month5 Flashcards
You got your wisdom teeth removed last week and had to stay home because of the pain. Now you’re back at work, and making small talk with your boss. You tell her about it.
The pain was just unbearable!
just (adjective)
When used in this way, “just” means “very” or “completely”. It can be used with positive or negative adjectives:
> They did just a phenomenal job on this event.
> This was just a horrible, horrible idea!
unbearable pain
If you can “bear” something, it means that you can “stand” it or survive it. Something that’s unbearable is too bad or difficult to accept.
“Unbearable” pain is really strong pain that makes you cry, scream, or feel like you’re going to die.
Other things that are “unbearable” include:
- unbearable heat
- unbearable suffering
- unbearable tension (in a stressful environment)
- unbearable conditions
You’re teaching an exercise class. You’re leading the class in stretching. You want to tell them how to breathe.
Inhale… and exhale.
inhale
“Inhale” means to “breathe in”. You can “inhale something”, like in these examples:
> Animals inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Plants do the opposite.Try not to inhale any of the fumes; they’re toxic.
Or you can just tell someone to “inhale”. Exercise trainers and doctors give this order to people.
exhale
“Exhale” means to “breathe out”.
People mostly use “exhale” when giving instructions, like in exercise classes or a doctor’s office. It sounds more technical than “breathe out”.
You’re riding home from a concert with a friend. She looks really sleepy. You want to warn her not to go to sleep, so you say this.
You look like you’re about to nod off.
(someone) is about to (do something)
“You’re about to ___” means “You’re going to ___ soon”. Here are some examples with “about to”:
> I’m about to lose my temper with you.
> It looks like they’re about to begin. Why don’t we go find a seat.
> Oh, hi Charles. I was just about to call you.
nod off
To “nod off” means to start to go to sleep when you’re supposed to be awake.
Here are some situations that you might “nod off” in:
- You’re watching a movie late at night.
- You’re listening to someone tell a long, boring story.
- You’re driving on the highway. (Watch out! This is dangerous!)
Two of your friends have been secretly dating each other. Finally they tell you about it, and you’re really surprised because you didn’t suspect it. You say:
I was completely oblivious!
completely oblivious
Being “oblivious” to something means that you don’t notice it, or don’t know that it’s happening. It sounds a little negative but not too bad.
The word “oblivious” often appears together with “completely”:
> Most people are completely oblivious to all of the ways that they’re being manipulated by advertising and the media.
If you want to include the topic, use “oblivious to __”:
> I was completely oblivious to the fact that they were dating.
> When you’re high, you become oblivious to everything that’s going on around you.
“Oblivious” is an advanced word, so not everyone uses it. A more basic word is “unaware”.
You’re talking with some friends about the kind of clothes that you wear to work, versus during your free time. You say:
I tend to dress a little more conservatively at the office.
(something) tends to (do something)
You can talk about things that usually or often happen with the phrase “tends to ___”:
> It tends to rain a lot at this time of year.
> Mom tends to forget things unless you remind her a lot.
You can also use “be” plus an adjective after “tends to”:
> Homes in the southern U.S. tend to be a bit larger than those in the North.
> Japanese people tend to be rather reserved.
dress conservatively
Dressing “conservatively” means that you wear clothes that:
> have an older, more formal style (like a suit and tie for men)don’t display parts of your body like your chest, legs, stomach, or butt
You can also dress “formally”, but that’s different. People only dress formally on special occasions like ceremonies. A formal dress for a woman is long and expensive. A man who’s dressed formally might be wearing a tuxedo.
On the other hand, some people dress “conservatively” every day.
at the office
When you work in an office, you can call your workplace “the office” in casual conversation. You call it this, even when the person you’re talking with doesn’t work with you. For example, you can say this to a friend:
> I have to stop by the office for a few minutes, so I’ll meet you at the restaurant at 7:30.
“The office” sounds much more natural than “my office” when you’re talking about your workplace. Within the workplace, “your office” is the specific room that you work in (if you have one; some people work in cubicles or open rooms with other people).
You’ve been talking with an old friend on the telephone. You want to finish the conversation, so you say:
OK, well, I’ll let you go.
Well
“Well” is a word that you use when you’re finishing a conversation or a topic. Some other examples of “well” used in this way are:
> Well, it’s nice to have you back.
> OK. Well, it was a pleasure meeting you.
I’ll let you go.
