Phrase Mix: you know how. I like how, It's funny how; willing to (do sth); may do sth, may be doing sth; Is this seat taken? nicked it shaving; What's it going to take to get through to you;

1. He's got those big, broad shoulders. You're talking with a group of girlfriends about guys on TV shows that you think are really attractive. You're describing a guy that you like who's really strong and manly-looking. those (things) In the example above, the speaker says "those" because it's a TV actor, and all of the people she's talking to know who she's talking about. She thinks that they've all seen and noticed his shoulders. If you were describing someone who your listeners hadn't seen, you would say: He's got big, broad shoulders. (someone)'s got (something) In American English, saying that someone "has got" something means that they "have" it. But "has got" sounds more casual. broad shoulders The word "broad" means "wide" but has a slightly different feeling and is used to describe different things. "Broad" has a more positive and pleasant sound than "wide". A man with "broad shoulders", for example, has wide shoulders that make him look attractive. Other things that are often described as "broad" are: a broad smile (This is how someone smiles when they're really honest and happy.) a broad street (Think of a wide street in a nice little town.) a broad range of different things (meaning a lot of different things). big, (adjective) (something) When you're "big" and another adjective to describe something, "big" usually comes first: There's a big, old house at the top of the hill that people say is haunted. This is a big, complicated problem, and I'm not sure that we'll be able to come up with a solution for it by the end of the day. 2. These ATM fees have gotten to be ridiculous! You're out with your sister. You need some cash, but you can't find a branch of your own bank nearby. So you go to another bank's ATM. A message says that there will be a $3 charge for using the ATM. You say this because you're annoyed that it's so high. (something) is ridiculous The word "ridiculous" means "silly or unreasonable". People often use "ridiculous" to complain about things that make them angry: This is ridiculous! Why the hell is it taking so long? Their prices are ridiculous. What? Don't be ridiculous!(something) has gotten to be (adjective) When you say that something "has gotten to be ___", it means that things have become a certain way recently: It's gotten really hard to make a living as a fisherman. Wow, you've gotten to be tall, haven't you? Her show has gotten to be quite popular among teenagers. 3. She'd never even held a gun before, much less shot one. You went hunting with your girlfriend. It was her first experience with hunting. Now you're telling some of your friends the story of your trip, and you describe your girlfriend's lack of experience. (someone) had never (done something) You're telling a story about something that happened in the past. You want to talk about someone's experiences before that time. In that case, you use "had ___" or "had never ___": We went to a Korean restaurant downtown. I think he'd been there before, but I'd never even heard of it. Remember that these phrases mean that something happened before a certain point in the past that you've mentioned. If you just want to talk about someone's past experiences, use "have ___" or "haven't ___": We're going to a Korean restaurant downtown. I think he's been there before, but I've never even heard of it. not (something), much less (something else) 更不必说, 更别说, 更别提. This is an expression that you use to emphasize how little of something that there is. For example: I'm not even supposed to be talking to you, much less helping you. This means that the speaker shouldn't talk to the listener. Helping the listener is even less acceptable than talking to her. The town I grew up in doesn't even have a grocery store, much less a shopping mall. If the town is so small that it doesn't have a grocery store, it's certainly not possible for it to have a shopping mall. shoot (a gun) ( = fire a gun 打枪) You can "shoot" something, like a target, an animal, an enemy, etc: Oh my God! Someone shot him! But you can also "shoot" a gun: I've shot rifles and shotguns, but I've never shot a pistol. Another word to use in this situation is "fire": No, I've never fired a gun in my life! shotgun 散弹枪: A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug. 4. He went on for like twenty minutes about how his neighbor is putting in a swimming pool. Your boss likes to talk a lot. Today you wanted to leave and go home, but your boss came to chat with you about things that weren't related to work. Now you're telling your girlfriend about this. You say this. like (a number or amount) "Like" sometimes means "about". Use it this way before a time or a number: It'll only take like five minutes. There were like well over 500 people there. Some older people don't like it when people use "like" in this way. However, it's a pretty well-established part of spoken language for a lot of English speakers now. It's still not used in formal writing, though. how (clause) 用于阐述一件事实 (It's funny how. I like [it] how. 