We use the past perfect tense to explain actions that started and finished in the past, usually before another action in the past. Sometimes, people call the past perfect “The past of the past,” even though it describes an action that started and finished in the past, just like the simple past tense. So, now …
Margaret Bell
Everyone around you is excited to have a productive and successful day, and there’s so much potential for the day ahead! You want to express some positivity, too, so you decide to tell everyone, “Have a great day ahead!” But, as a few people throw you a confused glance, it leaves you wondering, is it …
We use the verb “to be” in so many different tenses and roles. For native speakers or people with a lot of exposure to English, the conjugation and forms of “to be” just sound natural. But sometimes, you’ll hear “to be” in a sentence and think, “That just doesn’t sound right.” So, the question stands: …
It’s a familiar scene: you’re discussing a hot topic with your friends or family, and everyone has a different opinion. Some are for the idea, while others are against it; some talk about the pros and cons, and others say they are pro or against. In the heat of the discussion, you’re left wondering, does …
Your boss explains that she has to lay off half of the department, and you’re left sweating, wondering if you’ll still have a job by the end of the day. That’s when you wake up with a start and cold sweat. The phrase “laid off” is hard enough to hear, but it’s even harder to …
When someone uses “long term” or “long-term” while speaking, the words sound the same. Still, you’re confident you’ve seen this expression written both with and without the hyphen, so it’s not unusual to wonder, “Is it ‘long-term’ or ‘long term’?” And does that make a difference to the meaning of the word? Both “long-term” and …