving.
Unless you are driving an electric car, you will have to "fuel up" at the beginning or "stop for gas" along the way.
Let's find a gas station, and I'll put some in the engine.
Captions 13-14, Basic Vocabulary Common: Words in Context
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Now, with the price of fuel and the distances we have to travel to get it...
Caption 5, Once upon a Time... Planet Earth: The Climate in the Far North
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Making sure that your car has been inspected recently and undergoes regular maintenance is essential for safety reasons, as is abiding by the speed limit and using a seat belt.
"Oh no, I forgot to change the oil in my car!"
Caption 11, Basic Vocabulary: Common Words in Context
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It's so easy to go over the speed limit without realizing.
Caption 51, Get to know: The Town of Speed
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And be sure to fasten your seat belt.
Caption 61, Air New Zealand An Unexpected Briefing
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Although driving eliminates the need to book in advance or leave at an exact time, it does have a few disadvantages. One of these is dealing with traffic.
But they can be a bit slow in the morning or evening traffic.
Caption 13, London: London Transport (A1-A2)
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So a traffic jam happens when the road is blocked.
Caption 37, Sigrid explains: Traffic
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While a road trip implies a car journey with multiple stops, a commute is a regular trip to and from the same place. When people carpool, they share a vehicle in order to decrease their environmental footprint.
"Do you want to go on a road trip with me?"
Caption 4, Cabrinha Kiteboarding With Susi Mai in Ireland
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It became practical for people to live on Long Island and commute to the city for work.
Captions 8-9, Traveling with Sigrid Exploring Long Island, NY and Princeton, NJ - Part 9
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We had to carpool so he rode with his legs hanging out the window.
Caption 5, The White House: Jimmy Fallon at the White House
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Further Learning
You can watch Sigrid's video on traffic, as well as other videos related to car travel, on Yabla English.
Homophones are words that sound the same, but, unlike homographs, are not spelled the same. Today, let's look at near homophones, which sound similar but not identical, and have different spellings and meanings.
A good example is "weary" and "wary." The adjective "weary" is similar to "tired," while "wary" means "skeptical" or "cautious." The pronunciation of these words is very similar, but "weary" was a long "E" like the word "we," whereas the first syllable of "wary" sounds like the word "where."
Our weary eyes still stray to the horizon.
Caption 24, Pink Floyd: High Hopes
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But do be careful. Make sure you use the cycle lanes and be wary of other road users and pedestrians.
Captions 11-12, Visit England Green London: Visitor Guide
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There are also "affect" and "effect," which are each both a noun and a verb. The noun "the effect" is similar to "the outcome," whereas the verb "to effect" means to make something happen and is used rather rarely. Conversely, the verb "to affect" is more common than the noun "the affect."
And, at the end of day, it's regular people who really effect change.
Caption 17, 1GOAL: Education for All
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Introducing pay by performance has had precisely the opposite effect.
Caption 14, Business English How to open and close presentations - Part 2
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Accordingly, natural forces affect the material in unpredictable and unique ways.
Caption 34, The Last Paradises: America's National Parks
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Even though they are different parts of speech, many people also confuse the spelling of the adjective "loose" and the verb "lose."
They're seventy percent silk and give the illusion of skinny jeans, but they're loose, breathable, and warm.
Captions 34-35, How 2 Travelers Rethink What You Wear on the Plane!
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Sometimes you lose an argument, sometimes you lose an election.
Caption 38, Barack Obama On Trump: Presidential Victory
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And a final pair to know is "except," which is most commonly used as a conjunction or preposition, and "accept," which is a verb.
And no one knows except the both of us.
Caption 10, Alanis Morissette: Hands Clean
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So, based on the numbers alone, you'd be foolish not to accept this offer.
Captions 24-25, Cannes Advertising Festival Apple: Escape from the Office
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Further Learning
For the pronunciation of these words, watch the videos on Yabla English. In addition to our lessons on homonyms listed above, you can also review our lesson on "they're," "their," and "there."
We will conclude our set of lessons on the world of work with professional fields and job titles. Of course, there are too many jobs to cover all of them, but we can look at some common ones mentioned on Yabla.
Some important professional fields are healthcare, social services, and education.
One by one... they step forward: a nurse, a teacher, a homemaker.
Captions 1-5, Make Poverty History One
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My dentist is gonna look at my teeth.
Caption 89, Side by Side - Beginners Future Tense: going to
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Another area is what we call STEM in English, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
"Architect." Architects design buildings.
Caption 43, The Alphabet: The Letter C
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And this person is called a "swimming pool service technician."
Caption 24, Sigrid explains: Swimming Pools
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André Borschberg, engineer, entrepreneur, and professional pilot.
