REVIEW ALL VERB FORMS

Level: Intermediate and advanced
This series is designed for upper level students. We will review how each verb tense is formed and used. We will be comparing and contrasting verb tenses as well.
De : "ENGLISH WITH JENNIFER" A site for language learners.

METICULOUS

There are certain things that you may be very particular about, like your studies, or a project given to you. The word meticulous basically means to be extremely careful or precise about doing something. If someone is meticulous, it means they do things very carefully and pay a lot of attention to every minute detail. They are actually very finicky or fussy about something or things around them and aim for perfection. They are very particular and take great pains to get things done in an appropriate manner.

The word meticulous is an adjective as it describes someone of being very particular about something. Meticulously is an adverb as it describes the action of doing something very carefully and with great attention. The word meticulousness is a noun. For example, the when the actor was getting ready for his role, he was quite meticulous in his preparations. This means, he was very careful and paid great attention in order to give his best shot.
Example 01 : Even though the model was meticulous about matching her clothing with her accessories, she didn't look too great on the ramp.
Ex 02 : Dr. Raymod is considered to be one of the best cosmetic surgeons in the country because of his meticulous skill.
Ex 03 : Lisa is planning her wedding very meticulously as she wants it to be the most memorable wedding in her entire family. 
Ex 04 : James spends at least two hours each Saturday meticulously trimming his lawn and has the most well groomed yard on the block.
Ex 05 : Mary is so meticulous about scrubbing the floors, her friends joke that her kitchen is cleaner than a hospital.
Ex 06 : Being his first mobile phone ever, ben was meticulous with it, making sure nothing broke or got scratched.
Ex 07 : William is a meticulous packer who begins making all list of everything he might need on his adventurous trip two weeks in advance.
Ex 08 : The police are examining the murder case meticulously to find out the who the murderer is.
Ex 09 : To impress his seniors, Peter worked meticulously on his presentation as he didn't want to miss out on anything that was vital.
Ex 10 : Little Mary was so excited after returning from her picnic, she actually described her picnic scene in meticulous details to her parents and sibling.
Ex 11 : Our accountant is very alert and sharp, he is meticulous about keeping accurate records.
Ex 12 : The teacher is meticulous in preparing her lecture notes after receiving a poor feedback on her performance.
Ex 13 : The DJ plays great music and is very meticulous about picking the right songs depending on the occasion.
Ex 14 : The yellow Tree Café is not only known for the great food they serve, but also for their meticulous hygiene.
Ex 15 : Richard, the manager of our company, is so meticulous about his appearance, he is always well dressed from head to toe. 
Ex 16 : The sand art/ice sculpture was made by a very meticulous artist.

WORDS, MORE WORDS

Why input based learning, or passive learning is so useful. Answers to some of the comments to my video on Listening and Speaking. I forgot to mention the biggest advantage of input based learning. It enables you to be independent.

FUTURE PERFECT AND PROGRESSIVE

Topic: Forms and uses of the future progressive, future perfect, and future perfect progressive
Level: Intermediate and advanced
This series is designed for upper level students. We will review how each verb tense is formed and used. We will be comparing and contrasting verb tenses as well.
De : "ENGLISH WITH JENNIFER" A site for language learners.

IRK

Sometimes you are put off by certain things or people due to their behavior or just by their presence. The word irk basically means to irritate to annoy someone. There are certain people or situations that you deal with even though you don't like to because they are troublesome and you actually feel very annoyed. If something that spoils your mood or bothers you, it means that it irks you.

