month8 Flashcards
You’re about to play a video clip in a presentation. The room is too bright, so you want someone who’s standing near the switch to turn the lights down or off.
> Can someone dim the lights?
Can someone (do something)?
Make a request this way when you don’t care who does it:
> Can someone help me with this?
> Can someone come down and take a look at my computer? It’s acting up.
dim the lights
The word “dim” means “not bright”. So the verb “dim ___” means to reduce the amount of light.
You can “dim the lights” in a room, which means to make the room less bright. Sometimes lights have a switch that allows you to dim them without turning them off. If the lights only have an “on/off” switch, then “dimming” the lights means tuning them off.
You can also dim things like a computer screen or TV
You went to a concert last night. The music was really loud, so it hurt your ears. Now you hear a strange noise because of it. You explain it to your roommate.
My ears are still ringing.
(someone’s) ears are ringing
After a really loud noise like a live concert, you may start to hear a high-pitched noise. You can also hear it sometimes if you’re in a really quiet place. We call this noise “ringing” and use it like this:
My ears are ringing.
There’s a ringing in my right ear.
“Ring” is the same verb which describes the sound of a bell:
Whenever the fire alarm started to ring, we’d all shuffle outside and stand in front of the school building.
(something) is still (happening)
Use “still” to talk about things that:
started in the past
are still going on
are continuing longer than you expected or hoped
You’re telling a friend about the pastor of your church, who you like a lot. You say:
He’s an incredibly charismatic and personable guy.
guy
A “guy” is a man. It’s a casual word.
You can use the word “guys” when talking to a group of men or women:
Great job today, guys. Keep up the good work.
But “guy” always refers to a man.
incredibly (something)
“Incredibly” means “very”, but it’s a lot stronger.
Another word that’s a stronger version of “very” is “extremely”. “Incredibly” is stronger than “extremely”.
(someone) is charismatic
A “charismatic” person is interesting and exciting. They’re the type of person that people want to follow.
Some other common qualities of charismatic people include:
being successful
being a good storytelller
being outgoing
(someone) is personable
A “personable” person is outgoing, friendly, and easy to talk to.
We mostly use “personable” to talk about someone who’s famous or in a position of authority (like an executive in a company), but is friendly toward “ordinary people”.
A character on a TV show died. The character was a really mean, evil person, so you’re happy that she died. You say this while chatting with a friend about the show.
She had it coming.
(someone) had it coming
When something bad happens to a person and you’re glad about it, you can say that the person “had it coming”. It means something like “It’s natural that this happened” or “It’s good that this happened.”
Why would you be glad about bad things happening to a person? For example, if the person:
is mean
is dishonest
made bad decisions
didn’t obey your orders
You can say this about a person who’s not listening:
A: He lost all of his money gambling.
B: He had it coming if you ask me.
You can also say it directly to someone, although it’s certain to make them angry:
A: Jesse and his boys grabbed me and beat me up.
B: Yeah, well, honestly you had it coming. You shouldn’t have messed with him.
You can also say “I had it coming” about yourself.
There’s also a similar expression: “That serves him right”
You see a commercial for a TV show that looks really dumb. You’re disgusted that the network would allow such a dumb show and that people would watch it. You say to yourself:
What’s this world coming to?
This expression means “What is going to happen to the world?” It expresses your disapproval of something. Use it when you notice a negative trend in society.
For example, you can ask “What’s this world coming to?” if you hear about:
horrible news stories
children behaving much worse than they did when you were younger
rising prices
movies that are very sexual, violent, or dumb
You introduced a single friend of yours to one of your husband’s college friends. You think that they liked each other. You’re commenting on it to your husband afterwards.
There were definitely some sparks.
definitely (something)
Use “definitely” to describe something that you’re really sure about:
He’s definitely over 50.
This is definitely the right spot.
there were sparks (between two people)
A “spark” is a small bit of fire or electricity. For example, you can sometimes see sparks when you unplug something from an outlet. You can also make sparks by hitting a metal blade against a stone.
When you’re talking about two people, the phrase “there were sparks” means that the people were romantically attracted. You especially use this to talk about when two people meet for the first time and seem to immediately be interested in each other.
