Useful Structures

1. Addition (Words meaning ‘and’ or ‘also’)

• In addition, ___.
  👉 In addition, over 100 million children are living on the streets.
• Furthermore, ___.
  👉 The drug has strong side effects. Furthermore, it can be addictive.
• Moreover, ___.
  👉 Ireland’s economy has grown fast. Moreover, inflation has stayed low.
• Not only ___ but also ___.
  👉 The country’s resources consist not only of diamonds but also of oil.
• As well as [Noun/Gerund], ___.
  👉 As well as being an artist, Morris was also a political thinker.
• ___ too.
  👉 Wind energy is cheap. It is good for the environment too.

2. Reason (Words meaning ‘because’)

• Because of [Noun], ___.
  👉 Because of the rain, the streets were flooded.
• Due to [Noun], ___.
  👉 The delay was due to a problem with the ship’s engines.
• Since ___, ___.
  👉 Since it is difficult to predict climate change, we cannot say who will suffer most.
• Thanks to [Noun], ___.
  👉 Thanks to the Internet, people can do all their shopping from home.
• Through [Noun/Gerund], ___.
  👉 She succeeded through her own efforts.
• In view of [Noun], ___.
  👉 In view of his age, the court decided he should be released.
• Out of [Feeling/Quality], ___.
  👉 He started reading the book out of curiosity.

3. Contrast (Words meaning ‘but’ or ‘although’)

• Although ___, ___.
  👉 Although you are in the city, you feel as if you are in the countryside.
• However, ___.
  👉 He began as a mathematician. However, his main achievements were in physics.
• Nevertheless, ___.
  👉 Studies suggest a link to violence. Nevertheless, the results are controversial.
• Whereas ___, ___.
  👉 In most of the world they drive on the right, whereas in the UK they drive on the left.
• Despite [Noun/Gerund], ___.
  👉 Despite his lack of formal education, he became a leading mathematician.
• Yet ___.
  👉 Last summer there was a drought, yet some people were still watering their gardens.
• By contrast, ___.
  👉 Women made up 26% of victims. By contrast, only 3% of victims were male.

4. Condition (Words meaning ‘if’)

• Unless ___, ___.
  👉 Unless something is done quickly, developing countries will fall behind.
• Provided that ___, ___.
  👉 Diets are healthy, provided that you get enough vitamins.
• As long as ___, ___.
  👉 As long as the economy grows, people will support the government.
• Whether or not ___, ___.
  👉 Patients got better whether or not they received treatment.
• Otherwise, ___.
  👉 The committee needs to act quickly, otherwise there could be a problem.
• In case of [Noun], ___.
  👉 It is best to keep a medical kit ready in case of emergency.
• In the event of [Noun], ___.
  👉 People should take cover in the event of an earthquake.

5. Purpose (Words meaning ‘in order to’)

• In order to [Verb], ___.
  👉 In order to prove his theory, he carried out experiments.
• To [Verb], ___.
  👉 To make sure the job was done properly, he appointed three ministers.
• So that [Subject + Verb], ___.
  👉 Workers need new skills so that they can keep up with technology.
• For [Noun], ___.
  👉 She went into hospital for a checkup.
• With the aim of [Gerund], ___.
  👉 The dam was built with the aim of providing drinking water.
• With a view to [Gerund], ___.
  👉 Rice was modified with a view to commercial planting.

6. Choice (Words meaning ‘or’)

• Alternatively, ___.
  👉 You can go to the mountains. Alternatively, you can stroll around the city.
• On the one hand… on the other hand ___.
  👉 On the one hand, the internet provides information; on the other, it contains unsuitable material.
• Either [A] or [B].
  👉 There is very little difference either in size or colour.

7. Result (Words meaning ‘therefore’)

• Therefore, ___.
  👉 The writing system has thousands of characters. Therefore, it takes a long time to learn.
• Thus, ___.
  👉 The dinosaurs died out quickly. Thus, a catastrophic event seems likely.
• Hence, ___.
  👉 This material is poisonous, hence the importance of careful handling.
• Consequently, ___.
  👉 The flower does not open and, consequently, no seeds are produced.
• As a result, ___.
  👉 Economic growth slowed down as a result of inflation.
• So, ___.
  👉 They had not eaten all day, so they were very hungry.
• For this reason, ___.
  👉 She was not good at ball games. For this reason, she did not care for sport.

