Lesson 41: Teamwork Works Best With a Team

Summary Anna meets with her boss, Ms. Weaver, for her yearly review. Ms. Weaver wants Anna to have higher numbers for the audience of her show. How will Anna make her audience numbers go up? Speaking In this video, learn how to say the new words. Then learn about sentences that include the words "if" and "will." These are called present real conditional sentences. Pronunciation When we want our listener to notice one or two words in a sentence, we can say them louder, or put more emphasis on them. Learn how to do that in this video. Conversation Anna: Hi. I am walking to work. Today my boss will tell me what she thinks of my work. Is it good? Or is it bad? Okay, time for work. I am going right now. Okay, okay, I’m going! Ms. Weaver: Anna, hello. Anna: Hello. Ms. Weaver: Sit down. As you know, at the start of a new year we have a work review. Anna: Yes. It’s time for mine. Ms. Weaver: Yes. Anna, this chart shows the audience of The Time Traveling Treehouse. If you look at it, you will see something bad. Your audience is going down, down, DOWN! Anna: Ms. Weaver, I think the chart is upside down. Anna: Here, let’s flip that around. Now, it’s right-side up. Ms. Weaver: Oh. If you look at this chart, you will see something good. Your audience is big. Anna: Good! Ms. Weaver: But not big enough. Anna: Not good. Ms. Weaver: I want to see these numbers go up, and up, and UP! Anna: How? Ms. Weaver: I have something -- idea posters! Anna: (whispers) Idea posters. Ms. Weaver: You really ought to think seriously about them. I like this one. Please read it. Anna: “If at first you SUCCEED; you will be a success.” Well, it's a cute cat. Ms. Weaver: Here’s another one. I like it. Anna: “WORKING HARD looks hard because it really is hard.” I see. It's another cute cat. Ms. Weaver: This is my favorite. Anna: “TEAMWORK works best with a team.” A team of cats. Look at all those cats! Ms. Weaver: So, Anna, do you understand what I want? Anna: Yes, Ms. Weaver. I understand. Anna: Okay, team. There is a problem in the Treehouse. Amelia: Problem? What's the problem? Anna: Our audience is big. Bryan: But that's a good thing. Anna:  No, it is not big enough. Anna: Please don’t worry. I know what Ms. Weaver wants. Here’s the plan. (whispers) Bryan: Is that what she wants? Amelia: Are you sure? Anna: Yes. Let’s get to work! Anna: Good job, team. This is exactly what Ms. Weaver wants! Anna: Welcome to The Time Traveling Treehouse! Today you will learn about a very popular pet … cats! MINDY: Anna. Did I give you enough cats? Anna: I don’t know, MINDY. I think we need more cats!   Writing In this lesson, what do you think Ms. Weaver wants? Do you ever have trouble understanding the advice that others give you? Write to us by email or in the Comments section. Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet, and practice making sentences with "if." Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. The learning strategy for this lesson is Use Selective Attention.  When you are listening in English, sometimes we can't understand every word. At those times, you can listen for the important words and try your best to understand. In this lesson, Anna tries to understand Ms. Weaver. Ms. Weaver wants Anna to get a bigger audience. But Anna pays attention to the cats in the posters that Ms. Weaver shows her. She thinks Ms. Weaver wants to see more cats in The Time Traveling Treehouse. When you use selective attention, you may not always understand perfectly. But you can always ask a question to check on your understanding. Anna did not ask to make sure of what Ms.Weaver wanted. In real life, you should check your understanding when you use selective attention. Do you ever use selective attention? Do you think Anna made a mistake when she used selective attention in this lesson? Write to us about it in the Comments section or send us an email. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan for more details on teaching this strategy. Quiz Listen to short videos and test your listening skills with this quiz. ______________________________________________________________ New Words audience - n. the people who watch, read, or listen to something cat - n. a small animal that is related to lions and tigers and that is often kept by people as a pet chart- n. information in the form of a table or a diagram cute - adj. having a pleasing and usually youthful appearance exactly - adv. used to stress that something is accurate, complete, or correct flip - v. to cause (something) to turn or turn over quickly meow - v. to make a crying sound as cats do pet - n. an animal (such as a dog, cat, bird, or fish) that people keep mainly for pleasure poster - n. a usually large picture that is put on walls as a decoration review - n. an act of carefully looking at or examining the quality or condition of something or someone right-side up - noun phrase. with the top or correct side facing up succeed - v. to do what you are trying to do or to achieve the correct or desired result success - n. a person or thing that succeeds teamwork - n. the work done by people who work together as a team to do something upside down- adv. in such a way that the upper and the lower parts are reversed in position   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 making conditional sentences. 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: Future Real Conditional (If clauses) Topics: Asking for & giving feedback about job performance; Identifying ways to improve performance at work or school; Interpreting advice Learning Strategy: Use Selective Attention Speaking & Pronunciation: Pronouncing contrastive stress   ____________________________________________________________ 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-41-teamwork/3635015.html

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Know Your Verbs #9 - Verb: “Show”

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source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/know-your-verbs-9-verb-show/

Forming Questions, Part 1: Subject Questions

  It would be impossible to go through life without asking questions. So, learning to form questions correctly is an important exercise for English learners. But it can also be one of the most frustrating ones. There are a few reasons for this. First, many questions use auxiliary verbs. Auxiliary verbs are known as “helping verbs." We add them to main verbs to help make our meaning clearer. The verbs “do,” “be,” and “have” act as auxiliary verbs in many kinds of questions.   Second, there are about six kinds of questions in the English language. In earlier Everyday Grammar programs, we told you about three complex kinds: tag questions, reported questions and indirect questions. But we have not yet told you about the three most basic kinds of questions: subject questions, object questions and yes or no questions. Each kind follows its own grammar rules. Today, we’ll tell you about subject questions. What are subject questions? Subject questions are questions we ask when we want information about the subject of something. The subject of a sentence is the person or thing that performs the action. We use subject questions to ask who or which person or thing does something: for example, “Who rode the train to work?” and “Which fruits make the best juice?” Subject questions follow the same subject-verb structure as statements. “Who rode the train to work?” for example, has the same structure as its statement form would have: “I rode the train the work.” Unlike some kinds of questions, we do not invert the subject and verb in subject questions. You can usually identify a subject question by looking for the word “who” or “which” at the beginning of it. But, not all questions beginning with these words are subject questions. We’ll say more on that later. Simple tenses You may have noticed that the examples “Who rode the train to work?” and “Which fruits make the best juice?” used simple verb tenses. Subject questions often use the simple tenses: simple present, simple past and simple future. However, sometimes subject questions do use other verb tenses, usually the present continuous or past continuous. In those cases, you will see auxiliary verbs before the main verbs. Let’s hear examples of present and past continuous. Here is the present continuous: Who is coming with me to pick up the supplies? The auxiliary verb “be” appears as “is.” And here’s a past continuous: Who was watching the dog when it got out? The auxiliary verb “be” appears as “was.” Using the auxiliary Despite that subject questions with these verb tenses use the auxiliary verb “be,” subject questions with simple tenses do not use auxiliary verbs when the questions are positive. Think back to one of the examples of a positive subject question. We did not say, “Who did ride the train to work?” We said, “Who rode the train to work?” But suppose we wanted to ask a negative subject question. We would need to use the auxiliary verb “do.” And, the auxiliary appears immediately after the question word “who” or “which.” Listen to a subject question in its negative form: Who didn’t ride the train to work? The original question used the past tense verb “rode.” So, the negative version used “didn’t ride,” which is also the past tense. Now let’s change another positive subject question into the negative. The question is “Who likes pizza?” Notice that it’s in the present tense. Let’s hear its negative version: Who doesn’t like pizza? Notice that the negative version “doesn’t like” is also in the present tense. Avoiding confusion Throughout your English learning, you may have seen positive questions that began with “who” or “which” but still use the auxiliary verb “do.” Listen to an example: Who does she want to write about? But do not be confused by this. This question is not asking about the subject. It is asking about the object. The answer, for example, might be “She wants to write about Malala Yousafzai.” Here, then, the question is really asking about the object, which is “Malala Yousafzai,” not about the subject, which is “she.” If it were a subject question, it would be something like this: Who wants to write about Malala Yousafzai? Again, notice the auxiliary verb “do” is not present. Making subject questions OK, now that you know the key features of a subject question, let’s hear a couple of statements and think about how to make them into subject questions. Sherry broke the glass. “Sherry” is the subject of the sentence. “Broke” is the verb and it’s in simple past. If we wanted to ask a question where the answer is the subject (“Sherry”), the question would be: Who broke the glass? Here’s another statement. Take a listen and think about how to make it into a subject question: This motorbike gets the best gas mileage. “This motorbike” is the subject. The verb is “gets” and is simple present. If we wanted to ask a question where the answer is the subject (“this motorbike”), we would ask: Which motorbike gets the best gas mileage? Forming questions in English can be tricky but understanding each kind can go a long way toward improving your English. Join us again next week to learn more about forming questions. I’m Alice Bryant.   Now, you try it! Make these sentences into subject questions:  I want to help you choose a wedding dress. That movie is my favorite so far this year. He painted a beautiful mural on 2nd Street. We didn't clean the bathroom or kitchen. She is buying a new computer.   Alice Bryant wrote this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   frustrating – adj. causing feelings of annoyance or anger invert – v. to change the position, order, or relationship of things so that they are the opposite of what they had been positive – adj. explicitly stated or expressed negative – adj. expressing denial or refusal feature – n. an interesting or important part, quality or ability mileage – n.  the average number of miles a vehicle will travel on a gallon of gasoline mural – n. a usually large painting that is done directly on the surface of a wall

