2017 May Flashcards
Your young son got in trouble at school because he hit another child. He explains that the other child was being mean to him. You teach him how to handle that situation.
If someone is mean to you, don’t hit them. Just tell the teacher.
(someone) is mean to (someone)
You can call someone who isn’t nice “mean”:
A: Can I have some?
B: No.
A: You’re so mean!
You can also say that someone is “mean to” another person:
My brother was so mean to me when we were growing up.
This word sounds a little childish. It’s a word that children often use.
them
It’s common to use the word “them” to talk about one person, when you don’t know the person’s gender:
A: This morning someone asked if you and I were dating.
B: What did you tell them?
Using “them” to talk about just one person isn’t technically correct English. Technically, you should say something like “him or her” instead. But “them” is much more common in casual English.
tell the teacher
In a classroom, if one child does something that’s against the rules, other children might “tell the teacher”. That means to tell the teacher about the bad thing that that child did.
There’s another similar phrase, which is “tell on (someone)”:
I remember one time I said a curse word, and you told on me.
You’ve hired someone to create a new design for a website you run. Now you’re talking with your business partner, who mentions that the designer hasn’t sent any updates in a few days. You offer to deal with it.
I’ll shoot her an e-mail and find out where we stand.
find (something) out / find out (something)
To “find out” a fact means to learn about it through reading or hearing about it from other people.
The object of “find out” comes between “find” and “out” if it’s a short word:
How did you find that out?
The object comes after “out” if it’s a longer phrase or clause:
She found out that Brad was involved with another woman.
And in some cases, “find out” can be used without an object, like in the example at top. You can use it this way when it’s understood what you are finding out. In this example, you are going to find out the answer to the question.
shoot (someone) an email
This phrase is common in business settings. It means to send an email to someone. It emphasizes sending the email quickly and without planning it out too carefully. Here are some examples:
Would you mind shooting me an email when you’re finished with that?
I hadn’t heard from them in a few days, so I shot them an email.
where (something or someone) stands
Where something “stands” means what its current situation or status is. We use this expression to talk about the progress of things like projects, proposals, applications, and so on.
For example, if you’ve been working on a project with someone at work but had to leave the office for a few days, you can say this when you return:
So fill me in on where we stand.
This means “Tell me what’s happening with the project.”
You’re telling a story about a time when you got locked out of your house. You’ve described the basic situation, and now you want to describe the interesting event that happened.
As I was riding the train home, I realized that I’d left my keys in the closet at work.
as I was (doing something), (clause)
Use “as I was ___ing , ___” to describe when something suddenly happened while you were doing some other continuing action. For example:
As I was getting ready for work, I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my chest.
You can put the “as I was” part at the end as well:
She called out to me as I was about to get on the bus.
This is similar to “meanwhile”, but “meanwhile” can be used to describe what two (or more) different people did:
James got started on supper. Meanwhile, Emma and I worked on her math homework and Brad went off to his room, probably to play X-box.
“As I was ___ing” is used to describe two things that happened to the same person at the same time. One of the events is continuous (“riding the train”), and the other is an action that happens quickly (“realized that…”).
riding (a train)
You can “ride” a train, or you can “take” a train. What’s the difference?
You use “ride” when you want to talk about the experience of riding, or when you want to describe something that happened while you were riding the train:
I love riding the train in the middle of the day when it’s not crowded.
I was riding the train, and this guy next to me started telling me a story about how he had just gotten out of prison.
You use “take” when you want to talk about how you get somewhere:
Just take the #3 train to 72nd Street and I’ll meet you there.
Do you think it’ll be faster to take the train or try to catch a bus?
I realized that (clause)
To “realize” is to suddenly know something based on your own thinking - not based on what someone tells you or on things that you directly see.
In written English, it’s considered correct to use “that” after “realize”:
I realized that I didn’t have my wallet.
But in spoken English, “that” is often dropped.
I had (done something) When you're telling a story, you describe the setting at a certain time in the past. If you then want to describe something that happened before the setting of the story, you use "I had \_\_\_". Here's an example:
I was almost at the train station when I realized that I had left my wallet in my other purse.
