Learn English speaking: March 2020

Hi, everyone! You might be reading or listening to this Everyday Grammar program from your living room or bedroom. In fact, you might be even wearing pajamas, no matter the time of day. If you are like us here in Washington, D.C. and many other places, health officials have asked you to stay at home for now. And with so many people at home for long periods, people are looking for activities to keep their minds occupied. Too much time on social media can be a problem. Even binge-watching movies and television shows loses its appeal after a while. With this in mind, we will be offering ideas for games that you can play with your family or housemates in the coming weeks to practice your English. What is Jeopardy? On today’s program we will talk about Jeopardy, a favorite game of English learning classrooms. The idea comes from the American television game show in which players give their answers in the form of a question. You may have even seen the show in your country. In Jeopardy, players choose from categories and try to win money, like this: (Player) I’ll take Countries for $100. (Host) This Asian country is famous for its high-quality motorcycles (Player) What is Japan? (Host) That is correct! Notice that the answer came in the form of a question: “What is Japan?” You will also note the host read a fact in statement form. We will call those facts clues. Playing Jeopardy at home is a good way to get experience forming questions in English. It also can improve your speaking and listening skills, and help expand your vocabulary. Now, let’s talk about how to play the game. You will need three or more English learners – one person to serve as host and the others to play.* There are two ways to play the game: the traditional way (with answers in question form) and the easier way, which you can find on our website at learningenglish.voanews.com. How to play - traditional Here is how to play the traditional way. The first step is to decide who the host will be. His or her job is to gather clues for the game. The host also reads clues to the players, and keeps a record of points won. To play the game, you will need five separate categories. For example, you might choose: Countries, Animals, Foods, Sports and Actors. For each category, choose six clues, from easy ($100) to difficult ($600). The host will need to keep the clues on a computer screen or write or print them on a small piece of paper. To set up the game, you will need a board or large piece of paper. (If using paper, put it on a wall for all the players to see.) On the large paper or board, make a grid like the simple design shown on our website. Write the categories on the left of the grid and the money amounts across the top. For the full directions on how to play the game, to see how to make the grid, and for links to clues that are already prepared, go to our website. And join us again soon for more grammar games you can play at home. I’m Alice Bryant. Alice Bryant wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. For Jeopardy game directions, click here. *If you are the only English speaker in your home, you can play the game in your native language. _____________________________________________________________ Jeopardy Clues Click the links below for Jeopardy clues that have already been prepared. The host can print them or write them on pieces of paper. Jeopardy Cards, Set 1 Jeopardy Cards, Set 2 Jeopardy Cards, Set 3 Jeopardy Cards, Set 4 Jeopardy Cards, Set 5 Jeopardy Cards, Idioms ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story pajamas – n. clothing that people wear in bed or while relaxing at home binge-watching – n. watch multiple episodes of (a television program) in rapid succession, typically by means of DVDs or digital streaming housemate – n. a person who lives in the same house with another person but is not a part of that person's family practice – v. to do something again and again in order to get better at it category – n. a group of things that are similar in some way host – n. a person who talks to players on a game show clue – n. something that helps a person find an answer to something vocabulary – n. all of the words known and used by a person board – n. a large, flat surface attached to a wall or supported on an easel and used for writing on with chalk or markers, especially by teachers in classrooms

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/grammar-games-at-home-part-1-jeopardy/5345471.html

How smart is artificial intelligence?

How clever is artificial intelligence? Should we fear it? Neil and Sam discuss.

source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p087sq6l

Wednesday, 25 March 2020

Quick & Easy English Review for Beginners S1 #2 - Family Members

learn what to call all the members of your family

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/quick-easy-english-review-for-beginners-2-family-members

Tuesday, 24 March 2020

How Questions- Dice Games

New Entry: 'How Questions- Dice Games' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.

source https://www.usingenglish.com/teachers/lesson-plans/view-how-questions-dice-games/

Formal and Informal Business Communications Activities

New Entry: 'Formal and Informal Business Communications Activities' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.

source https://www.usingenglish.com/teachers/lesson-plans/view-formal-and-informal-business-communications-activities/

Must-Know American English Social Media Phrases S1 #19 - Just Relaxing

learn how to post comments about relaxing

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/mustknow-american-english-social-media-phrases-19-just-relaxing