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/forming-questions-part-1-subject-questions/4550920.html

Street food: Why is it becoming so popular?

Rob and Neil discuss the popularity of street food and teach you six items of vocabulary.

source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06jv9w6

Present or Future- Simplest Responses

New Entry: 'Present or Future- Simplest Responses' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.

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English Vocab Builder #72 - Life Events

Learn English with EnglishClass101.com! Our English vocabulary lists are listener favorites, and now we’ve made them 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 words and phrases for Life Events. Click here to make your own [...]

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Mistakes And English Conversations

Are you afraid of making mistakes or have you ever made a mistake while speaking in English? If I were you, I would make more mistakes and learn through them. Author Criss Jami in his book; Every Inch in Every Mile says; “Everyone has their own ways of communication. I believe we have a lot […]

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Must-Know American English Slang Words & Phrases #9 - Expressions Related to Comfort

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English Grammar Made Easy #26 - Punctuation: Semicolons

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Curry favour

Learn a spicy expression.

source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06jmght

Worry About Mistakes When Speaking?

Are you feeling so embarrassed because of the English mistake you’ve made? It’s okay to make mistakes and everyone makes mistakes well learning a new language. It can occur either …

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Absolute Beginner American English for Every Day #90 - 10 Phrases You Can Use at a Bar

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Prepositions and Determiners in Academic Writing

New Entry: 'Prepositions and Determiners in Academic Writing' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.

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English Vocab Builder #145 - Top 10 Foods That Will Make You Live Longer

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News #236 - For English Learners: Top 5 Learning Strategies (Steal These for Yourself!)

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Video News #17 - Free English Gifts of the Month - September 2018

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Ask Alisha: Your English Questions Answered #37 - Trip or Travel, Cost or Price, Seems Good or Sounds Good

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Lesson 40: The Woods Are Alive

Summary Anna's New Year’s Resolution is to try something new. She auditions for a play. Will she get the part? Speaking In this video, learn how to say the new words. Then learn about asking for and giving feedback. Pronunciation Use this video to learn about projecting when public speaking. Learn one way to make your voice sound more confident when you speak to a group. Conversation Anna: Happy New Year! Some people, at the start of a new year, make a resolution -- a promise to yourself to be better. I thought about my resolution carefully. I want to be an actor on the stage! Today I will audition for a show called "The Woods Are Alive!" Wish me luck! Director: Next! What is your name? Anna: My name is Anna Matteo. Director: Are you ready to audition? Anna: (warms up voice) Yes. Director: Great. Let's begin on page 1. Here is the story. You are lost in the woods. You are searching desperately for a way out. Suddenly, you hear something. Director: Now, say your line. Anna: 'What was that? Hello. Is someone there?' Director: Anna, you are speaking too softly. Can you speak more loudly and a little more, um, seriously? Anna: Yes, of course I can. 'What was that? Hello. Is someone there?' Is that loud enough? Director: Yes, that is loud enough. Let's turn to page 25. In this scene, you are moving slowly and quietly through the woods. Director: Anna. Anna! You are walking quickly and loudly. Walk slowly and quietly. Anna: I'm walking slowly and quietly. I am walking… Director: Anna. Anna. You don't need to say "slowly" and "quietly." Alright, let's try the last scene. Turn to page 48. I say my line first, then you say your line. Director: 'You will never get out of these woods alive! Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!' Anna: 'Yes, I will.' Director: Okay, Anna, you said that line -- you said that line really late. You need to say it earlier. Anna: Sorry. Sorry. Let me try again. Director: 'You will never …' Anna: 'Yes, I will.' Director: '… get out of the woods alive.' Anna: I was too early, wasn't I? Director: Yes. Yes, you were. Anna: Director, how am I doing? Director: You know, Anna. I think that I have the perfect part for you. Director: The costume is in the back. Please go try it on. Anna: Awesome! (Anna returns as a tree.) Director: Oh, Anna, that fits you perfectly! Anna: I'm a tree. I'm a tree in … "The Woods Are Alive!" Yes! Anna: My new year is starting awesomely! Excuse me, Director! I have a great idea for my tree. Oh, wait! Until next time!   Writing In this lesson, Anna tries something new. What new activity do you want to try in 2017? Why do you want to do it? Write to us by email or in the Comments section. Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice using adverbs as well as acting out and guessing everyday activities. Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. The learning strategy for this lesson is self-evaluate. When we speak English or try to do something new, it helps to self-evaluate, or check how well we are doing it. In this lesson, when Anna asks the director of the play, "How am I doing?" she wants to learn how well she is acting. The director tells her that she said her line too late. Later, Anna notices a problem: "I was too early, wasn’t I?' She is self-evaluating. This strategy can help to make her a better actor. Do you ever self-evaluate when you speak English? Write to us about it in the Comments section or send us an email. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan for more details on teaching this strategy. Quiz Listen to short videos and test your listening skills with this quiz. ______________________________________________________________ New Words actor - n. a person who acts in a play or a movie audition - n. a short performance to show the talents of someone (such as an actor or a musician) who is being considered for a role in a play or a position in an orchestra desperately - adv. in a way that is very sad and or upset manner because of having little or no hope director - n. a person who directs a play or a movie enough - adj. equal to what is needed line - n. the words that an actor speaks in a play, movie or TV show loudly - adv. in a manner that makes or causes a lot of noise page - n. one side of a sheet of paper quickly - adv. at a fast speed; rapidly quietly - adv. in a manner that makes little noise resolution - n. a promise to yourself that you will make a serious effort to do something that you should do scene - n. a division of an act in a play during which the action takes place in a single place without a break in time script - n. the written form of a play, movie, or television show softly - adv. in a quiet voice or manner stage - n. a raised platform in a theater or auditorium where the performers stand suddenly - adv. very quickly in usually an unexpected way ______________________________________________________________ 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 acting out and guessing everyday activities. 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: Adverbs (loudly, quietly, slowly); Comparatives of adverbs (more seriously); Review agent nouns (actor, director) Topics: New Year resolutions; Describing people’s actions Learning Strategy: Self-Evaluate Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: Asking for & giving feedback​; Projecting when public speaking​ ____________________________________________________________ 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-40-the-woods-are-alive/3630341.html

