English Expressions- Giving Directions

Expression: Could you tell me how to get to ( …the library)? Response: Go to the next light and turn right. Go two blocks, it’s on the left.

Expression: How do I find ( … city hall)? Response: Just go straight, it’s on this street, on the right, about a mile and a half.

Expression: Which way do I go to get to ( … the post office)? Response: Drive to Jackson Street and turn right. The post office is in the middle of the block, across from the park.

Expression: Pardon me, I’m lost, how do I get to the ( … museum)? Response: Go to the second light and turn left. Then go the third stop sign. The museum is on that corner.

Today' lesson

Idioms

add fuel to the flames	If you add fuel to the flames, you do or say something that makes a difficult situation even worse. He forgot their wedding anniversary, and his apologies only added fuel to the flames.
all ears	To say that you are all ears means that you are listening very attentively. Of course I want to know - I'm all ears!
answer call of nature nature's call	When a person answers the call of nature, they go to the toilet. I had to get up in the middle of the night to answer the call of nature.

Caught in a storm

Black clouds gathered above us, but we were too intent on playing football. We hoped that the clouds would go away so that we could continue playing.Our hopes were dashed when suddenly heavy rain began to pour. In a few seconds we were all soaked to the skin. To make matters worst, lightning flashed dangerously close to us. The deafening thunder and howling wind did not help either. We ran towards a large tree under which we had parked our bicycles. The tree provided some shelter from the rain and we were tempted to remain under it. However we knew that it was dangerous to stay under a tree during a thunderstorm. So we got on our bicycles and pedalled off. There was no other shelter available nearby. So I, for one, decided to go home. Since I was already completely wet, I might was well to go home instead to seeking shelter. It was just about the fiercest storm I had ever been in. The driving rain made cycling difficult as I could not see more that a couple of metres in front of me. A car flashed past me. It was too close for comfort. Perhaps the driver did not even see me. So I thought it was better to stop somewhere before I got hit by another car. Luckily I found a bus-stop with a roof. I hurried gladly under the roof even though I had to share it with a dozen other people who were also soaked to the skin. It was a bit of a squeeze but no one complained. For an hour the storm lashed everything around us. We were silent spectators to an awesome display of power by nature. I felt very small and vulnerable, even afraid; but I could do nothing but watch. Finally the rain slowed down to a drizzle and the wind died down. I could still hear distant thunder but the worst of the storm was over. So happily I got on my bicycle and pedalled home.

dash sb's hopes   to destroy someone's hopes       vulnerable   able to be easily physically, emotionally, or mentally hurt, influenced or attacked       drizzle rain in very small light drops

Today's lesson

A proverb a day

Accidents will happen in the best regulated families – Unforeseen can happen with anybody. 

You need to be extremely cautious with electricity – The accidents will happen in the best regulated families.

Common errors in the use of tenses

• Incorrect: It is raining for two days.
• Correct: It has been raining for two days.
• Incorrect: The baby is sleeping for three hours now.
• Correct: The baby has been sleeping for three hours now.

Here the error lies in using the present continuous instead of the present perfect continuous. We use the present perfect continuous tense to talk about an action which started in the past, has gone on till the present and is still continuing.

• Incorrect: I have seen him yesterday.
• Correct: I saw him yesterday.
• Incorrect: He has returned from London last week.
• Correct: He returned from London last week.

A visit to the dentist

A visit to the dentist

My tooth hurt through the night. I had to take a painkiller to lessen the pain. Worst of all I did not get a wink of sleep the whole night through. The next morning. I told my mother about my toothache. It was obvious I could not go to school. So instead she took me to the dentist. I was horrified, but I had no choice. At nine o'clock we waited outside the dentist's office. The nurse came and opened the door. I was the first patient. She wrote down my particulars and told me to wait a moment. The dentist had not arrived yet. Meanwhile the tooth still ached like mad. The burly dentist arrived and I was ushered to the dentist's chair. Normally I would run away from the frightening surgery with all its horrible drills and pliers, but I did not. I had to get the offending tooth out. So I sat down on the reclining chair while the dentist kept saying some reassuring words. I relaxed somewhat. He asked me to open my mouth. I did so. He said that the tooth had to come out. I nodded dumbly in reply. I felt a slight prick of pain when he gave me an injection, but that was nothing compared to the toothache. Soon, miraculously, all pain disappeared. Theanaesthetic definitely worked very quickly. Then before I knew it, the dentist told me that I could go. I looked at him quizzedly and he told me he had already pull the tooth out. What wonder, I did not even feel it. The dentist put a wad of cotton over the wound and he told me to keep my mouth shut for a while. I nodded, smiled and went out into the waiting room where my mother was waiting for me. The visit to the dentist was not too bad after all.

not get a wink of sleep   not sleep at all       usher   to show someone where they should go       anaesthetic a drug which is used to make you unconscious when you have an operation so that you do not feel any pain

Story about the lion and the mouse and exercise

Once when a Lion was asleep, a little Mouse began running up and down upon him. This soon wakened the Lion, who placed his huge paw upon him and opened his big jaws to swallow him.

"Pardon, O King!" cried the little Mouse, "Forgive me this time. I shall never repeat it and I shall never forget your kindness. And who knows, but I may be able to do you a good turn one of these days?"

The Lion was so tickled at the idea of the Mouse being able to help him, that he lifted up his paw and let him go.

