Choose an idiom to replace the expression in the brackets:

1. “Please stop that (mischief) and do some serious work.”

(a) dog and pony show (b) monkey business (c) piggyback (d) road hog

2. The little boy kept asking many questions until his mother finally said that (asking too many questions will get him into trouble).

(a) the cat had got his tongue (b) you can’t teach an old dog new tricks (c) curiosity killed the cat (d) there is more than one way to skin a cat

3. “Please (be patient and wait) while I make a phone call.”

(a) call the dogs off (b) have a whale of a time (c) flog a dead horse (d) hold your horses

4. The computer software patent is (a good source of money) for our company.

(a) a cash cow (b) as strong as an ox (c) a horse of a different color (d) a dark horse

5. The little boys thought that their friend was (easily frightened) because he would not play with the dog.

(a) as awkward as a cow on roller skates (b) a kangaroo court (c) as quiet as a mouse (d) a scaredy-cat

6. The supervisor has a reputation for (watching and controlling) the workers.

(a) living high off the hog on (b) riding herd on (c) horsing around with (d) going ape with

7. When the police arrived the two men looked frightened and suddenly (ran away).

(a) hit the bull`s eye (b) let the cat out of the bag (c) turned tail (d) cried wolf

8. I heard about the plans for the new magazine article (directly from the person responsible).

(a) off his high horse (b) straight from the horse`s mouth (c) in two shakes of a lamb’s tail (d) in a pig`s eye

9. The car engine stopping while driving on the freeway was the (thing that finally made me decide to do something) so I sold the car.

(a) straw that broke the camel`s back (b) black sheep of the family (c) cat on a hot tin roof (d) wolf in sheep`s clothing

10. He really (misjudged his chance of success) when he found an unreliable partner for his business.

(a) led a dog`s life (b) bet on the wrong horse (c) cast pearl`s before swine (d) made a mountain out of a molehole

11. He is the (most important person) in his company.

(a) holy cow (b) dog in the manger (c) alley cat (d) top dog

12. I had not seen my cousin for a long time so when we finally met we talked (for a long time).

(a) in the dog house (b) as busy as a beaver (c) until the cows came home (d) like lambs to the slaughter

13. “Do not be afraid of your new neighbour. Her (words are worse than her actions).”

(a) tail is wagging the dog (b) tail is between her legs (c) looks are like something the cat dragged in (d) bark is worse than her bite

14. My grandfather moved to the country to get away from the (business and confusion) in the city.

(a) white elephant (b) horse trading (c) rat race (d) horse sense

15. The young boy (pretended to be asleep) when his friend came into the room.

(a) went to the dogs (b) put on the dog (c) served as a guinea pig (d) played possum

16. The man who owns the store is (very dishonest).

(a) as crooked as a dog’s hind leg (b) as clean as a hound’s tooth (c) as stubborn as a mule (d) bright-eyed and bushy-tailed

17. We had (an exciting and interesting time) at the conference.

(a) a cock-and-bull story (b) a whale of a time (c) the best-laid plans of mice and men (d) a bull in a china shop

18. My supervisor is always angry so I do not like to (get into an argument with) her.

(a) lock horns with (b) monkey around with (c) go hog-wild with (d) make a monkey out of

19. I knew that our company was (supporting someone who could not win) but still we continued to support our candidate in the election.

(a) killing the fatted calf (b) making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear (c) backing the wrong horse (d) separating the sheep from the goats

Answers: 1 b), 2 c), 3 d), 4 a), 5 d), 6 b), 7 c), 8 b), 9 a), 10 b), 11 d), 12 c), 13 d), 14 c), 15 d), 16 a), 17 b), 18 a), 19 c)

Ever confused whether to use quick or quickly, nice or nicely?

Here is a simple rule:

If an adjective ends in -y, the adverb ends with -ily:

-angry -> angrily

-easy -> easily

If an adjective ends in -le, the adverb ends with -ly:

-probable -> probably

-gentle-> gently

If an adjective ends in -ic, the adverb ends with -ically:

-basic -> basically

-tragic -> tragically

Exceptions:

Some adverbs have the same form as adjectives:

early, late, fast, near, hard, straight, high, wrong

e.g. It is a fast car. - She drives very fast.

Special case “good”

The adjective “good” corresponds to the adverb “well”,

e.g.: He is a good pianist. - He plays the piano well.

Don’t be confused

Sometimes adjectives are used after verbs, e.g. Mike looked angry.

This can be confusing, but if you take a closer look, you will notice that “angry” in this case doesn’t describe the verb, but the person, and therefore needs to be an adjective.

Try it yourself!

1. Could I have a … (quick) word with you?

2. She writes in … (perfect) English.

3. Could you speak more … (quiet) please?

 

Ever wonder how to say certain things when you are travelling by plane?

Here is a list of words that might come useful when you travel

1	aisle	n. corridor in aeroplane between the seats [there are usually one or two]
2	baggage claim	n. place where passengers go to find their luggage (cases etc) at the end of a flight
3	board	v. to get on or enter an aeroplane - on board adv.
4	boarding pass	n. special ticket showing that passenger has checked in and may board plane
5	check in	v. to register for a flight, inc. checking of tickets, passports, luggage etc - also n.
6	confirmation	n. passenger’s telephone validation of return reservation; reconfirmation
7	departures board	n. large display in airport showing times, destinations etc of departing flights
8	domestic	adj. national, not international [a domestic flight is entirely within one country]
9	duty free	adj. [of products: cigarettes, perfume etc] not taxable; exempt from customs taxes
10	excess baggage	n. luggage that is more than the permitted or allowed weight
11	flight	n. an aeroplane scheduled to fly a certain route at a certain time
12	gate	n. the point in an airport at which a particular flight arrives and departs
13	hand luggage	n. light bags, briefcases etc that may be carried on board by passengers
14	IATA	abbr. International Air Transport Association
15	immigration officer	n. government official responsible for checking passengers’ passports
16	jet lag	n. extreme tiredness etc after a long flight between extreme time zones
17	runway	n. the strip on which planes land and take off
18	stopover	n. a break for a day or two on an international flight
19	ticket	n. receipt for transportation etc. An air ticket has one coupon for each journey
20	transit	n. A transit passenger is one stopping at an airport that is not his destination

 

Here’s a typical conversation in an airport check-in:

 

Ground Staff - Next please… good morning.

Passenger - Good morning.

Ground Staff - Where are you traveling to this morning?

Passenger - I’m going to London, via Frankfurt.

Ground Staff - Okay, I need to see your ticket and your passport please.

Passenger - There you go. Is it possible to get a seat near a window?

Ground Staff - Let’s see… the plane’s very full. There’s only a few window seats left. I can give you one if you want.

Passenger - Thanks.

Ground Staff  - Can you please put your bags on the scales?

Passenger -  Sure. I’ve only got a suitcase.

Ground Staff - Alright. Any carry-on luggage?

Passenger - Just a notebook computer.

Ground Staff - Okay. Here’s your passport, your ticket, and your boarding pass.

Passenger - Thank you.

Ground Staff - Your plane leaves from gate 51, and it’ll start boarding in about 45 minutes.

Passenger - Thanks very much. Just one more thing… do you know if they serve breakfast on this flight?

Ground Staff -  Yes they do. It’s a long flight. I’m sure you’ll get plenty to eat.

Passenger - Good. I’m starving.

Ground Staff - If you can’t wait, you can get something to eat from the restaurants upstairs.

Passenger - Alright. Thanks for your help.

Ground Staff  - My pleasure. Have a nice trip.

 

 

Are you confused about using more than one adjective in a sentence? Remember the golden rule that ALL adjectives are put before the noun? Do you worry about where to put which adjective? Well here is the answer:

When using more than one adjective to describe a noun place the adjectives in the following order before the noun.

1. Opinion  Example: an interesting book, a boring lecture
2. Dimension  Example: a big apple, a thin wallet
3. Age   Example: a new car, a modern building, an ancient ruin
4. Shape  Example: a square box, an oval mask, a round ball
5. Color  Example: a pink hat, a blue book, a black coat
6. Origin  Example: some Italian shoes, a Canadian town, an American car
7. Material  Example: a wooden box, a woolen sweater, a plastic toy

NOTE: We usually use no more than three adjectives preceding a noun.

Here are some examples:

A big square wooden box

A beautiful white silk dress

A new vintage BMW

Now try some of your own:

1. Which is the correct order?

a small Canadian thin lady

a Canadian small thin lady

a small thin Canadian lady

a thin small Canadian lady

2. Which is the correct order?

a carving steel new knife

a new steel carving knife

a steel new carving knife

a new carving steel knife

3. Which is the correct order?

a beautiful blue sailing boat

a blue beautiful sailing boat

a sailing beautiful blue boat

a blue sailing beautiful boat

4. Which is the correct order?

an old wooden square table

a square wooden old table

an old square wooden table

a wooden old square table

5. Which is the correct order?

an new French exciting band

a French new exciting band

an exciting French new band

an exciting new French band

6. Which is the correct order?

a red big plastic hat

a big red plastic hat

a plastic big red hat

a bit plastic red hat

7. Which is the correct order?

a small Japanese serving bowl

a Japanese small serving bowl

a small serving Japanese bowl

a serving small Japanese bowl

8. Which is the correct order?

a cotton dirty old tie

a dirty cotton old tie

an old cotton dirty tie

a dirty old cotton tie

Answers: 1(3), 2(2), 3(1), 4(1), 5(4), 6(2), 7(1), 8(4)

Expressing the future time in English is particularly problematic not only because there are so many different forms to choose from, but also because the distinction between them is not always clear.

Here are the different forms and their uses:

Will

Form

There should be no problem in making this particular form of the future tense since will does not change with the subject and the main verb is the form that you would find in a dictionary and so does not change either.

will
Iyouheshe it we they	will (’ll)will not (won’t)	look

Meanings

This is the form that most people immediately associate with the future tense, but it is in fact restricted in its use. It has two main functions.

• the first is to talk about unplanned or spontaneous future events;
• the second is for predictions that are not based on current evidence.

Some examples should help to clarify the different meanings:

(The telephone rings) I’ll get it.

I’ll make us a cup of coffee.

In these two cases the speaker is deciding what to do on the spur of the moment without prior consideration. You may have noticed that they act as offers. This is also true of promises or threats like:

• I’ll give you the money back next week.
• I’ll kill you!
• For predictions, we may hear or read sentences like:
• I think it’ll rain tomorrow.
• There’s no way that we will lose the game.
• You will meet a tall, dark, handsome stranger.

Going to

Form

This is an unusual compound form since it is made up of the Present Continuous tense of the verb go with to + the main verb, so it is easy to confuse this with a normal Present Continuous.

am/is/are going to
I	am (’m) going to am not (’m not) going to	look
youwethey	are (’re) going toare not (aren’t) going to
hesheit	is (’s) going tois not (isn’t) going to

Meanings

There are two main functions of this tense; the first is to refer to premeditated intentions. Examples of this are:

• I’m going to take a few days off.
• We’re going to visit my parents at the weekend.

The meaning that the speakers want to get across here is that I/we hope that these events will take place, but they are always subject to change if needs be or if some unforeseen obstacle arises. There is a sense of an arrangement, but it has a rather indefinite feel to it.

The second use of this form is for talking about predictions based on present or past evidence. You may remember we said that will is used for referring to predictions that are not reliant on current evidence - going to, on the other hand, is used for those predictions where we can rely on present evidence or past experience. For example:

• Look at those clouds - it’s going to rain.
• Have you heard that Jenny’s going to have a baby?
• Getting up at 4:00 in the morning is going to be a problem.

In the first sentence there is clear, visible evidence that my prediction is likely to come true. It would be, at best, unusual to use any other of the future forms in this situation and, at worst, incorrect. The prediction in the second example is based on information that I have heard directly from Jenny herself or from someone who already had the information. The final sense seems to be based on my past experience of getting up early in the morning.

Present Continuous

Form

We have already met the Present Continuous when talking about present, temporary events and actions, so, it is perhaps rather surprising to find that it can also be used to refer to events that have not even started yet. In fact, this is a very important use of this tense.

Meanings

While the going to future form is often used to discuss intentions (possibly prearranged), the Present Continuous is used more for referring to solid arrangements and plans. For example, we are more likely to prefer this form when we have made a booking at a restaurant or theatre or have bought tickets for a train/plane journey. This tense is often accompanied by a time adverbial such as next month, in July etc.

• Next holiday we’re staying in a five-star hotel. (the reservation has been made)
• They’re all taking the day off on the 7th.
• I’m spending Christmas in the Bahamas.

Present Simple

Form

Just as the use of the Present Continuous to refer to future time may have been surprising, the Present Simple may, at first sight at least, seem the most unlikely candidate for talking about future events. The form is as before:

Meanings

The foremost use of this tense form to indicate future time is almost certainly after time conjunctions such as after, before, when, if, until, as soon as and so on. A few examples should demonstrate this:

• She’ll get in touch as soon as she has the information.
• If I see Michael, I’ll give him the message.
• When you finish the report, put it on my desk.

Perhaps not quite so obvious is its use in referring to programmes, timetables, itineraries and public events that we have no direct control over.

• I’m spending Christmas in the Bahamas. The plane leaves on the 20th.
• When does the film start?
• Often precise times are given.

Future Continuous

Form

There are two more commonly used tenses with more complex forms that are used to refer to the future, the first consisting of will + be + the present participle and the second consisting of be going to + be + the present participle. The full forms are given in the following tables:

Future Continuous (Progressive) with will
Iyouheshe it we they		will (’ll) bewill not (won’t) be	looking
Future Continuous (Progressive) with be going to
I	am (’m) going to beam not (’m not) going to be			looking
youwethey	are (’re) going to beare not (aren’t) going to be
hesheit	is (’s) going to beis not (isn’t) going to be

Meanings

There are two basic functions for these two forms and the difference in meaning between them is, for our purposes, negligible. Firstly, we use the Future Continuous to talk about predicted or planned events that start at some unspecified time in the future and are still occurring at a given time in the future. In this sense it is often used with time adverbials beginning this time next… or a precisely specified time. Since this sounds rather complicated it may be better to illustrate this with a diagram and a couple of examples.

• This time next week I’ll be lying on a beach in Hawaii.