Wish and hope are similar but different.  Wish is used for impossible or improbable things.  Hope is used for possible things.  Both wish and hope are used in the present, past and future.

Wish:

In the present, wish is used for things that are not true.  It is the opposite of reality.  The verb after wish is in the simple past, past continuous, or could   Change was to were in formal English.  That can follow wish but is usually dropped, so I’ll write (that).

Examples:
I wish (that) I had an umbrella.
He wishes (that) he were not so nervous.
I wish (that) the sun were shining.  
I wish (that) I could swim.

If the truth is stated first, then just use did for most verbs, were for the verb be, or could.

Examples:
I don’t have an umbrella, but I wish (that) I did.
He’s very nervous, but he wishes (that) he weren’t.
The sun isn’t shining, but I wish (that) it were.
I can’t swim, but I wish (that) I could.

Wish can also be followed by an infinitive and means the same thing as want.  Don’t use that.

Examples:
Who do you wish to see?
He wishes to talk to the company president directly.
The children wish to go swimming.
What do you wish to accomplish?

If you’re wishing something for someone else, use a person and a noun after wish.

Examples:
We wish you good luck.
I wish your mother a speedy recovery.
I wish them a safe trip home.
Do you wish him harm?

In the past, wish is used for things that we’re disappointed about.  The verb after wish is in the past perfect.

Examples
I wish (that) you had told me the truth.
We wish we had been on time.
I wish (that) I had studied for the test.
They wish (that) they had been able to come.
Do you wish (that) you had graduated from high school?

If the truth is stated first, then just use had. (NOTE:  The verbs be and be able to must be repeated.)

Examples:
You didn’t wait for me, but I wish you had.
We weren’t on time, but we wish we had been.
I didn’t study for the test, but I wish I had.
They weren’t able to come, but they wish they had been able to.
You didn’t graduate from high school, but do you wish you had?

In the future, wish is used for things you want to happen.  The verb after wish is would or could (for ability) followed by a verb in the simple form.

Examples:
I wish (that) you would be quiet.
I wish (that) he could stay all summer.
I wish (that) they would remember my name.
We wish (that) you wouldn’t chew with your mouth open.
She wishes (that) she could do it again.

If the truth is stated first, then just use would or could.  (NOTE:  The verb be must be repeated.)

Examples:
You’re not quiet, but I wish (that) you would be.
He can’t stay all summer, but I wish (that) he could.
They don’t remember my name, but I wish (that) they would.
You chew with your mouth open, but we wish (that) you wouldn’t.
She can’t do it again, but she wishes (that) she could.

Hope:

In the present, hope is used when you think the result is possible.  It is followed by the simple present or the present continuous.

Examples:
I hope (that) he finds his glasses.
We hope (that) he likes his present.
He hopes (that) she is feeling better.

In the past, hope is used for things that could already be true, but you don’t know.  It is followed by the simple past or the past continuous.

Examples:
I hope (that) they had a good time at the party.
We hope (that) you enjoyed your time in Vancouver.
I hope (that) you were being truthful with me.
She hopes (that) they were just kidding.

In the future, hope is used for things that could come true.  It is followed by the future (will), the future (going to) or can.

Examples:
They hope (that) we’ll be able to help them.
We hope (that) she is going to agree with us.
I hope (that) you can help me.

Hope can also be followed by an infinitive.

Examples:
We hope to finish by Thursday afternoon.
I hope to be there before dinnertime on Friday.
She hopes to get answers to all her questions.

Hope can also be followed by so and not.

