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INDIRECT QUESTION

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   INDIRECT QUESTION I use indirect questions when I'm asking for help in the street, because they are very polite. Indirect questions start with a phrase like 'could you tell me...' or 'do you know...'. For example:  Direct question:   Where is the bank? Indirect question:   Could you tell me where the bank is? Notice that in the indirect question I put the verb ('is') after the subject ('the bank'), in the same way as I do with a normal positive sentence ('the bank is over there'), but in the direct question I put the verb 'is' before the subject 'the bank'. This is called inversion, and it is used to make direct questions in many verb tenses in English, but we don't use inversion in indirect questions. This is very similar to the grammar of reported questions. However, we use indirect questions in a different way from reported questions. Indirect questions are a way of being polite. They are very, very comm...
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CAN / COULD

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CAN / COULD CAN:  We use the modal  can  to make general statements about what is possible: It  can be   very cold in winter.  (= It is sometimes very cold in winter) You  can  easily  lose   your way in the dark.  (= People often lose their way in the dark) We use the negative  can’t  or  cannot  to show that something is impossible: That  can’t be  true. You  cannot be  serious We use  can  to talk about someone’s skill or general abilities: She  can speak  several languages. He   can swim   like a fish. They  can’t dance   very well. We use  can  to talk about the ability to do something at a given time in the  present  or  future : You  can make a lot of money if you are lucky. Help. I  can’t breathe . They   can run  but they  can’t hide . We use  can  ...
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USE FOR-SINCE-YET-ALREADY

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USE FOR-SINCE-YET-ALREADY For/since The words  for  and  since  are used in sentences where the speaker wants to talk about something that started in the past and continues into the present. For  is used when specifying the amount of time (how long): I've had this watch  for  more than 40 years. I've only known her  for  a few weeks. He's been here  for  6 months and still can't speak a word of German. She's been smoking  for  a long time. No wonder she coughs so much! Since  is used when specifying the starting point: I've had this watch  since  1965. I've only known her  since  the beginning of last week. He's been here  since  April and he still can't speak a word of German. She's been smoking  since  she started grade 5. No wonder she coughs so much! Note:  The present perfect or present perfect continuous are needed in such sentences. It ...
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