'Rumor has it' is an expression used when suggesting you might have heard something or read about something that is taking place now or in the future. A rumor is not a fact.

Here are some examples:

"Rumor has it that that player will get traded."

"Rumor has it that she cheated on him."

"Rumor has it that they are going to get married."

"Rumor has it that you like to paint."

"Rumor has it that show is going to end."

"Rumor has it that he is going to get a raise."

"Rumor has it that your sister got in trouble."

"Rumor has it that she goes to our gym."

"Rumor has it that he will not return."

"Rumor has it that it happened while texting."

'There's' is a contraction of the words 'there is.' When using the word 'nothing' you are suggesting that something cannot happen or be done.

Here are some examples:

"There's nothing you can harm."

"There's nothing the police can identify."

"There's nothing we can agree on."

"There's nothing we can join."

"There's nothing she can cook."

"There's nothing my dog can learn."

By using the word 'cannot' or 'can't' you change the expression to mean that all is possible.

Here are some examples:

"There is nothing I cannot ask for."

"There's nothing we cannot accomplish."

"There's nothing our dog cannot open."

"There's nothing that truck cannot move."

When saying it is 'kind of you' you are saying that what someone has done or said was very appreciated or welcomed.

Here are some examples:

"It's very kind of you to offer me the job."

"It's very kind of you to listen to me."

"It's very kind of you to join me."

"It's very kind of you to invite us."

"It's very kind of you to inform us what happened."

"It is kind of you to help us."

"It is kind of you to fill me in."

"It is kind of you to entertain us."

"It is kind of you to double my salary."

"It is kind of you to decorate for the party."

'There's' is a contraction of the words 'there is.' By stating 'there's no way' you are relaying a thought of doubt about an event taking place now or in the future.

Here are some examples:

"There's no way you finish on time."

"There's no way we complete on time."

"There's no way your mother approves."

"There's no way no one claims it."

"There's no way they expect it."

"There's no way he can fix it."

"There's no way he can handle the news."

"There's no way your brother injured his ankle."

"There is no way that horse jumps it."

"There is no way he missed it."

'It's' is a contraction for 'it is.' By stating 'it's no use' you are saying that what you or someone else is doing is not recommended or uncalled for.

Here are some examples:

"It's no use crying."

"It's no use separating them."

"It's no use talking to her."

"It's no use whining about it."

"It's no use apologizing."

"It's no use attempting to please him."

"It's no use arguing about it."

"It's no use behaving that way."

"It's no use cleaning up."

"It's no use checking on it yet."

'Here's to' is used in a way of celebrating or identifying a person, place, or thing of significance. It is usually said while toasting someone at dinner, or signaling to someone or something after an event.

Here are some examples:

"Here's to the winner!"

"Here's to your marriage!"

"Here's to the New Year!"

"Here's to great friends!"

"Here's to starting a new job!"

"Here is to the luckiest guy in the world!"

"Here is to you!"

"Here is to happiness!"

"Here is to a wonderful day!"

"Here is to great memories!"

You are asking someone to make sure that a particular thing happens or takes place.

Here are some examples:

"Please make sure that she wakes up on time."

"Please make sure that she gets to school."

"Please make sure that dinner is ready when we get home."

"Please make sure that your assignment is done."

"Please make sure that the water is not too hot."

"Please make sure you cook the meat long enough."

"Please make sure that she is getting along with her new friends."

"Please make sure that we leave on time."

"Please make sure you record our favorite TV show."

"Please make sure that you don't stay out too late."

You are letting someone know how long it will take to do a particular thing.

Here are some examples:

"It takes one hour to get there."

"It takes forty-five minutes for me to get ready."

"It takes four quarters to complete a football game."

"It takes 7 seconds for my car to go 60 miles per hour."

"It takes all day for us to finish golfing."

"It takes years to learn to play guitar."

"It takes 15 minutes to get to downtown."

"It takes me one hour to cook."

The word 'there's' is a contraction of the words 'there is' or 'there has.' When expressing 'no need' you are stating that the action does not need to take place.

Here are some examples:

"There's no need to worry."

"There's no need to be upset."

"There's no need to act so strange."

"There's no need to act so shy."

"There's no need to rush off."

"There's no need to talk now."

"There is no need to call this late."

"There is no need to bother him."

"There is no need to run away."

"There is no need to stop now."

'Let's' is a contraction for 'let us.' You are suggesting to someone that you should both agree on what you will communicate to someone else.

Here are some examples:

"Let's say that you love to fish."

"Let's say we found it."

"Let's say that we enjoy being with them."

"Let's say that we had a good time."

"Let's say that it's hard to decide."

"Let's say that we have to go."

"Let's say that we can host."

"Let's say that I have to work."

"Let's say that the movie was really good."

The word 'let's' is formed from the words 'let us.' Here you are requesting that something not take place at this moment or that what is happening needs to be contained or lessened.

Here are some examples:

"Let's not discuss this now."

"Let's not stay here too long."

"Let's not stop anywhere on the way."

"Let's not remain mad at each other."

"Let's not meddle in other people's business."

"Let us not get too excited."

"Let us not worry too much."

"Let us not interrupt them when they are talking."

"Let us help you."

"Let us get that for you."

You are informing someone that there is something not right or out of the ordinary.

Here are some examples:

"There is something wrong with my laptop."

"There is something wrong with my car."

"There is something wrong with my cell phone."

"There is something wrong with my head."

"There is something wrong with your answering machine."

"There is something wrong with your way of thinking."

"There is something wrong with your attitude."

"There is something wrong with your dog."

"There is something wrong with our relationship."

"There is something wrong with our alarm clock."

By asking 'what are the chances of' you are wondering how often or in what case would a particular thing happen.

Here are some examples:

"What are the chances of getting tickets?"

"What are the chances of that happening?"

"What are the chances of it raining today?"

"What are the chances of winning the lottery?"

When replacing the word 'the' with 'your' or 'our' you can ask what the chances 'personally' that the topic will happen.

Here are some examples:

"What are the chances of you staying home today?"

"What are your chances of getting the job?"

"What are your chances of improving?"

"What are your chances of moving?"

"What are our chances of staying together?"

"What are our chances of working together?"

"What are our chances of going together?"

When using 'how come' you are asking why a particular thing has or had to take place.

Here are some examples:

"How come parents worry so much?"

"How come people carpool to work?"

"How come you are so upset?"

"How come he will not call you?"

"How come you stayed out so late?"

"How come you cannot make a decision?"

"How come you always question me?"

"How come we never agree?"

"How come your dog digs in the yard?"

"How come she will not come over?"

You are simply asking how much you would need to pay to do something.

Here are some examples:

"How much does it cost to fly to Europe?"

"How much does it cost to own a house?"

"How much does it cost to play a round of golf?"

"How much does it cost to join a gym?"

"How much does it cost to repair my car?"

"How much would it cost to talk long distance?"

"How much would it cost to run a website?"

"How much would it cost to wash my car?"

"How much would it cost to rent a car?"

"How much would it cost to go to the movies?"

Here you are asking a question about 'in the event of' or 'in the event that.' Usually you are looking for an answer at the time of the question that is being asked.

Here are some examples:

"What if I miss the bus?"

"What if I were late to dinner?"

"What if I called her tomorrow?"

"What if I don't understand?"

"What if someone sees me?"

"What if no one is home?"

"What if they decide to stay?"

"What if it rains while we are camping?"

"What if I do not finish on time?"

"What if we introduce ourselves first?"

You're asking someone their opinion on something or if they would like to do something.

Here are some examples:

"How about singing?"

"How about hanging out tonight?"

"How about folding the laundry for me?"

"How about helping us out?"

"How about describing to me what happened?"

"How about exploring new ideas?"

"How about comparing prices before we buy it?"

"How about considering it?"

"How about following me to their house?"

"How about feeding the dogs?"

By using the words 'how was' you are asking someone a question about something that happened or something they did in the past.

Here are some examples:

"How was your meeting?"

"How was your doctor's appointment?"

"How was the birthday party?"

"How was lunch?"

"How was the airplane ride?"

"How was vacation?"

"How were your parents?"

"How were roads when you drove home?"

"How were people acting after what happened?"

"How were holidays with the family?"

By stating 'the point is' you are stating in your opinion the meaning about what is actually happening.

Here are some examples:

"The point is that if you study you will do well in school."

"The point is that she does not understand."

"The point is that we need this done today."

"The point is that the world would be a better place."

"The point is that we should help."

"The point is that snakes can be dangerous."

"The point is that leaving a baby alone is not a good idea."

"The point is that if we do not leave now we will be late."

"The point is that she needs to be more responsible."

"The point is that we need to work together."

You are letting someone know that something is required to be done at the present time.

Here are some examples:

"It's time to say goodbye."

"It's time to ask for a raise."

"It's time to collect our money."

"It's time to cheer for our team."

"It's time to change the clocks."

"It is time to decide what to do."

"It is time to enjoy ourselves."

"It is time to fill me in on what's going on."

"It is time to help out."

"It is time to join a gym."

'That's' is short for 'that is.' Here you are telling someone 'because of this' or 'therefore.'

Here are some examples:

"That's why people admire you."

"That's why she appears so happy."

"That's why babies crawl before they can walk."

"That's why Pam cries at sad movies."

"That's why you fail to understand."

"That is why you help out people in need."

"That is why you try and include everyone."

"That is why you lock your doors when you leave home."

"That is why she smiles when you walk by."

"That is why you use it for emergencies."

You could be describing how something is similar or appears to be by the way it looks.

Here are some examples:

"It looks like a balloon."

"It looks like a jellyfish."

"It looks like a banana."

"It looks like a fish."

You can also use 'it looks like' to describe something that might be in the future.

Here are some examples:

"It looks like it's going to rain."

"It looks like it's going to be fun."

"It looks like it's going to be a long day."

You can also use it to describe something in the present tense.

Here are some examples:

"It looks like they are leaving."

"It looks like he is waving to us."

"It looks like she is lost."

"It looks like they are racing."

You're informing someone what something is going to be like. This could be something you are going to do, see or feel.

Here are some examples:

"It's going to be delicious."

"It's gonna be easy."

"It's gonna be depressing."

"It's going to be exciting."

"It's going to be disgusting."

You can also add 'he or she' or a person's name to describe how they might react to something.

Here are some examples:

"He is going to be tough to deal with."

"He is going to be terrific at that."

"She is going to be relieved to hear that."

"She is going to be scared after watching that movie."

"Sally is going to be successful."

"Mike is going to be grumpy after I tell him."

Here you are giving an example of what decision YOU would do given the circumstances. This can be in past tense or in a conditional present.

Here are some examples:

"If I were you, I would enjoy my vacation."

"If I were you, I would explain what happened."

"If I were you, I would continue working until it is done."

"If I were you, I would book my reservations now."

"If I were you, I would answer the question."

By adding 'have' after the word 'would' you are talking about something in the past tense.

Here are some examples:

"If I were you, I would have enjoyed my vacation."

"If I were you, I would have explained what happened."

"If I were you, I would have continued working until it was done."

"If I were you, I would have booked my reservations now."

"If I were you, I would have answered the question."

Using 'could have' you are speaking about something that was, should be or would be. You are stating that they had other options that could have been chosen.

Here are some examples:

"You could have completed it sooner."

"You could have blown your chance."

"You could have done better on your exam."

"You could have given me more time to get ready."

"You could have heard that from someone else."

"You could have sent that package first class."

"You could have slept in a little longer."

"You could have written him a letter."

"You could have thought of something to do."

