As a general rule, the English language aims to avoid repetition. That’s why, on Everyday Grammar, we talk about ways to shorten sentences – in spoken English and in some forms of writing. Shortened speech helps us avoid restating what we, or others, have just said. For example, my sister and I just exchanged text messages that demonstrate how to say something in only a few words. I’ll share our messages with you. She would like to use something of mine, so she wrote: Hey, do you have an extra air bed? Some friends are visiting this weekend. I responded: I think so!! I’ll check tonight. In my text, the word “so” shortened a longer sentence. “I think so” means “I think that I have an extra air bed.” When we use “so” this way, we are replacing a group of words known as a that-clause. On a past Everyday Grammar program, we introduced this idea. Today, we will look at the grammar in steps. Step 1: What is a clause? The first step is to understand what a clause is. A clause is a part of a sentence with its own subject and verb. Many sentences in English contain two or more clauses. Imagine I wrote a longer text to reply to my sister: I think that I have an extra air bed. This sentence has two clauses – a main clause and supporting clause. The main clause is “I think.” Its subject is “I” and verb is “think.” The main clause is joined to a second clause that gives us more information – in this case, a that-clause. “That I have an extra air bed” is the that-clause. It begins with the word “that” and has its own subject and verb. Its subject is “I” and verb is “have.” Step 2: Replacing that-clauses Now let’s move to step two – how to replace that-clauses with “so.” There are a few kinds of that-clauses in English, and not all can be replaced with “so.” We mostly do it when sentences follow the structure subject + verb + that-clause. This kind of that-clause is a noun clause. But remembering that term is not important for today’s lesson. We replace that-clauses with “so” only after a limited number of verbs, including: think, believe, hope, guess, suppose, assume, imagine, know, say and tell Most of these verbs (except “say” and “tell”) can express uncertainty or an opinion. “Say” and “tell” are reporting verbs, which we can use to talk about what someone else said. Step 3: Hearing examples All of this will become clearer in step three – hearing examples. Let’s now listen to a few. I recently asked a friend if she’d won an award for small businesses in New York. Her response was something like this: I haven’t gotten an answer yet. But I really hope so!! Later, she found out that she was a winner! Our next example has a reporting verb. Notice that there’s just one speaker: I'm not sure if Alfredo's coming to the watch party. He said so. But it’s after 5pm and I haven’t seen him. We can shorten that-clauses in our own speech, not just in responses. And this last one answers a suggestion: Should we wait until tomorrow to go hiking? I suppose so. It’s close to sunset so the bugs will be out now. Step 4: The missing “that” OK, onto step four. I imagine this step will be a huge help as you continue studying English. When native speakers say or write things, we often leave out the word “that” in that-clauses. In fact, I did it a few sentences ago. Did you catch it? Here’s a clue: I said “I imagine…” Recognizing missing “thats” will help you understand and write English better. Step 5: Negative forms Now for step five: negative forms. When we replace that-clauses with “so” in negative sentences, we do it differently for different verbs. After the verbs “think,” “believe,” “say,” and some others, we make the negative this way: I don’t suppose so. The witness didn’t say so. Rachel doesn’t think so. But, after the verbs “guess” and “hope,” we form the negative without the verb “do” and put “not” at the end, like this: I guess not. We hope not. We do not say, “I don’t guess so” or “We don’t hope so.” What you can do Wow, we covered a lot today! Don’t try to remember it all. Instead, look and listen for signals of that-clauses anywhere that English is used. You can start by paying attention when people use the verbs “think,” “believe,” “guess” and “hope” in positive or negative form. Then, ask yourself if the speaker or writer used a full that-clause, left out the word “that” or replaced the clause completely with “so.” For instance, at a restaurant or market, a worker might ask a customer, “Would you like anything else today?” The customer might respond, “I don’t think so, thanks.” And, I think we are done for today, too! I’m Alice Bryant. Alice Bryant wrote this story for Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Practice You heard me give many examples of shortened that-clauses with “so” in today’s program. Look at the three examples below and complete their full that-clauses. (about the business award) I haven’t gotten an answer yet. But I really hope so!! But I really hope that __________________!! I am not sure if Alfredo is coming to the watch party. He said so. He said that ____________________. Should we wait until tomorrow to go hiking? I suppose so. I suppose that _____________________. 4. Would you like anything else today? I don’t think so, thanks. I don’t think that ____________________, thanks. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story conversation - n. an informal talk involving two people or a small group of people :the act of talking in an informal way text - n. a message sent on a mobile phone introduce - v. to mention or refer to something for the first time clue - n. something that helps a person find something negative - adj. expressing denial or refusal positive - adj. describing a factual sentence ______________________________________________________________ A note about “told” The common American expression “I told you so” (or the shorter “Told you so” or “Told you”) has a meaning other than it seems. It means “I warned you about something and you did not listen to my warning.” This is usually considered unkind so it’s best to avoid using the expression.
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/how-to-replace-that-clauses-with-so-/4973455.html
Thursday, 27 June 2019
Survival Phrases #44 - Admissions in the USA
Learn English travel phrases with EnglishClass101.com! A little English can go such a long way! Whether you’re traveling, visiting, or sightseeing, EnglishClass101.com has all the essential travel phrases just for you! In this lesson, we cover a high frequency English phrase sure to be of use on your trip, travels or vacation to the USA. In [...]