有人加it, 但是是不对的. you know how. I love how ) Use a "how" clause when you want to say something about a fact. For example, here's a fact: Most American people don't even own a bike. And here's a sentence that's talking about this fact: We were talking about how most American people don't even own a bike. Here are a few more examples: I love how he just stands there and watches while I do all the work! (This is said sarcastically.) It's crazy how (it's funny how) you can live so close to somewhere like this and never even know that it existed. "How" clauses like this usually come after the verb. It's not common to use a "how" clause this way at the beginning of a sentence. put in (a structure) This phrase is used to talk about installing a structure into your home or your yard. Some other examples include: put in a new counter top, put in a bookshelf, put in a vegetable garden. To "put (something) in", there needs to already be a place that it's going into. So you wouldn't say that you were "putting in" a new bedroom. You'd say: We're adding on a new bedroom for the kids. 5. Did I catch you at an OK time? You're a salesperson. You're calling a client to try to pitch them on a new product that you're selling. You check to make sure that the client isn't too busy when you call. catch (someone) 逮住, 逮到, 抓住, 没有找到他, 没有讲到话 To "catch" someone means to get a chance to speak with them. A: Have you asked Tony about getting you access to the expenses database yet? B: No, I wasn't able to catch him yesterday. Oh, I'm glad I caught you. I have a question... You can use this phrase with friends, coworkers, or other people that you've met before. Don't use this phrase to talk about getting the chance to meet someone for the first time. an OK time An "OK time" is a time when someone is able to speak with you. They're not busy, in a bad mood, on their way to somewhere, etc. Use this phrase at the beginning of a conversation to make sure that the other person will be able to speak with you: A: Hey, is this an OK time? B: Uh... I'm actually in the middle of something. Can I come by in, like, 10 minutes? A: Sure. You can also say "a good time": Did I catch you at a good time? 6. That's as low as I'm willing to go 能接受的最低价. You're trying to sell your motorcycle. You're negotiating with someone who might buy it. You've offered to sell it to them for $7,500, but they're asking for a lower price. You don't want to sell it for less than that amount, so you say this. If the speaker hadn't said the price yet, she might use "this": OK, I'll give you a little discount 一点折扣. This is as low as I'll willing to go. I'll give it to you for seventy-five hundred, and I'll throw in the cover and helmet for free. go low When you're trying to sell something, to "go low" means to offer to sell something for a low price. Here are some other examples of how to use it: Is that as low as you can go? I can't go any lower. (someone) is willing to (do something) 能接受做某事 When you say that you "are willing to ___", it means that you will say "yes" to doing it, but you don't really want to do it, or you're not happy about doing it. For example, if your lazy grown-up child asks you for money, you can say: I'm willing to lend you the money, but I expect to be paid back by the end of this year. Or if someone offers to buy something from you, and the price they offer is lower than you want but OK, you can say this: Yeah, I guess I'm willing to sell it for that. 7. I want to switch to a new carrier 换服务商, but I have 6 more months on my contract. You have mobile phone service with a certain company, but you are not happy with it. You want to change to a different company, but you can't because you signed a contract with the current company that hasn't finished yet. You are talking about your mobile phone service with a coworker and you say this. switch to (a service) (churn rate) To "switch" to a different company or service means to stop using the old one and start using a new one. You can switch to a new company for anything that you use over and over. It wouldn't make sense to say "I switched to a new restaurant, but you could say: I switched to a new shampoo. This would mean that you stopped using the shampoo that you always used in the past, and started using a different brand. a (wireless phone) carrier The company that you buy wireless phone or wireless internet service from is called your "carrier". This is only used for wireless services. A more general term for a company that you buy a service from is "a provider": Which internet provider do you use? have (a length of time) on a contract To "have" a length of time means that you must continue something for that length of time. You can use this phrase for things that you are looking forward to the end of, like the remaining time you have in school: I only have 3 semesters left. You can also use it for the length of time left for something you enjoy: We only have 2 more days before we have to go back to work. "Having" a length of time on a contract means that the contract extends until a certain date, and this is the length of time between now and the end of the contract. 