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What to look for

Boolean operators form the basis of mathematical sets and database logic.

They connect your search words together to either narrow or broaden your set of results.

The three basic boolean operators are: AND, OR, and NOT.

Why use Boolean operators?

To focus a search, particularly when your topic contains multiple search terms.

To connect various pieces of information to find exactly what you're looking for.

Example:
second creation (title) AND wilmut and campbell (author) AND 2000 (year)

Using AND

Use AND in a search to:

narrow your results

tell the database that ALL search terms must be present in the resulting records

example: cloning AND humans AND ethics

The purple triangle in the middle of the Venn diagram below represents the result set for this search. It is a small set using AND, the combination of all three search words.

Be aware:  In many, but not all, databases, the AND is implied.

For example, Google automatically puts an AND in between your search terms.

Though all your search terms are included in the results, they may not be connected together in the way you want.

For example, this search:  college students test anxiety  is translated to:  college AND students AND test AND anxiety. The words may appear individually throughout the resulting records.

You can search using phrases to make your results more specific.

For example:  "college students" AND "test anxiety". This way, the phrases show up in the results as you expect them to be.

Using OR

Use OR in a search to:

connect two or more similar concepts (synonyms)

broaden your results, telling the database that ANY of your search terms can be present in the resulting records

example: cloning OR genetics OR reproduction

All three circles represent the result set for this search. It is a big set because any of those words are valid using the OR operator.

Using NOT

Use NOT in a search to:

exclude words from your search

narrow your search, telling the database to ignore concepts that may be implied by your search terms

example:  cloning NOT sheep

Search order

Databases follow commands you type in and return results based on those commands. Be aware of the logical order in which words are connected when using Boolean operators:

Databases usually recognize AND as the primary operator, and will connect concepts with AND together first.

If you use a combination of AND and OR operators in a search, enclose the words to be "ORed" together in parentheses.

Examples:

ethics AND (cloning OR reproductive techniques)

(ethic* OR moral*) AND (bioengineering OR cloning)

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LibGuides: Database Search Tips: Boolean operators

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Learn strategies on effective database searching for best results.

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Utilizzare gli operatori di ricerca - Guida di Google Vault

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Per restringere o ampliare l'ambito di una ricerca in Google Vault, puoi inserire operatori di ricerca nel campo Termini. Vault supporta più operatori, tra cui: Operatori booleani (AND, OR e NOT)

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the biggest wind farm in the world is in the UK!

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Power Technology | Energy News and Market Analysis

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Hornsea Project One is an offshore windfarm proposed by DONG Energy that will be located off the Yorkshire coast within the Hornsea Zone in the southern North Sea.

Located in the Humber region, the project is part of a £6bn ($8.7bn) investment to transform the region into a hub for the UK's renewable energy sector.

At 1.2GW, the project will be the world's biggest offshore windfarm and the first offshore windfarm to have more than 1GW of capacity.

In February 2015, DONG Energy acquired 66.66% ownership share of SMart Wind, a consortium of Mainstream Renewable Power and Siemens Financial Services, to become the sole owner of the project. It is also the owner of future offshore developments, Hornsea Project Two and Hornsea Project Three, which have a potential capacity of a further 3GW.

The final investment decision on the Hornsea Project One was taken in February 2016 and the project is scheduled to be commissioned in 2020. It will have a lifespan of approximately 25 years.

The windfarm is expected to power more than one million UK homes upon completion, and create 2,000 employment opportunities during the construction phase, in addition to 300 more jobs during its operational phase.

Hornsea Project One make-up

Hornsea Project One is being constructed on an area of 407km² and will be equipped with 174 Siemens wind turbines rated at 7MW each.

The turbines will be 190m-tall and have a rotor diameter of 178m with a maximum height of 200m to blade tip. They will have a clearance level of 22m above mean high water springs (MHWS).

The project will also involve construction of the world's longest ever offshore windfarm, featuring a high-voltage AC electrical system comprising more than 900km of cables that will transfer the generated electricity to the shore and the national grid.

The site chosen for the development has favourable water depths between 20m and 40m and provides good wind and ground conditions.

The windfarm will also include three offshore wind generating stations, two offshore accommodation platforms, up to five HVAC collector substations that will be connected through inter-array cables of 30kV to 70kV, up to two offshore HVDC converter stations, and an offshore HVAC reactive compensation substation.

Onshore infrastructure for the Hornsea Project One

The onshore infrastructure will comprise a substation, underground cable, core buildings and compounds, low-voltage electricity equipment and communication cables, as well as roads, paths, drainage and landscaping.

The onshore substation, to be based at North Killingholme in North Lincolnshire, will transfer electricity from the offshore windfarm to the adjacent national grid substation.

It is being constructed on a 32,200m² area, and will include transformers, reactors, high-voltage gas-insulted switchgear systems, static VAR compensator (SVC) or static synchronous compensator (STATCOM) and harmonic filters.

Offshore cables will make a landfall at the Horseshoe Point, south of Grimsby, and will be connected to underground onshore cables by means of transition joint bays. The cable route will span 40km underground from the landfall site to the onshore substation of the national grid located in North Killingholme.

Hornsea Project One construction

"At 1.2GW, the project will be the world's biggest offshore wind farm and the first offshore wind farm to have more than 1GW of capacity."

Construction of the onshore facilities began in early-2016 and will continue until 2019. Offshore construction began in January 2018 and is expected to be completed by 2020. The world's first offshore Reactive Compensation Station (RCS) was installed in June 2018.

Offshore installation of foundations is planned to be completed within 24 months. Onshore cables will be installed underground using open-cut trenching techniques, while cables at the landfall will be installed using horizontal directional drilling under the saltmarsh and sea defence.

Jointing bays that will be used to connect the cables will have dimensions of 25m x 6m x 2m, and will be constructed at intervals of 750m to 2.5km.

The world's biggest ever seabed investigation campaign was completed in April 2015 in preparation for the project. It involved 2,800m of seabed cone penetration testing and approximately 5,000m of boreholes on all future wind turbine generators and operational support system positions.

Key players involved

Siemens was selected to supply wind turbines for the project. A £25m ($36.2m) contract was awarded to Balfour Beatty for the construction of the onshore substation. Atkins was selected to provide engineering design services for three offshore substations.

Fugro Geoconsulting was awarded a £13m ($18.8m) contract for conducting a detailed site investigation using Greatship Manisha and Bucentaur, two of its biggest and best-equipped geotechnical vessels.

