2017 March Flashcards
You’re at a party at a professional conference. A stranger introduces himself and asks what you do. You tell him where you work.
I work in the production department at the newspaper company Bravo Inc. in New York.
the (something) department
Areas of a company are called “departments”. Each department usually has a name, like:
Sales Production Marketing Logistics Customer Service Human Resources You can either call the department by its name or say "the \_\_\_ department":
I think you’ll need to talk to the Finance department about that.
(someone) works in (a department or section)
When you’re talking about someone’s job, here’s how to talk about the department or area that the person works in:
She works in sales.
I work in the facility maintenance department.
You can also use “in” when you talk about the industry that someone works in:
We work in food service.
(someone) works at (a company or location)
You can talk about the company where someone works with the word “at”:
Don’t you work at IBM?
You can also use “at” to talk about the location where someone works, even if it’s not a company:
I’ve worked at the same school for over 30 years.
No, I think he works at the store on 8th Street.
(Company Name) Inc.
“Inc.” is a word added to the end of a company name. It stands for “incorporated” which means that the business is a corporation. In other words, it’s not a business owned by a single person or a small partnership.
“Inc.” is often included in the official name of a company, but may or may not be part of the commonly used brand name of the company. For example, the computer company Apple is usually just called “Apple” even though the official company name is “Apple Inc.” You would say or write “Apple Inc.” if you wanted to make it clear that you are talking about the company and not a piece of fruit or the products that Apple sells. So you might read this in a newspaper article:
Shares of Apple Inc. took a steep dive in trading yesterday afternoon.
You’re arguing with your girlfriend, who doesn’t have a career plan or a good job. She just gets money from her parents. You think she should work hard on her career so that she will be able to support herself. You offer her this piece of wisdom.
You can’t count on someone always being there to support you.
count on (someone)(doing something) To "count on" someone doing something means that you totally trust that they'll do it. You don't prepare for the possibility that they might not do it.
For example, if a person has spent all her money and doesn’t have enough to pay for her rent on the 30th of the month, you could say:
She’s counting on getting paid on the 25th.
That means that she strongly believes she’ll get paid and doesn’t have a plan for what to do if the payment doesn’t come.
When the thing you’re planning on is a person’s action, you say “count on (someone)(doing something)”:
Don’t count on Sandra being available on Friday. She’ll probably be busy then.
(someone) is there to support (someone)
When someone “is there to support” you, it means that they are willing to help you. It also means that they are able to help you.
I’m there to support you, son. Whatever you need, just ask.
The kind of help or “support” that a person gives can be monetary support, which means that they will pay for you. Another kind of support is emotional support, which means that they will listen to your problems and give helpful advice.
You’re talking with a coworker about a large oil spill. She is talking about how big of a problem it is. You agree, so you say this.
Yeah, it’s a huge environmental disaster.
Yeah
“Yeah” is a more casual way of saying “yes”.
Say this to agree with something that a person said:
Yeah, no problem.
Yeah, I actually did it myself.
You can also say “yeah” when you’re going to disagree but you want to make your disagreement sound a little softer.
Yeah, but then it’ll be blocking one of the outlets.
“Yeah” sounds less formal than “yes.”
(something) is huge
“Huge” means “very big”. Some things that are often described as “huge” are:
a huge amount of something a huge animal a huge crowd make a huge difference (something) was a huge success an environmental disaster "The environment" means the natural world - the air, oceans, plants and animals, etc. A "disaster" is an event that hurts a lot of people or destroys a lot of things. So an "environmental disaster" is a big event that causes a lot of pollution, hurts a lot of plants and animals, etc.
Some evironmental disasters are:
oil spills
nuclear power leaks
chemical spills
Your friend is writing a message on her mobile phone. It takes a long time for her to write it and there are a lot of spelling mistakes. She says that she wants a mobile phone that she can just speak into and it will type the message perfectly. You don’t think that’s possible, so you say this.
