Lesson Audio Download MP3
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/english-vocab-builder-154-trade/
Sunday, 30 December 2018
Saturday, 29 December 2018
Friday, 28 December 2018
Lesson 17: Are You Free on Friday?
Summary Anna tries to plan to see a movie with a friend. But they are both very busy. Will they find a time to get together? What will they do? Speaking English has two ways to show something is happening at a future time. To form the simple future, use will and then the simple form of the verb. You can use will to express a desire to do something. The second form of the simple future is be going to. Use "be + going to" when you already have a plan to do something. Pronunciation There are also two shortened forms of future verbs. In casual conversation, most Americans will change going to to gonna. English speakers often change we will to we’ll. Another shortened form in this lesson is want to shortened to wanna. Conversation Anna: This city is very interesting, I really like my job, and I have some good friends! Speaking of friends … I see one now! Marsha! Hi! Marsha: Hi, Anna. What’s going on? Anna: Not much. How about you? Marsha: Busy as usual. Hey, do you wanna see a movie with me? Anna: Sure! I never have time to see a movie. When? Marsha: Are you busy this Thursday at 6pm? Anna: Let’s see …. I’m busy. I am going to tap dance with my friends Thursday night. Marsha: Tap dancing? That sounds fun! Anna: I’m still learning. But it is fun! Anna: Are you busy on Friday night? Marsha: Yes. Friday nights are when I visit my parents. Anna: What do you and your family do together? Marsha: We always eat dinner together and sometimes we play board games. Anna: Playing board games is fun, too! The word game Scrabble is my favorite. Marsha: I like Connect Four! Anna: I’m not busy Monday night. Are you? Marsha: I am busy on Monday night. I’m going to jog in the park with my friend. Do you jog? Anna: Oh! I always jog. Well, sometimes I jog. Okay, I never jog. But I will try because it is good for you. Marsha: I always feel great after I jog. Marsha: How about on Wednesday night? Anna: Wednesday night I am not busy. Oh, no, wait. This Wednesday night I will be busy. Marsha: What are you doing? Anna: I’m going to teach children how to play the ukulele. Anna: Now, children, play “C.” Good. I like your “C.” Marsha: The world does need more ukulele players. Anna: Marsha, it looks like we’ll never have time to see a movie. Anna: Wait a minute. Are you busy now? Marsha: It’s Saturday afternoon. This is always when I do my errands. Anna: Okay, but the new Star Wars movie is gonna start in 30 minutes. Marsha: I’ll do my errands on Sunday. Let’s go! Anna: Most days of the week, people are really busy. But it’s important to find time to be with your friends! Anna: Until next time! * Connect Four is a two-player connection game using colored discs. Writing What do you like to do with your friends? Is it easy or difficult to find time to be with your friends? Write to us in the Comments section or send us an email. Tell us two or three things you do with friends using words like always, usually and sometimes. You can also download the Activity Sheet and practice writing about your schedule. Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. The learning strategy for this lesson is Evaluate. When we evaluate our own language learning, we think of how well we are learning, remembering and practicing the language. We evaluate after doing many things. For example, in the video for this lesson, Anna and Marsha talk about jogging. Anna evaluates her plan to jog: "I will try because it is good for you." Then, Marsha evaluates her feelings after jogging. "I always feel great after I jog." You can evaluate any time you stop to think about your learning (that is, monitor, the strategy in Lesson 16). Ask yourself: "Am I listening often to English? Am I practicing English every day? How can I learn more?" Evaluating helps learners to understand what is working well and make new plans for learning well. How do you evaluate your own learning? Write to us in the Comments section or send us an email. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan for more details on teaching this strategy. Quiz Test your understanding by taking this listening quiz. Play the video, then choose the best answer. ______________________________________________________________ New Words Note: You can listen to the definitions of these words in the Speaking Practice Video. always - adv. at all times; on every occasion; in a way that does not change board games - a game (such as chess) that is played by moving pieces on a special board important - adj. having serious meaning or worth jog - v. to run slowly especially for exercise movie - n. a recording of moving images that tells a story and that people watch on a screen or television night - n. the time of darkness between one day and the next play - v. to do activities for fun or enjoyment Scrabble - trademark. a board game in which players use lettered tiles to create words in a crossword fashion. sing - v. to use your voice to make musical sounds in the form of a song or tune sometimes - adv. at certain times; occasionally Star Wars - n. an epic film series chronicling the rise, fall, and redemption of Anakin Skywalker start - v. to do the first part of something : to begin doing something tap dance - n. a kind of dance in which you wear special shoes with metal plates on the heels and toes and make tapping sounds with your feet teaching - v. to cause or help (someone) to learn about a subject by giving lessons ukulele - n. a musical instrument that is like a small guitar with four strings week - n. a period of seven days - in the U.S., a week is usually considered to start on Sunday and end on Saturday, while in the U.K. a week is usually considered to start on Monday and end on Sunday. will - modal verb. used to say that something is expected to happen in the future Days of the Week: In the U.S., the week starts on Sunday and ends on Saturday. Sunday / Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / Friday / Saturday ______________________________________________________________ Free Materials Download the VOA Learning English Word Book for a dictionary of the words we use on this website. Each Let's Learn English lesson has an Activity Sheet for extra practice on your own or in the classroom. In this lesson, you can use it to practice talking about activities and schedules. For Teachers See the Lesson Plan for this lesson for ideas and more teaching resources. Send us an email if you have comments on this course or questions. Grammar focus: Simple Future tense with will and going to. Topics: Talking about schedules and leisure time activities Learning Strategy: Evaluate Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: Future verb forms; shortened forms of future verbs and invitations. ______________________________________________________________ Now it's your turn. Send us an email or write to us in the Comments section below or on our Facebook page to let us know what you think of this lesson.
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/are-you-free-on-friday-lets-learn-english/3355785.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/are-you-free-on-friday-lets-learn-english/3355785.html
Michelle Obama and her mission to inspire women
The former First Lady continues with her mission to try to inspire girls and women.
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06wq2l8
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06wq2l8
Thursday, 27 December 2018
It Sounds Like...Onomatopoeia!
The world is full of different sounds. Some sounds are pleasing to hear, like a bird's voice. Other sounds hurt your ears, like a loud machine. But how do we explain in words what a sound is? For example, how do you describe the sound a dog makes? Also, does everyone hear that sound the same way? Every language in the world has words that express sounds. These are called onomatopoetic words. When a person says an onomatopoetic word, the sound of the word copies the natural sound the word is identifying. Let's say you walk past an angry dog. What sound does the dog make? Woof. Woof. Woof. When a native English-speaker says the word woof, the pronunciation is somewhat similar to the sound the dog makes. But, a native Russian-speaker would not agree. They would say dogs make the sound gav gav. A native Korean-speaker would say mung mung. These sounds are expressed differently in different languages because every language uses sound in different ways. The noises animals make are not the only examples of onomatopoetic words. Imagine you are walking down a street on a rainy day. A car drives by very fast. Zoom. As the car passes you, it drives through some water. Splash. You close the front of your jacket to protect yourself. Zip. These words are all nouns that express the sound effect you are hearing. Some sounds even define the objects that make them. Do you remember closing your jacket to protect yourself? The zipper is the object that connects the front parts of a jacket by joining the sets of metal teeth along the edges. In comic books, we often see these sound effects written in the pictures. These words help the reader imagine sounds in the story. Onomatopoetic words are not only nouns, though. Imagine you are in a quiet restaurant. Suddenly, the people next to you start to have an argument. Anna: I can't believe you lied to me! Jonathan: Shhhh! We are in public! Anna: Don't shhhh me! When you tell someone shhhh, you are saying the situation requires quiet. In the conversation you just heard, Anna responds to Jonathan by saying "Don't shhhh me." In this case, Anna is using shhhh as a verb. She means to say, "Don't tell me to be quiet." Another example is one you probably hear every day. When you use a computer, you choose objects on the screen using a device called a mouse. Click. But, the action of choosing an object on a computer screen using a mouse is called clicking. Now think back to the car passing you very quickly in the rain. What was the sound it made? Zoom. But, you can also say, "The car zoomed by me." This means the car drove by you at a very high speed. Sometimes, onomatopoetic words are even used as adjectives. If you see something explode, you will often see the word boom used to describe the sound. This is because the sound of an explosion is low and deep, the way English speakers pronounce the word boom. Now listen to the actor James Earl Jones. "Look, I can't tell you the secret of life, and I don't have any answers for you. I don't give interviews and I'm no longer a public figure. I just want to be left alone." His voice sounds low and deep. You could say his voice is booming. Onomatopoetic words are not often used in formal language. But they are very common in everyday speech and there are hundreds of examples. They make languages more creative. Writers and musicians have used these types of words for many years to find a connection with the natural world. Just listen to the music group Ylvis as they make an entire song about onomatopea! Dog goes woof, cat goes meow, bird goes tweet and mouse goes squeak Cow goes moo, frog goes croak and the elephant goes toot Ducks say quack and fish go blub And the seal goes ow ow ow But there's one sound that no one knows What does the fox say? Ring-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding! I'm Pete Musto. Pete Musto wrote this story for Learning English. Adam Brock was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story onomatopoetic words – n. words that copy natural sounds pronunciation – n. the way in which the sound of word or name is made jacket – n. a piece of clothing that is worn on your upper body over another piece of clothing such as a shirt comic book(s) – n. a magazine that is made up of a series of drawings that tell a story or part of a story screen – n. the part of a television or computer that you look at when you are using it creative – adj. having or showing an ability to make new things or think of new ideas Now it’s your turn. How do you express sounds in the form of words in your language? How different from the English versions are these words in your language? Let us know in the comments section below or on our Facebook page.
