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“More Five Minutes?” Not Quite! Learn the Right Word Order in English

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❌ “Teacher, I need more five minutes.”

A lot of English learners say that to me.

I get it — they’re thinking in Portuguese, where we say “mais cinco minutos.”
But in English, the word order is different.

Let’s fix it:
❌ more five minutes → ❌ wrong
✅ five more minutes → ✅ right!

📚 Why?

Because “more” is a modifier — a word that gives additional information about another word.
In this case, it modifies the noun (minutes), and it must come after the number.

➡️ In English, the correct structure is:

👉 number + more + noun

  • I need ten more minutes.
  • She bought two more books.
  • We’ll wait five more days.

🆚 “Five more minutes” or “Five minutes more”?

Both are grammatically correct, but there’s a difference in tone. Let’s compare:

✅ Five more minutes (most common, especially in conversation)

– Most common – standard form for everyday English
– Natural in everyday conversation
– Neutral tone

Example:
Can I have five more minutes, please?

✅ Five minutes more (less common, more literary or dramatic)

– Less common
– More poetic, dramatic, or old-fashioned
– Often used in songs or literature

Example:
Just five minutes more — let the world wait while I gather my thoughts.

🎧 Practice Time!

1. Complete with the correct word order:

a) I need ______ to finish this book.
(more / five / minutes)

b) She bought ______ for the trip.
(bottles / more / two)

c) We waited ______, but he never came.
(more / ten / minutes)

d) He asked for ______ to explain.
(one / more / chance)

e) And then she whispered: “Give me ______, just to say goodbye.”
(more / five / minutes)

2. Identify the correct sentence:

a)
( ) I’ll need more five hours.
( ) I’ll need five more hours.

b)
( ) She read two more pages.
( ) She read more two pages.

c)
( ) We’ll stay more three days.
( ) We’ll stay three more days.

d)
( )Five minutes more, and he would’ve seen the sunrise.
( ) More five minutes, and he would’ve seen the sunrise.

3. Translate to English using the correct structure:

a) Eu preciso de mais cinco minutos.

b) Ele ficou mais três dias no hotel.

c) Podemos esperar mais dois minutos?

d) Ela pediu apenas mais um minuto de silêncio.

e) Mais cinco minutos e tudo teria sido diferente.

4. Fix the sentence (rewrite it correctly):

a) I want more ten minutes.

b) She needs more two books.

c) Can I have more one chance?

d) Just more five seconds and we would have kissed.

5. Creative Writing Prompt ✍️

Complete the sentence using your imagination and the structure “___ more ” or “ minutes more”:

a) Five minutes more and…
(Exemplo: Five minutes more and the storm would’ve passed.)

b) One more chance to…

c) He needed just a few more…

d) Ten more steps and…

Answers:

Exercise 1: a. five more minutes; b. two more bottles; c. ten more minutes; d. ten more minutes; e. five more minutes

Exercise 2: a. (✔) I’ll need five more hours./ b. (✔) She read two more pages. / c. (✔) We’ll stay three more days. / d. (✔) Five minutes more, and he would’ve seen the sunrise.

Exercise 3: a. I need five more minutes. / b. He stayed three more days at the hotel. / c. Can we wait two more minutes? / d. She asked for just one more minute of silence. / e. Five minutes more and everything would have been different.

Exercise 4: a. I want ten more minutes. / b. She needs two more books. / c. Can I have one more chance? / 4. Just five more seconds and we would have kissed.

🎧 Now Fun Time!

Listen carefully to this classic Phil Collins song from 1984
and work on the lyrics by playing this fun game: https://lyricstraining.com/play/phil-collins/one-more-night

Clear skies

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Absolutely “clear skies”!
Have you ever heard that expression?

Let’s break it down.
First, why do we sometimes use the plural “skies” if there’s only one sky over Earth? Should we say sky or skies?

☁️ Sky vs Skies – What’s the difference?

SKY (noun)

/ˈskaɪ/ (plural: skies)
The sky is the space above the Earth — where we see clouds, the sun, the moon, and stars.

Most of the time, we use the sky in the singular:

  • The sky suddenly went dark, and it started to rain.
  • What’s that in the sky?
  • There was not a single cloud in the sky.
  • White clouds moved fast across the sky.
  • A crowd gathered under a cloudy sky.
  • Meteors falling from the sky.
  • A cloudless sky.
  • The night sky.

