Be apt to en anglais : grammaire anglaise / définition
Approfondissez votre maîtrise de Be apt to : définition et utilisation. Améliorez votre grammaire anglaise grâce à Gymglish.
Testez votre anglais
Test gratuit et sans engagement
4,7 sur App Store, Play Store et Trustpilot.
Plus de 8 000 000 apprenants dans le monde.
Be apt to
Be apt to peut exprimer une tendance que l'on regrette :
Bob is apt to lose his concentration if we make too much noise. Bob a tendance à perdre sa concentration, si on fait trop de bruit.
She's apt to be nervous when she's around people she doesn't know. Il lui arrive d'être nerveuse quand elle est avec des gens qu'elle ne connaît pas.
Remarque : Be apt to a un sens proche de be liable to, plus courant.
Be apt to est également utilisé pour exprimer ce qui a des chances d'arriver ou ce qui risque de se produire.
We are apt to lose the contract if we don't correct this mistake quickly. Nous serions capable de perdre le contrat si nous ne corrigeons pas cette erreur rapidement.
These plants are apt to die if they are not watered regularly. Il y a des chances que ces plantes meurent si elles ne sont pas arrosées régulièrement.
Exercice 1
Bob: I going to the bar after work. Would you like to join me?
Horatio: Well, I become an alcoholic at this rate, but sure, it sounds great!
Horatio: Well, I become an alcoholic at this rate, but sure, it sounds great!
Bob: I feel like 1 going to the bar after work. Would you like to join me?
Horatio: Well, I am apt to 2 become an alcoholic at this rate, but sure, it sounds great!
Horatio: Well, I am apt to 2 become an alcoholic at this rate, but sure, it sounds great!
1 feel like: Because Bob is simply expressing a desire to go to the bar, we use 'feel like' here. 'Feel like' is always followed by a verb in the ING form (a gerund). Example: I feel like DOING something crazy tonight.
1 am going to: We cannot use 'am going to' followed by a verb in the -ING form (going).
1 am apt to: We cannot use 'am apt to' followed by a verb in the -ING form (going).
2 am apt to: We use 'apt to' here to show that there is a strong possibility that Horatio will become an alcoholic. 'To be apt (to do something)' is to be 'likely' or 'probable' to do something. Example: She is apt to change her mind about the wedding; don't count on anything!
2 feel like: We cannot use 'feel like' followed by a verb in the infinitive form (become).
2 am going to be: We cannot use 'am going to be' followed by a verb in the infinitive form (become). However, we could say: 'I am going to be leaving for the bar momentarily'.
Exercice 2
Icarus: Horatio go crazy if he breathes any more of those noxious chemicals.
Philip: And I think I taking my leave of this thrilling conversation. Have a fine day, Ick, my man.
Philip: And I think I taking my leave of this thrilling conversation. Have a fine day, Ick, my man.
Icarus: Horatio is apt to 1 go crazy if he breathes any more of those noxious chemicals.
Philip: And I think I am going to be 2 taking my leave of this thrilling conversation. Have a fine day, Ick, my man.
Philip: And I think I am going to be 2 taking my leave of this thrilling conversation. Have a fine day, Ick, my man.
1 is apt to: We use 'is apt to' here to show that it is possible or likely that Horatio will become insane from breathing the dangerous chemicals.
1 is nearly: We cannot use 'is nearly' here because it cannot precede 'go' in this construction. We could say, however: 'Horatio is nearly crazy from breathing those chemicals'.
1 is going to be: We cannot use 'is going to be' here because it must be used before the -ING (gerund) form of the verb.
2 am going to be: We use 'am going to be' here because of the verb 'taking'. It is the best choice here.
2 am nearly to: 'Am nearly to' is not a valid grammatical construction.
2 am apt to: We cannot use 'am apt to' here because the verb 'taking' is in the -ING (gerund) form.
Exercice 3
Choose the appropriate meaning for each phrase. Be careful! Each answer is used only once:
'Harold is liable to lose his temper' =
'Harold is bound to lose his temper' =
'Harold is apt to lose his temper' =
'Harold is liable to lose his temper' =
'Harold is bound to lose his temper' =
'Harold is apt to lose his temper' =
Choose the appropriate meaning for each phrase. Be careful! Each answer is used only once:
'Harold is liable to lose his temper' = There is a strong chance that Harold will lose his temper 1
'Harold is bound to lose his temper' = It is inevitable that Harold will lose his temper 2
'Harold is apt to lose his temper' = Harold has a tendency to lose his temper 3
'Harold is liable to lose his temper' = There is a strong chance that Harold will lose his temper 1
'Harold is bound to lose his temper' = It is inevitable that Harold will lose his temper 2
'Harold is apt to lose his temper' = Harold has a tendency to lose his temper 3
1 There is a strong chance that Harold will lose his temper: This is correct. The construction 'be liable to...' expresses that there is a risk or strong chance that an action will occur. There is frequently a clause in this type of construction which details the cause or reason for a risk. For example: 'Harold is liable to lose his temper IF the poor sales continue'.
