To kick off today, some site news about Get Into English: read more…
You might already know that Australia’s top summer sport is cricket. But what about winter? Australian Rules Football is a sensational game that gets your heart goin’, and in 14 hours from now, over 90 000 people will pack in to the famed MCG, with millions more watching in pubs and bars across the land. read more…
Are you a bit nervous about calling up your friend and speaking in English? Many learners get a bit toey before they make the call, but today’s activity just might help lessen those nerves. read more…
Want to set up a date or arrange a meeting? Here’s an intermediate (B1+) level activity you can do on your iTouch on the way to work. It’s one way of revising vocabulary for making plans and arrangements which you’ve already learned, or simply to see how good your ‘English instincts’ are. read more…
Here’s one way to go over some collocations and idioms you’ve looked at in class, or simply to see how good your English instincts are. Can you guess the next word in the sentences below..?
The sentences below include some collocations and idiomatic expressions, so there should be just one appropriate answer (or just a few possibilities).
Level
Please note that this is suitable for Advanced [C1+] learners – I’ll do an intermediate version another time 
What’s the next word?
Example:
When Brad met Sandra, it was a case of love at first …………………..
Love at first SIGHT.
1. – How about going out?
- Sorry Bill, I’m really tired. Think I’ll have an early ………………….
2. “He won’t get re-elected. He doesn’t understand that people are hurting, he’s a Harvard elitist who doesn’t know how the real folks live. He’s out of ………………….”
3. Despite her many successes, she told herself to keep moving forward, never to rest on her ………………….
4. When John came home with a beautiful bouquet of flowers, Julie was thrilled to ………………….
5. “I don’t see why Bill likes Natasha, she bad-mouths him and treats him like ………………….”
6. If you want to work in advertising and sales, you really have to think on your ………………….
7. “I had to tell my husband about my lesbian lover. For too long I was living a …………………. “
8. George got the promotion but he knew nothing about the share market. He was completely out of his ………………….
9. After Sally came to work two hours late every day last week, her boss finally gave her the ………………….
10. – So how much should we pay?
- Well, we both spent the same, more or less. I had 2 teas and a cake, you had a coffee and a wine. Let’s just go ………………….
11. – You don’t seem too happy about the wedding, Betty. What’s up?
- Oh, it’s Frank. I’m not so sure anymore. I think I’m having second ………………….
12. “It’s so obvious that Pavel fancies Hillary – he wears his heart on his ………………….”
13. When she heard about her child’s accident, she broke down in ………………….
14. “Hey I hope it all goes well with the job application, Laura. Keep me …………………. ”
15. “I’m afraid of taking John to the party, with the stuff he says. He swears like a ………………….!”
[Scroll down for the answers]
What do they mean?
First, try to guess from the context. If you’re still unsure, ask me below and I’ll be happy to explain more.
In-class activity
You also can play this as a quiz game in class.
Students are divided into teams, and points are awarded according to the most appropriate answer. Teams write down the word on a separate piece of paper, and hold up their answers at the same time.
Teams get 2 points if they’re the only ones who have the best or most appropriate answer.
Teams get 1 point for an answer that others also have.
Alternative: teams can be awarded points for having the most creative response.
Answers
nb If you have a different answer, and you think it is ok, leave a comment below and we’ll check it
1. night 2. touch 3. laurels 4. bits 5. dirt [or shit, crap, rubbish, garbage!] 6. feet 7. lie 8. depth 9. sack 10. halves (or go Dutch) 11. thoughts 12. sleeve 13. tears 14. posted 15. trooper
Idioms from today
to have an early night
to be out of touch
to rest on your laurels
to be thrilled to bits
to treat someone like dirt
to think on your feet
to live a lie
to be out of your depth
to give someone the sack (especially AUS/UK)
to go halves
to have second thoughts
to wear your heart on your sleeve
to break down in tears
to keep someone posted
to swear like a trooper
Over to you
Choose 3 of these questions below to answer the comment box:
When was the last time you had an early night?
Which political leader in your country is out of touch? Why do you think this?
When do you rest on your laurels?
When was the last time you were thrilled to bits?
Why do you think some people treat their partner like dirt?
Are you good at thinking on your feet? If not, describe a friend who is.
Do men in your country pay for the date or do they ask to go halves?
Do you know someone who swears like a trooper?
