TIME EXPRESSIONS USED WITH VARIOUS TENSE FORMS

TIME EXPRESSIONS USED WITH VARIOUS TENSE FORMS

Usually, never, seldom, always, generally

These expressions are almost always used with the simple present tense.

·         He seldom donates money to charities.

·         He always wears neat clothes.

·         You never thank me for anything.

·         I usually drink coffee in the morning.

At present, now, at the moment, right now etc

These expressions are usually used with the present continuous tense.

·         I am learning German now.

·         He is working on a new novel at present.

·         He is doing research in molecular biology at the moment.

Already, just, yet

These expressions are usually used with the present perfect tense.

·         I have already watched that movie.

·         We have not yet heard from them.

·         John has just left.

Since and for

These time expressions are usually used with the present perfect and present perfect continuous tenses.

·         We have lived here since 1999.

·         I have been working since morning.

·         It has been raining for hours.

·         We have been living here for six years.

Yesterday, last year, some years ago

Use these expressions with the simple past tense.

·         I met him yesterday.

·         His father died three years ago.

·         I visited Japan last year.

Tomorrow, next year, next month

These expressions are usually used with the simple future tense.

·         I will talk to him tomorrow.

·         We will move to our new home next month.

·         He will retire next year.

ASCENT VS. ASSENT

ASCENT VS. ASSENT

At first look, these two words not only sound alike but their spellings are only one letter apart. Despite these similarities, ascent and assent are worlds apart in terms of their meanings and usage.

Ascent is a noun that denotes “the act of rising or mounting upward” or “an advance in social status or reputation”. Its verb form is ascend.

“China Car Surge Sends Palladium on Steepest Ascent in Six Years”
Bloomberg

“Justin Trudeau’s Surprising Ascent”
The New Yorker

“The ascent from virtualization to the cloud”
InfoWorld

Meanwhile, assent has two uses. It can be used as a noun which means “the expression of approval or agreement”.

“Historic one nation, one tax enabling bill gets Elders’ assent”
The New Indian Express

“Reports advise on obtaining informed consent from parents, assent from patient”
AAP News

“Same-sex Manx marriages can go ahead after Royal Assent”
BBC News

Assent may also be used as a verb that denotes “to express approval or agreement, typically officially.”

“President ‘reluctant’ to assent to Bill to cap interest rates, says Treasury CS”
K24 TV

“Chisi urges Mutharika not to assent to Customary Land bill: ‘Malawians should not pay fees for their land’”
Nyasa Times

“Raila urges President Kenyatta to assent to interest rate Bill”
Citizen TV

Sometimes, a third word, accent, gets thrown into the mix with these two. As a noun, it means “a distinctive mode of pronunciation of a language, especially one associated with a particular nation, locality, or social class”.

“Reader worries her obese stepdaughter with a Southern accent will not get a job”
Washington Post

“Is Siri Racist? Why Virtual Assistants Can’t Understand Accents”
Huffington Post

Accent may also be used as a verb which means “to emphasize a particular feature”.

“Latino players want real names, accented”
Bend Bulletin

To summarize, remember these three things: Ascent is usually used as a noun referring to the act of rising or mounting upward or climbing in social status. Assent is an expression of agreement. Lastly, accent is a way of speaking.

ASSURE VS. ENSURE VS. INSURE

ASSURE VS. ENSURE VS. INSURE

The words assure, ensure, and insure are among the common terms that are often misused and interchanged. This may be attributed to how all three words can be associated with the sureness of an outcome.

However, you can easily avoid confusion by remembering their distinct uses.

Assure is a verb which means “to tell someone something positively or confidently to dispel any doubts they may have” or “to make something certain to happen”.

“Assure Better Sleep During Holiday And Business Trips With This New Scientific Discovery”
Huffington Post

“Melania Trump wants to assure you there is nothing mysterious about her disappearing website”
The Washington Post

“U.S. officials assure Turkey of America’s support for democratically elected governments”
Los Angeles Times

Meanwhile, ensure is a verb which denotes “to make certain that something shall occur or be the case” or “to make sure that a problem shall not occur”.

“Independent Candidate Evan McMullin Could Help Ensure Clinton Victory”
Huffington Post

“Sadiq Khan calls for Brexit delay to ensure UK retains single market access”
The Independent

“How Precise Timekeeping at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Ensures the Right Gold-Medal Winners”
Forbes

Lastly, insure is a verb which means “to secure or protect someone against a possible contingency” or “arrange for compensation in the event of damage to or loss of property, or injury to or the death of someone, in exchange for regular advance payments to a company or government agency”.

“Someday Soon, You’ll Be Able to Insure Your Drone Racing League”
Fortune

“In turnaround, FHA will insure mortgages with PACE assessments”
Reuters

“Collapsed holiday company failed to insure against Brexit fallout”
The Times

As long as you remember their different uses, I assure you that you can always ensure that you are using these words properly and in turn, insure yourself from possible moments of embarassment.

Now, let’s see if you can complete these sentences using assure,ensure, or insure:

1.    John has been working out for the past three months to ___ that he is ready for the marathon.

2.    I ____ you that the police will protect us from those criminals.

3.    We are obligated to ____ our house from fire and other natural disasters.

IDIOMS – E

Err on the side of

To err on the side of something is to display more rather than less of that quality.

He is clever enough to understand that it is wise to err on the side of caution.

Be etched in

When something is etched in your mind, it is a memory that will not fade away.

That scene will be forever etched in my memory.

Even as

Even as means at the very same time as

Even if – despite the possibility that

Even if you offer me 1 billion dollars, I will not betray my country.

Even so – nevertheless

It is true that the British did some good in India – even so, colonialism is basically bad.

Even though – in spite of the fact that

Even though I had a headache, I enjoyed the movie.

Make an example of

To make an example of someone is to punish them as a warning to other people.

Make an exhibition of yourself

To make an exhibition of yourself is to behave very foolishly in public.

Explain yourself

To explain yourself is to justify your motives or behavior.

Explain something away

To explain something away is to make something less embarrassing by giving an excuse for it.

Be all eyes

When you are all eyes, you are watching something keenly.

Have an eye for something

When you have an eye for something, you are able to recognize and judge something wisely.