When an adjective is used with “sky,” we typically say a [adjective] sky:
a blue sky, a grey sky, a cloudless sky.

SKIES – When and why do we use the plural?

We usually use skies when we’re:

  1. Describing different types of sky, the different appearances or conditions of the sky, especially at different times:
    • A land of blue skies and warm sunshine.
    • The skies are overcast today — it’s chilly and damp.
    • Clear skies could mean temperatures will drop tonight.
    • The tropical skies of the Caribbean are breathtaking.
    • We traveled across lands with blue, grey, and golden skies.
    • The forecast calls for clear skies with a chance of thunderstorms later.
  2. Being poetic or expressive:
    • Reach for the skies! (freedom, ambition)
    • He dreamed of distant skies.
    • Skies of hope and wonder.

📝 So yes — we use the plural “skies” to emphasize variation or contrast, often poetically or descriptively. It’s not about having more than one actual sky but about the many faces it can show. It’s not always mandatory but adds richness and a sense of vastness or variety.

☀️ Now, about the collocation “clear skies”:

We say clear skies, not clean skies.

  • Clear means: cloudless, bright, and free of mist or haze.
    ✅ The skies were clear and blue.
    ✅ A clear June morning.

🧠 Note: In some contexts, clear skies can also be used metaphorically — for example, in economic forecasts or optimistic outlooks.

✅ To sum up:

  • Use sky when referring to the space above in a general or singular sense.
  • Use skies to be poetic, describe the different appearances or conditions of the sky, or emphasize vastness.
  • Always say clear skies, not clean skies.

📝 Exercises – Sky vs. Skies & Clear Skies

🔹 1. Complete as frases com sky ou skies.

a) There wasn’t a single cloud in the __________.
b) They dreamed of freedom under foreign __________.
c) We watched the sunset as it painted the __________ orange and pink.
d) The pilot said we might have turbulence due to cloudy __________.
e) The moon was high in the night __________.

🔹 2. Escolha a opção correta.

a) The weather forecast says we’ll have:
🔘 clean skies
🔘 clear skies

b) When describing one specific place, we usually use:
🔘 skies
🔘 sky

c) In poetic or literary expressions, it’s more natural to say:
🔘 reach for the sky
🔘 reach for the skies

d) We say:
🔘 a cloudless sky
🔘 a cloudless skies

e) Which is correct?
🔘 The skies was blue.
🔘 The sky was blue.

🔹 3. Escreva frases usando as palavras entre parênteses.

Use “sky” ou “skies” conforme o contexto.

a) (beautiful / today) → ________________________________________
b) (dark / at night) → ________________________________________
c) (reach / poetic) → ________________________________________
d) (forecast / tomorrow) → ________________________________________
e) (I love / clear) → ________________________________________

🔹 4. Corrija a frase, se necessário.

a) A clear sky are expected tomorrow.
b) The clean skies made the morning even more special.
c) What is that in the skies?
d) A crowd gathered under a cloudy sky.

✅ Gabarito – Sky vs. Skies & Clear Skies

🔹 1. Complete as frases com sky ou skies.

a) There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky.
b) They dreamed of freedom under foreign skies.
c) We watched the sunset as it painted the sky orange and pink.
d) The pilot said we might have turbulence due to cloudy skies.
e) The moon was high in the night sky.

🔹 2. Escolha a opção correta.

a) ✅ clear skies
b) ✅ sky
c) ✅ reach for the skies
d) ✅ a cloudless sky
e) ✅ The sky was blue.

🔹 3. Escreva frases usando as palavras entre parênteses.

(Respostas variam; aqui estão sugestões corretas)

a) The sky is beautiful today.
b) The sky gets very dark at night.
c) She told him to reach for the skies.
d) The forecast says clear skies tomorrow.
e) I love clear skies in the morning.

🔹 4. Corrija a frase, se necessário.

a) ❌ A clear sky is expected tomorrow.
b) ❌ The clear skies made the morning even more special.
c) ❌ What is that in the sky?
d) ✅ Correta!

Daily routine 3

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What do you do every day? What’s a typical day like for you?