Still unsure about any of these idioms? Fire away below : )
Further reading
This activity is also mentioned in Teaching Online [DELTA Publishing]
Last time we talked about things you can’t live without; today, what about things you WANT to live without?
image Boca Dorada licence CC by 2.0
Is there anything you want to give up? This week I decided to stop drinking coffee. I’ve done this before, and went 2 months without, and got so much extra energy from it. However, one day when I was in a particularly good mood I thought to myself: “One cup won’t hurt.” Then it became 2 and then I was back on the coffee.
But this time it’s different – I’m going without for 3 months, that’s the goal.
Below are some phrases you can use to talk about what habits, cravings, and addictions you’d like to stop. A habit is something you do regularly or without thinking about it, as it’s something you’ve been doing for a long time. It can be positive or negative. A craving is this strong feeling that you really want to have something RIGHT NOW (eg a chocolate craving). An addiction is a strong desire to want to do something which is usually harmful to you (eg referring to cigarettes, drugs).
Some of these words can also be used humorously as well – while you can be an alcoholic, you can also be a chocoholic and a shopaholic! As always, the context is important.
What do you want to give up?
-
I’m addicted to..(shopping; chocolate!)
I (desperately) need to give up.. (smoking, drinking)
I really ought to cut down on..(cigarettes)
I should cut out.. (the coffee).
I’m a compulsive (shopper, overeater, gambler) so I have to seek help on this.
I’m going cold turkey
I’ve got to stop…(spending so much/doing my English homework at 2am in the morning).
I have to drop this habit
I ..(smoke) too much, I really should break/kick the habit.
I’m quitting this habit of a lifetime!
I have to quit..(smoking).
I want to get off (the coffee).
Right, that’s it – I’m off (coffee)!
Maybe I’ll just wean myself off (coffee).
Vocabulary notes
Going cold turkey was originally used to talk about immediately stopping a drug, but now can be used to refer to stopping other things that you’ve become dependent on. It can also be used for people eg when you split up from your girlfriend or boyfriend and it’s in your best interest not to see or contact them AT ALL.
Cut out something v. cut down on something
“I’m cutting out coffee” means completely kicking the habit. However, ‘to cut down’ means to reduce. So if you cut down on chocolate, it means you eat less chocolate, perhaps having just a little piece after lunch instead of a whole block!
Wean yourself off something
The verb ‘wean’ is not often used, but you do hear it for talking about quitting a habit or addiction. ‘Weaning yourself off’ something refers to going through this process of not being dependent on, for example, alcohol or a drug, anymore. It’s not as quick as going cold turkey but rather something more gradual.
Compulsive shopper/gambler/spender
It might be fun to say you’re a shopaholic but we use ‘compulsive shopper’ (or spender, for example) for when it’s a serious, negative habit which is not healthy and which you may need some assistance with. ‘Compulsive’ is similar to ‘obsessive’.
Famous quotes on addiction
Which do you agree with here?
“LOVE? It’s like a cigarette. You get addicted fast, but it slowly and painfully kills you from the inside out.” — Alli Ward
“We are addicted to our thoughts. We cannot change anything if we cannot change our thinking.” — Santosh Kalwar
“Even as a junkie I stayed true [to vegetarianism] – ‘I shall have heroin, but I shan’t have a hamburger.’ What a sexy little paradox.” — Russell Brand
“Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic be alcohol, morphine or idealism.” — C.G. Jung
source: GoodReads.com
Over to you
What do you want to give up? Or are you the opposite and love a beer and a ciggie for breakfast every morning?! Please leave a comment below about your attitude towards quitting and giving up things.
David Sweetnam
Prague English Teacher
Specialising in FCE | CAE | CPE | IELTS Preparation
david [at] GetIntoEnglish [dot] com
Skype: getintoenglish
Twitter @GetIntoEnglish
No internet connection at home since that storm the other night in Prague. Had us thinking: “wow, what did people do before the internet!?” What about you – what can’t you live without?
The media say we’re living in times of austerity. You hear this word a lot right now from politicians such as David Cameron, that because public finances are not in good shape, we need to cut down on expenditure.
Fair enough – if everyone pulls their weight.
Another word in the media is staycation – those who spend their vacation time at home. This was the first summer I think I’ve ever had where I didn’t go anywhere, and I know others in the same boat. This is connected to these austere times. Some folks just don’t have the money right now, or perhaps they wish to save while the economic situation is bleak.
