El Niño is back with a vengeance – and fears of ‘Godzilla’ strength may be the least of our worries
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EN: The present perfect tense ('have issued') is used here to describe a past action that has strong relevance and immediate consequences in the present, a common feature in news reporting to signal 'recent news'.
The government has launched a new initiative to support local businesses.
EN: The past participle phrase 'driven by...' acts as an adjectival modifier describing 'a looming hunger crisis'. It is a reduced relative clause (which is driven by...).
The company faces severe losses driven by the sudden drop in global demand.
EN: The infinitive phrase 'to combat...' functions as an adverbial of purpose, explaining the reason why the 'joint global appeal for emergency funding' was issued.
The city implemented strict regulations to reduce air pollution.
EN: The term 'El Niño' (Spanish for 'the boy', referring to the Christ Child because the warming is often noticed around Christmas) is a globally recognized meteorological phenomenon. In international relations and humanitarian aid, organizations like the United Nations World Food Programme closely monitor these climate patterns as they directly correlate with agricultural disruption and food insecurity in vulnerable regions.
EN: The non-defining relative clause, introduced by 'which', is used to add extra, non-essential information about 'the cyclical weather phenomenon'. It is separated from the main clause by commas.
The local government's new policy, which was first proposed last year, could significantly reduce carbon emissions.
EN: The verb 'inflict' is typically used with negative nouns (like 'consequences', 'damage', 'pain') and is followed by the preposition 'on' to indicate the recipient of the negative impact.
The severe storm inflicted heavy losses on the coastal fishing communities.
EN: The noun clause introduced by 'that' acts as the direct object of the reporting verb 'cautioned', indicating the content of the warning.
Experts cautioned that the economic recovery would be slow and uneven.
EN: Negative Inversion: When a negative adverb or adverbial phrase (such as 'rarely', 'seldom', 'hardly', 'never') is placed at the beginning of a sentence for emphasis, the subject and the auxiliary verb are inverted (verb-subject order).
Rarely have I witnessed such a display of courage under pressure.
EN: Present Perfect Tense with Inversion: In inverted sentences starting with negative adverbs, the present perfect tense ('has/have' + past participle) maintains the auxiliary 'has/have' before the subject, while the past participle remains after the subject.
Seldom has the company faced such intense scrutiny from the public.
EN: Noun Phrase Structure with 'such a': The determiner 'such a' (or 'such' before plural/uncountable nouns) is used to emphasize the degree or quality of the following noun phrase, meaning 'of this/that kind' or 'so great'.
It was such a sudden change in plans that everyone was caught off guard.
EN: This sentence reflects the formal register of international diplomacy and global journalism (such as reports from the United Nations). The use of negative inversion ('Rarely has...') is a rhetorical device common in high-level speeches and editorial writing to emphasize the unprecedented gravity of global challenges, such as climate change and food insecurity.
EN: The past participle phrase 'named by Pacific fishers in the 1800s' acts as a non-defining adjectival clause (or reduced relative clause) modifying the noun 'El Niño'. It is set off by commas to provide non-essential, parenthetical information.
The local library, built by volunteers in the 1950s, remains a cornerstone of the community.
EN: The passive construction 'is characterised by...' is commonly used in academic and formal writing to describe the defining features or attributes of a phenomenon, shifting the focus to the subject being described.
The region's climate is characterised by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters.
EN: The relative pronoun 'that' introduces a defining relative clause ('that disrupts weather patterns across continents') modifying the noun phrase 'abnormal warming of ocean surface temperatures'. It functions as the subject of the verb 'disrupts'.
We are looking for a solution that addresses the root cause of the problem.
EN: The name 'El Niño' (Spanish for 'the boy', referring to the Christ Child) was originally coined by Peruvian and Ecuadorian fishers in the 19th century. They noticed that a warm ocean current would periodically appear along the coast around Christmas time, severely reducing their fish catches. Over time, what began as a localized observation by Pacific fishers became the global scientific term for this massive climate phenomenon.
EN: The 'so + adjective/adverb + that + clause' structure is used to express cause and effect, indicating that a quality or action has reached such an extreme degree that it produces a specific result.
The storm damaged the power grid so severely that the entire city was plunged into darkness for days.
EN: The parenthetical insertion 'for instance' is used as a transition to introduce a specific example that illustrates a previously made general statement. It is set off by commas and can be placed at the beginning, middle, or end of a clause.
The new policy, for instance, allows employees to work from home up to three days a week.
EN: The 1972-73 El Niño event is historically significant as one of the first times scientists and economists fully realized the global interconnectedness of climate anomalies and human food systems. The collapse of the Peruvian anchovy fishery—which at the time was the world's largest single-species fishery and a major source of global animal feed—triggered a massive spike in global soy and grain prices, demonstrating how localized ecological disruptions can cascade into global economic crises.
EN: The present participle '-ing' form (compounding) is used here as a participial phrase expressing a simultaneous or resulting action. It functions as a non-restrictive modifier, describing the consequence of the main clause's action.