You can say this to end a telephone conversation. Say it when you’ve finished everything you wanted to say and when the other person isn’t talking.
When you say “I’ll let you go”, it suggests that you feel like the other person is very busy, and that you’re selfishly using up their time by talking to them for so long on the telephone. So “I’ll let you go” is a polite-sounding phrase.
On the other hand, you wouldn’t use this phrase with someone who’s much higher in status than you, like someone who’s interviewing you for a job.
You took a flight recently and were stopped when you went through the security. You’re telling a friend about it.
They took me in the back room and interrogated me.
the back room
A lot of businesses like stores, restaurants, and airports have public areas that customers are allowed into, and other rooms that only the staff or managers can enter. The private rooms are sometimes called “back rooms”.
We associate the “back room” with dark, sneaky, secretive actions. For example, in politics, people sometimes talk about “back-room dealings”. These are agreements that politicians make secretly, without telling the public. “Back room dealings” are bad and maybe even illegal.
interrogate (someone)
“Interrogating” someone means asking them a lot of questions in an aggressive way.
Police “interrogate” suspects in a crime investigation. Parents “interrogate” their teenage children who have stayed out too late.
The word “interrogate” sounds negative. A less negative word to describe this process is “question”:
> They took me in the back room and questioned me.
in the room
Technically, the sentence above should be:
> They took me into the back room.
That’s because “take” is an action that starts outside of the room and finishes inside. Another example is “push”:
> They pushed me into the room.
However, people sometimes use “in” instead in spoken English.
You were having a problem with your computer. A coworker fixed it for you. You’re really grateful because the problem was very frustrating. You say:
Thank you so much. I was at my wits’ end trying to figure that out!
Thank you so much.
This is a good way to thank someone who’s helped you out. Here are some other situations in which you can say “Thank you so much”:
- Your friend let you stay at her house when you were visiting her town for business.
- A coworker agreed to cover your shift.
- A waiter wrapped your leftover food after dinner, so that you could take it home.
(someone) is at (his or her) wits’ end
Being “at your wits’ end” means that you’ve tried really hard to solve a problem, but haven’t been able to solve it. You say this when you’re really frustrated and worried.
> I’m at my wits’ end with Gabby. She doesn’t listen to me, doesn’t do her homework, stays out late. What am I supposed to do with her?
This expression can be used in casual or formal situations.
figure (something) out
When you’re trying to understand something, and you finally understand it, you’ve “figured it out”.
> Aya figured out how to hook up the webcam, so now we can video chat with you guys!
The object of “figure out” can come in two different places:
- figure (something) out
- figure out (something)
Pronouns like “it”, “them”, etc. go between “figure” and “out”. Most other words can go in both locations.
You’re moving into a new apartment and trying to decide where to put your furniture. Your roommate suggests a location for the couch, but you don’t think it’s a good spot. You say:
Yeah, but then it’ll be blocking one of the outlets.
Yeah, but (sentence)
This is a common way to disagree with someone:
> A: You said that I could use it when you were finished with it.B: Yeah, but I’m not finished with it yet.
> A: What’s wrong with him? He’s smart, funny, handsome.B: Yeah, but he’s too short for me.
“Yeah but…” is useful when you agree with the specific sentence that a person said, but you disagree with their overall ideas.
then (something) will (do/be something)
People use “then” to finish a sentence like this:
> If you put the couch here, then it will be blocking one of the the outlets.
“Then” shows the result of a possible action. Sometimes people leave out the first part of the sentence, so it turns into this:
> Then it will be blocking one of the outlets.
You can complete the sentence with a verb like this:
> A: Let’s ask the professor for an extension.B: No! Then she’ll know that we’ve just been slacking off.
Or you can complete the sentence with “be + adjective”:
> I thought about going for a run, but then I’ll be all hot and sweaty.
(something) is blocking (something)
When one thing is “blocking” something else, it means that the 2nd thing can’t be reached or used because the first thing is in its way.
Here are some examples:
> Damn it! Someone’s blocking my car. I can’t get out of the driveway!
> Oh, I’m sorry. Am I blocking your view?
an outlet
An “outlet” is a hole that you plug a machine into, to get electricity.
People also call them “electrical outlets”. Some people call them “plugs” too, although technically the “plug” is what you put into an outlet.
Your sister and her family are coming over to your house to visit. Your living room is a little messy. You ask your children to help you clean it:
Guys, help me straighten up a little please.