A2SEA is responsible for the installation of a part of the 174 Siemens 7MW turbines, while CHC Group agreed to provide aviation services for the initial phase of the project. ABB was awarded a $250m contract by DONG Energy to supply a 220kV high-voltage cable system in March 2016.

Babcock International Group secured a contract to build a reactive compensation station for the project in May 2016, while Wärtsilä will supply switchboards and distribution boards for the station.

DONG Energy placed an order with Bladt Industries and Semco Maritime for three substation topsides in May 2016. Bladt will also supply 124 transition pieces under a contract with EEW Special Pipes Constructions (EEW SPC).

EEW Offshore Structures (Britain) (EEW OSB) is in charge of manufacturing 56 transition pieces supplied by Bladt and 30 by EEW SPC. An additional 20 transition pieces are being supplied by Wilton Engineering.

Mech Tool Engineering was contracted by OSB EEW to manufacture suspended internal support structures (SIPS).

DEME subsidiary Tideway received a design and build cable installation contract from DONG Energy for Hornsea Project One, in June 2016. JDR was contracted to supply 242km of subsea power cables for the project.

Royal Boskalis Westminster won a contract to transport and install the foundations for the windfarm in October 2016. DeepOcean 1 UK secured a contract in November 2016 to perform installation and trenching of 93 array cables at the windfarm. Siem Offshore Contractors (SOC) received a contract in the same month to transport and install parts of the inner array grid cable system.

Dragados Offshore secured a contract from DONG Energy to provide four substation jackets for the project. The scope of the contract includes procurement and fabrication of the jackets and piles of three offshore substations and a reactive compensation substation.

LOC Renewables was contracted to provide marine warranty surveying (MWS) services for the project. Seaproof Solutions is on contract to deliver a total of 372 inter-array cable protection systems (CPS).

Spectrum Offshore is responsible to perform survey work on-board the Rix Leopard crew transfer vessel. BD Systems was selected to design, engineer and deliver internal hydrocarbon blast walling and associated doors for the offshore wind facility, in February 2017.

SeaRoc Group received a contract from DONG Energy to provide SeaHub unmanned containerised communications units for the project.

ALE was selected to provide specialist offshore engineering, marine transportation, sea-fastening, load-out and ballasting of approximately 100 transition pieces, while its subsidiary Conbit is responsible to provide specialist offshore engineering services.

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Hornsea Project One, North Sea - Power Technology | Energy News and Market Analysis

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Hornsea Project One is an offshore windfarm proposed by DONG Energy that will be located off the Yorkshire coast within the Hornsea Zone in the southern North Sea. Located in the Humber region, the project is part of a £6bn ($8.7bn) investment to transform the region into a hub for the UK's renewable energy sector.

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BOX SET: 55 English lessons in 55 minutes! Grammar & Vocabulary Mega-class!

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❓ Preposition 'to' + '-ing' or 'infinitive'? - Improve your English with Learners' Questions

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After certain verbs we use the -ing form, and after other verbs we use the infinitive. Sometimes we can use either form and there is no change in meaning. Occasionally we can use either form and there is a change in meaning.
So what's the rule for whether we use the -ing form or the infinitive?

Sorry, there isn't a rule. You have to learn which verbs go with which pattern.

The verbs followed by -ing include enjoy, mind, stop and recommend.
I told him you really enjoy cooking.
Would youmind helping me?
It didn'tstop raining all day yesterday.
Daisyrecommends trying Alfie's tiramisu. Imagine not having pizza! I eat it all the time.
Verbs usually followed by -ing
stop finish imagine suggest recommend avoid mind miss risk enjoy
I thought you could say: ' I recommend that you see that film'?

Yes, you're right, you can. But we're not looking at the more complex patterns with that or an object today.

OK, what about the verbs followed by the infinitive?
She decided to go with Elliot instead.
Iwanted to visit Rome.
Shepromised to take me there.
Iplanned to go to some real Italian restaurants.
She didn'tforget to phone.
The negative is verb + not + infinitive.
They decided not to make pizza.
Here are more verbs that are usually followed by the infinitive:
hope offer fail agree forget manage learn afford arrange ask expect would like decide plan promise want invite
What about the verbs that can be followed by either form?

It started raining. or It started to rain.
Don'tbother waiting for me. or Don't bother to wait for me.

The verbs like, love and hate can be followed by -ing or the infinitive when talking about repeated actions.

I love reading long novels. (British English or American English)
I love to read long novels. (American English)

But when we are talking about situations, we use the -ing form.
Paulo loves living by the beach in Rio.
Do you like working as a waitress?
So, ' I love learning grammar rules' or ' I love to learn grammar rules' are both OK?

Exactly. But there are some more verbs which can be followed by -ing or the infinitive, but the two options have different meanings, for example remember and stop.

I never remember to lock the door, and my mum gets really angry!
(remember + infinitive =remember something and then do it)
I neverremember locking the door, but when I go back and check I always have.
(remember + -ing =remember something you did before)

She stopped smoking three years ago.
(stop + -ing =to not do something any more)
It was hot, so westopped to have a drink. (we stopped walking)
(stop + infinitive =to not do something in order to do something else)

Let's stop to have a rest now.

OK, later on you can try to remember all the patterns.

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Oliver, Daisy and Alfie are at Oliver and Daisy's home. Oliver is upset, so Daisy and Alfie decide to cheer him up.

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After certain verbs we use the -ing form, and after other verbs we use the infinitive. Sometimes we can use either form and there is no change in meaning. Occasionally we can use either form and there is a change in meaning.
So what's the rule for whether we use the -ing form or the infinitive?

Sorry, there isn't a rule. You have to learn which verbs go with which pattern.

The verbs followed by -ing include enjoy, mind, stop and recommend.
I told him you really enjoy cooking.
Would youmind helping me?
It didn'tstop raining all day yesterday.
Daisyrecommends trying Alfie's tiramisu. Imagine not having pizza! I eat it all the time.
Verbs usually followed by -ing
stop finish imagine suggest recommend avoid mind miss risk enjoy
I thought you could say: ' I recommend that you see that film'?

Yes, you're right, you can. But we're not looking at the more complex patterns with that or an object today.

OK, what about the verbs followed by the infinitive?
She decided to go with Elliot instead.
Iwanted to visit Rome.
Shepromised to take me there.
Iplanned to go to some real Italian restaurants.
She didn'tforget to phone.
The negative is verb + not + infinitive.
They decided not to make pizza.
Here are more verbs that are usually followed by the infinitive:
hope offer fail agree forget manage learn afford arrange ask expect would like decide plan promise want invite
What about the verbs that can be followed by either form?

