2017 November (Written) Flashcards
There’s been a hurricane. It caused the electrical power system to go down in a lot of homes in your region. A representative from the electrical company is giving a press conference to talk about how they are going to fix it. He says this to reassure everyone.
We are working day and night to restore power to all the areas that have experienced outages.
(someone) is working day and night
When people are working really hard on something, you can say that they’re working “day and night”. People usually describe work this way when someone is working to fix a big problems or meet an important deadline.
(someone) is working to (do something)
Use this formal phrase to talk about someone who is trying to fix a problem. For example:
│ Our engineers are working to find the cause of the problem.
│ I.T. is working to get our email servers back up and running as soon as possible.
restore (electricity/heat/water) to (people/homes/etc)
“Restoring” something means returning it to working condition.
When a utility such as water, heat, electricity, or Internet breaks, technicians have to “restore” it. Here are some examples of how to use this expression in a sentence:
│ How long did it take them to restore heat?
│ I hope that they restore service soon!
(electrical) power
You can call electricity that’s used in a building “power”. For example:
│ Hey! The power went out.
(an area) is experiencing outages
When electricity, Internet service, or other utility stops working in an area, you say that the area is “experiencing outages”.
This is a formal phrase that you’re likely to hear in a news report or read in a formal announcement from a company. For example:
│ Areas of Northern New Jersey are still experiencing power outages.
│ Customers who live south of Front Street May experience outages later this evening.
You’re an artist. You met someone who likes your work. She asks if you have any formal training in painting. In fact, you don’t have any formal. You don’t have any formal training so this is how you reply.
No, I’m self-taught.
(someone) is self-taught
Someone who learned how to do something without taking classes or going to school is “self-taught”. If you read books about it or got a little advice from other people, it’s still OK to call your self “self-taught”.
You usually use the phrase “self-taught” to talk about people who learned complex skills that other people have to take classes for. For example:
· computer programming
· music
· a foreign language (like English)
Being “self-taught” is seen as kind of cool and interesting in a lot of English-speaking cultures.
You just saw a horror movie with a friend. You’re talking about parts of the movie that scared you. You say this.
That look she gave him sent chills up my spine.
give (someone) a look
“Giving someone a look” means looking at someone with a certain emotion. You can “give someone a look” when you’re angry at them, when you think they’re being silly, when you’re scared, and so on.
send chills up (someone’s) spine
Thing that are scary can make you feel cold and make you shiver a little bit. So when something is frightening, you can say that it “sends chills up your spine”.
This phrase is usually for talking about scary things. However, in some situations you can also use it for things that make you really exited in a positive way. For example:
│ The chorus of that song is so beautiful. When I hear that, it sends chills up my spine.
You’re watching a news report about a famous murder trial. You and your roommate were talking about this case earlier today, and you both agreed that the woman who’s on trial is a murderer. Now the news tells you that she has been freed. You shout this to your roommate.
The jury found her ‘not guilty’!
the jury
In court cases in the U.S., a jury decides whether a person is guilty or not guilty of a crime. A jury is a group of people who have been selected from the local citizen of the city where the trial happens.
(the jury) finds (the defendant) (guilty/not guilty)
This is a common way of announcing a jury’s decision in a legal trial. When a jury “finds” that someone is “guilty” of a crime, it means that they have formally decided that the person committed the crime. The jury announces their decision this way:
│ We, the jury, find the defendant, Jane Doe, to be “guilty” of the charge of first degree murder.
│ We, the jury, find the defendant to be “not guilty”.
The “defendant”, by the way, is the person or organization that’s been accused of a crime.
not guilty
The phrase “not guilty” is the opposite of “guilty”. This is what an jury announces if they decide that someone hasn’t committed a crime.
There’s another word, “innocent”, which is also the opposite of “guilty”. However, there’s a difference between “not guilty” and “innocent”. If you’re “innocent”, it means that you didn’t do anything wrong. So someone who’s been accused of a crime will say:
│ I’m innocent! I swear! I didn’t kill him!
But “not guilty” is a “verdict”, which means that it’s an official decision which a jury makes.
Another way to say that the jury has found someone “not guilty” is to say that the jury “acquitted” the defendant:
│ They acquitted her. Can you believe it?
