month7 Flashcards
You were invited to a cousin’s wedding. Your sister asks you if you’re going. You don’t remember when the wedding is. You ask:
When is it?
This is how to ask when something is going to happen.
> A: Do you think you can make it out to my art show?B: Um, when is it?A: It’s next Saturday, in the afternoon.
(Question) again?
Use this phrase when you can’t remember something that you’re supposed to remember. For example:
> I’m sorry. What was your name again?
> How old is your daughter again?
> What was the password again?
We only use this expression in spoken English.
One of your friends is complaining about a girl that you both know. He doesn’t like her. You didn’t like her when you first met her, but now you do. You say:
She can come across as stuck up at first.
at first
Use “at first” to describe something that happens at the beginning of a period of time:
> At first I thought he was joking. Then I realized that he was serious.
> There weren’t many people using it at first. But it gradually started to catch on.
“At first” is different from “first”, which you use for listing things in order:
> First you chop up all the vegetables. Then you heat the pan on medium-high heat and add a bit of oil…
come across as (something)
The way that you “come across” to people is how they see you and think about you. This phrase is a way to explain what people think of you, which can be different from how you think of yourself. So although you may think of yourself as cool and sophisticated, you might come across as unfriendly instead.
You can follow “come across as” with a noun phrase that describes a person:
> He came across as a really friendly and sweet guy at first.
Or you can follow it with an adjective phrase that describes someone’s personality, like in the example above. Here’s another example:
> Do you think I come across to people as kind of boring?
But it sounds strange to just have a single-word adjective after “come across as”, like “come across as boring” or “come across as needy”.
(someone) is stuck up
A “stuck up” person is someone who:
- thinks that they are better than other people
- thinks that other people are less important than them
- dislikes people who are poorer, less popular, or less powerful than themselves
It’s
Here are some example sentences:
> I can’t stand her. She acts like a stuck up little princess.
> I guess I should go out drinking with them sometime. I don’t want to be seen as rude or stuck up, you know?
A friend asks if he can borrow some money for a few days until his next paycheck. You don’t have much money either, so you say no.
I’m pretty strapped for cash myself.
(someone) is strapped for cash
“Strapped for cash” is a casual way to describe someone who doesn’t have much money.
People often use this phrase to explain why they can’t do something like go out to a bar or lend a friend money:
> I don’t think I can go this time. I’m kind of strapped for cash.
I (am something/do something) myself.
Use this expression to say that something is true for you too. For example:
> I’m not sure why they charged so much.B: I’m confused myself.
> A: Chili is one of my specialties.B: Oh yeah? I make a pretty good chili myself.
You can’t find your camera. Last week, you took it to a friend’s apartment. You wonder if you left it there, so you call and ask:
Did I leave my camera at your place, by any chance?
(someone’s) place
In casual conversation, you can call someone’s house their “place”:
> You have a really nice place!
> Do you want to come over to my place for dinner?
You can also call a restaurant a “place”:
(question), by any chance?
This is a way to ask a question very hesitantly. Use it when you want to ask a question, even though you’re pretty sure that the answer is “no”. For example:
> I hear a bit of an accent. Are you from Michigan, by any chance?
> A: Where’d you go to school? B: Penn State. A: Oh, really? A good friend of mine went there. Do you know Keiko Ishihara, by any chance?
Your car often has engine problems. Now you’re trying to start your car, but it won’t work. This is what you say to yourself.
This thing is such a piece of junk!
this/that thing
People use the phrase “this thing” or “that thing” when talking about an object that they don’t like very much:
> Take that thing off your head. You know good and well you’re not supposed to wear hats in the building.
> But seriously, it’s time you got rid of that thing.
a piece of junk
“Junk” is old machines or pieces of metal that have been thrown away. When you call something “a piece of junk”, it either means that
- it’s been thrown away, or
- you think that it’s not good and should be thrown away
Things that people often call “pieces of junk” are:
- old cars
- old computers
- old cell phones
You have a cousin who’s a famous photographer. He has a really glamorous job and travels a lot. You’re telling a friend about him.