8. Let me know if that works. You've chosen a week when you'd like to take a vacation. You're sending an email to your boss to request those days off. Near the end of the message, you ask for permission in a confident way. let me know The phrase "Let me know ___" means "Tell me ___". It's extremely common in everyday English, because "Tell me ___" can sound too demanding or angry. Here are some examples: Let me know when you're free and we'll set up a meeting. Let me know when you hear from them. If you encounter any problems, please let me know immediately. You can see "Let me know..." a lot in business emails. (something) works When something "works", it means that the people you're speaking or writing to think it's OK. For example: A: I'm free this Wednesday after five. Does that work? B: Yeah, that works for me. This expression is very common in business communication. It seems more confident than asking if something is "OK": Let me know if that's OK with you. This is something you might write to an executive in your company or to a customer who you've only spoken with a few times before. Let me know if that works for your team. This is something that you'd write to a coworker or client who's somewhat equal to you in status, or who you know well. 9. They've hinted that they may be introducing a new tablet computer. You have heard some information that makes you think that Sony is going to start selling a tablet computer. The information came from things that the company said and wrote, but they haven't officially said that they will do this. You think that they will announce it at a conference next week. You write this on an Internet message board about this conference. hint that (clause) "Hint that ___" means to say things that make people guess that you are thinking a certain way. For example, if Sony "hinted that" they were introducing a new tablet computer, it means that the company hasn't directly stated that they are releasing it. But they have said other things, like: We're releasing a new product that will give Apple something to consider. Since one of Apple's most popular products is a tablet computer, it seems that Sony might be talking about competing with that product. (someone) may be (doing something) This phrase means that someone might have plans to do something. There's a slight difference between using "they may be ___ing" vs. "they may ___": Sony has hinted that they may introduce a tablet computer. This means that they may or may not have decided to release one yet. The idea is in the early planning stages. Sony has hinted that they may be introducing a tablet computer. This suggests that they are already planning to do it. introduce (a product) When a company "introduces" a new product, it tells the general public that the product will be available. You can use the phrase "___ introduced ___" if the company has started just selling the product. You can also use it if the company just announced that they were going to release the product: They just introduced a new ultra-flat-screen TV at the Consumer Electronics Conference which is supposed to be available later this year. Notice that this phrase is followed by the singular ("introduced a new ultra-flat-screen TV ") instead of the plural ("introduced new ultra-flat-screen TVs"). a tablet computer This is a flat computer device with a screen but no keyboard attached, like the Apple iPad. 10. I wish I didn't 虚拟语气 have that stray hair sticking out. You're looking at vacation photos with your husband. There's one photo which has a beautiful background, but there's a problem with your hair. You complain about it. I wish (something)(didn't/wasn't)(something) When you use the phrase "I wish ___" to talk about things that you would like to be different, use the past tense instead of present tense: I wish I wasn't so thin. I wish I knew how to help you, but I don't. If you ever need to wish about something that happened in the past, you use past perfect tense: I wish you'd told me sooner. stray hair When some of a person's hair isn't in the right place, you can call it "stray hair": You have some stray hair sticking out 傲然独立, 孑然独立 over there. Other things that can be "stray", meaning not in the right place, include: a stray pet, a stray bullet. 11. Is this seat taken 这里有人了吗? You're in a coffee shop. You're looking for somewhere to sit, but there aren't many empty tables. You see a chair with no one sitting in it, but there's someone sitting next to it. This is how you ask the person if it's OK to take the chair. This is a set expression that people use when asking to use a chair in a public place that's close to where another person is sitting. You will often hear "Is this seat taken?" in movies and on TV shows when a person sits with someone who they don't know well. Usually in those scenes, the characters have a conversation with each other. So if you ask "Is this seat taken?" people might think that you're going to talk to them. If you want to make sure that they don't think this, you can ask for the chair in a less common way like: Is anyone using this? Do you mind if I sit here? 12. Any assistance you can provide would be greatly appreciated. You're working on a charity event to raise money for cancer research. You'd like to ask some of your co-workers for help with the event, so you write an