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/everyday-grammar-onomatopoeia/3468479.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/everyday-grammar-onomatopoeia/3468479.html
Feelings- Miming & Drawing Game
New Entry: 'Feelings- Miming & Drawing Game' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/teachers/lesson-plans/view-feelings-miming-drawing-game/
Hospitality English for Hotels S2 #15 - Adding Personality to Your Voice When You Speak to Guests
Learn English for the hospitality industry with EnglishClass101.com’s Hospitality English for Hotels series! No matter which part of the hotel you work in, it’s important to be able to communicate with your guests professionally [...]
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/hospitality-english-for-hotels-s2-15-adding-personality-to-your-voice-when-you-speak-to-guests/
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/hospitality-english-for-hotels-s2-15-adding-personality-to-your-voice-when-you-speak-to-guests/
Wednesday, 26 December 2018
Tuesday, 25 December 2018
Monday, 24 December 2018
Extensive Reading in English for Beginners #10 - Cleaning My Room
Lesson Audio Download MP3 Dialog Download MP3
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/extensive-reading-in-english-for-beginners-10-cleaning-my-room/
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/extensive-reading-in-english-for-beginners-10-cleaning-my-room/
Saturday, 22 December 2018
Lesson 16: Where Are You From?
Summary Anna interviews tourists on the National Mall in Washington, DC. She learns about where they are from and the languages they speak. Speaking In this video, you can learn to say the new words. Learn how to say your country and nationality. You can also download the Activity Sheet and practice talking about countries and nationalities with a friend. Pronunciation In this video, you learn about how English speakers say, "a couple of." Conversation Anna: Hello! Washington, D.C. has many tourists! People from different countries come here. Today, my job is to interview tourists. I have to learn why they come here. This is very exciting! Excuse me. I’m Anna Matteo from The News. Do you have time for an interview? Sabrina: Sure, I have time. Anna: What is your name? Sabrina: My name is Sabrina. Anna: What country are you from? Sabrina: I’m from Bangladesh. Anna: So, you are Bangladeshi. Sabrina: That’s right! My nationality is Bangladeshi. Anna: Do you like Washington, D.C.? Sabrina: Yes! The city is very beautiful! Anna: What do you like to do in Washington D.C.? Sabrina: I like history. So, I like walking around and looking at all the monuments and memorials. They make history come alive! Anna: Washington has many monuments and memorials. The Washington Monument is behind us! Which is your favorite? Sabrina: I really like Lincoln Memorial. It is very beautiful. And it feels like Abraham Lincoln is still alive. Anna: Awesome. Thank you for your time, Sabrina! Sabrina: You’re welcome. Anna: Let’s find another tourist. Anna: Oh! Excuse me. I am Anna Matteo from The News. Do you have time for a couple of questions? Louis: Sure! Anna: Are you from Washington, D.C.? Louis: No, I’m not. Anna: What is your name and where are you from? Louis: My name is Louis. And I’m from China. Anna: What languages do you speak? Louis: I speak Chinese and English. Anna: What do you like about Washington DC? Louis: I like the museums. I really like the art museums. Anna: Many of the museums are free. Louis: I like that too! Anna: Awesome! Thanks for your time, Louis. Louis: You’re very welcome. Bye! Anna: Now, let’s find another tourist! Anna: Hello! I am Anna Matteo from The News. Do you have time to answer a couple of questions? Mehrnoush: Sure! Anna: What is your name and where’re you from? Mehrnoush: My name is Mehrnoush. I am from Iran. I’m Iranian. Anna: What language do they speak in Iran? Is it Persian? Mehrnoush: They speak Farsi. Anna: What do you like to do in Washington DC? Mehrnoush: Well, I like learning about government and politics. Anna: Washington has many politicians! Mehrnoush: It does! I want to see the U.S. Capitol. Anna: Look, you are very near. Mehrnoush: I am! Anna: Have fun! Mehrnoush: Thanks! Anna: There you have it. Tourists from all over the world come to Washington, D.C. They all like doing and seeing different things in the city. This is Anna Matteo reporting for The News. Until next time! Anna: Is that okay? Awesome! Now, I want to do my favorite thing in the city … ride the carousel! Writing Where are you from? What languages do you speak? What do you like to do when you travel? Write to us by email or in the Comments section. Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice writing and talking about countries and nationalities with a friend. Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. The learning strategy for this lesson is Monitor. We monitor to check on what we hear and say when we are speaking and listening in English. Here is an example from this lesson's conversation. Anna asks, "What country are you from?" She monitors to make sure Sabrina understands the question. Sabrina answers, "I’m from Bangladesh." Now, Anna knows that Sabrina understands the question. Anna thinks she knows how to say Sabrina's nationality. She tries it: "So, you are Bangladeshi." Anna is listening to monitor what Sabrina says. Anna is not sure: is "Bangladeshi" the right way to say Sabrina's nationality? Some people use the word, "Bengali" to say this nationality. Sabrina answers, "That’s right! My nationality is Bangladeshi." In Anna's mind, she monitors her understanding. She thinks, "I can say Bangladeshi for the nationality of a person from Bangladesh." How do you monitor when learning English? Write to us in the Comments section or send us an email. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan for more details on teaching this strategy. Quiz Anna asks the tourists many questions. Can you choose the right question for each person? See how well you understand the lesson by taking this short quiz. ______________________________________________________________ New Words Abraham Lincoln – n. the 16th President of the United States alive – adj. living; not dead art – n. something that is created with imagination and skill and that is beautiful or that expresses important ideas or feelings carousel – n. a machine or device with a moving belt or part that carries things around in a circle country – n. an area of land that is controlled by its own government couple – n. two (things) or a few (things) favorite – n. a person or a thing that is liked more than others free – adj. not costing any money government – n. the group of people who control and make decisions for a country, state, etc. history – n. the study of past events memorial – n. something (such as a monument or ceremony) that honors a person who has died or serves as a reminder of an event in which many people died monument – n. a building, statue, etc., that honors a person or event museum – n. a building in which interesting and valuable things (such as paintings and sculptures or scientific or historical objects) are collected and shown to the public nationality – n. the fact or status of being a member or citizen of a particular nation question – n. a sentence, phrase, or word that asks for information or is used to test someone's knowledge politics – n. activities that relate to influencing the actions and policies of a government or getting and keeping power in a government ride – v. to sit on and control the movements of (a horse, motorcycle, bicycle, etc.) tourist – n. a person who travels to a place for pleasure U.S. Capitol – n. the building in which the U.S. Congress meets in Washington, D.C. Countries/Nationalities/Languages Bangladesh – n. a country in Asia Bangladeshi – n. a native or inhabitant of Bangladesh. adj. of, relating to, or characteristic of Bangladesh or its people. China - n. People's Republic of, a country in E Asia. Chinese - n. the standard language of China, based on the speech of Beijing; Mandarin; a native or descendant of a native of China. adj. of or relating to China, its inhabitants, or one of their languages Iran - n. a republic in SW Asia. Iranian - adj. of or relating to Iran, its inhabitants, or their language; of or relating to the Iranian languages. n. a subbranch of the Indo-European family of languages, an inhabitant of Iran; Persian. Farsi - n. the modern Iranian language of Iran and western Afghanistan, written in the Arabic alphabet; modern Persian. Persian – adj. of or relating to ancient and recent Persia (now Iran), its people, or their language. n. a member of the native peoples of Iran; the principal language of Iran and western Afghanistan, in its historical and modern forms. ______________________________________________________________ Free Materials Download the VOA Learning English Word Book for a dictionary of the words we use on this website. Each Let's Learn English lesson has an Activity Sheet for extra practice on your own or in the classroom. In this lesson, you can use it to practice talking about nationalities and languages. For Teachers See the Lesson Plan for this lesson for ideas and more teaching resources. Send us an email if you have comments on this course or questions. Grammar focus: Nationality and language names used as nouns and adjectives Topics: Countries and Nationalities; Tourism activities Learning Strategy: Monitor (comprehension and production) Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: Talking about countries, languages, and nationalities; Saying "a couple of" quickly ______________________________________________________________ Now it's your turn. Send us an email or write to us in the Comments section below or on our Facebook page to let us know what you think of this lesson.