1. Advantages (formal to semi-formal) 

• The great advantage of ___ is that ___ 
  👉 The great advantage of online shopping is that it saves time. 
• The advantage of ___ is that ___ 
  👉 The advantage of walking is that it’s free. 
• One of the big advantages of ___ is that ___ 
  👉 One of the big advantages of solar power is that it’s renewable. 
• ___ has the advantage of ___ 
  👉 This phone has the advantage of being lightweight. 
• ___ gives ___ a distinct advantage over ___ 
  👉 Experience gives older workers a distinct advantage over younger ones. 
• Despite ___, ___’s advantages outweigh its disadvantages 
  👉 Despite the high price, the car’s advantages outweigh its disadvantages. 

2. Benefits (formal, academic, everyday) 

• ___ has many benefits, including ___ 
  👉 Exercise has many benefits, including reducing stress. 
• ___ has brought great benefits to ___ 
  👉 Modern medicine has brought great benefits to society. 
• There has been a great deal of research into the potential benefits of ___ 
  👉 There has been a great deal of research into the potential benefits of AI. 

3. Merits (formal) 

• The merits and demerits of ___ were (widely) discussed (in/by ___) 
  👉 The merits and demerits of remote work were widely discussed in the media. 

4. Good/Bad Points & Things (informal, spoken) 

• One of the good points about ___ is that ___ 
  👉 One of the good points about the movie is that it’s funny. 
• Each ___ has its good and bad points 
  👉 Each job has its good and bad points. 
• The great thing about ___ is that ___ 
  👉 The great thing about living in a city is that shops are always open. 
• The best thing about ___ was ___ 
  👉 The best thing about the trip was the food. 

1. Disadvantages (formal/academic) 

• The main disadvantage of ___ is ___ 
  👉 The main disadvantage of online shopping is that you can’t try things on. 
• ___ have/has (number) disadvantages: (firstly ___, secondly ___) 
  👉 These batteries have two disadvantages: firstly, they are expensive; secondly, they don’t last long. 
• A major disadvantage of ___ is that ___ 
  👉 A major disadvantage of big cities is that they are often crowded. 

2. Drawbacks (semi-formal) 

• The major drawback of ___ is that ___ 
  👉 The major drawback of this method is that it takes too much time. 
• ___’s main drawback is that ___ 
  👉 Aluminium’s main drawback is that it cools very quickly. 
• The only drawback is ___ 
  👉 The only drawback is the weather—it can change very fast. 
•  

3. Good and Bad Points (informal/spoken) 

• There are good points and bad points about ___ 
  👉 There are good points and bad points about working from home. 
• For all its bad points, ___ is still ___ 
  👉 For all its bad points, social media is still very useful. 

1. Agree (verb-based) 

• Many people agreed with ___’s views about ___ 
  👉 Many people agreed with her views about climate change. 
• I (completely/strongly) agree with ___ when he/she says (that) ___ 
  👉 I completely agree with my teacher when she says that practice is essential. 
• Most experts agree that ___ 
  👉 Most experts agree that exercise improves mental health. 

2. Share (verb-based, concerns/views/feelings) 

• I share ___’s concerns about ___ 
  👉 I share my parents’ concerns about online safety. 
• A lot of people share ___’s view that ___ 
  👉 A lot of people share his view that technology changes society too quickly. 
• This (feeling/fear/idea) was shared by ___, who ___ 
  👉 This fear was shared by students, who worried about the exam. 

3. Validity & correctness 

• ___ was right when he/she argued that ___ 
  👉 Darwin was right when he argued that species evolve over time. 
• ___ makes a valid point when he/she ___ 
  👉 She makes a valid point when she says we should save more money. 

4. Partial agreement 

• Although I agree with ___ up to a point, I ___ 
  👉 Although I agree with him up to a point, I think he ignores other factors. 
• ___ broadly agreed with ___ 
  👉 The committee broadly agreed with the new proposal. 
• There is some truth in the argument that ___ 
  👉 There is some truth in the argument that social media increases loneliness. 
• There is some truth in ___, but ___ 
  👉 There is some truth in these theories, but none fully explain the problem. 
•  

5. Agreement (noun-based) 

• There is general agreement that ___ 
  👉 There is general agreement that education is important. 
• There is widespread agreement on ___ among ___ 
  👉 There is widespread agreement on climate policy among scientists. 
• ___ are mostly in agreement about ___ 
  👉 Doctors are mostly in agreement about the benefits of vaccines. 
• The two sides were unable to reach agreement (on/about ___) 
  👉 The two sides were unable to reach agreement on the new contract. 
• It is widely accepted that ___ 
  👉 It is widely accepted that smoking causes serious health problems. 

