Questions and Answers
about English

How to Use the Words Hereafter, Henceforth, As of/ As from, Onwards 
Dear Teacher, How can we use the words: 1. hereafter 2. henceforth 3. As of/As from 4.onwards. Do all four mean the same thing? How to use …

Have Loved and Loved 
Hello, What is the difference between "I have loved him before," and "I loved him"? How to use them? Thanks.

How to Use the Phrase As of Now 
Could you please tell me how to use the phrase "As of now"? I always get confused with this one. How it is different from "so far"? Please help. …

NOT and NO? 
Hello! Are these correct? 1. "There is no an apple on the tree." 2. "There is not an apple on the tree." 3. "There are not 17 apples on the …

Have Finished or Did Have 
Hi! Is it grammatically correct to say "have you finished bathing" or "did you have a bath"? What's the difference between them?

Structure of a Question 
Is the question: "I have a question hoping to be answered" really a question? If not, why do I see it around a lot?

Superlatives and the Word THE 
Are both these sentences correct? (a) I get up earliest in my family. (b)I get up the earliest in my family. As far as I have learned, the article …

Can You Pluralize These Words? 
My questions are: 1) Can you pluralize (make plural) the word "Money"? For example: "All the monies are paid," or "All the money is paid." …

Why Can't We Say "Explain Me This?" 
Hello everybody, Why do English speakers say "Ask me this," but not "Ask this to me"? And why do they say "Explain this to me," but not "Explain …

My Concern 
Hi, What particular English Language Skill do I need to focus and study about if I'm having a hard time in speaking English fluently and sometimes fail …

Help with Some English Grammar Terms 
Hey there, I am currently in Quebec City learning French, and have come to realize that I am not sure about a lot of definitions for grammar in English. …

Why Do We Read Some Letters Like C and X Differently?  
Why do we read some letters like C and X differently? For example the word "xerox" (a process for producing copies using a special machine). The first …

AS AT or AS OF? 
I always use "as of" to indicate the latest update of my project or some certain issue, but my colleague always correct me by saying it should be "as at." …

Understanding Novels by Reading 
Hi, I can read general English, but when I start reading a novel I cannot understand the meaning of many sentences. What is the process of learning …

How to Use the Words SUPPOSE ,SUPPOSED TO, and WONDER 
Hello, I have got two questions for you: 1) Could you please explain how to use the words SUPPOSE and SUPPOSED TO in English? I have some confusion …

Time Conjunctions (Conjunctions of Time) 
Hello, Can you please explain what time conjunctions are? And which tense is not to be used after a time conjunction? Thanks!

Leaving To or Leaving For? 
Hi, What's the difference between "leaving to" and "leaving for"? Should I say: "I am leaving for Pakistan?" or "I am leaving to Pakistan?" …

Have No Pens or Not Have Pens 
Hello, Can you explain the difference between these two types of statements? "I will have no pens." "I will not have pens." Thanks.

Been or Being 
Is it correct to say “Thanks for being a good brother,” or is it “Thanks for been a good brother”? Please explain.

IS or ARE? 
"Just 5 minutes is enough." In the above sentence, "5 minutes" is plural, so why do we use IS and not ARE?

Asking without an Auxiliary Verb 
Hi, Is it grammatically correct to ask a question such as, “How many bananas George ate last week?” (Since it does not include the auxiliary verb “did.”) …

Is It Correct to Say Little Money 
Hi, Is it grammatically correct to say, “I have little money”? Can you explain? Thanks.

Have and Had 
When do we use "have" and "had" together in a sentence?

Below or Under 
Which one would be correct? "I am waiting under the building." OR "I am waiting below the building." Please explain the difference in meaning …

Why Is I HAVE EATEN AN APPLE Considered Present Perfect and Not Past Perfect? 
The verb EATEN tells us that the action is complete, therefore it happened in the PAST. Since the action is complete, and it happened in the PAST, why …

Present Perfect vs Present Perfect Progressive 
What's the difference between the present perfect and the present perfect progressive?

In Politics or On Politics? 
Hello, In the sentence below is "on" or "in" the correct word to use and why? "Money is important (in or on) politics." Thank you.

What Verb Tense or Tenses Can I Use to Show Repeated Action? 
Hi, OK, I know that I can't use the past tense because that is for a completed action. But for the perfect and continuous tenses , can I use …

Proper Way to Write Book Titles 
Hi there, When I write and want to talk about an author and the title of their book, how should I write the title? Should it be in quotes, underlined, …

Using Present to Express Future 
Is it grammatically acceptable to use the present form of the verb to express a future action? How is it done? Thanks in advance.