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/lets-learn-english-lesson-16-where-are-you-from/3355849.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/lets-learn-english-lesson-16-where-are-you-from/3355849.html
Friday, 21 December 2018
Know Your Verbs #17 - Verb: “Meet”
Lesson Video Download Video
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/know-your-verbs-17-verb-meet/
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/know-your-verbs-17-verb-meet/
Thursday, 20 December 2018
Compound Nouns: Putting Words Together
What do these five words have in common: hotdog, fireworks, well-being, waistline, sunset and ice cream? They could all describe a fun holiday celebration. For example: My holiday was wonderful! I went to a friend’s party and we laughed, ate and had a lovely time. We grilled hotdogs and made ice cream. Then, after sunset, we all went down to the river to watch the fireworks. It was a great time…but probably terrible for my waistline! Great story! But what is the grammatical connection between all the words we talked about? They are all compound nouns and that is our subject today. A compound noun is a noun made by putting two or more words together to act as one noun. These nouns can be written as one word (as in fireworks and waistline), as hyphenated words (as in well-being), or as separate words (as in ice cream). Compound nouns often have different meanings from their separate words. For example, if you had never heard of a “hotdog,” you probably would not know its meaning just from the words “hot” and “dog.” A hotdog is a small cooked sausage usually made from beef or pork. Making compound nouns Compound nouns are often constructed from two parts of speech. The most common are: noun + noun, as in ice cream, waistline and fireworks, which you heard earlier in the program adjective + noun, as in hotdog and greenhouse. Greenhouses at botanical gardens carry plants from around the world. and noun + verb, as in sunset and rainfall. The average yearly rainfall in Washington, DC is around 40 inches. But, compound nouns are also formed in other ways, such as: noun + preposition, as in passer-by A passer-by witnessed the car accident on 17th Street. gerund + noun, as in swimming pool and washing machine I’m so glad that our hotel has a swimming pool! adjective + verb, as in public speaking and dry cleaning Can you call and see if the dry cleaning is ready? verb + preposition, as in take-off and lookout Flight attendants, please prepare for take-off. and preposition + verb, as in output and overthrow. The company increased output by extending its office hours. Plurals and possessives OK, moving on to plurals and possessives. In most plural compound nouns, the -s goes at the end. But here’s a little more to know: If the compound noun has no space or does have a space in between words, the -s usually goes at the end, such as in greenhouses, waistlines, washing machines and swimming pools. If the compound noun has a hyphen or hyphens, the -s usually goes at the end of the noun, such as in secretaries-general, passers-by and fathers-in-law. To make the possessive form, simply add an apostrophe -s to the end of the complete word, such as in these examples: My daughter-in-law’s dress is being made. The dry cleaner’s number is on the table. How to pronounce Lastly, let’s talk about stress. In spoken language, stress is giving greater loudness or force to part of a word. Correct stress is very important for compound nouns. We usually stress the first syllable. For instance, when I say the word “fireworks,” I put greater loudness on “fire.” If I put the stress on “works,” it changes the meaning and would confuse the listener. Listen to more examples that stress the first syllable: swimming pool football haircut bedroom take-off ice cream And, just for fun, here’s an old – but still popular – song about ice cream: I scream You scream We all scream for ice cream! Not all compound nouns follow the rule of first syllable stress. Proper nouns that are more than one word are considered compound nouns and they usually carry the stress at the start of the second word. Listen for the stress in these proper nouns: New Orleans Las Vegas Mount Rainier Grand Canyon South Africa New Zealand Secretary-General Prime Minister By now in your English studies, you’ve already used many compound nouns. And, surely, you’ll use many more. So, practice ones that are useful to you in speaking and writing! You can use a good dictionary to check how we say and write them. I’m Alice Bryant. Alice Bryant wrote this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Practice Look at the following list of compound nouns and decide what parts of speech they are made from (example: bottle opener = noun + noun). If you are not sure what the words mean, you can use the Merriam-Webster Learner’s Dictionary. football haircut software toothpaste fish tank takeout highway website small talk firefighter self-restraint commander-in-chief singer-songwriter 2. Write a paragraph about yourself or someone else. Use 3-5 compound nouns. You can use compound nouns from today's program and practice and/or that you find somewhere else. ____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story waistline – n. the distance around the smallest part of your waist hyphenated – adj. connected with a hyphen punctuation mark sausage – n. ground meat that is usually stuffed into a narrow tube of animal skin greenhouse – n. a building that has glass walls and a glass roof and that is used for growing plants output – n. the amount of something that is produced by a person or thing plural – adj. relating to a form of a word that refers to more than one person or thing possessive – adj. relating to a form of a word that shows that something or someone belongs to something or someone else apostrophe – n. the punctuation mark ʼ used to show the possessive form of a noun syllable – n. any one of the parts into which a word is naturally divided when it is pronounced proper noun – n. a word or group of words that is the name of a person, place, or thing and usually begins with a capital letter dictionary – n. a book that lists words in alphabetical order and gives information about meanings, forms and pronunciations
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/compound-nouns/4706032.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/compound-nouns/4706032.html
Compound Nouns: Putting Words Together
What do these five words have in common: hotdog, fireworks, well-being, waistline, sunset and ice cream? They could all describe a fun holiday celebration. For example: My holiday was wonderful! I went to a friend’s party and we laughed, ate and had a lovely time. We grilled hotdogs and made ice cream. Then, after sunset, we all went down to the river to watch the fireworks. It was a great time…but probably terrible for my waistline! Great story! But what is the grammatical connection between all the words we talked about? They are all compound nouns and that is our subject today. A compound noun is a noun made by putting two or more words together to act as one noun. These nouns can be written as one word (as in fireworks and waistline), as hyphenated words (as in well-being), or as separate words (as in ice cream). Compound nouns often have different meanings from their separate words. For example, if you had never heard of a “hotdog,” you probably would not know its meaning just from the words “hot” and “dog.” A hotdog is a small cooked sausage usually made from beef or pork. Making compound nouns Compound nouns are often constructed from two parts of speech. The most common are: noun + noun, as in ice cream, waistline and fireworks, which you heard earlier in the program adjective + noun, as in hotdog and greenhouse. Greenhouses at botanical gardens carry plants from around the world. and noun + verb, as in sunset and rainfall. The average yearly rainfall in Washington, DC is around 40 inches. But, compound nouns are also formed in other ways, such as: noun + preposition, as in passer-by A passer-by witnessed the car accident on 17th Street. gerund + noun, as in swimming pool and washing machine I’m so glad that our hotel has a swimming pool! adjective + verb, as in public speaking and dry cleaning Can you call and see if the dry cleaning is ready? verb + preposition, as in take-off and lookout Flight attendants, please prepare for take-off. and preposition + verb, as in output and overthrow. The company increased output by extending its office hours. Plurals and possessives OK, moving on to plurals and possessives. In most plural compound nouns, the -s goes at the end. But here’s a little more to know: If the compound noun has no space or does have a space in between words, the -s usually goes at the end, such as in greenhouses, waistlines, washing machines and swimming pools. If the compound noun has a hyphen or hyphens, the -s usually goes at the end of the noun, such as in secretaries-general, passers-by and fathers-in-law. To make the possessive form, simply add an apostrophe -s to the end of the complete word, such as in these examples: My daughter-in-law’s dress is being made. The dry cleaner’s number is on the table. How to pronounce Lastly, let’s talk about stress. In spoken language, stress is giving greater loudness or force to part of a word. Correct stress is very important for compound nouns. We usually stress the first syllable. For instance, when I say the word “fireworks,” I put greater loudness on “fire.” If I put the stress on “works,” it changes the meaning and would confuse the listener. Listen to more examples that stress the first syllable: swimming pool football haircut bedroom take-off ice cream And, just for fun, here’s an old – but still popular – song about ice cream: I scream You scream We all scream for ice cream! Not all compound nouns follow the rule of first syllable stress. Proper nouns that are more than one word are considered compound nouns and they usually carry the stress at the start of the second word. Listen for the stress in these proper nouns: New Orleans Las Vegas Mount Rainier Grand Canyon South Africa New Zealand Secretary-General Prime Minister By now in your English studies, you’ve already used many compound nouns. And, surely, you’ll use many more. So, practice ones that are useful to you in speaking and writing! You can use a good dictionary to check how we say and write them. I’m Alice Bryant. Alice Bryant wrote this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Practice Look at the following list of compound nouns and decide what parts of speech they are made from (example: bottle opener = noun + noun). If you are not sure what the words mean, you can use the Merriam-Webster Learner’s Dictionary. football haircut software toothpaste fish tank takeout highway website small talk firefighter self-restraint commander-in-chief singer-songwriter 2. Write a paragraph about yourself or someone else. Use 3-5 compound nouns. You can use compound nouns from today's program and practice and/or that you find somewhere else. ____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story waistline – n. the distance around the smallest part of your waist hyphenated – adj. connected with a hyphen punctuation mark sausage – n. ground meat that is usually stuffed into a narrow tube of animal skin greenhouse – n. a building that has glass walls and a glass roof and that is used for growing plants output – n. the amount of something that is produced by a person or thing plural – adj. relating to a form of a word that refers to more than one person or thing possessive – adj. relating to a form of a word that shows that something or someone belongs to something or someone else apostrophe – n. the punctuation mark ʼ used to show the possessive form of a noun syllable – n. any one of the parts into which a word is naturally divided when it is pronounced proper noun – n. a word or group of words that is the name of a person, place, or thing and usually begins with a capital letter dictionary – n. a book that lists words in alphabetical order and gives information about meanings, forms and pronunciations
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/compound-nouns/4706032.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/compound-nouns/4706032.html
Why do we push buttons?