e-mail about it to a group of people. You write them an email explaining where the money from the event will go. You write this. provide (someone) (with) assistance To "provide (someone) with assistance" just means to help them. So the following phrases have nearly the same meaning: Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated. But "assistance" is a more formal word than "help". "Provide" is also formal. It means to give something or to make something available for people to use: These results provide support for the theory that humankind evolved speech later than scientists had previously thought. "Provide ___" is really common in writing. Here are some of the most common things that people "provide": provide information, provide opportunities, provide assistance, provide health care, provide insurance, provide training. (something) would be greatly appreciated Use this expression to formally ask people for help, money, information, etc.: Your donations would be greatly appreciated. If you have any comments or suggestions, they would be greatly appreciated. Words that go well in this phrase include: "information", "assistance", "donations", "suggestions". "___ would be greatly appreciated" is especially used in writing. 13. Can you close that for me and launch the sales tracking report again? You're training a new employee at your company. You're showing him how to use one of the company's software applications. You've finished explaining one part of the application, so you ask him to move back to another part that you were showing him before. Can you (do something) for me? This is a way of asking someone to help you: Hey, can you get that for me? Use it with people in your family, your close friends, and people who you have authority over like your employees or students. With people you're not as close with, you can ask "Would you mind ___ing for me?": Excuse me. Would you mind watching over my stuff for me for just a minute? launch (a computer program) "Launching" a computer program means starting it up. For example: I tried launching Internet Explorer, but it crashed. English speakers especially use the word "launch" for programs that start up slowly. The word "open" can be used for any program, whether it's fast or slow to start: Open Excel, and then choose "File" and then "Create from Template". the (something) report In business, people create standard reports (documents with useful information) and give them names such as: customer retention report 客户存留报告, 留存率 (a report about how many customers stay and how many leave). production tracking report (a report that keeps track of a production process). spoilage report (a report that shows how much of a product or material is being wasted). The specific names of each report will depend on the company and industry. However, they usally follow the pattern of: (topic) (detail) report The topic is something like "sales", "customer", "materials", "profit", "traffic", etc. The detail can include a variety of different things, but it usually takes the form of a noun like "tracking" (showing the current progress) or "billing". 14. I nicked 划破, 划伤, 割伤, 割破, 切到 it shaving. Your ear has a cut on it. It happened when you were shaving this morning. Your daughter asks what happened, so this is your answer. (someone) nicked (something) To "nick" something means to accidentally cut it a little bit. For example, people "nick" themselves when they're shaving. You might "nick" your finger while cutting vegetables in the kitchen. A "nick" is smaller than a cut: Don't worry. It's just a nick 划了一下. (someone)(did something)(doing something) Talk about an accident that happened while a person was doing something: I ripped the page trying to pull it out of the folder. This means "I ripped the page while I was trying to pull it out of the folder." She tripped going up the stairs. This means that she tripped while she was going up the stairs. The two things should be very closely connected. If two things happened at the same time, but they're not connected, you should use a different structure like this: I dropped my phone in the airport when I was walking to my gate. 15. Albert got all defensive when I commented on his design. At work, a software designer made a design for a new product. You saw some problems with the design, so you talked to him about the problems. He got angry and fought back against each point. Now you're telling another co-worker about it. You say this. (someone) got all (adjective) To "get all ___" means to show too much of an emotion: There's no need to get all angry about it 搞那么生气. I was just trying to help! She's at an age now where she gets all embarrassed whenever I say anything to her friends or classmates. These sentences mean the same thing as they would without "all", but "all" helps to show how you feel about the person's emotion. It shows that you think this level of emotion is too much and not needed. This phrase is mostly used in casual spoken English. get defensive (about something) "Getting defensive" means acting like someone is emotionally attacking you. Here are a few examples of people "getting defensive": You are eating dinner at your sister's house, and you put some extra salt on your food. She says, "What, is my cooking not good enough for you?" You give some suggestions to your employee about how to organize her e-mail better. She argues back against every point that you make, and seems upset about it. comment on (something) 发表意见, 发表看法 To "comment on" a topic means to talk about it and give your opinion on it. Here are some examples: A news reporter asks a politician: Senator Fredericks, would you care to comment on President Obama's statement? A woman can say to her sister: You didn't even comment on my haircut! 