You’re introducing a guest speaker at a conference. You introduce her like this.
She is also the recipient of numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Price for Nonfiction.
the recipient of (something)
The “recipient” of something is the person who receives it. In other words, it’s the person who gets it. For example, the recipient of a package that’s delivered through the mail might have to sign a form saying that they got the package.
Someone who gets an award is the “recipient” of the award. The word “recipient” is pretty formal, so it’s OK for giving formal introductions like in the example above. A more casual way to talk about someone who’s won an award is to call them a “___ winner”:
│ She’s a Pulitzer Prize winner.
numerous (things)
“Numerous” is a formal way of saying “many” or “a lot”. Some common words that people use with “numerous” include:
│ I asked him to stop on numerous occasions. (many times)
│ Numerous studies have shown a strong link between obesity and various forms of cancer.
│ Vagetarianism has numerous health benefits as well.
including (something)
Use this phrase to give examples of some of the things in a list. When you use “including ___”, you don’t need to list all of the items.
│ UFC fighters study all kinds of martial arts, including Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, Judo, and many others.
│ They often have health issues, including heart disease and respiratory problems.
the Pulitzer Prize
This is a famous award for writers. It’s especially well-known for journalists. It’s one of the most prestigious awards that a journalist or writer can win.
nonfiction "Nonfiction" is writing (or sometimes filmmaking) which is about things that are true or possibly true. In other words, it's all writing other than novels or other stories. Types of nonfiction include: · textbooks · biographies of famous people · how-to books · self-help books · books about science
You got in an argument with a stranger at a bar. You almost got into a fight with him. Now you’re leaving the bar and talking about what happened with your friends. You express how angry you were.
I swear, I came this close to just slamming him right in his face!
I came this close to (doing something)
This is an expression that people say while holding their thumb and index finger close together (like they’re holding a pea between them). It means “I almost (did something)”:
│ I swear, I came this close to just punching him right in his face!
│ I came this close to getting killed by a bear!
People use this expression in spoken English, but almost never in writing.
I swear (clause)! If you're saying something that's a little hard to believe or sounds like an exaggeration, you put "I swear..." in front of it. It means "I promise that this is true". For example: │ I caught a fish yesterday, and I swear it was as long as my arm! │ That aerobics class was brutal! I swear, I've never sweated so much in my life.
One confusing point is that people sometimes say “I swear” even though they really are exaggerating:
│ I swear, the line at the coffee shop this morning was like an hour long!
English speakers are also likely say “I swear…” when they’re angry, to show that they’re serious about a threat that they’re making:
│ I swear, if you don’t be quiet, I’m going to slap you!
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just (do something)
One interesting way that English speakers use “just” is to talk about doing things which you’re not supposed to do.
You can talk about hitting someone this way:
│ Arrrr! He made me so angry, I wanted to just smack him!
Or about other things that are forbidden, like yelling at your boss:
│ I though about just standing up and telling Janice what I really think of her.
hit (someone) in the face
To talk about hitting someone’s face, use the preposition “in”:
│ I hit him right in his ugly face!
Use this for objects too:
│ The ball bounced up and hit me in the face.
You can either use “the face” or “my/his/her/etc. face”.
One common variation on this phrase is “right in the face”, which means hitting someone hard and directly in the face.
slam (someone)
“Slamming” someone means hitting them hard.
You can “slam” someone with your fist, or by running into them with your body. A car can also “slam” into another car.
This is a very energetic, expressive word. You’re likely to use it while telling a story.
You and a friend are talking about the recent Olympics. You don’t know where the next Olympics is going to be, so you ask your friend.
Where’s (something)?
“Where’s” is a contracted version of “Where is”. Use it in spoken English and casual writing.
(an event) is being held You can use the verb "hold" to talk about having an event. For example, you can: │ hold a party │ hold a tournament │ hold an art exhibition
You can also talk about where and when the event is happening using the expression “___ is being held…” For example:
│ The 3rd Annual Bell Lake Boat Show is being held on September 15th from 3 to 8pm at the South Pier.
│ A: Where’’s it being held?
│ B: At the Rec Center, I believe.
Your teenage son is wearing some wild-looking clothes. You can’t understand why he would wear that outfit. You want to comment on it without being to negative.
That’s… quite a bold fashion statement…
quite a (something) "Quite" is an adverb that means something similar to "very". It's perhaps a little lower in strength than "very".
If you’re using “quite” with an adjective, you say “quite ___”:
│ I’m quite hungry.
If you’re using it with a noun, you say “quite a ___” or “quite an ___”:
│ It’s quite a useful book.
│ You have quite an impressive background.
“Quite” is an intelligent- or sophisticated-sounding word. Some people who want to seem intelligent use “quite” more, while people who want to seem more “down to earth” use other words like “really ___” or “real”:
│ You must really have a sense of accomplishment.
a bold statement
When you make a bold statement”, you express an opinion in a brave way. It might be “bold” because the opinion is uncommon or controversial. It might also be “bold” if there’s a strong possibility that your statement will be wrong.
Here are some examples of “bold” statements:
│ New York is the best city in the world!
│ I’m never having children.
a fashion statement
When someone is wearing clothes that are out of the ordinary, you can call their choice of clothes a “fashion statement”.
When you describe a choice of clothes as a “fashion statement”, it can be either positive or critical.
You’re working with a coworker on a sales proposal in her office. You need some information that’s in a document which you emailed to her. You ask her to open it.
Can you pull up the pricing estimate I sent out last week?
Can you (do something)?
This is a way to ask someone to do something. It’s appropriate for:
· a boss to use with the people who work for him or her
· a customer to use with a store employee
· a parent to use with his or her children
· asking a friend to help you with something
“Can you ___” is more direct than asking “Could you…”
Sometimes a person will include “maybe” in this question:
│ Can you maybe call him and tell him to meet us there?
│ Can you maybe turn the volume down just a little?
send (something) out
When you add “out” to the verb “send”, it suggests that you are sending it to more than one person:
│ We sent out our wedding invitations 6 months before the wedding.
This phrase can be used in casual or business settings. In a very formal setting, you can use the phrase “distribute (something)” instead:
│ Did you receive the revised schedule that I distributed on March 7th?
pull up (a file on a computer) When you're using a computer or mobile phone, "pulling up" a file means opening it.
You can pull up: · a photo · a web page · a spreadsheet · a document · an email
However, “pull up” is probably not correct for talking about opening a music file for a game.
Use this phrase in casual or more formal situations.
an estimate
An “estimate” is a formal guess about how much something is going to cost. You can make an estimate for things like:
· a construction project
· a software product that your company is building
Estimates are often documents which show in detail the expected costs for something. However, if someone tells you the expected price in a meeting or over the phone, that can also be called a “pricing estimate”.
You’re talking with a friend about a book that you read recently. You say this because really liked it, and you think your friend should read it to.
I highly recommend it.
I highly recommend (something)
To suggest that a person should do something, say “I recommend ___”. For example:
│ I recommend the cheese fries. They’re amazing!
│ I recommend hiring a lawyer early on in the process, to make sure that you don’t miss anything important.
As you can see, you can either say “I recommend (a thing)” or “I recommend (doing something)”.
When you use this phrase, it just sounds like a simple suggestion. It doesn’t sound especially bossy, polite, helpful, or rude.
It’s common to include an adverb before “recommend”. The most common ones are:
· highly
· strongly
· generally
│ Doctors generally recommend keeping the sprain elevated, applying ice packs, and wrapping the area up tightly.
Your friend drinks too much, and just got caught cheating on his wife. You;re angry and worried about him. You want to start acting better. You tell him this.
What are you doing with your life? You’re spinning out of control!
do something with (one’s) life
When people tell you to “do something with your life”, they mean that you should try to be successful. “Doing something with your life” includes getting a job (if you’re unemployed) or getting a better job (if you already have one).
When people ask “What are yo doing with your life?” it’s because you don’t seem successful or seem like you’re being irresponsible.
spin out of control
When a person is “out of control”, it means that they do bad things like drugs, fighting, cheating, and so on. It also means that they can’t stop doing these things. For example, if a famous actor just got arrested, you can say:
│ He’s out of control.
To “spin out of control” means to quickly become more and more out of control. A person who’s spinning out of control keeps doing bad things and getting worse and worse.
