Unit 1 World of English When you need extra ex tra time before answering a question, these are useful expres sions: ➤ Well, let’s see… ➤ That’s a difficult one. Uh… ➤ That’s a good question. Well… ➤ Hmm, let me think… Well… ➤ Hmm, I’m not sure. I’d have to think ➤ Uh, it depends on the context. about that…
World of English
World of English
Approx Approximately imately 50% of the 3000 most common words in English are cog cognates nates in Romance languages. But in some con contexts texts Latin origin words can be too formal. For example, I think you should ter minate minate your relat relationsh ionship ip with with him. him. Fluent speakers use a lot of phra phrasal sal verbs, which sound more natural.
Compound adjectives are very common. Here are two types: participle: 1 Adjective / adverb + past participle: ➤ kind-hearted: someone with a kind heart. ➤ well-written: well-written: something that has been written well. participle (-ing ): ): 2 Adjective / adverb + present participle ➤ good-looking: someone who looks good. ➤ long-lasting: something that lasts for a long time.
World of English
World of English
On average, we spend about 45% of our communicating time listening, 30% speaking, 16% reading and 9% writing. Try to listen to English as often as you can, ideally a little every day. In conversation, use gestures and phrases to show you understand or check details.
In anecdotes, people often use the present tense, this and and these so so people and objects seem closer to the listener. As a language learner, telling telling stories about the pa st using the present tense can make your life easier. But, please, don’t do this in written English, nor mix the two tenses in one sentence! And if you’re not sure, use the past.
Unit 2 World of English
World of English
Remember! Adjectives in English only have one form. They don’t change for gender or plural and they always come before the noun.
or not any . No + or noun means not a or It’s often used to give extra emphasis.
World of English World of English Two Two common ways to express small quantities: There’s There’s
almost no
coral
There are
hardly any
pandas
left.
Ads often remove articles, auxiliary verbs or subjects to make sentences shorter and mo re exciting. This This kind of omi o mission ssion is called an ellip ellipsis. sis. For example: ➤ (You can) feel the power of the sun. ➤ (Our new car is) faster than you thought. ➤ (The) offer (is) limited to the United States. ➤ (Are you) tired of losing what’s left of your hair?
World of English Over 10% of the sounds of spoken English is the schwa / ə /. Auxili Auxiliary ary verbs, articles, pronouns and prepositions are usually unstressed, and their vowels are often reduced to / ə /.
Unit 3
World of English
World of English
Try to remember new words together, not in isolation. To help remember pronunciation, create sentences with rhyming sounds—even if they’re a little strange! ➤ I live in a d a ngerous a ncient A sian skyscra per.
Have is the third most common verb in English, after be and do . It can be a
main verb, an auxiliary or a participle. ➤ I had an extra portion and later realized that I had had too much to eat.
World of English Use though , al though and e ven though to express contrast. Use them at the beginning or in the middle of sentences. Though can also be used at the end of a sentence.
World of English The Past Simple is the most common pa st tense. In general, use the others like this: Past Continuous: an action in progress at a point in the past. ➤ I was watching TV when you called. Sorry! Past Perfect: one action that happened before another. ➤ By 8 p.m. Jo had done all her work, so she went home. Past Perfect Continuous: action in progress or repeated before a point in the past. ➤ But she’d been working so hard she fell asleep in the car.
Unit 4
World of English
World of English
Stress the penultimate syllable on words ending in -sion, -tion and -ic (except in po litics ). Stress the antepenultimate syllable when they end in -al , -cy , -gy , -phy , -try and -ty .
The suffix -ate is usually pronounced /еɪt/ in verbs and /ət/ in nouns and adjectives. Is Bill Gates a university graduate? Mark Zuckerberg didn’t graduate from Harvard. Sue finally got her intermediate certificate.
World of English The main differences between U.S. and UK English are in pronunciation, spelling and vocabulary. ➤ Theater / color (U.S.) but thea tre / colour (UK). ➤ College and university can be used as synonyms in the U.S. In the UK college me ans any institution after high school, but not university. ➤ To graduate in the U.S. means “to pass the final exams from any education institution,” but it is only used for university in the UK.
Unit 5 World of English
World of English
The suffix - ho lic describes people who do things compulsively: Confessions of a Shopa ho lic was a great movie. Singer Rihanna has confessed to being a choco ho li c . Others include alco ho lic , booka ho lic , worka ho lic —and you can even invent your own!
“gh” is usually silent but it can be pronounced: ➤ /f/ = cough, enough, laugh ➤ /g/ = Afghanistan, ghetto, ghost Pronounce both letters separately in compound words, e.g. big head .
