Englishfor English speakers
initial
Adjective
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(span style="color:green"usually before the noun/span) The initial period, stages, etc. come near the beginning.
They send most workers to the US after an initial training period of three months.
With these cars, the initial cost is high, but you save money in the long run.
My initial reaction when I saw the bear was to run and hide.
initial
Noun
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An initial is the first letter of a name.
He found a bag with the initials D.B.R.
His name is Daniel Jr., His initial is D.J.
initial
Verb
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If you initial something, you write the first letter of each of your names on it (or sometimes just your first and last name).
Can you initial this form here, please?
a
Determinative
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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
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A is the first letter of the alphabet.
The letter "a" comes before "b".
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In some schools, an A is a very high grade.
Ron got an A on his earth science test.
contract
Noun
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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
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If something contracts, it gets smaller.
As the wood dries out, it contracts.
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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.
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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.