Ask Alisha: Your English Questions Answered #35 - Improve Your Spelling Mistakes

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Ask Alisha: Your English Questions Answered #36 - Verb + to + infinitive, or Verb + -ing

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Mmm, That's Good! Using Interjections

Oops! I spilled some coffee. Hmm… Let me think about it. Woohoo! That’s great news. Let’s celebrate. To the untrained ear, sounds like “oops” “hmm” and “woohoo” may seem like nonsense. But in English, these sounds carry a lot of meaning. We call them “interjections.” And the English language has hundreds of them. Interjections are informal sounds, words or phrases that express the reactions or emotions of the speaker. There are interjections for nearly any feeling or response, such as excitement, happiness, surprise or disappointment. Because there are so many English interjections, the best way to learn them is to hear how they’re used. For example, if I accidentally spilled coffee, my reaction would probably be one of regret. So, I might say, “Oops!” Listen to how it is used: Oops! I spilled some coffee. But don’t worry—I’ll clean it up. We use “oops” to show regret for having done or said something wrong. It’s like saying, “I made a mistake.” When do we use them? Native English speakers use interjections every day. And that includes everyone from babies to older adults. In fact, a baby’s first word might be an interjection. A baby might say “ow” or “ouch!” when they touch something too hot or “yum!” when their food tastes delicious. But an adult might, too. Interjections are used in spoken English, informal writing and creative writing, including in books, films and songs. You may remember American singer Britney Spears’ most famous song, “Oops! ...I Did It Again” in which she shows regret for breaking someone’s heart. We do not use interjections in formal writing, such as essays or research papers. And, we usually avoid them in professional messages, such as business letters or emails. Yet, their informal status does not make them any less useful of a communication tool. Even respected dictionaries now include their meanings. Primary vs. secondary There are two types of interjections: primary and secondary. Primary interjections are individual words and sounds that are used only as interjections. They have no other meanings or uses, such as the words from earlier in our program: “oops,” “hmm,” “woohoo,” “ow,” “ouch,” and “yum.” Secondary interjections are words or phrases that already belong to other parts of speech, such as “boy,” “awesome,” and “oh my God.” These words all have separate meanings as interjections. For example, the original meaning of the word “boy” is male child. But as an interjection, its meaning is completely different. It is used to express a strong reaction, such as interest or surprise. Here's an example: My cat destroyed my roommate’s favorite plant. Boy, was he mad! But I promised to replace it by Sunday. Using the interjection “boy” brings attention to the extent of the roommate’s anger. Parts of speech Even though interjections are informal, they are parts of speech. They can be nouns, verbs or adverbs. Here is an interjection as a noun: Baloney! That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. Using the word “baloney” is a direct – and somewhat confrontational – way of saying, “I don’t agree with that.” …as a verb: Get out! The tickets sold out in 15 minutes. That’s impossible. “Get out” means “I don’t believe it” and is usually used in a friendly way. …and as an adverb: Uh-uh. I can’t make it today. I have a meeting at 5pm. “Uh-uh” simply means “no” but is usually used to emphasize a negative answer to a question, request or offer. But be careful not to mistake “uh-uh” with an interjection that sounds and looks similar but has the opposite meaning: “Uh-huh.” It means yes. It can also be used to show that you agree or understand. Here’s an example: Do you know what I mean? Uh-huh. I feel the same way. Punctuation Interjections do not follow usual English rules of punctuation. They mostly have no relationship to other parts of a sentence. So, they are usually written separately and followed by an exclamation point or a period. This is because their meanings alone can often express a complete thought. Earlier in the program, for example, we told you that “oops” means “I made a mistake.” That is a complete thought, so it does not need to be part of a sentence. Still, we can follow them with a comma. You could, for example, write, “Oops, I spilled some coffee” with a comma following “oops” instead of a period or exclamation point. The punctuation usually depends on the emotion you are expressing. To show excitement, we usually use an exclamation point after an interjection, which keeps it separate from sentences. Common interjections OK, now let’s learn a few more common interjections: If something is generally unpleasant, whether in appearance, taste or smell, you can say “yuck,” “eww,” “ick,” or “blech.” If you want to say something tastes or smells good, you can use “mmm” or “yum.” If you are frustrated or upset about something, you might say “ugh” or “argh.” One thing to note: Different parts of the United States may use different interjections. Listen again to the example with “baloney.” Baloney! That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. The word “baloney” is most common in the northeastern United States. And, other forms of English, such as British English, share only some  interjections with American English. Listen for American English interjections the next time you are watching a movie or television show or listening to music. And let us know what you find. I’m Alice Bryant.   Alice Bryant wrote this story for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. Now, you try it! Try using a few of the interjections from today’s program. You can also use the table below. Write your answers in the Comments section. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   informal – adj. relaxed in tone : not suited for serious or official speech and writing phrase – n. a group of two or more words that express a single idea but do not usually form a complete sentence essay – n. a short piece of writing that tells a person's thoughts or opinions about a subject dictionary – n. a reference book that contains words listed in alphabetical order and that gives information about the words' meanings, forms, pronunciations, etc. original – adj. happening or existing first or at the beginning emphasize – v.  to give special attention to (something) punctuation – n. the marks (such as periods and commas) in a piece of writing that make its meaning clear and that separate it into sentences, clauses, etc. frustrated – adj. very angry, discouraged, or upset because of being unable to do or complete something

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/mmm-that-s-good-get-to-know-interjections/4537773.html

Are smartphones killing cameras?

Catherine and Neil talk about photography and teach you six items of related vocabulary.

source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06j7384

Video Culture Class: American Holidays #24 - Hanukkah

Learn more about American culture with EnglishClass101.com! Ever wondered what the most important American holidays are, and how they are celebrated? Then this 25-lesson video series is for you! With this series, you’ll learn the what, why, when and how of 25 well-known holidays in the US. In this video, you’ll learn all about Hanukkah in [...]