World of English
World of English
There are lots of ways to refer to U.S. money: ➤ A grand (a thousand dollars—informal), a buck (a dollar—informal), a quarter (25 cents) and a dime (10 cents). Dead presidents is slang for cash. That’s because most U.S. bills show images of dead presidents, except Alexander Hamilton (on $20 bills) and Benjamin Franklin (on $100’s), who were not U.S. presidents.
We often use extra phrases with “it could be” to emphasize our uncertainty. ➤ I’m not sure but… ➤ Who knows?... ➤ I guess… ➤ I don’t know but…
World of English English has many port man teau words —two words combined to make a new word. infor ma tion + com mer cial = info mer cial Other examples include: ➤ affluence + influ enza = afflu enza (getting richer but not getting happier) ➤ anticipation + disappointment = anticipointment (strong disappointment when something you waited for is not so good) You can google portmanteau words to find some other examples.
Unit 6 World of English
World of English
World of English
Compound nouns combine two words. The stress is usually on the first part.
There are many different types of surprise. The emotion in your voice will show the difference, but the interjections are important too. Look at these examples:
To show surprise, echo information using a questioning intonation. Use word stres s to highlight the really surprising information.
➤
bill boards
➤
live gigs
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smart phone
➤
soap operas
➤
ca ble TV
➤
talk shows
➤
crime dramas
➤
course book
➤
Eek! Help! It’s a snake!
➤
Huh? Did you say left? Really? But it’s on the right.
➤
Wow! We won a vacation in Florida! Yeah!
➤
Whoa, dude! That skateboard is so cool.
➤
Huh, it’s raining again.
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Did you know Chuck Norris’s real name is actually Carlos? Huh? His name’s Carlos? No way! (not Chuck?)
Notice the use of actually to show something is really true.
World of English
World of English
Use on + digital / electronic media. on Facebook on the Internet on CD / DVD on a memory stick on video on the radio on TV Use in + paper. in print in a magazine in a (note)book in the (news)paper in a photo Exception: ➤ Please, write it on (a piece of) paper.
As and like are often confused. Both are used to compare actions, people or situations. Use like + noun to express similarity. ➤ She looks like Taylor Swift. ➤ He wants his hair like Superman’s. Use as for jobs, or functional uses. ➤ I worked as a taxi driver for three years. (job) ➤ We used our coats as umbrellas. (use)
World of English Pausing when you speak gives you time to think, express emotions, and breathe! You can sometimes fill pauses with phrases like “let me see...” or just “um...” .
Unit 7 World of English Double C is pronounced: /k/ (according, occur) /ks/ before e or i (accent, vaccine) ➤
Does the accommo da tion have Internet ac cess ?
World of English Say and tell are both in the top 25 most common verbs. Common collocations include: ➤
Do you always say please and thank you?
➤
Are you good at telling jokes and stories?
➤
Can you tell if someone is telling the truth or a lie?
World of English
World of English
There are lots of ways to ask someone to wait: ➤ Please hold. (on the phone only)
Indirect questions begin with phrases like: ➤
Do you know / remember…?
➤
Just a minute, please.
➤
Do you have any idea…?
➤
Wait a sec. (informal)
➤
Can / Could you tell me…?
➤
I wonder…
They make questions and requests softer or more polite.
World of English The /h/ in he , him and her is very weak or may not be pronounced at all. ➤
Does he like to hang out with his girlfriend and her friends?
Learning to recognize words like this makes it e asier to understand fluent speakers. Try it and you’ll sound more fluent too.
World of English Young people often use like in informal speech. Here are some examples: ➤ The party was, like, so cool. (filler speech) ➤ I was like “What are you doing?” and he was like “Nothing .” (quotative) ➤ It took, like, forever to get here. (to signal exagger ation) Remember these usages aren’t appropriate in many contexts.
World of English Point is the 33rd most common noun in English. Use it in different
ways to help you express your views. ➤ What’s your point exactly? (What are you trying to say?) ➤ OK, point taken . (I accept what you’re saying.) ➤ Please, get to the point! (Say what you really need to.)
World of English Note-taking is a useful learning skill to develop. When taking notes you should write as fast and economically as pos sible. Here are three ways to do that: ➤ Focus on the most important info (facts, dates, numbers) + ignore less relevant details. ➤ Omit articles, aux. verbs + prepositions— not usually important info. ➤ Use figures for numbers (7 out of 10 = 70%), symbols ( > = more than) + abbreviations (sts = students).
Unit 8 World of English When the object is the same as the subject, use one of the eight reflexive pronouns: self or selves. ➤ Be careful! You’re going to cut yourself! ➤ We have to help ourselves.
World of English Students tend to avoid using modal perfects because it’s easier to use adverbs. ➤ Maybe / Perhaps he got upset. = He might / may have gotten upset. ➤ I’m almost certain she saw us. = She must have seen us. ➤ I’m almost certain they didn’t know. = They can’t have known. These expressions are fine, of course, but if you use modals you’ll sound more natural and more sophisticated too.
