Verb collocations, work vocabulary, Pronunciation: /i/ and /i:/, 'to take up'- AIRC9

Las notas del episodio

Feedback/News: A question from Jóse in Madrid, Spain "¿Cómo puedo preguntar sobre el tiempo en inglés?" - The weather/La clima - What's the weather like? What's the ______ like? (hotel, food, party, new phone like?) What was the flight like? What was your weekend like? What was it like?

Gramática: Verb collocations (verb + adj./noun)

Craig liked Argentina (el verbo 'to like' en el pasado)

What's Argentina like? (¿Cómo es?)

Does Buenos Aires looks like Paris? (se parece)

What does it feel like? - It feels like Paris.

Does it smell like Paris? - It smells like Buenos Aires.

Pronunciación: /i/ and /i:/

/i/ - hit, sit

/i:/ - me, three

hit / heat

ship / sheep

sit / seat

whip / weep

sh*t / sheet

Phrasal verb: take up

I'll take you up on that! (say yes, agree) - tomar/aceptar el reto

Craig will take Reza up on his chess challenge, and on his offer to have a meal at his flat.

Nelso Mandela took up the fight against racism.

To take up a hobby/sport - Are you taking up anything in the new year?

Reza's friend has recently taken up jogging (not footing!!)

Reza is thinking of taking up aerobics.

Bob took up his new role as director (to accept a role or task)

To take up time (ocupar tiempo)

Take up trousers, to take up clothes (to make shorter)

Aquí hay una lista de los verbos compuestos (phrasal verbs): http://www.mansioningles.com/gram54.htm

Vocabulary Corner: Work - trabajo:

What's the difference between work and job?

Job is a noun. Work is a verb and a noun. When work is a noun, it's usually uncountable: I have two jobs. I have a lot of work.

Reza has a lot of work. He has three jobs.

Career is a false friend. - You study a degree or a subject at university.

You begin your career when you start working.

Reza has changed his careers. He used to be a musician.

You boss sacks you (if you're a bad employee. - to get the sack / to be fired, to get fired. Reza got the sack in East Berlin. He got the sack from selling newspapers.

to resign from your job (you decide to leave) / to hand in your notice or resignation (tell your employer in advance that you are going to leave.

to be made redundant - redundancy money. Many people in Spain are being made redundant at the moment.

to retire at the retirement age - to get a pension from the state (a state pension). You can also get a private pension.

Puedes estudiar más sobre el tema de work en nuestro curso intermedio: http://www.mansioningles.com/cursointer/cursointer21_1.htm

Reza's Top Tip: Brainstorm collocations.

DRIVE - to drive a car, bus, taxi etc.

to drive someone mad / crazy

Reza's mum drives him up the walls (in Belfast) or up the wall (in London). She drives him mad, she drives him crazy.

She drives him round the bend

to drive a point home

to drive a hard bargain - He drove a hard bargain

to drive under the influence (of alcohol or drugs)

STONE - a stepping stone - I see this job as a stepping stone to reach my goal

a stepping stone in a river

The Rolling Stones

A rolling stone - "a rolling stone gathers no moss" (musgo)

A stones throw away. It's a stones throw away from here.

To leave no stone unturned - The police left no stone unturned.

To sink like a stone

a headstone (lápida mortuoria, piedra sepulcral)

The music in this podcast is by Pitx. The track is called See You Later - licensed by creative commons under a by-nc license at ccmixter.org.

Si quieres mandarnos un comentario sobre este podcast o una pregunta sobre la gramática, la pronunciación or el vocabulario de inglés, Mandenos un email a mansionteachers@yahoo.es (Craig) o belfastreza@gmail.com (Reza).