Pandemic & Prevention
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EN: Use the Past Simple tense (verb + ed) to talk about actions that happened and finished at a specific time in the past.
He played basketball yesterday.
EN: The year 2020 is globally recognized as the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to significant changes in lifestyle, work, and travel worldwide.
EN: Use 'from [A] to [A]' to show movement or change between similar things.
The news traveled from person to person.
EN: The phrase 'from country to country' emphasizes the global nature of the pandemic, highlighting how interconnected the modern world is through travel and trade.
EN: Use 'become' or 'get' followed by an adjective to describe a change in state or condition.
The weather became very cold.
EN: In English, 'full' in the context of hospitals often implies that there are no more beds available for new patients, a common issue during the peak of the pandemic.
EN: The pattern 'ask + someone + to + verb' is used to tell someone what you want them to do.
The teacher asked the students to open their books.
EN: During the pandemic, 'stay home' became a global slogan to encourage social distancing and reduce the spread of the virus.
EN: Use 'It was' to describe a situation or period of time in the past.
It was a sunny day yesterday.
EN: The phrase 'around the world' emphasizes the global impact of the pandemic, showing that no country was left out.
EN: Using '-ing' (Gerund) to name an action. Here, 'wearing' acts like a noun to describe the 'way'.
My favorite hobby is playing basketball.
EN: In many Asian cultures, wearing a mask when sick was common even before 2020, but it became a global standard during the pandemic.
EN: In English, when the subject is 'he', 'she', 'it', or a single thing (like 'a mask'), we add an '-s' to the end of the action word (verb) in the present tense.
The sun shines brightly.
EN: In many Western cultures, wearing masks in public was not common before 2020. However, in many East Asian countries, people often wore masks even before the pandemic to protect against pollution or common colds.
EN: The pattern 'stop [someone/something] from [doing something]' is used to describe preventing an action from happening.
The umbrella stops the rain from hitting me.
EN: During the pandemic, 'stop the spread' became a global slogan, emphasizing individual responsibility in public health.
EN: Use 'did not want to' + 'base verb' to talk about things people refused or lacked the desire to do in the past.
He did not want to eat breakfast this morning.
EN: In many Western cultures, wearing masks was not common before 2020, leading to initial resistance. In contrast, in some East Asian cultures, wearing masks when sick was already a social norm.
EN: Use 'said' to report what someone else said in the past. The following part of the sentence tells us the content of their words.
My mother said the food was delicious.
EN: In many East Asian cultures, wearing a mask when sick was common even before 2020. However, in many Western countries, this practice only became widespread during the COVID-19 pandemic.
EN: Use 'another way to + verb' to talk about one more option or method to do something.
Reading books is another way to learn English.
EN: During the COVID-19 pandemic, 'quarantine' became a common global experience, often involving staying in a specific hotel or at home for 7 to 14 days when traveling or after being exposed to the virus.
EN: When using the verb 'mean' to define an action, we use the '-ing' form (gerund) after it.
Success means working hard every day.
EN: During the COVID-19 pandemic, 'quarantine' became a common daily word worldwide, often referring to the mandatory 7 or 14 days of isolation required by governments.
EN: Use 'If' with past tense verbs to talk about a rule or a regular situation that happened in the past.
If it rained, we played inside.
EN: During the COVID-19 pandemic, 'two weeks' (14 days) became a standard quarantine period worldwide based on the virus's incubation period.
EN: Use 'adjective + er + than' to compare two things or situations. 'Harder than' means something is more difficult than something else.
This box is heavier than that one.
EN: In English, 'than expected' is a very common phrase used to express that reality was different from one's initial thoughts, often used when discussing challenges.
EN: The pattern 'stop someone from doing something' is used to show that an action or person prevents another action from happening.
The rain stopped us from playing soccer.
EN: During the pandemic, 'quarantine' became a common daily word worldwide, referring to the practice of staying isolated to prevent the spread of disease.
EN: Use 'to + verb' (infinitive) to explain the purpose or reason why someone does an action.
I study hard to get good grades.
EN: In scientific contexts, 'make' is a simple way to say 'develop' or 'create'. The sentence highlights the global effort during the pandemic.
EN: When the subject is one person or thing (he, she, it, a vaccine), we add 's' or 'es' to the action word in the present tense.
The sun gives us light.
EN: Use the past tense 'got' (from 'get') to talk about actions that happened and finished at a specific time in the past, like 2021.
I got a new phone last week.
EN: In English, years are usually read as two separate numbers. 2021 is read as 'twenty twenty-one' rather than 'two thousand twenty-one'.
EN: Use 'adjective + er' followed by 'than' to compare two things. This shows that one thing has more of a quality than the other.
This book is shorter than that one.
EN: During the pandemic, public health messages frequently used simple comparisons like this to encourage vaccination and reduce fear.
EN: Use 'fewer' with plural nouns (like people, books, or cars) to show a smaller number of things.
There are fewer students in the classroom today.
EN: In English, 'go to the hospital' usually implies seeking medical treatment. In some regions like the UK, people say 'go to hospital' without 'the', but in the US, 'the' is commonly used.
EN: Use 'more + noun + than' to compare the amount of something between two times or situations.
I have more time than yesterday.
EN: In English-speaking cultures, discussing public health awareness (prevention) became a common topic after the 2020 pandemic, reflecting a shift in daily habits like hand-washing and mask-wearing.
EN: Use 'will' followed by a base verb to talk about things that happen in the future.
I will drink more water tomorrow.
EN: In many cultures, the pandemic led to a permanent shift in hygiene habits, making frequent hand-washing a social expectation rather than just a personal choice.
EN: Use 'will' to talk about future plans or promises, and 'when' to connect two actions that happen at the same time.
I will call you when I arrive.
EN: In many Western cultures, staying home when sick is increasingly seen as a sign of respect for others' health, a shift emphasized by the COVID-19 pandemic.
EN: Using a verb ending in '-ing' (Gerund) as the subject of a sentence to talk about an action as a thing.
Eating vegetables is healthy.
EN: In many Asian cultures, wearing a mask is a common practice not only for personal protection but also as a sign of respect to prevent spreading germs to others.
EN: The verb 'teach' can be used in the pattern 'teach someone to do something' to show that someone learned a skill or a lesson.
My father taught me to ride a bike.
EN: The phrase 'take care of each other' became a common slogan during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing community support and collective responsibility.
Key vocabulary words with IPA pronunciation, definitions, example sentences, and interactive quizzes.
Phrases with type tags, bilingual definitions, usage notes, and example sentences.
To avoid going near someone or something.
To look after someone or something.
To remain in a condition where one is not in danger.
In the beginning.
The transmission of a pathogen from one person or location to another.
The biological process where the immune system identifies and neutralizes a pathogen.
A public health directive or mandate requiring citizens to remain in their residences to reduce transmission.