Marcelo's English Site



Marcelo Raffaelli Cesarmarcelo.raffaelli.cesar@514-998-0744marceloenglish. – Class website! – Grammar website #1 – Grammar website #2 -- Listening to news. – Watching videos with simple(r) English. – Free readings and audiobooks.January 13, 2014To pay for everything (verb): One person pays the bill.To pay your share (verb): Each person pays only what he or she owes.To split the bill (verb): To divide the bill equally between everyone.To go Dutch (expression): When a couple divides the bill equally between them; used only to describe romantic partners paying.To get acquainted (verb): To get to know a person you didn’t know before.An acquaintance (noun): Someone you know a little, but they’re not your friend.“Pleased to make your acquaintance.”“The pleasure is all mine.”Formal way of saying “nice to meet you” and “you too.”To be wary, to be careful (verb): To be aware of something.Odd (adjective): 1. Strange, weird, not normal; 2. Whole numbers that follow the pattern 2n-1 (1, 3, 5, etc.).Even (adjective) 1. Equal; 2. Also, too; 3. Whole numbers that follow the pattern 2n+2 (2, 4, 6, etc.)January 14, 2014Spring, summer, autumn/fall, winter: The four seasons.To get to the bottom of something (expression): To find out what is causing the problem.To get/cut to the heart of the matter/problem“I have never ridden in a helicopter.” -> From the time (since) I was born until now, I never had the opportunity to be in a helicopter.“I never ride in a helicopter.” -> I don’t ride in helicopters [maybe I have access to one.]“I will never ride in a helicopter.” -> Even if I have the opportunity, I will not be in a helicopter.To ride (verb): To guide vehicles or animals that are sat or stood on.To drive (verb): To guide automobiles.To pilot (verb): To guide other vehicles that are large, complicated, or involve more than a wheel.In the [season] vs. in [season]: Both mean the same thing if you are talking in a general sense, but if you want to talk about a specific season in a specific year, use “the”.~ “In the summer of ’69, I got my first car.”~ “In summer, we go to the beach.” or “In the summer, we go to the beach.”At work vs. In one’s work: “At work” implies the current job you have. “In one’s work” involves that person’s career.Eve (noun): The day before a specific day; ex. New Year’s Eve (December 31) is the day before New Year.Stepfamily (noun): Family that you gain from your parents marrying another person who already has children.In-law (noun): The family of your spouse, partner, husband, or wife. They’re your family by marriage.Half-sibling (noun): Sibling that shares one parent with you, but not both; e.g. If your father has a son with a woman who is not your mother, the boy is your half-brother.Curfew (noun): A time limit set by authorities for people to be home before that time.To play devil’s advocate (expression): A law strategy used by people to practice debating skills; a person argues something that they don’t believe in order to strengthen their own argument.To get along with someone (phrasal verb): To have a good relationship with someone.To follow in one’s footsteps (expression): To do what the people before you did, to do what your parents did; e.g. “My father was a carpenter before he retired. I decided to follow in his footsteps and I also became a carpenter.”Eldest vs. youngest (superlative adjective): The oldest or youngest sibling.January 15, 2014At the same time (preposition expression): Two or more actions happen simultaneously.Custody (noun): Responsibility for something, e.g. for children after a divorce.Convenient (adjective): Easy to use, giving ease in life.Conventional (adjective): Normal, standard, common.Flat (noun): Apartment [in Britain].Flat (adjective): 1. Plain or smooth characteristic of a surface; 2. A drink that has lost its carbonation; 3. A vehicle tire that has no air.Bungalow (noun): A one-story house, which may or may not have a basement.Neighborhood (noun): The area around where you live.Near (adjective): Close to something. We don’t put any prepositions after “near”.Fee (noun): 1. A fine to pay for a penalty or a criminal/civil charge; 2. Payment for a service.Trailer/mobile home (noun): Homes that can be transported via vehicle.Eccentric (adjective): Slightly different, strange.January 16, 2014To smash (verb): To beat or hit very strongly.To fold (verb): To curve or “bend” a certain material, like clothes or a piece of paper, over itself.To gamble (verb): To bet money on a game of chance.Jaw (noun): The mandibles of the skull.Challenge (noun): A test of skill against a goal or someone petition (noun): A contest between two or more challengers who are trying to win over one another.Insect (noun): A bug, classified differently from mammals and animals.Aware (adjective): Careful, noticed, vigilant.To move up (phrasal verb): To upgrade, to improve.Prominent (adjective): First, most important.To compromise (verb): To make concessions for something you want, since you can’t get everything.To remain (verb): To be left, to be unused.To borrow (verb): To take something temporarily.To lend (verb): To give something temporarily.Amenities (noun): Utilities, like water/electricity, or services, like repairs or appliances.Willing (adjective): Mentally prepared or ready to do something.To settle on (phrasal verb): To decide to do something after considering choices.To settle down (phrasal verb): 1. To calm down; 2. To stop moving and to physically remain in a place.To infringe (verb): To violate, to break (as in a law).To comply (verb): To agree to do something, and do it.To mold (verb): To change, to transform, to shape.Mold (noun): Fungus created by excessive humidity.Homesick (adjective): To feel sad and nostalgic about your country, to want to go home again.Sponsorship (noun): To promote something with your own abilities, e.g. “I want to bring my father to Montreal, so I told the government I would sponsor his arrival.”Hypochondriac (noun): A person who