Monday, 23 March 2020

Everyday Grammar: Parallelism

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5341349.html

Extensive Reading in English for Intermediate Learners #16 - Living in the City

learn about living in the city and improve your reading skills

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/extensive-reading-in-english-for-intermediate-learners-16-living-in-the-city

The 800 Core Words and Phrases #1 - Core Words: How to Say "Hello," "Thank You" and More!

learn 20 high-frequency expressions, including a couple of crucial greetings

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/the-800-core-words-and-phrases-1-core-words-how-to-say-hello-thank-you-and-more

Sunday, 22 March 2020

Everyday Grammar: Parallelism

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5318078.html

Saturday, 21 March 2020

Sheepdogging

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

source https://www.usingenglish.com/members/idioms/view.php?entry_id=27402

Friday, 20 March 2020

How meditation changes the brain

Meditating changes your brain say some experts. Sam and Neil discuss and teach vocabulary

source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08762r7

English Grammar Made Easy S1 #103 - All vs. Every vs. Each

learn the difference between: all, every, each

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/english-grammar-made-easy-103-all-vs-every-vs-each

Thursday, 19 March 2020

Two-word Prepositions in Learning English Stories

Recently, I was watching an American television news report about the coronavirus. In it, the reporter said, “Due to coronavirus concerns, Washington governor Jay Inslee is banning gatherings of more than 250 people at social and religious events in some parts of the state.” It got me thinking about how much we use phrases like “due to” to describe a relationship between things. “Due to” is a preposition and one of many in English that are formed from two or more words. We call them compound prepositions. The English language has more than 50 compound prepositions, but not all are commonly used. On today’s Everyday Grammar program, we will explore a few two-word prepositions that often appear in news coverage, including in stories from our website. They are: according to due to rather than What is a preposition? We will begin by briefly discussing what prepositions are and how we use them. A preposition is a word or group of words that shows direction, place or time, or introduces an object. Prepositions are always followed by a noun, proper noun, pronoun, noun phrase or gerund. For example, in the sentence, “The book is on the table,” the preposition “on” is followed by the noun phrase “the table.” Here is our first compound preposition of the day. According to The preposition “according to” means as stated or reported by someone who is not the speaker. We often use it to offer official evidence, such as in news stories or research reports. Here is part of a recent story you may have seen on the Learning English website about the wild animals called rhinos. Rhinos are already critically endangered. There are only about 29,000 alive, according to the International Rhino Foundation. Around five percent of the animals are in Kenya. Use of “according to” here tells us the information comes from the International Rhino Foundation. Here is another example from a story that explores why American newspapers endorse presidential candidates: Before the 2012 elections, for example, 17 large U.S. newspapers chose not to endorse a presidential candidate, according to National Public Radio (NPR). Here, the information comes from National Public Radio. Notice that, in both examples, “according to” appears after the factual information. But it can also appear at the start of sentences. For example, you could say, “According to the International Rhino Foundation, there are only about 29,000 alive.” Though “according to” is formal, there are exceptions. Suppose you are on a road trip with family. You are looking at driving directions on your phone. You might say, “According to Google Maps, it will take 2 hours and 35 minutes to get to the next town. Though the map information itself is official, in this case the social situation is informal. Due to Now let’s return to the preposition “due to.” The phrase “due to” can have a few meanings, but when it acts as a preposition, it means because of something. “Due to” refers to a reason or cause, such as coronavirus causing bans of large social gatherings in many places. The preposition “due to” is also somewhat formal. It is common in official announcements or statements and in the news. Here is another example from a story about an environmental concern in China. It uses a statement from a science expert: “The ecology of the Yangtze River is close to collapse due to human activity in past decades,” Pan said. With “due to,” the sentence introduces the cause, which is human activity in the past decades. It also talks about a result, which is that the ecology of the Yangtze River is close to collapse. You could also move “due to” to the beginning of the sentence and say it this way: “Due to human activity in the past decades, the ecology of the Yangtze River is close to collapse.” Rather than And finally, we turn to “rather than.” The preposition “rather than” means in place of or instead of something or someone. Listen to how it was used in a recent Learning English story about active shooter preparation exercises for American students. Take mental note of the two things that are contrasted: There has been little research on how well the exercises prepare students for an active shooter. In 2007, one study found it better to prepare students for an “intruder,” rather than a shooter. The contrast is between intruders and shooters. In other words, the study showed that preparing students for an intruder is better than preparing them for a shooter. Our final example comes from a story about how the city of Nashville, Tennessee, is now a popular place for many kinds of sound recordings, including films and video games: The city is known for very good studio musicians. They work mostly on recordings rather than live performances. Here, the contrast is between recordings and live performances. Well, that’s all for today’s program. Look and listen for these prepositions in VOA Learning English stories and programs! I’m Jonathan Evans. Alice Bryant wrote this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story phrase – n. a group of two or more words that express a single idea but do not usually form a complete sentence gerund – n. n English noun formed from a verb by adding -ing introduce – n. to mention or refer to something for the first time formal – adj. suitable for serious or official speech and writing endorse – v. to publicly or officially say that you support or approve of (someone or something) decade – a period of ten years contrast – v. to compare (two people or things) to show how they are different intruder – n. a person who enters a place illegally

