If you know these 10 English grammar rules, your English is incredible!
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- Опубліковано 23 сер 2024
- Find your FREE LESSON GUIDE & PRACTICE below
Read the free grammar guide in the description below as you watch this advanced English grammar lesson. Then, attempt the tasks at the bottom of the description. Share your answers to the practice task in the comments and Rupert will give you feedback! This will help you develop your advanced English grammar so that it reaches a C1 English or C2 English level.
(For a full grammar course, take my *Perfect English Grammar course*. It has 41 HOURS of my teaching: bit.ly/Perfect...)
GRAMMAR GUIDE
10) LET ALONE
This introduces an extra noun or phrase which is very unlikely to be true because the item in the previous clause isn’t true either, despite being more likely to be true.
EXAMPLES:
“We haven’t decided what to do today, let alone tomorrow!”
“I’m too nervous to speak on stage, let alone sing!”
*NOTE: It always follows the clause it relates to. It can end a sentence, or it can be followed by a clause giving:
- further explanation: “I’m too nervous to speak on stage, let alone sing, because I am shy.”
- exceptions: “I can’t read, let alone write, apart from when I’m wearing my glasses.”
9) HAVE YOU
This means another person arranges for you to be in a certain situation.
EXAMPLES:
“They would have you working all day”
“We might have you doing other jobs than what you are used to”
*NOTES:
- “Have you” can be followed by an adjective, too: “Don’t worry; I’ll have you safe in seconds”.
- “Make you” is similar but is more direct in the connection between the object’s action and the effect on the object e.g. “I’ll make you work” means “I will use my own force”, whereas “I’ll have you work” means “I will ensure the situation happens, but I may use other methods apart from my own force”.
8) FAILING THAT
This means “if that doesn’t work”. It works in a similar way to conjunctions such as “Otherwise”.
EXAMPLES:
“Try the red key. Failing that, call a locksmith.”
“Shout to get her attention. Failing that, send someone over to her.”
7) I CAN’T BE DOING WITH
This is an informal phrase meaning “I don’t want to deal with” + object.
EXAMPLE:
“Do we have to complete this long form? I can’t be doing with that.”
*NOTE: The phrase can be followed by a verb in the “ing” form e.g. “I can’t be doing with putting the rubbish out every Friday”
6) SO AS NOT TO
This means “in order for this not to happen”. It is followed by a verb infinitive, and introduces a main clause which outlines the required behaviour for the “so as not to” phrase to be fulfilled.
EXAMPLE:
“So as not to disturb anyone, she left quietly”
*NOTE: The clauses can be reversed without a comma e.g. “She left quickly so as not to disturb anyone”
5) NEEDS MUST
This forms a short clause meaning something is necessary in order to fulfil basic living needs. Grammatically, “needs” takes the role of the subject, and “must” takes the role of the subject.
EXAMPLES:
“I don’t want to do the cooking, but we need to eat, so needs must”
“I’m working overtime because needs must!”
*NOTE: The clause is never followed by an object e.g. “Needs must money”, but could be followed by a prepositional phrase or other adverbial in some circumstances e.g. “Needs must at the moment.”
4) MONEY = SINGULAR VERB
Grammatical subjects that involve money, distances and time are usually considered to be singular, even when describing a quantity which is more than one.
EXAMPLE:
“Three dollars is a lot of money”
*NOTE: When referring to individual amounts that make up the full amount, the verb becomes plural again e.g. “These three coins are very special to me”
3) WERE HE
This is an inversion of “if he were”, with no change in meaning.
EXAMPLE:
“Were he to understand the puzzle, he would finish it easily”
2) WHERE ARE YOU AT / WHERE ARE YOU TO
“Where are you at” means “at what point in the process are you currently?”
“Where are you at with your exam preparations?”
In contrast, “where are you to” is used in some dialects of English meaning “what is your location?”
“Where are you to?” “I’m in a nearby town.”
1) LOOKING FORWARD TO + ING FORM
When this phrase is followed by a verb, this verb takes the “ing” form e.g. “I am looking forward to flying on a plane.” This is an exception to the rule that “to” should not be followed by “verb+ing”.
