Hello Doctor Grammar

8/10/2019 Hello Doctor Grammar

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Hello Doctor Grammar,

I was assigned by my teacher to complete two essays during the holidays. I have

completed one, but I am worried that this essay may be not so good and I wanted to make

an improvement on it. This essay is quite long, about 8 words. !o could you check and

edit my essay be"ore I hand it in to my teacher# I" you could, please tell me the mistakes I

have made.

Here is my essay$

Write a story ending with "I noticed a single drop of tear flowing down her

cheek...".

I have never imagined how drugs can be that power"ul. !o power"ul that it can even

shatter a person%s "uture whose suppose to be a bright one into pieces. &nd so it happens

in the case o" a girl in my school.

'aria was an intelligent girl in my class. !he was o"ten noted "or being an e(cellent

student in academy as she never "ailed to get an & in each sub)ect during her lower

secondary school. In her *'+ e(am, she managed to score straight &%s in seven sub)ects.

The teachers admire her "or she was always help"ul and attentive in class. !he is the apple

o" their eye. Her peers could not "athom the secret behind her success.

verything started to change when she was in -orm , "or the "irst time in history she got

in /hemistry during her "irst e(am. Then, she was questioned by her teacher why shecould "ail in a sub)ect this time. !he seems to have trouble understanding the sub)ect. 0o

matter how hard she worked, she only managed to get / in /hemistry on her trial !*'.

!ince then, I saw something di""erent in her. !he had changed drastically.

&"ter the weekends, like any other day in school, everyone was listening to the /hemistry

lecture when suddenly it dawned on me that 'aria was sleeping on her desk. !he was

sleeping1 0o, how can this be# !he never slept in class be"ore. I could not believe my

eyes. It was so obvious to everyone because she sits in the "ront row. *n. !ue "inally

noticed her sleeping and stopped her lecture. -eeling surprised, she woke her up and *n.

!ue was shocked by the look o" her "ace.

2'aria1 3hat happened to your beauti"ul "ace#2 *n. !ue asked with a completely terri"ied

"ace. 24h... I... I%m "ine teacher, I%m )ust a bit sick.2 5ut she could not have look so pale, it

was as i" an evil spell had been cast on her. veryday she could merely concentrate in


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class. ven her once un"altering urge to ask endless questions, which was what made her

stands out among her classmates, and which could even unravel the secrets o" the

universe, had "aded. !he became quiet and inattentive in every lesson.

veryone was very worried about her. 'aria was used to be the most precious student in

our school but now she was a drug addict. 6ou could tell she was a drug addict already

)ust by looking at her appearance and behavior. Her "ace was so white, her hair her hands

sometimes tremble, and she could not even walk properly. 4nce she "ell down "rom the

stairs and broke her right arm. 5ut luckily she only su""ered a slight crack on her arm. &s

a school pre"ect, one day when I was on my duty, I trailed behind her to the hidden corner

o" the school compound. !he was breathing in the smell o" the drugs when suddenly she

sensed my appearance and turned to see me with utterly disgusted "ace.

'aria knew she could not possibly escape "rom the situation, so she begged me, 2*lease

7onathan. *romise me not to say anything. I" you do, I will be doomed. !pare me )ust "or

once. *lease...2 &s I hear this, I became completely out o" words. I reluctantly let her go.

5ack home, I thought really hard about it that I could not sleep throughout the night.

4n the ne(t 'onday morning, the whole class was absolutely astonished by the news o"

'aria. 4ur class teacher told us about 'aria being handcu""ed "or her involvement in

drugs activity a"ter receiving a call "rom the police during the weekends. 3hen she was

buying some drugs "rom a drug dealer, a group o" policemen ambushed and caught them

redhanded. &"ter some interrogation between the police and 'aria, they managed to

obtain her teacher%s contact number and called *n. !ue.

3e held a class visit to visit 'aria in the hospital where she was receiving treatment. !he

con"essed to us that the reason she started to take drug was she wanted so much to score

an & in /hemistry. !he e(plained that the drugs could help enhance her brain

per"ormance temporarily and she thought that a "ew dose was really okay. However, she

abused them as she was desperately willing to do anything to achieve an & in /hemistry.

Indeed, it was quite silly, but she did it as she "ailed and "ailed in every test despite her

e""ort. !oon she "ound hersel" increasingly relying on drugs and gradually become

addicted to it.

Thank God everything was not too late "or 'aria. 3e had been told that 'aria would be

sent to a rehabilitation centre a"ter her treatment in the hospital. I noticed a single drop o"


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tear "lowing down her cheek, as she smiled with hope and grate"ulness "or her "riends and

teachers who came to give her moral support in hard times.

