Let's talk today about office supplies that we use in the workplace and at school. Some words, like "ballpoint pen," you probably know already, but let's take a look at some items that may be new to your vocabulary.
This is a felt-tipped pen because the tip, the end — usually a small end — is made of felt or something synthetic.Captions 15-17, Sigrid explains: The Tipping Point
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Felt-tipped pens are also called "marking pens" or "permanent markers." This is because you can write on surfaces like steel or plastic with them and the ink does not rub off. They also often smell bad!
This highlighter is pink, and pink is usually just red and white mixed together,
Captions 31-32, Luana explains: Colors
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A highlighter, also called a "highlighter pen," is often used to mark passages of text in books with bright colors so you can more easily find them again. Since this makes it difficult for someone else to read it later, you may want to consider marking the book lightly with a pencil instead. It's also more environmentally friendly.
The caveman assembles the board with glue.
Caption 5, Caveman Skatetech: Desert
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Glue is a sticky fluid used to fasten objects such as wood and paper together. There are many different kinds of glue for different purposes.
I use a ruler to draw a straight line.
Caption 52, The Alphabet: The Letter U
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A ruler is a straight, flat, and narrow piece of wood, plastic, or metal that you can draw a straight line with, but it usually also has centimeter or inch markings on it so that you can measure something. Builders often use a tape measure, which is much longer than a ruler, and rolls up into a small case that is portable.
Most people think that the pink part of the eraser is for pencil marks.
Captions 36-37, Facts Verse: 10 Things You Did Not Know The Use For
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An eraser is a rubber-like object you use to remove or erase pencil marks.
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and watch the videos above to get a better overview of the words you just learned. Stay tuned for the last part of our office supplies series next month!
Let's talk today about office supplies that we use in the workplace and at school. Some words, like "ballpoint pen," you probably know already, but let's take a look at some items that may be new to your vocabulary.
Who, from what I hear, needs to keep his stapler in his desk drawer.
Caption 39, New Year's Resolutions: Friends
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The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes a stapler as "a small usually hand-operated device for inserting wire staples." A stapler looks like this!
I have a brown tape, a paper tape, and this clear tape.
Caption 25, Abiventures: Organizing
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The tape described above is adhesive tape, which usually comes in rolls and has a band of plastic or paper that is sticky on one side.
What's this envelope? Is this a wedding invitation?
Caption 3, How I Met Your Mother: Douche-pocalypse
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An envelope is the folded paper holder in which you send and receive letters—the part of a letter that has the address on it.
My green pencil... My red pencil... My yellow pencil.
Captions 44-46, David and Red: in England
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A pencil is, of course, a writing instrument, usually made of wood with a graphite center. They are sometimes called "lead pencils," because in ancient times, people sometimes wrote with sticks of lead. Pencils that are other colors, such as those in the video above, are called "colored pencils."
I'm cutting this string with my scissors,
Caption 12, The Alphabet: The Letter C
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In English, unlike many other languages, the noun "scissors" is always plural. Thus you say "The scissors are..." and never "The scissors is..." The word "scissor," without the -s ending, can be a verb or an adjective, however.
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and watch the videos above to get a better overview of the words you just learned!
Per esprimere una conseguenza dipendente da una condizione si usa il periodo ipotetico, che è costituito da una if clause (proposizione secondaria), introdotta appunto dalla congiunzione if (se) e da una main clause (proposizione principale). Quando la if clause viene per prima, spesso si inserisce una virgola tra le due:
If you have any questions, please ask your cabin crew.
Se avete delle domande, per favore chiedete ai vostri assistenti di volo.
Caption 17, British Airways safety video director's cut - Part 2
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Nel periodo ipotetico, la condizione può essere introdotta congiunzioni diverse da if. La proposizione secondaria può iniziare, per esempio, con:
per parlare di condizioni certe, che si verificheranno sicuramente
When we finish our exams, we'll go on a trip to the seaside.
Quando finiremo gli esami, andremo a fare una gita al mare. (è sicuro che li finiremo)
per porre una condizione negativa, equivalente a if... not
And cars pollute the air, unless they are electric.
E le auto inquinano l'aria, a meno che non siano elettriche.
Captions 20-21, Slow News with Sigrid Alternative transportation
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Notate che in italiano "a meno che" viene seguito da un verbo alla forma negativa, mentre in inglese unless è seguito da un verbo alla forma affermativa.
per sottolineare in modo più forte l'idea di restrizione o limitazione. Si usa spesso con i permessi
You can have a sleepover at your friend's provided his parents are at home.
Puoi dormire dal tuo amico a condizione che i suoi genitori siano a casa.
But for your help, we would never make it. (oppure: if it weren't for your help...)
Se non fosse per il vostro aiuto, non cela faremmo mai.
Then some jeans, of course, a sweatshirt with a hood, just in case it gets cold and there's wind.
Poi dei jeans, chiaramente, una felpa con il cappuccio, in caso faccia freddo e ci sia vento.
Captions 18-19, Parts of Speech Question Words - Part 5
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Per esprimere desideri difficilmente realizzabili, sogni o fantasie, oltre alle forme I would really like / love to (mi piacerebbe davvero tanto), si può usare il verbo to wish (desiderare) con queste costruzioni:
wish + past simple / past continuous oppure wish + could + verbo alla forma base per desideri riferiti a situazioni presenti:
I wish Miss Thompson was here.
Vorrei che la signorina Thompson fosse qui.
Caption 71, Between Two Women The Movie - Part 16
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wish + would + verbo alla forma base solo se si vorrebbe che qualcuno facesse qualcosa di diverso:
Hi parents wish he would stop smoking.
I suoi genitori vorrebbero che smettesse di fumare.
wish + past perfect per esprimere rimpianti, desideri riferiti a situazioni passate ormai immodificabili:
Well, I wish you had thrown the ball to me!
