Eng 1

English Speaking Basics
Basics - Section
Basics - Section I Basics - Section II
III
1. Basic usage of 'I'm' 1. I'm calling to + (verb)

1. How often do
2. Variations of 'I'm in/at/on' 2. I'm working on + (noun)
you
3. I'm good at 3. I'm sorry to + (verb)
2. Do you want me
4. I'm + (verb) 4. I'm thinking of + (verb-ing)
to + (verb)
5. I'm getting 5. I'll help you + (verb)
3. What do you
6. I'm trying + (verb) 6. I'm dying to + (verb)
think about (verb-
7. I'm gonna + (verb) 7. It's my turn to + (verb)
ing)
8. I have + (noun) 8. It's hard for me to + (verb)
4. Why don't we +
9. I have + (past participle) 9. I'm having a hard time + (verb-ing)
(verb)
10. I used to + (verb) 10. I think I should + (verb)
5. It's too bad that
11. I have to + (verb) 11. I've heard that + (subject + verb)
6. You could have
12. I wanna + (verb) 12. It occurred to me that (subject + verb)
+ (past participle)
13. I gotta + (verb) 13. Let me + (verb)
7. If I were you, I
14. I would like to + (verb) 14. Thank you for
would + (verb)
15. I plan to + (verb) 15. Can I + (verb)
8. It's gonna be +
16. I've decided to + (verb) 16. Can I get + (noun)
(adjective)
17. I was about to + (verb) 17. I'm not sure if (subject + verb)
9. It looks like +
18. I didn't mean to + (verb) 18. Do you mind if I + (verb)
(noun)
19. I don't have time to + (verb) 19. I don't know what to + (verb)
10. That's why +
20. I promise not to + (verb) 20. I should have + (past participle)
(subject + verb)
21. I'd rather + (verb) 21. I wish I could + (verb)
11. It's time to +
22. I feel like + (verb-ing) 22. You should + (verb)
(verb)
23. I can't help + (verb-ing) 23. You're supposed to + (verb)
12. The point is
24. I was busy + (verb-ing) 24. You seem + (adjective)
that + (subject +
25. I'm not used to + (verb-ing) 25. You'd better + (verb)
verb)
26. I want you to + (verb) 26. Are you into + (noun)
13. How was +
27. I'm here to + (verb) 27. Are you trying to + (verb)
(noun)
28. I have something + (verb) 28. Please + (verb)
14. How about +
29. I'm looking forward to 29. Don't + (verb)
(verb-ing)
30. Do you like
15. What if +
(subject + verb)
16. How much
does it cost to + (verb)
17. How come + (subject + verb)
18. What are the chances of + (verb-ing)
19. There is something wrong with + (noun)
20. Let's not + (verb)
21. Let's say that + (subject + verb)
22. There's no need to + (verb)
23. It takes + (time) + to + (verb)
24. Please make sure that + (subject + verb)
25. Here's to + (noun)
26. It's no use + (verb-ing)
27. There's no way + (subject + verb)
28. It's very kind of you to + (verb)
29. There's nothing + (subject) + can + (verb)
30. Rumor has it that + (subject + verb)
Regular English Lessons

Greeting and General Things
1. Greeting - Basic
2. Greeting Someone you Know
3. Greeting - Example Conversations
4. Greeting - Interactive Practice
5. Bored - General Phrases
6. Bored - Calling Someone
7. Bored - Boring Work
8. Bored - Interactive Practice
9. How is your Day - General Statements
10. How is your day - Example Conversation
11. How is your day - Interactive Practice
12. Tomorrow's Plan - I am going to
13. Tomorrow's Plan - Questions and Answers
14. Tomorrow's Plan - Example Conversation
15. Tomorrow's Plan - Interactive Practice
16. Yesterday - The Past - General Statements
17. Yesterday - The Past - Questions and Answers
18. Yesterday - The Past - Example Conversation
19. Yesterday - The Past - Interactive Practice
20. Weather - Summer and Autumn
21. Weather - Winter
22. Weather - Fahrenheit and Celsius
23. Weather - Questions and Answers
24. Weather - Long Description
25. Weather - Interactive Practice
Greeting and General Things II
1. Small Talk
2. Small Talk - Two Example Dialogs
3. Small Talk - Interactive Practice
4. Movies - Asking Friend
5. Movies - Example Conversation
6. Movies - Interactive Practice
7. Movies Types - Action and Drama
8. Movie Types - Comedy and Horror
9. Movie Types - Other Types
10. Movie Types - Interactive Practice
11. Movie Discussion - General Statements
12. Movie Discussion - Describing a Movie
13. Movie Discussion - Example Dialog
14. Favorite - What's your Favorite
15. Favorite - Answering Questions
16. Favorite - Interactive Practice
17. Hobby - Questions and Answers
18. Hobby - Various Q&A
19. Hobby - Interactive Practice
20. Exercise - Questions
21. Exercise - Walking Jogging and More
22. Exercise - US Culture
23. Exercise - Interactive Practice
24. Exercise Gym - Lifting Weights
25. Exercise Gym - Questions and Answers
26. Exercise Gym - Other Methods
27. Exercise Gym - Interactive Practice
28. Intro and General Things Review
29. Intro and General Things Review - Interactive Practice
College Related Topics
1. University Life - Meeting New Students

2. University Life - Questions and Answers
3. University Life - More Q and As
4. University Life - Interactive Practice
5. University Classes
6. University Classes - Grades
7. University Classes - Professors and Curriculum
8. University Classes - Dropping Out / Withdrawal
9. University Classes - Interactive Practice
10. Examinations
11. Examinations - Finding Information
12. Examinations - General Information
13. Examinations - More Information
14. Examinations - Interactive Practice
15. Roommate - Dormitory
16. Roommate - Sharing things and Questions
17. Roommate - Apartment
18. Roommate - Interactive Practice
College Related Topics II
1. Fraternity and Sorority - Explanation

2. Fraternity and Sorority - General
3. Fraternity and Sorority - Joining
4. Fraternity and Sorority - Interview Questions
5. Fraternity and Sorority - Interactive Practice
6. College Partying
7. College Partying - Questions
8. College Partying - Interactive Practice
9. Smoking
10. Smoking - Non Smoking Areas
11. Smoking - Quitting and General Statements
12. Smoking - Asking for Light and Hate Smoking
13. Smoking - Interactive Practice
14. Drinking - Terminologies
15. Drinking - Ordering Drinks
16. Drinking - Ordering at a Table
17. Drinking - General Things
18. Drinking - Interactive Practice
19. College Related Topics Review
20. College Related Topics Review - Interactive Practice
Health - Dating - Marriage
1. Health
2. Health - Family
3. Health - Interactive Practice
4. Body Parts
5. Body Parts - Leg and Head Area
6. Body Parts - Body Area
7. Body Parts - Interactive Practice
8. Dieting
9. Dieting - Questions
10. Dieting - Specific Areas
11. Dieting - Interactive Practice
12. Dating
13. Dating - Follow Up and Flirting
14. Dating Part - Asking for a Date
15. Dating - On the Date
16. Dating - Asking for Second Date
17. Dating - Preparing Activity after Dinner
18. Dating - Saying Goodbye on Date
19. Dating - Interactive Practice
Health - Dating - Marriage II
1. Engagement
2. Engagement - Proposing
3. Engagement - Best man and Maid of honor
4. Engagement - Interactive Practice
5. Marriage - Getting a Church
6. Wedding Process - Flowers
7. Wedding Process - Photographer, Dress and Tux
8. Wedding Process - Gifts and Reception
9. Honeymoon
10. Honeymoon - Planning
11. Honeymoon - Conversation before Honeymoon
12. Honeymoon - Conversation after Honeymoon
13. Honeymoon - Interactive Practice
14. Married Life
15. Married Life - Talking to Friends
16. Married Life - Talking about a Friend
17. Married Life - Cheating
18. Married Life - Interactive Practice
19. Health - Dating - Marriage Review
20. Health - Dating - Marriage - Interactive Practice
Guys - Girls - and Sports
1. Talking About Girls - Types You Like or Dislike

2. Talking About Girls - In Love and Body Parts you like
3. Talking About Girls - Interactive Practice
4. Sports in General
5. Sports in General - Volleyball
6. Sports in General - Soccer
7. Sports in General - Swimming
8. Sports in General - Softball
9. Sports in General - Tennis
10. Baseball
11. Baseball - Topics
12. Baseball - Baseball Cards
13. Baseball - Equipment
14. Baseball - Amateur League
15. Baseball - Interactive Practice
16. Basketball
17. Basketball - Terminologies
18. Basketball - Talking with Friends
19. Basketball - Watching Basketball
20. Basketball - Talking about Kids
21. Basketball - Interactive Practice
22. Football
23. Football - General Statements
24. Football - Topics
25. Football - Interactive Practice
Guys - Girls - and Sports II
1. Golf - Terminologies
2. Golf - Talking on the Course
3. Golf - Talking to Friends
4. Golf - Interactive Practice
5. Poker - Terminologies
6. Poker - Texas Hold'em Instructions
7. Poker - Talking with Friends
8. Poker - Interactive Practice
9. Talking About Guys
10. Talking About Guys - Comments
11. Talking About Guys - In Public
12. Talking About Guys - Descriptions
13. Talking About Guys - Interactive Practice
14. Shopping - Clothes
15. Shopping - Grocery
16. Shopping - Presents
17. Shopping - Interactive Practice
18. Jewelry
19. Jewelry - Jewelry Stores
20. Jewelry - General Statements
21. Jewelry - Interactive Practice
22. Guys - Girls - and Sports Review
23. Guys - Girls - and Sports Review - Interactive Practice
Feelings and Emotions
1. Happy and Feeling Good

2. Happy and Feeling Good - Questions
3. Happy and Feeling Good - Other Sentences
4. Happy and Feeling Good - Interactive Practice
5. Anger
6. Anger - Understanding
7. Anger - Confronting
8. Anger - Other
9. Anger - Interactive Practice
10. Excited - General Sentences
11. Excited - Other Expressions
12. Excited - Interactive Practice
13. Being Worried
14. Worry - Serious Situation
15. Being Worried - Talking to a Worried Person
16. Worry - Worried about Family
17. Worry - Interactive Practice
18. Stress - School
19. Stress - Work
20. Stress - Questions and Answers
21. Stress - General
22. Stress - Interactive Practice
Feelings and Emotions II
1. Sad or Depressed
2. Sad or Depressed - Reactions
3. Sad or Depressed - Situational Depression
4. Sad or Depressed - Doctor and Friend
5. Sad or Depressed - Interactive Practice
6. Love - Family
7. Love - Friend and Husband and Wife
8. Love - Infatuation or Love
9. Love - Talking to Friend
10. Love - Interactive Practice
11. Broken Heart - Expressions
12. Broken Heart - Asking Questions
13. Broken Heart - Talking to Person with Broken Heart
14. Broken Heart - Interactive Practice
15. Afraid or Scared
16. Afraid or Scared - General Sentences
17. Afraid or Scared - Interactive Practice
18. Other Emotions - Emotional
19. Other Emotions - Feeling Nothing
20. Other Emotions - Restless
21. Other Emotions - Proud
22. Other Emotions - Anxious and Anxiety
23. Other Emotions - Interactive Practice
24. Feelings and Emotions Review
25. Feelings and Emotions Review - Interactive Practice
26. TalkEnglish Milestone Review
Family - Children - Friends 27. TalkEnglish Milestone Review -

Interactive Practice
1. Eating Together Family - Children - Friends II

2. Cooking Together
3. Eating and Clean Up 1. Dental Care
4. Grocery Shopping 2. Dentist Check Ups
5. Planning 3. Problems with your teeth
6. At The Grocery 4. Pediatric Care
7. Pet Care 5. Appointment
8. Bringing Home a Pet 6. School - Kids
9. Taking Care of a Pet 7. After School
10. Child Care 8. Birthday
11. Bank and Money 9. Set Up
12. Managing Your Money 10. The Party
13. Investing 11. Vacations
14. Mail 12. On Vacation
15. Sending Mail 13. Family and Friends
16. Receiving Mail 14. Talking about Friends
17. House Care 15. Pregnancy and Birth
18. House Care - Outside 16. Pregnancy Checkups
19. Phone 17. Birth
20. Home Phones 18. Neighbors
21. Computers 19. Organizing Time
22. Internet 20. Habits and Health
23. Email 21. Health
24. Driving a Car 22. Sleeping and Dreams
25. Driving 23. Dreams
26. Car 24. Hair Cut and Massages
27. Car Maintenance 25. At the Salon
28. Selling a Car
asics
1. Machine Problems
2. Mail Room 26. Books and Magazines
3. Requesting Equipment
Business English Lessons
4. Company Policies
5. I'm Busy Talking to Coworkers
6. Giving/Asking Business Cards
1. Talking to Co-Workers
7. General Office
2. Asking for help or offering help
8. Office Basics - Interactive Practice
3. Complaining about another co-
worker to a co-worker
Late or No Show
4. Complaining about the company
5. Talking about work experience
1. A Little Late
6. Talking to Coworkers -
2. Very Late
3. Leaving Work Early
4. Sick day
Talking to the Boss
5. Vacation
6. Late or No Show - Interactive Practice 1. Talking to the Boss
2. Asking for more work
Computer Related 3. Complaining and Showing
Frustration
1. Removable Disk 4. Talking to your boss about
2. Hard Drive another boss
3. Network share and public share 5. Talking to Boss - Interactive
4. Software Practice
5. Internet
6. Intranet Talking to Subordinates
7. General Computer Sentences
1. Talking to your Subordinate or
8. Computer Related - Interactive Practice
Direct
2. Project Change
Email
3. Deadline
4. Subordinate asking you
1. Asking for Email Address
Questions
2. Requesting information through email
5. Encouraging
3. Sending attachments through email
6. Reprimanding
4. Email Problems
7. Talking to Direct - Interactive
5. Reply and Reply All
Practice
6. Forwarding Mail
7. General email sentences
8. Email - Interactive Practice
Explanations and Presentations

Business Trips
1. Business Trips
2. First time business trip Q's
3. Talking to people
4. Eating during the Business Trip
5. Business Trip - Interactive Practice
Offices and Cubicles
1. Office and Cubicles

2. Cubicles
Airport 3. Office
4. Office and Cubicle - Interactive
1. Confirming your Flight Practice
2. Departing Date
Review Process
3. At the Counter
4. Finding the Gate 1. Performance Review Period
5. Airport - Interactive Practice 2. Achievements
3. Self Improvement
Car Rental 4. Compensation
5. Performance Review - Interactive
1. Car Availability Practice
2. Duration and General Questions
3. Insurance and Driver License Quitting or Leaving Work
4. Price and Rules
1. Quitting or Leaving Work
5. Making a Reservation
2. Negotiating before Leaving
6. Car Rental - Interactive Practice
3. General Statements
4. Quitting or Leaving Work -
Hotel
1. Making a Reservation I
Travel English Lessons
2. Making a Reservation II
Directions
3. Making a Reservation III
4. Checking In and Checking Out
1. Asking for Directions
5. General Things
6. Hotel - Interactive Practice
2. Left Right and Around the Corner
3. Across Blocks and Miles
4. Light and'Y'
5. Dead end and'T'
6. Freeway Explanation
7. Regular Practice
Restaurant
1. Fast Food
2. Regular Restaurant Ordering
3. Regular Restaurant Eating and Requesting Bill
4. Fine Dining
5. Restaurant - Interactive Practice
Store and More
1. Department Store
Basic Interview Questions I 2. Grocery Store

3. Bank - Currency Exchange
1. Tell me a little about yourself. 4. Post Office
2. What are your strengths? 5. Store and More - Interactive
3. What are your weaknesses? Practice
4. What are your short term goals?

Talking to Strangers
5. What are your long term goals?
6. What do you want to be doing five years from 1. Talking to Strangers
now? 2. Starting a Conversation
7. If you could change one thing about your 3. Talking to Strangers - Interactive
personality, what would it be and why? Practice
8. What does success mean to you?
9. What does failure mean to you? Interview English Lessons
10. Are you an organized person? Basic Interview Questions II
11. In what ways are you organized and
disorganized? 1. Are you better at anticipating or
12. Do you manage your time well? reacting to problems
13. How do you handle change? 2. Are you a risk taker or do you like
14. How do you make important decisions? to stay away from risks?
15. Do you work well under pressure?
3. Why should I hire you?
4. Tell me about Q's... / Tell me about a time you made a mistake.
5. Tell me about a time you made a good decision.
6. Tell me about a time you made a poor decision.
7. Tell me about a time you fired someone.
8. Tell me about a time you hired someone.
9. Tell me about a time you failed to complete an assignment on time.
10. Tell me about a time you found a solution to save the company money.
11. Tell me about a time you aimed too high.
12. Tell me about a time you aimed too low.
13. Tell me about a time you made a great sale.
14. Tell me about a time you went over budget.
Work Related Interview Questions

School Related Interview Questions
I
1. What extracurricular activities were you

1. If you could start your career over
involved in?
again, what would you do differently?
2. Why did you choose your major?
2. During your performance reviews,
3. If you redo college again, what would you
what criticism do you hear the most?
major in?
3. Tell me about your last three
4. What course did you like the most?
positions?
5. What course did you like the least?
4. Tell me about your last position?
6. How will your performance in your worst class
5. What is your management
affect your performance on this job?
philosophy?
7. How would your best friend describe you?
6. What was your favorite job?
8. How would your professor describe you?
7. Tell me about the best manager you
9. How would your mother describe you?
ever had.
10. Why are you applying for a job that you
8. Tell me about the worst manager
didn't major in?
you ever had.
11. During college, how did you spend your
9. What could you have done to
summer vacations?
improve your relationship with a
12. What did you learn from your internship?
manager you didn't like?
13. Did you do any internships?
10. What were the most memorable
14. If you could learn something such as a new
accomplishments in your last position?
skill, what would it be?
11. Why do you want to leave your
current job?
12. Where did you tell your boss you
were going?
13. Are you currently employed at the last place listed on your resume?
14. What is the title of the person you report to?
15. In your previous position, how much time did you spend ...
16. If you don't leave your current job, what do you imagine you will be doing in
several years?
17. If you're very happy with your current job, why do you want to leave?
Work Related Interview Questions

Work Related Interview Questions II
III
1. If you have problems or complaints with your

1. If everyone on the team is a
current job, why haven't you brought it to their
veteran, what will you do to fit in?
attention?
2. How do you intend to learn what
2. Give me a specific example at your last
you need to know to perform well for
position where...
this job?
3. What do you feel an employer owes an
3. If your supervisor tells you to do
employee?
something that you believe can be
4. What do you expect from your manager?
done in a different way, what would
5. Would you like to have your boss's job?
you do?
6. What did you hear about us?
4. If you're told to do something that
7. What do you know about our product?
you feel is illegal, what would you do?
8. Have you managed people in any of the
5. If you were unfairly criticized, what
positions you've held?
would you do?
9. What types of people do you have trouble
6. What are you looking to gain from
getting along with?
your next job?
10. Who do you think are our two major
7. What aspects of this job interest
competitors?
you the most?
11. Why do you like sales?
8. If you are given work from your
12. Do you see that stapler? Convince me to buy
manager that is boring and tedious,
it.
what will you do?
13. How long have you been looking for a job?
9. How long do you plan on staying
14. Why haven't you received any offers so far?
with this company?
15. If you don't understand your assignment and
10. How do you explain the fact that
you can't reach your boss, what would you do?
you frequently change jobs?
11. Tell me about a time you had a big
disagreement with your boss.
12. What do you do when there is no work to do?
13. What do you do when there are too many things to do?
14. What do you do when you feel burned out?
15. How do you balance both your family and your job?
16. You've been with one company your entire career. Don't you think you will
have a tough time adjusting to a new environment?
17. What have you heard about our company that you didn't like?
18. Do you want to work for a small or large company and why?
Miscellaneous Interview Questions