The word irk is a verb as it shows the action of irritating someone or getting irritated by someone or something. The three forms , present, past and past participle are irk, irked and irked respectively. For example, you are late to work and you are waiting at the bus stop. You realize that your bus is late, it puts you off because you are delayed. You are irked in such a situation, so you feel very annoyed or irritated.
Example 01 : The thought of cleaning the whole mess after the late night party, irked Julian as she had other chores to complete. Ex 02 : The long queue to withdraw cash irked Jennifer as she was in a hurry to reach home.
Ex 03 : All the car owners were irked by the news of higher gasoline price.
Ex 04 : The manager of our company is irked as the rumors of his affair with the secretary is spreading like a wild fire.
Ex 05 : When people smoke at public places, it irks Michelle as passive smoking is very harmful. 
Ex 06 : Rosie was really irked when she saw her ex boyfriend with her best friend at the café.
Ex 07 : The dancing group was irked with the rehearsals, as they were extremely exhausted and were not given a single break.
Ex 08 : Henry was irked to find that a virus had hit his computer and he lost all his data.
Ex 09 : The teacher is irked with her student as he keeps on laughing for no reason and distracts his classmates.
Ex 10 : After their fight, Lucy told Maria, "I'm sorry, I really get irked when you don't listen to me".
Ex 11 :When the mother found a pack of cigarettes in her preteen's bedroom, she was irked and warned her sternly.

HABLAR CHINO TE DIFERENCIA, EL INGLÉS NO

El fisterrán Anxo Pérez está despuntando con un método para aprender el idioma del gigante asiático en solo ocho meses 
Cinco titulaciones universitarias, nueve idiomas -de los que «domina 8», precisan en la página web de su empresa- y una experiencia laboral como traductor en la que hay referencias al FBI, al Senado de Estados Unidos y a la ONU son las credenciales de Anxo Pérez. Este fisterrán emprendedor está despuntando en el mundo de la enseñanza de idiomas con un método on line (la ruta de los ocho cinturones) y una empresa (8Belts.com) propios, y no duda en asegurar que «cualquiera puede aprender a hablar chino en solo ocho meses», tal como afirma su publicidad.

-¿Qué hace un fisterrán enseñando chino?
-Pues la idea surgió cuando estaba trabajando en la ONU como intérprete. El chino es uno de sus idiomas oficiales, pero yo tenía claro que no quería pasar tres años en una academia y no obtener resultados. Yo quería crear un método que por primera vez pudiera vender resultados y como tengo facilidad tanto para los idiomas como para las matemáticas (gané un premio de Matemáticas en los Estados Unidos) idee este sistema que, posiblemente, a día de hoy no haya otro más eficiente a nivel mundial. Lo llamo la ruta de los ocho cinturones porque los hitos del programa son cinturones, de ahí que sea 8Belts [belt es cinturón en inglés].

-¿Es apto para cualquier persona?
-Para cualquiera; si no consigue hablar chino en ocho meses dedicándole media hora al día le devolvemos el dinero. A día de hoy lo hemos devuelto cero veces. (LEER TODO)
LEER MÁS :
Aventurero con genes emprendedores

PRESENT WITH FUTURE MEANING

Topic: Present verb forms with a future meaning and review of WILL and BE GOING TO
Level: Intermediate and advanced
This series is designed for upper level students. We will review how each verb tense is formed and used. We will be comparing and contrasting verb tenses as well.
De : "ENGLISH WITH JENNIFER" A site for language learners.

CLICHÈ

Sometimes we do typical things or have certain stereo type ideas and they remain the same without any change. The word cliché basically means an overused expression or an idea which has lost its originality and is no longer interesting or effective. Cliché is a French word and it used in English too. When a person behaves in a predictable manner, it means his behavior is cliché. 

Something that has become too common because it is overdone, is cliché. The word cliché is a noun and the word clichéd is an adjective as it describes something of being common or overused. For example, when your friend tells you that her mother is more of a friend rather than a mom, it sounds cliché. This is because you may have heard this several times before and it is very common now.

