By Bobby McFerrin

an American singer and conductor who has won 10 Grammy Awards.  He is best know for this song, which he recorded in 1988.

 

Vocabulary:

double – twice as much
ain’t got – don’t have
landlord – the person you pay rent to
litigate – take  you to court to get money from you
style – nice clothes to wear 
gal – girl
frown – look angry
bring everybody down – make everybody unhappy
whatever it is – it doesn’t matter what it is

© 2015 Ambien Malecot for vocabulary lesson only 

 

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adequate:   as much or good as necessary but no more.
His $12 tip was adequate, but certainly not generous.
Her knowledge of cooking is adequate.  She’ll learn more as she gets older.

confident:  feeling sure of yourself, feeling able to do something.
I’m confident that you’ll be able to learn 15 new words every 3 days.
She married a confident man who knew how to take care of her.

evident:   easy to see or understand
It is evident that you know a lot about cars.
They cleaned the house well, so last night’s party wasn’t evident.

hectic:   very busy but a little disorganized
I’ve had a hectic day and I’m really tired.
Shopping on Saturday afternoon was a hectic experience.

indifferent:   not interested, not caring
I’m indifferent about where we go for our next holiday.  You decide.
I’m worried about her.  She seemed indifferent about losing her job.

mediocre:   neither good nor bad, of ordinary quality
I won’t go back to that restaurant.  The food is mediocre and the service is terrible.
Unfortunately, he’s just a mediocre student.

numb:   unable to physically or mentally feel anything
After I took off those tight shoes, my toes were numb.
She felt numb after the death of her husband.

ordinary:   common, average, not special
It’s just an ordinary movie.  Don’t waste your money.
His house looked very ordinary from the outside.

permanent:   lasting forever
He has a permanent scar on his forehead from the skiing accident.
If you burn those photos, it’s permanent, you know.

personal:   private, belonging only to you
He was absent from work for personal reasons.
In my personal opinion, they should never have gotten married.

scented:   nice smelling
Those scented candles fill the room with a wonderful smell.
Most air fresheners are scented.

shallow:   not at all deep
The water here is shallow enough for the children to swim in.
The Arctic ocean is the most shallow of all oceans.

traditional:   the same for many generations
It’s traditional in our family to get married in June.
We’re having a traditional Thanksgiving this year.

unmoved:   not feeling emotion
The policeman seemed unmoved by her sad story.
He tried to hide his emotions because he wanted her to think he was unmoved.

wholesome:   healthy to eat
Many people know that bananas are a wholesome food.
I only eat wholesome cereal for breakfast.

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

Use these flashcards to help you study.

 

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercises.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

Conversation:

Morna:    Hi, Peggy.  Why do you have on gym clothes?

Peggy:      I just came from my aerobics class at the Community Centre.  Why don’t you come with me tomorrow morning and sign up?

Morna:     I don’t know.  I have to catch up on my reading for Art History.

Peggy:      That sounds like an excuse to me.   Come on.  It’ll be fun.  We can warm up by jogging there.

Morna:     I’ll think it over tonight and call you in the morning.  First, I need to talk it over with my husband since he’ll have to drop the kids off at school if I start doing this with you.

Peggy:      Take it easy.  I’m sure he’ll support you.

Morna:     Also, I don’t want it to wear me out before I go to work.

Peggy:       Don’t worry.  I find it actually gives me more energy.  Why don’t you just try it out once and see how you feel?

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

Vocabulary:

•  aerobics:  a type of exercising where you breathe hard
•  excuse:  a reason that’s not very good
•  jogging:  slow running

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

Idioms:

have on                                  be wearing
sign up (for)                       register (for a course or activity)
catch up (on/with/to)   go as fast as or do as much work as everyone else
warm up                               prepare for before doing / heat
think over                            consider
talk over                               discuss with someone
drop off                                drive (someone somewhere) / deliver (something)
take it easy                          don’t get upset, relax
wear out                               make (someone) very tired / make (something) old because of use
try out                                    test (something) before buying

Notes:

Catch up is followed by on in front of a thing.
Example:  I have to catch up on my reading.
It is followed by with or to in front of people.
Example:  Let’s run faster and catch up to (or with) John.
If nothing follows, then don’t use a preposition.
Example:  I missed a lot of work when I was absent, so now I have to catch up.