believes he/she is sick every time, but it’s in their mind.January 20, 2014Broke (adjective): To have no money.Broken (adjective): Something that is in pieces, not whole, because it was destroyed.Well-bred (adjective): Someone who was raised in a wealthy environment with good manners.Seed (noun): The germinating part of the plant that creates new plants.To rip (verb): To tear, to rupture the surface of something.To slice (verb): To cut with a knife or to cut a piece of something with a knife.Cot (noun): A type of small, inexpensive bed.Backpack (noun): A carrier with straps you carry on your back. Popular with students.Purse / Handbag (noun): A shoulder bag for women.Hand purse (noun): A small, portable carrier for women.Coin purse (noun): A small carrier for coins and change.Wallet (noun): A billfold, a carrier of money and cards.Mammal (noun): An animal that gestates its young.Oviparous (adjective): An animal that lays eggs (egg-laying), it doesn’t gestate.Pregnant (adjective): An animal that is currently gestating.To deteriorate (verb): To break down into pieces with time, to decay.Chronic (adjective): Having to do with time; in a chronic illness, it means the illness will last a long time and its effects will affect the person often.Disease (noun): Sickness, illness.Descent (noun): Ancestry, genealogy, family history.Worrisome (adjective): Causing worry or anxiety.Toward (preposition): In a particular direction.Trend (noun): A pattern, rising or falling, in statistics.Awareness (noun): Knowledge of something, the quality of being alert about the existence or possibility of something.Behavior (noun): Habits, etiquette, how one treats oneself and others.To monitor (verb): To supervise, to check, to watch.To die (verb): To expire, to not be alive anymore.Dead (adjective): Something that isn’t alive.January 21, 2014Bill (noun): An official piece of paper charging money for a service or amenity; e.g. the electricity bill.Invoice (noun): A bill for a private service, usually used to balance a budget.Cost of living (noun): The total cost of staying, settling, or living in a country; e.g. the cost of living in Japan is much higher than in Egypt.Forecast (noun): A prediction.Creepy (adjective): Scary, frightening.To crawl (verb): To move on your knees and hands.To scoot (verb): To move dragging your butt over the ground.Rollerblades (noun): Shoes that have wheels at the bottom to allow movement.Crypt (noun): A graveyard, a mausoleum.To deal (verb): 1. To negotiate or to do business; 2. To distribute out to others.Deal (noun): An agreement.Dealer (noun): A seller, a distributor, a businessperson.To deal with (phrasal verb): To solve a problem.“It’s not a big deal” (expression): “It’s not important.”To bury (verb): To place something under the ground.Drawing (noun): Something that a person drew.Draw (noun): A tie, a result with no winner.To draw (verb): 1. To make a picture or illustrate something with a pencil or a pen; 2. To take something out or back out from a place.To withdraw (verb): 1. To take money out of an account; 2. To retreat; 3. To leave a job or position. Use the preposition “from” after “withdraw”.Drunk (adjective): To be inebriated, intoxicated, having consumed too much alcohol.To grab a bite to eat (idiom): To get something to eat.Hangover (noun): A headache or sickness caused from drinking too much the day before.To be hungover (adjective): To have a hangover.To have hair of the dog (idiom): When you have a hangover, this means to drink a small amount of what you drank the night before.Teetotaler (noun): A person that doesn’t drink alcohol at all.Hammer and chisel (noun): Tools used to sculpt stone, marble, etc.Creep / Stalker (noun): A person who is constantly following and investigating what another person is doing.Church / Cathedral (noun): A Christian temple.Synagogue (noun): A Jewish temple.Mosque (noun): A Muslim temple.Shrine (noun): A small structure honoring something religious; e.g. a Buddhist shrine.To worship (verb): To pray or honor a deity.Monument (noun): A structure honoring something important, but secular.To have all the time in the world (expression): To have as much time as you want or need.To cope (verb): To handle, resolve, answer, react, live with, tolerate.Chess (noun): Board game with pieces that move differently depending on their identity; pieces include king, queen, bishop, pawn, etc. and players are black or white. The winner is the one who checkmates (conquers) the enemy king.Checkers (noun): Board game with pieces that move and “eat” other pieces diagonally; players are black or red. The winner is the one with pieces left on the board.To remind (verb): To make someone remember or re-inform them about something.To remember (verb): After forgetting something, to have its memory come back to your mind.To memorize (verb): To commit something to memory.Thirsty (adjective): To have thirst, wanting a drink.Hungry (adjective): To have hunger, wanting to eat.January 22, 2014Felt (noun): A type of cloth, a material made of polyester and fibers.Find (noun): A discovery.To fine (verb): To penalize someone monetarily.Flea (noun): A parasitical insect that bites and infects people and animals, most often pets like dogs.Louse / Lice (noun): A parasitical insect that lives in human hair, most often children.To scratch (verb): To drag your nails across a surface.To itch (verb): To have an infection that causes an allergy, twitch, or reaction under the skin.To scratch an itch (idiom): To satisfy a want.Fly (noun): A type of flying insect, can infest garbage and homes. The mosquito is a relative.To prohibit (verb): To forbid, to not allow.Legal / Illegal (adjective): Something that is allowed (or not allowed) by law.Silo (noun): A tower-like building made to store objects. They are commonly found in farms and store grain.Word-of-mouth (expression): A type of advertising where customers or users tell others about the product or service they used.Hypocritical (adjective): When someone does something that they told others not to do or prohibited.