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/survival-phrases-44-do-you-have-an-english-information-guide/
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/survival-phrases-44-do-you-have-an-english-information-guide/
Tuesday, 25 June 2019
Monday, 24 June 2019
Lesson 42: I Was Minding My Own Business
Summary Anna sees a crime and tries to help find the robbers. She hurts her arm. The news reporter wants to know, "How did she hurt herself?" Speaking In this video, learn how to say the new words. Then learn how to use reflexive pronouns like herself, ourselves, and yourself. Pronunciation Use this video to understand how English speakers pronounce the words "did you" quickly and learn to say them as /didjə/. Conversation Guy: Hello. I'm Guy Newsman with News Channel XYZ. I’m here in Washington, D.C. at the scene of a crime. Guy: We are talking with this woman. Guy: She saw the crime during her lunch break. It looks like she hurt herself while she was trying to stop the crime. Guy: Tell us your name. Anna: Hi, Guy. I'm Anna. Guy: Anna, what did you see and what happened to your arm? Anna: Guy, I was minding my own business. See, I work over there. Guy: Um-hum Anna: I left work to get some lunch. Then suddenly, I heard a woman yelling. She was yelling like this ... “Help! Help!” Guy: Um-hum Anna: Two robbers were grabbing her bag like this. She was hitting them with her umbrella. Guy: Is that when you hurt your arm? Anna: No. At that time, I was not fighting the robbers. Guy: Um-hum. Anna: See. I was too far away and I didn't have my own umbrella. Guy: So, what happened next? Anna: They grabbed her bag and ran away! So, I grabbed her umbrella and ran after the robbers. Guy: Then that is the time that you hurt your arm? Anna: No. I was yelling, “Stop, robbers! Stop!” She was yelling, “Hey, come back with my umbrella!” Guy: Were you afraid? Anna: I had no time to be afraid, Guy. Well, I had time while I was resting on a bench. I had a lot of time. Guy: Then what happened? Anna: The robbers got on a bus. So, I ran after the bus. A VO: While I was running, I tripped and fell. Guy: And that is the time that you hurt your arm? Anna: No. While I was lying on the ground, someone stepped on my arm! Guy: Ouch. That’s too bad. Anna: Yeah. And they didn’t apologize. Well, then the robbers got themselves kicked off the bus. Guy: Why? Anna: They didn’t pay. You've got to pay when you get on a bus. The police came and took them away. Guy: And that’s when you hurt your arm! Anna: No. Guy: Then, when did you hurt yourself? Anna: Well, Guy, by this time, I was feeling very hungry. So, I went to my office to get a snack. C: Anna, I'm calling for help right now. C: (on the phone) Hello? Yes, please come right away. My co-worker is stuck in a vending machine. Guy: You hurt your arm in a vending machine buying a bag of chips? Anna: I was really hungry and the bag was stuck. I had to - Guy: That’s all from News Channel XYZ. This is Guy Newsman saying goodbye. Guy: Okay, we have to find ourselves another story, guys. Anna: Until next time! Hi Mom! Writing In this lesson, Anna hurt herself in the vending machine. Did you ever hurt yourself by accident? What were you doing when you hurt yourself? Write to us by email or in the Comments section. Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice writing and using the past continuous tense and reflexive pronouns. Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. The learning strategy for this lesson is Read Between the Lines. This expression means to find a hidden meaning in something said or written. In this lesson, Guy Newsman asks Anna many questions. Anna tells him a long story about the crime. But she doesn't explain how she hurt her arm until the end. Guy reads between the lines each time he guesses about how she hurt her arm. Do you ever read between the lines to understand what you hear or read in 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 arm - n. either one of the two long body parts that join the top of your body at the shoulder and that end at the hand or wrist chips - n. thin, hard, and usually salty pieces of food crime - n. an illegal act for which someone can be punished by the government fall (past tense: fell) - v. to come or go down suddenly from a standing position grab - v. (past participle: grabbing) to quickly take and hold (someone or something) with your hand or arms ground - n. the soil that is on or under the surface of the earth kick off - phrasal verb. (past tense: kicked off) force (someone) to leave lie - v. (gerund: lying) to be in a flat position on a surface minding my own business - idiom. doing what you normally do and not bothering anyone robber - n. a criminal who steals money or property or a thief who robs people snack - n. a small amount of food eaten between meals step - - v. to put your foot down — usually + in or on stuck - adj. difficult or impossible to move from a position trip - - v. (past tense: tripped) to fall or nearly by accidentally hitting your foot on something as you are walking or running umbrella - n. a device that is used for protection from the rain and sun vending machine - n. a machine that you put money into in order to buy food or drinks Subject Pronouns (Lesson 2) Object Pronouns (Lesson 18) Possessive Adjectives (Lesson 15) Possessive Pronouns (Lesson 37) Reflexive Pronouns (Lesson 42) 1st person I me my mine myself 2nd person you you your yours yourself 3rd person (female) she her her hers herself 3rd person (male) he him his his himself 3rd person (neutral) it it its (not used) itself 1st person (plural) we us our ours ourselves 2nd person (plural) you you your yours yourselves 3rd person (plural) they them their theirs themselves ______________________________________________________________ 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 the past continuous tense and reflexive pronouns. 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: Reflexive pronouns; While-clauses; Past Continuous Tense, Topics: Describing ongoing past activities; Asking about & giving information about past events; Describing a sequence of events; Expressing concern about someone; Reacting to bad news; Expressing sympathy Learning Strategy: Read Between the Lines Speaking & Pronunciation: Reflexive pronouns; Pronouncing /didjə/ ____________________________________________________________ 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-42-i-was-minding-my-own-business/3647264.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/lets-learn-english-lesson-42-i-was-minding-my-own-business/3647264.html
A guide to rude, offensive, insulting and taboo gestures for EFL learners
New Entry: 'A guide to rude, offensive, insulting and taboo gestures for EFL learners' has just been added to the Articles area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/articles/guide-to-rude-offensive-insulting-taboo-gestures-for-efl-learners.html
Needs Analysis and Aptis Speaking Part One Practice
New Entry: 'Needs Analysis and Aptis Speaking Part One Practice' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.
