Bank of England leaves interest rates on hold and lowers inflation forecast amid Middle East...
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EN: The Present Perfect Tense (has/have + past participle) is used here to describe a past action ('has decided') that has a strong relevance or result in the present moment.
The government has decided to implement new tax laws.
EN: The phrase 'keep [something] on hold' is a common business and financial idiom meaning to delay, postpone, or maintain something in its current state without making changes.
They decided to keep the project on hold until next year.
EN: The 'Bank of England' is the central bank of the United Kingdom, responsible for setting monetary policy, including interest rates, to ensure economic stability. Decisions on interest rates directly affect borrowing costs, mortgages, and inflation in the UK.
EN: The phrase 'in favour of' is a prepositional phrase meaning 'in support of' or 'to the benefit of'. It is followed by a noun or a gerund (verb-ing) to indicate the action or decision being supported.
The majority of the board members voted in favour of implementing the new policy.
EN: The verb 'leave' can be used in the pattern 'leave + object + adjective' to mean 'to cause or allow someone or something to remain in a specified state'. Here, 'rates' is the object and 'unchanged' is the adjective.
Please leave the door open so the fresh air can circulate.
EN: The 'monetary policy committee' (MPC) refers specifically to the committee of the Bank of England responsible for making decisions about the official interest rates in the United Kingdom. The voting ratio (seven to two) highlights that while there was a strong consensus, the decision was not unanimous, reflecting differing economic outlooks among policymakers.
EN: The 'it is + adjective + to-infinitive' structure uses 'it' as a dummy subject (or preparatory subject) to represent the real subject, which is the infinitive clause ('to raise rates') placed at the end of the clause for better sentence balance.
It is important to save money for the future.
EN: The prepositional phrase 'because of' is used to introduce a reason. Unlike the conjunction 'because', which must be followed by a full clause (subject + verb), 'because of' must be followed by a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase.
The flight was delayed because of the heavy rain.
EN: Present Perfect Tense (has + past participle) is used here to describe an action that happened in the recent past and has a direct relevance or effect on the present situation.
The company has launched its new product this week.
EN: The preposition 'for' is used to indicate the target or object of the noun 'forecast', specifying what the forecast is about (inflation).
The weather forecast for tomorrow predicts heavy rain.
EN: The 'Bank' in this context refers to the Bank of England, which is the central bank of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for setting monetary policy, including interest rates, to control inflation and maintain economic stability.
EN: The structure 'predict + that-clause' is used to report a forecast or expectation about the future. Since the prediction was made in the past ('predicted'), the future-in-the-past auxiliary verb 'would' is used in the noun clause instead of 'will'.
The report predicted that the economy would recover next year.
EN: The prepositional phrase 'by the end of...' is used to indicate a deadline or a point in time before which an action will be completed or a state will be reached.
We need to submit the project by the end of the month.
EN: Comparative Adjectives: The structure 'adjective + -er + than' is used to compare two things. In this sentence, 'lower than' compares the current forecast with the previous one.
This smartphone is faster than the old one.
EN: Relative Clause with Passive Voice: 'that was made in April' is a defining relative clause modifying the pronoun 'one'. It uses the passive voice ('was made') to show that the action was performed on the forecast, not by it.
The decision that was announced yesterday surprised everyone.
EN: In financial and economic contexts, forecasts are regularly updated (often quarterly or monthly) by central banks like the Bank of England. Comparing current forecasts to previous ones (such as those from 'April') is a standard way to analyze economic trends and policy shifts.
EN: Apposition (同位語): A noun phrase placed next to another noun to identify or explain it. Here, 'the governor of the Bank of England' is an appositive phrase explaining who 'Andrew Bailey' is.
Mr. Smith, the principal of our school, will give a speech tomorrow.
EN: Noun Clause as Object (名詞子句作賓語/受詞): The conjunction 'that' introduces a noun clause ('that consumers should expect...') which functions as the direct object of the reporting verb 'warned'.
She warned that the road would be very slippery after the rain.
EN: The 'Bank of England' is the central bank of the United Kingdom, often referred to as 'the Old Lady of Threadneedle Street'. The 'governor' is the highest-ranking official in the bank, responsible for monetary policy and economic stability. Andrew Bailey has served in this role since March 2020.
EN: Indirect Speech (Reported Speech): When reporting what someone said in the past, we often use a reporting verb like 'said' followed by a 'that' clause (where 'that' can be omitted). The tense of the verbs inside the reported clause often shifts backward (backshifting), though present perfect ('has created') can sometimes be used to emphasize the ongoing relevance of the situation to the present.
She said the new policy has improved working conditions.
EN: Present Perfect Tense: Used here ('has created') to describe an action that started in the past and has a strong connection or impact on the present situation.
The heavy rain has caused traffic delays across the city.