You can also talk about things that didn’t happen before the setting of the story. In this sentence:
Believe it or not, I had never even traveled abroad when I moved here.
…the basic setting of the story is “when I moved here”. The speaker didn’t have any travel experience then, although she might have some now.
Your girlfriend isn’t very careful with money. She just bought some clothes online, but you don’t think that you can afford them. You yell at her about it.
You think you can just go around spending money left and right?
go around (doing something) The phrase "go around \_\_\_ing" describes someone doing something bad again and again, with different people.
For example, if someone has been spreading false rumors about you, you can say:
She’s been going around telling everyone that I slept with Kyle. That’s a lie!
If your husband or wife has been spending a lot of money on useless things, you can say:
You think you can just go around spending money left and right? We’ve got bills to pay, damn it!
It is possible to use “go around ___ing” to talk about someone doing a good thing many times, but it’s rare. Even if you’re talking about the person doing something good, it might seem like you’re complaining:
He’s always going around telling everyone what a great job they’re doing.
Do you think you can just (do something)?
This is something that you can say when you’re angry about someone’s actions:
Do you think you can just take other people’s food without asking?
Did you think you could just come back into our lives after abandoning us so many years ago and be welcomed with open arms?
Usually you use this phrase when someone has done something wrong, but doesn’t seem to feel guilty about it.
(do something) left and right
The phrase “___ left and right” describes an action that someone is doing a lot of. Usually the action isn’t planned out carefully.
They ran throught the building with assault rifles, shooting people left and right.
Once he started to make a little money, he would go out and spend it left and right on all kinds of stuff: clothes, watches, expensive meals, anything.
You’re a construction contractor. A couple has asked for an estimate of how much it will cost to renovate their kitchen. You’ve looked at the room and figured out approximately how much it will cost. You say this while showing them the cost.
Here’s an estimate of the cost. Keep in mind, it’s just a ballpark.
Keep in mind that (clause)
“Keep in mind” means to remember. But the word “remember” can be used in a lot of different kinds of situations. “Keep in mind” is more specific. It means to remember a fact and continue to think about it while you’re making decisions.
For example, if you’re planning an event for a club you belong to, you can tell the people that are helping you:
Keep in mind, our budget is pretty small.
In this case, everyone knows what the budget is, but you want them to remember that when they make suggestions for the event.
You can include “that” in this phrase or leave it out in more casual speech:
Keep in mind that you’ll need to submit your application no later than Monday the 31st.
Keep in mind it’s due on Monday.
give (someone) a ballpark
A “ballpark” is a rough estimate. In other words, it’s a guess about an amount that’s close to the correct number, but not exact. You use it like this:
Here’s an estimate of the cost. Keep in mind, it’s just a ballpark.
We’ll call up the electrician and have them give us a ballpark, but I’ll check with you before I have them do any work.
This phrase comes from the sport of baseball. A “ball park” in a place where people watch baseball games. If two locations are within the same ball park, then they’re not exactly close to each other, but they’re not too far away either.
an estimate
An “estimate” is a formal guess about how much something is going to cost. You can make an estimate for things like:
a construction project
a software product that your company is building
Estimates are often documents which show in detail the expected costs for something. However, if someone tells you the expected price in a meeting or over the phone, that can also be called a “pricing estimate”.
cost
The words “price” and “cost” are very close in meaning, but there are slight differences. “Price” emphasizes how much the seller has decided to charge for something. “Cost”, on the other hand, emphasizes how much you paid for something. So you can say something like this:
The original price was $120, but it only cost me $90 because I had an employee discount.
When a professional like a lawyer, contractor, etc. offers a service, they usually talk about the “cost” rather than the “price”. This makes it seem a little more like the amount was not chosen by them personally, but is just a necessary fact.
Two of your friends who are single came to a party you had a few days ago. You saw them talking to each other for a long time, and they seemed to like each other. Now you want to ask one of them what he thinks of the other person.
You and Lisa really seemed to hit it off.
