Uploaded August 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
*Prepositional phrases* are an essential part of English speaking. In this advanced English vocabulary and speaking lesson, you’ll learn ten common phrases that begin with a preposition, including: "at the same time", "by accident", "by the way", "for good", "for now", "for sure", "in regard to", "in the meantime", "on purpose", and "on time". Even if you know the meanings of these phrases, it is important to take the next step and put them into practical conversational contexts. In addition to learning the meanings and uses of these phrases, make sure you listen to and repeat the sentences in the lesson. This is one of the best ways to help you learn new phrases and expressions. Do not be content just knowing the theory and the individual vocabulary units of a language: PRACTICE USING THEM IN CONTEXT. After you watch and practice with the video, make sure to do the quiz on engvid.com to solidify your understanding. engvid.com/10-prepositional-phrases-english-vocabulary-conversation
Get more English resources on my website: englishalex.com
More of my lessons about prepositions:
12 Prepositional Phrases for Professionals youtu.be/iG6aQVLY6aY
The 10 Most Frequent Preposition Mistakes youtu.be/cRKbG4h2YQw
In this lesson:
0:00 10 Prepositional Phrases
0:37 at the same time
1:19 by accident
2:40 by the way
3:45 for good
4:30 for now
5:39 for sure
6:20 in regard to
7:26 in the meantime
8:11 on purpose
8:47 on time
TRANSCRIPT
Hey everyone, I'm Alex.
Thanks for clicking and welcome to this lesson on 10 useful prepositional phrases. So in this video, I'm going to give you 10 phrases that begin with prepositions and are followed by a variety of words and they are all practical, useful, I'm sorry, I'm still a little embarrassed that you caught me doing what I was doing. I'll tell you what I was doing in a moment.
So the first prepositional phrase that I have for you is at the same time, which means simultaneously. Let's look at the example sentence. It's impossible to be in two places at the same time. So at the start of the video, I was trying to rub my head and pat my stomach at the same time. Can you do that at the same time? If you're in a public place, I highly recommend trying it right now. If you're in a private place, even better. So can you pat your head and rub your stomach at the same time, simultaneously? Let me know in the comments.
Next up, we have by accident. So if you do something by accident, you do not do it intentionally, you do it accidentally. So I think you messaged me by accident. So you received a weird message from someone and you think, no, I think that was for your girlfriend or for your boyfriend. Ah, I have a story about this. Listen well, children. I had a coworker named Jonathan. And hi, Jonathan, if you're watching this. And Jonathan, Jonathan had a girlfriend named Alex as well. My name is Alex. His girlfriend's name is Alex. He had my name in his phone. Obviously, Alex and Alex were very close. So one day I received a message from Jonathan and Jonathan's message said, hey, I'm going to be home in 30 minutes. Do you want a pizza? And I said, yeah, pizza would be great, Jonathan, but I think you have the wrong Alex. So yes, Jonathan sent me a message by accident, accidentally messaged me instead of messaging his girlfriend. Has that ever happened to you? I hope not, but it can happen.
By the way. So this is a very useful phrase when you're having a conversation. You can use by the way when you want to introduce something into the conversation that you just thought of in the moment and you want to share this information before it escapes your mind. It can be related to the thing you are talking about with your friend or it can be completely unrelated. So for example, it was nice to see you. By the way, did you work things out with your sister? By the way, work things out. If you work things out with someone, you resolve your issues with them. You fix a problem that you had with them, like a conflict of some kind. So yeah, it was nice to see you. Bye. Oh wait, by the way, did you work things out with your sister? Last time I talked to you, you told me you guys were in conflict with each other.
Okay, next we have "for good". So if you do something for good or if something finishes for good, it means it is permanent. So you do something permanently forever. Here, "Gary quit yesterday." What a shock. "Gary quit yesterday?" No, not Gary. He's gone for good. This means he is gone permanently, gone forever. Bye bye Gary. No more Gary at this company. He is gone for good. If you end a relationship with someone, you know, you can say, "Sorry, we are finished for good." Permanently forever, okay?
