Learn English speaking: April 2019

Tuesday, 30 April 2019

English Grammar Made Easy S2 #58 - Uses of “yet”

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source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/english-grammar-made-easy-s2-58-uses-of-yet/

Out of order

Learn an expression for offensive behaviour.

source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p077sz9h

Sunday, 28 April 2019

Summary In this lesson, Anna wants to go to a Halloween party. But she needs a costume. Will her friend Genie help her find the right one? Speaking Learn the new words for this lesson. Then, learn how to talk about the future in two ways. You can use the modal verb "will" or the modal verb "might." Pronunciation Use this video to learn a stress pattern to show strong emotion with the modal "might." Conversation Anna: Hello! Halloween is very popular in the United States. Anna: Children trick-or-treat. They ask people for candy. Children and adults wear costumes and go to parties! Anna: In fact, there is a Halloween party tonight. I need my friend, Genie. Genie! Anna: Hi! Genie: Hi, Anna! What do you need? Anna: Tonight, there is a Halloween party. Genie: I love Halloween! Are you going? Anna: I might go. I might not go. I don’t have a costume. Can you help me? Genie: Dress as a genie! Anna: Great idea! I can do a genie trick like read minds! Genie: Anna, be careful. Things might go wrong. Anna: What can go wrong? Genie: Okay. Anna: Hey, look! I’m a genie! This is going to be fun! Genie: Remember, Anna. Be careful! Anna: Don’t worry, Genie! I will! Rebecca: Excuse me, are you really a mind reader? Anna: I might be. Rebecca: Okay, tell me what I am thinking. Anna: Sure! First, what do you do? Rebecca: I study. I'm a junior in college. Anna: What do you study? Rebecca: I study journalism. Anna: Okay. Wait. You are thinking … you will graduate from college in about one year. Rebecca: Well, yeah. That’s the plan. I told you, I’m a junior in college. Anna: Right, um, wait. There’s more. You are thinking … you might get a job writing the news. Rebecca: I MIGHT get a job writing the news? I MIGHT! That means I might not. And I'm studying really hard. Anna: No, no, no, no. Uh, no, you will! You WILL get a job writing the news. Rebecca: I will? Anna: You will. Rebecca: I will. I think. Anna: 'Bye. Happy to help! Kaveh: Can you really read minds? Anna: I might. Kaveh: Well, today, I will ask my girlfriend to marry me. What am I thinking? Anna: Wait. Wait, you are thinking ... you might have a wedding very soon! Kaveh: Might? MIGHT? She won’t say "no," will she? Anna: No, no! She WILL say “yes”! Kaveh: I will have a wedding, won’t I? Anna: You will. You will! Kaveh: Thanks. I think. Anna: Good luck! Anna: This is hard. Genie! Genie! Genie: Anna, what’s wrong? Anna: I don’t want to be a genie for Halloween. I might not go to the party. Genie: Of course you will go. I have another costume for you! Anna: I’m a rock star! You read my mind! Genie: No. You told me you like rock music. Anna: Oh, right. Well, I love it! Genie: Have fun, Anna! Anna: Thanks, Genie!! Anna: I am ready for the Halloween party! But I am not going to read minds. I might play some rock music! Or I might not. Until next time … Writing What do you think about your future? Where might you live and work in five years? What might happen in your life? Write to us by email or in the Comments section. Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice talking about the important things that happen in our lives. 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 Your Best Guess. That means using what you know about the world to make a guess. When we do this with language, it can help us understand and speak more fluently. For example, Anna says she might be able to read minds. But she is really guessing. After she hears Rebecca say, "I'm a junior in college." Anna says, "You are thinking … you will graduate from college in about one year." She knows that "junior" means a student in the third year at a four-year college, so she can make a good guess that Rebecca will be graduating in one year. Can you find another example in the lesson of Anna making a guess? 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 candy - n. a sweet food made with sugar or chocolate college - n. school that offers courses leading to a degree (such as a bachelor's degree or an associate's degree) costume - n. the clothes that are worn by someone (such as an actor) who is trying to look like a different person or thing dress - v. to put clothes on (yourself or someone else) girlfriend - n. a woman with whom someone is having a romantic relationship graduate - v. to earn a degree or diploma from a school, college, or university Halloween - n. the night of October 31 when children dress up as ghosts, witches or monsters, and go to houses to ask for candy journalism - n. the activity or job of collecting, writing, and editing news stories for newspapers, magazines, television, or radio junior - n. US:a student in the third of four years in a high school or college marry - v. to become the husband or wife of (someone)orto become joined with (someone) in marriage might - modal. used to say that something is possible mind - n. the part of a person that thinks, reasons, feels, and remembers rock star - n. a person who plays a kind of popular music with a strong beat that is played on instruments that are made louder electronically think - v. to form or have (a particular thought) in your mind trick - n. something that causes confusion or that makes something seem different from what it actually is trick-or-treat - expression. a custom on Halloween in which children knock on people's doors and say “trick or treat” when the doors are opened to ask for candy wedding - n. a ceremony at which two people are married to each other ______________________________________________________________ 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 life events. 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: Modal verb "might" Topics: Asking about the future; Talking about life events Learning Strategy: Make Your Best Guess (Inferencing) Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: Using modal verbs "will" and"might;" patterns of intonation with modal verbs ____________________________________________________________ Now it's your turn. What do you like best about using Let's Learn English? 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-34-what-will-i-do/3566043.html

Saturday, 27 April 2019

All About American English — Talk Show #33 - Reading Recommendations

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source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/all-about-american-english-talk-show-33-reading-recommendations/

