When do we say concentrated and when do we say concentrating? People concentrate when they focus and give all their thought and attention to something. But concentrated is different. Fruit drinks are concentrated.

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Concentrated and Concentrating video script

Now I want you to look carefully at this. July’s figures were up on….Excuse me. Could you please concentrate on these figures?
Sorry.
Sorry.

They’re digging up our street. It’s hard to concentrate with all the noise.

To concentrate – to give all your thought and attention to something.

Jay, you’ve got work to do. Were you asleep?
No, I wasn’t sleeping. I was thinking.
With your eyes shut?
Well, it helps me concentrate.

So concentrating is about being focused. We sometimes use it in the passive to talk about things coming together in large numbers or quantities.

There will be light showers to the west, but we can expect most of the rain to be concentrated in the north east.

Concentrate is a regular verb, but be careful because ‘concentrated’ is also an adjective.

This is limeade. It’s like lemonade but it’s made from limes. And, erm, I’m going to try it. Oh, it’s very concentrated. I need to add water. That’s better.

Remember that. If you want to tell someone you’re focussing your mind, tell them you’re concentrating. Don’t tell them you’re concentrated. That’s for fruit drinks.

We need a concentrated effort. One, two, three….

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