(someone) seemed to (do something)
When you want to guess about other people’s emotions or intentions in the past, you say that they “seemed to” do something:
Everyone seemed to have a good time at Ella’s party, wouldn’t you say?
You seemed to be confused earlier when I was giving the instructions. Do you have any questions?
Will seemed to like the gift you gave him.
Tne negative version of “seemed to” can be either “didn’t seem to ___” or “seemed not to ___”:
They didn’t seem to hear what I said.
They seemed not to hear what I said.
“Seemed not to ___” is a little more formal.
(some people) hit it off
When two people “hit it off”, it means that they become very friendly with each other soon after they first meet. When you think of people “hitting it off”, you imagine that they are talking to each other and laughing a lot.
This phrase is usually used to talk about people who become attracted to each other romantically. But it can also be used in other situations, like when two couples meet and like each other:
We really hit it off with your friends Maggie and Shaun.
“Hit it off” is a phrase that can be used by people of any age, but is probably not that often used among teenagers or younger people.
Your son got a haircut. He went to a hair salon in another part of the city and spent a lot of money. You think he should have gone to a cheaper barber shop nearby.
Why would you go all the way downtown to get a haircut when there’s a perfectly good place right across the street?
(someone) got a haircut
Most people go to a professional stylist or barber when they want a haircut. You describe this service as:
I got my hair cut.
or
I got a haircut
Sometimes people will also say:
I cut my hair.
But that’s a little confusing because it sounds like you did it yourself.
Aside from getting your hair cut, other services that you can “get” include:
get your hair colored get an oil change (for your car) get a manicure (for your fingernails) get a massage Why would you (do something)? When someone asks "Why would you \_\_\_?" they usually don't want an answer. It's not really a question; it's a criticism. It means "You shouldn't \_\_\_!" For example:
Why would you invite someone out to lunch and then expect them to pay for it?
Why would you spend money on a new pair of headphones when you already have a pair sitting unopened at home?
go all the way (somewhere)
Use this phrase to talk about going somewhere far away or inconvenient:
I forgot my wallet, so I had to go all the way back home to get it.
a perfectly good (thing)
The phrase “perfectly good ___” means that something is good enough for a certain purpose.
We mostly use this phrase to criticize people who want to get something new instead of using something old. For example:
You want a new car? Why? You have a perfectly good vehicle already.
I buy him a perfectly good pair of jeans, and what does he do? He cuts off the bottom of the legs! Can you believe these kids these days?
Don’t throw that away. It’s still perfectly good.
right across the street
This phrase describes something that’s directly in front of a building on the other side of the the street.
You can also use it to talk about somewhere that’s very close by, but not literally right across the street.
You are discussing your company’s sales results from the first quarter with a coworker. The company has been doing well, and you hope that you’ll keep doing well. You say this.
Hopefully we can keep up the momentum this quarter as well.
Hopefully (clause)
When you hope that something happens, you say “Hopefully (something happens)”:
Hopefully my package will arrive in the next day or two.
You can also use it when you hope that something doesn’t happen:
Hopefully we won’t have any more problems this week.
People use “Hopefully ___” to talk about things that they think are probable or likely. They don’t use “Hopefully” when talking about something that’s impossible.
keep up the momentum
“Momentum” is a force that makes things that are moving continue to move. You can use this word to describe physical forces. But it’s more commonly used for describing success. If you start to be successful at something, like winning games or getting high sales, it’s easier to continue to be successful. This is called “momentum”:
The tablet computer market is really starting to gain momentum, now that competitiors to the iPad are set to be launched.
To “keep up” your momentum means to continue to succeed.
Other important words to learn with “momentum” are:
gain momentum regain the momentum lose momentum have momentum a quarter Businesses usually break the year up into four pieces, which are called "quarters". They measure the performance of the business by how well each quarter compares to the same quarter the last year.
You name the quarters like this:
The fourth quarter is always tough.
People also call them “Q1”, “Q2”, etc.
It’s time to start looking ahead to Q3.
as well
“As well” is similar in meaning to “too”. But “as well” is more formal. Most people wouldn’t use it in their personal conversations, but it’s sometimes used in business conversation. In writing, it’s common.
