Use the verbs in brackets to complete these sentences in the most common form. You must take an umbrella. It ................................................................ (rain) I ..................................... to the cinema tonight. I already have a ticket. (go) Are you planning any summer holiday? - I don't know yet. Perhaps I .................................. at home. (stay) You look pretty tired. You should have a break. - OK. I .......................................................... a rest. (have) Betty is going to driving lessons, because she ....................................................... a car. (buy) I've just missed my train! - No problem. I ......................................... you there. (drive) I can't eat anything today. I ............................................... an appointment at the hospital tomorrow. (have) The Sharks are much better! I'm sure they .................................................. the Dolphins today! (beat) What does your son want to do in future? - I hope he ......................................... a dentist. (become) Not at five o'clock. Look at the diary. We ................................................ Mr. Clark at three o'clock. (meet) Please, buy some eggs. I ............................................................ a cake. (make) My dad has already booked the holiday. We ................................................... to France on 2 July. (fly)
(To be) Up in the air
When we literally think about something up in the air, we have the idea that something’s floating or flying in the sky, perhaps an airplane or a balloon. But really if someone tells you that things are up in the air it means that these things are uncertain or unsure; definite plans have not been made yet.
“Jen have you set a date for the wedding yet?”
“Not exactly, things are still up in the air and we’re not sure if our families can make it on the day we wanted. Hopefully we’ll know soon and we’ll let you know as soon as possible.”
Use the verbs in brackets to complete these sentences in the most common form.
You must take an umbrella. It ................................................................ (rain)
I ..................................... to the cinema tonight. I already have a ticket. (go)
Are you planning any summer holiday? - I don't know yet. Perhaps I .................................. at home. (stay)
You look pretty tired. You should have a break. - OK. I .......................................................... a rest. (have)
Betty is going to driving lessons, because she ....................................................... a car. (buy)
I've just missed my train! - No problem. I ......................................... you there. (drive)
I can't eat anything today. I ............................................... an appointment at the hospital tomorrow. (have)
The Sharks are much better! I'm sure they .................................................. the Dolphins today! (beat)
What does your son want to do in future? - I hope he ......................................... a dentist. (become)
Not at five o'clock. Look at the diary. We ................................................ Mr. Clark at three o'clock. (meet)
Please, buy some eggs. I ............................................................ a cake. (make)
My dad has already booked the holiday. We ................................................... to France on 2 July. (fly)
(To be) Up in the air
When we literally think about something up in the air, we have the idea that something’s floating or flying in the sky, perhaps an airplane or a balloon. But really if someone tells you that things are up in the air it means that these things are uncertain or unsure; definite plans have not been made yet.
“Jen have you set a date for the wedding yet?”
“Not exactly, things are still up in the air and we’re not sure if our families can make it on the day we wanted. Hopefully we’ll know soon and we’ll let you know as soon as possible.”
- ______________? - Uh, my name is Andy Sachs. I recently graduated _________ Northwestern University. - ___________________________? - Well, I think I could do a good job _____________. And, um… Yeah, I came to New York to be a ______________ and sent letters out everywhere and then finally got a call from Elias-Clarke and met with Sherry up at Human Resources. And, ___________, it’s this or Auto Universe. - So you _____________ Runway? - Uh, no. - And before today, you had never heard of me. - No. - And you have no style or ______________. - Well, um, I think that depends on what you’re… - No, no. _______________________. - Um, I _______ editor in chief of the Daily Northwestern. I also, um, _________ a national competition for college journalists with my series on the janitors’ union, which exposed the exploitation. - ____________. - Yeah. You know, okay. You’re right. __________________. I am not __________ or __________and I don’t know that much about fashion. _____________. I learn fast and I will work very hard. - I got the exclusive on the Cavalli for Gwyneth… but the problem is, with that huge feathered headdress that she’s wearing… she looks like she’s working the main stage at the Golden Nugget. - _______________________________. - Who is that sad little person? Are we doing a before-and-after piece I don’t know about?
To twist someone’s arm literally means to take a person’s arm and turn it around, which could be really painful if you take it exactly word for word. If your arm has been twisted it means that someone has done a great job of convincing you to do something you might not have wanted to to do.
And if you manage to twist someone else’s arm it means that you’re great at convincing them, and they’ve finally agreed to do something after you’ve been begging them.
Tom: Jake you should really come to the party tonight!
Jake: You know I can’t, I have to hit the books (study).
Tom: C’mon, you have to come! It’s going to be so much fun and there are going to be lots of girls there. Please come?
Jake: Pretty girls? Oh all right, you’ve twisted my arm, I’ll come!
- Uh, my name is Andy Sachs. I recently graduated _________ Northwestern University.
- ___________________________?
- Well, I think I could do a good job _____________. And, um… Yeah, I came to New York to be a ______________ and _______________________ everywhere and then finally got a call from Elias-Clarke and met with Sherry up at Human Resources. And, ___________, it’s this or Auto Universe.
- _______________________?
- Uh, no.
- And before today, you__________________________.
- Um, I _______ editor in chief of the Daily Northwestern. I also, um, _________ a national competition for college journalists with my series on the janitors’ union, which exposed the exploitation.
- ____________.
- Yeah. You know, okay. You’re right. __________________. I am not __________ or __________and I don’t know that much about fashion. _____________. I learn fast and I will work very hard.
- I got the exclusive on the Cavalli for Gwyneth… but the problem is, with that huge feathered headdress that she’s wearing… she looks like she’s working the main stage at the Golden Nugget.
- _______________________________.
- Who____________________? Are we doing a before-and-after piece I don’t know about?
Scenario 1) The /t/ is optionally silent when it follows /n/ and precedes a vowel sound, /r/ (including all r-controlled vowels) or a syllabic /l/.
1. center: /ˈsɛnt ɚ/
2. gentle: /ˈʤɛnt l/
3. advantage: /əd ˈvænt ɪʤ/
Scenario 2) In addition to the above instances of omitting the /t/, it is often omitted when it occurs between two consonant sounds (except the consonants specifically mentioned for /t̬/ and glottal stop). This is likely to occur when an -s ending is added to a word.
1. prints: /prɪnts/
2. acts: /ækts/
3. accepts: /ək ˈsɛpts/
During or for?
Compare
They went to Florida during the winter.
They went at one point in the winter.
They went to Florida for the winter.
They went from the beginning to the end of the winter.
She phoned me during the week to tell me that she was getting married. (referring to a point in the week)
We were in the cinema for three and a half hours.
Not: … during three and a half hours.
Our flight to New York was delayed for seven hours.
How to use while
When is used to talk about two things that are happening at the same time. The length of time is not important. Remember that while is used with a subject and a verb (while + subject + verb). For example:
"The phone rang while I was watching TV."
I've been meaning to call you ___ some time.
He fell asleep ___ the meeting.
We all stayed inside ___ the storm.
Someone stole my bag ___ I was riding on the train.
The dog was barking ___ she was trying to watch TV.
Literally, hit the books means to physically hit, punch or slap your reading books. However, this is a common English idiom among students, especially American college students who have a lot of studying to do. It simply means “to study,” and is a way of telling your friends that you’re going to study. It could be for a final exam, a mid-term test or even an English exam.
“Sorry but I can’t watch the game with you tonight, I have to hit the books. I have a huge exam next week!”
2. (To) Hit the sack
Just like the first idiom, the literal meaning of this would be physically hitting or beating a sack (a large bag usually used for carrying things in bulk such as flour, rice or even soil). But actually to hit the sack means to go to bed, and you’d use this to tell your friends or family that you’re really tired, so you’re going to sleep. Instead of saying hit the sack you can also say hit the hay.