Friday, 26 April 2019

Easy Practice English Speaking Course

Dо you lоvе English Language аnd are interested in understanding, reading аnd speaking іt like a native? Dо уоu аdmіrе when you hear thоѕе lіttlе American аnd Uk kids speak English eloquently but dо nоt hаvе the time оr fundѕ tо hire a tеасhеr fоr Englіѕh lessons? Or mау bе уоu аrе juѕt ѕhу оr […]

source https://www.power-english.net/real-english-conversations/easy-practice-english-speaking.html

Thursday, 25 April 2019

Movies Can Teach You about Verbs and Objects

The 1972 film “The Godfather” is one of the most famous movies ever made. It tells the story of a make-believe organized crime family: the Corleone family. Its leader is Don Corleone, played by Marlon Brando. In the film, he says the following line: I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse. Today on Everyday Grammar, we will examine this threatening statement. Specifically, we will look at verbs with two objects. Yes, even the fictional head of an organized crime family can teach you about English grammar! Subjects, Verbs, and Objects First, we begin the program with a few definitions. Most sentences in English have a subject and a verb. For example, in the sentence "The man laughed," the subject is the term "the man" and the verb is the word "laughed." Some sentences have subjects, verbs, and objects. The subjects and objects are usually nouns or pronouns. Consider the sentence "She kicked the ball." The subject is the pronoun "she," and the object is "the ball." In this case, we refer to the ball as the direct object because it is receiving the action of the verb kick. It is easy to find examples of these kinds of sentences in American movies. Consider the following exchange from the film “A Few Good Men.” Colonel Nathan Jessep: You want answers?! Lieutenant Dan Kaffee: I want the truth! Colonel Jessep: You can't handle the truth! Each of the sentences that you heard followed the same verb + object pattern. Notice that in each sentence, the verb has an object – what we call the direct object. Now, let's look at sentences with two objects. Verbs with Two Objects Pattern #1 Verb + Indirect Object + Direct Object Many verbs have two objects – a direct object and an indirect object. Many of the most common verbs in English can be found with two objects. Examples include the verbs make, bring, and take. Think back to Don Corleone's statement. I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse. "I’m gonna" is one way of saying "I will." The verb "make" has two objects: the direct object, "an offer that he can't refuse," and the indirect object, "him." The "he can't refuse" part of the sentence is a relative clause. It is modifying, or changing the meaning, of the noun "an offer." We discussed relative clauses in an earlier Everyday Grammar story. Remember, the direct object is the thing affected by the action of the verb, and the indirect object shows the person who received the action. The basic grammatical pattern we have discussed is: Verb + Indirect Object + Direct Object Other examples might include simple statements, such as: He made me a promise. Here, the verb is "made," the indirect object is "me," and the direct object is "a promise." Pattern #2 Verb + Direct Object + to/for + Indirect Object In the sentences that we just talked about, the indirect object comes first. But sometimes the indirect object comes second. When this happens, English speakers generally use the words to or for before the indirect object. Listen to this example: I sent money to my family. The direct object is "money," then comes the word "to," then the indirect object, "my family." The basic pattern is this: Verb + Direct Object + to/for + Indirect Object Think back to our sentence from The Godfather: "I will make him an offer that he can't refuse." If we changed the positions of the objects, the sentence would not really work. Don Corleone could have said, "I will make an offer to him." This statement, however, carries a different style. It doesn't sound nearly as threatening, for one. Closing thoughts Today, we showed you different patterns for how speakers use verbs with two objects. Specifically, we studied two ways in which speakers use sentences that have two objects. You can begin practicing by finding sentences that have two objects – a direct object and an indirect object. Ask yourself where the objects appear in the sentence, and be sure to make note of your findings. With time, and with practice, you will begin to use sentences with two objects with no trouble at all. And that's Everyday Grammar. I'm John Russell. And I'm Ashley Thompson John Russell wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story object – n. grammar : a noun, noun phrase, or pronoun that receives the action of a verb or completes the meaning of a preposition pronoun – n. a word that is used in place of nouns or noun phrases and can be easily understood by other people refer – v. to direct attention to; to have a relation or connection handle – v. [+ object] : to deal with (a person, situation, etc.) successfully pattern – n. the regular and repeated way in which something happens or is done relative clause – n. a group of words with a subject and verb that starts with a relative pronoun, such as that, which, where, or when style – n. an way of doing things; an unusual form or appearance of something practice – v. to carry out or perform; to work repeatedly at something We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/movies-can-teach-you-about-verbs-and-objects-/4890991.html

Culture Class S3 #12 - Top 5 Biggest Duels in Entertainment

Learn English with EnglishClass101.com! What vocabulary do you need to know to have a conversation with English-speaking locals? You’ll learn all this and more in this Culture Class: Essential English Vocabulary series! Vocabulary is essential to mastering English. In this 25-lesson series, you’ll learn the *most* essential English words related to [...]