1. AIM Structures 

• The main aim of ___ is to ___ 
  👉 The main aim of this app is to help students practice English. 
• The main aims of ___ are as follows: ___, ___, and ___ 
  👉 The main aims of our trip are as follows: to visit family, to relax, and to explore new places. 
• ___ achieved its/his/her aim of ___ 
  👉 She achieved her aim of becoming a doctor. 
• One of the aims of ___ is to ___ 
  👉 One of the aims of this class is to improve speaking skills. 
• My aim in ___ is to ___ 
  👉 My aim in writing this email is to ask for more details. 
• Our ultimate aim is ___ 
  👉 Our ultimate aim is to buy a house near the beach. 
   

2. PURPOSE Structures 

• The purpose of ___ is to ___ 
  👉 The purpose of the meeting is to decide on the budget. 
• He/She did ___ for the purpose of ___ 
  👉 He joined the gym for the purpose of losing weight. 
• ___ was established for the purpose of ___ 
  👉 The charity was established for the purpose of helping homeless people. 
• ___ will be used for (specific) purposes 
  👉 The money will be used for educational purposes. 
• Many ___ are used for (medical/educational/etc.) purposes 
  👉 Many herbs are used for medical purposes. 

3. Objective (formal, often business/politics/education) 

• The (policy/project/plan) has (number) main objectives: (firstly ___, secondly ___, finally ___) 
  👉 The training program has two main objectives: firstly, to improve skills; secondly, to build teamwork. 
• The principal objective of ___ is to ___ 
  👉 The principal objective of the charity is to help homeless families. 
• ___ is unlikely to achieve its (long-term/short-term) objective of ___ 
  👉 The company is unlikely to achieve its long-term objective of becoming carbon-neutral. 

4. Goal (general, future-oriented, often personal/organizational) 

• ___ achieved his/her/their goal of ___ 
  👉 She achieved her goal of becoming a doctor. 
• The (company’s/organization’s) long-term goal is to ___ 
  👉 The company’s long-term goal is to expand internationally. 
• World leaders set themselves the goal of ___ 
  👉 World leaders set themselves the goal of reducing poverty. 

5. Target (specific, measurable, often with numbers) 

• The (organization) is expected to reach its target of (number) ___ (by/next ___) 
  👉 The school is expected to reach its target of 1,000 students by next year. 
• They failed to meet their target of (number/amount) ___ 
  👉 They failed to meet their target of planting 10,000 trees. 
• He set himself the target of ___ 
  👉 He set himself the target of running 5 km every day. 

✨ Quick distinction: 

• Objective = formal, strategic aim (business, politics, study). 
• Goal = broader, often long-term, personal or organizational dream/hope. 
• Target = specific, measurable, often with numbers, deadlines, or amounts. 

6. Intention 

• The intention of ___ is to ___ 
  👉 The intention of this meeting is to plan the weekend trip. 
• Their intention was to ___, but ___ 
  👉 Their intention was to bake a cake, but they ran out of sugar. 
• She went to ___ with the intention of ___ 
  👉 She went to the bookstore with the intention of buying a new novel. 
• They have no intention of ___ 
  👉 They have no intention of selling their house. 
• It was never my intention to ___ 
  👉 It was never my intention to upset you. 

7. Mission 

• The mission of ___ is to ___ 
  👉 The mission of the Red Cross is to help people in emergencies. 
• Our mission is to ___ 
  👉 Our mission is to finish the project before Friday. 
• The mission of this team is to ___, ___, and ___ 
  👉 The mission of this team is to share ideas, solve problems, and support each other. 
• The students are on a mission to ___ 
  👉 The students are on a mission to clean the beach. 
• He sees it as his mission to ___ 
  👉 He sees it as his mission to make his little sister happy. 