"You could have upset her by saying that."

'Too bad' means regrettable or unfortunate. When using it in a sentence you are expressing a concern or regret for what has taken place. The topic being discussed could have happened to you, the person you are talking to, or someone or something else.

Here are some examples:

"It's too bad that she lost her job."

"It's too bad that you have to go."

"It's too bad that I found out about it."

"It's too bad we will not be there on time."

"It's too bad that tickets are all gone to that concert."

"It's too bad that it is supposed to rain."

"It's too bad that she got hurt."

"It's too bad that my work has to lay off people."

"It's too bad that you do not understand."

'Don't' is a contraction of 'do not.' When using 'why' you are asking a question that involves yourself and the person you are talking to.

Here are some examples:

"Why don't we go bowling tonight?"

"Why don't we pick some fresh flowers?"

"Why don't we play a game of chess?"

"Why don't we save more money?"

"Why don't we remember this place?"

"Why don't we test this before using it?"

"Why don't we try and do it again?"

"Why don't we post our results online?"

"Why don't we gather more firewood?"

"Why don't we earn more money?"

This question asks someone their opinion about a topic.

Here are some examples:

"What do you think about having a cup of tea with me?"

"What do you think about working overtime next week?"

"What do you think about waiting in line for tickets?"

"What do you think about sailing?"

"What do you think about staying here another night?"

"What do you think about retiring from your job?"

"What do you think about planting new trees in the backyard?"

"What do you think about offering to babysit?"

"What do you think about living in a new city?"

"What do you think about filming our vacation?"

To 'want' is to feel or have a desire for. When saying 'Do you want me to' you're asking someone if there is anything you can do for them or assist them with.

Here are some examples:

"Do you want me to pick up the kids?"

"Do you want me to fix your flat tire?"

"Do you want me to help you read that book?"

"Do you want me to remind you?"

"Do you want me to remove my shoes?"

The word 'want' can also be used to express something YOU would like someone else to do or that something you personally would enjoy.

Here are some examples:

"I want you to come over."

"I want you to make a decision."

"I want you to water the flowers."

"I want to understand what you are trying to say."

"I want to be better at swimming."

"I want to be more involved at church."

When asking this question you are inquiring how often or how frequent someone does a particular thing.

Here are some examples:

"How often do you exercise?"

"How often do you change your password?"

"How often do you help out at school?"

"How often do you listen to your MP3 player?"

"How often do you need to go to the dentist?"

"How often do you receive your magazine in the mail?"

"How often do you report to your supervisor?"

"How often do you stretch before working out?"

"How often do you talk to your parents?"

"How often do you travel?"

With this question you are asking someone what they prefer or enjoy.

Here are some examples:

"Do you like traveling on a plane?"

"Do you like watching baseball on TV?"

"Do you like skiing or snowboarding?"

"Do you like going to bed early?"

"Do you like spending time with me?"

"Do you like repeating the class?"

"Do you like playing video games?"

"Do you like listening to music?"

"Do you like practicing playing the piano?"

"Do you like jogging with me?"

The word 'don't' is a contraction of the words 'do not.' It is said to convey a message of what NOT should be done.

Here are some examples:

"Don't try and fool me."

"Don't allow this to happen."

"Don't watch scary movies before you go to bed."

"Don't cause any more trouble."

"Don't chew gum in class."

"Do not concern yourself with other people's problems."

"Do not behave that way."

"Do not announce your decision until you're ready."

"Do not argue with me."

"Do not arrive late for your meeting."

'Please' is generally used in a polite request when asking someone to do something.

Here are some examples:

"Please pass me the salt."

"Please order me the steak and potatoes."

"Please stop bothering me."

"Please wash your hands before dinner."

"Please wait outside until we are ready."

"Please zip up your coat before you go outside."

"Please stand back."

The word 'please' can also mean to give enjoyment or satisfaction to.

Here are some examples:

"The smell of the flowers was very pleasing."

"May it please the court to admit this into evidence?"

"I was very pleased with how the children behaved in class."

"You cannot please everyone all the time."

"She was pleased with the dress."

You are asking someone if they are attempting to do something. This can be something mentally or physically.

Here are some examples:

"Are you trying to ignore me?"

"Are you trying to manage your money?"

"Are you trying to memorize that song?"

"Are you trying to offer your help?"

"Are you trying to program your new phone?"

"Are you trying to pretend like it never happened?"

"Are you trying to remain calm?"

"Are you trying to remember her name?"

"Are you trying to reflect on the past?"

"Are you trying to switch flights?"

Here you are asking a question about an interest they might have or something they might enjoy doing.

Here are some examples:

"Are you into soccer?"

"Are you into trying new things?"

"Are you into wine tasting?"

"Are you into working out at home or at the gym?"

"Are you into scary movies?"

"Are you into playing games?"

"Are you into jogging?"

"Are you into painting?"

"Are you into traveling?"

"Are you into fixing cars?"

'You'd' is a contraction of 'you had' or 'you would.' You are making a suggestion to someone for a particular action.

Here are some examples:

"You'd better exercise."

"You'd better help out."

"You'd better invite your brother."

"You'd better impress the judges."

"You'd better listen to your parents."

"You had better not come home late."

"You had better hope for the best."

"You had better change your attitude."

"You would be good at teaching."

"You would do well at math."

When stating 'you seem' you're referring to the person you are talking to and expressing that they are giving the impression of or appear to be.

Here are some examples:

"You seem bored."

"You seem unhappy with the results."

"You seem eager to begin."

"You seem easy to get along with."

"You seem elated to hear the good news."

"You seem deeply in love."

"You seem afraid of roller coasters."

"You seem confused about the rules of the game."

"You seem embarrassed about what happened."

"You seem decisive about your choice."

'You're' is a contraction of the words 'you are.' When using 'You're' with the words 'supposed to' you are making a suggestion that something you strongly believe ought to happen.

Here are some examples:

"You're supposed to keep that secret."

"You're supposed to let me know when you leave."

"You're supposed to stop when at a red light."

"You're supposed to unpack once you get there."

"You're supposed to return the movies you rent on time."

"You are supposed to remain calm."

"You are supposed to fasten your seat belt."

"You are supposed to invite all your friends."

"You are supposed to encourage one another."

"You are supposed to decide before next Thursday."

Here you are suggesting an obligation or duty that needs to take place either now or in the near future.

Here are some examples:

"You should go to bed."

"You should do your homework before going outside."

"You should replace your headlights on your car."

"You should request a raise at work."

"You should stop smoking."

"You should smile more."

"You should slow down when driving in a neighborhood."

"You should talk to him about it."

"You should train your dog."

"You should trust what they say."

You are expressing a desire to do something.

Here are some examples:

"I wish I could sing better."

"I wish I could settle the argument."

"I wish I could sail around the world."

"I wish I could remain calm during all of this."

"I wish I could remember his name."

"I wish I could replace my old car with a new one."

"I wish I could play outside."

"I wish I could go to the game with you."

"I wish I could write better."

"I wish I could own my own business."

Should' is the past tense of the word 'shall.' When using the words 'should have' you are talking about something in the past that you 'ought to' or 'might have' done.

Here are some examples:

"I should have gone with you."

"I should have studied more for my test."

"I should have read the directions before starting."

"I should have eaten breakfast this morning."

"I should have listened to your advice."

"I should have married her when I had the chance."

'Shall' is something that will take place or exist in the future.

Here are some examples:

"I shall leave tomorrow."

"I shall finish the job next week."

"I shall see it tomorrow."

"I shall go outside if it's nice out."

"I shall pay for this later."

You are letting someone know that you are not sure about what is being asked. You may also have no knowledge or opinion on a topic.

Here are some examples:

"I don't know what to eat for dinner."

"I don't know what to buy you for your birthday."

"I don't know what to say."

"I don't know what to do with my spare time."

"I don't know what to do for vacation."

"I do not know what to do to make you happy."

"I do not know what to do to help you understand."

"I do not know what to think."

"I do not know what to do to prevent this."

"I do not know what to order."

You are asking someone in present tense if they object to something you are asking.

Here are some examples:

"Do you mind if I excuse myself?"

"Do you mind if we left early?"

"Do you mind if I take a nap?"

"Do you mind if I ask your mom?"

"Do you mind if it snows?"

You could also use the word 'would'

Here are some examples:

"Would you mind if we went out to eat?"

"Would you mind if I opened the window?"

"Would you mind telling me what you're doing?"

"Would you mind being quiet for a minute?"

"Would you mind if I changed the channel?"

'I'm not sure' expresses a feeling of uncertainty or lack of confidence on a particular matter.

Here are some examples:

"I am not sure if they will offer me the job."

"I'm not sure if she'll return my call."

"I'm not sure if my wife will understand."

"I'm not sure if we will go out tonight."

"I'm not sure if I understand your question."

"I am not sure if I can handle it."

"I am not sure if it will happen."

"I am not sure if it will matter."

"I am not sure if my mom will notice."

"I am not sure if they will permit us to park there."

The phrase 'Can I get' can be used in a couple different ways. You can use it to ask a question.

Here are some examples:

"Can I get a cup of water?"

"Can I get a dog?"

"Can I get lunch?"

"Can I get sugar in my coffee?"

"Can I get popcorn at the movie?"

You can also use it when offering to help someone or do something for them.

Here are some examples:

"Can I get you another drink?"

"Can I help you move that?"

"Can I recommend a good place to eat?"

"Can I take you home?"

"Can I help you finish your project?"

When ending a sentence with a question mark (?) you are asking the person or people you are talking to a question for which you would like an answer. Here you are asking permission to do a particular action.

Here are some examples:

"Can I answer your question?"

"Can I attend the event?"

"Can I move to another spot?"

"Can I call you tomorrow?"

"Can I complete this later?"

"Can I explain myself?"

"Can I help you with your homework?"

"Can I include you in our plans?"

"Can I introduce you to my co-workers?"

"Can I inform you of some bad news?"

Saying 'thank you' is telling someone you appreciate what they have done. This can either be something they did for you or for someone else.

Here are some examples:

"Thank you for inviting me."

"Thank you for helping me move."

"Thank you for informing me about the job opening."

"Thank you for mailing that package for me."

"Thank you for working so hard."

"Thank you for stopping by to visit."

"Thank you for replying to my email."

"Thank you for providing me with the answers."

"Thank you for heating up dinner."

"Thank you for hurrying to get here."

'Let me' is suggesting that you are asking for permission or an opportunity to do something.

Here are some examples:

"Let me make my own decisions."

"Let me offer to help you."

"Let me open the door for you."

"Let me pause and think about what we are doing."

"Let me welcome you to the neighborhood."

"Let me save you the trouble."

"Let me make a suggestion."

"Let me try and fix your car."

"Let me taste the soup before you add more spices."

"Let me treat you to some ice cream."

The word 'occurred' informs someone that something has come to mind or has been found. You are letting someone know that you suddenly have thought or remembered about something.

Here are some examples:

"It occurred to me that I forgot your birthday."

"It occurred to me that we both belong to the same gym."

"It occurred to me that we enjoy a lot of the same things."

"It occurred to me the price for homes are more expensive here."

"It occurred to me that eating healthy makes me feel better."

Using the word 'had' or 'has' can change what you are saying to represent something remembered in a past time.

Here are some examples:

"It had occurred to me that I forgot something at the grocery."

"It had occurred to me I might need to change my email address."

"It has occurred to me I forgot my mom's birthday."

"It has occurred to me before."

You are letting someone know that you are aware of something or that you have been informed of something that is taking place. This could be something that has already happened or something happening in the near future. 'I've' is a contraction of the words 'I have.'

