VOA - Lerning English

Learning English, listening news in differents levels.

http://learningenglish.voanews.com/

The guardian

A good newspaper to learn English with a good wide vocabulary.

http://www.theguardian.com

Test your English

Website to prove your level.

http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/test-your-english/

Expressing purpose

There are several different ways of expressing purpose (saying why people do things).

Infinitive with to
I'm writing to thank you for the lovely present you sent.
The negative infinitive, not to do something, cannot be used to express purpose.

In order (not) to + infinitive
She wore dark hat in order not to be recognized.

So as (not) to + infinitive
We set off early so as to avoid the traffic.

So (that) + clause
Future meaning: so (that) + can/will + Infinitive
I'm going to save some money so I can go away on holiday.
I'll take an umbrella so that I don't/won't get wet.
Past meaning: so (that) + could/would + Infinitive
I sat near the front so that I could see the board better.

In case + clause
If we do something to prepare for a possible situation or problem we use in case + present simple/past simple
Future meaning: in case + Present simple
Here are some crisps in case you get hungry later on.
Past meaning: in case + Past simple
He made a copy in case he lost the original.

In case and if
Note the difference in meaning between in case and if:
I'll take my umbrella if it rains. (=I'll take my umbrella only if it is raining when I leave the house.)
I'll take my umbrella in ase it rains. (=I'll take my umbrella as a precaution, even if it isn't raining when I leave the house.)

Adele - Skyfall

Vampire Weekend - Step

Hypothetical situations

Wish and if only
Wish or if only can express how we would like things to be different if we had the power to change them.

Present states
We use wish/if only + past simple to express wishes about present states. Stative verbs such as have, be, know and understand are used.
I wish I was/were smaller.
If only I knew how to play the guitar.

Present actions
We use wish/if only + would when we want something to happen or someone to do something. Active verbs (verbs describing action) are used.
I wish you would turn your music down.
If only this wind would stop blowing.
Wish/if only + would is used if we want to express irritation at other peoples' actions or behaviour.
I wish you would stop speaking.
Wish/if only + past simple can also be used if the actions occurs habitually.
I wish you didn't (or wouldn't) drink so much.

Present ability
Wish/if only + would is used for events which are outside of our control. Consequently, we do not normally say "I wish I would". Instead, we use "I wish I could" to indicate our inability  to change things.
I wish I could remember where I put my keys.

Wishes for the future
Wish/if only + would or could can be used to express wishes for the future. This use of wish suggests that the action will probably not happen.
I wish I could go on holiday with you in winter. (I know that I can't go with you)
If there is more possibility that the action will happen, we use hope.
I hope I can go on holiday with you in winter. (I don't know if I can or not)

Past situations
We use wish/if only + past perfect to express wishes and regrets about the past.
I wish I hadn't left school when I was 15.
The following structures can also be used to express wishes and regrets about the past: Third and mixed conditionals (If I hadn't been so tired, this wouldn't have happened.); Should have + past participle (We should have got the train. This traffic is awful.)

Would rather
We use would rather + past simple when we want someone else to do something in the present or future.
I would rather you start to study now.
If the subject of would rather and the following verb is the same, we usually use the infintive without to.
We would rather sit in the garden than go to the city centre.

It's time 
We use it's (high/about) time + past simple when we want something to happen or be done now. It implies that the action should have been done already.
It's time you went to the Hospital. 

Expressing ability

Can and be able to
Can and be able to are both used to express ability. However, can only has present tense (can) and past tense (could) forms. If another form of the verb is required, be able to is used.
Present: She can/is able to speak two languages.
Past: She could/was able to read when she was three.
Infinitive: I'd like to be able to run.
Present perfect: She's never been able to save money.
Will future: He'll be able to drive when he passes his test.

Present ability
We use can or be able to to talk about present abiity. Be able to is more formal than can.
The negative form of can is can't or cannot. To form the negative of be able to, not is used before able. You can also use be unable to.
Many of my relatives aren't able/are unable to pronounce the word "taught" correctly.
Be capable of + gerund can also be used to express ability. It means to have the ability, capacity or potencial to do something.
The team has some excellent players and is capable of winning the championship.
The negative form be incapable of + gerund can be used or not can be placed before capable.
He is incapable/isn't capable of looking after himself.