EXAMPLE:
“We’re looking forward to our holiday”
NEXT, try the PRACTICE TASK
The sentences below have a gap which can be filled by one of the phrases from 1-10 above. Which phrase completes the sentence in each gap? Write your answers in the comments and Rupert will give you feedback!
i. ______________ studying for an exam at the moment. I just want to have fun!
ii. I haven’t got the time to take a day off, _______ a whole week!
iii. I wish I could take a day off, but _______ in my current situation.
iv. If there is a bus, take that. __________, take a taxi.
v. ________________ with the holiday? Have you decided to go or not?
![[UA] Team Vitality проти NAVI | IEM Cologne 2024](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wttO1zVRTC0/mqdefault.jpg)
This video covers many exceptions to common grammar rules. To be advanced in your English grammar, you need to know these exceptions. I hope you enjoy it 😀
Some of these do not exist in Australian English at all. I have not read them in newspapers, novels or academic papers.
I think in some cases you are confusing phrases from English eegional dialects with mainstream English.
An uncommon idea, an uncommon teaching! You have chosen the exact rules for us to learn. I appreciate your effort.
Thanks so much, that's a really kind comment! Best wishes Rupert 🙂
At 48 years age, I'm so relieved to hear that my English is "almost" perfect 🥳
It certainly is - I can tell from the way you wrote that sentence 😀 Thanks for commenting!
@@EnglishwithRupert My pleasure 🤗🙏🏻🙋🏼♀️🇹🇷
@@EnglishwithRupert In this video you show the nice side, but why not talk about the dark side too?
You look beautiful. .!
🙏🏻
These are not grammar rules..
These are merely lexical meanings of certain expressions.
But they are surprising because they are exceptions to common grammar rules. Hence, they should be taught alongside grammar rules, not merely as vocabulary.
@@EnglishwithRupert Well it's a matter of opinion.
However, as someone who has mastered English as a foreign language I happen to disagree.
@@SashaB11910G Well done on mastering English 👍🙂
I suppose that you are being ironic, but that’s OK. The thing is - when studying a foreign language the less rules you have to memorize - the better off you are. Cheers.
@@SashaB11910G Not ironic at all - I'm genuinely impressed with anyone who can reach such a high level in a second language. There is definitely truth in what you say about rules getting in the way of developing spoken fluency and communicative competence, although this is not the case for writing, where a high level of accuracy can be vital in certain situations e.g. lawyer reports, medical reports, business promotions etc.
Wow, non native speakers would be happy after this session.
That's good to hear! Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂
I do love your lecture. I could catch their meanings through the given contexts clearly.😊😊
That's great to hear! Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂
good job teacher. short and sweet is better than . long videos could be a bit a bitter pill to swallow.
Thanks Manuel! I'm glad you enjoyed it, and I appreciate the feedback 🙂
Dear Rupert, will you please accept my gratitude. Your lesson is so informative and unique
I definitely accept your gratitude! Thank you so much :)
You are dedicated English teach. I am fond of your lessons
It makes me so pleased to hear you are enjoying my lessons :)
For your examples #7 and #5, I would posit that those are British idioms or colloquialisms. I can't recall ever hearing either expression in the States. There is certainly nothing wrong with giving those examples here, but anyone preparing to come to the States should expect that we wouldn't immediately recognize those expressions.
Example #3 is a form of the subjunctive, which is an entire lesson in its own right. The English subjunctive is rare and convoluted, but this is an excellent example of it.
That is a very fair point, and was the reason I put a British flag on the thumbnail. Thanks for watching and commenting :)
I am Australian and am in the US at the moment and I actually heard an African-American man this morning, say “can’t be doing with this”.
The only coach that is enriching my English language, thank you massively 😌
I'm so glad to hear these videos are making a difference. Best wishes Rupert
All Is Excellent. Thank you for helping!
I really appreciate Teacher Rupert ❤️😊🙏
Thanks so much! I hope you are well. Rupert
@@EnglishwithRupert Thanks so much!
I am feeling a bit under the weather. I haven't been for a couple of weeks. Now I feel much better. I believe I am healthy.
Answers
1) They would have you studying for an exam at the moment. I just want to have fun!
2) I haven't got the time to take a day off, let alone a whole week!
3) I wish I could take a day off, but so as not to in my current situation.
4) If there is a bus, take that. failing that, take a taxi.
5) Where are you at with the holiday? Have you decided to go ro not?