EN: The mention of the 'Middle East' in relation to 'energy prices' reflects the region's historical and ongoing geopolitical significance as a major global producer of oil and natural gas. In financial and central banking contexts, conflicts in this region are closely monitored because they can lead to supply disruptions, causing global energy prices and inflation to spike.
EN: The phrase 'in the pipeline' is an idiom used as an adjective or adverb meaning 'in progress', 'under development', or 'about to happen in the near future'. It is commonly used in business and economic contexts.
Several new projects are in the pipeline for next year.
EN: The conjunction 'even though' is used to introduce a concession clause, expressing a fact that makes the main statement surprising. It is followed by a subject and a verb, and is stronger than 'although'.
Even though she was tired, she finished her homework.
EN: The phrase 'in the pipeline' originally comes from the oil and gas industry, referring to products physically traveling through a pipeline. Over time, it became a widely used business and economic idiom to describe goods, projects, or economic effects (like inflation) that are planned or developing and will arrive in the future.
EN: Passive Voice (was announced): Used when the action itself is more important than who performed it, or when the agent is unknown. It is formed with the verb 'to be' (was) + past participle (announced).
The results were published on the official website.
EN: The prepositional phrase 'on the same day as': Used to show that two events happened at the exact same time. 'As' introduces the second event or reference point.
She started her new job on the same day as her birthday.
EN: In the UK, major economic announcements, such as interest rate decisions by the Bank of England and employment data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), are highly anticipated events that can significantly impact financial markets. When these events coincide on the same day, it often leads to intense analysis by economists and media regarding the health of the British economy.
EN: The past simple tense of the irregular verb 'fall' is 'fell'. It is used here to describe a completed action in the past.
The temperature fell rapidly after sunset.
EN: The present participle phrase 'leading up to' acts as an adjective modifying 'the three months'. It means 'occurring before' or 'resulting in' a specific time.
She was very busy in the weeks leading up to the exam.
EN: In the United Kingdom, employment and unemployment statistics are typically published monthly by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). They often report figures based on a rolling three-month average (e.g., 'the three months leading up to April') rather than a single month, to provide a more stable and accurate picture of the labor market trends.
EN: The conjunction 'as' is used here to mean 'because' or 'at the same time that', showing a causal or temporal relationship between the reduction in recruitment and the drop in job vacancies.
As the demand for electric cars grew, the company increased its production.
EN: The phrase 'its lowest level in five years' uses the superlative adjective 'lowest' to compare the current level with all levels over the past five years.
The temperature dropped to its lowest level in ten years.
EN: The verb 'expect' is often followed by a noun clause starting with 'that' (which can be omitted in informal contexts) to express a belief or prediction about a future event.
The economists expect that the inflation rate will drop next month.
EN: The linking verb 'remain' is used to describe a state that continues to exist without changing. It is commonly followed by an adjective (like 'unchanged') to describe the subject.
The shops will remain closed during the public holiday.
EN: Deutsche Bank is a major German multinational investment bank and financial services company. In financial news, major global banks like Deutsche Bank frequently publish forecasts and economic analyses regarding the monetary policies of other countries, such as the United Kingdom's interest rates set by the Bank of England.
EN: Apposition (Appositive noun phrase): A noun phrase placed next to another noun to identify or explain it. Here, 'Sanjay Raja' is in apposition to 'Their chief economist for the United Kingdom', identifying who the economist is.
My English teacher, Mr. Smith, loves reading novels.
EN: Indirect Speech (Reported Speech): When reporting what someone said using a past tense reporting verb like 'said', the tenses in the reported clause typically shift backward (backshift). Here, 'there are' becomes 'there were'.
She said there was a meeting the next day.
EN: Reduced Relative Clauses (Past Participle): The phrase 'caused by...' is a reduced relative clause modifying 'the economic uncertainty'. It is shortened from 'which was caused by...'. This structure is commonly used in written English to make sentences more concise.
The damage caused by the storm was expensive to repair.
EN: Preposition + Gerund: The preposition 'to' in 'approach to' is followed by a gerund ('setting') rather than an infinitive verb. In this context, 'to' functions as a preposition meaning 'towards' or 'regarding', so it must be followed by a noun or a verb ending in -ing.
Her approach to solving problems is very systematic.
EN: The 'Bank of England' (often referred to as the 'BoE' or 'The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street') is the central bank of the United Kingdom. Its Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is responsible for setting the UK's official interest rate, which has a significant impact on the global economy, particularly in relation to inflation and currency values.
Key vocabulary words with IPA pronunciation, definitions, example sentences, and interactive quizzes.
Phrases with type tags, bilingual definitions, usage notes, and example sentences.
The percentage of amount charged by a lender to a borrower for the use of assets.
Delayed, suspended, or kept in an unchanged state temporarily.
The actions of a central bank or other regulatory committee that determine the size and rate of growth of the money supply.
In progress, being planned, or about to happen in the near future.