16. Hurry up and make up your mind 别犹豫了, 赶紧决定. You're at a restaurant with your kids. You are all looking at the menu and trying to decide what to get. Everyone has decided except for your daughter. The waiter is coming over to your table, so you want her to decide quickly. You tell her this. "Hurry up and ___" is used in casual situations, and usually when you are a little frustrated with how long someone is taking to do something: Hurry up and get ready. We're already running late! make up (one's) mind The phrase "make up your mind" means to decide. It's usually used when someone is considering a few different choices and can't decide which of the choices to go with: A: Which one are you going to get? B: I haven't made up my mind yet. 17. Yes, I just wanted to verify that my payment has been received? There's a loan payment that you have to pay before a certain date. You sent your payment for the bill, but you're not sure that the bank received it yet. So you call the bank to confirm. You start the phone conversation by saying this. If someone asks about the dishes in the dishwasher: Have these been run? ...the speaker asks "Have these been run" instead of "Did you run these?" because it's not important who ran the dishes. It could be any member of the family. I wanted to (do something) A very polite way to explain why you're doing something is "I wanted to ___". For example: Hi Jen. I wanted to see if you'd like to come out with Emma and I and some friends of ours to a show next week. Note that this is in past tense: you say "I wanted to ___" instead of "I want to ___". There's no grammatical reason for making it past tense; it just makes your sentence sound more polite. When you say it this way, it sounds like an explanation for why you're calling, why you're visiting, etc. just (do something) You use this phrase when the action you're describing seems easy, simple, fast, unimportant, or unexciting: I just googled "new york florist" and that was the first shop that came up, so I called them. A: What did you do this weekend? B: I just sat at home and watched T.V. receive (something) To "receive" something basically means to get it from someone. We received over a hundred submissions. The word "receive" is pretty formal. It's used in official documents or in business communication. In normal conversation, "get" is more common: We got over a hundred submissions. "Receive" is often used in a pair with the word "give" - there's a famous saying "It's better to give than to receive." Yes, (sentence) This is a polite way to start a telephone conversation with a business when you don't know the person you're talking to. You speak this way when: You call customer support. You call for someone at work, but someone else answers. You call to make an appointment with a doctor, dentist, hair stylist, etc. verify that (clause) To "verify" that something is true means to make sure. "Verify" is a more formal word and usually used in business situations where you don't know the person you're talking to. You verify "that ___". You can also replace the clause with a word like "something": Can I just verify something? 18. It's good stuff 好东西. Organic, no artificial flavors 人工增味剂 or preservatives 防腐剂... and it's pretty tasty! You're eating a snack at work that you bought from a health food store. It's a snack bar that you often buy because you like it. A coworker asks what you're eating, so you recommend it. (something) is good stuff This is a phrase which has become more popular in the last several years. We talk about food, drinks, or ingredients which are high-quality by saying that they are "good stuff": A: Have you had some of this? B: Yeah. It's good stuff, huh? organic (food) Organic food is made without unnatural chemicals such as: pesticides (chemicals that kill insects or animals), herbicides 除草剂 (chemicals that kill weeds), chemical fertilizers 化肥 (which make plants grow more quickly), antibiotics (medicines which kill bacteria. In some countries, food that is labeled "organic" must be inspected and pass certain tests to prove that unnatural chemicals were not used. artificial flavors 人工调味剂 (and/or) preservatives "Artificial" means "not natural". "Preservatives" are chemicals which are put in food to keep it from going bad quickly. So "artificial flavors and preservatives" are chemicals which are put in food to make it taste different or last longer. You mostly find this phrase on food commercials and packaging. Foods which are made naturally will often advertise "No artificial flavors or preservatives!" (something) is tasty 不错吃 If something tastes good, you can say that it is "tasty". However, "tasty" is not as good as