List W

broad and wide

Wide is used for the physical distance from one side of something to the other.

  • We live in a very wide street.
  • The car’s too wide for the garage.

Broad is mostly used in abstract expressions.

  • broad agreement ( = agreement on most points)
  • broad-minded ( = tolerant)
  • broad daylight ( = full, bright daylight)

Broad is also used in the expression broad shoulders ( = wide strong shoulders), and in descriptions of landscape in a formal style.

  • Across the broad valley, the mountains rose blue and mysterious.

When and if

    Compare when and if:

    We use if to say that we are not sure whether something will happen

    I’ll see you in August, if I come to New York
    (perhaps I’ll come to New York; perhaps I won’t)

        We use when to say that we are sure that something will happen

        We use you in August, when I come to New York.
        (I’m sure I’ll come to New York)
        I’m going shopping later, (for sure)   When I go shopping, I’ll buy some food.
        I might go shopping later, (it’s possible)   If I go shopping, I’ll buy some food.
        If it is raining this evening, I won’t go out. (not When it is raining)
        Don’t worry if I’m late tonight, (not when I’m late)
        If they don’t come soon, I’m not going to wait, (not When they don’t come)

          We can use both if and when to talk about things that always happen.

            There is not much different of meaning

            If/When you heat ice, it turns into water

              look (at), watch and see

              1. See is the ordinary word to say something ‘comes to our eyes’

              • Suddenly I saw something strange. Can you see me?
              • Did you see the article about the strike in today’s paper?

              See in not used in progressive tenses with this meaning.
              When we want to say that we see something at the moment of speaking, we often use can see.

              • I can see an plane. (NOT I am seeing….)

              2. We use look (at) to talk about concentrating, paying attention, trying to see as well as possible.

              Compare

              • I looked at the photo, but I didn’t see anybody I knew.
              • Do you see the man in the raincoat? Yes .
                Look again. Good heaves! It’s Moriaty!

              We use look when there is no object, and look at before an object.

              Compare

              • Look! (NOT look at)
              • Look at me! (NOT look me)

              List W

              wander or wonder? Iloveto WANDER through the forest.
              (rhymes with girl’s name, Wanda)
              I WONDER what has happened to him.
              (rhymes with ‘under’)
              whiskey or whisky? WHISKEY is distilled in Ireland.
              WHISKY is distilled in Scotland.
              who’s or whose? Use these exemplar sentences as a guide:
              WHO’S been eating my porridge? (= who
              has)
              WHO’S coming to supper? (= who is)
              WHOSE calculator is this? (= belonging
              to whom)
              There’s a girl WHOSE cat was killed.
              wining or winning? wine + ing = wining
              win + ing = winning
              wreath or wreathe? Use these exemplar sentences as a guide:
              She lay a WREATH of lilies on his grave.
              (= noun)
              Look at him WREATHED in cigarette
              smoke. (verb, rhymes with ‘seethed’)

              whether and if

              1. In reported question , we can use both whether and if
              • I’m not sure whether/if I’ll have time
              • I asked whether/if she had any letters for me
              1. We prefer whether before or especially in a formal style
              • Let me know whether you can come or not
              1. After discuss, only whether is possible
              • We discussed whether we should close the shop (not we discussed if..)