30.05.2019

We can use about to mean ‘concerning’

• I have heard all about it.

We can use about to mean ‘approximately’. We can also use around for this but about is less formal.

• About six hundred people were present.

We can use How about and What about to make suggestions.

• What about asking Tom?

About can mean ‘here and there’.

• She is always out and about.
• They go about interviewing the public.

Just about means ‘almost’.

• I have just about finished.
• I have had just about enough of him and his patronizing tone.
• The money we get will just about pay for the new equipment.

Be about to means that something is on the point of happening.

• I am about to change jobs.
• He is about to give in his resignation.
• Please listen carefully. i am about to say something important

Here are some useful expressions using about

no doubt about

• There is no doubt about his ability but he doesn’t work well with other people

bring about change

• We need to bring about change quickly or the company will go bankrupt.

anything I can do about it?

• Is there anything I can do about my financial situation?

concerned about

• i’m concerned about Simon. He is acting very strangely.

speculate about

• We can only speculate about what happened. We will never know for sure.

about to change

• I am not happy with what has been happening. I must warn you that things are about to change around here.

https://www.englishgrammarsecrets.com/about/exercise2.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnwuEt8mxR0

https://www.ecenglish.com/learnenglish/lessons/cooking-verbs-0

https://www.eslvideo.com/quiz.php?id=33122

21.05.2019

https://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/reported_speech/time_phrases.htm

https://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/reported_speech/commands.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=84&v=r_QP2jvvzkc

14.05.2019 (1120)

https://www.talkenglish.com/listening/lessonlisten.aspx?ALID=202

http://www.tinyteflteacher.co.uk/learning-english/prepositions/exercises/prepositions-verbs.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=84&v=r_QP2jvvzkc

03.05.019

wb 73 74

All or whole?

We use them before nouns and with other determiners to refer to a total number or complete set of things in a group.

Compare

All the cast had food poisoning. They were forced to cancel the show.	all + determiner + noun
The whole cast had food poisoning. They were forced to cancel the show.	determiner + whole + noun

All my family lives abroad. or My whole family lives abroad.

We often use all and the whole with of the:

She complains all of the time. or She complains the whole of the time.

We use a/an with whole but not with all:

I spent a whole day looking for that book and eventually found it in a little old bookshop on the edge of town.

Not: … all a day …

All or whole for single entities

We use the whole or the whole of to refer to complete single things and events that are countable and defined:

The whole performance was disappointing from start to finish. (or The whole of the performance was disappointing …)

When we can split up a thing into parts, we can use either whole or all with the same meaning:

You don’t have to pay the whole (of the) bill at once.

You don’t have to pay all (of) the bill at once.

She ate the whole orange.

She ate all of the orange.

We often use the whole of with periods of time to emphasise duration:

We spent the whole (of the) summer at the beach.

 All the with uncountable nouns

We use all the and not the whole with uncountable nouns:

She was given all the advice she needed.

Not: She was given the whole advice …

All the equipment is supplied.

All and whole with plural nouns

We usually use all the and all of the with plural nouns:

It’s funny when all the actors come in dressed up in their costumes.

She opens all the cupboard doors and doesn’t close them after her.

You have to try all of the activities.

When we use whole with plural nouns, it means ‘complete’ or ‘entire’.

Compare

Whole families normally shared one room in the nineteenth century.	entire families
All families normally shared one bedroom in the nineteenth century.	each and every family

 All and whole: typical errors

• We don’t use all before a and an:

She ate a whole bar of chocolate in one go.

Not: She ate all a bar …

• We can’t omit the before whole with a singular noun:

We travelled throughout the whole country.

Not: … throughout whole country.

https://www.englishgrammar.org/grammar-exercise-37/