I’m done!

I’m done with most of my tasks, and you? Are you done with your break from English? Your break from me!

The bigger your break, the more you’re gonna have to tell me about it! Hehe…

So be prepared! Be prepared to tell me all the exciting things you did these last few weeks!

By the way, do you know what “I’m done” means?

Definition of ‘done’ (dʌn)

verb the past participle of do.

adjective 1 FINISHED finished or completed

The job’s almost done.

Well, I’m done. I’m going home.

One more question and we’re done.

somebody is done (with something) (=someone has finished doing or using something) 

As soon as I’m done, I’ll give you a call. 

Are you done with this magazine? 

I’ll be glad when the exams are over and done with (=completely finished).

mainly US  I’m all done with the vacuuming. Is there anything else I can do?

2 COOKED cooked enough to eat → overdone, underdone

As soon as the cake is done, remove it from the oven.

I think the hamburgers are done.

Is the pasta done yet?

“How would you like your steak done?” “Well done (= cooked for a long time), please.”

interjection said to show that you accept an offer or agree to something.

I’ll give you $90 for it.” “Done!”

I said “£5,000” to which he replied, “Done!” and shook my hand.

a done deal a formally arranged and agreed plan that will certainly happen.

The merger is far from a done deal,” said a spokeswoman.

https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/done

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/pt/dicionario/ingles/done

Christmas vocabulary

Que tal aprender um “vocabulário natalino”? Primeiramente, a dica, o caminho, é tentar não memorizar palavras soltas, e sim, contextualizá-las, dentro de exemplos ou situações que façam sentido para você. Observe sempre, o que vem antes e depois da palavra que está aprendendo, ou melhor, como esta palavra se compõe com as outras na sentença.

Christmas tree

So here we go!

Christmas is coming. – O Natal está chegando.

on Christmas Day – dia 25 de dezembro, o dia em que a maioria dos cristãos celebram o nascimento de Cristo.

Most stores are closed on Christmas day. A maioria das lojas estão fechadas no dia de Natal.

at Christmas – no Natal (o período próximo ao 25 de dezembro).

Schools are closed at Christmas. As escolas estão fechadas no Natal.

to be open/ closed over Christmas – estar aberto / fechado durante o Natal

I’ll see you at Christmas. – Te vejo no Natal.

to have a white Christmas – ter um Natal com neve. 

We might have a white Christmas this year. Talvez tenhamos um Natal com neve este ano.

What do you want for Christmas? – O que você quer de Natal? / O que você quer no Natal?

What did you ask Santa for Christmas? – O que você pediu ao Papai Noel de Natal?

What did you ask Santa for? – O que você pediu ao Papai Noel?

Christmas Carol– canção de Natal, música natalina

Santa Clausou apenas Santa (principalmente no inglês americano) / Father Christmas(principalmente no inglês britânico) –Papai Noel

Christmas lights – luzes (pisca-pisca) de Natal

Christmas ornaments– enfeites de Natal

Christmas card – cartão de Natal

to give presents – dar presentes, presentear

to get presents – receber / ganhar presentes

to go to / to attend midnight mass – ir à missa do galo

to have a Christmas dinner – ter ceia de Natal

to trim the tree / to decorate the tree – enfeitar a árvore de Natal

to go Christmas shopping – fazer compras de Natal

to put up a Christmas tree – montar uma árvore de Natal

to take down a Christmas tree – desmontar uma árvore de Natal

to put up a Nativity scene – montar um presépio

Do you offer / have a gift-wrapping service?Vocês embrulham pra presente?

Now, after having said all that… Hehe…

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year!

Based on Denilso de Lima  

Black Friday is here!

What is Black Friday? Where does Black Friday come from?

In the investing world, Black Friday refers to the gold crisis of September 24, 1869, when a group of investors tried to control the US gold market and caused serious economic problems. It sometimes also refers to the New York Stock Exchange crash of September 19, 1873.

Over time, the term has come to describe any Friday on which a terrible event occurs.

In the retail world, Black Friday is the day after the Thanksgiving holiday in the US (the fourth Thursday of November) when stores open early and prices are reduced and many people start their Christmas shopping.  

NOTE: The origin of Black Friday in this sense is not known for certain. The day was allegedly so named either in reference to traffic congestion in central cities on the day after Thanksgiving or to the supposed fact that retailers’ accounts shifted from red to black with the beginning of the shopping season.

The store was full of Black Friday shoppers chasing deals.

Black Friday Deals Week 2019 is here.

In case you want to read the same information given above in Portuguese, click here. There you’ll find a video which explains everything really well too. 😉

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Black%20Friday

https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/black-friday

Talking about your family

Você tem uma família grande? O que você gosta de fazer quando passa um tempo com sua família?

Falar de família pode ser uma boa maneira de começar uma conversa em inglês, por isso é útil você saber o que dizer, como também saber perguntar.

First, let’s review the vocabulary by looking at the family tree:

Next, let’s learn how to talk about them. Watch the video below and make notes of the possible ways.

Now talk about your family. Introduce them. Say who they are. Add details to make your answer longer and more interesting.

Here is one more video that gives you examples of how to talk about your nuclear family, your extended family, your paternal side of family and maternal side of family, that is the relatives on/from your dad’s side and on/from your mom’s side of the family.

Food groups

We have already learned how to talk about diet, weight, height, together with some good phrases for expressing what happens during the time you’re on a diet. Now we’re going to learn about the food groups so that we can have/hold a long discussion about this subject.

Foods from the basic food groups provide the nutrients essential for life and growth. In particular, vegetables, legumes, and fruit protect against illness and are essential to a healthy diet.

 The food groups are:

  • Dairy and/or their alternatives: the foods in this group are excellent sources of calcium, which is essential for strong and healthy bones. Most adults do not get enough dairy in their diet. For your heart health, pick from the many low-fat or fat-free choices in the dairy group. Choosing fat-free or low-fat milk and yogurt, as well as lower-fat cheese, gives you important vitamins and minerals, with less fat. Not many other foods in our diet contain as much calcium as these foods.
  • Fruit: fruit provides vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber and many phytonutrients (nutrients naturally present in plants), that help your body stay healthy.
  • Grain (cereal) foods: always choose wholegrain and/or high fiber varieties of bread, cereals, rice, pasta, noodles, etc. Refined grain products (such as cakes or biscuits) can be high in added sugar, fat and sodium.
  • Lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds, and legumes/beans: our bodies use the protein we eat to make specialized chemicals such as hemoglobin and adrenalin. Protein also builds, maintains, and repairs the tissues in our body. Muscles and organs (such as your heart) are primarily made of protein.
  • Vegetables and legumes/beans: vegetables should make up a large part of your daily food intake and should be encouraged at every meal (including snack times). They provide vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber and phytonutrients to help your body stay healthy.

VEGETABLES OR PROTEIN

Are you confused about whether to count beans and peas as vegetables or protein foods? Try this—count them in the vegetable group if you regularly eat meat, poultry, and fish. Count them in the protein foods group if you are a vegetarian or vegan or if you seldom eat meat, poultry, or fish.

OILS

If possible, use oils instead of solid fats, like butter, when cooking. Oils are high in calories, but they are also an important source of nutrients like vitamin E.

https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/know-your-food-groups

https://www.foodstandards.gov.scot/consumers/healthy-eating/nutrition/the-five-food-groups

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/food-variety-and-a-healthy-diet