Language

Active causative have + person + bare infinitive: We had the technician check the robot. Get + person + to-infinitive: We got the technician to check it. Passive causative have/get + object + past participle: We had the robot checked. The person who arranges the action need not do it. Do not confuse had it repaired with had repaired it (past perfect).

Adverbial clauses of manner describe how: Follow the procedure as the editor explained. As if/as though introduce an appearance or comparison, not necessarily a fact. Result clauses use so + adjective/adverb + that, or such + noun phrase + that: The headline was so misleading that readers misunderstood; It was such a clear report that everyone followed. Keep result distinct from purpose (so that).

Condition clauses include if, unless (= if not), provided/providing that and as long as. Unless already contains negation: Unless we act means If we do not act. Comparison clauses use as...as or than with a comparative: The restored bank is more stable than it was. Check that comparisons use a comparable baseline. A condition is not a guaranteed outcome.

Pair and pear /per/; right and write /raɪt/; know and no /noʊ/. The same sound can have different spelling and meaning. Read: Write the right instruction; check the pair of labels. Distinguish meaning from context, not from pronunciation alone. Homophone pairs may depend on accent; these selected pairs are standard in common British and American accents.

In non-rhotic British speech, written final r can link before a vowel: far away /fɑːr‿əweɪ/, share information /ʃeər‿ɪnfəmeɪʃən/. In rhotic American speech, /r/ is already pronounced; no special inserted sound is needed. Practise both declared accent patterns. Do not require an American speaker to drop /r/ before a consonant or insert /r/ in words without it.

In connected speech, ten boys may be realised with /n/ becoming /m/ before /b/: /tem bɔɪz/. Green park may similarly have an /m/-like place before /p/. Careful /n/ is also acceptable. Read: Ten boys visited the green park. Assimilation is optional and context-sensitive; do not change spelling or force it in slow, careful speech.