Elementary
ApologisingEverybody makes mistakes sometimes. When it happens we need a phrase to tell the other person how really sorry we are and stop them getting really angry. Here are ten phrases.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. Sorry.
2. I'm (so / very / terribly) sorry.
3. Ever so sorry.
4. How stupid / careless / thoughtless of me.
5. Pardon (me)
6. That's my fault.
7. Sorry. It was all my fault.
8. Please excuse my (ignorance)
9. Please don't be mad at me.
10. Please accept our (sincerest) apologies.
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Phrase 1 is a general short apology. We use this when we bump into people on the street. At other times, it sounds too weak.
2. In phrase 2, we use 'so', 'very' and 'terribly' to make the meaning stronger. 'Terribly' is the strongest. If we use one of the words in brackets, it is stressed.
3. Phrase 3 is quite formal but it's a stronger apology than just 'sorry'.
4. We use phrase 4 to criticise ourselves and the mistake that we have just made.
5. We use phrases 6 and 7 to take all the responsibility for what happened. Phrase 7 is a little stronger.
6. We use phrase 8 to apologise for our lack of knowledge or ability. We can replace the word in brackets with other nouns, e.g. carelessness, forgetfulness.
7. Phrase 9 is asking the other person not to get angry. The tone is quite informal.
8. Phrase 10 is often used in formal letters. The word 'sincerest' makes the apology very strong and very formal.
Asking about health / life
When we meet somebody we know it's polite to ask a question or two about their health and their life. There are many different phrases in English for doing this. Here are ten of them.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. How are you?
2. How are things?
3. How's things?
4. How's it going?
5. How are you getting on?
6. How have you been?
7. What have you been (getting) up to?
8. I hope everything's okay?
9. Alright?
10. How have you been keeping?
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Phrase 1 is the best known phrase but English people don't use it every time so it's useful to learn some of the others on this page.
2. Phrase 2 is a general inquiry about the other person's health and life. Your answer could be about your health, your work or your personal life.
3. Phrase 3 is similar to phrase 2 but the 'incorrect' grammar makes it much more informal.
4. Phrases 4 and 5 are asking about the other person's life (work or personal life).
5. Phrase 6 is really asking about health but the other person may answer with general information about their life.
6. Phrase 7 is really asking about what kind of activities the other person has been doing recently. It more often refers to their home life, not work.
7. Phrases 8 and 9 are asking about health and life with a yes / no question. Phrase 9 is much more informal than phrase 8.
8. Phrase 10 is more formal but still sincere and friendly and is asking about the other person's health.
Asking for approval
Sometimes we are not sure if it's a good idea to do something. So we need useful expressions for asking if other people agree with an idea or intended action. Here are ten phrases.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. Do you think it's all right to do it?
2. What do you think about (me doing that)?
3. Do you think / reckon I ought to (do it)?
4. What would you say if I (did it)?
5. Would you approve of (doing something)?
6. What is your attitude to the idea of...
7. Are you in favour of (me doing something)?
8. You are in favour of ... aren't you?
9. Do you think anyone would mind if I...
10. Would it be really awfuil if I...
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Phrases 1, 2 and 3 are quite informal ways of asking if another person agrees with an action that you are planning to do.
2. Phrases 4 and 5 are hypothetical and so sound a bit more polite. Phrases 1 to 3 suggest that speaker probably will do it. 4 and 5 suggest that the speaker won't do it if another person doesn't agree.
3. Phrase 6 is asking another person for their feelings about an imagined action. The speaker doesn't actually say that she is thinking of doing it so is making the action more remote. This phrase is quite formal.
4. In phrase 7, the action being described will seem more remote if the speaker leaves out the word 'me', in a similar way to phrase 6.
5. In phrase 8, it is important that the intonation is falling on the first 'are' and is rising on the negative verb in the question tag 'aren't'.
6. Phrase 9 is quite informal and is asking the listener's opinion about other people's reactions. You follow this phrase with a past tense verb that describes the action that you want to do. E.g. 'Do you think anyone would mind if I left early today?'
7. In phrase 10, the speaker thinks that the other person will be angry if the speaker does what they want to do. It is also followed by a past tense verb. E.g. 'Would it be really awful if I took the rest of the day off?'
Asking for information
Sometimes you want to ask English people for information. In English it is not very polite to start a conversation with a direct question. For this reason we have a number of phrases.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. Can you tell me...?
2. Could you tell me...?
3. I'd like to know...
4. D'you know...
5. (Got / Have you) any idea...?
6. Could anyone tell me...?
7. (Do / Would) you happen to know...?
8. I don't suppose you (would) know...?
9. I wonder if you could tell me...?
10. I wonder if someone could tell me...?
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Phrases 1 - 10 are all followed by indirect questions. So 'What's the time?' becomes 'Can you tell me what the time is?'.
2. Phrase 2 is a little more formal and polite than phrase 1.
3. Phrases 3, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 are polite and are good to use if you are asking a stranger or you are asking at a public information desk.
4. Phrase 4 is more informal.
5. Phrases 5 and 7 are more informal if you say them with out the part in () brackets.
6. Phrases 9 and 10 are very formal and in an informal situation some people may react strangely if they think that you are being sarcastic.
7. By using phrases 1 to 10, we make it easier for the listener to say 'Sorry I don't know'.
Asking somebody's opinion
It's a good idea to ask another person about their opinion before you tell them your opinion loudly and strongly. Maybe they completely disagree with you. Here are ten ways to ask.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. What do you think of...?
2. What do you think about...?
3. How d'you feel (about...)?
4. What d'you reckon (about...)?
5. What's your opinion of...?
6. (What do think about) that?
7. What are your views on...?
8. Where do you stand (on...)?
9. What would you say to... / if we...?
10. Are you aware of.....?
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Phrases 1, 2, 3,4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are followed by a noun or gerund (-ing form).
2. Phrases 1 and 2 are general phrases for asking for an opinion. We can use them both formally and informally. In informal speech, 'do you' becomes 'd'you?'.
3. Phrases 3 and 4 are more informal. We can use them with 'about' and a noun or gerund phrase e.g. 'How d'you feel about having a class outside in the garden?'
4. We use phrase 6 (with that) after another sentence (e.g. They're going to build a new supermarket here. What do you think of that?).
5. Phrases 7 and 8 are more formal. You could use them in a business meeting and you might hear them on interviews on the news.
6. Phrase 9 is asking the other person's opinion of an idea or proposal. We follow 'to' with a noun or gerund and follow 'if we' with a sentence with a past verb.
7. Phrase 10 is an indirect way of asking for an opinion. We ask if the other person knows about the situation. They are then are expected to react with an opinion.
At the bank
When we go to the bank in England, there are some special words and phrases that we need to understand and be ready to use. These ten phrases are the most important expressions that we use.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. Cashier
2. Current account
3. High interest account
4. Balance
5. Cheque book
6. Debit card / Cash card
7. Hole-in-the-wall / Cashpoint
8. Overdraft / Overdrawn
9. In the red / In the black
10. Standing order
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. In 1. the cashier is the person who serves you in a bank. They are usually behind a glass screen for security. In the US they are called 'tellers'.
2. A bank account (2.) is the record of how much money that you keep in the bank. There are many different kinds of account. 'Current account' means that you can take the money quickly whenever you want.
3. In 3. a 'high interest account' is another record of money that you keep in the bank for a long time. Every month the bank pays you a little money (interest) for keeping a lot of money in the account.
4. The balance in 4 is how much money you have at one time in one account. You can ask 'I'd like to know the balance of my current account'.
5. You use a cheque book (5.) to take out money. You write how much money you want on a slip of paper (a cheque) with your signature, give it to the cashier, and she / he gives you the money.
6. A cash/debit card (6.) is another way to take out money. You put it in a machine, type some numbers and it gives you money.
7. A hole-in-the-wall is t
Colours
You probably already know the colours of the rainbow; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Here are some other colour names the people use in the UK.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. gold / primrose / buttercup
2. oatmeal / fawn / beige
3. pink / magenta
4. maroon / burgundy
5. Crimson, scarlet, rose
6. emerald / khaki
7. turquoise / jade / cyan
8. royal blue / sky blue
9. navy / midnight blue
10. lilac / lavender / mauve
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. In 1, crimson is a deep rich red and scarlet is a brighter slightly yellowy red. Rose is the colour of a deep-red flower from the rose family.
2. In 2, maroon and burgundy are both names for a dark red colour. Bugundy is also the name of a dark red wine from France.
3. In 3, magenta is the technical name for the pink colour used in priniting inks in most ink-jet printers.
4. In 4, oatmeal, fawn and beige are pale brown colours that have been fashionable in the UK in recent years.
5. In 5, gold is a deeper yellow, primrose is a weaker, lighter yellow and buttercup is a strong, solid yellow colour.
6. In 6, emerald is a deep green colour with a bit of blue in it and khaki is less strong and more yellowy and brown. Army uniforms in many countries are a khaki colour.
7. In 7, turquoise and jade are coulours between blue and green. Cyan is the technical name of the blue-green coloured ink used in ink-jet printers.
8. In 8, royal blue and sky-blue are strong blue colours similar to the colour of a summer sky. It is the colour of ink in
Describing people - bad
Unfortunately there are some people who we don't like. When somebody asks 'What's he like?' it is useful to have some negative adjectives to describe why you don't like him.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. Unfriendly / cold
2. Short-tempered / quick-tempered
3. Lazy
4. Stupid / dim-witted
5. Mean / stingy
6. Boring / dull
7. Inconsiderate / thoughtless
8. Strict / authoritarian
9. Unreliable
10. Dishonest
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Adjective 1 describes somebody who doesn't make friends easily and says and does things that make other people not like them.