Have, Got, Have Got 
Hello, I would like to know the meaning and difference between: "I have my book" "I got my book" "I have got my book" Thanks!

What's the Difference between On, Over, and Above? 
Can you please explain the differences between on , over , and above ? Thanks.

Transitive Verb with Infinitive 
I am an English teacher in Manila. Sometimes I come across questions from my students that could be quite difficult to answer because I didn’t learn …

How and When to Use Regarding and About 
Hello to you, Can you please explain the difference between the following words and phrases? 1. concerning 2. regarding 3. about 4. in respect …

Parts of Speech Importance 
What is the importance of each part of speech?

What Kind of Verb Is HAS in the Following Sentence? 
What kind of verb is 'has' in the following sentence? "She has done her work."

Rise Raised and Risen 
I have never understood the difference of rise , raise , and risen . Could you please help me understand? Answer: Sure :-) For the difference …

Ordinal Numbers and Cardinal Numbers 
Hello! My name is Edgar Xu, an English teacher from the No.1 High School of Yanjin County, Yunnan Province, China. I have a question to ask you: …

What's the Difference between HI and HELLO? 
what is the difference between HI and HELLO? Answer: HELLO is a word you use to show that you are happy to see or meet someone. For example: …

What Is the Difference between "Would Have" and "Would Have Been"? 
What is the difference between "would have" and "would have been"? Answer: "Would have" is used together with a main verb . When you see …

What's the Difference between COULD HAVE and COULD HAVE BEEN? 
What's the Difference between COULD HAVE and COULD HAVE BEEN? Answer: Could have "Could have" can be used with several meanings. 1) To describe …

Each – Singular or Plural? 
How is the word, "each" used correctly in sentences? For example, "Each of the students complete/completes their homework on time"? Answer: …

What's the Difference between
SINCE and FOR? 
I can use the simple tenses easily, but I'm confused regarding the difference between "since" and "for," and also between "been" and "being." Answer: …

The Word NO – Singular or Plural? 
Hi, I know that with ANY we usually use plural nouns: "Are there any girls in your class?" Now I wonder if it's correct with NO, too? For example, …

Likes and Dislikes 
I'm going to do a Learning Unit and teach my 12-year-old students how to use verbs and phrases expressing likes and dislikes, for instance "love, like, …

Singular or Plural Nouns 
1) Is the word NONE to be treated as SINGULAR? If so, why do people say, "NONE of the boys HAVE done their work"? 2) Is the word EVERYBODY singular? …

The Importance of English Grammar in Spoken English? 
What is the importance of English grammar in spoken English? Answer: That's a very good question. English grammar is important if you want to …

BEING and BEEN 
Hello, I would like to know when and how to use the words BEING and BEEN. I usually mix them up. What is the best way to know when to use each one? …

Difference between DID and HAVE 
I have a confusion regarding using DID and HAVE. For example: "Did you finish your homework?" (Positive sentence: "You finished your homework.") …

No U after Q 
Are there words in English that have a Q not followed by a U?

Third Form of Verb BITE 
Are "bit"/"bitten" both a third form of verb "bite"?

Wonder, Wish and Hope 
I would like to know the usage of the word I wonder, wish & hope. How and when do we use these words? Answer: Wonder = to think about something …

Teaching for Different Ages in the Same Class 
Dear Ola, I have joined to this wonderful site recently, and I really appreciate all your helpful sources and advice. I am an English teacher who …

How to Recognize an Adverb Clause? 
How to recognize an adverb clause? Answer: An adverb clause can be recognized using the following criteria: 1) It starts with a conjunction …

Which One Is Correct: SOMETHING or ANYTHING? 
Would you answer my question? I found a question in an English textbook. Question: "Do you tell me (something/anything) about families?" I thought …

Verb Conjugation Lessons 
Are conjugation lessons important? When I look for them online I just get lessons on tenses. Answer: Teaching conjugations is important, since …

Title's Grammar Rules 
When writing, what grammar do you use with the title of a short story? Ola's answer: The title is usually one of these three options: 1) A word, …

I or ME? Which Is the Correct Pronoun to Use? 
Should I use "I" or "me" in this sentence: "Jack is older than (I or me)." And why? Ola's answer: Grammatically speaking, the correct pronoun …

Usage of HAVE BEEN with Verb 3 
Please explain the difference between these two sentences: 1) "I have been completed the work." 2) "I have completed the work." Ola's asnwer: …

ANTONYMS - Does it Help to Know, Study and Practice Them? 
Thanks for reminding to practice, practice, practice – so I remember the saying "use it or lose it". :-) I'm not sure whether it's good to learn synonyms, …

Are the Following Expressions Used in Spoken Language? 
I wonder: If a non-native English speaker says, "play cute/adorable" or "act cute/adorable," can it be understood by a native English speaker? For …