other words like "delicious". So you might have a conversation like this if someone cooks for you and they're very sensitive about their cooking skill: A: How was it? B: It was tasty. A: So you didn't like it? B: No! I liked it! I said it was tasty, didn't I? 19. I bought these here earlier today, but when I got them home I discovered that one of them seems to have a hole in it. Earlier today you bought a pair of gloves, but one of them had a hole in it. Now you've returned to the store where you bought the gloves. This is how you explain your situation to a cashier on duty. earlier today The meaning of "earlier today" is obvious, but you can use this phrase to mean sometime 2-3 hours before now, and within the same day. get (something) home 拿回家, 带回家 When you buy something new, you take it back home with you. To describe this action, use the phrase "get it home": I can't wait to get it home and try it out! This phrase is only used for new things that you buy, get as a gift, or are given at work. (someone) discovered 发现 that (clause) Use the phrase "I discovered that..." to talk about learning something by noticing new details. This is different from "realizing" something, which also means to start to think something. But "realizing" things takes more mental work than "discovering" things: As I was riding the train home, I realized that I'd left my keys in the closet at work. You could also use the word "noticed": I bought these here earlier today, but when I got them home I noticed that one of them seems to have a hole in it. (something) seems to (do, have, or be something). You can say that something "seems to be ___" when you notice something but you're not completely sure that you have identified it correctly. For example, if you're video chatting and it takes her a few extra seconds to answer your questions, you can say: There seems to be a bit of a lag 有一点延迟. You can also use "seems to..." to politely point out a problem. For example, imagine that you're paying for a shirt that you buy at a department store, and you give the cashier some cash. But after he counts it, he says to you: You seem to be a bit short 差点, 不够. That means "You don't have enough money." But the cashier just says "You seem to be..." to be polite. "Seems to..." is a way to act like you might be wrong about what you've seen or heard, even if you're actually sure that you're correct. 20. What's it going to take to get through to you? Your son is doing badly in school. You get angry at him, but he doesn't seem to be interested in taking your advice. You are frustrated and want to complain that he's not listening. You say this to him in frustration. What's it going to take to (do something) 我要怎么样才能, 到底是要怎样才能. This question means "What do I have to do so that ___ will happen?" It's a way of asking what the conditions are for a result that you want. This phrase is often used when you are angry or frustrated that someone will not do what you want. In formal English (written or spoken) , you would say this slightly differently: What will it take in order to (do something)? get through to (someone) This means to make someone understand you or listen to your advice. It can be used when there are difficulties in communication, like when you're talking to someone who speaks a different language: I had trouble getting through to people 让...明白, 才能明白, 才能懂, 才能理解, 才能听话 in English. But it's more commonly used when talking about people who understand what you're saying, but are in disagreement with you. 21. As you're well aware, all requests for tech support are to go through me 通过我. You're the manager of a tech support department at a company. People are supposed to e-mail you when they need help with their computers and other technology. Then you choose an employee from your staff to help them. One coworker doesn't follow the rules, and always calls one of your staff members directly instead. She just did this again, so you write an angry e-mail telling her not to do this. You begin the e-mail this way. As you're (well) aware, (sentence) This expression introduces something that your reader or listener already knows, but you want to remind them of. "As you're aware," is a formal phrase. A more casual version is "As you know,": As you know, you're supposed to go through me for any help you need with tech issues. You can add "well" to talk about something that your audience knows well already: As you're well aware, we don't allow smoking in the building. You can use this phrase when you're annoyed by someone who keeps making the same mistakes, or just to be helpful. requests for tech support 技术服务 To "request" something means to ask for something. To talk about the things that you ask for and count them, use the phrase "a request for ___": My request for a transfer has been approved! "Tech support" is short for "technical support". Most large companies have some employees whose job is to fix other employees' computers, install software, etc. You call this job, and the tasks that these people do, "tech support". Putting these together, "requests for tech support" means the things that you ask for technical help with. (something) is to (happen) This is a formal and strict-sounding phrase that means that something must happen or is supposed to happen: All students are to return home immediately after school unless they are participating in an approved after-school activity 课外活动. This means that the students have to go home. "You are to ___" is strict-sounding and usually used by people in authority. 