Expression
New normal
Meaning
The phrase 'new normal' describes the way people will live their lives during and after this coronavirus outbreak.
Examples
After lockdown, things won't be the same - we'll have to get used to a new normal.
Getting up at 6am and going for a run every day is my new normal - and it feels good.
The new normal means working from home more and not going into the office.


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Phrasal verbs
Phrasal verbs, or as they're sometimes known, multi-word verbs, are very common in English.
They're formed of a main verb and a particle - a preposition or an adverb - or sometimes a main verb and two particles.
There are a number of basic ideas to consider in understanding phrasal verb grammar.
Transitive or intransitive?
A transitive verb needs an object, an intransitive one does not need an object. Some phrasal verbs are transitive, some are not and some can be both.
• Transitive = I broke up with him.
• Intransitive = My car broke down.
Separable?
If it takes an object, can the object go between the verb and preposition, or not? An object pronoun must go between the verb and particle. Some phrasal verbs are inseparable.
• Can you switch the TV off?
• Can you switch off the TV?
• Can you switch it off?
• I broke up with him. (Inseparable)
Context
Phrasal verbs can have more than one meaning, so pay attention to the context:
• To take off (remove) your shirt.
• The plane took off (flew into the sky).
• I need to take off (leave) or I will miss my train.
• I'm tired. I need to take time off (take a holiday).
From this episode:
• Catch someone out: put someone in a difficult situation
• Caught out: put in a difficult situation
• He got caught out by the sudden rainstorm. He got very wet. (passive)
• The teacher caught her out by her a question when she wasn't paying attention.
• Let someone down: disappoint someone by not meeting expectations
• Let down: disappoint by not meeting expectations
• We were let down by the weather when we wanted to go to the beach. (passive)
• He doesn't mean to arrive late, but somehow he always lets me down.
• Come out with: suddenly and unexpectedly speak or say something
• He came out with the truth at the last moment.
• I thought they weren't listening, but they suddenly came out with the correct answer!
• Slip up: make a mistake. Also: mess up, foul up and screw up.
• I slipped up by mentioning the surprise birthday party.
• She really messed up when she locked herself out of her car.
• Clown around: behave in a silly or foolish way. Also: muck around, mess about, monkey around and goof off.
• Stop clowning around and get to work.
• If you spent less time monkeying around and more time studying, you'd pass your exam!
• Catch on: understand or comprehend
• Just keep explaining and he'll catch on eventually.
• I don't speak French, but I think I caught on to what they were saying to me.
• Plug away: try hard to do something difficult
• He kept plugging away until he learned to drive.
• She's been plugging away at her PhD for years.
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Articles
Articles appear before nouns. There are three types of article. The indefinite article, a or an, is used with singular countable nouns.
The zero article is used with plural countable nouns and uncountable nouns.
The definite article, the, is used with nouns which are understood and known about by both the speaker and listener - a kind of shared knowledge.
We do not use an article in combination with a determiner, such as my, your his, her etc. There is no: it's a my cat.
• Do you have a pen?
• I've got rice left. Shall we cook?
• I saw a nice toy in the shop.
• Sorry, I don't drink coffee.
The indefinite article
The indefinite article, a or an, is used before singular countable nouns only. It is used to introduce a noun to a listener the first time we mention it in conversation.
It is also used with nouns involved in descriptions, classifications and definitions - especially when talking about a person's job - and finally, when we talk about a thing but do not need or wish to be specific.
• When I was in London, I went to a park. In the park, I saw a boy. The boy was playing with a ball...
• I'd never seen such a beautiful car! We had a really lovely day!
• Tigers are an animal that live in India. John is a conservationist who lives there.
• Do you have a pen? I don't care what colour, I just need a pen!
The zero article
The zero article is used before plural countable nouns and uncountable nouns.
We also use it before certain special nouns such as home, bed, meals and in many cases work. Finally, when we talk about things in general we use the zero article.
• These trees are beautiful. It's so nice out here. Fresh air is wonderful.
• I'll meet you at home later. I've got work to do and I might miss dinner, so see you in bed?
• Life can be hard for many people, but the life of Sebastian was harder than most.
The definite article
The definite article, the, is used with singular, plural and uncountable nouns when both the speaker and listener know and understand which noun is being spoken about.
This may be because it has been introduced already in conversation or it is obvious from the context or people's experience.
For example, when we think of an aeroplane, we automatically assume there will be a pilot.
We also use the definite article to talk about things which are unique, such as the Sun. This includes superlatives, since a superlative talks about the best, and there can only be one!
• When I was in London, I went to a park. In the park, I saw a boy. The boy was playing with a ball...
• Once we had arrived on board, the pilot delivered his good morning message.
• Can you pass me the pen, please? It's on the table. There's only one.
• The Sun is a giant ball of gas. It lights the solar system.
• That was the tastiest meal I've ever had!
Institutions
Institutions are places where some kind of service takes place, for example universities, hospitals, churches, schools, prisons etc.
When we talk about them, it is possible to use the indefinite article, zero article or definite article depending on our meaning.
There can be a big difference between being in the hospital, which refers to the place, and being in hospital which means part of the mechanism or service.
If you are in hospital, it is implied that you are injured and are being treated.
• There is a hospital in the next town.
• Can you meet me at the hospital with some books please, I will need to stay there with him tonight.
• Anne is going to be in hospital for the next few days. She has an infection.