Another version of this phrase is “feel sparks” or “feel a spark”:
I like him I guess, but I didn’t feel any sparks.
Sometimes you meet someone, and you immediately feel a spark, you know?
Your girlfriend was adopted. She’s never met the mother and father who originally gave birth to her. You’re having a serious discussion with her about her family. You ask:
(someone) has the urge to (do something)
Having an “urge” to do something means that you suddenly want to do it. For example:
I had the urge to smack him right across his face.
Do you ever get the urge to go out dancing?
“Wanting” something can happen over a short period of time or a long period, but “having an urge” is always sudden.
(someone’s) biological parents
People who are adopted usually call the people who raised them their “parents”. If they need to talk about the parents who gave birth to them, they use the term “biological parents”. You can also call someone your “biological mother”, “biological father”, “biological siblings”, and so on.
track (someone) down
“Tracking someone down” means finding out where they are. For example, you might “track down” a coworker who you need to talk to, or you can “track down” an old friend from grade school that you haven’t seen in many years.
Grammatically, the phrase can be “track ___ down” or “track down ___”. Pronouns usually come between “track” and “down”:
We tracked them down.
How’d you track me down?
Longer words and phrases usually come after:
You should try to track down the person who sold it to you.
You hired a designer to make business cards for you from a website. He did a great job, so you’re leaving a positive review. You write:
Angelo is a real pleasure to work with. He’s extremely meticulous.
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 a pleasure to work with
This is a set phrase that you can use to talk about someone that you like working with. You can write this about a coworker, a client, or an employer in places like recommendation letters.
Another version that you might come across is:
He is an absolute pleasure to work with.
(someone) is meticulous
Being “meticulous” means being very careful to do things the right way. It means paying attention to details. For example, a meticulous student might take lots of notes in class and then organize them at home.
People are “meticulous” about things like:
their work
the cleanliness of their home
their homework
preparing for things
“Meticulous” is a positive word. A negative word to describe someone who pays attention to details is “fussy”:
She can be rather fussy about money.
You just ate a big meal at a friend’s house. Your friend offers you some more food, but you’re too full. You say this to refuse.
No, I couldn’t possibly. I’m so stuffed.
I couldn’t possibly!
Say this when someone offers you something, and you want to politely refuse (or pretend to refuse). For example:
A: Here, I want you to have this.
B: Oh no, I couldn’t possibly!
A: No, take it. I insist!
The sentence is a shortened version of “I couldn’t possibly (accept that)!” It sounds quite formal.
I’m stuffed!
The phrase “I’m stuffed!” means that your stomach is very, very full. You can use this expression when you’ve eaten too much food. It’s OK to use with anyone - friends, coworkers, clients, family, and so on.
One word of warning: the phrase “Get stuffed!” is a rude expression that you say to someone that you’re angry at. So it’s probably not a good idea to tell other people that they should “get stuffed”. Just use this expression to describe yourself when you’re too full.
You’re giving a friend a gift for her baby shower. You wrote a note on a card, but you accidentally touched it while the ink was wet. You apologize for the messy writing when you give her the gift.
Sorry, the ink smeared a little.
(something) smeared
When something like ink or paint gets wiped or spread around on a surface, you say that it “smeared”. Other things that can “smear” include:
makeup
toothpaste
sauces
Here’s how “smear” fits in a sentence:
I accidentally smeared the ink.
My lipstick smeared.
There’s pasta sauce smeared all over your shirt!
Another word with a similar meaning (but less common) is “smudged”.
Sorry.
This is a way to apologize for a small mistake you made. When you make a larger mistake and want to apologize more strongly, you can say “I’m sorry for ___ing”:
I’m sorry for calling you by mistake.
However, in most situations this would be much too strong of an apology. So just saying “Sorry” is more appropriate
You’re talking to a woman at a party that you’ve never met before. She says that she’s a veterinarian at a zoo. You think that sounds like an amazing job, so you say this.
Oh wow. That sounds fascinating.
Oh wow.
Say this when you hear something really surprising, interesting, or upsetting.