Here are some examples:

"I've heard that you got a new job."

"I've heard that you want to leave your job."

"I've heard that you got a new car."

"I've heard that you like to jog."

"I've heard that you fix computers."

"I've heard that you've never been to Canada."

"I've heard that you like to shop."

"I've heard that you and your boss don't get along."

"I've heard that there is no school next week."

"I've heard that your wife is a yoga instructor."

Here you are telling someone that you feel strongly about doing a particular action. Here are some examples:

"I think I should practice my reading."

"I think I should join a study group."

"I think I should handle this as soon as possible."

"I think I should earn my degree."

"I think I should explain myself."

By adding the word 'don't' you have changed what you are conveying from something you are thinking of doing, to something you are against.

Here are some examples:

"I do not think I should complain so much."

"I do not think I should attend that event."

"I do not think I should borrow more money."

"I do not think I should doubt you."

"I do not think I should decide until later."

By stating you are having a hard time you are letting someone know you are having difficulty with something. This could be something physical or mental and something that could be overcome with effort.

Here are some examples:

"I'm having a hard time writing."

"I'm having a hard time understanding you."

"I'm having a hard time answering your question."

"I'm having a hard time downloading songs to my iPod."

"I'm having a hard time agreeing to the terms."

With the addition of an adverb you can express in more detail just how difficult something is for you.

Here are some examples:

"I'm having an extremely hard time trusting you."

"I'm having an extremely hard time with my wife."

"I'm having a very hard time finding a job."

"I'm having a very hard time finding parts for my car."

When saying that something is 'hard for me' you are informing someone that what you are talking about is difficult or challenging for you.

Here are some examples:

"It's hard for me to accept what you are telling me."

"It's hard for me to argue your point."

"It's hard for me to balance my check book."

"It's hard for me to concentrate on the task."

"It's hard for me to consider your other options."

"It's hard for me to depend on you."

"It is hard for me to decide where to go tonight."

"It is hard for me to explain my actions."

"It is hard for me to guarantee your success."

"It is hard for me to handle so much pressure."

The word 'It's' is a contraction of the words 'it is.' When stating 'my turn' you are telling someone that it is time to change position or position focuses on to you.

Here are some examples:

"It's my turn to walk you home."

"It's my turn to do laundry."

"It's my turn to work late."

"It's my turn to take out the trash."

"It's my turn to choose where we eat."

"It is my turn to pay for dinner."

"It is my turn to roll the dice."

"It is my turn to provide an answer."

"It is my turn to try and play the game."

"It is my turn to attempt solving the problem."

When using the word 'dying' in this manner you are referring to wanting or desiring something greatly.

Here are some examples:

"I'm dying to relax on the beach."

"I'm dying to pick some fresh fruit."

"I'm dying to order some desserts."

"I'm dying to find out if I got the job."

"I'm dying to move to a bigger house."

"I'm dying to look at all the work you've done."

"I'm dying to learn more about you."

"I'm dying to introduce you to my parents."

"I'm dying to expand my business."

"I'm dying to check my score on the test."

This lets you inform someone that you are willing to provide assistance. This could refer to something physical or mental, like helping someone to 'think' or 'remember' something.

Here are some examples:

"I'll help you cook dinner tonight."

"I'll help you raise money for your charity."

"I'll help you register for your class online."

"I'll help you move to your new house."

"I'll help you prevent that from happening again."

"I will help you park your car."

"I will help you provide all the information you need."

"I will help you realize your potential."

"I will help you stop smoking."

"I will help you shop for groceries."

'Thinking' refers to a process of thought, forming an opinion or judgment. When expressing 'I am thinking of' you are letting someone know what you are personally thinking.

Here are some examples:

"I'm thinking of checking out the new movie."

"I'm thinking of filming my vacation."

"I'm thinking of following a healthy diet."

"I'm thinking of handing out flyers describing our business."

"I'm thinking of increasing my work load."

"I am thinking of introducing myself to him."

"I am thinking of launching a new website."

"I am thinking of moving to a new city."

"I am thinking of offering her the position."

"I am thinking of opening up a store."

I'm sorry to + (verb)

Saying you are 'sorry to' expresses a feeling of sympathy or regret.

Here are some examples:

"I'm sorry to be so late."

"I'm sorry to hear about your sick mother."

"I'm sorry to waste your time."

"I'm sorry to make you feel so sad."

"I'm sorry to frighten you."

"I'm sorry to disagree with your decision."

"I'm sorry to call so late."

"I'm sorry to admit what I did."

"I'm sorry to end this relationship."

'I'm' is a contraction for the words 'I am.' The phrase 'working on' relays a physical or mental effort towards an accomplishment.

Here are some examples:

"I'm working on a big project."

"I'm working on training my dog."

"I'm working on making new friends."

"I'm working on educating myself."

"I'm working on my homework."

"I am working on painting a house."

"I am working on a new idea."

"I am working on my computer."

"I'm working on my website."

When using the words 'I'm calling' you are stating that you are actually using the phone to call and relay information.

Here are some examples:

"I'm calling to tell you about my day."

"I'm calling to accept your invitation."

"I'm calling to answer your question."

"I'm calling to book a reservation at your restaurant."

"I'm calling to complain about something."

"I'm calling to thank you."

"I'm calling to support your decision."

"I'm calling to remind you of our dinner plans."

"I'm calling to report a lost wallet."

"I'm calling to receive my prize."

When telling someone that you are 'looking forward to' you are saying that you are waiting or hoping for something, especially with pleasure.

Here are some examples:

"I'm looking forward to meeting you."

"I'm looking forward to talking with you."

"I'm looking forward to going on vacation."

"I'm looking forward to spending time with my family."

"I'm looking forward to learning the English language."

"I am looking forward to visiting another country."

"I am looking forward to having a family."

"I am looking forward to graduating from college."

"I am looking forward to watching the baseball game."

"I am looking forward to running in a race."

When using the expression 'I have something' you are communicating that you possess something or need to do something that is unspecified or undetermined.

Here are some examples:

"I have something to complete."

"I have something to share with you."

"I have something important to tell you."

"I have something to encourage you."

"I have something to explain to you."

"I have something special planned for your birthday."

"I have something else to consider."

"I have something to apologize about."

"I have something to attend tonight."

"I have something to ask you."

"I have something fun for us to do."

You are informing someone that you are at a particular place to accomplish something.

Here are some examples:

"I'm here to apply for the job."

"I'm here to take a test."

"I'm here to receive my gift."

"I'm here to support all your decisions."

"I'm here to watch a movie."

"I'm here to work on your computer."

"I'm here to welcome you to the neighborhood."

"I'm here to raise awareness for cancer."

"I'm here to start the job."

"I'm here to receive the award."

I want you to' is telling someone that you have a desire or would like for them to do something.

Here are some examples:

"I want you to clean the dishes."

"I want you to come home right after school."

"I want you to call once you get there."

"I want you to explain yourself to me."

"I want you to educate me."

By using the word 'need' instead of 'want' you are expressing something that is required or wanted.

Here are some examples:

"I need you to study harder in school."

"I need you to stop and listen to me."

"I need you to greet our guests."

"I need you to introduce me to your family."

"I need to request a refund."

Here you are using 'not used to' to inform someone that you are unfamiliar or uncomfortable with a topic at hand.

Here are some examples:

"I'm not used to talking English."

"I'm not used to studying so much."

"I'm not used to being around new people."

"I'm not used to talking in front of groups of people."

"I'm not used to having so much stress."

"I'm not used to traveling so much."

"I'm not used to working so early."

"I'm not used to having so much responsibility."

"I'm not used to drinking so much."

When using the word 'was', you are referring to something in a past tense, or something that happened before. Combining it with the word 'busy' you can express something that was occupying you in a past time.

Here are some examples:

"I was busy thinking."

"I was busy working."

"I was busy cooking dinner."

"I was busy talking on the phone."

"I was busy cleaning the house."

"I was busy studying for my test."

"I was busy thinking of ideas for our website."

"I was busy entertaining our neighbors."

"I was busy completing my housework."

"I was busy learning new things."

By changing 'was' to 'am' you change your message from past tense to present tense and refer to something you are doing 'now.'

Here are some examples:

"I am busy working."

"I am busy cooking dinner."

"I am busy studying for my test."

"I am busy completing housework."

"I am busy talking on the phone."

The word 'can't' is contraction for 'cannot.' Combined with 'help' you are communicating something you are unable to control or having a hard time gaining a grasp for. This can be a physical or mental action.

Here are some examples:

"I can't help thinking about it."

"I can't help shopping so much."

"I can't help working all the time."

"I can't help smiling when I see her."

"I can't help eating so much."

"I can't help loving you."

"I can not help biting my nails when I am nervous."

"I can not help smoking when I have been drinking."

"I cannot help feeling so sad."

"I cannot help remembering the things you did."

Here you are expressing to someone something you would enjoy doing.

Here are some examples:

"I feel like going for a bike ride."

"I feel like going to the beach."

"I feel like having a snack."

"I feel like talking."

"I feel like dancing."

"I feel like having friends over to my house."

"I feel like watching TV."

By adding 'don't' or 'do not' you can change what you are saying to express something you would not enjoy or express a concern about something.

Here are some examples:

"I don't feel like leaving yet."

"I don't feel like explaining."

"I don't feel like going to bed."

"I do not feel comfortable talking about it."

"I do not feel like we are going in the right direction."

'I'd' is a contraction of the words 'I had' or 'I would.'

When using it with the word 'rather' you are suggesting you would like to do or prefer one thing more than another.

Here are some examples:

"I'd rather talk about this later."

"I'd like to eat at home than go get fast food."

"I'd rather ski than snowboard."

"I'd rather stay late than come in early tomorrow."

"I'd rather handle the problem myself."

"I had rather go home than stay out too late."

"I had rather listen to my parents or get in trouble."

"I would rather exercise than sit on the couch all day."

"I would rather complete my task early."

"I would rather know the answer."

When using the word 'promise' you are giving your word that what you are saying is true. You might also be assuring someone a guarantee that you will follow truth on what you are saying to them.

When using 'promise not to' you are stating you will not do a particular thing.

Here are some examples:

"I promise not to tell."

"I promise not to leave without you."

"I promise not to be so late."

"I promise not to hurt your feelings."

"I promise not to wake you up."

You can also just use the word 'promise' to assure someone of your intentions.

Here are some examples:

"I promise I am telling the truth."

"I promise to practice my math."

"I promise to call you."

"I promise I will tell you."

"I promise I will come to your party."

 The word 'don't' is a contraction of the words 'do not.' When adding 'have time to' you are simply stating that you have other obligations and all other things considered must wait.

Here are some examples:

"I don't have time to explain."

"I don't have time to eat."

"I don't have time to exercise."

"I don't have time to watch my favorite TV show."

"I don't have time to talk."

You can also use the phrase 'I don't' to express things you do not like, things you do not understand, or things you do not do.

Here are some examples:

"I don't eat meat."

"I don't like the rain."

 "I don't understand Spanish."

"I do not understand what you are saying."

 "I do not like scary movies."

 "I do not like sports."

The word 'didn't' is a contraction of the words 'did not'. When using it in a sentence with the words 'mean to' you are informing someone that you did something you regret or are sorry for. This could have been a physical, mental or verbal action.

Here are some examples:

"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"I didn't mean to call you so late."

"I didn't mean to lie about what happened."

"I didn't mean to embarrass you."

"I didn't mean to stay out so late."