Example 01 : The macho cop of Hollywood movies has become a cliché.
Ex 02 : The old cliché 'A woman's place is in the home' is no longer the same, women today multi task as they manage their professional work and home both.
Ex 03 : Posting images with friends at the bar and mirror images with tons of like and comments such as OMG and LOL are the some of the Facebook photo clichés.
Ex 04 : Samantha has been a radio host for many years, she's so cliché in the way she airs her show, she hasn't even changed it a bit.
Ex 05 : Peter asked William, " How do I propose marriage to Samantha? Going down on my knees with a ring is too cliché now, I want to do something different."
Ex 06 : The nutritionist said, "You are what you eat, it sounds cliché but you will realize it soon."
Ex 07 : When the actress was asked whether she was dating the charming actor, she gave the most cliché reply, "We are just friends."
Ex 08 : When the creative team showed the manager their newly designed company logo, he said, " The use of an eagle in a logo is cliché, you need to rework on this."
Ex 09 : Michelle told her colleague, " Richard's habit of coming late is quite cliché, there's no point in telling him anything as he's not going to change until he gets fired."

WORD FREQUENCY GRADED READERS

To me the major task in language learning is the acquisition of vocabulary. If this is done through massive listening and reading, it will naturally bring with it a constantly improving familiarity with the language, making it easier and easier to understand grammar explanations, and eventually making it possible to learn to express oneself in writing or orally. Vocabulary is the key, in my view. The more vocabulary we learn, the more we can acquire. In vocabulary, the rich get richer and the poor stay poor.

FUTURE WILL - BE GOING TO

Topic: Forms and uses of WILL and BE GOING TO. 
Level: Intermediate and advanced
This series is designed for upper level students. We will review how each verb tense is formed and used. We will be comparing and contrasting verb tenses as well.
De : "ENGLISH WITH JENNIFER" A site for language learners.

THE GIFT OF THE GAB

You often come across people who are good with words, they speak very well and sound very convincing. The idiom 'to have the gift of the gab' basically means to have the ability to speak and confidently and convincingly. If you have the gift of the gab, you can actually persuade people to do what you want. You do this by speaking in a persuasive and an interesting manner so the people are keen to listen to you.

You are a smooth talker and manage to convince people to believe you. In short, a person with great verbal communication skills has the gift of the gab. For example, the hawker on the street convinces the passers-by to buy his products even though they are not of a superior quality. He does this by talking smoothly and convincingly to his prospect buyers.

Example 01 : The speaker at the conference had the gift of the gab, he could retain the audience's attention and tackled all the questions asked to him very effectively.
Ex 02 : With his gift of the gab, William calmed down his girlfriend who was upset as she suspected him of double timing her.
Ex 03 : The fortune teller, Hilda, has the gift of the gab, she knows how to get people to go to her for advice.
Ex 04 : Smith makes a good car marketer, he is a smooth talker and his gift of the gab helps him to achieve his sales targets.
Ex 05 : Father told Richard, " If you use your gift of the gab at your court sessions, I'm sure, one day you'll be a successful lawyer."
Ex 06 : Michelle is a pleasant and a sincere team leader, unfortunately she doesn't have the gift of the gab and is unable to handle conflicts diplomatically at work.
Ex 07 : When Samantha wasn't allowed to party, her friend said, " Do you want me to seek permission from your parents? I'll manage to cajole them, I've got the gift of the gab.
Ex 08 : My boss has the gift of the gab, he really knows how to motivate us to work beyond our office hours even though we are exhausted.
Ex 09 : John is the most popular teacher in school, he has the gift of the gab and can handle notorious children with ease.

THE TROIKA PARTY

Dear all,

As many of you know, one of the campaign proposals that came from the Amsterdam strategy meeting last October was the creation of The Troika Party. The work has advanced quite a lot in the last months, building the website, visual material, research and contents, videos, social media strategy and more. In less than one month we will launch the campaign all over Europe, which will last until the European Elections. There is still much work to do and we are inviting you to take part of this process. There are different levels on how to get involved, here I mention the most immediate:

- Follow the Twitter accounts @TheTroikaParty & @TRKparty so when the material is released you can spread the word. Facebook account will follow soon.
- Write to the.troika.party@gmail.com specifying how you want to get involved. It might be that you only want to give your email to spread the word when new videos, articles or actions are spread. All the material will be initially available in English, French and Spanish. We are studying more languages, help is welcome.
- The campaign will have 5 axes: Debt, Competitiveness, TTIP, Commons and Democracy. We need particular help to develop the content for the later two (we will use sarcasm and humour to popularize it, see more info in different languages in the docs. I enclose).

