month2 Flashcards
You’re telling your grandkids the story of how you and your wife (their grandmother) met. You say:
The moment I saw her, it was love at first sight.
the moment (something happened), (something else happened)
Use this expression to talk about an event that happened suddenly after another event.
You’re having a discussion with your brother-in-law about the economy. You’re talking about the differences between the economy 30 years ago vs. today. You’re worried that workers don’t get paid enough. You say:
These days, it’s nearly impossible for a family to get by on a single income.
These days
“These days” means “recently”. But “recently” is used to talk about things that have happened over the last few weeks or months. “These days” is usually a longer time period, from the last 6 months to the last 20-30 years. You use “these days” to talk about major changes in your life or in society:
get by on (an amount of money)
You use the phrase “get by” to talk about living with a small amount of money. “Getting by” means that you are able to pay your basic rent, food, and transportation costs
a single income
A person’s “income” is the money that they make from their job or business. In other words, it’s your “pay” or “salary”. Use the word “income” when you’re talking about someone’s pay in a technical or economic sense.
You’re trying to start a small business selling jewelry online. You had to buy a few thousand dollars’ worth of jewelry. Your sister is yelling at you because she thinks it’s too risky. You tell her:
You have to spend money to make money.
You have to spend money to make money.
This is a common English saying. It means that it’s hard to make money in a business without investing some money in supplies, products, advertisement, or other business expenses. This is what people say when someone criticizes how much they’re spending on these kinds of things.
You have to (do something) to (do something)
Talk about important steps to reach a goal with this phrase.
Your friend drinks too much, and just got caught cheating on his wife. You’re angry and worried about him. You want him to start acting better. You tell him:
What are you doing with your life? You’re spinning out of control!
do something with (one’s) life
When people tell you to “do something with your life”, they mean that you should try to be successful. “Doing something with your life” includes getting a job (if you’re unemployed) or getting a better job (if you already have one).
When people ask “What are you doing with your life?” it’s because you don’t seem successful or seem like you’re being irresponsible.
spin out of control
When a person is “out of control”, it means that they do bad things like drugs, fighting, cheating, and so on. It also means that they can’t stop doing these things. For example, if a famous actor just got arrested, you can say:
> He’s out of control.
To “spin out of control” means to quickly become more and more out of control. A person who’s spinning out of control keeps doing bad things and getting worse and worse.
You feel a little bored and depressed with your life. You’re complaining to your therapist about it. You say:
I feel like I’m stuck in a rut.
Use “feel ___” with adjectives to describe how you feel:
> I feel hungry.
> I feel sorry about what happened.
But if you want to describe how you feel with a full sentence, use “feel like ___”:
> I feel like I’m the only one who cares about doing things the right way.
> I feel like you’re hiding something from me.### (someone) is stuck in a rutThe word “rut” means a line-shaped hole, like the hole that a wheel leaves when it rolls through mud.“Rut” is most often used in this expression - “stuck in a rut”. Being “stuck in a rut” means that you keep doing the same boring thing each day. It sounds depressing. Use this expression if you feel like your life is boring.
You’re having a party next weekend. You want to invite one of your friends, who’s a very busy person. You don’t want to make her feel pressured, so you say:
Don’t feel obligated to come if you’re too busy.
feel obligated to (do something)
“Feeling obligated” to do something means that you feel like you have to do it. People usually feel obligated to do things for social reasons, like because a friend or neighbor asked them to do it.
Don’t feel obligated to (do something)
This is an expression that you can use when you’re afraid that it will seem like you’re pressuring someone too much to do something.
come (to an event)
When do you use “come” and when do you use “go” to talk about attending an event? Here are some guidelines:
- Use “come” to talk about an event that you’re having at your house or office, or that you’re organizing.
> I’m having a party. Do you want to come?
- Use “go” for an event that you’re not going to attend.
> I’m not going.
- Use “go” for something that you’re planning to go to, but use “come” to talk about the listener joining you:
> I’m going to this Halloween party. Do you want to come?
One of the salespeople you often communicate with came to visit your office for the first time. She seemed different than you imagined her. You’re talking with a coworker who also works with her. You say:
Bethany is a lot quieter in real life than she is over the phone.
You can talk about the way that a person is when you meet or see with the phrase “in real life”.
