Snap Language

You add something to something else. That means you put something extra or something more into something else (usually to make it different, better, or more).

Examples: add to

In general, you agree with someone or something on a topic.

If you and other people have the same idea or opinion, you agree with them.

If you and other people come to a decision or conclusion after a discussion or negotiation, you agree on the decision or conclusion. You have a consensus.

Examples: agree on

These examples mean people have come to a decision or conclusion. They have a consensus.

Examples: agree with

These examples mean that people share or don’t share the same idea or opinion about something.

• She agrees with my decision to go to college.
• I don’t agree with my teacher when he says that learning pronunciation is not important.
• My parents want me to go to college. I agree with them, but I’m not ready to go.

Examples: agree to do something

• Everyone agrees to follow the new schedule.
• Do you agree to help me move this weekend?
• The teacher does not agree to postpone the test until next week.

To explain something means to tell someone about something in a way that helps them understand it better.

When you explain something, you can explain it to someone.

Examples: explain

• I cannot explain how this works.
• The teacher explains the lessons very well.
• Please, explain yourself. (Explain your actions or behavior.)

Examples: explain to (someone)

When you focus, you put all your attention on one thing without letting other things distract you.

When you focus on a lesson, all your thoughts and attention are on the lesson.

focus

• Turn off the music please. I need to focus.
• Stop playing with your smartphone. You need to focus.
• Let’s stop talking. I can’t focus.

Examples: focus on

• Turn off the music please. I need to focus on my homework.
• Stop playing with your smartphone. You need to focus on the lesson.
• Let’s stop talking. I can’t focus on my work.

When you hope, you want something good to happen in the future. You do not know what is going to happen, but you want it to be something good.

You can hope for something (usually something good).

You can hope that something happens.

You can hope that someone does something.

You can hope to do something in the future.

Examples: hope for (something)

• I hope for a good result.
• I hope for good weather on my birthday.
• He hopes for a good grade on his examination.

Examples: hope (to do)

• She hopes to learn a lot in her English class.
• We hope to travel to Paris one day.
• I hope to finish my homework before the game starts.

Examples: hope (that) someone does something

In the examples below, you can use or omit “that.”

• The students hope (that) there isn’t a lot of homework.
• We hope (that) the rain stops soon.
• I hope (that) my friends are there tomorrow.

When you spend time or money, you use it on something.

When you spend something doing something, you use it in that activity. For example, you can spend the weekend cleaning your room.

Examples: spend on

• Eric spends $400 a week on food.
• I need to spend a lot of time on a project this weekend.
• Don’t spend all your money on new clothes. You need money for other things.

Examples: spend (time) doing something

• I spend my evenings watching TV.
• We are going to spend the whole weekend studying for the exam.
• They will spend three days working on the project.

When you thank someone, you express gratitude to someone for doing someone good for you.

You thank people for something.

You can thank people for doing something.

Examples: thank for

• Thank you for the beautiful flowers!
• I thank my mother for dinner every evening.
• I thank my mother for cooking delicious food.
• I can’t forget to thank Pedro for helping me with my homework.

When you wait, you stay in the same place until something happens or someone arrives.

You can wait for someone or something.

You can wait for someone to do something.

You can also wait for something to happen.

Examples: wait for