Be', vorrei che avessi lanciato la palla a me!
Caption 28, Jessica and Liz Conjugate the Verb 'Throw'
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La congiunzione if only + past simple (se soltanto/se solo) si usa per esprimere un desiderio, ma anche disappunto o rincrescimento per un fatto presente:
But if only I had my golden ball back!
Ma se solo avessi indietro la mia palla d'oro!
Caption 14, Fairy Tales The Frog King - Part 1
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if only + past perfect si usa invece per esprimere rimpianti riguardo a una situazione passata:
If only I hadn't said those words. (anche: I wish I hadn't said those words.)
Se solo non avessi detto quelle parole.
Many parts of the world are experiencing a heat wave of unprecedented scale this summer. As an extreme example, the United Kingdom experienced temperatures of 104 degrees Fahrenheit for the first time in recorded history. Let's talk today about the heat wave and other aspects of hot weather — hopefully with some nice, cool air conditioning running!
DJ, let the beat play, make a heat wave when you replay this.
Caption 50, Madcon feat. Ray Dalton: Don't Worry
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The heat wave referred to here is a metaphor, or figure of speech, but the heat wave enveloping many English-speaking countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom this summer is very real.
With more energy in the atmosphere, weather becomes more extreme, so there are more floods, droughts, and storms.
Captions 64-66, FuseSchool: How Burning Fossil Fuels Leads to Climate Change
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A common side effect of heat waves is droughts. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines "drought" as "a period of dryness especially when prolonged; specifically, one that causes extensive damage to crops or prevents their successful growth." It is therefore likely that the heat will cause there to be shortages in food production and higher prices in the coming year.
This heat makes more ice melt, which in turn allows more heat to be absorbed.
Caption 80, FuseSchool: How Does Global Warming Affect The Environment
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Another problem with excessively hot weather is the melting of the polar ice caps, which leads to rising ocean levels and floods.
The sea ice acts like the world's air conditioner.
Caption 35, Arctic Sea Ice: Why melting matters
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Many places that are now experiencing heat waves have rarely seen such high temperatures and do not have the infrastructure to deal with them. In some places, living spaces, offices, schools, and public transport do not have air conditioning, which makes day-to-day living uncomfortable and even dangerous. The heat can present a major health risk for the elderly and people suffering from illnesses.
I have a fan, so in the summertime it's cool enough for me to be in here.
Captions 16-17, Creative Space: An Artist's Studio
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If you don't have an air conditioner and are experiencing extreme heat where you live, having a good fan is the next best thing!
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and search for terms like "heat" and "weather" to find more videos relating to hot weather. If you're experiencing intense sunny weather where you live, be sure and follow some good rules for safety in the sun. Thank you for learning English with Yabla and do your best to stay cool out there this summer!
For those of you reading this lesson on the day it was published, today is the Fourth of July. In many countries, it's just another day of the month, but in the United States it is a federal holiday. The date is the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, when the American colonies declared that they were no longer under the control of Great Britain.
One of the most important holidays in the United States is Independence Day or the Fourth of July. We can also say "July fourth," but when we're talking about that holiday we traditionally say "the Fourth of July."
Captions 30-33, Sigrid explains: Numbers - Part 3
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Many people in the United States celebrate this holiday with a variety of traditional activities. Let's take a look at a few of these today.
It's high summer with warm weather on the Fourth of July, so people often celebrate the holiday by going picnicking and even boating, if there is a lake nearby.
You can have a picnic, there's a lake to take boats out on.
Caption 26, Jessica: Brooklyn Sites
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Cold beer in a cooler and meat cooked on a barbecue are also Fourth of July holiday traditions, but some iced tea or lemonade for the kids and teetotalers, and some vegan sausages for the vegetarians have become traditional too!
Not to mention a cooler for the beer, and the meat for the evening barbecue.
Caption 39, The Last Paradises: America's National Parks
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Traditional Fourth of July picnic salads include potato salad, pasta salad, and a variety of fruit salads.
Then, I'm going to prepare a little salad of cherry tomatoes.
Caption 23, Food Talk with Sigrid: Simple Summer Vegetables
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But even more for its amazing flavor, no Fourth of July picnic would be complete without a fresh, ripe watermelon!
Watermelon, for its beautiful color...
Caption 14, Tara's Recipes: Delicious Fruit Salad with Greek Yoghurt
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The highlight and grand finale of a good Fourth of July is, however, the inevitable fireworks:
It started at seven and ended at one with an amazing fireworks display!
Captions 13-14, The Olympics: Interesting facts by Zara
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Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and study the captions in the videos above to get a better idea of the contexts in which they are used. Happy Fourth of July to all of you, wherever you may be!
Se siete dei tipi socievoli e avete da poco conosciuto qualcuno (a new American friend) con cui vi andrebbe di trascorrere un po' di tempo, dovete essere in grado di formulare degli inviti in un inglese impeccabile. In questa lezione troverete degli esempi da cui partire per formulare le vostre proposte.
Will and would (più formale) sono usati in domande alla seconda persona per:
-invitare qualcuno a fare qualcosa:
Will / Would you dance with me?
Balleresti con me?
-offrire qualcosa in maniera formale (seguito da have):
Will you have some pie?
Gradisci un po' di crostata?
-fare una richiesta:
Would you mind closing that window?
Ti dispiacerebbe chiudere quella finestra?
Caption 61, English with Annette O'Neil Formally and Informally Asking for Help - Part 1
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La costruzione più usata per offrire qualcosa (in forma interrogativa), in maniera comunque gentile, è would seguito dal verbo like. Si tratta della forma condizionale del verbo "volere" e si usa per esprimere volontà e desideri. Would like può essere seguito da un verbo all'infinito oppure da un sostantivo:
Would you like some breakfast? I'm making coffee.
