PRACTICAL ENGLISH

  "You have so much time on your hands." Meaning To have a lot of free time and not know what to do with it. To have extra or spare time in which one has nothing specific to do or accomplish. Example Dialog Two friends have met on the street and are talking ... Friend 1 :  Hey, I thought you had English class right now. Friend 2 :  We were supposed to have class but it was canceled. Friend 1 :  Oh well, since you  have some time on  your  hands , would you like to go for a coffee? Friend 2 :  OK.  I don't really have anything better to do. Example Sentences Children need discipline and planned activities. If they have too much time on their hands , they can get into trouble. I'll have a bit more time on my hands now that we've finished the year-end audit. Our kids had too much time on their hands last summer break, so we decided to enroll them in a few different summer camps to keep them occupied. Now the children have left home, she’s ...

  "Keep on your toes" Meaning To make sure that someone gives all their attention to what they are doing and is ready for anything that might happen or  If you say that someone or something keeps you on your toes , you mean that they cause you to remain alert and and prepared to deal with problems or anything that might happen. If someone or something keeps you on your toes , they stop you being lazy or relaxed and force you to be ready for anything that might happen. Example Sentences Having two kids under age five sure keeps me on my toes! It's always good to have a little bit of change in your job, because it keeps you on your toes , doesn't it? This job really keeps me on my toes. They do random checks to keep workers on their toes. Inflation, which depletes the value of stocks and bonds, also keeps investors on their toes. With a test every Friday, she keeps her students on their toes. I work with people who are half my age, so that keeps me on my toes. The b...

"Don't bite off more than you can chew." Meaning This means to do something that is too difficult or to make a commitment that you can’t keep. Take on more work or a bigger task than you can handle; something that's too difficult for you. Attempt to do something which is hardly achievable. If you say that someone has bitten off more than they can chew, you mean that they are trying to do something which is too difficult for them. Example Dialog Professor:  Hello Bernie.  I'm sorry that I have to see you again. Bernie:  I'm sorry, professor.  I tried as hard as I could. Professor:  What seems to be the problem? Bernie:  Well, sir, I decided to take a full course load and I have a part-time job.  I also play hockey and am on the debate team. Professor:  Do you think that you may have bitten off more than you can chew ? Bernie:   Maybe.  I will see what I can do to adjust my workload. Example Sentences I think he's bitten off more than...

"You've gone too far." "She takes it too far." Meaning To "go too far" means to behave in a way that upsets or annoys people. To " take (something) too far"  means to do something, often some form of misbehavior, to an excessive degree;  To overdo something or to exceed reasonable limits. Example Sentences Well, your little brother is crying now because you took your teasing too far. His jokes are funny, but sometimes he goes too far. This time, you've gone too far and I will never allow you to talk about my personal life anymore. Artificial intelligence has come a long way in the last two decades. Has the development of AI gone too far? What are some school punishments that went too far ? What punishment did you receive from your parents that went too far? She likes to dress strangely, but sometimes she takes it too far . Last week she just wore a garbage bag! I know that my mother and my wife don't get along well but my mother ha...

  "I got carried away." Meaning To get too emotional and then do something silly. To get carried away is defined as to become overly excited or involved in something that you lose control of your feelings or behavior An example of get carried away is when you are really excited about having a first birthday party for your child that you stress and obsess and spend thousands and thousands of dollars. Example Sentences I shouldn't have behaved like that. I just got carried away. They allowed themselves to be carried away by fear. It's easy to get carried away when shopping for a newborn. Buying cat supplies can be so much fun you just might get carried away. It is easy to get carried away when shopping and buying something that is over budget. In the rush to buy a property, it's easy to get carried away with a rising market and lose sight of financial reality. We should not be carried away by our success that we may forget the risk of failure. The better thin...

  "A blessing in disguise" Meaning  An unfortunate event that later leads to an advantageous situation. A misfortune that unexpectedly turns into good fortune. You can say something is a blessing in disguise if it appears to be bad at first, but it results in something very good in the end. Example Sentences Losing that job turned out to be a blessing in disguise for him as it forced him to start up his own business.  Being caught in that traffic jam was a blessing in disguise. If I hadn't missed the flight, I would have been on that plane when it crashed. His accident was a blessing in disguise because it gave him lots of time to think about his life while he was recovering, and as a result he made some important changes that improved his life. The lockdown in 2020 proved to be a blessing in disguise. It gave me lots of time to spend with my family. When Pete fractured his knee, it was a blessing in disguise , for he got some much-needed rest and a break from his...

  "Take for granted" Meaning Fail to properly appreciate (someone or something), especially as a result of overfamiliarity. to underestimate the value of something or someone when a person is not being paid enough for the job that they do to assume that something is true without having proof to assume that someone will always be available even though they are not appreciated Example Sentences We often take our freedom for granted. I'm tired of being taken for granted. I feel like my boss is taking me for granted. I work harder than anyone else and my salary is still below average. I think that you take your husband for granted. He is always sending you flowers and doing nice things for you, and you never appreciate it.  A comfortable bed to sleep in is a luxury that we take for granted. There are many things I take for granted and don't even realize. Electricity is a modern convenience that many of us take for granted. He doesn’t appreciate how lucky he is to ha...