IMPORTANT IDOMS

A Bird In The Hand Is Worth Two In The Bush
"Dan has asked me to go to a party with him. What if my boyfriend finds out?" Reply: "Don't go. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."

A Blessing In Disguise
"My car broke down again, but maybe it was a blessing in disguise; I've been wasting too much time driving around anyway."

A Chip On Your Shoulder
"What's bothering that guy?" Answer: "Nothing; he's just got a chip on the shoulder."

A Dime A Dozen
"I don't need friends like him; they are a dime a dozen."

A Drop In The Bucket
"I'd like to do something to change the world but whatever I do seems like a drop in the bucket."

A Fool And His Money Are Easily Parted
Example: "Her husband can't seem to hold onto any amount of money; he either spends it or loses it. A fool and his money are easily parted."

A Penny Saved Is A Penny Earned
"I'm going to give you $20 but I want you to put it in the bank; a penny saved is a penny earned!"

A Piece Of Cake
"Do you think you will win your tennis match today?" Answer: "It will be a piece of cake."

A Shot In The Dark
"That was such a difficult question! How did you get it right?" Reply: "I just took a shot in the dark."

A Slap On The Wrist
"He should be in jail for what he did, but he got off with just a slap on the wrist."

A Slip Of The Tongue
"Be careful talking to the police tomorrow; one slip of the tongue could get us into big trouble."

A Taste Of Your Own Medicine
"It looks like she got a taste of her own medicine."

A Toss-Up
"Do you think they'll make it one time?" Answer: "I really don't know. It's a toss-up."

A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing
"Don't trust the salespeople at that store; they are all wolves in sheep's clothing!"

About Face
"Do an about face, get back in that bathroom, and brush your teeth!"

Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder
"The time we spend apart has been good for us; absence makes the heart grow fonder."

Actions Speak Louder Than Words
"Don't tell me how to do this; show me! Actions speak louder than words."

Add Fuel To The Fire
"I would like to do something to help, but I don't want to add fuel to the fire."

Against The Clock
"We worked against the clock all day to get this report done by 5PM."

Against The Grain
"I jog at this track everyday and there is always that one guy who has to go against the grain and run in the opposite direction."

All Bark And No Bite
"The new manager threatened to fire me but I know he won't do it; he is all bark and no bite."

All Greek
"Did you understand what he just said?" Reply: "Nope. It was all Greek to me."

All In The Same Boat
"We can't fight against each other; we need to work together. We're all in the same boat!"

All That Glitters Is Not Gold
"Be careful when shopping for your new car; all that glitters is not gold!"

All Thumbs
"Hey! You are pouring my coffee on the table!" Reply: "Oh, I'm so sorry! I have been all thumbs today."

An Arm And A Leg
"Be careful with that watch; it cost me an arm and a leg."

An Axe To Grind
"I have an axe to grind with you." Answer: "Oh no; what did I do wrong?"

Arm In Arm
"What a nice afternoon. We walked arm in arm along the beach for hours."

Around The Block
"You kids are too young to fall in love: Wait until you have been around the block a time or two."

As Blind As A Bat
"Without his glasses, my father is as blind as a bat."

As High As A Kite
"The ball got stuck up there on the roof. It's as high as a kite."

As Light As A Feather
"Wow, you lift that box so easily!" Reply: "Oh, come on. It is as light as a feather."

At The Drop Of A Hat
"Would you travel around the world if you had the money?" Answer: "At the drop of a hat."

At Wit's End
"We have been at wit's end trying to figure out how we are going to pay our taxes."

Back To The Drawing Board
"It looks like my plan to kill the weeds in the garden has failed. Back to the drawing board."

Barking Up The Wrong Tree
"I have been trying to solve this math problem for 30 minutes but I think I've been barking up the wrong tree."

Beat A Dead Horse
"There's no use in beating a dead horse."

Beating Around The Bush
"If you want to ask me, just ask; don't beat around the bush."

Bend Over Backwards
"We bent over backwards to help him, and he never even thanked us!"

Better Late Than Never
"Sorry I was late for the meeting today; I got stuck in traffic." Answer: "That's okay; better late than never."

Between A Rock And A Hard Place
"I'd like to help you but I am stuck between a rock and a hard place."

Birds Of A Feather Flock Together
"Look; the volleyball players are eating at the same table together, as always." Answer: "Birds of a feather flock together."

Bite Off More Than You Can Chew
"I thought I could finish this report within one month, but it looks like I have bitten off more than I can chew."

Bite Your Tongue
"Whenever that professor says something I don't like, I have to bite my tongue."

Blood Is Thicker Than Water
"When my best friend and my brother got in a fight I had to help my brother; blood is thicker than water."

Break Down
"Did your car break down again?"

Break In
"They broke in to my apartment when I was gone, and they took everything!"