If you don’t know who the staycationers are, they’re the grumpy ones walking down Václavské náměstí trying to trip up the smiley ones with the Croatian tans. But after a while, you accept your lot and move on. I decided last week that I wouldn’t go on holiday after all, which then got me thinking about other things. What will I do next year? How will this blog develop?
It also got me thinking about what things we must have in our daily lives in order to be happy, and what is really just ‘fluff’, something the media and the marketers tells us we need but we don’t really. Not having the net at home has been a novelty. We’ve had to go downstairs and walk around the block until we find a signal. On Sunday night we were at the tram stop in front of Cigars and Cigarettes updating our inboxes.
What about you – what things can’t you live without? Your iPod, iPad, the internet, something your girlfriend gave you? The ring you got from your Prince (hi Kate if you’re reading this).
Here are some phrases you can use to talk about what you can’t live without:
What can’t you live without?
I can’t live without… [my iPad]
I’d be lost without… [my favourite pair of jeans]
The most important thing I have is…
I really love ..[my iPad]..as it reminds me of [my lovely Aunt Agna]
My most valuable possession is…
I don’t really need…
I guess I could go without.. [my laptop]
This has got great sentimental value.
If I had to choose my top 3 things, I’d say…
Plus from Hanka’s comment (below):
I’d die without…
There’s nothing better than…
I can’t imagine being without…
Homework
Leave a comment below answering what is true for you ; )
Vocabulary mission
I’ve used quite a few idioms and collocations in this post – can you find them? What items of vocabulary can you write down in your notebook?
Further reading
‘Staycation’ is an example of a portmanteau word. Find out more on this here on Get Into English.
One simple way to improve your confidence in English is to have real conversations and express how you feel. But some learners miss out on having real interaction by worrying about grammar and vocabulary and making ‘mistakes’. Is this you?
- Image: Center for American Progress Licence (CC by 2.0)
Confidence. How can you improve your spoken English if you just stick to ‘studying’ the grammar and vocabulary and not express how you feel?
Sometimes during my time in Prague I’ve ask students about an issue in the media but they reply “I don’t know” or “I’m not interested in this topic” or (my personal favourite) “I don’t like politics.” I understand to some extent that this is cultural – in this country at least it was only 20 or so years ago when there was a communist government and people were afraid to give their opinions.
But imagine you go on a date with someone. Perhaps you met online or at a party. What kind of conversation will you have if you’re afraid to give your opinion? Or what kind of conversation will you have if your potential boy or girlfriend wife says “I don’t know” the whole evening?
You’ll be bored out of your mind!
Communicating with more confidence involves sharing ideas, thoughts, asking your friend what they think and responding to how they reply.
You can only achieve this by doing it.
So I really encourage you to think more about how you develop your conversations and less about those ‘mistakes’ you’re afraid of making.
Interactive communication in Cambridge Exams
One thing I find helpful in encouraging learners to say more about how they feel about a particular topic is to mention that this is tested in the main English exams, which quite often they are preparing for.
For example, in the Cambridge FCE exam, you are expected to give your opinion on a variety of familiar topics, such as travel, sport, family, the environment, and so on.
The higher the level, the more you are expected to justify your opinions, give reasons for your opinions, and respond to what others say. As well, the higher the level, the more you’re expected to speak about unfamiliar or abstract topics.
Read the newspaper!
Why not check out your favourite news site, preferably in English, and ask yourself:
- What are the top 3 news stories of today or this week?
- How do I feel about these stories?
- Would I be able to summarise a story that interests me and give my opinion on it within 1-2 minutes?
I say this because reading the newspaper helps with understanding what the main issues of the day are, and gives you a richer bank of knowledge to draw upon when you speak with others. Just like with reading literature and documentaries.
Broaden your mind
If you only worry about the grammar and vocabulary, you’ll miss out on the chance to develop as a person. Giving your opinion and exchanging your thoughts and ideas helps build confidence. It also helps build healthy relationships.
So next time your English teacher asks you about today’s news or about something that’s happening in your city or country, express how you feel. If you don’t have an opinion, ask others for more information about it and then say what you think.
You can even make up your opinion in an English lesson!
Beyond this, what’s the point of learning all these cool phrases for giving your opinion (eg in my opinion; as far as I’m concerned) if you can’t complete the sentence with your own thoughts?