It started raining. or It started to rain.
Don'tbother waiting for me. or Don't bother to wait for me.

The verbs like, love and hate can be followed by -ing or the infinitive when talking about repeated actions.

I love reading long novels. (British English or American English)
I love to read long novels. (American English)

But when we are talking about situations, we use the -ing form.
Paulo loves living by the beach in Rio.
Do you like working as a waitress?
So, ' I love learning grammar rules' or ' I love to learn grammar rules' are both OK?

Exactly. But there are some more verbs which can be followed by -ing or the infinitive, but the two options have different meanings, for example remember and stop.

I never remember to lock the door, and my mum gets really angry!
(remember + infinitive =remember something and then do it)
I neverremember locking the door, but when I go back and check I always have.
(remember + -ing =remember something you did before)

She stopped smoking three years ago.
(stop + -ing =to not do something any more)
It was hot, so westopped to have a drink. (we stopped walking)
(stop + infinitive =to not do something in order to do something else)

Let's stop to have a rest now.

OK, later on you can try to remember all the patterns.

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Oliver, Daisy and Alfie are at Oliver and Daisy's home. Oliver is upset, so Daisy and Alfie decide to cheer him up.

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Look at these examples to see how these verb patterns work.

The bus stopped picking up the children.
The bus stopped to pick up the children. I want to try studying with a friend to see if it helps us stay more motivated.
I'm trying to study but it's impossible with all this noise.

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Grammar test 1

Verbs followed by '-ing' or by 'to' + infinitive 2: Grammar test 1

Read the explanation to learn more.

Grammar explanation

Some verbs have a different meaning depending on whether they are followed by an - ing form or to + infinitive.

Stop + - ing means the action is not happening any more.

I've stopped buying the newspaper because now I read the news online.

Stop + to + infinitive means that someone or something stops an activity so that they can do something else.

He stopped the video to ask the students some questions.

Try + - ing means that you are trying something as an experiment, especially as a possible solution to a problem, to see if it works or not.

Have you tried turning the computer off and on again?

Try + to + infinitive means that something is difficult but you are making an effort to do it.

I'm trying to learn Japanese but it's very difficult.

Remember + - ing and forget + - ing refer to having (or not having) a memory of something in the past.

I remember watching this film before.
I'll neverforget meeting you for the first time in this café.

Remember + to + infinitive and forget + to + infinitive refer to recalling (or not recalling) that there is something we need to do before we do it.

Please remember to buy some milk on the way home.
Heforgot to lock the door when he went out.

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Grammar test 2

Verbs followed by '-ing' or by 'to' + infinitive 2: Grammar test 2

Language level

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Verbs followed by '-ing' or by 'to' + infinitive 2

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Look at these examples to see how these verb patterns work. The bus stopped picking up the children. The bus stopped to pick up the children. I want to try studying with a friend to see if it helps us stay more motivated. I'm trying to study but it's impossible with all this noise.

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Look at these examples to see how the verb forms are used.

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Grammar test 1

Verbs followed by '-ing' or by 'to' + infinitive 1: Grammar test 1

Read the explanation to learn more.

Grammar explanation

A verb can be followed by another verb. The second one usually needs to change into the - ing form or the to + infinitive form. Which form you need depends on what the first verb is.

Verbs followed by the -ing form

When enjoy, admit and mind are followed by another verb, it must be in the - ing form.

I enjoy travelling.
He admittedstealing the necklace.
I don't mindwaiting if you're busy.

Like and love can be followed by the - ing form and the to + infinitive form. They are both correct.

Verbs followed by to + infinitive form

When want, learn and offer are followed by another verb, it must be in the to + infinitive form.

I want to speak to the manager.
She's learningto play the piano.
He offeredto help us wash up.

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Grammar test 2

Verbs followed by '-ing' or by 'to' + infinitive' 1: Grammar test 2

Language level

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Verbs followed by '-ing' or by 'to' + infinitive 1

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Look at these examples to see how the verb forms are used. Try this exercise to test your grammar. Grammar test 1 Verbs followed by '-ing' or by 'to' + infinitive 1: Grammar test 1 Read the explanation to learn more. A verb can be followed by another verb.

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Exercises Explanation Downloads

Gerund or infinitive - verb patterns

Exercise 1

Choose the correct gerund or infinitive form for each gap below.

When to use gerund or infinitive

In the table below, you can see when to use gerund or infinitive.

Verbs that take gerund or infinitive with a change of meaning

Forget

Forget to do something: Used to talk about things that we need to do, and we forget to do them.

Forget doing something: It's normally used in negative sentences. Used to talk about memories, normally about things that we did in the past and that we will not forget.

Remember

Remember to do something: You remember first and then you do something. Used to talk about things we need to do.

Remember doing something: Used to talk about memories. We remember things from the past.

Try

Try to do something: When we try to do something, we make an effort to achieve something that maybe we will or will not accomplish.

Try doing something: Used when we want to achieve something and try something as an experiment to see if it help us achieve what we want. We try a method (one of the many we could try) in order to achieve something.

Stop

Stop to do something: Used when we stop doing an activity so as to start doing a different one.

Stop doing something: It means to finish doing something that we are doing.

Need

Need to do something: It's necessary to do something

Something needs doing: It has a passive meaning. It means that something needs to be done.

Your car needs cleaning. (=Your car needs to be cleaned.)

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Gerund or infinitive - verb patterns - Test-English

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Gerund or infinitive. Verb patterns. Upper-intermediate English grammar. The use of gerunds or infinitives after certain nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.

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Exercises Explanation Downloads

Gerund or infinitive - do, to do, doing

Exercise 1

Choose the correct gerund or infinitive form to complete the sentences below.

When do we use gerund or infinitive?

When we have to use a verb after another verb, or a certain kind of word, we sometimes use an infinitive or a gerund. It often depends on the word that comes before. Here you have a list of the main situations in which we use infinitives or gerunds.

Verbs that take gerund or infinitive with a change of meaning

Forget

Forget to do something: Used to talk about things that we need to do, and we forget to do them.

Forget doing something: It's normally used in negative sentences. Used to talk about memories; normally about things that we did in the past and that we will not forget.

Remember

Remember to do something: Used to talk about things we need to do.

Remember doing something: Used to talk about memories. We remember things from the past.

Try

Try to do something: When we try to do something, we make an effort to achieve something that we maybe will or will not accomplish.

Try doing something: Used when we have an objective and we try something as an experiment to see if it helps us achieve that objective. We try something in order to achieve an objective.

