Phrasal Verb call off Definition to cancel Examples The match was called off due to heavy slow. I was looking forward to having the party but I had to call it off because othe flu epidemic. Verb and preposition separated? Can be separated Normal or Informal Normal American / British / International International Regular / Irregular Call is a regular verb
Read morePhrasal Verb burn down Definition destroyed by fire Examples “This old house would have burnt down a long time ago” John Prine, Angel from Montgomery He threw a cigarette on the floor and caused the barn to burn down. Verb and preposition separated? Can be separated Normal or Informal Normal American / British / International International Regular / Irregular Burn is […]
Read morePhrasal Verb break down Definition to stop working (something mechanical) Examples “The years just flow by like a broken down dam” John Prine, Angel from Montgomery My car broken down and I had to push it to the garage. Verb and preposition separated? Can’t be separated Normal or Informal Normal American / British / International International Regular / Irregular Break is […]
Read morePhrasal Verb black out Definition to lose consciousness Examples The baseball hit himhard and he blacked out for a while. I don’t remember much about it, I blacked out after a while. Verb and preposition separated? Can’t be separated Normal or Informal Normal American / British / International International Regular / Irregular Black is a regular verb
Read morePhrasal Verb back down Definition to reply in a rude way Examples He wanted to go first but in the end he backed down and let her go first. “I won’t back down.” Tom Petty, I won’t back down Verb and preposition separated? Can’t be separated Normal or Informal Normal American / British / International American Regular / Irregular Back […]
Read moreWhen we want someone to describe something or someone for us, we can ask the question “What is … like?“ What is the weather like? It’s hot and sunny. What’s your mother like? She’s patient and kind. What’s New York like? It’s big and exciting. What was the match like? It was boring.
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When we want something to be different than it is we can make sentences with wish or if only. Wish Present subject wish subject past simple I wish I had a million dollars. I wish I could speak Chinese. I wish she lived nearer. It is the same construction as the second conditional. As with the second conditional it […]
Read moreJob Interview – The Pursuit of Happyness Level: B2 – Upper Intermediate, American English The Pursuit of Happyness (note that this not the correct spelling of happiness!) tells the true story of Chris Gardner as he battles to overcome all his problems and to make something of himself. Don’t turn up for an interview as Chris does in this clip, […]
Read morePsychological tricks in advertising Level: B1 – Intermediate, American English Advertisers use many methods to persuade us to buy their products. In this clip, pyschologist Robert Cialdini, who spent three years studying their methods, tells us what are the six most important. Watch the video and put the methods in the order in which he talks about them.
Read moreThe Bridges of Madison County, trailer Level: C1 – Advanced, American English This is the trailer for the 1995 tearjerker with Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep. It is, of course, a love story and in this trailer there is some useful “affairs of the heart” vocabulary which we use especially in written English.
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