Caption 25, Solar Impulse Exploration To Change The World
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Then there are jobs in the fields of law, administration, and public safety.
Imagine you're a police officer or a firefighter heading toward the World Trade Center the morning of September the eleventh.
Captions 7-8, World Trade Center: Story on the 2006 Film
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I used to be a lawyer.
Caption 20, Rainbow Plant Life: 10 Tiny Changes to Improve Your Cooking
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Other people work in business and sales, or they practice crafts or trades.
Are you a salesperson?
Caption 11, Side by Side - Beginners: Clothing
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Edward, I think we need a plumber immediately!
Caption 47, Side by Side - Beginners: Future Tense - going to
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A professional house painter painted my house.
Caption 13, Sigrid explains: Causative constructions
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How about working as a lifestyle photographer with “Time Out” magazine?
Caption 19, The Best Jobs In The World: Official Trailer
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Further Learning
Look up any words you don't know in their respective video on Yabla English. Also, see if you can find the English words for your friends' and family members' professions.
In our last lesson, we looked at words that are used to talk about jobs and working. Let's now have a look at how companies are structured and review words that are regularly used in business English.
Generally, companies and institutions have different "departments." For example, an IT department—short for "information technology"—handles any responsibilities related to computers and networks. The person in charge of a department can be referred to as a "department head," but also a "director" or "manager."
This is Jonathan from human resources at Phonez and More.
Caption 12, The Company: The Job Interview
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We've taken the time to interview quite a few people for the position in the marketing department.
Captions 9-10, The Company: Starting on a New Job
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Well, we zipped over here from Maui with my head of R and D [research and development] Michi Schweiger.
Captions 2-3, Naish SUP: Aloha Big Island!
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Some companies have multiple offices or "branches" in different cities, and may have a central office or headquarters.
Welcome to corporate headquarters.
Caption 49, Cannes Advertising Festival Apple: Escape from the Office
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We currently offer our after-school program at the Williamsburg branch of the Brooklyn Public Library.
Captions 45-46, Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co.: Learn about this fun shop in Brooklyn, NY!
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Here are some important words related to daily operations:
And I called together an important board meeting of the local charitable organizations dedicated to protecting water.
Captions 20-21, Alison's Adventures: Your Passport to the World (LONDON)
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And NBC News is reporting that during a conference call, McConnell urged members of his Republican caucus not to mount an objection.
Captions 49-51, News: McConnell Accepts Reality, Trump Still Won't Concede
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Next Thursday, I'm gonna write a report about my meetings in Chicago.
Caption 81, Side by Side - Beginners: Future Tense - going to
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Further Learning
There are many videos featuring business topics on Yabla English, all of which contain essential vocabulary.
The relationship people have with work evolves throughout their lives, and our relationship with work as a society has also recently seen some changes.
In English, words such as "career," "occupation," "position," and "profession" generally refer to more years of experience and a high level of dedication, whereas "job" and "work" are more general.
Your work experience section is the most important section of your CV.
Caption 32, Business Life: Curriculum Vitae
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My job has largely focused on algorithmic products like Google-plus search.
Caption 28, Breaking News: Facebook Whistleblower Frances Haugen
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And as much as possible, and I don't care if you're applying for an administrative assistant position, a marketing position, it doesn't matter. What I need you to do is understand how this company makes money.
Captions 14-16, Job Hunting: How to Answer the "Why" Question
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So, Mister Moretti, what is your occupation?
Caption 60, Top Notch TV 1: Unit 1
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The most famous one, "Amadis," is one that people in my profession read.
Caption 52, Words of the World: California
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But the truth is, I can no longer balance a full-time career, a popular internet show, and a girlfriend.
Captions 9-10, Dr. Sheldon Cooper: Fun with Flags
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The adjective "full-time" in the last example contrasts with "part-time," which refers to working fewer than 40 hours a week. People may be "employed," "self-employed," or "freelance." The person or company that provides the job is the "employer," while the "employee" is the one who does the work.
You have to convince the employer to hire you and not someone else.
Caption 9, Business Life: Curriculum Vitae
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As a Youtuber, I'm basically self-employed.
Caption 27, The White House: President Obama meets YouTube Stars
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The vast majority of migrant workers come from the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Africa, and are employed in the agriculture, cleaning, and domestic service industries.
Captions 64-66, The Daily Conversation: Top 10 Immigrant Countries
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These days, people may work on location or on site, in an office, or from home.
We work in the same office, I noticed.
Caption 12, George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four: BBC TV Movie
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And fortunately, I can work from home.