You admitted to a friend that you usually drink bottled water, even though you know that the bottles are bad for the environment. Your friend is very interested in environmental issues. You want to show that you feel a little guilty about it.
That’s not very environmentally conscious of me, is it?
(someone) is environmentally conscious
When you’re “conscious” of a problem, it means that you know about the problem and think about it when you’re making decisions. Things that people often say they are “conscious” of are:
the environment (“environmentally conscious”)
problems with society (“socially conscious”)
their health (“health-conscious”)
When you are “environmentally conscious”, it means that you are a person who thinks about protecting the environment. Environmentally conscious people support recycling, limiting carbon dioxide emissions, protecting endangered animals, and so on.
not very (adjective) of (someone) This phrase is used when someone does something wrong. You want to explain that the action doesn't fit what you hope or expect. You say "that wasn't very \_\_\_ of \_\_\_". For example, when a person does something mean:
That wasn’t very nice of her.
Or when you do something that’s stupid:
It’s not very smart of me to leave my wallet sitting out on the table like that.
You often put a tag question on the end of this phrase, like “is it?” or “was it?”
That wasn’t very nice of her, was it?
It’s not very smart of me to leave my wallet sitting out on the table like that, is it?
You had a child when you were very young. It was hard, but you also feel like you learned a lot from it. Now it is several years later, and you’re telling someone about your experience.
I believe that everything happens for a reason.
I believe that (clause)
The word “believe” means to think that something is true, even though there’s no clear proof of it. You can say that people “believe” ideas when you don’t think their ideas are true, or when you admit that they might or might not be true:
People in the Middle Ages believed that the Earth was the center of the universe.
Buddhists believe that we are reincarnated and our souls return to the world again and again.
When you want to tell people your ideas about religion, philosophy, morality, or the meaning of life, you often start with “I believe that…” You start this way when you’re saying something that other people might not agree with. For example:
I’m a vegetarian because I believe that it’s wrong to use animals for food.
I believe that God is looking out for all of us.
I believe that every American should have the right to own a gun for the protection of his or her family and country.
If you have an opinion that you do think everyone agrees with (or should agree with), don’t use “I believe”:
Enslaving another human being is wrong.
everything happens for a reason
The idea that “everything happens for a reason” is a common philosophy for people who are religious or spiritual. It’s the idea that, even if bad things happen to you, there’s a purpose or reason for it. This purpose was decided by God, or by fate. People usually think that the reason for these bad events is to teach us lessons about life, or to lead us to greater rewards later.
People often say “everything happens for a reason” when they’re talking about something bad that happened, such as:
a break-up
losing one’s job
the death of a family member
You are eating lunch at a restaurant in the U.S. with a friend, and the restaurant brought you a huge plate of food. You are amazed at how much food American restaurants serve, so you say this.
The portion sizes are so much bigger in the U.S.!
portion sizes
A “portion” of food is the amount that one person is supposed to eat for a meal. If you want to talk about the amount of food that a restaurant, cafeteria, etc. gives you, you use the phrase “portion size”. “Portion size” is the amount of food that is given to each person for a meal.
so much (adjective+er / more + adjective) If the weather is really hot, you say that it's "so hot". "So \_\_\_" is a way to express an adjective very strongly.
When you want to compare two things, you say “___er” or “more ___”. So, for example, you’d say “It’s hotter in New York than in London.”
Putting these together, if you want to compare two things, and say that the difference between them is very strong, you say “so much ___er”:
It’s so much hotter in New York than in London.
When it’s clear what you’re comparing to, you don’t need to say “than ___”. So, if you’re from London and visiting New York, you could say:
It’s so much hotter in New York.
the U.S.
When you’re talking or writing about the United States, the most common and natural way to refer to the country is to say “the U.S.”. This is much more common than calling it “U.S.A.” or “the United States”.
Notice that you always have “the” in front of “U.S.”.
You heard a song two days ago, and since then you’ve been thinking about that song over and over again. You make this complaint to your friend.