Examples:
Do you think you’ll pass this course?  I hope so.
Do you think you’ll fail this course?  I hope not.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

 

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addictive:  so pleasurable you can’t stop
Cigarettes are so addictive because of the nicotine.
Coffee can be addictive to some people.

customary:  traditional, always done in the same way
It’s customary to remove your shoes at the front door.
Shaking hands is a customary greeting.

federal:  of the nation as a whole
The federal government is located in Ottawa.
Bank accounts are insured under a federal program.

harsh:  unpleasant, uncomfortable
Winters in the north are harsh.
Early Canadian settlers had a harsh life.

ignorant:  not knowing, unaware
He was ignorant of the police car following him.
On the subject of biology, I’m totally ignorant.

maximum:  the most, highest
He’s locked up in maximum security.
The maximum amount I can lend you is $800.

minimum:  the least, lowest
The minimum tip you should leave is 10%.
There was a minimum number of people at the meeting.

pure:  with nothing extra
Her favorite drink is pure orange juice.
Our grandmother breathes pure oxygen from a tank.

sincere:  truthful, honest
I’m being sincere when I tell you I’ll miss you.
Please accept our sincere apologies.

thorough:  complete, 100%
The dogs made a thorough mess of the living room.
The police did a thorough search of the apartment.

unique:  unlike anything else, one of a kind
He has a unique way of tying his shoe laces.
There is something unique about everyone.

wholesale:  in large amounts
Wholesale sales rose in the first quarter of the year.
What is the wholesale price if I buy ten of them?

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

sung by Dionne Warwick with Elton John, Gladys Knight & Stevie Wonder.

This song was written by Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager.  It was recorded in 1985 as a benefit song for the American Foundation for AIDS Research, which raised over $3 million dollars for that cause.

Everyone sleeps and everyone dreams.  This is a fact.  It’s easy to know why we sleep – our bodies need rest – but why do we dream?  Researchers believe they have answers to this question.  They say that while we are awake, going through our day, we have new experiences.  Some of these experiences we want to keep as memories, but most of them are not important, so we need to forget them to make space for new memories.  Our dreams allow us to do this.

When we sleep, we have two different dream states.  The first is called “slow wave sleep” or SWS.  In this dream state, our hippocampus, the part of the brain where our day’s experiences are stored, sends all that information in short and very fast bursts to a different part of our brain called the frontal cortex.  Then the hippocampus shuts down to allow a second dream state called “random eye movement” or REM, which gets its name from the fast eye movement under the eye lids that happens in this dream state.  In these dreams, which seem like real-time movies, the cortex plays back information from the hippocampus along with other memories that are stored in the brain and determines if the new information is useful or useless.  We save the useful information and discard the useless.  REM dreams happen every 90 to 100 minutes and we have 3 to 4 of them every night.  Also, they last longer and longer as the night goes on.  The last REM dream can last as long as 45 minutes.  Researchers say that if there’s strong emotion connected to a memory, then it is usually stored and remembered.  Although our brains are very active during REM sleep, our bodies are paralyzed so that we don’t act out our dreams.  To have an effective night of sleep, we need a balance of SWS and REM dream states.  Although our brains are active at night, by morning most people don’t remember their dreams.

Click on the audio recording below to hear the lesson.

Vocabulary:

researchers:  people who study things to find answers
experiences:  situations that teach us something
states:  conditions, kinds
bursts:  instances of high energy.
shuts down: turns off
random:  with no order or regularity
stored :  kept
determines:  decides
discard:  throw away, get rid of
last:  continue to be
emotion:  feelings
paralyzed:  unable to move
act out:  do what we’re dreaming
effective:  good for you
balance:  equal amount

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

© 2014 Ambien Malecot

 

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affectionate:  showing love
That little kitten is so affectionate.
The affectionate couple walked hand in hand.

constant:  all the time
The noise from the construction project next door is constant during the day.
I have a constant pain in my lower back.

deliberate:  with a plan, not accidental
His meeting her was deliberate.  He had planned it for days.
She made a deliberate mistake so that he would help her.

economical:  inexpensive, cheap
Driving to work everyday and paying for parking is not economical.
He thought it would be more economical to stay with his parents while at university.

expensive:  costing a lot of money
It’s becoming more and more expensive to buy a house in this city.
That engagement ring he gave you must have been expensive.

frigid:  very cold
The Yukon is a frigid place in winter.
The ocean off the coast of Argentina can get very frigid.

grateful:  thankful, showing gratitude
She was grateful for his help after the fire that destroyed her home.
His son was grateful that he could have his own room in the new house.