Caption 15, Sigrid: Sisters
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Further Learning
There are many videos about different careers and workplace dynamics on Yabla English, all of which contain essential vocabulary.
The three verbs above are very similar, but they actually have completely different meanings. Luckily, with a few examples from Yabla English, we can quickly clarify the difference.
The verb "to oversee" is synonymous with "to supervise," and means to watch over what someone is doing or something that is happening.
Lee oversees the four restoration technicians we have in the museum.
Caption 19, Motorcycle Masters: Birmingham Alabama
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The verb "to overlook," on the other hand, means to fail to see or notice something. It's almost the opposite of "to oversee"!
A gem of a park, it's often overlooked.
Caption 4, America's National Parks: Saguaro
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Cinderella was delighted, but there was still a small detail that the Fairy had apparently overlooked.
Captions 47-48, Yabla Fairy Tales: Cinderella
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And overlook this supposed crime
Caption 8, Alanis Morissette: Hands Clean
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The phrase "to look over" means to examine, review, check, or inspect something.
There is nothing out of the ordinary, but we always recommend that you look over it closely.
Captions 30-31, The Company: Starting on a New Job
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Further Learning
Try writing your own sentences in different tenses. If you get stuck, look for examples with the root verbs "to see" and "to look" on Yabla English, as these can be used as a guideline.
The word "every" is commonly used with time-related phrases to indicate regular intervals or repeated actions. In these constructions, "every" helps to establish a schedule or frequency, making it clear how often something happens within a given time frame.
First of all, "every" can be used with any unit of time, from a second to a century, to indicate that something happens once during that time period. "Every day" means that something happens once in 24 hours, whereas something that happens "every year" happens at least one time during a 365-day period.
Otters have a high metabolism, so they have to eat almost a fifth of their weight every day.
Captions 36-37, America's National Parks: Olympic
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In February, every year, we host a large pond hockey tournament.
Caption 10, Adventures with Kate: Pond Hockey
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We also use "every other" to talk about a predictable frequency that skips time. For example, "every other day" means the event happens one day, then skips the next day, and happens again the day after that.
I have to go shopping almost every other day.
Caption 36, An Apartment: In Japan
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Always living out of a bag... being in a different location every other week.
Captions 33-34, Kiteboarding Rider Profile: Tom Court
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Sometimes, we also use "every" with "few" or "a couple" and a plural noun. Have a look:
I just get touched-up every... every few seconds.
Caption 74, Food Diaries: Everything Kylie Jenner Eats in a Day
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It could be every couple hours or every half hour.
Caption 10, Brooklyn Butcher: A & S Italian
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And sometimes, the interval has a number that really needs to be specified. These sentences state that something happens once in a four-day period and once in a six-week period.
The eaglet can gain more than a pound every four days.
Caption 33, America's National Parks: Olympic
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The windows have to be cleaned once every six weeks.
Caption 14, In London: with Lauren Buckingham Palace
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Further Learning
You will find many examples likes these on Yabla English. For an overview of the difference between "each" and "every," see our related lesson.
Some English adjectives are so similar that even native speakers get them confused. When the meanings are also related, it can be very difficult.
For example, whereas something that is "historical" relates to history or the study of past events, "historic" refers to something important or significant in history.
Apart from their historical importance, they have a huge impact on the environment and on the economy.
Captions 7-8, Slow News with Sigrid: A Tale of 2 Rivers
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Her candidacy and nomination was historic.
Caption 42, Barack Obama: On Trump Presidential Victory
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The adjective "classic" is used to describe something that is timeless, exemplary, or of high quality. "Classical" relates to ancient Greek or Roman culture, or traditional forms of art and music.
In the film, we see Queen's lead guitarist, Brian May, [We Will Rock You] showing the rest of the band his idea for the classic anthem, ”We Will Rock You.”
Captions 29-30, Bohemian Rhapsody: Six Facts about the True Story
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So working with someone else, especially a classical musician, I think will be quite hard.
Captions 21-22, Making Tracks: Dewayne Everettsmith & Jasmine Beams musical journey
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"Industrial" relates to industry, factories, or manufacturing, whereas "industrious" means hardworking and diligent.
Industrial, agricultural, and urban waste also sweep into the sea.
Caption 21, National Geographic: How We Can Keep Plastics Out of Our Ocean
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I'm an industrious kind of person. I'm always doing things.
Caption 23, Ask Jimmy Carter: Another Interview with Sharon Stone
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Another pair of adjectives to know is "sensitive" and "sensible."
Their eyes are extremely light-sensitive.
Caption 42, Evolution: Sea Creatures
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That would be the sensible way forward.