Guys
In English, there’s not a really good word for addressing a group of people. In different parts of the country, people use different expressions when talking to a group. The expression I suggest is “guys”. For example, you can say this to your parents:
> Guys, I have to talk to you.
You can say this to the members of a girls’ sports team:
> Great job today, guys. Keep up the good work.
“Guy” technically means a man, but it’s usually OK to use it for groups of males and females, or even for groups of all femaies.
Help me (do something) please
This is a very straightforward way of asking for help. Use this when you’re speaking to someone you’re close to, like a family member. Avoid asking strangers and friends for help this way. A better way to ask is:
> Could you help me with this?
Adding “please” to the end of your request actually makes it sound a little less polite in this case. Here are some other examples of “please” used in an angry or impolite way:
> Can you wipe that up, please?
> Can you just stop it please?
straighten up (a room)
“Straightening up” is a type of cleaning. When you “straighten up”, you pick up things that are lying around like clothes, dishes, books, pieces of paper, and so on. You put things back in their proper place, so that the room looks organized.
You can use “straighten up” with an object:
> Lance, straighten up your room please.
Or you can use it without an object:
> Sorry, I didn’t have time to straighten up.
You’re teaching your niece to play golf. Her stance isn’t good, so you’re giving her some pointers. You say:
A good rule of thumb is to stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
a rule of thumb
A “rule of thumb” is an easy-to-remember rule that you can use to make a decision.
Some useful rules of thumb include:
- Don’t date someone that you work with.
- Try to get 8 hours of sleep each night.
- Put at least 10% of your pay into savings.
“Rules of thumb” aren’t always true, but they’re true most of the time, so you can follow them unless you have some better information to use instead.
The phrase “rule of thumb” is most often used in sentences in two ways:
> I don’t date people I work with, as a rule of thumb.
> A good rule of thumb is to put 10% of your pay into savings.
stand with your feet shoulder width apart
Standing “shoulder width apart” means that you’re standing with a little space between your feet. When you stand this way, each foot is straight below the outside of your shoulders.
This phrase is used in sports, exercise, and dance when you’re giving instructions.
A friend of yours is really upset because she made a bad grade on a test. However, the grade wasn’t really that bad. You think that she’s too strict about her grades. You say:
There’s no sense beating yourself up over it.
There’s no sense in (doing something)
Use this expression to talk about things that you shouldn’t do because it would be wasteful:
> There’s no sense in asking him; he doesn’t know anything.
> There’s no sense in throwing away a perfectly good pair of shoes.
In the first example, it would waste time to ask the person who doesn’t know anything. In the second example, it would be wasteful to throw away the shoes.
In the sentence “There’s no sense in beating yourself up over it,” the speaker wants to say that thinking about a mistake again and again is a waste of time. It makes the person upset but doesn’t have any positive results.
beat (one)self up over(something)
“Beating yourself up over something” means getting angry at yourself because of a mistake.
- You can “beat yourself up over” a lot of mistakes such as:
- forgetting something important
- making a bad life decision
- losing a competition
- saying something embarrassing in front of people you wanted to impress
You mostly use this expression to tell people not to “beat themselves up over” a mistake.
You made some delicious grilled chicken for a party. A guest asks how you made it. You say:
I marinated it overnight in some garlic, ginger, lime, and olive oil.
marinate (a food ingredient)
One technique in cooking meat or vegetables is to put them in a mixture of different flavors and let them sit for a while before you cook it. The meat or vegetables then start to taste like these other flavors. This technique is called “marination”.
You can “marinate” ingredients for a few minutes, a few hours, or a day or two. This is different from some other processes, like “pickling”, because you almost always cook food after marinating it.
do (something) overnight
You can describe a process that starts one day and ends the next day can be as happening “overnight”. For example:
> Soak the beans overnight.
> Let it dry overnight.
some (stuff)
Use “some” to talk about a general amount of something. For example, if you don’t want to specifically say how much of an ingredient to use in a recipe, use “some”:
> Sprinkle some salt and pepper on it.
“Salt” and “pepper” are uncountable, but you can also use “some” to talk about countable things:
> There were some people there from Taiwan.
Your son asks if some yogurt that’s in your refrigerator is too old to eat. You’re not sure. You say:
I don’t know, sweetie. Check the expiration date.
sweetie
“Sweetie” is a name that you can call someone. Here are some examples of who calls who “sweetie”:
- Mothers can call their children “sweetie”
- A father can call his daughters “sweetie”, but probably not his sons.