Next we have "for now". So if something is for now, it is temporary. So the doctor will see you soon. For now, please wait here. Please have a seat in the waiting room. […]
*Prepositional phrases* are an essential part of English speaking. In this advanced English vocabulary and speaking lesson, you’ll learn ten common phrases that begin with a preposition, including: "at the same time", "by accident", "by the way", "for good", "for now", "for sure", "in regard to", "in the meantime", "on purpose", and "on time". Even if you know the meanings of these phrases, it is important to take the next step and put them into practical conversational contexts. In addition to learning the meanings and uses of these phrases, make sure you listen to and repeat the sentences in the lesson. This is one of the best ways to help you learn new phrases and expressions. Do not be content just knowing the theory and the individual vocabulary units of a language: PRACTICE USING THEM IN CONTEXT. After you watch and practice with the video, make sure to do the quiz on engvid.com to solidify your understanding. engvid.com/10-prepositional-phrases-english-vocabulary-conversation
Get more English resources on my website: englishalex.com
More of my lessons about prepositions:
12 Prepositional Phrases for Professionals youtu.be/iG6aQVLY6aY
The 10 Most Frequent Preposition Mistakes youtu.be/cRKbG4h2YQw
In this lesson:
0:00 10 Prepositional Phrases
0:37 at the same time
1:19 by accident
2:40 by the way
3:45 for good
4:30 for now
5:39 for sure
6:20 in regard to
7:26 in the meantime
8:11 on purpose
8:47 on time
TRANSCRIPT
Hey everyone, I'm Alex.
Thanks for clicking and welcome to this lesson on 10 useful prepositional phrases. So in this video, I'm going to give you 10 phrases that begin with prepositions and are followed by a variety of words and they are all practical, useful, I'm sorry, I'm still a little embarrassed that you caught me doing what I was doing. I'll tell you what I was doing in a moment.
So the first prepositional phrase that I have for you is at the same time, which means simultaneously. Let's look at the example sentence. It's impossible to be in two places at the same time. So at the start of the video, I was trying to rub my head and pat my stomach at the same time. Can you do that at the same time? If you're in a public place, I highly recommend trying it right now. If you're in a private place, even better. So can you pat your head and rub your stomach at the same time, simultaneously? Let me know in the comments.
Next up, we have by accident. So if you do something by accident, you do not do it intentionally, you do it accidentally. So I think you messaged me by accident. So you received a weird message from someone and you think, no, I think that was for your girlfriend or for your boyfriend. Ah, I have a story about this. Listen well, children. I had a coworker named Jonathan. And hi, Jonathan, if you're watching this. And Jonathan, Jonathan had a girlfriend named Alex as well. My name is Alex. His girlfriend's name is Alex. He had my name in his phone. Obviously, Alex and Alex were very close. So one day I received a message from Jonathan and Jonathan's message said, hey, I'm going to be home in 30 minutes. Do you want a pizza? And I said, yeah, pizza would be great, Jonathan, but I think you have the wrong Alex. So yes, Jonathan sent me a message by accident, accidentally messaged me instead of messaging his girlfriend. Has that ever happened to you? I hope not, but it can happen.
By the way. So this is a very useful phrase when you're having a conversation. You can use by the way when you want to introduce something into the conversation that you just thought of in the moment and you want to share this information before it escapes your mind. It can be related to the thing you are talking about with your friend or it can be completely unrelated. So for example, it was nice to see you. By the way, did you work things out with your sister? By the way, work things out. If you work things out with someone, you resolve your issues with them. You fix a problem that you had with them, like a conflict of some kind. So yeah, it was nice to see you. Bye. Oh wait, by the way, did you work things out with your sister? Last time I talked to you, you told me you guys were in conflict with each other.
Okay, next we have "for good". So if you do something for good or if something finishes for good, it means it is permanent. So you do something permanently forever. Here, "Gary quit yesterday." What a shock. "Gary quit yesterday?" No, not Gary. He's gone for good. This means he is gone permanently, gone forever. Bye bye Gary. No more Gary at this company. He is gone for good. If you end a relationship with someone, you know, you can say, "Sorry, we are finished for good." Permanently forever, okay?
Next we have "for now". So if something is for now, it is temporary. So the doctor will see you soon. For now, please wait here. Please have a seat in the waiting room. […]

![English Grammar: BEEN TO or GONE TO?
