English learners very often don’t remember the words they want to say. That’s when this phrase comes in handy:
my mind goes blank / is a blank
If your mind goes blank (also is a blank) , you suddenly cannot remember something:
I tried to remember her name, but my mind went completely blank / was a complete blank.
For some reason, her mind went completely blank / was a blank.
I went blank and couldn’t think of a single example.
When she asked me his name, my mind went blank.
blank verb (FORGET)
To forget something that you know:
When he tried to remember the lyrics, he blanked.
I completely blanked on his name.
Now, if you have already learned well the phrase my mind goes blank, what about learning another one that will tell you what you have to do when your mind goes blank? Listen carefully and take notes.
Autumn mornings are often chilly. In chilly weather, you might want a light jacket, but you won’t need a heavy coat, or a scarf, or anything like that.
So chilly means that it’s a little cold. Not very cold, just a little cold.
But what if it’s very cold? You could say that it’s freezing.
Freezing means that it is very cold. Not just chilly, but very cold.
Weather expressions taught useful weather expressions, new words, phrases, and common patterns you can use to describe different kinds of weather.
But if you still didn’t find the exact words to describe the weather where you are, listen to the ones used in the following video, that you might need to describe those sunny days, stormy days, and all those in between, especially during cold weather such as:
damp that means that something is slightly wet;
overcast that means that the clouds are covering the sky and you cannot see the sun.
Take notes, look up the words you don’t know, and pay attention to pronunciation. It’s an old video, but it’s useful.
TO and FOR are prepositions that are often confused because they both have many different uses in English.
1. Let’s start with the basics…
If you are not sure about when to use TO or FOR, follow these two basic rules:
Rule 1: if there is a verb, use TO + infinitive
I came here to talk to you.
I study everyday to improve my English.
Rule 2: if there is a noun, use FOR
He came for the results.
I did this for the team.
That only gives us an idea of how to start, but there is much more.
I have researched and watched several videos to choose the least confusing approach. I think the following one is a smart approach. Ronnie puts it this way:
TO – TRANSFER / EXCHANGE
FOR – BENEFIT (GOOD)
“For you” or “To you”? People and pronouns
Should you say “I sent this letter to you” or “I sent this letter for you”? The answer is – both are possible, depending on what you mean.
‘I sent this letter to you’ means that, hopefully, you will receive my letter, because you are the recipient.
‘I sent this letter for you’ means that I did you a favor and took the letter to the mailbox, but the recipient is a third person.
So remember these two rules:
If there is a transfer of something to someone → TO
Can you give this to her?
I wrote the letter to her. (I wrote the letter and she will receive it soon)
If the person will benefit from a service or a favor → FOR
This present is for him.
I wrote the letter for her. (She wasn’t able to write it and I did it for her as a favor)
Now we are going to work on another video. I would like you to start with the “5 levels” lesson below. The lesson has five parts. Each section will give you a challenge. Each section is designed to be more difficult than the previous ones.
If you find a section easy move on to the following one, but if you find it difficult, stop it and start working on the second video. Watch it carefully and take notes. Then read the rest of this lesson and then finish the “5 levels” lesson.
Read the full script, take notes and take the quiz on this lesson here.
So let’s look at some key points:
To Indicate the Destination
Our CEO is going to Rome tomorrow.
We’ll head to the headquarters in a second.
I am traveling to our branch in Bristol next month.
We use to when we indicate the destination, and usually there is movement involved. We often use verbs such as: go to, travel to, come to, head to, mail to, send to.
But there’s one common exception: you say go home, without to.
In the construction “from … to …”
It’s about 5km from my house to the university.
I work from 5 to 9.
To tell the time
In the USA, it is quite common to tell the time by saying the hour + the minutes.
Examples:
5:30 – It’s five thirty.
8:50 – It’s eight fifty.
However, especially in the UK, it is very common to express how many minutes there are left until you reach the next hour, once it is 30 minutes after o’clock.
Examples:
5:40 – it’s twenty to six.
8:50 – it’s ten to nine.
With the verb “to give”
We also use to with the verbs of giving, such as give, lend, pay, deliver. However, with these verbs, it’s common to use a structure without to. For example, with give, you can give someone something, or give something to someone. Both structures are possible, but the first is more common.
So, you can say: Give the bottle to me.
Or: Give me the bottle.
Both are possible, but the second is more common.
Giving a reason
Reason tells you why someone does something. Here, you can use to plus an infinitive or for plus a noun. Don’t use for plus an -ing verb.
Examples:
We need to go to the shop to buy some batteries.
We need to go to the shop for some batteries.
Again, you’re talking about why you’re going to the shop.
Function
Function tells you what something is used for, for example a tool. Here, you can use three structures: to plus infinitive verb, for plus -ing or for plus noun.
Examples:
She developed a tool to analyse data collected at different times and places.
She developed a tool for analysing data collected at different times and places.
Expressing the benefits of something
Getting this certificate will be good for your career.
Fruits and vegetables are good for your health.
Doing a favor
He picked up the mail for me.
I didn’t know how to write the letter and she did it for me.
Scheduling something for the future
I set up our interview for May 4.
I will schedule our next session for next Tuesday.
In this beautiful video, Moojibaba addresses the concerns and fears that many are facing during the current global crisis. Mooji shows us a powerful exercise and prayer which is tremendous support during such trying times — a ‘thank you’ prayer. “I’m going to show you right now a very simple practice to help you to feel calm and integrated again. Of all the mantras, of all the wonderful things you can think about, or say, or feel, saying, Thank you is one of the most effective and great mantras or prayers you can make.”
There are many useful words in his talk, words that we frequently use in our conversations.
Listen carefully and try to write down what you hear. It’s a good listening exercise. He speaks very clearly. And you can always turn on subtitles if you need.
What does he say that means the same as touched, moved?
And what about the nouns which name feelings, like peace, gratitude, depression? Make a list of them. Look them up in a dictionary.
“We hope you will join us in praying for the health and wellbeing of all who have been or will be affected by the virus, wherever they are in the world. May its growth and impact diminish quickly; may the sick recover to newfound strength; may we all use this challenging time to continue growing in ourselves, to discover the power and grace of the eternal light within us.”
Do you need to practice the days of the week? So listen and repeat. Notice that days, months, and holidays are always capitalized as these are proper nouns.
Now, have you ever wondered how the days of the week got their names?
Find below a video that explains their origins. You’ll learn how these names are related to ancient mythology and the planets.
‘Etymology’ is the study of the origin of words. Some of the days of the week have a simple etymology, like ‘Sunday’ — the day of the Sun, but many of the others aren’t as easy! This is a very interesting way to learn about the English language and the cultures that have influenced modern English. Gill will also explain how these names relate to the French and German languages. Join her as you will travel back in history, and out into the solar system.
Did you enjoy the journey? Now take the quiz to test yourself.
