Learn English speaking: November 2020

Thursday, 12 November 2020

Phrasal Verbs and Elections

You may have heard or read news stories about the recent elections in the United States. The voting ended last Tuesday, November 3. That night and in the days that followed, Americans and people all over the world watched the news for election results. These news stories will be the subject of our Everyday Grammar report today. We will explore part of English grammar that is important to understanding stories about elections: phrasal verbs. Phrasal verbs and elections Phrasal verbs are groups of words. They combine a verb and another short word, as in the term look up. Look up means to search for information in a book or on a computer. Here is something important to remember: phrasal verbs have a meaning that is different from what the individual words suggest. After the U.S. elections, you probably heard or read many phrasal verbs in news stories. Today we will consider three of them: go on, pick up, and catch up. #1 Go on The first phrasal verb is “go on.” In the hours after Election Day, many Americans asked themselves, “What is going on with the election results?” According to language expert Norbert Schmitt, “go on” is the most common phrasal verb in the English language. “Go on” has several meanings, but by far the most common is “happening or taking place.” Schmitt estimates “go on” has this meaning over 60 percent of the time that it is used. So, how was “go on” used in stories about the election? Consider these words in a story from CNN, the U.S.-based broadcaster. CNN’s website published the report at the end of last week. “Six states remain too close to call. Here's why the vote count is still going on in key states.” In other words, the writer wanted to explain why the vote count is still happening in six states. #2 Pick up The second phrasal verb is the term “pick up.” For our program today, “pick up” is somewhat unusual. This is because its most common usage has little to do with its meaning with respect to elections. Schmitt estimates that around 70 percent of the time you hear or read “pick up,” it means to get or take somebody or something from a place. So, you might “pick up” or lift a stone from the ground. But with respect to elections, “pick up” has a different meaning. You might read about a political party trying to “pick up” votes in a congressional district or legislative area. “Pick up,” in this case, means to earn or gain something. It does not mean to get or take something from a place. Consider this example from The Guardian newspaper. It describes how the two main political parties are fighting for control of Congress: “The Republicans looked to pick up a handful of seats in the House of Representatives, with Democrats holding the majority.” #3 Catch up Our third phrasal verb is “catch up.” Often, “catch up” describes what happens in a race: when someone who is behind reaches the person in the lead. So, you might hear someone at a motor car race say, “Driver A is catching up to Driver B!” This same idea is true in elections. Candidates look to “catch up.” But they “catch up” in terms of votes, not in terms of distance. One CNN report used the phrasal verb “catch up” to describe results in the presidential race between former Vice President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump. “Joe Biden is not only winning — meaning building his lead — but that lopsided advantage makes it harder and harder, more difficult by the vote count for Donald Trump to catch up,” said CNN’s John King. Closing thoughts Today, we explored phrasal verbs that are often used in reports on elections. Understanding these expressions will help you understand such stories. Try using the phrasal verbs we talked about the next time you write or speak English. And be sure to listen carefully for them when watching the news. Little by little, phrasal verbs will become clearer and easier for you. 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 with respect to – expression about or concerning (something or someone); in relation to (something or someone) lopsided – adj. uneven or unequal advantage – n. something (such as a good position or condition) that helps to make someone or something better or more likely to succeed than others We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/phrasal-verbs-and-elections-/5657194.html

You're fired

New Entry: 'You're fired' 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=27446

Could you be a victim of online fraud?

We talk about online fraud and teach you some useful vocabulary along the way.

source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08y77dn

Classroom Instructions- Imperative Mix and Match

New Entry: 'Classroom Instructions- Imperative Mix and Match' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.

source https://www.usingenglish.com/teachers/lesson-plans/view-classroom-instructions-imperative-mix-and-match/

Tuesday, 10 November 2020

English Grammar Made Easy S1 #138 - Can vs Could

learn the difference between: can & could

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/english-grammar-made-easy-138-can-vs-could

Spoiler alert!

