Everyday Grammar TV: Grammar and the Economy - Inflation

FP: Hi John! You know, people around the world are concerned about inflation. JR: You’re right! We should explore how people talk about inflation in everyday situations. Inflation FP: Inflation is a noun. It means an increase in the price of goods and services. JR: This means that inflation reduces the purchasing power of money that is saved or earned from work. FP: Inflation’s meaning of "enlargement of prices" was first recorded in 1838 in American English. JR:We also have a verb form: inflate. FP:We often, but do not always, use “inflate” with a direct object. JR: For example, you might read something like this: “Economists worry that supply chain issues could inflate prices.” FP: The plural noun “prices” is the object of the verb “inflate.” JR: In some cases, we use “inflate” without a direct object. For example, you might read something like this: Experts worry that supply chain disruptions could cause prices to inflate. FP: So, we have inflation, the noun, and inflate, the verb. But if we compare how common they are, we arrive at a clear finding: the noun “inflation” is much more commonly used. JR: As a result, it’s probably better to use the noun form in everyday situations. But knowing about the verb form can help you – especially if you study economics or finance. FP: And that’s Everyday Grammar TV. --------- Learning English is Voice of America’s multimedia source of news and information for millions of English learners worldwide. We help you build vocabulary, strengthen your speaking skills and improve your ability to communicate for work, school and everyday life. EXPLORE OUR PLAYLISTS: » Learning English Podcast: /playlist/PLd9hCvj34W5hZxGsu5etKF6bZ9w4Ap2hl » Let's Learn English with Anna! (For children 8-12) /playlist/PLd9hCvj34W5gfXecA2uPRsKv9q5L5nQng&si=-gF1wuzIxhLQUwFQ » Let's Learn English Level 1 /playlist/PLd9hCvj34W5it4a-RMzhlwNJ-edf5HU3Q&si=aVUuvvUsDPe41jBp » Let's Learn English Level 2 /playlist/PLd9hCvj34W5hWkRym8sljiEvEBJ1JGIu5&si=3jEjCFfVRNfMbJ3j » VISIT OUR WEBSITE: https://learningenglish.voanews.com » LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/voalearningenglish » FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/voalearningenglish/ » FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: https://www.twitter.com/voalearnenglish » SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PODCAST ON ITUNES: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/voa-special-english-tv/id419005656 Voice of America (VOA) is the largest U.S. international broadcaster, providing news and information in more than 40 languages to an estimated weekly audience of 326 million people.

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