Working With People Interview Quetions
1. Do you have any physical problems

1. What do you do when you're having difficulty
that may limit your ability to perform
solving a problem?
this job?
2. What do you do when you have a problem
2. What do you do to stay in shape?
with a direct?
3. What do you like to do when you're
not in the office?
with your boss?
4. What's the most recent book you
read?
with your job?
5. What is the most recent movie you
saw?
with a co-worker?
6. Did you have any trouble finding
6. How do you handle conflict?
this place?
7. Have you fired anyone?
7. Will working on weekends be a
8. What do you do when a worker is giving the
problem?
team more problems than helping?
8. How do you feel about overtime?
9. When do you know enough is enough when
9. Have you filed for bankruptcy?
dealing with a subordinate that doesn't seem to be
10. Do you own or rent your home?
helping?
11. Do you have any outside income?
10. Do you like to work by yourself or with
12. Do you earn any income from
others?
investments or hobbies?
11. How do you get along...
13. Are you willing to travel?
14. Are you willing to relocate?
15. May I contact your current
employer?
16. May I contact your references?
17. Is there anything else you want to add?
18. What kind of salary are you looking for?
19. That's a high salary for this position! Where did you come up with that
ion I
1. Bored to death
2. You've got to be kidding figure?
3. Sick and Tired 20. How much do you currently get
4. Call it a day paid?
5. Get on one's nerves 21. When are you able to start?
6. Couch potato 22. Are you considering any other
7. Read one's mind offers right now?
8. Feel blue 23. Asking Questions
9. Fender bender
Phrases and Idioms
10. Get foot in the door
11. Chicken Section VI
12. Give somebody a hard time
1. What gives?
13. Make up one's mind
2. Fair Enough
14. Go Dutch
3. Cat Got Your Tongue
15. Throw in the towel
4. My Pleasure
5. It Totally Slipped My Mind
Section II
6. Give It to Me Straight
7. It's written all over your face
1. Goose bumps
8. Go For It
2. Stay in touch
9. It's a Deal
3. Have the guts
10. Don't Be a Stranger
4. Rain or Shine
11. Let's Go Fifty- Fifty
5. I'm beat
12. Good for Nothing
6. Easier said than done
13. You're Telling Me
7. It's about time
14. Get a Life
8. Jump to conclusions
15. Don't Joke With Me
9. Keep an eye on
10. Out of the blue
Section VII
11. Know something inside out
12. Give someone a hand 1. I Can't Thank You Enough
13. Now and then 2. My Two Cents
14. Nuke - Microwave 3. Just Name It
15. On the dot 4. No Worries
5. Why so Blue?
Section III 6. Nature Calls
7. What's Eating You?
1. Keeping my fingers crossed 8. Shame on You
2. Out of this world 9. Hang In There
3. Over one's head
4. Pain in the ass
5. Piece of cake
10. I Owe You
11. Take a Hike
12. It's a Piece of Cake
13. I'm On My Way
14. I'm Hosed
15. It's a Long Story
Section VIII
1. Since When
2. Got It
3. You Wish
4. You're Dressed to Kill
5. Behave Yourself
6. That Figures
7. Do Tell
8. No Sweat
9. I Blew It
10. Maddening
11. I Messed Up
12. I Beg to Differ
13. Rise and Shine
14. You Bet
15. Pie in the Sky
Section IX
1. No Strings Attached

2. Sleep Tight
3. It Can't Hurt
4. I Couldn't Agree With You More
5. Thank Goodness
6. You Made It
7. Whatever
8. I'm Sick of It
9. Get Out of Here
10. You Made It Big
11. In Your Dreams
12. Hold On a Sec
13. That's easier said than done
14. You Never Know
15. Back to the grind
Section X
1. It Serves You Right

2. I Can't Wait
3. Lighten Up
4. Good Point
5. Just My Luck
6. It's Up To You
7. Hop In
8. I Told You So
9. You Know Better Than That
10. Has Been Burned
11. Keep Me in the Loop
12. I'll Be Down
13. Get to the Point
14. Down to Earth
15. Sure Thing
Basics Listening Lessons Intermediate Listening Lessons
Basic Listening Lesson #01 Intermediate Listening Lesson #01

Basic Listening Lesson #02 Intermediate Listening Lesson #02 English
Listening
Lessons
Basic Listening Lesson #05 Intermediate Listening Lesson #05 Advanced
Basic Listening Lesson #06 Intermediate Listening Lesson #06 Listening
Basic Listening Lesson #07 Intermediate Listening Lesson #07 Lessons

Advanced
Listening
Lesson #01
Advanced
Listening
Lesson #02
Advanced
Listening
Lesson #03
Advanced
Listening
Lesson #04
Advanced
Listening
Lesson #05
Advanced
Listening
Lesson #06
Advanced
Listening
Lesson #07
Advanced
Listening
Lesson #08
Advanced
Listening
Lesson #09
Advanced
Listening
Lesson #10
Advanced Listening Lesson #11
Pronouncing the letters B and P
Pronouncing the letters D and T
Pronouncing the letters G and K
Pronouncing the letters CH and J
Pronouncing the letter H Pronunciation Lessons
Pronouncing the letters F and V
Pronouncing the letter W
Pronouncing the letters S and Z
Pronouncing the letter Y
Pronouncing the letters M, N, and NG
Pronouncing the sound TH
Pronouncing the letter L
Pronouncing the sound SH
Pronouncing the letter R
Pronouncing the various sounds of the
letter A
Pronouncing the various sounds of the letter E
Pronouncing the letter I
Pronouncing the letter O
Pronouncing the letter U
Grammar Lessons
1. Singular and Plural Nouns
2. Count Nouns vs. Non-Count Nouns
3. Possessive Nouns
4. Pronouns
5. 'Be' Verbs
6. Action Verbs
7. Adjectives
8. Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
9. Adverbs
10. Simple Tense
11. Progressive and Perfect Tense
12. Perfect Progressive Tense
13. Irregular Verbs
14. Gerunds
15. Infinitives 1
16. Infinitives 2
17. Active Voice and Passive Voice
18. Indicative, Imperative, Subjunctive Mood
19. Auxiliary Verbs - 'Be', 'Do', 'Have'
20. Auxiliary Verbs - 'Will/Would', 'Shall/Should'
21. Auxiliary Verbs - 'Can/Could', 'May/Might/Must'
22. Prepositions - 'On', 'At', 'In'
23. Prepositions - 'Of', 'To', 'For'
24. Prepositions - 'With', 'Over', 'By'
25. Conjunctions - Coordinating and Correlative
26. Conjunctions - Subordinating
27. Conjunctive Adverbs
28. Articles - Indefinite and Definite
29. Interjections
30. Capitalization
I'm
I'm' is an abbreviation for the word 'I AM.' It is used in combination with other words to tell
someone about yourself or to describe something you are doing.
Here are some examples:
"I'm so tired."
"I'm confused."
"I'm happy."
"I'm twenty three years old."
"I'm hungry."
"I'm nervous."
"I'm excited."
"I'm leaving work."
"I'm thirsty."
"I'm from Seattle."
You can also add descriptive words with 'I'm' such as:
"I'm extremely tired."

"I'm very happy."
"I'm terribly hungry."
"I am super excited."
"I'm very nervous."
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I'm getting
When combining the words 'I am' and 'getting' you are telling someone 'you' are gaining
possession, being affected by or have plans to seek out and obtain a particular thing.
"I'm getting better."

"I'm getting ready for bed."
"I'm getting a tooth ache."
"I'm getting a cold."
"I'm getting married."
"I'm getting tired."
"I'm getting good at reading."
"I'm getting a new car."
"I'm getting a job."
"I'm getting a puppy."
I'm trying + (verb)

I am trying' informs someone that you are attempting to accomplish something using bodily,
mental, or spiritual strength. By adding a verb to 'I'm trying' you are pointing out exactly what it is
you are attempting to do.
"I'm trying to get a job."

"I'm trying to call my family."
"I'm trying to enjoy my dinner."
"I'm trying to educate myself."
"I'm trying to explain myself."
"I'm trying new food."
"I'm trying to eat healthy."
"I'm trying to understand."
I'm gonna + (verb)
The word 'gonna' is incorrect grammatically. The equivalent in proper grammar would be 'going to.'
When using the word 'gonna' you are telling someone what you are planning to do at that moment
or in the near future.
"I'm gonna have some coffee."

"I'm gonna go to work."
"I'm gonna eat some cake."
"I'm gonna send out my resume."
"I'm gonna run a marathon."
"I'm gonna ask her out for dinner."
"I'm gonna stop smoking."
"I'm gonna help my friends."
"I'm gonna take swim lessons."
"I'm gonna read a book."
I have + (noun)
By using the words 'I have' you are informing someone of something you have possession of or
have acquired.
"I have a cat."

"I have a nice car."
"I have a house."
"I have a computer."
"I have a headache."
You may hear the words 'cannot' and 'won't' used with 'I have.' By adding these you can express
what you will not put up with or allow.
"I cannot have that behavior in my house."

"I cannot have you over tonight."
"I won't have anything to do with that."
"I won't have it any other way."
I have + (past participle)

Again, 'I have' shows possession or something acquired. By adding a past participle you are
informing someone of a past or completed action done by you.
"I have done it."

"I have heard that before."
"I have driven a car."
"I have forgotten the words."
"I have read that book."
"I have eaten at that restaurant before."
"I have flown in an airplane."
"I have forgiven you."
"I have seen you before."
"I have written a letter."
I used to + (verb)
Used to' expresses something that was done in the past, and is not usually done now.
"I used to develop websites."

"I used to jog every day."
"I used to paint."
"I used to smoke."
"I used to work from home."
"I used to live in California."
"I used to go to the beach every day."
"I used to sing in a choir."
"I used to like vegetables."
"I used to start work at 6 o'clock."
I have to + (verb)
The words 'have to' describe something that needs to take place soon. It expresses certainty,
necessity, or obligation.
"I have to switch schools."

"I have to use the telephone."
"I have to go to the bathroom."
"I have to leave."
"I have to unpack my bags."
You can also add the word 'don't' to suggest that someone is not required to do something.
"I don't have to switch schools."

"I don't have to use the telephone."
"I don't have to go to the bathroom."
"I don't have to leave."
"I don't have to unpack my bags."
I wanna + (verb)
The word 'wanna' is incorrect grammatically. It is equivalent to 'want to.' When combined with the
word 'I' it helps communicate something you want to do.
"I wanna talk."

"I wanna search for a job."
"I wanna order some food."
"I wanna marry her."
"I wanna listen to that song."
By adding the word 'don't' you can change the meaning of what you are saying to something you
'want' to do to something you 'do not' want to do.
"I don't wanna talk."

"I don't wanna search for a job."
"I don't wanna marry her."
"I don't wanna listen to that song."
"I don't wanna order some food."
I gotta + (verb)
I gotta' is grammatically incorrect. It is more of a spoken form. If you want to say this with proper
grammar, the equivalent would be, 'I have got to' or 'I've got to'. In the spoken form, 'got to' is
shortened to 'gotta' and the word 'have' is dropped.
"I gotta manage my money."

"I gotta obey the laws."
"I gotta move to a bigger house."
"I gotta impress my boss."
"I gotta brush my teeth."
By adding the word 'have' you can change what you are saying to express something that needs to
be done in the near future.
"I have got to be on time to work."

"I've gotta try harder at school."
"I've gotta tell my wife I'll be late."
"I've gotta learn more about the laws."
"I've gotta clean my house today."
I would like to + (verb)
This sentence lets someone know what you would be interested in doing. This can be a physical,
mental or verbal action.
"I would like to answer that question."

"I would like to compete in a cooking contest."
"I would like to explain myself."
"I would like to invite you over."
"I would like to practice."
"I would like to become a doctor."
"I would like to see you more often."
"I would like to thank you."
"I would like to learn about animals."
"I would like to meet the President."
I plan to + (verb)
Plan to' describes something that you would like to do in the near future.
"I plan to find a new apartment."

"I plan to relax on vacation."
"I plan to surprise my parents."
"I plan to wash my car."
"I plan to adopt a child."
"I plan to impress my boss."
"I plan to watch a movie."
"I plan to save more money."
"I plan to read a book."
"I plan to learn new things."
I've decided to + (verb)
I've' is short for 'I have' and including the word 'decided' you are stating that you have made a
decision or come to a conclusion.
"I've decided to accept the job."

"I've decided to complete my degree."
"I've decided to change my bad habits."
"I've decided to extend my membership at the gym."
"I've decided to form a chess club."
"I've decided to hand over my responsibilities."
"I've decided to help you move."
"I've decided to interview for the job."
"I've decided to increase my work load."
"I've decided to manage a store."
I was about to + (verb)

When stating 'I was about to' you are informing someone that you were going to do something, but
another event prevented you from doing it. It is similar to 'I am about to' but the difference is that
you will not do it any longer. Since you will not do it any longer, it becomes a past event. That is
why we use 'was' instead of 'am'
Here is an example conversionsation to help you understand.
A: Hi Mike. I need to ask you a favor.

B: Hey Bob. what do you need?
A: Can you drive me to the convenient store? My car is in the shop and we really need to get milk.
B: Sure. I can do that.
A: Were you in the middle of something? I don't want to bother you.
B: I was about to watch a movie, but that can wait.
In this case, he cannot say, "I am about to watch a movie" because he will not be watching it
because he has to drive his friend. You use "I was about to" when you will not be doing something
immediately because of some other event.
"I was about to go out."

"I was about to go to dinner."
"I was about to go to bed."
"I was about to go to work."
"I was about to say the same thing."
"I was about to call you."
"I was about to send you an email."
"I was about to mow my grass."
"I was about to order us some drinks."
"I was about to watch television."
I didn't mean to + (verb)

The word 'didn't' is a contraction of the words 'did not'. When using it in a sentence with the
words 'mean to' you are informing someone that you did something you regret or are sorry for.
This could have been a physical, mental or verbal action.
"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"I didn't mean to call you so late."
"I didn't mean to lie about what happened."
"I didn't mean to embarrass you."
"I didn't mean to stay out so late."
"I did not mean to say those things."
"I did not mean to leave you out."
"I did not mean to make you confused."
"I did not mean to think you were involved."
"I did not mean to cause trouble."
I don't have time to + (verb)
The word 'don't' is a contraction of the words 'do not.' When adding 'have time to' you are simply
stating that you have other obligations and all other things considered must wait.
"I don't have time to explain."

"I don't have time to eat."
"I don't have time to exercise."
"I don't have time to watch my favorite TV show."
"I don't have time to talk."
You can also use the phrase 'I don't' to express things you do not like, things you do not
understand, or things you do not do.
"I don't eat meat."

"I don't like the rain."
"I don't understand Spanish."
"I do not understand what you are saying."
"I do not like scary movies."
"I do not like sports."
I promise not to + (verb)

When using the word 'promise' you are giving your word that what you are saying is true. You
might also be assuring someone a guarantee that you will follow thru on what you are saying to
them.
When using 'promise not to' you are stating you will not do a particular thing.

"I promise not to tell."
"I promise not to leave without you."
"I promise not to be so late."
"I promise not to hurt your feelings."
"I promise not to wake you up."
You can also just use the word 'promise' to assure someone of your intentions.
"I promise I am telling the truth."

"I promise to practice my math."
"I promise to call you."
"I promise I will tell you."
"I promise I will come to your party."
I'd rather + (verb)
I'd' is a contraction of the words 'I had' or 'I would.'
When using it with the word 'rather' you are suggesting you would like to do or prefer one thing
more than another.
"I'd rather talk about this later."

"I'd like to eat at home than go get fast food."
"I'd rather ski than snowboard."
"I'd rather stay late than come in early tomorrow."
"I'd rather handle the problem myself."
"I had rather go home than stay out too late."
"I had rather listen to my parents or get in trouble."
"I would rather exercise than sit on the couch all day."
"I would rather complete my task early."
"I would rather know the answer."
I feel like + (verb-ing)

Here you are expressing to someone something you would enjoy doing.
"I feel like going for a bike ride."

"I feel like going to the beach."
"I feel like having a snack."
"I feel like talking."
"I feel like dancing."
"I feel like having friends over to my house."
"I feel like watching TV."
By adding 'don't' or 'do not' you can change what you are saying to express something you would
not enjoy or express a concern about something.
"I don't feel like leaving yet."

"I don't feel like explaining."
"I don't feel like going to bed."
"I do not feel comfortable talking about it."
"I do not feel like we are going in the right direction."
I can't help + (verb-ing)

The word 'can't' is contraction for 'cannot.' Combined with 'help' you are communicating
something you are unable to control or having a hard time gaining a grasp for. This can be a
physical or mental action.
"I can't help thinking about it."

"I can't help shopping so much."
"I can't help working all the time."
"I can't help smiling when I see her."
"I can't help eating so much."
"I can't help loving you."
"I can not help biting my nails when I am nervous."
"I can not help smoking when I have been drinking."
"I cannot help feeling so sad."
"I cannot help remembering the things you did."
I was busy + (verb-ing)
When using the word 'was', you are referring to something in a past tense, or something that
happened before. Combining it with the word 'busy' you can express something that was
occupying you in a past time.
"I was busy thinking."

"I was busy working."
"I was busy cooking dinner."
"I was busy talking on the phone."
"I was busy cleaning the house."
"I was busy studying for my test."
"I was busy thinking of ideas for our website."
"I was busy entertaining our neighbors."
"I was busy completing my housework."
"I was busy learning new things."
I'm not used to + (verb-ing)

Here you are using 'not used to' to inform someone that you are unfamiliar or uncomfortable with a
topic at hand.
"I'm not used to talking English."

"I'm not used to studying so much."
"I'm not used to being around new people."
"I'm not used to talking in front of groups of people."
"I'm not used to having so much stress."
"I'm not used to traveling so much."
"I'm not used to working so early."
"I'm not used to having so much responsibility."
"I'm not used to drinking so much."
I want you to + (verb)
I want you to' is telling someone that you have a desire or would like for them to do something.
"I want you to clean the dishes."

"I want you to come home right after school."
"I want you to call once you get there."
"I want you to explain yourself to me."
"I want you to educate me."
By using the word 'need' instead of 'want' you are expressing something that is required or wanted.
"I need you to study harder in school."

"I need you to stop and listen to me."
"I need you to greet our guests."
"I need you to introduce me to your family."
"I need to request a refund."
I'm here to + (verb)

You are informing someone that you are at a particular place to accomplish something.
"I'm here to apply for the job."

"I'm here to take a test."
"I'm here to receive my gift."
"I'm here to support all your decisions."
"I'm here to watch a movie."
"I'm here to work on your computer."
"I'm here to welcome you to the neighborhood."
"I'm here to raise awareness for cancer."
"I'm here to start the job."
"I'm here to receive the award."
I have something + (verb)

When using the expression 'I have something' you are communicating that you possess something
or need to do something that is unspecified or undetermined.
"I have something to complete."

"I have something to share with you."
"I have something important to tell you."
"I have something to encourage you."
"I have something to explain to you."
"I have something special planned for your birthday."
"I have something else to consider."
"I have something to apologize about."
"I have something to attend tonight."
"I have something to ask you."
"I have something fun for us to do."
I'm looking forward to

When telling someone that you are 'looking forward to' you are saying that you are waiting or
hoping for something, especially with pleasure.
"I'm looking forward to meeting you."

"I'm looking forward to talking with you."
"I'm looking forward to going on vacation."
"I'm looking forward to spending time with my family."
"I'm looking forward to learning the English language."
"I am looking forward to visiting another country."
"I am looking forward to having a family."
"I am looking forward to graduating from college."
"I am looking forward to watching the baseball game."
"I am looking forward to running in a race."
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I'm calling to + (verb)

When using the words 'I'm calling' you are stating that you are actually using the phone to call and
relay information.
"I'm calling to tell you about my day."

"I'm calling to accept your invitation."
"I'm calling to answer your question."
"I'm calling to book a reservation at your restaurant."
"I'm calling to complain about something."
"I'm calling to thank you."
"I'm calling to support your decision."
"I'm calling to remind you of our dinner plans."
"I'm calling to report a lost wallet."
"I'm calling to receive my prize."
I'm working on + (noun)
I'm' is a contraction for the words 'I am.' The phrase 'working on' relays a physical or mental effort
towards an accomplishment.
"I'm working on a big project."

