The New Year is a wonderful time not only to spend time with our nearest and dearest and indulge in the pleasures of haute cuisine, but also to reflect on our aspirations and achievements, past and present. In many ways, the New Year gives us a unique chance to have a fresh start in those areas in which we need improvements, hence the importance of New Year’s Resolutions.
New Year’s Rsolutions can affect different areas of our lives, most notably those related to health (quit bad habits, do more exercise), education (take up a training course, improve skills in a different language), finance (make small investments, save more money) or social life (see family and friends more often, volunteer for a good cause). In any case, it is most recommendable to set realistic goals and keep the number of resolutions relatively low if we want to have any chances to succeed, otherwise we risk spreading ourselves too thin, ending up in frustration and self-pity.
Ambitious or not, if we want to make a list of New Year’s Resolutions in English, we will need to observe certain grammar rules, as well us revise our use of modal verbs, quite important in this context. Let’s start with them. Depending on how self-demanding we are, we will use the following
- will: it shows a high degree of determination. This year, I will definitely give up smoking
- must: this one is ideal for self-imposed obligations. This year, I must see my parents more often.
- should: it implies obligation but also recommendation. This year, I should go to the gym twice a week.
- ought to: very similar to should. This year, I ought to study English more
One of the most used tenses for New Year’s Resolutions is the future form be going to:
- This year, I’m going to start to learn Italian
- From January on, I’m going to eat only healthy food
As we have already seen, the use of adverbs is essential when outlining our resolutions:
- In 2019, I’m going to study harder
- Next year, I promise I will drive more carefully
Gerunds and infinitives are very important as well. Remember that most verbs can be followed by infinitives but certain verbs and prepositions will be followed by gerunds
- I’ve decided to give up junk food
- I’m going to stop eating so much chocolate
- I will consider having less salt in my food
- I’m thinking about going on a diet
Always keep this in mind when deciding on future resolutions. In any case, we sincerely wish you have a wonderful time and, whatever you decide for 2019, remember to keep your feet on the ground.
Happy New Year to all!
For more English tips, take a look to the posts below 😉 «Sigue aprendiendo inglés uniéndote a nuestra comunidad. Recibirás todas las semanas artículos de interés, lecciones, audios, ejercicios y mucho más ;)» «Sigue aprendiendo inglés uniéndote a nuestra comunidad. Recibirás todas las semanas artículos de interés, lecciones, audios, ejercicios y mucho más ;)»