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/culture-class-s3-12-top-5-biggest-duels-in-entertainment/

The rise of the comfy shoe

Forget high heels - the comfortable shoe is becoming acceptable in formal settings.

source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p077f883

Tuesday, 23 April 2019

English Grammar Made Easy S2 #57 - 10 Good Beginner Phrases

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source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/english-grammar-made-easy-s2-57-10-good-beginner-phrases/

Dead

If something is 'dead good' is that a positive or negative thing?

source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0776q17

Monday, 22 April 2019

Extensive Reading in English for Absolute Beginners #13 - The Pond

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source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/extensive-reading-in-english-for-absolute-beginners-13-the-pond/

Sunday, 21 April 2019

Lesson 33: Learning America's Sport

Summary In the second part of "The Time Traveling Treehouse," Anna finds the answer to this question: How do you play baseball?" Speaking In this video, learn about agent nouns. These are nouns that indicate someone or something that performs the action of a verb. Usually, they end in " -er." Pronunciation Use this video to learn American English pronunciation for the "er" ending of agent nouns. Conversation Coworker 2: It is time for part two of the children’s show! Coworker 1: It’s time! It’s time! I can’t wait! Coworker 3: Shh! I can’t hear it! Announcer: Last time on "The Time Traveling Treehouse," Anna was lost, really lost. She wants to learn about baseball. But her computer, MINDY, sent her to many wrong places. Anna: MINDY! Help me! I am in the ocean with a shark! MINDY: I will try one more time, Anna. Anna: Please try harder, MINDY! Anna: Now, where am I? I am at a playground with a baseball field! Yes! I can teach children about baseball here! MINDY, MINDY, it took you a long time. But you did it! MINDY: Thanks, Anna. Give me a call when you find the answer. Anna: Okay. Come with me. Let’s learn how to play baseball! This is a baseball field. This is a pitcher's mound. This is first base! This is second base! This is third base! This is home plate! Anna: To play baseball, you really only need a bat, a ball and a glove. Each team has many players. Pitchers pitch the ball. Catchers catch the ball. Batters bat the ball. Runners run the bases. Fielders field the ball. Anna: First, the pitcher pitches the ball to the batter. The batter bats the ball. Then, the runner runs to first base. Anna: Each time a batter bats, the runners run around the bases. Each time a runner runs across home plate, they score a run! There are nine innings in a game. The team with the most runs at the end of nine innings wins the game! Anna: MINDY, MINDY, we found the answer! It’s time to return to the treehouse. MINDY: Good job! That was fast. Coworker 3: Good job Anna. You know, I still don't like children's shows, but I like this children's show. Coworker 2: I liked the time travel. Coworker 1: But time travel is not real. You’re so silly, Anna. Anna: Yeah, time travel is so silly. Thanks, goodbye. Bye, thank you. Anna: Hello, MINDY? Are you there? MINDY: Hello, Anna. Anna: MINDY, I want to go to China! Until next time … Writing Do you work with or play on a team? Did you work with or play on a team in the past? Write to us by email or in the Comments section. Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice talking about a sequence of events using agent nouns. Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. The learning strategy for this lesson is Sequence. Sequence means thinking about how one event or action follows another. For example, Anna says, "First, the pitcher pitches the ball to the batter. The batter bats the ball. Then, the runner runs to first base." Can you find an example in the lesson of a sequence (hint: it follows "We found the answer!")? 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 bat - v. to hit (something, such as a ball) with a bat or club batter - n. baseball. a player who is trying to hit the ball catcher - n. baseball. the player who plays behind home plate and catches the pitches thrown by the pitcher catch - v. to use your hands to stop and hold (an object that is moving through the air) field - v. baseball or cricket. to catch or stop and throw a ball fielder – n. baseball or cricket. a player who is in the field while the opposing team is batting glove - n. baseball. a padded leather covering for the hand that is used to catch the ball and that has individual thumb and finger sections harder - adj. (try harder) working or doing something with more energy inning - n.baseball. one of the usually nine parts of a game in which each team bats until three outs are made mound - n. the slightly raised area of ground on which a baseball pitcher stands out* - adv. baseball. no longer batting or on a base because of a play made by the other team pitch – v. baseball. to throw a baseball to a batter pitcher – n. baseball. the player who throws the ball to the batter in baseball player - n. a person who plays a sport or game runner - n. baseball. a player who is on base or is trying to reach a base * This word is not in the conversation but may be used for further explanation of the game of baseball ______________________________________________________________ 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 agent nouns. 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: Agent Nouns Topics: Complimenting someone's ability; Explaining how to play a sport or activity Learning Strategy: Sequence Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: Agent Nouns; American pronunciation of "er" endings ____________________________________________________________ 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/lesson-33-learning-americas-sport/3555047.html