Your friend told you he was going to shave his head. You told him it was a bad idea, but he did it anyway. Now his girlfriend is angry that he did it. You want to tell her what you said so that she doesn’t get angry at you.
I tired to talked him out of it.
talk (someone) out of (something)
When someone is making a bad decision, you might try to “talk them out of” it. This means that you try to convince them not to do it.
For example:
│ I’m quitting, and there’s no way you can talk me out of it!
This phrase is not too formal or too casual; you can use it in most situations.
You’ve just gotten onto an airplane for a flight. The captain makes an announcement to everyone that starts like this.
Welcome aboard Flight 187 to Chicago. Our travel time this morning will be approximately one hour and fifteen minutes.
approximately (a number)
“Approximately” means “about”. Use it when you don’t know or don’t want to tell someone an exact number. For example, you may hear this on an airplane:
│ We’ll be arriving in San Francisco in approximately two hours and forty minutes.
You can use “approximately” to talk about numbers as well as time:
│ We have approximately one thousand two hundred students.
“Approximately” is more formal than “about”. Use it for written documents and essays, when speaking with customers you don’t know well, or in formal speeches.
Welcome aboard (an air plane or boat) "Boarding" an airplane or boat means getting onto it. When you board an airplane or boat, the crew (people who work on the plane or boat) usually say "Welcome aboard."
fight (number) to (city)
In an airport or on a plane, employees make announcements about flight this way. They usually add the airline name as well:
│ Now boarding Asian Airlines flight 221 to Seoul.
This way of announcing a flight is very clear and specific.
Our travel time (today/this morning/this afternoon) will be approximately (length)
Airplane captains usually announce how long a flight is going to be in this way:
│ Our travel time today will be approximately eight hours and fifteen minutes.
The captain might also say “flight time” instead of “travel time”:
│ Our flight time this afternoon will be approximately two ours and thirty-five minutes.
one hour and fifteen minutes
This is a formal way to tell the time. When you tell the time formally, you do the following:
· say the precise time instead of rounding it up or down
· use “one hour” instead of “an hour”
· say the number of minutes instead of using “and a half”
Here’s a casual way to specify the time:
│ an hour and a half
Here’s how you talk about the time formally:
│ one hour and thirty-three minuts
You have a problem with your skin. Part of your back is red and itchy. You’re describing the problem to a doctor.
I’ve developed a rash of some kind on my upper back, between my shoulder blades.
develop (a medical problem)
You can talk about a medical problem that starts slowly and spreads with the word “develop”:
│ She developed a brain tumor a few months later.
│ You may develop a fever.
(something) of some kind
“A ___ of some kind” just means “some kind of ___”, but it’s more formal. Here’s an example:
│ They were playing a stringed instrument of some kind. It sounded something like a cross between a banjo and a sitar.
a rash
A “rash” is a problem with your skin. When you have a rash, part of your skin turns red. It might be itchy and might get small bumps as well.
(someone’s) upper back
Your “upper back” is the part of your back between your shoulders.
You also have a “lower back”, which is the part above your butt.
(someone’s) shoulder blades
Your “shoulder blades” are the two bones that stick out on your back.
There’s a technical name for a shoulder blade: it’s called a scapular. A doctor would probably call the bone a “scapular” to her colleagues and staff, but call it a “shoulder blade” to her patients.
Your husband lost his job, so you don’t have enough money to pay for your home loan. Now you’re trying to sell your house. You say this to explain why you’re selling it to a potential buyer.
We’re no longer able to afford the mortgage payments.
(someone) is no longer able to (do something)
This phrase describes something that you used to be able to do, but can’t do now.
“No longer able to ___” sounds pretty formal. A more casual, conversational way to say this is:
│ We can’t afford the mortgage payments any more.
mortgage payments
A “mortgage” is a loan that you get in order to buy a house. When you get a mortgage, the bank technically owns your house until you finish paying off the entire loan.
The money that you pay the bank each month for your home loan is called a “mortgage payment”.
afford (something)
This means to have enough money to buy something:
│ We can’t afford to send our kids to private school.
To “afford” something isn’t an action like “run”, “buy”, or “think”. It’s a state, like “need” or “have”.