2. Adjective 2 describes somebody who gets angry quickly or is often angry with other people
3. Adjective 3 describes somebody who doesn't do very much / tries to do as little work as possible.
4. Adjective 4 describes somebody who is not intelligent.
5. Adjective 5 describes a person who does not give things or help to other people very much.
6. Adjective 6 describes somebody who is not all interesting.
7. Adjective 7 describes a person who does not think about other people when they make decisions.
8. Adjective 8 describes somebody (usually a teacher / boss / parent) who makes very hard rules and makes other people keep these rules
9. Adjective 9 describes somebody who does not do things that they said they would do.
10. Adjective 10 describes a person who tells lies or who steals things from other people.
Describing people - good
When we like somebody we want to say nice things about them. When another person asks 'What's she like?', it's useful to have some positive adjectives to describe them.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. Warm-hearted / friendly
2. Good-looking
3. Hard-working
4. Bright
5. Generous / Kind
6. Full of energy / energetic
7. Thoughtful / Considerate
8. Easy-going
9. Reliable / responsible
10. Truthful / honest
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Adjective 1 describes somebody who can be friends with other people easily.
2. Adjective 2 describes somebody who looks beautiful - either women or men.
3. Adjective 3 describes somebody who does a lot of work.
4. Adjective 4 describes somebody who is intelligent.
5. Adjective 5 describes somebody who often gives things to other people or is happy to help them with their problems.
6. Adjective 6 describes a person who is always moving, never gets tired and has a lot of energy.
7. Adjective 7 describes somebody who thinks carefully about other people before they do things.
8. Adjective 8 describes somebody who is relaxed and calm and doesn't get angry with other people easily.
9. Adjective 9 describes a person who always does what they say they will do.
10. Adjective 10 describes somebody who tells the truth and doesn't steal or take things from other people.
Giving an opinion
It is very important to show people when you are saying an opinion and show that it is not a fact. Giving an opinion as a fact is not very polite in the UK.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. I reckon...
2. I'd say...
3. Personally, I think...
4. What I reckon is...
5. If you ask me...
6. The way I see it...
7. As far as I'm concerned...
8. If you don't mind me saying...
9. I'm utterly convinced that...
10. In my humble opinion...
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. We follow all the phrases with a sentence or clause that shows the speaker's opinion.
2. Phrases 1 - 3 are really quite informal. You can use these phrases when you are discussing something with friends or people who you know well.
3. In phrase 1, 'reckon' is a very common word in the UK today. It means 'I think' but British people use the word 'reckon' much more often than 'think'.
4. Phrases 5, 6 and 7 are all quite polite and show clearly that the statement is only an opinion.
5. Phrase 8 is more polite because it says to the other speaker that they might not agree with what you are saying.
6. Phrase 9 shows a very strong opinion. The speaker has no doubt at all that it is true.
7. Phrase 10 is the most polite expression of the ten. It is often written on the Internet as the abbreviatoin 'IMHO' or 'imho'.
Have a guess...
Sometimes you don't know exactly what something is, but you have some idea. Here are some phrases to use when you need to guess.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. Off the top of my head, I think she's 26.
2. Knowing (the English), he likes football.
3. If I had to take a guess, I'd say she's 26
4. I'd say she's 26.
5. Chances are she's 26.
6. At a guess, I'd say she's 26.
7. Probably about 26.
8. We're talking maybe late twenties.
9. About 6-ish
10. Around about 6 o'clock
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Phrases 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 can be used when guessing almost anything (age, height, time, personality, problems, etc).
2. Phrase 2 is based on a generalisation.
3. Phrases 3, 6 and 8 shows that the speaker really doesn't know the exact number.
4. Phrase 9 is only used with numbers and time.
5. Phrase 10 is usually used for numbers or a period of time.
Hoping for something
When we are talking about something in the future that we want but maybe it won't happen, we use a number of phrases. Here are ten of them.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. I hope it's sunny tomorrow
2. I'm hoping it'll be sunny tomorrow.
3. Hopefully, it'll be sunny tomorrow.
4. Let's hope it's sunny tomorrow.
5. Here's hoping we have a sunny day.
6. If we're lucky, it'll be sunny tomorrow
7. With any luck, it'll be sunny tomorrow.
8. I wish / If only it would be sunny...
9. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for...
10. I'm (really) counting on it being sunny
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Phrases 1, 2 and 3 are all saying that the speaker wants sunny weather tomorrow and that she thinks it might happen.
2. Phrase 4 is saying that the speaker wants sunny weather and he thinks that everybody wants sunny weather too.
3. Phrases 6 and 7 are saying that the speaker wants a sunny day but that it is very possible that it will rain.
4. Phrase 8 is asying that it will probably rain but that the speaker still wants it to be sunny.
5. Phrase 9 is saying that the speaker wants a sunny day and that he is not going to be prepared if it rains.
6. Phrase 10 is saying that the speaker really needs sunny weather. If it rains it will be a disaster.
Hot weather
Everyone talks about the weather - especially when it's nice. Here's what you can say.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. It's nice and warm today.
2. It's pretty hot, isn't it?
3. We're having a heatwave!
4. It's so hot! It must be over 80.
5. It's nice in the sun.
6. The weather's lovely.
7. It's a lovely day.
8. It's absolutely boiling!
9. It's positively tropical today.
10. It's sunny today, isn't it?
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. 1 we often combine 'nice' + 'warm' to be very positive.
2. 2 is useful when the weather is hot - maybe almost too hot.
3. 3 is used when the weather has been very hot for a number of days.
4. 4. This is like 2, so maybe it's almost too hot. Note we use Fahrenheit degrees.
5. 5 is useful even for winter days - in the sun it's nice, but in the shade it may be cold.
6. 6 and 7 are both common general expressions.
7. 8 and 9 are used when the weather is unusually hot.
8. 10 is the most common expression taught in books. It's particularly common with the tag question.
I'm from Bristol
We often tell people where we are from when we meet them. Here are different ways of doing that.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. I come from Bristol.
2. I'm from Bristol.
3. I'm a Bristolian.
4. Bristol's where I'm from.
5. Bristol's my hometown.
6. I was born and bred in Bristol.
7. I'm a Bristol boy/girl.
8. Bristol's my home.
9. I call Bristol home.
10. I'm based in Bristol.
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. 1 and 2 are both very common ways of giving this information.
2. 3. Many cities can be used like this. Other examples are Bathonian from Bath, a Londoner from London, a Mancunian from Manchester.
3. 4. is a version of 4, and puts the emphasis on the place, not on you.
4. 5. We all have a hometown - even if we don't live in it now.
5. 6. If you are 'born and bred' in a place it means you were born and grew up there.
6. 7. A Bristol boy/girl is used even with adults. It means you spent your younger years in a place.
7. 8 and 9 are similar. We use these expressions to talk about where we live even if it's different from where we were born.
8. 10 is more common when we are living somewhere, maybe for a period of time, but it is not where we were born. If you change where you live because of your work, this is a useful structure.
Jobs - health workers
There are many jobs related to health and hospitals. You probably already know about nurses and doctors. Here are ten other health-related jobs that you might need to know.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. GP / General Practitioner
2. Specialist / Consultant
3. Surgeon
4. Theatre nurse
5. Dentist
6. Dental hygienist
7. Chiropodist
8. Optician
9. Paramedic
10. Vet / Vetenarian
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. In 1, a 'General Practitioner' is the name we give to a general family doctor who you can go and see at a centre near your house. The health centre is called a 'practice'.
2. In 2, a 'specialist' is a doctor who knows many things about one special area - (e.g. eyes).
3. In 3, a 'surgeon' is a special doctor who does operations on people in a hospital.
4. In 4, a 'theatre nurse' is a nurse who helps with operations in 'an operating theatre'.
5. In 5, a 'dentist' is a doctor who looks at and works on your teeth.
6. In 6, a 'dental hygienist' is a person who cleans people's teeth and teaches them how to clean their teeth properly.
7. In 7, a 'chiropodist' is a doctor who looks after your feet.
8. In 8, an 'optician' is a doctor who specialises in eyes. You go to an optician when you need glasses or contact lenses.
9. In 9, a 'paramedic' is a person who arrives at the place where an accident happened and can give medical treatment to people who need it.
10. In 10, a 'vet' is a doctor for animals.
Jobs - Public servants
There are many government jobs that people do in the UK. Some of them have easy names that we all remember but others are more difficult and some jobs now have new official names.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. Police officer
2. Fire fighter
3. Street sweeper
4. Bin men / Garbage collectors
5. Tax inspector
6. Civil servant
7. Bus driver
8. Traffic warden
9. Car park attendant
10. Security manager
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Phrase 1 is the new politically correct name for people who work for the police.You should not use the expression 'policeman' because it contains 'man'.
2. Phrase 2 is the new politically correct name for people who stop fires.You should not use the expression 'fireman' because it contains 'man'.
3. Phrase 3 is the name for a person who cleans the streets.
4. In phrase 4, some people prefer the expression 'garbage collectors' to describe people who collect rubbish from our homes.
5. In phrase 5, a 'tax inspector' is a person who decides how much tax each person has to pay.
6. In 6, a civil servant is a general word for all the people who work for the national or local government.
7. In 8, a 'traffic warden' is a person who checks parked cars. If they are parked illegally he / she can make the driver pay a fine.
8. In 9, a 'car park attendant' is a person who works in a car park (parking lot) and checks that peole are paying the correct amount.
9. In 10, a 'security manager' is a person who works in a security centre and watches the
Jobs connected with travel
International air travel for business and for holidays has become a big part of most people's lives in the UK. Here are 10 job titles that we may meet when we are travelling.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. Travel agent
2. Check-in staff
3. Customs officers
4. Immigration officials
5. Flight crew
6. Cabin staff
7. Air marshall
8. Air traffic controllers
9. Courier
10. Tour rep
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. In 1, a 'travel agent' is the person or company who sells us a ticket. Nowadays many people use 'online travel agents' on the Internet.
2. In 2, the 'check-in staff' are the first people you meet when you arrive at the airport. They give you a boarding pass with your seat number and take your luggage to put in the plane.
3. In 3, 'customs officers' are people that check your bags to see if you need to pay tax on anything you are carrying. They also look for anything illegal like drugs.