Break The Tie
"Whoever wins in Florida will have enough votes to break the tie."

Burn Your Bridges
"I wish you hadn't been rude to that man just now; he is very important in this town and you shouldn't go around burning bridges."

Burning The Candle At Both Ends
"Ever since this new project started I have been burning the candle at both ends. I can't take much more of it."

Burning The Midnight Oil
"Our son has been working hard preparing for his final exams!" Answer: "Yes, he's been up each night burning the midnight oil."

Call It Off
"Tonight's game was called off because of the rain."

Can't Cut The Mustard
"Bob dropped out of medical school; he couldn't cut the mustard."

Cold Turkey
"I want to quit drinking right now. As of this moment, I am going cold turkey."

Come Hell Or High Water
"Will you be at the family reunion next year?" Answer: "Yes- we'll be there, come hell or high water!"

Cross Your Fingers
"Let's cross our fingers and hope for the best!"

Cry Over Spilt Milk

learningenglish: Collocations المتـلازمـــات اللفــظية

learningenglish: Collocations المتـلازمـــات اللفــظية: "Collocations المتـلازمـــات اللفــظية Collocations = Word partnerships = Words that go together By: Yousef S Al-Hajjar Collocation i..."

Collocations المتـلازمـــات اللفــظية

Collocations المتـلازمـــات اللفــظية

Collocations = Word partnerships = Words that go together


By: Yousef S Al-Hajjar


Collocation is the way words combine with other words in predictable ways. Knowing strong and frequent collocations is essential for accurate, natural English. Using correct collocations expands your English and makes it much more effective.

I dedicate this modest contribution to lovers of English language, including myself.

The following is a list of English [Adjective + Noun] collocations, which I have compiled through my readings. I translated these collocations into Arabic for students and novice translators

Scanty information ..........معلومات ضئيلة

An all-out = full-scale war, attack .........هجوم ، حرب شامل/ة

Invincible = undefeatable army ..........جيش لا يقهر

A golden opportunity ..........فرصة ذهبية

A verdant tree ..........شجرة وارفة الظلال

A rough sea.......... بحر هائج / مضطرب الأمواج

Abject poverty.......... فقر مدقع

A dreadful / horrible accident.......... حادث فظيع/ مروع

Infectious disease......... مرض معد

Incurable disease.......... مرض عضال

Horrendous disaster.......... كارثة رهيبة / مريعة

Dire consequences.......... عواقب وخيمة

Industrious / diligent student ..........طالب مجتهد

Tepid / lukewarm water.......... ماء فاترة

Tremendous wealth ..........ثروة هائلة ، ضخمة

Nutritious food ..........طعام ذو قيمة غذائية

Fashionable clothes ..........ملابس آخر موضة

Complete confusion.......... ارتباك تام

Reliable source.......... مصدر موثوق

Irreversible decision.......... قرار لا رجعة عنه

Irrevocable divorce .......... طلاق البائنة (نهائي/ لا رجعة عنه)

Common-law marriage ..........الزواج العرفي

Difficult decision ..........قرار صعب

Fearless warrior ..........محارب شجاع

Hopeless case.......... حالة ميئوس منها

Reckless driver.......... سائق متهور

Formal announcement .......... إعلان رسمي

Illegible handwriting ..........خط لا يمكن قراءته

Improving Listening Skills

Improving Listening Skills

By Nancy Friedman
July/August 2004

Pretend you’re a real estate agent, showing a five million dollar home to a nationally known sports star.  This sports star and his beautiful actress wife really like the house.  If the sale is made, the commission will allow you to buy a new luxury car and pay off a lot of bills.

As the sale is about to be closed, the athlete’s cell phone rings and his smile turns to a frown.  He has just been traded and will be leaving town.  He relays the message to his wife who breaks down and cries.  Question: how old is the real estate person?

Give up?  It’s not a trick.  You might want to re-read the scenario.  It says pretend you are a real estate sales person.  So how old are you? 

Okay, it was a trick, but no trickier than listening to your clients whether you’re on the phone or in person.  Listening is an art, not a science.  While we usually can hear prospects or clients, the real question is if we’re really listening to them.

You might think listening is easy.  After all, doesn't everybody listen?  Listening isn’t the same as hearing.  Think about a commercial for a product you have no interest in.  It’s easy to tune that information out, isn’t it?

Hearing is one thing, but listening is another.  While it’s easy to hear what the client or prospect says, great service begins with great listening skills.  Here are our six steps to becoming a better listener:

Tip #1 - Decide to be a Better Listener: In school, you’re taught to read, write, do math, and dozens of other topics.  But in all my schooling, I don’t ever recall having a course on listening.  Yet as we all know, listening is a crucial skill.  The first step is all about you – your personal commitment to becoming a better listener.  You need to decide to be a better listener. 