When you know someone from seeing them on TV, talking to them on the telephone, etc., you get ideas about that person. After you meet them “in real life” you can compare your ideas about them with reality with how they really are. This phrase is very similar to “in person”:
> He’s a lot shorter in person.Use “over” to talk about information or emotions that get communicated through the telephone.> You sound different over the phone.### (something) is (___er) (somewhere/some time/etc.) than (it) is (somewhere/ some time/etc.)This expression looks really complicated, but it’s easier to understand with a few examples:> It’s hotter in Washington than it is in Los Angeles.> She’s happier in the new apartment than she was in the old one.
You’re yelling at your daughter to clean her room. She says, under her breath, “I hate you!’. Now you’re extremely angry, and you can’t believe she said that. You say:
What did you just say to me?
But asking “What did you say to me?” has a completely different meaning. You say this when someone insults you, challenges you, or says something rude:
> A: Shut up.B: Excuse me? What did you just say to me?
You should say this in an angry tone of voice, and stress the word “what”.
You’re shopping for a new car with your wife. The car saleswoman is trying to convince you to buy a car that’s more expensive than you originally planned on. She’s a very good salesperson so you’ve started to change your mind. You say to your wife:
She makes a compelling argument.
(someone) makes an argument
When you “make an argument” for something, it means that you try to convince people to do it or support it. For example:
a compelling argument
A “compelling” argument is one that’s convincing. It makes you agree with what the person making the argument is trying to say. In the example above, the salesperson made a compelling argument that the couple should buy a more expensive car.
Other common combinations for “compelling” are:
- make a compelling case
> Antonio makes a compelling case for sticking with our current suppliers.
- present compelling evidence
> Most of the jury was suspicious of him, but the prosecution just wasn’t able to present enough compelling evidence to convict him.
- have a compelling reason for (something)
> Unless there’s a compelling reason to stay, I say we call it a day and head home.
You’re getting into a subway car. The doors are going to close in a minute, so the train driver announces:
Stand clear of the closing doors please
stand clear (of something)
To “stand clear of” something means to stand away from it. You “stand clear of” things like:
- the scene of an emergency
- falling rocks
- large machinery
- a crime scene
You’re discussing the bad economy with a group of coworkers. A few months ago, the economy seemed better. Now it seems bad again because there are more people without jobs. You say:
Just as you started to think we were finally headed toward an economic recovery, unemployment goes up again.
Just as (someone) started to think (something), (something happened)
You can use this expression when:
- There’s a bad situation.
- It seems like the situation is going to get better, BUT…
Something else bad happens.
You can always use it in the opposite situation, when it seems like something bad is going to happen, but then you get saved:
> Just as I started to think that we were lost, Samantha found the trail again.### (society/a business) is headed toward (something)Use this expression to talk about big changes in a country or an organization that are going to have some end result:### an economic recoveryThe “economy” is the system of money in a country. An “economic recovery” is when the economy has been bad for a while, then becomes### unemployment goes (up or down)The “unemployment rate” of an area is the % of people who don’t have jobs. The unemployment rate is also called just “unemployment”. If unemployment is high, it means that a lot of people don’t have jobs. If unemployment is low, it means that most people have jobs.To describe a change in the unemployment rate, you say that unemployment is “going up” or “going down”:
You were talking to your sister on the phone. The call suddenly ended. You think it was an accident, but when you call your sister back you want to joke with her, so you say:
You hung up on me!
(someone) hung up on (someone)
When you finish a telephone conversation, you “hang up” the phone
To “hang up on” someone means to suddenly stop the call while they are talking. People usually do this because they’re angry. It’s rude to hang up on someone.
In the example above, the speaker says that her sister “hung up on” her as a joke. Actually, the telephone probably got disconnected, or maybe her sister hung up accidentally.
You’re about to drive somewhere with your kids. You want to make sure they have their seatbelts on before you go anywhere. You ask them:
All buckled up?.
(someone is) buckled up
A “buckle” is the part of a belt where you attach the two ends to each other. The belts people wear on their pants have buckles. So do some shoes, straps for handbags and luggage, and seatbelts.
All (adjective)?
When you ask “All ___?” it means “Are you completely ___?”
If it’s a cold day and you’ve put an extra blanket on your daughter’s bed, you can ask:
> All warm and comfy?
This phrase sounds really positive and comforting.
You’re talking about a social networking site with your family. Your husband asks a question about it, but calls it by the wrong name. You think he did that on purpose. You say to your daughter:
He likes to act like he doesn’t know anything about it.
Use this expression to talk about someone who “puts on an act”. In other words, someone who pretends to be something that they’re not.Talking about people this way sounds negative.
