PRACTICAL ENGLISH

Idiom: All walks of life Meaning: Walk of life means the job someone does or the position they have in society. This phrase is used to describe people coming from different ethnicities, socioeconomic classes and backgrounds. When people talk about walk(s) of life , they are referring to different types of jobs and different levels of society Generally, it means all types of people, all types of jobs - lawyers, nurses, plumbers, rich people, poor people, middle-income people, kids, moms, dads, grandparents, etc. Example Dialog1 A: How was your trip to Europe? B: It was great. I met people from all walks of life. Example Dialog2 A: I want to be part of your organization. What are the qualifications? B: There's no specific requirements or qualifications. People from all walks of life are welcome to join our organization. Example Sentences "People from all walks of life today are having access to digital money transfer and online shopping." "People from all walks of l...

Phrasal Verb: Stay Up  Meaning: To continue to be awake past the time when one usually goes to bed If you stay up at night, that means you are not going to bed. Related words: stay awake; not sleep Example Dialog 1 A: Dad, can I stay up late tonight? B: OK. You can stay up till 11:00, but just this once. Example Dialog 2 A: It's already late. Aren't you going to bed yet? B:  Not yet. I have to stay up  until my favorite late night show ends. Example Sentences "Josh could stay up all night without getting tired." "We stayed up late to watch a movie." "They stayed up all night." "I stayed up to watch the Olympics on TV." "The kids were allowed to stay up till midnight on New Year's Eve." "I'll be late home so don't stay up waiting for me." "We stayed up till 3:00, chatting about the old times." "These days if I stay up late one night I'm exhausted the next morning." "Di...

Meaning: "There's no such thing" means 'that does not exist' . Sometimes followed by "as" and the thing that one is claiming does not exist. Usage: We use this phrase when we want to say that something is not real or does not exist. You have to put a strong stress on "no such thing" when saying this expression. We also use this phrase to talk about a combination that we think is impossible. Example Dialog 1 A: Have you ever seen a ghost? B : Of course not. There's no such thing as ghosts. They don't exist. Example Dialog 2 A: You know what they say, there's no such thing as a free lunch. B: Sure, someone always wants something from you when they offer you lunch. Example Dialog 3 A: Do you believe in mermaids? B: Are you serious? There's no such thing! Example Sentences "There's  no such thing  as vampires." "There's  no such thing  as an original story." There really is  no such thing  as a t...

Fill up ,  fill out  and  fill in  are phrasal verbs. That's a verb + a particle (a preposition or an adverb). All three use ' fill ', which means 'put something in an empty space' .  These expressions are commonly confused by English learners. Meaning: 1. Fill up – . (mainly of a fuel tank)  to make full; to become full 2. Fill out – (transitive)  often means 'complete a form or document', usually one where blank spaces have been provided for you write in. 3. Fill in –  (transitive) to complete a form or questionnaire with requested information. It can also mean  to put material into a hole, trench, or space so that it is completely full. So we see that “ fill in ” and “ fill out ” can be interchanged that means to complete a questionnaire, survey or form with the necessary information.  However, "fill in" can be similar to “fill up” that means to make something full. “Fill up” cannot be used to mean “complete a form”.  The approp...

Meaning :  Guts is the will and courage to do something which is difficult or unpleasant, or which might have unpleasant results. If you have the guts, that means you have the courage to do something whatever the result will be. Similar words: brave; courage Explanation : "Guts" is the stomach area. Having "guts" is representing you have a strong stomach. When you have "guts" you are saying you are brave or have a lot of courage. Example Dialog 1 A:   "I heard you went to Sky Mountain Park. How was it?" B:   "It was pretty fun." A:   "Did you go on the monster ride?" B:   "No. I didn't  have the guts  to go on that ride. It was too scary." Example Dialog 2 A:  I want to start investing in the stock market, but I don’t have the guts to do it. B:  Why not? Investing in the stock market is not scary. You don’t need courage to do it. A:  It is scary to me. What if I lose all of my money? B:  Investing in stocks does...

There are different ways to use the phrasal verb "work out" . In this lesson, we'll talk about the most common uses of "work out" with example sentences. Work out : Meaning 1 If you work out a solution to a problem, you do something to solve it. Example Sentences "We’ve worked out our differences." "I think we could work our relationship   out ." "Personally, I think people would be better off if they'd work out their own problems." "It took me some time to work out what was causing this." Related words: overcome, solve Work out : Meaning 2  If a situation works out well or works out, it means it becomes successful or ends in a particular way Example Sentences "If it doesn’t work out , you can always start again." "They're happy their plans worked out well." "I'm sorry things didn't work out well for you, but I can't do anything about it." "Things just didn't w...