Why do people love to push buttons and why do some have a phobia of them?
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06w63md
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06w63md
All About #9 - Top 5 Important Dates in America
Learn English with EnglishClass101.com! You have been planning this vacation to the United States for months! Each member of your family has been studying to speak English for a while now. You are packed, you checked the American weather reports, you even listened to our fantastic English All About series to learn as much as [...]
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/all-about-9-top-5-important-dates-in-america/
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/all-about-9-top-5-important-dates-in-america/
Pick and Act- Imperatives Card Game
New Entry: 'Pick and Act- Imperatives Card Game' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/teachers/lesson-plans/view-pick-and-act-imperatives-card-game/
Tuesday, 18 December 2018
It's the thought that counts
Learn a polite thing to say when you receive a bad present.
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06vxwvf
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06vxwvf
Monday, 17 December 2018
Speaker or Listener- Simplest Responses Game
New Entry: 'Speaker or Listener- Simplest Responses Game' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/teachers/lesson-plans/view-speaker-or-listener-simplest-responses-game/
Big list of British and American vocabulary by topic
New Entry: 'Big list of British and American vocabulary by topic' has just been added to the Articles area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/articles/big-list-british-american-vocabulary-by-topic.html
Sunday, 16 December 2018
Saturday, 15 December 2018
Lesson 15: I Love People-Watching!
Summary Anna and her friends are eating lunch outside on a beautiful day in Washington, DC. They are people-watching. They like seeing the many different people walking by. Speaking In this video, you can learn to say the new words. Learn about the sounds English speakers make to show they are happy. You can also download the Activity Sheet and practice talking about how people look with a friend. Pronunciation In this video, you learn about how to make tag questions. These are the short questions at the end of a sentences, as you hear in the video, "It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" Conversation Anna: Hello! People from all over the world come to Washington, D.C. When I’m at work, I love eating lunch outside. I like to watch people walking by. They all look very different. Today, my friend Ashley is eating lunch with me. Anna: Ashley, today the weather is beautiful, isn’t it? Ashley: Yes, it is. Ahh. Ooh, we have to return to work! Anna: No, we have time! Let’s people-watch a little more. Ashley: Okay. Anna: Oh, I know her. She works in my office! Keyana, hi! Come and join us! Keyana: Hi Anna, how are you? Anna: I’m doing great! Keyana, this is my friend Ashley. Keyana: Hi, Ashley! Anna: We need to return to work. But the weather is beautiful and people-watching is fun! Keyana: I love people-watching too! Anna: Well, have a seat! It is fun to see how people are different or the same. Keyana: It is. For example, Anna, you are tall. But Ashley and I are short. Anna: And Keyana, you and Ashley have brown eyes; I have blue eyes. Keyana: You two have light skin and I have dark skin. Anna: Ashley, you have straight hair. Keyana and I have curly hair. Ashley: You have very curly hair, Anna. Keyana: I need to return to work. See you, Anna! Nice to meet you Ashley! Ashley: Bye, Keyana! Ashley: Anna, I have to go, too. Are you returning to work? Anna: I still have time. And this sun feels so good! Ashley: Um, Anna, what does your boss look like? Anna: She is short. She has straight, light hair. Ashley: Does she wear glasses? Anna: Yes. Yes, she does. Ashley: Is she wearing a blue sweater today? Anna: How do you know that? Ashley: She’s coming this way. Anna: Oh no! Hide me! Ashley: Um, bye, Anna. Call me later. Anna: Bye, Ashley! Talk to you later! Caty: Anna? Is that you? Anna: Ms. Weaver! Hi! Caty: What are you doing behind that bench? Anna: I am looking for my, my … stick. Here it is. Anna: I am people-watching. Oh! But it’s time to return to work! Caty: No need to hurry. I love people-watching too! Let’s sit! Anna: Sure! Ahh. Caty: It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it? Anna: Yes. Yes, it is, Ms. Weaver. Anna: People-watching in D.C. is fun. It makes me forget the time! Anna: Until next time! Ahh. Writing What do you look like? What does your friend look like? Write to us by email or in the Comments section. Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice with a friend. Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. The learning strategy for this lesson is Access Information Sources. In our digital world there are many free sources of information to help you learn English. And remember that other people can also help. Here is an example. João is visiting Miami. He wants to take a tour of the National Park in the Everglades (or marismas in Portuguese). He finds the word "Everglades" in his pocket paperback Portuguese - English dictionary, but doesn't know how to pronounce it. He opens a translation web page on his phone, writes "Everglades" and pushes the button to translate. Soon a symbol appears under the word. João clicks on the symbol to hear the sound of the word, "Everglades." He goes to the hotel tour desk and asks, "Do you have a tour of the Everglades?" The clerk understands him and begins to show him the tour information. João asks the clerk, "Will you please say the word slowly for me? I want to check my pronunciation." The clerk smiles and pronounces the word and João says it again. Now João is sure he can say it correctly. How do you access information sources when learning English? Write to us in the Comments section or send us an email. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan for more details on teaching this strategy. Quiz Test your understanding by taking this listening quiz. Play the video, then choose the best answer. ______________________________________________________________ New Words bench - n. a long and usually hard seat for two or more people blue - adj. having the color of the clear sky brown - adj. having a color like coffee or chocolate curly - adj. formed into a round shape dark - adj. of a person's hair, eyes, skin, etc.: black or brown in color eyes - n. the part of the body that you see with forget - n. to be unable to think of or remember (something) glasses - n. a pair of glass or plastic lenses set into a frame and worn over the eyes to help a person see hair - n. a thin threadlike growth from the skin of a person or animal hide - v. to put (something) in a place where it cannot be seen or found join - v. to come together with (something or someone) light - adj. not dark or deep in color; pale like - prep. similar to look like - to have an appearance that is very similar to (someone or something) people-watch - v. to spend time idly observing people in a public place. seat - n. something (such as a chair) that you sit on : a place for sitting have a seat - a polite invitation to sit down. short - adj. having little height; not tall skin - n. the natural outer layer of tissue that covers the body of a person or animal stick - n. a cut or broken branch or twig straight - adj. not having curves, bends, or angles tall - adj. greater in height than the average person ______________________________________________________________ Free Materials Download the VOA Learning English Word Book for a dictionary of the words we use on this website. Each Let's Learn English lesson has an Activity Sheet for extra practice on your own or in the classroom. In this lesson, you can use it to practice describing people. For Teachers See the Lesson Plan for this lesson for ideas and more teaching resources. Send us an email if you have comments on this course or questions. Grammar focus: Descriptive adjectives; Tag questions Topics: Describing Differences and Similarities; Watching People Learning Strategy: Access Information Sources Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: Non-Verbal Expressions of Happiness; Rising and Falling Intonation in Tag Questions ______________________________________________________________ Now it's your turn. Send us an email or write to us in the Comments section below or on our Facebook page to let us know what you think of this lesson.