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/video-culture-class-american-holidays-24-hanukkah/

Absolute Beginner American English for Every Day #72 - Top 10 Must-Know Phrases For the Restaurant

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PMBI

New Entry: 'PMBI' has just been added to the Chatlish area of UsingEnglish.com. This entry is only available in our members' area.

source https://www.usingenglish.com/members/idioms/view.php?show=Chatlish&entry_id=27285

Stammer and Stutter

New Entry: 'Stammer and Stutter' has just been added to the Cockney Rhyming Slang area of UsingEnglish.com. This entry is only available in our members' area.

source https://www.usingenglish.com/members/idioms/view.php?show=Cockney&entry_id=27286

Die on

New Entry: 'Die on' has just been added to the Phrasal Verbs area of UsingEnglish.com.

source https://www.usingenglish.com/reference/phrasal-verbs/die+on.html

Singular and Plural Mimes

New Entry: 'Singular and Plural Mimes' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.

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Must-Know American English Slang Words & Phrases #8 - Expressions Related to Time

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Take the biscuit

A sweet phrase for irritating behaviour.

source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06j17d8

Am I Being Watched? The Continuous Passive Form

In his popular 1980s song, American singer Rockwell sang the words, “I always feel like somebody’s watching me.” He doesn’t know who is watching him. And, I suppose that makes it even more frightening. In English, when we don’t know who is performing the action of the verb, or when the subject of a sentence is not very important, we often use the passive voice. In that case, Rockwell could have sung: I always feel like I’m being watched by somebody. But…I suspect it wouldn’t have sounded as good. Still, the structure works great in movie dialogue. In fact, spy movies and crime films often make reference to “being watched” and “being followed.” Both are examples of the passive voice. And, when we make passive sentences with a continuous verb tense, we call it the “continuous passive.” In an earlier program we told you about the passive voice. You may remember that, in active sentences, the subject performs the action of the verb. In passive sentences, the subject receives the action of the verb. Today, we’ll discuss the continuous passive form. The most commonly used verb tenses for this form are present continuous and past continuous. For now, let’s keep going with the present continuous. Present Continuous Passive We don’t need a theatrical example. There are plenty of real life situations where we use present continuous passive. Here are just a few: Let’s say you’re in a busy electronics store. Several people are looking at products. And, workers are walking around helping them. One comes to you and says: Good afternoon, are you being helped? You answer: No, not yet. Thanks. Can you show me your three most popular sound systems? In the United States, you will hear the question “Are you being helped?” at busy stores, markets and restaurants. Another situation where this form is useful is when something has been sent for repair. Suppose your car breaks down on your way to work. You take it to an auto shop. Then, you call your boss and say: My car is being fixed. I’ll order a taxi to get to work. The structure for the present continuous passive is: subject + is/are + BEING + the past participle. Note that the person who is fixing the car is not mentioned in the sentence “My car is being fixed.” Leaving out the person or thing doing the action is common in passive statements. Past Continuous Passive OK, now imagine that your car has been fixed. How can you say it with the past continuous passive form? Let’s listen: My car was being fixed. But I have it back now.  The only word we changed in the sentence about the car was “is.” We changed it to the past tense “was.” Nothing else changes. So, the structure for past continuous passive is: subject + was or were + BEING + past participle. Notice that, in the continuous passive, the word “being” is always present – no matter what the verb tense is. Another place we often see the continuous passive is in news reporting. Here’s an example: Hundreds of children are being held at detention centers. Yet, suppose the children were reunited with their families. How might we change the example to past continuous passive? Let’s listen: Hundreds of children were being held at detention centers. We simply changed the word “are” to “were.” Nothing else changed. Easy, so far? Good! How to Make Continuous Passive To make it even simpler, let’s look at it in steps. We’ll start with an active sentence with a present continuous verb and change it to passive voice. The first step is to locate the subject, verb and object. Take a listen and give it a try: The men are cleaning the boats. Did you find the subject, verb and object? “The men” is the subject. “Are cleaning” is the verb. And “the boats” is the object. Once we’ve identified the object, we can make our passive sentence. To do this, the object becomes the subject, so we put it first. The verb is next and the new object (the men) is last. Here’s how it sounds:​ The boats are being cleaned by the men. Pay close attention to how the verb changed. It went from the active “are cleaning” to the passive “are being cleaned.” Notice that the word “cleaning” changes to the past participle: “cleaned.” Remove the person or thing doing the action. Earlier in the program, we told you that, in a passive sentence, the person or thing doing the action is often not important so, in this example, we’ll remove it. Let’s listen: The boats are being cleaned. Now, we’ll change it to the past continuous passive. Listen: The boats were being cleaned. The “are” changes to “were.” There are no other changes. Being vs. Getting In casual American English, we sometimes replace the word “being” with “getting” for the continuous passive form. Here’s how one of our earlier examples sounds with “getting:” My car is getting fixed. My car was getting fixed. But this form is not acceptable for formal, written English. So, we won’t use it in our practice today. Now, you try it!  OK, now it’s your turn. Make the following active sentences into passive ones. For this exercise, be sure to remove the person or thing doing the action. For example, the active sentence “The restaurant is serving dinner on the patio” would be “Dinner is being served on the patio” in the passive form. The words “the restaurant” have been removed. Here are your sentences: She was painting the living room red. They are driving the girls to the soccer match. They were negotiating for more territory. Were you recording me without permission? Write your answers in the Comments section. I’m Alice Bryant.    Present Continuous ACTIVE Present Continuous PASSIVE Past Continuous PASSIVE I always feel like somebody’s watching me. I always feel like I’m being watched (by somebody). I always felt like I was being watched (by somebody). Is someone helping you? Are you being helped (by someone)? Were you being helped (by someone)? The mechanic is fixing my car. My car is being fixed (by the mechanic). My car was being fixed (by the mechanic). The agency is holding hundreds of children at detention centers. Hundreds of children are being held at detention centers (by the agency). Hundreds of children were being held at detention centers (by the agency). The restaurant is serving dinner on the patio. Dinner is being served on the patio (by the restaurant). Dinner was being served on the patio (by the restaurant). The men are cleaning the boats. The boats are being cleaned (by the men). The boats were being cleaned (by the men).   Words in This Story passive – adj. showing that the subject of a sentence is acted on or affected by the verb dialogue – n. the things that are said by the characters in a story, movie, play, etc. mention – v. to talk about, write about or refer to something or someone, especially in a brief way casual – adj. not formal or official practice – n. the activity of doing something again and again in order to become better at it patio – n. a flat area of ground, usually behind a house or restaurant, that is used for sitting and relaxing  

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/am-i-being-watched-the-continuous-passive-/4529468.html

Extensive Reading in English for Absolute Beginners #6 - Baby Animals

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Lesson 39: It’s Unbelievable!

