Adult Speaking Class, Level 3: What’s your type ?

7th June 2020

Personality adjectives and idioms

How many of these do you know ?

funny // aggressive // serious // intellectual // mean // unpleasant // scary // witty // arrogant // boring // friendly // light-hearted // a push over // mean (selfish) //bossy // impatient // a screw loose // solid as a rock // tough cookie //

Expression – don’t judge a book by its cover

Personality adjectives

kind, unkind, sweet, not sweet, nasty, generous, mean (1 nasty, 2 not generous),

friendly, unfriendly, nice, reliable, unreliable, dependable, shy, confident,

arrogant, lazy, bossy (slang = shout at people, tell them to do things)

hard-working, life and soul (of the party), awkward – difficult, hard to please

Jobs

White collar doctor, accountants, teacher, lawyer, professional, office worker

blue collar chef, factory worker, mechanic, shop workers, fix machines etc

arts artist, actor, painter, musicians, DJ, poets, writers

estate agent / consultant / plumber / PR Public Relations / HR / volunteer worker / unemployed / therapist / sportsperson / web designer / security guard / unemployed

What jobs do you think these people have / Why do you say that ?

I think / She seems to be …/ I get the impression that he is …

funny //aggressive // dependable // generous

serious // impatient // reliable // intellectual // mean

unreliable // unpleasant // scary //witty // arrogant

boring// selfish// friendly // light-hearted // nasty // bossy

a screw loose // solid as a rock // tough cookie // life and soul

Extending vocabulary – personality types

Computer geek / nerd / social misfit

hunk / fit / health freak

Family man / new man / sensitive

boffin / egghead / professional man 

Lazy / work-shy / good for nothing

workaholic / married to his job

arty / cool dude / beatnik

useless layabout / waste of space

slackers / drop-outs / cool guys / high school kids

There may be good and bad things about all of these. What do you think they are ?

Which type would you like to marry or which type do you think you are ?

REMEMBER– use expressions of opinion

“In my experience…” “As far as I’m concerned…”

“In my opinion…” “Personally, I think…”

“I believe that…” “It seems to me …”

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Cat got your tongue ? Time to talk idioms

6th June 2020

We had a number of blogs devoted to idioms, so now it’s time to practice using them as part of your everyday English. Not only will IELTS students earn points, but every student will feel closer to English, and sound more like a REAL native-speaker. You can only learn so much from text books …

So, without further ado, a range of dialogues for you to practice:

Dialogue 1

Hello, how’s it going ?

Great, thanks. What have you been up to ?

Oh, same old, same old. Nothing new. Are you busy ?

A little.

Do you want a hand ? (Dya wanna hand)

That would be wonderful. Can you take over for a moment ?

Absolutely !

I’ll be right back. I need to print out some documents.

Immigrant Latinas get course in leadership – California Health Report

Dialogue 2

What shall I get on with ?

I just need you to finish off the progress reports.

Oh, piece of cake ! (pieceacake)

You’re an angel.

I know…hahaha.

Colleagues at office on coffee break | Free Photo

Dialogue 3

Hello, do you have a minute ?

Sure, what do you need ?

Could we have a little chat ?

OK, let’s go to my office. Have a seat. Now, what’s on your mind?

I’d like an increase in our budget. We desperately need a new photocopier.

Unfortunately, those things cost an arm and a leg. What is the exact price ?

I’ll find out and get back to you. We may have some money in our budget.

Office workers wasting time helping less tech-savvy colleagues

Dialogue 4

How’s the new girl ? Are you showing her the ropes?

She seems to be OK but I still need to keep an eye on her. Are we having a meeting later ?

No, it’s been called off.

Ok, back to work. I need to finish off some expense sheets. 

Yes, time is money.

See you later.

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Dialogue 5

What were you doing last night ? I tried to call.

I was watching TV. Was it important ?

We were having a party. I wanted you to come.

Your parties are such fun ! What did you do ?

We were all looking online for bargains. Anna bought some great shoes.

She’s always talking about buying shoes.

I was looking at the clothes from London. So stylish.