Whats the difference between Ive been to London and Ive gone to London? Is there a difference at all? Watch this video to find out when to use been and when to use gone in present perfect sentences. English grammar can seem confusing, but here at EngVid we make things easier by breaking it down and explaining the logic behind it all. Once you understand the rules, youll know how to use the language. After you watch the lesson, make sure you understand it by taking the quiz at https://www.engvid.com/been-to-gone-to/ . See if you can score 10/10 this time! Good luck!
TRANSCRIPT
Oh, wow, Ive definitely never been there before. Have you been there before? While were on that topic: Hey, everyone, Im Alex. Thanks for clicking, and welcome to this lesson on two commonly used and sometimes confused words in English. And those two words are: been and gone. Now, these two words, I say they are commonly used and sometimes confused because they are often used in a similar way, in a similar context, but there is one situation where only one of them works.
Before we begin: What is been, what is gone? Grammatically, these are past participles. And today were specifically going to look at how to use them with perfect tenses, because the confusion with the two words usually happens in the perfect tenses themselves.
So, first lets look at been. Notice the arrows that I drew here. So, if you have been to a place, this means that you went there and you returned. So, for example: Hes been to India. And by the way, this hes, this means: he has been in this situation, this is the present perfect. Hes been to India. He went and he returned in his life. This is a life experience that he had. Okay? So you can say: Ive been to India., Ive been to Disney Land., Ive been to Niagara Falls. So, if you want to talk about life experience where you went to a place, you returned from the place, its behind you, its in the past, its done, its in your life experience, been is usually the word you want to go with.
Next: gone. Now, Im going to look at gone in a specific context which basically means you went to a place and youre still there, and you went recently. So, for example: Hes gone to India. -Wheres Frank? -Franks not in Canada, man. Hes gone to India. This means recently Hank left Canada... Did I say Hank or Frank? Frank or Hank? How do you not remember? Thats okay, lets keep going. Hank/Frank, Hankfrank, Frankhank has gone to India. So, he went to India maybe two days ago. Hes in India now.
Lets look at some more of these examples with been and gone. Been. Ive never been to China. Okay? Life experience, Ive never been and returned, I have never visited China. They had been there before. So were using the past perfect tense, here. They had visited that location before. Ah: We will have been in Montreal for three years by then. Now, here, its actually slightly different. Right? Because youre not saying that you went to Montreal and you returned to Montreal, but that you have lived in Montreal for three years, or: We will have lived, We will have been in Montreal for three years by then. So, here is a different sense. Here, youre saying that in three years: Oh, we will have been in Montreal for three years by that time, by a specific time in the future. Okay?
So, a different way to use been. Now, again, remember been is the past participle of the verb be, and after be you can use many, many, many, many different things, so you can talk about your age. Right? You can talk about adjectives, your feelings. You can follow the verb to be with a continuous form. Right? So: Hes been playing, Hes been reading, Hes been doing. For this lesson I specifically want to focus on using it to talk about travel and life experience with visiting places and returning from places.