What Is a Collective Noun? 
What is a collective noun? Please give some examples. Ola's answer: A collective noun is a singular noun that refers to a group of people or …

Which One is More Correct:
"Can I speak Italian?"
OR
"Can I speak in Italian"? 
I teach English but since my mother tongue is actually Italian, heavy doubts are always there. I want my students to speak English in class (no matter …

Sentence Structure and Word Type 
A very enthusiastic student asked me this, and I'm not sure how to answer . . . "It is worth considering." What kind of word is "worth"? Is this …

MUST or HAVE TO? 
Hi Ola, I'd like to know the difference between MUST and HAVE TO as far as school rules are concerned. I mean, is it better or more correct to use …

Improving My English in One Month 
How can I improve my English language in one month to prepare for my test? Ola's answer: Hi Payman, Please read the article on this matter: …

Present Progressive Verbs to Indicate Future? 
In the present progressive exercise no 3: 1. We are going (go) to the movies tonight. 2. She is leaving (leave) to London tomorrow morning. 3. …

Simple Present -
Adding S to the Verb 
In Simple Present Exercise number 8, questions 3 and 4, the answers were as follows: 3. He does not bring (not bring) gifts. 4. She does not take …

What's the Difference between Future Simple and Future Progressive? 
Hey there, What is the difference between "I will be waiting" and "I will wait"? Ola's answer: "I will be waiting" means that in a certain …

When Should I Use HAVE, HAS, HAD, DO, DID and DOES? 
I would like to ask when should I use HAVE, HAS, HAD. DO, DID, and DOES? Ola's answer: I, you, we, they => HAVE (present) He, she, it => HAS …

What's the Difference between ERROR and MISTAKE? 
What's the Difference between ERROR and MISTAKE? Ola's answer: A mistake is something that you think or do which is not correct or which turns …

Gerunds and Participles Usage 
What's the difference between gerunds and participles as the subject of sentence? Ola's answer: There is a good lesson on this matter: Gerunds …

Noun Clause, Adjective Clause and Adverb Clause 
Could you please give further explanation regarding noun clauses, adjective clauses and adverb clauses with some examples. Also, how should I use them …

Eight Parts of Speech 
Why is it important to learn the eight parts of speech, and how will it help you in work, school, and your personal life? Ola's answer: That's …

What is the Difference between HAVE and HAVE GOT? 
What is the difference between HAVE and HAVE GOT? Ola's answer: HAVE and HAVE GOT basically have the same meaning. HAVE is more usual to American …

Difference between Find and Look 
What is the difference between find and look? When and how do I use find and look? Ola's answer: Looking is the process and finding is …

Using Each/Every 
What's the correct way to say this: "Each of the children has/have a bedroom." Can we say: "Each children has a bedroom." or "Each child …

Master or Master's? 
What is the difference in the meaning of the following three sentences? 1. "You should have done masters in economics." 2. "You should be masters in …

Would Have Been 
Suppose someone gave me money in the form of cheque, and I am not happy with that, because I wanted money in the form of cash. Is it correct to say, …

What Is the Past Form of Now? 
Could you tell me what is the past form of verb now? Ola's answer: Well, first of all "now" is not a verb. :) It's actually an adverb. If …

What's the Meaning of Love? 
What's the meaning of love? Ola's answer: I guess at the root of it, "love" is the feeling one gets when he or she wants to be close to someone, …

The Verb Is as an Action Verb 
If the verb "is" is an action verb, but it is also a linking verb, then how does it express an action? For example: "Mary is my classmate." ("Is" …

Questions about the English Verb Tenses Course 
I did two exercises of lesson 3 in the 10-day course of English verb tenses. I have some things which I don't really understand. Please help me! …

Please Make Corrections if Necessary 
"It is sometimes very irritating when people start judging you and your behavior, trying to find out reasons behind them and end up giving stupid conclusive …

What Is the Meaning of Sad? 
What is the meaning of "sad"? Ola's answer: When somebody is sad it means they are unhappy. They feel bad because something is not ok.

