Steve Jobs: Think Different
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EN: Present Participle Phrase (Reduced Relative Clause): The word 'aiming' starts a participle phrase that functions as an adverbial modifier, explaining the purpose or simultaneous action of the subject (Steve). It is a shortened form of 'and he aimed' or 'while he was aiming'.
She walked out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
EN: Past Simple Tense: Used to describe completed actions in the past. 'Founded' is the past tense of 'found' (to establish), indicating a specific historical event.
The company was founded in 1976.
EN: NeXT Computer was the company Steve Jobs started after being forced out of Apple in 1985. Although it wasn't a huge commercial success, its operating system (NeXTSTEP) became the foundation for macOS after Apple acquired NeXT in 1997.
EN: The sentence uses a Present Participle Phrase ('seeing its potential') to provide additional information or express a reason/result. It functions as an adverbial clause reduced from 'because he saw its potential'.
She walked out of the room, closing the door quietly.
EN: The Past Participle Phrase 'called Pixar' acts as an adjective (reduced relative clause) modifying the noun 'studio'. It is short for 'which was called Pixar'.
I live in a city called Taipei.
EN: Pixar was originally a hardware group within Lucasfilm before Steve Jobs bought it. This sentence highlights Jobs' famous 'vision'—the ability to see the future value of technology and art before others did.
EN: The conjunction 'While' is used here to introduce a contrast between two simultaneous actions or situations, often highlighting a difference in their progress or success.
While the city is busy during the day, it becomes very peaceful at night.
EN: The idiom 'gain traction' means to start to succeed or become popular. It is commonly used in business contexts to describe a product or idea that is beginning to be accepted by the public.
The new marketing campaign is finally starting to gain traction.
EN: This sentence highlights a pivotal moment in tech history. NeXT was Steve Jobs' ambitious computer company that failed commercially, but its software became the foundation for macOS. Meanwhile, Pixar, which Jobs also owned, revolutionized the film industry. The contrast shows how failure in one area can coexist with massive success in another.
EN: Appositive: A noun or noun phrase that sits next to another noun to rename or describe it. Here, 'the world's first fully computer-animated feature film' describes 'Toy Story'.
My brother, a talented chef, opened a new restaurant.
EN: Present Participle Phrase (Reduced Relative Clause): The word 'marking' starts a participial phrase that describes the result of the previous action or provides additional information about the entire preceding clause.
The heavy rain lasted for hours, causing a flood in the city.
EN: Toy Story (1995) was a landmark in cinema history as it moved the industry away from traditional hand-drawn animation toward CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery), establishing Pixar as a dominant force in storytelling.
EN: The use of the Past Simple tense with specific time markers (In 1997) to describe completed states and actions in the past.
In 2010, the company launched its first tablet.
EN: Adverbs of degree (nearly, desperately) are used to modify adjectives (bankrupt) and verbs (needed) to emphasize the intensity of the situation.
He was nearly exhausted after the long meeting.
EN: The year 1997 is a pivotal moment in tech history. Apple was only weeks away from total bankruptcy before Microsoft invested $150 million and Steve Jobs returned, marking one of the greatest corporate turnarounds in history.
EN: The Past Perfect Tense (had + past participle) is used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past. Here, 'had earned' happened before 'returned'.
She had finished the report before the meeting started.
EN: Apposition (Appositive) is a noun or noun phrase that renames or provides more information about another noun right next to it. 'A position...' explains what 'CEO' represents.
Mr. Brown, my favorite teacher, is retiring next year.
EN: Steve Jobs was famously ousted from Apple in 1985. His return in 1997 is considered one of the most significant corporate comebacks in history, as he transformed Apple from near-bankruptcy to the world's most valuable company.
EN: Present Participle Phrase (V-ing): Used here as a reduced relative clause or a supplementary action, providing more detail about the main action (simplified). It functions as an adverbial modifier describing how or in what manner the subject performed the main verb.
She walked out of the room, smiling at everyone.
EN: Past Simple Tense: Used to describe completed actions in the past. The verb 'simplified' is the regular past form of 'simplify'.
The company launched its first product in 1984.
EN: This sentence refers to a pivotal moment in business history when Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997. He famously cut the product grid from dozens of items to just four, embodying the philosophy of 'Less is More' which became Apple's hallmark.
EN: The use of the V-ing form (marking) after a comma is a 'Present Participle Phrase' used to show a result or a simultaneous action. It functions as a reduced relative clause, effectively meaning 'which marked'.
The heavy rain lasted for hours, causing severe flooding in the city.
EN: The verb 'save' is often used with the preposition 'from' to indicate the danger or negative state that was avoided (save someone/something from + noun).
The new law saved the forest from destruction.
EN: The iMac G3, released in 1998, was a cultural icon known for its translucent, candy-colored design. It is often cited in business history as the product that saved Apple from bankruptcy and redefined the personal computer as a consumer lifestyle product rather than just a gray office tool.
EN: The sentence uses a 'Participle Phrase' (changing...) as an absolute construction or a supplementary modifier. Here, 'each one' acts as the logical subject for the present participle 'changing', describing the result or additional information about the preceding clause.
