Conversation:

Peter:         Hey George.  Let’s take a break.  I’m starting to get tired.

George:     Me too.  It’s not an easy job fixing up this old car.

Peter:         It sure isn’t.  My advice is to get rid of it and buy a nice used one.

George:     But I love this car.  It was my first.  Let’s keep on working till dinnertime.  Then we can eat out somewhere and finish the job afterwards.

Peter:         Okay.  What about that new Mexican restaurant on West Broadway?  I hear the food is really good.

George:      I don’t care for Mexican food.  It gives me heartburn.

Peter:          Then let’s go pick up some Chinese food and eat it here.

George:       In the meantime, could you give me a hand with this jack?

Peter:           Sure.  Let me turn off the engine first.

George:       I’ll be glad when this is done.  I’m sure looking forward to having a car that works.

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

Vocabulary:

•  heartburn:  a burning feeling in the chest
•  in the meantime:  while waiting to do something else
•  jack:  a tool that lifts part of a car so you can change a tire

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

Idioms:

• take a break (from)         stop working for a short time
• fix up                                       repair, make better
• get rid of                                not keep
• keep on                                   continue without stopping
• eat out                                     eat at a restaurant
• don’t care for                      don’t like
• pick up                                   go and get (someone or something) / lift
• give (someone) a hand  help / clap hands to show approval
• turn off                                   stop the operation (of a machine, lights, water, etc.)
• look forward to                  await with excitement

Notes:

Take a break is followed by from if there is an object.
Example:  Let’s take a break from studying and go get some coffee.

Keep on and go on are similar, but keep on means continue without stopping and
must be followed by an -ing verb.  Go on means continue after stopping and can be used alone without anything following.

Eat out is at a restaurant, but eat in is at home.
Example:  I’m a little tired tonight so let’s eat in.

Pick up has two meanings.  The other meaning is “to lift.”
Example:  Please pick up the garbage you dropped on the floor.

Give (someone) a hand has two meanings.  The other meaning is “clap hands to show approval.”  Example:  Let’s all give him a hand for a job well done.

Turn off and shut off have the same meaning.

© 2004 Ambien Malecot

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]

© 2004 Ambien Malecot