(~s, ~ing, said)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
When you ~ something, you speak words.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said...
She said they were very impressed...
Forty-one people are said to have been seriously hurt...
I packed and said goodbye to Charlie...
I hope you didn’t ~ anything about Gretchen...
Did he ~ where he was going?...
It doesn’t sound exactly orthodox, if I may ~ so.
VERB: V with quote, V that, be V-ed to-inf, V n to n, V n, V wh, V so
2.
You use ~ in expressions such as I would just like to ~ to introduce what you are actually ~ing, or to indicate that you are expressing an opinion or admitting a fact. If you state that you can’t ~ something or you wouldn’t ~ something, you are indicating in a polite or indirect way that it is not the case.
I would just like to ~ that this is the most hypocritical thing I have ever heard in my life...
I must ~ that rather shocked me, too...
Dead? Well, I can’t ~ I’m sorry.
VERB: V that, V that, V that
3.
You can mention the contents of a piece of writing by mentioning what it ~s or what someone ~s in it.
The report ~s there is widespread and routine torture of political prisoners in the country...
You can’t have one without the other, as the song ~s...
‘Highly inflammable,’ it ~s on the spare canister...
Jung believed that God speaks to us in dreams. The Bible ~s so too.
VERB: V that, V with quote, it V with quote, V so
4.
If you ~ something to yourself, you think it.
Perhaps I’m still dreaming, I said to myself...
VERB: V to pron-refl with quote
5.
If you have a ~ in something, you have the right to give your opinion and influence decisions relating to it.
The students wanted more ~ in the government of the university.
N-SING: usu a N, also more/some N
6.
You indicate the information given by something such as a clock, dial, or map by mentioning what it ~s.
The clock said four minutes past eleven...
The map ~s there’s six of them.
VERB: V n, V that
7.
If something ~s something about a person, situation, or thing, it gives important information about them.
I think that ~s a lot about how well Seles is playing...
The appearance of the place and the building ~s something about the importance of the project.
VERB: V amount about n, V pron about n
8.
If something ~s a lot for a person or thing, it shows that this person or thing is very good or has a lot of good qualities.
It ~s a lot for him that he has raised his game to the level required...
It ~s much for Brookner’s skill that the book is sad, but never depressing.
VERB: V amount for n, it V amount for n that
9.
You use ~ in expressions such as I’ll ~ that for them and you can ~ this for them after or before you mention a good quality that someone has, usually when you think they do not have many good qualities.
He’s usually smartly-dressed, I’ll ~ that for him...
At the very least, he is devastatingly sure of himself, you can ~ that.
VERB: V pron for n, V pron
10.
You can use ~ when you want to discuss something that might possibly happen or be true.
Say you could change anything about the world we live in, what would it be?
= suppose
VERB: only imper, V that
11.
You can use ~ or let’s ~ when you mention something as an example.
To see the problem here more clearly, let’s look at a different biological system, ~, an acorn...
12.
If you ~ that something ~s it all, you mean that it shows you very clearly the truth about a situation or someone’s feelings.
This is my third visit in a week, which ~s it all.
PHRASE: V inflects
13.
You can use ‘You don’t ~’ to express surprise at what someone has told you. People often use this expression to indicate that in fact they are not surprised.
‘I’m a writer.’—‘You don’t ~. What kind of book are you writing?’
CONVENTION feelings
14.
If you ~ there is a lot to be said for something, you mean you think it has a lot of good qualities or aspects.
There’s a lot to be said for being based in the country.
PHRASE: amount PHR
15.
If someone asks what you have to ~ for yourself, they are asking what excuse you have for what you have done.
‘Well,’ she said eventually, ‘what have you to ~ for yourself?’
PHRASE
16.
If something goes without ~ing, it is obvious.
It goes without ~ing that if someone has lung problems they should not smoke.
PHRASE: oft it PHR that
17.
When one of the people or groups involved in a discussion has their ~, they give their opinion.
The Football Association have had their ~.
PHRASE: V inflects
18.
You use ‘I wouldn’t ~ no’ to indicate that you would like something, especially something that has just been offered to you. (INFORMAL)
I wouldn’t ~ no to a drink.
CONVENTION formulae
19.
You use to ~ nothing of when you mention an additional thing which gives even more strength to the point you are making.
Unemployment leads to a sense of uselessness, to ~ nothing of financial problems.
PHRASE: PHR n
20.
You use that is to ~ or that’s to ~ to indicate that you are about to express the same idea more clearly or precisely. (FORMAL)
...territories that were occupied in 1967, that is to ~, in the West Bank and Gaza.
PHRASE: PHR with cl/group
21.
You can use ‘You can ~ that again’ to express strong agreement with what someone has just said. (INFORMAL)
‘Must have been a fiddly job.’—‘You can ~ that again.’
CONVENTION emphasis
22.
to ~ the least: see least
needless to ~: see needless