source https://www.usingenglish.com/teachers/lesson-plans/view-needs-analysis-and-aptis-speaking-part-one-practice/
Saturday, 22 June 2019
Friday, 21 June 2019
Know Your Verbs #30 - Verb: “Fall”
Lesson Video Download Video
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/know-your-verbs-30-verb-fall/
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/know-your-verbs-30-verb-fall/
English Vocab Builder #166 - Money
Lesson Audio Download MP3
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/english-vocab-builder-166-money/
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/english-vocab-builder-166-money/
Thursday, 20 June 2019
Contronyms Are 'Literally' The Best
The American television series "Seinfeld" was famous for its unusual and often strange conversations. These conversations often took place in a diner - a kind of small, informal restaurant. In one program, the character George is sad about where he is in life. George feels that he has made poor choices. He wants to change his life around by doing the opposite of what he has done. He would like to eat different foods, be willing to talk to strangers, and so on. Let's listen to a few lines from the show. "Well, here's your chance to try the opposite. Instead of tuna salad and being intimidated by women... chicken salad and going right up to them.” “Yeah, I should do the opposite, I should.” “If every instinct you have is wrong, then the opposite would have to be right." Today, we will explore the idea of opposites. Namely, we will look at words that have at least two meanings: one meaning and an opposite meaning. We will also explore disputes around these words, like one involving the word "literally". Contronyms English has a number of words with opposite meanings. They are called contronyms. You will hear contronyms in the news, official speeches, and everyday conversation. You will even see them in writing. Consider the word "sanction." A sanction can be a kind of punishment for disobeying a law, especially an international law. Imagine you hear a news story about the United Nations Security Council. The story might begin with the words, "Security Council votes to impose sanctions."* If you follow the news, you are probably familiar with this expression. However, the word "sanction" can have an opposite meaning: an official approval for an action. For example, you might read a news story about a legal dispute. The story might say, "Critics say the policy lacked legal sanction." In this case, the critics are saying that the policy did not have official approval. Because "sanction" has a second, opposite meaning, it is a contronym. Here's another example of a contronym: the word “bill”. You can have a $50 bill, or you can receive a $50 bill for medical services. In the first example, "bill" means a piece of paper money. In the second case, "bill" suggests a document that tells you how much money you owe. Disputes over language Americans sometimes dispute the use of a contronym. Consider the word "literally." On the internet, many stories and videos are sharply critical of this word. "A lot of you out there who say 'literally' don't seem to understand what 'literally' means." Literally, in its traditional meaning, means "by the letter". It later took on the meaning "with the meaning of each word given exactly."** Americans often use it in a completely different way. Imagine you hear the following conversation: “Did you hear Tom's story?” “Yes, I was literally dying of laughter. It was so funny!” Here, the second speaker does not mean that she is dying. When she says "literally", she means "figuratively". The word "literally" is like the character George from Seinfeld. "Literally", like George, spent time doing one thing. Now it is looking for a change. Naturally, the word itself is not making this decision to change. English speakers are using the word in different ways. There is nothing new or strange about this change. Many words change over time – just like people and societies. Social uses of words John McWhorter is an expert on languages. He notes that English speakers use some words for what he calls common, social uses. He refers to these uses by the acronym “FACE”. Do not worry about all of the terms. The one we are interested in is the letter "F" in FACE. It means "factuality." McWhorter notes that English speakers use words to show how truthful or exact their statements are. In other words, they include words to show how "factual" their statements are. "Literally" has become a word that shows factuality. It shows that the speaker is using an overstatement or exaggerated language. So, when a person says "I was literally dying of laughter," they are using the word "literally" to show that they are using exaggerated language. If you compare this use of "literally" with the first definition of "literally," you will notice that "literally" has become a contronym. McWhorter notes that this is a natural progression for the word. There is nothing wrong or incorrect about this change, he adds. What can you do? The next time you are listening to an English speaker or reading a document in English, look for examples of contronyms. If you are having trouble understanding a sentence, it might be because the speaker or writer is using a less common meaning of a word. Try to think about the word's context. Sometimes you can understand a contronym's meaning by thinking about the other words that come in the sentence with it. Contronyms are a strange, fun part of language. They are literally the easiest thing about the English language. “I think you are you exaggerating…” I'm Jill Robbins. And I'm John Russell. 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. * The beginning of a news story is often called a headline. ** McWhorter, John. Words on the Move. Henry Holt and Co. 2016. Pgs. 22-28 _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story conversation – n. an informal talk involving two people or a small group of people; the act of talking in an informal way informal – adj suited for ordinary use when you are relaxing. character – n. a person in a play or story intimidated - adj. to be afraid instinct - n. a way of behaving, thinking, or feeling that is not learned; a natural desire or tendency that makes you want to act in a particular way impose – v. to establish; to bring about as if by force figuratively – adj. Expressing one thing normally while talking about another refer – v. to think of; to send for treatment factuality – n. The quality of being actual or factual: actuality, fact, factualness, reality, truth. exaggerated - adj. to think of or describe something as larger or greater than it really is context – n. the situation in which something happens
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/everyday-grammar-contronyms/4152424.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/everyday-grammar-contronyms/4152424.html
Contronyms Are 'Literally' The Best