Warm up has 2 meanings.  The other one is “heat.”
Example:  For dinner, I think I’ll warm up yesterday’s pizza.

Drop off has 2 meanings.  The other one is “deliver (something).”
Example:  I need to drop off my drycleaning on the way to work.

Take it easy and calm down have the same meaning.

Wear out has 2 meanings.  The other one is “make (something) old because of use.”
Example:  She wore out her jeans by wearing them every day last year.

© 2004 Ambien Malecot

 

Conversation:

Alice:    You look awfully tired today.  What happened?  Did you stay out late last night?

Judy:    No, but I stayed up till one-thirty finishing my English homework because I misplaced my textbook and looked for it for almost an hour before I found it.  You look a little tired yourself.

Alice:    I am.  I didn’t turn in till nearly two o’clock.  I was out until ten.  Then when I got home,  an old friend dropped in on me, and we talked for a long time.  She was pretty upset, but I think I helped her calm down.  You see, she was engaged, but called it off  when she found out her boyfriend was already married.

Judy:    What a jerk!  Is she alright?

Alice:    Yes.  The guy showed up the next day with a bouquet of flowers, but she told him it was over and he left.

Judy:    What a story!  I guess sooner or later you hear everything.

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

Vocabulary:

•  awfully:  very
•  misplaced:   put in the wrong place and lost
•  engaged:  promised in marriage
•  jerk:   a bad man
•  bouquet:   a lot together
•  over:  finished, ended
Pronunciation Exercise:  Listen and repeat the idioms on the audio file below.

Idioms:

stay out                                 not come home
stay up                                  not go to bed
look for                                 try to find
turn in                                   go to bed / give to the teacher or boss
be out                                    be gone from home or work / not have any more
drop in on (someone)          visit by surprise
calm down                            relax
call off                                   cancel (an event)
show up                                arrive
sooner or later                    at some time in the future

Notes:

Turn in has 2 meanings.  The other one is “give to the teacher or boss.”
Example:  Did you remember to turn in your keys before you left your last job?

Be out has 2 meanings.  The other one is “not have any more.”
Example:  Oh no!  We are out of ice, and the party just started.

Drop in on (someone) and drop by are similar, but drop in on is followed by a person.
Example:  Let’s go drop in on my brother tonight.

Drop by is either followed by a place or by no object.
Example:  My door is always open.  Why don’t you drop by (my office) sometime.

© 2004 Ambien Malecot

 

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

 

My students often ask me how they can become better readers.  I tell them that the more they practice, the better they will get.  In other words, they need to read more.  One way to do this is to get any English newspaper and read it everyday.  Here in Vancouver, we have 2 free newspapers, which you can get on many street corners.  They are written in a simpler English but not an overly simple ESL English.  Even 15 minutes of reading a day can make you much better even over a short 10-week period.  The advantage to reading a newspaper is that you may already know the news stories because you have read or heard about them in your first language.  If you are now going to school to learn English, you can go to the library there and find ESL novels.  Just ask the librarian to show you where they are.  These books are often popular stories that you may have already read in your first language, but they are written for people learning English, so they are much easier to understand.  Yes, you will see new vocabulary, but if it’s a novel at the correct level for you, it won’t have more than 6 new words on one page.  That means that a whole novel will introduce to you hundreds of new words.  Every time you read one of these new words, you remember it a little better and increase your English vocabulary.  Having a good vocabulary will make you a better reader.  I always tell my students not to use their dictionaries when they read.  I tell them to guess at the meaning of a new word and keep reading.  It’s much better to read continuously than to stop every time there’s a word that’s new to you, forcing you to use your dictionary.  Stopping six times on every page will make reading a chore, and you won’t enjoy it.  Reading should be fun!  When you learn how to guess at the meaning of a new word, your reading will be much faster, and you’ll be more interested in the story.  How do you guess?  You look at the words around the new word and figure out what kind of word it is (noun, verb, adjective, adverb, etc.).  If you decide it’s a verb, for example, then you know it’s some kind of action, so make a guess.  When you see the new word a second time (and you will), guess again and see if it’s the same guess you made the first time.  If it is, then you’re probably right about the meaning of the word.  If it isn’t the same, then and only then will you need to use your dictionary.