I don’t see that happening any time soon.
I don’t see that happening
This means “I don’t think it’s going to happen.” You use this when someone suggests that something will happen, but you don’t believe it.
This is a slightly casual phrase. A more formal way of expressing this idea is:
I don’t think that’s likely to happen.
“I don’t see ___” can be completed with specific actions as well, instead of “that happening”. For example:
I don’t see Joe agreeing to do that.
This sentence means “I don’t think that Joe will agree to do that.”
(not doing something) any time soon
The basic meaning of “not ___ any time soon” is “not soon”. But it’s usually used as an understatement. You say this when you don’t think something will happen for a long time, or maybe ever.
This political turmoil isn’t going to end any time soon.
I’m not going to win any awards for my cooking any time soon, I’m pretty sure.
You visited your wife’s parents. You’re leaving now. You want your son to say “goodbye” to his grandparents.
Say “bye bye” to grandma and grandpa.
bye bye
“Bye bye” is a way to say “goodbye”. It’s what we teach young children to say.
Bye bye daddy!
Adults can also say “bye bye”. When an adult says it, it sounds sweet and friendly.
grandma / grandpa
“Grandma” is a name that you can call your grandmother. “Grandpa” is a name for your grandfather.
Different families use different names (“Granny”, “Granddaddy”, “Nana”, “Pop-pop”, etc.) but “Grandma” and “Grandpa” are probably the most common.
You ordered a medium rare steak at a restaurant, but when it came the steak was overcooked. Your friend says that you should complain to the waiter. You say this because you don’t like to confront people directly.
I don’t want to make a big deal out of it.
make a big deal out of (something)
When you say that something “is a big deal”, it means that it’s important. But when you “make a big deal out of ___”, it means that something is not that important but you’re acting like it is. You can use this phrase is situations such as:
When a family member is planning a big party for your birthday, even though you don’t care about it.
When someone is getting angry about something that you think is just a small mistake.
When you lend someone some money and they thank you too much.
The phrase “make a big deal out of something” is used in casual speech.
Your close friend invited you to go out to a dance club. You say this to her because you definitely don’t want to go.
There’s no way.
There’s no way.
The phrase “There’s no way” is used to completely refuse a request. It means “absolutely not”.
There is a shorter version of this:
No way.
And there is also a longer version that you can use when you want to specifically say what you won’t do:
There’s no way I’m going to a dance club.
This example means “I absolutely will not go to a dance club.”
You just received a hospital bill. There’s a note at the bottom that explains when you must pay the bill by.
Payment is due within 15 days. If payment is not received by that time, you will be charged a 10% fine.
payment is due (when)
When you’re making a rule or re-stating a rule about when someone is supposed to pay a bill, use this phrase. As an example:
My car payment is due by the 15th.
You can also use other words that mean something similar to “payment” in a similar way:
When is the mortgage due?
Her rent was due last week.
This is a phrase that is often used in written documents, and in conversation as well.
receive (something)
To “receive” something basically means to get it from someone.
We received over a hundred submissions.
The word “receive” is pretty formal. It’s used in official documents or in business communication. In normal conversation, “get” is more common:
We got over a hundred submissions.
“Receive” is often used in a pair with the word “give” - there’s a famous saying “It’s better to give than to receive.”
be (done)
Sentences with “will be” like these:
It will be fixed
…mean that someone will do something. You avoid saying exactly who will do it by using this structure.
You might speak this way if you don’t know who did an action:
It’s been fixed.
Or if you want to hide who did it:
I was told not to say anything.
Another reason to use “be done” is for politeness. Instead of directly telling someone what to do:
You have to fasten your seatbelt.
…you can instruct people more politely like this:
Seatbelts must be securely fastened.
(do something) within (a length of time)
You can use the word “within” to talk about time:
The letter said that I needed to respond within 3 days.
“Within” a length of time means before the end of that period. So “within ten seconds” would mean before the end of the tenth second.
People use “within” to talk about deadlines or time limits.
charge (someone) a fine
A “fine” is money that you have to pay because you did something wrong. For example, banks make you “pay a fine” if you try to take out more money than you actually have in your account.
When an organization makes someone pay a fine, we use the word “charge”:
If you don’t return them on time, the library will charge a fine.
You can say how much the fine is like this:
I was charged a $50 fine for filing after the deadline.
You and your friend are on vacation together. You’re in a hotel room, and the bed was uncomfortable. Your friend asks how you slept, so you answer.
I was tossing and turning all night.
(someone) is tossing and turning
When someone can’t sleep well, they turn over in bed a lot to try to find a more comfortable position. This is known as “tossing and turning”.
Another way to describe this situatiion is to say that a person’s sleep was “restless”:
She’s always been a restless sleeper. She tosses and turns all night long.
Neither “tossing” nor “turning” by themselves express this meaning of sleeping badly.
Your husband just raised $1000 for a charity. The charity helps soldiers who were injured while fighting in battles. You’re proud of him, so you post this message about him on social media.
So proud of my husband and his continued support and work with the veteran community.
a veteran
A “veteran” is someone who has been in the military or fought in a war.
Veterans are sometimes identified by the war that they fought in:
a World War II veteran
So (adjective)
In casual written English, people sometimes leave out “I am” when describing things like this:
So happy!
The full correct sentence would be “I am so happy!”
You can also leave out “It is” or “It was” when you’re talking about an event or situation:
So fun!
So scary.
You can see sentences like these mostly on social media.
(someone) is proud of (someone)
You can say that you’re “proud of” someone if:
they’ve done something great
you have some relationship to that person
For example, you might be “proud of” a family member who has won an award, a friend who has published a book, etc.
This is a very positive-sounding phrase.
(someone’s) continued support
“Support” means helping a person or organization. The phrase “continued support” describes someone who gives support for a long time:
Thank you so much for your continued support.
Some situations in which you might encounter this phrase are:
someone who works for a charity thanking people who donate money to the charity
a company thanking its customers, employees, or investors
work with (a charity)
When you’re talking about someone’s job, you say that they “work for” an organization or “work at” a company:
She works for the government.
Don’t you work at Google?
When you talk about someone volunteering for a charity, you say that they “work with” the organization:
I’ve worked with the Youth Arts Council for over 15 years.
You can also use “work with” when you’re talking about jobs that help people who are disadvantaged:
My dad works with troubled teenagers.
the (something) community
Groups of people who share some important quality can be called a “community”. Here are some communities that people often talk about in the U.S.:
the African-American community the scientific community the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transexual) community the Muslim community the veteran community
You’re talking with a friend about your job. She asks what your career plans are. You tell her that you’d like to stay at your current company and get promoted.
I’m hoping that eventually I can work my way up to Regional Manager or Division President.
regional manager
A “region” is a certain area of a country, continent, or of the world. The “regional manager” is someone in a company who’s in charge of a region:
I’m the regional sales manager for our Asian offices.
a division
A “division” is a large group of people within a company who are managed together. Divisions are larger than departments, which are another kind of grouping in a company.
A division is usually led by a director, a vice president, or some other executive.
I’m hoping (that something will happen)
You usually talk about your hopes for the future with the phrase “I hope ___”:
I hope it doesn’t rain today.
But sometimes English speakers say “I’m hoping ___” instead. “I’m hoping ___” expresses a little more sense of actively waiting to find out the answer. For example, you might say this if you’re trying to sell your house:
I’m hoping that we’ll be able to sell it by the end of next month.
You can also say “I’m hoping to ___”:
I’m hoping to finish the last chapter over the weekend.
work (one’s) way up to (a job)
“Working your way up” to a job means reaching a high position by getting promoted several times.