Vorresti qualcosa per colazione? Sto facendo il caffè.
Caption 8, The Apartment Maggie's Visit - Part 3
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What would you like to drink? -Some fruit juice, please.
Cosa desideri da bere? -Del succo di frutta, per favore.
Con le stesse funzioni, ma in contesti più informali, si usa il verbo regolare to want (volere). Anch'esso, come would like, può essere seguito da un verbo all'infinito o da un sostantivo:
Do you want to have a look round, Victor?
Vuoi dare un'occhiata qui in giro, Victor?
Caption 61, Between Two Women The Movie - Part 7
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Un altro modo, facile ed informale, per offrire qualcosa o invitare qualcuno a fare qualcosa con noi è la costruzione how about + sostantivo o verbo al gerundio. Notate come possiamo rendere più casual un invito che suonava parecchio formale:
How about some pie?
Ti va un po' di crostata?
How about working as a lifestyle photographer with “Time Out” magazine?
Che ne dite di lavorare come fotografo di lifestyle [stile di vita] con la rivista "Time Out"?
Caption 19, The Best Jobs In The World Official Trailer
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Per dire che si vuole che qualcuno faccia qualcosa, si usa la costruzione oggettiva I want / would like someone to do something, e non "I would like that someone does something":
I'd like you to give me another chance.
Vorrei che tu mi dessi un'altra possibilità.
I want you to come back.
Voglio che tu torni.
Caption 28, Parks and Recreation Best of Ron & April - Part 2
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Per esprimere preferenza si usano le costruzioni
I would prefer to / I'd prefer to + verbo alla forma base
I would rather / I'd rather + verbo alla forma base (+ than...)
Rather è un avverbio che significa "piuttosto", quindi I'd rather do this than (do) that significa letteralmete "farei questo piuttosto che quello" e quindi "preferireri fare...":
I'd rather play some soccer.
Preferirei giocare a calcio.
Caption 66, Once upon a time... Planet Earth The guardians of the planet - Part 3
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Summer is on its way, and if you are lucky, you may have a garden in your yard that you can take care of. To do that, it may help if you know the names of the gardening tools that you may need. Let's take a look today at some of the English names of some standard gardening tools.
This is what parts of Australia looked like before the European settlers arrived with their axes and saws.
Captions 14-15, BBC Planet Wild: Alien Animals
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An ax is used to chop through the trunks of trees and large branches. The word is made plural by adding "-es" for "axes." Sometimes the singular word is written as "axe," which is grammatically correct, but perhaps a bit old-fashioned. "Ax" is also a verb, "to ax." Thus you can ax a tree down, or you can cut a tree down with an ax.
A saw is used to cut through the trunks of trees and large branches. The plural form is, as you see in the example above, "saws." You can also use "to saw" as a verb. Thus you can saw a tree down, or you can cut a tree down with a saw. A saw that is especially made for cutting branches is called a "pruning saw."
I rake the leaves with a rake.
Caption 25, The Alphabet: The Letter A
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A rake is a gardening tool with a long, usually wooden handle. It has a wide metal fork with hooked ends that allow you to gather leaves and yard debris, much as you sweep with a broom. As you see in the example above, "to rake" is a verb and a "rake" is a noun.
We helped with hands and wheelbarrows, shovels and sweat.
Captions 46-47, All Hands: Volunteers Appeal Video
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People have to shovel their driveways and sidewalks in front of the house.
Caption 43, The Seasons: Winter
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A shovel, also called a spade, also usually has a long wooden handle. Its end is a triangle-shaped flat metal piece that is used to dig holes in the ground or move dirt, sand, and even snow. As you see in the second example, "to shovel" is also a verb.
A wheelbarrow is a cart with one wheel in front and stands in the back that is used to carry dirt, sand, and other similar things. There is no verb derived from "wheelbarrow," and usually its usage is "to push a wheelbarrow."
And anyone who laid it on with a trowel...
Caption 18, The History of English: Shakespeare
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A trowel is similar to a shovel, but much smaller. It works well for making small holes to put potted plants into the ground. The phrase "to lay it on with a trowel" is also an idiom, or saying, that means "to exaggerate."
People have lawn mowers and they mow the lawn.
Captions 27-28, Sigrid Spring Musings
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A lawn mower is a machine used to cut the grass or lawn. Some of them are manual and require a lot of force to push them by hand. Most lawn mowers today have electric or gasoline motors, and some even have powered wheels. There are also lawn mowers called "riding lawn mowers" that you can sit on and drive.
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and study the captions in the videos above to get a better idea of the contexts in which references to these garden tools have been made. You can also go to this site and see a long list of different kinds of gardening tools.
With most English nouns, you simply add an "s" to make the noun plural. The singular word for "noun" is "noun," and if you want to describe more of them, you just add an "s" to make it plural: "nouns." Sometimes there are irregular plurals with no "s," such as the singular "man" becoming the plural "men."
However, there are a number of nouns in English which cannot really be counted and are never used in plural form with an "s" ending. These are called mass nouns (or sometimes "uncountable nouns"). The Oxford Dictionary describes a mass noun as "a noun denoting something that cannot be counted (e.g. a substance or quality), in English usually a noun which lacks a plural in ordinary usage and is not used with the indefinite article."
Children often make the mistake of adding "s" to mass nouns, which is cute but also shows that it's not so easy to understand their usage. "Mommy, look at all the sheeps!" and "I really like to eat spaghettis!" are cute, but unfortunately grammatically incorrect!
You have a sheep and a hippo? -Yeah.
Caption 58, Jimmy Kimmel: Lie Detective
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A herd of bighorn sheep ends up blocking traffic on their way to a better grazing ground.
Caption 1, The Last Paradises: America's National Parks
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"Sheep" is a mass noun and there is no such word as "sheeps": One sheep, two sheep, three sheep.