identical:  exactly the same
Julia and Gillian are identical twins with identical likes and dislikes.
The knife used in the murder was identical to those in the kitchen drawer.

mature:  like an adult, not childish
Stealing her smart phone was not a mature thing to do.
Jonathan, although he’s only eight, is very mature for his age.

negative:  bad, not good
I hope you have no negative feelings towards me.
The students’ attitude toward their substitute teacher was negative.

present:  happening now
I can’t tell you her present address because she recently moved.
Don’t daydream in class.  You need to be present to learn anything.

sensitive:  emotional, showing emotions easily
Their son’s suicide is a sensitive topic in that family.
I think that sometimes your sister is too sensitive.

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 exercise.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

 

Get is a very important word in English because it is used a lot by everyone.  It has 5 different meanings.

1st:  Get means receive, obtain or buy.  It is followed by a noun (the thing received, obtained or bought.)

Examples:
The boy got a new bicycle on his birthday.
I would like to get an A on the next test.
She gets an email from him every day.

2nd:  Get means become.  It is followed by an adjective.

Examples:
She got sick after eating the fish.
The children may get lost if they go by themselves.
They got married last weekend.

3rd:  Get means arrive.  It is followed by a place.

Examples:
What time did you get home last night?
I got to school early this morning.
We’ll get there as soon as we can.

4th:  Get means bring and give.  It is followed by a person and then a noun.

Examples:
I got her something to read while she was in the hospital.
We got you two tickets to the concert this weekend.
Did you get me a bicycle for my birthday?

5th:  Get means possess (to have something.)  It is used with have and is followed by a noun.

Examples:
I’ve got three sisters.
She’s got plenty of time to help us.
We’ve got mice in the attic.

Note:  In informal English, speakers often drop ‘ve [but not ‘s]

I got three sisters.
We got mice in the attic.

6th:  Get means understand.  It is used informally and is followed by a noun (the thing that was understood)

Examples:
I still don’t get his decision to drop out of school.
Did you get what he was trying to say?
That joke was so stupid.  I didn’t get it.

7th:  Get means deal with (give your attention to.)  It is followed by a noun (the thing that needs to be dealt with.)

Examples:
There’s someone at the door.  I’ll get it.
Could you get the phone, please?  I’m busy.
You answer that email, and I’ll get dinner.

In addition to these 7 meanings of get, there are lots of idioms with this word.  Here are some.

get in – enter (a car, a truck, bed)
I got in his car, and we went for a drive.

get out of – leave, exit (a car, a truck, bed)
Get out of my house!

get out of here – I don’t believe you
You won the lottery?  Get out of here!

get on – enter (a bus, plane, train, boat)
We can get on the bus across the street.

get off – exit (a bus, plane, train, boat)
After they got off the plane, they took a taxi downtown.

get up – arise
It’s time to get up now.

get down to – start working on
We should get down to work soon.

get back – arrive back home
What time did you get back last night?

get by – have just enough
They don’t have a lot of money, but they get by.

get around to – start to do
I’m tired now.  I’ll get around to that job later.

get over – recover from a sickness or sadness
It took her two weeks to get over her last cold.

get through – to finish something unpleasant
Don’t worry.  I’ll help you get through this.

get together – to meet someone
Let’s get together after work for coffee.

get in touch – to communicate
I have to get in touch with my brother.

get rid of – to throw away
I think you should get rid of that terrible painting.

get along – have a good relationship
My sister and I get along very well.

get on (one’s) nerves – bother (one) a lot
Sometimes my children get on my nerves.

get (one) down – make (one) sad
Bad news always gets me down.

get ahead – be  more successful
If I don’t graduate, I’ll never get ahead.

get away – escape
She helped her sister get away from her bad husband.

