LiveLinguistics

Hi everyone,

Hoping that all our followers are well. We are introducing online classes at reduced rates. Our hope is that we can help as many of you to advance your English. We can offer group classes or individual, whichever suits your needs. The classes will be 10 euros per hour or for individual classes we are charging 15 euros per hour. All to be paid in advance. If you are interested please contact us at:
[email protected] for more information.

Hope to hear from you!

Olivia and the team

Sometimes it’s difficult to express yourself when you have something important to say. Here are a few conversation starters to make someone know that you need them to listen:

I would like to clarify …
What I am trying to say is that …
I need to point out that …
I want to express my dissatisfaction/disappointment/ with…
If I could interject (add your point of view into a conversation)
I would like to raise the point …

Here’s a response you could give if someone has listened and given a response:

When you are happy with a response:

Thanks I will take that into consideration
Thank you, much appreciated
Great, thanks for clarifying
Thank you for taking the time to listen

When you are not happy with a response:

I’m sorry but I don’t really understand where you are coming from with your response, could you elaborate?
I totally disagree
I entirely disagree
Unfortunately, that hasn’t answered my question could you elaborate?
I think you must have misunderstood what I was saying
Can we agree to disagree on this

Phrasal verbs - Travel
Check in - to register at a hotel or at an airport with your luggage
Check out - when you leave the hotel
Set off - to start your journey
Take off - when the plane leaves the runway and goes into the air
Touch down - when the plane lands on the runway
Stop over - if you are travelling long distance and you stop somewhere, can be a long or short period of time
Pick up - when someone collects you
Drop off - if someone takes you somewhere and leaves

jet lag (adjective) - term used for extreme tiredness due to travelling long distance to a different time zone.
Example: I am suffering from jet lag as my body hasn't adjusted to the 7 hour time difference.

Talking about the future:
In the future I would like to study English.
In the future I am going to become a teacher.
In the future I will buy a house in the countryside.
In the future, I see myself settling down and married with children.

Phrasal verb TURN OUT
Turn out (discover) - I thought the exam would be difficult but it turned out to be very easy.
Turn out (amount of people) - there was a great turn out at today's football match.

Descriptive words:
Large- immense, vast
Small- minature, petite
Texture - rough, scaly, smooth, soft
Smells- putrid, pungent, fragrant,
Sound-thundering, bellowing, muffled, faint, shrill
Someone's appearance - stunning, attractive, hideous, flamboyant.

RATHER - RATHER THAN - WOULD RATHER
RATHER - RATHER THAN - WOULD RATHER

It is often difficult for learners of English to know when to use 'rather', 'rather than' or 'would rather'. The explanation below should help clarify things.

RATHER:

'Rather' is an adverb of degree like ‘fairly’, ‘quite’, etc. that can be used with nouns, adverbs, adjectives and superlatives.
• That’s rather a nuisance!
• He cooks rather well.
• She’s got a rather nice voice.
• That’s rather more than I expected to pay.
OR RATHER :

When we want to correct what we have just said, or make it more precise, we often use the expression ‘or rather’.
• His son is a doctor, or rather, a surgeon.

To talk about preferences there are two structures: 'rather than' and 'would rather'.

RATHER THAN :

• It would be better to go in September rather than in August.
• I prefer to leave now rather than wait for all the speeches.
• He decided to write rather than telephone.

WOULD RATHER :

The expression ‘would rather’ is followed by the bare infinitive (the infinitive without ‘to’).
• Would you rather live here or go back to London? I’d rather live here.
(= I would prefer to live here.)
• I don't want to go to the swimming pool. I’d rather go to the beach.
(= I would prefer to go to the beach.)

To say that one person would prefer another person to do something, ‘would rather’ is generally followed by a past tense.
Don’t come on Monday. I’d rather you came on Tuesday.

To express regret about something that has already happened, ‘would rather’ is followed by the past perfect.
• I’d rather you hadn’t done that = I wish you hadn’t done that.
-ING forms:
When the main clause has a verb in the –ing form, ‘rather than’ can be followed by –ing.
• I prefer getting up early rather than rushing at the last minute.

Be careful to note the following:

I'd rather + bare infinitive usually means 'I'd prefer', as in the following example:
◊ I’d rather have a cup of tea. = I’d prefer to have a cup of tea / I'd prefer a cup of tea.

BUT, with certain verbs - like/enjoy/appreciate - the meaning changes a little:
◊ I'd rather have a beer = I'd prefer to have a beer.
◊ I’d rather like a beer = I’d quite like a beer / I would enjoy a beer.

Collocations:
It goes without saying (we shouldn't need to say something because somebody should understand it, but we will say it anyway)
Example: We need to leave a little bit earlier than we might normally do, and of course, it goes without saying that we need to bring some water with us to drink.

Word of the day
Synergy
Meaning :The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects.
Example:
Team work at its best results in a synergy that can be very productive.
Managing effective teams is a matter of achieving synergy between the individual members

Phrasal verbs:
Put up - 'I will not put up with your behaviour any longer' (tolerate)
Shut up - 'will you please shut up, I am trying to talk' (stop talking)

Everyday business language:

'run that by me again' - could you explain again

'I will catch up with you soon' - I will contact you again soon

'Can you tell me your annual turnover?' - can you tell me what is your yearly amount (entire yearly takings excluding costs etc)
Turnover is the income that a company generates through trading goods and services

Business phrasal verb:
Draw up: to prepare something official, like a contract or business proposal.
Example: "Now we have agreed on the details, i will draw up the contract and send it to you tomorrow" .