They can play chess, if they wish.
Caption 30, George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four: BBC TV Movie
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The noun "chess" is not used in a plural sense at all. You can have "games of chess," "chess sets," or "chess boards," but in these cases, "chess" is being used as an adjectival describer and the nouns being described are the plurals.
Would you like to sample our vegan bacon?
Caption 1, Parks and Recreation: Best of Ron & April
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The only way to suggest "bacon" in singular form is to combine it with other descriptions such as "a piece of bacon" or a "little bit of bacon."
All spaghetti spoons have a hole in the bottom.
Caption 60, Facts Verse: 10 Things You Did Not Know The Use For
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With "spaghetti" too, you can have "lots of spaghetti" but not "spaghettis."
Thank you for showing your support for women's rights.
Caption 4, A message from Prince Harry: at the CHIME for Change concert
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You may see the word "supports" with an "s" in verb form, as in "Prince Harry supports women's rights." You also see it in a different meaning for the noun, such as "the steel supports for the building." But when you are talking about the kind of support that means you are giving approval, comfort, or encouragement to someone or something, then it's always a mass noun.
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and study the captions in the videos above to get a better idea of the contexts in which mass nouns have been used. You can also go to this site and see a long list of mass nouns.
English, like many languages, uses a lot of idioms referring to animals. Let's continue from Part I and take a look today at some more English animal expressions.
We're dying like flies down here!
Caption 16, Stephen King: The Stand
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The more common phrase is "dropping like flies," and probably comes from people having seen many dead flies on window sills, which gave the impression that they die in large numbers. The phrase usually means that many people have gotten sick or are dying.
We'd get together and horse around a little bit and sing.
Caption 5, Elvis Presley Jailhouse Rock
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The phrase "to horse around" probably comes from seeing horses play, and means "to fool around." Another common related phrase with a similar meaning is "to indulge in horseplay."
Everything is fast paced in a rat race.
Caption 10, Core Kiteboarding: The Core Diaries
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The term "rat race" probably comes from seeing rats run a long way to try to get a small piece of food. Wikipedia describes "rat race" as "an endless, self-defeating, or pointless pursuit." In American English, "getting out of the rat race" means to quit a stressful job and pursue a less hectic means of employment.
I wouldn't say it was a wild goose chase...
Caption 41, Karate Kids, USA: The Little Dragons
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A "wild goose chase" is a fool's errand, or an attempt to pursue something that is hopeless. It probably comes from wild geese being difficult to catch.
The King James Bible is the book that taught us that "a leopard can't change its spots," that "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush," that "a wolf in sheep's clothing" is harder to spot than you would imagine, and how annoying it is to have "a fly in your ointment."
Captions 18-21, The History of English: The King James Bible
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This caption addresses four common animal sayings. "A leopard can't change its spots" means that it's impossible or very difficult for a person to change their character. "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" means that you shouldn't risk what you have if you might lose it seeking additional gain. It can also mean you should be satisfied with what you have. "A wolf in sheep's clothing" suggests somebody who is pretending to be a friend, but is in fact an enemy. Lastly, "the fly in the ointment" means that something unexpected has caused something to go wrong. It's also a warning that something may seem too good to be true.
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and study the captions in the videos above to get a better idea of the contexts in which they have been used. You can also go to this site and see some other English phrases that use animals.
English, like many languages, uses a lot of idioms referring to animals. You may have heard the English expression "as hungry as a horse" (very hungry) or "monkey see, monkey do" (when somebody copies somebody else). What these expressions have in common in all languages is that they refer to some quality that is associated with a specific animal in that culture: Horses eat a lot of food and monkeys can be mimics—always compared to humans, of course. Let's take a look today at some English animal expressions.
All of the sudden, one of the orcas made a beeline in this direction.
Caption 2, National Geographic: WILD Killer Whale vs. Great White Shark
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Similar to the English expression "as the crow flies"—meaning the fastest way between two points is a straight line—the phrase "to make a beeline" means "to go quickly" or "to go directly." Speaking of bees:
Leave me the birds and the bees.
Caption 21, Counting Crows with Vanessa Carlton: Big Yellow Taxi
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The phrase "to know about the birds and the bees" means "to have received education about sex," but it is often used as a general metaphor for sex. And now we're on to birds:
I killed two birds with one stone!
Caption 36, English: Common Phrases
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This expression fortunately has nothing to do with actually killing any poor birds, but means "to get two (or more) things done at once." There's also another somewhat similar idiom, "better a bird in the hand than two in the bush." This means it is better to actually have something real than risk losing it by trying to get something better. Speaking of birds again:
Well if he wants to play chicken, this rooster ain't backing down.
Caption 15, How I Met Your Mother: The Perfect Cocktail
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The phrase "to play chicken" means to play a dangerous game to see who is bravest. A famous movie used this as part of its plot: In the film Rebel without a Cause, the actors James Dean and Corey Allen "play chicken" by racing cars towards the edge of a cliff to see who will dare to stay in the car the longest before jumping out. Spoiler alert: it doesn't end well!
At that moment, the witch realized that there was something fishy, and started yelling at her.
Captions 45-46, Fairy Tales: Rapunzel
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The usual expression is "something fishy is going on," and it means that something about a person or a situation is suspicious or not as it appears. It probably comes from the fact that even though a fish at the market may look fine, it smells bad if it is no longer fresh.
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and study the captions in the videos above to get a better idea of the contexts in which they have been used. You can also go to this site and see some other English phrases that use animals.
In una lezione precedente, abbiamo parlato della differenza tra il Present perfect e il Simple past, due tempi verbali che in italiano corrispondono perlopiù al passato prossimo dell'indicativo. Se desiderate ripassare la costruzione di questi due tempi verbali, leggete questa lezione.