The friendship chat

Dialogue 6

Did you see the email from the Manager ?

Oh, that old windbag ! He was talking so much.

Yes, even his emails go on forever hahahah.

Did you bring your raincoat ? It was raining all night.

I know – it was raining cats and dogs.

They were thinking about calling off the meeting because of the rain.

Yes, maybe the traffic will be chockablock.

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Dialogue 7

Oh, do you know how to use this Zoom program ?

Yes, it’s very easy. It’s a piece of cake! Have you met Jane’s new boyfriend ?

He seems a real loser. As far as I’m concerned, she can do much better.

What does he do ?

Nothing, the work-shy layabout. I believe he wants her money.

In my experience, guys without jobs are hopeless. A waste of space !

How did she meet him ? She’s such a workaholic ! At the gym ?

Well, not at the gym, he’s no hunk ! It’s obvious to me it won’t last.

I’m convinced it’ll soon be over. She needs a good solid as a rock guy.

Understanding the Impact of Rumors and Gossip

Adult Speaking Class, Level 2: Tell me more – ideas for sentence building.

6th June 2020

Sentence building

The Approach of a Conversation

Last week, I showed my class how to speak, and think, in longer sentences. I chose a basic question as an example:

Where do you want to visit in Vietnam ?

I showed them a plan:

Introduction / First good point / second good point / something bad / conclusion.

I choose Hoi An

Hoi An: Vietnam's most charming city - Exoticca Blog

Introduction: DON’T answer immediately but introduce the answer by repeating or rephrasing the question:

Vietnam has many beautiful places but my choice would be Hoi An.

First Good Point:

Firstly, Hoi An is a historical city with a wonderful Japanese bridge and lovely old shops. At night, the shops use romantic lanterns.

Second Good Point:

Hoi An is close to Da Nang, so I can fly there easily and quickly. There are many things to see and do in the local area.

Now, something negative

However, Hoi An is very small and can be extremely crowded in summer. Maybe it will be difficult to find a hotel or a table at a good restaurant.

Conclusion

In my opinion, Hoi An is a very special place to visit because it is a town of Vietnamese culture.

How to build sentences:

Use adjectives to describe nouns (beautiful, historic, romantic)

adverbs to describe adjectives and verbs – give more information (very, easily)

opinion phrases (in my opinion)

linking words to connect positive to positive or positive to negative – discourse markers (however)

reasons why an action is being done (because)

Now – your turn: Where do you want to visit ? This can be in Vietnam or anywhere.

SECOND EXAMPLE:

I like coffee

a-beautiful-thai-girl-drinking-coffee | Dude I Need A Truck

I like coffee so much because it tastes great and makes me wake up although too much will stop me from sleeping at night but, in my opinion, the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages.

Work experience

I teach a brother and sister; the sister is a bit of a handful always chatting or texting during class. In complete contrast, the brother is a really good student as well as being a young gentleman. I feel he is an ideal student.

Now – your turn. Try these:

  • Living in Sai Gon or in your city
  • Free time
  • Working and studying.

Sentence building – becoming fluent and coherent

Use

  • adverbs
  • adjectives
  • opinions phrases
  • linking words
  • new vocabulary

EXAMPLE: I like coffee

Ask

  1. how MUCH do you like it (adverbs) ?
  2. What kind of coffee (adjectives) ?
  3. What do you think about this ? (opinions)
  4. WHY do you like it (give reasons)
  5. interesting words, phrases, idioms
Emotional Intelligence in Love and Relationships - HelpGuide.org

I really enjoy hot milky coffee because it helps bring people together as well as making our minds become quite active and somewhat excited. Coffee, in my point of view, is essentially useful if we use it in moderation. On the other hand coffee can be a dreadful waste of money as well as having a detrimental effect on our health. Despite the negative aspects, coffee makes me feel over the moon!

Young Learners, Level 5: Sounds of the rain forest.