- Teachers might call their students “sweetie” if the students are very young, like 8 years old or lower.
- Some gay men call their friends and various other people “sweetie”.
- Some older women call anyone younger than them “sweetie”, even strangers.
- You can call your boyfriend or girlfriend, husband or wife “sweetie”.
check the expiration date
Packaged food products usually have an “expiration date” printed somewhere on tha package. This is the date that you’re supposed to use it by. After that date, the product is “expired”, which means that it’s not good any more.
To find out if a product is expired, you “check the expiration date”.
You see someone in the elevator who’s trying to untie the wires of his headphones. You think it’s funny because you do that a lot too. You say:
Don’t you hate how those cords always get tangled up?
Don’t you hate how (something happens)?
This is a way to talk about something that’s annoying to both you and the person you’re talking to. For example:
> Don’t you hate how he’s always interrupting people?
The word “hate” sometimes describes a really strong emotion, but in this case it doesn’t sound that strong.
There’s another form that you can also use: “Don’t you hate it when (something happens)?”
> Don’t you hate it when you say something sarcastically and people think you’re serious about it?
This version is for things that happen more rarely.
a cord
A “cord” is basically the same as a “wire”, but with some small differences. A “cord” usually comes out of an electrical device and plugs into something else. You could call this a “wire” too, but “cord” is more common.
Inside of an electical device, there are probably a lot of small wires. You wouldn’t call these “cords”.
The word “cable” also describes a type of wire. A “cable” is longer and thicker than a cord. For example, electrical cables provide power to your home.
(something) gets tangled up
Long, thin things like ropes, cables, and hair sometimes “get tangled up”. This means that they accidentally get tied into confusing little knots.
You don’t need to include “up”. You can also just say, for example:
> The cord is tangled.
This is a little more formal and serious-sounding.
You work as a waiter. There’s a new waiter at the restaurant. Today’s a really busy day, so you want to make sure that she’s OK. You ask:
You hangin’ in there?
You (doing something/adjective)?
In very casual spoken English, people sometimes start questions with “You” instead of “Do you” or “Are you”. For example:
> You OK?
> You want something from the grocery store?
> You remember how you used to always play that song on your dad’s stereo?
(someone) is hanging in there
The phrase “hang in there” means to not give up on something, even if it’s difficult. In other words, it means “Don’t give up!”
You can tell someone this to encourage them:
> Hang in there. You’ll start to get better at it pretty soon.
> Hang in there. It’s almost over.
You can also ask someone if they’re “hanging in there”. This means, “Are you OK?” or “Are you going to be able to do it? You can ask this when someone’s doing something difficult or painful.
In casual spoken English, you can leave off the “g” sound at the end of many “-ing” words. So instead of “hanging”, you can say “hangin’”.
When you come home, there are a lot of dry cleaning bags hanging in the closet. You wonder why your husband cleaned so many things. You ask:
What’s with all the dry cleaning?
What’s with (something)?
“What’s with ___?” is a casual way to ask why something is happening. For example, if one of your coworkers is yawning a lot, and you want to know why, you can ask:
This means “Why are you yawning so much?”
“What’s with ___” is used in informal spoken English and when chatting online. It doesn’t have any strong positive or negative associations.
dry cleaning
“Dry cleaning” is a type of cleaning process for clothes like suits and sweater. You don’t do this at home; you take your clothes to a “dry cleaner”, which is the name of the business.
The phrase “dry cleaning” can mean the process of cleaning clothes:
> Conventional dry cleaning uses a lot of nasty chemicals that are harmful to the environment.
It’s also what you call the clothes that have been cleaned. For example:
> Can you pick up my dry cleaning on your way home?
You’re having dinner with your family. Suddenly your chest starts to hurt. You’re worried about it. Someone asks you what’s wrong, so you say:
I’m having chest pains.
(someone) is having chest pains
This is something that people say when they feel like they might be having a heart attack.
Saying that you’re “having chest pains” sounds more serious than “My chest hurts.”
“Pain” is usually uncountable, but sometimes people also talk about “pains”. The most common examples are:
- chest pains
- labor pains (when a woman is having a baby)
- joint pains
- stomach pains
These examples describe sharp pain which comes and goes for a few minutes at a time.
You have to wake up early tomorrow to go to the airport for your vacation. Your husband is close to your alarm clock. You want to tell him what time you think you should wake up.
I would set it for… 5:30?
I would (do something)
When you’re giving your opinion but don’t want to say it too strongly (because you’re being polite or because you don’t feel strongly about it), you can say “I would ___”. Examples of this are:
> I would lean toward staying in Spain.
> I would go with the higher-priced model.
You often use “I would ___” when you’re giving someone else advice, and you’re not the person making the final decision.
set (an alarm) for (a time)
“Setting” an alarm means choosing what time the alarm is going to go off.
Give the time that you choose with “for”:
> Set it for 30 minutes from now.
> I usually set my alarm for 9:00.
You and a college friend are talking about someone that you both used to know. You haven’t talked to her for a long time, but she still emails you a few times every year. You say:
She still sends me photos of her family on a regular basis.
(someone) still (does something)
Use “still” to talk about things that:
- started in the past
- are still going on
(something happens) on a regular basis
Things that happen “on a regular basis” happen often, and at a predictable rate. People usually say that something happens “on a regular basis” if it happens between a few times a week to a few times a year.
“On a regular basis” sounds less frequent than “often” but more frequent than “sometimes”.
Here are some more examples:
> A: Has anyone ever told you that you look like Madonna?B: Yeah. Actually, I get that on a regular basis.
> There are robberies and muggings in our neighborhood on a regular basis. It’s dangerous.
> They recommend that you clean out the filter on a regular basis.
You’re talking to your friend, who lives in another city. She asks about your baby, who she hasn’t seen for several months. The baby talks now, so you say:
She’s talking up a storm these days.
(someone) is talking up a storm
This is a casual expression that means to talk a lot.
You can use it to talk about young children who start talking a lot once they reach a certain age. Here are some other expressions that use “___ up a storm”:
> Mom would always be in the kitchen, cooking up a storm while we played in the yard.
> You should have seen him at the wedding. He was dancing up a storm!
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, usually from the last 6 months to the last 20-30 years.
There’s also a difference in formality:”these days” is less formal than “recently”.
You use “these days” to talk about major changes in your life or in society.
> I don’t watch much TV these days.
> Kids these days don’t even remember what life was like before mobile phones and the Internet.
> It’s getting harder and harder to earn a living as a photographer these days.
You’re on a first date with a guy. You’re telling each other about yourselves. You tell him the name of the town that you’re from, but he’s never heard of it. So you describe the town.
It’s a quiet little suburban community about 30 minutes outside the city.
a quiet little (place)
Describe a small town or neighborhood this way:
> We found a quiet little street with some cute bookstores and cafés.
> I come from a quiet little town in the mountains east of Los Angeles.
a suburban community
People live in three kinds of areas:
- urban areas (cities)
- suburban areas (the areas around cities)
- rural areas (small towns and farmland)
A “suburban community” is a town that’s close to a city (usually a 30 minute to 1 hour drive) but is small and quiet. A lot of people in the suburbs live in individual houses instead of apartment buildings. They drive from place to place instead of using public transportation.
(a time) outside (somewhere)
Use this phrase to describe where a place is, in relation to a city:
> It’s 30 minutes outside of Chicago.
The time (“30 minutes”) represents how long it takes to drive or travel there.
Sometimes people say “outside of ___” and sometimes just “outside ___”. This is just based on the sound. If you’re not sure, choose “outside of”.
You’re in the army. You’ve been told that you have to leave the country to do a mission. You call your boyfriend to tell him.
It looks like I’m being deployed in a couple of weeks.
It looks like (something is happening)
This phrase can be used when you’re guessing about how something is going to turn out when it’s finished:
> It looks like the Yankees are going to win this one.
However, it is also used in situations where something has already happened, and you have to tell the bad news to someone:
> Sorry, it looks like we had to reject your loan application.
Saying “it looks like” something bad happened is softer-sounding than simply saying that it happened.
(someone) is being deployed
When members of the military are “deployed”, it means that they are sent overseas to do a mission. The mission might be fighting in a war or simply going to a foreign military base.
The word “deploy” means to use something in a strategic way. A country or a company can “deploy” things like:
- natural resources
- nuclear weapons
- a strategy
- volunteer rescue workers
- technical support staff
a couple of (things)
“A couple” means two, or approximately two. “A couple of weeks” means two weeks.