Gone, okay. Jacks not here. Hes gone home. Now, here were using the present perfect. One of the uses for the present perfect is to talk about something that happened recently. Okay? And you can still see the effects, or something that just happened. So: -Wheres Jack? -Oh, Jacks not here. Hes gone home. He has gone home. Not: Hes been home, that means he went home and he returned, and its a weird kind of sentence. Maybe, unless he went for lunch, I guess. And heres another one: Shes gone grocery shopping. -Hey, where is Matilda? -Matildas not here. She has gone grocery shopping. Okay? So she went recently, shes there now. Next one, ah: Theyve gone on vacation. So your neighbours are not here, you notice their car is not in the driveway. Hey, where are the Hendersons? -Oh, the Hendersons are not here. Theyve gone on vacation. Okay? And last one: Hes gone to work. -Mom, wheres dad? -Dads not home. Hes gone to work. Okay? Recently he left the house, he went to work, hes at work now. […] English Grammar: BEEN TO or GONE TO?](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/UYIiHqZu7kU/mqdefault.jpg)
![Academic Vocabulary for Essays & IELTS Writing: 15 cause and effect POWER VERBS
Level up your academic writing skills by learning fifteen cause and effect verbs that will make you sound like a fourth-year university essay writing pro. If you’re taking the IELTS or TOEFL, these verbs are essential in the writing sections of those exams. The verbs and phrases include: cause, produce, lead to, result in, create, bring about, give rise to, be responsible for, result from, stem from, be caused by, be produced by, be brought about by, and be triggered by. Improvement stems from regular practice and consistently challenging yourself with new material, so make sure you don’t miss out on this chance to improve your written English. Take the quiz at https://www.engvid.com/academic-vocabulary-cause-effect-verbs/
WATCH NEXT:
1. LEARN 20 PASSIVE GET EXPRESSIONS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzLbKEomlCI&list=PLrPhmmx5j5b-AjltXcrLI4iiqF7lsj_P8&index=11
2. ACTIVE & PASSIVE GERUNDS IN ENGLISH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV_XlU1oxJg&list=PLrPhmmx5j5b-AjltXcrLI4iiqF7lsj_P8&index=71
TRANSCRIPT
Hey, everyone. Im Alex. Thanks for clicking, and welcome to this lesson on cause and effect verbs. So, this is an academic writing lesson. In this lesson, you will learn some advanced vocabulary, specifically verbs, that you can use in your high school or university essays; or if you are an English student who is taking the IELTS or the TOEFL, you can use these verbs to really level up your writing in your writing tasks on those tests. Okay? Now, if you are a writer of another sort; if you are an essayist, a fiction writer, a non-fiction writer, or you want to be a writer in the future - it never hurts to have more vocabulary, to have more power verbs in your arsenal. So, what were going to do today is improve your vocabulary for your writing and really make your writing that much stronger. So, Im going to put this down, and lets start looking at some verbs.
Specifically, we are going to look at some effect verbs first. So, when you think of effect, you think of the result of something. So, we have the verbs: cause, produce; and we have verb phrases, like: lead to, result in; and we have: create, bring about, give rise to, and be responsible for. So, these are all formal verbs, and these will definitely formalize your writing; specifically your essays. So, for example: cause - very direct. Right? So: The 2008 financial crisis caused several problems for multinational banks. So, this crisis caused these things to happen. All right?
Lets continue with: produce. Okay? So, to produce, create, cause. The medication did not produce the desired effect. So, the medication was supposed to numb the pain, but it didnt do this. It didnt produce the desired effect. So, again, to produce, think of it in the same family of words as: cause, produce, and create, which well see a little bit later on.
Next we have: lead to. So, if something leads to something else, this means that it causes the next step to happen. So, the next step is the effect. So, for example: Several international incidents led to World War II. So, were talking about international events, international incidents that led to - gave the cause for World War II. So, if something leads to something else, you know, you do this thing which causes this thing, so the effect is here. One thing leads to or causes another thing.
Result in - very straightforward, I think. So, result in: The earthquake resulted in thousands of deaths. The effect of the earthquake; the result of the earthquake. So: The earthquake resulted in thousands of deaths. Later well look at a result of, so that will be for cause; but for effect, you can say: result in. What was the result? It resulted in blank; in something.
Create. I think everyone is familiar with the verb create. If youre not, here we go. The increasing rate of crime is creating numerous issues, numerous problems. So, its making problems, creating problems, causing problems. So, the effect is that there are numerous problems now because of this.
Bring about. So, if something brings about something else, it kind of brings it-right?-into effect. So: The new regime-the new political party, the new political regime-brought about stricter laws. So, imagine there was an election and there is a new political regime, and with them they are bringing new laws, so they brought about new laws; they caused new laws to happen. The effect of the political regime are these stricter laws. Okay?