"I did not mean to say those things."

"I did not mean to leave you out."

"I did not mean to make you confused."

"I did not mean to think you were involved."

"I did not mean to cause trouble."

When stating 'I was about to' you are informing someone that you were going to do something, but another event prevented you from doing it. It is similar to 'I am about to' but the difference is that you will not do it any longer. Since you will not do it any longer, it becomes a past event. That is why we use 'was' instead of 'am'

Here is an example conversation to help you understand.

A: Hi Mike. I need to ask you a favor.

B: Hey Bob. What do you need?

A: Can you drive me to the convenient store? My car is in the shop and we really need to get milk.

B: Sure. I can do that.

A: Were you in the middle of something? I don't want to bother you.

B: I was about to watch a movie, but that can wait.

In this case, he cannot say, "I am about to watch a movie" because he will not be watching it because he has to drive his friend. You use "I was about to" when you will not be doing something immediately because of some other event.

Here are some examples:

"I was about to go out."

"I was about to go to dinner."

"I was about to go to bed."

"I was about to go to work."

"I was about to say the same thing."

"I was about to call you."

"I was about to send you an email."

"I was about to mow my grass."

"I was about to order us some drinks."

"I was about to watch television."

'I've' is short for 'I have' and including the word 'decided' you are stating that you have made a decision or come to a conclusion.

Here are some examples:

"I've decided to accept the job."

"I've decided to complete my degree."

"I've decided to change my bad habits."

"I've decided to extend my membership at the gym."

"I've decided to form a chess club."

"I've decided to hand over my responsibilities."

"I've decided to help you move."

"I've decided to interview for the job."

"I've decided to increase my work load."

"I've decided to manage a store."

'Plan to' describes something that you would like to do in the near future.

Here are some examples:

"I plan to find a new apartment."

"I plan to relax on vacation."

"I plan to surprise my parents."

"I plan to wash my car."

"I plan to adopt a child."

"I plan to impress my boss."

"I plan to watch a movie."

"I plan to save more money."

"I plan to read a book."

"I plan to learn new things."

-I plan to + (verb)

'Plan to' describes something that you would like to do in the near future.

Here are some examples:

"I plan to find a new apartment."

"I plan to relax on vacation."

"I plan to surprise my parents."

"I plan to wash my car."

"I plan to adopt a child."

"I plan to impress my boss."

"I plan to watch a movie."

"I plan to save more money."

"I plan to read a book."

"I plan to learn new things."

This sentence lets someone know what you would be interested in doing. This can be a physical, mental or verbal action.

Here are some examples:

"I would like to answer that question."

"I would like to compete in a cooking contest."

"I would like to explain myself."

"I would like to invite you over."

"I would like to practice."

"I would like to become a doctor."

"I would like to see you more often."

"I would like to thank you."

"I would like to learn about animals."

"I would like to meet the President."

'I gotta' is grammatically incorrect. It is more of a spoken form. If you want to say this with proper grammar, the equivalent would be, 'I have got to' or 'I've got to'. In the spoken form, 'got to' is shortened to 'gotta' and the word 'have' is dropped.

Here are some examples:

"I gotta manage my money."

"I gotta obey the laws."

"I gotta move to a bigger house."

"I gotta impress my boss."

"I gotta brush my teeth."

By adding the word 'have' you can change what you are saying to express something that needs to be done in the near future.

Here are some examples:

"I have got to be on time to work."

"I've gotta try harder at school."

"I've gotta tell my wife I'll be late."

"I've gotta learn more about the laws."

"I've gotta clean my house today."

The word 'wanna' is incorrect grammatically. It is equivalent to 'want to.' When combined with the word 'I' it helps communicate something you want to do.

Here are some examples:

"I wanna talk."

"I wanna search for a job."

"I wanna order some food."

"I wanna marry her."

"I wanna listen to that song."

By adding the word 'don't' you can change the meaning of what you are saying to something you 'want' to do to something you 'do not' want to do.

Here are some examples:

"I don't wanna talk."

"I don't wanna search for a job."

"I don't wanna marry her."

"I don't wanna listen to that song."

"I don't wanna order some food."

The words 'have to' describe something that needs to take place soon. It expresses certainty, necessity, or obligation.

Here are some examples:

"I have to switch schools."

"I have to use the telephone."

"I have to go to the bathroom."

"I have to leave."

"I have to unpack my bags."

You can also add the word 'don't' to suggest that someone is not required to do something.

"I don't have to switch schools."

"I don't have to use the telephone."

"I don't have to go to the bathroom."

"I don't have to leave."

"I don't have to unpack my bags."

Used to refers to actions and situations in the past which no longer happen or are no longer true. It always refers to the past:

Here are some examples:

"I used to develop websites."

"I used to jog every day."

"I used to paint."

"I used to smoke."

"I used to work from home."

"I used to live in California."

"I used to go to the beach every day."

"I used to sing in a choir."

"I used to like vegetables."

"I used to start work at 6 o'clock."

She used to sing in a choir, but she gave it up. (She sang, but she doesn’t sing any more)

Be used to means ‘be accustomed to’ or ‘be familiar with’. It can refer to the past, present or future. We follow be used to with a noun phrase, a pronoun or the -ing form of a verb:

I work in a hospital, so I’m used to long hours. (I am accustomed to/familiar with long hours.)

She lives in a very small village and hates traffic. She’s not used to it.

He was a salesman, so he was used to travelling up and down the country. (He was accustomed to/was familiar with travelling.)

We can also say get used to or (more formally) become used to:

University is very different from school, but don’t worry. You’ll soon get used to it. (or, more formally, You’ll soon become used to it.)

'Used to' expresses something that was done in the past, and is not usually done now.

By using the words 'I have' you are informing someone of something you have possession of or have acquired.

Here are some examples:

"I have a cat."

"I have a nice car."

"I have a house."

"I have a computer."

"I have a headache."

You may hear the words 'cannot' and 'won't' used with 'I have.' By adding these you can express what you will not put up with or allow.

Here are some examples:

"I cannot have that behavior in my house."

"I cannot have you over tonight."

"I won't have anything to do with that."

"I won't have it any other way."

-I have + (past participle)

Again, 'I have' shows possession or something acquired. By adding a past participle you are informing someone of a past or completed action done by you.

Here are some examples:

"I have done it."

"I have heard that before."

"I have driven a car."

"I have forgotten the words."

"I have read that book."

"I have eaten at that restaurant before."

"I have flown in an airplane."

"I have forgiven you."

"I have seen you before."

"I have written a letter."

'I'm' is an abbreviation for the word 'I AM.' It is used in combination with other words to tell someone about yourself or to describe something you are doing.

Here are some examples:

"I'm so tired."

"I'm confused."

"I'm happy."

"I'm twenty-three years old."

"I'm hungry."

"I'm nervous."

"I'm excited."

"I'm leaving work."

"I'm thirsty."

"I'm from Seattle."

You can also add descriptive words with 'I'm' such as:

"I'm extremely tired."

"I'm very happy."

"I'm terribly hungry."

"I am super excited."

"I'm very nervous."

-I'm in/at/on

Describes an action you are doing.

Most commonly, you would use the word 'in' when entering a physical location such as a room or a building.

Here are some examples:

"I'm in the shower."

"I'm in the lobby."

"I'm in a car."

"I'm in a house."

"I'm in a school."

Using the word 'at' helps tell someone where you currently are. The difference between 'at' and 'in' is that the physical location is general.

Here are some examples:

"I'm at the grocery."

"I'm at the mall."

"I'm at the doctor's office."

"I'm at the park."

"I'm at the airport."

However, in some cases you can use 'at' and 'in' interchangeably.

Here are some examples:

"I'm at the mall."

"I'm in the mall."

"I'm at the park."

"I'm in the park."

"I'm at the grocery."

"I'm in the grocery."

Using the word 'on' is referring to a non-physical location such as your time being utilized by something else.

Here are some examples:

"I'm on the phone."

"I'm on my computer."

"I'm on a bus."

-I'm good at

Again, 'I'm' is used here as 'I am.' 'Good at' informs someone what you excel at and are comfortable doing.

Here are some examples:

"I'm good at drawing."

"I'm good at video games."

"I'm good at swimming."

"I'm good at driving."

"I'm good at reading."

"I'm good at sports."

"I'm good at writing."

"I'm good at math."

"I'm good at dancing."

"I'm good at chess."

-I'm + (verb)

'I'm' is a contraction of the words 'I am.' By adding a verb to 'I'm' this lets you express an action or occurrence about yourself.

Here are some examples:

"I'm eating lunch."

"I'm brushing my teeth."

"I'm scared."

"I'm driving to work."

"I'm crying."

"I'm typing an email."

"I'm cooking dinner."

"I'm combing my hair."

"I'm hanging a picture."

"I am texting."

"I am dancing."

"I am interested in the job."

"I am exercising."

"I am sad."

"I am learning."

-I'm getting

When combining the words 'I am' and 'getting' you are telling someone 'you' are gaining possession, being affected by or have plans to seek out and obtain a particular thing.

Here are some examples:

"I'm getting better."

"I'm getting ready for bed."

"I'm getting a tooth ache."

"I'm getting a cold."

"I'm getting married."

"I'm getting tired."

"I'm getting good at reading."

"I'm getting a new car."

"I'm getting a job."

"I'm getting a puppy."

-I'm trying + (verb)

'I am trying' informs someone that you are attempting to accomplish something using bodily, mental, or spiritual strength. By adding a verb to 'I'm trying' you are pointing out exactly what it is you are attempting to do.

Here are some examples:

"I'm trying to get a job."

"I'm trying to call my family."

"I'm trying to enjoy my dinner."

"I'm trying to educate myself."

"I'm trying to explain myself."

"I'm trying new food."

"I'm trying to eat healthy."

"I'm trying to understand."

You may also hear the word 'trying' used to express a way someone is feeling. In this manner, it expresses strain or distress.

Here are some examples:

"Learning new things can be trying on you."

"That marathon was very trying on me."

-I'm gonna + (verb)

The word 'gonna' is incorrect grammatically. The equivalent in proper grammar would be 'going to.' When using the word 'gonna' you are telling someone what you are planning to do at that moment or in the near future.

Here are some examples:

"I'm gonna have some coffee."

"I'm gonna go to work."

"I'm gonna eat some cake."

"I'm gonna send out my resume."

"I'm gonna run a marathon."

"I'm gonna ask her out for dinner."

"I'm gonna stop smoking."

"I'm gonna help my friends."

"I'm gonna take swim lessons."

"I'm gonna read a book."

After becoming comfortable with the entire conversation practicing several times, you will be able to speak as fast as a native.

A: "What type of movies do you like?"

B: "I like comedies. How about you?"

A: "I like action."

B: "Action is fun too."

A: "What type of movies do you like?"

B: "I like all sorts of movies, primarily drama and science fiction."

A: "That's an interesting combination. How about western movies?"

B: "Western and horror are the two types of movies I don't care for."

A: "Why don't you like horror? They're entertaining."

B: "Some are entertaining, but I find most of them stupid and childish. For example, I don't understand why a person always goes into the house alone when something is suspicious."

A: "Ha ha. I know what you mean. But it's just a movie. They need for the characters to do that."

A: "Hey, you wanna see a movie tomorrow?"

B: "Sounds like a good plan. What do you want to see?"

A: "How about Legally Blonde."

B: "Ah, my girlfriend wanted to see that movie. I have to take her later so I don't want to watch it ahead of time. How about The Cube?"

A: "Isn't that a scary movie?"

