Song Present Continuous

To my mind ,this is a good song for practising questions and answers . What is your opinion?

Fashion girl's vocabulary

• Match-  if one thing matches another, or if they match, they form an attractive combination; to provide something that is suitable for a particular situation, person, or purpose.

• Go with - to seem good, natural, or attractive in combination with something.

• Suit -  if a style or something that you wear suits you, it makes you look good.

• Fit -  if clothes fit, they are the right size for you.

• Try smth on - to put on a piece of clothing in order to see how it looks and whether it fits.

 

Examples 

What a lovely dress! I'd like to try it on!

The dress doesn't fit me: it looks a bit big.

Oh! This new blouse really  suits her!

Which bag goes best with this suit?

I've bought a wonderful blue dress and now I need a pair of shoes to match.

 

 

Family Tree (funny poem)

Dear friends!

I'd like you to read this amazing poem ! You'll find here  a good portion of humour and full "family" vocabulary . 

                                                           Painter Norman Rockwell

My Family Tree
by Akshita Singh

My mother's brother's sister's name is Grace
She's my aunt and likes to go from place to place
My mother's sister's brother's name is Brad
He's my uncle and he is my cousin's Dad

My grandmother on my mother's side
Is my maternal gran, she is my grandfather's bride
She also is my father's mother-in-law
And not surprisingly they often go to war

My cousin is the nephew of my mother
His father happens to be my mother's brother
My aunty's niece is in fact myself
hope you're not too confused, because I can't help

Idioms and phrases - The Free Online Dictionary

Dear friends!
 
You really ought to use The largest dictionary of idioms and phrases currently in use in British, American and Australian English as it include  over 12000 phrases and expressions!

The idiom dictionary is compiled from the Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms and the Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms.

The Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms explains over 7,000 idioms current in British, American and Australian English, helping learners to understand them and use them with confidence. The Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms, based on the 200 million words of American English text in the Cambridge International Corpus, unlocks the meaning of more than 5,000 idiomatic phrases used in contemporary American English. Full-sentence examples show how idioms are really used.

 http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/

Video IELTS & TOEFL – How to give your opinion

Is it funny or not?

I DIDN'T GO CAMPING    by     Kenn Nesbitt

I didn't go camping.
I didn't go hiking.
I didn't go fishing.
I didn't go biking.

I didn't go play
on the slides at the park.
I didn't watch shooting stars
way after dark.

I didn't play baseball
or soccer outside.
I didn't go on an
amusement park ride.

I didn't throw Frisbees.
I didn't fly kites,
or have any travels,
or see any sights.

I didn't watch movies
with blockbuster crowds,
or lay on the front lawn
and look at the clouds.

I didn't go swimming
at pools or beaches,
or visit an orchard
and pick a few peaches.

I didn't become
a guitarist or drummer,
but, boy, I played plenty
of Minecraft this summer.

 http://www.poetry4kids.com/

• What do you think about a total computer addiction ?

My picture story : Prague

Oh Prague!

 People from everywhere come here to admire the majestic beauty of this city! You can hear different languages around.

 This is a modern city with the medieval spirit filled  its narrow streets and lanes!  The houses, towers, bridges, castles, squares are terrific  and  inspirational! A guide    will tell you a lot of horror  stories from the past  and then add that  at night it is possible to meet  some  ghosts in the streets of Prague!

Every hour a big crowd   gathers in front of the  Prague Astronomical Clock ,called Orloy, to watch the short show of apostles passing above the heads that has been performing  here  since   1410.

Video How to understand native speakers' questions in English

I like this video and hope, you'll like it too !

Develop listening skills : Disney's cartoons

Hello,friends!

I'm sure, you like  Disney's cartoons.   They are a special world of dreams and hopes and, of course, our best memories from childhood, as well. 
 On the other hand, they are, no doubt, an awesome source   for studying  English : rich everyday vocabulary, interesting expressions, correct pronounciation !

So, today let's  develop your listening skills watching this video 

 "Belle (Little Town) - Beauty and the Beast (1991)"

This idiom is often used in English ,so I recommend you to memorise it with the synonymous :

And now ,  you can check yourself.The lyrics are below!