4. In 4, 'immigration officials' are the people who check your passport when you arrive in a country or leave.
5. In 5, the 'flight crew' are all the workers who fly the plane. Usually there is a pilot / captain a co-pilot and a navigator who checks the route. Sometimes there is also an engineer.
6. In 6, the 'cabin staff' are all the men and women who look after you during the flight. Nowadays we don't say 'stewardess' but instead we say 'flight attendant'.
7. In 7, and 'air marshall' is a new job. After the September 11th terrorist attacks, ma
Kinds of Shops
In England, most shops have easy names like 'toy shop' and 'book shop'. But there are a few shops with special names. Here are ten of them that you need to know.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. Greengrocer's
2. Butcher's
3. Baker's
4. Chemist's
5. Stationer's / Stationery shop
6. Ironmonger's / Hardware shop
7. Florist's
8. Newsagent's
9. Off Licence
10. Corner shop
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. In 1, a greengrocer's sells fruit and vegetables. Sometimes they sell a few other things like eggs and milk.
2. In 2, a butcher's sells meat. Nowadays, most people buy their meat in supermerkets but you can still find a traditional butchers shop in most large towns.
3. In 3, a baker's sells bread and cakes and usually they make them in the same building.
4. In 4, a chemist's is where you go to buy drugs. We use the word 'pharmacy' sometimes in the UK, but we never say 'drug store'.
5. In 5, a stationer's is a shop that sells, paper, pencils, pens, printer cartridges and things for an office.
6. In 6, and ironmonger's is a shop that sells, nails, screws, tools and other heavy metal things. They also sell paint, glue and other useful things for the home.
7. In 7, a florist's is a shop that sells flowers. Most good florists also sell plants in pots and can send flowers to someone in another city.
8. In 8, we go to a newsagent's to buy newspapers and magazines. They also usually sell cigarettes and sweets.
9. In 9, an off licence is the
Mixed feelings.
Sometimes people ask you 'How do you feel?'. Here are ten feelings that people often have. You can use one of them to answer the question.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. happy / contented / delighted
2. sad / depressed
3. amused
4. excited
5. frightened / afraid / terrified
6. worried / anxious
7. tired / sleepy
8. angry / annoyed
9. disappointed
10. bored
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. In 1, most people want to be happy in their lives. We are contented when the situation in our lives is good enough and we are delighted when something very good happens.
2. In 2, sad is the opposite emotion to happy. People often cry when they are very sad. When people are depressed they feel sad about their lives for a long time. They don't think it will get better.
3. In 3, we are amused when we see or hear something that is funny. Sometimes we laugh.
4. In 4, we are excited when something good or interesting has happened or will happen soon. Excited people often have a lot of energy and can't stop moving.
5. In 5, we are frightened / afraid when we know that we are in a dangerous situation. Terrified is a stronger word.
6. In 6, we are worried or anxious when we think that something bad is going to happen or maybe we think it has already happened to another person who we care about.
7. In 7, tired means that you have done a lot of work and you need to rest. If you are sleepy you want to sleep - you are probably yawning a lo
On the Phone
The phone is a really important part of our lives today, especially with mobiles. Here are some useful expressions.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. I'll call you later.
2. Leave a message.
3. Hi Simon, it's Anna.
4. Did you get my message?
5. Can I speak to Rob, please?
6. Hi, Jenny. Where are you?
7. Thanks for getting back to me.
8. Leave a message after the beep
9. What's your number?
10. I'm returning your call.
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. 1 is used to say we will phone someone at some time in the future. We can also say 'I'll get back to you' if someone has asked us for specific information that we don't have now.
2. You hear 2 on an answerphone, asking people to say why they were calling.
3. You use 3 to say who you are at the beginning of a call.
4. We use 4 to check someone knows that we called and left a message before.
5. 5 is a common question if the person you want to talk to is not the person who answers the phone.
6. Now we all have mobiles, we often start conversations by asking where someone is.
7. 7 is used when you have left a message for someone, and they are now calling back.
8. 8 is like 2. We say 'beep' or 'tone' meaning the noise that indicates you can leave a message.
9. 9 is a common way of asking for someone's contact details.
10. 10 is what we say when someone wants us to call them back.
Phrases for postcards
When English people go to other countries they like to write postcards to their family and friends back in the UK. Here are ten phrases that we often use on postcards.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. We're having a lovely / great time.
2. We're thinking of you.
3. The weather's been lovely / gorgeous.
4. It's our third day in (Majorca).
5. We're flying back on the (5th).
6. We've only got three days to go.
7. I've caught the sun a bit.
8. Don't think much of the food.
9. Say hello to (the kids).
10. Wish you were here.
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. We use phrase 1 very often - even if the holiday isn't very good.
2. When we use phrase 2 it is probably only true while we are writing. If you think about the person a lot, say 'we've been thinking about you'.
3. Phrase 3 really means 'the weather is better than UK weather'. The English often write about the weather when they have nothing else to say.
4. Phrases 4, 5 and 6 are all talking about the length of the holiday. It probably isn't a very good holiday if the writer is already talking about going home.
5. Phrase 7 probably means that the writer fell asleep in the sun and is now bright red - the colour of a lobster.
6. It may surprise you, but the English prefer their food to the food in other countries. We often write phrase 8 on postcards.
7. Phrases 8 and 10 have no subject. We often write like this on postcards because we only have little space and the reader knows who the subject of the sentence is.
8. We often write phrase 10 on postcards. It means that we feel sad that the reader is back in cold wet
Britain and we wa
Phrases you hear in an airport
If you visit the UK, you will probably need to go through a UK airport at least once. Here are some of the phrases you can expect to hear.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. What is the purpose of your trip?
2. Did you pack this bag yourself?
3. Please do not leave any bags unattended.
4. Do you have anything to declare?
5. Flight BA333 is now boarding.
6. Flight UA666 has been cancelled.
7. Flight SA999 has been delayed.
8. Would passenger Jo Page please come to...
9. This is the final call for flight BA111 to
10. ...please make your way to Gate 99.
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. You hear phrase 1 when you arrive in the UK. The answer can be 'business', 'study', or 'pleasure' if you are visiting for a holiday.
2. Phrase 2 is asking about who put things into your bags. You should always pack your bag yourself and you should always answer 'yes' to this question.
3. Phrase 3 is asking you to keep your bag with you all the time. If you put it down and walk away, people will maybe think it is a bomb.
4. Phrase 4 is asking if you have anything in your bags that you need to pay tax to bring it into the UK (e.g. alcohol, tobacco, carpets).
5. Phrase 5 means that if your flight is BA333 you can now go to get onto the plane. Listen and they will tell you which gate to go to e.g. Gate number 16.
6. Phrase 6 means that this flight will not go. The airline has stopped it. If this is your flight it is very bad news.
7. Phrase 7 means that the flight is going to be late. Look at the information board and wait for new information.
8. Phrase 8 is asking for one person to go to an information desk. If it is not your name,
Possibility
When we are talking about the future, we often don't really know what will happen. Here are ten ways that we can say things that we think have a chance of happening.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. It's probably going to rain tomorrow.
2. There's a (good) chance it'll rain...
3. In all probability, it'll rain...
4. The odds are it'll rain tomorrow.
5. I wouldn't be surprised if it rained...
6. There's a fifty-fifty chance of rain...
7. It's quite likely it'll rain...
8. It may / might / could rain tomorrow.
9. Maybe it'll rain tomorrow.
10. There's (just) a chance it'll rain
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Phrases 1 and 2 are saying that there is a high probability
2. Phrases 3 and 4 are a little weaker but still quite strong
3. Phrases 5 and 6 are saying that the chance is about 50 percent that it will rain.
4. In phrase 8, 'may' and 'might' are more probable if the word 'just' comes before (e.g. it just might rain tomorrow.)
5. Phrase 9 depends on the intonation. Increasing the rise-fall on 'May' makes the rain sound more probable.
6. Phrase 10 is saying that the probability is small.
Remembering things
Do you have a good memory? You can probably remember many things from the past. These are ten phrases that English people use when they are recalling things from the past.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. I remember...
2. I can (clearly) remember...
3. I'll never forget...
4. As far as I can remember...
5. As I recall...
6. If I remember correctly...
7. If I'm not / Unless I'm - mistaken...
8. Now I come to think of it...
9. I have a vague recollection of...
10. It's on the tip of my tongue.
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. We use phrases 1, 2, 3 and 9 with a noun phrase or gerund after the phrase.
2. We follow phrases 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 with a whole sentence or clause.
3. Phrases 4, 5, 6 7 and 9 are for things that we don't remember very well. We have some memory of the event but it is not complete.
4. Phrases 2 and 4 are for things that we have a very good memory of with many details.
5. We use phrase 8 when we didn't remember much at first but then a clearer memory came back. We introduce our more accurate story with this phrase.
6. We use phrase 10 for a name or piece of information that we can't remember but we think that we almost have it and that if we keep thinking hard, it will come back.
Reminding people to do things
There are many situations when you ask somebody to do something and later you think that they didn't remember to do it. Here are some phrases that you can use to remind them.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. Don't forget to do it.
2. Remember to do it.
3. You will remember to do it.
4. You won't forget to do it, will you?
5. Can / Could I remind you to...?
6. I'd like to remind you about...
7. You haven't forgotten about __, have you?
8. I hope you haven't forgotten to...
9. Sorry to be a bore but do remember to...
10. May I remind you / all passengers that...
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. In phrase 1, the stress is on the word 'Don't' and in phrase 2 the stress is on 'mem' in the word 'remember'.
2. In phrase 3, you need to put stress on the word 'will'.
3. In phrase 4, you need to put stress on the word 'won't.
4. Phrases 5 and 6 are little more polite and could be used with somebody who you don't know very well.
5. You use phrases 7 and 8 when you think the other person has forgotten and it is almost too late. If they haven't forgotten, they may get angry, so be careful.
6. Phrase 9 has an apology at the beginning which makes it slightly more polite.
7. Phrase 10 is formal and is safe to use with strangers, with groups of people and in customer service situations.
8. After phrases 1,2,3,4,5,8,9 we use the infinitive form. For example: Don't forget to check your grammar.
9. After phrases 6 and 7, you need to use a noun or a noun phrase. For example: I'd like to remind you about the party tomorrow night.