“Do as I say, not as I do” (saying): “Do what I tell you to do, don’t copy me.”Early bird (noun): A person who wakes up early.Night owl (noun): A person who likes to stay up at night.To stay up late (verb): To remain awake into the night.To sleep on it (idiom): To not make a decision yet.January 23, 2014Ground (noun): The earth’s surface.To lose ground (expression): To lose progress.To gain ground (expression): To get progress.To grow vs. to raise (verb): These verbs mean to make something get larger with time and age. Use “grow” only with plants. Use “raise” with children and animals. Note that everything grows, but individually.Grownup (noun): An adult.To grow up (phrasal verb): To grow individually, with time and age.Hang on (phrasal verb): 1. To tell someone to wait; 2. To hang off of something, like a rope or ledge.Hold on (phrasal verb): To tell someone to wait.Hang up (phrasal verb): 1. To end a phone conversation and turn the phone off; 2. To put your clothes up on a hook or hanger.Haven (noun): A safe place, a refuge.Heaven (noun): A paradise.Refugee (noun): A person who is seeking asylum or safety from their country.To have a good ear (expression): You have good taste in music, or to recognize a specific sound, or to have a good composer’s sense.To have a tin ear (expression): The person doesn’t have a good ear, they cannot differentiate between a bad sound and a good one, or note pitch.Deaf (adjective): Cannot hear.Hard of hearing (adjective): Cannot hear well.Mute (adjective): Cannot speak.Blind (adjective): Cannot see.Herd (noun): A group of animals; e.g. a herd of cows.Hide-and-seek (noun): The game children play where one person is “it” and tries to find the hidden children.Capital (noun): 1. The main city of a country or province; 2. A letter in its large form; 3. The money necessary for a business or investment.Leftovers (noun): Food that remains after cooking and eating a meal.Proverb (noun): A maxim or saying that imparts wisdom or a moral to the listener. Every country has its own proverbs, but some are similar between cultures. A Canadian example: “Actions speak louder than words.”Motto (noun): A sentence or phrase that expresses an ideology or belief, usually used to justify actions. An example: “Nature first, profit second.”“Always help who you can.”“Innovation with technology.”January 27, 2014“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” (proverb): “Words cannot injure me.”“An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” (proverb): “Eating healthily keeps you from visiting the doctor.”To know a person (verb): To be acquainted (or have met) that person before.To know about a person/subject (phrasal verb): To know information regarding a person/subject.To know of a person/subject (phrasal verb): To know about the existence of a person/subject, or what they do.To lay (verb): A subject or person makes something or someone else lie horizontally on a surface.To lie (verb): 1. A subject or person puts themselves horizontally on a surface, without help; 2. To not tell the truth.To be laid off (phrasal verb): To lose a job because of a lack of money or work.To be fired (verb): To lose a job because of incompetence, poor performance, etc.Lead (noun): The chemical element, a metal (Pb).Thick-skinned (adjective): A person who is able to ignore harmful words or insults, or isn’t affected by them.Thin-skinned / Sensitive (adjective): A person who is easily hurt by harmful words, insults, or criticism.This person is a liar. He lied to me about his job.(meaning: he is dishonest)I was sick, so I lay down in my bed.When I am sick, I lie down in my bed.(meaning: I put myself down horizontally.)Mohammed was sick, so I laid him down on the bed.When Mohammed is sick, I lay him down on the bed. (meaning: I put Mohammed down horizontally.)January 28, 2014Count vs. non-count nouns: There are nouns that you can count individually (e.g. one apple, two apples...) and nouns you cannot count (e.g. pollution, traffic, milk...). Non-count nouns can be counted if they are contained (e.g. one cup of milk, three boxes of medicine...).When you want to quantify nouns, count and non-count nouns have their own lists of quantifiers.Count noun quantifiers: many, a number of, a few, fewNon-count noun quantifiers: much, a little, littleQuantifiers for both: a lot of, lots of, plenty of, some, no, any...Too + [adjective]: When you use “too”, you are saying the adjective is excessive. This is always a negative thing to say about the subject; e.g. “It’s too cold today to go for a walk.”Very / So + [adjective]: When you use “very”, you are saying the adjective is strongly present. This can be a positive or a negative thing to say, depending on the adjective; e.g. “It’s very cold today, but we can walk.”To light (verb): 1. To give light; 2. To set fire to something.To lose (verb): 1. To not win; 2. To misplace something.Loose (adjective): Not tight or fitting.Maid (noun): 1. A woman who is a housecleaner; 2. A middle-aged woman.To signify (verb): To mean, to represent.Significance (noun): Impact, meaning, importance.Significant (adjective): Having significance.Mean (adjective): Not nice, rude; e.g. “That child is very mean, he insults his friends every day.”Patient (noun): A hospital visitor who is receiving treatment, plural “patients”.Patient (adjective): To be able to wait a long time for something.Patience (noun): The quality of being able to wait for something.To tolerate (verb): Not to accept completely, but to accept it so it doesn’t bother you; to endure.To set on fire (phrasal verb): To commit arson, or to add fire to something so it burns.To catch on fire (phrasal verb): To become on fire, either on purpose or accidentally.To add fuel to the fire (expression): To make a bad situation worse.Nightstand (noun): The side table next to a bed.January 29, 2014Watch out (phrasal verb): To be careful of something, or used to alert people.To set (verb): 1. To organize; 2. To put something down; 3. To let a semi-solid shape get a solid shape.To shake (verb): To move something up and down or side to side (something else causes the movement).To vibrate (verb): Something moves up and down or side to side by itself (the movement is caused individually).To shiver (verb): To have your muscles contract involuntarily due to cold.To nod (verb): To move your head up and down to say “yes”.Rose (noun): A type of flower, usually pink, red, or white in color.To raise (verb): 1. To make something (usually intangible) go up; 2. To “cultivate” people or animals.To lift (verb): To raise, but always with physical, real objects.