Sometime later a few hunters captured the King and tied him to a tree while they went in search of a wagon to carry him on.

Just then the little Mouse happened to pass by, and seeing the sad plight in which the Lion was, ran up to him and soon gnawed away the ropes that bound the King of the Beasts. "Was I not right?" said the little Mouse, very happy to help the Lion.

MORAL: Little friends may prove great friends.

Exercise about the story

What did the mouse do?

Why did he let the mouse go?

What did he call the lion?

Who captured the lion?

How did the mouse free the lion?

What does the moral mean?

Proverbs

Between the devil and the deep sea

To choose between two equally bad alternatives in a serious dilemma.









Absence makes the heart grow fonder – Our love for the loved ones grows more with the distance.

The two brothers deeply wish to meet as they haven’t seen each other since 10 years. After all, absence makes the heart grow fonder. 

Road safety

Road  safety

Everyday many people are involved in road accidents. Some are killed. Many more are injured or maimed. So it is important for us to learn to use the roads properly and safely. No sane person would like to be involved in an accident.As the roads are very busy nowadays, we should be very careful when crossing one. It is safer to use a pedestrian crossing or an overhead bridge whenever one is available. Never cross a road by dashing across it. That is inviting trouble. If there are no crossings, then we must look carefully right and left and cross only when it is safe to do so. Some of us take the bus to school. It is important that we do not try to get on or off a bus while it is still moving. I tried to get on a moving bus once. It dragged me a short distance and nearly ran over me. I was lucky to escape with only some scratches on my legs. Also we must not fool around while in the bus. A suddenly lurch can send us knocking our heads against something hard. Using a bicycle can be dangerous too. We must pay attention on the road and never cycle too far out to the middle of the road. We must obey all traffic rules. Also we must make sure our bicycles are in good condition with working brakes, lights etc. These are some things we can do to avoid accidents. However there is no guarantee that we will never be involved in one. The important thing is to stay alert at all times while using the roads. We must know what is happening around us. In that way we can take necessary action to avoid danger whenever we see one. Road safety is very much up to how we use the roads. Use them carefully and we may be able to use them for a long time. Use them carelessly and we may never be able to use them again.

maim   to injure a person so severely that a part of their body will no longer work as it should       dash   move quickly       lurch to move in an irregular way, especially making sudden movements backwards or forwards or from side to side

ATTENDING ENGLISH CLASS

I attend English classes at a language program in my city because I want to improve my communication skills. English has become the international language around the world, and I might be able to get better employment and make more friends if I learn to speak fluently. I take four classes a day that all focus on different language skills including reading, writing, listening, speaking, and grammar. I think that some people have a natural ability to pick up a language and master it, but I don't think I fit that group. Actually, learning to speak English well requires a great amount of effort, patience, and practice. Too often, students speak English in their classes, but they go back to using their native language after school ends. In fact, if you want to adjust to a new culture, you shouldmake it a point to study, review, and practice everything you are studying. Otherwise, you will never learn and fit into any group.

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English essay

My first day at school 

My mother accompanied me to school on the first day. Other parents accompanied their children as well. We all waited in front of the school office. Soon a teacher came and led us to some classrooms. There we were put into four separate classes. This was when some children began to cry as the parents were not allowed into the classrooms. I did not cry because I had been to kindergarten before. Actually my mother went home soon after for she knew I would be all right. It was an enjoyable time for me as I got to know my new classmates. The teacher was very busy writing down our particulars so we had plenty of time to ourselves. Meantime some children continued to sob while their parents looked in anxiously through the windows. Soon recess came. Some of us headed for the tuck-shop while the rest headed for their parents. I bought a drink with the money my mother gave me. Getting to know my new friends had made me thirsty. After recess we went back to out classroom and my new friends and I managed to coax two boys to stop crying. In fact, soon we were laughing and playing together. Once in a while the teacher had to tell us to keep quiet as we were making too much noise. Still some parents looked in anxiously through the windows. Finally the bell rang for us to go home. Some of us were very relieved to be reunited with our parents. I too was glad to see my mother waiting for me at the school gate. I had made many friends. It had been a wonderful first day at school. 


 sob to cry noisily
 tuck-shop A shop where candy and other sweets are sold 
 coax to persuade someone gently to do something

Common Errors ( Use of Articles)

Incorrect	I have a good news for you.
Correct	I have good news for you
Incorrect	The men are national beings.
Correct	Men are national beings.
Incorrect	The boys leave the school at four o'clock.
Correct	The boys leave school at four o'clock.
Incorrect	He sent a word that he would come soon.
Correct	He sent word that he would come soon.
Incorrect	I have read the Shakespeare's Macbeth.
Correct	I have read Shakespeare's Macbeth
Incorrect	You cannot set a foot in this house.
Correct	You cannot set foot in this house.
Incorrect	The envy is an evil passion.
Correct	Envy is an evil passion.
Incorrect	He has not yet gone to the bed.
Correct	He has not yet gone to bed.
Incorrect	He is Daniel in judgment.
Correct	He is a Daniel in judgment.
Incorrect	He made very wise decision.
Correct	He made a very wise decision.
Incorrect	Fire broke out in our village.
Correct	A fire broke out in our village.
Incorrect	Andamans are a group of islands.
Correct	The Andamans are a group of islands.