The American television series "Seinfeld" was famous for its unusual and often strange conversations. These conversations often took place in a diner - a kind of small, informal restaurant. In one program, the character George is sad about where he is in life. George feels that he has made poor choices. He wants to change his life around by doing the opposite of what he has done. He would like to eat different foods, be willing to talk to strangers, and so on. Let's listen to a few lines from the show. "Well, here's your chance to try the opposite. Instead of tuna salad and being intimidated by women... chicken salad and going right up to them.” “Yeah, I should do the opposite, I should.” “If every instinct you have is wrong, then the opposite would have to be right." Today, we will explore the idea of opposites. Namely, we will look at words that have at least two meanings: one meaning and an opposite meaning. We will also explore disputes around these words, like one involving the word "literally". Contronyms English has a number of words with opposite meanings. They are called contronyms. You will hear contronyms in the news, official speeches, and everyday conversation. You will even see them in writing. Consider the word "sanction." A sanction can be a kind of punishment for disobeying a law, especially an international law. Imagine you hear a news story about the United Nations Security Council. The story might begin with the words, "Security Council votes to impose sanctions."* If you follow the news, you are probably familiar with this expression. However, the word "sanction" can have an opposite meaning: an official approval for an action. For example, you might read a news story about a legal dispute. The story might say, "Critics say the policy lacked legal sanction." In this case, the critics are saying that the policy did not have official approval. Because "sanction" has a second, opposite meaning, it is a contronym. Here's another example of a contronym: the word “bill”. You can have a $50 bill, or you can receive a $50 bill for medical services. In the first example, "bill" means a piece of paper money. In the second case, "bill" suggests a document that tells you how much money you owe. Disputes over language Americans sometimes dispute the use of a contronym. Consider the word "literally." On the internet, many stories and videos are sharply critical of this word. "A lot of you out there who say 'literally' don't seem to understand what 'literally' means." Literally, in its traditional meaning, means "by the letter". It later took on the meaning "with the meaning of each word given exactly."** Americans often use it in a completely different way. Imagine you hear the following conversation: “Did you hear Tom's story?” “Yes, I was literally dying of laughter. It was so funny!” Here, the second speaker does not mean that she is dying. When she says "literally", she means "figuratively". The word "literally" is like the character George from Seinfeld. "Literally", like George, spent time doing one thing. Now it is looking for a change. Naturally, the word itself is not making this decision to change. English speakers are using the word in different ways. There is nothing new or strange about this change. Many words change over time – just like people and societies. Social uses of words John McWhorter is an expert on languages. He notes that English speakers use some words for what he calls common, social uses. He refers to these uses by the acronym “FACE”. Do not worry about all of the terms. The one we are interested in is the letter "F" in FACE. It means "factuality." McWhorter notes that English speakers use words to show how truthful or exact their statements are. In other words, they include words to show how "factual" their statements are. "Literally" has become a word that shows factuality. It shows that the speaker is using an overstatement or exaggerated language. So, when a person says "I was literally dying of laughter," they are using the word "literally" to show that they are using exaggerated language. If you compare this use of "literally" with the first definition of "literally," you will notice that "literally" has become a contronym. McWhorter notes that this is a natural progression for the word. There is nothing wrong or incorrect about this change, he adds. What can you do? The next time you are listening to an English speaker or reading a document in English, look for examples of contronyms. If you are having trouble understanding a sentence, it might be because the speaker or writer is using a less common meaning of a word. Try to think about the word's context. Sometimes you can understand a contronym's meaning by thinking about the other words that come in the sentence with it. Contronyms are a strange, fun part of language. They are literally the easiest thing about the English language. “I think you are you exaggerating…” I'm Jill Robbins. And I'm John Russell. 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. * The beginning of a news story is often called a headline. ** McWhorter, John. Words on the Move. Henry Holt and Co. 2016. Pgs. 22-28 _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story conversation – n. an informal talk involving two people or a small group of people; the act of talking in an informal way informal – adj suited for ordinary use when you are relaxing. character – n. a person in a play or story intimidated - adj. to be afraid instinct - n. a way of behaving, thinking, or feeling that is not learned; a natural desire or tendency that makes you want to act in a particular way impose – v. to establish; to bring about as if by force figuratively – adj. Expressing one thing normally while talking about another refer – v. to think of; to send for treatment factuality – n. The quality of being actual or factual: actuality, fact, factualness, reality, truth. exaggerated - adj. to think of or describe something as larger or greater than it really is context – n. the situation in which something happens
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/everyday-grammar-contronyms/4152424.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/everyday-grammar-contronyms/4152424.html
Can death metal bring you joy?
Neil and Rob talk about this kind of music and teach you some vocabulary.
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07dpcng
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07dpcng
Wednesday, 19 June 2019
Learn To Speak English Practice Course
The Best way to learn English is to listen to easy and interesting stories. And you should repeat what you listen frequently in order to use it automatically. So you can do that with the English Easy Practice Story lessons by yourself. Just download these powerful stories, listen them repaatedly and answer the easy questions.
Well today, we introduce you the English Easy Practicing Stories to improve your English speaking and listening skills. Which of course is extremely helpful when learning a language as you aren’t left guessing how to pronounce words or how to string them together and instead can hear how the words come together in complete formation, making for a more engaging and over all helpful experience.
English Easy Practice Course Review
Do 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 nеrvоuѕ tо speak English wіth аnоthеr реrѕоn or in рublіс? Thе Englіѕh Eаѕу Practice Course іѕ designed to hеlр you learn Englіѕh bу lіѕtеnіng fun, energetic аnd іntеrеѕtіng ѕtоrіеѕ. Englіѕh easy practice іѕ аn excellent course that hаѕ рut tоgеthеr vеrу interesting Englіѕh lessons іn thе form оf fun stories for уоu.
This іѕ a collection оf ѕресіаl story lessons to hеlр уоu to improve Englіѕh speaking. Yоu саn lіѕtеn tо the ѕtоrіеѕ everywhere and еvеrуtіmе уоu wаnt. So уоu саn рrасtісе lіѕtеnіng аnd speaking to bесоmе fluent.
IMPROVE ENGLISH SPEAKING BY LISTENING
The only thing уоu nееd іѕ tо have іntеrеѕt in lеаrnіng the Language. Wеthеr уоu are a bеgіnnеr, a worker whо dо nоt have tіmе tо follow fоrmеrlу scheduled lеѕѕоnѕ. Or іf уоu juѕt want tо add tо уоur numbеr оf lаnguаgеѕ, оr еvеn lеаrnіng English juѕt fоr the pleasure оf dоіng ѕо, thеn Englіѕh еаѕу practice fun story courses аrе tаіlоrеd for you.
You саn fоllоw their соurѕеѕ online аnd рrасtісе Englіѕh at the comfort оf уоur home, оr еvеn dоwnlоаd them and listen to them at уоur pace. The stories are dеѕіgnеd tо hеlр уоu tо іmрrоvе уоur listening and speaking ѕkіllѕ. Eасh story focuses on one раrtісulаr grаmmаr ѕubjесt. Thе stories аrе іntеrеѕtіng аnd designed to kеер your іntеrеѕt in learning the lаnguаgе аlwауѕ hіgh.
YOU CAN READ THE STORY LESSONS WHILE YOU LISTEN
Each of their lessons has a ѕеrіеѕ оf ԛuеѕtіоnѕ that will be asked fоr уоu tо аnѕwеr orally аnd lоud, thereby іmрrоvіng уоur eloquence іn speaking thе lаnguаgе. Fоr еасh lеѕѕоn уоu lіѕtеn, there is a pdf with аn equivalent text thаt you can rеаd whіlе уоu lіѕtеn tо understand everything аnd ѕее how tо wrіtе and pronounce the vосаbulаrу.Thе course is as еffесtіvе аѕ gоіng fоr асtuаl Englіѕh lessons. In fасt, it іѕ mоrе еffесtіvе bесаuѕе уоu learn faster. The рrісе оf the соurѕе is аlѕо attractive. At $39 уоu will get thе whоlе course and аnу аddіtіоnаl material available. Trаdіtіоnаl Englіѕh classes lasting a fеw wееkѕ саn set уоu bасk mоrе than $1,000 whісh іѕ tоо expensive fоr mоѕt реорlе.