I%m so glad i" you could help. Thank you.

6ap /hoon 'eng

Hello /hoon 'eng,

Thank you "or your request.

I have edited your essay. !een below are your original essay and my e(planations 9the red

te(t in italics below each paragraph:$


cheek...".

I have never imagined how drugs can be that power"ul. !o power"ul that it can even

shatter a person%s "uture whose suppose to be a bright one into pieces. &nd so it happens

in the case o" a girl in my school.

Here, we're talking the misuse of drugs. So, it's better to replace drugswith the misuse of

drugs. The adjectivepowerfulis acceptable, but destructiveis better, since the drugs

almost destroyed Maria. n the second sentence, the relative pronoun refers to Maria's

future and not Maria. So, whichshould be used instead of whose.

'aria was an intelligent girl in my class. !he was o"ten noted "or being an e(cellent

student in academy as she never "ailed to get an & in each sub)ect during her lower

secondary school. In her *'+ e(am, she managed to score straight &%s in seven sub)ects.

The teachers admire her "or she was always help"ul and attentive in class. !he is the apple


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o" their eye. Her peers could not "athom the secret behind her success.

Since the word academyis a noun which means 'a school or college for special training',

it is not the right word to use here. So, you can replace the sentence with one of the

following sentences!

1) She was often noted for her excellent academic performance...

2) She was often noted for her excellent performance academically...

3) She was often noted for doing well academically...

"r any other sentences that are grammatically error free. #ou need to add daysafter the

phrase lower secondary school, since you're talking about Maria's lower secondary

school days. The phrase straight A'smeans $nothing but %'s$. Since the &M

e(amination usually comprises ) subjects, Maria did not get straight %'s if she had * %'s.

Thus, you can replace the sentence with!

1) In her !" examination# she managed to score straight A's.

2) In her !" examination# she managed to score $ A's.

#ou also need to change admireto admiredand isto was, as you are talking about past

actions here.

verything started to change when she was in -orm , "or the "irst time in history she got

in /hemistry during her "irst e(am. Then, she was questioned by her teacher why she

could "ail in a sub)ect this time. !he seems to have trouble understanding the sub)ect. 0o

matter how hard she worked, she only managed to get / in /hemistry on her trial !*'.

!ince then, I saw something di""erent in her. !he had changed drastically.

+rong use of preposition change onto in, to make it in her trial S! examination.

This paragraph is okay. 've made some changes so that the te(t is more smooth flowing.

&"ter the weekends, like any other day in school, everyone was listening to the /hemistry

lecture when suddenly it dawned on me that 'aria was sleeping on her desk. !he was

sleeping1 0o, how can this be# !he never slept in class be"ore. I could not believe my

eyes. It was so obvious to everyone because she sits in the "ront row. *n. !ue "inally


5/37

noticed her sleeping and stopped her lecture. -eeling surprised, she woke her up and *n.

!ue was shocked by the look o" her "ace.

t should beAfter a wee%end, as you are talking about one particular weekend. t's a

good idea to e(press your thoughts in between speech marks, to make them livelier. +hen

writing essays, it's best not to use short forms or contractions -e.g. isn't,I've,you're,

we'll, etc.. t's okay to use them in conversations -e.g. $I'mgoing to see her tomorrow,$

said /ohn. The same goes with abbreviations -e.g.&an, cm, dept,govt, ans, etc.and so

forth write /anuary, centimetre,government, answer, et ceterainstead. So, replace

&n. with &uan. Since &uan Sue was shocked by the look of Maria's face, you should

describe her face in more details to satisfy readers' curiosity.

2'aria1 3hat happened to your beauti"ul "ace#2 *n. !ue asked with a completely terri"ied

"ace. 24h... I... I%m "ine teacher, I%m )ust a bit sick.2 5ut she could not have look so pale, it

was as i" an evil spell had been cast on her. veryday she could merely concentrate in

class. ven her once un"altering urge to ask endless questions, which was what made her

stands out among her classmates, and which could even unravel the secrets o" the

universe, had "aded. !he became quiet and inattentive in every lesson.

The verb following the verb madeshould be in the base form. Thus, standsshould be

replaced with stand, making it '...which was what made her standout among her

classmates...'

More e(amples !

