Practice · Dr. Bashir

1 Corrections

How you said it, the natural version, and why. These are your own sentences.

How you said it

As I explained to you last meeting.

The natural version

As I explained in our last meeting.

You need a preposition + "our": in / at our last meeting.

How you said it

My patient was deceased yesterday.

The natural version

My patient passed away yesterday.

For the event of dying, say passed away or died. Deceased is a formal adjective — "the deceased patient," "the deceased."

How you said it

If they independent on themselves, they will grow.

The natural version

If they depend on themselves, they will grow.

depend is the verb (depend on something). Independent is an adjective — "they are independent."

How you said it

I went for checking the land.

The natural version

I went to check the land.

For a purpose (why you do something), use to + verb — "to check," not "for checking."

How you said it

You must look for this type of lands.

The natural version

You must look for this type of land.

Land (ground / property) has no plural — it's always land.

How you said it

We must buy some land that are low-priced now, and after many years it will be a high price.

The natural version

We must buy some land that is cheap now — in a few years, it will be worth a lot.

Land is uncountable, so it takes is (not "are"). Something *is worth* a high price — it can't *"be a high price."*

1b Already right

These needed no correction at all.

He is one of my closest friends.

Correct and natural — nice use of the superlative closest.

2 Grammar tips

Word forms: verb / noun / adjective

Many words do more than one job. The article or the sentence tells you which.

close the door (verb) / a close friend (adj); use it (verb) / its use (noun).

Stative verbs

Some verbs describe a state, not an action (know, own, depend, believe) and usually take no -ing.

I own the land. (not "I am owning")

Depend on / be independent

depend is a verb — depend on someone. independent is an adjective — be independent.

The children depend on their father, but they want to be independent.

Purpose: to + verb

To give the reason for an action, use to + base verb.

I drove out at 9:30 to see the land.

Uncountable nouns: land, money, wealth

These have no plural and take a singular verb (is). No "a" and no "-s."

This land is cheap; that type of land is expensive.

Buy vs pay for

You buy something; you pay for something, or pay an amount.

I bought a car. → I paid for the car. → I paid $10,000.

Advise / allow someone to do

Use advise + someone + to + verb.

I advise you to buy a piece of land.

3 New words and phrases

4 Pronunciation

·agriculturalag-rih-KUL-cher-ulFive syllables; stress on KUL.
·bury / burialBER-ee / BER-ee-ul"Bury" sounds exactly like berry — not "burry."
·guaranteegair-un-TEEStress the last syllable, TEE; the "u" after g is silent.

Practise these sounds

5 Practice sentences

01Dr. Ahmad advised me to buy some agricultural land while it is still low-priced.
02The best investment in Syria right now is to buy land and hold it for many years.
03I can spare this amount of money without any problem.
04Worst-case scenario, I lose a small amount — but the land will probably be worth a lot later.
05I think this employee has hit his ceiling; I can't promote him anymore.
06We have mutual trust, so I gave him a three-year guarantee.
07Sadly, my patient passed away yesterday, and I have to go to the funeral at 7 PM.
08They buried him in a quiet cemetery near his village.
09I want my children to depend on themselves and build generational wealth.
10Most problems between close brothers come from their wives, and one of them is always jealous.
11You buy a phone, but you pay for a car — I paid $10,000 for mine.
12Removing the warranty seal will void the guarantee.

6 Model sentences

Read these out loud three times.

If you have some money, the best investment right now is to buy land.
We must buy this land while it is cheap, because in a few years it will be worth a lot.
I advise you to buy a piece of agricultural land, for your own good.
I can spare $10,000, and worst-case scenario, I only lose a small amount.
This employee has hit his ceiling — I can't promote him any higher.
We have mutual trust, so a one-year guarantee is enough for me.
My patient passed away, and the burial will be at the cemetery this afternoon.
I want my children to be independent and to depend on themselves, not on their inheritance.

7 Mini-dialogue

A
You look stressed today — is everything okay?
B
Just some managerial problems. But Dr. Ahmad advised me to buy some land.
A
Land? Is that a good investment?
B
The best one right now. It's low-priced today, but in a few years it will be worth a lot.
A
How much do you need?
B
I can spare about $10,000. Worst-case scenario, I lose a small amount.
A
That sounds safe enough. Are you buying it for the children?
B
Exactly — it's generational wealth. I want them to depend on themselves one day.

Read A, say B's line yourself, then check.

8 Homework

Writing: Write 6 sentences about a land or property investment, using buy land, spare, worst-case scenario, and generational wealth.
Word forms: For close, use, and seal, write one sentence with the verb and one with the noun or adjective (6 sentences total).
Speaking: Say these words out loud three times each and record yourself — ceiling, cemetery, bury, mutual, guarantee.
Grammar: Write 3 sentences with buy (something) and 3 sentences with pay for (something).
Vocabulary: Write the difference between roof, rooftop, and ceiling, with one example sentence for each.
Fun: Try to solve the riddle from today, then explain the answer in English in 2 or 3 sentences.

9 Self-check

The most useful idea today was the land investment — buy while it's low-priced, and worst-case scenario I only lose a little. I can now explain this plan to my family in English.

I keep forgetting that land and money are uncountable — I said "this type of lands." Now I know it's always land (no plural, with is). I also learned that I buy a phone but pay for a car.

One thing I want to practice more: the word forms like close, use, and seal that change between verb and noun. And I'd like another riddle next time — it really made me think in English!