Showing posts with label Vocabulary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vocabulary. Show all posts
If you have a pet cat or dog, this is an essential lesson. Even if you don't have a pet, you can watch this to learn about the vocabulary we use to talk about the parts and actions of these two common animals. You'll learn words like whiskers, paws, prowling, and many more!
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Today, I'm going to teach you both the formal and the informal ways of welcoming visitors. The first conversation is all about how to welcome someone to your house in a friendly way and the second conversation takes place in the formal setting of welcoming a business associate to your company.
Conversation 1 : Welcoming a friend at home (Informal and Friendly)
| Lydia | Oh, hi Allison. Come in. It's really nice to see you. |
| Allison | Lovely to see you too. You're looking great. |
| Lydia | Thanks. So are you. Let me take your coat. |
| Allison | OK. Here you go. |
| Lydia | Come through to the living room, and make yourself at home. I'll tell Tyler you are here. What can I get you to drink ? |
| Allison | I don't mind really, as long as it's hot. What have you got ? |
| Lydia | I've made some fresh tea, but you can also have coffee or hot chocolate. |
| Allison | Tea will be lovely, thanks. |
| Lydia | How do you take your tea ? |
| Allison | Tiny bit of milk, no sugar, please. |
| Lydia | Here we go, your tea and some home-made cookies. |
| Allison | Oh! my favourites, thanks. |
| Lydia | You're welcome. How was your trip ? |
| Allison | I hit some traffic on the motorway, but quite smooth overall. |
| Lydia | Excellent. How's your mum ? |
| Allison | She's very well. She sends her love. |
| Lydia | It's a shame she couldn't be here today. |
| Allison | It is. She's have loved to see you both, but she had an appointment she couldn't get out of. |
| Lydia | Well, next time I hope. Lunch will be ready soon. We thought we could go for a walk around town afterwards. You haven't really seen much of town, have you ? |
| Allison | No, I haven't. That'd be great. |
| Lydia | I can hear Tyler coming down now. He'll keep you company while I serve lunch. |
| Allison | Great. It smells wonderful ! |
Conversation 2 : Welcoming someone at the office (Formal and Business Like)
| Lydia | Good morning, Ms Aniston. Do come in. Welcome. It's nice to see you again. |
| Pheobe | And you, I've been very much looking forward to this visit. |
| Lydia | So have we. May I take your coat ? |
| Pheobe | Certainly. Here you are. |
| Lydia | Please have a seat, and make yourself comfortable. I'll tell Mr Kligman you are here. Would you like something to drink ? |
| Pheobe | Yes, I wouldn't mind a hot drink, if at all possible. |
| Lydia | Of course. We have tea, coffee and hot chocolate. What would you prefer ? |
| Pheobe | Coffee would be great, thank you. |
| Lydia | How would you like your coffee ? |
| Pheobe | A drop of milk and one sugar, please. |
| Lydia | Here you are. Please help yourself to the cookies. |
| Pheobe | They look delicious, thank you. |
| Lydia | You're welcome. did you have any trouble finding the way ? |
| Pheobe | No, the directions you sent me were very clear, and there was hardly any traffic on the road. |
| Lydia | Excellent. How's Mr Smith ? |
| Pheobe | He's very well. He sends his regards. |
| Lydia | It's a pity he couldn't join us today. |
| Pheobe | Indeed. He would have really liked to come, but unfortunately he wasn't able to rearrange his schedule. |
| Lydia | Well, I certainly hope he can join us on your next visit. As for today's schedule, we thought we could have lunch first and then show you around the company. How does that sound to you ? |
| Pheobe | Very good. I'd really like to see you design centre. |
| Lydia | Certainly. Well, I think that's Mr Kligman coming now. I'll leave you in his good hands while I make the lunch arrangements. |
| Pheobe | Splendid. Thank you very much. |
Writing example
Friends
The friends have arrived at Frank's flat and have gone into the dinning room. The table is set for dinner, music is playing, and there are delicious smells coming from the kitchen.