Learning how to talk about your daily routine is super important, and we’ve already learned lots of useful words and phrases with Daily routine 1 and Daily routine 2.

In this lesson, you’ll learn different ways to talk about:
✅ how you work
✅ your free time and hobbies
✅ meals and eating habits
✅ activities and sleep habits

Listen carefully to the pronunciation, and remember — you can slow down the playback speed by clicking the Settings icon if you need to.

Talking About Your Work Routine

🕒 Talking about your work schedule

✅ I start work at [time], and I finish at [time].

✅ I work from [time] to [time].

✅ I usually finish work by [time] at the latest.

✅ I finish at [time] at the earliest.

✅ I’m at the office from [time] till [time].

✅ I work different hours every day. (To freelancers)

🏃‍♂️ Talking about flexible schedules or set routines

✅ I like to get an early start.

✅ I take a long lunch break.
.

✅ I take a short lunch break.

✅ I try to leave on time.

✅ I never stay late or do overtime.

⏰ Talking about working long hours or staying late

✅ I often have to stay late at work.

✅ Sometimes I stay late if there’s something I need to finish.

✅ I work long hours.

🚗 Talking about commuting

✅ My commute takes around [time].

✅ I don’t miss commuting every day.

✅ I have to leave the house at [time] at the latest.

🌟 Bonus expressions to help you sound more natural

✅ It suits me.

✅ It’s not all fun and games.

✅ It sucks!

📚 Vocabulary tip

  • at the earliest
  • at the latest

Talking About Free Time Habits

🛋️ If you prefer to relax at home

✅ I just crash on the sofa and watch TV.

✅ I don’t have the energy to do much after work.

✅ During the work week, there just isn’t the time to do much.

🏃‍♂️ If you’re more active and like to go out

✅ I like to get out of the house when I can.

✅ I try to arrange something most evenings.

✅ I prefer to stay busy.

🏀 Talking about specific activities

✅ I’ve started going to a boxing class twice a week.
✅ I play tennis on Wednesdays.
✅ I also play basketball every Thursday.
✅ I go out with friends for a coffee or a drink once or twice a week.

📌 Use on + day of the week:
I play tennis on Wednesdays.

📌 Use once/twice a week to express frequency:
I go out with friends once a week.

🕰️ Adverbs of Frequency

✅ often
✅ generally
✅ sometimes
✅ occasionally

I generally go running around the park after I get home.

Talking About Eating Habits

🍽️ Useful expressions

✅ My meal habits are all over the place.
Sometimes I eat dinner at 7:30, sometimes at 11!

✅ Sometimes I skip meals.
If I’m busy, I might skip lunch.

✅ Me and my boyfriend take turns cooking.*
We take turns cooking dinner during the week.

✅ I’ll cook a big batch of something, then freeze it.
That way I have food ready for several days.

* NOTE:

The sentence “Me and my boyfriend take turns cooking” is commonly used in informal speech, but it’s not grammatically correct in standard English. The correct form would be:

“My boyfriend and I take turns cooking.”

In English, it’s considered more polite and grammatically correct to put yourself last when mentioning others (i.e., “I” after “my boyfriend”).

⏰ Meal times

✅ Do you eat at the same times every day?

✅ I have to eat at the same time every day.
Because that’s the only time I have free.

✅ I might eat dinner at seven-thirty, or I might not eat until eleven.

🥗 Meal prep and lunchboxes

✅ If I’m organised, I’ll cook at the weekends so I can take food with me to work.

✅ Otherwise, I’ll buy a sandwich or something from the bakery.

🍕 Takeaway and delivery

✅ We generally get a takeaway on Friday evening.

✅ I try not to waste money on takeaways and eating out.

🌞🌙 Morning Person or Night Owl?

🌅 Morning Person

✅ I like to get some stuff finished early in the day.

✅ It helps me feel more productive.

✅ I try to go to bed by eleven.

🌙 Night Owl

✅ I’m a total night owl.

✅ I stay up late on weekends.

✅ I often go to bed quite late.

✅ I really struggle to get moving in the morning.

😴 Phrases about sleep and daily routines

✅ Sometimes I take a nap in the afternoon.

✅ If I don’t get seven or eight hours of sleep, I find it hard to focus at work.

✅ I don’t think I sleep that much.

