London’s first self-driving taxis for hire hit the streets
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EN: The preposition 'through' is used here to indicate the medium or means by which an action is performed.
You can pay your bills through the online banking system.
EN: The phrase 'for the first time' is an adverbial time expression used to describe something happening as a new experience.
She visited Japan for the first time last summer.
EN: London is one of Europe's largest markets for ride-hailing services. Transport for London (TfL) regulates all taxis and private hire vehicles in the city, enforcing strict safety standards before autonomous technology can be made available to the public.
EN: A non-defining relative clause is set off by commas and provides extra, non-essential information about a noun. The relative pronoun 'which' is used for things.
The new laptop, which I bought last week, is very fast.
EN: The passive voice is formed with 'be' + past participle (V3). It is used when the focus is on the action or the receiver of the action, rather than who performed it.
The official report was published on Friday.
EN: Subject-Verb Agreement with 'The chances of...': The head noun of the subject phrase is 'chances' (plural), so it takes the plural verb 'are', despite the singular noun 'robotaxis' or 'one' appearing closer to the verb.
The chances of winning the lottery are extremely small.
EN: Present Perfect Passive Tense ('have been licensed'): Combines the present perfect (have/has + past participle) with the passive voice (be + past participle) to show that an action was completed prior to the present by an unnamed agent.
All the tickets have been sold out so far.
EN: The 'There + be' structure is used to indicate the existence of something. 'There' acts as a dummy subject, while the real grammatical subject follows the verb 'be'.
There are many historical buildings in this city.
EN: A present participle (-ing) phrase ('already operating...') can be used after a noun to reduce a relative clause ('which are already operating...'). It modifies the preceding noun with an active meaning.
The people waiting outside the station are getting impatient.
EN: In London, 'private hire vehicles' (PHVs) refer to licensed minicabs or rideshare services (like Uber) that must be pre-booked, as opposed to traditional 'black cabs' (hackney carriages) that can be hailed on the street.
EN: The object complement structure 'have + object + present participle (-ing)' is used to describe someone or something being in a particular state or performing an action.
She had a young child holding her hand during the tour.
EN: Past participles (e.g., 'licensed') can function as adjectives to describe a noun that has received or undergone a specific action.
Only qualified professionals can perform this delicate surgery.
EN: The phrasal verb 'take over' means to assume control or responsibility of something. It can be used with a direct object like 'the controls'.
The co-pilot was ready to take over the plane.
EN: 'If' introduces a First Conditional clause describing a real or possible future situation ('something goes wrong'), where the present simple tense is used after 'if'.
Call me if you need help.
EN: The structure 'license [something] as [something]' uses 'as' as a preposition meaning 'in the role or capacity of' to indicate the official status or category granted to the object.
The government certified the building as a historical landmark.
EN: Possessive apostrophe with joint ownership: When two nouns share ownership or modification of a single object, the apostrophe-s ('s) is added only to the second noun (e.g., 'Uber and Wayve's modified cars').
Jack and Mary's new apartment is near the station.
EN: In the UK, particularly in London, 'private hire vehicles' (PHVs) refer to minicabs or ride-hailing cars (like Uber) that must be pre-booked, as opposed to traditional 'black cabs' (hackney carriages) which can be hailed on the street. 'Transport for London' (TfL) is the government body responsible for licensing both types of vehicles.
EN: The verb 'require' is used here with the pattern 'require + object + to-infinitive', meaning to demand that someone do something as a rule or law.
The company rules require all employees to wear a name tag.
EN: The compound time expression 'at all times' functions as an adverbial phrase meaning 'always' or 'continuously'.
Please keep your seatbelts fastened at all times during the flight.
EN: The Present Perfect Passive Voice ('has not been approved') is used to describe an action that has not happened up to the present moment, focusing on the receiver of the action (the concept/technology) rather than the agent.
The new safety feature has not been tested yet.
EN: The prepositional phrase 'without + noun/noun phrase' is used to show condition or absence, meaning 'not having' or 'in the absence of' something.
You cannot enter the facility without a official pass.
EN: The passive voice construction 'is seen as' (be + past participle + as) is used to express how something is regarded, perceived, or categorized by people in general.
This new policy is seen as a major step toward environmental protection.
EN: The possessive noun ending with ''s' (Thursday's) indicates time or origin, showing that the event or noun belongs to or happens on that specific time.
Yesterday's meeting was postponed until next week.
EN: The structure 'allow + object + to-infinitive' is used to express giving permission or making it possible for someone/something to do an action.