Friday, 19 April 2019

So and Neither: Short Responses of Agreement

In the American television show Saturday Night Live, actors make jokes of realistic situations and people, like politicians and sports personalities. In one program, for example, sports reporters Pete and Greg discuss a women’s curling game between Finland and Paraguay. But it soon becomes clear that they do not understand the game. A player from Paraguay scores and the men say this: Pete: What an amazing curl – knocking team Finland right out of the house! Look at that – she is fired up. Bingo! Greg: Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. I have no idea what is happening. Pete: Neither do I, buddy. The rules of this game are baffling to me. You just heard Pete say, “Neither do I” to show agreement with Greg’s statement. Pete is saying that he also has no idea what is happening. Very short responses like this are extremely common for English speakers around the world. We use them in speech and informal writing every day. In English, we can use the words so, neither, too and either to say that what is true for some person is also true for us. In today’s program, I will talk about so and neither. The word so shows agreement with positive statements. And the word neither shows agreement with negative statements. You will hear and see examples of both today. How they are formed But first, we will talk about how to form these statements. In a usual English statement, the subject comes first and is followed by the verb. The structure is: subject + verb + rest of sentence For example, if I say, “We visited a beautiful beach,” the subject is we followed by the verb, visit. But when we use so and neither to show agreement, the structure changes. The subject comes at the end and we mainly use an auxiliary verb. The structure is: so / neither + auxiliary / be + subject Auxiliary verbs are helping verbs that do things like form verb tenses. They can include do, be, have and others. In Pete’s statement “Neither do I,” for example, the word neither is followed by the auxiliary verb do and the subject I. To show agreement using so and neither, the choice of verb and tense in the response depends on the original statement. So do I / Neither do I Let's start with the simple present verb tense and I will show you what I mean. We can say, “So do I” and “Neither do I” to agree with statements in the simple present tense. Listen to an exchange between speakers: Manny loves seafood! So do I. I walk to work every day. So do I. We do not think he’s right. Neither do I. Sima does not have a dog. Neither do I. To demonstrate the form, all responses today will use the subject I. But other subjects can be used, such as a person’s name, a thing or a pronoun. For example: Sima does not have a dog. Neither does Manny. So Am I / Neither Am I Now on to the verb be. To agree with simple present statements when the verb is be, we can say, “So am I” and “Neither am I.” Listen to how the speakers use them: Kayla is allergic to milk. So am I. We are not at the show. Neither am I. We also use “So am I” and “Neither am I” to agree with statements in the present continuous verb tense. This tense is sometimes called be + -ing. I am leaving for the summer. So am I. Khadi is not teaching online. Neither am I. So did I / Neither did I Now, we will move to the simple past tense. We can say, “So did I” and “Neither did I” to agree with statements in the simple past tense. I wonder what our speakers will say this time: My sister loved the surprise party. So did I. I did not bring my library card. Neither did I. So was I / Neither was I And lastly, we can say, “So was I” and “Neither was I” to agree with simple past statements when the verb is be. Listen to how the speakers use them: They were tired after the flight. So was I. Ramy was not in the group. Neither was I. Well, I’ll stop there. We do not have time in this program to talk about other verb tenses and modal auxiliary verbs such as can and should. What can you do? Still, there's a lot you can do with what you learned! For example, check for today’s uses of so and neither as you read stories, listen to music and watch shows and films in American English.* And, when possible, try responding to other English speakers with today’s shortened responses. Don't be afraid to make mistakes! Have fun with it. Soon, the responses will come more naturally. I promise. So do we! I’m Alice Bryant. Alice Bryant wrote this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. *British speakers and speakers of other Englishes form some of the responses differently. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story curling – n. a game in which two teams of four players slide special stones over ice toward a circle bingo – n. an expression that means “Yes, that’s right!” baffling – adj. very confusing response – n. something that is said or written as a reply to something positive – adj. affirming a truth or fact of something negative – adj. expressing denial or refusal of something tense – n. a form of a verb that is used to show when an action happened practice – v. to do something again and again in order to become better at it

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/so-and-neither-short-responses-of-agreement/4878658.html

Thursday, 18 April 2019

Advanced Audio Blog S4 #13 - Top 10 Holidays in the United Kingdom - Guy Fawkes Night

Learn British English with EnglishClass101.com! Ever wondered what the best-known holidays and festivals in the UK are, and why they’re so well loved? Then these 10 audio blogs in this British English series are for you! With this series, you’ll learn all about the 10 most famous holidays and festivals from UK. In this audio blog, [...]

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/advanced-audio-blog-s4-13-top-10-holidays-in-the-united-kingdom-guy-fawkes-night/

So and Neither: Short Responses of Agreement

Rabbits: Cute friends or cunning tricksters?

Neil and Rob talk about the animal symbol of Easter and teach you some vocabulary.

source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p076ry1c

Tuesday, 16 April 2019

English Grammar Made Easy S2 #56 - Adjective Order

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source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/english-grammar-made-easy-s2-56-adjective-order/

Give someone the runaround

A phrase about being unhelpful.

source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p076jqxd

Monday, 15 April 2019

Lesson 32: Welcome to the Treehouse!

