網頁

Expressing Opinion (Advanced English Conversation)


source: onlineenglishclasses
www.edufire.com/learnenglish
# 1 common phrases to use when expressing an opinion or idea 
I think ...
In my opinion, ...
I'd like to ...
I'd prefer ...
The way I see it ...
As far as I'm concerned, ...
If it were up to me, ...
I suppose ...
I suspect that ...
It is fairly certain that ...
I'm convinced that ...
I honestly feel that ...
I strongly believe that ...
Without a doubt, ...
# 2 common phrases to use when disagreeing
I don't think that ...
Don't you think it would be better ...
I don't agree, but I'd prefer ...
Shouldn't we consider ...
But what about ...
I'm afraid I don't agree ...
Frankly, I doubt if ...
Let's face it. The truth of the matter is ...
The problem with your point of view is that ...
# 3 common phrases for giving reasons and offering explanations
To start with ...
The reason why ...
That's why ...
For this reason ...
That's the reason why ...
Many people think ...
Considering ...
Allowing for the fact that ...
When you consider that ...

How to talk about prices


source: EnglishLessons4U - Learn English with Ronnie 2014年01月13日
http://www.engvid.com/
--getting a bargain or a deal 
--"It is ten seventy-five." (You do not need to go through "ten dollars and seventy-five cents." )
--"That's eighty-seven thirty-five plus tax." 

Cooking Vocabulary - chop, grill, saute, boil, slice...


source: English Lessons with Adam 2014年01月02日
http://www.engvid.com
quiz: http://www.engvid.com/cooking-vocabul...
--What's cooking?
   1. What are you making, what dish are you making?
   2. What's happening? How are things? How are you?
--a "recipe" for a nice dish
--culinary (about cooking, about food)
--a chef and a cook (A chef is a person who studied cooking, went to school and studied, has worked in many restaurants, and has practiced for a long time in his art, his cooking skills. This person probably has a diploma and is usually the boss of a kitchen in a restaurant somewhere. "A cook" is a person who is just starting to cook or somebody who just makes food at home. Anybody can be a cook. )
--to saute: too cook lightly in a skillet or in a pan
--to boil: For example, you put something in a pot full of water. You put the heat very, very high.
--to simmer: meaning lower heat, small bubbles moving slowly. For example, when you're making a nice soup or a stew, first you get everything boiling, and then you reduce the heat and let it simmer for like an hour; get all the flavours to blend together really nicely.
--to broil (with an oven): If you want to cook something very quickly and get the top very crispy, you broil. "Broil" means heat from the top, so the heat is going like this on to the food.
--to roast (with an oven): meaning that the heat is coming from the bottom and the sides, so it cooks the inside and takes a little bit longer.
--to grill: For example, when you're barbequing, you are grilling. You have the lines of the grill, you put your steak on it, then you flip it, etcetera. That's grilling, usually with fire, coals, lines.

Talking about appearances


source: Learn English with Let's Talk 2014年01月16日
# Hair
Curly: Having irregular curves or waves in the grain.
Straight: Having absolute vertical hair.
Blonde: Hair with golden color or of any light shade of pale yellowish brown.
Wavy: Hair having curls, curves or undulations.
# Skin
Healthy: Someone is possessing goodskin.
Pale: Skin with Whitish in complexion or of a low intensity of color; light.
Tanned: To make skin brown by exposure to sun.
Spotty: Skin having spots.
Olive: A yellowish green of low to medium lightness and low to moderate saturation color of skin.
Dark: Skin tending towards black in comparison with other shades.
Fair: Skin with light complexion.
# Body
Skinny: Someone who is very thin.
Overweight: Weighing more than normal, necessary, or allowed, especially having more body weight than is considered normal or healthy for one's age or build.
Stocky: Body that is solidly built; sturdy.
Broad: Someone who is wide in extent from side to side.
Lean: Someone who is thin but muscular.
Muscular: Having well-developed muscles.
# Face
Pretty: Face that is pleasing or attractive in a graceful or delicate way.
Ugly: Face that is displeasing to the eye; unsightly.
Plain: Face that is average or ordinary
Pale: Losing the charm on the face (due to illness)
Narrow: A face that is small or of limited width.
Oval: An egg-shaped or elliptical face.

Confusing verb pairs- 'Borrow' and 'Lend'


source: Learn English with Let's Talk 2013年12月13日
http://www.letstalkpodcast.com
http://www.learnex.in
http://www.letstalk.co.in
#1
--Mary lent $1500 to John . Mary lent John $1500.
--Bill borrowed $150 from Anne.
#2
--Michelle often lends his car to Victor.
--Michelle often lends Victor her car.
--Victor often borrows Michelle's car.
#3
--May I borrow your book?
--Of course. I'll be happy to lend it to you.
--Of course. I'll be happy to lend you my book.

Difference between ' Small ' & ' Little '


source: Learn English with Let's Talk  2013年09月12日
http://www.letstalkpodcast.com
http://www.letstalk.co.in
http://www.learnex.in
# 'Small' is used
1. to talk about 'height' or 'size'
--John is small for his age. (He isn't tall enough for his age.)
--The box is small. (it is describing its size).
2. with nouns :
--I have a small amount of wine.
(always use 'amount' for 'uncountable nouns')
--A small number of people came to work.
(always use 'number' with 'countable nouns')
3. in Comparative and Superlative forms :
--Mary is smaller than John. ('smaller' is the comparative form)
--Mary is the smallest girl in the class. ('smallest' is the superlative form)
# 'Little' is
1. similar to young:
--Maria is a little girl. (It describes her of being 'young.')
2. used with 'uncountable nouns':
--I have a little wine every night.
--I had a little trouble with my car.
In the above two example, 'wine' and 'trouble' are uncountable nouns. 'Little' is used only with 'uncountable nouns' when you want to say 'not enough'.
3. used to talk about the Degree of Adjective: There are no 'comparative' and 'superlative' forms of 'little'.
--She is a little fat.
--John is a little tired.
In the above two examples, 'fat' and 'tired' are adjectives (describing words), 'little' is used to modify the adjectives so as to imply 'not too much'.