I
adv. ( colloq. )
1) ~ for ('fac~g') (they are ~ for trouble)
2) ~ with ('on ~timate terms with') (they are ~ with highly ~fluential people)
II
n. ( colloq. )
~fluence
to have an ~ with smb.
III
prep. ~ smb. to + ~f. (it's not ~ me to lie; she doesn't have it ~ her to break her word)
We use '~' for longer periods of time (for example: months/years/seasons ):
- ~ April
- ~ 1968
- ~ (the) w~ter ~ the 18th century
- ~ the 1970s
- ~ the Middle Ages
We also say:
- ~ the morn~g(s)/~ the afternoon(s)/~ the even~g(s)
(but on Friday morn~g )
'In' + a period of time = a time ~ the future:
- The tra~ will be leav~g ~ a few m~utes. (
= a few m~utes from now
)
- Jack's gone away. He'll be back ~ a week. (
= a week from now
)
- They are gett~g married ~ six months. (
= six months from now
)
You can also say '~ six months' time', '~ a week's time' , etc.:
- They are gett~g married ~ six months' time.
We also use '~' to say how long it takes to do someth~g:
- I learnt to drive ~ four weeks. (
= it took me four weeks to learn
)
We use '~' ~ the follow~g situations:
~ a room/~ a build~g/~ the water/~ a row/~ a l~e/~ a garden/~ a park/~ the sea/~ a queue/~ a town/~ a country/~ a river :
-There's no-one ~ the room/~ the budd~g/~ the shop.
- When we were ~ Italy, we spent a few days ~ Venice, (not 'at Venice')
- 'Robert lives ~ a small village ~ the mounta~s.
- She keeps her money ~ her bag/~ her purse.
- When I go to the c~ema, I prefer to sit ~ the front row.
- Have you read this article ~ the newspaper?
Note that we say:
(sit) ~ an armchair (but 'on a chair' )/ ~ the street/~ a photograph/~ a picture/~ a mirror/~ the sky
- 'Where did you meet Tom?' 'In the street.' (not 'on the street')
- Who is the woman ~ that photograph? (not 'on that photograph')
We say '~ the corner of a room', but 'at the corner (or on the corner) of a street' :
- The television is ~ the corner of the room.
We say '~ the front/~ the back of a car' :
- I was sitt~g ~ the back (of the car) when we crashed.
We say '~ bed/~ hospital/~ prison :
- Tom's father is ~ hospital.
You can often use '~' or 'at' with build~gs. You can stay '~ a hotel' or 'at a hotel' ; you can eat '~ a restaurant' or 'at a restaurant' .
We use '~' when we are th~k~g about the build~g itself:
- The rooms ~ Tom's house are very small.
- I enjoyed the film but it was very cold ~ the c~ema.
We usually say '~' with towns and villages:
- Tom's, parents live ~ Nott~gham, (not 'at Nott~gham')
We say 'arrive ~ a country/ town' :
- When did he arrive ~ Brita~/~ London?
We use '~' for cars and taxis: '~ my car/~ a taxi' .
We say 'get ~(to)/get out of a car or taxi' :
- He got ~to the car and drove off. (or He got ~ the car ...)
We say '~ time' (for someth~g/to do someth~g) = soon enough for someth~g/soon enough to do someth~g :
- Will you be home ~ time for d~ner? (
= soon enough for d~ner
)
- I've sent Jill her birthday present. I hope it arrives ~ time (for her birthday). (
= soon enough for her birthday
).
- I must hurry. I want to get home ~ time to see the football match on television. (
= soon enough to see the football match
).
The opposite of '~ time' is 'too late' :
- I got home too late to see the football match.
Note the expression 'just ~ time' :
- We got to the station just ~ time to catch the tra~.
- A dog ran across the road ~ front of the car, but I managed to stop just ~ time (to avoid hitt~g the dog).
We say '~ the end' = f~ally. We use '~ the end' when we say what the f~al result of a situation was:
- We had a lot of problems with our car. In the end we sold it and bought another one.
- He got more and more angry. In the end he just walked out of the room.
- Tom couldn't decide where to go for his holidays. He decided to go to Italy ~ the end.
We say 'a rise/an ~crease/a fall/a decrease ~ someth~g :
- There has been an ~crease ~ road accidents recently.
But we say 'there is an advantage ~ do~g someth~g' :
- There are many advantages ~ liv~g alone.
We say 'to be ~terested ~ someth~g' :
- Are you ~terested ~ art and architecture?
We say 'to believe ~ someth~g' :
- Do you believe ~ God? (
= Do you believe that God exists?
)
- I believe ~ say~g what I th~k. (
== I believe that it is a good th~g to say what I th~k.
)