How to use

1473 expressions

to conclude

What Does "to conclude" Mean? Grammatical function: It primarily serves two roles: as a discourse marker (transition) to signal the end of a speech or text, and as an infinitive verb phrase expressin...

to cut a long story short

What Does "to cut a long story short" Mean? The idiom "to cut a long story short" means to summarize a lengthy or complicated narrative, omitting details and getting straight to the main point. It's a...

to function as

What Does "to function as" Mean? Meaning of the collocation or phrasal verb "To function as" means to perform the role or purpose of something else; to operate or act in a specified capacity. It desc...

to get the hang of

What Does "to get the hang of" Mean? The idiomatic meaning of "to get the hang of" is to learn how to do something, especially something that is not immediately obvious or easy. It signifies acquirin...

to illustrate this

What Does "to illustrate this" Mean? Grammatical function: It serves as a transitional phrase indicating that an example or instance will follow to clarify or support a previous statement. It signals...

to make a long story short

What Does "to make a long story short" Mean? Grammatical function: This is a discourse marker or idiomatic connective used for summarization. It indicates that the speaker is omitting unnecessary det...

to make matters worse

What Does "to make matters worse" Mean? Grammatical function: This expression serves as a multiword connective or adverbial phrase. Its primary function is addition with emphasis, specifically used t...

to serve as

What Does "to serve as" Mean? The collocation "to serve as" means to function or be used in a particular role or capacity. It indicates the purpose or function of something or someone. The meaning i...

to some extent

What Does "to some extent" Mean? What it expresses: The phrase "to some extent" is an adverbial expression of degree. it is used to indicate that something is partly true, but not completely. It sugg...

to start with

What Does "to start with" Mean? Grammatical function: "To start with" primarily functions as an organizing connective or a discourse marker. It is used to introduce the first point in a list, establi...

to sum up

What Does "to sum up" Mean? Grammatical function: This expression serves as a concluding connective or a discourse marker. It expresses the logical relationship of summary or synthesis, signaling tha...

to that end

What Does "to that end" Mean? Grammatical function: to that end expresses a consequence or purpose. It indicates that what follows is done in order to achieve a previously mentioned goal. Typical se...

to the best of my knowledge

What Does "to the best of my knowledge" Mean? It expresses a degree of certainty, indicating that the speaker believes something to be true based on their current understanding, but acknowledging the...

to the extent that

What Does "to the extent that" Mean? What it expresses: degree, frequency, manner, time, extent, approximation, etc. What part of the sentence it typically modifies (verb, adjective, whole clause) ...

to this extent

What Does "to this extent" Mean? "To this extent" is an adverbial expression that signifies a specific degree, limit, or scope that has been previously mentioned or is implied in the context. It indic...

to whom it may concern

What Does "to whom it may concern" Mean? Pragmatic function: greeting Literal vs. conventional meaning: The literal meaning addresses whoever might be responsible or interested. Conventionally, it s...

today I am having a day off

What Does "today I am having a day off" Mean? Meaning of the collocation or phrasal verb The expression "today I am having a day off" signifies that an individual is taking a break from their regular...

today I am not working

What Does "today I am not working" Mean? It expresses time, specifically indicating that the speaker is taking the current day off from their usual work. It modifies the entire clause, indicating th...

today I am off

What Does "today I am off" Mean? The expression "today I am off" means that you are not working or attending school on that particular day. It indicates a day of rest, vacation, or absence from regula...

today I am on holiday

What Does "today I am on holiday" Mean? It expresses time, specifically the present day. It modifies the verb 'am', describing the state of being on holiday today. Register: neutral How to Use It ...