[subject] can’t stand [object] (expression): [subject] can’t tolerate/bear [object]. It means that the subject doesn’t like the object.To whistle (verb): To blow air through your lips in a musical sound.January 30, 2014Shiny (adjective): Something that shines brightly.Shrunken (adjective): Something that has shrunk, or become smaller in size.Shrink (noun): A psychotherapist.To exhibit (verb): To show something (usually for a long time).To slip (verb): 1. To slide and lose your balance; 2. To make a mistake.To spoil (verb): 1. To rot, as in food; 2. To ruin a surprise; 3. To over-indulge someone, particularly a child.Spoiled (adjective): 1. Something that is ruined or rotten; 2. A person who has gotten everything they wanted, and because of that, are very self-entitled and selfish.Spoiler (noun): 1. A piece of critical information that talks about the surprise of a story; 2. The part of the car that adds aerodynamic properties to the rear.Sword (noun): A long edged blade weapon.February 3, 2014To take a stand (idiom): To take an ideological or political position on something.To stand (verb): 1. To be on your feet; 2. To stand for or against = to agree or disagree with something; 3. To stand for = to mean/signify.Thief (noun): A person who steals.To thieve (verb): To steal.Names of thieves:Mugger (to mug): This thief steals through violence, physically. They use weapons to intimidate.Pickpocket (to pickpocket): This thief steals by putting his hand into your pocket and taking your wallet, keys, etc.Robber (to rob): This thief steals from places by entering your home, your private property, the bank, etc.Gangster (to be a gangster): This thief operates in a gang, performing gang-related activity.Scammer or con artist (to scam or to con): This thief steals through schemes and abusing people’s confidence or trust.Hacker (to hack): This thief steals information or vandalizes cyber-spaces via the internet, computers, software, etc.Cheater (to cheat): This thief steals by abusing the rules or ignoring them, for example, by taking answers from a test or having more advantages than everyone else illegitimately.To glue (verb): To use glue to adhere something to a surface.To be stuck (adjective): To be unable to move or progress.Sticky (adjective): Has adhesive properties.Stick (noun): A tree branch.To sting (verb): 1. To have a sharp needle or point enter your skin; 2. To have a sharp painSting (noun): A police procedure that tries to trap criminals by having officers pose as other criminals.To strike (verb): 1. To hit; 2. To protest working conditions (to go on strike).To swear (verb): 1. To make a promise, vow, oath, etc.; 2. To say curse words.To crash (verb): To impact vehicles against each other or surfaces.To crush (verb): To destroy something by dropping heavy weight on it or enveloping and using force to compact it.February 4, 2014Broom (noun): Object used to clean floors by sweeping away the dust.Tear (noun): The water that comes from your eyes when you cry.Thought (noun): A thing you think.Through (preposition): To pass past the center of something.True (adjective): To be real, honest, not a lie.Throne (noun): A king or queen’s chair.Hypochondriac (noun): A person who feels that they’re sick all the time, but sometimes it’s mental.Frequency adverbs: from 100% frequency to 0% (this is not a complete list)always / all the timemost of the time / usually / often / almost alwayssometimes / periodically / from time to time / once in a whilerarely / almost never / seldomneverWhere do we place the frequency adverbs?As a rule, frequency adverbs usually fall in the middle of the sentence, after the subject and before the verb. There are exceptions, though.Words like ‘always’, ‘rarely’, ‘never’, and other one-word frequency adverbs usually go in the middle of the sentence.“I always go to the pool.”“I rarely eat dinner alone.”‘Sometimes’ is special: it can go in any part of the sentence. ‘Periodically’ can also be used this way, but usually with a comma in the beginning.“Sometimes she likes to run.”“She sometimes likes to run.”“She likes to run sometimes.”“Periodically, she likes to run.”‘From time to time’, ‘most of the time’, and other frequency adverbs that use prepositions are found at the beginning or the end of the sentence. If commas are used, however, they can be put after the subject and before the verb.“He checks the mail from time to time.”“From time to time he checks the mail.”“He, from time to time, checks the mail.”“We go to the movies most of the time.”Note that frequency adverbs can always be used as answers, without any subjects or verbs, for yes/no questions. For wh- questions (how often), more detail is needed, either with exact times or subject-verb sentences.“Do you talk with your parents?”“Sometimes.”“How often do you talk with your parents?”“Three times a week.”“Can you give me a ride/lift?”“Can I get a ride/lift (from you?)”