Belle:
Little town
It's a quiet village
Ev'ry day
Like the one before
Little town
Full of little people
Waking up to say:
Lady:
Bon jour!
Man carrying grain sack:
Bon jour!
Egg man:
Bon jour!
Washer woman:
Bon jour!
Baker:
Bon jour!
Belle:
There goes the baker with his tray, like always
The same old bread and rolls to sell
Ev'ry morning just the same
Since the morning that we came
To this poor provincial town
Baker:
Good Morning, Belle!
Belle:
Good Morning, Monsieur.
Baker:
Where are you off to, today?
Belle:
The bookshop. I just finished the most wonderful story
About a beanstalk and an ogre and a -
Baker:
That's nice. Marie!
The baguettes! Hurry up!
Townsfolk:
Look there she goes that girl is strange, no question
Dazed and distracted, can't you tell?
Woman:
Never part of any crowd
Man:
'Cause her head's up on some cloud
Townsfolk:
No denying she's a funny girl that Belle
Man I:
Bonjour!
Woman 1:
Good day!
Man 1:
How is your fam'ly?
Woman 2:
Bonjour!
Man 2:
Good day!
Woman 2:
How is your wife?
Woman 3:
I need six eggs!
Woman 4:
That's too expensive!
Belle:
There must be more than this provincial life!

Bookseller:
Ah, Belle!
Belle:
Good morning, sir. I've come to return the book I borrowed.
Bookseller:
Finished already?
Belle:
Oh, I couldn't put it down. Have you got anything new?
Bookseller:
Not since yesterday.
Belle:
That's all right. I'll borrow . . . . . this one!
Bookseller:
That one? But you've read it twice!
Belle:
Well, it's my favorite! Far off places, daring swordfights, magic spells, a prince in disguise -
Bookseller:
If you like it all that much, it's yours!
Belle:
But sir!
Bookseller:
I insist.
Belle:
Well, thank you. Thank you very much!

Townsfolk:
Look there she goes that girl is so peculiar
I wonder if she's feeling well
With a dreamy, far-off look
And her nose stuck in a book
What a puzzle to the rest of us is Belle
Belle:
Oh, isn't this amazing?
It's my fav'rite part because --- you'll see
Here's where she meets Prince Charming
But she won't discover that it's him 'til chapter three!
Woman:
Now it's no wonder that her name means "Beauty"
Her looks have got no parallel
Shopkeeper:
But behind that fair facade
I'm afraid she's rather odd
Man:
Very diff'rent from the rest of us
Townsfolk:
She's nothing like the rest of us
Yes, diff'rent from the rest of us is Belle!

Lefou:
I got it Gaston! Wow! You didn't miss a shot, Gaston! You're the greatest hunter in the whole world!.
Gaston:
I know.
Lefou:
No beast alive stands a chance against you. --- And no girl, for that matter.
Gaston:
It's true, LeFou. And I've got my sights set on that one.
Lefou:
The inventor's daughter?
Gaston:
She's the one - the lucky girl I'm going to marry.
Lefou:
But she's -
Gaston:
The most beautiful girl in town.
Lefou:
I know, but -
Gaston:
That makes her the best. And don't I deserve the best?
Lefou:
Of course you do!

Gaston:
Right from the moment when I met her, saw her
I said she's gorgeous and I fell
Here in town there's only she
Who is beautiful as me
So I'm making plans to woo and marry Belle
Bimbettes:
Look there he goes
Isn't he dreamy?
Monsieur Gaston
Oh he's so cute!
Be still my heart
I'm hardly breathing
He's such a tall, dark, strong and handsome brute!

Woman 1:
Bonjour!
Gaston:
Pardon
Belle:
Good day
Woman 2:
Mais oui!
Woman 3:
You call this bacon?
Woman 4:
What lovely grapes!
Man 1:
Some cheese
Woman 5:
Ten yards!
Man 1:
One pound
Gaston:
'scuse me!
Cheese merchant:
I'll get the knife
Gaston:
Please let me through!
Woman 6:
This bread -
Woman 7:
Those fish -
Woman 6:
it's stale!
Woman 7:
they smell!
Men:
Madame's mistaken.
Women:
Well, maybe so
Townsfolk:
Good morning! Oh, good morning!

Belle:
There must be more than this provincial life!
Gaston:
Just watch, I'm going to make Belle my wife!
Townsfolk:
Look there she goes
The girl is strange but special
A most peculiar mad'moiselle!
Women:
It's a pity and a sin
Men:
She doesn't quite fit in
Townsfolk:
'Cause she really is a funny girl
A beauty but a funny girl
She really is a funny girl
That Belle! 

                                                                              

                                                                                    

Video : How Do You Speak English? Speaking Exercises To Improve Your English

Hello, friends!

Hope this video will be helpful for everyone!

Best wishes for you,

Irina

What do you do every day ? ( a nice video for learning Present Simple)

Have You Ever Seen ?

Hello friends! I'm here again and today we'll learn some interesting English expressions with the help of   this funny poem. The words in it   are not used in their usual meanings, so sometimes we can't understand them, but let's try!

Have You Ever Seen

by Anonymous

Have you ever seen a sheet on a river bed?

Or a single hair from a hammer's head?

Has the foot of a mountain any toes?

And is there a pair of garden hose?

Does the needle ever wink its eye?

Why doesn't the wing of a building fly?

Can you tickle the ribs of a parasol?

Or open the trunk of a tree at all?

Are the teeth of a rake ever going to bite?

Have the hands of a clock any left or right?

Can the garden plot be deep and dark?

And what is the sound of the birch's bark?

Notes

• a river bed - the bottom of a river, where the ground is
• a hammer -  a tool used for hitting things or forcing nails into wood that consists of a handle and a heavy metal top with one flat side
• a foot of a mountain -  the lower part of something; base; bottom 
• a garden hose - a very long tube for carrying water to a garden or a fire
• a hose  - old-fashioned socks, stockings, and tights
• a needle eye - the hole at the top of a needle 
• a wing of the building - a part of a building that sticks out from the main part, especially one with a particular purpose
• a trunk -  boot of car
• a trunk of a tree - the main part of a tree that the branches grow out of
• birch's bark - the hard substance that covers a birch  tree
• to bark - to make the short loud sound that a dog makes

David Gilmor (Pink Floyd) - William Shakespeare-Sonnet #18

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed,
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature's changing course untrimmed:

But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st,
Nor shall death brag thou wand'rest in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st,

    So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
    So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

Note:

Do you know that sonnets 1-126 are addressed to the "Fair Youth" , the unnamed young man .

Read more:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakespeare%27s_sonnets

Learning English with Michelle: How to Join a Conversation

Learning English with Michelle: How to Join a Conversation: 
Have you ever stood on the edge of a conversation not quite knowing how to join in? Here are a few useful steps that can help you, par...

Video Best friends : Good vocabulary, good song!

BEST FRIENDS
Best friend, best friend
Best friend to the end!
Best friend, best friend
Best friend to the end!
Best friend, best friend
Best friend to the end!
My friend

Every day I see you
We make up silly faces
We pretend we’re someone else somewhere
In different places

Well hello there your majesty!
May I take your coat?
What did you say?
You’d like to buy a goat? Baaa Baaaa
                                    Best friend, best friend
Best friend to the end!
Best friend, best friend
Best friend to the end!
Best friend, best friend
Best friend to the end!
My friend

You know all about me
I tell you everything I do
We play every day together
I trust you!
                                   You know all my secrets
I know your jokes too
Why are fish so smart
Because they live in schools.

Best friend, best friend
Best friend to the end!
Best friend, best friend
Best friend to the end!
Best friend, best friend
Best friend to the end!
My friend
Let’s pretend we’re on a roller coaster, ride so high
And every time we spin around we go UP to the sky!
                                    Best friend, best friend
Best friend to the end!
Best friend, best friend
Best friend to the end!
Best friend, best friend
Best friend to the end!
My friend

Participles : relaxing or relaxed ?

 Dear friends! 

 Let's practice grammar today! The talking point is using present and past participles which are often confused.