A warning when we're going to reveal part of the story of a film, book or TV series.

source http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08xvgt8

Monday, 9 November 2020

Giving Directions- Coin Games

New Entry: 'Giving Directions- Coin Games' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.

source https://www.usingenglish.com/teachers/lesson-plans/view-giving-directions-coin-games/

Whale

New Entry: 'Whale' has just been added to the Idioms area of UsingEnglish.com.

source https://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/whale.html

Level down

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

source https://www.usingenglish.com/reference/phrasal-verbs/level.html#Level-down

Sunday, 8 November 2020

News #291 - New Feature! How to Test Your English & Remember What You Learn

Learn how to take an assessment and test your language knowledge

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/news-291-new-feature-how-to-test-your-english-remember-what-you-learn

Saturday, 7 November 2020

Monthly Review Video #26 - English November 2020 Review - Starting Off on the Right Foot with Language Learning

discover your new learning strategies and free resources of the month.

source https://www.englishclass101.com/lesson/monthly-review-video-26-english-november-2020-review-starting-off-on-the-right-foot-with-language-learning

Friday, 6 November 2020

If and Whether, Part 1

source https://av.voanews.com/clips/VLE/2020/11/06/1db174ca-eb1d-4b42-be26-ae53adf4271a_hq.mp3

Thursday, 5 November 2020

Past Ability: Could, Was Able To, Managed To

Imagine that you are interviewing for a job you really want. Most of the questions are in your native language, but the job will require you to use some English. So, the employer asks about your English skills. You might answer with the words, “I can speak English very well” or “I am able to speak English very well.” The two statements have the same meaning. Both "can" and "be able to" are used to express ability. In a spoken exchange, “can” is far more common while “be able to” sounds less natural. However, when we are talking about the past, the rules change a bit. Today, I will show you how to express past abilities with “could” “was (or) were able to” and another phrase you may have heard before — "managed to.” The first thing to know is that, in the past tense, we express general abilities and abilities at specific times in different ways. That is important, as you will soon see. General abilities Let's start with general abilities. These are skills or talents a person once had. In the past tense, English speakers almost always use “could.” Listen to a few examples. By the time he was four, Guillermo could read and write. In high school, she could beat anyone in a running race. I could mimic bird sounds when I was younger. Again, we are talking about general skills or talents – not about a specific occasion. Note that, in any of these examples, “was (or) were able to” is also possible but used less often. You could say, for example, “By the time he was four, Guillermo was able to read and write,” and it would be fine. It also might sound a little formal in spoken English. Specific occasions Now, let’s talk about specific occasions. Here is where the rules change a bit. When we are talking about a specific situation or when noting a specific achievement, we must use “was (or) were able to” or “managed to.” Their meanings are very close. We do not use “could.” Listen to some examples: We were able to get a really good price on the car. We managed to get a really good price on the car. I was able to persuade her to volunteer at the show. I managed to persuade her to volunteer at the show. Now let’s talk more about the meanings. “Was (or) were able to” and “managed to” both suggest effort. They mean someone succeeded in doing something that was a challenge or took a special effort. However, the phrase “managed to” puts a little more emphasis on how hard the challenge was or how much effort it took. Note that “managed to” is fairly common in spoken English. You will hear it used almost everywhere. Exception to the rule Now, let’s take a few minutes to quickly explore an exception to the rules we just discussed. Earlier, I told you that we use “could” for general abilities. But there are two kinds of verbs where we also use “could” for specific occasions. With sense verbs, such as “smell” and “taste,” and thought process verbs, such as “believe” “decide” and “understand,” we usually use “could” even when talking about specific occasions. Listen to two examples of what I mean: I walked past a market today and could smell the freshly baked bread. We couldn’t decide what to get for his birthday so we bought a gift card. Note that the second example uses the negative form -- “couldn’t.” Using the negatives So, now would be a good time to talk more about negative forms. The good news is that we can use “couldn’t,” “wasn’t (or) weren’t able to,” or “didn’t manage to” to express the same thing – inability on a specific occasion in the past. Listen to how these are used for the same statement. He studied for months but couldn’t pass the bar exam. He studied for months but wasn’t able to pass the bar exam. He studied for months but didn’t manage to pass the bar exam. All three sentences mean that a person was not capable of doing something on a specific occasion. Note also that sometimes, for the negative form of “managed to,” we say, “couldn’t manage to” instead of “didn’t manage to.” They mean the same thing: He studied for months but couldn’t manage to pass the bar exam. Well, that’s all for now. Luckily, I did manage to do something today: teach you how to talk about past abilities! I’m Alice Bryant. Alice Bryant wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _________________________________________________ Words in This Story phrase – n. a group of two or more words that express an idea but do not usually form a complete sentence specific – adj. precise or exact mimic – v. to create the appearance or effect of (something) formal – adj. suitable for serious or official speech and writing achievement – n. something that has been done or achieved through effort challenge – n. something that is hard to do emphasis – n. special importance or attention given to something baked – adj. cooked in an oven using dry heat negative – adj. expressing denial or refusal bar – n. the test that a person must pass in order to be a lawyer