Please write to the.troika.party@gmail.com to get access to the material under development and add your expertise to this project. We also would be very grateful if you could spread this email through your internal networks (not to the general public yet). 

Warm regards,
The Troikans Europe

HAZ CLICK SOBRE LOS CARTELES PARA LEERLOS. 




HAZ CLICK AQUI PARA LEER LAS TRADUCCIONES

PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE

Topic: Forms and uses of the simple past perfect progressive. We will also look at time expressions used with the past perfect and past perfect progressive.
Level: Intermediate and advanced
This series is designed for upper level students. We will review how each verb tense is formed and used. We will be comparing and contrasting verb tenses as well.
De : "ENGLISH WITH JENNIFER" A site for language learners.

AVERSE

Sometimes you may feel uncomfortable or uneasy when you are dealing with certain people or things. The word averse means to have a strong disliking or an opposition towards someone or something. When you try to avoid a situation that you wish not to be in, or a person because of his behavior, it means you are averse to such a situation or a person. You are actually reluctant and unwilling to deal with something as it may be very unpleasant.

For example, A person who is a vegetarian can't stand the sight of raw meat as he dislikes it, so he is averse to it. The word averse is an adjective as it describes a person's feeling of dislike towards something. Averse can never be used as a verb. The word aversion is used as a noun. The word aversively is an adverb as it describes the action of disliking someone or something.
Example 01 : After an ugly argument, Samantha and Peter looked at each other with mistrust and aversion.
Ex 02 : At the Chinese restaurant, Jennifer told the chef, " I'm not averse to broccoli if it's cooked right."
Ex 03 : Due to her failure at high school, Sheila has lost all hope and is now averse to hard work as she feels it's pointless.
Ex 04 : With her nasty attitude, Kelly was not averse to criticizing and picking up fights with everyone around her.
Ex 05 : As Catherine has a deep aversion to waking up early in the morning, she has taken up the second shift at work.
Ex 06 : Michelle found her boyfriend's mother very stern in their first meeting and has developed an instant aversion towards her. 
Ex 07 : After the big budget film flopped, the popular director kept a very low profile and was averse to media attention and interviews.
Ex 08 : The parents were averse to the idea of sending their son for an overnight picnic, as they felt he was too young for such an experience.
Ex 09 : Charles usually dislikes drinking, but is not averse to an occasional beer when he is with his friends.
Ex 10 : With the downfall in share market, the investors are now averse to investing more money.
Ex 11 : Maria is not a confident person, she has an inferior complex and is averse to facing people, she avoids going out.

HOW TO LEARN WORDS

PAST PERFECT

Topic: Forms and uses of the past perfect.
Level: Intermediate and advanced
This series is designed for upper level students. We will review how each verb tense is formed and used. We will be comparing and contrasting verb tenses as well.
De : "ENGLISH WITH JENNIFER" A site for language learners.

INEVITABLE

There are certain events that take place in your life and you have no control over them. The word inevitable means something that is impossible to avoid or you just can't prevent them from happening. An event that is unavoidable and certain to take place, is inevitable. You can't stop it from taking place as you have no control over it and can't do anything about it.

For example, if you are an avid biker and ride at a very high speed, an accident at some point of time is inevitable. The accident is bound to happen due to your careless riding. It also means something that keeps occurring or appearing is inevitable. The word inevitable can be used as an adjective or a noun depending on how it is used in a sentence. Inevitably is an adverb, as it shows that something happens unavoidably and certainly.