Wendy's been on a winter holiday to the Maldives. She describes to her friends the hotel where she stayed and two weeks of perfect weather. Libby and Neil have just moved house. Libby talks about the people who have taken over their old flat and who seem rather snobbish. To the clink of spoons around soup plates, they start talking about the sounds that people have to get used to in a new home. As Frank refills the glasses, the conversation flows. The wine is helping our friends to express themselves, but it is also causing them to mix up their colours. There's lots of laughter now, as the friends tell stories about their Christmas holidays. Sarah is talking about her two-year-old granddaughter, Tilly, who recently bumped her head when she fell off the bed on which she had been playing. The friends start remembering their childhood experiences.
Wendy : we used to spend hours skipping with an old rope or hoping around, pretending to have only one leg.
Frank : On hot summer days, I can remember us kids racing round the garden sprinkler naked. Mark : Yes, and climbing trees and clambering over fences, crawling through hedges and swinging from branches. Libby : There was an old house near us. We used to get into te garden and creep around on tiptoe, and then dash away screaming when we heard a noise. Neil : Well, anyway, in a few years, we'll all be limping with a stick, or shuffling around some old people's house. Sarah : Speak of yourself! I can recommend bouncing on the bed with your grandchildren. It really keeps you young.
Frank brings in a big bowl of chocolate mousse. It was delicious.
Everyone has enjoyed the evening. Frank and Mark are clearing up, and the others are on their way home. |
Learning Points
Good, bad, quiet, wet, hot, cold .. Do your powers of description stop here? Whether you want to talk about your last holiday or your future plans, tell a joke or write your own story in English, you need the right words and phrases to describe people, places, experiences and many other things:
- Setting the scene : Mmm! something smells good!
- The weather : The weather was lovely. It was gorgeous-glorious!
- Looks : Well, he looks a bit wild.
- The noises things make : We've got these old floors everywhere now, and they creak terribly.
- Colours : I went as red as a beetroot. It was so embarrassing!
- The sounds humans make : That film was so terrible, we were screamingat the television set.
- Movement : She fell flat on her face, poor thing!
- Age : How time flies! My parents are coming up to retirement.
- Size and quantity : An enormous portion of chocolate mousse for me, please.
- Material metaphors : Well, there was certainly lots of juicy gossip!
- Setting the scene : Mmm! something smells good!
- The weather : The weather was lovely. It was gorgeous-glorious!
- Looks : Well, he looks a bit wild.
- The noises things make : We've got these old floors everywhere now, and they creak terribly.
- Colours : I went as red as a beetroot. It was so embarrassing!
- The sounds humans make : That film was so terrible, we were screamingat the television set.
- Movement : She fell flat on her face, poor thing!
- Age : How time flies! My parents are coming up to retirement.
- Size and quantity : An enormous portion of chocolate mousse for me, please.
- Material metaphors : Well, there was certainly lots of juicy gossip!
You should not concentrate all your resources and prospects in one single thing. If you do, you risk all your efforts on one opportunity.
This negative imperative "Don't put all your eggs in one basket" is an idiomatic expression that has the concept of diversification ( a financial term that means the act of mixing a wide variety of investment within a portfolio).
In business world, investing all your money into one project is a stupid behaviour actually and the clever businessman is the one who spread the risk and put his eggs into several baskets.
Let's see some examples :
- My boss is a very careful businesswoman. She never puts all of her eggs in one basket.
- All you care about is your math courses and you totally forget about other subjects. "Don't put all your eggs in one basket boy !
Learning Points
New Words :
- French onion soup : onion soup based on beef broth, served with cheese and croutons.
- order : sell, supply goods.
- recommend : advise, suggest.
- suggest : propose.
- roast : cooked over an open fire, grilled.
 risotto |  roast lamb |  shrimp |
 salad |  soup |  wine |
French onion soup
Grammar Review :
- Question word
"what would you like to start with?"