Il present perfect è un tempo verbale che fa da ponte tra il passato e il presente e può corrispondre (anche se non sempre) al passato prossimo italiano. Si usa per esprimere un'azione o una situazione passata che ha una relazione con il presente. Si forma con l'ausiliare have e il past participle (participio passato) del verbo principale: soggetto + have/has + verbo al participio passato.
I've been in New York for three years.
Sono a New York da tre anni. (sono arrivata tre anni fa e sono ancora qui)
Quando parliamo di situazioni che hanno avuto inizio nel passato e che continuano nel presente, specificandone la durata o il momento di inizio (duration from up to the present), usiamo il present perfect, a differenza dell'italiano dove in questi casi il tempo usato è il presente indicativo. Non c'è dunque corrispondenza con il tempo usato in inglese. Inoltre, se in italiano useremo sempre la preposizione "da", in inglese dobbiamo fare una distinzione tra for e since.
Per specificare il periodo della durata dell'azione si usa la preposizione for:
It's now six o'clock. They have been here for two hours.
Ora sono le sei. Sono qui da due ore.
Per precisare il momento di inizio dell'azione, si usa la preposizione since:
[Since two thousand three Nespresso works with the Rainforest Alliance]
[Dal duemilatredici Nespresso lavora con l'Alleanza per le foreste pluviali]
Caption 18, AAA Program 10 Years of shared commitment to sustainability
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Per chiedere "da quanto tempo" dura una certa situzione la domanda può iniziare con How long...? o For how long...? (da quanto tempo), oppure Since when...? (da quando).
So, you... you've been with your girlfriend for how long now?
Quindi, tu... tu stai con la tua ragazza da quanto tempo adesso?
Caption 44, Ed Sheeran Interview with Ellen DeGeneres
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Since when the hell do you give orders around here?
[Che] diavolo, da quando dai ordini qui?
Caption 3, Dream to Believe aka Flying - Part 13
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La forma di durata espressa con il present perfect si trova solitamente con i verbi di stato come to be, to have, to know, to want, to love... e con i verbi di azione alla forma negativa:
They haven't written to me for a year.
Non mi scrivono da un anno.
Osserva le espressioni for long/for a long time (da molto tempo) e for ages (da una vita):
So, Mars has been dry for a long time.
Quindi, Marte è arido da molto tempo.
Caption 51, Slow News with Sigrid Water on Mars, the Oscars, and more
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I've known them for ages. We've lived door to door since we were children.
Li conosco da una vita. Abitiamo porta a porta da quando eravamo bambini.
Yabla published a Happy Valentine's Day lesson some years ago, but we've added a lot of new videos since back then that discuss the holiday, so here is Part II of the series! You may have heard about Valentine's Day, but you may not know that much about it if it wasn't celebrated where you grew up. In primarily English-speaking countries, Valentine's Day is often celebrated by giving your loved one a valentine's card, flowers, or chocolates. In the United States and the United Kingdom, it takes place on February 14th every year, but is not an official public holiday.
I hope people will be around to watch even though it's Valentine's Day.
Caption 14, Dr. Sheldon Cooper: Fun with Flags
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We too hope that you will read this lesson, even though today is Valentine's Day. (Sorry if you are late in reading this!)
Every woman wants a date on Valentine's Day.
Caption 17, How I Met Your Mother: Desperation Day
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That is simply not true: some people prefer to be alone. And besides, just as many men want dates too. The above video is actually a comedy, and it's against Valentine's Day, preferring to call it "Desperation Day." Anyway, it's okay to feel any way you want to about it!
And today is Valentine's Day here. -Today is Valentine's Day. That is true. Happy Valentine's Day, everybody.
Captions 41-42, Luana and Austin: How They Got Married
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Indeed, happy Valentine's Day to you, too. Celebrate it any way you like or not at all. That's the great thing about this holiday, it's strictly optional. Unless, of course, you're in a relationship, and then it's best if both of you agree!
And what's your plan for Saint Valentine's Day?
Caption 1, NorthEasternTV: What Are Northeastern Students Doing for Valentine's Day?
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Yes, that can be a troubling question if you are single and worrying about it. Best not to worry about things though, just have a good time with some similarly single friends or just ignore the holiday altogether! Note that sometimes, as above, the holiday has the saint's name included in it, which you occasionally see. If you choose to be critical of Valentine's Day, it's reassuring to know that there were three Saint Valentines, and nobody is even really sure which saint the holiday was named for!
Note that "Valentine" is written with the first letter capitalized when it's a proper noun, such as "Valentine's Day," a person's name like "St. Valentine," or a band name like "My Bloody Valentine." But when you write about the type of card known as "a valentine" or ask somebody to "be your valentine," then it's always written lowercase.
Further Learning
If you're a bit skeptical about the holiday, watch the How I Met Your Mother episode on Yabla English. But if you're feeling more supportive, watch the Valentine's Day movie trailer. Either way, we at Yabla wish you all a happy Valentine's Day!
Immaginate di essere a Londra e di voler fare un giro in città. Se avete poco tempo, la soluzione migliore è la metropolitana. Se ci siete già stati, non farete fatica a ricordare una piccola frase che viene ripetuta quasi ininterrottamente da una voce computerizzata che vi ricorda di fare attenzione allo stacco tra la banchina e la porta del treno. Stiamo parlando di questa:
Mind the gap, please.
Attenzione allo spazio, per favore.
Caption 40, London London Transport (A1-A2)Play Caption
Ma in questa lezione non parleremo della metropolitana. L’esempio precedente serve ad introdurre una parolina inglese che racchiude in sé tanti significati. Questa parola è mind. Partiamo subito con il primo:
He has a quick mind.
Ha una mente sveglia.