Summary Anna sees an ad for a hair product on television. Her friend Pete is in the ad, so she believes that the product is a good one. She learns that she cannot believe everything she sees in television ads. Speaking In this video, learn how to say the new words. Then learn about using negative prefixes with adjectives.​ Pronunciation Use this video to learn about the pronunciation of the words "comfortable" and "uncomfortable." Conversation Anna: Hello! Winter weather in Washington, D.C. can be really windy. And wind messes up my hair. It is really windy today. Look at my hair. Will it be windy this weekend? I’ll listen to the news. I am tired of my untidy hair. Pete: Are you tired of your untidy hair? Anna: Yes. Yes, I am. And it’s … uncomfortable. Pete: Is it … uncomfortable? Anna: Yes. Yes, it is! Hey, is that … Pete? Pete: Hi. I’m Pete. And I have the perfect product for you -- Hair Be Good! Pete: Just spray Hair Be Good on your hair … wrap in a towel … and you are done! Hair Be Good works and it’s inexpensive. One can costs only $10! So, go online and order your Hair Be Good today! Anna: Hair Be Good sounds perfect! And I can trust Pete! I am buying some right now. Okay, I will order one can of Hair Be Good for $10. I’ll pay with a credit card. My delivery will arrive in 2 days. Awesome! Anna: It arrived! I'll use it before I go to work. Okay, Hair Be Good, make my untidy hair tidy! No, make it … fabulous! Amelia: Hi, Anna. Anna: Hello, Amelia! Amelia: Anna, you look … different. Anna: Thanks! I used a new product called Hair Be Good. Amelia: Well, it’s not. Anna: It’s not what? Amelia: Good. Your hair does not look good. Anna: Oh, no! This is not good. Amelia: Why don’t you go home and take care of … this. Anna: Good idea. Pete: Hi, Anna! Anna: Hello, Pete. Pete: Is something wrong? Anna: This is wrong! Pete: What did you do to your hair? Anna: Hair Be Good did this to my hair. Pete: Ah, you bought it! Anna: Yes, I bought it. You said in your ad it was a perfect product. This is not perfect. This is imperfect! Pete: It’s unbelievable! Anna: I believed your ad, Pete. It was dishonest! Pete: Anna, you don’t believe everything you see in ads, do you? Anna: No, Pete. Just the ones with my friends. Pete: Your hair will be okay. Just wash it ... a couple of times. Anna: Thanks. Thanks a lot, Pete! Here, here's your product! You should call it "Hair Be Really Bad!" Until next time, Pete! Till next time. Writing In this lesson, Anna believed an ad she saw on television. It was not a good decision. Do you believe the ads you see on television? Why or why not? Write to us by email or in the Comments section. Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice talking about ads. Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. The learning strategy for this lesson is Asking Questions to Clarify.  When we try to get more information we ask clarification questions. The information may help us to better understand others. In this lesson, Anna asks Amelia to clarify.  Amelia says, "Anna, you look … different." Anna thinks she looks great. She tells Amelia about the new hair product: "Thanks! I used a new product called Hair Be Good." When Amelia says, "Well, it’s not," Anna asks a question to clarify: "It’s not what?" Amelia clarifies, or explains her meaning: "Good. Your hair does not look good." Do you ever ask questions to clarify when you speak English? Write to us about it in the Comments section or send us an email. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan  for more details on teaching this strategy. Quiz Listen to short videos and test your listening skills with this quiz. ______________________________________________________________ New Words can - n.a closed metal container that is usually shaped like a cylinder and that holds food, drink, or other liquids delivery - n. something that is taken to a person or place or something that is delivered dishonest - adj. not honest: such as saying or likely to say things that are untrue imperfect - adj. having mistakes or problems or not perfect fabulous - adj. very good inexpensive - adj. low in price o rnot expensive order - v. to place an order for (something): such as to request (something) from a company product - n. something that is made or grown to be sold or used spray - v. to put a stream of small drops of liquid on (someone or something) tidy - adj. clean and organized or not messy towel - n. a piece of cloth used for drying things unbelievable - adj. difficult or impossible to believe uncomfortable - adj. causing a feeling of physical or mental discomfort untidy - adj. not neat or clean wrap - v. to cover (something) by winding or folding a piece of material around it ______________________________________________________________ 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 advertisements. 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: Adjectives with negative prefixes (in-, un-, dis-, im-) Topics: Shopping online, Interpreting factual statements; Critical thinking about advertisements Learning Strategy: Ask questions to clarify or get more information Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: Using negative prefixes with adjectives; Pronouncing "comfortable" and "uncomfortable."   ____________________________________________________________ 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-39-its-unbelieveable/3598920.html

Know Your Verbs #8 - Verb: “Help”

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Am I Being Watched? The Continuous Passive Form

In his popular 1980s song, American singer Rockwell sang the words, “I always feel like somebody’s watching me.” He doesn’t know who is watching him. And, I suppose that makes it even more frightening. In English, when we don’t know who is performing the action of the verb, or when the subject of a sentence is not very important, we often use the passive voice. In that case, Rockwell could have sung:           I always feel like I’m being watched by somebody. But…I suspect it wouldn’t have sounded as good. Still, the structure works great in movie dialogue. In fact, spy movies and crime films often make reference to “being watched” and “being followed.” Both are examples of the passive voice. And, when we make passive sentences with a continuous verb tense, we call it the “continuous passive.” In an earlier program we told you about the passive voice. You may remember that, in active sentences, the subject performs the action of the verb. In passive sentences, the subject receives the action of the verb. Today, we’ll discuss the continuous passive form. The most commonly used verb tenses for this form are present continuous and past continuous. For now, let’s keep going with the present continuous. Present Continuous Passive We don’t need a theatrical example. There are plenty of real life situations where we use present continuous passive. Here are just a few: Let’s say you’re in a busy electronics store. Several people are looking at products. And, workers are walking around helping them. One comes to you and says: Good afternoon, are you being helped? You answer: No, not yet. Thanks. Can you show me your three most popular sound systems? In the United States, you will hear the question “Are you being helped?” at busy stores, markets and restaurants. Another situation where this form is useful is when something has been sent for repair. Suppose your car breaks down on your way to work. You take it to an auto shop. Then, you call your boss and say:            My car is being fixed. I’ll order a taxi to get to work. The structure for the present continuous passive is: subject + is/are + BEING + the past participle. Note that the person who is fixing the car is not mentioned in the sentence “My car is being fixed.” Leaving out the person or thing doing the action is common in passive statements. Past Continuous Passive OK, now imagine that your car has been fixed. How can you say it with the past continuous passive form? Let’s listen: My car was being fixed. But I have it back now.  The only word we changed in the sentence about the car was “is.” We changed it to the past tense “was.” Nothing else changes. So, the structure for past continuous passive is: subject + was or were + BEING + past participle. Notice that, in the continuous passive, the word “being” is always present – no matter what the verb tense is. Another place we often see the continuous passive is in news reporting. Here’s an example:            Hundreds of children are being held at detention centers. Yet, suppose the children were reunited with their families. How might we change the example to past continuous passive? Let’s listen:          Hundreds of children were being held at detention centers. We simply changed the word “are” to “were.” Nothing else changed. Easy, so far? Good! How to Make Continuous Passive To make it even simpler, let’s look at it in steps. We’ll start with an active sentence with a present continuous verb and change it to passive voice. The first step is to locate the subject, verb and object. Take a listen and give it a try:           The men are cleaning the boats. Did you find the subject, verb and object? “The men” is the subject. “Are cleaning” is the verb. And “the boats” is the object. Once we’ve identified the object, we can make our passive sentence. To do this, the object becomes the subject, so we put it first. The verb is next and the new object (the men) is last. Here’s how it sounds:           The boats are being cleaned by the men. Pay close attention to how the verb changed. It went from the active “are cleaning” to the passive “are being cleaned.” Notice that the word “cleaning” changes to the past participle: “cleaned.” Remove the person or thing doing the action. Earlier in the program, we told you that, in a passive sentence, the person or thing doing the action is often not important so, in this example, we’ll remove it. Let’s listen:            The boats are being cleaned. Now, we’ll change it to the past continuous passive. Listen:           The boats were being cleaned. The “are” changes to “were.” There are no other changes. Being vs. Getting In casual American English, we sometimes replace the word “being” with “getting” for the continuous passive form. Here’s how one of our earlier examples sounds with “getting:”           My car is getting fixed.           My car was getting fixed. But this form is not acceptable for formal, written English. So, we won’t use it in our practice today. Now, you try it!  OK, now it’s your turn. Make the following active sentences into passive ones. For this exercise, be sure to remove the person or thing doing the action. For example, the active sentence “The restaurant is serving dinner on the patio” would be “Dinner is being served on the patio” in the passive form. The words “the restaurant” have been removed. Here are your sentences: She was painting the living room red. They are driving the girls to the soccer match. They were negotiating for more territory. Were you recording me without permission? Write your answers in the Comments section. I’m Alice Bryant.    Present Continuous ACTIVE Present Continuous PASSIVE Past Continuous PASSIVE I always feel like somebody’s watching me. I always feel like I’m being watched (by somebody). I always felt like I was being watched (by somebody). Is someone helping you? Are you being helped (by someone)? Were you being helped (by someone)? The mechanic is fixing my car. My car is being fixed (by the mechanic). My car was being fixed (by the mechanic). The agency is holding hundreds of children at detention centers. Hundreds of children are being held at detention centers (by the agency). Hundreds of children were being held at detention centers (by the agency). The restaurant is serving dinner on the patio. Dinner is being served on the patio (by the restaurant). Dinner was being served on the patio (by the restaurant). The men are cleaning the boats. The boats are being cleaned (by the men). The boats were being cleaned (by the men).   Words in This Story passive – adj. showing that the subject of a sentence is acted on or affected by the verb dialogue – n. the things that are said by the characters in a story, movie, play, etc. mention – v. to talk about, write about or refer to something or someone, especially in a brief way casual – adj. not formal or official practice – n. the activity of doing something again and again in order to become better at it patio – n. a flat area of ground, usually behind a house or restaurant, that is used for sitting and relaxing  