 

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aware:  knowing about
Are you aware that your car is unlocked?
He wasn’t aware of the person following him.

crucial:  extremely important
It is crucial that you arrive at the meeting on time.
Peace talks are crucial to the future of that region.

dense:  crowded, tightly together
The West End of Vancouver has a dense population.
The forest was so dense that it was difficult to pass through.

fundamental:  basic, most important
The simple present tense is a fundamental part of the English language.
Oil is a fundamental component of plastic.

hazy:  smoggy, polluted, not clear
It was a hazy summer day in August when he arrived in the city.
My memory of that day is hazy.

initial: first, beginning
His initial choice was to believe her because she had never lied before.
Her initial reaction was to laugh although it was a serious situation.

legible:  able to be read
The doctor’s signature was not very legible.
The teacher’s writing is not legible from the back of the room.

partial:  only part of (something bigger)
He didn’t have this month’s rent, so he made a partial payment.
The police found a partial fingerprint on the window.

repetitive:  repeated, happening again and again
He didn’t like his job because it was boring and repetitive.
There was a repetitive noise coming from the neighbor’s house.

rusty:  not very good, needing a lot of practice
She sat down at the piano, but because she was rusty, she didn’t play very well.
I haven’t spoken Spanish in years, so I’m a little rusty.

sensible:  having good judgement,
He was not being sensible when he went outside in the rain without a coat.
The sensible thing to do is to start over and do it right this time.

talented:  able to do something well and easily
They are both talented musicians.
Everyone thinks she’s a talented writer.

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 exercise.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

 

by Colbie Caillat

an American pop singer-songwriter and acoustic guitarist from Malibu, California. This song is from her 5th album, Gypsy Heart, released in September, 2014.

 

Put your make-up on
Get your nails done
Curl your hair
Run the extra mile
Keep it slim so they like you,
Do they like you?

Get your sexy on,
Don’t be shy, girl
Take it off
This is what you want,
To belong so they like you
Do you like you?

You don’t have to try so hard
You don’t have to give it all away
You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up
You don’t have to change a single thing

You don’t have to try, try, try, try
You don’t have to try, try, try, try
You don’t have to try, try, try, try
You don’t have to try
You don’t have to try

Get your shopping on
At the mall
Max your credit cards
You don’t have to choose
Buy it all so they like you
Do they like you?

Wait a second
why should you care
what they think of you?
When you’re all alone by yourself
Do you like you?
Do you like you?

You don’t have to try so hard
You don’t have to give it all away
You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up
You don’t have to change a single thing

You don’t have to try so hard
You don’t have to bend until you break
You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up
You don’t have to change a single thing

You don’t have to try, try, try, try
You don’t have to try, try, try, try
You don’t have to try, try, try, try
You don’t have to try

You don’t have to try, try, try, try
You don’t have to try, try, try, try
You don’t have to try, try, try, try
You don’t have to try
You don’t have to try

You don’t have to try so hard
You don’t have to give it all away
You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up
You don’t have to change a single thing

You don’t have to try, try, try, try
You don’t have to try, try, try, try
You don’t have to try
You don’t have to try

Take your make-up off
Let your hair down
Take a breath
Look into the mirror at yourself
Don’t you like you?
Cause I like you

Vocabulary

nails:  fingernails
curl:  make curly
the extra mile:  more than you think is necessary
slim:  with no fat, slender, thin
get your sexy on:  dress so that men look at you
give it all away:  lose your identity
max:  charge up to your maximum
credit cards:  Mastercard, Visa, etc.

© 2015 Ambien Malecot for vocabulary lesson only

 

by Michael Buble

a Canadian singer, songwriter and actor who has won several awards, including four Grammy Awards and many Juno Awards.  The song was written in 1964 by English songwriters Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse.  Buble recorded this song for his album “It’s Time,” released in April, 2005.