❤️😊🙏
I have to corrected the sentences according to the teacher's advice.
1) I can't be doing with studying for an exam at the moment. I just want to have fun!
2) I haven't got the time to take a day off, let alone a whole week!
3) I wish I could take a day off, but needs must in my current situation.
4) If there is a bus, take that. Failing that, take a taxi.
5) Where are you at with the holiday? Have you decided to go ro not?
❤️😊🙏
It's good to hear you're feeling better! Great answers to the task! 1) yes, this is a possible answer (even though I intended "I can't be doing with" to be the answer). 2, 4 and 5 are correct. 3) is actually "needs must". That's a brilliant effort! 🙂
Great, teacher! Thank you for such a marvellous class!
That's so kind. Thank you! I'm glad it was useful 😀
You are a very sincere teacher. I appreciate the notes in the description. Great video, BTW.
Thanks for your kind words 🙏😀
Nice! The only way to get to grips with this idiomatic form of speech in any language is to read books and listen. As a teacher I have always insisted on reading, reading and reading.
That's certainly a good idea 🙂
Very refreshing. Some of them ate new to me. Thank you
I'm really glad you enjoyed it 😁
subscribed. Half of these grammar rules are completely new to me.
Hi Realpaoz! I am glad that you learnt something new in this video. It is always my hope that people will learn new things every time they watch one of my videos. Best wishes Rupert :)
I’m looking forward to learning more from your next videos. Thanks, teacher Rupert!
Thanks for telling me that, Mr Loverman - I'm glad you're enjoying my videos!
… wouldn’t that “to” be a preposition and thus all verbs following it require “ing”?
Excellent, immaculate presentation🎉🎉🎉
That's so kind of you! Thanks for commenting 🙂
thanks a lot Sir Rupert, fantastic grammar points to have in mind. Stay well and regards fro m Trujillo _ Peru.
I appreciate the comment! All the best Rupert 🙂👍
Just one thing you need to remember. There are NO points of grammar in this presentation. The "examples" here are simply a personal perception of how the creator expect a learner to use English as opposed to actual rules within the English language.
I know 8 of 10 phrases you explained here, dear Teacher. Finally, I know the 10 phrases. Thanks so much for the explanation. 👍🙏 12:07
My goal is that people will learn something new in every video, so I'm glad you found something new in this one! All the best Rupert 🙂
I'm not a genius but I've reached a good level of English.
I've thoroughly enjoyed your lesson. Were I to decide to subscribe to an English course online it would definitely be yours.
- I can't be doing with
- let alone
- Needs must
- Failing that
- Where are you at
Thank you
Thanks for that lovely comment! Oh, and your sentence starting "Were I" was excellent :)
Great lesson. Were I to need to learn English I would most certainly take your course. I will also recommend it to my French friends who are struggling to learn English. As it happens, I did know all your exceptions, 'though I hardly believe my English is incredible. That said, I was raised in Yorkshire. So I can say I speak Tyke incredibly well!
Thanks for commenting, Tim!
That's what's called excellent teaching! You're a great teacher. I think "needs must" and "can't be doing with" are basically Briticisms. "Needs must" comes from the saying "needs must when the Devil drives." And I've noticed some younger speakers say "I can't with" dropping the verb altogether from the phrase "can't be doing with." Or is "can't with" a new one with a different meaning?
Thanks for the kind words! You may be right about the "Briticisms"; certainly, "can't be doing with" is fairly colloquial. I must admit I haven't heard "I can't with", but I will look into it - I presume you are right and it's a new phrase that's coming into fashion :)
Hi Rupert, I wonder why everyone in England today say in the past tense 'while I was sat' or 'I was sat at the bus stop when ....'. I live abroad and watch a lot of English TV ( which is, incidentally, the best anywhere). I hear it all the time and wonder what's happened to the 'ing' form. Maybe you've never noticed but I certainly have. Thanks a lot for your great lessons.
I think you've made a good point! It's as if "sat" has become one of those participles which get used as an adjective. I guess the shift is from a focus on the activity to a description of the situation. Just an educated guess 😁
Heard it again on BBC's Morning Live before the match.
'I'm going to watch it sat at home'. What's wrong with these adult educated people I ask myself. They say languages change but this takes the biscuit. Shame.