Stop

Stop to do something: Used when we stop doing an activity so as to start doing a different one.

Stop doing something: It means to finish doing something that we are doing.

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We're developing a NEW LEARNING PLATFORM with a subscription plan that includes additional features at an affordable price. One of those features will be PDF downloads.

Learn more!

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Gerund or infinitive - do, to do, doing - Test-English

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Gerund or infinitive - do, to do, doing. Verbs patterns. Verbs followed by infinitive, verbs followed by -ing. English intermediate grammar exercises.

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the sharing economy

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Read a blogpost about the impact of social media influencers in the business world to practise and improve your reading skills.

Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and do the exercises.

It is estimated that about 40 per cent of the world’s population use social media, and many of these billions of social media users look up to influencers to help them decide what to buy and what trends to follow.

So what is an influencer and how do we become one?

An influencer is a person who can influence the decisions of their followers because of their relationship with their audience and their knowledge and expertise in a particular area, e.g. fashion, travel or technology.

Influencers often have a large following of people who pay close attention to their views. They have the power to persuade people to buy things, and influencers are now seen by many companies as a direct way to customers’ hearts. Brands are now asking powerful influencers to market their products. With some influencers charging up to $25,000 for one social media post, it is no surprise that more and more people are keen to become influencers too. If you are one of them, then here are five tips on how to do it.

1. Choose your niche

What is the area that you know most about? What do you feel most excited talking about? Find the specific area that you’re most interested in and develop it.

2. Choose your medium and write an interesting bio

Most influencers these days are bloggers and micro-bloggers. Decide which medium – such as your own online blog, Instagram or Snapchat – is the best way to connect with your followers and chat about your niche area. When you have done that, write an attention-grabbing bio that describes you and your speciality area in an interesting and unique way. Make sure that people who read your bio will want to follow you.

3. Post regularly and consistently

Many influencers post daily on their social media accounts. The more you post, the more likely people will follow you. Also, ensure that your posts are consistent and possibly follow a theme.

4. Tell an interesting story

Whether it is a photo or a comment that you are posting, use it to tell a story that will catch the attention of your followers and help them connect with you.

5. Make sure people can easily find your content

Publicise your posts on a variety of social media, use hashtags and catchy titles and make sure that they can be easily found. There is no point writing the most exciting blogposts or posting the most attractive photographs if no one is going to see them.

Most importantly, if you want to become a social media influencer, you need to have patience. Keep posting and your following will gradually increase. Good luck!

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Discussion

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Read a blogpost about the impact of social media influencers in the business world to practise and improve your reading skills.

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Read a report on millennials in the workplace to practise and improve your reading skills.

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Read an article about the different cultural expectations of a leader to practise and improve your reading skills.

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Have you got the skills you need for the 21st-century workplace? Read about what employers are looking for and test yourself to see if you are prepared!

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Read a scientific article about asteroids to practise and improve your reading skills.

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Listen to the film reviews to practise and improve your listening skills.

Do the preparation task first. Then listen to the audio and do the exercises.

Transcript

Obviously, this is the sequel to Fun in the City, which is a film I didn't like so it's fair to say my expectations were low. So, you could say I wasn't disappointed, as it met my expectations. It was awful! It was so awful, I'd rather not spend any more time on it by talking about it. But, that wouldn't be a film review and I think I owe you all a review to save you wasting your money going to see it.

So, it starts off with this big wedding scene. And, I won't go into why, but the whole scene is just there so they can make this one joke. It's not even a funny joke ... it's just, ah, it's just terrible. It's got nothing to do with the rest of the film. Anyway, it starts there. Then, instead of the characters and the plot staying in New York where the original film was set, one of them wins a ticket to India and decides to take all her friends. It's what directors do when they've run out of ideas … let's take our characters on tour!

Anyway, they gossip, cry and shop, and they repeat this until the end. No real people would ever act like this. I didn't have any sympathy for their problems or even care what happened to them. Don't go and see it, you'll only encourage them to make another sequel. The world doesn't need three of these films. Please save your money and go and see the other big film this week: Twilight Mirror.

So, if you're a fan of the book it's based on, you're probably as excited as I was about this. For everyone else, this is a film fans have been waiting ten years to see. I have to confess, I was a bit nervous. I'd seen the posters and they didn't look right. I didn't love them at all. And I wasn't sure about the actors they cast either. So I went in not sure what to expect. But … I loved it.

One thing I really liked about it was the pace. They went backwards and forwards between the real world and the computer world and it worked really well. The special effects brought the computer world to life and I totally believed in it. But, more than that, I felt emotionally connected to the story and the characters. The whole film worked on so many levels. It reminded me of going to the cinema as a child – how much fun that was. I can't recommend it enough.

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Listen to the film reviews to practise and improve your listening skills.

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Verbs that are followed by other verbs can take either the gerund or the infinitive. A gerund is a verb ending in "ing" that functions as a noun. An infinitive is the basic or root form of a verb, typically preceded with "to." Understanding how these words function is a crucial step in developing your English skills. The following lists of verbs followed by other verbs will help you practice using gerunds and infinitives within simple sentences. Note how the gerund and infinitive verbs ( italicized) are used within the sample sentences.

Verbs Followed by the Gerund

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Learn How to Use Gerunds and Infinitive Verbs in a Sentence

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Improve your language skills and learn to distinguish between gerunds and infinitives with this reference chart for non-native English speakers.

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Find extra listening and reading practice to help you improve your level of English and practise language you can use in everyday situations.

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Here you can find activities to practise your speaking skills. You can improve your speaking by noticing the language we use in different situations and practising useful phrases.

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Reading practice to help you understand simple texts and find specific information in everyday material. Texts include emails, invitations, personal messages, tips, notices and signs.

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Listening practice to help you understand common vocabulary and expressions in short, clear dialogues. Situations include simple explanations, introductions, messages and announcements.

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We use quantifiers when we want to give someone information about the number of something: how much or how many.

Sometimes we use a quantifierin the place of a determiner:

Quantifiers with count and uncount nouns

We can use these quantifiers with both count and uncount nouns:

Quantifiers with count and uncount nouns 1

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Quantifiers with count and uncount nouns 2

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Level: intermediate
These more colloquial forms are also used with both count and uncount nouns:
Level: beginner
We do not normally use the quantifier some in negative and interrogative sentences. We normally use any:

but we can use some for offers and requests:

Quantifiers with count nouns

Some quantifiers can be used only with count nouns:

These more colloquial forms are used only with count nouns:

Quantifiers with uncount nouns

Some quantifiers can be used only with uncount nouns:

These quantifiers are used particularly with abstract nouns such as time, money and trouble:

Quantifiers with count and uncount nouns 3

Quantifiers with count and uncount nouns 4

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Level: intermediate
Members of groups

We put a noun directly after a quantifier when we are talking about members of a group in general:

but if we are talking about members of a specific group, we use of the as well:

Few of the snakes in this zoo are dangerous.
Most of the boys at my school play football.
He's spentall (of) the money that we gave him.
Both (of) the chairs in my office are broken.