"I'm working on training my dog."
"I'm working on making new friends."
"I'm working on educating myself."
"I'm working on my homework."
"I am working on painting a house."
"I am working on a new idea."
"I am working on my computer."
"I'm working on my website."
I'm sorry to + (verb)

Saying you are 'sorry to' expresses a feeling of sympathy or regret.
"I'm sorry to be so late."

"I'm sorry to hear about your sick mother."
"I'm sorry to waste your time."
"I'm sorry to make you feel so sad."
"I'm sorry to frighten you."
"I'm sorry to disagree with your decision."
"I'm sorry to call so late."
"I'm sorry to admit what I did."
"I'm sorry to end this relationship."
I'm thinking of + (verb-ing)
Thinking' refers to a process of thought, forming an opinion or judgment. When expressing 'I am
thinking of' you are letting someone know what you are personally thinking.
"I'm thinking of checking out the new movie."

"I'm thinking of filming my vacation."
"I'm thinking of following a healthy diet."
"I'm thinking of handing out flyers describing our business."
"I'm thinking of increasing my work load."
"I am thinking of introducing myself to him."
"I am thinking of launching a new website."
"I am thinking of moving to a new city."
"I am thinking of offering her the position."
"I am thinking of opening up a store."
I'll help you + (verb)
This lets you inform someone that you are willing to provide assistance. This could refer to
something physical or mental, like helping someone to 'think' or 'remember' something.
"I'll help you cook dinner tonight."

"I'll help you raise money for your charity."
"I'll help you register for your class online."
"I'll help you move to your new house."
"I'll help you prevent that from happening again."
"I will help you park your car."
"I will help you provide all the information you need."
"I will help you realize your potential."
"I will help you stop smoking."
"I will help you shop for groceries."
I'm dying to + (verb)

When using the word 'dying' in this manner you are referring to wanting or desiring something
greatly.
"I'm dying to relax on the beach."

"I'm dying to pick some fresh fruit."
"I'm dying to order some desserts."
"I'm dying to find out if I got the job."
"I'm dying to move to a bigger house."
"I'm dying to look at all the work you've done."
"I'm dying to learn more about you."
"I'm dying to introduce you to my parents."
"I'm dying to expand my business."
"I'm dying to check my score on the test."
It's my turn to + (verb)
The word 'It's' is a contraction of the words 'it is.' When stating 'my turn' you are telling someone
that it is time to change position or position focuses on to you.
"It's my turn to walk you home."

"It's my turn to do laundry."
"It's my turn to work late."
"It's my turn to take out the trash."
"It's my turn to choose where we eat."
"It is my turn to pay for dinner."
"It is my turn to roll the dice."
"It is my turn to provide an answer."
"It is my turn to try and play the game."
"It is my turn to attempt solving the problem."
It's hard for me to + (verb)

When saying that something is 'hard for me' you are informing someone that what you are talking
about is difficult or challenging for you.
"It's hard for me to accept what you are telling me."

"It's hard for me to argue your point."
"It's hard for me to balance my check book."
"It's hard for me to concentrate on the task."
"It's hard for me to consider your other options."
"It's hard for me to depend on you."
"It is hard for me to decide where to go tonight."
"It is hard for me to explain my actions."
"It is hard for me to guarantee your success."
"It is hard for me to handle so much pressure."
I'm having a hard time + (verb-ing)

By stating you are having a hard time you are letting someone know you are having difficulty with
something. This could be something physical or mental and something that could be overcome
with effort.
"I'm having a hard time writing."

"I'm having a hard time understanding you."
"I'm having a hard time answering your question."
"I'm having a hard time downloading songs to my iPod."
"I'm having a hard time agreeing to the terms."
With the addition of an adverb you can express in more detail just how difficult something is for
you.
"I'm having an extremely hard time trusting you."

"I'm having an extremely hard time with my wife."
"I'm having a very hard time finding a job."
"I'm having a very hard time finding parts for my car."
I think I should + (verb)
Here you are telling someone that you feel strongly about doing a particular action. Here are some
examples:
"I think I should practice my reading."

"I think I should join a study group."
"I think I should handle this as soon as possible."
"I think I should earn my degree."
"I think I should explain myself."
By adding the word 'don't' you have changed what you are conveying from something you are
thinking of doing, to something you are against.
"I do not think I should complain so much."

"I do not think I should attend that event."
"I do not think I should borrow more money."
"I do not think I should doubt you."
"I do not think I should decide until later."
I've heard that + (subject + verb)
You are letting someone know that you are aware of something or that you have been informed of
something that is taking place. This could be something that has already happened or something
happening in the near future. 'I've' is a contraction of the words 'I have.'
"I've heard that you got a new job."

"I've heard that you want to leave your job."
"I've heard that you got a new car."
"I've heard that you like to jog."
"I've heard that you fix computers."
"I've heard that you've never been to Canada."
"I've heard that you like to shop."
"I've heard that you and your boss don't get along."
"I've heard that there is no school next week."
"I've heard that your wife is a yoga instructor."
It occurred to me that (subject + verb)
The word 'occurred' informs someone that something has come to mind or has been found. You are
letting someone know that you suddenly have thought or remembered about something.
"It occurred to me that I forgot your birthday."

"It occurred to me that we both belong to the same gym."
"It occurred to me that we enjoy a lot of the same things."
"It occurred to me the price for homes are more expensive here."
"It occurred to me that eating healthy makes me feel better."
Using the word 'had' or 'has' can change what you are saying to represent something remembered in
a past time.
"It had occurred to me that I forgot something at the grocery."

"It had occurred to me I might need to change my email address."
"It has occurred to me I forgot my mom's birthday."
"It has occurred to me before."
Let me + (verb)
Let me' is suggesting that you are asking for permission or an opportunity to do something.
"Let me make my own decisions."

"Let me offer to help you."
"Let me open the door for you."
"Let me pause and think about what we are doing."
"Let me welcome you to the neighborhood."
"Let me save you the trouble."
"Let me make a suggestion."
"Let me try and fix your car."
"Let me taste the soup before you add more spices."
"Let me treat you to some ice cream."
Thank you for

Saying 'thank you' is telling someone you appreciate what they have done. This can either be
something they did for you or for someone else.
"Thank you for inviting me."

"Thank you for helping me move."
"Thank you for informing me about the job opening."
"Thank you for mailing that package for me."
"Thank you for working so hard."
"Thank you for stopping by to visit."
"Thank you for replying to my email."
"Thank you for providing me with the answers."
"Thank you for heating up dinner."
"Thank you for hurrying to get here."
Can I + (verb)
When ending a sentence with a question mark (?) you are asking the person or people you are
talking to a question for which you would like an answer. Here you are asking permission to do a
particular action.
"Can I answer your question?"

"Can I attend the event?"
"Can I move to another spot?"
"Can I call you tomorrow?"
"Can I complete this later?"
"Can I explain myself?"
"Can I help you with your homework?"
"Can I include you in our plans?"
"Can I introduce you to my co-workers?"
"Can I inform you of some bad news?"
Can I get + (noun)
The phrase 'Can I get' can be used in a couple different ways. You can use it to ask a question.
"Can I get a cup of water?"

"Can I get a dog?"
"Can I get lunch?"
"Can I get sugar in my coffee?"
"Can I get popcorn at the movie?"
You can also use it when offering to help someone or do something for them.
"Can I get you another drink?"

"Can I help you move that?"
"Can I recommend a good place to eat?"
"Can I take you home?"
"Can I help you finish your project?"
I'm not sure if (subject + verb)

I'm not sure' expresses a feeling of uncertainty or lack of confidence on a particular matter.
"I am not sure if they will offer me the job."

"I'm not sure if she'll return my call."
"I'm not sure if my wife will understand."
"I'm not sure if we will go out tonight."
"I'm not sure if I understand your question."
"I am not sure if I can handle it."
"I am not sure if it will happen."
"I am not sure if it will matter."
"I am not sure if my mom will notice."
"I am not sure if they will permit us to park there."
Do you mind if I + (verb)

You are asking someone in present tense if they object to something you are asking.
"Do you mind if I excuse myself?"

"Do you mind if we left early?"
"Do you mind if I take a nap?"
"Do you mind if I ask your mom?"
"Do you mind if it snows?"
You could also use the word 'would'
"Would you mind if we went out to eat?"

"Would you mind if I opened the window?"
"Would you mind telling me what you're doing?"
"Would you mind being quiet for a minute?"
"Would you mind if I changed the channel?"
I don't know what to + (verb)
You are letting someone know that you are not sure about what is being asked. You may also have
no knowledge or opinion on a topic.
"I don't know what to eat for dinner."

"I don't know what to buy you for your birthday."
"I don't know what to say."
"I don't know what to do with my spare time."
"I don't know what to do for vacation."
"I do not know what to do to make you happy."
"I do not know what to do to help you understand."
"I do not know what to think."
"I do not know what to do to prevent this."
"I do not know what to order."
I should have + (past participle)

Should' is the past tense of the word 'shall.' When using the words 'should have' you are talking
about something in the past that you 'ought to' or 'might have' done.
"I should have gone with you."

"I should have studied more for my test."
"I should have read the directions before starting."
"I should have eaten breakfast this morning."
"I should have listened to your advice."
"I should have married her when I had the chance."
'Shall' is something that will take place or exist in the future.

"I shall leave tomorrow."
"I shall finish the job next week."
"I shall see it tomorrow."
"I shall go outside if it's nice out."
"I shall pay for this later."
I wish I could + (verb)

You are expressing a desire to do something.
"I wish I could sing better."

"I wish I could settle the argument."
"I wish I could sail around the world."
"I wish I could remain calm during all of this."
"I wish I could remember his name."
"I wish I could replace my old car with a new one."
"I wish I could play outside."
"I wish I could go to the game with you."
"I wish I could write better."
"I wish I could own my own business."
You should + (verb)
Here you are suggesting an obligation or duty that needs to take place either now or in the near
future.
"You should go to bed."

"You should do your homework before going outside."
"You should replace your headlights on your car."
"You should request a raise at work."
"You should stop smoking."
"You should smile more."
"You should slow down when driving in a neighborhood."
"You should talk to him about it."
"You should train your dog."
"You should trust what they say."
You're supposed to + (verb)

You're' is a contraction of the words 'you are.' When using 'You're' with the words 'supposed to'
you are making a suggestion that something you strongly believe ought to happen.
"You're supposed to keep that secret."

"You're supposed to let me know when you leave."
"You're supposed to stop when at a red light."
"You're supposed to unpack once you get there."
"You're supposed to return the movies you rent on time."
"You are supposed to remain calm."
"You are supposed to fasten your seat belt."
"You are supposed to invite all your friends."
"You are supposed to encourage one another."
"You are supposed to decide before next Thursday."
You seem + (adjective)
When stating 'you seem' you're referring to the person you are talking to and expressing that they
are giving the impression of or appear to be.
"You seem bored."

"You seem unhappy with the results."
"You seem eager to begin."
"You seem easy to get along with."
"You seem elated to hear the good news."
"You seem deeply in love."
"You seem afraid of roller coasters."
"You seem confused about the rules of the game."
"You seem embarrassed about what happened."
"You seem decisive about your choice."
You'd better + (verb)

You'd' is a contraction of 'you had' or 'you would.' You are making a suggestion to
someone for a particular action.
"You'd better exercise."

"You'd better help out."
"You'd better invite your brother."
"You'd better impress the judges."
"You'd better listen to your parents."
"You had better not come home late."
"You had better hope for the best."
"You had better change your attitude."
"You would be good at teaching."
"You would do well at math
Are you into + (noun)

Here you are asking a question about an interest they might have or something they might enjoy
doing.
"Are you into soccer?"

"Are you into trying new things?"
"Are you into wine tasting?"
"Are you into working out at home or at the gym?"
"Are you into scary movies?"
"Are you into playing games?"
"Are you into jogging?"
"Are you into painting?"
"Are you into traveling?"
"Are you into fixing cars?"
Are you trying to + (verb)
You are asking someone if they are attempting to do something. This can be something mentally or
physically.
"Are you trying to ignore me?"

"Are you trying to manage your money?"
"Are you trying to memorize that song?"
"Are you trying to offer your help?"
"Are you trying to program your new phone?"
"Are you trying to pretend like it never happened?"
"Are you trying to remain calm?"
"Are you trying to remember her name?"
"Are you trying to reflect on the past?"
"Are you trying to switch flights?"
Please + (verb)
Please' is generally used in a polite request when asking someone to do something.
"Please pass me the salt."

"Please order me the steak and potatoes."
"Please stop bothering me."
"Please wash your hands before dinner."
"Please wait outside until we are ready."
"Please zip up your coat before you go outside."
"Please stand back."
The word 'please' can also mean to give enjoyment or satisfaction to.
"The smell of the flowers was very pleasing."

"May it please the court to admit this into evidence?"
"I was very pleased with how the children behaved in class."
"You cannot please everyone all the time."
"She was pleased with the dress."
Don't + (verb)
The word 'don't' is a contraction of the words 'do not.' It is said to convey a message of what NOT
should be done.
"Don't try and fool me."

"Don't allow this to happen."
"Don't watch scary movies before you go to bed."
"Don't cause any more trouble."
"Don't chew gum in class."
"Do not concern yourself with other people's problems."
"Do not behave that way."
"Do not announce your decision until you're ready."
"Do not argue with me."
"Do not arrive late for your meeting."
Do you like
With this question you are asking someone what they prefer or enjoy.
"Do you like traveling on a plane?"

"Do you like watching baseball on TV?"
"Do you like skiing or snowboarding?"
"Do you like going to bed early?"
"Do you like spending time with me?"
"Do you like repeating the class?"
"Do you like playing video games?"
"Do you like listening to music?"
"Do you like practicing playing the piano?"
"Do you like jogging with me?"
33333
How often do you
When asking this question you are inquiring how often or how frequent someone does a particular
thing.
"How often do you exercise?"

"How often do you change your password?"
"How often do you help out at school?"
"How often do you listen to your MP3 player?"
"How often do you need to go to the dentist?"
"How often do you receive your magazine in the mail?"
"How often do you report to your supervisor?"
"How often do you stretch before working out?"
"How often do you talk to your parents?"
"How often do you travel?"
Do you want me to + (verb)

To 'want' is to feel or have a desire for. When saying 'Do you want me to' you're asking someone
if there is anything you can do for them or assist them with.
"Do you want me to pick up the kids?"

"Do you want me to fix your flat tire?"
"Do you want me to help you read that book?"
"Do you want me to remind you?"
"Do you want me to remove my shoes?"
The word 'want' can also be used to express something YOU would like someone else to do or that
something you personally would enjoy.

"I want you to come over."
"I want you to make a decision."
"I want you to water the flowers."
"I want to understand what you are trying to say."
"I want to be better at swimming."
"I want to be more involved at church."
What do you think about (verb-ing)

This question asks someone their opinion about a topic.
"What do you think about having a cup of tea with me?"

"What do you think about working overtime next week?"
"What do you think about waiting in line for tickets?"
"What do you think about sailing?"
"What do you think about staying here another night?"
"What do you think about retiring from your job?"
"What do you think about planting new trees in the backyard?"
"What do you think about offering to babysit?"
"What do you think about living in a new city?"
"What do you think about filming our vacation?"
Why don't we + (verb)
Don't' is a contraction of 'do not.' When using 'why' you are asking a question that involves yourself
and the person you are talking to.
"Why don't we go bowling tonight?"

"Why don't we pick some fresh flowers?"
"Why don't we play a game of chess?"
"Why don't we save more money?"
"Why don't we remember this place?"
"Why don't we test this before using it?"
"Why don't we try and do it again?"
"Why don't we post our results online?"
"Why don't we gather more firewood?"
"Why don't we earn more money?"
It's too bad that
Too bad' means regrettable or unfortunate. When using it in a sentence you are expressing a
concern or regret for what has taken place. The topic being discussed could have happened to you,
the person you are talking to, or someone or something else.
"It's too bad that she lost her job."

"It's too bad that you have to go."
"It's too bad that I found out about it."
"It's too bad we will not be there on time."
"It's too bad that tickets are all gone to that concert."
"It's too bad that it is supposed to rain."
"It's too bad that she got hurt."
"It's too bad that my work has to lay off people."
"It's too bad that you do not understand."
You could have + (past participle)
Using 'could have' you are speaking about something that was, should be or would be. You are
stating that they had other options that could have been chosen.
"You could have completed it sooner."

"You could have blown your chance."
"You could have done better on your exam."
"You could have given me more time to get ready."
"You could have heard that from someone else."
"You could have sent that package first class."
"You could have slept in a little longer."
"You could have written him a letter."
"You could have thought of something to do."
"You could have upset her by saying that."
If I were you, I would + (verb)

Here you are giving an example of what decision YOU would do given the circumstances. This
can be in past tense or in a conditional present.
"If I were you, I would enjoy my vacation."

"If I were you, I would explain what happened."
"If I were you, I would continue working until it is done."
"If I were you, I would book my reservations now."
"If I were you, I would answer the question."
By adding 'have' after the word 'would' you are talking about something in the past tense.

"If I were you, I would have enjoyed my vacation."
"If I were you, I would have explained what happened."
"If I were you, I would have continued working until it was done."
"If I were you, I would have booked my reservations now."
"If I were you, I would have answered the question."
It's gonna be + (adjective)

You're informing someone what something is going to be like. This could be something you are
going to do, see or feel.
"It's going to be delicious."

"It's gonna be easy."
"It's gonna be depressing."
"It's going to be exciting."
"It's going to be disgusting."
You can also add 'he or she' or a person's name to describe how they might react to something.
"He is going to be tough to deal with."

"He is going to be terrific at that."
"She is going to be relieved to hear that."
"She is going to be scared after watching that movie."
"Sally is going to be successful."
"Mike is going to be grumpy after I tell him."
It looks like + (noun)

You could be describing how something is similar or appears to be by the way it looks.
"It looks like a balloon."

"It looks like a jellyfish."
"It looks like a banana."
"It looks like a fish."
You can also use 'it looks like' to describe something that might be in the future.
"It looks like it's going to rain."

"It looks like it's going to be fun."
"It looks like it's going to be a long day."
You can also use it to describe something in the present tense.
"It looks like they are leaving."

"It looks like he is waving to us."
"It looks like she is lost."
"It looks like they are racing."
That's why + (subject + verb)

That's' is short for 'that is.' Here you are telling someone 'because of this' or 'therefore.'
"That's why people admire you."

"That's why she appears so happy."
"That's why babies crawl before they can walk."
"That's why Pam cries at sad movies."
"That's why you fail to understand."
"That is why you help out people in need."
"That is why you try and include everyone."
"That is why you lock your doors when you leave home."
"That is why she smiles when you walk by."
"That is why you use it for emergencies."
It's time to + (verb)

You are letting someone know that something is required to be done at the present time.
"It's time to say goodbye."

"It's time to ask for a raise."
"It's time to collect our money."
"It's time to cheer for our team."
"It's time to change the clocks."
"It is time to decide what to do."
"It is time to enjoy ourselves."
"It is time to fill me in on what's going on."
"It is time to help out."
"It is time to join a gym."
The point is that + (subject + verb)
By stating 'the point is' you are stating in your opinion the meaning about what is actually
happening.
"The point is that if you study you will do well in school."

"The point is that she does not understand."
"The point is that we need this done today."
"The point is that the world would be a better place."
"The point is that we should help."
"The point is that snakes can be dangerous."
"The point is that leaving a baby alone is not a good idea."
"The point is that if we do not leave now we will be late."
"The point is that she needs to be more responsible."
"The point is that we need to work together."
How was + (noun)
By using the words 'how was' you are asking someone a question about something that happened or
something they did in the past.
"How was your meeting?"

"How was your doctor's appointment?"
"How was the birthday party?"
"How was lunch?"
"How was the airplane ride?"
"How was vacation?"
"How were your parents?"
"How were roads when you drove home?"
"How were people acting after what happened?"
"How were holidays with the family?"
How about + (verb-ing)

You're asking someone their opinion on something or if they would like to do something.
"How about singing?"