10. After phrase 10 we use a clause (mini sentence). For example: May I remind all passengers that smoking is not allo
Rooms In A House
There are certain rooms that you usually find in every UK house. Some of them are the same as other countries and some are not.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. Kitchen
2. Bathroom
3. Cloakroom / Toliet / Water closet
4. Hall
5. Landing
6. Lounge / Living room
7. Dining room
8. Bedrooms
9. Attic / Loft conversion
10. Cellar
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. In 1, the kitchen is often the centre of life in a UK house. Many families eat most of their meals in the kitchen and you often a find a TV set there too.
2. 2. Some more modern UK homes have a toilet in the bathroom, but still most houses have separate toilet and bathrooms. You don't usually find a bidet in English bathrooms.
3. in 3, nearly every house in the UK today has at least one indoor toilet. But up to fifty years ago, toilets were outside in the back garden.
4. In 4, the 'hall' is usually the first room that you come into after you come through the front door. It's often a long narrow room with doors to the other ground floor rooms.
5. In 5, the 'landing' is the area of floor at the top of each flight of stairs. The landing on the upper floor is often like an upstairs 'hall' (see 4).
6. In 6, the lounge or living room is the room where people can relax. In the past, the centre of the living room was the fireplace. Now it's usually the television.
7. In 7, not every home has a dining room and many families never sit d
Saying goodbye
There are many things that you can say in English when you are leaving somebody. Here are ten of the most common phrases.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. Bye!
2. Goodbye!
3. Bye for now!
4. See you! / See ya!
5. Be seeing you!
6. See you soon!
7. I'm off.
8. Cheerio!
9. Catch you later!
10. Good night!
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Phrase 1 is the most common phrase that British people say. Note: we don't often say 'Bye-bye'. This sounds rather childish.
2. Phrase 2 is a little more formal.
3. Phrases 3, 4, 5 and 6 are quite informal and friendly. They mean that you expect you will see the other person again soon.
4. Phrase 7 is short and not very polite. You are saying that you are leaving without a farewell greeting.
5. Phrase 8 is a little old fashioned but quite informal.
6. Phrase 9 is also very informal and says that you expect to see the other person again soon.
7. We only say phrase 10 at night.
Saying somebody is correct
Somebody asks 'You're and English student, aren't you?'. Here are ten expressions that you can use to say that this information is in fact correct.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. Yes, that's right.
2. You're quite right.
3. Yes, that's correct.
4. That's spot on.
5. You're dead right (there).
6. Absolutely.
7. You've hit the nail on the head.
8. You could say so.
9. I'm afraid so.
10. (I'm) sorry to say so.
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Phrases 1, 2, and 3 are quite neutral and are just saying that what the other person asked is true.
2. Phrases 4, 5, and 6 also say that the information is very exact and maybe you are surprised at how accurate the other speaker is.
3. Phrase 7 is an idion that means that the other person's question or statement is exactly true.
4. Phrase 8 says that you think this is correct but that other people disagree.
5. Phrases 9 and 10 are saying that the other speaker is correct but that you are unhappy about this information.
Saying somebody is wrong
When you hear somebody say something that you know is wrong, you want to tell them. Here are ten polite and less polite ways of telling them they're wrong.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. I'm afarid that's not quite right.
2. Actually, I think you'll find that...
3. I'm afraid you're mistaken.
4. I don't think you're right about...
5. Actually, I don't think...
6. No, you've got it worng.
7. No, that's all wrong.
8. Rubbish! / You're talking rubbish.
9. Where did you hear that?
10. If you check your facts, you'll find...
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Pharses 1 and 2 are fairly polite. If you really want to be polite you could make an apology first e.g. 'I'm sorry to disagree, but...'
2. Phrases 3 and 4 are a little stronger and a little less polite
3. You follow phrase 4 with a noun phrase or a gerund.
4. Phrases 6 and 7 are very strong. You may upset the person you are talking to so you should be really sure about your own facts before you say one of these.
5. Phrases 8 and 9 are actually quite rude. Even people who know each other quite well may not say these phrases to each other.
6. Phrase 10 is followed by a sentence or clause with the correct information
Saying something is difficult
There are many situations when we want to say we find an activity difficult. It may be a subject we are studying or a skill that is part of a physical acitivity we are learning.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. It's not so easy..
2. It's a bit tricky..
3. It's not the easiest ___ in the world..
4. It's quite tough at times..
5. It's (quite / a bit) hard going..
6. It's nigh on impossible..
7. The course is quite demanding.
8. The course can be gruelling at times
9. It isn't a walk in the park
10. It's not a course for the faint-hearted.
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Phrases 1, 2 and 3 are saying that it is a little difficult for some people.
2. Phrase 4 says that some parts of the course are difficult.
3. Phrase 5 says that the course is difficult and that many people will not keep going and give up before they finish.
4. Phrase 6 is saying that the course is nearly impossible.
5. Phrses 7 and 8 are saying that you will need a lot of effort and determination to complete the course.
6. Phrase 9 is saying that the course is not easy.
7. Phrase 10 says that people who give up easily should not start the course as they will probably not finish.
Saying that something is easy.
Here are some English phrases that you can say when you think something is easy or very easy.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. It's a doddle.
2. Easy peasy.
3. It's a cinch.
4. There's nothing to it.
5. Anyone can do it.
6. It's childsplay.
7. It's a walk in the park.
8. It's not rocket science.
9. It's easy as pie / easy as a,b,c
10. I can do it with my eyes shut
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Phrases 1, 2 and 3 are saying that something is totally simple.
2. Phrase 4 is saying that you don't need to think about it. you can do it without thinking.
3. Phrase 5 says that it's so easy that everybody can do it.
4. Phrases 6 and 9 say that it's so easy that young children can do it.
5. Phrase 8 is saying that it is not difficult like building rockets.
6. Phrase 10 is saying that it is so easy that you can do it without looking - with your eyes shut.
Saying things are good.
Students who learn English sometimes use the words 'good' and 'nice' many times in their writing and speaking. It is more interesting if you use different words. There are many.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. It's great.
2. It's fantastic.
3. It's excellent.
4. It's better than average.
5. It's not bad.
6. I'd recommend it.
7. I'm very impressed.
8. It's better than I expected.
9. It's the best I've ever seen / tasted
10. I could ___ till the cows come home.
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Phrases 1, 2 and 3 are stronger ways of saying that something is good.
2. Phrases 4 and 5 are saying it's good but not very good.
3. Phrase 5 says that you like and you want other people to try it too.
4. Phrase 8 says that it's good but you didn't expect that it would be so good.
5. Phrase 9 is saying that it is number 1 / the best.
6. Phrase 10 is very enthusiastic. You need a verb and an object. e.g. 'I could listen to Robbie Williams till the cows come home.
Saying you are unwell
When somebody asks you 'How are you?' sometimes you do not feel well. English people often lie and say 'Fine'. If you want to tell the truth, here are ten ways of answering.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. Not too good.
2. Not so great.
3. A little under the weather.
4. A bit rough.
5. A bit the worse for wear.
6. Much the same as yesterday.
7. A bit better.
8. As well as can be expected.
9. (I feel) lousy.
10. Bloody awful.
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Phrases 1, 2, 3 and 4 are only a little negative and are fairly polite. But English people may use them when they are feeling very ill.
2. We often use phrase 5 when we did something earlier that has made us feel ill. We often say it the morning after drinking a lot of alcohol, when we have a hangover.
3. We use phrase 6 if the person we are talking to knows that we were ill yesterday also.
4. Phrases 7 and 8 sound positive but usually mean that the speaker still feels quite bad.
5. Phrases 9 and 10 a very strong. It is not normally polite to answer a friendly question so negatively. Only say them to friends and people who you know well.
Saying you don't know
Sometimes somebody asks you a question and you don't know the answer. Here are some phrases that you can use when you don't know.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. Sorry. I don't know.
2. (I'm afraid,) I've no idea.
3. (Sorry,) I can't help you there.
4. I don't know anything about..(cars)
5. I don't know the first thing about (cars)
6. I haven't got a clue.
7. Search me.
8. Don't ask me.
9. What are you asking me for?
10. How the hell should I know?
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. In phrases 1, 2 and 3 we can use either 'sorry' or 'I'm afraid' or we can leave this part of the pharse out. These phrases are quite polite.
2. Phrases 4 and 5 are saying that you don't know the answer and that you don't know about the whole topic area (cars).
3. Phrases 6 and 7 are saying (more strongly) that you don't know anything about the topic.
4. If you say phrases 8 or 9, you are probably a little angry that somebody asked you a question about this topic.
5. Phrase 10 is showing stronger annoyance that somebody asked you about a certain topic.
Sometimes
When you are talking about how often something happens, there are many expressions to describe the midde ground between often and occasionally. Here are ten phrases.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. fairly often...
2. more often than not...
3. (at least) half the time...
4. almost every other day...
5. several times a week / a year
6. every so often...
7. now and then...
8. from time to time...
9. once in a while...
10. on a good day...
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Phrases 1, 2, and 3 are quite positive. When we use 'at least' with phrase 3 it means more than half of the time.
2. Phrase 4 means a little less than half the time.
3. In Phrase 5, several sounds quite positive. It means a number more than 3. It also says that 3 times a week is often.
4. Phrases 6, 7, 8, and 9 are less often. they are similar in meaning to 'occasionally'.
5. Phrase 10 suggests that something doesn't happen very often but that when it happens, it's a good thing.
Supermarket phrases
In the UK, people spend a lot of time in supermarkets. Here are some things that you often hear people say in supermarkets. Some phrases are used by customers and some by staff.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. Where can I find the (Rich Tea Biscuits)?
2. They're on aisle 7 (next to the cakes).
3. Sorry, it's out of stock at the moment.
4. I'm afraid it's been discontinued.
5. How would you like to pay?
6. Do you need any help packing?
7. I can manage myself thank you.
8. Do you want any cash back?
9. Please enter your PIN number.
10. Would you like a receipt?
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. We use phrase 1 when we can't find something. Just look for a member of staff and say this phrase to them.