Note: with all and both, we don't need to use of. We can say all the ... and both the ... .

both, either and neither

If we are talking about two people or things, we use the quantifiers both, either and neither:

Note that nouns with both have a plural verb but nouns with either and neither have a singular verb.

every and each

There was a party in every street. (= There were parties in all the streets.)
Every shop was decorated with flowers. (= All the shops were decorated with flowers.)
Each child was given a prize. (= All the children were given a prize.)
There was a prize in each competition. (= There were prizes in all the competitions.)

We often use every to talk about times like days, weeks and years:

We do not use a determiner with every and each:

Every shop was decorated with flowers. (NOT The every shop)
Each child was given a prize. (NOT The each child)

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We use quantifiers when we want to give someone information about the number of something: how much or how many.

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Look at these examples to see how these quantifiers are used with countable and uncountable nouns.

I have a few friends, so I'm not lonely.
She hasfew friends, so she's quite lonely.
We've gota bit of time before our train. Shall we get a coffee?
We've gotvery little time before our train. Hurry up!

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Grammar test 1

Countable and uncountable nouns 2: Grammar test 1

Read the explanation to learn more.

Grammar explanation

A few and a bit of or a little mean some. Often we feel this amount is enough or more than we expected. We use a few with plural nouns and a bit of or a little with uncountable nouns.

We use few and very little to show that we are talking about a small amount. Often we feel this amount is not enough or less than we expected. Few is for countable nouns and very little is for uncountable nouns.

Few people came to the meeting.
There arefew places where you can still see these birds.
We havevery little time.
I havevery little money.

Note that you can use little without very, but it is less common and sounds quite formal.

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Grammar test 2

Countable and uncountable nouns 2: Grammar test 2

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Look at these examples to see how these quantifiers are used with countable and uncountable nouns. I have a few friends, so I'm not lonely. She hasfew friends, so she's quite lonely. We've gota bit of time before our train. Shall we get a coffee? We've gotvery little time before our train.

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Look at these examples to see how to use countable and uncountable nouns in a sentence. I'm making a cup of tea. There's some money on the table. Have we got any bread? How many chairs do we need? How much milk have we got? Try this exercise to test your grammar.

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Cheese or cheeses?

Some nouns are usually uncountable, like furniture, accommodation, music and luggage. Some areusually countable, like chair, room, song and suitcase. Most nouns, though, can be either countable or uncountable. It doesn't depend on the noun but on the context, on how it is being viewed.

For example, many nouns for food and drink items such as cheese, water, milk, rice, sugar and butter are normally regarded as uncountable nouns. Nouns like these however can also be countable, particularly when we think of them as different kinds or varieties of a product.
These days supermarkets sell many different cheeses. Demarara, muscovado and caster are some of the different sugars we can use when baking.
Apple or apples?

Fruit and vegetables are normally regarded as being countable as we see them as individual items.

We need to get some apples = Countable

If, however, someone has one apple and is offering you a piece of it, the noun apple becomes uncountable.

Would you like some apple? = Uncountable

Uncountable or countable: does it matter?

Yes. Countable and uncountable nouns have different grammar and are used with different words.

Countable nouns can have plural forms. They can be used with the indefinite article.

Uncountable nouns are normally used with singular forms and can't be used with the indefinite article.

Words and phrases that go with countable nouns
many, a few, a number (of), several, fewer
Words and phrases that go with uncountable nouns:
much, a little, a bit (of), a great deal of, less, amount
Words and phrases that go with both countable and uncountable nouns:
no, none, some, any, a lot (of), plenty (of), lots of, more, quantity
To do

Now why not try a little quiz? All you have to decide is if the noun is countable or uncountable. Easy?

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BBC Learning English - Course: intermediate / Unit 16 / Session 2 / Activity 1

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Some nouns are usually uncountable, like furniture, accommodation, music and luggage. Some areusually countable, like chair, room, song and suitcase. Most nouns, though, can be either countable or uncountable. It doesn't depend on the noun but on the context, on how it is being viewed.

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Learn how to use the words ‘during, for, while’, with our grammar explanation and our three exercises. B1 English grammar.

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Look at these examples to see how adjectives are used with prepositions.

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Read the explanation to learn more.

Grammar explanation

Some adjectives go with certain prepositions. There are no grammatical rules for which preposition is used with which adjective, so it's a good idea to try to learn them together. To help you do this, write new vocabulary in your notebook in a sentence or phrase.

However, there are some patterns that can help you. Let's look at them first. Remember that a preposition is followed by a noun or a gerund (-ing form).

We use at with adjectives like good/ bad/ amazing/ brilliant/ terrible, etc. to talk about skills and abilities.

We often use about with adjectives of feelings like angry/ excited/ happy/ nervous/ sad/ stressed/ worried, etc. to explain what is causing that feeling.

However, sometimes we use of with feelings.

We can use to to show the connection between people or things.

We can also use to to talk about someone's behaviour towards someone else.

Here are some other useful adjectives with prepositions.

She's interested in the project.
They want someone who'sexperienced in design.
I didn't want to getinvolved in the argument.

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Language level

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Do you know how to use adjectives with prepositions like interested in or similar to? Test what you know with interactive exercises and read the explanation to help you.

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Adjective + preposition – dependent prepositions - Test-English

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Some adjectives are usually followed by a preposition. These prepositions are called dependant prepositions. Here you have a summary chart and three tests for you to learn this grammar topic. B1 English grammar exercises.

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Look at these examples to see how prepositions are used after verbs.

Can you wait for me to finish my lunch?
I'm relying on my co-worker to answer all my emails while I'm on holiday.
Sun cream protects you from getting burnt.

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Read the explanation to learn more.

Grammar explanation

When a verb is part of a longer sentence, it is often followed by a specific preposition.

There are no grammatical rules to help you know which preposition is used with which verb, so it's a good idea to try to learn them together. To help you do this, write new vocabulary in your notebook in a sentence or phrase. Here are some common verbs for each preposition.