"How about hanging out tonight?"
"How about folding the laundry for me?"
"How about helping us out?"
"How about describing to me what happened?"
"How about exploring new ideas?"
"How about comparing prices before we buy it?"
"How about considering it?"
"How about following me to their house?"
"How about feeding the dogs?"
What if + (subject + verb)
Here you are asking a question about 'in the event of' or 'in the event that.'
Usually you are looking for an answer at the time of the question that is being
asked.
"What if I miss the bus?"

"What if I were late to dinner?"
"What if I called her tomorrow?"
"What if I don't understand?"
"What if someone sees me?"
"What if no one is home?"
"What if they decide to stay?"
"What if it rains while we are camping?"
"What if I do not finish on time?"
"What if we introduce ourselves first?"
How much does it cost to + (verb)

You are simply asking how much you would need to pay to do something.
"How much does it cost to fly to Europe?"

"How much does it cost to own a house?"
"How much does it cost to play a round of golf?"
"How much does it cost to join a gym?"
"How much does it cost to repair my car?"
"How much would it cost to talk long distance?"
"How much would it cost to run a website?"
"How much would it cost to wash my car?"
"How much would it cost to rent a car?"
"How much would it cost to go to the movies?"
How come + (subject + verb)

When using 'how come' you are asking why a particular thing has or had to take
place.
"How come parents worry so much?"

"How come people carpool to work?"
"How come you are so upset?"
"How come he will not call you?"
"How come you stayed out so late?"
"How come you cannot make a decision?"
"How come you always question me?"
"How come we never agree?"
"How come your dog digs in the yard?"
"How come she will not come over?"
What are the chances of + (verb-ing)

By asking 'what are the chances of' you are wondering how often or in what case would a particular
thing happen.
"What are the chances of getting tickets?"

"What are the chances of that happening?"
"What are the chances of it raining today?"
"What are the chances of winning the lottery?"
When replacing the word 'the' with 'your' or 'our' you can ask what the chances 'personally' that the
topic will happen.
"What are the chances of you staying home today?"

"What are your chances of getting the job?"
"What are your chances of improving?"
"What are your chances of moving?"
"What are our chances of staying together?"
"What are our chances of working together?"
"What are our chances of going together?"
There is something wrong with + (noun)
You are informing someone that there is something not right or out of the ordinary.
"There is something wrong with my laptop."

"There is something wrong with my car."
"There is something wrong with my cell phone."
"There is something wrong with my head."
"There is something wrong with your answering machine."
"There is something wrong with your way of thinking."
"There is something wrong with your attitude."
"There is something wrong with your dog."
"There is something wrong with our relationship."
"There is something wrong with our alarm clock."
Let's not + (verb)

The word 'let's' is formed from the words 'let us.' Here you are requesting that something not take
place at this moment or that what is happening needs to be contained or lessened.
"Let's not discuss this now."

"Let's not stay here too long."
"Let's not stop anywhere on the way."
"Let's not remain mad at each other."
"Let's not meddle in other people's business."
"Let us not get too excited."
"Let us not worry too much."
"Let us not interrupt them when they are talking."
"Let us help you."
"Let us get that for you."
Let's say that + (subject + verb)
Let's' is a contraction for 'let us.' You are suggesting to someone that you should
both agree on what you will communicate to someone else.
"Let's say that you love to fish."

"Let's say we found it."
"Let's say that we enjoy being with them."
"Let's say that we had a good time."
"Let's say that it's hard to decide."
"Let's say that we have to go."
"Let's say that we can host."
"Let's say that I have to work."
"Let's say that the movie was really good."
There's no need to + (verb)

The word 'there's' is a contraction of the words 'there is' or 'there has.' When expressing 'no need'
you are stating that the action does not need to take place.
"There's no need to worry."

"There's no need to be upset."
"There's no need to act so strange."
"There's no need to act so shy."
"There's no need to rush off."
"There's no need to talk now."
"There is no need to call this late."
"There is no need to bother him."
"There is no need to run away."
"There is no need to stop now."
It takes + (time) + to + (verb)
You are letting someone know how long it will take to do a particular thing.
"It takes one hour to get there."

"It takes forty-five minutes for me to get ready."
"It takes four quarters to complete a football game."
"It takes 7 seconds for my car to go 60 miles per hour."
"It takes all day for us to finish golfing."
"It takes years to learn to play guitar."
"It takes 15 minutes to get to downtown."
"It takes me one hour to cook."
Please make sure that + (subject + verb)

You are asking someone to make sure that a particular thing happens or takes place.
"Please make sure that she wakes up on time."

"Please make sure that she gets to school."
"Please make sure that dinner is ready when we get home."
"Please make sure that your assignment is done."
"Please make sure that the water is not too hot."
"Please make sure you cook the meat long enough."
"Please make sure that she is getting along with her new friends."
"Please make sure that we leave on time."
"Please make sure you record our favorite TV show."
"Please make sure that you don't stay out too late."
Here's to + (noun)
Here's to' is used in a way of celebrating or identifying a person, place, or thing of significance. It
is usually said while toasting someone at dinner, or signaling to someone or something after an
event.
"Here's to the winner!"

"Here's to your marriage!"
"Here's to the New Year!"
"Here's to great friends!"
"Here's to starting a new job!"
"Here is to the luckiest guy in the world!"
"Here is to you!"
"Here is to happiness!"
"Here is to a wonderful day!"
"Here is to great memories!"
It's no use + (verb-ing)

It's' is a contraction for 'it is.' By stating 'it's no use' you are saying that what you or someone else
is doing is not recommended or uncalled for.
"It's no use crying."

"It's no use separating them."
"It's no use talking to her."
"It's no use whining about it."
"It's no use apologizing."
"It's no use attempting to please him."
"It's no use arguing about it."
"It's no use behaving that way."
"It's no use cleaning up."
"It's no use checking on it yet."
There's no way + (subject + verb)
There's' is a contraction of the words 'there is.' By stating 'there's no way' you are
relaying a thought of doubt about an event taking place now or in the future.
"There's no way you finish on time."

"There's no way we complete on time."
"There's no way your mother approves."
"There's no way no one claims it."
"There's no way they expect it."
"There's no way he can fix it."
"There's no way he can handle the news."
"There's no way your brother injured his ankle."
"There is no way that horse jumps it."
"There is no way he missed it."
It's very kind of you to + (verb)

When saying it is 'kind of you' you are saying that what someone has done or said was very
appreciated or welcomed.
"It's very kind of you to offer me the job."

"It's very kind of you to listen to me."
"It's very kind of you to join me."
"It's very kind of you to invite us."
"It's very kind of you to inform us what happened."
"It is kind of you to help us."
"It is kind of you to fill me in."
"It is kind of you to entertain us."
"It is kind of you to double my salary."
"It is kind of you to decorate for the party."
There's nothing + (subject) + can + (verb)
There's' is a contraction of the words 'there is.' When using the word 'nothing' you are suggesting
that something cannot happen or be done.
"There's nothing you can harm."

"There's nothing the police can identify."
"There's nothing we can agree on."
"There's nothing we can join."
"There's nothing she can cook."
"There's nothing my dog can learn."
By using the word 'cannot' or 'can't' you change the expression to mean that all is possible.
"There is nothing I cannot ask for."

"There's nothing we cannot accomplish."
"There's nothing our dog cannot open."
"There's nothing that truck cannot move."
Rumor has it that + (subject + verb)
Rumor has it' is an expression used when suggesting you might have heard something or read about
something that is taking place now or in the future. A rumor is not a fact.
"Rumor has it that that player will get traded."

"Rumor has it that she cheated on him."
"Rumor has it that they are going to get married."
"Rumor has it that you like to paint."
"Rumor has it that show is going to end."
"Rumor has it that he is going to get a raise."
"Rumor has it that your sister got in trouble."
"Rumor has it that she goes to our gym."
"Rumor has it that he will not return."
"Rumor has it that it happened while texting."
Greeting - Basic
There are many ways to greet someone. We'll learn about the most common way to greet someone
in this lesson. I'll give a variety of example sentences.
Greeting someone you never met:

"Hi, my name is Steve. It's nice to meet you."
You can respond to this by saying,
"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Jack."
Another common question to ask is
"What do you do for a living?"
You can respond to this by saying,
"I work at a restaurant."

"I work at a bank."
"I work in a software company."
"I'm a dentist."
Usually, you will not need to ask for a name. It is implied that each person should say their name.
But in case they don't, you can ask,
"What is your name?"
Many times, I don't hear the name. If you would like for them to repeat their name, you can say,
"What was that again?"

"Excuse me?"
"Pardon me?"
Greeting Someone you Know
"Hey John, how have you been?"
"Hi Bob, how are you?"
"Hi Nancy, what have you been up to?"
"Andy, it's been a long time, how are you man?"
If you meet someone unexpectedly, you can say,

"Hey Jack, it's good to see you. What are you doing here?"
or
"What a surprise. I haven't seen you in a long time. How have you been?"
If you see the person at a restaurant, you can say, "Do you come to this restaurant often?"
Or at the movie theatre, "What movie did you come to see?"
Appropriate responses:
"Hi Steve, my name is Mike. It is nice to meet you as well."
"I heard a lot about you from John. He had a lot of good things to say."
"Wow. How long has it been? It seems like more than a year. I'm doing pretty well. How about
you?"
A typical response to this type of greeting is simple.
"Not too bad."
If asked what you have been up to, you can respond with, "Same ole same ole." Or, "The same as
usual."
Here are some other example responses.
"I'm pretty busy at work these days, but otherwise, everything is great."
"I'm doing very well."
"I finally have some free time. I just finished taking a big examination, and I'm so relieved that I'm
done with it."
Restaurant Responses
"I've been here a couple of times, but I don't come on a regular basis."
"I come pretty often. This is my favorite restaurant."
"I can't believe we haven't seen each other before. I come here at least twice a week."
Movie Response
"I came here to see Matrix Revolution. How about you?"
Greeting - Example Conversations

Let's look at several example conversations. Then we can move on to the practice
section.
Person A: "Hi, my name is Steve. It's nice to meet you."

Person B: "I'm Jack. It's a pleasure to meet you, Steve."
Person A: "What do you do for a living Jack?"
Person B: "I work at the bank."
Person A: "What is your name?"

Person B: "Jackson."
Person A: "What was that again?"
Person A: "Hey John, how have you been?"

Person B: "What a surprise. I haven't seen you in a long time. How have you
been?"
Person A: "I'm doing very well. How about you?"
Person B: "I finally have some free time. I just finished taking a big examination,
and I'm so relieved that I'm done with it."
Person A: "Hi Nancy, what have you been up to?"

Person B: "The same ole same ole." Or, "The same as usual. How about you?"
Person A: "I'm pretty busy at work these days, but otherwise, everything is
great."
Person A: "Andy, it's been a long time, how are you man?"
Person B: "What a surprise. I haven't seen you in a long time. How have you
been?"
Person A: "Do you come to this restaurant often?"
Person B: "I've been here a couple of times, but I don't come on a regular basis."
Greeting - Interactive Practice

Click on Listen All and follow along. After becoming comfortable with the entire conversation,
become Person A by clicking on the Person A button. You will hear only Person B through the
audio file. There will be a silence for you to repeat the sentences of Person A. Do the same for
Person B. The speed of the conversation is native speed. Use the pause button if the pause between
each sentence is too fast for you. After practicing several times, you will be able to speak as fast as
a native.
1
Listen All | Person A | Person B
A: "Hi, how are you doing?"
B: "I'm doing great. How about you?"
A: "Not too bad."
B: "Do you come to this restaurant often?"
A: "I've been here a couple of times, but I don't come on a regular basis. What have you been up
to?"
B: "I'm pretty busy at work these days, but otherwise, everything is great."
A: "Well, have a good evening."
B: "You too."
2
A: "It's nice to meet you. My name is Jack."
B: "I'm Steve. It's a pleasure to meet you."
A: "What was your name again?"
B: "Steve."
A: "So Steve, What do you do for a living?"
B: "I work at the public library. How about you?"
A: "I'm a University student."
B: "That's great. It was nice meeting you."
A: "Yeah. It was a pleasure meeting you."
3
A: "Hey Jack, it's good to see you."
B: "Wow. How long has it been? It seems like more than a year. I'm doing pretty well. How about
you?"
A: "Not too bad."
B: "What movie did you come to see?"
A: "I came here to see Matrix Revolution. How about you?"
B: "I'm going to watch Finding Nemo."
Bored - General Phrases
Being bored means having nothing to do. When someone is bored, they often call people and try to
entertain themselves or try to find something to do with a friend. So being bored is a good starting
point for conversational English.
There are a couple of situations you can express to someone that you are bored. Most commonly,
you will call a friend and tell them that you are bored or ask them to do something together. The
other time is when someone asks you how you are doing. We will cover both situations in this
session.
General Phrases
"I'm dying from boredom."

"I hate being bored."
"I don't have anything to do."
"My life is so boring."
"Life is so boring."
"I'm just watching TV until I find something to do."
"I was bored all weekend."
"I am so bored today."
"I get bored very easily."

"I get bored all the time."
A common place to get bored is when you have to visit family members.
"It's always boring whenever we go to our relatives."

"It's nice to visit my grandmother, but it gets boring after a couple of hours."
"My cousins are so boring. All they do is watch tv."
"There's nothing to do in the country side. I'm always bored there."
If you think you are a boring person, here is a way to say that you are boring.
"I think I'm a little boring."

"I'm a boring person."
Boring can be used to describe someone.
"He is a boring person."

"His personality is very boring."
"It's boring whenever she's around."
Using bored to answer a question is very common. Here are some general questions that someone
might ask.
"How was your trip?"

"How was your vacation?"
"How was your weekend?"
"How was the lecture?"
"How was the class?"
"How was the game?"
Any of these types of questions can be answered with a simple answer.
"It was pretty boring."

"It was boring. I didn't do much."
"It wasn't as fun as I thought. It was a little boring."
"I was bored most of the time."
"Because it was disorganized, we had too much extra time. I was bored during our free time."
Bored - Calling Someone
The conversation when you call someone might sound something like this.
"Hello"
"Hi Jane, this is Jill. Do you have time to talk?"
"Hi Jill, sure, I was just watching TV."
"What are you watching?"
"I was just watching a re-run of friends. How about you? What are you doing?"
"Nothing much. I really wanted to start studying for the Psychology test coming up, but I can't
seem to motivate myself."
As you can see, Even though Jill is very bored, she didn't say that she was bored. To sensitive
people, they can misinterpret the situation. If I am bored and I call you, then that could mean that I
am only calling you because I have nothing better to do. So if you are not very close friends, it is
better to say something like, 'nothing much' instead of 'I am bored.'
If you are very close friends with someone, then the conversation can be more direct and honest.
"What are you doing?"

"I'm doing the laundry."
"I'm so bored. I have nothing to do."
"Why don't you come over and help me with the laundry?"
"I'd rather do my own house chores. Hey, you wanna take a break from your house work and have
coffee at Starbucks with me?"
"Sure, that sounds great. I'll meet you there in thirty minutes."
Bored - Boring Work
A different situation you can tell someone you are bored is when you are simply talking with a
friend concerning a part of your life that is boring. For example, if you have a boring job, you can
explain to your friend how boring it is.
"How is your work these days?"

"Work is so boring that I'm going crazy."
"I ran out of things to do and management is too busy to give me more work. I tried to find things
to do with no luck. I'm basically sitting in my chair pretending to work."
"That sounds so boring."
"Tell me about it. Time goes so slow when you're bored. I'd rather be busy. Then at least the day
would go by faster."
Similar type of boring work is when doing something that is routine. Some sentences expressing
boring work are:
"I'm doing the same thing over and over again."

"My work is so repetitious that I am getting bored of it."
"My work does not interest me."
"I'm only working to pay the bills."
"I wish I had your job."
Because some people are so busy, they envy people who have nothing to do at work.
"I'm so bored. I have nothing to do at work. I just surf the Internet all day long."
"Dang! I'm so busy at work, it's driving me crazy. I really wish I had your job."
Bored - Interactive Practice
a native.
1
A: "Hey there. What have you been up to?"
B: "Nothing really."
A: "How about your work?"
B: "It's so boring there. I really wish I had a different job."
A: "Is it really that bad?"
B: "Yeah. Most of the time, I have nothing to do. But whenever I have something to do, it's boring
work because it is the same old thing."
A: "Why don't you find a different job then?"
B: "Maybe I should."
2
A: "Hi Steve, what's your plan for tonight?"
B: "I don't have any plans. Are you doing anything special?"
A: "Well, if you're bored, let's plan on meeting up tonight."
B: "That sounds like a good idea. Should we invite Bob?"
A: "He's a little boring."
B: "What do you mean?"
A: "Well, he doesn't drink, play video games, pool, or really anything. The only thing he talks
about is history."
B: "You do have a point. We'll leave him out tonight."
A: "Aright. Let's meet at 8:30 in front of the university bookstore."
B: "Perfect. I'll see you later tonight."
3
A: "Hello"
B: "Hi Jane"
A: "Oh, hi Jill."
B: "What are you doing?"
A: "I'm doing the laundry."
B: "I'm so bored. I have nothing to do."
A: "Why don't you come over and help me with the laundry?"
B: "I'd rather do my own house chores. Hey, you wanna take a break from your house work and
have coffee at Starbucks with me?"
A: "Sure, that sounds great. I'll meet you there in thirty minutes."
How is your Day - General Statements
In this lesson, we are going to learn how to communicate to someone using the present tense.
However, because this isn't a site teaching grammar, I do not want to spend too much time on
details. I wanted to include this section primarily to show many different sentences using present
tense and to have a dedicated practice section with only present tense sentences.
This lesson is a little shorter than others because speaking in the present tense is not as common as
speaking in the future or past tense. Although speaking in the future tense or the past tense is more
common, it is still important to know how to communicate in the present tense. Here are some
example sentences:
"I see Bob over there by the newspaper stand."

"I'm going to the library."
"I'm on my way home."
"I'm going to the bus stop."
"Jack is going to the store."

"Jill is stopping by now."
"The meeting is starting now."
"The manager is waiting for you in her office."
"Tell the receptionist that you are here to see Mr. Hwang."
Questions:
A very common question you will run into is,

"How are you doing?"
"How is your day going?"
"What are you doing now?"
To answer these types of question, you must remember that you are talking about what is currently
going on now, so you must use the present tense.
Here are some ways to answer the above question.
"I'm enjoying the beautiful weather without any worries in the world."
"I'm playing a video game on my computer because I have nothing to do."
"I'm at the grocery store buying ingredients for tonight's dinner."
"I'm at the gym working out."
As you can see, each sentence is starting with, 'I am' instead of 'I will be' or 'I was.' We will discuss
past tense and future tense in the next sessions.
More descriptive answers you can give are the following:
"I'm pretty busy right now. I'm doing my homework because I have an exam tomorrow."
"My project deadline is coming up, so I'm currently in the process of finishing my tasks."
"I'm taking the day off from work today because I have so many errands. I'm going to the post
office to send some packages to my friends."
"I'm looking for a job. The job market does not look that great, but I can't give up."
"I'm applying for a job at a consulting firm in Taiwan."
"I'm listening to music while thinking about my situation."
How is your day - Example Conversation
The present tense is more common in writing. As you can see by all the explanations I am giving,
they are all written in the present tense. That is because it is instructional. Instructional writing is
more commonly written in present tense. However, stories in novels are written in past tense.
The reason past and future tense is used more commonly than present tense when speaking is
because usually you are telling someone what you have done or what you plan on doing. Speaking
in the present tense is used primarily to tell someone what you are currently doing.
As in previous lessons in 'Bored and Greeting' it is very common to have a conversation using the
present tense when you run into somebody or when you make or receive a phone call.
Let's use this time now to incorporate what we have learned so far.
Person A: "Hi Jack. What are you doing?"

Person B: "Hi Mary. I'm filling out a job application."
Person A: "Are you finished with school already?"
Person B: "No. I have one more semester, but it would be great to have a job lined up."
Person A: "How is your day going?"

Person B: "Quite busy. I'm preparing for my presentation tomorrow on our marketing strategy. I'm
not even half done yet."
Person A: "You must feel stressed out now."
Person B: "That's an understatement."
Person A: "What are you doing now?"

