English Chunks Explained.

Duration: 30 minutes.

I have taken the initiative to organize around 200 language chunks into separate groups based on their meanings, and I have also provided clear definitions and examples for each of them.

I sincerely hope that these resources will be useful in your journey towards achieving fluency in the English language.

With these tools at your disposal, you can practice using these expressions in context, which will allow you to better understand how to use them effectively in your own speech and writing.

Remember that practice makes perfect, so don’t hesitate to use these chunks as often as you can to help solidify your grasp of the English language.

Best of luck in your language learning journey!

Expressions of Time

Expression	Definition	Example
At the end of the day	Ultimately, when everything is considered	“At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter who was responsible, we need to fix the problem.”
As soon as possible	Quickly, without delay	“Please send me the report as soon as possible.”
At first glance	A quick, initial look or impression	“At first glance, the proposal looks promising, but we need to examine it more closely.”
At the same time	Simultaneously, concurrently	“The team worked on the project at the same time, so they could finish it before the deadline.”
In the meantime	During the time between two events or actions	“The boss was in a meeting, so in the meantime, the employees continued to work on their tasks.”
Once and for all	Permanently, definitively	“We need to solve this problem once and for all so that it doesn’t happen again in the future.”
Once in a while	Occasionally, infrequently	“I like to treat myself to a fancy dinner once in a while.”
On the other side of the coin	Opposite, contrasting viewpoint	“On the one hand, the project is risky, but on the other side of the coin, it could be very profitable.”
Over time	Gradually, slowly	“The company’s profits have grown over time due to their effective marketing strategies.”
For the time being	For the present moment, temporarily	“For the time being, we will have to work from home until the office renovations are completed.”
From the outset	From the beginning	“From the outset, it was clear that the project would require a lot of hard work and dedication.”
At one time	In the past, at a particular point in time	“At one time, this area used to be a bustling shopping district.”
At present	Currently, at this moment	“At present, we are experiencing a shortage of raw materials due to supply chain disruptions.”
At times	Occasionally, from time to time	“At times, it can be challenging to balance work and personal life.”
In recent years	During the past few years	“In recent years, technology has made significant advancements, changing the way we live and work.”
In short supply	Scarce, in limited quantity	“Due to high demand, toilet paper has been in short supply during the pandemic.”
In the long run	Over a long period of time, in the future	“Investing in renewable energy sources will be beneficial in the long run for the environment.”
Until now / up until now	Until this moment, up to the present time	“Until now, we have been successful in achieving our goals, but we need to continue to work hard.”

Addition and Comparison

Expression	Definition	Example
In addition to	Introduces an additional element or fact to what has been stated	In addition to my qualifications, I have extensive work experience
As well as	Along with, in addition to, also	The party was attended by employees as well as their families
As opposed to	Used to contrast or distinguish from something else	I prefer working from home as opposed to going to the office
Not only…but also	Used to introduce two or more elements that are both significant	Not only is he a talented singer, but also a skilled musician
On the contrary	Used to introduce an idea that is the opposite of a previous one	The idea of more taxes on businesses is, on the contrary, flawed
On the one hand	Introduces one side of an argument or situation	On the one hand, the company made record profits last year
On the whole	Overall, in general	On the whole, I think the project was a success
By contrast	Used to introduce a point of difference between two things	The new product is smaller and cheaper by contrast to the old one
By the same token	In the same way, similarly	We should treat our employees well, and by the same token, our customers
In contrast to	Used to compare or show a difference between two things	In contrast to the previous model, the new car has better fuel efficiency
In light of	Taking into account, considering	In light of the recent events, we have decided to increase security measures
In comparison to	Used to compare or show a similarity between two things	The new design is sleeker in comparison to the old one
By and large	Generally speaking, mostly	By and large, people prefer to live in peaceful neighbourhoods
More often than not	Used to describe a situation that occurs frequently	More often than not, she finishes her work before the deadline
Other than	Except for, apart from	Everyone is going to the party, other than John
Such as	Introduces an example or a list of examples	We offer a variety of products such as clothing and accessories
Taking into account	Consideration, taking something into consideration	Taking into account his experience, we offered him the job