Please Make Corrections to this Paragraph if it is Needed 
"The worst part of this life is to ignore the person whom i dont want to ignore. For me, to ignore him means to insult him. God knows better how much i …

I Can't Remember Modal Verbs 
I cannot understand modal verbs and always forget the rules. Is there an easy way to remember them? Ola's answer: Yes! Check out the tables at …

"Complain" using Different Parts of Speech 
What is the difference between "complain," "complaint" and "complained"? Ola's answer: "Complain" is a verb. It means you are unhappy with something …

How and When to Use SHALL? 
How and when should I use the word "shall"? Ola's answer: In the past "shall" had many more uses, but in modern day non-formal English this is …

A Box of Milk or a Carton of Milk? 
Should we say a "packet of milk" or "box of milk" or "carton"? Ola's answer: Hi, I'm not familiar with a "packet" of milk, but there are both …

Write/Wrote/Writing – When Should I Use Each? 
In what situations do you use "I write," "I wrote" & "I am writing?" Please explain. Thank you. Ola's answer: Hi, First of all, for the …

Has, Has Been & Had Been 
Where should we use "has" or "has been" or "had been" in a conversation? Hi Vijay, You should use them according to their meanings. First, …

What's the difference between the helping verbs HAS and HAS BEEN? 
Please explain in simple words what is the difference between the helping verbs HAS and HAS BEEN or where should we use HAS as helping verb and where should …

Use Phrases in Your Own Words 
a] "with all one's might" b] "to give praise" c] "to keep on doing something" Ola's answer: a] "The sun was shining with all its might." b] …

Steps of changing spelling from present to past tense 
Verb tense, present, past, future, uses of 'will' in future and ING forms? Ola's answer: Hi, You can visit the English Verb Tenses section …

Difference pronunciations of the word 'THE' 
Hi, I would like to know about pronouncing THE in two different ways... Please tell me clearly when we pronounce THE as "da" and when as "di"? …

What is the difference between CAN and COULD? 
What is the difference between "can" and "could"? Ola's answer Hi, You can read all about it here: English Modal Verbs Let me know of …

Gerunds – what's the correct answer? 
Hi Ma'am Ola, How are you? I've read this question in an exam but I don't feel there is a correct choice. The question is: "I really appreciate …

Linking verbs and helping verbs 
What is the difference between the two? What are "has" and "have"? Ola's answer: A linking verb is a verb that connects the subject with an …

Importance of the parts of speech 
What is the importance of the parts of speech? Ola's answer: Hi, That's a good question. The parts of speech are important because they …

The Difference Between "Raise" and "Rise" 
What is the difference between "raise" and "rise"?

Speak English Fluently 
How can I be able to speak english fluently? This is my problem I face.

Gerund or Infinitive 
I am looking forward to .......(see) you? The question is: May I use "see" in the gerund form or in the infinitive form?

What Tense Should I Use After the Word "Always"? 
What tense of the verb should I use after the word "always"? e.g "I always complain/complained about my shoes till I found out the man with no legs" …

Investigating the factor for student refusal to speak in english 
Why is a student unwilling to speak in English, especially a university student on campus?

What is the difference between "especially" and "specially"? 
Dear Ola, What is the difference between these two words: especially & specially (without the "e")? Thank you

Proper or Common 
Is Bugs Bunny a common noun or a proper noun?

My Problems with English 
Hello! Thanks for all you things you have done, are doing, and will do. So, you asked me to type (=write) a reply in which I may describe my problems …

English Grammar – Adverbs 
I would like to know what is adverb in this sentence below: "Then I find her asleep in a box."

A Question on English Writing 
Dear Ola Zur, I would like to thank you for your short tips on english language. It is helpful to me. I am a teacher and would like to ask you …

What is English? 
Why English is so important in india?

Parts of Speech 
How can we identify the different parts of speech easily by only seeing the sentence?

What is the importance of active and passive voice? 
I've just read about active and passive voice, but what is the importance of knowing it? Are there some rules that are affected by it, etc?

Correct Way to Say 
What is the grammatically correct way to say the following sentence: "Has shipper contacted you yet?" OR "Have you been contacted by shipper?"

Changing of direct speech into indirect speech 
The teacher said,"your passport is out of date"

When to use "ed" 
Where should we use "ed"?

Please correct my grammar 
PLEASE NOTE: this particular section no longer receives questions. Good day! I am preparing for a job interview. Can you please correct my grammar …

What is the correct tense to use? 
Which tense should I use? "Don't" or "didn't"? And please explain. I'm having a hard time figuring this out... "We ate at jack's loft but my …

"I am hungry myself" 
Happy new year Ola, I didn't understand this expression: "I am hungry myself" and I don't even know if it is correct or not. I have read it …

English Learning Aids 
What aids (books, audios, etc.) for learning advanced English vocabulary and conversation would you recommend?

Confusion between two sentence forms 
Which one is right sentence form? 1. "There are many chances to be snacks there." OR 2. "There are many chances snacks to be there." Please …

Job Interview 
Could you please give me some tips on interviews for a job, and more things about communication skills and presentations as well. Thank you.

What's the difference between simple future tense and progressive future tense? 
What's the difference between simple future tense and progressive future tense? What's the difference between the two tenses? For example: Simple …