The company released three new apps, each one targeting a different age group.
EN: The Oxford Comma is used before the conjunction 'and' in a list of three or more items (iPod, iPhone, and iPad) to ensure clarity and separate the items distinctly.
She bought apples, oranges, and bananas at the market.
EN: The mention of iPod, iPhone, and iPad refers to the 'Holy Trinity' of Apple's consumer electronics that revolutionized music, telecommunications, and mobile computing respectively. The lowercase 'i' prefix became a cultural symbol of the early 21st-century digital era.
EN: The correlative conjunction 'both... and...' is used to emphasize that two qualities or items are equally true or applicable to the subject.
The hotel was both affordable and comfortable.
EN: The sentence uses a 'that-clause' as a noun clause acting as the direct object of the verb 'believed'. In English, the conjunction 'that' is often omitted in informal or narrative contexts.
I believe (that) we can win the game.
EN: This sentence reflects Steve Jobs' core philosophy of 'Human-Centered Design,' which revolutionized the tech industry by prioritizing aesthetics and user experience over raw technical specifications.
EN: The sentence uses the Past Simple tense ('redefined', 'interacted') to describe completed actions in the past that have a lasting impact on history.
The invention of the internet changed how we share information.
EN: The phrase 'the way (that) people interacted' uses a relative clause to modify the noun 'way'. In English, 'that' or 'in which' is often omitted after 'the way'.
I like the way she teaches English.
EN: The term 'user interface' (UI) became a household name largely due to Apple's focus on making complex computers accessible to non-technical people through visual design.
EN: The sentence uses a Present Participle Phrase ('inspiring...') as a result or extension of the main clause. This is a reduced relative clause or a participial construction that describes the effect of the preceding action.
The heavy rain lasted for hours, causing severe flooding in the city.
EN: The verb 'pursue' is used in the infinitive form 'to pursue' following the object 'generations'. The structure 'inspire someone to do something' is a common transitive verb pattern.
Her teacher inspired her to study medicine.
EN: The phrase 'Stay hungry, stay foolish' was originally from the 'Whole Earth Catalog' and was popularized by Steve Jobs during his 2005 Stanford commencement speech. It encourages people to never be satisfied with what they know and to be willing to take risks that others might find 'foolish'.
EN: Passive Voice (be + past participle): Used when the subject receives the action. In this sentence, 'was diagnosed' indicates that a doctor performed the diagnosis on Steve.
The patient was treated by a specialist.
EN: Gerunds after 'continue': The verb 'continue' can be followed by a gerund (V-ing) to indicate that an action persists or resumes.
Despite the rain, they continued playing football.
EN: Steve Jobs' battle with pancreatic cancer was highly publicized. His decision to continue leading Apple during his illness is often cited as a testament to his passion and dedication to his work.
EN: The preposition 'about' is followed by gerunds (verb + -ing) when describing the content or topic of a speech or book. Here, 'connecting' and 'following' act as nouns representing actions.
She wrote a book about traveling the world on a budget.
EN: The phrase 'connecting the dots' is an idiomatic expression meaning to find a logical link between separate ideas or events, often looking back at past experiences.
It was only years later that I started connecting the dots of my career path.
EN: This refers to Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Speech, which is one of the most famous graduation speeches in history. The concept of 'connecting the dots' emphasizes that you can't connect them looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward, trusting that things will make sense in the future.
EN: The sentence uses a Present Participle Phrase ('leaving behind...') as a result or simultaneous action. This structure reduces a clause (and he left behind...) to a participle to show that the second action is a direct consequence of the first.
The storm hit the coast, causing widespread power outages.
EN: The phrasal verb 'pass away' is a euphemism for 'to die.' It is used to show respect and sensitivity when discussing someone's death.
Her grandfather passed away peacefully in his sleep.
EN: The term 'legacy' is often used in Western culture to describe the lasting impact or contribution a person makes to the world after their death, especially for public figures like Steve Jobs.
EN: The present participle phrase (making him...) is used as a result clause. It functions as an adverbial modifier that describes the consequence or result of the entire preceding main clause.
The heavy rain lasted for hours, causing a massive flood in the city.
EN: The verb 'continue' can be followed by a 'to-infinitive' (to shape) or a 'gerund' (shaping) with very little difference in meaning, indicating an action that persists over time.
Despite the challenges, she continued to pursue her career in music.
EN: The term 'visionary' is frequently used in Silicon Valley culture to describe leaders like Steve Jobs who didn't just improve existing products but imagined entirely new categories of technology that changed human behavior.
Key vocabulary words with IPA pronunciation, definitions, example sentences, and interactive quizzes.
Phrases with type tags, bilingual definitions, usage notes, and example sentences.
To begin to have success or acceptance.
A polite way to say someone has died.
To understand how different ideas or events are related.
To never be satisfied with your achievements and always want to do more.
A full-length movie intended for theatrical release, usually lasting 75 minutes or more.
A group of related products manufactured by a single company.
The visual and interactive elements of a software application or hardware device.