Next: give rise to. If something gives rise to something else, it means that the initial cause creates the conditions necessary for the effect to happen. Okay? Got that? Okay, lets look at the example. So: The election result gave rise to public protests. So, we have the election result, and: Uh-oh, now the condition is instability in the public because maybe the public is not happy with the results of the election. […] Academic Vocabulary for Essays & IELTS Writing: 15 cause and effect POWER VERBS](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VaBCiio8XZs/mqdefault.jpg)


![Advanced English Vocabulary: Compound Adjectives
This is a mind-altering lesson that will change the way you look at how adjectives are constructed. Only hard-working English students should dare enter. If you’re ready to play with language and get creative, click the play button and learn some of the most advanced and complex vocabulary there is. This lesson covers more than twenty multi-word adjectives, including fun-loving, good-looking, well-developed, full-time, foul-smelling, blonde-haired, three-legged, two-liter, and plenty more. Enter if you dare, and make sure to test your new knowledge by completing the quiz at https://www.engvid.com/advanced-english-vocabulary-compound-adjectives/ when you’re done.
Next, watch these other advanced English lessons Ive done:
1. Advanced English Homophones: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc_uzraKOIU&list=PLrPhmmx5j5b-AjltXcrLI4iiqF7lsj_P8&index=20
2. Cause & Effect Power Verbs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaBCiio8XZs&list=PLrPhmmx5j5b-AjltXcrLI4iiqF7lsj_P8&index=5
Sign up for a free Audible trial at https://www.engvid.com/out/audiblealex !
TRANSCRIPT
Hey, everyone. Im Alex. Thanks for clicking, and welcome to this lesson on multi-word adjectives. So, this is an advanced lesson, where I will give you a ton of examples of multi-word adjectives and the contexts in which you can use them, as well as the structure... the grammatical structure, the grammatical pieces and parts of speech you need to form your own, you know, multi-word adjectives.
Now, whats tricky about these is that you cant just take any words and mash them together. Unfortunately, you know, some words have gone together better than others. So, it is kind of an issue of memorizing things, but you can try to get creative. And after you watch the video, if you know any other multi-word adjectives or if you want to experiment with the language and try to create your own, you can ask me in the comments or write me in the comments, and let me know if you, you know, want to ask me if its a multi-word adjective that exists or maybe its something thats just fun and funny. So, if you can make me laugh, thats even better. All right, so lets begin.
What is a multi-word adjective? I think its best if we just start looking at them and look at the examples, and youll see what I mean. So, the first way... I say first, but really any of these could be first. The first way I have listed on the board is you can have an adverb, add an ed participle or an ed adjective to create a new word; a new adjective. So, for example, you can create words, like: well-developed, fully-trained, highly-skilled. Okay? So, a well-developed app or a well-developed program.
So, remember: Adjectives are words which describe things. So, ideally, after these adjectives you should have some kind of noun. So, what are some things that could be well-developed? So, a well-developed app, a well-developed game, a well-developed program. Okay? Fully-trained, so a fully-trained marine, a fully-trained police officer; someone who has received full training and is an expert in their field. Okay? Highly-skilled - someone who has a high degree of skill in their area. So, you can be a highly-skilled detective, or a highly-skilled doctor, a highly-skilled surgeon, a highly-skilled... Whatever profession you can think of that requires a high degree of skill.
Next, you can take an adverb, add an ing participle or ing adjective. And you have words, like: hard-working, fast-acting, well-paying. So, a hard-working person, a fast-acting pain reliever or a fast-acting medication. So, if you have pain and you take medicine, and the medicine acts very quickly... Maybe in two minutes: Oh, it works. Its a fast-acting medication. Okay? Well-paying, so you can have a well-paying job; the company pays you well; the job is well-paying. You can also... Hey, you can also use well-paid. So, if the company pays you, you can say, you know: I am well-paid for my work. I have a well-paying job. Okay?
Next: You can have a noun plus ed participle. You notice the pattern, right? You see: ed, ing, ed, ing, ed, ing, ed, noun... Thats later. So, a noun plus ed participle. For example: money-related, self-created, steel-enforced. So, if you can... If you say, for example, you know: The country is experiencing some financial problems. They are having some money-related issues. Or maybe a city is having some crime-related problems. Or: Hmm, this is an age-related issue - an issue related to age or a problem related to money; something like that.
Self-created, so, you know, all your problems are self-created. So, if you create problems for yourself, you are, you know, self-creating problems, so your problems are self-created. Steel-enforced, so maybe this is at a prison that has very heavy security, and the walls are enforced with steel, so, you know, you cannot really break through them because they are enforced with steel. […] Advanced English Vocabulary: Compound Adjectives](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WhDbykAINm4/mqdefault.jpg)

![English Beginner? Watch Peppa Pig. Here Are 7 Reasons Why.