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/lets-learn-english-lesson-15-i-love-people-watching/3343720.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/lets-learn-english-lesson-15-i-love-people-watching/3343720.html
Friday, 14 December 2018
Different Meanings in British and American English- Jigsaw
New Entry: 'Different Meanings in British and American English- Jigsaw' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/teachers/lesson-plans/view-different-meanings-in-british-and-american-english-jigsaw/
Thursday, 13 December 2018
Words to Travel With, Part 2: Airports
Ask one hundred people whether they love to travel and most of them will probably say yes. Discovering a new place can be fun and exciting. But getting to that place is often a lot less enjoyable. Flying is a popular travel method. But airports can be frustrating places. Having to speak a foreign language in an airport can add to the frustration. Today, we will share some English phrases that can help you survive any airport experience! ID and boarding pass Let’s begin with check-in. At an airport, check-in is where you go to let the airline know that you have arrived. At check-in, you can also get your boarding pass. The document has your flight information on it. It is proof that you purchased the flight. You cannot get on the plane without one. Many airports offer two ways to check in: through a machine or with an airline employee. Here is what you’ll be asked if you get your boarding pass from the employee: Hello! May I see your ID? Your ID is your identification, such as a passport or driving document. You can answer, “Sure” or “Here you go” and give the person the document. If you use the machine, you can enter the ticket or reservation number you received when you purchased the flight. Checked bags and carry-ons At the check-in area, you can also check your bags. This means giving your bags, also called luggage, to an airline employee to be stored during the flight. Bags you give to the employee are called "checked bags," "checked baggage" or "checked luggage." Here’s the question airline employees ask to find out if you want to check bags: Will you be checking any bags today? Or, they may say it this way: Do you have any checked bags today? You can answer yes or no, and tell them how many: Yes, just this one. They will then tell you to put the bag on a machine to measure the weight. Here’s what they will say: Please place your bag on the scale. But some bags are small enough to fit in the passenger area of the plane. The bag you keep with you on the plane is called a “carry-on bag” or simply a “carry-on.” Sadly, there are times when your carry-on does not meet weight or size restrictions. In such cases, you’ll hear something like this: I’m sorry but your bag is too heavy. You’ll have to check it. I’m sorry. Your bag is too big. You’ll have to check it. Going through security OK, so you’ve finished at the check-in area. Now it’s time to go through security. In line, you may hear a security employee announce this to the crowd: Please have your IDs and boarding passes out. That means have your documents ready to show the security person. Security workers also check bags and other belongings. Sometimes, you have to place such things in a plastic container called a “bin.” Security workers may ask if you have any liquids, foods or medicines: Are you traveling with any liquids? Layovers, missed flights OK, you made it through security with ease. Congratulations! Time to go to your gate – the seating area where you wait for your plane to board. At the gate, here’s an announcement you might hear: Attention passengers on flight 95 to Chicago: Your flight has been delayed due to weather conditions. The new departure time is 5:45. So, your flight is delayed three hours. But, let’s say Chicago is not your final destination. You are supposed to fly another plane from Chicago to your final destination. That is called a “layover” in American English. You might also hear it called a “stopover.” The delay means you will miss your flight out of Chicago. But don’t worry! Just let the person at the airline counter know: Hi, I missed my connecting flight to Los Angeles. What should I do? Airlines generally have solutions ready, such as putting you on the next flight or putting you in a hotel for the night. At customs, immigration After an international flight, you will be directed through customs. That is where government officers approve or reject entrance into the country. The customs officer will ask for your passport and may or may not have questions. Here are five common questions you might hear at customs: What is the purpose of your trip? How long do you intend to stay? Can I see your return ticket? Where will you be staying? What is your occupation? Preparing this information before your trip will help make the process easier. For example, if you’re staying with a friend or at a hotel, have the person or hotel’s name and address ready. I’m Alice Bryant. Alice Bryant wrote this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Practice Now, let’s hear your story! If you have used English at an airport, what words and phrases did you use? And, which words and phrases from today's program will help you most on your next trip? Write to us in the comments area. We'd love to hear from you. From today's program: check-in (n.) check in (v.) ID boarding pass ticket reservation check (v.) bags luggage baggage checked bags / luggage / baggage carry-on bag / carry-on scale bin liquids board passenger departure gate connecting flight destination layover / stopover customs occupation ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story frustrating – adj. causing feelings of anger and annoyance reservation – n. an arrangement to have something held for your use at a later time ticket – n. a piece of paper that allows you to travel on a vehicle, see a show, or participate in an event (a plane ticket is also called a boarding pass) phrase – n. a brief expression that is commonly used luggage – n. the bags and suitcases that a person carries when traveling destination – n. a place to which a person is going or something is being sent counter – n. a piece of furniture with a flat surface that workers and customers stand on opposite sides occupation – n. a person’s job or profession
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/words-to-travel-with-part-2-airports/4697903.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/words-to-travel-with-part-2-airports/4697903.html
English Grammar Made Easy #17 - Uncountable Nouns
Lesson Video Download Video
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/english-grammar-made-easy-17-uncountable-nouns/
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/english-grammar-made-easy-17-uncountable-nouns/
Why do teenagers leave their homework until the last minute?
What's going on in a teenager's brain? We hear about research explaining their behaviour
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06vglxx
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06vglxx
Tuesday, 11 December 2018
Must-Know American Holiday Words #24 - Common Expressions used by Young People
Lesson Audio Download MP3 Review Download MP3
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/mustknow-american-holiday-words-24-common-expressions-used-by-young-people/
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/mustknow-american-holiday-words-24-common-expressions-used-by-young-people/
Know Your Verbs #16 - Verb: “Pay”
Lesson Video Download Video
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/know-your-verbs-16-verb-pay/
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/know-your-verbs-16-verb-pay/
100 words with different meanings in British and American English
New Entry: '100 words with different meanings in British and American English' has just been added to the Articles area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/articles/100-words-with-different-meanings-in-british-american-english.html
Monday, 10 December 2018
Christmas is in the air- it's ____ time of year again.
New Entry: 'Christmas is in the air- it's ____ time of year again.' has just been added to the Language Polls area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/poll/1211.html
Extensive Reading in English for Beginners #9 - Going Camping
Lesson Audio Download MP3 Dialog Download MP3
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/extensive-reading-in-english-for-beginners-9-going-camping/
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/extensive-reading-in-english-for-beginners-9-going-camping/
Ordinal Numbers Competitions
New Entry: 'Ordinal Numbers Competitions' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/teachers/lesson-plans/view-ordinal-numbers-competitions/
Sunday, 9 December 2018
Saturday, 8 December 2018
Friday, 7 December 2018
Lesson 14: How About This?