The reason why English people use the past tense in this way is because noone corrects the error so it becomes normal to make this error. The past tense is already conveyed in the use of the word "was" and therefore "sitting" is the correct term to use.
Shouts out at me like a sore thumb. 😮
@@yann664 Why do Experts always defend language mistakes?
m.ua-cam.com/video/I6duEGj04Mg/v-deo.html
It's so helpful. Thank You so much ❤❤❤
I'm so glad you found this helpful, Sophie!
These are more expressions than grammar rules
In some ways yes, but they are all accompanied by grammatical quirks, which make them of grammatical as well as lexical interest 🙂
I am so happy that I know half of them (let alone _ were she __looking forward ---ing_so as not to__ )yet hardly do I use them😂 .this is why I didn't write I am familiar with them instead of I know them . the other new items are even easier to understand and apply in everyday language .
Thank you ever so much .
I enjoyed every second of your amazing lesson .
By the way I owe you online English teachers most of my knowledge of English .
Finally I would like to have my mistakes corrected if there are any , including punctuation, if it is possible ,please .
It's wonderful to know that this video has been useful to you. Thanks for letting me know! With punctuation, it's worth remembering that we don't normally leave a space between the end of a word and the punctuation mark (comma, full stop, etc). Have a great weekend! Rupert :)
In the phrase "I am looking forward to seeing you" "to" is not a particle of an infinitive but is a preposition of direction, like in "go to school", I dare presume
It's a good question! However, it's not quite the same. Whilet "go to school" means in the direction of school, "looking forward to seeing you" does not mean in the direction of seeing; you could replace "looking forward to seeing" with "greatly anticipate seeing" or, informally, "can't wait to see you". If we say "I'm looking forward to the house" then yes, "to" tells us the direction we are looking in (i.e. the opposite of "away"), but here we're using a noun after "to" rather than a verb.
You are absolutely right. Rule of thumb to distinguish between the two is to check whether 'to' can be followed by a noun (as in: 'I'm looking forward to the holidays), which then requires the ing- form when you use a verb. I'm used to angry animals/I'm used to driving on the left. Being English grammar, of course, there are exceptions.😂😂😂 I've tried to explain that until I was blue in the face.
Thank you so much for your vedio leacture it's very excillence lecture thanks.
That's really kind of you! Thanks for commenting!
Thank you, I found your video very useful. My score is all but one, the needs must.
Brilliant! It seems a lot of viewers have not come across needs must. It's probably a British only expression 🙂
Thank you. Best wishes from Malaysia.....I've not come across, "needs must" and used to saying, " If she were able" rather than " were she able". The others are quite common. Thank you.
You are very welcome - I'm glad the video was useful for you 👍
I like your British accent and teaching video, which is perfect since it helps me gain more English grammar rules, phrasal verbs, and expressions.
But there is little difference in English usage in other English-speaking countries such as the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand....
I'm glad you learnt something from the video. Thanks for commenting 🙂
So interesting and so well explained. I got a 9 out of 10, the one i wasn't sure of was 'needs must.' Thanks a lot for your clear explanation. I am an English teacher from India.
It's lovely to hear from a fellow English teacher! I am guessing "needs must" is not commonly used in Indian English - is that correct?
In formal writing, you'll sometimes see the Latinism "a fortiori" meaning the same as "let alone," but it can be used for positive expressions as well.
Thanks for sharing - interesting!
I have been trying to find the corresponting expression in English ( from Greek ) since long time and finally exactly now on your video , i have just found it !!! This is : > ! At Last !
Well that is really fascinating! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks a lot for share us amazing new words
It's a real pleasure! Thanks for commenting 🙂
i. I can’t be doing with studying for an exam at the moment. I just want to have fun!
ii. I haven’t got the time to take a day off, let alone a whole week!
iii. I wish I could take a day off, but needs must in my current situation.
iv. If there is a bus, take that. failing that, take a taxi.
v. Where are you at with the holiday? Have you decided to go or not?
Great answers Yasser! Well done! Just remember to start all sentences with a capital letter :)
Thanks for your work 👍
As a non-native speaker there were two I never heard of and even then: for one of them I would understand it when I’d hear it in context.