1 It is inevitable that Harold will lose his temper: This is incorrect. The 'be liable to' construction doesn't express inevitability, but rather risk or strong chance.
1 Harold has a tendency to lose his temper: This is incorrect. The 'be liable to' construction does not express tendency or habitual actions.
2 It is inevitable that Harold will lose his temper: This is the correct choice. The 'be bound to' construction expresses inevitability, or the certainty that an action or event will occur. In this case, we are saying that it is sure that Harold will lose his temper.
2 Harold has a tendency to lose his temper: This is incorrect. The 'be bound to' construction does not express that someone has a tendency to do something, but rather that it is inevitable.
2 There is a strong chance that Harold will lose his temper: This is incorrect. The 'be bound to' construction does not express that someone there is a strong chance or risk of an action occurring, it actually expresses inevitability or certainty.
3 Harold has a tendency to lose his temper: This is the correct choice. The 'be apt to' construction expresses that an action is habitual or that there is a tendency associated with the action. In this case, Harold has a tendency to lose his temper (frequently or habitually).
3 There is a strong chance that Harold will lose his temper: This is incorrect. The 'be apt to' construction does not express chance or risk that an action will occur, but rather that there is a tendency or habit associated with the particular action.
3 It is inevitable that Harold will lose his temper: This is incorrect. The 'be apt to' construction does not express that an action is inevitable, but rather that an action is habitual.
Exercice 4
Determine if the following sentences are correct or incorrect.
Luna is apt a bit silly around the holidays. -->
I am apt to change my mind about the meeting. I'll let you know. -->
Are you apt to going to school today? -->
Luna is apt a bit silly around the holidays. -->
I am apt to change my mind about the meeting. I'll let you know. -->
Are you apt to going to school today? -->
Determine if the following sentences are correct or incorrect.
Luna is apt a bit silly around the holidays. --> Incorrect 1
I am apt to change my mind about the meeting. I'll let you know. --> Correct 2
Are you apt to going to school today? --> Incorrect 3
Luna is apt a bit silly around the holidays. --> Incorrect 1
I am apt to change my mind about the meeting. I'll let you know. --> Correct 2
Are you apt to going to school today? --> Incorrect 3
1 Incorrect: This sentence is incorrect. The construction 'to be apt (to do something)' expresses that something is 'likely' or 'imminent' or 'probable', however it requires the verb 'to be'. The correct sentence should read 'Luna is apt TO BE a bit silly around the holidays'.
1 Correct: This sentence is not correct.
2 Correct: This sentence is correct. 'To be apt (to change one's mind)' means to be likely to change one's opinion about a decision. The construction is formed like this: 'to be' + apt + verb in the full infinitive form. Example: She is apt to fly to Brussels this summer.
2 Incorrect: This sentence is not incorrect.
3 Incorrect: This sentence is incorrect. The construction 'to be apt' must be followed by a verb in the full infinitive form. The correct sentence should read: Are you apt TO GO to school today?
3 Correct: This sentence is not correct.
Exercice 5
“When working on an important document, don’t fail to save your work regularly.”
Which of the following phrases could replace the expression "don’t fail to save your work", and express the SAME meaning? There may be more than one correct answer!
Which of the following phrases could replace the expression "don’t fail to save your work", and express the SAME meaning? There may be more than one correct answer!
“When working on an important document, don’t fail to save your work regularly.”
Which of the following phrases could replace the expression "don’t fail to save your work", and express the SAME meaning? There may be more than one correct answer!
Which of the following phrases could replace the expression "don’t fail to save your work", and express the SAME meaning? There may be more than one correct answer!
"Don't fail to…" and "Make sure to…" have the same meaning. They are both instructions to take an important action in the future. Another example: "Make sure to treat all your colleagues with respect, regardless of race or gender".
If someone is "apt to" do something, then they have a bad habit of doing something. This expression is not appropriate in this context, and it is generally not used in the imperative (to give an instruction). An example: "I am apt to forget to check the oven after I put food in to cook".
If someone is "good at" something, then they are skilled, talented or very capable of doing something. This expression is not appropriate in this context, and it is generally not used in the imperative (to give an instruction). For example: "My daughter is very good at finding worms in the garden. I think she might have been a bird in a past life".
"Don't fail to…" and "Be sure you…" have the same meaning. They are both instructions to take an important action in the future. Another example: "Be sure you learn all your students' names by heart".
Vous souhaitez découvrir d'autres modules de grammaire anglaise à l'image de Be apt to ?
Apprenez l'anglais en testant Gymglish, notre cours d'anglais gratuit.
Ils parlent de nous :
Maintenant que vous savez utiliser Be apt to, pourquoi ne pas explorer nos autres fiches de grammaire anglaise ?
Pour
approfondir vos connaissances et améliorer votre niveau, essayez nos cours d'anglais en ligne Gymglish. Test gratuit et sans engagement.