2. Phrase 2 is saying where something is. An 'aisle' is a coridor between shelves of products. They usually have numbers - often hanging from the ceiling above them.
3. Phrase 3 means that the supermerket doesn't have your product today but they will have it another day - maybe tomorrow.
4. Phrase 4 means that the supermarket has stopped selling the product that you want. Try looking in a different supermarket.
5. When you are paying, the shop assistant asks you the question in phrase 5. You can pay 'in cash' or with a credit card.
6. Phrase 6: Some supermarkets will put the things you bought into the carrier bag for you. They will ask you this question first.
7. You can use phrase 7 if you don't want somebody to do something for you. It's a useful answer to the question in phrase 6.
8. If you pay with a credit card, the shop assistant will ask you phrase 8. If you say 'yes ten pounds please' the assistant will give you ten
Surprise
Sometimes you see or hear something that you were not expecting. Maybe it's an unexpected event or a piece of information. Here are ten expressions that show how surprised you are.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. Really?
2. What?
3. What a surprise!
4. Well I never! / Blimey!
5. That's the last thing I expected
6. You're kidding!
7. I don't believe it! / Are you serious?
8. I'm speechless!
9. I'd never have guessed.
10. You don't say!
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. We say phrases 1 and 2 with rising intonation. It's imporatnt to make your voice go up at the end. You are inviting the other speaker to give you more information.
2. Phrase 3 is a general expression of surprise
3. Phrases in 4 are strong exclamations. 'Blimey!' is a little rude as it literally means 'God blind me!'
4. We say phrase 5 when something is completely different to what you expected - after a surprising event.
5. Phrases in 6 and 7 are saying that we really don't believe the information.
6. Phrase 8 is saying that you are so surprised that you can't speak.
7. Phrase 10 is a little old fashioned. If people say this nowadays, they are probably being sarcastic and they really mean that it isn't surprising at all.
Talking about good ideas
With friends, at work and in many other situations we ask for ideas and respond to them. Here are some useful ways of saying you like someone's idea.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. That's a great idea.
2. That's an idea.
3. Good idea!
4. What a great idea!
5. I think that's a fantastic idea.
6. I like that idea.
7. I like the idea of that.
8. That's not a bad idea.
9. You know what? That's a good idea.
10. Cool!
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. 1 and 2 are very common expressions. 2 has stress on THAT'S, and 1 can have double stress on THAT'S and GREAT.
2. 3 Shows more enthusiasm, which is why it is a short expression. You can also say 'Great/Fantastic/Wonderful idea, etc.
3. The structure in 4 is very useful: What a/an/- + adjective + noun: What a nice person/what a terrible mistake/What great shoes!
4. Adding 'I think' in 5 shows your personal appreciation, and we often stress 'I' to emphasise this.
5. 6 and 7 are similar, but we stress LIKE in 6, and normally IDEA in 7.
6. 8 is a variant of 6. We often use a negative structure (not + negative adjective: it's not uncommon, it's not impossible, it's not unlikely) for a positive effect for emphasis.
7. 9 uses a rehtorical question: You know what (I think)? And is a strong way of giving your opinion of something.
8. 10 This is a common informal way of saying you like an idea or suggestion.
Talking About Rain
England is famous for having lots of rain. In fact, many countries have more rain than we do but people still have an image of the UK as a wet place.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. Is that rain?
2. It's only a shower.
3. It's pouring.
4. It's bucketing down.
5. We'd better run for it.
6. It's been raining all day.
7. I'm soaked to the skin.
8. I'm drenched.
9. Looks like rain.
10. We could do with some rain.
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. We say 1 when we feel the first drop of rain, before it starts to rain hard.
2. We say 2 if we think it's going to stop raining soon.
3. 3 and 4 are talking about really heavy rain.
4. 5 is a suggestion to run somewhere to get out of the rain.
5. With 7 and 8, we are saying that we are very wet or our clothes are very wet.
6. 9 is something we say when we think it is going to rain soon. The speaker is probably looking at big black rain clouds.
7. We say 10 when we want it to rain soon. Nowadays, many parts of Britain don't have enough rain. Farmers and gardeners often say this.
Talking about weather
It can get quite cold in Britain, especially when the wind is from the icy north or from Russia. Here's what to say.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. It's freezing outside!
2. It's a bit chilly. Wrap up warm.
3. It's cold.
4. It's Arctic out there.
5. It's quite fresh - take a jumper.
6. You can see your breath in the air.
7. It's below zero.
8. It must be minus five or more.
9. It's pretty frosty today.
10. My car's iced up, it's that cold.
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. 1 is useful when it's very cold.
2. 2. This is advice to wear warm clothes and a coat etc because it is getting cold. We can use this for summer nights and for winter days.
3. 3 is the basic expression you can use in all situations.
4. 4 Arctic indicates that it is very cold - colder than normal.
5. 5. Some people don't feel the cold - so we use 'fresh' as a positive term.
6. 6 describes cold days when your breath forms a cloud - it's poetic!
7. 7 indicates the temperature is very cold. Note we don't say 'under zero.'
8. 8 We use 'minus' with a number to give the exact temperature.
9. 9 Frosty mornings are quite common in winter.
10. 10 When there is ice on your windscreen, we use this expression.
Telephones and Telephoning
The telephone is a very important part of our lives. The following ten expressions are parts of telephones or things that are connected with telephones in some way.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. Receiver / handset
2. Keypad / Dial
3. Earpiece / Mouthpiece
4. Phone box
5. The phone book
6. The Yellow Pages
7. Operator
8. Directory Enquiries
9. The dial tone
10. Reverse charges
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. All of the phrases are nouns apart from phrase 10. Phrase 10 is a verb phrase.
2. Phrases in 1 describe the part pf a telephone that you hold in your hand. 'Receiver' is a more popular expression expression in the UK.
3. Phrases in 2 are the part of the telephone that we use to enter the number with our fingers. Modern telephones have a keypad. Older phones had a dial with numbers arranged ina circle.
4. In phrase 4, a phone box is a very small building that contains a public pay-phone. In the UK, the traditional phone box is painted a bright red colour.
5. In phrase 5, the phone book is a large book (directory) containing all the telephone numbers of people living in a city or area.
6. In phrase 6, the 'Yellow Pages' is a large book or directory containing the telephone numbers of businesses and organizations in one area.
7. In phrase 7, the operator is a person who you can call and ask for help telephoning or making a connection.
8. In phrase 8, Directory Enquiries is a company that you can telephone and ask the telephone numbe
Telling people your job
When people ask you 'What do you do?', there are different ways that you can answer. In all the examples below the speaker is a hairdresser.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. I'm a hairdresser.
2. I'm in hairdressing.
3. I work as a hairdresser.
4. I'm a professional hairdresser.
5. I do a bit of hairdressing.
6. I'm in the hairdressing business.
7. I cut hair (for a living).
8. I work for a hairdressers.
9. My day job is hairdressing.
10. I earn my living as a hairdresser.
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Phrase 1 is simply giving the job as a fact.
2. Phrase 2 is describing the job as an area with a variety of possible jobs - hair-cutter, stylist, colourist etc.
3. Phrase 3 says that the speakers job is now hairdressing but maybe she can do other things as well.
4. We say phrase 4 when we want to make our job sound more important or difficult.
5. We say phrase 5 when we want to make the job sound less important or difficult. Also, maybe it is only part-time work.
6. Phrase 6 is simmilar to phrase 2.
7. Phrase 7 simply describes the action of the job. It makes the job sound less glamorous or difficult.
8. Phrase 8 is saying who the employer is. Maybe the speaker doesn't actually cat hair. Maybe he / she sweeps the floor.
9. Phrases 9 and 10 says that the speaker makes money by cutting hair but has another profession that he / she wants to follow in the future.
Ten Ways of Expressing Dislike
We all have things we don't like very much. Sometimes we are not interested in something, and sometimes we hate it. Here are some ways of talking about things you don't like mcuh.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. I don't really like classical music.
2. Classical music is not very me.
3. Classical music is not my style.
4. Classical music doesn't do anything for me
5. Classical music is not my thing.
6. I'm not into classical music.
7. Classical music sucks.
8. I'm not much of a classical music fan.
9. I never listen to classical music.
10. You can keep classical music.
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. 1 is quite neutral and polite.
2. 2, 3 and 5 are ways of saying that classicial music is not your taste, but you are not judging classical music itself.
3. We use 4, 6 and 8 to say that we do like other types of music, but not this type of music.
4. 9 is quite a strong statement because of the word 'never'. We could also say: I don't listen to classical music.
5. 7 and 10 are very strong negative judgments. 7 in particular is strong and you should not use it with people you don't know, or people you don't want to shock!
6. I'm into + subject, I'm not into + subject are very common and useful expressions that students generally don't use.
Ten Ways of Saying Hello
There are lots of different ways of saying hello to people you know and people you don't know. Here are the best ones to learn and use in the UK.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. Hi.
2. Hello.
3. How's it going?
4. How do you do?
5. How's tricks?
6. Watcha!
7. How are things?
8. Haven't seen you for ages.
9. Great to see you again.
10. Nice to meet you.
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. 4 and 10 are quite formal. We use them when we meet someone for the first time.
2. The most general greeting is 2, which you can use in formal and informal situations, in business and with friends.
3. 3, 5 and 7 are informal expressions you can use with friends or people you work with on a regular basis. 6 is very informal and is only used with good friends or people in informal situations.
4. 8 and 9 can be used in informal situations when your last meeting was a long time ago.
5. The normal reply for all of them is: Fine. But with 1, 2 and 4 we repeat the same greeting.
Ten Ways of Talking about Likes
We often talk about hobbies and things we like - but exercises in school books don't always sound very natural. Here are some ways of talking about something that you like a lot.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. I love rock and roll.