Person B: "I'm playing pool with my friends at a pool hall."
Person A: "I didn't know you play pool. Are you having fun?"
Person B: "I'm having a great time. How about you? What are you doing?"
Person A: "I'm taking a break from my homework. There seems to be no end to the amount of
work I have to do."
Person B: "I'm glad I'm not in your shoes."
How is your day - Interactive Practice
a native.
1
A: "What are you doing now?"
B: "I'm watching TV."
A: "What are you watching?"
B: "I'm watching Friends. What are you doing?"
A: "I'm doing my homework, but I really need to take a break."
B: "You want to do something?"
A: "Yes. But I shouldn't. I got to finish my assignment now."
B: "Alright. Call me later then."
A: "OK. Bye."
2
A: "Where are you going now?"
B: "I'm going to the bank."
A: "Aren't you supposed to be at work?"
B: "I'm working now. I'm making a deposit for our company."
A: "Where do you work?"
B: "I work for a restaurant as a controller."
A: "Wow. That's great."
B: "Great seeing you. I have to go now. I'll talk to you later."
3
A: "Hi Steve. What are you doing here?"
B: "I'm meeting a friend here for dinner. How about you?"
A: "I'm on my way home but I needed to stop by the book store to buy a text book."
B: "Didn't you finish school yet?"
A: "I have one more year, and then I'm done."
B: "What are you majoring in?"
A: "I'm majoring in Sociology"
B: "How do you like your major?"
A: "I really find the subject very interesting. I'm enjoying all my classes."
B: "That's great."
A: "I better go now. I don't want to miss the bus."
B: "Aright, I'll talk to you later."
A: "Okay. See you later."
Tomorrow's Plan - I am going to
Talking about the future is something that is done very frequently. Whether we are talking about
our dreams or simply telling someone what we will do tomorrow is all spoken in the future tense.
As in the previous lesson, this isn't a grammar lesson. This lesson is to provide many different
sentences using the future tense.
In the previous lesson, we concentrated on present tense using 'I am'
When we speak in the future tense, we can still use 'I am' but it is important what follows the two
words that will make it future tense. Here are a couple of examples.
"I'm going to see Bob tomorrow"

"I'm going to meet John at the airport at 6 O'clock tonight"
"I'm going to go home in an hour"
"I'm going to go to the bus stop right after class"
"I'm going to do that tomorrow"
When using 'going to' after 'I am' it is important that a future indicator is present. For example, if I
say, 'I am going to meet John', this can also be present tense that we practiced previously. But if
you add a future indicator like 'at 6 O'clock tonight' then it becomes future tense.
Other future tense indicators are:
'going to go'
'going to be'
'I will'
'I have to'
Let's practice using these words:
"I'm going to be dead if I don't finish this project by tomorrow"

"I'm going to go home next week"
"I'll meet you there at five"
"I can't go tonight because I have to work late"
Tomorrow's Plan - Questions and Answers
When asking questions about the future, you can ask questions like:
"What are you going to do tonight?"

"What are you doing next week?"
"When do you plan on doing your homework?"
"When are you going to eat dinner?"
"What time do we have to leave for the airport?"
"What should we do tonight?"
There are many different questions you can ask. By changing a few words, you can make
numerous questions properly about the future.
When you are answering questions that relate to the future, remember to use the future tense. Here
are some ways to answer the questions directly above:
"I plan on meeting John after dinner. We're going to go to a night club."
"I'm going to go to take my girlfriend out to dinner. And if we have time, we might try to see a
movie."
"Since I'm on vacation next week, I plan on going to Pusan to visit some friends down there."
"Next week I have to go shopping for all the Christmas presents. I have to buy a present for my
dad, mom, and my two sisters."
"I think I'm going to do my homework after I watch the world cup. I don't think I'll be able to
concentrate until after the game is over."
"I'm so unmotivated to do my homework. But I'll eventually have to do it, so I'll get around to
them probably after dinner."
"What time do you have to leave for the airport?"

"The flight comes in at 4:30, so I plan on leaving at about 3:30"
"The security is pretty tight so I should get there early. I plan on arriving there 2 hours before my
flight leaves."
"After dinner, let's go grab a couple of beers. Then we can go shopping for a couple of hours, and
afterwards, we can rent a video and watch it at my place."
"I'm pretty busy tonight. I have to do the laundry, vacuum, and then make dinner, so I won't be
able to meet you tonight."
Tomorrow's Plan - Example Conversation
Let's use this time to incorporate what we have learned so far.
Person A: "Bob is in the hospital, did you get a chance to visit him?"
Person B: "I'm going to see Bob tomorrow"
Person A: "I thought you had to meet John tomorrow?"
Person B: "I'm going to meet John at the airport at 6 O'clock tonight"
Person A: "I'm going home now, do you want to head out together?"
Person B: "No Thanks. I'm going to go home in about an hour"
Person A: "Didn't you need to buy a present for you brother's birthday?"
Person B: "I'm going to do that tomorrow"
Person A: "I'm going to go to the bus stop right after class, so I won't have time to meet you"
Person B: "That's OK. We can always get together tomorrow."
Person A: "Why do you look so stressed?"

Person B: "I'm going to be dead if I don't finish this project by tomorrow"
Person A: "I thought you had 2 weeks to finish this project"
Person B: "I don't have time to explain now. I'll talk to you later."
Person A: "Since we are done with school, when are you going back home?"
Person B: "I'm going to go home next week"
Person A: "Me too. Do you want to meet at the train station on Sunday?"
Person B: "Sure. I'll meet you there at five"
Practice asking questions:

"When are you going to eat dinner?"
"What time do we have to leave for the airport?"
Tomorrow's Plan - Interactive Practice
a native.
1
A: "Do you have any plans tonight?"
B: "I have class until 5 O'clock, but I'm free after that."
A: "Do you want to grab dinner?"
B: "I don't have any dinner plans so that sounds great."
A: "What time should we meet?"
B: "I need to go to the book store first, so let's meet at 6 O'clock."
2
A: "Let's go to Everland next week"
B: "I can't. I'm way too busy."
A: "What are you doing next week?"
B: "On Monday, I'm going to meet my professor. Tuesday, I have a job interview. Wednesday, I'm
going to the dentist. And on Thursday, I have to go visit my parents."
A: "Why are you so busy?"
B: "I've been procrastinating for a long time."
3
A: "What are you doing over the weekend?"
B: "I'm going to exercise, meet some friends, and then watch tv."
A: "Who are you going to meet?"
B: "My friend from middle school is visiting, so we are going to have dinner on Saturday."
A: "How long is he going to stay?"
B: "He is only here for a day."
A: "Where are you going to eat dinner?"
B: "I plan on taking him to an Italian restaurant."
Yesterday - The Past - General Statements
In daily conversation, talking about the past is done very frequently. Whenever you meet a friend,
you always tell each other what you have been doing recently. Friends are always interested in
each other so they want to know how you have been spending your time in the past.
Today's lesson is going to target past tense communication. This goes hand in hand with the last
two lessons and changing a few words around can make a future or present tense sentence into a
past tense sentence.
To begin, here are a couple of sentences that are common to say:
"I went to the airport yesterday."

"I met Bob last week."
"I was an hour late for my meeting."
"I went to the bus stop, but I was 30 seconds late. A person on the street told me the bus just went
by."
"I completed that task this morning."
Speaking in the past requires past tense words. Let's take a closer examination for the sentences
above.

Past Tense Present Tense Future Tense
Went Go Going to go
Met Meet Will meet
Was Am Going to be
Completed Complete Will complete

As you can see by some of the examples in the chart, some words change when speaking in the
past tense.
Besides some words that change, many times a word with the letter 'd' or 'ed' at the end changes the
word to past tense. Here are some examples:
"I was being polite so I opened the door for him."

"I stapled the papers together to keep them organized."
"The paper ripped on the bottom, so I taped them together."
"I switched the presents around because I found out Jane doesn't like red lipstick."
"I was very interested in the topic so I paid close attention."
The tricky part is to know when to add a 'd' to the end of a word to make it past tense. There are
exceptions that can cause confusion, for example,
"I rode my bike to school." It would be incorrect to say, 'I rided...'
"I built the house from scratch." Incorrect way is to say, 'I builded...'
"I sat on the chair next to the emergency exit." Incorrect way is to say, 'sitted...'
So remember to use past tense words correctly or the other person might not understand what you
are saying.
Yesterday - The Past - Questions and
Answers
When asking questions about the past, you can ask questions like:
"How did you enjoy the movie?"

"What time did you get home last night?"
"How was your date with Jackie?"
"How was the traffic going to the airport?"
"What have you been up to?"
"What did you do last weekend?"
"How was the party?"
"How come you didn't come to class yesterday?"
"How did your presentation go?"
Here are some ways you can answer these types of questions. Remember to use past tense because
these actions already occurred.
"How did you enjoy the movie?"

"It was a long movie, but overall, the movie was great."
"I really didn't like the movie. It was slow and boring."
"I enjoyed the movie so much that I saw it again."
"What time did you get home last night?"

"I got home at two in the morning."
"I didn't make it home until eleven last night."
"I made it home at midnight."
"How was your date with Jackie?"

"The date went so well. We had dinner at a seafood restaurant. And then we saw a movie
together."
"I don't think it went too well. We hardly had anything to talk about. I really thought Jackie was
bored to death."
"The date was alright. She called me this morning to go out again, but I haven't responded yet."
"What have you been up to?"
"I just graduated from school so I'm happy that I'm done."
"I met Jackie yesterday and we spent the evening together in a nice restaurant."
"The only thing I have done in the last three months is computer games."
"What did you do last weekend?"

"Last weekend, I visited my parents."
"I went golfing on Saturday. I shot a great score."
"I stayed home and watched TV all weekend long."
"How come you didn't come to class yesterday?"

"I was very sick yesterday."
"I missed the bus and by the time I got to campus, class was already over."
"I slept in because I didn't hear the alarm ring."
"How did your presentation go?"

"It went ok. A few of the people asked some tough questions, but overall it was good."
"I messed up so bad. I brought the wrong folder from my office so I didn't have any notes."
"It was the best presentation of the day. My boss told me I was organized, focused, and spoke
clearly."
Yesterday - The Past - Example Conversation
Study some examples and then we will be at the practice session.
Person A: "Why didn't you come to my party last night?"

Person B: "I'm sorry I couldn't make it. I had to go visit my grandmother at the hospital."
Person A: "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Is she doing ok?"
Person B: "They just completed a small operation and the doctors said she should recover."
Person A: "Did you get a chance to go to that new restaurant down the street?"
Person B: "Yeah. I ordered the special, but the server screwed up my order."
Person A: "That sucks. So what ended up happening?"
Person B: "They finally got my steak out, but it was overcooked. It was a terrible experience."
Person A: "What did you do last weekend?"

Person B: "I went on a date with Sammy."
Person A: "Really? How was it?"
Person B: "I couldn't ask for a better night. We talked all throughout our two hour dinner, and then
we sat by the river and cuddled in the night."
Person A: "Didn't you finish finals week?"

Person B: "Don't remind me. I think I failed most of the exams."
Person A: "Why did you do so terrible?"
Person B: "My mind just went blank. I think I overloaded my brain. I just couldn't concentrate
during the exams."
Yesterday - The Past - Interactive Practice
a native.
1
A: "What did you do last night?"
B: "I met some friends and we had some drinks at a bar."
A: "Did you drink a lot?"
B: "I got so drunk that I don't remember how I got home."
A: "Why did you drink so much?"
B: "I was so depressed. I just wanted to forget about everything."
2
A: "How was the airplane ride?"
B: "It was a twelve hour flight. It was so boring. I tried to sleep but it was too uncomfortable on
the plane."
A: "How about the movies they play on international flights?"
B: "I saw both movies they played. I was just unlucky?"
A: "Did you take a book with you?"
B: "I accidentally packed it with my luggage that I checked in."
3
A: "What did you do last weekend?"
B: "I went to a party."
A: "How was the party?"
B: "It was way too crowded and the food was gone before I got there."
A: "What time did you get home?"
B: "It was pretty boring so I left at ten and got home before eleven."
Weather - Summer and Autumn

In this section, we will learn about the four different seasons along with the difference between
Celsius and Fahrenheit. Also, we will learn about weather in different parts of the world. In the
next session, we will practice more dialog. But this is a good starting point when learning to hold
a conversation about the weather.
Summer:
Depending on the location, summer can be warm and pleasant or unbearably hot and humid.
Although you will describe summer in one particular way, you should be aware of how other
people describe summer in different parts of the world.
In Nevada, Arizona, Egypt, or other places that are like deserts, people might say,
"Summer is very hot and dry. It's not so bad when we are in the shade."
"Summer is extremely hot. The sun will burn you if you don't wear sunscreen."
"Because it's not humid, it is easy to get used to."
In Seattle, the summer is the best season,

"Summer is the only time of year that it doesn't rain much."
"Summer is like paradise in Seattle."
"If summer wasn't so good here, I would move to a different city."
In New York, Korea, or other hot and humid places, people can say,
"Summer is both hot and humid here."
"I am always sticky because I sweat so much during the summer."
"Without air conditioning, I don't know how I would survive."
Spring and Fall / Autumn
From my perception, I noticed that spring and autumn are generally pleasant seasons for many
areas of the world. I haven't heard enough to say one way or another, so I can only write down
what I know.
"My favorite season is autumn."

"The only reason I don't like the fall is due to all the leaves I have to rake up."
"Fall is so beautiful because of all the different color leaves everywhere."
"It rains a lot around here during the fall."
"It gets cold in late autumn."
"In our country, autumn is just like summer. It's hot and humid."
"My favorite season is spring because of the budding flowers."
"I love the spring because it's not cold nor hot."
"The spring season here causes a lot of people to sneeze due to all the flowers appearing. Many
people with allergies hate the spring."
Weather - Winter
Winter has many differences between locations. Some places might be extremely cold like Korea,
New York, Alaska, Greenland, etc, and some places might be perfect like Hawaii, Los Angeles,
Mexico and other hot places.
Hot places that enjoy pleasant summer warmth:
"I don't think we have a winter here. During the winter months, it's still 80 degrees. So everyone
loves the winter months because it's not too hot."
"Winter time is the best time to visit because the temperature is the best during January."
"I like to go to Hawaii for my winter vacations because it's so cold in my home city."
Cold places:
"It's freezing out."

"It doesn't snow often, but when it does, it stays around for several weeks because it stays cold."
"For 3 months, this city will be covered with a layer of snow because it will never melt."
"It doesn't get too cold here, but it's always raining and very gloomy."
"The winter here is cold and dry. We hardly get any precipitation."
Weather - Fahrenheit and Celsius
It's unfortunate that some countries still use the Fahrenheit system. It would be so much easier if
everything was in Celsius. But because the United States still uses the Fahrenheit system, knowing
the conversion of Celsius to Fahrenheit will help when speaking to Americans.
"How do you convert Fahrenheit to Celsius?"

"Well, you subtract 32 from Fahrenheit, multiply by 5 and then divide by 9."
"How do you convert Celsius to Fahrenheit?"

"You multiply Celsius by 9, divide by 5, then add 32."
Here is an example dialog.
Person A: "What is the average temperature in Seoul during June?"

Person B: "It is usually about 26 degrees Celsius during June."
Person A: "What is that in Fahrenheit?"
Person B: "That would be about 80 degrees Fahrenheit."
Usually, it takes some time to convert degrees using the conversion method. So it's easier to have
general temperatures already memorized. Here is a small table so you can quickly respond when
talking with a foreigner about the temperature.

Fahrenheit Celsius
100 37.8
90 32.2
85 28.4
80 26.7
75 23.9
70 21.1
65 18.3
60 15.6
50 10
40 4.4
32 0
20 -6.7
10 -12.2
0 -17.8

You don't need to remember everything. But if you know a couple of numbers you can just change
the other number slightly. For example, if you know that 80 degrees is about 27 degrees Celsius,
then if the temperature is 77 degrees, you can figure that it will be about 25 degrees Celsius. Also,
you don't have to be very accurate. In conversation, many people just want general numbers and
being off by a half a degree will not do any harm.
Finally, during the winter months, it gets so cold that the temperature goes below 0 degrees Celsius.
Let's practice a few sentences using negative numbers.
"How cold does it usually get in Korea?"

"Usually around minus 5 degrees Celsius, but sometimes it gets as cold as minus 12 degrees."
"How cold does it get in Alaska?"

"Depending on the area, but it's common for the temperature to be below 0."
"Is that in Fahrenheit or Celsius?"
"Fahrenheit."
"That means it's 20 below zero!"
Remember, although numbers below zero are negative numbers, it's not common to say, 'Negative
2 degrees.' It's not wrong to say it and everyone will understand, however, when speaking to many
people, almost everyone says 'minus 2 degrees.' Another common way to say it is below zero is to
say, '2 below' as in the example above.
Weather - Questions and Answers

In this session, we are primarily going to practice speaking key sentences that will help you carry a
conversation about the weather.
Asking about the weather:
"Do you know what the weather will be like tomorrow?"

"Do you know if it's going to rain tomorrow?"
"Did you see the weather forecast?"
"What is the weather like in Korea/Seattle/Los Angeles?"
"How is the climate in Korea?"
"Does it rain much in Denver?"
"How different is the weather between Pusan and Seoul?"
"What is your favorite season of the year?"
Answering questions about the weather:
"The weather is supposed to be sunny and warm tomorrow."

"It's supposed to rain for the next several days."
"I didn't see the news yesterday so I don't know what the weather is going to be like."
"Weather in Los Angeles is usually hot in the summer and mild in the winter. It never really gets
that cold."
"The weather in Pusan is very similar to Seoul. The main difference is that Seoul gets a little more
snow in the winter and a little hotter in the summer. This is primarily because Pusan is right next
to the water."
"My favorite season of the year is Spring. It's not too cold and the anticipation of a good summer
puts me in a good mood."
Statements about the weather:
"I heard Seattle is a very gloomy city with so many clouds."

"The weather is beautiful this time of year."
"I hate the rain. It makes me feel depressed."
"Autumn is a great season."
"The summer months are so humid in Korea."
"I can't stand the cold winter months."
"It's a beautiful day today, isn't it?"
"I wish the weather was like this everyday."
"It's been raining for 5 days straight. I wonder when it will stop raining."
"I hate the snow. The roads are dangerous to drive in, and when it melts, the streets are very dirty."
"I love snowboarding so I always look forward to the winter."
"The winter months are tolerable because I don't mind the cold."
"Korea has four distinct seasons."
Weather - Long Description

Being able to speak specific sentences is good, however, it is more important to be able to say a
whole paragraph when talking about topics such as the weather. I'll have a specific lesson about
putting sentences together in a future lesson. But I'll give one advice now. Basically, make about
10 sentences. After you know your ten sentences about this question, you can say all of them one
after the other so it is a long answer. The ten sentences should be in a list format.
We will learn how to speak longer in a future lesson, but if you want to give it a try now, here are
two examples.
Question: "What is the weather like in Korea?"

Answer: "Well, the weather in Korea is unique with four distinct seasons. In the winter, the
temperature is about zero degrees Celsius. But, because it doesn't rain much in the winter, there
isn't much snow and the air is very dry. In spring, the days warm up significantly but the night
gets a little chilly. The summer has two characteristics. It is very hot and humid most of the time,
and for about 3 weeks or so, we have a rainy season called monsoon. It gets very rainy and windy
during that time period. But we all look forward to autumn. It is a beautiful time of year and the
temperature is very pleasant. If you plan on visiting Korea, I highly recommend visiting during
autumn."
Question: "Which season do you like the most?"