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/two-word-prepositions-in-voa-stories/5332890.html

How to teach the imperative

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

source https://www.usingenglish.com/articles/how-to-teach-imperative.html

Wednesday, 18 March 2020

Two-word Prepositions in Learning English Stories

source https://av.voanews.com/clips/VLE/2020/03/18/f4ec581e-7707-4bb8-95aa-c640c28a6248_hq.mp3

Tuesday, 17 March 2020

How to teach subject questions

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

source https://www.usingenglish.com/articles/how-to-teach-subject-questions.html

Hater

Learn a phrase to describe a negative attitude.

source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p086vtlj

Monday, 16 March 2020

Lessons 31 - 40

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/lessons-31-40/5331209.html

Video - How to Introduce Yourself in English

source https://mdn.illops.net/englishclass101/IE_L1_102614_eclass101_video.m4v

English Vocab Builder S1 #184 - The Legal System: Common Terms

learn essential vocabulary and common terms related to legal system

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/english-vocab-builder-184-the-legal-system-common-terms

News #276 - How to speak English with confidence: 7 Tips & Tricks

learn the seven tricks to speaking with confidence

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/news-276-how-to-speak-english-with-confidence-7-tips-tricks

Throwback Thursday S1 #85 - Expressions to use when speaking to a stranger

learn expressions for speaking to a stranger

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/english-grammar-made-easy-85-expressions-to-use-when-speaking-to-a-stranger

Must-Know American English Social Media Phrases S1 #18 - A Sightseeing Trip

learn how to post comments about visiting a landmark

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/mustknow-american-english-social-media-phrases-18-a-sightseeing-trip

Sunday, 15 March 2020

Let's Learn English - Level 1 - Lesson 32

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/lets-learn-english-level-1---lesson-32/5330353.html

Everyday Grammar: 'You know'

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5318076.html

English Vocab Builder #184 - The Legal System: Common Terms

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/english-vocab-builder-184-the-legal-system-common-terms/

News #276 - How to speak English with confidence: 7 Tips & Tricks

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/news-276-how-to-speak-english-with-confidence-7-tips-tricks/

Thursday, 12 March 2020

English Grammar Made Easy #85 - Expressions to use when speaking to a stranger

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/english-grammar-made-easy-85-expressions-to-use-when-speaking-to-a-stranger/