Click on the audio recording  below to hear the lesson.

Vocabulary:

period – length of time
advantage – the part that makes something easier
novel – a book that tells a story
popular – known all over the world
introduce – show you
increase – make bigger
vocabulary – all the words that you know
dictionary – a book with the meanings of words
guess – give a word a meaning even though it could be wrong
continuously – without stopping
chore – a job you don’t want to do
action – doing something

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

© 2012 Ambien Malecot

I’m sure you’ve taken a multiple choice test before.  You know.  The kind where you have to choose the correct answer from a list of 4 different answers: A, B, C, or D.  Although these kinds of tests look easy, they may be difficult because they are often tricky.  To increase your chances of getting a high score on one of these tests, you can apply the following tips.

1.  Because the most common answers are B and C, if you have no idea at all which answer is correct, choose one of those, but always choose the same one (either B or C).  The reason for these “guess answers” is because A is the answer only 23% of the time, and the same is true for D.  However, both B and C are the answers 27% of the time, so you have a better chance of guessing a right answer if you choose B or C.

2.  Any answer choice that’s very different from the others is wrong, and you can eliminate it as a correct answer.  The reason is because a good test maker can easily make up one or two incorrect answers that look like the correct answer, but something is always wrong.  However, even a very good test maker has trouble thinking of a third wrong answer, so what they make up is often very different than the correct answer or the two almost correct answers.

Example:

This cake tastes ____________ than the others.

a.  good
b.  better
c.  the best
d.  well

A, B and C are all part of the same adjective group, but D (an adverb) isn’t part of that group, so it can be eliminated.

3.  If two answers are almost the same, the answer is one of those two and not the others.  For example, test makers like to reverse two words in an incorrect answer, so the correct answer and this answer look almost the same.

Example:

He said to his parents, “Don’t wait up for me.”

a.  He told his parents don’t wait up for him.
b.  He told his parents to not wait up for him.
c.  He told his parents not to wait up for him.
d.  He told his parents wait not up for him.

B and C are almost the same.  Two words (not, to) are reversed in B and C.  Therefore, either one could be the right answer, and you have a 50/50 chance of getting it right.  By the way, C is correct.

4.  The answer with the most repetitions in the other answers is correct.

Example:

Today there are a few clouds.  Yesterday there were more.

a.  It’s not as cloudy today as yesterday
b.  It’s more cloudy today.
c.  It’s less cloudy today as yesterday.
d.  It’s not more cloudier than yesterday.

The correct answer (A) has more repetitions than any of the other answers.  For example, It’s is repeated in all four, not is repeated in D, cloudy is repeated in B and C, today is repeated in B and C, as is repeated in C, and yesterday is repeated in C and D.

5.  There is a correct way to guess at an answer, and if you use this method, you will guess correctly more times than if you have no method at all.  First, eliminate any answer choices that you know are wrong, but only if you’re sure they’re wrong.  You don’t want to eliminate the correct answer, so be careful.  Then choose the first of the remaining answer choices.  For example, if you know that A and B are both wrong, then choose C (the first remaining answer).

Of course, there’s no substitute for studying, but if you have to, you can use these 5 tips to increase your score on any multiple choice test.

Click on the audio recording  below to hear the lesson.

Vocabulary:

tricky:  having a wrong answer that looks right or a right answer that looks wrong
score:  the number of right answers
eliminate:  to remove or get rid of
make up:  create in their minds
repetitions:  two or more of the same word
method:  way of doing something
remaining:  still there, not eliminated
substitute:  thing you can do instead

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

© 2014 Ambien Malecot

• Simple sentences

These are sentences that have only one independent clause.  An independent clause has one or more subjects, a single verb and usually some other words.

Examples:

John saw a strange man near the entrance.
In the new year my wife and I intend to get better jobs.

Other kinds of simple sentences are:

• Passive voice:

Examples:

A strange man was seen near the entrance.
The library was built over a hundred years ago.

