Englishfor English speakers
back
Preposition
—
Toward the rear.
He went back behind the stands.
—
To a place again.
I didn't like it, so I sent it back.
He went back to the same house.
They came back again.
back
Noun
—
The back is the rear part of something; it is the part in the other direction from the front.
I went to the back of the house.
—
The back is the rear part of the human body.
He had a scar on his back.
back
Verb
—
If you back something, you support it.
The Republicans backed the bill.
—
If you back up, you move backward.
He put the car in gear and backed right into the garage door.
out
Preposition
—
Something that is out is not in.
Polly opened the door and went out.
—
If something using electricity is out, it is turned off or the electricity is not flowing..
Turn the light out before you leave.
The power's out so nothing's working.
I'm trying to find which light went out.
Oh, no! The fire's gone out again.
—
Something that moves out moves from the inside to a place that is not inside.
He took the pen out of his pocket.
Please, close the door as you go out.
If you walk out that door, you can't come back.
The car stopped and out came two men.
—
far away
We live out in the country.
He's about half an hour out of Toronto.
—
If someone is out, they are not in the place where someone is looking for them.
You can't see the doctor now. He is out.
—
to a number of people
We'll give out the books after everyone has arrived.
—
away
Don't throw that out. I'm still using it.
—
If something is out, you can look at or see it.
the sun is out
the flowers are out
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If something comes out of something, it comes from it.
—
If something is out, it is available for sale.
—
If something is out, it is not in fashion.
—
If someone is out, they are not conscious.
—
If a you are out of something, you had it before but you've used or sold all of it.
—
If mathx/math is made out of mathy/math, mathy/math is the material that mathx/math is made of.
out
Noun
—
If someone is prevented from scoring in baseball, they make an out.
There were two men on base and two outs.
—
A way to escape is an out.
of
Preposition
—
Made using.
It is a house of cards.
a
Determinative
—
A is used when the following word could be any of a certain type.
Compare "A book I saw on the shelf" and "The book I gave you yesterday".
a
Noun
—
A is the first letter of the alphabet.
The letter "a" comes before "b".
—
In some schools, an A is a very high grade.
Ron got an A on his earth science test.
contract
Noun
—
A contract is a legal agreement to trade goods, services and/or property. It's usually written down.
If you would just sign this contract, the car will be yours.
In Japan, most worker’s employment contracts last until the age of sixty.
My father’s employment contract is for forty years.
You must look over the contract before you sign it.
contract
Verb
—
If something contracts, it gets smaller.
As the wood dries out, it contracts.
—
If you contract someone to do a job, you enter into a contract with them.
We've contracted a cleaning company to take care of the office.
When there's too much work, there are a number of small firms to which we will contract it out.
—
If you contract a disease, you become sick with it.
It's hard to understand why people risk contracting sexually transmitted diseases.
He contracted the flu.