0. The soldier's enemies made him %neeldown.

1. She said that the injections madeher look younger.

veryone was very worried about her. 'aria was used to be the most precious student in

our school but now she was a drug addict. 6ou could tell she was a drug addict already

)ust by looking at her appearance and behavior. Her "ace was so white, her hair her hands

sometimes tremble, and she could not even walk properly. 4nce she "ell down "rom the

stairs and broke her right arm. 5ut luckily she only su""ered a slight crack on her arm. &s


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a school pre"ect, one day when I was on my duty, I trailed behind her to the hidden corner

o" the school compound. !he was breathing in the smell o" the drugs when suddenly she

sensed my appearance and turned to see me with utterly disgusted "ace.

%gain, 've made some changes so that the te(t is more smooth flowing. 2ote that in the

phrase 'Maria was used to be...', wasis not necessary. %lso,...a slight crac% on her arm

should be replaced with...a slight crac% in a one. The word trailmeans 'to follow

someone by looking for signs that show you where they have been'. So, it is not suitable

to be used here. The verb tail, which means 'to follow someone closely, in order to watch

where they go, what they do, etc.' is more appropriate.

'aria knew she could not possibly escape "rom the situation, so she begged me, 2*lease

7onathan. *romise me not to say anything. I" you do, I will be doomed. !pare me )ust "or

once. *lease...2 &s I hear this, I became completely out o" words. I reluctantly let her go.

5ack home, I thought really hard about it that I could not sleep throughout the night.

2ote how divided the above paragraph into three.

4n the ne(t 'onday morning, the whole class was absolutely astonished by the news o"

'aria. 4ur class teacher told us about 'aria being handcu""ed "or her involvement in

drugs activity a"ter receiving a call "rom the police during the weekends. 3hen she was

buying some drugs "rom a drug dealer, a group o" policemen ambushed and caught them

redhanded. &"ter some interrogation between the police and 'aria, they managed to

obtain her teacher%s contact number and called *n. !ue.

t's better to divide the second sentence into 1 as it is too long. t's also advisable to

replace the word handcuffedwith apprehendedor arrestedas it is clearer. 2ote how the

word interrogationis used in a sentence. #ou can sayAfter a few hours under

interrogation...orAfter the police had interrogated !aria for a few hours...

3e held a class visit to visit 'aria in the hospital where she was receiving treatment. !he


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con"essed to us that the reason she started to take drug was she wanted so much to score

an & in /hemistry. !he e(plained that the drugs could help enhance her brain

per"ormance temporarily and she thought that a "ew dose was really okay. However, she

abused them as she was desperately willing to do anything to achieve an & in /hemistry.

Indeed, it was quite silly, but she did it as she "ailed and "ailed in every test despite her

e""ort. !oon she "ound hersel" increasingly relying on drugs and gradually become

addicted to it.

2ote how rewrite the paragraph to make it more smooth flowing and error free. t's

better to replace (e held a class visit to visit !aria in the hospitalwith ur class visited

!aria in hospital, in order to avoid the repetition of the word visit. Here, the word

explainedis more appropriate than confessed. #ou can say!aria confessed that she

was misusing drugs, since confessmeans 'to admit that you have done something wrong

or illegal'. 2ote that replaced a few dose waswith a few doses wereand ecomewith

ecame.

Thank God everything was not too late "or 'aria. 3e had been told that 'aria would be

sent to a rehabilitation centre a"ter her treatment in the hospital. I noticed a single drop o"

tear "lowing down her cheek, as she smiled with hope and grate"ulness "or her "riends and

teachers who came to give her moral support in hard times.

n the last paragraph, you did not mention the where and when the incidents took place.

So, added something which is relevant.

This is the edited version o" your essay$


cheek...".

I have never imagined how the misuse o" drugs can be that destructive. !o destructive

that it can even shatter a person%s "uture, which is supposed to be a bright one, into pieces.

&nd it happens to a girl in my school.


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'aria was an intelligent girl in my class. !he was o"ten noted "or her e(cellent academic

per"ormance as she never "ailed to get an & in each sub)ect during her lower secondary

school days. In her *'+ e(amination, she managed to score straight &%s. The teachers

admired her "or she was always help"ul and attentive in class. !he was the apple o" their

eye. Her peers could not "athom the secret behind her success.

verything started to change when she was in -orm . -or the "irst time in her academic

history, she got an in /hemistry during her "irst semester e(amination. Then, she was

questioned by her teacher the reason "or not doing well in the sub)ect. !he replied by

saying that she seemed to have trouble understanding the sub)ect. 0o matter how hard she

worked, she only managed to get a / in /hemistry in her trial !*' e(amination. !ince

then, I noticed that she had changed drastically.

&"ter a weekend, like any other day in school, we were listening attentively to the

/hemistry teacher when suddenly, it dawned on me that 'aria was sleeping on her desk.

2'aria was sleeping#2 I thought to mysel" in disbelie". 20o1 How can this be# !he has

never slept in class be"ore.2

I could not believe my eyes. It was so obvious to everyone because she sat in the "ront

row. *uan !ue "inally noticed what she was doing. -eeling surprised, she stopped her

teaching and woke her up. 3hen she had woken up, *uan !ue was shocked by the look o"

her "ace, which appeared as pale as death. !he had dark circles under her eyes and

seemed to be e(tremely e(hausted and "eeble.

2'aria1 3hat happened to your beauti"ul "ace#2 *uan !ue asked with a completely

terri"ied "ace.

24h... I... I%m "ine, teacher. I%m )ust a bit sick,2 'aria replied in a weak voice.

5ut she could not have looked so pale. It was as i" an evil spell had been cast on her.

very day, she could barely concentrate in class. ven her once un"altering urge to ask

endless questions, which was what made her stand out among her classmates, and which

could even unravel the secrets o" the universe, had "aded. !he became quiet and

inattentive in every lesson.

veryone was very worried about her. 'aria, who used to be the most precious student in

our school, had become a drug addict. It was obvious )ust by looking at her appearance


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and behaviour. Her "ace was so white, her hands sometimes trembled and she could not

even walk properly. 4nce she "ell down "rom the stairs and broke her right arm. ;uckily,

she only su""ered a slight crack in a bone. &s a school pre"ect, one day when I was on my

duty, I tailed her to a hidden corner o" the school compound. !he was sni""ing glue when

suddenly, she sensed my presence and turned around to look at me with a disgusted "ace.

'aria was angry because I caught her redhanded misusing drug. &s she could see no

way out o" the situation, she begged me not to report her.

2*lease... 7onathan. *romise me not to say anything. I" you do, I%ll be doomed. !pare me

)ust "or once. *lease...2


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4verall, your story line is not bad but you do have quite a lot o" rooms "or improvement.

-or e(ample, sometimes you tend to use the wrong words. 4ne o" the criteria "or getting

high marks in the /ontinuous 3riting !ection o" the !*' e(amination is Wide

vocabulary, used expressively/precisely. !o, i" you use the wrong words, marks will

undoubtedly be deducted. 6ou can overcome this problem by making good use o" the

dictionary. I" you are unsure whether a word can be used in a certain situation, look it up

in a dictionary. 6ou can also widen your vocabulary through the Increase your

vocabularysection o" this website.

The inconsistency o" tenses is also one o" your problems. -or past actions, only the past

tense is used, unless in special circumstances as described hereon this page. &lso, you

have to be clear about where and when certain incidents take place, especially when it is

important "or readers to know. 4ne good e(ample is the last paragraph o" your essay.

It is important to note that reading helps greatly i" you wish to possess essaywriting

skills. !o, try to read more model essays and practice writing them.

I would like to commend you on your willingness to learn "rom your mistakes. !tudents

with enthusiasm like yours have potential "or improvement.

=eep it up1

Dr Grammar

Hi Dr Grammar,

I have some questions$

3hat is the di""erence between %could% and %would%, and when to use them# Is it be"ore
http://english312.com/ask.html#myanchor1http://english312.com/ask.html#myanchor1


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past tense or present tense#

;ibra 0ytestar

Hi ;ibra 0ytestar,

Thanks "or your questions. The use o" couldwas e(plained earlier and I%ll repeat it here$

The modal verb couldis used$

9>: as the past tense o" %can%.

(amples$

couldanswer all the 3uestions in the test this morning.

Sam couldnot open the door yesterday because he lost his key.

couldnot drive well two years ago.

9?: to say that something is possible or might happen.

(amples$

t couldbe months before he returns home.

#ou pen couldhave been stolen by someone.

4on't worry your daughter couldhave just missed the bus.

9@: to make a request politely.

(amples$

*ouldyou feed our dogs while we are on holiday in /apan5

*ould borrow your bicycle5


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*ould6isa come along with us to the library5

9: to make a suggestion.

(amples$

#ou couldgo for a medical checkup to ease your mind.

Ma('s not home but you couldalways try his mobile phone number.

*ouldn'tyou wake up earlier to avoid going to school late5

9A: to show annoyance because somebody did not do what you e(pected.

(amples$

#ou couldhave told me that you were not going to make it.

They couldat least apologise to me.

#ou couldhave called me and informed me about the postponement.

The modal verb wouldis used$

9>: as the past tense o" %will% to say what someone has said or thought.

(amples$

7eronica said she wouldfetch us at the airport at 00 am.

He thought it wouldbe a good idea to drop by and visit you on our way to town.

They told us that they wouldnot join our outing.

9?: to talk about the possible result o" an event that you imagine or want to happen.

(amples$

f were older, wouldjoin you in the e(pedition to %frica.


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Henry wouldbe a fool to miss the opportunity.

She wouldbe delighted if you went to her birthday party.

think Samantha wouldlook smashing in the purple dress.


(amples$

(ouldyou mind emptying the dustbin5

(ouldyou 3ueue up to buy the tickets, please5

(ouldsomeone please call for an ambulance5

9: to make an o""er to somebody or to e(tend an invitation politely.

(amples$

(ouldyou like a drink5

(ouldyou like to sample this cake5

(ouldyou go to the cinema with me this weekend5

9A: to give or ask "or advice.

(amples$

wouldnot drink and drive if were you.

+hat wouldyou do if you had only a week to live5

+hat wouldyou have done, if you were in my shoes5

9B: to say what you like, dislike, love, etc.

(amples$

#es, 'd- 8 would love a cup of tea, please.

wouldlike to have a word with you.

wouldrather do the project on my own.


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9C: to talk about things that happened o"ten in the past.

(amples$

+hen my neighbour and went to the same school, we wouldgo to school and come

back together.

4uring his last few years, he wouldsit silent for hours.

He wouldalways be ready to help me whenever needed it.

It is important to note that the base "orm o" a verb should be used a"ter wouldand could.

(amples$


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I hope that my e(planation helps.

Dr Grammar

Hi Dr Grammar,

I would like to ask you some questions$

>. !hould we use %besides that% or %beside that% #

?. I" a te(t or essay is in the past tense, under what conditions must the present tense be

used# 9-or e(ample, we can use the present tense when writing dialogues.:

Herman ;im


16/37

Hi Herman ;im,

Thank you "or your questions.

>. !ince %beside% is a preposition to show position, the correct phrase should be besides

that.

?. &part "rom dialogues, we use the simple present tense when we talk about "acts and

universal truths.

(amples$

9&: During the last weekend, my "amily and I visited =uala ;umpur. As the federal

capital of Malaysia, uala !upur is also the largest and ost populous city in the

country. It covers an area of #$% s&uare kiloeters.3e went there by car and the

)ourney took about ? hours. &"ter reaching the city, we checked in a hotel...

95: ;ast night when I looked up the sky, I saw the moon. It was a "ull moon. I understood

that it revolves round the earthbut wondered why the sae side always faces the

earth...

I hope that you "ind my e(planations clear.

Dear Dr Grammar,

I wasor I were#


17/37

Darcy

Dear Darcy,

Thank you "or your question.

3e use I wasand I werein di""erent circumstances.

In normal circumstances, we use I wasas %was% is the past tense o" the verb au(iliary

verb %am%.

(amples$

I washome yesterday morning.

I wasshopping when met /ulie last week.

I waslate for the meeting becauseI wasstuck in a traffic jam for 3uite some time.

3e usually use I werea"ter the phrase %I wish% or in wish"ul sentences, where %were% is

used as a sub)unctive.

(amples$

wishI weremore powerful.

wishI werea little taller.

wishI werea doctor.

I wereis also commonly used a"ter the con)unction %i"% or in conditional clauses to show

that things are unlikely to happen.

(amples$

fI werea millionaire, would donate to charities and travel round the world.

fI weremore intelligent, would be the top student in my class.

fI wereolder, would get myself a driving licence.


18/37

Hi Dr Grammar,

Thank you "or answering my questions a "ew days ago. I would like to ask you some

more questions here$

I wonder what the di""erence is between$

>: to playand to playing

?: to beand to being

@: welcoeand welcoed

I hope you can solve my problem soon, thank you.7ia !in

Hi 7ia !in,


>: to playand to playing

to play the in"initive marker tois o"ten used be"ore the base "orm o" a verb to show

purpose or intention. Here, the purpose is %play%.

(amples$

like to playbasketball.

The children love to playin the playground.

4o you want to playa game5

Since it is raining, Steven and his sister have to playinside today.

He is going to playme a tune on his harmonica.

to playing the in"initive marker tois not normally used be"ore a present participle

9words ending in %ing%, such as %playing% in this case:. However, there is an e(ceptional

case to show that a person is thinking with pleasure about something that is going to

happen.


19/37

(amples$

am looking forward to playingchess with you.

Henry and 9enny are looking forward to playingpirates in the drama.

ebecca is looking forward to playingthe new piece to us on stage.

(amples o" other present participle commonly used be"ore the in"initive marker %to% in a

sentence$

am looking forward to hearingfrom you.

/ohn is looking forward to wor%ingwith &atrick.

am looking forward to receivinga favourable reply from you.

#' to beand to being

the e(planation is similar to to playand to playing. Here are some e(amples o" how

they are used in sentences$

9ritney wants to ea nurse when she grows up.

t's my honour to ehere tonight.

6et's hurry don't want to elate.

There is a lot of work to edone.

%m going to esuccessful5

/ane is looking forward to eingyour special guest on your show.

4uncan is looking forward to eingpart of our team.

+e are looking forward to eingthere again.

6ionel and 7alerie are looking forward to eingrole models to their fellow students.

+e are looking forward to eingof service to you.

@: welcoeand welcoed

the word welcoecan be used as a verb, ad)ective or noun.

(amples o" how welcoe is used in a sentence as a verb$

The students will be at the school gate to welcomethe minister when he arrives.

t is our pleasure to welcomeyou to our home.

They welcomedus warmly.


20/37

The 7acation Hotel welcomesits guests in their own languages.

My penfriend and his family welcomedme with open arms.

(amples o" how welcoe is used in a sentence as an ad)ective 9note that it is usually

used be"ore the verbs %am%, %is%, %are%, %was% and %were%:$

%ny suggestions and comments are welcome.

:hildren are always welcomeat the theme park.

#our uncle is welcometo stay in our house as long as he likes.

$Thank you for your assistance.$ $#ou're welcome.$

They had a feeling that they weren't welcomeat the conference.

/eremy says that am welcometo visit him anytime want.

(amples o" how welcoe is used in a sentence as a noun$

/oe's parents gave me a smile of welcomewhen visited /oe.

+e thanked them for their warm welcome.

The man who saved the child's life received a hero's welcomewhen he visited the child

and her family.

;uests can be assured of a friendly welcomeat our all resorts.

%my's classmates gave her a warm welcomewhen she returned to school after

recovering from a long illness.

The word welcoedis used as the past tense o" welcoe.

(amples$

welcomedthe guests at the party last evening.

The new students to the university were warmly welcomedby the +arden.

Harry stood at the door and welcomedthe visitors by greeting them and shaking hands

with them.

The mayor welcomedthe guests at the airport last week.

They welcomedus with open arms when we arrived at the club.

I hope that my e(planation helps. Don%t "orget to spread the word about english@>?.com

so that more people could bene"it "rom this website, thank you.


21/37

Dr Grammar

Hello Dr Grammar,

I%m glad to visit this site. I have "ound that nglish@>? is great and help"ul to me. Thus, I

have a question to ask, that is, when to use %have been% and %had been%# &nother question

is, when to use %I have had to%#

Hope to see your reply soon, thank you.

7ia !in

Hello 7ia !in,

I%m glad to know that you "ind english@>?.com a great and help"ul site.

Here are the answers to your questions$

(ave been / has beenis combined with a present participle 9words ending with an %ing%,

such as %playing%, %reading%, %watching%, %cooking%, etc.: to "orm the present per"ect

continuous tense.

have been / has beenE present participleF present perfect continuous tense

e.g.

have been playing


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have been reading

has been watching

has been cooking

The present perfect continuous tenseis used to show that an action that started in the

past is still going on now, at this very moment. The prepositions %"or% and %since% are o"ten

used with the tense.

(amples$

They have een playingchess for two hours.

/oanne and


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(amples$

%nne had een waitingfor you for a long time when you showed up.

They had een chattingfor about an hour when the clock chimed.

+e had een discussingthe issue for twenty minutes when we had a blackout.

%dam had een studyingin the university for two years when the war broke out.

6ou can click here"or more in"ormation on the past perfect continuous tense.

Would have had tois used in a conditional clause in the past perfect tense9click here

"or the e(planation "or the past perfect tense: to show past events that might have

happened but are impossible now.

(amples$

f you had contracted the disease, you would have had tosee a doctor.

f /ohn's car had broken down, he would have had tocall a mechanic.

f the accused had pleaded guilty, he would have had togo to jail.

f ebecca had lost the key, she would have hadto call a locksmith.
http://english312.com/papercont.htmlhttp://english312.com/pasper.htmlhttp://english312.com/papercont.htmlhttp://english312.com/pasper.html


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I hope that my e(planation answers your questions. 6ou%re welcome to ask again i" you

have anymore queries.

Dr Grammar

Hello Dr Grammar,

3hat is the di""erence between %did not% and %do not%# /an you e(plain how to use didn)t

and don)t#

Thank you.

5'&

Hello 5'&,


+ois a plural au(iliary verb 9singular$ does: used with notbe"ore a "ull verb to "orm

negative sentences.

doE notE verF negative sentence

e.g. do not wash, do not read, do not run, etc.

(amples$

They do not goto church on weekdays.


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/ohn and Mary do not playbasketball.

+e do not li%ebeef.

My grandparents do not watch?nglish films.

My aunts do not goshopping every day.

+idis the past tense o" do9and also does:. !imilarly, it is also used with notbe"ore a "ull

verb to "orm negative sentences. 0ote that the "ull verb used is always in the base "orm

9e.g. sit, draw, sweep, drive, run, etc.:

didE notE ase for of a verF negative sentence in the past tense

e.g. did not come, did not see, did not ta%e, etc.

(amples$

did not visitmy uncle last week.

Sam and 7alerie did not finishtheir homework yesterday.

They did not goto Singapore.

Marie did not paythe bills this morning.

The student did not uythe book.

+on'tis the contraction o" do notand didn'tis the contraction o" did not.

don)t * do not

didn)t * did not

They are mainly used in"ormally, which is suitable "or normal conversation and writing to

"riends.

(amples$

don'tswim well.

Helen and her sister don'tspeak


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#ou didn'ttry hard enough.

Michael didn'tpass the driving test.

+e didn'thear any strange noise last night.

My mother didn'tweed the garden last evening.

+on'tand didn'tare also used to make question tags, which are short questions added to

the end o" statements. 0egative tags are added to the end o" positive statements while

positive tags are added to the end o" negative statements.

(amples$

#our uncles speak /apanese well, don'tthey5


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They don'tgo to school by bus, do they5

Samantha and 7alerie live nearby, don'tthey5

:heetahs don'troar, do they5

The postmen deliver letters every day, don'tthey5

#ou don'tdrink tea, do you5

He forgot to bring a dictionary, didn'the5

/ulie didn'tmiss the train, did she5

They danced well last night, didn'tthey5

The principal didn'tgive a speech last week, did he5

#ou replied his email, didn'tyou5

#our neighbour didn'tgo fishing this morning, did he5

I hope that you understand my e(planation. 6ou%re welcome to ask again i" you have any

more questions.

Dr Grammar

Dear Dr Grammar,

I have a question$ how to use the words %can% and %could%#

Thank you.

&HT48C


28/37

Hi &HT48C,

Thanks "or your question.

The modal verb %can% means %be able to% or %to know how to do something%.

(amples$

candrive well.

4ucks canswim.

7eronica canspeak ;erman fluently.

It is also used to ask "or permission to do something or to ask someone to give you

something.

(amples$

*an read your maga@ine5

*an use your phone5

*an have a glass of water, please5

The modal verb %could% is used$

9>: as the past tense o" %can%.

(amples$

couldanswer all the 3uestions in the test this morning.

Sam couldnot open the door yesterday because he lost his key.

couldnot drive well two years ago.

9?: to say that something is possible or might happen.

(amples$

t couldbe months before he returns home.


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#ou pen couldhave been stolen by someone.

4on't worry your daughter couldhave just missed the bus.


(amples$

*ouldyou feed our dogs while we are on holiday in /apan5

*ould borrow your bicycle5

*ould6isa come along with us to the library5

9: to make a suggestion.

(amples$

#ou couldgo for a medical checkup to ease your mind.

Ma('s not home but you couldalways try his mobile phone number.

*ouldn'tyou wake up earlier to avoid going to school late5

9A: to show annoyance because somebody did not do what you e(pected.

(amples$

#ou couldhave told me that you were not going to make it.

They couldat least apologise to me.

#ou couldhave called me and informed me about the postponement.

I hope that helps. Do ask again i" you have any more doubts.

Dr Grammar


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Hello !ir,

I need to know how to use the word %omnipotent% in a sentence.

/an I use it in essays# is it suitable#

Thank you $:

7ustin

Hello 7ustin,


The ad)ective %omnipotent% carries ? meanings$

9>: 9o" a deity: having unlimited power and there"ore able to do anything.

(amples$

%ccording to Mr 9rown, he and his family worship an omnipotent;od.

+hy doesn't the omnipotent;od stop sufferings, wars and diseases5

n the legend, there is an omnipotentcharacter.

;od is described as omnipotentand merciful.

4o you believe that the earth and all its living creatures are created by an omnipotent

creator5

9?: having great power and in"luence.


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(amples$

The king of that country is an omnipotentsovereign.

Such important decisions can only made by the omnipotentcentral committee.

n the past, the global economy was controlled by that wealthy and omnipotentnation.

The omnipotenttycoon owns a large amount of property.