Summary Anna introduces her new partner, MINDY. They are working together on the new children's show: "The Time Traveling Treehouse." Then, some coworkers watch the show. What will they think of the show? Will they like it? Speaking In this video, learn to say the new words for this lesson. You can also learn about direct and indirect objects. Pronunciation Use this video to learn about pronouncing two interjections: "Aw, man!" and "Woo-hoo!" Conversation Anna: Hello! Today is a big day. My first children’s show is on television! Woo-hoo! I’m excited and nervous. Ms. Weaver: Hello, Anna. Anna: Hello, Ms. Weaver! Ms. Weaver: Some people are going to watch your children’s show. After they watch it, they’ll tell me what they liked, and what they didn’t like. Anna: Oh, dear. Ms. Weaver: They’re in the conference room. They’re in the conference room. Anna: Hello, everyone. I’m Anna, and thanks for coming! Coworker 2: What is the show about? Anna: It’s a children’s show. Coworker 1: But we are not children! Anna: This children's show is different. I hope. Coworker 3: I don’t really like children's shows. Anna: Shhh, please. The show is starting! Anna: Oh, hi! Just give me one minute ….oops! Oh well. I can fix that later. Anna: Hello, I’m Anna! Welcome to “The Time Traveling Treehouse!” This is not a usual treehouse. It can time travel! That is why it’s called "The Time Traveling Treehouse." MINDY: Anna, do not forget me. Anna: Of course not! This is my partner, MINDY! MINDY: My name means Massive Information Navigation Device, for You! Anna: That means we can travel to many places and learn many things. Kids from all over the world ask us questions. We find them answers! MINDY: Woo-hoo! That is right, Anna. Anna: MINDY, what is our first question? MINDY: Layla asks us this question. Layla: Hello, Anna! Hello, MINDY! I'd like to know -- how do you play baseball? Anna: That is a great question! MINDY, we need to find her an answer! MINDY: I know that we can find it, Anna! Anna: Where am I now? MINDY, now I am on a snowy mountain! MINDY: That is a good place to learn how to ski. Anna: Yes, MINDY, but it cannot teach us about baseball! And I don’t know how to ski! MINDY: Sorry, Anna. Let’s try again. Anna: Where I am now!? MINDY, I am in the ocean! An ocean cannot teach us about baseball! MINDY: Please don’t yell, Anna. The ocean can teach us about surfing. Anna: Yes, MINDY, it can teach us about surfing … and sharks! Ahhh! MINDY: Anna, please wait. I need to fix my navigation device Anna: MINDY, please fix it faster. And get me out of here … now! Announcer: Whoa! Is Anna going to be lost forever? Next week, you can watch part two of “The Time Traveling Treehouse!” Coworker 1: Aw, man! Will the shark eat her? Coworker 2: Will Anna find the answer? Coworker 3: Please tell me the ending! Anna: So, you liked it? Coworkers: Yes! Anna: Well, you can watch the ending next week! Coworkers: Noooooo! Anna: Don’t forget to watch next week! Writing What do you think of Anna's new show? Does it remind you of a children's show you watched? Tell us about your opinion of Anna's show and suggest other questions for Anna to answer. Write to us by email or in the Comments section. Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice using interjections 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. Monitor means to notice how well you are understanding or bring understood. It can also mean identifying problems in communication. This strategy helps us learn, because after we find a communication problem, we can decide how to solve it. In this week's video, Anna monitors what MINDY is doing. She finds that there is a problem: she is not going to a place where she can learn about baseball. She tells MINDY, "It cannot teach us about baseball!" Can you find an example in the lesson of MINDY monitoring, or finding out about a problem? 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 INTERJECTIONS aw- interjection. used to express mild disappointment or sympathy man - interjection. used to express frustration oops - interjection. used to express surprise or distress or to say in a mild way that you are sorry about having done or said something wrong shhh - interjection. used to tell someone to be quiet whoa - interjection. used to tell someone to slow down or stop and think about something woo-hoo- interjection. used to express excitement GENERAL VOCABULARY answer - n. something you say or write when someone asks you a question ask - v. to say or write something to someone as a way of gaining information device - n. an object, machine, or piece of equipment that has been made for some special purpose ending - n. the final part of something fix to make (something) whole or able to work properly againorto repair (something) information - n. knowledge that you get about someone or something such asfacts or details about a subject massive - adj. very large and heavy mountain- n. an area of land that rises very high above the land around it and that is higher than a hill navigation - n. the act, activity, or process of finding the way to get to a place when you are traveling in a ship, airplane or car partner - n. one of two or more people or businesses that work together or do business together shark- n. a large and often dangerous sea fish with very sharp teeth ski- v. to move or glide on a pair of long narrow pieces of wood over snow or water surf - v. to ride on ocean waves using a special board (called a surfboard) travel- v. to go to a place that is far away treehouse- n. a small house that is built among the branches of a tree for children to play in ______________________________________________________________ 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 interjections and monitoring. 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: Direct and indirect objects; Interjections Topics: Requesting help or information; Talking about technology; Politely disagreeing Learning Strategy: Monitor / Identify Problems Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: Indirect objects; Interjections _ ____________________________________________________________ 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-32-welcome-treehouse/3547306.html

Lesson 32: Welcome to the Treehouse!

Thursday, 11 April 2019

The Word 'Which' in the News

Imagine you open an American travel magazine. Perhaps you want to read about other countries and the must-see places to visit in them. Or perhaps you just want to improve your understanding of English. Imagine you read the following sentence: "The region is still relatively undiscovered, which means unspoiled beaches and affordable prices even in the medieval walled city of Dubrovnik."* You might read this sentence, and start to think about the word which. It appears a lot in English language publications. What exactly is the purpose of which? Today on Everyday Grammar, we will explore that question. We will look at one use of the word: to introduce a kind of adjective clause known as a "sentence relative." Definitions First, we probably should start with a few definitions. A clause is a group of words that has a subject and a verb. Some clauses are called dependent. In other words, they depend on other parts of the sentence. They cannot stand alone. One kind of dependent clause is the adjective clause. It gives more information about a noun. Adjective clauses usually modify, or change the meaning of, the noun that they follow. Here is an example: Chicago, which is in the American state of Illinois, is famous for its pizza. Here, the adjective clause is "which is in the American state of Illinois." It modifies the noun Chicago. Yet some adjective clauses do not just modify a noun. They comment on the whole idea in the earlier, or preceding, clause. These adjective clauses are called sentence relatives. They always use the word which. Here is an example: He did not study, which means he is going to fail the test. In this sentence, the main idea is "he did not study." What comes after the main idea – the words "which means he is going to fail the test" – is the speaker's interpretation, or understanding of events. Sentence Relatives and Newswriting You might be asking yourself how this issue relates to newswriting. In newswriting, the most common purpose of a sentence relative is to report direct speech. In other words, the reporter is repeating the exact words that a person said. Here is an example from The Chronicle of Higher Education. It explains the life of a man, Mister Vaidya, who grew up in many countries. Here is what he said: "My wife thinks I have no roots, which is probably accurate." ** Here, the main idea is about the wife's opinion. The sentence relative explains the speaker's interpretation of his wife's opinion. In other words, he agrees with what she thinks. Now you might understand why sentence relatives are common in the news. They show how Americans speak in everyday situations. You can read more about that subject in another Everyday Grammar program. It is called Sentence Relatives: Showing Feeling, Interpreting Information Other uses of Sentence Relatives At times, reporters use sentence relatives for a different purpose: to interpret information. Here is an example from a sports story. The article, from Bleacher Report, gives information about Bayern Munich star Robert Lewandowski. "There's also the fact he [Lewandowski] has a contract at the Allianz Arena running until the summer of 2021, which means it's likely he'll spend at least the next three-and-a-half years on the continent before an MLS move would be plausible." In this example, the writer is interpreting information about Lewandowski's deal. The first part of the sentence is about a fact: He already is on the team. The second part of the sentence, everything after the word which, gives the reporter's interpretation of the fact. You will see sentence relatives in many kinds of stories. Here is an example from a report on climate change. It was published in Time magazine. The author, Michael D. Lemonick, wrote the following line: "No computer climate model anticipated that increase, which means that all current predictions about how much [the] sea level could rise… are too low and will have to be revised upward." Closing thoughts Think back to the travel magazine example that we gave at the beginning of our program. "The region is still relatively undiscovered, which means unspoiled beaches and affordable prices even in the medieval walled city of Dubrovnik." Now you know that the author was using the word which to introduce a sentence relative. In other words, the author was interpreting the idea "the region is still relatively undiscovered." The next time you are reading a news story, try to find examples of sentence relatives. Ask yourself in what situations you see them used, and try to keep a list. With time and training, you will be able to recognize them and use them without difficulty. A word of warning. Sentence relatives are acceptable in speaking and in newswriting and in fiction writing. However, you might not want to use them in other kinds of writing. Betty Azar, a grammar expert, says that sentence relatives are generally not used in some kinds of formal writing, such as academic writing. In those cases, writers often use different grammatical structures and vocabulary words. And that's Everyday Grammar. I'm John Russell. And I'm Ashley Thompson. And I'm Dorothy Gundy. **Lisa McLaughlin. What to Watch For In 2006. Time Magazine (2006/01/09). John Russell wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story unspoiled – adj. still wild and not changed by people : not spoiled interpretation – n. the act or result of explaining or interpreting something : the way something is explained or understood plausible – adj. possibly true : believable or realistic appropriate – adj. right or suited for some purpose or situation