Caption 10, Brexit: 'The house has refused to be bounced'
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Further Learning
More adjective pairs to look up are "economic" and "economical," "continuous" and "continual," and "alternate" and "alternative." You will find many of these on Yabla English.
The syllable "ough" can be truly maddening for those who are learning English.. "Oh," "ooh," "off," "ow," "uff," and "aw" are only some of the ways that it's pronounced. It's simply a matter of memorizing relevant words, so here are some you need to know:
The words "dough" and "though" both rhyme with "low."
Even though it was stressful, it's delightful.
Caption 17, Abiventures: Happy New Year
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Pull our dough out and weigh it up.
Caption 36, Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives Cookie Jar
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The word "through," however, rhymes with "you," and the word "cough" rhymes with "off." The word "bough" rhymes with "cow."
The color of the sky is gray, as I can see through the blinds.
Caption 23, 10,000 Maniacs: Like the Weather
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So, while in the US, I bought a totally normal bag of cough drops at the store.
Caption 36, Wanted Adventure: You Know You're IN THE USA WHEN...
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Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.
Caption 21, Christina Perri: Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
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The words "rough," "tough," and "enough" all rhyme with "stuff."
This way the characteristic rough cliff could form.
Caption 5, Evolution: On Land
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The roadrunner is a tough old bird.
Caption 44, America's National Parks: Saguaro
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Now for a pattern you can actually depend on: When a "t" is added to the end, the word will rhyme with "lot."
I thought we were practicing.
Caption 60, Accents: One language, three accents
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A new breed of activists fought to protect Yosemite from development.
Caption 37, America's National Parks: Yosemite
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They're sought-after delicacies for sharks and humans alike.
Caption 2, Nature & Wildlife: Wild Sharks
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Further Learning
Alongside all of the lessons we publish, you'll find this one here, where you can also access caption playback directly! And you'll find many examples of these words in use on Yabla English.
In English, "each" and "every" are determiners, a type of adjective used to indicate the quantity or scope of the noun they precede.
In many instances, the words "each" and "every" are, in fact, interchangeable.
Michael spends two months in the Sea of Cortez every winter.
Caption 3, Nature Preservation: Saving Valentina
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The mule deer bucks are re-growing their antlers, which they shed each winter.
Captions 31-32, America's National Parks: Yosemite
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However, examining these words more closely, we can see that while "every" is used to refer to all items in a group without exception, "each" is often used to refer to individual items within a group, emphasizing them one by one.
Every penny of which will help children all over the world...
Caption 41, British Airways safety video: director's cut
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So now, because every good meal requires vegetables, I have decided to add some tomatoes and some lettuce.
Captions 22-23, Abiventures: Sandwich
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In nineteen ninety-two, they started releasing them, each clearly numbered, into the wild.
Captions 16-17, America's National Parks: Grand Canyon
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So, each king not knowing about the others, set out to follow the star.
Caption 10, Children's Books Read Aloud: The Story of the Three Wise Kings
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Unlike "each," "every" cannot be used when there are only two items or people in a group.. If this ever comes up and you have to decide which word to use, pick the word "each." Note below that an airplane only has two sides, and only two people are being referred to with "each other."
There are six exits on this plane, four doors, two on each side.
Caption 43, Delta Airlines: In-Flight Safety Video
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Maria's mother and Clark looked at each other and frowned.
Caption 13, Basic Vocabulary: Common Words in Context
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Further Learning
You'll find many examples of "each" and "every" in use on Yabla English.
Modal verbs are special helping verbs in English that add meaning to the main verb in a sentence. They are used to express ability, possibility, permission, and obligation in connection with actions. Examples of common modal verbs include "can," "could," "may," "might," "must," "should," and "would."
Let's examine the characteristics and usage of modal verbs with the help of Yabla examples.
First of all, modal verbs are followed directly by the base form of the sentence's main verb, and there is no "to" in between them. Modal verbs have no infinitive or "-ing" forms.
That would allow you to get a better grasp of those concepts.
Caption 6, Business English: Taming Change
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And hearts that would give you a diamond ring.
Caption 7, Ed Sheeran: The Joker And The Queen (feat. Taylor Swift)
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And I know he would agree.
Caption 4, 10 Downing Street: Rishi Sunak's first speech as U.K. Prime Minister
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In contrast to regular verbs, which require conjugation and usually add an "s" for the third-person singular (she/he/it), modal verbs are invariable. They do not change based on the subject.
If she can land her triple Axel, she may take that gold.
Caption 16, Falling For Christmas: Full Movie
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So, you know... -I was just thinking maybe she might tell you.
Caption 39, Carly Simon & Taylor Swift: You're So Vain
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He must be doing something right.