Verbs with for

They're waiting for a bus.
Heapologised for being late.
Iapplied for the job but I didn't get it.
How do youask for a coffee in Polish?
I can't go out tonight because I have toprepare for my interview tomorrow.

Verbs with from

This spray should protect you from mosquitoes.
Has herecovered from the accident yet?
She won an award because shesaved someone from drowning.
Isuffer from allergies.

Verbs with in

She doesn't believe in coincidences.
Our companyspecialises in computer software.
You have to work hard if you want tosucceed in life.

Verbs with of

I don't approve of hunting animals for their fur.
Our dogdied of old age.
This shampoosmells of bananas.

Verbs with on

Their decision will depend on the test results.
The film isbased on the novel by Boris Pasternak.
If you make so much noise, I can'tconcentrate on my work.
Come on! We'rerelying on you!
We don'tagree on anything but we're still good friends.

Verbs with to

What kind of music do you like listening to?
Can Iintroduce you to my grandfather?
Pleaserefer to the notes at the end for more information.
Nobodyresponded to my complaint.
Sheapologised to me the next day.

Verbs with with

I agree with everything you've said.
My assistant willprovide you with more information if you need it.
We're finding it difficult todeal with the stress.

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Language level

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Look at these examples to see how prepositions are used after verbs. Can you wait for me to finish my lunch? I'm relying on my co-worker to answer all my emails while I'm on holiday. Sun cream protects you from getting burnt. Try this exercise to test your grammar.

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Exercises Explanation Downloads

Verb + preposition - dependent prepositions

Exercise 1

Choose the correct prepositions to complete the sentences below.

Verbs & prepositions - dependant prepositions

Some verbs are usually followed by a preposition before the object of the verb. These prepositions are called dependant prepositions. Check the list of some of the most common of these verbs below.

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Verb + preposition - dependent prepositions - Test-English

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Some verbs are usually followed by a preposition before the object of the verb. These prepositions are called dependant prepositions. Here you have a summary table and three tests for you to learn this grammar topic. B1 English grammar exercises.

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We use many different prepositions for talking about time. Here we are looking at: in, on, at, during and for.
We use in, on and at for lots of different times. Here's a table comparing the uses:

Months: in January / in April
Seasons: in spring / in winter
Years: in 1984 / in 2015
Centuries: in the 20th century
Times of day: in the morning / in the evening
Longer periods of time: in the past / in the 1990s / in the holidays

Days of the week: on Monday
Days + parts of days: on Tuesday afternoon / on Saturday mornings
Dates: on November 22nd
Special days: on my birthday / on New Year's Eve

Clock times: at 7.30 a.m. / at 5 o'clock
Festivals: at Christmas / at Easter
Exceptions: at night / at the weekend

Wow! That's a lot of uses! So I have to learn all those?

Yes, but you probably know most of them, don't you?

Yes, maybe ... Is that all of them? I mean, are there any exceptions?

Well, sometimes we don't use a preposition of time, for example after next/ this/ last/ every.
We go skateboarding every Saturday afternoon.
I'll see you next Friday.
Mm, but I could also say: " I'll see you on Friday."

Oh yes, that's fine too. But we often leave out on with days of the week when we're speaking.
I'll see you Friday.
OK. Now, about dates ... You write " on 8th July " but how do you say that?

Good question! We say " on the eighth of July ".

OK, so I have to remember to say " on THE eighth OF July ".

Exactly.

One last question about in. Can I use it for the future, as in " I'll do it in a minute"?

Yes, that's very common. We use in for talking about something in the future a certain length of time from now.
She'll be back in a moment.
We're going awayin two weeks.
And can I say, " We're going away for two weeks"?

Yes, but the meaning is completely different.
We're going away in two weeks. (= we leave two weeks from now)
We're going awayfor two weeks. (= our holiday will be two weeks long)
Ah, and what about "We're going away during two weeks"?

No, you can't say that. We use for + a length of time, to say how long something goes on for, and during + a noun / noun phrase, to say when something happens.
It snowed for three hours.
It snowedduring the night.
OK, that's a useful rule. But, hang on, I can also say " It snowed in the night".

And: " I did a lot of work in the holidays" or " I did a lot of work during the holidays"?

Yes, you've got the hang of this.

Good, so now I'm going to study for a few hours. I'll see you on Tuesday, in the morning, at about 10 o'clock.

See you at some time during the morning!

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Daisy is at home. She has a note for Sophie from the headmaster ...

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Exercises Explanation Downloads

Prepositions of movement - along, across, over, etc.

Exercise 1

Use the correct prepositions of movement to complete the setnences below.

Prepositions of movement

We use prepositions after verbs to describe the direction of movement. It's common to use these prepositions after verbs that describe movement ( walk, run, come, go, drive, cycle, fly, etc.), although it is also possible to use them after other types of verbs ( We talked over the fence, I looked into the room, etc.) or after nouns ( the path to the beach, the road from Leeds, the way up the hill, etc.)

Get on/off the bus or train, get into/out of the car

We say get in and get out of for a car, taxi, or van, but we say get on or get off for motorbikes and bicycles and for public means of transport, such as a bus, a train or a plane.

Go to work by car= drive to work

When we want to talk about how we go from place A to place B, we can do it in two different ways:

➪ Using by + means of transport (car, taxi, plane, bike, etc.) or using on + foot.

➪ Using a verb of movement ( walk, drive, fly, cycle, etc.) or for public transport, using take + means of transport.

I took a taxi/a bus/a train/etc. to the airport.

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Prepositions of movement - along, across, over, etc. - Test-English

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Prepositions of movement. To, from, into, out of, towards, up, down, round, through, across, etc. A2. Pre-intermediate English grammar and exercises.

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Exercises Explanation Downloads

Next to, under, between, in front of, behind, over, etc.

Exercise 1

Look at the pictures and choose the correct prepositions of place.

Next to, under, between, in front of, behind, over, etc. - Prepositions of place

Next to / beside

Between

In front of

Behind

Opposite

Under

Above / over

Above and over mean 'at or to a higher position'. Over is more common.

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Next to, under, between, in front of, behind, over, etc. - Test-English

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Prepositions of place: next to, under, between, in front of, behind, over, etc. Online grammar exercises with a complete explanation and a grammar chart. A1-A2 English grammar.

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At, in, on - prepositions of place

At

At a point

We use at to refer to a point near something.

At the top of/at the bottom of/at the end of

We use at in the expressions at the top of, at the bottom of and at the end of.

Group activities

We use at to refer to group activities like parties, concerts, and other events.

