Vocabulary

What’s your zodiac sign?

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Astrology! Do you ever read your horoscope?

Which sign of the zodiac were you born under/in?

Astrology correlates the positions and movements of celestial bodies, such as planets and stars, at the time of a person’s birth with events on Earth, including human personality and natural phenomena.

It is based on the idea that the positions of these celestial objects at the time of a person’s birth can influence their character, behavior, and destiny.

Astrology typically involves dividing the sky into twelve sections or “houses,” each associated with a zodiac sign (Aries, Taurus, Gemini, etc.), and the positions of celestial bodies within these houses are thought to influence a person’s life.

So, do you know what your zodiac sign is?

or simply:

What is your sign? or

What is your zodiac sign / star sign / sun sign, or astrological sign?

Zodiac signs

ARIES (March 21 – April 19)

TAURUS (April 20 – May 21)

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)

CANCER (June 22 – July 22)

LEO (July 23 – August 22)

VIRGO (August 23 – September 22)

LIBRA (September 23 – October 22)

SCORPIO (October 23 – November 21)

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 – December 21)

CAPRICORN (December 22 – January 19)

AQUARIUS (January 20 – February 18)

PISCES (February 19 – March 20)

Depending on the month you were born, you have an animal or some symbol that represents that month.

Are star signs important to you? Do you know the characteristics someone with your star sign should have?

Listen carefully and take note of the adjectives.

Advanced – Personality Traits

Here is a comprehensive list of words for personality traits. Reflect on them. Look them up in a dictionary and decide which is positive, negative or neutral.

  • WORKAHOLIC
  • RESPONSIBLE
  • HUMANITARIAN
  • SOCIAL
  • LOVES RELAXATION
  • GENEROUS
  • IMPULSIVE
  • IMPRESSIONABLE
  • BRAVE
  • FUNNY
  • ENIGMATIC
  • INVENTIVE
  • CARING
  • STOIC
  • SENSITIVE
  • LOGICAL
  • BOLD
  • PERSISTENT
  • OVERLY EMOTIONAL
  • EASY-GOING
  • CREATIVE
  • EASILY-BORED
  • THEATRICAL
  • HILARIOUS
  • SECRETIVE
  • OPTIMISTIC
  • ORIGINAL
  • RELENTLESS DETERMINATION
  • GENEROUS
  • HONEST
  • CONFIDENT
  • PROTECTIVE
  • STUBBORN
  • FAIR
  • AMBITIOUS
  • UNIQUE
  • PROGRESSIVE
  • SYSTEMATIC
  • INDECISIVE
  • PASSIONATE
  • PERFECTIONIST
  • PRACTICAL
  • SPONTANEOUS
  • CHEERFUL DISPOSITION
  • LOYAL
  • JEALOUS
  • IDEALISTIC
  • MOTIVATED
  • VIVACIOUS
  • INTELLIGENT
  • LOVES LUXURY AND COMFORT
  • STUBBORN
  • OUTGOING
  • MOODY
  • EMPATHETIC
  • DIPLOMATIC
  • SELF-CENTERED
  • BIG HEARTED
  • MYSTERIOUS
  • HARD-WORKING
  • DISCIPLINED
  • UNPREDICTABLE

Now watch the video and look at each zodiac sign and the characteristics that belong to which one of them. Hehe.

TIME FOR PRACTICE: SPEAKING!

1 Do you think the information about your own star sign is accurate? Why / Why not?
2 Which star sign do you think would be the best / worst match for you? Why?
3 Do you know the difference between astrology and astronomy?
4 Would you go to see an astrologist?
5 Would you like to know your future? Would that be what you want to know?
6 What would it take to convince you that astrology works?

TIME FOR PRACTICE: GRAMMAR, READING AND WRITING!

For a Beginners practice but good as a review for prices and dates, click:

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/general-english/video-series/starting-out/episode-13-horoscopes

What’s the weather like?

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At each change of the season, people notice that, feel and talk even more about the weather. They commonly ask about it by saying:

  • How’s the weather?
  • What’s the weather like?
  • What’s it like outside? (What’s the weather like outside?)
  • What’s the temperature?
  • What’s the weather forecast?
  • What’s the forecast for tomorrow?

We usually use IT IS when we talk about the weather. We use:

It is + adjective or It is + verb-ing

For example:

  • It is rainy.
  • It is raining.

What is the difference?

It is + adjective = A description of the weather

  • It is rainy …. it is describing the weather. How is the weather? It is rainy.

It is + verb-ing = This type of weather is happening now.

  • It is raining …. What is happening now? It is raining.

Let’s look at more examples of these.

It is + adjective

It is + adjective  = A description of the weather

  • It is sunny.
  • It is cloudy.
  • It is windy.
  • It is foggy.

Notice how a lot of weather adjectives end in Y: sunny, cloudy, windy, foggy.

But adjectives to describe temperature don’t normally end in Y:

  • It is hot.
  • It is warm.
  • It is cool.
  • It is cold.