The new law allows students to travel for free on public transport.
EN: The relative pronoun 'that' introduces a restrictive relative clause to modify the preceding plural noun 'technology companies', defining which specific companies are being referred to.
We need to hire engineers that have experience in artificial intelligence.
EN: London is a high-stakes market for autonomous technology due to its complex street layout, strict regulatory environment controlled by Transport for London, and heavy traffic. Securing a foothold here provides technology companies with a strategic advantage across European markets.
EN: The Passive Voice (be + past participle) is used when the focus is on the receiver of the action rather than the doer. Here, 'is considered' shows that people in general consider London to be something.
This strategy is considered effective by many experts.
EN: The preposition 'for' indicates purpose or destination, while 'across' means extending throughout a whole area or region.
The company plans a new advertising campaign across Asia.
EN: London is often used as a primary testing ground and launchpad for tech companies in Europe due to its complex urban environment, high population density, and strict regulatory framework. Success in London usually signals readiness for expansion across the European continent.
EN: The Present Continuous Tense (be + verb-ing) is used here to describe an action that is currently taking place or ongoing around the present time.
Many tech firms are testing new software this month.
EN: The focus adverb 'also' is used to add extra information. It typically comes after the auxiliary verb (in this case, 'are') and before the main verb or rest of the sentence.
They are also developing electric trucks.
EN: The Present Perfect Continuous tense (have/has + been + V-ing) is used to describe an action that started in the past and is still continuing in the present, emphasizing the ongoing duration of the activity.
Tech companies have been developing autonomous vehicles for several years.
EN: Compound adjectives with hyphenated structures (e.g., 'Google-owned') are formed by combining a noun and a past participle to describe a quality or state of a entity.
The state-owned enterprise announced its new investment plan today.
EN: 'The British capital' is a common journalistic metonym for London, used to avoid repeating the city's name while adding geographical and political context.
EN: Non-defining relative clauses starting with 'who' provide extra, non-essential information about a person. They are separated by commas, and omitting them does not change the core meaning of the sentence.
Tim Cook, who is the CEO of Apple, introduced the new iPhone.
EN: The phrase 'express one's pride about/in something' is used to show how proud someone feels about a specific achievement, event, or person.
The manager expressed her pride about the team's successful project.
EN: Wayve is a prominent British AI startup focusing on autonomous driving technology. Launching self-driving services in London is a major technology milestone due to London's narrow, complex streets and unpredictable traffic conditions.
EN: Reported speech (indirect speech) is used to report what someone said without using their exact words. When the main reporting verb (e.g., 'said') is in the past tense, the verbs in the reported clause usually shift back into a past tense (sequence of tenses). Here, 'is proud' shifts to 'was proud', and the conjunction 'that' is omitted after 'said'.
She said she was ready to start her new job.
EN: The adjective pattern 'be proud to + infinitive' is used to express feeling honored or satisfied about doing a specific action. The infinitive verb (e.g., 'introduce') follows 'proud' directly to state the cause of pride.
We are proud to announce the launch of our new product.
EN: The pattern 'describe A as B' is used to explain or express what someone or something is considered to be. 'A' is the object, and 'B' is a noun phrase or adjective that describes 'A'.
She described the experience as unforgettable.
EN: Possessive nouns with an apostrophe and 's' (e.g., 'company's') indicate ownership or association, functioning as a modifier for the noun that follows.
The city's history attracts many tourists every year.
EN: In corporate language, 'home city' or 'home market' refers to the city where a startup or company was founded and developed, often serving as its primary testing ground before global expansion.
EN: The Present Perfect Tense (have/has + past participle) is used here to describe an action that happened at an unspecified time in the past and has a result or relevance to the present.
Many people have registered for the new online course this week.
EN: A non-defining relative clause starting with 'which' can refer back to the entire previous clause, providing extra comment or information about the whole situation.
He passed the difficult exam, which surprised everyone in his class.
EN: London is one of Europe's largest markets for ride-hailing platforms like Uber. The introduction of autonomous vehicles (robotaxis) in such a dense and historic city represents a major milestone in technology adaptation and urban transport regulation.
Key vocabulary words with IPA pronunciation, definitions, example sentences, and interactive quizzes.
Phrases with type tags, bilingual definitions, usage notes, and example sentences.
To assume control or responsibility for something.
Referring to a vehicle that can guide itself without human intervention.
To advance beyond someone or something; to get an advantage over competitors.
A licensed vehicle that must be booked in advance, not hailed on the street.