Need more English listening practice? Spend more time with Peppa Pig. I’ll give you seven reasons why Peppa is the best show for English beginners, and why she should be YOUR English teacher. To improve your listening skills in a second language, you need materials that are short, focused, and easy enough for you to understand. This is Peppa Pig! Yes, the show is intended for children, but it is also perfect for A2–B1 English learners who want to improve their listening comprehension skills. Tell me (and Peppa!) if you agree. https://www.engvid.com/meet-your-new-english-teacher-peppa-pig/
Get my ebooks and more English resources on my site: https://EnglishAlex.com
Check out some of my listening practice videos:
10 Minutes of English Listening Practice https://youtu.be/6LEFonULEqI
Practice Listening to Reduced English Speech https://youtu.be/fQamXTEhLb0
In this lesson:
0:00 The best show to learn English with is...
1:06 1. Short episodes
1:43 2. Short, clear sentences
2:33 3. Useful, everyday English
3:47 4. Common situations
4:58 5. Repeated vocabulary
6:12 6. Calm, positive atmosphere
6:48 7. Strong visual support
7:44 Conclusion
Transcript:
This is one of the best English teachers you can have. This is Peppa Pig, and if you dont know her, you need to start spending some time with her. Many English students ask me, Alex, what shows should I watch to improve my English? Many of these learners are beginners and intermediate students. The answer that I have for you today is Peppa Pig. Its Peppa Pig. I have been using Peppa Pig to help me improve my French, and I have found that my vocabulary, my speaking, and especially my listening skills have improved. So if you are a beginner or an intermediate learner in English, I think Peppa is going to do wonders for your English learning. She is available on YouTube for free.
So why is Peppa Pig a great show for English learners? First of all, Peppa Pig has short episodes. Each episode is only four to eight minutes long. Four to eight minutes. This means you have less stress on your brain. You dont have to focus for a long time like when you watch a movie. This also makes the show very easy to re-watch. You can go back again and again and again. So, short episodes, less stress on your brain. This is a good thing.
Second of all, Peppa has short, clear sentences. The characters speak slowly. They use clear pronunciation. And there are natural pauses so your brain has time to process the language it has heard. When you are learning a new language, if you want to improve your listening skills, if you want to improve your vocabulary, your brain needs language it can understand. If you are a beginner student or a low intermediate student, the level of English that is used in Peppa Pig is much better for you than the level of English in a standard English movie, for example.
Third of all, Peppa has useful everyday English. This means it uses lots of past and present tense. It has a narrator who uses the present continuous a lot to explain a situation, often at the beginning of an episode. So you might hear, Mommy Pig is working on her computer. Daddy Pig is cooking in the kitchen. So you hear common, useful, everyday English that you can actually use in your life. There are also common question structures. This goes with lots of past, lots of present tenses. What does the blue button do? What do we do now? for example. And finally, you also learn how to make polite requests and to give instructions. So there are imperatives. Come in, for example. There are also polite requests, like, Peppa, could you bring me some flowers from the garden? So a lot of useful, everyday English.
Peppa also has common situations. So characters talk about the weather. They look outside, and they say, Its raining, or, Its snowing. They talk about work. They talk about school. They visit their family, their grandparents. They travel, and they talk about health. In one episode, Peppa Pig gets sick. Thats how she coughs in the show. And they have to call the doctor. So whats wrong, Peppa? Right? So you get very common situations, a variety of scenarios that people experience in real life. Its not just a show that happens in one location with the same scenarios again and again. And each episode is only four minutes or eight minutes, so you get a four-minute episode about the snow, a seven-minute episode about visiting your grandparents. Its great because you have exposure to a variety of real-life situations.
