Monday, March 30, 2015

All about all

I don’t think we need to spend too long on the basic grammar patterns with ALL.
It can be used with plurals and uncountable nouns
  • All the children were invited to a big party.
  • All sugar drinks rot your teeth.
  • All (of) the cats have been taken to the vet.
  • Thank you for all (of) your help.
ALL plus THE/THIS/MY etc. can be used with singular nouns.
  • I have read all the book.
  • Did you eat all your lunch?
  • I can’t finish all this work today.
ALL is also used to qualify adjectives, adverbs and prepositions
  • The children are all excited.
  • There is dirt all over the house.
  • They shouted all excitedly.
AT ALL means in any way or of any kind. It is often used in negative sentences.
  • Is there anything at all to do here in the winter months?
  • I am not at all happy to find out about that.
FOR ALL can mean despite.
  • For all his faults, I still quite like him.
FOR ALL I KNOW/CARE suggests that you are not concerned about something or someone.
  • For all I know, she could be living in Paraguay.
  • For all I care, the dollar could lose half its value.
FIRST OF ALL is an expression used to emphasise the start of a speech  or presentation
  • First of all, I would like to thank our hosts for this splendid evening.
  • First of all, we need to look at the economic impact.
AFTER ALL means that we have reconsidered our options.
  • We decided to take the later train after all. We needed extra time to pack.
ALL IN ALL is used to sum up.
  • All in all, it has been a very successful meeting.
BY ALL MEANS is a way of giving permission
  • By all means, leave early today. You have been working so hard.
ALL ALONG means all the time.
  • I knew he couldn’t be trusted all along.
To GET AWAY FROM IT ALL means to go somewhere to escape from your usual routine
  • I visit a remote island in Scotland when I need to get away from it all.
IF IT’S ALL THE SAME TO YOU is used to mean if it makes no difference/doesn’t offend.
  • Thank you for inviting me to stay with you but if it is all the same to you I would prefer to stay in a hotel in the center of the city so that I can explore a bit.
ONCE AND FOR ALL means for one final time.
  • I am telling you once and for all. We are not going to agree to that.
To be ALL FOR DOING IT means that you are strongly in favor.
  • I am all for rejecting their offer. It is not good enough.
If it is ALL IN YOUR MIND, you are imagining something.
  • His doctor told him that he wasn’t really ill and it was all in his mind.
ALL YEAR ROUND means all the year.
  • The resort is open all year round, skiing in the winter and mountain biking in the summer.
ALL OF A SUDDEN means immediately, without warning
  • All of a sudden, the speaker fainted and fell to the floor.
WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE is used to sum up a discussion and to point out the most important point.
  •  When all is said and done, we cannot afford to sell at a price that is lower than our cost price.

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Under a cloud / Under the weather - English Phrases

Under a cloud / Under the weather

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MmPIaI94sI&feature=youtu.be

Under a cloud 

Meaning: Ppl dont trust u because they think u have done something bad

Sentences:
- He left the company under a cloud after some money went missing.
- Although the police decided not to prosecute her, she remains under a cloud.

Under the weather

Meaning: to be ill

Sentences:
- Robert is under the weather and wont be joining us today.
- I am feeling a bit under the weather. I think I'll go home.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Deal a blow and Blow a deal - English Phrases

Deal a blow and Blow a deal

http://dailyenglishphrases.com/deal-a-blow-and-blow-a-deal/

We are going to look at two different expressions today. They look similar but mean two completely things.
DEAL A BLOW means to cause major problems to someone or something, often an idea or project.
The information that he has been in prison has dealt a serious blow to his chances of becoming Mayor.
The bad trade news has dealt a blow to the economy.
Losing its star player has dealt a blow to United’s chances of winning the Cup.

BLOW A DEAL means to not get a contract. It is the opposite of CUT A DEAL.
You blew the deal when you asked them for the payment in advance.
I don’t want to blow the deal by putting too much pressure on them.
If we blow this deal, we will go out of business.

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Cut a deal - English Phrase

Cut a deal

http://dailyenglishphrases.com/cut-a-deal/

If you CUT A DEAL, you make an arrangement.
This was originally just a US expression but it is one that many Brits also use, even old ones like me :-)
It is INFORMAL language
  • After hours of negotiation, we were able to cut a deal.
  • His lawyer cut a deal with the prosecutor and kept him out of jail.
Who have you cut a deal with recently?

Everything just fell into place - English Phrase

Everything just fell into place
http://dailyenglishphrases.com/everything-just-fell-into-place/
Sometimes when we are organizing an event, everything can go wrong. However well we plan things, they don’t work out very well.
But on other occasions, things seem to work out just fine, even without much effort on our part.  Everything is satisfactory,without problems.
  • Everything just seems to just fall into place.
Sometimes a new person can organize things much better.
  • When Lindsey took over the arrangements, everything just seemed to fall into place.
Sometimes new information helps you to better understand information you already had.
  • When I found out he was married to my doctor, suddenly everything fell into place.

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Telephoning (listening)

Flight to Caracas

Click on the numbers you hear:
http://englishallyear.com/listening15/exercise43.html

Complete the dialogue:
http://englishallyear.com/listening15/exercise44.html

Reorganize the text:
http://englishallyear.com/listening15/exercise45.html

-----------------------------

Date change

What is the problem?
http://englishallyear.com/listening16/exercise46.html

True or False
http://englishallyear.com/listening16/exercise47.html

Click on the best response
http://englishallyear.com/listening16/exercise48.html

-----------------------------

Not in the office

Who wants to speak to who
http://www.englishallyear.com/listening17/exercise49.html

Who says what?
http://www.englishallyear.com/listening17/exercise50.html

Put in the correct order
http://www.englishallyear.com/listening17/exercise51.html

------------------------------

Take the message
http://www.englishallyear.com/listening18/exercise52.html

Listen and complete the dialogue
http://www.englishallyear.com/listening18/exercise53.html

Listen and write the expressions
http://www.englishallyear.com/listening18/exercise54.html


Sunday, March 15, 2015

to be or being (with listening)

The annual conference

Click on what you hear:  http://www.englishallyear.com/listening13/exercise37.html

Listen and match: http://www.englishallyear.com/listening13/exercise38.html

Complete the conversation: http://www.englishallyear.com/listening13/exercise39.html

The budget

True and false: http://www.englishallyear.com/listening14/exercise40.html

Complete the sentences: http://www.englishallyear.com/listening14/exercise41.html

Put the words in order: http://www.englishallyear.com/listening14/exercise42.html


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