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Voice of America
21-02-2025
- General
- Voice of America
Extend, Expand, etc.
This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from Ann in China. Here is part of Ann's question: Hello Teachers, Could you please help me understand the difference between "extend," "expand," "stretch," [and] "enlarge" when I describe an activity that makes something larger than its current state? Thank you, Ann. We can use the four verbs Ann asked about to express an increase in physical size or amount. We can also use them to express increasing the time an activity takes. Extend We often use the verb 'extend' to talk about increasing the amount of time for an activity or program. For example: Officials want to extend the school year by six weeks. We can use the verb 'extend' to express an increase in people, things, or ideas. Consider the following examples: The new rule extends to all employees in the company. They want to extend the benefits of freedom to people around the world. This research will extend our knowledge. We can also use 'extend' to express the distance or the area something reaches. For example: The Rocky Mountains extend from the United States into Canada. Expand We use 'expand' to express an increase in the size of a project or program. And, like 'extend,' we can use 'expand' to talk about including more people. Consider the following example: Officials want to expand the program to include people from developing countries. We commonly use 'expand' in connection with business or industry: We want to expand our business to reach more customers. Stretch We can use the phrasal verb 'stretch out' to express increasing the time to continue an activity: I wanted to stretch out my vacation for an extra two or three days. We can use the verb 'stretch' to express improving our ability to do something: Learning a new language will stretch your mind and improve your problem-solving abilities. Note that when we use the verb 'stretch' in this way, we communicate the idea that the improvement might be a little difficult or take a lot of effort. Enlarge Unlike the verb 'extend,' we do not use 'enlarge' to talk about an increase in time. Instead, it simply means to increase in size or scope. Scope means all of the things connected to an activity or project. Consider the following example: They have enlarged their research team to examine the effects of pollution on animals. For our readers and listeners, what are your questions about American English? How are you trying to expand your knowledge? We want to hear from you! Send us an email at learningenglish@ And please let us know where you are from, too. And that's Ask a Teacher. I'm Andrew Smith. Andrew Smith wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English. _______________________________________________________ Words in This Story benefits –n. the good things that result from an action or situation
Voice of America
08-02-2025
- General
- Voice of America
Regarding and Regardless
This week on Ask a Teacher we answer a question from Ramatoulaye in Senegal. Here is Ramatoulaye's question: Dear teacher, Thank you and all the VOA Learning English team for their great work! My question is: what is the difference between 'regarding' and 'regardless?' Thank you for your comments, Ramatoulaye. And I am happy to answer your question. Both words are very useful in speaking and writing. That's because the words give us a quick way to connect to other ideas. 'Regarding' simply means what someone is talking or writing about. Consider the following two examples: We have all the information we need about the project. We have all the information we need regarding the project. The word 'regarding' in the second example means the same thing as the preposition 'about' in the first example. We generally use the word 'about' more than 'regarding.' However, it is more common to use 'regarding' in formal speech than in informal communication. Also, the expression 'in regard to' means the same thing as 'regarding.' Here are some examples: In regard to the price, I think it was too expensive. In regard to what you said, I don't think we know all the facts yet. Note that we use a noun, noun phrase, or noun clause after the expression 'in regard to.' Also, you will sometimes hear native speakers say 'in regards to' instead of 'in regard to.' Here is something you may find interesting when we compare the expression 'in regard to' and the verb 'regard.' The verb 'regard' is a somewhat formal way to say, 'look at.' So, just as we can direct someone's attention to something by having them look at it, the expression 'in regard to' directs us to something we are talking about. Regardless The word 'regardless' expresses the idea that one or more things do not affect the current situation or what we want to express now. When you look at the word, you will see that it ends with the suffix -less. This suffix means the same thing as the word 'without.' So, 'regardless' means 'without regard to.' Consider the following examples. Regardless of religion, all people want happiness. All people want happiness, regardless of religion. Notice that you can use the word 'regardless' either before or after the sentence or phrase it modifies. For our readers and listeners, what are your questions about American English? Regardless of your level of English, we want to hear from you! Send us an email at learningenglish@ And please let us know where you are from, too. And that's Ask a Teacher. I'm Andrew Smith. Andrew Smith wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English. ________________________________________________________ Words in This Story modify -v. in grammar, to limit or specify the meaning of another word