‘Blinding Lights’ and English Grammar

Blinding Lights, by Canadian performer The Weeknd, is one of the most popular songs in the world. As of early March, Blinding Lights is at the top of music service Shazam’s Global Top 200 list of popular songs. It is also on the Top Hits 2020 list of Spotify, another music service. Today on Everyday Grammar, we will explain the grammar behind the name of the song and some of its lyrics. The title Let us begin by examining the song’s title: Blinding Lights. The most important word is lights. It is the plural form of the noun light. In English, only certain kinds of words come before nouns. Often, the word that comes before a noun is an adjective. The word blinding is an adjective. It helps modify, or change the meaning, of the noun lights. The grammatical pattern we find in the song’s title would be the same if the adjective changed. In other words, the pattern would still be adjective + noun. The title could have been flashing lights, blinking lights or bright lights. But those titles are not nearly as strong as blinding lights. This term suggests that the lights overpower a person. Blinding means so bright or strong that a person cannot see. This idea is important in a song that talks about strong feelings of loneliness and sadness. It is also an important idea for a song set in Las Vegas, Nevada – a city known for strong lights and all kinds of nightlife. We know the song takes place in Las Vegas because the singer uses another name for the city: Sin City. The term appears in the song: I look around and Sin City's cold and empty Different kinds of English Now let’s listen to more of the song. I been tryna call The words “I been tryna call” are a kind of informal speech. The statement might become clearer with a few more words: I have been trying to call. This is an example of what English teachers call the present perfect progressive. The singer suggests that an event – a telephone call – took place in the past. The Weeknd suggests he has tried calling many other times up until just recently. Often, when English speakers use the present perfect progressive, they also say an amount of time that they have been doing that activity. For example, you might hear someone say: Tom has been dancing for two hours. This suggests that Tom began dancing two hours ago – and continues dancing in the present. Note that in Blinding Lights, the singer did not give a specific amount of time. He suggests that he has been trying to call a person. He does not say for how long – perhaps hours, days or even weeks. Now, let’s compare the two lines: I been tryna call. I have been trying to call. In the song, the word have is missing. The Weeknd also combines the words trying to. So, I have been becomes I been and trying to becomes tryna. You will hear this manner of speaking in all kinds of popular culture – songs, films and so on. You might also occasionally see it in nonfiction writing that has reported speech. Closing thoughts But a word of warning. You should not use some of the ideas that we discussed today on an English exam. For example, teachers and test graders want to see the words trying to instead of tryna. However, if you like listening to music or watching films in English, you should learn to understand how some speakers use different kinds of English. We will end with a few words from the song: I been tryna call I been on my own for long enough Maybe you can show me how to love, maybe... I’m John Russell. John Russell wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story grammar – n. the system and structure of a language lyric – n. usually plural the words of a song title – n. the name of book, play or work of art plural – adj. involving more than one certain – adj. fixed; known for sure pattern – n. the regular and repeated way in which something happens or is done sin – n. wrongdoing; criminal behavior informal – adj. of or related to something unstructured or unofficial manner – n. a way in which things are done nonfiction – adj. writing that is based on facts, real people and events We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/blinding-lights-and-english-grammar-/5324879.html

Will humans become extinct?

Does humanity have a future? We discuss and teach some vocabulary too.

source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p086g9fm

‘Blinding Lights’ and English Grammar

source https://av.voanews.com/clips/VLE/2020/03/11/cc346fb6-1e57-43eb-bdb1-d20d650289da_hq.mp3

Wednesday, 11 March 2020

Reported Speech- Same or Different

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

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

Recommendations and Invitations for Visitors

New Entry: 'Recommendations and Invitations for Visitors' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.

source https://www.usingenglish.com/teachers/lesson-plans/view-recommendations-and-invitations-for-visitors/

Tuesday, 10 March 2020

Must-Know American English Social Media Phrases #18 - A Sightseeing Trip

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/mustknow-american-english-social-media-phrases-18-a-sightseeing-trip/

Talk shop

If you have to talk about work even when you’re not doing it, this is the phrase for you!

source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0863yzq

Miley Cyrus

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

source https://www.usingenglish.com/members/idioms/view.php?entry_id=27400

Monday, 9 March 2020

Extensive Reading in English for Beginners #20 - Many Kinds of Signs

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/extensive-reading-in-english-for-beginners-20-many-kinds-of-signs/

Sunday, 8 March 2020

Ambush marketing

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

source https://www.usingenglish.com/members/idioms/view.php?entry_id=27399

Everyday Grammar: Contronyms

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/5318079.html

Pipe your eye

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

source https://www.usingenglish.com/members/idioms/view.php?entry_id=27398

How Questions Game- Good and Bad

New Entry: 'How Questions Game- Good and Bad' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.

source https://www.usingenglish.com/teachers/lesson-plans/view-how-questions-game-good-and-bad/

Future Time Expressions Practice- Giving Advice and Recommendations

New Entry: 'Future Time Expressions Practice- Giving Advice and Recommendations' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.

source https://www.usingenglish.com/teachers/lesson-plans/view-future-time-expressions-practice-giving-advice-and-recommendations/

Saturday, 7 March 2020

Monthly Review Video #18 - English March 2020 Review - The 20 Benefits of Learning English

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/monthly-review-video-18-english-march-2020-review-the-20-benefits-of-learning-english/

Friday, 6 March 2020

Let's Learn English - Level 1 - Lesson 12

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/lets-learn-english-level-1---lesson-12/5318639.html

The circular economy

Who should take responsibility for recycling the the goods we buy? Neil and Sam discuss.

