Level 1 idioms – Unit 01

Conversation:

Joey:            Who are you?

Sally:            My name is Sally.  My mom is inside visiting your mom.  She said you’re going to be in the same class as me this year.  Is it true we can get on the bus for school just across the street?

Joey:            Yes.  And we can get off at 49th Street right in front of the school.

Sally:            That’s great.  Do you know anything about our teacher?

Joey:            Ms. Foster?  Yes.  First of all, she’s mean, and she gives a lot of homework.

Sally:            Really?  Go on.

Joey:            When she calls on you, you have to stand up, and if your homework isn’t perfect, she makes you do it over.

Sally:            Wow!  She sounds tough.

Joey:            She is.  Sometimes she even makes a student wait on her by getting her coffee from the vending machine down the hall.  One time, a student couldn’t get her coffee because the machine was out of order.  As punishment, he had to hold on to the doorknob for an hour before she said he could let go.  It took him a month to get over it.

Sally:            Are you leaving anything out?  Like maybe that she wears black and flies on a broom?

Click on the audio recording  below to hear the lesson.

Pronunciation Exercise:  Listen to and repeat the vocabulary on the audio file below.

Vocabulary: 

•  mean:     treating other people badly
•  tough:     making students follow the rules exactly
•  vending machine:     a machine that sells things
•  doorknob:     a round door handle
•  wears black and flies on a broom:     she’s a witch, or a very bad person.

Pronunciation Exercise:  Listen and repeat the idioms on the audio file below.

Idioms:

•  get on                      enter (a bus, plane, train, boat)
•  get off                      leave (a bus, plane, train, boat)
•  go on (with)         continue after stopping
•  call on                     choose (a student) to answer a question
•  do over                   do again, repeat
•  wait on                    serve food or do things for (someone)
•  out of order          not working right / not in sequence
•  let go (of)                stop holding
•  get over                    get well (after a sickness or sadness)
•  leave out                  not include

Notes:

Go on is used alone if no object follows it.  Go on with is used if an object follows it.
Example:  Go on with your work.  Don’t let me stop you.  [your work = object]

Out of order has two meanings.  The other meaning is “not in sequence.”
Example:  The dates on this list are out of order.  November should not be before September.

Let go is used alone if no object follows it.  Let go of is used if an object follows it.
Example:  You can let go of my hand now.  [my hand = object]

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© 2004 Ambien Malecot