Answer: "I like summer the most, but at the same time, I hate it. I like summer because it's warm.
I don't mind the heat and I like the longer days. So, I can do more activities like swimming,
bicycling, rollerblading, and many other outdoor activities. I usually take a short vacation during
the summer so I always look forward to that. However, the part about summer I hate the most is
during the monsoon season. I can tolerate the humidity, but when it gets hot and humid along with
the rain and the wind, then it gets terrible."
Weather - Interactive Practice
a native.
1
A: "Hey John, it's beautiful out today, isn't it?"
B: "Yeah. I wish it would be like this everyday."
A: "Did you see the weather forecast?"
B: "Unfortunately, it's supposed to start raining tomorrow night."
2
A: "Do you know what the weather is going to be like tomorrow?"
B: "It's supposed to be the same as today. I don't think the weather will change much for the next
week or so."
A: "That's great."
B: "Why are you so happy? Do you have anything planned?"
A: "Yeah, I'm going to Everland with my family this weekend so I was hoping for good weather."
3
A: "I can't believe it is raining so much."
B: "It's not that bad. Last year we had floods in 4 different areas of the city."
A: "Really? Does it always rain so much during this time of year?"
B: "This is not as bad as usual. During the monsoon season, we usually have rain for 3 weeks."
Small Talk
Many people believe small talk is very boring and not personable. Although that is true, there are
many places where small talk is very important. In the western culture, strangers talk to other
strangers frequently. On the other hand, small talk is not so common in the eastern culture.
Because strangers are friendly to one another in the western culture, small talk is very important to
master in regards to learning English. One other place small talk is important is in an interview.
That is why this session will be important to learn.
The best way to learn small talk is to provide many examples. So this lesson will be taught using
an example format.
Small talk involves many different topics. We will have several sessions on small talk once we
have covered other subjects such as sports, jobs, school, etc. But for now, we will go through the
basics of small talk conversation. To initiate small talk, we can use what we have learned from our
previous several sessions:
One: "Hi Bill, how are you doing?"

Two: "I'm doing great. How are you doing?"
One: "I'm doing well myself."
Wasn't that simple? If you studied the material in prior sessions, this should be real easy for you.
Now that we have initiated the small talk, it's your responsibility to keep the conversation going. In
order to do so, you can talk about anything that is not too personal. Let's first ask what the other
person has been doing lately.
One: "What have you been up to lately?"

Two: "Well, I just started to work at the bank so I'm pretty busy learning everything."
You can elaborate on what you have learned to keep the conversation alive. In this example, you
are going to ask more questions about school and work.
One: "Does that mean you already finished school? I thought you had 1 more semester left."
Two: "I took summer courses, so I finished one semester early."
One: "It's great that you got a job. I'm really happy for you."
Two: "Thanks."
As you can now tell, the conversation is getting old. You have a choice of ending the conversation,
or changing the topic. Let's practice ending the conversation.
One: "We should get together for lunch sometime."

Two: "Yeah, that would be great."
One: "I'll call you sometime."
Two: "Ok. I'll see you later."
One: "Alright. See ya."
Small Talk - Two Example Dialogs

In this conversation, we initiated the conversation and talked about the other person. However,
sometimes you will not have anything to talk about. In order to keep the conversation alive, you
should think about topics such as the weather.
One: "Hi Mary."

Two: "Oh, hi."
One: "How are you doing?"
Two: "I'm doing alright. How about you?"
One: "Not too bad. The weather is great isn't it?"
Two: "Yes. It's absolutely beautiful today."
One: "I wish it was like this more frequently."
Two: "Me too."
One: "So where are you going now?"
Two: "I'm going to meet a friend of mine at the department store."
One: "Going to do a little shopping?"
Two: "Yeah, I have to buy some presents for my parents."
One: "What's the occasion?"
Two: "It's their anniversary."
One: "That's great. Well, you better get going. You don't want to be late."
Two: "I'll see you next time."
One: "Sure. Bye."
This example is when you run into someone. This is an easy type of small talk because when you
run out of things to say, you can always say bye. There are times when you don't have that option.
Let's practice a situation where you cannot leave, such as an interview. I go into depth about
interview communication in a different section. For now, I am going to emphasize the small talk
portion of an interview. There are times when you will not have an opportunity for small talk, but
in other cases, you might have to talk about general things.
Them: "Hi. My name is Josh. It's a pleasure to meet you."

You: "Hi Josh. I'm glad to be here."
Them: "Did you have any problems finding this place."
You: "I didn't have any problems. I found directions on the internet so it was pretty easy to find.
However, the traffic was not that great."
Them: "Traffic is never good around here."
You: "I agree. It would be great if there was a train or a subway line that went through here."
Them: "That would be so great. I would definitely take the train if they had it."
You: "Trains are great because you can read a book or get a little rest instead of having to fight the
traffic."
Them: "Very true. Well, let me begin by telling you about our company..."
This is a good example of small talk. It shows that you are easy to speak with, and most
importantly, you found a small connection even though it was about a small topic such as the
traffic problem. In this type of situation, don't feel that you have to constantly talk. If it is not
relevant to the topic, it might be better not to say anything. But if you can add on to the topic, it's a
good thing. The person who is giving the interview has the control, and that person will direct the
small talk to the interview when the time is right. In my example above, I made a small transition
from the traffic and started the interview process. If you are interested about interview, please go
to the Interview Section. You may now move on to the practice session.
Small Talk - Interactive Practice

a native.
1
A: "Hey Paul. What are you doing here?"
B: "How's it going? I'm meeting up with a friend here."
A: "How have you been man?"
B: "Not too bad. I'm still in school and having a little fun."
A: "How are you enjoying Mr. Lee's history class?"
B: "It's so boring."
A: "Tell me about it. If it wasn't a requirement, I wouldn't have taken it."
B: "How about you? What have you been up to?"
A: "I finished school last spring. I'm searching for a job now, but I'm slacking off."
B: "I heard the job market is not that hot right now."
A: "I could always take a low end job, but I'm not that desperate yet."
B: "Well, good luck to you."
A: "Thanks. It was good seeing you again."
B: "Yeah. I'll catch you later."
A: "Have a good night."
2
A: "You're John right?"
B: "Yes. Oh, you're in my English class right?"
A: "Yeah. I'm Martha."
B: "Well it's good to finally meet you."
A: "How are you enjoying the class?"
B: "I'm not sure. Some days it seems ok, but other days I am totally bored in class."
A: "I know what you mean. Do you know what is wrong with the weather these days? I haven't
seen the sun in 2 weeks."
B: "The weather has been pretty terrible recently."
A: "I'm really hoping the weather gets better."
B: "Do you have something coming up?"
A: "To tell you the truth, it's just depressing seeing so much rain."
B: "I don't blame you. It has been pretty gloomy for sometime now."
A: "This is my stop. I'll see you later."
B: "I'll see you in class. Bye."
Movies - Asking Friend

In this section we will work on the planning aspect of watching a movie. In other Movie sections,
we will cover discussing a movie, types of movies, etc.
Since this is the first Movie section, let me take a quick minute to explain how to find out movie
times and how to pay for tickets in America. It's very similar and simple.
First, you need to find out what time a show is playing. In most cases, this is done by checking the
internet. Usually, you type in the zip code and all the theatres in that area will display all the
movies and movie times for that week. After you have chosen the movie to see, you need to buy
the ticket. There are some places you can buy on-line, but it isn't that popular yet. You can go to
the theatre before the movie starts and buy it at the theatre. The only thing you need to know how
to say is the movie name and the movie time. Here is a quick example. Let's say you are watching
the Titanic at 3:00. You walk up to the counter and say, 'Titanic. Three o'clock.' Wasn't that easy?
Finally, big block buster movies usually sell out of tickets very quickly. So if you want to see it on
opening day, it is wise to go to the theatre right when it opens and buy the tickets in advance.
Before you watch a movie, you need to plan ahead with friends. Either you are asking a friend to
watch a movie, or you are answering. In either case, we will cover it here.
The following questions and statements are used when asking a friend to watch a movie.
"Hey John, do you want to (wanna) go see a movie tonight?"

"I'm going to watch Terminator 2. Do you wanna join?"
"Let's go see The Matrix tomorrow."
"What time should we meet at the theatre?"
"Let's watch a movie after dinner."
"The Titanic is coming out this Friday. Let's go see it."
If there are not enough details, a response can be in a question form. Here are a couple of
examples.
"Who is all going?"

"Who are you watching it with?"
"Where are you watching it?"
"What time are you watching the movie?"
Normal answers:
"That sounds great."

"I always wanted to see that. Let's go."
"Let's meet at the theatre at four o'clock."
"Sure. Do you wanna eat lunch together before the movie?"
"I've already seen that movie. What else is playing?"

"I can't. I have to work that night."
"That movie sounds scary. I don't like horror movies."
"I really don't like the actors. I'm going to pass."
Movies - Example Conversation
Let's look at a couple of example conversations before going to the practice section.
Person A: "Hey John, I'm going to see The Matrix with Peter and Brad. Do you wanna come?"
Person B: "When are you guys going?"
Person A: "We're going to see the eight O'clock showing."
Person B: "That would be great. Where are you guys meeting?"
Person A: "We're meeting at the theatre at seven thirty."
Person B: "Great. I'll meet you guys there."
Person A: "Hey Jill."

Person B: "What's up Mike?"
Person A: "I was wondering if you have any plans for tomorrow night."
Person B: "Umm... I don't think I have anything special for tomorrow. Why?"
Person A: "Do you want to see The Titanic with me?"
Person B: "I wanted to see that. Yeah. Let's go."
Person A: "What time is good for you?"
Person B: "How about seven thirty."
Person A: "Sure. I'll meet you at the theatre at seven.
Movies - Interactive Practice

a native.
1
A: "I hear Batman is supposed to be good. Do you want to go see it tomorrow?"
B: "I have to eat dinner with my family tomorrow."
A: "We can watch the late show. I think it starts at nine forty five."
B: "That would be great."
A: "What time can you be at the theatre by?"
B: "I can be there by 9:15."
A: "Ok. I'll meet you there."
2
A: "What are you doing tomorrow?"
B: "Nothing really."
A: "Let's watch a movie or something."
B: "What's on these days?"
A: "I think they're playing Lord of the Rings"
B: "That sounds pretty good. Let's watch that."
A: "Where should we meet?"
B: "How about at the subway entrance."
A: "Aright. I'll meet you there at one o'clock."
3
A: "Hey Steve, what are you doing these days?"
B: "Just working. The same as usual."
A: "Have you seen Shiri?"
B: "No. I haven't seen that yet."
A: "Let's go watch it tomorrow. It's a weekend and you should take a break."
B: "Well, to think of it, that sounds great."
A: "I'll give you a call tomorrow about noon and let you know the time."
B: "Ok. I'll see you tomorrow."
A: "See you."
4
A: "What should we do this Saturday?"
B: "Rocky six is suppose to come out this Friday."
A: "Yeah, but I don't know if it is going to be any good."
B: "The only reason I want to see it is because I have seen the previous five."
A: "True. Ok. Let's see it this Saturday."
B: "How about we hook up for lunch at 12:00, and then go see the movie afterwards."
A: "Sounds like a plan. Let's meet in front of Tower Records at 12:00."
Movies Types - Action and Drama
In the next three movie sections, we are going to learn about different movie types. Afterwards, we
will cover having discussions about movies that you recently saw. But for now, let's work on
movie types.
There are many different types of movies. You probably know them all in your language, but let's
learn what they are in English. Also, we will learn how to say a couple of sentences related to a
movie type. If you disagree with a sentence, feel free to change some words around so they fit
what you want to say.
Although there are many categories, we will learn the most basic 10 types of movies.
Action
Drama
Comedy
Romantic comedy
Horror
Science fiction
Suspense (Thriller)
Western
Commentary / Non-Fiction
Action: Movies with lots of fighting, shooting, exploding, etc.
"What kind of movie do you like?"

"I like action movies because they are fast paced."
"Action movies are my favorite."
"I like all the action movies with a lot of guns."
"I like fight scenes that are choreographed."
Drama: Everyone knows drama. Like Titanic and Schindler's List
"What type of movies do you like?"

"I like all sorts of drama."
"I like movies that play with my emotion."
"Drama movies are great because they are the most realistic."
"The sad drama movies that make me cry."
Movie Types - Comedy and Horror

Comedy: Funny movies with many jokes or actors acting in a funny way.
"I love all types of comedy because I love to laugh."

"Comedy is my favorite because it is very entertaining to me."
"I like comedy that makes fun of political things."
"Comedy is so hilarious that I always enjoy watching them."
Romantic Comedy: Funny movies with a strong romantic theme. Opposite to action because
usually guys like action and the ladies like Romantic comedies.
"Many people view romantic comedy movies as chick-flicks."
Chick = girl
Flick = movie
Chick-Flick = a girly type of movie; a movie a girl will like; 'take your girlfriend to' type of
movie... or something like that.
"Romantic comedy is funny movies that involve a lot of romance."

"I love all the story lines of romantic comedy movies."
Horror: Scary movies that will give you nightmares for 3 months.
"When I was a little kid, I couldn't sleep because of horror movies."

"Horror movies are not scary anymore."
"I have yet to see a movie that really scares me."
"I hate horror movies because I cannot sleep."
"I always have nightmares after watching horror movies so I try to avoid them."
Movie Types - Other Types

Science Fiction: Futuristic movies like star wars, star trek, theme of time travel,
superhuman powers, etc.
"Many science fiction movies are about the future."

"The success of a science fiction movie is usually dependent on how much they
spend on special effects."
"After watching a science fiction movie such as star wars, I always wish I lived in
the future."
"Gene Rodenberry and George Lucas are two great people in the Science Fiction
world."
Suspense (Thriller): A movie that intentionally keeps you in a heightened state.
"I am always on the edge of my seat when I watch suspenseful movies."

"I can't stand to watch suspenseful movies because my stomach always gets
upset."
"The suspense just kills me."
"It's so exciting to watch a suspense movie."
Western: Old time cowboy movies
"Western movies are not so popular anymore."

"Client Eastwood was a popular western actor."
"Western movies show a little bit about the United States during the early years."
"After watching The Last Samurai, I always hoped an Asian country will make a
movie called The Last Cowboy."
Commentary / Non-Fiction: Educational and true.
"Commentaries and non-fiction films are usually educational."

"Non-profit organizations usually create commentaries supported by the
government."
"Popular non-fiction films are about chimpanzees and gorillas"
"Sometimes non-fiction films are sad because of the hidden truth that is
revealed."
Movie Discussion - General Statements
In this movie section, we are going to have discussions about movies that we already saw. This is
useful because whenever we come out of a movie theatre, we always ask our friends what we
thought about the movie. Sometimes, it's a simple answer such as, 'It was alright.' But sometimes,
a good discussion can arise from a great movie. Let's get started...
Every time I finish watching a movie, I either ask someone, or someone asks me, "What did you
think about the movie?" For the most part, the answer is a simple one line sentence:
"It was alright."

"It could have been better."
"It was pretty good."
"I liked it."
"It was entertaining."
"It was so stupid I almost fell asleep."
"Lame"
"Boring"
"Too unrealistic"
I can go on for a long time describing movies. I have listed a few so you get an idea how to answer
simple movie questions.
Besides simple one line answers, there are a few reasons we need to say other things. It is because
either we didn't understand something, want to describe a scene we liked, want to describe a scene
that was stupid, or simply go on and on about how great the movie was.
Movie Discussion - Describing a Movie
Didn't understand:
"Do you remember the scene when Mary walked into the dining room? Why was she carrying a
knife? She didn't use it and the cameras focused on it."
"I can't understand why she betrayed him. The whole movie concentrated on her trust and loyalty.
It just doesn't make sense."
Good Scene:
"I love the scene when Russell Crowe showed his face to the emperor after the first gladiator fight."
"What did you think about the last fight scene between Neo and Agent Smith in the rain?"
"The courtroom scene between Jodie Foster and Richard Gere was absolutely amazing."
Great Movie:
"That was such a cool movie. It was the best movie I've seen in a long time."
"Anytime I see a great movie I tend to look at my watch often. That's because I don't want the
movie to end."
"The movie was great. I liked everything about it. I'm definitely going to buy the dvd."
Situational questions:
"What would you have done? Would you have taken the million dollars and give up your wife for
a night?"
"Would you choose money and fame, or family and stability?"
Some movies are known to be 'based on a true story.' These types of movies are very interesting
because they actually happened. The only reason they are not considered to be a non-fiction movie
is because the director or writer will add some scenes that didn't happen, or change some facts
around so the movie is more appealing to the masses.
A conversation can start from movies such as Schindler's List. When coming out of a theatre, I
heard a couple talk briefly about this.
"What did you think about the movie?"
"I thought it was great. It was very powerful."
"How much of it do you think was true?"
"I learned about Germany and World War II in one of my classes, and this movie showed
everything I learned from class."
"Wow. It's amazing that these things have happened in our history."
Movie Discussion - Example Dialog
As of this writing, the latest movie I saw was The Last Samurai. After the movie, I had a meal with
a couple of people. We had a good discussion due to this movie. It is difficult to specifically teach
what you will need to know about movie conversations because every movie will require different
words and sentences. The only thing I can do here is to give ideas and couple of examples about
movie conversations. So this is not really going to be a practice section, but a chance to hear a real
conversation from a movie. You can click on each individual sentence, or you can click on the link
provided below to hear a real life conversation.
Listen to the conversation
A: "Did you like the movie?"

B: "It was better than I thought."
C: "I liked it."
A: "The movie didn't have many cheesy or stupid scenes."
B: "Yeah. I'm glad that they didn't have any love scenes. Sometimes a love scene destroys a good
movie."
C: "I thought the scene where the girl was washing her hair and Tom Cruise came to say good bye
was stupid. Why did they have that there? It didn't make sense."
B: "I agree. They didn't need that scene."
A: "I don't see the harm in that scene. They didn't do anything or show anything. What's the big
deal?"
C: "When you are talking about good movies versus great movies, each and every scene counts."
A: "That's true."
B: "But besides those one or two scenes, the movie was great."
A: "I liked everything about it. I really liked the samurai that was beating up Cruise in the
beginning of the movie. The guy second in command. He was cool too."
B: "Every movie has a guy like him. They try to make him awesome even though they don't say
much."
C: "I don't understand why Tom Cruise went back to that village. If he was the only survivor,
wouldn't that make everyone suspicious about where his loyalty lies?"
A: "It was clear in the movie that he loved the place and the samurais. Clearly everyone knows
that he isn't a traitor. I would have done the same thing in his position."
B: "I think so too."
C: "But isn't it suspicious that he is the only survivor."
A: "Well, all the samurais were looking for a death in battle. Cruise wasn't."
C: "But only the boss received the satisfaction of being killed with the sword. Nobody else did."
A: "True."
B: "What are we going to order?"
C: "I am going to have a chicken burger because of the Mad Cow disease."
A: "Me too."
B: "I'm just having a soup and salad."
Favorite - What's your Favorite

The word favorite is used a lot in spoken English. It is very common to talk about your favorite
things with your friends or acquaintances. Topics can range from favorite movies, favorite TV
shows, favorite food, favorite cars, etc. Since there are so many favorite things in the world, you
should pay close attention to this lesson.
Asking questions is the most common way to use the word favorite:
"Who is your favorite singer?"

"Who is your favorite person?"
"Who is your favorite athlete?"
"Who was your favorite ex-girlfriend?"
"Who was your favorite elementary teacher?"
Are you following me? It's very easy. Just change the word at the end and you can make dozens
of sentences.
"What is your favorite show?"

"What is your favorite movie?"
"What is your favorite dessert?"
"What is your favorite program?"
"What is your favorite class?"
"What is your favorite game?"
"What was the title of your favorite song?"
"What was the name of your favorite sit-com?"
We used 'who' and 'what' in our sentences. It's possible to use 'where', 'how', and 'when', but the
most common is 'what' and 'who'.
I'll provide a couple of sentences for the other words.
"Where is your favorite vacation spot?"

"When is your favorite time of day?"
"How is your favorite noodles cooked?"
It's not common, because even though it is grammatically incorrect, you can ask the same question
with 'what'
"What is your favorite vacation spot?"

"What is your favorite time of day?"
Nobody is really going to notice and it's not a big deal. After this lesson is over, I suggest
practicing with 'what' and 'who', but don't bother with the others. It's not as important.
Favorite - Answering Questions
To answer these types of questions, it is very easy. All you have to do is change 'your' to 'my',
repeat the last portion of the question and add your answer. We'll practice a couple of times.
"What is your favorite show?"