B: "How scary can it be? Come on, it'll be fun."

A: "Ok. I'll give it a try."

B: "That's the spirit. I'll see you tomorrow after class."

A: "Ok. See you tomorrow."

Movies Types - Action and Drama.

We are going to learn about different movie types. Afterwards, we will have discussions about movies that you recently saw. But for now, let's work on movie types.

There are many different types of movies. You probably know them all in your language, but let's learn what they are in English. Also, we will learn how to say a couple of sentences related to a movie type. If you disagree with a sentence, feel free to change some words around so they fit what you want to say.

Although there are many categories, we will learn the most basic 10 types of movies.

Action; Drama; Comedy; Romantic comedy; Horror; Science fiction; Suspense (Thriller)

Western; Commentary / Non-Fiction

Action: Movies with lots of fighting, shooting, exploding, etc.

"What kind of movie do you like?"

"I like action movies because they are fast paced."

"Action movies are my favorite."

"I like all the action movies with a lot of guns."

"I like fight scenes that are choreographed."

Drama: Everyone knows drama. Like Titanic and Schindler's List

"What type of movies do you like?"

"I like all sorts of drama."

"I like movies that play with my emotion."

"Drama movies are great because they are the most realistic."

"The sad drama movies that make me cry."

Movie Types - Comedy and Horror

Comedy: Funny movies with many jokes or actors acting in a funny way.

"I love all types of comedy because I love to laugh."

"Comedy is my favorite because it is very entertaining to me."

"I like comedy that makes fun of political things."

"Comedy is so hilarious that I always enjoy watching them."

Romantic Comedy: Funny movies with a strong romantic theme. Opposite to action because usually guys like action and the ladies like Romantic comedies.

"Many people view romantic comedy movies as chick-flicks."

Chick = girl

Flick = movie

Chick-Flick = a girly type of movie; a movie a girl will like; 'take your girlfriend to' type of movie... or something like that.

"Romantic comedy is funny movies that involve a lot of romance."

"I love all the story lines of romantic comedy movies."

Horror: Scary movies that will give you nightmares for 3 months.

"When I was a little kid, I couldn't sleep because of horror movies."

"Horror movies are not scary anymore."

"I have yet to see a movie that really scares me."

"I hate horror movies because I cannot sleep."

"I always have nightmares after watching horror movies so I try to avoid them."

Movie Types - Other Types

Science Fiction: Futuristic movies like star wars, star trek, theme of time travel, superhuman powers, etc.

"Many science fiction movies are about the future."

"The success of a science fiction movie is usually dependent on how much they spend on special effects."

"After watching a science fiction movie such as star wars, I always wish I lived in the future."

"Gene Rodenberry and George Lucas are two great people in the Science Fiction world."

Suspense (Thriller): A movie that intentionally keeps you in a heightened state.

"I am always on the edge of my seat when I watch suspenseful movies."

"I can't stand to watch suspenseful movies because my stomach always gets upset."

"The suspense just kills me."

"It's so exciting to watch a suspense movie."

Western: Old time cowboy movies

"Western movies are not so popular anymore."

"Client Eastwood was a popular western actor."

"Western movies show a little bit about the United States during the early years."

"After watching The Last Samurai, I always hoped an Asian country will make a movie called The Last Cowboy."

Commentary / Non-Fiction: Educational and true.

"Commentaries and non-fiction films are usually educational."

"Non-profit organizations usually create commentaries supported by the government."

"Popular non-fiction films are about chimpanzees and gorillas."

"Sometimes non-fiction films are sad because of the hidden truth that is revealed."

Movies - Interactive Practice

After becoming comfortable with the entire conversation practicing several times, you will be able to speak as fast as a native.

A: "I hear Batman is supposed to be good. Do you want to go see it tomorrow?"

B: "I have to eat dinner with my family tomorrow."

A: "We can watch the late show. I think it starts at nine forty five."

B: "That would be great."

A: "What time can you be at the theater by?"

B: "I can be there by 9:15."

A: "Ok. I'll meet you there."

A: "What are you doing tomorrow?"

B: "Nothing really."

A: "Let's watch a movie or something."

B: "What's on these days?"

A: "I think they're playing Lord of the Rings"

B: "That sounds pretty good. Let's watch that."

A: "Where should we meet?"

B: "How about at the subway entrance."

A: "Alright. I'll meet you there at one o'clock."

A: "Hey Steve, what are you doing these days?"

B: "Just working. The same as usual."

A: "Have you seen Shiri?"

B: "No. I haven't seen that yet."

A: "Let's go watch it tomorrow. It's a weekend and you should take a break."

B: "Well, to think of it, that sounds great."

A: "I'll give you a call tomorrow about noon and let you know the time."

B: "Ok. I'll see you tomorrow."

A: "See you."

A: "What should we do this Saturday?"

B: "Rocky six is suppose to come out this Friday."

A: "Yeah, but I don't know if it is going to be any good."

B: "The only reason I want to see it is because I have seen the previous five."

A: "True. Ok. Let's see it this Saturday."

B: "How about we hook up for lunch at 12:00, and then go see the movie afterwards."

A: "Sounds like a plan. Let's meet in front of Tower Records at 12:00."

Movies - Asking Friend 

The following questions and statements are used when asking a friend to watch a movie.

"Hey John, do you want to (wanna) go see a movie tonight?"

"I'm going to watch Terminator 2. Do you wanna join?"

"Let's go see The Matrix tomorrow."

"What time should we meet at the theater?"

"Let's watch a movie after dinner."

"The Titanic is coming out this Friday. Let's go see it."

If there are not enough details, a response can be in a question form. Here are a couple of examples.

"Who is all going?"

"Who are you watching it with?"

"Where are you watching it?"

"What time are you watching the movie?"

Normal answers:

"That sounds great."

"I always wanted to see that. Let's go."

"Let's meet at the theater at four o'clock."

"Sure. Do you wanna eat lunch together before the movie?"

"I've already seen that movie. What else is playing?"

"I can't. I have to work that night."

"That movie sounds scary. I don't like horror movies."

"I really don't like the actors. I'm going to pass."

Movies - Example Conversation

Let's look at a couple of example conversations before going to the practice section.

Person A: "Hey John, I'm going to see The Matrix with Peter and Brad. Do you wanna come?"

Person B: "When are you guys going?"

Person A: "We're going to see the eight O'clock showing."

Person B: "That would be great. Where are you guys meeting?"

Person A: "We're meeting at the theater at seven thirty."

Person B: "Great. I'll meet you guys there."

Person A: "Hey Jill."

Person B: "What's up Mike?"

Person A: "I was wondering if you have any plans for tomorrow night."

Person B: "Umm... I don't think I have anything special for tomorrow. Why?"

Person A: "Do you want to see The Titanic with me?"

Person B: "I wanted to see that. Yeah. Let's go."

Person A: "What time is good for you?"

Person B: "How about seven thirty."

Person A: "Sure. I'll meet you at the theater at seven.

Small Talk - Interactive Practice

After becoming comfortable with the entire conversation practicing several times, you will be able to speak as fast as a native.

A: "Hey Paul. What are you doing here?"

B: "How's it going? I'm meeting up with a friend here."

A: "How have you been man?"

B: "Not too bad. I'm still in school and having a little fun."

A: "How are you enjoying Mr. Lee's history class?"

B: "It's so boring."

A: "Tell me about it. If it wasn't a requirement, I wouldn't have taken it."

B: "How about you? What have you been up to?"

A: "I finished school last spring. I'm searching for a job now, but I'm slacking off."

B: "I heard the job market is not that hot right now."

A: "I could always take a low end job, but I'm not that desperate yet."

B: "Well, good luck to you."

A: "Thanks. It was good seeing you again."

B: "Yeah. I'll catch you later."

A: "Have a good night."

A: "You're John right?"

B: "Yes. Oh, you're in my English class right?"

A: "Yeah. I'm Martha."

B: "Well it's good to finally meet you."

A: "How are you enjoying the class?"

B: "I'm not sure. Some days it seems ok, but other days I am totally bored in class."

A: "I know what you mean. Do you know what is wrong with the weather these days? I haven't seen the sun in 2 weeks."

B: "The weather has been pretty terrible recently."

A: "I'm really hoping the weather gets better."

B: "Do you have something coming up?"

A: "To tell you the truth, it's just depressing seeing so much rain."

B: "I don't blame you. It has been pretty gloomy for some time now."

A: "This is my stop. I'll see you later."

B: "I'll see you in class. Bye."

Small Talk

Many people believe small talk is very boring and not personable. Although that is true, there are many places where small talk is very important. In the western culture, strangers talk to other strangers frequently. On the other hand, small talk is not so common in the eastern culture. Because strangers are friendly to one another in the western culture, small talk is very important to master in regards to learning English. One other place small talk is important is in an interview. That is why this session will be important to learn.

The best way to learn small talk is to provide many examples. So this lesson will be taught using an example format.

Small talk involves many different topics. We will have several sessions on small talk once we have covered other subjects such as sports, jobs, school, etc. But for now, we will go through the basics of small talk conversation. To initiate small talk, we can use what we have learned from our previous several sessions:

One: "Hi Bill, how are you doing?"

Two: "I'm doing great. How are you doing?"

One: "I'm doing well myself."

Wasn't that simple? If you studied the material in prior sessions, this should be real easy for you. Now that we have initiated the small talk, it's your responsibility to keep the conversation going. In order to do so, you can talk about anything that is not too personal. Let's first ask what the other person has been doing lately.

One: "What have you been up to lately?"

Two: "Well, I just started to work at the bank so I'm pretty busy learning everything."

You can elaborate on what you have learned to keep the conversation alive. In this example, you are going to ask more questions about school and work.

One: "Does that mean you already finished school? I thought you had 1 more semester left."

Two: "I took summer courses, so I finished one semester early."

One: "It's great that you got a job. I'm really happy for you."

Two: "Thanks."

As you can now tell, the conversation is getting old. You have a choice of ending the conversation, or changing the topic. Let's practice ending the conversation.

One: "We should get together for lunch sometime."

Two: "Yeah, that would be great."

One: "I'll call you sometime."

Two: "Ok. I'll see you later."

One: "Alright. See ya."

28. Small Talk - Two Example Dialogs

In this conversation, we initiated the conversation and talked about the other person. However, sometimes you will not have anything to talk about. In order to keep the conversation alive, you should think about topics such as the weather.

One: "Hi Mary."

Two: "Oh, hi."

One: "How are you doing?"

Two: "I'm doing alright. How about you?"

One: "Not too bad. The weather is great isn't it?"

Two: "Yes. It's absolutely beautiful today."

One: "I wish it was like this more frequently."

Two: "Me too."

One: "So where are you going now?"

Two: "I'm going to meet a friend of mine at the department store."

One: "Going to do a little shopping?"

Two: "Yeah, I have to buy some presents for my parents."

One: "What's the occasion?"

Two: "It's their anniversary."

One: "That's great. Well, you better get going. You don't want to be late."

Two: "I'll see you next time."

One: "Sure. Bye."

This example is when you run into someone. This is an easy type of small talk because when you run out of things to say, you can always say bye. There are times when you don't have that option. Let's practice a situation where you cannot leave, such as an interview. I go into depth about interview communication in a different section. For now, I am going to emphasize the small talk portion of an interview. There are times when you will not have an opportunity for small talk, but in other cases, you might have to talk about general things.

Them: "Hi. My name is Josh. It's a pleasure to meet you."

You: "Hi Josh. I'm glad to be here."

Them: "Did you have any problems finding this place."