For example, if someone starts off in a company as an assistant, and after several years becomes a vice president, you would say:
She worked her way up to Vice-President.
or
She worked her way up from an assistant to Vice-President.
eventually (do something)
Doing something “eventually” means doing it after a long period of time:
I eventually finished.
She wasn’t sure at first, but I eventually convinced her.
You can also use “eventually” before an entire sentence:
Eventually I want to try to open my own business.
One of your employees called to say that she couldn’t come to work because her mother died. You want to let the other people in your group know. You write an email about it. The first sentence is like this.
I wanted to let you all know that Mindy has suffered a loss in her family.
(someone) has suffered a loss
You use this phrase to politely explain that someone’s friend or family member has died:
How do you deal with it when someone you work with has suffered a loss?
We’ve all suffered a tremendous loss in the passing of Dr. Mehta.
In general, you can talk about someone’s friend or family member dying as “a loss”:
I’m so sorry for your loss.
This is a very polite way to talk about death to a person whose loved one has died. It would be very rude to say something like “Sorry that your friend died.”
I wanted to let you know that (clause)
Use this expression to tell people something that’s kind of important, and maybe a little emotional:
I wanted to let you know that I’ve decided to retire at the end of this year.
I wanted to let you know that I really appreciate all the hard work you put into this.
This phrase makes your sentence seem a little bit important and formal.
You wrecked your parents’ car. Now you have to tell them about it. You are talking to both your mother and father at the same time. You start by saying this.
Guys, I have to talk to you.
guys
In English, there’s not a really good word for addressing a group of people. If you’re talking to one person you say “you”:
How are you?
But there’s some disagreement about what to say to a group of people. English speakers use different expressions depending on the region and dialect, but one common expression is “guys”. For example, at a restaurant with a large group of friends you can say:
Hey guys, are you ready to order?
“Guys” technically means a group of men, but it’s usually OK to use it for mixed groups of men and women, or even for groups of all women.
In very formal situations, avoid calling a group of people “guys”. Instead, use a phrase like “everyone”:
Everyone, thank you for coming.
I have to talk to you.
You usually use this phrase when you’re just about to give someone bad news. It’s often used when you are breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend, when telling your boss that you’re quitting your job, and so in.
If you say “I have to talk to you” to someone, the most likely response will be “What’s wrong?”
You’re out shopping for furniture with your fiance. You found a sofa that you like except for the color. You want to ask for another color, so you call over an employee at the store and ask this.
Do you have this in green?
this
Use “this” when pointing at an object that’s close to you. How close? When you’re standing up, it’s usually used for things that are 4-5 steps away. When you’re sitting down, it’s usually for things that are within arm’s reach.
You use “that” for things that are further away, or for something that’s closer to the listener than it is to you:
Do you have that sofa in green?
If you and your listeners are all looking at copies of the same thing, you can say “this”. For example, if you’re giving a presentation with a slide show, you can talk about what’s on screen:
This is a projection of our revenue for Q2.
have (something) in (a color)
You use this phrase when shopping to ask if the store has an item similar to the one you’re looking at but with a different color. Another example:
Do you have this in white? (While holding up a shirt.)
You’re in a planning meeting for a product that your company is building. Other people in the meeting have been making suggestions that make the product easier to build. But you think that these suggestions will make it harder to use for customers. You remind them to think about customers.
We need to think about this from the customers’ point of view.
We need to (do something)
If you’re in charge of a group, or if you feel really confident in your opinion, you can tell people “We need to ___”:
For example:
We need to get to work. We don’t have a lot of time left.
We need to do the best that we can with our current budget.
think about (something) from (someone's) point of view A person's "point of view" means the way that they think about things. So, for example, this question:
Greta, what’s your point of view on this?
…means “What do you think about this?”
When you see something from another person’s point of view, it means that you try to understand their thoughts and feelings. You have empathy for them.
English speakers also use the phrase “see ___ from ___’s point of view”:
Try to see it from my point of view.