He’s always jetting off to exotic locations in far-off corners of the world.
jet off to (somewhere)
“Jetting” means flying in an airplane. But “jetting off to ___” sounds like something that celebrities and super-rich businesspeople do.
> They met up in Paris, and then jetted off to Greece for a weekend getaway.
an exotic location
When Americans talk about an “exotic location”, they usually mean somwhere that’s far away and hard to get to, but also really nice and expensive. Places that are thought of as “exotic locations” are:
> beautiful islandslarge cities in Europe, Asia, or South America
Places that are residential like small towns are not usually called “exotic”.
far-off corners of the world
This is an expression that means somewhere far away. Use this expression to talk places that are far away but you’re not really sure where they are. For example:
> People from far-off corners of the world come here to study.
(someone) is always (doing something)
Say that someone “is always ___ing” when a person does something often, and you think it’s too much.
> He’s always texting me and asking me to go out with him. Gross!
> They’re always asking me to join the team, but I’ve got absolutely no interesti in playing softball.
Your brother has been visiting you, and now he’s about to fly back home. His flight is leaving in less than two hours, but he hasn’t left your house yet. You’re worried that he’ll miss his flight, so you say this.
You’re cutting it awfully close.
awfully (adjective)
“Awfully ___” means “very ___” or “a little too ___”. Here are some examples:
> You’re awfully good at this. Are you sure you’ve never played before?
> The first half was awfully slow, but it picked up a bit toward the end.
The most common adjectives to use with “awfully” are:
- awfully good
- awfully nice
- awfully big
- awfully quiet
- awfully long
You bought some strawberries in the spring. They look really good. Now you’re taking them out of the grocery bag, and you show them to your daughter.
Look, they’re in season now.
(something) is in season
Each type of fruit and vegetable has a certain time of year when it becomes ripe and tastes the best. During that time, you can say that it’s “in season”. For example:
> When are tomatoes in season?
Look!
People say “look” when they’re holding something that they want to show to people.
There are also other reasons that people say “Look” at the beginning of a sentence. For example, you can say “look” to express frustration:
> Look, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Can you please explain it?
Your favorite soccer team played yesterday. You weren’t able to watch most of the game, but saw the last few minutes. Now a coworker is asking you if you saw it. This is your answer.
I just caught the tail end of it.
catch (a TV show)
This is a casual way of describing watching a TV show.
When you say “watch (a show)”, it sounds neutral. When you say “catch (a show)”, it sounds as if the person wanted to watch it.
You can also talk about “catching a show” when someone doesn’t see all of it. For example:
> I caught the first few minutes of it, but then I had to leave.
In addition to TV shows, you can “catch” things like:
- other people’s conversations
- live sporting events
- concerts
- songs on the radio
the tail end of (something)
The “tail end” of something means the last part of it. You can talk about the “tail end” of things like:
- TV shows
- meetings
- conversations
- sentences
- concerts
Compared to “the end”, “the tail end” is more casual and conversational.
You’re a salesperson. You’re talking to someone you just met about your job, and why you like it. You say:
As a salesperson, you have to be able to relate to a wide range of people.
relate to (someone)
To “relate to” someone means to feel comfortable with them, and to understand each other. People usually relate to each other by sharing information about themselves.
If someone always wanted to talk about sports, but you weren’t interested in sports, you might have trouble relating to them. Here’s another example:
> I was glad to finally meet someone who I could relate to.
You have to (do something)
Use “you have to ___” when you’re giving someone advice, especially when you’re an expert or know more than the other person. For example:
> The bottom line is that you have to reduce your calorie intake to lose weight.
As (something), (sentence)
This expression is useful for describing who a sentence is about. It’s easiest to understand it with a few examples:
> As a parent, I have to think about what’s best for my kids, not just myself.
> As the oldest member of the team, I feel like I’m held to a really high standard of performance.
> As my friend, tell me the truth: do you think I’m making a huge mistake?
You can see from the examples that “As ___” works for talking about yourself or for talking about other people.
a wide range of (people/things)
A “wide range” means a lot of things that are different from each other.