Example 01 : It was inevitable that James would be fired from his job because he always came late and left very early.
Ex 02 : A sedentary lifestyle and no exercising followed by an un-healthy diet leads to inevitable weight gain and obesity.
Ex 03 :Lisbon told his wife, " We must inevitably make some sacrifices if we want to save money for our child's future." 
Ex 04 : The professor told all the new entrants, " Learn joyfully and peacefully knowing that positive thoughts and efforts inevitably bring the best results."
Ex 05 : The basketball team suffered an inevitable loss given the fact that the majority of their players were injured.
Ex 06 : Suffering from joint pains and developing wrinkles are an inevitable part of aging in humans.
Ex 07 : Getting wet in the heavy rains is inevitable even though you carry an umbrella.
Ex 08 : With the kind of reckless spending, it was inevitable for Ricky to be bankrupt.
Ex 09 : Her falling asleep during the day is inevitable after the long night that Jennifer spent soothing her unwell baby. 
Ex 10 : With the rise in the fuel price, the rise in the prices of other commodities is inevitable.
Ex 11 : After the collision of the trains, the delay of other trains was inevitable, leaving all the commuters anxious and tired at the platform.
Ex 12 :With the adaptation of the western culture, live-in relationships are inevitable in most of the countries.

LOS PRESIDENTES Y EL INGLÉS

Los presidentes y sus problemas con los idiomas
El dominio del inglés trae de cabeza a los políticos españoles

PAST PROGRESSIVE

Topic: Forms and uses of the simple past progressive. We'll also review other verb tenses studied so far in this series.
Level: Intermediate and advanced
This series is designed for upper level students. We will review how each verb tense is formed and used. We will be comparing and contrasting verb tenses as well.
De : "ENGLISH WITH JENNIFER" A site for language learners.

INTIMIDATE

Sometimes you feel inferior to someone due to which you get nervous or you just fear someone or something due to their appearance, attitude or personality. The word intimidate basically means to make someone feel fearful or induce a sense of inferiority into someone. Someone who is intimidated, feels frightened and lacks confidence because of the situation they are in or the people they are with. It also means to make someone in awe of you. A film star has all his fans in awe of him due to his personality, looks and stardom.

The word intimidate is used as verb as it shows the action of frightening or making someone feel nervous. The word Intimidating is an adjective, as it describes the behavior of a person who induces fear or demands greater respect. Intimidation is used as a noun. For example, your manager who is very experienced, dignified and confident intimidates you, as you are in awe of him or you may fear him.
Example 01 : Due to the sudden downfall of the company, all the employees were intimidated into accepting a pay cut by the threat of losing their jobs.
Ex 02 : The gangster intimidated James at a gunpoint and asked him to surrender all his valuables.
Ex 03 : Little Mary never speaks up in class as she is always intimidated by the more confident and aggressive students who appear smarter to her.
Ex 04 : Jennifer broke free from her boyfriend because of his intimidating and dominating nature.
Ex 05 : Sheila told her friend, " The whole idea of leaving my family and going to the Oxford University intimidates me."
Ex 06 : When Grandfather was gifted a smart phone, the android technology intimidated him as he wasn't tech savvy.
Ex 07 : Speaking in front of a large audience can be very intimidating for many people.
Ex 08 : Peter was intimidated with his hard core training undertaken by his fitness instructor.
Ex 09 : The little child was intimidated when the doctor started examining his ears.
Ex 10 : To intimidate his students, the teacher shouted at them so they could maintain discipline.
Ex 11 : The doctor's word of caution during her pregnancy was very intimidating for Catherine.
Ex 12: With his style and persona, Kelly found her date Richard, to be one of the most intimidating men she had ever met.

HOW MANY WORDS DO WE NEED TO KNOW ?

How many words do we need to know in order to be fluent in a language? 
Lots. But it does depend on your goals.