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/the-word-which-in-the-news/4871382.html

Absolute Beginner American English for Every Day #49 - 10 Ways to Say Hello

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 [...]

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/absolute-beginner-american-english-for-every-day-49-10-ways-to-say-hello/

English Grammar Made Easy S2 #51 - Expressing Ability to Do Something

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source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/english-grammar-made-easy-s2-51-expressing-ability-to-do-something/

The decluttering trend

How tidy are you? Learn about the fashion for a clutter-free life.

source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0761mfq

Tuesday, 9 April 2019

English Grammar Made Easy S2 #55 - Intro to Relative Pronouns

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source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/english-grammar-made-easy-s2-55-intro-to-relative-pronouns/

Laughing all the way to the bank

When can going to the bank be funny? We've got a phrase that will leave you laughing.

source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p075xjlx

Monday, 8 April 2019

Extensive Reading in English for Absolute Beginners #12 - Bugs

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source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/extensive-reading-in-english-for-absolute-beginners-12-bugs/

Saturday, 6 April 2019

Lesson 31: Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Summary Anna wants to go to see a baseball game. The question is: what is the fastest way for her to get there? Her friends Jonathan and Ashley give her advice. Speaking In this video, learn to say the new words for this lesson. You can also learn about comparative adjectives like "faster," and superlative adjectives like "fastest." Pronunciation Use this video to learn about pronouncing "than" in sentences with comparative adjectives. Conversation Anna: Hi, there, sports fans! Baseball is America’s sport. Today, I am going to Nationals Park. It is home to Washington, D.C.’s baseball team -- the Washington Nationals! Anna: Hi, Jonathan! Jonathan: Hi, Anna! Where are you going? Anna: I am taking a bus to a Nationals baseball game! Jonathan: Don’t take the bus. A taxi is faster than a bus. Anna: Oh, good idea. You know I love baseball. Jonathan: That’s great. Have fun. Anna: In fact, I wanted to be a baseball player. Jonathan: Is this one of your memories? I’m really busy. Anna: This won’t take long. I can see it now... I am at home plate. I wait for the pitch. The ball comes. I swing. It’s a hit! I run to first base, second base, third base, then home plate. It’s a home run! The crowd cheers! Woo hoo! Jonathan: You really love baseball. Have fun at the game, Anna. Anna: Thanks, Jonathan.Taxi! Ashley: Hi, Anna. Where are you going? Anna: Hi, Ashley. I am going to see a Nationals baseball game! Ashley: What time is the game? Anna: 7 o’clock. Ashley: Do you have a ticket? Anna: No, not yet. Ashley: Anna, you should go a lot earlier than 7 o’clock. Anna: That is why I’m taking a taxi. Taxi! Ashley: Anna, Anna, that’s not a good idea. A bicycle is faster than a taxi. Anna: Oh, Ashley. Ashley, Ashley, Ashley. A car is faster than your bicycle. Ashley: In D.C. traffic sometimes a bicycle is faster than a car. And right now, there is a lot of traffic. Anna: Good point. But I don’t have a bicycle. Ashley: Okay, Anna, you can use my bicycle. Anna: Thanks! I really want to learn how to ride one. Ashley: What do you mean, learn how to ride a bike? Oh, Anna! Anna, Anna! Ashley: You know, Anna, the Metro is faster than a taxi and a bicycle. You ought to take the Metro. It’s that way. Anna: Good idea. Ashley: OK. Anna: See you later! Ashley: Bye, Anna! Anna: Bye! Anna: The Metro was a lot faster than a bus, taxi or bike. And now I’m at Nationals Park! Look at all these fans! So many people like to watch baseball. There’s the ticket window. What? The tickets are sold out? Nooooooo!Nooooooo! But I really want to watch a baseball game. Does anyone have an extra ticket? Fan: Next time, you should buy your ticket online. Anna: Thanks. Thanks a lot. It is good advice. Being early is better than being late. Until next time … Writing Do you like to watch sports? Where do you watch them? Write to tell us about a game you saw. Try to use some of the words from this lesson, like ticket, crowd, fans, and cheer. Write to us by email or in the Comments section. Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice using comparative and superlative adjectives 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 Visualize. Visualize means creating an image in your mind. When learning a new language, we can visualize to help us understand what we are learning. In this week's video, Anna visualizes playing a baseball game. You can also say she imagines playing the game. Jonathan listens and makes an image in his own mind. He understands that Anna loves baseball. He says, "You really love baseball. Have fun at the game, Anna." Do you ever visualize when listening to or reading 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 base - n. any one of the four places a runner must touch in order to score in baseball baseball - n. a game played on a large field by two teams of nine players who try to score runs by hitting a small ball with a long rounded stick and then running to each of the four places a runner must touch in order to score without being put out better - adj. more attractive, appealing, effective or useful bicycle/bike - n. a 2-wheeled vehicle that a person rides by pushing on foot pedals cheer(s) - v. to shout with joy, approval, or enthusiasm crowd - n. a large group of people who are together in one place earlier -adv. before the usual or expected time extra - adj. more than is usual or necessary fan(s) - n. a person who likes and admires someone, such as a famous person, or something, such as a sport or a sports team, in a very enthusiastic way faster - adv. with great speed hit - v. to cause a ball to move by hitting it forcefully with a bat in baseball; hit - n. when a baseball player is able to successfully swing the bat and connect it with the ball home plate - n. the base that a runner must touch in order to score in baseball home run - n. a hit that allows the batter to go around all the bases and score a run in baseball Nationals Park - n. a baseball park located in Washington, D.C. that is the home ballpark for the Washington Nationals baseball team online - n. done over the Internet pitch - v. to throw a ball to the player who is trying to hit the ball in baseball sell out - v. to be bought until no more are available swing - v. to move your arms while holding the long rounded stick that is used to hit the ball in baseball with a quick, curving motion team - n. a group of people who compete in a sport or game against another group than - conj. used to introduce the second or last of two or more things or people that are being compared — used with the comparative form of an adjective or adverb ticket - n. a piece of paper that allows you to see a show, participate in an event, travel on a vehicle window - n. an opening in a wall or door that usually contains a sheet of glass ______________________________________________________________ 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 comparative adjectives and learn more about baseball. 