Summary Anna is going to the theater with her friends. She does not know what to wear. She looks in a magazine to get help and gets a surprise. Speaking In this video, learn to say the new words. Learn two ways to make a suggestion. You can also download the Activity Sheet and practice talking about clothes with a friend. Pronunciation In this video, you learn about describing clothing with color words. Conversation Anna: Hi, there! In Washington, D.C. people do many things in the evening. They go listen to music. They eat at a restaurant. They go to the theater. Anna: Tonight I am going to the theater with my friends. But I don’t know what clothes to wear. Maybe this magazine can help. Anna: Her clothes are beautiful! I really want a friend like her to help me. Anna: Who are you? Genie: I am Genie! You want help. I am here to help you find the right clothes! Anna: Awesome! How about jeans and a t-shirt? Genie: No! Jeans and a t-shirt are too casual. How about something more formal? Anna: Sure! Anna: Wow! Genie, this dress is beautiful. But it’s not the right size. It’s too small. Genie: Yes, it is too small. But green looks great on you. Anna: Thanks. Genie: Take off the green dress. Let’s try a green shirt and a skirt. Anna: Oh, Genie! This green shirt is too large and this orange skirt is too orange. Genie: Yes, the right size for you is medium. Let’s try again. Anna: Oh, I don’t like this outfit. Genie: No. That does not match. Anna: Nothing. Anna: These clothes are formal: a suit jacket, a dress shirt and a tie! They look great! Genie: Those clothes look great … for a man! Something is wrong. Anna: Let me see. Anna: There. Now try. Genie: Oh. Thanks! Now these clothes look great on you! Anna: They do! Um, Genie, can you put on a gold belt? Genie: Sure! Genie: That looks great. Anna: Can you put on a jacket? Genie: Why not? Anna: I love the jacket! How about a hat? Genie: Why not? Genie: Mm, take off the hat. That’s better. Anna: Genie, these clothes look and feel great! Let’s go to the theater! Genie: Sorry, Anna. I have to help other friends. Go to the magazine if you want me to help again. Anna: Thanks, Genie. Sure thing. Goodbye! Genie: Goodbye! Anna: There are many places in DC to go for a great evening out! And it’s nice to have a friend to help me look my best. Until next time! Bye! Writing What do you like to wear to go out in the evening? What are you wearing today? Send us an email about your clothes and their colors and sizes or write in the Comments section. Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice with a friend. Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. The learning strategy for this lesson is Personalize. Learning English is easier when you think about how what you learn relates to yourself. Here is an example. Meilin is learning about clothing words. She looks at her own clothes and says to herself, "My sweater is green. I am wearing blue jeans." Meilin looks at her English lesson. She sees a photo of a woman in black jeans. She says to her classmate, "I don't like black jeans. Do you?" Meilin is using the strategy "personalize" because she is speaking English to tell about herself and her own likes or dislikes. Tomorrow she will remember the words better, because she is thinking about herself when she says them. How do you personalize in studying English? Write to us in the Comments section or send us an email. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan for more details on teaching this strategy. Listening Quiz Test your understanding by taking this listening quiz. Play the video, then choose the best answer. ______________________________________________________________ New Words casual - adj. designed for or permitting ordinary dress, behavior, etc clothes - n. the things that people wear to cover their bodies and that are usually made from cloth formal - adj. requiring or using serious and proper clothes and manners large - adj. great in size or amount magazine - n. a type of thin book with a paper cover that contains stories, essays, pictures, etc. man - n. an adult male human being match – v.to be suited to (someone or something); to go well with (someone or something) medium - n. something that is sold in a medium size; something that is the middle size when compared with things that are larger and smaller music - n. sounds that are sung by voices or played on musical instruments nothing -pron. not anything; not a thing outfit - n. a set of clothes that are worn together put on - phrasal verb to dress yourself in (clothing) restaurant - n. a place where you can buy and eat a meal size - n. one of a series of standard measurements in which clothing, shoes, etc., are made take off - phrasal verb to remove (something) theater - n. a building where plays, shows, etc., are performed on a stage too - adv. usually used at the end of a sentence or clause; in addition; also wear – v. to use or have (something) as clothing; to have (a shirt, pants, etc.) over part of your body ______________________________________________________________ Free Materials Download the VOA Learning English Word Book for a dictionary of the words we use on this website. Each Let's Learn English lesson has an Activity Sheet for extra practice on your own or in the classroom. In this lesson, you can use it to practice talking about clothing and colors with a friend. For Teachers See the Lesson Plan for this lesson for ideas and more teaching resources. Send us an email if you have comments on this course or questions. Grammar focus: Position of adjectives before nouns; use of two phrasal verbs: put on and take off Topics: Describing clothing colors and sizes; making a suggestion and giving compliments Learning Strategy: Personalize Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: Making a suggestion; using color adjectives with nouns ______________________________________________________________ Now it's your turn. Send us an email or write to us in the Comments section below or on our Facebook page to let us know what you think of this lesson.
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/lets-learn-english-lesson-14-how-about-this/3323771.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/lets-learn-english-lesson-14-how-about-this/3323771.html
Multiword Verbs Random Pelmanism Game
New Entry: 'Multiword Verbs Random Pelmanism Game' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/teachers/lesson-plans/view-multiword-verbs-random-pelmanism-game/
Crickets
New Entry: 'Crickets' has just been added to the Idioms area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/crickets.html
Thursday, 6 December 2018
Words to Travel With, Part 1
Have you ever been to an airport or train station where the official language was English? What was your experience – easy, difficult or in between? Today, we will explore some common phrasal verbs that can be useful as you travel to or through English-speaking places. A phrasal verb is made of two or more words: a verb plus a preposition or adverb, or both. Together, the words get a new meaning. For example, the phrasal verb get in means to arrive at a place. Listen to two friends talk about a recent trip. There are six travel-related phrasal verbs. Try to find them and think about their meanings. Hey, how was your trip? Well it was…great! But getting there was a pain. The airport was so crowded because of flight delays. We tried to check in at a kiosk but the machines were down. So, we stood in line for 45 minutes just to pick up the tickets. Oh no! Then, our flight had a two-hour delay. The plane finally took off at 9:00. What time did you get in? Around 4:00. Our driver picked us up on time and was super sweet. He dropped us off at the hotel and we checked in without any trouble. The rest of the trip was wonderful! That’s great. I’m looking forward to my next big trip! Did you find all six of the verbs? Before we look at each, here are some good things to know. What is ‘transitive’? Phrasal verbs in English are either transitive or intransitive. A transitive verb needs a direct object to express a complete thought. A direct object is a person or thing that receives the action of the verb. For example, the sentence “I brought my suitcase” is transitive. The words “I brought” do not make a complete thought without the direct object “my suitcase.” An intransitive verb does not need a direct object to express a complete thought. For example, I can say, “The plane landed” and it makes perfect sense. Are they separable? Phrasal verbs can be separable or inseparable. But what does that mean? If a phrasal verb is separable, the direct object may appear in the middle of the verb. If it’s inseparable, the direct object must come after. I’ll show you what that means today. Transitive or not, separable or not – it sounds complex but it’s very simple, as you’ll see and hear shortly. Check in Check into (something) Our first verb is check in. Like many phrasal verbs, check in has more than one meaning. The one we are exploring today is intransitive – it gets no direct object. Listen again to how it was used: We tried to check in at a kiosk but the machines were down. The speaker also used it about the hotel: …and we checked in without any trouble. To check in means “to report to someone when you arrive at a place to let them know you are there.” When we check in at a kiosk, the machine gives us a plane ticket. When we check in at a hotel, someone gives us a room key. A verb with very close meaning and usage is check into. We use it for hotels, hostels, AirBnBs and the like. The difference is that check into must have a direct object. But it’s inseparable. Have a listen: We checked into the hotel without any trouble. The direct object is “the hotel.” pick up (someone) pick (someone) up Next, you heard the verb pick up. It is transitive and separable. We used two of its meanings today. Here’s the first: So, we stood in line for 45 minutes just to pick up the tickets! It means “to go somewhere to get something.” Note that the direct object “the tickets” comes after the verb. But, because it’s separable, we can also put the object in the middle, like this: So, we stood in line for 45 minutes just to pick the tickets up! You also heard the speaker say: Our driver picked us up on time and was super sweet! This meaning of pick up is “to let or put people or things into a car, bus, ship or something else.” Note the wording “pick us up.” The pronoun direct object “us” is in the middle of the verb pick up. When a phrasal verb is separable, pronoun direct objects go in the middle. take off Okay, onto our next verb – take off. It’s a verb with many meanings but today’s meaning is easy: It is intransitive and means “to begin to fly.” Here’s how the speaker used it: The plane finally took off at 9:00. get in Next is the verb get in, another intransitive verb. Let’s hear how it was used: What time did you get in? Around 4:00. You may remember that get in means “to arrive at a place.” look forward to (something) And finally we have look forward to. This verb is made of three words. It is transitive and inseparable. Here’s how you heard it used: That’s great! I’m looking forward to my next big trip! To look forward to something means “to expect it with pleasure.” The direct object is “my next big trip.” Join us next week for Part II: useful travel words and phrases. We’re looking forward to it! I’m Alice Bryant. Alice Bryant wrote this story for Everyday Grammar. Caty Weaver was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Practice Now, you try it! When was the last time you traveled? Did you have a good time? We want to read about your trip! Write a paragraph about it and use two or three of today’s phrasal verbs. Remember that some of the verbs take direct objects and some do not. And, placement of the direct object depends on whether the verb is separable. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story phrase – n. a group of two or more words that express a single idea but do not usually form a complete sentence preposition – n. a word or group of words that is used to show direction, location or time adverb – n. a word is often used to show time, manner, place or degree kiosk – n. a small structure that provides information and services on a computer screen down – adj. not working hostel – n. an inexpensive place for usually young travelers to stay overnight pronoun – n. a word (such as I, he, she, us) that is used instead of a noun or tense – n. a form of a verb that is used to show when an action happened
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/words-to-travel-with-part-1/4687812.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/words-to-travel-with-part-1/4687812.html
Why does 'x' mean 'kiss'?