To ask for information, begin with a question word. The rest of the sentence has the same structure as a yes/no question. When asking for additional information about a noun, place the noun after the question word. The rest of the sentence is like a yes/no question.
| Question word | Asking for ... |
| Who | a person, subject of the verb |
| Whom | a person, object of the verb |
| Whose | a person, the owner of the subject of teh verb |
| Which | a person or thing, one of a few choices for the subject |
| What | a person or thing, to refine the subject of the verb |
| What kind of | an adjective, to describe the subject of the verb |
| Where | a place |
| When | a time |
| Why | a reason |
| How | a way or manner of doing something |
| How many | a number |
examples :
- Who is that boy?
- Whom did she see?
- Whose money is on the table?
- What is on sale today?
- Which movie do you want to see?
- What kind of food do you want?
- Where did you go?
- When will he finally get married?
- Why did they leave so soon?
- How did you lose your hat?
- How many friends do you have?
- The three Rs
The best strategies to handle unfamiliar vocabulary rest on the three Rs: review, repeat, remember.
Think about the words again and again. This will help to move them from your short-term memory to your long-term memory. It is similar to your relationships with people. Imagine meeting someone for the first time. If you see the person a short time later, you'll probably recognize him or her. If you wait weeks, or months, you may not. But if you get together regularly,
you may become friends. You learn all sorts of things about them. It's the same when you "meet" new words. You have to stay in regular contact to get to know them well. Look at them daily at first, then perhaps every week, then monthly.
Talking picture
Examples
- He's been in a strop since he knew about what hapend to his girlfriend.
- She's in a strop because they wouldn't let her have Friday off.
- Our French teacher is always in a strop.
- Mom, you've got in a real strop today.
If you are stuck in a rut, you are in a situation that has become boring
,
unproductive, uninspired and weighed down, but that is too difficult for you to change.
people can also use in a rut without "stuck" where it's impossible to make progress.
people can also use in a rut without "stuck" where it's impossible to make progress.
Let's see other examples :
- I feel I'm stuck in a rut, both at work and at home.
- after 5 years working in this company I feel I'mstuck in a rut.
- At thirty my career was in a rut, so I had to change it.
- after 5 years working in this company I feel I'mstuck in a rut.
- At thirty my career was in a rut, so I had to change it.
Learning Points
New Words :
- pull up : pause, stop.
- book : reserve.
- deposit : partial payment.
- glitch : an unexpected malfunction, a hitch.
- upgrade : raise something to a higher level, improve.
- no extra charge : no more money to pay.
- wireless internet : a connection that allows access to the internet over airwaves.
- amenities : things that make you satisfied and comfortable.
 travel agent |
 Jacuzzis |
 wireless internet |
front desk
Grammar Review :
- Word building (Prefixes)
Many long words are actually made of shorter words joined together.
Longer words are made of parts called : prefixes + base words + suffixes.
The prefixes, often give a new word the opposite meaning.
Common prefixes include : il, im, in, ir, ex, dis, re, con, un, pre, auto, bi, tri, mal, mis, trans, centi, be, .... examples :
- illegal.
- impatient.
- invisible.
- irresponsible.
- disappointment.
- interaction.
- research.
- unhappy.
- misunderstanding.
- preview.
- ex-girlfriend.
- becalm.
- transnational.
- Subject-Verb agreement
With a single subject (one word), the rule is simple : match the verb to the subject, whatever it's singular or plural.
Compound subjects are more complicated : If the subjects (singular or plural) are joined by and, the verb is plural. Unless the parts refer to the same thing or work as a unit or the compound subject is preceded by each or every.
examples :
- The oil needs to be changed.
- The tires need to be rotated.
- The president and his cabinet members are on vacation.
- Macaroni and cheese is my speciality.
- Every boy and girl loves to read my books.
- Asking for help / Offering help / Responding to help request
- Could you ... (for me)?
- Would you please ...?
- Would you mind Verb+ing ...?
- Could you possibly ...?
- Do you have a minute?
- Can you spare a few minutes ...?
- Could you do me a favor?
- Could I ask you a favor?
- Can I ask you to ...?
- I need some help ...
- Could I use your help?
Offering help
- May I help you?
- What can I do for you?
- Let me know if you need help with ...
- If you need any help, just ...
- Feel free to ...
- Would you like some help?
Responding to help request
- Ok! No problem.
- Sure, I'd be glad to.
