ENGLISH
REFERENCE

tend to be sth

fixed phr..
B1 Intermediate Oxford

fixed phr.. to usually be a certain way or have a specific quality.

fixed phr.. to be likely to exhibit a particular characteristic or state; used to describe a general trend or habitual condition.


SIMPLE

The winters here tend to be very cold and snowy.

CONTEXTUAL

New employees tend to be a bit nervous during their first week at the office.

COMPLEX

While the results vary, the data suggests that these chemical reactions tend to be more stable at lower temperatures.

Usage

followed by an adjective or a noun phrase to describe a general pattern.

Teaching tip

use this to teach hedging and generalization; it is a softer, more accurate alternative to saying 'is' or 'are' for things that aren't always true.

Pitfall

It tends being hot in July.It tends to be hot in July.the verb 'tend' must be followed by the infinitive 'to be', not the gerund '-ing' form.

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