Birds flying high, you know how I feel
Sun in the sky, you know how I feel
Breeze drifting on by, you know how I feel
It’s a new dawn; it’s a new day; it’s a new life for me
And I’m feeling good.  I’m feeling good

Fish in the sea, you know how I feel
River running free, you know how I feel
Blossom on a tree, you know how I feel
It’s a new dawn; it’s a new day; it’s a new life for me
And I’m feeling good

Dragonfly out in the sun, you know what I mean, don’t you know
Butterflies all having fun, you know what I mean
Sleep in peace when day is done, that’s what I mean
And this old world is a new world and a bold world for me
For me

Stars when you shine, you know how I feel
Scent of the pine, you know how I feel
Oh freedom is mine, and I know how I feel
It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life
It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life
It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life
It’s a new life for me and I’m feeling good
I’m feeling good.  I feel so good
I feel so good

Vocabulary:

breeze:  soft wind
drifting:  moving slowly
dawn:  new beginning (of a day)
blossom:  flower on a tree
dragonfly:  insect with four wings
butterflies:  flying insects with beautiful colors on their wings
peace:  without problems
bold:  anything is possible
scent:  nice smell
pine:  an evergreen tree

© 2015 Ambien Malecot for vocabulary lesson only

 

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The simple past is used for an action or actions that are finished in the past.  For most verbs you add –ed to the end of the basic verb.

Examples:
She arrived back home before dinnertime.
They hated the whole movie from start to finish.
He cleaned the bathroom and vacuumed the carpet.

If the verb is negative, then use didn’t (did not) with the basic verb.

Examples:
She didn’t arrive back home until midnight.
They didn’t hate the movie, but they didn’t like it either.
He didn’t clean the bathroom or vacuum the carpet.

If the verb is interrogative (question), then use did before the subject and the basic verb.

Examples:
Did she arrive back home before dinnertime?
Did they hate the whole movie from start to finish?
Did he clean the bathroom and vacuum the carpet?

There are many irregular verbs whose past tense does not add –ed.  These verbs must be memorized.  They are:

be (am, are, is)      was, were                       lose                        lost
become                   became                            make                     made
begin                        began                                mean                     meant
bite                           bit                                        meet                      met
blow                         blew                                   pay                         paid
break                       broke                                ride                         rode
bring                        brought                           ring                         rang
buy                           bought                             rise                          rose
catch                       caught                              run                          ran
choose                   chose                                 say                          said
come                       came                                 see                           saw
creep                      crept                                  seek                       sought
deal                         dealt                                  sell                          sold
dig                            dug                                     shake                     shook
do                             did                                      shoot                     shot
draw                        drew                                 shrink                   shrank
drink                       drank                                sing                        sang
drive                       drove                                 sink                        sank
eat                           ate                                       sit                           sat
fall                            fell                                      sleep                     slept
feed                         fed                                      slide                      slid
feel                           felt                                     speak                    spoke
fight                         fought                              spit                        spit / spat
find                           found                               spring                   sprang
flee                           fled                                    stand                    stood
fly                              flew                                   steal                      stole
forbid                      forbade                           stick                      stuck
forget                      forgot                               sting                     stung
forgive                    forgave                            stink                     stank
freeze                      froze                                 strike                   struck
get                            got                                      swear                  swore
give                          gave                                   sweep                  swept
go                             went                                   swim                    swam
grow                        grew                                   swing                  swung
hang                        hung                                   take                      took
have                        had                                      teach                   taught
hear                        heard                                  tear                      tore
hide                         hid                                       tell                        told
hold                         held                                    think                    thought
keep                        kept                                    throw                  threw
kneel                       knelt                                   understand      understood
know                       knew                                  wake                    woke
lay                             laid                                      wear                    wore
leave                        left                                      weep                    wept
lead                          led                                       win                        won
lie (down)              lay                                       write                    wrote
light                         lit / lighted

Verbs that have the same present and past forms:

beat                          beat                                    let                        let
bet                            bet                                       pet                       pet
broadcast             broadcast                        put                       put
burst                        burst                                  quit                     quit
cost                          cost                                     read                    read
cut                            cut                                       set                        set
fit                              fit                                         shut                     shut
hit                             hit                                       split                      split
hurt                          hurt                                   spread                spread

Verbs that end in -d that change to -t:

bend                        bent                                   send                     sent
build                        built                                   spend                   spent
lend                         lent

Use these flashcards to help you study.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot