In other words

• I've never read such a good book.
• It's the best book I've ever read.

• Marcelo started studying German five years ago.
• Marcelo has been studying German for five years.

• When did Paul start work?
• How long is it since Paul started work?
• How long ago did Paul start work?

• Amanda moved to London six months ago.
• Amanda has been in London for six months.

• It's a long time since we went out.
• We haven't been out for a long time.

• She took 30 minutes to reach New York.
• It took her 30 minutes to to reach New York.

Used to

Used to - Be/Get used to + ing form/noun/pronoun - Would - Was going to

• Used to to express past habitual actions and permanent states.
• Amanda used to wake up at 6 am every day. (also: would wake up)
• They used to live in a flat. (not: would)

• Would express past repeated actions and routines - not states.
• When I was young, I would go for a walk before breakfast (also: I used to go...)
• Faisal used to live in Brazil when he was young.

• Be/Get used to express habitual actions and means "be/get accostomed to", "be in the habit of".
• Amanda isn't used to stay up late at night.
• Paul is getting used to working under pressure.

• Was going to express actions one intend to do but didn't.
• Sheila was going to buy a new car but unfortunately she couldn't afford one.

You and your boss

Differences between you and your boss...

When you take a long time, you're slow.
When your boss takes a long time, he's thorough.

When you don't do it, you're lazy.
When your boss doesn't do it, he's too busy.

When you make a mistake, you're an idiot.
When your boss makes a mistake, he's only human.

When doing something without being told, you're overstepping your authority.
When your boss does the same thing, that's initiative.

When you take a stand, you're being bull-headed.
When your boss does it, he's being firm.

When you overlooked a rule of etiquette, you're being rude.
When your boss skips a few rules, he's being original.

When you please your boss, you're apple polishing.
When your boss pleases his boss, he's being co-operative.

When you're out of the office, you're wandering around.
When your boss is out of the office, he's on business.

When you're a day off sick, you're always sick.
When your boss is a day off sick, he must be very ill.

When you apply for leave, you must be going for an interview.
When your boss applies for leave, it's because he's overworked.

Describing People

blond (e)
brunet (te)
redheaded
tall
short
medium height
fat
thin
strong
weak
old
young
long beard
black mustache
dark eyes
round face
broad shoulders
long legs
curly hair
straight hair
wavy hair
gray hair
long hair
short hair

Do you know Marcelo?
Yes, I do.
What does he look like?
He's medium height and strong. He has broad shoulders and straight hair.

Humor

Psychiatry patient
A very homely young woman made an appointment with a psychiatrist. She walked into his office and said, "Doctor, I'm so depressed and lonely. I don't have any friends, no man will come near me and everybody laughts at me. Can you help me accept my ugliness?"I'm sure I can", the psychiatrist replied. "Just go over and lie face down on that couch."

Under pressure
Patient: "Doctor, you gotta help me. I'm under a lot of stress. I keep loosing my temper with people."
Doctor: "Tell me about your problem."
Patient: "I just did, you idiot!"

Questions and Answers
- Why are married women heavier than single women?- Single women come home, see what's in the refrigerator and go to bed; married women come home, see what's in bed and go to the refrigerator.

The Officer...
A young army officer joins a new regiment. Social life in the regiment revolves around "the officers' mess" and when the young man goes there for the first time, a senior officer kindly offers to explain how things work.
- Well, says the senior officer, if you like drinking, you'll certainly enjoy Monday. Every Monday evening we receive a large supply of wishy, beer and wine and we get completely smashed, it's marvellous. Do you enjoy a drink?
-I'm afraid I don't drink, actually.
After an embarrassed silence, the senior officer says:
-Oh, well, not to worry. You'll probably enjoy Tuesday. Every Tuesday evening we receive a large supply of unbelievably beautiful women. They come here to the mess and we have the wildest time. It's absolutely marvellous. I take it that you like women?
-Er, well, not particulaly.
After an even more embarrased silence, the senior officer says:
-I say, you're not gay, are you, by any chance?
-Oh, good lord, no!
-Ah, well in that case, you won't enjoy Wednesday either!

Slangs

Slang is informal, often entertaining language.

To start off, here is a small selection of some slang ad idiomatic languag that you might hear or use yourselves.

Air-head
A vacuous person

All hell broke loose
Things becom very turbulent, noisy, dangerous

All the way
From start to finish

To bitch about something
To complain bittely about something

Bummed out
Disappointed, depressed

To come clean
To tell the truth

To Be / Get mixed up
To be / become confused.
- Did you have any difficult finding the way?
- Not much. I just got mixed up when I looked at the signs.
- I get mixed up when there are many people talking to me at the same time.

To be on the tip of one's tongue
To be about to remember
- How come you forgot his name?
- It was one the tip of my tongue but I couldn't say it!

Not to know beans about
To know absolutely nothing about
- We asked Mr. Smith to look after our pet.
- Are you crazy? He doesn't know beans about parrots.