(someone) doesn’t know anything about (something)
For topics that you completely don’t know about, you can say “I don’t know anything about ___”:
Your friend is telling you that he’s bored at work and unsatisfied with his job. You feel the same way about your job. You say:
I can definitely relate to that.
(someone) can relate to (a feeling)
Being able to “relate to” a feeling or experience means that you understand it. It might mean that you’ve had the same feeling or experience before. In other words, this is an expression for showing sympathy.
definitely (do something)
In the example above, the speaker says “I can definitely relate to that” to show that he really, completely agrees with his friend.
You ran into a friend from college on the street and made small talk for a few minutes. Now you’re leaving. You say:
All right man, take it easy!
All right
This is an expression that people use near the end of a conversation.
man
Guys sometimes call their friends “man”.
Take it easy!
This is a casual expression to use when you’re saying goodbye to someone.
Who uses “Take it easy!”? Men use it more than women. It tends to be used by slightly older people, like people in their 30’s to 60’s.
You’re taking a girl on a date. You’re trying to suggest fun things to do together. There’s a pretty river near you, so you suggest:
Do you want to go for a stroll along the river?
Do you want to (do something)?
This is one way to suggest an activity. Use this when you’re being polite and not sure if the other person will agree.
If you’re more confident, you can say:
> Why don’t we go for a stroll along the river?### go for a strollTo “go for a stroll” means to walk somewhere in a slow, relaxed way for enjoyment. People usually “go for a stroll” in a park, around their neighborhood, on the beach, etc.### along a riverUse the preposition “along” to describe walking next to a river\You can also use “down” or “up” to talk about walking next to a river. “Down” is the direction that the river is flowing in, and “up” is the direction that the water is coming from.
You saw a speech by a famous author. While he was speaking, he seemed really excited and moved around the stage a lot Now you’re describing the situation to a friend. You say:
He was extremely animated.
extremely (adjective)
“Extremely” means “very” but is even stronger. For example:
> Landscape architecture is an extremely competitive field.
Some other common adjectives that are used with “extremely” are:
> extremely important
> extremely difficult
> extremely high/low (for a number or amount, not for actual height)
> extremely rare
> extremely difficult### (someone) is animatedWhen you describe a person as “animated”, it means that they:
- seem excited
- move around a lot
- make hand gestures
- move their face around a lot
You’re upset because you work hard at your job but don’t get much money or respect. The people who get promoted at your company are all very friendly to the boss. You’re complaining to a friend:
Unfortunately, the people who seem to get ahead are the ones who know how to kiss ass the best.
Unfortunately
Begin a sentence with “Unfortunately…” when you’re talking about something disappointing or annoying.
(something) seems to (do something)
Use the phrase “___ seems to ___” when things turn out differently than you expected or hoped
(someone) gets ahead
“Getting ahead” means becoming successful, especially in a company. When you say that someone is “getting ahead”, it suggests that they’ve gotten promotions, bonuses, etc. It also sounds like they’re in competition with other people
(someone) kisses ass
“Kissing ass” means acting extra nice toward the boss, owner, teacher, or other authority figure:
> He’s always kissing Leroy’s ass. It’s so pathetic.
> I don’t want to hire someone who’s just going to kiss my ass. I want honesty and hard work.
This phrase can be rude if you use it in the wrong time or place. That’s because a person’s “ass” is the part of the body that they sit on.
Generally, people describe someone as “kissing ass” when they’re gossipping about coworkers.
You’re interviewing a candidate for a job. You want to know what he is good at and what problems he might cause if you hire him. You ask:
What would you say is your greatest strength, and what’s your greatest weakness?
What would you say (question)?
This is a style of question that people use mostly in interviews. Asking a question like this will make the listener answer more slowly and carefully.
your greatest strength
In interviews, people often ask about a person’s “greatest strength”. Your “greatest strength” is the one thing that you’re best at, or your best personality trait.
Here are some examples of answers:
> My greatest strength is my patience.
> I’d say that my greatest strength is my willingness to take risks.
You’re interviewing someone for a job. You want to know what his long-term goals are. You ask:
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Where do you see yourself in (a period of time)?
This is a question that people ask mostly in interviews. “Where do you see yourself?” means “What do you think that you’ll be doing?” or “What do you think that your life will be like?”
When people ask “Where do you see yourself…” they usually want to know about your career.
You’re interviewing for a job. The interviewer asks you what you’d like to be doing in 5 years. You answer:
Ideally, I’d like to be responsible for managing a small team of my own.
