Review

Week 19^th

Hi again!

Last week we reviewed quantifiers…

·      Neither of us (none of us) eat meat. Can we have vegetarian food on the plane?

·      Sorry, drinks are not allowed past this point. Either you drink it now, or you put it in this bin.(you have two options)

·      Both of us (the two of us) have heart conditions. Do we have to go through that machine?

·      Every time (always, whenever) I fly I forget to take my belt off when I go through security control!

… and modal verbs in the past.

Two police officers were searching the crime scene!

There’s a bottle of champagne in the fridge but it’s not very cold. It can’t have been (definitely, not) in the fridge for long.

And if there was a bottle of champagne, the victim could have been expecting (it’s possible)a visitor.

He must have come back (it’s sure) from a holiday because there’s a suitcase with clothes on the bed.

He can’t have been (definitely, not) on a holiday in England because he was very suntanned. He must have been (it’s certain) somewhere sunny. He might have been to Spain!

We finished seeing episode 1 from the IT Crowd.

The two guys decided not to tell on her (tell the boss about her), otherwise all of them would have been fired.(dismissed)

After the woman whose computer Roy had mended (fixed, repaired), tried to beat him to death by hitting him with her expensive shoes, the IT department decided to throw a party.

Jane, the new head of the department is a people person. (sociable, outgoing)

The party turned up (had as a result) badly because Moss told a story he wasn’t supposed to. It was a misunderstanding.

In the end,(finally) Jane seems to have taken to (start liking)her new job. She has learnt a lot about computers. She can take calls and give instructions so as to sort out (solve) the problems with the staff’s PCs. “Have you tried to turn it off and on again?”

And you were very happy because it was the first week I didn’t give you homework!!!

The I.T. crowd, an Exaggeration?

Weeks 5^th - 12^th February

Last week we went on working on the hot verb “Get”.

·         How did you get on with your exercises?

·         How do you get on with your colleagues?

·         It’s nice to get together with people you get on with, don’t you think?

·         I must get on with my work. I got behind because my computer crashed and I couldn’t finish it.

·         Let’s get this exercise over with, and we can see a video.

·         We´d better get away before it starts to rain or will be got held in the traffic.

·         Some people get away with doing so little work! I simply can’t get over how they do it!

If you got tired of “Get”, wait until we’ll see “Take”!

And taking advantage of this week being Valentine’s Day on 14^th February, we started talking about exaggeration and understatement. (Subtlety, euphemism)

·           I’m absolutely dying for a drink! (It’s clearly an exaggeration)

·           He isn’t very bright, isn’t he? (On the other hand, this is a polite way of saying that he isn’t intelligent)

·           He’s as thick as two short planks. (And, this is the exaggeration!)

·           I’m knackered (very tired).Can we stop for a rest? (exaggeration)

·           OK. I feel a little out of breath (a little tired), too. (understatement)

You must have hit the roof when she told you that she had crashed your car! (exaggeration).

Yes, he must have been really angry. Anyway, apart from “hitting the roof”, there are more expressions with “hit”. An example: “hit it off”

We came across, (found) interesting idioms and examples of colloquial every day English in the video we watched.

We watched the first episode of the series “The I.T. Crowd”. This is an exhilarating (very funny) sitcom (situation comedy) based on the usual life

of an unusual IT department!

There’s a female new employee who’s meant to be (supposed to) the new head of the IT department because she said on her CV that she’s got lot of experience with computers, although she doesn’t. And this is the starting point for rows (arguments, fights), disappointment amongst the other members of the department – which is made up (formed) by only two people!

Interesting phrasal verbs and expressions!

·        He fixed her computer but it seems he didn’t hit it off. (He wasn’t successful in having an affair with her. They didn’t flirt)

·        The boss likes to seize up his new employees through a long stare! (looking fixedly at them. Making them feel uneasy, not comfortable)

·        He told her not to be scared, but then she told her to be. He couldn’t make up his mind! (Reach a decision)

·        Her colleagues went to the boss to tell on her. (Accuse her of not having any IT knowledge)

·        Finally, they decided not to. Otherwise, they’d be fired (dismissed). And they pretended to get on like a house on fire! (Get on very well)

It was a funny way of learning new vocabulary, don’t you think?

We’ll finish seeing the episode next Wednesday. Meanwhile you can review some grammar by doing the exercises I gave you.

C.U. next week!

Exaggeration and Understatement

Too Much to get!

Week 27^th January

So, we finished talking about conspiracies. And we started discussing a not less interesting topic “Children well into their thirties who refuse to leave home.”

Spain is a good example of it. But shockingly enough, it also occurs in The U.K.

We had the stereotype of overprotected Spanish kids whilst British or Americans left home as soon as they become of age (legal adult age). But things have changed in the 21^st Century in those countries.

They are “The KIPPERS”

What does “KIPPERS” stand for? Kids In Parents’ Pockets Eroding Retirement Savings.

In hindsight (looking back, in retrospective), who wouldn’t like to live at their parents’?

Without bills to pay. With housework, cooking and washing done for you…

But, what about growing up (becoming an adult), independence, making your own mistakes?

And what about your parents’ independence? They brought you up (raise you, helped you to grow up, to mature) and in a short time they’ll very possibly bring up their grandchildren too. Why don’t let them to enjoy their lives for a while?

A really interesting topic, indeed. But after that we went into the passionate world of phrasal verbs.

Hot verb: “GET”

+ Adjective or participle	Different meanings	As a phrasal verb
Get dark	Get a paper (buy)	Get on with (have a good relationship / manage)
Get ready	Get a taxi ( call)	Get out of (avoid doing)
Get old	Get an email (receive)	Get through (contact by phone)
Get angry	Get help (find help)	Get up ( rise from bed)
Get married	Get to (arrive)	Get at (reach, imply)
Get lost		Get over (recover)

And don’t forget the passive meaning: “I got my hair cut yesterday”

Nor the expressions:

Get in touch and get in my nerves!

How do you get in touch with your friends? By email, phone or personally?

Which things get on your nerves? (can’t stand, can’t bear)?

We definitely got a lot in our plates!

See you!

Phrasal verbs with "get"