World of English In causatives, have and get mean the same, but get is a little more common in spoken English. To emphasize that you did something without help, use a reflexive pronoun. ➤ “Where did you get your hair cut?” ➤ “Oh, I cut it myself actually.”
World of English Tag questions are very common in spoken English, but not in formal writing. Use them to ask the listener to make a comment and so keep the conversation open. They can have two different functions depending on your intonation. Rising intonation is usually a real question. It means “I’m not sure, so I’m checking.” Falling æ intonation is more like a statement. It means “I’m not really asking. I just want you to agree.”
World of English Predicting what the speaker is ab out to say is a very useful listening strategy. Here are three clues to listen for: 1 Use of adverbs: ➤ Dad was rushed to the hospital. Fortunately… — You know it’s good news. 2 Use of linking words: ➤ The economy was good last year. However… — You know it’s a contrast. ➤ Electric cars are greener. In addition… — You know it’s another point. 3 Intonation: ➤ “Would I like to live abroad?” “Hmm…” æ — You know the answer is probably no.
Unit 9 World of English
World of English
English verbs fall into four categories or a spects: 1 Simple (states, habits, single actions): I study
The passive voice is often used to move important information to the front of the sentence. Clauses can also be linked more clearly by using the passive—e.g., this sentence! Use it when the “doer” of a verb is unknown, unimportant or obvious.
English.
2 Continuous (progress): I am studying English. 3 Perfect (links a point in time with a previous action): I have studied English. 4 Perfect Continuous (progress before a point in time): I have been studying English.
Knowing how each aspect works c an help you to make different past, present and future verb combinations more easily.
World of English By is the 30 th most common word in English. It can
be used in lots of different ways. 1 Before a point in time: ➤
By 2030, printed books will have disappeared.
2 To say who did the action in passive sentences: ➤
The iPhone was created by Steve Jobs.
3 To explain how something can be done: ➤ You can refresh the page by pressing F5.
World of English It’s hard to remember prepositions and use them correctly. Here are three tips to help you: 1 Notice and learn prepositions in “chunks” or phrases. E.g., try to remember was charged with rather than just charged . 2 Try to visualize preposition phrases—even if your picture doesn’t make sense! 3 Memorizing and reusing a personal example really helps.
World of English Detecting sarcasm in writing, without intonation or facial expressions, isn’t easy. Four tips: ➤ If a sentence looks sarcastic, read it out loud. You might “hear” the sarcasm. ➤ Ask yourself “Does it make sense in this context?” “Thanks, American Air, for losing my bags again this year!” is a clear example of sarcasm. ➤
➤
Look for examples of exaggeration: “Aren’t you the greatest cook in the world!” Consider the style. Informal writing usually contains more sarcasm.
Unit 10 World of English
World of English
Binomials are pairs of words connected by a conjunction or a preposition. Their word order is usually fixed, so learn them as chunks. They are formed by: 1 Repeating the word or a synonym:
Try to remember prepositions in personalized phrases: ➤ I’m really good at learning languages. (adj. + prep.) ➤ What’s your excuse for not doing your homework this time? (noun + prep.) ➤ My dad’s always complaining about waking up early! (verb + prep.)
➤
➤
This program will teach you how to control your anger step by step . We will help you deal with each and every one of your problems.
2 Using opposites: ➤ It’s more or less like intensive meditation.
World of English If you use two verbs together, the second one can be either a gerund or an infinitive. Sometimes there’s no difference in meaning. Look: ➤ I began to study / studying English when I was six. ➤ I like to listen to / listening to classical music while I’m driving. But there are a few important exceptions, which you’ll learn later in this lesson. Stay tuned!
World of English When a phrasal verb (PV) needs an object, sometimes you can separate the verb and particle (you can split them up) and sometimes you can’t (nothing can come between them). Four tips to help you: 1 Most PVs with one particle are separable. If you use a pronoun, it always goes in the middle: Turn on the TV. / Turn the TV on. / Turn it on. 2 But some common PVs with one particle are inseparable: I’m looking for a job . If you’re not sure, say it out loud, separating the verb and the par ticle. If the verb is inseparable, the sentence will sound really strange! I’m looking a job for (!) 3 PVs with two particles are usually inseparable: She cut down on sugar . 4 To remember new PVs, create a useful, personal example. Get out of here ! You couldn’t make that up ! Use them as often as you can until they become “friends.”
World of English Congratulations! You’ve finished “intermediate level.” Most learners don’t get this far! To keep improving, speak more often, watch more videos, read things you’re interested in. The Internet is a fabulous resource. Maybe take an international exam, too. It will motivate you to study more, you’ll feel great when you pass and it might help you get a better job. Good luck!