(something) is fascinating
The word “fascinating” means “insteresting”, but is much stronger. When something is “fascinating”, you feel like you really want to learn more about it.
Things that people often describe as “fascinating” include:
a fascinating story
a fascinating conversation
a fascinating character
When you use the word “fascinating”, you sound smart and intellectual.
(something) sounds (adjective)
When someone tells you about something, and you want to respond to them, use the phrase, “That sounds ___”:
That sounds so fun!
Your boss sounds like a real jerk.
You’re a doctor. A patient is complaining about a pain in her chest. You want to know what other symptoms she’s experienced, to find out if there’s a problem with her heart.
Have you experienced any heart palpitations?
Have you experienced (a health problem)?
Doctors and nurses use this kind of expression when asking about a patient’s symptoms. For example:
Have you experienced any shortness of breath?
Have you experienced any trouble urinating?
The doctor or nurse can also ask “Have you been experiencing any ___?” for symptoms that are ongoing, like:
Have you been experiencing pain in your lower back?
A patient can also speak this way toward the doctor:
I’ve been experiencing some memory loss.
And finally, you can use “experience ___” for other problems that are not health-related. For example, on an airplane:
Ladies and gentlemen, we’re experiencing some turbulence. Please return to your seats and fasten your seatbelts.
heart palpitations
Problems with your heart beating too quickly, skipping a beat, or not beating with a steady rhythm are called “heart palpitations”.
You use the phrase “heart palpitations” when describing this feeling to a doctor or nurse, or when telling someone about your medical problems.
If your heart beats strangely because of a strong emotion like fear or excitement, it’s more common to use phrsases like “my heart was racing” or “my heart skipped a beat”.
You’re watching the news. Recently a scientist has warned that a nuclear power plant in your area is unsafe. The company that runs the plant says it’s safe. The news reporter tells what other scientists think.
here is considerable disagreement among scientists over how likely such a catastrophe is to occur.
a catastrophe occurs
A “catastrophe” is a disaster. It can be a natural disaster like an earthquake or tornado, a bad economic event, a terrorist attack, and so on.
When people talk about a catastrophe happening, they usually use the verb “occur” instead of “happen”:
Such a catastrophe is highly unlikely to occur within our lifetime.
considerable (something)
“Considerable” means “a lot” or “not a small amount”. Here are some examples:
There was considerable damage to the apartment when they moved out: scratches on the floor, stains on the walls, broken cabinet hinges, and so on.
We flew them in at considerable expense.
You could save a considerable amount of money by doing it yourself.
“Considerable” is a somewhat formal word. You can use it in business situations, in essays, in speeches, and so on.
The words that most commonly follow “considerable” are:
a considerable amount
a considerable number
considerable attention
considerable evidence
(something) is likely to happen
This phrase means the chances or probability of something. If something is “likely to happen”, it means that it might happen. Something that is “unlikely” probably won’t happen.
There is disagreement among (people) over (an issue)
This is a formal way to explain that a group of people don’t agree on an issue:
There is disagreement among doctors and educators over whether children should be prescribed medication for hyperactivity.
There is disagreement over the practicality of the procedure.
Use “among” to tell what group of people is disagreeing.
Use “over” to explain what the issue is. This can sometimes be “on” instead:
There was some disagreement on where it should be held.
You and a friend watched a Hollywood action movie together. Your friend asks who the lead actress was. She’s really famous, so you’re shocked that your friend doesn’t know her name. This is your response.
Dude! Have you been living under a rock? She’s über-famous!
Dude!
People sometimes call each other “dude” in casual conversation. For example:
A: Dude, we’ve got to get going. We’re going to be late.
B: Dude, chill out.
“Dude” is mostly used between two young or middle-aged men. However, women sometimes use it and people sometimes use it toward women too. Originally, “dude” was associated with surfers. In the past 30 years it has become much more common, but now some younger people choose other words to refer to each other like “bro”.
People mostly say “Dude” at the beginning of a sentence. It’s possible at the end of a sentence but less common.
Nice shot, dude.
living under a rock
When a person doesn’t know about recent news, culture, or entertainment that’s extremely well-known, you can ask:
Have you been living under a rock?