The storm damaged the power grid, leaving thousands of residents without electricity.
EN: The relative pronoun 'that' introduces a restrictive relative clause ('that deepened global hunger') modifying the noun phrase 'an oil crisis'. It defines which crisis is being referred to and functions as the subject of the relative clause.
They implemented a policy that reduced carbon emissions significantly.
EN: The sentence refers to the historical convergence of the 1972-73 El Niño episode and the 1973 OPEC oil crisis. The Sahel (a transitional zone in Africa between the Sahara Desert and the Sudanian savanna) and East Africa (particularly Ethiopia) suffered catastrophic famines during this period. This historical context illustrates how climate anomalies can compound geopolitical and economic crises, leading to widespread humanitarian disasters.
EN: This sentence uses an inverted conditional structure (also known as 'should/were/had inversion') to express a hypothetical situation in the future or present (Second Conditional). When 'if' is omitted, the auxiliary verb 'were' is inverted with the subject. The structure 'Were + subject + to-infinitive' emphasizes a highly formal, hypothetical, or unlikely scenario.
Were they to withdraw their funding, the project would immediately collapse.
EN: The verb 'dwarf' is used transitively to mean 'to make something seem much smaller, less significant, or less important' by comparison. It is highly effective in formal and journalistic writing to contrast scales of impact.
The success of the new campaign dwarfs all our previous marketing achievements.
EN: Apposition is a grammatical relation where two noun phrases are placed side-by-side, with one element serving to identify or define the other. In this sentence, 'an Ethiopian epidemiologist at the Ethiopian Public Health Institute' is an appositive noun phrase that provides essential background information about the subject 'Adugna Woyessa'. It is set off by commas because it is non-restrictive (the subject is already a specific proper noun).
Dr. Sarah Jenkins, a leading climatologist at the university, will deliver the keynote address.
EN: The present perfect tense ('has studied') is used here with the preposition 'since' to describe an action that began in the past (childhood) and continues up to the present moment. This structure emphasizes the duration and ongoing relevance of the research.
She has worked on environmental policy since graduating from college.
EN: The 'Ethiopian Public Health Institute' (EPHI) is a prominent government body in Ethiopia dedicated to improving the health of the general public through research and rapid response to health emergencies. In East Africa, climate anomalies like El Niño are deeply linked to public health crises, as droughts and floods directly trigger malnutrition and vector-borne diseases like malaria, making epidemiological research in this region critical.
EN: The verb 'witness' can be followed by a bare infinitive (infinitive without 'to') or a present participle (-ing form) to describe an action being observed. Using the bare infinitive ('ravage') emphasizes that the entire process of destruction was witnessed from beginning to end, whereas the participle ('ravaging') would emphasize the action in progress.
The security guard witnessed the suspect enter the building through the back window.
EN: The conjunction 'while' is used here to contrast two simultaneous events or situations occurring in the same period, often implying a connection or irony between them. In this context, it connects the national tragedy of drought with the local, practical adaptation of the school.
The government faced severe criticism for the economic downturn, while local community centers worked tirelessly to support struggling families.
EN: The phrasal verb 'convert A into B' means to change the form, character, or function of something from one thing to another. It is highly common in formal and academic registers to describe structural or functional transformations.
The developers plan to convert the historic textile factory into modern loft apartments.
EN: The sentence refers to the devastating 1972-1973 drought in Ethiopia, which was severely exacerbated by the El Niño phenomenon. This environmental disaster led to widespread famine, particularly in the Wollo province. The inability of Emperor Haile Selassie's government to effectively respond to the famine led to massive public outrage and protests, which ultimately contributed to the 1974 military coup that deposed the monarchy and established the Derg, a communist military junta. The transformation of a school classroom into a grain store ('grain store' in British English, equivalent to 'granary') vividly illustrates how local communities had to sacrifice education for basic survival.
EN: The present perfect tense ('has argued') combined with the adverb 'since' indicates an action that started in the past (after a specific reference point) and has continued up to the present moment, emphasizing ongoing belief or advocacy.
She has since maintained that education is the most powerful tool for social mobility.
EN: The adjective 'fundamental' is followed by the preposition 'to' to indicate the essential relationship between a core requirement and its target or outcome (e.g., 'fundamental to something').
Regular exercise is fundamental to maintaining cardiovascular health.
EN: The present participle 'including' is used as a preposition to introduce specific examples that belong to a broader category previously mentioned (in this case, 'cascading health consequences').
The course covers various environmental issues, including deforestation and soil erosion.
EN: The structure 'A, rather than B,' is used to contrast two elements, emphasizing that A is the preferred or correct option instead of B. When placed between the subject and the verb, it functions as a parenthetical insertion and does not change the number of the subject (the verb agrees with the main subject 'proactive intervention', which is singular).
Accurate data, rather than mere assumptions, is required to make an informed decision.