You also get a lot of repeated vocabulary in Peppa Pig. The best way to learn vocabulary is to hear it repeated again and again over a period of time. If you watch many episodes of Peppa Pig, you will have this experience. You will hear the same family words - brother, cousin, mom, dad, animals. […] English Beginner? Watch Peppa Pig. Here Are 7 Reasons Why.](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/X67FWMPRosc/mqdefault.jpg)

![How to Use “WOULD” | English Grammar Explanation & Practice
“It would be great if someone explained how to use ‘would’ in real life.” I agree! It’s why I made this advanced English grammar lesson. In this class, you will learn (and PRACTICE!) how to use “would” for offers, preferences, requests, hypothetical situations, reported speech, and more. If I were you, I would watch this video, answer my questions, and do the quiz to double-check your understanding. https://www.engvid.com/how-to-use-would-english-grammar-explanation-practice
Visit my website to get my books and even more English resources: https://www.EnglishAlex.com
Watch more of my grammar lessons:
English Modals: 4 ways to use SHOULD https://youtu.be/1nt57peMoDc
English Grammar: The 5 Most Frequent Article Mistakes https://youtu.be/SkMVAesuSwc
In this lesson:
0:00 10 ways to use would in English
1:12 would for polite offers
2:20 would for preferences
3:44 would for polite requests
5:25 would for present/future hypotheticals
7:03 would for past hypotheticals
8:35 would for future in the past & reported speech
10:13 would for past repeated behaviours
12:29 would for past habits
14:48 would for polite suggestions
16:49 would for uncertainty or softness
Transcript:
Hey, everyone. Im Alex. Thanks for clicking. You are Learning English with engVid. Today, we are talking about would. What makes this video different? Well, you will participate. Number one, I will explain the different uses of would. Number two, I will ask you to listen and repeat the questions and the statements that I make in this video, and number three, I will ask you some questions that you dont see on the board or ask you to complete some sentences that you dont see on the board so that you can actively participate and actively improve your English.
So, lets begin. First of all, would is used when we want to create some mental distance between us and what we are discussing. There is always the idea of possibility or probability when we talk about would. Its in an imagined reality, a possible space. Okay?
So, lets start with usage number one, polite offers. Look at these sentences. Would you like a drink? Would you prefer tea or coffee? As you can see, to make offers, the common structures are would you like and would you prefer. You dont have a drink now. You dont have tea or coffee now. So, would you like this? or would you prefer this? These are the structures that you use. So, repeat after me. Would you like a drink? Would you prefer tea or coffee? Good. Now, I want you to finish this sentence. Alex, would you like... Ah, yes, I would like that. Thank you.
Number two, you can use would to talk about preferences. So, for example, I would love a glass of wine. Or, How would you like your coffee? So, when you talk about preferences, you can use I would love, I would like. Again, were using would like, were using would love in this case, too. So, let me see here. Yes, let me ask you this question right after I ask you to repeat. So, repeat after me. I would love a glass of wine. How would you like your coffee? Okay, so youre asking about how they would prefer their coffee, or if they would like a glass of wine, or this person would love one. Okay. Imagine we are at a restaurant, and I am your waiter, your server. So, Im going to ask you about your coffee, and I want you to answer my question in a complete sentence. How would you like your coffee? Perfect.
Next, you can use would for polite requests. For example, Would you pass me a knife, please? Would you mind babysitting this afternoon? So, as you can see, in this case, would you pass, its much more common to say, Can you pass me?, Could you pass me?, but would is also possible if you want to sound a little more polite. Also, if you know the phrase would you mind, would you mind is, well, it means, is it a problem for you? Would it be okay? One thing to note about would you mind, we always need an object, and if you use, like, a verb, this is a gerund in this case, you need verb plus -ing. So, Would you mind babysitting this afternoon? Okay. Imagine we are at the dinner table. I want you to ask me to pass you something. So, say, Alex, would you pass me...? Good. Yes, no problem. Here you go. Also, repeat after me. We forgot that step. Repeat, please. Would you pass me a knife, please? Would you mind babysitting this afternoon? Good.
Now, remember I said that there is a mental distance, a hypothetical nature to the use of would in English. So, we can use would for present or future hypotheticals. This is the second conditional, okay? So, if you want to learn more, we have lots of videos on the second conditional and after the third conditional as well. So, first, listen to these. I wouldnt do that if I were you. And, How would you do it? Okay. Now, you repeat after me. I wouldnt do that if I were you. […] How to Use “WOULD” | English Grammar Explanation & Practice](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/XBOmMYHtjJo/mqdefault.jpg)
