ENGLISH
REFERENCE

the bad things about sth

fixed phr..
A1 Beginner Oxford

fixed phr.. The negative parts or disadvantages of a situation, person, or thing.

fixed phr.. A formulaic noun phrase used to introduce the negative aspects, drawbacks, or disadvantages of a topic. It is a common, low-level chunk for framing criticism.


SIMPLE

What are the bad things about this city?

CONTEXTUAL

The bad things about my job are the long hours and the low pay.

COMPLEX

While acknowledging its convenience, he wrote an essay on the bad things about social media, focusing on its psychological impact.

Usage

This phrase is often used in questions or to introduce a list of disadvantages.

Teaching tip

Teach this as a pair with 'the good things about sth' for basic comparison and contrast exercises, leading into words like 'pros and cons'.

Pitfall

What are the bads about this city?What are the bad things about this city?'Bad' is an adjective; you need the noun 'things' to talk about the negative aspects.

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