"My favorite show is Smurfs."
"What is your favorite movie?"

"My favorite movie is Matrix."
"What is your favorite dessert?"

"My favorite dessert is cheesecake."
"Who is your favorite singer?"

"My favorite singer is Josh Groban."
"Who is your favorite athlete?"

"My favorite athlete is Tiger Woods."
"Who was your favorite elementary teacher?"

"My favorite elementary teacher was Mrs. Smouse."
Different ways to ask about favorite things
You don't necessarily have to use the word favorite. Favorite basically means what you like the
most. So, you can ask favorite questions without the word favorite.
"What do you like to eat the most?"

"My favorite food is ice cream."
"What is a childhood memory that stands out?"

"My favorite childhood memory is a time I went fishing with my dad."
"Which professor do you like the most?"

"My favorite professor is Professor Kim."
Likewise, you can answer questions without using the word favorite.
"What is your favorite baseball team?"

"I like Seattle Mariners the most."
"What is your favorite type of food?"

"I love Italian food... especially pasta. They are so good."
"Who is your favorite music group?"

"I really enjoy listening to Depeche Mode."
Favorite - Interactive Practice
a native.
1
A: "What are you doing tomorrow?"
B: "I'm going to stay home and watch the video."
A: "What are you going to watch?"
B: "I rented Last of the Mohican. Have you seen it?"
A: "That was one of my favorite movies. You will not be disappointed."
2
A: "What's your favorite food?"
B: "I like Chinese food the most."
A: "Have you been to the Chinese restaurant on 44th street."
B: "No I haven't. Is it any good?"
A: "It's my favorite Chinese restaurant. I believe you will like it."
B: "That sounds great. Let's go."
3
A: "Hey Jack. How were your classes this semester?"
B: "They were not too bad. I really dig/liked my poli-science class."
A: "Would you consider it your favorite class?"
B: "I don't know if I would call it my favorite, but it ranks up there."
A: "What class was your favorite then?"
B: "I took a business communication class last year and it was terrific."
A: "I never took that yet. If that was your favorite, I think I will check it out."
Hobby - Questions and Answers

Hobbies are a hot topic anytime. Similar to favorite things, hobbies are favorite things that you do.
This is a small section so let's get started.
Questions you can ask:
"What are your hobbies?"

"What do you do in your spare time?"
"What do you like to do?"
"What do you like to do for fun?"
"If you had extra time, what would you do with it?"
There is not much else you can say. Remember that we can create many different sentences, but
we want to use what is most common in spoken English. So we need to stay with the most
common words.
Answering questions:
"My hobbies consist of golfing, reading novels, and watching movies."

"I like to play computer games in my free time."
"If I'm not working, then I'm busy chatting with people on the Internet."
"During my spare time, I like to cook."
"I like to read magazines."
"In the summer I play golf, and in the winter, I go skiing."
"I love every type of sports."
Making statements:
"I need to find a hobby. I have nothing to do all day."

"Maybe you wouldn't be so lonely if you had a hobby."
"Hobbies are great because it allows you to do what you enjoy."
"Although I have many hobbies, I wish I had more time to do more."
"I love to go snowboarding. It's exhilarating."
"I would go skiing more often, but it takes such a long time to go up to the mountains."
"I wish golfing wasn't so expensive. I would golf almost everyday if I could afford it."
Hobby - Various Q&A
"If you had all the money in the world, what would you do?"
"I would probably find some hobbies and join an organization that works for a good cause."
"You just stay home most of the week. Don't you ever get bored?"
"A lot of my hobbies are things I do by myself such as oil painting, sculpting, and drawing. So
actually, I have a lot to do with not enough time."
"I'm so bored. I have nothing to do."

"Maybe you should start thinking about some hobbies."
"Is studying considered a hobby?"

"Studying is usually associated with school and work, so it's not usually considered a hobby. But if
it's not for these purposes, then I guess it can be a hobby. That's just my opinion though."
"What do you do in your spare time?"

"I do a lot of writing, so I write every chance I get."
Like many topics in English, a conversation will go towards the content of the conversation. So
let's review with longer dialogs in practice.
Hobby - Interactive Practice

a native.
1
A: "Hey Bob. Whatcha you doing?"
B: "I'm at home painting."
A: "I didn't know you paint. What type of painting is it?"
B: "I enjoy oil painting. I learned it in one of my extra classes in college."
A: "That sounds so interesting. I wish I learned a hobby."
B: "Hobbies are never too late to learn. They offer a variety of classes at the local community
college. You should look into it."
A: "I think I will. Thanks for the info."
2
A: "Hey Joanne. What are you up to?"
B: "I'm just watching some television."
A: "I'm so bored. I don't know what I'm going to do today and it is only ten in the morning."
B: "Me too. Do you think we are boring people?"
A: "I don't think we are boring. It's just that we don't have any hobbies."
B: "That's right. What do you think we should do as a hobby?"
A: "That all depends on what you like to do. For example, I like to doodle on the notepad, so I'm
thinking about doing some real drawings."
B: "I like to play the piano for fun."
A: "Yeah. That can be a good hobby."
B: "Hobbies are great. I'm going to make a list of all the things I like to do."
A: "That's a great idea. I'm going to do the same."
Exercise - Questions
There are various types of exercise. Some people might think walking is exercise, and some other
people will think weight lifting is exercise. In the next couple of lessons, we will take a closer look
at various types of exercise.
Exercising can be done in many different ways. Here is a small list to get us started:
Walking
Jogging
Running
Sports
Aerobics
Rowing (boat)
Commuting to work
Etc.
Here are some questions.
"Do you exercise at all?"

"Do you work out?"
"What type of exercising do you do?"
"Where is a good place to exercise?"
"Why don't you exercise?"
"Where do you usually jog?"
"How long do you take a walk for?"
"How often do you jog?"
"Where do you do aerobics?"
"How long do you usually run for everyday?"
Exercise - Walking Jogging and More

Walking:
"Every morning right when I get up, I like to take a thirty minute walk."
"I like to take walks with my dog."
"Golf is a healthy sport because of all the walking it requires."
"I heard from some doctors that walking is the healthiest form of exercise."
"There's a trail by my house that is a perfect 20 minute walk."
"We usually go to a nearby lake and walk around it."
Jogging:
"Every night, I go to an elementary school across from my house and jog a few laps around the
playground."
"I go jogging in the morning when the air is still fresh."
"Some people find jogging stressful, but I find it as a way to relieve some of my stress."
"It feels so good after jogging for half an hour."
"I usually jog on a treadmill because it's convenient."
Sports: We will have another more comprehensive lesson on sports in a different lesson.
"I usually play a lot of basketball"
"I get enough exercise from soccer."
"I like to play sports because it is a good form of exercise and allows me to have fun all at the
same time."
"Although bowling is a sport, I don't consider it a form of exercise."
"I play volleyball a couple hours a day."
"I practice baseball with my school team everyday."
"I'm in my high school's track and field team. I'm a long distance runner."
"I don't play soccer because it requires too much running."
"Running constantly is a hard thing to do."
Others:
"Aerobics is an excellent form of exercise."
"I use a video at home to do my aerobic sessions."
"I like to do aerobics because it targets specific areas."
"I get my exercise from rowing. I'm on the junior varsity crew team."
"I ride my bicycle to work every day."
"I take the stairs because it gives me a little bit of a work out."
"I go to the local park and ride my rollerblades."
Exercise - Interactive Practice

Click on Listen All and follow along. After becoming comfortable with the entire
conversation, become Person A by clicking on the Person A button. You will hear
only Person B through the audio file. There will be a silence for you to repeat the
sentences of Person A. Do the same for Person B. The speed of the conversation is
native speed. Use the pause button if the pause between each sentence is too fast
for you. After practicing several times, you will be able to speak as fast as a
native.
1
A: "Hey Michael. Where are you going?"
B: "No where special. I was just taking a walk."
A: "What for?"
B: "To get a little exercise. I'm so out of shape."
A: "Hey, I play basketball with a bunch of friends twice a week. It's great exercise and it's fun too.
Why don't you come out and play with us?"
B: "That sounds great. Give me a call next time you guys play."
2
A: "All I do all day is work and watch TV. I really should start thinking about my health."
B: "I never thought about that, but you're right. What do you think we should do?"
A: "For starters, we should start doing more outdoor activities. That way we'll get some exercise."
B: "I was thinking about taking tennis lessons. I always have an hour to spare in the afternoon.
What do you think about that?"
A: "That's not a bad idea. How much is it?"
B: "I heard it is only about one hundred twenty dollars a month for 8 lessons."
A: "Playing tennis twice a week will be a good start. Count me in."
Exercise Gym - Lifting Weights
Popular types of exercising are conducted in the gym or health club. When I refer to a gym, I am
implying a health club. Two common types of exercising in the gym are working out / lifting
weights, or using machines such as treadmills, bicycle machines, step machines, etc. It's common
for guys to get together and talk about lifting weights. Likewise, girls get together and discuss the
best methods to lose weight. In this lesson, we are going to lay the ground work on talking about
exercising in the gym.
Lifting weights
Professional weight lifters are called body builders. But since the number of body builders are not
significant, we are going to concentrate more on regular weight lifting.
I don't lift weights, but when I see a friend who is noticeably bigger due to lifting weights, these are
the types of things I say.
"Have you been lifting?"
You do not need to say lifting weights. When you say lifting, it's understood that you are talking
about weights.
"You got big man."

"How long have you been lifting?"
Other terminologies for lifting weights are:
Pumping Iron
Pressing Iron
Pressing Weights
Working Out
Weight Training
Hitting the Gym
Exercise Gym - Questions and Answers
Here are some questions you can ask.
"Where do you work out?"

"What club do you work out at?"
"When do you usually work out?"
"How often do you work out?"
"How many hours do you work out in a day?"
To ask how they work out or what their routine is, you can ask:
"When you bench, how many reps and sets do you do?"
Reps are repetition. In weight lifting terminology, this means how many times they lift in one set.
"Do you do low reps with heavy weights, or many reps with light weight."
"How many sets do you do when you work out your arms?"
If you are the person being asked these questions, here are ways you can answer:
"I work out at 24 Hour Fitness"

"I work out at Bally's"
"I work out at Samsung Health Club"
"I started lifting weights about 2 years ago."

"I have been lifting weights for about 2 years now."
"I just started 9 months ago."
"I usually work out 2 hours a day 4 times a week."

"I work out everyday for an hour."
"I go to the gym 3 times a week."
"I go in every other day."
"I can bench press 220 pounds."

"I squat 400 pounds."
"I curl 90 pounds."
"I'm trying to gain bulk so I'm doing low reps with heavy weights."
"I'm trying to get ripped, so I'm doing a lot of repetitions."
Ripped means to get lines to show up in the muscles. It's called ripped because when you rip a
piece of paper, you see a line in the paper where the tear is. So a person is ripped when you can see
lines on his body due to muscles.
Exercise Gym - Other Methods

Other ways to work out in a health club
Many people lift weights in the health club, but many people also go to lose weight using machines
such as the treadmill and bicycle machines.
Here are some things you can say in a conversation if you fall into this category.
"When I go to the health club, I usually spend 30 minutes on the treadmill, 20 minutes on the
bicycle, and finally 10 minutes on the step master."
"There is no place to run in the city, so I have to do my running on the treadmill."

"It always rains around here so I like to exercise in the gym."
"I usually use the treadmill, but I try to work on the nautilus machines at least twice a week."
"My wife exercises four times a week."

"My husband can't last 10 minutes on the step machine."
Exercise Gym - Interactive Practice
a native.
1
A: "What do you do besides work and watching TV?"
B: "When I have some time, I like to exercise."
A: "Do you go jogging or do you go to a health club?"
B: "I joined Samsung Health Club a couple of months ago."
A: "How do you exercise?"
B: "I usually spend 30 minutes on the bicycle for the cardio, and then I lift weights for about 45
minutes."
A: "How often do you go?"
B: "I want to go four times a week, but I'm too lazy. Last week, I only went to workout once."
2
A: "Hey Jimmy. Let's go workout later today."
B: "Sure. What time do you want to go?"
A: "How about at 3:30."
B: "That sounds good. Today we work on Legs and forearm."
A: "Hey. I just played basketball earlier, so my legs are a little sore. Let's work out on arms and
stomach today."
B: "I'm on a weekly schedule. You're messing everything up."
A: "C'mon. We're only switching two days. You can do legs on Friday."
B: "Aright. I'll meet you at the gym at 3:30 then."
3
A: "Damn Scott. You got big."
B: "Yeah, I've been working out a lot."
A: "How long have you been lifting weights?"
B: "For a year and a half."
A: "Yeah. Last time I saw you, it was like 2 years ago."
B: "Has it been that long?"
A: "How often do you go to the gym?"
B: "I usually go every other day for about 3 hours."
A: "That's a lot."
B: "Yeah, I used to work out for an hour a day 4 times a week, and I saw no results. This is what
you have to do to get noticeable results."
A: "I don't think I have the discipline for that."
B: "Just think of it as a hobby. Then it's actually fun."
General Things Review - Interactive Practice

native.
1
A: "How are you doing?"
B: "I'm doing great."
A: "What movies have you seen lately?"
B: "I saw Forrest Gump the other day."
A: "What type of movie is that?"
B: "The movie type is drama."
A: "I can't believe you are watching movies. The weather is great. You should be outside."
B: "I hate the hot weather. I'd rather stay indoors with the air conditioner."
A: "What else do you like to do besides watching movies?"
B: "I like to play computer games, read books, go shopping, and play pool."
A: "Out of those what is your favorite?"
B: "My favorite is to play computer games."
A: "What is your favorite computer game?"
B: "My favorite is Diablo. It used to be Star Craft, but it is getting a little old."
A: "If you like to play so much, when do you ever exercise?"
B: "Although I hate to exercise, I go jogging at least twice a week."
A: "That's pretty good. By the way, what are you doing next Saturday?"
B: "I am going to go to the bookstore."
A: "I am having a party Saturday night at my house. If you have time, you should come."
B: "That sounds like fun."
A: "Great. I'll see you on Saturday."
B: "Ok. See you later."
2
A: "Hello?"
B: "Hi Steve. This is Mike. What are you doing?"
A: "Oh, hi. I was just watching TV."
B: "There's nothing to watch right now."
A: "I know. I was watching a re-run. I have nothing to do and I was bored."
B: "Me too. Let's get together and do something."
A: "I'd like to, but I have to meet my parents in an hour for dinner. How about tomorrow?"
B: "Yeah. Let's plan something tomorrow."
A: "Did you hear the weather forecast for tomorrow?"
B: "I think it is going to be the same as today. Clear and sunny."
A: "That's great. We can do something outdoors then."
B: "Are there any special events going on tomorrow?"
A: "Yeah. I think there's a live outdoor concert by the river tomorrow."
B: "Oh yeah. I heard about that too. Let's go check it out."
A: "Do you know what time it starts?"
B: "It starts at one PM."
A: "Let's meet for lunch at eleven thirty and afterwards, we can head over there."
B: "Perfect. I'll see you in front of the apartment at eleven thirty."
3
A: "Steve. Is that you?"
B: "Yeah. What's going on?"
A: "Not much. What a surprise to see you here."
B: "Yeah. It's been a couple of months since I saw you."
A: "What have you been up to?"
B: "I just started working out."
A: "Really? Where do you work out at?"
B: "I joined the Samsung Health Club last month."
A: "What do you mostly do during your workout?"
B: "I concentrate mostly on my legs, chest, arms and stomach."
A: "I should start exercising more."
B: "It's hard work while exercising, but it is a great feeling when I get done."
A: "I have a running machine at home. I used to use it, but I already got sick of it."
B: "Exercising at home is hard. The environment is not suited for exercising."
A: "If I want to exercise, I will need to join a gym."
B: "I have a couple of guest passes. You want to check out my health club."
A: "That's a good idea. Let's go over the weekend."
B: "Great. I'll call you Saturday morning."
A: "Aright. I'll talk to you later."
B: "Ok. Bye."
4
A: "The weather is terrible."
B: "Yeah. It's been raining a lot these days."
A: "I have been watching a lot of videos at home because of the constant rain."
B: "Have you heard when it's supposed to get better?"
A: "I saw the weather report, and it's going to rain for the next eight days."
B: "That sucks so much. What are we going to do?"
A: "I'm getting pretty bored. We should do something despite the rain."
B: "I'm with you. What do you have in mind?"
A: "I haven't been to the Mall in a long time. Let's go."
B: "That sounds good. They have a movie theatre there, so if we get bored, we can watch a movie."
A: "Great. I'll stop by your place now."
B: "Ok. Don't forget to bring your umbrella. The rain can start up again anytime."
Business English Lessons

Office Basics
Machine Problems
There are many things to say while in the office. Something can go wrong with the printer, or you
could be wondering why a package didn't arrive. The next several short lessons will be about Basic
Office scenarios.
"Do you know what's wrong with the printer?"

"Who do we call to report a problem with the printer?"
"When is the printer going to be fixed?"
"The printer next to the break room is broken. Where is the other printer?"
"The copy machine is jammed again."

"The copy machine is broken."
"We need to get the copy machine fixed."
"A technician is coming this afternoon to fix the copy machine."
"Where is the paper for the copy machine?"
"We need to order more paper. We're running low."
Mail Room
For larger size companies, a mail room is provided where each employee has their
own box. Here are some sentences you might need to know.
"Where is the mail room?"
"I don't have a mail box. Who should I contact to get one?"
"Your mail box was pretty full. You should go pick them up."
"I haven't checked my mail in 2 weeks."
"I never receive anything so I don't need to check my mail often."
"What time does the delivery person usually come?"

"What time does the mail usually come?"
Large companies also have multiple buildings. So sending mail to another worker
is a common practice. For example, if I need to send some financial documents to
the auditor in a building down the street, I will use the Inter Office mail service.
Some people might say I.O. to make it short.
"I can send it to you through Inter Office mail."

"I'll send it through Inter Office mail immediately."
"I'll IO it to you."
"I need those documents. Can you IO it to me?"
"Would you like to pick them up or should I send it through Inter Office mail?"
The term inter basically means between when there is more than one. For
example, in the word international, nation is a country, and if you have inter in
front of it, we have international, which means involving two or more nations.
Requesting Equipment
"I'm out of staples. Do we have any more in the supply room?"
"The supply room is running low on pens. I think we should get more."
"My monitor is very old. It's a little blurry and it gives me a headache when I look at it for a long
duration. Could I get a new monitor?"
"My computer is too slow. It slows down my work. I would like a faster computer. It will
increase my efficiency on many of my tasks."
"I would like an ergonomic keyboard. I can type much faster with those."
"Can I get a new chair? This one is so uncomfortable."
"Can you get me a headset for the telephone? I'm on the phone most of the day and I would like to
free up my hands."
Company Policies
Every company has their own rules about animals, dress code, break time, vacation time, and many
other policies. Let's take a moment to learn how to ask about these policies.
"How long are we allowed for lunch?"

"How long is our lunch break?"
"If I only take a 30 minute lunch, can I leave 30 minutes earlier?"
"What time should I report to work?"

"Is there a strict policy on working hours?"
"Are we allowed to start work an hour later if we work an hour more?"
"What is the dress code here?"

"Are we allowed to wear casual clothes on Friday?"
"Does this company have the casual Friday thing?"
"If I have ten vacation days, am I allowed to use them all at once?"
"What holidays do we have off?"
"Do our vacation days expire?"
"Does this company allow telecommuting?"

"Are we allowed to work from home?"
I'm Busy
For general statements about being tired at work or being sick of work will be covered in the
'Talking to coworkers' section. These types of statements shouldn't be said to everyone.
"I'm busy with work."

"Can I do this later?"
"Does this have to be done now?"
"When do you need this by?"
"When is the deadline?"
"I'm not going to have time for any other assignment until Thursday."
"I'll try to free up my schedule."

"I'm pretty sure I can meet the deadline."
"If I don't get any help on this, I won't be able to complete it on time."
"I'll do whatever I can to make sure this is done on time."
"You can count on me."