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: Comparatives: faster, earlier Topics: Making comparisons; Asking for & giving advice Learning Strategy: Visualize Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: Using comparative and superlative adjectives; Pronouncing reduced "than" in comparative sentences ______________________________________________________________ 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-31-take-me-out-to-the-ball-game/3535235.html

Thursday, 4 April 2019

The Many Ways We Use ‘Of Course’

In the film, “Love, Of Course,” single mother Amy Andolini finds herself alone after sending her daughter to college. But when she gets a job planning the school’s Harvest Festival event, she falls in love with Noah Ferris, a professor. The film title tells us that Amy accepts the idea of falling in love. There are many uses for the expression “of course” in everyday speech. For example, we use it to say “yes” with certainty to requests and some questions. We also use it is to show agreement with or sympathy for a speaker. Most uses are good-natured and polite. But a few can be considered impolite. So, be careful. You would, of course, want to avoid those. On this Everyday Grammar program, I will talk about good and bad uses for the expression “of course.” To answer requests The first we will explore is as an answer to a request for permission. Suppose you are attending a party with a friend. You need to call home but your mobile phone is out of power. Listen to a short exchange: Oh no. My phone just died. Can I use yours? Of course! It’s in my bag near the red chair. Thanks! I’ll only be a minute. When someone asks for permission, and we answer with “Of course,” we are answering with an emphatic “yes.” This is a polite way of using the expression. Other times, a person may wish to confirm information. In this next exchange, listen for the answer “Of course.” Hey Alice! Are you coming tubing with us Saturday? Of course! And I’m bringing drinks for everyone. Nice! I’ll bring my waterproof radio. You just heard me use “Of course” politely. Pay attention to tone Tone is important for this expression. The wrong tone can change the meaning of “of course” from good to bad. Listen to what happens with a change in tone: Hey Alice! Are you coming tubing with us Saturday? Of course. And I’m bringing drinks for everyone. Oh, ok. Here, the expression sounds unpleasant and feels impolite. The other person may take it to mean, “You should already know the answer.” To answer an offer Another use for “of course” involves answering a polite offer. But is this next exchange a good or bad use of the expression? You decide: Hey, dear. I’m going to the supermarket. Would you like me to bring you anything? Of course. Bring me a bottle of soy milk, please. That’s not a very nice answer to a kind offer. Here, answering “Of course” suggests you think the other person should have magically known the answer. A better answer to a polite offer is either “Yes, please” or “That would be great. Thanks!” Other questions For most other questions, it is best to avoid answering with “Of course.” Such an answer may sound impolite or even strange. For example, suppose someone says, “Your hair looks wonderful. Did you get it cut?” The answer “Of course” is not fitting. Again, it may suggest you expect the other person to be telepathic and read your mind. To show agreement Another use of “of course” is a way of showing interest in and agreement with what someone else is saying, so it is polite. It can also show sympathy for another person. Listen to this exchange between parents: This is the third physics tutor who has not been helpful to my son. Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. And I had talked to a lot people before giving her the job. Of course, you did. But, don’t worry. Maybe I can help you find the right tutor. To show lack of surprise OK, the last use we’ll explore today for “of course” is a way to show that something is not surprising. Unlike the others, this use is not a response. Instead, the speaker uses the expression in his or her own statement. Here is how it might sound: And I forgot to bring my umbrella again so, of course, I got soaked on my way home. It always seems to rain when I have no umbrella! Here, the speaker is showing a lack of surprise at their own forgetfulness. Of course not Now, let’s talk about the term “of course not.” It is the normal negative form of “of course.” We can use it to say “no” in a way that shows we are certain or “yes” to a polite request. Listen to a quick exchange: Did you break this glass? Of course not! Here, the speaker uses “Of course not!” to say very strongly that something is not true. This is only suited to informal situations. But we can also use “of course not” to answer a request. This only works when the request uses the wording “Do you mind…?” or “Would you mind…” Have a listen: Hi Tesha. Do you mind watching my dog for an hour? Of course not! You can bring Lando over at 3. In this exchange, use of “Of course not” means, “I don’t mind at all. I would be happy to watch your dog!” Final thought Well, that brings us to our final thought: If you are ever unsure whether to use “of course,” the good news is that you can simply avoid it. There are, of course, many other ways to say what you want to say. I’m Alice Bryant. Alice Bryant wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story title – n. the name given to something (such as a book, song, or movie) to identify it certainty – n. the state of being or feeling certain about something polite – adj. having or showing good manners or respect for other people emphatic – adj. said or done in a forceful or definite way tubing – n. the activity of riding on an inner tube over snow or down a river tone – n. the quality of a person’s voice telepathic – adj. having the ability to know another person's thoughts without being told what they are tutor – n. a teacher who works with one student soaked – adj. made completely wet by water or another liquid negative – adj. expressing denial or refusal