It means “How is it possible for you to not know about this?”
Another way that people use “living under a rock” is:
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard about…
(something) is über-(adjective)
“Über” is an adverb that means “very” or “extremely”. It’s taken from German, but English speakers use it from time to time. The most common adjectives that combine with “über” are:
über-famous
über-rich
über-cool
über-stylish
You can see that it’s mostly for talking about very cool, fashionable, high-status things.
You’ve gained weight recently. You just got out of the shower, and you’re looking at yourself in the mirror. You think you need to exercise. You think this to yourself.
I need to work off these love handles.
To “work off” something means to work hard in order to make something go away. This phrase is used to talk about just a few subjects. One is getting rid of fat or weight by exercising:
I need to work off about 15 pounds before beach season!
Why don’t we go for a little walk after dinner to work off some of those calories.
The other situation to use “work off ___” with is a debt or obligation:
It takes some graduates over 15 years to work off their college loans.
They have their way into the country paid for, and then have to work it off doing cheap labor.
In addition to “work off ___”, you can also use “work __ off”. The word that goes between is usually something like “it” or “them”:
It’s a busy day at the store you work at. You go into the back room and see that one of your coworkers is playing games on his phone. You’re annoyed, so you say this to him.
I’m out there busting my ass and you’re in here slacking off?
When people complain about how hard they’re working, they often say “I’m out there ___ing”, “I’m in there ___ing”, “I’m back there ___ing”, etc.:
A: I’m hungry. When are we going to eat?
B: Don’t rush me! I’m in there slaving away in the kitchen. What are you doing? Just sitting around watching TV!
bust (one’s) ass
“Busting your ass” is an idiom that means “working really hard”.
I busted my ass waiting tables and working construction to pay my way through college.
I know that all of you have really busted your asses on this project, and I really appreciate it.
This is a colloquial expression that you use when talking to people you’re comfortable with. The word “ass” is a mild swear word. You probably shouldn’t use it in formal situations.
There’s also another meaning of “busting your ass”, by the way. It means to injure your butt by falling:
You remember that time when you slipped on the ice in the front driveway and busted your ass?
(someone) is slacking off
“Slacking off” means doing fun or relaxing things instead of doing the work that you’re supposed to do. It sounds lazy.
For example, if a child is watching TV after school, you can say:
I don’t think you have time to slack off, Daniel. You have homework to do.
“Slacking off” is bad, but sometimes people admit to it:
A: What did you do this weekend?
B: I just kind of slacked off mostly.
Your family has finished eating dinner. The trash can in your kitchen is full. You make your children take turns taking the trash outside. You say this to one of your sons.
Aiden, it’s your turn to take the trash out.
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It’s (someone’s) turn to (do something)
“It’s your turn to ___” means “You should do ___ next because you’re the next in order.”
You can use this phrase to say who need to do a job next, like sweeping the floor at home or hosting a meeting for your club:
It’s Jamie’s turn to host.
You can also use “It’s ___’s turn” for things that people want to do. For example, a child who wants to play a video game might say this to her parents:
It was my turn to play next, but he stole it from me!
take the trash out
When a trash can becomes full, someone has to take it outside to be collected or stored. This is called “taking the trash out.”
Another word for “trash” in the U.S. is “garbage”. You can also “take the garbage out”. In some other countries, “trash” is called
You were talking on the phone with your mother while riding in the car with your sister. You suddenly weren’t able to hear anything, so you hang up and say this.
We got disconnected.
When you’re talking on the telephone to someone, and the phone stops working for some reason, it’s called “getting disconnected”.
You can say that the phone got disconnected. However, people more often say that “we” or “they” got disconnected:
Did you get disconnected?
You can also “get disconnected” when you do a video chat on your computer.
You’re visiting the doctor for a checkup. The doctor wants to check your lungs. He asks you to breathe in so he can listen with a stethoscope.
Draw in a deep breath.
One of the meanings of “draw” is to pull something. When you “draw in” a breath, you pull air into your lungs.
a deep breath
A “deep breath” is when you breathe a lot of air into your lungs, in one long breath. It’s usually good when someone breathes deeply. For example, you might breathe deeply when you’re exercising, or smelling a wonderful scent.