2. I really like rock and roll.
3. I live for rock and roll.
4. Rock and roll is my favourite.
5. I can't get enough of rock and roll.
6. Rock and roll is my life.
7. I'm really into rock and roll.
8. Rock and roll is my thing.
9. I'm keen on rock and roll.
10. I listen to rock and roll all day long.
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. 1 is a normal expression, and is the structure normally taught in school - but it's not he most common.
2. 2 is a very common way of showing you like something. It's good to use the word 'really' to intensify your feeling.
3. 4 and 9 show that this music is important for you, but they don't show much emotion.
4. 7 is a common way of showing your enthusiasm for something.
5. 3, 6 and 10 show that this music dominates your life: it is very important for you.
6. 8 is not quite as strong as 3 and 6, but it shows that this music is very important for you.
Thanking people
The British have a great variety of ways to thank people and showing appreciation for a gift or an act of kindness. Here are ten of them.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. Thanks.
2. Cheers.
3. Thank you very much.
4. I really appreciate it.
5. You've made my day.
6. How thoughtful.
7. You shouldn't have.
8. That's so kind of you.
9. I am most grateful.
10. We would like to express our gratitude.
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Phrases 1 and 2 are fairly informal. People often say them without really thinking about it. We use them when somebody does something small to help you.
2. Phrases 3 and 4 are more formal. We use these when somebody has done something quite large or important to help you.
3. We use phrase 6 when somebody gives you a present. We are saying thank you to the other person for thinking about you and deciding to give a present.
4. Phrase 7 is also for receiving a present. You are saying that the other person is too generous. It does NOT mean that the person speaking is angry or annoyed.
5. Phrases 9 and 10 are more formal. Phrase 10 is especially formal and is only used in business letters and formal speeches.
Things in a stationery shop
When you go to stationery shop in the UK, you will see many familiar things. But do you know the right names for them. Here are ten common items.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. Lined / unlined paper
2. Ring binders
3. Post-it notes
4. A hole punch
5. Ink-jet cartridges
6. Highlighter pens
7. Liquid paper / correction fluid
8. Sellotape
9. Marker pens
10. Drawing pins
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. In 1, 'lined' paper is writing paper that has lines on it and 'unlined' paper has no lines on it.
2. In 2, 'ring binders' are special folders that you can put many sheets of paper into. They have two metal rings that go through the holes in the left side of the paper.
3. In 3, 'post-it notes' are small square pieces of paper that have a sticky end on one side. You can stick them on a wall or a desk to remind you to do something.
4. In 4, a 'hole punch' is a tool that makes two holes in a piece of paper so that you can keep it in a ring binder (see 2).
5. In 5, 'ink-jet cartridges' a small plastic containers with coloured ink inside. They go inside computer printers.
6. In 6, 'highlighter pens' are special pens that you can use to make an area of paper bright yellow, orange or green. We use them to make important pieces of text easier to see.
7. In 7, 'liquid paper' is a white coloured liquid that we can paint over a mistake in our writing. After 5 minutes, we can write over it again.
8. In 8, 'sellotape' is a clear plastic tape t
Things to say when you're angry
There are many reasons for getting angry in Britain these days like car alarms, train strikes and Sunday opening hours. Here are some things that people often say when they've had
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. I don't believe it!
2. What a pain!
3. It's driving me up the wall.
4. I've had it up to here with...
5. I've had all I can take of...
6. It really gets on my nerves.
7. I'm sick and tired of...
8. I'm fed up with it.
9. I could really do without it.
10. Is it possible?
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. We say phrases 1 and 2 immdeiately after something has made you angry.
2. We say phrases 3, 4 and 5 about a situation or a series of repeated actions that make us angry.
3. We say phrase 6 about something that slowly makes you angry over a long time
4. We say phrases 7 and 8 about something annoying that has continued for a long time.
5. We often say phrase 9 when we have several pieces of bad luck and then one more bad thing happens.
6. We say phrase 10 to show our disbelief that something so bad has happened or that one more bad thing has happened after several others.
Things you do while driving
You probably know how to drive. But do you know all the English phrases to describe the different things that you often do in a car? Here are ten of the most common ones.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. Indicate
2. Pull out
3. Drive off
4. Pull over
5. Speed up
6. Slow down
7. Step on it
8. Slam the brakes on
9. Have a near miss
10. Get pulled over
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. When you 'indicate' you turn on a flashing light to show that you are going to turn right or left
2. 'Pull out' means to take the car out of a side road or parking space and start driving.
3. 'Drive off' means to drive the car away from a person or place.
4. 'Pull over' means to stop the car at the side of the road.
5. 'Speed up' means to make the car go faster.
6. 'Slow down' means to make the car go slower.
7. 'Step on it' means to put your foot hard on the accelerator and make the car go very fast.
8. 'Slam the brakes on' means to put your foot hard on the brakes and make the car slow down a lot or stop.
9. 'Have a near miss' is when you nearly have an accident with another vehicle.
10. When you 'get pulled over' the police stop your car - because you did something wrong.
Toilets
The British invented the flush toilet in the Nineteenth Century so it is hardly surprising that we have more expressions for them than any other country in the world. Here are ten.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. Lavatory / Toilet
2. Loo / Bog
3. Water closet
4. Khazi
5. Latrines
6. Little boys' room / little girls' room
7. Ladies / gents
8. Crapper
9. Public conveniences
10. The smallest room / throne room
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Phrases in 1 are general expressions used by (almost) everybody.
2. In 2, the wod 'loo' is quite polite whereas 'bog' sounds a little impolite.
3. In 3, the euphemism 'water closet' is often used in restaurants and hotels. Nowadays it has been shortened to the acronym 'W.C.'.
4. 4 and 5 are military expressions and 'latrines' sound more polite and suggest a block of toilets constructed together.
5. The phrases in 6 are used to try to make toilets sound cute and sweet. This phrase may annoy some people.
6. In 7, 'ladies' and 'gentlemen' are the traditional notices posted outside public toilets in the UK. 'Gentlemen' has become abbreviated to 'gents'.
7. In 8, 'crapper' sounds a little rude but it was actually the name of the man who invented the flush toilet mechanism, Thomas Crapper.
8. In 9, 'conveniences' is a polite way to refer to public toilets. In many places you must pay and have the correct coin to use one which is not actually convenient at all.
9. The phrases in 10 are used to talk about the toilet in people's houses. 'Thr
UK clothes and fashion
Britain is not the most famous country in the world for fashion but there are some special kinds of clothes and fashion items that you will see on every British street.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. A pair of trainers
2. A hoodie / hooded top
3. Surf shorts
4. Combats
5. Anorak
6. Waistcoat
7. Faded jeans
8. Nose studs / Piercings
9. Bare midriff
10. Doc Martens
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. In phrase 1, \trainers\ is the UK word for athletic shoes, which are known as \sneakers\ in the US.
2. In phrase 2 a \hoodie\ is a thick shirt with a hood to cover your head. Many people in the UK connect them with street crime because you can use the hood to hide your identity from CCTV cameras.
3. In phrase 3, \surf shorts\ are long shorts that come down to your knees.
4. In 5, \combats\ is an abbreviation of \combat trousers\. They are loose-fitting trousers with many pockets.
5. In 5, and \anorak\ is a waterproof coat with a hood. Some people think this is very unfashionable but they are common.
6. In 6, a \waistcoat\ is like a smart jacket with no sleeves. In the past, people wore them under a suit or as part of a waiter's uniform. Now they are fashionable as normal clothes.
7. In 7, jeans are \faded\ when you wash them many times until the colour is very light. Nowadays people buy them looking like this.
8. In 8, \a nose stud\ is like an earring in a person's nose. This is very popular in the UK with both men and women.
9. In
Wanting things
In English, it's not really polite to say 'I want!'. Children are taught 'Those who want don't get.' So we have many different ways to say we want something. Here are ten of them.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. I'd really like / I'd love a day off
2. I wouldn't mind a...
3. I could (really) do with a...
4. I could use a...
5. What I'd really like / love is a...
6. All (that) we need is a day off
7. Ideally, what I'd like is a day off
8. A _____ would be (much) appreciated
9. A _____ would go down well.
10. I'm dying for / longing for...
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Phrase 1 is quite strong. The speaker really wants a day off.
2. Phrases 2, 3 and 4 are a little less strong. The speaker still really wants a day off but she is being less forceful.
3. In phrase 5, if you put stress on 'really' it is saying that a day off is something that you want in your heart. But if you don't have it you will be okay.
4. Phrase 6 is saying that if you have (a day off) you will be happy and you will not want anything else.
5. Phrase 7 is saying that the best thing is for you to have a day off. But is it doesn't happen you will be okay.
6. Phrases 8 is more formal and more polite. You could use it in a formal letter of request.
7. Phrases 9 and 10 are more informal. Phrase 10 is really quite strong and not very polite. It's best to use this with frinds and people who you know well.
Ways to say that you are well.
When somebody asks you 'How are you?', there are many different ways to say that we feel well.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. I'm fine thank you.
2. I feel great / marvellous / fine.
3. Couldn't be better.
4. Fit as a fiddle.
5. Very well, thanks.
6. Okay.
7. Alright.
8. Not bad.
9. Much better.
10. All the better for seeing you.
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Many students only learn phrase 1. English people do say this sometimes but they also say all the other phrases. Try to learn some of them.
2. Phrase 2 is very positive. Marvellous is probably the strongest.
3. Phrase 3 is saying that it is impossible to be more healthy / well.
4. Phrase 4 is an idiom that says you feel very fit and healthy.
5. Phrases 6, 7 and 8 are positive but not strong. People sometimes say these when they don't feel very well but they want to be polite.
6. We say phrase 9 when we were sick before and now feel (more) well.
7. Phrase 10 is the friendliest phrase. We are saying that seeing the other person has made us feel healthier and happier. Don't use this with stangers.