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Prepositions
Prepositions are small and can be a tricky area of grammar to master. Because they are usually small, they are easy to forget or leave out.
Unfortunately, there is no formula to them and each preposition and use needs to be learned.
Time
There are three basic prepositions of time: at, on and in.
• At is used to talk times such as: at three o'clock, at lunchtime or at Christmas.
• On is often used to talk about days, such as: on Monday, on the third of June or on Christmas Day.
• In usually refers to longer periods of time, such as: in the morning, in July or in the winter.
Be careful! In the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening but at night!
Place
Prepositions of place are words like in, on, at, over and between, among others. They tell us where things are or where they are moving to.
• The clock is on the wall.
• Please take the plates from the cupboard and put them in the oven.
• He ran around the building and between the houses.
Dependent prepositions
Dependent prepositions are the connectors between a word and what may follow before or after it.
Many nouns, verbs and adjectives have dependent prepositions.
They are the connectors that help us form sentences.
Examples are: good at, pride in, rely on.
• I'm not interested in anything you have to say.
• The criminal confessed to committing the crime.
• I don't believe in ghosts.



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So and Such
Emphasis
So and such can be used to emphasise an adjective or noun phrase in a sentence. We use so to emphasise an adjective, and such to emphasise a noun phrase. With a noun phrase, don't forget to include the article and remember that you can still use an adjective before the noun! Finally, in order to say that the thing being emphasised caused a reaction, we use a that clause.
Thank you. It's been such a beautiful day.
It was such a beautiful day that we couldn't resist going out for ice-cream.
She said she had never been so insulted in her life.
She was so insulted that she left the house immediately.
Quantity
We can combine so with much or many to emphasise the quantity of something. So much is used for uncountable nouns and so many is used for countable nouns. Again, an adjective can be used before the noun if required, and a that clause can be added to talk about the effect of the number of items. There is no such much or such many.
The fountain was beautiful. We just drank so much fresh water.
They drank so much fresh water that they needed to sit down from being too heavy.
The first time she went to a city, she felt overwhelmed. She'd never seen so many busy people.
There were so many busy people that it was nearly impossible to cross the street.
So, such and very
So such and very can all be used to emphasise information. However, very tends to be used to emphasise information that is new to the conversation or context. So and such are used to emphasise already established or known information.
A: How was your trip to the zoo?
B: It was certainly very interesting.
A: Why was it so interesting?
B: Well, frankly I've never seen a monkey play a trumpet. That's what was so interesting about it all.


