Gone vs. Been

Many learners confuse the sentences with past participles of be and go:been and gone.

- She has gone to Brazil last week.
- She has been to Brazil last week.

The difference between the two sentences lies in the fact that the first sentence indicates that she is now in Brazil and has not yet returned, the second one implies that her trip to Brazil is finished and she is now back.

particularly vs. In particular

particularly and in particular are both almost the same in meaning ,but there are some shadow of differences in meaning and usage which I try to clear up here :

1- Particularly is applied to mean To a distinctly or an unusually greater extent or degree than is common ,more than other things:

In this sense the adverb like"especially" comes with adjectives,too:

- I like all her novels,but her latest is particularly good.
- She's particularly fussy about her shoes.
- A particularly dry summer.
- I particularly like his red car.

"In particular" is not used to modify adjectives, adverbs or verbs.So ,in the above sentences the idiom can not be substituted for"particularly".

2-It is used to mean specifically or specially distinguished from others,or with particular reference and emphasis:

- Iran produces good quality carpets,particularly in Kashan.
- I often do absent-minded things,particularly when I'm worried.

In this use ,Particularly can be used with when or if.

- It's often difficult to find a safe place to go jogging ,particularly if you live in a big city.
- It was hard for children ,particularly when they were ill.

2-In particular is an expression which means Specifically or especially distinguished from others :

- I enjoyed the exhibition. In particular, I liked the impressionist paintings. or .... I liked the impressionist paintings in particular. or I enjoyed the exhibition, and in particular, I liked the impressionist paintings. or I enjoyed the exhibition, and in particular, the impressionist paintings.

As you saw I the sentences,"in particular" is usually separated by a comma in a sentence.

Notice that "in particular" unlike "particularly" can crop up at the beginning of the sentence:

- In particular,(not particularly) She was upset about the bad interdepartmental communication.

Particularly can appear in initial position of a supportive clause,see No.2.
In Particular is used to mean special or specific,in this case, "anything,something,nothing,no one in particular"are commonly heard:

- Peter was lying on the sofa doing nothing in particular.
- Is there anything in particular you’d like for dinner?
- She directed the question at no one in particular.
- Are you looking for anything in particular?

3- If you want to use "in particular" in a sentence with an adjective ,it comes before the verb "to be":

- The situation in Sudan in particular is (particularly) worrying.
- The whole meal was good but the fish in particular was (particularly) excellent.

Especially vs. Specially

What's difference between especially and specially ?

This is one of the the most frequently asked questions among the ESL learners which even sometimes get some natives confused .So,I decided to write the article to clarify the issue for readers.

Especially

1-Especially is used for emphasis ,meaning in particular and above all:

-She likes all of her pets ,especially the cats.
-He is very good at many sports,especially swimming and golf.
-Food was spoiled especially meat.

2-Especially comes in front of adjectives to mean in particular:

-He is especially adept at diving.
-I am especially concerned about your health.
-I'm feeling especially tired tonight because I had so much work to do.

3- Sometimes especially comes with if , when ,as or since ,the case is not usual with specially:

-I am going to work really hard on my project, especially since I failed my test last week.
-You should constantly drink water while hiking, especially when food is scarce.
-We should keep warm ,especially if we want to go on climbing in the cold weather.
-She wanted to go to the mountains ,especially as the weather was beginning to improve.

Specially

1- "Specially" is used in front of past participles to mean for a particular purpose:

-This kind of car is specially designed for the handicapped.
-These houses are specially built for the homeless.
-She has a chair that was specially made for her.

So,the uses such as specially selected,specially constructed,specially written,specially created,specially trained and etc. are commonly used.especially,whereas, is not common with this form of verb.

2- It's used to mean "specifically" or "uniquely" or "only;In this use, it's usually associated with "for":

-My father bought the bike specially for me.
-My mother baked the cake specially for me.
-They have to learn French specially for the job.

3- Specially is usually uncommon with in ,at,

On the verge of vs. About to

Is there really any difference between about to and on the verge of ?

This is the kind of question which if you ask natives you maybe sometimes get different answers.
Everybody has their own opinion and instinct according to his experiences in facing and using the expressions.I think this is probably because these two idioms have a wide usage in both written and spoken English that hardly may everyone take notice it.
What follows is a summary of different point of views on the distinction and the usage of the two idioms .
As a non speaker of English ,however,I think the article may not be free from any
mistakes and I would appreciate it if you inform me by your comments.
Both expressions mean very close to happening ,but there are some shadow of differences between them:

1-On the verge of is commonly found in literary and formal language and suggests a dramatic or momentous concept:

-I'm on the verge of a nervous breakdown /suicide/getting married
-The country is on the verge of a revolution /a big breakthrough/ a social upheaval

About to is neutral and mostly turns up in slang ,colloquial ,informal and nearly formal contexts which include either important or unimportant circumstances.
In addition to that it can replace with on the verge of in the above examples,it would be used in occasions which signify an unimportant and trivial step:

-I'm about to call my mother .
-Paul is about to having lunch.
-My mother is about to go to sleep.
-She's about to leave the house.
-My father is about to switch off the lights.

In the above contexts "about to" is preferred over "on the verge of" because they don't convey momentous circumstances.

2-The other distinction is that the sentences with "on the verge of " are thought to sound as though you're being pushed to do something by your surroundings or something in the situation while "about to" tends more towards focuses on the "next step OR the next thing you are going to do:

-I am on the verge of leaving the house= I have to leave the house for example because I must go to the work.
-I am about to leave the house= I will leave very soon.

3- Some people believe that the former one is found in negative contexts and used when you are getting close to doing something unwillingly:

-The country is on the verge of a crisis.
-He is on the verge of a serious illness.
-They are on the verge of fighting.

4-"About to" tends more towards focuses on the "next step OR the next thing you are going to do;whereas "on the verge of" tends towards "significance".

-I'm about to go into town, do you want me to bring you anything?"
-I'm about to eat dinner, can I call you back later.

In brief," about to" has a wider usage than" on the verge of "and it can turn up nearly in all contexts ,whereas the latter is found in dramatic ,formal,literary contexts.