1. AIM Structures 

___ makes ___ (verb1)
👉 Music makes me feel happy.

___ made ___ (verb1)
👉 The rain made the ground wet.

___ makes/made it (adjective) for ___ to ___
👉 The new rule makes it easier for students to apply.

2. Cause (verb)

___ causes ___
👉 Smoking causes cancer.

___ caused ___ to (verb1)
👉 The heavy rain caused the river to flood.

___ is caused by ___
👉 Many illnesses are caused by stress.

___ is a (major/main) cause of ___
👉 Polluted water is a major cause of death among children.

___ was the cause of ___
👉 A faulty wire was the cause of the fire.

3. Lead to / Result in

___ leads to ___
👉 Lack of sleep leads to poor concentration.

___ will eventually lead to ___
👉 Consistent practice will eventually lead to success.

___ can lead to ___
👉 Too much stress can lead to health issues.

___ results in ___
👉 Too much noise results in stress and headaches.

___ is the result of ___
👉 His success is the result of years of hard work.

___ results from ___
👉 These problems result from poor communication.

4. Other Vocabularies

___ is responsible for ___
👉 The teacher is responsible for organizing the class trip.

___ arises from ___
👉 Disagreements often arise from misunderstandings.

___ stems from ___
👉 His anger stems from years of being ignored.

___ is a (major/key) factor in ___
👉 The parent’s support is a major factor in a child’s success.

___ contributes to ___
👉 Regular exercise contributes to good health.

___ describes/traces the origins of ___
👉 The book describes the origins of modern science.

___ is a (major) source of ___
👉 Social media can be a major source of stress.

1. Nouns

🔹 The effect of ___ on ___ is (that) ___

👉 The effect of stress on the body is that it can increase blood pressure.

🔹 The effects of ___ on ___

👉 The effects of pollution on sea life are becoming more serious every year.

🔹 ___ studied/examined/investigated the effects of ___ on ___

👉 She studied the effects of screen time on children’s sleep patterns.

🔹 ___ has (no / little / a strong / a major / a noticeable) effect on ___

👉 At first, the medicine seemed to have no effect on the patient.
👉 This policy has a major effect on small businesses.

🔹 ___ has a (positive/negative) effect on ___

👉 Exercise has a positive effect on mental health.
👉 Too much social media can have a negative effect on self-esteem.

🔹 A side effect of ___ is ___

👉 A side effect of this drug is dizziness.

🔹 The aftereffects of ___ can (last / continue) for ___

👉 The aftereffects of the illness can last for several months.

🔹 Have an impact on/upon ___

👉 Population growth will have a profound impact on food demand.
👉 The new law had a major impact on small companies.

🔹 Make an impact on/upon ___

👉 Her speech made an impact on everyone in the room.

🔹 The influence of ___ on ___

👉 The influence of parents on a child’s education is very strong.

🔹 Have an influence on ___

👉 Social media has a powerful influence on public opinion.

🔹 Examine / discuss / explore the influence of ___ on ___

👉 The book examines the influence of technology on human behavior.

2. Verbs

___ affects ___

👉 The disease affects women more than men.

___ seriously/badly/negatively/positively affects ___

👉 The island was badly affected by last month’s storms.
👉 Smoking seriously affects your health.
👉 Regular exercise positively affects your mood.

___ is (adversely / deeply / strongly) affected by ___

👉 The local economy was adversely affected by the pandemic.
👉 The crops were badly affected by the lack of rain.

___ is good for ___

👉 Bread, especially brown bread, is good for you.

___ is bad for ___

👉 Too much sugar is bad for your teeth.

___ influences ___

👉 Advertising influences the choices consumers make.

There is (no / little / some / convincing) evidence that ___ influences ___

👉 There is no convincing evidence that advertising influences total alcohol sales.

🔹 Face a problem / face problems

___ faces / faced (enormous / serious / major) ___ problems
👉 Britain faced enormous economic and social problems after the war.
👉 The company is facing serious financial problems.

🔹 ___ is a (serious / major / common) problem in/among ___

👉 Classroom discipline is a serious problem in many schools.
👉 Unemployment is a major problem among young people.

🔹 The problem of ___

A ___ was set up to deal with the problem of ___
👉 A special force was set up to deal with the problem of gun crime.
👉 The government created a new program to deal with the problem of homelessness.

🔹 Deal with / solve / tackle / address the problem (of …)

___ is trying to deal with the problem of ___
👉 The city is trying to deal with the problem of traffic congestion.

The sooner ___ is solved, the better.
👉 The sooner this problem is solved, the better.

___ needs to do more to tackle the problem of ___
👉 The US government needs to do more to tackle the problem of global warming.

It is in everyone’s interest to address the problem of ___
👉 It is in everyone’s interest to address the problem of global poverty.

🔹 Fix a problem / technical problem

___ have/has fixed (all) the technical problems (that …)
👉 The engineers say they have fixed all the technical problems that caused the crash.