(someone) is being (___ed)
Sentences have a subject (the person or thing that’s doing an action) and an object (the person or thing that’s receiving the action)
When the subject isn’t important (or you don’t know who/what it is), you can say that the object is “being __ed”. Some examples include:
> He’s being transferred.
> We’re being watched.
> Are you being treated well?
You subscribe to a newspaper. You’re checking the mail, and there’s a letter warning you that you have to pay for your subscription again soon. You say to your husband:
Our subscription to the Times is coming up for renewal.
the Times
Newspapers are often called “The ___ Times”. The most well-known example is “The New York Times”. When people talk about “The Times”, they usually mean The New York Times newspaper.
renew a subscription
A “subscription” is something like a newspaper that you pay for regularly (usually monthly). Some examples of things that you can subscribe to are:
- a newspaper
- a magazine
- PhraseMix Premium
Subscriptions usually finish after some period, like one year. At the end of your subscription, you have to “renew” it. This means that you agree to subscribe for another period.
(something) is coming up for (something)
“It’s up for renewal” means that it’s time to be renewed. The subscription period has ended, so now you have to renew it.
Some other examples of “up for ___” are:
> She’s up for re-election this year.
> My car is up for inspection.
“Coming up for ___” means that it will have to be done soon.
At work, a member of another department suggests a change. You think it’s a good suggestion, but you can’t agree to it because you don’t have the power to make that change. One of your bosses will need to agree to it. You say:
It’s not up to me; I’m way too far down on the totem pole.
(a decision) is up to (someone)
You can say that a decision “is up to” a certain person. This means that this person gets to make the decision. For example:
> A: What do you want for breakfast?B: It’s up to you.
When you say “it’s not up to me”, it means that you don’t have the authority to male a decision; someone else has to decide.
(someone) is (somewhere) on the totem pole
A “totem pole” is a large wooden pole with shapes of heads cut into it. The heads are stacked on top of each other. Totem poles were originally carved by native tribes in the northwest region of North America.
These days, it’s common for people to compare a business organization to a totem pole. The person in charge is “at the top of the totem pole”, and ordinary workers are “at the bottom of the totem pole”.
Describing someone as “___ on the totem pole” is casual but not too casual. It can be used in some formal situations too.
You’re a college student. Your grades haven’t been very high, but now you want to get better grades so that you can graduate with honors. You’re talking to your academic advisor. You say:
Hopefully I can bring my GPA up to at least a 3.0 this semester.
Hopefully (something can happen)
Use “Hopefully…” to talk about something that you hope will happen. For example:
> Hopefully we can finish the deal by the end of this month.
You “hope” for something that:
- might possibly happen
- isn’t definitely going to happen
So, for example, you can’t say “Hopefully I can be a baseball player” if you’re 30 years old and not athletic. It’s too unrealistic. Instead, you would say:
> I wish I could be a baseball player.
bring (one’s) GPA up to (a number)
High school and college students in the U.S. have a “GPA”. This stands for “Grade Point Average”. It’s a number between 0 and 4.0 which represents the average of all the student’s grades. It works like this:
- An “A” in a class is worth 4 points.
- A “B” is worth 3 points, a “C” is worth 2, and so on.
- You take the average of all the grades to get a “GPA”.
- You talk about the GPA as “__ point __”. For example, “three point five”.
A 3.0 GPA or higher is considered OK. Lower than that isn’t good to put on an application or resumé.
If a student’s grades are low, they may try to “bring their GPA up”. This means to get better grades in their classes, so that the average rises.
this semester
A “semester” is half of a school year. Usually there’s a fall semester and a spring semester.
Most college courses last for one semester. High school classes might last for one semester. Or they might last a whole year, but they’ll still be broken up into two semesters. In that case, the students will get a grade for each semester, and then a total grade for the year.
“This semester” means the semester that’s happening right now.
You’re telling a friend about your brothers and sisters. One of them is a musician, another one is a housewife in the suburbs, and you work in a large corporation. You’re explaining why you’re all so different.
We’ve all taken very different paths in life.
(someone) takes a path (in life)
English speakers commonly use the word “path” to talk about someone’s life.
A “path” is a little trail or walking area. If you go for a walk in the forest, you’ll probably try to follow a path.
Your “path” in life means the decisions that you’ve made and the things that you’ve experienced. Here are some examples that you’ll frequently hear:
> I’m worried that he’s going down the wrong path.