Of соurѕе thеrе аrе many оthеr аdvаntаgеѕ of buуіng thе course араrt frоm saving tіmе and mоnеу. English easy practice has аlrеаdу hеlреd hundrеdѕ оf іndіvіduаlѕ in mastering Englіѕh and are dеtеrmіnеd to hеlр уоu аѕ well!
Their аррrоасh tо mastering English іѕ dіffеrеnt from mоѕt. Inѕtеаd of fосuѕіng on rules аnd dictionary dеfіnіtіоnѕ, they fосuѕ оn thе рrасtісаl wауѕ tо hеlр you improve. Their biggest concern іѕ to hеlр you ѕtаrt tаlkіng fаѕt аnd talk fluеntlу.
WHАT TО EXPECT FROM ENGLISH EASY PRACTICE COURSE
- Exресt tо ѕреаk аnd undеrѕtаnd thе Englіѕh Lаnguаgе соnсluѕіvеlу like a Native Englіѕh speaker.
- Exресt tо lеаrn Englіѕh in a fun аnd еngаgіng way.
- Exресt tо hаvе rеnеwеd іntеrеѕt іn Englіѕh lаnguаgе іf you whеrе dіѕсоurаgеd аnd almost giving uр.
- Exресt tо lеаrn Englіѕh fаѕt. Thе соurѕе рrоmіѕеѕ tо tеасh уоu Englіѕh іn rесоrd time.
WHАT YОU GЕT WHEN YОU BUУ THE COURSE
- 20 Story Lеѕѕоnѕ Fоr Lіѕtеnіng аnd Sреаkіng
- 20 Slоw Versions оf thе story lеѕѕоnѕ
- 20 Pdf ѕсrірt text оf the lessons (over 140 раgеѕ total)
- + Bonus Lеѕѕоnѕ Fоr Listening & Sреаkіng Prасtісе
HOW IT WОRKЅ?
English easy рrасtісе uѕеѕ a very ѕіmрlе соnсерt thаt іѕ bаѕеd on lіѕtеnіng and рrасtісе. Thе соurѕе rесоgnіzеѕ that thе bеѕt wау оf lеаrnіng a lаnguаgе іѕ lіѕtеnіng and speakingit аѕ оftеn аѕ possible.
Thіѕ іѕ whу thе course utilizes еvеrуdау lіfе еxреrіеnсеѕ in thе fоrm of еduсаtіvе fun stories аnd еvеrуdау Englіѕh conversations. Thіѕ mаkеѕ іt vеrу easy fоr you tо аbѕоrb аѕ wеll аѕ rеmеmbеr whаt you lеаrn. This is very similar to the Deep English Learning Course.
You саn also wоrk оn уоur оwn соnvеrѕаtіоnаl English privately at hоmе without worrying аbоut making mіѕtаkеѕ. For еxаmрlе lіѕtеn аnd ѕреаk wіth еvеrу lеѕѕоn fоr 4-5 dауѕ at least. Alѕо mаkе ѕurе thаt you аnѕwеr thе ԛuеѕtіоnѕ frоm еасh lеѕѕоn оut аlоud.
In case уоu get ѕtuсk: Please ask аnу ԛuеѕtіоnѕ or іnԛuіrе аnуthіng аbоut English Easy Prасtісе course by ѕеndіng еmаіl to іnfо@еnglіѕhеаѕурrасtісе.соm
https://englishspeakinglearn.blogspot.com/2019/06/7-tips-to-learn-english-fast.html
Tuesday, 18 June 2019
Monday, 17 June 2019
Extensive Reading in English for Beginners #12 - The Planets
Lesson Audio Download MP3 Dialog Download MP3
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/extensive-reading-in-english-for-beginners-12-the-planets/
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/extensive-reading-in-english-for-beginners-12-the-planets/
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
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/lets-learn-english-lesson-41-teamwork/3635015.html
Thursday, 13 June 2019
Three Common Forms in Everyday Speech
Have you ever had someone “repair” a home appliance but it kept breaking? I have been having trouble with my sink for a month. Yesterday, the maintenance man repaired it…again. And it worked fine…once. But then last night, I turned the water on low and walked away for just a few seconds. When I returned, I noticed water all over the floor. I was about to go to bed. But instead I had to clean up the mess. Ugh, the sink keeps leaking. So, in a little while, I'll go ask the building supervisor to replace it. I just used three conversational English forms in my sad sink story. All are common to American English and some are common to other Englishes. They involve the words “about” “keep” and “go.” On today’s program, I will talk about them. Be about to + verb And, I am about to begin. English speakers use the form “be about to” to emphasize that an action will happen very soon. It is a friendly form we use in speech every day. For example, I told you I was about to go to bed. That means I was at the point of starting that action. We can also use “be about to” for such subjects as things and ideas. We can say, for example, “It’s about to rain” and “The proposal is about to be released.” The sentence structure is the verb be + about to + base verb. The base form of a verb is its shortest form with no -s ending. Listen to a quick exchange between friends hurrying to an event: Hi, Jonathan. Hey, Sue. Have you left the house yet? No, but I was just about to put on my shoes. Perfect, I’m about to hop on the metro. See you in a few! Sue said, “I was just about to put on my shoes.” Note her use of the past tense “was.” We can use “be about to” with the present or past tense of the verb “be.” Note also that the word “just” is common with this form. If people say they are just about to do something, it means they expect to do it right now. The negative form of “be about to” has a completely different meaning, however. It means someone feels a strong desire or willpower to do something. For instance, “I’m not about to miss this show. I paid $70 for the ticket!” It's like saying, “I will go to the show and won’t let anyone or anything stop me.” The negative is not always considered friendly, so use it carefully! Keep (on) + gerund Now, let’s move to the verb “keep” plus a gerund, which is the -ing form of a verb. When we use this form, it means that something is happening continuously or again and again. Earlier, you heard me say, “The sink keeps leaking.” The verb “keep” is followed by the gerund “leaking.” We often use keep + gerund to show irritation that an action or situation has not stopped. We also sometimes use it with the preposition “on.” Students keep playing with their mobile phones in class, for example. The cat keeps on scratching the chairs. And my teammate keeps hitting the ball too far! Other times, we use it to give directions or tell someone how to do something. Listen to this person give a friend directions to her house and tell them what to do when they arrive: Keep walking straight until you see a flower shop on the right. My house is the first building behind the shop. Dinner preparations are on the table. When you boil the noodles, please keep stirring them. Otherwise, they’ll stick together. Thanks! You heard the speaker say, “Keep walking straight…” to tell them to continue walking. They also said, “Please keep stirring” the noodles to make sure the friend does this continuously. Go / Come (and) + verb And finally, we have the form go / come + verb. In spoken English, we often add the verb “go” or “come” to other action verbs. When we do this, we are talking about an action in the future. I said, for example, “So, tomorrow, I’ll go ask the building supervisor to replace it.” The structure is go / come + base verb. I used the base verb “ask.” Use of “go” and “come” do not change the meaning of what we’re saying. Instead, they make our speech sound friendlier or more natural. Listen to how our speaker uses the verbs “come” and “go” here: Come visit me in July! You can stay for the long weekend. There is a huge film festival happening. So we can go see a lot of movies in a short time. The speaker’s use of “come” in “Come visit me in July," for instance, sounds more natural in everyday speech than “Visit me in July!” Another version of this form adds the word “and.” An example would be, “Come and visit me in July!” The “and” is common to British and other Englishes but only in some parts of the United States. Well, that’s all for today. Go listen for these forms wherever you hear English being spoken. Then, come tell us what you find! I’m about to sign off and go find the building supervisor. See you soon! I’m Alice Bryant. Alice Bryant wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story appliance – n. a piece of equipment, often operated electrically, especially for use in the home mess – n. a very dirty or untidy state or condition conversational – adj. relating to or suggesting informal talk emphasize – v. to give special attention to hop on – v. to get onto something that is moving, such as a train or bus negative – adj. expressing denial or refusal ticket – n. a piece of paper that allows you to see a show, participate in an event or travel on a vehicle irritation – n. the state of feeling annoyed, impatient or slightly angry scratch – n. to make a line or mark in the surface of something cutting it with something rough or sharp noodle – n. a thin strip of dough made from flour, water, and eggs and that is cooked in boiling liquid