Quindi stiamo parlando di un sostantivo, the mind (la mente), in riferimento proprio al complesso delle facoltà intellettive e psichiche dell’uomo. Ma mind talvolta può riferirsi anche al cervello, quindi per estensione all’intelligenza. Fin qui, i significati possono essere racchiusi in un’unica sfera: mente, cervello, intelligenza… Aggiungiamone altri due: "idea" e "opinione".
I’ve changed my mind. I prefer the red dress.
Ho cambiato idea. Preferisco il vestito rosso.
Attenzione! Mind da solo non vuol dire "idea", non diremmo mai I have a mind per dire "ho un'idea". Solo se preceduto dal verbo to change questo sostantivo assume questo significato specifico. E se invece proprio non riuscite a decidervi su qualcosa, allora qualcuno potrebbe anche rispondervi così:
Well, you'd better make up your mind.
Be', farebbe meglio a decidersi.
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Mind if I sit here? -Sure.
Ti dispiace se mi siedo qui? -Certo.
Caption 45, Dream to Believe aka Flying - Part 4
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Would you mind closing that window?
Ti dispiacerebbe chiudere quella finestra?
Caption 61, English with Annette O'Neil Formally and Informally Asking for Help - Part 1
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Suggest you let the Army mind their business and you mind yours, unit sixteen. Bye.
Ti suggerisco di lasciare che sia l'esercito ad occuparsi dei loro affari e tu dei tuoi, unità sedici. Passo.
Caption 31, Stephen King The Stand - Part 4
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Un'altra sfumatura del verbo to mind è "dare importanza", "dare peso a qualcosa". Molto diffusa è l'espressione never mind (non importa), usata in riferimento a qualcosa che non ha peso o valore, qualcosa a cui non diamo importanza in quanto priva di rilievo o senza gravi effetti.
Questa espressione è anche usata in frasi colloquali di forma o di senso negativo, per esprimere più o meno sprezzantemente noncuranza e disinteresse.
to bear/keep in mind (tenere presente, considerare)
to go out of your mind (andare fuori di testa)
to have in mind (avere in mente)
What do you have in mind?
Cos'hai in mente?/Qual è la tua idea?
to blow somebody's mind (stupire qualcuno, lasciare a bocca aperta):
It blew those tourists' mind! They've never seen anything like that!
Quei turisti sono rimasti a bocca aperta! Non hanno mai visto niente del genere!
Caption 56, Naish Kiteboarding TV Welcome to Chucktown - Part 1
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to speak your mind (parlare francamente):
She speaks her mind.
Lei parla la sua mente [dice quello che pensa].
Caption 11, Talking About People PersonalitiesPlay Caption
L'ultima cosa che comes to mind (ci viene in mente) è di consigliarvi di cercare mind tra i video di Yabla Inglese. Troverete tanti altri esempi con questa parolina che arricchirà sicuramente il vostro vocabolario.
Happy New Year! A New Year's resolution is a tradition that, according to Wikipedia, is common in the Western World. People make promises to themselves to "continue good practices, change an undesired trait or behavior, accomplish a personal goal, or otherwise improve their life at the start of a new year."
It's the first day of 2019. -We should do New Year's resolutions.
Caption 2, New Year's Resolutions: Lele Pons & Hannah Stocking
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Often friends and family will discuss their resolutions for the upcoming year.
My New Year's resolution is to just keep going at the gym.Caption 7, Ashley Tisdale: Happy New Year!
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This resolution will probably be easier to keep, since she has been going to the gym already and it´s just a matter of continuing to go.
Every day, I am gonna do one thing I have never done before. That, my friends, is my New Year's resolution.
Captions 9-11, New Year's Resolutions: Friends
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This, on the other hand, might prove difficult. It may be hard to even think up practical things that you've never done before. Even more likely, you'll just forget your resolution because of regular routines!
All right, my New Year's resolution is to learn how to play guitar.
Caption 29, New Year's Resolutions: Friends
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This too may prove to be difficult, since learning to play a musical instrument requires a lot of time and patience.
I don't really make any New Year's resolutions anymore because I learned early on that when I did, I never really followed through with the resolution.
Captions 2-4, Ashley Tisdale: Happy New Year!
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According to statistics, most people fail in their resolutions. Apparently, you are more likely to achieve your goal if you take smaller steps towards achieving it, rather than trying to make a large change in one go.
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and watch the "New Year's Resolutions" episode of Friends, it's pretty funny! And if you have made a New Year's resolution (or plan to), be sure you try to accomplish it in small steps rather than all at once— you'll be more likely to attain your goal. Best wishes in the new year from all of us at Yabla!
A few lessons ago, we discussed the names of classical music instruments in English. Let's take a look today at the English names of some of the most common musical instruments used in pop music.
We already discussed the piano in the classical instruments lesson, but there are also a number of other kinds of keyboard instruments that are used in pop music. As a general term, they are simply called keyboards. A person who plays keyboards is a keyboardist.
I spoke with Andrew, who plays keyboards in INXS.
Caption 26, INXS: Pat Monahan about recording Beautiful Girl
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The Hammond organ is a popular vintage organ that is still much-loved in pop and jazz music. Other popular electronic organs from the 1960s, which were produced cheaply by companies such as Farfisa in Italy and Vox in the UK, are often referred to as electronic organs.
Scott Ellaway, who is now a successful conductor, loves to come here and play the organ.
Captions 19-20, Euromaxx city: A Visit to Oxford, England
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Another popular keyboard instrument that began to be widely used in the 1970s is the synthesizer. It's often referred to casually as a synth.
Because the synth especially really grounds it into a modern sound.
Captions 54-55, Making Tracks: Stu Cullen and Samuel Blair's Musical Journey
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Probably the most important instrument in rock music, especially in heavy metal and punk rock music, is the electric guitar. Generally, a person who plays guitar is called a guitar player or a guitarist. In some bands, there is a rhythm guitarist, who mainly just plays chords, and a lead guitarist, who usually plays the guitar solos.