QUIZ:

Test your understanding of the vocabulary and ideas you saw in this lesson by clicking here.



Daily routine I

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Aprender a falar sobre sua rotina diária (daily routine) é muito importante. Veremos o vocabulário básico que você precisa para isso.

Listen carefully to the pronunciation and do the exercises.

Key Vocabulary

Aqui estão algumas palavras e frases para descrever a sua rotina:

  • Wake up – Acordar
  • Turn off the alarm – Desligar o alarme
  • Get up – Levantar-se
  • Take a shower / I have a shower – Tomar banho
  • Get dressed – Vestir-se
  • Comb the hair – Pentear-se
  • Make breakfast / Eat breakfast / Have breakfast – Tomar café da manhã
  • Brush my teeth – Escovar os dentes
  • Go to work / school – Ir para o trabalho / escola
  • Start work at 9 – Começar a trabalhar às 9h
  • Answer emails – Responder e-mails
  • Eat lunch / Have lunch – Almoçar
  • Work on the computer – Trabalhar no computador
  • Finish work / school at 5 – Terminar o trabalho / a escola às 17h
  • Go home – Ir para casa
  • Arrive home – Chegar em casa
  • Feed the dog – Alimentar o cachorro
  • Cook dinner / Eat dinner / Have dinner – Jantar
  • Watch TV – Assistir TV
  • Read a book – Ler um livro
  • Go to bed – Ir dormir
  • Fall asleep – Adormecer
  • Have classes – Ter aulas
  • Do my homework – Fazer meu dever de casa

Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks

Complete the sentences with the correct verb from the vocabulary list.

  1. I ________ at 6:30 a.m. every day. (wake up / fall asleep)
  2. After I ________ the alarm, I get up. (answer / turn off)
  3. I always ________ before I go to work. (take a shower / work on the computer)
  4. After breakfast, I ________ my teeth. (brush / sleep)
  5. She ________ at 9 a.m. every day. (starts work / finishes work)
  6. At 1 p.m., I ________ lunch. (go / have)
  7. After lunch, I ________ my emails. (go / answer)
  8. In the evening, I ________ TV before bed. (watch / eat)

Exercise 2: Put the sentences in the correct order

Arrange the following sentences in the order you do them in your daily routine.

a) I brush my teeth.
b) I wake up at 7 a.m.
c) I go to bed at 10 p.m.
d) I take a shower.
e) I have breakfast.

Exercise 3: Match the columns

Match the phrases on the left with their meanings on the right.

  1. Wake up –––– a. Responder e-mails
  2. Get dressed –––– b. Chegar em casa
  3. Answer emails –––– c. Acordar
  4. Arrive home –––– d. Vestir-se

Exercise 4: True or False

Read the sentences and decide if they are true or false for you.

  1. “I work on the computer before I take a shower.”
  2. “I finish work / school at 3 p.m.”
  3. “I feed the dog before I get up.”
  4. “I watch TV after dinner.”

Exercise 5: Written Practice

Answer the following questions:

  1. What time do you wake up?
  2. Do you have breakfast every day? What do you eat?
  3. What time do you start work or school?
  4. What do you do after dinner?

Extra practice: Interactive game

Extra Practice Advanced: What’s your daily routine like?

Como é a sua rotina diária? Descreva as atividades que você faz no seu dia, desde que acorda até ir dormir.

Thank God!

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WHAT DOES TGIF MEAN?

TGIF stands for “Thank God It’s Friday” or “Thank Goodness It’s Friday“.

TGIF is a commonly used expression, especially in casual or informal conversations. People often use it to express excitement or relief that the workweek is over and the weekend is about to begin.

You might hear or see it in social media posts, workplace chats, or among friends making weekend plans.

Look at this dialogue:

  • A: TGIF!
  • B: Yeah!
  • A: Do you want to go out tonight?
  • B: That’s great!
  • A: How about going to the movies?
  • B: I’d love to! I’ll book the tickets.
  • A: Perfect! Let’s relax!

But do we say “Thank God” or “Thanks God“? Here is a simple but very effective demonstration that shows you how to use these phrases and fixes a very common and recurrent English mistake.

Listen carefully to the video. Make notes and use them.

Next, a few more examples:

  • Thank God I found you!
  • Thank God you’re here! 
  • Thank God I read this tip!