"Have I ever let you down?"
Giving/Asking Business Cards
"Do you have a business card?"
"Could I have one of your business cards?"
"Can I have your business card?"
Responding to these questions are very easy. You can just say 'sure' or 'no problem.'
"Can I get your phone number or email address?"
"What is the best way to contact you?"

"Can I get your contact information?"
"Let me give you one of my business cards."

"My contact information is on my business card. Let me give you one."
"You can reach me by calling the number on my business card."

"My email address is on my business card."
General Office
If you can't find a file, you can ask around.
"Do you know where the ABC file is at?"

"Do you have the ABC file?"
"Is anybody using the ABC file right now?"
"Did you check the file cabinet? It should be there."

"Check the bin. Sometimes people throw it in there after they are done."
"Oh... it's on my desk. I forgot to put it back."

"It's in my office. I'll get it for you."
If you see a file or a book you need on someone's desk, you can ask to borrow it.
"Are you using this book right now?"

"Can I borrow this book?"
"Are you finished with this file?"

"Are you done with this report?"
"Can I use this file?"
If you need something, it is common to ask around. Here are some examples of what you might
need in the office.
"Do you have an extra mouse? Mine broke."

"Do you have another network cable? The one I have is too short."
"Do you have a blank floppy disk I can have?"
"I ran out of labels. Do you have any I can have?"
"Can I borrow your stapler?"

"Do you have a hole puncher?"
"Do you have a staple remover by any chance?"
Office Basics - Interactive Practice

native.
1
A: "I can't get the printer to work."
B: "Did you check to see if it had paper?"
A: "Yeah. That's the first thing I checked."
B: "I don't know then. You might have to call the technician."
A: "How do I do that?"
B: "Just tell the admin and she should take care of it."
A: "Is there another printer that I can use?"
B: "Yeah. There's one down the hall next to the supply room."
A: "Oh yeah... I remember that one. Thanks."
B: "No problem."
2
A: "Do you have a lot of work?"
B: "Yeah. I'm pretty busy. Why?"
A: "Oh. I needed some help on documenting this process."
B: "Does this have to be done right now?"
A: "The manager wants it by Friday."
B: "I'll try to free up my schedule. Remind me again tomorrow morning, and I'll help you in the
afternoon."
A: "Do you need to read the documents first?"
B: "Yeah. That would help."
A: "I'll print you a copy and then drop them off."
B: "Make sure you drop it off before five because I have to leave early."
A: "No problem. Thanks."
3
A: "Are you new here?"
B: "Yeah. I just started yesterday."
A: "Welcome aboard. I'm Jack."
B: "I'm Mark. Nice to meet you."
A: "What are you going to be working on?"
B: "I'm going to work on the planning team. But I haven't started yet. I'm still in training."
A: "The planning team is great. Our marketing team works with them closely. We'll end up working
together sometimes."
B: "That's great. Oh, can I ask you some questions?"
A: "Sure."
B: "Does this company have a casual Friday?"
A: "Not really. You can get away with wearing slacks, but I've never seen anyone wear jeans."
B: "That's alright. Do you know any good places to eat around here?"
A: "Yeah there's a deli right across the street. They have fresh sandwiches and sometimes hot
dishes like teriyaki. It's pretty good."
B: "That sounds good. Thanks for the info."
A: "No problem. If you need anything, I sit right around the corner here."
A Little Late
When you work for a company, there are times when you are late or you can't make it to a meeting.
Sometimes you are sick, or sometimes you are stuck in traffic. We will study sentences you need
to know to say why you are late or can't make it to work.
Late
Some jobs require you to 'punch in' when you get to work. 'Punching in' keeps track of how long
you worked. Many hourly jobs use this system. But if you are a salary person and do not have to
'punch in', then you have more flexibility. Let's say you are going to be five minutes late. If you
have your own office, then nobody will know. But if you work in a setting where your boss sees
you coming in, then you will need an excuse. We'll cover everything about being late here.
Five minutes late
If you are going to be just a little late, then you don't need to call in. However, you will need to tell
them why you are late when you get in the office. Here are some examples.
"Sorry I'm late. Traffic was unusually bad today."

"I apologize for being late. I had to drop off my wife at work. It took longer than I thought."
"I had a dentist appointment this morning and it was longer than I expected."
"I'm sorry for being late. I got stuck in every light this morning."
If you are the boss, then you might want to ask why your employee is late. Let's see some of these
sentences.
"Running late this morning?"

"What held you up this morning?"
"Do you have a reason for being late?"
"Why are you late?"
A boss or manager will not be too upset if you are late only once or very rarely. But if this is a
constant habit, they might be a little more upset.
"You have been late three times in the last two weeks. Is this going to be a continual problem?"
"Your tardiness is getting out of hand. You had better start managing your morning time better."
"I expect you to be at your desk at eight o'clock. Do you have a problem with this?"
If you hear one of these statements, then you better say something that will calm the boss down.
Also, you shouldn't let this happen again so tell him or her it won't happen again.
"I am terribly sorry. It won't happen again."

"I had a lot of recent changes at home, but it's all taken care of. I will not be late again."
"I'm really sorry. It's been one of those weeks. It won't happen again."
Very Late
If you are going to be a lot later than 5 minutes, then you should call your manager and tell them
about it.
"Hi Barbara, I'm going to be 30 minutes late today. My car is having trouble this morning, so I
arranged for a ride with a friend."
"Hey Jack, I'm running a little late today. I just got out of my dentist appointment and it was longer
than I expected."
"Mark? This is Pat. I'm stuck in traffic. I think there is an accident that is holding up traffic. I'm
going to be a little late."
When you plan on being late ahead of time, it is much easier. For example, if you have a doctor's
appointment in the morning, you can tell them in advance and then you don't have to worry about
coming in on time.
"I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning. Remember I told you earlier this week? I'll
come in right after my appointment."
"My daughter has been sick, so I'm going to take her to see the doctor tomorrow morning. Is it ok
if I'm a little late? My appointment is at seven in the morning, so I'll only be an hour late."
"I have to take my parents to the airport tomorrow. I shouldn't be too late, but wanted to tell you
ahead of time."
Leaving Work Early
This is a little easier than explaining to your boss why you are 10 minutes late. You can think of an
excuse ahead of time, or tell them about an appointment so you can leave early. You can use the
same excuses as the ones I mentioned earlier. You just have to change the wording a little and
make it future tense.
"I have to leave a little early today. Is it ok if I finish my work at home?"
"I have a dentist appointment at four. I have to leave early today."
"I have a dentist appointment tomorrow at four. Is it ok if I leave early tomorrow?"
"I have to pick up my wife at the airport tomorrow. Is it ok if I leave at three?"
"I have a conference with my son's teacher tomorrow at three thirty. I have to leave at three. Will
that be ok?"
"I have a terrible headache. Is it ok if I leave early today?"

"I think I might be coming down with the flu. I should get some rest and try to fight this thing off
early. May I leave early today?"
"I'm not feeling well. I think I should get some rest. Will it be ok if I go home early today?"
"My son got sick and I have to pick him up from school. Will that be ok?"
Sick day
"Martha? This is Jack. I have a fever and I will not be able to come in today."
"Hi Mary, I have to use a sick day today. I'm feeling terrible right now."
"Hi Steve, this is Mark. I wanted to let you know that I am too sick to come in today."
"Hi Andrew, this is Josh. I'm pretty sick so I will not be able to make it in today. I was feeling
sick last night and thought I would be better after some sleep, but it just got worse."
"Hi Sam, this is Jessica. I have some urgent personal matters I have to deal with. I won't be able
to make it in."
"Mark? This is John. My dad went into the emergency room this morning. I'm not sure what the
problem is, but I don't think I can make it in today. I'll send you an update later."
"My son all of the sudden got really sick. I have to take him to the hospital now. I doubt I can
make it in today. Will that be ok?"
"Jake? Will it be ok if I take the day off? My grandmother just passed away and I don't think I
will be able to work today."
Vacation
Taking a planned day off
These are the easiest to request. If you are caught up with your work and you want to take a
vacation or personal day, it is as easy as asking for it.
"Can I use a vacation day this Friday?"

"Will it be ok if I use a personal day this Thursday?"
"I have to catch up on a lot of errands, so can I use a vacation day on Monday?"
"My parents are coming into town. Can I take Thursday and Friday off?"
"I would like to use my vacation days for the first week of June. Will that be ok?"
"Will it be ok if I take the last week of July off?"
"Can I schedule a vacation for the second week of August?"
"I was wondering if I can take a vacation. Can I take the first two weeks off in September?"
Remember that asking for a vacation all depends on the office policies. Some companies do not
like an employee taking all their vacation days at once. However, some places are more lenient
and allow long vacation days. Before asking for long vacation days, you should first see what
other employees are doing.
Late for Work - Interactive Practice
a native.
1
A: "Jack. Can I see you in my office?"
B: "Sure."
A: "You have been late 3 times in the last 2 weeks. Is this going to be a continual problem?"
B: "I'm so sorry. I really got unlucky this morning."
A: "Being late once in a while is based on luck. If you are late frequently, it shows that you are
irresponsible. How are you going to fix it?"
B: "Last week, I had a lot of personal problems. I took care of all those problems and I don't have
any excuse to be late anymore. I planned on coming in to the office early today, but there was an
accident that held up traffic."
A: "You better start anticipating all problems because I'm not going to tolerate your tardiness any
longer. Is that clear?"
B: "Perfectly clear. I will not be late again."
A: "That's all."
2
A: "Hey Martha, is there anything urgent that needs to be done today?"
B: "No. I don't believe so. Why?"
A: "I have a terrible headache and I was wondering if it would be ok if I could leave a little early
today."
B: "I don't see why not. You can make up the time later in the week."
A: "That's what I was thinking too. But as for today, I don't think I can be productive."
B: "It's already two o'clock now. What time were you going to leave?"
A: "I'm just going to wrap up and leave pretty soon. Probably in about thirty minutes."
B: "Ok. Get some rest. If you are sick tomorrow, give me a call."
A: "Aright. Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow."
3
A: "Hi Martha. This is Jack. I think I caught a flu or something. I feel worse than yesterday."
B: "You better stay home today then."
A: "I think that will be best. I'll log my sick day tomorrow when I get in."
B: "No problem. Just get some rest. We have everything covered here so don't worry."
A: "Ok. Just in case something happens, you can call me at home. I'll be here all day."
B: "Ok. Thanks for calling. I'll see you when you get better."
A: "Aright. Thanks. Bye."
Computer Related
Network share and public share
Network share is a location on your network that you can access. The files are stored on a different
computer. If you do not have a network set up in the office you work at, then you won't need this
section.
In order for you to save data on a network share, you will need permission. The person in charge
of the computer has the ability to add users. If you know of a public share and you cannot access
it, then tell your administrator or the person in charge of that computer to give you permission.
"I have it saved on a network share. You can find it atcomputername public John data.doc."
Whenever you tell someone a network location, you tell them the name by the path. I'll use the
previous sentence as an example. Computername is the name of the computer, then the next word
is a folder name. The next name is also a folder name. Finally, data.doc is the name of the file.
So, the location of data.doc is in a folder named John that is under a folder called public under the
computer computername. When you say a path verbally, you just leave a pause after each word or
say slash between the words. In the written form, it looks like
this, \\computername\public\John\data.doc.
When people share documents, they save them on their own computer and put it in a folder that
they made public. Or, a co-worker might have data saved on their computer. If you don't want to
deal with the floppy disks, then you can retrieve the data from the network if they make the folder
public.
"I have those files in my public folder. Just go to John01 public. You should see all the documents
there."
"I saved it at John01 public. Go ahead and take what you need."
"I'll need all the information on ABC Company. Didn't you say you have the information? Can
you put them on a public share?"
"Hey John, I don't have permission to get into John01. Can you check the permissions on the
folder?"
"I don't have write access on the folder. Can you give me write permissions?"
"I don't want anybody changing the data, so everyone only has read permissions."
Hard Drive
"I have all the information saved on my hard drive."
"I finished the presentation preparation and I saved it on my hard drive."
"I have the documents you are looking for saved on my computer."
"I have the information on my computer. Do you want me to put it on a floppy disk for you?"
When you say something like, 'saved on my computer', it is understood that you are referring to the
hard drive, so in this situation, you can use the two words interchangeably.
"I'm running out of room on my hard drive."

"I need a bigger hard drive."
"I have the information on my computer, but I think I will need to prepare hard copies for the
meeting."
Hard copy refers to something that is tangible. For example, a hard copy of a report is a printed out
version on paper. A soft copy is the file stored on the computer.
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Removable Disk
When you save data, there are several ways to save it. There is the standard removable disk,
saving to the hard drive, and saving to a network share.
"Does anybody have an extra floppy disk?"

"I ran out of floppy disks. Where can I get more?"
"I think we need to order more floppy disks."
"I saved it on a floppy disk."

"I have all the information on my USB drive."
"Can you save the document on a disk and give it to me?"

"Save the information on a disk and give it to Jack."
"I'll have all the information on a disk and bring it to the meeting."
Software
Different companies use different software programs. For example, a tax firm might use a program
for tax purposes, and an insurance company will use their own software for inputting data to
retrieve quotes for customers. You might not have the software or it might be broken. I'll have
some example sentences for these situations.
"What software do you use here?"

"What kind of application do you use to keep track of all these records?"
"Martha told me about TaxIt. When can I get a copy?"

"Is there a manual how to use this program?"
"How do you use this?"
"TaxIt won't open any more. I think it's broken."

"I can't get TaxIt to work. Can someone help me with this?"
"Microsoft Office applications do everything we need. That's all we use here."

"What version of Office do you use here?"
"What software do you use for word processing?"
"All the documents are saved using MSWord. Do you have Word or another application that will
be able to read the information?"
"We use a different word processing application. Can you save as a text file?"
"I can't open the file that you gave me. What version of Word are you using?"
Internet
I'm not going to explain all the specifics about the Internet here. The goal of this lesson is not to
give a computer lesson, but to learn English related to using the computer. I will show some
sentences that are commonly used for the Internet.
"What is the URL of that site again?"

"What is the address to the English site you are studying?"
"What is the best search engine?"
"Where can I find information on marriage law?"
"If you go to greatsite.com, you will find all the information I just told you."
"If you need more information on cooking, go to cooking.com."
"I purchased all the computers from Dell.com. We should have them by the end of the week."
"Do you have a company website?"

"Is there a website where I can learn more about your services?"
"Do you have a website where I can review the different products you are offering?"
"I HATE POP-UPS!"

I really do. I hate pop-up ads with a passion. If it was up to me, I would shut down all companies
that produce pop up ads. For now, we have to live with them.
"Can I install something that stops pop-up ads?"

"What tools are available to block pop-up ads?"
"I think I misspelled the web address. Can you spell it out for me?"
"I'm getting a page not found error. I think the web site is down."
Intranet
A lot of companies have an intranet site. This is basically web pages that can be viewed by
employees connected to the network in the office. The address does not use the standard .net or
.com address. It will simply be http://companysite.
"Do we have an intranet site that explains our benefits?"

"What was the site where we log our travel expenses?"
"If you want to use a sick day, you can go to http://timereport."
If you have an intranet site for your company, then when you talk to other workers, you don't need
to say http:// everytime. You can simply say the name, for example, 'If you want to use a sick day,
you can go to time report.' The other person listening should understand that you mean
http://timereport.
"Is there an intranet site detailing each project our company is doing?"
"Is our company going to put an intranet site for employees?"
"I think it will help a lot if we had an intranet site with general questions and answers from all the
employees."
General Computer Sentences

"My computer is giving me problems again."
"My computer broke, but luckily I saved my work on a disk."
"My computer is too slow."
"Something is wrong with my computer."
"I work with the computer most of the day."

"All my work is done on the computer."
"We are upgrading our computers this week."

"I hope we upgrade our computers soon. The ones we have are way too old."
"My computer froze. What should I do?"

"My computer is not responding and I haven't saved my data yet. What should I do?"
"My computer is making a weird sound. Can I get someone to look at it?"
This concludes the computer English lesson. I know many of the business topics are large and
some of them have topics I didn't cover. I want to remind you that you can ask specific questions
to us using the business bulletin board.
Computer Related - Interactive Practice

a native.
1
A: "Barbara, did you finish the report on XYZ Company?"
B: "Yes. I just finished today."
A: "I would like to review them before we send the report. Can you give me a copy?"
B: "Sure. Would you like a hard copy?"
A: "No. Just send me the path to the location of the report. I'll look them over on my computer."
B: "Sure. I'll give you permission for the folder. You can find them at barbara01 slash XYZ. I'll
give you permission right now."
A: "Great. Thanks."
2
A: "John, are you having problems with your network?"
B: "I think our whole network is down for upgrades. It should be back up in an hour."
A: "That's too late. I need the review documents from the company network share."
B: "I have a copy of that on my computer."
A: "Really? Can I get a copy?"
B: "Sure. But since the network is down, I'll have to put it on a disk for you."
A: "That would be great."
B: "Do you have a floppy disk?"
A: "I think I have one on my desk. Here it is."
B: "Ok. It's saving now. Here you go."
A: "Thanks. You saved me a great deal of trouble. I'm so glad you had a copy of this on your
machine."
B: "No problem. I'm glad I could help."
3
A: "Don't we need a tax software to do this work?"
B: "Yeah. Don't you have it installed on your computer?"
A: "No. They said they would install it for me, but they didn't do it yet."
B: "Go ask your manager. He probably forgot."
A: "That's a good idea. Is there an instructional manual for this software?"
B: "It's in the second file cabinet under Software Applications."
A: "Thanks. I'll probably need it when I get the software."
B: "Actually, it's not that difficult to use. I think you should be able to figure it out without the
manual. The manual is only good for advanced options that we don't really need."
A: "You're probably right. Many of the manuals I've read were not that helpful. Do you mind if I
come to you for questions when I am using the software?"
B: "Not at all. Feel free to ask any questions. If I know the answer, I'll let you know."
A: "Great. I better go find the manager to get the software installed on my computer."
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English Speaking Basics

1. Basic usage of 'I'm' 1. I'm calling to + (verb)

Regular English Lessons

Greeting and General Things II

College Related Topics

1. University Life - Meeting New Students

College Related Topics II

1. Fraternity and Sorority - Explanation

Health - Dating - Marriage

Health - Dating - Marriage II

Guys - Girls - and Sports

1. Talking About Girls - Types You Like or Dislike

Guys - Girls - and Sports II

Feelings and Emotions

1. Happy and Feeling Good

Feelings and Emotions II

Family - Children - Friends 27. TalkEnglish Milestone Review -

1. Eating Together Family - Children - Friends II

4. Grocery Shopping 2. Dentist Check Ups

5. Planning 3. Problems with your teeth

6. At The Grocery 4. Pediatric Care

7. Pet Care 5. Appointment

8. Bringing Home a Pet 6. School - Kids

9. Taking Care of a Pet 7. After School

10. Child Care 8. Birthday

11. Bank and Money 9. Set Up

12. Managing Your Money 10. The Party

14. Mail 12. On Vacation

15. Sending Mail 13. Family and Friends

16. Receiving Mail 14. Talking about Friends

17. House Care 15. Pregnancy and Birth

18. House Care - Outside 16. Pregnancy Checkups

20. Home Phones 18. Neighbors

21. Computers 19. Organizing Time

22. Internet 20. Habits and Health

24. Driving a Car 22. Sleeping and Dreams

26. Car 24. Hair Cut and Massages

27. Car Maintenance 25. At the Salon

Explanations and Presentations

Offices and Cubicles

1. Office and Cubicles

1. Confirming your Flight Practice

Store and More

Basic Interview Questions I 2. Grocery Store

1. Tell me a little about yourself. 4. Post Office

2. What are your strengths? 5. Store and More - Interactive

3. What are your weaknesses? Practice

4. What are your short term goals?

Work Related Interview Questions

1. What extracurricular activities were you

Work Related Interview Questions

1. If you have problems or complaints with your

Miscellaneous Interview Questions

1. Do you have any physical problems

1. No Strings Attached

1. It Serves You Right

Basic Listening Lesson #01 Intermediate Listening Lesson #01