“You can drop/let me off (here/there/etc.).”The singular “they”: used when you don’t know the gender of a person, or when you want to talk about someone and don’t want to say “he or she”.We talked about the future today. We talked about being optimistic or pessimistic. Do you believe the future is bright, or has problems? What do you think shall happen in your lifetime?February 5, 2014Life expectancy (noun): The amount of time a living thing, person, or animal is expected to live.Lifespan (noun): The amount of time an object (can be used for living things) is expected to work.To weave (verb): To use your hands, needle, and string to create cloth, objects, etc. using materials.To sew (verb): To use your hands or machine to weave and add small objects to clothes, or to create and fix clothes.Wind (noun): Air blowing in the sky.Wound (noun): An open injury, the verb “to wound” is regular.Casual (adjective): Informal, normal, simple.To judge a book by its cover (idiom): To make a judgment about a person or thing because of its appearance, before you investigate it in detail.To knit (verb): To weave with large crochet needles and yarn.Consumption (noun): The act of consuming [eat, drink, etc.] something.February 6, 2014Homemade (adjective): Something that was made at home, domestically. Home-cooked meals can also be considered homemade.Underfed (adjective): Someone or something that doesn’t eat enough, they lack nutrients.Fricassee/fricassée (noun): A method of cooking meat in which the meat is cut up,?sautéed, and?braised, and served with its sauce, traditionally a white sauce.To brake (verb): To reduce speed.Wellbeing (noun): The welfare and happiness of a person or people.Reliable (adjective): Trustworthy, capable, deserving of confidence, dependable; you can put your trust into that person or thing.To rely on / To count on (phrasal verb): To put your trust or confidence into a person or thing.To retrace your steps (idiom): To check your memory and try to replicate your actions in a past time.February 10, 2014To disturb (verb): To break the balance or concentration of something or someone.To bother (verb): To disturb, but about concentration, attention, annoyance... used with people.To crack up (phrasal verb): To start laughing.To throw up (phrasal verb): To vomit.To throw out (phrasal verb): To put something in the garbage, to get rid of something, to dispose of something.Hives (noun): 1. Insect nests (plural); 2. Skin condition caused by allergies, causes red itchy bumps on your skin.To host (verb): To organize an event, to invite guests for an event.Host (noun): 1. The organizer of an event; 2. The central computer in a computer network; 3. In biology, the organism that is the victim of a parasite.Using phrasal verbs: When you name the object or person, it can be inserted in the middle of the phrasal verb, or after it.“She brought up her son.” YES“She brought her son up.” YESWhen you don’t name the object or person, and use a pronoun instead, it can only go in the middle of the phrasal verb, not after.“She brought him up.” YES“She brought up him.” NOTo jinx (verb): To cause bad luck and make something bad happen by mentioning the bad result.What is something you will do for your family?Who do you think will win the most Sochi Winter Olympics medals?If you could go back in time and change one decision you made in your past, what would it be?What is something you predicted that came true?What is something you would do often when you were younger?February 11, 2014To starve (verb): To go without eating and be very hungry.Starvation (noun): The condition of starving.Drought (noun): A lack of rain that persists for a long time.To go on a diet / To be on a diet (verb): To limit what you eat in order to lose weight, or have a special meal plan for your requirements.Hunger (noun): To lack food and feel hungry.Hungry (adjective): To not have food, and want to eat.Starving (adjective): To not have food, and be very hungry.Thirst (noun): The lack of something to drink.Thirsty (adjective): To want something to drink.To fast (verb): To go without eating voluntarily, for religious, political, ideological, etc. reasons.To force-feed (verb): To force food in a person or animal, past their limit (or because they’re fasting).To pinch (verb): To use hands or fingers to trap skin or flesh between them.To catch up to/with (phrasal verb): To reach the same position as another person or thing.To catch a plane/train/bus/etc. (verb): To get on a plane/train/bus/etc. on time.Background check (noun): An investigation done by a company or government authorities to look at a person’s past for their work history, a criminal record, or other things about their past.To (not) care about something/someone (phrasal verb): To (not) find something/someone important or worthy of attention.To take care of (phrasal verb): To look after something, to make sure it’s okay and safe.“Take care!” or “Take care of yourself!” (phrasal verb): “Be safe/careful!”Daycare (noun): A place where children are left to be looked after while their parents work or are busy. Kindergarten (noun): A preschool for children, usually 3-5 years old.To overdose (verb): To take an excess of drugs.Hoax (noun): A story that is fake.Rumor (noun): A story that may or may not be true.“Rumor has it...” (idiom/expression): “People are saying...”Two tomatoes were walking down the road. One of the tomatoes was behind the other, and a car ran over him. The first tomato turned around and said, “catch up.”February 12, 2014To check up (phrasal verb): 1. To check your body’s health or the “health” of a machine; 2. To verify if someone or something is okay. 3. (To check up on) To examine or study something for information.