At + school/university/college

We normally use at with school, university and college.

Be at home/work

We say be at home/at work (without the)

At the shop

We use at to refer to shops, restaurants, cafés, etc.

In

In a 3D space

We use in to refer to a position inside of a three-dimensional space.

In a space with limits

We also use in for areas that have limits or boundaries, like continents, countries, cities, regions, etc.

In a car

In the water

We also use in when something is in the water: in the sea, in the river, in the swimming pool, etc.

In a picture, in a book

We also use in for things that are printed in books, pictures, documents, etc.

On

On a surface

We use on to refer to a position on a surface.

On the first/second/etc. floor

We use on to refer to floors in a building.

On the right/left

We use on in the expressions on the right and on the left.

On the bus/train/plane

We use on when we are using public transport: on the bus, on a train, on a plane, etc.

On TV/the radio/the Internet/a website

We use on when we read, see or learn something in the media.

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At, in, on - prepositions of place - Test-English

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At, in, on - prepositions of place. At the table, in an office, on the beach, etc. A1-Elementary English grammar and exercises.

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Look at this sentence. Should in, on or at go in the gap?

We're meeting __ Saturday night.

We would normally say on Saturday and at night. So should it be on - for Saturday - or at - for night? The answer is:

We're meeting on Saturday night.

We use the preposition on even though there is another time expression afterwards.

Tip 2 - On Christmas morning

Why do you think we use on in this sentence?

What did you do on Christmas morning?

Normally we use at for festivals like Christmas and we use in for parts of the day like the morning, but Christmas Day is actually a specific day, rather than a whole festival, so we use on. Again, we use the preposition on even though there is another time expression afterwards.

Tip 3 - No preposition

Finally, in, at and on are not generally used before the words today, tomorrow and yesterday:

We don't use in, on or at in time expressions with the words this, that, next, last, all, one, each, some and every:

To do

Now, use the information from the whole of this session to answer the questions in this quiz. Good luck!

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BBC Learning English - Course: intermediate / Unit 2 / Session 1 / Activity 3

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Look at this sentence. Should in, on or at go in the gap? We're meeting __ Saturday night. We would normally say on Saturday and at night. So should it be on - for Saturday - or at - for night? The answer is: We're meeting on Saturday night.

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How did you get on? If you didn't get them all right, have another try. And do you know when Misha decided to fly? It was on Friday 3rd April at 7pm.

Next

Well done for completing that quiz. Those time expressions were quite simple - but what about time expressions with two parts - like Saturday morning? Do we say at, in or on? Find out and then do another quiz, next!

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BBC Learning English - Course: intermediate / Unit 2 / Session 1 / Activity 2

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How did you get on? If you didn't get them all right, have another try. And do you know when Misha decided to fly? It was on Friday 3rd April at 7pm. Well done for completing that quiz. Those time expressions were quite simple - but what about time expressions with two parts - like Saturday morning?

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At, in, on - prepositions of time

➪ Use at with times of day, including mealtimes, bedtime, etc.

➪ Use in with months, seasons, years, decades, centuries and long periods of time in general.

➪ Use on followed by days and dates.

➪ Use at in the following common expressions:

➪ Parts of the day:

When we say last, next, every, this we do not use at, in, on.

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At, in, on - prepositions of time - Test-English

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At, in, on - prepositions of time. At Christmas, in the morning, on Saturday, etc. A1-Elementary English grammar and exercises.

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IRREGULAR VERBS: All verbs are born equal...

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IRREGULAR VERBS: All verbs are born equal...

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http://www.englishpage.com/irregularverbs/irregularverbs.html

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http://esl.fis.edu/grammar/verbs/5.htm

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PRESENT SIMPLE and PAST SIMPLE: In what are they different? See this presentation!

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PRESENT SIMPLE and PAST SIMPLE: In what are they different? See this presentation!

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https://prezi.com/lnajhj3yasdd/simple-present-simple-past/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

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http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/simplepastforms.htm

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http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/simplepast.html

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Exercises Explanation Downloads

Past simple - Form and use

Exercise 1

Choose the correct past simple forms to complete the sentences below.

Past simple - Form

Spelling of regular verbs

Past simple - Use

Completed actions in the past

We use the past simple to talk about actions or events that happened in the past. We know or we say when the events happened.

I saw Jim yesterday.

We didn't go out last Saturday. We stayed at home.

She moved to Chester three years ago.

Past habits

We use the past simple to talk about past habits (things that we did more or less often).

She washed her hair every day.

She worked as a nurse.

I often played in the park when we were children.

Situations that were true in the past

We also use the past simple to talk about things that were true in the past.

My grandfather had two brothers.

He lived with my grandparents as a child.

Events in chronological order

We use the past simple to describe the main events of a story in chronological order.

When I arrived home, I took off my shoes and then I relaxed on the sofa

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Past simple – Form and use - Test-English

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Past simple form and use. We use the past simple to talk about completed actions in the past, past habits, things that were true in the past, and to narrate past events in chronological order. English grammar and exercises.

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Exercises Explanation Downloads

Past simple - negatives and questions

Exercise 1

Choose the correct past simple forms to complete the sentences below.

Past simple negatives and questions

We use did and didn't to make negatives, questions and short answers in past simple.

Word order in questions

Remember that the word order in questions is QWASI: (Question Word), Auxiliary (did), Subject, Infinitive.

Infinitive without to

We use did or didn't with the bare infinitive of the main verb (= infinitive without to).

Don't use did in positive sentences

We use did or didn't in negatives, questions and short answers, but NOT in positive sentences.

I went out last night. (NOT I did go out last night.)

Did or was/were?

We use did and didn't (NOT was/wasn't or were/weren't) as the auxiliary verb in negatives and questions in past simple.

Did you do your homework? (NOT Were you do your homework?)

We do NOT use did or didn't in past simple negatives or questions when the main verb is be.

They weren't happy. (NOT They didn't be happy.)

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Past simple – negatives and questions - Test-English

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Past simple – negatives and questions. We use ‘did’ or ‘didn’t’ in past simple negatives and questions. A1 – Elementary English grammar and exercises.

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Past simple regular

We often add -ed to verbs (regular verbs) to make the past simple.

Spelling of regular verbs

When do we double the consonant?

We double the consonant when the verb ends in consonant + vowel + consonant. This is always true when the verb is one syllable.

When the verb is two syllables, we only double the consonant when the STRESS is in the last syllable.

reFER ⇒ referred, preFER ⇒ preferred, reGRET ⇒ regretted

But we do NOT double the consonant when the STRESS is NOT in the last syllable.