The others I knew although I don’t think my spoken English is good enough to use most of them myself when need be. There’s a difference between the level of English I understand and the level I can produce myself.
That's really interesting to hear. You are right - sometimes it is possible to guess meanings of words you've never encountered before just from the context. Thanks for commenting :)
Modal + have you: This way, for example, can one say one or more or all of the following: a) We will have you work; b) ...you working; c) Police will have him arrested...? I think the usual way is have something done (Get something done); say, Have it edited; have it posted, have it reworked, etc. Here, how it will be if one says, "Have them work....; Have them working....? Or is it that all these are correct? You may some of these are causative, but in that case, what are the others that you are exemplifying?
Hi Ramu! It's a type of causative structure, yes. What makes this a little unique is that (I find) course books normally teach the causative form from your own point of view (e.g. "I had my hair cut"), rather than something that happens to you (which is the point of my example). Thanks for commenting!
Almost all seem familiar to me, but as a non-native English speaker, most of these would not come out of my mouth as quickly as I would like when engaging in a conversation with a native English speaker. Any tips?
Good question! I think two things: 1) practice using them in context when you are on your own (e.g. record yourself speaking) and 2) try to notice them when you encounter them in listening situations 🙂
Thanks.I estimated myself and I am not genius but geLooser.
I really like your explanation - subscribing)
I'm so glad to have you as a subscriber. Welcome! I hope you find lots of useful information in all my videos 🙂
Thank you very much for so interesting English features - it seems, every one of them allows to reduce any text almost in half ))!
Were my wife a Queen,
I would be a King, (wouldn't I?)
Yes, in many cases that is true! Thanks for commenting :)
Just stumbled upon your channel . Amazing content. Subscribed 👍
Thanks! I'm so glad you are enjoying my content! Welcome to the channel 🙂
So much beneficial
Thanks for taking the time to let me know 🙂
Can't thank you enough.
You're very welcome! 😁
Sir, can you teach us about the usages of "TO BE" in different English? I am not talking about IS/AM/ARE/WAS)WERE but "TO BE itself. I assume it is being used in many different contexts. So in order to have a better understanding, please make a complete video of it.
That's a great idea! You're right, there are so many uses of "to be", such as to make an adjective "active", for the passive, the present continuous and more! I will think about how to do this in a video in the future 🙂
6:38 In _(I) needs must._ "needs" is an adverb expressing utmost necessity.
Exactly up my street ... subscribed ... thank you
Welcome to the channel, Vladimir 😀
Thanks
You are very welcome! Thanks for commenting! :)
I understood 9/10 correctly - but never would have used them myself ... btw your pronounciation is perfect for any foreign visitor!
Well done - your English is really, really good :)
As an American some of these ring a bell but probably not something I'd use. Some ("needs must") are completely foreign to me.
It's definitely true that the American and British vocabularies are drifting apart! Thanks for commenting 🙂
Excellent video.
That's very kind of you! I'm glad you liked it. Best wishes Rupert
I'm glad to tell you that I only know 1/10. 😅😅
Thanks for sharing! I always hope that people will learn new things in all of my videos, so I'm really pleased I was able to introduce some new things about English to you :)
I am extremely happy to watch your video sir, thanks .
If you are happy to watch my video, then I am happy too! Thanks for commenting :)
AWESOME FROM AUSTRALIA CHEERS
G'day mate 😁 Lovely to hear from Australia! Best wishes Rupert
Thank you ❤
You are very welcome 😁
This list feels more British than American, which is interesting. An annoying feature of British preference is the difference between revise and review. To revise means to change some part of the content, whereas to review the content means to read and refresh one's memory of the content. For example, revising for an exam may be acceptable usage in England, but it is noticeably out of place in American conversation.
I agree it can be frustrating when the two versions of English diverge! I guess it is the natural result of local influence over time. Language never stands still 😀
"Different to" vs "different from."
"My family are from Glasgow," vs "My family is from Glasgow."
Intrusive R in non-rhotic dialects.
Dropping of R, H, G after N, or L
Substitution of F for TH, or W fir V
Hi Thomas! Were you hoping for an explanation?
UA-cam Music will completely replace Google Podcasts from June 23, 2024. UA-cam Music is much more convenient than UA-cam as screen-off mode is available and listeners can opt to do other things either on the phone or not. It has two modes: audio and video Could you please make your channel available on UA-cam Music as well? Thanks 💖.