For example:
> You should try to eat a wide range of fruits and vegetables.
> They had a wide range of different lamps, but none of them really appealed to me.
“A wide range…” sounds rather technical or scienticfic. People use it when explaining things.
You’ve been working on a cabinet that you’re building yourself. Someone asks how it’s coming along. You want to tell them that you’re 90% finished with it.
(something) is more or less (adjective)
The expression “more or less” means “almost” or “basically”.
When you say that something is “more or less done”, it means that it’s basically finished. It might need a little more work to be perfectly finished, but it’s finished enough.
Some other examples of this expression are:
> more or less the same
more or less equal
more or less finished
You can also use “more or less” at the end of a sentence. For example, after explaining how to do a job to a new employee, you can say:
> That’s it, more or less.
(something) is done
When you say that something is “done”, it means that it’s finished:
> Are you done with that?
> Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt your dinner. Just give me a call when you’re done.
You’re a teacher. One of your students didn’t finish his assignment on time. He says that it’s because he’s in the band and had to practice too much. You don’t think that’s a good excuse, so this is what you tell him.
That’s not my problem.
That’s not my problem.
When someone makes excuses which you don’t accept, you can say this to them.
For example, imagine that someone owes you money and is supposed to pay you back soon. But then they say that their car broke down, so they don’t have any money right now. You can reply:
> That’s not my problem.
This means that you don’t accept the excuse, and you expect them to pay you back anyway.
This phrase sounds pretty mean, so use it with someone that you’re angry at or with someone (like a child) that you want to be really strict with.
You bought your girlfriend a potted cactus for her office. You’re explaining why you thought it was a good idea for a gift.
The good thing about (something) is (clause).
Use this expression when you want to talk about the good points of something:
> The good thing about my job is that I get a lot of vacation time.
> The good thing about living in a big city is that you can get everything you need within walking distance.
In grammatically correct, formal English, you should include “that” at the beginning of the clause:
> The good thing about it is that it doesn’t need to be watered that often.
In conversational spoken English, people often leave “that” out.
(something) needs to be (done)
Organize a sentence this way when you don’t want to say who did something. For example, you might use this to avoid directly telling the listener that they have to do some work:
> You know, I think the trash needs to be taken out.
> The files in this folder all need to be reviewed.
Sentences like these which use “be (done)” are called “passive” sentences.
water (a plant)
When you give a plant water, it’s called “watering” the plant.
You’re a teacher. One of your students is failing the class. You’re talking to her about her grades. You say:
I’m willing to help you out, but you’ve got to put forth a little more effort.
help out
You use “help out” to talk about assisting with a project or a task to be done. It has a positive, cheerful sound.
(someone) is willing to (do something)
When you say that you “are willing to ___”, it means that you will say “yes” to doing it, but you don’t really want to do it, or you’re not happy about doing it.
For example, if your lazy grown-up child asks you for money, you can say:
> I’m willing to lend you the money, but I expect to be paid back by the end of this year.
Read this set of questions and answers for more discussion on how “willing to ___” is used: Could “be willing to___” have another meaning?
(someone) puts forth effort
“Putting forth effort” means working, at least a little bit, to accomplish something.
You can use this phrase to react to someone who doesn’t try hard at all:
> Come on! You’re not even putting forth any effort!
“Putting forth some effort” just means working a little bit, so you can use this phrase to decribe someone who isn’t actually working very hard, but is doing enough:
> Her class is super easy. As long as you put forth some effort, you’ll be able to pass with no problem.
Your cat is making noises. You’re wondering why. You ask her this.
What are you meowing about?
What are you (doing something) about?
Use this expression when someone has an unusual expression or makes a strange noise. You ask this to find out the reason for the action.
> What are you smiling about?
> What are you frowning about?
> What are you barking about?
(a cat) is meowing
In English “Meow!” is how we describe the sound that a cat makes.
You can turn “meow” into a verb by adding “-ing” to the end:
> Lucy is meowing. She must be hungry.
This is true for some other animal noises:
> The cow is mooing.
> The ducks are quacking.