1. Pay off Meaning : To finish paying all the money you owed for something Example Sentences :  Don't borrow money to pay off your debts without thinking carefully. He managed to pay off all his debts and had a good plan to return at least a portion of his investors' capital. We  paid off  our mortgage after fifteen years. Note: mortgage - a legal agreement in which you borrow money from a bank in order to buy a house . 2. Rip off Meaning : T o cheat someone, especially by charging them too much money for something Example Sentences :  Tourists are worried they’ll get ripped off by the locals . Tourists complain of being  ripped off  by local taxi drivers. This  government  is  ripping  off the  country . 3. Save up Meaning : T o regularly put money in a bank or keeping money and not spending it so that you can use it later Example  Sentences : My parents are  saving up  for a trip to New York. She spent all ...

Meaning:  If you say that something is easier said than done, you are emphasizing that although it sounds like a good idea in theory, you think it would be difficult to actually do it. Usage : This is used when something is easy to say but very hard to do. Explanation : This phrase is very literal. Often times people tell you to do something that sounds easy, but it is actually hard. So in response, you can say this phrase. Example Dialog A:  You seem so busy these days. B:  Yeah. I've been studying stock trading courses. A:  Do you really need to spend so much time studying that? A:   "Do you do any stock trading?" B:   "No, but how hard could it be. Just buy when it goes down and sell when it goes up." A:   "It's  easier said than done ." Example  Sentences "That's  easier said than done ." "It's a lot tougher than that. It's one of those things that are  easier said than done ." "Michael thinks everything is...

Sick and Tired Meaning:  Annoyed about or bored with (someone or something) and unwilling to put up with them any longer. Usage : Used when you no longer enjoy something because you have done it too many times. Explanation : It is common to say, "I'm sick of it" or "I'm tired of it." Both of these are negative terms. If you have to do something again, it will either make you feel sick or tired because you do not enjoy it. Example Dialog A:  "What are you going to have for lunch today?" B:  "I don't know... how about a burger?" A:  "No. I eat that almost everyday. I'm getting  sick and tired  of them." B:  "Let's go eat chicken then." Example Sentences "I'm  sick and tired  of eating the same thing for lunch everyday." "I'm getting  sick and tired  of this song. They play it way too often at this club." "I'm  sick and tired  of listening to him nag all the time." ...

Meaning: An expression you say when someone tells you something ridiculous or silly. Usage: This expression is used when someone says something surprising or that the statement seems not serious or true. Explanation : " Kidding " is the same as joking . When a person hears something that is true, but it is not expected, the person will use this idiom to express that the statement is ridiculous. Another way of saying this is " Are you kidding? " or " Are you kidding me? ". Example Dialog 1 A:   "Hey Jared. Mom told me to tell you that you shouldn't stay out too late." B:   " You've got to be kidding me . I'm 30 years old." Example Dialog 2 A:  "Patrick won the school election by two votes." B:  "He's not that popular. How did this happen?" A:  "Not everyone voted because they expected Jason to win." B:  " You've got to be kidding me ." Example Dialog 3 A:  "Are you sure you...

Meaning: T o continue to do something despite difficulties. Usage : Used to encourage someone to not give up; to be persistent; to not lose hope  Explanation : Another term that is often used is "hanging by a thread." In both phrases, the word "hang" is referring to holding to something. If you are holding on to a branch, then letting go indicates that you fall down and fail. Hanging by a thread is barely holding on. So when you tell someone to "hang in there," you are telling them to not let go and keep on fighting even though it is hard. Example  Dialog 1 A:  "Work is not going well right now. They are talking about laying people off soon." B.   "Just try and  hang in there. Hopefully things get better." Note: lay off - means to end someone's employment, especially temporarily, because there is not enough work for them Example  Dialog 2 A:  I’m starting to get burned out. We have been working overtime every day for the past three...

Meaning/Usage : T o make a decision about something : to decide. Explanation : This is usually used when someone can't make a decision. Not only does it mean to make a decision, it also implies to do it quickly. Example Dialog A:   "I don't know which one to get." B:   "They're both pretty good, so just pick one." A:   "I always regret it when I pick the wrong one." B:   "You're picking between white chocolate or regular chocolate. There is no wrong answer so hurry up and  make up your mind ." Example Sentences "We don't have all day. Hurry up and  make up your mind ." " Make up your mind , we don't have much time." "I can't  make up my mind . Can you help me decide?" "If you don't  make up your mind , I'll choose for you." " Both of them look really good. I can't  make up my mind . "   Other Common Sentences " I can't decide which one to take. ...

Dialogue Practice Jessica and Grace are talking about Alice's wedding. A:   Have you heard the news? Justin and Alice are getting married! B: I know, isn’t it wonderful? A: It's going to be a big day . I hope there isn't any drama . B:  Yeah, especially since Alice's dad doesn't like Justin. A: That's right. I wonder what he's going to say in his speech. B:   That's something to look forward to . I bet he'll make a joke about Justin's hair style. A:   I wouldn't be surprised if Alice tells him not to mention it. B:   Where's it going to be? A:   In the Grand Ballroom of the Waterfront Hotel. B:   Wow! How can they afford that? A:   Who knows? Maybe Justin sold his motorbike. B:   I doubt it . Check your understanding: Who is getting married? Who doesn't like Justin? Where are they having the wedding reception? Discussion What are the wedding customs in your country? In your country, where wedding ceremonies usually take place? Wh...