The opposite of a “deep breath” is a “shallow breath”.
A friend of yours works at a health clinic. You don’t like doctor’s offices and hospitals because the atmosphere is scary to you. You ask your friend how he’s able to work there.
How can you stand working in such a cold, sterile environment day in and day out?
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How can you stand (something)?
When something seems annoying or horrible to you, but someone else doesn’t seem bothered by it, you can ask “How can you stand ___?” For example, if there’s some loud construction work being done outside your office, but one of your coworkers is working normally, you can ask:
How can you stand this noise?
You can also talk about things that annoy you with the expression “I can’t stand ___”:
I can tolerate the heat, but what I can’t stand is this humidity!
work in an (adjective) environment
You can use the word “environment” to describe the situation at someone’s workplace. Here are some common adjectives that people use to describe work environments:
a fast-paced work environment
work in a hostile environment
a safe work environment
work in a sterile environment
a supportive work environment
You can use either of these patterns for any adjective:
work in a ___ environment
a ___ work environment
day in and day out
The expression “day in and day out” means “every day”, but it sounds really boring, depressing, or unpleasant. People use it when they’re complaining about their lives like this:
I’m tired of doing the same boring job day in and day out.
(a place) is cold and sterile
“Sterile” is a medical term which means that there are no germs on something. Things like needles, bandages, surgical tools, etc. in a hospital all need to be sterile. It’s a good thing when you use “sterile” to describe tools like these.
However, when you describe a place (like a hospital or someone’s home) as “cold and sterile”, it’s not very positive. It means that the place doesn’t feel relaxing because it’s too clean and uncomfortable. In this case “cold” doesn’t refer to the temperature; it means that the place is emotionally cold.
You’re afraid of needles. You went to the doctor today and the doctor wanted to do a blood test. You’re telling your girlfriend a story of your visit.
She told me she had to draw some blood, and I swear I nearly fainted.
“Drawing blood” means making blood come out of someone’s body. You can “draw blood” by cutting yourself or someone else:
A: Ow!
B: What’s wrong?
A: I cut myself.
B: Oh, shit. Did you draw blood?
A: Yeah, just a little.
When a doctor or nurse takes blood out of your body to do tests, they say that they are going to “draw some blood”.
I swear (clause)!
If you’re saying something that’s a little hard to believe or sounds like an exaggeration, you can put “I swear…” in front of it. It means “I promise that this is true”. For example:
I caught a fish yesterday, and I swear it was as long as my arm!
That aerobics class was brutal! I swear, I’ve never sweated so much in my life.
One confusing point is that people sometimes say “I swear” even though they really are exaggerating:
I swear, the line at the coffee shop this morning was like an hour long!
(someone) nearly (did something)
“Nearly” means “almost”. You can use it before a verb:
This big truck came zooming by and nearly hit us.
We nearly missed the show because of all the traffic.
You can also use “nearly” with adjectives:
He’s nearly grown!
These days, it’s nearly impossible for a family to get by on a single income.
(someone) fainted
“Fainting” means going unconscious suddenly. Reasons that people faint include:
being really surprised or scared
not having enough sugar in your blood
getting too hot
Categories: grammar: adverbs | situ
You work at the checkin counter at an airport. A customer wants to check in her bag, but when you weigh it, it’s too heavy. You have to tell her that she’s going to need to pay extra.
Ma’am, it seems to be six pounds over the allowed weight. There will be an additional overweight baggage charge for that.
“Pounds” are a unit for measuring weight in the U.S. One pound is equal to about 0.45 kilograms.
Ma’am
“Ma’am” is a title that people use to address a woman. It’s the female equivalent of “sir”.
This word is used differently in different English-speaking regions. Throughout most of the U.S., employees at banks, airports, post offices, and so on call female customers “ma’am” as a sign of respect. Students also traditionally call their female teachers “ma’am”.
In the southern parts of the U.S., “ma’am” is even more common. Some men call any older woman that they don’t know “ma’am”.
“Ma’am” was originally short for “madam”, but people don’t really think about that when they use this word in modern times.
(something) seems to (do, have, or be something)
You can say that something “seems to be ___” when you notice something but you’re not completely sure that you have identified it correctly. For example, if you’re video chatting and it takes her a few extra seconds to answer your questions, you can say:
There seems to be a bit of a lag.
You can also use “seems to…” to to politely point out a problem.
For example, imagine that you’re paying for a shirt that you buy at a department store, and you give the cashier some cash. But after he counts it, he says to you:
You seem to be a bit short.
That means “You don’t have enough money.” But the cashier just says “You seem to be…” to be polite. “Seems to…” is a way to act like you might be wrong about what you’ve seen or heard, even if you’re actually sure that you’re correct.
the allowed weight
The “allowed weight” is the amount of weight a company or government allows. For example, when you’re flying, the “allowed weight” for your luggage is the weight that the airline will let you bring for free.
“Allowed” is used in this way in a few other expressions, like “allowed deductions” (on a tax form) and “allowed dosage” (of a medicine).
an additional (something)
“Additional” means “extra” or “more”, but it’s more formal. Employees in customer service jobs use “additional” when speaking with customers sometimes. You can also find “additional” in official letters written to customers:
If you have any additional concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.
baggage
The word “baggage” means suitcases, bags, and other things that people take on trips.
Airline and airport employees use the word “baggage”. Passengers don’t usually call it “baggage”, though. They call it “luggage” or “bags” or “suitcases”.
a (something) charge
A “charge” is money that you have to pay for something. It’s different than a “price”, which is the amount that you pay when buying something. A “charge” is more often for a service, or a penalty that’s added into a bill.
Some examples of different names of charges include:
a storage charge
a fuel charge
administration charge
In most cases, “fee” can also be used instead of “charge”.
You’re a doctor. A patient is complaining about a pain in her chest. You want to know what other symptoms she’s experienced, to find out if there’s a problem with her heart.
Have you experienced any heart palpitations?
Doctors and nurses use this kind of expression when asking about a patient’s symptoms. For example:
Have you experienced any shortness of breath?
Have you experienced any trouble urinating?
The doctor or nurse can also ask “Have you been experiencing any ___?” for symptoms that are ongoing, like:
Have you been experiencing pain in your lower back?
A patient can also speak this way toward the doctor:
I’ve been experiencing some memory loss.
And finally, you can use “experience ___” for other problems that are not health-related. For example, on an airplane:
Ladies and gentlemen, we’re experiencing some turbulence. Please return to your seats and fasten your seatbelts.
heart palpitations
Problems with your heart beating too quickly, skipping a beat, or not beating with a steady rhythm are called “heart palpitations”.
You use the phrase “heart palpitations” when describing this feeling to a doctor or nurse, or when telling someone about your medical problems.
If your heart beats strangely because of a strong emotion like fear or excitement, it’s more common to use phrsases like “my heart was racing” or “my heart skipped a beat”.
You’re watching the news. Recently a scientist has warned that a nuclear power plant in your area is unsafe. The company that runs the plant says it’s safe. The news reporter tells what other scientists think.
There is considerable disagreement among scientists over how likely such a catastrophe is to occur.
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a catastrophe occurs
A “catastrophe” is a disaster. It can be a natural disaster like an earthquake or tornado, a bad economic event, a terrorist attack, and so on.
When people talk about a catastrophe happening, they usually use the verb “occur” instead of “happen”:
Such a catastrophe is highly unlikely to occur within our lifetime.
considerable (something)
“Considerable” means “a lot” or “not a small amount”. Here are some examples:
There was considerable damage to the apartment when they moved out: scratches on the floor, stains on the walls, broken cabinet hinges, and so on.
We flew them in at considerable expense.
You could save a considerable amount of money by doing it yourself.
“Considerable” is a somewhat formal word. You can use it in business situations, in essays, in speeches, and so on.
The words that most commonly follow “considerable” are:
a considerable amount
a considerable number
considerable attention
considerable evidence
(something) is likely to happen
This phrase means the chances or probability of something. If something is “likely to happen”, it means that it might happen. Something that is “unlikely” probably won’t happen.
There is disagreement among (people) over (an issue)
This is a formal way to explain that a group of people don’t agree on an issue:
There is disagreement among doctors and educators over whether children should be prescribed medication for hyperactivity.
There is disagreement over the practicality of the procedure.
Use “among” to tell what group of people is disagreeing.
Use “over” to explain what the issue is. This can sometimes be “on” instead:
There was some disagreement on where it should be held.
You work at a fast food restaurant. A customer tells you what food he wants. You need to know whether to put the food in a bag, or on a tray. You ask this.
Is that for here or to go?
This is a question that fast food restaurant employees ask the customers when they order. The employee wants to know whether you’re eating in the restaurant (“here”) or taking it somewhere else (“to go”) so that he or she can give you a tray or put your food in a bag.
You can answer like this:
It’s for here.
Here.
It’s to go.
To go, please.
You’re getting ready to leave your house to go to a wedding. You’re in a hurry, but your husband isn’t. You’re worried that there’s not enough power in your camera’s battery, so you ask your husband to find out.
Can you check to see if the battery’s charged?
check to see if (something is true)
It’s a little bit repetitive, but English speakers sometimes use the phrase “check to see”. It just means to check something and find out what the situation is. Here are some examples:
Before you pull out, check in your rear view mirror to see if there’s anyone behind the car.
I’ll check to see if they have one of these at the hardware store around the corner.
charge (a battery or device)
To “charge” a device means to plug it in and fill the battery. You can use the word “charge” with “battery” or you can use it with the device itself:
Don’t forget to charge the camera!
When the battery is full, you say that the device “is charged”.
You’re the manager of a group at work. Some of the people you manage haven’t taken their vacation days yet. You want them to take their vacations soon, so that they don’t all try to take vacations at the end of the year. You say:
Remember that your days don’t carry over, so put in your requests soon.
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You say this when you’re reminding people of something that they should already know.
This sounds really authoritative. Say this when you’re someone’s boss, parent, teacher, etc.
(someone’s) days
In salaried jobs in the U.S., workers get a certain number of vacation days that they can request to take off work.
When employees and managers are talking about someone’s vacation days, they often just call them “days”. For example:
Do you have many days left?
I’d like to go ahead and put some of my days on the calendar for next year.
As long as the topic of conversation is vacation, listeners will understand what you mean by “days”.
(something) carries over
Companies that give their employees vacation days sometimes let the employees keep the days and use them in the next year. In other words, they let the employees “carry over” their vacation days. Other companies don’t let employees carry over their days. The employees have to take all of their vacation each year, or they’ll lose it.
Other examples of things that can “carry over” include:
money in a yearly budget
free calling minutes on your mobile phone service
put in a request
“Putting in a request” means asking for something from your boss, commander, or company in a formal way. You usually “put in a request” by filling out a form or writing a formal letter.
Here are some things that you can “put in a request” for:
a transfer (to a different location or branch)
reimbursement for something that you paid for
vacation days
Your boss used to be in the army, but now he’s fat and lazy.You’re gossiping about him with a coworker. You say this.
You’d think that someone who’s been in the military would be more disciplined.
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(someone) is in the military
A soldier is “in” the military. You can be “in the army”, “in the navy”, “in the marines”, etc.
If you’re talking about someone who was a soldier in the past, say:
He was in the miliary
or
She’s been in the military.
(someone) is disciplined
A “disciplined” person has self-discipline. They are able to control themselves. They can do things like:
avoid eating unhealthy food
focus on their work
save money each month
exercise every day
The word “disciplined” is very positive.
You’d think that (something) would (do or be something)
Use this expression when something happens that you don’t understand, and you expected it to be different.
The easiest way to understand this is through examples. First, imagine that you visit a city that has a reputation for being expensive, but you find out that the hotels there are actually cheaper than in your own city. You can say:
You’d think that the hotels here would be more expensive.
Now imagine that the company you work for is a very large client for another company. However, when you make requests to this other company, they refuse. You can’t believe that they’re not treating you better. Say this:
You’d think that they would be a little more accommodating, considering how much money we’re spending with them.