- Sorry, I'm (kind of) busy now.
- I'm sorry. I don't have time right now
At the airport
Listen
Listen carefully and make sure you understand the context of the conversation. At the airport |
|---|
Tapescript
Listen again and read the tapescript to check any new vocabulary you would like to learn.Learning Points
New Words :
- check-in : registration the arrival of a passenger.
- window seat : a seat next to the window in a plane.
- boarding pass : a pass that allows you to board a plane.
- take off : leave, depart.
- valuables : precious things.
 suitcase |
 luggage |
 boarding pass |
 security gate |
 luggage inspector |
 luggage belt |
 security inspector |
 passport control |
 ticket |
United Kingdom (map)
Passport of United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland (example)
Grammar Review :
- Question sentences
"Are you flying together?"
"How much luggage have you got?"
"How much luggage have you got?"
Question sentences ask for information. They end with a question mark.
examples :
- Is the boy still growing?
- Will it rain today?
- Do you have a smaller shirt?
- Will it rain today?
- Do you have a smaller shirt?
- Directive sentences
"Come on! take your suitcase and follow me."
"put all your valuables in the basket."
"put all your valuables in the basket."
Directive sentences give commands or make requests. They may also be exclamations. If so, they will end with an exclamation mark.
examples :
- Don't drip on the carpet.
- Get a smaller shirt.
- Stop showing off!
- Get a smaller shirt.
- Stop showing off!
- Sequencing
"First we need to check in"
"Next we're going through passport control"
"Next we're going through passport control"
We use words like : to begin with, firstly, first at all, secondally, next, later, then, lastly, to finish up, finally ... to organize our sentences in a logical order of events. We call them connectors of sequence.
examples :
- First of all you have to read the recipe. Next you have to buy the ingredients. Then you should preheat the oven. While the oven is preheating, mix the ingredients together and put them in a pan. After that, let the cake bake for 20 minutes. Lastly, take the cake out the oven and ice it.
- First check the flight number. Then go to the check-in desk. Next go through passport control. After that, check your gate number. Then you can do the shopping in the dutyfree shops. After that, go to the departure lounge and wait for your flight. Finally, board the plane.
- First check the flight number. Then go to the check-in desk. Next go through passport control. After that, check your gate number. Then you can do the shopping in the dutyfree shops. After that, go to the departure lounge and wait for your flight. Finally, board the plane.
Describing people - good
When we like somebody we want to say nice things about them. When another person asks 'What's she like?', it's useful to have some positive adjectives to describe them
.
Describing people - bad
Unfortunately there are some people who we don't like. When somebody asks 'What's he like?' it is useful to have some negative adjectives to describe why you don
Colours
You probably already know the colours of the rainbow; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Here are some other colour names the pe
ople use in the UK.
At the bank
When we go to the bank in England, there are some special words and phrases that we need to understand and be ready to use. These ten phrases are the most important expressions that we use.
Asking for information
Sometimes you want to ask English people for information. In English it is not very polite to start a conversation with a direct question.
Asking for approval
Sometimes we are not sure if it's a good idea to do something. So we need useful expressions for asking if other people agree with an idea or intended action. Here are ten phrases.
When you bite off more than you can chew, you take on more work, responsibility or problems than you can handle.
"I think we’re biting off more than we can chewwith this acquisition". The speaker here is expressing fear that buying the other company will turn out to be more than her company can manage.
Let's see other examples :
- I guess we bit off more than we can chew bydealing with the new strategy.
- She has two jobs now. I assume she's bitten off more than she can chew.
We can't talk about the expressions as mad as a Hatter without mentioning Lewis Carol and The Hatter, one of his main characters from the chapter 7 of Alice's adventures in Wonderland when Alice became a guest at a mad Tea-Party with the Hatter and the March Hare.
The original meaning of the expression was vague and unclear. But, generally, it has been known for years now that a mad Hatter represents a person who is always angry and sharply crazy.
Let's see some examples :
- Poor Samantha ! She is always as mad as a hatter.
- Oh my God ! This noise makes me as mad as a Hatter. It is too much intolerable.