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/the-ways-we-use-of-course-/4857530.html

Why do we feel awkward?

Neil and Dan discuss what awkwardness is and why we feel it.

source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p075jn42

American Business English for Beginners #5 - Expressing Your Opinion in English

Learn Business English with EnglishClass101.com! Whether you’ve just started working for an American company or started doing business with one, you’ll need some polished and professional English words and phrases to make a good impression. And that’s exactly where this new Business English series comes in! In this lesson, you’ll learn how to give your opinion. [...]

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/american-business-english-for-beginners-5-expressing-your-opinion-in-english/

Tuesday, 2 April 2019

The joke is on you

Find out more about a seriously funny English phrase.

source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p075991p

Learn Spanish Numbers With Rocket Spanish

Hola everyone! We hope everything is okay with you and you are enjoying the life. In this lesson we are going to learn Spanish numbers with Maurucio the founder and teacher of Rocket Spanish. Now please watch below video and write your comments on the comment section under this post…

How To Learn Spanish Nunmbers

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The Spanish numbers are not difficult to learn. Even when there are some exceptions in the way to form them, their construction follows rules that will allow students to learn them easily.

Here are the Spanish numbers:

learn Spanish numbers

1 – uno
2 – dos
3 – tres
4 – cuatro
5 – cinco
6 – seis
7 – siete
8 – ocho
9 – nueve
10 – diez
11 – once
12 – doce
13 – trece
14 – catorce
15 – quince
16 – dieciséis
17 – diecisiete
18 – dieciocho
19 – diecinueve
20 – veinte
21 – veintiuno
22 – veintidós
23 – veintitrés
24 – veinticuatro
25 – veinticinco
26 – veintiséis
27 – veintisiete
28 – veintiocho
29 – veintinueve
30 – treinta
31 – treinta y uno
32 – treinta y dos
33 – treinta y tres
40 – cuarenta
41 – cuarenta y uno
42 – cuarenta y dos
50 – cincuenta
60 – sesenta
70 – setenta
80 – ochenta
90 – noventa
100 – cien
101 – ciento uno
102 – ciento dos
110 – ciento diez
111 – ciento once
200 – doscientos
201 – doscientos uno
202 – doscientos dos
211 – doscientos once
276 – doscientos setenta y seis
300 – trescientos
400 – cuatrocientos
500 – quinientos
600 – seiscientos
700 – setecientos
800 – ochocientos
900 – novecientos
1.000 – mil
1.011 – mil once
1.111 – mil ciento once
2.000 – dos mil
3.000.003 – tres millones tres

Ordinal Numbers in Spanish

So far I’ve only talked about cardinal numbers – one, two, three, etc. It’s also important to learn the ordinal numbers – first, second, third, fourth, etc. Here are the first ten:

English	Español
first	primero
second	segundo
third	tercero
fourth	cuarto
fifth	quinto
sixth	sexto
seventh	séptimo
eighth	octavo
ninth	noveno
tenth	décimo

Ordinal numbers are adjectives that must agree with the noun – although, unlike most Spanish adjectives, they go before the noun, not after:

el segundo libro = the second book
la segunda persona = the second person
los primeros carros = the first cars
las primeras flores = the first flowers

Note that primero and tercero drop the “o” before a singular masculine noun:

el primer día = the first day
el tercer hijo = the third son

In the Rocket Spanish you will learn and speak Spanish fluently. Also you are going to discover how to use Spanish vocabulary with Rocket Spanish course. Join Mauricio Evlampieff as he teaches us some basic greetings and phrases in his native language, Spanish… It is so easy to learn speaking Spanish with us.

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Rocket Spanish Tutorials:

The post Learn Spanish Numbers With Rocket Spanish appeared first on Learn Spanish Speaking.

source https://learnspeakingspanish.com/learn-spanish-numbers

English Grammar Made Easy S2 #54 - Introduction to Email Writing

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source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/english-grammar-made-easy-s2-54-introduction-to-email-writing/