Quick answer A concessive clause introduces a fact that contrasts with what we might expect from the main clause: Although it was expensive, we bought it. Words such as although, despite and albeit can express related meanings, but they fit different grammatical patterns. Although, Though and Even Though These commonly introduce a clause with a…
Travel writer Frances arrives to cover a Scottish ferry’s final crossing with her article already imagined. Listening to the islanders unsettles the convenient story she expected to tell.
Quick answer A modal + have + past participle can express a deduction, possibility, expectation or judgement about the past. Must have left expresses a strong deduction; might have left expresses a possibility. Needn’t have gone says the action happened unnecessarily. Didn’t need to go says there was no necessity; context tells us whether the…
A parcel from a deceased friend’s estate reaches Gwen in Wales. Unsent letters reopen a history of literary ambition, friendship and the things neither woman said aloud.
Quick answer Discourse markers help a reader follow relationships between ideas. Moreover adds a point; nonetheless marks an unexpected contrast; conversely introduces an opposite case; consequently expresses a result. Choose the relationship your evidence and argument actually support. Read the Relationship, Not Just the Word These examples describe different facts and relationships. Their purpose is…
In a remote Scottish valley, scientist Iris hears an unfamiliar pitch in the bats’ calls. Years of recordings become the starting point for a question she cannot yet explain.
§ 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…
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…