What does the letter 'x' all by itself at the end of a message mean? We'll tell you.
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06tv580
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06tv580
English Vocab Builder #12 - Columbus Day
Learn English with EnglishClass101.com! Our English vocabulary lists are listener favorites, and now we’ve made it even better! In each lesson, you’ll hear the English words and phrases from the English vocabulary lists. Join us for English Vocab Builder! In this lesson, you’ll learn Must-Know words and phrases for Columbus Day. [...]
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/english-vocab-builder-12-columbus-day/
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/english-vocab-builder-12-columbus-day/
Wednesday, 5 December 2018
Win round
New Entry: 'Win round' has just been added to the Phrasal Verbs area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/reference/phrasal-verbs/win.html#Win-round
Win back
New Entry: 'Win back' has just been added to the Phrasal Verbs area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/reference/phrasal-verbs/win.html#Win-back
Win out
New Entry: 'Win out' has just been added to the Phrasal Verbs area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/reference/phrasal-verbs/win.html#Win-out
Win through
New Entry: 'Win through' has just been added to the Phrasal Verbs area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/reference/phrasal-verbs/win.html#Win-through
Win over
New Entry: 'Win over' has just been added to the Phrasal Verbs area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/reference/phrasal-verbs/win.html#Win-over
Tuesday, 4 December 2018
Do You See What I See?
It was beautiful in Washington, DC, this morning! I could see the sun shining and hear birds singing. So, I decided to walk to work. As I walked down 6th Street, I smelled a delicious scent. I followed it and found a lovely French bakery! There, I saw all kinds of baked goods. So, I bought a delicious croissant and it tasted wonderful. Now that I’m here, I can tell you all about sense verbs – verbs related to the five senses: smell, hearing, sight, taste and touch. Some senses have more than one verb. We’ll see examples of many of them today. But first, let’s learn what makes these verbs so special. Why are they special? To start, sense verbs can act as linking verbs or action verbs, giving each verb two or more meanings. Linking verbs connect the subject to a word or group of words that describe or identify it. Take the sentence “My forehead feels hot.” Here, “feels” is a linking verb. It connects the subject (my forehead) to the description of it (hot). But, as action verbs, sense verbs describe a physical or mental action. For example, “I felt my forehead” and “I touched my forehead” use action verbs. They express having put one’s hand on the forehead, which is a physical action. Making sentences Second, linking verbs and action verbs have different sentence structure. For linking verbs, the structure is subject + linking verb + more information about the subject. As linking verbs, sense verbs are often followed by adjectives or the word “like” plus a noun phrase. They are not followed by objects or adverbs. In the sentence, “My forehead feels hot,” the word “hot” is an adjective that describes the subject (my forehead). We do not use adverbs – such as hotly – after linking verbs. And, if I say, “My forehead feels like a frying pan,” I am using the linking verb structure like + a noun phrase. The noun phrase is “a frying pan.” For action verbs, the structure is subject + action verb + the rest of the sentence. As action verbs, sense verbs are often followed by objects. In the sentence, “I touched my forehead,” the words “my forehead” are the object. Happening now? Third, we do not usually use sense linking verbs in continuous forms – the be + -ing verb forms. We would not say, for example, “My forehead is feeling hot” even if it is happening right now. But, as action verbs, we sometimes do use sense verbs in the continuous form. For example, someone might ask by phone, “Did you taste the food?” And, the other person might answer, “I am tasting it right now.” A little verb game! Okay, now let’s play a game! I will give you two examples for each sense. Your job is to think about which uses a linking verb and which uses an action verb. Then, write your answers in the comments area. Here’s a hint: If you can replace the verb with “is” and the sentence still makes sense, it is probably a linking verb. For example, if I replace “feel” with “is,” the sentence “My forehead is hot” still makes sense. Touch We will start with the sense of touch. One example is about physical touch. The other is a description of a physical state: Feel my skin. It’s so dry. Your skin does feel dry! Here – use my lotion. Smell Now, let’s try the verb “smell.” One meaning is about using the nose to physically take in a smell. The other is about noticing the smell of something. She leaned over and smelled the food. Your food smells delicious. Can I have some? Taste Next is the verb “taste.” One meaning is to take a small amount of food into the mouth to learn its flavor. The other describes the flavor of something. Can you taste the fish? I added more lemon. I just tried it. It tastes like a big lemon! Sight For the sense of sight, we can use the verb “see” or “look,” depending on what we want to say. It’s really dark in here. I can’t see anything! I just found the lights. Wow, you look frightened. Hearing And, finally, we move to the sense of hearing. We can use the verb “hear” or “sound,” depending on what we want to say. Now for examples. I hear singing outside my window. I wonder who it is. Your voice sounds lovely! Where’d you learn to sing? Well, we hope you liked what you heard. See you next week! And don’t forget to tell us your answers in the comments area. I’m Alice Bryant. Alice Bryant wrote this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. You can also try writing your own sentences with these verbs. Remember that linking verbs and action verbs follow different structures. subject linking verb more about subject My forehead feels hot. The chocolate croissant tasted wonderful. It smells like a flower. subject action verb object I felt my forehead. She tasted the chocolate croissant. The woman smelled the flowers. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story scent – n. a pleasant smell that is produced by something croissant – n. a type of bread roll that has a curved shape and is usually eaten at breakfast forehead – n. the part of the face above the eyes object – n. a noun, pronoun or noun phrase which indicates the person or thing that receives the action of a verb pan – n. a usually shallow and open metal container that has a handle and that is used for cooking or baking lotion – n. a liquid that is rubbed onto your skin or hair flavor – n. the quality of something that you can taste
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/do-you-see-what-i-see-/4678707.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/do-you-see-what-i-see-/4678707.html
Monday, 3 December 2018
How to teach British and American spelling and punctuation
New Entry: 'How to teach British and American spelling and punctuation' has just been added to the Articles area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/articles/how-to-teach-british-american-spelling-punctuation.html
Press the right buttons
New Entry: 'Press the right buttons' has just been added to the Idioms area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/press+the+right+buttons.html
Button it
New Entry: 'Button it' has just been added to the Idioms area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/button+it.html
Right on the button
New Entry: 'Right on the button' has just been added to the Idioms area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/right+on+the+button.html
Sunday, 2 December 2018
English Vocab Builder #152 - Body Parts
Lesson Audio Download MP3
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/english-vocab-builder-152-body-parts/
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/english-vocab-builder-152-body-parts/
Button up
New Entry: 'Button up' has just been added to the Phrasal Verbs area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/reference/phrasal-verbs/button.html#Button-up
Giving Directions- Drawing Games
New Entry: 'Giving Directions- Drawing Games' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/teachers/lesson-plans/view-giving-directions-drawing-games/
Friday, 30 November 2018
Lesson 13: Happy Birthday, William Shakespeare!
Summary It's a Sunday afternoon in Washington, D.C. Anna is bored. She finds something interesting to do when she hears music playing. Speaking In this video, learn to say the new words. Learn to talk about cause and effect. You can also download the Activity Sheet and practice talking about your usual - and unusual - activities. Pronunciation In this video, you learn about what happens when two words with same sound come together. Conversation Anna: Hello! In Washington D.C. there are many things to do on a Sunday afternoon. I like to exercise. I like to shop. I like to garden. But today I feel bored. When I feel bored I always look for something unusual to do! I hear music. Let’s go see! What is going on here? Rebecca: It’s a big birthday party for the writer William Shakespeare. Anna: This is a party for William Shakespeare? Rebecca: Yes! Anna: Awesome! Rebecca: Awesome! Anna: This is a drum band. I never listen to a drum band. But today I am listening to a drum band because it’s Shakespeare’s birthday! Anna: This is a puppet show. I never watch puppet shows. But today I am watching a puppet show because it’s Shakespeare’s birthday! Anna: My clothes are usual. His clothes are unusual. Anna: In Washington, D.C. seeing a politician or even the President is usual. Seeing the Queen of England is very unusual! Your majesty! Anna: This is sword fighting. I never sword fight. But today I am sword fighting because it’s Shakespeare’s birthday! Anna: There are many things to do on a Sunday in Washington, D.C. -- some usual, some unusual. Anna: Today, I am not bored because … it is William Shakespeare’s birthday! Writing What do you usually do on a Sunday afternoon? (Or on your day off.) Send us an email or write about how frequently you do different activities in the Comments section. Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice with a friend. Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. The learning strategy for this lesson is Make an Inference. Learning English is easier when you can make an inference about meaning. Here is an example. Rory is traveling. At the airport, he is looking for his airline when he walks into a woman by mistake. She yells at him, "Hey, don't be so inconsiderate! Watch where you're going!" Rory does not know the word "inconsiderate." But the woman's angry face and loud voice help him to understand that she is angry. He makes the inference that "inconsiderate" means "rude," or "impolite," and he quickly apologizes. "Oh, I'm very sorry! I am looking for the airline desk." The woman says, "Okay, but be more careful." How do you make inferences in studying English? Write to us in the Comments section or send us an email. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan for more details on teaching this strategy. Listening Quiz Test your understanding by taking this listening quiz. ______________________________________________________________ New Words band – n. a usually small group of musicians who play popular music together because – conj. for the reason that birthday - n. the day when someone was born or the anniversary of that day bored – adj. tired and annoyed by too much of the same thing; not interested drum - n. a musical instrument that is made with a thin layer of skin or plastic stretched over the end of a round frame and that is played by hitting the skin or plastic with sticks or with your hands exercise – v. physical activity that is done in order to become stronger and healthier fight - v. to use weapons or physical force to try to hurt someone, to defeat an enemy, etc. or to struggle in battle or physical combat party - n. a social event in which entertainment, food, and drinks are provided politician - n. someone who is active in government usually as an elected official President - n. the head of the government in some countries puppet - n. a doll that is moved by putting your hand inside it or by pulling strings or wires that are attached to it Queen - n. a woman who rules a country and who usually inherits her position and rules for life shop – v. to visit places where goods are sold in order to look at and buy things show - n. a performance in a theater that usually includes singing and dancing sword - n. a weapon with a long metal blade that has a sharp point and edge unusual - adj. different or strange in a way that attracts attention usual – adj. done, found, or used most of the time or in most cases, or normal or regular watch - v. to look at (someone or something) for an amount of time and pay attention to what is happening ______________________________________________________________ Free Materials Download the VOA Learning English Word Book for a dictionary of the words we use on this website. Each Let's Learn English lesson has an Activity Sheet for extra practice on your own or in the classroom. In this lesson, you can use it to practice using frequency adverbs to talk about For Teachers See the Lesson Plan for this lesson for ideas and more teaching resources. Send us an email if you have comments on this course or questions. Grammar focus: Frequency adverbs, cause and effect phrases Topics: Usual and unusual activities Learning Strategy: Make an Inference Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: Using frequency adverbs to talk about cause and effect; blended sounds ______________________________________________________________ Now it's your turn. Send us an email or write to us in the Comments section below or on our Facebook page to let us know what you think of this lesson.
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/lets-learn-english-lesson-13-happy-birthday-william-shakespeare/3312239.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/lets-learn-english-lesson-13-happy-birthday-william-shakespeare/3312239.html
Know Your Verbs #15 - Verb: “Stand”
Lesson Video Download Video
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/know-your-verbs-15-verb-stand/
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/know-your-verbs-15-verb-stand/
Do You See What I See?
It was beautiful in Washington, DC, this morning! I could see the sun shining and hear birds singing. So, I decided to walk to work. As I walked down 6th Street, I smelled a delicious scent. I followed it and found a lovely French bakery! There, I saw all kinds of baked goods. So, I bought a delicious croissant and it tasted wonderful. Now that I’m here, I can tell you all about sense verbs – verbs related to the five senses: smell, hearing, sight, taste and touch. Some senses have more than one verb. We’ll see examples of many of them today. But first, let’s learn what makes these verbs so special. Why are they special? To start, sense verbs can act as linking verbs or action verbs, giving each verb two or more meanings. Linking verbs connect the subject to a word or group of words that describe or identify it. Take the sentence “My forehead feels hot.” Here, “feels” is a linking verb. It connects the subject (my forehead) to the description of it (hot). But, as action verbs, sense verbs describe a physical or mental action. For example, “I felt my forehead” and “I touched my forehead” use action verbs. They express having put one’s hand on the forehead, which is a physical action. Making sentences Second, linking verbs and action verbs have different sentence structure. For linking verbs, the structure is subject + linking verb + more information about the subject. As linking verbs, sense verbs are often followed by adjectives or the word “like” plus a noun phrase. They are not followed by objects or adverbs. In the sentence, “My forehead feels hot,” the word “hot” is an adjective that describes the subject (my forehead). We do not use adverbs – such as hotly – after linking verbs. And, if I say, “My forehead feels like a frying pan,” I am using the linking verb structure like + a noun phrase. The noun phrase is “a frying pan.” For action verbs, the structure is subject + action verb + the rest of the sentence. As action verbs, sense verbs are often followed by objects. In the sentence, “I touched my forehead,” the words “my forehead” are the object. Happening now? Third, we do not usually use sense linking verbs in continuous forms – the be + -ing verb forms. We would not say, for example, “My forehead is feeling hot” even if it is happening right now. But, as action verbs, we sometimes do use sense verbs in the continuous form. For example, someone might ask by phone, “Did you taste the food?” And, the other person might answer, “I am tasting it right now.” A little verb game! Okay, now let’s play a game! I will give you two examples for each sense. Your job is to think about which uses a linking verb and which uses an action verb. Then, write your answers in the comments area. Here’s a hint: If you can replace the verb with “is” and the sentence still makes sense, it is probably a linking verb. For example, if I replace “feel” with “is,” the sentence “My forehead is hot” still makes sense. Touch We will start with the sense of touch. One example is about physical touch. The other is a description of a physical state: Feel my skin. It’s so dry. Your skin does feel dry! Here – use my lotion. Smell Now, let’s try the verb “smell.” One meaning is about using the nose to physically take in a smell. The other is about noticing the smell of something. She leaned over and smelled the food. Your food smells delicious. Can I have some? Taste Next is the verb “taste.” One meaning is to take a small amount of food into the mouth to learn its flavor. The other describes the flavor of something. Can you taste the fish? I added more lemon. I just tried it. It tastes like a big lemon! Sight For the sense of sight, we can use the verb “see” or “look,” depending on what we want to say. It’s really dark in here. I can’t see anything! I just found the lights. Wow, you look frightened. Hearing And, finally, we move to the sense of hearing. We can use the verb “hear” or “sound,” depending on what we want to say. Now for examples. I hear singing outside my window. I wonder who it is. Your voice sounds lovely! Where’d you learn to sing? Well, we hope you liked what you heard. See you next week! And don’t forget to tell us your answers in the comments area. I’m Alice Bryant. Alice Bryant wrote this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. subject linking verb more about subject My forehead feels hot. The chocolate croissant tasted wonderful. It smells like a flower. subject action verb object I felt my forehead. She tasted the chocolate croissant. The woman smelled the flowers. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story scent – n. a pleasant smell that is produced by something croissant – n. a type of bread roll that has a curved shape and is usually eaten at breakfast forehead – n. the part of the face above the eyes object – n. a noun, pronoun or noun phrase which indicates the person or thing that receives the action of a verb pan – n. a usually shallow and open metal container that has a handle and that is used for cooking or baking lotion – n. a liquid that is rubbed onto your skin or hair flavor – n. the quality of something that you can taste
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/do-you-see-what-i-see-/4678707.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/do-you-see-what-i-see-/4678707.html
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