22. Think it over (consider 更正式) 好好考虑一下, 好好想想 and let me know in the next week or so. You just interviewed someone for a job in your department. You liked him, so you offered him the job. He didn't immediately make a decision, so you say this to give him some more time to think about it. think it over To "think it over" means to think about something that you have to make a decision on. In the example above, the job applicant has to "think over" whether to take the job. This expression almost always uses "it": Let me think it over. If you don't use "it", the word order changes: Have you thought over my offer? A more formal word that means something similar to "think it over" is "consider". You would write this if you were offering someone a job in writing: Please consider our offer and let us know what your decision is by next Thursday, March 10th. (a period of time) or so This is an expression for talking about time loosely. "The next week or so" means "about the next week". It could be in 5 days, in 10 days, etc. I'll be travelling for the next week or so. Other phrases that use "or so" include: the first day or so, the last year or so, for an hour or so.  For example: This is one of the best songs I think I've heard in the last decade or so. 23. Guys, I thought that Craig brought up a good point earlier. You're in a meeting at work. There's a discussion going on. One of your coworkers said something that was smart, but the other people didn't seem to notice what he said. You support him. bring up (a topic) This means to introduce a topic into the conversation, or to start talking about a topic. When you use "that", "it", "her" or other pronoun, the order is "bring ___ up". When you use a noun or longer phrase, use the order "bring up ___" I'm glad you brought that up. I don't know why she had to bring up the fact that we used to go out in front of all those people. In very formal situations, avoid calling a group of people "guys". Instead, use a phrase like "everyone": Everyone, thank you for coming. a good point When there's a debate or discussion going on, a "good point" is an idea which is convincing and makes sense. For example: A: I think we should take Highway 75. B: But I bet there's a lot of traffic right now. A: That's a good point. You can also just say "Good point" when someone says something convincing: A: There's no way we'll be able to finish in time to make it to the opening. B: Good point. 24. Yeah, good luck with that (good luck with/on something). Your friend isn't a very good singer, but he tells you that he's going to enter a singing talent show. He says that he's sure that he'll win first place. You don't think that's possible. You say this under your breath (quietly, so he can't hear). If you want to specify what you're wishing them good luck with, you can say "good luck on (something)": Good luck on your job search! Good luck with that. "Good luck with that" is a set phrase that people say when you're going to try something that they think will be hard or impossible. The literal meaning of "good luck with that" is simply, "I hope that you succeed with that." However, this phrase has become popular to use sarcastically. So it often means "I don't think that you're going to succeed." Any kind of sarcasm should be used carefully, and only with people who you're close with. If you sincerely want to wish someone good luck, you can simply replace "that" with a longer phrase: Good luck with the competition! You can also use "on" instead of "with": Good luck on your exams. Sometimes we use "Yeah" sarcastically. This means that you actually disagree with what a person has said, but instead of saying "No" you say "Yeah". For example: A: I'm sorry! B: Yeah, right. That's what you always say. A: I'm going to beat you. You don't stand a chance! B: Yeah, we'll see. 25. It hasn't really sunk in yet. You just got married a few weeks ago. Now you're talking with a friend who asks what it's like being married. You don't feel any different yet from how you felt before your wedding, so you say this. (something) sinks in When an idea or thought "sinks in", it means that you notice or realize it. For example: This isn't something you can just cram for the night before. It takes at least a few days to sink in 真正理解. The true meaning of what the Reverend was telling us finally sunk in. No rush. Take some time, let it sink in, and get back to me with an answer tomorrow. "Sinking in" is a deeper experience than just "knowing". In the example above, the speaker knows that she's married, but it hasn't "sunk in" yet. She's waiting to not only know that she's married, but also to feel married. (something) hasn't (done something) yet (yet 用于完成时中, 有人也用于过去式中, 但是其实是语法不对的) "Yet" means "before now" but we only use it with negative sentences and questions: I haven't finished it yet. Have you seen it yet? When people use the word "yet", it usually goes with the perfect form of a verb, like "has done", "has been", "has ___en", and so on. They haven't started yet, have they? Have any of you bought one of the new iPhones yet? In very casual English, people sometimes use the simple past: Did you buy an iPhone yet? But a lot of English speakers don't speak this way, and it wouldn't be considered correct grammar in written English. 