Thanks for bringing this to my attention! I've never used the UA-cam music app, but I will look into it in the coming weeks 🙂
Beautiful Beautiful lucid explanation; congrats. What is your name.......
Swaminathan
Hi, I have written a little about myself in the channel bio
i have a c2 and only knew 6 haha. you never stop learning.
It is always my hope that anyone who watches a video of mine will learn something new, even the most advanced learners like you - so I'm glad you found something to learn from this video 😀👍
Practice task.
1- I can't be doing with.
2- Let alone.
3- Needs must.
4- So as not to.
5- Failing that.
Great effort! 1, 2 and 3 are correct. 4: "So as not to" is grammatically possible but "Failing that" is a better fit in terms of meaning. 5 is "Where are you at". Thanks for having a go! All the best Rupert 🙂
Thanks for your corrections and comment!!!
Never heard of “can’t be doing with”
It seems "needs must" and "can't be doing with" are more typically British English structures. If you are in the US, I don't think you'll hear them much. I've added a British flag to the thumbnail to show this, but perhaps I needed to add something more blatant 🙂
- I can't be doing with
- Let alone
- Needs must
- Failing that
- Where are you at
Thank you
Fantastic answers! 5 out of 5!
Very good "English" language idioms and expressions - I've passed them all.... but they are not "grammar" issues..... it's a lot more like idioms and expressions. I don't think it has anything to do with "grammar" as we know it!
Brilliant! Much appreciated information.
Thank you.🙏
I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Thank you 👍😀
I was a teacher assistant in México because I'm a native English speaker. One rule that was very difficult explain was adjective order. The tall green oak tree vs the oak tall green tree. I was never taught this; it was learned subconsciously. Is there a simple rule that i can use to explain?
Hi! I have got a video on "adjective order" in my archives on UA-cam - sadly, I don't know of a simple way to remember the order like an acronym, but there are general principles explained in the video.
@@EnglishwithRupert thanks! I'll look it up.
Best ❤❤
Thanks for commenting 😀
i only know a few of them. but i'm going to learn all of them
Thanks for commenting Rudolf and good luck with using these new expressions 👍
These are not grammar rules….
Dear Rupert, this is the first time I'm watching you. Glad to hear finally a proper, sweet British pronunciation 😊👍. But I just don' t know what to say at your mixing 🍎🍎🍎 and 🍐🍐🍐. Some of the items are conjunctions, some are idioms, singular/ plural 🤯etc🤦... According to which key on earth have you chosen the items?!😮😮😮
Hi Alice! Lovely to hear from you! You make a fair point :) If you go back through my other videos, you'll find most of them focus quite heavily on a particular theme, but this time I thought I'd do something different and create a little video which would give my viewers a brief review of a range of uncommon English features. I'll be back to a more clearly defined niche for my next video this Friday ;)
@@EnglishwithRupert Hi Rupert and thanks for your prompt reply. I'll definitely watch your other videos. Love your English (= British) proper pronunciation. I teach E. Myself and I'm absolutely crazy about the American " also English" that has been taught nearly everywhere! 😥. You sometimes feel weird if you teach correct English 🙈! ( I still insist that this video is a sort of " salad" 😁, useful but confusing at the same time - sorry! ) Will definitely follow you! 😊 Love from the Czech Republic 🇨🇿🕊️🕊️🕊️🙋
I apologize if it was slightly confusing for you, but I'm glad you've decided to follow 😁! I hope you find the other videos easier to understand! Good luck with your English teaching! Best wishes Rupert
@@EnglishwithRupert Thank you cordially ❤️. You don't need to apologize at all, I (!) was not confused 😅. I only sort of think that this " salad" of examples might be a little bit confusing for some not very much advanced students. ( But perhaps I'm completely wrong: those who have no idea about different parts of speach have no reason to feel confused 😁😁😁). May I ask you a question? : Which part of UK do you come from? London? Thanks and have a lovely weekend 🍀☀️🍰☕🍧
@@alicekrausova2715 Oh I see! 🙂 I come from the south coast of England. My accent is fairly typical of the south east of England except for inner city London.
