ENGLISH
REFERENCE

as well as sb/sth

fixed phr..
A2 Elementary Oxford

fixed phr.. A phrase that means 'in addition to' or 'and also'. You use it to add another piece of information to what you have already said.

fixed phr.. A multi-word conjunction used to introduce an additional, often secondary, element to a clause. It functions similarly to 'in addition to'.


SIMPLE

She speaks French as well as English.

CONTEXTUAL

The new park has a playground for kids as well as walking trails for adults.

COMPLEX

The policy aims to boost economic growth as well as addressing long-standing social inequalities that have plagued the region for generations.

Usage

When 'as well as' connects two verbs or actions, the second one usually takes the '-ing' form.

Teaching tip

Point out that 'as well as' often implies the second item is less important or just an addition, whereas 'and' treats both items as equal.

Pitfall

He likes swimming as well as to play tennis.He likes swimming as well as playing tennis.When connecting two actions with 'as well as', the second verb usually takes the '-ing' form to match the first.

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