We can use present  (relaxing) and past (relaxed) participles as adjectives. But we have to choose the correct form.

The present participle ( - ing ) describes what somebody or something is and answers the question “What kind ? "

The past participle (-ed) describes how somebody feels and answers the question “How do you feel?”

Examples:

Did you enjoy the horror film?
No, it was frightening.

I was very pleased that you decided to join us.

Do you like pop music?
No, I find it  boring.
 
He was very  excited at the party yesterday .

Just for Fun! What is the dish of the day for ladies?

Painter Berni Parker

Macmillan Dictionary online!

Hello,friends!

 I'm often asked to help smb to translate the word or frase. But it's more interesting and useful to do this yourself. This dictionary is a real treasuare for learning English : you can find here the  definition of the word, its synonims, the frases and the idioms with this word. And what is more, you'll be able to hear the word!
All in all, I strongly recommend you use it!

                                         http://www.macmillandictionary.com/

Improve your listening skills Taylor Swift - Everything Has Changed ft. Ed Sheeran

 

Hello,friends!

Today we'll practice our listening skills again. We're going to listen to  the song, which is super popular nowadays. It's  Everything Has Changed, perfomed by Taylor Swift. Have you heard it? Do you like it? I hope so. As for me ,I like the video. The main characters are so cute !

 

To my mind,the vocabulary of the song is not difficult,but it includes such interesting phrases: 

• walls stood tall,Painted blue  Blue means not only the colour of the sky, but also a sad feeling 
• i feel in my stomach is butterflies   this frase means to feel very nervous or excited about something that  you have to do, especially something important
• freckles  small brown spots on your skin.

So, turn on the player!

 All i knew ____  ____ when i woke
Is i know something now,_____  ____  ____ i didn’t before
And all I’ve seen since 18___ _____
Is green eyes and freckles and ___ ___
In the back of my mind ___ ___ ___ ___
I just want to know you better, ____ ___ ___
Know you better now
I just want to know you better, ____ ____ ____,
Know you better now
I just want to know you better,____ ____ ____,
Know you better now
I just want to know you, know you, know you...
 

___ ___ ___ ___ is we said hello

___ ___ ___ look like coming home

___ ___ ___is a simple name
____ ____ ____
All i know is you ___ ___ ___
You'll be mine and i’ll be yours
All i know___ _____
____ ___ ___ ___ .

And all my walls ___ ___,
Painted blue
I'll take ‘em down, take ‘em down
And open up___ ___ ___ ___
And all i feel in my stomach is ___,
The beautiful kind, makin’ up for___ ___,
Takin’ flight___ ____ feel like
I just want to know you better, ____ ____ ____,
Know you better now
I just want to know you better,____ ____ ____,
Know you better now
I just want to know you, know you, know you...

Cause all i know is ___ ___ ___
And your ___ ___ ___ coming home
All i know is a ___ ___
____ ___ ____
All i know is you ____ ___ ___
You'll be mine and i’ll ___ ____
All i know ____ _____
Is everything ____ _____ .

Come back and ___ ___ ___
I'm feeling like i’ve missed ___ ___ ___ ___
And meet me ___ ____
Let me know that it's not all___ ___ ___
I just want to know you better, ___ ___ ___,
Know you better now
I just want to know you, know you, know you...

 

___ ___ ___ ___ is we said hello

___ ___ ___ look like coming home

___ ___ ___is a simple name
____ ____ ____
All i know is you ___ ___ ___
You'll be mine and i’ll be yours
All i know___ _____
____ ___ ___ ___ .

___ ____ ___ is we said hello
So dust off your ___ ___
All i know is ___ ____
And ___ ___ ___
All i know is a new ___ ___
All my days i’ll know ___ ___
All i know since yesterday
Is everything has changed.

And now it's time to check yourself! Here the  correct lyrics:

All i knew this morning when i woke
Is i know something now, know something now i didn’t before
And all I’ve seen since 18 hours ago
Is green eyes and freckles and your smile
In the back of my mind making me feel like
I just want to know you better, know you better,
Know you better now
I just want to know you better, know you better,
Know you better now
I just want to know you better, know you better,
Know you better now
I just want to know you, know you, know you...