In the film, we see Queen's lead guitarist, Brian May.
Caption 29, Bohemian Rhapsody: Six Facts about the True Story
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On the bottom end of the harmonic spectrum, we find the bass guitar or electric bass, and the acoustic upright bass, also called a contrabass. A person who plays bass is called a bass player or a bassist.
My main instrument is bass guitar.
Caption 11, Bee and Flower; Interview
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Let's look now at the beat, an important element in most forms of pop music, with the drums at the forefront. A person who plays the drums is a drummer or a percussionist.
My dad's an incredible percussionist.
Caption 10, Bruno Mars: Electronic Press Kit
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I bet Garth Brooks would take you as a drummer next time he tours.
Caption 68, Ask Jimmy Carter; Interview with Phil Collins
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Of course, brass instruments have always played a role in pop music, but the most common horn in pop music is probably the saxophone. A person who plays the saxophone is a saxophone player or saxophonist. The trumpet is also a popular horn instrument, and it's played by a trumpet player.
Trumpets were all screaming, saxophones were blaring.
Captions 17-18, The Rolling Stones: Living In A Ghost Town
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Let's not neglect a major aspect of pop music that makes it possible to play so loudly: the amplifier. There are amplifiers made especially for specific instruments, such as a guitar amplifier, a bass amplifier, and a keyboard amplifier. Vocals, horns, and other acoustic instruments are usually amplified through a microphone, or just "mic" (pronounce like the name "Mike") for short. All of these instruments are usually amplified on larger stages through a PA system. This term is an abbreviation of "public address system," as they were originally developed for speaking to large crowds.
Try turning a quarter of an inch closer to the microphone, please.
Caption 5, Ask Jimmy Carter: Interview with Angelina Jolie
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Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and watch the videos above relating to musical instruments. You can also search for the names of the instruments and find other videos. Find a tandem partner in your class and make up some sentences in English using these musical instrument words, then compare what you both came up with.
In last month's October edition of the Yabla English Lesson, we discussed the Performing Arts, one of which is music. Let's take a look today at the English names of some of the most common musical instruments used in classical music.
The piano is one of the main instruments in western musical traditions, and many musicians who specialize in other instruments and singing are often required to learn some basic piano skills. This is because of the piano's large range, from deep bass to high treble, which allows it to cover all of the ranges used by orchestral instruments. The piano is also important for musical composition, and many works for orchestra have been composed using the piano. A person who plays the piano is called a pianist or a piano player.
Well, when I write songs, I sometimes will write it on a piano.
Caption 27, Bee and Flower: Interview
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Warren Beatty's a good pianist.
Caption 71, Chevy Chase: talks about his acting life
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The violin also has another common name in English: the fiddle. This term is usually more casual and used especially in country, folk, and bluegrass music. A person who plays the violin is called a violinist or a fiddler.
Good. Did you mind if I play the violin? -No, go right ahead.
Caption 10, Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Cunningham Heritage
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So, I picked up an instrument that was called the fiddle.
Caption 17, Sigrid: An American in Italy
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Of the remaining bowed string instruments, the viola is played by a viola player. The cello, actually short for "violoncello," is played by a cellist. The double bass—also called the upright bass or acoustic bass—is the deepest of the string instruments. It's played by a bassist, or double bass player, upright bass player, etc.
I'm Jasmine Beams. I'm from Milwaukee and I play viola.
Caption 9, Making Tracks: Dewayne Everettsmith & Jasmine Beams musical journey
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I grew up playing the cello.
Caption 10, Justin James: Booking Submission Video
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And did you take bass lessons when you were young?
Caption 12, Bee and Flower: Interview
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The highest of the woodwind reed instruments are the clarinet and the oboe. The clarinet is played by a clarinetist and the oboe by an oboist, although "clarinet player" and "oboe player" are fine too. The deepest is the bassoon, played by a bassoonist, or bassoon player.
I play the clarinet. -I play the bassoon.
Caption 8, Making Tracks: A musical journey inspired by Australia
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I played the oboe in middle school band.
Caption 85, Jennifer Lawrence & Chris Pratt: Answer the Web's Most Searched Questions
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There are also several non-reed woodwind instruments such as the flute and the recorder. A flute player is called a flutist (or flautist), and a recorder player is called just that.
When I was a girl, I studied flute like many girls,
Caption 36, Sigrid: An American in Italy
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And so I started playing recorder.
Caption 44, Sigrid: An American in Italy
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Of the brass instruments, the most commonly used are the trumpet and the French horn. The players of these instruments are a trumpeter (or trumpet player) and a French horn player. In the lower registers there's also the tuba, played by a tuba player.
Oh, yes, yes, practice trumpet every day.
Caption 23, They Might Be Giants: The Seven Days Of The Week
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Lastly, the main percussion instruments used are the marimba, the snare drum, and the timpani. The person in the orchestra playing these instruments is called a percussionist.
We know where the certain snare-hits are.
Caption 27, OK Go - Needing/Getting: Behind The Scenes
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Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and watch the videos above relating to musical instruments. You can also search for the names of the instruments and find other videos. Find a tandem partner in your class and make up some sentences in English using these musical instrument words, then compare what you both came up with. In next month's lesson, we'll talk about the different kinds of musical instruments used in pop music!
Le parole right e wrong sono due parole che possono farvi girare la testa! Infatti, spulciando il dizionario, noterete che sono sostantivi, aggettivi, avverbi e verbi.
In questa lezione, vedremo come dire in inglese "avere ragione", "avere torto" e altre espressioni simili.
Mentre in italiano usiamo il verbo "avere", questa espressione in inglese prevede l'uso del verbo to be (essere): to be right (avere ragione), to be wrong (avere torto, sbagliarsi). Il verbo to be è uno dei primi verbi che impariamo quando studiamo l'inglese, ma se volete ripassare la sua coniugazione, cliccate qui.