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/am-i-being-watched-the-continuous-passive-/4529468.html

Time Expressions- Same or Different

New Entry: 'Time Expressions- Same or Different' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.

source https://www.usingenglish.com/teachers/lesson-plans/view-time-expressions-same-or-different/

Why do men want to be fathers?

Why do men want children? Catherine and Neil - a father - discuss and teach vocabulary!

source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06hm8hz

English Grammar Made Easy #6 - Introduction to Present Perfect Tense

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English Grammar Made Easy #25 - Using “Could” for Potential

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UN: Ecuador Struggling to Deal With Venezuelan Refugees

  The United Nations refugee agency is increasing its efforts in Ecuador to help the government deal with a large number of people from Venezuela. The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) seeks to protect and assist refugees around the world. UNHCR officials say more than 500,000 Venezuelans have entered Ecuador through the Colombian border this year. That is about 3,000 refugees entering the country each day. The UNHCR reports that number has increased to more than 4,000 people a day arriving in the first week of August. The government of Ecuador declared a state of emergency last week in several areas in an effort to deal with the growing refugee problem. William Spindler is a UNHCR spokesman. He said the agency supports Ecuador’s decision, which permits it to use additional resources to deal with the problem. He also said that the number of people leaving Venezuela “is one of Latin America’s largest mass population movements in history.” Spindler said the refugees walk for days or even weeks in dangerous conditions before reaching Ecuador. He said many are then forced to beg or seek other ways to survive. He noted that about 20 percent of refugees are in need of special protection and assistance. He said, “Women and girls represent 40 percent of the new arrivals and face serious risks of sexual violence.” Spindler added that most Venezuelans entering Ecuador do not end their travels there. Instead, they continue on to Peru and Chile. He said the UNHCR is increasing its emergency services. The agency will provide Ecuador with technical assistance, such as screening and registering the refugees. He says agency workers will identify those Venezuelans in need of special protection and aid. I’m Jonathan Evans. Lisa Schlein reported this story for VOA News. Jonathan Evans adapted it for Learning English.  Mario Ritter was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in this Story   beg – v. to ask people for money or food screening – n. the act of doing a test on a person or a person's blood, urine, etc., to look for evidence of a disease, illegal drug, etc.

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/un-ecuador-struggling-to-deal-with-venezuelan-refugees/4526581.html

It's up to you and ___ to fix this mess.

New Entry: 'It's up to you and ___ to fix this mess.' has just been added to the Language Polls area of UsingEnglish.com.

source https://www.usingenglish.com/poll/1206.html

Step on it

Do you need someone to go faster? Use this informal phrase.

source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06hf83p

Extensive Reading in English for Intermediate Learners #5 - How to Make A Map

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Must-Know American English Slang Words & Phrases #7 - Common Slang Expressions Used in the Workplace

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Absolute Beginner American English for Every Day #87 - 10 Words for Talking about Beauty and Skincare

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Is & Are Drawing Game

New Entry: 'Is & Are Drawing Game' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.

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How to teach present time expressions

New Entry: 'How to teach present time expressions' has just been added to the Articles area of UsingEnglish.com.

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Know Your Verbs #7 - Verb: “Let”

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News #235 - How You Helped Us Reach 1 Billion Lesson Downloads (Story Inside)

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English Vocab Builder #144 - Production

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Lesson 38: She's My Best Friend!

Summary In this lesson, Anna's best friend from her hometown, Penelope, visits Washington, D.C. Anna tells Penelope about her friends and her job. Is Penelope going to make a change in her life? Speaking In this video, learn how to say the new words for this lesson and the rules of making superlative adjectives. Pronunciation Use this video to learn about stressing the superlative adjectives in a sentence. Conversation Anna: Hello! I have great news. My best friend from my hometown is coming here -- to Washington, D.C.! I can’t wait to catch up with her! Oh! I gotta go. Her train arrives in 10 minutes! Anna: Penelope! Penelope: Anna! I am really happy to see you! Anna: Me too! How was your trip? Penelope: It was fine. Anna: Let me help you with your bags. Penelope: I’m really excited to be in Washington, D.C.! I can’t wait to hear about … everything! Anna: I have so much to tell you. Let’s go to my apartment. We can talk over a hot cup of tea. Penelope: I love your apartment building, Anna. Is your rent expensive? Anna: Well, I have a roommate. So, we split the rent. Penelope: Oh, that’s right. Is your roommate nice? Anna: Marsha is the nicest person I know in this city. Sometimes she worries too much. And she says I’m the messiest cook she knows. But we are great roommates. Penelope: So, Anna, is it hard to make friends in D.C.? Anna: At first it was hard. But now, Marsha is a good friend. And there’s Pete. Of all the people I know in D.C., Pete is the most serious and also the silliest. Penelope: He sounds … interesting. Anna: Jonathan and Ashley are two other good friends of mine. In the city, they are the friendliest people I know. They always help me when I need it. Penelope: Your friends sound great! So, tell me about your job. Anna: I love my work! I make a children’s show called the “Time Traveling Treehouse.” Penelope: Anna, that is the best job for you! Do you remember when we were little? We played in that old treehouse behind my family’s house for hours! Anna: I forgot about that! We thought it really time traveled! Penelope, it is really good to talk to you. New friends are good. But old friends are the best. Penelope: I know. Our hometown isn’t the same now. You are not there. Anna: No crying. Why don't you move here and live with me and Marsha? Penelope: Anna, I can’t leave our hometown. You forget -- I love my job, too. Anna: I didn’t forget. You are the most famous turkey farmer I know! Penelope: Thanks, Anna. Anna: Come on. Let’s go eat dinner at one of D.C.’s most famous restaurants. Penelope: Awesome! Anna: That’s the restaurant, Penelope. I’ll be right there. Anna: I have a great apartment. I love my work. And I have awesome friends -- both old and new. I am the luckiest woman in Washington, D.C. (sound of thunder) Anna: Until next time ? Writing Who is the most important person in your life? They can be a family member or a friend. Tell us about them using some superlative adjectives like nicest, silliest, the most _____ and so on. Write to us by email or in the Comments section. Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice using superlative adjectives. 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 think about the good or bad qualities of someone or something, we are evaluating. In this lesson, Anna tells her friend Penelope about her new life and friends in Washington, D.C. She evaluates by using words like best, nicest, friendliest, messiest and silliest. Anna says, "New friends are good. But old friends are the best. " We can also evaluate our English language skills by testing ourselves. You can take the quizzes in these lessons, have a friend listen while you repeat new words and phrases, or record yourself and listen to your own pronunciation. How do you evaluate or check your use of English? Write to us about it in the Comments section or send us an email. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan  for more details on teaching this strategy. Quiz Listen to short videos and test your listening skills with this quiz. ______________________________________________________________ New Words catch up (with) - phrasal verb. to talk to someone you have not seen for some time and find out what they have been doing cry - v. to produce tears from your eyes often while making loud sounds because of pain, sorrow, or other strong emotions expensive - adj. costing a lot of money famous - adj. known or recognized by very many people friendly - adj. acting like a friend friendliest - superlative adj. lucky - adj. having good luck luckiest - superlative adj. messy - adj. not clean or tidy messiest superlative adj. nice - adj. kind, polite, and friendly nicest - superlative adj. rent - n. money that you pay in return for being able to use property and especially to live in an apartment or house that belongs to someone else silly - adj. silliest - superlative adj. playful and funny split - v. to divide (something, such as money or food) among two or more people or things tea - n. a drink that is made by soaking the dried leaves of an Asian plant in hot water train - n. a group of vehicles that travel on a track and are connected to each other and usually to an engine turkey - n. a large American bird that is related to the chicken and that is hunted or raised by people for its meat ______________________________________________________________ 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 superlative adjectives. 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: Superlative Adjectives Topics: Describing people, places, & things; Reporting details; Identifying positive & negative personal qualities Learning Strategy: Evaluating Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: Stressing superlative adjectives   ____________________________________________________________ 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.