“Cheers!” (expression): Said when clinking glasses together to express happiness and health.To cheer (verb): To express support or happiness for someone by shouting, moving, waving flags, etc.To boo (verb): The opposite of to cheer, you express discontent and unhappiness by shouting or making noise against someone.To contribute (verb): To participate, to help by giving money, energy, time, etc.To bump into someone (verb): To run into someone, to meet someone by chance, unexpectedly.Trial (noun): 1. A court case; 2. In medicine, a test; 3. A long task that requires effort.To tie down/up (phrasal verb): 1. To make busy, to occupy attention; 2. To use rope, string, etc. to bind a person, animal, or object.To mourn (verb): To respect the memory of a dead person, mourning varies from culture to culture.Across vs. A cross: Across is a preposition of place and location, meaning to go over or through something; e.g. “To reach England, you have to sail across the Atlantic Ocean.” A cross is an article plus a noun, a + cross, and a cross is a T-shaped object commonly associated with Christianity and Jesus Christ; e.g. “The church on my street has a beautiful wooden cross.”To cross (verb): 1. To go across something; 2. To make someone angry, to betray a personTo be on the ball (idiom): To be on top of something, to be alert and aware, to be focused and ready.February 13, 2014To be in the thick of it (idiom): To be in the center of the action, the center of the problems.Something is afoot (idiom): Trouble or something suspicious is happening.For whom the bell tolls (idiom): The summons is for a certain person.To be at someone’s beck and call (idiom): To be at someone’s service, to be immediately available and ready to serve when needed.To be from good stock (expression): 1. To have good genes or a good physique; 2. To have good breeding, to come from an educated and elite class. February 17, 2014Blindness (noun): The condition of being blind, unable to see.Mute (adjective): Not being able to speak.Deafness (noun): The condition of being deaf, unable to hear.Honorable (adjective): A person who has honor, tells the truth, is a good person, etc.Honor (noun): An ethical code, honesty, truth, wisdom, etc.To honor (verb): To respect, to worship.Custom (noun): A tradition.Custom (adjective): Made special, made to order.Customs (noun): Immigration office concerned with imports and exports and travelers.Customer (noun): A client, a shopper, a consumer, etc.Decade (noun): 10 years.Century (noun): 100 years.Millennium (noun): 1000 years.Sentence (noun): 1. A complete phrase in English; 2. A punishment.To sentence (verb): To give a punishment.Orchid (noun): A type of flower.Thorn (noun): The “needle” on a rose’s stem.“Every rose has its thorn” (expression/proverb): Every beautiful person has a dangerous or hurtful part.“Every cloud has a silver lining” (proverb): Every bad situation has a positive opportunity.To cut someone down to size (idiom): To make a person remember they don’t have a high status.To knock someone down (phrasal verb): To hit someone and make them fall down.To knock someone up (phrasal verb): To get someone pregnant.Sharp (adjective): 1. Able to cut easily; 2. Intelligent.Dull (adjective): 1. Not able to cut easily; 2. Boring; 3. Dumb.Waiver (noun): A form or document that, once signed, doesn’t allow legal action against a person if something goes wrong.Advice (noun): Recommendation.To advise (verb): To recommend.Bookshelf (noun): A platform made to hold books.February 18, 2014Wheel (noun): A round object which allows something to roll over a surface.Add “won’t/isn’t/aren’t + subject?” at the end of a sentence to confirm something that you know the answer to.“Take it with a grain of salt” (expression): Don’t take this to be 100% accurate, be skeptical, question it.Prayer beads / Chaplet (noun): Beads used in meditation and prayer.To fill (verb): To add something to a container’s capacity.Full (adjective): To be at capacity.Rude (adjective): Ill-mannered, impolite, bad etiquette.Brim (noun): The very top of a cup, bottle, or other containers.To float a trial balloon (expression): To put out an idea and see how the public reacts to it, but not saying who it is that’s putting out the idea.Do(es) _____ have = Have/Has _____ gotYes/No question:Do you have any pets?Have you got any pets?Possession:I have blue eyes.I have got blue eyes.Requirement:Do you have to go to work early?Have you got to go to work early?February 19, 2014To afford (verb): To be able to pay for something.Effort (noun): Energy spent doing work.“An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” (expression): Retaliation/Punishment/Revenge will be equal in strength.Mischief (noun): Trouble.Vengeful (adjective): Likely to take revenge, vindictive, unforgiving.“Forgiven, but not forgotten.” (saying): An action has been forgiven (apology accepted), but the people have not forgotten about it.“An eye for an eye makes everyone blind.” (saying): Taking revenge just hurts everyone involved.To get away with murder (expression): To misbehave, be rude, or do bad things, but never be punished for it. There is too much leniency.Former: 1. (adjective) Previous; 2. (noun) When giving two options, the first one.Latter: 1. (adjective) Next; 2. (noun) When giving two options, the second one.Seminal (adjective): Influential, important, groundbreaking, etc.Significance (noun): Importance, meaningfulness, etc.Plot (noun): A plan, usually secret.Trust (noun): 1. Confidence, dependence, reliability; 2. A banking account that pays a small amount of money per a set amount of time after some years saving up money.To spread like wildfire (idiom): To spread very quickly.February 20, 2014“Never leave for tomorrow what you can do today (proverb): Don’t procrastinate, do what you can now.Groom (noun): The husband-to-be in a wedding.Bride (noun): The wife-to-be in a wedding.Best man (noun): The groom’s friend and attendant.Bridesmaid (noun): The bride’s friends and attendants.Different (adjective): Not the same.Difference (noun): A quality, aspect, characteristic of one thing that isn’t the same compared to another thing.Health (noun): A person’s wellbeing, the state of their body and mind.Healthy (adjective): 1. Having good physical health; 2. Contributing to good health.It depends on... NOT It depends of/from/in/etc.Old wives’ tale (idiom): A negative term used to describe a commonly-told truth as a superstition or something that is false.February 24, 2014Reluctant (adjective): Unwilling to do something, but does it anyway.To compete (verb): 1. To challenge another to a test of skill; 2. To fight and attempt to win a prize.To get the last