🔹 The root of the problem lies in ___

The root of ___ lies (in/with) ___
👉 The root of the problem lies in a basic fault in the car’s design.
👉 The root of the problem lies with poor management.

🔹 A problem arises / problems arise

___ can arise when ___
👉 Problems can arise when people defend themselves in court without a lawyer.

🔹 The issue can only be resolved through ___
👉 The issue can only be resolved through negotiation between the two sides.

🔹 ___ is a highly controversial issue in ___
👉 Nuclear power is a highly controversial issue in the UK.

🔹 ___ has managed to overcome ___
👉 The company has managed to overcome its recent financial difficulties.

🔹 ___ ran into difficulty because of ___
👉 The project ran into difficulty because of lack of money.

🔹 ___ have trouble with ___
👉 Students of English often have trouble with phrasal verbs.

🔹 ___ is the biggest obstacle to ___
👉 Criminal gangs are the biggest obstacle to democratic reform.

Solutions:

🔹 ___ have been trying to find a solution to ___
👉 Politicians have been trying to find a solution to the housing crisis for many years now.

🔹 The only answer to ___ is to ___
👉 Some people believe that the only answer to the problem of rising crime is to build more prisons.

🔹 ___ is trying to find a way out of ___
👉 The president’s advisors are trying to find a way out of the crisis.

🔹 The only cure for ___ is to ___
👉 The only cure for unemployment is to make it easier for companies to invest and create new jobs.

🔹 There is no quick fix to ___
👉 There is no quick fix to defeat terrorism.

🔹 There is no magic bullet for ___
👉 There is no magic bullet for dealing with inflation.

🔹 ___ compared to ___
👉 This year’s profits are much higher compared to last year’s.

🔹 ___, compared with ___ in ___
👉 The average male now has a life expectancy of 77.6 years, compared with 75 in 1960.

🔹 ___, as against ___ in ___
👉 The company achieved sales of $404 million, as against $310 million in the previous year.

🔹 Unlike ___, ___
👉 Unlike his brother, he had no interest in music.

🔹 In contrast to ___, ___
👉 In contrast to the south of the island, the north is still untouched by tourism.

🔹 compare ___ with ___
👉 A study by Nottingham University compared the cost of recycling plastic bags with making them from scratch.

🔹 make a comparison between ___ and ___
👉 In her article, she makes a comparison between people’s lives now and 50 years ago.

🔹 contrast ___ and ___
👉 In her novel, she contrasts the lives of two families in very different circumstances.

🔹 make a distinction between ___ and ___
👉 It is important to make a distinction between people’s fears about crime and the real situation.

🔹 ___ increased by ___
👉 Last year, the number of burglaries increased by 15 percent.

🔹 ___ increased from ___ to ___
👉 The percentage of households with a computer increased from 32.9% to 52%.

🔹 ___ is increasing at a rate of ___ each year
👉 The world’s population is increasing at a rate of 91 million people each year.

🔹 ___ increases the risk of ___ by ___ times
👉 Smoking increases the risk of a heart attack by almost ten times.

🔹 There has been a significant increase in ___
👉 There has been a significant increase in the number of people living alone.

🔹 ___ rose by ___
👉 Profits rose by $2 million.

🔹 It represents an increase of ___ percent compared to ___
👉 It represents an increase of 13.4 percent compared to the previous year.

🔹 ___ rose by ___
👉 Fuel prices rose by over 10 percent.

🔹 There was a ___ percent rise in ___
👉 There was a 34 percent rise in the number of armed robberies.

🔹 ___ was raised to ___
👉 The price of a barrel of oil was raised to over $30.

🔹 ___ went up from ___ to ___
👉 Last month unemployment went up from 1.6 million to just over 1.7 million.

🔹 ___ is growing by about ___% a year
👉 The economy is growing by about 2.5% a year.

🔹 ___ has almost doubled / tripled / quadrupled since ___
👉 The number of people dying from cancer has almost doubled since 1950.

🔹 ___ has more than doubled ___
👉 The United States has more than doubled the amount of aid it gives to developing countries.

🔹 ___ boost ___ by ___
👉 Farmers can boost their profits by selling direct to customers.

🔹 ___ wants to extend ___ in ___
👉 The US wants to extend its influence in the region.

🔹 ___ peaked at ___%
👉 Inflation peaked at 25%.

🔹 ___ reached its peak
👉 The number of cases of the disease reached its peak.