Ricordatevi dunque di non tradurre mai alla lettera "avere ragione" e "avere torto" perché "to have right" e "to have wrong" sono degli errori.
Yeah, you're right, I don't need this.
Sì, hai ragione, non ho bisogno di questo.
Caption 51, The Office Powerpoint, Powerpoint, Powerpoint
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My Italian friend is right. We can say "lives" when we're talking about a verb.
La mia amica italiana ha ragione. Possiamo dire "vive" quando parliamo di un verbo.
Captions 40-41, Sigrid Enough is Enough - Part 3
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Se qualcuno più che "avere ragione" dice la cosa giusta, dà la risposta esatta, allora dovremmo usare un'espressione con right sotto forma di aggettivo. L'esempio che segue è tratto da un video in cui alcune persone partecipano ad un gioco chiamato What's That Word? (Qual è quella parola?) nel quale i concorrenti devono indovinare il contrario di una determinata parola pronunciata dal presentatore. Ad esempio, qual è il contrario di handsome (bello)?
Ugly. -That's right, Lisa.
Brutto. -Questo è giusto, Lisa.
Caption 28, Basic Vocabulary Describing People, Places and Things - Part 3
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"È giusto", "è coretto", "esatto" sono tutte possibili traduzioni dell'espressione that's right.
Attenzione alla parola reason che potrebbe ricordavi la nostra parola "ragione". Effettivamente uno dei significati di reason è proprio "ragione", ma solo ed esclusivamente come sostanvito: la ragione, il motivo, la spiegazione e così via...
The main reason why people come to Camden is for the market, because it's got everything.
Il motivo principale per cui la gente viene a Camden è per il mercato, perché ha tutto.
Captions 22-23, My Guide to London Camden Town
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Esiste anche il verbo to reason, ma neanche in questo caso possiamo usarlo per dire "avere ragione", bensì per dire "ragionare","argomentare", "discutere":
Don't try to reason with you father, Carol.
Non cercare di ragionare con tuo padre, Carol.
Caption 6, Karate Kids, USA The Little Dragons - Part 2
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Come abbiamo già detto, to be wrong significa "avere torto" e "sbagliarsi". La struttura è sempre la stessa:
You're not wrong!
Non hai torto!
Caption 51, Green TV Evolution of the Whale
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Oh, I was wrong.
Oh, mi ero sbagliato.
Caption 33, Chicago Bulls Kid Picasso - Part 2
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Ma "sbagliarsi" è anche sinonimo di "fare un errore"; in questo caso in inglese useremo la parola mistake (errore) preceduta dal verbo to make (fare):
I made a mistake five years ago, but I've paid for it.
Ho fatto un errore cinque anni fa, ma ho pagato per questo.
Caption 54, Sherlock Holmes The Case of the Cunningham Heritage - Part 4
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Esiste un altro modo per dire to be wrong e si usa principalmente quando interpretiamo qualcosa nel modo sbagliato o quando fraintendiamo qualcuno:
Don't get me wrong. I like Paris, but I like the country better.
Non fraintendetemi. Mi piace Parigi, ma la campagna mi piace di più.
Caption 16, Parts of Speech Question Words - Part 4
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Speriamo che questi esempi vi tornino utili nel vostro percorso di apprendimento della lingua inglese e che possona servirvi come spunto per approfondire le parole right e wrong.
Last month we started learning about different kinds of Visual Art: architecture, ceramics, conceptual art, drawing, painting, and sculpture. Let's continue today with the Literary Arts and the Performing Arts.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines literature as "writings having excellence of form or expression and expressing ideas of permanent or universal interest." This does not usually include news journalism or technical writing, but usually includes poetry, drama, and fiction and non-fiction prose. A person who creates literature is usually called an author, a dramatist or playwright, a poet, or simply a writer.
By the year 2050, the whole literature of the past will have gone.
Captions 1-2, George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four: BBC TV Movie
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The author Dave Eggers wanted to have a location that was accessible from the streets.
Captions 14-15, Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co.: Learn about this fun shop in Brooklyn, NY!
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The next category of types of art is the Performing Arts. Merriam-Webster defines this as "types of art (such as music, dance, or drama) that are performed for an audience."
Dance as an art form, simply defined as "the art of dancing," is usually referring to contemporary dance and ballet, but may include figure skating, synchronized swimming, and some forms of gymnastics. A person who designs a dance performance is called a choreographer.
The inspiring story of a boy's struggle against the odds to become a ballet star.
Captions 20-21, Visit London: Top 10 London Musicals
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I came to America to become a professional dancer.
Caption 3, Another 7.4 Earthquake: Hits Japan
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Music is described by Merriam-Webster as "the art or skill of creating or performing music," although Wikipedia describes it more interestingly as "an art form whose medium is sound and silence, occurring in time." A person who performs music is a musician (or named after the instrument they play, such as a pianist, violinist, or guitarist). A person who writes music is called a composer or songwriter.
So you write music as well, as in literally "write music?"
Captions 36-37, Bee and Flower: Interview
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This is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He was an Austrian musician and composer.
Captions 9-10, English Grammar in Use: Past Simple
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The last form of the performing arts is theater, defined by Merriam-Webster as "dramatic representation as an art or profession." Clearly, this extends beyond works performed in theaters to all forms of acting, which may also include any of the other performing arts of dance and music. Although theater and filmmaking encompass many kinds of work, the main performing artist is called an actor or actress, though it is usually best to refer to all genders of such performing artists simply as actors.
You're a repertory theater actor, you're expected to do everything.
Caption 14, Ask Jimmy Carter: Interview with Richard Gere
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Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and watch the videos above relating to art forms and professions. Find a tandem partner in your class and make up some sentences in English using these art words, then compare what you both came up with.
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