You: "I didn't have any problems. I found directions on the internet so it was pretty easy to find. However, the traffic was not that great."

Them: "Traffic is never good around here."

You: "I agree. It would be great if there was a train or a subway line that went through here."

Them: "That would be so great. I would definitely take the train if they had it."

You: "Trains are great because you can read a book or get a little rest instead of having to fight the traffic."

Them: "Very true. Well, let me begin by telling you about our company..."

This is a good example of small talk. It shows that you are easy to speak with, and most importantly, you found a small connection even though it was about a small topic such as the traffic problem. In this type of situation, don't feel that you have to constantly talk. If it is not relevant to the topic, it might be better not to say anything. But if you can add on to the topic, it's a good thing. The person who is giving the interview has the control, and that person will direct the small talk to the interview when the time is right. In my example above, I made a small transition from the traffic and started the interview process. If you are interested about interview, please go to the Interview Section. You may now move on to the practice session.

After becoming comfortable with the entire conversation practicing several times, you will be able to speak as fast as a native.

I love spring.What's the weather like in Japan in spring, Takashi?

 It's really nice. It's sunny and warm. Sometimes, it rains but the sky is usually clear and blue.

It's my favorite season because everything feels so fresh.

 Wow. That sounds nice. How about summer?

Summer is hot I like hot weather. But in Japan, summer is too humid, I prefer to stay

inside and use the air conditioning.

That sounds different to summer in the UK. What's autumn like in Japan?

 It's better than summer because it's cooler. The air is fresh and it's often quite windy.

 And how about winter?

Winter is really cold and very dry. Sometimes it snows too. In the northern parts of Japan, there is often a lot of snow.

A: "Hey John, it's beautiful out today, isn't it?"

B: "Yeah. I wish it would be like this everyday."

A: "Did you see the weather forecast?"

B: "Unfortunately, it's supposed to start raining tomorrow night."

A: "Do you know what the weather is going to be like tomorrow?"

B: "It's supposed to be the same as today. I don't think the weather will change much for the next week or so."

A: "That's great."

B: "Why are you so happy? Do you have anything planned?"

A: "Yeah, I'm going to Everland with my family this weekend so I was hoping for good weather."

A: "I can't believe it is raining so much."

B: "It's not that bad. Last year we had floods in 4 different areas of the city."

A: "Really? Does it always rain so much during this time of year?"

B: "This is not as bad as usual. During the monsoon season, we usually have rain for 3

In this section, we will learn about the four different seasons along with the difference between Celsius and Fahrenheit. Also, we will learn about weather in different parts of the world. In the next session, we will practice more dialog. But this is a good starting point when learning to hold a conversation about the weather.

Summer:

Depending on the location, summer can be warm and pleasant or unbearably hot and humid. Although you will describe summer in one particular way, you should be aware of how other people describe summer in different parts of the world.

In Nevada, Arizona, Egypt, or other places that are like deserts, people might say,

"Summer is very hot and dry. It's not so bad when we are in the shade."

"Summer is extremely hot. The sun will burn you if you don't wear sunscreen."

"Because it's not humid, it is easy to get used to."

In Seattle, the summer is the best season,

"Summer is the only time of year that it doesn't rain much."

"Summer is like paradise in Seattle."

"If summer wasn't so good here, I would move to a different city."

In New York, Korea, or other hot and humid places, people can say,

"Summer is both hot and humid here."

"I am always sticky because I sweat so much during the summer."

"Without air conditioning, I don't know how I would survive."

Spring and Fall / Autumn

From my perception, I noticed that spring and autumn are generally pleasant seasons for many areas of the world. I haven't heard enough to say one way or another, so I can only write down what I know.

"My favorite season is autumn."

"The only reason I don't like the fall is due to all the leaves I have to rake up."

"Fall is so beautiful because of all the different color leaves everywhere."

"It rains a lot around here during the fall."

"It gets cold in late autumn."

"In our country, autumn is just like summer. It's hot and humid."

"My favorite season is spring because of the budding flowers."

"I love the spring because it's not cold nor hot."

"The spring season here causes a lot of people to sneeze due to all the flowers appearing. Many people with allergies hate the spring."

Weather - Winter

Winter has many differences between locations. Some places might be extremely cold like Korea, New York, Alaska, Greenland, etc, and some places might be perfect like Hawaii, Los Angeles, Mexico and other hot places.

Hot places that enjoy pleasant summer warmth:

"I don't think we have a winter here. During the winter months, it's still 80 degrees. So everyone loves the winter months because it's not too hot."

"Winter time is the best time to visit because the temperature is the best during January."

"I like to go to Hawaii for my winter vacations because it's so cold in my home city."

Cold places:

"It's freezing out."

"It doesn't snow often, but when it does, it stays around for several weeks because it stays cold."

"For 3 months, this city will be covered with a layer of snow because it will never melt."

"It doesn't get too cold here, but it's always raining and very gloomy."

"The winter here is cold and dry. We hardly get any precipitation."

Weather - Fahrenheit and Celsius

It's unfortunate that some countries still use the Fahrenheit system. It would be so much easier if everything was in Celsius. But because the United States still uses the Fahrenheit system, knowing the conversion of Celsius to Fahrenheit will help when speaking to Americans.

"How do you convert Fahrenheit to Celsius?"

"Well, you subtract 32 from Fahrenheit, multiply by 5 and then divide by 9."

"How do you convert Celsius to Fahrenheit?"

"You multiply Celsius by 9, divide by 5, then add 32."

Here is an example dialog.

Person A: "What is the average temperature in Seoul during June?"

Person B: "It is usually about 26 degrees Celsius during June."

Person A: "What is that in Fahrenheit?"

Person B: "That would be about 80 degrees Fahrenheit."

Usually, it takes some time to convert degrees using the conversion method. So it's easier to have general temperatures already memorized. Here is a small table so you can quickly respond when talking with a foreigner about the temperature.

You don't need to remember everything. But if you know a couple of numbers you can just change the other number slightly. For example, if you know that 80 degrees is about 27 degrees Celsius, then if the temperature is 77 degrees, you can figure that it will be about 25 degrees Celsius. Also, you don't have to be very accurate. In conversation, many people just want general numbers and being off by a half a degree will not do any harm.

Finally, during the winter months, it gets so cold that the temperature goes below 0 degrees Celsius. Let's practice a few sentences using negative numbers.

"How cold does it usually get in Korea?"

"Usually around minus 5 degrees Celsius, but sometimes it gets as cold as minus 12 degrees."

"How cold does it get in Alaska?"

"Depending on the area, but it's common for the temperature to be below 0."

"Is that in Fahrenheit or Celsius?"

"Fahrenheit."

"That means it's 20 below zero!"

Remember, although numbers below zero are negative numbers, it's not common to say, 'Negative 2 degrees.' It's not wrong to say it and everyone will understand, however, when speaking to many people, almost everyone says 'minus 2 degrees.' Another common way to say it is below zero is to say, '2 below' as in the example above.

Weather - Questions and Answers

In this session, we are primarily going to practice speaking key sentences that will help you carry a conversation about the weather.

Asking about the weather:

"Do you know what the weather will be like tomorrow?"

"Do you know if it's going to rain tomorrow?"

"Did you see the weather forecast?"

"What is the weather like in Korea/Seattle/Los Angeles?"

"How is the climate in Korea?"

"Does it rain much in Denver?"

"How different is the weather between Pusan and Seoul?"

"What is your favorite season of the year?"

Answering questions about the weather:

"The weather is supposed to be sunny and warm tomorrow."

"It's supposed to rain for the next several days."

"I didn't see the news yesterday so I don't know what the weather is going to be like."

"Weather in Los Angeles is usually hot in the summer and mild in the winter. It never really gets that cold."

"The weather in Pusan is very similar to Seoul. The main difference is that Seoul gets a little more snow in the winter and a little hotter in the summer. This is primarily because Pusan is right next to the water."

"My favorite season of the year is Spring. It's not too cold and the anticipation of a good summer puts me in a good mood."

Statements about the weather:

"I heard Seattle is a very gloomy city with so many clouds."

"The weather is beautiful this time of year."

"I hate the rain. It makes me feel depressed."

"Autumn is a great season."

"The summer months are so humid in Korea."

"I can't stand the cold winter months."

"It's a beautiful day today, isn't it?"

"I wish the weather was like this everyday."

"It's been raining for 5 days straight. I wonder when it will stop raining."

"I hate the snow. The roads are dangerous to drive in, and when it melts, the streets are very dirty."

"I love snowboarding so I always look forward to the winter."

"The winter months are tolerable because I don't mind the cold."

"Korea has four distinct seasons."

Weather - Long Description

Listen to the Entire Lesson

Being able to speak specific sentences is good, however, it is more important to be able to say a whole paragraph when talking about topics such as the weather. I'll have a specific lesson about putting sentences together in a future lesson. But I'll give one advice now.

Basically, make about 10 sentences. After you know your ten sentences about this question, you can say all of them one after the other so it is a long answer. The ten sentences should be in a list format.

We will learn how to speak longer in a future lesson, but if you want to give it a try now, here are two examples.

Question: "What is the weather like in Korea?"

Answer: "Well, the weather in Korea is unique with four distinct seasons. In the winter, the temperature is about zero degrees Celsius. But, because it doesn't rain much in the winter, there isn't much snow and the air is very dry. In spring, the days warm up significantly but the night gets a little chilly. The summer has two characteristics. It is very hot and humid most of the time, and for about 3 weeks or so, we have a rainy season called monsoon. It gets very rainy and windy during that time period. But we all look forward to autumn. It is a beautiful time of year and the temperature is very pleasant. If you plan on visiting Korea, I highly recommend visiting during autumn."

Question: "Which season do you like the most?"

Answer: "I like summer the most, but at the same time, I hate it. I like summer because it's warm. I don't mind the heat and I like the longer days. So, I can do more activities like swimming, bicycling, rollerblading, and many other outdoor activities. I usually take a short vacation during the summer so I always look forward to that. However, the part about summer I hate the most is during the monsoon season. I can tolerate the humidity, but when it gets hot and humid along with the rain and the wind, then it gets terrible."

After becoming comfortable with the entire conversation practicing several times, you will be able to speak as fast as a native.

A: "What did you do last night?"

B: "I met some friends and we had some drinks at a bar."

A: "Did you drink a lot?"

B: "I got so drunk that I don't remember how I got home."

A: "Why did you drink so much?"

B: "I was so depressed. I just wanted to forget about everything."

A: "How was the airplane ride?"

B: "It was a twelve hour flight. It was so boring. I tried to sleep but it was too uncomfortable on the plane."

A: "How about the movies they play on international flights?"

B: "I saw both movies they played. I was just unlucky."

A: "Did you take a book with you?"

B: "I accidentally packed it with my luggage that I checked in."

A: "What did you do last weekend?"

B: "I went to a party."

A: "How was the party?"

B: "It was way too crowded and the food was gone before I got there."

A: "What time did you get home?"

B: "It was pretty boring so I left at ten and got home before eleven."

Study some examples and then we will be at the practice session.

Person A: "Why didn't you come to my party last night?"

Person B: "I'm sorry I couldn't make it. I had to go visit my grandmother at the hospital."

Person A: "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Is she doing ok?"

Person B: "They just completed a small operation and the doctors said she should recover."

Person A: "Did you get a chance to go to that new restaurant down the street?"

Person B: "Yeah. I ordered the special, but the server screwed up my order."

Person A: "That sucks. So what ended up happening?"

Person B: "They finally got my steak out, but it was overcooked. It was a terrible experience."