VIsit ⇒ visited, ANswer ⇒ answered.

Past simple irregular

Some verb are irregular and they don't add -ed to make the past simple. Some very common irregular verbs are:

Past simple - use

Past finished actions or states

We can use the past simple to talk about past finished actions or states. We know and we often mention when these actions happened with a past time expression: yesterday, yesterday morning, last night, last week, two days ago, five years ago, etc.

Past repeated actions

We can use the past simple to talk about habits or repeated actions that happened in the past but don't happen in the present. We often use adverbs or expressions of frequency ( often, always, every day, etc.).

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Past simple – regular/irregular verbs - Test-English

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Past simple regular/irregular. We add ‘-ed’ to verbs to make the past simple, but some verbs are irregular. A1 – Elementary English grammar and exercises.

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Exercises Explanation Downloads

Was/were - past simple of 'be'

Exercise 1

Choose was/were or am/is/are to complete the following sentences.

Was/were - Form

Was/were

We use was/ were as the past simple forms of be. We use was for I/he/she/it and were for you/we/they.

No positive short forms

The negative short forms of was not and were not are wasn't and weren't, but there are no short forms of was and were in affirmative sentences.

Tom was tired, but Susan wasn't very tired.

Paul and Tom were happy, but we weren't happy.

Was/were - Use

Was/ were are the past forms of am/ is/ are. Present: am/ is = past: was. Present: are = past: were.

I'm happy. ⇒ I was happy. (am ⇒ was)

She is at her office. ⇒ She was at her office. (is ⇒ was)

You are late. ⇒ You were late. (are ⇒ were)

We use was/ were to talk about the past. We often use past expressions of time: yesterday, last night, last week, two months ago, etc.

We use was/ were in the expression was/ were born. The expression be born is always past (NOT present): was/were born.

'Where were you born?' 'I was born in Sweden.' (NOT Where are you born? I am born...)

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Was/were – past simple of ‘be’ - Test-English

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Was/were – past simple of ‘be’. Affirmative, negative and questions. I was, I wasn’t, was I? A1 – Elementary English grammar and exercises.

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The past simple is the most common way of talking about past events or states which have finished. It is often used with past time references (e.g. yesterday, two years ago).
Please explain past events or states!

A past event could be one thing that happened in the past, or a repeated thing.
I stopped at a zebra crossing.
Wecarried on with the test.
Weplayed tennis every day in August.
A state is a situation without an action happening.
We stayed at my grandparents' house last summer.
How do you form the past simple?

Regular past simple forms are formed by adding - ed to the infinitive of the verb.

Yes, but there are some spelling rules. If a verb ends in - e, you add - d.

If a verb ends in a vowel and a consonant, the consonant is usually doubled before - ed.

If a verb ends in consonant and - y, you take off the y and add - ied.

But if the word ends in a vowel and - y, you add - ed.

OK, not quite so easy! But the past simple form doesn't change at all for I, you, he, she, we and they, does it?

No, the form doesn't change. See, it is easy!

What about the pronunciation of the - ed ending?

There are three kinds of pronunciation: /d/, /t/ and /ɪd/. Look at the table below.

Aaagh! How do I know how to pronounce each one?

Good question. Well, really all you need to know is that /d/ is easier to say after arrive, and /t/ is easier to say after ask. For /ɪd/, the infinitive ends in a /d/ or a /t/ sound already so you must add an extra syllable for these verbs.

All right, that makes sense, but how do you form questions and negatives?

With the verb did (do in the past) + the infinitive.

Right, thanks, I've got it now!

Good. But you also need to learn the irregular past simple forms.

You mean there are verbs that don't end in - ed in the past?

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Alfie took his driving test for the second time this morning. Did he pass?

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So how do I know which verbs are regular and which are irregular?

You have to learn them!

Learn them from the list? Oh no!

It's not so bad. There aren't really so many verbs to learn and remember that English is much easier than many languages. The past forms don't change.

I took a taxi to the airport. (take → took)
That was when we spoke. (speak → spoke)
One person gave me his last bar of chocolate. (give → gave)

I see what you mean. I made, you made, he made, she made, it made, we made, they made!

Exactly! They're all the same. And the negatives are all formed with did + not + the infinitive without to. The question forms are very similar: did + subject pronoun + the infinitive without to.
What did you do all day in the airport?
Did you have enough food?
We didn't think you would get home in time for your birthday.
OK, you're right, that's not too bad. Are there any exceptions?

Yes the verb to be. The past form is was for I, he, she and it, but were for you, we and they.

So what about this verb list?

Right, here it is!

Wow! OK, so how do I learn these verbs?

There are lots of things you can try:

Make cards to test yourself - put the infinitive on one side and the past on the other.

Write sentences with different verbs in them. Include some negatives.

Make up stories and record yourself. The story could just be about what you did last weekend.

Do practice activities online. You can start by doing the ones below on this page!

OK, I'm going to start learning them now!

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Sophie has just arrived home after a work trip to the United States which turned into a nightmare.

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Possibility and impossibility

They could come by car. (= Maybe they will come by car.)
They could be at home. (= Maybe they are at home.)

It can be very cold here in winter. (= It is sometimes very cold here in winter.)
You can easily get lost in this town. (= People often get lost in this town.)

Level: intermediate

It could be very cold there in winter. (= It was sometimes very cold there in winter.)
You could easily get lost in that town. (= People often got lost in that town.)

Ability
Level: beginner
We use can and can't to talk about the ability to do something at a specific time in the present or future:
Level: intermediate
We use could have to say that someone had the ability or opportunity to do something, but did not do it:

She could have learned Swahili, but she didn't want to.
I could have danced all night. [but I didn't]

Permission
Level: beginner
We use can to ask for permission to do something:

We use can't to refuse permission or say that someone does not have permission:

Requests

We use could you ... as a polite way of telling or asking someone to do something:

Offers

Suggestions

Questions and negatives

We make questions by putting the subject after can/ could:

The negative form is can't in spoken English and cannot in written English.

The negative form of could is couldn't in spoken English and in written English.

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They could come by car. (= Maybe they will come by car.) They could be at home. (= Maybe they are at home.) It can be very cold here in winter. (= It is sometimes very cold here in winter.) You can easily get lost in this town.

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Hello abdirahman mohamed yousuf, The British Council focuses on the IELTS exam rather than TOEFL.

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Can, could and would for invitations, offers, requests and permission

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Sophie’s in Hong Kong for Chinese New Year. At home it’s cold and Oliver is making soup.