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A daily dose of new English words, grammar and phrases to speak fluently. Bot: @EnglishTipsandTools_bot
☠️👽 - a 'zombie rule': 'no split infinitives'
Splitting infinitives is not a terrible grammar crime.
Star Trek: "to boldly go where no man has gone before"
#Grammar
⚪️ - wish + past perfect
🔘 - if only + past perfect
#Grammar
- raiment (noun) /ˈreɪmənt/ - literary 👮👚👔👗🕺💃👨🌾
= clothes; clothing; garments; apparel; attire
~ The prince exchanged his silken raiment for the pauper's humble homespun.
#Vocabulary
🥊 - contend with sy / sg - a lot to contend with
= to have to deal with a problem or with a difficult situation or person
~ He's had a lot to contend with recently.
#idiomatic_expressions
⛵️ - to show oneself in one's true colours / to show one's true colours
The term 'false colours' today refers to intentional deception, and 'true colours' indicates straightforwardness or honesty.
⛵️ - sail under false colours ☠️
= to pretend to be something that one is not; disguise one's true nature or intentions
~ Lewis was sailing under false colours - he never told her he was a journalist.
- to conserve energy /kənˈsɜː(r)v/ /ˈenə(r)dʒi/
- conserve (verb)
= to keep and protect from waste, loss, or damage; preserve
~ I'm not being lazy - I'm just conserving my energy/strength for later.
▶️ - stumble across / on / onto / upon sg/sy = come across
~ I stumbled across / on / upon this book by chance. 📚📗📕📘
#idiomatic_expressions
😁😎
◽️◻️⬜️ - the letter of the law
◾️◼️⬛️ - the spirit of the law / rule / an agreement, etc
#idiomatic_expressions
🆘 - less - lesser 🆘⚒🔨🔧
- the lesser of two evils ✔️
- the less of the two evils ✔️
- the least of the five evils ✔️
#Grammar
▫️◽️◻️ 🔳 - malapropism (noun) /ˈmæləprɒpˌɪz(ə)m/
~ I'm tired of everybody taking me for granite. ➡️ [taking me for granted]
#Vocabulary
⚪️ - kick back - phrasal verb
= to stop doing things and relax
~ Kick back and enjoy the summer.
#Vocabulary
#idiomatic_expressions
🆚 - 'one of them' vs 'one of which' 🆚
#Grammar
- contend with somebody / something
"We've got to contend with vortexes and light speeds!" 😁😎
#idiomatic_expressions
⛵️⚪️⚫️ - to show oneself in one's true colours / to show one's true colours
#idiomatic_expressions
⛵️🌕🌑 - to show oneself in one's true colours / to show one's true colours
#idiomatic_expressions
▶️ - sine qua non (of/for sg) (noun) /ˌsɪni kwɑː ˈnɒn/ - formal
= a necessary condition without which something is not possible
~ An interest in children is a sine qua non of teaching.
#Vocabulary
🆚 - travel (verb, noun) vs. trip (verb, noun) 🆚
#Grammar
🐎🏃🏃♀️
✴️ - run into - phrasal verb
✳️ - come across - phrasal verb
#idiomatic_expressions
⚖️⚖️⚖️
◽️◻️⬜️ - the letter of the law
◾️◼️⬛️ - the spirit of the law / rule / an agreement, etc
#idiomatic_expressions
😈👿 - the lesser of two evils
= the less unpleasant or harmful of two possible choices
~ He’s convinced the voters that he is the lesser of two evils.
#idiomatic_expressions
☀️ - phrasal verbs - summer fun ☀️
1️⃣ - kick back
2️⃣ - crack up
3️⃣ - goof around
4️⃣ - hang out
#Vocabulary
#idiomatic_expressions
⚫️ - kickback (noun) /ˈkɪkˌbæk/ - SYN bribe (noun) /braɪb/
= money paid illegally to somebody in return for work or help
~ The kickbacks were disguised as personal low-interest loans.
#Vocabulary
✳️ - 'All of which' in a Modifying Clause
🆚 - 'all of them' vs 'all of which' 🆚
#Grammar