To be Greek to
To be inconmprehensible to
- How about your motorcycle?
- Well, the mechanic tried to explain what the problem was, but everthing was Greek to me.

Get the Works
Get a lot of something
- I think I got the works. Every was included.

Go off half-cocked
Do / Say something without thinking
- It's dangerous to have Amanda in the meeting because she sometimes goes off half-cocked.

Up for grabs
Available to everyone
- The prize this week is up for grabs just about anyone can win it.

Rise and shine: acorde e levante-se.
-Rise and shine! Breakfast's ready and you're late.

Odds and sods: tralha
-Paul's garage is full of odds and sods.

Ups and downs: altos e baixos
-Married life is full of ups and downs.

Six-pack and pecs: barriga de tanquinho e peitorais bem definidos
-Amanda likes guys with a nice six-pack and pecs.

An arm and a leg: olhos da cara
-This dress cost me an arm and a leg.

Wake up and smell the coffee: "se toca"
-Hey, wake up and smell the coffee! How many people have been fired recently in your country?

Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal Verbs are idiomatic combinations of a verb and adverb, or a verb and a preposition (or a verb with both adverb and preposition).


Be about to: Be on the point of
Be after: Go after; chase
Be against: Be opposed to
Be away: Be absent
Be back: Return; come back
Be in: be at home/in one's office etc
Be in for: be about to experience (usu bad)
Be on: be shown in cinemas, theatres etc
Be over: be finished
Be up to: 1) be equal to 2) depend on
Break down: 1) (of machinery) stop working 2) (of a person) lose control of feelings
Break in: 1) (intr) enter by force 2) (on) interrupt 3) (horses etc) train
Break into: 1) (tr) enter by force 2) burst into (song, laughter etc)
Break of: stop temporarily 2) (tr) end a relashionship
Break out: 1) begin suddenly (war, disease, fire etc) 2) (of) escape from a place
Break up: 1) (intr) separate; split up 2) stop for holidays (schools etc)
Bring about: cause to happen
Bring back: 1) recall 2) reintroduce
Bring down: 1) cause to fall 2) reduce prices
Bring forward: suggest an idea
Bring on: cause, usu sth unpleasant
Bring out: publish
Bring round / Bring to: 1) help sb regain consciousness 2) persuade sb to change opinion
Bring up: 1) raise a child 2) vomit 3) introduce a subject 4) mention
Be/get carried away: be/get excited

Carry off: do sth successfully
Carry on (with): continue esp despite difficulties
Carry out: perform, complete
Carry over: postpone
Carry through: 1) complete despite difficulties 2) help sb survive during troubleb times
Come across: meet/find by chance
Come by: obtain
Come down with: become ill from
Come into: inherit
Come off: 1) happen 2) succeed
Come out: 1) be published 2) bloom
Come on: come along; hurry up
Come through: survive
Come up: be mentioned
Come up to: equal
Come up with: find (an answer, solution etc)
Cut across: take a shorter route
Cut back (on): reduce (production)
Cut down: reduce length of sth
Cut in / into: interrupt (conversation)
Cut off: disconnect
Be cut off: be isolated
Cut out: 1) leave out 2) (for) (passive) be suited for
Cut up: cut into small pieces

Do away with: abolish
Do down: speak badly of sb
Do in: kill
Do out: clean
Do up: 1) fasten; tie 2) redecorate
Do with: 1) need; want 2) have a connection with
Do without: manage to live or continue without

Fall back: move back. retreat
Fall back on: use sth in the absence of sth else; turn to
Fall behind: 1) fail to keep up with 2) be late with payment
Fall for: 1) be tricked 2) faill in love with sb
Fall in with: accept sb's plans, ideas
Fall off: decrease
Fall on: 1) attack 2) eat (food) hungrily
Fall out (with): quarrel
Fall through: fail to be completed
Fell over: Fell to the ground
She fell over when she was running for the bus.
Find out: Learn / Discover
He promised to find out the name of that new restaurant.
Look after: Take care of
Who is going to look after the children when she goes into hospital?

Get about: move around; spread
Get sth across: make sth understood
Get away (from): 1) escape 2) leave
Get along (with): have a friendly relationship
Get at: 1) reach 2) imply, suggest
Get away with sth: avoid being punished for sth
Get sb down: depress
Get off: 1) to avoid punishment 2) to descend from a bus etc
Get on: 1) enter a bus etc 2) manage
Get (a)round: coax; persuade sb by kindness
Get through: 1) finish work 2) reach sb by phone
Get on with: Have a good relashionship; continue, often after interruption
She doesn't get on with her grandparents.
Get over: Get better / Recover from
It took her a long time to get over her illness
Give away: 1) give sth for free 2) reveal
Give off: emit
Give back: return
Give in: 1) surrender 2) hand in
Give out: distribute
Give up: 1) stop (a habit etc) 2) surrender
Go up: increase
The price of petrol, may go up again next month.