Japanese study links breastfeeding to mixed risks for childhood allergies
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EN: The Present Perfect Tense ('has found') is used here to describe a past action (the discovery made by the research project) that has relevance and importance to the present situation.
Recent research has shown that regular exercise improves sleep quality.
EN: The modal verb 'may' expresses possibility. In this sentence, 'may reduce... but increase...' shows two potential, contrasting outcomes of breastfeeding.
This new policy may solve some economic problems but create others.
EN: This sentence reflects a common trend in modern medical reporting, where large-scale cohort studies (like the one in Japan involving 88,000 families) are used to challenge or refine long-held medical assumptions, such as the universally positive effects of breastfeeding.
EN: The Passive Voice (be + past participle) is used when the focus is on the action or the receiver of the action, rather than the doer. In this sentence, 'was conducted' is the past simple passive, showing that the study (the receiver) is the main focus.
The experiment was designed by a famous scientist.
EN: The preposition 'by' is used in passive sentences to introduce the agent (the person or thing that performs the action).
The book was written by an experienced journalist.
EN: The University of Toyama (富山大學) is a well-known national university in Japan, particularly respected for its research in medicine and pharmacology, which aligns with the medical nature of this health study.
EN: The prepositional phrase 'from... until...' is used to indicate the starting and ending points of a period of time or a process. 'From' marks the beginning, while 'until' marks the limit or completion of the action.
We worked on the project from morning until late at night.
EN: The phrase 'more than' is a comparative modifier used before a number to indicate a quantity that is greater than that specific number. It functions similarly to 'over'.
More than 500 people attended the international conference.
EN: Passive Voice (Simple Past): Used when the action is more important than the agent performing it. Formed with 'was/were' + past participle (V3). Here, 'were published' indicates that the results did not publish themselves, but were published by researchers.
The new book was written by a famous author.
EN: Prepositions of Time and Place ('in'): The preposition 'in' is used before months and years (e.g., 'in April 2026') and also to indicate being inside a publication or print medium (e.g., 'in the journal').
The article was printed in the newspaper in July.
EN: Academic publishing often uses passive voice ('were published') to maintain an objective, formal tone, focusing on the research findings rather than the individuals who did the publishing. 'BMC Pediatrics' is a well-known peer-reviewed medical journal covering all aspects of pediatrics.
EN: The passive structure 'be widely known for' is used to describe what someone or something is famous or recognized for. 'For' is a preposition, so it must be followed by a noun or a gerund (verb-ing).
The city is widely known for its beautiful historic architecture.
EN: The verb 'help' can be followed by an object and then either a bare infinitive (verb without 'to') or a full infinitive (with 'to'). In this sentence, 'helping a baby's immune system develop' uses the bare infinitive 'develop' as the object complement.
Regular exercise helps your body burn calories more efficiently.
EN: In public health, 'the first months of life' is a critical window often emphasized by organizations like the WHO. The phrase 'of life' is a common English idiom used after time periods (like 'years of life' or 'months of life') to refer to the time starting from birth.
EN: The verb 'recommend' is followed by a 'that' clause expressing a recommendation or demand. In English grammar, this structure triggers the subjunctive mood, which means the verb in the 'that' clause must be in its base form (bare infinitive), regardless of the subject. Although 'mothers' is plural here, if the subject were singular (e.g., 'a mother'), the verb would still be 'breastfeed' (not 'breastfeeds'). Often, 'should' is omitted before the base verb.
The doctor recommends that he exercise more regularly.
EN: The adverb 'exclusively' is used to modify the verb 'breastfeed'. It means 'only' or 'solely', indicating that no other food or drink (including water) is given to the baby except breast milk.
This product is designed exclusively for professional athletes.
EN: The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. Its recommendation of 'exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months' is a global public health standard aimed at reducing infant mortality and promoting long-term health benefits, which is widely referenced in medical and parenting contexts worldwide.
EN: The Present Perfect Tense ('have shown') is used to describe an action that happened at an unspecified time in the past and has relevance or results in the present. In scientific and academic writing, it is often used to introduce previous research that supports a current statement.
Recent studies have shown that regular exercise improves sleep quality.
EN: The passive construction 'be connected to' is used to express a relationship or link between two things. 'To' here is a preposition, so it must be followed by a noun, pronoun, or gerund (V-ing).
High stress levels are often connected to poor dietary habits.