Explanation and Clarification

Expression	Definition	Example
by the way	introducing a new topic or adding information	By the way, have you seen the latest movie?
in other words	rephrasing or clarifying what was just said	She’s not very experienced, in other words, she’s still learning.
as a matter of fact	introducing a fact or correcting a misconception	As a matter of fact, I didn’t break the vase, it was already broken.
on the other hand	introducing a contrasting idea or perspective	She wants to travel, but on the other hand, she’s worried about her job.
as far as I’m concerned	expressing one’s opinion or perspective	As far as I’m concerned, the new policy is a good idea.
according to	citing a source or authority	According to the report, the company’s profits have decreased.
all things considered	taking everything into account	All things considered, it’s probably better to postpone the event.
as it turns out	revealing new information or a surprise twist	As it turns out, they were actually long-lost siblings.
needless to say	indicating that something is obvious or goes without saying	Needless to say, we’ll need to prepare for the meeting.
the fact of the matter is	emphasizing a point or making a clear statement	The fact of the matter is, we can’t afford to hire more employees right now.
the thing is	introducing an explanation or clarification	The thing is, we’re not sure how many people will attend the event.
to be honest	indicating honesty or candour	To be honest, I don’t really like this restaurant.
to say the least	indicating that a statement is an understatement	The meeting was chaotic, to say the least.
to sum up	summarizing or concluding a discussion	To sum up, we need to focus on improving customer satisfaction.
when it comes to	introducing a topic or issue	When it comes to marketing, we need to target our audience more effectively.
with regard to	concerning or relating to a particular matter	With regard to the budget, we need to cut costs where we can.
with that in mind	taking something into consideration	With that in mind, let’s focus on our top priorities.
the bottom line is	emphasizing the most important point or conclusion	The bottom line is, we need to increase sales in order to stay competitive.
the way I see it	expressing one’s opinion or perspective	The way I see it, we need to take a more aggressive approach to sales.
to put it another way	rephrasing or clarifying what was just said	He’s not very sociable, to put it another way, he’s a bit of a loner.
to say nothing of	indicating that there are additional points that could be made	The report was inaccurate, to say nothing of the fact that it was late.
with all due respect	indicating a level of politeness or deference	With all due respect, I think you’re mistaken about the figures.

Cause and Effect

Expression	Definition	Example
As a result	Used to show the consequence or outcome of a particular action or event	He ate too much cake and, as a result, he got sick
Instead of	Used to show that something is being replaced or substituted by something else	I went for a walk instead of watching TV
In essence	Used to summarize or give the most important aspect of something	In essence, he’s saying that we need to work harder
Due to	Used to show the cause of something	The match was cancelled due to bad weather
In effect	Used to show that something is having a particular result, whether intended or not	The new regulations are, in effect, making it harder for small businesses to compete
In light of this	Used to introduce information that explains or provides context for a previous statement	In light of this, we need to reconsider our strategy
In lieu of	Used to mean “instead of”	He gave me a day off in lieu of overtime pay

Concession and Condition

Chunk	Definition	Example
even though	despite the fact that; although	Even though it was raining, we went for a walk.
granted that	on the condition that; assuming that	Granted that he finishes the project on time, he’ll get a bonus.
if and when	at an unknown or unspecified time in the future	If and when the time comes, we’ll deal with it then.
if need be	if necessary	We’ll hire more staff if need be.
in any event	regardless of what happens	In any event, we need to be prepared for all scenarios.
in case	as a precautionary measure; if it happens that	I always carry an umbrella in case it rains.
provided that	on the condition that; if	You can borrow my car, provided that you fill the tank before returning it.
regardless of whether	whether or not	Regardless of whether you attend the meeting, the decision will still be made.
seeing that	considering that; given that	Seeing that we’re running out of time, let’s move on to the next topic.
under any circumstances	no matter what happens; in any situation	Under any circumstances, we must remain calm and focused.