Intermediate
Advice and Suggestions
Sometimes other people don't know what to do and they ask us for some advice. Here are ten phrases you can use when you are making suggestions.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. I reckon you should stop now
2. Why don't you stop now?
3. How about stopping now?
4. If I were you, I'd stop now.
5. I suggest you stop now
6. You'd (really) better stop right now.
7. I would strongly advise you to stop
8. My advice would be to stop now
9. It might be a good idea to stop
10. You might try stopping
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Phrases 1, 2, 3 and 4 are quite informal. Phrases 2 and 3 are more tentative (you are trying not to be forceful with your ideas).
2. Phrase 4 is more forceful than the first three suggestion phrases.
3. Phrase 5 is neutral and can be used formally and informally. Using more stress on 'gest' of 'suggest' makes it more tentative and more stress on the main verb makes it more forceful.
4. Phrase 6 is quite forceful and gives the idea that not following the advice will have a negative result.
5. Phrases 7 and 8 are quite formal in tone. Phrase 7 is really quite forceful and phrase 8 less forceful.
6. Phrases 9 and 10 are the most tentative phrases (least forceful). Phrase 10 sounds more informal than phrase 9.
Apologising
Everybody makes mistakes sometimes. When it happens we need a phrase to tell the other person how really sorry we are and stop them getting really angry. Here are ten phrases.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. Sorry.
2. I'm (so / very / terribly) sorry.
3. Ever so sorry.
4. How stupid / careless / thoughtless of me.
5. Pardon (me)
6. That's my fault.
7. Sorry. It was all my fault.
8. Please excuse my (ignorance)
9. Please don't be mad at me.
10. Please accept our (sincerest) apologies.
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Phrase 1 is a general short apology. We use this when we bump into people on the street. At other times, it sounds too weak.
2. In phrase 2, we use 'so', 'very' and 'terribly' to make the meaning stronger. 'Terribly' is the strongest. If we use one of the words in brackets, it is stressed.
3. Phrase 3 is quite formal but it's a stronger apology than just 'sorry'.
4. We use phrase 4 to criticise ourselves and the mistake that we have just made.
5. We use phrases 6 and 7 to take all the responsibility for what happened. Phrase 7 is a little stronger.
6. We use phrase 8 to apologise for our lack of knowledge or ability. We can replace the word in brackets with other nouns, e.g. carelessness, forgetfulness.
7. Phrase 9 is asking the other person not to get angry. The tone is quite informal.
8. Phrase 10 is often used in formal letters. The word 'sincerest' makes the apology very strong and very formal.
Asking about health / life
When we meet somebody we know it's polite to ask a question or two about their health and their life. There are many different phrases in English for doing this. Here are ten of th
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. How are you?
2. How are things?
3. How's things?
4. How's it going?
5. How are you getting on?
6. How have you been?
7. What have you been (getting) up to?
8. I hope everything's okay?
9. Alright?
10. How have you been keeping?
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Phrase 1 is the best known phrase but English people don't use it every time so it's useful to learn some of the others on this page.
2. Phrase 2 is a general inquiry about the other person's health and life. Your answer could be about your health, your work or your personal life.
3. Phrase 3 is similar to phrase 2 but the 'incorrect' grammar makes it much more informal.
4. Phrases 4 and 5 are asking about the other person's life (work or personal life).
5. Phrase 6 is really asking about health but the other person may answer with general information about their life.
6. Phrase 7 is really asking about what kind of activities the other person has been doing recently. It more often refers to their home life, not work.
7. Phrases 8 and 9 are asking about health and life with a yes / no question. Phrase 9 is much more informal than phrase 8.
8. Phrase 10 is more formal but still sincere and friendly and is asking about the other person's health.
Asking for approval
Sometimes we are not sure if it's a good idea to do something. So we need useful expressions for asking if other people agree with an idea or intended action. Here are ten phrases.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. Do you think it's all right to do it?
2. What do you think about (me doing that)?
3. Do you think / reckon I ought to (do it)?
4. What would you say if I (did it)?
5. Would you approve of (doing something)?
6. What is your attitude to the idea of...
7. Are you in favour of (me doing something)?
8. You are in favour of ... aren't you?
9. Do you think anyone would mind if I...
10. Would it be really awful if I...
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Phrases 1, 2 and 3 are quite informal ways of asking if another person agrees with an action that you are planning to do.
2. Phrases 4 and 5 are hypothetical and so sound a bit more polite. Phrases 1 to 3 suggest that speaker probably will do it. 4 and 5 suggest that the speaker won't do it if another person doesn't agree.
3. Phrase 6 is asking another person for their feelings about an imagined action. The speaker doesn't actually say that she is thinking of doing it so is making the action more remote. This phrase is quite formal.
4. In phrase 7, the action being described will seem more remote if the speaker leaves out the word 'me', in a similar way to phrase 6.
5. In phrase 8, it is important that the intonation is falling on the first 'are' and is rising on the negative verb in the question tag 'aren't'.
6. Phrase 9 is quite informal and is asking the listener's opinion about other people's reactions. You follow this phrase with a past tense verb that describes the action that you want to do. E.g. 'Do you think anyone would mind if I left early today?'
7. In phrase 10, the speaker thinks that the other person will be angry if the speaker does what they want to do. It is also followed by a past tense verb. E.g. 'Would it be really awful if I took the rest of the day off?'
for help
We all need help sometimes. In English, it is not polite to ask directly. So there are many phrases that we can say before a request to 'soften' it. Here are ten such phrases.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. Can you give me a hand with this?
2. Could you help me for a second?
3. Can I ask a favour?
4. I wonder if you could help me with this?
5. I could do with some help, please.
6. I can't manage. Can you help?
7. Give me a hand with this, will you?
8. Lend me a hand with this, will you?
9. Could you spare a moment?
10. I need some help, please.
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Phrase 1 is quite a direct question to use with friends and people who you know quite well.
2. Phrase 2 is more polite. We include the words 'for a second' to show that we don't need a lot of help and that it will not be difficult.
3. Phrase 3 is a general way of introducing a request for help.
4. Phrase 4 is polite and can be used with people you don't know very well, or with your boss.
5. Phrase 5 is quite direct, and the focus is that you really need help. It's quite strong.
6. Phrase 6 shows you have a big problem. You are desperate for help. you often hear this phrase when somebody has too much work to do.
7. Phrases 7 and 8 are similar and are direct requests for help. 'Lend a hand' is a little more polite and old-fashioned than 'give me a hand.'
8. We use phrase 9 to show that we respect that the other person is really quite busy and to say that they will only need to help you for a short time.
9. Phrase 10 is a direct question and the asker does not expect the listener to say no. This is often used by people in authority e.g
Asking for information
Sometimes you want to ask English people for information. In English it is not very polite to start a conversation with a direct question. For this reason we have a number of phras
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. Can you tell me...?
2. Could you tell me...?
3. I'd like to know...
4. D'you know...
5. (Got / Have you) any idea...?
6. Could anyone tell me...?
7. (Do / Would) you happen to know...?
8. I don't suppose you (would) know...?
9. I wonder if you could tell me...?
10. I wonder if someone could tell me...?
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Phrases 1 - 10 are all followed by indirect questions. So 'What's the time?' becomes 'Can you tell me what the time is?'.
2. Phrase 2 is a little more formal and polite than phrase 1.
3. Phrases 3, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 are polite and are good to use if you are asking a stranger or you are asking at a public information desk.
4. Phrase 4 is more informal.
5. Phrases 5 and 7 are more informal if you say them with out the part in () brackets.
6. Phrases 9 and 10 are very formal and in an informal situation some people may react strangely if they think that you are being sarcastic.
7. By using phrases 1 to 10, we make it easier for the listener to say 'Sorry I don't know'.
Asking people to wait
Sometimes when you are very busy and somebody asks you do do something, you need to ask them to wait. Here are ten phrases for asking people to wait.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. Hang on a moment / a mo.
2. Give us a second.
3. Half a moment / a mo.
4. I'll be right with you.
5. Sorry, I'm a bit tied up right now.
6. Wait and see.
7. You'll just have to be patient.
8. Give me a chance.
9. Don't be so impatient.
10. We wish to apologise for the delay to...
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Phrases 1, 2, and 3 are quite informal but polite in tone. You are busy and expect to be able to help them quite soon.
2. Phrase 4 is especially useful in customer service situations where you want to ask a customer to wait for a few minutes.
3. Phrase 5 is really saying how busy you are but at the same time you are asking people to wait. It is quite polite.
4. Phrase 6 is refusing to tell somebody something about the near future. We often use it when we are preparing a surprise for somebody.
5. Phrases 7 and 8 are less polite and are suggesting that you think the other person is being too impatient.
6. Phrase 9 is more impolite and you are actually directly criticising the other person for being impatient.
7. Phrase 10 is a formal announcement that you might hear on a train or plane in the UK. It is followed by a noun phrase.
Asking somebody's opinion
It's a good idea to ask another person about their opinion before you tell them your opinion loudly and strongly. Maybe they completely diagree with you. Here are ten ways to ask.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. What do you think of...?
2. What do you think about...?
3. How d'you feel (about...)?
4. What d'you reckon (about...)?
5. What's your opinion of...?
6. (What do think about) that?
7. What are your views on...?
8. Where do you stand (on...)?
9. What would you say to... / if we...?
10. Are you aware of.....?
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Phrases 1, 2, 3,4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are followed by a noun or gerund (-ing form).
2. Phrases 1 and 2 are general phrases for asking for an opinion. We can use them both formally and informally. In informal speech, 'do you' becomes 'd'you?'.
3. Phrases 3 and 4 are more informal. We can use them with 'about' and a noun or gerund phrase e.g. 'How d'you feel about having a class outside in the garden?'
4. We use phrase 6 (with that) after another sentence (e.g. They're going to build a new supermarket here. What do you think of that?).
5. Phrases 7 and 8 are more formal. You could use them in a business meeting and you might hear them on interviews on the news.
6. Phrase 9 is asking the other person's opinion of an idea or proposal. We follow 'to' with a noun or gerund and follow 'if we' with a sentence with a past verb.
7. Phrase 10 is an indirect way of asking for an opinion. We ask if the other person knows about the situation. They are then are expected to react with an opinion.
At the bank
When we go to the bank in England, there are some special words and phrases that we need to understand and be ready to use. These ten phrases are the most important expressions tha
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. Cashier
2. Current account
3. High interest account
4. Balance
5. Cheque book
6. Debit card / Cash card
7. Hole-in-the-wall / Cashpoint
8. Overdraft / Overdrawn
9. In the red / In the black
10. Standing order
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. In 1. the cashier is the person who serves you in a bank. They are usually behind a glass screen for security. In the US they are called 'tellers'.
2. A bank account (2.) is the record of how much money that you keep in the bank. There are many different kinds of account. 'Current account' means that you can take the money quickly whenever you want.
3. In 3. a 'high interest account' is another record of money that you keep in the bank for a long time. Every month the bank pays you a little money (interest) for keeping a lot of money in the account.
4. The balance in 4 is how much money you have at one time in one account. You can ask 'I'd like to know the balance of my current account'.
5. You use a cheque book (5.) to take out money. You write how much money you want on a slip of paper (a cheque) with your signature, give it to the cashier, and she / he gives you the money.
6. A cash/debit card (6.) is another way to take out money. You put it in a machine, type some numbers and it gives you money.
7. A hole-in-the-wall is t
Attitude to the future
There are some things in your life you know are going to happen one day. Here some phrases that we use to show how we feel (positive or negative) about these future events.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. I'm (really / so) looking forward to..
2. I can't wait until...
3. I'm counting the days till...
4. Roll on...
5. I've set my heart on...
6. I'm saving up to...
7. Sooner or later I'll get round to...
8. One day, I'm going to have to...
9. I'm trying to put off... as long as I can
10. I'm (really) dreading...
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Phrases 1, 2, 3, and 4 are showing a very positive feeling about something that is going to happen in the future.
2. Phrases 5 and 6 are talking about things that the speaker wants to happen. The speaker is actively trying to make these things happen.
3. Phrase 7 is something the speaker thinks she / he will do one day in the future. She / he is not very interested in doing this.
4. Phrase 8 is a little more negative but the speaker still expects he or she will do it one day.
5. Phrases 9 and 10 are things that the speaker doesn't want to do at all but in the end will have to do them.
6. We follow phrases 1, 5, 7, 9 and 10 with a gerund (-ing form) e.g. 'I'm so looking forward to going on the school trip to Stonehenge'.
7. We follow phrases 2 and 3 with a sentence or clause e.g. 'I can't wait until I pass FCE'.
8. We follow phrase 4 with the day or time of an event (e.g. 'Roll on next Monday. It's the day of the school pancake party.)
9. We follow phrases 6 and 8 with an infinitive verb e.g. 'I'm saving up to come back and do anothe
Avoiding giving information
Sometimes somebody asks you a question and you don't want give the answer. If you know the answer but you don't want them to know, you can use one of these ten phrases.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. No comment.
2. I'm not at liberty to say.
3. Wait and see.
4. Let me get back to you.
5. I'm sorry, that's confidential.
6. (Sorry) That's personal.
7. I'd rather not talk about it.
8. Mind your own buisness.
9. Never you mind.
10. I'll tell you when you're older.
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Phrase 1 is often used by politicians and celebrities when they are asked difficult or embarrassing questions by journalists.
2. We use phrases 2 and 5 to say there is a rule that prevents you giving information.
3. Phrase 3 is refusing to tell somebody something about the near future. We often use it when we are preparing a surprise for somebody.
4. Phrase 6 is telling the other person that you consider the information to be private. You are also criticising the other person for asking.
5. Phrase 7 is a more polite way to say that the information is private and you don't want to talk about it.
6. Phrases 8 and 9 are not very polite and are criticising the other person for asking for private information.
7. Parents often say phrase 10 to their children to avoid answering difficult or embarrasing questions. Usually they have no intention of ever answering the question.
Bad people
Sometimes we can't stand somebody and we want a neat little phrase that sums up how we feel about them. Here are ten of the best. Be careful how you use them!
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. A crook
2. A villain
3. A scum bag
4. An evil witch
5. A heartless bastard
6. A nasty piece of work
7. A psycho / psychopath
8. A totally ruthless (person)
9. A creep
10. A two-faced cow
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Phrases 1 and 2 are saying that you consider the other person to be a criminal and an unpleasant person.
2. Phrase 3 says that the other person is morally wrong but also of extremely low status e.g. 'people who rob elderly people are total scum bags'.
3. Phrase 4 is used to describe a woman who the speaker feels is very evil. Some people object to this phrase because it suggests that all witches are evil.
4. Phrase 5 describes somebody who does not have the normal human feelings of sympathy and kindness.
5. Phrase 6 describes describes somebody who is very unpleasant who deliberately does unpleasant things to other people.
6. Phrase 7 describes somebody who you think is both evil and crazy / mad.
7. Phrase 9 describes somebody who doesn't worry about hurting other people when making decisions.
8. Phrase 9 describes somebody who is not necessarily evil but has an odd and unpleasant personality.
9. Phrase 10 is used to describe a woman who lies to people and is pleasant to their faces but says bad things behind their backs. Some poepl
Being An Expert in English
We've all met people who know lots of things on certain topics. Here's are ten expressions that we can use to describe these people.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. He knows all about photgraphy.
2. He's a camera expert.
3. He's an expert on digital cameras.
4. There's nothing he doesn't know about X
5. He knows photography inside out.
6. You wouldn't believe what he knows about X
7. He's a walking encyclopaedia of X
8. Photography's his subject.
9. He knows it from A - Z.
10. He's an authority on digital cameras.
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. We use phrase 1 to say that a person knows a large amount on a certain topic.
2. Phrases 2 and 3 use the key term 'expert' in different ways. Phrase 2 is slightly stronger.
3. Phrase 4 is using an exaggeration to say that another person is very knowledgeable.
4. Phrase 5 is a common expression. You can also use it to say that somebody knows a place very well.
5. Phrase 6 is a stronger version of phrase 4, and implies that it is incredible that he knows so much.
6. Phrase 7 is a humorous expression to use when someone knows a lot about a subject.
7. Phrase 8 is quite a general comment. It implies you like it - but you may not be an expert.
8. Phrase 9 shows that another person knows a subject completely from beginning to end.
9. Phrase 10 is quite a formal phrase, and is often used in an academic context.
Being Lucky
Sometimes a small chance event or decision can make the difference between a happy ending and an utter disaster. For such situations, here are ten expressions that you can use to s
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. It's a good thing (that)..
2. It's just as well...
3. Fortunately, / Luckily,
4. As luck would have it...
5. That was a stroke of luck.
6. It's lucky...
7. It's very/most fortunate (that)...
8. That was a close thing / near miss
9. It must be your lucky day!
10. You lucky thing! / You jammy bastard!
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. We use phrases 1 and 2 when something has prevented a disaster. We follow the phrases with a clause that describes the fortunate action or circumstance. They are both fairly informal.
2. We use phrases 3 and 4 when we are retelling a story and they are followed by some aspect of the situation that prevented a disaster from happening.
3. Phrase 5 is often used to react to a lucky story that somebody has told you. You can also use it to comment on your own good fortune at the time it occurs.
4. We use phrases 5, 6 and 7 in a similar way to phrases 1, 2 and 3. For example 'It's lucky you weren't wearing your best clothes when you fell over'.
5. We use phrase 8 when we have experienced a near disaster that was only just avoided.
6. Phrases 9 and 10 are used to say that you think another person has been lucky. 'You jammy bastard' is very informal and only used with people who you know very well.
Being old
Britain now has a falling birth-rate, which means that in the future over half the population will be over 65. Not surprisingly, we have many expression for 'old'.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. old and wise
2. over the hill
3. past it
4. pushing ninety
5. in her nineties
6. a pensioner / OAP / senior citizen
7. getting a bit long in the tooth
8. in my twilight years / second childhood
9. losing her marbles / going senile
10. an old codger / an old biddy
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. In phrase 1, the words 'old' and 'wise' have often been associated. This is a common collocation.
2. Phrase 2 and 3 mean that the person is too old to do a certain job or task.
3. In phrase 4, the person is nearly ninety years old.
4. In phrase 5, the person is over ninety but less than one hundred years old.
5. Phrases is 6 mean that the person has retired and is receiving a state pension. In the UK this happens at 65.
6. Phrase 7 was originally used to describe old horses and means that the person is too old for their current (work) position.
7. Phrases in 8 are more positive ways to refer to old age and retirement.
8. Phrases in 9 are saying that a person is losing their understanding of the world because of old age
9. Phrases in 10 are very negative and probably offensive. It is best to avoid using them as they indicate a very negative attitude to old age ('codger' id a man, 'biddy' is a woman). .
Being poor
Britain is one of the richest countries in the world. But if you visit Britain you will see that some people have a lot less money than others. Here are ten ways of saying 'poor'.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
1. He's short of cash / hard-up
2. She's got cash-flow problems
3. They were destitute
4. He's on the bread line
5. She's in debt / overdrawn / bankrupt
6. He's doing a minimum-wage job
7. Low-income families
8. She's on the dole
9. Below the poverty line
10. Those less fortunate than ourselves
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
1. Phrase 1 means that the person doesn't have enough money so pay for everyday things.
2. Phrase 2 means that the person has problems with money but it's maybe only for a short time.
3. In 3, people who are 'destitute' have no money, no food and nowhere to live.
4. In 4, a person 'on the bread line' is very poor and in the past in the UK, could stand in a line and receive free bread from a charity.
5. In 5, a person 'in debt' owes money to somebody, if she is 'overdrawn' she owes money to the bank and if she is 'bankrupt' she has all her debts cancelled because she can never pay them.
6. In 6, a minimum-wage job pays the smallest amount legal in the UK. This is currently arount five pounds an hour.
7. Phrase 7 is a common expression used by politicians and in the media when talking about social issues.
8. Phrase 8 means that the person has no job and is receiving financial help from the government. This word became popular in the early eighties when many UK people were out of work.
9. In 9, 'the poverty line' describes a minimum level
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