It is + a + adjective + day

Now let’s look at this again… It is hot.

We can give a little more information by using:
It is + a + adjective + day
Or instead of the word day, you can specify the part of the day like morning, afternoon, night, etc.

  • So, It is hot … becomes …
  • It is a hot day.

Another example:

  • It is cold … becomes …
  • it is a cold morning. (Here I specify the part of the day)

Now let’s look at using the verb-ing to describe the weather.

It is + verb-ing

Remember, this describes the type of weather happening now.

  • It is raining.
  • It is snowing.
  • It is hailing.

These three actions are happening now.

IT IS in different tenses

You can also use it is in different tenses.
For example the past tense, perfect tense, present tense, future tense, etc.

  • It was sunny yesterday. (past tense)
  • It has been sunny all week. (perfect tense)
  • It is sunny today. (present tense)
  • It will be sunny tomorrow. (future tense)

Question for you

What is the weather like where you are right now?

Carnival – Vocabulary

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Carnival in Brazil is part of Brazilian culture and starts on the Friday before Ash Wednesday and ends on Ash Wednesday at noon. 

It’s a big celebration of the food and pleasures one has to give up during Lent. 

Because the celebrations happen during Brazil’s summer, the ambiance is perfect for massive parties. There is even a common saying in Brazil that “the year starts only after Carnival,” referring to the number of people that take their holidays between New Year’s and Carnival, a national holiday.

How about learning the main words about carnival in English? Listen to pronunciation and note the words, not on the lists below.

Vocabulário geral

EnglishPortuguês
Street CarnivalCarnaval de rua
Samba schools paradeDesfile das escolas de samba
CostumesFantasias
RevelerFolião
Carnival blocksBlocos de Carnaval
Carnival warm-upEsquenta de Carnaval
CostumeFantasia
SequinLantejoula
FeathersPenas

Nas escolas de samba

EnglishPortuguês
ChoreographyCoreografia
SambadromeSambódromo
Flag bearerPorta-bandeira
Drum sectionAla da bateria
Drum section queenRainha da bateria
FloatsCarros alegóricos
Revelers / ParadersParticipantes ou público dos desfiles
Wing / SectionAla
SuitesCamarotes
RehearsalsEnsaios
Access groupGrupo de acesso
Special groupGrupo especial
Parade of championsDesfile das campeãs

Extra

  • Band on a float – Trio elétrico
  • Carnival ball – Baile de Carnaval
  • Carnival marchs – Marchinhas de Carnaval
  • Commission of front – Comissão de frente
  • Revelry – Folia
  • Samba schools rehersals – Ensaios das escolas de samba
  • Samba-plot/story – Samba–enredo

Sobre as datas

EnglishPortuguês
HolidayFeriado
Mardi Gras / Fat TuesdayTerça-feira de Carnaval
Ash WednesdayQuarta-feira de Cinzas
LentQuaresma

Verbos úteis

EnglishPortuguês
(To) celebrate CarnivalPular Carnaval
(To) dress up asVestir-se de
(To) paradeDesfilar
(To) sambaSambar

Frases úteis

  • Where are you celebrating the carnival? Onde você vai pular o carnaval?
  • Are you going to parade in a street block this year? Você vai desfilar em algum bloco de rua esse ano?
  • The revelers of the drum section are wearing beautiful costumes! Os foliões da ala de bateria estão usando fantasias lindas!
  • Let’s go to the bleachers to watch the parade of champions. Vamos para as arquibancadas para vermos o desfile das campeãs.

Now, marchinhas em inglês

Have fun!

Do you celebrate Carnival?

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The world’s biggest carnival celebrations happen in Brazil. In Rio and São Paulo, the samba schools (escolas de samba) offer the famous parades (desfiles) in the Sambódromo, with thousands of members and spectacularly decorated floats (carros alegóricos) demonstrating specific themes.

During carnival, groups of dancers and street bands called blocks (blocos) parade the streets with many of the revelers (foliões) wearing costumes (fantasias).

Another popular feature of carnival, especially in Salvador, is the trio elétrico – band on a float, a huge truck, adapted with giant speakers and a stage on top, where musicians and singers perform to the delight of thousands of fans who follow the truck as it goes slowly through the streets.

Throughout the country, many clubs also arrange carnival balls (bailes).

The state of Pernambuco is famous for its carnival celebrations and the styles of music and dancing (Frevo and Maracatu). According to The Guinness Book of Records, Recife hosts the largest carnival parade in the world, known as the Galo da Madrugada – Lit. the cock or rooster (US) at daybreak, which takes place in the center of Recife on the Saturday of carnival.

Okay, so whether you celebrate carnival (pular o carnaval) by partying noisily or relaxing quietly at home, do what makes you happy!

Source: Break the Branch? Quebrar o Galho – Common, Everyday Words and Phrases in Brazilian Portuguese, de Jack Scholes, Disal Editora, 2008. http://www.teclasap.com.br/como-se-fala-pular-carnaval-em-ingles/