Generalization

Phrase	Definition	Example
As a rule	Generally	As a rule, cats don’t like water.
In summary	To sum up	In summary, the project was a success.
After all	Despite everything	After all that has happened, she still forgave him.
All in all	Overall	All in all, it was a good experience.
As a rule of thumb	General guideline	As a rule of thumb, you should drink 8 glasses of water a day.
As luck would have it	By chance	As luck would have it, I ran into my old friend at the store.
As a matter of course	Usual procedure	As a matter of course, we always lock the door at night.
As one might expect	Predictably	As one might expect, he was angry when he found out.
As time goes by	Over time	As time goes by, things change.
As we speak	At this very moment	As we speak, the team is finalizing their presentation.
As you know	As you are aware	As you know, the deadline is tomorrow.
At any rate	Anyway	At any rate, it’s worth a try.
At best	Optimistic view	At best, we may be able to finish the project by the end of the week.
At worst	Pessimistic view	At worst, we may have to start over.
By all means	Definitely	By all means, join us for dinner.
Come to think of it	Upon reflection	Come to think of it, I might have left my phone at the office.
For all intents and purposes	In effect	For all intents and purposes, the project is complete.
From my point of view	In my opinion	From my point of view, he made the wrong decision.
In any case	Regardless	In any case, we need to finish this project.
In most cases	Usually	In most cases, dogs are friendly.
In reality	Actually	In reality, the situation is much worse than we thought.
It goes without saying	Obvious	It goes without saying that we need to be careful.
It stands to reason	Logical	It stands to reason that if we work hard, we will succeed.
Just in case	As a precaution	Just in case it rains, bring an umbrella.
More often than not	Usually	More often than not, people are late for meetings.
On a regular basis	Regularly	On a regular basis, we have team meetings.
On balance	Considering all factors	On balance, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
On condition that	Provided that	We will hire you on condition that you have experience.
One way or another	In any case	One way or another, we will finish this project.
Regardless of	Without considering	Regardless of the consequences, I need to tell the truth.
Save for	Except for	Save for a few minor details, the project is complete.
Sooner or later	Eventually	Sooner or later, we will find a solution.
Such as	For example	There are many pets, such as dogs and cats.
The fact remains	It’s true	The fact remains that he is guilty.
The point is	The main issue is	The point is, we need to find a solution.
To a certain extent	To some degree	To a certain extent, he was right.

Certainty and Emphasis

Expression	Definition	Example
Without a doubt	Used to emphasize that something is certain	“Without a doubt, she is the best candidate.”
Without delay	Quickly and without any delay	“Please send the report without delay.”
Without fail	Always or consistently	“He exercises without fail every morning.”
Without question	Without doubt or uncertainty	“Her qualifications are without question.”
Needless to say	Something that is so obvious that it is not necessary to say it	“Needless to say, the CEO was not happy with the results.”
By any means	Whatever is necessary	“We will achieve our goals by any means necessary.”
By no means	Absolutely not, not at all	“By no means should you reveal the secret.”
It goes without saying	Something that is so obvious that it is not necessary to say it	“It goes without saying that honesty is the best policy.”

Miscellaneous

Chunk	Definition	Example
as long as	provided that	You can come to the party as long as you don’t bring any alcohol.
at least	minimum or least amount	He exercises for at least an hour every day.
for example	giving an instance	I love fruits, for example, apples and bananas.
for instance	giving an instance	There are many things you can do in your free time, for instance, reading a book or going for a walk.
instead of	in place of	I had an apple instead of dessert.
in my humble opinion	expressing an opinion in a modest way	In my humble opinion, the movie was not as good as the book.
in summary	summarizing the main points	In summary, we need to work harder to achieve our goals.
need not	do not need to	You need not worry about the exam, you will do great.
on a daily basis	every day	I check my emails on a daily basis.
on account of	because of	The game was cancelled on account of the bad weather.
on several occasions	several times	I have visited Italy on several occasions.
one way or another	in any case	One way or another, we will find a solution to this problem.
owing to	due to	Owing to the heavy traffic, I arrived late for the meeting.
regardless of	without regard to	Regardless of the weather, we are going camping this weekend.
so be it	accepting a situation	The concert has been cancelled, so be it.

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