26. I've had to walk up and down six flights of stairs all week 关于楼梯的各种用词. You live on the 6th floor of an apartment building. This week, the elevator has been broken. (someone) has had to (do something) Use this for something that you had to do in the past, and you still have to do it. In other words, use this to talk about an obligation that started in the past and has continued until the present. For example, if you lost your job and haven't found a new one yet, you can say: I've had to cut back on my expenses and rely on my friends and family for help. walk up and down the stairs When complaining about stairs, people often use the phrase "walk up and down". This sounds tiring. If you're not talking about how tiring the stairs are, you can use the phrase "take the stairs" instead: The elevator was broken so I took the stairs 走楼梯. a flight of stairs "Stairs" can't easily be counted, but here are ways that you can specifically count them: One whole set of stairs in a building is called a "staircase". Most buildings only have one staircase, but some large buildings might have 2 or 3 separate staircases. One "flight of stairs" connects two floors. For example, between the ground floor and the 2nd floor is one flight of stairs; between the 2nd and 3rd floor is another flight, and so on. There can be several flights of stairs in one staircase. Sometimes there will be a "landing" halfway up a flight of stairs. This is a wider area where the stairs turn around and go in another direction. A staircase or a flight of stairs is made up of lots of "steps 几级台阶". You usually walk up one step at a time. 27. I'll get to that in just a minute. You're giving a presentation at work. One of your employees asks a question. You have slide in your presentation which answers that question, so you ask her to wait. get to (something) 说到, 讲到, 谈到 When you use "get to ___", it sounds like you have a long list of things to do, and you're finally reaching one item on the list. You use this phrase when you're busy: I'll try to get to that this afternoon. You can also use this phrase when you have a lot of things that you want to talk about in a conversation, a speech, a meeting, etc. I wanted to talk about the new marketing campaign we just rolled out, but it looks like we won't be able to get to that today. 29. Let me take you around and introduce you to everyone. There's a new employee in your department. You're training her. You think she should meet the other people that you work with, so you suggest this. take (someone) around 带着看看, 四处看看 Use this phrase to talk about giving someone a tour. You can give someone a tour of a city: I had some friends come to visit from out of town, so I took them around and showed them the sights. Or a company, school, etc: Ana, why don't you take him around and show him where everything is? The phrase "take ___ around" is more casual than "give ___ a tour". introduce (someone) to (someone) When you "introduce" a person, you explain who they are. To talk about introducing people, we use the form "Introduce (A) to (B)". It's a little unclear in this situation which person you're talking about, and which person you're talking to. For example: Have I introduced you to Monica? This means "Have I explained to you who Monica is?" but it also means "Have I explained who you are to Monica?" We also use the phrase "Introduce ___ to each other." I think I'm the one who introduced Bill and Ali to each other. We sometimes use the word "everyone" to talk about everyone in a specific group. For example, if a friend comes to your dinner party, ask: Thu, have you met everyone? It means "Have you met everyone at this party?". 30. Time out. I need to sit down and catch my breath. You and a friend are playing basketball together. You say this because you're getting really tired and you need to rest. Time out. This is what you say in a game if you want to take a break. In a formal competition, each team has a certain number of "time outs" 暂停 that they are allowed to take. When you're just playing with friends, you can ask for a "time out" whenever you get too tired or thirsty to keep playing. "Time out" was originally used in sports, but its meaning is sometimes extended to other situations. For example, imagine that your friend is telling a story. In the middle of the story, she says something really surprising but doesn't stop to explain it. She's continuing to tell her story, but you want to hear more about the surprising thing she just said. You say: Whoa, time out! You and Jess broke up?! "Time out" in this situation means that you want your friend to stop her story. catch (one's) breath 喘不上气, 喘不过气来 When you're breathing really quickly but don't feel like you're getting enough air, you say: I can't catch my breath. So to "catch your breath" means to rest and wait for your breathing to become normal again.