Tip # 2 - Welcome the Client or Prospect: Be overtly friendly.  By being obviously friendly and welcoming the person, it immediately sets the stage to let the caller know that you’re interested and actively listening.  One effective way to show you're listening is to say, “You've come to the right place.”

Tip #3 - Concentrate: Your mind processes information much faster than the normal rate of speech and therefore, you half-listen and do other things too.  Your brain tends to solve other problems, to think about what you’re going to say next, other calls you need to make, lunch plans, or a host of other activities.

The mind needs to be disciplined to pay full attention to others and to listen closely.  Even when you try to listen closely, little things can distract you, like a regional accent, someone who speaks too rapidly, or when the prospect is discussing a topic you don’t find interesting.  It’s easy to be distracted by many things, but don't let that happen.  Concentrate instead.

Tip #4 - Keep An Open Mind: We'd go a long way toward curing the problem of poor listening habits by not interrupting people.  By carefully listening and letting them finish their thoughts, you hear them out completely and avoid jumping to conclusions.

Also, remember the difference between a fact and an assumption.  A statement of fact is normally made after an observation.  An assumption can be made any time – before, during, or after an observation (or with no observation at all).

We want to operate as closely as we can with facts rather than assumptions.  A good listener tries to stay objective and not be judgmental.  Try not to let personal impressions modify what you hear.  Remember to keep an open mind.

Tip #5 - Give Feedback That You’re Listening: Often, when the person on the other end of the line doesn't give you feedback, you think you've been disconnected.  Remember, with the phone there are no visual signals.  Too much silence gives the impression you're not listening.

Even when you're thinking or looking for something, you need to send feedback through a variety of short replies acknowledging the caller.  Give them a spoken signal that you're receiving the message.  Phrases like “bear with me while I look that up,” or “let's see what the notes say,” are good examples.  Also, use a variety of replies, not repeating one word like okay, okay, okay.

Tip #6 - Make Notes While You Listen and Review Notes with the Caller: This is basic, but it’s very important.  Document key words as people talk – their name, what they need, and any follow-up items.  Please don’t take a chance on forgetting when it’s so easy to make a note.

If the caller gives you extra information, eliminate the unnecessary bits that can be safely discarded.  Whether you’re taking a telephone message, helping a client, or talking to a prospect, repeat and paraphrase the key information to be sure you’ve got it correct.  It lets the caller know you’ve really listened.

*****

Intonation and Stress: Key to Understanding and Being Understood

Try this short exercise

Say this sentence aloud and count how many seconds it takes.

The beautiful Mountain appeared transfixed in the distance.

Time required? Probably about 5 seconds. Now, try speaking this sentence aloud.

He can come on Sundays as long as he doesn't have to do any homework in the evening.

Time required? Probably about 5 seconds.

Wait a minute the first sentence is much shorter than the second sentence!

The beautiful Mountain appeared transfixed in the distance
He can come on Sundays as long as he doesn't have to do any homework in the evening

You are only partially right!


This simple exercise makes a very important point about how we speak and use English. Namely, English is considered a stressed language while many other languages are considered syllabic. What does that mean? It means that, in English, we give stress to certain words while other words are quickly spoken (some students say eaten!). In other languages, such as French or Italian, each syllable receives equal importance (there is stress, but each syllable has its own length).

Many speakers of syllabic languages don't understand why we quickly speak, or swallow, a number of words in a sentence. In syllabic languages each syllable has equal importance, and therefore equal time is needed. English however, spends more time on specific stressed words while quickly gliding over the other, less important, words.

Let's look at a simple example: the modal verb "can". When we use the positive form of "can" we quickly glide over the can and it is hardly pronounced.

They can come on Friday. (stressed words underlined)

On the other hand, when we use the negative form "can't" we tend to stress the fact that it is the negative form by also stressing "can't".

They can't come on Friday.

As you can see from the above example the sentence, "They can't come on Friday" is longer than "They can come on Friday" because both the modal "can't" and the verb "come" are stressed.

So, what does this mean for my speaking skills?

Well, first of all, you need to understand which words we generally stress and which we do not stress. Basically, stress words are considered CONTENT WORDS such as

• Nouns e.g. kitchen, Peter
• (most) principal verbs e.g. visit, construct
• Adjectives e.g. beautiful, interesting
• Adverbs e.g. often, carefully

Non-stressed words are considered FUNCTION WORDS such as

• Determiners e.g. the, a, some, a few
• Auxiliary verbs e.g. don't, am, can, were
• Prepositions e.g. before, next to, opposite
• Conjunctions e.g. but, while, as
• Pronouns e.g. they, she, us

Let's return to the beginning example to demonstrate how this affects speech.