Past ability
When we talk about general ability in the past, both could and was/were able to are possible.
He could paint really well when he was a child.
Bill wasn't capable of making toast without burning it.
When we talk about ability to do something on one occasion in the past, could is not possible. Instead, was/were able to, managed to + infinitive or succeeded in + gerund have to be used.
We managed to/were able to speak to Bill last night.
However, could can be used for ability on one occasion when it is used with verbs of the senses: see, smell, feel, hear, taste, sense.
I knew my husband has arived; I could smell his perfume.
When we talk about inability to do something on one occasion in the past, couldn't, weren't/wasn't able to, didn't manage to and didn't succeed in are all possible.
I couldn't do the homework last night; it was too difficult.

Verbs followed by preposition + gerund

These verbs can be followed by for + gerund:
apologize, blame, arrest, praise, forgive, punish, tell off, thank
Have you apologized to Sam for breaking her pen?

These verbs can be followed by from + gerund:
stop, prevent, discourage
His parents prevented him from leaving the town.

Congratulate and insist are followed by on + gerund.
She insisted on paying for the drink.

Warn can be followed by against + gerund.
We tried to warn her against driving in the snow.
Warn can also be used with of or about + noun.
Posters have been put up warning people of the dangers of smoking.

Benefits of Learning Languages – Infographic

Source: http://kaplaninternational.com/blog/learning-languages/

Countable and Uncountable nouns

Countable nouns are nouns which can be counted.
one plate, two cars, six tables

Uncountable nouns cannot be counted. They aren't used with the indefinite article (a/an), they don't have a plural and they are used with a singular verb form.
Can you get some water?
A lot of damage was done to the monument.
The following nouns are usually uncountable: graffiti, weather, luggage, furniture, travel, knowledge, work, English, information, damage, research, homework, advice, progress, health, news.

Nouns which are both countable and uncountable.
- Many words for drink and food can be used both countably and uncountably.
I've made a cake. (C)
Can I have some more cake? (U)
- A word used countably may have a very different meaning from its countable version.
I would like a single room for two nights. (C) (=hotel room)
There's no more room on this bus. (U) (=space)

Making uncountable nouns countable.
- Some uncountable nouns have countable equivalents with similar meanings.
My job involves a lot of business travel. (U)
I have to make a lot of business trips. (C)
- Some other uncountable nouns can be made countable by using piece/s of or item/s of.
Let me give you a piece of advice.
- Certain other expressions are used with words for drink and food: a corton of milk, a spoonful of salt, a loaf of bread.

Others
- Words used with countable nouns: a/an, few, a few, many, a large number of, each, every, several.
- Words used with uncountable nouns: little, a little, much, a great deal of.
- Words used with countable and uncountable nouns: some, any, a lot of, lots of, no, all, plenty of, most.

Little and Few
These two words have more negative meanings. They mean "not much/many" or "not as much/many as desired/expected".
Sue has made little progess since the beginning of the week.
There were very few people at the stadium. 

A little and A few
These have more positive meanings. They mean "some" or "more than expected".
I have still got a few eggs. Enough to make an omelette.

Plenty of
This means "a lot of" or "more than enough".
Do not hurry. We have got plenty of time.

All and Whole

WHOLE

It's usually followed by singular nouns which can be counted, singular countable nouns. 

For instance: The whole car, the whole month, the whole world

!!! Before place names we usually use “THE whole OF”.

For instance: The whole of Barcelona, The whole of America

ALL 

It's usually followed by plural nouns and by nouns that cannot be counted, uncountable nouns. 

For instance: All the children, all the people, all the dialogue

!!! Be careful with the word order: "ALL the" "The/A WHOLE"

WHOLE and ALL 

They are sometimes possible in some common time expressions. Also with some words depending on the sense you want to give them.

Examples of time expressions: All the week / The whole week. All the morning / The whole morning. All the life / The whole life

Examples of some words and expressions. ALL THE it means the contents. THE WHOLE it means the continent: All the office (the people working within the office) / The whole office (it means the building)

!!! ALL almost never loses “the”. For instance ALL Europe.

More info:
http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=whole
http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=all

David Bowie - Where are we now?