marry and divorce 1    get married/divorced When there is no object, get married and get divorced are more common than marry and divorce in an informal style. Lulu and Joe got married last week. {Lulu and Joe married... is more formal.) When are you going to get married? The Robinsons are getting divorced. In a more formal style, marry and divorce are preferred. Although she had many lovers, she never married. After three very unhappy years they divorced. 2    no preposition before object Before a direct object, marry and divorce are used without prepositions. She married a builder, (not She married with a builder^) Will you marry me? Andrew's going to divorce Carola. 3    get/be married to We can also use get/be married to with an object. She got married to her childhood sweetheart. I've been married to you for sixteen years and I still don't understand you. mind Mind can mean 'dislike', 'be annoyed by', 'object to'. We use mind mostly in questions and negative clauses. I don't mindyou coming in late if you don't wake me up. 'Do you mind the smell of tobacco?' 'Not at all.' Would you mind...? and Do you mind...? are often used to ask people to dc things, or to ask for permission. We can use -ing forms or if-clauses. Would/Do you mind... ing? Would/Do you mind opening the window? (= Please open...) Would/Do you mind my opening the window? (= Can I open...?) Would/Do you mind if...? Would you mind if I opened the window? Do you mind if I smoke? To ask general questions about people's feelings, we can use Do you mind...? but not usually Would you mind...? Do you mind people smoking in your house? Do you mind if people smoke in your house? (but not Would you mind people smoking in your house?)                     > miss 1   'fail to contact', 'be late for' Miss often expresses the idea of failing to contact somebody/something, or being late for somebody / something. She threw a plate at me, but missed. How could he miss an easy goal like that? If you don't hurry we'll miss the train, (not .. .4ose the train?) You've just missed her - she went home five minutes ago. The station's about five minutes' walk, straight ahead. You can't miss it. An -ing form can be used after miss. I got in too late and missed seeing the news on TV. 2   'be sorry to be without' We can use miss to say that we are sorry because we are no longer with somebody, or no longer have something. Will you miss me when I'm away? He doesn't like going to the country - he misses the noise and the bright lights. An-ing form is possible.                                -> I miss living in the mountains. Note that regret is not used in the same way. Compare: I'll always miss being with you. (= I'll always be sorry I'm not with you any more.) I'll always regret being with you. (= I'll always be sorry I was with you.) 3   'notice the absence of Another meaning of miss is 'notice that somebody/ something is not there'. The child ran away yesterday morning, but nobody missed her till lunchtime.  4    miss not used Miss is not used simply to say that somebody has not got something. In some of the villages they haven't got electricity. (not .. .-they miss eleetrieiiyS) In a formal style, the verb or noun lack can be used to express this idea. ... they lack electricity. lam sorry that lack of time prevents me from replying at greater length to your enquiry. 5    missing Missing is often used as an adjective, meaning 'lost'. When did you realise that the money was missing? The missing children were found at their aunt's house. We can use missing after a noun. This often happens in clauses beginning with there is. There's a page missing from this book. In an informal style, a structure with have... missing is also possible. We've got some plates missing-do you think Alan's borrowed them? He had several teeth missing. near (to) The adjective near can be used like a preposition, with or without to. To is not normally used when we are talking about physical closeness. We live near the station. When we are not talking about physical closeness, near to is often preferred.  / came very near to hitting him. Nearer and nearest are generally used with to, though to can be dropped in an informal style. Come and sit nearer (to) me.       Who's the girl sitting nearest (to) the door? nearest and next 1    place and time Nearest is used for place - it means 'most near in space'. Excuse me. Where's the nearest tube station? {nor ... the next tube station.) If you want to find Alan, just look in the nearest pub. Next is used to talk about time or series - it means 'nearest in the future' or 'after this/that one'. We get off at the next station. (= the station that we will come to first.) I'm looking forward to her next visit. As soon as he had finished one trip, he started planning the next. 2    exceptions: next used for place We use next in a few fixed expressions to mean 'nearest in space'. The most common are next door and next to. My girl-friend lives next door.       Come and sit next to me. need When need is followed by another verb, it can have the forms either of an ordinary verb or (in British English) of a modal auxiliary verb. 1    ordinary verb Need most often has the same forms as ordinary verbs: the third person singular has -s, and questions and negatives are made with do. Need is usually followed by an infinitive with to. Everybody needs to rest sometimes. Do we need to reserve seats on the train? 2    modal auxiliary verb In British English, need can also have the same present-tense forms as modal auxiliary verbs: the third person singular has no -s, and questions and negatives are made without do. In this case, need is normally followed by an infinitive without to. We needn't reserve seats - there'll be plenty of room. These modal forms are used mainly in negative sentences, but they are also possible in questions, after if, and in other 'non-assertive' structures. You needn't fill in a form.       Need I fill in a form? I wonder if I need fill in a form.        This is the only form you need fill in.  (but not You need fill in a form.) Modal forms of need normally refer to immediate necessity. They are often used to ask for or give permission - usually permission not to do something. Modal verb forms are not used to talk about habitual, general necessity. Compare: /It's OK- You needn't pay for that phone call.  (or ... You don't need to pay for that phone call.) You don't need to pay for emergency calls in most countries. (not You needn't pay ...in most countries.) Modal forms of need are rare in American English. 3    talking about the future Present tense forms of need are used when making decisions about the future. Need I come in tomorrow? Tell her she doesn't need to work tonight. Will need to... can be used to talk about future obligation, and give advice for the future. It can make orders and instructions sound less direct.   We'll need to repair the roof next year. You'll need to start work soon if you want to pass your exams. You'll need to fill in this form before you see the Inspector. 4    need...ing After need an -ing form can be used in British English, with the same meaning as a passive infinitive. That sofa needs cleaning again. {=... needs to be cleaned...) A