if only We can use If only...! to say that we would like things to be different. It means the same as / wish... (see 601), but is more emphatic. The clause with if only often stands alone, without a main clause. We use the same tenses after If only...! as after I wish. a   past to talk about the present If only I knew more people!       If only I was better-looking! We can use were instead of was (see 260.4). This is considered more correct in a formal style. If only I were better looking! b    would + infinitive to refer to the future If only it would stop raining, we could go out. If only somebody would smile! c    past perfect (had + past participle) to refer to the past If only she hadn't told the police, everything would have been all right. ill and sick /// is often used to mean 'unwell' in British English. (In American English ill is unusual except in a formal style.) Ill is most common in predicative position (after a verb). George didn 't come in last week because he was ill. In attributive position (before a noun), many British people prefer to use sick. Sick is also the normal informal American word for 'unwell'. He spent twenty years looking after his sick father. The President is sick. Be sick can mean 'vomit' (= 'bring food up from the stomach'). / was sick three times in the night.       She's never sea-sick. I feel sick. Where's the bathroom? (US also I feel sick to my stomach...) immediately, the moment etc (conjunctions) In British English, immediately and directly can be used as conjunctions, to mean 'as soon as'. Tell me immediately you have any news. I knew something was wrong immediately I arrived. Directly I walked in the door I smelt smoke. The moment (that), the instant (that), the second (that) and the minute (that) can be used in the same way (in both British and American English).  Telephone me the moment (that) you get the results. I loved you the instant (that) I saw you. in case and if 1    precautions In case is mostly used to talk about precautions - things which we do in order to be ready for possible future situations. I always take an umbrella in case it rains. {=... because it might rain.) In clauses which refer to the future, in case is normally followed by a present tense. I've bought a chicken in case your mother stays to lunch. (not ... in case your mother will stay...) 2    in case... should We often use should + infinitive (with a similar meaning to might) after in case. This adds the meaning 'by chance'. I've bought a chicken in case your mother should stay to lunch. This structure is especially common in sentences about the past. / wrote down her address in case I should forget it. The meaning 'by chance' can also be expressed by (should) happen to. We took our swimming things in case we happened to find a pool. (or ... in case we should happen to find a pool.) 3    in case and if In British English, in case and (fare normally used in quite different ways. 'I do A in case B happens' usually means 'I do A first because B might happen later'. A is first. 'I do A if B happens' means 'I do A if B has already happened'. B is first. Compare: -    Let's buy a bottle of wine in case Roger comes. (= Let's buy some wine now because Roger might come later.) Let's buy a bottle of wine if Roger comes. {= We'll wait and see. If Roger comes, then we'll buy the wine. If he doesn't we won't.) -    I'm taking an umbrella in case it rains. I'll open the umbrella if it rains. (not 4^ropcn the umbrella in case it-mmsr) -    People insure their houses in case they catch fire, (not ... if they catch fire.) People telephone the fire brigade if their houses catch fire. (not .. .-telephone... in case their houses catch fire.) In American English, in case can sometimes be used in the same way as if. In case the house burns down, we'll get the insurance money. (GB If...) 4    in case of The prepositional phrase in case of has a wider meaning than the conjunction in case, and can be used in similar situations to if. In case of fire, break glass. (= If there is afire...) in front of, facing and opposite We do not use in front of to mean 'across a road/river/room etc from'. This idea is usually expressed with opposite or facing. (US across from). There's a garage opposite my house, (not ... in front of my house*) She sat facing me across the table, (not .. An front of-me-...) In front of is the opposite of behind. Compare: There's a bus stop in front of the school. (The bus stop is on the same side of the road as the school.) There's a bus stop opposite the school. (The bus stop is on the other side of the road from the school.) indeed 1    very... indeed Indeed is often used after an adjective or adverb, to strengthen the meaning of very. Thank you very much indeed. I was very pleased indeed to hear from you. He was driving very fast indeed. Indeed is unusual in this sense without very, and is not normally used after extremely or quite. (not -He-bms driving fast indeed*) (not jfe was driving quite I extremely fast indeed^ instead (of) 1    preposition: instead of Instead is not used alone as a preposition; we use the two words instead of. Til have tea instead of coffee, please, (not ... instead coffee...) Can you work with Sally instead of me today, please? Instead of is not usually followed by an infinitive. I stayed in bed all day instead of going to work. (not ... instead (of) to go to work.) 2    instead of and without These are sometimes confused. We use instead o/when one person, thing or action replaces another. We use without to say that a person, thing or action is not together with another. Compare: -    Ruth was invited to the reception, but she was ill, so Lou went instead of her. (Lou replaced Ruth.) (not ... Lou went without her.) Max and Jake were invited, but Max was ill, so Jake went without him. (Normally they would have gone together.) -    She often goes swimming instead of going to school. (Swimming replaces school.) (not She often goes swimming without going to school.) She often goes swimming without telling her mother. (Swimming and telling her mother should go together.) (not S