• Sentences with subject-verb inversions 

     • Starting with negative words:

Examples:

     Not once has he studied adequately for a test.
     Rarely does the professor change a student’s marks.

     • Starting with limiting words

Examples:

     Little does he know about astronomy.
     Only once was she late for class.

• Starting with prepositional phrases of location

Examples:

     On his desk was the first draft of his term paper.
     Off the coast of B.C. lie the Queen Charlotte Islands.

• Compound sentences

These are sentences that have two or more independent clauses.  Between the two clauses is one of these conjunctions:  for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so, or a semicolon ( ; ).  With and, but, or the second clause doesn’t have to have a subject if it’s the same as the subject in the first clause.

Examples:

Peter was pleased with his results on the test, for he had studied many hours for it.
We decided to go to the park and have a picnic.
I am not buying her a present, nor am I going to her party.
Note:  After nor, the subject and verb are inverted.
Jack was tired, but he finished all his homework before bedtime.
She‘s studying at her friends house, or she‘s in the library.
Everything was quiet, yet there was an excitement in the air.
Cindy got promoted at work, so she and her friends went out to celebrate.
The professor was very pleased; all of the students were present and on time.

Special kinds of compound sentences are

• Sentences with paired conjunctions

Not only/but also:

Examples:

Not only is she a good athlete, but she is also a scholar.
Note:  When not only starts the sentence, the subject and verb that follow are inverted.
She not only writes poetry but she also composes songs.

Either … or:

Examples:

Either I’m going to pass all my courses, or I’m going to die trying.
I’m going to either pass all my courses or die trying.

Neither … nor:

Examples:

Neither is the team prepared for, nor is it capable of winning the game.
Note:  When neither starts a sentence, the subject and verb that follow are inverted.
He will neither fly nor will he take the train to visit his sister.

• Proportional sentences:

Examples:

The harder Jack works, the better his grades are.
The more fried food I eat, the fatter I get.

• Complex sentences

These are sentences that have one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses.  These dependent clauses could be adverb clauses, adjective clauses, or noun clauses, all of which start with markers.

Examples:

Jack went to bed before he finished all his homework.
Jack went to bed early, which was unusual for him.
What Jack told me was a secret.

Special kinds of complex sentences are conditional sentences.

• Conditional sentences

These are sentences that have an “if” clause (adverb clause) and an independent clause.

Examples:

If Jack doesn’t finish his homework, the teacher will be disappointed.
If Jack didn’t finish his homework, the teacher would be disappointed.
If Jack hadn’t finished his homework, the teacher would have been disappointed.

Another special kind of complex sentence is one with subject-verb inversions

     • Starting with negative words:

Example:

     No sooner had he arrived when everybody shouted, “Happy birthday.”

     • Starting with “so”

Examples:

     So great was his interest in medicine that he studied day and night.
     So far did he have to walk to school that he was always tired in class.

• Compound-complex sentences

These are sentences that have two or more independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses.

Examples:

Jack was very tired when he went to bed, so he didn’t get up until noon.
As soon as she gets home from work, she kicks off her shoes and lies on the sofa.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

 

The following expressions of quantity ALWAYS take a singular verb:

Much:                        Not much gas is needed for the trip.

Much of                   Much of the forest was burned.

Little                          Little time is left to complete the project.

Little of                    Little of the water they had was wasted.

A little                       A little more studying is needed.

A little bit of           A little bit of snow was covering the grass.

A bit of                      A bit of salt is necessary to improve the taste.

Each                           Each person was told a different story.

Each of                     Each of the participants was given a T-shirt.

Every                         Every person in the class is invited to the party.

Every one of           Every one of his trophies was destroyed in the fire.

One                             One time is not enough.

One of                       One of your reasons was just an excuse.

The following expressions of quantity ALWAYS take a plural verb:

Many                         Many people are homeless.

Many of                   Many of the songs we heard were foreign.

Few                            Few students are still in school at 5:00.

Few of                       Few of the magazines on the table were new.

A few                         A few garden plants were still alive in December.

A few of                   A few of our guests are staying an extra night.

A number of         A number of details were overlooked.

The number of    The number of errors was unacceptable.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot