My lesson "G"

This gives you a chance to gain experience.

If you gain something, you gradually get it.

She earns two hundred pounds a week.

Don't say that someone gains money for their work. The word you use is earn.

Wool and cotton blankets are generally cheapest.

Generally means usually or in most cases.

The African people living here are mainly from Mali.

Don't use generally to say that something is true about most of something, or about most of the people or things in a group. The word you use is mainly.

I shook her gently and she opened her eyes.

If you do something gently, you do it carefully and softly, in order to avoid hurting someone or damaging something.

He thanked me politely.

Don't use gently to say that someone behaves with good manners. The word you use is politely.

She gave Minnie the keys. He gave the letter to Mary.

If you give someone something, you offer it to them and they take it. You can give someone something, or give something to someone.

He gave it to his father.

If you use it for the thing given, it must go before the person it is given to

The pilot gave us no information about what was happening. She gives career advice to young people.

You also say that you give someone information, advice, etc., or that you give information, advice, etc. to someone.

He gave her a smile. As he passed me, he gave me a wink.

When give is used t describe expressions and gestures, the expression or gesture goes in front of the person it is directed.

I'm so glad that she won the prize.

If you are glad about something, you are pleased about it. Don't use glad in front of a noun. Use it after a linking verb such as be, seem or feel.

She was happy that his sister was coming.

You can also say that you are happy about something when you are pleased about it.

She always seemed such a happy woman.

Happy can also be used to describe someone who is contented and enjoying life, either most of the time, or on a particular occasion. Glad cannot be used with this meaning.

Our postman is always cheerful and polite.

If someone shows that they are happy by smiling and laughing a lot, you say that they are cheerful.

My glasses are broken.

A person's glasses are two pieces of glass in a frame which they wear to help them to see better. Glasses is a plural noun and must be followed by a plural verb.

Gretchen took a pair of glasses off the desk.

You can also say a pair of glasses.

I went to Stockholm. Celia had gone to school.

When you talk about moving or travelling somewhere, you often use the verb go.

Our train went at 2.25.

Go is used to say that someone or something leaves a place.

Let's go shopping!

You can use go with an -ing form to talk about activities.

He went for a walk.

You can also use go with for and a noun phrase to talk about activities.

I'll go and see him in the morning.

To go and do something means to move somewhere in order to do it.

She told him she was going to leave her job. The weather is going to get worse.

You use be going to to talk about what someone will do or what will happen in the future.

They just ignored me and went on talking.

If you go on doing something, you continue to do it.

He later went on to form a successful computer company.

If you go on to do something, you do it after doing something else.

Has he grown any taller?

When children or young animals grow, they become bigger or taller.

He grew up in Cambridge.

When someone grows up, they gradually change from a child into an adult.

I go to the gym twice a week.

A gymnasium is a building or large room with equipment for doing physical exercise. In conversation, people usually call it a gym.

Don't use gymnasium to talk about a school for older pupils.

In Britain, this kind of school is called a secondary school. In America, it is called a high school.