desert /DEH-zert/ Listen A large, dry area of land with very little rain, often covered in sand — like the Sahara. Quick Answer A desert (one s) is a dry, sandy place where almost no rain falls. Say it DEH-zert, with the stress at the front. Think: sand, sun, camels. Example: The Sahara is the…
§ flout /FLOWT/ Listen To break or ignore a rule, law, or custom openly and deliberately. Quick Answer Flout means to break a rule openly. You flout the law, the rules, or convention. Think: to flout is to defy on purpose. Example: They openly flout the parking rules. Flout in 3 Sentences Read these three…
flaunt /FLAWNT/ Listen To show something off proudly, to get attention or admiration. Quick Answer Flaunt means to show off. You flaunt your wealth, your talent, or your new car. Think: to flaunt is to display with pride. Example: She loves to flaunt her designer clothes. Flaunt in 3 Sentences Read these three sentences. Notice…
infer /in-FUR/ Listen To work something out from clues or evidence. The listener or reader does the inferring. Quick Answer Infer means to work something out from clues. The listener infers. Think: to infer is to read between the lines. Example: We can infer from the data that sales are rising. Infer in 3 Sentences…
imply /im-PLY/ Listen To suggest or hint at something without saying it directly. The speaker or writer does the implying. Quick Answer Imply means to hint at something without saying it directly. The speaker implies. Think: to imply is to send a hidden message. Example: Her silence seemed to imply that she disagreed. Imply in…
Quick Answer Passive reporting structures let you report what people say or think without naming them. There are two patterns, both formal and impersonal. People say he is rich. → It is said that he is rich. · He is said to be rich. See the Two Patterns Start from a normal sentence like “People…
Quick Answer Nominalisation means turning a verb or adjective into a noun. It makes writing sound more formal and academic, and packs more information into fewer words. Verb: They decided quickly. → Noun: Their quick decision… Verb: Prices rose sharply. → Noun: There was a sharp rise in prices. See the Pattern — Verbs and…
Quick Answer In formal English, you can drop “if” and invert the subject and verb to make a conditional sound more elegant. Three verbs allow this: Had, Were, and Should. If I had known → Had I known. · If it were not for you → Were it not for you. · If you should…
Quick Answer A participle clause makes a sentence shorter by dropping the subject and turning the verb into an -ing form (active) or an -ed form (passive). Full: Because she felt tired, she left early. Shorter: Feeling tired, she left early. · Built in 1889, the tower still stands. See the Three Types of Participle…
Quick Answer Use were for every subject when the situation is imaginary or unreal — including I, he, she, and it. This special “were” is called the subjunctive. Unreal: If I were you, I’d say sorry. · I wish it were Friday. Real past fact: When I was a child, I lived in Cairo. See…
