IDIOMS AND PHRASES

Definition: The common phrase 'idioms and phrases' refers to commonly used
groups of words in English. These idioms and phrases are used in specific
situations and often used in an idiomatic, rather than a figurative sense.
Idioms are often full sentences. Phrases, however, are usually made up of a
few words and are used as a grammatical unit in a sentence. Here are some
examples of common idioms and phrases.

It's raining cats and dogs (idiom)

at the top of (prepositional phrase)

chairman of the board (noun phrase)

by the end of the day (adverbial phrase)

Pronunciation: ˈɪdiəm ænd freɪz

PHRASE

Definition: A group of two or more words that functions as a unit. Phrases are
sequences of words that make up a grammatical construction. They generally
do not contain a finite verb and are therefore not used as clauses. There are a
number of different types of phrases such as noun phrases (a red book),
prepositional phrases (in order to), adverbial phrases (very quickly).

In general, phrases are groups of words that are remembered as a group.

Phrases may be used in a literal manner or in an idiomatic manner.

Pronunciation: freɪz
Also Known As: expression, idiom, locution
Examples:
It's important to learn common phrases in English, as well as individual
vocabulary items.

Uses of the Verb To Have

The verb to have is used in a number of different ways in English. Here are
the main uses of the verb to have for reference, self-study and in-class use.

To Have - Main Verb

To have is used as a main verb to indicate possession of objects,

characteristics, relationships or other qualities.
Examples:

He has three books by Hemingway.

Jane has a sister in France.
Frank has a lot of free time these days.

Have Got

Have got is also used, especially in British English, to indicate possession of

objects, characteristics, relationships or other qualities.

Examples:

He's got some friends in Wales.

He's got red hair and freckles.
Alice has got three cousins.

To Have - Main Verb

To have is also used as a main verb to express a number of actions including:

have a bath, wash, shower, etc.

have breakfast, lunch, dinner
have fun
have time available
have questions
have a party
have a walk, hike, ride, etc.
have a discussion, fight, argument etc.

Examples:

Erica is having a bath at the moment.

We're going to have a party next week.
She usually has breakfast at seven o'clock.

To Have - Auxiliary Verb

Have is also used as an auxiliary verb in the perfect tenses. Remember that
the auxiliary verb takes the conjugation in English, so the verb have will
change depending on the tense. Here is a quick review of the tenses that use
have as an auxiliary verb:

Present Perfect: He has been to Georgia twice.

Present Perfect Continuous: They have been waiting for over an hour.

Past Perfect: He had already eaten when she arrived.

Past Perfect Continuous: Jane had been working for two hours when he
telephoned.

Future Perfect: They will have been gone for four hours by two o'clock.

Future Perfect Continuous: Max will have been playing the piano for two
hours by the time he finishes.

To Have To Do - Modal Form

To have to do something expresses the idea that an action or routine is

required of someone. We use to have to do something to speak about our
responsibilities in life. This form can have the same meaning as 'must', but is
generally preferred when speaking about responsibilities. 'Must' is generally
used to speak about strong personal obligation (For example: I must talk to
Peter. It's important!) Will have to do something is used to speak about future
obligations, and had to do something is used to speak about past obligations.
The negative form don't / didn't have to do something refers to an action
which is not required of someone, but possible nonetheless. 'Mustn't', on the
other hand, refers to something that is prohibited.

Present Examples:

Doug has to get up early every day.

They have to work hard on Saturdays.
She doesn't have to go to work on Saturdays. (It's possible, but not
necessary)

Past Examples:
They had to leave early to catch the flight.
Jennifer had to explain the situation to Peter.
I didn't have to go to the meeting in Dallas. (I could have gone, but it wasn't
necessary)

Future Examples:

He will have to get up early tomorrow.

Janice will have to decide whether she wants to marry him or not.
They won't have to purchase any additional materials. (They can, but it's not
required.)

To Have Something Happen / Happening - Experiences - Have + object(s)

+ base form of verb / -ing form

This form is used to speak about experiences that have happened, or

experience in general.

Examples:

We have people visit us all the time.

Sherry had her children playing in the garden.

To Have Something Done - Arrangements - Have + object(s) + past

participle

This form is used to speak about something that you arrange to have done for
you. This form is also known as the causative 'have' because it expresses
something which someone else causes to happen.

Examples:

She had them delivered to her home.

We had Jack promoted to director.