Person A: "What did you do last weekend?"

Person B: "I went on a date with Sammy."

Person A: "Really? How was it?"

Person B: "I couldn't ask for a better night. We talked all throughout our two hour dinner, and then we sat by the river and cuddled in the night."

Person A: "Didn't you finish finals week?"

Person B: "Don't remind me. I think I failed most of the exams."

Person A: "Why did you do so terrible?"

Person B: "My mind just went blank. I think I overloaded my brain. I just couldn't concentrate during the exams."

In daily conversation, talking about the past is done very frequently. Whenever you meet a friend, you always tell each other what you have been doing recently. Friends are always interested in each other so they want to know how you have been spending your time in the past.

Today's lesson is going to target past tense communication. This goes hand in hand with the last two lessons and changing a few words around can make a future or present tense sentence into a past tense sentence.

To begin, here are a couple of sentences that are common to say:

"I went to the airport yesterday."

"I met Bob last week."

"I was an hour late for my meeting."

"I went to the bus stop, but I was 30 seconds late. A person on the street told me the bus just went by."

"I completed that task this morning."

Speaking in the past requires past tense words. Let's take a closer examination for the sentences above.

As you can see by some of the examples in the chart, some words change when speaking in the past tense.

Besides some words that change, many times a word with the letter 'd' or 'ed' at the end changes the word to past tense. Here are some examples:

"I was being polite so I opened the door for him."

"I stapled the papers together to keep them organized."

"The paper ripped on the bottom, so I taped them together."

"I switched the presents around because I found out Jane doesn't like red lipstick."

"I was very interested in the topic so I paid close attention."

The tricky part is to know when to add a 'd' to the end of a word to make it past tense. There are exceptions that can cause confusion, for example,

"I rode my bike to school." It would be incorrect to say, 'I rided...'

"I built the house from scratch." Incorrect way is to say, 'I builded...'

"I sat on the chair next to the emergency exit." Incorrect way is to say, 'sitted...'

So remember to use past tense words correctly or the other person might not understand what you are saying.

Yesterday - The Past - Questions and Answers

When asking questions about the past, you can ask questions like:

"How did you enjoy the movie?"

"What time did you get home last night?"

"How was your date with Jackie?"

"How was the traffic going to the airport?"

"What have you been up to?"

"What did you do last weekend?"

"How was the party?"

"How come you didn't come to class yesterday?"

"How did your presentation go?"

Here are some ways you can answer these types of questions. Remember to use past tense because these actions already occurred.

"How did you enjoy the movie?"

"It was a long movie, but overall, the movie was great."

"I really didn't like the movie. It was slow and boring."

"I enjoyed the movie so much that I saw it again."

"What time did you get home last night?"

"I got home at two in the morning."

"I didn't make it home until eleven last night."

"I made it home at midnight."

"How was your date with Jackie?"

"The date went so well. We had dinner at a seafood restaurant. And then we saw a movie together."

"I don't think it went too well. We hardly had anything to talk about. I really thought Jackie was bored to death."

"The date was alright. She called me this morning to go out again, but I haven't responded yet."

"What have you been up to?"

"I just graduated from school so I'm happy that I'm done."

"I met Jackie yesterday and we spent the evening together in a nice restaurant."

"The only thing I have done in the last three months is computer games."

"What did you do last weekend?"

"Last weekend, I visited my parents."

"I went golfing on Saturday. I shot a great score."

"I stayed home and watched TV all weekend long."

"How come you didn't come to class yesterday?"

"I was very sick yesterday."

"I missed the bus and by the time I got to campus, class was already over."

"I slept in because I didn't hear the alarm ring."

"How did your presentation go?"

"It went ok. A few of the people asked some tough questions, but overall it was good."

"I messed up so bad. I brought the wrong folder from my office so I didn't have any notes."

"It was the best presentation of the day. My boss told me I was organized, focused, and spoke clearly."

After becoming comfortable with the entire conversation practicing several times, you will be able to speak as fast as a native.

A: "Do you have any plans tonight?"

B: "I have class until 5 O'clock, but I'm free after that."

A: "Do you want to grab dinner?"

B: "I don't have any dinner plans so that sounds great."

A: "What time should we meet?"

B: "I need to go to the book store first, so let's meet at 6 O'clock."

A: "Let's go to Everland next week"

B: "I can't. I'm way too busy."

A: "What are you doing next week?"

B: "On Monday, I'm going to meet my professor. Tuesday, I have a job interview. Wednesday, I'm going to the dentist. And on Thursday, I have to go visit my parents."

A: "Why are you so busy?"

B: "I've been procrastinating for a long time."

A: "What are you doing over the weekend?"

B: "I'm going to exercise, meet some friends, and then watch tv."

A: "Who are you going to meet?"

B: "My friend from middle school is visiting, so we are going to have dinner on Saturday."

A: "How long is he going to stay?"

B: "He is only here for a day."

A: "Where are you going to eat dinner?"

B: "I plan on taking him to an Italian restaurant."

Talking about the future is something that is done very frequently. Whether we are talking about our dreams or simply telling someone what we will do tomorrow is all spoken in the future tense. As in the previous lesson, this isn't a grammar lesson. This lesson is to provide many different sentences using the future tense.

In the previous lesson, we concentrated on present tense using 'I am'

When we speak in the future tense, we can still use 'I am' but it is important what follows the two words that will make it future tense. Here are a couple of examples.

"I'm going to see Bob tomorrow."

"I'm going to meet John at the airport at 6 O'clock tonight."

"I'm going to go home in an hour."

"I'm going to go to the bus stop right after class."

"I'm going to do that tomorrow."

When using 'going to' after 'I am' it is important that a future indicator is present. For example, if I say, 'I am going to meet John', this can also be present tense that we practiced previously. But if you add a future indicator like 'at 6 O'clock tonight' then it becomes future tense.

Other future tense indicators are:

'going to go'

'going to be'

'I will'

'I have to'

Let's practice using these words:

"I'm going to be dead if I don't finish this project by tomorrow."

"I'm going to go home next week."

"I'll meet you there at five."

"I can't go tonight because I have to work late."

13. Tomorrow's Plan - Questions and Answers

When asking questions about the future, you can ask questions like:

"What are you going to do tonight?"

"What are you doing next week?"

"When do you plan on doing your homework?"

"When are you going to eat dinner?"

"What time do we have to leave for the airport?"

"What should we do tonight?"

There are many different questions you can ask. By changing a few words, you can make numerous questions properly about the future.

When you are answering questions that relate to the future, remember to use the future tense. Here are some ways to answer the questions directly above:

"What are you going to do tonight?"

"I plan on meeting John after dinner. We're going to go to a night club."

"I'm going to go to take my girlfriend out to dinner. And if we have time, we might try to see a movie."

"What are you doing next week?"

"Since I'm on vacation next week, I plan on going to Pusan to visit some friends down there."

"Next week I have to go shopping for all the Christmas presents. I have to buy a present for my dad, mom, and my two sisters."

"When do you plan on doing your homework?"

"I think I'm going to do my homework after I watch the world cup. I don't think I'll be able to concentrate until after the game is over."

"I'm so unmotivated to do my homework. But I'll eventually have to do it, so I'll get around to them probably after dinner."

"What time do you have to leave for the airport?"

"The flight comes in at 4:30, so I plan on leaving at about 3:30"

"The security is pretty tight so I should get there early. I plan on arriving there 2 hours before my flight leaves."

"What should we do tonight?"

"After dinner, let's go grab a couple of beers. Then we can go shopping for a couple of hours, and afterwards, we can rent a video and watch it at my place."

"I'm pretty busy tonight. I have to do the laundry, vacuum, and then make dinner, so I won't be able to meet you tonight."

Tomorrow's Plan - Example Conversation

Let's use this time to incorporate what we have learned so far.

Person A: "Bob is in the hospital, did you get a chance to visit him?"

Person B: "I'm going to see Bob tomorrow."

Person A: "I thought you had to meet John tomorrow?"

Person B: "I'm going to meet John at the airport at 6 O'clock tonight."

Person A: "I'm going home now, do you want to head out together?"

Person B: "No Thanks. I'm going to go home in about an hour."

Person A: "Didn't you need to buy a present for your brother's birthday?"

Person B: "I'm going to do that tomorrow."

Person A: "I'm going to go to the bus stop right after class, so I won't have time to meet you."

Person B: "That's OK. We can always get together tomorrow."

Person A: "Why do you look so stressed?"

Person B: "I'm going to be dead if I don't finish this project by tomorrow."

Person A: "I thought you had 2 weeks to finish this project."

Person B: "I don't have time to explain now. I'll talk to you later."

Person A: "Since we are done with school, when are you going back home?"

Person B: "I'm going to go home next week."

Person A: "Me too. Do you want to meet at the train station on Sunday?"

Person B: "Sure. I'll meet you there at five."

Practice asking questions:

"What are you going to do tonight?"

"What are you doing next week?"

"When do you plan on doing your homework?"

"When are you going to eat dinner?"

"What time do we have to leave for the airport?"

"What should we do tonight?"

In this lesson, we are going to learn how to communicate to someone using the present tense. However, because this lesson is not much about teaching grammar, I do not want to spend too much time on details. I wanted to include this section primarily to show many different sentences using present tense and to have a dedicated practice section with only present tense sentences.

This lesson is a little shorter than others because speaking in the present tense is not as common as speaking in the future or past tense. Although speaking in the future tense or the past tense is more common, it is still important to know how to communicate in the present tense. Here are some example sentences:

"I see Bob over there by the newspaper stand."

"I'm going to the library."

"I'm on my way home."

"I'm going to the bus stop."

"Jack is going to the store."

"Jill is stopping by now."

"The meeting is starting now."

"The manager is waiting for you in her office."

"Tell the receptionist that you are here to see Mr. Hwang."

Questions:

A very common question you will run into is,

"How are you doing?"

"How is your day going?"

"What are you doing now?"

To answer these types of question, you must remember that you are talking about what is currently going on now, so you must use the present tense.

Here are some ways to answer the above question.

"I'm enjoying the beautiful weather without any worries in the world."

"I'm playing a video game on my computer because I have nothing to do."

"I'm at the grocery store buying ingredients for tonight's dinner."

"I'm at the gym working out."

As you can see, each sentence is starting with, 'I am' instead of 'I will be' or 'I was.'

We will discuss past tense and future tense in the next sessions.

More descriptive answers you can give are the following:

"I'm pretty busy right now. I'm doing my homework because I have an exam tomorrow."

"My project deadline is coming up, so I'm currently in the process of finishing my tasks."

"I'm taking the day off from work today because I have so many errands. I'm going to the post office to send some packages to my friends."

"I'm looking for a job. The job market does not look that great, but I can't give up."

"I'm applying for a job at a consulting firm in Taiwan."

"I'm listening to music while thinking about my situation."

How is your day - Example Conversation

The present tense is more common in writing. As you can see by all the explanations I am giving, they are all written in the present tense. That is because it is instructional. Instructional writing is more commonly written in present tense. However, stories in novels are written in past tense.

The reason past and future tense is used more commonly than present tense when speaking is because usually you are telling someone what you have done or what you plan on doing. Speaking in the present tense is used primarily to tell someone what you are currently doing.

As in previous lessons in 'Bored and Greeting' it is very common to have a conversation using the present tense when you run into somebody or when you make or receive a phone call.

Let's use this time now to incorporate what we have learned so far.

Person A: "Hi Jack. What are you doing?"

Person B: "Hi Mary. I'm filling out a job application."