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Cheer Up! Phrasal Verbs and Emotions

  When was the last time you experienced a wide range of emotions over something – from sadness to happiness, or even a sense of relief when a problem was solved? Perhaps you moved to a new city or returned home. Maybe you lost or gained something valuable. Or you may have overcome a serious personal issue or enjoyed success after defeat. If you are like most people, there are things in life that can take your emotions in many directions. And, in English, there are a lot of phrasal verbs to help express those emotions. Today we will tell you about some of them. You will remember that a phrasal verb is a verb made of two or more words: a verb and a preposition or adverb, or both. Phrasal verbs for emotions can be used in many different situations. But let’s begin with a situation that is very relatable: a family gathering. In many countries, extended families gather only a few times each year. Children and their parents join up with one or more grandparents, aunts, uncles and other relatives. They often gather in one place, perhaps someone’s home, to enjoy a special dinner and quality time as a family.  And, with everyone together, things are not always perfect. There are almost guaranteed to be many reactions -- laughter, smiles, maybe even some crying.   Get to Loosen up OK, now imagine that a large family is seated together at a dining table. They are having that special meal. As they eat, predictably, the talk turns to work and careers. Everyone praises one of the youngsters for getting accepted to a university. They praise another family member for landing a job they worked hard to get. But then, the talk turns to a young man and his sister. The brother has some interesting words about her career. Listen to this short exchange: Brother: Next month, Zadie is going to culinary school! Haha, culinary school! Let us know how that goes. Zadie: You know, your jokes are really getting to me. Maybe you should loosen up. Not everyone wants to be an engineer. And, by the way, I’m planning to become an executive chef! Zadie’s brother’s words got to her. If something “gets to” you, it bothers you and fuels anger. She tells her brother to “loosen up” – to be more easy-going, to lighten up – about her personal choices. A few other family members then show support for Zadie’s decision. They tell her how much they wish they had followed their dreams at her age. Calm down Lash out at Now, at the other end of the table, a heated exchange is taking place. Uncle Louis has strong opinions and loves to speak his mind at family dinners. Some family members like his openness. Others find him obnoxious. They think he is being a pain. Listen to a short exchange: Uncle Louis: …And that’s why, even though the lamb roast looks great, I’m not having any. Red meat is bad for the climate. Starting tomorrow, all of you should make a plan to-- Niece: Uncle Louis, you’re giving me a headache! You always say things at the wrong time! Let the rest of us enjoy the meal, please. Uncle Louis: OK, OK, but calm down. It’s fine that you disagree. But that’s no reason to lash out at me. Now, can we shake hands and agree to disagree? Niece: Uh...OK, sure. Uncle Louis had told his niece to calm down. To "calm down" means become less emotional or excited – or to help someone else to feel this way. “Calm down” is often used in imperative statements: It is used as a command. In imperative statements, we usually do not separate the words "calm" and "down." But in other kinds of statements, the verb may be separated by an object. You may recall that some phrasal verbs are separable – they can be separated by objects. We could, for example, say, “The father calmed his baby down by singing to her.” The words “his baby” are the object. Uncle Louis also tells his niece not to lash out at him. Did you understand the meaning of “lash out at”? Listen to the sentence again: It’s fine that you disagree, but that’s no reason to lash out at me. To “lash out at” someone means to make a sudden and angry attack on them. Get over Cheer up Back at the center of the table, Grandpa is remembering the way things used to be. Let’s listen in: Grandpa: I don’t think I’ll ever get over the fact that I only see you all a few times every year. I remember when we all lived in the same state. (sighs) Michelle: Aww, Grandpa, cheer up. You are always welcomed to stay with us in Washington. We have an extra bedroom…with a television. And don’t forget, there is video chat! I talk with Zadie on video all the time. Michelle tells her grandfather to cheer up. To “cheer up” means to become happier or to make someone else happier. In most imperative statements, we do not separate the words “cheer” and ”up.” But in other statements, the verb can be separable. For example, one could say, “I’m cheering Grandpa up.” The word “grandpa” is the object. Choke up Now, it’s time for the big news of the family gathering. Let’s listen: Shawn: I have an announcement to make: We’re having a baby! A little girl. She’s due in late June. Aunt: Oh my goodness, Shawn. That’s exciting. I’m so happy for you that I could cry. See, now I’m choking up. To “choke up” means to have difficulty speaking because of strong emotions. In American English, we often put the verb “get” before “choke up.” We also often add the word “all.” Let's hear how that sounds: See, now I’m getting all choked up. When we say it this way, the words “choked up” act as an adjective. There are a lot of ways to express emotions in English. And phrasal verbs can help us express them more fully. I’m Alice Bryant. Alice Bryant wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.   Now you try it! Use the Comments section to try using a few of these phrasal verbs in statements or questions.  ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story range – n. a group or collection of different things or people that are usually similar in some way culinary – adj. used in or relating to cooking chef – n. a professional cook who usually is in charge of a kitchen in a restaurant roast – n. a piece of meat that is cooked with dry heat in an oven or over fire headache – n. an ache or pain in the head aww – interjection. used to express sympathy due – adj. expected to be born

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/cheer-up-phrasal-verbs-and-emotions/4520424.html

The advantages of being tall

Does being taller mean you earn more at work? Neil and Catherine discuss height.

source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06gzxmm

Absolute Beginner American English for Every Day #35 - Top 10 Tourist Attractions in United States

Learn English with EnglishClass101.com! In your home country, there are some phrases that are so common you use them or hear them every day. The same is true in USA too, so why not give your English an instant boost by learning them in this video lesson? With Alisha’s help, you’ll be sounding like a [...]

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Jangry

New Entry: 'Jangry' has just been added to the Slang area of UsingEnglish.com. This entry is only available in our members' area.

source https://www.usingenglish.com/members/idioms/view.php?show=Slang&entry_id=27281

Snuggle up to

New Entry: 'Snuggle up to' has just been added to the Phrasal Verbs area of UsingEnglish.com.

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Ordinal Numbers- Flashcard Memory Games

New Entry: 'Ordinal Numbers- Flashcard Memory Games' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.

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Nuzzle up to

New Entry: 'Nuzzle up to' has just been added to the Phrasal Verbs area of UsingEnglish.com.

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Nuzzle up

New Entry: 'Nuzzle up' has just been added to the Phrasal Verbs area of UsingEnglish.com.

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Snuggle up

New Entry: 'Snuggle up' has just been added to the Phrasal Verbs area of UsingEnglish.com.

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Cuddle up to

New Entry: 'Cuddle up to' has just been added to the Phrasal Verbs area of UsingEnglish.com.

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Cuddle up

New Entry: 'Cuddle up' has just been added to the Phrasal Verbs area of UsingEnglish.com.

source https://www.usingenglish.com/reference/phrasal-verbs/cuddle+up.html

Ping

When does the word 'ping' not make a sound? Find out in this programme.

source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06gt92f

Must-Know American English Slang Words & Phrases #6 - Expressions that Involve Body Parts

Lesson Audio Download MP3 Review Download MP3

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/mustknow-american-english-slang-words-phrases-6-expressions-that-involve-body-parts/

That's not ____ I meant.

New Entry: 'That's not ____ I meant.' has just been added to the Language Polls area of UsingEnglish.com.

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Ask Alisha: Your English Questions Answered #34 - Expressions with OVER: “over there”, “game over”… - Basic English Grammar

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How to teach the language of feelings

New Entry: 'How to teach the language of feelings' has just been added to the Articles area of UsingEnglish.com.

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Improve Your Writing with Inversion, Part 2

  In last week’s Everyday Grammar, we told you about a few kinds of inversion that are useful in academic writing and common on the TOEFL. But there are others. Today, we’ll talk about three more. In fact, I already used one kind in my introduction. Comparatives Let’s begin with comparatives. When you learn about comparatives, you are usually taught to compare two subjects or two objects. Here’s an example that compares two subjects:        She speaks English better than her brother does. Notice that the second subject – her brother – comes after the comparative word “than.” And, the auxiliary verb (in this case, “does”) comes at the end of the statement. But, we can also use inversion to compare the two subjects. When we do this, we cannot leave out the auxiliary verb. Instead, we place it after the word “than.” Here’s how it would sound with the example:        She speaks English better than does her brother. It sounds strange, but that’s because it’s not something we do in spoken English. Again, inversion is very formal, usually used in written form, and only appropriate in some types of writing. Comparing two subjects using inversion is something you can find in academic writing and on the TOEFL. Listen for the comparison in this reading about lions: Lions roar louder than do all wild cats. At 114 decibels, their roar is among the animal world’s 10 loudest and can be heard from a distance up to 8 kilometers. A lion’s volume helps it locate other lions and shows dominance over territory. The inversion appears in this statement: Lions roar louder than do all wild cats. Notice again that the inversion appears immediately after the comparative word “than.” The auxiliary verb “do” follows “than” and comes after the second subject. Not too difficult. Conditionals Now, let’s move to conditionals. When we talk about hypothetical situations, we usually use the word “if” to show the condition and a modal verb to show the result. These statements are called “conditionals.” For example: If the package arrives by Friday, I will cancel the second order.   But, in very formal conditionals, we do things a little differently. We replace the word “if” with the auxiliary verbs “had” “should” or “were.” When we do this, we are putting the auxiliary verb before the subject. You may see formal conditionals on the TOEFL test. You can also use them in an essay, but be sure to use them correctly. You must know which word (“should,” “were” or “had”) goes with which type of conditional. Listen to a short example on the economy. The first statement uses “if” in the conditional clause. If the president continues pushing the tariffs, the economy could suffer great losses. Some companies are already shifting jobs overseas. And here’s the example again using “were” and inversion. Were the president to continue pushing the tariffs, the economy could suffer great losses. Notice the example’s construction. The words “Were the president to continue” follow the construction auxiliary verb + subject + main verb. You may also notice that the main verb -- “to continue” -- is the infinitive. When using “were” to make a conditional, we use the infinitive form after the subject. Phrases with “there” This next type of inversion may seem easy. You’ve already seen – and probably used – “there is” and “there are” many times in your English speaking and writing. The construction there + BE + subject is used in everyday speech and common in writing. It is also a kind of inversion. We use it to point to the presence or existence of something or someone. For example, “There are some great Ethiopian restaurants on 9th Street” is what I might say if someone asked me for restaurant suggestions. In English, we simply would not use the traditional subject + verb word order in such a statement. But, in academic writing and on language tests such as the TOEFL, you may find constructions with “there” that are a little more complex. So, here are two things worth remembering: Verbs other than “to be,” such as “to exist” or “to come” can be used. But, pay attention: The statement may not always begin with “there.” It may be part of a subordinate clause. Let’s hear an example using the verb “to exist.” The passage comes from an academic blog at Vanderbilt University: Icy Europa has a surface of water-ice over an interior that is heated by tidal heating. Scientists hypothesize that there exists an ocean just beneath the icy surface. It may even be possible that this concealed ocean holds more than double the amount of liquid water in all of Earth’s oceans. Listen again to the statement containing “there exists”: Scientists hypothesize that there exists an ocean just beneath the icy surface. The construction “there exists” does not begin the statement. It is part of a that-clause: a subordinate clause beginning with the word “that.” But, you’ll note that “there exists an ocean” still follows the construction there + verb + subject. Well that’s our time for today. Should you wish to practice inversion, you can try out the practice statements we’ve provided. I’m Alice Bryant.   Alice Bryant wrote this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Practice Change these statements using the inversions you learned from Parts 1 and 2. Write your answers in the Comments section. Phrases with “there” A lot of people are in the park today. A link between culture and language exists. Conditional If you need further help, please contact the librarian. (Use "should.") Comparative The boy is quieter than his classmate is. Intro -ED Ellis Island is located southwest of Manhattan. Negative adverb We have rarely faced such a challenge. Negative phrase It was not only pouring rain, but I also forgot my books. (uses “not only…but also”) ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   roar – v. to make the loud sound of a wild animal decibel – n. a unit for measuring how loud a sound is hypothetical – adj. involving or based on a suggested idea or theory construction – n. the way words in a sentence or phrase are arranged subordinate clause – n. a clause that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence blog – n. a Web site on which someone writes about personal opinions, activities, and experiences Europa – n. an icy moon of the planet Jupiter tidal – adj. rising and falling at regular times

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/improve-your-writing-with-inversion-part-2/4509288.html