Caption 35, America's National Parks: Olympic
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Generally, you'll notice how modal verbs don't have different forms or tenses. This is because they generally concern the present tense. Out of the modal verbs, "should," "could," and "would" can be used to talk about the past or hypothetical situations. Generally, the context and the presence or absence of "if" can make it clear which it is.
How could a humble tortoise beat the legendary Greek hero Achilles in a race?
Captions 3-4, 60-Second Adventures in Thought: Achilles and the Tortoise
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So, my mother would always say, "Go down to the backyard and pick me a couple of those little leaves of mint."
Captions 35-36, Ask Jimmy Carter: Interview with Lionel Richie
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Where should I put my jacket?
Caption 20, Parts of Speech: Some and Any Plus Question Words
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Further Learning
You'll find many examples with modal verbs on Yabla English. You can refresh your knowledge of the conditional here.
English is full of compound adjectives, which may combine an adjective with either another adjective, a participle, or a noun. When numbers or fractions are used to describe a noun, this can also result in a hyphenated adjective.
Generally, compound adjectives should be hyphenated when they come before a noun (attributive position):
But beyond the well-known attractions.
Caption 20, Greentraveller: The Mendip Hills, Somerset
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This is the high-pitched noise that's been on since the beginning of the talk turning off.
Caption 50, What is theater capable of?: Simon Stone at TEDxSydney
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She was surprised that a good-looking prince was standing there.
Caption 27, Fairy Tales: The Frog King
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For weeks now, this slow-moving crisis has made it difficult—if not impossible—to move barges down the river.
Captions 28-29, Slow News with Sigrid: Climate Change and the Mississippi River
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When the adjective follows the noun (predicative position), it won't be hyphenated:
But perhaps less well known is the crucial role they play in cooling and cleaning the world's atmosphere.
Captions 14-15, The Prince's Rainforests: Project Prince of Wales' Introduction
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Adjectives coming before the noun that involve numbers and units will generally be hyphenated:
This sunflower sea star has a three-foot-wide arm span.
Caption 16, America's National Parks: Olympic
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This seventy-three-mile-long stretch of wilderness...
Caption 5, America's National Parks: Olympic
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When there is an adverb ending in -ly involved, the compound adjective is not hyphenated:
The next step is to put all the potatoes in a lightly greased roasting tray.
Caption 62, Michele from Down Under: Crispy and Spicy Roast Potatoes
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California sea lions are highly intelligent creatures.
Caption 59, Evolution: The Coasts
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Further Learning
You'll find many examples like this on Yabla English. When you see one, note the position of the compound adjective in the sentence, and its components.
Tag questions are short phrases added to the end of sentences to check information, seek confirmation, or ask for agreement. Tag questions can make requests sound softer, encourage conversation, or show doubt, making them useful in everyday English.
A good place to start is examples with the verb "to be." Note that a positive statement is followed by a negative tag and vice versa. Additionally, the verb in the tag must match the verb in the main statement in tense and form.
But no! You are so excited, aren't you?
Caption 19, BBC Comedy Greats: Michael McIntyre on Google Earth
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Hello. You were searching for a hidden microphone, weren't you?
Caption 21, George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four: BBC TV Movie
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Just as we use "do" to create questions, this verb is used when adding a tag question for sentences with verbs other than "to be" or auxiliary verbs.
The Ambulocetus does look like a link between a land animal and a whale, doesn't it?
Caption 11, Green TV: Evolution of the Whale
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But you don't care about those, do you?
Caption 4, The Big Bang Theory: Sheldon meets James Earl Jones
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You made us what we are, didn't you?
Caption 20, Movie Trailers: Interview with the Vampire
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A sentence in the present perfect requires "have" in the tag rather than "to be" or "do." Similarly, the future tense requires "will," or "won't" if the tag is negative.
You have won a few races, haven't you?
Caption 15, James Dean: Interview & Famous Drive Safely Spot
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Remember me, boy, will you?
Caption 25, Spiller Feat. Sophie Ellis-Bextor: Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)
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Make yourself at home! Won't you? OK.
Captions 82-83, ALF: Some enchanted evening
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Modal verbs such as "would," "should," "can," and "could" are also used in tag questions in certain instances.
Just come over here and sit down, would you? -OK.
Caption 7, Campus Movie Fest: Small Talk
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Further Learning
In addition to spotting more examples on Yabla English, try to make your own sentences with the following modal verbs and suitable tag questions with "can"/"can't," "could"/"couldn't," "should"/"shouldn't" and "would"/"wouldn't."
A few more examples:
We can wait a few more minutes, can't we?
He wouldn't forget about it, would he?
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