But it doesn’t always work. For example, when a dog or a bear is angry, it makes this sound:
> Grr!
But there’s a special verb for making this sound, which is “growling”.
You’re in a meeting at work. You’re leading a discussion about a project which isn’t going well. You don’t know what’s wrong with the project, so you want to ask one of the people who’s working on it.
Nelly, can you maybe shed a little light on this?
Can you (do something)?
This is a way to ask someone to do something. It’s appropriate for a boss to use with the people who work for him or her. It’s more direct than asking “Could you…”
Sometimes a person will include “maybe” in this question:
> Can you maybe call him and tell him to meet us there?
> Can you maybe turn the volume down just a little?
shed light on (a topic)
The phrase “shed light on ___” means to explain or give information about something that people don’t know much about.
For example, if there’s something broken in your house and you think that your children may have caused it, you can ask them:
> The lamp seems to be broken. Can anyone shed some light on what happened?
News stories often use this expression in headlines. For example:
> Testimony sheds light on politician’s shady dealings
This means that the things that people have said in court (“testimony”) has shown some of the dishonest (“shady) things that the politician did.
this
When people are discussing a problem or situation, they commonly refer to it as “this”:
> What are we going to do about this?
> How long do you think this is going to last?
You’re on an airplane that’s getting ready to take off. A flight attendant is making announcements. She says this, so you have to turn off your mobile phone.
We ask that all electronic devices be turned off and stowed at this time
stow (something)
The verb “stow” means “put”. You “stow” something in a place when you want to keep or hide it.
The word “stow” is especially used on boats and airplanes.
We ask that (someone)(do something)
This is a very formal way for a company or organization to ask a group of people to do something. It means “Please ___” but sounds a lot more respectful. Here are some examples:
> We ask that you refrain from talking during the presentation.
> We ask that you be patient while we work to address this problem.
When you use this structure, the verb is in the simple form:
> We ask that you wait here.
> We ask that you be there at 6:00 a.m.
electronic devices
“Electronic devices” are machines that use batteries such as laptop computers, phones, tablets, portable video games, and so on.
turn off (something)
When a machine or electronic device is on, you can “turn it off”.
“Turn off” refers just to the action of switching something from “on” to “off”. After you turn something off, you say that it “is off”:
> A: Hey, turn off your phone.B: It’s off.
You can also say “shut off”, which has the same meaning but is a little more casual.
be (done)
Sentences like these:
It will be fixed
…mean that someone will do something. You avoid saying exactly who will do it by using this structure.
You might speak this way if you don’t know who did an action:
> It’s been fixed.
Or if you want to hide who did it:
> I was told not to say anything.
Another reason to use “be done” is for politeness. Instead of directly telling someone what to do:
> You have to fasten your seatbelt.
…you can instruct people more politely like this:
> Seatbelts must be securely fastened.
at this time
“At this time” is a formal way of saying “now”.
People use this phrase when making formal announcements:
> We have nothing further to report at this time.
> At this time, would all department heads please report to Conference Room A?
You’re talking to the mother of one of the other children at your child’s daycare. You want to tell her something about the head teacher at the daycare, but you can’t remember the head teacher’s name.
Uhh… I’m blanking on her name.
I’m blanking on (something)
Use the phrase “blanking on ___” to talk about forgetting something temporarily. You can “blank” on something like the name of a person or thing even when you usually know it well.
Here’s an example for talking about the name of an actress on a TV show that you like:
> I’m blanking on the name of the actress. Who’s the one with the red hair?
Uhh…
This is a sound that people make when they can’t remember something. It’s very similar to “Um”:
> That’s a very generous offer. Um, let me think it over for a few days and get back to you.
But “um” is more likely to be used for emotional reasons, like to be polite or to seem undecided.
“Uh” can also be used like “um” but is often used when a person simply can’t figure out what to say next.
> A: How many are left?B: Uhh… let me see. About twenty?
You’re riding in the back seat of your friend’s car. Your friend has stopped at an ATM machine so you can get some cash. The machine is too far away from the car, so you ask him to move the car closer to it.
Pull up a little closer.