Cause all i know is we said hello
And your eyes look like coming home
All i know is a simple name
Everything has changed
All i know is you held the door
You'll be mine and i’ll be yours
All i know since yesterday
Is everything has changed

And all my walls stood tall,
Painted blue
I'll take ‘em down, take ‘em down
And open up the door for you
And all i feel in my stomach is butterflies,
The beautiful kind, makin’ up for lost time,
Takin’ flight making me feel like
I just want to know you better, know you better,
Know you better now
I just want to know you better, know you better,
Know you better now
I just want to know you better, know you better,
Know you better now
I just want to know you, know you, know you...

Cause all i know is we said hello
And your eyes look like coming home
All i know is a simple name
Everything has changed
All i know is you held the door
You'll be mine and i’ll be yours
All i know since yesterday
Is everything has changed

Come back and tell me why
I'm feeling like i’ve missed you all this time
And meet me there tonight
Let me know that it's not all in my mind
I just want to know you better, know you better,
Know you better now
I just want to know you, know you, know you...

Cause all i know is we said hello
And your eyes look like coming home
All i know is a simple name
Everything has changed
All i know is you held the door
You'll be mine and i’ll be yours
All i know since yesterday
Is everything has changed

All i know is we said hello
So dust off your highest hopes
All i know is pouring rain
And everything has changed
All i know is a new found grace
All my days i’ll know your face
All i know since yesterday
Is everything has changed

Video Conversational English - How to Generalize

Around the World. London. Buckingham Palace

Today, my dear friends, I'd like we to visit majestic Buckingham Palace in London . It's, no doubt, one of the first- ranked attractions in London. The palace is located in the Westminster district of London within St. James Park.. The park is opend to the public and is home to a large collection of live birds from around the world which was started during the reign of Charles II. 

 It is accessible from the tube and busses. Victoria Station is just to the south.It's a right time to explore it, because  in August and September it's available for visitors. Do you know, that  it was firstly opened to the public in 1993?

Buckingham Palace is the Queen's official and main royal London home. It has been the official London residence of Britain's monarchy since 1837. Queen Victoria was the first monarch to live there  . That's why just right in front of the building of the palace you can see  the Queen Victoria Memorial guarded by four lions .

Buckingham Palace was originally a grand house built by the Dukes of Buckingham for his wife. George IV began transforming it into a palace in 1826.

Do you know, that  when the Queen is at home, you can see her royal flag flying from the flag pole on top of Buckingham Palace? This flag is called the Royal Standard.

Buckingham Palace is a huge building. It  has 775 rooms. These include 19 State rooms, 52 Royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms. In measurements, the building is 108 metres long across the front, 120 metres deep (including the central quadrangle) and 24 metres high. The rooms are  furnished and decorated with priceless works of art that form part of the Royal Collection, one of the major art collections in the world today.

Would you like to see some of the halls of  Buckingham Palace?

 

 The Grand Staircase at Buckingham Palace

                                            The Blue Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace

 The Throne Room at Buckingham Palace

 The White Drawing at Buckingham Palace

                                                   The State Dining Room at Buckingham Palace

 While the state apartments are only open to the public in summer (August-September), the Queen's Gallery and the Royal Mews are both open to the Public for longer periods. In the Queens Gallery, you can see works of art from the Royal Collection.

In the Royal Mews, state coaches and carriages are displayed, including the Gold State Coach used in every coronation since 1762. The stables are also open to the public

                                                      The Gold State Coach

Changing of the Guard

The changing of the guard happens in front of Buckingham Palace. It's colourful and attracts a lot of tourists. The ceremony begins at 11:30, May through August. The frequency is reduced to alternate days from September to April. The time, according to some, varies, so get there a bit early.

So, if you have an opportuninty, go to London this summer  and see it in your own eyes ! 

See you soon! 

Irina

The sourses:

http://www.royal.gov.uk/theroyalresidences/buckinghampalace/buckinghampalace.aspx

http://goeurope.about.com/cs/unitedkingdom/p/buckingham.htm