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Linking words of contrast

We use words and phrases like though, although and even though to link two clauses together. We call them linking words of contrast. We use despite and in spite of in front of nouns and gerunds.
• Marta broke her leg a year ago. Marta ran a marathon last weekend.
• Despite breaking her leg a year ago, Marta ran a marathon last weekend.
• Binh loves football. Binh has never been to a professional football match.
• Though Binh loves football, he's never seen a professional match.
Where to use them
Although, even though and though go in front of a clause. They can go at the beginning or middle of a sentence.
• Although Endang worked hard, she failed her exams.
• Endang failed her exams, although she worked hard.
• Though it was cold, Katya only wore a t-shirt.
• Katya only wore a t-shirt, though it was cold.
Despite and in spite of go in front of nouns or gerunds. They can also go at the beginning or middle of sentences.
• Despite smoking 40 cigarettes a day, my grandfather lived to 100.
• My grandfather lived to 100, despite smoking 100 cigarettes a day.
• In spite of the terrible weather, they had a nice holiday.
• They had a nice holiday, in spite of the terrible weather.

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Phrasal verbs

Phrasal verbs, like love, can be confusing because often there's more than one meaning. Here are just some of the many examples:
Take out
1. Invite someone to go somewhere.
• I'd like to take you out for a drink.
2. Remove something from a hidden/covered place.
• He took out a gun and pointed it at the cashier.
3. Withdraw.
• I took out £20 from the bank for a bit of shopping.
Pick up
1. Lift.
• Can you pick up that rubbish from the floor, please?
2. Improve (an atmosphere or someone's performance).
• Let's come back to this restaurant later when the atmosphere picks up a bit.
3. Take someone in a vehicle.
• I can pick you up from college.
Make up
1. Invent.
• He said he's been chosen to play football for Manchester United but I think he's just making it up.
2. Become friends again after an argument.
• It was years after the divorce but eventually Jorge and Ingrid made up.
3. Prepare something.
• The pharmacist made up my prescription while I waited.
Give away
1. Reveal a secret.
• It was supposed to be a surprise party but I gave it away by leaving the guest list on the kitchen table.
2. Give something for free.
• Kanako gave away her old furniture to her sister.
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When and If

The main difference is to do with certainty. Compare these:
1) If the coin lands on tails, I'll eat these sweets.
2) When the coin stops, I'll know what to do.
In the first sentence, we don't know what will happen. The coin could land on heads or tails. Both consequences are possible, so we use if.
But in the second sentence, we are certain that the coin will stop. It's a question of when it stops, not if it stops.
Now try the quiz to see of you have a good understanding of this subject.
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Subjunctive
The subjunctive is a verb form which expresses possible, unreal, imaginary or desirable situations. We see it most often in conditionals and wishes.
We also find it in sentences that start with: It + be + an adjective:
• It is important that you go as soon as possible
• It's essential that he see a doctor
• It's crucial that they leave the building
• It's best that you not be at the meeting
These sentences are very formal. Notice that the form of the subjunctive is almost always the same as the form of the infinitive (except for be).
The other place we can find a subjunctive is with verbs like recommend and suggest:
• I suggest that you be there on time
• I recommend that he not drink so much again
Now try the quiz to see of you have a good understanding of this subject.
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As long as = Only if
• As long as we go somewhere hot.
Suppose + question clause = How about if ...
Note: Use this when making a suggestion.
• Suppose we go to America, will that be hot enough?
Unless = If ... not
• Unless I get the time off work, I won't be able to go.
Providing/provided = If
Note: Provided is more formal than providing but has the same meaning.
• Providing I get the time off work, I'll go.
On the condition that = If
Note: this is very formal and mostly used in writing.
• On the condition that you pay me extra, I'll work over the holiday.
Now try the quiz to see of you have a good understanding of this subject.