To “pull up” to something means to get closer to it in a car. For example, you can “pull up” to:
- a mailbox
- a person standing in a parking lot
- the front of a store
You bought concert tickets for you and your girlfriend. You want to surprise her a little, so you tell her about the tickets this way.
You know how you were talking about Coldplay coming to town? Well, ta-da!
Use this expression to continue talking about a topic of conversation that you or someone else was talking about earlier. The earlier topic could be from a few minutes ago, or even months ago:
> You know how Amanda was talking about going on a “caveman diet” a few months ago? Well, I read something about that this morning on the Internet. It actually seems really interesting.
(a band or performer) is coming to town
When a band, a singer, a comedian, etc. is going to perform near you, you can say that they’re “coming to town”:
> Have you heard that Lady Gaga is coming to town next weekend?
> One time last year, Russel Peters came to town and me and some friends went to see him.
You use the word “town” even if you live in a large city.
Ta-da!
“Ta-da!” is the sound that a magician traditionally makes when he does a magic trick, like pulling a rabbit out of his hat.
In modern days, people say this when they reveal a surprise, especially a happy surprise. For example, if you get dressed up really nicely, you can say “Ta-da!” when you show your clothes to your boyfriend or girlfriend. You can also say “Ta-da!” when you unexpectedly give a person something that they wanted:
> You know how you’ve been talking about wanting a new teapot? Well, ta-da!
You’re in an airport. There’s a closed door with a sign on it. The sign says this.
Restricted area: Do not enter.
a restricted area
A “restricted area” is a place that the general public isn’t allowed to enter.
Most public buildings have “restricted areas” where only employees are allowed to enter, or only cleaning staff, only administrators, only security guards, and so on. There are also “restricted areas” at outdoor events like concerts and festivals.
Do not enter
This is a warning that’s written on signs. It means that you can’t go into a place.
Usually, “enter” requires an object:
> I saw them enter the room.
But signs are written to leave out as many words as possible. In this case, “Do not enter” means “Do not enter (this door, this area, etc.).”
There’s an upcoming election. You’re watching a speech by one of the candidates. She’s just listed some problems in the government. Now she says this.
I intend to address these challenges head-on.
I intend to (do something)
“I intend to ___” means “I will ___”. Use it to annouce something that you’ve decided that you’re going to do.
This way of speaking sounds formal and confident, so politicians often talk about things that they’re going to do with “I intend to ___”:
> I intend to fix our nation’s schools.
Someone like a sports coach could also speak this way:
> I intend to go out there, play hard, and win.
address challenges
“Challenges” are similar to “problems”. The word “challenges” sounds more positive than “problems”, though. People use the word “challenges” at work, in sports, and so on:
> We’re definitely facing some challenges this quarter.
> The Jets have had to overcome a lot of challenges this season.
When you “address” a challenge, you do something about it. You work to overcome (meaning fix or survive) the challenge. This is a formal phrase that’s often used in politics and corporate businesses:
> Mr. President, how do you plan to address these challenges?
> Our team has done a simply spectacular job of addressing the challenges that our industry has been facing in recent years.
(do something) head-on
“Head-on” means “directly”. When you deal with a problem “head-on”, it means that you do it energetically, and without hesitation.
Here are the common actions that people do “head-on”:
> face (something) head-on
> challenge (someone) head-on
> tackle a problem head-on
> address (somethiing) head-on
> confront (someone) head-on
Doing things “head-on” is almost always positive. Most people agree that problems should be handled “head-on”.
Your roommate and her boyfriend argue a lot. It’s really annoying. You complain about it this way to a friend.
I can’t put up with their incessant bickering.
I can’t put up with (something)
When something annoys you a lot, you can say “I can’t put up with it!” This means that you can’t stand it or you can’t allow it to continue:
> I can’t put up with his lies any more. I’m through with him.
incessant (something)
“Incessant” things are annoying events that keep happening over and over, without stopping. Here are the most common things that we describe as “incessant”:
> incessant demands
> incessant noise
> incessant whining
> incessant chatter
“Incessant” is a somewhat advanced vocabulary word. English speakers who don’t read much or didn’t learn a lot in school might not use it.
bickering
“Bickering” means arguing. When you describe an argument as “bickering”, it sounds silly, unimportant, and annoying. For example:
> We used to bicker over which TV shows to watch. Now we each have our own separate TV.
