Be + to + verb

e.g: ‘the two sisters were to accompany us to London’ 

The construction “be + to + verb” is a formal construction that is used either 

a) to give an instruction or command, or 

b) to tell what is going to happen in the future.


In the following three sentences, the “be + to + verb” construction signals that these are commands. This construction makes the sentences sound serious and formal. 

• You are to do your homework without watching any TV.    
• The students are not to travel by subway without a friend.
• [Patient speaking to nurse] The doctor says that I’m to make an appointment to come back next month.

In the following sentences, the “be + to + verb” construction tells us that these sentences are about planned or scheduled events.

• The plane is to take off at 9pm.
• The new kitchen cabinets are to arrive before December 20th.
• Their house is to be sold right away.

Again, these sentences sound formal. If we change the verb construction to “be + going + to + verb,” they retain the same meaning but sound less formal.

• The plane is going to take off at 9am.
• The new kitchen cabinets are going to arrive before December 20th.
• Their house is to going to be sold right away.

#Grammar

Preposition in Graphs and Trends

1) increase/ rise/ decrease/ fall + IN... when we do NOT specify a number
    (noun)

2) increase/ rise/ decrease/ fall  + OF...when we specify a number
    (noun)

                                                                  (NO specific number)

e.g: There has been an increase in the number of students here this semester.

e.g: There has been an increase of  500 students here this semester.

                                                                  (specific number)

e.g: There was a 70% increase in sales of emergency kits sold in 2012.

e.g: There was an increase of 70% in sales of emergency kits sold in 2012.

3) increase/ decrease + FROM X (the first amount) TO Y (the final amount).
    (verb)

4) increase/ decrease + BY (amount).
    (verb)

e.g:Sales increase from 100 to 130 units. 

So, sales increase by 30 units. 

BY+ the amount of change between two periods of time or values.

BY is optional before a percentage. 

e.g: Sales increased by 30%.V

e.g: Sales increased 30%. V

5) decline + BY    VS.     decline + TO 
    (verb)                            (verb)

BY is used to show the different between the two numbers.
To is used to show the end point.



*Sometimes we don't use the "from" part as that number has already been mentioned in a previous part.


6) IN + Month
    IN + Year
    IN+ the(first, second, etc.) QUARTER
    (A quarter is a period of 3 months of the year)
   
   
   BETWEEN X AND Y   
   (For a range of time , X=start time, Y=end time)

   SINCE + START TIME
                   (...and continues until now)

e.g: IN April 

e.g: IN 2017

e.g: Profits increased IN the second quarter. 

e.g: Wedding dress can cost between $1000 and $2000. 

e.g: We fall in love since 2015. 

See our lesson about the difference between FOR and SINCE.


7) Start + AT
    Begin + AT
    End + AT

    Finish + AT

e.g: Initial prices started at $300 per unit.

e.g: Production began at 70 units per day in March.

e.g: Production ended at 90 units per day in August.

    Peak + AT

e.g: Crime peaked at 200 incidents per night in April. 

    Remain constant or steady+ AT

e.g: Over the last decade, the population of the town has remained steady at around 10,000 inhabitants

    Over / During + Time period 

e.g: Sales increased over the next three months.

   = Sales increased during the next three months. 

 

There was a drop of 6 (units).
NOUN + OF

It dropped by 6 (units).
VERB + BY

Telling the Time in English

What time is it?

02:00  It's two o'clock.

02:05  It's five past two.

02:10  It's ten past two.

02:15  It's (a) quarter past two.

02:20  It's twenty past two.

02:25  It's twenty-five past two.

02:30  It's half past two. / It's two thirty.

02:35  It's twenty-five to three.

02:40  It's twenty to three.

02:45 It's (a) quarter to three.

02:50 It's ten to three.

02:55 It's five to three.

03:00 It's three o'clock.

Travel vs. Trip vs Journey

1)Travel vs. Trip

-TRAVEL is normally a VERB.

Meaning: To go from one place to another, especially over a long distance.

e.g: I travel from one city to other city by plane. 

-TRIP is normally a NOUN.

Meaning: The act of going to a place, often for a short period of time, and returning. 

e.g :Jono is currently on a business trip in Perth. 

e.g: We went on a trip to the beach. 

*”Go on a trip” “Take a trip”

A day trip

A business trip

A round trip = a return trip 

2)Trip vs. Journey

-A trip usually refers to traveling to a place (for short period) and returning back to where you started.
-A journey usually implies traveling from one place to another, especially in a vehicle (not necessarily returning to where you started). It sometimes refers to the length of time taken to go from one place to another. One piece of travel usually long distance. 

e.g: The train journey took us through a valley past rolling hills. 

e.g: It’s a two-hour train journey from York to London. 

e.g:I love going on long journeys. 

(Be careful with the plural: journeys NOT journies.)

e.g: He views his life as a spiritual journey towards a greater understanding of his faith. 

https://inglesiesollosgrandes.blogspot.com/2017/11/travel-vocabulary.html