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/three-common-forms-in-everyday-speech/4954710.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/three-common-forms-in-everyday-speech/4954710.html
Three Common Forms in Everyday Speech
Have you ever had someone “repair” a home appliance but it kept breaking? I have been having trouble with my sink for a month. Yesterday, the maintenance man repaired it…again. And it worked fine…once. But then last night, I turned the water on low and walked away for just a few seconds. When I returned, I noticed water all over the floor. I was about to go to bed. But instead I had to clean up the mess. Ugh, the sink keeps leaking. So, in a little while, I'll go ask the building supervisor to replace it. I just used three conversational English forms in my sad sink story. All are common to American English and some are common to other Englishes. They involve the words “about” “keep” and “go.” On today’s program, I will talk about them. Be about to + verb And, I am about to begin. English speakers use the form “be about to” to emphasize that an action will happen very soon. It is a friendly form we use in speech every day. For example, I told you I was about to go to bed. That means I was at the point of starting that action. We can also use “be about to” for such subjects as things and ideas. We can say, for example, “It’s about to rain” and “The proposal is about to be released.” The sentence structure is the verb be + about to + base verb. The base form of a verb is its shortest form with no -s ending. Listen to a quick exchange between friends hurrying to an event: Hi, Jonathan. Hey, Sue. Have you left the house yet? No, but I was just about to put on my shoes. Perfect, I’m about to hop on the metro. See you in a few! Sue said, “I was just about to put on my shoes.” Note her use of the past tense “was.” We can use “be about to” with the present or past tense of the verb “be.” Note also that the word “just” is common with this form. If people say they are just about to do something, it means they expect to do it right now. The negative form of “be about to” has a completely different meaning, however. It means someone feels a strong desire or willpower to do something. For instance, “I’m not about to miss this show. I paid $70 for the ticket!” It's like saying, “I will go to the show and won’t let anyone or anything stop me.” The negative is not always considered friendly, so use it carefully! Keep (on) + gerund Now, let’s move to the verb “keep” plus a gerund, which is the -ing form of a verb. When we use this form, it means that something is happening continuously or again and again. Earlier, you heard me say, “The sink keeps leaking.” The verb “keep” is followed by the gerund “leaking.” We often use keep + gerund to show irritation that an action or situation has not stopped. We also sometimes use it with the preposition “on.” Students keep playing with their mobile phones in class, for example. The cat keeps on scratching the chairs. And my teammate keeps hitting the ball too far! Other times, we use it to give directions or tell someone how to do something. Listen to this person give a friend directions to her house and tell them what to do when they arrive: Keep walking straight until you see a flower shop on the right. My house is the first building behind the shop. Dinner preparations are on the table. When you boil the noodles, please keep stirring them. Otherwise, they’ll stick together. Thanks! You heard the speaker say, “Keep walking straight…” to tell them to continue walking. They also said, “Please keep stirring” the noodles to make sure the friend does this continuously. Go / Come (and) + verb And finally, we have the form go / come + verb. In spoken English, we often add the verb “go” or “come” to other action verbs. When we do this, we are talking about an action in the future. I said, for example, “So, tomorrow, I’ll go ask the building supervisor to replace it.” The structure is go / come + base verb. I used the base verb “ask.” Use of “go” and “come” do not change the meaning of what we’re saying. Instead, they make our speech sound friendlier or more natural. Listen to how our speaker uses the verbs “come” and “go” here: Come visit me in July! You can stay for the long weekend. There is a huge film festival happening. So we can go see a lot of movies in a short time. The speaker’s use of “come” in “Come visit me in July," for instance, sounds more natural in everyday speech than “Visit me in July!” Another version of this form adds the word “and.” An example would be, “Come and visit me in July!” The “and” is common to British and other Englishes but only in some parts of the United States. Well, that’s all for today. Go listen for these forms wherever you hear English being spoken. Then, come tell us what you find! I’m about to sign off and go find the building supervisor. See you soon! I’m Alice Bryant. Alice Bryant wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story appliance – n. a piece of equipment, often operated electrically, especially for use in the home mess – n. a very dirty or untidy state or condition conversational – adj. relating to or suggesting informal talk emphasize – v. to give special attention to hop on – v. to get onto something that is moving, such as a train or bus negative – adj. expressing denial or refusal ticket – n. a piece of paper that allows you to see a show, participate in an event or travel on a vehicle irritation – n. the state of feeling annoyed, impatient or slightly angry scratch – n. to make a line or mark in the surface of something cutting it with something rough or sharp noodle – n. a thin strip of dough made from flour, water, and eggs and that is cooked in boiling liquid
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/three-common-forms-in-everyday-speech/4954710.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/three-common-forms-in-everyday-speech/4954710.html
Absolute Beginner American English for Every Day #58 - 5 Most Popular American Bands
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-58-5-most-popular-american-bands/
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/absolute-beginner-american-english-for-every-day-58-5-most-popular-american-bands/
Is talking on the phone embarrassing?