“Bickering” also happens between people who know each other well, like family members, couples, and roommates.
You were late for work this morning because you had trouble with one of the tires on your car. You’re explaining to your boss why you’re late.
> I got a flat.
(someone) got a flat
When you’re talking about cars and driving, a “flat” means a flat tire: a tire that the air has come out of.
You can either say that someone “got a flat tire”:
> I was on time, but then I had to stop because I got a flat tire.
…or you can just say that they “got a flat”:
> Would you know how to change the tire if you got a flat?
You brought an avocado to work to eat with your lunch. However, you didn’t remember to bring a knife. You say this to yourself.
> Darn, I don’t have anything to peel it with!
Darn!
People say this when they’re frustrated or disappointed:
> Darn! My shirt ripped.
> I missed my bus. Darn!
“Darn!” is a lighter version of the curse word “Damn!” People who don’t like to curse can say “darn” instead. Or you can say “darn” if you’re around young children, or want to sound polite.
I don’t have anything to (do something) with.
This expression is useful for talking about a tool that you don’t have:
> A: Can you write this down?B: I don’t have anything to write with.
> This screw is coming loose, but I don’t have anything to screw it in with.
peel (a fruit or vegetable)
“Peeling” a fruit or vegetable means taking the skin off of it, either with a knife or with your hands. People peel things like:
- oranges
- cucumbers
- carrots
- bananas
- boiled eggs
Your house was destroyed in a fire. You’re telling a friend the story of what happened. You’re explaining your emotions when you saw that the house had burnt down.
> At first I was in total shock.
At first, (sentence)
When you tell a story, it’s common to talk about how things changed from the beginning to later on. To do this, you can use “At first…”:
> I saw something out on the ocean. At first, I thought it was a piece of trash or something. Then I noticed that it was moving. Suddenly, my heart froze as I realized that it was a shark’s fin.
So “at first” explains what was happening before things changed.
You can also put “at first” at the end of a sentence:
> He seemed nice at first. But as the relationship went on, he started to get more and more jealous.
(someone) is in total shock
“Shock” is a feeling of extreme suprise. When you’re “in shock”, you can’t believe what’s happening. You can’t speak or move.
Of course, people sometimes exaggerate their feelings of surprise by saying that they were “in shock” about things like the price of a haircut:
> When they told me how much it was going to cost, I was in shock.
It’s common to combine “in shock” with the adjective “total”:
> She looked like she was in total shock.
Your coworker went on a trip. You ask how it went, and she says that it was a lot of fun. You need to go to a meeting now, but you want to hear more details about the trip.
> You’ll have to tell me more about it later.
You’ll have to (do something)
This is one way to ask a friend or acquaintance to do something social. For example:
> You’ll have to come over and visit us sometime.
> You’ll have to send me a copy of that. (When looking at a photo someone took)
Use this expression for fun social things. Don’t use it to talk about something that a person has to do for work or for large requests.
When you pronounce this phrase, don’t put stress on “have to”. Put the main stress on the verb, and a little stress on “you”.
tell me more about (something)
Say this in a polite conversation when you want to hear someone’s stories about something. For example:
> Tell me more about how you and Grandpa met.
> Tell me more about your trip!
You’re looking outside of your window while you eat breakfast. It’s spring, so there are some flowers now that weren’t there before. You write a Facebook message about it.
> The flowers are starting to bloom!
flowers are blooming
Flowers start as little buds on a plant. Then they grow larger and open up to reveal the flower. This process is called “blooming”.
When a plant only has a few open flowers, you can say that it’s “starting to bloom”.
After most of the flowers are fully opened, you can describe it as “in bloom”:
> I see that your tulips are in bloom now.
And when the flowers start to turn brown, dry up, and go away, you say that they’re “wilting”.
