English learning

Once again adjective forms of the same word cause confusion. The verb ‘to extend’ means to spread, to prolong or to enlarge . Therefore, if something is extended , it is spread or prolonged . For example: Bob asked the professor if the deadline for his paper could be    extended .           Extended family is traditionally the core structure of Thai society.            If you pay your bills on time, your credits will be extended .           Extended can also mean longer or wider than expected . For example:           We had extended conversation about the third quarter budget           review.           The new CD contains the extended version of our old      ...

Gather and Collect There are several verbs that show the action of bringing something together. To use them correctly, one must learn the difference in the meaning of each word.           ‘To gather’ can be either transitive or intransitive. As an intransitive verb, it means to come together in one place. For example: We had a Thai-styled dinner, with the whole family gathering around in a circle. Everyone in the office gathered in the conference room to hear his speech. Please gather around over here before we board the bus.           ‘To gather’ can also mean to collect something from a wide area or to bring something together . For example:           The workmen are gathering strawberries for the delivery.           The children went off to gather some flowers ...

Hanged and Hung Hanged and hung are both past participle forms of the verb to hang . However, they have different meanings. This is not the case of American and British usage. The past and past participle form of the verb to hang is hung (hang-hung-hung) . One meaning is to attach something with a rope or to stick something , let's say, on a wall. For example: The pictures of their ancestors are hung on the wall. Please hang up the towel so that they dry properly. This morning, you hung your wet socks in the bathroom. The coats are hung on the hook on the door. We use hanged as past and past participle of to hang when it means to kill someone by tying a rope around the neck of the person . For example: Up to the earlier the twentieth century, thieves had been hanged . He hanged himself last night after his wife left him. Witches in the medieval period were either burnt or hanged . Note: Hang--hanged--hanged   = to kill som...

Hope and Wish Hope and wish are used to express your expectation. Their meanings and usage are slightly different. When you want something, which is possible or probable to happen , we use hope . For example: I hope I will get a good job after I graduate. She hopes her father gets better soon. We all hope that our school team will win the game. They hope the test results won't be too bad. We use wish with something which is not true. We would like something to happen but it is rather unlikely that it will be so . Since it is not true, we use past tense or more past with wish . For example: I wish I had an umbrella. If I did, I wouldn't get wet. (I don't have an umbrella with me right now). I wish I knew that you were coming. I would have prepared more food. (I don't know you were coming). I wish I were free. I would like to go with you. (I'm not free; therefore, I can't go). He wishes he could take back what he ha...

Lie, Lie and Lay Learning three forms of a verb is challenging even for a native speaker, let alone words that look and sound similar. We often get to lie and to lay mixed up with each other because the past form of the verb to lie is ' lay ' which is the same as the base form of the verb to lay .            To lie means to put your body in a flat or a resting position . The past form (Verb 2) is lay and past participle (Verb 3) is lain . It is an intransitive verb. An intransitive verb doesn't need an object. For example: Tom usually lies in bed all morning on Sundays. His body lies on the ground next to his wife. He lay on the grass enjoying the sunshine. (past tense) The book lay open on her table. Julia has lain in bed all day. (present perfect tense) To lay means to put . The past form is laid ; and the past participle, laid . To lay is a transitive verb. It needs an object. You need to lay something . ...

Thai students usually get ‘convenient and comfortable’ mixed up. They have similar meanings. Comfortable means giving comfort or ease. It is used to describe something relaxing. The noun of ‘comfortable’ is comfort . The new sofa is comfortable. Staying in a hotel is sometimes more comfortable than staying with a relative. (It can also be convenient.) I don’t need to move. I’m quite comfortable here. Most people want to be rich and dream of a comfortable life. (comfortable = free from worrries) Something that is convenient makes your tasks or life easier. It facilitates your action. It saves time and effort. The noun is convenience . Mobile phones make life more convenient. (not comfortable) It’s convenient to live in a city because everything is within reach. It’s not convenient for him to come all the way over here. Note: Comfortable (adj.)    = giving comfort, relaxing Convenient (adj.)     = causing no trouble, s...