word (expression): During an argument, to be the one who voices their opinion last.To wean (verb): To stop a habit or chemical dependency gradually.To go cold turkey (idiom): To stop a habit completely, from one day to another.Craving (noun): A feeling that you need something, your body and mind needs that thing.Multiculturalism (noun): Relating to or including many different cultures.Metaphor (noun): A figure of speech in which a word or phrase meaning one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a similarity between them.Ancestry (noun): A person’s ancestors; the people who were in your family in the past.How do immigrants integrate in a new country?Melting pot – homogenous / globalization – All citizens and immigrants follow one set of values or cultureCultural mosaic, tossed salad – heterogeneous / multiculturalism – All citizens maintain their set of values or culture and contribute to the national culture“Canada has never been a melting pot; more like a tossed salad.” – Arnold EdinboroughFebruary 25, 2014To submit (verb): 1. To give something to someone that was expecting it, usually formally; 2. To surrender.Heirloom (noun): An object that is passed down from one generation to the next, continuously.Grow on something/someone (phrasal verb): 1. To grow on a surface and bloom, e.g. “This plant grows on rocks and wet surfaces.”; 2. Something or someone starts to be liked after a period of indifference or dislike.Hand-me-down (noun): An object (usually clothes) that was owned by someone else, but then was passed on.Second-hand (adjective): Used or previously owned.Heritage (noun): The traditions, religion, and identity passed down a culture or generations of a family.Inheritance (noun): The money or property from someone who has died and named you in their will.To inherit (verb): To receive money or property from someone who has died and named you in their will.February 26, 2014To wear your heart on your sleeve (idiom): To be obvious about your emotions, to not hide what you feel.Chill out (phrasal verb): 1. To hang out; 2. To calm down.Use “from” with the phrasal verb “held back”; e.g. “I was held back from a fight by my friends.”To go on a tangent (idiom): To lose track of the main topic of discussion and talk about something unrelated.What is the proportion of Canadian immigrants that reflects the ethnic origins of our class?What is the distribution of gender, language, age, etc. of Canadians?What is the proportion of natural-born Canadians compared to Canadian immigrants?Information text: Gives information, facts, data, etc. – Graphs, manuals, charts, newspapers, etc.Explanatory text: Deciphers and synthesizes the information – Newspapers, tutorials, magazines, lectures, conferences, essays, etc.Narrative text: Tells a story – Newspaper, book, television show, fable/myth/legend, etc.Homework:1: Grammar book p. 86-89February 27, 2014Fun (adjective): Amusing.Funny (adjective): Makes you laugh.Mixed race (adjective): A person whose heritage or race is blended, combined. Names for different mixed races include “mulatto”, “Eurasian”, etc. depending on the combination.Homework:1: Grammar book p. 90-95Comparative (2 objects)1-syllable adjective: adjective + -er“Today is hotter than yesterday.”Adjective ends in –y: adjective + -ier“You are prettier than her.”2+-syllable adjective: more/less + adjective“My house was more expensive than yours.”Superlative (3+ objects)1-syllable adjective: the + adjective + -est“This is the hottest day of the month.”Adjective ends in –y: the + adjective + -iest“She is the prettiest woman in the school.”2+-syllable adjective: the most/least + adjective“His house is the most expensive one in the area.”Good -> Better -> (the) bestBad -> Worse -> (the) worstFun -> More/less fun -> (the) most/least funIf an adjective ends in a CVC pattern, most of the time we double the final consonant.Hot -> HotterBig -> BiggerTravel -> TravellerLooking forward to + verb-ingLooked forward to + verb-ingWill look forward to + verb-ingLooking forward to + nounI am looking forward to traveling.The children looked forward to traveling.She will look forward to traveling.Achraf is looking forward to the World Cup.The Homes and Homelands of New Canadians of countries by major area and region of the world (United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs) origins, 2006 counts, for Canada, provinces and territories 10, 2014Die-hard (adjective): To be very supportive of something, or of a cause.Actually (adverb): “In reality”, to inform someone about what is true.To be in (good/bad) shape (adjective): To be physically fit or healthy (or not).General anesthetic (noun): Medicine which causes the patient to faint so they feel no pain and are asleep during a surgery or operation.To faint (verb): To lose consciousness.To feint (verb): To fake a movement, to move slightly in one direction.To bluff (verb): To lie, to make a fake declaration.Wisdom teeth (noun): Teeth that grow in the rear of the mouth which usually have to be removed when a person grows older.Resuscitation (noun): The act of coming back to life after death.Reincarnation (noun): The belief that after death, your spirit or soul inhabits another body and experiences life again.Immigrants only 11, 2014Kind of (noun OR adverb): 1. A type of, a species of. 2. Somewhat.To drop the ball (expression): You were incompetent, you made a mistake.To care about something (prepositional verb): To be emotionally invested or to worry about something’s well-being, something is important for you.To care for something (prepositional verb): To take care of something, to like something, to look after something.To put someone/something down (phrasal verb): To euthanize someone/something, usually a pet or animal.To withhold/revoke privileges (verb): To punish a child or youth by prohibiting the use of certain things, such as using cell phones, the internet, and so on.Do you approve of the plan on the whole?Do you approve of the plan in general?Do you approve of the whole plan?Do you approve of each part of the plan?Homework: p. 104-107March 12, 2014To go off (phrasal verb): To activate, usually on a trigger.To be made up of (phrasal verb): To be composed of.Homework: p. 108-111March 13, 2014To run into (phrasal verb): To physically hit a person or object by moving into it.To run through (phrasal verb): To physically hit a person or object by moving into it, but being able to pass the object.