Neil and Sam discuss talking on the phone and teach related vocabulary.
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07d0fg8
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07d0fg8
Tuesday, 11 June 2019
Soft skills
These are job skills needed to deal with the public, and very much in demand.
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07cr9jf
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07cr9jf
Monday, 10 June 2019
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
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/lets-learn-english-lesson-40-the-woods-are-alive/3630341.html
Thursday, 6 June 2019
Present Progressive Tense and Showing Annoyance
Samantha Fish is an American songwriter and blues singer. In her song Somebody's Always Trying, she complains about other, unnamed women. She accuses them of trying to take her boyfriend away from her. Somebody's always trying to get him to change his mind… Somebody's always trying their best to lead him astray… Somebody's always trying to take my baby away… Today, we will explore the grammar behind the words from this song. To be more exact, we will explore how English speakers use the progressive tense to show dissatisfaction or make a complaint. But first, we will provide a few helpful definitions. Repeated actions or everyday activities Simple verbs are the most common kinds of verbs in conversation.* English speakers often use the simple present tense when talking about repeated or common, everyday activities. For example, you might hear a child say, “I study for one hour every day.” Often, English speakers direct your attention to the repeated nature of their statements by using the simple present tense with the adverb “always.” For example, an office worker might say, “I always wake up at 6 in the morning.” If you would like to learn more about how English speakers use the word always, you should read another Everyday Grammar story on our website, learningenglish.voanews.com. The progressive tense While English speakers often use the simple tense with always to talk about common or repeated actions, they sometimes use the progressive tense to give the same meaning. In other words, they are using progressive verbs when you might expect them to use simple verbs. In general, the progressive tense gives the idea that an action began or took place before something else. It also shows that the action is happening now and will continue for some time. The form of the progressive tense is generally BE + -ing. If we were to take our earlier example of the child, he or she might say, “I am studying.” This means that the child began studying some time ago, is studying presently and might continue studying for some time. However, in some situations, English speakers use the progressive tense to express anger or other forms of annoyance. Do not fear: you can tell if the speaker is using the progressive tense in this way. When English speakers are using the progressive tense to show annoyance, they generally use the adverbs always or constantly. Now, let’s listen to an example. It is from the 2008 film Happy-Go-Lucky. Here, English actor Eddie Marsan expresses annoyance at his driving student, played by actress Sally Hawkins. “You are patronizing me. You're always patronizing me. This is what you always wanted, this is what you set out to achieve, this is the game you played…” Here, you have an example of the progressive tense used in the usual way – to talk about a present action that began sometime in the past and continues in the present. That is why Marsan says, “You are patronizing me.” Then he uses the present progressive tense with the adverb always to express his annoyance at a series of repeated actions. His words are “You are always patronizing me.” Let’s listen to a few more examples. Imagine two high school students complaining about a person. They might say this: 1: Do you know Todd? 2: Yes, he’s a hard person to get along with. 1: How so? 2: Well, he’s always bragging about himself. 1: Really? 2: Yeah. He’s constantly trying to make other people look bad, too. In the conversation, you heard two examples of the speaker using the present progressive to complain – “he’s always bragging…” and “he’s constantly trying…” Here, the speaker is showing annoyance at a series of repeated actions. Remember the lines from Samantha Fish’s song? Let’s listen again: Somebody's always trying to take my baby away… By now, you can probably tell that the song is about expressing annoyance at a repeated action – somebody is always trying to take away her boyfriend. Closing thoughts To be clear: English speakers generally use the simple tense with the adverb always to talk about repeated, everyday actions. But in some cases, such as with complaining, they sometimes use the progressive. The next time you are watching films or television, listen carefully for examples of when speakers show annoyance. You can start to notice how they change between the simple tense and the progressive tense. Try to listen for the adverbs that the speakers use, and make note of them. A quick note about complaining and expressing annoyance: while it is useful to understand the grammar behind such communication, we suggest that you be careful about expressing your feelings. You can read another Everyday Grammar report on that subject on our website. I'm John Russell. And I’m Anne Ball. John Russell wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. * Conrad, Susan and Biber, Douglas. Real Grammar: A Corpus-Based Approach to English. Pearson Longman. 2009 _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story grammar – n. the system, rules and structure of a language progressive tense – n. grammar the use of a verb to show repeated or continuous action conversation – n. a talk involving two people or a small group of people patronize – v. to talk to (someone) in a way that shows that you believe you are more intelligent or better than other people brag – v. to talk about yourself, your successes or family in a way that makes you appear better than others We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/present-progressive-tense-and-showing-annoyance/4948466.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/present-progressive-tense-and-showing-annoyance/4948466.html
Women and motorbikes
Neil and Sam talk about biker culture and teach you related vocabulary.
