Lesson 15 Little and a little

These expressions are used with uncountable nouns.

a little--a small amount, in the positive sense.

e.g.      I have time, so I can help you.

            I have a little money, so I can get a cup of coffee.

These expressions can be modified by adding "bit of"--not really changing the overall meaning of the sentences.

e.g.      I have a little bit of time, so I can help you.

            I have a little bit of money, so I can get a cup of coffee.

little--a small amount, in the negative sense

e.g.      I have little time, so I can't help you.

            I have little money in my pocket, so I cannot afford a cup of coffee.

These expressions can be modified by adding "very" making the amount much smaller.

e.g.      I can only take short trips because I have very little vacation time.

            The drink tasted awful because there was very little alcohol in it.

Quiz

Complete the quiz by adding "little" or "a little

1. I have _____time for silly jokes.
2. They have _____money saved for a vacation in the Caribbean.
3. His idea of fun was to spend _____ time travelling and seeing the wonders of the world.
4. He was a having _____ difficulty learning English until attended classes at EC.
5. They were having _____difficulty learning Japanese, and became fluent within a year.
6. I would like _____ milk in my coffee.
7. He had _____ furniture in his room because he liked the empty feeling.
8. They were unprepared for the weather in Toronto because they had done _____ research before taking the trip.

 

Lesson 14--Few and a few

These expressions are used with countable nouns.

 

a few--a small number, in the positive sense.

e.g.      I have a few minutes, so I can help you.

            I have a few dollars, so I can get a cup of coffee.

These expressions can be modified by adding "quite"--making the number bigger.

e.g.      I have quite a few friends, so I have to send a lot of Christmas cards.

            I have quite a few vacation days.  I can go anywhere.

few--a small number, in the negative sense

e.g.      I have few minutes, so I can't help you.

            I have few dollars in my pocket, so I cannot afford a cup of coffee.

These expressions can be modified by adding "very" making the number much smaller.

e.g.      I can only take short trips because I have very few vacation days.

            The hotel was almost empty because there were very few people staying there.

 

 

Quiz

Complete the quiz by adding "few" or "a few"

1. I doubt anyone heard me because there were so _____ people around.
2. He wanted to talk to me because he had _____ questions.
3. Do you have _____ minutes to spare?
4. As a snack, I ate _____cookies.
5. We had _____ options, so we decided to take a big risk.
6. He's a bit of a loner and has _____ friends.
7. She failed the examine because she spent _____ hours studying.
8. James had _____ bottles of beer while watching the game.
9. With _____ colleagues, Janice was able to solve the problem.
10. He got to the airport with very _____ minutes to spare.

 

Lesson 13: Collocation Quiz

 

Learn by taking a quiz.  Choose the correct answer to the quiz about these collocations, and check your answers (and not many of you are..... are you sure you were right?) by clicking on the quiz answers link in the top right corner of this blog.  Good luck.

Today's collocation are Go versus Play versus Do

	go	play	do
piano
karate
swimming
skiing
soccer
fishing
ice skating
figure skating
jogging
boxing
tae kwan do
snowboarding
dancing
fencing
singing

 

Record your score                   /15

Lesson 12: interested in

Interested in    +          noun

                                    gerund

                                    noun clause

 

e.g.      I am interested in sports.

            I am interested in playing tennis.

            John is interested in what his sister wants to do.

Though this is a simple idea, it can be used for very complex sentences.  It is useful for small talk (talking about hobbies and interests)

e.g.      What are you interested in?

            I like music.

It is also good for expressing desires which could lead to future actions.

e.g.      I am interested in learning German.  Do you offer any courses at this school?

It can be used to talk about things which you find disgusting or unlikeable.

e.g.      I have no interest in watching someone bleed violently for an hour.

Lesson 11: Make Up Your Mind

 

Idiom: To Make Up One's Mind   =             to decide something

                                                                        to make a choice, to choose

e.g.      I can't make up my mind whether I should buy the a PS3 or an Xbox.

            Stop thinking about it and make up your mind.

            After thinking about it for a long time, I made up my mind and chose the blue                                                          one.

            He is so indecisive.  He never makes up his mind about anything.

 

Usefulness Factor:      9/10

This is a very useful idiom.  You can use it to tell people to decide, and you can use it to express decision you have made and are having trouble making.

You will hear this in movies and on TV whenever people are making choices, especially when they are expressing the fact that they are having trouble deciding.  (I am having trouble making up my mind)

Lesson 10: Collocation Quiz

Collocation Quiz:  Make or Do

 

Choose which verb goes with these nouns.  When done, click on the words Quiz Answers in the top right corner to check your answers (you might be surprised)

 

	Make	Do
your bed
your homework
the dishes
a decision
a choice
a review
a mistake
a crossword puzzle
an error
a change

 

Lesson 9 To Get The Jump On Something

 

Idiom: To get the jump on something = to start something early (with the hope that you                                                                                                  will finish early)

e.g.      My essay isn't due for three weeks, but I am going to get the jump on it this                                      weekend.

            I got the jump on my homework before dinner so I could watch TV later.

Usefulness factor 6/10  This idiom is useful for talking about work, assignments and tasks.  It can be used to give instructions to people and used to talk about your own ambitions for completing the work.

You will most likely hear it in movies and TV when someone is talking about school assignments or work assignments.

 

Idiom: To get the jump on someone = to gain an advantage over someone

 

e.g.      We both wanted to read the book, but I got the jump on him and took it out of the                                        library first.

            Because I know the manager, I got the jump on Tom and got the job.

           

Usefulness factor 4/10 This idiom is useful when speaking about competing or fighting with another person.  Because there are so many other expressions and idioms that can be used this one isn't as useful.

You will likely hear this in movies and TV when people are competing intensely for something like jobs, concert tickets, and even in soap operas where two people are competing for the love of one person.....just not that often.

Sorry Everyone

 

 

I am sorry.  This week I was unable to publish blogs on Wednesday and  Friday.  I promised I would update this blog 3 times a week.  I am sorry.  I caught a cold and decided that sleep was more important.

Don't worry, next week I will be back on the normal schedule.

Lesson 8: Bus and Subway Collocations

Take

Ride

Catch

Get on                         +                       the bus

Get off                                                the subway

Jump on

Jump off

 

e.g.      Take the subway to Union Station.

            Ride the subway to St. Claire East.

            Catch the subway at Eglinton.

            Get on the Sheppard Subway

            Get off at Yonge and Bloor.

            Jump on the subway at Dundas.

            Jump off the subway at Yorkdale.

 Incorrect Phrases                                                     Correct Phrases

 

Get in the subway.                                                    Get on the subway.

Go to Eastbound.                                                      Go east.

Take the train for Eglinton.                                      Take the train at/to Eglinton.

Enter to the subway at Keele.                                   Get on/take the subway at Keele.

Other collocations

 

            Change trains/Transfer at Spadina Station.

            Transfer to the Bloor line.

            My stop is Eglinton East.

 

Subway Vocabulary Quiz

 match the words to their definitions (check your answers by clicking on the link in the top right corner)

a) platform                                          1) a piece of paper allowing you to change trains

b) fare                                                  2) one of many parts of a subway train

c) token                                               3) the place where you wait for the subway

d) transfer                                           4) a direction your subway might be traveling

e) eastbound                                        5) the money you have to pay to ride a bus or                                                                                    subway

f) car                                                    6) a phrase heard almost every morning on the                                                                                  subway

g) sorry for the inconvenience            7) something meaning you must wait

h) turnstile                                           8) a casual name for each subway station

i) delay                                                9) a small metallic coin representing a paid fare

j) stop                                                  10) you must go through one to enter the subway

Lesson 7 It's Time

It's time (expressing advice, or indicating that something is due now)

1) It's time + infinitive verbs

e.g. It's time to leave for the party.

It's time to have dinner.

2) It's time + object+ infinitive

e.g. It's time for Mary to go to bed.

It's time for her to get a new television.

3) It's time + subject + simple past

(even though we use a past tense verb, this sentence expresses the present)

e.g. It's time I bought a new car.

It's time you went home.

It's time Robbie told her the truth.

Time Quiz--fill in the blanks with words related to time.

(for answers, clink on the link in the top right corner)

1) Your __________is terrible. The restaurant is closing in ten minutes.

2) Chanel's style is elegant and ________, isn't it?

3) His _______ death seemed very suspicious to me. He was too young to die.

4) Ten _______ five equals fifty.

5) Thanks to her ______assistance, we were able make our deadline.

6) Your announcement was poorly_______. Now everyone is too nervous to enjoy the party.

Lesson 6: To Let the Cat Out of the Bag

 

 

Meaning:  To tell a secret, accidentally or on purpose, that you were not supposed to tell.

 

examples.        He let the cat out of the bag, and now everyone knows they are going to have a baby.

                        It's a secret.  So, don't let the cat out of the bag.

                        They are such big gossips that they can't help letting the cat out of the bag.

 

Usefulness Factor  5/10

 

You will probably hear this idiom on sitcoms when someone tells someone to keep a secret, or when someone is angry because their secret got out.  Often used in sitcoms when someone is dating someone secretly, or when someone is pregnant.

 

examples          Don't let the cat out of the bag!

                        They know because you let the cat out of the bag.

 

Finding a moment to use this one yourself could be challenging.  You have to tell someone a secret, and tell them not to tell.  If your friends can't keep a secret, maybe you just shouldn't tell them.

 

Useful Collocations

Keep a secret:  Don't tell you secret.

Tell a secret:    Just like the idiom, you revealed a secret.

Quiz ( choose the correct verb)

 

	Tell	Say
_____the truth.
_____ a lie.
_____ a story.
_____goodbye.
Can you _____me the time?
What did he ______?
What did she _____ you?
He always ____that.

Check your answers by clicking on the Quiz Answers link in the top right corner.