The beautiful Mountain appeared transfixed in the distance. (14 syllables)

He can come on Sundays as long as he doesn't have to do any homework in the evening. (22 syllables)

Even though the second sentence is approximately 30% longer than the first, the sentences take the same time to speak. This is because there are 5 stressed words in each sentence. From this example, you can see that you needn't worry about pronouncing every word clearly to be understood (we native speakers certainly don't). You should however, concentrate on pronouncing the stressed words clearly.

Now, do some listening comprehension or go speak to your native English speaking friends and listen to how we concentrate on the stressed words rather than giving importance to each syllable. You will soon find that you can understand and communicate more because you begin to listen for (and use in speaking) stressed words. All those words that you thought you didn't understand are really not crucial for understanding the sense or making yourself understood. Stressed words are the key to excellent pronunciation and understanding of English.

I hope this short introduction to the importance of stress in English will help you to improve your understanding and speaking skills. Make sure to come to our chat lessons on Monday and Thursday evening to discuss these and other ideas. Email for any suggestions or topics that you would like to work on in the future.

*****

Listening Is a Master Skill                      

Listening is rarely taught in schools because educators (along with almost everyone else) assume listening is tantamount to breathing -- automatic. But effective listening is a skill. Like any other skill, competency in listening is achieved through learning and practice. The scarcity of good listeners is self-perpetuating; if you didn't have good listeners to learn from and (especially) models to emulate, you probably didn't master this "master" skill. Instead, you learned whatever passed for listening in your environment: distracted half-attention, constant interruptions, multi-layered, high-volume, talk-fest free-for-alls with little listening at all.

Barriers to Listening

Listening takes time or, more accurately, you have to take time to listen. A life programmed with back-to-back commitments offers little leeway for listening. Similarly, a mind constantly buzzing with plans, dreams, schemes and anxieties is difficult to clear. Good listening requires the temporary suspension of all unrelated thoughts -- a blank canvas. In order to become an effective listener, you have to learn to manage what goes on in your own mind. Technology, for all its glorious gifts, has erected new barriers to listening. Face-to-face meetings and telephone conversations (priceless listening opportunities) are being replaced by email and the sterile anonymity of electronic meeting rooms. Meanwhile television continues to capture countless hours that might otherwise be available for conversation, dialogue, and listening.

Other barriers to listening include:

worry, fear, anger, grief and depression

individual bias and prejudice

semantics and language differences

noise and verbal "clutter"

preoccupation, boredom and shrinking attention spans

Listening Out Loud

A good listener is not just a silent receptacle, passively receiving the thoughts and feelings of others. To be an effective listener, you must respond with verbal and nonverbal cues which let the speaker know -- actually prove -- that you are listening and understanding. These responses are called feedback.

Verbal feedback works best when delivered in the form of brief statements, rather than questions. (Your questions usually get answered if you wait.) Statements allow you to paraphrase and reflect what you've heard, which affirms the speaker's success at communicating and encourages the speaker to elaborate further or delve more deeply into the topic. Meaningful exchanges are built on feedback.

In order to accurately feed back a person's thoughts and feelings, you have to be consciously, actively engaged in the process of listening. Hearing a statement, you create a mental model, vicariously experiencing what the speaker is describing, feeling the speaker's feelings through the filters of your own humanity and experience.

Ten Steps to Effective Listening

Face the speaker and maintain eye contact.

Be attentive yet relaxed.

Keep an open mind.

Listen to the words and try to picture what the speaker is saying.

Don't interrupt and don't impose your "solutions."

Wait for the speaker to pause to ask clarifying questions.

Ask questions only to ensure understanding of something that has been said (avoiding questions that disrupt the speaker's train of thought).

Try to feel what the speaker is feeling.

Give the speaker regular feedback, e.g., summarize, reflect feelings, or simply say "uh huh."

Pay attention to what isn't said -- to feelings, facial expressions, gestures, posture, and other nonverbal cues.

Listening is a precious gift -- the gift of time. It helps build relationships, solve problems, ensure understanding, resolve conflicts, and improve accuracy. At work, effective listening means fewer errors and less wasted time. At home, it helps develop resourceful, self-reliant kids who can solve their own problems. Listening builds friendships and careers. It saves money and marriages.

More Listening Tips

Mentally screen out distractions, like background activity and noise. In addition, try not to focus on the speaker's accent or speech mannerisms to the point where they become distractions. Finally, don't be distracted by your own thoughts, feelings, or biases.

When listening for long stretches, focus on (and remember) key words and issues.

When dealing with difficult people, spend more time listening than speaking.

When in doubt about whether to listen or speak, keep listening

first step

لكى تتمكن من اتقان اللغه الانجليزيه اليك بعض النصائح :-
1- ان تكون محب للغه الانجليزيه 
2- ان تتابع كل جديد فى عالم اللغه 
3- ان تتحلى بالصبر لان اللغه تحتاج الى مجهود لكى تتمكن نت اتقانها