SIMPLE PAST

Topic: Forms and uses of the simple past
Level: Intermediate and advanced
This series is designed for upper level students. We will review how each verb tense is formed and used. We will be comparing and contrasting verb tenses as well.
De : "ENGLISH WITH JENNIFER" A site for language learners.

CANDID

Sometimes you are blunt and put your point forth very clearly without shying away. The word candid basically means to be truthful and straightforward in your expression. When you say something openly, you speak your thoughts without hiding anything, it means you are being candid. You are honest and direct even though the truth may sound unpleasant. It also means an informal photo which has been clicked naturally without formal posing. The word candid is an adjective as it describes someone of being honest and outspoken. The word candidly is an adverb as it describes the action of speaking honestly and the word candidness is a noun.
Example 01 : Samantha asked her friend, " Do you like my new hairstyle? Be candid."
Ex 02 : On their first date, Richard was so shocked when Michelle spoke candidly about her past life.
Ex 03 : The famous actress was very candid with the journalist during the interview and revealed many personal details of her life.
Ex 04 : The doctor candidly told his patient that there was no guarantee of his complete recovery after the lung transplant surgery.
Ex 05 : The Human recourses department gave candid feedback to all their employees about their annual performance.
Ex 06 : Julian is one of the most popular news reporters as he is very candid and doesn't manipulate facts.
Ex 07 : My friend often takes candid photos when I practice my for my dance competition.
Ex 08 : Maria candidly told Michelle, " I dislike your boyfriend, you deserve a better one!"
Ex 09 : The board of directors called for an urgent meeting with their investors to have a candid discussion about the company's precarious financial position.
Ex 10 : Samantha's candidness always gets her into misunderstandings with her colleagues, as no one can put up with her outspoken nature.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR IN USE

Para ver los propósitos de esta serie y como se manejan estos libros, HACER CLICK AQUI.

EGIU3B by electrav

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE AND PROGRESSIVE

Topic: Forms and uses of the present perfect and present perfect progressive
Level: Intermediate and advanced
This series is designed for upper level students. We will review how each verb tense is formed and used. We will be comparing and contrasting verb tenses as well.
De : "ENGLISH WITH JENNIFER" A site for language learners.

TO FIGHT TOOTH AND NAIL

Sometimes you use all your means and resources to achieve something in your life, or you put in a lot of efforts to oppose someone or something. To fight tooth and nail basically means to use all your resources to win a struggle. So to overcome a difficult opposition with someone, you fight tooth and nail. To win, you give it your best shot and leave no stone unturned. So when you fight tooth and nail for something, you will do anything and everything to get what you want.

You will use all your means or resources to be an achiever or a winner. For example, when two countries are battling a war, they fight tooth and nail, it means they use all their resources like manpower, weapons and technologies. To win, they are ready to even sacrifice their lives for their country.
Example 01 : James told Maria, " What a tough match ! They fought tooth and nail to win the world cup."
Ex 02 : Ben assured his father, "I'm going to fight tooth and nail to win the Inter-school elocution competition.
Ex 03 : To increase the literacy rate, The people fought tooth and nail to get new schools opened in their town.
Ex 04 : Both of the brothers, Peter and Andrew fought tooth and nail to get a higher share in their family business.
Ex 05 : Michelle told Kelly, "if my family disapproves of my boyfriend, I will fight them tooth and nail just to be with him." 
Ex 06 : The senior doctor fought tooth and nail to revive the patient who met with a fatal accident, he resorted to all the means like using the shock treatment.
Ex 07 : In some countries, women had to fight tooth and nail for their basic rights such as education.
Ex 08 : Richard is fighting tooth and nail to gain custody of his children as he is he divorcing his wife.
Ex 09 : On a lonely street, when Jack was attacked by a gangster, he fought tooth and nail, and later managed to reach the police station.
Ex 10 : During the promotion of a film, the fans and photographers fought the security tooth and nail to get a glimpse of their favorite star.
Ex 11 : Little John and Mary always fight tooth and nail to get the first turn to play games on their father's laptop.