Person A: "Are you finished with school already?"

Person B: "No. I have one more semester, but it would be great to have a job lined up."

Person A: "How is your day going?"

Person B: "Quite busy. I'm preparing for my presentation tomorrow on our marketing strategy. I'm not even half done yet."

Person A: "You must feel stressed out now."

Person B: "That's an understatement."

Person A: "What are you doing now?"

Person B: "I'm playing pool with my friends at a pool hall."

Person A: "I didn't know you play pool. Are you having fun?"

Person B: "I'm having a great time. How about you? What are you doing?"

Person A: "I'm taking a break from my homework. There seems to be no end to the amount of work I have to do."

Person B: "I'm glad I'm not in your shoes."

How is your day - Interactive Practice

After becoming comfortable with the entire conversation practicing several times, you will be able to speak as fast as a native.

A: "What are you doing now?"

B: "I'm watching TV."

A: "What are you watching?"

B: "I'm watching Friends. What are you doing?"

A: "I'm doing my homework, but I really need to take a break."

B: "You want to do something?"

A: "Yes. But I shouldn't. I got to finish my assignment now."

B: "Alright. Call me later then."

A: "OK. Bye."

A: "Where are you going now?"

B: "I'm going to the bank."

A: "Aren't you supposed to be at work?"

B: "I'm working now. I'm making a deposit for our company."

A: "Where do you work?"

B: "I work for a restaurant as a controller."

A: "Wow. That's great."

B: "Great seeing you. I have to go now. I'll talk to you later."

A: "Hi Steve. What are you doing here?"

B: "I'm meeting a friend here for dinner. How about you?"

A: "I'm on my way home but I needed to stop by the book store to buy a text book."

B: "Didn't you finish school yet?"

A: "I have one more year, and then I'm done."

B: "What are you majoring in?"

A: "I'm majoring in Sociology"

B: "How do you like your major?"

A: "I really find the subject very interesting. I'm enjoying all my classes."

B: "That's great."

A: "I'd better go now. I don't want to miss the bus."

B: "Alright, I'll talk to you later."

A: "Okay. See you later."

After practicing several times, you will be able to speak as fast as a native.

A: "Hey there. What have you been up to?"

B: "Nothing really."

A: "How about your work?"

B: "It's so boring there. I really wish I had a different job."

A: "Is it really that bad?"

B: "Yeah. Most of the time, I have nothing to do. But whenever I have something to do, it's boring work because it is the same old thing."

A: "Why don't you find a different job then?"

B: "Maybe I should."

A: "Hi Steve, what's your plan for tonight?"

B: "I don't have any plans. Are you doing anything special?"

A: "Well, if you're bored, let's plan on meeting up tonight."

B: "That sounds like a good idea. Should we invite Bob?"

A: "He's a little boring."

B: "What do you mean?"

A: "Well, he doesn't drink, play video games, pool, or really anything. The only thing he talks about is history."

B: "You do have a point. We'll leave him out tonight."

A: "Alright. Let's meet at 8:30 in front of the university bookstore."

B: "Perfect. I'll see you later tonight."

A: "Hello"

B: "Hi Jane"

A: "Oh, hi Jill."

B: "What are you doing?"

A: "I'm doing the laundry."

B: "I'm so bored. I have nothing to do."

A: "Why don't you come over and help me with the laundry?"

B: "I'd rather do my own house chores. Hey, you wanna take a break from your house work and have coffee at Starbucks with me?"

A: "Sure, that sounds great. I'll meet you there in thirty minutes."

If you are very close friends with someone, then the conversation can be more direct and honest.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm doing the laundry."

"I'm so bored. I have nothing to do."

"Why don't you come over and help me with the laundry?"

"I'd rather do my own house chores. Hey, you wanna take a break from your house work and have coffee at Starbucks with me?"

"Sure, that sounds great. I'll meet you there in thirty minutes."

Bored - Boring Work

A different situation you can tell someone you are bored is when you are simply talking with a friend concerning a part of your life that is boring. For example, if you have a boring job, you can explain to your friend how boring it is.

"How is your work these days?"

"Work is so boring that I'm going crazy."

"I ran out of things to do and management is too busy to give me more work. I tried to find things to do with no luck. I'm basically sitting in my chair pretending to work."

"That sounds so boring."

"Tell me about it. Time goes so slow when you're bored. I'd rather be busy. Then at least the day would go by faster."

Similar type of boring work is when doing something that is routine. Some sentences expressing boring work are:

"I'm doing the same thing over and over again."

"My work is so repetitious that I am getting bored of it."

"My work does not interest me."

"I'm only working to pay the bills."

"I wish I had your job."

Because some people are so busy, they envy people who have nothing to do at work.

"I'm so bored. I have nothing to do at work. I just surf the Internet all day long."

"Dang! I'm so busy at work, it's driving me crazy. I really wish I had your job."

Practice these conversations.

After practicing several times, you will be able to speak as fast as a native.

A: "Hi, how are you doing?"

B: "I'm doing great. How about you?"

A: "Not too bad."

B: "Do you come to this restaurant often?"

A: "I've been here a couple of times, but I don't come on a regular basis. What have you been up to?"

B: "I'm pretty busy at work these days, but otherwise, everything is great."

A: "Well, have a good evening."

B: "You too."

A: "It's nice to meet you. My name is Jack."

B: "I'm Steve. It's a pleasure to meet you."

A: "What was your name again?"

B: "Steve."

A: "So Steve, What do you do for a living?"

B: "I work at the public library. How about you?"

A: "I'm a University student."

B: "That's great. It was nice meeting you."

A: "Yeah. It was a pleasure meeting you."

A: "Hey Jack, it's good to see you."

B: "Wow. How long has it been? It seems like more than a year. I'm doing pretty well. How about you?"

A: "Not too bad."

B: "What movie did you come to see?"

A: "I came here to see Matrix Revolution. How about you?"

B: "I'm going to watch Finding Nemo."

Bored - General Phrases

Being bored means having nothing to do. When someone is bored, they often call people and try to entertain themselves or try to find something to do with a friend. So being bored is a good starting point for conversational English.

There are a couple of situations you can express to someone that you are bored. Most commonly, you will call a friend and tell them that you are bored or ask them to do something together. The other time is when someone asks you how you are doing. We will cover both situations in this session.

General Phrases

"I'm dying from boredom."

"I hate being bored."

"I don't have anything to do."

"My life is so boring."

"Life is so boring."

"I'm just watching TV until I find something to do."

"I was bored all weekend."

"I am so bored today."

"I get bored very easily."

"I get bored all the time."

A common place to get bored is when you have to visit family members.

"It's always boring whenever we go to our relatives."

"It's nice to visit my grandmother, but it gets boring after a couple of hours."

"My cousins are so boring. All they do is watch tv."

"There's nothing to do in the country side. I'm always bored there."

If you think you are a boring person, here is a way to say that you are boring.

"I think I'm a little boring."

"I'm a boring person."

Boring can be used to describe someone.

"He is a boring person."

"His personality is very boring."

"It's boring whenever she's around."

Using bored to answer a question is very common. Here are some general questions that someone might ask.

"How was your trip?"

"How was your vacation?"

"How was your weekend?"

"How was the lecture?"

"How was the class?"

"How was the game?"

Any of these types of questions can be answered with a simple answer.

"It was pretty boring."

"It was boring. I didn't do much."

"It wasn't as fun as I thought. It was a little boring."

"I was bored most of the time."

"Because it was disorganized, we had too much extra time. I was bored during our free time."

Bored - Calling Someone

The conversation when you call someone might sound something like this.

"Hello."

"Hi Jane, this is Jill. Do you have time to talk?"

"Hi Jill, sure, I was just watching TV."

"What are you watching?"

"I was just watching a re-run of friends. How about you? What are you doing?"

"Nothing much. I really wanted to start studying for the Psychology test coming up, but I can't seem to motivate myself."

As you can see, Even though Jill is very bored, he didn't say that he was bored. To sensitive people, they can misinterpret the situation. If I am bored and I call you, then that could mean that I am only calling you because I have nothing better to do. So if you are not very close friends, it is better to say something like, 'nothing much' instead of 'I am bored.'

Lesson 2: Greeting - Example of Conversations

Let's look at several example conversations. Then we can move on to the practice section.

Now, listen to these conversations.

Person A: "Hi, my name is Steve. It's nice to meet you."

Person B: "I'm Aline. It's a pleasure to meet you, Steve."

Person A: "What do you do for a living Aline?"

Person B: "I work at the bank."

Person A: "What is your name?"

Person B: "Jackson."

Person A: "What was that again?"

Person A: "Hey John, how have you been?"

Person B: "What a surprise. I haven't seen you in a long time. How have you been?"

Person A: "I'm doing very well. How about you?"

Person B: "I finally have some free time. I just finished taking a big examination, and I'm so relieved that I'm done with it."

Person A: "Hi Nancy, what have you been up to?"

Person B: "The same ole same ole. How about you?"

Person A: "I'm pretty busy at work these days, but otherwise, everything is great."

Person A: "Andy, it's been a long time, how are you man?"

Person B: "What a surprise. I haven't seen you in a long time. How have you been?"

Person A: "Do you come to this restaurant often?"

Person B: "I've been here a couple of times, but I don't come on a regular basis."

Lesson 1: Greeting and General Things

This section contains basic English lessons on Greetings, communicating when you're bored, past, present, and future tense, and the weather.

Greeting - Basic

There are many ways to greet someone. We'll learn about the most common way to greet someone in this lesson. I'll give a variety of example sentences.

Greeting someone you never met:

"Hi, my name is Steve. It's nice to meet you."

You can respond to this by saying,

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Jack."

Another common question to ask is

"What do you do for a living?"

You can respond to this by saying,

"I work at a restaurant."

"I work at a bank."

"I work in a software company."

"I'm a dentist."

Usually, you will not need to ask for a name. It is implied that each person should say their name. But in case they don't, you can ask,

"What is your name?"

Many times, I don't hear the name. If you would like for them to repeat their name, you can say,

"What was that again?"

"Excuse me?"

"Pardon me?"

Greeting Someone you Know

"Hey John, how have you been?"

"Hi Bob, how are you?"

"Hi Nancy, what have you been up to?"

"Andy, it's been a long time, how are you man?"

If you meet someone unexpectedly, you can say,

"Hey Jack, it's good to see you. What are you doing here?"

or

"What a surprise. I haven't seen you in a long time. How have you been?"

If you see the person at a restaurant, you can say, "Do you come to this restaurant often?"

Or at the movie theater, "What movie did you come to see?"

Appropriate responses:

"Hi Steve, my name is Mike. It is nice to meet you as well."

"I heard a lot about you from John. He had a lot of good things to say."

"Wow. How long has it been? It seems like more than a year. I'm doing pretty well. How about you?"

A typical response to this type of greeting is simple.

"Not too bad."

If asked what you have been up to, you can respond with, "Same ole same ole." Or, "The same as usual."

Here are some other example responses.

"I'm pretty busy at work these days, but otherwise, everything is great."

"I'm doing very well."

"I finally have some free time. I just finished taking a big examination, and I'm so relieved that I'm done with it."

Restaurant Responses

"I've been here a couple of times, but I don't come on a regular basis."

"I come pretty often. This is my favorite restaurant."

"I can't believe we haven't seen each other before. I come here at least twice a week."

Movie Response

"I came here to see Matrix Revolution. How about you?"

Great, what do you want me to do?

I want you to paint the house.

When do you want me to paint the house?

I want you to paint the house tomorrow.