5th June for 6th June 2020

Here’s a quick blog for a class I’m covering tomorrow. As a warm up and review, I’ll play this music as the students enter the class: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHWhebFt_r0

Long-term fate of tropical forests may not be as dire as believed ...
A tropical rain forest

Next up, a great video (under five minutes) about the rain forest, in English but with captions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMdD6TTDZ_g

The video has a lot of new words, so I will pause the clip and board new words. Following the video, I’ll ask these questions. Being a large class, the students can work in teams, maybe each team having the name of an animal (that should be fun for Team Monkey).

Which big cat has spots, which has stripes ? Why do they have patterns ?

What is the name of the line that goes around the middle of the Earth ?

Rain forests has two things … what ?

What fruit can you find ?

What animals live at the top of trees ?

Is Vietnam in the tropics ?

BONUS POINTS:

Why are rain forests important ?

Colombia creates the world's largest tropical rainforest national ...

They absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen

They are home to lots of different wildlife

They produce water and rainfall for the planet

Moving on rapidly – Adverbs

Give me a sentence for these photos:

Pin by Jill Czarnowski on Big Cats | Jaguar animal, Animals ...

EXAMPLE:

The jaguar runs quickly // The jaguar with black spots, runs very quickly

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Karaoke
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How do I follow that !

The remainder of the lesson is given over to reading, the theme being a music recital, so I can lead in by asking who play an instrument (then explaining that my long nails on my left hand are for playing guitar, not for scaring students).

For the quiet book-work section, I’ll play the glorious Ludwig van: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Tr0otuiQuU

Beginners’ English: Let’s start building

5th June 2020

Sentence Building

A blog to help beginners start to speak and write in longer sentences.

Who / Doing / What / When / Where / Why What do you do … When … Why ?

Old Chinese women can't stop won't stop dancing in the streets ...

I exercise in the morning at home to be healthy.

The Story Behind the "Happiest Man in China" Photo

He eats rice … When … Where

NOW … Your Turn

He (what is he doing // where is he doing it // why ? He feels …)

R.L. Burnside: See My Jumper Hanging On the Line (1978) - YouTube

She

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We

Traveling to the Baltic Sea (Germany) on a Budget

They

Barcelona Market - Best Markets in Barcelona -

ANSWERS

I exercise in the morning at home to be healthy.

He eats rice at lunch time on the steps because he’s very hungry !

He plays in the garden to practice. He feels very happy.

She teaches at a school because she’s an English teacher.

We travel every week to the beach because it’s hot and quiet and fun.

They are shopping in the market in Barcelona because the food is very fresh.

Ask each other: when do you go shopping ? What do you buy ?

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What a choice of beers ! My favourite is Pilsner Urquel, second shelf up, on the left

I go shopping at the weekend because …

I shop in the in the afternoon because …

I shop on Monday mornings because …

Verbs

Choose from these, or add your own. Good list of 100 verbs in all tenses at:

http://www.linguasorb.com/english/verbs/most-common-verbs/

Make short sentences using modal verb ‘like’ and ‘need’.

to practise // to dance // to study // to shop // to cook // to travel // to shout // to order // to book

I like to dance on Saturday nights

I need to study English

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student-shouting-first-day-of-class - desinema

Adding information

Use adjectives (describe the noun) or adverbs (describe the verb)

I saw a man begging

I saw a poor old man desperately begging for money.

We heard a girl playing piano

He likes to walk in the park

She thought the museum was interesting

I hated the film

My cat eats fish.

Adding a reason

I hate coffee because it keeps me awake

I only eat healthy food because

Although I find Burger King very tasty, I avoid eating there because

(I find = I think something is  //avoid= keep away from)

Internet cafes are very convenient but you should be careful because

123 Best Burger King images | Burger king, Burger, Food

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Solar-powered cyber cafe in Nairobi, Kenya

To disagree: Formal with multiple reasons

Example: You can just use an internet cafe to book your ticket.

I disagree for the following reasons. Firstly,

I disagree for the following reasons. Firstly, I don’t think it’s a good idea to enter my personal data on a public server and secondly, I don’t know who’s watching me. 

Beginners’ English: Short dialogues.

5th June 2020

BEGINNERS Conversations

Two women on lunch break meet in urban park - Stock Video Footage ...

Two women meet in the city centre

Anna Excuse me, do you speak English ? 

Jane Yes, I speak a little English. 

Anna Sorry, I don’t speak Vietnamese (or Arabic, Spanish, etc)

Jane Are you English ?

Anna No, I am American. Nice to meet you.

Jane Nice to meet you too.

Pronunciation of the schwa / ə/ sound: mother / teacher / banker / banana

Conversation

11 Things You Should Know About Vietnamese Culture

Two women meet at a street restaurant

Lyn Do you understand English ? 

Mia Sorry, I don’t understand English. 

Lyn I understand a little Vietnamese. 

Mia What’s your job ?

Lyn I’m a teacher. What’s your job ? 

Mia I’m a doctor

[Culture note – in English, we always say ‘please’, ‘thank you’ & ‘sorry’]

Idioms Part 3: All above board, nothing under the table.

4th June 2020

Time to put your money where your mouth is !

We’ve had two previous posts chockablock with idioms. Now, when push comes to shove, can you use them in your everyday English. Remember, those studying for IELTS will get extra points by demonstrating a knowledge of idiomatic language … so pull your finger out and put your nose to the grindstone.

This is an extended dialogue sequence. Practice the idioms and intonation and stress. You may wish to try short sections first, before attempting the whole exercise.

Hello, how’s your day been ?

Oh, so-so. And you ? Did you finish off the reports ?

Yes, more or less. 

You better make sure they’re finished. You know what the Director’s like.

I know. If things aren’t done, all hell breaks loose !

Better keep on his good side. What else do you need to do ?

File some invoices, send off some emails and I need to get hold of Anna in HR.

I think she’s off sick today. 

That’s a pity. Did you finish the wages ?

Yes, piece of cake ! Now I’m going through all the bank statements for the last quarter.

Not cooking the books I hope. Are we still going out tonight ?

Oh, sorry, I can’t know. Something’s come up.

What ? I thought you wanted to see the film. Johnny Depp’s in it.

I know, but I have to work late. Why don’t you ask the Director ? He’s really into cinema.

I don’t think so !

Why not ? He’s such a charming man.

Well, I beg to differ. He’s an old windbag and he drinks like a fish !

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Mr Johnny Depp
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My manager drinks like a fish
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A charming man
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Writing false numbers – cooking the books
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Talk, talk, talk … what an old windbag !

Adult Class, Level 2: Dialogue practice.

4th June 2020

ปักพินในบอร์ด Stock photos ☆

A sample of different speaking situations to help you practice:

Past simple

Idioms

Picture description

Going to a bank

Coffee shops

Talking about your children

Easter in UK

Elderly people talking - The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles

Simple Past

To kick off, two friends, Kim & Lyn are catching up, asking what they have done recently.

Kim Good evening, how are you ?

Lyn Very well, thank you. Long time no see.

Kim Yes, I’ve been out and about.

Lyn Really ? What did you do ?

Kim Well, I found a great restaurant in District 1. I went there with Peter and Jenny. We tried food from England. 

Lyn Yes, I heard about it. I got an email from Mary. What did you eat ?

Kim We ate roast beef and potatoes, and drank lots of hot, sweet tea.

Lyn Wonderful! Did you try the beer ?

Kim You know beer’s not my cup of tea !

Lyn How about Peter ?

Kim Oh, my goodness, he drank so much. He nearly fell over. What he didn’t drink, Jenny finished off.

Lyn I didn’t know she drank.

Kim She drinks like a fish. I spoke to Mary as well. She went to Thailand and brought back some gifts. The children loved them.

Lyn She is very sweet. I began to write her an email but then Peter phoned me. Would you like some tea ?

Kim Oh, now you are like an Englishperson.

Lyn Certainly !

Idiom: bear with me = wait a little time / a few minutes / a moment

Describe what you see in this photo. Use as many adjectives as you can.

I notice a lack of adjectives and adverbs in my students’ speech; they are able to complete abstract exercises, but I want to hear them incorporate what they’ve learnt into everyday talk, a natural feature. Therefore, the best way is practice … and practice.

Tell me what you see in the above photo. Adjectives can apply to what YOU think of the ladies (beautiful, gorgeous, plain, ugly), their age, origin, size, hair, clothes. However, I want to hear sentences.

Example: The gorgeous young Asian lady with the long black hair, is wearing a cute floral dress

(floral = flower pattern)

Now, verbs … describe their actions

Subject first; do NOT start with ‘She,’ or ‘They.’

Where are they ? What are they doing ? What have they been doing ?

How are they dressed ? How do they look (emotions)

What do you think they are talking about ?

Conversation practice Bank

Two friends are in a coffee shop

Cath This is a great cup of coffee ! Ok, what shall we do next ?

Di I have to run to the bank. I need to deposit some money.

Cath Good idea, I want to use an ATM. I also need to buy some dollars.

Di You can check the exchange rate at my bank. It’s not far, we can walk.

Cath Oh, I love your earrings. They are so cute. Mine are so ordinary !

Di No, yours are sweet. Mine look valuable but they are fake.

Cath Really ? They look amazing. A very unique design.

Di So kind. OK, have you finished your coffee ?

Cath Bear with me … oh, no … it’s started raining cats and dogs !

How many adjectives can you see ?

Speaking practice:

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Pam Your daughter is gorgeous. Like an angel. She looks like you.

Uma Yes, but she takes after her father. She is very grumpy when she’s tired or hungry.

Pam My son is usually very good, he sleeps like a log, but now he’s teething.

Uma Ahhh, poor little thing but it will pass. Does he still keep you up at night ?

Pam Well, a little but not too much. I give up reading or watching films.

Uma I get it ! We have a reading group. Sounds good ?

Pam Hmmm … let me think about it and get back to you. OK, I must run … bye.

Speaking practice:

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Bea What a day ! It was non-stop. No time to think. I need some coffee

Lyn Here you are. Tell me all about it, from start to finish.

Bea Firstly, I overslept, so I had to jump in the shower and skip breakfast. I was grumpy.

Lyn You ? No, you are always so sweet. Nearly always haha.

Bea Then I nearly got into an accident with some stupid Grabbike man.

Lyn Oh, some are so nice but others are total idiots !

Bea Exactly. Afterwards, my computer crashed at work and my boss yelled at me

Lyn What a terrible day. Now you need some coffee and a big piece of pie.

Speaking practice:

Aldi to donate almost half a million easter eggs to local ...

Nina Have you seen this western tradition ? They give chocolate eggs at Easter.

Eva Are you serious ? I adore chocolate. Who gives them ?

Nina Well, parents give to children, husbands give to wives, boyfriends to girlfriends.

Eva I haven’t seen them. Can you tell me about them ?

Nina Sure, it’s a large piece of chocolate shaped like an egg.

Eva I like the sound of that. A giant chocolate egg, sounds like heaven.

Nina That’s only part of it. Inside the egg, there are more chocolates.

Eva Ok, next year I am going to England. I will eat like a pig. A chocolate pig !

Easter in uk

Everyday idioms, everyday

3rd June 2020

Test your idioms, expressions, phrasal verbs and creative writing

London Migrant Communities: a city made and moved by migrants ...

The hustle and bustle of everyday life, seen in this photo of Liverpool Street Station in London. People coming and going, jumping on trains, rushing to work, running around like headless chickens.

An everyday scene, with everyday expressions. This article is for you to test your knowledge of idioms, after reading the previous two blogs.

Without further ado …

Don’t just stand there ! Let’s get down to some work

Life in London: blogging through time studying abroad - The Daily ...
Chop chop, jump to it

Write short sentences, or dialogues, using the following idioms and expressions.

what have you been getting up to ? // raining cats and dogs

chockablock // hold your horses // under the weather // chop chop // vicious circle

// can you follow me ? // a screw loose // not my cup of tea // kick the bucket //

cut and dry // turn over a new leaf // pull your socks up //

as much use as a chocolate teapot // let’s call it a day

You may not know some of the above, so just ask your teacher, or do an online search

Southeast Asian Student Enrollment Up 85% in Taiwan|International ...