EN: The noun clause introduced by 'that' functions as the direct object of the transitive verb 'emphasised'. This clause contains its own complete subject ('proactive intervention') and predicate ('is essential...').
The report concluded that immediate action could prevent further environmental degradation.
EN: The present perfect tense ('has triggered') is used here to describe an action that began in the past and has relevance or continuing effects up to the present moment, often accompanied by the adverb 'Historically'.
Historically, the region has experienced frequent seismic activity.
EN: 'Alongside' is a preposition meaning 'together with' or 'in addition to'. It is used to show that two events, conditions, or things exist or happen at the same time.
The new library was built alongside a modern community center.
EN: The sentence highlights the socio-political dimension of natural disasters. In academic and historical contexts, climate events like El Niño are increasingly analyzed not just as meteorological phenomena, but as catalysts for historical shifts, resource scarcity, and political instability, particularly in vulnerable regions.
EN: The use of the relative pronoun 'that' to introduce a defining relative clause modifying the noun phrase 'a military coup'. In this context, 'ushered in' acts as the verb within the relative clause, describing the direct consequence of the coup.
The government passed a controversial law that sparked nationwide protests.
EN: The phrasal verb 'usher in' means to signal or cause the start of something new, typically an important period, era, or system. It is often used in historical and formal registers.
The downfall of the regime ushered in a new era of democratic reforms.
EN: The noun 'mishandling' is a gerund-derived noun meaning bad, inefficient, or dishonest management of a situation. It is frequently paired with the preposition 'of' to indicate the object being poorly managed.
The CEO's mishandling of the crisis led to a sharp decline in stock prices.
EN: This sentence refers to the historical events of 1974 in Ethiopia. The Wollo famine (1972-1974) and Emperor Haile Selassie's attempt to cover it up led to widespread public outrage. This discontent was capitalized on by a military junta known as the Derg, which overthrew the emperor and subsequently established a Marxist-Leninist military dictatorship.
EN: The verb 'underscore' is a formal transitive verb meaning 'to emphasize' or 'to draw attention to'. It is commonly used in academic, journalistic, and professional contexts to highlight the importance of a fact, situation, or argument.
The recent data underscore the need for immediate policy reform.
EN: The noun clause starting with 'why' ('why the current global appeal demands urgent attention') acts as the direct object of the transitive verb 'underscore'. In English, noun clauses introduced by question words maintain statement word order (subject + verb), not question word order.
She explained why the project required additional funding.
EN: The verb 'demand' in this context means 'to require' or 'to need urgently'. It is used with abstract subjects (like 'appeal', 'situation', 'problem') to indicate that a certain response or action is absolutely necessary.
This complex problem demands a creative solution.
EN: When a negative adverbial phrase like 'Not only' is placed at the beginning of a sentence for emphasis, subject-auxiliary inversion occurs in the first clause. The auxiliary verb (does/do/did) is placed before the subject, and the main verb is kept in its base form.
Not only did she complete the project ahead of schedule, but she also stayed within the budget.
EN: The correlative conjunction 'not only... but also...' is used to connect and emphasize two coordinated clauses or elements. The word 'also' can sometimes be omitted or placed in different positions within the second clause.
The new policy not only benefits local businesses but also attracts foreign investment.
EN: The present participle phrase 'already grappling with poverty' acts as an adjective clause reduced to a participle phrase, modifying the noun 'regions'. 'Grapple with' is a phrasal verb meaning to struggle to deal with or overcome a difficult problem.
The government is struggling to support communities already grappling with water scarcity.
EN: The sentence highlights how environmental crises like El Niño are not just ecological or agricultural issues, but are deeply intertwined with socio-political stability. In many developing regions, particularly those already facing economic hardship, the failure of crops and fisheries can act as a catalyst for political unrest, protests, and even regime change, illustrating the concept of 'climate security'.
EN: The structure 'The question remains whether...' is used to introduce a major unresolved issue or uncertainty. 'Whether' introduces a noun clause acting as the real subject or complement, indicating a choice between two possibilities (yes or no).
The question remains whether the local government will approve the new environmental regulations.
EN: The verb 'mobilise' (or 'mobilize') means to organize or prepare something (such as resources, support, or troops) for a particular purpose, especially in a time of crisis.
The charity managed to mobilise volunteers and medical supplies within hours of the earthquake.
EN: The phrase 'beyond containment' functions as an adverbial or adjectival modifier meaning 'impossible to control, limit, or keep within bounds'.
Once the wildfire spread to the dry canopy, the situation became beyond containment.
Key vocabulary words with IPA pronunciation, definitions, example sentences, and interactive quizzes.
Phrases with type tags, bilingual definitions, usage notes, and example sentences.
A climate pattern characterized by the abnormal warming of surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, disrupting global weather.
The adverse social, economic, or health consequences affecting human populations after a disaster or crisis.
To cause or mark the start of something new, especially a new period, style, or era.
To try hard to find a solution to a difficult problem or deal with a tough situation.