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/past-ability-could-was-able-to-managed-to/5139503.html

Past Ability: Could, Was Able To, Managed To

Imagine that you are interviewing for a job you really want. Most of the questions are in your native language, but the job will require you to use some English. So, the employer asks about your English skills. You might answer with the words, “I can speak English very well” or “I am able to speak English very well.” The two statements have the same meaning. Both "can" and "be able to" are used to express ability. In a spoken exchange, “can” is far more common while “be able to” sounds less natural. However, when we are talking about the past, the rules change a bit. Today, I will show you how to express past abilities with “could” “was (or) were able to” and another phrase you may have heard before — "managed to.” The first thing to know is that, in the past tense, we express general abilities and abilities at specific times in different ways. That is important, as you will soon see. General abilities Let's start with general abilities. These are skills or talents a person once had. In the past tense, English speakers almost always use “could.” Listen to a few examples. By the time he was four, Guillermo could read and write. In high school, she could beat anyone in a running race. I could mimic bird sounds when I was younger. Again, we are talking about general skills or talents – not about a specific occasion. Note that, in any of these examples, “was (or) were able to” is also possible but used less often. You could say, for example, “By the time he was four, Guillermo was able to read and write,” and it would be fine. It also might sound a little formal in spoken English. Specific occasions Now, let’s talk about specific occasions. Here is where the rules change a bit. When we are talking about a specific situation or when noting a specific achievement, we must use “was (or) were able to” or “managed to.” Their meanings are very close. We do not use “could.” Listen to some examples: We were able to get a really good price on the car. We managed to get a really good price on the car. I was able to persuade her to volunteer at the show. I managed to persuade her to volunteer at the show. Now let’s talk more about the meanings. “Was (or) were able to” and “managed to” both suggest effort. They mean someone succeeded in doing something that was a challenge or took a special effort. However, the phrase “managed to” puts a little more emphasis on how hard the challenge was or how much effort it took. Note that “managed to” is fairly common in spoken English. You will hear it used almost everywhere. Exception to the rule Now, let’s take a few minutes to quickly explore an exception to the rules we just discussed. Earlier, I told you that we use “could” for general abilities. But there are two kinds of verbs where we also use “could” for specific occasions. With sense verbs, such as “smell” and “taste,” and thought process verbs, such as “believe” “decide” and “understand,” we usually use “could” even when talking about specific occasions. Listen to two examples of what I mean: I walked past a market today and could smell the freshly baked bread. We couldn’t decide what to get for his birthday so we bought a gift card. Note that the second example uses the negative form -- “couldn’t.” Using the negatives So, now would be a good time to talk more about negative forms. The good news is that we can use “couldn’t,” “wasn’t (or) weren’t able to,” or “didn’t manage to” to express the same thing – inability on a specific occasion in the past. Listen to how these are used for the same statement. He studied for months but couldn’t pass the bar exam. He studied for months but wasn’t able to pass the bar exam. He studied for months but didn’t manage to pass the bar exam. All three sentences mean that a person was not capable of doing something on a specific occasion. Note also that sometimes, for the negative form of “managed to,” we say, “couldn’t manage to” instead of “didn’t manage to.” They mean the same thing: He studied for months but couldn’t manage to pass the bar exam. Well, that’s all for now. Luckily, I did manage to do something today: teach you how to talk about past abilities! I’m Alice Bryant. Alice Bryant wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story phrase – n. a group of two or more words that express an idea but do not usually form a complete sentence specific – adj. precise or exact mimic – v. to create the appearance or effect of (something) formal – adj. suitable for serious or official speech and writing achievement – n. something that has been done or achieved through effort challenge – n. something that is hard to do emphasis – n. special importance or attention given to something baked – adj. cooked in an oven using dry heat negative – adj. expressing denial or refusal bar – n. the test that a person must pass in order to be a lawyer

source https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/past-ability-could-was-able-to-managed-to/5139503.html