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07ccwg2
source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07ccwg2
Wednesday, 5 June 2019
Tuesday, 4 June 2019
Absolute Beginner American English for Every Day #157 - 10 Words and Phrases for Talking about Babies and Small Children
Absolute Beginner American English for Every Day #54 - 10 Phrases to Use When You’re Angry
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 [...]
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/absolute-beginner-american-english-for-every-day-54-10-phrases-to-use-when-youre-angry/
source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/absolute-beginner-american-english-for-every-day-54-10-phrases-to-use-when-youre-angry/
Monday, 3 June 2019
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
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/lets-learn-english-lesson-39-its-unbelieveable/3598920.html
Too and Either: Short Responses of Agreement
In English conversation, when we respond to a speaker, we often do not repeat all of their words. Instead, we may say just a few words. The speaker understands our meaning based on what is being said in the conversation. You will hear and see examples of this everywhere that English is spoken. On the American television show The Simpsons, for instance, Bart Simpson is a rebellious youth. He likes to play tricks on others. His favorite person to trouble is Groundskeeper Willie, an unpleasant man who works on the grounds at Bart’s school. Listen to a short exchange between Bart and Willie: Willie, I’ve got a girlfriend. Really? Well, uh, I do, too. She’s…a bikini model from Sweden. Haha, that’s great. Bart walks away, seemingly not believing Willie. But suddenly, Willie’s beautiful Swedish girlfriend appears. You heard Willie say, “I do, too” in response to Bart. English speakers everywhere use short responses like this one in speech and some kinds of writing. On an earlier Everyday Grammar program, we talked about using the words “so” and “neither” in short responses of agreement. Today, I will talk about “too” and “either.” All four words can be used to say that what is true for some person is also true for us. The word “too” shows agreement with positive statements. And the word “either” shows agreement with negative statements. You will hear and see examples of both today. How are they formed? But first, let's talk about how to form these statements. When we use “too” and “either” to show agreement, they appear at the end. The structure for “too” is: Subject + Auxiliary / Be + Too Auxiliary verbs are helping verbs that do things like help form verb tenses. The verbs “do,” “be” and “have,” for example, can act as auxiliary verbs or main verbs, depending on how they are used. In Willie’s statement “I do, too,” the word “I” is the subject and “do” is the auxiliary. “Too” comes at the end and, in written form, often follows a comma. The structure for “either” is: Subject + Auxiliary / Be + Either If Bart had said, “I don’t have a girlfriend” and that was also true for Willie, his response could have been, “I don’t either.” When we use “too” and “either” this way, the verb tense in the response matches the verb tense in the original statement. I do, too / I don’t either Let’s look at the simple present verb tense first and I will show you what I mean. We can say “I do, too” and “I don’t either” to agree with statements in the simple present tense. Listen to an exchange between speakers: She speaks a second language. I do, too. She doesn’t speak a second language. I don’t either. Note that the auxiliary verb “do” is used in simple present tense in the responses. I am, too / I’m not either But when the main verb is “be,” we do not use an auxiliary verb. To agree with simple present statements when the main verb is “be,” we can say, “I am, too” and “I’m not either.” Listen to this exchange: Ivan is an international student. I am, too. Ivan is not an international student. I’m not either. Present continuous Pay close attention to this next one. We also say “I am, too” and “I’m not either” to agree with statements in the present continuous verb tense. This verb tense is sometimes called “be + -ing.” Jocelyn is going to the antique show. I am, too. Jocelyn isn’t going to the antique show. I’m not either. Here, the verb “be” acts as an auxiliary verb. The main verb is “go” and it’s in the -ing form. I did, too / I didn’t either Now, we will move to the simple past tense. We can say, “I did, too” and “I didn’t either” to agree with statements in the simple past tense. Let’s hear how our speakers use them: We watched The Simpsons yesterday. I did, too. We didn’t watch The Simpsons yesterday. I didn’t either. I was, too / I wasn’t either And, lastly, we can say, “I was, too” and “I wasn’t either” to agree with simple past statements when the main verb is “be.” Here’s what our speakers say: I was happy about the book deal. I was, too. I wasn’t happy about the book deal. I wasn’t either. You can find examples with other verb tenses as well as modal auxiliary verbs on our website: learningenglish.voanews.com. Closing thoughts And now for a few closing thoughts. You might be wondering about the expressions “Me too” to respond to positive statements and “Me neither” to respond to negative statements. In English, these expressions are very informal but, in everyday conversation, completely acceptable. Another thing to note is that “too,” “either,” “so” and “neither” are not just for responses. Sometimes one speaker can state two or more agreeing ideas. For example: Penny was happy about the book deal. I was, too. Well, that’s all for today. Listen and watch for these short responses everywhere you hear and see English being used. If you like watching The Simpsons, for instance, you’ll find lots of examples. I’m Alice Bryant. Alice Bryant wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ We use short responses of agreement with most verb tenses and some modal verbs. Below are a few examples. Verbs Examples Use “have” or has” for present perfect They have been to Cartagena. I have, too. They haven’t been to Cartagena. I haven’t either. Use “will” or “won’t” for simple future Ivone will return the clothes tomorrow. I will, too. Ivone won’t return the clothes tomorrow. I won’t either. For modal verbs, repeat just the modal (“would” “can” “should” and others) I would enjoy playing an instrument. I would, too. I wouldn’t enjoy playing an instrument. I wouldn’t either. She can stand on her hands. I can, too. She can’t stand on her hands. I can’t either. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story respond – v. to say or write something as an answer to a statement, question or request conversation – n. an informal talk involving two people or a small group of people : the act of talking in an informal way positive – adj. showing or expressing support, approval, or agreement negative – adj. expressing denial or refusal comma – n. a punctuation mark used to separate words or groups of words in a sentence match – v. to be equal to antique – n. art, furniture or jewelry that was made at an earlier time and is often valuable modal / modal auxiliary – n. a verb that is usually used with another verb to express ideas such as possibility, necessity, and permission
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/too-and-either-short-responses-of-agreement/4936054.html
source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/too-and-either-short-responses-of-agreement/4936054.html
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