source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p085v6zx

Thursday, 5 March 2020

Absolute Beginner English for Every Day #147 - 10 Common Food Adjectives

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/absolute-beginner-american-english-for-every-day-147-10-common-food-adjectives/

Know Your Verbs #12 - Verb: “Live”

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/know-your-verbs-12-verb-live/

'Titanic' and English Grammar

The 1997 film Titanic is one of the most popular movies ever made. It won many film awards and was one of the highest-grossing films in movie history. The film is a love story set against the sinking of the famous ship in 1912. It has many memorable scenes. Some of them can teach you important ideas about English grammar. Today, we will explore one short scene to teach you about tag questions and polite forms of speaking. A tag question is a short question added to a statement. #1 Tag questions In our scene, Jack, played by actor Leonardo DiCaprio, eats dinner with a group of rich people. DiCaprio does not come from a wealthy background – just the opposite, in fact. He does not have a home. A wealthy woman asks Jack a difficult question. She asks if he enjoys his homeless life. You can hear the tense silence after her question. “And you find that sort of rootless existence appealing, do you?” “Well, yes, ma'am, I do.” Let’s examine this short exchange. We will begin with the woman’s question. The woman’s question is a kind of tag question. First, she makes a statement: ”And you find that sort of rootless existence appealing” Notice that the main verb is find. The woman follows the statement with a tag question: “do you?” If English speakers make a statement that uses a verb other than be, then the tag question often uses an auxiliary verb such as do or have. In this case, the woman made a statement using the verb find, and she used the auxiliary verb do in the tag question. This is just one form that a tag question can take. If you want to learn more about different kinds of tag questions, you can read the story on our website, learningenglish.voanews.com. #2 Polite forms of address, word order Now let’s continue with the scene. Think about DiCaprio’s response to the woman’s question. DiCaprio responds by saying: “Well, yes, ma'am, I do.” The order of DiCaprio’s words is important. DiCaprio begins with the word well. Well is a common word that has many uses. Speakers often use well when giving an explanation. DiCaprio then says yes, a term of agreement. The next word is ma’am. Ma’am is a polite term. Americans generally use it to speak to a woman who they do not know. The Online Etymology Dictionary notes that in the United States, speakers generally use ma’am in answers - after the word yes or the word no. In other words, you are more likely to hear Americans say yes, ma’am, or no, ma’am. Americans do not use the term ma’am along with a woman’s name. DiCaprio uses the words well, yes, ma’am … to show politeness, and to show that an explanation is coming. DiCaprio could have responded in a different, more direct way, as in: ”And you find that sort of rootless existence appealing, do you?” “Yes, I do.” Such a statement would have been a little too strong. That is why DiCaprio did not say it. Closing thoughts The point of this story is to show you that you can learn about culture and grammar by watching films or television shows. Even short clips can give you a lot of information. When watching these films or shows, try asking yourself some questions. Why do the speakers say the things they do? Could they change the way they say their lines? These can be difficult questions to answer, but you will learn a lot by thinking about them. A word of advice: It helps if you choose a clip from something that you like – perhaps a film or a show that you have seen before. I’m John Russell. John Russell wrote this story for Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story grossing – adj. used especially to describe a total amount of money that exists before anything (such as taxes or expenses) is taken away memorable – adj. very good or interesting and worth remembering scene –n. a part of a play, movie, story, etc., in which a particular action or activity occurs tense – adj. showing or causing nervousness response – n. something that is done as a reaction to something else clip –n. a short section of a movie, TV show, etc. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/titanic-and-english-grammar-/5313777.html

Titanic Teaches You English Grammar

source https://av.voanews.com/clips/VLE/2020/03/05/fae8671a-7741-437e-9f81-172f30318080_hq.mp3

Tuesday, 3 March 2020

Snackable

Learn an expression to describe short online content that you can snack on!

source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p085hb07

Monday, 2 March 2020

Tell ____ that.

New Entry: 'Tell ____ that.' has just been added to the Language Polls area of UsingEnglish.com.

source https://www.usingenglish.com/poll/1227.html

Unreal Past games

New Entry: 'Unreal Past games' has just been added to the Articles area of UsingEnglish.com.

source https://www.usingenglish.com/articles/unreal-past-games.html

Tuesday, 31 March 2020

Sunday, 29 March 2020

Saturday, 28 March 2020

Thursday, 26 March 2020