Englishfor English speakers
competence
Noun
—
To have competence means to be able or suitable for a general role.
—
In law, the legal authority to deal with a matter.
That question is outwith the competence of this court and must be taken to a higher court.
of
Preposition
—
Made using.
It is a house of cards.
the
Determiner
—
Used, instead of a, to reference something specific, already known to exist.
Compare "I read a book." and "I read the book."
—
Used with a stress, to show that the word following is special.
Are you the John Smith that I went to school with?
—
Used with an adjective that acts like a noun to mean all of the people concerned
The poor are always with us.
—
Used with superlatives forms of adjectives and adverbs.
You are the best.
institution
Noun
—
A custom or practice of a society or community.
The institution of marriage is present in many cultures but its details vary widely across them.
—
An institution is a large group of people who work together for a specific purpose. Examples include hospitals, universities, and banks.
Banks, insurance companies and other financial institutions are already offering internet services.