Ideally, (sentence)
The word “ideally” means “in the best situation”. “Ideally” introduces something that you want, but don’t feel confident directly stating because it’s difficult or unlikely.
be responsible for (something)
“Being responsible for” something means that you will be rewarded if it’s successful, and blamed if it fails.
Managers are “responsible for” the employees that work under them.
manage a team
Groups of people in a company that work under one person are often called a “team”. A team can be three or four people, or you can call the entire staff of a company a “team”.
Being the boss of a group of people is known as “managing a team”:
> In my previous position, I managed a team of over 20 accountants and financial analysts.
> ### (something) of my ownUse this to talk about something that your listener has, but you don’t:> I’d like to have children of my own some day soon.> I’m hoping to be able to afford a house of my own within the next year or so.
Your friend tells you that he’s quit smoking. You’re happy to hear that, and want to know more about how he did it. You ask:
What’d you do? Did you go cold turkey, or try to ease out of it?
What’d
This a contraction of “what did”.
go cold turkey
“Going cold turkey” means quitting something that you’ve been addicted to suddenly. It’s one way to end an addiction. It’s painful for a while, but some people think that it’s easier to successfully quit a habit if you “go cold turkey”.
This expression is most often used to talk about quitting smoking.
try to (do something)
The phrase “try to ___” can be used when you fail:
> I’ve tried to quit smoking on a number of occasions, but it’s never worked.
But you can also use “try to” to talk about something that was successful. When you do this, “try to” usually introduces a technique that you used. The example at top falls into this category.
ease out of (something)
This means to slowly reduce the amount of something until it’s completely stopped.
> I have about a month left at my job, so I’m starting to ease out of it.
> The country is slowly easing out of its recession.
The expression “ease into (something)” also exists.
You like to watch a certain TV show about undercover police. You’re telling a friend about the plot of last night’s episode. You say:
They set up a meet in an abandoned warehouse by the docks.
Use the phrasal verb “set up” to describe arranging a meeting:
> I’ll set up a meeting for next Wednesday for us to go over your contract.
a meet
A “meeting” is when you meet people for business. We use the word “a meet” to describe when gangs meet to do illegal business, like selling drugs.
an abandoned warehouse
An “abandoned” place is somewhere that people used to use, but is now empty and unused.
by the docks
A “dock” is a place on an ocean, lake, or river where a boat can land and unload its cargo. In cities, there’s usually an area with a lot of docks, and the area around it has a lot of factories and warehouses.
You’re buying a new computer. The salesperson asks you what you want, but you don’t really know. You want him to help you decide. You say:
You may have to hold my hand; I’m not that tech-savvy.
you may have to (do something)
This expression works well in situations where you want to politely tell someone what to do. This works for giving advice:
> You may have to shut down the computer and restart it.
Or you can use it for requests to someone who’s working for you like in the example above.
hold (someone’s) hand
You know what it means to physically hold someone’s hand, but English speakers also use this phrase to talk about carefully explaining or showing something to a person who’s inexperienced.
The phrase “hold (someone’s) hand” is often used in a negative sense, like:
> Figure it out for yourself. I don’t have time to hold your hand!
> What am I supposed to do? Hold his hand, like “First you do this, and then you do that…”? No way!### (someone) is tech-savvyThe phrase “tech-savvy” describes a person who knows how to use computers, mobile phones, and other electronic devices well.The word “savvy” means “smart” or “well-informed”. However, it isn’t as common as something like “smart”. It appears in a few other combinations:> It seems like some of the younger members have more business savvy than some of the higher-ups.> She’s intelligent, charming, and has a lot of political savvy. I’m sure she’ll go far.> Even the savviest investors can’t predict what’s going to happen in this market.
You just got accepted to one of the top graduate schools for your area of study. You’re happily telling your good friend the news about it:
This is like a dream come true for me.
(something) is like a dream come true for (someone)
“A dream come true” is when something happens that you hoped and wished for for a long time. When something great like that happens to you, you can say “It’s like a dream come true!” Events that people use this phrase for include:
- winning a sports tournament
- getting a great job
- getting to work in an industry like film, publishing, architecture, etc.
You’re eating dinner with your family. Your son doesn’t like the vegetables, so he’s doing things like picking them up and putting them down, making piles with them, and so on to avoid eating them. You say:
Quit playing with your food!
Quit (doing something)!
Tell people “Quit ___!” when you’re annoyed and want them to stop.
“Quit” is a little more casual than “stop”.
(someone) is playing with (their) food
When kids don’t want to eat their food, they “play with” it. “Playing with” your food means touching it, moving it around, or doing other things instead of eating it.