Next up, using phrasal verbs

Write sentences using as many of these phrasal verbs as you can:

Phrasal verbs with ‘get’:

get back to studying / get on with work / get down to some work/ I get it ! (idiom) // get on with people /get on in life / get ahead in business /

Phrasal verbs with ‘make’:

make a decision / make your mind up / make a career move / a make-over /  make an effort / make or break time / what do you make of it ?

Creative Writing

Determined Latina Student Works On Stock Footage Video (100 ...

Scenario One: Two people meet on their first day at an English centre

Scenario Two: A manager has a meeting with a staff member who is always late

ONE

Introduce yourself // Where do they live // Why are they here ? //

What do they like ? // Compare music and films // What they plan to do //

Agree to be friends and study together

Transfer Students Meet & Greet: 2-3:00 p.m. - Undergraduate ...

TWO

Quick hello // Reason why staff was late today //

Manager is unhappy – wants change // Manager suggests less wages //

Must renegotiate new contract // Staff has problems at work //

Staff apologies, promises to be better

6 Ways to Keep Things From Getting Worse When Your Boss Starts ...

You can decide what the characters are like – are they:

friendly, shy, out-going, arrogant, funny, dependable, reliable, moody … ?

This will affect HOW they speak – their stress & intonation and body language.

You can decide what the locations are like – are they:

small and intimate / large and impersonal / pleasant environments / dirty … ?

GOOD LUCK !

Idioms part 2: Are you pulling my leg ?

2nd June 2020

This blog is especially for my internet friend Silk Chatters, as she mentioned this idioms in a note. She has lots of interesting blogs, so have a gander at her page. Here’s a link to one of her blogs:

https://silkcordsblog.wordpress.com/2020/05/31/my-disgust-with-the-media-continues-to-skyrocket/

Idioms

Following on from yesterday’s blog, I’ve included some more everyday idioms, this time related to work. See how many you’ve come across. To kick off, many of my students are accountants. For that occupation we have:

Woman in Gray and White Pinstripe Dress Shirt Using Black Tablet Computer

number-cruncher = a slang term for an accountant

cooking the books = writing false information in accountants – a serious crime

What kind of work is accounting ?

Young bored office worker sitting at desk and working, she is ...

Exciting and adventurous … not really. My students complain that their work is uninteresting, boring and tedious. Idiomatically, we could say:

It’s like watching paint dry

same thing, day in, day out

same old, same old

How do you cope with pressure or cope with stress ?

How Accountants Can Combat Work-Related Stress | AccountingWEB

I will getaway from everything = Do something completely different

I take a breather. I take five (a short break from work)

I like to let off steam by

Ask each other: what do you do to let off steam ?

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Sing Karaoke
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Go Shopping

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Watch movies

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Read a book … or many books
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Yoyoka, aged 8, playing drums

Idioms

Keep an eye on (watch something carefully)

under the table = to give money to someone unofficially

kick the bucket = to die (informal) Did you hear ? Old Tom kicked the bucket.

A spanner in the works = a serious problem

In the right ball park (US) = not correct but close

On the right track (UK) not correct but close

Now, practice:

That’s not right but you’re …

I had to pay … to get the paperwork stamped

Can you … on the food while I answer the phone ?

Oh, poor Mr Jones, he … last week

That’s a real problem. It puts a …

Journey in Life: "Throw a spanner in the works" nghĩa là gì?
Throwing a spanner in the works. The young lady is holding a spanner

Idioms / expressions (money)

money doesn’t grow on trees

time is money

on the money = exactly right 

costs an arm and a leg = very expensive.

Don’t stop working ! _________________________________

I can’t stay in a 5 star hotel, it ____________________

Be careful with your clothes, I can’t keep buying new ones _______________________ Yes, she’s always right, always _________________

New idioms / collocations

to get hold of someone = to speak to or meet someone

Hell breaks loose = will be a lot of trouble

to be into something = to like something very much

more or less = not 100% but almost.

I beg to differ = polite way to disagree

In the next blog, we’ll look at how these idioms can be used in everyday conversations

Remember: don’t get caught cooking the books – or you’ll get a massive fine.

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