My English is not perfect, but I can understand most of these idioms easily… although certain 'feel' strange. My mother tongue is Flemish (Dutch) and I also speak French, German and Spanish. It is unclear where I got the 'almost correct' affinity. Something to study in more detail... Could it be, that we took some idioms from other languages?
That's exactly what happened. English is a mix of other European languages with a little from its original inhabitants. The Romans brought us Latin (along with the French in 1066) and other northern European countries invaded us before then, bringing other aspects of their languages into ours. You are definitely at an advantage when learning English if your country conquered us at some point in the past!!
Failing that....sounds like a participial usage. Failing that, call a locksmith - can be interpreted as an absolute construction.
You could view it that way, yes :)
As an Australian, my English is up to scratch. Some terms, we may use a different word.
G'day Gary! This is one of the issues with teaching and learning English - each English speaking area of the world has a slightly different vocabulary set. Thanks for commenting 🙂
Three cents has....; fine. These three cents have...is self-explanatory because here the subject (for argument's sake) is 'These' and not three cents.
👍👍👍
I find this example a complete NONSENSE!!! Singular is obligatory when using the WORD " money"!!! Not cents, crowns, dollars, rubles...🤷😏😁
I apologise for not making full sense in the video. The key message I wanted to get across is that even though quantities of money can sound like they should be plural (e.g. Fifty dollars), we consider it singular (i.e. Fifty dollars is a lot of money), except when we make it clear we are focusing on the items of money as individual pieces (e.g. The fifty dollar notes were all slightly different in appearance). I hope this clears up the confusion :)
Two more that we hear in the US...
Be that as it may
Unbeknownst to
What about as needs be?,Does it mean 'just in case'?
Great phrase! I'll explain with an example: "I'll work more if needs be" ... here, "if needs be" means "if it is necessary".
I know all 10 you said after all I am Indian trying British accents to improve it
Well done! Your English must be really good 👍
Thanks for your sharing but there are more rules that you have not mentioned.
Very true! I release videos every week, and they usually focus on lesser known grammar rules 🙂
Please note that these ARE NOT grammar rules. Adding more rules to this presentation would simply be creating a positive number of rules instead of ZERO rules.
Is #7 really used in American English? Although I understand it perfectly, I cannot claim I had knowledge of it before this video.
It may be a British only expression 🙂
Many idiomatic phrases don’t translate word for word, so I suppose each has its own “grammar rule”.
I understand the meaning of all ten of these expressions, but most sound old fashioned to me. Perhaps they are more commonly used in spoken British English than American English.
Yes, I think you are right - they're common for me in the UK, but perhaps less so in other English speaking parts of the world 👍
I know all of these and use them regularly, but I didn't study English formally, so couldn't name or explain any of the grammar words, the rules behind. Where does it leave me in the grading system?
To be honest, that's exactly what 90% of English people would say - they know the rules, but they don't know why. So, perhaps your category is... "proficient"?
If the blue discs are supposed to be cents, why do they have dollar signs on them?
Errr... blame Canva 😂😂😂
Heard, understand and use all ten expressions, except number 5.
That's excellent! Thanks for commenting 🙂
first time i watch this video.
Advanced English? may be. At least i never heard about (most ) of the phrases😂
I'm glad you learnt new phrases in this lesson! Best wishes Rupert
Sir, is it acceptable in English to omit artickles to keep the rhythm in verses? Thank you in advance! Pardon me...
Prepositions can be weakened so much that you barely hear them, but they rarely disappear completely. Instead, they might be replaced by a weak schwa (e.g. instead of saying "at the station", in fast speech it's more like "uh-uh-station" with the "uh"s said as quickly as possible)
Strangely, my question was about artickles, not prepositions, but I'm glad anyway, because I just talked to a real British teacher of English. Thank you, sir, and greetings from Moscow!
@@user-rw7br1ki4r I am so sorry, I don't know why I mentioned prepositions! It must have been a busy day 🙂. With articles, we tend to weaken them or squash them in order to maintain rhythm. It's similar to prepositions - we try to keep them, but we say them so quickly that they become almost inaudible.
@@EnglishwithRupert Thank you, sir, I'm very pleased with our short, but productive conversation! ÷))
Good video bro. Dont let the weenies get to you.
Appreciate the comment! 😁😁
Very interesting - even though I wouldn't consider this exercise 'Grammar', but rather 'Expressions'!