> Kids these days are expected to pick a career path when they’re still in high school.
> He’s got to choose his own path.
> We’ve taken different paths.
Saying that two people have “taken different paths” means that they have different styles of life and might not be very close to each other any more.
You’re a tour guide at an art museum. You’re telling the story of an artist who lived a long time ago. You want to explain when this person lived. You say:
To put this piece in historical context, it was created during the period when Europeans were just beginning to explore the New World.
To put (something) in (some kind of) context, (sentence)
“Context” is extra information that helps you to understand something better. For example, if you’re listening to someone speaking in a foreign language, their facial expressions and hand gestures give you some context for what they’re saying.
“Putting ___ in context” means making a topic easier to understand by giving extra information about the time, place, situation, history, and so on.
So you can use this expression to introduce contextual information about something:
> To put it in context, at that time the most powerful personal computers were only able to do simple math equations.
> To put his speech in cultural context, politicians in India rarely retire. So him announcing that he was leaving the party was rather shocking.
This expression sounds very intellectual. Use it when you’re giving a speech or lecture.
create a piece (of art)
Art, such as paintings and classical music compositions, can be counted in “pieces”:
> This is one of her most famous pieces.
> I really like that piece.
When you make art, it’s called “creating a piece”. We talk about art this way:
> This piece was created by Dali soon after World War II.
(something happened) during (a time period)
Use “during ___” to talk about when something happened. It means that an event happened while some other continuous event was happening. For example:
> He lived in Holland during the war.
> It’s so annoying when people talk during a movie.
Both wars and movies are continuous events. So other events can happen “during” them (like living in Holland and talking).
(someone) is just beginning to (do something)
Use the phrase “___ is just beginning to ___” to talk about the early part of something that continues for a long time.
For example, if you’re talking about a young child who’s learning to talk, you can say:
> She’s just beginning to form sentences.
You can use this phrase because she’s going to continue to talk a lot more after this.
Here’s another example for talking about a band that’s now quite popular:
> I saw them back in ‘97 when they were just beginning to become well-known.
Europeans explored the New World
When Europeans came to North and South America starting at the end of the 1400’s, they called it “The New World”. When the Europeans went there, they “explored” it by visiting different areas, making maps, searching for valuable things like gold, and so on.
We still sometimes call the Americas “The New World” when we are:
- talking about that period in history
- comparing parts of the culture of European countries to countries in North and South America
You’re a teacher. You’re talking to the parents of one of your students, who talks loudly to her friends during your lectures. You say:
Monica’s been growing increasingly disruptive in class over the past few weeks.
(something) has been growing increasingly (adjective)
This is a way to talk about a problem that’s getting worse and worse. Here are some examples:
> Her memory has been growing increasingly bad.
> The attacks in the city have been growing increasingly violent over the last six months.
A similar phrase is “__ has been getting increasingly __”:
> Stanley’s been getting increasingly more upset with us.
Both of these are more formal than “__ has been getting more and more __”
(someone) is disruptive in class
Teachers call students “disruptive” when they do things like:
- Talk to their friends loudly
- Arguing with the teacher
- Making annoying noises in class
Not all bad behavior is “disruptive”. For example, sleeping in class isn’t disruptive because it doesn’t disrupt other people from learning.
(something has happened) over the last (time period)
Use this expression to talk about something that started changing in the past and has continued changing until now:
> I’ve been getting better and better at English over the last two years.
A friend suggests that you ask out a girl that you have a crush on. You think she’s too pretty and doesn’t like you in that way.
Nah, she’s way out of my league.
Nah.
This is a casual way of saying “No.” Use it with friends and family members.
> A: Do you want me to pick you up something to eat?B: Nah, I’ll just make myself a sandwich or something.
(someone) is out of (someone’s) league
A person who is “Out of someone’s league” is too beautiful, handsome, rich, or cool to date them.
This phrase comes from sports leagues. If you’re a member of an amateur sports league, you can’t compete with someone who’s in a professional league. In the same way, person who’s a lot better-looking or cooler than you is “out of your league”.
way (something)
Use “way ___” in comparisons. It’s means something like “much” or “very”:
> She’s way better at this than me.
> It’s not up to me; I’m way too far down on the totem pole.
> Don’t get angry. You’re way too sensitive.
“Way ___” fits in most spoken conversational.