The omnipotentmanaging director of that company has decided to proceed with his

decision to buy the shopping arcade.

6es, you can use the word %omnipotent% in essays, as long as it carries one o" the meanings

stated above.

I hope that my e(planation helps to answer your questions. 7ust "eel "ree to ask again i"

you have any more queries.

Dr Grammar

Dear Dr Grammar,

I have a problem using the phrase %"irst things "irst%.

Is it true that it can only be used in the "irst paragraph o" an article or something like that#

Thank you.

Timothy


32/37

Hi Timothy,


The phrase %"irst things "irst% means %the more important things should be done or dealt

with "irst%.

(amples$

9>:,irst things first let's finish our homework before we go shopping.

9?:,irst things first greet the customers before taking their orders.

9@:+e have a lot of household chores to do, but,first things first, let's have something to

eatA

9:#ou need to get your priorities right first things first.

9A: suggest you complete your tertiary education before your start working first things

first.

&s you can see "rom the e(amples, it does not necessarily have to be used at the

beginning o" a sentence or in the "irst paragraph o" an article only. It can be used

wherever suitable, as long as it is appropriate and grammatically error "ree.

I believe you have con"used it with the phrase %"irst o" all%, which means %be"ore doing

anything else%. It is o"ten used at the beginning when you e(plain the procedure to do

something or a set o" instructions.

(amples$

9>:,irst of all, get ready all the ingredients.

9?:,irst of all, wash the vegetables.

9@:,irst of all, read the instruction manual before using the software.

9:,irst of all, unfi( the screws.

I hope that my e(planation clears your doubts. Don%t hesitate to ask again i" you have any

other questions.


33/37

Dr Grammar

Dear Dr Grammar,

How do I use 2is "illed2 or 2is "ulled2#

Thank you.

laine;ing

Dear laine;ing,


The phrase 'is filled'is o"ten used with the preposition 'with', making it 'is filled with'.

9>: The phrase 'is filled with'means %something is "ull o" something%.

(amples$

The bottle is filled withwater.

This bucket is filled withice.

That bo( is filled withbooks.

My room is filled withsmoke.

These suitcases are filled withclothes.

+hen 6inda heard the bad news, her eyes were filled withtears.


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9?: The phrase 'is filled with'is also used to show that somebody has a strong "eeling or

emotion.

(amples$

ebecca is filled withadmiration for her uncle's accomplishments.

Suddenly, /ohn's face is filled withfear.

+hen Mariah heard about her daughter's e(cellent e(amination results, she was filled

withhappiness.

"ur faces were filled withanger when we learnt about the brutal murder.

9@: !ince 'full'is an ad)ective, it does not have a past tense. Thus, the phrase 'is fulled'

does not e(ist in the nglish language. 3e use 'is full of'instead and its meaning is

similar to 'is filled with'.

(amples$

My cup is full ofcoffee.

The refrigerator is full offood and drinks.

Those shelves are full ofmaga@ines.


35/37

Dear Dr Grammar,

How do I use %in time% and %on time%#

Thank you "or helping me.

'ay

Hi 'ay,


3hen we are in time to do something, it means that we are not late and we have enough

time to do something.

(amples$

+ill we be in timefor the B.1= p.m. flight5

6uckily, the ambulance arrived just in timeto save the accident victim's life.

'm sure that 'll be able to complete the project in time.

3hen something happens on time, it means that something happens punctually, or at the

arranged time.

(amples$

The train arrived right on time.

The ship left the harbor on time.

3hen we do something on time, we do something according to schedule and we are not

late.


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(amples$

/ohn always hands in his coursework on time.

%s we arrived at the theatre on time, we did not miss the beginning of the movie.

I hope that my e(planation helps.

Dr Grammar

Hi im )oan bernas "rom philippines. Ive been searching a site "or english lesson. I "ind

your site so great. I really hope to become "luent in english. I hope you could help me. I

want to create an article but im a"raid to post it because i dont want to be creticied. so i

am looking "orward something you can contribute on me aside "rom you english lesson.

Hi 7oan,

Thanks so much "or your compliments. I%m glad that you like our website. I%m also glad to

know that you%re learning ngllish and hope to be "luent in the language.

4" course, I%m more than willing to help you. In your email, you mentioned that you wish

to create an article. 6ou don%t have to worry about the criticism, because I can help you. I"

you want me to, I can edit your article and make it more presentable "irst be"ore you post

it.

+emember, english@>?.com is specially meant "or nglish learners like you. There"ore,

do not hesitate to let me know, i" you encounter any problems in the process o" learning

the language.

Happy learning1

Dr Grammar


37/37

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Hello Doctor Grammar