EN: The present perfect tense ('has not been') is used here with 'until now' to describe a state that started in the past and continued up to the present moment.
The cause of the disease has not been clear until now.
EN: The prepositional phrase 'between A and B' is used to show a relationship, connection, or difference involving two distinct entities.
The link between diet and health is very strong.
EN: Passive Voice (was led by): Used when the focus is on the action or the person/thing affected by the action, rather than the doer. Formed with 'be' + past participle.
The project was completed by a team of young scientists.
EN: Apposition and Prepositional Phrases for Titles: 'Professor Emeritus Hidekuni Inadera from the University of Toyama' uses apposition (Professor Emeritus) and a prepositional phrase (from...) to provide detailed background information about a person.
Dr. Smith from Oxford University gave an inspiring speech.
EN: The title 'Professor Emeritus' is an honorary title bestowed upon retired professors of distinction. In Japanese academic culture, maintaining ties with one's former university (like the University of Toyama) and continuing to lead major research projects is highly common and respected.
EN: The prepositional phrase 'According to' is used to indicate the source of information, meaning 'as stated by' or 'on the authority of'. It is commonly followed by a noun or noun phrase representing a person, document, or organization.
According to the World Health Organization, physical activity is essential for health.
EN: The passive construction 'be linked to' is used to describe a connection or association between two things. In scientific contexts, it often expresses correlation rather than direct causation.
Lack of sleep is linked to a higher risk of heart disease.
EN: In medical research, terms like 'linked to' or 'associated with' are carefully chosen to avoid implying direct causation. In public health communication, such as reports on breastfeeding, researchers balance presenting new findings (like potential allergy risks) with reinforcing established global health guidelines (like those from the World Health Organization) to prevent confusing the public.
EN: The passive structure 'be associated with' is used to describe a connection or relationship between two things. It indicates that one thing is linked to or occurs together with another, without necessarily implying a direct cause-and-effect relationship.
Regular exercise is associated with a lower risk of heart disease.
EN: The adverb 'especially' is used to single out one person, thing, or group as being more important, common, or noticeable than others. It is often followed by a prepositional phrase (like 'among...') to narrow down the focus.
The weather is beautiful here, especially in autumn.
EN: The correlative conjunction 'both... and...' is used to join two parallel grammatical elements (nouns, adjectives, verbs, etc.), emphasizing that both elements apply equally.
The new policy is both effective and popular among the citizens.
EN: The verb 'suggest' is followed by a noun clause starting with 'that' (which can be omitted in informal contexts) to express an opinion, finding, or implication rather than a direct command.
Recent studies suggest that regular exercise improves mental health.
EN: The structure 'one of the + superlative adjective + plural noun' is used to single out one member from a group that shares a common, extreme characteristic. Note that the noun following this structure must always be plural.
This is one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
EN: The subordinating conjunction 'because' is used to introduce a subordinate clause that provides the reason or cause for the action or state in the main clause.
She stayed at home because it was raining heavily.
EN: The noun clause introduced by 'that' functions as the direct object of the verb 'believe'. In English, 'that' is a conjunction (連接詞) that can often be omitted in informal contexts, but is kept here to clearly introduce the opinion or belief being expressed.
Scientists believe that climate change requires immediate global action.
EN: The passive voice 'is needed' (be + past participle) is used when the agent performing the action (who needs the research) is obvious, unimportant, or general. It shifts the focus of the sentence to the action's receiver ('more medical research').
More funding is needed to complete the construction of the new library.
EN: The verb 'stop' is followed by a gerund (verb-ing) when it means to cease performing an action. This is different from 'stop to do something', which means to pause one action in order to start another.
She decided to stop drinking coffee after 4 p.m. to improve her sleep.
EN: The relative pronoun 'which' is used here to introduce a non-defining relative clause, separated by a comma. It provides extra, non-essential information about 'breastfeeding' and translates closely to 'which itself' or 'and this'.
He bought a new laptop, which is much faster than his old one.
Key vocabulary words with IPA pronunciation, definitions, example sentences, and interactive quizzes.
Phrases with type tags, bilingual definitions, usage notes, and example sentences.
A dyad consisting of a mother and her baby, often studied together in developmental or medical research.
Having a link, association, or relationship with something else.
Connected with something else in mind, or occurring together in a relationship.
An immune system reaction that occurs soon after eating a certain food.