I’ve had this song stuck in my head for two days!
this (person/thing)
In the example above, the speaker uses “this” instead of “a”. There’s a small difference between the two. When you say “this ___” it sounds like you’re talking about one specific thing. “A ___” is more general.
You use “this ___” instead of “a” or “the” when you’re introducing something specific that you’re going to talk about. It’s usually used at the beginning of a story or explanation. For example:
Amy and I were sitting there talking and this guy I know walked by.
I’ve had this song stuck in my head for two days!
Today I was talking with this girl at work who just got back from maternity leave.
In all of these examples, the speaker will continue by telling a story about that topic.
People only use “this ___” in this way in casual spoken English.
have (a song) stuck in (someone’s) head
When you “have a song stuck in your head”, it means that you keep thinking about the song and can’t stop playing it over and over in your mind.
The word “stuck” means “not able to get out”. Some other ways that “stuck” is used include:
get stuck in traffic be stuck between \_\_\_ and \_\_\_ get stuck in the mud (food) gets stuck to the frying pan To "have a song stuck in your head" is a continuing situation. If you want to describe how the situation started, you say that you "got a song stuck in your head".
You’re talking to your ex-wife. She mentions that she’s dating someone new. She had a boyfriend before, and you thought that they were still together. You don’t remember his name, so this is how you ask about him.
Whatever happened to what’s-his-name?
Whatever happened to (something)?
There are some things that you used to hear about, but now they’re gone or not common. When you suddenly wonder about one of these things, say “Whatever happened to ___?”
Whatever happened to those leg warmers that girls used to wear in the ’80s? Do they still make those?
You can ask this about people, too:
Whatever happened to Jacob? I haven’t talked to him in forever!
What’s-(his/her/its)-name
When you can’t remember the name of someone, you can call him or her “What’s-his-name” or “What’s-her-name”:
It stars What’s-his-name. You know, the guy from Titanic.
A: Where is it?
B: I gave it to What’s-her-name.
A: Isabelle?
B: Yeah, I think so.
In sentences like these, “What’s-his-name” replaces the person’s name.
This phrase can seem rude because it seems like you don’t care much about what the person’s name is. Or it can just seem like you’re forgetful and relaxed.
You just started a blog and are hoping to make some money. Your friend doesn’t think anyone can maka a living this way. You tell him that he’s not quite right about that.
There are people who actually earn a good living as bloggers.
earn a living as a (job title)
To “earn a living” means to make enough money to pay for your food, rent, car, and so on. You tell what job you’re talking about with the phrase “earn a living as ___”.
Do you think it’s realistic to hope to earn a living as a musician?
The phrase “earn a good living” means to make more than just the basic amount necessary. A person who “earns a good living” isn’t rich, but isn’t poor either.
It used to be that you could earn a good living as a driver, but these days it’s hard.
actually (do something)
“Actually” is a word that you use when you’re saying something that you think will be surprising or new information to the listeners. For example:
Wow, this is actually pretty good.
I actually did it myself.
You can use “actually” in several places in a sentence. One place is before a verb:
I actually left it at home.
Another is before an adjective:
It’s actually fun.
A third is before a noun:
He’s actually my brother.
a blogger
A “blog” is a website that has regularly updated posts, arranged by date. The most recent posts are at the top of the list.
A “blogger” is someone who runs a blog or writes for one.
You’re going on a trip to a foreign country for a few weeks. You’re packing for the trip while your roommate helps you. You don’t want to pack a lot of clothes because you want to be able to travel easily. You say this to your roommate.
I’m trying to pack light.
I’m trying to (do something)
You use “I’m trying to ___” to describe something that you want to do, but isn’t easy.
For example:
I try not go visit Facebook too often.
This means that, in general, you don’t go to Facebook.com – maybe because you think it’s a waste of time. On the other hand:
I’m trying not to go on Facebook too much.
This sounds like you want to stop going to the site, but it’s difficult for you to stop.
pack light
To “pack light” means to not pack a lot of things when you go on a trip.
I packed pretty light this time.
