Extended and Extensive

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   

          favourites.

          South Park features an extended episode for Christmas.    

On the other hand, extensive means large in amount or scale.

    

For example:

The fire last night has caused extensive damage.
          This store offers an extensive range of variety of merchandise.

Notes:

Extended (adj.)     spread, longer and wider than expected
Extensive (adj.)     large in amount or scale

Exercise: Extended or Extensive

Directions:  Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words.

1. The sky train will be ________ to the new airport.
2. London underground network is ________. It covers a huge area of Greater London.
3. John has an ________ collection of rare DVD. He owns an ________ version of the Titanic, which is almost four hours long.
4. Mary’s long hair is not real. She got it ________ last week.
5. All newspapers run an ________ cover of the riot.
6. We can take a long vacation. I have got an ________ holiday leave from work.
7. His ________ pool of knowledge is depthless.
8. Due to overwhelming interests received, the discussion session has been ________ to last a whole afternoon.

Gather and Collect

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 in the wood.

          He gathered all his strength before aiming at the target.

She quickly gathered her clothes which were scattered on the floor.

‘To collect’ has similar meaning to the verb ‘to gather’. It can mean 1) to come together or to assemble and 2) to bring something together.

For example:

         

          The crowd soon collect at the scene.

His job is to collect the empty glasses and dirty dishes from the dinning room.

The workmen are collecting strawberries for the delivery.

          The children went off to collect some flowers in the wood.

         

          We also use ‘to collect’ in the sense of obtaining specimens of something as a hobby.

For example:

          He used to collect matchboxes and beer cans.

The children collect stamps and exchange ones they don’t like with other kids.

Hanged and Hung

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 someone by hanging        

Hang--hung--hung           = to attach something and other meanings

Exercise: Hanged and Hung

Directions: Complete the sentences with the words that best fit the context. Make sure you use the correct forms of the verbs.

1. I feel so embarrassed that I will go home and _______ myself under the windowpane.

2. Edith _______ up the Christmas lights on the tree.

3. Her son likes the angel _______ on the window.

4. In the Wild West, cattle thieves used to be _______.

5. You can _______ your coat on the hook by the door.

6. _______ was a legal form of punishment in many states throughout America.

7. Why don’t you _______ your laundry in front of the heater so that your clothes dry more quickly?

8. Let me be _______ if I ever lied to you.

Hope and Wish

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 had said. (It's impossible to turn back time).

We wish we wouldn't have to work on Saturdays. (But we have to).

* Like in untrue conditions, we use ‘were’ with every subject.

Note:

Hope   = possible to happen (used with normal tenses

               depending on the time frame)

Wish    = unlikely to happen (used with past tense or more

               past)

Exercise: Hope and Wish

Directions: Complete the sentences with the appropriate word.

1. I _______ today were Friday.

2. We _______ we could afford a vacation abroad.

3. I _______ that one day you will understand.

4. He _______ he had more time for his daughter.

5. We _______ that Jane will do well in her exams.

6. We all _______ we didn’t have to work hard.

7. I _______ I will see you soon.

8. I _______ I could be there right now.

Lie, Lie and Lay

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.

For example:

She lays his book on the table.
He laid his hand on my shoulder. (past tense)
They have just laid the carpet on the floor. (present perfect)

Another verb that makes this pair even more confusing (or is it confused?) is to lie. To lie means not to tell the truth. The past form is lied and the past participle is lied. It is an intransitive verb.

For example:

Women above the age of 25 start to lie about their age.
Everyone has to lie sometimes. Some of the lies are called white lies because we lie in order not to hurt other people's feelings.
Bob lied to the police about his car.

Note
lie lay lie	lay laid lied	lain laid lied	(intransitive verb) (transitive verb) (intransitive verb)	= to stay flat on the surface = to put = to tell a lie

Exercise: Lie/ lie/ lay

Directions: Choose the correct verbs to fill in the sentences. Make sure that you use the right tenses.

1. Nobody will trust you if you _______ often.

2. He fell in love with her the moment he _______ his eyes upon her.

3. I have a headache and need to _______ down for a moment.

4. She is _______ awake in bed.

5. Wet cement was _______ on the road.

6. It's not a good idea to _______ to your mother. She always knows.

7. Books _______ around on the floor.

8. _______ your sweater on the table and let it dry.

Answers:
1. Nobody will trust you if you lie often.

        (not tell the truth, present tense)
2. He fell in love with her the moment he laid his

        eyes upon her.

        (put, past tense)
3. I have a headache and need to lie down for a

        moment.

        (stay flat, present tense)
4. She is lying awake in bed.

        (stay flat, present continuous tense)
5. Wet cement was laid on the road.

        (put, past participle in passive voice)
6. It's not a good idea to lie to your mother. She

        always knows.

        (not tell the truth, present tense)
7. Books lie around on the floor.

        (stay flat, present tense)
8. Lay your sweater on the table and let it dry.

        (put, present tense imperative)

Comfortable and Convenient

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, saving time and effort