Hadn't heard of 2 expressions
7-I can't be doing with this - instead, I have always used 'I can't be bothered with this' (perhaps an Australian colloquialism??)
5-never heard of 'needs must' - in the context of the sentence, could it also mean 'just have to'??? How common is that use 'needs must'???
English isn't my mother tongue, but I lived in Australia for over 35 years and now teach English to seniors.....
Thanks a lot for responding.
Hi! On point 7, i think the two phrases are nearly synonymous, but "bothered" probably indicates a lack of desire more specifically, whereas "doing" could have a wider meaning (e.g. it could also be a response where someone feels there is too much to do). On point 5, this may well be a British English phrase, and I think your phrase substitutes well, although "needs must" tends to be limited to essential needs.
Good to hear from you 🙂
@@EnglishwithRupert thanks so much!
Money and People are the same for your example ?
In terms of the actual words, yes, but notice this difference: "2 dollars is the cost of the ticket" / "3 people are the guests of the king"
My teacher told us that when you write a formal letter then you should write :I am looking forward to + infinitive . However, in informal letters we should write the verb adding -ing.
Hi Ingrid! A useful tool here is the English Corpora website. This is a searchable compilation of millions of sentences in verified English texts, sortable by formal and informal sources. If you search the term "look forward to", you'll find the vast majority of entries are followed by verb+ing. Thanks for commenting and I hope the video was useful for you 🙂
Your teacher was wrong. It has to be ING.
Ok! Thank you
🙏
Title should say, if you’re learning English as a second language and…”. I hope native speakers, at least from the UK, would know all these.
To be honest, Duncan, I'm really surprised UA-cam is pushing this video to people in the UK - in the past, 95% of my viewers have come from non English speaking countries! Still, I'm really glad you watched my video of course, and I hope you got something from it 😀
I think the title doesn't need to add that... Because if English is your mother tongue you are bound to know all the nuances of it... To get through school you guys probably have lots of compulsory readings on literature classes that include things from 15th, 16th, 17th century and so on, at least that's the case here where I live
@@paulinauka6977 sadly not at all true. Admittedly I was hoping for a few advanced tips, but there are more people in the UK who don’t know what’s wrong with “I literally died”, “it’s fairly unique” or “a large amount of people”, just to throw a few examples out there. Not for the foreign language student though…
@@duncang7372 oh, I understand your comment now 😊I would also love to see a video on such errors! I'm tying to improve my language as I'm preparing for a Cambridge exam, and that would be very useful. To he honest I think English language learners also need to have this type of knowledge once we get to a certain level.
@@paulinauka6977 best of luck! My son is applying to Cambridge for next year’s intake too. The good news is that, in my experience, British institutions are far more tolerant of second language English speakers’ grammar than they used to be
Interesting
I'm glad it was interesting for you! Your channel looks very interesting too, by the way :)
I scored 5 out of 10. Glad that my English isn't that weak thought 😅😅😅
Well done! That's a good score!
Where are you at? It goes like "At where..."??? Instead of this, can we make it "Which part/ page/ stage/ are you?" Do we have to generalize something that is not in general used?
(This is just a brief answer and I'm sure there are other possibilities)
With the alternative phrases you suggest, most can begin with "At", or end with "on", or end with "up to":
"At which stage are you?"
"Which stage are you on?"
"Which stage are you up to?"
For some reason, we don't say "At where are you", or "Where are you on", but we can say "Where are you up to" :)
The people is singular and People are plural Is that correct ?
When using "people", we would use the plural form regardless of whether "the" came first or not 🙂
In the part 1:03,"I am too sacred to speak on stage, let alone sing."
Can I use the infinitive (To)?
I am too sacred to speak on stage, let alone to sing. I think it is incorrect.
Hi Dan! It is possible to say "let alone to sing", but in typical native speech the "to" will be left out because the principle of grammatical symmetry in lists: the "to" before "speak" applies to "sing" as well because it is the next verb in the list. It's a bit like this - "Next year, I want to travel, study and make money" - the "to" is not necessary before "study" and "make" because we apply the "to" before "travel" to the other verbs in the list as well. :)
I understand all the ten
Rupinder, your English really is amazing 🤩🤩🤩