“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts.” – Shakespeare, talking about how the world is one big play, everyone is an actor, and how a person must act as many different roles in life (e.g. child, parent, instructor, friend, lover, etc.).Zero conditional: Cause-effect, 100% guarantee, one thing always follows another.Grammatically: If-clause and main clause are both in the present tense.“If you lose your credit card, call your bank.”“If you heat water, it boils.”“If she pushes the button, the computer turns on.”First conditional: A real possibility, not always guaranteed.Grammatically: If-clause is in the present, main clause is in the future (usually with will).“If the party continues all night, we will be very tired.”“If it snows tomorrow, I will wear a fur coat.”“If he becomes a teacher, he will be very good at his job.”“If I win the lottery, I will give you a million dollars.”Second conditional: An imaginary possibility that cannot happen, so we think about it as a possibility. The situation is either happening now, or it’s happening in the future.Grammatically: If-clause is in the past, main clause is in the past (usually with would).“If I were a woman, my mother would have two daughters.”“If we became plumbers, we would be like Mario and Luigi."“If they lost the game, the coach would be very upset with them.”Third conditional: A situation that happened in the past, but we “go back in time” to imagine a different outcome or result. It’s not possible to go back in time, so we imagine that we do.Grammatically: The if-clause and main clause are both in the past participle/perfect.“If Germany had won the Second World War, the world would have been very different.”“If she had not become a biologist, she would have become a writer.”“If we had not moved to Canada, we probably would have moved to another country.”“If Liliya had not brought chocolates, we would have been very sad.”When do I mix the second and third conditionals?When you want to specify that the if-clause and main clause happen at a different time from each other, you can mix the second and third conditionals. For example, adjectives and personality cannot be changed, and they are present now.If I was more intelligent, I would have gotten an A on the exam.If you had cleaned the house before we left for vacation, there wouldn’t be any rats in the walls.March 17, 2014Shamrock/three-leaf clover (noun): The famous Irish leaf and flower. A four-leaf clover is a symbol of luck.March 18, tomorrow: Registration for the next semester opens. Bring $60. We will be called by the office to register.March 18, 2014Life (noun): Vigor, energy, the condition of being alive.To live (verb): 1. To inhabit a place; 2. To continue having life.Live (adjective): 1. The state of being alive, not dead; 2. Being broadcast at the moment, not recorded; 3. Having a current of electricity and source of power.Alive (adjective): A person or animal that has life, and not dead.March 19, 2014To threaten (verb): To intimidate a person, to tell them to do something, and if they don’t, there will be consequences.Treat (noun): 1. A sweet food; 2. Something extra, a reward.Wishy-washy (adjective): Someone who is indecisive, always changing their mind, not firm on an action or decision.March 24, 2014To be a couch potato (idiom): Someone who is very lazy and doesn’t do anything.To be the apple of one’s eye (idiom): The love of your life, a beauty that you love to see.March 25, 2014Can’t help verb-ing (verb): It’s impossible not to do the verb, it’s an automatic reaction.Can’t resist verb-ing (verb): It’s impossible not to do the verb, a lack of willpower or there is too much temptation.Can’t face verb-ing (verb): It’s hard to think about doing this verb., it’s hard to imagine doing this verb.To not be able to face a person (verb): I am ashamed of seeing this person face-to-face (or any other negative emotion).Can’t stand verb-ing (verb): To not have patience to do the verb, or to find it intolerable, unbearable to do.To not be able to stand a person (verb): To not have patience, or to really not like that person.“That’s a shame” / “It’s a shame” (expression): “Oh, that’s too bad”, “I’m sorry to hear that”, “It’s a pity”. These all mean “that’s unfortunate news”.“Shame on you” (expression): “You should feel ashamed about what you did or said.”To feel like [getting] something (verb): To want to order, have, try, etc. something. The verb after get/have/order/etc. is optional after “feel like”.Once in a blue moon (idiom): Very rarely.With food and drink, don’t use the verb “take”. Use “eat” for solids, “drink” for liquids, or “have” for both.With medicine, use “take”.March 26, 2014Active vs. Passive VoiceIn the active voice, we use Subject + Verb + Object. We are focusing on the subject and what they do to the object.In the passive voice, we use Object + Be + Verb (participle) + (by Subject/Agent). We are focusing on the object, not the subject. We conjugate the “be” verb, but the main verb is always in the participle form.Example:Active – Claudel ate the spaghetti.Passive – The spaghetti was eaten (by Claudel).Pronunciation of the regular past (-ed)We pronounce the regular past with a /t/ noise if the verb in the infinitive ends with a STOPPING sound. The sound cannot be held.bake /bayk/ -> baked /baykt/We pronounce the regular past with a /d/ noise if the verb in the infinitive ends with a CONTINUOUS sound. The sound can be held.close /cloz/ -> closed /clozd/ ................
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