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We use this form when we talk about something that must be done, but we choose not to say who needs to do it.
This is often because the person who needs to do it is unknown, obvious or unimportant.
We usually use this form to talk about fixing or improving things.
The form is:
noun + need/s + verb-ing
• This studio needs tidying.
• My hair needs cutting.
• My shirt needs washing.
• His room doesn't need painting.
• Does the house need cleaning?


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Definite article

Use the when both the speaker and listener know what is being talked about or to identify a particular thing.
Which pen do you want?
The one on the table.
You can also use the to mean the same as enough.
When we use the like this it is often in a negative structure and frequently with the verb to have. We can also use it with make and get.
If followed by a verb, it is the infinitive with to.
• We don't have the time to go to the shops before the film starts.
• Have we got the money for a foreign holiday this year?
• You don't have the skill to win at this game.
• Can you make the time this weekend to visit your mother?
• I don't think we can get the people to make the party worthwhile.

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Indefinite article

Indefinite articles are not used with plural nouns or uncountable nouns.
They are used when a singular countable noun is talked about for the first time:
• I took a taxi from the station.
• I had to buy a new computer after I dropped my old one in the bath.
They can be used when classifying, describing and generalizing:
• It's a dog.
• It's an enormous dog.
• A dog is a man's best friend.
They are commonly used in exclamations following words such as what and such.
• What a fantastic present!
• It was such a loud noise I had to sleep with my pillow on my head.
Indefinite articles are also found in expressions like: a kind of, a sort of and a type of.
• It was a kind of brown colour.
• It is a sort of bread, but not one I'd ever tried before.
• It's made in a special type of oven.

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Zero article

There are different types of nouns that don't require an article. Here are some examples.
Plural and uncountable nouns for generalisations.
• Fruit is healthier than sweets.
Proper nouns
• Dan was standing in front of New Broadcasting House.
When talking about the normal role of an institution
• What time does school finish on Fridays?
• After serving his sentence he was released from prison.
Times of day, year and named holidays and special days/festivals.
• Do you put your cat out at night.
• I always go home for Christmas.
• The weather is usually best in August.


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Difference between Let and Allow
The main difference is that allow is often used in the passive, but let is not used in the passive. Allow is also slightly more formal than let.
Form (allow in passive)
Subject + to be + allowed (past participle)
Take note
While you're here, here's another useful tip. In the active voice, allow takes the infinitive + to, but let does not.
• They let him leave early to go to the doctor.
• She let her brother borrow the car.
• They allowed him to leave early to go to the doctor.
• She allowed her brother to borrow the car.
Check you've understood
You are going to read a conversation about office rules between a new employee and a colleague who has worked at the company for some time. Can you complete their conversation with grammatically correct forms?


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Vocabulary
strain
slight variation of an original virus caused by mutation
precursor
event or situation which existed before something and led to the development or existence of that thing
red flag
symbol of danger and that some action needs to be taken
hypothesis
idea which is suggested as a possible explanation of a particular situation but which has not yet been proved to be correct
central nervous system
the body's main system of nerve control consisting of the brain and spinal cord
seizure
sudden, violent attack of an illness, especially one affecting the heart or brain


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Vocabulary
be taken seriously
be treated as being deserving of attention or respect
get a label
be thought of as having a particular character or nature, often unfairly
final straw
further problem or difficulty, usually minor in itself, which comes after a series of other problems and makes you want to give up
resentments
feelings of anger because you think you have been treated unfairly or because you have been forced to accept something that you don't like
weeping
crying tears
backlog
accumulation of uncompleted matters that you should have dealt with before and must now do


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Key words and phrases
eclipses
makes something seem less important
• Coronavirus eclipsed Brexit in the UK's media.
• When she scored her 100th goal, she eclipsed all other players' achievements for the club.
(something/someone's) moment
an opportunity to achieve something significant
• This seems like climate protestors' moment. Most people now accept something needs to be done.
• It's Jones's moment. If he doesn't take it now, he may never become champion.
embattled
experiencing a lot of difficulties
• The embattled prime minister was finally forced to resign after yet another scandal.
• The embattled department store eventually had to shut down after years of low profits.


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